The following is a guest post (with some images added by me) from SLS3! If you are interested in writing a guest post, please email me: kristin_msu@yahoo.com and put “Guest Post” in the subject line.

Washing your Lycra containing garments

Handle with Care

You’ve spent your hard earned money on your exercise gear like Running Shorts or Compression Socks and now it’s time to put it to the test. After a grueling workout, you and your Lycra® containing gear are ready for a bath. By the way, Spandex is the generic Lycra® version. Lycra® is a brand name trademarked by DuPont.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After Your Workout

As much as we hate it, we’re all drenched in sweat after a good workout, which means our clothes are too. If you don’t have time to wash your clothes right after your workout, or you’re too tired like me, then hang dry your workout clothes, making sure there are no wrinkles or overlaps. This prevents your gear from turning into a mildew breeding ground. Gross! It also helps prevent weird stenches from staying trapped inside your clothes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting the Stink Out

The best method for remedying smelly gym clothes is to give them a prewash. Soak your Lycra® outfits in one part vinegar, and four parts water for at least 30 minutes before hand washing, or throwing them into the washing machine. Rinse your clothes thoroughly before washing them to get rid of any vinegar.

Some Dont’s to Remember

Do not mix vinegar and bleach ever! If your detergent contains bleach rinse out your vinegar soaked clothes before throwing them in the washer. Do not use vinegar in the rinse cycle of your washer if your detergent contains bleach.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do not use heat for any of your Lycra® garments. Heat will destroy the elastic properties aka the Lycra® fibers of your outfits. Avoid the dryer, ironing and the sun. Remember: Heat is bad. Do not use chlorine or bleach. This will destroy the fibers of the fabric and you will get “bag and sag” syndrome. Do not use Fabric Softener. These are used to soften clothes and will make sure your expensive garment will never retain its shape. Avoid the fabric softener.

In the Wash They Go

Although it is said that hand washing is always the way to go, most of us don’t have time for that. Don’t fret though!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is safe for your Lycra® garments to go into the washing machine following these steps. First, make sure that all of your zippered garments are zipped all the way up to prevent the zipper track from snagging onto other fabric during the washing cycle. Turn your clothes inside out. Put delicate items into a mesh laundry bag, lingerie bag, or pillowcase to protect them (Definitely do this for Bib Shorts).

(picture courtesy of instagram)

The Set-Up

If you are worried that a pre-soak just won’t cut it for getting all the smells out, you can put some vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser of your washer. This will make sure your washer will dispense vinegar in the rinse cycle. Always use cold water when washing your Lycra® garments. Heat will destroy them. Set your washer on the “Delicates” setting to prevent damage of your clothes.

Less is More?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Use less detergent than you normally would for your Lycra® clothes. While detergent cleans your clothes, you definitely don’t want a build up of it on your workout clothes. A build up of detergent will trap in dead skin cells and trap bacteria into the fabric. If you want to make sure your clothes last, try a detergent designed for washing workout clothes.

Finishing Touches

After the washing cycle has been finished, hang your clothes up, or lay them down flat to dry. Never put them in the dryer. Remember heat is not friendly to Lycra® clothes. Lycra® is a fast drying fiber so your clothes should not take too long to air dry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’d like to personally thank SLS3 for writing a guest blog for CookAndRunWithKristin.com readers! You can check out SLS3 products on their website and use code BLOG40 for 40% OFF products!

Did you know that GirlsRunFast and that I RunEatTweet? Haha, what does that mean exactly?!

Well, some of you may or may not know that I am an Ambassador for a local, family-owned business here in Phoenix called Girls Run Fast. I had the pleasure of meeting them at a local 5k race back in March. When I saw that they found a way to combine running + jewelry, I was in heaven!!

Their website describes them and their products best:

“We want you to look and feel your best while running, doing yoga, dancing, swimming, or gymnastics … and anywhere else for that matter! If you are looking for handcrafted sterling silver necklaces or other sports jewelry, we have it. Our sports jewelry has lasted through marathons, half marathons, 5k’s, 10k’s, sprints, surfing, yoga, recitals, meets and daily wear and tear. We’re not just about running!”

I have to say, I get so much use out of my beautiful Girls Run Fast products!

Whether I am running,

doing my PiYo workouts,

on the lake doing my Yoga/SUP,

 

or even when I’m enjoying a night out!

