#TrainingTruths: Body on Fire

It feels good to not be training for something specific right now, especially since the summer heat and humidity is making it feel miserable. But I know it won't be long before I need to focus on getting ready for my fall half marathons: ZOOMA Cape Cod and BAA Half in Boston. For now I am happy spending the first part of summer just enjoying my runs and adventures as they come.

To kickoff summer vacation, the month of July, and the Sweaty Challenge, on Monday I took my Wave Sayonaras for another short run. Even out the door before 7:30, it was a sweat-fest. Afterwards I completed day 1 of a 30 day ab challenge that I am determined to complete along with another yoga-a-day pose challenge on Instagram.

Even though the humidity dropped some on Wednesday, we still elected to run on the city trails to ensure more shade. It was a much easier 4 miles, but that didn't stop us from cooling off with some fruit smoothies after.

Last year I ran the Manchester 5K with my friend Daisy and mr. C, and scored a crazy PR. This year mr. C and I decided to be spectators, so Wednesday evening we headed downtown to watch the 3.1 mile race and the Manchester Mile afterwards. If you watch the video, you will see the 3:42.97 finish of the fastest mile on American soil.

We spent Thursday morning at the local 4th of July parade and after sitting in the sun (getting sunburned), we decided to go swimming. Scobie Lake and Beach is only 1.5 miles from the house and we usually run by it, but the hot weather has been making it a more popular choice for swimming workouts.

We were in Newport for Saturday's long run. I picked 6.2 miles so that it could count for the Swagtastic Virtual 10K that I was signed up for. This was by far the toughest, sweatiest run of the week and the summer so far. It was warm, we were sunburned, and it was pretty much all sunshine along the waterfront. Gorgeous, but we were miserable.

King's Park Beach - I wanted to jump in at the half way point!

My first official week of summer quickly reminded me that we have to run smart when the heat and humidity start to rise. It's important to pay attention to both the temperature and dew point.

The good news is that my body will eventually acclimate itself to the warm weather and by the fall, I'll be loving the temps at my half marathons.

How do you keep your cool and get your runs in?

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!

#WhatsBeautiful & #GoalGetter2013 June Update

It feels like I just wrote my review post for May and already June has come to an end. I continued my participation in the #WhatsBeautiful campaign sponsored by Under Armour and FitFluential, and although it has been inspiring, I once again fell short on my individual goal. Despite not hitting my weekly mileage, I did have some great moments this month and (kind of) crossed one of my goals for the #GoalGetter2013 challenge off my list.

Some of my favorite highlights:

I kicked off the month celebrating National Running Day and hosting a fun run. Hosting a fun run is one of my goals for the year. It wasn't the biggest, but it was a start. I'm looking forward to putting together more group runs in the future.

After happening upon Athleta's #seizethesolstice challenge, I discovered a new passion for yoga. The challenge was super fun, but I also learned a lot about my body. It made me realize that I should probably invest some time for stretching and strengthening my muscles.

Once again I ran the local Kickoff to Summer 5K with my husband and youngest stepdaughter. It's fun to know that this race has become a tradition for us. This year we were blessed once again with beautiful weather, but we started our race day with a different starting line: our driveway!

The biggest highlight of the month was the trip to Boston for the BAA 10K. My stepdaughter trained for six weeks to run her personal distance record that day. It was so fun to see her earn her first piece of race bling!






I'm proud to say that in addition to doing some yoga for strength, I also incorporated Laura's six exercises for runners on my off running days this month.

So instead of running 20 miles a week for a monthly total of at least 80, my actual total for June was 62.3 miles. I didn't run less, I just ran shorter distances. At the halfway point, I have run 463.56 miles in 2013. I'm still within reach of 1000 for the year!

Now that I am healthy and summer break is here, I am planning to get the mileage back up, continue working on my yoga skills, and look for new adventures.

I'm also participating in the Sweaty Challenge as a fun way to stay motivated and engage in some online support. As of now the prize is bragging rights, but you never know who might step up and donate a prize! You can join in the fun here.

What was your favorite June highlight?

TrainingTruths: Got My Groove Back

First I want to announce that Happy Fit Mama is the winner of the Bestowed giveaway! Congrats! Please email me so I can put you in touch with your prize.

Even though I was in school an extra week (darn snow days!) and the heat arrived in New Hampshire with a vengeance, last week I was able to get my running groove back. I think I was able to finally sweat out all remnants of the nasty cold I picked up the week before and that gave me my energy back.

