I took a bit of a blog break over the past week. The beginning of the week was filled with snow day fun and the end of the week got wrapped up in a family emergency. It was quite a week!
In the midst of my family emergency I found myself trying to fight a very bad habit: emotional eating. Food has always been a huge comfort for me. I go for treats whether I'm celebrating or when I'm feeling low. Over the past few years I have developed an awareness of my emotional eating but I still struggle with curbing it. I've tried to substitute running for eating and while those runs typically calm me down, a run will never satisfy me the same way a cupcake will.
For now, since I still struggle with finding a good substitute for food, I have developed a strategy to keep my emotional eating in check. First, I acknowledge why I'm suddenly craving something salty, fatty, or sweet. This in itself is a step for me, I used to just grab whatever I craved and never thought about why I was eating it; this often lead to binging. After I acknowledge why I'm craving my snack, I give myself permission to have it in moderation. Before sitting down to eat, I plan out how much I am going to eat (one cupcake, one serving of ice cream, a crab-pretzel at Happy Hour). Planning is essential to keeping a binge at bay. I am a ruler follower by nature, so if I make a rule for myself, I generally stick to it. By the time I finish my serving, my emotional eating craving has typically subsided. Yes, by giving in to the emotion I do typically go over my calories for the day; however, sometimes I need to do it, and that's okay with me. I get back on track the next day.
I am going to keep trying to figure out something to replace my emotional eating, but for now I at least have a plan.
What do you do when the urge to eat your emotions strikes?
<3 T
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Gear Talk - Headphones
I am the type of runner who needs music while I run. I can't imagine running even a 5k without it. So obviously having headphones and good head phones are a must. Up until August 2013 I always ran with my standard issue Apple headphones, I couldn't rationalize spending money on something I already had. Then, my roommate introduced me to YurBuds and my life changed.
YurBuds have a line of headphones specially designed for women. What does that mean? Well, it means smaller ear pieces designed for smaller ears. Each pair comes with 2 different sized rubber earpieces and if neither of them are comfortable to you, you can take a picture of your ear, send it to YurBuds and they will send you the correct size of each piece. How cool is that?
YurBuds also have "twist-and-lock" technology. And what does that mean? It means that they do not fall out of your ears! Seriously! I've been running with them since August and the only time I've had one come of of my ear was when my hand got caught on the cord and I yanked it out (yeah, I'm a bit of a klutz...)
Yurbuds also let in ambient noise which is really important for those of us that run outside. YurBuds allows you to hear on coming traffic and even other runners around you. Hello safety! I have also found that I don't put my music nearly as loud while wearing them, they have really high quality sound.
I have the basic "Inspire for Women" which cost $29.99 but they have other models with more features such an ear-wrap-around and/or a volume control button and much much more. They even have them for men. Since buying my YurBuds I have convinced three others to purchase them and they also LOVE them. Even my sister who hates all earbuds because they hurt her ears!
If you are looking for an affordable pair of high quality headphones, I recommend you try YurBuds out.
<3 T
The opinions included in this post are entirely my own. I was not compensated for this review.
 |
| Source: http://yurbuds.com |
YurBuds have a line of headphones specially designed for women. What does that mean? Well, it means smaller ear pieces designed for smaller ears. Each pair comes with 2 different sized rubber earpieces and if neither of them are comfortable to you, you can take a picture of your ear, send it to YurBuds and they will send you the correct size of each piece. How cool is that?
YurBuds also have "twist-and-lock" technology. And what does that mean? It means that they do not fall out of your ears! Seriously! I've been running with them since August and the only time I've had one come of of my ear was when my hand got caught on the cord and I yanked it out (yeah, I'm a bit of a klutz...)
Yurbuds also let in ambient noise which is really important for those of us that run outside. YurBuds allows you to hear on coming traffic and even other runners around you. Hello safety! I have also found that I don't put my music nearly as loud while wearing them, they have really high quality sound.
