Happy 17th birthday to my baby sister! I hope your day is just as special as you!
Category: Random
Friday Faves
Another month of my favorite things is here! It turns out that most of these are running related this month, but that’s ok. Hopefully you’ll find one of these items to be something you can’t live without, and they’ll be on your favorites list too!
Picky Bars – I finally hopped on the Picky Bars train and I’m so glad I did. I’ve been a long time lover of Clif Bars, but sometimes they don’t agree with my stomach. I tried Picky Bars and have yet to have any issues while running. New long run fuel? I think so.
House of Cards – After hearing all the buzz about House of Cards, we decided to sit down and test out a few episodes. This quickly turned into watching as much as we could in our free time….hello binge Nextflix! I didn’t expect to like House of Cards, but I can’t get enough. I’m also a big fan of the parody, House of Carbs….mmmmm pasta.
Oiselle Lux Side Zip Top – Just as soft as the original Lux long sleeve, the Side Zip is perfect for layering in the cold. I wish I would have gotten this sooner to enjoy the frigid temps!
Oiselle Charcoal Joggings – I’ll admit, I’ve been a big fan of the Asics Thermopolis LT Tights for as long as I could remember. But I’ve worn them a bit thin, and I needed something else to add into rotation. I tried the charcoal joggings and it was love at first run. They’ve been warm enough to deal with our crazy winter and they fit like a glove.
Nuun of the month: Cucumber Mint – Call me crazy, but I love cucumber chunks in my water. So when I tried Nuun’s Cucumber Mint U Natural Hydration, I instantly felt I was sipping water on a hot summer day. It may sound like an odd combination, but it’s so refreshing and may be come my summer drink of choice. U Natural Hydration is all natural flavored with vitamins and essential electrolytes, the perfect drink tablet to keep you going all day long. The U Natural Hydration flavors are often over looked with Nuun, but I have yet to find one that I don’t like.
Well there’s my favorites for this month. I have a feeling that April’s will be extra special….
My Race Playlist
Every couple of months I change my music on my playlist, especially when I’m starting a new training cycle. I tend to keep a certain group of songs or artists that I’ve listened to forever, but I always try to add something new, so I don’t get too bored with it.
Now that I’ll be getting into more races through training, I need to focus on songs that will pump me up rather than remind me of the hundreds of laps I’ve done on the indoor track. I’ve started to refresh my playlist, but I still have some changes left to make. And after looking over my playlist, I’d say about 75% of the music are songs I’ve listened to for years! Good luck charms?
Old Favorites
- Anberlin – I’ve been listening to them since high school. They’ll always be my favorite so they never get removed from my list. They also remind me how far I’ve come over the last couple years. Unfortunately, they’re ending their careers this year, so no more new music from them.
- One Republic – Another good band from college, perfect songs for long runs and for speed workouts. One Republic was a staple for marathon training and their song “Marching On” pushed me through mile 24 of my marathon.
- Kings of Leon, “Notion”/”The Runner” – These two songs turn up on almost every run, they’re just too good not to keep on my list.
- Maroon 5 – I just imagine that Adam Levine is running with me, and that pretty much keeps me going.
- Young the Giant, “My Body” – This song kept me going my entire Columbus training. There were so many times that I struggled with pain, but I kept going. My favorite line, “My Body tells me no, but I won’t quit, Cause I want more, cause I want more”
- Chariots of Fire – This song has been on my playlist for years, and somehow always comes up when I need it most.
New Additions
- Imagine Dragons – I got into them this past fall, and they’ve been a great addition to my list. I really get lost in their songs, which helps when I’m pushing through a rough workout.
- Bastille – I mentioned them earlier this year that I downloaded their entire album. Their music is a little different, but I’m really starting to love this band and excited to add them to my list.
- Katy Perry, “Dark Horse” – I’m never been one to love her songs, but they’re easy to listen to. The first time I heard this song, I loved it. It’s something completely different and helps pick up the speed when you’re struggling in a workout.
What’s on your race playlist? What songs should I add to mine?
Eating Healthy and Staying Fit
Something I wanted to focus on this year, and specifically this training cycle was eating healthy. Something I didn’t want to do was diet. In the past, I’ve noticed that eating poorly quickly results in running poorly, or at least feeling miserable while working out. I’ve been fortunate throughout my life that I never really need to worry about my weight, thanks to good genes and spending half my life running. But that doesn’t mean I’m always happy about my weight or the way I look. I’ve never been able to hit my goal weight, and gaining pounds has always been a challenge. You may roll your eyes, or stop reading this post, but gaining weight is just as hard as losing weight, especially when you’re a runner.
