Hands Free Running (SPIBelt Review)

When I first began running years ago it consisted of myself and my running shoes. It was such a simple concept to just throw on my shoes and run but over the years, with the growth of technology, it has become a bit more complicated. 

Now a days a run consists of myself, my running shoes, my Garmin, my iPhone, my keys, headphones, energy packs (for those long runs), my ID and a credit card just in case. I am guilty of having said "I can't run tonight because my Garmin is dead." Wow. What kind of world are we living in?

A hands on-technologically advanced-I must have the latest fitness app-world.

Now I'm not saying that we need to go back to running without music, fitness trackers, or running apps but what if there were a way to run with these things and not even know it?

Well, the masterminds behind SPIbelt have figured it out! Their goal is to create things that help keep things in your life simple and safe. And I'd have to say they do a pretty good job of it!

After going on several runs with my SPIbelt, I only have good things to say about it. It's so nice to go on a run and not have to worry about carrying your phone, where you are going to hide your key, and how you will ID yourself in case of an emergency.

The SPIbelt expands to hold all of your essentials and it doesn't bounce when you run. Don't believe me? You'll have to try it yourself. The band clips in the back, the belt is adjustable and everything in the pocket is held securely inside because of it's zipper closure.

The best part? SPIbelt isn't just for runners. They have products that are great for triathletes, travelers, individuals with medical devices/emergency medicines, walking your dog (they have a SPILeash!!!) and kids!

I currently own the Large Pocket SPIbelt in black (which holds everything you could possibly think of) and the High Visibility SPIbelt in turquoise (which is great for running in busy or low lit areas). Head on over to their website now and check out all of their amazing products! Be sure to follow me on Instagram to see where I take my SPIbelt next!

Question of the Day

What do you carry with you when you run? How would SPIbelt benefit you? 

Disclaimer: I received these products free of charge in exchange for a review. As always, all opinions are completely my own.

Warrior Dash Race Recap - Rockin' Refuel Team

I am so glad that when Rockin' Refuel reached out to me a few weeks ago about the possibility of running in the Warrior Dash that I said YES!

Talk about a fun and muddy race!

If you've never heard of the Warrior Dash before, you need to check it out. And if the thought of signing up for a mud run has ever crossed your mind, even if just for a split second, then you need to sign up for one right now. Seriously, go find one and sign up now! 

The Warrior Dash is a 5k filled with obstacles and mud. Lots of mud. 

The day of the race the entire team met at my place so we could carpool to Crawfordsville, IN which is about an hour away from us. When we arrived we were able to quickly find parking, pick up our race packets and bib numbers, put away our stuff, and head on over to the Rockin' Refuel booth for our pre-race photos! 

After that we headed over to the start line and waited for our heat to start. We were the only people at the starting line along with a couple of other runners so we weren't sure if we arrived late. After the race announcer made us all do burpees, we were off and on our way to be covered in mud!

The first mile of the race was nothing but hiking through the woods. This sounds easy but it was almost impossible to run because it rained the night before and everything was so slippery, muddy, and uneven. 

Most of the obstacles on the course were totally doable - climbing over mud mounds, crawling through trenches, running (mostly walking) through the super muddy woods, and sliding into a pool of mud. And others were a bit harder - climbing ropes, climbing over walls, and completing obstacles in heavy rain. 

I think my favorite obstacle had to have been "Goliath" which was a huge slide that went straight into a pool of mud! My friend and I went down hand in hand and figured that it wasn't going to be that deep. We were wrong! We went all the way under and came up muddier than we were before, if that was even possible.

Once we crossed the finish line we headed over to the Rockin' Refuel booth to refuel! We chose to drink a delicious ice cold Muscle Recovery Chocolate drink that tasted exactly like chocolate milk! (click here to see all of the other tasty products and flavors)

After we refueled, we hit the showers, met up with our team, and hung out at the after party. 

Thanks again for an awesome day, Rockin' Refuel!

Disclaimer: My team and this blog post are sponsored by Rockin' Refuel. As always, all opinions are entirely my own.  

Chase Charlie 5K

Each year on family weekend the university hosts a 5k race called Chase Charlie. Charlie Cardinal is our school's mascot and he always begins the run! He doesn't finish it though, just runs a few yards. I mean, I can't blame him - I would never be able to run in that costume, especially with those huge feet!

Before the race I met up with a guy from the running club so we could run it together. I only ran twice the week before the race so I wasn't sure how I was going to feel while running but I did feel pretty good, despite going to bed after 1 a.m. the night before and having to wake up at 7! (bad idea)

I finished the race in 27:20 (Garmin time) for a pace of 8:49. Since I hadn't ran in so long, my goal for the race was to have a sub 9 mile pace and I did it!

