When you pull into the Beach Club, there is a sign that says “relax, you’re here.” That is exactly what we have been doing. We arrived about 8:00 Thursday night after a stop in to Lamberts for dinner. Yesterday morning we slept in, ate breakfast on the balcony, and enjoyed the view.

Unfortunately,  it was too chilly and overcast to hit the beach, but we did walk on it and later watched a movie (free DVD rentals!) Lunch was leftovers from Lamberts and now we are getting ready for dinner here at the resort. Tomorrow is supposed to be 70 and have a little sun. Ready for a run on the beach!

Have a great day everyone!

QOTD: where is your favorite place to relax?

Good morning! Bobby and I are having fun at the beach. We really needed to get away and I am so glad we did. While we are busy hanging out on the beach. I leave you with some awesome awesome FitFluential ambassadors to read about. These folks are amazing, so please be sure to check out their blog and say hi!

Today meet Caitlin from Cait Plus Ate!

Caitlin has a fun blog, which I don’t know HOW she has time for since she is currently getting her MBA! She is quite the foodie and also is fashionable and friendly. Be sure to check out Cait Plus Ate!

1.) How/Why did you start blogging?

I have been reading blogs for about three years now, and always thought it would be fun to do my own. I was always so nervous though! After I graduated college and started my full-time job, I decided to take the plunge and begin Cait Plus Ate to get my career plans moving. I consider it my walking/talking resume, but I also started the blog because I wanted to connect with the amazing people of the blogging community and have an outlet for my passions and also my frustrations that I sometimes struggle with when it comes to living less “rigidly” regarding food/fitness.

2.) Sum up your blog in a couple sentences

Cait Plus Ate is a place where I write about food, fitness, and all the fun it brings me each and every day!

3.)What do you wish to accomplish/achieve by blogging?

I hope to achieve a career in marketing/branding for the restaurant or fitness industry! I want to share my passions with as many people as possible and also experience as much as I can. Finally, I want to find the balance I have been seeking and learn that indulgence is OK.

4.)What is your biggest healthy living accomplishment?

Probably finally running an 8 minute mile, which I spent several years off-and-on trying to accomplish!

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QOTD: How do you balance healthy eating when there are things like parties, weekends, and special occasions?

I love going back to my hometown to visit my family. It’s always like I never left, and and hanging out with my parents is always a treat. I came to get the dogs groomed and bring them for a visit to grandma and grandpa’s house (my parents, of course).

I dropped my babies off at Petsmart and met my mom for some shopping. We also hit up the brand new Steak N Shake in town. I will admit, I have never been to one of these bad boys, and wow was it good!

I haven’t had a milkshake…or a cheeseburger for that matter…in months! So I happily dug in to this heath bar shake and my mom and I split a burger and fries. It was just one of those days where calories just didn’t matter. Everyone needs to splurge sometimes!

We were pleasantly surprised and will have to be back when we are wanting to splurge!

It was raining while we were eating, but finally let up so we could go for a run. But first, we had to pick up the babies from Petsmart.

Look how precious these bows are!

Look how fun, mom and daughter running skirt duo.

We ended up running five miles, which went by quickly with good conversation. I can’t wait until we run the Disney Princess Half together! Today I am headed back to Mississippi but it was great to see my family for a short visit.

QOTD: Do you run with anyone in your family or are you on your own?

So, did February sneak up on anybody else? We are officially in the month of love…and my least favorite month of the year. February is usually gloomy and cold, and I am always itching for March. This year though, February is a FUN month because I am running Disney’s Princess half marathon! (blogger meet up plans here.)

I wanted to be sure you were aware of some of the changes here on RWS. In case you haven’t stopped by recently or are new to my blog (hello!)  I added some drop down menus (still a work in progress) and also a page to shop! I will be adding more to it, but you have to start somewhere, right? I have had the account for several months but haven’t had the time to actually put any product up.

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In the fun land of blogging and health/fitness, there are a LOT of awesome people. I have written a post about getting involved, and I really really encourage you to read it if you have not. I am always looking for new people to follow on Twitter, new blogs to read, and trying to make new friends and connections. With that being said, I wanted to share with you some great companies I think YOU should be following on Twitter and/or Facebook:

Running Skirts: @Running_skirts: I work for Running Skirts so I may be a bit partial, but they make a great product and have excellent customer service. The new spring line is coming out SOON! If your local running store doesn’t carry the line, ask them if they will!

Drink Chia: @DrinkChia I first met the fabulous people behind Drink Chia at the Healthy Living Summit. I am all about start up businesses and supporting growing small businesses. These are great people with a great product. You can very soon order Drink Chia from Amazon!

110% Play Harder: @110PlayHarder Super sweet people with great Twitter interaction. Not to mention great products!

Nuun: @ministryofnuun The nuun team is made up of great giving and caring people. Great interaction, and of course love all the flavors!

