Hello Fall…

October 6, 2014

Fall has arrived. It is my absolute favorite season.

The air is crisp and it’s time to get cozy.

The things I am most excited about are…

I love the touch of soft warm colorful hand-dyed yarns that are later handmade into chunky knits. (I’m a knitter.)

I love the feeling of a hot and steamy Bikram yoga classes.

I love running, running, and more running. I love seeing the trees which are colorful along the running trail, then hearing the leaves crunching under my running shoes at each stride.

I love tasting… Spicy soups, smoky chili, butternut squash, pumpkin everything.

First pumpkin beer… 2 years ago at October Fest!

I love the smell of… Gingerbread, cinnamon, pumpkin spice…

I love hot tea, chai tea, hot cocoa with coconut milk.

Those are a few of my favorite things… What are yours?

I don’t like labels.

September 26, 2014

Last weekend, I went to DC VegFest. It was totally cool hanging out with all of those vegans and vegetarians. The Veg community is a very friendly group, and most wanted to know my story. I was asked by a couple different people, “What brought you to VegFest today? Are you vegan?”

My answer to that questions is…

No. I don’t feel it comfortable or necessary to label myself as anything. I don’t want to follow rigid rules of any kind, when it comes to food – I am too much of a foodie to be so restrictive and disciplined. I simply want to eat a healthy well balanced diet – full of color, flavor, and texture. And although, I eat and cook mostly organic plant based, I am opened minded, adventurous, and willing to explore all different types of food lifestyles.

I recently found my new favorite blog called, My New Roots. When reading Sarah’s (the owner of the blog) About page, I thought to myself, ” Wow! She nailed it. This is exactly how I feel.”

Sarah says, “The only label I’ll slap on myself is “whole-food-lover.” Nothing makes me feel better, think better, and look better than whole foods! And the big bonus? I never count calories or worry about my weight because I know that if I eat this way, my body will be in a perfect state of balance and health, naturally.”

I agree with her 100%. Although, my diet is mainly plant based, consisting of veggies, fruit, grains, beans, quinoa, nuts and seeds, I still can not label myself as vegetarian or vegan. There has been weeks in which I have gone meatless, but there are days you can find me eating a greek yogurt. I absolutely love eggs and eat them a couple times a week. I also can’t live without fish. My favorite thing about summer time is eating a Maryland crab feast or a Lobster bake on Martha’s Vineyard.

If you are vegetarian or vegan, your main priority is eliminating all animal products. But the most important thing to me is that everything I eat is organic and whole. It is a very rare day, if you find me eating something that is not organic. I avoid GMOs and processed foods. I try to buy everything from local farms, and eat seasonally. If I am eating eggs, they are from cage free hens eating an organic feed. When I eat fish, I only eat wild caught. And on the rare occasion that I eat dairy or any other animal product, it must be treated as humanely as possible, free of antibiotics and hormones.

There are times in which I love labels, and there are times in which I hate them. There are some labels that are simple, while others are more complicated. The times in which I love them is when they are simple and define ones identity. The times in which I hate them are when they are complicated and become stereotypes. I can label myself as a marathon runner, simply because I run marathons. But, I can not label myself as vegan or vegetarian, although I often cook and eat that way.

I bought this pendant from a vendor at VegFest…

It says, Plant Strong.

So if I must come up with a label, Plant Strong is a pretty awesome one. I also love the label that Sarah from My New Roots came up with – Whole Food Lover. Add organic to it and slap it on me.

What’s your label?

Will the Apple Watch replace your Garmin?

September 11, 2014

The newest addition to the Apple family will be the Apple Watch, which will be released early 2015.

They have a couple different models, including a Sports model!

When Apple first announced they were releasing a watch, I thought the idea was stupid. But now that there is a sports addition I am very curious.

It looks really cool, but will it function as good as some of the leading brands?

Some of the Features…

Band is durable and strong. Yet surprisingly light and soft.
Sport models are as light as possible.
Made with strong scratch resistant alumina-silicate glass.
There are a variety of apps that will do things such as monitor your activity through out the day.
Heart rate sensor.
There are reminder features to tell you when your next workout is.
Data sharing.
It is unclear whether the GPS feature to track runs will be used from the iPhone. In this case runners will need to run with your iPhone.

The watch will retail $349.

