5 Minute Plank and 4:30am alarm.

Since my back has been sore this week, I took an easy recovery week. It didn't help that the weather was yuck. Makes it hard to leave the house in that weather.

I get asked all the time how I get up to run at 5am. Below, you will find re-enacted conversations that I have with myself each time the alarm goes off.

Monday: Chest and tri supersets, planks, and 15 min. stairmaster.
I forced myself to go to the gym and throw around some weights. I didn't have a plan, and that's ok. I can throw a workout together at the frop of a hat.  Had to throw some cardio up in there since I didn't do a HIT workout.

Tuesday: 4.3 mile run.
Alarm went off at 4:30am. Here's how I got out of bed.
Conscience: Get out of bed you ate one too many tamales this weekend. Plus an indulgent dessert.
Sleepy self: But the bed is so comfy. Ok, I might as well. Don't want to run on the dreadmill later.

Easy as that! I didn't have to hit snooze, which I rarely do. I don't leave any lee-way in the morning. I have exactly 12 minutes and 48 seconds to brush my teeth, get dressed, grab a water and eat half a banana and head out the door. No time for snooze.

Stretching, coffee and quiet time.

Wednesday: Legs and shoulders, planks.

Thursday: 5 mile run, back, bi's (no supersets) and planks.
4:30am alarm.
Sleepy self: Is it raining? The forecast said rain.
Conscience: Nope, get up.
Sleepy self: But I didn't sleep well.
Conscience: You can nap later.

Yeah, naps never happen when you have two active boys. Especially one that thinks he's an extended body part.

He looks really sweet. Mama's boy, that one.

Friday: 8 mile long run
4:30am alarm.
Sleepy self: I'm.....so.....tired.....Not two days in a row!
Conscience: Get it done now or you don't get a long run this week.
Sleepy self: My back hurts.
Conscience: You are meeting a friend, you can't leave her hanging.
Sleepy self: fine

See, usually my first instinct is to go back to bed. I am not a morning person, however, I know I run best at that time. It doesn't carve into time spent with my family. Plus I've had a super busy week, so I'm glad to at least get my solid runs in, even if I couldn't fit in any other cardio.

Plank Record!

I did a few regular planks.

And one of these!

I alternate between the two plank positions. It is equally hard. I was trembling and if anyone was looking at me, they probably were about to call 911.

I realized at 3:30 in that I could make 4 minutes, then I pushed myself to 5!

*****

Pretty happy about my #plankaday.

Are you willing to take the #plankaday challenge?

Charissa at Colourful Palate is going to be having a July smoothie challenge. There are weekly prizes. Are you in? I'm in!

WIAW- Sensible Snacking

The theme for this month's What I Ate Wednesday is sensible snacking. Thanks Jenn at Peas and Crayons for hosting WIAW.

Since this past weekend's tamale festivities, kept me super busy, I was behind in the snack department. This morning I made my old standby snack.

No-bake oatmeal protein bars.

While I was preparing dinner tonight, I boiled some eggs. After clean-up, I made a tuna salad. I add just a teeny bit of light mayo, and lots of mustard. Also, I only put the hb egg whites, chopped celery and red pepper.

I took the leftover hb eggs, red pepper, and celery and put it in a to-go container. This will be another snack this week. I will probably pair it with hummus.

Then I sliced up watermelon and put it in a container.


Workouts: Monday
It's been raining here for the past few days, but I finally got to the gym late Monday morning. I did a chest and tri superset workout followed by 15 minutes on the starimaster.

Tuesday:
Ran 4.3 miles, 25mph winds. If you know anything about South Florida, it's flat and is never windy. We were feeling the effects of a tropical storm.

Tamales are like babies

I spent the latter part of the week shopping and prepping to make...oh....about 42 dozen of these.

There is a reason for the madness. My oldest child, who just graduated from high school, is raising money to go on a mission trip. Here she is with her brothers. They are making a tamale sandwich out of their sister.