After the race we rushed back to my apartment so I could shower and get all cleaned up for a Dean's List Recognition Ceremony. My mom (who also came to the race, hence the awesome pics!), my dad, and my dad's girlfriend, Liz, all came to the ceremony. My sister came and ate the cookies that were served before hand and then headed out.

(mom & dad)

(dad & Liz)

(Stephanie & I)

I'm really glad they were all able to make it, especially because they all had over an hour drive. I really don't know why I always schedule races the days that I have something else to go to immediately after. After my half-marathon, I had to go home and shower and go straight to a wedding! Talk about craziness. Hopefully after my next half nothing important pops up!

Question

Do you ever make plans after a big race or do you like to relax the rest of the day?

Run For Your Lives (Countdown)

Do you guys remember me talking about the Run For Your Lives 5k race I am doing? Well it's this weekend and I couldn't be more excited! My mom and her friend are going to pick me up from school and then we are going to head down to the race. My mom just bought a new car so she was definitely sure to inform me to bring extra clothes so I don't get it all muddy ;)

(photo source)

The other exciting thing about this race is that I am going to be video-recording the entire thing while I am running it! My mom is a photographer so she is all into the techy, photo equipment. She has a special water, mud, and shock proof camera that she is going to attach to me! I think it will be so fun to capture the race, jumping through obstacles, and running away from zombies! I will be sure to share some video with you guys.

Anyways, what are your suggestions for what I should wear?! I am going to be getting super muddy and wet and this is my first race like that!

If you are interested in running a Run For Your Lives 5k race, check out all the info here. You can also read my full review of the race.

Question

What is the muddiest, dirtiest race you have ever ran? Have you ever ran in the Run For Your Lives race?

Puppy Sitting

First off, I want to say thank you for the amazing feedback on the Quest Nutrition Giveaway I held last week. I already contacted the winner, #161 Kaitlyn, and she is beyond excited to receive her bars! If you didn't win this giveaway and have never tried Quest Protein Bars before then you should definitely give them a run for their money. They are so delicious.

See this cute little guy below?

His name is Rex and he is Alex's furry little nephew! I've been puppy sitting him all week while his owners are out of town and he is so much fun. Sometimes he can be a handful but how can anyone resist an innocent puppy dog?

When we take him in the car he sits in the laundry basket and doesn't jump around the car! I'm not too sure what will happen when he doesn't fit in it anymore!

I have taken him on a few walks over the last week and the other day I took him for a short run! He did really well and seemed to enjoy it because the next day when I took him on a walk he just wanted to run!

While I have been watching him this past week I have been thinking more about my summer workouts and how I am going to fit them in with my busy schedule. Right now it's kind of hit and miss. Some days I go straight from class to work an 8 hour day and don't get home until it's dark out and I won't run outside at night by myself so I normally just skip those days. I am going to make a sincere effort from here on out to schedule more runs in the morning first thing so I don't have to miss as many. I hope to have some more fun workouts for you on the blog soon too! It's been awhile since you all have seen one of those!

Also - be sure to follow Rockin' Ribbons on Twitter! A giveaway will be happening over there sometime soon. But you must be a follower to enter!

Question

Do you have a dog that will run with you? My dogs are not runners at all.

Stop Trouble Before It Starts®

Ever find yourself stopping earlier on a run than planned because chafing and blisters are making it unbearable? Do certain materials or hot weather make you chafe? Have you tried countless products and remedies to eliminate chafing and blisters but nothing works? Well I'm here to tell you that I have found a product that really does work - and it's BodyGlide.

I personally find chafing to be at it's worst when I am running inside (because of how hot it gets), when I am running in the summer, or when I wear certain pairs of running shorts. Now when I run in tights or in the cooler months I don't have a problem with chafing at all but it's not realistic to run in tights in the middle of June nor is the weather always going to be perfect for running.

When I contacted BodyGlide and told them about my chafing problems they quickly offered to send a sample of their product. I was sent the BodyGlide For Her Stick and BodyGlide For Her Pocket Size. Immediately I wanted to go on a run and test it out. Once I did I was extremely happy with the results.

I thought the Pocket Size ones were adorable! Perfect for throwing one in your gym bag and another in your purse.

Some info about BodyGlide For Her from BodyGlide:

Bodyglide® For Her provides comfort in sensitive areas such as with bras and on thighs, it’s resistant to perspiration and water, but it lets skin breathe even as it holds-up in heat and humidity.

Added Vitamin F Forte helps to hydrate and smooth skin, along with aloe and Vitamin E. 

