On Sunday, I was putting off my run like it was cloudy and a frigid 30* F outside. Oh wait, it WAS. Brrrrr.

It took me a solid 15 min. to get my running gear on. Oh wait, that’s every single time. Those compression tights are tight.

I was dragging. I sat down to put on my socks and wanted to curl up and take a nap right in front of the door! I was feeling lethargic and had a headache.

source

But I knew the one thing that would blast my headache away was getting my tush in gear, so I toughened up and hit the pavement.

After ~1/2 a mile, my headache was GONE, my body was radiating heat and my energy level was through the roof.

That, my friends, is why I run.

source

I totally tricked myself into it. I told myself I could run 3 miles and stop if I wanted to. The thing is, I know the first 3 miles are the toughest for me. It’s all downhill from there. After ~30 min. I get in a groove and don’t wanna stop.

For me, I go from the “Normal Person” below (except change that to I wish I had a warm, deep dish, gooey chocolate chip cookie with cookie dough ice cream) to “Freak.”

I ended up running a lovely 7 miles in 63 min (avg pace: 9:06 min/mi). Of course, the sun came out right as I took my last step.

It’s okay, I was rewarded with 35 cents that I found on the ground. Muahaha!

And you know what? I even had enough energy to blast through a full body strength workout afterwards. I fueled with a couple ginger chews that I stashed in my pocket.

I got these Chimes Ginger Chews from Marshalls and they’re perfect for running fuel because they’re individually wrapped and fit in my pocket. These are good but I prefer The Ginger People brand more.

These have also been fueling my runs. Recipe coming soon! I ate all but four two, so I have to make them again. The recipe needs some perfecting, too.

Oh and I want need to coat them in dark chocolate! Obvs.

And these Almond Pops I told you about are nearly extinct (!!). Umm, that was a Costco-sized bag. Oops.

In honor of Country Music Tuesday, I wanna share the most recent addition to my running playlist. Famous in a Small Town by Miranda Lambert. It starts out slow, but it speeds up!

***

Camera Strap Giveaway

Remember when I showed you the iPad case I gave my mom for her birthday and my new camera strap? The people at JAVOedge have graciously offered to give one lucky LLE reader a DSLR Cherry Blossom Camera Strap (3 colors to choose from).

I’ve switched over to this strap from my fabric Etsy camera strap a few weeks ago to test it out. The JAVOedge strap is not quite as long and comfortable as my fabric one, but I like that it feels sturdy. My camera feels safe hanging from my neck/shoulders. Of course, I love the color/print.

To enter:

1. Leave a comment on this post
2. Tweet about the giveaway: “I want to win a @javoedge DSLR camera strap via @livelaughtweet http://bit.ly/w8NxPG ”
3. Like LLE on Facebook
4. Follow LLE on Twitter

Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry, so I can count each one (maximize your chances of winning!).

Good luck!

***

The winner of the New Flavors of Chobani Giveaway is…drum roll…

It happened again.

On Friday, I spotted a box of cake mix sitting on the kitchen counter. Remember when I told you about Peter’s [not so] passive way of getting me to bake him a cake?

Reeeeal subtle .

Except this was the box I saw on the counter…

Me: Did you buy this cake mix [containing trans fat!]?

Peter: Yeah, I’ve been craving cake. I need to eat cake. Every. single. day.

Dear God, why didn’t you let me inherit Peter’s metabolism? I got his wide feet, rough hands and big honkin’ nose. You couldn’t have thrown in his speedy metabolism too?

Me: Do you want me to bake you a cake tonight?

Peter: Suuuuure, when you get a chance. Only if you have time. (Code for: Uh yeah, why else would I put a box on the counter?)

Me: Okay! Will do. (Code for: Uh yeah, as long as I get a slice too!)

So at 11 PM, we had the mouthwatering aroma of melted butter, flour and sugar wafting throughout the house. I used the leftover TJ’s Golden Yellow Cake Mix from Peter’s birthday.

No trans fat in this one! Sorry, Dough Boy.

Instead of water, I used almond milk. I also folded in ~1 cup of walnuts, which was an excellent last minute decision.

Peter promptly devoured 1/4 of the cake, Mmmmmmmmmmming through every single bite. He said he could easily demolish 1/2 of it…or even the whole thing. This was at midnight!

