Annnnnd… I’m home.

Wow. That trip felt like a time wrap. Boston —> New York City —> Boston. So glad to be home— at least for a little while.

Breakfast

I never sleep well in hotels (because I’m usually on edge and wake up every hour worried that a stranger is going to come into my room and kidnap me), but I slept like a rock last night. Apparently, there was a ton of noisy street construction outside our hotel window, but Beth said I slept right through it. I don’t know how it happened, but it did. I guess I was really exhausted.

Once we were ready for the day, Beth and I headed to Birch Coffee for breakfast.

I ordered a cold brew coffee with soy milk and an egg and cheese sandwich on a flaky, buttery, holy yum croissant.

Yummmmm! Cheese and I are best, best, best friends lately.

After breakfast, I said goodbye to Beth and then walked to 34th & 8th to grab the Bolt Bus home. I was supposed to take the 10:00 bus, but I managed to hop on the 9:00, which was running late. Hooray! Good timing. And I got home an hour early!

Snacks/Lunch

At Birch Coffee, I bought a Lenka’s Nuts & Berries Granola Bar to eat on the bus. It was made with rolled oats, cashews, peanuts, dried cranberries, chocolate chips, brown sugar, and raisins. The bar was really crumbly, so I made a mess trying to eat it on the bus. Oops. It was really delicious though!

I also bought a banana from a street vendor (on my walk to the Bolt Bus) to eat as a snack.

When I finally got home, I was hungry, but dinner was just a couple of hours away, so I threw together a salad with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, pickles, sliced ham, truffle oil, and balsamic vinegar to hold me over.

Once I finished my salad, it was time to start packing and preparing for Reach the Beach.

On my What to Pack for an Overnight Running Relay post, a few of you guys mentioned packing each of your running outfits into a separate Ziplock bag to make finding things easier. You guys are so smart. I love this idea, but I didn’t have any large Ziplock bags on hand, so I used some drawstring race bags that I had laying around. I always end up saving these bags, but I never know what to do with them, so I’m glad that I could finally put them to use.

I laid out all three of my outfits, each with a running top, bottom, sports bras, socks, and even a (matching) BIC Band.

Then, I rolled up everything nice and neat inside each of the individual bags. (I plan to use these bags for my sweaty post-run clothes too.)

I still have a little more packing to do, but I’m about 90% done. The rest I will finish in the morning. I can’t believe Reach the Beach is so soon! Ahhh! I’m so excited!

BIC Bands Giveaway

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway to win a set of BIC Bands. Here’s your winner:

Britton

I’ve been wanting to try a bic band!! So many bloggers talk about them and how wonderful they are! Not to mention that they are super cute too!! I would love to win one and try it out!!

Congrats, Britton! Please email me at tina@carrotsncake.com with your full name and mailing address to claim your prize.

If you didn’t win, but still want to get your hands on some fun BIC Bands, OpenSky is offering a deal on them right now. Get them while you can!

Good times in New York City!

I can’t believe my trip is already over and I’m back on the Bolt Bus to Boston. I think I may have spent almost as much time on the bus as I did in the Big Apple! Even still, I had a blast in NYC, and now I’m excited to head home and start my Reach the Beach adventures with Team Off Balance. Theodora arrives tonight and Monica gets in tomorrow morning, and then we’ll meet the rest of our team at New Balance in the afternoon—that’s when the fun really starts!

[rewind to yesterday afternoon]

When I arrived in NYC, I headed straight to the hotel where Beth is staying for the week. We were both starving after our long days of travel, so we quickly freshened up in her hotel room and then headed out in search of food.

Theodora came to the rescue with a great restaurant recommendation: LuLu & Me.

LuLu & Me is an adorable, little restaurant with a nice wine list and a menu of “snacks” and small plates—perfect for sharing with a friend.

Beth and I had plans to attend a launch party for Bob Harper’s new book later in the evening, so we didn’t want to fill up too much just in case there was food at the event. We also thought we might want to go out for dinner after the launch party, so we shared three small plates:

Grilled asparagus with crispy prosciutto.

Baked cheesy goodness (aka Frico – griddled Montasio cheese).

And ricotta crostini with tomato and basil.

All three plates were delicious, but the Frico was by far my favorite. I mean, griddled cheese? Come on now. Is there anything better?

