Rock N Roll Los Angeles Half Marathon

I ran the Rock N Roll Los Angeles Half Marathon yesterday! This is a super fun race because so many people dress in costume, it’s in LA, it’s an RNR run which means music, there are actual zombies on the course and it’s right by Halloween which means you can run 13 miles and then eat 13 candies.

I dressed up as a unicorn because I wanted a costume that was fun but easy to run in. I’ve run a lot of races in costumes at this point and making sure it’s easy to run in is key!  Also, I wanted to make sure I had a costume that required glitter so I could have it all over my house for the rest of my life. Why does glitter seem like a great idea until you’re wearing it to the grocery store because it will never go away!??!!

The RNR LA Half Marathon is always right around Halloween. It’s awesome because so many runners dress up! A lot of runners wear costumes at Disney races but they’re all Disney themed costumes. I love that there are so many different outfits at this race.

(source)

My favorite runner costumes from this year include:

Another unicorn with rainbow wings – worn by a guy who stopped to high five me because we were both unicorns

A guy that was getting a piggy back ride from a bear

Bunch of “Where’s Waldos”

Fruit – worn by my fave Sparkle Skirt girls

Cookie Monster

tons of Super Heroes

and more!

(Carrie’s Instagram)

The race starts near the Staples Center. RnR races have their ‘stuff’ together. There are  a lot of porta potties, signs directing you where to go and signs for the corrals. They’re also pretty good about starting on time. <- These are the ‘little things’ that make a BIG different on race day.

My one fail is I tried to sleep with rollers. I wanted my hair to look like a horse unicorn mane.

I rolled my hair with these soft bendable rollers so I wouldn’t have to curl my hair before the race. But, I forgot that it sucks to sleep with rollers. I used to do it all the time for cheerleading. Well, it is the worst. I couldn’t sleep and woke up at 1am super uncomfortable. I took them out and tried to go back to sleep, but couldn’t. #Fail

Luckily my hair stayed somewhat curled so I got the desired crazy animal hair look. I also had a crazy look in my eyes since I only got 3 hours of sleep.

My unicorn running costume consisted of: a horn sewed on a sports non-slip headband, three ponytails to make it look like a mane,  Sparkle Skirt, ProCompression socks, running shoes and glitter.

Luckily, my hair stayed up and my unicorn horn stayed put for 13.1 miles! I’d consider that a success.

The finish line!

 

I finished in 1:52:24 – That’s pretty good considering the second half is pretty hilly.

Question: Glitter. Love it or Hate it?

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How I Control My Food Cravings to Stay in Shape

Hey guys! I’ve got two quick tips in my latest video to help you begin to take control of your food cravings. You are not a lost cause. You DO you have the power to get things under control once and for all. I am speaking to you as a former binge eating when I say this. There is a way out of the ugly cycle of submitting to every food craving that flaunts it’s deliciousness at you. Watch the video and think about it.

WATCH THE VIDEO NOW

MORE GOOD STUFF

• How I Eat Whatever I Want and Still Lose Weight
• How I Lost Weight Fast in 8 Weeks (includes Intermittent Fasting info)
• How I Stopped Binge Eating
• FREE eBook: Yum Yucky’s Guide to Intermittent Fasting

Are you ready for some booty shakin’? Try a dance workout from my Easy Dance Workouts to Lose Weight playlist.

Click the Playlist to start dancing right now! 

The post How I Control My Food Cravings to Stay in Shape appeared first on Yum Yucky.

Butternut Squash Pizza with Prosciutto, Herbed Ricotta and Sage

This post is sponsored by DeLallo. There is never a time of day when pizza doesn’t sound good. Breakfast? Sure! ...

I Didn’t Do the Kim Kardashian Workout but I Did Run 10 Miles

Hello! How was your weekend? Mine was packed with tons of running and food and GLITTER. I ran the Rock N Roll Los Angeles Half Marathon yesterday morning and might have worn a lot of it. I’ll share my race recap and pics next, but I wanted to post some of the weekend fun first. (Check out Instagram for pictures if you want to see why I was wearing glitter.)

