Ok Runners… Look what I found…
This neon pink beauty is a sneak peek of Newton’s new design for one of their running shoes in the 2013 line. This photo popped up on my Facebook news feed, and it is all the information they have released about their newest shoe. I am hoping it is the color for the 2013 Gravity or Distance U. The suspense is killing me… I just want to know which shoe this is and when it will be available.
Does anyone else get super overwhelmed with Christmas shopping? It should be fun, right? Because my family is childless, the idea of adults buying presents for adults seems kind of silly. However, I am a knitter, so I almost always hand make most of my gifts. But this year, I found myself on a desperate hunt for that special something, which holds the qualities of unique and creative, but also thoughtful and useful. The problem was I kept finding that special something that would be unique and useful for me…
For example, I was in Anthropologie and I found Super Natural Every Day, a cookbook written by Heidi Swanson. She opens this book telling us about her home San Francisco. Her descriptions are so lovely, it made me want to move there asap. She also gives us a peek inside her cupboard and pantry. She tells us where she shops for food, as she teaches us the ultimate definition of Natural.
As I said before, I was in search for something unique and useful. This book meets those qualities because in this country every day is a challenge to eat organic and vegetarian.
Changing the subject now…
My New Year’s resolution for 2012 was to eat one unique exotic food I had never tried before, every week. This made me on a constant quest to seek knowledge on these new foods I discovered. It forced me to go to local farmers markets, my favorite one being the Crystal City Farmer’s Market. I would rush over there on Tuesday, during my break at work. What I loved most about this market is that it was on a weekday so most of the time the farmers were there themselves working the stand.
I also started to explore some of the organic grocery stores, becoming a regular shopper at Whole Foods, MOM’s Organic Market, and rarely, but sometimes Trader Joe’s. Although, they are expensive, my health is worth the money, (and so is yours!)
When it comes to Whole Foods verse MOM’s, Whole Foods is much bigger and has more options. However, MOM’s has less imported things, most of their products are more locally grown. It is smaller, but their selection is more exclusive. When it comes to Trader Joe’s, I like it, but I feel like the store has a lot of packaged items, which is not really my thing. I don’t snack much, and although packaged products can be organic or vegan, I much rather get the whole food.
back to the book…
So lets get back to the fabulous cookbook, Super Natural Everyday. The title of this book says it all. This is the way I want to eat, cook, live. Every attempt, I have made at being vegetarian has failed in the past because I simply didn’t feel full with out animal protein. This September when I decided to give it a try again, I decided I am not going to label myself as anything. I simply decided to ease into it by having meatless and dairy-free days. Now I am buying fabulous cookbooks like this one, and learning how to cook more vegetarian/vegan meals.
The meal I decided to try was her stuffed tomatoes, but instead of using six tomatoes, I used three tomatoes, two green peppers, and two portobello mushrooms. I actually ended up liking the portobello mushroom best.
Simply wash them, and clean out the insides only saving the tomato insides. Put those a side in a large mixing bowl.
Add shallots, garlic, basil, harissa, olive oil, salt, yogurt, couscous. Stuff the vegetables to the top and cook them for 50-60 mins in a 350 degree hot oven.
Now this is what I am talking about! This is a must try delicious recipe, and the best part is that it is a filling satisfied vegetarian dish.
For more info on Heidi Swanson you can check out her personal site here. You can also purchase her book, Super Natural Every Day, at Anthropologie.
© 2012 sweatdaily
OMG I am so terribly sorry… I hope you can understand…
I HAD to push my writing to the back burner, because of the crazy busy holiday season. But things are starting to slow down a bit so I am going to, as my yoga instructor would put it, breath deeply… slow down, cherish this time… because life will get crazy busy again, before you even have the chance to blink your eye.
And now that I have started to write, I have realized I have so much good knowledge to share with you, but I will break that knowledge up in to a couple different posts, and keep this one short and sweet.
For the last three days I have been, sweating, breathing, detoxifying, stretching, and strengthening my body in Bikram’s torture chamber. That means I have been going to Bikram yoga.