Once we finished eating, we met Theodora for a drink and then headed to Bob Harper’s launch party at Santa Maria Novella, an “upscale apothecary” (aka a home/candle/perfume store), which sort of seemed like an odd place for this type of event, but it was pretty and smelled really nice inside.

When we arrived, the place was packed with people and Bob was already mixing and mingling with those in attendance.

While we waited for our chance to chat with Bob, I snacked on some passed appetizers.

And enjoyed a cocktail. (Well, I drank about a 1/3 of a really strong vodka soda.)

Eventually, Bob made his way over to where our (blogger) group was standing, so Cat introduced herself and struck up a conversation with him. (Way to break the ice for us awkward and shy people!) Cat told Bob we were all bloggers to which he replied: “I love bloggers!” Ha!

Bob was super friendly and spent close to 10 minutes chatting and snapping photos with us before he moved on to the next group of people.

My interaction with Bob was only about 30 seconds, but I managed to tell him I was a fellow CrossFitter (nerd alert). He replied: “So that’s how you got those arms.” A compliment from Bob Harper?! So cool!

Blogger friends: Beth, me, Ashley, Theodora, Cat, and Nicole.

As we left the event, we were each given a goodie bag with an autographed copy of Bob’s new book inside.

In his book, Bob explains his “simple, nonnegotiable principles to get thin,” which include tips and techniques, such as drink a large glass of water before each meal, read food labels, and don’t drink your calories. Of course, this is all great advice, but none of it really surprised me. I only briefly flipped through the book, but most of what I read were “rules” that I’ve heard over and over again. However, for someone just starting their journey to a healthier lifestyle, Bob’s advice seems really straightforward and attainable.

One of his rules, in particular, caught my attention: Eat protein at every meal—or stay hungry and grouchy. I’m sure you’ve probably heard this one before, but I thought it was important to note since I wish I followed it during the early days of my weight loss (instead of eating tons of low-calorie carbs and being hungry all of the time). Nowadays, including protein (and healthy fats) in all of my meals and snacks is key to maintaining my weight and controlling my sugar cravings, so I’m curious to read what Bob has to say about it. I’ll be sure to report back!

Question of the Day

What are your initial reactions to Bob Harper’s new book? Would you buy it? Do you follow any sort of “rules” in your own diet?

Hi Carrots ‘N’ Cake readers! My name is Nicole and I blog over at The Salted Kitchen, where I talk about nutrition, cooking, fitness and travel. I studied nutrition and dietetics in school, and rather than becoming a Registered Dietitian, I went a different route, and am now a food scientist at a large food company. I think my education and career offer two very distinctive views on the food world, and I love incorporating my passion for fitness and travel among it all.

I hope we have some science geeks out there, because today I’m going to discuss the science behind our post-exercise fuel needs. If you’re a Carrots ‘N’ Cake reader, I can assume you are physically active in one way or another. If you’re interested in improving your performance, it’s critical that you understand the proper way to refuel after exercise. You can increase endurance, strength and improve body composition, simply by fueling properly after exercise, and who wouldn’t want to do that?!

Understanding the Basics

First thing we need to understand is the difference between anaerobic and aerobic exercise. Anaerobic exercise is any activity that does not require oxygen, it’s high-intensity exercise that’s maintained for short durations of time. Sprints are a good example of anaerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise is activity that requires oxygen and can be maintained for long periods of time. Examples are running, cycling, or cross country skiing.

Another important term to understand before going forward is glycogen. When you eat carbohydrates, it enters your bloodstream as glucose, and is taken up in the muscles and liver as glycogen. Therefore, glycogen is the stored form of carbohydrates that is pulled for energy during exercise.

What Does Our Body Use for Fuel During Exercise?

Whenever we do any sort of activity, our body is using a mixture of fats, protein and carbohydrates for fuel. There is never a time when we are exclusively using only one or the other. This is why it’s so important that we maintain a balanced diet with all themacronutrients.

Depending upon the type and duration of exercise, you will use different ratios of these macronutrients. Protein is consistently providing about 10% of our energy during exercise – whether its anaerobic or aerobic. Glycogen is the primary source of fuel in any form of exercise. In aerobic exercise, the longer you maintain that activity, the more and more fat you will use for fuel, unless you replenish your available glucose. When aerobic athletes use up their glycogen supply (which is around 2000 calories worth), they need to provide available sources of glucose for immediate energy (sports drink, goo packets). If they don’t they will continue to use more and more fat for fuel, and will experience fatigue and what many describe as "hitting the wall". The diagram below illustrates how our bodies use more and more fat for fuel the longer we exercise.

