Author Archives: runeatplay

May 21, 2013 · 12:28 pm

Birthday Dinner and Half Marathon Training

Last Night

I opened my birthday presents from Danny and the kids last night.

How did he know that I wanted a Ninja blender? (It might have been because I cut a picture of it out of a magazine and put it on his dresser along with a $5 off coupon).

I am very excited to use my new Ninja blender, and I love that it comes with a travel blending cup!

My current blender isn’t very strong, so I kept having to take off the lid, stir it, add more liquid, and stir it again. The whole process takes forever, so I can’t wait to try this baby out!

I couldn’t decide where I wanted to go for my birthday dinner (you don’t have to cook on your birthday ), and we finally ended up at Joe’s crab shack. I think I eat crab once a year (on my birthday) because it’s so darn expensive, but it’s so good. I had the delicious king crab legs.

The kids thought it was hilarious that I had to wear a bib.

Today’s Workout

Butts and Guts – 60 minutes

I set my alarm for 5:20 am this morning to get up and run….and I kept sleeping instead. I just couldn’t get up, but actually it worked out good because I am supposed to meet the other girls from the Chicago Half Marathon challenge to run tonight.

I am supposed to be in Chicago at 6pm tonight to meet at a running store. I am assuming I’ll meet the trainers and the other girls that were picked, and then we’ll go for a three mile run. I’m nervous.

I’m nervous for a few reasons – a) I always get nervous running in a group because I am a slower runner. B) I took a 60 minute cardio class this morning (my fault, I know). C) The last night I ran at night, it was a disaster. D) I have never driven by myself to Chicago and I have no idea how to park in the city.

The last reason might seem ridiculous, but I worry about things like that. I hate driving in general, so driving to Chicago alone is my biggest nightmares. And I don’t know anything about city parking.

I am looking forward to meeting everyone though!

I also received my Zooma half marathon training plan. The 15k training plan I am currently following is simply running three days a week, while the half marathon training plan includes things like strides and tempo runs. That will be something different for me, but something that I hope will improve my running.

Have a great afternoon!

Do you like seafood? Favorite seafood?
Do you ever run in a group?
What kinds of things do you not like to do or what makes you nervous?
Do you incorporate tempo run, strides, etc. into your runs?

runeatplay

4 Comments

Filed under Dinner, Family Fun, Fitness, Race, Running, Working Out

Tagged as butts and guts, crab legs, fitness, half marathon, I hate driving, joes crab shack, running, zooma

May 20, 2013 · 12:14 pm

31 Years Old

First up the winner of the Sambazon giveaway!

#7 – Karen

Congrats! Please email your shipping address to runeatplay(at)hotmail(dot)com.

Saturday

Saturday night, we met my family at a nearby Mexican restaurant for food and margaritas to celebrate my birthday. Then, we came back to our house to have cake, play games, talk, and stay up late

Here’s a few pictures from the weekend:

Sunday

On Sunday, we went out to breakfast and then spent the rest of the day relaxing. My mom stopped by to visit and wish me a happy birthday.

We eventually went for a 30 minute walk at a local trail that I will probably be using when I start my longer runs.

At one point you have to go through a tunnel which goes underneath a busy street. It’s kind of creepy actually.

We spent the rest of the night catching up on tv shows – CSI, The Big Bang Theory, and The Amazing Race.

Today

Today I am 31 years old. It’s amazing how fast life seems to fly by. When I was younger, I could never imagine an adult. Now here I am, all grown-up, married, and a mom of two kids.

I didn’t have a very hard time turning 30 last year. I mean, I wasn’t screaming that I was 30 from the rooftops either, but I wasn’t depressed about it or anything. Of course, Danny made sure to give me a hard time about it because I might have given him a super hard time when he turned 30

I think the thing is that I don’t feel 31 years old. I think you’re only as old as you feel

A big thank you to my family for making my birthday special! My family knows me too well. My brother and sister-in-law got me a food scale. I had been using a postage scale to weigh my food, so I am so excited for an actual food scale.