Being a serious runner, my watch has become my running buddy. I am
pretty loyal to Garmin.

Above are the facts, but it will be interesting to hear reviews once the watch comes out.

Will the Apple Watch replace your Garmin? Which running watch is your favorite?

References:

Sailing!

September 8, 2014

The weather is always weird and unpredictable around here. It has been a beautiful mild, quite cool summer. And right when summer is about to end… It shows up!

Friday and Saturday were our hottest days – so hot it was almost unbearable.

And unfortunately, this summer I never made it to the beach.

Change is good!

August 24, 2014

September is right around the corner. I can’t even express how excited I am. I love fall, it is my favorite. I don’t know the technical first day of fall, but in my book, once September begins, fall begins. So with the start of September and the start of fall, I’m going to change a couple things on this blog.

I’m a hair stylist. It is my job to transform, make over people all the time. However, for some reason I have not changed the look of this blog since it was born. With that being said, this little blog of mine needs a fresh new look. So these last couple days in August I am going to be working hard on this much needed transformation.

If you are one of my dedicated readers, you may know that the main focus of this blog has been about running. This focus will NOT change. So don’t worry I still am running and will be covering my training, reviews on running gear, and I will never neglect writing posts about my race experiences. However, I have much more to offer. Although, running is my passion, I have other passions as well, so along with writing running posts there will be a variety of other posts, such as, more recipes and nutritional posts.

Summer has been overwhelmingly busy, so I haven’t had much time to blog. Honestly, I also have been bored with writing posts on this blog. I’ve come to the conclusion that if I have been bored writing then you must be bored reading. So my idea is to transform this fitness blog into a healthy lifestyle blog. This healthy lifestyle blog will cover the same fitness posts as before, but I will be adding other type of healthy lifestyle posts as well, including recipes, and a little hair/beauty and fashion/design/art posts. I’m really excited for these changes and can’t wait to get started!

I hope you all enjoy the changes!!!

Help me out…
What do you want to see on this blog!?

It’s not your regular old gym clothes…

March 15, 2014

This last year, I took a business building class. At this class, I had to describe my daily fashion identity by using only one adjective. This was a very hard task. I thought to myself, I am so many things. Some days I feel artsy, other days I feel sporty. Some days I dress edgy, while other days I wear vintage. I love mixing and matching. I easily find inspiration, everywhere.

Although, all of the above is true, I stared to narrow it down… there is one thing that all the above share. And whether what I am wearing is edgy, vintage, artsy, or sporty, what I realized is that in one way or another, they are all girly and feminine.

Do you remember Clueless?

This is by far one of my favorite movies from the 90s. I was 10 years old when it came out, and I remember watching this movie, thinking how cool all of their outfits were.

Look at those gym clothes…

Now looking back, I realize that I was the Clueless one, and the point of putting them in these outfits was to show how clueless they were too.

There is no way that those gym clothes were functional. Try running a 5k in those and you would end up with horrible chaffing. Although, they were not functional, what they were, was trendy.

Trendy and fashionable is what I loved about the gym clothes worn by Cher in Clueless, back in the 90s. Today, Trendy, fashionable, and functional is what I look for in my running gear, yoga, and workout apparel.

I love fashion.

I love expressing myself.

I have done previous blog posts on fashionable gym clothes and functional running gear. Why? Because it is important! When you look good, you feel good. Specific clothing is made, for specific sports. When you wear the proper gear for whichever sport you are participating in you preform better.

So although the gym clothing in Clueless were not functional, they were trendy. Now a days you can have the best of both worlds. Now a days workout clothing, running gear, yoga apparel is both fashionable and functional.

I normally love lululemon, and I have to admit most of my wardrobe is lululemon. However, lately I am loving Athleta. In the past, I always thought Athleta looked older, like it catered to my mother’s age group. But right now it is looking trendy, for the younger fashionable athlete. I am loving everything.

After I made a couple purchases in the store, at the register, I was asked how I had heard about Athleta. I have always known about Athleta however, I was inspired to go to the store, because of this image I saw on instagram.

Who wouldn’t want to go it to the store after seeing this amazing image? I actually have been finding most of my inspiration from images posted on instagram. It is by far my favorite form of social media. I now follow Athleta along with some of my other favorite stores, and people. If you aren’t following me on instagram yet, do it, @dorseyml.

