Monthly Archives: November 2017

BibBoards, Innovative bib holders, Running

BibBoards Gets Rid of Pins for Runners, Cyclists, Ironman, & Other Athletes

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Runners, cyclists, ironman, and other athletes fasten your seat belts for the new fastener in town: BibBoards. The innovative company BibBoards has come up with a brilliant and practical solution to getting rid of the dreaded safety pins used to hold the bibs in place during races.

 

After having discovered them through an ad on Instagram, I immediately decided to order the BibBoards with the message Keep Calm and Run on.

BibBoards are an innovative and practical solution to safety pins. So light and easy to use.

 

The small, round four plastic bib holders are quite practical and easy to use. The smooth and flat top part of the fastener needs to be removed and attached to the bottom round part by holding the fabric in between. The light, small plastic bib holders are so comfortable that once they are on, you forget they are there.  Not only will BibBoards eliminate all the unwanted holes on your racing T-shirts and shorts, but they can also work as marketing and advertising.

 

As the founder, broker, and CEO of my real estate company Dynamic Real Estate, I love the fact that I can promote my business to my runner friends and the running community. The second time I ordered BibBoards, I customized them with my company’s name, Dynamic Real Estate. Furthermore, at the clever suggestion of one of the co-founders, my next order will also be customized with the name of my blog www.runningforrealestate.com and a runner’s image.

 

The ability to customize the BibBoards is quite beneficial to business owners, as they will get a lot of exposure for a reasonable amount of money spent. What if the business owner is not a runner, or not connected to the running community? Even better, because using BibBoards gets them an instant like from the running community and helps them establish new business connections.

 

Wearing my BibBoards at the start of the MandaRun half marathon. We ran from Auburn, CA through Penryn, Newcastle, all the way to Loomis. It was a great course and experience. I’m sure racing with my new BibBoards helped me focus on keeping calm and steady throughout the race.

 

On Sunday, Nov. 19th, I used the first set of BibBoards for the first time during my MandaRun half marathon, where I ran my fastest half marathon in 1:41:21 at a 7:45 pace. I loved having my BibBoards on the racing team shirt, even though I lost the top part of one of them I loved having my BibBoards on the racing team shirt, even though I lost the top part of one of them and had to use a safety pin.  During the race, especially the hilly part, I used the message on the BibBoards to stay consistent and run another PR. I enjoyed applying the message of “keep calm and run on,” because it gave me confidence and helped me finish strong.

 

 

I finished third in my age group, so I’m displaying my BibBoards and my two medals. It was a great day!

 

After my first experience with the BibBoards, here are my 10 top reasons to make the switch from safety pins to this new and innovative alternative:

 

  1. Convenience.
  2. Ease of use.
  3. No hassle.
  4. No safety pins to pick up and collect at various races.
  5. No holes, or damage of your favorite clothes, saving you money in the long term.
  6. BibBoards can become an instant ice breaker in conversations with new runner friends.
  7. BibBoards can be your new company’s PR assistants when friends and people you meet ask you about the message on the top of the bib holder. In my case, I get to market my running blog and my real estate company.
  8. BibBoards are an innovative and useful way to hold your racing bibs, whether running, cycling, or doing an Ironman for adults and children.
  9. BibBoards can be inspiring, depending on what message you choose to have on them.
  10. And last, but not least, BibBoards are the best new way to keep your bib in place during the race!

 

While running gives us so much satisfaction on its own, it is sure nice to keep those racing bibs secure and make racing more fun, so go ahead and pick your BibBoards. Be an innovator! Be inspiring! No more holes in your training, or your favorite racing apparel. Let’s become whole with no hole – just the pure joy of being outside running, cycling, doing a triathlon, or an doing an Ironman.

 

For more info on ordering your own BibBoards, please go to their website at www.bibboards.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Healthy eating and stronger running, Long runs, Marathon running, Runing stronger and faster, Running, Running and real estate, Running keeps us younger, The joy of running, Training for your marathon, Uncategorized, vegan running

What the Beets? Why Every Athlete Should Make Beets Part of Their Weekly Menu

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When it comes to endurance events, such a running a marathon, biking a century ride, doing an Ironman, and so on, most athletes reach out to energy drinks and caffeine before the start of their events. But what if we can replace the above-mentioned with beet juice instead and boost athletic performance even more?

