Energy Gels vs. 5 Hour Energy

After weeks of training and getting your fill of carbohydrates, you’ve found yourself at the starting line of a race. You’ve gone about your pre-race routine as according to plan, but what about a pre-race energy boost?

A shared concern amongst runners is concerned with the best way to get some energy for the beginning of a race, after the adrenaline wears and before you’ve gained a natural running rhythm. Two of the most common energy boosts for runners have been energy gels or goos, or quick doses of liquid energy shots such as 5 Hour Energy. While both are very common, there are many running experts and dieticians that are discouraging liquid supplements and pushing runners towards gels. Take a look at the quick facts below, and remember to consume your preferred boost about an hour before the start.

1. 5 Hour Energy Critique
• With high levels of caffeine, this supplement is best for people who regularly consume caffeine (Run Smart Project)
• Because it’s intended for regular day use, the kick start only lasts about 5 minutes during race time (Endurance and Sustainability)
• Too few calories (4 calories) for a runner to burn into energy
• Serves as a good motivator to go for a run, but not for enhanced performance
2. Energy Gels Critique
•  With high caloric intake, gels help you avoid the lethargic and tired feeling during a long run
• Replenish glycogen and calories burned during a run
• Won’t make your muscles feel less fatigued or sore
• Take long to digest and get into the bloodstream, where they replenish calories and glycogen, so always take with water. (Running Competitor)

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Running into the Fall Season

Better than your mere commute to work or school, setting out on your own two feet during this time of year exposes you to the most scenic of seasonal transitions. While running atop yellowed leaves and rain dampened concrete can encourage you to run further and discover more, there are some precautions to take into consideration.

Firstly, autumn days can be rainy days. Before departing for your run, plan a route for yourself with higher ground or sidewalks so as to avoid soggy socks. According to Active.com, a website centered of wellness and fitness, another area of potential problems lies with early sunsets. In order to avoid doing your workout under the dim, city street lamps, commit to a time during the day where you can get your mileage in. This will also benefit your training routine, giving your body consistent periods of rest and cardio from day to day.  

The after-math of a summer run can often resemble a crime scene. What with articles of clothing strewn across the concrete where you lay panting and squinting into the sun, the outline of sweat surrounds you like the chalk outline defining what would be your lifeless body if it weren’t for your frantically beating heart in your chest.

Thus, the cooler conditions brought forth by the fall season give runners more incentive to lace up their shoes for a run and spend less time with their head in the freezer afterwards.

Go out and run further than the summer sun allowed in month’s prior. Follow trails illuminated with the colors of your neighborhood trees. Find rhythm in the in-and-out breaths you take of crisp, cool air because that’s the only constancy you have in these ever-changing seasons. 

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Stoplight Stop-n-Go

Although autumn is known for making your favorite trail runs a muddy mess with the rain and snow, there’s one less reason to shake your fist at Mother Nature as you transition from trails to concrete this year. Jogging in place is proving to be a health benefit for more than the average housewife during Oprah. Whilst waiting at stoplights, running in place is sure to shield your muscles from tightening in the cool weather that lies ahead.

Now, you can do more than your typical calf stretch against a stop sign while waiting for traffic to pass. According to an article published on LiveStrong.com, jogging in place will help maintain a working heart rate and allow for a mid-workout stretch. Not only can you avoid tension in your Achilles tendon and in your calves from the stop-and-go nature of running through city streets, but you will continue to shed calories while waiting your turn at the crosswalk.

You’re not alone if you’re resistant to begin a running routine for the chillier months. So combat Mother Nature’s winter coat by jogging in place at stoplights, and save the treadmill for the severely snowy days.

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Hibernation

Much like any woodland creature, I'm swearing myself into [blogger's] hibernation this winter season. My cheeks are full of textbooks, deadlines, and ramen noodles with my university coursework and try as I might, I'm not able to keep up with A Furled Brow as much as I'd like. 

Instead, I'll be keeping a sister blog, A Sweaty Brow, throughout the winter season. Focused on a runner's mindset - breathe in, breathe out, what should I eat after this run?- A Sweaty Brow will solve running myths and review the latest trends so you can stay ahead of the pack in your training endeavors. 

Cheers and happy trails.

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A New West Fest Test(ament)

Nine years ago, many of us had music tastes that gathered around teen-angst and auto tune, if we had music taste at all. Nine years ago also marks the time when The Bohemian Foundation became the title sponsor for the renowned arts festival in Fort Collins, New West Fest.

