The post Wordless Wednesday: Who Needs an Aquaphor Sample? appeared first on ROJ Running.

On Saturday my friends, coworkers, and family took to the grounds of the Interval Brotherhood Home in Akron, OH for the first annual ADM Recovery Challenge 5K! R/C was an obstacle course run filled with lots of fun for runners of all ages and abilities. I saw toddlers on the course and I know a man approaching 80 also completed the challenge!

Personally I brought my Mom, sister, and Jason along for the fun. No one will believe me, but I was up and ready on time! I opted to wear my Pretty Muddy shirt, hoping some people who want to check it out in the fall. As a happy Zensah ambassador I also wore a pair of my compression socks. My legs were comfy the entire time and as usual I received SO MANY compliments. One lady told me I was the “Best Dressed” another said I should win “Best Socks” about a mile later.

It wasn’t hard to figure out where to go from the field for parking and we made our way into a gymnasium area. I have to give the race committee props for the wonderful execution of parking and registration. Some first-year events fail on both accounts, but both seemed to be smooth and flawless for me. The ladies picked up gear while Jason registered. I also scoped out the prizes table. Then we formed a line and all pinned each other since we were required to wear bibs on our backs. SWAG included a blue t-shirt, various promotion pamphlets  one of those reusable cloth grocery bags, pens/pencils, band-aids, a lint brush and several pieces of food/candy.

We all went outside to enjoy the nice weather and ran into my friend and coworker Deonna and her new boyfriend Thomas.

Soon we were all off and into the excitement of the race.

Mom and Becky “ran” off ahead while Deonna, Jason, and I all walked the course and chatted. Along the way we saw another coworker, Nellie, and had a blast overcoming obstacles like a spider’s web, jumping logs, a balance beam, low crawling, hale bale climbing, tire jumps, and of course the grand finale of a slip-n-slide type finish!

For even more great pictures check out the Flickr stream for the race.

There were two different water stops along the way, plenty of course markings, and WONDERFUL crowd support. After we had Subway sandwhiches, fruit, chips, candy and lots of other goodies along with more water. For those who have never done a 5K I think it was a great event. Speaking as someone who had never done one before, Jason enjoyed himself. I think it was also Deonna’s first time and she liked it too! Mom and Becky were all smiles. I may have been the only one not overly excited, but I guess it may be because some of the obstacles were a little too “kid friendly” for me. This was about families and community support though, if I wanted rough I should go do a Tough Mudder, right?

If you’re local I would highly suggest you come over and run with us next year for year #2! I mean let’s be honest, looking at those pictures you KNOW you could have spared $25 and joined in, right?

The post Race Report : ADM Recovery Challenge 5K appeared first on ROJ Running.

Last week I had the great pleasure of attending the “Turn Any Light into the Spotlight” event at Charles Scott Salon in Rocky River. The event was hosted by ELLE magazine and Wella Professionals. I learned about it from a new Blogger outreach service called Canopi.  In exchange for attending and writing about my experience I was treated to a night of pampering.

I drove about an hour to my location, where I was relieved of the annoyance of driving by valet service! Once inside I walked to the reception area, looking around and being amazed at the beauty. Well beauty except for the ELLE cover featuring one of my top 5 celebs I wish would just go away and not come back. Haha. (Not being a hater, not wishing anything bad upon her, just don’t care for anything about her).

Everything was black & white with pops of color. Even those working the event were wearing little black dresses with bold heels. There was a lovely sitting area, the nail salon section and the various hair stations. I would learn the spa and makeup area were toward the back and left. It was a little time lord science with how expansive the inside was compared to what you might expect.

After entering, I was offered champagne with strawberries, but asked for a bottle of water instead. I was brought tap water and after confirming 3 times it was “plain water” I tried it and told one of the ladies it tasted “funny”. She told me it probably had strawberries and other fruit in the serving bowl. Trying not to be too irritated I explained I have allergies and it would be great if I could have the bottle of water. They of course apologized  and I wasn’t too upset, but the fact remains I asked if it was normal water, they said it was normal water, it wasn’t normal water. The rest of the night I was too nervous to trust the food, and for sure missed out on some wonderful treats! I know from other people there was a desert area, but I missed it completely!

