WORKOUT -

Ran outside -

7.5 miles/60 mins

Walked w/ girls -

3.0 miles

Ran outside -

3.5 miles/28 mins

This morning I went on a run and ran some new hills and trails.

Then I met up with this homie and this kid and we walked 3 miles with this party animal.

Everything that is said about Janae is really true – she is one of the sweetest, most uplifting, kind people.  I want to be that kind of encouraging person that breathes life into people instead of bringing them down with negativity.  stuff to work on…

Man, that got deep fast.

I got home and was sorta pumped up and decided to eat a quick snack and then do a few more miles to make 11 for the day even though it was already hot and sunny out.

Rookie maneuver: eating canned fish before running… in the heat.  I burped that crap up the whole run, but dang, it was nice and salty and delicious. both times I ate it.

SUMMER SHRED

Something that I try to do and am proud that I have this platform to do is help friends out: My friend Bobbi is doing the final month-long round of her Summer Shred program.  Check out all the details and testimonials here.

Are you a solo runner or group runner?

I run mostly solo but I do enjoy running (and walking) with friends.

You might have seen on Instagram already…

PRO Compression has a limited edition Independence Day Fourth of July sock that just went on sale today.

Use the code JL4 to get 40% off and free US shipping and if you order before June 21st, they’ll ship before the 24th which means you’ll get them in time for 4th of July races.

{Facebook}

Anyone running an Independence Day race?  Which one and where?

Here’s a whole list of races across the country including the Fleet Feet Firecracker 5 Miler and the AJC Peachtree Road Race.

Did you know that July 4th is the biggest race day of the year according to Active.com?  I def did not know that.  Sadly I won’t be racing since I’ll be up in Alaska, probably on a boat fishing but definitely wearing my PRO socks…

It’s hard being this sexy.

Happy Father’s Day, Dad!

From all your kids,

Last week the husband and I were doing a little shopping at Marshalls because it’s his favorite thing ever (I know, I know) and I picked up these striped railroad conductor Joe’s Jeans shorts for $39.99.

I was looking for a pair of shorts that are a little longer than the standard bikini brief.  Now that I’m the dirty thirty I have to start thinking of things like that.  Next up, a post extolling the virtues of Metamucil.

Afterwards we walked over to Nordstrom Rack to return something and look what I found:

The same shorts for $20 more.  All of the sudden they became that much more awesome.  So I boarded my train, put on my conductor hat and tooted my own horn.

I also bought a pair of dressier shorts for $16.99 from Marshalls; the brand is Dalia Collection. 

If you’re in between sizes, go up a size in shorts.  It’s better to have them be a little loose than super skintight…  not attractive.  I’d know because  I’ve done it before.  No one looks good in a denim triathlon suit.  No one.

Some similar options:

Joe’s Jeans Vintage Reserve Easy Stripe // Volcom Frochickie 2.5” (sale)

Levi Women’s Cutoff (sale) // Dockers Misses Soft Belted (sale)

Jack by BB Dakota Marlin // Hudson Amber Raw Edge Hem (sale)

Happy Friday to y’all!

I gotta do a little travel planning since I just signed up for marathon #50 with PRO Compression.  bananas wearing bandanas excited.

PRO has some sales right now (Sock of the Month is 40% off with code NEON).  But if you’re not into the brights, you can use the code DAD on any sock to get the same discount and get a sweet gift for your old man… Father’s Day is this Sunday!  (the Dad code is only good ‘til Monday, 17th)

I’m back from Atlanta, tired but extremely grateful for the chance to go and learn more about Mizuno as a company. 

Previously I had liked Mizuno just because I loved their shoe –  I could run my booty off in it, not get injured, and it was affordable enough to get a new pair when needed.  simple as that.

But over the past couple days I learned a little more about the brand and what they stand for.

1. They’re embracing who they are

“Mizuno” isn’t just a weird sounding word that looks cool on a shoe.  It’s a fourth generation family name; the company was started over 100 years ago by two brothers in Japan.  It’s a Japanese company and they’re embracing that instead of ignoring their history or pretending to be something else.

2. They’re staying true to who they are – a running company

I repeatedly heard the statement that “We need to be the best version of ourselves, not another brand”.  When talking about products, they continually ask how it helps the runner and how it creates a great run, not how is this keeping up with the competition, what the market’s doing and what’s trending.

For example, I opened my loud mouth and told a bunch of Mizuno people that they should create more lifestyle running clothes for women – the sorta Lululemon look that you can run in and wear around town, stuff that’s cute and yoga-ish looking but functional too.  They were very gracious and appreciated my input while reiterating the foundational idea that they’re about running and performance clothing that enhances a great run, not necessarily running your kids to school.

And while I’d love some drapey, burnt out tees and fabulous lounge pants from Mizuno, I also dig that they’re sticking to their mission and core about who they are.

{Instagram – WR 16s making out}

3. They believe in the transformative power of running and believe it can “Transform the World”

When I first heard their slogan “Transform Your Run, Transform The World” I was like, Stop drinking the Koolaid and calm down a little, you ambitious overachievers; it’s just running. 

