Weekly Schedule

Happy Sunday! I am back at it for another week of meal planning and workouts.  Last week was pretty successful.  I managed to stick to my plans really well.  This was especially surprising because we had a snow day this week and I tend to fall off the wagon of healthy-living when I have too much free time. My willpower isn't exactly...strong. 

I did switch up my workouts a few times this week.  Mostly just substituting one thing for something equally challenging.  I was really into Jillian's 30 Day Shred this week so I did that more than I was planning. Overall, I felt really great about it.  It was also super nice to have my blog to guide my meal choices and workouts for the week.  I think I'll make this a regular Sunday tradition for the blog.  It's been so helpful this week that I'd like to see it continue! 

Weekly Meal Plan

Sunday: Stoney's (out to eat)

Monday: Pizza Primavera

Tuesday: Breakfast

Wednesday: Alfredo with Steamed Broccoli

Thursday: Leftovers!

Friday: ??? School chili cook-off and a basketball game!

Saturday: Cheesy Quesadilla with Rice and Beans

Weekly Workouts 

Sunday: Hula Hoop Fitness

Monday: Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred

Tuesday: 3 mile walk

Wednesday: Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred

Thursday: Yoga Class

Friday: Rest Day

Saturday: Hike OR Hula Hoop Fitness (weather depending)

Your turn..Do you meal plan? Any tips or tricks? 

Currently listening to...Late July- Shakey Graves 

Weekly Schedule

I am trying to get myself back on a weekly schedule for meals and workouts.  Both of these things are especially important now that I am kicking it solo for a few months.  I do well with schedules and structure, it seems like the best way to pass the time and keep myself on track. My meals are all frugal options and made for only one person.  I'll try to post recipes for some of them, but keep in mind you'll have to double or triple to measurements to make enough for a 2+ people.

Weekly Meal Plan

Sunday: Creamy Garlic Penne Pasta, Asparagus

Monday: Stoney's (out to eat)

Tuesday: Veggie Fried Rice and Tofu

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: Cheese Quesadilla, Tomato Soup

Friday: Baked Potato, Asparagus, Salad

Saturday: Tofu and Veggie Soup

On the workout front I am keeping things pretty simple and fun. I am mixing it up with some at-home workout tapes, weekly yoga classes, hikes, and long doggy walks.  I walk Specks about 1-2 miles each day.  I consider a long doggy walk to be at least 3+ miles and often the two of us hike on the weekend.  Here's to hoping that I actually stick with it!

Weekly Workouts

Sunday: Walking 3 miles with Specks + Shoveling 

Monday: Rest Day

Tuesday: Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred

Wednesday: Hula Hoop Fitness

Thursday: Yoga Class

Friday: Rest Day

Saturday: Hula Hoop Fitness

Your turn...What are some of your favorite meals and workouts?

Currently listening to...TED Radio

Mt. Roberts

This weekend Cody and I decided that we needed to climb a mountain.  We hike most weekends but we have yet to attempt an actual mountain.  This is something we have both been hoping to accomplish this summer and Juneau offers mountains in every direction.  We chose to hike Mt. Roberts, which rises from the downtown-area of Juneau.  There is a tram that goes up and down the mountain to provide easy-acess to tourists during the summer months.  For our first mountain hike, it was well-populated and easily traversed (in most sections).

View of Mt. Roberts from our house.  The night before the hike. 

The trail is about 2.5miles each way if you only hike as far as the tram.  However, you can continue up further to the summit, which rises 3,900ft above sea level.  The mountains in Juneau are unique because they rise from sea-level.  Mountains in many other places (such as the Rockies) are rising from already highly elevated land.  Our mountains rise straight up from the ocean.  This creates quite the views and I think it makes our mountains all the more beautiful.  I love the mountains in Alaska!

Peek-a-boo views from halfway up the trail. 

Stopped for water near to top. 

Lookout point from the tram.  Views of Downtown Juneau and Douglas Island. 

The hike was moderate to strenuous at times.  There had been heavy rains a few days prior so places in the trail were nearly washed out and extremely muddy.  We enjoyed the hike and explored a little further than the "traditional" trail allowed.  In total we spent about four hours on the trail.  It was beautiful and we loved the adventure!

Questions:
Would you ever climb a mountain? 
What was a summer goal you hoped to accomplish? Did you? 

Adventures in Bread Making

This week I decided to try homemaking bread for the first time! I have always been interested in baking my own bread from both a frugality standpoint and a sustainability standpoint .  While browsing the internet this weekend I checked out a TON of bread recipes for the crock-pot and it seemed like something fun to try, you can check out a few of the recipes here and here.  I finally decided to test out this recipe, courtesy of the Chicken in the Road blog.

All mixed up and headed into the pot! 

The process was super simple! I just made the dough, plopped it into the crock-pot, and set the pot to low.  I turned it over at the one-hour mark and then continued baking for another hour. After two hours I checked it and it still seemed fairly doughy (recipe deviation) so I repeated the process for another hour. Also, I pulled it out at the end and stuck it under the broiler for 5-6 minutes in order to achieve my desired color. Check out the finished product!

