More Than Pink

 This post is sponsored by the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® and Fit Approach. All opinions are my own.

I’m on of those types of people where when someone says, “hey, let’s go do this” I usually say yes. So when the opportunity arose for me to participate in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® I immediately said yes – for a couple of reasons:
1. This event is very close to my heart – my grandma had breast cancer and my aunt passed away from breast cancer.
2. I love the idea of spending time with people who are all participating for one specific cause – in this case ending breast cancer forever.  

So what’s the scoop?
Susan G. Komen 3-Day® is a 60-mile (yes 60 MILE) walk, that takes place over three days. I will be participating in the Michigan event August 4-6. Each day I will be walking an average of 20 miles and coming back to camp in a PINK tent (serious it doesn’t get cuter than that!). Over the past 14 years and 156 events more than $820 million has been raised which is absolutely AMAZING, and honestly I am so proud to be participating in this event. If you would like to participate with me CLICK HERE.  Use discount code "ERICA10" for $10 off registration!

The amount of support they give you is absolutely amazing. You will get plenty of online resources, a personal 3-Day coach, and the resources to find other walkers near you to train with.

 

Playlist:
I am trying to stick with a playlist of 134-140bpm (beats per minute) as that’s recommended for me keeping the walking pace that works for me. It’s a little faster pace, however I am a faster walker and it’s the pace that keeps me motivated. On Spotify you can actually go walking and it will pick up your pace and pick out songs that are the bpm that you need. I also looked up music on YouTube by bpm. My playlist is a mix of old and new from country to rap.
Here is a peak at five songs from my playlist:

One Republic – All the Right Moves
Blur– Song 2
My Chemical Romance – Take Me Out
Pussycat Dolls – Don’t Cha
Dylan Scott – Lay it on Me

 

Training:
I will be completely honest; reading that it is a 60-MILE walk was a bit overwhelming. I mean 20-miles in a day sounds like a painful amount. I workout, hike, bike and even run sand dunes and even this amount of walking sounded too much for me. I mentioned something to one of my friends that I had the opportunity to participate in the 3-Day, but was concerned about the amount of mileage it would be, and his response was “I do 20-miles a day at work, you’re active you’ll be fine.” That right there helped get me into the right mindset to do this walk. Also, what’s really nice is I have been going for extended bike rides with him to get myself in shape and prepared for the walk.

Tips:
1. Find your coaches on Facebook and love them. They’re going to be who encourages you and gives you the help and support that you need to get through the 3-Days.
2. Go to the training walks near you. I will be doing an 18-mile walk with locals this Saturday, and I am so excited to meet fellow walkers.

3. Start off with easier walks and work your way to harder ones. Make sure you include walking on a variety of different terrains, since you never know what you will run into.

4. STAY HYDRATED!! Drink drink drink

5. I was told most people average 3 miles per hour. At that rate you’ll be walking for about 7ish hours. That’s a slower pace that anyone can do if you set your mind to it. 

 
Current training from last week:
I walk and do a lot of cross training. The cross training really helps increase muscle strength and endurance, which will be key for me during this walk. I will be posting periodically on my personal Instagram account erica.terry. You can also stay up to date with me everyday with the workouts I’m doing and my eating on petitefitnessista 

Monday
AM: 3 mile run/jog
PM: cycle class (22 miles)

Tuesday
AM: Barre + Abs + Arms
PM: Strength workout

Wednesday
AM: hour walk
PM: cycle class (15 miles)

Thursday
AM: strength workout + abs
PM: two hour hike

Friday
AM: 30 minute walk + abs
PM: three hours standup paddleboarding

Saturday
AM: 12 mile bike ride
PM: 20 mile walk (took me about 5 hours)

Sunday
AM: Yoga
PM: two hour bike ride

 

Now let’s talk about style, you know you want to be looking good and rocking some comfortable and cute clothing for the event. So you definitely want to check out the store to find some fabulous items for the event.

Here are some of my favorites:

Personal Mister: this bad boy will probably be a life saver especially since my event is in the middle of summer and it’s probably going to be ridiculous hot.

Hat: Let’s be real by Sunday I am not going to be looking my best, therefore I will be rocking this hat and a messy braid.
Drawstring backpack: Ideal for carrying items while you’re out walking, I’m planning on putting extra shoes, socks, first-aid kit and water in mine.
Tank Top will be great for keeping cool during the hottest hours of the day
Lounge Pants great for hanging out around camp
Duffle Bag ideal solution for keeping all your essentials in one convenient location.
Softshell Jacket because well it’s adorable!

Andiamo - Detroit Riverfront

                                         The GMRENCEN and Andiamo partnered with me for this experience. All opinions expressed in this piece are my own.

I have been to Andiamo before (when it was in downtown Rochester - before it became ROJO), and absolutely loved the food and the experience, however nothing compares to dining on the Detroit Riverfront. If you visit Andiamo on the Detroit Riverfront I highly recommend dining outside, make your experience better by dining during one of the Rockin' on the Riverfront events for the sight and sound. Now let's talk about the food, I ordered the Cedar Plank Salmon which is char-broiled and features red lentils, asparagus and herbs of summer squash + zucchini and spring pea tendrils - can I just tell you this was hands down the BEST salmon I have ever had period end of story. Now I am trying to avoid sugar, however my waitress said "we have a s'more dessert" after I said no to dessert, so of course I couldn't resist - definitely a must try for all my s'more lovers out there! Definitely going to be heading back before summer ends.

Sweet Summertime

One thing Michigan is known for is cherries. Traverse City even has a Cherry Festival around the Fourth of July each year. Roadside stands can be found on nearly every country corner. I am usually against buying cherries in a grocery store because delicious ones are readily available. That being said, I recently tried Skylar Rae cherries and let me tell you not only are they the sweetest cherries I have EVER tasted, but the BEST. Forget Rainer – Skylar Rae is where its at. I have now bought them from Meijer FIVE times, and they’re a must have at the beach, road trips work, after the gym and pretty much everywhere else you can think of. I’m going to be so bummed when Meijer isn’t carrying them anymore.