God, are you there? There’s still time to change up my DNA. Just a little metabolism boost. I won’t tell anyone, pinky promise.

I enjoyed a slice as well. Gosh, that cake mix is incredible. TJ’s, you rock.

***

So I might have to take back what I said about the effectiveness of my compression tights. I woke up with a set of super sore legs after wearing shorts on my run on Wednesday.

Then I ran 6 miles in 54:19 (avg pace: 9:03 min/mi) in my Spidey tights on Friday and I woke up the next day not nearly as sore. So perhaps they do help decrease soreness? Or perhaps it was the cake filling up my glycogen stores?

I’ll run some more and let you know.

***

Yesterday was a cold, wet and snowy day.

As a result, everyone and their mama was shopping at Costco.

Costco carried these Almond Pops with Blueberries last year, which I loved to death. They suddenly disappeared from shelves before I could snag another bag. Major sad face.

Much to my delight, the cranberry version appeared yesterday. Squeal! These are the bomb. I want to sit and eat the entire bag in one sitting.

Apparently, there’s also a mango version somewhere out there? Ahh must try.

I also loaded up on:

• Mary’s Gone Crackers–on sale this month.
• Basil, Chicken & Mozzarella Meatballs–SO SO good.
• Spring Mix–what I live on
• Gigantic tub of cinnamon—only $2.65. Incredible.
• Gummy vitamins–because I’m 5 years old/love candy/get tummy aches from pill vitamins.

I made the trek to Harris Teeter late last night and was rewarded with discount bananas again! I swiped all 4 bags.

30 bananas for $3.24. Now that’s s deal.

Alrighty, time to go for a freezing cold run. Then watch the Duke vs. Miami basketball game. Then watch the SUPERBOWL! Busy day.

Tell me: Who are you rooting for tonight? Are you going to a fun Superbowl party?

On my way to shuttle kiddo #1 from one school to another yesterday, this happened…

I got this image from Google (source), but it looked just like this.

Um, freak out. I was on a fast quasi-highway about 25 min. from home with a kiddo waiting to be picked up! Major eeps.

I called Peter…went to voicemail. Called home…went to voicemail. Repeated both 10x. Heard voicemail lady do her thing 20x. BLEEEEEEEERG!!!

I don’t recall running over anything whatsoever and I was paying pretty close attention to the road. I did hear something like a rock hitting my car. I thought the person in the car next to me threw a rock at my car…? I thought nothing of it besides the possibility that someone may have wanted to start a fight with me like we were on the playground at recess.

Then my car started to shake like I had my convertible top down (I DO NOT drive a convertible) and a helicopter was flying right above my head. Houston, we have a problem.

I pulled over and discovered my tire was totally busted. Crap, crap, double crap.

It just so happened that there was an auto repair shop about 100 yards ahead, which I realized shortly after. Thank the heavens. After driving there super slowly, I [awkwardly] walked in and asked if there was any way they could help me out. The people working there were so friendly. The guy at the counter dropped everything he was doing to help me right away.

He examined my tire and said it was totally destroyed. He had to change it to my spare. He said the hole in my tire was so big he could stick his hand in it—the size of a potato! Whaaaat?

I asked him how much I owed him and he said “oh nothing, you’re good.”

omgyouarealifesaveriwillloveyouforeverandevermuahmuahmuah. I wanted to give him a huge kiss right then and there, but I refrained. Nicest man ever.

Though, now I need a new set of tires. Um, do you know how much a set of tires costs? Seriously, it’s just rubber!

***

Well, at least that minor anxiety attack incident made for a lovely run. Boy, was it hot outside! Like, HOT hot. Like, dripping-sweat-in-shorts-and-a-t-shirt hot. Like, breathed-a-huge-sigh-of-relief-when-the-sun-went-behind-the-clouds hot.

8 miles. Avg pace: 9:19 min/mi. I ran on a curvy trail, which slowed me down a bit (a good thing!). My legs felt heavier, despite taking the previous day off. It was still a great run that made me feel better about the whole tire fiasco. Thank you, endorphins.

Remember the lake/trail with the fake pelican? That’s where I ran. Yep, he was still standing there on one leg .

