It’s Time to be a Kindrunner!

Today’s the day!! Kindrunner.com has officially launched!

kindrunner website

Kindrunner is a brand that I’m really excited to be representing. The mission of Kindrunner is to give back to those in need while keeping old running shoes out of landfills.

When it’s time for you to buy new running shoes, head over to kindrunner.com and choose from their massive selection of shoes. They offer multiple brands like Brooks, Saucony, Asics, Nike, and New Balance, among many others. They also have running gear, like socks, safety accessories, nutrition and hydration, GPS monitors, heart rate monitors, sunglasses, etc.

When you make a purchase, they will send you a box that you can place your old shoes in to ship back to them. They will give the shoes to Soles 4 Souls and The More Foundation Group, which will distribute the shoes to people in need. It’s a win-win situation for everyone!

Here are some of the other great perks that you will only find at kindrunner.com:

Kindness Cash Rewards Program

  • This is what turns your old shoes into credit towards new ones or any product on our website.
  • Kindness Cash Rewards (KCR) are available to customers after any footwear purchase. Your new shoes will replace the old ones, which will be kept out of the garbage, landfills, or your closet.
  • Upon receipt of your footwear order, you have the option to place your old shoes into the KindRunner shipping box and place the pre-paid return label on the box for shipment back to us.  Upon receipt of the label, we will scan the bar code and place the KCR on to your account for future use.  Each return label (whether it contains one pair or 4 pairs of shoes) is worth $10 KCR per new shoes purchased (5 pairs purchased on that order, you can earn up to $50 KCR) or credits towards future purchase.
  • The KCR can be used to purchase ANYTHING that Kindrunner sells and will never expire.

Confident Runner Pricing

  • An option presented upon checkout which rewards you if you know exactly what you are looking for.
  • This option waives the Free Return Shipping but offers the shoe at a below retail price.
  • Shipping of the product to you is still free, as is the return shipping of donated shoes for Kindness Cash Rewards Program.

Free 3 Way Shipping

  • Free shipping of your order to you.
  • Free shipping of any returns for any reason.
  • Free shipping of your donated shoes back to us for re-purposing with Soles 4 Souls or The More Foundation Group.

Expert Product Reviews

  • Each and every product we carry will come with an expert product review video on the same page that the product is listed on.
  • The reviews showcase experts who have worked in the running industry for a number of years either as shoe reps, store owners, or shoe fitters at one of the oldest running stores in the nation.
  • We bring the knowledge of your neighborhood specialty run shop to the comfort of your own home!

Easy 365 Returns

  • A customer has 365 days to return any product, so long as it is in its original packaging and in its original condition.
  • If you are injured and unable to use the shoe, if your doctor wants you in a different model because of orthotics, no worries… no questions asked!

If that’s not enough, here is a perk that I think you will REALLY love! Kindrunner wants to reward its earliest customers, so it’s proud to announce that it will offer “Free Socks for Life” to its first 500 customers! Each time one of their first 500 customers returns and purchases a new shoe, their order will ship with a free pair of socks of their choice from our sock inventory.  As long as you continue to run, you will continue to get socks!

I’m so excited for you to check out kindrunner.com! While you’re there, also check out the Kindrunner blog, as well as a great explanation of the lifecycle of a running shoe. You can also set up a one-on-one fitting appointment by phone to find your perfect pair of running shoes! Is that amazing or what?

Are you ready to become a Kindrunner? It’s time to make a difference…it starts with you!

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Recycled Dresser Drawer Garden

One of the first things that comes to mind when I think of summer is fresh vegetables! I love how plentiful and fresh they are this time of year. It’s always exciting to get fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers from the gardens of friends and family. There’s just something special about growing it yourself.

I’ve tried my hand at gardening but haven’t been very successful, so my mom was kind enough to build a garden in the backyard. She had the brilliant idea to use old dresser drawers as a container to hold the garden.

She removed the drawers from the dresser and drilled holes on the bottom of each drawer to allow water to drain. She lined the bottom of the drawers with small rocks, followed by potting soil. Then the planting began!

A total of three drawers are used to hold vegetables and herbs. The bottom drawer is the deepest of the three drawers, so she planted the tomatoes in that one. Wired cages were placed over the tomato plants to allow them to climb. The second drawer is used to hold cucumbers, purple/yellow/red peppers, yellow squash, and zucchini. The third drawer is used to host herbs. We have three basil plants – two green and one purple. There is also dill, garlic chives, parsley, cilantro, and rosemary.

