Team Flamingo

Well this weekend was another great one that included another great run. We ran 13 miles along the beach path according to my Nike+, which could be wrong give or take. It was a great run and super foggy, which made the last three miles seem like forever, because we couldn't see the Jack-in-the-Box we parked at until we were practically there!

It seems crazy that my 1/2 Marathon is a little over two weeks away. Time does fly, doesn't it. I remember signing up and beginning training and thinking, man, this is never going to come! Now that it's actually almost here, I'm like oh man, what did I get myself into?

Anyways, this weekend was a great 5k Walk for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Orange County and it took place at Fashion Island in Newport Beach. I was the Team Captain of Team Flamingo and as you can see in the pictures below, Team Flamingo doesn't mess around!


The whole team


Walking the 5k


Me, trying to round up the team? :)


Team Members


This last picture is actually my running partner, Nicole!

We just leisurely walked the 5k, and it was excellent weather, overcast and never even got too hot at all. Walking around Fashion Island is always great too, and the expo was fun to wander through, especially munching on the Pat and Oscar bread sticks. Overall it was a great success and a lot of fun and I am really glad everyone came out and joined Team Flamingo. We'll be out there next year again I'm sure. :)

This week I am really going to focus on getting all my runs in, as I have something to do every night of this week, which include an Angels playoff game (GO ANGELS! LIGHT UP THE HALO!) and a Ducks game, which I'm super excited about as well. Next Monday is my birthday and I'm going out to Palm Springs for the night this weekend, so that long run should be a really nice change of scenery. Then next weekend is my race! If anyone has advice or tips let me know.

Look forward to some great goodies on Thursday as well. :)

xoxo

Shirts, Shoes, Sales.. Oh My!

As you noticed, I had Sharnee from http://www.acornglue.com/ redo the site and I just love it. I hope you do too. :)

So it's almost October which means not only that it's almost my birthday, but it's also the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

This cause is very near to my heart as my mom passed away from Breast Cancer two years ago. Every Thursday I'll be highlighting something that is giving back to raise Breast Cancer Awareness along with my normal Thursday goodie-bites.

A little side note is that this weekend I'm captain of Team Flamingo for the Orange County Race for the Cure in Newport Beach, CA. Looking forward to walking with everyone who is apart of my team. I will be doing the 5k walk, so no running, but I'm excited to raise awareness for the cause. If you would like to make a small donation to show your support for the Komen Foundation on the Team Flamingo Page, you can visit our website here. Team Flamingo

So today I'm highlighting a really great website that is called The Breast Cancer Site. (http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/) This site has so much great stuff supporting the Breast Cancer Cause, and also gives you the option to support other causes. They have a variety of cute and fun stuff on sale right now so I would advise you to check it out. I found this super cute fleece to be such a steal, and great potential to be used on a long winter run, especially for all you runners who reside in the colder areas of the US!

The fleece has an embroidered pink ribbon over the chest to display your support. Choose between black with vibrant raspberry, or gray with pale pink. The jacket is 100% polyester fleece and has a heavy-duty quarter-length zipper. They also have an array of sizes that are 20% off! You can find it on the Breast Cancer Site under Sale Clothing, along with tons of other great sale items.

What to do with old running shoes? If you are like me, you go through shoes quickly, and when you are done with shoes, they still almost look new and are just dying to find a new home. It's always hard for me to get rid of shoes like this, I feel almost a connection to them and the memories that I had made in them, even if they only lasted me a short three months. I found this great website that donates shoes to international countries that are in need. The organization is called One World Running and you can find them @ http://oneworldrunning.blogspot.com/. The faces of the people receiving the shoes makes me want to send all my shoes immediately.

There are also many other organizations like this and they can be found on this Runners World Site. I really feel that sending my old shoes off would be great, and that my shoes would be getting a new life in another country! I'm even inspired to hold a shoe drive, well that is maybe after my 1/2 Marathon in two weeks. There is really no need for me to have more than two pairs of shoes at a time, and that means I have at least three pairs to get rid of.