My dad and stepmom ordered me this cute Under Amour tank I wanted.

It has been sold out in stores, so they ordered it for me.

Today’s Workout

BodyPump – 60 minutes

Enjoy you afternoon!

Was turning a certain age hard for you?
If you could stay one age forever, what would it be?
What tv shows do you watch?

runeatplay

10 Comments

Filed under Family Fun, Fitness, Fun, Working Out

Tagged as 31, birthday, cake, food scale, under amour

May 18, 2013 · 3:20 pm

Just Play 5k 2013

Good afternoon!

This morning, Danny and I ran the JustPlay 5k.

It’s a smaller race and really close to our house. My dad and stepmom came to watch the kids for us. We got there about 7:30 am, and the race started at 8 am.

It was warm out, and I definitely really started to heat up while running. The whole time I kept thinking, how am I going to run a 15k in the middle of June in the heat?!

I started off really good – too good. My first mile was 8:40, which is way to fast for me. By the second half of the race, I was losing energy, and the third mile my right quad was killing me. I seem to be having more quad problems than calf problems lately. I have been foam rolling my hips and quads lately, so hopefully that will help, and I have to start wearing my compression shorts.

I finished in 31:11, which is my second best time. I’m happy with it, but I couldn’t help feeling slightly disappointed after last week’s 29:22 5k. I think it helped that the temperature was a lot cooler last week.

Danny did awesome and PR’d this race! He finished in 23:17! He is super speedy. Good job, Danny. I’m proud of you!

After the race, we stopped at Dunkin Donuts for some iced coffee and donuts.

Then, we headed straight to Jaden’s t-ball game.

The t-ball game lasted about an hour and a half, then we went back to where the race was held because they were having a Just Play festival for the kids. Unfortunately, the lines for paddleboarding and the zip line were too long, but the kids had fun doing other stuff.

They did a fitness obstacle course which was funny to watch.

There was also some reptiles for the kids to touch. And one of the guys put a roach on Jaden’s head.

I tried to stay as far away as possible. I am actually really surprised that Jaden didn’t freak out. He’s not really a bug kind of kid.

The kids got ice cream, and I was excited to see screwballs. That was my favorite treat from the ice cream truck when I was younger.

After checking out some of the booths and letting the kids play, we went to a nearby bakery to pick up my birthday cake! My wonderful husband ordered the chocolate/strawberry/whipped cream cake that I wanted.

He even made sure that they put my age on the cake. Thanks dear.

Tonight, we’re meeting my family at a local Mexican restaurant for my birthday dinner. Can’t wait!

Have a great rest of your weekend!

What’s your fastest mile?
Where would you have your birthday dinner?
Favorite ice cream truck treat?
Hot coffee or iced coffee or no coffee?

runeatplay

8 Comments

Filed under Family Fun, Fitness, Fun, Race, Running, Working Out

Tagged as 5k, birthday, cake, family, fun, just play, race

May 17, 2013 · 1:05 pm

Running Fuel

Happy Friday!

I’m so glad it’s the weekend. My birthday is Monday so that means we’re celebrating this weekend!! I told Danny I was very particular about the kind of cake I wanted – chocolate cake with fresh strawberries and whipped cream

Yesterday was Jaden’s first t-ball game!

Unfortunately, Jaden doesn’t have a very long attention span so the game was interesting. I think I took him to the bathroom four times, yelled at him to leave his shirt on, and had to find something for him to sit on when he spilled Gatorade everywhere. Fun times.

But he liked playing and even got two hits without using the tee.

Today’s Workout

BodyPump – 60 minutes

BodyPump is usually the most crowded class at the gym in the mornings, but today there was only four of us. Maybe everyone’s starting their weekend early or exercising outside?

I picked up our race packets for the 5k tomorrow from a local running store. The mini Builder Bar was my favorite part.

The race is a smaller race and is about five minutes away from our house. Danny and I are running it, and my dad is coming to watch the kids. Thanks, Dad.

