Showing posts with label lululemon bitty bracer review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lululemon bitty bracer review. Show all posts

Monday, September 1, 2014

Weekly Recap: The Serena Sports Bra and My Note for the Lake Harriet Elf

Happy Labor Day! My weekly recap is a day late, as I wanted to use yesterday's post to share my love for the Minnesota State Fair. I hope you enjoyed it, even though it wasn't really fitness/running related.

I just got back from running the Victory Labor Day 10k, and I set a PR. Pretty excited to be able to update my PR tab on the blog, check it out HERE. I'll have a recap up later this week.

Here's what happened last week in fitness!

Monday: 7 easy miles with Matilda
Tuesday: 9.5 miles at the CBRC with 6 hill repeats (read all about hill workouts HERE)
Wednesday: 1 hour strength conditioning class with trainer Ericka at the Calhoun Beach Club
Thursday: 7 easy miles with Kelly
Friday: Complete rest.
Saturday: 17 mile long run with the CBRC, 6 miles of walking at the state fair!
Sunday: 5 mile run with Dustin and Matilda (I made a quick stop during the run to drop my letter off with the elf on Lake Harriet #summerbucketlist)

After the run, we rode our bikes to SeaSalt at Minnehaha Falls for lunch.

Total: 5 days of running, 1 complete rest day, 1 cross training (biking), 1 strength day

Here's what's happening in fitness fashion:
My two favorite sports bras are the Bitty Bracer by lululemon and the Serena bra by Moving Comfort. Occasionally, the Bitty Bracer still gives me a little chafing under the front of the bra, but I can almost always count on the Serena for a long run. I ordered a few more of these the other day from Road Runner Sports.

Let's be honest, sports bras don't last forever. I try to maintain them the best that I can by washing them on delicate and hanging them to dry, but the elastic still wears out eventually.  I usually watch for sales, as the Serena bra costs about $40 (currently $37.99 at RoadRunnerSports and a few sizes on clearance at Moving Comfort's website for $22.) However, its worth the cost to me to avoid chafing as much as possible.

Well, that's about it from me for the Weekly Recap. I hope you had a great week and you are ready for September!

*Do you have a favorite sports bra that you keep buying again and again?
*Have you visited the tree elf on Lake Harriet?

Friday, March 28, 2014

Fit the Bill: The Lululemon Warehouse Sale

I really wanted to get this post out as soon as possible, so those of you who are local can still #March2MN  towards the @lululemon WHS, or for non-social media-lites, head on down to the Convention Center downtown for the lululemon warehouse sale!

The sale started today, but it goes on through Sunday, 8 am to 7 pm every day. My friend Tricia and I both have busy weekends, so we decided why not just take a 1/2 day of PTO, and go check it out today, right when it opened! I mean, why not use vacation time to go spend some money on more fitness fashion!

So, we arrived a little after 7 am..which was not early enough! 

The line was already through the lobby and out the door. Apparently some people had been there since 2 am, when the doors to the convention center didn't even open until 5 am. Crazy! The actual doors to the actual sale didn't open until 8 am...so, yes, we were out in the cold for about an hour.

The Facebook event information had stated that the line would be inside, and that you couldn't bring in coats or purses, so Tricia left her coat in the car. It was a chilly 26 degrees outside, and we were both pretty cold waiting out there!  (Note to anyone thinking about going- dress warm!)
We finally moved far enough in line to be inside the convention center, and then it was another two hours of waiting. Fortunately, there was a Dunn Brothers coffee nearby, so I ran off to grab us some coffee, while Tricia held our place in line.

And finally, finally, around 10 am, we were the next in line!
When we entered the sale, Tricia and I actually split up, as we both had lists of sizes and items from friends and family. We were girls on a mission!
There were fitting rooms, but I never tried anything on. A lot of people were just changing right there in the open, rather than waiting in the lines for the fitting rooms (which were communal anyways, and let's be honest- most everyone at the sale was female anyways. And who cares!)

There was sort of an open area where people were just piling up their goods to see what they had grabbed, and perhaps to count to see if they were over the 25 item limit! I did the same- I had to remember what all I had grabbed!

It was a little chaotic in there, and I definitely felt a touch of anxiety as I tried to figure out what items I wanted to purchase. There was a lot of frantic texting with my sisters and some friends..but amidst the chaos, it was FUN! Tricia and I both ended up with a lot of great items- some for ourselves, some for our friends and family. It was seriously a blast!

So what kind of deals can you expect at a lululemon warehouse sale? Here are the prices:

So...what did I buy? Let me tell you!

The Bitter BracerNormally $68, found one in my size for just $29!

I bought this tank top for my sister. The exact same one is not online, but based on the price of similar tanks, let's say it would be around $68, and it was $34 at the warehouse. I kind of want to go back on Sunday to buy one for myself!

I bought four pairs of the Run: Inspire Crop II capris- one for each sister who requested them, and one for me! They normally cost $86, but they were only $49 at the warehouse!

