Feeling Great (and a review)

Just after midnight, I finished my first workout in almost 3 weeks and I feel GREAT. I did not expect it to go this well considering the illness and then long break. Man is it encouraging to have a night like tonight. We were walking home from some friends' house and noticed that it was the coolest(87 degrees at midnight) evening we've had in a while and since I have been needing to start up my training again, I figured it was the perfect time.

I had worn my new running skirt(what my review is of) to dinner to show Maggie so all I had to do was throw on my new vibrams(I'll review these later) and head out the door. I was very nervous because it has been a while and I wasn't sure how I was going to do. I am starting a new plan but it starts out the same as my old with 1/1 intervals during my first few workouts. About 3 intervals in, I was shocked at how short a minute felt. I felt great after ever run interval and it was much easier than I expected. Of course my lungs protested some but my body felt good. I didn't start feeling tired until my 8th or 9th interval. When I finished up I checked my phone to submit my workout and saw that my average pace was 14:43. That is including my walking. I have never seen it less than 16:00 when I include the walking intervals. I was SHOCKED. I got home and checked my pace graph and all 3 of my first intervals were under a 10 minute mile. I really couldn't believe it. I know that as I add more time and distance my pace will slow back down but knowing that I am capable of a faster pace even this early in the game is very encouraging. My biggest problem right now is still the heat. It is KILLING me. Hopefully I can start forcing myself to get up and run in the early mornings since I know it will feel much better.

Now for the review. At the end of my workout I realized I had not noticed my skirt the entire run. That is a GREAT thing. That means it was comfortable and didn't ride up my legs. I told you a while back that I really liked the Old navy skirt that I picked up but hated the shorts underneath because they wouldn't stay down. I've had so many problems finding a skirt that works for me until now. I had read many reviews and such about SparkleSkirts and I looked at the skirts online but I was afraid to order one because of not knowing how it would fit. I was encouraged that they actually carry plus size skirts but still really wanted to try one on before buying. I had decided that I would just wait until the Princess next year since I knew they were at the expo this year. I signed up for their email newsletter anyway and boy am I glad I did.

In June, I received a newsletter talking about a new limited edition skirt they were making for the 4th. It is red, white and blue and I loved it. I like their actual sparkly skirts but for every day training, I really wanted something "calmer." Well, the Kaboom skirt has a fun pattern and lots of color but isn't sequined so it is a little more understated. I read on to find out that they were going to have them on hand at the Peachtree Road Race Expo the weekend before the 4th. this just happened to be during the time we would be in Georgia visiting family. We decided to plan a day in Atl so that I could go to the expo and we could go to a Braves game. We finally found their booth at the expo and I met Leah, the owner of SparkleSkirts. She was very sweet and very helpful and loved my shirt.(it has the 13.1 picture from the side on it) They had the skirt I wanted in the size I needed and I was able to try it on. It fit GREAT.

It has an awesome pocket on the waistband with a zipper that is plenty big enough for my phone. I have a Droid X so it is a very large phone and there is still room to spare. I had my phone in there on my run tonight and I almost forgot it was there. It was so comfy and fit great up against my body, no bouncing at all. The tech shorts underneath are AMAZING. They have bands around the bottom of each leg that help hold them in place. Each leg also has a large pocket on the side that would be great for gels or chews or anything you needed to carry during your run. I also like the fact the the shorts and skirt are longer than most.  The skirt is made much fuller than most running skirts so it hides all of the trouble areas that some running skirts seem to highlight. It was light and comfy and a great investment. When I first saw how much the skirts were, I was a little apprehensive though they are about average for a running skirt, around $62, or you can buy them without the shorts underneath and wear your own for around $30. I was seriously considering the just skirt because I am cheap and hate to spend money but I am so glad I opted for the SparkleTech because it really is a great skirt.

Here is a pic from the newsletter to show you the skirt and the pockets on the legs.

