From the category archives:

Running Gear

New Running Shoes – Hoping it’s Love at First Fit

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I was in love with my running shoes. Heaven, fit like a glove, felt great on – bought 3 pairs of them…..and then they changed the model. Like shoe companies do about every 6 months or so, they released an “upgrade” or a slight change. Often times you can move from one model to the next without a problem….that was what I had hoped for. I desperately searched the web for my old model and stocked up while I could find my size. That was hard to do, apparently my size is popular! Yikes – what would I do when I needed a new pair. I held my breath and pushed the order button on the next model. I went from an Asics Nimbus 11 which I ADORED to the Asics Nimbus 12. I laced them up, they seemed okay, mostly the same. I noticed the heel cut hit me a little differently, but not much else. Okay, I guess they’ll do….or will they?

I’m in the breaking in phase, and I keep notice some rubbing along my small toe. It almost feels like I want to go up half a size….so I start poking around the reviews for the 13s (currently out) and see something that caught my eye….the reviewer says – it almost seems like from the 11s to the 12s and now the 13s it feels almost a smidge narrower at the toe box! I knew this wasn’t a line of shoes I was going to continue with, as I need plenty of room at my toes. I was so bummed, like losing an old friend. My 12′s are set aside to be kick around shoes now. I don’t see me running in them if they are rubbing all ready. I’ll try to stretch them a bit in that area, but I’m not expecting miracles.

On that note, I spent hours pouring over reviews for a couple of models of shoes, and I’ve settled on the ones pictured above – the New Balance 1080′s. I was able to pick them up from a store I trust and has a liberal return policy….and I’ve worked with before, so I trusted them again. Here’s hoping I love them like I loved my Asics 11′s. I hate the the shoe companies change their line every 6 months or so – just when you’re falling in love with a shoe, you go into panic mode they’ll run out and you start hoarding shoes like crazy. I all ready know if I love these New Balance 1080′s I’ll buy 2 more back up pair. You get very attached to a shoe that feels great on when you’re running. When you find it, you don’t want to lose it! My credit card is prepared if these feel well, break in well, and wear well. I’ll be grabbing up back ups before like my Asics Nimbus 11′s – they are extinct or just so darn hard to find in my size, you just stop looking. Funny thing is, the 13′s are going to be the next phased out and as September rolls around I guess we move onto the 14′s.

Asics had a loyal customer who LOVED their shoe (bought multiple pairs) – and then they changed it. I can’t be the only frustrated runner who falls in love with a shoe only to have it tweaked on them….it happens all the time. Frustrating!

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Bondi Bands

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This post is for one particular person. Amy – just getting my last laugh. :) Love you girl – maybe not as much as my BondiBand, but probably almost as much. ((hugs))

bondiband

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Plus Size Running Skirt

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plussizegear

This is my new plus size running skirt. It’s from SparkleSkirts.com and they offer a full range of sizes from smaller, regular skirt sizes all the way up to size 3x (UPDATE: up to 4x now) so plus size girls can wear a running skirt too! It’s so hard to find cute styles that fit when it comes to running gear. I’ve happily been running in another brand of skirt called RunningSkirts.com – but I kept hearing people rave about how the compression shorts on these “Sparkle Skirts” DO NOT BUDGE. After hearing enough people – I finally gave in and got one.

First off, let me say that Leah the owner offers top notch customer service. She is a jewel and her genuine, warmness will be an asset in her growing business. Secondly, the skirts rock! They seriously are awesome – and after my first test run with my skirt yesterday – I give it a huge thumbs up. Seriously, those shorts DID NOT BUDGE. No creeping up the thigh, no nothing. They have a large band at the bottom of the short that I think helps it a lot.

Finding larger sizes in running gear is rough as it is. I found that RunningSkirts.com carried skirts I could get away with wearing in their Athletic style and have been wearing them for a year. They are very comfortable, but with my ample bottom, the skirt rides up in the back gripping my backside. I always find myself having to slide it back down over my bottom. Thankfully they have compression shorts underneath, so it’s not a big deal to me.

With the new SparkSkirts.com brand skirt – the waist is a wider band and the skirt attaches to it with some flare at a lower point. It didn’t grip my rear once, it just flowed nicely over it. It had a very modest “skirt” like feel. My other skirts are more “sporty” looking – so I like that I have both. My husband gave it a thumbs up!

