Friday, October 31, 2014

Friday Favorites: Run With Perseverance

I don't know if you remember my post from February about this company, but hopefully you do!

Kathy is an amazing SoCal mama, wife, runner, and triathlete who runs (pun TOTALLY intended) the Etsy store Run With Perseverance. I thought I originally found the store at the beginning of the year when I was looking for cute running gear online, but as I quickly realized, I have been wearing it for MUCH longer (my awesome sister-in-law got me one of the tanks for Christmas 2012 :) ).

Said sister-in-law and me before the 2013 Princess Half Marathon
Notice the tank I'm wearing?! A Run With Perseverance Original :)

The idea behind Run With Perseverance is they are sporty tank tops for women who refuse to be average. And by now I'm sure you have come to the realization that I am anything but normal ;)

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Although I began chatting with Kathy online at the beginning of the year, I was lucky enough to meet her a couple months ago. If you didn't read my Disneyland Half Marathon recap (shame on you), then you probably missed it. She was hanging out with her dad (and his SWEET Classic Truck) and ended up chasing me down when I ran by her! We didn't grab a picture together (it must have been the humidity getting to my brain, I wasn't even thinking about photo which is SO not me), but you better believe the next time I see her we will TOTALLY be documenting it!


We have kept in touch on social media and was STOKED when I saw she was releasing new items (new designs, new colors, and even new base tanks). I was HONORED when she reached out to me and asked if I would be willing to try out another one of her tops. Oh, you better believe I JUMPED on the opportunity.

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Next up was the hard part... Deciding which one to choose. You see, if you haven't been on her site, there are SO MANY that I need want need. Some of my favorites (especially since I run a lot of the runDisney races) are:

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Um... Can you say PERFECT for the Star Wars Half in January?! 

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If I didn't already have my top for the Avengers Half in
November I might have ordered this one!

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Marilyn is my mom's FAVORITE! 

I know, I know, there are A LOT I like love... But you know what?! Those are just a FEW of the amazing items Kathy has... There are many, many, MANY more! So... I know you are DYING to know which one I picked...

The winner is:



WAKE UP AND BE AWESOME! Um, pretty perfect, right?!

And not only did Kathy send me one, but she made me a SPECIAL tank (how super sweet is that?!). One with my FAVORITE quote on it. (I just couldn't wait to wear it, so ended up wearing it the day I got it out of the mailbox, hence why the picture isn't "professional" - just a sweaty selfie after my tempo run ;))

I promise I will get better pictures of it once
it's washed ;)

Just like all of the other tanks I have from Run With Perseverance, THEY ARE AWESOMESAUCE! Super soft, easy to run in, and I always get tons of compliments! The burnout material makes the tops extremely breathable! And don't get me started on the rad, new color choices - plenty to pick from to match any runner's style.

I wore my "Kickin' Asphalt" tank to the Inaugural
California 10/20 Race
earlier this year

I wore my "though she be but little, She Is FIERCE"
tank to the San Diego Half Marathon (my current
half marathon PR)

Just because they are sporty, does NOT mean you have to wear them when you are running or working out (although they do work great for it). I wear mine out and about and even to Disneyland ;)

Cruella de Vil had a blast making fun of the tank :) 

And not only is Run With Perseverance one of MY favorites, but now it can be one of YOURS! That's right! Kathy has offered up a tank top OF YOUR CHOICE for one lucky reader! HOW FAN-FREAKIN'-TASTIC IS THAT?! You get to pick the size, color, and design! I promise, you will NOT be disappointed!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

**FYI: The Instagram Handle is: Run_With_Perseverance. For some reason Rafflecopter's formatting will not allow me to do underscores (it just italicizes the font instead).**

Enter early and often (some of the entries are available DAILY). The giveaway will run through Thursday, November 6th at 11:59pm PST. I will contact the winner via email (using the email address listed through Rafflecopter). Also, the entries ARE verified, so please make sure you complete the task or I'll have to pick a new random winner. BEST OF LUCK TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU WHO ENTERS!!

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Change Of Plans

Sometimes, things happen and you have to change your plans. For a person like me, who is very rigid plan-oriented, that can be hard to swallow.

