Eat fresh...at home (a giveaway)

Last week I had a guest post by Becky Reese, founder of The Sexy Mom's Running Club, about loving your body. For me, I find that loving my body is easier when I am eating things that make me feel healthy and that fuel me so I can run and stay active.

Becky graciously sent me a copy of this amazing cookbook that makes it easier to do just that: 

This cookbook helps you plan meals that use only 20 seasonal ingredients per week to cook five weeknight dinners. I am so excited to start trying some of the amazing recipes in this book, and I'm even more excited to share a copy of the book with one of you!! Here's how you can enter to win The Fresh 20:

1 - Like The Sexy Mom's Running Club on Facebook or follow on Twitter. Leave a comment letting me know which you did. (Required - 1 entry)

2 - Post about this giveaway on Instagram (tag @ihaverun), Twitter (tag @ihaverun) and/or Facebook (tag the I Have Run page). (Optional - up to 3 entries)

The winner will be selected on Friday, August 2nd.

Love your body! (Guest post by Becky Reese)

As a mom and a runner, sometimes I feel as if the miles and time have not been kind to me. With the kids and with training for three upcoming half marathons, sometimes I just don’t recognize myself. I think the sore muscles and bags under my eyes (not to mention frequent cab duty) sometimes make me feel not so good about myself.  Here are some tips to help you start loving your body again.

·        Find an oil that you like.  I’m not talking about cooking or olive oils! I’m talking about therapeutic oils - whether it be a lavender, spice, flower or whatever your favorite fragrance is. I personally love lavender due to its calming effect. I put four droppers full in my bubble bath immediately after my long runs, and I just soak it in. I have even found some lavender Epsom salts that I add when I am feeling sore.

·        Get fitted for a new pair of running shoes. Besides the terrific feel of retail therapy, a new pair of shoes feels so good! And let’s face it, sometimes just having something new is all it takes to change your mood.

·        Go for a run. The pride of just getting out the door and getting through the workout is enough. Burst training (running up a flight of stairs or sprinting as fast as you can for one minute and then walking two minutes) not only makes you feel good fast, but it also revs your metabolism for the rest of the day. Tired of running? Then drop and do push ups, burpees or jumping jacks followed by sit-ups. My new favorite is mountain biking. I love riding on the trails, and the cardio benefit is so close to running that I don’t feel like I missed my run.

·        Get a manicure or pedicure. We pound our feet on the pavement all day long. Have someone give you a foot massage and some shiny new color on those toes - it’s a great way to feel sexy again!

When we run or exercise, we are not only helping build a strong beautiful body, we are showing our kids a healthy lifestyle! 

 

About Becky Reese:

Armed with a mission to empower moms across the country to feel beautiful no matter what their size, mother-of-five Becky Reece founded Sexy Mom's Running Club (www.sexymomsrunningclub.com) to help busy women make themselves a priority again, while still balancing career and family.

You can also find Becky on Facebook and Twitter!

I Love Food (and not just for the obvious reasons)

Yesterday's run was my hardest run in a long time. I was completely drained from the start. While I could have blamed it on the heat and humidity, that I was running later in the morning than usual, that my legs were tired from doing T25 every day or that I had run a hilly eight miles the day before, I knew the real reason.

I was hungry. I was hungry the night before when I went to bed. I was hungry when I woke up in the morning. And I was still hungry after I ate my pre-run banana.

Now for the reason I was unusually hungry. Last week I added T25 to my training. Cross training has really helped with my injury prevention, and I felt like T25 could do both that and help me focus on my core strength more, which is important as a runner. I decided to give the T25 5-Day Fast Track meal plan a try this week. I knew the 1100 calorie plan would be hard to follow with my running mileage, so I added a few extras on the first day - a frozen juice pop, half of a slice of zucchini bread and a banana - which brought me closer to 1500 calories for the day. 

Well that clearly is still not enough to fuel my body.

Before the true misery that was my run began, I ran about 1/4 mile with my little family. Then I took off on my own.

I usually don't know how strong my run will be until about a mile in, but I knew by the 1/2 mile mark that it was going to be rough. I just kept waiting for my some energy, but it never came. I texted this to the hubs a few miles in:

With 1.5 of my eight miles left to go, my little fam showed up with a fresh, warm, white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookie. It was the most amazing cookie EVER. 

THIS is how happy the cookie made me!!!

The rest of that day, I focused on eating healthy but with the idea of making sure I was adequately fueling my body. 

I want to get to my race weight goal, but I'm not willing to compromise my running or my health to get there. I am still loosely following the T25 meal plan, but I am supplementing it with healthy additions. 

One of my favorite things about running is the lessons it teaches me, even if sometimes it means learning them the hard way.

Things I Love Thursday - Winners

The winner of the $25 Janji giveaway is:

Mistalyn!!!!!!

Email me at ihaverun@hotmail.com for details on how to get your $25 gift certificate. Congratulations!!

The winner of the water bottle (also chosen by Random.org (but I was too lazy to take a screenshot and post it) is: susans13. Please send your mailing info to me at ihaverun@hotmail.com

Thank you again to Janji for sponsoring this giveaway!!

Run for Another: Janji Review and Giveaway!

I am picky about what I wear running. If I love something, it becomes a regular part of my rotation. If I don't, it either sits in my closet untouched or gets worn once in a while for a short treadmill run or on a cross training day.

I recently received two additions to my running wardrobe that have been added to the regular rotation. Janji sent me shorts and shirt to try out. The shirt is the first yellow addition to my running clothes. I love it. It fits great, and it doesn't make me hot (and I've worn it on two pretty toasty runs). And the shorts remind me a lot of my Lululemon shorts, which are my favorites!

Not only does Janji make great running clothes though, they began the company with the promise to "use the power of running to create a healthier and happier world." It is doing this by donating a  portion of proceeds to fund organizations that are alleviating the worst problems related to food and water in countries like Kenya, Bangladesh, Haiti and more. By funding solutions and raising awareness through its apparel, Janji wants to create a nation of runners that run for another and eliminate the global food and water crisis.

Janji's clothes are competitively priced and are high quality. And they come in awesome colors!

Rwanda Running Shorts

Rwanda Shirt



 

You can find a list of local running stores that carry Janji apparel HERE or you can order online HERE.

 

And you can get a $25 gift certificate RIGHT HERE. On MY blog!!

 

Yep, Janji has agreed to give one reader a $25 gift certificate to spend on the item of your choice. They also sent me exclusive Janji water bottle to give to another lucky reader. Here's how you can enter to win:

 

1 - Visit the Janji site and let me know in a comment what you love. (Required - 1 entry)

2 - Follow Janji on Facebook and/or Twitter. Leave a comment letting me know where you follow them. (Optional - up to two entries, one for each place you follow Janji)

3 - Spread the word about this giveaway on Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter. Be sure to include @ihaverun on Twitter and Instagram and tag the I Have Run page on Facebook. Also leave a comment letting me know you shared. (Optional - 1 entry for each place you share, up to three possible entries)

 

The winners of the gift certificate and the water bottle will be selected by Random.org on Wednesday, June 10.