New Mizuno Wave Sky

June 5, 2017 by


Disclosure: This post about the new Wave Sky is sponsored by Mizuno through Fitfluential. All opinions are my own.

If you have been reading my blog lately, you know I have been struggling with a quad/knee injury that sidelined me for around 8-9 weeks. Not running was no fun, but I knew I needed to be extra careful when I did come back to the sport. When I was asked to try out the new Mizuno Wave Sky, I was pumped as the timing was when I was coming back from my injury, and I couldn’t help but think maybe some new shoes would help my knee to not hurt.

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Well, I was absolutely right. Not only has my knee not hurt running in these new shoes, but I feel like I am running on a springboard. There is just something about running in new shoes that makes me run taller and faster. However, after five runs in the Wave Sky, that feeling has not gone away with the cloudwave technology in these shoes.

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This is a neutral shoe, but it has plenty of cushioning, and as someone who prefers a wider toe box, I am happy to same my toes have not gone numb like that have in other shoes. I also really like the new thicker premium sock liner for a better, more comfortable fit.

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This shoe comes in three great combos for the women, and you can check them out here. I have a feeling I will wear these out really quickly and will need a new pair, I’m digging the pink and want to get those next time!

QOTD: What do you look for in a new shoe? Have you tried Mizuno running shoes before? What is your favorite color combo on the new wave sky?

Filed Under: blogging, fitness, health, running, running gear Tagged: , , , , ,

Mizuno Wave Rider 20

November 9, 2016 by

I am pretty picky about my running shoes (as any runner should be) and I can be pretty hesitant to try something new. I have worn shoes from Mizuno before but it had been awhile. However, I had heard so many great things about the new Mizuno Wave Rider 20, that I was dying to try them out!

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My shoes came in a beautiful box wrapped in platinum paper. As soon as I unfolded the tissue and saw the gorgeous coloring, I legit let out an audible “oooooo!” even though I was the only one in the house. Well, besides the dog, and she obviously doesn’t wear shoes. (But she did however think I was unwrapping food).

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I immediately laced up and went out for a quick run. Smooth and bouncy would be two words that immediately came to mind. These shoes have a could wave technology that allows for a comfortable ride. It has more cushion in the heel than wave riders of the past, but it didn’t feel bulky at all.

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These shoes also have really great mesh that provide breathability and movement. The wave rider 20 is a neutral shoe, and it is 33% more durable and responsive than previous models (wow!) They come in narrow and wide which I think is great, since people don’t all have the same shaped foot! I personally don’t like when my toes feel cramped, but they felt great in these shoes. I have gotten lots of compliments, and am enjoying getting in some miles in my new shoes.

For more information, photos, and colors (cute ones!) check out the wave rider 20’s on Mizuno’s site and give them a try!

QOTD: When buying a running shoe, what do you look for as the most important feature?

This post was sponsored by Mizuno, however all opinions are my own.

Filed Under: fitness, running, running gear Tagged: , , , ,

5 Things Friday XIII

April 1, 2016 by

Happy Friday! This week has thrown me for a loop. All day yesterday I thought it was Wednesday. Thankfully, I was wrong on that one. This week we have had a lot of rain/severe weather, high winds, and crazy humidity. I’m ready for some sunshine. I need to start remembering to reapply sunscreen because my freckles are coming out like woah. Anyway, here’s what is going on in my brain this Friday (scary thought, I know).

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1.) Instagram Craziness: Ever since Instagram announced they were going to put “more important to you” posts first, everyone started losing their minds. For some reason it got around that this was to happen this past week, so my feed was filled with people begging followers to turn on their notifications to make sure they saw all their posts. For those that don’t know, all this does is send you a push notification every. single. time,. that person posts. Aint nobody got time for that! Just don’t post those things. Seriously. This article was spot on/hilarious.

2.) Racin’ For the Seed: Tomorrow I will be running my first 5k since December! It’s also a duathlon that Bobby participated in last year that benefits our local Christian community center for adults with developmental disabilities. The center is called the Mustard Seed, hence “Racin’ for the Seed”. We had a great time last year, and this time Bobby is sitting out so I can race. I hope Frank the camel is back!

