A Taste of Try the World

February 18, 2015 by kpjenn

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Valerie of Valerie & Valise tweeted her vlog about her latest Try the World box.

She’s a travel guru and on any given weekend is traipsing about the globe visit fabulous places, taking beautiful pictures and eating amazing food. Needless to say, she inspires wanderlust in me on the regular.

Anyways… she tweeted about this Try the World thing. Not being one to turn down a good subscription box, I decided I needed to check out this nonsense. Generally, I’m of the opinion that if Valerie endorses something, I’m probably going to like it. This has been true since I was about 13. Things haven’t changed much.

The gist behind Try the World? Discovering the world through food. Every two months, you get a box of gourmet food from a different country. Simple and delicious. It’s a little pricey ($39 a box for the subscription that auto-renews every two months), but you can cancel any time and for what you’re getting (and where it’s coming from) I can handle that cost every two months.

I decided I needed to try this magic out, because if I can’t travel places, then at least I can eat the food.

When my first box arrived, I greeted it with glee!

Happiness is a box of treats from a foreign land

This is the Paris Box, and let me tell you, France is a wonderful place to start. Inside the box was a beautiful array of things that almost looked to pretty to eat. I didn’t let that stop me though, because I’m all about those snacks.

There are seven items in the Paris box – six pictured here, and a mystery treat (that I ate and forgot to get a picture of. Sorry I’m not sorry). Some things look or sound familiar (dark chocolate in any language is fine by me) and some I recognized with a little help from my high school French classes. Thank goodness the box comes with a card that describes each item!

What was in my box? Well, let’s take a look! The following descriptions are from the card… there’s no way I could describe food like this. My take on the food is in italics after.

La Mere Poulard, sables – The famous restaurant and bakery namesd after its founder, La Mere Poulard, remains to this day a benchmark in French gastronomy for its variety, originality and light touch. With only five ingredients including salted butter from Brittany, these delightful cookies are loved by locals and visitors alike! These cookies were the bomb dot com. They are simple and don’t need any adornment – not too sweet but so, so yummy!

Maison d’Armorine, salted butter caramels – This delectable recipe was born in the summer of 1946 when the French celebrated the return to leisure at the beach in Brittany. Maison d’Armorine makes these salted butter caramels using Breton butter and Brittany’s famous fleur de sel. For any French gourmand, each bite of these chewy caramels evokes childhood memories of seaside holidays. It’s caramel. You can’t go wrong. I’ve only had one, but it was TASTY.

Domaine des Vignes, whole grain mustard – The origin of mustard production in France dates back to the Roman Empire, who exported the mustard seeds to Gaul, centures BC. Vineyard Domaine des Vignes uses vinegar produced from its grapes as a base for the mustard. Enjoy this mustard with charcuterie, with roasted meat, or as a dip. I tried this in a marinade with some roasted chicken last week. Serious flavor. Definitely excited to find more things to use this with!

Charles Antona, Corsican jam – Charles Antona is a Corsican brand whose secret lies in its ingredients. Each fruit is ordained with the scent of herbs from bushes that cover the island, and staying true to his grandmother’s recipes, Antona combines Mediterranean herbs and local fruit in his line of preserves. Mine was cherry. I tried a little on one of the sables cookies… I didn’t regret it.

Celement Faugier, chestnut spread – This unique recipe was created by master confectioner Clement Faugier in 1885 and combines chestnuts picked in the Ardeche region with a delightful hint of vanilla. This delicious puree can be used alone as a dessert, enjoyed with cookies, used as a sweet topping for yogurt, or spread on toast, a croissant or fresh brioche. I totally put this on one of the cookies as well, and I’m newly obsessed with it. I want a croissant right now, because I’d slather this nonsense all over it. Chestnut spread. Who knew?

Flagrants Desirs, dark chocolate bar with raspberry – With this 72% cocoa chocolate, Flagrants Desirs continues the tradition of the greatest European master chocolatiers. They achieve this rich cocoa taste by using only real cocoa butter, unlike industrial chocolate producers that ofter use other vegetable fats. This fine selection of cocoa beans mixed with a delicate balance of fruity aroma is a perfect midpoint between milk and dark chocolate. I don’t even need to say anything else about this. Because that pretty much summed it up. Rich, dark, chocolaty deliciousness. More please.

The mystery treat? Two gummy candies – one pear-flavored, the other apricot. Both were very fruity, but in the natural way, not the fake candy fruit flavor way. The pear one tasted just like I was biting into a pear. Swearsies. Super yum. And not too sweet! I usually don’t enjoy candy that much because I don’t eat a lot of sugar and even a little can sometimes be too much. These were very good, and just enough sweetness to do the job.

I don’t get another box for another couple of months, but I’m excited to see what’s next! Try the World is a great way to travel the world on a budget – the world comes to you!

If you’re interested in Try the World, use my referral link: http://fbuy.me/bVMjQ and get $15 off your subscription!