I’ve always had a goal weight that I thought would be balanced with my slim 5’1″ stature. A pound here or there would show up over time, but nothing really stuck. I decided this year, I would make my goal weight and keep it on. I’m still struggling in the kitchen, but I’ve started to cut out what isn’t healthy and things my body doesn’t approve of.
Here’s what I’ve done so far:
- Cut out dairy- My body just doesn’t take dairy anymore, so I’ve unfortunately had to cut ice cream. Luckily I can still tolerate cheese (the most important food group) but I’ve had to improvise with other dairy products. As an alternative I use Lactaid milk in my coffee and take lactaid pills if I encounter dairy in food (mostly pizza, I won’t give that up)
- I pack my lunch- I only have 30 minutes for lunch, so by the time I got somewhere I’d have to head back to the office. By bringing my lunch, I’m able to bring healthier options to eat and have a place to keep morning/afternoon snacks. My lunch of choice in winter is soup, which can be healthy depending on the brand. Spring and summer I usually bring fruit, lunch meat or chicken salad.
- I’m staying hydrated-During the week I drink a lot of water, probably more than I need to. But by drinking all that H20, I’m keeping my body clean and taking care of my skin. I’ve just recently started to cut alcohol during the week, which was by accident. I feel better, but I can’t guarantee that I’ll stick to it. Here’s my typical work day hydration:
Lots of hydration means lots of bathroom breaks!
- Cutting out junk- This is more of a goal than what I’m actually doing. I’m a big snacker, and when I snack, I don’t eat the healthiest. My junk snacks include chocolate poptarts, Entenmann’s mini muffins, and candy upon candy. It’s my biggest downfall and I know it needs to change. I’ve started to switch some of the afternoon snacks with mixed nuts and when the weather gets warmer I’ll be eating more fruits and carrots when I get that 3:30 hunger.
- Healthy dinners- This one is pretty much in control. We have chicken and steak at least once a week for dinner, almost always with a side of veggies and some sort of potatoes. It’s a lot better than my once pasta every night habit.
- Body Fusion- Body Fusion has been more than just a way to cross train, lifting has helped me tone my body more than I would have imagined. I’ve always had leg muscles, but I’m noticing my arms and shoulders are looking a lot better than they used to. I’m no longer just skin and bones.
So I’m not perfect and I struggle finding clothes that fit just like every other woman. But I’m looking at ways to become healthier, because I can’t live off pasta and Doritos forever. Ultimately the goal is to eat better not only during training but for the rest of my life, and if I can look good and feel good while doing it, why not!
Do you switch eating habits during training? What are your tips for eating healthy?
February Rewind
I’m thrilled that February is over. For being such a short month, it always seems to drag on. I’m not the biggest fan of March, but we’re one step closer to spring….well hopefully. February was a rough one, not only with the weather, but it took a beating on my body. I was in the final two weeks of my 5 week work trips and getting sick was something I was starting to grow accustom to. Let’s take a look at the numbers, and cross our fingers this is the last month of terribly cold weather and snow every day.
Miles run: 47
Races run: 1 (Frosty 5k)
Miles biked: 4 Miles
Favorite Workout: 2/19 Speed work- Mile Repeats
Books read: 1 (Thinking in New Boxes)
Places traveled: 2 (Dallas & St. Louis)
New recipes: 0
I was down 4 miles from January, but considering there were a few less days, I think I was just about on track. I didn’t actually start half marathon training until the 10th, so the week before was a little low on miles before diving in head first. I was also sick as a dog in Dallas, which meant every free moment, I spent sleeping instead of running. But I’m healthy now, so I’m hoping to get well beyond that mileage for March. My favorite workout (new point for the monthly recap) was my first speed day of the training cycle. I did two mile repeats, 8:12 and 8:02, and completed 4.5 miles in 39 minutes. This workout definitely gave me hopes of some fast races coming up!
I did get some miles in on the stationary bike, but no where near my goal. I can definitely see this number going up once the weather is nice and I can spend more time outside rather than trapped inside the gym. However, I have been using my Body Fusion class as cross training and it’s been great! Two months in and I can lift more than I expected and I’m finally getting toned in my arms and back.
I finished up my travels to Dallas, where it snowed, and to St. Louis for work. I wish I could have stayed in St. Louis longer to explore the city, but it gives me an excuse to come back to run someday. I also read “Thinking in New Boxes” for work, which was interesting, but I felt it was definitely a book I would have read in grad school. I’ll be back into my own books now, as soon as I can pull myself away from House of Cards.
So there we have it. February was spent running, traveling, being sick, and waiting for spring. I’m hoping to add at least 20 more miles to what I did in February, hopefully get some time on the bike and maybe dive into a few books.