I went to the dreaded Wal-Mart to get all the necessities. My local grocery store's Latino section only has a few items. Going to Wal-Mart is a post in itself. Ever been to the people of Wal-Mart website? You may have nightmares. Just sayin'.

I spent 3 hours in the kitchen, the night before, prepping the salsa for the chicken and making the chile sauce.

My oldest sister and I each have our duties. The recipe is my late Grandma Maria's. My sister makes the pork meat, I make the chicken. She fills the meat and rolls the tamales. I make the masa. Since we each have our "jobs", my sister calls it tamale security.

That's 8lbs of masa.

The masa goes on the corn husk like this.

After that, the meat is put on top and it is rolled up. Then we steam the tamales for about an hour and a half. These are definately not a clean food. The Hubs asked if I could make a leaner version of tamales. I told him that some things are better left as is. Who knows, I could probably cut a few calories here or there but these really are a treat. We only make them once or twice a year anyway.

Tamales are like having babies. You want another one after you forget about the pain you endured birthing the last one. That's why we don't make them very often. Tamales, not babies. Er...ok babies too.

We spent 12 hours just on Saturday in the kitchen. That was my workout for the week day. When I got home and was loading the dishwasher, I strained my back. Again.

This means no Crossfit until I feel better. I want to heal completely.

 

Have you ever had a tamale? Ever made them?

Have you ever had a back strain? What helped?

I've been icing and resting.

Running Motivation

You know how I like to say that, "You never regret a workout?" Even the bad workouts are good. The Hubs and I have been trying to balance our running with Crossfit. It's been a challenge, being that we have kids and all. Plus he has to get his workouts done before work, I can at least hit up the gym during the day. We both do not workout after work, as that is time that is spent with the family. Even on days when the kids have been fighting all day and all I want to do is de-stress with running.

I have found that I just don't like running if it doesn't happen first thing in the morning. If I'm not up before the sun running, chances are, I won't run. I really struggle with the dreadmill. The past week I am struggling even more with early wake-up calls.

On Tuesday, I skipped my early run because I did back squats and deadlifts on Monday and my legs were extremely sore. As in, wince-every-time-I-have-to-sit-down-or-stand-up-sore. Fun stuff. That lasted until Thursday morning. I went ahead and called Tuesday a rest day.

Wednesday came and I knew I had to get a run in. I had every intention of waking up early, but tossed and turned the night before and decided it was best (for everyone) that I try and sleep. After dropping off C-man at camp, it was past 10am. Upon arriving at the gym, I headed upstairs to the dreadmills. I put my headphones in and started running. Pretty soon I was at 1 mile. Then mile 2 finally showed up on the screen. I wanted to stop.

I didn't.

I kept running and talked myself into running 3 miles at least. I honestly wish I could run on the treadmill. I trained for my first half marathon on a treadmill. You think I am slow now? I was really slow then, so it took me longer.

This morning as the alarm went off at 4:30am, I first listened for rain because the forecast said there was a 60% chance of rain. Then I texted my friend to see if we were still on. No rain on her side of town. The run was still on.

Getting out of bed is the hardest part, next is getting out the door.

I ended up running 5 miles and we kept a decent pace considering the humidity. Know what else?

I didn't regret getting out of bed.

Do you go through stages when motivation is hard to come by? Any tips?

My biggest motivation is signing up for a race. I am less likely to hit the snooze button or look for an excuse not to run.

End of Crossfit- week 1

Let's back up to Friday's workout. We went to Crossfit. I wasn't sure what to expect because it looked like cardio and included jump rope. The last time I did a Zwow on a Friday, it included jump rope and my calves were ticked off at me for my Saturday long run.
Row 500, 400, 300, 200, 100
Run 1 mile, 800, 400, 300, 200
Double Unders 50x, 40x, 30x, 20x, 10x (Singles – 100x, 90x, 80x, 70x, 60x)

Translated to plain English, here's what I did:
Run 1 mile, 100 jump rope, row 500m
Run 800m, row 400m, 90 jump rope
Run 300m, row 300m, 80 jump rope.....and so forth.

