I am beginning to believe that I'm a stinker. I have always "recycled" clothes a time or two in winter as it doesn't seem like clothes get soaked in sweat. Washing clothes too often wears them out faster so it makes sense not to wash prematurely. In the summer, shirts and socks are definitely one use only. Shorts maybe two runs. Over the last few weeks, I have gotten a whiff of myself after a run a few times and it's not pretty! The crazy thing is the items that smell the most ripe have been gloves, headbands and jackets. I did a little searching and it seems that the wonderful fabrics that are light and keep us dry on the run also harbor bacteria and often reek. One blog I found, Up and Humming, suggests putting a cup of vinegar and a tablespoon of baking soda in the wash to combat the smell. I might try that or ammonia which does a good job on smelly towels. There is another product I've heard about called SweatX that I might try. It is specifically designed for workout gear. In the meantime, I am planning to put more headbands and gloves into the rotation so I can wash them after each run. It does make me wonder if I'm getting stinkier with age or if my sniffer is getting stronger so I notice it more. Regardless, I would rather smell like flowers than Pigpen from Snoopy. If switching out my winter running gear more often doesn't help, I can always get a few of these for my running friends. Whether you smell good or icky, the important thing is to get out there and sweat. Happy running! Missee
Care to Comment? What tips do you have for fresh smelling workout clothes?
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Happy Belated Thanksgiving to all! I hope your weekend was filled with family, feasting, and running. I am thankful for running. Yes, I truly am thankful for a sport/activity that has enhanced my life in so many ways. Here are a few reasons that I am thankful for running... 1. Friendship. Running has brought me some of the best best friends that I could have ever wished for. Over the course of many miles, I have listened, shared, and bonded with fellow runners. My running partner and I have been consistently running together for 18 years. That is a lot of miles, a lot of laughs, and sometimes a lot of tears. We have celebrated, sympathized, and joked. Running friends are a treasure! 2. Health. I believe that running is important to my physical and mental health. 3. Appreciation. While out running, I find that I appreciate the changing of the seasons, the beauty of our small town, and the ability to run. It is not about speed, it is about accomplishing a goal. 4. Family. My sister (and co-blogger) is an avid runner. We share a common love and it brings us together. My sister's children, our spouses, and my children are current or former runners. Although my parents do not run, they are committed exercisers. We all have a common hobby and lots to share with each other about running and exercise. 5. Grit. Sometimes running brings success on one day and a setback on the next. Sometimes a PR is reached and sometimes it is a struggle to finish. If you can stick with it, running can help you realize that this is the course of life. On Thanksgiving, we are overwhelmed by all we have to be thankful for. I am thankful! Happy Running! -Stephanie
Care to Comment? What are you thankful for? Thanksgiving has been celebrated and now we have entered into shopping season. On Black Friday, we were visiting my parents. We have traditionally gone to the local fabric store to score some Black Friday deals. Lauren, Grandma, and I waited outside the fabric store at 8:45 trying to be the first one in the front door. As in the past, we were the only shoppers waiting at the front door. (There is a back door and some shoppers go through there.) The fabric store did not disappoint. There was a section of fabric for $1.99 per yard. :) For runners out there... here are a few deals to be found this weekend...
1. Athleta- 20% off through Sunday, November 26. This store rarely has sales. It is on the pricey side, but the quality is great. 2. Old Navy- 40% off through Sunday, November 26. As I have mentioned before, I love the running apparel at Old Navy. They sell "tall" sizes online which is great for winter base layers that you want to tuck in. I am also a huge fan of the high-rise compression run leggings for women. 3. Brooks Running- a variety of sales, with some great prices on shoes (if they have your size) Happy Running! Happy Shopping! -Stephanie I had expressed some anxiety about running the 5K on Thanksgiving. Since it had been several months since a race, the nerves were taking over. The morning of the race turned out to be beautiful although the course was a little slick on the edges due to a dusting of snow. Prior to the 5K, there was a .25 mile race for kids and a one mile race mostly for kids, but some adults run that race, too. Quite a few runners wore Thanksgiving themed costumes or hats. There were a couple of ladies wearing these shirts: I don't really like the sentiment of over eating to discomfort, but not my shirt...no judging, just noticing. Pretty soon, our race began. I made it to mile one in 7:55 which made me very happy. Mile two was 7:52, even better. The third mile was tougher, but I finished with a 7:57 average. My son's girlfriend, who is an accomplished runner, had said that she considers a 5K post-injury at half marathon pace a success. 7:57 is a little faster than half pace for me, so I'm a little more excited for the Snowflake Shuffle in one week. David was the 7th finisher in the race of nearly 2,000 runners. Here he is: Unfortunately, my family totally missed me running by them toward the finish. I was a little bummed that there was no photo and no cheering. However, I had finished a little better than I'd hoped, so it all worked out.
Next week's race will include costumes. It is close to home and raises funds for CSB track which is Haley's team. If you want to join the race, grab an ugly sweater or a Christmas costume and come on over. Register here. Have a great week of running! Missee I haven't run a race since April and that one went poorly. David and I are registered for the Gobble Gallopin Duluth on Thursday morning. I am more nervous than I should be due to the injuries and setbacks I've had since spring. If I'm going to enjoy the race, I need to set some reasonable expectations and relax. After all, racing should be a fun compliment to training. For this week, I'll be happy with my race if I'm able to run hard and not aggravate any old pains. No time goal!
