There Goes Molly Rose - Fitness & Travel & Life

When Do Stretch Marks Start in Pregnancy

Nothing can equate to a woman’s pleasure once she discovered out that she is pregnant. Carrying her child for nine months will be a completely new experience for her. But this joy comes with a little cost. Apart from gaining weight, almost every woman fined it bothersome to have these stretch marks. Although a baby is regarded as the most valuable gift, those hideous marks are considered as a problem. These can cause a woman to feel distressed about herself. Most women discover ways to clear off these marks by utilizing the stretch mark cream for pregnancy.

Every pregnant woman looks beautiful while she carries her baby. But holding those unattractive pinkish lines on the abdomen, thoraces, and anywhere can reduce your confidence. As your child grows, your skin will expand to support the baby and these stretch marks will grow more and more obvious. Fortunately, there are now solutions to prevent the presence of these stretch marks or at least pale the tan surfaces of your skin. You can take a look and apply the stretch mark cream for pregnancy and you can give birth after nine months with lighter or no skin or stretch marks at all.

Stretch marks arise in the layers of skin are split apart due to weight gain or pregnancy. These split skins can be treated by a nutrient that carries them called collagen. There are collagens nutrients previously present on your surface but they are not adequate to maintain or restore the broken layers. The consequences are the hideous lines that you can observe on the skin. There are a lot of accessible creams you can get on the market for clearing off those marks. But afore you do so, it is very essential to do some analysis first. There are a lot of fake products that deserve to be useful but can do more harm to your skin. Some may feel itchiness, develops redness, and some may still cause even darkened skin if you purchase the faulty product doe to the chemicals too firm.

When Do Stretch Marks Start in Pregnancy?

Check out the best suitable stretch mark cream for you

Today, there is a wide category of creams available on the shop and all of them deserve to be the terminal solution for removing the stretch marks, quick and forever. But be very cautious about what you purchase, as not all products are as practical as they deserve to be. The essential things to look for in the best stretch mark cream for pregnancy is that it includes only original ingredients that will excite the creation of collagen in your skin. Such ingredients are vitamin E, vitamin A, squalene oil, grapefruit seed extracts and aloe vera. They are perfectly safe, natural components and will own no side effects on your surface.

These ingredients, when mixed properly and used topically enhance the production of collagen in a good way. You can be calm because the extra collagen will keep your skin fibers unitedly and prevent the occurrence of stretch marks. So do your analysis before you buy anything, and be assured that you apply the stretch mark cream for pregnancy and your product should be worth for your money.

Read a few reviews by exploring a certain stretch mark cream online. Know how many women can prove if they are capable or not. Verify also that they have experimented ingredients that are reliable for practice on pregnant women. Look for a thing that contains original and natural ingredients to further increase the creation of collagen on your skin. Some of the most traditional creams are Cocoa butter and Shea.

Look for the product that also has vitamin E and A, and squalene oil. These are soothing ingredients that won’t injure your skin or your baby’s.

Research the stretch mark creams for pregnancy and discover out what serves for you best. It’s time to concentrate and experience your pregnancy and bother less about the stretch marks.

How to find the best stretch mark cream for pregnancy

There are various creams accessible in the market. It can be difficult to determine the most suitable stretch mark cream for yourself to heal your skin. But, before you buy a cream, it is suited to understand what stretch lines are and why they are made. They are uniform scars developing on the skin when the skin is extended beyond its endurance. The lines typically arise during puberty or pregnancy when massive transformations occur in your body in a very short-term period. Below is the list of a few things that you can look to find the most suitable stretch mark cream to battle those unpleasant scars.

Herbal creams

Herbal creams are very useful in treating them. One great thing about herbal products is that it does not carry any harmful, hard chemicals that may provoke skin soreness. Remember, you cannot be too cautious to choose the stretch mark cream for pregnancyas you are seemingly going to use it on your belly while your baby is cuddling inside. Additionally, if you see stretch marks on the thoraces, it is more helpful to apply herbal creams, as these are very delicate areas of your body.

Creams containing vitamins

To get the best stretch mark cream for pregnancy, you can likewise look for cream holding vitamins such as vitamin C and vitamin E. These vitamins improve skin muscle re-building and are notably good to get the flexibility back in your surface. Creams based on vitamins are more supposed to have less toxic chemicals and are hence quite safe to apply.

