TomTom Spark Cardio + Music (photo courtesy TomTom)

My running game has been forever changed thanks to my Spark Cardio+ Music GPS Fitness Watch from TomTom.

With this new running buddy, you can train to the tune of 500 songs of your choice. And it stands to reason with the recent and sudden passing of music icon Prince, that I would run my heart out to some of his best tunes.

Thanks to Billboard Magazine for listing out Prince’s 40 Biggest Billboard Hits of all time.

Here are a few features of this new fitness gadget:

• 24/7 activity tracking
• GPS tracking
• Multisport mode
• Built-in heart rate monitor
• Up to 500 songs of music storage

And I highly recommend the bluetooth headphones. It will truly change your running game.

You also have a 30-day money back guarantee, which is a huge plus anytime I order new trackers – sometimes they just don’t work for my particular activity or they aren’t comfortable. Everyone is different, so it’s great to know you can send it back if it isn’t motivating you like you need.

PS – what’s your favorite Prince song? Mine is a tie between Little Red Corvette and Party Like It’s 1999 (since that’s the year I graduated highschool and we played that song on repeat).

*This post is in partnership with my role as a Women’s Health Magazine Action Hero.

A rainy run calls for a bright wall

When you’re committed to running or training for a race, the rain (and other outdoor elements like snow – something we aren’t used to here in Texas) can be a nuisance and easy deterrence.

Um, it’s rainy. I can skip today. Who’s said that before? [Raises hand.]

My solution? Find a good Pandora station to jam to (mine is still Lionel Richie believe it or not), get some great scenery (like this great art wall in EADO), and just take off.

Running has quite a few crazy misconceptions. Like you have to belong to a gym. You have to have a running partner. You have to be a “good runner.” (By the way, how do you define what a good runner is and who came up with that definition?) You have to have the best and brand new shoes on the market. You have to know exactly where you’re going.

All BS. And here’s why: I don’t currently belong to a gym. I don’t always have a running partner (although it’s nice). I am definitely not a “good runner” but I try my hardest, which is really the key. I do have some of the best and brand new shoes on the market (thanks New Balance), but sometimes I forget to pack them and just grab the oldest/dirtiest pair lying around in my car.

A few of my personal tips to get going or keep going:

• Keep the gear with you. I always keep running shoes and clothes with me. Whether in the car or packing when I am traveling, even for just a short time. I guarantee the one time you’ll want to run is the one time you won’t have your gear.
• Make it social. Even if it’s just a brisk walk, invite a friend (or a different one each week) for a walk to chat and catch up. Or join a running club – there are tons of them in every city and many of them even enjoy a pint of cold beer afterwards!
• Try to make it a habit. I’m not saying run 10 miles everyday, but if you can get yourself to run at the same spot and around the same time each day, you’ll notice a routine, like passing many of the same runners each day. It’s almost a level of accountability.
• Feel like a runner. I typically run farther and take my running more seriously when I look the part. If I’m decked out in some fancy running clothes and shoes and people pass by me, I want to look the part and not like a phony!
• Set a goal that works for you. For me, I tend to feel more “accomplished” when I run a long distance without stopping, which is usually my goal in running half marathons. For others, it’s how fast they can run a mile or a certain distance. For others, it’s how many days a week they lace up and for some, it’s doing it for a particular amount of time.
• Use the Nike Training Club app. I love being able to track my times and distances and it even asks you to pick an emoji that sums up your workout for the day (mine usually equals meh). Some people like Map My Run or other running/fitness apps.
• Sign up for a race. Preferably one that’s for a good cause. Plus: see link below if you’re in Houston!

If you’re looking for something to train for and get moving, join The Blonde Side’s team for the Dr. Marnie Rose Foundation 5k April 10th (or consider donating a few bucks to the cause). We’ll have runners and walkers of all levels (and strollers are welcome, so that’s no excuse!).

What running tips do you have to share or trails do you love running in Houston?

Photo: Sunshine Winters Photography 

RYDE + The Blonde Side // February 21, 2016

Houston, get ready for The Blonde Side’s first fitness-related event. We will teaming up with the great folks at RYDE (spinning studio) on February 21st for Sunday Funday Reinvented (sadly, football is over for the season).