The Gobble Gallop is a fundraiser for the local food shelf. For awards, speedy runners win holiday pies. The race is out and back which makes it easy to see how fast the leaders are running...and also to measure how many blocks behind I might be as well as how far ahead of the walkers I am. I hope you are planning to get a run in before Thanksgiving dinner whether a turkey trot or a training run with family or friends. If you do a race, be sure to sport your new shirt at dinner to prove you've earned your dessert. Happy running--Missee Yes, November 20th is National Hug a Runner Day. There is even a website dedicated to this special day at hugarunner.com. Happy Running! Happy Monday! -Stephanie
My oldest son is a senior at UMD and a cross country runner. His team has been pretty strong this year which they capped off with a runner up finish at their conference meet and a third place at regionals. They managed to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA National Division II meet this past weekend. This is UMD's first appearance at the national race since 2004. We decided to drive to Indiana to watch the race. David, my husband and I left home at 7:00 am Friday and arrived in Evansville at 7:50 pm. That was an adventure, but a good one. I managed to have the driving shift with the toll booth. The guys had my correct change ready. NCAA moved Saturday's race up by two hours due to imminent severe weather. The change in time was helpful for people traveling home. I'm sure the runners were happy to move the race up as I'm sure they didn't sleep well anyway due to excitement and nerves. The meet began with introducing the teams and individuals for the women as they warmed up. We were then treated to Oh Canada for the one Canadian team the the Star Spangled Banner. (Hearing the anthems reminded me that the Olympics will be coming up soon!). Then the ladies took off. We got a chance to say hi to Blake before the race. Then it was the men's turn. 249 guys make an impressive start. Blake and his teammates went out conservatively which was good strategy as 10K is a long race. They passed runners through the whole race. Blake himself moved up about 80 placed between 1K and the finish. It is mentally much easier to pass throughout than to be passed. Since Blake has used all four years of college eligibility, we knew this is really his last cross country race. He has always worked so hard both in and out of season; it was such a treat to see his last meet and for him to have a great race. Blake and the Bulldogs placed 25th as a team. Four of the seven runners are seniors, three juniors will be back. The National meet was a beautiful send-off for Blake, Cody, Henry and Grant who have been running together for four years. Nicely done, Bulldogs! If the shorts make you wonder about the weather, it was 65 degrees. We were warm in jackets but it rained off and on so we had raincoats. It was 17 degrees by the time we got home to Minnesota at 12:15 am Sunday. No shorts for running here. Happy running! Missee
Stephanie challenged me to browse my phone for three random photos. I loved hers. Her son has had a passion for Pillow Pets for years...why not wear one on his head playing piano?!?!? What's with the Tootsie Rolls??? OK, here goes from my archives: One night Charlie and I were out walking and saw this mattress FREE! Who wouldn't love a used mattress off the road? My sister-in-law has had a lot of problems with icky mattresses showing up in front of their house. It's a hilarious tale the way she tells it.
The next is the collection I rescued from behind the sofa one night. Somebody was trying to get attention and succeeding. Perhaps the same running partner who saw a free mattress... The final photo is to is my husband and I with two members of Gaelic Storm. We have seen them several times in concert. A lot of their music would be good to run to. This particular concert was a very small venue in St. Cloud. It was a treat to be up close! Truth be told, I first chose 9 random photos I whittled down to 3. We need to do this challenge again sometime. Be on the lookout for random fun, snap a pic and happy running. Missee Feel free to add a random photo from your phone to the comments! Sale, clearance, discount, promo code, free gift with purchase... these are some of my favorite words to see when I am shopping. I love looking for ways to save money. Somehow, I think it slightly eases the guilt of spending. A couple of days ago, I saw that Brooks has a gift with purchase for Christmas. This "Spread Cheer with Every Step" tech shirt is free with a $150 purchase from Brooks Running. I wear Brooks Glycerin running shoes and it is almost time for another pair. :) Before I make an internet purchase, I do a quick search of the internet for promo codes and coupons. One site that I use for finding deals is RetailMeNot. I often will find an extra small percentage off of my purchase or a code for free shipping. Now that the holidays are almost here, I am noticing more deals, gifts with purchase, and promo codes are being advertised. As I was looking on my phone for photos to use in today's post, I found a few odd ones. I thought it might be fun to post three of these photos and challenge Missee to check her phone for three odd photos to post as well. Here are my three... Happy Running! -Stephanie
On Saturday's long run, I couldn't help but think that it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here. The weather has been colder than normal, we have had some snow, and people are starting to put up Christmas decorations. This "Countdown to Christmas" lawn decoration is one of the most loved decorations in our community. The family who lives here has put up a "Countdown to Christmas" decoration for as long as I can remember until a few years ago when it was stolen by some humbug thieves. This decoration heist was the talk of the town. The citizens of our city missed checking to see how many more days we had until Christmas. Thankfully, the family got a replacement and all is well again. The weather is already taking a toll on my skin. My hands are dry from constant hand washing and cleaning products. Before my long run yesterday, I decided to lather on some intense lotion and cover with inexpensive stretchy gloves. It worked great! I think I will make this a new habit. It's deer hunting season in Minnesota. That reminded me that I snapped this picture several months ago in the running clothes section of a sporting good store. I thought of Missee, who has a family who enjoys hunting. :) Happy Running! -Stephanie
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AuthorMissee and Stephanie are two Minnesota sisters and moms who love to run. We are not experts in running, parenting or anything else, but we do have years of experiences that may be helpful or entertaining to others. Archives
May 2020
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