Fits Do Halloween: What Does the Fox Say?

Here it is my friend, the Halloween post you've been waiting for!

Okay, okay, maybe you weren't waiting with bated breath for these pictures....or maybe you are like me, and really love to see how creative people can get with their costumes. If so, I think you will enjoy all these Halloween pictures!

I mean, how great is this Mr. Miyagi and Daniel-son?

I loved the creativity from the Marlboro Man and the girl from Morton's Salt!

AC Slater from Saved by the Bell made an appearance at the party.

Let's see, then we had Richard Simmons, a horse, and the fox from What Does the Fox Say?

Not familar with "What Does the Fox Say?" Watch this:

There was also a flapper and a pirate (and Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones):

Dustin made some Halloween themed jello shots- brains and the scream face!

We only hung out at our house for a little while before heading to Icehouse on Nicollet for their costume party. It was there that I ran into Khal Drogo (the husband of Daenerys Targaryen on Game of Thrones, which was my costume). But my date for the night was of course my dragon.

We saw so many great costumes at Icehouse. Check out these: a few Capitol ladies from the Hunger Games, a jellyfish, Miley and Robin Thicke, and some cotton candy!

There were so many other good ones, but I didn't get a chance to take pictures of them all. Icehouse put on a good party, with good music, good drinks, and good times.

What were some of the memorable costumes that you saw this past weekend? Please share!

Check out some previous posts by the Right Fits about Halloween:
Fits Do Halloween
Fits Do Halloween: Go For the Gold!
Fits Do Halloween

Happy Halloween from the Right Fits!

Weekly Recap and Rock Climbing at Vertical Endeavors

By Jess in Minneapolis


Happy Halloween everyone!

I know, I know, it's not Halloween yet, but we celebrated Saturday night with a small get-together at our house, before heading to Icehouse for their costume contest, some live music, and some dancing.

I'll share another post filled with all the fun costumes from that night, but here's a quick sneak peek of my Khaleesi costume (from Game of Thrones). If you watch the show, you know that Khaleesi is the queen of dragons, so Dustin dressed as my dragon...He looks a little more like an alien though!

The rest of the week was pretty uneventful in fitness, with lots of easy runs and a little bit of yoga.


Weekly Fitness Recap:
Monday: 5.5 miles with Matilda
Tuesday: 7 miles with a group of friends in AM
Wednesday: 5.5 miles with Matilda and a friend, C2 (vinyasa) at Corepower
Thursday: 4 miles
Friday: rest
Saturday: 10 miles
Sunday: Hot Power Fusion at Corepower, rock climbing
Total: 32 miles, 2 yoga, 1 strength (climbing)

The highlight of my week in fitness was definitely climbing at Vertical Endeavors. Yesterday, Kelly, Theresa and I joined Dustin (a season pass holder) there for some rock climbing. I have been to the climbing gym a handful of times over the past year, but it was Kelly and Theresa's first time trying this sport.

I provided a lot of information in this post about rock climbing from when I first tried it out last year. Not much has changed since then, though now Dustin is certified to belay me, which opens up a lot more options for me to climb. It is a little "scarier" though, so since it was Kelly and Theresa's first time, they stuck with the auto-belay routes.

Auto-belaying: An auto belay is an automatic belay device that eliminates the need for a human belayer. The auto belay takes up the slack as a climber ascends and controls the descent when the climber reaches the top or in the event of a fall. Rather than requiring one human belayer per climber, auto belay devices allows multiple climbers on the wall with one person as a supervisor

Both of them caught on really quickly and were zipping right to the top of the 5.6 and 5.7 routes.
Dustin was really helpful, coaching them (and me) and reminding us to use our legs, not our arms!

Even though it was not my first time there, I still was definitely working muscles that I don't use very often.  My forearms are killing me today! Clearly, I still need to work on using my legs more.

My friends really enjoyed their first time at the climbing gym. In fact, we all decided to purchase 10 session punch cards! They were having a sale, so regularly priced punch cards were marked down 20%.  We all agreed that rock climbing will be a fun activity for the cold winter months that are quickly approaching.

So, what's the Right Fit for climbing?

Comfortable clothing that does not inhibit movement. Remember, your clothes need to fit under a snug harness. In winter you may want to bring a sweatshirt or fleece for when you're not actually climbing. Jewelry and watches should be avoided! Rings and watches can take a real beating. They get scratched on the wall and can catch on things. 

