How to get into the New York City Marathon if You Didn’t Get a Lottery Pick

Hi! How’s it going? I have some good news if you didn’t get into the New York City Marathon lottery… PowerBar is offering runners a clean start to apply for an entry to the race!!

From March 1, 2017 through April 12, 2017, consumers can visit PowerBarCleanStart.com and share why they deserve a Clean Start at the 2017 TCS NYC Marathon. Winners will receive a race bib (entry to the race), along with training tips from PowerBar athletes,  product and gear leading up to the race. (Opens tomorrow for this!)

There will be 17 winners! So – check it out and let me know if you run / win / other!!

NYC Marathon lottery is over. This is a 2nd chance to apply from PowerBar starting tomorrow.

 

Last night I made zucchini pasta with tons of onions and a jarred sauce. It was amazing. I know onions make ya stink, but I love them. AND they are really good for you.

Right now I’m extra obsessed with nutrition for cancer prevention. My best friend is doing the “Undie Run” this weekend and raising money for colon cancer research because her Nina passed away from it. This was the main cause of my aunt’s passing year before last. And I recently heard about someone else being diagnosed. It’s heart-breaking. I’m being a good friend to my peeps first and foremost.

But beyond that I am on a mission to learn more about cancer prevention. I listened to a few podcasts this morning about what to eat to help prevent and fight cancer. Two that stuck out to me were podcasts that talked to the authors of “How Not To Die” and “Eat Dirt”. (These were separate shows and interviews, unrelated to each other but complimentary in their subject matter.)

Has anyone read these books? Both authors were very articulate and interesting.

In others news… I have a chocolate stash.

Do you?

I broke into it last night.

My flowers from Cindy are getting prettier by the minute! I love it.

And I’m making sweet potatoes in the crockpot!! I’m super excited about this. I love sweet potatoes and usually just ‘cook’ them in the microwave. But baking them makes them so much better! I’m hoping this is closer to baking in terms of taste and texture.

As seen on my run: A big bunny! I saw it peeking out of a trash bag yesterday. I guess someone came and pulled it out of the trash bag, but left it.

Marathon training update:

My run today was good, but not great. I had a good run Sunday at goal pace. I need to make time for stretching and foam rolling because my legs just feel tight and tired. I have a long run this week and then the LA Marathon in just under 3 weeks. I’m going to go back over my thoughts and splits from Surf City to learn what I can do different next time to improve.

Today’s Hyland’s Powered Challenge is to share – ‘How do you reward yourself for running?’

Without a doubt it’s delicious treats. Most of the time that’s fro-yo but lately it’s also included a good amount of donuts!

Question: How do you reward yourself?

Have you read “How not to Die” OR “Eat Dirt”? Thoughts??

The post How to get into the New York City Marathon if You Didn’t Get a Lottery Pick appeared first on Run Eat Repeat.

We Are Who We Are

Most of us who are looking to lose weight or live healthier lives are doing so because we are unhappy ...

Eyelash Extensions versus Eyelash Perm and Tint

Hi! How’s it going?

Over here it’s going good but cold. I don’t like to leave the house when it’s cold so I’m extra proud of myself for rallying and getting out yesterday. Go Monican.

Okay. Today is not about running or eating or repeating. Nope.

Today’s post is about a huge crisis facing redheads all around the world…

Yes, it’s time someone brought this issue to the mainstream media. Redheads make up about 2% of the world’s population so this crisis hasn’t been addressed on most news outlets – maybe in Ireland, but I can’t confirm.

This issue isn’t just a ginger issue, but it’s very common with this group. It is = light colored eyelashes and/or eyebrows.

It wouldn’t be that big of a deal but unless you live under a rock without a phone you know that eyebrows are the most important trait to look for when making friends / finding someone to marry / getting your cat to like you. So my light brows are the reason I have no friends. (It has nothing to do with the fact that I AM VERY LOUD and like to eat other people’s food, nothing.)

Anyway.

I got my eyebrows dyed today. I also decided to get my eyelashes permed and tinted. This is a review of eyelash extensions versus eyelash perm and tint. If you’re here for running and eating come back tomorrow OR come over my house and we’ll go running and eating (but don’t complain about me being LOUD you were warned).

Eyelash Extensions:

Last year around this time I got eyelash extensions. I figured it would make it easier to get up and go when I was in Jerusalem. I liked them, but they require a lot of money and maintenance. The first session is about 1.5 to 2 hours and costs between $130 to $200. You get fills every 2 to 4 weeks (they say that but I think 3 weeks is the max when you have light eyelashes coming back in). Fill sessions take about 1 hour and cost $45 to $80.