I LOVE the peacock pattern in the SparkleTech. I saw the black and white version at the expo and really liked it but I did not see the color version until just now on-line. I think it is super cute. I will definitely be purchasing more in the future as my size goes down and I have to replace the one I have now. Leah told me about an awesome fabric she found that she wants to make skirts for the Tink with and I hope she does. I will definitely have to have one for that race.

A Little Review

So I've been thinking about reviewing some of the products I have tried while on this journey and what better way to start than with an actually sample share I participated in for Old Navy.

I am a member of a great web community called Crowdtap that gets input from everyday people for big companies. You can earn credit while giving feedback that you can use for gift cards or give to charity. I was selected for the Old Navy Sample and Share - Take Your Workouts to the Next Level in Old Navy Active Wear Pants! Through this offer, I was able to get a coupon for myself and 3 friends to try their new active wear pants. I figure since this blog is dedicated to my fitness journey, I could throw a review of these items in for anyone out there looking for workout close.

First off, I was a little mislead and unhappy with part of the sample share. I thought all of their active wear bottoms were going to be included which meant shorts and pants because who runs in pants in the summer. Right? Wrong, it just included their full length pants and capris. This was a big bummer for me because I always only workout in shorts and I really wanted to try their new compression skirt(which I did, more on that later). It has already been 100 degrees here in Tx a few times so I really don't want to wear pants to work out. I finally found a pair of pants that I liked (the capris were all way to long for my taste) and picked them up.



I tried the Walking Pants in Carbon. They are very comfortable but as a lounge pant or maybe on a nice stroll, not for working out. They are way too thick and very hot. I took a walk(at night) in them with Mac and it is already too hot here to wear them outside much. They are comfy but not really what I consider "active wear" in any form.






My friend Jen H tried the Straight Fit Fold Over Yoga Pants and this is what she had to say:

The old navy active wear pants are great! I love the quality of the material and they have a good stretch to them. I would have expected the price to be more based off of how nice the material seems. Usually cheaper priced pants have a cheaper material, but not these ones! One thing about them that I was not loving is that I think the material, while good quality, is too thick. They would be a great winter pant to wear but because they are so thick I couldn't see wearing them all year long or even during a strenuous work out. I also appreciated that the tag was printed on the pant instead of an actual tag of some sort. It seems like something little, but I hate tags while I am wearing active pants! Overall for the price of the pants and the quality I would definitely buy them.



My friend Jennifer D tried the Split Leg compression capris and she said:

I thought they were comfy but the fabric did not "breathe" well. They also felt like they kept "riding up" on my legs. The material that they are made out of show any little stain. If you just graze your knee against something then you'll have a spot there all day. I even tried washing the spot with a rag, soap and water...the mark was still there. Other than that, they were super comfy! Overall, I liked them but I think I would wait until Winter to do any exercising in them.

This is what my friend Maggie had to say about hers.

The pants I got are the compression capri style. They are extremely comfortable. I wear capris on a daily basis while working out, but this is the first time I have tried a more fitted capri at the knee. I may try more after wearing these. I would say they are just as good as the Nike DryMax ones I own. I really liked the breathable material at the back of the knees. I was not as sweaty there after working out. I wore them for jogging and step aerobics. I think I may have preferred them for the step aerobics because they allowed me to move a little freer to do the kicking motions. I must say I am still going to hold back on saying they are great because my issue with Old Navy clothes comes with the 2nd or 3rd wash. They seams tend to come undone. So Far so good.



