So, I told you what I was leaving behind in 2019 . Some of my friends shared their thoughts on this topic as well. Now, let's talk about what I'm bringing with me from 2019 to 2020! But first, in case you don't hear it from anyone else, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Why am I bringing anything from this trash year into 2020? Well, first of all, you can't throw the whole year in the trash, people! Yes, 2019 brought with it some challenges. Heck, it brought with it some serious  challenges, but that doesn't mean that everything that ever happened at any time on any day in 2019 was all bad and that there weren't any lessons learned. That can't be so, y'all. I refuse to accept that, and so should you. And with that, here are the 6 things I'm bringing with me to 2020: ...

Last year was the first year where I introduced my Things I'm Leaving Behind post. It was popular, I thought I'd try it again this year! I am joined again by a few of my friends in the fitness world who are leaving some things behind as well. Here's what I said last year about why I put together this list: I know we've all seen a bunch of posts on social media with folks reflecting on their year, posting their favorite members, and talking about their resolutions for 2019. At the end of each year, I like to reflect on the year and recalibrate for the upcoming year. I don't necessarily do "resolutions" in the traditional sense, but I'm all about setting goals throughout the year anyway, so why not set some more at the dawn of a new year? So this year, I'm trying something new: I'm choosing 10 specific things I'm leaving behind in 2018, for real for real. Throughout the year, I told myself to stop doing these things, but I'm st...

I'm a goal setter. I set monthly goals, weekly goals, annual goals, 5-year goals - you name it! In planning out my goals for 2020, I decided to dig around the internet a bit to see what some of the emerging trends for 2020 might be. The most scientific and thorough research I found on this topic was from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Health & Fitness Journal 's November/December 2019 edition . The article, " Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2020 ," marks their 14th year producing their trend predictions. I think they did a pretty good job last year , so I felt like they were a great source for this list! I also compared it to the ELLE article " The Biggest Fitness Trends Of 2020: From Micro HIIT To Walking Clubs ," as well as the Metro (UK) article, " The Hottest Fitness Trends for 2020 ." There are some notable differences in the articles, some with which I agree and others which I disagreed, but I also think they...

If you watched my stories over the weekend, you saw that I instantly fell in love with Follain , before I even left the Follain Bethesda Row  brick-and-mortar store! When I say Follain rocked my world (which sounds so dramatic, I know), I really mean it: Beauty, makeup, and skincare products I thought were "clean beauty" products really are not even close by Follain's standards. In fact, before I even attended the event at the store, I checked out their Restricted Ingredients list and was SHOOK! I went deep into the rabbit hole for hours (when I should've been sleeping!) and come to the following conclusion: I am going to have to throw out everything in my house! ...

Yes, I acknowledge that we're already into December, but it doesn't mean I can't still set goals! (I got a delayed start on the month anyway, so cut me some slack please!) First, let's review how I did on my November goals , then we can talk about my goals for December. ...

If you understand what I'm referencing in the title of this post, just know that I'm sitting here singing, "Oh Happy Day!" whilst catching up on all of my DVR recordings of How to Get Away With Murder . Life is really about balance, ya know? Alright, so what was up with me this week? Well, I started out the week in a mountain of covers, armed with Dayquil, tissues, and cough drops. While I took off work on Monday, I forced myself back into a routine on Tuesday - at half speed, nonetheless - because I could not spend another day in bed with this cold! The doc says that the cold could last 1-2 weeks, and I was over it the moment he said it. Here's what I got into this week, despite the prognosis: ...

Last weekend, I went to Shenandoah National Park, which is located along Skyline Drive in Virginia. It is absolutely beautiful, with breathtaking views, wildlife, and at times the feeling of being wild and free. Shenandoah National Park isn't exactly nearby, which makes it a nice little mini getaway for folks in the DC Area. The original plan was to get a group of friends together for an all-day hike, but that plan fell through. Everyone changed their plans or didn't feel up to being outdoors in the cool weather. It was all good, though. It made for a quick little adventure date for my boyfriend and me. I hadn't gone hiking in cold weather in a long time, or maybe ever?, so I wasn't quite sure what to wear. After a quick Google search, I decided, yep! Still didn't know what to wear. I eventually pieced together a few different pointers from different websites and decided I would share what I learned with all of you lovely people. :-) ...

This post is sponsored by TriState Moving and Storage ; nonetheless, this post is only filled with my honest thoughts!  First things first: I am not moving this month. In fact, our goal is to move in the summer. This brings me to the very point of this post: When you’re a super busy, active person, you have to get a jump start on moving so that you can chop away at it a little bit at a time! The longer you wait to tackle the challenge of moving, the harder it gets, and the more negative your experience. Moving is stressful enough without adding self-inflicted stress on top of it! Moving is one of those things that is always miserable for me, which is why my goal is to hire professional movers to make an already complicated process quicker, easier, and less complicated than it absolutely has to be (and less painful on all of my muscles! Moving without professional help is so physically demanding!). Through a lot of trial and error, I’ve come to the conclusion that this is the bes...