For example, yesterday afternoon I was in my bedroom getting changed so I could workout. I heard a cracking noise and Walt jumped off the bed to go check it out. A few seconds later I heard dripping water. I ran to our hall bathroom and discovered the tank of the toilet had EXPLODED and the water was leaking out. OH NO! Thankfully my Daddy-O is a plumber so I called him (back in Michigan) to walk me through what I needed to do (turn off the water, continually flush the toilet so the water would drain out of the tank rather than on the floor, etc).

Don't worry, I still got my workout it, but this was NOT how
I expected to spend some of my afternoon...

This morning I had my normal Tempo run on the calendar. I usually try to do it BEFORE work. I believe it originally started due to the heat and the fact that Ryan and I were a 1 car family for a while, so I needed to be back home in time for him to go surf. Even if it began out of necessity, I really enjoy my early morning runs (even if lately it has still been pitch dark out when I finish).

I was "up" around 2am this morning, tossing and turning, so around 4:30am I finally got out of bed. I went out to the living room, let Walt out of his house (we crate him at night) and sat down to check my social media. Walt got out of his bed and came over to cuddle with me. I was all ready to go (I even had my shoes on), but when that warm little snuggle-bug leaned on my leg, I said "SCREW IT, I'll run AFTER work." (He NEVER wants to cuddle with me... he definitely loves Ryan more than me.) I ended up laying down and "sleeping" with him until about 6am, when I finally got up to start working.

Normally I would NOT want to do my tempo run after work. A. It is the warmest part of the day (today I worked from 6:15am-12:15pm, so by the time I got to the beach it was around 1pm). B. I would rather run without a days worth of food in my tummy (sometimes I can have stomach issues, so I like running in the morning when I don't have much food in my system). C. It is busier down on the strand (DUH - although I am always pleasantly surprised at how much hustle and bustle there is down by the pier around 5am), which means sometimes I end up doing a little more weaving, stopping at crosswalks, and have to watch for the rouge bikers.

Temp when I was ready to leave this morning vs. when
I actually ran this afternoon

Thankfully I was still able to get all 6 miles in under my tempo pace (which is 8:04/ mile). My miles were: 7:29, 8:01, 7:55, 7:44, 7:47 and 7:19. I was telling a friend afterwards that it is MUCH easier to run first thing in the morning for me. I find I have less excuses, it is cooler (which cuts down on the sweat in my eyes), and I don't have to worry about everyone else. Sure, I am still safe and observant at 5am, but I can see car headlights, reflective clothing, etc at that time. Also, people tend to be a lot nicer (maybe it is just because I see the same people every time - but today I was coming up on a group that was walking FOUR deep across the sidewalk. I said "Excuse me, on your left" and ALL FOUR OF THEM turned around and just stared at me...).


I am blessed to be able to run when it is convenient for me, but I am hoping to stick with my early morning runs, at least for my tempo workouts. They tend to be faster... and let's be honest, sometimes it is all about the time, bout the time, not pleasure... :)

Is it just me or does EVERYONE love the selfie
timer on the iPhones?!

Do you prefer to run in the morning? In the evening? Or somewhere in between?

Monday, October 27, 2014

Motivational Mondays: RunEMZ

I decided I wanted to start a new blog series - Motivational Mondays.

No, this isn't going to be a post with motivational pictures (although sometimes we need them, #AmIRightOrAmIRight?!)...

The other day I realized how many inspirational and AMAZING people I know. Since these folks motivate me to be a better runner (but more importantly a better person), I thought they might do the same for you. With that being said, I started reaching out to some of those awesome folks in my life to see if they'd help me out.

I am STOKED to say everyone I asked said they would LOVE to participate. I can't wait to start posting all of the "mini interviews".

So without further ado, I bring you FAN-FREAKIN'-TASTIC Mrs. RunEMZ :) [Can I say how THRILLED and HONORED I am she even wanted to play along with me?! And that she was the first one to respond back?! PURELY WONDERFUL!]


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When did the running bug first bite you? What is your running story?

I began running only as a way to maintain fitness after volleyball injury but quickly realized my love for it was growing with each mile. My first marathon with a 1999 where I finished with the time of four hours 16 minutes. When I ran my next marathon 10 years later I qualified for the Boston Marathon and I knew this running thing was for me. Little did I know in 1999 when I started running that by 2014 I would've completed over 30 marathons, five ultramarathons, and best of all, supported a number of charities by running 24 hour treadmill runs. 

RunEMZ at her first marathon after a
10 year hiatus - she was THAT happy!

