I’ve been talking about getting into trail running a little and although I’m not 100% sure I am actually going to bit the bullet and do it, I went to Road Runner sports to take a look at what colors options are available. 

I tried on the Asics Gel Scout (below), Saucony Peregrine 3 and the Brooks Cascadia 8.  I felt like my little life was over when I heard that my beloved Mizuno aren’t really into the whole trail running thing.  Say whaaaat?

Here are a few key differences between trail running and road shoes:

• They have a plate that sits on the ball of your foot through the arch to protect against bruising.  It’s a lot more firm and can not be twisted or bent easily.
• The heel cushioning is thicker and wraps around the heel so the shoe doesn’t slip on rough terrain.
• Some shoes (like the Asics) come with a gel cushioning that takes impact off ankles and knees.
• Treading has a rugged designed for traction on wet and muddy surfaces.  Wahoo bring on the mud runs babe!
• They tend to have a wider width for stability.

I tried on the Saucony’s on left & Asics on right and walked around for a bit to compare.

Then I tried the Brooks, but wasn’t a fan.  They are a bit wide, so it felt too loose even laced up tight.  I also found this to be the case when I switched to the Brooks Ghost 4 back when the Mizuno Wave Rider 14’s failed me, but let’s prevent another meltdown by not talking about it mmmkay.

So, if you have a wider foot, I would definitely recommend trying Brooks.

Asics for the win, hands down.  My feet are slightly on the narrow side they felt nice and snug around my whole foot, yet the toe box had the perfect amount of wiggle room.  If I decide to get into trail running I will definitely take them into consideration.

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Yesterday Mike & I went to downtown Saratoga to check it out.  The cool thing about living here is there are tons of little towns with a lot of charm & character.

I like you already!

We were looking for a place to have lunch, but forgot it was Mother’s Day and every restaurant were packed, so we headed to downtown Los Gatos which is bigger.

I just love the character here!

Mike choose The Mmoon Empanada’s.  It was my first time trying empanada’s and I am now wondering where I’ve been living all my life.  I had one pizza and one ham mac & cheese.  They were both freaking awesome.

Mike & I love to people watch so we sat along the front bar.  Then watched this guy with trash stuffed inside his shirt pulled 2 almost empty coffee cups out of the trash and started drinking out of them. 

We were so grossed out and the germaphobe in me was squirming, so Mike quickly asked me if I had cash and ran out to pay the dude to leave.  The man asked Mike “what did I do?”  Mike handed him a couple bucks to go buy himself a cup of coffee and sent him on his way.

How’s that for ambiance?

We had a good laugh as we popped into the cutest little shops.  I kind of really like these a lot.

And this table.  Oh this table!  It’s beautiful, but not for 5 grand.

Can you believe I went to Starbucks and did not get a coffee?  It was hot out and an iced tea sounded refreshing.  And it was but I am still questioning who I am.

It’s taper time babe!!  I will be doing a couple light runs and taking some time off from heavy training this week to rest up for the Classic.  This has been my post injury race goal and the excitement I’m feeling is pretty dang amazing right now knowing that I will be able to participate in it. 

Trail runners, what shoes do you run in?

Any funny or not so funny dining ambiance stories? 

If you could run any race in the world for free, what would it be?

Anything Disney because I refused grow up.

Happy Mother’s Day to my ma who love’s to cook and refused to pass that gene onto me!!

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Let’s rewind a bit to Friday.  I met up with this girl.

We hit up the Whole Foods hot/salad bar where I learned the perfect ratio of tots to salad.  Gimme some of your tot’s Napoleon. 

We talked about school, fiber, farmers market and how we want to live in Whole Foods.  We are so exciting. 

And because no lunch is complete without Starbucks in the book of Jacqueline, we walked about a half a mile to find the golden place of happiness.  There is always one within a half mile up here so the “Bucks crisis are very limited, thank goodness.

On our way Gina pointed out Philz Coffee and demanded I go inside & check it out.  This is how I know that I make good friend choices, she was totally looking out for me. 

They make each cup of coffee separately so it’s uber fresh and exactly how you prefer it.  Not sweet enough, NBD they add a little sweetener. 

The line out the door is a good sign too.  I’ll have to go with Mike next time.  We were short on time since someone want’s to be smart someday and had to study for finals. 

