Giving Back Via Social Media

Posted on May 29, 2011 by Coco

This week I was showered with Twitter/Blogger love!

First, I got a set of ZippEarz headphones to try out:

A full review is to come, but the sound quality is great.

Then, PopChips responded to my frustration (made worse by all the #Fitbloggin PopChips lovin’ posts) at not being able to find PopChips anywhere by delivering this sample basket to my office!

I shared the love with some friends at work, and instantly created new PopChips fans .

But social media isn’t a one-way street of companies giving samples and coupons to “fans” and bloggers. Sometime you have an opportunity to give back via social media, and not just by writing a totally honest, unbiased, rave review.

I am running the Zooma Annapolis Half Marathon next weekend, and had “liked” their Facebook page after I signed up. It’s been fun to see their posts as the race day approaches–today they even shared the 10-day weather forecast (low 68F/high 78F).

On Friday, they used their Facebook page to ask for help:

ZOOMA Women’s Race Series
We’re looking for 10 volunteers to help the ZOOMA staff in our Falls Church office at 6pm on Friday (5/27). We’ll be stuffing ZOOMA Annapolis goodie bags and eating pizza and candy – woohoo! Comment below if you can make it and we’ll send details. Kids of helping age are welcome!

I didn’t have any family plans , so I decided to go help out. I managed to finish my work by 5:30, and got to Zooma not too long after 6:00. As I was looking for their office, I knew I had found the right place when I saw the stacks of Luna Bar cartons nearly blocking the entrance! (They had just received 500 lbs of Luna Bars for the bags!)

There were about five of us during the two hours I was there, and we stuffed many, many bags with goodies. I won’t reveal the contents, but here’s a sneak peak at the bag:

Between this and the hydration project, I am becoming quite skilled at volunteer bag-stuffing.

I enjoy this type of activity because it’s easy to talk to the other volunteers as you are working. While we probably won’t become friends, it’s nice to meet other people and learn a bit about them. There’s just something invigorating about working-side-by-side with others towards a common goal.

And, I will never pick up another race bag without remembering that someone volunteered their own time to assemble my goodies. 🙂

Have you ever volunteered for a race?

What’s the best thing you’ve every gotten in a race bag?

Posted in Fitness, Life | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

S Is for Scrumptious

Posted on May 28, 2011 by Coco

I rearranged my usual weekend schedule to go strawberry picking with my Mom.

No matter how good the berries are at the store, they just don’t compare!

It was towards the end of the season for this crop, so it took us a while to fill our flats. I ended up with 7 lbs, while my Mom picked about 12 lbs. I think we will use ours up eating them whole and in smoothies, but hopefully my Mom will make enough preserves to share.

What’s your favorite way to eat strawberries?

Posted in Food | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Training Log – Zooma Annapolis Half Marathon (Week 6)

Posted on May 27, 2011 by Coco

This is my training log for the Zooma Annapolis Half Marathon. (You can read my training log for week one here, week two here, week three here, week four here, and week five here.)

I can’t believe this is my last week of training before my taper week! I know I am ready. All I have to do is keep up my conditioning, not get injured and hope for a cool, cloudy morning!

Less than one week after the Zooma Half, I am running the Lawyer’s Have Heart 10K. For the first time, and in honor of my Dad, I am fundraising for the American Heart Association, so please visit my donation page.

May 23
21 min elliptical
free weights:
deadlifts/military presses/push-ups
plie squats/tricep dips
lunges/bicep curls
step-ups/lateral raises/front raises
bent-over rows/hamstring curls/leg extensions (Bowflex)
crunches/tuck & pile (on fitball)
side-lying leg lifts/crunches (on mat)

May 24 (Treadmill Hill Intervals)
Warm Up: 3 min @ 3.7 mph, 5 min @ 5.7 mph
Hill Intervals: 4 sets of 4 hills up to 6.0 incline (1 min hill, 1 min 0%), 2 sets @ 5.7 mph, 2 sets @ 6.0 mph
Cool Down: 2 min @ 6.0 mph, 3 min @ 6.3 mph (no hills), 5 min @ 3.7 mph

