Check Out My Kicks!

I get a lot emails each week about what kind of running shoes I recommend. First, let me start by saying that I think finding the right pair of shoes is kind of a personal journey. Everyone has different feet and like the fit and wear of different shoes.

With that said, here is my background: I run on average about 60 miles a week and I have freakishly tiny feet for my height! I am 5’6 1/2″ and I only wear a size 5.5 shoe. I have extremely HIGH arches. Not sure about your arch? Check out this photo of what a wet footprint would look like.

Then there is the concept of pronation. If you have a normal arch, you’re likely a normal pronator, meaning you’ll do best in a stability shoe that offers moderate pronation control. Runners with flat feet normally overpronate, so they do well in a motion-control shoe that controls pronation. High-arched runners typically underpronate, so they do best in a neutral-cushioned shoe that encourages a more natural foot motion. Want more information on pronation? Check out this Runner’s World article complete with explanation videos.

So what kicks do I sport? I wear two types of shoes made by K-Swiss. What, K-Swiss makes running shoes? Why, yes they do! Don’t worry, I didn’t know that either until recently. I used to wear Mizuno, specifically the Waverider, and while I still love those shoes I just found K-Swiss to be a better fit for me. About a year ago, I met a professional triathlete, James Cotter, who is sponsored by K-Swiss and on his recommendation I tried them out. It was love at first wear!

The two styles I like for me are the K-One and the Konejo:

K-Ona

• An Ultra-light (9oz) and stable running shoe perfect for fast days and races.
  
• Durability is achieved with an Aosta® II rubber outsole.
• Flexibility is enhanced by anatomically correct flex-grooves.
• Support is obtained with a direct injected urethane support cage with five-stripe branding on top.
• Stability comes from a rigid TPU midfoot shank.
• Breathability is enhanced by a Flow Cool System™ for moisture management.
• Cushioning is provided by Superfoam® technology, an Si-18 technology crash pad and a k-EVA midsole.
• Comfort is enhanced with a seamless upper construction.

Konejo

• A lightweight stable running shoe
  
• Lightweight is achieved with an open mesh and molded synthetic leather upper.
• Stability and motion control are enhanced with a “Y-Beam”; TPU arch support and medial posted midsole.
• Cushioning is maximixed through GuideGlide Guidance System™ and a triple-density Superfoam® compound.
• Durability is enhanced with an Aosta® II outsole with anatomically correct flex-grooves.

 I like both of these styles for different reasons. They both fit a little differently but fit true to size! I have a 5.5 in both and have never gotten any blisters or chafing from them…even straight from the box! I can’t say enough good things about these shoes. I also need to point out that I am NOT being paid or endorsed by K-Swiss…this is just simply my personal opinion about how great the shoes are!

Hope this information was helpful and useful to all your fabulous runners out there!

 

GF Product Reviewst

Happy Thursday! Sheesh…I can’t believe it is already Thursday. Where has the week gone? Let’s start with dinner last night. It was an easy one: Applegate Farms organic turkey burgers on gluten-free Udi bread and some organic Alexia french fries that I bake in the oven. Served up with a side of steamed broccoli and we were good to go!

 

 

Okay so on to the important part of the post! It is no secret that Keith and I eat mostly gluten-free. When I say mostly, I mean we live about 90% gluten-free. We eat mostly raw and natural foods but when we do turn to processed foods we try to go the GF route. With that said, there are a lot of gluten-free products on the market and quite honestly some of them taste REALLY bad! Well I figured to save some of you the trouble I would give you some of my top GF foods that really taste excellent!! Consider these your Kelly and Keith tested and taste approved!! I know the list looks long but remember all of these things are eaten in MODERATION.  Try to stay as raw and natural (fresh fruits, veggies, and proteins) as possible!!

Also go to my post on Gluten-Free Dining Out for a complete list of Austin restaurants that offer gluten-free menus! Yay! Or go to the Gluten Free Registry and just type in your zip code to find restaurants, bakeries, caterers, and grocers in your area!

