[Welcome to Sunday Funday! I want to start telling you all about fun activities you can do. With spring quickly approaching, there are tons of fun opportunities coming up so if you hear of anything cool, feel free to send it my way!]

Who doesn’t love awesome activities? As we learned from Dale and Brennan of Step Brothers, turning our beds into bunk beds ”would give us so much extra space in our room to do activities.” But you don’t need to build an extraordinarily unsafe bunk bed set to make room for activities when you can do some fabulous things outside. I don’t want to jinx anything, but I feel like it’s kind of safe to say that winter is on a leave of absence this year. Down here in the South the weather has been incredible, and it makes me just want to frolic out in nature.

A lot of people are into runs and marathons, but I need a little more than just running to get me amped about something like that. That’s where The Color Run comes in. A friend sent me the link, and I was totally blown away. It’s a 5k divided into five sections where you wear all white and get pelted with colored powder. You end up tie-dyed, and then you have a massive party with your fellow runners. Sounds amazing right? You better be nodding your head and registering right now. The Color Run is coloring over twenty cities this year, and one of them could be yours! Read More »

I know what you’re thinking: between class, work, boyfriends/girlfriends, and going out, there’s not really any time in your schedule for training to run a 5k or some other race. And hey, you may be right—you know yourself way better than I know you. But if you think you can find a spare 30 minutes on most days and you have a hankering to rid yourself of that muffin top or boost your health in general, read on.

I ran a half marathon a couple of weeks ago. Before you judge and call me a hardcore athlete, consider these facts: I wear Coke-bottle glasses and have the grace of a newborn ostrich. I like to sit inside all day and sip coffee and write articles. The idea of walking across town for take-out tacos makes me seriously doubt whether the walking part is worth the tacos part.

So if I can run a half marathon (13.1 miles), you can definitely run a 5k (3.1 miles).

There are so many great reasons to challenge yourself to a 5k race (or any run, for that matter). Obviously, it’s a great way to get back into shape. It’s also a fantastic way to bond with friends, make new friends, feel accomplished and give back to people who really need it. Lots of 5ks are organized for charity, so you can feel good about your soul and your body if you run one. They also happen to be really fun. For real!

I urge everyone to try a 5k run at least once and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
If you don’t think you have what it takes, you’re wrong. Just follow some basic training tips and you’ll be crossing that finish line in no time. Read More »

Unless you consider yourself “a runner,” (you know who you are) running can kind of suck. A lot. Sometimes it feels great to feel the wind through your hair and know that you left the equivalent of a 5K in the dust, no sweat. Other times, you barely make it to the end of your block before thoughts of turning home to the comfort and safety of your couch and DVR creep into your head.

And then there’s the whole debate over whether running on a treadmill is the same as running outdoors. Some “runners” will swear up and down that running on a treadmill is inferior to running outside, belittling the 3 miles on the treadmill that you just called your workout as not as hard, not as fast, or not as long as the treadmill said.

Well, here’s your chance to put those people in their place. Studies have proven that treadmill running is just as hard (and good for you) as running outside! Yayyyy! For better or worse, the treadmill and the great outdoors will burn your booty just the same when running is the name of the game. Read More »