It has been really interesting though, because I have had a different instructor each day. Although, the 26 postures and the 2 breathing techniques are the same, Â the classes have been so very different.
Wednesday, 12/26/12, Cameron taught my bikram class. The room was the hottest. The yoga was continuous, holding the poses, resting briefly, and then moving on to the next pose. This made the yoga more cardiovascular. Â I had to take a knee for a minute or two, half way through class, but I got up and continued on finishing strong.
Thursday, 12/27/12, Jamie was my instructor. There were tons of newbies in the room. Because of this the class was much more slower moving. It actually ended 15 minutes late. However, Jamie really focussed on form, and corrected several people in the class, including me. He pushed me on Standing Head to Knee/
Dandayamana-Janushirasana. And got me to understand how to do Toe Stand/ Padangustasana. Â Also on Locus/ Salabhassana my feet were always pointing out, which he corrected. I though this class was great, because it was a smaller class and the instructor really got to work one on one with us. I have been practicing for five years, and although, I know I am no where near perfect on these poses, when class sizes are two large it is hard for the instructor to catch ever small little incorrect thing. But these small changes make a HUGE difference. I am proof… because today…
I had a breakthrough….
Friday, 12/28/12, I woke up this morning thinking I may skip class, and go running instead. But I received a text from my friend K, and she was excited to go. So I got dressed, grabbed my mat/towel/ice water… and headed over. Shelly was teaching class. The room was pretty packed today, but I felt good and strong, and more flexible than I have been in a very long time. Â All the running makes my body so stiff. The warm up poses went well, and then it was time for Standing Head to Knee/Dandayamana-Janushirasana. Breakthrough! Finally after 5 years of practice, I can completely straighten my left leg, and as for my right leg, it is almost there. I know it has taken a very long time but I am not very flexible, so this is big for me. I just continued to kick my leg out. I breathed into the pain and tension and boom I was there. I finished the rest of the class strong. I left totally drenched with sweat. Â It felt good pushing my body to its ultimate limit.
Plus I was in great company. Thanks for coming with me, K!
I don’t have any pictures of yoga class today, but I do want to share with you a yoga bag I hand knitted.
You can find more photos and details on how I made this yoga bag, on Cashmere&Silk.
© 2012 sweatdaily
Sorry I have been so busy I haven’t had much time to write blog posts. However, I am always in search for inspiration. So this one is just a little cute something for all my yoga followers. I can’t remember where I found this, but I hope you can relate to it, and have a laugh.
Enjoy!
P.S. I will be posting some longer more quality posts in the next couple days. So keep your eye open, for some book reviews and my half marathon recap.
I found this image floating around Tumblr. I wanted to share it with you, because these words are wise and ones to remember. Enjoy!
For the last two days, all I have done, is Christmas Shop. No running, no yoga, only shopping. It has been really overwhelming for me because I hand make most of my presents. I will show you a sneak peek of my hand made gifts in a future post, but if you can’t wait you can check out my tumblr blog Cashmere & Silk. Anyway, when I was Christmas shopping, I stopped to have a latte and read the UK Runner’s World. While I was reading I came across this…
Ever since April/May, when I began to focus on running form, I kept hearing the word Cadence. Cadence is how many steps you take per minute while running. The secret to injury free running is a Cadence of 180 or higher.
A couple years ago, when I was in New York City, I stopped in the Asics running shoe store and they evaluated my running form by taking 3D images of my feet and video taping the way I ran barefoot on a treadmill. By doing this I learned a lot about my feet and stride. I discovered that while I run I tend to over stride and because of this my cadence was in the 160s, below average.
When I first began to run in my Newtons, I decided to read the book Natural Runner, written by Danny Abshire, the inventor of Newton. In his book, he pushes the importance of having a cadence of 180 or higher. In order to achieve this, he tells runners to have a short, quick, bouncy stride, where your feet land under your center mass. Be light and quick on your feet. Imagine yourself running over hot coals.