I tallied up my mileage the other day and found that I ran exactly 100 miles in January! The numbers person in me was pretty enthused about that.

***

I got a question from Casey the other day asking if I think wearing compression tights has helped me run faster.

The answer is no. Maybe a teeeeeny tiny bit, but if I had to guess, I’d say it only makes about a 2% difference.

I think 98% of my speed/energy/soreness level comes down to:

1. My previous day’s workout
2. How well I ate the day before and how well I refueled after my previous workout
3. The weather
4. What’s on my mind
5. The time of day. My speedy run on Tuesday was at around 4 PM. I usually have more energy when I workout in the late afternoon/early evening, as opposed to the morning.

*Edited to add: I might take my “no” answer back. I woke up this morning with a set of sore legs after wearing shorts instead of tights on my run yesterday.

I do think the Spiderman Tights have helped me avoid injury while running longer distances though. I usually feel a little bit of pain the day after long runs (and have to take an extra day off), but I was in ZERO pain after running my 11 miler last week and was able to run completely pain-free two days later.

I’m a believer.

***

One last thing…my 2-minute Pumpkin Pie was featured on Shape.com!

Tell me: Got any car trouble stories to share?

Sooooo I was playing with the kiddos today and while running down the driveway, I tripped (on absolutely nothing, ugh) and FACEPLANTED. Like completely wiped out…and then skidded some more. Ouch!

I am the ultimate klutz.

The kids saw me fall and it was totally one of those “you don’t know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have” moments.

…NOT!!!

I was sprawled on the driveway face up going owwwwwieeeeeee while rubbing my knee and asking the 4 year old in front of me to give me a hug.

So dramatic, I know.

SOMEBODY CALL THE WAHHHHHHMMMBULANCE!!!

The thoughts that ran through my head:

• Gah I just did the laundry! <–Yeah, a huge deal
• I have a hole in one of my favorite pair of jeans now! Nooooo. Nevermind the fact that they’re from 8th grade.
• Too bad I’m WAY too old for the ripped jean look to be stylish and hip.
• My poor bones! I knew I shoulda eaten my 2nd calcium chew last night.

I already have a hugh jass bruise on my knee. Oh and my wrist got scraped up too. Yeah, uhh not awkward looking at ALL…

BUT guess what? Despite my accident, I had one of my best runs ever this afternoon! EVER.

7 miles. Avg pace: 8:31 min/mi. Seriously?!

Man my legs were movin’ ‘n’ groovin’ today. I looked down at my Garmin after 5 miles and my eyeballs nearly fell out of their sockets. I thought I had been running pretty slowly since I hadn’t stopped to walk at all, but I was running comfortably at 8:00 min/mi. My average pace was 8:33.

At one point I looked down and I was cruising at 7:45 min/mi (which is usually my omg-I’m-jay-running-and-this-car-is-gonna-run-me-over-if-I-don’t-book-it-across-the-intersection speed). I was breathing hard, but it felt comfortable. Up until this past fall, I’d always been a 10:00 min/mi runner. I really thought I’d never be able to run any faster. This is just craziness.

I don’t know why my legs were so speedy today. It definitely wasn’t because my muscles were fresh since I jacked up the poundage yesterday while doing squats, dead-lifts and lunges. AND I’m actually overdue for a rest day (that’ll be tomorrow).

It helped that I was dreaming up a recipe for veggie burgers though! Apparently, thinking about food makes me run like the wind.

I ended up improvising the recipe (Iron Chef style) in about 60 seconds and they turned out incredible! I’ll have to remake them and share the recipe with you.

And then I faceplanted in a pile of almonds.

And then I sacrificed 2 precious hours to watch The Batch (code for that ridiculously addictive show, The Bachelor) and ice my boo boo!

Flashback Post: FACEPLANT! <–the first time

Lately, I’ve been having a little bit of trouble balancing running and food blogging (or lack thereof!).

It’s not that I don’t have time. It’s not that I have 3x the laundry to do.

It’s not that I’m too tired. Rather, it’s that my stomach is too impatient to wait for me to make food look pretty enough to photograph.

See food…must eat food…now.

Food upstairs, camera downstairs, no photo.

It’s that when I bake something at night intended for a recipe post, it never lasts ’til morning.

