Smells like Band-Aids & Camping & BIC Bands Review

I had the most perfect run last night! It was 68 degrees, the sun was out and a slight breeze was hitting my sweaty face as I cruised down the freshly rained on streets. It was so clean outside. Sometimes, the smell of fresh rain reminds me of the smell I get when I go camping. I love that smell! It always reminds me of happy times. The only thing is that when I was heading back (out and back run), something around me smelled like band-aids. You know that smell when you open a new band-aid. I hate that smell. There was this sub sandwich place I use to go to and their sodas smelled liked this too. I always got water there. I hate this smell (I can't say it enough)! On to the review...

Here are a couple of my favorite things that keep my hair out of my eyes while sweating (I'm loving the BIC Bands)!

I love the snake print on my head band. I think I prefer the thicker BIC Bands compared to the thinner ones.

Every once in a while, I'll change it up with some sparkles. You know every girl like some sparkles every one in a while (even this non super girlie girl). I don't know what kind of a pose I'm doing here. Maybe, here I am on my way to a squat???

Don't forget about my awesome giveaway here!!

Describe your perfect run. What keeps your hair out of your eyes (guys and girls)? What smell reminds you pf happy times (or not happy times)?

Endorphin Warrior Bracelet GIVEAWAY!!!

A little while back, Endorphin Warrior sent me an awesome bracelet to try out. I love that I can wear it all day long, even while working out and getting my sweat on. It's made to help keep you staying focused and strong minded. Another great thing, they're not just for women, men too!

Ignore the post workout veining hand. My "unbreakable" bracelet keep my mind on my workout last night and I was ready to hit the gym!

It's comfortable to wear. It never poked me. I actually forgot I was wearing it during my entire workout. To win a bracelet of your own, all you have to do is (leaving a separate comment telling me so in this post):

Become a follower here

Like Runners Fuel on FB

Follow Runners Fuel on Twitter

Like Endorphin Warrior on FB

Vote for Runners Fuel at the KCRA A-List here (even if you're not local)

I will randomly choose a winner on May 3rd!!

Cheribundi & Planting

Last night, I went on a 6 mile run. It was a great run! The only interesting thing that happened during my run was when an old lady locked eyes with me, saw me running towards her and kept going. She almost hit me!! Of course, I couldn't let that happen, but it was close!

It was my long run, since I'm not really training for anything, 6 miles is good for my long runs, right now. 

I had a drive to get home, It was some major traffic. I'm so glad I had Cheribundi in my car, nice & cool waiting for me! I tried the Whey Cherry flavor (they have other flavors, too). They packed their cherry juice with protein to speed my recovery. Ok, I know, they didn't make this just for me, but it feels like it. I'm not as sore as I usually am after a 6 miler. And, about an hour after drinking this yummy juice, I felt like I had so much energy that I normally do. 

At first, my taste buds were shocked from the tart cherries, but they got use to it fast! I would highly recommend taking this juice for a test run!



My boss, at work, gave me some tomato plants, that she grew from seedlings. Jason & I planted them tonight. It was a fun night. We have family coming in town this weekend, so we have lots to do. I mowed while Jason weeded, then we spent the rest of the night planting plants, and hanging out outside, while we watered the lawn (we don't have built in sprinklers, yet). It was a good night!

Stick around, I have a pretty cool giveaway coming tomorrow!!


Do you have a green thumb, if so, what do you grow? I don't have a green thumb, I kill everything in sight! This is all Jason
What do you like to drink after a good workout?

Burpees & HB Tune Review

A few hours before I was suppose to leave work, I got this urge to sit around and not do anything. I was so proud of myself! I didn't give in!! I went to the gym for my 2 hour "me time". I am so glad that I went. I always regret not working out, but I never regret working out. 

So, tonight, I had my stairs, ski machine, ab mat time and leg weights to keep me company until my 60 minute ripped class started. I never got bored, that's for sure! During class, I started to fall in love with burpees. I think I really am finding a new love (sorry stair climber, and Jason). I know what I'm not falling in love with, anytime soon...diamond push ups! I HATE, HATE them. They are so evil!! I think my hands are permanently staying in this position, because we did so many of these stupid push ups.  

A while ago I was given a smart phone running handband to try out, from HBTune.com. I haven't been running outside to much, until lately. So, I decided to try it out the other day. I didn't think it would fit my crackberry, but it does! It's pretty comfortable to carry while you're running. It even has a reflective green band (or different colors, if you choose), so you stay safe in the darkness. 

I don't carry my phone very often, when I go running. It usually gets very slippery, with sweat. Since I don't want to break it, I don't carry it. Knowing my luck, with injury, I should be carrying something to contact Jason, if I ever get hurt on a run.

It has a slim fit!

HBTune.com has a fit for almost every smart phone. 

