And This Week...

... got off to an wonderful start with a quick cup of coffee and a banana followed by a short but speedy run around the neighborhood. It was quite warm already when we headed out at 8:45 a.m. so I kept it short and sweet, just over 3 km, and tried a new route.  I think my speed work is paying off.

We somehow got caught up in the middle of a Sunday group from our local Running Room store and kept pace with them for a few blocks till they veered off in a different direction.  Actually it was kinda fun and that is something I may pursue.

We came home and drank lots of water and then I stretched while I put together a wonderful breakfast for us both. I had part of a leftover baked sweet potato in the fridge so mashed that together with some vanilla protein powder, eggs, flax, and cinnamon, and made waffles... Mmmm... topped with a bit of syrup (sugar free for  me) and some shredded coconut.  I am good for hours now.... oops, sorry for the fuzzy pic!

Here are some things I am looking forward to this week:

Continuing our Metabolic Aftershock workouts... we are doing this 9 week series again and taking a break from traditional strength training.  The leg workouts are killer and I hate love them.

Eating these yummy cherry tomatoes that are growing in our balcony garden.  Does anything taste better than fresh tomatoes?  I cannot imagine what it would be.

Reading the inspiring and motivating articles in these Weight Watchers publications.

Making more of these lovely little High Fibre Egg White Muffins. You can find the recipe on my food blog We can begin to feed... if you are interested. I love them for after workout snacks, particularly on my low carb days.  And they are really good slathered in nut butter or creamy cheese.

Trying this recipe for Tumeric Tea or Golden Milk.  Isn't that a lovely name? I am jumping on the tumeric bandwagon and going to make sure to have a cup of this every day this week.  On my low carb days, I will use stevia instead of honey as the sweetener.  I have been reading more and more about the health benefits of tumeric, particularly when it comes to inflammation and I am going to see if it will help me.


Tasting these new North Coast Naturals vegan protein powders that just arrived in my mail box. Thank you NCN.  I can't wait to use them in some new recipes.

Adding some ENERGYbits back into my diet on a daily basis.  I tend to use them very sporadically and forget to take them regularly. This week, I am going to start filling a tin and keeping it on the kitchen counter so I see it when I get up each morning.  I really do like the benefits that a daily serving gives me.  If you are interested, I have a discount code EATRUNSAIL that will give you 25% off your purchase of ENERGYbits or RECOVERYbits.  And yes, if I ever in my lifetime, have it used a certain number of times, I would qualify for a free bag... dreaming!

Planning a little trip off-Island in September. We are heading for a week's getaway to Vancouver, and a bit of shopping in Bellingham/Burlington, WA and then to Port Townsend, WA to visit another old and dear friend. It involves 3 different ferry trips and lots of scheduling but  I am looking forward to seeing some family, some friends and doing some cross-border shopping.  Yeah, the exchange rate on the Canadian dollar is awful right now!

So, what are you looking forward to this week?

Have you used ENERGYbits or RECOVERYbits before?

Get Lean Gluten Free Cookbook Review

Hey!

I am reviewing a new cookbook that I have been using a lot the past several days over on my food blog today....

Why not head over there and check it out!  Even if you don't live gluten free, it is chock full of great recipes using whole, real foods... ingredients you likely already have on hand.

GET LEAN GLUTEN FREE COOKBOOK REVIEW

Have you seen it yet?  What do you think?

Here is How My Summer is Shaping Up

I have had a couple of things happen lately that set  me back on my heels a bit... so to speak... but I am bouncing back and want to do a bit of a catch up post.  I am going to sit down with a cup of my favorite coffee and fill you in a bit.

Let me start with some bad stuff... that way I can get it out of the way and then get on to sharing some happier new.

Last Saturday night there was a huge crowd of 500+ party-goers on the beach below the bluffs a couple of blocks down the street from us.  It was almost midnight before the police began to disperse the revellers and unfortunately there was some vandalism involved... we had just gone to bed for the night when we heard a loud crash in our living room.  Someone had tossed a broken yard lamp fixture into our living room window from the street. Our building manager saw three youngish boys running away. There was a gaping hole in one pane of glass about 3 feet wide and 5 feet high... lots of broken glass inside the room and on the balcony. No injuries, no other damage.  But a terrible mess.  

I was pretty shaken up and kind of scared. But the police that attended tried to assure us that we were not targetted, that it was totally a random act. All the same, quite creepy and unsettling.  The window has now been replaced and I am trying not to be worried about it anymore.  I know these things happen in the city... just never to me before now.

We were planning a late Summer cruise with our dear friend from Colorado... you may recall we visited him and his family in Greeley last August.  His wife called us a couple of days ago to let us know he passed away suddenly from a heart attack.  It was not completely unexpected, somehow, but very sad news and we will miss him so much.   He was almost 85.  This picture of The Captain and our friend, Bud, was taken in Fort Collins on that visit.

Now, for some happier news...

I have been working out consistently and diligently!  The Captain and I are exercising together these days and have been attacking 21 Day Fix workouts three times per week, alternating Upper Fix and Dirty 30 mostly.  I like them, and have been seeing good results in shaping up my upper arms and shoulders, but I think it is time for a change.  Next week, back to the Metabolic Aftershock routine.  I kinda miss Dr. Jade yelling at me!

We haven't been playing tennis or golfing lately... will get back those things once school is back in session here... and the running... yeah, still doing that as well... and lots and lots of walking, and a bit of swimming. We are lucky to have an outdoor heated pool here at our apartment building.

I love that we live in the thick of the urban core and can do much of our shopping and errands on foot. 

My balcony garden has been doing really well in the hot weather we are enjoying this year.  We have had a few feeds of cherry tomatoes already and they are truly delicious! Does anything taste better than a freshly picked tomato?