And then I started hearing the stories from people who had written to Mizuno and from the many running stores represented at the event… a woman who went through a terrible divorce and found running and a supportive community at her local running store.  In the process she gained back her self-esteem, lost weight, became a runner and made new friends and a new life for herself… stories like the Bret, Unbroken article from Runner’s World – incredible stuff.  By the way, if you haven’t read that story, do it; the first time I read it I got all teary-eyed.

Mizuno truly believes in the ripple effect of a great run that makes your day a little better and you in turn have a positive effect on someone else and so on.

{Instagram: MIZUNORUNNING}

4. They’re all about their product

Ever notice that Mizuno doesn’t have massively huge marketing campaigns?  That they’re not all over the TV with hip commercials?  Mizuno believes that the best advertising is word of mouth and that means having an amazing product that people want to talk about.  So that’s what they invest in: creating the best running shoe that’s going to enhance your run. 

For them, having that Mezamashii (brilliant run) is when the shoe just melts off your foot, where you’re running and not thinking about your shoes: they’re just an afterthought.  That means being the industry leader in lightness – a clunky, heavy shoe is going to be hard to disappear off your foot, no?

On a side note, I can not wait for the new Wave Rider 17 to come out next year – it’s going to be lighter than ever and I will probably die of excitement.

5. They’re fun people who love what they do

Someone told me, If I was here to make money, I’d go work for one of the “big” brands.  Everyone I met was so passionate about not only Mizuno but running in general and the idea of getting more people to experience it.  There were some incredibly fast and talented runners at the event, but PR’s and times weren’t even mentioned (I might have done a little online stalking); it was all about this INclusive community that anyone can be a part of.  I love that.

As women sometimes we struggle with thoughts of “I’m not fast enough, I’m not serious enough, I’m not good enough to….” and unlike some sports, running is a sport that is open to anyone and anyone can become a runner.  That’s sorta awesome.

If you had any advice, opinion, feedback (products you like, want changed, don’t like, would like to see in the future, etc) to give Mizuno, what would it be?

Yesterday afternoon I flew into Atlanta to attend the Mizuno Dendoshi conference at The Lodge and Spa at Calloway Gardens outside of the ATL.

First we took a long shuttle ride to the resort but snacks and beverages were offered so I survived.

There’s a group of 80ish people here but everyone arrived in stages so hotel check-in went quickly and smoothly.  There was more food and beverages available (I’m digging this “Always feed the runner!” thing) and I grabbed a sack lunch before quickly changing for a group run.

We did 3.75 miles/30 minutes around the hotel grounds.  The humidity was a little crushing but it wasn’t super hot out, and this place is gorgeous.  The view from my balcony:

After we finished our run, we met up for dinner and talked a bit about Mizuno’s mission and the “WHY” you run.  We all have different and varied reasons for why we run, but the power of running is that it can transform you: it can transform your mood, your day, your body, your self-confidence, your relationships and so on.

Mizuno’s slogan is “Transform your Run, Transform your World”.  They believe in the transformative power of running and that it can make the world a better place, and they want to create more runners to transform the world.  Lofty but well-placed goals, no?

This morning we did a prediction run: it was a 6k run where the person who closest guessed their finishing time won.  Watches weren’t allowed.

Cut to finish: I suck at prediction runs.

I ran the 3.7 miles in 26:4x (I forget exactly) but guessed right at 30 minutes.  fail.

{Instagram: MizunoRunning}

Afterwards I ran 3.3 more miles to make it 7 sweaty, humid miles.  Now I’m off to learn some more!  I have to say, it’s inspiring and motivating to be around people who are so passionate about running.

Have you ever been to a running conference or event?  A blog conference?  Loved it, liked it, disliked it?

There’s a place near us called Nagoya Sushi that has a pretty decent all-you-can-eat sushi dinner for $23.95.

On Saturday we had worked all day in the yard, painting the garage and doing all sorts of un-fun home ownership things so we decided to refuel with some fish.

Being that cheapo that I am, I decided that if we were gonna do all you can eat, we were going to EAT ALL WE COULD and get our money’s worth.

Side note: if you are trying to lose weight or just avoid diabetes, heart attack, bigger pants weight gain, eating all the food you possibly can is generally not a successful strategy.  Color me surprised.

And this is how it went down:

And there was one more roll that went unnoticed and gobbled up, probably by me.  And then there was a stop at CVS for a little post-dinner candy.

This was me:

The End.

WORKOUT -

Ran on TM -

7.0 miles/60 mins

1.0% incline

Had to sport the new colors of the Wave Rider 16s for an early morning run at the gym…

This morning I’m flying to Atlanta to attend the Mizuno Dendoshi Conference.  I’m bananas excited to work on my tan in Hotlanta learn about the company, what’s in store for the future and hopefully meet some other Wave Rider lovers.

