Heather Runs Thirteen Point One

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

the weekly chase #27

On Tuesdays I join the Weekly Chase link up with Mindy from Road Runner Girl – thanks for hosting, Mindy! Below is a recap of how the goals from last week went over, and my new goals for this week.

Weekly goals for September 29–October 5; recap

Goal #1 - Daily goals –

A: Log and stay under calorie goals.

B: Drink 48 ounces of water.

C: Eat healthier snacks/meals.

D. Hit 10,000 steps per day via Fitbit.

Generally, let's just say this goal didn't go well at all last week. I am hitting reset and starting fresh this week. My steps for the week: 4759, 11533, 5710, 9599, 6430, 15202, 34164. I did great on the weekend, what with all the dancing and running :)

Goal #2 - Continue Dopey training.

Indeed – I ran two shorter runs on Tuesday and Thursday. I was supposed to do 5.5 mile walk (I did my run/walk intervals) on Saturday, but cut it short due to horrible weather and ended with only 2.63. But, if you read my week in review, you'll see I did a whole of standing and dancing in heels on Saturday, so feel like that more than makes up for it. Sunday I ran 15 miles! Yay!

Goal #3 - Roll with the stick/foam roll, stretch, and ice daily.

About 50% with this goal this past week.

Goal #4 - Cross train at least two days.

I did one day... but feel like my Saturday evening activities count, too. Dancing is a different form of cardio :)

Goal #5 - Continue to clean the house throughout the week.

Yes, but I don't feel like I even made a dent. Ugh... it never ends, and I don't even have kids making a mess - it's all me. I need to get my act together.

Weekly goals for October 6–12

How about you — what are your goals for this week?

Monday, October 6, 2014

week in review: september 29 – october 5

Dopey Challenge Training: Week 14

Monday, September 29: rest day

Tuesday, September 30: 3.01 miles (30/60 run/walk intervals)

Wednesday, October 1: Cross training - arms

Thursday, October 2: 1.94 miles (30/60 run/walk intervals)

Friday, October 3: rest day

Saturday, October 4: 2.63 miles (30/60 (30/60 run/walk intervals)(5.5 scheduled)

Sunday, October 5: 15.05 miles (and then .25 mile cool down)

Weekly mileage: 22.63 miles

Total mileage for Dopey Challenge Training: 222.69 miles

Wow – it was another busy week! Monday was a rest day, and I just hung out won the couch with the husband watching OITNB. Tuesday I ran during a work break over on the LFP – it was crazy windy and was fun to hear/watch the waves, though some were coming so far up on the path I thought they might drag me into the lake with them. At night I had #bibchat, so the husband and I packed some sandwiches for dinner and went to a local brewery to grab a drink and I chatted from there while he did some reading. Wednesday was a more relaxing day, I did a few strength exercises for my arms, and then house cleaning and more OITNB.

Tuesday run on the Lakefront.

Thursday after work I went to a wedding rehearsal dinner – my husband was standing up in the wedding. After the church rehearsal, we headed to dinner at an Italian restaurant with family/wedding party and had a great time chatting and eating pizza. Yum. Friday night was spent packing for the wedding and more hanging out.

Passed the Nike Chicago store and was excited
to see the Chicago Marathon window display!

Saturday I had attempted my 5.5 mile run. I was so proud because I woke up 6 to get this done (not an easy feat for me, especially knowing it would be a long day and late night). Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating. I got outside and realized how cold and windy it actually was, but I kept moving. I was quite glad I had brought gloves, but really wished I had a gaitor for my face and a hat. Almost immediately it started to drizzle, and it was practically ice! Buurrrr. Anyway, as you can see from above, I cut the run short. I was freezing and could feel a cold coming on if I stayed out there much longer. I had a long day ahead of me and wanted to be able to last. It took a while to warm up once I got home and showered.

Saturday's cold/windy/rainy run -
mid 30's, burrr! I like cold, but was not
yet prepared for it.

Then it was time to head to the church. The husband had to be at the church up north at 12:45, and since he would be on the trolley for the day, I just went with then so there wouldn't be two cars to deal with. After the wedding ceremony I headed to the hotel about an hour away. Traffic was miserable, and it was rainy and so windy that the car was shaking, but I made it to the hotel with no incidents. Then I thought it was a good time to do my hair, which I rarely do. I brought a wand – basically it's a curling iron without the extra claspy thing that holds your hair on... you just wrap it around the ceramic wand. Annnnd... of course, I burnt myself. Ouch. It wasn't too bad, but it certainly left a mark that hurt.