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3.) Did I do that? Wednesday was a weird day for me. I actually walked around for several hours wearing two different shoes. You may have spotted my post on social media that evening, I cannot believe I did that. I have always laughed at other people doing it, but never thought it would be me. Mom brain is real, folks.

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4.) Crock Pot fun: In an effort to make my life easier and not have to cook every night, I started using my crock pot again (or slow cooker as some of you may call it). This way I can make twice as much food with little prep. Wednesday night I threw in four chicken breasts, some taco seasoning mix, a cup of salsa and a can of beans. Cooked on low for four hours, shred chicken, and walah, we have food for two days. Happy wife, happy life.

5.) Pigtail baby: What is it about pigtails that make little girls look so darn mischievous? My little bug looks adorable in them but I think she gets into more trouble on days when I put her hair like that. It is quite the wrestling match to do her hair though. I try to do it in the morning when I am changing her diaper otherwise she will not be still for me. Any tips?

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QOTD: Are you racing this weekend? Tips for doing crazy hyper girl toddler hair? Best crock pot recipe?

Filed Under: baby, fitness, running, technology Tagged: , , , ,

Run True Love

February 16, 2016 by

Hey guys! Happy late Valentine’s Day! Honestly, Bobby and I never go out on Valentine’s Day, and he knows I would kill him if he bought overpriced flowers, so we just normally exchange cards and call it a day.

However, when ASICS reached out to me about giving a surprise to our support system or “run true love”, I was super excited and decided to make it a scavenger hunt live on Periscope.

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It was fun and I am glad I did it, and Bobby is happy he has some new shoes. He has never run in the Nimbus before, so I will have to get him to write a review post after he has run in them awhile. If you want to see how fellow ASICS ambassadors surprised their friends or family, follow #runtruelove.

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We ate pizza for dinner, and then it was time for the main event. THE WALKING DEAD! Yall, if you aren’t watching this show then you are missing out on the amazingness that is Daryl Dixon and the rest of the gang.

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Love it. The episode did not disappoint (wow it was intense!) and I can’t wait to see the direction they take the rest of the season. Also, Carrie Underwood was the special guest on the Talking Dead, and I am a HUGE fan of hers, so that was a fun bonus.

So, that’s our incredibly exciting Valentine’s Day, which was fine by me. I hope your day was a good one, too! (and congrats to all the LA marathon finishers. You can check out my recap from last year here.)

QOTD: Do you watch The Walking Dead? What did you do for Valentine’s Day?

Filed Under: asics, family, holidays, running, running gear Tagged: , , , ,

Master It with MetaRun

December 14, 2015 by

When I think about Mastering things in life, one of the things that immediately jumps into my head are athletic related goals. I have been an athlete since the third grade (well, if you call 3rd grade basketball a sport,) and I thrive on competition and physical fitness.

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If I was being honest though, there are other  areas of my life that I would love to master as well, one being the way I see myself. Being a competitive person, I have always been VERY hard on myself when it comes to well…everything. If I made a 98 on a test in school, it was “gosh darn it why didn’t I make a 100?” If I had 10 kills in a volleyball game, I wanted 11. If I ran a race, I wanted to PR every time (well, I still do that.) While this is a great, goal driven attitude to have, it can also be destructive.

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Ever since having Emma Kate in September of 2014, I have been really, really hard on myself concerning my physical appearance. This once bikini wearing girl bought a tankini and a wrap to wear for the summer at the pool. I ran non stop but still wasn’t thrilled with my body. Still about two pounds from my pre-baby weight, I have beat myself up over why it is taking me so long, when other seem to bounce back in lightning speed.