Also, Footlocker is having a friends and family sale, and you can too take advantage of the 30% off everything on http://www.footlocker.com/. Just use code LKS1FF89 at the checkout by September 28, 2008.



And finally, I tried the Starbucks Perfect Oatmeal this morning and I was very pleasantly surprised. It's the little cup in the front in the picture above, and though the oatmeal wasn't heaped in the cup like the picture, it was a good amount of oatmeal in a very easy, convenient container. The Perfect Oatmeal came with the choice of sides of nuts, dried fruit and brown sugar. I tried the brown sugar in the oatmeal and got the dried fruit as well. All the toppings you add yourself, so I ended up saving the dried fruit to eat a little bit later for a snack since they were in an individually wrapped package. I felt like it was definitely worth the wait in the drive thru line, and filled me up to keep me going until lunch. The Perfect Oatmeal claims to be 100% whole grain and the oatmeal itself has 140 calories, while the brown sugar topping has 50 calories, and the dried fruit and nuts have 100 calories each. Quite a nice little breakfast on the go.

Enjoy the weekend, and everyone who is racing good luck! I'll be with you in two weeks. :)

xoxo

SURPRISE!

Chic Runner has a new layout... hope you love it.

I love it, it's so chic!

Write with tons of goodies tomorrow!

xoxoxo

Shameless Plug...

For my favorite TV show Biggest Loser! If you aren't addicted to this show already, check it out, I am obsessed with it. The transformation these people undergo are simply AMAZING, and just watching the pounds shed off them is so incredible.

Not only is the show entertaining, but it's very inspiring. By watching them becoming a fitness fiend, it makes me want to go out and run 12 miles every day. If your Tivo isn't already busy Tuesday nights at 8pm, I would recommend you tuning into NBC. Give it a shot, and you won't regret it.

This picture is all the contestants at their first challenge.


Here is the biggest losers for week one. 28 pounds in one week. Serious people! You much watch!



Here is a link to some of the past Biggest Losers "Where Are They Now" Blurbs. Check it out the amazing difference for yourself.

http://tv.yahoo.com/falltv/photos/where-are-they-now/352

And here is the link to the actual NBC page for the show.

http://www.nbc.com/The_Biggest_Loser/

xoxo

So deep...

This weekend lead me to a great run on Saturday! I finished my 10.75 mile run in 1:39:43, and here are my splits for all you number crunchers. They are nothing to be proud of and definitely show my inconsistency, (watching the birds flock around parts of the ocean, passing by cute dogs, running into an old high school teacher, and bathroom breaks to blow my continually runny nose, I have excuses)

mile 1 - 8:54
mile 2 - 9:03
mile 3 - 8:48
mile 4 - 8:39
mile 5 - 8:31
mile 6 - 9:24
mile 7 - 9:45
mile 8 - 8:58
mile 9 - 8:52
mile 10 - 8:19
.75 of a mile - 9:10

I hope to finish the upcoming half marathon in under two hours, but we will see. My running partner and I think that the adrenaline and everything will bring us back to our old high school days of racing and will get us going faster.

This weekend on our run, Nicole and I talked a lot about the enjoyment of a run, and how we both love to be able to fit in our jeans, and eat Taco Bell, but at the same time, our running careers have turned into something that is so much more than just working off the calories.

We used to run to please our coaches, then we ran to stay in shape through the college years and the Freshman 15, and essentially keep up with the Jones's, but as we talked about on our ten mile jog, we have reached the pinnacle of running. We have begun to enjoy running, and not have the kinks, the pains, the soreness. We have trained our bodies enough to absorb the long runs, and have reached the happy medium where a five mile run isn't a labor, but a labor of love that is not a task, but a pleasure.

It takes a while to reach this point, let me tell you. Over the past ten years, I have never enjoyed a single run as much as I do know, gulping in the scenery, whatever that might be, swatting away the gnats, and even the sopping sports bra that have come to litter my room throughout the week show that I am doing something healthy, and enjoying it.