Overview: Eyelash extensions are fake lashes individually glued on to your lashes. They are thicker and longer than natural lashes and give a dramatic look. The lashes come in different thickness and length so you can get them super dramatic or more natural. They fall off either with your normal lashes or slowly fall off with wear.

It’s hard to wear eyeliner with them. You have to take care of them and not use any oil based cleanser.

Pros to eyelash extensions: They look like you’re wearing awesome mascara or false eyelashes. They give you a make-up look without having to wear any. It makes it super easy to just put some sunblock or a great beauty balm foundation with and lip-gloss and you’re ready to go.

Cons to extensions: Price and time. They are expensive and you have to make time to get fills. You have to be very careful when removing make-up and not use any oil based make-up removers. It’s hard to put on eyeliner with extensions (they seem to be a little in the way and you shouldn’t use a waterproof kind).

 

 

Eyelash Perm and Tint:

Eyelash perm is when they basically ‘perm’ your eyelashes so they curl up. You can also tint them which is just dyeing them black. You don’t have to do both. I think most people just do the perm if they have super straight lashes.

I wanted to do the perm because I have very long eyelashes but they are super straight. I curl them when I wear make-up but they don’t stay curled. When I don’t wear any make-up I feel like they cover my eyes with a shaggy dog with fur in his face.

So, I thought getting an eyelash perm would help my lashes stay curled and doing the tint would give my light lashes a little color.

I know it’s not great but I have to admit that I don’t like how I look without make-up because my eyes look kind of weird without any lashes to frame them. I don’t like that I have such light colored eyelashes and it makes me feel like an albino alligator when I don’t wear any make-up. This is just something that makes me feel like I should wear make-up even when I don’t want to. (I don’t stay up all night berating myself, it’s just how I feel.)

Today I got my eyelashes permed and tinted. It took about 1.5 hours but what a lot cheaper than eyelash extensions. I also got my eyebrows tinted.

Pros to eyelash perm and tint: It’s cheaper than eyelash extensions. It gives me some definition around my eye without make-up. It lasts 4 to 8 weeks (depending on your hair and regrowth). So you don’t have to go back for an update (‘refill’) as often.

Cons to eyelash perm and tint: It’s not as dramatic as extensions so I still will wear make-up. I can’t put anything on my lashes for 24-48 hours (after that I’m clear to wear mascara and take it off with any make-up remover I want).

I don’t think they came out that great because my lashes still aren’t very curled. Since this was my first time the esthetician didn’t realize we should probably leave the perm solution on for a little longer. My hair is very straight (I don’t even own a hair straightener) and my lashes are very straight. I think they would be awesome if they were curled more.

Overall: I’m hoping the perm helps my lashes hold a curl and opens them up. I’m going to keep an eye on it to see if it was worth it, but I do think I’d go back to get them curled a little more next time. After another round I’ll decide if it’s worth it.

Question: Make-up. Are you wearing it right now?

The post Eyelash Extensions versus Eyelash Perm and Tint appeared first on Run Eat Repeat.

Questioning my identity as a runner

Lately, Michigan weather has been CRAZY. We had a couple of days last week that were up to 73 degrees and sunny! I was able to drive with my windows down and wear short sleeves... in February. And then it got down to 30 degrees, overcast, and windy. And yesterday, we had some freezing rain in the morning.

A week of Michigan weather (not sure who to credit for this cartoon!
If you know, please let me know so I can give credit)

So, my last post was my Wednesday Weigh-in. I feel like I've been writing so much about my depression lately that I've just been avoiding writing any more because I'm tired of talking about it. After several hours of phones calls to the doctor's office and the insurance company, and jumping through many hoops, I was able to get my insurance to approve my new antidepressant. I am going to stay on the waiting list to see a psychiatrist, though, just in case this new med doesn't work out.

I'll keep this brief, and then hopefully as this new med kicks in, I will be feeling better and depression won't be such a huge part of my life at the moment--and I'll write about happier things! ;)
Read more »

Is Winter Actually the BEST Time to Train Outdoors?