Soon I felt better as I was being treated to a fabulous night. My hair dresser curled my hair and showed me a fun new cone type tool. I really liked the wave effect it had on me, and wish I had some type of spray or gel to hold it. All their products were scented so I had to pass.

Once my hair was done I decided to skip makeup and wondered around talking to various blogger friends. I saw Julie and Julie. Met a girl named Katie and saw a girl I already knew named Katie…who had a very special 25th birthday on Friday! I saw Kimberly, but didn’t get to talk with her and there was also Crystal who I always love talking with because she has one of the warmest smiles I have ever seen. Oh and I saw Jess too, a girl I met my first year of running and have only seen via social media the past several years.

Other highlights included meeting the owner of the salon, professional pictures with a backdrop (one of my weaknesses), and a live DJ. I joked around with my blogger girls that I should start a new blog called “Don’t let the Coach purse fool you: I don’t belong here”. The thing is though, no one was making me feel this way except myself. The staff was warm and welcoming, the attendees were warm and welcoming, not a single judgment was passed, except by me on myself. OK and by me when I saw “Color for your hair down there”.

Tell me that isn’t funny to you! Anyway….after I calmed down and enjoyed the experience I opted to have my nails done. I have only had my nails done professionally one other time. When I went to Kansas City to see my friend Jen last January. I blame it on trail running, but really I miss having my nails look nice. I used to spend HOURS in middle school and high school painting them and decorating them with toothpicks and fun design. I took to Twitter and Instagram for some help in picking a color and settled on yellow. It’s been fun having bold, bright, spring time nails. It was certainly a step outside of my comfort zone and I’m glad I went for it.

Wella and ELLE also gave us nice little gift bags when we left featuring samples of their hair products, a water bottle and the latest ELLE issue. Canopi will also be sending a special gift to my house. I’m excited to see what other goodies I will receive!

It was a lovely evening and I’m glad I went. I know this isn’t really a fashion blog, but I’m still a female and for me embracing being a female approaching 30 sometimes involves pampering and looking pretty. Thank you ELLE, Wella and Canopi for the experiece. Ladies (or men) in the Cleveland area you should check out Charles Scott Salon & Spa (two locations) and Bloggers you should look into hooking up with Canopi for the inside scoop to your local events.  I leave you with this picture, which I found on Q104′s site (a local radio station) following a link to their review. Obviously, I wasn’t tagged in it, but I’m still excited to be in an image used by someone/something important.

Make sure you check Twitter and Instagram with @WellaHairUSA or the tag #ELLEMagazine for other moments from the event.

The post Turn Any Light into the Spotlight! appeared first on ROJ Running.

Most of you know I am obsessed with Cherry Limeade. You may have figured this out when I made Cherry Limeade Sugar Cookies this Christmas. Well now I have done it again with Cherry Limeade LaCroix! Well, technically it’s just Cherry Limeade water, but have you tried LaCroix water? It’s a sparkling water, but it doesn’t have any artificial colors or sugars. And I mean no sugars at all, not even tricky natural sugars like stevia that still sucks. Haha. I love it because the bubbles and can trick my mind into thinking we’re drinking pop, but we arrrreeeennn’t! They even have their own recipes section.

Cherry Limeade LaCroix

What you need:

• 1 cup cherries (I used frozen, pitted)
• 1 can LaCroix lime water

Directions:

Combine cherries and water in a blender, pulse or blend to desired consistenc

Comments:

Okay I admit this is a rather “easy” recipe, but for all the people flocking to homemade “-ades” this tastes just as great and doesn’t have any sugar in it other than the sweetness in the cherries. I also see all the fast food places like McDonald’s or Dunkin’ Doughnuts advertising their frozen drinks. This makes my teeth and stomach hurt when I think of all the weird stuff tossed into those mixes. Try this instead and throw in ice cubes. You’ll have your own frozen delight in just minutes and at a fraction of the cost, both to your wallet and your health.

LaCroix comes in a lot of different flavors including lemon, lime, coconut, raspberry, orange, and just original “water” type flavor. If you don’t get a flavored version consider adding lime or lemon juice extract to make your -ade?.

How about all of you. Do you like flavored water? How do you trick yourself when you need a treat? Maybe you don’t need to trick yourself at all?

Oh and for those wondering, I’m not connected to La Croix, I just like ‘em!

