Tag: review

review

Bermuda Travel Guide For Runners

Bermuda is an island literally in the middle of the ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, not the Caribbean as most folks think it is. This means it’s closer to North Carolina and year around the weather is pretty nice. The coldest month is February, which in Bermuda the winter season consist of the low 60s degrees but watch out for the hot and humid summers.

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How to Find Your Sports Bra Size

Sports bras are an essential foundation and staple for every workout. As a runner, I invest a great deal in great sports bras to make sure I don’t have to worry about my boobs being everywhere.  Most women don’t know how to find their own sports bra size, which can lead to wearing the incorrect sports bra. Did you know, wearing the incorrect bra size can give you poor posture, poor blood circulation, a bulky back, headaches, neck pain, and poorly shaped breasts?  YES!!! So having a proper sports bra is critical to not just working out but also your overall health. How to Find Your Sports Bra Size The measuring process is designed to guide you to starting band size and cup size.  Different sizes and shapes matter when it comes to picking out the best sports bra for you, so don’t forget to try on several different kinds. RIB CAGE MEASUREMENT: Measure around your rib cage around the bottom band, just under the breast. The tape measure should feel quite snug. Round the measurement down to the closest inch. BAND SIZE CONVERSION: Using these measurement guidelines below, find your corresponding band size based on your rib cage measurement. BUST SIZE MEASUREMENT: Measure the bust over the fullest point of the breast. For larger-breasted women, the fullest point may not be at the center and is often lower. As breast tissue can fluctuate as much as 20%, round up to the closest inch. CUP SIZE CONVERSION: Subtract your actual ribcage measurement (step 1) from your actual bust measurement (step 3). The difference in inches is your suggested cup size. If the difference is between sizes, round up to the larger size. Source: Brooks Running What to Look For in Sports Bras Not all sports bras are equal so below are three things to look at in a sports bra. Easy On & Off:  Adjustable hooks (j-hook are awesome) back closure makes to ensure the bra easy to put on and take off Breathable Support: Perforated cups and power mesh straps increase airflow, and  DriLayer® fabric to wicks sweat away Comfortable Movement: A band that contours to your body for smooth support that enables you to move confidently and comfortably FREE EVENT!! – FALL SPORTS BRA FITTING EVENT Can’t figure it out yourself? I am having a free event where you can get your custom sports bra fitting and find the right bras just for you! It’s FREE!! You will get a free bra bag just for you too! RSVP here.  Preserve Your Sports Bra Sports Bras are an investment so don’t let them go to waste by being lazy in the laundry. Hand washing is ideal, but not always possible. Fasten all hooks and straps, place them in a lingerie bag, and use the gentle or delicate cycle. Always line dry, and never use dryer sheets or fabric softeners—they can clog the fabric and shorten the life of the bra. Top Five Picks For Fall Sports Bras for Runners If you want to know what my favorite sports bra are, you are in luck. I got a special fall sports bra guide just for you!! YES! Five sports bras that are focused on keeping you moving and running everywhere you go.

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Running 101: Facebook Live Chats in June