Collagen replacement creams

The break up in the connective protein of surface tissues or collagen is the cause behind the occurrence of stretch marks. Hence, creams, which have collage restore properties, can improve the healing of these scars speedily and completely. However, confirm that the product is of a well-known brand afore buying it. You can additionally join an online discussion and put questions about the stretch mark cream for pregnancy with collagen restoring properties. A healthy pregnancy cream can be costly, but, if it is truly useful, it will be worth it.

Health, Reviews

What are the benefits of air purifier for baby?

air fresh

Reducing the indoor air pollution is one of the most challenging tasks to all parents. You can follow the different methods to improve your indoor air quality. However, an advanced yet user-friendly air purifier is recommended for everyone with a desire to purify the indoor air. The first-class air purifier is used to reduce the level of airborne pollutants and also allergens in the particular area. The overall specifications of the best baby air purifier play the main role behind its efficiency for removing the air pollutants. Designers and manufacturers of the latest air purifiers provide the best-in-class nature of products at the competitive prices with an aim to make customers satisfied.

The role of the air purifier in the baby’s room

An indoor air is more polluted than an outdoor air. Almost every baby spends most of their time indoors. They suffer from exposure to poor indoor air quality and require the safe method for improving the indoor air quality. As a parent of a baby, you can take care of your baby indoors by using the first-class air purifier. You may get confused with different types of air purifiers available on the market and think about how to be successful in your approach for the air purifier shopping as per your requirements. You can contact and consult with specialists in the top brands of air purifiers. You will get the most expected guidance and fulfil air purifier shopping expectations on the whole.

Setting up the first-class nursery for your baby is one of the most exciting things in your life. On the other hand, you have to be conscious about how to prefer the rocking chair, changing table, crib, decorations and an air purifier. You may get surprised an air purifier in the nursery for a baby.

Consider important things

Air pollution is increasing on a regular basis and one of the main reasons behind various health problems to individuals of every age group especially babies. An advanced design of the air purifier is very helpful to successfully enhance the quality of indoor air. There are loads of significant things to consider while comparing a huge collection of air purifiers. However, some of these things are as follows.

Brand
Features
Effectiveness
Square footage
Cost
Style
Warranty

As a beginner to the huge collection of modern and affordable air purifiers for sale, you can directly contact and consult with experts in the air purifiers. You will get the absolute guidance and take advantage of the professional approach to pick and buy the air purifier. Easy-to-understand details about features, pros and cons of top brands of air purifiers give you the complete guidelines and make positive changes in your approach for investing in one of the most suitable baby air purifiers. You will get 100% satisfaction when you invest in the world-class nature of affordable baby air purifier. You will be confident to recommend the best baby air purifier to anyone with a requirement for improving the quality of indoor air and overall health of the baby at the same time.

Baby Air Purifiers

Focus on the important benefits

The main benefits of high-quality baby air purifier these days are as follows.

Boosts the mood and sleep quality of the baby
Prevents Malaria by eliminating mosquitoes
Prevents cancer by trapping airborne tobacco and cigarette smoke
Prevents Mesothelioma by removing asbestos particles presence in the air
Prevents chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Protects the baby from allergies and risk of leukaemia and lymphoma, pneumonia
Improves the baby’s lung function and immune system
Reduces the possibilities of Autism, cardiovascular diseases, asthma and other health problems

Health-conscious people these days enhance the overall quality of indoor air by using the air purifier. They search for the best baby air purifier on the market with an aim to make their baby healthy by breathing good air. They read honest reviews of top brands of air purifiers one after another and make a good decision about how to be successful in their approach for investing in one of the most suitable air purifiers. They listen to testimonials from customers of the company specialized in the air purifiers sale and get an overview about how to successfully pick and purchase the suitable air purifier.

Health

Pros & Cons of Blue Apron

Now that I’m a few deliveries into Blue Apron, I thought I’d put together a post Pro-Con style to share what I like and dislike about the company, in case you are interested in trying it out. No sponsorship or advertising here, just willingly sharing since I think it’s great!

PROS

1: Less money and time spent at the grocery store.

Am I the only one that wonders around the store, buying bogos and stuff that when put together doesn’t exactly constitute as a meal? K good, I love not being alone 🙂 Since I know 3 of my weekly dinners are already set, I really don’t buy all that much except for the staples and lunch stuff.

2: You have a present at your door once a week.

If you’re like me and get some sort of satisfaction out of seeing a package at the doorstep for you, then you will love this company. Coming home from a long day at work to see 3 delicious meals just waiting for you to put together is pretty darn great.