I even decorated my car with their 13.1 stickers!

And let’s not forget how handy the wine charms are!

One exciting thing that I want to tell you about, is that they are currently having a giveaway contest so that you can win a Hydration Pack!! There are 3 easy steps that you can do to enter!

1) Like Girls Run Fast on Facebook (share and like the post)

2) Follow @GirlsRunFast on Twitter (#retweet & #fav)

3) Follow @girlsrunfast on Instagram (like the post)

Two winners will be chosen on 09/25/2014!  You can increase your chances of winning the more you like, share, retweet, and favorite! Good luck to those who enter! Also, if you’re on their website and see some goodies that you would like to purchase, you can use RUN14 for 15% off!

So I told you that Girls Run Fast, so what does that have to do with running, eating, and tweeting? #RunEatTweetAZ is a local runner/blogger group that I am involved with! I had the pleasure of meeting them this summer and recently I was made a CRO (Chief Running Officer)! We like to say that we are runners with a social media problem lol!

Speaking of social media, you can keep track of all our events by following our pages:

• Like Run Eat Tweet AZ on Facebook
• Follow @RunEatTweetAZ on Twitter
• Follow @runeattweetaz on Instagram
• Check out our website http://runeattweetaz.com

Here’s the group hiking Camelback mountain back in July!

We meet at least once a month and we host free events all around the Phoenix valley! This past Saturday we went for a trail run at Papago Park!

So that brings me to our next event coming up on September 21, 2014!! Check out the Facebook invite for “PiYo in the Park!” We’ll be starting with an early run at 6:30am, consisting of 2 to 3 quick loops around Mountain Vista Park. Just so you know, all walkers are welcome too!! Walk 1 or 2 loops alongside the runners!

If you don’t want to get up that early or just don’t want to run, then you can show up at 7:15am. Starting at 7:15am, fellow Beachbody/PiYo coach, Corine (Zucchini Runner), and I will be leading the group through some great PiYo moves to show you what this awesome exercise program is all about! (BE SURE TO BRING A YOGA MAT OR BEACH TOWL FOR THIS)

Here’s preview of some of the PiYo moves!

After that we’ll be playing a game involving burpees, push-ups, etc. There’s a lot going on for this event so come to all or come to whatever works for you!

In addition to the very active and fun-filled morning, the founders of Girls Run Fast will be bringing some awesome giveaways!! Wow!! What’s not to like?! Free run, free PiYo, free burpees, and free giveaways lol!!! Oh and I almost forgot – there will be free food too!!

I hope you can join me and the #RunEatTweetAZ group on Sunday, September 21st and don’t forget to enter the Girls Run Fast Hydration Pack giveaway!!

Wassup gangeez! It’s The Silent Assassin here, member of #RunEatTweet. I’m taking over Cook And Run With Kristin today, talking about how to pick your first marathon. I met Kristin on one of our monthly group outings that #RunEatTweet puts on. It’s a cool group of bloggers who run and eat…or maybe its runners who eat and blog?! At any rate, there’s always some running, eating, and tweeting going on. I was surprised to find out when doing this blog swap that Kristin has yet to run a full marathon. So, today, I’m going to give her and you some tips and advice on how to pick your first full.

So, now that you’ve conquered the 5k, the 10k, the 15k, and the half marathon, now what?!  That’s basically the train of thought for runners accomplishing running goals starting small and gradually moving up in distance.  The most logical answer would be, a MARATHON!  Cool!  But where do I even begin?!

Well, even before mapping out a marathon training plan, the very first thing you have to decide is, ‘Which race should be my first Marathon race?!”.  Decisions, decisions, decisions…

There are thousands of marathons around the globe.  And there are all types of races that are of marathon distance.  Do you like road or trail?  Do you like to run in hot or cold weather?  Are you wanting to travel or stay close to home?  Do you want a flat or hilly course?  So many questions right?!  Are you getting knots in your stomach yet?  Well, don’t fret.  I’ve got some tips and advice on how to make your first Marathon as memorable as can be.  Well, let’s put it this way.  I’ll help you decide what will be your first marathon.  You make the memories.  Ready?  Set?  Let’s go!

