Peloton App review

As I mentioned in past work out summaries, I've been trying the peloton app with a free 90 day trial.  I don't have a peloton bike or treadmill so I've mostly just been trying the strength training classes and the outdoor running/walking classes.  My 90 day trial ends in mid June so here's what I think of it so far.

I love it!  I've really enjoyed the outdoor running/walking classes.  I would not use them on every run.  Sometimes I like zoning out while on a run and these aren't really conducive to that.  They do help me keep present in what I'm doing.  I really enjoy them for intervals and speed work.  I like the unexpected element of not really knowing what the intervals will be in advance and challenging your body with different things every week.

I also like the variety they offer.  There are different types of instructors and different types of work outs, even in the outdoor category.  And beyond that, there are is strength training, stretching, yoga, cardio dance, etc.  These are all things that can be done without a treadmill or bike at home.

I also like their filtering algorithm.  It makes it pretty easy to find exactly what you're looking for.  You can filter by instructor, length of the class, difficulty, type of work out, etc.  That really helps narrow things down since there are so many classes available.

Downsides?  It does use up battery and data.  I have been downloading my outdoor classes in advance and that helps minimize the excess data usage but it's still something to watch out for.  And the cost is pretty high.  But I do feel like it's worth it.  I enjoy the higher production values, the engaging instructors, the fun music and themes.  And I appreciate how often they have new class offerings.  I haven't tried any of the live classes yet but those sound fun too.

I think we can move the elliptical over and have room for it and the bike!

So the true verdict on how I feel about it is that we've decided to go ahead and get a peloton bike!  We haven't been loving our gym since they closed the branch that was closest to our house.  The gym membership was around $60 per month (for the two of us total) so it works out about the same with the monthly peloton payment.  We've cleaned out a room in the basement that was just being used to house junk so we have a place to put the bike.  And I think the cross training option with the bike classes will help out with some of the knee problems I've been having.  And I've been talking it up to Mike so he's looking forward to using it too. 

So that's my big news :)  We're counting it as my birthday gift, though they bikes are back ordered so we won't actually get it until July.  In the meantime, I'm definitely going to continue using the app and exploring the other offerings they have. 

Christmas gifts

Now that the holidays are over and it's back to the routine, I thought I'd do a quick review of some Christmas gifts I got.

I got a Brooks running vest from my parents and it's amazing!  We've been having warmer than usual weather here and it's perfect for those days that are a little cold but not cold enough to need a full running jacket.  I can't believe it's taken me so long to try a vest.  And of course, the added pockets are helpful :)

I also got this wonderful foot massager from my father-in-law.  It also includes pressure cuffs that can be plugged into the machine so you can get a calf massage at the same time.  I've always been skeptical of things like this but I've used it multiple times in the past couple weeks and I love it.  My feet always feel better afterward and the calf massage is amazing.  I seem to have a tendency for tight calves and this has really been helping.  The massage can be pretty intense so I've just been using the lightest setting for my feet.

Of course, I also got some gift cards which are always appreciated and Mike got me tickets to the Penguin Experience at the Maryland Zoo.  And this was more of winning something than a gift, but I got a free entry to the Rock and Roll DC Half marathon through work!  I wasn't really planning on this one again but given that it's free, I'm in!

 

After RnR DC in 2016

So those were some of the things I got for Christmas.  Any favorites for you guys?

AfterShokz Trekz Air

I hope you all had a great week!  We had a bit of snowy weather here but thankfully I was able to work from home and stay warm.  I thought I'd take this opportunity to get back on track with blogging and talk about the Aftershokz Trekz Air headphones that I've been wanting to review for a while.  I figure this is also a good time to link up with Fairytales and Fitness for their Friday link up.

 

I had been using wireless earbuds from Amazon but they were pretty cheap.  And I had bought the same ear buds like three different times because they eventually stopped working at some point.  The most recent pair I had stopped charging so I decided to stop buying cheap earbuds and try to invest in something that will hopefully last longer.

I had been reading great reviews of Aftershokz so I decided to give them a try.  And I love them!  The unique thing about Aftershokz is the headphones don't actually go in your ears.  They use bone conduction so that you can still hear things going on around you.  Which is great for running. 

Sweaty post run photo - you can see that my ears are completely uncovered

 Here are some things I've noticed so far.

1.  Comfortable and light weight!

2.  Can definitely hear better and I can hear everything going on around me while running.

3.  They're a little weird if the volume is too high though because you can feel them vibrate.

4.  Another downside is that sometimes, you do want to tune out the world.  For example, at the gym or on an airplane.  They come with ear plugs to help with that, but I prefer just using some old wired ear buds I have for those types of situations.