3: Eating out less

The food is fresh, but not forever, so it’s imperative that you cook it when you get it (I usually spread it out throughout 1 week, so cooking like every other day). This in turn, causes you to eat out less which is a good thing in my opinion! You know everything that is going into your meals, and you get the satisfaction knowing YOU made it.

4: It’s healthy & fresh & fantastic

5: It causes you to try cooking something completely new

We all have our go-to’s, and while we’re pros at them by now and can do them blindfolded with only minor burns, it’s good to branch out. Nudge the noggin. Open your mind and your senses. See what’s out there.

6: The recipes are all online, so you can go back and recreate anytime you want!

Before this, I had never made my own sauce (seriously). Now, I have tasted some real good stuff that I made, and can refer back at any time to the recipes online! They give you recipe cards with your shipment, too, but if you tend to lose things like me…. #internetisforever

7: All you really need are pots and pans and salt and pepper and aluminum foil.

They provide everything. We’re talking even the “2 tbsp butter”. How nice is that?! Not only that, but everything is perfectly portion-sized for you. You rarely measure things out and you don’t have to worry about over-eating. Each meal is approximately 700 calories.

8: You can customize your meals and delivery.

You let them know what you like and don’t like when it comes to the protein (and there’s a vegetarian option) After your first delivery, you get to choose out of 6 meals which ones you want to try. You can choose when it gets delivered and whether they can leave it on your doorstop or not. You can skip weeks (just make sure to do it at least a week ahead of time!)

9: You feel like you’ve become a chef who should have their own TV show

Thought about contacting Food Network but I realize I have limitations.

CONS

1: It’s a bit expensive.

I guess if you put it in comparison to going out to eat, then not so much. But it is $60/week for 2 people for 3 meals ($10/meal). So I’d just take a look at what you normally spend on food, and see if it’s worth it to you.

2: It is time consuming

I bet if I did a poll, most people would say they eat out because it’s quick and convenient. Yup, sure is, and I am totally guilty of it quite often. But doing it too often can become expensive and not so great for your health, so putting the time and effort in the kitchen really is worth it. Pour yourself a glass of wine, have some patience (if you’re impatient in the kitch like me) and enjoy the cooking process! It’s been rewarding for me each time, but I’m sure there are plenty of people out there who might not find the time it takes to be worth it. It’s not for everyone or every family. So far, its taken me about 40 mins to an hour from start to in my mouth 🙂

3: No leftovers

Since it’s portion-sized ready for you, it’s made for exactly 2 people, no more no less. I am super happy that it is super filling, however don’t count on leftovers. Usually when I cook on my own in the blind (aka whatever I come up with to cook and oftentimes scary and unpleasant to the average palate) there are leftovers that can be used for lunch the next day. So just make sure you get food for lunch at the grocery store!

Tell me….

what is your go-to meal to cook?

how often do you eat out? (no judgments)

do you enjoy the cooking process?

who has taken cooking classes?

Give away

Giving BLUE APRON A Shot!

I love reading blogs. I love reading reviews of products and getting new ideas for things I want to try or buy. But I typically think thats cool and move on without much more thought. Well, I think by this point, I’ve read enough Blue Apron reviews that I HAD to try it out for myself…

Janae from Hungry Runner Girl absolutely loves this company and raves about the quality and taste of the meals. She was awesome enough to give the first 100 readers to sign up a $20 discount on their first Blue Apron purchase recently… so I decided to bite the bullet and go for it!

I’m decently challenged in the kitchen, and often find myself cooking the same thing over and over, usually because it’s easy or quick (read: bacon and eggs totally counts) With Blue Apron, they provide 3 meals for 2 people (the package I purchased) and it comes with all the ingredients, perfectly portion-sized, with the directions online making it SO DANG SIMPLE.

Meal #1: Catfish Piccata & Fresh Fettuccine —> My two hands have never made anything so flavorful in all their lives. It took me about an hour to prepare, but so worth it in my opinion! It was lemony and saucy and really really great. It was a bit too flavorful for Ryan but we have totally different palates… and this was my whole point of doing Blue Apron to begin with: wanting to try different things! We were both plenty full and satisfied from this first meal!