Another benefit these skirts offer is the pockets. The skirt pictured above has two DEEP pockets – one on each thigh – along with a zippered belly pocket. I slid my iPod Touch in the belly pocket and barely noticed it was there. It allowed me to run without my SpiBelt which was nice. (That’s usually where I tuck my iPod)

My husband said it has a nice flow and looks skirt like. I think he likes how this one looks on better than my other skirts. The other had a tighter, closer fit. For comparison sake here’s a pic where I’m wearing my other skirt:

lessgear

Notice how it grabs my hips more. Both skirts work great, and while I love my RunningSkirts.com skirts, overall I think I like the SparkleSkirts.com skirt a tiny more. I own 4 RunningSkirts brand skirts along with carpris, so obviously I love them too…I’m just so happy that two companies offer something in a size I can wear.

If you’re looking for modesty, worried about your rear or thighs – I’d go with Sparkle Skirts. If you’re looking for shorts that don’t budge, this is your brand. Overall pull on comfort from the second you put it on, I’d give it to RunningSkirts.com. I wear running skirts commando, and in this instance – Running Skirts feel best on first “putting on”. Not sure if it’s about seams, or just fit as they’re fitting – but in this one area I find less “tugging” there. I didn’t have to shift the other skirt a lot, but I’d say once or twice. I think the more I wear them, the better they’ll feel. It’s a skirt that will get tons of use!

*for those who never wore a running skirt, the material is similar to bathing suit material

One small thing I need to mention though is the dye. A few girls and myself notice you’ve got to soak them a few times before wearing them. Thankfully, I’d read the advice before wearing it – and soaked it in a bucket with cold water, salt, vinegar and a touch of detergent 3x’s until the water ran clear. I didn’t notice any running of color onto my other clothing during my run when I finally wore it. I did notice a tiny residue of color left on a glove I was using to slather my toes with Vaseline. I must have rubbed my hand up on my skirt at some point, because the glove had a bit of dye residue on it. I’ll soak it again one more time for safety sake – but otherwise, I’ve got to say I love this skirt. (UPDATE: New material – a super-wicking helps tremendously with this problem)

Three cheers for another company who is letting plus size girls have their skirt and wear it too!

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Gear Up, Gear Down

by admin

This post is dedicated to my friend Amy. She’s a new runner and I’m super proud of her. She’s working on her C25k right now – and really making great strides. She’s a neat person and a really great friend. I met Amy online about 4-5 years ago and through the years she’s taught me to be more honest with myself, among many other things. We’ve gotten together a couple of times in person too. She’s one of the people I can get most raw with and share really tough feelings with. I really cherish Amy as a friend – she’s been something wonderful the internet has given me. The other thing about Amy is her sense of humor, and we’re similar with a tough wit and sarcastic edge. We can rib each other and know not to take offense.

Anyway, one of the topics we got onto recently was about running and running gear. Now, we all know I’m a gear geek and love all the goodies that go along with running. I love my Garmin, I love my Camelbak, I love my Running Skirts, my SpiBelt, my iPod and my Sensheiser headphones that can handle a lot of sweat. I love my Shot Bloks and I love my Gatorade. Did I mention how much I love my Asics? Oh, I’m a brand champion too, right?

We were talking about headsets and the such, and I mentioned I wear a Spibelt and let my wire run up across my chest – and pointed to a picture so she could see. This one:

runningdeb

….and she was like, that’s a lot of crap you’re wearing! Yup, sure is…and yup, would drive other people crazy. What you’re seeing is a picture of me running a half marathon. You see running 3 miles and running 13 miles are two different animals.

On a 3 mile run, this is what I look like:

lessgear

I just took this picture this afternoon – after running 3 miles. (Yes, my face gets that red – I have Rosacea, so I get red REALLY FAST, and stay red for awhile) –I don’t need to think about fuel. I don’t need to worry about lining up at a race line 2 hours early at Disney (the pic above, have gloves and a headband tucked in my shoulder there)….

…what I need to worry about for 3 miles is keeping my shoulders loose, keeping my hands up so my fingers don’t swell – and remembering to wait 20 mins before hopping in the shower so I don’t come out of the shower still sweating.

Running 13 miles I need to worry about blisters that might form at mile 8 or 9 and I keep spare Vaseline in the pocket of my Camelbak – or God forbid I have to pee at mile 10 and there’s no bathroom handy, so I keep a tissue in the pocket too – just in case. If I’ve driven myself I have to put my car keys and phone somewhere, so they get tossed in there too…

…so there you have it. I gear up for longer runs and races, and gear down for shorter distances.

