Thursday Truths

Keeping this post short and simple. Focusing on the positives.

Truth: Thursday mornings are becoming one of my favorites. I love lacing up my running shoes and heading out to meet-up with other runners.

Truth: Getting a running group started takes time. It was week #2 for the running group. There were fewer of us today but two new members came out.

Truth: Post run smoothies are better than water. Today's smoothie might not have been super healthy, but we are working on that with a local restaurant. Stay tuned.

Truth: The name Posture Pump scares me. However, the thing is amazing. It has worked wonders on my neck. I'm feeling confident that my American chiropractor in China knows what he is doing.

Truth: Crockpot BBQ chicken is the bomb. I cooked yesterday (if you call throwing ingredients into the crockpot cooking...and I do) and am having leftovers today.

Tell me a truth from your day!
Do you like crockpot cooking?

#RUNOOTD: Dubai Desert Road Run

Tomorrow morning I will be running my first international race!

It is freaking hot in Dubai. Including the mornings. One day it was already 88 degrees before 8AM.

Fortunately, women can wear regular running clothes in public during a run, so picking out my race day outfit didn't feel any different than any other time.

This will be the first time that I get to wear my ZOOMA Cape Cod Ambassador singlet during a race. It's a Scantron made by Oiselle.

I'll also be wearing one of my favorite running skirts (also by Oiselle), the Bum Wrap. It's super comfortable.

Finally, my three MUST-HAVEs include:

My Mizuno Wave Rider 18s, one of my favorite running shoes.

My Nike GPS watch. Because honestly, I love seeing the route mapped out after a run.

My Simple Hydration water bottle.

I have to admit, it feels really good to not have to layer up like I did at my last race in New Hampshire.

Do you plan your race day outfit in advance?

What I Wear for Winter Walking

Lately it's been seriously cold in New Hampshire! We even had a two hour delay because of wind chills reaching -25 degrees.

The past few years I have been a winter runner, and figured out (for the most part) how to dress for it. Walking in the winter weather is a different story. My body doesn't warm up anywhere near the 10 degrees I get from running.

So dressing for winter walks has been a little more challenging, but I think I have it figured out.

Here's a look at what I've been wearing to survive the bitter cold temperatures while I keep up with my #mileaday Winter Warrior Challenge here in southern New Hampshire.

Puffy Parka (Loft) - Between the hood and the length, this works so well for the bitter cold and windy days.

Therma Fit Pullover (Nike) - I have three of these because they are that good. The fit is snug and the top is super soft. The sleeves also have thumb holes for stretching out that warmth.

Polar Tech Tights (Athleta) - Perfect for winter with fleece on the inside. My legs are NEVER cold.

Neck Warmer (Lululemon) - This thing is amazing. I can wear it down to keep my neck warm and pull it up when it's really cold and windy. It's long enough to pull up and over much like a balaclava.

Thermo Knit Gloves (Mizuno) - Although made for temps between 20-50 degrees, I really like these gloves on even the coldest of days. They are very soft and fit perfectly.

BONUS: Dog Boots (Pet Smart) - we have to protect the paws from the ice and snow.

Linking up with Nicole

and also Fitness Friday Jill and Cynthia, Courtney, and Mar for Friday Five

Mizuno Wave Paradox Review

A support shoe that is also light weight? That is exactly what Mizuno created and aptly named the Wave Paradox released in January of this year.

A month ago I received a pair of the Wave Paradox from Mizuno to try out. The Wave Paradox is a new shoe in the Mizuno support lineup. At first glance they look like they might be heavy. They are not.

I was intrigued by how a shoe could look so meaty yet be so lightweight, so I did some research. According to Mizuno, they applied lightweight construction to everything they knew about control to create this 8.6 oz support shoe.

Most of the support comes from the double fan wave of the heel. If you're not familiar with Mizuno's wave technology, it works like your car's suspension - absorbing the force and spreading it out when your feet hit the ground.

The wider heel and forefoot gauges also offer stability, although that big gap just eats up rocks. Since I live in the land of no sidewalks, my Wave Paradox gobble up stones like the Cookie Monster.

The upper is inspired by a Japanese doodling technique and looks like curved lines, but up close you can see that the lines are actually straight.

While I'm on the topic of appearance, when it comes to color combinations, Mizuno nailed it. Not only do the colors look good, but the their representation of energy (orange) and stability (blue) reinforces the whole idea of paradox.

