Daily Chatter

Monday, October 31, 2011

More Time. A Good or Bad Thing?

You call yourself an ultra runner?  Get out here and run!

Where were we?  Oh yeah at the end of last week I was telling you all about my goals for the Fire on the Mountain Trail 50k.  I told you how with only 3 weeks between FOTM and the Stone Mill 50 Miler I was torn about pushing for a PR at FOTM.  I guess I don't have to worry about having only 3 weeks between races now...
I have to worry about only having TWO weeks between them!
With the winter weather making a sneak attack on the area, the RD did the responsible thing and postponed the even until this coming Sunday.  Due to the race's location and remoteness the risk of injury was too great and the decision was made early Saturday. 
I won't say I wasn't disappointed because I was and still am
BUT
The risk was not worth it and I am glad no one was injured in an already challenging event.
It didn't snow enough to keep us from celebrating my FIL birthday

In an effort to quickly get my mind around the reality of my new time line I'll list the PROS and CONs while you enjoy a few snap shots of what we did get to do this weekend instead of race.
1/3 of the way done with an imaginary FOTM

PROS:
I will able to try out some sweet new tights that just arrived and they may make the cut for race day.
My very painful tail bone will have another week to heal.
I was able to walk easily this morning.
My husband didn't have to deal with getting to the finish line in time with the kids.
I got to join the family for all our Sunday activities.
No one was injured getting to the event or on the course due to the bad weather.
I had an extra week of lower mileage which is hard for me to do


Oh yeah, No Upper Body Strength Shelly will help you

CONS:
I was mentally ready to run that race.
I needed the "time on my feet" to help prepare for the Stone Mill 50.
Only 2 weeks between ultra races.
The new date will mean the super secret spy won't be able to be home.
I will have to arrange for kid care during the event.
No one will be able to be at the finish line or along the race to cheer.
The trails will be a sloppy mess after all this snow melts during the week of fore casted 50 degree weather.
The 12 - 15 creek crossings will be more like 22 - 25.
I'll probably have to run with my yaktraxs on and then remove them for the logging road sections and then put them back on.  pain in butt
I reduced my mileage last week for nothing (I'm a mileage whore)
But Mom, you wanted to a reason to run

As you can see I'm a bit on the negative side of the delay so help me add to that PROs list and tell me how I will be able to capitalize on the race delay!

Now that's a cool friend

Congratulations to the many racers who were able to get out this weekend a Killed in their races!
Did I miss your race report?  Link me so I make sure I catch it.


Saturday, October 29, 2011

Champion Bio Fleece Review

Just changed in the middle of a field.  Gotta love getting back to nature!

After the Tough Mudder Virginia our team was celebrating our accomplishment.  Covered in sweat, mud and fifthly water we took in the festivities of the "after party."  Quickly however our adrenaline wore off and we were all shivering despite our space blankets. 
One major complaint about the Tough Mudder experience no not the tail bone again would be the drop bag system.  We waited shivering for about 40 minutes and heard we got lucky in only waiting that long.  I couldn't wait to get into some warm and dry!
What I had waiting for me was my Champion Eco Fleece pants and zip up.  I already knew from having worn them around the bon fire in VA on the cooler weekend evenings and snuggling with the kids after my runs that this was my new go-to for cool weather warming!  An easy outfit to throw on this fall after my run or when running into the grocery store.  Or after 9.8 miles of playing in the mud.  Knowing they wash up great time and time again without looking fading or pilling.
S'ghetti girl even swiped the sweatshirt for herself after I explained that even though Eco Fleece was made from recycled plastic water bottles, the materials is super soft! 

My only complaint as a 5'2" person, would be as with many full length bottoms the pants are very long.  I wish there were options to shorter people.  After a date with my scissors and sewing machine these pants will be getting a lot of use throughout the fall and winter in my home.  
Feeling that chill in the air?  Hop over to Champion to try out Eco Fleece for yourself and help keep 5 million plastic bottles out of the landfills!