I have the basic "Inspire for Women" which cost $29.99 but they have other models with more features such an ear-wrap-around and/or a volume control button and much much more. They even have them for men. Since buying my YurBuds I have convinced three others to purchase them and they also LOVE them. Even my sister who hates all earbuds because they hurt her ears!
If you are looking for an affordable pair of high quality headphones, I recommend you try YurBuds out.
<3 T
The opinions included in this post are entirely my own. I was not compensated for this review.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Do you "Fun Run"?
Last year I went crazy for races and registered for every race that I could find. This included two un-timed "fun runs". I ran "The Zombie Run" in Philly and "The Color Run" in Baltimore. While I enjoyed the people I ran these races with they were not two of my favorites of the year. Here's why:
1. These races are pretty non-threatening in terms of fitness level and have really fun themes so they attract everyone from seasoned runners to beginning runners to people who just want to have fun. While I applaud these races for getting people out and exercising, when I sign up for a 5k I intend to run it. For both fun runs I spent a decent amount of time dodging people and at The Zombie Run I had to halt to a complete stop and walk because there was absolutely no room to go around people. This overcrowding of the course takes away from the fun of the theme for me.
2. I found both of these races to be pretty darn disorganized. In all fairness both of my fun runs were held for the first time in that city in 2013 so a little disorganization was to be expected. At The Zombie Run traffic and parking was such a mess my group missed the official start time by 30 minutes. Waves were let go about every 30 seconds which was fine for our group because we got to the start time so late. However, 30 second waves would not be enough time to reduce overcrowding on the course with the number of runners that were at the starting line.
The starting line at The Color Run was madness. We lined up about 20 minutes ahead of time and then waited over an hour after the first group left to get our turn to start. By the time I reached the starting line, I was over it. During our long wait people were getting antsy, some people pushed through the barriers to cut in line. Next thing we knew apparently people were tired of waiting and began pushing through the giant line and jumping onto the portion of the course that ran parallel to the start line missing the first kilometer of the race. I can get anxiety in large crowds and I was starting to feel panicked as this went on. While in line, we also got pelted by a few of the "color packets" that are part of your race packet to use at the finish line party. Mind you, these packets were pretty full so it kinda hurt, not. fun.
I understand that there are a lot of participants in these events but the companies that run these types of runs need to get their act together in terms of organization.
3. These races are typically more expensive than a local 5k which I don't understand. For $40-50 you pretty much get your race entry and a t-shirt. No timing chip, no medal. So why do these races cost so much??? I just don't get it. Yes, these races are designed for profit, I get that. However, most 5ks raise money for charities and are cheaper. So, in theory, you could charge less money and still make a profit.
This week registration opened for the Baltimore "Electric Run" which is a night time fun run with all sorts of light features on course and is described to have a party atmosphere. The group I ran The Color Run with decided they to participate in The Electric Run and all week I've been contemplating whether or not to join them. On one hand I love this group of girls and every get together is a blast! But, on the other hand, I have not really enjoyed my experience with fun runs. So, I've been going back and forth on it. In the end, I decided to wait on registration until I have a better idea of what my summer will look like. Right now, I can't justify paying over $50 for a race that I'm not sure that I'll enjoy.
Do you enjoy these themed fun runs? Have you had a really great experience at a fun run?
<3 T
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| The Baltimore Color Run "Before" |
1. These races are pretty non-threatening in terms of fitness level and have really fun themes so they attract everyone from seasoned runners to beginning runners to people who just want to have fun. While I applaud these races for getting people out and exercising, when I sign up for a 5k I intend to run it. For both fun runs I spent a decent amount of time dodging people and at The Zombie Run I had to halt to a complete stop and walk because there was absolutely no room to go around people. This overcrowding of the course takes away from the fun of the theme for me.
