Fitness Friday: Full of Color

July has become my month of fun runs. On Sunday I will be participating in the Color Me Rad 5K in Boston.

What it is. It is all about having a good time, running with a group of friends, and trying to turn yourself into a rainbow. You start out with a nice clean white shirt and end up covered in a "tsunami of color."

What it isn't. It's not about crossing the finish line first or setting a new PR. It's not about winning prizes or even acting like a grown up.

Here's a little preview:

I am running as part of Team FitFluential and we are going to be sporting team shirts. My shirt is a work in progress at the moment.

Janine (the crafty member of the team) has already made some that look awesome.

Janine's FB photo ;)

Sometimes we just need to take a break and do something a little non-traditional.

Thanks to Jill for hosting the Fitness Friday link up!

Have you ever run as part of a team?

What are your plans for the weekend?

TrainingTruths: Workouts & Eggs

Last week was almost a normal week of training (if you ignore the fact that I'm still not doing my long runs). My weekly mileage total was 16+ miles and I participated in two 5Ks. You can read about the one I PR'd here and go here for the one where I got muddy.

WORKOUTS:

#TrainingTruth: I have a love/hate relationship with hills.

My next big race coming up is the Rock n Roll Providence half marathon. This course is not flat, so I have been trying to work some hilly routes into my training runs. I really don't like hills, especially while I'm running up them, but after finishing a hilly route I always feel awesome.  

#TrainingTruth: I'm addicted to my running stats.

I love logging in to Nike or Daily Mile and seeing my runs posted. It's thrilling to watch the distances get longer and the totals climb higher. Seeing the stats on my watch, or my phone, or the computer gives me immediate feedback and instant gratification for the workout.

FOOD:

#TrainingTruth: My favorite post run protein is cheesy scrambled eggs.

My husband makes the best cheesy eggs. After an early morning long run, I love to settle down into a cup of coffee and some delicious eggs. Sometimes I have them in a tortilla wrap, but usually straight up with a cinnamon raisin bagel on the side. 

New Cheesy Eggs:

• 1 egg + 2 whites
• big tbsp light cream cheese
• sprinkle of parmesan cheese
• small handful of 2% cheddar cheese

Don't forget to check out other great recipes at WIAW link up at Peas and Crayons.

#TrainingTruths is not just about me. We all like to see what everyone else is doing and use that information to asses ourselves. It's not judgement. It's a way to share and learn and make changes when necessary.

To participate all you have to do is share your #TrainingTruths:

1. Tag a Twitter post with the hashtag #TrainingTruths
2. Comment on the Running Escapades Facebook page 
3. Leave a link to your own blog post in the comments

I look forward to reading your #TrainingTruths!

LoziLu Mud Run

 
Over the weekend I ran in my first women's only event at the LoziLu Women's Mud Run in Hampton Falls, NH at the Applecrest Farm Orchards.

Event organizers suggested arriving one hour prior to the start of your wave. I didn't think this would be necessary, but I'm glad I did it because the check-in process was slow with one girl checking in individuals and another checking in teams. To save time, your team captain can pick up all the packets and goody bags.

Team Badass Blogger Babes turned out to be a team of two, but that didn't bother us. Angela and I were ready to have some fun.

The 5K course was sprinkled with some crazy fun obstacles. We ran and crawled through mud, climbed over walls, walked up planks & beams, waded through waist deep water, climbed through a web of rope, over a rope wall, and more.

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My favorite obstacle was the slip-n-slide. I never get the chance to dive head-first down a hill into a muddy pit and crash into people along the way!

After finishing the course, we grabbed some items from the snack drawer, paused for a picture on the red carpet, then rinsed off in the spa area.

The awesome race swag included a LoziLu tattoo (which I sported during the run), a stainless steel water bottle, and LoziLu SweatyBands!

This was such a fun run! It is an easy way to mix up the routine we fall into when following a training plan. It is a great full body workout: my arms and hamstrings got more use than they have seen in a while. It's also an adventurous way to spend some quality time with your gal pals!

What do you think about women-only events?

Have you ever done a mud run?

Fitness Friday: Running Brilliance

 
Last week I received the most amazing email. Thank you Katie!

