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Breast Cancer Awareness and One Rad Runner

By | Blog, Hall of Fame, Train | One Comment

Meet Linda, a RAD runner from Hartford!

breast-cancer-awarness

Linda spent several years training as a long distance runner and was then diagnosed with breast cancer. Linda continued running through chemo and made it through 10 miles of a half marathon while in the midst of chemo treatments. In Linda’s own words:

 

I was diagnosed with breast cancer and used running to get me through chemo – I had signed up for a half marathon – I managed to get through the first 10 miles before the chemo kicked in. I have completed 2 – 10 mile races and a number of fun runs…  I am signed up for 2 half marathons the beginning of 2016 – I am going to cross the finish line…

 

This month we celebrate Linda and all other RAD runners by spreading the word about breast cancer awareness.

Get a 6 Pack Without Sit Ups

By | Blog, Train | 3 Comments

Summer may be over, but that doesn’t mean we want our ab’s to bulk up with our sweaters. We reached out to our RAD fitness guru Tess who gave up ab work out tips and none of them are sit ups! Tess says, These 3 ab exercises will strengthen your core get you closer to a 6 pack by working different ab muscle groups.

Try to work up to doing 3 sets of all 3 exercises in the circuit.

six=pack-workout

Alternating Heel Touches – 25 times on each side.

Lie down with your back on the ground with your knees bent and feet spread shoulder width apart. Lift your shoulders off the ground. With straight arms touch your left heel and then right heel for 1 rep. Keep your back flat on the mat and neck relaxed while moving from one side to the other.

Reverse Crunch- Do 25

Lie on your back with knees bent 90 degrees. Tighten your core muscles and lift your feet off the ground until your knees are over your hips while maintaining a 90 degree angle with your knees. Slowly bring your feet back to the ground. This exercise is most effective when done in a slow and controlled manner and you will feel your lower abs working the hardest.

Tuck Ups- Do 25

Lie on the ground with your legs straight in front of you and arms straight above your head. Lift your legs and shoulders a few inches off the ground to achieve a hollow position. From this starting position, tuck your thighs up to your chest and sit up. Return to the starting hollow position for one rep.
Thanks to Tess we’re now mixing up our ab routine and feeling good all through fall! To never miss out on a tip from Tess, get on our mailing list!

5 Ways to Keep Kids Moving

By | Blog, Train | One Comment

As summer temperatures cool into fall and kids head back to their desks at school it can take a little effort to make sure your kids are staying active. And let’s face it, “Who wants to exercise?” doesn’t sound very appealing to most of the young set. The trick is to make play active. Your kids will be so busy having fun, they won’t realize they’re benefiting physically. Here are a few ideas that will help your kids set down the after-school video games and start moving! kid-workout

  1. Nerf Gun Battle Royale: What kid doesn’t enjoy surveillance, teamwork, and shooting Nerf darts? Set up a station for each team far enough apart to ensure the kids will have to run back and forth in battle. Anyone hit by a dart is out. In this version, the winning team turns their darts on each other. The last person standing is the Battle Royale winner. Your kids will run miles trying to beat the darts, and they won’t even know it.

 

  1. Trampoline Fun: Sometimes we don’t think about jumping as a form of exercise, but according to the Center for Disease Control, when done safely, jumping on a trampoline counts as a moderate level of exercise intensity, putting it on par with light yoga and gymnastics. Many cities have indoor trampoline gyms, so jumping can be done in any weather, and 9 out of 10 kids won’t say no to that outing.

 

  1. Ultimate Tag: If you went back into history, the game of tag would probably be the oldest one. It’s a classic game that encourages running away from the player who’s “It.”  In Ultimate tag every player is “It.” Anyone who is tagged has to sit down. When the player who tagged them is tagged, they get back into the game. It’s fast paced, so there is more running and less sitting than most games of tag. Sound exhausting just reading about it? It is. And that’s a good thing.