After eating a burger that a friend brought to my room, it was time to grab the shuttle to the reception. It was such a beautiful place, and it was decorated with a lot of cute touches the bride and groom came up with. I had a great time, but being on my feet almost all day, plus dancing the night away, heading to the bar after the reception ended and not getting to bed at 2am made me feeling quite nervous about my 15 run the next day. I was smart enough to drink water and not much alcohol during the night (1 1/2 glasses champagne and maybe half a beer), so I was happy not to have a hangover to deal with in the morning.

After waking up, I showered, packed, and hit the road for some Panera. I got a sesame seed bagel with plain cream cheese and of course a large Green Iced Tea (if you follow me on twitter or instagram, you know I'm obsessed). After about an hour drive home (so glad my husband drove so I could rest the legs a bit), I got home, changed, got my gear ready, and headed out to my favorite running trail.

I was pretty nervous about this run. Not only was it my first time running 15 miles, but it was coming off a very long day of being on my feet (and in heels!). I think that was more of a leg exhaustion than the 5.5 miles that were scheduled. Luckily, I felt pretty good most of the way! Hooray!

Upper left: Mile 3
Upper Right: Fall leaves
Lower left: #poweredbybits
Lower right: FINISHED, and still smiling

What I wore: BibRave tech shirt, New Balance shorts, sunglasses, Nike visor, Sparky Soul headband, Nike sports bra, Brooks Running trail shoes (I don't know their exact style... that's bad, right? haha), Feetures Elite socks, Brooks rain jacket, Garmin Forerunner 220, Road ID wristband, Fitletic fuel belt, and Orangemud HydraQuiver Double Barrel.

I took 20 ENERGYbits before I started, and then one Clif Shot Blok at mile 2, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 14. I wanted to take more ENERGYbits at mile 10, but I forgot to get them out of my backpack and didn't want to stop to dig through to find them, hence the amount of Shot Bloks consumed at the end there—I was getting hungry—ENERGYbits could have helped curb the hunger.

I also tried out my Jabra Sport Wireless+. Unfortunately, it didn't go as well as it did on my three shorter runs (used them just the day before and they were fine). For some reason, I couldn't get the right one in my ear well. The sound and left ear were fine, but the right one just felt wrong. It wasn't falling out or anything, but it was annoying me. I had brought my Yurbuds just in case the Jabras ran out of battery, or if something was wrong, so at mile 3.5 I took a bathroom break and swapped my earphones. Normally I would have kept trying to fix the Jabras until I got them how I wanted, but I didn't want to waste any energy on that (along with frustration) that I could use, and need, for my run. I'll write more in detail what was going on when I write up my review: part two. I just need to fiddle with some different eargels for my right ear to find the perfect match. I think I need different ones for my left and right ears haha.

Sad face for problems with fitting my Jabras on my ears.

I wore my Zensah Compression Leg Sleeves, and am really glad I did. I had a bit of leg cramping/tightness towards the end. I know it would have felt much worse if I wasn't wearing those bad boys. They also kept my legs warm. I also used my Orangemud HydraQuiver Double Barrel hydration pack – one bottle filled with Nuun Strawberry Lemonade and the other with water. I drank all of the Nuun and about half of the water.

It was a bit windy and cold, especially when the sun wasn't out, so I brought a rain jacket and put that on around mile 12 to help cut the wind – it fits perfectly on the pack in the cord lock system. It was funny though, because I was wearing a short sleeved shirt (my BibRave one), shorts, and compression sleeves, while most others out were wearing long pants, long sleeve shirts and/or winter type jackets and ear warmers. It was such a difference in attire haha. I wasn't even cold during the run after about a mile, but could feel that my arms felt cold, if that makes sense, which is why I put on the jacket towards the end.

My body felt pretty good the whole run – my arches gave me a few pangs here and there, but were generally pretty good.

I was so happy to complete 15 miles! They were pretty slow, but considering the day I had previously, I was quite happy with the fact that I actually went AND did all 15 miles. I had about .25 miles till the end of the trail, so used that as a cool down walk. I brought a Hoist Strawberry Lemonade and left it in a cooler in the car, so drank that on my way home. You'll find out why I love it so much in a recap coming this week :) (here's a sneak preview: it's isotonic, so hydrates faster than other sports drinks, and it tastes great!).

What my recovery looked like.

