High Five Friday: Start of Summer

High Five Friday: Start of Summer

Okay, I know that technically it’s the start of summer, but currently the temperature outside is in the mid-60s and I’m still wearing my Patagonia fleece in the mornings. I’m struggling to fully comprehend that it is indeed summer, although the forecast promises temperatures reaching maybe up to 80 next week.

So what am I high-fiving this week?

Snow-free Mountains

I adore hiking in the snow in early winter, but by the time the rest of the country is struggling with temperatures in the 90s, I want to just hike in some green and snow-free mountains. 

High Five Friday Summer 1

We hiked to Barclay Lake on Sunday, which is I’m fairly certain had less elevation gain than my hill runs but offered even better scenery. It’s nice to cut back and enjoy an easier hike from time to time, sort of like running: both the hard runs and the easy runs have their time and purpose. 

Speaking of which, I love Sunday hikes right now. We go to Saturday evening Mass, which then admittedly does give us an excuse to stop at our favorite local brewery afterwards, since we’re already out. Then, we hike early on Sunday morning, before the crowds come out. Mountains keep Monday blues from bleeding into Sunday. 

My Boys

These two: loves of my life, my perfect little family. Yes, I know Charlie is a dog (please don’t tell him that though, he thinks he is human), but he’s our furry little baby. Even more so, I’m so happy to be coming up on two years on marriage with a man who loves to hike, run, enjoy a pint, and binge watch Supernatural with me. 

High Five Friday: Start of Summer

I swear also that Charlie isn’t completely bored every time we hike. Just when we take photos. 

Butternut Squash

Last week I shared five summer vegetable recipes, and my obsession with summer produce has only spiked since then. Except…then I purchased a butternut squash this week, since Fred Meyer was out of garnet yams and those are the only sweet potatoes I currently like, and now I’m remembering just how much I love squash also. 

High Five Friday: Start of Summer

We enjoyed this butternut brown rice risotto recipe from Cookie and Kate this week, which tasted incredible. Eggplant on the side only made it better. I actually have to limit how many vegetables I add to dinner, and force myself to eat some protein as well (since dinner is the only meal I eat meat at).

Kinesiology Tape

Um, so maybe my freak out over my hamstring wasn’t anything more than a niggle, an achy muscle combined with my currently high paranoia about anything and everything injury related. KT tape is keep whatever ache there is from sneaking up on me, and so far this week I’ve managed daily short runs. Not my normal mileage, but I’m still being cautious. 

High Five Friday: Start of Summer

It looks hilarious though – Ryan jokingly calls it cyborg tape. Several times I’ve completely forgotten about it and gone out on errands wearing shorts, which I’m sure looks strange. 

My Current Work Station

Ryan and I purchase a new kitchen table this week, and I’m already overtaken it as my desk. I have a very nice home office complete with a desk, comfy office chair, and a monitor, but our new kitchen table is the right height where I can stand and work on my laptop. Not only do I enjoy using a standing desk, but it prevents Charlie from constantly jumping on my lap when I’m trying to work. 

High Five Friday: Start of Summer

Not running as many miles gives me so much extra energy that I can’t sit still during the work day. I quickly learned I need to consume less caffeine when I run fewer miles, because otherwise I practically explode with energy and talk a million minutes per mile with everyone. 

Five Favorite Reads: 

My Thoughts on Clean Eating: I nodded my head in agreement throughout Amanda’s entire post. Clean eating is a semantically tricky term – everyone’s definition seems different. Foods can be nutritious or not nutritious and processed, unprocessed, or minimally process, not good or bad – so stop demonizing certain foods. A healthy diet allows for both nutritious and some non-nutritious foods. Really, when you think about it, clean vs what – not clean? dirty? – should be an way of describing literal cleanliness – like if you dropped something on the floor or need to wash dirt off it after picking it from the garden or farmer’s market, not some implication of purity of diet. 

9 Ways to Enjoy British Columbia’s Crowdless Summer Paradise: British Columbia, especially Vancouver and Vancouver Island, are only a hop, skip, and a passport check from the Seattle area. There are almost TOO many places to visit around here. Why can’t we have the full summer off like in college?

Why We Should All Live Unlimited: Jesica is a talented runner who spends her non-running time doing a significant amount of good for the world by working for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Live Unlimited is a campaign to raise money for the MDA (for each social share using the tag #LiveUnlimited, a generous sponsors will give $1 up to $30,000), and it serves as a reminder that we can all do hard things – no matter our situation in life. 

