Month: June 2014

Recap of this week’s workouts

After running the Seattle Rock’n’Roll Half Marathon last Saturday, I took some rest days and then ran 3 miles on Wednesday. My next race will be a virtual 10K for Moms Run this Town and my next half marathon will be in September.

20140629-221203-79923205.jpgOn Thursday, I decided to get a total body workout and did Focus T25’s Total Body Circuit. This one’s still a tough one! I had a great sweat session! Here I am with my kiddo.

20140629-221203-79923610.jpgOn Friday, I went to my coach’s Fit Club and it was awesome to try PiYo for the first time! We did the workout called Sweat and I was drenched in sweat by the end of it. I’m not sure if it was because there was no air conditioning or what, but I felt I had a great workout!

piyoSaturday was a rest day and today I ran 6 miles. That puts my monthly total to 87 miles which is a record for me! One of these days I will get 100 miles.

On today’s run, I wore the Injinji socks I won from a giveaway. I thought they felt good when I was running with them. On the packaging it says the anatomical 5 toe design properly aligns toes, prevents blisters and promotes proper posture & balance. They are lightweight as well. It’s pretty cool that I won them :). My toes felt a little different in them but it was good.

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How’d last week go for you? Have you tried Injinji socks? What do you think?

Hope this week  goes well for you!

Monthly Running Miles Record

I was looking at my running stats on Smashrun and I think I’ve ran the most I’ve ever ran in one month! So far I’m at eighty one miles. That’s a lot and the most so far for me! 🙂 I’m on a roll this year! Last year I only ran two races. I’ve ran three races so far this year and have signed up for two more. I have my first trail run in August, a 5k, and then another half marathon in September. I also have a virtual 10k in July. I feel I need to keep it up. Races keep me motivated and give me something to look forward to.

But I must say I’m in the best shape of my life right now and it has totally helped my running! I’m running the fastest I’ve ever ran, running long distance. It started last August when I got Shaun T’s latest program- Focus T25. You might have seen the infomercials or know Shaun T from the Insanity workout program. The nice thing about Focus T25 is that the workouts are only 25 minutes. After I did Focus T25 for two rounds, P90X3 came out and I finished that program. The workouts in P90X3 are only 30 minutes. As you can see I’m all about getting a great workout in a short amount of time. 🙂 Tony Horton put me in tip top shape with the strength and variety of his workouts. I can actually do real pull ups now! After that I then started running again and continued to incorporate the Beachbody programs while training for the half marathon I did in May. I got my PR (Personal Record) that race by two minutes! Running has never felt this good for me.

I just ordered PiYo, Chalene Johnson’s newest workout program which is supposed to help with flexibility and strength while still give you a nice cardio workout. I can’t wait to try it! I just need to figure out how to incorporate it with my running. I think I’m addicted to working out and running right now, lol. This quote sums it up:

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I make sure not to overdue it though. I take my rest days.

Here’s my Smashrun stats for this month:

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If you’re a runner, do you incorporate other workout programs in your training? If you’re interested in any Beachbody programs let me know. 🙂 I’ll be having a support/test group for PiYo in July.

Last week’s recap.

Here’s a recap of last week’s half marathon training workouts. It started with a five mile run on Wednesday. My schedule was off because of running my long run on Monday instead of Sunday due to traveling and then Tuesday was a rest day. I got Wednesday’s run done early and had a good  five mile run. I had to get it done earlier than normal since I knew the day was going to be busy. After my kiddo’s Kindergarten celebration, we were traveling again so I knew I had to get my run done early since it would be hard to get it done later.

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Then on Thursday, I did 10 x 400s. I worked out with my sister, which was nice! It’s been a long time since I last ran with her and she’s going to be running the Seattle Rock’n’Roll Half Marathon too!20140616-100004-36004392.jpg

I ended up taking a rest day on Friday and then ran three miles on Saturday with my sister. I took a picture while running in the trail and here’s the result:20140616-100005-36005769.jpgI think it looks kinda cool.

