Alright, here we go!  Earlier tonight, I talked about why I want to document my workout plans for the week and this is my first attempt.  I've been relatively active up to this point and I do workout now, but I don't necessarily tackle it with a plan ahead of time.  And I fear that I'm doing myself a disservice. 

So in an effort to change that, I'm going to write my goals down and choose workouts that get me closer to those goals.  Right now, my two main goals are increasing my running distance and gaining muscle definition. 

The workouts below are aimed at making the most of my early morning pre-work sessions and leaving my weekends to less structured activities like running outside or wandering a forest preserve.  Most of these workouts came from Pinterest or my memory banks of past workouts. 

This week of workouts is complete - my results are in blue below.

Monday
Run - 2.5 miles
Legs - kill those legs (2 rounds)
Core:

• 50 crunches
• 50 reverse crunches
• 30 second plank (4 rounds with 15 second breaks)

Monday was a good day.  The run was easy and the leg workout seemed easy, until a few hours later when the soreness set in.  But the good kind of soreness!  The kind that makes you feel like you're actually making a difference.  Each round of the leg workout took about 6-7 minutes and the core work was another 7-8 minutes. 

Tuesday
Run - 3.5 miles
Arms - tank top arms (2 rounds)
Core:

• 50 supermans
  
• 50 side crunches (25 each side)
  
• 30 second plank (4 rounds with 15 second breaks)

My run went well and I ended up closer to 4 miles because I was feeling good.  The arm workout was a good one too and each round took about 5-6 minutes.  The first round was easy and I was thinking "hmm, maybe I should do a 3rd round" but then the second round burned so good.  It was hard to complete it.  The core work was another 7-8 minutes, but I was really feeling it at the end with the planks.

Wednesday
Run - 2.5 miles
Legs - sexy leg workout (2 rounds)
Core:

• 50 crunches
• 50 reverse crunches
• 30 second plank (4 rounds with 15 second breaks)

Another run that felt great so I continued on and went for 3 miles instead of the planned 2.5  I kinda cut myself short on time for legs, but I got it done.  My legs were super sore from Monday still, so it was kind of challenging, but each round took about 7-8 minutes. 

Thursday
Run - 3.5 miles
Arms - dumbbells, smart arms (2 rounds)
Core:

• 50 supermans
  
• 50 side crunches (25 each side)
  
• 30 second plank (4 rounds with 15 second breaks)

I overslept a little bit today so I could only fit in my run this morning, but it was a good run.  I felt strong the whole time and I was able to run the last mile at 9 min mile (I'm normally closer to a 10 min mile).  I'll fit my arm workout in Friday before yoga.

Friday
Yoga - Beginner Yoga Routine (as many rounds in 60 min)
I ended up doing a different yoga routine that I have memorized since I didn't want to be looking at my computer to see what the next pose was.  It took about 45 minutes and then I did the arm routine that I skipped yesterday. 

Saturday or Sunday
Hike, walk or run outside
My friend Erin and I grabbed some coffee and took a nice walk along the beach.  It was a gorgeous day and the beach was dog-friendly so it was the perfect way to catch up with a friend. 

It's time for some new fitness goals up in here.  I've had it with my current routine, which basically consists of going for a run a few times a week (whatever distance I feel like at the time) and lifting some weights when I have time.  Not exactly a clear cut plan of action.

That changes this week.  Since I started my new job 6 weeks ago, I've been getting up before work to workout (minus a week or so when I was sick with a head cold) and I'm actually kind of enjoying the routine of it, but I'm not seeing a ton of physical results.  And I think it's because I don't have a good plan.

So, like a good little blogger, I'm going to create one and post it online.  I'm not going to do a daily post or track my weight, calories, etc.  This isn't really a workout or weight loss blog (although, if you like that kind of blog, here are a few really great ones), but fitness is a big part of our lives so I'm going to post my weekly workout plans and if anyone wants to follow along or post their workout plans in the comments, I'd love to follow yours too (and cheer each other on!). 

Since I'm not a personal trainer, I'm going to draw on workout plans created by those who know far more than I do.  Like Jillian Michaels and Pinterest.  I'll just post the combination of workouts I have planned for the week and my overall fitness goals.  Easy enough.  Well, except that part of actually doing the workouts.

I'll post this week's goals later tonight.  And I'll tag all of the posts with the category "weekly workout" so that you can see them all by clicking here.  In the meantime, tell me, what is your favorite source for workout plans?  Leave them in the comments!

This was one of Rooney's first hikes.  He was still pretty little and his joints were still growing so we didn't want him walking too much.  He would hike for 20-30 minutes at a time and then we'd carry him in that little messenger bag to give him a break.  It was pretty dang cute.

A few months ago, we decided to cut out dairy and eggs.  Since we were already vegetarians, this essentially meant that we were going vegan.  In order to make it a little more manageable, we treated it like a trail run and gave ourselves permission to reevaluate after a few weeks. 

