Have you ever tried a product that you just KNEW you weren’t going to like?  I’ve got to be honest – that was my first thought when I received my first pair of AfterShokz Bone Conduction headphones.  I mean, they don’t have ear buds, so how in the heck was the quality of music going to be any good?  And there was no way they were going to stay on when I ran, I just knew it.  Especially during the summer when I’m sweating like crazy, or when running in the rain…..

When I first put on the AfterShokz Trekz Titanium’s, I could feel the vibration in my cheekbones.  Again, I just knew I wasn’t going to like them.  But literally seconds later, I no longer felt the vibrations.  Instead, I was listening to my music with better sound than I’ve ever had with any of my other headphones – AND I could still hear my daughter asking me questions.  Pretty cool.  But I still wasn’t buying that they were going to stay put for a run. 

I was actually REALLY nervous for my first time running with them. I HATE being uncomfortable on a run in any way.  I just knew it was going to be a horrible experience, because I was going to have to end up taking the headphones off and carrying them, which meant no music to get me through my miles.  Boy was I wrong.  Despite the fact that it was extremely hot and humid and I was dripping with sweat, my AfterShokz didn’t budge.  Not once.  I had one of the most enjoyable runs in a long time that day.  I felt so much safer knowing that I could still hear my surroundings, yet listen to my music at the same time. 

I must have a pretty small head, because even the Mini TrekzTitanium’s were a little big behind my head.  Because of that, I didn’t even attempt to use them during my yoga or gym sessions.  But then, I received the TrekzAir, AfterShokz’s newest creation.  I didn’t think they could really be that much different than the Trekz Titanium’s, but wow – I didn’t feel them at all when I went for my first run with them.  It’s like I was running with nothing on me, yet I was still hearing my music. They are equipped with a new lightweight titanium frame that wraps around the entire product, which makes it 30% lighter than the Trekz Titanium.  The Trekz Air also comes with a 6 hour battery life and is sweat resistant.  Since they felt so lightweight, I decided to give them a try with my yoga.  To my amazement, I couldn’t feel them and they didn’t get in the way at all, regardless of the stretch or pose I was doing.

I also wasn’t sure I’d like wearing the Trekz Air them in the gym, because I wasn’t sure they would block out enough of the background noise.  Despite my concerns, I decided to try them out while lifting.  I can now say that my old wireless earbuds have been fully replaced by my Aftershokz.  I have no issues with the background noise, and can actually block it out if I turn my headphones up loud enough.  But if someone says something to me in the gym, it’s nice to not have to pull my earbuds out to be able to hear them.  I really didn’t think that AfterShokz could improve much on the Trekz Titanium’s, but they blew it out of the water with the Trekz Air. 

Not only are the AfterShokz headphones great for a fitness fanatic like myself, but my house cleaner fell in love with them too – so much so that she bought a pair for herself AND her construction worker boyfriend.  She was getting startled several times a day due to her clients walking up behind her when she had her earbuds in.  I had her try mine out when she was here, and she was hooked.  She can now hear if her clients are coming up behind her or calling for her, yet she can still listen to her music and take calls when needed.  I personally also feel these would be great for a new parent, or parents of small children that love listening to music, but don’t want to wake their kids.  With AfterShokz headphones, you can hear your baby crying, or your toddler yelling for you, all while listening to your music.  Every single style they have is pretty amazing.  Whether you prefer wired or wireless, I think you’ll fall in love the second you wear them.  

If you want to see how great they are for yourself, you can read about each product and/or purchase them here.

Running for sanity....but safely!

Being a female runner who HATES the treadmill, I run outdoors as often as I can.  This includes on vacations and work trips, in places that I’m not really familiar with.  It can be a bit scary running alone in an unfamiliar location.  But in all reality, running my usual route on a regular occasion can be just as scary. I’m sure you’ve all heard the stories about women getting attacked, raped, and even murdered when running solo.  Most of the time, it happens in their own neighborhoods, on the same routes they run all the time.  Super scary.

