Weekly Recap: Oiselle Scantron Tank and a Reminder for the BIC Band Giveaway!

TCM runners are all enjoying their tapers, but I am still ramping up mileage training for the Outer Banks Marathon on November 9th. If you're new to the Right Fits, I am on a quest to run a marathon in every state, and North Carolina is up next!

 On Sundays, I try to recap my fitness and fitness fashion for the previous week. It keeps me honest and on track and I hope its useful to you in some way. 

So here's what's happening in fitness at the Right Fits:

Monday: 7.5 easy miles with Matilda (the dog)

Tuesday: 9 miles with 6 miles at goal marathon pace at the CBRC

Wednesday: 4 miles with Matilda, then a 60 minute barre class at The Barre with my friend Susie. She is still rocking the barre classes with two babies in her belly!

Thursday: 7 miles easy

Friday: complete rest

Saturday: 19 mile long run. Pretty uneventful, though I did take three Hammer Gels vs. the normal two I carry on long runs. It was an unseasonably warm Saturday, but TCM runners need not despair- the forecast looks much cooler for next weekend.  After some breakfast and recovering post-run, we packed up our bags and went camping. I'll share more about it on Tilda Tuesday, but it did involve a lot of hiking. 

Sunday: 4 miles easy with Matilda. It was pretty hot (mid-80's) by the time I ran. Tilda seemed pretty tired, so we actually walked a bit. I heeded my advice for running with your dog in the heat, and let her walk when she wanted and we took lots of water breaks. 

Summary: I hit just about 50 miles of running this week, with 1 complete rest day, and 1 barre class. It was a "cut-back" week in terms of workout intensity, but the miles were still high (for me). This week will be harder workouts, with hills tomorrow and another speed workout on Thursday.

What's happening in fitness fashion this week?

Thursday night, I attended a "Mental Toughness for Marathoners" seminar at TC Running Company in Eden Prairie. I will share a recap of that seminar later this week, but let's talk first about fitness fashion! While I was at TC Running Company,  I did a little browsing, and ended up buying this  Oiselle Scantron Tank in fresh green (what looks like yellow to me)

 According to the Oiselle website,  

The Scantron Running Tank is simplicity in itself. In addition to the micro venting, designed right into this tech fabric, we’ve done away with bindings anywhere, completed with a simple merrow stitch, so that all you feel is a fantastic fit. Its length and shape prevents it from shimmying up. Perfect for layering – or lifting.

 <- It also comes in all these colors!

My opinion: Its definitely longer, which I love, and the material breathed really well on my 19 mile run in 80 degree temperatures. I was impressed... and no chafing, which is always a win! I think that's because of how they have done away with any bindings anywhere. It works!

Please note that I think that Oiselle clothes run a little more "true to size" than Athleta. At Athleta, I wear a small, but at Oiselle, I wear a medium. This is true for the Oiselle roga shorts as well.  

I loved the Scantron tank and am considering it in other colors- maybe one of them will be my OBX marathon outfit!

Have you purchased any Oiselle running apparel? What do you think?

Don't forget to enter to win two free minnie BIC bands- a winner will be drawn tomorrow!

Weekly Recap: Running, Outdoor Yoga, and an Upcoming Giveaway.

Welcome to Sunday and another weekly recap of what's happening at the Right Fits in Fitness and Fitness Fashion!

Let's start with fitness this past week...

Monday: 60 minute barre class in the morning at The Barre and then 7 miles easy with Matilda in the evening. During our run, we ran past an accordion player on Lake Calhoun and Tilda freaked out. She froze in her tracks and wouldn't move past the guy, even when he stopped playing the accordion. Eventually, I had to pick her up and carry her past...what a wimp!

Tuesday: 9.5 miles at the track. Our run club met at a local high school track. We did 2 miles to warm up and then our workout was a ladder: 800, 1200, 1600, 1600, 1200, 800 (i.e. 2 laps, 3 laps, 4 laps). After each one, we did a lap easy.  I took the time for this workout to look up my goal paces on the McMillan calculator and then calculated what that would be per lap. Having the lap time really helped me stay with my goal paces. I would call this workout a success! I hit all the goal times for it, and felt good. We did about a one mile cool down at the end for about 9.5 miles (Dustin said he ended up with 10 miles, but I think he did a longer cool down) Not too shabby for a Tuesday night. I really liked running this workout on the track versus between "the bridges" where we often do the speed workouts. It made it go by really quickly!

