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ASICS GEL-Kayano 21 Review

This post has been sponsored by ASICS and I have been provided with a complimentary pair of shoes. All opinions are my own.

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ASICS recently released the GEL-Kayano 21, which is the lightest version of the Kayano yet and features the latest in ASICS technical innovation.

I’ve been wearing the Kayano since I ran on my high school’s cross country team in 2005. So when ASICS reached out to me about the release of the Kayano 21, I had to get my hands on them! For such a lightweight shoe, it has excellent cushioning in the mid and forefoot – actually the entire foot! Let’s just say, the 21’s delivers when it comes to cushioning! They’re great for short and long runs, and I didn’t feel any fatigue in my feet or calves or any discomfort in my knees or heels.

They are a responsive shoe and give a little bounce that makes them an absolute pleasure to run in. For me, they fit true to size with a decent amount of width in the toe box so there is no pinching or discomfort.

I wanted to wear these shoes for a full month before posting a review on my blog so that I could give you an honest opinion, and after running in them for a month, they’ve been fantastic. I’ve had zero discomfort and as always with my ASICS, I’m impressed with the quality. The Kayano insoles haven’t compressed down at all, and the outer material stands up well to off pavement running.

I’m really honored and proud that ASICS thought of me to review this shoe. It’s kind of strange, but it made me emotional. I just cannot believe how far my little blog has come sometimes. I’m so grateful for these opportunities that it has given me, and I’m so excited for the many more miles that I will run in these shoes and the memories I will create with them!

I am loving my Onyx/Black/Silver pair for fall, but there are tons of color options for the Womens and Mens Kayano 21s!

Looking for a holiday gift for a runner in your family? Get free ground shipping on your ASICS order today and every day!

November 14, 2014 | 5 Comments

DIY, Fitness, Life, Tips

How To Clean Your Cycling Shoes

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If you have any type of white athletic shoes, you know how hard they are to keep clean. Before you go out and buy new ones, save yourself some money and try washing them in the dishwasher. Yes, the dishwasher.

Back in the day (because I’m oh so old, right?) I used to throw my dirty shoes in the washing machine. You name it: Uggs, Vans, Converse, Nikes, I threw them in the washing machine. The only problem with cleaning shoes in the washing machine is that they start deteriorating pretty quickly after that. Putting your shoes in a washing machine filled with water and spinning them around at high speeds on the spin cycle isn’t exactly the best way to keep your shoes in good condition. It bangs them around and weakens the glue that hold them together.

I’m sharing my step-by-step tips for getting your shoes bright and sparkly, odor-free, and in overall tip-top shape!

Before you venture into washing your cycling shoes or other workout shoes, please know that they need about 24 hours or a day in the sun to completely dry. You will want to wash these on a day or two where you don’t need to wear them!

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You will notice that my prized Mavic Giova Women’s Cycling Shoes are a bit brown around the ankle area and tongue. They’re survived one year of spray tans and sweat, but they’re definitely looking a little grimy and not smelling that fab.

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The fronts and sides are completely scuffed up from my spastic walking skills and running into stationary objects, ha ha ha.

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Above is another angle showing the brown fabric tongue before washing.

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Before washing, you will want to take out any removable soles inside of your shoes.
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You will also need to remove your “clips” and any metal hardware from your cycling shoes (these will not be washed).

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Once you have removed your clips and hardware, it’s time for some pre-scrubbing.

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Check your shoes for any areas that need to be pre-scrubbed such as the soles or stained areas. I used a Clorox Gel Bleach Pen and an old toothbrush to get most of the deep stains and discoloration removed. Of course, if you have dark or colored shoes you won’t want to use bleach, but I would recommend using a little bit of dishwasher detergent on the toothbrush bristles to help remove stains and scrub.

Note: Do not use any type of foaming soap or detergent unless it is made for a dishwasher! Tide to Go is also a great option to remove stains from colored shoes.

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You can also use dishwasher detergent and a toothbrush to clean scuffs off of the leather areas of your shoes. My other secret weapon for removing scuff marks is the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. They really are magical! I use Magic Erasers on everything from shoes, to walls, and laptops!

