How I Wormed my Way to a Turkey Trot Win + Giveaway

The Original Worm - Rolling Body MassagerI’m just sharing a day from my Thanksgiving – it’s all good and I’m giving thanks and feeling blessed!  The morning started with a run – the Thundercloud Turkey Trot (5 miles) in downtown Austin. Well, let’s back that up, it actually started with a worm – The Original Worm. The Original Worm is a massaging body roller that provides trigger point release to combat stiffness, pain and stress in muscles and joints – I’m hosting a giveaway and one of you will win your very own — so keep reading on!

Forearm Stand Variation - TheFitFork.omSo, why might I need to worm? Ha, have you looked at my Instagram profile! On Tuesday I was at the gym, and after my workout I thought I’d wind down with some yoga – it didn’t go as planned. While up in a forearm stand variation, I was taken down my a writhing, hideous calf cramp –  I was trying not to howl and cry in public and after it passed, it felt like I had pulled the muscle. Plus, my hammies and glutes were still super tight from an 8 x 800m marathon workout two days prior.

Thundercloud Turkey Trot 2015 - Jennifer Fisher

The Original Worm GiveawayThe early bird gets the worm –and I’m not kidding. I’ve been putting my way-too-early mornings to productive use with this therapeutic tool – it’s like cross between a foam roller and tennis balls wrapped up in neoprene (pink or black).  At first I was a little freaked out I wouldn’t be able to run the Turkey Trot on strained calf and tight glute. But, after rolling, whacking and a little wiggling, I was able to get rid of all my kinks before lining up on the start. In the end, the Turkey Trot went pretty well despite some rain and muggy conditions – out of a field of 20,000 participants, I trotted away with 7th overall female and 1st overall Master – and my calf kink is gone.

Of course, The Original Worm is a great recover aid too, and worming after a race or intense workout is a preventative measure for stress out muscles. It comes in a carrying pouch and both sizes are small enough to stick in a gym back, but big enough to get the job done.  Just look at all the things The Original Worm can do!

worm collage

So, if you run, Crossfit, yoga, rock climb, parkour, obstacle course race, play basketball, soccer or football, you definitely need one of these WORMS – it’s like having a massage therapist on hand at all times. Also perfect for travel – I use it for relief on plane flights or when stuck at a standstill in my car during rush hour! Oh, and this company is Austin-based which makes me love it even more!

Enter to win your own Worm via the Rafflecopter app below. Also, check out The Original Worm website to get the specs on the two sizes, colors, care instructions, more uses and such. Enter by Dec. 11, 2015! In the meantime, order a few to give as holiday gifts to your fitness friends!

Also, I have another giveaway going on right now for a $25 Visa Gift Card, check that out too – that one ends December 3, 2015.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday 5: Including Gingerbread, Turkey Trot & Healthy Chocolate

This is what has been going on in my world this week! Hope your Thanksgiving was as blessed and blissful as mine!   

1) Gingerbread Houses: My kids had a school break for the entire Thanksgiving week and they wanted to make a gingerbread house from scratch. OMG. Middle son used his geometry and algebra skills to design the blue prints while I surfed around for “structural gingerbread” recipes. Despite the all the things that could go wrong with measuring, cutting, baking and assembling a gingerbread house, the masterpiece is still standing and deliciously candy bedazzled. I’m winning Christmas already!

Kid's Gingerbread House - TheFitFork.com

Kid’s Gingerbread House – TheFitFork.com

2) Dark Chocolate: Speaking of candy, did you know dark chocolate is a superfood and that makes me super happy. Check out this spotlight I did for CorePower.com on dark chocolate and recipe ideas:

Dark Chocolate is a Superfood - TheFitFork.com

3) Turkey Trot: Had a bunch of pre-feast family fun at Austin’s Thundercloud Turkey Trot!  The hubby and kids joined me to stampede 5 miles through downtown Austin with 21 thousand fellow runners and walkers. Snagged a 1st place in age group, too!

Thundercloud Turkey Trot - TheFitFork.com

5) Beef & Leaf:  Time to NOT talk turkey — my Wilted Winter Greens and Beef Meatball Stew made its print debut in the winter edition of Moxie Magazine (they also have an online version). In my nutrition-focused article, “Kale and Collards and Chard, Oh My!”, I also talk about why all the dark leafy greens proliferating the farmers’ market this time of year are so good for you.

Winter Greens & Meatball Soup recipe in Moxie Magazine - TheFitFork.com

5) Win a Cookbook: I’m excited to be a new-ish member of the Austin Food Blogger Alliance and brush real-life elbows with the savviest online taste buds in town. You can win a copy of this group’s tome of tasty recipes, Austin Food Blogger Alliance Cookbook, a great resource that serves up the uniqueness of Austin with a side dish of varied heritages the – just leave a comment at the History Press for a chance to win.

Austin Food Blogger Alliance Cookbook

If you Turkey Trotted on Thanksgiving, tell me about it! 

If you’re crazy enough to build a gingerbread house from scratch, let me know. I have a great “structural gingerbread” recipe I can share with you — no caved in walls!