Because I have the Garmin Forerunnner 50, which has a foot pod, I am able to measure my cadence. I have been recording it for some time now, however my garmin has always said it was between 80-95, which is disappointingly low. Turns out my garmin only measures the one foot, that the foot pod is in. Duh! So looks like I am right on target.
If you don’t have a foot pod to measure your cadence, you can download a cadence app on your phone. Listening to a faster beat song helps too.
© 2012 sweatdaily
I can not even begin to express how excited I am. The Nike Women’s Marathon has always been on the top of my list of races to run. However, because it has always taken place in San Francisco I haven’t had the chance to run it. Well, at the end of the summer a friend  informed me that the race was coming to DC. This is the first time that the race is going to take place in a city other than San Fran. Out of all the cities on the East coast they chose to place the race in Washington, DC – very cool, and convenient.
Another thing about The Nike Women’s Marathon is that it is super popular, so popular that they had to make it a lottery. They also kept the registration date a secret. So everyday I was checking on whether or not the race was open for registration. It was really weird, I would google NWM and there would be NO info on the race registration. Finally, I found out, through facebook, that it had open and I registered.
It wasn’t until today that I found out that I got in and so did my running budy, L and my sister E. Super Excited. I can’t wait to run the Nike Women’s Half Marathon at the end of April. I heard shirtless firemen hand out Tiffany necklaces at the end.
© 2012 sweatdaily
If this doesn’t inspire you… then I don’t know what will.
Last year, her story made headlines…
Meet Lauren Scruggs. Her friends and family call her Lolo. She is a model and fashion blogger. She is a daughter and a twin sister.  One night, last year, accompanied by her mother, she went on a short small plane ride to see holiday lights, light up Dallas, from a bird’s eye view. When exiting the plane she walked into the night, and accidently hit the plane’s spinning propeller. She lost her left eye and her left hand, but God spared her life.
Doctor’s told her loosing a hand is like loosing a family member because it has always been with you. But now look what she is doing…
Look at this strong woman! She isn’t just recovering from an accident that could have easily taken her life, but she is living, thriving, and doing push ups. She is thankful everyday, and adapting to her new body. So next time when you are exercising and feel like giving up… think of Lolo. Â Why? Because she is doing it beautifully and one handed.
Both this one, and the above photo were found in People magazine. I am totally amazed by today’s technology. Lauren not only has a prosthetic eye, but she has multiple prosthetic arms. She chooses which one to wear depending on what activity she is doing. Because Lolo is so athletic, she has one for swimming, and another for other physical activities. She also has one for everyday use. This one looks almost as natural as a regular real human arm.Â
To learn more about Lauren Scruggs read her book Still Lolo or check out her blog Lolo Magazine. Guess what? She also has a wordpress blog, follow her at LOLO.
© 2012 sweatdaily
Let me tell you a secret…
I have had an on again, off again, now on again, love affair with Bikram.
It is a hot…
It is a steamy…
It is a sweaty…
type of love.
So I am back on and this is why?
This week was the first week of December. Where I live, it is not unusual to have unpredictable, sporadic weather conditions. Â So earlier this week, Â when the sun began to shine and the daily temperatures hit a lovely 65- 70 degrees, I wasn’t totally surprised. With that being said, there was no way I was going to skip out on a run. I couldn’t waste these beautiful days. I had to take advantage of this fabulous December weather.
So I did.
I ran fast.
I ran in shorts.
I ran testing my new Brooks PureConnects.
This morning however, the temperatures began to drop. Although, the sun was out, it became a breezy and cold 45 degrees. So instead of running, I hit up Bikram.
For those that don’t know what Bikram is let me explain…
Five years ago, I had a desire to try yoga, but for those that know me well, know that I crave intensity in everything I do. I didn’t want to pay for a yoga class, where I would be meditating and relaxing. I wanted to a challenge. I wanted to sweat. I wanted to see results.
For those that know me well, also know, I research everything. So of corse I looked up different forms of yoga, and came to the conclusion that Bikram would be the best fit for me.
