The Captain Loves His New Under Armour Kicks

I have never seen The Captain so excited about a pair of running shoes before...  when the Fed Ex man brought this parcel from Under Armour, he ripped into like a kid at Christmas!

I have to admit, these shoes are pretty special... just look at them...



And they fit like they were made for him.  When he knew he was going to be trying them out, he looked at the Under Armour web site and checked their sizing chart to find the right fit.  But it is kind of a guess when you don't have the shoes there to actually try. I think that the natural tendency, mine at least, is to order larger than you might really need, but he went by suggested sizing and the shoes he selected fit perfectly.

And he loves the color!    Who knew men were so interested in the look of their running gear? Well, apparently they are!

I couldn't get him to take the new kicks off! And he wore them around inside pretty much for the rest of the day.

His first opportunity to take them out for a test run happened the next day... the weather has been blustery and soggy here, on and off for a couple of weeks now... so we have only been getting out intermittently, between rains.  And we both thought it might be a good idea to go for a short run the first time he wore the new shoes, just to make sure they were going to be all right.

Normally when we run, he holds back and stays at my pace.  He is usually only interested in going cause I want to go.  But on this particular day, I had to run a fair bit harder to keep up with him.  He was really enjoying himself and I could tell he was loving the running for himself, not just because I was happy to be out.


I kept asking him how the shoes felt, and how his knees felt. And each time the reply was 'great'.  This was a real concern for me as we know he needs a cushioned shoe.  And this Under Armour Spine RPM Running Shoe provides lightweight and responsive cushioning without sacrificing stability and support.  We finished that 3.7 km and came in and had a good long stretch.  He went and checked the Weather Channel to see when we might go out again.  That was a first.

5 days later we set out for our normal 5 km around the neighborhood and he was prancing.  The Captain has a very natural Chi Running gait.  He lifts his whole foot and has a fairly upright posture with just a bit of a forward lean, and lands each step on the middle of his foot... a gait I spent a great deal of time and effort learning to execute, over the past couple of years in reading about Chi Running and Walking.

It was another good run and he enjoyed it a lot.  He says that he is confident in the support the shoe offers and that is it very comfortable. And just as an aside, he is also happy that the laces are not overly long like they are in some of his other running shoes.



A few days ago, another 5 km test around the same route found us completing it in 1-1/2 minutes under our normal time. I am happy to say that I am getting faster myself, cause he seems to be pulling me along faster and  I know it is because he is feeling so great running in these Under Armour shoes.

 

There are a lot of large trees in our neighborhood... chestnuts, a variety of large oaks and maples, birch, willows, figs and lots of other fruit trees... it is Fall and the leaves have been raining down the past couple of weeks and covering the sidewalks and streets.  They are beginning to rot so the sidewalks and trails are getting quite slippery and we have been cautioning each other to take care not to slip on the rotting leaves or on the wet paved trails. 

 

But The Captain is very confident in the traction of the solid rubber sole of his new running shoes.  Even though they are lightweight, they are solid and have a well-designed tread.

 



 

 

We urge you to have a look at the Spine RPM Running Shoe on Under Armour's web site and read some of the other detailed reviews you will find there.  It comes in a wide array of colors and sizes so you are sure to find something that suits you as well..  There is a lot of technical information available, too, about the innovative design of these Spine shoes.

 

And you can check out other Under Armour Men's Shoes on their web site, too.

 

And be sure to check back tomorrow ... hint hint.... something very special coming your way... for you ladies too!

 

Under Armour did provide The Captain this pair of shoes at no cost, but the opinions expressed are his via me, alone.





Mixing up Bath Goodies in My Kitchen

I have been interested in homemade skin care and bath products off and on for years.

I used to make facial masks from a variety of ingredients including such things as egg whites, honey, oatmeal, avocadoes, and cucumbers, to name a few. I recall using lemon juice to add highlights to my hair, and also have used olive oil to condition it, and apple cider vinegar to make it shiny.

Recently I used a mixture of olive oil and coarse salt to help my runner's feet recover from our Spring  half marathon training. It helped shed the calluses and nourished the skin and nails very well.