I’m so in love with this project. We didn’t have to dig up the yard, and it’s super accessible located on the back patio. It’s also really pretty and unique, not to mention earth friendly. It’s super cool. I can’t wait to see the first blossoms!

dresser drawer garden full dresser drawer garden close up

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Listening to My Alarm Clock for Once

I did something this morning that I don’t think I’ve ever done before.

early morning wake up time

I woke up before sunrise to go work out. I’m not a morning person so this was a huge step for me. Realizing that time is ticking toward my upcoming races, I pushed myself to get up and run. With the summer heat approaching and feeling exhausted after work, I’ve decided that early morning workouts are the best option for me. Now I just have to figure out a way to push through the extreme grogginess that I feel when the alarm goes off.

I got to the park and there was only one other car in the parking lot. I pretty much had the park to myself. That right there was worth getting up for. Once I started walking the path for my warm-up lap, I felt at peace. The feeling energized me immediately.

park beauty

The only snafu I encountered was a run in with a new family of geese. I’m not normally scared of geese, but these mamas were mean (rightfully so), and they hissed and chased me down the path. I realized another family was farther down the path, so I tried to take a shortcut. No dice. The path was blocked due to construction and I was trapped.

geese chicks

As I was trying to figure out an escape plan (jumping into the lake was a viable option at this point), a man walked by and forced them to move on to the grass. I guess he looked a lot more intimidating than I did. I quickly followed behind him to get by the flock. Whew!

Once I finished my warm-up lap, I decided I was going to run the next lap. Each lap is roughly a mile, so I wanted to see how far I could push myself.

I made it almost the entire lap without walking, but man was it tough. I had to stop and sit down on the closest bench for close to a minute to catch my breath. I’m so out of shape it’s not even funny. I could feel every pound of weight that I’ve gained over the winter screaming at me. My legs cramped up and my lungs hurt. It was definitely a wake up call that I have some work to do.

On the bright side, I didn’t have as much pain in my right foot as I thought I would. When I initially started walking, it started to hurt pretty bad and I thought “Oh, boy, this is not going to be good. Can I really run these races in a month and half without hurting myself?” Well, as soon as I started to run, the pain disappeared. The endorphins kicking in? I guess the verdict will be in later today once I come down off this running high.

All in all, the experience this morning was tough, but I’m super impressed with myself for taking the initiative to get myself out of bed and out the door this morning. Now to make it a routine.

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Happy First Birthday

Wow, I can’t believe that a year ago today I published my first post! Where did the time go?!

I’ve learned a lot this past year, both about blogging and about myself.

I’ve learned that I’m capable of running. I completed my first 5k and my first 8k, distances that I never imagined myself running before.

I’ve learned that I still have goals that I want to accomplish, particularly a half marathon. I set out on this journey with that being the end goal, and I was hoping that I would have tackled it by now. While that didn’t happen, it’s not a reason to give up. It’s just a reason to keep pushing forward.

I’ve learned that it’s crucial to go outside of my comfort zone. I’m still working on this, but I’m realizing more and more that it’s really important. I don’t want to put myself in a bubble and stay there my entire life. Life happens once and I need to take full advantage of what it has to offer. It’s been challenging at times to publish some of the posts that I have, but I realize that I have something important to say and I should put myself out there. I often fear rejection, but I’ve been amazed at how much support I’ve received thus far.

I’ve learned that generosity is abundant in the blogging world. I met my fundraising goal for the 2013 Northern Virginia Kidney Walk thanks to bloggers that made donations to my team. I’m still amazed at their generosity, and I hope that I can give back this next year.

I’ve learned that I absolutely love to write. It’s a form of therapy for me. I can be creative and express my thoughts and emotions. It’s been really great to document my journey. I realize that writing is a part of me. It’s something I need to have in my life on a daily basis. I’m trying to figure out a way to make that happen professionally. I’m hoping that my time and effort that I put in to blogging will be a stepping stone to help me get there.

I’ve learned that I have so much more to accomplish. I have some great projects in the works that have been thoughts up until now, but I now know that I want them to become reality. I can’t wait to share them with you.

I’ve learned that my dreams are attainable. I just need to continue chasing them. I can’t wait to reflect on what I’ve learned and achieved this time next year.

post workout bliss

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Dancing With The Stars Final Four Playlist

I haven’t been a big fan of Dancing With The Stars in the past, but for some reason I was hooked this season. I really enjoyed their list of stars this year. I think my initial draw to the show was learning that Alexandra Raisman would be competing. One of the main reasons I’m glued to the TV during the Summer Olympics is for the gymnastics competition, and seeing her as the underdog win the Women’s All-Around gold medal was so inspiring.

I think the judges and America FINALLY got it right on a talent competition with their top finalists. I’d been thinking all along that Zendaya would take the mirror ball trophy, but after Kellie Pickler’s performance Tuesday night I changed my mind. Anyone else extremely moved by her freestyle performance with Derek Hough to “Beneath Your Beautiful?” Absolutely breathtaking.

