Workout Retail Therapy

"I like my money right where I can see it: hanging in my closet." - Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City

If you have read this blog once, you know by now that I am a fan of shopping. If you've read this blog twice, you know by now that I solve most problems with retail therapy. So here's the sitch:

Problem: My morning runs were getting boring and subsequently shorter.
Solution: New running shoes.

New kicks!  Brooks from the San Diego Running Institute

In my crazy behavioral defense, I really, really needed new running shoes. The Etonics I bought almost 2 years prior had had their day(s) in the sun and needed a proper burial. So I decided to pop over to the San Diego Running Institute and replace my old dogs, since I have had such a wonderful experience with them in the past. I walked in wanting to replace my Etonics with the exact same pair I had before, as they were super comfortable and had treated me right for so long.  However, Heather, my friendly shoe fitter, quickly let me know that Etonics had stop making running shoes.  Shocker. They made wonderfully comfortable and functioning shoes that were not cute. I don't care what they say, pretty will always outperform performance talk. Wish they would have consulted with me first, totally could have given their product management team a tip or two.

In love with my new Brooks: the Ravenna 2

Nonetheless Heather helped me into a wonderful pair of Brooks and my feet and I lived happily ever after, running into the sunset. If you are in need of new running shoes and live in San Diego, I HIGHLY suggest you visit the San Diego Running Institute.  If you do not live in San Diego, I apologize, and anyway here are a few tips for finding shoes and running gear best for you.

Glide is a girl's best friend...

Invest in your Sweat

• Go see an expert.   Preferably a small shop that has a knowledgeable staff INVOLVED in the local running community. They really know what you're dealing with out there on the road.  They also tend to have a better selection of performance shoes.
• Tell them if you have achy feet or any uncomfortable ticks when you run.  For example, I have arthritis, sometimes my feet hurt in the morning and I need comfortable support.  Heather knew this and knocked it out of the park with my shoes.
• Don't buy your shoes at Nordstrom.  We all know I love me some Nordstrom, but most of the "running" shoes I have purchased there have performed terribly despite raving reviews from the sales people.  You may as well run in your Jimmy Choos, because that's about how comfortable you will be.
• Have an open mind and SPEND for performance.   I am not patient, but when it comes to running shoes you have to find the perfect fit, because if you get into any sort of distance running, even 3 miles, bad shoes can be a big problem for your feet.  Think about it, you use your feet everyday!  Treat them right and they will do the same.  Don't cheap it with bad shoes that lead to bad knees later on.
• Like shoes, invest in the clothes you plan on running in.  There is nothing worse in the world than chaffing from bad fabrics when you are 4 miles from home and cranky.  As we know, I heart all things lululemon, and I really love the sports bras from Target.  (Comfortable and they tend to carry neon colors, score!)
• RUN in your shoes.  Run around the parking lot or around the store, do some high knees and see how those bad boys really feel.  If it is a good shop, they will have no problem with this test drive.
• Last but not least, possibly buy some glide.  I used to hate running in shorts because I would always chafe regardless of the brand I was wearing.  Test drove some glide on my 5 mile run this weekend and chafing is officially a thing of the past.  Hello tan legs for summer.

Long story long, it pays to be comfortable and supported in your runs and all workouts.  You will want to do it more often, and your body will really thank you for taking such good care of it.  Cost per wear is a terrible place to waste your money or not spend enough...  xo

Happy running!

Get Over It and Blog It

I am obsessed with health and fitness blogs, but it wasn't until recently that I realized why; I am living vicariously through the bloggers that I follow. They seem to have all the answers, they seem perfect, their lives seem easy, and above all they look healthy. A goal I believe every woman shares and envies of other women who have attained it. This has got me thinking... I can do this, I should do this, and starting now, I am officially doing it.

Julie from Peanut Butter Fingers

It's obvious

The women I follow are healthy, fit, and seemingly happy, if they weren't I probably would not be following them. I am intrigued by what they do, what they eat, how much they eat, how they work out and how their day went because, it's a life we'd all love to share.

It's not that complicated

The truth is my life is not that far off and I could be these women.  But I always look for the shortcut, give myself excuses, and tell myself daily that I am too fat to be healthy. I'd rather eat as little as possible and then bash myself later for not being the healthy weight I "should be". It's easy to do that.  There's no prep work needed, just don't eat that much, and tell yourself how much you suck later when you dip your chip into the cheese sauce.  

The lovelies I follow all work out in different ways, follow different diets and have a different approach to health. But they have one undeniable commonality that I am missing in my life, accountability. Accountability in the forms of daily food, exercise and even mood logs,  for all of the world to see.

It's time to get over it, it's time to blog and log it.

From this point on, I'm done complaining about my body, my big old donk, the fact that I have muscles left from college, and believing that I cannot ever have the body that I want.  I am going to keep a weekly fitness and food log for the world to see... Or at my Mom and Grandma, let's be real here... I'm also taking a stand for my happiness in this process. I'm going to plan a bit more, whine a lot less, and vow not to talk about how much my body sucks to anyone including myself. Here I go...