I encourage everyone to run, not only for their own health, but because once they get used to the body aches and pains, running becomes a release. Those few steps turn into miles, and the few miles turn into more miles, those miles turning into satisfaction. In two days alone I ran 25 miles, not because I had to, but because I wanted too. I go our for a run and find myself in my own little world, enjoying the surroundings, the people I pass by walking or biking.

I never envisioned myself to be this girl out jogging because I was completely head over heels in love with the pain it caused my body, especially because for the last ten years, running has been apart of my life, whether I liked it or not. I've come to realize though that I do love running, I love the sound of my feet hitting the pavement continuously. I love the little walk sign that allows me to cross the street. I love the looks I get from drivers in cars, like they have never seen a girl run before. I love the feeling it gives me when I get home after a hard run and I can barely breathe, but that feeling, that freedom, that is what I run for.

Realize what you run for. Enjoy your run.

PS. Check back on Chic Runner on Thursday. Fun stuff is in the air!

Thursday Goodie Bites

So my cousins and I have this saying that something that is a small dessert like object it is called a "Goodie-bite". We figure it's still a goodie, even if we are limiting ourselves to just small bite. In our dutch family there are many treats we refer to as goodie bites. :) Today is filled with goodie bites on the Chic Runner, from fashion to a few cool tips.

First off though, I would like to thank everyone for the wonderful get well wishes. With about 10,000 mgs of Vitamin C floating through my system, 200 oz. of tea, and of course NyQuil for good nights sleep, my seal cough is slowly going away. This leads to another interesting fact though. Because of my run down state I have not ran this entire week. I realized that if I continue running, I will make myself more sick and not properly allow healing. While talking to one of my friends who knew I was sick they said, "You are either deathly ill, or healthy, there is no in between for you." Which is unfortunately very true. So I figured I'll run a long run on Saturday and just start fresh next week, and work hard, instead of doing three weeks of crappy training, because I would continue to be sick. We'll see how that works out.

Yesterday after work, I was walking to my car, and it was the most beautiful Southern California running weather, and I wanted nothing more than to go to a jog. Unfortunately, I knew that this would only hinder my getting better process, so instead I endured the pain of getting my almost unibrow waxed. (Okay just kidding, it wasn't even close to a unibrow, but I'm paranoid and it was getting beyond plucking repair. I like to think that in my diseased state, was too weak to pluck, or you can blame me for being lazy.) So next week I will be able to enjoy the fresh air and nice breezes on my evening runs and with wonderful looking brows... :)

Now for the goodie-bites. Lookie what I have found.
First off we have the Adidas's Women's Soft Touch Pants.

They come in Pink Cherry/Black combination and are simply delicious. I have a pair like these soft touch, and they are not lying about the soft touch. The pants are reversible ClimaLite® material and are suitable for running or jogging. They have mesh inserts on the face side and solid fabric on the reverse allow you to customize your protection based on weather and level of activity, which is a huge bonus. Flatlock seams for reversibility and comfort ensure a chafe-resistant time, another big plus. They have wonderful features called pockets, shocking I know. Instead of being 54.99, they are currently on sale for 19.99.

(http://www.footlocker.com/catalog/productdetail/cm--Outlet%3A%20Type%3A%20Clothing/supercat--outlet/model--87859~227221/mvpid--prod_tp~35002124/sport--all/)

Obviously everyone knows I'm obsessed with Nordstrom, and I have an undying affection for Nike as well, so therefore this precious find screamed my name... The Nike Modern Fit Jacket.

I love this jacket for so many reasons, first off the price. It was 75.00 and now it's 49.90. Sure it's still pricey, but I know for the price I'm paying I'm getting a lot. It comes in two different cute but not obnoxious colors and I can feel this working for a run, on my way to the gym and even over jeans in the fall and winter months. It has a nice shape to help the fit of the jacket, not making it boxy like some workout jackets can be. Pockets again are a huge plus, and the spandex in it, means it will fit again and again, even if I decide to take some time off running. (HA!)