What Should You Eat After Exercise?

Whether you’ve finished a long run or lifted weights, your number one priority after exercise should be replacing fluids. Drink fluids of some kind – water, sports drink, coconut water, etc. What you choose to drink is largely dependent upon what activity you did and for what duration. Typically, sports drinks should be reserved for exercise lasting more than 60 minutes, or when exercising in extreme heat. Read more about coconut water, and when it’s best to consume, here. Aim for 20-28 ounces of fluid for every hour of exercise to ensure proper hydration.

(Source)

Second priority is replenishing your glycogen stores with a carbohydrate source, ideally 15-45 minutes after your workout. Research has found that if a high-carbohydrate meal is eaten within 15 minutes after exercise, the rate of glycogen storage accelerates by 300%. If you wait longer than two hours after your workout to refuel, your glycogen storage capacity declines by half, and your protein repair by 80 percent! By eating soon after exercise, you are not only replacing lost glycogen, but increasing your glycogen capacity so you have more energy (and therefore, endurance) the next time you exercise. So, make it a priority to refuel no more than two hours after your workout. The sooner you can do it, the better! Aim for 30 – 60 grams of carbohydrates for every hour of exercise.

To further improve your glycogen storing capability, eat a carbohydrate and protein source together. Research has found that when protein is added to carbohydrates, blood insulin levels increase. Blood insulin stimulates glucose uptake in the muscle (which converts to glycogen) and increases the rate of protein synthesis. The optimal ratio is 4:1 (four grams of carbohydrates for every gram of protein). Research has found that those who refuel with this ratio of carbs to protein have twice the glycogen stores as those who only eat carbohydrates.

When you exercise, your muscles become very sensitive to certain hormones and nutrients. This is the perfect opportunity for athletes to provide the right nutrients to improve performance. The increased sensitivity only lasts for a limited amount of time, so it’s very important to use this window of opportunity.

Here are some examples of good post-workout snacks:

• cereal with milk
• fruit with greek yogurt
• toast/bagel/english muffin with peanut butter or cheese
• cottage cheese with fruit
• chocolate milk (scientifically proven to be one of the best post-exercise recovery aids!)
• smoothie made with a protein source (milk, yogurt or protein powder)
• piece of bread with sliced turkey

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at thesaltedkitchen@gmail.com!

If you didn’t know already, I think BIC Bands rule. I absolutely love them, and I wear them for my workouts as well as part of my everyday wardrobe, which you’ve probably seen quite a few times on CNC. I swear, there’s always one on my head.

I love BIC Bands because they’re cute and fun, but also because they don’t slip off my head. The inside is lined with velvet, so the band doesn’t move around, no matter what I do. Additionally, with the sale of each BIC Band, $1 is donated to a new charity chosen each month. For more info about BIC Bands, here’s my review.

OpenSky is offering a deal on BIC Bands later this week, so, to drum-up some buzz and excitement, we’re giving away a set of four BIC Bands (pictured below) to one lucky CNC reader.

To enter: Just leave a comment on this post about why you’d like to win these BIC Bands. Earn an extra entry by tweeting about this giveaway with @bicbands in your tweet—just be sure to leave a second comment. I’ll randomly pick a winner tomorrow afternoon.

Good luck!

Greetings from the bus terminal at South Station!

Once again, I’m on my way to New York City. This time, my plans are: hanging out with my friend Beth, meeting Bob Harper (no big deal), running with Theodora, and eating gigantic cookies. It’s a lot to fit in, but I’m psyched for the next 24 hours! (I’m headed back to Boston tomorrow morning.)

Dinner

Monte Cristo sandwiches were on the agenda for last night’s dinner, but Mal and I weren’t in the mood for them, so we made some massive salads and topped them with sliced ham, roasted Brussels sprouts, and hardboiled eggs. Also in the mix: greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, pickles, truffle oil, and balsamic vinegar.

I also enjoyed a glass of white wine with dinner.

After dinner, I drank another glass of wine.

And sat on the couch where I ate approximately 3,000 handfuls of trail mix. (Have you tried the Swiss mix? Holy yum. Why is this stuff so darn delicious!?!)