If you haven't heard about The Mezamashii Run Project here's a little summary. Mizuno is giving away thousands of running shoes and relying on runners to spread the word about their brilliance instead of spending gobs of money on advertising. You can learn more on the website.

When I came home from my trip to Cincinnati, I found the box waiting for me.

I already have a couple pair of Mizuno Wave Rider 15s that I absolutely love.

Yesterday I tried on my new Wave Inspire 8s. Awesomeness!

The Wave Inspire 8s are a support shoe compared to the neutral Wave Rider 15s, but appear to be just as lightweight yet offer a little more cushioning in the heal base. I selected the Wave Inspire 8s to use on my longer training runs.

I tested them out on a 6 mile (mostly trail part road) run. The first thing I noticed when I put them on was that they felt a little roomier in the toe area. I was worried that too much room would cause some rubbing, but everything felt good during my run. 

During my run, I was pleasantly surprised to feel some air on my feet. I've never noticed this with my Wave Rider 15s, so I thought I might be manufacturing some fabulous new quality. I was not. The sensation continued throughout the run, and after a thorough inspection I noticed that the Inspire 8s do not have the thin layer of material on the outside. 

Even though the Wave Inspire 8s are a support shoe, they are not the heavy clunkers that we typically envision. Mizuno shows us that you can have stability without adding extra weight. In fact there is only a .2 ounce weight difference to the Wave Rider 15s. 

The Wave Inspire 8s will be my new go-to shoe for longer training runs. 

What running shoe do you wear?

Do you change up your shoes for short/long runs?

*FYI - I was given a pair of Mizuno running shoes as part of the Mezamashii Project. I was not compensated for this post and all opinions are my own.

TrainingTruths: Workouts & Watermelon

Last week I was on vacation in Cincinnati and decided to take a little break from running to try and let the PT's work on my calf muscles work. I skipped my second run of the week and only ran 4 as part of a hometown race on Saturday. My weekly miles totaled 8 which is far less than it should be at this point in my training.

Workouts:

#TrainingTruth: I'm worried I'm not going to be ready for my half marathon in August.

Last summer I followed my half marathon training plan faithfully. This summer has been so different because I've been dealing with and battling the never ending calf issues. My PT asked me to keep my runs shorter which completely interferes with long runs on the weekends. My last half in May was a struggle and I really want this one to feel better and easier, but right now I have no idea how this is going to turn out. I hate that feeling.

Food:

#TrainingTruth: I love salted watermelon in the summer!

Watermelon is a juicy sweet snack that instantly quenches your thirst during the heat of summer. It is packed full of vitamins A and C, potassium, magnesium and it is low in calories. Eating watermelon can help reduce inflammation and lower blood pressure.

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Then I come along with the salt shaker. I grew up putting salt on my watermelon. I'm a saltahlolic. I prefer salty foods over sweet dessert type foods. Salting watermelon makes it taste sweeter because it creates a contrast on the taste buds. When I grab the salt shaker, I find myself on the receiving end of a lot of strange looks.

But did you know that in Italy, France, Japan and Spain it is common to serve watermelon covered with salty ham (prosciutto) and salty cheeses like feta?

I know most people say that salt is bad for us, but the truth is we need salt. Sodium helps maintain the right amount of water in our bodies. Athletes should be extra careful to replace the salt lost during workouts. If you have good blood pressure, then having a salty-tooth is not bad for you. Also, our bodies naturally get rid of excess sodium.

If salting your watermelon doesn't appeal to you, try this Watermelon Salsa recipe from allrecipes.com.

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Ingredients

2 cups finely chopped seeded watermelon (do not puree)

1 cup crushed pineapple, drained well

1 cup sweet onion, minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco, or to taste

Directions

Stir the watermelon, pineapple, and onion together with the cilantro, orange juice, and hot sauce in a bowl. Cover, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.

#TrainingTruths is not just about me. We all like to see what everyone else is doing and use that information to asses ourselves. It's not judgement. It's a way to share and learn and make changes when necessary.

To participate all you have to do is share your #TrainingTruths:

1. Tag a Twitter post with the hashtag #TrainingTruths
2. Comment on the Running Escapades Facebook page 
3. Leave a link to your own blog post in the comments

I look forward to reading your #TrainingTruths!