May 2014 Goals – Check In & Reflection

As May comes to a close, I wanted to take time to reflect on the May goals that I made 30 days ago.

May Goals

This was the first time in ages that I’ve truly set goals for the month and thought about them throughout the month. The fact that I shared these goals on the blog and with Bo made me more accountable and also allowed me to make them a bigger priority. Since you all seemed to like seeing the goals shared and they were helpful for me, I’ve decided to make this one of the regular features similar to my monthly favorite things posts.

Fitness: Overall, I would say my May fitness goals were a huge success. None of these goals would have been as successful without the support of great friends. My new half marathon PR is 2:02 thanks to Charlie and Laura’s great pacing and motivation. Katie, who is quickly becoming a good friend in Geneva is a yogi and therefore encourages me to practice yoga frequently. Thanks to her, I found myself at InnerCity Yoga 5 times this month. Each practice was 90 minutes which pushes me more than the typical 45 minute or 60 minute classes I used to take in NYC. The only fitness goal I didn’t achieve was swimming. Due to travel and missed alarms I only made it to 5 swim practices versus my goal of 8.

Home: I owe accomplishing this goal to Bo as he has really made organizing our flat his #1 priority this month. In fact, I think he has taken more trips to Jumbo, our local Home Depot like store, than any other person in Geneva. In order to bring our lives and our stuff together it meant making use of our space in the most efficient way – similar to NYC. Every closet, bin, drawer, and shelf has a purpose and is organized in a way that makes sense..at least to him. One of my projects was to go through the closet and drawers and donate anything that I don’t wear anymore which included shoes, swimsuits, coats, and all my clothes.

Personal: This is the goal that had the biggest impact on my life. Catching up with friends and family members via phone versus just over text helped me feel reconnected to some of the most important people in my life! It was scary just how easy it was to go a month or even six months without talking to a girlfriend or loved one on the phone. Since May 1st I’ve spent more minutes on the phone than I did the entire 10 previous months. Each Tuesday instead of taking the tram from work to yoga I spend 30 minutes walking there so I can call someone. Since it’s 3pm in the states when I’m leaving work I tend to chat with my friends who are on maternity leave or who have flexible work schedules. But, I’ve also been able to schedule phone calls with friends for weekends when we both find ourselves with more flexibility. This is a goal that is going to continue each month until it has become a habit.

Blog: This is the one goal which gets a complete fail. While I did make some headway on the future of the blog I didn’t make progress against the goals I made for the month. This goal is getting carried into June along with a few additional things which will make my blog more updated and reflective of my life NOW versus a year ago!

Now it’s your turn – how did your May goals go?

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An Active Bank Holiday

Good morning from London! I am spending a long weekend here catching up with some girlfriends. Today I’ll be working from Casey’s flat but once 5pm comes around the weekend will begin!

Yesterday I took advantage of our bank holiday in Geneva to enjoy the perfect weather and workouts before heading to London.332Bo and I had full intention of sleeping in but around 6am we both found ourselves wide awake. Instead of fighting the urge to wakeup we spent an hour in bed sipping coffee and just chatting. It was so nice to spend this time together as we’ll be apart for the next few days. While I’m in London he’s in the United States for a friend’s wedding in Savannah followed by a few days in New York City. While I’m sad I couldn’t make the trip back it just wasn’t financially smart and would have been difficult with work.

328After a relaxing few hours around the house he headed to the airport and I headed out the door for a trail run. Yesterday’s weather in Geneva was absolutely incredible – 65 degrees and sunny.  I ran along the Rhone River trail which was busier than normal due to yesterday’s holiday and the beautiful weather.

334339347 After finishing the trail portions I stopped at a ramp where I did 4 hill repeats. Renaud and I did this ramp last week 3 times and while it definitely wasn’t easier it felt good to be able to push for four sprints up the zig zag ramp. You can’t really tell from this picture but the ramp is super steep and therefore is a great place to practice running on the balls of my feet, leaning forward and engaging my glutes. 349310

An hour after finishing my run I headed to InnerCityoga to meet Katie for a rare mid-day treat of a 90 minute yoga class. The yoga flow class was described as a class for all levels but the sun salutation set and multiple plank portions definitely left me sweating. I took advantage of the studio’s showers and saved myself a trip back home by showering there before heading to the airport for my flight to London. There is a delicious health food spot in the train station where I was able to refuel with an Indian salad including curry chicken, pineapple, cucumber, nuts, and lettuce. So fresh and delicious!355The flight to London was smooth and before I knew it I was enjoying the late evening sunshine in Regents Park as Casey and I took their adorable dog, Lady, on an 1.5 walk through the parks and along the canals. I didn’t bring my camera but it was perfect weather! 366

We spent the rest of the evening at their favorite neighborhood restaurant, Lahore Kebab House. A Pakistani restaurant located in Marylebone, everything we ate was delicious though a few dishes definitely left me drinking water and craving the cool, cucumber sauce.  I am not an expert on Indian or Pakistani cuisine but many of the flavors seemed similar though I noticed more meat dishes on this menu than I feel like I’ve seen at most Indian restaurants. If you’re a London local I highly recommend this spot as the prices are very reasonable and the flavors will leave you thinking about it a day later. 1309357Do you take advantage of holidays to squeeze in extra workouts or do you relax? Have you ever had Pakistani food?

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May Favorite Things – Summer Fashion

Spring has arrived and Summer is quickly on its way which means here in Switzerland people plan long, exotic holidays for two weeks at a time. While we’re not heading anywhere exotic, we are going to enjoy 10 days of rest and relaxation in Savannah, Georgia for Bo’s 30th birthday with some of our closest friends and of course our family.

This month’s favorites revolve around the items I’m loving for the upcoming warmer months including my favorite sunglasses, a perfect sweater for cool evenings, a relaxed t-shirt dress, a long dress perfect for date nights, and a cover-up which will be perfect for Summer evenings along the lake or out on the boat in Savannah.

Summer Fashion Favorites

Folding RaybansJCrew Canvas Espadrille WedgesHive & Honey Lizzie Stripe T-Shirt DressJCrew Factory Printed Crinkle Tunic  JCrew Factory Pleated Key Hole TopJCrew Floral Charm NecklaceSam Edelman Lynn espadrilleJCrew Merino Tippi sweaterLilly Pulitzer Deanna dress

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