5.  I'm still trying to figure out battery life.  So far, so good.  I even forgot to turn them off after my last two hour run and they had plenty of battery when I finally notices several hours later.  So it seems like the battery life is pretty long lasting.  The website specifies 6 hours of battery life.

Friday Five - October Birch Box

It's Friday!  For some reason, this week has crept by.  But now it's almost time for the weekend and that means it's also time for the Friday Five link up hosted by Running on Happy & Fairytales and Fitness.  I haven't participated in a couple weeks and I definitely miss it.  I'm going to talk about my birch box for October.



I did an August birch box review as well.  As I explained in that post, a friend gave me a gift of a 6 months subscription to birch box.  Birch box is a monthly subscription box that allows people "to easily and efficiently try, learn about, and purchase beauty products online. They combined monthly deliveries of personalized samples with original editorial and an exciting ecommerce shop."

So what was in this month's box?

1.  Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse Hydro Gel - OMG, this stuff is like magic!  It feels so good on my skin.  It's cooling and refreshing but goes on light.  It doesn't feel heavy at all, which was surprising for something with this much moisturizing power.

2.  Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner - I was excited to see this since I was out of eyeliner and needed to find a new one to buy anyway.  I like liquid eyeliner but hate that it's often so hard to put on.  This one is actually a pen instead of a brush so it's easier to apply and it dries really quick so it's much harder to smudge.

3.  Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye - I was excited to see this in the box too since I have awful under eye circles and am always looking for possible solutions.  I've been trying this but it's too soon to know whether it will make a difference in the circles or not.

4.  Lavanila Healthy Fragrance Vanilla Coconut Eau de Parfum - I'm not too into perfumes.  This one does smell good but it's a bit on the sweet side.  It might just end up making me hungry if I wear it!

5.  Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipstick - I like the color and the texture feel pretty good too.  It's not too heavy and it doesn't dry out my lips at all.

This box also came with a couple extras so it's more than 5.  I haven't tried the Davines smoothing shampoo or conditioner yet but I'm saving them for vacation :) They're less than 3 ounces and so perfect for traveling.

As you can see, I'm really happy with this month's birch box.  I didn't even bother reviewing the September box because there wasn't much in there that I was interested in.  It had a lot of scents, which I don't even use that much.  It also had a lipstick sample that barely even showed up on me.  Hopefully the rest of the boxes are more like this month's.

Friday Five - August Birch Box

Yay for Friday!  It seemed like a really slow week to me but I guess that's what happens after a short work week last week.  But it's finally time for the weekend and also for the Friday Five link up hosted by Running on Happy & Fairytales and Fitness.

 

A friend of mine recently got me a 6 month subscription to birch box as a gift.  This was such a great idea for a gift and I know I'm going to have fun with it :)  So what is birch box?  Well, here it is in their words: "The brainchild of two friends with a love of the internet and an itch to create a better way to shop for beauty products.  Katia and Hayley envisioned a way for customers—just like themselves—to easily and efficiently try, learn about, and purchase beauty products online. They combined monthly deliveries of personalized samples with original editorial and an exciting ecommerce shop"

 

I haven't spent much time or money on learning about beauty products.  I have a couple go-tos and that's about it.  So I'm sure I can learn a lot through these samples and hopefully find some new go-tos. 

 

In fact, I'm already a fan of a couple things in my first box.  But first, here is the list of the 5 items in the August box.

 

So what do I think?

1.  Oribe Gold Lust Dry Shampoo - wow, I love this!  I was a little skeptical of this idea when I heard it in the past but I've tried it for 2 days this week and it really works.  I won't say my hair looks the best it ever has, but it looked pretty darn good for no washing and no styling.  I literally just ran a brush through my hair, sprayed with the dry shampoo, and finger combed.  That's it.  It's a great option for mornings where time is scarce.  And it smells good as an added bonus.

 

Hair on a dry shampoo day

2.  Marcelle Hydrating Gel-  This one was another hit!  It's a gel moisturizer that feels really light when it goes on.  There's no stickiness or heaviness.  Just a light refreshing feel to the gel and it seems to absorb into the skin really easily.  I'm actually thinking of switching out my moisturizer and getting a full size version of this one.

3. Coastal Scents Blush and Bronzer - This one was just ok for me.  I liked the texture and ease of application but it was way too bright for me.  I actually had to put some powder over it to tone it down a little.  So I think the product is ok but maybe it just wasn't the right color for me.

