Simply Breakfast

As I was browsing over my Iphone photos, I realized that I’ve accumulated tons of breakfast photos. Clearly shows my LOVE for breakfast that much! Well, it’s my favorite meal of the day. I find it hard to start the day without the pleasure of a good meal.

Breakfast foods are easy to prepare. Many breakfast foods don’t take much effort and can be put together really fast. No long preps, no pile of dishes, and most importantly, no thinking! Sometimes, I’ll even eat breakfast foods for lunch or dinner.

I’ve compiled a bunch of my favorite breakfast pics and here’s what I would usually have most of the time for breakfast.

Warning: There’s going to be a lot of OATMEAL. Not really obvious that it’s my favorite – not really. 😛

1.)

Yummy yummy breakfast that I couldn’t help taking a bite before I could even take a picture.

toasted whole wheat bread
peanut butter
banana
sliced almonds
drizzled with maple syrup

No fuss, little mess, and a complete no-brainer!

2.)
warm oatmeal
topped with cinnamon, banana (half)
fresh strawberries
fresh blueberries
sliced almonds
chia seeds
splash of almond milk

3.)

mini wheat bagels
peanut butter
banana
drizzled with maple syrup

4.)
oatmeal
almonds
almond milk
fresh blueberries
banana
cinnamon powder
chia seeds

5.)

Breakfast for my husband on his birthday.
Oops, sorry honey, I didn’t mean to reveal your age on my blog 😛

eggs cooked in green peppers (thanks Pinterest for the idea),
sprinkled with salt, pepper and parsley
toasted whole wheat bread

6.)
warm oatmeal
cinnamon powder (I love cinnamon)
peanut butter
banana
drizzled with maple syrup

7.)

warm oatmeal
topped with Mango Passion Granola
dried blueberries
splash of almond milk

8.)

oatmeal
topped with granola, peaches, dried blueberries
2 teaspoons of PB2
chia seeds
splash of almond milk

9.)
My very first time ever trying almond butter. LOVED IT!

10.)

waffle topped with almond butter,
chopped almonds, maplesyrup,
fresh strawberries.

11.)

Overnight Oats
click here for the instructions. 🙂

12.)

Oatmeal with, granola, kiwi, banana and peanut butter!
and my cup of coffee 🙂

13.)

 

oatmeal
topped with fresh cherries 
PB2, dried blueberries and chia seeds
splash of almond milk

Go to this post to see what I use to pit cherries. 🙂

So there you have it! I can actually see myself still making these breakfast 15 years later. Lol! 😛

What’s your favorite meal of the day?

What do you usually have for breakfast?

What do you do for breakfast when you don’t feel like thinking?

Xoxo, JOTR
> Like my blog’s facebook page here: Ja-ontheRUN Blog
> Check out my silly photo adventures on Instagram here: @ja_ontherun

More Love from Ellie!

So, it’s been a while since I posted something about my Ellie Subscription. In addition to being an ambassador of the company, I have a separate account signed up and paying for my own subscription. So far, I enjoy my experience being a regular customer. I haven’t had any major problems except for an exchange I made last month but was immediately taken care of by one of their staff (Thanks Jose!). Other than that, I’m satisfied and happy with my clothes and their service. 🙂

So I got my March, April & May Ellie outfits & they were cute! 🙂

From the Little Black Collection (March), I got the Back in Black Top & Moon Shadow Short.

The top is similar to the one I’ve been longing from Lululemon but it retails for $64 which is pretty expensive for me. I’m waiting for it to go on sale. The moment it does, I am prepared to rush myself to the store and snag myself one! LOL!

Anyway, I love this top! It’s cute but CAN’T wear this for running. The shelf bra doesn’t give that much support for me. I tried wearing a sports bra underneath it but it ruins the cuteness of the back. It’s better to wear it as is and save it for just low-impact workouts like yoga and pilates.

For the shorts, I’ve worn them when working out at home. It held pretty well. 🙂 My only complaint though is that – it’s a little too short. I do wear running short shorts but not “super” short shorts. I tried running outside in them one day and after a minute, I went back home to change. I got conscious. I mean it’s ok if you are comfortable running in “super” short shorts but if you are a little conservative like me, I think this is a little too much exposure.

Let’s go to their April collection, Coral Crush. I love the colors from this collection. I chose to get two bottoms this time. I got the To Dye For Capri and Double Decker Capri.

OMG! The To Dye For Capri is my favorite. I’ve worn them several times to run and kickboxing class. I got a lot of compliments wearing them at the gym. It’s stylish, comfortable, flattering and holds up pretty good! 🙂

It’s so perfect to wear for Spring! 🙂

I got the Double Decker capri together with my purchase this month so I haven’t used them yet to workout. This was actually the exchange I made in April. I tried them on and I love it.

I love the option for the waistband to wear in two ways. You can either fold it up or down. I love clothes with a twist like that. 🙂 So far, it feels soft, comfortable and flattering.

*** Update: As of Saturday (May 25, 2013)
I ran in my Double Decker Capri for the first time and it held pretty good! I had no moments of pulling it up! Love it! ***

For this month’s (May) collection called Cosmic Love, I got the Ultraviolet Tank top and Cosmic Capri. I wanted to get more but I had to control myself from over splurging too much on workout clothes. This month’s collection was again a hit and I think Ellie is starting to pick up the pieces and doing a good job on their clothes. I am really impressed on their clothes for this month.

For the top, though it has a built-in bra, I may have to wear a sports bra underneath it to add more support so I can wear it for my runs. I love the neon detail lines and mesh racerback. It’s a nice change from most of the tops I own.

The capris are super soft and really flattering. I like the piping at the back. It gives my calves that sexy muscular illusion. I like to look tough! 😛 It has wide waistband so no squishing or muffin-topping, overall creates a flattering look. Love it!

So there’s my super honest review. I wanted to make sure that if I am sending folks to a business, I enjoy being a customer of theirs. So far I’m loving their clothing line. They’re good quality and overall beautiful unique pieces. I have not had any issues with them since my first month with them in October 2012 and will continue purchasing their service. 🙂

*They are expanding their size chart!
For their next collection, they are going to start offering XL for three of the bottoms and the next collection after that they will offer every piece in an XL!