I am kicking off the month of June by having my first series of Facebook Live Videos. Each week, I will be teaching on a few essential topics I know that will help you achieve being healthy from the inside out. I will be focusing on running related, but the lives are open to anyone (non-runners, walkers or joggers are welcomed!) Weight Loss & Running  Last year, this was me. This was just me in August struggling through a race I waited years to do. It sucked being too slow and frankly was embarrassed. My goal was never to lose weight actually but training for a run. The by-product was the weight-loss, but also some fears, depression, old goals and much more were shredded as well. In my first FB session, I will be chatting about my journey, My weight loss journey and how running helped What I eat in a day for weight loss Essential nutrition & supplements for weight loss Hydration & Working Out Now that you have learned about my weight loss, I couldn’t wait to teach about the importance of hydration. Dehydration can lead to headaches, aid in hair loss and even hinder your ability to workout and lose weight. As  Certified Sports Nutritionist, RRCA Running Coach and  Boston Marathoner, I will be diving into Why Hydration & Electrolytes are so important Effects on your body due to dehydration Various ways to stay hydrated while working out Hair & Running 101 A huge issue with working out is how to have healthy hair while being active. As a marathoner and triathlete for over the last decade,  I know how tough this can be. I founded The FitHair as a way to chat about the latest in wellness and help inspire a healthy hair from the inside out. From hairstyles to the gym to healthy recipes and foods you should eat, my mission is to keep you in tip-top shape from the inside out. We will tackle the following topics in this session My Marathon journey and creation of FitHair Connecting nutrition to hair care as a runner Importance of having a FitHair routine Products and accessories for your hair and  running Health, Fitness & Traveling Health, Fitness & Traveling Did you know I have spent almost a decade in the travel industry and have traveled quite a bit for various races around the country? There is nothing more than I love to do than to explore a new city. Don’t believe me? Check out my Running Travel Guides. Running marathons allows me to explore a city within a few hours and have an excellent time! We all know that traveling is impressive, but it can also be stressful and detrimental to our health when we’re always on the go. Tips for staying healthy while traveling Must have items for traveling with only a carry-on bag Supplements for traveling & staying healthy    RSVP For Facebook Lives WHEN: Every Wednesday in June at 7:30pm CT. RSVP Here. 

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3 Tips to Picking Running Shoes

There are thousands of different types of shoes. Picking up a pair of shoe that may fit you takes a little bit more thought than just picking up any old shoe off the rack. Body shape, posture, foot style and exercise all are major factors in picking out the best shoe for your needs. Without the proper shoe, you could cause many issues such as back pains, knee problems and even be a result of an injury. Knowing what to look for in shoe will help your feet stay happy from heel to toe. Here are three tips to help you pick the right shoe. 3 Tips to Picking Running Shoes  How do you sweat? A person training for a marathon verses a person training for a 5k often wear two different shoes. A running shoe is made for running specifically. Pick a shoe based on how you exercise the most and stick with it. Get a Foot or Gait Analysis. | It is important to know how you run, walk, and shape of your foot. There are many different options of shoes based on your foot needs. Head to a professional speciality store such as Luke’s Locker, Fleet Feet or try this online test with Brooks to find your foot signature. Know the different in your fitness and regular shoe sizes. After running on for several hours, my feet expand quiet a bit. Nothing is worse than running in shoes that are two small. Avoid this by knowing your fitness shoe size, which is often 1-2x bigger than your regular shoe size.  

