What if everybody ran?

I always say that I know not everyone enjoys running. I meet people at work who tell me that they hate running, but they do it to stay healthy or that they walk because they are fine with walking, but running sucks. I usually smile and make some platitude about how I understand that it's not for everyone. My own husband hates running, unfortunately. And there was even a time in my life when I hated running. But I fell in love with running, and though I may not be able to transfer that love to everyone, I do hope that everyone finds something that empowers them and makes them feel the way running makes me feel.

Well, Mizuno asked the question that I have wondered since I fell in love with running. What if everybody ran? They commissioned a statistical analysis to answer that question. They give all kinds of cool information on  their website. They state that there would be 20 million more great-grandmothers, 7 billion more hours spent outdoors, $143 billion fewer dollars spent on healthcare, 46% fewer homeless people, and many other cool statistics.

There is a non-profit that started in Philadelphia called Back On My Feet. It is now in several US cities, and its purpose is to help homeless people gain employment and housing through a program that has running at its core. When I told my husband about BOMF a few months ago, he didn't understand how running helps homeless people. I am a runner; I get it. Running changed my life. On top of that, I worked with another nonprofit in West Philly that helps homeless mothers and their children get off the street and back on track to go to school, get a job, and learn other important life and parenting skills. BOMF that having something like running that gives someone a sense of empowerment, discipline, and focus can make a big difference in someone trying to change their life.

So Mizuno has created an app called the Mizuno Baton that can be downloaded on apple or android devices. You get one week to log as many miles as you can, and Mizuno will donate money to BOMF for each mile that is logged. If you want to change your body, then exercise. If you want to change your life, then become a runner. Mizuno is also giving runners the chance to change other people's lives. So download the app, and help change a life.

iTrack: How my smartphone stops me from making dumb decisions

Motivation is different for everyone. I write this blog as one tool to keep myself motivated. I have also learned that along with motivation comes honesty. Sometimes it can be hard to stay honest with yourself about how hard you have worked out or how much you have eaten, but with today's technology our phones are all too ready to be real with us if we aren't real with ourselves.

I ordered the UP band made by Jawbone about a month ago, but I am still waiting to start using it because I got the wrong size, and it takes quite a while to get through all the customer service stuff to exchange it, so I have been using the free app Argus by Azumio for the iPhone. It is the only app I have found so far that fits into my daily routine smoothly.

Argus tracks your steps, but it appears to just go by distance traveled. It will sometimes count steps in the car when I am in stop-and-go traffic, but I'm not too concerned about that part because more often than not, I end up setting my phone down at home or work while I am doing plenty of moving. You can also track your water intake, coffee, food, sleep, and workouts. 

I like the food diary that is compiled of pictures taken of the meals you eat throughout the day. I'm not big on counting calories, but just having that picture of a cheeseburger staring at me all day can sometimes be enough to deter me. I think the water and coffee intake trackers are ok, but not something that I necessarily need. If you struggle with getting enough water, then Argus might be good for you because a reminder message pops up if you don't track any water intake after a certain number of hours. I drink plenty of water though, so that isn't extremely useful to me. I'm also not a big fan of the sleep tracker because it has to be manually turned on and off. I never seem to remember to turn it off, and I wish that it would recognize that I'm obviously not sleeping if I am walking around, but I guess there are sleepwalkers! ;-)

The workout tracker is pretty cool as far as the running goes. If you don't already use the mapmyrun app or some other tracking device, then Argus might be for you. I love that it maps out exactly where I ran, and I like that it even turns itself on automatically unlike the sleep tracker. It also continues to count steps during a run. The only thing I dislike about the automatic running tracker is that the timer doesn't always stop right away when I am done, so it can tend to throw off the time a little. It can be turned on manually though, and then you have the option to stop the timer immediately. There are also other workout choices like cycling, weight training, swimming, and others, but all those are tracked manually by entering how long you engaged in the activity, so no cheating yourself by fibbing!

All in all, I like the Argus app, but I am excited to finally get my UP band whenever that may be. There are plenty of other great apps as well if you are looking to track your intake and output to take steps toward a healthier you!

Be a Do-gooder! 

Want to do good by others and yourself? Consider using the Charity Miles app to track your distance for one of their charity partners! Do a little good for you while also doing a little good for others!

Michelle's Favorite Things

I am not going to start throwing pairs of my favorite running shoes to my readers yelling, "You get a pair of shoes! You get a pair of shoes! YOU get a pair of shoes!" like Oprah, but there are some things that I have been enjoying lately, and I thought I would take the time to share. I am going to tell you about some websites and products that I think would be worth checking out. I am going to cover gear, tips, relaxation, and charity for your workouts.

Gear
Who doesn't love new gear? I know that I love it, but my wallet doesn't always love it. I have found a solution to my problem. The website, The Clymb, sells name brand discounted gear. I am so glad that my sister told me about it and invited me to join. You have to be invited by a member, but then you can browse to your hearts content and score some major deals!

http://www.theclymb.com/invite-from/MichelleCurtright

Free Tips!
I have never had the benefit of having a personal trainer. I would love to, but considering that I am buying discounted gear, I obviously can't afford it. I do love to read magazines and books about fitness to enlighten myself. I am pretty pumped about a new website that is a collaboration of writers at Prevention, Men's Health, Women's Health, Runner's World, and Fitness. There are all kinds of great tips, tricks, and motivation on the website from experts.

http://www.fitbie.msn.com

Smartphone App
I have not been able to try this app out, but I would love too. My phone doesn't support this app, but my phone also died today, so maybe I will be getting a new phone that will. Yay! Charity Miles is an app that uses gps to track the miles you run, and they donate money to a charity of your choice for the miles you run.

Relaxation
I am a member of a website called influenster, and they send out products to try and review. I recently tried some gum called Bach Rescue Remedy Natural Stress Relief gum. I chewed a piece as I was winding down to do some Hatha yoga, and I could feel the tension melting away before I even. I am definitely try more products from this company. It's all natural and it works.