On my own later, I completed 100 push-ups to meet my goal for the week. My burpee goal was a fail. Better luck next week.

You get the picture. It was a good workout. My time was 34 minutes.

I was still sore from our circuit on Wednesday. The one where we had the overhead plate carry.

Saturday

I ran 8 miles. I went to bed early on Saturday, then woke up on Saturday at 5:20am looking for any excuse not to run.

"Is it raining?"

"My bed is reeeeally comfy."

Then, "Just go, you won't regret it."

A little ways into my run, I got to see this.

Monday

The WOD looked like this:

Strength: Back Squat 80 %
5 x 50%, 5 x 60%, 3 x 65%, 2 x 75%, (3 x 5 x 80%)

WOD: 
21 15 9 reps for time
Deadlift (225/155)
Burpee over the bar (lateral)

Translated: We didn't do the whole strength exercise. Because we are newbies, we have to know what our 1RM is before we can do a percentage of our 1RM. I started with the bar, which weighs 45lbs. We added 20lbs, I did a few back squats. We added 20 more, same thing. We added a little more weight and I did a squat. I lifted a total of 105lbs. The instructor thought I could lift more. I probably could have, but I was not confident in lifting heavy. Especially with pulling my back a week ago, I didn't want another injury. Although that was due to improper form.

After that, we did the WOD. It consisted of 21 deadlifts (I used 85lbs.), the 21 lateral jump burpees. 15 deadlifts, followed by 15 lateral jump burpees, then 9 deadlifts followed by 9 lateral jump burpees.

Our workout was complete in less than an hour.

What was your workout today?

Do you prefer to lift heavy or light?

Cravings & A Blue Mustache

There is a reason why I run when it's still dark outside. The sun. It's brutal. Since I normally run on Thursdays, I set the alarm for 4:30am. I thought I heard rain outside my window and said to myself, I can run later. Later ended up being a run at 8:15am. I ran 4 miles. It wasn't fun. Thinking back, I don't even know if it was rain tapping outside, or if it was the fan making a noise.

Red Face after 4 miles

I came upon this article about cravings. Do you ever notice that when you indulge, it takes a while to get rid of cravings. The more you indulge, the more you want to indulge. Sometimes I have to stop and ask myself if eating that cupcake or cookie is worth it, because chances are, I will crave it again real soon.

Just as a night of drinking gives you a nasty hangover, too much processed food hitting your bliss point can set you up for a sugar, fat, and salt withdrawal. That can create a "second meal effect," leaving us hungrier than usual. "It takes the body two or three days to forget that sugar high," says Ashley Koff, RD, a FITNESS advisory board member and a dietitian for the CW's new reality show, Shedding for the Wedding. "If you eat a slice of cake on Monday, be prepared to keep craving it until Thursday."

What do you do? Here's what Fitness magazine suggests:

To Curb Cravings...

Avoid your triggers. Spend a day taking note of where you are and what you're doing when you experience cravings; then try to change one trigger at a time. "Take a different route to work if it's impossible to drive by the doughnut shop without stopping," suggests Kathy McManus, RD, a FITNESS advisory board member and director of the department of nutrition at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
Take control. Develop strategies for the triggers you can't avoid. For example, if someone brings cupcakes to a meeting, resolve that you'll split one with a colleague or take just a couple of bites. "Remember, you have the power to make healthy choices," Gearhardt says.
Stick to a schedule. Aim to eat only at set meal and snack times -- about every four hours -- to help prevent mindless grazing.
Get some satisfaction. If you bring a salad for lunch every day, it's no wonder you're likely to ditch it for pizza. Include indulgences a few times a week, but keep portions reasonable. "Packing a few cookies to satisfy your need for something sweet is a better strategy than depriving yourself until you rebel and eat a huge sundae," says Leslie Bonci, RD, a FITNESS advisory board member and director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences.
Cut back on coffee. "Too much caffeine can lead to a sugar craving, because you'll need a pick-me-up a few hours later," Koff says. Drink no more than two cups of java a day and pair them with protein, like almonds, to keep your energy level steady.
Give your meal a happy ending. Come up with an "enough" signal that lets you know when a meal is over. Nutrition and psychiatry pro­fessor Roberts, for example, likes to finish dinner with a cup of decaf tea: "I enjoy it, and then I know eating is done for the day," she says.

