Wear OS by Google + LG Watch W7 Review.

Wear OS by Google + LG Watch W7

Are you thinking about buying a new Smartwatch?? Are you into tracking your fitness?? If the answers to those questions are yes, then I have the perfect watch for you!! Check out the new Google OS LG Watch W7 Smartwatch!

I'm currently using this watch and absolutely love it! AND.....it's on sale for $200 of the regular price at BestBuy.com!

• Showcase style and function with this LG Watch W7 smartwatch.
• Powered by Wear OS, it offers Google Assistant and fitness tracking features, and the premium stainless steel design resists corrosion and scratches, ensuring long-lasting use.






• With a Swiss-made gearbox, this LG Watch W7 smartwatch delivers precise hand movements for accurate time monitoring.

OS by Google Messaging:

• Make every minute matter with smart help and health coaching, from the convenience of your wrist.
• Proactive Help From the Google Assistant: Keeps you ahead of your day with proactive, personalized help from Google Assistant, even before you ask.
• Smarter Health Coaching from Google Fit: Motivates you towards a healthier life with coaching and activity tracking based on guidelines from the American Heart Association & World Health Organization.
• Maximizes Your Time: Get more done and maximize your time with more glanceable, easy to manage notifications, with smart replies to respond quickly on the go.
• Compatible with iPhone/iOS and Android.

LG W7 Messaging:

• For the tech aficionado that is ahead of the curve.
• First Wear OS by Google watch that features mechanical hands and fully functional touchscreen, with a watch-only mode that lets the W7 last for 100 days between charges.

Charging Cradle

Super easy and quick installation. Less than 5 minutes!

Downloading all the apps!

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Thank you to Best Buy and Google for providing the Wear OS by Google + LG Watch W7 to review!
All opinions are my own. I am enjoying tracking my fitness with this smartwatch!
#AD @LGUSAMobile @BestBuy

The Fall lineup is HERE!

Here’s my lineup for the next several weeks!

I’m currently having a hard time keeping it all straight! So many flights, hotels, races, running outfits to be confirmed. :)) 

I love traveling. I love running. And I love all of the experiences that I’m about to go experience. 

I’ve had "Running over the Golden Gate Bridge" on my bucket list since I started running in 2008. I’ve registered for the Rock n’ Roll Las Vegas Half for the past three years and have had to cancel all three years...this year, I’m not cancelling! 

I’m running Magic City Half Marathon for the 8th year in a row!

Talladega 13.1, Chattanooga Four Bridges Half and Big Easy Half are all brand new firsts for me! 

....And Marine Corps Marathon I hear blows all of the other races away in the country no matter how big or small so I’m super excited about that one! 

Then RunDisney. Marathon and Princess weekend. You have my heart. You are my heart. And those who love me the most, know this. I will never leave you!!!!! 

These are my races. These are my 2018 loves. I’ve trained. I’ve healed and prepared. And I’m ready!

Happy Running and see you all real soon!! 

Rough Day. Real Day. #HurryUpTomorrow

Today was a rough day. And on rough days, I tend to lean towards my "happy" place. My "happy" memories. My place where I want to go to escape the real world. I looked through my camera roll and this is the photo that made me smile. :)))

Yesterday was so great for me on so many levels and then....BAM. Reality sets in today. I cried allllllll morning long. I wrote a very long post....and deleted it all. I care ZERO to talk or blog about "me". 

Tomorrow, I will pour myself into work and not even dare think about today.💙

Happy Running and Hope to See Ya Real Soon! 

Gimme That Skull Bling And Can I Get A Roll Tide?!

Happy Happy Happy to take this off of my arm today...16 miles DONE! I was so tired of running the same streets in Birmingham this morning (blah) and I’m more than ready for a change of scenery next weekend in Tupelo, Mississippi!☠️☠️ 

And....me and my running pals plan on watching the first Bama game next Saturday night together before the race! Heck yeah! Football season is finally here!🙌🏼

Happy Running and ROLL TIDE!

I’m Glad that I Gained 15 lbs. #IKindaLikeMyCurves

So I posted this picture on Instagram the other day after I was in the gym talking to some of my best gal pals about gaining/losing weight, confidence, pregnancy weight loss and sexiness as a woman. THAT’s RIGHT. I just said "sexiness as a woman" out loud to my girlfriends. #TwoRedLightTownMomsGoneWild. Lol.

The photo on the left is me after crossing the 2016 Walt Disney World Marathon. I can remember that day vividly. I was under huge amounts of personal stress in my life. I didn’t eat. Hardly ever. I worked out and burned wayyyyyy too many calories everyday/all day. I was constantly stressed about trying to run lots of miles. Bottom line. I. WAS. STRESSED.