After Gina & I parted ways, I got to deal with the insurance company and pick up a rental, which was so fun ha!  They actually hooked us up with a brand new BMW with less than 1,000 miles on it.  You can bet I’m going to drive it like I rented it.   

Then went to Costco to pick up Mike’s girlfriends. 

Yesterday I met up with this pretty face for an early morning ride.

We did 25 chatty miles and the whole ride just flew by.  We talked about cupcakes, races, her mothers wedding, and how we live so close to each other and didn’t even know it.  Oh and Lauren ran the CA Classic in 2011, the same year I did and we didn’t even know each other.  That’s where she got her P.R-1:33.  That girl can fly, yo!

I’m hoping this becomes a weekly thing because it was so much fun! 

{Thanks for the pic. Lauren}

I came home, ate a quick lunch and took Mr. furry mc trouble maker to the Los Gato’s Creek Trail for a long walk.

I’ve been so busy training, dealing with the car and a bunch of other things this week and kind of neglected my buddy.  Turns out if you don’t run a Jack every day, they use their energy to get into trouble.  So I made it a point to spend a lot of time with him outside yesterday.

Unfortunately it was a lot warmer than I expected so we didn’t last long.  I took him to play in the water fountain at Google to cool off on the way home. 

We got to hear Miranda Lambert warming up to Fix Your Makeup for the concert at the Shoreline Amphitheater, which was kind of cool.

What was the last thing you ate?

Banana & cinnamon raisin toast.  Oh and coffee of course.

Do you prefer working out with friends or solo?

I hope you are all having a great day! 

Mine started extra early, (for me anyhow) to do my last long ride before the race next weekend.

I’ve been hanging out with this furry face all afternoon at the park.  Turns out if you don’t exercise a Jack they use their extra energy to get into trouble.  It’s actually all my fault so I’m making up for it today.

We even heard Miranda Lambert warming up singing Fix Your Makeup for the concert this evening at the Shoreline Amphitheater.  That has to count for hearing her sing live.  No?   

I’ll be back in the morning with a recap of the last 2 days, until then have a great one!

Tell me something fun you did today?

Hey, hey!  Happy Friday!

What are your plans for the weekend?  I’m planning to do my last long ride before the CA Classic (ahhhhh I am stoked) and the usual, harass Mike.  Because that’s what I do.   

The weather is warming up, (hopefully it is where you are too) and I thought a post about staying hydrated while exercising would be a little helpful or at least a good reminder.

{Yesterday’s run & recovery drink of choice}

I ever so graciously volunteered to be your guinea pig and pass along a few tips I learned (mostly the hard way) so you don’t have to.  I don’t even know why I am being so nice lately.  Ha!

Tips to stay hydrated:

• If you plan on doing a long run, ride or it’s warm out drink at least 8 ounces of a sports drink 45 minutes before.  I really believe this is the golden ticket for staying hydrated.  I usually roll with Gatorade or Nuun. 
• Plan your route around water fountains.  I’ve also seen belts that hold bottles, camel backs and a bunch of other options.  So if that’s your thing it might be worth investing in one.  Personally I’m not a fan of carrying anything so I opt for the good ole standby, water fountains. 
• Start drinking up early in the workout and often.  I have found that if I stop for water before I’m thirsty and stay ahead of it, I tend to feel much better. 
• Before long runs I sometimes weigh myself before & after.  It’s recommended you drink 20-24 ounces of water for every pound lost. 

Signs of dehydration:

• Thirst.  This is a big sign it’s time to stop & drink up. 
• Lacking energy, slowing pace.  When I feel like this, I stop for water and start taking in fuel.  I do really well with Jelly Belly Sport Beans and Cliff Shot Bloks but play around with different types of fuel while you’re training.
• Dry, sticky mouth.
• Dizziness or feeling lightheaded.
• If you stop sweating.

Like anything, knowledge and prevention is key.  My best advise is to hydrate well before you head out and when in doubt drink up. 

Here is a full list of signs of dehydration I found helpful.

What is your favorite electrolyte drink?

How do you fuel on a long run or exercise? 

Feel free to leave your tips!

How are you today?

I took a rest day yesterday to deal with insurance companies, clean the disaster area we call home, do laundry and other stuff like give Mr. pink skin, age spot Bam a bath.  He was thrilled.