How do you balance it all (especially since most of us have other 9-5 jobs, families, friends, commitments, etc)? [PS What is your full time job?]

I balance it all mostly by getting up very early. I have found when I wake up early and get it done first thing... the excuses tend to not be there as they are if I wait until later in the day. 

I work from home as a personal shopper. I love my job. But I love my mom job more than anything. 

What does your training/ routine look like?

My training routine has kind of been all over the place lately as my son is just now two months old. However, I do try to do longer runs on Monday Wednesday, speed workout on Tuesday. I always take Thursday & Sunday off and Friday I do my long run. Saturday for me is typically a slow recovery run. 

If you could impart one piece of advice/ wisdom for someone starting their running journey, what would it be?

Be patient. Follow your own training plan.  Always remember that you can do hard things. And my favorite thing to remember is that the mind controls the body. 

What is one of your recent accomplishments you are most proud of?

The treadmill runs that I do for charity by far are the accomplishments that I most proud of. Don't get me wrong I love running a new PR in a marathon. However, the feeling that comes after these charity runs FAR surpasses the feeling I get after a PR. 

From her SF 24 hour Treadmill Run

What are some of your favorites (i.e. foods, workouts, fuels, gear, etc)?

Well of course I swear by my Woodway treadmill. Love. It. I also use my M 80 roller -daily. 
I swear by Vega products. I just simply love them. 

Anything you can't live without (other than running and oxygen of course ;))? 

That. Treadmill. 

If you could do it all over again, is there anything you would change?

I would've started doing these charity runs a lot sooner. 

From her 100 Mile Trail Run - Coldwater Rumble

And don't forget your Social Media links - how can we follow you?

IG & Twitter @runemz
And I pretend I blog at www.runemz.com

Like I said AMAZING, right?! A HUGE THANKS to Emily for her input on this post! YOU ARE A ROCKSTAR AND I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE YOU IN FEBRUARY!! 

Oh yeah... You missed that?! She will be running the Phoenix Marathon too! In fact, she was the one that helped hook me up with the discount code for all of you to save 10% off your registration! 

What do you think? Are you as excited about these Monday posts as I am? Did I leave out any questions you would have asked? 

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Workout Recap - Week 43

Sunday, October 19th – 10 mile run with the hubby, Foam Rolled & Stretched


Monday, October 20th –  5 mile (easy pace) run, Foam Rolled & Stretched


Tuesday, October 21st –  Strength Training (abs, back, arms and legs), Foam Rolled & Stretched

Wednesday, October 22nd – 5 mile (tempo pace) run, Foam Rolled & Stretched


Thursday, October 23rd – 45 minute pool workout (swimming laps, treading water, pool "running", etc), Foam Rolled & Stretched

Friday, October 24th – 20 mile (long run pace) run


Saturday, October 25th 6 mile (long run pace) run


Last Sunday was supposed to be a rest day, but since Ryan had a long run on his schedule, I figured I could do it with him :) What's an extra 10 miles... HA! And just because I was on a Girls Weekend getaway in Palm Springs this weekend doesn't mean I wasn't going to get my miles in. Gotta make it work y'all! PS I didn't pack a foam roller, but know I definitely will be needing it when I get back home!

How were your workouts this past week?  

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Recent Runs

I don't mean to brag, but my runs lately have been pretty AMAZING :)

Thursday night I posted on Twitter that I had a 20 mile run the following morning, sort of pleading with someone to run with me. Well, you know your 20-miler is gonna ROCK when you wake up to a tweet from RunEMZ saying she was gonna run those miles "with" me (I know, I know, she was going to be on a treadmill in Arizona and I was going to be on a bike trail in Oceanside, but it's the moral support that counts!). 

Ummmm.... HOLY CRAP! 

I was heading out for a girls weekend in Palm Springs Friday afternoon so I know I needed to get my run in early. I was up by 5am (even though my alarm wasn't set till 6). Did a little Instagram double-clicking, blog checking and Twitter liking before getting ready to head out. I knew the temperatures were supposed to start rising early (so even if I didn't have somewhere to be by 12:15pm I still would have wanted to get out on the road earlier rather than later), but I decided to check the weather before heading out. Good thing I did or I would have been FREEZING! 