I don’t always walk out the door afraid for my safety when going for a run – and I think that NOT thinking about it can actually be the most dangerous part of it all.  We get into a routine where we feel like we know our surroundings and start to feel safe.  But how do we know that someone isn’t watching our every move, and planning their attack?  It’s tough to think that we HAVE to think about these things, but we do.  Not only do we have to worry about being attacked by other humans, there are also animals that will not hesitate to bite if they feel threatened (thanks little Chihuahua for the tetanus shot)…..and of course, there’s always the concern of vehicles with drivers that aren’t paying attention, or even YOU not paying attention.  It’s so easy to get lost in your thoughts when running.  

There are a few things that I personally do to try and make my runs a bit safer that may be helpful to you:

1.    Use an app that tracks your runs live so that your friends and family can track you.  I personally subscribe to MapMyFitness, and it tracks my runs live.  My friends (mainly my husband), can track where I am throughout my run and will be able to see if I’ve stopped for any reason. 

2.    This goes with part one – Only accept “Friend requests” on apps like MapMyFitness from people that you know.  I had to go through and delete a bunch of people, because I realized that all of my friends can track me on my runs, and they can also see my exact running routes.  This is asking for trouble if you do not have your account private and allow anyone to be your friend.

3.    Run with someone else.  I personally can’t do this most days.  But when I can, I do.  Especially when I’m in a new place and am unfamiliar with the area.  I also bought a dog with the intention to eventually run with him.  He still has a year to go until he can run, but my hope is that someday he will be my running buddy.

4.    Carry mace.  I was bit by a Chihuahua that came up from behind me during one of my runs.  Without thinking, I ran into the middle of a busy road to get away and to avoid being bitten again.  If I ever would have imagined getting bit by a dog during a run, the last thing I thought I would do is run into the middle of the road.  But, apparently, I don’t think very well when being chased.  Luckily for me, there were no cars at the time.  I know carry mace with me each time I run, and the second I see a dog growling or barking at my, I flip the switch to get myself ready.  I will cry for days if I ever have to mace an animal, but I won’t hesitate to do it if I have to.

5.    Run with some type of identification.  I love my Road ID bracelet, which has all the info emergency services would need – name, emergency contacts, blood type, medications, etc.

6.    Be smart when it comes to running with music.  I personally feel like I have to run with music.  If I don’t, I struggle with my runs.  I have never been one to run with my music blasting.  But even having something in my ears, it plugged out any background noise, such as cars, or dogs running up behind me ready to attack…..so when I saw the AfterShokz TrekzTitanium headphones, I was so excited.  It has an open ear design, so there is nothing blocking or covering my ears.  They’re powered by bone conduction technology, so they sit on your cheekbones and emit sound through mini vibrations to your inner ear.  Sounds strange, right?  I thought so too.  But once I used them for the first time I was IN LOVE!  They stayed in place, which I wasn’t sure they’d be able to with as much as I sweat when I run, and I could hear the music perfectly, yet still hear traffic and barking dogs as well.  I can’t imagine that I’ll ever run without them again.  Check them out!  You can enter to win your own set by commenting on this post no later than July 18^th.  I will enter your name into a random drawing and a winner will be chosen from there. If aren’t the winner and you choose to order from here, you will receive a free water bottle with your purchase. 

7.    And that leads me to my final safety tip – stay hydrated! I ALWAYS carry a water bottle with me during my summer runs.  The last thing I want is for my husband to see me stop moving via live tracking and have to come and find me passed out from dehydration and heat exhaustion J

Let's all keep running for our sanity - but do so safely!

Aloha - Countdown to Hawaii

3 weeks is all that stands in between me and the beautiful island of Oahu.  5 lbs. is what separates me and the last time I went to Oahu.  I overindulged while I was there big time!  It’s 7 months, and the weight hasn’t come off.  I also turned 37 shortly after my last trip, and I can tell my metabolism has taken a nosedive.  It’s time to make some changes so that I can feel confident in that bikini again.

