Fitness Survey Fun

Happy SPRING BREAK Sunday! Hallelujah, we made it! And I have loved every minute of it. It's been mostly spent relaxing and cleaning and packing because I leave for the Pacific Northwest TOMORROW! I'm so pumped for this little getaway, and I could not be more excited to explore a part of the country I've never been to before. I think I've got my days pretty much planned out by this point, but feel free to send any last-minute suggestions my way!

Horns up for spring break!

But first, let's keep things regular around here with a Sunday Survey.

1. What is your favorite snack?

I think I could eat Chobani coconut yogurt with dark chocolate chunks mixed in every day for the rest of my life and not get tired of it. I’m also really into eating mango slices these days. I probably eat enough slices at one time to make up an entire mango, but hey, it’s fine.

2. Favorite workout move, and what does it target?

Hmm, I am probably going to sound crazy, but I really love doing lunges. I think I do them so inconsistently that I feel the burn every time I actually do do them. Lunges target the lower-body – specifically the glutes, hamstrings, and quads. Oh my quads!

3. Least favorite workout?

I dread sprint work almost as much as I love what it does for my running ability. I’m definitely more of a distance runner, so getting my speed up for such a short amount of time is hard for me. But what’s hard is usually the most beneficial, right? Embrace the hard is what I'm learning.

4. When do you feel your best? 

Typically, it’s after a good workout. But lately, that just means after a good run. And running will always be my go-to form of exercise. Because as much as I dread speed and tempo work, I always feel such a sense of accomplishment afterward. And there is nothing better than lounging on the couch with your pup post-shower, knowing that you don’t have to move for the next couple of hours.

5. Describe your “perfect” breakfast? 

Breakfast is hands down my favorite meal of the day. If I had the time each morning, or maybe, if I made the time each morning, I would alternate between making vegetable-filled omelettes, experimenting with any of the various healthy waffle/pancake recipes I’ve pinned, blending a refreshing smoothie, or whipping up some trendy avocado toast. As it stands, I grab a yogurt or two and dash out the door.

6. Favorite splurge meal?

A hamburger and sweet potato fries. That’s actually my go-to pre-race day meal, but I’ve been known to enjoy it other days of the week as well. I always have to laugh at myself when I go out to eat with my girlfriends because they have this ability to take half home with them in a to-go box. That is not something I have ever experienced.

7. Best advice for a beginner? 

Keep going. It’s not going to be easy, and you won’t be able to do it all right now. And that’s okay! Find something you truly enjoying doing. Learning to live a healthy lifestyle is far more important than losing a quick ten pounds.

8. Favorite one liner for motivation? 

You haven’t come this far to only come this far.

9. Best place to buy workout clothes?

I hate myself for saying this, but I do love Lululemon. I know that comment just earned me quite a few eye rolls from some of you guys, but their shorts are THE best. I’m not as much a fan of their tops, but I will gladly spend $50+ for a pair of shorts that fit me well, and that I will have for years. A pretty solid investment if I do say so myself.

10. Favorite workout/running shoes?

Right now, I’m a big fan of Brooks, but I’ve run in pretty much all of them. I love a good pair of Nikes for walking the dog and any cross training that I may find myself doing.  

11. What is your ratio of clean vs indulgence?

Probably 75/25. Honestly, it may even be higher than that. I am fairly conscious of what I put into my body, and while I have gotten so much better about letting myself enjoy foods that I used to completely reject, I know that I feel better the cleaner I eat.

12. Best way to feel confident? 

If only I had the be-all, end-all answer to this question. I think it’s different for every person, but for me, it’s to think and act positive, and to smile. It sounds silly, but it’s all too easy to let negative thoughts cloud our minds, and if we can replace them with something positive, we can stand a little taller. And I bet you that extending a smile will get you a smile back.

13. Number 1 tip for beating cravings? 

Sometimes, you just have to let yourself eat a little bit of what it is that you really want. I cannot go a day without eating dark chocolate, so I allow myself two little squares of Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate squares after lunch each day. I mean, I allow myself more chocolate than that, but I’ve found many times that, when I’m trying to avoid eating something “unhealthy”, I end up eating even more and then I’m not even satisfied. If I had just allowed myself a little bit of what I had wanted in the first place, the whole fiasco could have been avoided.

14. Describe your “dream” day of fitness? 

I would start with a long sunrise walk with Mack along the water. Hey, you said “dream” day, so I’m living my water-side dream. I would come home for a light breakfast, head out for a six- or seven-mile run through the park, play a few rounds of sand volleyball or paddle out on Town Lake, and end the day with a sunset bike ride.

15. What is your “power” song, the song that keeps you going? 

Well, this answer could potentially get embarrassing. I definitely go through “power song” phases, but my current power song is Downtown Girl by Hot Chelle Rae. I ran some fast miles to that song the other night.

16. Favorite fitblogger?

Julie over at Peanut Butter Fingers was the very first healthy living blogger I ever followed, and the blog inspiration for fitnessandfroyo. I’m not quite as creepily obsessed as I once was, but her blog posts never fail to put me in a good mood.

17. What do you wear to workout? 

Typically shorts and one of the dozens of performance tops I own. Or just a t-shirt. I’m not too picky. The other day I was freezing in my apartment (cheap people probs, not turning on the heat), and I kept on the yoga pants I was wearing as I traipsed over to the gym to sneak in a treadmill run. I regretted that decision approximately three minutes into my run. And always with a Lulu headband on top.

18. What is your biggest accomplishment?

Because this is a fitness-related blog survey, I’m going to keep this answer in the fitness realm. I think my biggest accomplishment is finishing a half Ironman. That was arguably the hardest day of my life, and while I definitely cried a few times along those 70.3 miles, I finished the race. I may not necessarily be proud of my time, nor am I at all proud of my training, but I am proud of mental toughness, and my ability to finish something I wanted so badly to quit.

19. What is your fitness goal?

My overall fitness goal is for fitness to never stop being a part of my life. I hope to always make time to be active, and to continue chasing after my big goals.

20. What is your next fitness challenge?

This time next week, I’ll be running in Portland, going after that sub-1:45 half marathon time. And if and when that ever happens, I’ll take it one step (okay, multiple steps) further by going after that sub-3:35 marathon time. Boston, I’m chasing ya!

And with that, I'm off to be semi-productive before I press pause on all things school related. Hey, we all need a break every now and again. Enjoy your Sunday!