Will Run For Ice Cream

Full Disclosure: I received products free of charge for the purpose of providing a review. My opinions are completely my own based on my experience. Have you ever been working out on your yoga mat and slip from being too sweaty? I find that if I'm too sweaty I have a hard time holding the poses because I keep losing my grip. And if you are thinking about hot yoga, I would definitely recommend a yoga towel. This yoga mat towel from Aurorae can save you a lot of frustration if you are constantly slipping on your yoga mat. This yoga mat towel is long enough to cover your yoga mat, in addition to be super absorbent and soft. Not only does it help with slipping, but it also absorbs any sweat that may be falling for your body. Let's be honest here, if you've ever taken a hot yoga class you know it can sound like a tropical rain forest in there with the sweat dripping from people's bodies. Gross I know, but it's true. And having a super absorbent towel seems like...

This time it feels different. This weekend has been the most stressful, upsetting weekend that I have had in a very long time. I'll save you the whole saga, but long story short my 'half marathon that replaced my marathon' was Sunday. That was part of the saga, the other part was dealing with sadness at the loss of a life, and some other personal things that I'm dealing with... let's just say... it was a very emotional weekend. But last  Friday I decided that it was really time to try to make a really hard effort on the dietary goals. I am NOT cutting out all sugar. To me, at this point, that would be setting myself up for failure. Instead I'm cutting sugar out in stages or basically learning moderation. (Fun Size instead of FULL size - although I've always thought fun size was a dumb name for smaller sized candy) I'm 5 days into this dietary goal, and so far so good. I'm not feeling deprived. I know I could be doing more by having 'less...

Image Source   Through my years of running I'm finding that what may work for one runner may not work for another. Some people require and crave high mileage. That's what works for them and that's how they obtain the best results. Others require less mileage and different types of runs for them to obtain their best results. People argue as to how do you know what's best. In other words someone who requires less mileage might receive great results, but others may debate  that maybe if they tried higher mileage they would receive better results and vice versa. I think it comes down to doing what's best for you, your lifestyle and your goals.   I found that running is just like every thing else - opinions are like rear ends - everyone has one.   And that can make it very difficult for someone with my type of personality. I have the personality that I want to please everyone, and with so many diverse opinions out there, it's hard for me to decide sometimes w...

I'm like - really?!? I mean enough is enough. Do you know that for the last.. oh... at least 3 years this time of the year I have been injured with something. First it was the stress fractures from My First Half - Hershey Half Marathon  . And I have to say that the 3 stress fractures hurt less than the torn calf that I dealt with at the beginning of this year ( Injury Update - MRI results ) And now, well it's the hamstring. I haven't been to the dr ( yet ). But I don't really see the need at this point because really whatever it is it's going to be rest. I'm better than yesterday. So I'm planning on sticking with the plan of total rest (other than upper body) until next weekend. I did come across this article How To Maintain Fitness by Jenny Hadfield , and I plan to use this as a guide when I easy back into cardio again. But I do feel that I probably need to have total rest (no bike, leg weights, no anything) for at least a week to give it some time to ...

For anyone who may have missed my FB status the other day on my page Today's Words Of Glass  here it is...  Well, sometimes they say change is good. I'm hoping this one will be. But I'm doing something that I have never really done before. I'm giving up racing (all distances) for awhile - at least for the rest of the year - maybe longer. Running  races has always been a motivator for me, and I've enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment when completing a race. But this year, well this year of running has just felt like a huge mess for me. I missed my summer race that I wanted to do due to illness, then I trained all summer for a marathon to realize it really just wasn't something that I wanted to do. Long story short, I feel slower, worn out and truly discouraged with where I am currently in my running and for the most part my race times have reflected that. I was faster at the beginning of the year than now. And instead of finishing a race bringing me a sense of a...

Full Disclosure: I received products free of charge for the purpose of providing a review. My opinions are completely my own based on my experience. With my recent injury where I've pulled a hamstring/butt muscle/something, I've been doing a lot of stretching and yoga. In fact, I'm realizing that maybe my lack of yoga and stretching might have led me to this injury. And I'm also finding that I am actually enjoying yoga. I never really thought of it as a 'workout'. Well, trust me, yoga can definitely be a work out, and you can sweat - and a lot. So let me introduce you to the YogaDesign Combo Mat . It is a mat and towel in one. It's great for hot yoga, but it's also great for regular yoga ( and ahem really great for those of you who sweat a lot ). I really found it to be non-slip. But with the yoga mat, there was also a tip included on the packaging that stated to lightly mist with water to prevent slipping if you have dry hands and feet. And ...

Well, I'm disappointed to report that my Sugar Detox Journey  ended on Day 4. Sigh... so what now? Well I can't say that I'm going to exactly 'begin again'. I don't believe the no tolerance of  fruits will work for me.  So my plan is to just try to eat healthy real foods, try to ditch as many processed food as possible, factor in a couple of 'cheat' days ( if you want to call it that ) and see what happens. Currently the butt/ham/hip is still sore. I think I might try a walk/run tomorrow and see how it feels. I've been resting it for a week. But I'm still having tenderness so I still might not be ready to run. But I'm starting a new workout plan. I'll tell you about The Next Chapter soon. Have you ever heard of Jamie Eason's LiveFit ?

My 3rd Marathon was supposed to be this weekend - Sunday in fact. But after training all summer, things started to fall apart. ( Another Path Chosen ) and ( Too Much Training Too Little Fun  ) And I have to say that I am very surprised with myself. I thought that I would feel regret, or doubt my decision. But I have so say I have never been so relieved in my entire life that I am not running a race. I think training back to back for 4 marathons to only run 2, really did a number on me. So I believe that I made the best decision (for me) to bail on this race. In fact, it feels as though a lot of things changed this year with me regarding my running. Running has at times given me a sense of community. But I've also found that running can also be very lonely. I suppose I have tried to use running as a way to try to find my path - no pun intended - here. And in a way it has opened some doors for me, but in some ways it also left me longing for home. I am that runner - not fast en...

Well, I thought I would let you know how this week has gone. If you read my last post ( My Addiction To Sugar ) then you know that this week was my attempt at giving up sugar for the week. For some (like Hubby who doesn't have a problem with sugar), he really couldn't wrap his head around the struggle. He seems to enjoy his vices in moderation which I am very thankful for. Whether you believe that sugar is a drug, or whatever your thoughts, the following is my journey this week. D ay 1 Well, today you aren't supposed to really have any 'symptoms' other than maybe out of habit or emotionally wanting something sweet. You aren't really supposed to have any physical symptoms. By 10am, I was a bear. I was beyond irritable. I had a headache, felt a little nausea, and wanted all things sweet. I think the reality really hit me that by this time of the day most days I had consumed at least 1 thing sweet. So whether it was 'normal' or not to crave someth...

I've known for awhile that I've had a problem. I've seen the subtle signs, but lately I'm noticing some major red flags. To the point that I'm actually concerned for both my mental and physical health - I'm talking about sugar. See, for awhile now, I've been having joint pain in my hands. At times, to the point of tears. My joints have swollen 2 or 3 times the 'normal' size. When I could cut down on my sugar consumption, it would get better. And no, I haven't been to the doctor. And yes, I know that I probably should get checked out. But lately, my stress level has been through the roof. It's just been a combination of things - personal matters, life in general, too much stress on myself, feeling of inadequacy, lonely, and the list and stress contributors go on and on. But what I've found is that one candy bar (or serving of ice cream a day) isn't enough. I started consuming 2 ( or more ). My kid size ice cream turned into a s...