(http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3007416/0~2376788~6002242~6007533~6007550?mediumthumbnail=Y&siteId=BolFSqx4S4U-PBqKhbl1noSmZPPwAXBOkA)

Next we have this little thing that Starbucks introduced called the Power Protein Plate. It basically has all my life staples in it, including cheese, an apple, a bagel, peanut butter and grapes.

Now it's 4.95, which is a little pricey, but at the same time, it's on the go, easy to eat and is super tasty. Just make sure the sprig of grapes is ripe, and not 'sad' as some websites have stated some of the plates to be filled with 'sad grapes'. I wouldn't want anyone to have sad grapes and blame me! The plate has 330 calories with peanut butter, 260 without which is about one-third of your daily protein intake.

Also another food tip from Eat This, Not That! (my favorite book of all time) Swaps Section.
You can eat two Mc Donald's Egg McMuffin's for the same amount of calories as one sesame seed bagel with cream cheese.

It may be shocking, but it's true, and that is the exact reason why I love this book. I used to always think that a bagel with cream cheese (okay, maybe the amount of cream cheese I was putting on was a little unnecessary) was much better than eating something like a McMuffin. Wrong! That's what the book taught me in so many different ways. It's so helpful to keep around, I swear. So the book is not only great because not only because I am obsessed with Egg McMuffins, but because it reflects what we think is the key to successful weight loss: satisfying your cravings with smarter choices, not eliminating the foods you love altogether. So another plug for the book, I know, but I'm shamelessly a promoter for it, it's amazing.

Hope everyone has a great weekend, and next week something big will happen at Chic... besides me giving a review of the new oatmeal at Starbucks! :) Get Excited!

xoxo

The Worst?

I had, as I'm calling it, the worst run of my entire life this weekend. It started out pretty bad, the first mile was just tiring and my joints hurt and my throat was already burning. (Tell tale signs of me getting sick, but still I had to run to get my miles in) After the first time these sore joints and stiffness usually just goes away, unfortunately for me, they never left. All twelve miles were done in a slow, awful manner where I wanted to die. I just wanted to keel over on the side of the beach path and pass out, drink my Purple Tiger Gatorade and never run again. Once I completed my run, though exhausted for the remainder of the day, I felt good that I had completed it, even during all the stomach cramping, shin splinting, knees aching and phlegm building up in the throat. So now, I'm definitely focusing on getting better and being able to run miles effortlessly again.

It's only when you realize how hard running can be is when you appreciate the talent it takes, to even go out and have the determination and will to complete mile after mile. I appreciate my body being able to take mile after mile of my pounding sidewalk after sidewalk, and it's when I can barely do that anymore I realize what a feat I continue to do by just running alone.

A great find I picked up this weekend (and have been wanting for a while) is the Conair Infinity Cord-Keeper Professional Ionic Styler.



First off, the pink color is super cute( it looks red, but it's pink), and the hair dryer features tourmaline ceramic technology that smooths the cuticle layer to create shiny, silky hair. This 1875-watt dryer includes 3 heat and 2 speed settings, separate diffuser and concentrator attachments. Yet my selling point on the dryer was the fact that it has a retractable cord, which is great because when I'm on the go, either in the morning, or from the gym, wrapping up that cord and trying to keep that cord, and the cord from my straightener separated is quite the task. It's easy to use and I feel like dries my thick hair in no time. They can be found at http://www.ulta.com/, but I got mine at Wal-Mart for 29.99. I love it because it's quick and easy and convenient. What more could you ask for?!

Anyways, more this week, so stay tuned for more fashion deals and steals, running tips and random stories.

xoxo

PS. Look forward to something exciting happening at Chic Runner soon... what could it be?? :)

All Things Apple...

