Eclipse and Monday recap

Since I work in the media, yesterday was all about the eclipse. We’ve been covering it daily for the last two weeks and then today was all hands on deck with people running social media accounts, photographers and reporters on site in Hopkinsville (Eclipsetown) and people locally to get reactions of the event. It was a fun-filled day and a neat thing to experience.

While I didn’t get any pictures of the actual eclipse (I didn’t want to risk frying my phone) I did get some pretty funny pictures of Murphy in eclipse glasses.


He of course tried to eat them since he loves to chew on toys. So the glasses didn’t last very long.

After work I hurried home to hop on the treadmill and get in a couple of miles and some pushups + abs before I started dinner. Mondays are usually taco night in the Richardson household, so when I saw this on Facebook, I knew I had to share it. This is my life.

Did you get to view the eclipse? What were your thoughts? We were in 97% totality, so it got pretty dark. It was eerie and awesome all at the same time. We serve an awesome God.

I hope you all had a great Monday!

The Great American Solar Eclipse

If you’re in the U.S. then the day of the eclipse has finally arrived! That’s all I’ve been hearing about for weeks, and to be honest, I’ll be happy when today is over. Yes, it’s neat to be pretty close to a total coverage area for the eclipse, but I hear about the eclipse from the moment I wake up until I go to bed. We’ve been writing stories about it for the last 10 days at work and it’s all over the news.

For those who don’t know about the solar eclipse, here are a few helpful links:
ow.ly/vowJ30eut1J.

The paper I work for did a specialow.ly/Umuy30evEjx all about the eclipse.

NASA will stream 360-degree video of the eclipse, and you can watch it live on Facebook.

If you’re viewing the eclipse today, be sure to be safe and enjoy this wonder of nature.

The eclipse returns in spring of 2024.

Be back tomorrow with my weekend running, workouts and eats!

Friday Favorites v.63

The heat and humidity is back and brutal. After a couple weeks of nice weather, I am dreading the heat and humidity that is only going to get worse from here.

On the agenda for this weekend — house and yard work on Saturday and Holiday World on Sunday! It’ll probably be our last time heading up to Holiday World for the summer, so we are planning to stay from open to close! I am so excited.

1. I’m just going to leave this here as a little reminder.

2. I’ve been reading Daily Garnish for almost seven years. I read this post not too long after it was originally published, but for some reason, when I was searching through her blog earlier this week, it popped up again and I am SO glad it did.

3. I hit my highest milage week this summer. Yay for longer runs and treadmill miles that help keep me sane.

4. Totally random, but for work earlier this week, I got to tour a 3.8 million dollar house! It was so crazy and so pretty — six bedrooms and six bathrooms. I would not even know what to do with that much space!

5. If you’ve read this blog some time, you know my guilty pleasure show is DCC: Making the Team. This week was finals which includes the solo rounds! It’s one of my favorite aspects of the tryout and I love seeing the dancers perform something unique to them.

6. With all the talk about the solar eclipse that is happening on Monday, NASA is streaming a 360-degree video of the event. How neat!

7. Still loving Kroger Clicklist. Forever and always.

8. Another week, another new toy.

The Real Neat Blog Awards

A big thank you to Liberty for nominating me for The Real Neat Blog Award. Be sure to check out her blog, Life in Liberty.

I know these blog questionnaires can be silly, but what the heck. I love learning about you all and it was fun to answer some random questions.

1. What’s your most memorable moment so far this year?
There’ve been several! Our annual trip to STL, getting my teaching job, paying off my car and so many more. I love doing life with Ryan and Murphy.

2. Is there anything you wish you could have learnt earlier?
Get rid of the friends who don’t care about you. I rather have a small circle of friends that have my back, then a bunch of fake friends.

3. If you had a chance to live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Ireland!

4. What motivates you?
My drive to be better, my husband, my future family.

5. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for body positivity, but if you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?
I don’t know if this really counts, but I really really wish I knew how to do hair. I know how to use a straightener and a wand, but that’s about it. I wish I could braid my hair, curl it with a straightner, etc.

6. What’s your biggest fear?
I have always had this fear since I was a little kid (I probably started watching Law & Order and CSI wayyy too early) but I am always afraid of someone breaking into my home at night. I triple check all my locks before going to bed.

7. What would your perfect day look like?
I wake up and run around the park before the sun is shining and too hot. Coming home to breakfast, then spending the day with Ryan and Murphy. Hiking, swimming, grilling out, playing board games with family and friends. Just being present with those I love most.

