Showing posts with label new year new you. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new year new you. Show all posts

Friday, June 13, 2014

How To Run A Virtual 5K | #FitnessFriday


Do you want to run a 5K but don't know how to start? Or maybe you really want a wingman and none of your friends/family are interested? No local 5K races? Perhaps you haven't found a race that fits into your schedule. Well today on #FitnessFriday, I'm sharing how you can run a 5k race regardless of your fitness level, location, with anyone, and at anytime. Welcome to the world of virtual 5ks and here's how to do it:
 
REGISTER TODAY
  1. Get Registered: Find a race online and just say yes! Don't know where to start? Join Black Girls Run and sign up for their WalkB4URUN! Virtual 5K
  2. Start Training: Black Girls RUN! has a super cool, effective, and simple training plan that I recommend to everyone. You can download yours here. Plus it's totally free! #woot You start my walking on week 1. You'll end running on week 12.
  3. Map Your Route: Whether you're running in your neighborhood, at the park, or on the trails, the very last thing that you want to do is not complete the full 3.1 mile race. If you're not sure where to run, meet up with your local BlackGirlsRun group for training sessions and the beautiful encouragement. You can find a group in your city by visiting here
  4. Get your bib: After you register, most virtual races provide a link where you can download your bib. Race bibs are like badges of honor---I never run a race without one!
  5. Run your kinda race: It doesn't matter if you run a 15 minute race or you crawl a 151 minute race. The goal is to finish. Plus you already know that you can do it!
  6. Submit your results and do an embarrassing happy dance: Follow the directions that your race provides. Typically you have to upload your time on your hosts virtual roster. Then cabbage patch, dougie, or butterfly! You did it! Next, stalk the mail man for your race bling! It's typically delivered 3-4 weeks after the race. I HEART race bling! 
Tada!! There you have it, how to run a virtual 5k. Easy enough right? So who's lacing up their sneakers and running with me?

 Besitos!
KLP


Let's inspire together! Create a fitness related blog post and link up every Friday with me, KLP of SavingOurStrands, Ebony of Longing4Length, and Britt of One&20

Fitness Friday Linkup RULES

  1. ​Follow your hosts: SavingOurStrands, Longing4Length, and One&20 via Bloglovin'
  2. Fitness is the theme. Entries completely unrelated to the theme or linked to your homepage will be deleted---we not about that life!
  3. Inspire the Fitness Friday contributor that linked up directly before you with an encouraging comment. We are each here to support each other and build a community of determined women and hair-friends. (Don’t worry, the chica ​who links up after you will do the same; So everyone gets love​!).
  4. Share it! Your blog post must link back to this site so others see. We even made this nifty button which links back to the Fitness Friday page! Just copy and drop the code into your blog post.

Fitness Friday


Besitos!
KLP





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Friday, June 06, 2014

What To Wear For Pilates Class | Fitness Friday


#FitnessFriday is a fun community building linkup that encourages women to keep their body strong whilst creating a sustainable healthy lifestyle. Losing weight, eating well, and growing long healthy hair isn't easy; but they do go hand in hand. Wellness starts on the inside and requires commitment, dedication, plus loads of support. We're totally all in this together!

The biggest reason that I love #FitnessFriday is because it forces allows me to stay on track with my overall healthy living goals---otherwise I have nothing to report each week! The thought of doing the same workout day (or even eating the same thing) in and day out is utterly boring to me, so I try to keep my routine as varied as possible. However, one thing that I've done at least once a week for the last year is Pilates. A few weeks ago I shared how I wear my hair to Pilates class, so today I'm sharing what I wear!

Honestly, you can wear whatever you want to the Pilates Studio. No matter what comfort is the key. You don't need anything fancy. But you do need to feel confident in whatever you wear.