The long-lasting formula is ideal to maintain skin comfort all day, in any weather, and under all conditions. 

Like the original technically advanced formula, it’s invisible, dry, fragrance free, and never oily or greasy.

It’s also ideal for feet, protecting against raw skin and blisters caused by footwear, from athletic shoes to everyday and formal wear, flats and strappies, boots and heels.

Seriously, this stuff is awesome! I 100% agree with everything above - from it being perfect in any condition to letting skin breathe even in humidity. If you have problems with chafing, bra straps becoming irritating, or blisters you need to try this stuff out! They have products for men, women, runners, swimmers, work, blisters.. the list goes on, so go check it out now!

Disclaimer: I was sent this product for free however all opinions are my own.

Question

Do you have problems with chafing? Have you ever tried BodyGlide?

Double Digits

When I first signed up to run the Indy Mini-Marathon in May my dad had mentioned that one of his friends at work ran it every year and was interested in running it with me. I immediately agreed to it, having no idea how fast this guy ran and having never met him before. This weekend I had both the pleasure of meeting Lance and running with him.

I talked to him on the phone earlier last week about meeting up to go on a run and at first was a little nervous. He is in the Army so in my head I had pictured a big intimidating guy who would be pushing me the entire run yelling at me to run faster. I was so relieved when I  met him and he was quite the opposite. He was willing to run any pace that I wanted and didn't yell at me to hurry up once!

(I thought I would end up being like the guy on the right in this picture with an Army man pushing me to my limits. Thankfully that wasn't me on the run yesterday. Note: the guy on the left is my dad! Can you see why I imagined Lance to be a little intimidating?)

I met Lance at his house because he had a good 10 mile route planned out. We ended up running through a college campus and around a huge lake. The view was gorgeous and the weather was perfect.

Our splits are as follows:

We ended up finishing the 10 miles in 1 hour 35 minutes with an average pace of 9:33. Not bad for my first 10 miler! I felt some pain around mile 7 which is why we backed off our pace a little bit and today I'm feeling a little sore but after some rolling and spending time wearing my compression socks I'm feeling better! This week I plan to start tapering because the race day is in 11 days!

Question

Did you go on any runs over the weekend? Do you have a favorite route?

Run For Your Lives

Are you an avid runner or do you only run when you're being chased?

I am a huge fan of the The Walking Dead, which is a horror-drama television series about a group of people fighting for their lives in a world of flesh-eating zombies. When I was watching the season finale a few weeks ago I saw a commercial for a 5k race called Run For Your Lives.

Running and The Walking Dead? Count me in.

(Photo Source)

This race is infested with zombies and obstacles that test your speed, strength, and wit. Each runner wears flags ("lives") on their belt and if they cross the finish line with at least 1 life then they are a survivor, if the zombies get all of their lives then they transform into a zombie. The main obstacles are a blood pit, smoke house, and a maze but there are other natural obstacles like mud holes, etc. I am the most nervous about the smoke house. A dark house filled with zombies scares me!

The photo gallery on the race website shows people running through rivers, covered in mud, climbing up ropes, crawling under barbed wire, and running from zombies. I think the race will be similar to a Tough Mudder but with the added bonus of running for your life.

Do you hate running but still want to be a part of the race? You can sign up to be a zombie! The Run For Your Lives crew will give you a professional zombie transformation by doing your make-up and shredding your clothes! Zombies even get a few added perks like free parking and camping.

Now you can't tell me that seeing that zombie won't make you run a little bit faster. I know it would make me sprint the entire race!

I am signing up for the race in Indianapolis, IN and you should sign up for a race near you too! You can find the complete list of race locations, learn more about how the race works, and check out the after party details on the Run For Your Lives website. Just the fact that this race is different from your normal 5k race makes me want to do it! Color runs are fun but zombie runs? It can't get much better.

Disclaimer: In return for writing this review I am receiving a discount on my race entry, however all opinions are entirely my own.

Question

Have you ever heard of the Run For Your Lives 5k race? 

What is the craziest, most original race you have ever done?

Prayers for Boston

I don't know how to explain how I felt when I found out the news about the explosions at the Boston Marathon today. Because I am a runner I felt like it touched me a little bit more. And the fact that I had just finished a run without any injuries, pain, or suffering made me feel guilty.

For some people the race is a tradition and they run it every year, for others their dream of running in such an amazing race came true and this was their first time participating. I cannot imagine what those running today felt when they were so close to finishing a race they have been training for for months, some even years, all to be over with just like that.

