Running the States

Tag: health

  • Safety tips for running alone

    Safety tips for running alone

    Hello and happy spring! I’m excited for longer days and longer runs without five layers, three pairs of gloves, and a scarf wrapped around my head like I’m a mummy.

    Warmer weather means more outdoors runs. And for me, that also means more solo runs.

    Do you ever run alone? If so, do you always feel safe when you do?

    According to a 2017 Runner’s World survey of over 2,500 women, nearly one in three say they’ve been followed by someone—whether on foot or in a car—while they were running. The results also showed that 43 percent of women say they’ve sometimes, often, or always have been honked at, catcalled, or received unsolicited sexual attention on their runs. Read the full article: Running While Female.

    Unfortunately, these stats are not surprising.

    My female friends and I have experienced the above on multiple occasions during runs. Luckily, the situations have never been scary — just annoying.

    I think it’s important to always be cautious and practice safety when you’re out running.

    Here are some safety tips I follow:

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  • Meal prepping quinoa bowls — five ways!

    Meal prepping quinoa bowls — five ways!

    Quinoa bowls are nothing new. In fact, I’ve been meal prepping them and bringing them to work for lunch almost everyday for the past few years. Seriously.

    Friends always ask if I get tired of them. To be honest, I really don’t. I’ve become a pro at mixing it up and making them different each week.

    Here’s the thing: You can pretty much make quinoa bowls out of absolutely anything! All you need is quinoa for the base, and after that, you can dress it up to your heart’s content.

    Below are five quinoa bowl ideas. Don’t let the longish list of ingredients scare you. Items can be removed or swapped out to something else you may have on hand.

    1. Power quinoa bowl with spinach, kale, eggs, and avocado (my go-to)
    2. Shredded chicken quinoa bowl with spinach and broccoli sprouts
    3. Quinoa with spicy roasted sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts
    4. Mediterranean quinoa bowl with roasted chickpeas and spinach
    5. Quinoa bowl with black beans and chicken

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  • Apps that keep you safe while running

    Apps that keep you safe while running

    Running apps are obviously great for tracking the time, pace and mileage of your runs. But did you know some of them can also keep you safe? There are apps where you can share your real-time location with family members and friends. I think this is a smart idea, especially if you tend to enjoy solo runs, as I do. I did a little research on some available ones out there.

    Here are some I came across:

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  • Half marathons to run in 2019

    Half marathons to run in 2019

    I don’t know about you guys, but it always takes me a little while to plan my races out for the year. There’s cost, other travel plans, work commitments, etc. to factor in. And then when there are a few great races taking place the same weekend, there’s trying to decide which one to go with. It can be tough!

    Well, after a few weeks of strategizing, I think I have my 2019 race schedule (mostly) set.

    drumroll…
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  • Top 10 fitness trends for 2019

    Top 10 fitness trends for 2019

    2019 fitness trends
    2019 fitness trends

    When it comes to staying fit, running is my go-to. It’s my “me” time, where I think about all the things. It relieves my stress, and it gives me that amazing high afterward. It’s pretty much been my main form of exercise for the last 10+ years.

    I have dabbled in other things over the last decade though.

    I’ve tried different forms of yoga: ashtanga, vinyasa, hatha, bikram, and yin yoga. And there was that time a friend and I tried SoulCycle. We enjoyed the 45-minute heart-thumping, spin-dancing class. Afterward, we went to the bar next door for beers, and never returned to SoulCycle again. Not because we didn’t like it, but because it was too expensive. We didn’t feel the cost of the class was worth attending on a regular basis. I also tried SoldierFit once — they partnered with an organization I work with, Girls on the Run, as part of a Women Empowerment series we put together.

    Other than that, I haven’t done much else besides run.

    I’m embracing diversity in my fitness now though. And for a little inspiration, I looked into the latest trends for this year.

    The American College of Sports Medicine surveys thousands of professionals around the world each year to determine health and fitness trends. They released their results for 2019 late last year.

    Here are this year’s predicted trends:

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  • Recapping 2018, Saying hello to 2019!

    Recapping 2018, Saying hello to 2019!

    Hello, friends. Happy New Year!

    And happy first full week after the holidays!

    What a year 2018 was. Apologies for being MIA the second half of it. It’s been a little crazy around here, but in a good way.

    There was a lot of travel in 2018 — for races, for weddings, for family visits, and for just fun.

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