It’s that the caloric density of my food has skyrocketed, which means eggs, bread, handfuls of almonds and chocolate alllll dayyyy loonnggg.

It’s that I eat relatively cheap food so I can save my money for running gear.

Food like Homemade Hummus and eggs…

…pumpkin oatmeal…

…and smoothies made with frozen spinach and discount bananas.

[A note about my weird blogging schedule over here. For now, updates will be somewhat sporadic. I've done the once a day thing and I've done the twice a day thing, but right now what works for me is the 'blogging when I have something to say' thing. More fun for you and me. This will probably be about 4-5 posts/week. As soon as I hit publish, I always update Twitter and Facebook, so you can find out when new posts are up.]

***

Anyways, after my 11 mile PDR, my appetite went missing and though I tried to eat as much as I possibly could (hello, 10 PM bowl of oatmeal), I was under-fueled for my next run.

On Thursday, I ran a tough 5.1 miles in 47:08 (9:14 min/mi). My legs weren’t sore and they weren’t in any pain, but I was just lacking energy.

However, my appetite was raging last night and I threw a carb party. Like a bake-cookies-and-devour-them-all-at-11:30-PM kind of carb party. It led to an awesome [windy] 9 miles today!

My goal was to run 7 miles, but right as I got to 7, the sun came out and it felt too good to stop. It may seem like I’m running a lot but keep in mind I take 1-2 days off between runs. Meaning, my 11 miler was almost a week ago. I know for certain not running on back-to-back days has allowed me to avoid getting injured. My weekly mileage has hovered around 20-30 miles for the past couple months. Unless I start training for a full marathon, that probably won’t change.

I had a choice between running outside and running on the treadmill while watching the Duke vs. St. John basketball game and I chose to run outside!

That just shows you how much I prefer running outside over the treadmill. I made it back in time to watch the end of the game though.

Alrighty, I gotta get out of my sweatpants…I’m going out to dinner with a friend. See ya!

While running, if you stumble upon two rooster lookin-like birds (that can fly…?), expect to see roadkill in the vicinity. And expect to see them feasting on said roadkill when you pass them. Bahhhh gross me out the window!

Then, expect to jump 80 feet in the air and squeal like a 10 year old girl at a Taylor Swift concert (jealous) while flapping your arms as you try to erase the image now permanently etched in your brain.

If you’re running around a golf course, expect to have a group of elderly men give you strange looks after said squeal. Although, let’s be real, it’s probably the stench coming from your shirt that’s the reason for their looks.

If you’re gonna run the same 2.2 mile loop 5 times (!!), expect to pass said murder scene, well, 5 times.

If you’re gonna run in stinky clothes, spray some perfume in your pits before you leave the house.

However, if you’re gonna run on trash day, you can save the perfume.

Be thankful you can’t smell through the computer screen right now.

If it’s an absolutely gorgeous spring-like day (55* F and sunny!) and you’re gonna run after 2 days off and you’re gonna wear your lucky marathon shirt, expect to set a PDR!!

11 miles!! Yeah, that’s a first. Just ask my left butt cheek.

If you’re gonna run that far at 9:07 min/mi, expect to have secret dreams of running a sub 2 hour half marathon someday.

…until you realize you would have 2.1 more miles to run. The real kicker is when you remember you stopped to walk for ~6 minutes throughout the run. Aw rats. A runner can dream, right? I think I can I think I can.

If you had no idea you would run that far and didn’t bring fuel along with you (oops!), expect to hit a wall at the 10.3 mile mark right as you’re running against the wind…and then expect to feel like you’re going to keel over. Come get me, flying roosters!

If you’re smart, save Sobe Lifewater with coconut water for days when you need fuel just to sit down and stretch! Need sugar/calories/fuel STAT.

I received this box from Sobe awhile ago to review. I broke into one bottle, but decided to save the other two for a day when I’d really need calories in liquid form.

I guzzled this down immediately after walking in the door. It was delicious, better than the regular Lifewater varieties (and that’s saying something). As a huge coconut fan, I’d prefer a stronger coconut flavor. As a huge coconut water fan, I’d prefer more than 10% coconut water. I liked it, though, and would definitely buy it myself.