Time of day for the race

What kind of weather conditions are you more comfortable running in?  Take the race aspect out of it for now.  We are talking strictly about training.   You should know, that based on your mileage, you should be thinking about 3 months out from your first marathon.  So 3 months out until the marathon, what will the weather be like?  Be honest with yourself and use your training to help decide the marathon.  Do you like to run in the cold, warm, or hot weather?  Do you perform better in the early am or maybe later at night…like when RnR Las Vegas starts?

 

Local or Travel

Along with race time, you need to decide if your first marathon will be local or if there will be traveling involved.  Traveling could cause added stress to your first marathon experience.  Not only that, you can almost guarantee extra costs for flights, rental car, gas, hotel, food, etc.  Plan carefully.  The lure of going to destinations for your first marathon could be costly.  Also, don’t forget that the destination may have different weather conditions and climates than what you are used to during training.  Traveling may also mean different environments, food and culture.  It might be hard to duplicate that part of your training.  But with all of that, you also get the benefits of visiting a place you probably wouldn’t visit if not for a race.  You’ll have to keep all of that in mind.

If you don’t want to deal with all of that (possible) added stress, you could choose to stay local.  Staying local means little to no traveling plans.  It means knowing the climate and changes in weather.  It also means sleeping in your own bed, showering in your own shower, and having the home crowd cheer you on across the finish line.  There’s nothing better than seeing familiar faces and family cheering you on at the end of 26.2 miles.

Size of the race

For your first marathon, do you want it to be a giant party?  Or do you want it to be intimate?  Some runners like all the big city races with the big entries and the big crowds.  The crowds, the music, the on course entertainment can all be big motivators.  Seeing crowds cheering you on or having bands on the course playing music when you have dead legs or thoughts of quitting can be quite the thing you need to push through.  If that’s not for you, then maybe you want the small intimate crowds and venues.  Maybe you don’t wanna feel like your engulfed by a sea of runners.  Maybe you don’t want to feel like a rabbit when the gun goes off trying to jockey for position.  And maybe you don’t like to wait 30 mins after the gun sounds to just cross the start line.  If that’s the case, maybe your first marathon should be a low-key marathon.  Low key and smaller crowds may mean getting into a rhythm faster and getting into your comfort zone quicker.  Maybe the thought of running alone keeps you at peace and focused.  There are pro’s and con’s for both.  Pick the size based on what you think you’ll feel most confident with.  Does this freak you out?!

And finally the Course

There’s a whole slew of course types to choose from.  There are loops, point to point, out and backs, trails, road, hard, easy, hilly, all downhill…again with the choices.  For me, the course selection is all about the scenery.  Ok, yes, it does matter to me if there are hills, but training should take care of that once you make the decision on the marathon of choice.  But for me, I’d rather look at beaches and nature than sky scrapers and city buildings.  And BQ’ing (Boston qualifying) should not be the goal for your first marathon IMHO.  So picking courses that are all downhill may not be the best choice.  Remember, you will want to design your training around the marathon you pick.  So picking Big Cottonwood because it’s all downhill also will mean finding the right training ground to mimic the drop in elevation.  Look at the profile for Big Cottonwood.  You’ll have to treat your quads to a special massage after this run.

Summary

So, using all of this information…my first pick for my first marathon was The Phoenix Marathon ’14.  The time of day, the size, the destination, and the course profile outweighed the beach scenery.  It made perfect sense for it to be my first marathon.  The race is usually ran during the end of February and beginning of March.  So, the weather and climate was perfect.  Its a local race to me.  So the stress of traveling and added expense was not a factor.  Plus, I got to sleep in my own bed to start off with and then have my family and friends cheer me on, to end with.  The size of the event is relatively small compared to a lot of the major big name marathons.  The profile is also all downhill.  I wasn’t trying to BQ even though it is a Boston Qualifier.  But after picking the race, I was able to train on the actual course. Win!  It’s not the best scenery, but being able to run in a location that I was familiar with was a big plus.

So, there you go.  Hopefully these tips will help you choose your first marathon.  The main takeaway for me was that I needed to have less stress and be able to enjoy the race.  You only get one ‘first marathon’.  You only get one chance to cross the finish line of your ‘first marathon’.  Trust the training you did, smile, and just have fun.

Stay Blessed Stay Fierce

Connect with Shane aka The Silent Assassin!