With eight stages dispersed through historic Old Town, The Bohemian Foundation added a dimension to the weekend-long festival that draws the best of bands and loads of listeners year after year. The headliners on Mountain Stage for the 2013 festival included The Samples, Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite, and Leon Russel. Drawing in the crowd as headliners seemed an easy task for the previously listed groups. It must be said, though, that there was an equal amount of head bobbing in the crowds during the daylight performances.

Like many festivals, people wandered Old Town with powder sugar mustaches from already eaten funnel cakes. Where New West Fest differed greatly as a music festival was in the varied niches of music lovers lured in by the bands. Two bands that stood in front of very different crowds on stage were Rachel and The Kings, and The Haunted Windchimes. The first was fit for their main stage presence with Rachel’s indie voice and the softer percussion. Some of their most applauded sets were covers, like their jazzier rendition of Florence + the Machine’s “No Light, No Light”. The Haunted Windchimes, on the other hand, had a following of fans who donned overalls and wicker hats. A tribute to the best of backyard bands, this group urges you to sing along to their complex rhythm and simple lyrics.

Whether you came as a wanderer, a member of the press, a music patron, or a lover of greasy foods, the atmosphere was vibrant—a vibrancy that puts Northern Colorado talent as well as the fun-loving Fort Collins, on the map. 

A peek inside of the Artist's tent

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Greater Getaways: Lake Powell

If you’ve wandered so far that your only neighbors are desert sand and the ever-present sun overhead, most cautionary tales would urge you to turn back the way you came. There’s an exception to this rule—perhaps several exceptions—but the journey I’m thinking of leads you to the desert oasis called Lake Powell.

Making the trip to Lake Powell is barren. Yet, if you push on past the heat that makes the distant road look like liquid, you’ll find a body of water kept together by the rough, red sandstone of southeastern Utah and northeastern Arizona. John Wesley Powell first discovered the area 144 years ago, and the once meek Colorado River was soon after a mighty Lake Powell.

A bathtub fit for the Gods, this getaway is to be enjoyed with warm weather and a carefree approach. Though Lake Powell is widely known as the best body of water for your boating pleasure, there are some well-kept historic secrets to be uncovered as well. Just a few miles south of the Utah border in Page, Az., the Glen Canyon Dam stands out as the only wall not made of sandstone. The manmade, concrete wall is responsible for the summer sanctuary where people near and far go to enter a world where the sun tells the time and your most prized commodities are blocks of ice.

Further north, in Forgotten Canyon, you can beach your boat at the water’s end near Defiance House. A 20-minute hike through brush and beach, will lead you to these ruins, which date back nearly 700 years.

If someone asked me to describe Lake Powell I’d say that it trumps your tired vacation spot because it’s vast, quiet and unpopulated by waves of tourists. But if someone asked me why I go to Lake Powell I’d tell them it’s because my favorite songs sound better echoing through sandstone walls, because my thoughts have newfound clarity in these canyons, and because I’ve never taken a photograph that gives Lake Powell justice like my own memories do.

Leisure here once, and you’ll make that daring desert drive for many summers to come. 

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Jayme Dee's Broken Record Review

After making you fall in love with your favorite songs all over again for six years on YouTube, Jayme Dee has fled the Internet screen and released her first EP album. This snippet of original music, entitled Broken Record, provides this bubbly artist’s already growing fan base with proof that she can step out from behind her guitar and acoustic covers in order to write contagious lyrics of her own.

Broken Record was released on July 30 and the musical variety serves as the polka dot kiss from the hipster artist herself. For nearly a dollar per song, this sneak-peak to her expected album can add to your summer playlist for $6.84 on iTunes.

A summer album, indeed, Jayme Dee’s premiere EP features songs like, “Broken Record”, which sounds eerily like an orange, setting sun or a drippy, orange Creamsicle—it’s hard to tell which. And don’t try denying that the track “Tip Toes” doesn’t sound like the daughter of a soulful Zooey Deschanel and the ever-smooth Justin Timberlake.

Praised for her blues-like voice and vocal range that knows no bounds, Jayme Dee’s YouTube channel has over 19 billion views. Making viewers forget that blues has been out of the lime light for a number of decades was easy for her in covers such as, Britney Spears', “Toxic” and Foster the People’s, “Pumped Up Kicks”.

There is no avoiding that the six upbeat songs that comprise this EP album stray from the stripped down music Jayme Dee first dropped our jaws with. Despite having to face some harsh criticism from fans who prefer Jayme to be flirting with listeners equipped only with a song and guitar strings, she stands firm in her new, jazzy artistry. “It’s been a long journey,” Jayme Dee tweeted after the release, “…we had so much fun making these records in the studio.”