Yesterday was a big day for the iPod community as Apple had it's tech conference releasing information on many of it's new products. Mostly, these conferences are super hush-hush, and this one was no different. Though I did follow the live blog of http://gizmodo.com/, which was very entertaining as well as informative, I've done some sleuthing on my own to find out what is key to the running community about these reinvented Apple Products and also included some pictures.

First off we have the new iPod nano, which now comes in nine amazing colors. Obviously I'm grabbing the pink one when the checkbook allows...

Talk about stopping traffic, these babies are as bright as they look and there are a couple new cool features, which includes a new curved all-aluminum body style and a glass screen. It includes the new Genius feature, which is comparable to a personal DJ by creating play lists and finding songs in your personal library that go together. (Running play list anyone?) Also it has the shake feature, which I have found to be fun on my iPhone, that shuffles your music for you. At initial thought, I think this feature would be great to shuffle, but then my mind thought about running, because of the shaking movement, does that mean your iPod will constantly be changing songs? Something to definitely look into, but I doubt Apple would make such a silly mistake as that. They look great though, and are compatible with my much loved Nike+ System as well. Starting at $149 for an 8GB isn't too pricey, so that's another plus.

Secondly, the released the new iPod Touch which is the one that looks like exactly like the iPhone, but isn't a phone. Anyways, this one has a sleeker design, and also has (drum roll please) Nike+ BUILT IN! Amazing, if you ask me, but at a costly $229, that is a pretty expensive system for a 'running iPod'.

Unfortunately, the only iPod to have the Nike+ application built in is the newest iPod Touch, and there are no known applications for purchase or free for the old iPod Touch or iPhone, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the iPhone app sometime soon!

Both the new iTouch and iPod are also sleeker and slimmer and Steve Jobs called them the "Funniest iPods Ever."

And about the iPhone, I love mine, it's simply amazing and I recommend it to anyone. :)

Another thing that goes with iPods is obviously accessories! Accessories are what make anything happen, so Apple doesn't fall short of amazing there as well. Apple was of course prepared and already has the new armbands available for the new iPods.

Looks just like the old one, but a must buy if your are going to the gym, seems to also be good to keep it from getting scratched as well. Funny though, Apple released all these new colors and the armbands are all white and cover up almost all the color. Those are $29

Also they released new earbuds and they are a steep $79. They have much improved sound and claim to also drastically reduce unwanted outside noises. Also these new earbuds has a stainless steel mesh cap to protect the special components from dust, debris, and lets be honest here, earwax.

There is also a remote located on the cord of the earbuds that adjusts volume, play/pause, and next/previous. Pretty cool, but still, $79? Whoa Apple.

Well that is my recap of all things that were noteworthy yesterday. All these products can be found at any Apple Store, http://www.apple.com/, or any electronics store.

xoxo

Weapons of Mass Destruction

So a while ago I purchased a book titled "Eat this, Not That" by David Zinczenko. If you haven't heard of this book, you must be living under a rock!



Many of you may not be fast food junkies like myself, but I do love to indulge in making a run for the border at Taco Bell, and having it my way at Burger King quite often. I'm also loving it at McDonalds, and feeding the beast at Del Taco frequently. Alas, I have a love for the grease, the cheese, and all those calories. I used to think that just getting a chicken sandwich was a better option, or not getting fries at certain places, but this book has honestly helped so much in deciding what to order. Eating at fast food is obviously not the healthiest choice, but by reading this book it helps you realized that maybe ordering the chicken sandwich over the cheeseburger isn't always the best idea.

It also has many other 'events' that you may encounter and do not know what to eat like Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter. Also it has a Supermarket section, comparing things you would buy in the grocery store that claim to be 'nutritional' or 'healthy'.

One of my favorite parts of the book is the "Weapons of Mass Destruction" that are included at specific restaurants. They are the worst choice you could possibly make at a given restaurant, and include the calorie count and grams from fat next to a picture of a small bomb.