* Starting on June 15, they are going to start charging shipping for all orders under $100 BUT if you signed up at a Fit Fashionista Club Member before June 15th you will be grandfathered in with free shipping.

So, if you like what you see, go join in and give ELLIE a try!

Hurry and join Ellie now before June 15th to receive free shipping!!!

As an Ellie Ambassador, here’s a link for my readers, family and friends, that will give you 20% off when you sign up: http://ellie.evyy.net/c/48907/58556/1664

Here’s how it works:

I will continue to keep you all posted about Ellie and give you honest feedback as always.

UPDATE!

Here’s a sneak peek of their June collection!

*Reminder: All those who sign up as a Fit Fashionista Club member before June 15th will be grandfathered in with free shipping! HURRY!

Here’s 20% off discount link when you sign up! 🙂
http://ellie.evyy.net/c/48907/58556/1664

Have you tried Ellie ?

Xoxo, JOTR
> Like my blog’s facebook page here: Ja-ontheRUN Blog
> Check out my silly photo adventures on Instagram here: @ja_ontherun

Reebok Spartan Race Entry GIVEAWAY and DISCOUNT!

I did my first obstacle race last year and did a recap about my experience here. It wasn’t the Spartan Race but I fell in love with the experience and I would definitely love to try other obstacle races again in the future.

These types of races are challenging obstacle trails designed to test your mind, strength and stamina. They are a great way to also test your athleticism, balance and agility, not just aerobic endurance. Obstacle course races are for anyone – beginner runners, marathoners, triathletes, trail runners to outdoor enthusiasts. You will finish the race wet and muddy, but with the thrill of satisfaction. TRUST me!  It unleashed the bad-ass tough side in me. Definitely worth the experience!

I learned about Spartan Race when I was searching for obstacle races online. I remember even sharing this video on my facebook wall because its message is truly inspiring. 🙂

So, If you are tired and bored of running the same old road races (5k, 10k, half marathons) weekend after weekend, year after year, well, then your next race should be an outdoor obstacle and adventure race. It’s time to take your athleticism to the next level. 🙂

The kind people over Spartan Race sent me a free race entry for my one (1) lucky reader. 

That’s right! And it could be you!

YES YOU! 🙂

Spartan race has been voted the #1 obstacle race by Outside Magazine and are the global leader in obstacle racing since 2005. They now introduced a level for everyone beginning with the entry level Spartan Sprint, intermediate level Super Spartan, and the advanced Spartan Beast.

They have races all over the country and even outside the country. You can check their website for a Spartan Obstacle Race near you.

Here’s what you will get from your race entry:

You can also register as a team. Everything you need to know about team racing click here.

So, are you ready to push yourself out of your comfort zone?

Here’s your chance to do something different! 🙂

Enter here to win a free Spartan Race entry!

Just head over here or click this –>   “Win a free Spartan Race Entry” giveaway via Rafflecopter

***Giveaway runs from 5/22/13 (Wednesday) to 5/28/13 (Tuesday).
Participants must enter on the links provided (via Rafflecopter) and leave a blog comment to win.
1 winner will be randomly selected (via Rafflecopter).
I will notify the winner on 5/29/13 (Wednesday) via email (if email address is available) and post her name here on this post.
The winner will have 48 business hours to claim prize.
If original winner does not claim prize within 48 business hours another winner will be selected.
Visit their website to know more about Spartan Race. 🙂***

If you don’t win and you still want to go ahead and register you can use this code for 15% off to any Spartan Races.  Click here to get the code! 🙂

If you know someone, a family, a friend who is tough, send them over here to my blog! They are more than welcome to enter my giveaway or use my code! 🙂

And he’s right! LET’S DO THIS! 😛

AROO!!!

Xoxo, JOTR

UPDATE:

Teresa Millstone, you are the winner of the Free Spartan Race Entry giveaway!
Kindly check your email.

Thanks everyone for participating!

My Partner On The Run.

It’s Monday again!

Before anything else, I just want to say a big CONGRATULATIONS to my friend Jae for completing Ironman Texas last Saturday! He ROCKED IT!

Here’s a video of him at the finish line.

He’s the friend from my previous post whom my hubby and I cheered for last April in Texas during his Ironman 70.3. This time was the full one – Ironman 140.6. My husband and I were cheering for him from all the way here in Ohio. As we were tracking him online we were feeling the pain and the agony. That’s 2.4 mile SWIM, 112 mile BIKE, 26.2 mile RUN + TEXAS scourching heat! That’s insane but he killed it!

Congratulations Ironman Jae!

————————————————————————————————————————–

So last Friday, I gave myself a permission to schedule a little ‘me’ time. 🙂 I am firm believer in the importance of being good to yourself and I shamelessly indulge in “me time” every once in a while. 🙂

I had highlights done on the tips of my hair. My hair is normally very dark brown and the highlights turned out to be caramel-y. I’m happy with the outcome! Thanks to my hairdresser, Jamie! 🙂

I like it when hubby is driving, I can take more shameless selfies! LOL! 🙂

Question: When was the last time you set aside a little ‘me’ time? How did it feel?

My husband has played a key role in getting me into running. He was actually the one who encouraged me to sign up for my first half marathon. I was doubting myself that time but he was more confident for me than I was. From there, I got hooked! So, thank you for that! 🙂 Im not sure I would ever have the guts to sign up without his wisdom and encouragement. He supported me so much through my running journey. I remember when he had to wait for me to finish in the cold and sleet during my last year’s race at the Monumental Half Marathon. I love him and I am truly blessed to have him. He’s my number 1 fan! 🙂

Our very first half! 🙂

So, this year, I am repaying the favor back. He signed up for his first marathon in September. Though I am not training for any races (as of now), I join him with his training. This is my small way of saying thanks! 🙂

Now with his first marathon on the horizon, he’s been diligently following a training plan. I join him in his long runs, easy runs, not-so easy runs, interval trainings… etc. It’s nice that I do this with him. We keep each other going when one is tired. Running together is a fun way for us to bond.

4-mile interval training

Last Saturday was another long run for him.

I saw these old tracks along the way. I love railroad tracks!

Doing my much needed foam rolling

I had no idea how running weaved into our marriage. I realized that this has become a bonding time like an Iron man movie date night out for us. I am convinced that one of the reasons we’ve remained strong in our marriage is that we share the same passion and loves. My partner in life is also my partner on the run.