Wednesday: I met up with a friend for an easy 4 mile run and then we took Meggan's outdoor yoga class at Lake of the Isles. On our run, we saw this HUGE snapping turtle along the Isles/Calhoun connector. People were warning us to stay away as it would bite, but my thought was- sure, I might be slow, but hopefully I can outrun a turtle right??

The yoga class was the last one of the summer...so sad. It was a lovely class, though the mosquitoes were terrible! Next time, I will bring loads of bug spray, long sleeves, and maybe my own citronella candle.

Thursday: 8 miles in the morning with a few friends. I had a "variety speed' workout, which was 6-5-4-3-2-1. For this workout, we did a 2 mile warmup, and then 6 miles at 6 mile race pace with 3 minutes slow, then 5 minutes at 5 mile race pace with 2.5 miles slow, then 4 minutes at 4 mile race pace, etc, etc, all the way down to 1 minute at 1 mile pace.  It was an easier workout than Tuesday's track workout. But that was a good thing, as my legs were pretty tired. By the way, we ran up on a mama raccoon and her babies during this run- quite the week of wildlife in Minneapolis! After work, I did a 1 hour strength conditioning class at Balance Fitness.

Friday: Complete rest. Much needed.

Saturday: 18 mile long run with the Calhoun Beach Running Club

Sunday: easy 4 mile run with Dustin and Matilda

Summary: It was a big running week and the first time I hit 50 miles for this training season. I still managed to take one full rest day and I squeezed in a 1 yoga class, 1 barre, and 1 strength session.

What's happening in Fitness Fashion?
I have a fun fitness fashion related GIVEAWAY happening tomorrow on the blog so please stay tuned...let me just tell you that it involves BIC Bands. Check back tomorrow!

Weekly Recap: A Wedding 5k and Running in the Humidity.

It's Sunday, so it is time for the Weekly Recap at the Right Fits!

Let's start with fitness...

What's happening in fitness this week?
Last week, my recap included a lot of running but not a lot of cross training. This week was a little more balanced.
Monday: 1 hour long barre class at The Barre in the morning and then 7 mile run with the Calhoun Beach Running Club. I had a 20 minute tempo run in the middle of this run. My legs felt pretty tired, and I struggled to keep an 8 min/mile pace (my tempos should be closer to a 7:35-7:45).
Tuesday: 5.5 mile run with Matilda, slow recovery run
Wednesday: 1 hour strength conditioning class for runners at the Calhoun Beach Club
Thursday: 5 mile run as part of the Jeff Galloway event at Run n Fun <-- I'll share more on this later!
Friday: 16 mile long run. I started at 6 am with my friends Abby and Meggan, so you'd think we were up early enough to beat the heat. Spoiler alert..we weren't. It was a brutally sticky run and not one of my best long runs. Due to schedule constraints for the other girls (who started even earlier than me) I was on my own for the last 3 miles. My paced dropped significantly in those last three miles and I was doing more of a run/walk. I just don't do well in the heat. We ran a route that had plenty of water stops and I carried fluids in my Nathan hydration belt, but the humidity still really got to me. Additionally, my sweaty shoes were soaked through, which started to cause a lot of blisters. I'm not saying I'm ready for cold temperatures- I'm not. But I am admitting that running in the humidity is definitely a challenge.
Saturday: Wedding Day 5k <-- race recap to come! Our old run club coach Paul married his lovely wife Laura yesterday and he planned a really great Wedding Day 5k to kick off their special day with a run. The race started at 7 am because the bride and her bridesmaids needed to get going with hair and make up and whatnot. To be honest, we were up a little later than normal on Friday imbibing a bit with all the wedding guests. That 6:30 am wake up call came pretty early. I tried to do a little bit of a warm-up before we started, but really I was going from sleeping to a harder tempo-esque effort a little too quickly. However, due to Dustin's speediness, we still won the fastest combined time for a married couple!

Sunday: Most of today was spent in a car driving home from Sioux Falls. When we arrived back in Minneapolis, I figured I would either take a nap or go for a run. I went with the run option, hoping to detox some of that wine I drank over the wedding weekend.  Of course, this run was at the hottest part of the day. It was a slow and sweaty four mile run, but it did make me feel better.

Total: 6 days of running with one tempo workout and one 5k race, one strength class, and one barre class

What's happening in fitness fashion?
The Wedding Day 5k had official race shirts. They are cozy gray t-shirts that I know I will wear to lounge around the house. Someone commented that it seemed that a lot of races are moving away from technical tees and towards cozy old-school quality cotton tees. The Torchlight 5k was that way, as well as the Brian Kraft 5k...and now the Wedding Day 5k!  I like this movement in races. I have way too many technical race shirts that I never wear again, usually because they don't fit that well. It seems that more men continue to wear their old race shirts (I know that Dustin does), but not as many ladies like the ill-fitting race shirts. Keeping the cozy cotton tees coming please race directors!

