Merrell Dash Glove, Merrell.com

Winner – Askele Martin

There are two ways to join the barefoot running movement: throw away your shoes altogether, or find a pair that are pared down enough to approximate the benefits of barefooting while still protecting your toesies – and the rest of your feet – from the hazards of the road.

Since most of us are not daring enough – speaking for myself, to be sure – to throw away our shoes (cue the sighs of relief from the shoes companies), finding the right balance between freedom and protection is a bit of an art.  It is also a very personal choice.

My first pair of barefooters were the granddaddies of the revolution, a pair of Vibram Five Fingers. These days there are many self-proclaimed “barefoot” style running shoes on the market and I’ve been on the search for a pair that allows me to run with my natural barefoot form (landing on the forefoot), but still protects my foot without too much shoe.

Recently, I got a chance to try out the Dash Glove by Merrell.  For running, Merrell has three styles for women, the transitional Bare Access Arc for women just starting barefoot running and wanting to ease into it, the Pace Glove for barefooting off-road and the Dash Glove for road running.

Unlike the Bare Access Arc which looks similar to a traditional running shoe, the Dash Gloves are bold, sleek and minimalist looking, along the lines of a racer.

The Dash Gloves are surprisingly roomy in the forefoot. My toes are very thankful!

Mine are orange, and I love the splash of bright colour below my usual black running skirt / capris.  With ‘zero drop’ between heel and forefoot, the shoe is pancake flat on the outside.  Made from synthetic leather and a mesh upper, the shoes are almost as light and substantive as a ballerina flat.  But thankfully, the difference between ballerina flats and the Dash Glove are many.

One of the first things I noticed was the wide forefoot. The forefoot is very roomy, and allows surprisingly free movement of my toes, which upon reflection, makes sense.  In barefoot running all your toes are needed to work to help balance your body.

I was surprised to find arch support when I slipped them on.  I like that the arch support is not overly aggressive and doesn’t get in the way.  Other features I like are the Vibram® Barefoot sole which  adds both a bit of bruise protection and traction and the DWR-treated upper that repels water and resists staining. There are reflective details for increased visibility for running in the dark and low light, which I appreciate even though I rarely run in the dark.

One of my favorite features can’t be seen, and also can’t be smelled: the integrated microfiber and mesh lining treated with Aegis® antimicrobial solution to help keep runners fresher, longer.  (Yay!)

Before taking them for a run, I did what I do with all shoes and broke them in by wearing them around for a couple of days. The first day I wore them to run errands, and the shoes cried the whole time…they wanted to go out for a real spin. However, they did get a ton of attention and I received many compliments, including two from complete strangers.  A woman I passed outside the drug store stopped me and asked me what brand they were and another woman at the bank pointed them out to her friend.  Orange definitely draws the eye!

Unanimous opinion by a gaggle of moms at our school hot lunch program was an enthusiastic thumbs up.

I then took them out for a brief 20 minute run. I debated about socks and in the end left them off, telling myself I’d turn around at the first sign of irritation.  I can’t let a preventable injury get in the way of my triathlon training!  Thankfully, there was no rubbing at all and I found the Dash Gloves very comfortable.

Its taken a few runs now to get used hitting the ground mid-foot instead of heel first, but it was worth being patient with this unique running style.  I am really enjoying running in my Dash Gloves and will definitely keep them in my running repertoire.  In fact, if I wasn’t training all out for my upcoming half ironman (I’m reluctant to change styles during training at this point), I’d probably run in them full time!  In the meantime, I’ll be taking them out for a spin at least once a week, I love the feeling of being connected to the ground and being able to feel all my muscles working in unison.

If you are just starting to experiment with barefoot running, landing on your forefoot may feel awkward.  I highly recommend both educating yourself  and taking it slow and easy as you transition.  To that end, Merrell has a whole website devoted to supporting us in our new found barefoot freedom. Their site includes a barefoot running reference guide, a barefoot training program and even a running playlist. You can also check out their  barefoot video “Pretty Strong” here.

Wanna win a pair?  Leave a comment telling us why you’d like to try barefoot style running! (sorry, US residents only.)

Busy woman are always looking for nutritious snacks to eat when they are on the go. Unfortunately, many of you end up grabbing high-carb, high-fat and low-protein convenience store snacks, which are terrible nutritional choices.

If you’re one of the many woman simply looking for some high protein alternative nutritious snack ideas, read on: The following 11 high-protein snacks require little preparation and are generally low in both carbohydrates and fat.

