{Guest Post} Why You Should Ride a Bike - Transportation, Fitness and Thrift

There are literally countless reasons as to why you should ride a bike everyday, but most people don’t even give bike riding a second thought and just jump in their cars at every chance. Listed below are the top 4 reasons for riding a bike that pretty much anyone will find appealing!

Saving Money

The best reason to ride a bike instead of driving is one that can make a great impact on all of us today … money! When it’s your hard-earned dollars we are talking about, people listen. Just look at how much the price of gasoline has risen in the last year and how much car maintenance costs. Think about the cost of car insurance. Now, consider how much money you could save if you were not spending it on gas, insurance, maintenance, parking & of course monthly payments. With so many people struggling, why don’t we park the car and ride bikes everywhere you can? You won’t believe the savings you will find in your wallet in just one month’s time.

Getting In Shape

Listen to your friends talking about how they just don’t have time to go to the gym or time to exercise at home, yet they moan and groan about their bodies and their weight. All of these people have a solution right in front of their eyes! Think about the time they spend in morning and afternoon traffic to get to and from work. Most people sit in traffic for at least 30 minutes. If they began riding their bikes to and from work, they would become more active than most of the people in this country, and would immediately begin seeing results in their body image! Think about it! Your workouts can be done in the same time you’re normally commuting to and from work!

Protect the Environment

A practical reason to ride your bike is for environmental reasons. Most of the cars on the road need fossil fuels to operate and all of these continue to pollute our atmosphere and reduce air quality. The larger the vehicle is, the more pollution it is emitting into the environment. Start riding your bike to places within biking distance and help make the air better for your children and grandchildren.

Saving Time

Jumping in the car to get where you want to go is seemingly simple, but what if there is a traffic problem, an accident that closes down multiple lanes or a traffic light out that backs up traffic for miles? That little quick trip to the store can be so aggravating in times like these. If you had taken your bike, you could have gone around all that traffic and been on your way to that store without a single stop! On a bike, you have the flexibility to go a different route, or even make your own lane. Think about how nice it would be to cruise by all that traffic on your bike, enjoying the air!

With so much to gain and nothing to lose, why not take that dusty bike out of your garage today and begin riding? I did years ago and I haven’t looked back.

Ashley Jorgins writes about fitness, finance & frequenting www.homeequityloan.net.

Sunny Days

Happy Friday, everyone!

If you're anything like me, you live in sunglasses.  I seriously must have 10 pair.  I have different ones for different activities and outfits.  It's an obsession.

  

I recently came across Lauren Conrad's sunglasses line at Kohl's and fell in love.

With each of these being under $20, these sunnies are definitely a bargain... 

Glamour Crisscross Cat's Eye

Swept Square

Vintage Round

Vented

What do you think of her sunglasses?

Thursday Training: Zoom Through the Zoo

Last Thursday, was my final race of the Spring running season with the Zoom Through the Zoo 4-miler at the Memphis Zoo.

Although I did not win or place in this race, I finished 13th in my age group with a time of 35:26.  And I couldn't be happier!  I gave it my all I had and had a blast!  

And remember last week when I said it was all worth the blood, sweat and tears? Well, here's proof...

Luckily, it was a small cut on my toe, but since I take blood thinners, I tend to bleed more than the average person.

I also made this little collage of my races.  

Each one meant so much to me.: three first place wins, three 5K's, one 10K, and a 4 miler.  I've really come a long way!  And now I am proud to say that I LOVE TO RUN! 

Treat Yo Self

I have a confession.  

It's been 4 years since I've gone to get a pedicure.

Gasp. What? Why?  

I don't really know.  I just haven't made time.  I had other things to do.  I was lazy.  

My excuses are endless.  But I did take care of them during that time.

So, after my run last week, I decided to give my feet a little pampering.  And we all know they needed it! 

I actually went to a place out of the way just so I'd never have to see them again because I was so embarrassed about my feet.  Bad, huh?

It was so relaxing and I hope I don't go another 4 years without pampering my little tootsies!

Weekends Are Never Long Enough

Happy Tuesday! I hope all of you had a wonderful weekend. 

 We kicked off our 3-day weekend with the annual Zoo Brew event at the Memphis Zoo with our friends Sam and Leslie.  We had a blast enjoying and not enjoying beers from all over the world! 

Leslie and I with the flamingos.  

After a night of beer tasting and fun, we headed to the lake to spend the rest of the weekend with my family... 

 

We had a little snag in our trip when I woke up Sunday with pink eye!  Yuck!

But, that didn't stop us from at least having a little fun on the jet ski and boat! 

Now, I need a few days to get back to normal.

What did you do this weekend? 

Just Beachy

Happy, Friday, everyone! 

Can you tell what's on my mind?

Many of you are currently on your beach vacation or your heading there soon!  If there's any room in your suitcase, I'll gladly join you!  

I love this time of year because I long for the beach, but right now, we don't have any plans.  And I'm living vicariously through most of you.

So, if you're planning a little beach getaway, here are some of my favorite beach essentials this season (and they're all under $60):

1.  Haviana Beach flip flops - $30
2.  Sperry Top-Sider Phone Case - $30
3.  J. Crew iPhone 4 Case - $26
4.  J. Crew Boardwalk Beach Tote - $50
5.  Nautical Towel
6.  White Sunglasses
7.  Kate Spade iPad Sleeve - $50
8.  Coppertone Sport Sunscreen - $7
10.  J. Crew Summer Shorts - $60

What are some of your beach essentials?