The post Friday Food : Cherry Limeade LaCroix appeared first on ROJ Running.

Do you remember last spring when I set out to discover how I define What’s Beautiful? Over the 8-10 weeks of the first round of Under Armour’s campaign I fell in love with a brand’s message and rediscovered what it was for me to be a female athlete. We shared smiles and tears and fears via pictures and videos and I almost made it to 100 pushups! When I started I could barely do 3! Well Under Armour is at it again!

When round 2 popped up I was not in a place to compete due to health issues, so when I saw there was going to be a round 3, I was over the moon! And thanks to FitFluential I also have the opportunity to promote the movement on a deeper level. You can find my profile here or make your own. Side note: Yes, there are a lot of us with FF promoting this event, if you feel in any way this makes our posts less truthful I may suggest following my friend Julie of Am I There Yet? She is also participating and is not affiliated with anyone other than herself.

In addition to liking their clothing. I am SERIOUSLY obsessed with my tech tee. I also support their message. A few weeks ago I was a the Under Armour outlet near my house and read a poster about the new #IWill tags floating around. Did you know UA was founded in 1996? By a 23-year old! The women’s line debuted in 2003, the same year they began the motto “Protect this house”. 10 years later a new generation of athletes have emerged and they are responding by saying “I Will”. I will protect this house. I will achieve new goals. I will support others.

Under Armour continues to redefine what it is to be a female athlete and to reach out to all of you….all of us…to tell them what it means for us and what it means to be beautiful. Is it beautiful to run a new marathon PR? Is it beautiful to perfect your lotus pose? Maybe you want to became a coach for an organization like Girls on the Run? Or you simply want to step up and be a part of a nationwide movement of support and happiness. If so I invite you to join me in the round 3 campaign.

If you visit the website you’ll see all the details, but I know many of you are asking, what IS the deal with all of this? Essentially it is a competition. Over the 8 week period you submit various videos or pictures to your profile to chronicle your journey toward your goal. Some of what you submit is based upon prearranged “challenges” such as “From the Mountain Top” when you first declare your goal.

They now have a challenge archive where you can track the current options you’ve completed, as well as pick previous challenges if they appeal to you. Or for me, it is nice to look back on what I uploaded last year and try to improve on my progress. After the contest period is up 10 finalists will be announced. Of those 10 finalists 3 will be selected as ultimate winners. What do they win? Well, for the website itself:

Three winners will be flown to Costa Rica to attend a four-day yoga and surf retreat. In addition to the lessons led by world-class instructors, winners will be treated to transformative massages, spa treatments and healthy, locally-sourced meals prepared by personal chefs. All while staying in plush accommodations looking out at the ocean. A retreat worthy of the women who earn it.

The first time I did this promotion I know I was way too caught up in the idea of winning. I was jealous over my friends completing their goals. I stayed up at night thinking of ways to make my images or videos better. There was a side of me turning ugly all for the sake of recognition. This time around I honestly am not even thinking of the prize. It isn’t I don’t think I’m “good enough” to win, but I know I lost so much of the fun of what’s been put together when I let the green eyed monster shine through.

Under Armour’s What’s Beautiful campaign should be about coming together as a community and supporting each other to try new things and push to new limits. Within safety and reason.  UA must have recognized this because in this round of fun there is a feature to make TEAMS! In addition to your own goal(s) you can join in with friends or strangers and create your own challenges and support. I know I’ve already joined teams to support trail running, yoga, and new PRs. My personal goal happens to be a new PR in every category of running, but I love yoga so why not also be a part of that team? It’s all about having fun and growing!

I also need this campaign for my mental and emotional health. We all know I’ve been struggling. A LOT. And there are still good days and bad. There may be for a while. There may be forever. I want things to embrace on the good days though and this is one of those things.

I do hope you’ll join in again as we all move forward in this campaign  You’ll probably be hearing a lot about it over the next few weeks.

For those who follow all various social media you can find this campaign on Twitter with the tag #WhatsBeautiful or #IWILL. You can also follow Under Armour or Under Armour Women on Twitter or visit/like their Facebook page.

The post Under Armour What’s Beautiful 3.0 appeared first on ROJ Running.

A few weeks ago I was asked to help promote the opening of a new Earth Fare grocery store in Solon, Ohio. For the record I was given a gift certificate as payment for my time and effort, but what you are about to read is 100% my own impressions.

