Best Foods for a Relay Race

Trader Joe's helped me out with finding the best food to pack for my relay:

Contemplates Inner Peas

Peanut Butter Cups Trax Mix

(I stood in the trail mix aisle for lots of minutes comparing all the different varieties. I was originally looking at some other varieties with pistachio nuts and craisins.... but who can say no to these little peanut butter cups??)

And, of course, grapes.

A little salty, a little sweet, and things that are easy on the stomach because yikes does it feel nauseating to operate on no sleep.

Roadrunner Necklace - Want!!

How darling is this pendant necklace from Endurance Jewelry Co.?

 

Get it? It's a roadrunner! $78 from Endurance Jewelry

 

And on sale for $44.95 through Active.com GearUp.

 

I love subtle jewelry like this!

2013 Fit-tastic! Gift Guide

For the runner:

Runner's World Magazine Subscription - ($10-$20)

Runner's World magazine covers great material for beginning and advanced runners alike. This gift keeps giving all year round!








For the cyclist:

Specialized Airtool Floor Pump - ($50)

This pump is a thing of beauty. Most cyclists, myself included, are using the pump they bought when they first got into cycling. Our friend has this pump and we just love using it. It's solid and excellent at controlling air flow. There is also a little button to release a little air and still keep an eye on the PSI.

For the cook:

Avocado Slicer & Pitter - ($9)

Any avocado lover would enjoy this handy tool.

For the yogi:
Custom yoga mat - ($40)


A darling addition to any yogi or yogi wannabe. And they have children's mats, too!

For the triathlete:

Swim/Bike/Run Pallet Wood Art - ($18)

How cool is this? Found on Etsy, this upcycled pallet decor is sure to be a unique gift for any triahtlete.

For the girl who's got everything:
Buff USA Sport Scarf - ($40)

I have the Infinity Lyocell, and I did not know I could ever love a superfluous accessory like I love this scarf. It has gone with me to the gym, to work, on hikes, to church, and everything in between. It's softer and more versatile than other infinity scarves I've seen, and I wish I could have 10 more.

For the Mama-to-be:
Buff Baby Rattle - ($10)

 Hilarious.

For the newbie:

Gaiam Everything Fits Gym Bag - $60 (on sale for $38.40)

How cute and functional is this bag? I love the vented compartment for your shoes. Also, the sale price can't be beat!

Keeping Safe while Running or Cycling: Lights & Reflective Gear

As fall is now upon us, early morning runners have to readjust to running in darkness. I bring you.... running and cycling safety! Blinky things and bright colors!

I have a hard time understanding why some people get uneasy when they hear that I frequently run when it's dark out or that I sometimes bike to work. Oh, and when I told people I would be thru hiking the Appalachian Trail solo. That incurred a lot of concerned looks. To a fault, it takes a lot to make me feel the "stranger danger" and I frequently have to remind myself how easy it would be for a car to take me out on my bike or when I'm running across an intersection.

You can imagine Husband's efforts to try to make me be safer in my pre dawn excursions. Here's how I light the night:

Headlamp- the Petzl Tikka 2 found here. I didn't realize until 2 months into my thru hike that it has a high and low setting in addition to the flashing white, solid red, and flashing red. I like a traditional head lamp because it has a variety of uses. When running, I wrap it on my wrist so I don't get a sweaty forehead. You can wear it as intended on your head while hiking, walking, running, or hey, when the power goes out. If I need it when I'm on my bike, I adjust the elastic and wear it over my helmet.

I snagged arm bands similar to these from the deal site at active.com for a few bucks. This particular one is found here at REI. It took me a little to get used to them, because they don't stay up on your bicep like I was expecting. Considering I only invested $6 for the pair, I'm cool with it. There are 4 settings: solid, flashing, super flash, and epileptic seizure inducing flash.

For cooler runs and rides, I love my EMS Women's Shell jacket (seen here). EMS tends to have a good sale rack, and that's where I found this. At the time I debated about the purchase, not sure if it was a need or a want, but I ended up getting one for me and one for Husband and they've been great! It's very thin so it works well to wear over anything to make me more visible.

I recently got this Nathan Streak reflective vest. It's so light and brethable I don't even notice I have it on. Similar to my fuel belt by the same brand, I have to wear it on the very tightest setting to fit, so I wonder how tiny people would fare.

I just got this bike light by Magicshine for Christmas last year, and MAN is it bright. Bright lights for cycling like these are pretty expensive, and this one will give you the biggest bang for your buck. It has a bright and super bright setting.

(PS- I still need a good red light. If you want to see a really awesome comparison for tail lights.. holy cow. See here.)

Bring on the winter!

Stuff I Dig: Bodyglide

 

BodyGlide Anti Chafe

 

 

 

 

This little guy is the greatest. I had always heard about it from triathletes (going from the water straight into any other physical activity is a recipe for chafing!) but had never used it myself. I was only on the Appalachian Trail for a couple of weeks before I heard my male counterparts raving about this magical solution for chafing on their nether regends while hiking. Guys who had been waddling for days found immediate relief within one use of BodyGlide. Naturally, I insisted my husband get some before he even stepped foot on the trail, and it has become a staple in our house.

It's not just for guys, either! They have a "just for her" formula, which I doubt is any different than the original, and I have really come to appreciate it as well. I get bad rashes on my lower back in the summer when I wear my fuel belt, occaisonally on my chest on the seam of my sports bra, and of course, my thighs. They touch, they always will, and you can see my thoughts on that here. Bodyglide fixes all of that with a quick swipe in your trouble areas.

 

Glide on, my friends, and may you never let chafing interrupt your activities again!

