Merry Christmas To Me...

I can admit I am not a huge Holiday person. I don't know why, but they usually give me a lot of anxiety. So this year I was wicked excited to learn we would be staying home. Well my parents and I would be. The wife would once again be heading home to Chicago to see her family. :/ The pups and I miss her.

I was happy to be staying home since my alarm is set for 6:15am on Friday morning so I can get to work by 7am. Woo... not! :P No I am happy to be subbing for a friend since I need the money. The problem will Thursday holidays is I miss out on 4 meetings worth of pay, which stinks.

After my Wednesday Noon meeting in Newton, I took to the highway to get home... and sat in traffic. Oh the holidays. ;) I was a little jealous of the people in the other cars heading out of town for a long weekend, but the traffic wore the jealousy off quickly. Haha.

Once I did some last-minute errands, I was ready to be home and away from the masses. I had planned to get in a second workout (had run 4 miles before work), but after surviving traffic and people - I opted for a beer. ;) Smart choice, right?

Around 6pm the pups and I headed upstairs to my parents' place to start our Christmas Eve tradition: Chinese food, wine and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Oh oh and PJs. Thank you comfort.

It was great to just kick back and relax for an evening. I am not good at putting away work (both for Weight Watchers and the blog) and just be. It is a sweet treat.

I was wicked excited about my parents' gifts that I made them open them Christmas Eve so I could set them up.

Yup I got them Fitbit Ones! I'm ready to compete against them already. Feel free to friend me on Fitbit if you want (email above on the pic).

Oh and my dad made these little devil cookies!

I am waiting for him to give me the recipe so I can actually calculate the Weight Watchers PPV.

Since I would be waking up early for a couple of run dates, I headed downstairs around 10pm. Not that I would go right to sleep, but I was ready to be laying down in bed. Thanks wine. :P

I bounded out of bed at 7am so I could get the pups ready for the day and myself clothed for my run. The game plan was a 5k run with my dad biking with me at 7:30 and another 5k with my friend Lori at 8am. Great way to get 6.2 miles in before 9am.

It was downpouring the entire time, but we felt badass for getting out there and getting it done.

Yes that is Lori and I drinking a Slumbrew (Porter Sq Porter for me and Happy Sol for her) at 9am. It was part of the main reason why she agreed to run with me. Lori and I went to high school together and are both part of the Slumbrew Happy Soles.

Lori is training to run her first marathon - Boston Marathon 2015 for charity. Amazing and so great to chat with someone training for their first marathon.

After Lori headed home to spend the holiday with her family, I was on my way to find an open Dunkin' Donuts. Yes priorities folks.

#DaniRunsOnDunkin

It took two stops, but I found an open Dunkins and was ready for the day to continue.

We did a small gift exchange. Well the parents had already opened the gift from me the night before and they just went to Universal Studios for a few days as their gift to each other. Sooo it was really me opening gifts.

Oh it was a great haul.

I received:

* Dunkin gift card AND two pack of French Vanilla K-Cups

* $75 in gift cards to Disney, which paired with the ones Tori and I received means we have $275 for our trip to Disneyland in January (YYYAAAYYY!!!!)

* Some minions - plush and plastic - from their trip to Universal

* Two sweet new Alex and Ani bracelets. I have a runner one so now I just need them to create a swimmer

* A sweet picture frames from the pups

* A Visa Gift Card (also will use at Disney)

* Replacement pair of sparkly black TOMS since I wore mine so much they have a hole in both soles

* Some great office supplies for my new standing desk

All in all a great and practical haul. I am big on practical gifts. ;)

Once I was finished with gifts it was the pups turn.

Yes they had identical stockings.

Inside they sniffed out: a stuffie, 3 tennis balls and two snacks. Molly immediately devoured her two snacks. She is not one for portion control.

After hugs, thanks and puppy kisses, we turned on Madagascar 2. I somehow had seen 1 and 3, but missed 2. So it was great to finally see it. Super cute.

As the morning went on, the weather improved. At 1pm the weather was sunny and warm so I had to get back out there and take advantage of it. Yes I went out and did a third run.

I squeaked out 2.8 miles to round my daily total to 9 and hit 1,075 miles for the year.

It was a great way to spend some time while my parents and the pups were all napping.

