Journal Menu Review & Giveaway

July 27, 2015 by 11 Comments

Journal Menu provided me with a Running Journal in exchange for a product review.  As always, all opinions are my own. 

I’ve shared here many times that I am a bit a planner obsessed – using my planner is a key part of my morning routine, helping me to stay on top of a busy family schedule, work, to do’s and long-term goals. When I first started running I use to track my workouts and progress in my planner, but it quickly became too much and I switched to using a separate training log. I like having one place dedicated to my running, and I’ve kept a training journal for each of the last 4 years. So when Erica from Journal Menu reached out to me and offered me a customized journal, there was no way I could turn her down!

Journal2

Well, let me just come right out and say that there’s so much to love about this running journal! There are sections for:

  • goal planning
  • sample training plans and space for your training plans
  • race planning and reviews
  • pace charts
  • interval training
  • personal records
  • inspirational quotes throughout, and
  • the daily entry covers everything from food journal, weather, pace, mileage and notes

Best of all is the level of customization Journal Menu provides – you pick the cover art, the pages to be included and the tracking template. Journal Menu also offers journals for yoga, triathlons, general fitness and a running/crossfit hybrid. Each journal is unique – you build it the way you want it. Seriously, what’s not to love!?

After spending these past couple of months working my way back from injury, this journal’s already got me dreaming big for next year!

So how’s you like the chance to create your own customized journal? Thanks to Journal Menu one lucky RWA reader will win their very own customized running journal!

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Good Luck!

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Filed Under: giveaways, product reviews

Wahoo Fitness Review & Giveaway

June 16, 2015 by 16 Comments

I received the Wahoo Tickr X for the purpose of a review. As always, all opinions expressed here are my own.

With school year-end events, the boys lacrosse tournaments, work and life in general, I am sometimes finding myself needing to be more flexible than usual to get a workout in. And in these situations of late, my go to workout has been to strap on my Wahoo Tickr X and crank out a few rounds of their 7-minute workout.

Wahoo Fitness

The Tickr X is a heart rate monitor with lots of fun features. With the Wahoo Fitness App (both iPhone and Android), the Tickr X syncs with your phone to track your workouts, runs, cycling and swimming. Best of all, it has up to 16 hours of memory so you still track a workout sans phone and sync up later. The Tickr X measures your movement so beyond your heart rate, it will track your distance and stride rate when running and your cadence when cycling.

Since I’ve only just returned to running I haven’t tried the run features yet – but I plan to! What I have really enjoyed is using the Tickr X with Wahoo’s 7 Minute Workout App. This was my first time working with a heart rate monitor of any kind – I’ve always been leery of the whole chest strap thing. The Tickr X band is soft plastic and much more comfortable then I anticipated, and once I got moving I quickly forgot about it.

The 7 Minute Workout app features 12 high-intensity bodyweight exercises, counts reps for each 30 second interval, tells you when to rest and congratulates you when you set a new personal best. At the end of the 7 minutes, it gives you a great recap to show you if you’ve completed more (or fewer) reps than the previous workout and your heart rate throughout. For me, 2 -3 rounds made for a good workout and I was still done in well under a half hour.  Perfect for when you’re short on time! There is also an alternative 7 minute workout and a 7 minute Pilates workout available for 99 cents each if you want to mix it up a bit.

So what do you think? Want to try one for yourself?

Win it! The great folks at Wahoo Fitness are giving away one Tickr X to a lucky RWA reader!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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Filed Under: #Tickrx, #Wahoo, giveaways, product reviews

3-Day Refresh Review

June 9, 2015 by 21 Comments

So as I mentioned on Saturday, I did the 3-day Refresh last week and lived to tell about it 🙂

Source

Source: Beachbody

The Beachbody program combines 3 daily shakes, a fiber drink, lots of water and 3 small daily meals of fresh fruits and vegetables to help re-set your eating habits and drop some lbs. I did the program last Monday  – Wednesday and for added fun had both my husband J and my brother join me.

