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Here’s What! What three things are you obsessed with?

| cheriarmour

How is it Friday again?

Idk, I feel like I’ve been asking that a lot lately.  But I love it.

Okay, so if you missed on on last week, here you go 🙂

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And onto my obsessions!

1.  Zyrtec.  Spring has sprung in good ol’ Carolina, and since I spent the entire afternoon outside, I am sick as a dog.  My throat is killing me.  Yes, I’ve been killing em with the neti pot, but I think my best bet is another Zyrtec, begging Austin to pick up some essentials for me from the Eckard/Rite Aid or whatever the hell you call it, and go to bed in like 5 minutes.

 

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Mama loves you.

2. “Quit Sleeping on Us”

This is my brother and he’s ridiculously talented.  He’s the one with the green mohawk PS.

3.  Holley Mangold. 

Duh.

4.  And I added a fourth cause I’m the boss and I can.  It’s Rock ‘n’ Roll time and I’m so excited I’m dead!  I’m also sorta bummed that my allergies have chosen this week to act up, but c’est la vie, right?

Okay, what three things are you excited about/obsessed with?

Interview with Holley Mangold

| cheriarmour

I am so, so incredibly excited for today’s blog post.

So a few years back, Holley Mangold was on an episode of True Life entitled I’m The Big Girl.  I loved the episode, and after seeing it premiere, I decided that I wanted to get in touch with Holley because she seemed like SUCH a cool girl.  In the episode, as a bigger girl training for the Olympics, she navigated what it was like to be a bigger girl, but the entire episode, Holley carried herself with such a confidence that she radiated beauty.  Big or small, she seemed like a beautiful girl.  So I reached out to her after her stint on “The Biggest Loser,” and she and her sister were so gracious that they let me interview her, and offered to keep in touch with me!  Yes please!  Huge fan over here!  So without further ado, Holley Mangold! (And shout out to Kelley for being awesome and letting me email her like a million times!)

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First off, what did you eat for dinner last night? (We’ll start with the fun stuff).  

I ate one of my pre-made modPaleo meals. It was seasoned chicken and veggies.  I love the simplicity of being able to have healthy food in my freezer that I can just heat up. Now that I eat mostly organic, free-range food, there’s really no going back. I just feel so much better.

 Like I said, I’ve been following you since you were aspiring to be an Olympic weightlifter.  The entire episode [True Life] was based on the fact that you were “the big girl” and you seemed pretty confident in that.  What made you want to make a change?  Was it for your health?  Was it for confidence?

I have always been confident at any size. I really wanted to take my lifting to the next level and my coach kept wanting me to get some of my weight off. I decided that the biggest loser would help me to be healthier than I was and would help me get the weight off faster than I could on my own.

 You talked a bit about dating in your MTV episode of True Life.  Has any of your dating life picked up?  Or are you too busy for boys right now? 

MTV really wanted me to focus on that for some reason? Maybe a drama factor but I’ve never really been one to get tied down to a place which makes it hard for dating. I’m happily content with someone right now who’s understanding of my traveling-training lifestyle.

I could be wrong, but during your episode on MTV, it seemed like there was some tension between you and your brother?  Is that true, or has he been supportive of your journey?

There was a lot that my brother and I had to work through while making our own names for ourselves but really, he’s a big brother like any- he wants the best for me and I want the best for him. He’s the one that made me want to get into football and was really the start to this crazy journey that I’m on.  I love being able to spend so much time with him and his family while he’s home for the off season.

Now that you’ve lost a really considerable amount of weight, and you’re still lifting incredibly well, what are your plans?  Are you happy at your weight, or are you hoping to lose more? 

RIO 2016 is my main focus. I came up a little after finale but am happy staying right around 270. I really just want to keep building my strength.

 Do you feel like your weight loss has affected your lifting?  Are you currently enjoying any other types of exercise? 

Coming back to weightlifting after being on the ranch was hard- I lost a ton of my strength. It didn’t take long to get back to close to where I was. But seriously, If I wasn’t training non-stop for RIO, I’d be soul cycling every day. I fell in love with it in LA but it isn’t great for my lifting. I also am obsessed with Hot Yoga- its perfect after a hard workout!

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 I have worked the past few summers at weight loss camp which has been an incredible experience.  I have loved seeing folks make huge transformations.  What was your experience on the Ranch?  Did you love it?  Was there any point that you hated it and you wanted to go home?  Would you go back (if that was a thing?)