I feel safer already, just having my phone to carry on long runs!


What is your "evil" workout? Do you have a love or hate relationship with burpees? What was your workout last night?

Good vs. Evil

I finally finished my nails last night. I know it's a crappy paint job, but they're cute, right? It's called easter egg. I think I want to call it bubble gum. This may be the last time my nails are all one color, for a while, at least.

There were so many good and "evil" things about my run last night. I'll start with the good:

* It was 75 and sunny

* There was a slight breeze

* The sun was nice & bright and keeping me warm

* I ran with some upbeat tunes that helped keep my pace

* It was warm enough to run in shorts and a tank!!!

* I carried water (very smart of me) and it was so refreshing when I needed it

The "evil"

* 75 gets pretty warm to run in. It becomes difficult when you haven't done so in a year

* The humidity was pretty high 

* A random lady waved me down (I was spacing out during the run), made me stop and pause my music and asked me if she could walk in the bike lane (there was a pedestrian path). 

* On my way back (on my out and back run), the sun was dead smack in my eyes and very blinding

After the run, I had to make a pit stop at the grocery store. I felt so bad for the people around me. I bet you could smell me a mile away. I bet the entire store needed to be aired out after I left.

By the time I got home, Jason was already home. Since I got to run outside, in shorts, I was in a very good mood. We decided to enjoy the night, outside, with a beer. I love this time of year!! It's prefect running weather!!

What's your favorite time of year? What color are your nails? Has anyone ever stopped you on a run before to ask you a question?

What Not to Make for Dinner

A few years ago, there was this show on the Lifetime network called Cook Yourself Thin. It was a cooking show and the ladies always made a more healthy version of a common dish, and some new recipes, too. 

Well, I liked their show so much, I bought their book. Last night, I made sauteed spinach with grilled turkey sausage red pepper rosemary corn bread. 

I wasn't too keen on having peppers in my corn bread. But, who knows, I've had so many things that have sounded gross, but were really good. That's a pepper hanging off the spoon.

I have now learned that I don't like this recipe. I'm going to choke down the leftovers, but I won't be happy about it (I don't want to waste money and throw it away). 

You may be asking why I haven't blogged in almost a week. On Monday, I packed my gym bag, all ready to take it with me to work. While I was at work, my stomach started giving me problems. Since I'm not training for anything (no big races coming up), I decided not to push myself. I went home, showered and changed right into my pj's. Tuesday, it was worse. I think I got some sort of food poisoning. It wasn't as bad from my half marathon a few months ago. I feel better now and actually went to the gym last night. 

I did my normal routine, as if I never missed a day (or two). Since 3 people were on the stairs, I opted to the ski machine, first (instead of second). Once the 12 minutes were completed, all 3 stair machines were free! I hopped right on! 15 minutes later, I was completely warmed up and ready to start my mat work. Before my spin class started, I worked my legs with some weights. 

Spin class was great tonight! I sweat in some places I have never before! I never realized that my knees sweat. They were drenched (no, I didn't spill my water)! I left the gym feeling stronger than ever and in a super, duper good mood!

Over the weekend, Jason and I decided to celebrate having a night free! We made a pitcher of mojitos and bought some sandwiches and stayed in. It was such a nice night!

The weather has been so beautiful! I have my medium-ish run planned for after work. I have my shorts and tank all packed and I'm ready to run in the sun!

The voting is still going on, please vote for me (even if you're not local) and help bring me to the top!

How's the weather where you live? Have you ever heard of putting a pepper in corn bread? What is the weirdest thing you ever put in your food?

Happy Friday the 13th!!

Remember the other day, when I asked you guys to guess what I was making. Well, here it is...brownies!!! Got to love chocolate.

Last night, I was thinking I was going to be able to run outside. About 20 minutes before I was going to leave, it started down pouring. Lightning, and thunder, too. No need to run in that mess. Don't get me wrong, I love running in light rain, but not this disaster. I would have been soaked, just running 1/4 mile. 

So, I headed to the gym. I did my workout routine backwards, just to make it different. I started with leg weights, moved on to ab work on the mat. To make it completely backwards would have been to go to the ski machine and stairs. But, for some reason, I always have to do the stairs (15 minutes), then the ski machine (10 minutes). I'm not sure why, but that's order on that part. No changes. I guess I'm screwed if 3 people are on the stairs when I'm ready. Yep, we only have 3 stair machines! 

To say the least, I was super happy when I got home. I got some rest 2 days ago and now I have my week ends workout done (I'm running on Saturday, so it isn't weekend, it's week end.).

I am competing in this local thing. You don't have to be local to vote (I also have a link on my sidebar). But, please vote for me for favorite blogger. It would be great if I got on the board! If every one of my followers votes, I'm sure I would win!!

