Friday Favorites : 2Toms Product Review

I have feverishly been searching for something to take the stick out of my favorite work out gear.  I don't know about you, but if I leave my running clothes in the hamper for longer than a day my entire closet smells like a high school gym locker room (ok that may be a slight exaggeration!).  So I was super psyched when Kate (who is an awesome mom in her own right) with 2Toms sent me some of their "Stink Free" spray.  I couldn't wait to start spritzing.  I fell in love with first spritz because this stuff is odorless.  I guess I'm in the minority here, but I can't stand heavily perfumed smells, which so many so called odor eaters seem to be made of.  The "Stink Free" spray really does what it claims; it takes the stink out at the source and doesn't just mask it.  My closet is oh so happy these days, as are the rest of the clothes in said closet!

Ok it's not entirely susrprising that I would be happy with an odorless, oder eater but I was totally surprised by some of the other goodies that Kate sent my way to try.  2Toms has a number of products geared towards athletes and their, um, delicate regions!  You know the ones that seem to blossom into rouge patches where too much sweat has met too much skin!  Ok to be blunt, chafing. And for runners chafing is know to finds its way into some very inconspicuous and uncomfortable areas.  2Toms has come up with an antidote to this uncomfortable and embarrassing issue.  They have a whole line of anti chafing products for different parts of t
he body.  One is very aptly named "ButtShield."  I think we all get the idea here.  There is also some designed for blisters and my personal favorite "SportsShield."  I  used the "SportShield" wipes on my inner thighs just before running the Firecracker 5k on the 4th of July and was so darn impressed.  I seem to have an issue with inner thigh chafing due to my, uhm, sturdy foundation (ok over sized quads) and I knew the sweaty, hilly route of this race would leave me red.  But nope, not with the "SportsShield."  I was a little worried when I rubbed on the gel because I really couldn't even feel it. But following the race, when I wiped down a bit I could feel the silky patch where I had wiped the gel earlier. I may even consider replacing my lotion with this stuff because it made my skin velvety to the touch!

I'll leave it up to you to review your own  "ButtShield," but let me just say that I would recommend all of the 2Toms products!

Running with crappy lungs

No, I haven't started smoking!

Somehow I have contracted a respiratory issue (it's the summer & totally not cold season so this is UNFAIR).  My lungs ache and are full of all kinds of gunk.  Generally, I feel like an old lady, all achey with post nasal drip, but when I exercise I really notice the respiratory sludge.  I am 16 weeks out from my 1st full marathon and my official "marathon training program" began this week.  So far I'm on pace (ok it's only been 1 run) but if I continue to feel this lousy I'm not too sure how the rest of the week will go.

Any advice for exercising while sick?  And no, chicken noodle soup is not an answer....its 100 degrees here and way TOO hot for soup!

Friday Favorites : Shirataki Tofu Noodles

This week I needed an easy low-cal meal and remembered that I had a package of these slimy noodles in my fridge.  It had been a long time since I ate these little goodies and now I really can't remember why I stopped buying them.  I'll admit they are a little smelly at first and the preparation is kind of odd (after rinsing them you have to microwave them and then use a paper towel to soak up any excess moisture) but its just as easy as boiling a pot of water.  The taste and texture is good and with some Laughing Cow Light cheese spread and a dollop of sour cream melted over the top of them they actually taste like regular noodles.  The best part about this little gems though is the fact that they only have 20 calories a serving. This is about a tenth of the calories that regular noodles have.  A real winner if you are looking to cut back on your caloric intake at all. 

Happy 4th of July and a HOT Firecracker 5k

I hope everyone gets to enjoy a fun and patriotic Independence Day.  I ran a 5k this morning up way too many hills in some stifling humidity. But my 23:45 time won me 1st place in my age group and 4th overall, guess I'll take it.  Cheers!

My Life in Bags

As I loaded up my front seat with bags this morning I realized that I have compartmentalized my life into bags.  Yes that's right, I am a bag lady!
This is how my front hallway looks, a row of bags on either side:

In the top picture we have backpacks for each of the bugaboos, a swim bag for when the whole family goes swimming(towels, sunscreen, hair detangler, undies), a bag for swimming lessons(dry clothes, towel, hairbrush, detangler, snacks), a bag for swimming toys for the neighborhood pool (towels and toys).

The bottom picture shoes my purse (not sure why I have this it only holds my keys, phone & wallet), my gym bag (more on this to come), my "running" sack (hydration belts, gels, nuun, sunscreen, hat) and the bugaboos gym bag (extra clothes and snacks).

Phew!  I don't know if this is the ideal organizational system but it seems to work for us.  Since each day is a little different and each excursion needs different paraphernalia I can't find a quicker way to get out the door (something that is never quick at our house!)

How do you organize the stuff in your life?

I'll be expanding this post soon with an article about my gym back and what every fitness maven should carry in their bag.  Do you have any items that you keep in your gym bag and can't live without?