What was your most exciting thing you did in February? Are you sick of winter as much as me?
365 Project-February Photos
On February 1st I started the 365 Project to document the next year in photos. Jen got me started on this after she decided to document her first year living as an American in Canada. Some days have been easy to find the perfect picture, while others have been a bit more difficult. And rather than spam your Twitter or Instagram feed, I kept my pictures under wraps for the most part. But after looking back at the past month, I wanted to share some of my favorite pictures. If you want to follow along my 365 day journey and see all of the photos, you’re more than welcome.
Sunset sneaking into my parent’s backyard. 7/365
Art at the Westin St. Louis. 12/365
Medina Ice Festival, Tower of fire & ice. 15/365
The sunrise, 7:21 am, 1 degree and beautiful. 17/365
The perfect sunset behind an old abandon barn. 18/365
I’ve certainly seen a trend with many of my photos, but I don’t follow a prompt, so really anything goes. I’m looking forward to seeing what moments I can capture in the next 11 months.
Have you ever tried a photo challenge? What prompt would you use for your photos?
A Weekend Celebration
A little over four years ago, I made the decision to go to Baldwin Wallace to get my MBA. Within that first month, I met a guy who caught my attention, and four years later he still makes me smile. Over the weekend we celebrated spending 4 amazing years together in the city where our relationship grew.
We headed to Wooster Saturday evening and started with dinner at my favorite restaurant, Broken Rocks Cafe. As always I had the Spaghetti & Meatballs and Darren had the Tomato Basil soup and Cajun Chicken. Both great meals and highly recommended. Afterward we headed to City Square Steakhouse for additional drink(s) and dessert, which is where we finished up the night before heading back to the hotel. It was so great to get away to a place we love and enjoy some of our favorite sites of Wooster.
So here’s to 4 years and many, many more!
Friday Faves
Another month, and another round of my favorite items. Even though I spent most of the time traveling, I actually used almost all of these items while I was on the road, which is why they quickly became favorites!
Oiselle French Fleece Runfinity Scarf- This scarf is beyond warm! Imagine your favorite fleece hoodie wrapped around your neck. Yep, pure comfort! With our negative and single digit temperatures we’ve been having, this scarf became a necessity whenever I went outside.
-FlightView App– My life revolved around this app the last few weeks. The perfect travel companion, FlightApp has become my favorite flight tracker app to use. It actually keeps everything up to date and includes real airport sounds to alert you of your flight status. Clearly, that’s why it’s my favorite.
Available on iTunes
-Duolingo App- I’ve finally started on my German! After testing out many apps, Duolingo quickly became my favorite. Without knowing the basics, I was quickly able to catch on and understand phrases and every day words. With over 51 skills available for each language, Duolingo is definitely helping me learn German at the pace I want without getting completely confused.
Progress
–Oiselle Randies– Fun sayings and bright colors, what more could you want in a pair of underwear? I saw the original Rundies a few years ago, and couldn’t pass up the chance to get the Randies. Underwear or no underwear under your spandex, there is no debate when it comes to these. With minimal visible panty line, these Randies keep your bun warm in the winter and cool in the heat.
-Nuun of the month- Fruit Punch! I’ve been taking a tablet of Nuun Fruit Punch after every workout and I feel completely refreshed. The taste isn’t over powering like so many other fruit punch flavored sport drinks, which is why I can stomach it after any kind of workout. Right now, all orders are shipping for free from Nuun, but it expires tonight, so stock up today!
Those are my Friday Faves for this month. What are you currently crushing on?
Balancing Running and Traveling
Over the past month and a half I’ve been doing a lot of traveling. I’ve actually spent more time on the road than in the office or at home, so balancing working out and traveling has been a bit of a challenge. But over the past couple of years, I’ve come to accept the fact that January and February are the hardest training months because of travel and I’ve come up with ways to work around it. Whether you’re traveling for three days or for three weeks, each of these tips can apply to you and hopefully help you find some balance!
- Stay hydrated! People tend to forget to drink water when traveling, and usually end up drinking more coffee or alcohol during trips. While it’s ok to have some fun, your body depends on water to keep you feeling fresh, especially when you’re training. When flying you should have 16 ounces for every two hours you spend in flight, and you should make sure to finish it before you land. Can’t stand the taste of water? Try adding Nuun to your drink to pump up the flavor.
- Get enough sleep. Just like staying hydrated, not getting enough sleep can really wear you down on a trip. If you’re able to, try to stay on your regular schedule or adjust to your time zone. Sometimes, like traveling 3 time zones, you can’t stay on your own schedule. If this happens, then try to get as much sleep as you can the first night, this will help so you’re not playing catch up through the rest of the trip.
