Run to Finish (Daily Running Log)

Sweeter than Birdsong: Review and iPod Giveaway

2012-02-11T06:07:00.000-06:00

I am a huge fan of historical fiction…through in a little love story…a little lesson about life and well you’ve got yourself a book to cozy up with this winter.

SUMMARY
In this second in the award-winning Saddler's Legacy series, Rosslyn Elliott has written a stirring novel of hope and faith inspired by real historical people and events. With Ben Hanby, a genius composer, Kate Winter, one of the first female college graduates in America, and John Parker, an ex-slave who risked his life time and again to help fugitive slaves, Sweeter than Birdsong is full of real heroes to inspire us. "I hope readers will find a renewed sense of strength in their own lives," says Elliott, "knowing that change is possible, and our efforts matter. I want them to remember these unique, brave people in history who left us a shining example of what it means to live out one's beliefs with passion and commitment."

You can read a longer excerpt here.

MY REVIEW
I recently fell in to the chance to work with Litfuse Group to review books and truly it happened at just the right time. The Litfuse Group focuses on books with a Christian theme and after the year of stress my brain was happy to start reading uplifting stories…this also came along right as I was with a friend who started talking a lot about church, funny how it all happens.

Don’t get me wrong Sweeter Than Birdsong is filled with strife and obstacles from stories about attempts to help fugitive slaves to women who were not allowed to make their own choices “back in the day”, but in the end it also focused on the good inside each of us. Books like this are why I read each night before bed…it’s intriguing and exciting, but also allows me to escape from any worries of the day.

GIVEAWAY
So to celebrate the music in all of us, Rosslyn and Thomas Nelson are hosting this "sweet giveaway".

One fortunate winner will receive:

A Brand new iPod Nano (Winner's choice of color!)
Fairer than Morning by Rosslyn Elliott
Sweeter than Birdsong by Rosslyn Elliott

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on February 28th. Winner will be announced at Sweeter than Birdsong Author Chat Facebook Party on 2/28. Rosslyn will be chatting with guests, sharing a sneak peek of the next book in the series, hosting a trivia contest, and more! She'll also be giving away some GREAT prizes: gift certificates, books, season 1 of DowntownAbbey, and a book club prize pack! (Ten copies of the book for your small group or book club AND a LIVE Author Chat for your group with Rosslyn.)

So grab your copy of Sweeter than Birdsong and join Rosslyn and friends on the evening of the 28th for an evening of fun.

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 28th!

See the entire blog tour schedule

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Gratitude Journal
Feb 11
I am grateful for productive writing time
I am grateful for new networks
I am grateful for my iPad not having work email
I am grateful for time to soak in the tub
I am grateful for moisturizer

Having It All…Right Now

2012-02-10T06:53:00.001-06:00

There is a favorite saying applied to women who seemed overwhelmed…”You can’t have it all.” However, I don’t believe this is true. I think we can all have every single thing that we choose, just maybe not all right at the same time.

Is it possible to be a great mom and work full time, absolutely. But if your goal in the moment is to be at every soccer game, every dinner, every breakfast and be an ace at your job, then your goals may not be aligned for the moment. I think many of us have amazing goals and are eager to achieve them all…immediately! But luckily it seems many of us will live to a rip old age and can spend a little more time enjoying the journey to achievement.NEVER ENDING TO DO LIST
I am not a parent, but have created for myself this same kind of conflicting goal set. There is so much that I want to achieve and daily my to do list grows to make each of those goals a reality…but why do I think they all need to happen right now in this instant?

What if it takes me 10 years to write a book or 20 to Boston Qualify, but in that time I build a loving marriage, solid friendships, an enjoyable career and a healthy body. Or maybe I’ll get that book done in 1 year, but won’t get to run 70 miles a week, spend the weekend at the beach or cuddle on the couch because I’ll be focused on that goal.

There is no one right approach….but there does need to be a prioritization of goals.

SACRED SIX
When I was feeling overwhelmed this summer I came across the Sacred Six method by JB Glossinger of Morning Coach. The idea is to make a list of 6 things at night for the following day...those are the 6 truly most important things for you to accomplish. This list becomes non-negotiable so you have to truly decide what is important and stop writing down EVERYTHING. For awhile my list included: Meditate, Run, Eat 7 servings of veggies, Complete documentation of X, Laugh with David, Write 1 good post. Sometimes your to do list needs to include the things that are going to improve your overall joy of life and less of the vacuum, dust, run errands variety. Once you start to reprioritize and break down things it becomes much easier to feel like each day you are doing your best to create your life of having it all.

