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Three years later, a bittersweet anniversary.

| cheriarmour

I will keep this short, because I know this anniversary brings a lot of hurt and terrible memories for Haiti and it’s beautiful people.

On this sad anniversary, I wish to Haiti and it’s people continued peace and restoration.  Things are not where they need to be.  Too many folks are still living in tents, cholera is too rampant, and some of us have forgotten how hard it is for some in Port-au-Prince.  An anniversary is a good time to renew hope and awareness to the rest of the world.

Click below to visit Mercy and to view their personal progress thus far in Haiti.  Our work is far from over.

http://www.mercycorps.org/johnhanson/blog/28021

Cold, rainy day in Raleigh

Image | | cheriarmour

Cold, rainy day in Raleigh

It was alleged that we were supposed to have warm weather, and I was only supposed to run 4 miles. But I woke up yesterday it it was POURING. And 43 degrees. (I shouldn’t be complaining. Yoga Kerri ran 15 in the rain and possibly contracted a slight case of hypothermia and still came to work to tell the tale after.)

I stalled for a few minutes until I decided to get my butt out there! Hat. Cheap gloves (from the City of Oaks Half). Nike Stormfly (from our clearance rack). And a very wet pair of socks later? Voila!

Guest Blogger! Carly Swanson!

| cheriarmour

I am once again, thrilled with the opportunity I have to introduce today’s guest blogger, my friend, Carly Swanson!

Carly 1

I met this tiny nugget while I was working for NC State University, in their department of Campus Recreation.  We got certified to teach cycling together, and cross paths all the time in Raleigh.  Carly is usually crossing the finish line first, while I’m rolling in hours mere seconds behind her.  Without further ado, my inspiration to crush a few miles just a tad faster!

“Fast Car and Freedom”

By: Carly Swanson

It’s 5:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning and while many people my age are just getting in from downtown Raleigh or Charlotte, I am heading that way, as part of a 16-mile run scheduled in my marathon training plan. As I contemplate sleeping in, I know that if I hold off on my workout, I would not complete it that day, as I work weekends web producing at a news station. I end up rolling out of bed onto my apartment’s cold, wooden floors to put on warm running clothes and try to eat a banana before I face the wind and dark streets for a few hours.

Some would call my passion for running as an addiction, but to me, it is just something that runs in my family, as my 53-year-old dad logs over 1,000 miles each year and my mom was a high school track coach when she was pregnant with me.  Ever since December 2010, my mom has run in races with me each month, as well as successfully completed three half-marathons.  Our monthly “mother-daughter tradition” keeps me motivated and I hope to look half as gorgeous and healthy as she does when I am her age.  My parents were my inspiration to take on running as a lifetime hobby and as I’ve been around the sport since I literally was in the womb, my parents even said I was the baby who ran first instead of taking baby steps.

This “get after it” and free spirited attitude has been instilled in me and running is something that has helped me gain confidence in other aspects of my life. I cannot describe how much more powerful I feel after completing a run or race and it is something you have to experience yourself to truly understand. This confidence has enabled me to achieve other goals, such as apply and get accepted in to graduate school and work my way up in the news or sports industries to become a reporter one day.  I always feel physically, as well as mentally stronger and healthier after a morning run or workout and it is one of the few moments during the day I have to myself outside of school and work. Running really is a “free form a therapy” and the energy it gives me during the day helps me push tough everyday work and school activities.

As I set personal running goals for myself, I also try to inspire and motivate others to do the same.  My supporters: family, friends and followers are frequently a motivation to me to train and work hard. I feel that if I can show them how running has helped me maintain a healthy lifestyle, they too can easily reap the benefits of exercise with small lifestyle changes. If it weren’t for their support, the training of my marathon would have been extremely difficult.

The unique opportunities racing each month has provided me with ranges from winning the Krispy Kreme Challenge for women in 2012 (eating a dozen doughnuts and running five miles for the NC Children’s Hospital) to treading in pond water up to my nose and climbing through barbed wire and mud in China Grove YMCA’s Down and Dirty Run.