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Once you have spot treated any visible stains, it’s time to put those babies in the dishwasher and watch some serious magic happen. Place your shoes on the bottom rack of the dishwasher, upside down and the removable soles in the racks next to them. Set your dishwasher to delicate and turn off heated drying cycle. Heated drying can shrink your shoes, as well as damage and weaken the faux leather or vinyl areas of your fancy shmancy kicks.

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My favorite dishwasher detergent is Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day in Geranium. I love Mrs. Meyer’s products because they use mainly naturally derived ingredients, minimal chemicals (only for efficiency of cleanliness), and smell absolutely delightful! Read more about Mrs. Meyer’s Product philosophy here! If you haven’t tried their Basil Hand Soap, you must. I get most of my Mrs. Meyer’s products at Target and Whole Foods.

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Once you remove your shoes from the dishwasher, lay them out in the sun to dry for the rest of the day, or until completely dry! You will be left with sparkly clean shoes that look brand spanking new and smell flowery fresh! I mean… check out how clean and white they are now!

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I hope that you found this useful for cleaning any types of workout shoes, or shoes in general! Of course, always read and inspect your shoes to make sure they are safe to put in water beforehand. Most will be just fine, but you won’t want to put your leather Top Siders in the dishwasher. Ha!

Health & Happiness
xo Catherine

July 7, 2014 | 5 Comments

Fitness, Life

Jamba Juice Fit Trends Expo 2014

I was honored to attend the fourth annual Jamba Juice Fit Trends Expo with four-time Olympic gold medalist, Venus Williams and Jake Steinfeld of Body by Jake at the end of last month!

I decided to work with Jamba Juice, because they are simplifying healthy living across the nation. Not everyone has access to Whole Foods or Nekter Juice Bar in their town, but Jamba Juice is really stepping up their game and competing with other popular juice bars and fruit and vegetable smoothie joints. Jamba Juice is bringing customers back to nature by blending whole fruits AND veggies into nutritious smoothies and juices.

Jamba Juice put together a fabulous expo that exhibited the latest Hollywood fitness trends, new Jamba Juice smoothies and juices, and promoted healthy living.

This years Fit Trends Expo took place at the stunning Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica, California.

My job never feels like work, especially when I have this view!

After check-in I finally got to meet Monica from Run Eat Repeat! Monica and I had been Instagram friends for a while and both live in Orange County, but it took us both going all the way to Santa Monica to meet! She’s soooo funny and had me laughing all day! If you are a runner of any kind or love watermelon, her blog is a must! P.S. I did not add the birds into this photo. They flew by at the perfect moment! Gorgeous!

After check-in, we began a warmup routine led by Venus Williams on our fresh Jamba Juice yoga mats!

Once the warmup concluded, we went straight into our first workout of the day: POUND Rockout. Workout.™

POUND Rockout. Workout.™
What is it? POUND is a full-body cardio jam session, combining light resistance with constant simulated drumming with their lightly weighted drumsticks, called Ripstix™.
Class time: 45 minutes
The calorie burn: 400 – 900+ calories per session
Type of workout: Cardio and pilates/sculpting – group fitness class
Why I loved it: This was my FAVORITE workout of the entire day. I had heard about POUND before but didn’t think anything of it. It seemed cool, but I didn’t think it would be that great of a workout. Boy was I wrong! I was sweating in less than 10 minutes! Anytime you are standing in this class, you are in a squatting or lunging position and working the glutes, quads, and hammies like no other. In barre classes all you can think of is the pain when you are squatting and “getting low” but in a POUND class, you and so busy drumming away from side to side and hitting your Ripstix™ together to the music that you don’t even notice how long you’ve been squatting. During abs, I was getting so into the rhythm of pounding the sticks from side to side that I didn’t even realize how long we had been in a raised sit-up position! It completely took my mind off of the workout part of the class! The moves are simple and easy to follow, so don’t stress!
Recommended for: Anyone who likes music and wants a fun cardio class that doesn’t feel like working out.
Find A Class or Buy the DVD

Check out Venus following along with POUND founders Kirsten Potenza and Cristina Peerenboom!

Next up on the agenda was Pop Physique!