All I cared about at that very moment was the fact that it was easy to stomach post-run.

If you’re gonna go on a long run, make sure your ice maker is full so you can take an ice bath afterwards.

Don’t forget to wear a sweatshirt! Brrrrrr

If you’re a lightweight and plan on hydrating with brewskis at a happy hour, expect it to be a very happy happy hour.

If you’re afraid to go to bed because you think you’ll wake up too sore to move, have a little faith in your legs.

I woke up with ZERO pain in my legs. I wasn’t even slightly sore. It felt like I didn’t even run! Craziness yo. Thank you, Spider-man tights.

This upcoming Tuesday’s CMT just might be Christian Music Tuesday.

You see, the personal TVs at our community gym have every single channel imaginable…besides ESPN. Channels you’ve probably never even heard of before. Yeah, no ESPN at the GYM.

Luckily, the wall TVs get ESPN, so I could still watch the Duke vs. FSU game while running on the treadmill. There was only one problem…those TVs are muted, so I couldn’t hear the commentary.

That’s okay, I have my iPod.

And then my iPod died 2 minutes into my run. Frack.

I can barely run in silence outside, there’s no way I can do it on the ‘mill.

So I turned to the two music channels on the personal TVs for help (there are music channels, but no ESPN. What is wrong with this picture?). I plugged in my headphones and hoped for the best. The two channels I had to choose from were Contemporary Christian and R&B Classics. Frack.

The R&B Classics were too slow, soooo I listened to “You are my Shepard” and “The Blessing,” among other Christian songs. All while cheering/cursing at the TV.

The songs were surprisingly fast and very very uplifting, but I sure missed rocking out to Katy Perry, Rihanna and Nicki Minaj.

Lesson of the day: If you think you need to charge your iPod, chances are you need to charge your iPod.

Nonetheless, it was an exciting game that kept me entertained on the treadmill for 6 miles at 6.2-6.7 mph/1.0 incline, followed by some leg weights.

Fueling for this run was tricky because it was a late afternoon game. I usually run in the morning or early afternoon because of my sensitive stomach.

I gave it my best shot. Cinnamon raisin toast + sunflower seed butter + banana. Plus frothy coffee. The usual.

Followed by a glass of kefir + pumpkin + cinnamon. No, you don’t need to get your eyes checked…I store canned pumpkin in an old almond butter jar.

Clementines + Cocoa Roast Almonds.

I also ate a ton of this raw/vegan/gluten free buckwheat granola I found at Home Goods. I’m the girl who buys food from Marshalls, remember?

Emmy’s Granola is truly the bomb dot com! Super crunchy and studded with dates and almonds. I’m going to try to make my own non-raw (baked?) version because I lack a dehydrator.

I like eating granola before my runs because it’s calorie dense and doesn’t make my stomach cramp as easily.

For me, running fuel always includes chocolate, no matter what time of day it is. I found these Cinnamon M&Ms on clearance at Target after the holidays.

As someone who pours cinnamon in my oatmeal and baked goods, I had to try them.

Mmmm! The cinnamon flavor is fabulous. The best part? These M&Ms are JUMBO sized. The more [chocolate], the merrier.

I had zero stomach cramps while running. Score! I don’t give my stomach enough credit—it has improved a lot over the past couple years.

Then I nerded out and wore my amazing Spider-Man tights to bed .

Though my legs really did feel fresher when I woke up, I declared today an active rest day.

I took a walk around Costco while noshing on samples. Greek yogurt, kefir, seaweed salad, and Food Should Taste Good chips w/ spinach artichoke dip. Our Costco rocks!

Then I took a real 3 mile walk around the snowy neighborhood (not quite as delicious, but very relaxing).

Then I did 40 min. of the latest Dave Farmar Power Yoga Podcast (from 10/30/11). The actual podcast is 1 hr 40 min, but my arms were done after 40.

Had you been in my basement, you would’ve heard…

Ohh sh*t

Oh my gahhhhh

Oh no…no no no. No freaking way.

How many darn Chatarungas are we gonna DO?!

It’s been a loooong while since I’ve done yoga. I missed Dave Farmar. He’s insightful and hilarious. He has this way of calming me down. I should listen to him talk while I drive.