While I was at the running store, I picked up a few different kinds of fuel to try out for my long runs, especially when training for the half marathon. It seems be a general rule that if you’re running over an hour, you should have some kind of fuel – chews, gels, bars, sports drinks, etc.

Personally, I like the chews, but Danny doesn’t. He tried out one of the Gu’s on his run this morning and said that he didn’t like it. I think I’ll prefer the chews to the gels but I’m still going to try out the gels. I’ve had the PowerBar chews at a race before, so I know I like those.

I got my Pro Compression socks in the mail yesterday. I am looking forward to seeing how they compare to my calf sleeves.

I haven’t had a chance to try them out on a run yet, so I’ll let you know how that goes. The only thing that I don’t like so far is the sizing. Since they are socks the sizing chart goes by shoe size.

(Source)

According to my shoe size, I should have ordered a size small/medium, but I know that with my calf size there was no way that a S/M would fit over my calves.

I have very large calves, and I’m not even exaggerating. Based on the circumference of my calves, I had to order my Zensah calf sleeves in the biggest size they made – L/XL.

I just have big calves. It happens. And one is noticeably bigger than the other, which is weird.

So, I ordered the Pro Compression socks in a L/XL. The fit over my calves perfect but the shoe size is a bit too big and they’re very long. I had to push them down my knees a bit. I’m sure they’ll work okay, and I am excited to try them out, I just wish that the sizing was different.

I’ll probably won’t run in them for the race tomorrow. I’ll try them out next week.

Lunch

Lunch this afternoon was a peach smoothie.

In my smoothie:

1 cup frozen peaches
4 frozen strawberries (because it was all that I had left)
1 container peach Greek yogurt
1 cup Trop50 orange juice
crushed ice

Don’t forget, there’s still time to enter the Sambazon juice and smoothie giveaway! Ends tonight and I’ll announce the winner on Monday!

Have a great afternoon!

If you could pick any birthday cake or dessert what would it be?
How do you fuel for long runs? Gels, bars, chews, sports drinks, etc?
Any plans for this weekend?

runeatplay

9 Comments

Filed under Family Fun, Fitness, Lunch, Recipes, Running, Working Out

Tagged as BodyPump, fitness, gu, gym, honey stinger, lunch, powerbar, pro compression, running fuel, smoothies, tball

May 16, 2013 · 12:45 pm

I’m Doing It – Zooma Half Marathon

Well, it’s official – I will be running a half marathon in August. The Chicago Zooma women’s half marathon. Honestly, at this point, I am a little bit terrified. While I think I am ready for a new goal, I am also nervous about the distance. What if can’t do it? What if it’s too hard? What if my body doesn’t cooperate? Although, I am nervous, I know it’s something that I can do if I put my mind to it and work hard. And it would be an awesome accomplishment for me. A little while ago, I entered the Muscle Milk Chicago Half Marathon Challenge. Unsure how to train for a half marathon? We’ve got you covered. Need someone to talk to when nerves set in as you’re facing your first double digit run? Yep, we’re here for that too. Thanks to the generosity of Muscle Milk Light and NorthShore University HealthSystem, this program is your coach, running buddy and support group all rolled into one. Four Chicago-area athletes will take part in our 12-week program as “NorthShore Runners”, and one lucky lady will be selected to receive additional perks as a “Muscle Milk Light Athlete”. (Source) I entered my application and figured that if I was picked, it would be a sign that I should run a half marathon. I’ve had the idea of a half marathon in the back of my head, but was always apprehensive about doing it. Well, I got an email yesterday saying that I was selected as one of the NorthShore Athletes for Zooma’s Chicago’s Half Marathon Challenge Program! I am very excited but nervous too. The program includes:

A support network of the Chicago Ambassadors of the race
Training Plan
Zooma Training T-shirt
Education/ Cross Training
Race Entry
Muscle Milk Light