I arrived on site around 5pm to meet up with my tour guide Ritchie and my friend Sarah of Cooker Girl.

I immediately noticed how busy the place was for a Wednesday afternoon. I don’t think I’ve ever been inside one of my local supermarkets at the same time of day and saw as much foot traffic. I later learned there were samples and giveaways during the day to help promote the store and some of the crowd may have been leftover from those events. I’d like to think though, the people of Solon were just so happy to have an Earth Fare, they dropped everything to come see what was inside.

I was blown away by all the color and organization in the produce section. Look at those tomatoes and tell me it doesn’t look like someone is selling you product from a magazine! Earth Fare has a number of ways to guarantee freshness and quality  They won’t call it local unless it comes from within 100 miles of the store. This means some stores may carry different product than the one in the next town. Interesting, huh? They also promote family run farms as you can see on the other sign. Organic produce is marked with a special circular sticker and, check this out, they even go so far as to be careful where they place the food on the shelves. Think about it…if something organic is below something non-organic, when the “rain” goes off it will wash all the chemicals and what-have-yous off the top items and onto the organic ones below. Earth Fare thinks of everything!

Along the tour, Ritchie told us the history of Earth Fare, how they started in North Carolina, and have the goal of being the go-to super market for fresh and organic needs. They won’t carry anything with artificial colors or sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup and other hot ticket no-nos. (which is how I discovered there is such a thing as Mexican Coke…it has cane sugar). They do however have a TON of products with Palm Oil or Palm Kernel Oil…I tried to convince him this was a major bummer both for me and the rain forest. He agreed to do research and post about it on their main website…so be on the look out for the small impact I have on the world. They also carry sodas with stevia extract, and I know a lot of people who can’t tolerate it the same as artificial sweeteners. So buyer still beware.

After fruits and veggies we passed the various meats and dairy sections, where we saw glass milk bottles perfect for recycling and meat so fresh the color is insanely vivid.  Unlike other stores they don’t pump it full of red dye. I also took this opportunity to do a price check. I buy Chobani yogurt all time. Where I buy mine the container I get is $5.99, at this store it was $6.49. Not a HUGE difference, but I can see how it would add up. I’d like to think the benefit from the other items you’re buying more than makes up for the price shift.

Then we entered the “hippy section”. Okay it isn’t called that, but it is what I consider the “hippy section”. Lots of natural foods, like a million flavors of granola or quinoa, homemade energy bites, bulk everything, including spices, salt soaks, and candy. I was impressed with the “healthy” M&Ms and gummy bears, as well as the bulk spices. Some spices are SO EXPENSIVE and you only use them once a year and in small amounts. Save everyone time and money by only getting what you need, you can even bring your own container!

I know one feature many of my readers will enjoy. The make your own peanut butter station! With tap your own honey, agave and something else on top! Ritchie even showed us the insanely popular peanut butter with chocolate blended into it!

Earth Fare has a deeply generous try-it policy. Basically feel free to try anything in their store before you buy it. Please be hygienic about it though. If there is a boxed item you’re not sure about, such as cereal, grab an associate  They will open it for you and allow you to sample it before you buy. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it, no hard feelings.

In the interest of time allow me to highlight the rest of what we saw on our tour. You have your standard sections for various food items, including cleaning products. I loved learning the gluten-free items were on the same shelves as everything else. It always seemed to me so unfair GF people needed to go to their own little area of the store. At Earth Fare they simply look for the wooden shelf and they know those are their products. In the pasta section Sarah and I found Mag Noodles and gave a little “woo-hoo” for a local product we learned about at an Ohio Bloggers Meetup last year. There were also a lot of different shapes for wheat pasta (thank you!) and pasta made from soybean and black beans!

Earth Fare has a salad bar, hot foods section, and a make your own frozen yogurt area! Sadly it was tapped out by the time I arrived. There is also a beautiful and yummy smelling bakery for sweets and breads and a place for ordering sandwiches or pizza! Although most tempting to me were the scoop your own ravioli bar, the olives bar and near the front a variety of different jams (I like to add it to my oatmeal).

Ritchie even told me about the Earth Fare Earthletes program when he learned I am a runner. That is really something I could get behind!

