The first month of the New Year is in the books. I think that means we have to finally stop calling it a new year, right? I’ve been thinking a lot about the start of 2015. Surprisingly, the word that keeps coming to my mind is balance. Although I feel like a master juggler most of the time, I’ve found myself feeling really balanced lately.

Like all of you, I have a lot of important priorities. In the past, however, I haven’t always put the priorities that should be at the top, at the top. That left me feeling out of whack and struggling with stress. So far this year, I’ve been prioritizing and making time for things that create balance: planning meals in advance, cooking healthy dinners we eat as a family, building in restorative yoga that brings TLC to my mind and body, getting up earlier in the morning to work out with friends so I have more time throughout the day for other things. Surprisingly, by prioritizing correctly and making time for key things like this, I find myself able to do more.

January Numbers at a Glance

• 123.23: Number of miles I ran
• 106.88: Number of miles I cycled
• 27: Number of days I exercised
• 17: Number of fitness classes I took via ClassPass (Check back on Monday for a full review of ClassPass. I love it so much I’ve become an affiliate!)
• 12: Number of new recipes I made in January
• 7: Number of restorative yoga classes I took (This number has previously been zero. Ohm!)
• 4: Number of athletes I’m coaching for spring half marathons
• 2: Number of books I read
• 0: Number of races I ran

Speaking of balance, I struck a strong balance with my goals and priorities this past week. Every week, I share a week-in-review link-up. You can see my weekly training and how I’m taking action against my 2015 goals. I also share the one thing I’m most proud of from the week and the one pitfall that has challenged me the most. Then, I invite you to do the same. There is a place at the bottom of this post for you to share a link to your weekly recap for others to come and cheer you on or offer you support. If you don’t have a Web site, simply share about your week in the comments section.

Here’s what last week looked like:

Getting Sweaty and Stronger

My fitness goals for 2015 are to stay in half marathon shape year-round (20-30 miles of running per week and long runs of 8-11 miles) and get stronger (2-3 strength training and cross training workouts each week).

• Monday: AM: Ran 7 miles at an average 8:12 pace (Started in the 8:20s and finished in the 7:30s); PM: 75 minutes of restorative yoga – During my run on Monday, I was going fast down a hill about 1.5 miles into the run, and out of nowhere, rolled my right ankle really badly. One minute I was flying comfortably and the next my ankle was in intense pain. I stopped for about a minute and moved it in circles, hopped on it and made sure it was ok. For a few moments I thought I was out for the count. I was sure I had injured myself badly, but thankfully it was fine and I was able to finish the run and all my workouts for the week without any pain. Whew!
• Tuesday: Rode 45 minutes on the stationary bike (about 12 miles)
• Wednesday: AM: 1 hour of Core Fusion Sport at Exhale; PM: Ran easy 3-mile progression run (8:28, 8:23, 8:05)
• Thursday: REST
• Friday: 45 minutes at Torq Cycle (18.73 miles and good enough for first place in the class)
• Saturday: 12 easy miles with friends at 8:55 pace – even though we were running a comfortable pace, this was one of the hardest runs I have run in as long as I can remember. It was incredibly hilly (about 800 feet of climbing), and the route looped a lot making the course monotonous and mentally tough. I was much happier having brunch after with everyone than actually running. My friend Elizabeth got engaged a few days before our run, so we celebrated over coffee and miles! This was the farthest I’ve run since the Chicago Marathon in October.

• Sunday: 90 minutes of restorative yoga + 30 minutes of easy cycling on the stationary bike (about 8 miles)

Eating Clean

I successfully completed my 31-day break-up with bread and sugar. If you missed the results and what I learned, you can check them out here.

Here were a few amazing recipes I made last week that I would highly recommend:

• Mini Black Bean Burgers: I made these delicious black bean burgers, and I was blown away by how delicious they were. Since the crackers/chips in the recipe actually contain sugar, I used Luke’s Organic Black Pepper crackers instead, which I found in my organic section at the grocery store. I also used extra virgin olive oil, not vegetable oil. I served these on top of some homemade fiesta brown rice (2 cups cooked brown rice with ¼ cup salsa, ¼ cup corn, 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped cilantro and salt and pepper to taste mixed together). I topped each serving with ¼ of a chopped avocado and 1 ounce of shredded white cheddar (I used Cabot brand). I can’t wait to make these again. My recipe made 8 burgers.
• Balsamic and Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower: If you’re looking for an amazing side dish, this cauliflower is the ticket. I made this recipe alongside some beef tenderloin steaks and sautéed green beans. Mr. rUnladylike and I ate the entire recipe in one sitting, which is a head of cauliflower. Make a double batch if you have more people.

What I’m Most Proud of

I’m most proud of not eating bread or sugar for the entire month of January. This was a huge accomplishment for me (I’m a self-proclaimed addict to both bread and sugar). I really felt strong and healthy by completing this. I still haven’t had any bread or sugar (I did put honey in a recipe) since I completed the challenge.

Where I Struggled

My Saturday long run up some serious hills was a major challenge. Mentally, I was not positive and my self-talk during the run was not setting an example for anyone around me. I didn’t fuel during the run and I didn’t eat what I would typically eat, so I’m looking forward to incorporating my normal fueling back into my long runs now that my bread and sugar detox is complete.

Thought for the Week Ahead

“Don’t try to rush progress. Remember, a step forward, no matter how small, is a step in the right direction.”
–        Kara Goucher

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I want to hear from you! How was your week last week? How was your training? What are you most proud of? Where were you most challenged? Share your comments and/or link up to your weekly recap post below.