When: Sunday, February 21st – starts 2:15p (class is promptly at 2:30) – 4:00p (includes fun girl time, prizes, snacks, demos, etc.)

Cost: $25/person

Who: Ladies only – first-time spinners and experts welcome, must be 18+

Sign up: HERE

Interested in sponsoring our event or donating product to our group of women? Email: jayme @ theblondeside.com

Bikes are filling up fast (only 40 spots total), so reserve your bike today and tell a friend!

*Big thanks to Neiter Creative for this awesome flyer*

Update for prizes and giveaways:

Our pals at TicketCity are giving away a $100 gift card to one lucky RYDE’r (good for sporting events, concerts and more!).

Squeezed will have samples of juices and detox drinks available. Petite Sweets and barkTHINS will also be providing some sweet snacks after the ride and in our bags!

Christy and Jayme hanging out at Wanderlust Aspen

I am a stressed out individual, but odds are we probably have that in common. We are multi-taskers, go-getters, hustlers and our brains have literally become human computers we never turn off.

Last month I interviewed Houston Texan Duane Brown and his wife Devi. The interview was about their home (see the story here) and I expected to learn about the exotic interior decorator they used and stuff like that, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn about their morning rituals of meditating together.

Meditation has always way too spiritual for me (not to be confused with religious) and a concept I couldn’t grasp, never being able to quiet my mind long enough to reap the benefits of said quiet time.

Devi and Duane got the wheels about meditation and the benefits turning in my head and then Christy Curtis, a yoga teacher based out of Orange County hosted a class at Wanderlust Aspen-Snowmass: Meditation for the Athletic Minded: Be in the Z.O.N.E.. It’s no secret she had me at the word Athletic, so I added her class to my already busy list of yoga/running/hiking/breathing classes.

The Browns and Christy certainly aren’t the first to brag about the benefits of meditation, but perhaps it was knowing what their busy lives entailed and they were all athletes (Christy was a college basketball player) that made me relate and want to test it out their theory.

(If you need proof you can’t possibly be a worse meditator than yours truly, below are the notes I took during Christy’s class. Yes, I took notes, while meditating.)

Her first instruction was, “don’t think – just show up.”

She reminded us that our mind is a muscle too – as athletes we spend so much time training and strengthening our biceps and quads for example, our brain/mind should be treated the same.

One of the things Christy said that resonated with me was the practice of welcoming in thoughts during meditation. Sure, meditation is supposed to be a blank space in your head where you focus on breathing and not your overflowing to-do list, but inevitably thoughts start to creep in and then you get mad at yourself. You’re not supposed to be thinking, dammit. You’re supposed to be nothing right now!

Having practiced and perfected for many years, Christy says to welcome those thoughts in and then welcome them back out. Don’t get mad at yourself, just push those thoughts out and start right back up.

At about the exact second I was thinking how horrible I was at the simple task of sitting still and resting my mind, Christy chimed in reminding us to be kind to ourselves when we meditate. “Don’t question if you’re doing it right,” she said.

I asked Christy the hard question – probably the same one most of you who have attempted meditation want to ask as well – how does one start meditating and become good at it? If you’ve already tired (multiple times) and failed, should you keep trying?

Her response: Start where you are – it’s as simple as that. It can be as simple as 10 seconds before you turn your keys to start your car – maybe it’s just three breaths. You start where you are and I think the main thing is remembering it can be anything. It doesn’t have to be lighting a candle and waking up at 4 a.m. It’s before you go into a huge job interview, before you have a difficult conversation with a loved one, before you go hiking on the mountain top or before that race – where your mind is all over the map and all you have to do is come back to the breath,” she says.

She continued to make it sound easy, but easy it was not. That doesn’t mean I’m ready to give up though.

Some apps she recommends: Stop Breathe and Think, Simply Being, Headspace, and Calm.

Since I still think I’m the worst meditator ever, I’m curious who meditates and what you’ve found works or doesn’t for you? Share in the comments below – I’d love to hear it!