4. The Beauty Crop Liquid Lipstick - This one wasn't a hit either.  I loved the color but it seemed to make my lips feel too dry.  It also didn't stay that well.  I have other lipsticks that look similar and do a better job.

 

Playing around with the new blush and lipstick

5.  Glamglow hydrating treatment - Ok, I'll admit I haven't actually tried this one yet.  It takes a little more time to try than the others and I'm also a little worried that it may be too moisturizing and veer into making my skin oily.  I'm sure I'll give it a try at some point and report back but it's also something that I don't see becoming a regular part of my routine because of the time it takes.  I need to stick with things that are more on the low maintenance side.

So that you have it!  That was my first Birch Box and I've enjoyed the experience so far.  I liked the option to try out small samples of things before actually spending the money to buy them.  I'm much more likely to invest in more expensive products if I already know I like them.

Has anyone else tried a beauty subscription box?  I'd love to hear what you though of it.

Varidesk Standing Desks

I had posted a couple weeks ago that I had received a new convertible standing desk at work and several people indicated interest in learning more about it.  So now that I've been using the desk for a couple weeks, I wanted to go ahead and provide more of a review.

The desk I have is a height adjustable standing desk from Varidesk.  I am sure there are other companies that provide similar products but I didn't research any other options because this is the one that was approved by my company for purchase.  And so far, I'm loving it!

Here is the desk at standing height for me.

The main think I love about it is ease of use.  There was no installation or complicated mechanics involved.  It came ready to use.  All I had to do was place it on top of my existing desk.  There is a clamp on each side and to change the height of the desk, you just press both the clamps and either pull up or push down.  It moves easily but is sturdy at the same time and I have no fears about my computer being in danger.

The only thing I don't like about it, and this is my own fault for not measuring properly, is that when it is down in sitting position it is big enough that it hangs over the edges of my desk a little bit.  So if you have a small or narrow desk, be aware that it is bulky and can take up a lot of the available space.  However, the company does have various size, style, and color options available.

Here's the desk at sitting height and you can see how much room it takes up as well as the fact that it hangs over the edge of the desk a bit.

I switch back and forth between standing and sitting throughout the day.  I stay in one position for 30-60 minutes before changing to the other.  I think what I've found is that my body feels best if I'm not in one position for an hour or longer.  Switching it up seems to work for me.  And I've noticed that I'm not as stiff when I get up now that I've started using this desk.  Here are some useful bits of information if you're thinking of changing to a standing or convertible desk.

1.  Adjust the height of everything as needed.  I had my computer, keyboard, chair, etc. all set up to the ideal height for me.  The desk changes things so I had to readjust all those components.  Because the keyboard was higher, I had to raise the height of my chair.  Because the monitor was higher, I had to lower the height of the screen when I'm sitting and raise it back up a bit when I'm standing. 

2. Transition gradually. This was the biggest tip I heard from other people at work who had received the desks before me.  You cannot go from sitting all day to standing all day overnight.  You have to adjust gradually and I will probably continue to just switch it up throughout the day instead of ever standing the whole day.  If you get a non-convertible standing desk, you can get a stool to go with it so you can change it up between sitting and standing.

3. Remember to still walk around during the day. I have to remind myself that this isn't a substitute for movement.  I still try to get at least 5,000 steps through the work day.

4. Think about getting a mat for extra cushioning under your feet. This was another tip from my co-workers.  Several of them experienced pain in their feet when trying to stand without the extra cushioning.

And that's it!  I'd love to hear if you've ever tried out a standing desk and your thoughts.

Road Runner Sports Adventure Run

As I mentioned in my training re-cap, last Thursday I participated in an Adventure Run at the Road Runner Sports store in Rockville.  You guys, this was so much fun! There are a lot of details but I'll do my best to recap the evening.

First of all, what is an adventure run?  Here is the description from the website: 

Rockville Road Runner Sports Adventure Run is a fun, 60-minute scavenger run filled with hundreds of friends, giveaways, raffle prizes, and music. It’s awesome.  The idea is you run to fun checkpoints near your Rockville Road Runner Sports store to grab as many free raffle tickets as you can. The more checkpoints you get to, the more chances you’ll have to win over $3,000 in gift certificates and prizes. Did we mention it’s FREE?

Now, logistics.  It is the first Thursday of the month and the running starts at 6:30 but the registering, sign in, and sponsor booths start at 5:30. There is no parking at the store.  I had my husband drop me off and pick me up so I'm not sure how smooth or not the parking was but no one seemed to be complaining. It was at a nearby parking garage and it was still free.  Speaking of free, the whole event is free!  That's right, no need to pay for anything if you don't want to.