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Cowtown Marathon Recap

This past Sunday, I had the awesome experience of running the Cowtown Half marathon!  The Cowtown is one of the largest multi-event races in the state of Texas and was voted favorite marathon by Competitor Magazine readers in 2015. It’s held in Ft. Worth, Texas, which is about 30-40 minutes outside of Dallas. Not only did I get to complete my 7th half marathon, I ran it with a group of my running friends who are more like family. Check out my Cowtown Marathon recap and experience how I hang with my running crew. The Cowtown Marathon Recap Travel Information to the Cowtown Marathon I live in Dallas so I didn’t travel per say to the race. I wanted to offer tips since I do live in the city and in case folks want to travel here. The closet airport to Ft. Worth is DFW airport. Love field airport is at least a 30-40 minute ride away. That can be a pretty expensive uber for you so I highly suggest renting a car for the weekend. The city doesn’t have the best public transportation for most travelers so this is my cheaper and best option for most. I stay in Dallas and wished I would have gotten a hotel just to stay in Ft.Worth. I had my friends in town for the weekend so I was basically an uber. Tim is a dear friend and like a running brother of mine that is on the board of the St. Louis Marathon and is a Running Influencer there. Yal know I got manners and southern hospital so I picked him up from Love Field airport and showed him around Dallas.    The City – Funky Town Ft. Worth is unique and folks that live there love, Love, LOVE the city. There is a lot to see and do in Ft. Worth but it’s very different than Dallas. You can expect cowboy boots, trailers and western stores every few miles in Ft. Worth. They are the true Western Texan over there. There is a lot to see in Ft. Worth so take advantage of walking around the various sections of the city such as Magnolia, Fairmont and Sundance. Places to Eat in Ft. Worth In Dallas/ Ft. Worth, we love to eat on a good patio. Patio’ing is a thing around here so you have a million options with great Southern food, craft and local beer,  strong cocktails, good service and more in the warm weather.  Here are a few of my favorites in Ft. Worth. Heim BBQ: If you can, get there early or be prepared to stand for a bit. This BBQ joint always has a line but it’s worth the wait. Nothing like some good old fashion Texas BBQ. Istanbul Bar & Grill: I am a big fan of Mediterranean food. Their baba ghanoush, and gyros are perfect anytime of the day. This location has a bar so you can grab a tasty beverage if you desire as well. Mash’d: If you can go for brunch, go!! They have a 14inch pancake called the “Manhole cover pancake,” which is stuffed with blueberries butterscotch chips. Yeah! It’s that serious there. Oh should I also mention the mixology bar and they serve moonshine??!! Gus’s Fried Chicken: It’s a Memphis-based spicy fried chicken joint that has juicy fried chicken and the best sweet tea ever! Nammi at the Farmers Market: Head over the Farmers Market and roam around. When you do, stop at my favorite food truck Nammi, which serves Vietnamese food. My favorite dish is always their veggie tofu tacos and basil lemonade. Tom Thumb off 7th Street: Sounds really crazy to put this on here but this Tom Thumb is like a restaurant. You can grab a drink at the bar and watch a game, order pho, pickup toilet paper and so much more in one store. This location is also right by a lot of other restaurants as well.   Weekend Socials With My Running Family Friday Night Since Tim was in town, we ended up having a happy hour for him and my local running groups We Run Things and Pint Striders. Founder’s beer came out and gave some swag while chatting about a few local things with me. After that, we enjoyed beer, laughter and good times through the night. Beer is rather normal for us runners to drink as it’s technically just a bunch of carbs and we need it run. Saturday Night  Saturday I opted to ditch the 5k and go for a walk with Tim and my other running friend Alex. We ended up wakling to the the Alamo Draft House, which isn’t to far from house, to go see Black Panther. I probably have seen this movie at least 5 times now and can’t stop still! Also this is my favorite movie theater and they had a great Black Panther food and beverage menu too!  After that we showered and ran to the Black Marathoners Pre-race dinner. It was great time to just meet folks from all over the country before we lace up for the following day. I had a great time meeting al to of fellow runners who live in Atlanta and I will be seeing again in October at the Baltimore Running Festival.   The Cowtown Marathon Race day started bright and early at 4:45AM and it was greatness. I made it there at 6am and was able to get a close free parking space and wait inside in the warm building. I didn’t start until about 7:30 because I switched to a later corral but let me say, all 9,100 of us truly enjoyed the morning jams and tunes while waiting. I always have a mantra song of each race, so for this race, Anita Ward’s Ring my Bell was it! The race was everything! This has been one of my favorite races and I truly mean it. It was really cool to start the race with my

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Affordable Supplements | Genuine Health 