Do you have a never ending to do list? How do you prioritize to keep your sanity and have it all?
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Gratitude Journal
Feb 10
I am grateful for quick customer service
I am grateful for role models
I am grateful for Fitfluential friends
I am grateful for new places to post
I am grateful for creative flow

Krill Oil: Happy runner knees

2012-02-09T08:10:00.001-06:00

This summer when the ache in my knees really started to drive me crazy, I turned to fish oil. Three months later my knees were still sore…and then I ran in to Pure Matters at the Philadelphia Marathon Expo. I liked the company for their philosophy on making vitamins that are as natural as possible..then came the idea to really put their products to the test and see if they lived up to their claim.MY TEST
The idea of trying Krill Oil was brought up, which I personally had not heard of or read about, but I figured it couldn’t hurt since the fish oil didn’t seem to be working. To be sure that krill oil was the thing having an effect I stopped taking all other multi-vitamins and supplements during this trial. I really wanted to pin point what was working or not working.

Within 2 weeks of taking the krill oil my knees stopped hurting, my IT band felt amazing…I ran the entire Houston Marathon without a single ache in either of my normal spots!!! Even in the days after the race there was no ache in my joints.

I can tell you that I’ve been off of it for a week now and my ITB started hurting again without any change in my activity…so you guessed it I ordered up some more! As I started taking it again this week, the ITB has already calmed down and is feeling better.

WHAT IS KRILL OIL
Krill are deepwater shrimp containing omega 3 essential fatty acids in the form of phospholipid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and it is more easily absorbed by your body than other Omega 3 supplements. – Too scientific? They are ugly little shrimp looking creatures that have a type of lipid which makes the oil more readily absorbed by us. Omega 3’s are naturally found in fish, shellfish, flaxseeds and grass fed beef, but most of us don’t get enough on a daily basis to see the benefits.

Good Cholesterol raised (shown up to 10x more than fish oil)

Bad cholesterol dropped

Improved glucose metabolism to help with weight loss

Prevention of blood clots

Decreased joint pain

Improves mood and relieves PMS symptom

None of this is to say that fish oil doesn’t work, just that in my personal experience the krill oil quiet frankly blew the fish oil out of the water. A number of scientific studies have now been completed which show that our body is better able to use the available omega 3’s from Krill oil than fish oil which could partially explain why I noticed a difference so rapidly. The other reason I believe is the quality…

QUALITY MATTERS
I mentioned Pure Matters because I have learned through trying many different vitamins over the last few years that there is a huge variance in quality. If you listen to trainers like Jillian Michaels, and I do, she talks about how you need vitamins that are bio available…meaning you want things that your body can process because they are natural. Grabbing the store brand that is filled with chemicals might make you mentally feel better for taking action, but your body is probably not getting the benefits that you hoped.

I get no benefit for you buying from them! I just know that their vitamins have worked for me and I believe in the quality they produce. I also don’t always believe that more expensive is better (see not below). Since I rarely rave about things like this my test has already convinced a friend and my mom to place orders.

DRAWBACKS
One of the drawbacks I have heard is that it takes more krill oil pills to be effective and therefore is more expensive…personally this wasn’t the case for me. I took the recommended 2 pills daily and know that companies like Pure Matters have great sales (I stocked up last week for $13 a bottle). Again this goes back to good quality, if you are truly buying good quality fish oil it will likely not be the large Costco size bottle.

And as with any supplement you need to talk with a doctor to ensure it doesn’t interact with any other medications.

Have you tried fish oil or krill oil??
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Gratitude Journal
Feb 9
I am grateful for my bike trainer
I am grateful for image editors
I am grateful for brainstorming sessions
I am grateful for guest posts
I am grateful for opportunities to guest post

The Weird Sisters: Book Review

2012-02-09T04:25:00.001-06:00

I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have siblings. This book convinced me I am pretty happy to be an only child. Truly this book provides a little insight to the different needs that we all have inside, but they are personified in each of the sisters…wanting to be taken care of, wanting to see the world, wanting to be needed.