I was provided with these items free of charge however my opinions are my own.  But you're gonna think they are super soft too!

Friday, October 28, 2011

Fire on the Mountain Trail 50k ~ Goals

Hoping the water on the FOTM course is not quite this high!

With the Tough Mudder Virginia still ever present in my mind and on my backside it's been a challenge to get my mind around the fact that my 32 mile "training run" this Sunday is the Fire on the Mountain Trail 50k
You can read about last year's race HERE
But I know that even though this is a run to prepare me for the Stone Mill 50 Miler on November 19th, it is still a race that I would love to improve my performance at so keeping both those things in mind I give you my FOTM Goals for 2011.

 My I FINISHED goal:
To arrive on time. To start. To finish.

The race has a 9 hour cut off.  I was fortunate enough to get to do two 16 mile runs on the course.  Unfortunately I did the same 16 mile leg twice, the end.  Leaving the most technical and dangerous section "unpracticed" since last year.  I hope to run a smart race in that I want to run the last 16 faster than I run the first 16 given my practice that could happen.
My I CAN goal:
Finish within 32 minutes of previous course time.  Last year I ran this race in 6:32 minutes. 
I won the female master's division. 


I say 32 minutes because that is the distance of this course in minutes. I figure I can finish within 32 minutes either side of my previous time. Barring not falling on my very painful tail bone or having it cause me problems during the run.

My I LOVE IT goal:
A new distance PR.

Since trail ultras are not exact distances. RDs like to say their course is at least 50k, a new PR would be more about average pace than finishing time but with a 50k PR (time) of 6:06 I'd love to crush that on Sunday.  And retaining my master's title would ice the cake.
My I DREAM IT goal: Under 6 hours.
I know anything is possible.  Even with 539 days of running.  Even with a broken tail bone.  Even if this isn't the A race.  Even if I don't have the best day of running.  I still could achieve this goal.  I still could amaze myself at what God can do with the body and mind He has given me.  I pray Sunday is one of those days when I am yet again the vessel through which He does something amazing!

The only other I could pray for is to have that thought that has been with me so much lately stay with me as I run across that finish line and throw my log onto the bonfire!

I pray this year that I see those flames and think;
What else does He have in store for me?

Need a prayer for your weekend race or long run?  Maybe you just need a little prayer lift?
I'll be praying through my run and would love to add you to my prayer band.
Just let me know!

The Run.org


The Run.org

As I sat on only one butt check trying to drive my manual transmission car yesterday morning due to my extremely sensitive tail bone, I was so excited when I passed this bus.  So excited that after dropping LBM at the preschool/sitter I went back to see if I could catch a quick chat with them. 
Don't know what The Run.org is?

We’re leading the movement to transform the nation’s health through healthy lifestyle and natural medicine.

The Run: Moving Natural Medicine Forward, was founded to dramatize and publicize the urgent need for all Americans to take massive action and transform our nation’s health and spark a movement on Main Street America. Dr. Dennis Godby, nephew Jonas Ely, and two sons, Isaiah and Jeremiah, are taking the drastic steps, of each running an average of 30 miles per day- (currently the team has run over 8,000 miles) – to bring attention to, and raise awareness how lifestyle choices and natural medicine is “the cure” to optimizing health for which we have been waiting!
The US Healthcare costs for 2011 will be 2.8 trillion dollars! Yet, the nation’s health has never been worse. The steadily declining health of the American people is a national emergency and an unfolding human and financial disaster:


“Because of the increasing rates of obesity, unhealthy eating habits and physical inactivity, we may see the first generation of children that will have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.” – Surgeon General Richard Carmona, 2004


One in three American children born in 2000 will develop diabetes if they adopt the nation’s inactive and overeating lifestyle. For Hispanic children, the odds are even worse: 1 in 2 children will develop diabetes if we do not change our current system of living (K.M. Venkat Narayan, MD, from the CDC in Atlanta).


What is especially tragic in the nation’s declining health is that it is mostly our own chosen lifestyles that are killing us – not bad luck or poor genes!