We thought the cheese would be the hardest part.  Eggs weren't really a big part of my life (Serial had them occasionally) so I didn't think that would be a challenge, but cheese... well, cheese is insanely good.  How would we ditch that? 

Much to our surprise, it wasn't that hard.  Since we eat something like 95% of our meals at home, we simply stopped buying dairy and we haven't looked back.  Neither of us miss eggs and we've found healthy substitutes for cheese that satisfy those cravings (side note, those dairy cravings drop significantly when you stop eating it for a bit).  There are tons of soy cheeses out there, and they taste fine, but we prefer to make our own nut cheese or purchase vegan cheese that's made of nuts (rather than soy). 

Eating at restaurants is a little trickier.  We're lucky that we live in Chicago because there are a few really awesome vegan restaurant choices (Chicago Diner & Soul Veg are two of our favorites).  When we feel like going out for a meal, we usually pick one of those two.  (We plan to do  a few restaurant reviews of the vegan restaurants we have tried, so stay tuned for those).

Occasionally though, we find ourselves in a non-vegan restaurant, usually because we are out with friends.  In these situations, we just order a vegetarian meal and call it a day.  We usually leave the cheese off, but it's never really a guarantee that something wasn't prepared with dairy (butter, eggs) in the back.  We just try not to stress too much about it. 

Once a month-ish, we abandon all cheese rules and order something like pizza.  I don't care that it takes away our "vegan" title.  It's all in (extreme) moderation and totally keeps us sane.  Sometimes you just want some pizza, you know? 

So that's where we are at these days.  100% vegan at home.  95% vegan overall.  And entirely healthier because of it.  I think we've found a good balance and I'm excited for the warm weather to pick up.  We just naturally eat more fruits and greens in the summer and many of our meals are raw. 

This post is part of a series on Chicagoland Parks.  You can read more about how we are finding the woods while living in the city here.  You can read all of the posts in this series here.

I've been traveling around to various Forest Preserves in the Chicagoland area and have found Lake County to have some of the niceset, most manicured parks around. Rollins Savanna Forest Preserve, being one of our favorites, is 1200 acres of mostly open, rolling prairie and a few ponds with 5.5 miles of trail that meander about making two separate but connected loops.  The trail is the size of an old forest road and graded for running, biking and cross country skiing. Rooney and I typically head out there in the middle of the afternoon, when there aren't too many folks, though I can imagine it gets pretty crowded during peak hours and days. As far as the hiking goes, this is pretty tame and an adventure I'd piece together with another Preserve to make a full day.

Also, the ponds are a haven for several species of birds, so keep a look out. 

If you like what you read, we would love to hear from you in the comments section!  It's fun to get feedback and it helps us create future posts.  And be sure to stay in touch on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or RSS! 

This post is part of a series on Chicagoland Parks.  You can read more about how we are finding the woods while living in the city here.  You can read all of the posts in this series here.

Now that the weather is getting warmer (kinda...sorta...) I wanted to share one of my go-to routes for a run or walk with Rooney.  This one is a little over 4 miles and is in the Lincoln Park section of the Chicago Lakefront Trail, but there are so many ways to alter this route and make it shorter or longer.

I used Map My Run to track distance and to show you guys the route I used. 

• I started near Fullerton and Clark, then walked North to towards Diversey around the North Pond Sanctuary. 
  
• Then I looped back going south along the path that parallels Cannon Drive and followed it under Fullerton and kept going south on the path that is next to the Lincoln Park Zoo. 
  
• When I got down to North & LaSalle, I crossed over Lake Shore Drive and ran along the lake going north towards Fullerton again. 

It was a beautiful day and Rooney was all about the lake so we stopped a couple of times to play and cool off.  That whole area is so pretty and everyone was out enjoying it.  There's something so peaceful about running by the lake - I don't need music or anything, I just zone out and enjoy it.  

If you like what you read, we would love to hear from you in the comments section!  It's fun to get feedback and it helps us create future posts.  And be sure to stay in touch on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or RSS! 

You know those times when you want a cookie, but you don't want to deal with making whole recipe?  Or you want a cookie, but don't trust yourself not to eat 10 more?  Well, this recipe is perfect for those nights. 

You can make 2 delicious cookies with just 3 ingredients and 1 bowl.  The whole thing will take 15 minutes and you'll be eating a warm cookie before you can say "get in my belly". 

Yields: 2 Cookies (~90 calories each)

4 tbsp peanut butter (or any other nut butter)
4 tbsp beet or coconut sugar (or 2 tbsp agave)
2 tsp ground flaxseed

1. In a small bowl, mix the flaxseed with 3 tsp water and let sit for 1 min
2. Next, stir in the nut butter and sugar. 
   
3. Form into two cookies and place on ungreased cookie sheet
4. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes, or until the ends are browned (it's okay if the center is still soft)
5. Let cool for a few minutes then put it in your belly!
   

That's it!  Enjoy!

If you like what you read, we would love to hear from you in the comments section!  It's fun to get feedback and it helps us create future posts.  And be sure to stay in touch on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or RSS!