May 25
20 min walk outside
free weights:
deadlifts/military presses/push-ups
plie squats/tricep dips
lunges/bicep curls
step-ups/lateral raises/front raises
bent-over rows/hamstring curls/leg extensions (Bowflex)
crunches/tuck & pile (on fitball)
side-lying leg lifts/crunches (on mat)

May 26 (#watchless run)
~4.5 mile run (based on my usual route)
~ 43 min (based on my iPod)

May 27
21 min elliptical
free weights
:
deadlifts/military presses/push-ups
plie squats/tricep dips
lunges/bicep curls
step-ups/lateral raises/front raises
bent-over rows/hamstring curls/leg extensions (Bowflex)
crunches/tuck & pile (on fitball)
side-lying leg lifts/crunches (on mat)
Notes: I did my full weights workout since I am not doing my long run until Monday (Memorial Day).

May 28 (Pyramid Treadmill Workout)
1 mile warm up (12 min): 5 min walking, 7 min running
5 K @ 6.5 mph  (29 min)
1 mile cool down (11 min): 6 min running, 5 min walking

May 29
Yoga: 20 min Rodney Yee “forward bends” program

And that’s just about it! One more long run tomorrow before I start my taper! 🙂

Posted in Fitness, Training Log | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Three Things Thursday: Blog Comments

Posted on May 26, 2011 by Coco

This weekend I saw a few tweets in my #fitbloggin Twitter-stream wondering why people follow a link from Facebook to read a blog post, and then go back to Facebook to comment instead of leaving a comment on the blog.

(I also saw tweets about giving credit and attribution when someone else inspires a blog post–I tried to go back and find the tweets but they were lost in all the #fitbloggin chatter. If I try to guess who it was I’m sure I will get it wrong! So if it was you, please let me know and I will give you full credit for inspiring this post! According to Susan (@FoodieMcBody) it was Josie (@YumYucky), but I’m not sure if she meant that Joise raised it at Fitbloggin (they both were there) or on Twitter(where I saw it).)

I first wrote about commenting on blogs a few months ago, but didn’t address this issue directly.

Here are my top three reasons why I might prefer to leave a comment on Facebook:

  1. It’s easier. On Facebook, I only need to type my comment. On your blog, I need to type in my name, email address, etc. Then I may need to go through a few screens to get through the Captcha process.  I may not have the time or the patience for all that, or I may not think my comment is worth that much effort.
  2. It’s much easier. The difference between just typing out a comment (Facebook) and doing that plus logging in (your blog) reaches an exponential level when I am on my iPhone, where I don’t have auto-fill to help me complete the log-in forms. I will read blogs on my iPhone, but I have to have something that I am really burning to get off my chest before I will tap out all those letters to add a comment.
  3. I may think my comment will reach more people on Facebook. If you already have 50+ comments on your blog, my first thought is “why would s/he want to read my comment?” If you only have a few comments on Facebook, I figure you (and others) may actually read it.

What about you? What makes you more or less likely to comment on a blog post?

Would you be more likely to comment on Facebook instead?

Posted in Life | Tagged , , | 14 Comments

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday (The Ice Bath Edition)

Posted on May 25, 2011 by Coco

Step 1: Have a hot beverage ready (a “tall” is not enough!)

20110521-093736.jpg

Step 2: Get two bags of ice.

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Step 3: Run cold water into tub, and get in, fully dressed, with a big sweatshirt on top.

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Step 4: Add ice, set timer for 15-18 minutes.

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Step 5: Read or carefully play with smartphone (i.e., don’t drop it in the water!) to take your mind off the cold. Wiggle your toes and flex your feet from time to time to make sure they don’t freeze.

Posted in Fitness | Tagged , , | 31 Comments