I cannot imagine being able to celebrate after completing the race when some families are now without their loved ones. Knowing that most of the people who were injured or killed were spectators saddens me. They were there to support and cheer on their loved ones. As a runner I know that my support group is so crucial to my training and without them I don't know if I could push myself as much as I do. Knowing that a member of my family was hurt cheering me on would break my heart. I cannot imagine why someone would want to do such cruel things to a group of people.

All I do know is that as runners, we have to stand up. We can't stop running just because of the acts of one person. We have to keep doing what we love for those we love and for those who lost their lives at the Boston Marathon today. We need to take a second to pray and send our thoughts to the families who are suffering.

Half-Marathon Advice Needed

Thank you all for all of your great comments regarding my race last weekend!

Yesterday was really nice outside so I took advantage of it and went on a short run by the river with some friends. I was planning on going 10 miles over the weekend but they aren't big runners so we stuck with 3. I'm hopefully going to get the 10 miles in today.

Speaking of long runs and only having a few weeks left before the race, I am looking for advice from all of you pro-half marathoners. Do you think that running 1 medium (8 miles) and 1 long run (10 miles) in week 1, 1 long run (10 miles) in week 2, and the race (13 miles) in week 3 is good or too much? I don't know if I should be running a long run the week before the race or not.

I also don't know if I should make one of the long runs 13 miles instead of 10. I have never ran anything longer than 10 so I'm a little concerned about the race.

Sorry for making this post so short but I don't really have too much on my mind to blog about today other than asking for advice from you!



I saw this on Pinterest and loved the quote so I thought I would share.

Question

Should I run 13 miles before the race? Am I doing too many long runs?

Cute Band-Aids Make Everything Better

When I went home last weekend for my grandpa's funeral I thought that my black heels were at home when in fact they were actually back at school. This wasn't so bad because it gave my mom and I a reason to go shopping. I picked up a new pair of black flats from Kohl's. I figured that I would get a lot of use out of them because next year I have to dress up for clinicals.

 (Image Source)

Anyways, I wore these flats all day on Monday and had no problems in them what-so-ever. I wore them on Tuesday for a couple of interviews and still no problems. I wear them today for about 2 hours and ended up with a gross bloody blister. Don't worry though, I won't show you a picture of that.

I went back to my room, cleaned it up, and put one of these fun giraffe band-aids on! My mom bought me these last year and bought my sister zebra ones. Giraffes are my favorite animal so I adore these. I am pretty sure they come in cheetah print too! (Please note, that while I am not 7 years old, I do love me some cute band-aids!)

Hopefully they do the trick because Saturday there is a 5k race back at home I am running in. I am guessing that it will be a rather small race because it's being put on by some frat boys at one of the college's back at home. I just want to see what my time is while racing since I haven't raced in forever and have the half-marathon coming up.

Sock of the Month

You're in luck! ProCompression just shared with me their Sock of the Month! The ProCompression Socks of the Month for April are purple and baby blue! A select portion of the sales from SOM will go to the organizations Team in Training and Train 4 Autism. Just use the code SOMF4 at the checkout to receive 40% off any purple or baby blue pair of socks and free shipping!

Question

How do you heal blisters? Do you have any tricks? Do you still run when you have them?

Another Long Run in the Books

I feel like I haven't posted on here in awhile because I was so busy working on papers for my online class but it is officially over! While I was gone did you guys check out my guest post on Avery's blog about staying on track with exercise? If not then you really should because I shared a lot of great tips that could come in handy for ya!

Workout

Over the weekend I went on another long run. I used my SPIbelt again and just like last time, it didn't let me down. This time I packed a Tri Berry GU Energy Gel, my ID, and keys.

Here's the breakdown of my run.

Mile 1 - 8:31
Mile 2 - 8:48
Mile 3 - 8:29
Mile 4 - 8:54
Mile 5 - 9:02
Mile 6 - 8:48 - ate the GU
Mile 7 - 8:55
Mile 8 - 8:52
Mile 9 - 9:47 - cool down

Total time - 1:20:05

I was super happy with this run. I felt good the entire time and the weather was perfect. I think that my Garmin only wanted me to run 9 miles because when I began my run it said "low battery" but I just ignored it, hoping it would last the entire run. As soon as I hit mile 9 I stopped the watch and then it said "run saved" and turned off! Guess that was a good indicator to quit :)

T-Shirts!

If you haven't done so yet, check out these super cute t-shirts I am selling for my aunt's fundraiser. The shirts are to help raise ovarian cancer awareness (the reason I am running my first half-marathon in May) and to help show your support with my training! Please help me out and buy one today for yourself or even a friend! Also if you live in the Fort Wayne or surrounding area you can be entered into a fun giveaway if you purchase a shirt! There are only a few days left to purchase them!

Question

Did you go on any runs this weekend?