Before going to bed last night, I checked the CrossFit 781 website for today’s WOD like I do every night. (Starting around 9:00 PM, I hit refresh on the main page every 15 minutes or so until the new workout is posted. I’m a crazy person. It’s fine.) Today’s workout involved a lot of running and kettlebell swings (two of my favorites), so I didn’t want to miss it. I ended up going to the 6:30 class this morning, and I’m so glad that I did. You never regret a workout!

Breakfast

Before heading to CrossFit, I ate breakfast, which probably wasn’t the best idea since I had “Oatmeal” Minus the Oats sloshing around in my stomach while I ran, but I always need something in my stomach before exercising.

While I ate my breakfast, Murphy creepily stared at me/the peanut butter jar. (This dog is seriously obsessed with peanut butter.)

His pug persistence paid off because I gave him the rest of the jar to lick.

He was psyched.

Workout

Check out today’s WOD! So fun!

WOD:

For time:

Run 1200 Meters
9 Push Presses
9 Kettlebell Swings
Run 800 Meters
15 Push Presses
15 Kettlebell Swings
Run 400 Meters
21 Push Presses
21 Kettlebell Swings
Run 200 Meters

Rx: Push Press (115, 75) KB Swing (70, 53)
L2: (95, 55) (53, 35)
L1: (85, 45) (45, 30)

I used the Level 2 weight (55 pounds for Push Press + 35-pound Kettlebell), which ended up being the perfect amount for me—challenging, but do-able with good form. I was a sweaty mess by the end (my friend Kim asked me if I just went swimming! Ha!), and I finished in 17:37. What a great way to start the day!

When I got home from CrossFit, I had about 1.5 hours to take Murphy out, shower, get dressed, finish packing, make my lunch, register for the Army 10-Miler, and walk 1.26 miles to the train station to catch the commuter rail to Boston. I don’t know how I managed to do it all and not miss my train, but I did!

Lunch

For lunch, I packed a peach Chobani Greek yogurt, two waffles (Van’s Power Grains) with almond butter, and a bottle of water.

I also made a protein shake with vanilla protein powder, iced coffee, and coconut milk, which I ended up drinking on my walk to the train station.

As I left my house, I said goodbye to this adorable pug:

And then I double-checked that I had my wallet, phone, and camera, which are the three things I never leave home without.

Sun BBQ Fest & Bobby Flay Cookbook Giveaway

Thanks to everyone who entered to win two tickets to the Mohegan Sun BBQ Fest as well as an autographed Bobby Flay cookbook. Here are your winners:

Two tickets to Sun BBQ Fest:

Anna

I’d love to win tickets to Mohegan Sun BBQ fest. It’s been a while since I’ve been to Mohegan and I think it’d be a really fun event to bring my boyfriend to cheer him up since he’s been kind of down lately from being laid off. Sounds like a fantastic time!

Autographed copy of Bobby Flay cookbook:

Jennifer T.

I would love to win the Bobby Flay cookbook for my hubby! He just got a new BBQ and this would be perfect!

Congrats! Please email me at tina@carrotsncake.com with your full name and mailing address to claim your prize.

Question of the Day

What items do you never leave home without?

—

I’m boarding the Bolt Bus in just a few minutes. See you in NYC!

P.S. I’m hosting a “retro” cereal giveaway on Trading Up Downtown today!

Ahhhhhh! Reach the Beach is in just four days!! I am pumped for it! 200 miles in 24 hours? Bring it on!

Be sure to follow our team’s adventures on Twitter with the hashtag #teamoffbalance. Our Twitter handle is @RTBoffbalance. (We’re really excited, so we’ve already started tweeting!)

As you can imagine, packing for this kind of race isn’t an easy task, especially since you need to be prepared to run multiple times in all sorts of conditions during the 24 hours, including the middle of night. So what the heck do you pack for this type of event? Here’s my packing list for Reach the Beach:

Clothing

Everyone on the team runs three different legs, so I’m planning to pack three different pairs of running clothes, one for each leg. Basically, I don’t want to wear sweaty running gear longer than needed. In between legs, I plan to change into comfy clothes (sweatpants, flip flops, etc.) before changing into my running gear. There’s often a lot of downtime while you wait for the other van to finish running their legs, so I want to be as comfortable as possible.