After I got back, it was really time to relax: Zensah compression shorts and socks, Harpoon beer and Puss In Boots on TV.

I could really get used to this "relaxing" thing. I should make it more of a routine.

My dad was experiencing some grill issues so dinner was delayed from 2:30 to 4:30. Fine by me since I was perfectly content on the couch.

We were able to have a low-key dinner: steak tips (delicious Hawaiian Cowboys from Dom's), green beans, carrots (with honey, brown sugar and orange juice) and mashed potatoes.

This is the first time I've had real mashed potatoes since probably last Christmas so it was an awesome treat.

Mmm mmmm mmmm! It hit the spot and was the perfect way to cap off a relaxing day with the family.

So now I will tuck myself in on the couch, finish tracking all of my Weight Watchers PPVs and watch How To Train A Dragon before calling it an early night.

***

I want to remind everyone how thankful I am for your support on this journey. I love every like, comment, email, tweet, Facebook message and hello at a race. It truly means the world to me.

***

What was your top gift from Santa this year?

My Nike & Lululemon Purchases Sponsored By Gift Cards!

Gift cards have been burning a hole in my pocket for almost a year. I couldn't find the right time to use them... until yesterday!! Why not shop for myself on December 23rd - Christmas Eve Eve, right? :P

As I was doing my usual 45-minute walk after my Tuesday Weight Watchers meetings, I made a pitstop over on Newbury Street.

And what would appear before my eyes, but Nike and Lululemon. I just happened to have gift cards to both - $300 to Nike and $150 to Lululemon.

It was time to Carpe Diem it up and treat myself to some new running gear.

So what did I find?

Let's find out.

First stop - Nike Store!!

Nike Aeroloft 800 Women's Running Vest ($180)

Nike Aeroloft is a proprietary baffle and ventilation system. It features a welded baffle construction with engineered laser perforation that delivers lightweight warmth while simultaneously dispensing excess heat. Ideal for high aerobic activity in cold weather conditions. Hello training for the Boston Marathon in a New England winter. ;)

The 800 down fill is a great insulator because of its natural ability to retain heat and loft even after it's ben compressed. Clusters of down have been added to this product for lightweight warmth and comfort. the 800 fill delivers Nike's highest warmth-to-weight ratio for maximum insulation with minimal bulk.

I opted to size up to a Large in case I want to layer under it as it hits negative temps in January/February.

Nike Thermal Running Tights ($75)

The Nike thermal tights offer lightweight warmth and tight fit for comfort and coverage to brave the cold. The tight, streamlined fit provides enhanced coverage for reduced distractions. PLUS, gripper elastic at the ankles keeps the tights in place so they don't ride up during running. :)

I really liked the grip feature.

I was nervous buying these in a size medium, but they fit and didn't budge during my run.

Nike Run CW Reversible Running Headband ($18)

The Reversible headband is made with Dri-Fit fabric to help keep you dry and reversible design for two great looks in one. I love the elastic on the top and bottom - it allows for extra snug-ness. ;)

Nike Dri-Fit Cotton Cushioned Socks ($16)

Dri-Fit fabric pulls away seat to help keep you cool and comfortable. The heel and toe are reinforced for enhanced durability. Thanks for denoting left and right for a better fit Nike. :)

Nike total: $289.30

Gift Card: $300

Woo!! I left the extra $10.70 for the wife to buy something with. ;) Aren't I sweet?

After a successful trip to Nike, I decided to try my luck at Lululemon.

Run: Swiftly Tech 1/2 Zip ($88)

Lululemon designed this lightweight, moisture-wicking pullover to wear as a base layer under a wind-resistant jacket or on its own. Anti-stink technology gives freedom to sweat hard then hug it out when we cross the finish line.

I loved the thumbholes and picked it out to wear under the awesome Nike vest I had just bought.

Ohhhh and it was a size 8! Say whhaa???

Run With Me Neck Warmer ($28)

This soft,versatile neck warmer was designed for cool-weather running. You can pull it up to cover your nose and mouth and cinch the drawcord to lock in heat. There are also some reflective details to help keep you visible in low light.

I'm definitely excited to try this out this winter. I always struggle with "wear a scarf or not" for a run.