You say Yoga, I Say Pranayama

February 17, 2015 by Jennifer

If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, my profile pic might clue you in to the fact that I am a big fan of yoga. You might also see me posting my photos for the @prAna #taketheleap 30 day yoga challenge, or talking about some of the yoga events I attend.

I planned this shot for weeks and weeks.

#wewearyellow @ the Yoga on the Rocks event at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Summer 2014

My little sister got me hooked on yoga in 2011 when she dragged me to a class at her favorite studio. My stubbornness went something like:

“Why should I pay $16.00 to go to a class when I have YouTube and Gaiam DVDs?”

“Videos don’t give you the same level of instruction, they can’t correct you,” she explained.

“Great. Because you know how much I love people telling me what to do.”

“It’s a class, Jennifer, of course they will tell you what to do. Just shut up and come with me.”

She won the battle with that logic and I went to my first 90 minute hot vinyasa flow class. Turns out, my little sis is one smart, sassy cookie. Thanks to her, yoga is a huge part of my life. In fact, I now have a long term goal of becoming a yoga instructor. I am quite far from achieving that goal, so please take note that I am not a yoga instructor. That being said, I couldn’t help but notice the teachers repeating the same corrections to everyone. And holy wow, once enacted they made yoga so much less hurty for me. With all of the yoga challenges going on and people trying yoga for the first time, this is good info to share. So here goes!

Breathe – Primarily, yoga is about breath. Basically, pay attention to your breath and try to regulate it throughout your entire yoga sequence. Breathe at a pace that is comfortable for you. Try to make your inhalation take as long as your exhalation. I use counting to help me slow the breath. I slowly count to six as I inhale, I hold for three, and I count to six as I exhale.

Tuck Your Tail when you are doing a standing pose. This engages your core and firms up your trunk to make back bends easier and extend reach. Check it out with mountain pose:

WRONG. OUCH.

In this photo, my butt is sticking out like a duck’s and I am not fully extending my arms. Reaching higher won’t solve the problem, and if I bend backward more to extend my arms, my lower back hurts.

Tucked Tail = AHHHHHH. I AM A GODDESS.

In the second frame, I have tilted my pelvis forward, or “tucked my tail” to root my core. Doing this allows me to fully extend my arms and bend backward with no pain or pinching. You can see how much further my arms are extended, and my glutes are engaged. My chest is open and so is my heart. In yoga speak that is a very good thing!

Keep your back straight. This is hard because we can’t see the curve in our back. Again, think about making sure your core is engaged. Yoga is very much about core strength. When you’re hunched over, it’s hard to engage the abdomen.

No, no and more no.

With my back is curved, my bottom foot is not at a 90 degree angle and by curving my back to bring my head to my knee, I’m sacrificing a lot of the hamstring stretch I should be getting in this pose. Bending from the waist is more effective.

Not as impressive “looking”, but waaaay more effective.

With my back as strait as possible, I lower as far as I can by drawing my chest to the floor. My back foot is at a 90 degree angle to my leg, and my arms are not as far forward. In this posture I feel the stretch from my foot all the way up to my sciatic. This is a GREAT pose for runners!

Keep your hips level with each other. This is one your instructor will guide you on depending on the pose, but to give you an idea, consider pigeon pose. In this photo, my hips are really tilted to the left and although it feels comfortable, it is not making the most out of this challenging and amazingly awesome pose (also FABULOUS for runners).

I look like I’m missing my red SOLO cup.

Whereas here, my hips are level to each other, my left leg is straight, and you can actually see my other foot! With this correct posture, I am getting the full benefit of this hip opening pose.

Roll your shoulders back to get them to play nice with you. Many poses have you clasping your hands behind your back or twisting with an extended reach. Roll to get into position first, and don’t forget to tuck the tail if you’re standing!

Take a Class. Or Five. For real. Once you have a basic foundation and understanding of yoga and your body’s limits, the videos and poses you see outside of class will make much more sense and hurt much, much less.

Variations are GOOD. – There is no such this as go big or go home in yoga. Use blocks to alter poses until you can fully extend. If it hurts, don’t push. If you can’t get into pigeon pose it’s okay. Do the best you can and keep practicing. That’s why it’s called a yoga practice. Crow pose and inversions are not for beginners. Trust me. You can get hurt doing yoga. Just ask my little broken toe.

Hint: When falling out of headstand, tuck and roll, do not flop.

Yoga is about your personal journey with your body and spirit. Yes, yoga is a fitness activity, but it began as a spiritual practice. Many fitness activities are focused on competition, spiritual activities are based on self reflection and discovery. In that way, Yoga is a private practice done in a group setting. There should be no judgement of you, by you, or anyone else. Only acceptance of your body, its gifts, and its limitations. Take it slow and forget about the destination. Live in the present and enjoy your journey in everything you do. Namaste!

Are you doing a challenge this month? Have you tried yoga or are you worried you’ll break your little toe? Let me assuage your fears in the comments!

A blogaversary #TeamSparkle giveaway!