The photo on the right. July 4th, 2018. There are lots of folks who still think I possess a lot of the qualities from the above paragraph. That’s probably the furthest thing from MY truth. I appear way different on the outside to a lot of people than the way I really am on the inside. 

I have let so many things go over the last 8 months to be exact. I am in a major life change at home in my personal life. I eat well. I sleep well. I have vivid goals. I will not allow myself to be stressed like the left girl. I’m healthy. I’m strong. And I have a great outlook on life. Girl on the right celebrates Taco Tuesday. EVERY Tuesday.

I won’t let my own insecurities beat me down....

To say that I was overwhelmed by the responses from my Instaphoto is an understatement. I had some nice messages, some blunt messages and some not so good texts. I get it. For me to post that I was 135lb going to 150lb and I’m okay with it, ruffled a few feathers. Hey, I get that. I’m sorry to those whose feathers that I ruffled. That’s my weight and I recognize that lots of women would want to weigh 150lb on a bad day. I appreciate that honesty more than you know. I’ve weighed wayyyyyy more than that in years past so I sincerely sympathize with you there. But I also celebrate you, no matter what number that you weigh. 

On the flip side.....I’ve received messages from women with eating disorders who would love to weigh 135lb and say that I’m being snarky in calling that "too skinny". 

Again, these were my numbers for my frame. I’m not a tiny mite. Never have been. Never will be. 

The above photo was only a reminder to myself and to my two teenage daughters that numbers on a scale are just that. Numbers on a scale. Women are BEAUTIFUL and I want to be a Healthy example to my girls. Nothing more. Nothing less. 

I’m glad that I GAINED a few extra pounds and I want to be strong, healthy and sexy in all of the right ways that a 45 year old mom to three teenagers can be. 

Does this blog post sound vain? I sure hope not...I hope it inspires others to let you know that it’s OKAY to actually GAIN weight. Weight loss is great too. But balancing healthy and strong is just the best :)

But after hundreds of Instagram messages, I’m thinking that I absolutely love you guys for your support and honesty is always the best policy...Strong is sexy on so many levels and I love you all no matter how much you weigh!!!❤️

Oh and job update.... 4th interview is on Tuesday! They have created a job just for me because i didn’t fit the mold for what they were looking for!! And this could be the best ever. :)))

Happy Running and Happy Weight Loss, Weight Gain, Curves and Job Hunt! :)))

When you wear your BucketList on your head...my fall race schedule!🤷🏻‍♀️

When you wear your bucket list on your head.

 

The running nerd in me LOVES to see summer coming to an end but only for one reason. I love love love running in the heat but I love the fact that the fall races are just around the corner.

     I've got a packed schedule this fall and I couldn't be happier. With no expectations other than to cross the finish line upright, I'm feeling pretty good about myself and my training.

     I've got a few races coming up that I've always wanted to run.....and then I have a few coming up that I've ran multiple times before in the past but I just can't see myself NOT ever running them!

On my Fall Race Calendar:

Tupelo Half Marathon, September 3rd--I return to Tupelo, Ms. to run the Tupelo Half Marathon. If you haven't been to this little city in a while, lemme tell you that I had so much fun there last year that I have added this race to my "must do it every year". My gosh, this city has so many quaint restaurants and cute little places to hang out in. Last year, I spent my Saturday night before the race watching the Alabama Football game at a local bar/restaurant and plan to do that again this year! Roll Tide!

With a 5am start time, Tupelo Half Marathon will be a early day....I'll be back home by noon and able to spend the rest of Labor Day Weekend with my fam! 

Marine Corps Marathon--October 28, Washington, D.C. Full Marathon #15, Here I come! I've had my eye on this marathon for a while now. I hear only good things about it and also hear that once I run it once, I'm going to want to run it again and again and again! I can't wait! My girlfriends and I are staying with another friend who just moved to the DC area so we are excited to hang out with her as well as run the race! I love a girls weekend getaway!

So Fi Golden Gate Bridge Half Marathon--November 4, San Francisco, Ca. So this is the BIG one for me. I made a bucket list in 2009 and  "Run over the Golden Gate Bridge" was one of the top things that I typed out on my list. I've been waiting for a long time for this one. And I'm super excited about it. See photo above for the nonsense that I put my fam through while I'm hanging around the house. LOL..

This was the only gift that I received from my family on Christmas Day so I've decided to stay a few days longer while I'm in California. My plans are to run the race and then head to Disneyland! After a few days in Anaheim, I'll be meeting up with my cousin in Scottsdale, Arizona and then heading to Las Vegas for the weekend... leading me to my next race!