We got there around 5:45 and there weren't a lot of people there yet.  We had registered in advance (I highly recommend this as it gets you more raffle tickets and the map emailed to you at 6:30) so we went inside to pick up our stuff.  They had a list with the names of people who had pre-registered so we got checked off the list and handed a ziplock bag with raffle tickets.  We also got extra raffle tickets for dressing in theme.  It was the 80's for this month so I pulled out the leg warmers and rocked the side ponytail :) If you wore an Adventure Run shirt, all your raffle tickets are doubled.  I might have to do this next time.

Next, we went outside to check out the sponsor tents.  Asics and Zensah were there and they were even letting people try using their products during the run.  You just had to leave them your license or some other form of collateral.  There was also a bakery with delicious bread samples, some honey stinger samples, another food company with some granola samples, a company with foam rollers and sticks that you could try out, etc.  Each tent you stopped at got you more raffle tickets.

So at 6:30, the map was revealed.  The map was pretty hard to read but they listed the stops with addresses as well as how far they were and how many tickets you got at that stop.

In addition, you were emailed a link to the map if you registered in advance.  This map was interactive on your smart phone and really helpful.  It was also announced that there was a secret stop which wasn't on the map.  You could check the store's facebook page for the secret stop to get those additional raffle tickets.

If you weren't familiar with the area, they also had 2 runners serving as guides and you could just follow them.  We weren't sure what pace they were going to be running at and we were reasonably familiar with the area so we decided to hack it on our own.

The stops ranged from right across the street to a mile away.  We decided on a rough course that was a loop where we could hit some stops on the way out and some on the way back.  We went to the first stop, right across the street, which was Qdoba.  The "challenge" there was to try one of their chips and salsa.  Challenge accepted!  We did that, got our ticket, and were on our way.  Next time, I think I would save the closer ones for last since this one was super crowded.

Next, we went one strip mall down and hit a bakery that was one of the stops.  After that, we ran several blocks (I think we hit the 1 mile mark during this run portion) to a Sport and Health.  The challenge here was running up 3 flights of stairs and pushing a heavy sleigh out and back on their balcony and then running back down the stairs.  Ugh.  But we did it!

After that, we hit the secret spot.  It was a little hard to find since it wasn't on the map but it was in a park and we found the Asics rep there.  We had to tell him two of the Asics models that had been available for trying and we got more raffle tickets.

Next, we ran back up to the main road and to our last stop, Chick Fil A.  We hit the 2 mile mark somewhere during the run to the restaurant.  We had to look a bit to find the person with the raffle tickets here but once we found them, we had to drink a shot of their frosty lemonade.  They also had water we could refill our bottles with, which was nice.  And then we headed back to the store.

We got back to the store at 7:25 which was good timing since everyone had to be back by 7:30 for the raffle. We ran 2.9 miles in the hour but there were obviously lots of stops, not only for the raffle tickets but also for traffic since these were some heavily traveled roads.

Hot and sweaty but happy to be in the air condition!  Once we were back in the store, they had more water for us and everyone got busy separating their raffle tickets to put in the bin.

This portion of the evening felt long to me.  It's weird to complain that they gave out so many raffle prizes, but it took around an hour so it was around 8:30 when they were done with the raffles.  Sadly, neither I nor my friend won anything.  There were a couple people who won 2 or 3 prizes.  Having the Adventure Run shirt definitely helps since that doubles your tickets.  Also, there is a special raffle for people who bought something in the store before the run so that would also help your chances of winning something.    

All in all, this was a really run event and pretty well organized.  My friend and I both left saying we wanted to do this again.  The last one for this year is in October and I got an email saying that you need a light to participate in that one.  That makes sense since it will probable be dark and safety comes first.

This is the first time I've done this type of scavenger hunt.  I was a bit nervous at first since I really didn't know what to expect but I wouldn't hesitate to do something like this in the future.  Have you ever done a scavenger hunt type run?

Aerial Yoga review

So as previously mentioned, I bought a Groupon for aerial yoga classes.  They were held at a studio called Yin Yang Yoga and Wellness.  I had never heard of this yoga studio but it was close to my house in Maryland and the price was right, so I bought the groupon for both myself and Mike.

 So, what is aerial yoga?  According to the studio's website: 

In an Aerial Yoga class, students of all levels can use gravity as their greatest tool to access their individual goals. By implementing simple poses, students learn to release muscular tension, increase joint mobility, build balance and coordination, and slow down the aging process, while having a great time!

 Aerial Yoga is Suitable for most bodies regardless of age or physical abilities. The applications of this unique device are endless an adjustments can easily be made to suit the individual's specific needs.