Here’s me in my sis after the three mile run:20140616-100632-36392227.jpg

Then yesterday, Sunday long run day, we ran twelve miles! This was my first time running twelve miles being out of town so we were running a new route which was kind of fun. I took my camera out while running lol and took a selfie with my sis below:

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Here’s a pic from on our route:20140616-100007-36007229.jpg

Here are some pics of my sister running:20140616-101843-37123944.jpg

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Here we are, finished with the twelve mile run:20140616-100008-36008568.jpg

Only five more days until the Seattle Rock’n’Roll Half marathon! What’s your next race or event? Leave a comment below. 🙂

Recap of last week’s workouts

Here’s the recap of last week’s workouts for my half marathon training. The event is coming close! It’s eleven days away. Last Monday, I took a rest day since I had ran 10 miles on Sunday. Tuesday was a scheduled 5 mile run and I ended up running 5.25 miles. We have a Max train and I don’t like stop running at the crossings when they come, so I usually turn and keep running. I also tried my new shoes and they felt pretty good, really cushy and comfortable.20140610-110202-39722722.jpg

On Wednesday, I did a 45 min tempo run. I ran easy for the first ten minutes, then picked it up for twent-five minutes, and then ran easy for the last ten minutes. 20140610-110203-39723120.jpg

On Thursday, I did some strength training by doing Focus T25’s Gamma Pyramid workout. It’s a great workout that uses weights!20140610-110203-39723490.jpg

Then later in the day when my husband came home I ran three miles.20140610-110203-39723860.jpg

I wasn’t able to do the rest of the workouts on Hal Higdon’s schedule since I was travelling for a wedding and then going back home, I couldn’t get my long run in.

I was able to do it yesterday. I ran eleven miles and had a good run except I found out my toes on my right foot still hurt after a while even with the wide toe box with my new shoes. I guess I’ll have to try something else. I’ve read there are metatarsal pads which I might try.

20140610-112133-40893144.jpgAnyone else deal with a Morton’s Neuroma? What do you do to help it?

 

Flipbelt – An Awesome Belt for Running

I was first introduced to the FlipBelt when I was at the Portland Rock’n’Roll Expo. I was going to run the Portland Rock’n’Roll Half Marathon the next day. I thought, that looks like a nice idea for a belt but at the time I was thinking I don’t need this, I already have a belt. Little did I know, it would’ve been nice to have the FlipBelt for that race. For some reason, during the race, the belt I already had, my Spibelt, kept bothering me. It was loose and I had to keep moving it down. I’m not sure if it was the extra Gu I put or what, but it bothered me during my race. I didn’t check if it was tightened enough I guess and I didn’t want to stop  during the race to figure out what was up. I probably should have since it annoyed me but I didn’t. I just kept pushing it down while running. Because of that race, I decided to look at different possibilities to hold my phone and Gu.

There was a lot of new stuff like the FlipBelt that intrigued me besides the Spibelt. Someone on one of my Facebook groups mentioned the HipsSister. I looked at it but didn’t really like the way it looked. I thought the band looked to high. The height of the band on the body is higher than the FlipBelt. It’s like five inches whereas the FlipBelt is three inches. Here’s a picture of the HipSsister and then one of me wearing my FlipBelt:

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I like how the FlipBelt is a lot smaller but still can fit what I need to carry.

The packaging of the FlipBelt was simple. It gives you some key points of the belt. There’s also some small pictures showing how you can flip the belt to lock the items. I felt while running with it that there’s no need to flip the belt to lock items. My phone and Gu fit snug enough and did not fall out at all while running.

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The FlipBelt is made of 92% Polyester and 8% Spandex. It feels very durable to me and of great quality. On the packaging, you also see the sizing chart. Sizing is very important!!

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I did not get the right size at first and I could tell because it was riding up my waist while I was running. Not a good thing. But they have an awesome return and exchange policy. Below is what it says on their website:

Returns Policy:

We have a 100% customer satisfaction gaurantee policy!  We are that flipping confident you will love the FlipBelt.  If you are in any way unhappy with our product, please return it to us within 30 days of purchase.  Simply request a return on your account page or request a return on our site.  Once we receive your return request, we will email you a return label.

We will email you as soon as we receive your return.  Expect to receive a credit within a week or two after.

Easy Exchanges:

We understand that online shopping and sizes do not mix.  If you are having issues with size or color, simply order a new one online and return the old one within 30 days.  See above for returns.

