Coola Sunscreen Review

Coola Sunscreen  

Yeah, I'm a big fan of sunscreen and I love Coola's easy to wear and effective products.  Their new Plant UV Body Sunscreen with SPF 30 goes on easy and doesn't leave you feeling sticky.  It's 70% organic and is filled with ingredients like coco butter and coconut oil.  It leaves your skin feel smooth and soft.  

I love that it's easy to wear on a daily basis.  I wear this on my runs every day and I never feel sticky or gross.  And I know that I'm not only protecting my skin, I'm moisturizing it too!  

If you have one chapstick on your bag this winter, make it Coola's LIPLUX.  It goes on soft and smooth and the Peppermint Vanilla smells amazing!  It's not sticky or shiny (so even my husband has used it!) and it moisturizes while it protects with SPF 15.  I would love more of these in my stocking!  Okay, and here's my biggest beauty secret and it item I can't leave the house without every day.  

Coola's Face SPF 30 Matte Tint Sunscreen has everything a girl wants in one tube.  It mattifies your skin, moisturizes it, gives you an even tone through the tiniest tint, and protects it through broad spectrum SPF. It's organic and water resistant.  This makes my skin look and feel great all day every day (even after my runs!).

Easy Threes

Well, I'm running again.  The good news is that I feel as if i could go forever.  The bad news is that I can feel it in my chest for the remainder of the day.

So, I'm probably pushing it a little bit, but it feels so good to be back out there with my feet hitting the pavement (we haven't gone trail running yet) and breathing the fall air.

We're had some amazing fall weather here in New England.  Warmer than normal and bright and sunny-exactly what you picture fall in New England to look and feel like.

I've been dressing a bit too warmly. It's always a knee jerk reaction at this time of year to look at the thermometer and throw on pants instead of shorts at 50.  It's also easy to get chilled quickly after your runs.  (When stopping for a pumpkin spice latte of course!)

I've been going slowly and telling myself to take it easy. Sometimes it's hard not to get caught up in Roxy's quest for speed and want to go faster, but I'm telling myself to rein it in.

I'm also learning the difference between normal running "pain" and actual lung and breathing trouble.  Everyone is out of breath and everyone is tired and wants to stop. So I'm trying to differentiate between that normal feeling and my lungs truly need a rest.

And so I'm calling these first few days back my "easy threes"... I'm trying to get out a few times a week at least, with Roxy to do an easy three miler.  Thus far, we're both thrilled with the progress and being out together.

When we pull into the parking lot Roxy will actually let out a whimper of excitement and start licking my face.  She waits patiently while I get my music ready and have a last sip of water.  Then, I leash her up and she hops out, with her tail wagging the whole time.  She looks back at me from time to time when we run with a smile on her face.

 Roxy's been calmer and happier at home since we back at running.  It's amazing how it can do that for both of us!  Here's to a great fall and winter running season and officially starting "real training" again.

Thorlo Experia Multi Sport Socks

I was recently lucky enough to receive a pair of Thorlo's new Experia Multi Purpose Socks.

These socks are so soft when you put them on.  They are snug but not too snug.  They are lightly padded which gives you a smooth and comfortable run.  However, they aren't too thick so your feet get all sweaty and gross.

I like these because they work well with my "free" run shoes.  My shoes aren't barefoot shoes, but they are minimalist and adding a thick sock just takes away from the comfort of them.

They come up a bit higher than socks I traditionally wear.  However, I ended up really liking these because they could be pulled up over my yoga leggings or tucked under and I was able to avoid exposed skin that gets cold.  (In the winter, I've even gotten really dry skin in bands around my ankles from this!)

I like that these are great for hiking and biking too and are really comfy inside my spinning shoes.

I will also tell you they are really comfortable for hanging around the house too :)

They come in lots of colors and sizes to fit boys and girls.  Take a peek at them on Thorlo's website.

Sabre Pepper Spray Review

Sabre's line of Pepper Spray and Alarms is perfect for anyone who walks alone at night or in the early morning and wants a little more peace of mind.  Their pepper sprays come in all sorts of stylish cases. Many look so cute or sleek that you'd hardly guess they were pepper spray.  

