Friday Fun

TGIF!

Life can't keep me down for long! I'm ending my week on a high note. Here's what's making me happy these days...

--Running, of course! But not just running...running in the sunshine! Since my return from California, the weather has been rainy and cool. It looks like Mother Nature has finally decided to give us a break. The forecast for the next week looks warm and pretty much rain free. This is our reward for putting up with the gloom.

--This article by Mark Remy. He too enjoys a beer at the finish line. When I read "Twenty Years, Twenty Lessons", I thought to myself, doh, why didn't I write this? Although I'd have to come up with 25 lessons. 25 years of running and racing? Can it be? This list hits the nail on the head. Do I have anything to add to his very comprehensive list? Yes, and I talked about this in my post on Wednesday: when the going gets tough, smile. Smiling always lightens the load.

These just never fail to make me smile.

--My coach. She told me how much fun she's having making my training plan to help me meet my goals. To be sure, she has me doing some really hard stuff. But even the hard stuff is fun, as evidenced by this video:

--This new song by Justin Timberlake just makes me happy. I'm not a huge fan of happy pop music, but this one is too catchy to not like. Plus it's JT, right? The video is great too, with lots of people just movin' to the groove. Justin even dances with one of those flailing airdancer guys. Who hasn't wanted to do that? I may have to add this song to my running playlist but there's the risk that I will stop running and start dancing in the middle of the road. As if my neighbors don't already think I'm nuts...




--Finally, here's a little bit of cuteness... Wednesday was such a beautiful day that I took my yoga mat outside and did yoga on the deck. After I finished I wanted to get my plank done for the plank challenge. I decided to video it to see if I could get Cocoa to play along. After all, there are only so many variations of plank I can do. This pup is a stitch!

What's making you smile these days? Any funny stories to share? Awesome things you've seen lately?

I'm linking this post up with the DC Trifecta for Friday Five! Courtney, Mar, and Cynthia host this very popular link up! Check it out!

And with Angela at Happy Fit Mama for High Five Friday! So glad to have a happy fun post to share. 

5 Things I'm Loving this Spring!

Now that I'm coming down from my post-marathon high, it's time to get back to business. I'm not currently training for anything, and it's nice to just regroup and reflect on all that is good in the world. I'm thinking about all the things I'm loving this spring--as if spring isn't enough to love--and wanted to share some of that love with all of you!

So what am I loving right now?

Running for fun!

Reunited and it feels so good!
I'm wearing those Physiclo tights in this picture as well. See below.

Let's face it, one of the best things about running a goal race is savoring the accomplishment and just running for fun. No goals, no paces to hit, just running because you can. I am so happy to be running pain-free right now. Maybe my training wasn't optimal for a marathon, but it sure has worked out well for post-marathon recovery. My legs feel fresh and I'm hitting paces I haven't seen for a while. A runner's reward for training through those brutal winter months is getting to run in the spring. The brown landscape of winter has turned to green and the temperatures are slowly moderating. It is truly the best time of year to be on the road and I'm glad to be able to enjoy it!

My new Ninja Blender

A few months ago, I was asked to review the Green Blender smoothie service. My sons and I just loved the smoothies but my old Osterizer did not. That old workhorse really moans and groans when I prepare smoothies for my sons. I don't even need to wake them up in the morning because the blender is so loud. I'm pretty sure my neighbors wake up too. I wanted an upgrade and the blog readers overwhelmingly suggested the Ninja. I told my husband I wanted one for Mother's Day, and guess what came this week? Anyone who doesn't want appliances for Mother's Day hasn't met the Ninja. I tested it out yesterday, and it barely made a sound while painlessly pulverizing my smoothie ingredients. Sweet!

Rockport Total Motion Hidden Wedge Shoes

Can you see my feet smiling right now?

With all my foot issues, cute shoes have pretty much been off my radar for a long time. Sure, Dansko has made fun looking "comfort shoes" but they aren't exactly cute. Last week, Angela at Happy Fit Mama mentioned how much she loved these Rockport Total Motion Hidden Wedge Ballet Flats. She had me at flats. Flats? But these are not just any old flats! There's an adiprene™ by Adidas insole and a slight heel lift. Could I wear these? Would my PF flare? I bit the bullet and splurged, and my feet are happy. I wore them to work this week and got a ton of compliments. I bought the ones with the tie but there are several different models--I may have to buy another pair. I'm really excited about the potential of wearing cute shoes again!

Physiclo compression tights with resistance 

Fashion model, I am not. But these are pretty sweet tights.

A few weeks ago, Frank from Physiclo reached out to me and asked if I wanted to trial their revolutionary compression pants. I was intrigued. I received a pair of capris and tested them out on my runs this week. These are unlike any compression gear I've ever worn. The fabric is comfortable and stretchy. The pants are lined with compression bands targeted to specific muscle groups. The company's own research claims that the pants increase muscle activity in the hamstrings and quadriceps by 23% and increase caloric burn by 14%. You know I'm a skeptic by nature but I did like these pants, and I had some super speedy runs this week, so who knows? All I know is that my legs felt amazing during and after both trial runs. The tights were easy to put on, compared to the wrestling match I've had with other compression tights. You just have to make sure all the panels are in place before you head out, which is a matter of adjusting the pants. Very simple. I'm looking forward to trying them out at CrossFit when I get back to the box next week.