Be it from our computer or from our radio, this bubblegum blonde from southern California has a common look and a not-so-common sound. For music patrons, Jayme Dee is different. And not fitting the mold is more than enough reason for audiences to hit ‘play’ on any medium.

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Also, here is one of the most viewed videos on Jayme Dee's channels...
just because.

Everything you didn't expect to love this July

If you’re a teenage girl with a Twitter account, you’ve probably beaten me to the following announcement: July is coming to a close. In the last month, the world met some royal and some not-so-royal infants—Amanda Bynes included. Many people also ditched their knock-off Ray Ban Wayfarer sunglasses for a newer trend. Whatever it may be, a lot has taken place in July and some of the things you enjoyed most about July probably took you by surprise.

 

Media

Now, in media, there’s this term known as ‘guilty pleasure’. If that term wasn’t rubbish before, than it certainly is after July 2013. In print, television, and music, media consumers of every taste have been served content that is just too damn good to be ashamed of. First up, like a love struck Ron Weasley, we all stared as W Magazine placed their June/July issue on stands donning a much more matured version of Hermoine Granger actress, Emma Watson. Elegant and regal on the cover, Watson portrays herself not only capable of being a partner in mystical adventures, but also as a partner in our daydream love affairs. In her feature, the 23-year-old English student of Brown University talks on transforming her acting career into adulthood sans wand.

In the television world, on a channel of our acened adolescence, MTV began airing Rivals II. Featuring grudge-bearing duos from Real World seasons past, Rivals II stands as a reminder of the reality television that first brought our gawky teenage souls the utmost happiness. Maternity leave for Snooki could not have come at a better time. Reality TV looks much better on these seasoned Real World-ers competing every Wednesday night through obstacles and hormones in the tropics of Thailand for a share of $350,000.

Of the many tales you’ve heard after your friends’ 21^st birthday parties, nothing can quite compare to that of Selena Gomez. The Disney-born star rang in her 21^st birthday by debuting her first solo pop album. An album infused with bass and fast-paced rhythm, Gomez now faces nightlife with her proper ID as well as her own soundtrack to play at the club. After coming into acceptance that it isn’t Rihanna’s accented voice coming through the speakers to this edgy and raspy album, you may have momentarily tuned out. Yet, more and more music patrons are joining the 'Selentourage' after hearing the praised tracks such as, “Birthday”, and “Slow Down”.

News

Ignited were the newsrooms this July. So much so, that our news stations made non-American events, American. Early in the month, we watched as Vice President Joe Biden scrubbed clean his already undamaged reputation. Biden’s agenda last month included meeting India’s prime minister and speaking on furthering gender equality in a modern state. What caught our attention, though, was the alter ego of Joe Biden’s. An alter ego that we can deem as the over-achiever with the Oval Office in mind for 2016. His preferred pieces of decor include portraits of Jefferson and Adams, both of whom were Vice Presidents before becoming President. Is it endearing or is it embarrassing? Could he be compared to the teacher’s pet or deemed “Most Likely to Succeed”? No one can say certainly, but he has our attention in any case.

Rivaling the political scandals and social justice travesty in America was an unnamed child with an instant net worth much more than his bald head will ever understand. George Alexander Louis, the royal baby, solicited a welcoming crowd of thousands of people and reporters alike. Like a secret society, Buckingham Palace holds the public’s attention without so much as a sneeze from the guards. Reporter Catherine Mayer of Time Magazine in London offers that the royal family will always cause a stir amongst nations because of the mystery they hold. Months from now, the gawking will ensue as we refresh our Twitter feeds to find out if Prince George is a fussy sleeper, or if his first set of teeth comes in on time.

Style

With the majority of summer behind us, two super brands are switching things up to test how passive summer has made you. No stranger to your credit cards, Nike and Ray Ban have taken their most sought after products and made them all the more desirable. Known for athletic gear to help you rival any lift, run or match, Nike presents Flyknits athletic footwear. Born from the idea of acting as a “second skin”, the Flyknit trainer comes as the newest craze for runners and cross trainers seeking support (arch, ankle, etc.). If your pair of Nike Frees aren’t already deep in your closet, go for a sweat in the Flyknit. After all, it’s a lot less intimidating and much cheaper than a personal trainer.

Quite opposite from footwear, Ray Bans has long been trusted to fit the most stylish of sunglasses upon our suntanned noses. Similar to the aviator phase that stuck around long past its welcome, the classic Wayfarer style from Ray Ban is finally on its way out. A round sunglass lens, for men and for women, is taking over for the Wayfarer as of last month. Hot off the conveyor belt, Ray Ban’s Clubmaster sunglass is the perfect example of this new eyewear trend. With a wide frame on top and smaller, rounded lenses, this look is the perfect middleground between kiddie glasses and the safety goggles look that your parents might take part in. Without looking like a Willy Wonka, the round lens exudes a youthful, in-the-now appearance.

