Category Archives: Uncategorized

March 24, 2014 · 6:45 am

Money CAN Buy Happiness: On The Quest Of Finding A Perfect Pair Of Running Shoes For The Spartan Race

As they say, money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy fabulous shoes, and that’s kind of the same thing, right?

Who knew that so many people were wrong all along because all this noise is not about high heals, it’s about RUNNING SHOES!!! Runners will support me, because let’s be fair for a moment, majority of high heels are NOT comfortable and pain does not equal happiness; whereas, comfy running shoes will make you fly. LITERALLY! And isn’t flying happiness?

Source

EXACTLY! I consider my reasoning successful and complete! Haha!

The thing is, however, I am still pretty new to running, and buying new running shoes can be… well… intimidating!

Source

At the moment, I wear Asics Gel-Nimbus 14 and I LOVE them!

Source

The reason why I am looking for a new pair is because I need to find appropriate shoes for the Spartan Race. They have to be light-weight, have built-in drainage ability system and a good grip *if that makes any sense*.

I found some great tips on how to find perfect running shoes at Run Addicts, here are some of them:

Go to the store in the evening: ‘studies have shown feet tend to expand few millimeters up to 2 centimeters by the end of the day’.
Make sure to wear socks you normally run in.
There must be a finger-width space between your great toe and the shoe box and a thumb width at the end of the shoe. ‘You will end up buying shoes that are bigger in size than what you normally wear but that’s perfectly OK.’ However, don’t exceed a finger-width span!
‘NEVER wear a brand new running shoe for a race; make sure you already used them for 100 miles runs at minimum’.

Here is some more.

Source

I also came across this amazing report on the 10 best sneakers for mud runs. It seems like there is a common agreement on Inov-8 Mudclaw 300.

‘The Inov-8 Mudclaw is designed for one thing, and one thing only: to get you out of the mud. With a waterproof membrane, and rows of spiked lugs on the outsole, needless to say, the Mudclaw 300 is the shoe you want for your next mud run.

Best For: Steep Hills and Mud Pits

Technical Advantage: The aggressive Mudclaw sole ensures proper grip in the steepest, muddiest and most extreme conditions.’

Source

Any thoughts or feedback?

My workout today is:

– Super Spartan Run: 4-Mile Trail Tempo Run
– AB 500

Source

How was your weekend? Do you have any tricks when looking for a perfect running shoe? Any experience running a mud race?

xoxo
Olena

22 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as fitness, health, Infographic, Mud Race, running, Running shoes, Spartan Race, weight loss

March 17, 2014 · 6:45 am

Getting Rid Of Love Handles: Because There is Always Place For Love But Not For Handles

Good morning darlings!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Mine was really awesome, here are some pictures for you.

This week I have to really get cracking on my training for the first 13+km race of the Spartan Trifecta this year. I can’t believe that only 9 weeks is left. I am so pumped! Check out this year’s official video.

The topic that I’d love to bring up today is LOVE HANDLES. Why? Because true Spartans don’t have any! That being said, it doesn’t mean that someone with them cannot become a true Spartan. And that’s great news.

Losing weight around the waist area is one of the most challenging tasks for many people out there. Did you know that not only love handles don’t look very appealing, excessive weight around your waist can actually hurt your health?! According to Forbes, “Those individuals who are at their normal weight, but who have concentrated “central” obesity were more than 50% likely to die from all causes compared to those who were obese, according to results of a 14 year study recently presented at the European Society of Cardiology on August 27, 2012.” If you ask me, there is absolutely nothing lovely about it.

Source

First of all, it is important to remember that proper diet plays a big role in getting rid of the excess weight in the mid section. No, you don’t need to starve yourself, but you do need to “avoid sugars, salts and unhealthy fats, and add fresh fruits, vegetables, good fats (like raw seeds or avocado) and lean clean proteins to your diet instead”, according to Kyla Gagnon in her interview with Huffington Post.

Doing planks, burpees and mountain climbers is an excellent way to get started. I personally got really excited when I came across the Spiderman Push Ups.

Source

And the side crunches!

Source

Oh, and this new type of crunch!

Source

Wooooo! I can feel the burn already!!!