The Run began in San Francisco on July 17, 2011, and will end in New York, NY, on 11-11-11, Veteran’s Day, with a symbolic leg to Bridgeport, CT on November 16, 2011. The ability of The Run to help transform America’s health depends on how we are able to get the word out to everyone we know. YOU can play a big part in the transformation of the nation’s health! Your donation will make a difference in helping us to publicize how we can make significant changes in America’s health, and maybe even yours!

I like a health care plan/system that makes people accountable for their own health first.  By living in a healthy way; eating less, moving more, eating in season and local, using moderation, I believe we can achieve better health for the majority of people.  I know all too well that sometimes a person can be living a healthy lifestyle and still become seriously ill.  But I agree that there are more options for maintaining good health and treatment for illness than most people know about. 
So hop over the The Run.org maybe while you are recovering from your weekend race or long run. 



 I love the saying on the back of their bus, "CAUTION:  Runners in road next 3,250 miles."

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Tough Mudder VA - A Real Pain in the...

Tough Mudder Virginia
October 23, 2011



Let's start with the disclaimer that I will probably have the sequence of obstacles off a bit for multiple reasons.  But if you were out there on Saturday or Sunday and want to point out that the order of things was different feel free to waste your time because I won't care.  In a different kind of way this was THE hardest event I have ever completed and I've done a 50 mile trail race!  So my memory is a bit fuzzy AND the Tough Mudder website does not have a correct listing of the actual obstacles to help my memory. 
And if you didn't do it, just congratulate me for surviving.




Since the Super Secret Spy and I didn't register until late in the game, our start time wasn't until noon on Sunday.  Little did we know this would turn out to be in our favor.  The setting was the beautiful Wintergreen ResortIt was the perfect setting to have your a** handed to you for a challenging event.  The ski slopes and nature terrain added my favorite element! 


We left the house early after being told to expect to arrive 2.5 hours early.  We only drove for about 50 minutes before we arrived.  That was about 40 minutes faster than we thought the drive would take us.  Since I was worried about getting there, I talked the super secret spy into waiting for breakfast.  "We could find something there or along the way," was my brilliant direction.  However, the resort was of course in the middle of nowhereville so the only food option was Tex-Mex...for breakfast?  We decided to get something on site.  It was a huge event there would be food, right?


Luckily for me there was a food vendor selling the smallest ever breakfast sandwiches and drinks.  The super secret spy didn't think his banana from home was enough so he had several sandwiches and coffee.  One was enough for me.  I just wanted to get started but we had over an hour to wait.  And our teammates hadn't even arrived yet.



I wish I had photos from the face marking and packet pickup but I don't.  Somehow I forgot all about wanting to take photos until we were already through bag check.  I will have more photos of our team once I can get the super secret spy to stop saving the world long enough to send them to me. 

What follows are most of the obstacles with the Tough Mudder websites caption and how our team handled each one. 
Block me in for the next 20 minutes, grab a cup of coffee because you are going to be here a while.
Thanks in advance for reading all this.

After the reminder of our Bio Hazard team S&M finally got there with about 20 minutes to spare, we quickly checked their bags and ran a potty stop.  This only lead to losing the super secret spy and missing our official Tough Mudder Team start photo but with the national anthem playing we finally found him and our team joined in the pep rally and we were off!
1. Braveheart Charge – Charge into battle with 5000 other mudders. Battle cries essential.
We ran through water spraying everything and everyone as we rounded the turn to see our first of many giant ski slope.  The ultra runner in me was in heaven.  We wanted to complete the event together and I tried to stay with our team during the hills which were more challenging for some than the actual obstacles.


 Berlin Walls #1 – Show team spirit and camaraderie as you work with other Tough Mudders to scale our series of 12-foot high walls, tough enough when dry, but really fun when wet.

We approached the first set of walls after the hill climb and didn't have to wait to get over them.  The guys worked great at assisting S and myself over the walls.  First challenge down and we are all still super excited.