After a day spent proctoring exams on Tuesday, I convinced mr. C to join me for a 4 mile loop. This took some work because it was feels-like 90 degrees. Once the clouds moved in, we hit the door and managed to avoid the storm that arrived later. I wore a new racerback that I picked up from Corey Vines with my Earndit reward and loved it. It was super soft and lightweight, perfect for the hot weather. This run went much better than I thought it would in the high temperatures.

We ran again on Wednesday morning before work thinking the temperature would be better. It was cooler at 70, but the humidity was 65% making the sweat factor nearly the same as the night before. My Oiselle mesh tank helped keep me comfortable in the muggy air, but it didn't make breathing any easier. 

To celebrate the end of the school year (finally) on Friday, we snuck in a short run between downpours. It started off with a comfortable cool breeze, but then the humidity rolled back in making the last mile really tough. Taking a first run in my new Mizuno Wave Sayonaras that I received to preview as a member of the Mezamashii Run Project raised the fun factor a bit though.

It was time for another #SurfSet class on Saturday. This urban surfing workout was an intense mix of strength and cardio with a lot of squats and ab work. Afterwards we grabbed some to-go smoothies and breakfast sandwiches from our favorite downtown eatery. We rounded out the day with a 3 mile dog walk, first swim at Scobie Beach, and some yoga for runners.

We got a later start than I would have liked for our long run on Sunday and paid for it. It was a really tough run complete with dripping sweat, attacking flies, and stomach cramping in the warm and humid air. We walked more than I would have liked, but enjoyed a cool dip in the water at Scobie Beach afterwards to cool off.

The start to summer vacation has helped me get back on track. I upped my mileage for the week to 17 and added a bunch of cross training. It's looking like the summer will be full of fitness adventures and I love that! This week kicks off the start of the Sweaty Challenge, a spin off of the Chilly Challenge from January, where we log our miles and offer each other encouragement and support. Join in the fun here. 

Hope you had a good week too!

Fitness Friday: BAA 10K 2013 Weekend

Last weekend we made our way to Boston for the BAA 10K, the second race in the BAA Medley Series. This time I had a running partner: my step daughter.

Our mini race-cation started on Saturday with our first destination on Boylston Street. The last time we were there was for the BAA 5K on marathon weekend. It seemed fitting to pay our respects on the same weekend of the BAA's first race since the tragic events of April 15.

We spent the rest of the afternoon milling around Faneuil Hall, Waterfront Park, and Boston Common before heading to dinner. We chose Maggiano's Little Italy because they offered 15% off to race participants and we scooped up some cookies from the Chip Yard for dessert.

After dinner we strolled back to the hotel. With some time to spare before the start of the hockey game, we took advantage of the spacious room to do some family-time yoga and get our game plan for race day ready.

In the morning we walked the short two blocks to the starting area to meet up with some runner friends prior to the start. The BAA encouraged runners to wear blue and yellow as a tribute to April 15 so I chose my blue Nike running skirt and yellow tank, but I was loving all the Boston tees.

First we ran into Nicole and then Michelle! I also saw Alaina in the corral and on the course!

With the race capped and sold out to 6500 runners, getting into the pace corrals was no easy task. We got in Wave 3 with the 9-959 runners and it took about 10+ minutes to cross the start line.

Here's a glimpse of us at the start turning onto Beacon Street caught by mr C.

We spent the next 6.2 miles cruising through Boston's Back Bay, enjoying the cheers and cow-bells from the spectators, and sweating our butts off. IT WAS HOT! As much as I love bright sunny days, running in the heat after being sick was tough. I just wanted to get to the finish line as easily as my Wave Creations would carry me. 

The out & back course followed Commonwealth Ave. on the south side of the Charles River and led us to the turn around at Boston University. My step daughter and I stayed together until the last port-a-potty at mile 6. It sounds crazy to pitstop so close to the end, but I knew it would be a maze at the finisher's corral and I had no idea how long it would take to get to the port-a-potties there. The next time I saw her, she was showing off her bling!

We hung out on the Common afterwards long enough to cool down a bit and see the 2013 Boston Marathon Champion, Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia, gift his championship medal to the city of Boston to honor the victims and families of the marathon bombings.  

As much as we would've liked to enjoy the festivities on the common all day, we were mere visitors and had to get cleaned up and checkout of the hotel. It was a great weekend, a great race, and a great first 10K finish for my step daughter at 1:02:03 - and I came in right behind her at 1:02:44. 

