Travel Thursday: Running Races App

The Husband sent me a most wonderful email the other day, inviting me to download a new app that he paid for.  The Ultimate Running Races App is AMAZING.  If you love to travel and, of course, you love to run, this app is for you.  The app lists 500 of the "biggest, strangest, most loved, and most extreme races from around the world."

The app allows you to search by all, location, time of year, type of terrain, distance, favorites, races completed, recently viewed, and then basic search. I'm loving it already!

The Ultimate Running Races App is just $0.99 and can be downloaded from the iTunes store.

Happy Thursday!

Workout Wednesday: Snowshoes Anyone?

I missed out on the first snowshoe race of the season here in Northern Ohio held on January 26. Rats! However, with a little searching, I found another equally as exciting snowshoe race for this weekend.  This one is at the Lake Metroparks Farmpark. And how exciting, it's on Groundhog Day!

There's a distance for everyone - 2.5K, 5K and 10K.  I haven't been in my snowshoes for at least a year so I'm going to try for the 5k distance, since I know I can at least run that distance. I'm definitely going to earn some serious Nike+Fuel for this workout! 

If you're interested in trying out snowshoeing, and it really is quite a great workout for runners, there's two more races to sample.  On February 12, the Sasquatch Snowshoe race will be held in Russell Township.  On February 19, the Polar Bear Snowshoe Race is in Brecksville.  Both of these races are sponsored by Northcoast Endurance Coaching and Vertical Runner.  No snow? No problem.  The races will be run on the trails - so come prepared!

And maybe celebrate with a nice cup of hot chocolate post-race! 

So Did You Enjoy Today, Too?

Can you believe the kind of day Mother Nature gave us? Wow is all I have to say...and Thank You! Even though I had to battle the rain drops, I managed to get in a nice little run after work.  Bridget agreed to go along in the jogging stroller to "relax" as she said, and I had a nice, oh-my-gosh-this-feels-amazing kind of run.

Spring was really teasing us today!

Meatless Mondays: Kid-Friendly Recipes

I came across this Pinterest site that features meatless recipes for kids. I think we'll try the Honey Apple Stacks, which just requires slicing the apples, whisking 1/4 cup of honey with juice of one lemon, pouring over the stack, then baking at 300 degrees for 35-45 minutes. Simple, fun and easy dessert for Bridget and I to tackle after work!

Nike+Fuel Band Update

Just a little snapshot of last week's activity. I wasn't as active as I *should* have been, as you can see, I still logged in 27,996 steps or 11.5 miles in 5 days of activity. Being able to see my progress has made me become more active this week and, wow, did I really need that!

I'm also learning what gets logged and what somehow doesn't get logged as much. Running on the treadmill does not have the same results as forward motion running on pavement. Also, I enjoyed an hour of Hot Powerful Yoga this week, a very exhausting class/practice, and yet the Nike+Fuel Band credited me with less than 100 fuel points. I was pretty bummed about an hour of intense activity not scoring many points, but I also realized that I was mentally and physically in a better place after yoga, so it's all good.

Best New Cleveland Coffee

Whenever traveling, Megan and I always search out a bag of beans from an independent roaster. We have come across some amazing blends over the years and enjoyed many cups of coffee while remembering those great trips. But this week I came across a local Cleveland chef, who has started his own line of coffee. Zack Bruell, chef and owner of Chinato, Table|45, L'Albatros, and Cowell & Hubbard, has come out with his own line of coffee. While typing today's blog entry, I am enjoying a smooth, bold cup of his Chinato blend. Mmmmm! Simply a wonderful start to a lazy Saturday morning.

Friday Funny: Bicycle for Rent