Do you have a certain routine you have to do your workout in? What is your all time favorite item to bake/cook (anything, dinner, dessert, breakfast)?

Help Me!

I took yesterday off of the gym to rest. I was so tired and hungry! I always forget how hungry I get when I get back into  my routine, especially after taking some time off. Well, I feel so much better today and I'm ready to kick this workout's ass!

I have a favor to ask of you guys:

I'm running for a local blogger award. Even if you're local, please vote for me! Show me your love!! Click on this link to vote today! Thanks so much!!

Pale Runner

I was so happy to see that it hadn't rained when I was going out for my run. If it was pouring, I was going to hit up the tm at the gym. But, it wasn't, so I was able to head outside to the wonderful local roads. I poked my head outside to check the temperature before I changed into my running clothes. I know that it's getting warmer, but I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to wear my shorts I keep in my gym, just in case. Well, I was super, happy excited to be able to show off my super white legs running down the road. I just hope I didn't blind any drivers.

My legs haven't seen any sun in a very, very long time. I know I won't be as tan as I was last year, but I think it's time to start wearing my shorts outside, again!!

I ran 4 1/2 miles outside on the cool, breezy streets. It was the prefect weather for an outdoor run! I just wish it was a little sunny out. Oh well, I RAN OUTSIDE!!

How did I refuel when I got home:

As soon as I dropped my gym bag off in the kitchen, I got started baking. Any guesses to what I made? I'll give you some clues: that is a brown color on one of those measuring cups and those are eggs.  

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen that I did an awesome bicep workout when I got done making the special something. I opened a brand new jar of peanut butter, then spent some time stirring it to get it all mixed up. I always hate it when I don't stir it enough and I miss some spots at the very bottom. Then, by the time you notice, it's too late to stir it with any of the oil. It tears your toast and your morning starts out very sad. Not this time!

I am on day 2 of my summer of abs. I'm feeling great (of course, I'm only on day 2)! I'm a little sore from the ripped class on Monday, but it's a good sore. Spin class tonight will be a blast! I can't wait! Let's see how much sweat pours off of me and how many people slip (just a little exaggerated). 

Any guesses to what I made? Do you buy pb that you need to stir? If so, what brand do you like? Are you wearing shorts on your outdoor runs (if you're running outside)?

Burpees, squats, lunges, and diamond push ups, OH MY!!!

To start off, I never bring my phone in the gym. This is my "me" time and I'm not concerned about anything or anyone but myself. I am my only concern at this time. With my new schedule, on Mondays and Wednesdays, I will be spending at least 2 hours at the gym. I thought it would be fun to show what my "me" time looks like. Here is what they look like:

I start off by spending 15 minutes (will slowly move to 25 minutes) with my long time best friend (maybe your worst enemy).

I move on to my acquaintance and spend 10-15 minutes here (it really works the back of my legs...right where I need it).

Next comes some of my favorite time...mat work. I love the bender ball. I sometimes work with a medicine ball, but they were all taken tonight. Oh well, I got everything I needed to do done here in 20 minutes (3 reps).

Tonight was a special night. I would usually be getting my legs toughened up (aka lifting weights), but tonight I was getting my body fat tested. It was right where I wanted it. I will have it tested at the end of summer (aka: when I have my six pack abs). I think the guy taking the "pinches" was hitting on me or something. He said I was average for the body fat percentage, but my body was more than average (with a huge smile). He must not have seen my wedding rings (it was nice, though).

After waiting for the test to be done, it was time to really get ripped. It is such a difficult class. About every 3-5 weeks, the instructor changes up the routine. I love the one we did today. We usually do a ton of squats and lunges. We exchanged those with burpees. Oh joy (sarcasm)!!!! There were burpees, squats, lunges, and diamond push ups oh my!

Last night was day one of my summer of abs. Everything I did really worked my abs. I always try to use my core when I step up the stairs, or lift weights. I am determined!

What do your workouts look like?

I just signed up for the Color Run 5k in Sacramento. Anyone else running it?

The Calm Before the Storm

I am taking this weekend to relax and collect myself before I start getting too into my workouts and too buff  (enter sarcasm). I really am relaxing all weekend. I start my 6 pack dream to reality mission on Monday. I will get my body fat tested (by the pinch test method, mainly for fun). I will be eating better. But come on, it's me. I know I will continue baking and cooking great dinners. I will not banish myself from eat something I want. It's all in portion control. Instead of eating 10 cookies, I should only eat 1. I will fix my dinners on smaller plates and cut out drinking juice and stick mainly to water (and the occasional beer).

This is the calm before the storm of workouts. I will have Fridays and Sundays off of working out. Here's what I anticipate my weeks to look like:

Monday: Stair climber, ab mat work, leg weights, 60 min. ripped class
Tuesday: 6 mile run (running kicks my abs ass)
Wednesday: stairs, ab mat work, 60 min. spin
Thursday: 6 mile run
Friday: rest
Saturday: 3 mile run, at home ab mat work
Sunday: rest


What's your workout routine? What is your goal (ie: 5k training, marathon training, sculpted arms, etc)?