Question: Do you run with your significant other? Or are you a solo runner?

Yesterday, my husband and I attended the Cincinnati’s 4th annual Yoga Takeover, sponsored by different local yoga companies. It was free (which is awesome) and took place at the Washington Park in Downtown Cincinnati.

This was my first time doing a yoga class outdoor. It was pretty tough balancing on the grass, but the wobbling didn’t bother me. It’s getting close to summer season, so it was warm hot but everyone just seemed so happy to be outside.

There were 3 yoga instructors that led the class and they also had assistants who were walking through the crowd helping with adjustment and spraying us with water – such a sweet treat! So despite the fact that there were probably 200+ people out there yesterday, you still got a little bit of individual attention.

It was a great experience since I’ve never really got a chance to roam around to this part of downtown Cincinnati. The views were actually pretty cool. And doing a sun salutation when you’re actually reaching toward the sun is a pretty cool feeling! 🙂 And, oh, the “thing” I feared the most (see my last post), nope, nothing like that happened. LOL! It was a good day!

Question: How did your weekend go? Have you gone to an outdoor yoga?

Anyone raced this weekend?

Xoxo, JOTR

Like my blog’s facebook page here: Ja-ontheRUN Blog
Check out my silly photo adventures on Instagram here: @ja_ontherun

Love Sweaty Bands, they don’t slip! Click here to get 5% off.
Ellie offers women a chic new line in women’s fitness apparel.Save 20% Now
Bulu Box $10.00 Discount code: BULUGAN984

Yo-Gas! :)

Ummm…ok how do I say this?

Most people would consider me as a shy person. That said, I have this fear of being humiliated in a room full of people I don’t know. But yesterday in yoga class, for the first time in my life, the thing I feared the most happened. I was moving into Reverse Warrior pose, and… a quick “prrrrup”.

I was mortified! My mind grinded to a halt. My yogic, calm trance was interrupted by a supreme embarrassment.

“Did that just happened?” Yes, that… just… happened! Holy crap!

“Oh please please please I hope no one heard it!”

I know it was a little audible, but NOT smelly (thank goodness!). I peeked to my right …and left, everyone looked serious and focused on themselves. It seemed like no one noticed. I felt relieved! I couldn’t believe and totally did not expect that! I kept breathing, held my pose, and quickly my embarrassment passed. Then I started giggling in my head. 🙂

With 15 minutes left to go in class, my paranoia set in.

Were they just trying to be mature by not reacting to it? What if they actually heard it?

Aaaawkward!

I tried to glance at everyone’s faces to see if they are secretly laughing – they still looked serious. I tried to compose myself during the “Corpse Pose”. While everyone looked so relaxed, my mind was screaming and getting paranoid. OMG! What if it was loud enough for them to hear it. I can never show my ass I mean my face in this class ever again. Lol!

After class, the lady next to me started a conversation with me about some random topic while rolling up our mats. It seemed like she didn’t hear anything at all. So yeah, that calmed me down a bit.

I know some people wont do yoga for that reason. I remembered my uncle’s friend who’s a yoga instructor told him that “it” does happen. Yoga poses can really make you escape winds. What do you think all that pushing, pulling and stretching is doing? Removing toxins by sweat, breath and yes, farting. LOL! I didn’t think it will be a big deal. I was confident it will not happen to me, until it happened to me!

I don’t know what possessed me to write about this topic on my blog. I hope you don’t judge me after this. It took a lot of guts and courage for me – to claim something so embarrassing. I just want to keep it real here on my blog. I don’t intend to just share only the good stuff though – how good I feel about myself after workouts, eating right,… etc. My life isn’t always happy and glamourous. I’m only human and like others I have bad embarrassing days too.

Yes, I’m still mortified when I think about it, then I saw this video on my Facebook feed – what a perfect timing! It’s too funny but this alleviated my anxiety a bit. It reminded me that “we’re all human, and that the ego is what creates embarrassment.”

Hahahaha!

So there you go! Your turn!

Spill: Has this ever happened to you? Do you have an embarrassing yoga/exercise story? What yoga poses make you “toot”? 🙂

Don’t be afraid to share. We’re all friends here! I love yoga and I’m going back to class again this week! If you ever happen to be in the same class with me, don’t be afraid to place your mat near mine. 🙂

NAMASTE! 🙂

Xoxo, JOTR

LINKS:
Like my blog’s facebook page here: Ja-ontheRUN Blog
Check out my silly photo adventures on Instagram here: @ja_ontherun

Love Sweaty Bands, they don’t slip! Click here to get 5% off.
Ellie offers women a chic new line in women’s fitness apparel.Save 20% Now
Bulu Box $10.00 Discount code: BULUGAN984

I Am Versatile! :)

First of all, I must apologize for being so late with my response.

I want to thank Andrea over @I Run For Donuts  for nominating my blog for this award. Her blog is amazing, so please go and check it out.

Also, I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who reads my blog. Every single comment puts a big smile on my face! It’s a great feeling to know that out there in the vast blogosphere there are people who reads my ramblings. I’m also thrilled by the fascinating people I have “met” since I started blogging.

So let’s get started shall we…

The rules for this award are:
1. Add The Versatile Blogger award photo on a blog post – check √
2. Thank the person who presented you with the award and link back to him or her in your post – check √
3. Share seven things about yourself – check √
4. Pass the award along to 15 favorite bloggers. Contact the chosen bloggers to let them know about the award. – Hmmm… I’ll make it different this time!

Aside from the many random things I’ve mentioned here and here

… here’s more: 🙂

1.) I used to hate running jogging.  I couldn’t even walk a mile without thinking I was going to die or puke. Now, I’m running further and a little faster than I ever have before and it feels amazing! 🙂

2.) I collect fortunes from fortune cookies. I only keep the nice ones though coz the others I got were a bit strange. Lol! 🙂

What’s your favorite fortune from a fortune cookie? Mine is this.

3.) My favorite movie when I was a kid was “The Little Mermaid”. I had copy of this in VHS. I’ve watched it a hundred times and memorized each lines and songs. Good ‘ol days! 🙂

4.) The very first time I went trail biking (Aug 2010), I fell off a 3-ft high bridge. I got bruises everywhere and a deep cut on my left shin (ugh!). So thankful that I was wearing a helmet and the cut wasn’t surgical or anything. In all honesty, I think trail biking is awesome BUT, it’s freaking hard! I am sticking on paved trails and roads for biking. LOL! 🙂

How do you feel about mountain biking, -wicked exciting or absolutely terrifying?