GNC: @GNCLiveWell We all know about GNC. The Live Well Now slogan is amazing, and they have been hosting some awesome Twitter chats! (#Livewellnow)

Travel with the Magic:  @TravelwtheMagic The other company I work for. I love what I do! Helping people plan their vacations is rewarding and fun. A lot of people don’t realize it’s FREE to use a travel agent! Contact me for a free quote at heather@travelwiththemagic.com

Go Sport ID: @GoSportID Very interactive on Twitter, and they of course make a great, life saving product! These folks are also very generous. Another family start up business I love to support.

FitFluential: @FitFluential is another company I am affiliated with and it isn’t even a year old, but already doing amazing things! Kelly and the rest of the team are amazing and great to work with. AMAZING Twitter interaction, and all about health and fitness.

Newton Running: @NewtonLab  I blogged last week about how I was loving my new Newtons. I have had a couple of questions about the shoes since I bought them and they happily and quickly replied to me on Twitter. They are always sharing great new information and videos with their followers as well!

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There are PLENTY of other great companies to follow, these are just a few I am loving right now. As a blogger, I look for companies who actually interact with people on Twitter of Facebook. Not ones that just have an account to spit out information. I love well done customer service, and it goes a long way with me when someone is willing to answer my questions.

QOTD: What is a brand/company that I should be following on Twitter?

I was tagged by Sarah to do this fun little question and answer. I feel I am very open here on RWS, but there is still a lot you probably don’t know about me, so here we go!

Rules: 1 Post these rules

2: You must post 11 random things about yourself.

3. Answer the questions set for you in their post.

4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.

5. Go to their blog and tell them that you’ve tagged them.

6. No stuff in the tagging section about you are tagged if you are reading this. You legitimately have to tag 11 people.

11 random things about me…

1.) I like to sleep in the pitch black dark. If there is light in the room it’s all I can focus on and I can’t sleep!

2.) I crack my knuckles. I know, terrible habit. Fingers, toes, ankles, back…you name it!

3.) I am afraid of heights. I will never sky dive, bungee jump, or anything of the sort

4.) Sweet tea is my guilty pleasure

5.) When I get nervous, I clean.

6.) I am obsessed with making Shutterfly photobooks. I never print pictures…always Shutterfly.

7.) My cell phone is always attached to my hand. Because of the nature of my work, I need constant e-mail and phone access

8.) I am not spontaneous. I wish I was.

9.) When I was 5 I took ballet. I was not very good.

10.) My first car was a lime green new beetle that I drove for 6 years.

11.) My senior year of high school I was district MVP for volleyball, 1st team all district for basketball, and female athlete of the year for my school.

Questions for me:

1) What is one childhood secret you never told your mother? Well I wouldn’t have told her but she found out. When I was 5 or so I didn’t want to eat my peas so I hid them in my mom’s Bible and then when she was singing in the choir, she sat down, opened her Bible for the sermon, and all the peas fell out and everyone was staring at her!

2) What is your idea of a romantic date? A tasty dinner, and then going for a walk or sitting outside on the porch just talking. I’m easy to please.

3) Would you rather spend a whole day shopping or cooking? Shopping! I love to bake but don’t think I would enjoy doing it all day.

4) What is your favorite vacation spot? Disneyworld. Are you surprised?

5) If you could eat only 1 kind of food for the rest of your life, what would you eat? Something with cheese in it.

6) What is your dream job? I really do love my jobs! If I wasn’t doing this, I would love to help people plan their weddings and events.

7)If you were to be remembered for one thing, what would you like it to be? That I loved God and loved others.

8)  If you could re-live a day of your life again, which would it be and why? Either my wedding day or pretty much any day of vacation with my husband. We have so much fun together!

9) If you were given a $1000 gift card, where/how would you spend it? Probably Banana Republic or Kirklands.

10) What piece of clothing is a staple in your wardrobe? My running shoes! Oh, you mean “real” clothes? A layering tank. Tops are never long enough.

11)  What is the weirdest food you have eaten? I am a very very picky eater and don’t eat weird foods so I have no idea!

Questions for my friends:

1.) How long should you be engaged before you get married?

2.) Must read book?

3.) Biggest pet peeve?

4.) What is your dream job?

5.) crushed ice or cubed?

6.) Have you ever met anyone famous?

7.) Favorite summer Olympic sport to watch?

8.) Salty or sweet?

9.) Would you rather have an encounter with a bear or a mountain lion? Why?

10.) What was your favorite birthday party as a child?

11.) What size bed do you sleep in?

People I am tagging:

Karen, Janine, Kristyn, Tara, Megan, Amy, Heidi, Crystal, Lindsay, Julie, Rachel

QOTD: Answer one of the above questions in the comments!

A few of you have asked me via e-mail about the place we like to stay at the beach. Growing up, we always went to Destin, FL and have a favorite spot, which we stayed in last summer when Bobby had to take some legal classes to keep his law license current. But, we have also gone to another beach a few times, and really love it because it’s two hours from our house, The Beach Club. This beautiful place is just outside of Gulf shores in a more secluded area called Fort Morgan.

The last time Bobby and I were here was in September of 2009 for a long weekend. We had a great one bedroom condo with an amazing view of the beach.

