With a grand total of 16 entries (15 online and one offline) I can now announce the winner of the Endorphin Warrior training bracelet.
Lucky number 6 is PENNY who wrote, “I would go with the Believe bracelet. Reminds me to Believe in myself.”
Congratulations!
Penny, please email me at alanna @ lovemyrunners.com to claim your bracelet.
When I received my Endorphin Warrior Training Bracelet in the mail a few weeks ago I was excited. They had extended the offer to do a contest via Twitter and I was happy to be on board. I have a bracelet like the one above that says FOCUS from Hood to Coast in 2011. It was my go-to word that year as I tend to wander mentally during races. The only issue with it is that it’s a bit too small so I can’t wear it all the time. My request for a new one (with a new word, of course) was received well so I chose BELIEVE. I have a bit of a hard time with that during some of my runs and can succumb to negative self-doubt more often than I like.
It’s honestly hard to review a fairly simple piece of jewelry – I’ll admit that I was putting off the post since I had so little to write – so I’ve been wearing it lately in hopes of having more, besides “I will believe in myself on race day”, to say. Last week gave me too much to say.
Life stress had me looking down at my wrist more often than not; I need to believe that certain things are changing for the best. And then Boston happened. I was at work when Colin phoned to ask if I’d heard. Working in retail, where I don’t see much of the outside world for 8 hours, I had not. After I had, though, I was on Twitter (regardless of cell phone use rules) trying to learn about all the people I’ve met in real life and online because of running. I was mentally checking off their names while also trying to learn as much about the situation as possible. It was frustrating and worrying. I wanted a hug.
As corny as it sounds, having a simple word BELIEVE to look at helped.
Believe people I know are okay.
Believe things I can’t control are taken care of.
Believe that those responsible will be found.
Believe.
Believe.
Believe.
Because if I couldn’t do that I would have freaked out.
So, as simple as a piece of leather and a bit of metal are, my bracelet helped.
You could win your own Training Bracelet courtesy of Endorphin Warrior. Simply head on over to endorphinwarrior.com, look around, and let me know via a comment what bracelet you would want to wear and why.
Contest closes Thursday 25 April 2013 at 11:59PST. Winner will be announced Friday 26 April 2013.
Note: I was given my bracelet from Endorphin Warrior free of charge in return for this review/giveaway. All opinions are my own.
I don’t usually shout from the rooftops about things I love. Yes, I love running (most days). I’m happy to talk about it all day which probably annoys my coworkers more than they’ll let me know. However, right now you’ll have to put up with me professing my love for the Seattle women’s running apparel company Oiselle.
I have been a fan of their clothes since I saw (and was subsequently gifted) the Start Line Tee:
Source: oiselle.com
I had just run a 50k and was proud that I could claim that bottom line. I still don’t have a 5k or 8k finish, but I digress…
Last year a local store, Distance Runwear, started carrying their line. I was ecstatic! Not having to drive to the States to get my fix was great. Since their clothes are investments for me I’m sure Dave, the owner, was sick of me coming in all the time and perusing. However, since my Christmas/birthday/just because wish lists are basically “Oiselle” or “money for Oiselle” he sees us often enough. 
I have slowly been building my wardrobe (I won a gift certificate from them on Twitter last summer). Last weekend I hit the jackpot!
Let me set the stage:
Two weeks ago Oiselle announced that they were having a sample sale. If you’ve never been to one the gist is cheap stuff! Of course, my problem was distance. About 200km. So I brought up the idea with Colin. And was roundly turned down. We were already planning to drive down to pick up my (exchanged) Nuun visor – my love for them is a whole nother different post entirely – but only as far as Costco in Burlington. So I moped and pouted about the Oiselle sale. And told Colin that so many people I knew from Ragnar would probably be going. And pleaded to go. Eventually he caved. Yes, because he’s awesome and loves me, but I’m pretty sure it was mostly so he wouldn’t have to hear me talk about it anymore!
Saturday morning we did what we needed to do in Blaine and then made a bee-line to Green Lake. A note to you locals, how do you stand the parking situation there?!? It took us 15 minutes to find a freakin’ spot! Anyways, we found the place and waded in. Well, I did. Colin found a few things for me, but by the time I went to try stuff on he and Spud had found their way to a couch. If everything had fit and I had an unlimited budget I would have happily purchased it all! There were a few things I was hoping for, but didn’t find (Motor Tee, L/S Stripey, bras). That said, I’m certainly not disappointed by what I got! I also got to meet Sarah from Oiselle (that’s her in the top picture) and Sarah from the Oiselle team; it’s always nice to meet the people you converse with online…
Transformer Vehicle aka How Spud Kept Busy for an hour and a half
The Goods:
Fair warning: if you don’t like or care about pictures and descriptions please skip the following…
1. Injinji No-Show socks x 2: $2/pair. Colin found these for me. Injinjis are my favourite and only running socks, but I was apprehensive because of the height. The last time I got no-shows they kept ending up under my heel. For $2 I’m kicking myself that I didn’t buy all of them!