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The Joys of My Garmin GPS Watch

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garmin

Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver With Heart Rate Monitor

I love that stinkin’ watch. My Garmin GPS Watch has added another element to my running or even walking. I’ve heard others go on about their love for their Garmin, but it truly takes having one to appreciate why — and now that I’ve had it for 4 difference races, I’ve got to say – I officially love that darn thing. This is the one I have – the 305. There are all different versions of them, but for $150 bucks – this little smarty sits on my wrist and tells me what I’m doing….

- how fast or slow I’m going
- how far I’ve traveled
- how long I’ve been on the move

Simply put, it tells me what I’m looking for. Some people are all into the heart monitor thing, but I don’t keep track of that, I listen to my body and know when to push or hold back. I do like to see that I’m maybe at mile 11.8 of a half marathon and know that I just have a little longer to go….it’s looking down and seeing that I’m moving at a 14mm run pace, or that I’m walking at an 18mm pace and I need to pick up my pace.

It’s knowing that I’ve been going for 2 hours and 12 minutes, and seeing my pace at a glace – it’s not having to premeasure a workout…I can just go to the park for a workout and turn it on and go….at any given moment I can see how far I’ve gone and more….I love those details. Ooops, slowed down, pick up my pace a little, glance down and see that I’m moving faster now…

…I wore it on a walk with my husband the other day, and as we got into a conversation our pace had slowed, but we didn’t FEEL like we were moving slower, so he was surprised when I told him our pace had slowed by 2 mins — we went from a 18mm casual walk to a 20mm stroll…so we picked it up, let’s try to do it at 17mm – it’s being aware of those tiny changes that you might not notice.

During a race, I love that I can glance down and see where I am, and knowing where I want to be, what I need to do to adjust….love that silly watch! It’s crazy how attached you can get to that little piece of technology, but I’ll tell you what, I’d miss it like crazy if I didn’t have it next time I was in a race. There’s a reason people love their Garmins….those are my reasons.

*link leads to Amazon

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Packing for a Race Trip

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packing

I travel enough to have this packing thing down to a science. I’ve become a light packer and have become more efficient in bag/luggage usage in this quest I have to widdle down my bundle I carry on a trip. I can take a trip with a carry-on and be good to go – I mean, I’ve gotten GOOD!

Then running happened.

I’m packing for my very first race. I’ve pretty much packed everything but my treadmill! Okay, so truth be told – it’s a bit daunting for me to say the least. Suddenly, I realize all these little things I’ve come to rely on I’m going to want, no – I’m going to need with me! What if I forget my Bodyglide, my Vaseline for between my toes, my stick, or my hydration pack?

I use a certain fuel which makes life easier on my digestive system – what if I forget to pack that? Or what if they don’t have my flavor of Gatorade I like to use? Better pack that….or what if they don’t dilute it the way I like? Oh my gosh- I NEED to take that and do it myself…

What if my shoelace breaks? (Just had that happen last week!) – better bring a spare, oh yeah, and I hear mustard is good for cramps, don’t forget the mustard packs….hmmmm, oh geez, my running shoes – and my clothes – I need a separate bag JUST for my running stuff! So much for being a light packer….I think I need to do a local race next time. Oh yeah, I am in April! Phew…

I think I need to sit down. I’ve got a lot of packing to do…maybe a nap to gear up for all the packing….and list after list – safety pins for bib, iPod, iPod charger, headset, Crocs to change into after race, sweat band, Garmin, Garmin charger…does it ever end?

Glad I won’t be running THIS race…it had to be about the worst run race I’ve ever read about!

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Running Shoe Changes

February 25, 2010

ASICS GEL-Nimbus Running Shoes It turns out that companies think it’s a swell idea to change up their shoes a lot. They like to make changes, and they’ll sometimes do this 1 or 2 times a year. What this means to a runner is if you find a shoe that fits you like a glove [...]

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I Must Add this to my Collection

February 20, 2010

I NEED this shirt. It’s perfect for me… You can find this and other cool sayings at One More Mile Running — and I was happy to see they’d be at the Expo at my 1/2 in 2 weeks. Hope to pick it up then!

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Hydration Belts, Backpacks and More

January 21, 2010

Here’s the thing – I’m new to all of this, and have to figure out what works for me. Right now, what works for me is sticking a bottle of water in the cup holder of my treadmill. Of course, once I’m outside – fuel becomes an issue. I went through all of this research [...]

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Collecting Gear – Hydration Belt

November 18, 2009

Nathan Speed 2 Waistpack with Two 10-Ounce Nutrition Flasks One of the things I’ve been told is that I should train with what I plan to wear when running. That means find that plus size sports bra that isn’t going to chafe you while you run, or know how that fuel or hydration belt will [...]

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