The Pros:

–  lost 4 lbs and my jeans fit much better on Friday!

– helped me to refocus on putting more fruits and veggies into my daily diet – I had definitely gotten lax on this.

– eliminated sugar from my diet.

– made me very aware that my late afternoon snacking is a trouble spot for me.

– three great nights of sleep!

The Cons:

– I missed my coffee.

– the Fiber Sweep drink tastes god-awful — The Sweep is a mix of whole ground flax, chia, and psyllium seed husks that you mix with 8 oz of water and drink mid-morning. I tried sipping on Day 1 and almost didn’t make it – thanks to my brother who suggested just chugging it as quickly as possible!

– Post-run on Day 2, I was seriously hungry…and seriously cranky! I quickly learned yoga was the better choice of workout during the Refresh.

– Pricey – At $69.95 the Refresh runs you about $23+ per day, not including the cost of the fruits and veggies.

I have to say that I’m so glad I had company on this little venture – the group text messages throughout each day were comical…some less than PG language keeps me from re-posting here 😉 It was great to share ideas on how to make the shakes and meals more flavorful (hello spices!), to commiserate over the lack of coffee and the taste of the Fiber Sweep, and just to keep each other laughing (and honest!)

So of course the big question is – Would you do it again? Was it worth it?

As I told a friend the other day who asked me this question over lunch the other day (and yes I was good and had a great field greens salad with fruit instead of the pizza the restaurant is famous for!), I needed good kick in the pants and this definitely provided it. And, it provided that kick in a way that I’m not convinced I would have pulled off on my own. So, if you’re looking for that kind of jump start then I would say it is worth it…but don’t say I didn’t warn you about that Fiber Sweep 😉

*I am in no way affiliated with Beachbody – I purchased the 3-day Refresh, and all opinions expressed here, as always are my own.

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Filed Under: 3-day refresh, Nutrition, product reviews

Meb for Mortals – Book Review

April 15, 2015 by 2 Comments

Meb-For-Mortals_Cover

A few weeks ago Runner’s World contacted me about a chance to read and review an advanced copy of Meb Keflezighi’s new book – Meb for Mortals: How to Run, Think, and Eat Like a Champion Marathoner. I’m a huge Meb fan so this was a very quick and easy yes on my part! All opinions expressed here, as always, are my own.

I still remember how thrilling it was to watch last year’s Boston Marathon. My family and I try to go every year to cheer runners on. As the men’s race unfolded, I remember being glued to the set refusing to run the risk of missing history by being in the car driving up to one of our favorite spots in Newton. So we waited and watched as Meb ran an amazing race for the ages, and became the first American man to win Boston in over 20 years. After such an emotional year following the bombings, there was nothing more fitting than seeing an American win. And, of course, everyone wanted to know, how did he do it? How did he beat such a talented field and all just before his 39th birthday?!

In Meb for Mortals, Meb explains this is exactly why he wrote this book – to share how his philosophy and preparation helped him to come out on top. But more importantly, through this book Meb doesn’t just speak to elite runners, but to all runners — to help runners at all levels to improve.

The book is broken down into 9 chapters:

  • Chapter 1 – Think like Meb
  • Chapter 2 – Run like Meb
  • Chapter 3 – Train like Meb
  • Chapter 4 – Race like Meb
  • Chapter 5 – Eat like Meb
  • Chapter 6 – Strengthen like Meb
  • Chapter 7 – Stretch like Meb
  • Chapter 8 – Cross-Train like Meb
  • Chapter 9 – Recover like Meb

While I think you should read the book cover to cover, the book’s set up makes it very easy to jump around to the topics that interest you most. For me, I loved the fact that he begins with the mental side of running. Meb says that there are three key things that determine your long term running success – good goals, commitment and hard work. And, as he points out at the opening of Chapter One:

“Only one of those items is physical. The other two are psychological. That’s how important I think the mental side of running is.”

There is so much good stuff in this book – lots of nuggets of wisdom for runners at every level. So before I go on and on, let me say simply, Meb for Mortals is definitely worth adding to your running library. (You can buy the book here.)