Leonor's tips:  

I incorporate many of these daily. I try to eat often, and stick to a schedule. When I am running around and want to avoid fast food, I carry my insulated lunch pack and have some healthy options available.  One of my lifesavers is no-bake protein bars. They are tasty and filling. I can't stand store bought protein bars. I might as well eat chalk.

I like the happy ending idea. I do this as well. I didn't know it had a name. The urge to eat something will sometimes hit me before bedtime. I like to have green tea with agave. This usually satisfies any craving. Sometimes just waiting 10 minutes is all it takes.

When you give in to a craving, don't beat yourself up. It's not the end of the world, unless you are training for a fitness competition or the Miss America pageant. Make a conscious decision to eat well the rest of the day. Don't throw out the rest of the day because you had a brownie.

I also make foods that are like a treat, but are healthy. I like Katie's no-bake lemon poppy seed cookies, and my lean cereal bars.

If you are trying to make fitness gains, have a cheat meal or dessert, not a cheat DAY. Do you know how much damage can be done in a day? Just from my personal experience, you won't make any progress. That's the difference between spinning your tires and actually getting somewhere.

Here's another tip:

Don't drink blue Gatorade and take a self portrait on my phone. It will end up on my blog.

Do you have any tricks to beat cravings or stay on track to avoid them?

WIAW- Eating a Rainbow

Jenn at Peas and Crayons is hosting WIAW and the theme for the month is healthy snacks. Thanks Jen!

I have been trying to be more conscious of eating more colorful foods. I am not creative with my eats. I am working on trying more things. It was the ole' standby for breakfast.

8:00AM- Egg whites with spinach, oats with bb, coffee

10:10AM- handful of SnoCaps and small bag of honey roasted peanuts

No picture. I was at the $1 movies with my boy. I don't think the screaming kids around me would have liked a flash during the previews.

12:30PM- Cobb salad with grilled chicken, minus bleu cheese and bacon.

I have no idea why my picture looks pink. Here's the little guy.

Then I ran some errands and was hungry when I got home so I snacked on some fruit.

I realized I needed some protein to go with the fruit and remembered that I made triple chocolate protein bars last night! Thanks Gina, for the recipe! I ate one.

When I made them last night, both my boys ate them! They usually have a sixth sense when it comes to my weird, healthy recipes and stay away from them. These cakes had them fooled!

6:00PM- grilled chicken, quinoa, asian salad

7:30PM- Fro-yo

Oh how I've missed you......

*****

Today was my second day of Crossfit. It was a team workout.

WOD: Teams WOD (5 to 7 per team) 6 Rounds per team member

OH plate carry from door to beginning of fence and back

Bear Crawl Down & Back

KTE's x 10 (I did leg raises)

Each team receives a 25# and/or a 45# plate that must remain over one of the team members heads at all times. Team members will rotate as people complete different movements. If the team allows the plate to drop under then everyone on the team stops and completes 10x Burpees

The whole time we were completing the WOD, someone had to stand with a 25lb (female) or 45lb (male) plate over their head. It wasn't bad at first, but after doing all of the other exercises, the plate was heavy.

It took us about 33 minutes to complete, we had a team of 4.

What is your workout today? Have you ever done a bear crawl?

