{FITNESS} this weeks training plan // 10 weeks from race day!

yikes, you guys! 
last week was not awesome!
i am so stupid-scared of the {fking} water ; and it almost as if i am sabotaging myself..
i really, really want to cross that finish line & become a triathlete. i also am overwhelmed by the open water, the distance, my lack of swimming endurance and the fact that i really am scared of the water.
{ps : when someone is afraid of something, its never awesome to remind them of all the things that could go wrong. i am talking to YOU, random lady at the pool who reminded me of the fact that i could drown & how scary open water is.. not helping!}

anyways, my plan right now is to train for race day.
if i really, honestly don't feel like i can do this race without being a safety risk, then i will sit this one out {and cheer on blake!} and train for another tri in the near future. {maybe an indoor one?}
i have ten weeks! i really should be able to work on my endurance and focus on my breathing enough to finish 500 yards.
blake has told me a billion times {i know he is right!} ; this is all in my head. i can swim. i can float. i can breathe. i can do this.
{typing all of this out actually makes me cry. facing a lifetime-long fear straight in the face is no joke, you guys. a part of me is so proud of myself for trying to kick this & another part of me thinks i am a huge dipshit for trying something i am SO afraid of..}

anyways, the goal is to hit the pool 4 days this week. one down & back lap is 50 yards ; so i would love to start with 200 yards {still not non-stop} tonight and end the week with 300 yards. depending on how that goes, i will build on next week and focus on less rest time.

monday : {i was planning on a 12pm yoga class, but downpours + no car = a later class} 60 min hot yoga + 3 mile bike ride + swim 200 yards
tuesday : AM barre class + swim 250 yards + run 20 min
wednesday : swim 250 yards + bike 20 miles
thursday : swim 300 yards + AM barre class + bike 20 miles
friday : 60 min hot yoga class {this also counts as a rest day} {those 60 min in a 105* room is so incredible for my legs!}
saturday : bike 45 miles
sunday : run 25 min + bike 25 miles

ps: i have gotten a couple emails about overtraining. i just want to note that we are training for a triathlon, a 200 mile bike ride, a 100 mile bike tour & building the foundation for one {two?} fall duathlons. since i work from home, i spend a lot of time in compression socks & 'sitting // resting' ; so 2 hours a day of fitness // sweating is not overtraining!

{FITNESS} this weeks training plan + 11 weeks til our TRIATHLON

yikes, you guys! 

our triathlon is in 11 weeks! 

i will write more later this week about my progress {or lack thereof} with the swimming ; but i am NOT prepared.

its actually crossed my mind a few times to drop out of the race.

i do still have *almost* three months, so hopefully, i can pull myself {and my fear} together, power through the swim & stay in the race.

this weeks training plan : 

monday : swim 200 yards

tuesday : bike 10-15 miles // swim 200 yards

wednesday : hot yoga // swim 225 yards 

thursday : barre class // bike 10-15 miles // swim 200 yards 

friday : run 30 min

saturday : bike 30-45 miles

sunday : {this is a super long, jam packed day for me} bike 15-20 miles

i know i don't have a rest day on here ;  i am counting today as a rest day. i am not biking, doing yoga or running & i have been wearing compression socks all day.

i will get in the pool this evening ; but still counting today as a 'mostly rest day.'

{FOOD} vega bars // a review of one of my favorite brands

happy monday, everybody! 

we have been home from our trip for a week now ; i am finally feeling settled & our day-by-day trip recaps will be up on the kindness blog throughout the week! 

lets talk about vega! 

i have been using this product, almost daily for the past 2.5+ years! 

every single morning, i throw in some frozen banana chunks, a scoop of chocolate vega one, a spoonful of flax & chia seeds, two scoops of peanut butter and almond milk & i have myself a filling, tasty, EASY breakfast! 

as a sweat pink ambassador, fit approach & vega gave me {and some other awesome bloggers} a chance to try out 8 new flavors of vega bars. {everything i say is my own opinion ; but you guys know that by now ;)}

i was given vega one bars {best as a 'meal' bar} // vega snack bars // vega sport protein bars {this was my FAVORITE} // vega sport energy bars

of all the flavors i tried, the vega one chocolate peanut butter meal bar and the vega sport chocolate mint protein bar were my favorites!

blake & i split a protein bar in the middle of a 30-mile bike ride {we ate other things before & after, too!} and we both really enjoyed the chocolate mint flavor. 

these bars didn't have that gross, waxy chocolate flavor // aftertaste the way that a lot of other bars do.

i didnt get any photos of the energy bars, but i ate them both after 60-min hot yoga sessions.

i love that vega is plant-based and vegan! i have been a fan of this company for a while & love that their line {and company} is growing and expanding! five years ago, when i cut meat & dairy out of my diet // lifestyle, i wish i had known of them right away! but, all is well that ends well... ;)

ps: they have a BOGO sale on all of their bars in their online shop right now! you can head here to check that out! 

tell us: do you eat protein // meal // snack recovery bars? 

do you have a favorite? 

{FRIDAY LINKS} 9 rad things from around the web you should be reading!

woo hoo!
friday, again!
we come home tomorrow afternoon. i am SO pumped to see daphne & recap our trip!
the boxes go out in a few days.
if you want to purchase a May Be Nice Box, there is STILL TIME!

enjoy these 9 great links from around the web!
1) so, how often should you be posting on social media? thoughts on this?

2) YES! 10 blogging tips for busy women! 

3) i am a huge documentary junkie ; LOVE THEM! the 12 most amazing documentaries on netflix right now! have you seen any of these?