February 11, 2015 by vfreile

We’re two! We’re two!

Of course that means I went on a shopping spree. You know I love Sparkle Athletic skirts and visors and I – ahem – picked up some fun goodies to share with you all, our lovely readers.

We’ve mentioned more than once how much we dig Sparkle Athletics products, in part because they are a women-owned, women-run company based on the left coast. They are great people. And we love to support great people.

Up for grabs are the Headsweats brand Rainbow Checkerboard visor and Silver Wing shwings.

Click on the below photo to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway:

Giveaway begins Feb. 11 and ends at midnight on Feb. 15. Contest only open to U.S. residents. We will notify winner via email and on our Facebook page.

Please note that Vic purchased these prizes on her own. This post is not sponsored by Sparkle Athletic in any way. We just love their products and all the company represents. Prize package is worth $35.

Scoot a Doot’s blogaversary!

February 9, 2015 by Meridith

Once upon a time, back in February of 2013, there was a lady in New Jersey (that would be me, for those who don’t follow my every move) who was probably going through a bit of the winter doldrums and seemingly needed a project. She emailed five of her friends from all over the country about starting a fitness blog…

and thus, Scoot a Doot was born!

Through our first year of blogging, we learned a lot. We ran (wrote about that), we got injuries (and we wrote about those), we cooked and ate (naturally blogging all the way with recipes); we shared personal stories and stories that touched our hearts.

Our second year has brought a few “changing of the guards” as we’ve welcomed Kyle and Jenn into the fold, as well as changed our server to allow us more control over the site and analytics. While our blog sometimes seems like a defiant toddler, we like to focus on the warm cuddly moments!

Giveaways will be coming throughout the month of February, so keep your eyes peeled for those. But in the meanwhile… It’s always interesting to look at the site stats and see what posts really pull readers in! Since switching servers it’s hard to get a true sense of numbers but here are a couple of reader faves.

Vic’s assessment of The Color Run vs. Color Vibe is a heavy hitter! Click to check out the winner.

Nut butter, mmmmm! Bec’s Buff Butter review ranks high in interest for our readers. Not hard to see why.

Mer (that’s me) started the year off with a 21 no junk food challenge. It kicked the year off right!

Of course, we also have our own personal favorites. What to hear them? Sure you do!

You’ll see a couple of repeats as we didn’t chat with each other on our picks, which was on purpose. Picking them from the heart was the goal!

Asking me to pick my favorite post is like asking me to pick my favorite child. Who came up with this idea?

Oh. Me. Right.

The posts that really resonate with me are ones where we do things together. I’m all for the Chick Chats which are the group posts where we all weigh in on a topic. But my very favorites were the Day in the Life series where we shared our daily routines.

Why?

Simply put, I’m nosy.

If Jess is freaking out about World Cup Soccer, even if I don’t watch or know anything about soccer, I want to know!

Bec’s doing laundry? Well, I probably already know about it because that makes up a great deal of our emails to each other. But I want to know what she’s eating for lunch. And dinner. Because that’s also what we talk about a lot (and ice cream).

If Vic is hitting the Wegman’s (color me jealous) and going for a run after work, I like to keep track so we can discuss later.

I start many days texting with Brooke because she and I are on the same coast and keep the same hours. I felt like I was right there along side of her during this post (and I wish I were because that would be rad).

Cam’s (thug) life always makes me smile – this girl is hardcore, with her parenting and with her two-a-day workouts!

You see, these are some of my favorite people in the world so basically anything that I get to read about and get a glimpse in their daily lives, I am all for! I vote that Kyle and Jenn do their Day in the Life posts soon.

My pick is The Lies They Tell Us by Jenn.

I identify with every line of this post. I struggle with my body image, weight, appearance, ALL of it, on a daily basis and I know a lot of it has to do with what the media tells women they need to look like. I see it for what a crock it is and I still feed into it. I loved the positive spin Jenn put on her post at the end – that we need to embrace ourselves just as we are, because that’s 100% enough.

The Lies They Tell Us – I absolutely loved this post. I’ve written more than a few posts where I talk about body image and perception, but I fear those come off as ‘fat girl whining’ sometimes. This post reminds people that body image and mainstream media’s depiction of what ‘fit women look like, is something that a lot of us struggle with, regardless of our weight. Awesome job, Jenn!

On the Boardwalk, Out in the Sun – This post is my happy place. This brings me right back to the AC Half weekend last year, which was epic in so many ways. Actually getting to meet Anne, Brooke, and Vic, getting to cuddle with Meri and Cam and Heather, a little quality time with Mer’s boys and PUPPY. Hanging out with Jess, figuratively if not literally, in a Starbucks. It was awesome. These girls are my people, and the reason I am part of Scoot.

Philadelphia Marathon’s biggest fan – I love this post for a lot of reasons, and not because it has to do with me. Not only does it capture one of the best days of my life – EVER – it demonstrates what kind of amazing people we have here at Scoot.