I keep this book in my car and whenever I am out and about, having to eat on the go, I can flip through it and find a healthier solution, instead of packing on the calories. I would have never guessed wraps were so bad for you. There is also an application like the book available for the iPhone called Restaurant Nutrition. It's user friendly, free, and is also helpful. If you don't have the book, I would recommend you getting it. It's available on http://www.amazon.com/



Another great find that is on sale right now at http://www.footlocker.com/ is this Nike Women's Long Sleeve Top. It's perfect for those upcoming fall training runs and has breathable mesh inserts. Very light weight and fashionable it's on my to-buy list for sure. It's V-neck also helps for ventilation, and makes it more versatile. Normally 39.99, it's only 19.99 and comes in black and white, purple and white, and baby blue and white in sizes XS,S,M, and L.

More to come. xoxo

Are those freckles?

The other day I set out to run my allotted five and a half miles, got about halfway done when my Nike+ passed away, bummer, I know. RIP, but alas, I moved on since I knew the route and how far I had left.

It was dusk and the run was amazing. I felt good, pushed the last two miles pretty hard and when I got home I grabbed my normal glass of crushed ice and water and thought about taking a shower.

I got involved in watching "The Dog Whisperer," (I know, I'm embarrassed to even admit that) but it was a good episode! So then about twenty minutes later I trudged upstairs and looked at myself in the mirror. There were little black dots all over my face. At least 17. I thought, "When did I run through mud? What are these dots?"

A closer look showed that my face had become a GNAT GRAVEYARD.

They dotted my face and had gotten stuck in my sweat. Talk about taking a shower.

Other than that I purchased a new Nike+ and it works great! I also tried the a new powerbar gu flavor, Chocolate. That was disgusting, so I wouldn't recommend it.

Oh the bear necessities...

The simple bear necessities, forget about your worry and your strife, Yeeeeaaaa Man! I love the Jungle book and can just see Mogali singing that with Baloo. Anyways, sometimes the necessities of life are also those that are necessary to have a safe, productive and fun run. Here are some of my latest things that I think are cool, fun, or just plain cute.




Overton Fitness is selling this handy dandy little belt that is kind of like a new age fanny pack, with much better color selection I might add. Um, hot pink Spibelt anyone? By the way, Spibelt stands for Small Personal Items belt. Way to draw the right attention to yourself while running. The fabric looks super durable as well. This classy little pack is designed and claims not to bounce when you run, which is amazing, since us girls already have enough bouncing to worry about, don't we? What I love about it is that it holds more than just a key or an ipod, but you can also carry your phone, camera, up to 5 GU packets, and it's expandable as well. Talk about packing it all in, Overton fitness thought about all the necessities. This just seems too goo to be true, and I'm hoping to get one as soon as possible because they are inexpensive at only 20 dollars for a non-reflective spibelt and 30 for reflective spiblet. http://www.overtonfitness.com/spibelt.php

Stay tuned for a review of the spibelt.. does it stand up to it's not bouncing claim?



Another thing I love, and you would too, once you got past the wincing pain, is the foam roller. I finally bought one after using a dirty, old, sweaty one at the gym on occasion. Having one to call my own has allowed me to really develop my stretching habits, and helped me to become more flexible, especially loosening up my calfs and hamstrings after a long run. This tool is vastly underused, and is actually simple to use, you might just look a tad bit awkward using it the first few times, but hey awkward is what running is, right? You can find tons of pictures online on how to use it, but I usually use mine mostly for the hamstrings and calfs but rolling my body over it, kind of like a beached whale. Check it out at http://www.performbetter.com/ (hurry, right now they are having a end of season summer sale right now too! )



Though I normally go to Starbucks for a delicious cup of soy Chai to get me through my day, I have recently been chugging down their new Banana Chocolate Blend Vivanno Drink. It's freshly prepared with a whole banana, bittersweet cocoa, 2% milk and Starbuck's own whey protein & fiber powder, and is blended with a little ice. On the way to work in the morning after a workout is just delightful, and there are 21 grams of protein in it and 270 calories. It's a much more cute than sucking down some Muscle Milk (which by the way is the worst packaging ever, you can tell they are marketing to the male population)... or lugging that 42 oz. tub of protein off the top of the fridge. Learn more about the Vivanno drinks and flavors at http://www.starbucks.com/retail/nutrition_info.asp
Ask for it without whip cream, that adds a hefty amount of calories. :)

Lastly, I have two new songs that I am madly in love with. They are what I have been listening too lately to get me pumped up to run.