 Breads

•  Best Sandwich Bread:  Udi Bread. This bread is so fluffy and tasty and the best part is that you don’t have to keep it frozen!!! It tastes great right from the pantry.
•  Best Breakfast Bread: Glutino Cinnamon Raisin Bread. You have to keep this frozen but it toasts nicely and is delish!
• Best Bagels: Glutino Bagels. These are AWESOME! They are large so you can easily only eat half and be totally content!
• Best Pizza Crust: This is a toss-up between Udi’s and Whole Foods Gluten Free brand. Both are good for different reasons. If you want a cracker type crust go for the Udi’s but for those of you who like a little more fluffy crust go for Whole Foods. Both rock!
• Best Pasta: Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta. They have a huge product inventory with all kind of noodles for whatever pasta dish you want to make!

Chips/Crackers/Snacks/Cookies:

• Best pretzels: Glutino!! These are amazing. So much so, in fact, that I CAN NOT be trusted with an open bag!
• Best Chips: Another Toss up! My favorite are the Guiltless Gourmet Blue Corn Chips and Keith likes the Rice Chips by Lundberg. (All flavors do rock!)
• Best Cracker: Keith’s pick: Nut Thins by Blue Diamond Growers all flavors. My pick: Edward & Sons Exotic Rice Toast all flavors!
• Best Granola: Enjoy Life Foods (all flavors: apple cinnamon, very berry, cinnamon)
• Best Cookie: Midel Ginger Snaps or Chocolate Chip
• Best Pudding: Kozy Shack Rice Pudding

Best Cereal

• Keith’s pick: Leapin Lemurs (KIDS CEREAL!) by Nature’s Path. This cereal is a mixture of chocolate and peanutbutter puffs. I think they are okay but they taste gluten-free to me.
• Kelly’s pick: Mine is a toss-up between Multigrain Puffins by Barbara’s Bakery or plain old KIX cereal by General Mills.

Best Bars:

• Keith’s pick: Think Thin Bars (brownie crunch and peanut butter are his favorite flavors)
• Kelly’s pick: Apple Cinnamon Jamfrakas or Caramel Apple Snack Bars from Enjoy Life Foods

Best Baking Mixes:

• Best Pancake (all-purpose mix): Pamela’s! One word: WOW!
• Best Brownie Mix: Namaste. These brownies are amazing. We always have a batch on hand and we just keep them in the freezer and pop them in the microwave to heat them back to gooey goodness
• Flour: Bob Red Mill’s All Purpose Baking Flour is great for most recipes! Anytime you see a recipe that calls for all-purpose flour you can always sub this in! I do!

Also remember to READ your labels for your soups, condiments (ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce, salsa, you know) etc. and look for it to say Gluten-Free. Unfortunately, most things are gluten-free by product brand rather than by product. For example Sara Lee turkey lunch meat is gluten-free but that doesn’t mean that Oscar Meyer is. Confusing, yes!

You can ALWAYS email me with questions about certain products and I will help you decifer if it is gluten-free! I hope this is helpful for everyone! 

 Alright…time for my lunch! PEACE OUT!

Running Rules

Here are some running rules and information from Runner’s World magazine. As a runner I thought these were VERY appropriate and something I think everyone should read. haha…enjoy!

RUNNING RULES OF THUMB

1. If you see a porta potty with no line, use it. Even if you don’t need to.
2. If you have to ask yourself, Does this driver see me? The answer is no.
3. If you have to ask yourself, Are these shorts too short? The answer is yes.
4. 1 glazed doughnut = 2 miles
5. You rarely regret the runs you d0; you almost always regret the runs you skip.
6. Not everyone who looks fast really is, and not everyone who looks really slow is.
7. Nobody has ever watched Chariots of Fire from beginning to end. Not even the people who made it.
8. You can never have too many safety pins on your gym bag.
9. Running any given route in the rain makes you feel 50 percent more hard-core than covering the same route on a sunny day.
10. If you care even a little about being called a jogger versus a runner, you’re a runner.

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PASS GAS, NOT JUDGEMENT!

