When I’m not really in the mood to run but have to log a few miles in order to stick with my half marathon training plan, I set mini goals for myself during the run, with the reward of walking for 0.1 miles after I reach each mile.
I know it doesn’t sound like much, but knowing I have a walking break ahead makes it a lot easier to pound out a few miles on the treadmill.
Today I completed five miles, with walking breaks after miles two, three and four.
And then I spent a glorious 10 minutes stretching and foam rolling. While I don’t particularly love stretching, I really enjoy foam rolling.
Foam rolling my hamstrings feels amazing.
According to Runner’s World magazine, “Rolling improves circulation, which gets the body ready for a workout and helps it recover afterward. And because rolling breaks down knots that limit range of motion, it preps muscles for stretching. Using a foam roller can provide similar benefits as deep-tissue massage. By increasing flexibility and decreasing muscle tension, it can help prevent injury and improve performance.”
Breakfast
Breakfast was simple, simply delicious and protein-packed.
A two-egg egg sandwich on a whole wheat English muffin with raspberry jelly and muenster cheese satisfied my desire for a sweet and savory breakfast.
SHAPE Magazine Blogger Awards
I have some exciting news! Peanut Butter Fingers was nominated for a blogging award for SHAPE Magazine’s 2011 Blogger Awards.
I was so excited and feel very honored to be listed with so many other awesome bloggers! I am currently in third place (crazy!), so thank you so much for your support!
If you would like to vote for me or any of the other amazing bloggers, you may click here to vote through October 28. Thank you!!
Feel Good Story
Before signing off for the morning, I know that many of you out there are dog lovers like me and thought you might enjoy this video about a dog that one sergeant bonded with while serving in Kuwait.
After the dog was attacked by another animal, they thought he would have to be put down, but the dog was brought to America and saved after the sergeant raised $1,800 to save the adorable dog!
Gotta love a happy ending!
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I love love love the foam roller, it has seriously saved my IT bands which get very tight after a few days running. I have gotten pretty creative with the roller and can hit almost any muscle that is tight (including the booty – which I find very hard to streach out!)… Thanks for posting this, more people should use the roller! I see very few ppl at my gym using them!
yes! i would LOVE to figure out how to do the booty! any tips?
So easy, I literally plant my rump on it and roll back and forth, alternating cheeks. I suggest a quiet corner of the gym! 🙂
I bought one from a running store a while back around $20, it’s already paid for itself!
sweet. and yes, a quiet corner of the gym is probably a good idea. 🙂
I am totally on board with the whole “ralking” method (run + walking), especially with long runs. The idea of 8 intervals of run/walk is a lot more psychologically digestible than running 8 miles straight.
The foam roller has been an absolute lifesaver for me – particularly for my hamstrings and IT bands! And congrats on the Shape nomination – that’s awesome! Good luck! 🙂
I bought a foam roller for my half marathon training a few months ago. But i will only use it at home because I feel so silly using it.
I feel silly using my roller too. I only can stand it for like 3 minutes…
anyone who is afraid to foam roll for fear of looking silly should look into “The Stick” (they’re on Amazon and many fitness/running stores). Instead of sitting on a foam cylinder and rolling around, you sit/stand still and roll The Stick along any muscles you want. I LOVE IT! we had one at my Physical Therapy office and I had to get my own. the best part about them is you can target any muscle, (back, shoulders, arms too) and no looking silly!
however i think anyone trying to massage their buns, via stick or foam roll is going to look silly no matter what 🙂
Yay! I voted for ya lady! You are awesome 🙂 And I love love love that you are an animal lover …. they don’t come better than a cuddly creature on 4 legs 🙂
thank you so much, kara!
That is the best story! I love it when the news has something GOOD to talk about!
oh gosh, me too!
I am seriously reliant on my foam roller… I’m thinking it should be renamed to “runner’s best friend.”
try rolling our your IT bands! when you’re logging high mileage, it really “hurts so good.”