The rules are as followed: Put the award logo on your blog, thank the people who nominated you, linking to their blogs, answer 7 questions asked by the person who nominated you, nominate any number of bloggers you like, linking to their blogs, let them know you nominated them (by commenting on their blog, etc). Then simply, ask your nominees 7 questions.

My nominees are: Tammi, Jenna and Constance.

My questions for you all:
1. Since you all are all runners — what is your favorite race distance?
2. Favorite song on the radio right now?
3. What accomplishment are you most proud of?
4. Do you read the newspaper?
5. Favorite social media app?
6. Wine or beer?
7. Favorite way to workout (besides running)

I loved answering your questions, Liberty.
Nominees, I look forward to reading your answers soon!

I’ve found my running bug

For the last few months, I’ve gone back and forth from hating running to daydreaming of a half marathon. I tried to do some strength training. I watched yoga videos. But nothing stuck.

Well…I’m back! I’ve found my running bug again. Last week was my highest mileage week in a while and I’ve kept the momentum going.

I’ve been hitting the treadmill every day after work, I’ve been lifting, doing squats and eating healthier.

WHO AM I?

And I know this isn’t rocket science, but I feel 10 times better. The endorphins from working out after work give me a second wind to power through the night (whether it be work, cleaning, chasing Murphy around).

I’ve been eating more greens and less chips and I feel less bloated. I’ve lost three pounds this week. And while I don’t want to judge myself based on a number on a scale, it is nice to sometimes see numerical results.

I know this was a lot of rambling, but I just want you all to know that we all goes through the phases. Sometimes I’m on my game and sometimes I’m not. That’s life.

I try to remember that “this too shall pass” and that life is about balance.

Now I’m going to power through the day, run 3 miles after work and spend the night curled up on the couch eating ice cream with my two favorite boys.

Balance, y’all.

How to build a home gym

No waiting for a treadmill or weight rack. Cranking the radio or tv as loud as you want it. Honestly, there are a ton of pros to a home gym.

For me, it was about cost and convenience. Gym memberships have gotten to be outrageous. While I don’t have a pool at my house, I have basically gotten everything else for my home gym. I love that I can get a workout in any time of day and in any weather and I don’t have to worry about what to do with Murphy, driving in bad weather, or if the gym is open.

BE FREE
To me, one of the best things about a home gym is you don’t have be self conscious. You can wear what you want, sweat and stink the place up and don’t have to worry about looking ridiculous. The only there to see me is my dog.

In a commercial gym you’re going to be surrounded by obnoxious bros, loud frat boys, and chicks who can currently lift more than you. Or on the other hand, people who don’t care, take up machines with texting and little kids running around.

Not everyone in a commercial gym is like that, but they are there… trust me.

FIND A SPACE
Are you going to use your basement or garage for your home gym? Neither one of those an option? Find a space that suits you and your needs. Clean it up, make sure there is plenty of space for equipment and movement and get started building your own home gym.

MAKE IT YOUR OWN
Put up some inspiration (motivational posters, floor length mirrors, race medals, etc). This space should be designed to help YOU reach your goals.

When we first got out treadmill we actually wanted to put it up in our basement (air conditioning! tv!) But once we started putting it together, we realized our ceilings were too low for Ryan to run on the treadmill (I had no problem, but I’m short)

So then we had to move it to the garage and I think it works much better out there! I have plenty of room to move around and I can crack up the radio and open the garage doors and let all kinds of natural light in.

START SMALL
Dumbbells
If you’re doing a programs that calls for you to add non-bodyweight focused resistance training to your regimen – such as 21 Day Fix, 22 Minute Hard Corps, P90X, or Body Beast, you’ll need to pick up dumbbells or resistance bands.

Jump Rope
It’s simple and cheap and doesn’t take up any room. Trying jumping rope for five solid minutes. It’s harder than you think.

Pull Up Bar
We scored one at Academy Sports for less than $100. It was the last thing we added to our home and it has made such a difference in helping me improve my upper body strength.

Foam Roller
Owning a foam roller is like having a personal masseuse on call whenever you need relief from your soreness. Foam rollers can help ease tension, improve mobility, and reduce muscle pain in as little as five to 10 minutes.

Treadmill
We have a treadmill in our garage, but that’s because I am a runner. You absolutely do not need a treadmill to have a great home gym. While it was an investment, it has paid off in the long run, because I get to use it every day, Murphy gets to hang out in the garage with me and I can run rain, shine, sleet or snow.

My review of the NordicTrack Commercial 1750.

Agree with this list? Disagree with anything on this list? See a reason for working out at home that needs to be added?

Comment in the section below and let me know if these reasons ring true for you, or if you think there are any other reasons why people should train at home.

