Christie Griffin

Who Inspires You to “Run the World”?

March 29, 2013 at 11:10 am
By Christie Griffin

To celebrate 10 incredible years of the More® Magazine/Fitness® Magazine Women’s Half-Marathon, we’re honoring Women who Run the World—fearless game-changers who’ve paved the way for women over the last decade. These leaders will no doubt inspire you to run faster, train harder and work smarter.

From a U.S. Congressman to the CEO of Girl Scouts USA to a co-host from “The View,” these women are changing the face of business, education, women’s health, sports, and more. We’re thrilled to welcome these leaders to the biggest women’s-only half-marathon in the country!

As you train for your 13.1 mile journey, we want to know: Who inspires you to “run the world”? Let us know in the comments below, on our Facebook, or through Twitter. (Please us the hashtag #womenruntheworld.)

View the 10 honorees’ pics and mini-bios here.

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Crowning Achievements for Married Women

January 22, 2013 at 4:42 pm
By Christie Griffin

Glamorous gowns, toned bodies, and serious accomplishments. No, we’re not talking about Hollywood’s awards season—we’re talking about pageant season, people! Why you should care: Based on the 2,000+ entries we received for our 2012 Face of Fitness Contest that required essays about your accomplishments, some of you married ladies very well could be contenders for a crown someday.

Curious about the Mrs. America pageant, we chatted it up with Raquel Riley Thomas, a stunning military officer turned pageant queen. Not only is she the Executive Producer/Director for the Mrs. DC America pageant, a preliminary qualifier for Mrs. America, but she is also Mrs. Maryland America 2010-11 and Mrs. American (1st RU) 2010-11. Her accolades would take up this entire post, so we’ll have to skip right to her insights about competing.

On the difference between Miss America and Mrs. America:

The Mrs. DC team likes to say, “Marriage has never looked so good,” but just like the unmarried-girls version, this is not a beauty pageant. It’s a whole package deal. The difference is that instead of a med student standing to your left, she’s a doctor now. And on your right is an attorney. Mrs. America is like the Superbowl of married women.

On competing at the state level:

I can’t speak for the other states, but the reputation of the women in Mrs. DC are that they are the crème de la crème. Not only are they very fit, but they are accomplished in their fields and honorable about their causes. We even have a diplomat in this year’s competition!

On her experience of going from military boots to bikinis:

I love the glitz and glamour, but the service to the community is still there. I just get to do it in heels and beautiful outfits now! Running the Mrs. DC pageant gives me the chance to put a spotlight on some amazing women and say, ‘Thank you for all the hard work you do for the community.”

On her fitness advice for potential competitors:

You have to be really disciplined. Once you have the fitness down, everything else falls into place.

So get to it, readers! We want to throw some roses at you.

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Thank You, Internet, for The Best Olympics Coverage Ever

August 13, 2012 at 2:35 pm
By Christie Griffin

For the past couple of weeks, you could say there were two groups of people: Those who watched the Olympics and those who followed the Olympics. Not all watchers were followers, but it’s safe to say most followers were probably watchers as well. And while some of the followers may have been bored (or irate) by the tape delays that aired on NBC prime time, they still had front row seats to some unprecedented online action. Even if you weren’t on nbcolympics.com trying to catch the live streams, it was impossible to miss the amazing shenanigans happening all over the web.

Just a few favorites:

Bolting

Dangleboris

The Gifs! 

McKayla is Not Impressed

And then there was Twitter. If you’re like us and wanted to truly participate in the play-by-plays, it was probably your go-to spot. There were more than 150 million (!) Twitter conversations about the Olympics since the Opening Ceremonies. There were more than 2 million tweets about Gabby Douglas, as well as Ryan Lochte, and it wasn’t uncommon to see celebrities tweeting at Olympians or about them:

 

 

So. While it’s lovely that NBC broke their ratings – averaging 31+ million watchers each night — we kinda expected that, especially if you’re getting a ton of free, user-generated promotion around one of the most beloved events in the world. What’s genuinely exciting is that this year’s overall activity by outlets, spectators, and athletes was just a taste of what’s to come. By 2016, there will be even more followers instead of basic watchers, and coverage of the Olympics will be more integrated (rather than trying to straddle both old school TV practices and new media trends). As a digital director at a fitness magazine, I’m pretty pumped for 2016. I’m thinking 2012 was just a warm-up!

But until then: Thank you, Internet, for making these Olympic Games so ridiculously fun.

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Body Confidence Tips from Olympic Weight Lifter Sarah Robles

August 1, 2012 at 10:27 am
By Christie Griffin

“Faster, Higher, Stronger.” “Faster, Higher, Sarah Robles.” Because if you want a synonym for “stronger,” look no farther than the 23 year-old U.S. weightlifter.

