Keep Calm and Hike On

When I get home from work, sometimes the last thing I feel like doing is staying inside to exercise….so I head for the trails. When the weather is just too perfect to pass up, going for a jog or hike on the trails is a great way to enjoy nature and stay fit.

I have recently discovered some beautiful trails in my hometown and take advantage of them any chance I get. You don’t need to search very far from your backyard to find a trail or two. I think you’ll be surprised at the hidden gems you’ll find!

Walking or running outside is an ideal activity; it’s great for both your physical and mental health. Whether you hike up a steep, rocky mountain or walk along a smooth path, you can experience plenty of health benefits from walking or running a few miles a day outside.

Benefits of Walking/Hiking in the Great Outdoors:

Builds strength- Some people don’t think that walking is enough exercise to keep you healthy, but combined with a healthy diet and regular stretching, walking will strengthen your muscles.

Burns calories- By maintaining a moderate pace and exercising on natural inclines/declines, your body will burn more calories!

Boosts your mood- There’s no greater feeling that compares to enjoying the beauty of nature. Something about taking in all of the sights, smells and sounds around you is an instant mood elevator. You’re guaranteed to leave the trails in a better mood!

Calms anger- Walking around outside with no distractions is an easy way to help people calm down and relax.

Escape from technology and distractions- When I go for a run or walk on the trails, I sometimes like to leave my phone in the car. Instead of keeping up with social media, checking emails and listening to music, just look around you and take in nature!

Connect with nature- Getting out of the house and changing up your usual workout routine will allow you to appreciate your surroundings.

Byers Woods in Ashland, Ohio is one of my favorite trails. Especially in the fall!

I’m a sucker for sunsets, and Freer Field in Ashland, Ohio has some awesome trails through the woods and gives you beautiful views like this one!

Ready to find some trails near you? Trail Link is a great site to use that shows you local trails and paths nearest you!

This blog post was contributed by Allie Squires, a PR and Marketing intern at Hedstrom - Ball, Bounce & Sport. She recently graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in Strategic Communications. Her favorite hiking spot is the Grand Canyon and would one day like to hike the Appalachian Trail. 

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Challenge Yourself

I love hearing about others taking their first steps toward a healthier lifestyle, whether it be somebody making their first attempt at doing a pushup, committing to a more wholesome diet, or setting a new goal in their fitness activity of choice. The highlight of my newsfeed the other day was a woman proclaiming that she had started running. She declared that she wasn’t a “runner,” but she set a goal to run her first 5k race in November. She recounted her first run and the struggle she had making it to one mile. She described the timeline of her progress until she reached the day she had finally finished running 1.5 miles. PROGRESS! She was positive and upbeat. Her excitement was contagious. She admitted that she expected challenges but believed that dedication and the people in her life would help her achieve her goal.

I’m thrilled for her. It’s gutsy to try something new when it’s something completely unfamiliar to you.

Perhaps you’ve been there, or you are there now. I know I’ve been at that stage before in my life. The first time a friend asked me to run three miles with her, I laughed in her face. She eventually persuaded me, and I allowed her to convince me to come back and do it again. And again. And again. It eventually became a habit. I was surprised when I found out that I liked it. Although I admit, at first I didn’t like running for the essence of running. I loved the people that it drew together and the community that I became a part of.

People are a powerful force. The woman that has a 5k to defeat in November acknowledged that. People hold her accountable to running. People motivated me to run. What are the people in your life inspiring you to do? Contrary to popular belief, an invitation from somebody to do something doesn’t need an automatic rejection. Lives are busy, but you can say “yes” and rise to the challenge.

So, find your peeps. Bring that fear out in the open and let it breathe. Set a goal. Conquer. The challenge could be anything, and you might already have a good inkling at a challenge that you’ve been putting off. Do it by yourself with your family cheering you on, with a friend, in a group, or with your gym. (If you do a gym challenge, check out  3D XTREME™)! If you need an idea for you and/or somebody else, I might be biased, but I like 5ks and November is going to bring a throng of Turkey Trots that are going to be begging for everybody in the family to join in before trying to squeeze the turkey in the oven on Thanksgiving Day. So, why not find a local 5K and start prepping for it with your grandparents, your siblings, or some other hardy soul? All it takes to start is a commitment to one half-mile increment at a time.