The fitness opportunity I am most thankful of is representing the Oakley Women brand, as an ambassador. I was one of 10 women chosen to represent the brand in the “Perform Beautifully” competition, where over 600 women applied in the fitness industry in 2012. My fellow women ambassadors are like sisters to me and are a group of the strongest, most determined women I’ve ever met. All of their stories are such an inspiration to me, as they are “real, everyday women” who not only enjoy have a passion to lead healthy, active lifestyles, but also help others do the same. They frequently motivate me to set and achieve goals and I recommend learning more about them, as well as finding workouts and healthy recipes here: http://www.oakleypbc.com/Article/Details/dfd636a8-4826-4956-9355-b2c920c6fe37 as I know they can inspire you as well! Connecting with these women and the Oakley brand has opened so many new doors from me and I cannot be thankful enough from the support and fitness opportunities I have taken away from each time I am with this group of kick-butt women.

My Oakley sisters helped push me to sign up for my first marathon in 2012. I was able to achieve some personal running goals, as I ran in Charlotte’s Thunder Road Marathon, where I ran it in 3 hours and 20 minutes, as well as placed first in my age division. I also achieved a bucket list goal, which was to qualify for the Boston Marathon. The best part of my first marathon process was that I made a great friend/training partner in the process and I still enjoy running today (I’m itching to run another 26.2!)

I learned so much about myself after completing my first marathon and I am not going to lie, there were many times that I wanted to skip that early morning workout or just give up because I didn’t think I could mentally stay tough through the pain. It doesn’t matter if you are training for a race or trying to land that dream job, you have the freedom and ability to do accomplish any goal you hold yourself accountable for. Here are a few tips that have worked for me and I hope you can use them to achieve your goals you have set for 2013 and beyond!

-Schedule your workouts/runs/studying like an appointment in a planner. The feeling of crossing that off your to-do list is very empowering and helps set the tone for the rest of the day.

-Announce your goals to your friends, family and followers. This will give you a great support system and then the pressure is on and you are held accountable to achieving that goal!

-Connect with others who have either achieved the goal or are working to achieve that goal too. I frequently look to other runners or fellow Oakley ambassadors for advice and to learn how they have been successful and unsuccessful in their specific interests and niches.

-Remember you hold the tools to build a successful and healthy life for yourself. Do not let anyone stand in the way of achieving your goals. Let that unsupportive person be your motivation to work harder to achieve that goal faster. There is no better feeling than to prove those people wrong and show them how much stronger you are than before!

As Cheri has been such a wonderful motivation to me through her sense of humor, amazing Zumba classes and inspirational blog, I love connecting with other runners and those looking to leader healthier lifestyles on social media! My current goals include: continuing to lead a healthy lifestyle, constantly challenging my fitness routine, completing graduate school, reporting full-time, running in the 2013 NYC Marathon, 2013 Marine Corps Marathon and 2014 Boston Marathon. I frequently post motivational articles, workouts and healthy recipes on my social media outlets and feel free to connect with me and hold me accountable for my goals as, I can also help you achieve yours!

Email: carlyswanson1@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/carlyswanson37
Twitter: @carlysamsonite
Wordpress Digital Portfolio: www.carlyswanson.wordpress.com
Instagram: carlysamsonite”

Carly 2

Thank you Carly!  I hope I can glean a little bit of your magic for my Spring races!

Q: My plantar fascia feels tight and it hurts :( what do I do?

| cheriarmour

This question comes from my dear pretty friend, Liz Passannante, all the way from New York.

liz
Liz Passannante

First off.  I am not a doctor.  So if something bad is actually wrong with you, do NOT listen to me.  Listen to the person who went to medical school, not the girl who still eats Welch’s Fruit Snacks on a regular basis.