Lookin' tasty! 

"Almost" an awesome loaf of homemade bread. 

So, it did turn out as bread, which I was concerned about (hah!).  I've heard it said that baking bread is a lot of trial and error and I would have to agree.  I wouldn't say this bread was UNsuccessful but it also wasn't perfect.  The middle was still fairly soft and it turned out pretty dense as well.  While it is edible, I know that I can do better.  So, I will be at it again trying to perfect my bread in the crock pot.  I plan to repost the perfect loaf when I finally bake it :)

Questions:
Do you homemake bread? 
Would ever consider trying it in the crock-pot?

Perseverance Trail

This weekend we went hiking! Ok, so that may not be very surprising since we go hiking EVERY weekend.  But, we have been meaning to make it out to Perseverance Trail in Juneau for weeks and keep getting distracted by other activities.  Check out the links here and here if you are interested in hiking this trail/ learning more about it.  The trail is well maintained, although fairly rocky at places and moderately steep (especially the first 1/4mile).  It is three miles long (or six miles roundtrip), so if you hike the whole thing you can really make an afternoon out of it.  The trail also branches off into a ton of other trails.  So, halfway through you can choose to head out farther into the wilderness on Granite Creek Trail or head up Mt. Juneau for some breathtaking views.  It really is a great trail! 

The trail started and we were immediately greeted by two signs.  One of them was simply warning us of the steep cliffs on the trail (it is in the mountains) but the other one was letting us know that a mama Black Bear and her cubs had taken up residence on the trail.  Thankfully, we saw maybe 10-15 other hikers so the trail was fairly well traveled.  We didn't see any bears! 

Bear! Eek! 

The scenery was amazing from all viewpoints on the trail.  It was a toasty day (upper 60's) and the sun was shining bright. We got hot pretty quickly and ended up cooling off in a teeny waterfall.  But, we did get some cool breezes when walking by the old mining buildings! 

View of the old mines, river, and bridges. 

Funny trees near Mt. Juneau. 

Cody and I had a great time and are hoping to try and climb Mt. Juneau sometime in the near future.  All in all, a successful day of wilderness exploration.  Perfection :)

Feeling pretty tired at the end of our hike! 

Questions: 

What is your favorite outdoor activity?

If you hike, what is your favorite brand of hiker-friendly clothing? 

Would you ever off-trail hike? 

Accidental Trails

Cody and I went exploring last weekend and stumbled upon some truly wonderful trails.  We intended to hike Perseverance Trail but got distracted by Mt. Roberts, Flume Trail, and about 100 other little off-shoot trails that the area had to offer.  Whoops!  Oh well, we ended up having an amazing time and spending some much needed one-on-one time together :)

It was a pretty toasty day for SE Alaska (75ish) so we even kicked off our shoes and took a dip (legs only) in the freezing waters. The water temperature was probably in the 40's where we stuck our legs in.  It was so invigorating!  We splashed around a bit in the water, gave directions to various tourists (they were out like flies last weekend), and then sunned ourselves for a bit on some old tree stumps. Relaxation at its finest.

There were so many amazing  views to see on the trails, I wish I could capture them better to share with everyone.  Cody and I spent a lot of time talking about our love for Juneau and the entire state of Alaska.  I think we are both feeling truly at home here.  If only we could share it with everyone!

Questions:
What are your feelings on hiking? Do you enjoy it for pleasure or exercise? 
Would you ever try climbing a mountain? Why or why not? 
Are tourists a HUGE part of life where you live?

**Happy 4th of July! Sadly, I do not have any pictures from the 4th to share.  Juneau does their fireworks at midnight (the only time the sky is semi-dark) but it was so foggy we couldn't see them :( Oh well, we still had fun cooking out and celebrating at home.  Hope you all had a wonderful holiday!!

Rainy Day Yoga

We are finally getting back our "typical" SE Alaskan weather….

In other words,  it is in the 60's and raining.  The super awesome summer weather lasted for almost a month though so the rain is a nice little break.  The views from my house are back to normal.

Since it has been raining so much the last few days I have been re-discovering my love for Jillian Michaels.  I love all of her workout DVD's. But, her yoga DVD is my current favorite.  I highly recommend trying it out, especially if you are interested in body-weight strength training (using your body weight to build up muscle).  I really enjoy body weight training so I am digging the workouts.  And, clearly Specks is enjoying her workouts too ;)

As far as a workout schedule goes, my days are ruled a little bit by the weather.  I am feeling a pretty lazy about running in the rain lately.  But, if I actually manage to stick to my weekly workout routine (and I am going to REALLY try) it will look like this…

Monday: Rest Day
Tuesday: Jillian Michaels Yoga
Wednesday: Running (30minutes)
Thursday: Jillian Michaels Yoga
Friday: Running (30minutes)
Saturday: Hiking (this week we are doing a 3.5mile hike on Perseverance/Granite Trail)
Sunday: Hiking (shorter hike with Specks, probably on the beaches near my house)

Questions: 
Do you schedule your weekly workouts? 
Do you leave room for flexibility/ weather changes?
How do you handle running in extreme weather? Snow? Rain? Wind?  