Congrats on the nomination! That is awesome! 🙂
Your breakfast looks yummy. I love egg sandwiches. Perfect way to start a day.
I asked for a foam roller for Christmas after reading so many great things about them! I can’t wait to give it a whirl!
I like that you asked readers to vote for any of the bloggers who were nominated–that was so sweet!
I love foam rollers! They’re so amazing! I also love those bumpy foot rollers that you roll along the bottom of your feet. They’re both perfect after a long run!
I LOVE foam rolling as well. Feels OH so good. I actually am going to get one for Christmas–it is on my list for the gift exchange person who has me!
Oh and your b-fast look fantastic! I need some more jam and egg action in my life…..
you’ll be able to guess when unwrapping.
just voted for you! you deserve to win!
I voted for you…love your blog. What a sweet story about the dog. Animals are so sweet and so many are treated so cruelly…it is nice to see a positive story out there about one being saved!
i agree. i love feel-good animal stories. they’re few and far between on the news, so it’s wonderful when one pops up.
I need to get a foam rollre! I’ve heard such wonderful things!
My foam roller is a lifesaver, I’m prone to shin splints but a quick roll sorts them out straight away 🙂
Off to vote for you now!
I am also a huge fan of foam rolling. I found out from one of my Crossfit trainers that the IT band is the tightest muscle for runners, but also the one that is stretched out the least. Rolling hurts so much, but it does make my IT Band feel a million times better afterwards!
I rolled my whole body after all my long runs during marathon training and it made me much less sore the next day.
Foam rolling makes me feel absolutely amazing. It’s like a free massage!
I LOVE the foam roller – it does miracles, I tell you. My hamstrings get sore so easily, so the foam roller has come to my rescue multiple times.
Congrats on your nomination! 🙂
I have never tried foam rolling. I am late to the party. But I am willing to bet that might help with some of my pain.
Congrats on the nomination! Well deserved!
I love the foam roller. It hurts so good!
My legs are still sore from bosu and body attack classes on Monday, so I will definitely be using the foam roller before bodypump today. Sometimes it’s foam rolling that’s my motivation to even get my butt to the gym!
Hi Julie! Love your blog; Couple Questions for you; I noticed a few times you mentioned that you get belly aches from too much guar gum; I’ve noticed that I can also be bothered by it; Any reasons/suggestions??? Also; do you know if Flax Z Snax is still available for purchase? Thank you and have a great day!
I just recently discovered the wonders of foam rolling! It is amazing, I love foam rolling my shins! Congrats on the shape magazine nomination that is awesome!
Th foam roller sounds amazing after a long run. I saw a couple last time I was in Target. It’s amazing that a piece of foam can work wonders.
Congrats on the Shape nomination! I’m totally voting for you!
I love your running rewards idea! I do something similiar with landmarks as I’m running about town. “Run to the big oak tree as hard and fast as possible, and then you can walk to the gate.”
I’ve also been known to give myself “rewards” for just getting the run in, on days where I feel like I don’t want to run/work out just out of laziness. Sometimes it’s as simple as a television program I want to watch (“self- you can only watch greys tonight if you run 3 miles, first.”) or permission to do something, go somewhere, or buy something that week (I once set a goal for myself where if I completed all three runs on my training plan that week, I could buy myself something completely random and unnecessary for $10 or less)
I love THESE sort of rewards/mind trickery to get the job done. And, I NEVER regret a workout once I start, so it’s like a double reward, you know?
I like to set mini goals for myself during runs as well!!!!
I’m definitely voting for ya! You’re blog was one of the first that I read!!!!
Any of those types of dog stories in the news break my heart – I’m ready to whip out my checkbook in a second to save a sad looking pup!
Congrats on the nomination! I just voted for you – best of luck!!!
I do the same thing when I’m on a long run. Sometimes the smallest milestones/markers are what gets me through it!