I think I’m drawn to these talent competitions to live vicariously through the contestants. I can’t sing a note or dance a step to save my life. So I find myself replaying some of their best performances on YouTube over and over. There’s something about movement and music that is so mesmerizing.

With that said, I looked back at all the songs danced to this season by the final four, and made this playlist of upbeat tunes that you can run/work out to:

Zendaya & Val

Feel Again by OneRepublic (danced Contemporary)

Fine China by Chris Brown (danced Hip-Hop)

Kellie & Derek

Unstoppable by E.S. Posthumus (danced Paso Doble)

The Pirate That Should Not Be by Rodrigo y Gabriela (danced Flamenco)

Alexandra & Mark

Azumba by Gregor Salto (danced Afro-Jazz)

Icarus  by Madeon (danced Freestyle)

Jacoby & Karina

Danza Kuduro by Don Omar feat. Lucenzo (danced Salsa)

Good Feeling by Flo Rida (danced Cha-Cha)

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The Chance to Run With a Biggest Loser

Remember when working out with a biggest loser contestant made my fitness bucket list? Well it looks like I’ll get to check it off the wish list this summer! I just registered to run the Biggest Loser Run/Walk 5k in DC this July. I’ll be running alongside Gail Lee from Season 13, Michael Dorsey from Season 14, and Dan and Jackie Evans from Season 5!

Biggest Losers Run DC

(source)

I’ve always been a fan of the show, and was super excited when I discovered that they will be bringing one of their races to the nation’s capital. They are hosting both a 5k and a 10k. While completing a 10k is also on my fitness bucket list, I also plan on returning to the Rockville Twilight 8k this summer, which just so happens to fall on the following weekend. Way to cram it all in to one week, right?

I registered for the 5k to be sure that I don’t overdo it and will be able to effectively run the 8k. I figure if I have a good experience, then I will register for the 10k next year (keeping my fingers that they will bring it back!).

While I’m in the hunt for a half marathon finisher’s medal, I will be earning a Biggest Loser medal for finishing this 5k race. It will be my first ever official running medal! Can’t wait to start my collection!

Biggest Loser Run DC Rewards

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Awesome Food Finds 1

I thought it might be fun to start showing my latest and greatest food finds, so here you go!

Food Find Collage

Starting at the top left corner, going clockwise:

1. Trader Joe’s Asian Vegetable Stir Fry

This has made my life so much easier! I love making stir fry, but it can be such a time consuming pain to buy and chop all the vegetables. All the work is done with this mix and all I have to do is throw it in the pan and start cooking.

2. Trader Joe’s Organic Red Quinoa

I’m a huge white rice and pasta lover, but I’ve been trying to gradually switch it out with healthier, whole grain options. I tried quinoa a while ago and liked it, so I decided to substitute it for white rice in my stir fry. I really like the fact that it is a really good protein source. I found this red quinoa recently at Trader Joes. It cooks up really pretty and adds great color to my bowl of mixed veggies.

3. Trader Joe’s Chewable Multivitamins

Since I’m a vegetarian, it’s really important to take a multivitamin to compensate for any vitamins/minerals that my diet may be lacking. I’ve had the hardest time finding a good one though. My stomach gets very queasy when I swallow the huge horse pill vitamins. There’s also the gummy options, but they’re made with gelatin, which is a big no-no for vegetarians. I’ve been on the hunt for a chewable one made for adults, but haven’t had much luck. A couple weeks ago, I decided to check out Trader Joe’s vitamin selection and low and behold, there they were! A big sigh of relief considering I was seriously contemplating reliving my childhood and picking up some Flintstones chewables! :)

4. Trader Joe’s Chocolate Almond Milk

I use this every day to make my breakfast smoothies. It’s dairy-free and rich in calcium and vitamins D&E. Best of all, it satisfies my chocolate cravings!

5. Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is one of my favorite foods in the world, and I’m usually not picky about what kind I buy. Recently I decided to eat all natural peanut butter, and Smucker’s has been one of my favorites. It comes in both creamy and crunchy. I usually gravitate toward the crunchy PBs, but Smucker’s creamy did the trick for me. I like texture, and this creamy peanut butter still has a coarseness to it from the ground peanuts, which is delicious. Absolutely love it.

6. Edy’s Slow Churned Yogurt Blends

I have to give Mark credit for this one. This is frozen yogurt, but it tastes like ice cream. No joke. Ice cream is one of my favorite desserts, and I could easily eat a pint of it with no problem. This frozen yogurt has a richness to it that I haven’t tasted in frozen yogurt before. If you want a lighter option to ice cream, try this! I’ve tried cookies and cream, chocolate fudge brownie, and vanilla so far, and each is fantastic. Perfect for milkshakes!

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