[His podcasts are free, if you didn't know already. You don't even have to download the podcasts…just search for him in iTunes and hit play.]

I am holding off on using the unlimited monthly yoga pass I mentioned because I want to build up some yoga muscles at home first. That way I can benefit from the classes more and not just hang out in child’s pose (and curse under my breath the whole time).

Maybe in a month or so?

Despite my cursing, I was impressed with how much I was able to keep up during the podcast. Thanks to doing gymnastics for years, I have the flexibility part down pat. I’m strength training more these days and I guess it’s working…minus the chatarungas!

Yep, yoga works these secret muscles that just cannot be targeted with any machine or dumbbell.

For the past couple months, I’ve been searching high and low for the perfect pair of compression running tights.

My Under Armour tights were working overtime and needed some help. No amount of perfume can cover the stink as a result of 3-4 runs per week…and I refuse to do laundry more than once a week!

I only wanted to buy ONE awesome pair of compression tights. Not one cheap pair and then another because the first one didn’t cut it and then another because the second didn’t cut it and so on and so forth.

…because 3 cheap pairs does me no good whatsoever!

I wanted to find a good quality pair of REAL compression tights, made specifically to support my muscles and help my legs recover faster.

After weeks of debating which compression tights to get, I went with the CW-X Stabilyx Tights.

I found them on sale for $72 (at Zombie Runner), which might seem like a lot, but it was a great deal considering they go for about $100 on most sites.

Well? These. tights. are. AMAZING! Worth every single penny!

My legs felt like they were floating on air. I felt my thigh while running (yes, totally normal) and thought I touched a dolphin! My leg was so…taut.

CW-X has several different models, including insulated versions for cold weather. All the models seemed pretty similar to me, but I chose the Stabilyx because they’re specifically made for running and they were on sale at Zombie Runner (I think I must’ve gotten the last pair because they’re out of stock now).

According to the size chart, I’m in between an XS and S. I ended up getting the small because a) it was the one on sale and b) I imagine I’ll gain weight if and when I give birth in like 15 years or so.

Yes, I expect these tights to last another 15 years . That being said, I wish the small was just a bit smaller…more compressiony. I’m not buying another pair, soooo I guess that means I need to bulk up my leg muscles.

As for the rest of my outfit?

Up top, I wore a Champion Baby Doll Tank. I’ve been wearing these on every run as a base layer. I love that they are long, so they cover my bum and keep it warm. They also add more support up top (not that I really need it).

Underneath the tank was a Champion sports bra.

I got 7 Champion sports bras 4+ years ago on clearance at Target for $4.24 each. I’ve worn them for the past 4+ years and they’re still in good condition!

Considering I have 7, I figure each one has been worn once a week. If you do the math, that’s over 200 times.

When Champion asked if I wanted to try a few of their new bras, I was overjoyed. Three cheers for not having to buy sports bras for another few years and getting to wear new bras for the first time in years.

I’m not exactly well-endowed, so the support level isn’t all that important to me. I can run in just about any sports bra (the one advantage of having small ta tas). That being said, I could definitely feel the difference between medium and high support. I could also feel (and smell) a difference between my old bras and my new ones.

Unlike the CW-X tights, I was sent these bras for free. My guess is they could smell my stinky bras all the way from the Champion headquarters! More bras means I can do laundry less frequently. Huzzah!

***

I also debuted the Nike Running Pullover I got for Christmas.

Aaaand I will be wearing this for every single run under 35*F from here on out. It has a thin layer of fleece inside, which kept me warm, but not too warm.

I love that it has a hood, which I can pull over my burglar mask…and look less like a burglar . I look scared because I was scared. It was windy outside!

Although, I was sweating before I even left the house because it took 5 min. of pulling and tugging to get my Zensah Compression Leg Sleeves underneath my Spider-Man tights. Holy compression!

My midnight snack pulled through for me! I felt like the energizer bunny…

Distance: 7.5 miles

Time: 1:08:25

Avg Pace: (9:07 min/mi)

***

Yesterday was the last day of my free pass to LA Fitness. Major sad face.

I was SO tempted by their marketing wizards with their membership offer. $35/month, no initiation fee and no contract (so I could cancel at anytime). I’m still thinking about joining, but I’m going to hold off on it for now because I want to run as much as I can outside.