I bet you didn’t think I could make an entire post about a grocery store, huh? Well, Earth Fare is just that awesome and that wasn’t even everything I experienced. If you want to check it out for yourself….or you live in an area where you have your own….then I have some exciting news for you! Earth Fare has given me a $50 gift card for a giveaway!

To enter please leave a comment telling me why you like your Earth Fare. **Required**

For an additional entry send out a tweet saying:

“I want to fall in love with @EarthFare like @ROJRunning by winning a $50 gift card. Enter here: http://tinyurl.com/ad8vlcw“.

Please leave an additional comment letting me know you sent the tweet.

Giveaway closes on Wednesday 5/22/13 Midnight EST. Good Luck!

The post Earth Fare now open in Solon, Ohio! appeared first on ROJ Running.

If you’ve been looking at my 2013 race calender, or have been talking to me face to face, you would know after I skipped Forget the PR at the end of April, there wasn’t anything planned for me in the world of racing until May 18th when I take on the Recovery Challenge 5K. Of course I finished my 5 by the 5th 5K via treadmill last week, but that wasn’t really a planned “race” per se.

It took me by just as much surprise as it may some of you to know I completed a duathlon this weekend. 5K run, 10 mile bike, 5K run.

Then in 2010 Gale and I decided we would try out the duathlon part on our own. It was the debut of my Marathon Bars kit and I was on cloud 9 being able to be dressed like the cool kids! I finished barely under 2 hours that day and was devastated and in pain. Multisport is no joking matter.

This year, many of my teammates for Grunt Girl Racing were talking about doing the race. I didn’t have anything planned, and I remember it being a decent event. I also remember there being Chick-fil-A at the end…and I really wanted to come out and see the team. I was beyond nervous, but also excited. My bike has not been ridden in over a year. I couldn’t take it in to be looked at last week, but I checked the tires, chain, and brakes myself and everything seemed to be in working order. I loaded her up into my car and on a cold and rainy Saturday morning I drove off into the sunrise.

Registering day-of is not something I like to do. Normally it means you pay more and won’t get a shirt. It also means you (aka I) might back out at the last minute. I’m never really impressed with the shirts at this event though, and even day-of pricing isn’t bad. When I felt how cold it was, all I wanted was to crawl back into bed, but I had teammates waiting for me and I really wanted to be a part of the fun. See I have FOMO. Once I arrived on site I think I was literally the only person not wearing pants, but I found my GGR girls and started to feel a lot better. Fast forward a lil and we were all supporting each other and sending well wishes before the event.

Of everyone on the team I was the only girl not doing a relay. For the relay one person does the run leg (2.5 miles) then the next person does the biking (10 miles) then finally the first person does the run course again. This means I did all 15 miles of event on my own. WHOA.

Let’s break it down. On the first part of my run I was annoyed because my Ipod was not working. I tested it at home, but apparently it got tired on the 20 minute car ride over. My quads were killing me and I cursed myself for attending Zumba the night before. As I trotted along I felt good, I felt strong, and I felt sad as I watched so many people gallop off in front of me. Garmin chirped at mile 1 and I reluctantly looked down. 10:18. A smile broke out across my face. I have been running at 12 and 11 minute paces forever, I was so thrilled to be running 10 and for it to feel comfortable. Maybe everyone else was faster, but I was doing my own race and I was doing just fine! I kept my stride and moved forward as best as I could. The 2.5 mile loop essentially goes down along a road before turning and heading up a portion of the Towpath (biking/hiking trail). At the end it turns again and leads back to the transition zone.

Near the end of the Towpath I saw Mickey, who cheered me on and gave me a boost of confidence. I ran past 2 girls on the downhill finish and made my way to my bike. The other GGRs who were now done running were standing there to cheer me along. I finished in about 25 minutes which was 5 minutes faster than I expected. Within 90 -120 seconds I was on my bike and out of the racks.

The bike course is a two loop course on the roads. Around mile 2-3 there is a rather hilly section. When I reached this portion not too many people were near me and with great shame I got off the bike to walk a portion of the hill. With tears in my eyes I stood near the top and decided the race wasn’t for me. I was a fool and I should drop. Behind me a voice said “That hill was a killer, huh?” or something to that effect. A girl walked past also walking her bike and smiled. I glanced behind her and saw a large group of bikers also walking up the hill.