What seemed to me was that I really needed to master my attitude and evaluate the process. This for me started in the summer while following the BBG fitness program. While I am getting a lot better, I still have some work to do. I realized a few things 1.) I can’t eat like I did while I was pregnant, 2.) JUST running isn’t going to get me in the shape I want to be in, and 3.) My body did an amazing thing, and even if I never look the way I “used to” ever again, I have done something even greater, and that is having a child

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I love my body for what it has done for me and continues to do for me, and taking bootcamp classes + running has done wonders for making me feel good about myself. However, it’s so easy to sit back in my yoga pants and sweatshirts and say I am proud of how far I have come, hiding the flaws and trouble spots.

So, today I have decided to force myself out of my comfort zone (which seems to have been the 2015 theme around here,) and take some pictures in my awesome new MetaRun ASICS shoes, baring the body part that I give the most grief to.

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Thankfully, the shoes are so adorable and awesome (and just so happen to be New Orleans Saints colors), I know you are all just staring at them, RIGHT? I know I have things to work on both physically and mentally, but I also know that with the right attitude and some hard work, I can master anything. Having cute shoes helps, too. (Also, WOW do I need some sun!)

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So can I tell you a little about the shoes that prompted me to write this oh so honest blog post? I promise they are super cool.

Over the last 3 years, ASICS’ Institute of Sport Science (the ISS) has been researching, prototyping and designing a shoe that they think will master long distance running, with no restrictions. They were told to create the best thing they could and they did.

These shoes adapt and contour to your individual running style. MetaRun was built using the latest ASICS exclusive technologies providing you with the best and first ever running shoe with a responsive ride. The first thing I noticed was that they are really lightweight, but at the same time very cushioned, which are two things that tend to not go together in the running shoe world. I basically forgot that they were on my feet!

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The following is from their website:

“Constructed using groundbreaking midsole foam developed in the ASICS ISS. FlyteFoam isn’t a little bit lighter, it’s remarkably 55%* lighter than the industry standard. FlyteFoam isn’t just super lightweight, it’s organic fibres bounce the MetaRun back into its original shape in the space of each stride to provide perfect cushioning from the start of your run to the finish.

A carbon fibre reinforced, two-piece AdaptTruss gives MetaRun both incredible stability and amazing flexibility. This helps to reduce the impact of medial forces on the foot, so the MetaRun will flex safely but become rigid if the foot rolls in too much, meaning reliable stability no matter the distance.

A new one-layer engineered mesh minimises rubbing between the foot and the upper to create a super snug, glove-like fitting experience. A unique combination of closed and open weave patterns optimises flexibility and breathability.”

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Pretty sweet huh? I can say for myself after testing these guys out yesterday that they are pretty amazing. The Gel Quantum 360 is my favorite ASICS shoe, but these bad boys are giving them a run for their money. They are currently available for limited release through December 31. Christmas gift anyone?

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Shoes can truly take you anywhere, and I can’t wait to see where my MetaRun’s take me next year. Hopefully to not only master some great runs + races in 2016, but also to a place of being more at peace with myself and my body, and all of the amazing things it does for me every day.

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QOTD: What is something you want to Master in 2016? It can be running related or not!

Filed Under: asics, fitness, Mental Health, motivation, running Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Under Armour Speedform Apollo

May 8, 2014 by

 

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My friends at Under Armour recently sent me the new Speedform Apollo shoe to test out. I am usually a stability shoe kind of girl so I wasn’t so sure, but after walking and running in them, I can say I’m a believer (for short distances, with my super high arches I’m scared to run more than 4 miles in them).

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These shoes are crafted in a clothing factory (cool!) to make sure the fit is as comfortable as the Under Armour clothing that we ALL love. The fabric is so comfortable and flexible the Apollos didn’t even require to be “broken in!”

This is a slim shoe that has zero bulk. It has a seamless heel cup so rubbing shouldn’t be an issue, as it hasn’t been for me.

The shoes have a perforated toe so they are very breathable. There is also a 4D foam sock liner that conforms to your foot’s shape, so you don’t have to worry about sliding around in your shoes.

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They weigh only 6.5 ounces, and have cool molded toe detail. I felt like the ride was very smooth, but not SO minimal that I could feel every crack in the sidewalk. My feet felt great the whole time, and I didn’t have any issues afterwards. I noticed every though the shoe is very light and form fitting, the sole is actually pretty thick which gives some nice support without being bulky.