Sounds great, sign me up!  Well, let's talk about the studio first.  It is located in the suburbs and has a parking lot which seemed to have plenty of parking for the most part.  The only time we had difficulty with parking is after one of the many snowstorms this Winter because piles of snow were still taking up some of the spots.

The studio is upstairs and you do have to climb a steep staircase to get up there.  But once you're at the top, it opens up and is welcoming and cozy.  There is a sign directing you to the left for wellness services and to the right for yoga.  Once you go to the right, there is a reception desk as well as a little tea stand stocked with various types of teas and a section where they sold some yoga goods.

 
There was an area where you could leave your coats and shoes, but it was small.  This area definitely felt tight in the transition period between classes. The studio itself was beautiful.  There are straps hanging from the ceiling to let you know where to set up.  Everyone would then get a backpack which had your hammock, which is what you suspend yourself from for various moves. 

Mike testing the height on his hammock - you can see the straps and backpacks in the background

 
The hammock is made of parachute material and hangs from the straps using S hooks.  Initially, I was a little worried about the sturdiness but the teachers started each class letting us know that the set up was graded to hold up to 1000 pounds.  That definitely made me feel safer.

What the hammock looks like without anyone in it

The practice itself was a lot of fun!  After the first class, Mike turned to me with a huge smile on his face and said that he had forgotten how much fun it was to be upside down.  There were definitely a couple times when I laughed and felt a bit like a kid playing around :)

Just hanging around

But it was also a good workout.  I initially thought it would be good for getting deeper stretches, back bends, etc. but I didn't think it would be much of a strength training workout.  Well, I was wrong.  There was a lot of core and thigh work.  Planks were done with hands on the ground and feet in the hammock. Warrior moves were done with one leg in the hammock and one on the floor.  All of these moves with parts of your body in the hammock definitely made balance tougher and forced the use of more muscles. It was also great for practicing handstand as part of your weight could be held by the hammock wrapped around your legs.

So what are the normal prices like?  The website indicates it's $20 for one class but there are various class passes that do lower the per class prices a bit.

Here are some other thoughts I had about the aerial yoga class at this studio: 

1. Schedule ahead - The classes were often full and we had to schedule all four of our classes about a month in advance to make sure we got in before the Groupon ran out.  The annoying thing was that the classes were never actually full when we got there.  It seems like they had a lot of no shows or last minute cancellations :(
2. Wear sleeves - I wore a tank top once and had bruises under my arms. There are several moves where the hammock is under your arms and you are hanging from it, which can be a bit uncomfortable.  Sleeves definitely help!
3. Know your potential for feeling motion sick - I had to make sure I went on an empty stomach because there were a couple times when I felt a bit nauseous.  I heard other people in the class comment on the same so it wasn't just me.
4. Falling - For the most part, it is hard to fall if you listen to what the teacher says.  The fear of falling was real and several times the teacher would come around and say, you can lift your hands off the ground, I promise you won't fall. But there were two incidents where someone did fall.  They were small falls and they caught themselves, but I advise caution.  The first time in class, I would definitely wait to invert until the teacher is watching so she can caution you if you're doing something wrong.  I think both falls were when people had their legs on the inside of the hammock instead of the outside.
5. Different teachers - It was strange but there really didn't seem to be a set teacher for the class.  Out of four classes, we had three different teachers.  I liked some more than others so it was a good opportunity to try out different styles but I would have liked the option to stick with a teacher I like.

Mike is thinking about sticking with it even now that our Groupon has run out.  I have a deal for barre classes so I'm going to try those next and then probably decide between the two.  But overall, I really liked these classes.  If you have aerial yoga near you, I definitely think it's worth a try.

DDP Yoga

Ok, so I've mentioned in a couple weekly review posts that I've been doing DDP Yoga so I thought I'd go ahead and review my thoughts on it as I've been doing it for a couple months now.

DDP is Diamond Dallas Page and he's a former professional wrestler.  Mike was actually the one who first brought this to my attention.  Mike is a huge wrestling fan, as is another friend of ours.  Mike has been wanting to do yoga for a while but he didn't enjoy the yoga class he went to with me nor did he enjoy any of the videos we did at home.  He said they all made him feel too uncoordinated and that like yoga just wasn't for him.  Also, some of them were a little too heavy on the spirituality when he really was more interested in the physical benefits of the practice.

That's when our friend mentioned DDP Yoga to him.  She let us borrow one of the DVDs and Mike and I started doing it together.  He enjoyed it so much that we went ahead and bought our own set. Before I get further into my opinions about the DVDs, I want to share a video from DDP's site about a gentleman named Arthur that they helped re-claim his health.  This video is so inspirational and I definitely recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen it.