Blog – www.shootskdenaloha.com

IG – @dasilentassassin

Twitter – @shootskdenaloha

FB – www.facebook.com/Shootskdenaloha

Have you ever had an experience that left you feeling, “Wow that was meant to be!”?! I totally just went through that on August 9th, 2014 in NYC! It just so happens that I had a flight booked to New York to visit family and friends from August 7th to the 15th. Well, the day before I got on the plane, I just happened to see an email from plant-based runner blogger, Matt Frazier, aka No Meat Athlete, about an event he was attending in NYC on August 9th! I clicked on the link for The Seed Experience and when I saw Scott Jurek listed as one of the speakers I became truly giddy!!! So I contacted my mom immediately about buying tickets and she was totally on board! We even bought tickets to the After Party!

Seriously, I’m trying to convey how excited I was in this picture, but I don’t even know if that does it justice lol.

On the day of the event we showed up around 1pm and we waited on quite the line to get in.

While we waited in line we spotted the Cinnamon Snail Food Truck and ran over to take pictures! My mom was so excited because she saw them featured on a TV show!  According to their Twitter page, they describe themselves as “the country’s most raunchy mobile Vegan Organic restaurant!” Their menu has a variety of delicious vegan foods including breakfast burritos, pancakes, raw pizzas, organic coffee, sandwiches, burgers, and pastries.

Unfortunately they were literally pulling away from the curb as we shot these pics so we didn’t get to taste anything – but next time I’m in NY, I will be hunting them down lol!!

Anways, once we got inside The Seed Experience, we had a blast going to all of the different tables and checking out the vendors!

 Here I am trying Arty artichoke water!! Yes, you read that correct – artichoke water haha!! As described from their site: Arty Water is the world’s first premium artichoke beverage. This delicious blend of artichokes, lemon, apple and mint provides nutritious, multifunctional hydration.

I know it doesn’t sound like it, but it was soooo refreshing!!! I really liked it!!!

Next we stopped at The Regal Vegan booth for some Pesto Zucchini Noodles for lunch! Here’s a description from their Facebook page: Regal Vegan Inc. is a Brooklyn-based fine foods and catering company that specializes in Vegan delicacies inspired by a trip around the world. We are the proud creators of Faux Gras™, the world’s finest vegan paté, and are delighted to bring new Basilicotta™, a creamy basil cashew spread to the market in 2012. We are also available for cooking classes, workshops, and one-on-one consulting for people seeking to live a life of vibrant health, with zero taste sacrifice. Our mission is to make it easy for people to eat food made with love, respect and other nutrients. You’re welcome. We love you.

We even got a picture with the founder of The Regal Vegan, Ella Nemcova! My mom was super excited about meeting Ella because she was featured in the same TV show where she saw The Cinnamon Snail!

The Pesto Zucchini Noodles were absolutely delicious by the way!!! We both ate our plates cleans!!

By 2pm I was scoping out seats for Scott Jurek’s presentation!! We snagged front rows seats! I was beside myself! I made sure to bring my book to get signed too!

I was so excited that I just had to take a selfie!! 🙂

In this particular post, I’m only going to go over the highlights of the presentation. In my next post (so stay tuned!), I will be breaking down his entire presentation. It will be very informative for those interested in the benefits of a plant-based diet, what Scott’s diet consists of, and race & training nutrition.

For those not familiar, Scott was featured in Born to Run, a 2009 best-selling book written by Christopher McDougall. Scott was one of the elite runners who was recruited by Micah True, aka Caballo Blanco, (White Horse) to run with the Tarahumara Indians in the Mexican Copper Canyons. For more information about Born to Run and Micah True, check out this link about a movie that will be coming out called Run Free – The True Story of Caballo Blanco.

During the presentation, Scott discussed how food can be used as fuel and medicine.

Scott realized that fueling his body properly would help avoid injuries and prevent disease. He mentioned two books that help inspired him to improve his diet – Mad Cowboy: Plain Truth from the Cattle Rancher Who Won’t Eat Meat by Howard F. Lyman and Spontaneous Healing by Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D.

Next, Scott went into the “Scott Jurek Secrets” otherwise known as his own plant-based diet!

One of the biggest takeaways from his presentation was the idea of adding more healthful plant-based foods to your diet, no matter what diet you subscribe to! So even if you are Paleo, you could benefit from adding more vegetables into your diet. It’s not so much what you take out, but what you add in that could make a difference in your health. Eventually you can start replacing unhealthy foods with healthy plant-based foods.