- Plan your workouts ahead of time. Take a look at your schedule and try to find open gaps of time where you can fit in workouts. I know I can usually get a workout in on the first day of the trip because it’s set up day. You may have to switch to a morning run or evening run, but at least you’re still putting in the time and you can follow your training plan.
- Explore the city. The best way to explore a new city is on foot, and what better way than by lacing up your shoes and heading out for a few miles? I love running in new cities because you get to see more than you would on a regular trip, plus the miles go by quickly! If you’re not sure where to go, ask the front desk of the hotel or check out lo-ca-lei-kki, a website and app that helps you find a local place to run while traveling!
- Try new workouts. If you’re stuck inside and have to use the hotel’s gym, try to make it more exciting than limiting. Get on a machine you’ve never tried before or lift weights that you thought would be too heavy. You may be surprised to find what you like and add it to your regular routine.
- Sign up for a race! Check online ahead of time to see if there will be a race going on while you’re in town. It’s a great way to get a workout in and see a new part of town. Plus you never know, you could end up running a PR or place in your age group! Check out Running in the USA to find local races when you travel.
There you have it, these are my top tips for balancing traveling and running. It can be a challenge to get all of your workouts in when you take a trip, but hopefully these will help you get them accomplished!
What are your tips for balancing running and traveling?
Deep in the Cold of Texas
Last week I traveled to Dallas, Texas. It’s usually my favorite week because A) It’s usually 70 degrees and a little humid, B) The hotel gym is amazing and usually empty, C) The food is amazing, and D) It’s a quick fly in Tuesday, fly out Thursday trip. But guess what, none of these things happened. I started off the week sick again, but this time I had a fever, chills, achy body and the worst sore throat in years. I looked like a zombie and felt like I had been run over by a semi truck. I could tell I had a fun week ahead.
We flew out early on Tuesday morning and when we arrived to Dallas it was about 40 degrees, the warmest it would get all week. I opted out of my usual first day workout in the amazing gym for a 3 hour nap, hoping I’d feel better. Unfortunately I didn’t, and so the rest of the week I was sick as can be, in 20-30 degree Texas, and nothing I ate tasted delicious. However, I was able to get some pictures, and I have some reviews of the normally amazing tasting restaurants we ate at. I was even able to attempt a workout on Thursday, key word is attempt.
More importantly, it snowed while we were in Texas, something I never thought I’d see. And coming from Cleveland, you’d think there was a 10′ blizzard the way that everyone reacted. We even shut down our show early because of the “dangerous” weather.
Welcome to Dallas
Cleveland or Dallas?
First sign of snow!
Just some cattle in the park, nbd
Time to work out
Hotel
aloft – I loved staying at aloft. It has got to be my favorite hotel out off all the ones I’ve stayed at for work. The hotel was created from an old industrial building, but is still very modern and chic. The gym actually makes you want to work out and the lobby looks like a club. aloft hotels are all over the place, and I recommend staying at one just to check out the scene.
Restaurants
Daddy Jacks, New England Lobster & Chowder House – The best place in Dallas to get seafood. The same gentleman is always there and he remembers everyone that comes in to visit, even if it’s just once a year. I can never decide between the Shrimp Scampi and the Pasta Linguini with Shrimp, so they create a mix of the two and I love it.
Texas de Brazil – Quite the expensive meal, but you never leave hungry. I’ve been to the one in Dallas every trip, and tried the one in Vegas, both times I leave at the perfect moment before I have to get rolled out of the restaurant. The salad bar is huge and has more options than you could think of. After you stuff yourself with lettuce, staff comes around and offers you slices from different kinds of meat. You can choose what you want, and how much you’d like. The trick is you never know how much you eat, until you’re stuffed.
wxyz Bar – The last night we stayed in, mostly because we didn’t want to walk outside in the cold. It was easy to grab some appetizers, hang out at the bar and people watch, all in the convenience of the hotel. No online menu, but we had a range of food including: edamame, chicken mac & cheese, 4 cheese personal pizza, wings, and pot stickers. All good, all different taste buds.
So there we go, another trip down, and another week of horrible Cleveland weather avoided. The upside to all this traveling is that I haven’t had to fill my car with gas for 3 weeks, $180 in my pocket, so I call that a win in itself. This week is my final trip for a while, a short stint in St.Louis, a city I’ve never been. Hopefully the snow stays away!
Have you been to Dallas before? Craziest thing you’ve seen in Texas? How do you keep your immune system safe while traveling?
Masher Runs 