“We all have stories we tell ourselves. We tell ourselves we are too fat, or too ugly, or too cold, or too foolish. We tell ourselves these stories because they allow us to excuse our actions, and they allow us to pass off the responsibility for things we have done…”

The Weird Sisters follows a family with the last name Weird and the family is definitely different, but not in the since of being strange…more eccentric. Throughout the novel the characters reference plays and books having been brought up in a family that was in love with fiction…even their names are from stories.

“…searching for the book that will give us the keys to ourselves, let us in to a wholly formed personality as though it were a finished room to let.”

One thing that struck me is the mom is the only one never to get a name in the entire book…I think it speaks to how we often don’t consider that our parents had lives before us…and all around us! Apparently they are not on Earth simply for us!

This was definitely an interesting book, though maybe not at the top of my must read list. However, I wonder if those who have sisters and understand the love/jealousy/distance dynamic might find themselves more entrenched in the store. Find out more about The Weird Sisters and discuss your own family dynamics on BlogHer.

This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.
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Gratitude Journal
Feb 9
I am grateful for new graphic programs
I am grateful for free software
I am grateful for insightful webinars
I am grateful for not normally having a commute
I am grateful for a good solid run outdoors

Appreciation Challenge: Guilt

2012-02-08T06:50:00.001-06:00

Part of me feels a little guilty about just how good this challenge is making me feel! I swear I didn’t do it to be self serving, but at the end of the day when you know you have truly paid someone a compliment they deserved or shared with them how important they are…it feels darn good! I’m beginning to understand why people say volunteering gives them such a great feeling.
SELF APPRECIATION
Starting each day with just a moment of here’s why I love myself is pretty nice. Sets the tone for a good day and over time comes back to you even in those rough moments! A number of psychologists say that this is even more powerful if you can say it in the mirror…yup might feel a little cheesy but looking at yourself in the mirror and saying something positive can be a huge shift for a lot of folks who tend to focus on the negative in the mirror.

Are you appreciating yourself each day?

APPRECIATING OTHERS
Remember that part of this challenge is to get a bit uncomfortable…that means actually telling people that you appreciate. Talking to your best friend about how great another employee was in a meeting doesn’t count, try opening up and just taking a moment to say “Suze you really gave a great presentation and I appreciate that you took that off my plate.”

We all need and want this validation, but vary rarely take the time to say it. I won’t lie without the accountability of this challenge and knowing you are doing it with me…I would easily have dropped off, but I want to succeed with all of you! That’s exactly why I set up these group challenges!

Here is the current participant list…make sure to leave a link to any posts you are doing or share your experiences or tips to keep it going! And here is the link again to the challenge document to help you.

Name	Blog
{lifeasa}RunningMom	lifeasarunningmom.blogspot.com
ali lopez	www.ali-lopez.com
Ali Mc	http://www.runningwithspatulas.com
Ally Garner	http://CopaceticInCarolina.blogspot.com/
Amber
Angela	http://happyfitmama.wordpress.com
Chelsea Rae
Chicken	www.chix20chix.blogspot.com
Christy	Thebuhrs.blogspot.com
Christy J	www.homehearthealth.blogspot.com
Debby H	http://debsdailylife.blogspot.com/
Elle	http://eatrunsail.blgospot.com
Ellen	http://suckingair.blogspot.com/
Emily	http://emmers712.blogspot.com
Erica Gordon	twitter.com/erica_g
Fancy Nancy	www.littlefancynancy.blogspot.com
heather	jeepgirl17.blogspot.com
Hikermom	http://livinthefitlife.blogspot.com
Jacky	http://findingjacky.blogspot.com/
Jess K	http://jesslk721.blogspot.com/
Jill Conyers	http://jillconyers.com/
Julie
Karin
Kate @ Run with Kate	runwithkate.blogspot.com
Katie Deller
Kyria	travelspot06.blogspot.com
Laura	http://mommyrunfast.wordpress.com
Lauren Burns	www.laurenruns.com
Lisa Jameson	runacrosstheus.blogspot.com
Mary
Mary Tessler
Megan B.	meganeberry.wordpress.com
Melissa M	runningforbetterorworse.blogspot.com
Missie
Noel Brown
Ruth K.	www.imakemyself.com
Sabrina K.
Sam	http://breakingmyrunnersin.blogspot.com
Suzanne Westenhofer	http://www.cowsandlasersandeverythinginbetween.blogspot.com
Tennille
Teri	http://bluebirddown.wordpress.com/
Tina
Toni	mylifenrunning.blogspot.com
tracey
Trecena
Yahu Palacios

