Timex IRONMAN GPS+ Giveaway

As you guys know, I have more than a few miles to run between now and the end of the year. I’m currently signed up for seven races and eyeing a few more. I love Fall running and the energy that races, regardless their size, provide.

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Part of me thought that coming back to the United States I would need numerous races to keep me motivated and on track. But, as Jess and my other friends know, these days I am always staying busy whether running, going to yoga, or cross training with Fhitting Room and The Bar Method.  If I want to succeed during these races and finish the year strong and healthy, I have to make sure that each run is the strongest possible.

After a Summer of running for fun, I’ve started tracking each run, ensuring that I hit the paces Jess prescribes for each weeks’ workouts. However, since moving back to the US, my GPS watch has had constant issues finding satellites and holding a charge. After one too many frustrating runs, I swapped to using an activity tracker app on my iPhone. Trying to fumble around and take screen shots of your paces after each 800 repeat is laughable. While it seemed to work well for other types of runs, it drained my phone and forced me to hold my phone during the run which was cumbersome and not good for the phone. As my post workout pictures show, I sweat a lot. The last thing I want to do is ruin an iPhone due to excess moisture and sweat during the dog days of summer runs.

Luckily, my friends at Fitfluential and Timex have helped ensure that my past eight runs were near perfect.  After just a few weeks using the Timex IRONMAN GPS+ I’m already in love and doubt I’ll ever go back to my old methods. I’ve been able to precisely track my paces for each run without having to stress or fumble around. In fact, dare I say, that the Timex IRONMAN GPS+ has made me enjoy running just a bit more?

What makes it so helpful?

  • It’s easy to read, even in the direct sunlight! 
  • The instafix GPS picked up signal within seconds of leaving my house in Brooklyn and even exiting the subway in NYC! 
  • Activation took just a few minutes and once that is done, the portal and system will allow you to do everything from interact with others to email you reminders when your watch battery is low.
  • The texting capability and SOS support allows me to leave my phone at home without running worried. I can text Bo or friends in case of emergency while still enjoying a lightweight run.  
  • When paired with your favorite Bluetooth headphones, it can hold and play over 1000 of your favorite songs due to the 4 GB of storage and bluetooth capabilities. 
  • The easy to read summary screen shows your current pace, average pace and total time all on one screen which makes hitting those paces even easier. 
  • Valued at $399, the watch is currently retailing for $199 which makes it a great deal within the GPS watch arena.

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What don’t I love?

  • The screen, though easy to read, isn’t necessarily always easy to use when running due to the touch screen capabilities. 
  • It’s a bit larger than I’m accustomed to wearing but due to the light nature, the size didn’t bother me during the run. 

But, instead of making you take my word for it, I want one of you to have the chance to try this watch for yourself! Thanks to the team at Timex and Fitfluential, I’m able to give one lucky reader a Timex IRONMAN GPS+ of their own, just in time for Fall running season!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I will announce a winner on September 14th within Monday’s post. If I do not hear from the winner with contact information within 48 hours I will be forced to draw another name. In addition, unfortunately this contest is only open to residents within the United States.

This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of Timex.

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Labor Day Weekend

This Labor Day weekend we stayed local, but had the chance to still squeeze in lots of final Summer moments.

The fun started on Friday evening with our friend Ranald’s birthday celebration. He and his girlfriend Sandra recently moved from Geneva to Boston and decided that heading down to NYC for the night was the perfect way to celebrate his birthday. We were happy to host them for the night, making great use of our new spare bedroom, as well as put together an evening itinerary proper for a birthday. We started with drinks at the Wyeth for sunset views of the city, dinner at the Dutch and then after dinner drinks at The Lobby Bar at the Bowery Hotel and dancing at the downstairs portion of Acme.

In preparation for the evening, I switched out my pastels for something a bit more appropriate: a black and white outfit complete with a leather skirt.

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Bagel sandwiches and iced coffee were requisite Saturday morning before saying farewell to Ranald and Sandra and continuing work on the house. This weekend’s projects included taking the final load of donations to Goodwill, cutting down the last of our cardboard boxes for donations, finishing the guest bedroom, and building another Ikea Pax which is now our linen closet.

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Saturday night Bo and I took it easy switching clubs for the couch and fancy restaurants for our grill and kitchen. A few glasses of wine, cheese plate and grilled sword fish dinner were the perfect pairing for a night on the couch.