The Gauntlet – Prepare to feel like you’re at a South American political demonstration as you get high pressure hosed from both sides as you run through Wintergreen’s halfpipe

The next obstacle was rolls of large round hay bales that we had to climb over while getting hosed down by the wonderful Tough Mudder workers.  I wonder what question on the Tough Mudder employment application indicates who would best fill a position like that?
Our team made short work of this obstacle.  We were starting to get dirty and the real fun was just beginning.


 Devil’s Beard – Try as you might, you will get caught like a fly in a spider’s web time and time again in our annoyingly low cargo nets.
This obstacle sat at the top of a very very long and steep climb.  S was really having trouble with the inclines and fell behind.  M went back and stayed with her while the super secret spy and I charged on.  I reached the top first and cheered for my teammates while helping to hold up the cargo for other Mudders.  Yes, sitting in the mud with a skirt on was fabulous.  Sparkle Skirt sooo should have sent me a skirt to wear.  I could have demonstrated the wear ability! 


Down hills like this were repeated many times over and went on and on.  I think it was great training for the Fire on the mountain Trail 50k this Sunday!  Everyone else on the team didn't seem to enjoy it as much as Super Strong Legs Shelly did.

Hold Your Wood – Make like a lumberjack and drag a log up a ski slope and then try to keep your footing on the way back down. 

Our team regrouped at the next challenge but decided not to carry a group log.  S was still winded from the down hill and needed to recover so we each grabbed a log and headed off.  The super secret spy and I waited at the turn around and after a minute S was ready to head back in.  Unfortunately I got caught up in the fun and ran to the end of the challenge after a, "Let's go!" declaration.  It seems that not everyone was ready to jog holding an awkward piece of tree as I was.


 Funky Monkey – Monkey Bars were easy when you were five, but you’ll need to hold on extra tight to these. Some of them have been greased with butter and you’ll get a shock when you fall into an ice cold lake.

The next obstacle was one of the ones I was dreading. 
Welcome, No Upper Body Strength Shelly.
"NUBSS" attempted this challenge but did not make it across without swimming.  The super secret spy and M breezed through it and S made it almost the entire way before swimming too.


 Twinkle Toes – Make your way across a log bridge without falling into a freezing cold lake

The Log Bog Jog – Because running through a swamp isn’t tough enough, you’ll have to hop over or under a series of fallen trees

After fighting our way through a forest trail blocked by fallen logs we ended up at the next obstacle.  All our team members made it across without swimming.  There were hugs and high fives for everyone! 



Chernobyl Jacuzzi – Jump in and out of an icy mixture of assorted carcinogens. The additional limbs you’ll grow will surely help you on later obstacles.
Next up you had your pick, ice filled water that was blue or ice filled water that was muddy and littered.  There seemed to be less ice in the muddy water so S and I jumped in.  We were wrong.  Instantly the muscles froze and locked up.  The guys both chose the other tub and amazingly scampered through and out.  S and I needed to be pulled out.  Hello, NUBSS.  I simply could not get my arms to extend long enough to grab the top of the tank.

Spider’s Web – Fight your way up over not one but two cargo nets. The view from the top is nice, but we think it’s best you get down the other side as soon as humanly possible.
We were quickly at the next obstacle which was great because we were freezing making this a bigger challenge than it might seem.  The ladies went over and then I held the bottom of the net - yeah, in the mud with my skirt again! - while the guys climbed over.  We took turned holding the net for several other teams to quickly cross.  Teamwork.  That's what Tough Mudder is ALL about.

 

 Cliff Hanger – Grab onto anything you can as you scramble up and over the hills of this muddy mountain track

Not sure what this obstacle was.  Simply the course it's self maybe.  I'll talk on our team's abilities to do that more later.  We are just getting to the fun.  and by fun I mean a whole lot O'hurting!