2. I found both of these races to be pretty darn disorganized. In all fairness both of my fun runs were held for the first time in that city in 2013 so a little disorganization was to be expected. At The Zombie Run traffic and parking was such a mess my group missed the official start time by 30 minutes. Waves were let go about every 30 seconds which was fine for our group because we got to the start time so late. However, 30 second waves would not be enough time to reduce overcrowding on the course with the number of runners that were at the starting line.
The starting line at The Color Run was madness. We lined up about 20 minutes ahead of time and then waited over an hour after the first group left to get our turn to start. By the time I reached the starting line, I was over it. During our long wait people were getting antsy, some people pushed through the barriers to cut in line. Next thing we knew apparently people were tired of waiting and began pushing through the giant line and jumping onto the portion of the course that ran parallel to the start line missing the first kilometer of the race. I can get anxiety in large crowds and I was starting to feel panicked as this went on. While in line, we also got pelted by a few of the "color packets" that are part of your race packet to use at the finish line party. Mind you, these packets were pretty full so it kinda hurt, not. fun.
I understand that there are a lot of participants in these events but the companies that run these types of runs need to get their act together in terms of organization.
 |
| The Baltimore Color Run "After" |
3. These races are typically more expensive than a local 5k which I don't understand. For $40-50 you pretty much get your race entry and a t-shirt. No timing chip, no medal. So why do these races cost so much??? I just don't get it. Yes, these races are designed for profit, I get that. However, most 5ks raise money for charities and are cheaper. So, in theory, you could charge less money and still make a profit.
This week registration opened for the Baltimore "Electric Run" which is a night time fun run with all sorts of light features on course and is described to have a party atmosphere. The group I ran The Color Run with decided they to participate in The Electric Run and all week I've been contemplating whether or not to join them. On one hand I love this group of girls and every get together is a blast! But, on the other hand, I have not really enjoyed my experience with fun runs. So, I've been going back and forth on it. In the end, I decided to wait on registration until I have a better idea of what my summer will look like. Right now, I can't justify paying over $50 for a race that I'm not sure that I'll enjoy.
Do you enjoy these themed fun runs? Have you had a really great experience at a fun run?
<3 T
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
New Addition to the 2014 Race Calendar
Yesterday I registered for the Phillies 5k on March 22! My brother-in-law and I have talked about doing this race since 2012, but we kept missing out on registering before it filled up! The course starts and end at Citizens Bank Park (home of the Phillies) and benefits Phillies Charities. For a baseball fan like me, this sounds like a blast! Plus, with registration you get tickets to two games, sweet! I'll also have some great company on course. Not only will my brother-in-law be running but also three of my friends from Baltimore. Looking forward to this race :)
Six races so far on the race calendar! Only 8 more to add to reach 14 in 2014!
<3 T
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| Citizens Bank Park |
<3 T
Monday, January 13, 2014
Monday Motivation!
Happy Monday!
Last week I set the following goals:
-Drink more water! Specifically finish two 32-ounce Nalgene bottles daily. - I did this Monday-Thursday last week. Friday I drank at least 1 Nalgene plus several glasses of water at dinner. Saturday and Sunday I didn't drink nearly as much as I should.
-Complete the Week 1 workout from Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30 two times. Done!
-Complete all four Glass Slipper Challenge training runs. 11 miles on Saturday wasn't pretty, but I did it!
-Test out Jelly Belly Sport Beans during Saturday's 11-mile run. Done and with minimal GI issues!
So I didn't accomplish all of my goals, but not too shabby if I do say so myself. Time to set new goals for this week!
Goals for Jan. 13-Jan. 19:
-Continue to drink 2 Nalgene bottles of water daily.
-Complete Week 1 workout from Ripped in 30 two times.
-Complete three GSC training runs for a minimum of 11 total miles.
-Attempt to get back outside to run (weather permitting).
-Book my plane tickets to Florida to run GSC!
What are your goals for this week?
Last week I set the following goals:
-Drink more water! Specifically finish two 32-ounce Nalgene bottles daily. - I did this Monday-Thursday last week. Friday I drank at least 1 Nalgene plus several glasses of water at dinner. Saturday and Sunday I didn't drink nearly as much as I should.
