Friday Five: Brands to Love

I'm linking up with the ladies of the DC trifecta, Mar, Cynthia, and Courtney for the Friday Five. Be sure to check out their posts too. This weeks topic is brands to love. There are so many brands in the fitness world and I have tried out quite a few of them. Picking a top 5 was pretty tough, but here are my top five favorite brands.

1. Brooks
This is my go to shoe brand. The Ghost's are a great neutral shoe that work perfectly for me. Since August 2013 I've had 6 pairs of these shoes in all different colors. I also own some Brooks clothing that I absolutely love.

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2. Thorlos
The Thorlos Experia are my favorite running socks. I have enough pairs to get me stocked between running days because I pretty much refuse to run without them. They have great cushion and make my feet feel great while running.

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3. Sparkly Soul
These headbands are the best things ever! I wear them not only when I run and workout, but also at work. I have to wear blue or white scrubs at work so I love wearing these headbands to add a little pop of color to my outfit. They do not move at all and don't get stretched out either.

We wore Sparkly Soul Headbands during the Enchanted 10K for a headband and for Cinderella's necklace.

4. Nuun
I am a new fan of Nuun. I had tried two flavors in the past and couldn't really tolerate the taste. I have tried 3 more flavors and now really enjoy it! I love that it has the electrolytes I need pre and post-run and that it's not sugary/full of calories.

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5. Pro Compression
These socks are absolute life savers. I wear them every time I work and they prevent my legs from feeling really achy by the end of my 12 hour shift. I also rely on these for recovery. Typically I sleep in them the night before a long run/race and then wear them post-run also.

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Other Favorites: Sparkle Athletic, Sparkle Skirts, Lululemon

What are some of your favorite brands?

EveryMove Review

Thanks to SweatPink I was given the opportunity to review the fitness app EveryMove. All opinions are my own. You are able to track workouts on their website or on their mobile phone apps, iPhone or Android store.

If you use more than one fitness app to track workouts, this app will compile all workouts and give you points based on those workouts. You can choose a reward to work towards. There's discounts from online shopping or charitable donations. The rewards range from 500-550 points each. The first reward I completed was a $1 donation to Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Not only do you earn rewards, but your activities then earn you levels. There are also badges you can earn based on certain activities and time spent exercising.

There are tons of rewards to choose

Shows your progress of the reward your working towards. I'm currently working towards a $1 donation to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. 

The list of apps you can connect it with goes on and on. I use Endomondo, Garmin Connect and Fitocracy.

You can also manually add activities if you don't use any type of fitness apps to track workouts. You are able to have friends on the app which encourages you to be more active and earn more points. 

My favorite way to SweatPink is running and lifting weights. 

The only downfall is that sometimes my Fitocracy workouts don't cross over to my EveryMove account, it's also pretty rare that I actually connect my Garmin to my computer to upload my runs. 

I love that I can raise money for charities just by working out. 

What fitness apps do you use to workout?

That's all for now!

Pure Lyft Energy Stir Sticks Review

Disclaimer: Fit Approach and Pure LYFT provided me with this product to try, but all opinions are my own.

I recently tried Pure Lyft Energy Stir Sticks. It's an easy way to get all natural "clean caffeine." The energy is derived from green coffee bean extract and Vitamins A and B complex. You simply peel the label off of the stick and mix it into any drink for about 20 seconds. I used this instead of my normal pre-workout drink and got a great boost of energy. It has the same amount of caffeine as a tall cup of coffee.

The first time I used it I simply mixed it into a glass of water. I wasn't able to taste any difference than a regular glass of water. The only thing I missed about my normal pre-workout was the flavor. I know you could mix this into anything flavored, but I don't have anything but water and Gatorade at my apartment. I'm not a fan of drinking Gatorade before a workout so this was the only downfall. 

This product would be perfect for travel as it is small and lightweight. You can buy them in a 2, 6 or 24 pack. 

Does this seem like a product you would like to try? If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask!

That's all for now!

Zensah Compression Leg Sleeves Review

After beginning training for my second half marathon I did some research on the benefits of compression sleeves. I decided it would be worth a shot to try some Zensah Compression Leg Sleeves. Let me tell you, I absolutely love them!

I've worn them for all of my long runs and have had no soreness the next day. I decided to try wearing them to work because my legs would always ache after my 12 hour shifts at the hospital. They are perfect! I come home with no ache or soreness in my muscles at all. The first day I came home without sore legs I thought it might be a fluke. I've been wearing them every shift for 3-4 weeks now and still am not sore by the end.

I'm so happy that I decided to buy them. Zensah has so many fun colors/designs for their compression sleeves. They also have an entire line of compression apparel (bras, socks, pants, shorts, shirts etc.). I definitely plan on trying more of their products, I just have to decide what to try next!

Do you wear compression sleeves/apparel? What is your favorite piece of compression apparel?

That's all for now!

Allied Medal Displays Review

After finishing my first half marathon in January I rewarded myself with a medal holder from Allied Medal Displays. I had a medal hanger picked out about 3 months before the race. I refused to buy it until after I finished because I didn't want to jinx myself. I had no idea just how many medals I had stashed away until I finally dug all of them out of our closet.

I am so happy with this medal holder! It is super intricate and will hold up to 30 medals. The directions that it came with were simple and to the point.

Please excuse the pictures below, the lighting in this room is horrid!

I can't wait to hang more medals on this beauty!

Question of the day: Do you have your eye on a dream medal holder?

That's all for now!

Things This Runner Loves: Quarter Zip Jackets

I have a soft spot for quarter zip jackets! They are perfect for running outside and I have the start of a collection. The white and pink ones are lightweight. The black and blue ones are mid-weight. The coral one is a heavy weight that's made of a sweatshirt material. 

The pink one is the only one that has thumb holes. If I were to buy anymore I would make sure that they have thumb holes. If it's cold enough to wear gloves the thumb holes keep your sleeves tucked into your gloves. 

I love that you can wear a base layer underneath of them and not get too hot nor too cold!

Next time you're searching for some new running clothes I would highly suggest a 1/4 zip :)

That's all for now!

Week 6, Day 3

On October 11th it was pouring down rain when we needed to run. We were babies and went to the gym to do our 4 mile run on the treadmill. IT WAS TERRIBLE! We vowed that no matter what the weather all of our runs for distance (aka the long runs on the weekends) will take place outside. I felt weak and as if I had no energy. When I got home I ate everything in sight. It was not pretty! It was exciting that after completing this run 6 weeks of training were behind us :)

4 miles: 48 min

Total: 1 hour 8 min

5:13 miles

I'm a little OCD, so seeing this first page of the training plan completely filled in made me super happy! 

Injingi Sock review: 

I had originally purchased these socks to wear with my Vibram Fivefingers. I have now switched back to regular running shoes. One day I decided to try out the Injingi's with my new Brooks. Needless to say I loved the combo! I have 4 pairs of the Injingi's so I typically have a clean pair for every time I run. The back of the sock comes up just high enough to prevent me from getting blisters on the back of my heels. 

That's all for now!