Will you be watching Meb defend his Boston Marathon title? What’s your favorite running book?

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Filed Under: #MebforMortals, product reviews

WIN Detergent Review and Giveaway

November 22, 2014 by 3 Comments

I received samples of WIN Detergent  for the purpose of a review through my affiliation with Sweat Pink. As always, all opinions express here are my own.

Tech laundry If you follow RWA on Facebook (and really you should!) then you may have seen this photo in my feed a couple of weeks ago. It made me laugh because this is often what laundry looks like in my house. Between my husband’s workout clothes, my oldest son playing football, while the youngest is playing hockey, plus my own workout clothes, you can easily see how this pic is far from fiction! And if any of you have kids who play sports, you know just how ripe their clothes can be…we won’t even discuss my husband’s stuff!

Win Detergent

Suffice it to say, we sweat hard in the RWA house, so when I was offered a chance to test out WIN Sports Detergent I couldn’t wait to try it. I received two bottles of Win – the original and Win green.

WIN offered a nice light  scent, while WIN Green, as you might expect had no fragrance at all. When put to the test, both formulas delivered on de-stinking the clothes. The green formula wash smelled “clean,” while the original formula left the clothes with a pleasant fresh scent, without the cloyingly perfumey smell of other brands I’ve tried that do more to cover than remove the stink. The original formula did fall short on removing the stains from my son’s hockey socks, and does make me wonder how it might  fair against the grass stains of my boys lacrosse clothes come spring. (I only tried WIN Green on my running gear – so no stain-removal required).

Want to see if WIN can stand up to the test of your workout clothes? WIN is giving me the opportunity to do a giveaway for all RWA readers. One winner will receive a full sized bottle of each, the original and the green formulas. If you don’t want to wait for the giveaway and want to buy it now, you can also use the coupon code WINGIVE1 for $1 off a bottle of WIN.

To enter the giveaway, please follow the Rafflecopter instructions below:

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Filed Under: giveaways, product reviews, WIN detergent

Mizuno Wave Rider 18 Review

October 27, 2014 by 18 Comments

 

WaveRider 1

This post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Mizuno. As always, the opinions expressed here are completely my own.

Since this pair of Mizuno Wave Rider 18s arrived at my door a couple of weeks ago, I have been running in them exclusively. On the road, on the track and on the treadmill, they have quickly become my go-to running shoes. Quite simply,  I love these shoes!

I knew I was on to something good, when I logged over 9 miles in them straight out of the box on a rainy, wind-swept morning. The fit was snug, comfortable, and supported, as the shoe easily formed to my foot.

Wave RIder 2My next run took me to the track for 400-meter intervals  – I felt light and quick, something I haven’t been able to say for a while.  I was sold!

Wave Rider 3

You’ve got to love a shoe with a design that takes inspiration from the Japanese concept of “Hado” – the vibrational life force energy that promotes powerful transformations. Um yes I’ll take some of that please! Sounds good doesn’t it?

For me this translated into a shoe that is an ideal balance between fit and performance, providing a smooth ride that allows you to let go and get lost in your run. A welcome change for me during what has been a tough training cycle.

Wave Rider 4

At just 7.8 oz, the Wave Rider 18 is light and sleek, while Mizuno’s patented Wave technology delivers maximum responsiveness and just enough support for a stable, but unencumbered run. A combination that I think would appeal to a wide range of runners.

Mizuno Wave Rider 18s are available in three color combos (I’m eyeing the white-Fuchsia Purple next!), and retails for $119.99.

I am so looking forward to logging many more miles in these lovelies!

What are you currently running in?

Have you ever tried Mizuno?

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Filed Under: #WaveRider18, fave things, FitFluential, product reviews

ASICS GEL-Pursue Review

September 25, 2014 by 11 Comments

Disclaimer: I received a pair of ASICS GEL-Pursue™ for the purpose of this review. As always, all opinions expressed here are my own.