Hiking Eagle Beach

Hiking is one of my favorite activities, especially in incredibly beautiful weather.  I knew when I saw the forecast for Saturday (highs in the 80's) that I needed to plan a hiking expedition.  So, we made it a girls day and I hit the trails with two of my friends and our pups for a 3-hour hike.

Beginning of the trail. 

We started on a trail Out The Road (where the road in Juneau ends) that leads to a great beach, aptly called Eagle Beach. The sign at the beginning of the trail simply read, "Primitive Trail."  And, they weren't kidding.  While parts of it were maintained, like the picture above, other times we were tromping through weeds that reached my waist. We ended up getting a little off-trail and walking along the beach for a period of time.  We sat in the sand and took a rest after about 1.5 hours to refuel and water the dogs.  Perfect!

 Lavender plants that we had to tromp through to reach the beach. 

Snow-capped peaks in the summer. 

Specks & I stopped for a rest on the beach. 

All in all, the hike was beautiful and I couldn't have asked for more perfect weather.  We've really been having perfect summer weather the last three weeks.  Temperatures in the 70's and ample sun.  It has been perfect for physical activity outdoors.  I will typically hike no matter the weather (sun, rain, snow, wind, etc) but this near-perfect stuff we have been getting has given me a new appreciation for Alaska Summers and the hiking season.

We made it! 

I hope all of you are getting out and hiking, biking, kayaking, or any other physical activity while we have this amazing weather.  Even you Lower-48ers should be getting out and enjoying your summer weather (despite the heat).  Enjoy it while we have it!


Questions: 
Do you like to hike? 
If so, where are your favorite places to go? 
Are you enjoying your summer weather? 

Running Weather

This week we are expecting PERFECT WEATHER! Weather this good is a rarity here in Alaska. Where's the rain?  Where's the snow? Where's the frost? Ok, so there is one day with the possibility for rain.  But, in SE Alaska this kind of weather is just amazing.

That being said, I am back in my running grove, which is ideal for this amazing weather.  I am still not running for long periods of time but I am managing between 20-30minutes.  It has been perfect and by supplementing with yoga, strength training, and hoop dance I am really getting a full body workout everyday.  Workouts are good.  Weather is good.  Life is good.  Enjoy this awesome view from my regular running route :)

Questions: 
Do you run the same path everyday? 
If not, how often do you switch it up? 

The End Of The Road

This weekend Cody and I did something that we have been meaning to do since the first day that we arrived in Juneau…we drove to where the road ends!

The mountains at low-tide. 

The road actually ends in Juneau at two different spots, North Douglas and "Out the Road".  We have driven to where the road ends on Douglas Island (our home base) a ton of times because it is only a ten minute drive from our house.  But, the area of Juneau actually known as "Out The Road" goes quite a bit further into the wilderness and is where they intend to connect Juneau to other parts of Alaska by road in the future.  This area goes about 30extra miles to be exact (ish) and in the complete opposite direction of Douglas Island.  The drive took about 60minutes (each way) from our house so it was a bit of a trek by Juneau standards. There wasn't any indication that the road was ending (imagine my surprise).  But, after skidding my car down a narrow dirt road and realizing I was no longer on a "road" and indeed headed into the unknown I decided to backtrack a bit and park about 1/2 mile back at an outlook.  We hiked the rest of the way down to see what there was to see where the road to civilization ended.

Strolling on the beach with my pup.  

This was the perfect end to our weekend.  It was beautiful, relaxing, and we still got a little exercise worked into our daily routine (for both us and the doggy).  We live in such a beautiful place.  It never ceases to amaze me that I can walk out my front door and stick my feet in waters from the Gulf of Alaska or climb a mountain that is part of the Alaska Boundary Range.  Realizing how luck we are to have the opportunity to live in such an amazing place for a few years has really made me appreciate life and all of its adventures :)

Questions: 
Do you live somewhere that allows you to go on hiking expeditions? 
Would you ever consider living in Alaska? Why or why not? 
If so, where would you want to live? 

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think :)

Vegan Running

Running Update:  I have been seriously slacking.  But,  I am back in the game thanks to these fabulous running shoes!

VivoBarefoot Vegan Running Shoes.

I love them.  They are amazing.  Also,  any time I can support the vegan products I do.  These shoes are an awesome alternative to the barefoot running craze.  I have only jogged in them once so far but my knees were already thanking me tremendously.  New shoes make all the difference, eh?  Hopefully these shoes will help me keep on my training path so that I can take on some actual races in the future and not just jog for recreational purposes.  I will keep you guys updated on things I do/don't like about the shoes and whether or not I would still recommend them after a couple weeks worth of running.

Questions: 
What type of running shoes do you wear? 
Do you buy vegan products?