Two pair of Astro shorts found their way into my bag. Again, this style was discontinued, but based on similar shorts, let's say they would have run around $58. They were only $29 at the warehouse!

The Run Swiftly long-sleeve shirts are still available at the stores. (I think I saw Yolanda on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills wearing one on last week's episode!) They cost $68 at the store, but I snatched a couple for my sisters for only $44!

Don't you worry, Dustin got in on the fun. He and I both got nice running jackets for jut $74, originally somewhere near $140. Quite a steal! And now we can be twinsies!

I also picked him up a pair of men's running shorts for just $29.

Honestly, a few other random items found their way into my bag, but I managed to stay below the 25 item limit. When I looked at the full price online for similar items, I calculated that I saved close to 50%! These were prices that definitely FIT THE BILL!

Was it worth it?
I think so. It felt like Black Friday- getting up early with a friend, waiting in line, and then snatching up some awesome deals! I had a really fun time, and i think I ended up with really great apparel for a fraction of the price.

Tips?
If a lululemon warehouse sale comes to a city near you, I definitely recommend going- and going early!

  • Go with a list of what you want. 
  • Know your sizes (or your friends sizes) you don't have to waste time in the fitting room. 
  • Plan for a whole day so you can take your time perusing all the racks! Tricia and I both had to get to work at 12, so we were in a bit of a hurry. It would have been nice to be able to really browse at a less frantic pace.
  • Bring a friend to keep you company in line.
  • Bring your sense of fun! They were offering automatic entry for people who volunteered for a dance off, or a twerk-off, or a wall sit competition (I tried to volunteer for that one, but didn't get selected...even after all my practice with my month of wall sits!!!)

There you have it- time for you to #March2MN!

Friday, August 16, 2013

Fits Do Product Reviews/Friday's Favorite Fit: Lululemon's Bitty Bracer Bra

By Jess in Minneapolis

Men if you're reading, be forewarned. This post mentions boobs!

I have struggled in the past to find the perfect sports bra- one that I can wear for 20+ mile runs, with no chafing, with no soreness....I usually have really good luck with the Moving Comfort Serena bra, but I was willing to see what else is out there.

This week I splurged on the Lululemon Bitty Bracer. A friend of mine who has larger boobies said it was her ideal sports bra. I trust her opinion. Afterall, she has larger boobies, so she knows her stuff. I decided to give it a go, even though the price is a little hard to swallow ($68).

I picked it up in a C cup without trying it on. I was in a rush; who has time to try stuff on? Why would I bother trying to find the Right Fit?

Well, maybe I should have. When I finally put it on, I couldn't even get it over my boobs! I'm definitely not a D cup, so I was really confused....what's the deal? Is the bitty bracer only for the itty bitty? I sent my friend a frantic text. How the heck do you get this thing on?

Luckily she got back to me quickly (what a pal!), and she explained to me that you really have to work the girlies into this bra. It's not supposed to be easy! In fact, you want to have a very tight fit.

If I had only tried it on at the store, I'm sure this would have been explained to me. Had I not been in such a rush, I also would have seen this clearly on the tag.

Once I figured out how to get the thing on, it actually felt really comfortable, and it only got better. As the material "warmed up" it molded to my body and really became the right fit. 

Also, there are no seams, which makes it chafe-free for the long run. Its actually made out of what lululemon calls "swim" fabric, though I have never had a swimsuit made out of this material.

I tried it out yesterday morning for a 7.5 mile morning run, and the bra was great. (So was the run!) Everything on top was secure and there was very little movement. I am definitely a big fan of the bra.

The only downside (other than the high price) is that it currently only comes in two colors, black and hot pink. Even so, I highly recommend this bra to my runner friends.


Check out this video for more information on how to "fit" your bitty bracer bra:

According to lululemon's site, "this bonded bra was engineered to mould to our unique shapes as it warms up."


  • specially designed for B to C-cup athletes
  • fits tight for maximum support - it will relax and mould to your body as you wear it
  • lightweight Swim fabric is soft against the delicate skin of your bust
  • bonded construction moulds to your body shape as it warms up
  • adjustable hook-and-eye closure puts the fit in your hands
  • racerback straps give you freedom to move
  • support level: high
This Saturday, I will be running the Madison Mini-Marathon! This half marathon is the #14 best half marathon in the nation (according to Runner's World, aka, the runner's bible). I have heard great things about this race, so I hope it lives up to my expectations, and I hope I live up to my own personal expectations for performance! But even if I don't, at least I know that the boobies will stay in place, because you can be sure that I'll be wearing my new Lululemon Bitty Bracer for the 13.1 miles!


Mini Ranked #14 Best Half Marathon by Runners's World

Runner's World Magazine
There are over 1,500 half-marathons in the U.S. and The BMO Harris Bank Madison Mini Presented by Meriter & Physicians Plus hosted in the heart of downtown Madison was recently ranked the number 14th best half-marathon by Runner’s World Magazine.  From a great fitness expo to pace teams, a high-energy course, free beer and much more the Madison Mini delivers on multiple levels!