Celebrate good times, c’mon … and the week’s bestest finds

Great week, running-wise. So much so, that I want to find a way we can celebrate our wins, big and small. What say you? 

Maybe tweet the week's successes on Fridays. What should we call it? What hashtag should we use? Something like #rungress (running progress)?

I’m thinking along the lines of what Dave Ramsey does on his radio show each Friday, where people who’ve paid off all of their debts call in to yell “I’m debt free!”

Well, think about it and do let me know. In the meantime, here are my most-favorite, bestest finds of the week:

Running inspiration

Who can’t use some before heading out for a run? Here’s a list of 20 inspirational quotes worth a read. 

I even made one of them pretty for you, using my new-wish toy, the Word Swag app.

Cushioned shoes? Wait, what?!

Big news for The New York Times, apparently.

And runners run ... in the snow?

Thanks for pointing it out Washington Post. They even look like they’re having fun and we can’t have that.

Speaking of snow …

Adorable pandas play in it, too!

Lastly, food. Or at least food-like substances.

Shut Up and Run's Beth Risdon reviews the Clif Organic Energy Food: Pizza Margherita flavor. It sounds disgusting, but what does Beth think? Watch her video.

Spoiler alert: She doesn’t have a Puerto Rican accent like she does in my head when I read her blog. 

Have a great weekend!

Did you have any great "wins" this week? What do you use for fuel when you run? Would you try pizza-flavored fuel?

Three handy ways to display your race medals and bibs

Some run for sanity or health. Some run for the cool race T-shirts. And yet others run for the hardware.

Case in point, one of my runner friends just ran a 5K, 10K, half and full marathon in a row just to get an extra medal for completing all of them in four days.

Because I've been injured so many times, I've not run very many races in the past three years. Other than my half marathon this past fall, I've run eight (and walked one) 5Ks or marathon relays.

Even so, it warms my heart to see my race bibs (and a handful of medals) behind my computer station at work.

Anyone who's talked to me for more than five minutes knows that I'm a runner (cue the large Garmin watch and the Road ID bracelet). So it should come as no surprise that I display my race bibs. But is throwing them up on a bulletin board the right way to treat those hard-earned badges of honor?

After significant research (read: time on Pinterest), here are some ideas I'm considering instead.

This is probably my favorite because you can easily keep track of personal records or write your favorite quote. This blogger gives step-by-step directions. Unfortunately, I couldn't find her "about me" information. Oops.

For a ready-made option, this company offers frames to hold your precious.

Source: New Line Cinema

Um, not that precious. 

Source: http://racerusa.com/

Lastly, here's another display worthy of holding your bibs and medals. Especially for those of us who are not remotely crafty. That's what Etsy is for, no?

Source: RunRilla

Spendy? Maybe a little but certainly worth it if it's going to motivate you to get out for a run when you'd rather stay home and eat all the donuts. Plus, where else are you going to spend your money?

Oh, wait. Because remember, chicos and chicas, runners lie.

How do you display your medals and/or bibs? Are you crafty? What's your favorite medal?

McFarland USA? Claro que si

If you want to watch a family friendly, inspirational Disney movie, McFarland USA is it.

Make the lead Kevin Costner, and it's the guacamole to my taco salad (I would have said sour cream, but no one in my familia likes that stuff).

Oh, and there's running!

Costner plays Jim White, a football coach turned cross country coach to seven high school students who work the fields picking vegetables with their parents but who happen to have mad running skills. White and his family end up in the predominantly Latino community in California because there's just nowhere else for him to go after an incident with a student.

I was a little worried that the movie would delve into one too many stereotypes, but I was pleasantly surprised that while it did bring them up, both the boys and the Whites spend a lot of the movie learning about each other. Learning about other people's cultures and respecting them, what a concept!

With my Black Girls RUN! peeps.

White is less than perfect, which makes me like him more. Just good enough to shape up this group of boys into a championship-worthy team.

There is some formulaic fodder -- OK, a LOT of formulaic fodder -- but there's also heart. And a snapshot of what some migrant families have to do to make it in these United States. It's not always pretty.

But back to the running. The boys struggle, as new runners do. But their coach guides them, including some great scenes of football-coach White watching VHS tapes and reading books about running. Did I mention it's 1987?

Some of the landscape and scenery where the boys' races are held is cringe-worthy for runners. Hills. Mountains. More hills and mountains. 

Of course, it also made me want to get on the road. Heck, I wanted to run home from the movie theater.

Not surprisingly, Disney takes some liberties with the story. For a closer look into what really happened, read this old Sports Illustrated story.

Crazy-good, inspirational story both on and off the screen. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and will be reading up on the real coach and his runners.

Go Cougers!

If you've seen the movie, what did you think? If not, what are you waiting for? What's your favorite running movie?

The bestest finds of the week

Without further ado, here are my most favorite finds of the week:

Mark Ronson's Uptown Funk

My music tastes typically run along the lines of Ricky Martin, Pitbull and Daddy Yankee, but I can't get enough of this song.

Source: Sony via Forbes.com

Tell me you can't picture yourself running with a spring in your step while listening to that song. I know, right? Go add it to your playlist. I'll wait.

Frazz

In the interest of full disclosure, I happen to know Jef Mallett from when we were both toiling in the news business and I've been a Frazz fan from the beginning.

But Jef, who is a triathlete himself, nailed this one in particular. Because, you know, we runners can be a little judgy, but still funny.

How-running-changed-me stories

I can't help but stop and read these inspiring stories whenever I run across them online. It's like my very own "driveway moment."

And speaking of inspiring, this woman is 80.

Better living through chemistry

One word: Toradol. Doc gave me a shot of the stuff after the great dog incident of 2015.

Aw, thanks, Joe! I feel better already.

What did you discover this week that made your life better? Have you ever had a "driveway moment"? And what's your favorite cartoon?

The bestest finds of the week

You're busy. I'm busy. We're all busy.

So let me save you some time and compile the bestest things I've come across this week. Here we go...

FOOD

We feed seven people around these parts since my kids' abuelo and abuela live with us. And I have got to have the pickiest family this side of the Mississippi. Don't believe me? Talk to the chef (the aforementioned abuela) who, bless her heart, cooks dinner for us every week day. Every. Weekday.

El husbando and I have put on a few pounds since they moved in with us about seven years ago. But I digress.

Here's my most-favorite recipe site I found this week to get rid of that "runger": www.chef-in-training.com.

Blogger Nikki needs a huge shout-out for sharing super easy and muy bueno recipes. We made some of her recipes already this week, including Philly cheesesteak sloppy joes and slow cooker BBQ drumsticks.

Speaking of food, I found this little gem on PopSugar.com:

Source: Instagram user bgroth92

SHAMELESS PLUG

And because I like to amuse myself, I created this one:

WE'RE NOT ALONE!

Well color me surprised. Got to spend the day with my favorite 8-year-old at Lansing's Potter Park Zoo where I learned I wasn't the only Puerto Rican in the house.

An amphibian that was thought to be extinct -- the Puerto Rican Crested Toad -- is now being repopulated thanks in part to the zoo's efforts. Who'd have thunk?

Source: www.greenretreat.org/

WORTH A FOLLOW

I suspect I'm late to the party, but I'm thoroughly enjoying following @RunHaven on Twitter. Why? Because they feature bloggers like Beth Risdon who describes herself as being proud of "writing things that most people are too embarassed to discuss." She's not kidding.

If you're not easily grossed out, check out her blog -- Shut Up + Run -- while you're at it.

What were your most favorite finds this week? What's your handle on Twitter so I can follow you? I'm @gisgie.