Bikram Yoga is a form of Hatha yoga, created by Bikram Choudhury. The class is a 90 minute class. It consistes of 26 postures and 2 breathing techniques (26 +2). The postures are preformed in 105+ temperatures, working the whole body. Bikram is extremely detoxifying and healing. You will leave drenched with sweat and totally rejuvenated.
Bikram is always the same routine. Because of this, over time, you really get the opportunity to improve your body, and prefect the poses.
My first Bikram class…
I was super excited and just couldn’t wait to try this new type of exercise. So five years ago, on a cold winter night, I got off work and stopped by my mom’s house. She was the only person I knew that would try anything with me on such a short notice. I told her that we were going to try a hot yoga class. I told her to grab the shortest shorts she had, and the biggest water bottle she owned.
In the last few years three new Bikram studios have opened in Northern Virginia alone. But back five years ago, the studios were limited, so my mom and I headed to the one in Falls Church. Like most Bikram studios, this one was a hole in the wall. My mom was a tad freaked out at first, but we completed the first class, feeling amazing afterwards.
My Bikram experience continues…
I began to practice regularly 4-5 times a week. When my best friend, Mariana, came home from college, I convinced her to come along with me. She too fell in love with it and began to practice regularly. We loved it so much, that on the rare occasion we would complete a double – meaning we would practice two times in one day.
It was amazing, how much our bodies changed. Our upper bodies- mainly arms and shoulder became toned. Our posture improved. Fat melted away from our midsections. We became more flexible. Our skin improved. We drank more water/coconut water, and craved a healthier diet. We felt rejuvenated, more energized. Everyday, I wanted to sweat buckets, and craved the heat.
New Studio’s opened…
Bikram Tysons: One of our favorite instructors from Falls Church, opened his own studio out in Tyson’s Corner. A lot of the regulars from Falls Church followed him. My friend and I would make the drive as well. The studio is by far one of the prettiest ones in the area. The classes are always packed full, with tons of regular yogis, some so amazing that they could teach the class. Because of this, the classes have a really awesome energy, but make sure you go early to reserve your favorite spot to lay your mat. The heat is always cranked to the max temperatures. You are guaranteed an intense class.
Birkam Yoga Arlington:Â This is another one of the newer studios in the area. I recently moved, so this location is way more convenient for me. So although, I love Falls Church and Bikram Tysons, this year I plan to go to the Arlington studio more often.
When ever I go to the Bikram Tysons, I have to arrive 20 minutes early just to get a spot in the room, at Bikram Yoga Arlington, this is not the case. Every time I have participated at the Arlington studio, I have gone to the 10 am class and it hasn’t been too busy- which is a kind of nice. This studio is also the cleanest studio I have been too.
Today’s Yoga Class
L and I at Bikram.
When I drive out to Bikram Tysons, I have to leave my house an hour before class started, hoping and praying I will make it in time. (That is how bad the traffic is here.) I am totally stressed out when I arrived.
Today, I hit up Bikram Yoga Arlington and it literally took me five minutes to drive there, and I found parking right away- score! L and I had plenty of time to set up and relax before class started.
At first I didn’t think the room was that hot, but now I am thinking I was really dehydrated, and just didn’t begin to sweat until the middle of the standing postures.
Because it was my first time back in a month or so, I didn’t want to push myself too far, over stretch, and injure myself. Plus my muscles were tight from all the running.
In the end, it was a really good class. I felt so energized after. It felt like a full body massage. I definitely want to fit Bikram back into my schedule at least 2 times a week, if not more. I also want to try some other forms of yoga. I have a feeling that inverted poses are in my near future, what can I say – I just want to be upside down.
Questions for You…
© 2012 sweatdaily
Lets talk about my obsession…
For those of you who have been following my blog, you may already know that I am shoe obsessed. But for those that are new readers let me clue you in.
In April/May 2012 I caved… and made the switch from a traditional running shoe, (Asics Nimbus and Brooks Glycerin) to a barefoot running shoe called Newton.
So ever since then, I have been wearing either my Newton Distance U or my Newton Gravity, only doing one long run in my old Brooks Glycerin (over a 7 month period.)
