Fitness - Pocketful of Joules

Trying to Be a Diva

You know how you make plans and pretty much everything stands in the way from them becoming reality? Well, that is what happened over the weekend.

My friend LeeAnne (you can totally follow her for fitness inspiration here) and I had been looking forward to the Diva 5k for months. In fact, we knew it sold out quickly so we registered online and booked our hotel room back in June. We planned to drive to Virginia on Friday, run the race, stay in a hotel overnight and then go wine hopping the next day.

Sounds like a pretty great plan, right?

Well, fast forward to this past week when I got super sick. A cold worked its way into my lungs and I ended up having to get a nebulizer treatment and go on 6 days of steroids. I was feeling a bit better by Friday morning, but still not great.

At the same time as I was dealing with lung issues, LeeAnne realized that she never received a registration confirmation. So, she called to check on it and found out that not only had she NOT registered, but that the race was now full.

We are both optimists though, so we crossed our fingers that they’d have some no-show spaces open up. When we went to the registration expo to pick up my bag/number/tutu/etc, we were told that there were absolutely, positively NO spaces available for LeeAnne.

Which we heard as, “so you’re saying that there is still a chance?”

We went back to our hotel, changed into our running clothes and returned to the race hotel to take some pictures.

We also did another walk-by of the Expo and asked about no-shows, only to be shot down yet again. This was around the same time that I started second-guessing whether it was a good idea for me to run the race. My lungs still were not clear and I didn’t want to be out of commission for the rest of the trip because I pushed myself too hard. Not to mention, it’s no fun running the race without my buddy!

THEN, something miraculous happened… we found a sad discarded tutu hanging out all by its lonesome self on a counter. It had a little rip in it, so we figure someone got a replacement and discarded this one. Score for us though!

I randomly decided to have LeeAnne give a big jump while I took a picture of her and this is the magic that I captured:

Look at her — she’s souring like an eagle. Or a cheerleader. Or some kind of amazing tutu-wearing bird! So then, obviously, I needed a leaping picture…

Huh. That didn’t really turn out like I was hoping…. So, I tried again. And again. And again…

So yeah, I am not graceful or eagle-like, but I was also laughing so hard that I almost peed my tutu. So, I’m going to consider that a win! I also made this ridiculous video that makes me snort-laugh a little, so I hope you enjoy it too!

Long story short, neither of us ended up running the race. We cheered on other runners, ran around in our tutus and had an all-around fabulous time though. In fact, we had such a great time that we decided that we are definitely coming back next year.

And next year we will actually register for the race and run it.

When is the last time something didn’t go according to plan for you, but ended up super awesome anyways?

My 3 Favorite Running “Gadgets”

Let me start this post by saying it is absolutely NOT sponsored and I bought everything with my own money. Now that that’s super clear…

I’ve been casually running on and off for years, but never as much as what I’ve been doing the past few months in preparation for my upcoming Team Relay Marathon. The nice thing about running is that you don’t really need a ton of STUFF to get started, unlike trying a new sport like tennis or kayaking.

However, after doing it for a while you find that some things really make running so much easier.

So, whether you’re thinking about taking your first little trek up the road or if you’re a hardcore 5k kinda gal (or guy) you might be interested in some of my absolute favorite running items.

Look, I even made a snazzy little pinnable image with my own darn legs. So yeah, I’m big time now.

MapMyRun + iTunes Playlist
I am one of those people who absolutely must have some good music blaring in my ears if I’m going to go for a run. For a long time, I would create custom playlists, load them on my iPod and listen while I ran. It took me WAY too long to realize I could do the same thing on my iPhone. Instead of syncing all of my music on my phone and taking up a ton of space, I made a “running mix” and just loaded that playlist onto my phone.

I also downloaded the free MayMyRun app off itunes as a way to keep track of the distance that I was running. I wouldn’t say that this is the best app ever because it does freeze up sometimes and drive me nuts, but most of the time it does exactly what I need it to do. It even pulls in my running mix so that it plays as soon as I start my run. I really like how the app will turn my music down and tell me when I’ve reached each mile, as well as how long it took. The best part… it’s totally free!

Fitletic Mini Sport Belt
About 5 years ago I went to one of those running expos before a race and saw a bunch of cool looking fanny packs on a table. They were super slim fitting, made out of wetsuit fabric so that you can’t sweat through them and even have a little credit card spot. I bought one that day and have worn it on almost every run since then. It’s AWESOME! On normal runs I just zip my phone inside (letting the headphone cords hang out the end) and on race days I can fit my credit card, license, phone, contact case and chapstick. You can find the one I have here for just $18.95. I swear I paid more than that, but it is really worth every single penny!