• Beef jerky or my favorite Turkey jerky
  Believe it or not, this old classic is actually a healthy choice. On average, one ounce contains about 70 calories and one gram of fat, but delivers 11 grams of protein. However, the brands sold in convenience stores are often high in salt. If you’d like beef jerky to be one of your high-protein snack options, look for healthier versions in health food stores.
• Egg whites
  One egg white has only 15 calories, is fat- and cholesterol-free and contains four grams of protein. Throw two or three in a cup and microwave. (with some peppers and onions if you want to make an omelet) for a quick, nutritious mini-meal.  Or make some Protein Egg Muffin cups for a quick grab and go.  Yum!
• Cottage cheese and fruit
  A half cup of 2% cottage cheese contains on average 16 grams of protein, yet only has 102 calories and two grams of fat (as opposed to other types of cheese, which can be extremely high in fat). If high protein isn’t your ideal goal, then mix it with some fresh fruit for a fast, healthy snack. 
• One-to-two ounces of dry or honey-roasted soy nuts  Soy Nuts are really roasted soy beans, they are not nuts at all. A one ounce serving has four (4) grams of fat of which three (3) grams are unsaturated fats. A serving may contain 120 calories, but it has over 10 grams of protein.
• Protein bars
  Although there are hundreds of varieties on the market, keep in mind that all protein bars are not created equal. Obviously, protein bars should be a high-protein snack, but be careful and avoid bars that are high in carbohydrates and fat. Good choices are Kashi GoLean Crunchy Bars (or roll bars), Kellogg’s Special K Protein Meal Bar, Powerbar Protein Plus.
• Tuna
  Tuna is a great source of protein with approximately 25 grams per can. Plus, one can of tuna in water contains approximately 111 calories and is fat-free. And hey, go easy on the mayonnaise if you’re making a sandwich — it’s full of fat.  I like the flavored tuna that come in tiny tins that don’t need a can opener.
• Shakes
  As with protein bars, many commercial protein shakes and powders can be high in carbohydrates.   2 good choices are Bolthouse Farm Chai Tea Smoothie, Odwalla Super Protein Mango Smoothies.
• Chocolate Soy Milk
• Nuts and Seeds –  such as sunflower or pumpkin seeds, are  a rich protein source, at 6 to 9g of protein per ounce.
  Baby Bel Cheese or another low calorie cheese – this is very high in calcium as well.
• Home-made protein snacks - here is 13 suggestions just for you.

How do you get your protein on the go??

GIVEAWAY TIME!

As promised we are having our weekly giveaway (some exceptions may apply) to learn more about soy products. The giveaway is $50 to your favvorite grocery store. Yipeeee…..FREE groceries!

To enter:

All you have to do is re-tweet this blog post.

Or you can copy and paste this tweet:

@GirlGetStrong How to Get Protein on the Go? – here are 11 healthy suggestions! http://bit.ly/xWDVPl  #SoySimple

Super important to use the #SoySimple hashtag or your entry will not count!

A weekly winner will be chosen from Random.org You have until Jan 15, 2012 (midnight PST) to complete your entry.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Solae. The opinions expressed by me do not necessarily reflect the view of the Solae.

As promised yesterday, we are having a giveaway every Friday (changing to Wednesday after today) (some exceptions may apply) to learn more about soy products. The giveaway is $50 to your favourite grocery store. Who does not need free groceries?   This one will be a scavenger hunt, finding soy snacks in the grocery store.  If you need some suggestions, please refer to  GGS Soy Snacks post.

To enter:

The next time you are at the grocery store, get out your phone/ camera and take pictures of two snacks with soy in them.   Then tweet out what you found.  Your tweet will look something like this:

@girlgetstrong I FOUND A SOY SNACK IN THE GROCERY STORE TWICE! SEE TWITPIC.COM/123abc #SOYSIMPLE

Super important to use the #soysimple hashtag or your entry will not count!

A weekly winner will be chosen from Random.org You have until Dec 4, 2011 (midnight PST) to complete your entry. The winner will choose their top 3 grocery stores and the sponsor will choose the gift card from that list.

You could be next, so get tweeting.  Good luck!

Contest is only open to U.S. residents, 18 years of age and older. One entry, per person, per contest.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Solae. The opinions expressed by me do not necessarily reflect the view of the Solae.

As promised on Tuesday, we are having a giveaway every Friday for the next few months (some exceptions may apply) to learn more about soy products. The giveaway is $50 to your favourite grocery store. Who does not need free groceries? This one is going to be super duper easy to enter. Simply tweet our Tuesday post-Recipe: Tofu Turkey (Tofurkey) for Thanksgiving.

We made it even easier for you with our share button down below the post. Or simply cut and paste this tweet:

Check out how @girlgetstong incorporated soy in her thanksgiving http://bit.ly/rALndh  #soysimple

A weekly winner will be chosen from Random.org You have until Nov. 28, 2011 (midnight PST) to complete your entry. The winner will choose their top 3 grocery stores and the sponsor will choose the gift card from that list.

You could be next so get tweeting. Tweet as often as you like for even more chances of winning. Good luck!

Contest is open to U.S. residents over the age of 18 only.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Solae. The opinions expressed by me do not necessarily reflect the view of the Solae.

As promised on Tuesday, we are having a giveaway every Friday for the next few months (some exceptions may apply) to learn more about soy products. The giveaway is $50 to Sports Authority gift card to keep with this week’s theme ‘Workout Nutrition’.  And really, who does not need new workout gear? 

To enter this weeks giveaway:

Please answer “What do you use to fuel your workout?” in the comments section.

A weekly winner will be chosen from Random.org You have until Nov. 20, 2011 (midnight PST) to complete your entry.

Our winner from last week was:

Contest is open to U.S. residents over the age of 18 only.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Solae. The opinions expressed by me do not necessarily reflect the view of the Solae.