1. Layers: Sometimes my Pilates studio is freezing cold. Other times its like they have the heat on in the summer time. I like to dress in layers to make sure that I'm comfortable regardless of the temperature in the studio. Always make sure that your outer layer is still Pilates mat and machine friendly.(Suggested: Reebok Yoga & Pilates Sweater $45)

2. Tank: The worst thing that you can wear to Pilates class is a top that's too tight or too revealing. My favorite tank fit is cut high in the front (to keep me from flashing the class), a loose in the middle (no muffin tops here!), and longer than most tops (just in case my shirt rides up a tad). You'll want your top to be able to move about with you. Not against you. (Suggested: Reebok Workout Ready Tank $17)

3. Bottoms: Sweats, windbreaker pants, or anything super baggy is totally a bad idea. Not only can baggy clothes be difficult to maneuver in, but they are potentially dangerous when working on the Pilates machines. Also, if you are doing mat work, you want your instructor to be able to see and correct your movements/posture. Choose pants that wear close to the body, provide freedom of motion, and claro que si make your butt look fabulous! (Suggested: Reebok Workout Ready Capri $40)

4. Socks: Pilates is performed barefoot. But I'm kinda not about that life, so I wear my lucky socks. They are purple and very awesome. Your teacher will probably freak if you wear your shoes into the Pilates room. Always take them off before you walk in. (Suggested: Those holey socks in the back of your drawer that you refuse to throw away. Yep. Those are the luckiest pair)

5. Pilates Bag: Although completely optional, I invested in a mat sleeve when I was in college initially for my Yoga mat. Now I use that bag for my Pilates mat (A Pilates mat has about twice the thickness of a traditional Yoga mat). My bag has a place for my keys, water bottle, and phone plus a few other things because I'm awful forgetful---so it works in my favor to keep everything in one place. (Suggested: Reebok Stripped Yoga Mat $22)

Are you into Pilates? What do you wear?

Besitos!
KLP


Let's inspire together! Create a fitness related blog post and link up every Friday with me, KLP of SavingOurStrands, Ebony of Longing4Length, and Britt of One&20

Fitness Friday Linkup RULES

  1. ​Follow your hosts: SavingOurStrands, Longing4Length, and One&20 via Bloglovin'
  2. Fitness is the theme. Entries completely unrelated to the theme or linked to your homepage will be deleted---we not about that life!
  3. Inspire the Fitness Friday contributor that linked up directly before you with an encouraging comment. We are each here to support each other and build a community of determined women and hair-friends. (Don’t worry, the chica ​who links up after you will do the same; So everyone gets love​!).
  4. Share it! Your blog post must link back to this site so others see. We even made this nifty button which links back to the Fitness Friday page! Just copy and drop the code into your blog post.

Fitness Friday


Besitos!
KLP





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Friday, May 30, 2014

My Love/Hate Relationship With FitBit Zip


I walked into the exchange, picked up the magenta hot pink FitBit Zip and told my hubby "THIS is what I want for my birthday" then sashayed off to buy bananas and laundry detergent. Several weeks later, my hubby surprised me with a magenta hot pink FitBit Zip for my birthday! (He's totally a keeper! Ha-ha!) I wanted to use my Fitbit Zip for a while just to break it in and really give you the low down. It's #FitnessFriday *throw your confetti!* and today I'm dishing about my love/hate relationship with my FitBit Zip:

 Love
It's addictive. I CAN NOT leave my house without it. Seriously. I was about to go do some shopping with my suegra, went we made it half way up the driveaway when I realized that I forgot my FitBit Zip. So, let them clown me as I turned around go back and get it! I love how it tracks my steps, distance, and calories burned.

Small steps to accomplishing big goals. I love how I can see how active I am throughout the day. Since the weather has warmed up, I started taking walks in my neighborhood and in the park with my minions, I don't mind having to run up and down my steps when I forget things, I park further away from the entrance to stores to make sure that I get my 10,000 steps in. Sometimes, I'll put on my Pandora 90's station and dance until I hit my daily goal.

The encouraging automated love. When you reach your goals, your FitBit sends you a love note. When you're slacking it will gently remind you that you only have a little more to go. Part personal trainer part pixie dust spreader. Either way it makes me smile.

 Hate:
It's a shiny fancy glorified super expensive pedometer. Yes, it is more accurate than anything else that I've used, but in the end all this thing does is count your steps, tell you that you're awesome, and smile at you. Literally.