What's happening in fashion?
The wedding this weekend in Sioux Falls, South Dakota was so gorgeous. The reception was held at Calico Skies winery across the border in Iowa and it was such a beautiful location for a reception. The wine and food were so good, and I couldn't get over all the beautiful touches for the wedding<-- more pictures to come! As for fashion at this wedding, I wore the Azure Scroll Dress from Anthropologie that I mentioned in this post. I usually have a really good luck at Anthropologie for cocktail dresses, and this dress is one that I feel I will wear plenty of times in the future. The color and pattern is bright and fun, but the simple shift style keeps it classic. The necklace is also from anthropologie.

That's all from the Right Fits this week...

What are your tips for staying cool on hot and humid runs?
Have you been to Calico Skies winery?

Weekly Recap: A Killer Kettlebell Workout and Goodbye to July...

Can you believe July is coming to an end? This summer is going too quickly. Don't get me wrong, there's lot of fun stuff to look forward to in August, but I am still sad that this was our last July weekend.

We packed a lot into our Saturday, with a long run in the heat, a work party at a lake in New Prague, and a housewarming party for one of our run club friends.  Today has definitely been a lot more low-key, with lots of errands and work around the house. But enough on that, let me fill you in the past week at the Right Fits!

What's happening in fashion?

JCrew had a "swim & short" sale going on online, so I picked up THESE shorts that I saw on "Classy Girls Wear Pearls" (<-- I love everything she wears!)  

Such a fun pattern, and I think I ended up only paying just $30. I wore them for a work party on Saturday- perfect for an afternoon of sun and social.

What's happening in Fitness Fashion?

BIC bands are what is happening in fitness fashion. An oldie, but a goodie. I basically live in these things most of the time, and always have one on when running. 

What's happening in Fitness this week?
Monday: Crazy HOT day. I ran 5.5 miles easy by myself rather than do the hill workout with the club (Looking to incorporate hills into your workout? Be sure to check out THIS POST!)
Tuesday: Hill workout in the AM with some gals. Managed about 3.5 repeats for about 7.5 miles total.
Wednesday: Torchlight 5k (with about 2.25 mile warmup)
Thursday: 1 hour kettle bell strength class at Balance Fitness *see below for workout details
Friday: Easy 4 mile run with Matilda

Saturday: 16 mile long run with the CBRC Man, oh, man was it humid for this run! I think a lot of us struggled yesterday in the heat and humidity, and unfortunately, not all of the water pumps in the city are working yet. We had one volunteer support stop around mile 7.5, but honestly, it wasn't enough for such a hot day, and I was pretty beat up after this run.

Sunday: 1 hour barre class at The Barre- I met Susie and Penny at The Barre in Wayzata (same owners as The Barre Edina where I usually go). The Wayzata studio is gorgeous, with a view of Lake Minnetonka while you lift, tone, burn! It was a really great class with instructor Jaclyn.

Summary: 5 days of running, 1 barre class, 1 strength day

Since a lot of run club members were at the Torchlight 5k on Wednesday, the instructor for the Calhoun Beach Club strength conditioning class skipped this week's workout. Instead, I got in a strength workout by heading back to Balance Fitness for Sarah's class. It was a solid workout, where we did the following:

That's about it from me from the Right Fits! I hope you all had a wonderful last weekend in July. 

Weekly Recap: Esprit de She, Sunrise Yoga, and Some New Athleta Gear

Happy Tuesday friends!

Are you surviving this heat? It's pretty stifling...I decided to skip the hill workout with my run club last night due to the heat, and I just ran easy on my own, with lots of water/walk breaks. Then, a few of the girls and I met up this morning at the early hour of 5:15 am to make up the hill workout. I will share more about that in a "All About Hill Workouts" post, but first let me fill you in on what's happening in Fitness, Fashion, and Fitness Fashion last week!

What's happening in fitness?
Monday: 1 hour barre class at The Barre,, 7 miles with the Calhoun Beach Running Club
Tuesday: 7 miles with the Calhoun Beach Running Club, with three 8 minute tempo intervals
Wednesday: 1 hour barre class at The Barre, 1 hour strength conditioning for runners at the Calhoun Beach Club
Thursday: Sunrise yoga with Luminous Yoga (read all about it HERE), Esprit de She 5k race with 3 mile warmup
Friday: Complete rest!
Saturday: 14 mile long run
Sunday: 4 mile run with Dustin and Matilda, then an awesome time at the Red Barn Pizza Farm <-- stay tuned for a post on that item that I crossed off my summer bucket list!