I am always on the hunt for new protein and supplements to use. Ther are so many to choose from and I know it can be overwhelming, thus, I will try to sort through all the crappy ones and only show you the ones that are worthwhile and while. I have written about probiotics and guy health before in my book “FitHair Foundations and also is one of my top five vitamins and supplements for healthy hair and body from the inside out. I am passionate about gut health so much that I dedicated an entire chapter of my book to breaking down this point. Gut health is the foundation for overall health and thus good gut health will help your body produce healthier hair. Probiotics help improve intestinal flora balance, inhibit harmful bacteria, promote good digestion, boost immune function, and increase resistance to infection. Fermented foods such as kefir, sauerkraut, and miso are some options fo natural probiotics.  – Alexandria Williams Since everyone is on a vegan kick thanks to “What the Health” documentary, I figured I would showcase a few vegan products that will aid in healthy hair and body from the inside out.  Today I wanted to highlight a brand and product most folks haven’t heard of, Genuine Health.  I have been using their probiotics and proteins for a little bit and really like them. I think they are a great option for many who are looking for an affordable vegan supplements line. About Genuine Health Genuine Health is a proudly certified B Corporation that develops researched-based natural health supplements to help nourish your body. The flagship product, Greens+, has been keeping people healthy and alkaline for over 20 years! The company believes everyone deserves a healthy, vibrant life – and a lean, well-nourished body is the best way to get there. The Founder and CEO Stewart Brown says; “Health gives you the ultimate freedom – freedom to live your life to the fullest.” Genuine Health started over 15 years ago in Canada with greens+, the original, research-proven superfood formulated by Sam Graci for energy & well-being.  The company has several different products such as probiotics, multivitamin, and omegas to say the least. Today, Genuine Health has over 170 products and is sold in both Canada and the U.S.Most of their products are vegan and or leave out soy and wheat for those of you looking to reduces or are allergic to those ingredients.  Take a look at the other products.  Genuine Probiotics Advance Gut Health Genuine Health probiotics contain 15 strains carefully selected for their abilities to repair and restore. The strains are treated with the utmost care – in a temperature and humidity-controlled environment, they are cleaned to remove toxins and weak cells, ensuring that only the strongest and fittest remain. A vegan, delayed-release capsule with a fermented prebiotic ensures that strains pass through the stomach acid, taking 45 minutes to reach the g Probiotics & The Body I have already discussed having probiotics daily via food source or supplemental is vital to your hair but also your overall body. Here are a few ways how your gut health can be affected a variety of factors. Psychological factors, like stress, and sleep problems, have been found to reduce microflora. New research has found that just as we have sleep rhythms, so do our bacteria. Drug addiction and lack of physical activity have been found to alter gut microflora – less movement equals less diversity of bacteria in the gut! Antibiotics in prescriptions and in the food supply not only knock out select bacteria – once these bacteria have died, so do the others that were dependent on them. Environmental toxins, alcohol and tobacco have been found to alter the ratio of good to bad bacteria, causing what is known as dysbiosis, which translates to “life in distress.” Diet creates changes in the microbiome. Certain foods feed the good bacteria in our gut while others do not. What’s for certain is that we are eating too much of the not so good stuff and not enough of the good. Additionally, what I do like about them the most is that the probiotics are not a large size pill. This is major win for me!! Fermented Vegan Proteins+ The other product I wanted to highlight is the protein called fermented vegan proteins+. The protein is packed with a lot of guy health but also hair healthy foods that will help keep you healthy from the inside out. The fermented protein+ contains a variety of healthy ingredients but also is a great source of protein. It also doesn’t taste bad as I pair the chocolate with my homemade walnut milk recipes you guys know I love.  Some of the benefits of the fermented vegan proteins+ are No bloating 40% more absorption to the body Strengthens gut health Contains 15g protein Non-GMO and gluten-free Contains essential amino acids If you want to know what I look for when picking out the right protein supplement, check out my post “3 tips for picking out the right protein supplement.” for a quick overview. Ingredients matter, so I always make sure to look and read my labels.  If I can’t understand the products or ingredients then I am less likely to purchase. I love and fully understand the ingredients used in the protein. Cost of Products The cost of this the protein is $34.99 and the probiotics are $19.99. Both are very affordable for a supplement line that contains both soy and gluten free products as well as non-gmo ingredients. This is a Win-Win for me. You can purchase the product locally at Sprouts or online direct. Also, they are available at Vitacost, Iherb.com,  Vitamin Shoppe and other locations. FTC: This post is not sponsored

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The Affordable Sports Bras Guide for Women With Large Breasts