Two of my favorites are their personal alarm and their pepper gel.  The personal alarm is a key chain that affixes to the outside of your bag, coat or keys.  At the push of a button there is a 110 decibels.  It comes in different colors so it's great for everyone.  Their Pepper Gel is great for college students.  It's pink and fashionable and can be put on keys or even a bag's strap over your shoulder.  The gel reduces the chances that the gel will be spread in the wind. It's quiet, easy to use and can even be used indoors if necessary.  

These are great gifts for runners, college students, people who work third shift, pet owners and really anyone who is ever walking along.  Sabre's products are tested, trusted and really affordable.  

I really like the Spitfire.  It has a really sleek design and can be fired with just the push of a button.  The fact that it comes in purple is pretty awesome too!  

Happiness is Fall Running

It is the start of October here in CT and the leaves are changing.  When a breeze blows the leaves fall like snow.  It's beautiful.  There aren't tons of leaves on the ground, but just enough to make the trail look pretty and start crunching under your feet.

The air is crisp at this time of year.  And I love wearing capris and a tank or shorts and a long sleeve shirt.  Roxy LOVES it when I open the sun room on the way home.  I love stopping for a latte on the way home too.

As I get back into running, I'm being reminded of a few important lessons:

The first is that I need to eat before I run.  I can't go out and run for 30-60 minutes and have nothing in my system.  It's not a good idea.  So I'm relearning what I enjoy eating before I head out the door.  I'm not a big breakfast person so a coffee and a piece of fruit is winning.  However, I am going to pick up some mini granola bars in case I don't have fruit on hand.

I'm working on my systems to carry my phone with me for my longer runs/woods runs, and have Roxy attached to my waist on her leash, have my iPod and headphones and car key. It will be easier with more layers and more pockets!

I'm remembering how hard it is to remember to foam roll too.  And how important it is!  Oh, and the LAUNDRY really adds up!!

Fall has always been my favorite time of the year to run.  However, this year I'm just to happy and grateful to be running again that it is even more amazing.

Oh and Roxy's training is going along extremely well.  We can pass people with no people or barking now.  I'm hoping she remembers this and keep up the good work!

Foam Roll Like a Pro

A Little Tougher

So this week has been a little tougher than last.  Last week everything fell into place and it was a breeze.  This week is a little more challenging.  Working in some dusty environments and doing some cleaning have left me a little stuffy and battling the asthma a bit more.  Also, there was a carnival setting up at the trail Roxy and I have been running on.  While that doesn't sound like a big deal, it means carnival rides, cars as well as carnival people and dogs walking and driving by us while running.  It's just too much distraction.  Even I wasn't enjoying myself.

Okay so since I have no great running strides to report, I want to tell you what I've learned.  First of all, eating gluten free is hard.  There is gluten in everything.  And, when you go out, you have almost no chance of finding things you can eat.  I was never trying to be completely gluten free.  However, reducing it is still hard.

Dairy is also in everything.  However, it is much easier to avoid.  Soy milk is available at lots of coffee shops.  Many restaurants have alternatives as well.  I even recently found a coffee "creamer" in hazelnut made of soy milk that I love.

Roxy is loving getting back out together and as if she wasn't attached to me before, she now won't leave my side.  She sits on half of my desk while I work.  She sleeps under my feet while I read and she constantly wants some attention.  I love it :)

So, I'm still eating healthy, foam rolling and working on my patience for this internal injury.  I think waiting for your lungs to heal is more difficult than waiting for something like a sprained ankle to heal.  You have no visual or physical indicators to go by, it's all about intuition.

So right now I'm trying to find that place between peace and pushing.  It's not an easy place to find.  You want to make progress, but still work hard.  Be a fighter, but learn the lessons presented.  Buddha meets a boot camp instructor....that's the battle that is going on in my mind.

However, I know I'm blessed to be back out there, enjoying the amazing fall New England scenery and on the road to recovery.