 

  1. Ropes Course: Some kids are mini adrenaline junkies. They enjoy the thrill of heights, laugh in the face of zip lines, and dream of narrow balance beams. For those types of kids, or even to encourage the others, ropes courses are a great way to actively enjoy physical challenges. There are indoor and outdoor ropes courses that allow kids to move and climb, or you can set up your own mini course at home. Make a bridge out of chairs, jump off a pile of pillows, ride your bike around the driveway, and then crawl across the room with the dog – let your creativity guide you and your kids will follow.

 

  1. Fun 5Ks: Ask a kid if they want to run 3 miles and you may get a blank stare in return. Ask a kid if they want to get covered in color with their friends, and you might be voted Parent of the Year. At Color Me Rad kids are having so much fun tie-dying their t-shirt in the color stations, that they won’t notice the distance. And when they realize they completed a 5K, they’ll have bragging rights at school. Win-win.

Tell us what you do to keep your kids active below, and sign up to run together at colormerad.com.

3 Ways to Improve Your Running Form

By | Blog, Train | No Comments

running-form

Running seems pretty simple. Put one foot in front of the other. Quickly. But when you want to maximize your effort and minimize injuries, you need to have good form. Whether you’re running your first 5K or you’re a seasoned marathoner; practicing good running form will keep you running RAD long term. Try these three tips to improve your form:

1.)  STAY RELAXED – Many of the issues with running form, including tight shoulders and balled-up fists, occur when fatigue sets in and muscles tighten up.  To keep yourself relaxed shake out your arms and think about releasing the tension in your hands, forearms, and shoulders. Not only will your form improve, but you’ll also make it look like running is easy.

2.)  WORK ON YOUR LEAN – For years runners have debated the “foot strike,” or where the foot makes contact with the ground. Opinions are varied, but most running coaches agree that foot placement and overall form is improved by leaning from your ankles. “There are many factors that contribute to good running form; one of which is utilizing a proper lean from the ankle,” says running coach Lora from BlondeRunner.com. “Many runners concern themselves with foot strike, but often manipulating the lean can fix heel strike issues.” Think about running tall and having a slight lean forward from the ankles. The rest of your body will follow.

3.)  MAKE SOME ANGLES – Right angles, that is. If you’re a mathematician, or even just a geometry enthusiast, you know that 90 degrees is where it’s at. It’s also where you should keep your arms when you’re running. Swing your arms from your shoulders and not the elbow. Keep your hands low by your waist, and you’ll be swinging the “right” way into good running form.

Show us your best and most colorful form by singing up for a 5K at www.colormerad.com

5 Quick and Healthy Lunches

By | Blog, Eat | 8 Comments

 

Whether you’re eating in the office, on the go, or mid-meeting, we know it can be hard to feed yourself good and healthy lunches. Here are 5 tried and true  lunchtime favorites!

Bean and Cheese Salad

Say “Hello” to a protein filled, easy meal. It’s the perfect lunch, especially if you’re coming from a midday workout.

Whisk 1 part lemon juice to 2 parts olive oil; season with black pepper. Add finely chopped shallot, let sit in the lemon juice/olive oil mix for a few minutes. Then toss canned, rinsed cannellini beans (white kidney beans) with feta or goat cheese crumbles, thinly sliced cucumber, chopped fresh dill or parsley, and liquid mix. Pack with multigrain pita chips.

beanandcheese

 

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

The best part about these wraps is you can totally mix and match any ingredients; this turkey combo is one of our favorites, but be brave and test out some of yours!

lettucewrapups

Ingredients: 

  • 4 iceberg lettuce pieces
  • 4 slices roast turkey
  • 1/2 cucumber, sliced
  • 250g hummus
  • sprinkle of paprika

Instructions: 

Top a lettuce piece with a slice of turkey, cucumber, hummus, and roll up. Put a toothpick through the wrap to hold ingredients in place.

