10 tips for new runners.

my love for running is no secret. I love the way it makes me feel, and what it does for my heart and body. Rain, snow, or gale force winds won't stop me. I wish I could do it all the time but alas Usain Bolt I am not. 

being a runner, I remember what it's like to start out. Not knowing if I was running the proper way, worrying about running too slow, getting lapped by people 3 times my age.... It was rough and it can be intimidating, but hopefully these tips will help!

1. invest in a really good running shoe. This is probably the most important thing for runners of all levels. A good pair of trainers is what's going to prevent you from potential sprains, pulled muscles, and limit shinsplints. Asics are my favorite, but there are plenty of different brands out there. Go to a running store, and have them assess your gait and pronation. They'll be able to find you a shoe that fits your needs. Also, if you mention you're a first-time runner, a lot of stores will give you a discount. FTW. 
   
2. same thing goes for socks. I used to think my socks didn't make a difference, but once you switch to athletic, or even more specifically, running socks, you'll never go back.
3. heartburn is definitely a thing. Especially for us morning runners. All of the movement jostles all of our insides, and the acid producers go into overdrive. Get out ahead of the heart burn, and take an acid reducer before you head out on your run. If you have a history of chronic acid reflux like me, take a once daily OTC medication. 
4. runners' trots are too. This varies from person to person, but again all of that jostling of the digestive system tends to get things flowing whether you like it or not. 
5. hydration is a lifestyle. This is a constant and continuous thing. I usually drink about 80oz of water a day. Do I have to pee every 15 minutes? Yes. But for me, being properly hydrated is the difference between barely being able to break 3miles and running 5miles without stopping. 
   
6. always run with music. It'll pump you up, help you pace out, and limit your boredom. If you have a good playlist, you'll be unstoppable. 
7. but practice safety first. If you're running with music, run with one ear in and the other (closest to the road) out. If you'll be on the road, always run AGAINST traffic; it's easier to dodge a car that you can see coming than it is to dodge one you can't see. Always carry your phone and identifying information, including health info. Tell someone where you're running, and which route you'll be taking. Simple, yet important. 
   
8. get your run in in the morning. I know, who actually wants to get up an hour before they have to... besides me lol. Getting it out of the way before you do aaaaaanything else limits the potential to make excuses as the day progresses. For me, morning runs aren't typically my fastest ones. But if I do it in the morning, I'm more likely to actually get my miles in for the day. 

   

   one of the many perks of running outdoors. 

9. develop a mantra. It can be anything. Mine usually is "I am strong, I am capable, I will succeed." This will help you get through the tough hills and speed training. I repeat mine over and over until I develop a rhythm between the words, my breathing, and my gait. 
10. sign up for races and run with friends. Races = goals . Friends = motivators. And both make for a good time!

    

    next race on tap: 2015 Detroit Free Press International Half Marathon.

no matter what, you should feel amazing for getting out there and doing something that's good for your mind, body, and spirit. Stick with it, and I know you'll fall in love with it. 

run on, lovelies.

xo,

adrienne. 

post-grad pauper: what finding a job after college is actually like.

so you've recently graduated. 

congrats! You have successfully completed the easiest hard part of your life. Mozel!

and as the dust starts to settle, and you are forced to start paying all of those student loans back, you'll find yourself asking yourself, "... well, what now?"

if you're lucky, you'll have found a decent paying job with very little room to grow, a bad HMO, and absolutely no time to eat your lunch anywhere but your desk.

but if you're like the rest of the 98% (<-- fake satistic) of recent college graduates, you're probably feeling like you're up the creek.

... without a paddle.

and did I mention the creek is on fire?

oh and your parents are yelling at you to save yourself.

as they're drinking margaritas with Sallie Mae.

... who's laughing at you and all of your misfortune.

as a post-grad pauper, I've been there (and most days, am still there). I feel like on some Y.A./20-something sites, they always spin the post-grad life as "it's really horrible, but it's amazing and I wouldn't trade it for the world!" Ugh... gag me.

so I wanted to share a realistic look at what it's actually like after you turn that tassel.

