Zenaida Arroyo

12
Feb
2019

Tuesday Topics: What I love about running

categories: Oiselle, Running, Running Gear, Tuesday Topics

What’s not to love about running? Well right now the only thing I am not loving is the weather. I am sorry but I cannot stop complaining about it. Snow, cold, deep freeze, more snow, and ice storm is what we have been dealing with here in the midwest. I know I can use the treadmill but that does get boring after a while.

Last week I wasn’t feeling well and had to skip a few of my runs. I’ve been tired and sometimes had an achy body. My coach told me to sleep and get some rest. I am feeling better and will attempt to run today.

Before I talk about today’s topic, let me show you the activity I did with my kids yesterday. We did a 3D Hot Air Balloon Card. It was so much fun! Below is the video and pictures of the finished product.

https://iheartcraftythings.com/3d-hot-air-balloon-card.html

Now let me tell why I do love running. 🙂

• The gear – I love treating myself to new gear. It makes me happy and gets me excited to go running. About 99% of my gear is from Oiselle. During the warm wear you can find me running in the long rogas. I have 24 pairs of the long rogas (and 5 of the regular rogas) and always get excited when I get another pair.

• Traveling to different states – I love travelling to various states to run a half marathon. I’m at state #39 and this year I will be traveling to DE, MT, SC, and MI.

• FREE and easy to do – All you need is good running gear and the proper shoes and off you go! No never know once you lace up where running may lead you.

• My time – Running is my alone time. I usually run in the morning and it is the perfect time to clear my head and get ready for the day.

This week’s Tuesday Topic: What do you love about running? You can write about this topic, or feel free to post any running related blog post. Remember to Link-up with Kim and Zenaida! Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier! Remember to come back for later linkers!

An InLinkz Link-up

07
Feb
2019

Random Thoughts Thursday 58

categories: Random Thoughts Thursday

Random Thoughts Thursday

• My local gym got new treadmills. I should be happy, right? No. I know change is good but these are no bueno (for me). Two things that irk me about them: 1) My weight shows up on the screen. 2) There are no number buttons in order to increase the speed. So if I want to run at a 6.0 speed, I have to manually increase it with the arrow button. In the other treadmills I would just press the number keys and the “Enter” button. I know, first world problems.

• I have definitely been to lots of different cities. I am looking forward to this year visiting Missoula, Wilmington, Detroit, and Kiawah Island.

Major US City Bingo.jpg

• I had no idea about these Mexican chiles.

Chiles mexicanos.jpg

• I’ll be happy with 1 million dollars. OK, half a million would be good too. 😉

Valentine Gift.jpg

• I swear she does love me. Lola is just camera shy.

05
Feb
2019

Tuesday Topics: My favorite non-running products

categories: Running, Tuesday Topics

How is it that we’re already in February? The weather has been absolutely crazy here in Chicago. We had snow a few times and then below FREEZING weather! That weather was like that for two days and then it warmed up. It got up to 46 on Saturday! Most of the snow has already melted and now it is so much easier to run outside.

I almost skipped my run on Thursday at the gym but decided to go since I had to buy my license plate sticker anyway. I wonder if there is a way to change my renewal month? I would pick April or May when it is much warmer and easier to replace the sticker.

Thanks again to everyone for linking up with us! Today we are talking about our favorite non-running products.

• Waterpik Cordless Plus Water Flosser – I went to the dentist at the beginning of January and the receptionist told me that I’ve been seeing him for 19 years! Wow! Almost every time I see him, he tells me that I need to floss more. I understand the importance of it but still hate to floss. I decided to get a Waterpik Cordless Plus Water Flosser at Kohl’s. I love it! It is very easy to use. It is cordless, comes with 6 flosser tips, and you can switch the water pressure from low to high. I got it mid December and when I saw him last month, he mentioned that my mouth was much cleaner and healthier.

• ChicoBag – In Chicago when we go shopping, we either take our own bags (and sometimes get a discount) or purchase them at checkout. I take my own. I have a few from Running Warehouse that they used to send with each purchase. They don’t do that anymore. I always have a ChicoBag with me in the car, my purse, or my school backpack. They’re compact and easy to carry. Once open they’re big enough to hold up to 40 pounds. I love that they come in many different pretty colors.