Meal #2: Sumac-Spiced Steak & Honeynut Squash —-> another hearty meal. Our plates ended up looking so colorful and everything was delicious. This was my first time “pickling” onions and loved how they turned out. The apple walnut salad you make with it for a side was really good too… I can definitely see myself making it in the future. I found that we had to cook the steak a bit longer than it suggested, but other than that the recipe was simple to follow.

(Ryan got a larger portion of the steak than me)

Meal #3: Spicy Korean Chicken Wings —> this was like a good Chinese + sushi meal combined as far as the flavor goes. The sweet and savory glaze you make to go with it was AMAZING and I sure hope restaurants aren’t offended when I make more of it and bring it to add to every meal I ever eat again. (dramatic much? no but it was really that good) This one was hubs’ favorite!

We received our next shipment for the week and I am already looking forward to get cookin’! I probably won’t do posts for each week, but feel free to follow along my instagram, as I like to show off some of the meals. (Don’t hate, I’m used to seeing my meals look a LOT like scrambled eggs and unseasoned chicken) 😉

Tell me….

Have you tried Blue Apron?

Where do you find most of the recipes you put to use? Pinterest? Passed down from family? Your own concoctions?

Challenges, Health

The Great Westchase 5k Recap

Second 5k of the season under my belt!

Following my first one 2 weeks ago, I have been working on getting faster by adding some interval training to my runs. I only did 2, but they seemed to help! I walked away with a brand new PR and finally broke 25 mins 🙂

I’m even more ready and excited to continue this kind of training to see how it will help the rest of my races.

The Great Westchase 10k/5k was only about 15 mins away from where I live, which allowed a bit of “sleeping in” again like last time. I had originally signed up for the 10k at 7am, but a couple weeks ago decided I wanted to try for another 5k success. I made the switcheroo and was happy with my decision: when I made it to Westchase, the 10k was beginning and it was PITCH BLACK out. The lighting in the streets wasn’t very good, and I was ever so happy with my decision to do the 5k later in the morning.

I parked and made my way to the registration/packet pick-up table where I was pleasantly surprised with the lay-out: gender specific dri-fit shirt, a drawstring bag with the race’s logo on it (and purple! I love purple!) with goodies inside including a race coozie (because the 2.3 milli we have at home will never be enough) and much-needed Biofreeze and Advil. It’s the small things in life sometimes…

Any way, I hustled back to my car to drop it all off, put on my race bib, earphones, and chug some water before heading back to the start area to get ready to race!

I didn’t warm up (aka jog a bit) before… I completely forgot! I was reminded right at the start of the race, when my legs told me they should’ve been shaken out a bit beforehand. Oh well, off I was!

This race was much bigger than the last, and I wanted to stay near-ish to the front (more like front-middle) to challenge my pace a bit. Unbeknownst to me (ps autocorrect helped me spell that word), Ryan was up and drove to the race, was in his car finding parking at the start but was able to catch me!

right in the middle with the orange shorts

When I mentioned to him later “I’m surprised you were able to spot me!” He replied, “You have a very distinct run”…. I don’t know how to take this. However, the pic the race photographer got of me is horrendous so I now know. I’m using the “Copywriting is illegal” excuse here to get out of sharing it with you.

The whole race felt hard, again I don’t think I ever fell in a groove, but my Garmin helped a bunch to pace me. If I saw faster than 7:45, I took it down a slight notch (because right now I just can’t hold that pace for too long and didn’t want to burn out), and if I was slower than 8:10, I’d pick it up. A bit exhausting looking down at the watch a lot, but I really wanted to meet my goal of a sub-25 minute 5k, and sometimes you gotta do whatcha gotta do to meet a goal! I knew in my head an average pace of 8:00 would get me just under 25 mins.

As I was on the home stretch I could barely make out the time clock, but could see 24:1x so I knew it was time to book it so I could beat my time! Getting closer, I heard someone yell out my name, which is a miracle since I blare my music at the cochlear-damaging level, and I turned to see Ryan smiling and taking pics. So surprised and happy that he was there, and that’s what I needed to push it just a bit more to cross the line.

looking for who was cheering…

face of happiness (& fatigue)

My mile paces were: 1- 7:46 (fastest mile to date on my Garmin) 2- 7:58, 3- 8:04 average pace 7:53/mile with a Garmin-recorded time of 24:41 (my chip time was 24:43 but since it’s slower I’m disregarding that 😉 )

on my Instagram

So not doing very well on the “negative splitting” goal I set out for myself, but I think it may just be harder for shorter distances. Form was addressed earlier and I’ll leave it at that 🙂

Post-race was quite a set-up! This is a very kid-friendly neighborhood so there was a lot for kids to do, including a 1-mile fun run- so cute! Plus it was Halloween so nearly every vendor was giving out candy. Score. Good food catered from a nearby restaurant, and beer available, so obviously I will be back next year.