 

 

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Sunday I had the opportunity to enjoy a relaxing day while Bo went on a long ride on Palisades Park with his friend Scott. The day included a run and free yoga at Cobble Hill Lululemon, baking chocolate chip banana bread muffins, a sports massage, and afternoon of reading in the back yard.

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That night we ended up introducing Scott to Carroll Gardens by way of a miniature pub crawl and dinner at one of our favorite spots, Prime Meats. The weather was perfect for an evening of outdoor drinking and dining, complete with white lights and a mix of craft cocktails and the final Summer brews.

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By the time Monday rolled around, Bo and I were both ready to return to our regular schedule. We eased back into the week with an easy shakeout run along the water, an afternoon matinee viewing of Trainwreck and a grilled Summer meal including honey lime marinated shrimp and char-grilled corn on the cob.

 

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Even though Summer was a wonderful blur, I’m ready to light my first pumpkin spice candle, add a few more dashes of pumpkin pie spice to my morning yogurt and find my way back into jeans and tall boots. Hopefully this weekend’s half marathon in Vermont will be our first cold weather run. As of now the morning temperatures are supposed to be 50 degrees – perfect for racing 13.1 miles of undulating hills!

 

 

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Friday Favorites – September 2015 Edition

Did this week creep along for anyone else? I’m so glad it’s Friday and also thankful that we made the decision to keep things local this weekend versus traveling. We are celebrating a friends birthday tonight with dinner and drinks but the rest of the weekend will be really relaxing – just what we both need. I made Bo promise that we won’t stress ourselves out trying to get a lot of things done around the house, instead focusing on a few easy things like hanging pictures.

As you count down the hours until the long weekend begins, refill your morning coffee and enjoy this week’s edition of Friday Favorites, including recipes, articles, posts and other things that caught my eye this week.

This week I discovered the Another Mother Runner podcasts thanks to this Zelle article. I love that the two hosts, Sarah & Dimity feel like friends and are not elite athletes, instead just women trying to stay sane and healthy through running. I’ve listened to three podcasts this week and enjoyed each one as I could relate to the topics and found myself smiling as they talked about their running experiences. You don’t have to be a mother to enjoy this podcast – I promise!

Another Mother Runner podcast

Bo and I are both loving some crunch on our smoothies and yogurt in the form of Purely Elizabeth Original Granola. The large, chunky clusters are gluten free, free of refined sugars, and are flavored with cinnamon and vanilla making it perfect for any base whether it’s plain Fage yogurt or a green smoothie.

After five years away, I returned to a barre studio this week. Both Charlie and Kristine influenced my return as I’ve followed their barre adventures via Instagram and their blogs. I walked into Bar Method Brooklyn with an open mind, merely looking for a good workout. I left feeling energized, a little bit taller and loving the challenge that I experienced during the 60 minute workout. While I love Fhitting Room and running, I feel that the core and glute work I can get in the barre class will be a great complement. For the next month I am going to add Bar Method to my training plan and see how I feel going into the Brooklyn Half Marathon. The biggest thing this experience did for me is remind me that trying new workouts can be a great way to highlight certain imbalances or weaker muscles!

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I love a good documentary and after reading this article on sugar in Well and Good, I really want to watch That Sugar Film.  It seems that the guy gained 19 pounds in just a month after eating as much sugar as the average Australian eats, 160 grams.

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My pals at New Balance sent me lots of gear in preparation for Reach the Beach which is just two weeks away! I’m head over heels in love with the New Balance Vazee. These super lightweight shoes provide support while still hugging my feet and feeling light as a feather.

Charlie is chasing an ambitious BQ goal in the Chicago Marathon and her hard work and determination is paying dividends. In today’s post she shares her top tips for running faster including “confidence and knowing it will be hard.” This is a great read for runners of all levels who want to improve their pace, slowly but surely.

As you guys know, I love Spotify and keep it playing most days in the background while I work, commute or run. This week my artist of choice is Rudimental. I’m especially enjoying their song Free, featuring Emeli Sande.

Healthy Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

You know how I can tell that people are starting to think about tall boots, pumpkin and cozy sweaters? My Pinterest pins blew up this week around two of my highest pinned items: Low Fat Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chips and Pumpkin Spice Latte Smoothie.

Your turn: What are you loving this week?

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored and instead is a list of the things of my favorite things this week. As normal, it includes lots of beauty and fashion items which means there are a few affiliate links via ShopStyle. It takes time and money to maintain a blog so I thank you for the support and few cents that come from clicking through the links!

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