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  • 5 Tips for New Runners via Neon Blonde Runner

    Greetings to my fellow Virginia friends!!  My name is Katherine and I’m a 3 time marathon runner with a personal best time of 3:26.  I’ve had a fast and furious love affair with running and I am super excited to report that I just registered for my first Boston Marathon in spring 2013.  I blog about my running adventures, travels, and life in Richmond Virginia over at Neon Blonde Runner.

    The goal of my blog is to inspire others to dream big and shoot for the stars with their goals.  I just ran my first road race in 2010 and at that time I would have never dreamed about qualifying for the Boston Marathon, but you never know what you’re capable of until you try.  So that’s why I want to give each of you 5 simple tips for getting you started with running…so that you can take off, make it your own and discover what you’re capable of too.

    You may recognize me from the October 2012 issue of Outside Magazine! My photo was featured in the article that named Richmond the Best River Town in the nation

     

     

    5 Simple Tips for New Runners

    1)  When you’re starting out, don’t focus on speed.  Instead, just run based on time—for example, decide that you’re going to spend 20 minutes jogging and just set out and relax.  Focus on enjoying yourself and getting a “feel” for it.  I didn’t start to pay attention to speed or pace until I’d been casually jogging for almost a year.  This will take the pressure off of it all.  This is your “me” time, your time to clear you head.  You can gradually increase the length of your runs when you feel comfortable with what you’re already doing.

    Once you get into it, running can feel as relaxing as a siesta on the beach

     

    2)  Run with a buddy or a group!  You’d be surprised at how much this makes a difference.  If you know that you’re going to meet someone for a jog, it’ll be much easier to head out the door.

    Running with Tappan at the Color Me Rad 5K

     

    3)  Remember that the hardest part of running is getting out the door.  Not many people get super excited before heading out for a jog…but once you get started, the feeling is pretty darn incredible and you won’t regret it.  Schedule a time to go running ahead of time and stick with it—I prefer running before work, otherwise it just will NOT get done.

    4)  Go to a running store to get fitted for a pair of shoes.  Running in the right shoes is super important and can help prevent any injuries!  Sources recommend that you replace your shoes ever 200-300 miles.

    5)  Track your progress and stick with it for at least a month before you decide to stop running.  Keep a little calendar where you write down how long you ran each day.  Or you can record your progress in an online running diary, such as Daily Mile or the runner’s world training log.  If you stick with it for a month and still don’t enjoy running, then maybe running’s just not your thing…but I doubt that will be the case because you’ll notice such incredible changes in your life, both mentally and physically.

    Running is simple, pure, and has added so much joy to my life.  Its benefits will seep into all other parts of your life.

    So give it a try!  I am always happy to try to pull new converts along with me!  So if you live in Richmond, let me know and I’ll tell you about some great local running groups.

    Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions:

    -e-mail- NeonBlondeRunner @ gmail . com

    -twitter- NeonRunnerKat

    -Instagram @NeonBlondeRunner

    Are you a runner and have some tips to add?  Please let us know in the comments below!

     

  • Tasting: Potter’s Craft Cider

    If you are a single twenty-something gal, walking through Whole Foods on a brilliant Saturday afternoon, and two very dapper young gentlemen offer you a drink, more than likely you will happily accept the libation.

    [In fact, even you weren’t single, or twenty-something, but just a female of drinking age, it would be hard to turn down a glass of anything from two charming cider makers.]

    Affable and endearing, Daniel Potter and Tim Edmond not only have the personality to sell their product, they have a product that truly needs no PR. One sip of Potter’s Craft Cider and you’ll know you aren’t in woodchuck territory anymore.

    After leaving behind an engineering career in North Carolina, Daniel Potter began work on a farm outside of the Richmond area. It was while transporting apples to local markets that his collegiate passion for homebrew sparked a plan to make a grown-up apple juice that takes what you think you know about hard ciders and flips it on its idiomatic head. He found a business partner in Tim, and together the two have taken the science of microbrew and turned it into an apple-based art form.

    Locally sourced from orchards in the Blue Ridge, Potter’s Farmhouse Dry is brewed from fresh cider apples, including Pippin and Winesap. Bottle by hand, and sold for around $10 a bottle (and available on tap) throughout the Charlottesville–and now Richmond—area, Potter’s Craft Cider is a crisp, slightly sweet cider, seasonally perfect for the approaching fall and its demands for apples in any form.

    Oh, and for those of us who choose our drinks by the label, the hand-drawn logo is intriguingly irresistible. [And made for mountainside glamour shots. ]

    For a full list of retail locations, check out the company website. Find up-to-date tasting information by following Potter’s Cider on twitter and facebook.