One of my favorite families came out to cheer me on…. the one on the left was my whole world for about 1.5 years right out of college– I had the privilege of being her nanny while deciding what I wanted to do with my life, and it was the greatest job ever. She now has a sister and the fam somehow got cuter.

Needless to say, this was a great race and happy day for me, I feel truly blessed 🙂

Today I am resting, wearing my compression calf sleeves (my calves get ridiculously sore following races, but never training!?) and plan to foam roll and stretch if I can slide off this couch.

Tell me….

What gets most sore on you after a hard race?

First job outta college? Did it have anything to do with your degree?

Do you wear a watch to pace yourself when running, or strictly go off of feel?

Challenges, Health

Run 4 Recovery 5k Recap

First race of the season: check! This girl was anxious to get back out there!! Westbridge’s Race4Recovery (benefitting families of those coping with disorders) was held at a close-by park, on shaded and smoothly paved trails, which made it an easy decision for me to sign up and go for it. They offered a 5k run/walk and a 1 mile.

wpid-20151017_194642_hdr2.jpg.jpeg flat molly

This race was VERY small… we’re talking 50-something people total. I think it may be the smallest race I’ve ever run, but I’m not gonna hate…. I placed 3rd overall female, HA! Probably the only time soon this will happen, so I’m taking it!

The race started at 8, so I was able to “sleep in” a bit the morning of. Once parked, bibbed, and laced up, I was ready to go. And this might come as a surprise, but I started out too fast. Surprise! When (how?!!) will I learn!? I started off immediately 3rd female, and was pretty happy to keep that throughout the race.

I was running alongside a guy who’s pace I felt I could manage, but as I looked down at my Garmin and saw 7:30 , I knew I’d need to slow down or I’d never make it.

I’d say I fell into a “rhythm” but does that really happen during a 5k? I feel like you gotta run HARD throughout the whole thing.. which is what I did. I kept telling myself this is not supposed to feel easy, and just went with it. I didn’t want to look back to see if there were any females close behind me, so I just kept my head forward and focused on keeping this fast (to me) pace.

According to my watch, I averaged an 8:06 pace, giving me a new personal best (yay!) but just 8 seconds away from breaking 25 mins (boo) but hey! This gives me major motivation to work on getting faster so that I can see a 24:xx on my Garmin next time.

3rd place female got me a medal and gift card to a running store- WOOP! Mind you… 1st and 2nd gal were nearly 3 whole minutes faster than me (that is a lot for a 5k) but it still felt pretty great to stand up there with them!

may have treated myself a bit. can’t say no to Panera

FORM CHECK: there was someone taking photos out there, but I’m not sure they’ll be posted anywhere…if I find them, I’ll later edit this post and add them. I tried to mentally focus on my form especially the last mile-ish. I could feel myself tiring, and I kept reminding myself to swing my arms and keep my back from slouching.

PACE CHECK: welp! gotta work on this one more! My paces per mile: 8:00, 8:15, 8:11 so not terribly off, but I’d still like to see my last mile faster than the first. It’s just a personal goal, dats all 🙂

Tell me…

Smallest race you’ve run?

Largest?

Have a race planned for Halloween? If, so are you dressing up?!

Challenges

Running Goals For My Upcoming Racing Season!

The air is a tad cooler…. The pumpkin spice lattes are being ordered…. The light jackets are tagging along for outings…. This can only mean one thing….

WINTER IS COMING. in Florida. 😉

And with “winter” comes what I consider RUNNING SEASON. Woop!

I believe my body has really appreciated the time I’ve taken off from running. If you keep up with this blog, you may notice I did a lot less running and a lot more strength training and yoga. I completed a 12 week strengthening program, and I’ve been to various yoga studios along with incorporating more yoga/stretching on my own. To boot, I’ve made the squat rack my best friend.

While I’m going to try hard not to lose touch with those cross-training clutches, they will lessen a bit, because I know I will be running more. I truly have missed running, and I am more ready to get back out there than you know!