A Runner’s Guide to Going Camping While Training: Summer is the best season for backpacking and car camping, but if you’re following a rigorous training schedule, the logistics can be tricky. Women’s Running offers some tips on how to camp, run safely, and balance summer vacations with your running.

Failure is Part of the Process. Are You Going to Let it Stop You? Runner’s Connect consistently produces one of the most interesting and informative running podcasts out there. This week Tina interviewed Dr. Jason Karp (who runs the Revo2lution Running Coach Certification) and talked about running as a lifelong habit, finding your limits in training, and the relationship between running and creativity. Definitely worth your time to listen!

[Tweet “High Five Friday: Mountains, Recent Eats, and Favorite Reads #highfivefriday via @thisrunrecipes”]

Linking up with Happy Fit Mama for High Five Friday! 

Do you use a standing desk? 
What are you high-fiving this week?
What are your weekend plans?
My mom and sister are visiting us for the weekend! 

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20 Responses

    1. Butternut squash is so good year round! And thanks for the advice on KT tape back a few weeks ago – I cannot thank you enough because it’s so useful!

  1. Another great week for you! I actually bought my husband a stand-up desk (he requested) for Christmas and it’s STILL in the box! I may just take it for myself because I much prefer standing to sitting at my little desk…although I love the view 🙂
    Have a great weekend!

  2. We have a tall bistro table out in the lobby at work, and I have commandeered it as my work station. I love to be able to stand some during the day! KT tape has gotten me through many a rough spot. I know that a lot of it is superficial, but if superficial support helps me feel better, then tape me up!

  3. The weather is so weird right now! Of course, now that it’s officially summer the weather decides to dip down and get cold. It feels amazing though so I’m not complaining 🙂 I don’t have a standing desk at work, but a lot of people at my company do. I have a cube with low walls so it would look a little weird if I was standing all day!

  4. Bite your tongue! I would kill for those mid-60s and fleece in the morning, those temps are my happy place! Haha, but okay fine, snow on the mountain would be annoying in late June.

    LOL at Charlie. I’m pretty sure our cats also think they are humans. I tell them if they’re humans then maybe they should get jobs already.

    I got a standing desk at work recently. I like it. I feel so much more, I don’t know, productive and office-y when I’m standing up working. But I alternate between standing and sitting – it’s nice to have options and sometimes I get tired from standing.

    1. It is glorious weather – and I spoke too soon and it got hot this weekend, up to 80! That is too funny about your cats. I tell Charlie the same thing – that he needs to get a job and earn his share. That’s awesome about your new standing desk!

  5. I wish I had a standing desk at work! I’m constantly up and about to refill my water bottle, etc because I fidget so much when I have to sit still.

    Weekend plans – spending it at my parents’ house in Connecticut relaxing and celebrating getting engaged and their anniversary!

    1. It’s so difficult to sit still – the more active one is, the harder I think. How fun that you got to celebrate your parents’ anniversary and your engagement this weekend!

  6. I’m glad your hamstring seems to be doing better and the KT tape helps. I tried that once after a race, and I think the person did it wrong but I felt like a rockstar athlete walking around all taped-up post race (it was a 5K too haha). I think it could be a big help if it is done correctly, and fortunately there are tutorials on YouTube and videos with the tape to help. Maybe I was sweaty too…

    It’s so hard for me to believe that some areas of the US have SNOW right now… I know it’s mountains, but still. We are happily dealing with 90 degree temperatures and being thankful it is not 100 :).

    I love the idea of Saturday mass followed by a brewery…

    1. KT tape doesn’t hold well to sweaty skin, as we’ve found. The YouTube videos help a lot also, although I never quite sure if I get the 50% stretch exactly right. And yeah, beer after mass is fun! It just continues the relaxed, celebratory feel, you know? 🙂

  7. I am SO jealous of your weather! Trust me, you do not want 95 and 90 percent humidity! Can’t wait to get out to the PNW next week to enjoy it! Thanks also for the kind words and link love. Big hugs to you! xoxo

    1. You’ll love it in Oregon next week! Although I think I spoke too soon, it did warm up a bit. I got the bracelet and I’m so excited to share it soon on social media. Have so much fun at the track trials and big hugs to you!!

  8. Congrats on your upcoming anniversary!! I hope you guys are able to do something fun to celebrate!

    I’ve definitely went out in public with KT tape on before too and have gotten a ton of funny looks also so I can definitely relate! Glad you’re feeling better!

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