I ended up buying the Compression Skort. I can't include a link because they don't have them online. I really, really love it. It has a few minor hiccups but overall I love it especially for the price. I had been wanting to try a running skirt for a while but they are so expensive, especially for someone my size. I actually purchased a $50 skirt and returned it because I hated it and it wasn't worth the money. The Old Navy one is only $20 and I LOVE it. It has a high waist with almost a mock waist with a drawstring. In the back of the waist band(very wide and comfy) there is a small id pocket for you ID and car keys or a small MP3 player. I wish it was a little longer so my phone would fit but I like it still. It sits right on the small of your back so it isn't bouncing around on your butt and I forget that it is even there. It is very light weight and a great moisture wicking fabric. The compression shorts underneath however are not as great. They are not very tight and they do not stay down. However, this is not a big enough issue for me to turn my back on this product. I simply wear my regular compression shorts underneath just like I would for any other running shorts. I highly recommend trying the Old Navy skort if you are in the market for one but don't want to pay $40-$60 for it.

I'm actually planning on getting another skirt this weekend. I really do love it.

Well there are our reviews. As you can see the pants may not be the greatest for vigorous workouts but I don't know many people that wear pants when they are really working out hard. I really wish their shorts had been included because I really love them. They are made out of the same material as the skirt and they are really cute and comfy. They even have some new super lightweight running shorts but they are a little tight for my taste. Maybe once I lose another 20 lbs I'll pick some up.

If you are interested in joining Crowdtap, just click the link and sign up. They really have some great opportunities and it doesn't take much time at all.

Tools of the Trade

So i am learning what it is going to take to really do this. In case anyone out there(if there is anyone out there reading) needs a few ideas, I thought I would make a list of what is helping me so far.
First we have Weight Watchers. I have done the program before several years ago. I had some success with the old program but I have never actually done it by going to meetings. I started it online a while back but I didn't really stick to it as much as I should. I am hoping that the weekly weigh-in at the meetings will hold me accountable and help me do better. I really like the new program. It handles food very differently than it has in the past


I hate water but I'm supposed to drink it. A while back I tried several different things. I picked up a bottle of propel one day and actually enjoyed it. Then I found out they made a powder and that made it much easier. I love this stuff. Unfortunately they recently changed it so that it has no calories(because apparently 10 was too many... stupid people) So now it doesn't taste as good. But it is still better than plain water. (And I bought the last case of the regular kind at walmart so for now I still have the good stuff.)


This is a new found love for the same reason as the propel. In the past I have been trying to drink more water but still drinking coke a lot too. I am trying to cut back on the coke because it racks up a lot of points per day. This stuff is great because it is a liquid and it is easy to add to a glass of water that you don't know how many ounces it holds. you just squirt it, taste it and add more if it needs it. It offers a lot more flavor and no calories.


Now for running tools. This is a screen shot for the handy runner app on my droid. It is the app that links to runningahead.com. Both services are free and it is a very easy way to track workouts. It uses my phones gps feature to track my course and pace. Once I am done, it automatically uploads to the RA website where you can see your course on a map and view a graph of your pace. It is just a really good way to look at your progress.

Click picture for vibram's website

Now for my running shoes. I talked about shoes a while back and my struggle to find some that worked. I also said that I already had the right shoes I just didn't realize it. Well, here they are. Mac and I purchased a pair of vibrams for each of us last year. He got a pair that is an all around model, great for hiking, running, or whatever you want to do. Mine are specifically made for running. Vibrams take a little while to get used to since they stretch your toes out and don't have as much padding as regular shoes. They are designed to be as minimal as possible to allow your foot to be in a more natural, barefoot position yet protected from the elements. I hate shoes. I wear them as little as possible so I thought these would be great. But I was scared. I know that if I am standing on hard surfaces for long periods my feet hurt simply because of my weight. I was afraid to actually run in these shoes for that reason too. I then had so many issues with the wrong shoes that I decided to try my vibrams out. I was happy and a little shocked when they worked out great. I had no pain and they felt great. I know they aren't for everyone but i love them.

Click picture for tech4o's site

This is the tech4o accelerator. It is a pedometer that tracks distance, speed, calories burned and steps taken. It also has timer, stopwatch and a lot of other cool features.

So that is my list so far. I'm sure there will be so many other tips and tricks I learn along the way.