Women's Ultimate No Show Run Sock *Ergo Toes ($14)

I love how Lululemon hides inspirational messages on the inside of socks. I have another pair that says Run Fast. :)

The breathable mesh and wicking nylon yarns keep your feet cool and dry. The right and left foot-specific ErgoToes design and seamless toe construction engineered to reduce bulk. Oh oh and the "y" heel helps keep the socks from slipping into your shoes. Yes!!

I've worn these shoes once and have already fallen in love!

Lululemon Total: $130

Gift Card: $125

Out of Pocket: $5

Now this was one successful day of shopping where I spent just $5 out of pocket. It is hard for me to keep new running gear in a bag so I tested it all out as soon as I got home - minus the neck warmer.

I didn't experience any wardrobe malfunctions. I wished the vest was a little snugger, but new I sized up for colder winter runs.

***

What do you think of my purchases? Do you own any of these pieces?

The Winner Of The $100 Visa Gift Card Is...

Oohh it is my favorite time of a giveaway... selecting the winner! Thank you all for reading my post about the Bakken Invitation 10 honorees.

Weren't those folks inspirational?

Well let's get right to it. :)

The winner of the $100 Visa Gift Card is: a Rafflecopter giveaway

YAY Congrats Krissy!!!

Dani Dishes: I'm A Closet Eater

On this episode of Dani Dishes It's time to get real with myself and admit that I am a Closet Eater!! It's true.

Hi! My name is Dani and I am a Closet Eater.

It is a tough thing to admit, but I have and will continue to work on recovering from it.

Can you believe this guy said only "fat" people can be closet eaters? Sooo not the case.

FullSizeRender

So what is helping me work through my closet eating?

1) Buying pre-portioned foods. There is something about opening a second bag of something that makes me second guess the decision.

2) Track. Honestly facing the choices I make when in that mindset has helped lessen the closet eating incidents over the years.

3) Share your struggle. If you can't find someone in your personal life to reach out to, please know I am here. There are also therapists, overeaters groups and folks on social media available.

4) Eat on a schedule. Since some of my closet eating will happen when alone during the day while working from home, I try to eat during a schedule. Keeping myself satisfied throughout the day can sometimes help the secret eating stay at bay.

5) Try not to feel alone. It is when I start feeling lonely that it can really come on. So if no one is physically home - besides the pups - I will call, text or tweet a friend that would understand my situation.

***

These are just a few of the avenues I have been trying with some success over the years.

If you are someone who suffers from closet/binge eating, how do you handle the urges?

Weekend Wrap-Up: Wine, Early Christmas & Hockey

I live for the weekends. I know I am the only person out there that does that so you should all catch up on this train. Mmmmkay? ;)

Friday kicked off with a very happy weigh-in! Finally back in free Lifetime range. Yay! :)

I was wicked stoked to see a number 22 lbs lighter than that on June 11. Back to a good weight.

With a big smile on my face, I met Page for our Friday Five - our weekly 5-mile run.

It is a great way to start the weekend and it is always fun catching up. Page and I are on Tedy's Team together.

After my final Weight Watchers meeting of the week, it appeared to be present time for this girl. The WW meeting I lead on Fridays surprised me with a Dunkin' Donuts gift card. It's like they know me! ;)

And Kohl's surprised me with a sweet little relaxation present.

I am in LOVE with the running headband. What an awesome color!

Final delivery came in from Special K. Time to taste test the new snack bars that will hit the shelves in January 2015. Each bar is 3PPV.

My triplet cousins - 12-year-old girls - were staying over with my parents so we all went out to dinner before tucking in with some wine to watch Muppet Family Christmas. My absolutely favorite Christmas movie.

The girls picked out the snacks so I had the opportunity to try 3 of these chips for 4PPV. In my opinion, too chocolately (like thick chocolate and thin chip) and not worth the Weight Watchers Points. I like sweet and salty combined, but would rather chocolate with pretzel combo.

I had to call it an early night since I had a long run the next morning. But before I hit the sheets, I found out I was selected as a #RockNBlog RnR blogger for the second-straight year. Woo!!

I cannot wait to meet up with my fellow bloggers at some races in 2015.

On a runner's high, I bound of bed on Saturday morning to meet up with the Tedy's Team crew for 8-sunny miles through Boston.

With the wife heading out on Monday for home, I wanted to soak up as much time with her as possible. So while she ran errands including a haircut, I hopped on the old bike trainer to get some extra activity points.