Overview: I did a bit of swimming, strength training, and actually played volleyball this week! The Sweat Pink #HolidaySweat Challenge started this week, and so far I have checked off my 10 minutes of exercise each day. ...

"Oh, the weather outside is frightful..." Fortunately, we're not there yet in the DC Metro Area (or the DMV as we call it to confuse everyone else), but I believe it's coming soon! We mostly skipped over fall this year, with just a few fall days sprinkled into this early winter. So, with colder temperatures comes colder outdoor activities, and that includes running. I'm a big baby when it comes to running in the cold, but I've gotten better (I think?). My first half marathon, the temps started below freezing when I got to the start line, and you better believe I was absolutely miserable. I didn't really know how to prepare for that, and I wish I had done some research on how to dress for running in the cold. Here I am today, older, wiser (maybe?), sharing some quick tips about how to run in cold weather. ...

It's that time of the week again! I'm linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down. Monday I'm actually starting to enjoy these little swim sessions I've been fitting in! Just 30 minutes is plenty of time in the pool for me. As I continue with my classes, these 30 minutes will look a lot more disciplined and will result in a lot less time hanging out on the wall in between laps. 😆 Tuesday Taught my 45-minute SPARK class. We had a good time! One of the best moments was when we did jumps to "Roxanne" by The Police. Every time they heard "Roxanne," they switched between the standing and seated positions. We added a fair amount of resistance so that we could transition smoothly. Everyone knew the song, so people were singing along, and it looked really cool from the front of the room having everyone in unison. Good times! Afterward, I had another training session with Laila. It was a challenging workout, and I can already...

Today, I'm recapping my last week! I've been trying to join the Weekly Run Down linkup regularly, but this week is a bit hectic with my organization's last major event of the calendar year taking place this week. Even though I missed the linkup cutoff time, I still wanted to share this info with all of you! So here goes: My last week in workouts, abridged. ...

I don't know what it is about running, but I swear the peer pressure is so aggressive! I've played team sports my whole life, and these individual sports like running are pretty new to me. Sure, I've had volleyball teammates peer pressure me into all kinds of stuff over the years, but nothing even comes close to what I've encountered in the running world. In the running world, peer pressure feels... extreme. What am I talking about? ...

I kicked things up a notch this week, but I was still taking it relatively easy. This was the last week for resting my ankle, and I'm ready to get back into running and volleyball in the week ahead. I still have a big secret to reveal to you all this week, so stay tuned! ...

Can you believe it's already November?? I know I can't!! 2019 has just flown on by! But, alas. Here we are. And here are my goals for November 2019 (with the huge caveat being that some of these will require my sprained ankle to be healed first!): ...

Last week was filled with a lot  of indoor cycling, and not much else. My sprained ankle is still giving me problems, and it's started to make me angry. I just want to run! And do some lower body strength training! Nonetheless, the main thing about sprained ankles is that you just have to rest in order for them to get better. It sucks, and it's easier said than done, but it is what it is! This week, I'm linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down. Instead of reviewing what I did over the last week, I'm going to be looking forward! ...

I haven't written one of these "what I'm up to this week" posts in a hot minute, so I thought I'd post one today! Check out the fitness-related activities I'm planning to get into this week! Check out my Instagram stories  for more info  ...

Colleen and me high-10ing right after I crossed the finish line. Photo courtesy MCRRC.  ...and my first Low-Key Montgomery County Road Runners Club race! Last week, at the encouragement of my friend Colleen , I signed back up for the Montgomery County Road Runners Club . It's been a couple of years since I was a member, but something about the encouragement from Colleen, just completing the Ragnar Trail Relay , and a major pending race announcement I've been keeping from you guys had me feeling like it was a no-brainer. ...

Left to right: Natalie (Co-Founder, RUNGRL Co. ), Christian ( Sweater Sipper ), ME!, Tikima ( Tikima Renee Fitness ), and Na'Tasha (Co-Founder, RUNGRL Co. )  A couple of weeks ago, I received an invitation to participate in The Exercise Dress Tour . I'm going to be honest with you: My initial reaction was WHAT THE %&*?! ...

I'm still recovering and reorganizing and reassessing after Natural Products Expo East . I met with so many different brands and tried so many different products that I'm still not sure I've digested everything from that week! Instead of writing one incredibly long post about my experience (maybe I still will), I've decided to break up my experience into days and activities. This first post is about the 5 brands I loved from my very first day at Expo East.  ...

