Slathered in Sunscreen

I stopped tanning in a tanning bed after high school. I hardly ever layout in the sun (read: once a year maybe?), and my face lotion always has sunscreen in it. I try to be smart, but I'll admit- when I go out for a run or a bike ride, I don't put on sunscreen like I should. 

Oh, you don't either? Bet this will change your mind. 

This man was featured in the New England Journal of Medicine after doctors were amazed at the difference in either side of his face. He has been a truck driver his whole life, so the left side of his face has always been more exposed to the sun, while the right side was in the shade of his cab. I know we are always told that sun exposure always causes premature aging, yada yada yada... but this is something you can't ignore. 

Now, I know tanned skin usually looks better than white skin, but smooth skin ALWAYS looks better than.... extremely undamaged skin/ prematurely aged skin/ that. So, I will no longer be bitter about the fact that I don't tan well and have to spend 15 extra minutes putting on self tanner. I will not longer be lazy about wearing sunscreen. There is just no excuse!

Food Kicks

Do you get into "kicks" where you eat the same foods over and over? I have eaten these foods pretty much every day for the last two weeks, in addition to a sandwich +/- hummus. And I'm not anywhere near tired of any of them yet!

Chocolate Cherry Chunk Granola, Archer Farms

Iced Vanilla Coffee with Soy Milk, Homemade

Sour Grapes 

Crispy Apples and Hazelnut Butter- I'm ordering this stuff in bulk. Seriously. 

Salad-even better when you buy it on sale!

Avocado- my second favorite food of all time. (1st place is cereal)

I've been tracking everything I eat in My Fitness Pal app on my iPhone, and checking how "healthy" foods are in the Fooducate app. Definitely makes me think twice before I eat junk!

Inspiration

The Newbie Chronicles in Runner's World Magazine is always one of my favorite articles. Probably because even though I've been running for 2 years now, I still feel like a newbie. 

This month's article is about getting out the door and running. 

Don't you want more time on this planet? I sure do! And I definitely want to do it feeling good. 

Running can do that for you. 

 

"The first person you have to inspire every day is yourself." 

Who am I to preach to my patients about eating healthy and exercising if I don't take care of myself? I have to get up, get my blood stream all loaded up on endorphins, and then I'm able to go and talk about how wonderful exercise is, and encourage them to take care of themselves. 

This is what I really struggle with- if I feel like I didn't have a "good run" it makes it harder to go again the next day. But it's true- "It doesn't matter how (fast) you do it, it only matters that you do it." 

And even if I didn't have a "good run" I have never, ever regretted running. 

Change of Heart

We celebrated National Running Day in a big, big way.... we bought a treadmill!

I have always hated treadmills. But I think I finally found one I could have a relationship with. 

Looks like true love to me!

Honestly, when we thought of an entire summer of trying to schedule our runs around the 95 degree weather and brutal humidity, we started talking about buying a treadmill. I trained for the Chicago half-marathon last year during a  Memphis summer, and it was a challenge to say the least. Having an option to run inside at any time of day with air-conditioning and unlimited cold water makes this purchase totally worth it.

Just think of the advantage in winter- it gets dark at 5:00pm- but we can run anytime we want!

Plus, I get to watch TV or movies on my iPad... I'm not sure life could get much better.

We actually got the treadmill yesterday, and my sweet husband got it all set up and ready to go by himself. I jumped straight out of bed this morning and onto this while my husband slept in the next room undisturbed. I know it's easier to run on a treadmill, but I actually ran quite a bit faster this morning than I have been running lately- and man it felt great!

I kind of wanted to run again when I got home from work, but I decided to wait and channel that energy and excitement into tomorrows run. 

Happy National Running Day to us! 

And you, too. :)