Gotta love multi-tasking.

With two pups and two people in bed, we all snuggled in to enjoy some Twin Peaks on Netflix. Boy that show is odd, but we are sucked in to watch the entire series (just 30 episodes total). Have you watched this show? It was a night-time soap opera in the early 90s. So the cheese factor is high. ;)

I put the Kohl's mug to use right away with my hot cocoa (2PPV).

Sunday morning started out with an awesome 6-mile run with my friend and fellow WW leader Heather.

She is also training for the Run Disney Princess weekend so it is great to run together. Plus I love running with folks - whatever the pace.

After the run, I needed a good post-race beverage (following my water, coffee and chocolate milk of course) so the wife and I headed over to Slumbrew's American Fresh at Assembly for a beer and some christmas carols.

Oh and we even ran into our friend Kim! :) Slumbrew Porter Square Porter for me and Attic & Eaves for Kim.

It was the last afternoon with the wife for six days, so we got in a little extra snuggling.

Do you think she is tired of my selfies yet? I was trying to capture her new haircut, but it didn't work. You can take my word that it is cute.

Since the wife would be away over Christmas, my parents wanted to do an early Christmas with her. She got some sweet gift and one of the awesome joint gifts we got were $100 gift card for Disney for each of us. Yes! These will come in handy in Disneyland next month.

Do they know us or what?

With holly and jolly in our hearts, it was time to make the trek to the wife's hockey game. Look at me attending two games in a row. Go me. :P

I tested out my first Special K bar for a snack and it was nice and chocolately. It also wasn't as tough as some other snack bars can be. Does that make sense?

It was a tough 3-1 loss for the Sharks, but the wife did great in goal.

I successfully used the time during the game to pace around the rink to 1) keep warm and 2) get in extra activity. ;)

I also got to experience a role reversal and play Sherpa for her.

Like my stick? :P

The smelly lady and I hit up a late dinner before heading home to snuggle with some pups.

Overall it was one sweet weekend. It was weird not to race, but I think I still did enough activity. What do you think?

***

Did you enter my $100 Visa Gift Card Giveaway? It ends December 24 at 5pm EST! Enter here.

***

How do you get active on the weekends?

Face It Friday: A New Goal 12/19/14

When we last met, I was feeling back in the groove with my weight loss progress. 2014 proved difficult for my weight maintenance plan, which I think we are all caught up on that now. ;) So on Saturday, I asked the Tedy's Team coach during the group run what weight he thought I should be at to really attack my time goals at Boston in 2015. I shared with him that I was back down to 158 and my lowest weight as an adult is 153.4 (thanks WW). He thought for a moment before responding with: "Can you lose 10?" <<Enter my blank stare>> 10 pounds? Yeah. Well I have always wondered if I could maintain a lower weight.

At that time I decided I would try to get back to my lowest weight with Weight Watchers and re-evaluate then. Now either way this conversation lit a little spark under my booty.

This past week I continued my streak of being a Track Star (which sits at 42-consecutive days as of 12/18) and really took each food choice to heart. Before making any decisions I checked in with myself and asked one of the following questions:

* Is this worth the points?

* Do I need to eat a second ____?

* Will this help me reach my goal for Boston?

* How do I really feel right now?

Now I continued to indulge, I had a few beers, some fries and onion rings... but it was relegated to two days and I had the Points available. I don't believe in deprivation, which is why I love Weight Watchers so much.

I don't have much of a social life so there weren't many challenges on my plate this past week besides a surprise attack on Monday and focus group event on Wednesday night.

On Monday, my wife asked to order Chinese Food. I stuck to my guns and politely declined having anything ordered for me. (High Five) She opted to still order. So when the food was on its way, I hopped on the bike trainer and committed to riding for one hour. While I was on the bike trainer in the living room, the wife decorated our Christmas tree near me, we listened to music and I thought about her food. It arrived while I was on the bike, she ate it while I was on the bike and it was put away while I was on the bike. (High Five) I successfully distracted myself while the tempting food was a few feet away from me. I knew my dad and I would be splitting Chinese Food on Christmas Eve (tradition) so I decided in that moment the Chinese Food wouldn't be worth it on that night, but will be on Christmas Eve. (Who am I? Go me!)