No matter if you are just starting a fitness regimen or training for another race, one thing I know you will need are a few good sports bras. Finding the perfect sports bra isn’t easy for most women. It’s even harder if you are a blessed with larger breast AND on a budget. Most sports bras are at least $55-$85 a pop for women who are larger than DDs and offer max support and comfort. It’s almost impossible, but I am here to say it’s not impossible anymore. I spent over 2 months searching and testing a range of styles and sizes to find great sports bras for those of you who have large breast like me but are affordable. All the sports bras are under $50 and most can be found at half the cost or regularly on sale. SPORTS GUIDE FOR WOMEN WITH LARGE BREASTS In my research, I decided to two this blog post differently. I wanted to offer some sports bra history, show you various sizes and types but then I also wanted to share the importance of being properly fitted each year for your sports bra. I am open and honest so much so; you get to see my process of finding the perfect sports bra for my marathon training. Sports Bra Fitting Tips & Tricks Check out this video where I take you on my bra fitting and how I am finding the perfect sports bra just for me!   Sports Bra Do’s & Don’ts Always buy sports bras with wicking materials instead of cotton. Wicking fabrics move moisture away from your skin and also keep you comfortable. Test your sports bra by actually working out and moving around. Do 10-15 jumping jack and squats! Wash the bra in cold water with mild detergent or hand wash. Avoid drying sports bras as heat breaks down spandex. I hang my sports bras to dry or lay it flat. Most sports bras last anywhere from 6 up to 15 months thus a good rule of thumb is to change sports bras every 6 months to a year. Sports Bras History, Types & Top Picks Dive into this video as the kind folks at Luke’s Locker school me on the history of sports bra, various textures, and types that are best for max support and my top picks for affordable sports bras. My Top Sports Bras are the Hero bras from Rebook and the Fiona and Maia from Brooks Women. I also want to point out the Juno bra. I went back and tried it and like it as well. It’s a great alternative for the Maia and also a bit cheaper too. Compression, Encapsulation or Both Compression: The original sports bra. This bra is best for smaller cups or just walking around. These are often super cheap and can cost you $20 bucks easily. Encapsulation: This is the best for women with larger breast. Sports bras with individual cups aka encapsulated cups are best. They make sure your breast are not smashed together, adjustable and can remove sweat properly from the skin. Both: Many sports bras now are a combination of compression and encapsulation, which offer both supportive and comfortable. These are more expensive so I avoided focusing on these but there are some great ones out there such as Victoria Secrets. Strap Types Racerback: Racerbacks tend to be the best supporting bras for women with larger breast due to the straps clinching in the back. They offer more support and mostly Tank Top: I am not a fan of racer back because they are a pain to get in and out of after a 2-3 hour run. If you are like me, then always look for adjustable, padded and wide strap sports bras to ensure the weight is distributed and supportive. Crisscross: Crisscross have become very popular because they add a pop of “fashion” to a boring tank. They offer decent support and are my pick for yoga and super low impact. Many are adjustable but don’t expect to find a lot of styles or options for larger breast. Most of the crisscross straps are thin, so they are not able to hold up or offer tons of support over an extended period. Special Thanks to Luke’s Locker for helping so much with this post. If you are in the DFW Area pop in and let them know I sent you for to get your complimentary sizing. They also order anything for you if they don’t have it in there store.

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Brandless Not Worth The Hype?!