The women’s shoe comes in four great color combos and retails for $99.99. You can purchase them here through my affiliate link, too!

QOTD: Do you prefer a more stable shore or a lightweight minimal shoe?

Disclosure: I was provided these shoes by my friends at Under Armour, however all opinions are my own.

Filed Under: fitness, running, Under armour Tagged: , , , ,

Altra running

January 16, 2012 by

 

Good morning! I had a great weekend (well, besides the Saints loss, but we won’t talk about that.) Catching up from the weekend?

A Great Year

RWS Features #7

Centrum ProNutrients

Yesterday was gorgeous, and we had a great time hanging out with my family. Saturday morning, my mom and I went for a cold and windy 4.5 mile run.

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aaannnddd for kicks, here is Bella, doing what she does best…beg for food.

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Yesterday, Bobby had to work in the afternoon, so I caught up on some laundry and did a little bit of work. So, let’s back up to my run. it was my second run in my new shoes. These are made my a company called Altra.

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Altra believes your toes should be able to spread out in your shoe, as if you were barefoot running. These shoes also have a  “zero drop” = the heel is not raised/cushioned any higher than the rest of the shoe. They believe that when a heel is raised and cushioned, that it makes your body unbalanced/pitching forward, and then we arch our backs to compensate, which is not proper form at all.

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I have run in these shoes twice now, (one 2 miles and once 4.5) and sore calf muscles aside, I really love them! Why the sore calves? When you run in a highly built up and cushioned heeled shoes, your calf muscles do not get to stretch out and elongate, but in zero drop shoes they do. I LOVE all the room my toes have to wiggle around, and they are forcing me to land more squarely on my foot as opposed to heel striking.

So far, I would highly recommend these shoes, especially if you want to learn proper form and to get away from Heel striking. (I am also loving my Newton’s by the way, same concept pretty much.)

*Last day to enter my giveaway!

QOTD: What kind of shoes do you run in? How do you feel about shoes coming out like these that help you to run more naturally?

Filed Under: running, Uncategorized Tagged: , , ,

OrthoLite Giveaway

December 23, 2011 by

 

Ggoooodddd morning! It is officially starting to feel like Christmas! I started doing some baking, and this afternoon we will head to my parents for a few days. No worries, I will have my trusty laptop companion.

Today I wanted to tell you a little about a product I was asked to try out, and host a giveaway for. Yes, that’s right, Christmas come early on RWS, it’s giveaway time!

OrthoLite Fusion Insoles sent me product to try out, and they are going to give away some insoles to THREE lucky RWS readers.

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(source)

These are great because both men and women can use them, in any athletic shoe or boot. Because of the way they are made, they allow air to circulate around your shoe/foot keeping it cooler and drier. It also wicks moisture away from your foot. I don’t know about you, but when I run or workout, I get some sweaty feet. Which brings me to my next point….they also fight fungus, bacteria and shoe odor. If your shoes smell anything like mine, this is a big plus.

The insoles are also lightweight and washable. (I KNOW you were wondering about that, wicking away moisture and all, I’m sure they would need to be washed!)

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They retail for $19.99. Be sure to check out their website for more product information. BUT, three of you will get a pair for ffrrreeee! Nothing better than free right?

Obviously, I cannot run right now, but I did put the insoles in my walking shoes, and as soon as I was cleared to walk Tuesday, walk I did. The insoles felt springy and soft, very comfortable. I am excited to see how they do with a really sweaty workout!

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Running outside in August = the need for moisture wicking insoles.

You can also follow Ortholite on Facebook  or Twitter to see what they are up to.

So how do you win some new insoles to start off 2012 on the right foot? (haha, I crack myself up!) Please leave a separate comment for each entry. You have until 8 pm CST on December 30 to enter, and I will pick 3 random winners and announce them on New Year’s Eve.