As part of the program, I will be interviewed by Zooma and the ambassadors, have weekly check-ins, and attend four Zooma events in Chicago. Exciting stuff! I am very excited to be given this opportunity and can’t wait to get started! This half marathon also came at a great time because my goal for the Under Armour What’s Beautiful Campaign is to run a half marathon! Yesterday Yesterday, I went with Jaden’s class on a field trip to the zoo. When I came downstairs all ready and dressed, Danny asked me if I was wearing workout pants to the zoo. Yes, I am wearing working pants to the zoo. The only time I’m not wearing workout or sweatpants is when I’m sleeping…or when someone takes me out to dinner. And even then I contemplate wearing workout pants. I’m going to be walking around the zoo with 6-year olds in hot weather. What do you want me to wear – a party dress? The kids loved the zoo. They’re favorite animal was the peacock. On the way home, there was an accident on the highway and we were stuck on the hot bus forever. It wasn’t fun. Finally, we made it back to school. It was such a nice day out, so we got frozen yogurt, dropped my niece off, and then went to the park. Obviously you’re never to old to play at the park. We ordered pizza and watched the Chicago Blackhawks game. Well, actually Danny watched the game. I sat on the couch and read. My dad got us some Blackhawk shirts. My brother: I wore mine to bed…and tied it on the side because I’m 80s like that :) Today’s Workout

3 miles outside, nice
Trifecta Class – 60 minutes

What a difference night and day make – literally. While my run was pretty terrible on Tuesday night, this morning it was good. It wasn’t necessarily fast, but I sure felt a whole lot better today than I did running at night. I noticed that my miles always start out fast and then get progressively slower – which is the opposite of how it should be. Without meaning to, I usually start out too fast and then lose steam by the end. I need to work on starting out a little slower so that I can speed up as I go. I finished three miles by 6:45 am, then I headed to the gym at 9:00 am for the Trifecta class. After the gym, my niece and I just ran a few errands. Tonight it Jaden’s first t-ball game! Have a great afternoon!

Have you ever run a half marathon? Any advice?
When was the last time you went to the zoo? Favorite animal?
Favorite sports team?

runeatplay

11 Comments

Filed under Family Fun, Fitness, Fun, Running, Working Out

Tagged as animals are fun, half marathon, muscle milk, running, training, zoo, zooma

May 15, 2013 · 6:24 am

Sambazon Juices and Smoothies + A Giveaway!

Last Night’s Workout

4 miles outside, hot

*Note to self: Avoid evening runs at all costs.

Somehow, I went from having the best run of my life to having the worst run. I think it was a mix of running at night, already working out that morning, and the heat that made my run so horrible. I ran at about 6:15 pm last night and it was still 90 degrees outside.

I brought my hand-held water bottle with me, but halfway through my run the water was already hot. My body and legs just didn’t want to cooperate. I had to take a lot of walk breaks. The positive side is that I finished. I ran/walked my 4 miles and didn’t give up.

I could hardly walk into the house when I got home and immediately went to take a cold shower. Then, I made a strawberry peach smoothie for dinner…and chocolate cheerios with almond milk

Speaking of post workout food…

Sambazon

I was recently sent some Sambazon juice and smoothie products to try out through the Moms Meet program.

First they sent me this wooden bowl and spoon, which I love!

The bowl is really big and the bigger the bowl, the more cereal you can fit in it! They also sent me some coupons to pick up some Sambazon juices and smoothies to try out.

About Sambazon : I picked out the Acai with blueberry and pomegranate superfood juice blend and the protein acai berry + vanilla superfood smoothie (I love my protein!). The acai juices have powerful antioxidants and healthy omegas. The protein smoothies have 8g – 10g of organic vegan whole food protein per bottle and healthy omegas. The protein smoothie is perfect as a post workout snack. Protein helps build lean muscle.

Sambazon also has energy flavors, supergreens with kale and ginger, and a blended breakfast drink which has grains, chia, and organic/non-GMO verified soymilk.