Rock n' Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon--November 11, Las Vegas, Nv. I've been registered for this race for the PAST THREE YEARS and have had to back out all three years. So, to say that I'm going to attempt to run it again, I'm pretty postitive that I'm going to give it my best shot this year! Everyone that I know that has ever ran this race says that its the ultimate night race and there's nothing like it in the world! Close down the strip and let's run!!

Big Easy Half Marathon--November 17, New Orleans, La. New Orleans is only a 5 hour drive for me so this will be a super quick trip! Leave the day before the race. Expo, dinner, run the race the next morning and hit the road to home! I will need a good night's sleep for my next race.....The next day!!

Magic City Half Marathon--November 18, Birmingham, Al. This Half Marathon is located in the heart of MY city! Birmingham, Alabama! I'm a Magic City Half Ambassador so I also have a discount code for this race if any of my friends are interested in making the trip to the South to run this race! We start just outside of Regions Park (home of the Birmingham Barons) and we finish ON the Baseball field! Pretty cool venue for a Half Marathon Finish Line!

Use my code KLONG18 to save 10% off your Magic City Half registration.

After Magic City Half, I will try to make it through the holidays, log lots of training miles and then get ready to go see that crazy dwarf again at Walt Disney World!!

I will run my 6th Dopey Challenge  (48.6 miles) in January, 2019 and I cannot wait!! 

Planning ahead is always fun and I'm excited to run with my friends all over the country....Lots of work to do and lots of miles to log. I'm ready!!

Happy Running and Happy Race Planning!

Dopey Challenge Finisher. <3

 

The weekend wrap-up!

What started out as an ordinary weekend for me, quickly took a turn for the better when I decided to work late Friday night and received a surprise text from my husband that my oldest daughter was home for the weekend from college! 

It’s been a full two weeks since she has moved out and I’m feeling a little down. Who am I kidding?!? I’m ALOT down. Lost without her is more like it.

Not sad. Just something in my house has been missing. 

I’ve been filling the void with work. So when I received the photo of my daughter laid back on my couch) while I was at work at 7pm on a Friday night), I knew I was about to have a pretty good weekend. 

Dilemma: I want to spend every waking minute with my kids this weekend but I also want to get my training runs in.

Saturday morning, I head out to meet my girlfriends for a 15 mile run starting at 5am...success. I ran the miles, hung around for a bit, drank coffee and ate breakfast and was still home pretty early. 

Saturday afternoon, Lunch with my whole crew and then i spend the late afternoon cleaning out my garage and lots of my kids’ things that they just don’t need anymore. 

Saturday night....family comes over and then late night trip to the grocery store to stock up my girl as she heads back to her dorm on Sunday! 

Sunday: GREAT DAY. 

I decide to wake up super early, grab a few miles with some friends who invited me on Saturday to come run with them on Sunday morning...

I’m back home by 8am, wake up all my kiddos, cook a big breakfast and then we head off to church! After church, I have to say goodbye again but then I’m quickly off to work. I teach my class and then quickly head off to take care of a few things that just need to be dealt with. ;) 

Bootcamp Sunday night in my driveway and then cook a big ole Sunday night dinner and ready for Monday....

So. WOW. that’s a whole lot of details about my personal life and schedule but the bottom line is that I balanced out my family time with my run/workout times. I ran early (while my kids were asleep) so that I didn’t compromise my time with them....

But basically, I’ve gotten very little sleep this weekend and I crashed for 45 min Sunday late afternoon and that just wasn’t enough. 

I’m headed to bed soon and am really looking forward to a good week at work and logging more miles this week than I did last week! 

I bump my long run up to 16 miles on Saturday....I’m LOVING this hot and very humid weather. The sweat coming out of me is crazy. And I love it.

One last thing...update on my job interview situation! I absolutely LOVED the interview process on Thursday. THANK YOU ALL for sweet messages, texts and posts! I’m not sure what (or if anything) will ever come from the job itself but it was fun to apply! 

Either way, I have a job that I will eagerly wake up tomorrow to go work! That’s a testament to the people that I surround myself with daily. Pretty awesome folks!

HAPPY RUNNING, HAPPY MARATHON TRAINING

And GO LIVE IT!!! :)))

What. A. Week!

To say that I’ve had a stressful and overwhelming couple of weeks would be an understatement! 

Short and sweet:

• Moved my oldest child off to college.
  