I’ve been working on a lot of behind the scenes blog stuff recently.  I even updated the About page woo!  It was long overdue since SCB finally has direction.  Sorta.  It was perfect timing when this girl invited me to join the #BlogSmarter chat on Twitter last night. 

Turns out when you get a bunch of bloggers together, you make some really cool virtual friends and they share a lot of information.  #winning

We talked about blog safety, how to promote your blog without over promoting, and adding features to your blog.

I want to share a few things I found interesting with you.

Blog promoting & tools:

• The 80/20.  80% Tweeting, Instagraming, etc others blog posts, pics, quotes and 20% promoting yourself.
• Popular photo editing tools are Pic Monkey & Pixlr.  I personally use & love Pixlr.  I like that it’s 100% online and I don’t have to download the app to my computer.
• Moo Cards & Vista Print came highly recommended.  I used Vista for my business cards & I’m very happy with them.  They are also reasonably priced.  I think I scored 500 cards for under $50.

• One app I use and recommend is Marksta.  It allows you to watermark & copy write photos.  Plus you can save them, so adding your watermark to other images is a synch.  I’m cheap, but actually paid for this one. 

Blog safety:

• Wait until you’re leaving before checking into Four Square.  I found this one interesting because I don’t use the app, but it makes sense.
• Never post trails you frequently train on.
• Don’t release your last name.  I personally don’t mind this one, I think it’s kind of hard to hide especially since I participate in races.
• Never mention you’re out of town for an extended period of time.  I find this one interesting because I don’t know how they would know where you live in the first place? 

Mike’s advise:

Never post a picture of the front side of your house.  Someone could save the picture, do a Google image search, cross referencing the city that you live in and find the exact address.  It’s how he scores his dates. 

If you blog, what tools do you often use & recommend?

What do you do (or not) for online safety?

Good morning!!

We were off to a great start yesterday.  Mr. pink skin cute paws Bam got to hang out in bed with us.  The only furniture he is not allowed on.  He knows it’s a special treat so, he doesn’t even move when he get’s the rare chance.

Then it’s all fun & games until 2 Sanford doctors make a lane change right into your car.  I’m so thankful everyone is fine.  But now I’m worried how I’ll continue my role as trophy wife. 

I was in the right lane, they were in the middle lane in their blind spot, I didn’t even have a chance to break.  There was no where else for me to go except right into them.

Luckily they were really apologetic & nice and I wasn’t upset, just thankful everyone was fine.  Plus they laughed at my jokes… 

The passenger told the driver he just called the meeting they were headed to and told them they would be late.  I asked if he told them it’s because his eyelashes hurt. 

Hey, stuff happens, it’s life.  Why get your thong in a wad over it, right.

Plus I looked up and Starbucks magically appeared.  Ahhhhhhh!!  #theresalwaysabrightside

This picture is a reenactment, I was too busy calling Mike to come survey the damage.

Do you know what else makes your day better?  Pedicures.  It’s a proven fact.  Okay well I might have just made that up so let’s just go with it.

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Something random, but I thought was really cool. 

Have you ever wanted to track what’s being pinned on your site?  If so, here’s how:

Type in the following URL to see what is being pinned from your site, make sure you enter your account name on the last part.

http://pinterest.com/source/youraccountname/

For example here is SCB:

http://pinterest.com/source/skinnychickblog.com/

Here’s the screenshot:

Pretty nifty, right?  Check out this site for more tips on Pinterest if you’re interested.

Pet’s in your bed.  Yay or nay?

Have you ever been in a car accident?

Only one other time when Mike was driving & a car came into our lane and hit him.  Humm, I’m sensing a trend here.

Share your blog tips if you have one!

Good morning!! 

SCB has grown a lot recently and I am amazed at how many of you are interested in reading my ramblings.  I’m not even that cool y’all.  Thank you so much for stopping by, stalking, leaving comments, sending emails, and every single little thing.  I really enjoy “meeting” and getting to know my virtual friends. 

If my friend, queen of all running blogs Skinny Runner sent you, welcome!! 

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You know I’m kinda liking Mike’s new schedule.  I now have a personal photographer and it frees up so much time so that I can run and torture myself even more. 

He’s thrilled.

My current favorite running skirt.  I’m thinking about starting a Lulu support group for addicts like me. 