Sucky Mobile & Online Tools. I wanted to be able to track my other fitness related activities either especially running via the FitBit app on my smartphone or online.  (Your FitBit is AWFUL at tracking your steps running. Don't bother trying) I was surprised at how un-user friendly and NOT intuitive it is. If I'm going to spend $50 on a gadget that claims to sync you with the world, then it needs to do just that.

 Limited Interaction With 3rd party Apps. After some research I saw that I could link my FitBit to my all time favorite fitness app RunKeeper. RunKeeper allows you to record dozens of fitness related activities with distances and calories burned. The RunKeeper interface is dumb easy to use. I use it when I run, jump rope, go to Zumba, and even for Spinning class. Sadly, this was another bust. Sure you can sync your FitBit to RunKeeper but you can't sync your RunKeeper activities to FitBit. Which defeated the ENTIRE purpose of having a sync-able pedometer. Is it too much to ask to have all of my sweat stuff in one place.

 Was my FitBit Zip a ratchet waste of money? Well, no. Using it is incredibly easy. Like---so easy that a cave man can do it. Plus its hot magenta pink! It's totally the most stylist pedometer ever. Unfortunately, interacting with its mobile app and online isn't intuitive. Maybe I expected too much. But the tag line "Wireless Activity Tracker" is a little misleading to me. If you want a wicked cool steps counter and that's it---then the FitBit Zip is for you. If you want just a little more---wait until they update their apps. I'm sure eventually they'll get this thing right.

 Do you have a FitBit? Do you love it or hate it?

Let's inspire together! Create a fitness related blog post and link up every Friday with me, KLP of SavingOurStrands, Ebony of Longing4Length, and Britt of One&20

Fitness Friday Linkup RULES

  1. ​Follow your hosts: SavingOurStrands, Longing4Length, and One&20 via Bloglovin'
  2. Fitness is the theme. Entries completely unrelated to the theme or linked to your homepage will be deleted---we not about that life!
  3. Inspire the Fitness Friday contributor that linked up directly before you with an encouraging comment. We are each here to support each other and build a community of determined women and hair-friends. (Don’t worry, the chica ​who links up after you will do the same; So everyone gets love​!).
  4. Share it! Your blog post must link back to this site so others see. We even made this nifty button which links back to the Fitness Friday page! Just copy and drop the code into your blog post.


Besitos!
KLP





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Friday, May 23, 2014

5 Ways To FAIL On A Juice Detox


I'm not a bandwagon dieter. I believe very simplistically that if you burn more calories than you take in then you'll lose weight. I'm so overwhelmed by the South-Paleo-Clean-Eating-Gluten-Dash-Daniel-Beach craze that I'm pretty skeptical and jaded about any popular diet trend. But I read about Ebony's results of her juice detox, last week, I was super impressed. Impressed because that's my girl and I know that she wouldn't lie to me--well us. Impressed because the results seemed legit. Impressed because it actually looked attainable. So I gave it a try. My goal was to juice for 2 meals a day---for 4 days, only drink water, and have a clean dinner. Sounds easy enough right? Well I totally FAILED! Here's why:

 5 Ways To Fail On A Juice Detox

  1. Forget about that juicer- I don't own a juicer. Yeah....I was probably destined to fail from here. Ha-ha! I borrowed a friends for day one and made Ebony's Sweet Cucumber Juice. Which was surprising good. The other 3 days I drank Odwalla Juices which are pasteurized and have far less nutritional value than I realized. I'm allergic to bananas, which seems to be in EVERY store bought veggie juice known to man.  What was I thinking? *hangs head*
  2. Workout like a maniac- Then I ran 10k on the first day. I felt awful. Light headed, stomach cramps. Headache. The works. I didn't take into account that with such a drastic change in my diet, my exercise regimen would need to decrease. *hangs head*
  3. Don't drink enough water- On Day 2 I realized that one meal a day wasn't going to cut it for my active lifestyle. So I increased to 2 solid meals and 32 oz of juice daily. But, I kinda forgot to drink more water. I didn't feel as awful, but not all that great either. *hangs head*
  4. Skip meal planning- I ran out of juice by Day 3. I didn't want to cheat so I had to run to the grocery store. Which wouldn't have been a big deal except I was swamped with real work, mommy duties, and everything that could go wrong went wrong. I ended up fasting until I could buy more juice which of course didn't happen until just before dinner time. *hangs head*
  5. Give up many other vices at the same time: It's no secret that I love my coffee and chocolate. I do have to admit that I did have a cup of coffee on the first day. To my defense, kinda, I forgot that I couldn't have it until I took the first sip. Then I thought, oh fudge, I might as well drink it now. Ha-ha! I do have good news: I was able to ditch coffee for the last 3 days of the detox though! 
What I Learned From My Juice Detox Fail:
  1. What it means to be full: My first "regular" meal after detoxing was 3 slices of my favorite veggie pizza. I felt worse that day than I did on my first day of the detox! I never really understood why I felt so sluggish, tired, and blah after overeating until now.
  2. What it means to have will power: This experience has taught me that moderation might not be best for me. I'm better able to completely eliminate my contact with coffee and chocolate than to have it in moderation because my self control is quite pitiful.
  3. What affect food has on my energy levels: I haven't felt this energized since before I had kids! No more 3'o clock crashes that required coffee to reboot. No more feeling too exhausted to function after dinner. I was able to better focus and concentrate when at work and decompress at home. 
Will I try a juice detox again? Meh...I'm really not sure. I haven't figured out if I want to invest in a good (read: expensive) juicer yet. But I have given up coffee and chocolate completely since ending this detox. I'm drinking only water or fruit + veggie smoothies daily. AND I've laid the smack down on my snacking. Even though a failed on the juicing expect, I loved the mental clarity that this detox gave me.

 Have you tried a juice detox? How did you do?

Let's inspire together! Create a fitness related blog post and link up every Friday with me, KLP of SavingOurStrands, Ebony of Longing4Length, and Britt of One&20

Fitness Friday Linkup RULES

  1. ​Follow your hosts: SavingOurStrands, Longing4Length, and One&20 via Bloglovin'
  2. Fitness is the theme. Entries completely unrelated to the theme or linked to your homepage will be deleted---we not about that life!
  3. Inspire the Fitness Friday contributor that linked up directly before you with an encouraging comment. We are each here to support each other and build a community of determined women and hair-friends. (Don’t worry, the chica ​who links up after you will do the same; So everyone gets love​!).
  4. Share it! Your blog post must link back to this site so others see. We even made this nifty button which links back to the Fitness Friday page! Just copy and drop the code into your blog post.


Besitos!
KLP






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Friday, May 16, 2014

How To Wear Your Hair For Pilates | Fitness Friday



Pilates is kinda my think right now. If you're not similar with Pilates, think Yoga practice with intentional focus on sculpting, toning, and strengthening your torso, while increasing flexibility, circulation, and mental/physical well-being. Right after I signed up for my class, being the hair obsessed chica that I am, my next thought was "How in the world do you wear you hair for Pilates?" Ha-ha. Well, today on #fitnessfriday, I'm sharing my Pilates hair do's and don'ts plus a few hairstyles that will keep your hair looking amazing whilst you tone your body. 

 Pilates Hair Do's:
  • Wear your hair up: You know that girl who does more work trying to fix her hair during class than she does working out? Don't be that chica. 
  • Secure your tresses: If you have bangs, pull them up. If you have layers, grab a headband to keep them out of your face and off your neck
Pilates Hair Don'ts:
  • Say no to ponytails: My instructor told me a horror story about the time that someone got their long low ponytail stuck in one of the machines whilst working on her side bends. Enough said right?  
  • Say no to low buns: Mat work requires proper head positioning. So those low buns will annoy the heck out of you.
  • Say no to pins or barrettes: I suffered through a Pilates session with a bobby pin probing my brain. It was the worst thing ever! If you need to use pins, be sure that they are flat to your head not digging into your scalp.
My favorite Pilates hairstyles are combinations of braids, side tucks, and high buns. All of these styles keep you from fussing with your hair and allow you to concentrate on your body.
Have you ever tried Pilates? How did you wear your hair?