These are some other inspiring images. I actually have those pants!!

What athletic brands are your favorite? Do you shop at Athleta?

My Fitness and Nutrition goals for 2014!

January 9, 2014

2013 was an amazing year! It will be hard to beat. However, if there is a year to beat it 2014 is that year. A lot of big, exciting, special things are happening. Two of the biggest include…

I will be traveling to Thailand with my Fiance!
Later in the year, we will be getting married!

I am calling our trip to Thailand our premoon, since it is going to be an amazing adventure taking place before my fiance and I get married. Thailand has always been on the top of my list of places I desire to visit, and now that two of my best friends have moved to Asia, It seems much more doable.

Our trip is planned out according to where in Thailand we are going to be on which day, but from now until we leave, I will be reading up on Thailand as much as possible.

I have also found Pinterest and Instagram extremely helpful while planning this trip. Surprisingly, Pinterest and Instagram have become little tour books on their own. I have now started a Thailand pin board based on what I want to see while I am there. This is going to be an amazing adventure, and because I am a crazy runner girl, I am bringing my running shoes too. Honestly, I don’t know how much running I will be doing, but when I do go on a run, I will be sure to blog about it. I am not going to be too hard core, because vacation is about relaxing, plus I have been working out pretty hard in the gym lately, and it may be nice to have some time off. But one of the best things about being a runner, is that you can run anywhere in the world. So my newtons will be in my carry on.

Now that we are on the subject of running, it may be a good time to reveal to you my Future Race Line Up and RUNNING GOALS for 2014.

As of now I am registered for three races.

The Four Courts Four miler, scheduled for March 15th. During Christmas I had won a free race entry for this race. It is a fun run I have never ran before so I am excited to run it.
The Cherry Blossom 10 miler, scheduled for April 6th. This race is the first race I ever ran, 6 years ago. It is also one of my favorite races. I was very lucky to get in considering it is a lottery.
The Parkway Classic 10 miler, scheduled for April 13th. This is a race I run every year. It is my favorite 10 miler in the area.

SO OBVIOUSLY I AM LOOKING TO PR IN THESE UPCOMING RACES. And, because of the extreme cold temperatures that we have experienced over the last week, I actually have been doing HIIT on the treadmill. I have been averaging a 7:30 min/mile but at some points running between a 6:00/ 6:30 min/mile. By doing sprints like this I am working my fast twitch muscles. I am planning on continuing to do different types of speed work at least 2x a week in order to improve my speed, so I can PR in these upcoming races.

I am not sure which other races I want to run yet. I definitely want to run a couple half marathons, and I am back and forth on whether I want to run a full this year. Full marathons are a huge time commitment for me, so we shall see.

RUNNING GOALS

Run 2014 miles in 2014. Lets see if I can do it, or how close I can get.
Read The Cool Impossible. This is the next book following Born To Run. I started it, but put it down because of my marathon training. I am ready to really read it, and use it to improve my running.
Learn more about heart rate and how using a heart rate monitor can improve my running. I have been using a heart rate monitor while lifting heavy in the gym. I have found it really fascinating seeing how in some exercised my heart rate stays consistent and how in others it raises and lowers. I have a heart rate monitor for running, so I want to learn how to use it to improve my running.
Subscribe again to the magazine Runner’s World. Lately, I have been reading Runner’s World and I feel like it now caters to the beginner runner. However, although the information is stuff I already know, there is also a lot of great inspiring stories in it. So for motivational reasons I want to subscribe again. Plus I buy it every month on the news stand.

As you all know, last year I got really passionate about weight lifting. I think it is very important to do along side running. It makes me a stronger, faster, injury free runner.

WEIGHT LIFTING GOALS for 2014

Start and complete two rounds of the clutch transformation. Start and complete the clutch cut. This will be a total of 12 weeks of clutch. Start in March when I return from Thailand.
At one point this year I want to be able to do 5 unassisted pull ups. I can’t even do one at the moment.
I want to be able to do a handstand. I am always in awe of all the cool yoga poses I see people doing on What’s Beautiful, and on Instagram, and most of them are handstands. Handstands are so healthy for you, and they make you very strong.
I want to see some abs. Nothing too crazy. But some baby abs would be nice to see.