Since it’s been so warm, my long run’s haven’t been happening, but lucky for me it was cloudy with a chance of meatballs rain so I told myself I wasn’t coming home without running 10 miles.

Oh the places you’ll go…

Don’t act all surprised that I ran around Google.  I’m thinking about attending one of their town hall meetings to demand they put in a Gatorade/aid station, a post run massage station, and while they’re at it clean my Mizuno’s.  If they do not comply with my demands, I am going to use Bing.

All photo’s take with iPhone 5, not Android. 

It was still 70 degrees and humid so there were a lot of water stops along the way, but dang it, I came home to a worried husband because it took me so long and a 10 on my Garmin.  #winning

Then I played the how long can I stay in my gross, sweaty workout gear game.  Let’s see…Starbucks, check.  I have no shame.

Trader Joe’s, check.

Walking the Bam, check.

My reward for walking Bam; a happy Jack, loose hamstrings & beautiful scenery even if he “waters” it.

How long do you stay in your sweaty workout gear?

What brand are you addicted to?

Google or Bing?

Good morning!! How was your weekend?

I spent a good chunk of it outside with my little buddy and went out to dinner with Mike.  A long week calls for a huge streak dinner. 

When I was contacted to write a piece for Believe I Am about what strong means to me, I naturally knew who it was going to be about. 

If you’ve been stalking the blog for awhile, then you probably already know who my favorite person on the planet is, my Grandma Lucille.

When I think of her, I think, independent, self sufficient, simple, stubborn, the sweetest heart, and bacon grease.  Yep, grandma fries almost everything in it and she’s as healthy as can be.  But that’s a whole other story.  Ha! 

Grandma is also strong, and has the will it takes to be strong. 

Grandma at age 15 in 1942.

I’m not talking about physical strength, though last Easter Mike watched her drive her car into the garage, get out to see if she made it in far enough.  Got back into the car, put it in neutral walk to the rear bumper and push it in.

It happened so fast Mike didn’t even have a chance to utter a word or offer help.  When he got on to her about it, she said “oh I do it all the time.”

Yeah, she’s 85 years old on Facebook every day.  Is your grandma on Facebook?  I didn’t think so.

Then there’s that time last summer she decided it was a good idea to stand on top of the picnic table (see pic below) so she could reach up, with a broom, and sweep the leaves that had collected from the past fall off the roof of the house.  Notice I didn’t add smart to the list above.  Ha, just kidding grandma. 

The table wasn’t exactly steady and she fell onto the concrete patio and landed on her shoulder.  She had to crawl inside on her hands and knees, because nobody was around. It was sore for months.

Mike being the funny guy he is said “Grandma, when you fell did you make a splat or a thump?”  She looked at him with a straight face and said “I don’t know what sound I made, but I didn’t cry.”

That’s Grandma!  That’s her generation.  They fought through the depression, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam, 80’s hair styles, and the dreaded Y2K. They lost a lot, but never lost their pride, their will, and they sure as heck never gave up. 

So every time I slip this tank on, I’m going to think of Grandma and her will to be strong.  And I’ll strive to become the woman she is today but I can’t imagine even coming close.

What does strong mean to you?

Who do you view as “strong”?

Believe I Am supplied me with the uber cute & comfy tank in exchange for this post.  I am in love with it and think it’s something I would actually buy for myself.  I’m wearing a size Medium as they run true to size which is really cool. I also dig the longer length.  I hear it’s the style these days, but let’s be real, I wouldn’t know. 

**All pictures were borrowed from grandma’s Facebook with the exception on the first & last one. 

It’s been quite the morning.  I don’t talk a lot about Mike’s job on here, but it’s pretty dangerous.  He’s a first responder for emergency’s this weekend and got called into work around 3:00am.  There was a freak storm with up to 100 MPH wind gusts in the Los Gatos hills. 

Once I’m up, it’s hard to go back to sleep especially not knowing what he’s going to run into.  You guys, I am so thankful every time I hear his truck pull into the driveway.  <3 

He got home around 7:30 with fresh, warm Krispy Kreme doughnuts and is currently in a sugar coma napping right now.  I’m crossing my fingers he doesn’t get called out again so we have some time to hang out and I can poke fun at him.  I’m a gem.

That boy also worked all day yesterday, and Bam started singing nobody likes me everybody hates me guess I’ll go eat worms… So I took poor the poor, neglected guy to Google for a bit. 