First, I need to fix my diet. I’m good about not eating fast food all of the time, but I’m a lover of sweets and carbs.  I just started using The Precision Digital Kitchen Scale, and this thing has been a lifesaver!  I never went through the process of weighing my food before.  I am loving this scale!  It weighs items up to 11 lbs. and has a tare (zero) function if you don’t want to put your food right on the scale itself.  Best of all, it’s small enough that I’ll be able to take it with me on my trip so I can measure my food on the days that we eat in. 

Second, I need to change up my workouts.  I am a creature of habit.  I have had the same routine for years, just adding things here and there and making minor changes on occasion.  That isn’t working for me anymore!  It’s time to up my intensity in my workouts.  I’m going to be adding more stairmaster workouts in and ease out of running so much.  I will still be running 2-3 days a week, as it’s my therapy.  No one wants to be around me if I don’t run!  Lol.  I’ve been in a running funk lately, and for me, new gear helps get me out of funks.  I was so excited to receive the new Mizuno Wave Sky running shoes for free to try out and review.  To be honest, right out of the box, I was underwhelmed.  The color wasn’t doing it for me, and the toe box looked really narrow.  I have issues with narrow toe boxes squeezing my toes and having them feel like they're tingling and falling asleep mid run.  However, I put them on and tried them out for a short run.  Much to my surprise, they felt AMAZING!  It was literally like running on air, thanks to the new cloudwave technology.  And once I had them on, I discovered that I really liked the style and color.  I’m normally a “pink” person, and these were out of my comfort zone.  However, I took a few running photos and saw how great they look on the feet.  Give them a try, and I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Along with my new running shoes motivating me, my family and I are planning on running a virtual 5k in Hawaii through Flex It Pink.  This will keep me motivated to keep up with my workouts while traveling.  And as always, the run is for an amazing cause – it supports Mission 22, who’s mission is to help prevent suicide by our veterans.  

Third, I need to just chill.  I stress way too much over my weight and my appearance.  I’ve ALWAYS been that way.  While I need to continue to keep up with my workouts and healthier eating to stay healthy, I need to focus more on the health aspect and not so much on the appearance.  I need to throw on that bikini and enjoy myself.  I need to let go and know that it’s okay to indulge on occasion, and it’s ok to have stretch marks, rolls, and cellulite.  Life doesn’t revolve around what I look like in a bathing suit.  

So with that, Aloha!!!  Take me to my most favorite island in the entire world.  I'm pretty sure that the beaches on the North Shore will take  ALL of my stresses and worries away - at least for a little while!

In Loving Memory Of Our Sweet Rocks

I remember when your daddy said that he wanted to get a puppy.  We were newly married, I was young, pregnant, and had just moved thousands of miles away from my family.  I had a cat, Sebastian, who was my baby.  She was obsessed with me, and I was obsessed with her.  I didn't feel like I had any room in my heart for another animal.  But boy, you proved me wrong.

Your daddy picked me up from work, and we made the short drive to pick up our new $60 puppy.  I remember thinking that you had to be the tiniest, cutest thing I've ever seen.  But the stubborn person I am, I tried so hard to keep my distance.  I insisted that you were daddy's dog - not mine.  But seeing as how your daddy was at work most of the time, I was the one who took care of you.  I tried hard to fight off my love for you.  But it didn't last long at all.  You were so tiny, so cute, and those beautiful brown eyes just captured my heart.

As a puppy, you were just the sweetest thing.  You were always by our side, and you sure did love Sebastian. I can't say that the feeling was mutual there.  She loved to fight you and torment you, but you loved every second of it.