Greased Lightening – Have some fun sliding down on your ass, real Tough Mudders go head first back into the pond.
As we approached this slip and slide obstacle I though, LAME.  Okay there is another muddy pond of water to get soaked in and keep those muscles cramped up but really? 
Then I was on it and picking up speed... sitting on my a** because that is where I fell when I stepped onto the slide.  Real Tough Mudders go head first.  So glad I didn't do that.  Because Tough Mudder got confused and thought Tough was a synonym for Dangerous.  In case you are wondering, it's NOT. 
There were rocks under the slip and slide trap.  I could hear other people yelling as they hit them.  Not knowing what was going on and having the super secret spy slide down without incident, I continued to curse along just slightly behind and to the left of S.  Then there was a big puddle of water in my path and the depression from the water pulled me into it.
OUCH! 
I am proud to say I didn't cuss or cry.  But I wanted to do both.  I nearly vomited.  That is how much it hurt.  My tailbone, hidden rock and speed collided.
Suck it up Shelly!...and I did.


Boa Constrictor – Crawl through a series of pipes that may also force you into freezing, muddy water.

With my tailbone screaming at me I found myself in front of my next dreaded obstacle. 
An enclosed space.  With Water!
Okay, enough drama.  I did it and it wasn't as hard to set that fear aside as I though it would be.  Maybe my rear hurting distracted me but we all wiggled our way through easily.

Underwater Tunnels – Bob underneath the obstacles on the surface of the water as your head shrinks to the size of a walnut.


Sorry no photo of this one but you get the idea.  Trees across water with barbed wire over top so you had to stay submerged in the freezing cold water.  We all did it and kept moving.




Death March – Feel the burn early on as you charge straight up this red graded ski run to the top of the mountain.
Super Strong Legs Shelly LOVED this one.  Seriously this climb just went on and on.  I should be embarrassed for leaving my team in the dust but I was using this as training for the FOTM and secretly having a blast crushing this hill!  I got to the top and cheered for everyone while I waited.  Bio Hazard killed the hill but they wanted to take 5 at the water/banana stop at the top of the hill after this....



Kiss of Mud – Eat dirt as you crawl on your belly under wire set only 8 inches from the ground.

Did you know that there are rocks in the ground?  Yeah there are.  And every single one of them was in the lane I crawled through.  Team Bio Hazard got a few scraped knees on this one but no one got cut on the wire so we made it fairly intact.  And they all happily rested at the water station.
After a little rest, I convinced everyone to get moving again.  I think we were all getting really cold even with the space blankets that some people were using thanks to the water station.  We ran/walked through a beautiful area and then a gold course.  I couldn't believe they were allowing us to trample the greens!  I got ahead again with all the trail running opportunities and enjoyed the gold course terrain. 


Log Jammin’ – Don’t bang your head as you navigate over and under a series of logs.
I waited for everyone to arrive at the obstacle and then Team Bio Hazard completed it together.  Sorry no photo of this one but you get the idea. Trees across one another stacked 6 feet high with barbed wire over top so you had to go under some and over other. We all did it and kept moving.



I'm missing or Tough Mudder is missing an obstacle.  Piles of round hay bales to climb over.  Seeing how there weren't filled with needles, heehee it was one of the easier "challenges" as many commented however when you are tired and freezing cold anything in your way can be a challenge. 

This photo is not from my actual event.  And I don't just say this because I was terrified of going over those walls....yeah two of them, but our walls were taller!  They were 12 feet tall.  This is a photo of the first set of walls. 
Berlin Walls #2 – Yet another set of brutal walls. Don’t slip off the top!
We all had to wait to get onto this obstacle.  It was on of the few times we had much of a wait.  As we got closer I got more nervous but the super secret spy and a fellow mudder simply shoulder pressed me to the top and I flipped over.  Little did I know the difference between my 5'2" body extended and a 12' wall was great than I thought because I ended up on my butt again.  OUCH!  Still no cussing or crying.  I helped S drop down after the guys pressed her over.  The guys helped a few others and then got a boost themselves and we repeated the process for the next wall.  Minus me falling on my butt.



Mystery Obstacle – Obstacle Design Race Day Surprise. Expect Something Truly Bad Ass.