So I didn't accomplish all of my goals, but not too shabby if I do say so myself. Time to set new goals for this week!
Goals for Jan. 13-Jan. 19:
-Continue to drink 2 Nalgene bottles of water daily.
-Complete Week 1 workout from Ripped in 30 two times.
-Complete three GSC training runs for a minimum of 11 total miles.
-Attempt to get back outside to run (weather permitting).
-Book my plane tickets to Florida to run GSC!
What are your goals for this week?
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Race-Envy
Today I have a serious case of race-envy. I am a serious runDisney fanatic (in case you couldn't tell from my previous posts about the GSC.) Today runDisney kicked off the first run of WDW Marathon weekend with their Family Fun Run 5k. Unfortunately for me though, I am not currently in Orlando, FL and I don't have any race excitement coming up until GSC at the end of February. So, I am living vicariously through Twitter, the blogs of fellow runDisney runners, and the Team #runDisney Facebook page. I love seeing everyone's pictures and posts but I can't help but feel a little green with envy. I can't wait for my runDisney weekend at the end of February!
Does anyone else experience race-envy?
Oh, and keep the posts and pictures coming! I may be a bit jealous but I love seeing them!
<3 T
Does anyone else experience race-envy?
Oh, and keep the posts and pictures coming! I may be a bit jealous but I love seeing them!
<3 T
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Baby It's Cold Outside
Yesterday, the entire country froze. Literally. Here in Baltimore wind chill temperatures reached -10. Brr!!!! Today, we'll reach a balmy high of 27 degrees. Yup, still below freezing!
When temperatures began to drop this fall I made a decision to try out cold weather running. I'd always been under the impression that this was impossible due to my exercise-induced asthma. However, I had heard a lot of runners talk about how much they loved cold weather running so I wanted to give it a shot. I went to the "Cold Weather Running Clinic" hosted by Charm City Run to get some helpful tips before I laced up in cooler temperatures. I learned a lot that night but two of the most encouraging lessons I took home were:
1. Your body actually is more efficient in cold temperatures than warm temperatures. Once temperatures reach 60 degrees and up your body gets less and less efficient.
So, what does this mean? In theory, this meant to me that it was possible cold weather running wouldn't be as difficult as I thought. Heck, it my body is more efficient in the cold things might even be easier. In reality I learned that even though cold weather running might not feel "easier" to me, I was definitely more "efficient" and set a new 5k PR on Thanksgiving morning!
2. Give yourself permission to cut your run after 10 minutes if running in the cold is truly as bad as you thought it would be.
This "permission" was crucial to my decision to try cold weather running. The women running the clinic talked about how it takes about 10 minutes for your body to acclimate to the cold and typically once you hit the 10 minute mark it gets a lot better. With this in mind I headed out for my first cold weather running reminding myself that if I really didn't feel well after 10 minutes I could head home. I was pleasantly surprised as I approached the 10 minute mark, felt great, and continued on to finish my run.
In full disclosure, even though I know enjoy cold weather running, the temperatures over the past two weeks are just too darn cold for me and I've been heading to the gym and running on the treadmill. Running on a treadmill three times a week can get really REALLY boring so I mix up my runs with treadmill interval workouts. Changing your pace every few minutes breaks up the monotony and keeps your body guessing. I've really enjoyed trying out new interval workouts I find online and do one at least once a week. Even though I've been enjoying my interval workouts I can't wait for temperatures to warm up a little bit so I can get back out there on the road!
<3 T
When temperatures began to drop this fall I made a decision to try out cold weather running. I'd always been under the impression that this was impossible due to my exercise-induced asthma. However, I had heard a lot of runners talk about how much they loved cold weather running so I wanted to give it a shot. I went to the "Cold Weather Running Clinic" hosted by Charm City Run to get some helpful tips before I laced up in cooler temperatures. I learned a lot that night but two of the most encouraging lessons I took home were:
1. Your body actually is more efficient in cold temperatures than warm temperatures. Once temperatures reach 60 degrees and up your body gets less and less efficient.