On Wednesday, there would be free food and free drinks. Ahhh *Red Light* I still get very anxious when I hear the word free before any food situation. My immediate impulse is to eat everything in sight because it is free and hey why not. But I didn't want to fall into that trap. I went in with a game plan. I brought my own food: salad, yogurt and strawberries. My goal was to stick to my own food and drink water. The food served looked great, but nothing too special. I happily ate my food and never went near the food cart. I saw the desserts and pictured germs all over them to help pass any desire to eat them. :P And you know what - I did it! I definitely gave a fist pump to myself when I left the event on plan.

Yes it is one small instance, but it gave me HUGE confidence for the next time I am in that same situation.

And you know what?

It freakin' paid off.

Today I made it back to a weight within my Lifetime Range!! Wahoo! It has been too long for my liking since I was in that range.

Yay being down 1.8!

I am now 1.4 lbs away from being back at goal. My Lifetime Range is 153-157.

For the second straight week, I earned 90+ Activity Points AND was not in the negative! Woo!

I needed these past two weeks to snap the rut I had been in since early September.

I felt stuck during that time and now I am feeling waayyyy better.

NOW, I know the next two weeks will be a little bit tougher. Now again I don't have any real parties to go to, but there are some family traditions and just changes in my normal routine.

So I will commit to tracking this week, weighing in on Wednesday and doing the best I can. I am already mentally planning when I want to splurge and when I will get extra activity in.

I will take whatever happens on the scale this week, practice self-forgiveness and enjoy the time with friends and family!

But for now I am wicked proud of myself and am going to head off and do a little happy dance. Yay extra APs! ;)

***

How will you be handling the Holidays when it comes to your weight loss journey?

Weekend Wrap Up: Running And Spinning And Christmas Tree Oh My!

Go Go Go! It's how I have felt the past two weeks. I keep attacking my To Do list, yet it keeps growing. Has anyone else had that? Every time I think I am all caught up - seven more things get added to the list.

Now don't get me wrong they aren't all horrible adult-like tasks, it's just continuous!

I am looking forward to finally getting a chance to veg out this upcoming weekend.

But for now it is time to share all the fun stuff I did last weekend. ;)

Are ya ready? Get your cup of coffee and dig in...

I woke up Friday night on the high from Thursday. No not that kind of high. It was a running high. On Thursday night I hit 1,000 miles run in 2014! Woo!! :)

So Friday brought a happy heart and tired legs. Luckily my friend and Tedy's Team running mate Page was up for some slower miles. We had a great time catching up on our weekly Friday Five. We had missed it the week prior as she was in Cayman for a half with some of the other Tedy's Team crew. Yes I was super jealous!!

I was saddened to her her husband's uncle had passed away earlier in the week from a Stroke. It just reminded us again why we do what we do!!

After a quick clean-up, it was off to lead my final Weight Watchers meeting of the week. This is such an amazing and motivating group. The group works with adults with down syndrome so five of the participants have Down Syndrome. I learn something new from this group every week and always walk away with a smile on my face. :)

Now one would think hey it is weekend time... nope! Paperwork paperwork paperwork was ahead of me. I caught up on all the unglamorous ;) part of work before moving on to the next thing.

Friday afternoon turned into an afternoon of errands before heading to the Cambridge Side Galleria Mall to pick up our bibs for Sunday's Cambridge 5k Yulefest 5k.

With Boston Marathon training officially kicking off Saturday, it was time to restart the Friday night tradition of movie and Zensah compression everything. We opted to watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. One of my all-time favorites.

Saturday would be the first of many Tedy's Team runs this winter. It was great being reconnected with teammates and meeting new ones. I was pretty happy to see the schedule call for 6 miles since my legs were still kind of tired.

Following a quick breakfast and blog session, it was time to head back in town for my friend Beth's Flywheel Fundraiser. Beth is running the Boston Marathon for Dana Farber.

I was excited to have my friend and fellow WW Leader Susan join me for her first ever Flywheel class.

I didn;t know what to expect having run six miles earlier in the day, but I still ended up 3rd overall on the Torq board. Woo!