Today is International Podcast Day! What does that mean? It means everyone and their mama is promoting their podcast in the hopes to get new subscribers! While I haven't officially started my podcast yet (it's under construction), I do love  to listen to podcasts! I especially love them for when I'm driving, but I'll sometimes listen when I'm out for a run or hike, or even just going for a walk at lunchtime. I usually listen to podcasts on Spotify because that's where I listen to my music, plus I can download them to listen online later. Here are 12 podcasts I recommend you add to your playlist on Spotify  (in no particular order): ...

This post is sponsored by CBDMEDIC but the content and opinions expressed here are my own. As I led my indoor cycling class through their cool-down stretches, I heard a lot of creaking and cracking coming from my body. It dawned on me: I had just taught my sixth class in just eight days! ...

Well, they do! And I had a chance to check out the one in Columbia, Maryland two weekends ago! I received a seemingly last-minute email from Fabletics inviting me to their store opening for their store in Columbia, Maryland. Wait, store opening? I didn't know they had a store!  Unfortunately, I couldn't work it out to get to the grand opening celebration that day; however, I managed to stop by a few days later, which was great because I felt like I had a more normal shopping experience. It was weird being back in the mall where I'd worked part time for 8 years. I probably hadn't been back there since I finally "retired" from Ann Taylor last fall! First and foremost, if you don't know what Fabletics is, check out my original review from last year here . ...

Month after month, Google tells me that people are searching for, "Can I wear a Fitbit while playing volleyball?" which is leading them here to Flecks of Lex. Since I have never explicitly answered this question on the blog, I thought today would be as good a time as any to take a moment to answer the question! I have had a Fitbit for several years now. I first purchased a Fitbit Zip , and absolutely loved it! It clips on to you, and tracks your steps, calories burned, and distance traveled. Next, I upgraded to a Fitbit One  (affiliate link), which also tracks those things, and additionally tracks your sleep and flights of stairs ascended. As a woman who has suffered from insomnia her entire life, how cool it is to be able to track my sleep pattern! Now, I'm rocking the Fitbit Charge 3 (affiliate link). I have a lot of thoughts about wearing it for volleyball, which I'll share below. Okay, so now to the question: Can you wear a Fitbit while playing volleybal...

My friend Shanique hosted the #BasicBowlNutrition Challenge that ended yesterday, and it was truly transformative! I loved putting my bowls together, and it was amazing how quick and easy they were to build. It really took a lot of the guesswork out of cooking dinner after late nights of volleyball, spin class, and work. ...

It's not for a political reason. It's not because of my religion. And it ain't because of any food allergies. Why am I protesting the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew at Starbucks ? ...

As you guys know, I love building goals in checklist form! This month, I've expanded my list to 10 things I would like to complete before the end of September. Make sure you're following along with me on social media to see if I can check everything off the list before October 1! ...

If you've attended any DMV Fitness Fam events or talked to me about funky gym clothes in the last year, I've probably shared my love of HEX Performance detergent with you. Current status: Swearing by it. ...

*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links which mean that I may receive a small commission if you click a link below and purchase an item I have recommended. I have not otherwise been paid by any of the brands mentioned below. I just genuinely recommend them to all of you! This does not cost you anything, but it does help keep this site running! I love hiking, but I especially love a long hike. What is a long hike? As my super Google research has shown me, there doesn't appear to be a standard definition. For the purpose of this post, my reference to a long hike is definitely not a thru-hike  or a multi-day hike. Instead, my long hike definition is a day hike of five or more miles. For example, I recently hiked just over seven miles along the Appalachian Trail in Maryland, and I would consider that a long hike for the sake of this post, as well as my quads.  Are you a hiking newbie? I have some tips for first-time hikers that you can read here , and here are so...

It's the beginning of the month, so it's that time again: goal-setting time! As a recap, these were my June Goals : Try an EMOM workout Try two new fitness classes Hike in a new place Go for a bike ride Finish reading a book So, how did I do? ...

If you read my June Goals , you know that I've been wanting to try new fitness classes. What you may not have known is that I have always wanted to try a trampoline class. Well, guess who was able to feed two birds with one seed? This lady! ...

This post is sponsored by Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.  As we transition from spring to summer, I’m all about transitioning into new and healthier habits. Now that I’m working earlier in the morning between my full-time job and my indoor cycling class, plus doing a better job of going to bed earlier, I’ve realized that I need to start eating breakfast again! One thing that I like to do is to try a challenge - whether it’s related to photography, fitness, healthy eating, or mindfulness. If you’re like me and you want a cool, attainable challenge to try, you’re in luck - Zespri is running their Win & Wander Challenge ! ...