This was the first time I've ever done a bear crawl.

First Day at Crossfit

Some of you may know that Crossfit is expensive compared to traditional gym memberships. I bought a 3 month Groupon for Crossfit. I bought 2 memberships. One for me, one for the Hubs.

I figure, this is the only way I will ever have a Crossfit membership, if only temporary.

I have to admit, I was a bit scared in the weeks anticipating our actual start date. We wanted to wait until the kids were out of school, and I was finished with VBS, which ended on Friday.

We go to the 6 AM class on Monday. It's a small class of about 10 people. Today's WOD (workout of the day) included Sumo deadlifts. We practiced the technique with poles. You need a wide stance with your toes pointed out. Another thing that Crossfitters do, is drag the pole along your legs. You can end up with bruises or lose hair (if you're a guy, or if you're Vera deMilo).

I bruise easily, so almost immediately after, I could see the bruises start to form. We started with 20 pounds. Then increased accordingly. Our instructor was trying to find our 1RM (one rep max). This is the most weight you can lift. My 1RM is 165. I actually lifted 155. There aren't any large mirrors at this Crossfit, I don't know if any of them have mirrors. This makes it hard to judge if you have proper form. As I did one last rep, I felt a muscle pull in my back. The Hubs told me that my butt wasn't low enough. I knew almost immediately that I got a back strain. I told the instructor and he said I needed to ice it when I got home. I continued with the WOD. The pain was minor, I knew I could finish the workout.

WOD#1: 3 x ( goal: 90 sec) Rounds – Rest 1 min between each round!
10 x Burpees
Run to end of fence and back

WOD#2: 3 x (goal: 90 sec) Rounds – Rest 1 min between each round!
10 x KB Swings
Run to end of fence and back

The WOD's were back to back. It took me 19 minutes to complete. My heart rate was elevated and by the end, my runs were not sprints. I got slower. I wasn't last though!

Since I pulled a muscle, I took the day off today and called it a rest day. There's no need to aggravate my back.

Other than pulling my back, I don't think it was as hard as I thought it would be. I think that is due to taking up time to find our 1RM. We didn't get a full workout. I am sore though. I will definitely be adding sumo squats to my leg routine, minus the back strain.  

Another thing everyone did was take off their shoes while lifting.

On another note.....

I haven't ran since Thursday! I usually run Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday is my long run day. I was planning on running Sunday, but was too tired. I will see how I feel tomorrow. Maybe I can sneak in a quick run. I'm not stressing about it. I'm not training for anything.

Are you a Crossfitter? (Is that what they are called?) Do you want to try Crossfit? Or do you do Crossfit workouts on your own?

Motivational Monday- Celeb Mom spotlight

I couldn't wait to feature Heidi Klum for my Celeb Mom Spoghtlight. She just celebrated her 39th birthday. I remember being astonished when hearing that she was going to do a runway show for Victoria's Secret just six weeks after giving birth to her fourth child. She said she gained 45 pounds during this pregnancy and had 20 pounds to go.

(Source)

Heidi Klum loves to run. She even had a summer run last year where she tracked all of her mileage and shared it with everyone.

(Source)

Heidi Klum also goes skiing, which is a full body workout.

(Source)

Her workout philosphy based on this article.

Yes, she has a longtime trainer on her side, but Heidi keeps things in perspective when it comes to working out. With a busy career and a full house, she fits a lengthy workout in whenever possible, but doesn't stress if some days fall short. Instead, she keeps an all-around active lifestyle, sticks to a healthy diet, and makes sure to get plenty of sleep. Heidi told Self that she goes to bed at 8:30 on most nights!

Her eating habits. (Source)

As for her diet, Heidi generally follows what has been show to work best for an efficient metabolism: a high protein diet that's low in "white flour" and high in lean protein. Veggies are "in" - carbs like bread, pasta, rice, cookies and similar goodies are "out." As Heidi told an "Us" magazine interviewer: "I have good eating habits."