1.) Tell me what your workout/fitness related goal or resolution is for 2012

2.) Like Ortholite on Facebook

3.) Tweet this: “I want to win @ortholite insoles from @runningwithsass! http://www.runningwithsass.com/ortholite-giveaway”

*I was provided information and product from Ortholite for myself and for a giveaway, but the views and opinions expressed are my own.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: , , , , ,

Lacing Up

November 8, 2011 by

 

No new news on my foot except it still hurts. I am taking ibuprofen and icing, hopefully after a week or so off I can run on it again. While doing some research on what caused this barrel of fun, I came across several articles suggesting I lace my shoes up differently to help prevent pain and tightness.

The two ways I plan to try out after I get better involve parallel laces, and skipping some of the holes. Runner’s World even has a lacing guide to walk you through it. Hopefully, one of these lacing tricks will help the top of my foot from staying injured (and, not tying my laces too tight, way to go, Heather)

The first is to skip the spaces where you feel tenderness or tightness on your foot

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The next is to lace your shoes up with the laces going parallel (straight across) instead of diagonal criss-cross. I didn’t take a picture of this one but the directions are on the Runner’s World guide above.

Another option would be to buy shoes with stretchy laces, or buy some of the laces and put them in your existing shoes.

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The Zoots above came with those laces. I have always wanted to buy some of the laces you can put into your shoes (with the lock so you don’t have to tie them) but I never have gotten around to doing it!

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(source)

Be sure to check out the Runner’s World article, because they talk about a couple of other techniques for lacing your shoes, but they don’t pertain to top of foot pain like I am experiencing.

By the way…..

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This girl is really exited we had a great weekend in football. LSU won the BCS championship their game against Bama, and the Saints beat Tampa Bay. I was in a good mood.

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I meant to work out today, but between running errands, getting groceries, working, and cooking I just let it slide. I am determined to get at least some abs, stretching, and foam rolling in tomorrow! Foot still hurts…so no running. Boo.

I bought a new comforter set for our master bedroom, so I need to go wash some sheets. I will post pictures of the new stuff soon, I love it!

QOTD: How do you tie your shoes? Any tips or tricks?

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: , , , , , ,

If the Shoe Fits

December 13, 2010 by

 

If the shoe fits…stay with that kind and don’t ever switch to anything else! I am talking about running shoes of course! I used to run in Nike Vomeros, but I pronate and they didn’t really help, and they made my hip hurt.

Then I moved on to Asics GT’s, and they didn’t make my hip hurt BUT I think I ordered too small of a size because they made the toes on my right foot bleed, and the toes on my left foot go numb.

(See HERE and the end of HERE for bloody shoe and toe pictures.)

I got these shoes in August and felt bad buying another pair months ago when this started happening (I know, I’m cheap with things like that.) But, now, with the marathon a month away, toe issues still there, and having “gotten more use” out of the shoes, I decided to buy a new pair.

I went to www.runningwarehouse.com and found my old shoes. Of course, they didn’t have pink, and the other colors didn’t have the new bigger size I need. Of course. Then I saw they have just come out with the NEW model, and with the good prices on the website, I was able to get them for $75.00 plus free shipping! They only had one color sadly, so I will be sporting blue running shoes this time around. I love that they have free shipping and free returns in case they STILL cause problems or don’t fit right!

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Crossing my fingers (and bloody toes) that these work for me! I realize I should have bought new shoes as soon as their was a problem. But I did the bad thing and just kept hoping it would go away, or I would say things like “maybe I need to just tape them” or “maybe when it cools off it will get better because my foot won’t swell.” etc. etc.

Moral of the story, make sure you are wearing the proper shoes AND size for your foot! As runners our feet just happen to be very very important to us Smile I will be sure not to make this same mistake again, and if these don’t fit, I will be sending them back! If you have never gone to a running store and had a proper fitting, go, find one, now! Don’t just guess or wear a shoe because it’s popular or someone else has it, or told you they like it. It may not be right for YOUR foot!

Have a nice day everyone, I am off to run a ton of errands and then I have some work to do.

QOTD: What shoes do you wear? Have you ever had a problem with a running shoe?

Filed Under: running, Uncategorized Tagged: ,