Now moving right along.  You’ve run, you’re sitting down to stalk your friends on Facebook, and you realize that your plantar fascia is tight!  (Your PF is a super super thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot.  If your arch is super flexible, your PF is getting a ton of stretch-contract and stretch-contract, and that’s probably why it’s sore and tight).

Anyhoo, so you realize as you’re chilling at home that your plantar fascia is tight and could use a stretch. Here’s what you do in a pinch.

First, sit in a chair, and cross your foot over your knee like a boy sits.  With the heel of your hand (right foot, right hand and visa vera), pull back on your toes till you feel that band stretch.  Again, don’t injure yourself, be smart about the stretch, and stop if you feel like you’re doing more hurt than good.

Then, grab a can of hairspray off the bathroom counter, and spritz your hair.  Look how good you look!

Sike, make sure that it’s one of those metal thick ones, and roll your foot over the bottle.  Bear a little weight if you need to.

Finally, put on your CEP Compression socks and go to sleep!  Don’t overdo the stretch and irritate it further.  In the future, to prevent this, stretch and warm up well before a run.  Don’t forget to stretch your calves and your achilles – everything is interconnected!  And for safekeeping, put a 16-oz Deer Park in the freezer, and roll your foot on this every time you feel that twinge of tightness in your foot.

Great question, Liz!

Running will jack your hair up if you’re not careful.

| cheriarmour

I started my locs I think like 8 or 9 years ago after I was seriously seriously tired of having my hair ripped out while I was getting it braided at the braiding salon in Charlotte we frequented.  I’m also terribly tenderheaded, so the whole thing was a bad deal.

So my hair’s long, looks pretty well kempt for the most part, but it can be hard work when I’m working out.

There’s also the stigma that locs aren’t clean that I like to shake, so I have to make sure that between running, Running for Haiti, teaching classes, and working out, that I’m keeping it together, looking nice, and smelling clean.  You go too long between a wash and this mane begins to cry out for some salvation.

Hot mess of a head, freshly shampooed head, and clean and twisted head.
Hot mess of a head, freshly shampooed head, and clean and twisted head.

I know you’re probably curious about how all of this works.  So usually, when people ask me questions about my hair (maybe a little more often than I’d like), they ask if I can wash it (yes), and how I wash/maintain it.  About once every other week, my hair starts looking a royal mess.  You can see, especially in that picture to the far left, that my roots are super fuzzy and fluffy.  Usually around this point, my scalp is begging for some relief, especially in dry weather.  So I wash with Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Threat Invigorating Shampoo and Conditioner, which leaves me minty fresh.   Finally, I take about an hour and twist every individual loc with a clear twist and loc gel.  Easy as pie.  So if you’re thinking about locking it up, go for it!  It requires some maintenance, but if you’re like me, and you were just completely over braids, weaves, hot combs, or perms, this may be the style for you.  Doesn’t look half bad on me right?

| cheriarmour

cheriarmour's avatarOveractive Blogger

As I was driving home from my parents’ post-Christmas, NPR featured a story on the best songs of 2012.  I was interested because it kinda tied in to this post, on the music that moves you.

Let me disclaim this post by saying when you run or lift, DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT under any circumstance, work with your headphones on full blast.  There are creeps running around who look for folks who aren’t paying attention who would gladly hurt you.  It’s also a good way to get injured – sometimes when you’re listening to your favorite song, it’s easy to miss the first twinge that could signify the start of a worse injury.  When you put your earbuds in, lower it a few notches so you can pay attention to what’s going on around you, kay?

Also, I alphabetized this list for you.  SO MAKE IT WORTH…

View original post 402 more words

I am a genius!

Image | | cheriarmour

I am a genius!

First and foremost, everyone wave to my mother ::waves:: who is an avid reader! Hello mother!

Plain and simple, I am a genius. I don’t know why I’m sitting here in Raleigh, and not at my MENSA meetings, but it is what it is. Consider yourselves lucky to be in my midst.