Arthur was looking for assistance getting healthy and sadly, many yoga instructors actually turned him away.  But DDP agreed to help and the results are spectacular.  And Arthur isn't the only person that DDP assisted with his version of yoga.  In fact, he has a whole page of inspirational stories on his website.

So what is it? Here is the information from the website.  "DDP YOGA combines the very best of Yoga, Traditional Fitness, Sports Therapy and Dynamic Resistance to create one of the most effective fitness plans in existence today.  It allows anyone to get an amazing cardio workout while improving muscular strength, dramatically increasing flexibility and strengthening the core in a single workout... all with minimal joint impact!"

As I mentioned above, Mike really enjoys the DDP yoga and I love that he's getting the physical benefits of it.  He likes that it comes with a training plan that tells you exactly which workout to do on a certain day.  There are three different training plans, beginner, intermediate and advanced.  Mike likes that it is pretty much all about the physical benefits of yoga without the "woo" aspect.  He likes that the beginning workouts truly seem like they are meant for beginners.  There are multiple places where DDP says it's ok to shake, it's ok to fall, just pick yourself up, try again and you'll get better at it. He doesn't pretend it was effortless and he makes you realize that it's ok for this to feel like hard work.

In addition, the workouts are aimed at people who have no background or exposure to yoga and are meant to be attractive to people who might have felt uncomfortable at the traditional language of yoga.  The original name of the yoga program was YRG yoga, which stands for Yoga for Regular Guys.  He even goes so far as to change some of the names of the poses.  Child's pose is "safety zone" and there are additional poses called things like "touchdown," "superstar," "lightning bolt" and "huddle up."  I think you get the idea.

There are three different DVDs each with multiple workouts. Some of them are focused on a certain body part like abs or below the belt and some of them are focused on a certain feeling like energy or wake up.

So what do I think?  I think these are very appealing to a certain demographic that may have felt that yoga was not accessible in the past.  I love that it's spreading the physical benefits of yoga beyond the traditional demographic. I like that the models he uses are a variety of body types and always both genders. DDP's demeanor is very welcoming and comfortable and he really makes you believe that anyone can do this.  Which is great because anyone can do this! The range in difficulty between the beginner and advanced workouts is really good.  And even some of the workouts on the first DVD are challenging.  There are a lot of squats, planks, and pushups!  The things I don't like are mostly personal preference and because I am not the target demographic.  I feel like some of the names are silly and it's strange to me to hear traditional yoga poses referred to in sports terms.  And I can't figure out why some names were changed.  For example, corpse pose is called dead man.  Umm... is that manlier for some reason? And I also feel like there a lot of benefits to yoga beyond the physical.  If you are looking for any of the mental benefits of yoga such as stress relief, this is not the place to find them.

But overall, I think this is a great workout program and the inspirational stories on his website are better truth than anything I can provide as to the effectiveness of the workout.  If you haven't enjoyed yoga in the past or found it alienating, I would definitely say give this a try.  And if you are just starting out, this is absolutely low barrier to entry. If you are already a yoga fan, this is probably not meant for you. 

Bani bands review and give away

As some of you may remember, I went to an amazing blogger brunch the weekend of the Nike Women's Half Marathon in DC. I had a great time meeting all the wonderful bloggers there and the organizers put on a great even with some fun swag.  One of the things we received was a headband from Bani Bands.

Here's me after a run wearing the bani band from the brunch.  I was recently contacted by the company about doing a review of their headbands and I agreed because I really like the product. And in addition to sending me another band to review, the company is providing a three pack of bani bands to a reader.

Well, on with the review. The interesting thing about these headbands is that they're adjustable.  The strap is similar to a bra strap and changes sizes easily.

Here's a close up of the adjustable strap.

I've worn the head band from the brunch on several runs at this point and it stays put! I love that this particular headband doesn't look especially "sporty" because I've even worn it to work. The genius of the adjustable design is that I could wear it loosely for work so that I didn't have a headache by the end of the day.

Here is the bani band that the company sent for review.

You can see the this is a much skinnier, braided band.  The texture on this one was a little rough, presumably because the glitter on the fabric. This one is in Georgetown colors and would be great to wear at a game! The narrowness of it makes it not work so great for runs for me since it doesn't keep my hair off my face as well as the wider band.