In the Newton shoes, I have focused on running form. Working very hard to change my stride from a minor heel striker (slight over pronator/over strider) to a forefoot/mid-foot striker (neutral runner with a higher cadence.)
Was I successful? Yes, I was, and I had the opportunity to prove it, by racing two 10 milers in them. And just this weekend, raising the bar, by setting a new PR in my half marathon I ran.
However, last week, I went into my local running shoe store, Pacers, and bought the Brooks PureConnect running shoe.  This shoe’s resale value is normally $90, but because it is a 2012, it was on sale for $75. The 2013s should be out in January, but you can pre-order them now, if you want them!
Brooks barefoot running series.
Lets talk about Brooks PureConnect shoe. This is what Brooks says…
 The PureConnect was named “Best Debut” in Runner’s World’s Winter 2012 Shoe Guide in the December issue. The editors said the PureConnect “strikes a balance between barefoot-inspired minimalism and cushioning-required training. It has a lightweight, barely there feel yet is substantive enough to handle long tempo runs.”
The design of the shoe allows you to have the freedom to feel the ground and connect with your run. It has toe flex technology which gives you flexibility in the forefoot and activates your big toe and aligns your toe off. It is a 4mm heel to toe drop. The material the shoe is made from keeps the foot balanced and creates a glove like fit, allowing the shoe to work more naturally with your foot. The shoe weighs 6.5 oz, being super light weight and breathable.
PureConnect
Why I was tempted to try them…
Don’t get me wrong… I LOVE MY NEWTON SHOES! Just how your body will adapt to certain work outs, your body can adapt to your running shoe. When you repeat the same work out over and over, you stop seeing results, the same can happen in running shoes. Because of this fact IÂ don’t want to allow my body to get too comfortable/use to one type of shoe. Different shoes work the body in different ways. I want to be well rounded. I also want to experiment with a shoe rotation. I have used Brooks and Asics in the past, and have enjoyed their shoes, so I thought I would look into their barefoot running shoes.
When researching, different barefoot running shoes I realized that Asics was the last ones to take the plunge. But they finally did, unfortunately, it is not quite good enough.
ASICS
Their barefoot running series is called the 33 series, named after the 33 joints found in your foot – very cool name. However, their lightest out of that series, the Gel Lyte33, only has a 6 mm heel to toe drop. This is good for those runners, who  are still running in a traditional running shoe with a 12 mm heel, who wants to try a lighter shoe and a lower heel to toe drop. This shoe will give this runner what they desire with out messing to much with their running stride or body. Some runners claimed they barely felt a difference.
However, because I am already running in the Newton Gravity that has a 3 mm heel to toe drop and the Newton Distance U which has a 2 mm heel to toe drop, to try the Gel Lyte33, with a 6 mm heel to toe drop is pointless. So I moved on from Asics  and took a close look at Brooks PureProject, and found the PureConnects.
Three things sold me on this shoe…
SAUCONY
(just mentioning this for all the Saucony lovers out there…)
Saucony’s Kinvara 3 is the Brooks PureConnect’s biggest competition. So for those who love Saucony. The Kinvara is similar to the PureConnects weighing 6.7 ounces and having a 4 mm heel to toe drop.
On a different note…
So here is something to think about… Â Less is More.
I was talking to another runner. Demanding him to give me answers and tell me which shoe is the best shoe. He told me, “It is not about which shoe is better than the other. This is a running shoe store. All the shoes are good, designed by runners, for runners.” Â I questioned him. “Even the most minimal shoe in the store?” I asked. He informed me that the point of a running shoe is to absorb shock when the runner’s foot hits the ground. Even the lightest most minimal shoe is now made from such high tech materials, that even they are capable to absorb the shock, just as well as a traditional running shoe. So it is not whether one shoe is better than the other. It is about you, and your own personal opinion, Â about what you like and what you are comfortable running in.
My Experience in the Brooks PureConnect
Although, I had my shoes for a week, I didn’t want to jump right into them because my half marathon was coming up over the weekend, and I didn’t want to take any chances (injury/being sore) during my taper. So my first time running in them was yesterday. Wow! They definitely were different.