I Am Determined!!

On Wednesday night, I met up with a friend for our weekly spin class. I always get to the gym about an hour before class starts, so I have time to do my own warm up. I started with 15 minutes on the stair climber (I missed my dear old friend), headed over to the crazy looking elliptical thing and ended up finishing the pre-spin workout with leg weights. I was sweating to death way before class even started. 

There are only 2 spin classes that I've been to that helps work my core muscles. The sprints out of the saddle are the ones that work the most. They're horrible, in a good way! I am determined to get a 6-pack by summer (or at least a 3 pack). I know summer is almost here (already there in some states). I had something similar last year, but I want to be better than last year. I am determined. 

The only thing that can throw me off are good recipes like this. 

I made Paula Deen's Taco Soup the other night and could have finished it off in one sitting (there's at least 8 servings). It was so good! I think next week, we're going to go back to eating mostly healthy items and a lot more veggies. I've been lacking in the veggie department lately. Once I set my mind to something, I usually stick with it. I am determined!

What are you determined about lately?

What's holding You in Place?

I've been trying a lot of new gear out lately. A lot of them have been perfect for my use. I need clothes are are tight fitting, but flexible and doesn't ride up while in fast motion. I have found some awesome things!

These leggings are great! They don't ride up and they're super comfy. They keep my legs warm as I run through the wind (not heavy wind, though). Don't worry, I wore shorts over them, so no one sees things they don't need to see. Motion Wear was so nice to send these to me to try out. They mainly focuses on gymnastics and dance wear. But, we have some things in common. Our clothes need to stay out of our way in order for us to do what we love to do. No need getting caught up in baggy clothes. They have some things that work prefect for us runner/yogis/relaxers/casual cyclists.

It takes me a while to review clothing, because I want to give my honest opinion and that means that I have to wear them on more than a few occasions.

My new favorite sports bra! Sorry men, but this ones for the ladies.  Astrosportswear knows how to make them! I've worn this bra on so many runs. I wear it all the time. It doesn't chafe or leave strap marks. It holds everything in it's place while running. The back is super cute, too!

I love the colors! It provides coverage in all the right areas.

Jen is the nicest person! They have great customer service! I will be reviewing some more products. I have to let you know all the cool brands to wear while running!! I love knowing which brands to keep buying and to stock up on. I already have a few in mind.


What holds you in place while running?

Just a reminder: Stay tuned, I haven't forgotten about my giveaway. It's coming soon!Keep commenting on the posts, it may earn you an extra point for the giveaway!

Have you noticed the additional tabs at the top of the page? I'm making some adjustments to the blog. Let me know what you think!

SacTown 10 Miler

The night before the race, I was a little nervous because I hadn't really trained for this race. I got a free entry to the race just a couple weeks before. My longest run was 7.5 miles. I'm a crazy person and like to run the full amount, before race day. It makes me feel better to know that I can run that distance (let it be a 5k, 10k, 10 miles or half marathon). It's just a comfort thing.

I picked up my packet (in the pouring rain) and was as ready as I could be. There was a huge storm, that I was hoping would pass before race morning.

As soon as I woke up, I checked the weather. Sunny skies were shown for race day. Now, that gave me a huge smile on my face! What a great way to start. The race started right at 8 am.

This was my first race sans music. Another reason why I was a little nervous. If I got bored, I always had my music to keep me company. The first mile was pretty hard, without the music, but luckily, there was a dj and a high school band playing some pretty upbeat music. If you can't see me, I'm in the red shirt behind the lady with her hands up.

Of course, my super supportive husband was my photographer. He took some pictures of the sites around the area, while I ran. The race started at the capital. It looped around some beautiful homes, through the college and back to the capital. There was so much to look at.

 Jason got an awesome photo of me crossing the finishing line (mat).

They had pretty cool medals this year. This was the first time I ran in the SacTown 10 miler. It was such a great race, I think I may sign up next year! It goes for such a great cause, children hospitals.

Offical Time:
709/844   57/74    1:49:47

How does any runner refuel? I got straight into my compression socks (after making a pit stop for the world's best cinnamon rolls, sorry no picture). I enjoyed a big glass of chocolate milk and some Oreo cookies that they handed out at the race. I'm so glad they handed out those cookies, I've been craving them!

After relaxing for about an hour, I got changed and headed out to help Jason mow the lawn, while he weeded. Our backyard no longer looks like we live near a jungle! It was a great way to finish a great day!

What do you do after any race? What's your best medal? Do you have a ritual for the day before a race?Do you run with or without music on race day?