Summary: 5 days of running, 1 complete rest day, 2 barre classes, 1 strength day

What's happening in fashion?
I wore this maxi dress (find it HERE) to dinner on Saturday at Piccolo. Its kind of a unique take on the standard maxi, with a "T" back style that I liked.

What's happening in fitness fashion?
I posted on Sunday about some new Athleta gear that I am loving- the forerunner tank and the pulse short. Check out that post HERE

That's all I have for now. I hope you are staying cool during this heat wave!

Have you been to a pizza farm? 
How are you staying cool during these crazy hot temps??

Weekly Recap: 4th of July, #cabinliving2k14, and How to Wear a Soft Pant!

I'm back online after an extended leave of absence from the internet.... #cabinliving2k14, right? 

I hope you also had a lovely holiday weekend! Of course, I will tell you ALL about ours, but first let me share a quick Weekly Recap of the past week:

Monday: 1 hour barre class at the Barre at 6 am, 7 mile run with the Calhoun Beach Running Club

Tuesday: Hot power fusion at Corepower Yoga, 7 mile run with the Calhoun Beach Running Club (<--twice in one week, I'm so proud!)

Wednesday: 1 hour strength class at the Calhoun Beach Club. One of the trainers at the gym is leading a 10 week strength training class just for runners. The first class was a little slow...I understand the importance of form, but I still want to get in a workout. However, I am sure that it will get more challenging as we progress. Its not too late to join if this something you'd be interested in.

Thursday: I was running by 5 am to get in 11 miles before work. I was pretty proud of myself for squeezing in my "long" run before work!

Friday: 10k at the cabin (6.1 miles) with Kelly. Lots of paddle boarding, and 1 mile swim across the lake (we called this the "Cabin Triathlon."- more on that later!)

Saturday: 1 mile warmup + 3.1 miles Gordon Good Neighbor Days 5k. Dustin got first place in his age group! I'll share more on this race in a race recap.

Sunday: 10k at the cabin (6.1 miles) with Kelly and Abby, paddle boarding, and 1 mile swim across 

the lake

Total: about 42 miles, 2 strength days, 1 yoga, cross training: swimming and paddle boarding

My mileage increased a bit this week, but I felt pretty good overall. I was happy to still have time for a barre class AND a yoga class during a week with 4 nights away at the cabin.

What's happening in Fashion this week?

In fashion this week, its all about the "soft pant!" Remember THIS POST when I told you I participated in a fashion shoot with Carly at A la Mode Wardrobe Consulting? The article was finally published yesterday in the "StylePoints" section of the Star Tribune. You can read the whole article HERE.

How to Wear Soft Pants from the Star Tribune:

"One of our favorite trends of the season is the soft, loosefitting trouser. The new “soft pant” is more wearable than its predecessor, the harem pant, ever was. Loosefitting trousers, which look like glorified pajama pants, can be dressed up and worn to the office. How could you argue with that?

The only problem is that they can be tricky to style. Carly Gatzlaff, stylist and owner of À La Mode Wardrobe Consulting, shows us how.

1. If your soft pant has a wide leg, choose fitted items for the rest of your outfit and tuck in your shirt.

2. For a more casual look, play with color and pattern. For a work-appropriate look, stick to darker patterns or solids.

3. While they’re designed to have a loose fit, avoid a dated look (think harem or MC Hammer) by choosing pants that fit well through the waist and rear. The length should hit just above the ankle.

4. If you’re nervous to try this look, start with a wide-leg soft pant in a print for a summer classic look.

5. Finish with heels or wedges.

Unfortunately, my picture isn't in the online version, but a friend was nice enough to send me a text with the picture while we were at the cabin. Another friend was kind enough to pick up a few hard copies for me to give to my family.

What's happening in Fitness Fashion?

In fitness fashion, its all about red, white, and blue this week! 

Red, White, and Blue themed compression socks from Pro Compression. Find them HERE.

There's a lot of crazy things happening in this picture, but you can see the socks pretty well, so there you go.

Happy 4th of July to you! Did you run a fun holiday race? Please share in the comments!

Weekly Recap: Curio Dance and Tips for Hiking with Your Dog!

Happy Father's Day! I hope you had a great Sunday. I'm back with a weekly recap from the second week in June!

What's happening in fitness fashion?
How about THIS cute running shirt from none other than Costco? My friend Kelly has it, and I think it's so cute.  Subtle stripes and a longer cut, and of course at a price that Fits the Bill!