Pop Physique
What is it? Pop Physique is a barre workout designed to sculpt your entire body. Light weights are used to tone the upper body,and the barre is used for intense lower body work for the thighs and butt. Each concludes with a focused abs section on the mats as well as stretching to lengthen those new lean muscles.
Class time: 1 hour
The calorie burn: 500+ calories per class
Type of Workout: Barre and toning – group fitness class.
Why I loved it: If you want to get toned and see results ASAP, this is the class for you! It’s hard. You won’t use any weights more than a couple of pounds, but each movement is precise and uses each muscle group to the point of exhaustion. If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you… and this class is challenging and body changing!
Recommended for: Anyone who wants a long and lean tones dancers body.
Find a Class (click the locations Tab)

After tons of planks, tucking, squeezing, shaking, and burning it was time for Hoopnotica!

Hoopnotica
What is it? a fat-burning hula hoop workout that both strengthens your core helps promotes muscular balance and alignment.
Class Time: 1 hour
The calorie burn: 350 calories per hour
Type of Workout: Core strengthening – DVD workout
What I thought: I have to be honest, this was my least favorite exercise of the day. It was fun and I laughed a TON, but it felt a little too slow for me. When choosing a workout, I personally like one that makes me sweat! If I’m going to spend 45 minutes to an hour working out, I want it to be a nice sweaty cardio sesh, or a really intense strength training class that I can feel afterwards. I didn’t feel like this was beneficial for me, but the instructor lost 80 pounds by hooping 1 hour each day! What may not work for me, might be perfect for you! It’s easy, and you can do it in your own home with their DVD!
Recommended for: Anyone who wants a simple, easy, laid back workout.
Get the DVD or Find A Teacher

Katy from Joy Laughter Sweat and I were cracking up in the back corner during the Hoopnotica class. Hooping for long periods of time is more complicated than we anticipated hahaha.

This picture describes it all. We were asked to walk across the room while hooping. I love the concentration from Gillian (That’s G) and how excited Kara (The Lifestyleista) is for making it all the way across the room without dropping her hoop!

Our final workout of the day was Surfset Fitness!

Surfset Fitness
What is it? An exercise on a stabilizing surfboard trainer that is designed to simulate the physical demands of surfing without the ocean. The stabilizing board engages your core during the entire muscle building class.
Class Time: 45 minutes
The calorie burn: 400 – 900 calories per class
Type of Workout: Strength training and core workout.
What I thought: I thought this workout was really fun and definitely challenging. My legs were shaking the entire time and I barely survived the burpees on the board. Yes, you read that correctly, we did burpees on the boards! I loved how versatile the boards were, we even hopped off and used them for tricep dips!
Recommended for: Anyone who loves surfing or paddle boarding but doesn’t have access to the water!
Find A Class

Monica from Run Eat Repeat looking adorable on her Surfset board!

After the workouts concluded, we were treated to a delicious and healthy lunch.
I had a tofu wrap with spinach, garlic hummus, bell peppers, and sun-dried tomatoes and a colorful salad with pistachios and goat cheese. After lunch, we headed inside for a Q&A session with Venus Williams and fitness mogul Jake Steinfeld of Body by Jake.

Venus was seriously adorable. She spoke so candidly about her own struggles with motivation and willpower. Just like us, she encounters a battle with the bed and said that some days, it’s just hard to get lout of bed and train. She finds motivation from her sister Serena and said “some mornings I’ll be laying in bed and I just don’t want to move, and then I hear this little bell on our front door and realize, Serena just left for her workout! I should get up and go too!” One of my favorite things from the Q&A: “Wish changes nothing. Decision changes everything.”

You will never guess Venus’ least favorite things: broccoli & planks. Sounds like a blog name haha.

Jake had so much charisma and made us laugh multiple times. He was precious! Once the Q&A session ended, we went outside to do a taste testing game!

We were each given 4 different Jamba Juice smoothies and had to match them to the correct smoothie name/ingredient list!

Veggie Harvest: Fresh apple juice, fresh carrot juice, beet juice, supergreens, (organic baby spinach, organic red and green chard, organic baby kale), ice and ginger juice

Tropical Greens: Fresh apple juice, fresh pineapples, fresh supergreens, (organic baby spinach, organic red and green chard, organic baby kale) ice and chia seeds

Great Greens: Fresh apple juice, fresh cucumber, supergreens, (organic baby spinach, organic red and green chard, organic baby kale) ice, fresh lemon juice, and chia seeds

Citrus Kick: Fresh orange juice, fresh apple juice, fresh pineapples, ice and ginger

I had to share a picture of my epic Emoji nails for the event. I printed and cutout fruit Emojis and put them on my nails. I thought it was perfect for Jamba Juice!