Because I want to see some abs, and everyone knows abs are made in the kitchen. So here are my Nutritional Goals for 2014.

NUTRITIONAL GOALS for 2014

Be more strict about eating veg.
Meal prep weekly.
Continue to cook more. Eat out less.
While doing clutch follow clutch diet and supplement plan.
Read all my cook books.
Continue to stock my kitchen with the tools I need.
Organize my recipes so they are easy to find when I need them. Maybe in a recipe box.
Subscribe to vegetarian magazines. This will help me stay on track and motivated to cook more.

*Make and inspiration board and change it often. This way I stay up to date!*

And saving the best for last, Getting Married!!

Best wishes from me to you for 2014!!

What are your 2014 goals? Where are you traveling? Which races are you running?

Articles you may like…

Tips on how to keep your New Year’s Resolution!

January 6, 2014

Happy New Year!

What is 2014 going to be like for you?

You can’t control everything that happens to you in 2014, but what you do have control over is which goals you choose to set and how you plan on reaching them.

Most people hate New Year’s Resolutions. Most people think they are pointless, and never set them. I guess, I’m not like most people, because I love them. I always set them, and I make a great effort to stick to them.

And although, I make a resolution for the year, I also always have other goals I am trying to reach. After reaching my current goals, I then set new ones.

However, not everyone is constantly making goals, and for some, they dread it. Others set a New Year resolution and by February forget their resolution ever existed.

So here are some fun tips to get you setting a New Year resolution and sticking to it.

Be specific, and well detailed.
Have a game plan.
Be inspired and find support.

The two most common resolutions are…

1) Diet and loose weight.

If this is your new year resolution, the odds are you are going to fail. Why? Because there is no game plan. A couple years ago, my resolution was, “I’m going to eat one unique, exotic, interesting food a week.” This resolution being more specific was totally doable. It got me out of my rut of always throwing the same food into my grocery cart. It also got me exploring health food stores, such as MOM’s Organic Market and Whole Foods. I would literally grab one item I knew nothing about, and throw it into my cart. I would go home research it, learning how to prepare it, and what it went well with. This one small resolution changed my life. I began exploring new food options. I discovered a passion for cooking. I started meal prepping. And with out even realizing it at first, I began to eat healthier and loose body fat.

So this year, instead of focusing on dieting, and counting calories, try focusing on living a healthy lifestyle. Focus on making healthier food choices. This may not be as easy as it seems, because the sad truth is that many people are confused and simply do not know what is healthy. If you fall in this category it is not your fault. Advertisements play so many sneaky tricks on us by calling products fat free, low fat, diet, when the truth is these products are really overly processed, full of sugar and chemicals. Even fat free milk, which sounds healthy, is actually processed. They suck out the fat and replace it with chemicals and 12 grams of added sugar per cup. The average woman should only get an average of 25-30 grams of added sugar a day.

So start to educate yourself… This is important!

It’s time to…

Read labels and avoid chemicals.
Promise yourself that you will choose organic, cold-pressed, raw, unrefined, unprocessed foods.
Eliminate added sugars.
Meal prep.
Cook your own food.
Have fun by researching and trying new foods and recipes.
Become a foodie, and choose high quality foods.
Really make an effort to learn about exactly what you are putting in to your body.
Download apps, get the tools, you need to succeed.

This may be a time commitment and a financial investment, but it is worth it in the long run. You deserve this!

Once you have truly learned about selecting a healthy food choice, and your get on a regular routine of living a healthy lifestyle, it is then that you can take it up a notch. It is then that you can count macros and carb cycle. There are a lot of apps that can help you learn a healthy food choice, and later log your food. My favorite is My Fitness Pal.

2) I’m going to work out more… is another common resolution.

If this is your New Year resolution be prepared to fail. Why? Again there is no game plan. Instead, choose a plan. There are tons of free weightlifting plans on bodybuilding.com.

Weight lifting

In 2013, I decided, along side of my running I was going to incorporate weight lifting, into the mix. I had been running everyday, but wanted to improve my speed, and prevent injury – so it was time to get strong. When training for a full or half marathon I always had been successful while following a disciplined training plan. Because of this, I knew I needed one when it came to weight lifting. That being said, I saw amazing results in the weight room because I followed the Livefit Trainer, by Jamie Eason.