The great thing is the company has a wide variety of hair bands, all adjustable! I feel like that gives them great flexibility to wear at different occasions, looser for less active times and tighter for runs.  Here is some additional information from the company's website:

"Our headbands are adjustable so they are truly a one-size-fits-all product. They adjust small enough to fit a toddler and large enough to fit a person with a head up to 22" circumference. With function as our first priority, our headbands are the preferred brand for female athletes no matter what your sport....Wondering where our headbands are sewn? We make some in China and some in the US. All of them are made by home-sewers though! Our China crew is manned by a friend whose relatives sew the bands. Our US crew is headed up by our sister Bonnie and assisted by our mom- aka 'Grandma Julie'. We have a whole network of home sewers who are stay-at-home moms, veterans, college students and grandmas who make our Bani Bands. You are supporting a true cottage industry and helping moms stay home with their kids, grandmas earn a little more on an otherwise fixed income, and students eat more than Ramen noodles. Thanks for choosing Bani Bands and supporting a Veteran-Owned business!"

So, if you want to try these out yourself here's a chance. The company will give a three pack of bani-bands to the lucky, randomly chosen winner.

Disclaimer: I received one bani band at the blogger brunch and received a complimentary band from the company to review.  However, everything in the review is my honest opinion.

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Friday Five - MCRRC beginning runner training program

Happy Friday! That of course means it's time for the Friday Five link up with Cynthia, Courtney, and Mar.  This week's theme is five things you love about something.

I've been wanting to review my experience with the Montgomery County Road Runners Club's 5k running/walking training group and I figured this was a good opportunity to do that since I loved the experience!  So without further ado, here are 5 things I love about the MCRRC 5k training program.

1. Community - if you're new to running, you may not have runner friends. Even if you do, they may not live near you, have a different pace, or have a different schedule.  It's definitely hard to find people to run with. It was wonderful to be able to meet a whole group of people to run with and to talk to about running. And it's not just talk when they say they have a place for every pace. I was worried when I started that I would be too slow but no one ever made me feel like that. The coaches do a great job of spreading out and making sure there's someone for everyone to run with. In addition, the group decided to continue to meet for informal runs after the group was over, which has been really helpful. Lastly, community is also about what you can give back, not just what you can get. I love the opportunity it gives you to support other new runners who are on the same journey as you.  Plus, they strongly encourage volunteering at a club race and chose a specific race that participants could volunteer at, which was my first experience volunteering at a race.

Runners at the first race I volunteered at.

2. Information - the coaches were all phenomenal.  There was a great deal of informal transfer of knowledge just from talking with the coaches before, during and after the 2 weekly runs. I learned about track workouts, speed drills, training plans, gear and attire, different running philosophies, races the coaches had done, etc. I also learned about different places in the county to run and explored much more than I would have on my own. In addition to this type if informal knowledge, they had several formal sessions where other club members came to talk to us about various topics including a nutritionist and a physical therapist. The value of everything I learned is just incalculable.

3. Motivation - I will be honest and say that there are so many days that I wouldn't have made it out for a run this winter, probably more days than I would have made it out, if I didn't have the group. It was a great motivation to get out there knowing the group would be there as well.  The coaches did a great job of making each run fun and I looked forward to them in spite of the crazy weather we had this winter. Plus, we had a training plan for us that also scheduled in runs we were supposed to do on our own.  Having a schedule created for me made it so easy to know exactly what I was supposed to do each day.  And the training plan was well designed for beginners.  Each run had walk breaks built in and increased running time at a gradual pace that never seemed too intimidating.

No way would I have made it out for a track run in the snow without the group!

4. Price - in order to join the training group, you have to be a member of MCRRC, which is currently $40 a year or $60 for 2 years. The fee for the training group was $35. I looked at a bunch of other training group options before choosing this one and I have to say this was a great deal, especially considering all the other benefits club membership gets you.

5. Club membership benefits - oh, you're wondering what other benefits club membership provides? Well, they have a series of low key races throughout the year that are free to club members.  I'm doing my third of the low key races this weekend. And don't let the term low key fool you. These are still very well organized races. There are more than 20 of them throughout the year and they are various distances, locations, and terrain.  Most of them are just registration day of so they don't even require prior commitment, Another great club benefit is weekly informal runs. They also have monthly stride clinics where you can consult with coaches, physical therapists, and podiatrists for the low price of $30.

If you can't tell, there is a lot to love about MCRRC and their 5k training group.  I would highly recommend them to any beginning runners in the area. Having said that, I just signed up for a distance training program through another organization, Potomac River Running. This is simply because the other training programs MCRRC has right now don't quite meet my schedule/goals for the rest of the year. I'm sure I will be coming back to MCRRC for other training programs in the future and I know that I will continue to participate in their races. I do think it will be a good opportunity to be able to compare this first training group experience with a training group from another organization.  I will keep you updated!