THE FIT… THE TOE BOX…
The Newton shoe along with most barefoot running shoes have a wide toe box. This design is suppose to allow your foot to naturally spread so your toes can grab the ground, the way they would naturally if you were running barefoot. The Brooks PureConnect took a different approach. While other runners, found this shoe to be a bit narrow. Brooks wanted this shoe to feel like a second skin, and hug your foot like a glove.
Narrow toe box? Nope! it’s just snug like a glove. And I am wearing shorts in December. It is 65 degrees here!
When wearing the PureConnects, I did feel a bit snug in them, but are they really narrow, or am I just use to a wider toe box? Well unfortunately, I only ran four miles in them, so I can’t fairly judge whether I liked this “glove” feel or not.  I do know one thing though – The wide toe box that my Newtons have, is one of the reasons why I love my Newton shoes.
When running in the Newton shoe with it’s wide toe box, you not only have the opportunity to really feel the ground, but your toes actually have room to spread and grasp the ground. However, at first this was very uncomfortable for me because my second and third toes are slightly crossed. I also continued to get a reoccurring blister on my third toe on my left foot. But practice makes perfect and over time, my toes stopped bothering me, and now I love the idea of my toes grasping the ground, because it is natural. This is what your toes would do if you were barefoot running on the sand at the beach.
The PureConnect does not have a wide toe box but rather has toe flex technology which gives you flexibility in the forefoot and activates your big toe and aligns your toe off. Honestly, during my four mile run, I didn’t feel my toes engaged at all or activated in any way. But then again, it was only a four mile run, maybe in a longer run I might be able to feel my toes do some work.
CUSHION
I have always run in a high cushioned shoe (Asics Nimbus and Brooks Glycerin.) So when I made the switch and started wearing the Newton, cushioning is the one thing I really missed. I don’t feel like the Newton shoe is very cushiony. Plus I sometime experience sesamoiditis very mildly in my left foot. Sesamoiditis is nothing too serious, it is just inflammation or irritation of the sesamoid bones found underneath the big toe, in the forefoot area.  Wearing a more cushioned shoe, along with icing, can help a runner with this condition. So when I heard the PureConnect was a barefoot running shoe, known for its cushion – I had to try it!
When wearing the PureConnect for my four mile run, I could feel the cushioning right away. I felt super BOUNCY and light on my feet.  In the end, I absolutely LOVE the cushion and bounce in this shoe – this felt really good. However, I wouldn’t say I felt like it was more flexible than my Newtons. I actually felt like they were a bit stiff, but I know they are not, maybe it was because they were snug like a glove.
Look at that Cushioning!
So this is what I have so far, on this review. It is hard to judge since I have only had the chance to run four miles in them. One very important thing about these shoes is that they do not last long. Most runners can only get 250-300 miles out of these shoes before they have to replace them. Because of this aspect, I am planning on only wearing these shoes a couple times a week, mainly for shorter runs.
If you over pronate…
When you change your shoe to a minimalist/barefoot running shoe, and change your stride from an over strider/ heel striker to a shorter strider who lands on their forefoot with a quick cadence, your over pronation should disappear. However, some may have a body imbalance they can’t help or weak ankles. If this is the case, they may still need some stability in their shoe. If this is the case, an orthotic may help, or instead of purchasing the PureConnect, you would get the PureCadence. The PureCadence is from the PureProject by Brooks, but this shoe provides a stability crutch, while the PureConnect does not.
L wears the PureCadence.
PureCadence for those that want a barefoot running shoe, but needs a stability crutch.
PureCadence
If you are interested in a stability shoe in Newton, you would start with the Motion ( for those that need stability) later trying the Distance U (which is for both the neutral runner or the runner who needs a stability crutch.)
TIP…
If you are not running in a barefoot running shoe, always remember, it is good to keep one on hand as a strengthening tool – they work the muscles in your feet, when traditional running shoes protect them. They work the muscles in your lower legs, different than the way a traditional running shoe would.
Questions for You…
© 2012 sweatdaily