Source: rei.com
Source: rei.com
2. Onward Tee: $10. Love the colour and design!
Source: oiselle.com
3. Tall Track Tee: $10. Spud’s favourite because it’s orange.
Source: oiselle.com
4. Stripey Short Sleeve: $10. Super cute running shirt. It even has a pocket I can hide my iPod in.
Wore this on my last treadmill tempo!
5. Heathered Tech Top: $10. Another for running and will match my new Mizunos.
Source: oiselle.com
6. Aero Tank: $10. Pretty sure this will be a go-to summer run top – and has the iPod pocket too.
Source: oiselle.com
7. Rogas Galore!! 2 x regular and 1 x long (my second pair – lived in them last summer): $30 total. I think I found the last three size medium Rogas. And for that price I can get over my lack of love for the backs of my thighs.
Source: oiselle.com
My shorts are really where I notice that I got them from a sample sale. The Long Roga is actually the pair I’m wearing in the Stripey tee picture above. I haven’t been able to find a picture of them with that light blue on the waist so I’m thinking they were an experiment. Also between the two regular length Rogas the pink is quite a bit shorter than the blue. They have been deemed (by me) my inside shorts as there’s a little too much underbutt going on…
8. Onyx Jacket: $25. Chose this over the Bum Wrap (same price). It’s like the arm warmers, thumbies and all, only a whole garment. This will get a lot of wear!
9. Green Lake Hoody: FREE!!! High quality control standards meant I got to take one of these with me as I left. I can see the stitching issue (barely), but am certainly okay living with it!
Sleepy selfie; don’t mind the pj pants and cans to take back…
Thank you Oiselle for cleaning out your closet, so to speak. I am so happy with my purchases. I have no problem writing a completely unsolicited post singing your praises. You’re an amazing company (run by some pretty awesome people) and I’m more than happy and willing to support you.
Now if I can only convince you to add a Canadian team member.
Seriously.
All I need is a singlet and a bio and I’ll be a happy girl…
Let me be honest about the lack of posts since 28 September 2012. Last year, I decidedly did NOT love my runners. Don’t get me wrong, I ran races – had fun at most of them – but the way I wanted to train was taking all the joy out of running.
I thought that heart rate training would make me a more efficient, faster, and better runner. And it probably would have. But to buy into the theory I had to start at zero. I don’t often discuss speed and pace (mostly so I don’t fall into the comparison trap). However, I went from comfortably running a 7min/km long run to being told I needed to slow down to be in zone one. And that meant a 13min/km. Discouraging much? Considering that’s slow walking pace? Yeah.
Having seen other runners I know benefit from testing and training this way meant that I was willing to try. I rented a treadmill so I didn’t have excuses not to run. I knew that my planned marathon wasn’t going to be a goal race. I actually had a very good time just completing the course. It was kind of nice to have no expectations. Of course, I got a PW of almost 6hrs, but I was fine with it.
Colin and I ran a fun wine-tasting almost-half just after the full. Again, no expectations, but the hard part about running with a faster person is feeling like you’re holding them up.
The next race I did was Ragnar with Nuun. This is where my blogging started becoming more sporadic. I never did a race report – started it, but only got about half a day in. Although I feel bad about not doing it, as I am a Nuun ambassador, I don’t regret it. Ragnar was special and, quite frankly, I don’t really want to share. I had conflicting feelings because I loved it so much more than Hood to Coast – I knew what to expect, I felt like I connected with teammates better prior to the event, blah blah blah… It’s one of those things that I want to explain with Las Vegas’ slogan: “What happens at Ragnar, stays at Ragnar.”
After Ragnar I had a half lined up in September. I was an online ambassador for them as well and fell down a little in that respect too. Active on Twitter, but not really on my blog. Again, no race report. This time because I felt slow and pathetic. I was partially burned out and so sick of having running feel like something I had to work at. After that race I barely ran. Who wants to do something they don’t really like anymore?
Anyways, that’s what last year looked like. This year is quite a bit better already.
First off, I’ve dropped heart rate training. I’m sure it would have worked eventually. But that was the problem. I have no desire to take another year or two trying.
We registered for the BMO Vancouver Marathon when it went on sale (expensive, but was only going to get pricier). I decided that the only way I was going to be able to commit to training was to find a way to run indoors. Colin’s busy at work until March and I have no desire to push Spud in the stroller anymore, so that meant a treadmill. I pooled my Christmas money and bought one off of Craigslist just before the holidays for $300.
