Category: BibRave Pro

Brilliant Reflective, my latest favorite running song, and I am still running.

Disclaimer:  I received Brilliant Reflective Safety Strips to try and 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!

I rarely run when it is dark.  During the summer it is bright as early as 5am and doesn’t get dark till about 8:30pm.  The few times I run while it is dark, I wear a reflective vest and a headlamp.  I was more than happy to test and review Brilliant Reflective Safety Strips.  The company sent me both Iron-On and Stick-On strips.

Brilliant Reflective 1

So what exactly are these strips?  They’re pieces of tape that you can stick on to your gear so that when light hits you, you are seen.  They’re easy to peel and can be placed on pretty much all of your running gear such as shoes, shirts, hats.  They’re available in black, red, blue, and purple so they either blend in or stand out.

My niece liked them on her shoes.

I used them in my shirt, shoes, and running hat.

Brilliant Reflective 4

Brilliant Reflective 5

Brilliant Reflective 6

I will admit that I removed them from my shoes to put on another pair and somehow one of the strips fell off during my race.  However, they stayed on the shirts even after washing them.

Brilliant Reflective 7

I haven’t used the Iron-On strips but am excited to use them on my Oiselle Power Stretch Beanie and Softshell Gloves.  <<Definitely not ready for cold weather as I am enjoying the cool and fall like weather we are having in Chicago.

Join us on Tuesday, September 12th as BibRave and Brilliant Reflective will be hosting a #BibChat at 8pm CST.  Come by and chat with us about this great product and you’ll have a chance to win some of your own.

My latest running song is “Mi Gente”.  Have you heard it?  Not a big fan of the video but I do like the beat and it makes me want to dance too.  🙂

I had some great runs this week.  Monday and Tuesday was 5.02 miles.  Fall weather is here and that makes the runs much more enjoyable.  I was pleased and surprised with my negative splits!

On Saturday I ran the Run Mag Mile 10K.  It was so much fun!  The weather was perfect and it was fun running down Michigan Avenue (it reminded me of RnR Las Vegas when the strip was closed for the race).  I didn’t get a PR (old one is from 2010) but I ran faster than I thought I could and also had a blast.  I think that definitely counts more than a PR, right?  🙂

So what did you think of the song “Mi Gente”?  What is your favorite running song now?

I’m linking up with Holly and Tricia for their Weekly Wrap.  This week’s host is Sara @ Sara Runs This Town.  Please stop by her blog and show her some love!

Hoping everyone had a good week!

WWGuest

Under Armour Horizon RTT shoes, back to work, and a giveaway!

Disclaimer:  I received a pair of Under Armour Horizon RTT Trail Running Shoes 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!

I don’t normally run on the trail.  However, when I was training for the Lake Michigan Marathon, I would do my long runs on the trail.  I wanted a different place than running along the lakefront.  Also,  I realized that I would recover much faster when running on the trail.  Plus, there is a certain smell (dirt) that comes with it.  It may sound weird but it is true and I actually enjoyed it.  

Last month I received a pair of Under Armour Horizon RTT trail running shoes.  Under Armour reminds me of Michael Phelps (and his cool video) and running clothes. Definitely not running shoes nor trail shoes.  I was still very interested to check them out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xh9jAD1ofm4

The Horizon RTT comes in 5 colors.  I picked marlin blue/neptune and I love the color .

UA Horizon RTT Trail Shoes 1

Product DNA (from the UA website)

  • Durable PU & textile upper for breathability & reliable protection
  • Reinforced welded synthetic material in critical areas for increased durability
  • Mesh heel with dual protective welds
  • Molded collar foam package for added comfort
  • Charged Cushioning® foam puck placed under the heel for responsive comfort
  • Lightweight, full-length EVA midsole for optimal cushioning
  • High traction rubber lug outsole for dependable traction on a variety of conditions
  • Offset: 7mm
  • Weight: 9.2 oz.
  • Imported

While they weren’t heavy, they felt more stiff than my regular running shoes.  My first run in them hurt my right foot.

UA Horizon RTT Trail Shoes 2

A few more runs in them and the shoes feel a little bit more comfortable.

UA Horizon RTT Trail Shoes 7

While they’re primarily trail shoes, they also did well on the road.

UA Horizon RTT Trail Shoes 3

I also wore them to work (in my skirt).  🙂  I like that they’re wide enough for my feet.

UA Horizon RTT Trail Shoes 6.jpg

Check out these lugs!  I have a feeling these will be great to run in the snow.

