I thought I’d share a few non-food related items that I love today!

First up…

Yoga Tune Up Therapy Balls

I received a coupon for these at Fitbloggin and sent away for them not long after. Okay, actually long after because you know how  it takes me forever to unpack.   Anyhoooo, these have been a godsend for after my runs. 

At first, the “yoga” part threw me off.  I thought these were something that is used during a yoga session.  After checking out their site, I realized that they are also used to help reduce pain and loosen up locked muscles in all areas, including hip, lower back, IT band, hamstrings and legs.   Immediately after a run, I roll the ball up and down my hip, IT band area and around my knees.  They help to relax those areas and relieve any pain that might start acting up.  I like that they are small and portable.  I keep them in my car, so they’re available for use right after the run that way there’s no time for the tightness in the muscles to escalate.  They come in a pack of two, so I can share with my running partner.  She found them to help her post-run, too!

Along those same lines is the Foam Roller.  I bought this one at Dick’s Sporting Goods after reading about the benefits of foam rolling for runners…

I’ll admit I don’t do this as often as I should.  Mainly because it hurts like a mother.  Here’s me in action, straining to not scream expletives while rolling…

I mainly use it for my hip and lower back.  Although it hurts almost as bad as childbirth, it also feels good at the same time.  Yep, you know where I’m going with this…Hurts So Good.  It really does work to release the tightness of the muscles and I rarely have any hip pain or soreness after a run when I remember to do this.

My all-time favorite running related gadget has been the GYMBOSS….

When I discovered the Galloway Method of run/walk was the method that would keep me injury-free, I needed something to help me  time the intervals so that I wasn’t constantly checking my watch.  Since a Garmin Forerunner or Polar wasn’t in my budget, I decided to give the GYMBOSS a try.  It was priced right at $19.95, so I didn’t have much to lose.  Strange as it sounds, this has become my best fitness purchase.  It is small and lightweight…

Easy to use, with user-friendly instruction printed on the clip in case you forget…

and has a clear display screen along with a beep or vibrate alarm feature…

I’ve been smitten with this great gadget; so much so that I joined their affiliate program.  I don’t do a whole lot of advertising or pumping of a particular product on the blog, but this one is something that has been very beneficial to me and I can really vouch for how it has helped with my running.  I’ve even used it for strength training /cardio sets!

So those are a few of my favorites!

What are some of your new favorite things?

Disclosure:  I belong to the Gymboss affiliate program and receive a small percentage for any Gymboss purchased by clicking through my site.  All opinions and reviews of Gymboss or other products listed are expressly my own and I have not been paid to give favorable reviews.  Just sharing things I really like

I got my panties in a bunch with this morning’s run.  Literally.  I’ll spare you the gory details.  Suffice it to say that wedgie-free underwear is the number one accessory for running otherwise your  inappropriate panties may require surgical removal or the use of mining tools to extract them from a place deep within your soul. 

Okay, so much for sparing you the gory details…

Anywhoooo, it was a fun run (despite the aforementioned wardrobe malfunction) with a new free podcast from Motiontraxx .  It was a 30 minute interval workout using Jeff Galloway’s Method of  30:30 ratio (30 sec. run/30 sec. walk).  I was surprised that I got into the shorter intervals.  I felt strong throughout and loved that the podcast told me when to run and walk.  It was so much easier than looking at my watch the whole time.  I ended with 2.4 miles in 32 minutes.  Fun!  Except for… well, you know

After the extraction, I dug into (heh heh) my dashboard breakfast…

I didn’t have time for my usual pre-run smoothie, so I grabbed an Orange Date Baked Oatmeal Bar from the freezer before I left.  These are so tasty and freeze very well!

I took a trip to Trader Joe’s and stocked up on all kinds of goodies.  Here’s one of my new favorites…

I heated 1/2 cup and served it over some brown rice.  Ah-mazing…

I didn’t bring an afternoon snack along for my ride taking little daughter to dance class, but lunch held me over well enough that I didn’t need it.

When dinnertime rolled around, I was READY!  I had a quick pre-planned dinner in mind.  The star of the meal was the Vegetable Masala Burger from Trader Joe’s…

These are vegan and made with potato, carrots, green beans, bell peppers and indian spices.  I was worried these might be too spicy for me, but they had just a hint which is perfect. 

I pan-fried my burger and topped it with one of my latest obsessions…

A marriage made in heaven…

I didn’t read the ingredients when I picked these up, so I assumed they were a bean and veggie-type burger.  I originally planned a “burger and fries” kind of night, but when I took this out to cook, I realized it was potato based.  I had already started the sweet potato fries for a side, so I just went with it.  It was a “potato and fries” kind of night instead! 

With some roasted broccoli and cauliflower for good measure…

I didn’t plan it, but I had a totally vegetarian day

***

I wanted to say thank you for the supportive comments on my last post.  I appreciate your insights and understanding so much.

Have a great day, everyone!

A VERY personal question today…

Do you wear underwear when you work out or do you go “commando”?? 

You already know my answer!

Happy March!  Whew, where is the time going?????  Before you know it, we’ll be bathing suit shopping – YIKES!  Better get crackin’!

I was ready for the gym this morning after the weekend of Cheetos and chocolate.  : |  First, I started with a healthy breakfast – 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 3 drops NuNaturals liquid vanilla stevia (loving this stuff!) and 1 cup of strawberries and blueberries…

I didn’t have time to drink my coffee at home, so I decided to bring it with me to the gym!  I mentioned this last week on Twitter and Heather of Leading The Weigh thought it was a great idea!  We decided to name it GYM JUICE!  Hey, whatever gets us through the workout, right?! 

I put my Gym Juice in my Disney cup in honor of Heather’s trip for the Princess Marathon…

It gave me the juice I needed to hit the Arc Trainer for 60 minutes!  Cheetos be gone!

For lunch, I had fun with tofu.  I made a mock egg salad using tofu!

I drained the tofu and blotted well with paper towels.  Next, I crumbled the block into a heated skillet coated with non-stick spray…

I let the tofu cook for about 7-10 minutes until dry and slightly browned in spots.  I transferred it to a bowl and let cool…

I added chopped celery and green onion…

then 2 tbsp. Kraft reduced fat olive oil mayo, 1 tsp. Grey Poupon dijon mustard, salt and pepper…

Mix and refrigerate until cold…

I served it in a whole wheat pita with baby spinach and carrots…

It was egg-cellent!  No one would know it’s tofu!

Okay, well maybe my family would know since they snoop these things out

Not long after lunch, I got to preparing dinner.  My parents and Gram were coming for dinner and to spend time with us before they move to the beach for a few months.  I made Smothered Pork Chops for the carnivores along with baked adzuki beans, roasted potatoes, cornbread and a potato and green bean salad with shallot vinaigrette. 

The highlight for me was the salad…

and the cornbread…

My plate of vegetarianess…

plus a few more bites of cornbread

Total – 20 POINTS

The weather is looking fab for the next couple of days!  I’m going to try for my first outdoor run in over a month!  I’m interested to see how I work the Galloway method for the outdoors.  It seems do-able for the treadmill, but I’m wondering how it will feel outside when I’m used to running without stopping. 

Any thoughts on this method?  Anyone tried this as a different training method after you’ve already been able to run the distance?