We opted to celebrate with some well-deserved beers. :)

On the way back to the train, we caught part of a protest happening near the Boston Public Library. It looked as if the group was making their way down Boylston Street. The cops were redirecting traffic block by block as the protestors made their way towards somewhere. Cuhlearly I was paying attention to what was going on. :P

After making our way around the protestors, it was smooth sailing back home.

While the wife was at her nerd game night, I should've been uber productive. But instead I walked 2.5 miles on the treadmill then snuggled with the pups. Oops! :P I just needed a little zen time to recharge the body.

Plus I had to lay out my final race outfit of the year. Sunday would mark Race #52 of 52 for 2014.

As always it was a great time with my Slumbrew Happy Soles at the Yulefest 5k. You can read all about it here.

This shot even made it on to the Cambridge Chronicle's website. Yay high-fives! ;)

We wanted to stay and party with the Happy Soles all morning, but the wife had a hockey game. So we bid farewell, grabbed lunch and headed home to get her stuff.

My wife is my #1 supporter and at almost all of my races so it was time to pay it back and head to one of her games. It was cold in the arena so I made sure to keep myself moving the whole time. It was a rough loss, but she did great on tired legs. She had also run the 5k earlier that morning (40:12).

Since we hadn't done enough on Sunday, we made the decision to go straight from the game to buy a Christmas tree. The wife leaves on Monday to spend Christmas with her family in Chicago so we needed a tree sooner rather than later.

We headed to the Arlington Boys & Girls Club to pick a tree. We buy our tree there for special reasons. I grew up swimming at that Boys & Girls Club so I love being able to pay it forward to the kids there now by having our tree $$ go to fund their programming.

So while spending $50 for a tree hurt, I knew it was going to a good cause.

Plus isn't it a beaut? ;)

By the time we were home and the tree was put up, I was ready to crash. More blog work needed to be done, but it would have to wait until Monday. My eyes were refusing to stay open any longer!

I dragged my butt to the treadmill to squeeze in a 1.5 mile walk just so I could hit my activity goal on my Activelink. Molly came along for moral support.

It was a wicked fun weekend with lots of activity, laughs and love.

And hey I even managed to escape the weekend with Weight Watchers Points still left over! Yay for not being in the negative for the second-straight weekend. :)

***

Do you also feel like your To Do list is never-ending?

Top Three Stocking Stuffers Under $17 For Your Fitness Enthusiast!

Shopping for a loved one can be one of the trickiest tasks we can have around the holiday season. Picking out just the right relevant Stocking Stuffers can be a bigger chore than the presents themselves... especially if you are on a budget! Well I'm here to share with you the Top Three Stocking Stuffers I'd recommend for your favorite fitness enthusiast!

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1) Shower Pill (Value – $10 for a 10 pack)

What is it?

ShowerPill™ is the hygiene supplement designed to keep you fresh and clean while on-the-go. This large premium antibacterial body wipe is individually packaged to be discrete, yet versatile and big on performance.

So I had no idea what a hygiene supplement is so thankfully they explained it further on their website:

Just touched that doorknob? You should run to the sink, but grab hand sanitizer instead. Finished that tuna sandwich and forgot your toothbrush? Better pop a breath mint. Worked up a sweat during your midday workout? The ShowerPill™ Athletic Body Wipe™ will keep you fresh so that you can stay at your best all day long.

I was scrolling through Twitter the other night and all of a sudden the twitter handle –@ShowerPill – and was instantly intrigued. Many of you know I usually work out in between Weight Watchers meetings and I am always rushing to squeeze a rinse off before interacting with people. So I thought I had to give this a shot.

Shower Pill sent me a couple wipes to try and I IMMEDIATELY put them to good use.

I had to fit in a run between meetings and was running late (shocker!) so it was Shower Pill to the rescue. I was pleasantly surprised. I didn’t smell at all like I had just been covered in sweat a mere five minutes earlier.

Would I use them after every single workout, probably not. But, I will be keeping them on hand in my house and gym bag for emergencies. I’d rather use one of these than show up smelly. You never want to be the smelly kid.

Shower Pill = Portable Shower ... No Water Needed

Also, read how Shower Pill was invented – I found it entertaining!

^Discount Alert: Use code holiday20 for 20% off when your purchase two boxes of ShowerPill (code expires 1/1/15).