I will miss their eclectic music.

I will miss lifting weights alongside some seriously ripped men.

I will miss that evil stairmaster (I got up to 50 min. on that sucker, complete with 8 one minute intervals of all out sprinting).

But most of all…I will miss the camaraderie! In just one week, I made a gym buddy. Don’t get too excited, he was old enough to be my grandpa.

On Wednesday, we were both climbing side by side on the stairmaster…huffing, puffing, sweating, and dying together. Afterwards, we both looked at each other and smiled.

Like an I-just-climbed-Mount-Everest-and-I-don’t-have-any-air-left-in-my-lungs-to-talk smile.

Then yesterday, he climbed on the stairmaster next to me again, but this time we exchanged hellos. I was panting like a woman in labor after completing a sprint interval and he turned to me and said, “don’t wimp out on me now!!”

I was actually about to get off and go strength train, but I kept climbing for another 20 min. to chat (between gasps of air, of course) and keep him company. He was such a nice old man!

***

Alrighty, I’m done yapping. Gotta go watch Duke play FSU. College basketball is the one and only thing that can get me through the winter months!

I’m about to ramble about fitness. If popcorn is more exciting to you than my adventures in sweating, skip down for a special popcorn giveaway below!

I took almost a week off from running and the weather gods rewarded me with a miracle yesterday. A 100% rainy day turned out to be a warm and sunny one. Yes! I took it as a sign from the weather gods to lace up my running sneaks and hit the pavement.

Since when did 42* F become warm? It’s all relative, folks.

I was surprised to find that I didn’t miss running as much as I thought I would. I thought I’d get super antsy, but I filled the void with the stairmaster, spin bike, and [heavy] weights! I’ve been loving weight lifting lately. A part of me actually wanted to lift instead of run yesterday. I know, who am I? It just makes me feel so strong!

I’ve been thoroughly enjoying the stairmaster and the spin bike at the new temporary gym this week. I got up to 40 min. on the stairmaster (holy cow) and 30 min. on the spin bike (holy OW!). When I go back to the stationary bike at my community gym, my tush will feel like it’s sitting in a love sac.

It’s all relative, folks.

I really missed the alone time I get while running though…to just think and think and think. I can’t really do that on the stairmaster because a) I’m too busy wiping my sweat away before it drowns my eyeballs and b) I can’t think of anything else besides how much climbing stairs kicks my ass. Every. single. time. without. fail.

AND I missed belting out Adele’s One and Only. I’ve realized that I sing out loud a lot while I run. Like, constantly. I didn’t realize just how much until I started singing on the treadmill a couple weeks ago. Yeah, let’s not do that again.

Now I understand [physically] why people taper before races. After. A few days off, my legs felt awesome. I ran 8 easy miles.

Since when did 8 miles (and 9:15 min/mi) seem easy?! It’s all relative, folks.

***

Alright, I’m done yapping. It’s popcorn time!

Remember last month when I had my first ever food photography shoot for CrunchDaddy Popcorn? I really lucked out getting to meet the owner, Dan, an inspiring entrepreneur and popcorn master.

At the shoot, Dan and I talked about me hosting a giveaway on LLE so you all could get a chance to try his amaaaazing popcorn.

CrunchDaddy Popcorn is out of this world delicious. My entire family was planted on the couch eating handful after handful of popcorn over the holidays. I’m pretty sure I devoured an entire gallon all by myself…in ONE day. Seriously, SO freaking good!

My favorite flavor was the Sesame & Ginger Crunch.

At the shoot, I got to know Dan and learn more about his popcorn business. You can read The CrunchDaddy Story here. While CrunchDaddy is only officially 2 1/2 weeks old, business is going strong (I’m not surprised!). Like I said, his popcorn is mouth watering. It’s not your typical gourmet popcorn. He calls it Popcorn Unusual™.

Want some? CrunchDaddy is giving away 3 prize packages, each including one gallon of popcorn (flavor of your choice) along with random samples of other flavors.

