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?

Fitness Friday: Yoga & Running

Athleta has been hosting a yoga pose-a-day contest on Instagram that couldn't have come at a better time. I mentioned that I had to re-focus after a recent injury, and yoga has been a source of inspiration.

So in addition to using the Yoga for Runners app that I love, I have been trying to replicate Athleta's Insta-Pose of the Day. From the different poses, I have learned a lot about myself.

I'm pretty good a planks. I used to do them after every run. I've even done a monthly plank challenge. Since they're so good for the core, I should probably do them more often. I wish I knew why I lose interest.

My hamstrings and quads are VERY tight, which of course makes me realize that they are the root of all my running injuries. Then after seeing the pictures, I noticed my poor stretching form. So not only do I not stretch enough, but when I do it's relatively ineffective. Ugh!

Some poses are brand new to me and I've been having fun experimenting. Even though I've never heard of them and need assistance getting my hands, feet, body in the right position, I'm happy that I'm trying and learning more each time.

Athleta's contest has inspired me to learn more about yoga. Since I'm new to it, I figured I'd better start with the basics. I found a great source of basic poses on the Fitness Magazine website, so I have somewhere to start.

Do you yoga? What is your favorite pose?

Spirit of the Marathon II

Happy Hump Day!

Tonight I am joining a small of group of running friends at the Cinemagic Theater in Hooksett, NH to watch the US screening of Spirit of the Marathon II presented by NCM Fathom Events and Competitor Group. The movie follows seven inspiring runners as they prepare for the 2012 Rome Marathon and includes motivational interviews with running legends such as Paula Radcliffe, Frank Shorter, and Katherine Switizer.

I took one look at the trailer that accompanied my invitation from Fathom Events and knew that I had to see this movie.

So after immediately adding Rome to my bucket list of places that I want to run, I looked up the 2008 award-winning original documentary Spirit of the Marathon and found it on HULU and Netflix. Saturday evening you could've found mr. C and I cheering for the runners of the 2005 Chicago Marathon as they trained and competed. This movie is about more than running marathons. It's about passion, motivation, inspiration, and celebration. It's a must see for all runners and anyone who loves a runner.

Tonight I will be watching the much anticipated sequel and cheering on a new set of runners as they embark on their journey to the finish line of the Rome Marathon. To find a select theater near you, visit the Fathom Events website. A portion of the proceeds from the event will be donated to the One Fund Boston to assist the families affected by the bombings at the Boston Marathon.

Many thanks to NCM Fathom Events, Competitor Group, AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark Holdings Inc., and Regal Entertainment Group for the complimentary tickets to the event.