Meridith is a world champion cheerleader, teammate and friend. This post – all about her cheering me (and a bajillion other runners) at the 2013 Philly Marathon – is just one example of the contagiously enthusiastic and supportive human being that she is.

I will always remember that race because it was my first marathon, but I never would have done it (or had nearly as much fun) if Mer hadn’t been there to take care of me.

(She still does take care of me. And the rest of us. And we take care of her. And each other. Because teammates.)

Every post on Scoot a Doot is fabulous (I *might* be biased), but two in particular have really stuck with me.

Mer’s You Know Who Rocks? I Do, That’s Who and Cam’s Oh, Just Another Blog Post About Mental Illness helped me move past some stuff I was dealing with in my head and helped me forgive myself for the past. They helped me remember that everyone has struggles, no matter how much they appear to “have it together”. Everyone has insecurities. Sometimes, we feel like a failure. Sometimes, we need help. We are all human, and like Buddha says, all suffering.

In each of their posts, Mer and Cam reminded me that each of us possesses the inner strength to overcome adversity and achieve any goal we want. We only have to dig deep, and face our obstacles head on with honesty, grace, and humor.

Oh, Just Another Blog Post About Mental Illness – This post by Cam stuck with me in part because our Cam was so raw and honest about mental illness and it’s ripple effect. It wasn’t just another reaction post, but was one that stop and made me think. Yes, it stemmed from a tragedy. Yes, tragedy touches us all in one way or another. But it reminds me how important acceptance, understanding and inclusion are.

Goodbye Sweet Girl – It’s not a happy one, but our 13-year-old cat’s death was one of the defining moments of our year. This took a month for me put into words and I look back on it often. It’s hard to let go.

My very favorite post this year was the one where we announced the addition of our two lovely new chicks. But that’s not one of the posts I’m picking. Yes, I’m a cheater.

One of my favorites this year was Bec’s Demotivation post. It’s so good to know I’m not the only one who over-analyzes the literary aspects of things like memes and motivational posters. Also, I love cranky Bec. She makes me giggle.

My other, more recent favorite, was Jenn’s The Lies They Tell Us because she discusses something I’ve always had an issue with. And yes, Jenn, it’s the seamstress in you, because I feel the same way about clothing sizes. Since high school, I’ve been altering my clothes. I had a true hour glass figure pre-babies (now it’s more like a beaker). Finding jeans that fit my hips and didn’t gap at the waist was like finding the Holy Grail. Quite similar to finding a magazine that didn’t exploit all my teenage insecurities. Now, I just don’t read the damn things. Instead, I read blog about how they suck!

Thanks so much for another great year; we’ve had so much fun connecting with you all! Giveaways are coming all through the month of February, so be on the lookout.

Tell us about some of your favorite blog posts around the internet. We are always looking for new and fun things to read!

Vic’s outdoor work life

February 6, 2015 by vfreile

Every now and then I see myself on TV while running on a treadmill at the gym.

I always laugh, then look around to make sure no one made the connection.

No, I’m not a TV personality or part of a show. I’m that reporter in the background on the breaking news live shot. I’m scribbling in my notepad, snapping pics on my iPhone, or nodding my head as I hear the the subject saying exactly what I want to hear.

Since 2006, I covered breaking news, courts and crime at the Democrat and Chronicle. My job was tough. I was the reporter who contacted people at some of the lowest, most tragic points in their lives.

Fatal plane crash, toddler drowning, fiery blaze that killed a whole family, firefighter shot to death. I’ll never say “I’ve seen it all.” I know I haven’t. Something worse always seems to come along.

My daily work life changed in December, I got a new assignment at the paper.

I now cover active recreation as the outdoor/adventure reporter at the Democrat and Chronicle. People are actually excited to talk to me about their passions and hobbies. AND I’m having an amazing time exploring everything my community has to offer.

I’ve been ice fishing, I rode a fat bike and this weekend, I’m jumping into a 35-degree lake in upstate New York with a GoPro camera.

Yeah, I’m not sure what I was thinking when I pitched that one.

I’m realizing just how much there is to do in the Rochester region. Snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, boating, fishing and oh yes, I plan to try my hand at target shooting. I feel like I’m taking a page out of Jess’s book to tell y’all that I’m super excited!

So let me share a few fun stories with you:

I went ice fishing on Braddock Bay near Lake Ontario. Wearing three layers of pants and four tops, including my ski gear, I attached some yax trax to my boots and walked onto the frozen lake looking for chatty folks with fabulous stories. I sure found them! I jigged a fishing line, sat in a fishing hut and had a blast in my first ice fishing experience.

Here’s that story: Get hooked on ice fishing

I ran a half marathon in the middle of January, in subzero wind chills. I knew what I was getting into with this one and still it was hard. This race wasn’t one for speed or time. It was all mental. Alllll mental. And I’ll be the first to admit, this one nearly beat me.