The Panache Exercise Bra
This exercise bra was a total game-changer for me. After years and years of stacking on two bras to keep everything under control, I finally have one that does the job all by itself! I actually own two identical versions of this bra and have worn them exclusively ever since I wrote this post. True&Co doesn’t seem to stock them anymore, but I found them on Amazon here: Panache Women’s Underwire Sports Bra. I have it in the purple/gray version, but have been eying the magenta version and really love the lime color too but they don’t have it in my size. For larger chested ladies, I highly recommend hooking the little clip at the back of the bra to make it a racer back. It offers the prefect amount of support without making you feel like you might die from compression.

Fellow runners, do you have a “gadget” you can’t live without?

Disclosure: I repeat, this is not a sponsored post. The only reason I’m including this disclosure is that the bra link takes you to Amazon and I am part of the Amazon Associates program, which means if you decide to buy anything after clicking through I get a teensy amount of money. That is NOT why I recommend things though. Just a nice perk. Pocketful of Joules is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

My September Wantable Fitness Edit

I explained a couple months ago that I could really use some new running clothes, since I have been training for my upcoming Team Relay Marathon. I first tried the Wantable Fitness Edit in July (you can check it out here) and ended up falling in love with a pair of capris that have been in heavy rotation since I bought them. Then, in August I got another box and was less impressed… but ended up with a tank top that I’ve worn a couple times (full review here).

Well, I can definitely say that my September Fitness Edit will be my last one. I have a few complaints, but the main one is that their stylists don’t listen at all!

When you give feedback on each item and fill in the “notes” for your stylist to review, you’d think that they would keep that on file… but instead it is very obvious that they don’t. For example, when I first signed up I told them that I hated tops that cling to my tummy. Well, for my August box I got TWO clingy tops. When I gave feedback on my July box, I told them that I really don’t need any more black leggings. I was using the Fitness Edit as a way to find something new and fun. So, what did I get this month? Black leggings.

Enough jibber-jabber from me, just WAIT until you see what I got this month. Honestly, it’s like they read my feedback and decide to totally mess with me…

Item #1: Cory Vines The Path Crop Leggings in Onyx – $49
Hey look, it’s a pair of black leggings that look exactly like every other pair of black leggings in the entire world! They are high-waisted. They are black. There is absolutely nothing exciting or fun about them. With that being said, they are literally the only item from the box that I’ll be keeping because I don’t want to waste my $20 styling fee. Yay, black leggings. I’m wearing them in all the pictures below if you want to have your mind blown with how they look exactly like black leggings.

Item #2: Teel Loose V-Neck Tank in White – $36
Does this look like a ripped up old white tank top to you? Well, you’d be wrong. According to the order details this tank top has “a raw edge detail for a chic updated look.” Let’s take a closer look at how “chic” it is:

Aaahh, I see. By cutting parts out of the bottom and sewing the seams up crooked we are being “chic”… good to know. And here I thought it just looked like some sort of shark bite/zombie struggle for $36. Gotcha. Well, at least it isn’t skin-tight like last month’s tank tops!

Item #3: Cory Vines Neighborhood Breeze Tank in Onyx – $30
When I picked up this black tank top to put it on I literally said out loud, “What in the HOT DAMN am I looking at right now?!” Apparently it is a tank top with an opening on each side.

I’m guessing that if you are super toned and fit with washboard abs that you’d revel in the feeling of the shirt slits blowing open as you run your 4 minute mile. However, I don’t have washboard abs. Or a 4 minute mile. And I don’t really need to show everyone all my goodies, which is why I put it on OVER the white shark bite shirt. There is no disguising it, it’s pretty hideous and kind of reminds me of the crop top from Daily Look that I made fun of last spring. Blegh.

Item #4: Teel Cross Back Long Sleeve Tee in Pink – $49
So we go from trying to show off all my goodies to this. Let me just give you a minute to soak this in – the dropped shoulders, super long sleeves and butt wings. That’s right, my butt has wings. I’m literally staring at the picture trying to figure out what to say about this top and I’m at a loss. Hmm… let me think of something nice to say. Um… It’s not too small. Yup, that’s all I’ve got. Also, can you imagine me trying to run in this?

Item #5: Teel Dyed Long Sleeve Hoodie – $88
So apparently my stylist is a big fan of the brands Teel and Cory Vines, because that was all that was in this box. Oh, and she’s obviously a fan of crappy, terrible looking clothing. This hoodie is ALMOST not ugly. Because that’s what I’m looking for, clothing that is ALMOST not hideous. It’s $88 worth of ugly hoodie. Also, it’s this really heavy, fuzzy fabric that doesn’t breathe at all. So if I tried to run in it I’d probably suffocate and pass out on the side of the road… while looking like some sort of animal already crapped on me. COME ON, admit it. They are messing with me, right?!

So there you go, after three months I’m DONE DONE DONE. This Fitness Edit was just horrible. They disregarded all of my notes and sent me items that you’d find in the clearance section of a discount store. The fact that the merchandise total came to $252 for the box is an absolute joke.

In order not to waste my $20 styling fee, I’ll be buying yet another pair of black leggings. At least it was good for a laugh though!

What do you think was the worst item from the box? Are you totally jealous of my butt wings?