Dare You To...

A year ago, I was running regularly.  When my knee and ankle started to bother me a bit during and after runs, I decided to cut back and eventually ceased altogether.  (The ice-cold, bitter, polar vortex of a winter didn't help, either!)

This summer, as you know, I decided to get back in to running (PRs! Races! Goals!), but I wanted to be smart about it and take care of my legs!



Enter: Compressionwear!  Reps from Tommie Copper generously outfitted me with their Performance Compression Capris and the Recovery Compression Dress Calf Socks.  The former are workout wear to be worn during my sweat session, while the latter are to aid post-workout circulation.


I slipped into the capris and fell in love.  At first wear, they were incredible comfortable and smooth.   I really didn't want to change out of them, even when I was only trying them on!  They're so comfortable, even just for lounging around.  I like that they cover my knees--this, I think, helped stave off any knee p…

So you ran a race. GREAT!  But are you recovering properly?  Today, our racing season guest writerdares you to take your race recovery seriously.  Don't know how?  Amanda's got you covered:
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Do you take race recovery seriously?
I see it all over the place—runners who run a race on the weekend and then are back out there pounding the pavement HARD a couple of days later. While I understand getting caught up in the race high, I also cringe when I see this happen. Why? Because recovery from a race is something we all need to take seriously.
Racing breaks your body down, even if it doesn’t feel like it. Even a short effort—a 5k or 10k, is enough to do some damage. Yes, you didn’t go far, but you did (I assume!) go hard. Respect that your muscles want some downtime.
What I recommend is that, for races up to a 10-miler, you take the week after a race fairly free form. That is, no specific workouts that you must follow. Instead, let your body and mind be your guide. Feel like r…

At the Healthy Living Summit, I got to know Angela, blogger at Happy Fit Mama.  Today, she's teaching us about foam rollers:

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Hi everyone! A big THANK YOU to Meredith for allowing me to guest post on her wonderful blog today. 

Today I want to talk to you about foam rolling. Do you own one? If not, you should! Here's a brief back story on how I came upon this wonderful tool. I have been a runner for years but in the past 2 years I have become more involved with the half marathon distance. A physical therapist friend of mine suggested I try foam rolling when I complained of tight hamstrings and quads after a run. So I did. During my first session with the roller, I wondered why my friend would suggest I do something that hurt so much? Was she out to get me? She actually did the best thing for me. Although it hurt like crazy during the actual rolling, afterwards my muscles were more relaxed and less sore. I am more faithful than ever to my foam roller now that I am battling …