Arctic Ease Review

Shortly after receiving the samples, I had injured my foot. In the dark, I kicked my son's step stool with my 2nd toe. OUCH! It hurt so bad. And why couldn't it have been the big toe? Well the pain spread to TOFP after attempting to run on it. I was sidelined from running for over a month. I tell ya, it was quite convenient to get those samples when I did.

Opening The Package

I actually found it a bit difficult. The perforations did not seem very pronounced. I grabbed a scissor to cut it open.

Appearance

It has a bit of a slimy feeling. It looked like rolled up gauze made from haupia. It was a bit cool to the touch, as it should be. Finding the beginning to unwrap from was not so clear, it looked seamless. I turned and felt for it a few times and finally found a spot. Upon unrolling, both sides looked very similar. But the further you unroll, eventually you see the logo which is not the sticky side. Cut what you need and put the rest back in the resealable bag.

How To Use It
Per the directions, you 1) must make sure the area you want to cover is clean. Placing a piece on the area to be iced does not always work the best. But that depends on what area you need to ice. 2) Wrap it around so it fits nicely and is held together. I took both hands and cupped the area I wrapped. I put pressure and held it there for about 45 seconds. It will still feel loose, but after about 5 minutes or so, it will begin to dry.

How It Felt
It's not freezing cold, but does feel good and provides enough of a chill to get the job done. I kept my foot as still as possible. To move I either hopped on the other foot, or took a few soft steps on my heel. And then it hit me why this was a great product. It allows you to be mobile! I've read it on the website time and time again, but actually experiencing it made a world of difference.

Other times I had to ice, I had to sit and fiddle around with the ice pack until I found the perfect placement for it. In addition to that, I had to wrap the ice pack in a towel to avoid freezing my skin. With Arctic Ease, you just wrap it, put pressure on it and then you're free to move around. 

I am thoroughly impressed and will be telling my friends and family about this product. If you haven't tried it yet, I suggest you should. You can find them in several retailers. Or you can visit their website for more info.

www.ArcticEase.com

If you have tried this product, I'd love to hear about your experience with it. Please comment.

 

Trader Joe's Kettle Corn and Spiced Cider - Me Likey

I do about 95% of my shopping at Trader Joe's. It's the closest health food grocer in my area, and I still drive a good 8 miles each way. But it's worth it to me. I have my staples that I buy there each week, but if you suggest I try something then I'm up for it. Bring it on!

Earlier this week Di over at The Treadmill Diaries mentioned the Trader Joe's Spiced Cider. I've seen it all the time since I always grab their Cranberry Apple juice. And as you read in the comments, I said I'd give it a whirl. Well last week the boys came grocery shopping with me. (it's a rare event as they both grab items and toss them in the cart) Hubby actually picked up the Spiced Cider. Later that night we tried it.

Son: mmmm, this tastes like apples.

Hubby: It's good.

Me: It tastes like apple pie.

And with that said, I think we found a winner. Although it does not have any added sugar, it is quite sweet so I can't drink too much in one sitting. Yes, I'm one of those people that dilute my juice. What?! I love my water and don't require a lot of flavor in my drinks. Well, smoothies are a different story.

As I'm always looking to mix up our snacks, I finally decided to grab a 6 pack of Lite Kettle Corn. Me and my son LOVE kettle corn. Not the best snack, but it tastes super delish. I pack our lunches because it's cheaper and healthier. I opened up a bag for snack today. And let me tell you, this stuff was YUMM-O! It tasted just as good as the bags sold at carnivals. And at about 50 cents a bag, you can't go wrong.

Ding Ding Ding - we have another winner! 

The Barefoot Running Book second edition Book Review

I have wanted to read this book for quite some time, and now there's a second edition. Where have I been? Thanks to Jason, I got the opportunity to read it. I spent my lunch hours at work reading this book. I have a cubical job which does not help with being active during the workday. But reading Jason's book kept me in the running spirits. Yay!

physical aspects of the book
Although the cover of the book is in color, the rest of it is in black and white. I felt that eliminating the use of color in the pictures kept a minimalist tone throughout the book. I believe that minimalism and barefeet definitely go hand in hand.

what I liked about the book
I enjoyed reading about his screw-ups when it came to barefoot running because I think many of us experience them and get disappointed. But it really is a learning experience. Although I did my research, I still pushed myself too hard and ended up with TOFP. There is WAY more to it than just taking your shoes off and going for a run as you normally would. Jason provides a multitude of tips on how to get started right. But the detailed descriptions really helped reveal whether my technique was correct or not. His experiences gave the book a human voice. It definitely was not a scientific article which made the reading enjoyable.

Something else that reminded me that this book was written by a human were the spelling mistakes. OH MY GOSH! Those stuck out like a sore thumb. I would find myself focusing on that misspelled word. I asked myself if this book was even reviewed before being published. Having experience as a software tester and a document reviewer, they caught my eye immediately. After the third misspelling, I did find it humorous and reminded myself that that was just Jason's humor. (which he did mention the book would be full of)

Jason added muscle to this book by including articles from doctors, professors, and other barefoot runners. He definitely bled the social theme of his websites into his book. He doesn't take credit for all of the information, but pulls in resources in addition to his knowledge.

who should read this book
If you want to read about history and a story about barefoot running then you should read Born To Run by Christopher McDougall. I've read it and it is a good read. But if you're ready to begin your journey to becoming a barefoot runner, then get a copy of THIS book. It will provide you with the right steps to running free.