 

 

 

Photo Credit: Jaclyn Schmidt

My picture during Urban Cow Half marathon on Oct. 1, 2017, where I had a big PR, finishing in 1:43:56 with a 7:56 pace. I felt amazing during the whole time and the Super Beets powder that I mixed in my water and drank it before the race sure kept me steady and strong.

 

A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology in 2009 found that individuals who drank beet juice experienced up to a 16% increase in endurance compared to those who did not. Also according to Jacqueline Ritz, founder of the Paleo Mama blog, beets fight cancer, lower the risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure, increase endurance in athletes, and they are also an aphrodisiac. Being a high nitrate vegetable, beetroot, the red bulbous part, has become the super food for runners, cyclists, and other athletes. What if you don’t like beets and don’t wish to eat it, but still want to reap some benefits in increasing your endurance? There are many products on the market, such as this powder I buy from Wholefoods.

 

I have used this before races and my running felt effortless. I just mix a scoop with water and take it about an hour before the race, or a long run. Love it!

 

How high nitrate foods enhance our performance:

 

Another thing you can do to benefit from high nitrate vegetables is to eat more spinach, arugula, radishes, celery, lettuce, parsley, and rhubarb. Talking about nitrates, Amby Burfoot, the author of In Beet Juice We Believe published in the Runner’s World, explains how our body processes beets and turns them into a superfood. Burfoot points out that beets get their endurance power from helpful mouth bacteria that convert the nitrate in beets to nitric oxide, which appears to be the miracle substance. Nitric oxide can substantially lower blood pressure and somehow extend endurance. I guess we runners should not need too much more convincing regarding beets, which are good sources of folate, manganese, potassium, vitamin C, and dietary fiber, since we all try to avoid the famous “wall,” when our body rebels and starts hurting.

 

Ways to eat your beets:

 

  1. My favorite one is borscht.

 

 

Best borscht I have ever had made by my awesome friend and best training partner Andrea Brizendine. She added quinoa,  carrots, potatoes, and onions to it. I gobbled it up with whole grain bread and hummus. Delicious! It also makes me run longer and stronger! Isn’t this what we runners want?

 

To try this recipe and cook the same vegan borscht that my friend Andrea shared with me, please go to https://natashaskitchen.com/2013/05/18/easy-superfood-red-borsch/

So easy to make and so healthy! For a quick glance at the ingredients needed to make this,  see below.

 

Ingredients for Superfood Red Borsch – vegan style:

 

12 cups reduced sodium veggie broth
1 medium or 1/2 large onion, peeled and cut in half (ends removed)
3 medium potatoes, sliced
1/4 cup quinoa
3 medium beets, peeled and grated
2 good handfuls of chopped kale leaves
2 bay leaves
3/4 cup sliced carrots
1 Tbsp Mrs. Dash
3 Tbsp ketchup
1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste

 

2. Roasted beets, which I cut up, drizzle with olive oil, wrap them in aluminum foil, and roast them in the oven till they are tender.

 

3. Beet salad, which I used to eat as a child and liked its sweet taste. To make this salad, I cut up the beets and boil them till they are soft and tender. After they cool off, I remove the skin and grate them. I mix them up with a little salt and pepper and drizzle red wine vinegar on top. I keep the beet salad in a glass container in the fridge and eat it with roasted potatoes and other meals that go well together with this salad.

 

Credit recipe goes to my friend Cristina Nagy.

 

How about you? How do you like to eat your beets? Any special recipes you would like to share? No matter how you choose to eat, or drink them, one good thing could happen: you will BEAT your race PR with the mighty BEET!

 

For more info on running and real estate, whether buying or selling, please e-mail me at carmenmicsa@yahoo.com, or call me at 916-342-2446. Running for real estate with joy!