Brandless is a website that has one big mission. with one little $3 price. It’s a site that basically had brandless aka generic/store brand products for one flat price $3. It focuses on the essential products for the kitchen and home. Every  single item in the store is $3. YES. You heard and read it right. Literally every single thing on the site is $3. From can openers to organic granola, it has a little bit for everyone all within a few clicks of a button.  Most of the products is non-geo, organic or free or crazy additives and chemicals. This sounds to good to be true to me. Brandless has gotten a lot of press and crazy fans of the web since launching just a few months ago. As a frugal shopper, I knew this would be the site for me to help keep me right with my budget and on the healthy track. I was super excited and even reached out to the company regarding my upcoming purchase. So I decided to do a review of my first thoughts of what I ordered and much more. Is Brandless Worth the Hype? First Impressions & Unboxing What did I get for $3? Or the Grand Total of 34.50 bucks + Shipping I ordered a few items that were both good for the belly, body, and household from Brandless — and the whole thing was only $34.50. At first, my order was well over $50 bucks, which is part of the problem. Everything is $3, so you feel like you can go HAM on things you think you want and or need. I had to cut out a lot and only got essential items I needed or could use up should I not like them. Here is the list of items I purchased. Multi-Surface Cleaner Dish Soap – wasted and opened Peppermint Mouthwash Can Opener – scratches on it  Organic Oats & Honey Granola Organic English Breakfast Black Tea Fig & Thyme Crisps – can get locally for same price but good  Organic Blue Corn Tortilla Chips (2 bags for $3) Organic Brown Basmati Rice Gochujang Korean Sweet & Spicy Cooking Sauce Organic Poppy Seed Dressing Organic Light Brown Sugar There area few items that are not $3 such as canned beans and chips. They offer those as a certain amount for $3. In this case, the bag of chips were 2 for $3.  The items in bold are the ones I like and say are winners. The ones italicized I liked but were questionable as I noted about them in my video. Shipping, Discounts & Membership Shipping is where things get iffy. It is $9 via FedEx, which comes in about 2-3 days. Not too bad. If you want free shipping, you have to spend $72, so that’s roughly purchasing 24 products at one time. They have a membership called B-Program, which cost $36 bucks a year. It allows you free shipping at $48 instead of the $72 price tag. Additionally, you get a sneak peak at new releases early and access to special events. You can learn more about their B-Program here.  Meh….     A post shared by Alexandria – FitHair Expert (@alexandriawill) on Aug 22, 2017 at 7:05am PDT For first time orders you get shipping at $3 after that it’s $9.  I was so excited when I opened the package but unfortunately it turned into disappointment. It was packaged nicely, but most of my items had some issue with them. From scratches on the can opener to chips and ships and crackers being broken. I think they need to rethink the shipping part especially if I order again and am paying $9. Thanks to shipping issues and most my products looking like they went through hell to get here, I say this is a major FAIL for me. Additionally, by paying $9 for shipping for a little bit over ten products means my items were almost $4 with no way for a refund thanks to the damages. Overall Brandless is a No For Me With Amazon (Prime, Now and Grocery), Trader Joes , Sprouts and Costco all sitting within my finger tips or backyard, I don’t find the need for Brandless. Most of the household items I honestly can purchase at the same price or less even online for name brand products or other ones I trust. Most items that are $3 honestly looked like they were worth $3. I like the packaging of things but most of my items were broken upon arrival or opened and damaged. This is a major fail for me. It get’s a no for me. Save ya coins. ALTERNATIVES FOR BRANDLESS & GREEN CLEANING If you are looking for a site that does have a cool membership and great healthy products for the house. I really love The Grove Collaborative. They have some of the best natural products at great prices, delivered right to your door. It’s my favorite online site to shop for organic, eco-friendly and sustainable items like Dr. Bronner’s, Meyer’s and Seventh Generation. On my first order, I grabbed a special filled with 4 free products – mak ing this FREE 99 for products. Check out why toxic chemicals can affect you hair and my shift to all natural products. Additionally, you can grab $10 bucks to shop on the Grove Collaborative by clicking here.   Disclaimer: I wasn’t contacts nor sponsored for this post or to review Brandless. Paid  for everything out of my pocket.  

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Hottest Half – Half Marathon Review