Overall, I am pleased with my shoes.  My only regret is not sizing up.  I wear a 9.5 and remember reading some people suggesting to size up.  I don’t know why I didn’t.  I have been wearing thin socks and no longer run more than 5 miles in them.

Monday was my first day back at work.  In the morning I worked in my room and then parents dropped off school supplies from 9-10 am.  Then meetings, lunch, and another meeting in another building.  Long day.  Thankfully we had a break to see the eclipse.  It was cloudy but did manage to see a bit of it.

Eclipse glasses

Tuesday was more meetings.  It went by fast.  I couldn’t stay late because I had a doctor appointment for my yearly checkup.  I had to step on the scale and was very surprised at the number.  No, it didn’t go down but instead went down.  I was tired so I didn’t really care.  But now I do.

My first day with the kids was Wednesday.  Some of the teachers used chalk to write messages for them.  Pretty cool!

I have 24 students in my room.  Wow!  At the end of the day I wanted to cry.  I was exhausted.  My back, feet, and legs hurt.  I have a rough group of kids.  I remember my first year and it wasn’t that bad.  These kids talk a lot and don’t know when to stop talking. They’re also distracted and looking elsewhere but me.   

Tired cat

The next two days were rough too.  Something new this year is that the kids eat breakfast in the lunchroom.  They come in at 8:30am, grab breakfast (if they want), and go to the classroom.  They have 15 minutes to put stuff in their locker and eat.  It isn’t enough time because they like to talk which in the morning is fine but they also need to eat.  In the meantime I take attendance and track who ate breakfast and who brought a lunch.  The kids need to stop eating at 8:45, throw away the garbage, and clean up because at 8:50 they have a special (gym, media, art, gym, or computers).

I know the first couple of days/weeks are rough.  I am ready for that.  I need to remember those moments that make teaching so worth it.

Teacher Inspiration

Now time for a giveaway!  The winner will receive a Momentum Jewelry inspire-ring.  I have one and love it.  

Momentum Inspire-Ring

Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter.  This giveaway will run until September 2 at 11:59 pm.  The giveaway is open to US residents only.  The winner will be contacted via the email address associated with their Rafflecopter account and will have 24 hours to claim their prize.   All entries are verified, so please be sure to complete them or a new, random winner will be selected.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Do you prefer road or trail running?  Or both?

I’m linking up with Holly and Tricia for their Weekly Wrap. This week’s host is Teresa @ Finding Fabulous at Fifty .  Please stop by her blog and show her some love!

Hoping everyone had a good week!

WWGuest

Dry scalp, race discounts, and classroom setup.

I hope the term “dry scalp” didn’t make you cringe.  I’ve suffered from it for years.  I think part of it is my fault.  I finally wised up and am not having problems with it anymore.

cat

I was one of those people that would wash my hair EVERY SINGLE DAY.  Yep, winter, spring, summer, and fall.  I know, definitely not good.  I used various shampoos to help relieve the itchiness and dryness but nothing helped.  Someone suggested Yes to Naturals Tea Tree & Sage Oil Scalp Relief Shampoo and Conditioner and to stop washing it everyday.  What?  But I sweat a lot and run a lot.  How can I not wash my hair?  That is just GROSS!!  I decided to wash my hair every other day and to just rinse my hair on the days that I don’t wash it.  It’s been about 3 weeks and my scalp feels so much better.  

Yes Shampoo

Check out my new discounts page HERE.  There are a few Rock ‘n’ Roll coming up so make sure to use code “BIBRAVE15″ to save $15 off your race entry.  Want to run a Hot Chocolate race?  There are also quite a few of them in various cities.  When you sign up you can get a BONUS Hot Chocolate branded cap.  But each city has a different code so make sure to check out my discounts page.

I-Like-DisountsMy room is almost done.  I went back to set it up Monday-Wednesday.  I had a meeting on Tuesday so could only set up for a few hours.  I decided that I would finish as much as I could by Wednesday because I didn’t want to go again till Monday.  I still have a few more things to do but will get it done when I go back.

Can you tell that I like pens and Ticonderoga pencils.  If you have kids in school, buy those pencils for them.

I also managed to run a couple of days.  Monday afternoon I came home tired and took a nap.  Then I debated on whether to run or not.  Glad I did!  I wore my new Oiselle reflective top.  For sure drivers saw me on the street!

I ran Thursday, Saturday and Sunday again on the lakefront.  Total mileage for this week is 18.06.  

Running 4

It feels good not to have a specific running plan to follow.  I have two races in September that I am excited about: Run Mag Mile on September 9 and Chicago Half Marathon/5K on September 24.  Check out the sweet swag for these races!

