My favorite hat, spells TEAM LIVESTRONG!

So I have this hat… that is my absolute favorite hat. It was given to me by a friend who got it after he accomplished his first century ride. Pretty sweet swag right!? The hat is made from a white wicking material, that keeps your head cool on a hot summer day. It is actually the only hat I don’t feel suffocated in, while I run. It fits my head perfectly, protecting my skin from the sun’s harmful rays, and shielding my hair color, from fading, keeping it everlasting, shiny, and vibrant. (Yes, I am a hair stylist, so my hair color is a priority.)

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The above photo collage shows me wearing this hat at the beach, on hikes, while doing yoga, I also run with it, and just about wear it everywhere. Now, if you look closely it says, “TEAM LIVESTRONG,” written across the front.

I know the interview between Lance Armstrong and Oprah was sooo last week. But I finally stopped being annoyed, and was able to pull it together, to write this post.

So as you all may know, Lance Armstrong was the face of the LIVESTRONG organization. As you may also know, he recently admitted to Oprah that while he competed his 7 tours, he was using performance enhancing drugs, and undergoing blood transfusions. So in my mind, and pretty much the rest of the world’s, Lance Armstrong, is a cheater and a lier. The amazing athlete we thought he was, never existed – so sad.  He was not much of an athlete at all, but rather a man that was a brilliant cheater, with the best doctor, and doping schedule.

However, when it comes down to it, the whole using performance enhancing drugs doesn’t really bother me, (I mean it does,) but I can be understanding. Lance told Oprah, everyone was doing it… it became part of the job. The only way to win was to do it too. Well what kind of “Win” is that, and look who is loosing now…

Well like I said above the whole using performance enhancing drugs doesn’t really bother me, because what does, is the the way he handled everything. Lance was selfish and foolish. He called his best friends, the people that lied for him and protected him, horrible names, and then he sued everybody.

Ok, so that bothers me, but there is one thing that bothers me even more… The interview with Oprah, was Lance’s chance to make things better- but he didn’t. I am a marathon runner, who is so passionate about running, that I get a little crazy if I miss a day. I was desperately waiting to hear Lance say how passionate he was about cycling – but he didn’t. I just wanted him to say, how he couldn’t imagine life without participating in the sport – but he didn’t.  I did not hear him say he has a love for the endurance sports, but rather an obsession with winning. Maybe he is not passionate at all. Maybe he doesn’t care for cycling at all. Maybe he just found that he was quite good at cycling and would do whatever he could to win.

When Oprah asked, “Why now?” I wanted him to talk about his passion for the sport, but he didn’t. So then, I was waiting for him to say, that he is a father, and wants to make things right, to be a good inspiration for his kids. But nope, he didn’t say that either. Instead he admits to all the lies, cheating, and bad behavior not to make thing right, but rather to reduce his sentence. How selfish can you be?

So in the end… I have this fabulous hat, that has TEAM LIVESTRONG written across the front. I will still wear that hat, not only because I love it, but because I support Cancer research. I support what it truly means to LIVESTRONG. But what I don’t support is Lance.

© 2013 sweatdaily

Surfing is Sexy

Surfing is a sexy sport.

It has always been a sport I have wanted to try.

I love the ocean.

I love the beach.

I found some amazing photos of surfing on tumblr…

These photos made made me think…

I love running… but I have been so consumed with it lately, that I haven’t had much time to get involved in any other types of physical activities. However, my running season is starting to wind down. I only have two more races, my last race being the Annapolis Half scheduled for December 1st, and although I will continue to run through out the winter, I won’t be training for anything until early March.

Hopefully, this will leave me more time to do…

Yoga

I like the style of Bikram, and during the colder months of winter, my body wakes up craving it.

Hiking

My sister and are planning a hike on Black Friday. It will be so refreshing to be out in nature breathing in the fresh air burning off the Thanksgiving dinner we had the night before.

Boxing

I have yet to try Boxing. I had written a post about it a month ago, but something came up and I ended up not having the chance to go. But it has still been on my mind, and I am looking forward to trying it. Read about Why I need a Punching Bag here.

Cycling

I use to ride a couple times a week, sometimes riding my bike to and from work. But I haven’t been on it in the last couple months. So it would be nice to dust off my road bike, and ride a couple times a month. It is great for cross training and a wonderful workout.

Chrissie Wellington Ironman World Champion 2011

Rock Climbing

Again this is something that I have yet to try. But it has been on my mind. I think it will be a great full body workout.

CrossFit and Weight Lifting

I have yet to try Cross Fit but it is a must. A couple months ago, I ended up at the Mid Atlantic Crossfit Games. It was a true inspiration. I need to try  CrossFit, and if I can’t afford to join, I may just work on weight lifting. But either way. I need to get my body strong. It is important for injury prevention and it will make me feel better at work. I am a hairstylist on my feet all day, and it can be very tiresome. Read about the Mid Atlantic Crossfit Games here.

CrossFit

Barre

I’ve tried Pilates. I use to practice on the reformer. Honestly, it just wasn’t intense enough for me. I have thought about trying Barre because it incorporate ballet like moves to help strengthen the body.

This photo reminds me of a combo of boxing and barre.

Snowboarding

Last but not least. I am praying for some snow this winter so I can get on my board. I love weekend getaways to the mountains.

So those are the other activities I have on my mind. I know that in the end, by incorporating some other activities I will build more muscle, become stronger, and overall improve my running.

Because at the end of the day I always end up with a desire to go for a run.

*None of these photos are mine. All were found on tumblr.

© 2012 sweatdaily.

I’LL TAKE A lil bit of this AND a lil bit of that…

BEACHES

I am a total beach bum. I love running barefoot on the beach, it is my favorite kind of run. I love swimming in the ocean, floating on my back, hearing the waves crash. I love boats. I love laying in the sand soaking up the sun. I love the warm tired feeling I get after a long day at the beach. I love eating seafood, especially lobster, crab, and recently raw oysters.

on the beach in Barcelona

Boats in Barceloneta

Beach bum… in Barcelona

Nemo and Coral in Barcelona

Island of Kos, Greece

Island of Kos, Greece

Mermaid Statue on the Island of Syros, Greece. In Honor of those lost at sea.

Boats in Bodrum, Turkey

Storms in Myrtle Beach, SC USA

good morning Myrtle Beach, SC USA

sun, waves, sand

sisters, sun-dresses, beach, Myrtle, SC USA

rainbow

A day at Bethany Beach, DE USA

Beach Yoga, Bethany Beach, DE USA

Camel on the Beach. Bethany Beach, DE USA

Brazil

Best Friends in BrazilThe Christ Statue in Rio.

Santa Monica, California

Hermosa Beach, California

OBX 13.1

finishing up a run on the beach in the fall in OBX, NC