How many calories do you burn rock climbing?
Self Magazine has a handy calculator that says we burned about 700 calories in the hour were were climbing. We probably weren't actually climbing the whole time, but I would guess we were working for a good 45 minutes. Shape Magazine estimates that we burned about 500 calories in a hour.  Even if those estimates are high (which I think they are) it still seems to be a pretty solid workout. Like I mentioned, my muscles are feeling it today, so that's a good sign that I got a workout! This fresh, new fit was fun and challenging. You should give it a try!

Here's more information for you on Vertical Endeavors:
Hours
Monday to Friday 8a.m.-11p.m.
Saturday 10a.m.-11p.m.
Sunday 10a.m.-6p.m

Daily Passes
Weekday $15
Weekend $17

Punchcards
10 Visit Punchcard $120 (stay tuned for a sale! 20% until the end of October)

Rentals
Rental Package $12

Single Rental Items
Climbing Shoes $5
Harness $5
Belay Device $5
Chalk Bag $5
Helmet $1

We will be back many times this winter. Hope to see you there!

Friday's Favorite Fit: BlogLovin'

By Jess in Minneapolis

Do you read a lot of blogs? Do you have an iPhone?

Do you want to be able to read all your favorite blogs wherever you are? 

Then download bloglovin'! 

It's super simple to use, not to mention it's free.  That's a price that fits the bill!

It allows you to add as many blogs as you'd like to your newsfeed, right there on your phone, at the touch of your fingertips.

This is what it looks like on my phone. These are just a few of the MANY blogs that I follow on bloglovin'...I don't think there's a limit. 

The only unfortunate thing about bloglovin' is that you can't comment on blogs via the app on your phone. You only have the option to "like" a post. I really LOVE commenters on the blog, so please continue to leave your comments.

bloglovin' is great though, as it allows you to stay in touch with all your favorite bloggers on the go.

So, click on that button on the right of the screen on The Right Fits home page, and start following The Right Fits on bloglovin'!

Also, did you know that the Right Fits is on Twitter and Facebook?

 Follow @TheRightFits or like us on Facebook!

Failed Fit: Under Armour Capris

By Jess in Minneapolis

Most of the time,  I post about products I love. I mean, that's what Friday's Favorite Fits are all about! 

But that's not all the Right Fits is about. In fact, this blog is all about sharing our experiences trying to find "the right fits" - AND sharing our experiences with the forgettable ones, and the ones that you wish you could forget.  So, today, I have to tell you about a recent failed fit.

Today's failed fit is the Under Armour Women's HeatGear Sonic printed capris.

Let me back up. This is what I wore for an easy run with Matilda today. 

Pretty simple, right? It's in the upper 40's here, and I was plenty warm in two layers on top and capris on the bottom (and a polka dot BIC band of course).

The run started off all well and good. Yet just a quarter mile in, I realized that those capris were not meant to be, at least for my body. Nope- these capris were evil!  They would not stay up on a run. I spent the whole run pulling these suckers up, less I have a serious plumber's crack situation.

I wasn't blessed with a whole lotta junk in the trunk, so maybe these pants would stay up better on someone else, but I struggled with them the whole way. They were not comfortable and not the right fit.

I picked them up a week or two ago at Dick's Sporting Goods because I thought the pattern looked a little like lululemon capris. 

Yep, I bought them because I thought they were cute!

....but I did try them on, and they seemed to fit okay, and the price was right (only $39.99). I like the thick black waistband, and the pattern is fun and cute, but they are just not the right fit for me. I probably will still be able to tolerate wearing them for 4-5 miles, but definitely not anything longer. I spent way too much time and energy just trying to keep them up.

Even though the price of these Under Armour capris fit the bill, I think its worth it to pay up for the right fit. I recommend paying up for running capris that actually fit really well. LL and I both love the lululemon wonder unders. They are a lot more expensive ($82 and up) but the fit is amazing.

I also love my Brooks Infiniti Capris, which have reflective stripes and a nice, tight fit. They run around $60/pair.

Either the Brooks or the lululemon stay up on the butt throughout miles and miles.  Trust me, I have put them to the test!

Just not the Under Armour capris... 

So there you have it. Today's Failed Fit- the Under Armour Women's HeatGear Sonic printed capris. Stay away!

Featured Fit: Animal Graphic Sweaters!

By Jess in Minneapolis

Without my sister LL as present on the Right Fits as she used to be, the blog sometimes turns into a fitness diary for me. I have to admit I tend to lose a little of the focus on FASHION! For anyone new to the blog, LL is the (currently sporadic) other writer on the Right Fits, covering the Kansas City scene. And to those of you who miss her fashion advice, I swear, she still exists. She'll be back soon with a birthday post! 