I just saw on the Sambazon website that they have a energy mocha java superfood smoothie that I must get my hands on!

Not very surprisingly, I drank the acai berry and vanilla protein smoothie first. I thought it was great. It’s not chalky tasty like some protein drinks are, and tasted good. I love the mix of the acai berry and vanilla. The acai with blueberry and pomegranate was also really good. Of course, Jaden needs to help me sample everything

Studying the bottle:

Giveaway!

Sambazon is offering one lucky winner a prize pack including three free product vouchers and a wooden bowl and spoon!

To Enter:

What is your favorite juice or smoothie flavor?

For extra entries (Leave a separate comment for each):

Like Sambazon on Facebook.
Follow Sambazon on Twitter.
Like Run Eat Play on Facebook or Twitter.
Blog, tweet, or mention this giveaway on Facebook and let me know you did!

Giveaway will run through Friday, May 17th at 11:59 pm CST.

Disclaimer: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product. #MomsMeet

runeatplay

38 Comments

Filed under Fitness, Giveaway, Running

Tagged as giveaway, juice, moms meet, running, sambazon, smoothies

May 14, 2013 · 12:45 pm

Snacking

Good afternoon! It is a beautiful day here in Chicagoland. Why does life always seem so much better when it’s gorgeous outside?!

Yesterday’s Workout

BodyPump – 60 minutes

Today’s Workout

Butts and Guts Class – 60 minutes

Since I having been watching my niece early in the mornings lately, she has been coming to the kid’s room at the gym with me. She loves playing with the other kids, especially the babies.

Sometimes she helps me set my equipment up:

Running

I have a low mileage week this week before I jump into 7 miles next week. I am kind of glad that it’s a lower mileage week because my birthday is Monday, and we’re celebrating this weekend. Nothing fancy, we’re just going to an nearby Mexican restaurant…but there might be some margaritas involved

This is what my running plan for the week looks like:

Tuesday Night – 4 miles
Thursday Morning – 3 miles
Saturday Morning – Just Play 5k

Next week, I’ll have to figure out when I can squeeze my 7 mile run in because we also have a 5k that weekend. 7 miles will be the longest that I have ever run outside. I have run 10 miles on the treadmill before though.

Eating

I have been eating terrible lately, and I decided that I really needed to get back on track this week. Yesterday, I went to the store and got tons of fresh fruits and veggies for the week.

I also decided to drink the Jillian Michaels Detox Tea again this week. I think it’ll help me lose the water weight and get back on track.

Lunch

For lunch, I made a veggie flatbread pizza on a FlatOut wrap. My pizza had: pizza sauce, red pepper, green pepper, red onion, and mozzarella cheese.

I also had a giant Honeycrisp apple and blueberries.

Snacks

I got this email about snacks which I thought was interesting:

Personally, it helps me to eat small meals and snacks throughout the day. This way, I never feel too hungry during the day. When I wait to long to eat, I get really hungry and tend to overeat.

I usually have a small snack after I workout and a small snack in the afternoon about 3:30 pm.

Have a great afternoon!

Do you eat snacks?
Are you happier when it’s nice out?
How do you find time to run/exercise when you’re busy?
How do you get back on track after not eating very good?

runeatplay

8 Comments

Filed under Fitness, Lunch, Running, Working Out

Tagged as BodyPump, fitness, gym, lunch, running, snacks

May 13, 2013 · 6:59 am

Run Like A Mother 2013 5k

Good morning! I hope all you mothers out there had a great mother’s day yesterday!

My mother’s day started out bright and early at 6 am with gifts from the kids and Danny.

We left the house at about 6:45 am to go to the Run Like a Mother 5k, where we met Marlene, Crystal, Sue, my dad, and brother.

The girls ran the race.

And the boys watched the kids.

Sometimes I eat before a 5k and sometimes I don’t. This time, I had a peanut butter kid’s Z bar.