If you are still reading you have learn a little bit about me.  I do things I don't want to do when the super secret spy is around.  I get off on climbing love to climb really steep and long hills.  I feel like a kid when I'm covered with mud.  I may not be the best team player.  I tend to charge ahead.  I am afraid of enclosed spaces.  I can suck up pain like no body's business.  I can go all morning without eating much.  I don't like to stop.  I have no upper body strong.  I have multiple personalities. 
It's that first one that got me to do this challenge.
A lady with a bull horn was screaming at us to climb the obstacle, sit on the edge and go feet first.  S and I climb up and take openings beside each other.  Okay I can follow instruction.  I climb.  I sit.  I put my feet into the smoke void.  There is a short wall in front of me and I don't understand that I need to press my back against the back wall and then drop down.  I think there will be water so I push off.
OUCH!
No cussing.  No tears that anyone saw. 
I smack my tailbones and it hurts so sharply that I spring backwards and smack my head off the ground.
STARS!I squat down for a minute while a Tough Mudder Medical dude checks my pupils.  I stand.  I wobble.  I squat back down for a minute.  Medical Tough Mudder clears me to continue if I think I'm okay.
I'm okay.
Suck It Up Shelly is here so we charge ahead. 
Almost done.


Kinky Tunnels – Kinky refers to the bends in the tunnels, not what takes place while inside...we think.
After the abuse I just took I know that I can force myself into another
enclosed space!
This one is dark AND I can't see the end.  Team Bio Hazard charges in and I follow.
Praying a little bit that no one stopped moving.
We all make it through without anyone (me) freaking out.

Shake n’ Bake – After being hosed down by the fire department, crawl through sand. If you have ever wanted to feel like breaded chicken (or sushi crunch), you’re welcome.
Another climb and we get to coat ourselves in sand (it's sparkles!  not kidding) as we low crawl under wire.

Turd’s Nest – Try not to fall as you make your way across this fragile net.

Another Tough Mudder employee must have checked the right box on his resume because he got to hose us down while we tried to cross another cargo net.  Team Bio Hazard jumps onto the net and rolls through the spray.  Now slightly cleaner.


Everest – You’ll need help from your fellow mudders to reach the top of this slippery giant quarter pipe.

We trek down another hill thinking we are almost done.  Then we see this.  What has to be the hardest challenge.  M and super secret spy run, jump, grab and are pulled over the wall.  S and I attempt and attempt this.  But after grated knees from all the sand on the bottom of the pipe and sliding on the grease, we can't grab anyone.  I wish that I had thought about other ways to get over this challenge because we didn't exhaust all our options. 
For me this was a FAIL.


Fire Walker – Plain and simple run through our blazing kerosene soaked straw. Expect flames at least 4 feet high.
Finally for the photo op challenge.  I was so excited for a leaping flame photo.  There was no line of fire for me to jump over.  There was fire all around me and smoke thick enough to kill me but Team Bio Hazard didn't get it's leaping flame photo.  We were excited that only one challenge stood between us and the beer finish line. 
Another thing about me, I don't drink so the beer is really a joke for Team Bio Hazard.
But they all enjoyed the beer.  I just did all this for the cool headband.


Electroshock Therapy – Release your inner demons as you sprint through a field of live wires, some of which carry a 10,000 volt shock.
We went into this challenge single file.  S and I got zapped a couple times.  Only one was hard.  The guys didn't admit to any discomfort.  They are far too tough to feel a measly shock.
We grabbed hands and ran through to finish. 

There were so many interesting costumes and people to see.  The entire experience was amazing.  I'll save my criticisms for a later post.  And there are a few.  But I asked to be challenged when I signed up and Tough Mudder delivered.
I couldn't have asked for a better team and nicer fellow Mudders to complete this event with.
Thanks to all other Mudders who push my butt through this challenge.

9.8 miles.  25 obstales.  A great afternoon.
We are Tough Mudders!

No post is complete without a classic over head shot.

Happily back at the truck and ready to change clothes no matter who sees.



