I woke up this morning and the pad of my heel still hurts, boo.

Last night I ran for 10 minutes to warm-up and my legs felt fabulous, as they always do after a day of rest. I started out casually but continued to up my speed and sprinted the last couple of minutes. If I didn’t have TNT I bet I could have lasted longer- it was one of those “I just wanna run kinda days.” After 45 minutes of getting my butt kicked at TNT I hopped back onto the dreadmill for a slow 20 minute cool-down. I didn’t have nearly as much energy as I had earlier but it still felt nice to move my legs, that is until about 8 minutes into it when my heel started to hurt. It’s hard to describe but it feels like the bone is pushing down on a bad bruise in the bottom of my foot. Ouch!

Source

I’ve never felt this kinda pain before so I tweeted out for advice and immediately got a few suggestions… Try rolling a tennis ball under my foot, ice it pre- and post-run, take it slow for a few days, and buy a new pair of sneakers. Thank you all! Having never experienced this before I’m open to any and all suggestions that you have.

Moving on. In traditional Thursday fashion I’m linking up with Jessie from Jessie Loves to Run for Thankful Thursday. This week I’m moving away from tangible things that I’m thankful for and focusing on something more abstract… Opportunities.

 I am thankful for having the opportunity to… have a roof over my head.

I am thankful for having the opportunity to… marry the love of my life.

I am thankful for having the opportunity to… have a family that supports me throughout all of my endeavors.

I am thankful for having the opportunity to… have a stable job.

I am thankful for having the opportunity to… go to school and graduate from college.

I am thankful for having the opportunity to… have doctors who genuinely care about my health.

I am thankful for having the opportunity to… meet great people who have become my friends.

I am thankful for having the opportunity to… connect with people through blogging and make blends.

I am thankful for having the opportunity to… travel and explore new places.

I am thankful for having the opportunity to… wake up every morning and know that it’s my choice to make the most of the day ahead.

And now one thing that I’m thankful for that’s a little more concrete. I am thankful for having the opportunity to… try Torani syrups.

I have been a fan of Torani syrups for a longtime. On the weekends when I was younger, my momma and I would swing by the local bagel bakery and then skip on over to Starbucks. We’d order 2 extra-hot hot chocolates to accompany our freshly baked bagels… The combination of vanilla and chocolate syrups was divine, especially when paired with a doughy bagel. Mmm, now I’m craving that combo!

As my palate began to mature [or shall I say, when I started to enjoy drinking coffee], I started to experiment with other Starbucks drinks. After a long day of lifeguarding and sitting out in the sun, a passion tea sweetened with simple syrup or an iced coffee with caramel syrup was the perfect way to cool down. A latte with vanilla or pumpkin spice syrup was a wonderful way to welcome the cooler fall months. And a cappuccino with peppermint syrup got me into the holiday spirit. And 10+ years later, I’m still enjoying those seasonal drinks just as much as I did as a child. I’ve got a gold card to prove it

So when I heard that SheSpeaks was hosting a Torani contest this winter I immediately jumped at the opportunity to participate. Having the chance to make some of my favorite drinks in the comfort of my own home? Absolutely, sign me up and count me in!

A little bit about Torani…

Since 1925, 3rd generation family-owned Torani has been crafting great tasting flavored syrups that coffeehouses use to make their flavored drinks taste so delicious. With over 120 flavors in Regular and Sugar Free varieties, Torani flavored syrups are perfect for flavored lattes, mochas, coffees, cocoas, Italian sodas, teas, lemonades, cocktails and smoothies. Coffeehouse professionals choose Torani flavors because they are expertly crafted and made with the highest quality ingredients, like natural flavors and pure cane sugar. The Sugar Free flavors have no calories and are sweetened with Splenda. Now, Torani flavored syrups are widely available at retail so you can easily create authentic coffeehouse quality drinks at home.

As a member of SheSpeaks, I had the opportunity to participate in the Torani Holiday Cheers Contest. As a participant, I received [2] 750ml bottles of Torani Syrups, a recipe booklet, [5] $1 coupons, and a special 10% off coupon!

GIVEAWAY

For the past few weeks I have thoroughly been enjoying my morning cappuccinos and cups of coffee with a splash of Torani and would love to give one of my readers the same opportunity! In addition to receiving bottles of Torani from SheSpeaks, I have received a couple from Cravebox and my wine rack is starting to overflow!

1 lucky winner will receive:

• [2] 750ml bottles of Sugar Free Torani syrup
• [5] $1 coupons off of Torani syrup

The giveaway will end this Sunday, December 16^th at 11:59PM EST and is open to continental US residents only [sorry Canadian friends]. I will randomly select the winner and announce her or him on Monday! To enter, please leave a separate comment for each:

• Comment on this post telling me one way you’d use the Torani syrup.
• Like Torani on Facebook and comment here saying you did.
• Like Life’s a Bowl on Facebook and comment here saying you did.
• Follow @Torani on Twitter and comment here saying you did.
• Follow @lifesabowl on Twitter and comment here saying you did.

P.S. Even though I have only enjoyed Torani syrups in my beverages, there are TONS of other ways to enjoy them. Breakfast dishes, desserts, salad dressings… Click here for some inspiration!

*Disclaimer: this is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks and Torani syrup.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Yesterday… #elf4Health 12/12 Day 17: No need to save all your veggies for dinner.  Eat 3 servings of vegetables by 2pm. I enjoyed a combo of celery sticks, yellow squash, sugar snap peas, and carrots for lunch and as a snack, done!

Today… #elf4Health 12/13 Day 18: Buy coffee for the person behind you in line this morning. Not a coffee drinker? Treat a coworker to lunch or a snack! I swung by Starbucks during lunch and offered to buy the older man behind me his drink. The look on his face was priceless, confused at first, but after I explained that I am participating in a holiday challenge he was extremely appreciative and said that he will buy a coffee for someone tomorrow!

Tomorrow… #elf4Health 12/14 Day 19: Workout with a buddy. Grab a friend, your spouse, or even your dog!

— Allison