Due to scheduling I decided to forgo training with the clinic I’ve done in the past. I chose the Train like a mother Marathon: Finish It plan. It’s quite a bit different than I’m used to, but I am really enjoying it. I do most of my long runs on Saturdays (Colin runs Sundays), usually by myself . I ran 25km/15.5mi on Sunday; it was purposely a very hilly route and I loved it. While not fast (except when I was bombing down hills) it was well within where I need to be running for my race. I would not have said the same a year ago.
I’m looking forward to (almost) all of my training runs. I’m trying to build back the speed I’ve lost and be smart about my increases so I don’t hurt myself. I’m not sure if I’ll finally break 5hours, but the most I can do is stick to the plan and try my best.
I’ve promised too many times that a post will be the turnaround for my sporadic, at best, blogging. I won’t do that right now, but I will make an attempt to blog more often now that I really am liking running again. In the meantime, if you don’t see anything recent here you can find me on Twitter and Instagram under the handle @lovemyrunners (or just click the linked words).
Here’s why:
1. Started full time work today (M-F) and didn’t stab my eye out with a fork; I did complain about stuff to Colin on the way home though.
2. I’m actually posting something!!
3. I ran today.
3a. It was a tempo.
3b. In my Vibrams.
3c. 6.8km out and back.
3d. Finished on the fast end of my Z3 for pace.
3e. I ran negative splits!!!
Considering out Monday started with a forgotten driver’s license and work entry card (Colin) and a forgotten lunch (me) things ended well.
How was your Monday?
Hi All,
So it seems that running Ragnar actually took more out of me than I expected. I still have to recap that weekend – it was amazing – and process the whole thing (I’m an introvert so, yes, that explains things). It’s been a while since I’ve done much of anything. Life has been getting in the way. More work for me and longer hours for Colin have seen both of our running suffer. Hoping things will pick up soon since I’ve got a half at the end of September that I want to do well at!
Thanks for sticking around even though I’ve been M.I.A. quite a lot lately!
Happy Running,
Alanna
IT’S RAGNAR NORTHWEST PASSAGE TIME!!
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I am running at approximately 4pm Friday, 2:30am Saturday, and 12:15pm Saturday
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It’s hard to believe that it has been almost 3 months since I found out that I wouldn’t be running HTC I would be running Ragnar Northwest Passage with Nuun!
The ball gets rolling on Thursday with Colin and Spud dropping me off at HQ in the afternoon. I don’t think I’ve mentioned it before, but Colin earns the title of world’s best husband as 19 July is our 9th wedding anniversary. I think I’m going to have to push really hard for an ultra team next year so we can have a 10th anniversary trip! #runnerds! Once I’m dropped off I’ll be meeting up with Holly (van 1), who is coming in from Oregon. I’m assuming we’ll toodle around town until it’s time to see the rest of the team for dinner and van decorating. I asked about decorating rules this time around and, unfortunately, this is a no-go:
Window art is highly encouraged, but there was a bit of an issue getting the rest of the van clean after Hood to Coast 2011 (so I heard – thankfully it wasn’t me that had to drive up to the rental place in it…).
Thursday night I’m hoteling it in Seattle with Holly, Jenny (van 2), and Becky (van 1). I’m pretty thankful that I’m not in van 1 this time around as they have to leave at 5:15! My Friday starts at 9am with a van ride up to Bellingham-ish.
According to the handy Ragnar pace calculator I should be running at the following times:
Leg 9 * 6.1mi/9.8km * Moderate: 4pm
Leg 21* 2.7mi/4.3km * Easy: 2:30am
Leg 33 * 6.8mi/10.9 * Hard: 12:15pm
Apparently I was blinded by my love of downhill. Forgot it was quite an uphill to earn it!
For running a total of 15.6mi/25.1km within 24 hours I’m surprisingly calm. Not sure if it’s because I’ve done a relay before; it’s NOT Hood to Coast, therefore less pressure; I feel like I know the people better this time around; or just because I get to hang out with the Nuun folks, but I’m so happy to be able to do it! I”m packing tonight so it won’t be a mad dash tomorrow and hopefully I won’t forget anything. Tomorrow’s Wordless Wednesday post apparently has its subject matter!
Pop back on Friday for ways to follow our team! Twitter will be the main source, but I’m sure Facebook and maybe blogs will be utilized as well. Just a head’s up that I won’t be tweeting much myself due to roaming charges (free WIFI is where it’s at!), but if you search for @lovemyrunners you can find out how I’m doing.