Honestly, the Livefit trainer changed my life. I have never seen such amazing results in my body, and the best part is my running has significantly improved.

“Change your mind set. Stop focusing on getting skinny! Instead focus on getting strong. If you focus on getting strong, the fat will melt right off.”

One way I found success was to record everything. When you write down how heavy you are lifting, next time you lift heavier you will feel more accomplished, by setting a new PR. Also when you record everything, you will be amazed how much you are actually doing. One leg day, after counting all of my reps and sets, I discovered I did 180 squats that day. Pretty amazing!

Running

Maybe you don’t belong to a gym… maybe you would rather choose to run as your source of exercise. Well you are asking the right person, because I am a runner. Running is my thing.

Again you need a game plan and a detailed goal.

Start Racing…

I love racing, so this New Year I would suggest signing up for a race. By signing up for a race, you will have a specific date you must physically be ready to run by. In the summer, in the DC area, there is a 5K every friday in Crystal City. So if you are choosing to run shorter distances such as a 5K, consider signing up for several. Maybe your goal will to be to race once a month.

If you are choosing a longer distance, such as half marathon or full, allow at least 16 weeks for training. There are tons of online training plans. My favorite running plans are written by Hal Higdon. I have trained for all of my full marathons, by using his plans, and I found success.

Log your miles…

Another option is to set a milage goal, for example, maybe you want to run 20 miles a week, or 100 miles a month. (These are all very doable goals.) Maybe you want to do a 30 day consecutive running challenge, where you run at least a mile a day everyday for 30 days.

There are several online running logs, you can use to keep track of your miles. Because I have a Garmin, I use the Garmin Connect center. But if you do not have a Garmin, you can use a free log on runnersworld.com. Another option is Daily Mile. There are also many apps to record your miles, such as, Run Keeper or Map my Run.

Stay Inspired beyond social media…

Although social media sites, such as Instagram, Tumblr and Facebook can be very helpful and inspiring. There are times when you find an inspiring article in a magazine that you want to tear out and keep. In this case, I find it very helpful to create a story board, or inspiration board/wall. This is simply a physical spot on a wall, or a cork board that you can pin inspiration and notes too. This helps you stay organized. Another option is to join Pinterest, the online option for a pin board.

Also if you keep a day planner, don’t forget to write down your daily workouts, and good eats.

To find support…

The people who see the best results in most cases have a workout partner, or a running buddy. Sometimes it is hard to find someone with the same schedule as you. (I have struggled with this.) So in order to find support there is a ton of online fitness community you can join. My favorite is What’s Beautiful by Under Armour. What’s beautiful is free, and by joining you are able to learn new things, be inspired by others, participate in challenges, and get never-ending support.

Instagram is another form of social media, that can make a huge difference in keeping you motivated. People think Instagram is just a personal photo sharing app, but the truth is Instagram has much more to offer.

Instagram is an information source. You can search hashtags that lead you to, personal trainers, running coaches, small businesses, professional athletes, athletes trying to inspire, chefs, nutritionist, foodies, etc.

You can learn new yoga poses, new recipes, new workouts, new equipment, new gear, and so much more. You can follow people who inspire you. You can follow companies. The information and knowledge you can find, is at your fingertips. It comes quickly and is never-ending. You can also hashtag your personal photos, which your followers and others might like or comment on – this support alone may be just the motivation you need.

Another fun thing about Instagram is you can easily join a challenge. There are tons of challenges going on and all you need to do is use the challenge hash tag. There is also daily hash tags, such as #transfomationtuesday used on tuesday or #flexfriday used on friday.

If an online fitness community isn’t enough, try joining a Crossfit gym, yoga studio, running club/group, or local gym.

So there you have it. These are my top tips on how to be successful when it comes to nutritional and fitness goals this new year.

Questions for you…

What’s your New Year Resolution?
What tips do you have to stick to a resolution?
How do you stay inspired?

Articles you may be interested in.

my first HAIR FACT FRIDAY post.

October 12, 2013

HAIR FACT: Your fashion magazine is lying to you…

sooo many lies… that I can’t stand to read them anymore.

The other day, my co-worker and I started talking about how much false information is exposed in the pages of some of the most popular highly respected, fashion magazines.