First. I am obsessed with grapes. I buy them every day. Then, I eat them all and go to the store and buy more. Every day. Note: The rug is rolled up because I was doing a 21 day fix workout and always roll it out of the way to make room.

I hit up the RnR LA Half Marathon expo Friday. I went early to try and beat the Los Angeles traffic. That kinda sorta worked in that it only took 1.75 hours to go 40 miles as opposed to 3 hours.

I packed a snack for the journey…

The Rock N Roll Los Angeles expo was still pretty empty when I got there so I did a quick walk around but tried to jam out before Friday evening rush hour.

I went out Friday night and found myself at a donut shop in the middle of the night. Weird how that happened.

But the donuts were so fresh! The guy was dipping the chocolate ones right as I walked in! It was magical.

Saturday morning I ran 10 miles at 8:36 pace. It was slow going out and quicker going back home. The weather was perfectly cool for a run and I wanted to do more, but cut it at 10 because I had 13.1 the next day.

After my run I took a walk with Ben to get coffee. He always gets some sorta pastry when we go. That day it was coffee cake and an apple tart. Luckily neither one of these are really my jam so I had one bite and sipped my tea. (I already had coffee before my run.)

(Side note: This is a good little Intuitive Eating reminder. I love donuts and ate a donut the night before. Since I’m not denying myself treats it was easy to skip a pastry I don’t really like.)

I saw this Kim Kardashian workout dvd at the 99 Cent Store. I considered getting it because I do want a Kim K. bootie, but I don’t have a dvd player and am pretty happy with my Beach Body on demand stuff.

It was GORGEOUS on Saturday and a little gloomy on Sunday.

After the race I spent some time at my parent’s house and then headed to Chuck E Cheese for my niece’s birthday. She has a cute costume, but wasn’t really in the mood to wear it. I did have a lot of fun playing the games with her though.

The grand finale of the weekend was Sizzler. I was so hungry by dinner time and craving the most epic salad! I made a big one with tons of hard-boiled egg. With menudo on the side because that’s how we do it.

 

*** Pile on the Miles starts TOMORROW. Sign up here!***

 

Question: What was the BEST thing you did or ate or saw this weekend?

The post I Didn’t Do the Kim Kardashian Workout but I Did Run 10 Miles appeared first on Run Eat Repeat.

A Dreamy, Creamy Better-For You Ice Cream Treat with Brio

This post is sponsored by Brio. As usual, all opinions (good, bad or otherwise) are my own.

I’m not a huge dessert person. Never have been. As an adult, I’d also prefer wine calories over sweet calories.

(My mother, who is a huge ice cream person, just died a little inside.)

But I am also human, so I do crave ice cream sometimes and generally have at least some sort of frozen treat in my freezer for those “emergencies.” Since moderation is not really my strong suit, I prefer to keep single-serve treats on hand so I don’t go nuts with them. 

When I do have ice cream at home, I try to stick to smaller indulgences. 

So at just 135 calories, Brio definitely fits the bill. I’ve been pitched weird protein ice creams before and plenty of frankenfoods, but this ice cream has a relatively short ingredient list (with mostly organic ingredients) and is rich in probiotics. I never knew I wanted probiotics in my ice cream, but hey, if I can get some extra health benefits from an “indulgence,” why not? It’s also relatively low in sugar — 12g per serving, not bad for something like ice cream.

But most importantly, it doesn’t taste like it’s healthy. It doesn’t taste grainy, or overly sweet from gross chemicals.

It’s a perfect little dessert for when you have that sweets craving immediately after eating, or hey, I’d even have it after the gym, before dinner if I were working out at night. Or before bed. OK fine, there’s no bad time for ice cream, mom. 

10/10, would buy again? Hell yes. As of right now, it’s mainly distributed in the midwest (here’s where to find it), but you can also order online.

What about you? Team savory or sweet? 

Related posts:

1. Yogurt + Berries = Ice Cream?
2. I want ice cream

Pile on the Miles Challenge 2016

Hello! It’s time for the annual Pile on the Miles Challenge!! Are you excited?!