I decided maybe I wasn’t doing as poorly as I imagined, sat back on the bike and put the wheels in motion. Along the way I passed a few other ladies and cruised into loop two with a song in my heart. Of course I walked the hill on the second loop, but this time I didn’t feel any shame. At the end I breezed into the transition zone, jumped off my bike and was again back on the road to run in under 2 minutes.

Same run course as before and I planned to walk, then I heard my GGR friends cheering my name and started to attempt a run. I reminded myself bricks were hard and mind games and to keep running even if I felt awkward. I did and I was rewarded with a 12 minute mile. Nothing great, nothing embarrassing either. One of the girls I passed on the bike passed me in the final mile, but I didn’t care, I was giving 110%.

I neared the finish in disbelief I didn’t give up or back down. The whole team was waiting for me and cheering for me so loudly, how could I not smile? My goal was to finish in under 2 hours, my fear was having the course closed down on me! I passed the clock as it read 1:55:xx. I’m not sure how everyone else feels about these types of things, but for me a 5 minute window from my goal is HUGE. I was ALL SMILES.

I owe so much SO SO MUCH to weight training. I’ve never taken it seriously, but I do now. I really do now! In one month I improved my treadmill 5K time by 10 minutes. For the first time in months my legs and feet didn’t go numb or feel heavy. For the first time EVER I was not shaky on the bike, my back didn’t hurt and my wrists didn’t go numb. I know this is from the weight training and the work I’ve been putting in at the gym. If I can see these types of results in only one month, I can’t imagine what’s ahead for this year.

Next month is the Twinsburg Duathlon. I have never done that particular race before, but I know if I keep up with my training and I have my friends by my side, it’ll be an awesome experience.

PS. Thanks Stacy for taking the photos! You’re a good friend and a wonderful team leader.

The post Race Report : Nordonia Hills Duathlon appeared first on ROJ Running.

Welcome to another installment of Friday Food, where today we talk about BBQ sauce. If you insist on spelling it out as barbecue sauce, you’re probably too fancy for me and for BBQ sauce! As you can see I love the stuff, this is just what’s in my house when I’m not planning on using it.

If you do a GOOGLE search you can and will find countless ideas for BBQ sauce I think you should try them all. Ha. If you’re in a pinch though and really need to make some in a flash, may I suggest the following “recipe”. This is what I use to top and bake my meatloaf, but it works as a lovely (and very sweet) rendition of a simple BBQ sauce too. My favorite thing to make my with sauces is to toss it in a slow cooker with some chicken let it bake until the chicken pulls apart and then eat it! Sometimes I am even patient enough to prepare veggies or other sides to go with it.

BBQ Sauce

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1.5 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

Put all ingredients together in a sauce pan, stir on medium-low heat until well blended

Comments:

If using in a slow cooker, I don’t heat them all together. I just blend them in a bowl then toss it in with the chicken and everything cooks together

If you like the basic IDEA of my sauce, but you’re looking for less sugar or more variations in flavors, I know Food Network has Neely’s BBQ sauce and I loved the looks of her ingredients.

The post Friday Food : BBQ Sauce appeared first on ROJ Running.

I’m not one of those people who typically writes posts in advance. I will do that on occasion with product reviews, but for the day to day stuff I prefer to write in the moment. Of course the catch to this is I often “fall behind” when I don’t catch my moments to write the way I would prefer. What’s been keeping me busy this week? Try these 3 things for your Thursday meme enjoyment.

#1 Monday, I went to Zumba and the gym. I also began a little thing known as a book. What book you ask?

Yep. I have drunk the Kool-aid and I am reading it before the movie releases, becaise I like to do such things. I’m hear amazing things about the movie too, so I don’t want to delay.

#2 Tuesday, I worked a 12 hour shift. I normally don’t do this, but I had a coworker call off and I agreed to cover. This will be AWESOME next Tuesday when I flex my time and only work 3 hours. For now, it is adding to my mental/emotional/physical exhaustion. I came home and wrote about the magazines I read over the weekend.

