1. Hydrate
When you're SLIGHTLY dehydrated your heart has to work harder to pump blood. Drink up!
2. Stretch
It's super beneficial for you to stretch AFTER you run. Keeping your hamstrings (quads, gluts, and calves) stretched out will help with your future runs. Let's say this becomes a habit and one day you forget to stretch, you will most definitely feel a difference. Talk about being sore!
3. Music
Having a good playlist, especially if you're just getting started, will help with those long distance runs. After a while try running without technology so that you can really feel the distance.
4. Shoes
To help prevent possible injuries make sure to get fitted for a pair of running shoes. Although this might seem tedious and somewhat expensive learning about your shoes and your feet can be very beneficial.
5. Cross-Train
Cross-training has always helped my performance as a runner. At the beginning of my last race I wasn't setting enough time aside to both run and cross-train. I could almost immediately tell how it was affecting my pace, breathing, and body tension.

I just wanted to share my new found love of ROMWE with you guys. Most of y'all know I love finding a good deal, using a coupon or just being able to save anyway I can. ROMWE has an awesome selection of inexpensive clothing that you've got to check out. Scroll down to view my new top that was only $8.99!

Does anyone else feel like learning about supplements is overwhelming? There's just so many options and too many brands to choose from. So when Whole Foods reached out about a collaboration I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to get a handle on all of these supplements.

Prior to this collaboration my vitamin/supplement routine was very basic. For instance I was only taking a multivitamin and an omega 3 because I know I don't eat enough fish. In the beginning of the Summer I started to take vitamin c and experimented with turmeric which I'll explain later.

I went to Whole Foods and spoke with Joe who is a part of their Whole Body team. I asked him where he would direct me if I knew nothing about vitamins and supplements and he suggested starting with the BIG 3. The BIG 3 includes multivitamins, probiotics, and omega 3's. So what are they?! A multivitamin is "A pill that provides essential vitamins and minerals at relatively low levels that the body normally requires." -Dr. Sesso A probiotic is "A substance that stimulates the growth of microorganisms especially those with beneficial properties." And what about omega 3's? "Fats we need that the body doesn't produce." -Joe (Whole foods offers a vegan option, Algae Omega which goes on sale TOMORROW.)

After I wrapped up my meeting with Joe I quickly realized that I wasn't bad off. I honestly thought I would be leaving Whole Foods with an entire bag of supplements. I was only eager to add in a probiotic. When I was scanning the different bottles of probiotics I noticed there was a specific number of strains within each bottle/brand. Joe said that specific strains do specific things, interesting! "Understanding the benefits of various probiotic strains and how they affect digestive health is essential in order to properly evaluate which probiotic supplement is best for you." -Dr. David Williams Click here to review his chart showcasing which strains can best benefit you.

And just for lagniappe I'll explain my turmeric experience incase anyone can relate. (I started taking turmeric because I wasn't sleeping straight through the night.) Garret and I started taking a teaspoon every night that we dissolved in almond milk. After taking it every night for two weeks I started having vivid dreams. They were so vivid that I felt like I was awake the whole time. I didn't think I was actually sleeping and I was waking up feeling fatigued. So I moved my bottle of turmeric behind the spices. After explaining this to Joe we both suggested that I could take it in the morning or solely when I needed a sleep aid. Which brings me to Melatonin. A time released sleep aid. If you're having trouble sleeping there's a rooted problem that needs to be addressed. Taking a sleeping aid EVERY NIGHT is not the solution! However, a supplement can come into play when certain situations call for it. Using supplements as a crutch is a whole different story and maybe even a separate blog post.

Extra lagniappe! Black Elderberry Syrup is a highly concentrated version of vitamin c which also includes antioxidants that helps with inflammation. So since Garrett is into heavy weight lifting he prefers to take black elderberry syrup which can alleviate joint aches and pain.​

Starting today Whole Foods supplements are 25% off through Sunday. If you're looking to FALL back into a routine now is the perfect time to go in and speak with someone on their Whole Body team. I hope this post was able to explain vitamins and supplements in more simple terms as a possible starting point.