What's happening in fashion?
In fashion this week, I had an opportunity to wear THIS new-ish dress from JCrew Factory on Friday.

I wore the dress on Friday night when a group of girlfriends and I went to see "Curio Dance" at the Cowles Center. 

What is Curio Dance? 
It was a performance of prominent soloists and groups dancing in street shoes to bare feet around the globe. With roots grounded in American dance forms and the constant push for invention, Curio Dance choreographers cross over lands and generations to reveal a thread through movement. Entertainers bring light to their soul in contemporary dance blends of Hip Hop, Cuban Orisha, Native American Eagle, Chinese Martial Arts, Acrobatic Yoga, Breaking, Housing, Waacking, Krump and more. 

The show was really fun and entertaining, with an interesting mix of different styles of dance. Have you been to the Cowles Center before? It's quite nice!

But back to the dress- you can find it HERE on sale right now!

What happened in fitness last week?

Monday: Ran 5.5 miles in the morning with Matilda, 1 hour barre class at The Barre.

Tuesday: Ran 4 miles with Dustin and Matilda

Wednesday: Ran 7.75 miles with a great group of gals in the morning

Thursday: Ran 4 miles with Matilda, 45 minute mini-barre class at The Barre

Friday: 1 hour barre class at The Barre

Saturday: 10 miles with the Calhoun Beach Running Club

Sunday: 1 hour barre class at Balanced Barre in Wayzata.  <-- this was my first time checking out the Wayzata studio.  Unfortunately, the St. Louis Park studio is closing at the end of the month. I wish the Wayzata one was more convenient for me, but it was a bit of a drive. It was a great class though! It was the "Fire" class, which is their most advanced class. It mixes in cardio and doesn't really have any breaks...Definitely intense!

When the sun finally broke through the rain today, we decided to make another drive out to the 'burbs. This time it was to the Elm Creek Park Reserve in Maple Grove for some exercise for Matilda.

We spent a little over an hour hiking around Elm Creek Reserve. Matilda LOVED it!

It is a really nice park with 29 acres of trails in the off-leash area. A year dog park pass is $35, but we just purchased a day permit for $5. (Read more about the Three River Park District dog park permits HERE.)

Tips for hiking with your dog? 

• Bug spray: We brought bug spray for us, and we were sure that Matilda's Frontline flea/tick treatment was up to date.
• Bring water: We use one of THESE Gulpy Water Dispenser (find one at HERE)

• Bring an old towel to wipe off the muddy paws! We have received so much rain lately that some areas of the park were quite muddy. I brought an old towel in the car to wipe Matilda down as much as possible for the drive home (though she did still need a bath later as well)
• Follow the rules. Bring the plastic bags to pick up after your dog, and if there is a entry fee, just pay it. Its going towards the maintenance of the park!

The Elm Creek Park is very enjoyable and we will definitely be back there this summer!

I hope you had a great week in Fitness, Fashion, and Fitness Fashion!

Fits Do Race Reviews: Irish Run 8k

Whew! What a Sunday...as I mentioned in my earlier post today, it was a busy week for running, and I still had more running to do today after that post!

Having run 19 miles yesterday, I knew that my legs would be tired today for the Irish Run 8k. On the drive over to St. Paul, I started regretting signing up. A non-running day would have been better for my tired body.

The race had a 1:20 start time, which was a little strange for fueling. Dustin and I both ate a normal size breakfast (whole wheat waffle with syrup and a banana). We also spent about an hour walking around the dog park to wear out Matilda as well, so I was definitely hungry by the time race time rolled around. Yet I didn't want to eat anything else until after the race for fear of the dreaded GI issues that can plague many a runner. (Did you catch my post, "When You Gotta Go, You Gotta Go"? That post about sums it up.)

Even with the later start, the temperature was still pretty cold, hovering around 18 degrees and quite windy.  Fortunately, we could wait inside the nearby elementary school until race time. Packet pickup was in the gym at the school, and it was quick and easy. This is a "runner's" race, without a lot of fancy swag, though we did receive a nice dry-fit short sleeved shirt, as Dustin is (begrudgingly) modeling below:

This race attracts a VERY fast group. The winning time for men was 24:18 minutes, which is a 4:54 min/mile pace. (FYI, an 8k is 4.98 miles.) The winning time for women was 28 minutes, which is a 5:38 min/miles pace. Incredible!

Back to my race: We ran about two miles to warmup, and then met up with our team inside for a quick group photo. We had just enough men and women to have an official team (five men, five women). I told myself I was "a warm body," meaning I was just there to help the team qualify as an official USATF team, so I shouldn't stress about being the slowest.