I am officially recovered from my race on Sunday. I completed my first half marathon in over two years. For several years, I have wanted to run in the Hottest Half – Half Marathon by Mellow Productions. Typically in the summer, there aren’t that many races because of the insane amount of heat. The races that are put on are often during the cooler times of the summer or days, but the Hottest Half is typically on the hottest day of the year and is a test of your endurance and strength. This year, we haven’t had the scorching temperatures like normal, but we have had a crazy amount of humidity and poor air quality (UV index) than normal. Sunday I braved the rain, humidity and mid and competed in the Hottest half. It was one of my worst races ever but boy do I have a story about this race yal. Let’s get to talking about this Hottest Half  race and things..   Hottest Half – Half Marathon Review & Race Recap Pros of the Hottest Half – Half Marathon Race distance: They had a 5, 10 and a half marathon distances so if you wanted to run the half while a friend ran the 10k it’s a great option. Relatively affordable: The price of the half is around $60 bucks with a $5 discount. It does go up, but this isn’t bad for a half Friendly people: Mellow races thus far tend to be filled with friendly folks thus far. Everyone waves or tried to be nice. Medal: The medals are pretty nice. I can’t complain at all about the medals and like the quality of them Packet pickup: You have the option of arriving early to get your packet, and additionally you have the choice of paying on the spot Less fuss: There isn’t a lot with the race, so for newbies, this might be good option to reduce stress or anxiety. Challenges: They have a few race challenges through out the year and seasons, so it’s good if you are looking to do multiple races and want to test yourself regularly. The combo packages are also a better deal than just buying one race. This race is part of two race challenges. The 4 Seasons or the Summer Half Marathon series. Parking: Parking is free and you don’t have to wait or park extremely far from the starting line. Cons of the Hottest Half – Half Marathon Packet pickup: While it was a good, I have had a few issues when picking up my packet. One race they ran out of bibs, so we had to wait awhile for some to bring some. This time, one computer was down, and a lady was writing them. Additionally, don’t expect much in the packets. You get a shirt, bib and maybe something else in the bag. The course: For the 10th year it was at Trinity grooves area instead of the white rock lake. This coupled with the weather and rain was an epic disaster. This is boring, and not the best for crowd support. Folks can only cheer the first mile of the race, to be honest. Additionally, the rain caused massive mud, sliding and really it was more of a trail run than a road race. Medals: I feel really odd having a medal that says half marathon but I only ran a 5 or 10k. Everyone get’s a half marathon medal regardless. Incorrect Advertisement: So on the website, it states there was supposed to be water stops at about every mile, but it wasn’t. There was one water stop at about 1.5 miles then midway for 10k and then midway for the half marathon. Additionally, most port-a-potties were in the beginning. There was one at the water station and two spread out but meant long wait times for them. I think the other two were public as they hardly had toilet paper in them.  Strollers: Yeah they should have banned strollers for 10k. The trail is not stroller friendly at all. No scenic route: I felt like I was going insane looking at the same thing over and over again. I run for the view. No shade: Since this is river front and the trees are away from the trail, there is not a lick of shade. Between the sun’s rays and the insects make sure you overload on the sunscreen and insect repellent. Overall: I earned this medal. I went up against everything I hated and learned mentally how I had to adjust during a race. Also, it makes me realize how much more I want to be a better runner and I enjoy running in races. Would I run it again? At first, I thought I would run another Mellow production race as their first year at this route and things happen. However, I more than likely would never run this and if I did I would never run and pay for this again. It would have to be someone talking me into this race again or I got into for free and needed to test or redeem myself. Other than that. Nah. It’s a pass.

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Crotchet Braids with Faux Locs | Moisturizing Routine

I am so in love with faux locs. I have had them for a few weeks and cannot get enough of them. I have had several questions about how I am maintaining them and keeping my hair moisturized. With so much training and working out, especially in the summer sun, the hair can become very dry and brittle. It is important to protect both your hair and scalp when having any protective hairstyle such as braids, twist, and sew-ins. As such, I made a unique moisturizing routine for my hair with faux locs, which aids in hydrating and preserving the hair and scalp. You can use the products of your choice that best suits your needs. The biggest key in this moisture routine is the use of steam to penetrate the shaft and stimulate the scalp. Items Used The Mane Choice Hair Growth Oil The Mane Choice Tropical Moringa Daily Restorative Spray Q-redrew hair steamer This ultra moisturizing routine is focused primarily for women who work out or are suffering from dry hair due to hotter temperatures. When working out sweating and heat play a big part in losing moisturizer, so it’s critical to add moisture back into the hair on a regular basis. This routine has helped me a lot, and it’s straightforward, relaxing and doesn’t take a lot of time. Night Time Regimen for Faux Locs Bonus: I often do my moisturizing routine before going to bed or in the evenings, so in the video, I also show you how I lock in the moisture at night and reduce frizz or static. My Evolve Satin Hair Wraps is the biggest key to keeping my hair off my face, in place and aid keeping moisture through the night.  

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Cowtown Marathon Recap

March 1, 2018/

This past Sunday, I had the awesome experience of running the Cowtown Half marathon!  The Cowtown is one of the…

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