Then during the Q&A session he went into racing and training nutrition.

After the presentation we headed to the back of the room and formed a line to get pictures and autographs!

So of course I can’t contain my giddiness right? LOL

Here’s the best part of waiting in line – the first time around none of my pictures with Scott came out! I had one shot of him that came out fuzzy and then all of the pictures after that didn’t register on the phone but my camera memory was FULL!! AHHH!! #MyWorstNightmare!! Well, that’s what you get when you are a runner/foodie blogger and you take pics of EVERYTHING and before you know it you have 11,000 pictures on your phone – OOPS!! But it’s all good because I waited in line a 2nd time and explained to Scott what happened and he really was a good sport about it!

Then we took a SELFIE!!! Hands down, one of my favorite selfies ever (top 3 at least)!!

After taking pictures with Scott, I wanted to find Matt Frazier! I’ve been following Matt’s blog, No Meat Athlete, for about 2 years now and last November I had the pleasure of meeting him at a book signing at Nourish restaurant in Scottsdale.

November 2013:

So at the Seed Experience, I was so excited to find his booth and take a selfie!

As it turns out, Matt and I had emailed that morning. He informed me that I actually won a ticket by commenting on his most recent blog post, “Meal Planning Tips for the Busy Athlete, with YumUniverse’s Heather Crosby.” Then my mom and I purchased shirts!

After saying goodbye to Matt we continued to walk up and down the aisles to check out more vendors. Then I looked over and saw Matt talking to Scott!! I boldly and politely as possible went right up to them and requested a picture!! Hello – a picture with both of them was absolutely priceless!! I even explained to them how they were both the reason that I attended The Seed Experience in the first place!

I’m not sure if it counts as a selfie because I didn’t take the picture myself – but whatever it is – again, put this picture in my top favs!!!!

After a fun filled day of devouring vegan treats and meeting superstar athletes and bloggers, we headed to the After Party!! The party was a blast! My mom and I made lots of friends!

We got chatty with Lori Cheek, architect turned entrepreneur who founded Cheek’d (a savvy online social circuit which draws on the age-old custom of networking with business cards).

We even got pictures with Honey LaBronx – a vegan activist and drag queen!

All in all, The Seed Experience was a great event!! I’m so happy that I got to share the experience with my mom!! She had a blast meeting new people and trying the yummy vegan food! Hopefully we can make this an annual event!!

    

 

Did you think it was ever too late to run or walk in a 5k? Do you think participating in a 5k would be unattainable due to your current age or fitness level? I’m here to tell you it’s NOT too late and DO NOT hesitate because of your age and/or current shape! I would encourage everyone to put on some walking/running shoes and give it a go! Start with 5 minutes a day, then 10, then 20, and so forth!! You would be surprised at how amazing you will feel releasing those endorphins and getting stronger by the day!

On Monday, August 11, 2014, I participated in a 5k on Long Island, NY (where I was born and raised). The best part was that my mom was the one who signed us up and started the recruiting process – including her long time friend and fellow Nassau County employee, Terri! The race, called the NCPD Memorial 5k, was put on by the Nassau Police Running Club. Funds raised from the event will benefit a scholarship in the name of 6 Nassau County police officers who have passed away in the line of duty: Gary Farley, Michael J. Califano, Geoffrey J. Breitkopf, Charlie Cole, Joseph Olivieri and Artie Lopez.

I’ll never forget when my mom called me a few weeks back and told me that she wanted to sign up for this race during my August visit to Long Island. I was thrilled that we could spend time doing a hobby that I absolutely love and that she was recently getting into! Ever since I got her a Fitbit pedometer for Mother’s Day, she has turned into a dedicated daily walker trying to get her step count in!! Not only did she want to do the race for her physical health, but also because she knew a majority of the officers personally and wanted to honor their memory!

 

The night of the race was really a beautiful evening! Probably my only complaint would be the amount of humidity for this now converted desert gal. I didn’t check it at the exact time we were racing, but a few hours later it was up to 80% and Phoenix averages in the 30% all year round, so quite the difference yikes lol!!

I saw the race as a great opportunity to invite other long-time Long Island friends! My pal Erin from elementary school joined us! She felt a mix of nerves and excitement, and I was so proud of her for going out of her comfort zone!