I will never forget the time that daddy and I were laying in bed with you on one of the first nights that we had you.  You were laying right in between us, and suddenly we noticed little worms on our bed.....your poor little body was carrying worms. Off to the vet you went.  Then you made several more visits because you repeatedly had ear infections.  But you were worth every penny spent.

You loved being outside.  We were so excited to leave our apartment and move into a house with a huge fenced in back yard.  The huge yard wasn't enough for you though.  You wanted to explore!  So much, that you would jump our fence and take strolls around the neighborhood.  That all ended when a pitbull decided he wanted to play and grabbed you by the neck with his teeth.  Luckily, you weren't seriously hurt.

You've probably moved more than most dogs in your 16 years.  Oklahoma, Maryland, Pennsylvania, back to Maryland, Hawaii, Virginia, then back to Pennsylvania.  You didn't mind, as long as you were with us.  You've seen other animals come and go.  And you took it with stride.  Eventually, as you got older, you got crankier.  You didn't like being around other animals, or having them come into the house.  You were all bark, and no bite, though.

You loved to eat.  I think it was your favorite thing to do.  Every morning, you would come downstairs, go outside, run back in and bark at me until I had your food ready.  You never missed a meal.  Eventually, that started to change.  No more barking and waiting impatiently for food.  Instead, it would take you a full day to just finish your breakfast, if you finished it at all.  You slept a lot - although you still followed us from room to room when you were awake.  Your poor back legs started to give out, which made it difficult for you to walk and stand on the hardwood floors, and made it even more difficult to use the bathroom.  You stopped enjoying your treats most days.  You could no longer go for walks - and you LOVED going for walks.  You couldn't even hear us when we said "go" or "walk" or "treat".  You didn't play with toys anymore, or chase after daddy or the kids when they would play "fight" me.  You just slept, or paced, or stared into the distance, looking so sad, and so fragile.  We knew that after 16 years, we had to make a choice.

You started having seizures quite often.  We had to start letting you out in the front yard so that you didn't have to use the stairs or the ramp.  We had to carry you up to bed each night.  We took you to the vet, hoping for clarity.  We thought that we would be leaving the vet without you that night.  But instead, we left just as confused as ever and brought you home, 5 pounds lighter than you were the last time we had you at the vet.  We celebrated your 16th birthday as best as we could.  But since you didn't seem to enjoy the things that you once did, it was hard to make your day special.  We went another month with watching you deteriorate.  You started vomiting more and eating less.  We knew it was time.  But we just couldn't seem to make the call.  Finally, daddy called to schedule your goodbye appointment.

The day came, and for me, it was the longest day of my life.  Your appointment was for 7:30 PM. All day, all I could think about was that it was your last day with us.  That I would no longer be opening the front door to let you out while I let your brothers out the back door.  That I would  no longer be filling your bowl with food, and that instead of pulling out 3 of each treat, I would instead only pull out 2.  It was a day full of sadness, anticipation, and second guessing my decision.  You had a really good day.  You had more life in you than what we've seen most days over the past few months.  And you ate all of your food.  You spent a lot more time outside than you normally do.  Rolling in the grass, which we haven't seen you do in a long time.  It made me wonder if we were really making the right decision.  But your eyes told me that we were.  You could see the pain and the tiredness in those sweet brown eyes.  We could feel nothing but bones when we pet you.  But it still did not make the decision any easier.

We got to the vet, and you were sniffing around.  You weren't bothered at all by the other dogs around you, when before, you would have been growling at each one.  After what seemed like forever, they called your name.  Instant tears for me.  I wanted nothing more but to grab you and run out that door.  But I knew I couldn't be selfish any longer.  The vet explained what was going to happen.  They gave you the sedative, which you could tell burned for a moment.  But I will never forget the look you gave me when the pain went away.  You looked like my sweet boy that I once knew - your eyes got big and bright again, and you gave me that sweet smile.  You were no longer in pain.  A few minutes later, they gave you the medication that stopped your organs from functioning. Your little heart stopped beating forever.  You looked so peaceful, just laying there.  It was so hard to leave you there, laying on that table, all alone.  I will forever wonder if we made the right decision.  Or if you would have rather had still be here with us, regardless of what you might have been feeling.  I feel guilty, like we could have done more to help improve your quality of life.  But I am trying to picture you in heaven, pouncing around like you used to.  Playing around with your toys, running, and eating all the wet food and treats that you want.