I have a love-hate relationship with my foam roller. I use it a LOT on the outside of my thigh for my right leg, it gets super sore a lot and it works wonders but when I’m actually rolling it out I want to die lol!
I voted for you 🙂 <3
I totally thought that the cheese on your sandy was gravy haha. Anyways, foam rollers- LOVE! I like to use them at the gym, esp bc I don’t think I stretch enough/the right way on my own.
I just blogged about rolling out my piri today!! LOL. That’s what always gets me, those damn hips. (never bothered me before having two kids) It looks like I clearly don’t know what a foam roller is for when I am doing it, but it feels like whoah.
i have weak hips, too! eh!
Congrats on the blog award nomination! That is very exciting news! And I have to agree I am not a huge fan of stretching, but I love the foam roller!
I love foam rolling. Well, I don’t love actually doing it, but it is AMAZING after long runs to prevent soreness. Especially in my hip flexors, IT bands, & hamstrings.
i took similar walking breaks on my run outside this morning. makes the distance much more manageable.
currently i am sitting in starbucks with tears streaming down my face after watching that video. i’m a sucker for a doggie-based love story. thanks for sharing!
Aw thanks for sharing such a sweet video!
I’ve never foam rolled. Clearly I need to give this a try!
Random Question! I recently started running (go me!) and was wondering if you or anyone else out there have any recommendations on watches? I tried looking online but i get confused. I am looking for a simple, affordable watch for now – any suggestions??
i love the garmin 305 b/c it tracks distance and pace, but it’s pretty pricey. if you’re looking for a watch that’s simply a heart rate monitor, you can find one for much cheaper.
Congrats on the blogger nomination girl!! That is so, so exciting! You are definitely one of my 2-3 all-time favorite blogs that I check multiple times a day. You deserve it!!
I just tried foam rolling for the first time yesterday after my 6-miler on my training plan and I think I fell in LOVE! I need to get my own roller now, I’m already addicted 🙂
i think foam rolling is addicting, too. i honestly feel like my body craves it!
Congratulations! I love that you were so kind & balanced as to mention voting for other bloggers (I voted for you anyhow!). Good luck.
As for the foam rollers- I’ve always been slightly too embarassed to use them! You’d think that having spent 99% of my childhood in a leotard that not much would bother me! Maybe I’ll give them a shot next time.
thanks for your support, jill!
just voted for you!
aww I love animal rescue stories like that. I tear up every time the SPCA/Sarah McLoughlin commercials come on – so sad. Mike and I will do anything for our dogs. And I do mean anything. Last December we spend $4,000 because our one dog accidentally ate a sock (who knew they didn’t have gag reflexes) and it got stuck in his intestines 🙁 It was so sad. It was a long recovery process but he is 100% back to normal now!!! (I’ll have to do a blog post about it so I can post photos of him in his doggie cone – it was so sad and so funny at the same time!).
Also congrats on the nomination – you do a great job Julie!
Congrats on the Shape nomination; that’s awesome!
I really want to try foam rolling. I have heard so many good things about it!
Oh and I voted for you! Good luck! 🙂
Just wanted to let you know I just voted and you are currently in 2nd place!!!!
I just voted for you and it shows you in 2nd place now, moving on up!!! Thanks for writing about the foam roller, I was just at Target yesterday debating on whether or not to spend the $40 on one or not. I think I will now! Have a great day.
~Kari
no! definitely buy one online! you can find them for MUCH cheaper than $40!
i just voted for your bad self.
I need a foam roller desperately (and I wouldn’t mind that breakfast sandwich either if you’re sharing! 😉 )
Congrats on the Shape Blogger award nom – well deserved! Just voted again 🙂
Voted for you! I really hope you win =DD You deserve it!
& awh I’m such a dog lover <3
I’ve never used a foam roller. I need to try since I run so much. Ugh.
You’re breakfast sandwiches always look amazing and I LOVE to copy them. 🙂
You TOTALLY deserve to win that award!!!!! I’m off to vote right now!