1. you will be overqualified for entry-level jobs. No, seriously.
   
2. and some entry-level positions will require years of experience. 
   
3. you'll have more versions of your resume than you can count. At my highest, I had 15. I currently have 4.
4. you will probably have to move back home. Do you know how much the cost of housing has gone up over the last few years? It's depressing, but... Don't worry, you can always paint over that bubblegum pink wallpaper you've had since the 90s.
5. and if you can't re-inhabit your childhood bedroom, you'll probably be living in squalor. Sorry about it.
   
6. everything will start to seem EXTRA super expensive. Even the cheap stuff. 
   
7. all of those job applications you filled out? Yeah, you'll get rejected from the majority of them.
8. but you'll eventually find something to pay the bills. It might be going back to that high school job you swore you'd never do ever again, but... alas... here we are.
9. minimum payments (something you swore you'd never do) become real life. 
   
10. you'll look for jobs out of state, but will realize that you can't move there. Because a) you don't have enough money to move and b) the job doesn't pay enough to make it feasible.
11. jealousy will hit you hard. People will be off getting their careers started, engaged, married, 401ks, buying houses, etc. Don't let it get you down though, because with these comes more bills and more responsibility. 
    
12. you'll start to get desperate. And I mean VERY desperate. "I wonder how much my 2007 ipod would sell for...?" "I mean, who needs this much plasma anyway?" "I have morals, but I also have bills to pay and strippers also make like $1000 a weekend, so...." 
    
13. there will be moments when EVERYTHING falls apart. And it's usually on the same day that your insurance bill, electricity bill, and care payment are due. Or when you get rejected from 10 jobs in the span of 2 hours.
14. and your friends will be shitty.  They're all going through their own life changes, just like you. So don't be too hard on them. 
15. you'll score a few interviews. 
    
16. but potential employers won't call you back. 
    
17. ... until one does. And you won't be able to hide the excitement/relief in your voice when you speak with them. 
18. you'll get your first paycheck 3 weeks later than you thought. Which was already 5 weeks later than you needed.
19. and it'll be smaller than what you thought it would be/needed it to be. "It's okay, I didn't need to buy my prescriptions anyway. 
20. after working a few months, you'll probably start looking for another job. Which is A-OKAY. Always seek out something that's going to grow you, 
21. and you'll finally understand what it is to have a real hard day's work, with little reward.
    
22. most importantly, you'll finally understand what your parents struggled through. Just to make ends meat for their family. 

and this last bit is very true. I've come home, night after night after night, and I've cried/apologized/empathized with my parents. You don't realize how much they do for you, just so that you can do a little for yourself. To all the parents out there: way to go! I don't know how you do it, but way to go.

no matter what, though, chin up my dears. Even though it's hard, try to stay positive and try to stay true. With a load of hard work, sleepless nights, and a wing and a prayer, it will work out. 

keep on keepin on.

xo,

adrienne. 

it's been a while. i can explain.

it's been about 3 weeks since I last posted anything. Longer than that if you consider anything of substance.

i'm not going to lie: it's been a tough few months.

i feel disappointed. I feel disappointed by the lack of support I have in a lot of areas of my life. My dad, I know, is my biggest supporter and cheerleader in my life and he's gone out of his way to make sure I know/feel his support of me, my life, and my choices. He's gone so far above and beyond to make me feel  important and loved, because he knows that I don't get those feelings from a lot of other people in my life.

i've been experiencing a lot of revelations about life/relationships lately. But I think the hardest realization I've had to come to is that in moments of pure distress, confusion, and pain, the people who we care for the most can be the ones who let us down the hardest.

fighting myself is the hardest battle i've ever had to endure. And right now, I'm storming the beaches of Normandy. Instead of having a strong army behind me, though, I feel like I'm only 1 man strong. I need more than that, unfortunately.