In one of them, there was an article about how one can cut costs on a hair cut. They advised the reader to go to a more expensive senior stylist to get the hair cut of their dreams. But then to save money, go to a cheaper junior stylist, and tell them to just trim following the lines of the cut they already had.

Let me tell you why this does not work.

First of all let me make this very clear, we are talking about HAIR SALONS, not barber shops, hair cuttery, super clips or anything like that.

So lets get started…

You may be asking what is a senior stylist? A senior stylist is one that has been in the hair industry for a very long time. A senior stylist has years and years of experience, some 30 years or longer.

A junior stylist may be younger and definitely does not have as many years of experience as a senior, but many younger stylists are eager to travel to hair shows and classes. They are the ones that are always determined to know what’s new and hot, always trying to keep up with the trends.

Both are great, professionals!

So back to the magazine article…

If you go to one stylist to get your first hair cut and then go to another stylist to just follow the original cut, it is insulting and impossible. It is insulting because everyone cuts differently, whether it is a senior stylist or a junior stylist, we all have our own creative touch, so please don’t tell us to cut like someone else. Also, we don’t all use the same brand of tools, or products, which is also a major factor.

Also if you have waited more than 4 weeks to get a hair cut it is almost impossible to see what your previous cut is. Hair grows differently depending on your natural hair patterns and hair-line. Also hair is different depending on the seasons. One hair cut that worked amazing for you, in the summer humidity, may not look the same in the dry winter, especially for those that have curls. Another thing to consider is breakage – certain parts of your hair may not grow as fast or may not grow at all, because of breakage. Another factor, to consider is your hair goes through changes, hormones, new medications , etc. can change hair. Your hair may have been at a different state when you got your previous hair cut. So as you can see, it is not as simple as the fashion magazine claims it to be.

My advice to you is to find a hair stylist you love, who can give your your dream hair cut in any season, and stay loyal to her. The better your stylist knows you, the easier it is for her to cut and color your hair. The more your stylist sees you, the more familiar she becomes with your hair and life style. The more you see your stylist the easier it is to speak the same language. The longer you see your stylist the more life changes she gets to experience with you… weddings, baby, etc. When life changes, hair changes.

When it comes to fashion magazines, hair stylists are not writing articles on hair, journalists are… and when it comes to advising you on products to purchase, they are just advertising for the products that pay them to- so when in doubt ask your hair stylist.

Bottom line, for your best hair days, stay loyal to your hair stylist and use fashion magazines to seek inspiration not information.

Stay loyal to your hair stylist and I promise you…

To all my very loyal clients. Thank You!

Running on Martha’s Vineyard

September 11, 2013

So now that you all have heard my exciting news– that happened on Martha’s Vineyard. It is time to reveal to you some of my favorite places to run on the Island.

East Chop, located in Oak Bluff, is by far one of my favorite places to run. It is about a four mile run, two miles down hill, turn around, two miles up hill.
However, you can make your run as long or short as you want.

On this vacation I ran East Chop a couple times. I did a 10k by adding an extra two miles easily. After running down East Chop I made a right heading towards Vineyard Haven, then turned around after I ran the bridge. During this run, I felt amazing. It is crazy what a difference cooler weather can be.

Now the reason why I love running East Chop is because the scenery is breath taking. You get the opportunity to run right along the water. You are so close to the ocean that you can hear waves crashing. Most days there is an ocean breeze.

Also the beach houses along East Chop are beautiful and full of character. Although, there is also the famous East Chop light house, which gets attention from tourists, this running route is never too crowded. You won’t feel alone, because you most likely will see a few other runners.

Another awesome place to run is the Oak Bluff harbor to Edgartown. Let’s explain. I ran this a couple times. There is a sidewalk that runs along the beach with spectacular views of the water and boats coming in. The harbor leads you to a bike path that takes you to Edgartown. On your way to Edgartown you will pass Jaws Bridge. Jaws Bridge is a fun place to pass because it is the famous bridge people jump off into the water. At this point it has been four miles and a great place to turn around, if you are trying to fit in a nice 8 miler in. The last time I ran this the sky was overcast, on the way back the sun came out. I remember running the last couple miles fast to get home in time to hit the beach.

So if you are looking for fun places to run on Martha’s Vineyard make sure you check out these routes. And while you are at it, jump off the Jaws Bridge!!

Where is your all time favorite place to run? Have you run on Martha’s Vineyard?

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