Thanks to Champion for the EcoFleece that comforted me after a great adventure.
Watch for my review coming soon.


*photo credits UsuallyStephanie and Tough Mudder

Friday, October 21, 2011

A Copper Lining

How many photos does it take to get to the bottom of my outfit?  Too many.

After several wonderful days of outside runs I was forced inside thanks to the plummeting temperatures and heavy rain.  It was honestly a nice break from pushing the jogger and negotiating with LBM about how much faster I should be able to run so it can be his turn to run.  I also got the opportunity to wear my Tommie Copper calf sleeves for the longest run yet, 12 miles.

I have been lucky enough to have several piece of Compression wear from Tommie Copper to review over the past few weeks.  I have been wearing the compression shirt under my tops at work.  Before I switched shoes and my heel/ankle started aching I had been wearing my ankle sleeves in the evenings and through the night.  I even wore my knee and calf sleeves at the same time during and after several runs to test how they compared to my typical brand of compression wear.

I wish Tommie Copper came in styles like S'ghetti Girl's socks.
I was feeling a little T while rocking calf sleeves AND a skirt!

Calf and Knee Sleeves:  After having the opportunity to wear the calf and knee sleeves in both recovery and running situations in my experience I felt a boost of energy from the compression while running and I enjoyed the compression of my tired muscles post workout.  The level of compression is not like what I am used to wearing and at first I felt both sleeves were not tight enough however after having them on for a while the compression seemed more noticeable.  I give both these items a thumbs up.  They will be a part of my regular running/recovery wear.
Ankle Sleeve:  I loved this.  Maybe because I used it and my ankle/heel stopped talking.  Positive results often favor a positive review.  Whether it was the copper, the compression or a coincidence I know that before I started wearing the ankle sleeves my mornings were filled with tender slow steps due to my sore ankle/heel.  But after using the sleeves two nights, bye bye sore ankle/heel.  I give the ankle sleeve huge thumbs up and a permanent place in my daily routine.
Compression Shirt:  Just as a positive result garners a positive review, a non-result garners a blah reveiw.  This piece may just have been a bad fit for my body.  Even with my unwelcomed extra pounds the medium that I received just wasn't snug.  It did however want to curl up at the bottom which caused me to be continually pulling it down.  So an item I wanted to wear and be invisible to others kept drawing attention to it's self.  I did not wear this to run as I mentioned the rolling up issue.  Whether there was any benefit to wearing the shirt I have yet to realize one but I do think with my positive result with the other items had this one fit properly I may have noticed more of an effect.  I give this item a question mark.  You'll have to decide for yourself on this one.  This item will probably not make the cut for my regular wear.  Although I will probably give it another try when I work through Insanity again.  Everything deserves a second chance, right?
Over all, I loved the products that fit my body and feel that they helped support me in my active lifestyle.

What piece of Tommie Copper compression would you like to try out?

Do you think rainy days have copper silver linings or do they just ruin your plans?

Thursday, October 20, 2011

3 Things Thursday ~ Good, Better, Best Edition

Could they be as Good as...?
Lil Runner is hosting a Aspaeris Pivot Shorts Giveaway.  Now I know faithful readers will remember I am already married to CEP Compression but our relationship is a progressive one.  I am free to see what else is out there.  I'd love to win these just to be able to compare.  Don't worry CEP you know no one will ever be as good as you!

Which one do you like Better?




Our Tough Mudder team name is BioHazard
Does that mean we are all crazy sick for doing this?
These are some of the ideas for logos on our shirts that I just found out I have to make.  Boy I would have loved to have known that a little sooner.  So help me out. 
Which one do you like better?  Any other "costume" ideas?


Looking for the Best?
With marathon season in full swing I thought you might be interested in a site to help you fill those race calendars.  Find the Best is a great resource for comparing marathons side-by-side.  Gone are the days when you could wait to register for marathons.  Now we need to have race calendars planned often a year in advance and be clicking Register when the marathon opens to simply get in.  Check out this link Find the Best to help you make those marathon choices.  Happy Racing!