it's a hard place to be. I need so much more support and a little bit more love, but also everyone else in my life is also fighting their own battles so I don't want to ask that of everyone else. I feel like I give and give and give, and try to support all of my friends (when they need it the most, and when they need it the least), but the reciprocation isn't quite there. I don't want to ask for the things that I need, because 1) I'll be labeled as dramatic, 2) I'll be told I'm overreacting, 3) I will be told my feelings are made up 4) my reality is distorted, and most importantly 5) it's wrong for me to ask for it when everyone else is fighting battles of their own.

i feel left out. And unfortunately it's at the 5th grade level: being excluded from fun things, especially those that I love. It's really frustrating when you've been into something for years, and have spent just as much time trying to get your friends/family on board, and then everyone miraculously discovers it and leaves you out of participating in it. Like really? Every time I've asked you if you want to go for a run you give me a long story about how you can't run/hate running/would die/could never keep up/running before 10am is torture/etc. And then you start running consistently, but when I ask if you'd like to sign up for a 5k it's as if I asked you to have your teeth pulled electively. And then you sign yourself up for a different 5k, and don't tell me about it. Oh? Oh really? No, that's totally fine I'm completely cool with that slap in the face.

i understand that you're busy. We're all busy. We all are. But you're really too busy call back? You can't take 10 seconds to shoot a txt? You can't take out an hour of your time to grab lunch, catch up, see how it's going? To hang out with you, I'd move heaven and earth to make it happen.

i feel so unvalued. I feel like my impact on others is so minimal, that it barely registers or makes a difference. It's like I'm not worth their time, and they don't care. What's worse is that I don't even feel devalued. If I felt devalued, it would imply that I had value before. I just feel unvalued. I'm sorry I'm not worth enough to be invited along for a girls' night, to go out to dinner, to have fun at the casinos, or even to get a call to see how I'm doing. I'm sorry.

i'm struggling so much, I can feel myself breaking. I know I should control the controllables and relinquish control for those that I can't. But I have the controllables under control; they aren't what's hurting me. It's the things out of my control that are the most painful. I can't control other people and, unfortunately, I get so much from just being with other people that them not wanting to have me be apart of their life (the good and bad) is devastating.

this isn't a call for attention. That needs to be absolutely, crystal clear. I'm not looking for sympathy, handouts, pity. I'm venting because I'm overwhelmed. I'm drowning. I am so over feeling unvalued, left out, and disappointed, and I have no where else to express my feelings outside of this rarely viewed, blip of a blog in a dark corner of the internet.

i'm tired.

i'm exhausted.

but i'm holding on in hope that things get better. I have this blog, which gives me something to work on while I heal. Please, bare with me. I will have good days. I will have bad days. What's important, though, is that I am lucky enough  and blessed enough to simply have 'days'.

xo,

adrienne.

june run+workout playlist.

i haven't had to turn on the heat, i've cranked up the air, and i've been cruising with my windows down... Summer is upon us people!

here's a nice long june run+workout playlist for you.

as per usual, there's a little something for everyone in this one. You may even find a Disney song in there. Wink.

june run+workout playlist

23 songs, 1 hour, 20 minutes.

• i really like you, Carly Rae Jepsen
• somewhere to run, Krewella
• pound the alarm, Nicki Minaj
• crash and burn, Thomas Rhett
• don't it, Billy Currington
• i'll make a man out of you, Mulan
• classic, MKTO
• blame, Calvin Harris
• braveheart, Neon Jungle
• irresistible, Fall Out Boy
• headband, B.o.B
• numb/encore, Jay Z & Linkin Park
• shotgun, Yellow Claw
• hey mama, David Guetta
• where are ü now, Skrillex & Diplo
• somebody to you, The Vamps
• shut up and dance, WALK THE MOON
• this summer's gonna hurt like a mother fucker, Maroon 5
• bad blood (feat. kendrick lamar), Taylor Swift
• beautiful now, Zedd
• kick the dust up, Luke Bryan
• wake me up, Avicii

and as per usual, here's the 8tracks link to the playlist!

xo,

adrienne.

happy tuesday bluesday!

it's been a long weekend, praise glory hallelujah. So today, Tuesday, has officially turn into Monday: the worst day of the week.

thought we could all use a little pick-me-up. So... what are you waiting for??!

enjoy!