Stuff I Dig: Immersion Blenders

For Christmas, my mom got us an immersion blender from Costco. We love it! As an avid spinach smoothie drinker, this is the perfect kitchen tool. Regular blenders are hard to use for a single serving smoothie and require more cleanup. Those little smoothie blenders just don't work very well. But this immersion blender, or hand blender, is perfect.

Cuisinart Hand Blender

 

We use this for spinach smoothies, pureeing soups (this roasted acron squash recipe is my favorite!), and the food processor attachment for quick jobs when we don't want to get the big food processor out. I hate chopping onions, so this little tool is awesome. Clean up is a cinch because the wand detaches from the base with a quick press of a button, and after a rinse in the sink it's ready to go again.

When the subject of immersion blenders first came up between Beau and I, I was describing it and he said, "Yeah, a milkshake maker." Depends on your perspective, right? Green smoothie maker... milkshake maker... whatever your heart desires.

 

Want to jump on the green smoothie bandwagon, but not sure where to start? This week I'll post on how to make a great spinach breakfast. I'll give you a hint: you need a bunch of spinach, some fruit, and it's super easy.

stuff i dig: osprey 2 l water reservoir

Osprey 2 liter Hydraform Water Reservoir

photo and other information here at REI.com

About a year ago, I got a day pack with water reservoir at Costco for 20 bucks. What a steal. Not as cute as the Camelbak brands, but I was willing to sacrifice looks for a third of the price.  This backpack (a pretty detailed review can be found here) fit my needs perfectly for day hike use, but I had some serious complaints about the water reservoir, or more specifically, the mouthpiece. After just a few uses, it was leaking like crazy. I took it back to Costco and exchanged it for the same product, but had the same results a couple months later. Lame, but hard to complain when it came with such an inexpensive backpack.

Solution? The Osprey 2 liter! This will fit in most backpacks and day packs comfortably and has an easy to use cap.  Even on first use, my water did not taste plastic-y and the mouthpiece is holding up well.  My mom has used this product on several multi-day backpacking trips and loves it.

(Note: Originally, I ordered the 3L for 2 dollars more. An extra liter for two dollars? No brainer. However, the 3L won't fit in most packs.)

It comes with an interesting magnet on the mouthpiece that can clip to your should strap or shirt, to make the mouthpiece more accessible.  I found it to be awkward and unnecessary, so I just didn't use the magnet clip.

Hooray for Osprey for making wonderful products!

stuff i dig: greek yogurt

Greek Yogurt! 

 

I love yogurt of all kinds and flavors, but I am super in love with Greek Yogurt. 

 

Yogurt is a good source of protein- usually about 6 grams in serving cup. Also, the live cultures help with digestion and keeping good bacteria in the body. Add a mix in of fruit, cereal, ground flax, honey, or chocolate chips (I seriously have yogurt and choco chips every night for dessert) and you've got a wonderful snack.

 

Greek Yogurt typically has double the protein- so about 12 grams or more. That's like 4 eggs! It also has a wonderfully thick consistency that feels more like a dessert. It tends to have slightly more calories than a typical "light" yogurt, but considering how it's drastically more filling, I'm okay with that. 

 

I don't have a particular brand that I prefer because I always get the cheapest (usually Yoplait). I considered doing a massive taste test of my own, but Google reconfirmed my belief that it can find my anything and showed me these: Serious Eats, Cooking Light, and a superb breakdown of nutrition values by FitSugar.

 

As always with yogurt, beware of the sugar. I try to stay away from anything more than 20 grams of sugar for one serving.

[A much after the fact edit: I now only go for plain yogurt, which has a much shorter ingredient list and MUCH less sugar. Costco has the best value and good quality: $7 for two large containers.]

 

If you're really adventurous, you can try making your own! Recipe found here from Eating, Etc.

stuff i dig: clif z bars

 

Clif Z Bars!

photo and other information from the Clif website

While the regular Clif bars are great, with 240 calories they are best for hiking, cycling, or other endurance related activities.  These kids Clif Z Bars are only 130 calories; perfect for a desk snack! I am a big proponent of eating snacks and small meals every couple hours, and these bars are great for that. They are surprisingly satisfying for their size. And organic, too!  The only area I feel they could be improved is their protein content. With only 3 grams, it can hardly be a post workout snack.

They come in these flavors: chocolate brownie, chocolate chip, honey graham (my favorite, I think. And I'm normally a chocolate lover!), blueberry, peanut butter, and s'mores.

Z Bars are only 45 cents per bar when you get them at Costco in the 24 pack.

stuff i dig: arm warmers

 

Pearl Izumi Thermal Lite Arm Warmers!

I'm what you might call "temperature sensitive". Meaning, I freak out if I'm too hot/cold. Funny I should be discussing this right now, because I'm sitting at my desk in my puffy down coat because this office is too dang cold (don't worry Mom, I only blog/waste time on my lunch). You can imagine my delight when I discovered these little gems! They are perfect to wear on a slightly chilly day when you just can't decide if you need long sleeves or not. They peel off easily while riding (or running!) and can be stuffed in a jersey pocket.

There are a couple different materials for arm warmers. From what I've seen, the most popular are fleece and a synthetic material. While I've never ridden in the fleece, when I was trying them out in the store, they seemed too heavy. If the weather were cold enough to warrant a fleece material, I'd rather wear a jacket. The synthetic material is more like Under Armour and I found it to be more fitting for my needs. I went for these at REI.com, but if you aren't a member and don't have a store near you (to get free shipping), then this website would provide the same product for less money.  I especially like the neat design on the arm!

See how happy they make me?