A couple of weeks ago, I was contacted by ASICS to review a pair of their new GEL-Pursue™ running shoes. I was both curious and hesitant. I had never run in a pair of ASICS but know those who swear by them (including my running buddy E and my oldest son!), but would they be more shoe than I was use to?

ASICS Collage

The ASICS GEL-Pursue™ recently scored the Runner’s World Best Debut Shoe for Fall 2014. RW editors gave the shoe high marks for providing equal parts cushioning and stability. In place of a medial post, ASICS gave the GEL-Pursue™ a foam wedge under the arch and a segmented crash pad in the heel to provide stability.

So what did I think?

Out of the box, I loved the purple and lime color-combo – I’m sucker for purple!  I was also an instant fan of the Heel Clutching System™ – the fit through the heel was very comfortable, snug but not restrictive. The heel felt supported and I can bet that if you’re a heel-striker this would be an even bigger benefit.

ASICS Side shot

I tried the shoes on a variety of different runs – short runs (3 – 7 miles), hill work, fartleks – and on both the road and the treadmill.  I liked that the GEL-Pursue™ offered support without being squishy… yes that’s a technical term. I didn’t feel overly insulated from the road.

I did find that with the added support came more weight than the more minimalist shoes I’m use to – the Pursue weighs in at 8.7 oz. As such, they felt a little chunky during my hill work.

Overall, I think the ASICS GEL-Pursue™ is a shoe to consider if you are a neutral runner looking for support while still getting a responsive ride. I also think the extra support and comfort would be appealing to newer runners.

Have you run in ASICS?

 

 

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Filed Under: ASICS GEL-Pursue, product reviews

AlterG – Treadmill Love!

September 17, 2014 by 17 Comments

I have finally found a treadmill I could love!

Yes people…for those of you who’ve been around here for a while and know how I feel about treadmills this may come as a shock…but I’ve found just such a treadmill! The AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill.

AlterG

I got to meet my new love last Friday at Functional Fitness and Physical Therapy in N. Easton, MA. There I met co-owner Sarah Anestam, a licensed physical therapist, who walked me through getting set up on the AlterG. I slipped on a pair of neoprene shorts so I could be zipped into the AlterG’s pressurized air chamber. Sarah started the machine and I could feel the air chamber begin to fill with air. The machine then calculates your weight – (I love that they don’t rely on you to tell the truth!) – and once it calibrates you’re ready to run. Sarah first reduced my body weight to 80% – I instantly felt light and quick. She then took me down to 50% explaining that this closely mimicked running in a pool – but without any risk of slipping or getting stitches wet if recovering from a leg/hip surgery. Sarah soon left me to my own devices, encouraging me to play with the weight, speed and inclines.

On the AlterGRunning on the AlterG felt smooth and effortless. I easily pushed the pace, at one point hitting the 8 min range, while still chatting with Sarah (only in my dreams people!). I could focus on form and turnover without any undue stress on my legs – my cranky ITB was silent!

alterG backThe AlterG allows you to walk and run from 20 – 100% of your body weight making it an ideal tool for rehabbing from surgery or coming back from injury. Sarah also pointed out that time on the AlterG was also very beneficial for runners looking to train longer and faster  – building both endurance and leg strength without undue stress. Yeah sign me up!

In fact, at Functional Fitness, runners can buy time on the AlterG, $25 for 30 minutes or a 10-pack for $200. Sarah noted she sees a lot of runners come in during peak Boston Marathon training! I am thrilled to have discovered this great training resource and, with Functional Fitness a short drive away, I will be putting this to use in the future.

A huge thanks to Outside PR for arranging this demo for me and to Sarah at Functional Fitness and Physical Therapy for being so generous with her time!

 

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Filed Under: AlterG, product reviews, training, treadmill run

My X2Performance Update

April 18, 2014 by 13 Comments

x2 package

A couple of weeks ago,  I announced that I had been selected as a Brand Ambassador for X2Performance®. Once I got my samples, I immediately put it to the test on a long run, double workouts and hill repeats. I was off to a good start with it – if you missed it, you can read about it HERE.