When I got home, I drank some reduced fat chocolate milk and put my legs up on the wall. After that, a warm shower, tossed on sweatpants, a long sleeve shirt, and a sweatshirt and for recovery: my Feetures PF sleeves and Zensah Ultra Compression Sleeves. Let me tell you... the Ultras felt amaaaazing. The instant I put them on, my legs felt relief. It was my first time using them, and they did not disappoint. Zensah are my favorite, so I was quite excited that the got together with BibRave to let some BibRavePros give them a try. I finished my Hoist Strawberry Lemonade while waiting for our pizza to be delivered ;)

This morning I woke up with very little aches/pains and no headahces or signs of dehydration – I really think the Nuun on my run and the Hoist after helped keep me from getting my usual signs. Awesome. I thank Zensah for keeping my legs happy, even the day after when I usually feel sore, I don't. Regular and Ultra for the win!

I'll write up a Hoist and Zensah Ultra Compression Sleeve review eventually, but need to test them out some more :) Thanks to Hoist, Zensah, and BibRave for being awesome and sending me these amazing products to try out!!

Coming up this week: It's a tame week in training for me, but I'm super excited to meet up with folks running the marathon for a shakeout run on Saturday morning being hosted by Justin and BibRave. I'm also headed to cheer on the marathoners and will be at mile 11.5 on the south west corner of Erie and Wells – if you're running, keep an eye out for the orange. Scheduled to be there between 8 and 10 :) FYI - I plan on sticking around till I see all of my friends/family pass, but think the BibRave signs will be gone around 10.

How was your week? Did training go well? Any races over the weekend? Let me know how it all went :)

P.S. Make sure to review your race(s) on BibRave.com, and join us for BibChat tomorrow night at 8pm CT to talk hydration with our sponsor, Hoist :)

Friday, October 3, 2014

friday five: fitness inspirations

On Friday's we link up.

I am linking up with the lovely ladies of DC: Courtney at Eat Pray Run DC, Cynthia at You Signed up for What?, and Mar at Mar on the Run, as I do every Friday. This week's theme is "Five Fitness Inspirations".

1. This is a bit vague, but all of the blogs/twitter/instagram friends I've made these past few months. This means you, dear reader. I honestly can't just pick one person, as every single person I've encountered, interacted with, or just read tweets/blog posts inspires me. Most are faster, some are younger, some are older, some are coming back from injuries – everyone is going through their own thing, and I find that inspiring. The fact that day after day, you all are out there doing your best... now that's fantastic and it helps keep me motivated and inspired to keep running.

2. My mom. She didn't start running with me until her 60s! She was always a fast paced walker, and started out doing races that way, but she now uses the Galloway Method of run/walk intervals. To have so much pep in her step still is amazing (I know she's not that old, but there are plenty of folks her age that aren't doing what she's doing), and I hope to be so awesome when I grow up ;)

3. My active husband. He is the reason I started running. Granted, I took it to a whole new level with the races (and the need for something in my future to work towards/create goals for), which he isn't quite enthusiastic about. Though I haven't been inclined to go with him on any of his mountain climbing trips, I admire and am in awe of him for completing so many high peaks successfully. To be honest, he inspires me every day, because he is just generally awesome.

4. My husband's father. Umm... he's an Ironman, many times over, for crying out loud. Talk about inspiring. Mad props to that man.

5. The weather! Sometimes it's a run in the rain that I need, other days it's a breezy, sunny day in the 60s that makes me itch to lace up my shoes and hit the pavement. The fall is my favorite time to be running, with the changing leaves and the cooler temps, and though this year my asthma has been quite bothered with the turn in weather, I'm hoping it settles down soon.

What/who inspires you?

Thanks to Courtney, Cynthia, and Mar for hosting! Make sure to check out their "Friday Five" posts (direct links above in first paragraph) and link up if you are joining in on the fun (and if you aren't – how come?!). Don't forget to read/comment on some of the other link ups :)

Also, if you're interested, here are my posts from the week:

Week in Review

Weekly Chase

A Look Back on Summer

Jabra Sport Wireless+ Review

Have a great weekend, everyone! Hope it's wonderful :)

Thursday, October 2, 2014

jabra sport wireless+ review: part one

Honestly, I had a hard time deciding which gif to use.
So many great choices haha. I chose this one since
it is exercise themed ;) Source.

If you're like me, you love to run while listening to music. Also, if you're like me, you have a hard time finding earphones/buds that work well with your ear. I've gone through different pairs trying to find the ones that fit just right, stay in my ear, and are comfortable, as well as needing controls for the volume and play/pause/skip functions, so I don't need to bring my phone or nano out every time I need to adjust volume or want to skip a song. I obviously also want some good sound. In walks (or maybe I should say special mail day delivers) the Jabra Sport Wireless+.

I have been a lover of the Yurbuds Inspire Talk for Women for the past year or two, but had been thinking of going wireless for a while. I was so excited when this great opportunity to test out wireless Jabras came knocking on my door.