Guest Post by Lisa Green with Intro by Crabby McSlacker

You see the happy face of the winter exerciser pictured above? That's your first clue Crabby McSlacker didn't write this post.  She is a cowardly snowbird who flees to warmer climates when it gets cold. And she figured a winter picture of her exercising while holding a pina colada on a beach lined with palm trees might not be all that motivating to people in more northerly climates. (Though hell, with this winter's weird weather, you too may be donning your swimsuits and reaching for tropical cocktails).

But guess what? It turns out outdoor cold-weather exercising comes with some side benefits you may not know about. This might be way more helpful to your motivation during sucky winter weather than anything Crabby might suggest.

Lisa Green writes for Gym Person where you can find useful training tips and resources. But never fear, Crabby will be back either later this week or early next week, you never know with her. See you soon! --Crabby

You can’t be blamed for wanting to ride out the winter season and get back in shape come spring. Or maybe you are even that kind of person that regardless of season prefers to workout at home rather than outdoors.

Regardless of how or where you like to train, you would be wasting an incredible opportunity if you let the winter slip away.

For people willing to brave the elements during the winter months; the cold temperatures and low humidity can turbo-charge your training and torch body fat to give you a beach-ready body in time for summer.

Keep reading to learn all the benefits of cold weather workouts!

Exercise in the Cold and Get Happy

Research demonstrates that exercising raises your endorphin levels. Endorphins are the natural chemical painkiller we produce that elevates mood and relieves stress. Exercising in the outdoors in cold weather is more strenuous than training in the summer time, creating an even greater release of this great chemical into your bloodstream.

You don’t have to do anything different to enjoy the mood-elevating effects of cold weather exercise. Just make sure you don’t forget to warm-up and stretch properly before getting out there.

Cold Weather Training Burns Fat

Cold weather training will burn more fat than training in warm weather.

While many people associate sweating with burning calories, sweating and the number of calories you burn are completely unrelated. Sweating is simply the body’s mechanism for cooling off.

What burns calories is physical effort not sweating.

Cold weather training will burn more fat for two reasons:

• Your body will burn more calories simply to keep warm
• Cold temperatures encourage your body to produce brown fat

Take advantage of these two facts to torch body fat and lean out for the warm season by doing one easy thing.

You'll Become Cold-Proof

The human body is extraordinarily adaptable. By regularly exposing yourself to the cold your body will learn to generate higher levels of heat to counter the cold.

People who regularly exercise and work in cold temperatures are far less sensitive to dropping temperatures and remain comfortable in temperatures that would make most people shiver uncontrollably.

Improve Your Immune System

Exercising outdoors will improve blood circulation, and better circulation will result in a stronger immune response. Studies have proven that people who exercise get sick less frequently than people who are sedentary.

Cold weather exercise, being more strenuous will result in a better improvement in immune response than training in warmer weather.

A Chance to Try New Things

Winter exercise doesn’t have to be the same old grind, you can try something new!

Is there too much snow to run through? Build an igloo! The idea is to move your body and exercise your muscles almost any activity can qualify.

Here is a short list of fun winter activities that will get your heart pumping:

• Shovel snow; shoveling snow is an incredible all-body exercise. Make sure you use your legs and keep your back straight to prevent lower back injury
• Build a snowman; have fun out there and recapture some of the magic of your childhood
• Take a hike; find a field of deep snow and walk across it, lift your legs high and push your feet down deep for super cardio workout
• Go sledding; run your sled/inner-tube/cardboard box to the top of a hill and slide down-then repeat
• Go ice-skating; on a pond or at a skating rink, spend a few hours skating to burn hundreds of calories while you’re having fun!

Use your imagination; the number of ways to use snow and ice to train is only limited by your imagination.


However, there are a couple of things to keep in mind before you head outside for winter exercise:

Dress Lightly

That’s right. At temperatures above 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius) , the natural increase in body temperature from even moderate exercise will keep you comfortable in shorts and a t-shirt. Nature will take care of the rest. Your body will burn copious amounts of energy (fat) to maintain your core temperature; the cold will stimulate your body to produce brown fat (which burns regular fat).

Get Hydrated

Just because you’re not sweating as much as you do while training in warm weather doesn’t mean you’re not losing precious water to the atmosphere. That steam coming out your mouth every time you exhale; that’s water. You’re also still sweating while you exercise in the cold, the low humidity and cold simply wicks the moisture away before it can start to run down your face.

When you train in the cold, make sure you bring water with you. Staying hydrated will increase your endurance, minimize fatigue, and keep your lips from getting chapped.

So Get Out There!