Avocado Tuna Salad 

Finally a lunch where you can eat the serving dish too!

tunavocado

Ingredients:

  • 1 Avocado
  • 1 Lemon, Juiced
  • 1 Tbsp. red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. celery, finely chopped
  • 1 (150 gram) tin of tuna
  • Sea salt, pepper, and dried dill to taste

Directions: 

Cut the avocado in 1/2, scoop out the middle, and place in a bowl. Add the celery, onion, lemon juice, and seasonings in the bowl and mix well. Add in the tuna and mix thoroughly again. Add the mixture into the avocado shell and enjoy!

Easy Greek Salad with Mint Dressing 

This recipe proves that making your own dressing does not need to be hard! This is enough for 2 salads, so share with a friend or save for tomorrow!

mintsalad

Ingredients for Salad:

  • 1 head of lettuce (rinsed and torn)
  • 1 pepper (chopped)
  • 1/2 medium red onion (chopped)
  • 1/2 cucumber (chopped)
  • 1-2 tomatoes (quartered)
  • 1/4 cup feta cheese

Ingredients for Dressing: 

  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 medium lemon)
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves (minced)
  • 3 mint leaves (chopped)
  • 1 Tbsp. feta cheese
  • 1/4 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp. parsley
  • 1/4 tsp. dried oregano

Toss all salad ingredients in a bowl, except the cheese and tomatoes. Shake all the dressing ingredients together in a small jar, then pour over salad. Toss well, making sure to spread the dressing even over the salad. Top with feta cheese and tomatoes.

Roast Beef Roll-Ups 

They’re easy, they’re fresh, they’re full of protein, and they’re delicious. A lunch time success.

Roast Beef Roll Ups

All you need to do for this lunch is grab your favorite deli meat, slice some crunchy veggies, and have sprig of chive for each bundle. Use the deli meat as a wrapper and fill it with your crunchy veggies, last tie the sprig of chive around the bundle keeping it tight and in place. Dip into a sauce of your choice (ours is dijon mustard). We complete our meal with some fresh berries.

For even more easy, fresh lunches join our mailing list!

 

 

 

Top Ten Reasons to Run: #2

By | Blog, Reasons to Run | No Comments

reasons-to-run

 

Let’s be honest, sometimes running is the worst. It’s hard, tiring, and sweaty. Which is why we really rely on our playlist to get us through those low running moments. Nothing gets us running quite like hearing our personal theme song pump in our ears, here are some of our favorites.

Eye of the Tiger:  Survivor 

It’s a classic for a reason; that reason being, it’s awesome. It pumped up Rocky and it pumps us up.  Watch all the goodness here.

survivor

Firework: Katy Perry

“Don’t quit baby, you’re a firework”, can’t tell you how many times we’ve needed that line mid stride. Watch the video, feel your confidence boom.

 

Eminem: Lose Yourself 

Remember when this song was your jam? It probably still is, so add it back to your mix. And reflect back on why you loved it here.

 

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody 

Ms. Houston knew how to belt it. This anthem combines ballad like qualities with some sick synth beats.  Check out this video and be inspired by those dance moves.

 

Sia: Chandelier 

You may think this one isn’t good for running because it feels like a slower jam, but we would disagree. The beat keeps our feet stomping through all those down miles. And if you haven’t seen this video yet, you are seriously missing out. Seriously. Watch the video now.

 

And if you’ve ever been to a Color Me Rad, you know how serious we take our theme songs. And if you haven’t run RAD yet, register here.

 

Top Ten Reasons to Run: #3

By | Blog, Reasons to Run | No Comments

reasons-to-run

Unless you’re on a treadmill, running is fun because you’re not inside. Trees, clouds, fresh air…none of these things are found behind a desk. Here’s our essential outside running gear.

Grippable Water Bottle:

While we love running outside we do mind the lack of drinking fountains. We found the perfect water bottle  for our long outside runs. Your hand slips right inside for easy gripping.  Can be found here.

Pants with a Pocket

We’ve bought a lot (A LOT) of workout gear in our day and Forever 21 has provided us with some our favorite tried and true pieces. What we love about running outside in these pants is not only do they have a slim pocket on the side for holding emergency cash, there’s even a hidden pocket on the waistband!

iPod Armband

When we’re running we like sweating to the oldies ie: Madonna “Get into the Groove”.  The iPod armband is essential for us. Not only does it keep your iPod nice and tight, having it on your arm makes it easy to access, even mid-stride.