Runner’s ingest a fair amount of healthy foods, which produce gas in the GI tract, where it can not stay forever. Especially when that GI tract is bounced and jostled. Passing gas while running is excusable and inevitable, but…

• You may not mock another runner for having passed gas, unless he/she has previously mocked you for the same.
• If a runner has taken pains to mask flatulence, pretend nothing has happened.
• It’s fun to pretend that the gas you expelled is propelling you forward, like a little booster rocket.

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A PR IS A PR FOREVER, BUT…

You may advertise a personal record (PR) time, or otherwise claim it as your own with no further explanation for two years after setting it. After two years, however, it becomes uncool to tell people, “My marathon PR is 3:12″ without providing a disclaimer – e.g., “My marathon PR is 3:12, but I ran that 63 years ago.”

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EXPAND YOUR SENSE OF FUN

As a runner, your definition of fun – which might have once included water parks, screwball comedies on DVD, and scrapbooking – must be, well, let’s just say broadened and might include:

• Waking up at 5:30 a.m. to run 10 miles
• Running in blistering heat
• Running in the rain
• Running in 400-meter circles
• Feeling as if your lungs are about to explode
• Paying good money for the priviledge of turning your toenails black
• Any combination of the above

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“LOOKIN’ GOOD!” …AND OTHER RUNNERS’ LIES

Lying is NOT something we normally endorse. But it’s perfectly acceptable to tell a runner that he is looking good at mile 19 of a marathon when, in fact, he looks like an insomniac who’s trying to sneeze, and is confused because someone has switched his running shoes with replicas of concrete. The go-to lie is “Lookin’ good!” Or you could say, “If I weren’t sp awed by the apparent ease with which you’re navigating this course, I might be angry with you for nearly knocking me unconscious with your awesomeness!” The key is to say something. Even a zombie appreciates encouragement.

 Have a good night everyone…be back tomorrow!

Element Bars

There are so many bars out there now-a-days. Some are delicious, some are gross, but imagine if you could create your own bar with you whatever you want in it?

Well, now you can!

Element Bars allows you to build your own custom energy and protein bars. Each bar is handmade and contains only natural and organic ingredients– so no artificial sweeteners, no processed starches, and no new fancy food technology. Check it out!!

STOP FAT TALK!!

PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! go watch this video! It is only 3 minutes long and it is AMAZING!!! This could be the most important thing I have ever posted and hopefully it will touch you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKPaxD61lwo

After you watch the video go visit Operation Beautiful to see how you can make a difference in this world to put an end to fat talk! I am DEFINITELY going to be participating in this amazing mission!

Foodie Tees

I was on one of my favorite blogs: Peanut Butter Fingers and I saw a link she posted for foodie t-shirts! These are freaking adorable! Go check it out!!

How cute are these foodie t-shirts?

HAHA…this might be  a GREAT stocking stuffer for your favorite foodie!! Plus a portion of the proceeds benefit these 3 charities: The Food Studies Institute, Two Angry Moms, and Better School Food!

Get the FACTS!

Great Website: Cereal F.A.C.T.S. (Food Advertising to Children and Teens Score). The Food Advertising to Children and Teens Score (FACTS) was developed to scientifically measure food marketing to youth. While young people are exposed to marketing for a variety of food products, cereal was chosen as the first food category to be evaluated using FACTS because cereal companies target children more than any other sector of the packaged food industry. The amount of money cereal companies spend on marketing to children exceeds $156 million per year on television alone. Check out the website to get the “facts” on your favorite breakfast cereal!

Your Exercise Personality

This is a cool test! Based on your personality (using the Meyer’s Briggs personality typing) you can find your exercise color! I was GOLD and it was right on the money! Keith was SILVER and he agreed with his analysis as well! Go check it out for a fun way to find a little bit more about your exercise personality!

http://www.the8colorsoffitness.com/

Why, Why, Why … – DivineCaroline

If you are having a bad day or simply need a few minutes to laugh then you MUST read this! It is “laugh-out-loud” funny!

Why, Why, Why … – DivineCaroline

How Well Do You Speak Your Truth? – DivineCaroline

Double Post Today…such a GREAT article!

How Well Do You Speak Your Truth? – DivineCaroline