The race began without a whole lot of fanfare. It was chip-timed of course, but I don't remember a starting gun or anything.  As for the course, it went out-and-back for about a mile towards the river on Summit Avenue, and then came back and out the other direction on Summit Avenue, to make a second turn towards the finish line.

If you're familiar with Summit Ave from the Twin Cities Marathon, or maybe another race, you know that its hilly. We had our fair share of ups and downs on this short five mile course. There were no water stops for this short run, which was fine on such a cold day.

The race actually went by very quickly. Before I knew it, the finish line was in sight, so I tried to push it in a little harder to finish strong. I had started out with a fellow CBRC running buddy, Kristi, and I let her set the pace. In fact, I was creeping right behind her for most of the race, and I hope it didn't drive her crazy! I did lose her in the last mile, and she ended up finishing about 20 seconds ahead of me, but we were together for most of the race. It was good for me to have a "pacer" of sorts, as she did a good job of hitting very consistent miles- thank you Kristi!

Her fiancé commented after the finish that our outfits were basically flip-flopped versions of each other: she had the fun patterned jacket, and I had the fun, similarly patterned pants!

My official time was 39:23, which was sub-8 minutes, which was fine with me for today. That's basically my tempo pace, so I was happy to keep that up for 5 miles on tired legs.

Dustin also had a 19 mile run yesterday, so he wasn't "racing" today either, but he still did a great job! I know he usually doesn't like it when I share his race times on here, but he did give me permission, as long as I pointed out that he wasn't racing! It was just a tempo run for him as well.

Even though I was regretting the race on the way to St. Paul, on the way home, I was happy that I had participated. It wasn't so bad, and I had to admit I had fun.

One of the other runners from our club commented that this was actually a good race for training for a marathon, as you could see how it felt to run on tired legs. I can see his point, but I think I need to be conscious of over training (I definitely don't want to get another stress reaction) so a tempo run the day after a long run won't become the norm for me.

What do you think? Is it beneficial to train on tired legs, or better to listen to your body and rest?

Overall, I thought this 8k was well-organized and fun. I didn't need a lot of fancy swag or fanfare, and it was fun to do a distance that I haven't run very often. Since I have only ever run one 8k before, and it was one that I ran for fun for my sister's bachelorette party, I do think today is now my official "PR" for an 8k. So, here's a new PR!

I give this race a 9/10 on the Right Fits Race Review scale!

After the run, Dustin and I were ravenous, so we heated up some leftover turkey burgers and did all the necessary foam rolling and icing. Then, it was off to The Barre for me for the free event with lucy activewear. The class was packed (probably because it was free), but it was a lot of fun. Afterwards, my girlfriends and I headed to Red Cow for a beer and burger (acceptable after two workouts that day, right?).

I hope you all had wonderful weekends!

Weekly Recap: Six Weeks Until Flying Pig and Free Barre Today!

Happy Sunday!

What's happening this week in fitness?
This past week was a pretty good one for running.

Monday: After we finally returned home from our botched-up flight from Turks & Caicos, I headed out for an easy Calhoun/Harriet (about 7.75 miles from my house). I didn't wear my Garmin, but let myself go as slowly as I felt like going. I was tired from the trip, and didn't want to worry about pace.

Tuesday: Kelly joined me at the Calhoun Beach Running Club for 7.75 miles, with four 1-mile repeats. We took about 3 minute breaks between each mile. It started to sleet/snow on us, and it wasn't the most pleasant evening for a run, but I hit my goal pace for those miles, and was pleased with the workout.

Wednesday: No running, just a 1 hour kettlebell class at Balance Fitness. We did old school sit-ups with a weighted ball, jump ropes, lunges, bicep curls, shoulder raises, burpees, kettlebell swings, shoulder presses, thrusters, kettlebell snatches, triceps pushdowns...I'm sure there was more, but I can't remember it all. It was a good class, with a lot of upper body work, which I liked.

Thursday: 8.5 miles in the morning with Kelly, with 5 miles at my GMP (goal marathon pace). We ended up doing most of these GMP miles at 15-20 seconds faster than my GMP, so it was definitely tougher than it should have been!

Friday: Complete rest.

Saturday: 19 mile run. I was not very happy to see that the temperature was in the single digits when we started. The "feels like" temperature was -8! I really hope that was our LAST cold run. Even though it was cold, I was pretty happy with how it felt. We had company for the first 5 miles, but then it was just Kelly and me for the last 14. We held a good pace (for me). Maybe Flying Pig won't be so bad afterall!