Optional Jacket

Optimistically, we only run in perfect weather, but we won’t let a few rain clouds keep us from getting our outside fix. We die for this Nike jacket because it’s the one thing we own that is as practical as it is adorable. It’s perfect for keeping you dry through little sprinkles and it’s so lightweight that it’s not a pain to carry when the storm has passed.

Sign up here to get even more favorite fit tips!

4 Reasons We Love Tutus

By | Blog | One Comment

running-tutu

The tutu isn’t just for ballerinas anymore. Once seen strictly on center stage, you’re now just as likely to see this graceful skirt cross a finish line at a foot race. Soft layers, lots of bounce, and just enough sass to make an impression, the tutu is part of the RAD running revolution. Here are 4 reasons why we love the tutu.

1.) It’s comfortable.

There’s nothing restrictive about a tutu. It moves with you, creating its own dance with each step.

2.) You get to play dress up.

Remember when you were 4 years old and you had an entire box dedicated to nothing but dress-up clothes? Grandma’s hand-me-downs, a few pairs of heels, and some plastic purses were always tossed to the side for a pretty tutu, a crown, or a long wig. Running at Color Me Rad is the perfect opportunity to let loose and pull your favorite dress-up item, the tutu, out of the box.

3.) It makes people smile.

In a world of dark spandex, the tutu is a bright spot amongst runners. Give it a try. Layer a tutu on top of whatever you’re wearing and see how many frowns turn upside down. There is some kind of whimsy in all those layers. Plus, the pictures you take in tutus are #srslysocute

4.) It’s fun.

Very few clothing items are classified as “fun.” Pants? Boring. Shirts? Yawn. But the tutu screams fun. In fact, runners wearing tutus are oftenscreaming, “This is fun!” louder than anyone else. Tutus equal fun. It might not be a mathematical fact, but it probably should be.

Rock a tutu at the next Color Me Rad and use the hashtags #colormerad #radtutus

http://shop.colormerad.com/gear/tutu.html

True Blue

By | Blog | No Comments

color-running

Our color preferences are part of a map to further understanding our personality. According to psychology of color your color personality is defined by your favorite color, so if your favorite color is blue you have blue color personality. This doesn’t mean that you will exhibit all characteristics of blue personality color, but you are more likely to find yourself here than in any other color. What does the preferring the color blue really say about you? You are faithful, but are often worriers.  You’re soothing, compassionate and caring. Blue lovers bring great gifts of quality, service, and our generally loyal, sincere and thoughtful. 

How to Stay Motivated

By | Blog | No Comments

motivated-monday

 

Hey we get it, you start out with a goal in mind and nothing’s gonna stop you from achieving it. But, before you know it time comes and goes and nothing changes. Don’t bury your shamed head in the sand, cause we’ve been there and haven’t done that more times than we can count. We have found some ways to keep ourselves motivated, and we’re sharing them below.

1. Get the Help You Need

It’s been said before, “it takes a village”, and that sentiment can be very true for helping you stay motivated. If you have a goal to lose 50 pounds, it can be hard to keep motivated all on your lonesome.  There’s professionals to help you reach your weight lose goals, and the extra team members can keep you on track.

2. Visualize a Big Picture

You will never accomplish anything without first having a “low moment”. It’s during these moments that you have to keep a big picture in mind! Visualize yourself reaching your goal and day dream your way through those tough times.

3.  Buy Yourself a Push Present

Keep in mind a gift you want to earn and then earn it! We’re not above buying our favorite dress in the size we’re working towards. Nothing feels sweeter than when that baby fits.

4. Celebrate Your Success

There’s always light at the end of the tunnel and you may as well make the end of that tunnel a huge party to celebrate your hard earned success. If you’re looking for a way to glory in your accomplishments we can promise you the party of your lifetime. Come get RAD with us, so we can be a part of your triumph!