My workout today will consist of a 6-mile run, AB 500 workout and a 30 squats for 30 days Spartan Challenge. Let’s make that fat cry!!!

Source

What are your favorite exercises to keep your waist trim?

xoxo
Olena

8 Comments

Filed under Fitness, Health, Uncategorized

Tagged as 30-day challenge, abs, cruches, fitness, German Shepherd, health, Love handles, Muffin top, plank, Spartan Race, weight loss

February 17, 2014 · 6:45 am

Failure To Find A Valentine’s Gift On Time, Fighting Blood Cancer & 45-Minute HIIT & Total Body Toning Tabata Workout

Hi lovelies! I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine’s day and a fantastic weekend! Today, I decided to give you a sneak pic into my life. *I figured, you need to know that I am a normal human being who likes to have fun and what not. Haha!*

On Valentine’s Day, my husband was a total sweetheart and sent these beautiful roses to my work.

And what I loved the most is the balloon that was attached to them!

HOW CUTE! Right?!?!

Anyhow, I was a horrible wife. And I must admit, I failed at coming up with an idea for a gift. Yup, that’s pretty bad considering that it was out first ‘married’ Valentine’s day and I DID NOT get him a gift… Okay, okay, I made these delicious mini cheesecakes at least… on Wednesday!!! Yup, total failure and there is no way around it! *But keep on reading! As you know, there’s always hope when there is desire! Haha!*

On Saturday, we went to the Light the Night fundraiser, a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society event designed to raise funds for a lifesaving blood cancer research.

My family-in-law has two very close friends whose children beat the cancer’s a$$. *If you’re interested, you can always support the cause by sponsoring one *or both* of these teams: Alyssa’s Crew or TOM THE BOMB!*

It was definitely touching to hear the survivors speak about their battle with cancer. I can’t imagine how these children have so much courage and strength to face a decease that doesn’t give a chance at life to many… It was heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time! And the food was delicious!

Also, there was a silent auction. *Please bare with me here, it’s important!* I NEVER thought they were fun, but then… I SAW AN OPPORTUNITY!

You see, my hubby is a BIG soccer fan and he is Italian, and there was a sports memorabilia frame with a glove of Gianluigi Buffon, a great Italian goalkeeper.

That’s where the evening got SUPER STRESSFUL! The room was full of roaming soccer fans, and I…. I DARED to overbid someone else. Of course, I knew that that someone else was going to come back about 5 minutes before the end of the auction, so I had to use a woman’s persuasion. Here is a quick overview of my speech: “Oh hi! Please, tell me you’re not interested in soccer, there is so much of hockey memorabilia!…Can I somehow hide this bidding sheet? Oh, no? Okay… Hey guys, can you please block this table for me?…Are you the guy who bid before me? Oh no! Please, don’t overbid me! PLEAAAAASE! I bid on this for my husband, who is a HUGEEEE fan of Buffon. Please, don’t bid! We’re newlyweds… We just got married last August… And… I… I… I didn’t get him a gift for our FIRST married Valentine’s day.. PLEASE, DO NOT BID, this is my last chance to get it right!”

And, it worked!!! IT WORKED SOMEHOW! I got my hubby a gift, a day later, but I did! *Please, DO NOT leave shopping for gifts till the very last moment. Especially, during your first year of getting married. It’s a bad BAD idea! Haha!*

And here is a picture of our fast growing beauty.

For today’s workout, I decided to switch it up and do this 45-minute HIIT & total body toning Tabata workout. Just because… I FEEL IN LOVE with Tabata!

Have you ever participated in a silent auction? What was your experience? Have you ever had to really beg someone to get what you want?

xoxo
Olena

18 Comments

Filed under Fitness, Health, Puppy Love, Uncategorized

Tagged as Blood Cancer, Body toning, fitness, Funny, Gianluigi Buffon, health, HIIT, Silent Auction, Soccer, Tabata, weight loss

January 28, 2014 · 6:45 am

Why You Should Include Laughter In Your Workout Routine & A Closer Look At Heart Rate And Energy Zones During A Tempo Run

Did you know that laughter is good for your health? Of course, you did! But did you know to what extent? Check this out for yourself.