• Running sneakers
• 2 running shirts
• 2 running tanks
• 1 pair of shorts
• 2 pairs of capris
• 1 long-sleeve running shirt (in case the overnight legs are chilly)
• 1 pair of sweatpants
• 2 cotton/comfy shirts
• 1 pair of flip flops
• 1 lightweight jacket
• 4 pairs of socks
• 6 sports bras
• 1 regular bra
• 4 pair of undies

Gear

Various members of our team are bringing head lamps, reflective vests, and other safety gear to share between the two vans, so I’m not specifically packing these things, but I figured they were important to mention as part of what to pack. Here’s what I am packing for my personal running gear:

• Timex GPS Sport Watch
• Spibelt
• Running hat
• Road ID
• Body glide
• BIC Bands
• Tiger Tail
• Sunglasses

Food

New Balance is supplying the majority of food and water for our team, and we’ll also have time to stop for a couple of real meals as well as iced coffee (priorities) while the other half of our team is running their legs. But since we’re running three legs at various times throughout the 24 hours, I want to be prepared to eat when my stomach starts to grumble, so I’m packing a few of my favorite foods. Here’s what I’m bringing:

• Trade Joe’s peanut butter-filled pretzels
• Teddie Peanut Butter
• GU Brew

Electronics

We’re an all-blogger team, so, of course, we need to document and tweet the crap out of out adventures. Go Team Off Balance! The car chargers are going to be key during this relay.

• Camera
• iPhone
• Car charger for iPhone

Toiletries

• Sunblock
• Neutrogena Cleansing Wipes (for freshening up after each leg)
• Towel
• Toothbrush & toothpaste
• Deodorant
• Hand sanitizer
• Toliet paper (in case the portapotties run out)

Miscellaneous

• Pillow & blanket (for sleeping in the van)
• Markers (for decorating the van)
• Trash bags (the van gets messy)
• Paper towels (the van gets messy)
• Plastic knives (for peanut butter)
• Plastic bags (for sweaty clothes)
• Banana costume (to be worn by every member of Team Off Balance)

For those of you who have run overnight relays, what am I missing?

Workout

I haven’t seen much of Mal lately (I was away most of last week, he was gone all weekend, and I’m away again this week), so we planned to skip CrossFit and hang out together tonight.

Today’s WOD involved some crazy-sounding things like Burpee Dead Lifts and Burpee Power Cleans, so I decided to go to the 12:30 class this afternoon. The workout sounded just too fun to pass up.

Strength:

Clean Pull: 3-3-3-3-3. 105% of Max Power Clean.

WOD:

5 rounds for time of:

4 Burpee Dead Lifts
3 Burpee Power Cleans
2 Burpee Squat Cleans
1 Burpee Clean and Jerk

Rx: (155, 105)
L2: (135, 95)
L1: (115, 75)

I’m still working on getting my form down on Cleans, so I opted for the Level 1 weight (75 pounds) today—and I’m so glad that I did because I really struggled with the Burpee Squat Cleans. My legs were on fire during the 4th and 5th rounds, so it was so much more difficult to keep good form when I started to get tired. I finished in 10:07.

Lunch

Today’s lunch was basically two big snacks—one eaten before CrossFit and one eaten after—with an iced coffee mixed in. Before CrossFit, I ate an egg and cheese sandwich.

After CrossFit, I drove around running a million different errands, which involved driving by a Marylou’s, so I popped in to grab a Peanut Butter Wonderful iced coffee.

My errands also included picking up my “new” jeans from Nordstrom. It cost just $14 to get them hemmed, so it’s like getting a new pair of “short” jeans for super cheap. Nordstrom did a great job with the hemming. It was totally worth the money.

When I got home, I whipped up a smoothie with frozen mango, vanilla protein powder, cinnamon, ground ginger, and coconut milk. Holy yum.

Now, I’m taking the pug for a walk and then I’m drinking wine on the porch with Mal.

Enjoy the evening, guys!

Good morning! Happy Monday, friends!

If you’re just catching up, here are some posts from the weekend:

• Reebok Blogger Event: Part Two
• Reebok Blogger Event: Part One
• CNC Meal Plan: Week of May 13
• Home Sweet Home
• Blog Dogs #4
• And You Thought I Didn’t Listen

Breakfast

I bought a new jar of almond butter over the weekend, so, not surprisingly, I woke up with a serious craving for it. I swear, anytime almond butter is in my house, I just need to eat it. I even dream about it! It’s so darn delicious. I also drank an iced coffee with Silk Pure Coconut Milk, which blends in really well.