Here are some pre-race photos to show our excitement! From left: My mom, Me, Terri, and Erin!

And of course we took a selfie!

And some photos of the crowds:

By 7pm we headed to the start line! I positioned myself towards the front because I wanted to run competitively. I told my mom that after I finished I would go back and find her!

Shortly after we started I got my routine racing selfie:

And a shot of the runners in front of me:

The race course had us running the same loop twice so with about a 1/4 mile left, I saw my mom and Terri and they got a shot of me in action!

A couple of minutes later, I crossed the finish line with a time of 25:17 minutes. Then I headed back and found my mom and Terri! They had a little over a mile left!

I wanted to get everyone crossing the finish line so I ran ahead and got the shots! Erin and her friend Will just finished!

Wow look at mom whip past that line woot woot!

 

 

After everyone completed the race, we got in line for food! It was a long line so we had plenty of time for selfies!

 

By about 8:30pm they started the raffles and the award ceremonies! Even though I didn’t PR my time, it turns out I was the 3rd place female in the Law Enforcement Division! I was so thrilled that my mom and friend got to see me get an award! I felt truly honored!

 

All in all it was a great race with a great cause, that brought family and long time friends together!! My mom is already talking about signing up for another one! GO MOM!!

So tell me, if you haven’t done a 5k, would you consider participating in one now?? And if you have done a 5k or other races, what inspired you to try something new or even get off that couch??

 

 

It’s probably been over a year since I had the pleasure of running along the beach!! It was so invigorating and exciting and fun – that I just have to share it with you! 🙂

But first, let me take a selfie…or two actually!

At the start!

And the half way point (1.55 miles)!

My husband, Evan, and I always find it more enjoyable to spend our July 2 anniversary (8 years now!) and the 4th of July holiday in 75 degree weather instead of 110! So we escaped the Phoenix heat and drove to Dana Point, California. Dana Point is just minutes from Laguna Beach to give you a point of reference.

When Evan asked me if he could go meet a buddy for lunch that beautiful Thursday afternoon on the 3rd of July, lots of fun alone-time ideas came to mind!! Should I spa? Should I pool? Should I read? So many options – but then, a fantastic idea came to me that blew away the others – RUN ON THE BEACH!!  🙂

I’m so happy I made that decision because opportunities like this do not come up that often!! With my iPod and my Garmin watch ready to go, I headed to the beach, breathed in the fresh ocean air, and put foot to sand! Here’s one of my famous selfies while running! Man, I just love these! It’s definitely a skill I’m continuing to perfect! 😉

Check out some of the beautiful views I captured!

At the half way point, I paused my Garmin and took a moment to reflect.  It just so happened that a remix of Gotye’s song, “Hearts a Mess”  (Joe Hardy 3AM Mix) starting playing on my iPod at that moment. I’m a huge fan of Gotye (considered in the Alternative genre) and the 6 minute 5 second remix of this song just seemed to create the perfect soundtrack to the moment I was having.

I’m actually listening to it as I write this post and it’s bringing the moment back to me! Seriously – chills down my spine!

  There is nothing quite like having a moment alone on the beach during a run on a gorgeous day. The scene of waves crashing against the rocks, the rich greens and blues colors of the ocean, the sun shining on the water creating a crystal effect – all invoked feelings of happiness, awe, and gratitude for having the good fortune of spending time in a place like this.

As serene as many of the moments were, this run was also like an obstacle course run which involved me trying to dodge waves, children who didn’t remotely look where they were going, giant tangles of seaweed, flying frisbees, people flinging sand for their sand castles, ping pong balls and boogie boards – but all in all it was a BLAST!!!  Another great thing about the run – I didn’t care at all what my time was! How can you really compare road running to battling sand and other obstacles right?! Sometimes you have to put pacing aside and go with the flow!!

Oh something to remember for the future – I probably should have worn an older pair of running shoes. I’ve rinsed my shoes off many times but I still CANNOT get all the sand out LOL! And every time I wear the shoes now whatever socks I wear became covered in bits of sand! Oops – run on the beach, get wet right?!

So tell me – where are YOUR favorite places to run?!! Treadmill? Trails? Beach? Road? Desert? Forest? Your own neighborhood? I’d love to hear from YOU!! 🙂 🙂 🙂