4) yay! meet the teen who is taking on the youth bra industry!

5) 15 things you didn't know your iphone could do! #4 is awesome!

6) 20 unusual things 20 successful folks do every day! i love reading stuff like this. running a business, along with having a billion other balls in the air definitely warrants outside advice!

7) speaking of owning your own biz {and the more un-glamourous side} : 10 strategies for surviving a cash flow slump

8) do you send out a newsletter? here are 5 ideas for a killer email newsletter

9) could these shoes *be* any cuter?! {super-bonus : made in the US!}

have a rad weekend, folks! 

{FITNESS} that time i won $100 & bought new shoes!

its true! 

i bought a brand new pair of shoes for $5!

what the what!?!

back in december // january, weight watchers ran a twitter campaign called #startsimpletowin.

the way it worked was : you tweeted out one of your 2014 goals and included the hashtag. 

they picked 50 random winners to win a $100 gift card.

i was a winner {woot woot!}

the gift card took almost 4 months to get here, BUT i received a $100 american express gift card!

my last pair of training shoes have a huge split in the side {i roll out when i run} ; so i knew i would use the money on a new pair of shoes for my upcoming races // rides this summer.

i walked up to my favorite running store in the cities {how lucky that they are 1 block away?!} and tried on some shoes.

i was pretty sure before i even started that i wanted a pair of new balance. they manufacture *SOME* of their shoes in the US  & i love what they stand for.

i purchased a pair of the *super brand new* new balance fresh foam shoes! 

the technology is awesome and come on ; how sharp do they look?! 

they feel amazing! they have thick foam without feeling like platforms, they run smooth and feel pretty light.

its still been too slushy & snowy to take them out, but oh my goodness, i love them! 

tell us : what are you running in? 

i did receive a $100 gc from weight watchers {and their partners} ; but nobody asked me to blog. but, you already knew i was going to say that ;)

{LIFE STUFF} things i am diggin' right now!

i dont do these posts super-often, but i do love sharing cool products and things that i am loving right now.
i would also love to hear what YOU are diggin'!

1) a few weeks ago, i started watching the west wing! it took me a while to get into it, but i am totally loving it now. the story lines, the dialogue, the chemistry the characters have with one another.

2) at the end of july, i will be competing in my first-ever tri! i have mentioned my fear of water // learning to swim as a 30-year old on here before {and will go more in-depth as the race nears} ; but right now, i am LOVING the progress i am making. i am still afraid of going into the deep end without being on the edge-lanes, but i am doing SO MUCH BETTER with my stroke and breathing under water! last week, we left the pool and i started listing all the things i need to be better at, and i stopped myself and owned the progress i am making. its not huge, but its MINE! i am swimming. i am conquering a fear that has plagued me for most of my life! 

3) i am loving each and every issue of fast company magazine! if you love creative business & the amazing people that are making things happen ; this is the best magazine!

4) i am currently re-reading the 6th harry potter {for the 10th time} one of my goals for 2014 is to read 50+ books. i think i am at 13 right now..

5) do you use solid shampoo bars? i have about 6 of them from working at LUSH & this is the one i have with me on vacation! super-bonus: no suitcase mess AND no need to worry about bringing liquid on the plane!

6) i just signed up for linkedin ; i don't know much about it at all, but i am determined to learn. you can be my friend // contact here.

7) i LOVE brendan braizer! this cookbook has been on my need-to-get list!

you should know this by now ; but most of these companies have no idea i exist. i am telling you about their products because they are rad. i am not getting any affiliate dough or free stuff. {well, the solid shampoo bars were free because i work there...} but, i just care about good, quality products and companies!

{FITNESS} this weeks {vacation} training plan

alright!
we flew to florida yesterday!
we have a billion {rad} things on our agenda, so i don't want to give too much away until i can recap everything!

i have my heart rate monitor along & will be using the pact app to track my fitness minutes.
its times like these, i kinda wish i had a pedometer to track steps!

sunday {yesterday} : travel day! we took a long stroll with daphne in the morning before we headed to the airport! {can i write a post about the ridiculous love i feel for my animal? daphne has never been without us, EVER! every single night for the past 18 months, she has been with us. at first, i was SO worried about how she would handle us being gone, but now i see that i am the one thats a mess ;)}

monday : we are planning to hike a nature preserve during the day ; and possibly a free zumba class at night

tuesday : DISNEY all day ; tons and tons {and tons} of walking!

wednesday : HARRY POTTER {you guys, you have NO IDEA how stupid-pumped i am for this! i remember being in college, hanging out with my friend karen, talking about the park, the day they announced it was going to be built. i have no doubt that i will start bawling when we get there, and probably a few more times throughout the day. i have read the entire series 9-10 times and am so incredibly in love with the series. i could go on for hours ; but i suppose i sound a bit obsessed...}

thursday : biking ALL day! we brought our helmets and have our route {mostly} planned out. i have no idea what the heat will feel like, but we would love to get 50-70 miles in. we also have plans for a biking happy hour at a local shop, checking out the local food scene & buying vegan cupcakes!

friday : most of today will be spent in the car. we have 4 huge things we want to do ; some walking, but mostly driving, hanging and checking out local things!

saturday : travel day! we leave in the morning & should be home by mid-afternoon. my goal is to get a small bike ride in, just to get my legs moving, but we will see.

also, if we have time, i heard there is a huge new balance outlet store i would LOVE to check out! they are one of the only 'mainstream' fitness brands who still manufacture some of their items in the US! i don't need anything fitness-related right now, but if we have time, i would love to check out their inventory for my summer // fall races!