See you in October for the BAA Half Marathon!

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On a side note, Shlomo from the Brain Tumor Foundation in New York City asked me to share this for readers who are interested in running the ING New York City Marathon on November 3 but were not chosen in the lottery: "The Brain Tumor Foundation has a limited number of slots left on Team BTF in this year’s ING New York City Marathon, and we can offer guaranteed entry into this year’s race for those who will run with Team BTF." You can find more information on the website or go directly to the Team BTF application.  

There's still time to enter to win a Bestowed box delivered right to your door! Click here!

Review: Bestowed

About a month ago, I was contacted by Bestowed to see if I would like to review one of their monthly subscription boxes.

Normally I would pass on this kind of thing, but since I have found some great products simply by testing them at an expo or race, I decided to give it a try. Plus there is something in it for you!!

Bestowed is a monthly care package filled with five healthy product samples that are hand picked by a nutritionist and shipped to you each month to try out. The membership is $19 a month or $209 annually. I received a complimentary June box.

When my box arrived, I was happy to find that not only did it contain a variety of products to try, but also a What's Inside insert. This information sheet describes each product and gives suggestions for how to use them.

Here's what I liked in my box:

If you had asked me as a kid to put anything other than cheese on my salad lettuce, I would've shrieked at you in horror. I was a picky eater, still am in a lot of ways. But I have evolved and now put more on my salads than my teenage self ever dreamed I would. I used the GimMe Cheddar Cheese Seaweed Crumbles as a replacement for croutons and it was very tasty.

I love smoothies, especially the ones made by someone else, but sometimes I use the pre-made kind you can get at the grocery to make them at home. I added some healthiness to my "homemade" smoothies by mixing in a package of Roots Superfood Powder. I made one with Zizo coconut water and one without because I'm not a fan of the flavor coconut. I didn't like the one with the coconut water, but the Roots pack actually added some flavor.

As a lover of snacks and chips, I enjoyed trying the Acai Berry Nut Butter. I tried it on Ritz and saltines, and it was good on both. I could easily see throwing the packets in my lunch bag and snacking at work.

The rest of my box included a coconut cashew TrueBar (which I didn't try because of the coconut), some antibacterial hand wipes from Herban Essentials that I already stashed in a desk drawer at work, and a free download of the Bon'App app that would be great for someone counting calories. I really wanted to use the coupon for a free package of Dr. Praeger's California veggie burgers, but they aren't sold in any of my local groceries.

A monthly subscription to Bestowed is great for people who are really focused on healthy products, but honestly that's not me. It's nice that you can try a sample of something and then go buy more because you already know that you like it. You have to acknowledge that there are going to be some items that you won't like or don't want to use, and some of the products might be available online only.

Bestowed has generously offered to give one lucky reader a free one-month subscription.

To enter all you have to do is share this review and giveaway - on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, anywhere.

That's it.

Leave a separate comment for each way that you shared. The more you share, the more chances you have to win.

Winner will be chosen randomly and announced on Monday!

Bestowed is also offering $5 off all monthly/yearly subscriptions when you use the code 5OFFBSTOWED01 at checkout.

TrainingTruths: One thing to Love

Last week I talked about how happy I was that my legs were feeling good again and I was ready to start building my weekly mileage back up.

Then I got sick. I had been fighting off a cold that turned worse before it got better. I even took a day off from running! That hardly ever happens unless I'm injured. Needless to say, I didn't like it, not one bit.

But there was one thing to love about last week...seeing my stepdaughter complete her first 10K!

On Tuesday my stepdaughter and I did her 10K training run together after school. At first we thought it might rain, but we got lucky and managed 4 dry miles. It was a regular route for me, but she told me afterwards that she didn't like the out & back. They can be mentally harder than loops.

I took an extra rest day on Thursday after I went home from work early and napped the afternoon away. I thought I might feel well enough to make up the run on Friday, but instead I took a sick day. I was too tired to do much of anything except wonder if I would be well enough to run the BAA 10K on Sunday with my stepdaughter.

In spite of my cold, I did finish the #SeizetheSolstice Instagram challenge that Athleta hosted. It was fun (most of the time) trying the new poses. Here are some of my favorites from the week. I'm still planning to focus on improving my yoga skills, but hopefully I'll find another challenge to help keep me motivated.