Flavors include:

• Sweet Butter Crunch
• Peanut Butter Crunch
• Honey & Cinnamon Crunch
• Sesame & Ginger Crunch
• White Cheddar & Horseradish Crunch
• Caramel & Peanut Crunch
• Chocolate & Peanut Butter Crunch
• Maple & Bacon Crunch
• Chesapeake Crunch
• Movie Night Crunch

To enter the giveaway:

• Mandatory Entry—Like the CrunchDaddy Facebook Page and comment on this post saying you did, so I can count the entry.

• Optional/Additional Entry—Comment on this post telling me which flavor you’d most like to try

I will randomly choose 3 winners this Sunday (1/22/1012). Good luck!

Dan also wanted to extend a special offer to all LLE readers: Get 10% off your entire order (excluding shipping) by entering the coupon code “LLE2012″ when placing your order on CrunchDaddy. If anything, visit the site to see my photographs .

]]> http://www.livelaugheat.com/2012/01/18/adventures-in-sweating-popcorn-giveaway/feed/ 182 http://www.livelaugheat.com/2012/01/15/burn-baby-burn/ http://www.livelaugheat.com/2012/01/15/burn-baby-burn/#comments Sun, 15 Jan 2012 18:04:05 +0000 Allie http://www.livelaugheat.com/2012/01/15/burn-baby-burn/

The complimentary one week gym pass couldn’t have come at a better time. I have this week off from work, it’s gonna be frigid outside and my legs could really use a break from running for a few days.

Yesterday, I ventured to our local LA Fitness. I’m not exactly looking to join a gym because I’d rather walk 0.5 miles to our free community gym than have to get in my car and drive 2.5 miles, but I told myself it couldn’t hurt to just try it out.

I couldn’t believe what a difference being in a real gym made! The last real gym I went to was in college almost 2 years ago (bahhhhh has it really been that long?!). Since then I’ve been using our community gym. While it’s small, it’s fairly decent. It has 4 treadmills, 3 ellipticals, 3 bikes, a few weight machines and a large set of dumbbells. It’s rarely overcrowded, which is surprising considering the size of our community. Most importantly though, it’s FREE!

So I took advantage of this pass to change things up and maaaaaaybe consider joining for a month or two this winter (probably not).

Upon walking in, my first instinct was to head over to the elliptical. Then I remembered I was there to use different equipment. So I hopped on the Stairmaster. The 2 machines I miss the most from my college gym are the Arctrainer and the Stairmaster.

The Stairmaster is hands down the most evil piece of equipment in the gym. EVIL!

No matter how fit I think I am, no matter how many miles I can run, the stairmaster can make me pant like a dog within minutes…and drip buckets of sweat. Yes, ‘buckets’ is plural.

I managed to stay on for 30 minutes (a miracle) and I even threw in 3 sprint intervals. Holy sweat! The guy on the machine next to me was dying too. We were dying together. It was quite the bonding experience.

Usually I strength train for about 10-20 minutes (20-30 minutes if I’m working both upper and lower body). It’s hard to do exercises in our small community gym with limited equipment and I get bored.

Yesterday, I worked my legs and abs for 45 minutes and I’m definitely feeling it today! There were a few machines there I had never even seen before. I must say having the company of others was very motivating. It’s not like I was talking to them or anything, but it made me want to spend more time lifting weights. Does that make any sense?

I did these killer ab/leg exercises with the balance ball that I used to do in college. Buuuuuuurn! I wish we had a balance ball at home. Oh wait, we DID but my mom sold it in a garage sale for like $1. Gah.

At some point during the week I hope to take a cycle class.

The cycle room was humongous (like 70 bikes!) and it was open for use because there were no classes going on. I hopped on a bike for a solo spin sesh to cool down and shake out my legs.

I immediately noticed this counter. I’d never been on a spin bike with a counter (the ones I used at Duke only had a knob to change the gear). How cool!

I’m excited to go back today and work my upper body. They have the assisted pull up machine—one of my favorites! I haven’t used it in forever. My arms are trembling just thinking about it.

I guess this break from running won’t be so boring after all .

Before I go, do people actually use these dumbbells?! Um, this is the weight of my entire body in a single dumbbell!

Oh and I refueled last night with carrot cake and cream cheese frosting. More on that later! I hope you’re thoroughly enjoying your weekend.

See ya!

Tell me: Do you have a gym membership? What’s your favorite piece of equipment?