First off there is Rhianna's Disturbia. I don't know why I love this song, but I do, and it gets me started off on the right pace, and gets me in the mood to run.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6zdhHLvT7k (Watch video at your own risk.)

Also, with summer coming to a close, there is a Jerry Mungo song that I like to listen to while running, even though it doesn't really pump me up too much it always puts a smile on my face. It's such a cute, bubbly song and it always makes me bob my head out on a run. I feel like I should be doing hopscotch while listening to it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc9wIzi96_E (Watch video at your own risk.)

xoxo

A Calibration gone awry...

So without my Nike+, tracking my miles is pretty much the hardest thing to do ever in my car. There are too many u-turns, neighborhood and park runs, it just ends up with me going in circles, and being a bad driver. Since getting my Nike+ last December for Christmas my life has changed, in a good way. The first one I have started randomly prematurely end runs which made me exchange my first one for a new one, which is the one I have now. Since getting the new one I have always told myself I will calibrate it to match my running speed and steps. I thought this simple task would help me be more precise about my workouts.

WRONG.

It began with my running friend and I going to a local track and jogging a 400 and walking a 400 to calibrate the Nike+. Hers now works perfectly, which is funny because hers was the one with problems before, and now mine is the one that is having difficulty. Normally when I run and press the center button the voice says somewhere between a 7 and 9 minute range, and I know that was pretty close to accurate. The day after our calibration I went out and went for a hard five mile run. I was running my little butt off, sweating, (which I know only happens when I run sub 8.) When I got about three miles out and pressed the center button. It said 2 miles and a pace of 11:40. I couldn't believe it. I think I stopped and gasped. Not because I was tired but it was like my friend was lying to me. I was running at least 8 minute mile pace. I knew everything was internally messed up in my Nike+ because of the calibration. So I went to the Nikeplus.com site to figure out how to reset it. By the way, the Nikeplus.com site is a little weird, I don't really know what is going on over there, or if I am just dumb, but I couldn't figure much out from it. I tried to reset it, and to no avail it is still off by a good minute. This is frustrating, because I can run a seven minute mile and it will still tell me 9 minutes. I just want some encouragement here people!

I love, love, love this gadget and only want it to return to it's normal wonderful truthful self. The other day I was running on the treadmill, which is annoying in itself, and the treadmill told me I ran 3.5 miles, while the plus was a good 1.8 miles off. I have read about the Nike+'s being a little bit different, but more than a mile?! Come on Nike! What happened to my little red and white baby?!

Other than that a very productive weekend. In three days I ran 25 miles, and even ran the Nike+ Human Race. Unfortunately, I didn't understand the website (nikeplus.com again, not my fault :) and how to sign up and that it was actually a real race. I know, don't ask, I'm already embarrassed enough, so I ran it by myself down at the beach. My first 3.5 miles were going really well, and I was running decently hard, then the turn around which always give me an extra boost. Unfortunately not this time, and I definitely wasn't prepared for the wind in my face which slowed me down tremendously. As all the people lined Bolsa Chica beach, and I ran by they probably asked themselves why I was running so slow. Bummer, but still finished in an hour, and that was after running ten miles the day before.




PS. This Zella "Yang" jacket is on sale right now at Nordstrom (http://shop.nordstrom.com/). The fabric is ammmahzung and it keeps you warm at night. I have one just like it and I love it. They have it in a light turquoise too which I love, because it's bright and will help cars see you, since cars are the enemy!

More this week, especially on some new great running finds ;)