Trail running or mountain biking: which do you prefer?

5.) I like adventures. I like the feeling of being “out there” and pushing my boundaries.

That’s me, 2nd from the right, covered by Flounder  a fish. lol!

6.) I have a talent figuring out combinations to padlocks like this. 😉

7.) I can’t pack light. If I can’t decide which pair of shoes to wear, I’ll bring both. 🙂

And now, it is my pleasure to further forward this award to …

EVERYONE! 🙂

I think all of you guys here in the blogging community are AMAZING and deserve this award! 🙂

Share 1 …or 2 …or 3 … or 7 (or more if you like) things about yourself in the comments below!

Xoxo, JOTR

LINKS:
Like my blog’s facebook page here:  Ja-ontheRUN Blog
Check out my silly photo adventures on Instagram here: @ja_ontherun

* I love Sweaty Bands. They don’t slip! Click this link to get 5% off.
* Ellie.com offers women a chic new line in women’s fitness apparel. Save 20% off now.
* BuluBox.com $10 off coupon code: BULUGAN984

It’s A Good Weekend!

(This post was supposed to be up yesterday but for some reason, my pictures were not loading properly. Oh well… here it is.)

Weekends come and go.  The best thing about it though is that it’s a repeating process. You get over one and you know there’s another coming up.  There is always opportunity to make up for a bad weekend by having a good one the following week.

So what made this weekend good for me?

My weekend was action packed with running and events.

Saturday morning, my husband and I were up bright and early and started our day off with our usual morning run.

Just an easy relax run, focusing on our breathing more.

Yup! As you can see, I finally got my “Runners for Boston” shirt! 🙂 Remember when I told you guys on my previous post that I wasn’t able to get one because my size got sold out quick. Well, when my husband and I picked up his new running shoes at the running store last Friday, I saw this booth where people picked up their “Runners for Boston” shirts.  I asked one of the sales lady if they still had any more shirts available and she told me that there’ll be no more stocks coming in. A lady at the counter about to pay for her stuff overheard and approached me. She told me that I can just have her shirt. I asked if she was sure, she certainly said yes. I got so excited! As I was giving her my payment, she said “no, it’s okay, you don’t have to, I was going to donate for Boston anyway”. I couldn’t stop thanking her. I hugged her!  She’s soooo nice. That became the highlight of my weekend. Runners truly are very kind people! 🙂

We also learned that our running store was able to raised $18,000+ to donate to the One Fund Boston. They just sent out the check that day. Wow!

After lunch, we headed over to the Flying Pig Expo. We did not run this race this year but we still wanted to check out the expo. I love to check out deals on running gears and see what kind of free swag we could get. :p

I was impressed at this expo last year when we registered for this race. For me, this one was definitely the best compared to the ones I went to for my half marathon races last year.

It’s sponsored by Proctor &Gamble (P&G is based in Cincinnati) so you’d expect a lot of freebies from the company.

We arrived a little late so it wasn’t so crowded. No lines. We meandered our way through the Flying Pig memorabilia area.

We got more Boston Strong shirts – more donations to the One Fund Boston. 🙂

We stumbled upon this Green B.E.A.N. Delivery. It’s a year-round grocery delivery service that hooks people up with local & sustainable food. My husband and I thought it’s a very cool concept. It’s an easy way to get local, organic, and humanely-raised food that’s hard to find in a supermarket. All you have to do is log on to your account online and choose the items you want. You can choose to set your delivery every week or every other week. It’s delivered right to your home (or office). You don’t have to deal with the chore of going to the grocery store anymore to get some good quality produce. Isn’t that awesome?!  I’m sure they have more options but you can just check out their website for more details.

We are considering getting the $35 bin, set to every other week delivery. This comes loaded with organic veggies and fruits. That would probably be more than enough for the two of us for two weeks.

Have you heard or tried this kind of service before?

The expo was easy to move through and still very well-organized as last year! 🙂

We weren’t able to make it when they were giving out sample freebies from Proctor and Gamble. Last year, we got several varieties of Olay skin creams, tampons (my husband didn’t want those), laundry scent booster, Dawn Power clean, and more! We missed out this time. :p

We got a lot of goodies though from the vendor section such as Bio Freeze, vitamins, assorted snacks, Koru yogurt, ice cream, Dick’s bag, gloves, seat cushions and a lot more, aside from the ones we purchased for an awesome deal!

They even had free photobooths. 🙂

On Sunday, after church, we headed back downtown again to the Flying Pig event to cheer for our friends who ran the marathon.

Friends, Tim (@ghstrnnr) and Nires (@therunnerfly), drove all the way from Chicago for this race. They’ve ran several marathons already and both love to travel to join races. My husband and I are so inspired by them. They’ve inspired us to train for a marathon someday.

AWESOME JOB GUYS! 🙂

We took them to a nice seafood lunch after their race.

It started raining harder after lunch but we managed to take a few good pictures of Cincinnati in the rain before we could let them go, back to Chicago. 🙂

Congratulations to everyone who ran and finished

the Flying Pig!

This last weekend was a great weekend for me.  I always say a good weekend for me would include the following:

* Spending time with friends.
* Exercising, like running, biking, or hitting the gym.
* Hanging out with the family.
* Eating! Good food of course!
* Downtime to relax and chill especially after a hard work week.
* Being productive

Those are the things that I would consider to be a perfect weekend.

What makes a good weekend for you?!

Do you enjoy going to race expos? What is your favorite part of going?

Xoxo, JOTR

LINKS:
Like my blog’s facebook page here:  Ja-ontheRUN Blog
Check out my silly photo adventures on Instagram here: @ja_ontherun

– I love Sweaty Bands. They don’t slip! Click this link to get 5% off.
– Ellie.com offers women a chic new line in women’s fitness apparel. Save 20% off now.
– BuluBox.com $10 off coupon code: BULUGAN984

Shout-Out: Happy Flying Pig Weekend!