The benefits of training outdoors in cold weather are numerous: a better mood, boosted immune system, increased ability to tolerate changes in temperature, and increased fat burning, to name a few. It's also a great way to change your fitness routine and bring some new excitement to what has likely become a stale routine. Use outdoor cold-weather training to restore your excitement for exercise.

Jennifer Hudson weight loss: How the Dreamgirls star dropped FIVE dress sizes

JENNIFER HUDSON flaunted her svelte physique on the new series of Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway at the weekend - but how did the once UK size 18 singer shed the pounds?

Go Green! Smoothies make COMEBACK as going green sparks sales surge

GOING green has sparked a welcome surge in sales of smoothies as health-conscious Britons increasingly switch to drinks packed with fruits and vegetables that are good for them, according to a new report.

Here’s What’s Making Me Happy Right Now

Not going to lie that I’ve been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster as of late, but I’m trying so hard, as usual, to hold on to the good.

Here’s what’s making me happy as of late:

Our Junior League Winter Ball is this weekend, and I am SO excited for my dress! Currently trying to decide just how to style it (and what to do with my hair!), but I’m in love with this ring my mom’s letting me borrow and I’m so excited to see all of my favorite people in one place, too. Sort of have my eye on this fur number…

Went to Orange Theory in Park Slope yesterday with a group of bloggers and now, of course, I want to start going back like. all. the. time.

I’m going to the Dave Nee Foundation gala this week with my friend Joan. As you know, being open about mental health is really important to me, as scary as it can be to be that vulnerable sometimes. The purpose of the foundation is to remove the stigma associated with depression.

I’m usually strictly a Kindle/iPad reading kinda girl, but I’ve been trying really hard to work on my sleep (I’m sort of a terrible sleeper) which involved turning off the devices. As such, I currently have a few ~ paper ~ books I’m reading; all of which I’m excited about.

Follow Me Into the Dark (by my internet buddy Felicia — a dark, suspenseful book

Behind Her Eyes, another thriller, via Book of the Month ($9.99/month!)

Attached, The Science of Adult Attachment (basically, attempting to armchair psychologist my relationship issues)

I bought a ThirdLove bra just before Christmas. It’s more than I normally spend on a bra, but it is GOOD. They just released this pretty one…and I’m thinking about it! (If you use this link, we each get $15 off.)

RUNNING/BLOGGING STUFF! I’d been feeling weirdly vulnerable in this space for a while, but …why?! Don’t call it a comeback, people. I’ve been working on a bunch of stuff behind the scenes, and I’m also excited to start doing some virtual run coaching, so let me know if you’re interested! I wrote a plan for a friend’s first half last week, and it got me really excited for everything else I’m working on.

Headspace — can’t get enough of this meditation app! It’s really really helping me with my sleeping/life outlook.

What’s making you happy right now?

Related posts:

1. Things That Are Making Me Happy
2. Shiny, Happy People
3. Not Making Excuses

A List of My Favorite People to Eat with

A list of my favorite people to eat with (in no particular order):

Cindy –>  homegirl eats super slow and then when I’m done with my food I can eat some of hers

Matt – > (my brother) because he’s a teenager and is kinda down with whatever kind of food  and I can influence his order so he gets something I want to try too.

Ben –> he lets me eat his fries and take bites of whatever good stuff he gets

SR –> because she is a volume eater and is down to get giant salads followed by donuts and/or ice cream

my dad –> he really enjoys good food and I don’t worry about ordering the cheapest thing on the menu because I’m poor

Monican  –> (eating solo) because I can eat like an animal and don’t have to be a lady

^^^ And that my friends is what I was thinking about on my run this morning…

 

Speaking of running… I was all about the stripes running gear yesterday. I did 13 miles Saturday and have a marathon pace 10 miles on the schedule for the next day. My quads just felt dead and it was really hard to keep any sort of momentum, I kept wanting to stop.

I spent the weekend with my best friend Cindy. She lives in Palm Springs and most of the time I go out to her but this time she came out to my place in Orange County. (Related: I want to get a vacation home in Palm Springs one day. Can someone tell me how to save money? Thanks.)

Cindy brought me flowers because she probably got pressured to buy them from some aggressive vendor. But she claims it was just to be nice. I appreciate it either way! Thanks Cin!!!

Look at how these flowers are already blossoming after just 12 hours! I love it.

We went to my favorite restaurant (right now anyway), Sizzler.

I’m good at buffets.

One time Cindy and I were in Vegas and we went to a buffet. Before we ate she took a picture of the table covered in plates and plates of food and sent it to her guy. He responded, “Who are you guys eating with?”