Yet, it's always easiest to write about what you know, and I know (or at least, pretend to know-) fitness, and LL is the fashion guru. But without her around, I need to step up my game on the fashion end a bit, so here goes. 

Let's talk about graphic animal sweaters.  I am sure that you have been seeing everywhere!

J's Everyday Fashion has been spotted in one:

source

And of course, I love the way Denim and Ink styled her JCrew Boston Terrier sweater!

source

Fall has arrived in Minneapolis, and sweater season is definitely upon us, so it’s the perfect time of year to test out this trend. Sweaters alone can be charming, and the easiest way to turn up the charm is with a smile-inducing graphic. Your friends (or even strangers) will be telling you how ADORABLE your sweater is, I promise!

How should you style them? Will they work for you? Or...am I too old for a graphic animal sweater?

 Here are Lynette Marie's Three Ways to Wear an Animal Graphic Sweater:

source

By default, these animal graphic sweaters do tend to have a girly, young look about them. If you want to keep from looking like a 12-year old, definitely pair your animal sweater with distressed denim or leather. These materials can take away some of the “cutsey”-ness of the outfit.

Or just embrace that cutesy look- pair your animal sweater with a pleated skirt, ballet flats, and a headband!

If you want to wear your animal graphic to the office, pair it with slim fitting professional pieces for the rest of the outfit. I paired mine for work with a white oxford shirt and a navy patterned slim dress pant, along with my beige JCrew Celia flats.

A graphic sweater could potentially come across as really "young", but if the rest of the outfit is professional, then one Boston terrier could just add some fun instead of young to the ensemble.

As for whether you are too old for animal sweaters, I say you're never too old for animal sweaters. If it makes you smile, then it's the right fit!

However, if you are over 30, it could possibly be time to avoid versions of this sweater that involve glitter or bedazzlements….

What matters the most is how you style your animal graphic sweater. Definitely consider layering your animal sweater for a more age-appropriate look. A blazer can work wonders to make an outfit more sophisticated. For something a little more casual, try it with a faded chambray shirt underneath or wear it under a boyfriend cardigan.

What type of animal should you pick? Owls and tigers are always popular, but I have seen all kind of critters: giraffes, lizards, alligators, reindeer, etc. 

Pick whatever suits your personality best, and have some fun!

Here are some ideas that fit the bill:

 jcp fox sweater $21.99

Macy's on sale for $24.99

Jcrew cashmere for $98

Modcloth for $72.99

Weekly Recap and Running as a Team Sport.

By Jess in Minneapolis

It's a rainy gloomy Sunday here in Minneapolis. I hope the sun is shining where you are!

The rain does somehow motivate me to clean though, so I spent a large part of the day cleaning and organizing, which included switching out my summer running clothes with my cold weather gear (so sad...)

I feel like I am back on a somewhat regular workout regime now. With Flying Pig on the horizon as my next marathon, I am hoping to keep a solid base throughout the winter with about 30 miles a week, and hopefully lots of cross training and yoga.

With that said, here is how the week panned out in fitness:

Monday: 5.5 birthday miles with Kelly, and a vinyasa yoga class at Corepower (free class on your birthday, FYI)
Tuesday: BarreAmped at Balanced Barre (with Meggan of the Yoga Garage)
Wednesday: 5.5 miles with Matilda
Thursday: 7 miles with three friends
Friday: 4 miles with Matilda
Saturday: 10 miles with the Calhoun Beach Running Club
Sunday: Yoga Sculpt at Corepower Yoga

Total: 32 miles, 1 barre, 1 yoga, 1 yoga sculpt (strength)

I was pretty happy with all that I squeezed in, considering Monday was my birthday dinner (at Pig Ate my Pizza, so, so good!), Wednesday was a work happy hour at Rojo, Thursday was a dinner with girlfriends at Terzo Wine Bar, and then last night was our anniversary dinner at La Belle Vie. 

Outfit details: dress- jcrew, necklace- jcrew, clutch- stella & dot

So yeah..lots of dining out! This week I will definitely be eating at home more, i.e. I have lots of recipes planned from my Runner's World Cookbook.

I really enjoyed the barre class on Tuesday with a new-to-me instructor at Balanced Barre. It had also been almost a year since I had taken a yoga sculpt class, so it was fun to get back to that today too. It's nice to have more time for non-running workouts.

 So, you may notice that most of my runs were with company, though sometimes that company was just my dog, Matilda. Yet it is rarely a solo sport for me; lots of times, it feels like I am part of a team, and it's a supportive team, where everyone seems to be cheering for each other. We all want the other runners to enjoy the pleasure of having all of their hard work pay off.