This entry was contributed by Stephanie Berger, a Public Relations and Marketing intern at Hedstrom - Ball, Bounce and Sport. She studies at the University of South Carolina and is addicted to breakfast foods and sunshine. 

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I Conquered a Half Marathon #LikeAGirl

I didn’t realize it until I finished. I scanned the results…and did a double take. Missing a zero? I doubled back and checked again only to see the exact same thing.

Entrants: Female: 150, Male: 1150

I was tempted to ask somebody if I was, indeed, looking at a published list of half marathon finishers. I wasn’t researching income inequality or looking for the number of males and females that entered certain sectors of the workforce, but I wondered whether or not I hadn’t inadvertently stumbled onto something of that nature.

It was my first half marathon, and I was in Istanbul, Turkey. I was shocked to see that the published results were so disproportional. The list didn’t indicate all of the entrants that signed up or dropped out, but, regardless, the discrepancy between the number of male and female finishers was huge. I went home and checked to see what the ratio of male and female finishers in American races looked like and found that such severe discrepancies are less intrinsic in American races.

I was on YouTube the other day. An ad popped up.

Ads + YouTube + Little patience = A Grizzly Bear Personality

My instinctive response to ads is either a) skip the ad if given the option or b) divert my attention to one of the other twelve open tabs on my browser. However, this particular day was no ordinary day. My approach to YouTube and the advertisers took a monumental swerve.

Before I knew it, I had spent a whopping 3 minutes and 18 seconds of my life entranced by a marketing scheme devoted to feminine hygiene products. I congratulate the producers because my attention span is short, and they caught it.


And apparently I am not the only they caught. At the time I viewed it, their #LikeAGirl campaign had more than 250 times the views of the next most viewed video on their channel. The clip with the 2nd most views had been published four months prior. #LikeAGirl had been out for four weeks.

Their campaign made me recall my half marathon in Turkey.

The results explained the sidelong glances I had been receiving during my runs throughout my time in Turkey. During my training runs, my Turkish peers would comment that I ran a lot. I took it in stride; after all, I really had no room to argue. I did take note that the university campus that I frequently ran on had fewer runners on the sidewalks than I would encounter at my home university in the States. The results also explained why, during the race, when bystanders released strings of Turkish phrases ensued with erupting enthusiasm, my limited Turkish recognized the word for, “Woman!” It also explained why, as we ran through the smoggy allure of the Golden Horn, I thought I had caught the eyes of Turkish matriarchs and fish vendors alike stopping to gape.

I don’t mean that women don’t run in Turkey. Because the multitude of running trails and running groups with women in them would prove me wrong. The norms and roles that women and men fill are more dominated by cultural expectations in Turkey than they are in the United States. This isn’t to say that American women and men don’t have cultural norms to abide by. In some regards, Turkey is more progressive than the United States. Turkey is a fraction the age of the United States but nevertheless has had a female ruling leader. Can you go back through American history and pick out a female president? The experience only highlighted that females both in Turkey and the United States have ground to cover and some noise to make.

Girls. I challenge you. Tighten your shoestrings. There is so much you can do #LikeAGirl.

Be the next president.

Run.

Travel.

Take a risk.

The beautiful thing is: risks and rewards often go hand-in-hand. And they are out there for the taking for males and females alike.

This entry was contributed by Stephanie Berger, a Public Relations and Marketing intern at Hedstrom - Ball, Bounce and Sport. She studies at the University of South Carolina and is addicted to breakfast foods and sunshine.

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Jog with a Dog

That moment when you and your jogging/running partner agree to meet at certain time, and then they show up late.

And also that moment when your jogging partner doesn’t even show up at all.

Yeah, those moments aren’t very much fun.

We’ve all been there. Unfortunately, people are sometimes not very reliable.