(Source)

Here is Heidi Klum in 2002.

(Source)

Here she is on May 29 with one of her children.

(Source)

Would you grace the Victoria's Secret runway just weeks after giving birth?
I guess if I looked like Heidi, I would. When my children were that young, taking a bath daily was an accomplishment. Let alone putting on make-up and doing my hair.
Wait, that's quite an accomplishment now!

Last 2 weeks of Zwow's

I have been trying to step out of my comfort zone recently and do some different workouts. I always wanted to do a Body Rock workout but I never took the time to learn the routines and get the form down. Since Zuzana left Body Rock, and started her own gig, I have been doing some of her workouts. She calls them ZWOWs (Zuzana's workout of the week). I have tweaked most of her workouts to suit me, if it's a space issue or if I'm not feeling a certain move that day.

Last week, I did an older Zwow of hers. I was in a rush to find a full body workout and came across this one. It's ZWOW #4. It's 3 rounds for time. The routine consisted of:

• 50 pendulums
• 20 burpees (I did 50 total- not 60)
• 15 kettlebell swings
• 10 push-ups with a leg twist (I did girl push-ups without a twist)
• 5 broomstick squats (I did without broomstick)
• 2 minutes jump rope 

I think I completed the workout in under 21 minutes and was totally beat after. I love her workouts and how I feel like a rag doll after. I was also feeling the effects of jumping rope, in my calves.

Today, I did ZWOW #14. It's 5 exercises that you do 5 rounds for time.

• 10 push press
• 10 thrusters
• 10 back curl lunge
• 10 preacher curl squat
• 10 weighted lunge jumps (I didn't use weight)
• 10 broad jump burpees (no room for broad jumps today- did regular)

I don't know my time on this one, but I burned some serious calories. I have done this workout before and it messes with my head. After the first round, I am thinking, "I have 4 more?!", Then after the second round...."I will stop at 3 rounds." Then after the fourth round, I am like....."Must......finish......!"

I think that's why it's better to work out with a buddy, if possible. You can motivate each other.

Yesterday, I did a boot camp class at the gym. It was challenging and fun. In keeping with my "June Burpee & Push-up challenge", I completed my 100 push-ups for the week. I was feeling those this morning.

Off to go teach this little fella and 9 of his friends!

What I Ate Wednesday- Getting Uncomfortable

This has been a busy week as I am teaching 4 year olds at Vacation Bible School (VBS). I'm teaching Q-man's class. He's the class clown, no less.

I got home on Monday night after VBS and asked the Mr. if he like Almond Joys. He replied yes, so I made Almond Joy overnight oats using this girl's recipe. **Disclaimer: I am not a food photographer. I snap pics with my phone as this saves me time. So blurry, and grainy is what you get here.

Back to the overnight oats..... These are made with almond extract, greek yogurt, protein powder....Mmmmmmmm. Seriously, go check out Gina's blog. She has a fancy camera and has pictures you actually might enjoy looking at. Oh, and instead of almonds, I used blueberries. Trying to eat my rainbow daily over here.

6:30 AM- Almond Joy overnight oats

I normally don't eat breakfast that early, but I ran at 5am and knew I needed to get my protein and carbs in within that 30 minute window.

8:30 AM- Egg whites

This is a recycled picture. And yes, I ate two breakfasts. After getting one of my boys off to camp, we headed to a playdate. We ate lunch around noon. This is also a recycled picture.

I also ate 3 HB egg whites, not 2.

12PM- 3 HB egg whites and large apple

We came home around 1:30 and I was hungry again. I ate a granola bar thinking that would hold me over but it didn't. So I had a pita dipped with hummus. Problem solved.

1:30- snack

Since I have to be at church before 6pm. Dinner is rediculously early.

5:00PM- Salsa chicken over quinoa

And I may have nibbled on some of these Cacao treats.