Today presented some challenges. They were really innocuous challenges, but they were frustrating nonetheless. You know one of those days where just a bunch of little things pile up and you become frustrated? Today was one of those days. The final straw for me was when I wasn't able to get in the workout I'd intended after work. I got incredibly frustrated, and then I sat there for a minute and said, really? Of all of the bad things that can possibly happen in a day, you're going to let this little thing bother you? Go home and get in a different workout, ya crybaby!  (I use tough love on myself about 98% of the time.) My sassy inner dialogue was right though: I have my health, a loving family, a happy relationship, a roof over my head, and a good job. I can choose to sit around being grumpy over a bunch of minor inconveniences, or I can take the lead in my own mood, and get myself smiling again! So that's what I did; I finally set up my DailyBurn account (which...

It's that time again! Goal setting, here we come! I think I did pretty well in April with hitting my goals. In fact, I did pretty awesomely, if I may say so myself. I hit a plateau a few weeks back, but I've started incorporating even  more  strength into my fitness routine, and I'm kicking butt now! I decided to kick-start my May with a 24-hour fast just to shake things up and give my system a supercharge. Surprisingly, I felt fantastic! So now, let's take a look and see what goals I've come up with for the month of May. ...

I don’t know about you guys, but I consider oral health to be an important piece of the health and wellness puzzle. When I was fresh out of college, I didn’t pay much attention to it. My mom wasn’t making my dental appointments anymore, I didn’t always have dental insurance prior to my government jobs, and it just wasn’t a top priority for me. As Julia Roberts’ character said in Pretty Woman, “BIG MISTAKE. HUGE.” ...

I'm pretty sure that's not what it's called, but that's what I'm calling it. Tomorrow afternoon, I will attempt my first golf. I am going golfing so I will be a golfing golfer who golfs. Or something like that. Aside from putt-putt, at which I am amazing  (don't ask for references), I have only hit a golf ball once. Fun fact: When I was young, my daycare provider used to watch The Price is Right  every day, so I had a dream to hit the golf ball with Bob Barker - if I didn't get to play Plinko or Cliffhangers first. My friend Chris once took me to a driving range. It was a disaster. I was so bad at it that it made me angry. I'm usually a good sport, but something about being especially bad at a sport made me... well... a bad sport. I distinctly remember smashing the golf club against the ground. 😬😬😬 Even though I still have no clue what I'm doing, I'm going to be a much better sport tomorrow and come in with a positive attitude. I'...

Ya girl loves to hike. Hiking is basically a mental health ritual for me. I love being in the woods or out on some cliffs, or whatever the terrain might be. There is something very freeing and very human about being out in the wilderness. Sometimes I hike alone, but I love hiking with friends. I often have friends interested in joining me who have never hiked or haven't hiked since childhood, and they ask a lot of questions about how to prepare for a hike. I thought I'd put together this list of 7 Tips for New Hikers based on the most popular questions I've received, and a few extra tidbits I think are helpful. These aren't all the things you need to know before your first hike, but knowing these tips should help put you on the path for a successful hike. ...

On Tuesdays, I teach indoor cycling at the Sport & Health at Pike & Rose in North Bethesda, Maryland. The format I teach is called SPARK ! This is a signature class was developed by an indoor cycling instructor with US Fitness , and she led the class where I got certified! ...

I am so excited! I ordered a new pair of running shoes, and they arrived today! I'll be posting a video explanation of everything when I have some extra time on my hands, but for now, just know that I bought a pair of Hoka One One Clifton 5s , and they're my first Hokas ever. PLUS, they're my first non-black running shoes in several years! ...

As my current favorite TV doctor says, "how y'all doin'?" This is a quick and dirty post about... well, future quick and dirty posts. I've been doing a lot of self-reflecting over the last couple of months, and I realize I impose a lot  of additional stress and pressure on myself - much of which is excessive if I'm being honest with myself. One of those additional pressures is right here, with Flecks of Lex . I think that I have to write all of these long posts with precision and perfection, take all of this time taking photos and editing them so that they fit into the right social media dimensions, and thinking about SEO and catchy titles, and it often prevents me from writing at all! This was not even the reason why I started this blog, so why am I letting this mindset prevent me from doing what I came here to do in the first place?! ...

Have you ever hit a fitness plateau? Have you ever known you were on the plateau right when you hit it? I recently hit a plateau and didn't realize it for a couple of weeks. I couldn't figure out how I could be teaching indoor cycling classes at least three times a week, playing volleyball at least three times a week, and be gaining weight. ...