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Gratitude Journal
Feb 8
I am grateful for ebay
I am grateful for finding a iPod for my dad!
I am grateful for extra cords
I am grateful for fun cards
I am grateful for natural remedies

Olympian Ryan Hall: The Interview

2012-02-07T05:31:00.002-06:00

Meeting someone who has inspired so many runners, including myself, should be nerve wracking…but it wasn’t because the topic was running! I can talk running for days! It was also in large part because Ryan is simply a laid back, easy going guy who generally makes people feel pretty comfortable…especially when the topic is running.

My goal was to try and have more of a conversation and less of a hard core 20 questions session with Ryan. Lucky for me we ended up riding from his hotel over to the convention center with a few other folks which made it a great time, a solid 40 minutes to talk and gave me a chance to think more during the show about anything I missed for the ride back!

SPIRIT
For some Ryan’s openness about religion can be a turn off, but I find it really refreshing. He simply is who he is…no regrets and no apologies. He also uses this inner strength that he finds from his spiritual beliefs to help carry him through all of the months of training.

Recently he and his wife Sarah Hall (who has Olympic Trials in June) moved to California so they could attend a church school there. Yup, you read that right. During his 100+ miles of training he is also spending 4 hours a day at school…that my friends is dedication. Ryan says that time actually allows him to relax, recover and mentally get ready for the second workout of the day.

I watched a video of him right after the trials and LOVED his statement that one of his goals is to walk hand in hand with his wife at the Opening Ceremony having both qualified…awesome.

TRAINING
Cross training? Nope doesn’t do it. Seriously? Completely. Ryan isn’t interested in overall well-rounded fitness…”I want to be fast.” The best way he has found to do that is to run…a lot…fast.

Wait but what about Tara Stiles and the yoga stuff she presents with you on Nissan Innovation for Endurance…yup it’s just not this thing. He has tried yoga and can only say he’s really bad, BUT Ryan is very clear that this works for him in trying to get to the Olympics and is probably not what us average Jane’s and Joe’s should be doing.

RECOVERY
ING was held just two weeks after Houston, which was the reason neither Ryan or I were running…don’t let the fact that he runs exactly twice as fast fool you, I needed recovery time too. :) Ryan decided after the trials to take one of his longest recovery periods ever 3 weeks. And I don’t mean the kind of recovery that us nut jobs take where we hop in to daily biking, yoga, etc…he literally is doing nothing for 3 weeks. Again he notes this approach isn’t for everyone, but when you have been training at such a high level for months on end the body needs time to reset. Not just for muscle recovery, but hormones and everything else that happens in your body under that ongoing stress.

Ryan also confirmed my believe in Epsom salt baths!! Being a well known athlete you might assume he sees a massage therapist and has an ice bath waiting…nope. Ryan has 2 tubs in his home and fills one with ice and one with the hot epsom salt, so that the can alternate after really hard workouts. This alternating process makes the ice easier to take but also has a lot of science behind it.

TRAINING
I didn’t ask a lot about his training because you can find all kinds of these questions…but what is cool to know is that Ryan really trains by intuition. Meaning he no longer works with a coach but trains based on how he is feeling and what he needs to do to feel confident and his best. Here is just one of the great videos talking about how he is creative with running. Could you do his workout? 23 miles alternating hard and easy…or even doing workouts that completely flop!

At the end of the day he really does love what his is doing and has known since he was 14 that running in the Olympics was his goal. This dedication to a goal is what appeals to so many of us as runners and why we turned out in droves to watch the trials.

If you aren’t following Nissan Innovation For Endurance on FB you really need to check it out. I have been following it for the last year because they are constantly posting tips, videos and of course giveaways from top athletes like Ryan Hall, Chris Carmichael and Tara Stiles. I won’t like..having Ryan Reynolds involved as of recently hasn’t hurt my feelings.