#3 Wednesday, I went back to work and began my day with ANOTHER group. Approximately 12 hours before I ran a group of 10 people. Mind you this is Drug and Alcohol treatment counseling. Now the next morning I am running another group of 7 people. This group however is for people who are deeper into the addiction process. I took them for a walk and they were having so much fun we covered  5 MILES! Yikes. After lunch I ran a 3rd group of 10 people, similar to the one from Tuesday night. My brain was DOA by the time I walked out the door at 4PM.. However, after work I attended a tour of the new Earth Fare, now open in Solon, Ohio.

Bonus: Tonight I went to water aerobics and really pushed myself. I’m sore and exhausted and typed up Friday Food! Yipppie.

So I ask you readers, would you prefer steady posts? Written in advance, where the information is lovely, but the feelings/day to day reactions are missing or plain? Or do you prefer less of a set schedule, but knowing everything you read is coming from my heart and mind to you as it is created and fresh off the experiences presses?

The post Three Things Thursday: Quality vs Quantity appeared first on ROJ Running.

I have good news. I have been really happy lately. My house has remained clean and not just in a “I won’t catch any diseases” way.  An honest to goodness I could have impromptu company and not care version of clean. My energy has been loads better, which means I can do small tasks every day, leaving weekends for fun in the sun. This is good because Ohio has finally picked up on the spring memo and we have sun again!

Part of what I have been doing with my free time is reading over magazines I’ve collected. I like to have a small stack of fitness related magazines in my living room to make me look cool, but I rarely have time to read them. Last week I managed to get through two though and I want to share my favorite pieces of information and see what your reactions are too. Images are limited, so let’s use fun colors today!

First we have the February 2013 edition of Fitness.

Fitness is one of those magazines I can remember reading long before I ever became a runner. It was something I would flip through and imagine myself being like the women pictured or written about when I grew up. Last year I competed in the Fitterati awards and managed to come in top 20. It wasn’t good enough for a final feature, but I was proud. I’d still love to be one of the “Fit Bloggers We Love”. Whoa back on track. I was reading the Feb 2013 edition and I came across the following items:

Page 32: A recent study found negative media stories increased women’s stress levels more than men’s and even make them more anxious during future nerve-wracking situations. Solution? Catch up on the news while on the treadmill to counter the effects.

As I read the first part I was thinking “OMG I’m not crazy”. I refuse for the most part to watch the news. I’ve mentioned it here tons and even more in real life. I can’t deal with the horror and the sadness. It is a protective qualities to my sanity. Several other counselor friends and the counselor I am currently working with on my own have all confirmed they have similar thoughts on the news. The solution part was interesting to me though, and I think I might give it a try. Instead of watching random comedy shows while at the gym, maybe I’ll give the news a go. It wouldn’t be the WORST thing in the world to be more informed I suppose. 

What do you think? How do you get your news? Do you find it stresses you out more (as a woman) or if you’re a man does it seem the women in your life react differently?

Page 88: Within an article on stress. Seven Signs You’re Too Stressed.

• You feel that you need a drink at the end of the day
• You’re irritable and short-tempered; you snap at people
• You overeat or lose your appetite
• You make more mistakes than usual
• You have trouble paying attention
• Your sleep habits change. Especially if you repeatedly wake up very early in the morning, worrying about the same thing (such as bills)
• You turn down social invitations because seeing friends and family seems like too much effort

Since even ONE of these lasting longer than a few days/weeks can be a concern, imagine my reactions when I said “ALL of them” for the past several months to maybe over a year. I am not a heavy drinker. I did my share of parties in undergrad, but for the most part I get crazy with a Cherry Coke. Over the last year I found myself more and more drawn to nights out with a drink or staying home with one. I jokingly told a friend when we went to a basketball game together I finally found a way to relax so people can deal with me again. Everything else also applies and I can see improvements in myself the last few weeks while attending counseling because I can see how some of the bullets no longer apply. Yippie! If you are reading and seeing yourself in these items my advice is PLEASE don’t “wait it out” why waste any more time not being happy and not being your best version of you? Seek out a friend or a professional, there is no shame in wanting to feel better.

What signs do you notice in yourself when you’re feeling stressed? What are your tips for keeping stress at bay?