• Speedo Large Teamster Backpack – Another item I love is my Speedo Large Teamster Backpack. Mine is in purple and it comes in handy when going to the gym in the morning. I add my clothes that I plan to wear that day, my running shoes, and toiletries (in a separate bag). This backpack has so many pockets to hold my combination lock, keys, Apple airpods, and any other items.

This week’s Tuesday Topic: What are your favorite non-running products? You can write about this topic, or feel free to post any running related blog post. Remember to Link-up with Kim and Zenaida! Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier! Remember to come back for later linkers!

An InLinkz Link-up

31
Jan
2019

Random Thoughts Thursday 57

categories: Random Thoughts Thursday

Random Thoughts Thursday

• This weather! I have lived in Chicago almost my whole life and have never experienced a cold day like yesterday. School was cancelled and I stayed home most of the day. I only went out for 20 minutes to start my car twice and that was more than enough time to be outside.

Chicago Weather-2

• I saw this picture on Instagram and fell in love with it. How awesome is this library?

• I am looking forward to reading this book. It is so popular right now that there is a long waitlist for an English copy and my sister could only get it in Spanish.

Michelle Obama Book-1.jpg

• I’ve been running on the treadmill in the morning before work. That means showering and getting ready at the gym. The other day I forgot my Philosophy body wash and face scrub (I didn’t realize it till that night). I went back the next day and it was gone. I was annoyed. Why take it? Why not just leave it?

• My gym has a hair dryer in the bathroom. One day I tried to use it but it wouldn’t turn on. I tried the on and off buttons with no luck. I gave up and walked out with wet hair. A few days later I tried again and it did work. I then realized why it hadn’t worked before. I felt so stupid! 🙂

29
Jan
2019

Tuesday Topics: How I deal with my stinky running clothes

categories: Running, Tuesday Topics

After trying so many different brands of detergent, I think I have found the one the best one for me. I’ve used Persil, Tide Plus Febreze Freshness Sport, Sweat X Sport Laundry Detergent, WIN Sports Detergent, Nathan Sport Wash, Penguin Brands Sport Wash, Seventh Generation Laundry Packs, and Arm and Hammer.

The one I’ve been using for the past several months is Rockin’ Green Active Wear Detergent. I swear by this detergent. My clothes smell clean and there is no faint smell that reappears during my run.

Rockin' Green Active Wear Soap-2

Product Description from their website:

•  Broad spectrum enzyme blend to remove stains and odors from fat, protein and starch
•  Cleans, and takes special care of high-tech workout clothes and micro-fibers
•  Naturally extends the life of active wear
•  The scent of Tea Tree Oil rinses clean after washing
•  Perfect for all washing machines
•  Vegan and cruelty free
•  45 oz. bag cleans 45 loads in top-load machines; cleans 90 loads in front-load machines

As a detergent, use 1-2 scoops to remove the toughest odors and stains in active wear clothing. Do an extra rinse for added cleaning power!

Can also be used as a soak! Add 2-3 scoops for intense build up. Soak for 30-60 minutes. Finish up with an extra rinse and dry like normal.

I do laundry once a week (usually on Sundays). I don’t have a machine in my apartment building so off to the laundromat I go. In the beginning it wasn’t too bad but now I am getting tired of it. I also hate going when it is very cold outside. Anyway, I have no other choice but to go. 🙂 When I was running 6 days a week using the Hansons Method during the summer, I would do laundry twice a week.

After a run I let them air dry on top of my hamper. During the winter I will usually wear my jacket, wazzie wool baselayer, and pants twice before washing them. My runs are short so I don’t sweat as much. Last year I trained for a marathon during the winter and my runs were longer so I would just wear those items once.

The machine I use is a front loader. Never before had I used one till my trip to the laundromat. I kind of like it. When I first began using this detergent, I would use one and a half scoop in the prewash and in the main wash. After a few months I would then just add one scoop again in the prewash and in the main wash. Now I only use one scoop in the main wash. I do this because I feel like my clothes are cleaner and not as smelly and don’t require that much soap.

I never use the machine to dry my running clothes. I have a heavy-duty metal drying rack from Target. I love it. It was so easy to assemble and it is big enough for all of my clothes. The rack is in my apartment so my clothes are usually dry by Monday.

Tuesday Topics

This week’s Tuesday Topic: Stinky running clothes, how do you deal with it? You can write about this topic, or feel free to post any running related blog post. Remember to Link-up with Kim and Zenaida! Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier! Remember to come back for later linkers!

An InLinkz Link-up