That’s an awesome idea! Weightloss and being healthy is not easy- it must be so cool to see people go through that transformation. It’s really changing your whole lifestyle. The ranch was kinda like rehab for big people. I’m used to being away from my family for long periods of time for training so for me it really wasn’t as hard for me as it was for other people. The cardio was crazy but my team was so awesome. The best part of my journey is how many amazing people I’ve met along the way- blue team especially! I am not a huge fan of Hollywood politics and drama so there were definitely points that I was ready to go back to real life. After I was brought back on the show, I had already felt what it was like to be home and back to weightlifting so I was ready to just get into my own routine, in my own house, at my own gym. Now, I still keep in touch with my blue team friends and would do a reunion with them if it came up.

 What do you feel like was one of the most important things you learned for weight loss while you were on the ranch?   

I lost a little bit of weight between years in grad school, and from losing that weight, there are some things I definitely will not touch, one of those being Coco-Cola.  Do you have anything like that that you won’t touch?

And to this second, how much total weight have you lost?

Congrats on the weightloss! I’m thinking that overly processed foods are things that I stay away from. Because of our extreme dieting, dairy doesn’t really agree with me so anything extra dairy filled stays out of my diet too. I really like to live in moderation and not get too mad at myself if I try some crazy food- I just get back on track with my modPaleo food. On the show, I lost 96 pounds but I’m steady at about 80lbs lost.

And finally, I’m sure you’ve gotten so many questions about this.  Can you tell me anything about the situation with Rachel?  I know you can’t necessarily speak on if she is healthy or not, but how was it seeing her at the finale?  Any thoughts on some of the comments from the cyberverse on her condition?

Yeah, It’s hard to say really- Biggest Loser is set up as a competition and Rachel is super competitive. It was hard to see her so skinny but I know that she’s back up to a more healthy weight now. I really hope all the best for her and all the contestants. Long-term weightloss is hard and an everyday battle (I’ve watched my mom go through it).

And finally, as you embark on a journey toward the 2016 Olympics, what do you want people to know about you? 

I think that I want people to know that I try to do everything honestly and whole-heartily. I never want to pretend that I’m somebody that I’m not. I love teightlifting, I love seeing people be happy and feeling strong; empowered to do anything that you feel like doing. And, I want them to know that I’m not retired- I’m working as hard as I know how to represent USA in the best way I know how!

 And with that, we signed off!  Holley has a new fan, and was incredible to talk to and work with!  Let me know if you have any additional questions for her and I will pass them her way!

 

So a Haitian, and two Argentinians walk into Fleet Feet…

| cheriarmour

Kinda sounds like a joke, right?

Well it happened.  Except I made a rookie mistake and I didn’t snap a selfie, so I just have to tell you what I was doing with an Argentinian camera crew.  So enjoy today’s favorite gif instead.

So a few weeks back Competitor Group, the group that puts on Rock ‘n’ Roll contacted me – ESPN Run, a division of ESPN that’s really big in Latin American countries needed a local runner, me to like, do what I do and let them film me doing it.

You would think that would make you feel like a boss ass bitch –

boss assBut really, I felt horribly dorky the entire time.

It was like…

…run – but run slow

…stretch slowly so we can see your muscles

…breathe into this mic

…stand still for three minutes, and stare in the same spot.

I’m really excited to see how this footage turns out, and I will snap a quick pic for you all tomorrow, because the guys are coming over tomorrow to film me making breakfast – through the magic of editing, they’re going to make it look like I’m prepping my breakfast in the minutes before the half, without stressing me out and actually following me around on Sunday morning.

So….what are you guys up to today?

The project is still in progress –

Race week! Rock ‘n’ Roll Raleigh!

| cheriarmour

It’s race week.  Which I almost forgot with everything going on around here, but I am so so so excited for the Rock ‘n’ Raleigh, but it’s so interesting to be doing races at a time in my life when I’m busier than I could ever have imagined, and all in positive ways.

This time last year, I ran these races with a very specific goal in mind, wanting to get better and better.  Now, I want to run fast, surely, but I also want to run strong, and feel happy and healthy throughout the race, and warp it up with a smile like this one.

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Without further ado, here are some of the things I strive for this week, and in the race on Sunday morning.

  • Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.  This time last half marathon, I was vomiting violently from a little stomach bug I’d contracted.  If we can stay healthy, hydrated, and not drink this week, that would be great.  I will certainly allow myself a beer the night before, but other than that, I’m gonna chill on what I drink, and focus on consuming a good bit of water.
  • Rest.  I’m not good at this.  I am going to sleep this week.  I am going to sleep this week, dammit, if it kills me!
  • Foam rolling.  From last week’s 15-miler, the lactic acid has built up into my legs, and during a little maintenance run yesterday, my legs burned the entire time.  I grabbed the foam roller after, and rolled, and need to stay on that in general, and not neglect my poor legs/quads/butt.
  • Compression.  Along the same vein, I need to be sleeping in my compression socks to keep my legs fresh and rested for the race.
  • Time goals? Eh, it’s funny where I am at this point in my life, but until I get married, I don’t feel like I’m gonna be too crazy about time goals.  As long as I feel good and strong throughout the entire race, I feel okay.