***

2) Feetures High-Peformance Socks (Value $10.99)

How Feetures got their start:

In 2002, after spending 25+ years with a leading manufacturer of athletic socks, I believed that there was an opportunity to create a better performance sock that took advantage of the latest breakthroughs in sock technology. As a runner and someone passionate about being active, I wanted to design a great sock that would enhance the performance of runners and other athletes.

Feetures offers a variety of sock styles, but my favorite are the high performance - their original sock design!

Here's why I like them so much:

^ High Performance sock has power bands of Lycra, so the sock hugs the entire foot in a comfortable and supportive way

^ iWick Fibers do a superior job of wicking moisture to keep feet cool and dry

^ The mesh construction on top of the sock provides ventilation for added breathability

And if this pair is any proof after running through the muddy trails last week, you can bet they can stand up to fun runs, marathons, triathlons and beyond.

I really didn't know the difference in how a good sock plays in to your workout until I tried Feetures out this summer... and now I'm hooked! :)

***

3) Sparkly Soul Headbands (Value $15-17)

How two sisters took the reigns and created Sparkly Soul:

The company was created by a marathoner and triathlete for all the women who find their strength and soul while pushing themselves to their athletic limits.

We needed to keep our hair out of our face while exercising.  Now there is a fabulous headband that won’t slip, won’t cause your pretty little head to get a headache or cause hair breakage.  It is the comfortable solution for all you athletic fashionistas.

Whether you are a runner, walker, dancer, triathlete, yogi, pilates buff, cyclist, cheerleader, or ballplayer  - we believe in all you sparkly gals out there!

With years of activity between organized sports, dancing and now running/triathlons, I have tried every headband out there. I can say with 100% that Sparkly Soul is the only one to remain on my head in tact through any activity I do.

But wait Sparkly Soul does more! They can even cover up those gray hairs when you are putting off that hair appointment. ;)

Oh is that just me? :P

Yes it is true I wear Sparkly Soul headbands every day to work, the gym, to workouts, around the house...

Plus even Santa knows where it's at!

***

You're welcome in advance for lots of hugs from a happy camper on Christmas morning! ;)

Race #52 of 2014: Cambridge 5k Yulefest 5k Recap

52 races in 2014. It began with 1st Run on New Year's Day and ended with December 14's Cambridge 5k's Yulefest 5k with the Slumbrew Happy Soles!

Yulefest 5k takes place in Harvard Square and is my favorite of the Cambridge 5k series.

Since I signed up early enough I received the sweet winter hat plus the t-shirt. But everyone who registered received the warm hat.

With MBTA Red Line service switching to shuttle busses for the weekend, the wife and I opted to attempt to find parking in Harvard Square for the race. It ended up being shockingly easy to accomplish. Since meters are free on Sundays, we got free parking to boot! Hollah! I was hoping this would be setting the tone for a good day.

We waited in the car til just after 8:30 before braving the winter morning to head to the Start Area.

Thankfully it was a bright and sunny morning, but a tad chilly - low 30s according to the weather app. The party area/pre-race Slumbrew meet up spot had moved this year. It was slated as being a larger space than in previous years so I had high hopes it would be able to manage the large crowds.

The wife and I made our way to the Slumbrew tent to say hi to the rest of the Happy Soles and stash our bag before making our way to another part of Harvard Square to get our IDs checked and our bibs stamped to prove we were 21.

Around 9:15am we made our way over to the Start Line.

Instead of just passing the time by shivering, I was able to bust a move to the Start Line live DJ! Thanks for playing Jump Around sir - I needed the warmth. ;)

Being in line early gave me plenty of time to say hi to all my friends making their way to the Start Line.

Oh hey Amy!!

With the countdown on from Race Director, Eddie, I reminded myself to give it my all today, but to be okay with whatever the results would be. I was going on some tired legs - 6 mile run & 1 hour Spin class the day prior - and didn't want to walk away from the final race disappointed.

I love the Yulefest 5k course and since this was my third time running the race I was familiar with it.

The horn went off and we shot out of the Start shoot.

I love that this hot makes it look like I am the lead runner in the race. :P Thanks for the free photos Cambridge 5k! :)

As soon as I passed that start mat, I felt tired. I made the decision to not look at my Garmin unless it was at a Mile marker. I didn't want to get caught up in pace this race.

So I focused on the fun costumes around me and the Cambridge scenery.