With that said, I'd like to share a short post from Move Your Booty about whether running is a team sport. I wouldn't have thought so before, but I can definitely agree with some of her points.

Why Running is a Team Sport- and how to know if you’re on it:

Running isn’t what it used to be. It’s bigger than just our own two feet. What moves us individually moves us as a collective unit. It’s about inspiration, courage, passion, daring to try. It’s about going further as a team than we might never have done alone.

 

with one of my fav running companions!

Whether we run alone or with a crew, we are all connected. With each bead of sweat, with each step, each mile, with each lofty goal, we work hard to crush; we understand each other on a deeper level.

Running brings us together as one. No matter your pace, we all aim for that finish line together. As a result of our ever-intertwining connectedness, running has become a team sport. And we are all part of that same team- for many, without even knowing it.

So how do you know if you’re on the team? Answer YES to any of the questions below.

1. Do you nod at your fellow runners/total strangers as they run by? YES!
2. Ever run in total silence with your running buddy, yet walk away feeling more connected than ever before? YES!
3. Ever cried watching total strangers cross the finish line of a race? ummm....YES!
4. Ever convinced a friend to sign up for a race with you because it makes you both feel better about the challenge? YES!
5. Ever paced a friend during their race to make sure they hit the finish line? No, but I have talked about pacing my sister Erin to run a sub-2 hour half marathon, so hopefully I will do that someday soon! And Kelly might be pacing me at Flying Pig, so that might be fun!
6. Do pictures of your friends feet on a run make you get out of bed and take your own run? YES! You guys are motivating!
7. Ever raced for a purpose bigger than yourself? Not yet- other than races that are for charity like Race for the Cure, etc.
8. Ever lay out your running outfit the night before- even though you’d never do that with your work clothes? All the time! I obsess about the weather every night with regards to what to plan to wear on a run, but I rarely give that much though to what to wear to work!
9. Have you run a race that involved mud, sleeping in a van, or getting really dirty? Of course!
10. Do you prefer gossiping with a friend over a sweaty run instead of over a coffee date? YES! YES! YES! I love this one. I honestly feel like I bond with some friends the best over a run. 

Thanks to EMILY NEWMAN @ move-your-booty.com for this list.

What do you think? Is running a team sport, or a solo sport for you? Did you answer YES to any of the questions?

Fits Do Race (Pre)views: Upcoming Thanksgiving Races in the Minneapolis Area.

By Cool J in Minneapolis

The past five years, my family has organized their own 5k. You can check those out HERE and HERE. We "organized" this 5k just for the family. It was an opportunity for us to share a fun run with the whole family, and it was a healthy event where everyone could join. We tried to make it authentic with shirts, medals, a post-race party like no other, and more. 

However, this year, we are actually going to be participating in a sanctioned 5k in Milwaukee, the Drumstick Dash. My sister Cresta thought this would be a fun change- a REAL 5k this year! And it's for a good cause, as it benefits "Feeding America" a hunger-relief charity. The 5k finishes in Miller Park, which will be a lot of fun! Unfortunately, no dogs allowed though, so Matilda has to sit this year out, but most everyone else in my immediate family will be there.

last year's turkey trot- Matilda won first place in the dog division!

Though I will be in Milwaukee, you should check out one of the following options for Thanksgiving Day runs in the Minneapolis area!

There's the ever-popular Lifetime Fitness Turkey Day 5k at 8 am downtown Minneapolis. I have run this one multiple times in the past, but it definitely is a little chaotic and crowded. It probably isn't my favorite. It's also a little pricey, with registration nearly $50 (for a 5k??)

One of my favorites when I have been in town for Thanksgiving (though it has been awhile) was the Drumstick Dash 10k around Lake Harriet. It's true that two laps around Lake Harriet is a little repetitive, especially since I run this lake quite a bit on my own. However, I like the longer distance of a 10k, and its so close to home, its hard to pass up. Registration is only $35, and that's for twice the distance of the Lifetime option! Its organized by Marathon Sports and it is USATF certified. Its definitely a little more low-key than the Lifetime 5k, yet more of a runner's race. This run is chip-timed as well.

There is a fun-sounding Gobble Gait 8k in Hastings, MN. I have never run this race, but it looks great! Check it out HERE. There is a Beast 2 Feast 5k around Lake Calhoun on Thanksgiving morning too, so take your pick Uptowners- Harriet or Calhoun! Website HERE. 

If you live near Woodbury, there is a Turkey Trek 5k there as well, (website HERE) Or, you can head to the "Giving Thanks 5k" in St. Paul.