So I had to quickly run before work. (Side note, one of my New Years Resolutions should have been to stop dawdling – I can waste time looking up Wikipedia facts like a PRO). And I wanted to take my iPhone with me so I could listen to Katy Perry Pandora. Duh.

Well my phone doesn’t necessarily fit in my iTouch arm band, and it bounces around in my hydration belt so what to do? I put in my Tune Belt that I wear for the mic when I teach Zumba, and I’ll be darned if that was not the best invention idea I have ever had! Didn’t bounce, didn’t make my waist all sweaty, and I was able to enjoy Katy and friends for like an hour! Boom.

Keep yo dog on a leash!

| cheriarmour

Runners, what are we afraid of?  Bad weather, calf cramps, muggers, our GPS watches dying, and dogs.

And I hate to be annoying and preach, but some of you guys need a stern talking-to.

I am the biggest dog person in the world.  One of my favorite things to do is to go on Petfinder.com, and look in the local areas for rescues.  I would love to adopt a dog now, but I want to do right by the dog, and I don’t have a yard, and my apartment space isn’t big enough to house a dog.  

However, there is one instance where my dog love falls a little short.

I was running the other morning, and I ran directly into a Mastiff mix.  If you’re not familiar with the breed, they’re huge.  If I’m not mistaken, they were originally bred to guard South African farms from lions and things, so they’re a pretty formidable dog.  So anyhoo, I run directly into this dog, wandering around on no leash.  So I stopped, hung out for a second, and tried to figure out where this dog belonged, and I was overjoyed that the dog, who quite possibly outweighed me, didn’t eat me.

All joking aside, we have something called leash laws in this country, and it’s inconsiderate not to adhere to them.  I’ve heard countless stories of runners being bitten, mauled, and in more than a few cases, killed.  In the worse cases, a dog has killed a child who was not physically strong enough to fight it off.  “Oh but my dog is so nice!  He/she would never, so I don’t need to leash him/her.” That’s idiotic.  Dogs are like humans beings in that sometimes they have bad days.  Sometimes things set them off.  Sometimes they don’t like the way someone smells, or the way a shirt looks on someone.  And unfortunately for anyone who’s around when they have a bad day, some breeds are ridiculously powerful.  They may not intend to rip a patch of skin off of someone, but the fact is that they’re powerful, muscular, and can do a lot of damage, even when they don’t intend to rough someone up.  So leave them on the leash, especially on sidewalks, outside of bars, at parks, and anywhere where folks may be walking by.

(As a total side note, runners, if you happen upon a dog you’d really like to pet, ask the owner if it’s okay for you to pet their dog! It is rude to just reach down and shove your stinky paw in a strange dog’s face!  I am on your side, but you have to act right around people’s pets.)

That’s enough of my rant.  I’m being totally serious though, that dog I met the other day was big enough to ride.  Yeesh!

Our family dog isn't quite as big as the Mastiff mix I happened upon. Mini is a rescue that my mom picked up about 8 years ago. Genuinely the sweetest dog you have ever met. At about 12 pounds, she's sweet, protective, and the worst thing she does is sit on my mother's fancy couches when we're not watching. <3
Our family dog isn’t quite as big as the Mastiff mix I happened upon. Mini is a rescue that my mom picked up about 8 years ago. Genuinely the sweetest dog you have ever met. At about 12 pounds, she’s sweet, protective, and the worst thing she does is sit on my mother’s fancy couches when we’re not watching. ❤

Yoga for Runners

| cheriarmour

Our Yoga 4 Runners event was this morning.

2 Things –

1. Kerri Marchionni is an excellent teacher.  Sucky fitness instructors can break a workout.  She’s awesome.  I’m no yoga star – it’s not something I was born naturally good at, but a good teacher brings out the best in her students.

2. We collected $43 for ‘Running for Haiti’!  So overall, I can say, this day rocked!

Yoga
This is us, post workout. I am rocking the ‘Amy Winehouse,’ but I’m very happy with class from this morning 🙂 Thanks again, Kerri!