So, what does this mean? In theory, this meant to me that it was possible cold weather running wouldn't be as difficult as I thought. Heck, it my body is more efficient in the cold things might even be easier. In reality I learned that even though cold weather running might not feel "easier" to me, I was definitely more "efficient" and set a new 5k PR on Thanksgiving morning!
2. Give yourself permission to cut your run after 10 minutes if running in the cold is truly as bad as you thought it would be.
This "permission" was crucial to my decision to try cold weather running. The women running the clinic talked about how it takes about 10 minutes for your body to acclimate to the cold and typically once you hit the 10 minute mark it gets a lot better. With this in mind I headed out for my first cold weather running reminding myself that if I really didn't feel well after 10 minutes I could head home. I was pleasantly surprised as I approached the 10 minute mark, felt great, and continued on to finish my run.
In full disclosure, even though I know enjoy cold weather running, the temperatures over the past two weeks are just too darn cold for me and I've been heading to the gym and running on the treadmill. Running on a treadmill three times a week can get really REALLY boring so I mix up my runs with treadmill interval workouts. Changing your pace every few minutes breaks up the monotony and keeps your body guessing. I've really enjoyed trying out new interval workouts I find online and do one at least once a week. Even though I've been enjoying my interval workouts I can't wait for temperatures to warm up a little bit so I can get back out there on the road!
<3 T
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Race 5 out of 14 in 2014!
Welp! It's official, I've registered for race #5 in my quest to run 14 races in 2014. I've added Sole of the City 10k to my 2014 race schedule. This race is presented by Charm City Run in Baltimore and is a great race. I ran this last year for my first 10k ever. There are a lot of hills on this course but I'm hoping it will seem easier this year because I know what to expect. Hopefully it's not worse because I know what's coming. What I'm sure of is that I had an amazing time at Sole of the City last year and I'm sure I will again this year!
Current race schedule:
February 22: Enchanted 10k in Disney World
February 23: Disney Princess Half-Marathon in Disney World
March 15: KELLY St. Patrick's Day Shamrock 5k in Baltimore, MD
April 12: Sole of the City 10k in Baltimore, MD
May 10: Warrior Dash in Mechanicsville, MD
<3 T
Current race schedule:
February 22: Enchanted 10k in Disney World
February 23: Disney Princess Half-Marathon in Disney World
March 15: KELLY St. Patrick's Day Shamrock 5k in Baltimore, MD
April 12: Sole of the City 10k in Baltimore, MD
May 10: Warrior Dash in Mechanicsville, MD
<3 T
Monday, January 6, 2014
Monday Motivation!
I have been really terrible with blogging as much as I intended on doing when I started this blog this summer. I could make a million excuses, but when I comes down to it, I just kinda forgot about it... Which leads perfectly into my new weekly post: Monday Motivation! As I discussed in my last post, blogging about goals holds me accountable for them. So, every Monday I'm going to post my weekly goals to keep me motivated and not forget about them.
Goals for the week of January 6-12:
-Drink more water! Specifically finish two 32-ounce Nalgene bottles daily.
-Complete the Week 1 workout from Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30 two times.
-Complete all four Glass Slipper Challenge training runs.
-Test out Jelly Belly Sport Beans during Saturday's 11-mile run.
Next Monday I'll revisit my goals to see if I accomplished them and set new goals for the new week.
<3 T
Goals for the week of January 6-12:
-Drink more water! Specifically finish two 32-ounce Nalgene bottles daily.
-Complete the Week 1 workout from Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30 two times.
-Complete all four Glass Slipper Challenge training runs.
-Test out Jelly Belly Sport Beans during Saturday's 11-mile run.
Next Monday I'll revisit my goals to see if I accomplished them and set new goals for the new week.
<3 T
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