Below you’ll see my racing plan and goals for the next few months. I’ve written approx 20 drafts of this post, because I’m just all over the place deciding how “hard” to make my goals and what distances I want to focus on, therefore which races to sign up for. In the end, I’ve decided to throw 1 half marathon in there, because I’m due for my yearly torture, and the rest are smaller distances. I’m not signed up for all of them (yet!) and I’m sure I’ll sprinkle some more in as weeks come and go. I’m not sure I’ll be able to achieve all my goals- but isn’t that the purpose for setting them? They shouldn’t be super achievable because then what the heck do you have to work hard for?! 🙂

October: potentially 3 races-all 5ks! Ballsy? Yes. Prepared? Meh. But I’m just that excited to get running more again. Got one to celebrate the end of my 27th year, and one for Halloween because who doesn’t want to run on a ridiculous holiday. AND ONE THAT MY HUSBAND IS JOINING ME ON(<– recapped).

November & December, I’m hoping to shoot for some 5ks/10ks to work on pacing, speed intervals, and form.

Jan 17: Clearwater Half Marathon! Woop. It’s in the same family as the Halloween Halfathon I did last year… they offer 4 half’s over a 6 month span, and I’ve chosen the most difficult one to do. What!?

Wellllll… since I achieved a sub-2 at my last half, I don’t have a time goal anymore for the half. I know, I know, what a terrible runner/blogger/human being 😉 But honestly, I’m not a fan of staring at my Garmin for half my training and during the entire race to make sure I’m going to meet a goal. So I’m going for a different challenge this year with the half marathon I’ve chosen. There are 4 ascents over bridges, making this the hilliest race I’ll have run to date.

My goal is to eat those bridges up 🙂 I will feel so accomplished if I can do just that, and make that finish line crossing just as memorable as my last two. My goal here is strength, not speed. And to survive. This flat-land girl cannot handle bridges easily. Heck, climbing the 30-odd steps to get to my condo leaves me winded (wish I was kidding…)

Feb 6: Best Damn Race 5k/10k. I ran the 5k last year and loved the course and atmosphere. The weather was perfect. And it was my personal best! I’d consider the half marathon, simply because the weather is ideal during this time, and it’s a neat area of town to run through,however it’s so close to the half marathon I’m already signed up for that I don’t think my body will be recovered and ready for those miles by then. We’ll see though!

Feb 21-22 Gasparilla. Gasparilla is a running highlight in Tampa, and I have plans to partake in it again this year. Last year I ran the 15k+8k combo, and I’m not sure if I’ll do that again, or just sign up for one individual race. They offer distances 15k, 5k, 13.1, and 8k.

March. Sooooo many options I’m looking into for March. Some are past races I’ve done, but I’m also considering the Gate River Run in Jacksonville! I feel like this month is too far out to decide on which race(s) I want to do, and what distances I feel I can tackle at that time. But there will be at least one!

Come April it’s getting hot here and my running basically stops- hah! #HardCoreRunner.

There’s a good chance a lot of all the above could change— but for now, this is what I’m looking at and mentally preparing for.

My main goal here, friends, is s t r e n g t h. I’ve worked harder than I ever have before on toning up and making strength training a regular part of my routine. Along with various workout classes, I’m really hoping my strength will pull me through these races, not just fast times- which is what I was chasing (pun intended) in the past.

Of course I would like to become faster and graduate from the “middle of the pack” ….but right now it’s important for me to keep my muscles strong and secure and to avoid injury. Thankfully I haven’t been injured in a long time, but I want to keep it that way! I know my body, and I know running endless miles will only hurt me and not help me become the overall fitness gal I long to be 🙂 Of course it would be nice to run a personal best in one of the distances (c’mon sub-25 min 5k!), but we will see where my training takes me.

Besides for feeling strong through my training and racing, I’d like to see my form improve. Race pictures in the past have made me cringe, and it’s not like I’m going for “cute” here, I just don’t want to look like the hunchback of Tampa Bay. I’m big on posture as it is, and I’d like to see it reflect when I’m running. (See: any past race recaps) 😉

Also… I want to be able to negative split the majority of my races! Negative splitting is running the second half of your run faster than the first. It’s easy to start out strong with the crowd during a race, only to realize you’re going too fast and ya slug through the second half. (Just me?) I want to work on pacing and finishing strong. Stay tuned!

So there’s my novel on my racing season that probably nobody cares about but me but I’m still typing all this out because it excites me and pumps me up for the upcoming season. Boom.

Running Ready!!