It's definitely rough being in this house without you.  Even Sarge didn't want to eat this morning, and he never misses a meal.  And Teddy refused to eat his food on your mat today until I finally convinced him.  We took his away and kept yours since the water bowl is there.  They're wondering where their brother is.

I love you so much that it hurts.  But I am so grateful for the 16 years of love you gave me, your daddy, your brother, and your sister.  I will love you always, Rocks. Rest in peace, buddy.

Springing Into Warmer Weather With prAna

I'm not your typical yogi - I don't take classes, and I don't "flow".  I stretch after each workout, but I also love to participate in Instagram challenges and play with different yoga poses.  If it requires balancing, I could play for hours!

I'm not your typical bodybuilder.  I don't enter competitions, and I have no desire to do so.  I don't care about how heavy I lift, and I have no desire to go super heavy.  As a matter of fact, I couldn't if I wanted to due to back issues.  I just like to go to the gym and lift and watch my body transform in the process.

I'm not your typical runner - I don't usually run races, and I don't work on speed or worry about my stride.  Instead, I run for the cardio advantages as well as my therapy.  If I can't get in a run, watch out - you don't want to be around me!  Ha ha.  It's one of the few times that I have to just think.  No distractions - just me, the road, and my thoughts.  Nothing makes me feel better than a good run.

Even though I'm not your average yogi, bodybuilder, or runner, I do get pretty excited about clothing that works for all of the above.  Thanks to Fit Approach, I was given the opportunity to receive some of the newest items from the prAna Spring Line.  I own quite a few pieces of prAna's clothing, as well as one of their yoga mats and bags.  I can honestly say that I have never been disappointed with their products.  And the best thing of all is that the majority of the prAna items that I own, I can wear for any type of athletic activity, or as a casual piece.

When selecting my newest outfit from the prAna Spring Line, we were having sort of a "heat wave" in Pennsylvania for the month of February.  60 and 70 degrees and oh so beautiful!  It definitely put me in the mood for Spring, as well as put the beach on my brain.  So when I saw the Mantra Pant in Oatmeal, I instantly thought of Spring and Summer and being on the beach!  I could totally see myself walking on the beach or boardwalk in these beautiful, comfortable, lightweight pants. They are made of hemp, are super soft, and are wrinkle resistant. They are also extremely flexible, which is a must for someone like me who can drop and do a yoga pose at a moment's notice.

I also fell in love with the Mika Strappy Top in Summer Peach as soon as I saw it.  After trying it on, I was so happy to see that it was a top that I could wear for yoga, lifting, or hanging out at a cookout or at the beach with my family and friends.  The straps on the back are beautiful, and the lightweight stretch jersey is flowy and offers a breeze to keep you cool.

Trust me when I say that if you are a lover of good quality clothing, regardless of your activity level...and regardless if you fit into the mold of a certain type of athlete, you will NOT be disappointed with any products from prAna.  Check out their Spring line today, and be sure to use code S4P17WMR for 15% off before March 28, 2017.

This post is sponsored by prAna in partnership with FitApproach. I was provided free product from prAna. All opinions are my own.

KILL THE QUIT!

"Four eyes." "She's so flat." "Her nose is too big." "Where's that booty at?" "I don't want to be that big." Look at this cellulite.....I'm so fat.....Why can't I lose weight? Crazy how it used to be others that pointed out my flaws - and now, I am my biggest bully - my worst critic. I can't seem to see beyond the cellulite, stretch marks, and saggy skin. While others point out my muscles, I look in the mirror and see fluff and flab. I go back and forth between wanting to be skinny, and wanting to be strong.  I love the way I looked when I was thinner, but I love the way strong feels.