Mile 1: 7:19

The race is flat for the most part, which was a treat for my legs.

I was proud to see a pace faster than say 9:00 min/mile on that first mile since that is what it felt like to my body. I didn't think I was moving as fast as I was. Anyone else ever experience that?

The streets were quiet for the most part when it came to spectators, but the volunteers were doing their best to keep the streets safe and the atmosphere lively.

Mile 2: 7:18

The final mile became a mental game. I wanted to just stop. My legs were feeling tired. I had to dig deep and shut down the voices in my head. I drummed up all the motivation I could. I thought about how I feel near the end of a marathon or how I kept going in the final miles of my Half Ironman this year. I could complete the final mile of a 5k. I had to give myself some perspective.

I also knew the final mile included the only hill of the race.

As I made my way up the final push, I could see a guy using the hill for hill repeats. Show off. ;) Ha! Okay I thought that in the moment because I was tired, but it gave me a little umph to push through up the incline. I knew I would be sailing down to the finish.

I wanted the Finish to be just over the crest of the hill, but alas there was .3 to go. I just kept my eye on the Finish Line. I may or may not have also picked a person in front of me and focused on finishing ahead of them for inspiration.

Mile 3: 7:20

Yeah I lost some steam on that hill. But worked my butt off to Finish strong.

I had the course a little long and apparently started my watch late or stopped it early.

Official Time: 23:08

Good for 316 out of 2,024 overall and 74 out of 1,048 females.

I am definitely proud of how I did relative to how I felt.

As soon as I crossed the Finish, I grabbed a water and turned right around to cheer folks into the Finish.

Folks had some amazing costumes.

I love cheering on runners and dishing out high-fives... especially when those high-fives go to fellow Slumbrew Happy Soles!

Unfortunately I don't have a shot of the wife crossing (40:12) because I was too busy jumping up and down. Ha. Oops. But I am so proud of how she did. It was her first race since the half in July!

After we saw the final racers cross the Finish, we headed back to JFK street for the post-race party.

And that is when it got crowded.

We had our bib stamped already to show we were 21 (in lieu of wristbands) so we headed in the corraled post-race party to a mass of folks. We needed to get from the front of the party to the back where the Slumbrew tent was. But the crowd was thick and wasn't moving. I'm not sure if people didn't know where to go or they just grabbed a beer and stopped in their tracks. But it was wicked hard to move from one end of the party to the other. I am claustrophobic so you can only imagine how my anxiety level was rising during this pushing fest.

The wife and I picked up other Happy Soles along the way and finally squeezed our way to the Slumbrew tent. I made the decision then and there to not move from the tent until I had to leave. So we had to cancel our team picture in front of the stage (which was at the front of the party) and opt for one near the tent. We squeezed as many of the 121 Happy Soles into one picture/video as we could.

I felt the post-race party was more cramped than in previous years. I was thankful to have the area behind the Slumbrew pouring station to hang out with the team and have some breathing room. The anxiety level definitely went down to normal once I was in that space.

I would love to hear what others at the post-race party thought of the congestion.

I want to give a big thanks to Slumbrew owners, Caitlin & Jeff, for being so generous with the Happy Soles by sending each team member home with a 4-pack of Happy Sol. Amazing, right?

It was great hanging out with Slumbrew friends and meeting new Happy Soles post-race.

But with the wife having a hockey game we had to call it early. We gave hugs to all and headed out. Thankfully the back of the party where we were had an exit we could leave to avoid going back through the massive crowd.

On the way out, I had the pleasure of meeting blog reader Christine! Thanks so much for recognizing me and saying hi! :)

***

Overall, Eddie puts on a great race with good swag, free race photos, lots of tasty local beer and good tunes. I was a little disappointed in massive back-up getting through the post-race party, which I didn't experience the previous years. I know when you move a party area there will be some growing pains and I think they were felt. At least by me.

I was proud that a teammate noticed and appreciated that I thanked every volunteer/cop on the course. Made me smile.

Will I be back next year? Of course. I know Eddie always tweaks the races to give the participants the best experience!!

***

Were you at Yulefest this year? What did you think of the post-race party area?

Dani Dishes: 52 Races In 2014 - Check! 12/15/14

On this episode of #DaniDishes, it's time to celebrate completing 52 races in 2014! :)