Monday Life Chat

Happy new week my friends!

It’s a gorgeous morning in Charlotte so I’m treating myself to a patio laptop session at Amelie’s with a half-caf latte (1 shot decaf espresso, 1 shot regular) with whole milk + a strawberry cheesecake tart that I’ll save for dessert tonight. I just wrapped up training clients at the gym and have a break before teaching yoga.

This is going to be an all over the place update on what life has looked like since we returned home from our Easter trip to Florida.

ALL THE RUNNING

Spring has me feeling so motivated to lace up my running shoes and get out on the road. I ran 23 miles last week which is my highest mileage week in quite a while.

The highlight of my running week was a 10 miler on Sunday that felt so, so good. I have a half marathon on Saturday and I’m thrilled to be going into the race feeling strong in my body. It will definitely be a redemption race after I missed my last half back in November due to a respiratory illness.

The shorts I wore for my long run are my absolute favorite. I never thought I’d be a biker short kind of runner but I am hooked on these and have three pairs! My favorite feature of the shorts is all the pockets. The two side pockets are big enough for my phone and it doesn’t move at all. So nice to run with my phone out of my hands. I’ll also have plenty of space for gels on Saturday! I also love wearing compression socks for longer runs. They help me prevent calf strain (which I can be prone to) and just feel so supportive for my legs and feet.

Speaking of gels…it’s been a minute since I bought any! I swung into Fleet Feet on Friday after my run to pick up a new pair of Goodr sunglasses and grabbed a few gels while I was there. I polled on Instagram and current brand favorites seem to be Huma, Ucan and Maurten. I don’t typically use gels for half marathon training but I will take a couple on race day – probably at miles 5 and 9. I will also be using them regularly once we get going with marathon training!

How fun are my new Goodrs? This is my third pair and the color is Sunbathing with Wizards! I tried on other styles but ended up sticking with the OGs. Just love how they feel on my face and they’re the best for running! Can’t beat the $25 price tag.

I spent some time with the weighted foam roller between clients at the gym this morning. This thing is equal parts brutal and life changing. Don’t mind the dog hair on my tights – Zoey goes everywhere with me. 🙂

SUNDAY FUNDAY LUNCH + HIKE 

There was no long running last Sunday – instead Finn and I took a trip up to Davidson for lunch at Milkbread and then went for a hike at Lake Norman State Park. It was my first time trying the chicken sandwich at Milkbread and omg I think it’s the best fried chicken sandwich I’ve ever had in my life. Definitely my new go-to order. We also split fries and got a chocolate donut to share.

We did about 4 miles on the Lakeshore Trail – it’s our fave!

There are many, many places along the trail where kids and dogs can get in the water. (Many of the beaches are much nicer than this one.) It was perfect weather for a hike and we had a great time!

SATURDAY FARMERS MARKET 

Fast forward back to this past Saturday and I found myself at the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market after training a client at the gym. I got a few things at Knob Hill Bakery and Creamery for the first time. I tried their wheat country loaf, a muffin and a ginger lemon sandwich cookie.

Here’s the whole haul – I paid $15 for these strawberries but were they ever worth it. Organically grown, local and the best tasting strawberries that I’ve had in a very long time. I find grocery store strawberries to be so disappointing these days.

PUPDATE

Can’t let a life update pass without a snapshot of the furry ones. They recently spent some much needed time at the groomer and emerged looking fresh and fluffy. Molly (who owns the business) said that Benji is SO dependent on Zoey. She’d have him in a run on his own while she was working on Zoey and he’d try to climb over the gate to get to her. Sweet boy.

BFFs.

THE BEST BROWNIES

Oh, I’ve had the baking bug lately. Last weekend I made a batch of homemade brownies and baked Oreos into them…holy moly they were to die for! I need to share this recipe!

WINDING DOWN TK

Last, I cannot believe we are winding down TK and in the final stretch of school before summer break. They’ve been doing so much fun and imaginative play and I just adore the photos his teachers send, and hearing about his days. He has truly flourished in TK and I can’t believe we’re going to have a kindergartener in the fall!

Well, that was fun! Time to go teach yoga. Have a wonderful week y’all!

QUESTIONS

What’s your favorite season for running? It’s a hard choice between fall and spring for me but I think fall wins.

Do you have a tried and true/favorite running outfit? 

Have you baked anything delicious lately?