It was only in the 40s when I left the house, so I am glad I grabbed a long sleeve shirt! (By the time I got home it was already in the 70s so I am glad I got it in when I did before the temps rose even further.) Since I had my long sleeves on I didn't look at my watch much for the first 13 miles or so of the run. It looks like I was keeping an average pace of around 9:30/ mile, which is right around my long run pace - so that's awesome!

I stopped around mile 7 for some PROBAR BOLT Energy Chews and then around mile 14 to refill my water bottle and the rest of my chews. Other than those two pit stops and a couple traffic lights I was cruising. (Places to go, people to see.) I ended up getting my 20 miles done in about three hours and seven and a half minutes. 


Even with sitting in the car for about 3 hours later that afternoon, my body didn't feel too bad. I think this gradual increase in mileage has helped my body acclimate much better (THANKS Coach Krissy :)). Not to mention my PRO Compression gear and foam rolling :)

Some of the PRO Compression Ambassadors
are trying to see if #TwoPairDontCare will catch on :) 

This morning I had another 6 miles on the schedule. Even though I am in Palm Springs with some friends for a Girls Weekend I was still going to get my miles in. I wanted to get out the door before the heat started getting too crazy, so around 7:15am I was pounding the pavement. I stopped to take a couple pictures of the sunrise because it was just beautiful (the pictures don't even come close to doing it justice).

Sunsets are amazing, but sunrises are my jam!

The mountains outside of our front door! AWESOMESAUCE!

I LOVE when you can see the rays of sun from behind the clouds!

Along the way there were a ton of wind turbines. Of course I needed to grab another picture. They were so huge and with the mountains behind them they were just super cool.

These are HUGE!

Welcome!

I ended up running my 6 miles a little faster than I was supposed to, but it felt nice that even after a 20-miler yesterday, a bit of a road trip, and about 3 hours of sleep last night my body was still raring to go :) 


Now it's time to pack up the computer, get on my bathing suit and hang out at the pool for some more girl time (that is once everyone else wakes up :)).

Not a bad stop to blog, eh?

How have your runs been recently? 

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Bike The Coast

I don't know if I have mentioned it on here or not (maybe because I don't necessarily want to acknowledge it out loud), but I am signed up for a 50 MILE bike race in a little over a week...

I had heard about Bike The Coast for the past few years, but for some reason or another I hadn't been able to pull the trigger (last year I think we did The Color Run on the same day).

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Earlier this year I saw a coupon code for the race and thought I needed to sign up. They have multiple options - a 7 mile, 15 mile, 25 mile, 50 mile and 100 mile race. I asked Ryan if he wanted to do it with me, to which he graciously declined. Originally I was thinking we could do the 25 mile race, but since Ryan wasn't planning on doing it with me I figured GO BIG OR GO HOME!


My normal weekly bike ride (I have a "cross training" day on my schedule, which 95% of the time turns into a bike ride) is around 20 miles. I knew I could easily do the 25 mile race, so why not step out of my comfort zone and do 50 miles?!

Um... I'll tell you... BECAUSE I'VE NEVER RIDDEN OVER 25 MILES AT ONCE BEFORE...

What did I get myself into?! 

This will definitely not be a "race" for me or even a ride that I remotely care about time/ pace on. This is about me doing something I would have never thought I could and doing it with a smile on my face (and probably a super sore booty).

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I am planning on "dolling" up my bike a bit by adding some streamers to the handle bars and decorations on my spokes. My thoughts are: A. don't take myself too seriously, B. maybe make a couple people smile while I am riding all morning long (and if I am honest with myself, probably some of the afternoon), and C. if my fellow racers see I'm not taking it too seriously (ha, like they couldn't tell by looking at me that I wasn't a threat) they won't laugh at me along the way.


Originally I was worried about being the last person on the course, but I recently found out the 100 mile course is actually 2 loops of the 50 mile course. Hopefully I can beat a few of the 100 mile racers :)

Like I mentioned, I've never tried this distance before. I have no idea what to expect (other than a painful derrière). I am hoping to enjoy the beautiful surroundings (the route tours the beaches on Highway 101 through Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach and Del Mar) and prove to myself that I can do ANYTHING I put my mind to!


Oh yeah... And my bike... Well, it is a hybrid beach cruiser... Meaning it is not built for speed! It is made to leisurely cruise along. At least it has a few gears ;)

Wish me luck! No, really, PLEASE send me some fast peddling vibes...

Have you ever signed up for a race or event that was WAY out of your league?!