It’s not just that she’s technically the strongest woman in our country—Robles will compete for her place on the international podium on August 5th—but it’s the other challenges that have shown the world just how mentally tough this girl is. In the weeks leading up the Games, many of us learned about her financial struggles…and were thrilled to see the online community cheer her on.

But no amount of money, medals, or media attention changes the fact that the 5’10”, 275-pound, 23 year-old has had to overcome a few body issues. On behalf of every woman in America, I’m just gonna go ahead and say that’s where I think her most enduring, admirable strength truly lies. Here, a few questions and answers with the Olympian.

FITNESS: How did your life change when you began accepting your shape and body type?

SARAH ROBLES: My life changed for the better when I decided to be okay with who I am. I knew I wasn’t going to change, nor really could do much about it anyway. I cared more about being the best athlete. It didn’t matter what my body looked like, it mattered more to me how it performed.

FITNESS: What are your best confidence-boosting tips for other women?

SARAH ROBLES: First, stop caring about what other people think. They probably aren’t thinking what you think they are, and most likely, you’ll never see them again.

Next, surround yourself with positive people. Negativity is sticky. It sticks to you and is hard to get rid of. Once you do (find those positive people), you will feel clean, happy, and free!

Lastly, do things you really love or try new things. You never know what you can be good at unless you try. When you learn new skills or further develop the ones you have, you will be more confident.

FITNESS: Which athletes or celebrities do you relate to the most? On a related note, who are your role models? Read more

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5 Questions with Nastia Liukin

July 24, 2012 at 9:15 am
By Christie Griffin

Next Tuesday, the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team will go for the gold in the Team Finals. (Yes, we’re already counting down.) And while Olympic gold medalist Nastia Liukin may have recently retired from gymnastics, she’s as busy as ever! We caught up with her for a few minutes to find out her predictions for the upcoming Games, her future plans, and more.

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A Fitterati Rising Star: Danielle Lullie

May 21, 2012 at 3:23 pm
By Christie Griffin

Inspiration can come in all sorts of packages, but the judges for the Fitterati Blogger Awards were still a bit floored when we discovered that one of the blogs leading the pack was maintained by a 16 year-old runner from Georgia. While the official rules prevented us from naming Danielle Lullie, creator of the Pinterest-like Tumblr blog Just Do It Then Do It Again, as an official Fitterati winner, we were more than happy give her an Honorable Mention…and get to know her a little bit better.

Brace yourself, FITNESS readers. You’re about to remember what it’s like to have raw motivation and a fresh belief in yourself.

Q: What’s your blog about?

DL: Just Do It Then Do It Again is full of motivational quotes and pictures for everyone. It represents hard work, not giving up, reaching your goals, running faster and a lot more.

Q: How do you think your blog stands out from other blogs?

DL: I think my fitness blog stands out from other blogs because it doesn’t focus on my life and my accomplishments. It’s there solely to motivate other people and myself.

Q: What is your fitness mantra/motto?

DL: My favorite one would have to be “I’m gonna show you how great I am,” by the true definition of a champion, Muhammad Ali. I also love how Lance Armstrong says we have two choices in life: Give up or fight like hell. Read more

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Toast to Mom With These Cocktails

May 11, 2012 at 2:49 pm
By Christie Griffin

Whether you’re hosting a big family brunch or just gabbing with mom, why not celebrate her with a little imbibing? These low-cal and gourmet drink recipes, thanks to Patrón Spirits, sound delicious, don’t you think…?

The Good Wife - Low-Calorie

• 2 ounces Patrón Silver
• 1/2 ounces Ginger simple syrup
• 1/2 ounces Lime juice
• Seltzer or mineral water
• 3 to 4 mint leaves
• 2 to 3 peeled fresh cucumber rounds, skins removed

In a highball or collins glass, muddle cucumber, lime juice, and mint. Add Patrón Silver and fill with ice. Cover with seltzer and stir well. Garnish with a mint sprig and cucumber rounds.

 

Mother’s Little Helper – Low-Calorie

• 1 3/4 ounces Patrón Silver
• 1/4 ounces Elderflower liqueur
• 3/4 ounces Fresh lime juice
• 3 slices Cucumber
• 2 whole fresh sage leaves
• Ginger ale

Smack sage to open up aromas. Tear in two and muddle well with cucumber and elderflower liqueur. In a mixing glass, add remaining ingredients and ice. Shake and strain over ice in a highball glass. Top with ginger ale. Garnish with cucumber and sage leaf.

 

I Said So Martini – Gourmet

• 2 ounces Patrón XO Cafe Dark Cocoa
• 0.5 ounces Amaretto Liqueur
• 1 ounces Cream
• Almond shavings for garnish

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with almond shavings.

