Feature Friday- 5 photos from the week that are NOT running related

Friday! FRIYAY! YAY! It's FRIDAY! AND I don't have to work this weekend! I.am.so.excited! I hope you have great weekend plans that include getting some sunshine, running, and spending some time doing something YOU LOVE with SOMEONE YOU LOVE (...animals always count)! Our plans loosely include going skiing, but if the weather is nice -> who knows! 

I wanted to share with you 5 photos from my week that DO NOT include running-related things (spoiler alert: they almost all include our animals..because they are just soooo adorable)! 

How CUTE are they?!? Also, we're in need of a duvet cover --> any recommendations?

What? You don't share your macchiatos with your dog? 

Stella sure loves her walks!

Stella put a bow on to be fancy at work one day. 

Go to point6.com and buy some socks! 

Anyone RACING this weekend?!? Where?? GOOD LUCK!

What's one thing you're most looking forward to this weekend? --> Breakfast cooked by Alex, coffee on the couch, kittens snuggles. Ok that was three, but oh well we can't all be winners!

Friday Feature- What I'm Doing this Weekend As Told By Memes

Happy Friday! I hope you have a great weekend planned with lots of cuddling, good food, some running, and relaxation (and maybe some sunshine if the weather's good where you are)! I'll be teaching skiing again and have my 16-18 miler planned for today. Also I saw this photo on instagram the other day and it really got me thinking about how speaking kindly to one another is so important and thinking positive thoughts really changes our mindset (on everything from running to work to training to relationships etc.). What do you think? What are you doing this weekend?! Is anyone racing this weekend? Gosh, I miss racing and can't wait for the SLC Marathon NEXT MONTH!

....I wish

Hopefully a little bit of this...

..hopefully getting both wiser & some worms as well...

Have a great weekend and happy running! 

Feature Friday- Having COURAGE & Importance of Taking Time For YOURSELF

Happy FRIYAY friends! I hope you have a fun weekend planned- I sadly will be teaching skiing at the mountain, but only have a few more weeks left so I am powering through! When things get really busy (like they have been for me for weeks!), I always try to take a bit of time each week for myself and do something that is totally FOR ME. Whether it's cooking something delicious, painting my nails (or going out to get a pedicure), reading when I should be working on something/doing a chore, or relaxing by the tv with Alex and our furry animals. I really try to savor these moments and not think of anything else I have to be doing at that exact moment! If I didn't take the time for these 'zone out' activities, I honestly think I would burn-out super often (and that's definitely happened in the past). How do you take time just for yourself? 

I was also recently thinking about how important it is to be resilient and have courage when pursuing your goals/dreams. I've always prided myself in going after any dream that I have with 110% fearlessness and steadfast determination.

While I don't always succeed with my goals and sometimes change my mind (and sometimes having too much determination can be seen as something negative), I pride myself in being courageous when going after my dreams. While I'm still figuring out what my next 'career path' steps are, I'm taking the time that I haven't taken before to figure out my strengths/weaknesses and courage definitely comes up as one of my top attributes.  What do you think of having courage? How do you take the step from 'totally scary' to 'let's give this a try'? 

-->My thought is that if I don't try something then how will I ever know and that I always want to go through life with NO REGRETS. So, sometimes I have that extra cinnamon roll or take that extra trip that I don't really have enough time/ money/ resources for because you really never know what will happen in the next day/hour/second. Have the courage to pursuit whatever sets your soul on fire!

What sets your soul on fire? 

How do you take that first step to pursuing something that completely scares you?

What are your weekend plans?!

Feature Friday: My Summer Race/ Bucketlist item CHECK & Weekend Matters

Happy Friday! I've got today off and am so.excited. for my long weekend! I hope you have great plans this weekend that include not working and spending a lot of time doing something that you love! I've got an 8 miler planned today (which may or may not happen, depends on if I have time) and a 16 mile long run planned for tomorrow! I'm also planning on working on an exciting project for my MS Run The US fundraiser and hope to have it somewhat finalized by the end of next week! 

...for me anyways ; )

So... I did something a bit crazy on Wednesday and signed up for my first ever ultra trail race!! I signed up for the Copper Mountain 50k happening on July 14th and am super excited. I love trying out a new race distance because I have zero expectations and just want to finish with a smile on my face. Has anyone ever done this race OR done an ultra/50k? Any advice? I'm planning on having my fitness banked from my relay race that will finish at the end of May, take 3 or so weeks off of running, and do a few training runs/ hikes between my relay finish & this 50k. I think that should be enough, but I guess we shall see! 

I also have 2 tabling fundraisers at City Market this weekend and hope to surpass $7k in donations by the end of the weekend (currently at $6,680)! It's supposed to be beautiful weather here today and tomorrow and possibly some snow on Sunday, so really banking on a nice warm tabling day Saturday!

I have three things that I definitely WANT to accomplish this weekend:

1. Get as much sunshine as physically possible

2. Eat something really tasty that I did not make

3. Read as much of my book as I can

What are your weekend plans? 

Anyone else think that you only ever really have Saturday as your "weekend day"? Friday nights I'm so exhausted from the work week and Sunday is always a chores/relax day. I really wish we had another day between those two...

How's the weather where you are?

Ultras- yay or nay?

Feature Fridays- Little Efforts

Sometimes when I get a bit overwhelmed or VERY busy, it's difficult for me to end the day feeling like I was 'successful'. I always like to be an 'overachiever' (...yes I'm definitely THAT person) and list out many things that I want to get done today and maybe only get through half of my list (which leaves me feeling pretty disappointed in myself and not even remembering all the things that I DID get done). I recently read this article on Hungry Runner Girl's blog about a reader who looks at the things that did go well in the day and call them as 'little efforts'. It basically gets down to realizing that even though not everything you wanted to get done got done, you tried multiple times throughout the day and that's all that really matters right? 

It's never so much about failing, but I believe it's failing to even try that really counts! I've also started to make a list each week of 'ideal' things that I want to get done (and also started giving myself monthly goals that relate to my yearly goals and help me reach them). That way, while maybe I only get one thing done today I won't be disappointed because there is always tomorrow!

I've found these things to really help me lately when I've been insanely busy teaching skiing, working full-time, training and running a bunch, fundraising, coordinating my skaters lesson schedules and goals, and choreographing two ice show programs all within the past 4 weeks! Fundraising a large amount of money also takes up A LOT of time and EFFORT and it most certainly is NOT easy. I'm definitely not complaining because I love to stay busy and have brought on all these things onto myself, but that still doesn't make it any easier to manage it all (...at times). It's also difficult fundraising when my support system is mainly myself! I don't have a family close-by to rely on, so a lot of the times it's a solo-effort to reach out to others and ask for their help (and be OK with getting turned down AND also being strong enough to go back and ask again later on). 

When I break down my weekly and monthly goals into the question: What can I do TODAY that will help me get to where I want to be TOMORROW, NEXT MONTH, and/or NEXT YEAR? It seems much more manageable. I know that everything that is going on my life at this moment will eventually subside and things will calm down, so for now I just take it one day at a time and one small 'effort' at a time. I'm no super-woman and can only accomplish so much in a 24-hour period :) . 

How do you manage to get it all done? 

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Happy Friday! I hope you have a wonderful weekend planned of relaxing, watching the Olympics, getting outdoors, doing something you love, and spending time with someone (or something...hey cats & dogs are included!) you love! I unfortunately will be teaching skiing at the mountain tonight, all day tomorrow & sunday, and teaching at the rink Sunday evening, but I am hopeful that I will still find time to do something I LOVE with those that I enjoy spending time with : )