There’s a community park and everyone’s off for the weekend so it’s perfect.

If there’s water, he’s in it.  I love that about him!

It was hot out but I could tell he had more energy to burn, so after a stop at the car for some water, I took him for a walk in the shade.

This is one of many reasons why I love to run around the Google campus. 

There are sidewalks everywhere, lots of shade, restrooms and a water fountain.  Now if only they would set up a Gatorade/first aid station I’d be set.  Oh and stop cooking during the times I am running too.  Their café’s smell amazing.

Just in case Google needs a mascot, Bam want’s you to know that he’s your man.

I dropped off the very happy and exhausted Jack, then headed to Whole Foods.  I find myself shopping here more often than usual because their meat is incredible.  I think it’s because it’s never frozen.

I picked up some fresh boneless skinless chicken breasts on sale for a little over $4 a pound.  I’m learning that quality of meat makes a huge difference.

I had my current favorite juice, 2 apples, 1 lemon while worked in the kitchen prepping for the week.

Mike & I like quick, easy meals so this week I made hard boiled eggs, sliced mangos, a fresh corn/avocado salad (just cilantro, lime, chili powder, fresh cracked pepper & sea salt).  It’s one of my favorites but then I looked up the fiber content of avocados.  Ouch that one stung a little. 

This afternoon Mike is going to pressure cook the chicken to top salads or whatever we’re in the mood for.  It felt really weird typing “pressure cook.”

Where do you shop for groceries?

I’d say about 85% of the time I shop at Trader Joe’s and the other at Whole Foods, the farmers market and very little at Safeway.  I really do not like Safeway but they carry a few brands we like the others to have in stock.

How much does quality ingredients matter to you?

We prefer higher quality meats & produce but usually shop by what’s on sale.

It’s the feaking weekend!! 

Yesterday was a lot of fun around here.  I went on a ride and was feeling good, I kept going.  It almost makes up for my craptastic run earlier this week.  Almost.

Insert awkward selfie. You are welcome.

I pulled a blonde moment and forgot to switch my Garmin from running to biking.  Dur da dur.  So add another mile and 5ish minutes to this.

I hopped on the Bay Trail and rode north to the Palo Alto Airport.  I’m not sure where the trail picks up again, I’ll have to look at a map.  Or make Mike look it up since maps & I don’t agree.  I hear it goes all the way to SFO.  That’d be a cool ride.

Anyway I cruised around the bay lands and watched a few planes take off & land which is something I really love!

You know what makes coming home from a kick butt ride even better?  When one of your virtual friends turned real life friends invite you over to hang out and feed you!!

Cristin made a chicken salad sandwich which totally rocked!  And that’s saying a lot because I despise mayo. 

It was so warm out again and I went through an entire 24 oz bottle of Gatorade on the ride and five 16 oz glasses of water all afternoon.  It’s crazy how much it takes to stay hydrated.

We played with the twins for a bit.  They are so much fun!  I can’t believe how big they got since I met them last fall.  And after they went down for a nap, we hung out with Mr. Bruce outside.  Isn’t he such a cutie?!

I have the coolest friends, she even sent me home with Aveda tea.  I hear it’s supposed to be the best around so I’m kind of excited about it.  Anyone ever had it?

Then I headed home and Gina came to hang out.  We made fresh juice and FYI my new favorite is 2 apples & 1 lemon.  Simple, a little tart and very refreshing.

Unfortunately I didn’t snap any pics from her visit, but here’s one she took of this handsome little fella.

{From Gina’s Instagram}

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I never thought I would get this much enjoyment out of the blog when I started, and it blows my mind where it’s taken me so far. 

When we moved to the bay area a year & a half ago, I literally did not know anyone. 

Since living here, I’ve met all of my friends online.  Wow, that feels so weird to say, but I guess reading a blog is kind of like a friend interview which is so cool. 

One of the things I love the most about blogging is making and meeting friends.  I feel like we already have at least something in common (hello running, coffee & cupcakes!) so it’s really cool to be able to meet you guys in person if given the opportunity.

Of course I love all of my virtual friends too! 

Have you ever met friends online?

Where do you usually meet new people?

What is your longest run and/or ride ever?

My longest run was 13.26 miles because a race course was a little longer and I cycled 56.78 when I did the CA Classic metric century.