Dare You To...

Happy Halloween, all!  In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, I want to send my thoughts and well wishes to all those affected by the rain, wind, and flooding.


I know it's the wrong holiday, but I want to take a moment to talk about thankfulness.  Disasters like this ought to make us stop and think about how lucky we are for what we have.  When we are at risk (or do) lose power, water, heat, or worse--food and shelter, we are reminded of how fortunate we are otherwise.

Gretchen Rubin explains it well in her blog post, On Awaiting the Arrival of Hurricane Sandy.  She writes what I've been feeling.  We are so lucky.  I was in danger, but I am fine, and so, too, are those I love. I am thankful for continued health and safety, power and shelter. The massive losses of such things make me feel so grateful.

So I'm daring you to remember, too: Be grateful for the everyday, for the normal, for the things we often take for granted.


Stay safe and dry, and have a happy Halloween!

It's Monday, again! In the past few weeks, some fantastic guest bloggers have shared their personal stories. What about you? How did you first begin running?  What keeps you going?  I want to know! Email me (dareyoutoblog (at) gmail (dot) com) if you'd like to share your story.
My own love-hate relationship with running can be foundhere at Angela's blog.  A refresher: I don't necessarily love running, itself, but I love the challenge and the ability to keep going, keep trying, keep reaching for better.  Nothing beats the feeling of running farther and longer than you thought you could.

I've said before that music motivates me.  Make a playlist just for running (or other workout of choice). Let the music, the beat, the lyrics push you further.  Here's 100 Running Songs to try.

If you need an extra push, come up with a personal mantra to get you and keep you moving.  Try these motivating words:


No matter how slowly you go,
you're lapping everyone on the couch!


A…

Whoops - missed last Friday! Catching up now with theLive Lean Eat Green Photo-A-Day October Challenge. 

So, below, you have a HUGE ASSORTMENT of dares to choose from. They're all quick and painless, and also fun. Take your pick.

October 12: Buy yourself flowers. You deserve them.



13: Make something with pumpkin!





Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes by Diane Sanfilippo in Practical Paleo
14: Burn some calories cleaning the house!



15: Go vegetarian for the day!



Had me some roasted vegetables.
16: Let me see you sweat!



Mehhh another self-photo.  No more, Lindsay, please!
17: Call a family member just to chat.



Yes, my parents are still (and always will be) "home."
18: Buy a new healthy snack to try.



19: Go on a walk at lunch!



Rain or shine!
20: Have a treat!



My go-to sweet treat Anything yogurt- or chocolate-covered.
21: Park farther away today.



No car. Went for this run instead.
22: Hand write a letter to a friend.



23: Eat some roasted vegetables.


24: Do 100 lunges before breakfast.

Last week, I got to try something new. Woo! That's what we're all about here.


On that chilly Saturday morning, I met up with Amber bright and early to head on over to the ReebokCrossfit Fifth Ave. box and store.  This wasn't my first visit, but I was happy to return for the very first run of their Running Club!


In the store, Amber and I browsed the apparel and shoes. I traded in my regular sweatshirt for a snazzy gray athletic jacket that would keep me warm for the outdoor run.


Amber recorded a "before" video for her vlog (video blog) about the event, and told me I was joining her. My first vlog? Sigh... fine. She dared me. So you can see that on her recap.

Or you can watch this:



Then the other FitFluential participants arrived, and Naomi and Betsy led us outdoors to warm up.  We did some dynamic stretching to warm up in the cold and then set off for what would be a two-mile run.


Running through the streets of a city is never fun; I find it frustrating to dodge …

Good morning, friends! This Monday's Running Motivation is brought to us by Kelley. Like our guest blogger last week, Kelley has overcome the physical limitations of her body and shares her accomplishments below with pride, and encourages us to change our perspective on disabled athletes.

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Hey Everyone, I'm Kelley the voice of Sheisonarun.wordpress.com and @Sheisonarun.  I'm a differently abilied runner, blogger, and an ambassador for both Fitfluential, Sweat Pink (Fit Approach), Girls Gone Sport. I started running in October of 2011 and have never turned back. I've had a very different experience then most runners though because I have Cerebral Palsy.
According to the MayoClinic.com,cerebral palsy is a disorder of movement, muscle tone or posture that is caused by injury or abnormal development in the immature brain, most often before birth. In the simplest turns it means that the body does not work that way that it is supposed to and makes the simplest things har…

Monday Motivation:Time for another guest post for our Race Season Series! Today, Taylor Ryan shares her running story. Read on to learn how physical obstacles can be overcome with a careful approach and a can-do attitude.  Let her achievements motivate you this morning.

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Telling The Doctors & Husband to Shut It: Finding the Courage to Run When Everyone Says Not To

I was 15 years old the first time I remember it happening.

It was in the middle of cheerleading tryouts. I was on the ground, sitting with my legs outstretched. I took a deep breath in and as I exhaled I reached for my toes.  It was something I had done a thousand times before. As a gymnast and cheerleader “touching my toes” was effortless. Except for this time. All of a sudden, it felt as if a knife had been stabbed into my lower spine and I couldn’t move... at all.

Just like that cheerleading was out of my life.

 After a few x-rays and physical exams, the doctors told me I had a herniated disc. Something I thought t…

First off, let me tell you about something super exciting.  I got to meet one of my favorite foodie bloggers, Liz of I Heart Vegetables.  I love her blog, and turns out I loved the person behind it, too!


It was really exciting meeting her in person, and chatting about blogging, food, photos, life, and.. everything!



We hit up the Chobani Soho store, and I think Liz enjoyed her first taste.  She got the Dark Chocolate Pistachio, which I certainly recommended, and instead of my usual Fig & Walnut, I opted for the Blueberry Power (sub in honey) on this particular morning.



We left happy :)



And now, on to the October #LiveLeanEatGreen Challenge!

October 5: Try a new vegetable.



Cooked with (baby) artichokes for the first time ever.  Not easy! Full story to come.
6: Do a Tabata workout



This was fun. I like Tabata workouts.  Quick and intense.
Used my Gymboss--makes Tabata easy. I chose to do plank jacks, which definitely wore me out!
7: Go makeup free today. You're beautiful.


This was se…

Happy What I Ate Wednesday!  I've gotten such great responses to the foodie photos I've been posting lately, including many comments that, hey, maybe "Paleo" isn't so scary after all!

For this reason, I'm going to try to photograph my food more often, so you can see that Paleo eats are not really unpalatable as you might think. Granted, I'm not a Paleo purist, but I do eat real foods that are Paleo- or Primal-approved. Below is what I ate today, and if you like what you see, you can also follow me on Instagram and Twitterto see even more good eats and inspiration.

You can also check out the Paleo tab above to see some previous informational posts, meals, recipes, and reviews.

So now for a brief WIAW: Started off my day with...

Breakfast


Coconut Eggs and Broccoli
Lunchwas my go-to quick-and-easy "Tangy Tuna" mish-mash.


Tuna, avocado, carrots, slaw, dijon mustard, ACV
Evening snack: ... grazing.
     Nori
     Pine nuts
 "Chewy Almond Bar" from…