We got to the race about an hour early, and I made sure to go to the bathroom right away - last year the porta-potty lines were crazy. Even though there was about the same amount of porta-potties this year, the lines we nowhere near as long. I also used the bathroom 20 minutes before the race and didn’t have to wait.

There was tons of stuff to do before and after the race. There was a table set up so the kids could color signs for their moms.

The Naked truck was giving out samples of their smoothies and coconut water juices.

They had a table set up where you could pick out symbols and have your own t-shirt made.

I picked the symbols: run, family, and love.

Jaden made a shirt too. I love his face in the picture – the sun was in his eyes.

The birkam yoga tent was giving out free mimosas that my Dad and Danny sampled. Us girls decided to wait until after our run to try one out.

We lined up about five minutes before the race, and it started right at 8:30 am. It was really congested in the beginning, as most 5ks are, but then it thinned out quickly. The weather was pretty chilly and windy, but sunny. I wore pants (with shorts underneath) and a jacket and was freezing when I took them off before the race. I debated leaving my jacket on, but I am glad that I decided against it because I warmed up really quickly.

The course was pretty hilly. Honestly, I never pay much attention to the courses when I am running. I am usually so focused on my running and not dying that I pay little attention to the course. I believe most of the course was through a nice neighborhood, but I really don’t know.

Like I mentioned yesterday, I forgot to start my Garmin before the race, and when I did start it, it was unable to pick up my location. I almost think that it was a good thing that it wasn’t working because if I had seen my time, I might have slowed down my pace worrying that I wouldn’t have enough steam to finish the race.

I just listened to my music and ran. There were times when my quads ached and I felt tired, but I just kept going. When the I could finally see the finish line, I figured that I was at about 31 minutes. Then, I saw that it was only at 29 minutes, and I was shocked. I knew that I had to push myself to finish in under 30 minutes.

I was actually really surprised by my time. I didn’t think that I was going as fast as I was, and when I saw that I could get a sub-30 5k, I kind of went into a zone. I don’t remember anything around me and I didn’t see or hear my family cheering for me. I just ran. Fast.

It might sound silly, but it made me really emotional. This was something that I never thought I could do, and here I was actually doing it. Yes, I shed a few tears as I crossed the finish line at 29:22. Then, I was upset because I couldn’t find my family anywhere. I didn’t even see them cheering me on at the finish line and I thought they missed it.

I finally found my family, and I might have shed another tear or two.

Sue, Marlene, and Crystal all did so great. It’s a fun women-only 5k that I love running with the women in my life. Afterwards, we treated ourselves to a mimosa.

Marlene placed third for her age group and instead of a medal, she won a free race entry for next year. I thought that was kind of a cool prize.

Overall, I really enjoy the Run Like A Mother 5k. This was my third year running it, and while the course was a little hilly, it didn’t bother me too much. Everything seemed well organized and there is tons of pre and post race fun.

After the race there is fruit, bagels, and water. There was also lots of vendor tents set up with snacks: pretzel chips, coconut water, Kind bars, Naked Smoothies, Muscle Milk. When you cross the finish line, a volunteer hands you a flower to plant at home. It’s a fun and friendly race that I will run again.

After the race, we went to my mom’s house.

I ate way too much food.

After my mom’s house, we came home, showered, and then went over to my in-laws…where I ate even more food.

Danny with his mom and brothers:

Anyone else run a race this weekend? We have another 5k this Saturday!
What did you do for Mother’s Day?
Best snack you’ve ever had at a race?

runeatplay

11 Comments

Filed under Family Fun, Fitness, Race, Working Out

Tagged as 5k, accomplishment, mothers day, pr, race, run like a mother, sub 30

May 12, 2013 · 1:19 pm

A New 5k PR

Something I’ve always wanted to accomplish was a sub-30 5k. It seemed like one of those things that was so close, yet so far. My best 5k time always hovered around 31 minutes. I would have been happy finishing a 5k in 29:59.

Today, I ran the Run Like A Mother 5k in 29:22!