One of the perks of being a BibRave Pro (in addition to the occasional race entry and being part of an amazing community of runners) is that sometimes I get to try out some sweet products. One such product is the Jabra Sport Wireless+. I've only had the chance to try them out twice on shorter runs, hence the 'part one' of the review. I always like to try products on short and long runs to give them the full work up. I don't think you can get a feel for a product on just one or two short runs... at least one long run is necessary.

Jabra Sport Wireless+

The eargels and clip that come in the box.

What's in the box? You get the earphones, eargels, fitclip, USB charger, and a protective bag. Also, they save music time for these is 4 hours, standby is 120 hours, and talk time is 4.5 hours. Unfortunately, these won't work for me for my marathon, since I am slow and expect 6–7 hours to finish haha. Oh well. They'll be great for the shorter long runs ;)

Anyway, so far, so good! I have to admit, that it took me a while to get them on. There are so many different eargels (7) to try, which I'm thankful for, as everyone's ears are different and I've had trouble in the past finding a comfortable pair of earbuds that stay in. I tried to figure it out on my own, but ended up going to Jabra's website and watching this video. Very helpful, even though it seems so easy haha. I felt like a dummy for having trouble in the first place.

After taking out of the box and reading the instructions, I charged them for about 2 hours until the green light stopped flashing, indicating a full charge. It was extremely easy pairing the earphones to my Nano. The earphones automatically go into pair mode the first time you turn them on, and there was even voice guidance to help you pair your earphones with your device. You need a bluetooth enabled device, then, generally, you go to settings, turn on Bluetooth (or look for a new device to pair), the name of the product comes up, click on it and voila. It mentioned entering a password, but I wasn't required to do so in my process (not to say you wouldn't have to – depends on your device).

One of my favorite Parks & Recreation episodes!

This is pretty great too. This is what I did when I
heard I would be testing out the Jabras :)

The earphones were comfortable while running and I found it easy to turn up the volume and pause. I need to check on the process for skipping songs and I'm set! I barely noticed them while running, and I really like that the wire behind the head is just that, a wire. They never felt like they weren't secure and didn't fall out at all. No bouncing (I used the Fitclip to secure the wire behind my head so it wasn't loose and flopping), which is a huge bonus in my book.

I was very happy that these are built towards US Military Rain, Shock, Sand, and Dust standards so it’s built to withstand the most intensive workout conditions. While I was out running Tuesday, it was either drizzling or Lake Michigan was spitting at me. Either way, I was happy to know my earphones wouldn't be ruined if they got a few drops on them. Hooray! It's also a bonus because I'm a sweater... big time! Take note that they ARE NOT water proof, but water resistant. They can withstand a short rain shower, but are not waterproof and cannot be submerged in fluids. If your device gets wet, it should be wiped clean of any traces of water in order to protect it from potential damage!

The sound was good to me, and I didn't notice the it going in and out, like bluetooth devices sometimes do. I think it happened twice on my second run, but didn't have any troubles on my first run. That's awesome. Who can stand the music cutting in and out constantly? Fingers crossed I have great results on my 15 miler this weekend.

You can find out more about these earphones by going to Jabra's website, where you can also purchase them for $99.99 – a decent price for wireless earphones, I'd say (especially ones, that so far, work excellently). There's also a page to find retail locations that sell them.

My one concern is that they go behind the ear. I wear sunglasses almost always when running (I get headaches from squinting... which I do even on non sunny days. I must have sensitive eyes), and am not sure how sunglasses will fit on my head if they don't have ear space to hang out. This is why multiple wears are important — my short runs were on cloudy days and I forgot to wear sunglasses. I will let you know how it goes in part two of the review.

Thank you to Jabra and BibRave for the opportunity to test the Jabra Sport Wireless+ out! Head on over to BibRave.com and write reviews for your races, or look up races you're on the fence about to help you make your decision :)

Want other opinions? Check out the reviews from other BibRave Pros:
Angie
Melissa
Matt
Sarah
Jenn

Some Pros also had a chance to try out the Jabra Rox a while back, check out their reviews:
Matt
Sarah
Jane
Jeremy
Angie
Kristen

*Disclaimer: Jabra sent me the Jabra Sport Wireless+ to review as part of the BibRave Pro Ambassador Program. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and are completely honest.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

a look back on summer

Hi all! I figured with October's arrival and the end of summer (I know, it was officially fall last week), I would take a look back on how my summer went as far as training, blogging, and just life in general.