• Job interviews this week for full time job. Third interview tomorrow and am crossing my fingers for direction. Not sure that I even want the job but my eyes and ears are Open. I love my job now but I’ve had a few doors open...so I’m peeking in!
• Still dealing with car wreck and insurance garbage. And not having a vehicle for a month has been fun. (Insert eye roll here)
• School started for my other two kiddos.
• Not so exciting news but I did get a new haircut and highlight and am feeling pretty. :)
• And oh yeah...marathon training is still in the back of my brain. Logging a few miles everyday instead of feeling the long run pressures during the week.
• Booked my flights to California today!! Hurry up November!!🙌🏼

#ItIsWhatItIs.  

I’m trying to take it all in stride...but I will say that I’m looking forward to my fall racecations more than anyone will ever know! Life has me stressed. As a 45 yo Mom, I’m coping the best I can. :)))

HAPPY RUNNING AND HAPPY COPING. :))

HP Envy x360 Laptop Review and $100 Discount!

     In my last post, I mentioned how it's been a while since I have picked up my laptop and used it so I decided to do a little research on shopping for a new one. I went to Best Buy with my oldest daughter a few nights ago and shopped around! I found this HP Envy x360 Laptop. 

     A few things made me fall in love with the HP Envy x360 Laptop. The screen flips and instantly becomes a tablet! You can use a stylus on the screen. Thanks to the Windows Ink capabilities and Windows Operating System. I like having the laptop and tablet options in one!!

     Another cool thing that I found regarding this laptop?? STUDENTS CAN SAVE $100!! But you will need to HURRY! Offer ends 7/28/18!

Click here to save on the HP Envy 13" and here to save on the HP Envy 15".

Product Specs: 

 

Windows 10 operating system

Windows 10 brings back the Start Menu from Windows 7 and introduces new features, like the Edge Web browser that lets you markup Web pages on your screen. Learn more ›

 

Built for Windows Ink

Quickly jot down notes and ideas with ease.

 

Full HD touch screen

The 1920 x 1080 resolution boasts impressive color and clarity. Natural finger-touch navigation makes the most of Windows 10. IPS technology for wide viewing angles. Energy-efficient WLED backlight.

 

8GB system memory for advanced multitasking

Substantial high-bandwidth RAM to smoothly run your games and photo- and video-editing applications, as well as multiple programs and browser tabs all at once.

 

360° flip-and-fold design

Offers versatile functionality with laptop, audience, tabletop, presentation and tablet modes.

 

     I've enjoyed shopping around for laptops and thank you to HP and BestBuy for allowing me to feature their product on my blog. This is a sponsored post and all opinions are my own. :) #AD

Let's Try This Blog Thing Again. #Bamagirlruns

Friday the 13th. 

     Long story short. I have taken over a year off from blogging. I've destroyed my car. I'm going through "Mom" changes. But more importantly, I'm THANKFUL for so many recent life lessons. Good, Bad and Painful.

     They say that one thing can change your life. If I wasn't a believer before last Friday the 13th and surviving this car crash...well. I'm a total believer now. ONE. THING. CAN. CHANGE. YOUR. LIFE.

     Fast forward a couple of weeks now and I'm still having a hard time processing it all. To say that I went through a traumatic experience is an understatement. I haven't slept through the night in two weeks. I have flashbacks constantly. I was banged up pretty good but no major injuries. The wreck was deemed my fault and my insurance is a disaster. And as usual, when times are hard, you really realize just who you can count on in life. So....here we go again...Back to my blog!! I like putting all of my random thoughts down and going back and reading them later.

Here a few things that I'm dealing with right now...
Typically, I keep my blog focused on running, fitness, Disney and product review related.  I've been through a whole lot of life changes over the last year. That's also why I haven't' picked up my laptop. I've just been BUSY.  My oldest daughter just graduated from High School and is leaving for college NEXT WEEK!! OMG!!!!! My other two kids are in High School also. I have been working around the clock for the past year to save up some money and pay off some bills!

     With technology the way it is now, does anyone even blog anymore?? Or do they all just post on stories??!

     Well. Again. I don't care what everyone else is doing. I'm going back to what I know. My blog.

     So about the whole one thing can change your life thing again.....Since my car wreck, I have decided to SLOW DOWN and let a few things go in my life that are completely unnecessary and are leading me down a dead end road. Ironically, I was at a standstill when the other guy hit me driving 50+ mph. Go figure.

     I am in the middle of training for Marine Corps Marathon so I will have lots of running posts SOON! As for now, I'm closing this post tonight and heading to sleep early. My brain just needs to shut down and RELAX.

.....and I'm going to try to run a few miles tomorrow. I tried to run last Saturday and I was still just too sore.

I'm excited to be coming back to the "Bamagirlruns" that I was a few years ago! :)))

Happy Healing and Happy Blogging.
xoxo,
Bamagirlruns