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Friday Favorites – All Things Running

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Last night, while finishing my speed intervals, I realized that I have lots of running related things to share with you guys. Therefore, I figured it’d be a fun twist to focus this week’s Friday Favorites on just that – all things running! I hope you guys enjoy!

Something to Think About

Jess recent blog post resonates with me as this is a hard thing to realize for so many of us. Are you willing to give 100% to achieve your running goals?

Inspiration in the form of Boston Marathon

Having a hard time finding inspiration for this weekend’s workouts? This incredible runner has muscular dystrophy and STILL finished the Boston Marathon!

Tina threw down negatives splits for each of the 26.2 miles AND improved her marathon time by 11 minutes!

Sarah earned her sub 4 goal with lots of mantras and positive thoughts, even when the going got tough!

Janae ran an incredible 3:12 marathon, just a year after injury!

Michele set a new PR after six years of training and heartbreak. Her recap gave me chills and I couldn’t happier for her!

Dani may not have set a new PR, but I love her honest thoughts on this year’s 4:12 marathon, which is still more than an hour and a half improvement from her first marathon!

Rachel summarized Boston as not her fastest but definitely the most memorable. That in itself is reason enough for me to have Boston on my list of races I hope to run eventually!

This father of 2 led the Boston Marathon during the first mile!

Recovery

Are you spending enough time with your foam roller? This quick video will help you get familiar with the best foam rolling moves for runners.

Add a scoop of protein powder to this delicious Orange Julius recipe and you have the perfect summer recovery smoothie!

Gear

As part of the Publix Savannah Women’s Half Marathon ambassadorship, the gang at New Balance provided each of us with training gear. In addition to the gear they gave to us, I bought some additional pieces during the New Balance Fashion Fitness Expo.

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Over the past month, I’ve practically lived in much of this gear! These pieces, especially the tank and shoes, have become my go to gear for just about any activity outside of work. I wanted to provide you with a quick review of my favorite pieces.

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New Balance Fresh Foam Boracay – These shoes are lightweight while still providing wonderful cushion and support, thanks to the foam sole.  The line features vibrant colors, such as the blue and yellow ones I chose. Due to their lighter weight, I prefer them for shorter runs and speed workouts versus my Mizuno Wave Riders. I am still not accustomed to running longer distances in them, as I find my calves and legs feel the runs more the next day.  However, the more I run in them, the more I grow accustomed to the responsive shoe. We’ll see how things go, but this shoe may quickly become my shoe of choice for all distances! 

New Balance Ice Short Sleeve Shirt – The technology New Balance uses in their Ice line continues to amaze me. As you all know, I sweat A LOT! Any shirt that can keep me cool and comfortable during an afternoon workout is a win in my book. The dark blue color hides my sweat while the loose cut ensures that there is no chafing or sticky mess.

New Balance Impact 3” Short – (similar ones on super sale here and here) – The last thing I want while running is a short that hikes up, gets stuck in awkward places, or moves around. Instead, I typically order shorts a size larger so they are loose and airy. These shorts combine loose leg openings with a wide, comfortable waist band which means there is zero tugging during workouts. Even though they were brand new, I wore these during the half and immediately fell in love! The pocket is large enough to hold fuel and the wide leg openings kept things fresh and ventilated.

New Balance Ice Graphic Tank – This tank uses the same Ice technology so I am cool and dry, even during the toughest workouts like 1Rebel. It is so light that I forget I’m wearing it!  The comfortable material is loose enough that it doesn’t stick or chafe, while the bright color is feminine and flattering.

What running gear are you loving right now?

Friday Favorite posts sometime include a few affiliate links.

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Yoga You Can Do In Your Car

Last month, we kicked off Yoga for Everyone partnership with Yoga For People Who Sit At A Desk. If you own a car, then this post is equally as relevant as it focuses on a few easy poses you can do IN YOUR CAR! Whether you find yourself in the car for a road trip or just trying to decompress after a long day at work, this is a perfect sequence!

If you have requests for next month’s sequence, let us know. See you guys tomorrow for Friday Favorites. Now, here’s Monica, the talented yoga instructor and blogger behind The Yogi Movement.

Monica Stone

Can I ask you something? How much time do you set aside each day to meditate or destress? If that question left you speechless because you are seriously strapped for time, then just know you’re not alone. I’ve been there.

When I left my job, things drastically changed. Going from nine to five to a constantly changing schedule has been a huge adjustment. My biggest struggle was learning to manage my time. The truth is – I’m still struggling.

The worst part was that I would get so frustrated at myself because my yoga practice was the first thing to go out the window. I felt like I never had enough time in the day. Every day I’d recommit, and then something would always come up. It’s so important to make time to quiet the mind because we live in such a fast-paced world. We take so much in, and if we don’t take the time to process it, our minds can become scattered and agitated. I could feel this happening, and knew I needed to make a change.

I was sick of struggling, so I made a little mindset shift. Want to know what I did?

1. I changed my practice. I was way too hard on myself, so I allowed myself to hop on the mat even if it meant 10 minutes a day.
2. I took my practice with me wherever I was. This allowed me to fit my practice in whenever I had some time to kill.

This month, I demonstrate four simple postures you can do in your car. Yes, you read that right! You can do yoga in your car. Next time you’re waiting to pick up your kids at school, or waiting in a long line at the Starbucks Drive-Thru, you’ll feel good in your mind because you’re practicing patience, and you’ll feel good in your body because you took the time to stretch. You just have to be creative.

Yoga You Can Do In Your Car

Watch the video before to see each pose and some explanations! The first posture is a simple twist. Then, I’ll demonstrate a hamstring stretch. I’ll show you a simple way to get a nice backbend, and we’ll close with quick meditation while you open your hips at the same time!

 

How creative have you gotten with your yoga practice? Have you ever tried to fit yoga in on a road trip? Tell me if you tried these postures, and where you were.

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