Here’s that story: Winter Warrior half marathon lives up to name

Last weekend, I learned all about fat bikes – those are oversized bikes that allow cyclist to ride on snow and other unstable terrain. I hopped on one in a town park and zipped around a parking lot covered in snow and ice that would’ve toppled me on any other cycle. Fabulous. I also just bought a new road bike for when the snow melts, if you want to know more on the bike I just got click the link above.

And I made a VIDEO: Fat biking gains traction

I’ll add the story link here once it’s posted online. It runs in print Sunday.

And I promise to let you know how that Polar Plunge goes. And a hearty thank you to everyone who donated in my honor. The event raises funds for Special Olympics programs in the Rochester region. And thanks to you all, I surpassed my $300 goal!

In short, I’m having a blast. But I need more ideas! What would you like to see me cover? No idea is too small (but I do need to keep focused in Western NY.) Please share your suggestions here!

If you wish to follow my coverage and fun on social media, here are my accounts on Twitter, Instagram and FB.

This is How You Train with a #BustedAnkle

January 21, 2015 by kpjenn

Remember back in November (GOSH that was a long time ago) when I did a dumb thing and my ankle ended up looking like this?

Not. Bueno.

Well. It looks less like that now and more like a normal foot/ankle situation, albeit a little bit puffier than one would like. Two months of physical therapy later, and I’m still not allowed to run. Yet. My orthopedist made mention of “coming back to see [him] in a month if the ankle still isn’t better.” That was before Christmas.

For those of you that can count, Christmas was nearly a month ago. Ankle? Still not 100%. But, I’m waiting to make that appointment until my PT gives me a re-evaluation. (I really don’t want to have to do the surgery-thing. I want to avoid the surgery-thing as much as possible.)

Anyways. In trying to avoid the surgery-thing, my PT has me doing all sorts of fun things. Strengthening exercises, ultrasound, stim… and he’s cleared me cycle (THANK GOODNESS), do the elliptical, and walk briskly on the treadmill. So, I’ve headed back to the gym, with gusto, to continue to train and strengthen my sad ankle and try to stay in shape (a shape that isn’t a circle).

So, how do you workout with a sort-of busted appendage? Let me count the ways:

Cycle:

I’ve been spinning for about two years now and I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t one of my favorite things. I try to go at least three or four times a week. Lately, I’ve been going nearly every day. Because when my options are either spin or “walk briskly on the treadmill,” I’ll take spin every time. Not to mention the fact that it’s a great cardio workout and if you focus on form and power – it can be a great strength workout too. #quadzilla like whoa.

Spin is good for the soul.

Weight Training:

I love lifting. Like, a lot. Because when you do it right, lifting weights burns a ton of calories, builds muscle, and works your whole body like crazy. I like to get in a session after a cardio workout, when I’m warmed up already. I haven’t been as disciplined about getting in the weight room in the last few months, and I’ve felt it. So, this month, I’ve made an effort to lift at least four times a week, and I feel SO much better.

Musclessssss. Sort of.

Rowing:

Chick Vic is a real rower. I just like to hang out on the Concept2. This is a great upper body and core workout. And it doesn’t hurt my ankle which is an even better thing. I like to do this on days that I’m not spinning, because this wipes me out! Added bonus, if you row, you can be a cool cat like Frank Underwood:

Maybe I watch too much House of Cards…

I’m supposed to be cleared to run this week (I go back to my PT today), but in the event that I’m not, I’m going to ask about swimming. I haven’t been allowed to do that yet for fear of hyperextending my ankle, but now that it’s on the mend, I should be able to. Fingers crossed I get some good news today!

What are your favorite workouts? How have you coped with an injury? Because it’s just the worst.

2015 Walt Disney World half marathon recap

January 14, 2015 by Meridith

Fun fact: I’ve never run a Disney race twice.

I kicked it off in 2012, tackling Princess as my first half marathon and doing the 5k for funsies the day prior (and friends thought I was nuts). From there it’s been a whirlwind of the Castaway 5k, Tink, Wine and Dine, Disneyland 10k and half (again, with the nuts comments – they obviously don’t know many who have done Goofy/Dopey), and most recently the Walt Disney World half this past weekend.

Anyone who has run a Florida runDisney race knows about the dreaded early wake up time.

Anyone who has not run a Florida runDisney race but wants to… you may want to set your alarms now for 2:45am and practice that along with training. Because yes, that’s what time you get up for these races.

The struggle is real.

Extra, extra, read all about it. It’s COLD outside.

Brooke and I decided that we would be Newsies. We also decided that we would wear cute little tanks and running skirts. And then Mother Nature decided that she was going to throw a curveball at all of northern Florida and make it fairly chilly. Warmth took precedence over cuteness.

Sleep nearly took precedence over the race, if I’m being quite honest. Have I mentioned how early it was?

We stayed at the All Star Movie Resort, which made our travel to the start very simple; buses are scheduled non-stop starting at 3am. We didn’t check bags so we gathered our SPIbelts, food (wheat flats, almond butter, and bananas), and braced ourselves for the cold weather.