OLYMPICS
He was obviously still riding the high of having qualified in Houston, but I thought it was interesting that his first Olympics really only fueled his hunger to go back. He is excited for the temperature to be better in London, excited to hopefully have his wife there competing too, excited about everything he is learning training on his own and excited about the opening ceremony. Last time friends talked him out of the opening ceremony and he has regretted it ever since.
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Gratitude Journal
Feb 7
I am grateful for a full tank of gas
I am grateful for my new glasses
I am grateful for GPS navigation
I am grateful for fuel efficient cars
I am grateful for new ways to be inspired

Race Bling: Sarasota Half Marathon

2012-02-06T15:12:00.002-06:00

Does bling make your heart sing? How about double bling? If you have run any of the recent Miami races, then I have to tell you Sarasota needs to be on your list so you can work towards some double bling.
Beyond getting either the Big 3 or Big 4 medal the Sarasota Half medal is a dolphin and 4.5 inches! Seriously this group knows one of the things that excites runners is that awesome medal when they cross the finish line. This race is put on by the same group (US Road Sports) that does one of my favorites 13.1 Fort Lauderdale and one that I’m adding to my list for this summer…13.1 Chicago!!

RELAY?
If you aren’t in the game for bling then I have some other good news…RELAY. Yes, I am a fan of relays which is why I’m all jazzed about another Ragnar this summer, but let’s talk about a unique relay opportunity here. Two teammates will divide the half in to 5.5 miles and 7.6 miles. What a fun way to enjoy a day with friends! Everyone gets in a great workout, but isn’t so tuckered out that they can’t enjoy the beach!

Until the 8th prices are $90 for the half or $115 for the Sarasota Half marathon relay! I know a ton of folks from Miami are carpooling to make this a great weekend event…and yes it’s killing me not to do it, but I’m trying so hard to stop saying yes to every race….but they’ve got until March 11 to work on me so who knows! I mean look how neat this course is!

Do you run races for the bling? Have you ever done a race relay (besides a Ragnar)? This is one of the first I've seen for a half marathon which I think is a really fun way to introduce people to a new distance!!
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Gratitude Journal
Feb 6
I am grateful for blue water
I am grateful for well planned race coursesI am grateful for new distances (instant PR)
I am grateful for hilarious commercials
I am grateful for bonding time with friends

Workouts and Goals: Bike Trainer

2012-02-06T08:09:00.002-06:00

This week I was able to get back to running…but I also stuck to the bike! It will probably never replace running, but I am having fun seeing the quick increase in progress that I’m making. Mind you right now all of my rides are on the indoor bike trainer.

When I started months ago a thirty minute ride was really the most I could do before my legs were on fire and that was probably at around a 12mph…but Sunday I rode 20 miles at 18.2mph! I also enjoy using that time to catch up on some really great tv like say The Biggest Loser and Real Housewives. :)

So far I’m really happy with my CycleOps Fluid Trainer. It is a little loud in the small room when I’m pedaling hard, so I have hooked up external speakers to the TV and that makes a big difference in being able to watch something without blowing out the neighbors. I’ve been doing intervals largely by just changing my cadence, but any other tips from you bikers out there on how to get the best workout on the bike trainer?

GOALS
Appreciation Challenge: Continue daily with finding ways to appreciate those around me more vocally rather than just in my mind.

Writing: Clean up a couple old product reviews, write 5 new posts, reach out to a couple publications.

WORKOUTS
Jan30
AM: 15 min walk, 35 min yoga
PM: 15 min walk, 3 mile run

Jan 31
AM: 60 min pilates, 10 min walk, 30 min bike
PM: 30 min walk, 10 min bike

Feb 1
AM: 15 min walk, 5.3 mile tempo run
PM: 40 min walk

Feb 2
AM: Jackie Warner Treadmill workout (inclines,run/walk) 1.3 run, 20 min walk, 20 min weights
PM: 61 min biking avg 16mph, 10 min stretch, 10 min walk

Feb 3
AM: 3 mile run, 80 min walking (lots of errands)
PM: 20 min yoga

Feb 4
AM: 9.5 mile run (8:30 pace in middle thanks to friend), 70 min walk (around town again)
PM: 10 min stretch

Feb 5
AM: 60 min tri pose yoga, 66 min bike @ 18mph
PM: 10 min walk, 10 min body weight, 10 stretch, 1 mile run

In BAD BLOGGER mode I totally forgot to grab a pic last night of Bobbi (NHerShoes) and her husband who are in Miami for a cruise and came over to join us in watching the Super Bowl! I met Bobbi a few years ago at the Wild West Relay and just adore her! Hope everyone had a great Super Bowl night.