Now that we are not living on the sailboat any longer, and I have a real bathtub and all the hot water a girl could possibly want at my fingertips, I thought it might be fun to make some bath goodies.  I do love me a long hot soak.

I have been looking at Pinterest for bath salts recipes, and at personal blogs for bath bombs, and also different lotions. A couple of days ago, someone loaned me a fairly recent issue of Women's World Magazine... and it just happened to have an article on homemade bath goodies.

I didn't want to go out an purchase a bunch of odd ingredients that I would never use again, so I decided to concentrate on a couple of the recipes that required things I already had hand.  And then I picked up a couple of decorator storage jars from the local dollar store.  You could certainly dress these up with ribbons and labels if you decided to use them as gifts.

I chose two recipes... one for Snickerdoodle Bath Salts and the other for Oatmeal Cookie & Milk Bath... oh my.   They are both lovely.

Snickerdoodle Bath Salts



I have long been a fan of epsom salts. As a child I watched my Mother soak her tired feet in a basin of hot water and epsom salts about once a week.  It is magnesium-rich, and I find it relieves muscle soreness and aches, especially nice after a long run or a hard workout. Combined with cinnamon and vanilla and a warm soothing bath, these are the makings of a calming, soothing indulgence. I love to soak in the tub and the aroma arising from the warm water is just luxurious.

You will need:

• 2 cups epsom salts
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 6 drops vanilla extract
• 2 drops yellow food coloring

1. Mix half the salts with vanilla extract and yellow food coloring, and the other half with the cinnamon.
2. Alternate layers of each salt color in a clean, reusable jar and cover.
3. To use pour 1 scoop of the salts under warm running water as you draw a bath.
4. Keeps indefinitely.

In hindsight, I think I should have chosen a plainer jar for this mixture so that the striped effect of the two different treatments of the epsom salts would show more.  You may want to measure how much epsom salts your jar will hold and then work the recipe with just that amount.

 

Oatmeal Cookie & Milk Bath

 

 

Oats have been used for many years to soothe rough, dry, irritated patches and the lactic acid in the milk gently exfoliates and brightens your skin.

You will need:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 1/4 cup powdered milk
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 Tbs vanilla extract

1. Place all the ingredients (see my comment below) into a food processor and blend until you have a powder-fine mixture.
2. Pour the sweet-smelling bath soak into a clean reusable jar and cover.
3. To use drop 2 scoops of the powder under warm running water as you draw a bath.
4. Keeps indefinitely.

I poured the vanilla through the feed tube of my food processor while it was blending the other ingredients.  I was afraid it might make some clumps if left sit on the other ingredients before I got the food processor working.

 

I think either of these would make lovely and inexpensive gifts... for gift exchanges or to have for unexpected guests or events where you need something quick to take along... for your child's teacher or a neighbor…

 

Have you ever made your own cosmetics in the kitchen?

Fall Fresh Start Comes to an End

Saturday marks the end of the final week of my 6-week personal Fall Fresh Start Challenge.  I am pretty happy with the results... and very happy that I got back into the groove of daily workouts and am enjoying it all so much.

Sunday

• 5 km run and 10 minute stretch

Monday

• 10 minutes of upper body work w/dumbells

Tuesday

• 3 of fitknitchick's work along videos for a total of 30 minutes

Wednesday

• CRUNCH yoga/Pilates DVD for a total of 40 minutes

Thursday

• Karen Voight's Burn and Firm DVD for a total of 45 minuts
• Renewed Fitness #MakingMoves High Plank with a Twist - 20 per side

Friday

• 5 km run and 10 minute stretch
• Renewed Fitness #MakingMoves Single Leg Bridge - 20 per side

Saturday

• 30 minute walk
• Renewed Fitness #MakingMoves Side Plank - 30 seconds per side

I am already working on my November goals and intend to carry on with my workouts and tightened up food plan, full steam ahead! 

For me, the hardest part about side planks is putting all my weight on my forearm and elbow.

 

Take 5 today

• I picked up a copy of The Abs Diet at the library today and have been reading through it and can see that there are some changes I can easily make toward eating leaner.
• Another wine/alcohol-free day under my belt and I like that I can spend those calories on nourishing food!



Did you have a good week?  Anything new on the horizon?

Are you taking part in this years Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge?