It was nice to be there in the off season when it wasn’t crowded at all. I know it will be a little bit cooler this time around but really, we are just wanting to get away so we don’t really care.

We really like how “off the beaten path” this place is. They also have free dvd rentals and a few different dining options. We of course will be hitting up the gym and running on the beach!

When we go to the beach, we like having a condo, so we can bring a lot of our own food. it makes it healthier and cheaper!

Plus we really love sitting on the balcony eating breakfast.

Or a late night snack!

Hopefully it will be warm enough to hit up the pool, but they have an indoor one too if it’s not.

So ready to go! Hurry up week!

QOTD: Where is your favorite beach spot?

Good morning! Yesterday was absolutely BEAUTIFUL. Not a cloud in the sky, low 70’s. It was perfect. Well, perfect for walking, laying out, etc. NOT perfect for running. it was a bit too warm on our six miles and I got a little overheated. After we ran, we lifted weights at the YMCA then did some yard work. (Cutting back bushes, cutting grass, raking leaves.) We also took the dogs for a walk and sat outside in the sun with them. Quite the productive morning!

Time for my weekly workout recap! I think I did rather well this week. It was the first week back where I felt “normal” since my injury. My runs are still way slow, but I am getting the miles in.

Sunday: Ran 9 miles at the beach with Kristyn.

Monday: One hour yoga class, weights (chest, tri’s, legs)

Tuesday: ran 2 miles (sprints), later that day did upper body weights, ran 2.5 more miles

Wednesday: 25 minutes elliptical, upper body weights and legs/abs

Thursday: ran 1.5 miles, lifted upper body weights and abs, 20 minutes stationary bike

Friday: upper body weights and abs

Saturday: ran 6 miles, upper body weights (chest, tri’s)

SUMMARY:

Miles run: 21

yoga: 1 hour long class

weights: 6 days

cross training: x’s 2 (elliptical and bike)

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A big thank you to everyone who entered my Ultra Immune giveaway! It sounds like a lot of you need to go buy this product anyway! Lots of busy schedules and germy children. I have been taking it myself during this hot/cold weather swing and so far so good. The winner is:

Elle from Eat Run Sail!

Please e mail me at runningwithsass@gmail.com with your mailing address and I will make sure you get your prize!

Also a big thank you to Ultra Immune!

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QOTD: What is the “perfect” running temperature to you?

Ever just feel like you need a little mental break? Bobby and I are very much feeling that way right now! Just when you think you are done handling a certain situation, a BIG one mind you…one lasting almost a year and a half…it creeps back up when you least expect it. Blah.

My parents are currently at the beach, and my mom sent me these two gorgeous pictures:

Sigh. Gorgeous.

So, we are thinking we may take a spontaneous early Valentine’s Day-we-need-to-get-the-heck-out-of-town-before-we-lose-it trip next weekend. I love and miss the beach, and our favorite spot is only two hours away, so we may just go for it. I think I need to take my own advice (number 5) on my blog post about things not going as planned!

Sometimes, don’t you just wish you could snap your fingers, go back in time, and change something that would avoid a WHOLE lot of future drama? Oh boy do I ever with this one! (Nothing I did…preventing someone else from doing something stupid basically.)

Sorry to be less than stoked today guys, I try to always look for the positive and in a situation and make lemonade out of lemons, but trust me, this one is a toughie.

I love y’all and hope you have a fabulous weekend. I am heading out to run six miles with Bobby.

QOTD: If you could get away for the weekend, where would you go?

*LAST DAY to enter my Ultra Immune Giveaway!

Since I was cursed with a stress fracture in my foot back in November, I have been doing a lot of research of running shoes. I knew I had poor form due to scoliosis and rotated hips, and that I was a heel striker. I am also fairly confident that these variables had something to do with my stress fracture (on top of running three half marathons in 22 days.).

I knew a good bit about Newtons since Running Skirts sells them, but I did some more digging and decided these were exactly what I needed to slowly train myself to run properly. Under doctors orders, I was to gradually add back my mileage, so the timing was perfect since you are supposed to gradually add mileage in the Newtons because of the low heel drop.

Huh? Ok, let me back up. Regular running shoes have a cushioned heel. When you run, your calf cannot fully extend in them. they push you forward then you arch your back (typically) to compensate. Newtons have a much much lower drop so it is more comparable to barefoot running, but with the sole of a regular shoe. They also have lugs on the forefoot that stick out further than the rest of the shoe that practically force you to run more on your forefoot.

Because my calves can now fully extend, I have been experiencing some (normal) soreness but it has gotten better. I have run 4.5 miles as my longest run in my Newtons and will up the mileage each week until I feel comfortable racing in them. So far, I really like them and while I have to concentrate to run properly, I can already tell a difference in my form. I don’t feel as if I have to put as much effort into each stride to get the same result (pace).

You can purchase Newton’s through the Running Skirts store. They have racing, stability, and trail shoes in a variety of colors and styles. Be sure to get on Running Skirts mailing list so you can be alerted when new arrivals come in and when sales are going on!

QOTD: If you could design your own running shoe, what colors would it be?

*Enter my Ultra Immune giveaway!