Tailwind Nutrition

Big Sur Marathon. Fueled by Tailwind. Nothing else.

My love for Tailwind Nutrition endurance fuel should be nothing new to long-time readers of the blog. I started training with Tailwind a few years ago before my second Chicago Marathon. I have a lot of tummy troubles on my long distance runs and the last thing I want to do is become an internet meme because my GI tract decided to rebel in the middle of a race. Portapotty stops cramp my style. Who wants to stop in the middle of a race? I've had great results since I started fueling with Tailwind for all my long distance races. Prior to switching to Tailwind, I reached out to the company to find out more, and they could not have been more helpful. This year I was selected as a Tailwind Trailblazer and want to spread the love. My Big Sur Marathon partner in crime, Kristina, also fuels with Tailwind and is also a Trailblazer. My son also uses Tailwind to fuel for his rugby games. This is good stuff, and neither my son nor I have any desire to try something else. My husband calls Tailwind our "go go juice".

Fueled by Tailwind and on his way to a try.

Still not convinced? Try it for yourself!

Happy Spring!

What is new in your world? What are you loving lately? Do you do compression tights? How about running for fun?

Food for the Runner's Sole

February is a tough month for most of us. Let's face it, unless you live in California or Florida, by February, we've all had enough of winter. Of course, if you are running the LA Marathon this weekend, you might not be happy about the predicted 90 degree temps. So there's that. But for most of us, getting out for a run this time of year is challenging. I'm ready to ditch the layers. Sadly, here in the Midwest, we're hitting the coldest temperatures of the winter this week. How fair is that?

No one ever said life is fair. Mother Nature doesn't always play nice, does she?

I needed a little pick me up this week, and for today's post, I decided to focus on the things that are making me happy. A little sole food, if you will... (see what I did there...)

One thing I've noticed this week is that the days are noticeably longer. I woke up at 6 this morning and the sky was already light. That makes me happy. And what really makes me happy is a sunny day. We've had a lot of sunny days this winter, and that makes me happy, even though it is bitterly cold outside. Somehow, with the sun shining, it doesn't feel quite so cold. In fact, I was brave crazy enough to quickly do a yoga pose on my way home from class. Because, the sun.

It was 16 degrees. But the sun is shining!

Shopping for running clothes always makes me happy, and especially when they are on sale. Two of my favorite stores, Athleta and Title Nine have had sales lately. Yesterday morning I woke up to an email from Title Nine that everything in the sale section is an additional 30% off. And this morning, Athleta posts a 20% code (EXTRA20) for all their sale items. No running clothes for me, but a skirt I had been eyeballing for quite some time was at a decent price point. Nothing says lovin' like clicking on the "buy now" button.

Friends are awesome. Running friends are better. But running blogging friends are the best. I had lunch with Marcia today, and somehow we managed to kill two hours talking about what? I couldn't even tell you. Marcia thinks we should do a podcast. Can you even imagine? I love this lady, and what's great is she gets me. Still laughing...Did I tell you all we met through her blog? Isn't that just the best?

Matching thermoballs. #solesisters

I love to read. You all know I host a monthly book club on the blog (or maybe you didn't but you know now), and nothing makes me happier than reading books about running. Interestingly, the next two books I've chosen aren't about running! But both of them are very inspiring. Next Friday is the monthly link up--I hope you've read the book of the month, It Was Me All Along by Andie Mitchell. If you haven't, it isn't too late! This is a book about a young woman's struggle with her weight and body image. I'm working on my review, and I found it to be a very good read. Next month is Diana Nyad's autobiography, which I can't wait to read. Meanwhile, I'm reading The Lake House, and the main character runs! Gotta love that.

I do love winter comfort food. But after gorging on Super Bowl food, this week I was dying for something a little on the light side. Whole Foods had Atlantic cod on sale, and I found a fabulous recipe for Panko Crusted Cod with lemon dill sauce. And since it was broiled, it was healthy. Don't you think anything with panko is good? I love the crunch. I didn't take pictures, and I'm sorry about that. But it was sole food. And my runner's soul was happy.

Oh, I guess I have 6 things to be happy about! I was selected to be a Venus de Miles Ambassador this year! Do you know about this amazing organization? There's a bike ride--25 miles or 62 miles--or a 5k run/walk. The ride--it's not a race--is to support the Greenhouse Scholars. I did this event last year and it was an amazing experience. You can read all about it here.  I'll be sharing more about this wonderful event in weeks to come. I'm honored to support this organization. Today through February 15 take $14 off the registration fee using the code LONGWAY. I hope to ride with a lot of you!

What's making your runner's sole happy? What do you do to keep yourself motivated in the winter?

I'm linking up with the DC Trifecta--Courtney, Mar, and Cynthia-- for the Friday Five! This week's theme is food.

I'm also linking up with Angela at Happy Fit Mama for High Five Friday! So much positivity going on!