2017 Chicago Half and 5K 1
Source: http://www.chicagohalfmarathon.com/

Tomorrow is back to work.  Summer break is definitely over.  🙂

Back to work and netflix

I’m linking up with Holly and Tricia for their Weekly Wrap.  This week’s host is Madhuri @ Ponder ‘N’ Wonder.  Please stop by her blog and show her some love!

Hoping everyone had a good week!

WWGuest

New shorts and shoes, a deer, and a 10k!

I’ve been adding posts about my Alaska trip to my running cruise page.  You can find the posts HERE on the bottom of the page.  

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I didn’t do much running last week.  19.46 miles to be exact.  

Five miles on Monday wearing new Oiselle shorts.  My favorite shorts and I have about 15 pairs.

RoadtoBQ114

On Wednesday I did a speed workout (1M Warm Up; 12×1 min @95% effort w/1 min jog rest; and 1M Cool Down).  It was easier than expected and I was actually smiling throughout the run.

A friend of mine posted on Instagram her mileage for July and mentioned that her race was in 5 weeks.  She is doing the 50k while I do the marathon.  THAT COMPLETELY FREAKED ME OUT!  I don’t feel ready.  I don’t remember feeling like this last year and my training was MORE intense.  

Saturday’s 4 mile run went well.  I saw my former coach and I mentioned how I had been feeling (not motivated, no longer want to do marathon, and how I don’t want to run anymore).  I told her that I had 16 miles on Sunday and was going to see how I did/felt before making a decision on whether or not to run the marathon.  Well, Sunday came and I managed to run 6 miles.  There is no way I would feel ready in 4 weeks.  I was feeling so many emotions but the two that topped the list were FAILURE and EMBARRASSMENT.  I also felt like a fool and a loser.  Here I am going on and on about training for a marathon and hoping to eventually get a BQ, etc, etc., and I am already quitting.  Who does that?

violin

No marathon for me next month.  I still want to run the Boston Marathon but for now will focus on strength training and swimming.  I still plan to run but just for fun.  I signed up to run the Run Mag Mile (10k for me) on September 9 and the Chicago Half Marathon and 5k (5k for me) on September 24. 

I saw this deer on Sunday morning and it made me smile.

RoadtoBQ115

I got these new Brooks Launch 3.

Brooks Launch 3

And two pairs of the Launch 4.  I know, I have a problem, and need an intervention. Help!

Brooks Launch 4
 
Sign up today to run the Run Mag Mile with me on September 9.  Use  code “BibRaveMM17” for a BONUS water bottle!  Check out the hoodie and the 10k medal. I’ve never done this race and am looking forward to it!

Linking up with MarciaPatti, and Erika for Tuesdays on the Run.

TuesdaysOnTheRun

Friday Five 2.0-Top 5 things I am looking forward to the Chicago Half and 5k

As you read this post, I’ll be on my way to Seward, Alaska to begin my trip on The Great Alaskan Running Cruise.  Follow me on Instagram as I will be posting pictures and some stories during my trip.

As I mentioned last week, I am a BibRAVE Pro Ambassador and one of the perks is signing up for the Chicago Half Marathon and 5k on September 24th.  Read along as I list the reasons why I am excited to run the 5k.

1. It will be my first race as a BibRAVE Pro Ambassador.  I am grateful to be chosen as an ambassador and excited to run for this amazing group.  I also look forward to meet more ambassadors at the race.

2. It is a local race.  That saves me time and money.  I sleep in my own bed and drive to the race.  I’ve run before the half marathon so I am familiar with the course.  I love that in this race you run through traffic free Lake Shore Drive.

3. FREE Race Photos.  I never buy any of my race photos (too expensive and don’t like how I look – that alone is another topic) but I’ve noticed that I do like the FREE ones. Regardless, whether I like them or not, they’re still FREE.

4. It is a short race.  I know people have a love/hate relationship with 5ks.  I personally like the distance because it is “only” 3 miles.  Doable, right?  Sure beats 13.1 miles.  🙂

Wallpaper of love hate relationship

5. I am hoping to PR!  My old PR is from 2011.  It is time to set a new one.

EXTRA:
6. You get a cool shirt and medal.  Love the color red!

2017 Chicago Half and 5K 1
Source: http://www.chicagohalfmarathon.com/

Remember, if you would like to sign up, use BRCHI17 to get $15 off the half and $10 off the 5K.

Will I see you at the Chicago Half Marathon and 5k in September?

Do you like/don’t like 5ks?

I’m linking up with Running on Happy and Fairytales and Fitness for Friday 2.0.

fridayfive