This challenge helps keep us working out and piling on miles NOT pounds as we get into the holiday season (aka eating season). The point is for you to set a goal that will help you stay active this month. It can be to workout for a certain number of days, minutes, times a week – anything that helps you stay fit.

The first one was in 2009 and I won 2nd place for the most miles. I took it over in 2010 and would LOVE for you to participate.

What: FREE Online challenge to move more during turkey month.

Who: Everyone is invited to join. Everywhere around the world!

When: November 1 – Nov 28

Where: RunEatRepeat.com

Sign up on this form below and come back to RunEatRepeat.com everyday in November to stay accountable and be entered in a drawing for prizes.

Why: Challenge yourself and encourage others to move more this month. This is about setting a goal and staying accountable with daily check-ins. It is NOT a competition for the most miles any longer – it’s about YOUR GOALS.

Why part 2: There are awesome prizes every day!!

 

The Rules:

1. Sign up by completing this form.

You can fill it out via the link or on the form embedded in this post. There will be a place for your name, email and goal for the month. Signing up makes you eligible to win the prizes but you must check in at the end of each post with a comment on how you did to be eligible for that day’s  prize. (If you miss a day you  miss that contest but you’re still able to check-in the rest of the days.)

2. Set a goal to WALK or RUN or MOVE x amount of miles or minutes in November. These could be miles OR a set time on the treadmill OR outside/inside walking or running or cycling… Do your favorite exercise!

Examples:

I will run 50 miles in November!

I will take a 30 minute walk each day!

I will go to Pilates 3 times a week!

I will walk my neighbor’s dog when they’re at work and hopefully they won’t call the cops again…

3.  Leave a comment on RunEatRepeat.com  each day from the 1st to the 26th to check-in for that day.

Comments on those posts will be entered into that day’s giveaway. You can have a rest day or a day that you needed ‘off’ but you must check-in and be accountable to be entered to win.

If it’s a non-workout day you can check in with a “Rest Day” or “I’m tragic and slept in” or “I have a hangover the flu, send help” comment – it’s about staying honest and on track overall.

We’re looking for progress NOT perfection – so check in everyday no matter what to keep the momentum going!!

We are starting Tuesday as Day 1 of the challenge. Set your goal today and check in Tuesday to join in on the contest and first day of check-ins!

Update social media with #RERMiles to check-in and keep others pumped up! Go go gooooo!!

You can invite your friends, family and followers to join too! Share this image and encourage them to pile on the miles too! There are AWESOME GIVEAWAYS and an opportunity to stay accountable in a tempting time of year.

You can use this to add it as a widget:

<a href=”http://ift.tt/1GJUCcJ src=”http://ift.tt/2eV2xeu” width=”250″></a>

Question: What is your Pile on the Miles goal this year?

Me: Run 40 miles a week.

The post Pile on the Miles Challenge 2016 appeared first on Run Eat Repeat.

Could you lose weight by scrubbing the floor? Shed up 2Ibs a month just by doing housework

A NEW study has revealed you could burn off 166 calories just by DUSTING, while you could be set to lose around 314 calories by mopping the floor.

Bin man loses nearly 4st after binning his pie and 5-packets-a-day crisps diet

Ian Noble, who tipped the scales at 19-and-a-half-stone at his heaviest, was spurred into losing weight after son Jason came home in tears in February after he was teased about his dad’s weight

Why I Stopped Trying to BQ (for a while at least)

Hi! How are you? I made a video to share a little insight on my running life. I got a question asking if I plan to try and PR or BQ and the timing is perfect because I’ve been looking into getting a running coach. But I wanted to address why I kind of fell off the PR running wagon for a while. It’s just my side of a complicated story so I made it a vlog because it was easier to explain that way.

Before we go there I want to share my favorite person, eats and race good luck…

It’s Mikk’s birthday. I love her so much. She gives me two thumbs up (if I ask). I’m her Nina and she’s my favorite.

I keep forgetting to blog about these pumpkin cookies. They are so good! I need to stop eating them and start writing about ‘em.

