New Exercises To Challenge And Strengthen Your Core

Posted on January 27, 2017 by Coco

If you ask a professional how to become a better runner or how to prevent injuries, they usually will tell you to strengthen your core. As stated in this article from Runkeeper, “having a strong core sets a solid foundation for strength in the rest of the body.” So, runners often are advised to do crunches or planks, but last week I learned more challenging core exercises to throw into the mix. 

runfessions

But first, it’s that day of the week when Running on Happy and Fairytales and Fitness host the Friday Five 2.0 link up, and it’s that time of the month when Marcia invites us over to come clean with our Runfessions.  Continue reading →

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Wholesome Breakfast Cookies

Posted on January 25, 2017 by Coco

I exercise first thing in the morning and hold my coffee hostage until after I’ve gotten my workout in. While I love breakfast, I don’t like to eat that early, but I need something to fuel my workouts–especially if I am heading out to Orange Theory Fitness, indoor cycling, or a run longer than 4-5 miles. I’ve found that these wholesome breakfast cookies are easy on my stomach and get me through even the toughest workouts. 

Wholesome Breakfast Cookie Recipe

I originally included breakfast cookies in my collection of Three Ingredient Recipes, but have since modified my recipe to include a few more ingredients that make them that much better.

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A Dynamic Running Warm Up For Winter Running

Posted on January 22, 2017 by Coco

Can you believe this is the last full week of January? Our winter weather has been relatively mild so far, but we still could face cold weather in February and March–and I wouldn’t mind a snow day or two. Whether the weather is warm or cold, I have added a running warm up to my routine, and hope it will help keep me injury-free as I train for the NYC Half. 

Dynamic Running Warm Up
I used to count on my walks with Tiger Lilly as my warm up–when she was healthy we did a 0.9 mile loop around our block–but now that I only have to take care of my own biological needs in the morning, I need to make a more deliberate effort to warm up my muscles before I head out for a run. 

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Five Games We Like To Play

Posted on January 20, 2017 by Coco

When my son was home from college we spent a lot of time playing games. He’s very good at strategy games and also seems to be very lucky, so it was quite a thrill when I was able to beat him. I know a mother shouldn’t gloat, but …. 

The theme for today’s Friday Five 2.0 link up hosted at Running on Happy and Fairytales and Fitness is Winter Activities. While you can play these games any time of year, playing board games is a great way to have fun inside when it’s cold and dreary outside. 

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Posted in Life | 15 Comments

Putting Together My NYC Half Training Plan

Posted on January 18, 2017 by Coco

Now that we are well into January, it’s about time I put together my NYC Half training plan. For now, I’ve decided to keep up with all my cross-training studio classes, and hope they get me to the starting line healthy and strong and ready to run a great race. 


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Posted in Fitness | 27 Comments