Tell me…

What distance is your next upcoming race?

Do you rotate your running shoes?

Any tips on how to negative split a race? I need help!

*ps* you have 1 more day to enter the necklace/headband giveaway! Ends Oct 8 @ midnight. Get on it, girl!

Give away

Avery Rose & Co – A Giveaway!!– CLOSED

Hi beloved readers of mine… I have an exciting post comin’ at ya! My beautiful and amazingly talented cousin, Chelsie, has her own lil Etsy shop called Avery Rose & Co. She creates fun, cheerful necklaces for girls to wear. I think they’re perfect for an outing with your girlfriends, a casual party, or to jazz up a night out on the town.

She was sweet enough to give me an FSU one to wear (this is big of her, given she’s a Gators fan) I’m not a huge jewelry person, but can appreciate a statement piece, especially when it takes a basic outfit to the next level. You may have noticed the necklace did just that when I wore it to dinner with a basic black dress on our cruise ship as we left St Lucia…

I also wore it to the FSU-Boston College game I attended a couple weeks ago:

Along with necklaces, Chelsie makes cute and comfy headbands! I like to sport a headband she made me when chillin in my house or running errands:

the way gangstas wear their headbands, obviously

You can see more of her makings on her instagram and on her Etsy shop. My personal faves from her shop….

il_570xN.817988434_hlmu

Avery Rose& Co is giving you a chance to choose any necklace or headband from her shop and will ship anywhere for free in the United States. You have 1 week to enter!

*Giveaway ends Thursday October 8 @ midnight, and the randomly chosen winner will be announced right hurr on this blog Friday Oct 9!*

2 simple ways to enter giveaway:

1. comment below letting me know which necklace/headband from her shop is your favorite

AND/OR

2. follow AveryRose& Co on Instagram and leave a separate comment below letting me know you did so (for an extra chance to win!)

Good luck & happy browsing!!!

Travels

Boston Part II

Day 3

On our third day in Boston, we began by using our Go Card to take the Charles River boat tour that runs through Boston and Cambridge. Beautiful city scenery to our right and left the whole tour!

Next, we used the card for the Samuel Adams brewery tour. To our pleasant surprise, there were many other FSU fans visiting the same tour (okayyy, maybe not totally surprised 😉 )

We’ve done our fair share of brew tours, and this one followed suit, including tastings and a glass to-go! We actually got 3 glasses (1 each from the tasting, and 1 for presenting the Go Card). A whole new cup cabinet at our home 😉

By now we were hungry! Ryan picked out Boston Burger Company to fill our tummies, and YOU GUYS. Best burgers we’ve ever had (that’s a huge statement coming from us) and most unique burgers we’ve ever tried.

Mine (above) included bacon, bananas, cinnamon sugar, and peanut butter, and Ryan’s (below) included bacon, mac n cheese, mozzarella sticks, and other greatness.

Live Update: our hearts are still beating and arteries still flowing following this meal.

We originally wanted to fit in taking a tour of Fenway on this day, but by this time we were tired, and just wanted to head back to our hotel to relax before the Big Game.

snagged a pic, moved on

After a quick nap and costume change, we were on our way to see our Noles play! We stopped at Harry’s Bar for a couple drinks before making our way to Boston College’s football stadium.

Side note: this stadium/campus was farrrrr from where we stayed. I felt like we weren’t even in Boston anymore! Where was Hahvahd Yahd??!!

The Noles like to make us nervous, but hey, still winning!

We made it “home” rather late, which wasn’t ideal for the next morning’s event: 5k!

Day 4

I signed us both up for the Freedom Trail 5k after reading great reviews on Trip Advisor . The great part: it’s not a straight 5k run; there are multiple stops along the way to learn about the rich history of the city. In fact, the longest leg is only half a mile, making this “running” tour doable for most!

We were a group of about 25, and all stayed together pretty well. There were 2 guides, Eddie and Shelley, and they did a great job entertaining us and giving us a great guided tour of the city by running shoes!

We stopped at a couple different graveyards, churches, marketplaces, the home of Paul Revere, Ben Franklin’s birthplace, and crossed the bridge to Charlestown. Seen on the run….

After the run, we returned close to our starting spot by ferry. More beautiful views in an area we hadn’t seen yet!

Proud of this one for running with me!

Following the run, obviously we were hungry. Our last bucket list food stop was James Hook & Co for a lobster roll! Another WIN. They stuff a baked hot dog bun (type-thing) JAM PACKED with lobster. It was ridiculously good , we both agree.