I have been struggling so much lately. Ever since I started working full-time again, even though I'm keeping up with my workouts, I'm sitting behind a desk for 8 hours a day. Because of that, I have gained some weight that I can't seem to get off. I am eating better than I ever have been. Struggling to get my hours in and get my workouts in, all while trying to make time for my family. I've been in the mind-frame lately, asking myself, "Why?" Why do I continue to fight to get the gym or to get my runs in when I'm still not happy with how I look? When I still have to be on cholesterol medication despite a mainly healthy diet and several hours of exercise each week? What's the point?

I have never struggled this much with my motivation, since the beginning of my fitness journey. I find myself waking up, dreading my workouts. Why am I doing it if I don't enjoy it and I'm still gaining weight and needing to be on medication? I have been telling myself that I really just want to quit. I would have so much extra time in my life to keep my house clean, to spend time with my family, and to MAYBE even be able to have friends again.

 I go through these funks every so often. But then, out of nowhere, I am somehow reminded of why I fight to get my workouts in. Why I need to Kill The Quit, and keep doing what I'm doing. I see how much my daughter loves to be active. How she's constantly moving, tumbling, jumping, and wanting to work out in our home gym with me. And lately, I've seen the desire in my son to want to take the step to make fitness a part of his lifestyle. If my husband and I didn't do what we do each day, then our son would have never came to me and asked me to show him exercises to do. I would never hear him downstairs on the treadmill, getting in his cardio. THAT is what is important to me. I want my kids to WANT to be healthy and fit. I want them to make their health a priority, because I absolutely want them to outlive me and to live long, healthy lives. I get messages from friends and family, asking for advice on how to get started. And I see their progress. And that is all I need to remember why being fit and healthy is important to me.

Yes, I want to enjoy the benefits of the workouts for myself, but motivating others to get healthy is what keeps me going. No more waking up each day and dreading my workouts. I am going to do everything I can to start loving it again.

Sometimes, we just need to change things up to find that passion and motivation again. I'll be changing gyms this week, which is exciting in itself. Closer to home, which means more time at home, as well as new equipment to play with. Dedicating my time to more play, which for me, means more yoga.

I rearranged my workouts and gave myself an extra rest day, so I'm working out 5 days a week instead of 6. I'm taking the steps that I need to take to make sure that not only my body is healthy, but my mind is too. New running shoes, new workout clothes, and new supplements are always exciting to people like me. If you're currently in one of those funks, try changing even the slightest thing, and I promise it will help. Just don't quit. It's always so much hard to start again than it is to push through a slump.

From posting my workouts on social media, I am often given the opportunity to try to fitness products and spread the word about the things  I love.  That is another reason for me to continue to push through any funks that I may be in and keep going. Recently, I was given the opportunity to taste and pass out a recovery drink called Kill Cliff. This drink is not only delicious, but the lemon lime tastes like soda and it gives me the energy I need after my workouts in the cleanest, safest way possible. Not only that, but there is only 15-20 calories per can, no sugar, and the company gives back to the Navy SEAL Foundation. As a military family, that is definitely an important factor to me.  This drink is seriously something I see myself purchasing on a regular basis.  It's a great replacement of soda for my kids, and let me tell you - it gives you SO much energy.  I could have went for another run after drinking this, and that was after I already worked out.  If you're looking for a kick to help you keep up your energy, give Kill Cliff a try. You can sign up for their newsletter and get 15% off your first order, or you can purchase on Amazon. Trust me when I say I am not selling this stuff, and I do not receive a profit if you buy it - but I can't recommend it enough.

And just remember:

Quitting is not an option!
KILL THE QUIT.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of KILL CLIFF. The opinions and text are all mine.