Monday, August 3, 2015

Music, Books, Miles and Looks of July

And another month bites the dust!  *Insert cliche phrase about time going too fast*

Music:



I Belong To You by Brandi Carlie - Since I saw Brandi Carlile last night (!!!!) I had to share one of her songs for this month's recap.  This is one of the songs from her latest albums.  It's a live performance so the sound quality isn't great but you can see how talented she is live.



Shots by Imagine Dragons - This song has such a catchy beat.  I've loved it from the first time I heard it, which isn't too surprising as I pretty much loved every song on the band's first album. Although I will say that this song has a very different sound compared to their first album.

Books:

July was a strong reading month for me as I read 7 books! My favorite out of everything I read was The House Girl.  Similar to previous months, any books with a star behind them counted towards the read harder challenge.


Overwhelmed:  Work, Love and Play When No One Has the Time by Brigid Schulte - 3 stars
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut - 3 stars
As Always, Jack:  A Wartime Love Story By Emma Sweeney - 3 stars
The House Girl by Tara Conklin - 4 stars
Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean* - 4 stars
The Book of Aron by Jim Shepard - 3 stars
Dog Crazy:  A Novel of Love Lost and Found by Meg Donohue - 4 stars
Above Us Only Sky by Michele Young-Stone - 4 stars

Miles:

July was also a strong running/biking/swimming month for me.  I hit the triple digit mileage mark for running as I ran 118 miles!  I also biked 92 miles and swam 3.75 miles (5 x 0.75 mile open water swims).  I logged a lot of miles but only fit in 3 strength training sessions which isn't great but between triathlon and marathon training I struggle to make time to strength train. 


Looks:

My looks for the month were kind of unremarkable.  I didn't wear anything new or exciting.  It was a pretty warm/humid month so my outfit selection has been all about finding things that I won't get too hot in while biking to/from work but are warm enough so that I won't freeze at work... and that's pretty tricky!   The only notable outfit was the dress I wore to a wedding but I already shared a photo of that...  Hopefully I'll wear some outfits worth sharing in August.

13 comments:

katielookingforward said...

I haven't heard the shots yet, I don't know if I would have known it was Imagine Dragons just by listening. As far as looks go, I've mainly been wearing sundresses or workout clothes. I was on my feet a lot friday and saturday so I've got to take a few days off from running as my ankle is sore. My goal this week is to swim for 20 minutes every day. I also need to figure out how to put more lube on my bike as my chain is super squeaky.

Emilie said...

I heard Shots on an acoustic radio show yesterday morning and really liked it! I am so impressed with your workouts for July. You are rocking tri and marathon training! I can understand how it's difficult to also fit in strength training. It's a lot to balance on top of life in general. I've heard so many good things about The House Girl so I'm glad you liked it, too!

Alli said...

I want you to know that I still love you even though you only gave Slaughterhouse- Five 3 stars.

Marlys said...

It never phases to amaze me at how much reading you get done in a month! Wowzers!
I want to start a new book but just haven't found the time yet. July went too fast and I know this month will, too! I am loving summer, though!
Your training schedule looks right on track and good luck with the triathlon!

Jenny said...

You're doing so well with the tri and marathon training. Either one is such a big time commitment but you're totally nailing it. I hadn't heard that Imagine Dragons song but you're right it's very catchy :D

Linda said...

Your reading always amazes me. I always scurry to meet 50 books in December. One of the perks of unemployment is I'm reading more! A lot of marketing books as of late as I'm trying to break into marketing for next job.

Nora said...

I don't feel like my looks have been particularly remarkable lately, either. I blame it on the weather for sure! I turned to Knight yesterday and said that I'm ready for cooler weather; not winter, but just temps that aren't staggering in the 90s-100s everyday!

Carolina John said...

Wow 118 miles? Marathon training is in full swing. Nice job! You're going to be ready for the tri too. no worries there.

Abby said...

I wish my eyes moved across the page as fast as yours do for reading! That is awesome!

Wow! Super solid month of training for you. All the variety with the tri keeps you lean. You've got a lot on your plate. Once the tri is behind you, you'll get back at it! I missed weight training sooo much during HIM!!!

That is so cool you got to see Brandi in concert! Love her!!

Kyria @ Travel Spot said...

We need to talk because I have been having the same issue with what to wear that I can bike in without it getting sweaty but then will withstand the meat locker at work! I usually just wear a long sleeved sweater and slacks, but it gets quite hot on the way home. However, my boss is hot blooded and he has the AC in the office turned way up (or down?) and I freeze! I have a fleece pullover just in case but it's pretty casual!

Amber said...

You rocked the mileage in July! I wouldn't worry too much about not doing as much strength training now because all your swimming and biking is definitely amazing cross training. I'm sure the strength training will pick back up again once your triathlon and marathon are over!

I have been struggling with my summer outfits as well lately since it's been SO HOT here. I don't bike to work but I still struggle to find something that is cool enough while I'm outside but warm enough while I'm in the office!

Jolene - EverydayFoodie said...

It was a really warm and humid month here too. I pretty much lived in dresses because it's too hot even for shorts.

The Many Thoughts of a Reader said...

We got the imagine dragons new cd and it was very disappointing. kind of blah. ive not been really moved by music this summer. nothing new and awesome has caught on yet for me. i have started listening to podcasts finally though. my commute is way longer so i have time to listen now! and time to wind down to be nicer to my family too! woot woot. (i'm probably the only one who would get a new job with a longer commute and like it. )