It’s getting warmer up here in Ohio and I’m loving all the daylight! Sometimes, my husband and I would just stay out in our porch and sit for a while after our runs to relax. So much more enjoyable to be outside now that it’s warmer!

This time around last year I was training for my very first half marathon. I just want to make a shout out to those running the Flying Pig Marathon this weekend!

GOODLUCK guys! Have fun on the race!!! 🙂

This race will forever hold a special place in my heart as my first half marathon. It’s in this race I discovered the runner and athlete in me. I will be visiting the Flying Pig expo tomorrow and be there for the race on Sunday to cheer for the runners! 🙂

Good Luck also to everyone racing this weekend! I know there will be a lot of races going on – Columbus, Indy, Pittsburgh, Knoxville. It’s a busy weekend!

Did I miss anyone, feel free to make a shout out in the comments below!

My husband and I are off to a movie date tonight.

Until next time! Have a great weekend.

Xoxo, JOTR

LINKS:
Like my blog’s facebook page here:  Ja-ontheRUN Blog
Check out my silly photo adventures on Instagram here: @ja_ontherun

April (and March) Foodie Penpal Reveal Day

I am so excited to be back here on Foodie Penpal. I signed up for this last year in November. Took a break in January and February because my family came over here for vacation and I was super busy.

I missed it so much so I signed up again in March, but my blog was under renovation in time for reveal day.

So I just decided to combine both reveal days for March and April together. 2 in 1! Those are always fun, right?! 🙂

For my March box, my box came from amazing Sylvia Hernandez. 🙂 She doesn’t have a blog but I’m sending her warm hugs via email. Yes, you don’t have to be a blogger to join in the fun. 🙂

She said that she visited my blog to know more about me. She went shopping with something spicy in mind (she must have read this post about me), but changed her mind and shopped something different instead. 🙂

As soon as I saw this paper bag in my box, I knew right away where she went to shop for my goodies. I love Whole Foods Market! 🙂

I love those sticky notes! 🙂

My box was filled with goodies I haven’t tried before. It’s perfect because I love trying new things. After all, this is what the program is about – meeting new people and trying new things! 🙂

First thing that caught my eye was this bag of Kale chips.

I’ve never tried any kale chips before. I took a bite and DIED! These are beyond delicious!

They did not last long and I think I’m hooked on these. I will definitely check out Whole Foods and try other flavors. 🙂

Oooohh this Pumpkin Sprouties did not last long either. My husband and I were munching on these while watching tv and gone …fast!

These are very delicious. Taste like sunflower seeds. These are great to put on top of salads or just eat by the handfuls.

Next are these muscle brownies.

I am not really into body building but I knew I’ll be 100% guilt-free when I indulge in these brownies. The taste was good, a tad on the too sweet side then I realized they are brownies (not protein bars).

The sugar is a little high so I’d eat just half of the pack after workouts.

I knew my husband would love these Coco-Roons.

He likes anything coconut-y. I had no choice but to share this with him.

I was able to take one piece before he could finish everything. I love it, they are sweet but just enough sweet to complement the coconut.

Now, these Pretzilla mini pretzel buns. I have never seen a pretzel bun before.

These buns came with coarse salt to add to the top if you choose so.

I made a little ham and cheese sliders with the mini buns and I loved it. Yum! This is a great alternative to plain old roll. The buns have such a rich delicious pretzel flavor that is distinct and delicious. YUM!

That’s it for my March box.

“Hey Sylvia, if you happen to read this post, thank you so much! I love everything you sent me!”

Oh! Please head over to Karen’s blog (midlifedreaming.wordpress.com), to check out what I sent her! 🙂

Now, let’s move on to my April Box. This box came from Stacie Hoyos all the way from Maryland. She’s not a blogger too like my previous penpal so, no links to their blogs.

When I saw my goodies, I was curious about them. They were all new to me and I was so excited to taste everything. I was looking for her letter, but I didn’t find any. 😦

I was a bit sad when I didn’t find any letter from her. 😦 But I remembered her telling me during our exchange of emails that this was her first time on Foodie Penpals. So I’m guessing she missed the part that says she has to include a letter explaining her goodies.

It would have been nice to read something while devouring my goodies. 🙂

I devoured on these right away.

I see these chocolate bites in Starbucks when I buy my coffee but I’ve never really paid attention to them. These are in small containers which should be located somewhere near the register area. I literally couldn’t stop popping them in my mouth after trying one. These chocolate bites are sooo good!

These corn chips are good too!

They are crispy and crunchy, light and flaky, and still have a bit of texture and depth to them. Sometimes with “healthier” chips I feel like they are almost too light and taste “blah”, but these feel like a REAL snack food.

I threw the greek yogurt bar, Luna bar and Stride gum in my bag for me to eat while on the go.

As you can see, the Luna protein bar did not last long. I unconsciously ate it. Wait, is there such thing? Haha. I honestly don’t remember eating them.

Have you ever unconsciously ate something? LOL! 🙂

The Stride gum has by far the best packaging of any other gum I’ve seen! The actual gum color is purple, tastes fruity like sweet oranges almost, and the flavor and consistency last for a long time.

The greek yogurt bar is absolutely delicious. They are chewy with a good bit of crunch from the oats. The blueberry acai flavor tastes like the real deal. Love these!

I haven’t opened the tea and popcorn yet. The flavors sound intriguing though.

Thank you Stacie for the goodies. 🙂

I sent a package to Emily Gedert who blogs over @EmilyRuns. I’m not sure though if she’ll have time to blog because she’s getting married this week! 🙂 Have fun on your wedding day, Emily! Best Wishes!So there you go!

Thank you Lindsay @The Lean Green Bean for hosting this program. 🙂

I’ve made quite a few friends through food and I can’t wait for next month’s Foodie Penpal. 🙂

You guys may already know how this whole thing goes but here are some of the details about the program.

Please head over to Lindsay’s blog @TheLeanGreenBean for more details! 🙂

Want to see my previous Foodie Penpal posts? Click here.

Xoxo, JOTR

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JaOnTheRun
Instagram: @ja_ontherun

Productive Weekend

Happy Monday everyone!

How was your weekend?!

Mine was full of a mix of fun and work, so all-in-all feels productive. 🙂

On Friday afternoon, my husband and I went for a movie date.