“Superhuman” Skills

When I got lost on the way to Reebok the other day, I was annoyed with myself, but not all that surprised. I’ve always lacked the “direction gene,” and I constantly get lost, whether it’s driving somewhere, doing my long runs, or even walking places. (I may or may not have gotten lost in the Public Gardens on Thursday even though I’ve been there hundreds of times.) My sister, however, scored the “direction gene” when she was born. She rarely ever gets lost and she’s great with directions. In fact, she can drive somewhere one time and remember exactly how to get there the next time, even if it’s many months later.

My sister also has a “superhuman” skill of finding her way out of corn mazes. It’s totally random, but she’s really good at it. Growing up, my mom used to take us to corn mazes in the fall. We always had a lot fun, so we’ve kept up the tradition over the years. Nowadays, when we go to the corn maze, I get completely lost, my mom does pretty well finding her way out, and my sister blows through with virtually no mistakes. On more than one occasion, my sister has actually “rescued” me from the corn maze because I get so lost. Clearly, she has the “direction gene.” I do not.

My friend Katie has the “superhuman” skill of untangling necklaces. She’s really good at it and enjoys doing it. In college, she carefully and skillfully helped me untangle my mess of jewelry on more than one occasion.

Another friend is skilled at pouring Brita water into a glass in the dark. He doesn’t want to turn the lights on in the kitchen and wake his roommates, so he performs this “superhuman” skill quite frequently.

This morning over breakfast, Mal and I chatted about our “superhuman” skills. He claims he is a “jack of all trades, master of none,” so he didn’t think of any for himself, but he thought of a good one for me: making smoothies. I have to admit, I’m pretty good at whipping up some seriously delicious and nutritious concoctions. I love them, and Mal is always a fan. Here are some of my favorites:

• Banana Bread Smoothie
• Blueberry-Kale Smoothie
• Coconut-Kale Smoothie
• Gingerbread Smoothie
• Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
• Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie

Weekly Workouts

• Sunday: Off
• Monday: CrossFit
• Tuesday: Off
• Wednesday: Run + CrossFit
• Thursday: Off
• Friday: Reach the Beach
• Saturday: Reach the Beach

Question of the Day

What’s your “superhuman” skill?

P.S. For those of you who asked about my “Will Run for Iced Coffee” tank, you can buy it here AND there’s free shipping with a purchase over $30 through 5/20 on anything in my Spreadshirt shop. Just enter CNCMAY at checkout!

Woohoo! I have two fun giveaways from Mohegan Sun for you guys: one for the local readers and one for the not-so-local readers, so everyone has a chance to win!

For the local readers:

Here’s your chance to win two tickets to Mohegan Sun’s first-ever Sun BBQ Fest—three days of finger-licking fun and Connecticut’s largest BBQ Fest! The event is June 1st – 3rd and features cooking demos, a farmer’s market, a rib-eating competition, live music, a mechanical bull and much more. Mike Petit of NESN’s Grillseekers will serve as emcee for the event. Other featured guests include Pitmaster Troy Black, DJ Chef Marc Weiss and Joey “Jaws” Chestnut.

For the not-so-local readers:

Here’s your chance to win an autographed copy of Bobby Flay’s Throwdown! cookbook!

To enter: If you’re a local reader, leave a comment on this post about why you want to attend the Sun BBQ Fest. If you’re a not-so-local reader, leave a comment on this post about why you want to win Bobby Flay’s cookbook. You can earn an entry by tweeting about this giveaway—just be sure to include @mohegansun in your tweet and leave a second comment on this post. I’ll randomly pick a winner for both giveaways tomorrow morning.

Good luck!

Happy Mother’s Day, moms!

My pug child gave me a beautiful plant for Mother’s Day. Isn’t Murphy so sweet? Apparently, he texted my mom the other day to ask her if she would buy him a plant for me for Mother’s Day. Pugs are so thoughtful.

After breakfast this morning, I drove out to my mom’s house to celebrate Mother’s Day with her, my sister, and my grandmother. My sister and I bought my mom a new patio set for her backyard, so we were really excited to give it to her.

Hooray for a new patio set!

How many sisters does it take to put together a patio set?

Two!!

It actually wasn’t difficult to put together at all.

The instructions were easy to understand, so we had my mom’s new table and chairs all set up in no time.

While we worked, Murphy supervised.

Tada!

Lunch

For lunch, my sister cooked turkey burgers and sweet potato wedges while I prepared a salad with greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, and sliced almonds.

My plate:

Murphy chilled under the table while we ate lunch.