We grabbed some coffee and chilled at the hotel a bit before heading back home. Another great vacation in the books… oh, and GO NOLES! 🙂

Tell me…

Give me your top 3 burger toppings.

Favorite type of fish to eat?

Do you like to run on vacation? If time allows? Or heck no, you’re on vacation?

Travels

Boston Part I

Welcome to ~~football season~~ fall! 😉

As you may know, Ryan and I love to watch our Noles play. And if we can physically be there to soak in the football atmosphere, even better. While he is the one who has the schedule memorized and actually knows the player’s names, I do enjoy taking tips from Sam Ponder’s outfit during College Gameday, eating gameday grub, and yelling at the TV when something exciting happens during the game. That counts for something.

As much as we love Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee (seriously- it’s a beautiful stadium/building) we also love to go to “away games” and root our team on as visitors. You can read about our visits to Clemson and Dallas.

This year we chose to travel to Boston for the FSU v Boston College game! >>——–>

Ryan had been to Boston once before but only for a day, and it was a completely new place for me… We were excited to spend about 4 days exploring the town!

Day 1

a coffee shop close to where we stayed– hit it up more than once 😉

We arrived in Boston around noon on Wednesday and had a pretty chill day planned. After checking in to our hotel, we wondered our way to the Subway system. Since we stayed a little farther from the downtown area, we knew we’d need subway passes to get to and fro (we also didn’t rent a car). We stayed at the Sheraton Commander, right plop down in the middle of part of Harvard’s campus! We had to walk through campus to get anywhere, and I think our IQ improved a tad. Just from walking through! Crazy, no?! 😉

fun statue we passed each day. It reminds me of Warrior I, but I’m sure there’s a much deeper explanation…..

We made our way to the classic Cheers restaurant (where the show was filmed). I only watched Cheers by default since my parents loved it when I was growing up, but since we’re excellent tourists– it made our Boston bucket list.

We were big fans of the Samuel Adams Brick Red beer!!

From here, we made our way by foot to the iconic Boston Marathon finish line. You guys. I got chills seeing that thing. I have zero desire (right now, at least) to run 26.2 miles at a time, but I hope one day I do have that desire and SOMEHOW get the chance to run the Boston Marathon. #goals

Ryan’s valiant effort across the finish line {{please take note of the direction he’s running}}

After seeing the finish line, we continued wandering (we’re good at this) and ended up at a scenic park, where we people-watched (we’re good at this too, so many talents) There were tons of runners out and it made me want to move there asap and force them to be my friend and run with everyone every day (this is the finish line sighting talking here)

Day 2

We purchased Go Cards for Boston, which basically gives you a bunch of options of things to do at a discounted price. We did this in Chicago and NYC in the past.

walked a lot around town before picking up the passes… beauty every where we passed. I think this was near Milk St….

Ate at highly-rated Sam Lagrasses’ for an early lunch to fuel our day. SO good

We picked up the Go Cards near the Aquarium and used it right then and there to get some AC! It was pretty dang hot during our visit there (mornings and nights were a lot cooler) which we were kinda disappointed about, since all we wanted was to escape the heat from Florida!

did a quick run-through of the aquarium. Is this not the largest turtle EVA

We had plans to use the cards for bike rentals at Urban AdvenTours to pedal through Boston on our own! We found the bike rental place, signed a waiver that we didn’t read, and off we went!

We took these bad boys through some parks, along the streets (terrifying), the Navy Yard, and multiple stops for water/drinks to stay hydrated.

fun watching this thing go from water to land

Stopped by the Charlestown Navy Yard while on our bikes… parked them and walked around a bit. The oldest commissioned warship below.

Later that evening, we freshened up at the hotel, then headed out for dinner at King’s… highly rated by Trip Advisor. It’s a restaurant attached to a bowling alley, but no worries… no smell of smoke, and actually a pretty clean atmosphere! We ordered the specials pictured below and they were DELICIOUS. We highly recommend trying them out.

And if that wasn’t enough, we stopped by another restaurant after walking around town for a bit to get some New England Clam Chowder— very yum! Vacation for us=lots of yummy food. Tasting the town. Really any excuse to eat lots 😉

Stay tuned for the last 2 days!

Tell me…..

Who’s been to Boston?

Anyone run the Boston Marathon or has hopes and plans to in the future?!