This shoe is very different than the neutral Wave Rider 17 that I was wearing previously.

Over the years, I have been able to alternate between support and neutral Mizuno shoes pretty easily (although it is not really recommended). Even when I reached out to Mizuno, they said,

@RunningEscapade It depends. Generally speaking, it's best to stick with the type of shoe which works best for you. 1/2
— Mizuno Running (@MizunoRunning) July 22, 2014

@RunningEscapade If you can safely alternate between a neutral and support shoe, there isn't any negative to doing so. 2/2
— Mizuno Running (@MizunoRunning) July 22, 2014

Since it works for me, I'll be keeping the Wave Paradox in my shoe rotation.

What type of shoe do you usually wear?

Review: Mizuno Wave Rider 17

Happy Fitness Friday! I hope you had a wonderful holiday and are enjoying all of your new fit gear.

Earlier in the month my friends at Mizuno sent me an early Christmas present - a pair of shoes to try out before their release. As soon as I saw the new Mizuno Wave Rider 17s, I knew they were going to be fabulous.

Admittedly, the first thing I was excited to see when I opened the box was the color. I had been eyeing the slate gray shoes since seeing the color options on my laptop.

When I slipped them on, I noticed right away that the shoe felt wider. The toe box especially seemed much more roomy than the Wave Rider 16s. I have worn the 16s for more than 200 miles and never thought of them as narrow, but next to the 17s you can definitely see and feel a difference.

In fact, the new Wave Rider 17's toe box width reminds me a lot of the Wave Sayonara.

Although these shoes are lighter than the 16s (can you believe it?), they are still supportive and very flexible.

I've already put my Wave Rider 17s through the New England initiation and they are awesome on the road...

on the snow...

and on the treadmill.

In addition to function every runner girl knows that running shoes must look good. The Wave Rider 17s have some fashionable features that standout, like colored aglets.

A cool new medallion design.

And look at the rainbow reflection.

Once again Mizuno has completely spoiled me in more ways than one: they treated me to another pair of awesome shoes and every time I lace them up, I'm reminded why I fell in love with their brand.

What new fit gear did you get for Christmas that you are loving right now?

Update:

Road Runner Sports spotted this awesome review and asked me to share their exclusive review video with you! Enjoy!



Women's Mizuno Wave Rider 17 Video Credit: Road Runner Sports

Sweaty Challenge 2013

Back in June, Anne - a member of the Chilly Challenge - asked if anyone wanted to do a Sweaty Challenge. Instead of doing teams, it was to be a fun individual challenge. Twenty-nine participants signed up and for the month of July we have been logging our miles running and walking, outside and on the elliptical or treadmill too.

When everyone signed up it was simply for PRIDE, not PRIZES. People just wanted to be active, stay active, and find encouragement. None of these people knew that they would in fact be rewarded.

As the month started winding down, Anne offered the winner a crocheted beanie to the person with the most miles! On Monday, I was thrilled to let the Sweaty Challenge group know that someone would be winning a pair of Mizuno's brand new running shoe, the Wave Sayonara.

Today I am announcing that winner.

Using the random.org widget to select a Sweaty Challenge winner, congratulations to: #21 Elle!! Please email me your running shoe size and mailing address so that I can get your prize to you asap!

Thank you to Anne for getting this summer challenge started and Mizuno for sponsoring a prize.

Say Hello to Fast! Mizuno Wave Sayonara

This probably won't come as a shock, but I love Mizuno. Ever since I made the wise choice to purchase my first pair of Wave Riders, I have experienced brilliant running. It's no surprise then that I applied to become a Mezamashii Run Project Member. I wanted to be a part of the mezamashii community and the running buzz that Mizuno was creating and spreading.

Being a MRP member has it's perks. You may remember back in September when Mizuno asked me to give away ten MRP invitations and shoes. Then in May I was selected to go to Atlanta for a MRP video shoot. And to top it all off, a couple of weeks ago I received an email letting me know that I had been selected to preview the new Wave Sayonara before they became available in stores today, July 5th!

Wasting no time, the shoes came right out of the box and on to my feet. They are nice and snug in the heel, but very roomy in the toe box. Even though they are low to the ground and only weigh 7.1 ounces, they still utilize Mizuno Wave Technology providing a comfortable balance between cushion and stability.

