Happy beginning of the weekend, guys! You're seeing Friday Faves on Saturday morning this week, because life happened yesterday! I'm a total dummy and left my ID at a gym 30 minutes away and had to spend over an hour round trip picking it up yesterday. There went all the time I reserved for blogging.
When Shawn got off work, we were rushing around making a quick dinner at the hotel and getting ready for a comedy show at Comedy Works in South Denver last night. It was SO worth it though, because it was a freaking blast. I laughed so hard my cheeks and abs hurt. All of the openers were great, which isn't always the case. And then, the headliner, Clayton English, had me rolling with some of his jokes. I love a good stand-up show. I'll have to keep my eye out for more stuff from this guy.
Anyways, let's get to steppin' with another weekly addition of Friday Faves! Here's my current list of faves from the week:
High Line Canal Trail. I love this trail right now, because it's close enough to walk to from our hotel. It winds through the southside Denver suburbs for 71 freaking miles. This has been my favorite place to take Tucker on walks this week since Shawn is out of commission for a while. It's about a 5-7 minute walk from our hotel to an access point at a local park. Just another one of the many perks of this area...
Goat cheese cheddar. I had heard this was a thing, but I could never find it back in Georgia. I walked into a Sprouts and this instantly caught my eye. Who even knew there could be such an amazing thing. My deal is that I love cheese, but I recently figured out that it makes my face break out like a teenager. Thus, dairy is no longer my friend. Goat's milk cheeses, however, don't seem to have the same effect. Since I LOVE goat cheese, I use goat cheese and feta on my salads, but this block of cheese can be sliced into delicious snack sized bites. Current obsession.
Zing bars. Another new snack discovery this week was this protein bar. I found them at Sprouts, but I feel like I've seen them at Whole Foods as well. They have decently clean ingredients and are gluten free, vegan, and non GMO. I tried a couple different flavors and was impressed with each. This dark chocolate peanut butter flavor tastes like a little dessert. Highly recommend.
Spindrift. Wash all your new snacks down with this refreshing summer drink. This is my new favorite sparkling water. These things pack a ton of flavor, and bonus, the flavoring comes from REAL fruit juice.
Manic training. This is one of the gyms nearby that I decided to do a free trial at. So far I have done 2 workouts there, and for the most part, I'm a big fan. Its basically a mashup of 4 different circuits that have you moving for 40-50 minutes straight. It's cardio, weight training, core work, balance, and agility all molded into one giant sweat fest. I've left drenched both days I worked out there, and the gym is air conditioned. They don't use barbells (except for landmines), mainly just kettlebells, resistance bands, and dumbbells. They also have assault bikes, ski ergs, and rowers. I like the workouts a lot, because they incorporate a ton of balance work as well as unilateral strength training (single side movements). I guess the only thing I don't like is that they only have 3 different workouts per week. They have a supplemental core program and are planning to expand to include yoga classes, but I think I would be sad to not have a different workout 5 days a week like I normally do. I guess the point of this practice is to encourage getting out of the gym to do other activities, but I would still like the option for more classes if I wanted.
Letter writing. Before I left Georgia, my sister told me that she wanted to be my pen pal. Legit snail mail, old school, handwritten letters. You guys can clearly see that I enjoy writing, and since I don't get to practice my handwriting on the gym board everyday anymore, what better way than to update my sister through letters every week? It's so fun. Plus, who doesn't get excited to get a REAL letter in the mail instead of stupid bills? If you want to be my pen pal too, hit me up for my address!
Brooks Trail running shoes. I am loving my new kicks. Originally, I had planned to buy hiking boots for the mountains, but Shawn's boss suggested we try trail running shoes first. So far, I really like them. I have been breaking them in this week on the High Line Canal Trail, and can't wait to take them out on the mountain trails sometime next week.
Colorado weather. The weather out here freaking rocks. I know everyone is saying, "just wait until you have to get through a winter here," but just let me have my moment, dammit. Even when its 95 degrees, it still feels bearable, because it's so much dryer out here. And the mornings and evenings are perfect. All I want to do is sit outside all the time!
This America's Got Talent Act and Golden Buzzer from Dwayne Wade! The acrobatics and teamwork is awe inspiring. This act is so impressive to me.
The songs "Truth Hurts" by Lizzo and "You Need to Calm Down" by Taylor Swift. Love. Them. So. Much. "Truth Hurts" is my freaking JAM in the mornings on the way to drop Shawn off at work. You should add it to your workout playlist ASAP.
This quote. My very first CrossFit coach from back in Houston posted this yesterday and it really got me. Sometimes we get so caught up in wishing our bodies looked a certain way, that we forget that no one really gives a flying fuck about it anyways. People remember you for the impact you had on their lives, not for the ab or two you were always trying to get. Just stay healthy and active, be kind to those around you, and worry about shit that matters, like loving your friends and family and being a positive role models for others. Think on that one for a hot second.
And I will leave you with that folks! I will be starting out the morning with a hotel workout that I'll share on here next week. Then, we are meeting some friends at a food hall called Avanti's for lunch! We're so hip.
Just kidding, I honestly have no clue what I'm doing most of the time. Just going with the flow out here! Stay fit and eat something delicious for me over the weekend!