Donning our pajama pants and Brooke’s husband’s sweatshirts we found ourselves at the start village. Our dear friend, Ashley, was doing her first half marathon and our plan was to find her before the race. Attempts to track down Kristen and Suzanne were made, as I knew they were starting in our corral but to no avail.

The walk from the start village to the corrals is about a mile or so and while I found it daunting during the Princess half (remember, that was my first half ever), this wasn’t bad at all. The flow of traffic was smooth and we were able to get to the corrals with no issues. Our walk consisted of us geeking out over Universal’s Harry Potter world and books in general.

These are my people!

Ash, Brooke, and me

Soon we had to split off and go to our separate corrals, so we gave hugs and high fives to Ash and her friends before heading to corral J.

Thanks to social media, Brooke and I knew which skirts Kristen and Suzanne were wearing so we spent a good long while walking around the corral, peering at people’s legs. Yes, indeed. Sadly, we didn’t find them (but hey, it was a way to pass the time).

The earlier corrals began to cross the start line and we both shimmied out of our pajama pants, tossing them into the collection boxes. We listened to the announcers banter and watched the fireworks at the start of each corral.

Before long, it was our turn!

Our plan for this race was to HAVE FUN and I would say we succeeded! We thanked volunteers left and right. We ran when we felt like it. We walked when we felt like it (or when the course narrowed and there wasn’t much of an option). We cheered for other runners.

We pulled to the side and took selfies.

This course is the exact same as Princess so we knew what to expect. But honestly, my feelings toward this race couldn’t have been more different. My first half, it was all about getting through it. This? This was just about having fun and spending time with my friend. I didn’t hurt. I didn’t push any limits. I just had fun with Brooke.

The park is always crowded, as you can see in this video. There are people cheering and there’s not much room to navigate if you want to go faster than the people in front of you. What’s a courteous runner to do? Just roll with it. Soak it up, enjoy the moment, and smile.

It was “snowing” as we ran into the castle.

If you’re a middle to the back of the pack runner, realize that you probably won’t get that awesome running shot of you coming out of the castle. I know for me, it was slightly disappointing when I first ran a Disney race. However, there are photographers stationed right in front of the castle if you want to stop and grab pictures with the castle in the background.

Brooke was hoping that this train would bring us to Diagon Alley. It does not. Sadly.

Miles 7-11 are what I like to call “the boring miles.” You exit Magic Kingdom and it’s lackluster. I feel like Disney could do something MORE in these miles to make it less tedious. I said that 2 years ago during Princess and I’m saying it again.

That’s not to say that the boring miles only pertain to runDisney, it’s really true of any half marathon. They are just sort of ho-hum, are we done yet? miles. For the record, the answer is no. You’re not even close to being done.

Which is why when you run into Kristen and Suzanne, whom you’ve been looking for the entire time, you basically lose your ever-loving mind and make loud squealing noises!

They spotted my hair and hat and we spotted their SKIRTS. How cute are they?

We hung out with them for about a half mile (I’m guessing – my watch was set on kilometers so I wasn’t exactly knowledgeable of anything in the distance department) before I pulled to the side because I had something in my shoe. It was so wonderful to see them and it definitely made those “boring miles” way more exciting!

Since the race is mostly on access roads, it’s hard for spectators to get out to the more remote areas. That’s why I totally have to give kudos to this guy! This was mile 10, just before going up the access ramp.

Brooke and I kept chugging along although we were straight up speed walking at this point with the hopes of finishing up faster. Right outside of Epcot there were people cheering and it was wonderful to hear my name being called. Only LATER did I realize it was Bonnie! OH MY GOODNESS, I love that girl!

When you hit Epcot, you hear the same thing over and over. “The finish is just around the corner.” But we knew the course and we knew that it was NOT. You have to wind your way through Epcot a little before that corner finally comes. However, this is how you know the corner is really the actual corner and not a fictional one.

That’s right! There’s a gospel choir! You can hear Brooke WOOing them, like a good Woo Girl should.

Then, and only then, can you expect to see the finish line around the corner.

This is the moment that you’ve been waiting for for 13.1 miles. You take it in. The crowds cheering. The people in front of you holding hands. The far off sound of medals clanking.

The sound of Brooke as she exclaims, “WAIT! Is that Minnie Mouse?”

Why, yes. Yes, it is.

The finish was wonderful. Filled with great medals and snacks because runger is a real thing. Oh, and banana phones.

W stayed at the finish area, snacking and stretching, so we could meet up with Ashley after she finished her very first half marathon. Mark my words, next time we are running TOGETHER.

Different races have meant different things in my life. Some are for PRs, others are for fun with friends. This one, and this weekend in general, was therapeutic. It was good for the soul and exactly what I needed.

Do different races hold different meanings in your life? When is your next race? Anyone entering the Broad Street 10 Miler Lottery? The next 5k I’m registered for is the Adrenaline Run 5k. After that it’s the Atlantic City April Fools Half. Will I see you at either of those?