Sunday: In just a short while, Dustin and I will be heading to St. Paul to run the Irish Run 8k..I shared some information in this post about this race, here it is again:

The Calhoun Beach Running Club has a USATF racing team now. For each race in the circuit, only our team's top 5 fastest times for men and for women will count, so my time will never actually count towards the team. However, signing up for a USATF membership does have some other perks- discounts on races, guaranteed entry to the TC 10 mile, etc. The first race of the season is the Irish Run in St. Paul on Sunday, March 23^rd. This race has been going on since 1973. There is a 5k, 8k, and youth run.

2

This race is a little unique as it doesn’t start until the middle of the day (the 8k starts at 1:20 PM). Apparently, this late start is to allow the 50 churches on or near Summit Avenue to complete their services without traffic disruption. The late start also allows the temperature to rise to the high for the day, which could be significantly warmer than an early morning race. The race starts and finished at Ramsey Jr High School. This race attracts a lot of local elite runners, and nearly every Minnesota 8k record has been set here. 

After the 8k, I will be heading to the The Barre in Edina for a free class they are hosting with lucy activewear. 

I normally wouldn't do this much on a Sunday...in fact, they are often rest days for me, but I can't pass up a free class! I am meeting several girlfriends there, some of whom will be taking barre for the first time. Looking forward to this event! 

If you're interested, there still might be room, go HERE to sign up online.

What's happening this week in fitness fashion?

Just another reminder of the big lululemon sale next weekend- details HERE!

What's happening in fashion?

I purchased a new app called "StyleBook." Read all about it HERE. You can use it to create outfits, track what you wear, plan what to pack for vacations, and more! 

"Stylebook is designed to help you carefully curate your wardrobe so you can look effortlessly chic everyday. We want you to get the most out of what you already have in your closet and to choose new pieces that will integrate well into your wardrobe as a whole. A little organization can go a long way when it comes to getting dressed. Mixing and matching what you own, comparing new purchases to what have in your closet, planning the outfits you'll wear on vacation, and saving all your favorite style inspirations in one place will all help you develop your personal style. This was the basic idea behind the original version of Stylebook, which has now evolved to include over 90 features." 

I'm really excited to start using Stylebook. However, first I have to take pictures of all the items in my closet, which seems kind of daunting. I think I'll start building up the app by taking pictures each day as I wear something, and maybe do a bigger photo shoot when I have a full day to clean out my closet.  I'm really hoping this app will help me figure out ways to mix and match things that I already own! 

Weekly recap and I’m glad I switched to the YMCA…

Throughout my years in Minneapolis, I’ve switched gym memberships many times. I’ve been a member of Lifetime (and Northwest before Lifetime bought them), the Firm, LA Fitness, and most recently, the YMCA. My reasons for joining each gym have changed with different periods of my life and different fitness needs. For example, right after college, I was obsessed with spin classes, and I paid up for a monthly membership at the Firm because they had the BEST spin classes. Then, when I got into running, I wasn’t using the Firm classes as much, so I joined Northwest with Dustin. When they were purchased by Lifetime Fitness, I stuck around for a few years, but there wasn’t a location convenient to my office and home. LA Fitness entered the scene, and at just $30/month, I decided to hop onto that bandwagon (There was one close to my work and home). Eventually though, for a variety of reasons, I realized I wanted a gym with a little more to offer than the “barebones” of LA Fitness.

I did a free trial week at the YMCA, took a few Body Pump classes with a friend, and decided to make the switch to the Y. I have been really happy throughout my two years as a member there. There are multiple locations that are convenient to me, both home and office. Sure, the spin classes aren’t as intense as those at the Firm were, but overall I think the classes are still pretty good, and I really don’t go there for the classes. I love their pool and their new treadmills (which I spent a lot of time on this winter) I pay the extra $11/month for towel service, and the convenience is definitely worth it to me. I can’t foresee any reason why I would end my membership at this time! Of course, I am also a member of the Calhoun Beach Running Club, and I have class packages all over the place (the Barre, Corepower Yoga, Modo Yoga, Pilates ProWorks, Balance Fitness, Balanced Barre) as well, so I’m not asking for ALL my fitness needs to be met in one place, if you know what I mean. 

If you do want all your fitness needs met in one location, something like Lifetime Fitness or the Firm is probably a good option for you. If you want barebones- there’s plenty of options, such as 24 Hour Fitness, Snap Fitness Anytime Fitness and of course LA Fitness

Anyways! That’s my Minneapolis “gym” history. I was thinking about this history because of this recent local news story about violence and fights at an LA Fitness…this is not the location that I used to go to, but it still makes me happy that I switched to the YMCA! The Y is by no means luxurious, but it is bit more family focused and friendly, and I just can’t picture this happening there.