Anyone else running the Rock ‘n’ Roll Raleigh? Racing this weekend?  What are your goals leading up to/the day of the race?

Mud runs + a giveaway.

| cheriarmour

I have a love-love relationships with mud/obstacle runs.

My first race was a 5k, the Warrior Dash in the fall of 2011.  I’d read about them in a runner’s magazine, and decided that me and Austin should sign up for one in Virginia to run one and to see how it went, never having raced before in my life.

It ended up being a total blast, and was the gateway drug to my subsequent half marathons, and full marathons.

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And go Austin for letting me drag him to all of these things!

Okay, so that brings me to Giveaway Time (for something really cool, keep reading)!

Also, if you don’t win anything, I’m gonna hook you up anyways with a sweet sweet  discount code anyways cause I’m obviously obsessed with you if you read this blog.

So I’ve already signed up for the Reebok Spartan Obstacle Race in DC in July, and for you, I will let you pick your race of choice here, and I will let you decide where you want to race.  I’m giving away a free one!!!!  The cool thing about this race, which you will find out if you click on the landing page is that the race seems like it’s going to be more challenging than some of the obstacles races out there, and even has launched its own all-terrain shoe in the process.

So if you want a free race tell me your literal most embarrassing story about yourself.  I’ll choose the best one, write about it, and then YOU get a free entry to the race of your choosing!

If you’re too shy to share your most hair-raising stories, no prob, I’m gonna be generous and provide you with a discount code. http://bit.ly/spartanwarrior <- that link will generate a 15% off discount code to the race of your choosing.

How can you lose?

[Full Disclosure – I was given a race entry (minus the cost on insurance) to talk about this but all opinions are obviously my own since I have been running 

The boy behind the blog.

| cheriarmour

You guys every wonder who my man-friend is?

You can lie and say you don’t, but the truth is that I can see everything that you google to find my blog, and one of ya’lls nosey selves has been googling to find out what my relationship situation is.  And typically, I won’t talk about him a ton, but this is Austin, the man I’m set to marry in a few very very short months.

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A little bit on the boy behind my blog.

  • We met in grad school, when we both were working at NC State’s Department of Campus Recreation.  He was a cycling instructor, and I was a Zumba instructor.  I was dating someone else when we first met.  It didn’t work out, and I like to tell myself that Austin jumped at the chance to ask me on a date.
  • Our first date was at the Rockford in Downtown Raleigh.  On this date, I ordered a burrito without chicken and he ordered one with.  They gave me that burrito with chicken and we didn’t notice til I ate about a quarter of it.
  • Austin is stupid smart.  He’s very math-minded and analytical, and these are really really useful skills for me to learn and to have, since I’m all artsy and loosey-goosey.
  • Austin likes to eat everything in sight.  EXCEPT mayo.  If someone brings him out a sandwich with mayo, he gets really really sad.
  • Austin pretended to like the Real Housewives of Atlanta for a short time when we were first dating.
  • Austin loves the NFL to the point where we scheduled our wedding so it wouldn’t interfere with his fantasy draft.
  • I once hit Austin’s car when I was rushing off to do something and he barely go mad (probably because my car got jacked up, and not his).
  • Austin want for me to feature him on the blog for eating disgusting items off fast-food menus, and then writing about it.  He wants to start with Taco Bell breakfast I think.  He also makes a habit of trying fish sandwiches from fast food joints, and then comparing them in-depth.

And that, ladies in gents, is the boy behind the blog.

Stuff I need (ugh, want).

| cheriarmour

I worked at Fleet Feet this past Saturday, which means, quite unfortunately for my budget, which we’ve talked about here, it starts to feel threatened and starts shivering.

For months and months, I drool and daydream about various pieces of technical running gear, until finally, I feel comfortable enough to actually purchase it without feeling guilty.  As soon as I walked into work yesterday, I spotted a few items that will  need to be made into little family members in my growing collection of running stuff that I’ve acquired over the past few years.

Nike-Pro-Sparkling-Sunburst-Mallas---Mujer-632280_709_A_PREMThis photo has been popping up on my feed in celebration of the Nike Women’s Half Marathon, and went on sale for 90 euros.  Now, I’m not the bomb with math, but that’s not looking too good for the running budget.