Not Gonna Half A** My First 1/2

January 5, 2015 by Jennifer

Today is a BIG day for me. Exactly fourteen weeks from today, I will be in Atlantic City with a few of my fellow Chicks, laughing and eating and giggling and running in the AC April Fool’s Half Marathon. It will be my first half, and I really want to have a strong race. It’s important to me that I’m able to keep up with Mer, Vic, and Cam because it’s not often that I get to run with my girls. I registered for the race many moons ago, determined to train safely over ten months. I stuck to that over the summer, but then the fall semester started up and training was replaced with homework.

Blahhhhhh.

So here I am, fourteen weeks out from my first half marathon and not nearly where I wanted to be. Same old song and dance, right? YUP. Not for long, though, because this girl has a plan.

Jenn’s First Half Training Plan:

Start Training in Earnest. I found a fourteen week half marathon training plan from Women’s Running Magazine that I think will work well for me. I’m super excited to start it, and even though day one (today) is a “rest day”, it is SO ON tomorrow. The plan offers enough flexibility with the strength training and cross training that I can pick activities that I enjoy like rock climbing and vinyasa yoga. Yay for variety! Without variety, I know I would fail a few weeks in.

Eat healthier. Notice I didn’t say eat clean or diet. I’ve accepted that there are few things in life that I just cannot and will not give up. My life without any bacon, chocolate, or those blasted lemon poppy seed scones the local store bakery sells really couldn’t be called life. What I need to practice is moderation.

I’m like Rick Astley with these things.

Also, I could do a better job of satisfying my demanding sweet tooth with healthy alternatives like the chocolate chip chia seed energy bites from Gimmesomeoven. I made them yesterday and my husband called them “balls of yummy goodness.” I was forced to tell him to back off my chocolate fix. It was about to get ugly.

No Bake Energy Bites Recipe from Gimme Some Oven

Stay Motivated This is likely the most difficult aspect of training in any sport. The strategy I chose was to carefully plot out my goals and the plan for achieving them. I created an achievement board, a training calendar outlining the 14 week plan, and organized a cork board to act as a half marathon command center. I was sure to highlight the reasons why I enjoy running such as the sense of accomplishment after a race and how it helps me burn off negative energy. I also broke up my goals into to smaller more manageable segments because I have a tendency to overwhelm myself with the BIG picture.

Board of awesome!

Accept My Limits I discovered this fall that running in cold weather aggravates my asthma too much. The treadmill at the office gym and I are soon to be quite well acquainted. I can’t continue to let asthma hold me back eight months out of the year. I HAVE THINGS TO DO, LUNGS! I am terrified of getting bored on the treadmill early on in my training. Audio books are definitely on tap, and I’m going to try to learn meditation running. I’ve been wanting to read “Running With The Mind of Meditation” for a while now. Anyone have any experience with this technique?

Read to Achieve!

That’s it, that’s my plan. Admittedly, I’m sort of winging, but it’s my plan nonetheless. More importantly, I want to hear your go-to training strategies, as well as what you feel doesn’t work for you. Please share your wisdom with me, I’d be so grateful! I might even make you some balls of yummy goodness.

How do you stay motivated? Do you have a favorite training workout? Do you have to hide your chocolate stash from your husband like I do? Let’s trade hiding places in the comments!

Always Look On The Bright Side of Life

December 30, 2014 by Meridith

You know what? I’ve been having a rough couple of weeks.

Not like small rough. BIG, STEAMING PILES OF POOP, rough. I’m not going to go into too much into the craptastic details. But you can trust me when I say that things haven’t been the greatest.

I’ve repeatedly stated that I can’t wait for 2014 to be over; however, just like you can’t have a bad workout and give up for the week, day, month, year… you can’t blame an entire year for some crappy days (weeks, months, events, blah blah blah).

Besides, today, I realize that things are actually going my way! Seriously, I’ve got a few awesome things that I did today. And no, they aren’t BIG things. But I’ve always been a glass half full type of person, despite what life has thrown at me so why change that now?

Without further ado:

1. I’ve saved $450 of random cash this year in an envelope.

CHA-CHING!

I can’t find the exact blog post but Suzan over at Welcome to the Nuthouse mentioned that every time she got a 5 dollar bill, she set it aside to save.

Following her lead, I did just that, occasionally throwing in other random bills along the way if I had extra in my wallet that I didn’t need immediately. A few times, bills came OUT of the envelope (emergency fund/no cash in the house/have to pay for piano lessons/etc.) but overall we did a good job of donating to our cause.

Saved money = good!

2. A few months ago that we switched from a .com to a .org and with that change, we changed the look of the blog, added a few awesome Chicks, etc. However, for the life of me, I couldn’t get the LIKE button on the bottom of posts.

I really, really like the like button.

Today I finally figured out HOW TO GET THE LIKE BUTTON BACK. I mean, it’s a little thing, but this was something that I wanted on the blog. And it’s there! Happiness is being able to figure out something that you couldn’t figure out before.