Check it out here: http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2014/03/07/big-gym-fight-has-police-hoping-la-fitness-beefs-up-security/

Yikes!

Okay, moving on....I’m here with a weekly recap of March 3-9.

Monday: 8 miles on the treadmill (at my lovely YMCA)

Tuesday: 8 miles on the treadmill with some hilly intervals

Wednesday: Kettlebell/strength class at Balance Fitness

Thursday: 7 miles outside with my friend Monica!

Friday: C2 yoga at Corepower Yoga (vinyasa flow)

Saturday: 18 mile long run

Sunday: 1 hour barre class at The Barre with my friend Susie

My mileage wasn’t as high as normal, but I was trying to be cautious after my IT band started acting up this week. As I mentioned in this post, I went in for some treatment on Friday, and I made it through my 18 miler on Saturday. Normally I would have been tempted to throw in another run on Friday and/or Sunday (especially Sunday, since it was finally starting to feel like spring!) but I resisted the temptation. I was really proud of myself for choosing NOT to run on those days. Instead, I found a different activity for fitting fitness on those days- an activity that hopefully will help me in the long term more than those extra miles would have.

In fashion this week...

..of course I was excited about some new necklaces from Oia Jules (read about those HERE)

In fitness fashion, 

I am pretty stoked about lululemon’s upcoming warehouse sale! Read all about it on the Mpls/St. Paul magazine’s blog HERE. Will you be there? I definitely will be!

Details-

Where: Minneapolis Convention Center

When: March 28-30

Hope to see you there!

Weekly Recap and Prepping for Park City!

By Jess in Minneapolis

I hope you enjoyed your weekend!  Mine was a nice long one, as I had Monday off for the MLK holiday. Having that extra day was such a treat!

I'm back to check in with a weekly recap of January 13-19th.

In fitness fashion this week, I reviewed my pair of capris from Splits59 (read about them HERE)

In fashion, I have been trying to figure out what to wear to my friend's bachelorette party this weekend. It's going to be such a fabulous day! We are starting out with a half marathon (the Securian Winter Run- read my review of last year's race HERE), then getting mani/pedis at Phresh, then a little happy hour/cocktail party before dinner at Pazzaluna, and then perhaps a little dancing? Who knows where the night will take us!

Anyways, I wanted to find something to wear that was a little warmer due to the cold temperatures hitting Minneapolis (again- boo).  I was so pumped to find this Bellini Lace shift dress on the sale rack at Anthropologie. I got such a great deal on it- a price that definitely fit the bill, at only $50, and I am sure I will wear it again. It must have been a return, because it is an online exclusive, but it was on the sale rack at my local Anthro. Score!

I plan to pair it with tights and ankle boots....its cold in Minneapolis! Yet I think I'll be able to style it differently in the spring, and maybe even summer to make it a truly functional fit!

And finally, here's how the week turned out with fitness:
Monday: Easy morning run
Tuesday: Easy (though very snowy) morning run and C2 (vinyasa) class with instructor Nikki at Corepower Yoga. She is so awesome- great class!
Wednesday: Treadmill run: warmup for about 2.5 miles, then two 7-minute tempo intervals, then cool down of about 2.5 miles. I actually really liked doing the tempo intervals on the treadmill, because I could lock in my goal pace and hold on (as long as I could at least!)
Thursday: Kettlebells at Balance Fitness
Friday: Hot Power Fusion at Corepower Yoga
Saturday: Long run- just over 14 miles
Sunday: hour long barre class at The Barre- really tough class! The instructor did all the tough moves, like water-skiers, etc. Felt great!

Then in the afternoon, we headed to Welch Village to ski/snowboard. 

Dustin and I are heading to Park City, Utah at the end of February with my younger sister (you might remember LL from the blog!) and her husband, and three other friends (two of them pictured above!) The Minneapolis people met up at Welch to warm up a bit for Utah. It was a nice warm-"ish" day, and I feel a lot more confident going into Utah now with a little practice under my belt this year.

Have you ever been skiing in Utah? Any recommendations? Please share!

I ended up with about 40 miles for the week, with only a handful of them at a hard effort; two yoga classes, 1 barre, 1 kettle bell (strength), and 1 snowboarding day (cross-training?) I think it was a  pretty balanced week!

How was YOUR week in fitness, fashion, or fitness fashion? Please share in the comments! I'd like to get to know YOU- my readers! So start commenting- let me know if you tried out something new in fitness, fashion, or fitness fashion lately!