After the Fit Trends Expo 2014 concluded, we got to take pictures with the beautiful Venus. She’s wearing her own line EleVen by Venus! I’m not short or anything… just fun sized.

Thank you so much to Jamba Juice for including me in this fantastic event.
As always, all opinions are my own!

May 5, 2014 | 8 Comments

Breakfast, Fitness, Recipes, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian

Mint-Matcha Chia Pudding

Oh my gosh, today is my 2 year bloggiversary!!!!!!
I just realized it! Thank you so much for all of your support! RFFMBT would be nothing without my readers. I love you guys so much! xoxo

I’m super super excited because today I’m going on a blogger summit for DOLE!
Myself and 10 other bloggers will be joining the DOLE team for a few days dedicated to healthy eating, cooking, and nutrition! I cannot wait to meet the other bloggers, we’ve already been having a twitter party chatting up a storm!
I’ll be updating you guys on my trip via Instagram and recap all of the delish recipes for you here on my blog!

I hope that everyone had a healthy happy St. Patricks Day on Monday!
As I told you on Monday, I ate healthy green meals and snacks allll day!
The best thing about eating greens is that they’re filled with so many nutrients, vitamins & minerals, that they give you TONS of every throughout the day. I actually felt really energized and amazing all day long. Here’s a look of what I ate (huge green salad for dinner not pictured):
For breakfast I started off with a green smoothie made with a handful of spinach, 1 frozen banana, 1 pear, and 1/2 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk!

A couple hours later I had a little snack with a half of a small avocado mashed up with a little lemon juice, and a pinch of salt & pepper on top of a brown rice cake! Best. Snack. Ever.

Then I had some delicious Mint-Matcha Chia Pudding that I discovered from Kathy Patalsky’s blog The Lunchbox Bunch!

Next up I ate an entire bowl of Kale Joy Sweet Mustard Kale Chips. Whoever decided one bag of kale chips was 2 servings is SOOO wrong. I eat the whole bag, every time!

Yesterday I worked on a freelance project all day and then went out for a paddle with my friend Blake! It was absolutely gorgeous out at the water was perfectly calm and flat and there was absolutely no wind. The perfect paddling conditions!

After Paddling, I went to Full Psycle to get my spin on. Since Full Psycle just opened their second location at Bella Terra in Huntington Beach, the instructors are bouncing around between studios, so this is their first week with completely new schedules. I’m such a creature of habit and was a little intimidated to try a new teacher last night but I did! The class was really challenging and I worked super hard!

Speaking of Full Psycle opening their second studio, I went to the Grand Opening at Bella Terra in Huntington Beach last weekend! The new studio is soooo nice! The air conditioning is amazing, the sound system is incredible, and there is tons of free parking! If you live near HB you have to go check it out! Oh, and your first class is free with the promo code “FIRSTCLASSFREE” and they also have free rental clips for your first class! No reason not to try it!

Now onto the nom noms! I saw Kathy’s Mint-Matcha Chia Pudding recipe on Sunday night and happened to have all of the ingredients on hand, so I whipped up a batch with a few little adjustments, put it in the fridge overnight, and enjoyed it on St. Patrick’s Day!

Mint-Matcha Chia Pudding
Adapted from Kathy Patalsky of The Lunch Box Bunch
Serves 1

1/3 cup almond milk
1/2 tsp matcha green tea
2 Tbsp chia seeds
1/2 Tbsp agave
small drop of peppermint extract

Combine almond milk, matcha, agave, and peppermint in a blender, blend until matcha disolved. Transfer the mixture to a jar and mix in the whole chia seeds. Cover and store in a frigge for about 8 hours or overnight for best/thickest results.

March 19, 2014 | 11 Comments

Fitness, Reviews

Reebok ZQUICK Review

The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Reebok.

You may have seen this commercial playing during the Olympic Games recently!
Welllllll, those also happen to be my new kicks!

Also worn by Gold Medal Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman, football star Knowshon Moreno, and MMA powerhouse Johny Hendricks. I’m in pretty good company!

The technology behind the Reebok ZQUICK running shoe is phenomenal. Yes, these shoes are attractive and look great on, but they are made for athletes. You’re probably wondering why this shoe is so special, so let’s get down to business with the technology behind ZQUICK, and the shoe’s features.