By the date of actual summer, I was in the middle of my first ever Running Streak. I was participating in the Runner's World Streaking Challenge, which began on Memorial Day and was lasting until Independence Day – 40 consecutive days of running! I extended it by 20 days, and ended with a 60 day running streak. I really enjoyed it, and it was very motivating to get out and run even when I wasn't feeling it. It was also a great way to push myself and showed me that even when I'm tired, I can accomplish a decent run.

Summer also began my journey of training for not only my first marathon, but the Dopey Challenge. Maybe for some, a 29 week plan (week 28 is the challenge and 29 the week after) is extreme, but I really liked the idea of having a long time to train my body to run the long miles, while also (hopefully) avoiding injury. So far it's been going really well. I've had some aches and pains in my feet and hips, but I've been working on keeping them just aches. I really like how every other weekend is a long run, while in between are shorter ones to help the body rest and recover.

I'm proud of myself, because this is the first time I have been sticking to a plan to the T (granted, some days I have to switch the miles around, but I've gotten in every long run so far), and keeping up with the run/walk method consistently. I'm happy with how training is going, and am anxious/excited/nervous/all the feelings about my 'firsts' coming up – first 15 miler, 17 miler, etc.

This year, thanks to the running streak and being consistent with training, I have my first runner's tan! Now, I don't tan much. I have fair skin and generally just burn. This summer, however, I have actual tan lines, so to me, I am tan haha. I have the lovely watch white line on my wrist, visible shorts lines on my legs, and the racerback tank lines on my shoulders and back. As a reminder, I was very good with putting on my sunscreen, but for those long races, I didn't reapply.

Another thing I began in the summer (well, late May... but that's really the feel of summer starting) is joining up with the DC Trifecta for Friday Five posts - Cynthia, Mar, and Courtney. Here is my first link up post on Five Places I'd Like To Run. A few other favorites include: Friday Favorites, Fall Preview, and Five Things I Love About Blogging. It was also very exciting to be featured on one of the hosts Friday Five posts: Blogs To Love!

I've run a handful of races in the summer, but I generally just have fun and don't race race because I have issues with the heat (pass out type issues - my Irish body hates the heat and humidity haha). I'm still in the process of recapping, but here's a few: 13.1 Chicago Half Marathon, Burgers & Beer 5k, Rock 'n' Roll expo/5k. For all of my races/recaps, click here.

Rock 'n' Roll Chicago 5k - Shalane Flanagan's autograph!

13.1 Chicago Half Marathon

In late August, I became a BibRave Pro Ambassador! It's been such a joy getting to know the co-owners, community manager, and the other pros over the past few months, and even more so now that I'm a Pro myself. I haven't had the chance to run any races officially as a Pro, but I've been rocking my tank and shirt during races I registered myself for and my training runs. I have had the opportunity to try out some amazing products, though, which you can expect reviews on in the next few weeks (Jabra Sport Wireless+ (went for the first test spin yesterday, which went well), Zensah Ultra Compression Leg Sleeves (will wear after my 15 miler this weekend), and Hoist (also tried yesterday – very tasty! Will bring on my 15 miler for more testing).

Don't forget to head on over to BibRave.com and review the races – you can link back to your own blog posts as well! It helps other runners decide which races to register for :) I have a few discount codes for you for some races, so head over here to grab them and register. Also, set a reminder for every Tuesday night at 8PM Central Time for #bibchat! We discuss a different topic every week pertaining to running, nutrition, safety, obstacle races, etc. It's super fun!

Finally, in September, I became an Ambassador for ENERGYbits. I had tried these little green tablets back in June, being skeptical, but found out first hand how wonderful they are. You can read about my experience with it here. They help keep my hunger at bay, give me energy needed when tired, and help me to focus.

I use them before running, in the morning when I need an extra boost (I'm not a coffee drinker), and before other workout classes. I've found them extra helpful for race mornings, as I have a nervous stomach and can't eat anything before the race – just pop some of these bad boys and I'm off (15 minutes later)! If you'd like to try a sample, send me an email, or if want to buy a bag (of any bits), you can receive a 25% discount using code 'HeatherRuns'. Let me know what you think!

It's been quite the whirlwind of a summer. A few fun personal happenings included a wedding for my college buddy, Lollapalooza, Riot Fest, girls trip to Michigan, dinners/drinks with friends, taking Bar Method classes (I still need to write up my review for that), and a lot of fun races.

Women Rock Chicago 10k - bubbly at the finish :)

Greenbush Brewing Co. with some great friends.

St Joseph, Michigan.

Summer in the city.

Riot Fest necessities.

How did your summer turn out? Did you meet the goals you set for yourself? Anything you missed out on? Hope this post wasn't too long and boring for you!

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