Overall: Had a great week. I am sticking to the plan of picking up the running pace and feeling good about this time of cross training.
Best Workout: Saturday long run
Nutrition: Let PMS drive me a little last week, so back to my focus on a daily smoothie and salad.
iPod: Adele
New gear: Nutri2Go – David really likes these and hence I’m happy we got them. He doesn’t drink smoothies, so this is one way to ensure he is getting some great nutrients. The taste is a lot like a juice, but the portable tubes break open in to water and make for really easy transport and usage on the go. I prefer my smoothies to juice in general, but definitely see the value in these.

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Gratitude Journal
Feb 6
I am grateful for fun Super Bowl time
I am grateful for funny ads
I am grateful for high quality production
I am grateful for chai tea
I am grateful for extra ipod cables

Wear Tighter Clothes

2012-02-04T13:46:00.004-06:00

Worried about over indulging in the chips and dip Sunday? Studies show that wearing tighter clothes may help.. you will be more likely to hold in your abs and less likely to want to fill your stomach out.

This 100% makes sense to me! I actually think I am going to start trying this technique on myself during the work week. When I”m working from home it’s really easy to stay in my loose workout tops and much away…but maybe if I start putting on my tighter tanks…well they just aren’t as cute when sitting and I’ll be reminded to keep it under control.

Not only do the tighter close slow down your intake, but they remind you to keep your abs pulled in an your posture pulled up…overall this is sounding like a pretty darn good trick!

Wanted to clarify on this based on comments... I am not a tight clothes person..SOOO you can wear spanx or tight panty hose or a tight tank under your clothes. All will serve to remind you to pull in those abs and maybe think twice about that second helping.

CROSSFIT AGAIN?
So just last week I posted about CrossFit gaining popularity and then while out walking around this weekend I came across a CrossFit festival in Miami!! It was the first one they have done here, so it was totally disorganized, but even David really enjoyed watching the mayhem.

Walking home from this we stumbled upon another street fair..old cars, weird clowns…animals…no signs, no idea what it was!

It’s fair to say you just never know what will pop up in Miami, but the women here must know about the tight clothing trick so I am going to have to follow suit.
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Gratitude Journal
Feb 4
I am grateful for crazy random experiences
I am grateful for unicycles
I am grateful for tandem bikes (just don’t want to ride one)
I am grateful for strong women
I am grateful for amazing customer service

Go Red For Women

2012-02-03T08:53:00.001-06:00

When I had my “episode” a few weeks ago and ended up in the ER with a battery of tests being run what the doctors never said was… “We think this could have been a stroke.” But the truth is when you understand the symptoms for women that’s exactly why they were running EKG’s doing CAT scans for blood clots.

Now if that isn’t a scary thing! Unfortunately for many women who go in they don’t even consider heart disease and therefore it is missed…save your life and others by understanding this silent disease.

It’s wonderful that we all wear Pink and spend a lot of time thinking of ways to cure breast cancer, but heart disease is the unsexy killer of women. Go Red for Women is a great opportunity to learn more about this disease..it can present with very basic symptoms so you need to know your body to understand something is wrong.

SYMPTOMS
It may not look like what you see in the movies where a man grabs his arm…women react differently which is why we often don’t get help quick enough.

Chest pressure, tightness, and heaviness (usually in lower chest so it can be mistaken for stomach pain)
Pain in shoulders, neck, jaw, or arms
Lightheadedness
Fainting
Paleness
Sweating
Nausea
Shortness of breath with or without chest pain

Just like with Komen there are a ton of great products out there that will send money back to this cause! You can find alot on the GoRed site.

HEART DISEASE STATS

Over 250,000 women die each year from a heart attack.
More than half of those who died suddenly from a heart attack experienced no previous symptoms.
Women more often present atypical signs of a heart attack, such as abdominal pain or shortness of breath, without the classic chest pain that many recognize as the symptom of a heart attack.
One study suggests that women under the age of 55 who are experiencing a heart attack are nearly seven times more likely to be misdiagnosed than men of the same age.
-- From AARP

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Gratitude Journal
Feb 3
I am grateful for doctors to who listen
I am grateful for advocates
I am grateful for researchers
I am grateful for charities
I am grateful for companies that care