Once we finished eating, he got, um, comfortable in my lap. (Why is he sitting like that?!? What a weirdo!)

The card that I gave my mom for Mother’s Day this year reminded me a lot of growing up and hearing her say the old: “If all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you?” She actually said this quite a lot to me, but I’m glad I listened because it made a real difference in how I viewed peer pressure and made my own decisions.

Inside the card:

Thanks for the words of wisdom, Mom! See, I listened to you back then!

Question of the Day

What’s something you’re glad you listened to your mom about?

Here’s part one of my recap of the Rebook Blogger Event just in case you missed it!

Ok, where did we leave off?

After CrossFit, we all headed back to Reebok Headquarters to learn about some of the sneakers on the market right now as well as some of the new ones, which will debut this coming July. Kate Young, U.S. Women’s Merchandising Manager, led the session.

One of the things that I found particularly interesting during the presentation was the information about foot type and how it can help you select the right shoe.

If you don’t know your foot type, an easy way to find out is to place your foot in water and then step onto a piece of newspaper to see which footprint (on the above slide) most resembles yours. Depending on your foot type, different sneakers will work better for you than others:

• Flat arch: No visible arch, completely flat, tend to overpronate (feet “roll on). Look for shoes that offer “stability” and “motion control.”
• High arch: Disconnected arch, tend to supinate (feet “roll out). Look for shoes that are described as “flexible” or “soft” and offer “cushioning.”
• Normal arch: Most common foot type. Neither flat or high. Look for shoes that are “neutral” and offer “cushioning.”

One of the things Reebok is trying to do with their shoes is make them multifunctional, so consumers can use them during various types of fitness. So, instead of having a pair of sneakers for running and another for group exercise classes, you’d just have one pair that you can use for both. I love this thinking because I’m a minimalist and a cheapskate. One pair of shoes = less space and less money.

Kate recommended the RealFlex Transition as a multifunctional shoe. The RealFlex technology (aka funky “nodes” on the sole) helps promote natural movement of the foot as you workout. These shoes would be perfect for someone who runs 3-4 miles a couple of times a week, but also wants to do other kinds of cross training.

Reebok gave us each a pair of RealFlex Transitions, so I wore them all day at the event and did CrossFit and Cardio Dance in them. I liked the way they felt on my foot because they were lightweight, but sturdy at the same time. They moved with my foot, and my feet didn’t slide around or slip out as I worked out. It was pretty cool that these sneakers transitioned so well between two totally different kinds of exercise.

After the shoe session, we broke for lunch, which was a wonderful spread of sandwiches and salads.

And cookies! The Paleo cookies were especially awesome. I think they were made with almond flour and nuts, but I’m still working on tracking down the recipe. They were so delicious!

I made myself a spinach salad and topped it with roast beef and Parmesan.

After lunch, we headed out for a tour of the lab and facilities where the shoe magic happens. Reebok has some really cool technologies and processes that go into creating a shoe and getting it to the point where it’s approved for sale to consumers.

We first met with Bill McInnis, Head of Reebok Advanced Innovations. He used to work for NASA, so he joked that it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to make sneakers, but Reebok has one making sneakers for them.

One of the coolest things we learned during our tour was about the new “U-Form” technology, which uses a hair dryer to give you a perfect fitting shoe. With U-Form, consumers use a hair dryer to heat the shoes for two minutes, which causes them to soften and mold perfectly to your feet before hardening again. Neat, right?

Once the tour was finished, we got our dance on with a Cardio Dance workout led by Ilyse Baker, who flew in from California just to teach the class.

Ilyse is an amazing instructor and dancer (she’s worked with LeAnn Rimes and Rihanna), and she taught us a hip hop routine that had me sweating buckets by the end. Who knew Cardio Dance was such a workout?!

When the class started, I totally didn’t want to do a dance workout. I feel like such a turd when I dance (unless I’m drunk and then I’m a fabulous dancer), but Ilyse’s energy was so infectious I couldn’t help but smile and get into the routine.

I seriously cannot dance, and I’m a little embarrassed to post this video on my blog, but you can see me bust-a-move on the left side of the frame.

[Video from BexLife]

After the dance class, we gathered up our things and said goodbye. I made sure to snap a photo with my running idol before we left.

Sarah, me, and Julie (my peanut butter idol)!

Thank you, Fitfluential and Reebok for a wonderful event. I had such a great time spending the day participating in all things fitness!