Source

It seems so easy to include laughter in your daily life; however, according to Psychology Today, ‘The average four-year-old laughs 300 times a day, a 40-year-old, only four.’

I know that it sounds kind of silly, but how can we laugh more often? Here are some ideas:

Surround yourself with people with a great sense of humor
Follow a blog that makes you smile: I personally love *LOVE, LOVE, LOVE* my girl from Perpetual Plot Hole. She is ridiculously funny & I adooooore her sketches! You should definitely check her out ❤
Laugh at the small stuff *WHY NOT?!*
Don’t forget to laugh at yourself when something silly happens
Have friends over more often *Yes, indeed! There is communication BEYOND Facebook! Haha!*
Watch your favorite shows and comedies every now & then

You get the point! The last time I REALLY REALLY laughed *to the point of crying & unintentionally hitting my head on a desk as I was trying not to die* was when I read a review of Haribo Gummy Candy, Sugarless Gummy Bears, 5-pound bag (the very first one called: Just don’t. Unless it’s a gift for someone you hate). Just a quick heads up, don’t, I mean, DON’T, read this review if you are at work right now because you could get fired for an uncontrollable fit of laughter. Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you!

Moving on to the workout planned for today. According to the 12-week plan, it’s a 2 Mile Trail Tempo Run with a total duration of 1 hour:

Warm up 2 miles with a heart rate in zone 2.
Run 2 miles with a heart rate in zone 4.
Cool down 2 miles with heart rate in zone 2.

So when was the last time you laughed until your stomach started hurting? Feel free to share links, let’s spread the happiness and laughter on this wintry day!

xoxo
Olena

32 Comments

Filed under Fitness, Health, Motivation, Uncategorized

Tagged as cardio, fitness, Funny, happiness, health, Laughter, Life, motivation, running, weight loss

December 31, 2013 · 5:01 pm

Happy New Year!

It’s the last day of 2013! What a great year it has been!

I hope you all have great plans for tonight and start off the new year with a big BANG! As for me, my husband and I are going to our friends’ house. As any other girl, I STILL have to decide what to wear tonight! *PANIC MODE* It’s a Mexican-themed party in a snowy cold Montreal, so it should be lots of fun! Ah, decisions, decisions!

I wanted to finish off 2013 with a post highlighting the most memorable moments that I’ll treasure for the rest of my life.

A getaway with our friends to a cottage up north.

Our engagement party.

My baptism.

My little brother’s graduation from McGill University.

My grandmother’s visit to Montreal for the first time.

My sissy’s 16th birthday.

My surprise bridal shower…

and bachelorette!

Our wedding…

and our honeymoon.

And last but not least: our new puppy!

As I mentioned previously, I don’t really like the idea of New Year’s resolutions. However, I’d like to share with you some of my goals for 2014:

Continue working on my photography skills
Go on a vacation to Europe and the Caribbean
Participate in the various races such as Color Me Rad, Tour de l’île de Montréal, Pineapple Fun run, and complete the Spartan Trifecta
Drink more water
Say I love you more and show appreciation to my family and friends
Complete the Obedience course with my puppy Bella
And, start family planning *VERY SLOWLY: just a little clarification to you know who you are HAHA!

What are YOUR goals for 2014?

xoxo
Olena

My Blog is 1 Month Old!

Yesterday, my blog hit its first milestone and is officially 1 month old!

It’s been an incredible month and a great learning experience! I’ve never been a very creative person and definitely not a writer. However, I’ve definitely found out for myself that when there is a will, there is a way. I’m excited for what the future holds!

I also wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for checking up on my blog from time to time! You have no idea what driving force and inspiration you are to me! THANK YOU!

In today’s post, I’d like to do a quick recap of this past month’s posts. I’d love to hear what you guys think and what you’d like to see more of in the comments below!

First of all, if you would like to find out the reason behind me deciding to start blogging and why my blog is called CANDIES & CRUNCHES, you should definitely check it out here & here.

Some of my most popular posts became:

My readers also enjoyed the following workouts and fitness challenges:

’30 burpees for 30 days’ Spartan Challenge

Incline Treadmill Workout

This 7-Minute Workout:

And this Lean Legs Pyramid:

Stretching Exercises to keep your body young and flexible.

