Little Known Safety Feature

By: Jenn M.

Our clocks have been set back to regular time and you want to squeeze in any daytime runs you can before they’re all in the dark, whether you’re an early riser or an evening runner. The other day, my cousin went on such a run. Running in the day didn’t make her feel any safer thanks to some crude onlookers, You can read her experience here on her blog. Yes, we both have blogs about fitness and wellness. Go figure.

I am a firm believer that 100% of sexual assault is caused by assailants and 0% is caused by the victim. You could disagree, but you’d be wrong and it really isn’t an opinion as much as a factual statement. I do, however, want to share with you something that I use on my phone that could help quell some concerns and help in the case of an emergency. I have a Samsung Galaxy S7 phone and my S6 had the same feature. I am not familiar with all Android products, but this is more about safety than the technology end of it. My phone [and maybe yours] has a feature where all you do is press the power button on the side quickly 3 times and it will take audio, video, and location information and send it in an “SOS” message to designated recipients. Here’s a basic tutorial using screen shots from my own phone.

From settings, go to Privacy and Emergency:

Once in the PRIVACY AND EMERGENCY Settings, go to “Send SOS Messages”:

Using the on screen selection, slide the indicator into the “On” position [often the position with the dot to the right].

Click on the words “SEND MESSAGES TO” and select up to 4 people from your phone book whom you want to receive your SOS message. [Make sure these people are aware they’re designated to this important contact]

Adjust the other settings to personal preferences and keep the phone handy

I practiced mine a few times with my husband to make sure it would work and get used to how it records. It notifies you that you’ve sent an SOS in your notifications bar and you will see the pictures it took in your gallery.

I am disappointed that this post is necessary, but I hope that it helps someone out and that you get good use of it.

*Please feel free to share my post, but also give me credit. I love writing and I don’t get paid to do it, so just getting credit for it is nice.

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Quick update

By: Jenn M

It’s November 5th. Actually it’s the 6th. Dang it. So I don’t know the date. No biggie. I have some things running around in my head and I haven’t updated my blog since my interesting experience at the Chicago Marathon about a month ago.  Yes, I want a rematch with 26.2 eventually.

I have been extremely aware of and self conscious about my weight gain. I put on around 25 lbs and allowed myself to put weight loss on the back burner during marathon training. I decided upon ‘no weight gain’ during training to ensure I was properly fueling. I actually succeeded at the plateau. I didn’t gain anything training, but I’m still disappointed in my appearance. I know I’m more jiggly and wide than I want to be. I’m not happy that I bought new clothes to wear this winter because nothing fits.

I got a new swimsuit to wear to the gym because the old one is simply too revealing with my new curves [mine are rolls, not curves]. I am really hard on myself and my husband would probably be the first to say so. He tells me every time I have a clothing catastrophe and resulting breakdown in my closet.  The good part is that I’m actually thinking about and starting to plan going to the gym. I haven’t had the energy or the courage to step out and do something about my weight.  I get so caught up in wondering why I should try to hard to just be average.

I am trying to get back to where I was before my injury and hopefully make it stick this time. I want to enjoy working out and look forward to it. I know that the energy comes from exercise and I have to get started to want to continue. This isn’t new to me. I never thought I’d be back at this size or have slipped this far back in my fitness routine. What I know is that I don’t like the results I’m getting from being inactive and lazy about my health. Laziness comes in so many forms and in excuses. My depression is better when I’m eating right and working out. I feel more confident when I’m healthy. I want that back and I have to work for it instead of whining for it. Fortunately, I joined a program that will at least get me into the gym once a week and running once a week. It’s up to me to do the rest.

Do you feel like you let yourself slip up? Do you have something that motivates you when you feel like you want to give up?

Apples are my go to snack. They’re full of fiber and they’re portable. These are Fuji apples, but I love golden delicious, honeycrisp, pink lady, and many other types.