  • Bests Around The State via My Life, Laughs, & Love

    Photo Credit Here (she’s from NOVA!)
    Hey fellow Virginia Bloggers (or future residents of VA, or visitors of VA!), I’m Christina and I blog over at My Life, Laughs, & Love.  My blog is a little rambling account of my life and helps me to avoid being an adult from time to time.  I found the VA is for Bloggers through another Stafford, VA blogger & couldn’t have been happier I did – how awesome is it that we have a “base” to refer back to for events & happenings in this beautiful state!? 
    So anyhow, let’s get down to the business.
    I don’t know about you, but the way to my heart is food. 
    So is the way to Nick’s heart (he’s my fiancé).
    And the hearts’ of our family members.
    And everyone else that I know.
    So basically, if you can’t tell this post is going to incorporate lots of info. about food!
    When we moved to VA we went through a little break-up with delicious cuisine found in the smaller town Nick grew up in & have since been on the hunt for good food & drink in the area.  Here’s what we’ve found:
    Best beer selection:  Capital Ale House!  Capital Ale is all throughout VA with locations in Fredericksburg, Richmond, Midlothian, & Harrisonburg & offers an impeccable variety of beers…  They literally have 62 beers on draught and 300 choices in bottled beer.  Can you say beer heaven!?  They also have an ice-lined bar to keep your drink chilled.  Genius.  If this doesn’t get you excited, also know that in Fredericksburg they host Octoberfest in late September & shut down the streets of downtown Fred for drinking, music, & delicious German food.  This year it’ll be held on September 29th & I will certainly be there!
    Best ice cream:  Let me just say, I’ve had some good ice cream in my day, but when Nick’s family & I found Wally’s homemade ice cream in downtown Fredericksburg after a day of antiquing we were ecstatic.  I highly recommend the mint chocolate chip (my favorite!), and Nick recommends the death by chocolate.  Both delish!
    Best grocery store:  If you have never stepped foot into a Wegmans – get your buns in the car and get to one ASAP!  It is the Mecca of grocery stores.  They have literally everything & anything and it is not only fairly priced, but is always fresh & delicious!  We’ll find ourselves at their restaurant (tip-free might I add!) and/or at their variety of buffets/food bars before grocery shopping (or just as an excuse to not cook dinner).  Love Love Love our Weggies!
    Best appetizer/drink specials:  If you’re in the area around mid afternoon/early evening head to Bravo! for amazing food specials.  Y’all, $3.95 bar bites AND $5 drink specials?  Yes.  Please.  Not to mention the food portions at the bar are great and the food itself is yummy!  I wouldn’t recommend eating in the main dining area unless you’re willing to pay up, but this bar deal is unbeatable!  
    Best American:  Firebirds.  Oh my most delicious wood grilled food ever.  I have literally never had anything off of their menu that I didn’t eat every last bite of it’s that good (only after consuming their hot bread & side salad mmm).  Not to mention such a classy ambiance with the openly viewed grill and wine bottle wall!  Love.  We went last year for Nick’s b-day and might have to get back there for this years’!  
    Best fun with your food:  If you like to play trivia and enjoy a good deal, get to F.W. Sullivans.  For Real.  Trivia is every Monday at 8pm and food specials are M-F (hello $5 appetizers!).  I recommend the hummus – it comes with a full spread including pita breads, kalamata olives, pepperoncinis, feta cheese, cucumbers, and tomatoes.  For $5 Sullivan’s makes me one happy lady 🙂  Orrrr you can get there F/S nights for darts & dancing. Take your pick.

    Sure there are plenty of other fun things around the area, but if you’re anything like us, your world revolves around your next meal.  Hopefully you’ll take our advice and find yourself stopping off anywhere aforementioned & enjoy it as much as we do!  And be sure to come by my blog to say hi + get to know me just a little more!  

     Thanks again for reading
    xx, Christina 

  • Meet Ups & Events

    Despite the busyness of the holiday weekend, a few of us were able to meet up for some coffee in Charlottesville on Sunday. It was so great to get to see everyone!

    Don’t worry, There is plenty of activity going on this month, so here are a few things you won’t want to miss:

    Fashion Show @ Selba Lounge– Tonight! Thursday, 10pm. R.A.I.N.’s September Edition Fashion Show! More details here.

    RVA Fashion Bloggers Meet Up– This Saturday afternoon at 1pm. More details here.

    Richmond Color Run- Keep an eye out for some other bloggers running the Color Run 5k on September 15th!

    And make sure you follow us on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date on meet ups and events!

     

    If you have any events you’d like us to feature, please send us at email at virginiaboggers@gmail.com

     

    Have a great weekend!

  • Meet Ups & Events

    Despite the busyness of the holiday weekend, a few of us were able to meet up for some coffee in Charlottesville on Sunday. It was so great to get to see everyone!

    Don’t worry, There is plenty of activity going on this month, so here are a few things you won’t want to miss:

    Fashion Show @ Selba Lounge– Tonight! Thursday, 10pm. R.A.I.N.’s September Edition Fashion Show! More details here.

    RVA Fashion Bloggers Meet Up– This Saturday afternoon at 1pm. More details here.

    Richmond Color Run- Keep an eye out for some other bloggers running the Color Run 5k on September 15th!

    And make sure you follow us on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date on meet ups and events!

     

    If you have any events you’d like us to feature, please send us at email at virginiaboggers@gmail.com

     

    Have a great weekend!