Are you turning your clocks back before you head to bed tonight, or will you change them in the morning instead?

November #MakingMoves Day 2 and Taking 5

Today The Captain and I got in a great 5 km run just before noon... great because it was speedier than normal but didn't feel like it and also because there were so many dogs out playing in the off-leash area on the trail we ran along the waterfront today.  I love seeing all the beautiful dogs running and playing together and am always happy when one or two run alongside me for a while, or jump up and say hello.

We did our usual 5km route and I really think I have to get on Map My Run and find us some new routes soon.

W2 R34-12 @11/1 W3
stretch 15 minutes

And then I opened an email from Renisha at Renewed Fitness to find out what the #MakingMoves challenge was for today... Single Leg Bridge.  Good. I can do that.... and did her version ever burn my butt!

Single Leg Bridge

 

After lunch I made a small batch of cookies for The Captain and I am happy to say they didn't even tempt me.  Big win!  I made myself a bowl of protein 'sludge' instead... today's version was protein powder, yogurt, milled flax seed, hemp seed, a bit of chunky peanut butter and some cinnamon.  Lovely.

 

Pretty Spring Cake Mix Cookies

 

Take 5 today

• went out for a run when I felt like being lazy
• avoided cookies I baked for The Captain in favor of a high protein snack
• planning a light dinner so I can have popcorn for a tv snack tonight... it's been weeks!

How did your day go? Did you stop to celebrate your positives today?

 

 

 





November Brings 3 New Challenges

November!  When did that happen?

The whole month of October flew past me in a whirlwind. Looking back I know I accomplished a lot in October... I got in lots of sweaty exercise sessions, ran a few times, worked with and tested many new recipes... tidied up several little household projects as well as some personal ones, and managed to do a bit of volunteer work as well.

My personal 6-week Fall Fresh Start Challenge is winding up at the end of this week, and I am very happy to be back in a routine of doing some kind of a workout every day.   The weather has been windy and soggy so I am not running a whole lot right now and only getting out there on dry, calm days.  But I have been working very hard on my abs, and getting in lots of workouts with my dumbbells and my kettlebell to continue to strengthen my legs and build up my arms and shoulders.

 

So, for the month of November, starting today, I am taking on 3 new challenges: 

 

The first one is food-related.

 

I have been reading about how abs are created in the gym, but revealed in the kitchen... was that you, Tamara Grand, or you, Brad Gouthro, who said that?  At any rate, I am taking it to heart, or rather, to mouth, and I have decided that I need to clean up my diet a little more. 

 

I want to make sure that all of this ab work I am doing is not going to be for naught.   So I am spending some time today reading more about it and working on a new food plan.  I will write more about that in a future post.

 

The second one is fitness-related.

 

I have discovered a new workout challenge.  One of my other fellow Fitfluential Ambassadors,  Renisha James, who writes Renewed Fitness, has created a fun way to get in some extra movement during the month of November and I have decided to take part.  It is just one exercise per day and Renisha says " Let’s use this month to continue to make movement a priority. "  I am all for that! 

 

She calls it the #MakingMoves Challenge and is starting off the month with High Planks with a Twist.  Have a look and I bet you will want to join in, too.  I intend to add it to whatever workout I do on the given day.  Gosh I hope she doesn't throw in lots of burpees and mountain climbers!

 

 

High Planks with a Twist



 

 

The third challenge is about healthy behaviors.

 

At a recent meeting I attended, we discussed Taking 5 every day to plan and review - take 5 minutes to think about what the day will bring and how we will handle it... and to review how it all went down.  We were encouraged to focus on positive behaviors in order to keept the self-talk uplifting and motivating.  Then possibly identify things we could have done differently... better.

 

For this month, I am going to make a note here about the things I did right and perhaps confess some I didn't do as well as I might have.

 

So to review today:

• Instead of having cocktail hour today, I made a pig pot of spicy chai and we enjoyed it immesely.
• We had our favorite take out pizza for dinner so I made a big green salad to go along with it and I ate only half as much pizza as I normally would have.  Big win. I don't feel stuffed and will sleep better for it!



 

 

Have you set November Goals?  I would love to hear about anything special you have planned this month.

 

Do you ever Take 5 to plan and review?