Category: Fitness

Celebrating National Women’s Health Week & A Colgate Giveaway

In celebration of National Woman’s Health Week, my friends at Colgate reached out to me to ask if I’d participate in their #MyColgateSelfie challenge.

Well, I’m kinda a teeth girl, love Colgate AND like being able to give you guys stuff… so I had to say yes.

As a woman and a mom, it is all too easy to put your family’s needs ahead of your own. So, this week Colgate is encouraging all women to take the pledge to put your health first.

Colgate also wants you to take a #MyColgateSelfie of you participating in any activity that contributes to overall health and wellness, whether you are enjoying a nutritious snack, getting in a quick yoga session, enjoying the outdoors with your family or using Colgate Total to improve your oral health.

Here is my #MyColgateSelfie:

One of my favorite ways to take some “me time” on a weekend is by g0ing on a nice run at a nearby park!

And now for the giveaway
This is not a sponsored post. I just really like Colgate products and I love that they are supporting National Women’s Health week.

Since Colgate is challenging us to Refresh, Restore and Repair ourselves, they have offered to provide one winner with a full-sized set of the Colgate Total Daily Repair line (toothpaste, mouthwash and a toothbrush). They sent the same products for me to try out and I love the way my mouth feels super minty fresh after I brush. I also really like the toothbrush, which has “floss-tip bristles” and really gets in all those crevices for a clean mouth.

colgate

Would you like to win?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. Colgate provided me with free product for review purposes. Colgate is also providing one winner with a full-sized set of the Colgate Total Daily Repair line, which includes toothpaste, mouthwash and a toothbrush.

My First 5k of 2016

One of the things that I love about winter moving its butt out the door and spring dancing on in, is that the 5k’s are plentiful.

As I mentioned in March, I really want to try and do a different 5k each month. The first one on my schedule was this past weekend: the Ocean City Island to Island Half Marathon & 5k.

The half marathon course was super cool and actually went from Assateague Island to the boardwalk in Ocean City (hence, the “island to island” theme). The 5k stuck to Ocean City – starting off at the inlet, running up the boardwalk to 17th street, and then back to where we started.

My sister, Katie, had signed up for the half marathon. It was her first time doing a half marathon race and she proved that all us Harman girls are overachievers… because she won. That’s right; my sister came in FIRST for female half marathon runners:

race pic 1

I did NOT come in first for female 5k runners. I just wanted to get that out there. I did have a great time though and may have taken one of my favorite running pictures EVER.

I know that’s a lot to live up to, but after the race I was totally crossing my fingers that the race photographer got a picture of me when I crossed the finish line.

And by ‘crossed the finished line’ I actually mean when I was LEAPING across the finish line, like a total goof ball.

race pic 2

Nailed it.

Any ideas on how I can top this awesome picture at my next 5k?

Running with Wine & Food… but not Scissors

I classify myself as a fair-weather runner, because I pretty much just like to run outside when it’s 60 degrees or warmer.

And sunshine. You’ve got to have sunshine.

I mean, while training for my Relay Marathon last year I totally ran when it was cold and icky, but that is NOT my preference.

Now that the weather is starting to warm up in Maryland, it’s giving me the urge to strap on my running shoes… so I thought it would be a good time to find some upcoming races to add to my schedule.

As I was looking through my options, I was impressed at how many events center around running AND food. I mean, most races provide you with some lame bananas and bagels at the end… but now there are tons of events that combine running and wine, running and beer, and even running and crabs (did I mention I live in Maryland…?)

If you want to get really crazy, there is a Krispy Kreme Challenge race in North Carolina where you run 2.5 miles, eat a dozen donuts and then run 2.5 miles back. I’m not going to lie, that sounds pretty amazing and I’m thinking of taking a little road trip next February! {I’m not sure that I could eat a whole dozen donuts, but there is an option to be a ‘casual runner’ where you can just eat as many donuts as you’d like}

I ran the Charm City Crab 5k last year and thought it was great. I mean, the 5k portion was terrible because it was so hot and humid, but the beer/cider/wine festival with food trucks and crabs was pretty fantastic!

Crab 5k 1

My plans for this year are to run a race every month from April to November, starting with a 5k in Ocean City. Then, I think I’ll hit up the Crab run again, a trail run at a nearby vineyard, actually run the Diva race in September (you can see what happened last year here) and finish with another go at the Team Relay Marathon where I met a penguin at mile 3 last year!

Joules and the Penguin

So, now I’m wondering… have you ever run a weird race that combined running with something else?