Let's inspire together! Create a fitness related blog post and link up every Friday with me, KLP of SavingOurStrands, Ebony of Longing4Length, and Britt of One&20

Fitness Friday Linkup RULES

  1. ​Follow your hosts: SavingOurStrands, Longing4Length, and One&20 via Bloglovin'
  2. Fitness is the theme. Entries completely unrelated to the theme or linked to your homepage will be deleted---we not about that life!
  3. Inspire the Fitness Friday contributor that linked up directly before you with an encouraging comment. We are each here to support each other and build a community of determined women and hair-friends. (Don’t worry, the chica ​who links up after you will do the same; So everyone gets love​!).
  4. Share it! Your blog post must link back to this site so others see. We even made this nifty button which links back to the Fitness Friday page! Just copy and drop the code into your blog post.


Besitos!
KLP





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Friday, May 09, 2014

Homemade Hummus for a Healthy Waistline and Healthy Hair | Fitness Friday


I have no trouble convincing myself to go to the gym or to run a couple laps around my neighborhood. Exercising makes me happy and when I go for days without a serious sweat session, I actually feel incomplete---like something is off. Slowly...very slowly I'm working on loving healthy snacks. And it's hard. VERY hard. Then I discovered my veggies bff: hummus. A cheap, simple, and delicious dip that makes me want to eat more good stuff. It's #fitnessfriday *the crowd goes WILD* and I'm sharing my favorite (so far) hummus recipe that's good for my waistline and my hair!


Chickpeas: 
Your Waistline- Rich in both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber plus loaded with tummy filling protein.
Your Hair- Our hair is made almost entirely of protein. Eating protein feeds your muscles and your hair zinc, iron, and B vitamins to keep your strands strong. 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: 
Your waistline- helps lower your risk of heart disease
Your hair- improves the elasticity of your hair

Garlic:
Your waistline- Research shows that garlic is responsible for lipid-lowering, anti-hypertension, antioxidant and anti-microbial effects on you body. 
Your hair- Garlic has also been believed to combat shedding for your hair. 


 Can't get enough hummus? Check out these recipes from SHAPE magazine. You can have a different dip every day! How do you convince yourself to eat more veggies?

Let's inspire together! Create a fitness related blog post and link up every Friday with me, KLP of SavingOurStrands, Ebony of Longing4Length, and Britt of One&20

Fitness Friday Linkup RULES

  1. ​Follow your hosts: SavingOurStrands, Longing4Length, and One&20 via Bloglovin'
  2. Fitness is the theme. Entries completely unrelated to the theme or linked to your homepage will be deleted---we not about that life!
  3. Inspire the Fitness Friday contributor that linked up directly before you with an encouraging comment. We are each here to support each other and build a community of determined women and hair-friends. (Don’t worry, the chica ​who links up after you will do the same; So everyone gets love​!).
  4. Share it! Your blog post must link back to this site so others see. We even made this nifty button which links back to the Fitness Friday page! Just copy and drop the code into your blog post.


Besitos!
KLP





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Friday, May 02, 2014

How I Stay Fit & Active With Asthma


When I was in middle school, I had an asthma attack in PE class while we were running the mile. I couldn't breathe. My chest was tight. I was wheezing. It was one of the scariest things that have ever happened to me as a kid. After that, I was afraid of running. I just never wanted to feel that way again. It took me years to understand how to manage my asthma with the help of my doctor. And now when I run, I'm stomping on my can'ts, won'ts, and didn't-think-I-coulds with every step. It's Fitness Friday and here's how I stay fit and active...even with asthma.

Consult your doctor. 
I'm not a doctor by any stretch of the imagination. I know, shocker! When I was first thinking about doing a 5k, I had a good talk with my doctor about the best course of action for managing my asthma. It took several appointments before we found what worked. My doctor encouraged me to write down when and how  Explain all of your symptoms and work together to figure out what your triggers are. Mine are dust and pollen. Yuck! Together, you and your doctor can come up with a game plan for what to do in case you feeling distress.

 Always carry your fast acting inhaler. 
When I was a kid, I despised my inhaler. I was already a geek, snorted when I laughed and had an very uncool love of Shakespeare. The last thing that I needed was to carry an inhaler too! Ha-ha! But it's so ever important that you have your inhaler and spacer with you at all times; especially during exercise. My favorite running pants have this nifty mini pocket on the back with a zipper and my inhaler fits perfectly inside.