Being an avid wearer of Riders, Inspires, and Creations, this performance shoe was a huge change for me. The biggest difference I found with the Sayonaras was in the heel to toe ratio. The ramp wasn't that different (10mm versus the traditional 12mm), but the heel height of 19 compared to 24/25 had a significant effect on the way I felt in the shoe.

L: Sayonara R: Rider 16

I kept my first couple of runs in the Sayonara on the short side (under 3 miles) because I was worried about injury. I've read that a lower heel-drop puts more strain on your foot muscles and tendons.  All during my first run I felt like I was leaning back, although mr. C thought my form looked the same. My next run felt better, normal, and a little like the shoe was pushing me to land more midfoot. In a very un-scientific way, I snapped action shots as I ran by the camera to try to see my foot strike.

Now, I like a good PR, but I'm not one to really worry about speed. I don't do speed workouts on the track or think about tempo, fartleks, or hill repeats. But since the Wave Sayonara is Mizuno's lightest, fastest racing shoe yet,  I would be remiss if I didn't mention that I did feel lighter and faster in this shoe. My pace was quicker even though I was trying to keep my heart rate lower while running through the soupy, humid air. The Wave Sayonara definitely has a spot in my running shoe rotation.

L-R: Sayonara, Rider 16, Inspire 8, Creation 14

So that's my running-blogger review. Want all the official tech information from a real professional? I'll let Dave from Mizuno fill you in!

Say goodbye to slow. Say hello to the new Wave Sayonara!

Review: Mizuno Wave Creation 14s

For about two months now I have been running in a new pair of Mizunos...the Wave Creation 14s. I picked these up at the Boston Marathon Expo back in April, but the review was put on hold after the horrific events on Marathon Monday.

To be perfectly honest, when I bought these I did not NEED a new pair of running shoes. Not really. I had just bought a new pair of Wave Rider 16s in January. I wear the Wave Riders on my shorter runs and usually wear Wave Inspires on my longer runs. I have a pair of Inspire 8s and at the expo, I was actually hoping to get a pair of the new 9s. Unfortunately, they did not have the color choice I wanted. Enter Mary from Mizuno.

I first met Mary from Mizuno in Manchester at a fun run at Runner's Alley when she brought along a bag full of Wave Rider 16s for everyone to test. This of course let to my purchase. This time Mary showed me the Wave Creation 14s as a optional choice for long runs.

I slipped them on and they felt amazing. Like the WR16s, they are soft and very lightweight. Unlike the Inspires, the Creation is a neutral shoe, but Mary assured me that there was good stability in these shoes and that they would work on my long runs.

I have worn my Wave Creation 14s on a variety of runs: short, long, road, trail. They are my new favorite. Even though I bought them to go into the rotation as a long run shoe, I find myself reaching for them for any type of run.

R- Wave Rider 16
L - Wave Creation 14

What sets this pair of Mizunos apart from the Wave Riders and Wave Inspires that I own is the two-tiered Wave plate that makes up the heal. It makes the bottom of the shoe look bigger and it's divided into two parts. And even though they look bigger and are technically heavier, they feel just as light as the WR16.

Every time I get a new pair of Mizunos, I think they are the best. Mizuno just makes great shoes!

TrainingTruths: A Recovery Week

The downhill that followed the run up into Eden Park during the Flying Pig Half Marathon left my legs feeling a little like mush. Add the rising temperatures and my running last week wasn't pretty. Since I know from past experience that there is a period of adjustment between cold and warm weather, I'm trying not to sweat (haha) the ugliness of my runs.

Tuesday I ran after school with my running partner. We were both nursing tired legs so we did a quick 5K. It was tough and the warmth made it feel even harder. I did try out my new Mizuno running shorts  and along with my Wave Inspires, they were the most comfortable part of the run.

I waited until Friday to do my second run because I was still feeling tired. I came home after my last class and did a lunch run with hubs. It was basically a 4.2 mile repeat of Tuesday's run: tired legs and warm temps. We earned a good sweat on this one and I was reminded how much I love cucumber facial wipes.

I went to a SurfSet class on Saturday morning and experienced my first total body urban surfing lesson. It was the toughest non-running workout I've done in a long time. Recap coming soon!

Photo credit: TI Fitness Instagram

Sunday morning when I woke up, I was reminded right away that I had done a total body workout the day before! Even though I was hurting, I went for a six mile run with the hubs and it was the best run of the week. I'm definitely a cooler weather, morning runner!

When was the last time you were sore from a workout? What kind of runner are you?

There's still time to enter to win a pair of sunglasses! Details here!