Thursday Training with a Q & A

Tonight, I will be running in the Memphis Zoo's Zoom Through the Zoo.  This  will be my last competing run of the spring running season. It's just too dang hot to run in the summer in Memphis.

It's a 4 mile run through the zoo and I don't really have any goals for this run.  I just want to go, run and have fun.  No pressure. 

After this run, I plan on continuing my running journey, but to only run for fun.  Did I really just say that?

I've had so much fun training and competing.  It's been worth all of the blood, sweat and tears.

 I never thought of myself as a runner until Fred said something yesterday.  I was telling him about these cute tops a local store has made about running in Memphis and I said, "I don't know why I told you this."  And his response, "Because you're a runner."  

Yes, I am.

 

I guess you all realized this because you've been sending me some great questions about running.  So, I wanted to take this opportunity to answer a few of them publicly:

Q1:   You always have some of the cutest and most comfortable looking workout clothes in your race pics. I was wondering...Where do you usually shop?

My warmer temperature running clothes are usually all Nike brand and they often times come from Dick's Sporting Goods or Macy's.  Both stores usually have good coupons that you can use on Nike.  I'll occasionally throw in a Lululemon Cool Racerback tank.

Q2:  Was wondering what app, if any, you are using to go from 5k to 10k?

I started off using the Bridge to 10K app on my iPhone, but I found it easier to just add on a couple of more strides on to my run each week.  With that, I was able to fully run a 10K in about 4 weeks. 

Q3:  How did you start running?

This did NOT happen overnight.  I started with the Couch to 5K (C25K) app on my iPhone and I kept going with the program.  I ran 3 times a week just like the app said and by the time I had completed the app, I was ready for my first 5K.  Some weeks, and even days, are much harder than others.  Just keep going.

Q4:  How do you choose your races?

Some races mean something to me, while others have just been because they're convenient in my schedule.  For my first Move It Memphis 5K, I knew when I would finish my C25K training and I found a race that was close to that date.  The Memphis in May 10K I recently did was the only 10K before the fall and I knew I wanted to complete one before then.  My Junior League 5K and the Ali Mills 5K were just fun runs.  

If you're training, set a goal and go ahead and sign up for a race.  Keep training.  You won't be disappointed.

Q5:  When do you find the time to run?

I don't.  I have to make it, which means getting up a hour to half hour earlier than usual.  And I love my sleep.  I like to run in the morning when it's cool and before my mind takes control.  It gives me time to think and focus on me.  

If you ever have any questions, please let me know.  I'm always happy to share my running experience and learn more from you.

Initially

In the quest for looking for the perfect beach bag, I started thinking about my initials.

You know we Southern girls love a good monogram.

{image via}

When I got married, I decided to use my maiden name as my new middle name.

I did this for a few reasons:

1.  Business:  Since I work for my dad, it looks better to use my maiden name as part of my full name.  It's more of a recognition thing.

2.  Family Tradition:  Both my mom and my grandmother took their maiden name as their legal middle name.

3.  Simplicity:  Caroline Elizabeth Smithwick would have just been too long! 

I know a lot of women these days are still using their "original" middle name.  Did you keep your middle name or use your maiden name for your middle name?  And why? 

Dinner & a Movie

While we've been super busy these past few weeks, we managed to take the other night to indulge in a dinner and a movie night at home.

Fred let me pick the movie and of course, I picked The Vow since we never got to see it when it was in theaters.  He was a good sport and didn't complain.

I loved this movie! It has now become one of my favorites.  I love the storyline and it really made me appreciate the wonderful hubby and puppy I have.  If you haven't seen this movie, rent it.  Plus, the scenery is pretty darn nice.  And make sure you keep a box of Kleenex near by! 

For dinner, we based our meal loosely off of this recipe for Sundried Tomato Bacon Chicken.  We omitted the bacon and really the tomatoes, but we marinated our chicken in the Target brand Sun-dried Tomato Vinaigrette dressing and grilled it.  This was a hit! 

Drizzle a little more dressing on top once cooked and voila!  

I also want to try the full recipe one day! 

What are some of your favorite dinner and a movie combos? 

10K, Check

I hope you all had a great weekend! 

Friday night, I had my first 10K.  I finished and I survived.  

I say I survived because at the start of the race it was 90 degrees and the sun was blaring down on us.  Mile 2 consisted of running on gravel which I was not used to at all.  By the 2.5 mile mark, I was about to pee in my pants.  If there wasn't a potty soon, it was going to be bad.  Luckily there was a port-o-potty at mile 3.  But once in there, no one had rolled the toilet paper down and I was fighting with my wet hands.  Ugh.  Miles 4-5 were kind of a blur because instead of handing me water, they handed me gatorade and I just about puked the entire mile.    I had to walk some because I just couldn't keep running.  It was horrendous.

{pre race}

But, I did it.  My official time was 59:47.  My only goal for this race was to make it in under a hour.  And I succeeded.  

Not only did I meet my goal, but I actually ended up winning 1st place in my age group.  I was shocked! 

{awards ceremony}

{my medal}

{pooped but still smiling}

I couldn't have made it without the love and support from Fred.  He met me at about 5.8 miles and ran with me until the finish line.  At the finish line, my mom, dad, grandfather and Fred's mom were all there to cheer me on.  They were the best cheerleaders and I was so happy that they came.  It really meant so much.  

I was a little disappointed in myself for walking, peeing, and puking.  But, next time I know what I'm capable of and how to better train for these types of conditions. 

I'm so glad this race is over, but I am so proud of myself for finishing in under a hour and checking off another bucket list item!