I watched this movie with no idea about why the title is “Olympus Has Fallen”, then in the later ten or fifteen minutes of movie it was revealed that “Olympus” is the code name of the ‘White House’.

I don’t want to spoil the movie for you. If you are into conspiracy and action movies, go see this movie. The whole plot is simple and no unnecessary twist that required me to think too much. LOL! 🙂 Sometimes, this is the kind of movie I want to see after a long day.

After the movie, we stopped by Runner’s Plus to pick up few things. Time for us to stocked up on some power gels for our long runs.

I love Gu Espresso Love! 🙂

My husband and I woke up early on Saturday and we headed out to the trail for a run.

Finally, a gorgeous Spring day for my morning run! That day actually felt more like spring in Ohio. The sun was shining, blue skies and the temperature in the 50s F – so wonderful! Love it! ❤

After our run, we ran a few errands – including a stop at grocery store. Time for us too to stock up on local produce.

my husband on veggie heaven

So, yeah, we spend the majority of our grocery shopping time in the produce section now. Ever since we started juicing, our fridge became loaded with healthy fruits and veggies. We’ve never had vegetables that much before. We’ve been doing this for a while now and it has become part of our life. We buy organic whenever possible. Yes, it’s more expensive. But it’s for our health! 🙂

Sunday was relatively productive. Usually our Sundays is for lounging around, sleeping in, relaxing, lots of catching up on my TV shows, and not putting real pants on. Today however, was a big change.

* My husband installed this steel cabinet in our garage and we had a major garage decluttering session.
* Our grass was in dire need of attention so my husband mowed our lawn.
* I pulled out some crazy weeds in our front yard. Ugh! I hate weeds!
* I got some more cleaning done around the house and caught up on ALL laundry.

And finally after dinner, some relaxing time, we spent the remainder of the day watching a few episodes of “Bones”.

I think I had the most productive weekend I’ve had in … well … forever!

Do you like productive or relaxing weekends?

“Runners for Boston” in Cincinnati

Last night, running stores across the nation conducted a running event called “Runners for Boston” to gather all runners across America to support Boston and those affected in the bombing.

When I heard about this event, I knew I wanted to take part. As avid runners, my husband and I went to our local running store here in Cincinnati, Bob Roncker’s, to participate and show our support and love for the city of Boston.

I wore again my souvenir hoodie from my Boston trip.

As we walked up to the running store, I immediately saw a sea of runners and walkers gathered all together and wearing the iconic blue and yellow of the Boston Marathon. It was a beautiful sight.

I was moved seeing a lot of runners and walkers showing their support.  Runners of all ages. I even saw a nun!

I was trying to take a picture of the old man in orange and blue. He was wearing a 1987 Boston Marathon jacket. He was there to participate and STILL running (props to him!) 🙂

One of the organizers from the running store spoke a few words before we run.

I got teary eyed during the part when we were asked to take a moment of silence to say a prayer. It still saddens me when I think about the last week’s event but being part of this community made me feel a sense of belonging. It just felt so good to be out there that day with amazing people.

We sang the national anthem and took off running.

We did a 3 mile loop around the neighborhood of Hyde Park Square. That night’s run wasn’t about speed or your training. It was all about reflecting, honoring, and healing. Everyone smiled and waved as they passed each other . There was a unified peace in all of us.

Told you I saw a nun. So awesome! 🙂

It was a beautiful sunset run. We all ended up at the running store again. We stayed and chatted a bit with other runners.

There were “Runners for Boston” shirts available for sale with 100% of proceeds going to One Fund Boston. We wanted to buy, but our size were already sold out. We were told to check again next week. 🙂

Love these stickers!

Funny sticker that made everyone laugh. 🙂

The run turned out great! My husband and I had a wonderful time showing our support.

By the way, news crews from different TV stations in Cincinnati were there and this event was featured last night in the local news on tv.

You can watch it here. 🙂

Runners for Boston on WLWT News 5 🙂

Yesterday was a very special day for the running community & the city of Boston. Incredibly proud to be part of it. We’re not going to let two people or terrorists stop us from doing what we love.

Did you join a Runners for Boston event?

Happy running to all of you!

Xoxo, JOTR

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JaOnTheRun
Instagram: @ja_ontherun

Getting Into Juicing

I was all quiet the past few days thinking about tragedy in Boston. The city became close to my heart after my visit and the terror attack hasn’t left my mind since that horrible day.

Thank you for your comments on my previous blog post a few days ago. I appreciate all your kind words 🙂

I was glued to the live streaming video of CBS News Boston the whole day yesterday (literally) as they caught the marathon bomber. It was scary and intense! I felt so relieved when they finally captured him.

I’m confident to say that Boston will be okay. The nation will be okay. The running community will be okay. It will be hard for everyone to move on. It will take some time to heal but as what the President said, we will come back stronger and we will continue to run more marathons again! 🙂

Last night, a nice, peaceful, sunset run was just what my mind and body needed. I did a lot of reflection during this run in honor of those affected in the tragedy.

As you can tell from my previous post my emotions are a bit all over the place but, I’m going to try to resume normal posting as best I can.

So, this week, my husband and I have just started juicing. 🙂

We’ve watched some documentaries on healthier eating and have decided to start juicing. My husband really wanted to do this especially since all he’s done for the past 2 weeks was eat, eat, and eat. We ate delicious food all the time while in Houston and Boston. He was complaining that his belly was just getting bigger and bigger so he decided to make a dietary change.

We want to benefit from getting proper nutrients that our Filipino/American diet just doesn’t provide. We hope to lose weight from it as well. I like getting nutrients from the juice of fruits and vegetables I would never ordinarily be eating.

BEFORE

AFTER

So far, the machine we got for juicing is very easy to use and it does a good job.

My husband was the one who introduced the idea to me, so I asked him to make a video of it getting started to share with you guys.

Verdict: After four days of juicing I felt healthier and I noticed my skin is glowing and my husband already lost 5 pounds. I was more than a little surprised how much I enjoyed it. I think juicing is an excellent way to get more fresh vegetables in your diet. I wouldn’t be able to eat that much amount of vegetables and fruits in one sitting on a regular basis. I personally think it’s yummier than any juice you can buy at the store.

Our fridge is busting with veggies and fruits!