Page 100: The story about a girl with a cardiac event at age 27. This quote:

“I lost that sense of invincibility and possibility that you’re supposed to have when you’re young”

I cried when I read those words. Her whole story touched me, both for her sake and with every passing concept I related to after my own cardiac issues last year. Older friends “kinda” understood me, people with “other” health problems understood me, but there wasn’t anyone MY age with HEART concerns. I couldn’t put into words what was taken from me until I read Summer’s story. My own body wanted to betray me. My heart. I was 27 at the time too. I would give anything to be able to reach out to Summer. We didn’t and don’t have the same condition, but she gets it more than anyone ever could. I wish there was a support group for young people dealing with this kind of thing, because I still can’t make sense of it most days. I spent the last 18 months afraid of anything and everything and what she said is true, I lost the sense that I was young and I could face anything, I lost the belief that I was capable of anything I wanted.

Have you every faced a medical crisis? Do you find the need to reach out to others in the same boat?

Next we have the May 2013 issue of Women’s Running.

How cute is Jordin Sparks? WR is a magazine I found a few years ago and for whatever reason it sunk into my heart. It wasn’t as mainstream as other publications at the time, so the stories and products were not always the same thing over and over again. I read WR to find out about new races or near gear I know I wouldn’t read about in other sources simply because it seems to be about who had the money for product placement and who didn’t. WR also featured a quote of mine in their July/Aug 2011 issue. Women’s Running has the “Blogger on the Run” series and it is one I’d LOVE to be a part of too someday, last month the featured my friend and former FitBloggin roomie Laura of Mommy, Run Fast!

Page 28: One-Hit Wonders. Fun 1 mile races around the US. If one mile isn’t your style flip to page 48 for some longer miles both on foot and in the air for location!

• Cupcake Classic Backwards Mile. Held April 20, 2013 in Olympia WA (so we’re a little late for this year). Participants run or walk backward for 1 mile before entering the cupcake fest!
• Newton Heartbreak Hill Road Race. Take on the famous hill of the even more famous Boston Marathon! This race is held every year so in 2014 make sure you save April 20th! Once you conquer your mile come back the next day to cheer on those in the marathon.
• Platinum Performance State Street Mile. A down hill race sure to give you a run for your money. Bring yourself and/or your 4-legged friend and race down the pal-covered path toward the finish. A great destination and a PR? Yes, please?! Santa Barbara, California on 6.2.13.

I don’t actually know many local one-mile races. I think the one I always enjoy is the Labor Day 1 mile race where I can just pound out my all and see what summer training has done for me. I can’t even remember who puts it on anymore! Yikes!

What races do you know about in your area which are fun 1-mile adventures?

Page 37: The MilestonePod. Have you seen this thing? It’s this tiny little USB looking thing you attach to your shoes and it track mileage for you so you know when it’s time to rotate your precious.  Also on this page…don’t wear flip-flops! They don’t properly support the foot and can lead to pain, discomfort and plantar fasciitis! Don’t worry not all sandals are off limits, just make sure you get a pair with proper support. WR suggestions brands such as Rockport, Merrell or Keen.

I honestly think I could use one of these because I am terrible about paper and pencil tracking. At only $15 per pod it is reasonable too! As far as the other thing, I don’t really wear sandals, let alone flip-flops. I actually hate “thong” shoes, one too many times they’ve cut into the sides of toes. Lots of friend wear them though and I wonder if they know what they’re doing to their poor feet?

How you track your shoes for rotation? Do you wear flip-flops?

Page 40: Starts a story on proper eating before various distances. They cover 5K to 26.2.

The food listed in this story is amazing. Way too often magazines will tell you to eat things many people don’t buy or may not have tried recently. For example I know many people love quinoa right now, but I almost know many others who haven’t wanted to try it. The food suggestions are a little more mainstream and typical. Some may find it boring, I find it refreshing and easy to follow.

What are your favorite foods before a big or small race? Do you prefer a more “traditional” cuisine or do you like to try new flavors?

Thanks for joining me on my discussion of finds from magazines. Please share your favorite stories or issues in the comments. There is this thing called the library so I would love to go and check them out for myself!

PS. Not gonna lie, I wrote this after working a 12 hour shift. So if there are typos, they are my gift to you for proof I am a real person. Thanks loves. Have a wonderful night/day! Tomorrow I am super excited to be going to the new Earth Fare in Solon! Woot. I’ll be working with them to bring you a review and then I’ll be enjoying the gift card they give me in return! Ha!

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