Weather too cold for you to run outside? Then check out the Walk to End Hunger 5k, which is held indoors at the Mall of America! (Check it out HERE)

Seriously, there is something for everyone in the Twin Cities area. I'm sad that I will miss out, but I'm sure I'll have fun running the Milwaukee Drumstick Dash with my family!  

...and to make things a little more fun, I purchased this fun holiday hat on Etsy for the occasion!

 It was $30 on Etsy, made by hand by Nicole at Simply Hookin It. She even sent me a personal thank you card for ordering from her.

I'm not sure how comfortable the hat will be for running, but at least it's only 3.1 miles.

Check out Nicole's other handmade goods HERE.

With so many options in the area, you have no excuse not to get up early and break a sweat on Thanksgiving day!

Let me know which race you choose!

Friday's Favorite Fit: The Runner's World Cookbook

By Cool J in Minneapolis

"Friday's Favorite Fit" was on a short hiatus (I blame Berlin!) But don't worry, now it's back, and today's favorite fit is the Runner's World Cookbook:

Have you ordered a copy of the Runner’s World Cookbook?

No?

What are you waiting for?!?

Runners, you will LOVE this cookbook! It has 150 easy, delicious, and QUICK recipes loaded with all the right vitamins and protein that you need to "perform better during your workout, and recover faster!"

Well that’s what they say will happen if you eat meals made from recipes in this cookbook, but let's be honest,  I haven’t become any faster...but I have found these recipes to be tasty, and they seem to be pretty healthy. All the nutritional facts are included on each recipe, and I think you'll be pleased with the stats.

Most of the recipes have corresponding pictures in the book, which I always enjoy. What can I say, I like to see if the dish looks appetizing before making it.

I received my copy late last week, and have already made several recipes from it. 

First, I baked up a batch of the hearty whole grain breakfast muffins. 

They are packed full of healthy ingredients like whole wheat flour, flaxseed, almonds, and dried fruit. They were super simple to make and they were good for the whole week in a Tupperware container.

I loved having these around to grab on the go when I’m running out the door on my way to work. It’s a much better option that grabbing an unhealthy scone at Starbucks with my morning Americano. I plan to make another batch this weekend to tide me over next week as well. The muffins are hearty and filling: definitely a recipe I will be using frequently. 

I also made one of the recovery smoothies last weekend: the immune-boosting raspberry-almond smoothie.

It was really unique. I loved the touch of ginger, and it actually filled me up after a 7 mile run on Sunday. Dustin said it was a little “tart” – perhaps from the kefir? However, I really enjoyed this smoothie, and will be making it again.

The cookbook categorizes each recipe as “pre-run”, “recovery”, “low-calorie”, "vegetarian," and/or “fast”. Honestly all of the recipes have been pretty simple and fast. We had the shrimp and bean quesadilla the other night for dinner- (so good). Another night, I made the salmon salad sandwiches. The Cashew Butter and Mango Chutney Sandwich was my breakfast on one morning this week, when I needed some variety from the hearty muffins.  I love cottage cheese, but hadn’t really ever had it for breakfast. According to the cookbook, this breakfast “contains the essential fats to help keep you satisfied, absorb nutrients, protect heart health, reduce injury, and decrease joint pain.”

I was particularly pleased to see one of Deena Kastor’s recipes in the cookbook, and it was a recipe that I was already familiar with from the Runner's World magazine. Dustin and I have been making Deena’s caramelized onion/fig/goat cheese pizza for years, and it’s one of our favorites. So good! Definitely try that recipe when you get your copy of the cookbook.

 

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The cookbook is about $30 on the Runner’s World website, though I see it on Amazon for only $17. Either way, its still well worth the price tag. I highly recommend that you pick up a copy. This cookbook makes a great Christmas present too for one of your runner friends, (or non-runner friends.) Order your copy today, and start cooking!

P.S. Happy anniversary Dustin. Five years today!

Curious about past Friday's Favorite Fits? Here is the whole list!

9/20: run msp t-shirts at gear
9/13: bkr resusable water bottle
9/6: knuckle lights
8/30: the best carbo loading recipe
8/23: nine west polka dot heels
8/16: the lululemon bitty bracer
8/9: tasteful animal prints
7/26: trigger point foam roller
7/21: outdoor yoga in mpls
6/28: bold colors and patterns
6/21: trail running
6/14 gal pal garment deodorant remover
6/7 the sock bun
5/31 the white oxford shirt
5/17 toms shoes
5/10 bic bands
5/3 race day with a first timer
4/26 cobalt blue
4/19 lululemon wunder under crop
4/12 i run this body t-shirt