I’ve worn Mizunos ever since I first started getting into running.  Once I realized that to stay injury-free I needed to upgrade from the cheapest possible shoe at ROSS (yep, did that), I was a convert.  Sounds like Jenny and Kerri are too…

{Follow along at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates on the craziness.}

Just some randomness off my phone and the interwebz…

{Last week in Palm Springs we walked to Sherman’s Deli for breakfast before driving home.  Love how close the mountains are.  And pie, yeah, I love pie.}

{The deli case at the… um, deli}

{Met Fashionably Niki for coffee in Long Beach this week – she had on some cute Stella&Dot pieces including a lariat necklace and fun bracelets.  iwant.}

{Doing some poolside reading (from Sheila) and found the perfect race for me (and HRG)…}

{Soda Screamer Thirteener Half Marathon in the Women’s Running mag.  Yes, please, sign me up yesterday.}

{The graffiti’ed ceiling at Swami’s Café in Carlsbad, I think?  Maybe we were in Oceanside, I can’t remember.  we were post-race brunching and all I remember is that I was hungry.}

{This kid still celebrating St. Patty’s Day}

{Took a Piloxing class from Bri earlier this week – one of the best sweaty workouts I’ve had in awhile.  We were planking at the end of class and I was dripping sweat on my mat, like the embarrassing/desperately wishing I had brought a towel/trying to smear it off with my elbows/hoping no one saw-dripping sweat.}

{My husband, along with Ron Burgundy, is really into Scotch lately so I had to take a picture of all the deals at Costco and send it to him. #enabler}

{Walking the dog this morning in the town center, love this view.  I picture myself as an opera singer entertaining the masses singing in rhythm with the water fountains sorta like the Bellagio water fountain display but more awesome.  realistic, what.}

{Just this morning received a little surprise package: new Mizuno Wave Rider 16 colors that are available July 5.  I feel like I say every color combo is my favorite, but black, hot pink and grey is totes my fav. For eva eva.  MFL FTD}

{Just randomly, isn’t Hilary Duff looking post-baby fab these days?!  I couldn’t find any recent articles about her workout routine, but I’ve read that it took her many months to work off the baby weight and that she did it sensibly and realistically, not some dramatic crash diet.  Go girl.}

Hope you have a fantastically awesome weekend!

And even if you don’t, remember that you’re still dang blessed.

CRAPPY READER RACE PICS

Everyone loves these because we’ve all had a bad race picture or two (or million) so thanks to all you ladies who’ve shared and been able to laugh at yourselves.

Andrea:

I was running the NYRR Brooklyn Half Marathon 2 weeks ago and had the absolute worst race of my super long running career of a year. The guy next to me is my dad who was having the time of his life, despite being stuck with his crabby daughter for over 2 hours (I have since apologized to him on the reg for being such a bad running partner).

Feel free to spread it around to anyone you know having a bad day, because seriously who doesn’t want to laugh at a hunchback ogre trying to finish a half marathon?

Kimberly:

So I’ll probably be opening myself up to tons of ridicule but, then again, that’s totally awesome. But anyway, I often see the bad race pics and think to myself, “OK, that’s a goofy photo,” or “She looks like it’s been a rough race” but rarely do I think they are that bad because 9 out of 10 my photos trump them.

My bad photos are beyond my control, for the most part, as it’s all due to extra skin from weight loss — and I’ve come to terms with that. My most recent race, the Wisconsin half marathon, really took the cake for race photos. My skirt was flouncing in a manner all sorts of unflattering and my arms look like leaking balloons. And the face … oh, I was ready to be done.

Sarah:

This gorgeous picture was taken at the finish at the Cheseboro Half Marathon. I made friends with a random runner who paced me to do 7:30 miles for the last 3 miles (normally I can only manage that pace for a 5k…not after running 10 miles).

The photographer beautifully captured the feeling of beating my course time last year by 5 minutes.

Danielle:

This was my FIRST ever marathon in 2011 and I was SO angry at this point because I was 15 minutes behind my goal time, I was tired, delusional and some woman kept sprinting 10 feet ahead of me and walking. I crossed the line (apparently doing an airplane…because that’s efficient) and vowed never to do another marathon…which leads me to crappy race photo 2…:

My second marathon which was the 2012 SF Marathon. I don’t know the guy in front of me in the picture, but I definitely know we were both deep, deep inside the pain cave. At least I came away with a PR and broke 4 hours…I hope that guy did well too.

FUNDRAISING AND EVENTS

HYEDI:

Girls on the Run (GOTR) inspires girls to be joyful, healthy and confident. I’m running the Twin Cities Marathon as a Girls on the Run Sole Mate to raise money to help make a difference in the lives of young girls.

In order to make it a little bit more exciting, I’ve decided to set a pretty ambitious goal for myself. I’m training to complete the marathon in less than 4 hours! This means that if I do it, I’ll be shaving 50 minutes off of my previous marathon time. As they say in Minnesota — OOFDA!

Please feel free to give in any amount you’re comfortable with by visiting my fundraising page.My goal is to raise $1,000 by October 6.

 

*Amanda from TooTallFritz is having a raffle valued at over $750 benefiting RMHC (Ronald McDonald House Charities) and your odds are VERY good so go check it out and enter.

*The Cupcake Girls are having some fun events coming up in Las Vegas including a charity golf tournament and a poker tournament.  Check out their website for more details; I love what they’re about: non-judgmental love and service.