Clockwise: eagle pose, locust pose, shoulder stand, and dolphin pose

We drove down to Boston on Saturday and spent the day enjoying some of our favorite places. We made a stop on Boylston to pay our respects. It was our first time back since Marathon Weekend when I ran the BAA 5K. I was touched by the variety of memorial tokens, and this Manchester City Marathon shirt tucked in a corner caught my eye.  

On Sunday my stepdaughter and I laced up our Mizunos for her first 10K race while her dad took the role of escort, photographer, and master spectator. I'll share more in the recap, but running in the heat after my worst NH cold wasn't easy, but she did awesome!

What's one thing you have to love about last week?

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!

Kickoff to Summer 5K 2013

For the third year in a row (4th time overall) I ran a local PTA sponsored 5K with my husband and youngest step daughter. The Kickoff to Summer 5K is near and dear to my heart because it is the first race I ran in New Hampshire after moving here in 2008. At the time my husband was working overseas, so running helped ease the pain of missing him.

This year, my step daughter is training for her first 10K, so we combined the race with her long training run. We planted a car in the parking lot and then ran 3 miles from home to the race.

Our first starting line - in the driveway

We arrived at the race with about 20 minutes to cool off, hydrate, and pick up our bib and race shirts. The course starts at the local elementary school and winds out & back through the fairgrounds. I've had some good finish times and not-so-good finish times with this race. This year I had no plans. No goals. I just wanted to run what felt good and not do anything crazy - like aggravate a healing ab muscle.

Waiting at the second starting line

The race is completely organized and run by volunteers, so you will not hear me complain that the race started a little late especially since it gave us some time to take pictures. Once it was under way, it was pure fun. The gorgeous weather, the cheering spectators, and the happy runners/walkers make this race one of those that you come back to every year.

My step daughter jumped out ahead of mr. C and I at the start. I ran with him for about a mile until we caught up to her. I was feeling really good, so I just went with it. Part of the course is an out & back on a dirt/gravel road (not my favorite terrain) and I got hung up here behind runners, but most of the time I was able to just let my legs go.

Long run & 5K finishers!

My times for this race have been: 32:13, 28:06, and 27:35. This year I was not chasing a PR, but I did finish strong with a time of 28:56.

How do you "kickoff" your summer?

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Speaking of summer, how would you like to kick yours off by winning a HUGE runner prize package valued at $400? My friends at Simple Hydration are having a photo contest and all you have to do is submit a photo to enter. 

Here are the details:

Take a picture with #RUNSIMPLE. Enter your creative photo here for a chance to win a Runner’s Prize Package ($400 Value!). Prizes include choice of HOKA ONE ONE shoes, a 4-pack of Simple Hydration Water Bottles, 1BandID ID tag, HVLO Headphones, Yankz! SureLace System, Mizuno visor and socks and Chica Bands headbands.

TrainingTruths: What's Beautiful: You Can Count on Me

Last week the attention I've been giving my legs started to pay off. The yoga, the stretching, and the strength exercises have eased the pain and strains I've been dealing with for a while.

Tuesday - I started the day with a leg strength workout that I found posted by Laura. After school I ran 4 awesome miles with mr.C and as Katie would say, the #magicmilefairy blessed my legs. They felt so light! Afterwards I did my trusty yoga for runners post-run stretching sequence.

Wednesday - It was a rest day, but I did the leg strength workout after school before heading out to the theater to see Spirit of the Marathon II. What an awesome movie!

Thursday - I decided to repeat what I did on Tuesday since I felt so good, so I did the leg strength workout in the morning again. After school I ran 4 fun, rainy miles with mr. C followed with the post-run yoga stretching sequence. It worked. The legs felt amazing.

Friday - Trying to keep consistent even on rest days, I did the leg strength workout after school.

Saturday - I had put 6 miles on my step daughter's training plan and we signed up for the local annual 5K, so we got creative. We ran 3 miles to the 5K, and then ran the 5K. Even though I ran the first 3 miles faster than the race, I'm still happy because my legs were happy.

Last week I learned that if you take the time to take care of yourself, you will feel the reward. My legs have been very happy since I started consistently stretching and strength training.

I'm also excited that I'm able to start building my weekly mileage back up and continue working toward my goal of 1000 miles for the year - which also will help my FitFluential and Under Armour What's Beautiful team goal. Although we have logged over 1300 miles, we are still pushing toward our team goal of 5000. If you like to rack up the miles, head over to Under Armour and sign up with Team Escapades.

What body part is your biggest ally?