I ordered the smaller size, an extra small, and was able to get it pretty quick. I took it on a ten mile run and it was awesome! I could hardly feel it on me. I carried my iphone 5 in it and it felt snug against my belly. The belt did not ride up on me this time. I did not have to adjust it during my run. It was great! It was just like part of my clothes, my waistband. I also liked how I was able to just slip my phone in and out through the slit. I did not have to worry about any zippers, just had to open the slit a little and slide my phone right in. It’s nice!

The next run I ran with the FlipBelt, I put a packet of Gu in the back slit to test if it would stay. I ran five miles that day and the Gu stayed there the whole way and did not bother me at all. I thought pretty cool! This works great! I didn’t have to flip the belt at all to lock the items. This belt totally solved my problem of not having to adjust it during my runs, which I did with the Spibelt.

Here’s a comparison of the Spibelt. As you can see in the picture below, the Spibelt does stretch a lot more, so may be able to fit more. I use an iphone 5 and it fits fine but the FlipBelt does claim to fit all phones comfortably with the exception of the Note 2. While running with the Spibelt I did feel a little jiggle in the second pocket with the two Gu I put in during the race. With the FlipBelt, it was snug enough I couldn’t even feel the Gu. I had to check and feel if it was still there on my run. The Spibelt is nice but if you don’t have it adjusted right like on my race, which I didn’t think to check it can be an annoyance. With the Flipbelt, it’s snug just how it is. You don’t have to tighten the belt at all, so you don’t have to worry about adjusting. It’s awesome!

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Below is a photo of what it looks like with my phone. I have easy access to slip my phone in and out to take pictures. When I would put my phone in my Spibelt I had to mess with zipping and unzipping, not anymore. 🙂20140605-220437-79477653.jpg

I also like how it’s inconspicuous. You can’t even see it since my shirt usually covers it. For the pictures above, I had to lift up my shirt.

So I gotta say I love the FlipBelt! It has now replaced my Spibelt. If you’re looking for something to store items easily while running, walking, or whatever, try the FlipBelt!

I’m part of the Moms Run This Town group and they have a discount code. Use code MRNTHSTWN for 10% off!

What do you think? What do you use to store items while running?

 

My Sunday run, possible Morton’s Neuroma, and Flipbelt

According to Hal Higdon’s Intermediate Half Marathon training plan, today was supposed to be a 15k race. I decided to do 10 miles. It went pretty well considering my pace, but my right foot’s toes have been having issues. It’s been ongoing for a little while now. I’ve been doing some research on the internet and I think I might have a Morton’s neuroma. My third and fourth toes on my right foot seem to go numb after around 7 miles. Then after my run, my foot is fine.

According to Web MD, Morton’s neuroma is a swollen or thickened nerve in the ball of your foot. When your toes are squeezed together too often and for too long, the nerve that runs between your toes can swell and get thicker. This swelling can make it painful when you walk on that foot. High-heeled, tight, or narrow shoes can make pain worse. Sometimes, changing to shoes that give your toes more room can help.

So I’m on the search for new shoes to see if it can help with the numbing. I’ve ordered Altra Torin’s, which I’ve read have a wide toe box. I got them on sale with a coupon code for $39 but had to return them since they were a little small. My first impressions were good. They seemed to have a lot of cushion and the toe box seemed wide, but it didn’t have the extra 1/2″ of room that it says for the toes. But I ordered the bigger size and should be getting them tomorrow. I can’t wait to try them.

Here are the stats on my run today:

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Also, I was able to try the Flipbelt today. I actually tried it once earlier but realized it was big, since it was riding up my waist while running. I’m not doing good in getting the right size for things lol. But today, with the smaller size was awesome!! I could hardly feel it was there and I love how it’s easy to take my phone out, instead having to unzip a zipper, which is what I used before. I will do a full review soon. Here’s a picture of me in the Flipbelt:

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On another note, I couldn’t pass up this awesome deal on this shirt! I love getting new running shirts and workout clothes! I got it for $6.37. Not bad for regular price being $24.99.

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Have you got any good deals lately on running/workout gear? Do you have any recommendation on shoes with a wide toe box?