And because it's been such beautiful weather yesterday and today, a bonus "I love."  I love DC in spring! I had a meeting downtown that let out around lunch time so I could enjoy lunch in a park and it happened to be Ethiopian food from a food truck.  Yum!

I hope everyone has a great weekend :)

Friday Five Apps/websites

Today I'm going to talk about five apps/websites that have been helpful with my fitness journey.

1. The first is Weight Watchers for tracking my food intake.  It's amazing how much mindless eating I did before I began tracking.  I still eat unhealthy things some times (pizza for dinner yesterday) but at least I do it knowingly and with intention.  Of course, weight watchers isn't the only app out there that will let you do this.  I have friends that use a free site called sparkpeople.com and they're very happy with it.

2.  The second is Runkeeper for tracking my running.  It's a free app though you can upgrade to the paid version.  I'm still using the free version though I may upgrade at some point.  The free version allows you to use your phone to track your running as far as miles and pace.  You can also dig deeper to see splits and elevation on your runs.  It allows you to put in intervals for your run and it has training plans available as well.  Some of the training plans are free and some have a cost.  But this is a great way to track progress.

My first runkeeper entry

3.  Next, I love my fitbit!  There is an initial investment as you have to buy the fitbit.  The fitbit syncs wirelessly with your mobile device and you can see your steps for the day.  Some models also track things like stairs or sleep as well.  This allows me to see how active my day is outside of exercise.  I try to get at least 5000 steps per day with just my daily activities, so I take extra walks at work, park further, etc.  My overall goal is 10000 steps a day which I generally make on days I run but struggle with on other days.  You can link up with friends and see who's winning on number of steps so it has a social element as well.

Almost hit the goal this day!

4. This is a new one for me so I'm not sure yet how I'll like it.  It's Fitocracy and it's an app which makes fitness into a game.  You get points and can level up for logging activities that you've done.  You can also engage in challenges, earn badges, etc.  The reason I joined is because I wanted a way to track my strength training activities, and this should work for that.

5.  Facebook doesn't technically have anything to do with fitness, but I find that a lot of people share interesting things on there, whether it's personal accomplishments, tips, motivations, or articles.  This definitely helps to keep me engaged and inspired!

Any apps/websites you would recommend?  I'd love to hear about it!

Book review "Running Like a Girl: Notes on Learning to Run"

I'm a reader. Anytime I start doing something new, I search out books on the topic to read.  So I put a bunch of books about running on my wish list and my cousin got me several for Christmas.  The first book about running I read was "Running Like a Girl: Notes on Learning to Run" by Alexandra Heminsley.  I absolutely loved this book!  It was both inspiring and hilarious at the same time.

The book is part memoir, part running guide.  The first half of the book focuses on the author and her journey.  One of my favorite aspects is the author's candid discussion about some of the hardships she faced.  This section is prevented from being overly self-indulgent by the author's ability to bring in stories that put her running journey into a larger context.  She discusses things like the history of women in distance running and the fact that they weren't even allowed to participate as late as the 1970s.  People literally thought distance running could make a woman's uterus fall out!  There is an incredible story about Kathrine Switzer who ran the Boston Marathon in 1967.  She signed up using her initials so it wasn't evident she was a woman.  When one of the race directors saw a woman running the course, he physically jumped on the course to try to stop her.  She managed to finish anyway but her time wasn't recorded.  The second part of the book is more of a practical guide to help the reader on their own journey.  

Each chapter begins with inspirational quotes.  But often the author's own words are just as inspirational as the quotes, such as the following:  "once you have taught yourself that running isn't about breaking boundaries you thought you could never smash, and realized that it is about discovering those boundaries were never there in the first place, you can apply it to anything."  

Here is another gem:  "Running is awful.  It feels unnatural, unnecessary, and painful.  It can hijack you with breathlessness, cripple you with panic, and overwhelm you with self-consciousness....It is also the pleasure of being outside on a sunny day, feeling the prickle of the sun on your skin.  It is the delight of feeling your body temperature rise despite the crisp winter breeze against your face....And, as I have learned, it is an honor, a privilege, and a gift." 

The book does a great job of talking about the emotional and mental sides of running, not just the physical.  I would recommend it for anyone new to running who wants to learn more about it as well as to experienced runners looking for funny stories and renewed inspiration.  It is written exceptionally well.  I looked up the author's background once I finished the book and learned that she was a journalist long before she was a runner, which shows in the quality of writing.  I leave you with a Youtube video of the author that I feel displays her sense of humor and the sensibility of the book.

Are there any running books you would recommend?