Health Benefits of Oranges

We all know the saying “an apple a day keep the doctor away,” but an orange a day could be just as helpful.

There are a ton of reasons why eating an orange a day is a good idea — not only are they low in calories and full of nutrients, they promote clear, healthy skin and can help to lower our risk for many diseases. Plus they are delicious!

A healthy dose of vitamin C—in which oranges are concentrated—provides antioxidant protection and immune support.

Can reduce the risk of colon cancer.

Good source of fiber.

One orange provides a range of vitamins and minerals and a staggering 130 percent of your vitamin C needs for the day.

Helps reduce your chance of stomach ulcers.

While all fruits and vegetables provide their own greatness, I love eating oranges in the summertime after a long run. Something about the sweet and tartness of an orange gets me every time. They are truly one of my favorites fruits.

I am not a registered dietician. This is all advice and facts I have learned through the years through my interest of food and nutrition.

Non-scale victories

While I am usually someone who likes to see hard and results, losing weight and getting healthy is teaching me a lot about patience and hard work.

I have a scale at home, but the batteries in it have been dead for months. I decided not to replace them because I didn’t want to let the scale define my happiness. I used to weigh myself every morning and if I was at a “good” number then I would be happy for the rest of the day. But, if I was unhappy with the number I saw then I automatically started my day in a bad mood. So instead of judging myself based on a number, I’ve been trying to look for and enjoy the non-scale victories in every day.

This week I hit two non-scale victories and I was so proud of both. While I usually eat super healthy for breakfast and lunch, snacking at night has always been a problem. I could eat half a bag of chips without thinking about it and then feel like crap later. I felt like I had no willpower. But for the last three days, I’ve been eating healthy, saying no when I’m full and not eating a ton of chips every night. It’s a powering thing to take control of your life and what/how you eat.

My other NSV was one of my favorite pair of work pants being looser!

Sometimes it’s hard to see how far you’ve come, especially if you’re not keeping track of hard and fast numbers and facts. But these NSV are to be celebrated and used as a reminder that the work I am putting in is working.

So here’s to another day of working hard, running for fun and my health, eating some greens and loving my life. Happy Friday Eve!

Friday Favorites v. 62

FRIDAY FRIDAY, gotta get down on Friday. I am so happy for the weekend. Since we traveled and Ryan worked last weekend, I feel like we haven’t spent any time together lately. I am super pumped for date night tomorrow and being lazy together on Sunday.

Before I get into the work day, I want to share some of my favorites from this week with you all.

1. Just a few of the crazy moments from #London2017 Track & Field World Championships. I’ve been following a long on Twitter and even more craziness (like an unfair DQ) have happened since this orignal article was posted.

2. I love these spirit tassel earrings from Draper James. Now I’m just torn on whether to get UK Blue for basketball season or Crimson for Alabama football?! Maybe I’ll just get them both?!

3. On Wednesday I woke up super early for no good reason, so I decided to take advantage of the extra time and headed to Panera for some breakfast and blogging. I got a post up and several posts drafted and had a delicious everything bagel + cream cheese, a water and a latte.

I love having some time in the mornings to myself to accomplish some things before the work day begins.

4. Wednesday was also the first day of school around here, and while I am not in school anymore, I still love the hustle and bustle and excitement that comes with a new school year.

* I am actually teaching a mass communications at a local college one night a week for the fall semester, so I am excited to be back in the classroom.

5. I saw these super cute tumblers on Emily Ley’s Instastories and screenshot it for future reference. I wish they had a KY design, but Ashley Brooke Designs has lots of other cute ones to choose from!

6. Tuesday I hit the trails at a local park for some trail running and it was awesome + therapeutic. The best kind of running.

7. I have been trying to have more of a grateful, open heart lately and I really think it has helped my mindset.

8. Murphy got another hedgehog toy since he demolished his last one, and for some reason he is a lot more gentle with Larry (every toy has a name). I’m a total #dogmom and I love it.

Tuesdays are for trail running

Yesterday afternoon I called my brother to see if he wanted to hit the trails with me after work and go for a run. I hadn’t been trail running in forever and I did not want to run on the treadmill. He happily agreed and even brought my parents along so they could watch Murphy.

We ran about three miles total while weaving in and out of the trails and changing from hills to flatland to asphalt. Nature is the perfect therapy for me and I’ve started to realize the older I get, the more I need to take for myself and recharge with something I love (being outside, hiking, running)

While I know I can’t make it to the trails every day, I think I am going to try and make it a priority to get out there at least once a week, especially while the weather is still nice. I can’t wait for fall to run through all the leaves and pretty colors!

Happy hump day! Let’s finish strong and get to the weekend.