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Lululemon NYC Marathon Design Party

Last night I had the opportunity to combine a few of my favorite things:

  • shopping
  • running
  • time with friends
  • Lululemon

The awesome staff at from the East 66th and Madison Avenue stores invited a few bloggers and runners who are runningthe New York City Marathon in just a few days to come in and spend the evening shopping their new gear, taking it for a test run and then participating in a design feedback session. In exchange for our feedback and time, Lululemon gifted useach with complimentary gear of our liking. 

As soon as I reached the store, my excitement tripled! The cold weather gear greeted me with the same level of warmth and excitement as each of the employees. They were so thrilled to have us there last night and truly went out of their way to make it a great shopping experience.

I spy lots of cute running gear!

For the next 45 minutes, we perused the racks of brightly colored bras, tanks, jackets, and gear picking and choosing items we’d like to try. While we aren’t required to wear the gear on marathon day as they know many of us are Type A and have had our outfit picked out for ages, they did want us to wear it during a run later in the evening. Therefore, I avoided any gear that was aimed at indoor workouts or warm weather running or anything too heavy. Last night it was about 50 degrees, in line with what it will probably be during the morning wait on Staten Island.

Equipped with about 15 pieces of clothing I headed back into the dressing room area in hopes of finding something new and fun. My primary goal for the evening was to find a new sports bra as my Champion ones aren’t cutting it these days and my current Lululemon bra is over 2 years old and starting to show wear.

It was fun having the other ladies provide their input on the outfits in addition to the staff. While I tried on a few pieces I really loved, nothing could compare to the items I chose.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to join the 80’s zipper jacket gang as they didn’t have a black one in my size but how adorable are they in their matching jackets?

The above outfit was my final choice consisting of 3 Lululemon pieces , each of which I wore on our test run and absolutely loved!

Energy Bra: I wanted to find a bra that was light enough in color that I could wear it under all different tops in addition to one that wouldn’t chafe during a 26.2 fun run. The Energy Bra has flat seems which will help ward off chafing, cool-max liner that can keep me cool, a thick bottom strap that will stay put, full coverage, and an open airy back. I thought the back straps may annoy me but I actually forgot they were any different than normal when I was running and appreciate the open design. I also noticed on the website today that this is one of their highest rated bras! The consumers are normally right.

Run Swiftly Tech Long Sleeve: I feel like I don’t even need to type anything here. If you’ve read my blog for a while you’ve seen me rock this shirt in my 2 marathons and a number of other Fall/Winter races. It is comfortable, the thumb holes make it easy to wear during a race, it’s so light I forget I’m wearing anything, and it doesn’t sag when it gets sweaty. I’ve had one of my Run Swiftly short sleeve tops for 3.5 years and it still looks like new. I love this bright orange color with my brunette hair and for something new and fun. If I wasn’t rocking a pink sparkly skirt for the marathon, I’d consider wearing this with my CW-X shorts on marathon Sunday since it’s NYCM colors!

Track Time Crop: These may be my new favorite crop pants! They are made from the soft Luxtreme material which is odor resistant and moisture wicking. The seamless design means there is no chance of chafing and the higher waistband holds everything in while allowing me to focus on running versus adjusting. I love the fun design on the back which is quite flattering, especially on someone like me who doesn’t exactly have a butt to speak of at all thanks to the flat butt syndrome I inherited from my dad. In addition, the longer length means that they are actually “crop length” on my long legs.

After we chose our outfits the gang headed to Central Park for a 4 mile workout led by Gia! The workout, 8 quarter mile half marathon pace repeats, was a great way to get our legs moving without taxing them too much 9 days out from the marathon. Ali and Gia were great cheerleaders while we pushed through the speed portion. I enjoyed chatting with the other ladies during the recovery portions as we discussed race day strategy and more. Gia and I had some heart to heart moments where we decided how I’ll tackle the marathon. I can’t wait to share this with you all next week!

After the run we headed back to the store where we enjoyed some healthy snacks and discussed the products. For an hour we all provided honest feedback on the things we love, hate, want to improve, and just plain would get rid of if we had our way. We provided feedback regarding things like running gear but then also other programs such as run clubs at the New York City Lululemon stores. I love that they were open to the feedback, both positive and negative.