Also, this month was definitely a SOUP month because these *warm liquids* make winter so much better, which is perfect for someone like me who HATES cold weather!

Butternut Squash Soup

Zuppa Toscana

French Onion Soup Gratinée

But then, it’s not only about soups! Check out these 2 cool drinks:

Gluhwein a.k.a. perfect winter drink. WORD!

Or this vitamin-charged Banana Mango Kale Smoothie!

Finally, some fun suggestions on how to:

Make your December/winter super special
Enjoy your lazy Friday

And last but not the least, meet our newest family member, our beautiful German Shepherd puppy, Bella!

xoxo
Olena

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as Cook, fitness, health, New Year's resolution, Recipies, Relationships, Soups and Stews, Spartan Race

December 25, 2013 · 11:19 am

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all of you beautiful people out there! Enjoy this day with the ones who are the most dear to your heart!

Just in case you missed it, read on how to tame your appetite this holiday season. But most importantly, enjoy yourself, because it is OKAY to have a treat from time to time!

xoxo
Olena

Lazy Friday

Let me tell you something, I had GRAND plans for today! After getting home from work, I was going to pick up dry cleaning, have an intense workout, and maybe even wrapping Christmas gifts… But the truth is, it’s a blizzard outside and all I want to do is to curl up under the blanket and relax! *BUMMER*

This got me thinking. How often do we actually take time to rest and re-energize, especially during the holiday season? There is so much craziness in the air that it’s soooo easy to get caught up in it. Very often we even forget the true meaning behind Christmas!

Anyhow, I decided to treat myself with a lazy evening a.k.a. a guilt-free-no-working-out-day! BOOM! It’s very important to emphasize on the GUILT FREE part because way too often that’s not the case. However, this time around, it’s going to be super easy! Why? Because we are getting our puppy tomorrow! I’ve been waiting for this moment to happen for at least 5 years now!

Here are some ideas for YOUR lazy Friday night.

What do you think? What are you favorite ways to relax?

xoxo
Olena

1 Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as Christmas, Friday, health, Holidays, Relaxing

December 14, 2013 · 11:47 am

Thank You!

I wanted to say A BIG THANK YOU to all of you out there! When I posted my first blog entry not even 3 weeks ago, I wasn’t sure if anyone would be interested in reading it. And all of a sudden, I’ve got over 1000 views! Thank you very much for your continuous support, thank you for being AWESOME!

Have a great weekend!

xoxo
Olena

Hello World!

Welcome to Candies and Crunches! With the holiday season just around the corner, I thought it would be a great time to begin my own blog. There is so much excitement (and sweets… talk about temptation!) in the air and my mind is buzzing with ideas!

So what do candies have to do with crunches??? Right?!?! Anyone would choose sweets over a set or two of crunches in a heartbeat (unless you’re a health freak, of course)! Let me help you solve the mystery.

I’ve always been very active: I had done rhythmic gymnastics for about 10 years (that’s what upbringing in Ukraine does to you!), then attended spinning classes, aerobics, pilates, yoga, you name it! Therefore, being fit is somewhat embedded in my blood, which could be a blessing or a curse; especially, if you’ve got a sweet tooth like I do (remember, moderation is a key)! That’s how the name of my blog came around. It was a no brainer! Candies and Crunches: where happiness and fitness meet! Welcome to my life!

What should you expect to see on my blog? I’m presently training for the Spartan Trifecta (any other Spartans out there?). Between us girls, I figured if I could do this, I’ll certainly be able to give birth to a baby or two! Haha! But shhhhhhh… It’s going to be our little secret, deal?

Back to the subject… You’ll be able to live with me through some of the challenges that I face, which should be lots of fun, no doubt! But then, I’m obviously a girl! This means that there will be various cooking adventures happening here (trying to please my husband here, hehe!), some DIY projects (don’t we all love pretty things?), and many other exciting bits and pieces of my life. I am thrilled about this journey, and I am hoping that you are too!

xoxo
Olena

4 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as beginning, blog, candies, crunches, first post, food, health, Rhythmic gymnastics, Spartan Race, training