Good luck to everyone running the Marine Corps Marathon this weekend! It was one of my favorite races ever! The crowds are awesome. Running around the landmarks in DC is amazing. It’s so patriotic and reminds you to feel proud to be American. Enjoy it and have fun!!

(If you are running MCM this weekend here are my tips for the race. )

VLOG – Why I Gave Up on Running Faster (for a while)

I made a video because it’s kind of a long story of how… I was trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon, but I failed and then something happened that made me stop trying to run fast for a while. (It wasn’t an injury or health issue but knocked me down just as hard.)

My personal life affected my running because it was such a big deal. Everything changed the day after a marathon and then I used running to help me cope. This is just my side of the story so I kept it brief, but it had a big impact on my running. I’m totally open to talking about it, but I want navigate this in a way that’s fair for both Ben and myself. I might need some grace in figuring that out. Thank you.

Now let’s talk about my running plans going forward!!!

Things mentioned in the video:

OC Marathon Results / Recap (2013)

Santa Rosa Marathon Results / Recap

Ventura Marathon Results / Recap

Me not knowing what to say after the break 

How I’m Dealing…

Question: What are you doing this weekend?

The post Why I Stopped Trying to BQ (for a while at least) appeared first on Run Eat Repeat.

Llamas, Sports Bras and Organic Makeup, Oh My!

I have some RANDOM stuff coming at  you today (but some “real” posts for next week I’m working on.)

Until then…

Did you know I have an odd obsession with llamas? I DO!

So up in Hudson last week, I couldn’t ignore the Everything Alpaca store.

…and so I came home with a friend. His name is Colombo, and he will be joining me in Australia. (His sock friends, finger puppet friends and Christmas ornament friends also came home with me.)

I saw a flash sale at Draper James on the Internets, and now I just want to buy more fun stuff for my apartment — especially before my cookie swap! I’m so grateful my friends hosted one for me last year. I do miss C. Wonder.

Remember my Victoria’s Secret posts earlier this year? Turns out they are doing a pant + sports bra combo for $55. GET ON IT.

Moving on to deeper things…

This week, my lovely Uplift ladies hosted another Strong Women Uplift Each Other event, this one about women’s health issues, ranging from lady cancers to STDs. One of their instructors/trainers talked about her experience with breast cancer. “But I’m healthy,” she said. And so she put off her mammograms until she couldn’t any more because she found a large lump in her breast that ended up to be cancer. I’ve always been good with keeping up with my doctor’s appointments because, well, my mom wouldn’t stop harassing me if I didn’t…but just a reminder of how important preventative medicine is.

I’ve been hearing/reading a lot more lately about makeup with cleaner ingredients, and the scary crap that’s put in most conventional makeup, including known carcinogens and ingredients that interfere with developmental and reproductive functions, etc. A Beautycounter consultant was one of the panelists, and initially I was completely skeptical that she was just going to try to sell us stuff. But as she talked about the discrepancy between US regulations and EU regulations in skincare, it was enough to make me do some research. The consultant talked about the EWG having a tool to help you discern what is and isn’t safe in your personal care products. My current makeup — not so much. I certainly have more research to do, and I’m not sure I’ll ever be perfect with my beauty products, but I’m running low on moisturizer and foundation anyway, so it was enough for me to order moisturizer/cleanser and foundation. (Pro tip: they have a line with Target now, so that’s where I ordered the moisturizer from.) I also decided it was time to switch to natural tampons and am giving Lola a try. (The code tblanchfield1 gets us each $5 off.)

Related posts:

1. The Sports Bra Challenge 2013 (Or, The Time I Worked Out in a Sports Bra in Union Square)
2. Do You Eat Organic?
3. Review: Hydroxatone BB Cream (and Giveaway!)

Different Shoes for Different Workouts

Hello! How’s it going? Over here it’s going bumpy because I was stopped again on my run today. My go-to running path was shut down for the 3rd day in a row. Grrrrrr.