Juicing will now become a staple in our diet. It’s way better than buying packaged juice from the grocery store. I prefer my juice to be as fresh as possible to ensure the highest nutrient content. I like that I can control what I add to my juice.

Anyways, have you heard of juicing? Have you ever tried a juicer?  I would love to hear your experience with it.  Is juicing something you would consider? Do you know someone who is doing it?  I really value your input!!!

Disclaimer:
We are not compensated nor paid to do this. We bought our juicer with our own money. All thoughts and opinions expressed above are my own. 
Juicing is NOT for everyone. Do your own research or consult a certified nutrition expert and ask if it’s right for you.

Xoxo, JOTR

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JaOnTheRun
Instagram: @ja_ontherun

Thinking Of You, Boston.

I don’t know how I should do this. I am creating this post with a heavy heart. I was very excited to share my recap of my Boston trip with you guys, but things have changed after the incident. It will not be like how I had planned it to be.

Yes, I was there in Boston with my husband’s family during the marathon weekend events. Like every runner’s dream, I was excited to have a glimpse and be part of one of the world’s greatest running event.

I was all smiles and so inspired by the happy atmosphere until a friend called on Monday checking if I was ok. I asked why. That’s when I learned about the explosion that was near the finish line, where we walked and took pictures!

(Thank you to everyone who were checking on us, calling and texting. We appreciate all your concern for us. We love you all!)

We are so thankful that we stuck to our plan of going back home to Ohio on Sunday because my husband had work the next day or else we would have been there watching the race on Monday. Of course we would have chosen to watch the race in the best spot – near the finish line.

I am so saddened and shook up by all of this. This saddens me and really hits home as a runner, right to the very core of my heart. How can an inspiring and joyous event like this be overshadowed by something so cruel?

It’s hard to find balance after all this tragedy, but I will try my very best to write this post and share the memories I had in the beautiful city of Boston.

We got in Boston Thursday night.

Since it rained so hard on Friday, we rescheduled our tour of Downtown Boston to Saturday.

We decided to take a trip to Rhode Island to check out the Newport Mansions.

The mansions are incredible! Seeing them really brings the era of the gilded age to life. Absolutely stunning! Amazingly detailed from floor to ceiling. The self-guided audio tour through each of the houses was fantastic! It took us all day (we took a lunch break in between) to tour the five different mansions.

My favorite mansion is “The Breakers”.

got a souvenir Christmas tree ornament

Saturday weather forecast was beautiful – chilly and sunny, perfect to walk around Boston! We anticipated heavy traffic and lack of parking spaces so we opted to take the subway going to downtown.

Subways were packed but everyone was in happy spirit for the marathon.

We got off the subway and walked to our first destination, John Hynes Convention Center for the Boston Marathon Expo.

As we were heading to the expo, I saw a lot of athletes and runners alike roaming around downtown. Thousands and thousands of runners, family, and friends were sharing in the excitement. The atmosphere just made me feel very “at home”, a special feeling of a bond.

For me, this expo is the grandest of all race expos! We had a fun time exploring around.

Entrance to the Boston Marathon Expo

It was super crowded but that didn’t stop me from checking out booths of my favorite running gears.

Newton Running Booth

I thought the Brooks Running booth was cute.

Brooks Running booth

I couldn’t let this section pass. I just had to leave a mark.

We got to see Ryan Hall! 🙂

I planned to stalk as many running idols as I could. I was hoping to see Shalane Flanagan and Kara Goucher and ask them to sign my Runner’s World magazine. I love them both! Unfortunately, I was unable to find a schedule when certain people were going to be at the expo.

I wanted to buy the official Boston wind breaker as a souvenir, but for $100, I didn’t think I’d really wear it that much, so I passed. I got this North Face hoodie ($55) instead which I know I will definitely wear more often.

I got Sparkly Soul headbands, Injinji socks and a few other things to “commemorate the experience” (excuse of a girl who just likes to shop. I love shopping for running gears! 🙂 )

After the expo we made our way to check out the finish line.

After that, we went for a Duck Tour. It’s a great way to see the historical sites of Boston. We got a lot of laughs out of the tour. Our driver was very funny and informative. I learned a lot of American history from him.

Our driver let me try driving the duck boat. It was fun! I hope I didn’t scare the passengers. 🙂

The best part of Boston for me is the history. There were so many wonderful historical places to see. I just recently migrated here in the US (3 years ago) and I learned a lot of US history from this trip.

I love the city’s old architectural designs. It reminded me of old European cities like London and Italy. I find it very artsy and interesting.

Located in the middle of the historic square is Quincy Market. Huge building with tons of food choices!

Come grab some Boston Chowdah!

What is your favorite word to say with a Boston accent? I love the word “pissah”. 🙂

Other interesting things I saw while walking around Boston.

As we were walking down Hanover, we noticed this crazy line outside Mike’s pastry shop. This must be something extraordinary. The line was long but it was moving fast. We got a slice of Ricotta cheese cake and different kinds of cannolis.

The sight of so many different flavors of cannoli makes this place my kind of dessert heaven.

So, my verdict, delicious huge cannolis! You know when you have one of those desserts that completely knocks your socks off? This is it. Their cannolis are simply out of this world good!

I fell in love with Boston. It became one of my favorite cities in the U.S. I would definitely recommend visiting if you haven’t done so already.

Thanks to my sister-in-law, Ate Lara and Kevin for touring us around BOSTON.

All my enthusiasm and excitement watching the marathon changed on Monday, April 15th, 2013 when I learned about the explosion.

As with most runners across the nation, in honor of those affected, my husband and I wore our race shirts proud yesterday for #raceshirttuesday with a heavy and grieving heart. I did a lot of reflecting the past few days. This tragedy reminded us to hold our loved ones close, to thank every single person who cheers for us and be thankful for our everyday blessings.

This is why I love the running community. Miles apart, runners still unite. We are all strangers, yet we have created relationships with each other. We showed support despite not knowing each other. Runners are amazing group of people.

Our hearts and prayers go out to the victims and families of those who were injured or lost their lives. We can’t imagine the heartache they will endure in the days ahead.

I still get goosebumps when I watch the news but I won’t let this fear get in between the love I have for running. I will run farther and train harder more than ever.

We will move on and we will keep on running!

Much love and lets #prayforboston.

❤ Ja

Big ol’ Texas Recap, Y’all!