After I got home and put the boys to bed, I wanted a little something. I made some green tea.

9:00- Green tea with agave

Looking at my day, I could have definitely had more veggies. I'm working on that.

The theme this month from Jenn at Peas and Crayons is sensible snacking. I think I did good in that aspect.

Speed Work Tuesday

Speedy really isn't the proper description, as I am slow as molasses. With the temps at 80 and crazy humidity, you slow down no matter what.

However....

In an attempt to not be uber slow, I did speedwork this morning. Being afraid of re-injuring myself, I took it easy. Really, I don't think I could have ran faster.

The point is, I pushed myself outside of my comfort zone. I battled my self-doubt and stepped outside of my comfort zone. That's how you bring change.

You do what is not necessarily comfortable (coughWakingUpAt4:30AMcough), but is good for you in the long run.

Workout

1 mile warm-up followed by four 400 meter runs with a 2 minute recovery. 1 mile cool-down. Total run: 4.5 miles. Done.

I feel better now.

What are some of your favorite snacks?

 

Long run new love

It has been overcast, rainy, and humid these past few days. I met with my group of running friends at 6am on Saturday for an easy 8 miles. Since my boys decided to lock up my iPod a while back, and I don't have patience when dealing with electronics, it is still inoperable. I've been using my iPhone, listening to Pandora. I love Pandora. Since there was a 30% chance of rain, I opted to leave the music behind. I've ran without music, but I like to have it. Especially on days that we run the bridge.

Safety tip: If you're going to run with music, run with one earbud. I do. There's always bikers, other runners, and not to mention....CARS around. Plus you never know if the Koo-koo man is in the bushes waiting to get you. What? Your mom never told you the Koo-koo man would get you?

So last week, the girls stopped at 6.5 miles and I felt good. I ran a little more to complete 8 miles. Now, remember, I am slowly building my base after not really running much this year. Due to injury and illness.

So 8 miles has been my longest run since February. Ok, so last week I felt really good and ran 8 miles. This week, I couldn't wait to see an 8 on my Garmin soon enough! It was sooooo humid. I think it was 86% humidity and 76 degrees at 6am.

Back to my new love.....

My Lululemon turbo run shorts. Here they are on me. Before you judge me about spending that much dough on a pair running shorts, let me tell you why they are so great. (PS- they were a gift for Mother's Day.)

1. They have 2 hidden pockets in the waistband, which is flat, by the way. You can store wipes, gels, and your keys. I have always worn a running pouch like this one on long runs. This is not the one I wear, but similar.

(Source)

It's pretty annoying when you have it loaded with all of your stuff because it tends to bounce when full. I carried a half bag of Gu chomps, travel size wipes, and my keys. No bouncing. No chafing.

2. There is a small zipper storage compartment in the back. The zipper gives me peace of mind. I can put my keys here, or even cash and a credit card and not have to worry about it falling out.

3. No diaper butt. You know what I am talking about. The saggy butt that most running shorts give you. Most running shorts are not flattering. My Lulu's fit well.

  (Source)

4. They aren't too short. My turbo run shorts are a little longer, with a 4&1/2 inseam. If short shorts are your thing, they do have shorter shorts.

5. Lightweight and built in briefs. I love how lightweight these shorts are. The material is called Swift and Luxtreme. Lululemon has developed their own materials that are dry-wicking and comfy.

6. Continuous drawcord. Have you ever had to use a safety pin to get your drawstring out of the hole? I have. It's not fun and is annoying. You don't have to worry about that with these shorts.

(Source)

My other new love is a skinny iced mocha post-run. I like to think of it as my "chocolate milk with protein recovery drink". Technically, it has milk and chocolate. If I am totally wrong, let me think I am right because it is heaven after a long run.

Last, but not least, is an old love. My Mizuno's. They are my faithful running shoes. I haven't ran in another brand of running shoes.

How about you? Any run or fitness loves?