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What is ZQuick?
ZQUICK takes inspiration from Z-rated sports car tires, which are rated for speeds in excess of 149 mph. Essentially, ZQUICK provides the same speed and handling for your feet.

The Z-rated grip:
The key to good handling tires is maximum ground contact; in tires it’s called a contact patch. It’s the amount of area in contact with the ground. More area is better for handling and the more surface area means more distributed force and better grip.

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The Z-series fit:
For handling, Reebok wanted to take into account the dynamics of the foot itself. Your foot changes in dimension when you put weight on. When your foot is completely weighted, it’ s about 5mm wider than when it’s in the air. That’s your own naturally handling feature. Your foot spreads out on impact to distribute force over a broader base. To accommodate for that natural handling feature, Reebok built slashes into the bottom unit that go all the way to the lasting board so that your Z-series shoe spreads with you. The Z-Rated outsole geometry delivers control, traction and speed, while the no-sew upper and internal bootie ensure you’re locked in tight for the ride. I loved this video about the technology behind the shoe.

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Reebok ZQuick Features:
• No-Sew upper with light and flexible NanoWeb PU cast for breathable protection and support
• Low-cut for mobility with lightweight Bootie fit system for comfort
• Inspired by hi-performance tires, Z-Rated technology features a unique outsole geometry for control, traction and speed
• Light, low profile EVA midsole designed with a radical new geometry for outstanding handling.
• Medial and lateral underfoot grooves allow midsoles to flex and expand, increasing ground contact for a smooth, quiet ride
• A sleek new last allows the foot to move naturally, while keeping foot stable on the platform
• CRTek high abrasion rubber in key wear areas for lighter durability

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My review:

I have bought Nike FreeRuns since they first came on the market, but to be honest I never run in them anymore. I first started buying them because of the super flexible sole and comfy no tongue upper, but as the years have gone by and new shoes are debuted, they have become narrower and narrower (ouch) and actually pretty stiff instead of “free.” I pretty much bought those $100 shoes for their fun color combos and looks, and definitely not function. When it came to running shoes, I started wearing Asics and Saucony for more stability and support, but never found anything truly “lightweight.”

I haven’t thought of Reebok for running shoes since they’ve recently been very CrossFit focused (a little intimidating for the non CrossFitters!), but these shoes have completely changed my mind! This is one of the lightest weight shoes I have laid my hands on in a long time. Being so lightweight, I was nervous that they wouldn’t have enough support, but was pleasantly surprised as to how sturdy they felt once I put them on and ran around. My runs are usually from 2-5 miles and the shoes felt really great on my short/moderate distance runs. The top of the heel sat a little high on my ankle which made me a bit nervous that I would get blisters, but I wore my back running socks and the heel actually broke in about 5 runs so it ended up being just dandy! My feet are small but on the wider side, so I was really excited to get the perfect fit in both the length AND width. The upper sole is extremely flexible and comfortable, but the outer NanoWeb weave kept my foot secure and in place. Now for the best part… the traction! It’s actually pretty unbelievable! If you thought that Nike FreeRuns had traction, you are in for a real treat! You can cut sharp corners and turn like it’s no one’s business because of Z-rated tread. I wanted to do a set of suicides because I felt like I could actually complete them in an unnaturally quick time while wearing these shoes. I would the ZQUICKs for anyone who is a mild or moderate milage runner. I don’t think this is the shoe for long distance runs or someone training for a marathon, but it’s excellent for someone who runs between 1-5 miles. I felt zero soreness or pain in my feet or legs the following days which is a huge win. I would the Reebok ZQUICKs for bootcamps and other group fitness classes that require all different types of movement as they are fantastic for cutting and turning! I’m very impressed with the overall design, and quality of this shoe! Way to go Reebok! Now I want the neon pink & yellow pair!

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Where to buy Reebok ZQUICK:
Online: Reebok.com
In Stores: Finish Line

Show Reebok some love:
Website: http://www.reebok.com
Instagram: @reebok
Facebook: facebook.com/ReebokUS
Twitter: @reebok
Pinterest: pinterest.com/reebok

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ASICS GEL-Kayano 21 Review

How To Clean Your Cycling Shoes

Jamba Juice Fit Trends Expo 2014

Mint-Matcha Chia Pudding

Reebok ZQUICK Review