This Nike Ad makes my heart warm.

Day 1

The morning did not start off with my renewed sense of commitment to my health and more importantly my happiness, so please excuse today's recap:

Grub
Breakfast - Coffee with 1 tablespoon of Coconut Creamer
Lunch - Spinach salad - 2 cups of spinach, 1 roma tomatoe, 1/4 cup of aduki beans, 1 tsp of peanuts, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Snack - Handful of mixed nuts
Dinner - Chips full of cheese sauce, salsa, black beans and a glass of sangria (Post Savasana bliss at Baja Betty's guarantees a Baja Belly)
Dessert - 1/2 cup of Pinkberry (I felt so bloated and annoyed with myself I threw
away half of it.)

Sweat
Ran 2.5 miles
Hot Yoga - 1 hour

Rant
Over feeling bad about my body and making it up with boatloads of cheese dip. Tomorrow really is a new day for me...

a weekend with espnW

Holding the rope in the Navy Seals bootcamp workout!

Last week I was very lucky to attend the espnW retreat in La Jolla, California. To say it was like living a dream would be an understatement. We took yoga, we surfed, we climbed through Torrey Pines, and some even took on a navy seal bootcamp workout. But we weren't there just to sweat and rub elbows with female athlete legends, we were there to begin to create the possibilities within the espnW network.

Julie Foudy and Billie Jean King on a panel on Friday discussing the past and future of women's sports.

Having played softball at UCLA, and then professionally in Italy, the thought of a network created by ESPN with women at its core makes every bit of me smile. This network will be much more than a cheer squad for female sports. Personally, I am not one to feel bitter or even believe that men have an advantage over women, or have greater opportunities, or a greater spotlight in sports. Sure men have the ability to make more money through sports, it's just a fact, but being an athlete has taken me places and taught me things that you cannot price a salary with, and for that I am humbly grateful.

That said, being a former athlete who struggled with what's next when you retire your dreams of being an athlete, a goal you'd hosted since you were 4, I am happy to know ESPN is thinking of women like me and the girls behind us. Even more, I am happy ESPN can leverage who they are to be a catalyst in driving health, wellness and longevity for all women in the future.

Softball player Jessica Mendoza talking shop.

what is espnW and why it matters

ESPN, "the worldwide leader in sports", is creating what seems to be a network for women that will serve as a platform for female sports, health and wellness, and raising the next generation of female athletes. Being at the retreat, I get the sense that espnW is not trying to create the network that will be the end all and answer for women's sports. I get the sense that they're out to make a difference in the lives of both women and men, regardless if they have ever played a sport or consider themselves an athlete.

 

Summer Sanders crawling in the sand during bootcamp. Love her top by the way...

Throughout the weekend we heard from female sports giants like Billie Jean King, Jennie Finch, and Gretchen Bleiler. Their message seemed to be the same; we have to fight for equal rights in sports just as we do in life, we have to fight for our platform, and at the end of the day we as women have to not fight with each other, but work together to ignite change. What I took away was we have to teach the generation behind us to continue to play sports and be active. We have to help them set goals and within that set realistic expectations of what being an athlete is, and what it can help you accomplish and create even outside your sport or physical creed.

Together we're pretty tall and powerful...

I truly believe espnW can be a resource for young girls to teach themselves how to fuel their bodies in sport and all physical activities. I believe and hope it will be a resource for women who've retired from their sports to stay active and healthy throughout their lives. Lastly, I hope it tells the story of women in their sports before, during and after.

Amy Palmiero-Winters tells her inspiring story of balancing a life as amputee ultra-marathon runner, and single mom.

Personally, playing sports has taught me to work with a team, to work with those who are different than yourself, and above all to work to be a part of something that will always be bigger than yourself. The need to compete, win, and to always work towards something that is greater than any of us individually has never left.

Amy rocking the Navy Seal bootcamp workout.

My game has left me in a way, and I've had to search for a way to keep my body healthy. I would have died to have a resource that would help me with that transformation after I retired from my sport. During college, I almost had to leave my sport because of my health or lack there of. I battled with rheumatory arthritis, and it wasn't until I researched my diet and began practicing yoga did I win the bout.

This little lovely sat with me at lunch. Great reminder that yogis are athletes.

If I knew then what I know now, that food is a medicine and a fuel, that yoga has made me a better athlete and that life goes on beyond the white lines of our fields and courts, I would have enjoyed my game even more and I would have been much better at it. For that I am both hopeful and grateful to see what espnW creates. Be the change espnW.

What do you think about ESPN creating a network primarily for women?

Want to join the conversation in creating espnW? Join them on Facebook, or Twitter.
*Special thanks to espnW for allowing me to use their images.