Friday's Confession: I'm On The Road Again

Friday's Confession ... I'm on the road again. this time in New York City at the Women in the World Summit. The wonderful folks at the Coca-Cola Company invited me to attend this amazing gathering of women leaders and change-agents.

No running for me today, I'm off to listen, learn, be inspired and look forward to sharing my experience with you.

Winks & Smiles,

Princess Power

They say there’s power in numbers, right? Well, it’s true, especially when you put together several women armed with running shoes, energy gels, tutus and the desire to Get Moving!

I’ve already shared that I’m running Disney’s Princess Half Marathon, now I’m happy to share that I won’t be going it alone. Thanks to the wonderful folks at Walt Disney World Resort and BSM Media, my BlogRollin’ partner, Christie, and I were able to invite a few Princesses to join us that weekend through our Get Moving! initiative.

Get Moving! is a series of total body wellness initiatives for women dedicated to getting healthy and inspiring others to do the same. Created to encourage women to take care of themselves, Get Moving! focuses on the importance of physical exercise by making it a fun and rewarding experience.

We’re so excited that Heather from Run Faster Mommy, T from Racing with Babes, Renee from Cutie Booty Cakes, Lisa from Workout Mommy and Shameeka from The Broke Socialite will join us that weekend to take part in a special media mixer and enjoy a little Disney magic. We're happy to celebrate all that they do to take care of themselves and inspire others to do the same.

If you know any of these Princesses you know that they are each powerful in their own right, so I’m super excited to see all the fabulousness that will happen during the Princess Weekend. Some are running just for fun, some are going for PR’s and one is running her first half marathon. Please stop by their blogs and cheer them on.

Winks & Smiles,

Chevy Equinox Review: It Took 1,320 + 26.2 Miles for Husband to Write on My Blog

Ok, that’s not totally true. He gave his input and I’m the one writing.

Almost three weeks ago Husband and I piled in the Chevy Equinox lent to us by the good folks at General Motors and headed to Washington, D.C. for me to run in my first marathon.

Yes, in addition to running 26.2 miles I added 1,320 miles roundtrip. In a car. On purpose. And, was excited to do it. No, I’m not crazy. Well, maybe just a little, but here see for yourself.



So we left late but the ride was great. The car was comfortable which is extremely important when you are driving to and from a marathon. For that alone it gets two thumbs up from me. It had lots of neat gadgets and was all high tech which kept Husband happy. He was constantly finding something new to play with test out.

Here’s Husband’s highlights:

The Vehicle Interface Package topped his list. That includes Bluetooth (we talked on the phone through the sound system), Remote start (that’s just fun), steering wheel controls and USB audio connectivity.

250 Watt, 8-spearker sound system, XM radio and iPod jack. He’s a music man and was most pleased. Enough said.

Rear seat entertainment w/screens integrated into rear of front seats. He likes to keep the kids quiet when he’s driving. Go figure.

OnStar Service. OK, he didn’t say this but I added it. Not that I’m implying he doesn’t know where he’s going or anything. Ahem.

He also mentioned the power programmable liftgate and “pretty much everything our car doesn’t have.” Yes, that’s a direct quote and is a list too long to include. The ride was noticeably smooth and quiet, eliminating a lot of the outside noise; and the gas mileage was excellent – thanks, GM.

We both survived enjoyed the 10-hour ride each way and are gathering our thoughts for our next collaborative post – “5 Things Not to Say to Your Spouse on a Road Trip.”

Winks & Smiles,

Disclaimer: General Motors provide use of the car for one week and one tank of gas. Husband and I were not paid for this post; our thoughts and opinions are all our own.

The ChatterBox's Top 5 Ways to @ChooseCherries

You may have already read on Twitter and in some of our Race and Relax posts about the benefits of cherries and tart cherry juice for recovery after exercising...

"Cherries contain anthocyanins 1 and 2 that researchers believe can have a significant impact on relieving muscle and joint soreness more quickly. And, cherries’ powerful bundle  of antioxidants and carbohydrates offer added nutrition active people need. Available year-round as dried and frozen cherries and cherry juice, it’s easy to make cherries part of your training regimen." - Cherry Marketing Institute.

It was great news to me being that this "super fruit" is my fruit of choice during the late spring and summer plus I'm always drinking cherry-blend juices (pomegranate-cherry, cran-cherry).  I love me some cherries!

Our wonderful Race and Relax sponsor, Cherry Marketing Institute, sent all racers bottles of tart cherry juice to try out during our training.  When I got mine out of the mailbox, I immediately put it in the freezer to give it a quick chill.  Then... I forgot about it.  About 30 minutes later, I remembered it and fished a dynamic slushie out of the fridge.  As I savored my accidental frosty treat, I began to think of all the outside-of-the-box ways to enjoy the benefits of this bottle of antioxidant joy! (because that's what I do)

ChatterBox's Top 5 Ways to Choose Cherries

5 - Cherry Slushie:  Well, duh!  Pop the bottle in the freezer for about 30-45 minutes and have a chilly treat after your outdoor exercise / activity.

4 - Cherry Smoothie:  I make breakfast smoothies from vanilla nutrition drinks (i.e. Boost or Ensure). Running them through the blender with a bit of crushed ice froths them up to milkshake consistency.  Skip the ice and throw in your frozen cherry juice!  Yum!

3 - Cherry Popsicles:  Go old school with popsicle sticks and cherry juice poured in ice cube trays.

2 - Cherry Ice Cubes:  Ditch the sticks and drop your frozen cherry cubes in a glass of orange, apple, pomegranate, or cranberry juice.  Add a splash of club soda or lemon-lime soda for a fizzy kick.  (okay, diet lemon-lime soda...sheesh!)

1 - COCKTAILS!:  And speaking of kick... you know I had to go there, right?  Add a shot of your favorite adult indulgence to any of the above combinations in #2.  Now that's what I call recovery!

As you can see, though kind of unconventional, you can incorporate the benefits of tart cherry juice in many ways.  How do you choose cherries?  Check out these recipe suggestions.