A feeling of pure happiness washes over me every time I see the photo above. Then, at some point, that happiness turns to disappointment and shame.

You see, that was probably one of the happiest “regular” days of my life. My husband and I were in Park City, Utah on a little getaway. I was feeling healthy because I had made exercise a priority in my life. I was feeling beautiful… thin, healthy, and in shape. I had a confidence that I hadn’t had in a very long time.

Nick and I went on a 20+ mile hike through the mountains and enjoyed every moment of it. It was an amazing day….

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The post Real Talk: Health and Red Faced Running appeared first on Dine and Dish.

I hope you’ll come on over and check things out. Follow along as we share our adventures in running and getting healthy. Complete the official #RFR5K signup form to let the world know you’ve taken the next step to run, walk, shimmy your way to a new and healthy you! Learn all about the 11 bloggers behind The Red Faced Runners….is there someones story that resonates with you? Join in as we have fun, train, sweat and get red faced together! (PS – you don’t have to be a blogger to be a Red Faced Runner!)

As excited as I am to share the news of our new adventure together, I’m bummed to share that I am going to be sidelined for awhile with a stress fracture in my foot. I can’t explain how frustrating it is to be so motivated to run, have the energy and the drive, and then to suddenly be stuck… sitting on the sidelines watching everyone else. Hopefully I’ll be able to get back to being Red Faced soon enough. In the meantime, please get out there and run for me! I’ll be cheering you right along!

Come get Red Faced with us!

The post Sidelined to Share An Exciting Announcement #RFR5K appeared first on Dine and Dish.

I started training to run a 5K back in mid January. Mid-January I went from being pretty much sedentary, to getting my body moving.

During my training I learned all about pace, heart rate, strengthening your core, etc. I worked hard, lost weight, gained energy and confidence and felt better about myself than I honestly could ever remember. Running made me feel strong, competent and mentally tough. I was happier, more focused, my marriage was strengthened and I became a better mom…all because of running.…

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The post Let’s Run – A 5K Group Readers Challenge (5K Training Tips) appeared first on Dine and Dish.

In 80 days, I’ll be running my first 5K – not walking, but R-U-N-N-I-N-G.

As I’ve mentioned, I’ve officially gotten off my sedentary butt and have taken to going to the gym 4-5 times a week since the new year. I have also been exercising at home on my off days. I’m working with a really awesome running trainer who is teaching me how to work within my heart rate zones to run most effectively. He also kicks my butt with strength training and core exercises, which makes me actually look forward to the running portion of the session!…

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The post The Runner’s Diet {Recipe: Spring Salad with Orange Vinaigrette} appeared first on Dine and Dish.

This giveaway is now closed.

I was recently introduced to the Together Counts initiative – a movement towards encouraging families to eat together and to get moving together. Our family has the eating together down… family mealtime is and has been a priority for us for quite some time. The moving together, however, is something we aren’t consistently great at.

How often, as a parent, do you passively sit and watch as your kids are playing outside? The Together Counts initiative is empowering families to be the force for change by creating active healthy habits for all family members…not just the kids.

Summer is here, and after a long winter hibernation, I can’t wait to pick up our nightly family walks and bicycle rides again. I know that when my kids see Nick and I setting the example for an active lifestyle, they are more likely to adopt that lifestyle for themselves. What better way to encourage a healthy lifestyle than to join together as a family with a commitment to healthy living?

The Together Counts website offers everyone the opportunity to share what they ate together as a family as well as their healthy family activity for the day. Just viewing the website and checking out what other families are doing offers up inspiration for my own family.

Are you ready to get active with your family? The folks at the Together Counts campaign are offering a $100 Sports Authority gift card giveaway to Dine & Dish readers. To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment on this post letting me know what your favorite family activity is.

For additional entries:

• Follow Together Counts on Twitter. Return to this post leaving a comment letting me know you did that.
• Become a fan of Together Counts on Facebook. Return to this post leaving a separate comment letting me know you did that
• Tweet the following: I just entered the $100 Sports Authority Gift Card giveaway from @dineanddish & @TogetherCounts http://su.pr/1VqTGw    –>(Leave a separate comment on this blog post letting me know you did this)

All comments must be received by midnight CST on Friday, May 27^th. Winner will be chosen by Random.org and will be contacted shortly after.

Together Counts has provided the gift card for this giveaway. All opinions are my own.

The post $100 Sports Authority Gift Card Giveaway from Together Counts appeared first on Dine and Dish.