What? It was all for me. Well, it was all for me and Cindy, but mostly me.

He still talks about how impressed he is that I eat so much. Um, I run marathons – but that’s impressive? Okay. I’ve really been pursuing the wrong things to impress people  

Growing up we would go to Sizzler sometimes and I remember their cheese toast being the best. For some reason the Sizzler I live by now gives you butter rolls and you have to ask for the cheese toast if you’d prefer that. I didn’t realize this the first time I went to this location and just thought they didn’t have it.

I’m just sharing in case your local Sizz is holding out on the cheese toast.

Question: Who is your favorite person to eat with?

The post A List of My Favorite People to Eat with appeared first on Run Eat Repeat.

Paleo diet ‘is NOT sustainable’ - dietitian SLAMS popular caveman eating fad

THE PALEO diet has soared in popularity in recent years, but as a highly restrictive meal plan, it has experts concerned.

Obese air hostess shed impressive five stone after giving up THIS

AN OBESE air hostess was forced to quit her job after piling on five stone in just six months, but has now shed the weight after giving up her favourite treat.

BeachBody Workouts with Running

Hi! How’s it going? Running? Eating? Other-ing?

Vegas has been fold-ing… not really. He just felt the need to lay on my clothes as I was folding. Thanks, cat.

This morning I hit the road for an easy paced 8 mile run and then came back to do a quick strength session. I’ve been using BeachBody on Demand for strength workouts and wanted to share since I think it’s a great compliment to running for cardio.

I‘ve been using Beach Body on Demand for strength training / cross training with my running plan. I don’t have a gym membership right now so I figured I’d use it in place of fitness classes when I first signed up. I wasn’t sure if I’d like it or forget about it or what…

Well, I love it.

I like the freedom of being able to just lace up and go for a run when I want to workout. This is just as easy – I pick a workout on my non-running days or do one after I run. I use it about 2 to 3 times a week depending on what’s on my running or travel schedule.

What Is Beachbody On Demand?

Beachbody On Demand is a website that allows you to stream workouts and do them at home or wherever you have internet. It includes P90X, INSANITY, 21 Day Fix EXTREME, INSANITY MAX:30, FOCUS T25, 3 Week Yoga Retreat, or any one of over 400 other famous Beachbody workouts.

It’s like having 100s of options for fitness classes right at home.

I click on my go-to workout (I need to change it up, but I really love the one I’ve been doing) and do it while I catch up on reality TV. I feel like it’s a good balance.

So far I’ve stuck with the 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme workouts.

There is a calendar that tells you what day to do each workout for 21 days. (There’s also a diet plan you can get separately for the 21 day fix. it’s based around portion control and uses containers for you to measure your food.)

Since I run a lot and prefer running for my cardio I just do the upper body, abs and yoga workouts. I switch it around depending on the week but I usually do the upper fit, dirty 30 and yoga or flat abs. Doing 3 days of either cross training or strength training is good when you’re training for a half or full marathon. But do you.

*If you prefer DVDs you can get the 21 Day Fix program DVDs and food containers mailed to your house.  Click this link for that option.*

Since I’ve focused on the 21 day fix and fix extreme workouts up till now I can’t really share my thoughts on the other programs. But I like that there are a lot of strength options and so much variety.

You can get 1 year of BeachBody on Demand for $99 – that is such a great deal – especially when ya look at how much one single yoga class costs ($32 over here). The streaming / on demand option includes the workouts I’m doing and tons more.

Let me know if you have any questions on how it works with running or training. I’m creating a  calendar for running AND  using 21 day fix as strength training to go with it.

Now I’ve gotta get back to this pile of email that has been building up. I have so much to do – I’m just avoiding everything – that doesn’t make any sense!

And remember I was talking about carrot cake a few weeks ago??

Well, have you seen this Carrot Cake Chobani yogurt?? It’s not the same as a piece of cake but is a fun treat.

Bonus: I have a small set of weights, a yoga mat and a few resistance bands that I use with the workouts. You can probably get by with a set of 5 lb. and set of 10 lb. weights and a yoga mat.

Question: How often do you do strength training?

What workouts do you do? At home? The gym?

 

Disclaimer: I’m not a BeachBody coach, but a rep from Beachbody gave me a gift membership. This post is in partnership with BeachBody. All opinions are my own.

The post BeachBody Workouts with Running appeared first on Run Eat Repeat.