 Share your story with your gym buddies and instructors.
Make sure that your gym buddy and especially your instructors know that you have asthma. I know that you don't want everyone up in your business but they need to how to assist you in case of an emergency. Share the game plan that you came up with your doctor with them. Knowing what to do quickly could be lifesaving.

 Listen to your body. 
Start slowly. Focus on your breathing. If you find yourself struggling, just stop. I know that you want to push yourself, but you have to listen to your body. As I've exercised regularly, my body has started to adjust to the physical activity but that doesn't mean that I don't have asthma symptoms from time to time, especially since it's Spring and the pollen high is a million! Instead of fighting with the pollen, I choose to workout indoors. 

 If you have asthma, how to do keep active?

Let's inspire together! Create a fitness related blog post and link up every Friday with me, KLP of SavingOurStrands, Ebony of Longing4Length, and Britt of One&20

Fitness Friday Linkup RULES

  1. ​Follow your hosts: SavingOurStrands, Longing4Length, and One&20 via Bloglovin'
  2. Fitness is the theme. Entries completely unrelated to the theme or linked to your homepage will be deleted---we not about that life!
  3. Inspire the Fitness Friday contributor that linked up directly before you with an encouraging comment. We are each here to support each other and build a community of determined women and hair-friends. (Don’t worry, the chica ​who links up after you will do the same; So everyone gets love​!).
  4. Share it! Your blog post must link back to this site so others see. We even made this nifty button which links back to the Fitness Friday page! Just copy and drop the code into your blog post.


Besitos!
KLP





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Friday, April 25, 2014

What's In My Gym Bag? Hair Edition | Fitness Friday


I love working out at home because---well---I can wear my old faded holey alum sweats, workout in my pre-shampoo oil treatment, and sport that sexy plastic cap that all the guys love. Lol. I've been married long enough that nothing that I do to my hair surprises my hubby. However, when I know I'm gonna hit the gym, there's no way that I'm sporting the same look. It's #FitnessFriday *round of applause* and here's what's in my gym bag...for my hair:
Bun Maker: Scunci Banana Clip 
My secret to a big doughy bun is a banana clip. I love a polished messy bun. Meaning, I want it to look casual but chic---even in the gym. 

 Moisturizer: Jessicurl Too Shea
Moisturized hair is happy hair. Period. I slap a little on my edges then put on my headband to keep my edges tame.

Dent Free Elastics: Karina Elastic Ties
When I'm trying to save a blowout or flat iron, I reach for my dent free hair ties. Plus these ones skip that pesky metal that your hair gets caught in. I found these hair ties on sale at Ulta a few weeks ago for about $2. That clearence section is my bestie!

Bobby Pins: Conair Black Bobby Pins
Who is eating my bobby pins? I bought a 60 pack last month. Now I have 20...maybe 30. Smh. There is a bobby pin monster in my house tormenting my soul! (I'm not dramatic though...) I use bobby pins to secure my buns and keep my hair from distracting me from putting in work!
 
Several Headbands: Scunci No Slip Grip
I found these in the dollar store. Yeah---the dollar store! Then I promptly purchased ten. Headbands are like bobby pins---they just disappear into thin air.


 My all time favorite gym style is a Double Dutch Braid into a bun. It's taut, cute, and works for just about all of my group classes. What's in your gym bag for your hair?

Let's inspire together! Create a fitness related blog post and link up every Friday with me, KLP of SavingOurStrands, Ebony of Longing4Length, and Britt of One&20

Fitness Friday Linkup RULES

  1. ​Follow your hosts: SavingOurStrands, Longing4Length, and One&20 via Bloglovin'
  2. Fitness is the theme. Entries completely unrelated to the theme or linked to your homepage will be deleted---we not about that life!
  3. Inspire the Fitness Friday contributor that linked up directly before you with an encouraging comment. We are each here to support each other and build a community of determined women and hair-friends. (Don’t worry, the chica ​who links up after you will do the same; So everyone gets love​!).
  4. Share it! Your blog post must link back to this site so others see. We even made this nifty button which links back to the Fitness Friday page! Just copy and drop the code into your blog post.


Besitos!
KLP





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