No matter if you’ve taken in your fair share of vitamin D or your fair share of Emergen-C to cure that hangover after a night out, summer has made you unaware. And if the past month’s happenings didn’t shake you awake from your summer slumber, perhaps a little shade and water will do well for you. 

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Widenening your Instagram-mar

 

No filter is no fun. Centered on exploiting your Friday nights, your guilty pleasures, successful or attempted adventures, etc. in the form of photo and video, the smart phone application called Instagram has been deemed a social media superhero for the last two years.

For users of the ever popular Instagram, the hash tag “nofilter” is synonymous with the white flag of surrender. With 19 photo filters and 13 video filters to choose from, this smartphone app is comparable to an electronic form of Photography for Dummies. By now, we’ve all found safety in our favorite filters. As hard as it is to admit, there are some objects and some faces that just aren’t complimented with an Amaro or Valencia filter.

 

Approach photography at a new angle, and check out these four applications to better your Instagram photos—to widen your Instagrammar.

Camera+

The iPhone is a gadget unlike those of our past (I’m talking to you, you once glamorous GameBoy Color). From your iPhone you can manage nearly every daily task, have Siri pick up your groceries, or even use the iPhone as a door stop. Yet the phone is equipped with a camera that might as well be an elderly man’s shaky monocle. Camera+ as an app, reduces the blurriness and enhances color detection in your photos for a truer, more appealing photo.

 

Aside from acting as a more stable camera, this app offers simple and complex edits. Some of the more elementary editing capabilities include tampering with exposure to make a photo lighter or darker. Perhaps you’re looking to crop the tip of your finger or that relentless photo-bomber who snuck into the photo. Camera+ can handle it, and even do you one better by adding a border to your photo, too, if you’d like.

 

Past the basics, there are a variety of effects to discover in Camera+. At first glance, you might think that these effects are merely Instagram filter knock-offs. Alas, they are not. One of the best parts of this app is the fact that you can decide the intensity level of the filter. If you should want the “‘70s” filter to look a little less reminiscent of the bell bottom years then you can simply add or subtract intensity that is applied to the photo.    

 

Whitagram

Taking inspiration from the grandfather photo, the Polaroid, Instagram photos are formatted to be square in shape. While it’s cute to scroll through a timeline of modern Polaroids scribbled on with emojis and slang, sometimes the square format crops the best pieces of your photo out. Next time your anxiety levels come dangerously close to “floor tantrum” because of the Instagram cropping, use Whitagram to capture your photo in its original stupor. In order to make the original sized photo fit, this app adds tasteful borders to the left and right, or top and bottom of the photo, depending on its orientation. Whitagram is especially useful for scenic, landscape photos that span side to side.

 

Phototreats

One of the sought-after trends on Instagram is the effect that will add sunspots, snowflakes, and holiday looking lights to photos. Someone deemed light distortion worthy and, not to be accusatory, but there’s a sunspot trail that leads right to fashionistas and socialites. If you’ve been looking for an app to add a corner of soft, flickering light to your posts, Phototreats will do just that. Really more directed at the femme users, these filters should be used not for making a statement, but for uttering a whisper.  

 

CameraTimer

The last recommended app for your improved Instagrammar will likely become the most praised in your repertoire of new tricks. So wake up introverts and individual adventurers, because there’s not always a passerby to snap a photo of you, and selfies are almost worse than being an offender of the “no filter” hash tag.

 

CameraTimer is an app that acts as a self-timer—much like the ones on digital cameras. The app is poorly formatted, but will add to the photo possibilities you have right in the palm of your hand. As long as you can fashion a tripod out of a rock, park bench, or book, you’ll never have to pass up a photo-op again. This app has also proved useful when looking to photograph your entire cluster of friends. With a variety of options for countdown length and number of shots taken, you’ll never find yourself wishing for longer arms for photo taking ever again.   

 

If Instagram were a member of the Full House cast, surely it would be the sleek and trendy Uncle Jesse. Twitter could pass as the comedic Uncle Joey, leaving Facebook with the dreaded and dull father-figure, Danny Tanner. The point here is that if given the option, the majority of us would only ever choose to hang out with Uncle Jesse. And now you can rise to the occasion, mustering content that is much more impressive than an indecipherable, “You got it, dude!”