It was such a wonderful evening with other runners and Lululemon. This is my second year participating in a program like this and I can’t say thank you enough! I can’t wait to see the Lululemon cheer section at Mile 22 as I’m heading back towards Central Park on November 4th!

In case you’re a size 8, 10, or 12 I’m selling some of my Lululemon tanks on eBay! Many of them have only been worn a few times because they are now too big. Check them out here!

What are your thoughts? What, other than discounts, would entice you to join a local Lululemon run club on a weekly basis and keep you coming back?

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Coach Knows Best

I hope everyone had a wonderful Bastille Day yesterday! We ended up posing for this picture at Almond, while searching for perfect sangria after a celebratory dinner at Dos Caminos in honor of Meg and Lauren, below on the left, finishing NYU’s Summer Publishing Institute and finding an apartment in NYC!

I was in an especially celebratory mood last night since my second long run of marathon training was a great success!

As you know, Gia is coaching me this year for the New York City Marathon and after last week’s run I learned a valuable lesson. If I’m going to employ a coach because she is the expert, then I really need to listen to her.

Gia and I had a few pep talks during the week from which I put together a Friday checklist in preparation for Saturday’s long run.

  • Where my compression sleeves all day Friday.
  • Do some deep hip stretches Friday to help relieve the tightness.
  • Drink plenty of water all day Friday.
  • Don’t go out Friday night.
  • Drink a container of plain coconut water Friday evening.
  • Don’t eat too much or too heavy a carb rich dinner on Friday night.
  • Make sure that I have my CamelBak cleaned and filled with ice cold water for Saturday.
  • Buy Cliff Shot Blocks that I like so I’ll actually take them during my run.
  • Use my Garmin heavily for the run to ensure I’m keeping the pace slow.

It sounds like a lot and probably overkill for a 12 miler, considering that I’ll have far longer runs in the next few months, but the goal is for me to start getting accustomed to preparing and respecting the mileage. I can’t treat every run the same and therefore my long runs need to help Gia and I figure out what my marathon pace can be on November 4th without hitting the wall and bonking.

I woke up at 5:15 so I could eat breakfast and let the food settle some before my run. I also chugged a glass of ice cold NUUN after reading the research regarding the affects of ice water on athletes.

IMG_3376I left the house at 6 to log 1.5 miles on my own before meeting up with Kristin at 6:15. I know, I know, I was supposed to run by myself yesterday. But, when I saw her tweet asking if anyone would be running near Gramercy at 6:15 around a 10:30 pace I thought it was fate!

894c9b8acdbc11e1984522000a1e95e6_7 It was really nice running with a new friends and time flew by since we had plenty to talk about including, but not limited to marathon training. She actually got into New York City this year via the lottery! I am also more and more intrigued by the Gap Athletic workout line after she raved about her cute tank.

We ran 3 miles together across town and North on the West Side Highway until reaching Riverside Park.

IMG_3377IMG_3378I took these two pictures when I paused to hug her goodbye as she headed back downtown towards her husband and refueled with 2 Shot Blocks since I’d already done 4.5 miles and thought it was best to get fuel in me early.

I didn’t want to get stuck on the West Side Highway and don’t know the higher section well enough to know when I can cut East. Therefore, I cut over at the entrance to Riverside Park and headed towards Columbus Circle, weaving around to add some extra mileage.

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I entered at Columbus Circle and then did the bottom loop before heading towards the race corrals for the NYRR Race for Central Park with my friend Katie. I was thrilled to introduce Katie to her first NYRR race!

IMG_3380When I stopped at 8 miles I reviewed my mile splits so far and was happy to find that I was right on target, if not a tad faster than planned.

Mile 1 10:19
Mile 2 10:24
Mile 3 10:26
Mile 4 10:23
Mile 5 10:55 (1/2 uphill)
Mile 5 10:40
Mile 6 10:49
Mile 7 10:20
Mile 8 10:15

I told Katie that she should run her own race and enjoy the experience as I knew my legs weren’t going to love the stop and start. I expected my pace to drop for the last 4 miles but made it my goal to just finish and get the 9+1 credit and log the mileage.