Of course, we’re human! We love to give people the benefit of the doubt. So what if they show up late? That doesn’t mean it’s going to happen every day.

So what if they don’t even come? I can jog by myself—it’s not a big deal. They were probably busy.

But, most of the time, we decide to have a jogging partner for a variety of reasons:

1. It’s not as much fun to jog by yourself
2. Jogging with a partner makes your allotted distance feel shorter because you talk and talk and talk…and lose track of time
3. You hope that your partner will keep you focused on your goals—you don’t want to let them down, so you will definitely show up

So, when your partner doesn’t show up, you’re kind of bummed. It’s disappointing.

To avoid this, here’s what I suggest: jog with a dog!

If you don’t have a dog, you probably have a local shelter who would love if you volunteered to give the dogs exercise. After all, dogs need exercise as much as you and me.

There are also dogs who have a lot of energy building up and need to let it loose.

If you’re tired of your jogging partner not showing up, here are 10 dog breeds who would love to take your partner’s place:

1. Dalmatian
2. Labrador Retriever
3. Weimaraner
4. Border Collie
5. Siberian Husky
6. Australian Cattle Dog
7. Greyhound
8. Vizsla
9. Bloodhound
10. Brittany

I hope these dogs turn out to be more reliable than your jogging partner!

The blog entry was contributed by Adena Siefert, PR and Marketing Intern at Hedstrom – Ball, Bounce and Sport. She recently graduated from Ashland University with degrees in Sport Communication and Public Relations. She is a proud owner of two rescued Dalmatians.

*Resources: Dog Breed Info, eHow, and Dogtime.

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Race the Train!

Trains, rolling hills, a city by the sea, and… RUNNING! What more could anyone ask for? Fourteen glorious miles of beautiful scenery, encouragement, and competitive drive against a machine. Race the Train is one of the most unique types of running events available to runners and viewers.

Wales is home to the most famous of the Race the Train events, consisting of a 14 mile (and yes, British people use the ‘mile’) trail alongside the train tracks of Talyllyn Railway Station. The runner’s track starts in Tywyn and goes as far as Abergynolwyn. The track itself treks through several homeowner’s backyards, so it is not possible for runners to practice running their track before the race. Rain plays a big factor in the race as well as mud puddles and slippery bits. It is the UK after all. However, regardless of the trials and potential hazards, safety has not been a huge issue as there are several hundreds of people involved both in and outside the race. The race is particularly known for its incredible views, although I can’t help but wonder if runners determined to beat the train take the time to look around!

Although the race originated on the west coast of the United Kingdom in Tywyn, its popularity has spread to other cities worldwide. However, international runners still show up to Tywyn and try to beat the train each year. Race the Train came from humble beginnings. A dentist from the area named Godfrey Worsey created the idea of runners racing a train in 1984, and held the very first race there. That very first race had 48 runners and grew to a have over 1,000 participants in 2013.

Supporters of the runners have an option of riding the train. After watching a video of a newscaster doing a piece on the Race the Train from 2005, I was completely blown away by the idea that one could look out the window of the train and see a person running past it. Supporters must book their tickets far in advance as there are limited spots available. Due to the high popularity, the rail station has a second train to run after the first train. This is great for people who might be supporting slower runners! The train finishes in roughly 2 hours and has several stops along the way that give runners a chance to get ahead. The train has a ten minute stop at the further points of the track, which is where the other runners can start their shorter race against the train.

From here, runners who elected to take the train have an option of running half of the 14 mile track. Race the Train has four shorter races, one even being for toddlers! The record for the fastest runner who beat the train was just over an hour and 18 minutes. That’s an amazing feat. With the runner’s track having the potential to change, there is no way to fully prepare oneself for the exact track to take. Preparing for the run based off of a generalized map, runners from far and wide love this event. This year’s race took place on August 15, 2014. The next race will be held on Saturday August 15, 2015.

For more information on the Race the Train, visit www.racethetrain.com.

Outdoor Activities in Wales - Video Maker

For more information on some of the world’s best outdoor activities in Wales, please visit http://www.visitwales.com/things-to-do/activities.

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