I’ve continued to test X2Performance on a variety of workouts and with yesterday’s track workout I’ve now wrapped up my trial, and I couldn’t wait to share an update.

Overall I have been really pleased with my experience with X2Performance! I can honestly say that it did provide a nice energy boost (as I described to a friend – extra pep in my step!) without any jittery side effects.  Equally nice was the fact that I didn’t feel like the energy boost provided was short-term – no quick spike followed by a crash. On the days I used X2Performance, I felt solid throughout my workouts.  I did have one u-g-l-y long run last Saturday – but that was much more about me not being able to get out of my own way mentally…no amount of x2Performance was going to turn that run around – let’s be honest it’s not a miracle worker!

X2Performance also promises to improve recovery — and, for me, this was one of the biggest benefits. For a variety of reasons, I have needed to shuffle my workouts over the past couple of weeks, which left me sometimes needing to do double workouts in one day or running back to back to back days. Usually my 40+ year old legs (ahem!) don’t love multiple days of running (especially when hill repeats are involved!), but with X2Performance I found I was feeling good post-run and was ready to go again the next day.

So will I continue to use it? Yes – with one caveat. Depending on which order option you choose, X2Performance can cost $3.99 – 4.99 per serving and honestly that’s just a little too steep for me on a regular basis. However, I could see making that investment if I had a big “A” race I was training for, which is why I plan to use it consistently when I start training for my goal half marathons in the fall. I’m really curious to see how it might help with my long run recovery during the summer months.

Don’t forget you can still get a free trial 4-pack to try for yourself! Click HERE for details (There is a $5.95 shipping charge).

 Have you ever tried a pre-workout supplement?

 (As a brand ambassador, I was provided product and am being compensated for participating in this program. As always all opinions expressed here are my own, and I am not obligated to share a positive review. The statements on the product have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.)

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Filed Under: #TeamX2, product reviews, training, X2 Performance

Apera Yoga Tote Review

February 19, 2014 by 5 Comments

Until about a month ago, my gym bag has been the swag bag I got from the Philadelphia Half – your basic drawstring bag – not ideal by any means. And when I headed to yoga I’d usually carry my gym bag and then carry my yoga mat in a separate strap.

bags

Way too much to carry!

Yep! That’s how I rolled…until Apera sent me one of their Yoga Totes.

The Apera Yoga tote fits everything and looks great doing it.

Apera bag

  • Apera Bags are antimicrobial and have vented – say goodbye to gym bag stink!
  • Wipeable linings
  • Built-in shoe compartment
  • Loaded with pockets both inside and out – including a washable insert to store your sweaty clothes
  • Water bottle pocket on the outside – so no “sweating” all over my clothes and other stuff
  • Shoulder strap’s unique design gives you the perfect spot to carry your yoga mat (I’ve discovered it will also hold a foam roller too!)

(My camera’s been acting cranky so to do this bag justice I’m borrowing some pics from Apera’s site)

productdetails_YT

Needless to say, I am loving this bag! Not only does it meet my gym/yoga needs, but I think this bag has enough space and features to serve as a great overnight bag. While I will say that initially I thought the $119 price tag was a bit steep for a gym bag – now that I’ve lived with it a while I think it offers the versatility and durability to last for years to come.

aspera blues

Apera currently has a couple sales: 40% OFF entire Blue line of bags; and, all of their Duffel Packs, any color, are 40% OFF.

 Would you like one for yourself?

Every month Apera Bags is giving away a bag to one winner, and for the month of February the bag they are giving away is the Yoga Tote! All you need to do is sign up for their email newsletter. Then, at the conclusion of each month, they will randomly draw a name from their list of subscribers. Just go HERE and follow the instructions!

Disclaimer: I was provided the Apera Yoga Tote free of charge. As always, the opinions expressed here are completely my own.

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Filed Under: Apera Yoga Tote, product reviews