It’s frustrating because I couldn’t tell at first so I ran out for a mile and then had to cut my run super short yesterday and today. They are filling cracks in the road and I could run around them but since they’re using hot oil (according to the sign I saw the first day) they don’t let anyone go around. Boo.  It sucks because I can’t tell if the path is going to be closed when I first start running since it’s only shut down where they’re doing the work, but that could be 0.5 miles away or 5 miles away. And this has never happened before so I wasn’t expecting it to take multiple days.

I wasn’t that upset yesterday because it happens and you have to roll with the punches, but three days in a row is not cool. I have to drive somewhere to run tomorrow or I’m going to go crazy.

Since my run was ruined I went home and did 21 day fix upper body. I’ve been skipping lower body a lot since my legs are already tired from so many miles of running.

I switch out of my running shoes when I get back from a run and change into another pair for cross training. I don’t want to ‘waste’ my running shoes on other activities. Do you have different shoes for different activities?

I bought a big can of black beans and turned them into healthy refried beans to go with dinner. I didn’t get a pic of anything else though. And the fact that this isn’t the prettiest food doesn’t really help the paint the picture of an amazing meal, but at least trust me that the beans are amazing.

I am still completely obsessed with my Fabletics tee and wear it 99% of the time (I take it off to shower).

Between the repeated failed runs this week and work and therapy I was super anxious yesterday. I decided to take a break and get my nails done.

It was a great idea because the nail place was empty and it was the best mani/pedi ever. I got a super neutral color on my hands but it has a little sparkle so I love it. Check out out Vegas yawning in the background. Ha! He obviously doesn’t care about my nail color.

And then I had fun pretending to squeeze his head and pick him up from afar.

Question: Do you wear your running shoes to walk or do cross training? Do you have different shoes for different workouts/life?

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Does My Favorite Drink Cause Cellulite?!?!!

Every now and then I learn something from reality TV. Often it’s something I don’t want to know. And this week I learned something that ruined my life.

Ruined.My.Life.

The other day I was watching old episodes from  Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. (I mostly watch it to feel bad about my body and get tips on how to do my hair.)

Anyway. There was a registered dietician visiting some of the girls and raiding their fridge checking to see what they eat.

She spotted soda in a few places and said “Soda causes cellulite.”

I don’t think you understand how much seltzer I drink in one day. I have a Soda Stream AND I buy four cases of seltzer each time I go to the store (multiple times a week). Unlike everything else on RER this is not an exaggeration.

I was devastated at this news. I turned to Ben for support because Vegas was sleeping.

Me: “I just heard carbonation causes cellulite.”

“If that were true you’d be 88% cellulite at this point…” he said.

I feel like that’s kinda accurate since I drink so much. So either my body is completely covered in cellulite and I am in denial or this ‘fact’ isn’t true.

After I freaked out for a while I decided to actually do some research and investigate it for myself.

I asked friends that include personal trainers, registered dieticians, health coaches and generally educated and well read people.

The consensus is: No, it doesn’t seem like that is accurate.

I’m thinking the RD meant soda because soda usually has sugar and excess sugar can lead to weight gain which can lead to cellulite (not carbonation). That makes more sense, right?

I researched it online too and found no real evidence that carbonation causes cellulite. Yes, it can cause bloating if you drink a ton but that’s something else.

Carbonate is a very weak acid that becomes carbon dioxide when not under pressure, i.e. as soon as you open the bottle or the can. Carbonate does not increase acidity in the body as it gets broken down in the stomach or simply evaporates. The same cannot be said for phosphate or orthophosphate found in cola drinks which do leave an acid residue when absorbed by the body. Carbon dioxide is easily removed though the breath. Carbonate is the only innocent ingredient in fizzy drinks. Since carbonate is the substance that gives the fizzy drinks their fizz, it is contained in all fizzy drinks. Sparkling water which only contains water and carbonate is absolutely innocent and you can drink as much as you want of it, without any problems (except from stomach swelling, if you drink too much, of course)! (source)

Another good article on it – Soda and Cellulite

Moral of the story: If something you see on TV ruins your life, double check on it.

The end.

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