Finally Caught him #Lovemelikeyoudo #kids #elliegoulding https://t.co/Qqo9MHX8yx

— adrienne. (@AdrienneBrooke) May 25, 2015

xo,

adrienne. 

recipe monday: crazy sexy cool green smoothie.

hi yall, hope you're enjoying the last few moments of your long holiday weekend. Don't forget to thank/hug/kiss a veteran today!

where most people are out grilling, boating, or golfing this weekend, I took some much needed tlc and went on a little bit of a food bender. I spent a solid hour and a half grocery shopping last night, and buying up pounds and pounds of fresh fruit and veg.

now that the weather is getting warmer and warmer, I've been on quite the smoothie kick. There's nothing better than peeling off sweaty clothes, jumping into the pool/lake, and then kicking back with a huge cold green smoothie. Am I right, or am I right?

so here's a new one for you:

crazy sexy cool green smoothie. 

this one was inspired by my time in Costa Rica (aka Costa Freeeaakaaa, to some), and my trips to Mexico and Hawaii. 

in CR mangos littered the streets; they actually advise about the hazards of falling mangos. Seriously. 

in Mexico, limes and lime juice are just as much a condiment as salt is. 

and in Hawaii, where it's illegal to pick their largest export without a license, pineapples are an addition to every single meal. 

the green comes from the avocado and your choice of greens. and the crazy sexy coolness comes from whoever is drinking it. wink

i added turmeric and cayenne for their detoxifying and healing powers. If you suffer from any chronic illness, bloating, or other inflammation, look up the positive effects of both these spices.

here's what you need:
1/2 cup water
1/2 a ripe avocado
1 cup diced mango
2 cups diced pineapple
juice from 1/2 lime
1 handful of your favorite greens (I chose kale, which has an earthier, straight from the dirt, taste)
1 pinch cayenne (or more if you need more of a spicy kick)
2 shakes of some good turmeric powder

here's what you do:

1. slice up your avocado. dice up the pineapple and mango. then juice half that gorgeous lime.
2. put all ingredients into your blender in the order above. I've said it before, but the order is important because it makes for easier, smoother blending.
3. blend until smooth.
4. pour into your favorite mason jar, gram a great pic on Insta, and drink away the delicious, crazy, sexy cool goodness. 

drink up, buttercups!

xo,

adrienne. 

let's be realistic: 7th and 8th week of change.

hi, long time no talk! I know it has been a minute since my last post, but it's been crazy busy around these parts!

to be honest, i didn't want to write over the last two weeks. I had been in such a negative, dark place that I was worried it wasn't ever going to brighten up. Negativity can be incredibly insidious; it spreads like an infection, and can be chronic like a disease.

and that's not something I wanted to share.

luckily, i'm on a come up. I got to take some time off, go on a vacation, and hang out with my absolute best friend in the entire world. Before jetting off, everyone kept telling me how much I 'need this'. I didn't realize it at the time, but everyone was right. 100%. Without doubt or question. I needed it.

i wanted to keep this post short and sweet. Because of the funk I was in, I needed not to focus on my physical gains but more on my mental ones. You have to want and strive to be not even good, but okay. Being okay is manageable. Being okay is doable. Being okay is, bare minimum, what we need. And sometimes, that's the hardest thing you'll do.

so instead of discussing what I ate, how far I ran, or what muscles/weight I've gained/lost... I'll just leave you with some pictures.

enjoy!

xo,

adrienne.