On the morning of my wedding day, some of my best friends and I got up early and met our old cross country coach for the Market Run. It's a little three mile loop around downtown Roanoke that we always ran the last practice before a race, and it's the run that my friends and I do whenever we meet up at home to run during the holidays, so I couldn't imagine starting the day I got married any other way.

I'm so excited to be working with Mizuno again this year for their launch of the Wave Rider 18. Like I said last year, the Wave Rider was always a popular shoe among my high school cross country team. We were best friends (still are) and we did everything together--with matching shirts and hair ribbons and shoes for everything. I'm pretty good at turning everything into an overly-sentimental memory, but there's just nothing like a new pair of running shoes.

The Mizuno Wave Rider 18 is sleek and light with just enough support. It's a neutral shoe that's perfectly balanced, which makes it a great for daily running. And the black and turquoise color combination that I got is just super cool-looking.

November is going to be a big running month for me, so I'm really excited about starting it off on the right foot (and with the right shoes)!

This post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC. As always, I thank you for your support as I continue to work with brands like Mizuno.

I love sitting down to a big, hot breakfast of eggs and bacon, but on hectic mornings during the week, I much prefer a quick smoothie. I use a variety of frozen fruit and always include some spinach, a banana, and a spoonful of coconut oil.

The other day I read a brochure sent to me by Canada Maple Syrup that included a smoothie recipe similar to the one I use every day, but with a bit of pure maple syrup. Intriguing! As you may know, Canadian maple syrup is 100% natural and a great (Paleo-friendly!) alternative to sugar. I had never thought about it before, but since Canadian maple syrup is a pure and all natural source of carbohydrates, it would make a great addition to your next post-workout snack. I gave their recipe a try, subbing a few ingredients to make my recipe Paleo. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 large banana
• 1/4 cup Canadian maple syrup
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• several handfuls of fresh spinach

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender (I usually do the banana and spinach before anything frozen goes in).
2. Blend (I use the puree setting on my blender) until all ingredients are well-incorporated. Pour into glasses and enjoy!

This post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC.

While Rob and I were in Roanoke last weekend, my friend Erin came over for an afternoon of Halloween crafts and wine! She and I went to college together and have barely had a chance to catch up since she moved back to the United States from Wales this past year, so it was really nice hanging out with her. 

With Halloween right around the corner, I wanted to do something easy and fun with pumpkins that didn't involve carving them, so I set us up with some glue, glitter, spray paint, and jewels. I don't usually make time for any crafty projects, and every time I do, I'm always amazed by how fun it can be to get creative and try something new. It really does make for a terrific friend date, so grab a girlfriend this weekend, pour a couple glasses of wine, and glitter yourself a little pumpkin!

The only downside to this method of decorating pumpkins is that you don't get to roast the seeds after you're done! But it was really fast and super easy to clean up, so I think it's perfect for a last-minute Halloween idea. I'm sharing detailed steps and instructions today on The La Crema Blog, so head over there next to make your own!

This post is brought to you in partnership with La Crema.

Photos by Sarah Gatrell of Photo + Love.