DSC_0187This was staring at me when I walked into the store on Saturday, and I’m a total sucker for anything that’s a 3/4 tight, and textured.  It probably does nothing for making me look svelte, but I really don’t care.  I love how fun a textured tight looks, and I’m sick of just running around in my basic black 3/4 tight.

DSC_0188And I totally wish that I could let you guys touch fabrics through the blog.  This top was lined with a really light fleece, and I think since it’s starting to get warm, it will be on sale pretty soon.

But alas, this is just a wish list.

Anything you’ve seen that you wish you could just stick in your closet?  

Shoe review – The Brooks Transcend (DIS FOR ALL MY SHOE NERDS!)

| cheriarmour

So, before you read, 100% understand that I have been team Brooks for millions of years.  And by millions, I mean for about 2 years, which is as long as I have been working for Fleet Feet in some capacity.  Originally, I was fitted for the Brooks Adrenaline, which is pretty decent stability, but my “princess and the pea” hoof was not having that stability posting.  From there I tried the Glycerin 10 which is what I ran my first half marathon and my first marathon in, and moved to the Ghost for my shorter runs.  My poor rugby knee seemed to really really appreciate the cushioning.

Knee InjuryOuch!

Okay so anyhoo, I actually called our Brooks Rep up on the phone, Chris, and had a really good chat with him about the Transcend, because honestly, I’m not sure I was getting the concept.

The Trance, which the Transcend replaced, was a pretty high stability shoe – felt like a dang dream on your foot, but had a really decent amount of stability in the shoe, so we “prescribed” the show sparingly.  Additionally, the steep price point would sometimes scare folks off who were, at the time, expecting to pay maybe $100.  (The shoe’s price soared to $150, and this was before that was pretty standard for a pair of high-cushioned stability shoes).

So anyhoo, Chris had great insight and great explanation for the way the shoe differed.

The shoe is still considered stability, but instead of there being a huge stability posting that your poor pronating foot slams into with each step, the shoe relies on “guide rail” technology that works to gently guide your foot into a more neutral position.  Still following?  The other big draw of the shoe is the cushioning, that Chris repeatedly described as “plush” but it’s referred to by Brooks as Super DNA, which is their original DNA cushioning, really beefed (or in this case), fluffed up.  Whereas the Glycerin or the Ghost felt a little more firm, a little more stable, the Transcend, out of the box feels straight up smooshy for lack of a better word.

Can you tell that I love my sneaks and that I love my job at Fleet Feet?

Okay, onto the review!DSC_0020

Cons (which I always start with so you can end on a positive)

  • I wear a size 10.5 in women’s which is already pretty big.  I felt like the Transcend made my hooves look HUGE.  You’ve got a skinny little chick in tights wearing giant pink shoes – not the most attractive.  In fact, I felt a little goofy.
  • Being used to the snug, foot-hugging Cadillac feel of the Glycerin, the shoe felt huge at first as well.  It took me so definite getting used to.
  • I’m used to the boat shape of the Brooks Glycerin and the Ghost.  The sort of flatter shape of this shoe reminded me of the Brooks Dyad, and threw me off a little at first.

But, after an initial test-drive….

Pros

  • Out of the box, the shoe is obviously a well-engineered, quality-manufactured running accessory.  I don’t need to name names, but sometimes that is not necessarily the case.
  • I got a lot of compliments on the look of the shoe – maybe I was being a little overdramatic on how big they looked on me?
  • My feet usually cannot stand to have any stability within their vicinity.  The Guide Rail technology was very very comfortable to me, and seemed to really do some guiding.  I’m interested to see what my wear pattern might look like after a few hundred miles.
  • Need cushioning?  Bad knee, sore hip?  This is the shoe for you.  You feel virtually nothing as you’re cruising, and that’s so weird, but so cool.
  • The forefoot of the shoe kinda felt like the Ghost used to.  As in, there was a ton of room up there.  In a good way, not in a weird way.
  • The shoe is very smooshy.  I’m trying to think of something to compare it to in real life, but it’s sort of like running on….sorta of like a firmer marshmallow.  A regs marshmallow would be really weird, it has more structure than that.

Overall, I liked the shoe, and I’m glad that working at the store, I was given first dibs on a pair of these shoes.  Had I not been so intrigued and wanted to try them, I may have just stuck in my old habits.  I’m interested to race in them and kind of see what we think in a race situation.

Anyone else tried this shoe?  What do you think?  

[Full disclosure – FF Ral was seeded a few pairs, and I was a lucky FIT Specialist who got a pair.  But all opinions are strictly my own!]