Friday Five: Favorite Fall Activities

 Happy Friday! Once again I am linking up with Mar on the Run, You Signed Up for What?, and Eat Pray Run DC for the Friday Five link up.  If you haven't checked it out already you should...it's a great way to discover new blogs about running and fitness :)

This week we are talking about favorite fall activities!

I used to live in the Asheville, NC area which was the most magical place to experience fall. Florida is sure to be different, but I think there are some fall things you can enjoy anywhere!

1) Drinking caramel apple cider. 

I got this idea from Starbucks, but you can do it at home with apple cider, cinnamon Torrani syrup, and caramel sauce! It tastes perfect next to...

2) Bonfires! I love lighting a fire and having friends over to just hang out. Summer can be too hot for this, so once cool fall evenings come around I am ready!

3) Running! I know, I know, I always like running. But fall is my very favorite season for running because the temperature is finally dropping a bit and you can really appreciate it after spouting sweat all summer. 

4) Baking! Summer is too hot to run your oven very often so fall is the perfect time to start cranking out yummy home baked dinners and treats!

5) Decorating! Halloween, Thanksgiving, and fall in general are a great excuse for putting up all the cute decorations your house can hold!

So there you have it! I'm so excited that fall is officially here...even if it doesn't quite feel like it outside!

What are your favorite fall activities?

Monday Miles 9/21

Where did the week go?!?!

My mom was in town for the last week and has to fly home today which is a big bummer...but probably good for my running plan! I feel like I have been missing runs this past week, but I have been up and going all day every day, so hopefully that counts for something!

I did manage a couple of 3 mile runs during the week and another 7 mile run on Sunday.  The seven miles at least felt pretty easy so I am optimistic still about the half I have coming up in just over a month (holy cow time is flying!)

The bad news is that I got a bit sunburned when we went to the beach this weekend, so I am feeling a little dehydrated and all my running clothes rub on my burn.  Not the most motivating thing, but I have had worst burns so I am hoping it will fade/peel/get off my body soon!

The plan is to do another long run this evening; I am aiming for at least 10 miles.  I am hoping that getting my body used to running long when already tired will help me get ready for my 50k in December without putting quite as much wear and tear on my body.  Plus I am going to be pouting that my mom is gone so I'll need some quality running time!

What are your running plans for the week?

Full Buff Product Review

Disclaimer: I received a Buff to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

Hey all! If you saw my review of the UV Half Buff you could probably guess that I was super excited to try out the Full Buff as well!!  It is the same product as the Half Buff, but (you guessed it) double the length!

Hank wasn't entirely convinced that he needed to be the one to model the length, but I bribed him with cookies.

Just like the Half Buff, there is no slipping when you are on the on the go.  I have run in my Buff dozens of times for many any miles and have never needed to adjust it.  If you have ever run in a headband of any type you can probably appreciate how rare that is.  I am in love with the fact that it keeps my hair from falling in my face and doesn't move so I can spend more time running and less time trying to see where I am going.  And taking selfies.

I can't wait to try this out when I run the Urban Bourbon Half Marathon in Louisville because it is supposed to be good for keeping your neck/face/head warm.  Living in Central Florida I certainly haven't been able to test out that aspect yet, but I can say that it is not too hot or bulky to run in even when the weather is toasty.

It does a great job of absorbing sweat and keeping it out of your face.  I also clued in during the last BibChat with Buff that you can put them in the fridge for a little bit before you wear them.  Let me just tell you that the experience is nearly magical! Keeping your head cool for a while can make a huge difference in the overall enjoyablility of your run for sure!

I love that this Buff is great for visibility as well.  I usually run in the morning or evening to beat the heat, so have a little something extra to help others see me is a huge perk. 


Overall: another AMAZING product! Two thumbs wayyyyy up!  If you are debating between a full or half Buff, I would recommend the full if you are a super heavy sweater or live somewhere that gets cold in the winter.  If you are a lighter swearer and live somewhere with mild weather, the half might be right for you. That said, once you have one you will just want more...so you should use the code BIBRAVE10 to get 10% off (until 9/30) then you can justify getting both!!  You can shop all their great products here.

Have questions about the Buff?! Let me know!

Friday Five: music!

 Happy Friday! Once again I am linking up with Mar on the Run, You Signed Up for What?, and Eat Pray Run DC for the Friday Five link up.  If you haven't checked it out already you should...it's a great way to discover new blogs about running and fitness :)

This week the topic is one of my very favorite things...MUSIC! More specifically, songs that get you pumped up for a workout.

Here are my five:

1) Sons & Daughters - The American Spirit

2) Fourth of July - Fall Out Boy

3) How to be a Heartbreaker - Marina and the Diamonds

4) Acapella - Karmin

5) Castle - Halsey (except actually just the whole Badlands CD because it rocks my world!!)

You can check out my whole running playlist on Spotify here https://open.spotify.com/user/1240492013/playlist/68COsAZJkefhI3uGWnsp7n

Let me know, did I pick any of your favorite songs? Have any suggestions?

