Tuesday Topics – Page 50

Category: Tuesday Topics

15
Oct
2019

Tuesday Topics: My favorite running books

I love to read! It makes me sad to see my students struggle with reading. Many read very slow and then many times have no idea what they just read. We have independent reading time every single day and I hope this does not make them dislike reading.

This week’s Tuesday Topic: What are your favorite running books? You can write about this topic or feel free to post any running related blog post. Remember to Link-up with Kim and Zenaida! Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier! Remember to come back for later linkers!

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Here are a few great books I’ve read:

Born to Run: I loved reading about the Tarahumara Indians and their barefoot running. They’re amazing natural ultramarathoners! I remember learning about chia seeds. 🙂

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Run Less, Run Faster: If you “only” have time to run 3 days a week, then this book/plan is for you. I am pretty positive I used their plan for one of my races. There is also an app where you add the race distance, date, and calculated 5k and you will get your 3 runs and paces for each week leading up to the race.

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Hansons Marathon Method: I have the books for the marathon and half marathon. The plans are intense but doable. For the 2016 Chicago Marathon I trained using this method. I was aiming to finish under 5 hours, but I didn’t. I did get a PR so that counts, right? You can read what I wrote about it HERE.

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Boston Bound: It is an easy to read book that details Elizabeth Clor’s struggles as she attempts to get a BQ. She tried for 7 years and finally qualified in October of 2014. She ran the Boston Marathon on April 18, 2016.

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Chicken Soup for the Soul – Running for Good: I read about this book in Wendy’s blog. Immediately I ordered it from Amazon. I could not put it down. The book is full of wonderful stories of runners talking about their struggles, goals, and accomplishments. I loved that each story began with a motivational quote.

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Living with a Seal: Another book from Wendy’s blog. This book is HILARIOUS! Jesse invites a Navy Seal to come live with him and to train him to get in shape. His only condition is that Jessie does everything he tells him to do. I don’t think I would last a day with him.

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I am currently reading “Meb for Mortals. I bought this book last year before the Chicago Marathon. I know, I know, that was a year ago. I should have finished it by now.

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Any other good running books I should read?

08
Oct
2019

Tuesday Topics: Themed races – Yay or nah? Favorite themed races?

categories: Rock 'n' Roll Race, RunDisney, Tuesday Topics

This week’s Tuesday Topic: Themed races – yay or nah? Favorite themed races? You can write about this topic or feel free to post any running related blog post. Remember to Link-up with Kim and Zenaida! Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier! Remember to come back for later linkers!

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Rock ‘n’ Roll

I’ve done quite a few themed races. The bulk were Disney and Rock ‘n’ Roll Races. Sometime in late 2013 I purchased a TourPass. With this pass I was able to run unlimited RnR races in the U.S. This pass was only $399. Awesome deal and I took advantage of it. In 2013 I ran 14 Rock ‘n’ Roll races. I am glad I was able to visit so many different places – some I had never been to before! Some of my favorite cities were Washington DC and Las Vegas. I ran my 100th race at RnR Chicago which I was happy about. The worst one was Nashville because it was hilly and it rained throughout the whole race. I feel like I need to go back and do it again. When I was done with Las Vegas, I ended up with 22 medals.

It’s been fun to read again some of these posts. There are so many things I would do different but still I am glad I experienced these races.

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I ran 8 races in 2014. It all started with the Goofy Challenge (half marathon on Saturday and marathon on Sunday) in Florida and ended with Wine and Dine in Florida too. I remember some friends talking about the Goofy Challenge and how they wanted to do it again. They asked me if I was interested. I replied “sure” not really knowing what I was getting myself into. They ended up doing Dopey Challenge which was a 5k on Thursday, 10k on Friday, half marathon on Saturday, and a marathon on Sunday. DOPEY FOR SURE!

Goofy Challenge was definitely hard but I finished. Training for it was even worse. The race was in January and I had to train in the Winter and that was not fun at all.

Then I went on to run Tinker Bell Half Marathon, Enchanted 10k, Princess Half Marathon (those two were The Glass Slipper Challenge), Disneyland 10k, Disneyland Half Marathon (those two were the Dumbo Dare Challenge, and Wine and Dine Half Marathon. I had forgotten that Wine and Dine was a night race (so RnR Las Vegas is not the only night race I’ve done). It also rained most of the course and my finish time is my worst finish time. After this race I had 14 Disney medals.

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Also, it’s been fun reading some of my posts again. When I first started my blog, I used Blogger. Then I used WordPress, back to Blogger, and back again to WordPress. Cannot remember why I did this but with all of this back and forth, some of my photos aren’t showing up on the posts or are upside down. I want to fix them but I don’t know how. Or should I even bother and just leave it the way it is?

I enjoyed both the RnR and RunDisney races. However, what I did not like about the Disney races was the price. They’re very expensive! I think I paid close to $400 for the Goofy Challenge. Would I do them again? Only Glass Slipper Challenge. I like the theme and I’d rather go to FL than CA because it is closer and cheaper to get there.

As for RnR races, I will not do those again except maybe Chicago. And that is a big maybe. That race is in July and July is not a good month for a half marathon in Chicago. I would like to run in Washington DC because I love going there.

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01
Oct
2019

Tuesday Topics: My Oofos Ooahh Sport Project Pink Recovery Sandals

categories: BibRave Pro, Product Review, Tuesday Topics

Disclaimer: I received a pair of Oofos Ooahh Sport Project Pink Recovery Sandals to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews.

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This week’s Tuesday Topic: Who are some of your favorite running/fitness athletes and why? You can write about this topic or feel free to post any running related blog post. Remember to Link-up with Kim and Zenaida! Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier! Remember to come back for later linkers!