(Now, if anyone has any idea how to get Facebook to post a picture from a blog post rather than pulling a sidebar image… let’s just say I would be most grateful for the insight.)

3. Christmas Crazy is slowly dissolving in my house. And I can breathe again.

Ahhhhhh.

You cuties can go back to your spot, nestled in the attic, until next time!

I’m taking down decorations, cleaning up the living room and finding spots for all the new toys and gadgets. I thrive with order and the chaos of the holidays really does a number on my sensibility.

4. Awesome, awesome, awesome workout with my trainer this morning.

My gym schedule is Tuesday/Thursday (with my husband going Monday/Wednesday/Friday). My Thursday last week was a bit on the busy side, what with it being Christmas and all. Last Tuesday I was injured (part of the craptastic story) and unable to make it. Therefore, I hadn’t really trained with my trainer since 11 days ago.

What was that I said above? Oh yes, I thrive on ORDER.

This morning’s workout was so necessary and so good for me, both physically and mentally. No doubt that I’ll be sore tomorrow and grateful for it!

Thursday is New Years Day so while they are closed, Dude has graciously offered up his Friday to me.

Mark December 30^th, 2014 on your calendars, friends. Because today? TODAY I WIN.

Tell me your best news of today! Big or small – just share it with me. 🙂

Crazy Christmas Coping

December 17, 2014 by Jennifer

Let’s be honest, the joyous holiday season is sometimes not very joyous. The decorating and shopping and party going and hosting and cooking takes a toll on us. I didn’t even mention the cleaning for guests, the wrapping of presents, or the shelving of the elf.

Carlos is concerned. (Mer is so clever.)

And there are those members of the family that just lie around, soaking up the Christmas cheer while you do all the work.

SHINY TWINKLES.

Can I open my presents YET?

All the hustle and bustle can zap us of our holiday cheer. I know you know that I know that you know. We all know the trick is to remember what the season is really about and to focus on the big stuff. To be clear, by big stuff I do not mean giant tins of caramel corn. There are techniques to avoid eating your holiday malaise because your visiting relatives are driving you bonkers. Here are some ways we cope with the Christmas crazy.

Crazy Christmas Coping Tip 1: Many Christmas’ past, my family decided to draw names instead of buying gifts for everyone. It’s quite possible that this is the best family decision we ever made. Here’s how it works in our jolly clan. After Christmas dinner, the adults each draw a name, and they buy for that person the next Christmas. This strategy gives us a year to shop for the perfect gift at the perfect price. There is a set dollar limit, and we keep track so that someone doesn’t draw the same name two years in a row. Everyone buys gifts for all the kids in the family (as it should be).

Because this is about my level of Christmas spirit come the 25th.

Crazy Christmas Coping Tip 2: Wassail, my friend. Yes, as in “Here we come a wassailing among the leaves so green…” It’s warm, it’s cinnamon-y, it’s divine. It’s an inexpensive cupful of winter warmth and cheer that guests will rave about. Plus, it’s just the thing to curl up with Christmas night when the kids are tucked away in bed and you can enjoy the blessings of the day like your family and your health and the existence of wassail.

Always buy the BIG bottle of rum.

Crazy Christmas Coping Tip 3: Why is setting reasonable expectations of ourselves and our time SO HARD? We feel like we can do it all and then some and still be creative and adorable to boot. We totally can be that person who hosts a gingerbread house party and makes her own gifts because we can do it all. But we shouldn’t have to. So we need to delegate. We need to make parties we’re hosting a potluck. We need to shop online to free up time and stress. We need not worry about getting it all done. Instead, we focus on doing what we realistically can accomplish and remember that those who love us don’t us judge us.

Lots of stockings on the wall means a big happy family lives here.

This goes without saying, but this season, try to remember what’s truly important. Pause and be grateful for your blessings. As life swirls on around us, the need to take a moment every day to be present and compassionate is more important than ever.

How Mer retains her sanity:

The majority of my holiday shopping is done online. We hit the stores here and there for little specialty gifts but otherwise I am Amazon Prime’s biggest fan!

Additionally, I’m cutting down on the hustle and bustle of this time of year by taking short cuts. Usually I bake cookies for all of my neighbors but this year I saw tins with shortbreads – 4 for $10 – at Sam’s Club. We have four neighbors, how convenient! Done.

I’m trying to focus on what’s important to me and my family and not stress about the rest.

Wassail Recipe:

In a crock pot or large stove top pot, combine 1 part oj to 1 part cranberry juice to 2 parts apple cider. Add rum or spiced rum to taste. Add ground cloves, ground cinnamon, and a pinch of allspice. Stud an orange with cloves and tie 2-3 cinnamon sticks together and drop them in the pot. Let simmer and serve hot. The alcohol will burn off after a while so you may need to add more.

Enjoy, and be sure to collect people’s keys!

How do you cope with holiday stress (besides running your feelings out)? What are your favorite holiday traditions? Does the Elf on the Shelf creep you out, too?

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