My wonderful husband, whom I have been calling The Captain since we first bought our sailboat in 2001, celebrated a birthday recently.  It was his day for food selection... pancakes (with candles) for breakfast, burgers for lunch and sushi with white wine for dinner. Yum!

I have lots more to share... but will save some for another time.

All in all, it has been a pretty good Summer so far.

How is your Summer shaping up?  Are you getting to all the things you wanted to?

SLS3 Compression Socks Review and Giveaway

A few weeks ago I was the lucky winner of a pair of SLS3Compression Socks from a giveaway hosted by Wendy who blogs at Taking the Long Way Home.  I chose these beautiful Butterfly socks as my prize.

It was kind of a tough choice because they do come in some seriously beautiful colors!

But I was so thrilled with them, and have loved running in them and wearing them for recovery so much that I accepted a pair of the SLS3 Allrounder socks to test and host a giveaway so that you can try out some for yourself.

I do love compression socks and I wear them almost daily.  I normally put them on first thing in the morning and wear them for walking, for running, for doing my strength training and bodyweight sessions, and I usually keep them on for recovery.  I have been known to even sleep in them after particularly long or gruelling runs.

On cooler days I also often wear them to work under slacks and have even been rumored to wear them in the Winter under black tights with dresses... shhhh!  Which is why I chose the black Allrounder sock to test. These will hide nicely under black tights.

And the Allrounder comes in some lovely bright colors, too.  I know that those of you who love to make up cute running costumes will drool over these!

The SLS3 compression socks really are unique in that they are designed with a graduated compression for increased blood circulation, muscle oxygenation and stability.  There are slight differences between the Buttefly socks and the Allrounder socks, in both design and fabric, and suggested uses.

I have also found that the Allrounder sock is a bit easier for me to get on and off... however, I really think that both of these models are much easier to get on and off than other popular compression socks I have tried.  And both designs are very comfortable to wear for extended periods of time.

The Butterfly socks and the Allrounder socks are designed to reduce muscle vibration drastically, resulting in less soft tissue damage and less sore muscles. I can certainly attest to that statement.   I believe that the longer I can keep wearing them, the better it is for my legs... on days that I get in a morning workout, and will be home the rest of the day, I usually only have a quick sponge bath after my cool down, and put off my shower for several hours, just so I can keep wearing my compression socks longer.  I am a firm believer in the benefits of compression.

And both of these models come in compression socks or compression sleeves.

So, if you are interested in trying out a pair of the Butterfly socks or sleeves, or the Allrounders socks or sleeves for yourself, enter the giveaway via the Rafflecopter form below.  The giveaway is open to both Canada and the U.S.A., and the prize will be shipped to the winner directly from SLS3.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


UPDATE - A winner has been chosen and notified... the Rafflecopter form is not working properly today and so the winnner does not show here.... but it was LEA GENDERS.  

Congratulations to you!

If you can't wait a week to see if you have won, go ahead and order now!  SLS3 has kind offered my readers a discount of 40% off by using the code

EATRUNSAIL40

on your purchase at checkout.

How do you use compression?  Are you a fan of socks like me, or do your prefer sleeves?

Tommie Copper Women's Comfort Back Brace Review and Giveaway

Recently I reviewed a Tommie Copper Women's Compression Core Band.  I have come to really love this little garment and am wearing it a lot... even in the extremely warm weather we are having.

This past week I received another garment from my contact at Tommie Copper to test and review. It is a Women's Comfort Back Brace, the second item in Tommie Copper's 'We've Got Your Back' collection. There is nothing glamorous or even very stylish about this item but it is certainly functional!

The Women's Comfort Back Brace is meant to support lower back muscles and joints.  It has been designed to reduce muscle fatigue, improve circulation and deliver rejuvenating relief from everyday aches and pains.

I have been wearing it while I do my upper body workouts and my planks... you  know my lower back gets quite sore when I hold a plank for more than 45 - 50 seconds and this Comfort Back Brace takes care of that quite nicely. I wore it during my workout this morning, and I held a one-minute plank on two separate occasions, about 5 minutes apart with no problem at all. YAY!

And, because my lower back is well-supported, I am able to slightly increase the amount of weight I lift on overhead presses and bent over rows.  I can see this becoming a valuable tool in my gym bag as I work to get stronger and increase my muscle mass.

Another great use I have found for the Back Brace is while I am sitting for long periods of time... I tend to slouch quite badly after a few minutes, and wearing the Back Brace reminds me to sit up straight. I cannot slouch while I am wearing it!

It wraps around the natural waistline.  And because it has an adjustable, overlapping Velcro band you can customize the fit... make it as snug or as loose as you like.  It is sold based on your waist measurement.

This Back Brace is extremely comfortable to wear.  The integrated foam interior is lined with Copper Znergy fabric for both comfort and support.  It can be worn over or under your clothing.

This item can be worn for workouts, sports activities or while doing real work... lifting bales of hay, padding a canoe, ab work in the gym... or even while standing or sitting or running for long periods of time. Any time and any where your lower back needs targeted support, this is the garment for you!

And now for the best part... Tommie Copper is very generously offering the gift a Women's Comfort Back Brace to each of two winners of my giveaway.  They can reside in Canada or the U.S.A. and the prize will be shipped directly by Tommie Copper.  I will email the lucky winners and announce them on this blog post after the giveaway period has ended.

If this is something that may appeal to you, please have a look at the Tommie Copper web site to read about the Women's Back Brace and then enter the giveaway via the Rafflecopter form below.

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Do you have the same bad 'slumping' habit that I do when sitting for long periods of time?