I’m deviating from this week’s topic to write a review about Oofos Ooahh Sport Project Pink Recovery Sandals.

So many people rave about these sandals. Last month BibRave had an opportunity for BibRave Pros to test them and I quickly signed up. I was so happy when I received the email letting me know I was selected. Then the countdown began for the sandals to arrive.

So what do I think about them? They’re strong and durable. They’re very comfortable. Let me repeat that again….THEY’RE VERY COMFORTABLE. I’ve been wearing them every single day. Even my mom likes them. I swear that these sandals along with a sleeve, inserts, stretching, and foam rolling have helped with my plantar fasciitis.

Even Mateo likes them and wants a pair in his size!

Here are a few facts about Oofos:
OOfoam recovery technology absorbs 37% more impact than other footwear foams.
OOfoam impact absorbing recovery technology has been scientifically proven to reduce stress on your body while walking, allowing you to recover faster after a workout and feel better all day.
The footbed is designed to cradle your arches and move with your feet, which allows for a more natural feel.
They are easy to keep clean as they are machine washable.
They offer free ground shipping and free returns on every order.
They also have an awesome rewards program. Head over to the Oofoos Rewards Page to check it out for yourself and start earning points right away!

If that didn’t convince you to get a pair, how about this? Did you know that OOFOS donates 3% to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute from EVERY PAIR OF OOFOS on oofos.com YEAR ROUND?? This is not just a promotion they do for a month or so and it’s not specific to only the Project Pink line. They make a 3% donation from EVERY PURCHASE on oofos.com. They do this so they can make more substantial contributions to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute on a regular basis. That’s a pretty cool commitment, isn’t it?!?

Cancer sucks. We’ve all been affected by breast cancer in some way. My sister was diagnosed with it in her late 20s almost 30 years ago after her youngest was born. She has gone through radiation, chemo, and a double mastectomy. Luckily, she is alive and grateful to see her kids grow up. She has two grandchildren and is also happy to spend time with them.

So what are you waiting for? Go on and order a pair or two. Be sure to check out the Limited Edition styles just in time for the NYC Marathon, Chicago Marathon, and Marine Corps Marathon.

Remember, that with each purchase OOFOS donates 3% to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

24
Sep
2019

Tuesday Topics: My running or race pet peeves

categories: Tuesday Topics

Hey there! It is Tuesday again and time for another fun topic to discuss. I am actually excited about this one and hope that you still like me after reading my post. 🙂

This week’s Tuesday Topic: What are your running or race pet peeves? You can write about this topic or feel free to post any running related blog post. Remember to Link-up with Kim and Zenaida! Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier! Remember to come back for later linkers!

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Time to rant!

• Runners that post their pace all of the time. Maybe I am jealous because I will never be fast like them. I know some people that post their Garmin AND Strava paces after each run. I know someone that will just post her “fast” time. Seriously? No one cares about your pace but you. That reminds me that I need to stop posting it in my blog too. 🙂

Source: www.garmin.com

• Walkers that start in the front of a race. I’ve been in a few races in which I’ve crossed the start line and immediately see walkers. Now, there is nothing wrong with walking in a race but shouldn’t they start at the back of the race?

• Runners that make sudden stops. There’s been a few times in which I am running and the person in front of me decides to stop to either walk, fix their shorts, or tie their shoelaces. Move to the right side!

• Runners that take up the whole path. Ugh, so annoying. Sometimes the path isn’t wide enough so we have to run either single file or by twos. Yeah, some people think they own the path.

• Dog owners that don’t leash their dogs. I know I am a cat person but do like dogs. However, I don’t like it when I am running and there is a dog with no leash and its owner is nearby. I dislike it even more when said dog runs towards me. I don’t care that it is a small dog or that he is friendly and won’t bite me.

• Runners that blast their music. I wear headphones so that only I can hear the music. I hate it when runners run with a small radio so that everything around them could hear it too. Just no.

• Runners that talk non stop during a race. You know how I feel about talking while running. But must you need to talk throughout the whole race?

Haha, I have quite a few. Are any of these YOUR pet peeves or am I just a weird person?

17
Sep
2019

Tuesday Topics: I love taper time

categories: Tuesday Topics

Hey there! Happy Tuesday again!

This week’s Tuesday Topic: Taper time, love it or hate? You can write about this topic, or feel free to post any running related blog post. Remember to link-up with Kim and Zenaida! Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier! Remember to come back for later linkers!

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What’s not to like about taper time? I for one do love it and always looked forward to it when I was training for a marathon.

So what is taper time and what is the big deal with it? Tapering starts right after completing your last long run (which is usually 20-23 miles but depending on your training plan and/or coach). During this time you reduce the mileage each week allowing you to rest and recover and be ready for marathon day. Many runners think that during this time they lose fitness because of the reduced mileage. That is not true.

Many other great things happen during taper. “Tapering allows muscle glycogen stores to return to peak levels. Metabolic enzymes, antioxidants, and various hormones, depleted during training, return to their optimal ranges. Muscle and connective tissues repair and strengthen. And, the body’s immune system improves dramatically too. In short, tapering allows your body to prepare for peak performance.” (Source: www.runnersworld.com)

During this time people notice a weight gain of 2 to 4 pounds. Basically it is carbohydrate and water being stored which you will need as you run 26.2 miles.

What else can you do during this time?
• Drink plenty of fluids and cut down on alcohol and caffeine.
• Protein is your friend. Have more of it.
• Eat more food with complex carbohydrates but also include traditional sources of it like rice, fruit and legumes.

GO RUN 26.2 MILES!!!

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Zenaida Arroyo