Halleluiah it’s Friday! I can’t say enough wonderful things about this Friday or the weekend that has arrived.
- I have today off from work thanks to an amazing manager.
- One of my oldest friends, whom I met at summer camp back in 7th grade, is gracing New York City with her presence!
- My body finally gets the much needed yoga date at Strala Yoga and a massage at Equinox this afternoon!
- Tomorrow Bo and I head down to Byron, Georgia for a sorority sister’s wedding which is sure to be a beautiful sight followed by lots of sweaty dancing considering it’s an outdoor wedding and the temperature is supposed to be 95!
- Sunday Funday will ensue when we return to NYC including rooftop drinks and lots of laughter.
But before all that, I have a few things to do including share the rest of Reach the Beach with you all and a dose of Friday Favorites!
After reading the posts from myself and my 11 other blogger ladies, many people have asked about the gear I used during the 200 mile relay. By the way, check out Reach the Beach’s Facebook page! I’m pretty excited to be featured on their page but wish I didn’t look like death in that picture.
While I’ll admit that I didn’t need at least one bag of things that I brought such as GU, rain gear, normal clothes, and gloves; the gear I did have worked wonderfully! I was a little hesitant about running in the New Balance gear since I haven’t worn the brand frequently before and was unsure of the fit and how it would feel 7 miles into a run. But, everything worked wonderfully and now I can share with you my favorite gear from last weekend so you can hopefully use this as you start adding to your summer workout wardrobe now that Memorial Day weekend is here!
In no particular order, here are my top FIVE favorite pieces of gear from last weekend!
1. New Balance Get Back Racerback Tank: I can’t say enough about this tank! I wore it for my hottest and last leg of the relay and it kept me cool the entire time, even when the sun was shining directly down on me with no shade at mile 7! It features a small zip pocket in back that fit my iPod perfectly and is slim fit enough to be flattering but not too tight! The lace detail on back makes it fun and feminine while the shelf bra made it supportive enough for me to run in without a bra, due to my A cup. I have it in black as you can see from the picture above but I really want to order the pink and lime green ones now too!
2. Amphipod Handheld Thermal-Lite Water Bottle: If you’re a long time reader of my blog you’ll know that I’ve run most of my recent marathons and half marathons using a Camel-Bak. While this is a great option for long, summer runs or trail races I knew I didn’t need something that large for Reach the Beach. In fact, most of the runners on my team just carried plastic bottled water with them or relied on the van for water. But, a few of my friends who are relay experts said that since I was runner #12 the van may not be able to see me as often due to the transition with the other van. This proved true as they only saw me once during most of the legs. Therefore, having a light water bottle which I could carry on my two longer runs took the stress away. This is the first water bottle I’ve carried on a run and I’m absolutely hooked! I think it will become a regular part of my outdoor summer runs as it is ergonomically constructed so that I literally don’t have to hold it. The band which my hand goes through is snug enough that I could run with my hands open the entire time. The zipper section also allows for keys or cash when running in the city.
3. Sparkly Soul Headbands I have said it more than once but these are now my favorite running head bands. As a lady who is trying her best to work the sweep bang thing, I can’t stand when my bangs or fly-aways end up in my face during a run. But, due to my head shape, many bands either pop off during a run or are so tight they give me a headache. These bands are the only ones that stay in place through rain, sweat, relays, and marathons while still giving me a bit of added sparkle! It became a joke by the end of the weekend as only 2 people in our van didn’t rock sparkle headbands! I prefer the wide headband which is 5/8 inch and $17!
4. New Balance 860 I have the running gods to thank for this one as it could have been a very tough experience. Due to size issues, I didn’t end up receiving a pair of New Balance shoes that fit until the day before the relay. My panic started to ensue when I realized I’d have to log over 17 miles in a new pair of shoes. After some suggestions from running buddies, I decided to wear the shoes all day on Thursday while I traveled to Boston to help break them in and get accustomed to the fit. This would also help me understand if they would be a feasible option. The moment I slide my feet inside them I sighed relief. These fit just like my Brooks Adrenalines which I’ve been wearing for the last year. They are snug, slim, supportive, and lighter than some other stability running shoes. At only 9.5 ounces I can see why they were named Runner’s World Editors Choice running shoe in December of 2011! Now that the relay is over, these are still on my feet daily and will most likely replace my Brooks Adrenalines as my marathon training shoe this year!
5. New Balance 2-1 Short Running in shorts is always a feared experience for me. I’m a lady who has always rocked thighs, regardless my weight. I’ve decided that it was the years of rowing that blessed me with this muscle that has never diminished even during my cardioholic days. But, these strong thighs also mean that chafing comes easily and finding shorts with wide enough leg openings isn’t the easiest. This is one of the reasons that I tend to rock spandex in the summer instead of regular shorts. When Kristen at New Balance offered me their 2-1 short as the answer to all my problems I was intrigued. Enjoy the coverage and look of a short with the protection of compression spandex? Yes please! I wore these during 2 of my runs and loved them! The wide waistband makes them extra comfortable and the longer inseam (5”) means I can wear them without showing the world more than they want to see.
Last but not least, I’m so sorry that I totally forgot to choose a winner for the Five Bamboo giveaway!
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Congratulations!! Please email me your mailing address and your size and dress or item of choice!