Monday Miles: 9/14

I think I'm finally getting in the swing of actually training...minus a couple days that were a wash getting ready for my mom to get here. When it got to crunch time unpacking and cleaning had to trump running. Totally worth it!

Monday through Wednsday I went for three mile ish runs in the morning then yesterday, Sunday, I went for my first longish run in a while! I did run/walk intervals of 3 minutes running and 1 minute walking. I made it seven miles and still felt great. I wanted to go a little longer but the sun was going down fast!!

The Urban Bourbon Half Marathon is coming up fast and the Masters of All Terrain 50k is just under 3 months away so I am glad I am off to a solid start. I think I will use the run/walk method for both races. It's not the fastest in the short run, but over time I think it will improve my time overall because I'm not as exhausted as early. 

I am excited to be getting back into a training schedule and getting some structure back in my life!

How is your early fall running going? 

Five Things Friday!

 Happy Friday! Once again I am linking up with Mar on the Run, You Signed Up for What?, and Eat Pray Run DC for the Friday Five link up.  If you haven't checked it out already you should...it's a great way to discover new blogs about running and fitness :)

This week I want to share five things that are coming up soon that I am so ridiculously excited for!!!

1) My mom and my friend get here this afternoon!!! I have been counting down the days and I can't wait to see them. Mom is flying 7 hours and my friend is driving 8 so it's not something that can happen often.

2) Tomorrow it will officially be only 6 months until our wedding!  The planning is all starting to fall into place and I can finally start breathing again!

3) I am taking my first trip to Kentucky in just over a month to go to the Urban Bourbon Half Marathon in Louisville!!! Half amrathons and cooler weather and bourbon...what's not to love?!

4) I have a three day weekend! 

5) Pumpkin everything is back...including pumpkin muffins at Costco!!!

What are you up to this weekend?!

Zensah Thigh Sleeve Review

Disclaimer: I received Zensah Thigh Sleeve to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

If you have been hanging around for a while, you may have read my review of the Zensah Ultra Calf sleeves a few months ago.  I was (and still am!) very much in love with them!  Because of that experience I was thrilled to have the opportunity to test a thigh sleeve made by Zensah.

If you are not familiar with compression gear, the idea is to aid in recovery and injury prevention by increasing blood flow to the area.  Simply put, more fresh blood to an area means faster healing of stressed muscles.  I personally have noticed a significant difference in my recovery after a hard run when I use my compression gear.

It is worth noting that the Zensah thigh sleeve comes as a single piece, unlike the calf sleeves which come in pairs.  While this may seem odd to some, it worked perfectly for me as I very consistently have pain soreness in my left thigh that I do not get in my right leg.

When trying the sleeve on for the first time, I did not think it felt as tight as I was used to with my calf sleeves, but after sleeping in the sleeve I did notice an improvement so I feel that it is safe to say that it was tight enough to work!  Though it did not prevent the soreness in my thigh from occurring on subsequent runs, it did make the discomfort go away much more quickly that it would on its own.  I will count that as a win!

In addition to using it for its intended purpose as a calf sleeve, I was also able to slide it down and wear the sleeve over my knee when it was acting up!  Even though this was not the intended use, I was very happy with the results!

As much as I loved the benefits form the compression that the sleeve provided, I was unfortunately only able to use it while sitting around or while I was asleep.  

Despite the grippy strip at the top of the sleeve, I found that it rolled a lot and would slide down my leg even when I was not moving.  When I was sitting still it was an easy fix and I, of course, didn't notice it while I was asleep.  However, I was unable to wear it while walking around because it simply would not stay where it belonged.   The upside to this problem is that I was not the only BibRave Pro to have this experience and Zensah was extremely receptive to our feedback and is taking a look at what might be causing the problem!

Overall, if you are looking for a product to wear between runs (I prefer to wear it while drinking my morning coffee) that will help with thigh pain/soreness/fatigue you are experiencing, the Zensah thigh sleeve is a great option.  If you are looking for a prodict to wear while you run, I would not recommend this option.

For my needs the Zensah thigh sleeve is more than adequate! I think it does a great job helping with the occasional soreness in my thigh...and needing to sit still while wearing it gives me a great reason to have another cup of coffee in the morning!

Have questions for me about the Zensah thigh sleeve? Let me know!

September Coffee Link Up

It's September already! Time is flying so quickly it's just amazing. Perhaps the best thing about a new month is that it is time for another coffee date!

I've got my coffee ready so I hope you'll grab yours and join me in catching up!

If we were having coffee I would tell you how excited I am that my mom and best friend will both be here for a visit in just one week! I've missed them both and can't wait to have them here!!

If we were having coffee I would show you my super cute new coffee cups that I found at Michaels yesterday!

If we were having coffee I would talk to you about how excited I am to launch my very own link up this week and invite you to join!

If we were having coffee I would tell you that I finally officially registered for my first 50k! It's on December 12th and I'm already freaking out!

If we were having coffee I would whine to you about how much I hate unpacking! I need to finish by the time my mom gets here but progress is slow!

If were were having coffee I would ask you to tell me all about how you've been! I hope you have had an amazing August and that you are as excited for September as I am!!