The race itself wasn’t that interesting other than that I saw many friendly faces during and after the race including Sara, Stephanie, Meghan, and Ali! The park was alive with runners both in the race and completing their own runs.

The last miles were definitely tough and I hit a bit of a wall around 10.5 but I pushed through knowing I just wanted to be done. The race was packed yesterday which helped spread some much needed energy and luckily there were plenty of restrooms, one of which I finally had to use towards the end.

Mile 9 10:19
Mile 10 9:56 (caught up in the fun of the race)
Mile 11 12:20 (bathroom stop)
Mile 12 10:33

My goal wasn’t to PR this race, just to finish it and conquer some hills on tired legs. Running 12 miles at a slower pace (10:39) than I’ve kept in ages was definitely tough but the fact that I didn’t hit a full wall and was able to keep going and push through, even in the heat and humidity, reaffirmed for me that Gia is on to something!

IMG_3381

Week 2 of marathon training was an official success!

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Marathon Training

Guess what kids? Yup, it’s marathon training time again. This is the time of year when the blog will revolve primarily around running, trying not to eat everything in sight, early morning wake up calls to avoid the heat, and more. But, runners fear not because I promise to balance out the running talk with the same old food, fashion, workout reviews, and travel posts!

This year, however, there are some changes to the plan thanks to the help of my training coach, Gia. If you’re a long time reader you know that New York round 1 was amazing and crossing the finish line for the first time was one of the best moments I’ve experienced to date. However, New York round 2 was pretty much one of the worst moments of my life. After some serious assessment and discussion about the last year, Gia and I decided that in order to do our very best possible to ensure that the 3rd time would be a charm, we have to make some changes that may not always be fun but they’ll pay out.

The Next 17 Weeks Will Include:

  • Running outside
  • More protein
  • Less “empty cross training”
  • More weekday miles
  • Abs

Having the energy to be a weekend warrior has always made me proud. I’m able to work long hours on the weekend and then wake up bright and early, earlier than most of my friends like, for long runs and then squeeze in some other workout that same afternoon and the next day, never giving my muscles time to relax or recover. This year’s plan includes higher mileage during the week and then only running and yoga on the weekends. In addition, the yoga is supposed to be more restorative than strength.

In addition, I’ve been scared of the heat and hills of running outside in New York City and Central Park during the Summer months for way too long. Now that I’m regularly running with my co-workers every Monday I’ve become far more confident in my ability to not only run outside, but also run in Central Park and log miles after work.

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I’ve already talked about the more protein goal on my blog so I will therefore leave you with a link versus being repetitive.

007 I’ll also leave you with two things: protein can come in more forms than powder (per the picture above of tonight’s dinner for two) and I’ll remind you just how delicious a protein shake can be for only 200 calories, especially when it includes chocolate powder, Almond Breeze light, ice, and 1/2 a banana! 20 ounces of pure delicious, cold nutritious protein that tastes a lot like dessert!

003Oh and we can’t forget to talk about ABS. While I’m not rocking abs like Tina or Susan, I am feeling pretty confident about how much my body has leaned out the past few months. In addition, I officially have the top 2 packs of a 6 pack which gives me more motivation than ever to work my abs. Combine that with the fact that Amanda and Susan are hosting a fabulous, ass blasting AB CHALLENGE (#abchallenge) this month on their blogs and YouTube, I can promise you that a stronger core will be crossing the line this year than last. Plenty of people stronger and faster than me say that a strong core can be key to strength and stamina during long runs so I’m going to trust them. 006

Last but not least, here’s week 1 of my marathon training plan, along with the notes section. 

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The only change you may see this week would be doing my 10 on Friday instead of Saturday due to my in-laws visit to NYC this weekend.

So there you have it, marathon training has kicked off and I couldn’t be more excited for this year!

If you have time, I’d love if you could support my friend Dorothy as she has been selected as one of 10 finalists for the Skechers Go Run Cover Model Contest! She and I would both love for you to support her by voting for her here!

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