Well hello everyone! 🙂

As I mentioned it in my last post, my husband and I flew to Houston last weekend! 🙂

My husband’s parents are happily retired and going back to the Philippines for good to relax and enjoy a worry-free life. So we planned a surprise farewell party for them before they leave.

Also, we came to support my husband’s best friend, Jae, at his half Ironman Triathlon. He’s one of the people who inspires my husband and me to sign up and train for triathlons someday. 🙂

Our flight was at 8:10am. We had to drop off the car at a hotel’s parking at 6:00am.

As you may all know, I’m not really a morning person. I usually do my workouts and runnings in the late afternoon. We had to leave the house before 5:00am to make it to our flight in time. The airport is an hour’s drive and waking up at 3:30am to get ready was a little difficult for me. I had to hit the “snooze” button a few times. 🙂

Are you a morning person?

My husband and I grabbed breakfast at the airport while we waited for boarding.

This kept me occupied at the duration of the flight.

How do you keep yourself occupied on a flight?

And touchdown H-town!

Houston, TX in early April is nice, not too hot for the locals, but still HOT for visiting Ohioans.

Houston Airport
George Bush International Airport)

Some of our friends and family from Boston and Florida flew in and drove to Houston for the party. My husband’s parents were so surprised to see everyone there! 🙂

The décor for the party consisted of paper airplanes and a cute banner made from travel maps.

Travel theme banner

We ordered 3 dozens of amazing cupcakes from Gigi’s that was recommended by our friend, Paul. Everyone at the party enjoyed these marvelous treats. Hyperglycemia comatose!

My husband was in charge of grilling ribs and steaks Texas style! 🙂

It was a successful surprise party for my husband’s parents.

We enjoyed the rest of our stay in Houston and everyone was so happy to see each other again. 🙂

On sunday, I got to experience watching the Ironman Triathlon Texas 70.3 in beautiful Galveston, Texas.

*I have to admit, I’m terrified of swimming in an open lake. That’s one of the things that’s hindering me from signing up for a triathlon. I know, it’s weird, but I hope I can get through that fear.

The race started at 7am. We were unfortunate to witness the start of the race as we were up late the night before with the party. It would have been nice to see the madness of the swimming and biking portion, but we were lucky to find our friend, Jae, within 5 minutes after arriving. Jae’s got a distinct running style that made it easy for us to spot him 🙂

Go Jae! 🙂

It was pretty cool to be on the other side watching others race. It was really an amazing experience!

I saw this old man still so fit to compete in this race. I admire him.

Sea of bikes. Pretty cool!

Here’s another confession, I’m a little terrified of the idea of clipping your shoes on the pedals of your bike. They say, it takes time to get used to it.

We settled ourselves to wait for Jae at the finish line. I heard that Lance Armstrong was there but we weren’t able to see him finished. It would have been nice to get a glimpse of one of the greatest athletes.

Jae dedicates his races to his wife and daughter. So sweet.

My husband and I are extremely proud and happy for our friend. It has been a cool experience for us and we’re inspired by his dedication to set new training goals for ourselves.

Congratulations Jae! We are proud of you!

I’m blogging on the road on our way to Boston. This weekend is the Boston Marathon, with the race being on Monday. Unfortunately, we will only be in Boston until Sunday. We will check out the events that will be held this weekend to get a glimpse of the Boston Marathon.

Who’s excited for the Boston Marathon? I am!

We’ll catch up again when I get back. 🙂

Here are ways to legally stalk me while I’m in Boston:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JaOnTheRun
Instagram: @ja_ontherun

Xoxo, J-OTR

P.S. My Lock Laces giveaway is still up! 🙂 Go here if you want to participate. 🙂

Who Wants Lock Laces?! Get it here!

My husband and I are headed off this weekend to Houston! Yay! We’re throwing a surprise farewell party (hush’-hush’) for my husband’s parents (I hope they don’t read this blog haha yikes 🙂 ) and, to cheer and support our dear friend at his IRONMAN Triathlon. We are so excited to see our family and friends again! 🙂

Haha! I just have to share this pic! 🙂

But I’m not leaving you all high and dry. Oh no…

Since I’m still in high spirits celebrating the NEW look of my blog, I’m giving away a pair of Lock Laces! 🙂

Remember when I made a review about Lock Laces before? I’ve had issues with my shoelaces having too much lace dangling. I was afraid the laces will be caught when biking or step on them when running. I found Lock Laces and purchased a pair in black to match my Brooks Cadence. Since then, the issues are gone and I’m happy to say I survived my first half marathon without having to stop and retie my shoelaces. :). Best invention ever!

I got so excited when the kind people over Lock Laces sent me more colors to try!

I was so excited that I immediately switched my husband’s laces and laces from our other running shoes to Lock Laces. They come in variety of colors so you can mix and match whatever shoe color scheme you have. 🙂

Our shoes are now one big happy family of Lock Laces. 🙂

My husband and I really like them for our shoes because they hold tight but still provide a bit more flexibility as you flex your foot while running or biking. We think these Lock Laces are brilliant idea.

Since I have an extra pair in black, I thought of giving it away to you guys so you could try them out.

Just head over here, click this –>  giveaway

or this –> Lock Laces Giveaway!  (you’ll have to like my blog’s facebook page)

Giveaway runs from 4/4/13 (Thursday) to 4/18/13 (Thursday).
Anyone with US and Canada shipping addresses can participate.
Participants must enter on the links provided (via Rafflecopter) and leave a blog comment to win.
1 winner will be randomly selected (via Rafflecopter).
I will notify the winner on 4/19/13 (Friday) via email (if email address is available) and blog post.
The winner will have 48 business hours to claim prize.
If original winner does not claim prize within 48 business hours another winner will be selected.
Prize will be shipped directly from Ohio. I will pay shipping. 🙂

*Lock Laces sent me their products for review.  All thoughts and opinions expressed above are my own. So far, I’m a fan of these products. If I hated them, I’d definitely tell you. :)*

GOOD LUCK and happy running sweet peas! 🙂

LINKS:
Like my blog’s facebook page here:  Ja-ontheRUN Blog
Check out my silly photo adventures on Instagram here: @ja_ontherun

Xoxo, J-OTR 🙂

Congratulations!

Thank you to everyone who participated! 🙂