 

 

Sealed with an XO – Gourmet

• 3 ounces Patrón XO Cafe Dark Cocoa
• 1 ounces. Espresso
• 1 large scoop coffee-flavored gelato
• Coffee grinds for garnish

Blend all ingredients in a blender and pour into a hurricane-style glass. Garnish with coffee grinds.

For more drink recipes and ideas, visit patronspirits.com.

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World Lupus Day: One Woman’s Story

May 10, 2012 at 1:18 pm
By Christie Griffin

Aspiring to work at a major fashion magazine since she was a child, Lauren Finney saw her dreams almost crumble when she was devastated by the diagnosis of lupus about five years ago.

Within weeks of her moving to New York and pursuing a career in the fashion industry, Lauren developed a hard, painful, red and growing rash all over her neck and face—a horror for someone trying to excel in a field so focused on appearances! This first warning sign was followed by extreme fatigue, hair loss and a multitude of doctor’s visits.  But, after multiple opinions and doctors, two hospitalizations, a strict medicine plan, and—thankfully—the enduring support of her fashion colleagues, Lauren was finally diagnosed with lupus, an autoimmune disease that impacts the skin, joints, kidneys and other organs.

Lauren may have broken into the competitive fashion world, but not without simultaneously enduring a diagnosis that felt confusing, frightening and dream-destroying. But she is hardly alone; 1.5 million Americans suffer from lupus, 90 percent of whom are young women. Lauren’s work with the SLE Lupus Foundation  has allowed her to help others cope and find hope through research that’s taking place. Here, she answers a few questions about her experience:

Q: Why do you think more people don’t know about lupus?

LF: Lupus is such a weird topic. Every time I told someone I have it, they say,” Oh, I know someone who has it…what is that?” People know it’s out there, but what manifests as symptoms and issues in one person is not necessarily the same for someone else. This makes lupus hard to spot, hard to diagnose, hard to treat and hard to understand.

Q: Is the difficulty you had in getting diagnosed with lupus typical?

LF: Yes, it’s entirely common for someone to have trouble getting diagnosed. The symptoms one sees with lupus are often symptoms of other disorders and diseases. It takes on average three years for someone to get fully diagnosed. I feel lucky it only took a year for me.

Q: In your experience, what did you find to be the most common misconception about the disease and how did you overcome it?

Read more

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A Gourmet Cinco de Mayo: Recipes From Julian Medina

April 24, 2012 at 3:52 pm
By Christie Griffin

Our May issue (on stands now!) features a lightened-up version of enchiladas, along with tips from Julian Medina, Chef/Owner Toloache, Yerba Buena and Coppelia restaurants in NYC. And with Cinco de Mayo right around the corner, we were psyched to score a few more online-only recipes from the inventive chef! Combine the gourmet recipes below with the guilt-free one in the mag and you’ll have a flavorful fiesta ready to go!

Guacamole de Frutas (serves 4)

• 2 Mexican Hass avocados
• 1/2 teaspoon lime juice
• 2 tablespoons Vidalia onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons mango, diced
• 2 tablespoons peach, diced
• 2 tablespoons apple, diced
• 1/4 teaspoon habanero pepper, minced
• 1 teaspoon Thai basil, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon pomegranate seeds
• Kosher salt to taste

1. Scoop the pulp out of the ripe avocados into a bowl.

2. Add the remaining ingredients and a pinch of salt.  Mash the ingredients together, leaving it chunky and check the seasoning.

3. Serve with warm corn tortillas or chips.

 

Toloache Margarita (serves 1)

For the Hibiscus Puree:

• 1 cup of hibiscus flower
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 ounce sugar

Combine ingredients into a blender, or food processor and puree until smooth. Let cool.

For the Virgin Mix:

• 1 ounce Cointreau
• 1 ounce lime juice

In a separate container combine the Cointreau and lime juice, stir well.

For the Toloache Margarita:

• ½  bar spoon of blueberries
• 2 ounces hibiscus puree
• 2 ounces Herradura Blanco
• 1 ounce virgin mix
• Splash of simple syrup

1. In a cocktail shaker muddle the ½ bar spoon of blueberries, then add the hibiscus puree. Pour in the Herradura Blanco, virgin mix and simple syrup. Add ice and shake well.

2. Pour the margarita into a chilled rocks glass and garnish with a hibiscus flower and lime wedge.

Keep reading for an ambitious chicken quesadilla…!

Read more

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Models Who Score Points: A Look at the 2012 MBVT

April 17, 2012 at 8:42 am
By Christie Griffin

There are modeling competitions…and then there are models who compete.

We prefer focusing on the latter, and the athletic, crazy-cool Ludus Athletics Model Beach Volleyball Tournament in South Beach a few short weeks ago is a prime example of model behavior that may motivate you to start getting summer-ready! Pictures worth being jealous of:

Read more

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