It was totally unexpected. I had forgotten to turn my Garmin on before the race and it was never able to pick up my location, so I had no idea of my time during the race.

The course was hilly so I didn’t feel like I was going that fast.

When I approached the finish line and saw that I was at 29 minutes, I ran faster than I have ever ran in my life to cross that finish line in under 30 minutes.

Probably the worst ever picture of me, but I have never been more determined in my life:

I cried when I crossed the finish line. I accomplished something that always seemed so far away.

I know that finishing in under 30 minutes isn’t considered “fast” by any means, but for me personally, it was a huge accomplishment. I went from running 36 minute 5k for years to running a 29:22 5k.

Running is tough for me. I have compartment syndrome in my calves which means sometimes running causes me pain with every single step that I take. And no amount of exercising, running, or stretching will ever “cure” it. Yes, running more and foam rolling help, but I always have some sort of pain when I run – whether it be dull pain or intense pain.

Running is hard. But I did it. I finished in 29:22, and I am so incredibly happy. It was wonderful!

Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there. I’ll be back tomorrow with a better race recap. We’re off to spend time with my mother-in-law!

Have a great afternoon!

runeatplay

13 Comments

Filed under Fitness, Running, Working Out

Tagged as 5k, determination, mothers day, pr, race, run like a mother, running, sub 30

May 10, 2013 · 12:23 pm

Aspaeris Pivot Compression Shorts

Happy Friday!

I’m so glad that it’s Friday. It’s been a long week!

Today’s Workout

6.2 miles outside, drizzling, slightly windy

Yesterday, I mentioned that I ordered some compression gear to try out. Well, I ended up getting my Aspaeris Pivot Compression shorts in the mail yesterday.

About the shorts:

Dual Sensory Compression Bands™

Aspaeris Pivot Shorts™ are actually two pairs of shorts bonded together. The Outer Short is a high performance compression short designed to support your muscles. The Inner Short features our breakthrough, Dual Sensory Compression Bands™. These cross-knit bands guide your muscles into the proper position, thereby improving your pivot performance which helps prevent ACL and hip injuries.

Hi-Performance Compression Aspaeris Pivot Shorts™ are made of very fine, completely seamless, two-way stretch nylon and Spandex. Wicking properties keep moisture away regardless of how hot it gets while Microban® technology virtually eliminates odor-causing bacteria.

Signaling Your Body

Aspaeris Pivot Shorts™ are designed to keep signaling for your body to maintain proper position during repetitive motion. It helps adjust your legs and hips to avoid injury. Patent-pending targeted compression zones guide your knees into the proper position. Acting as a guide, two layers of cross-knit compression create muscle memory that gives you confidence in your motion. The Aspaeris Pivot Shorts™ lead to proper joint “loading,” to help you improve performance and avoid injury.

The note that came with the shorts said that they would look small when you took them out of the package, but not to worry because they would fit.

Even though the note warned me, I about died laughing when I took the shorts out of the package. They were tiny. Tiny! I could have put them on my niece!

They look even smaller in person. Trust me. I figured that there was no way that they would fit.

They did.

Even though they look small, they are super stretchy and you put them on like tights. When I looked at the sizing chart on the website, my hips fell into the large category but my waist fell into the medium category. Aspaeris recommends ordering a size up if you fall in between so I ordered a size large.

I ran in the shorts this morning, and while I really like them, I think that I actually need a size medium. I had to hike them up and adjust them quite a few times. One of the times, I’m pretty sure that I looked slightly inappropriate fixing them. Sorry to the cars that were driving by

I liked that my quads didn’t hurt as much as usual while wearing them, and I kept them on a few hours after I ran to help with recovery. I am running a Mother’s Day 5k on Sunday so I don’t want to be too sore.

The shorts are a little pricy, but I had a 40% off coupon code that I found online, so that made the price a lot better.

I woke up at 5:30 am this morning to run outside. Usually, I run on the paved trail by my gym, but today I had to be back home before Danny left for work, so I just ran three miles from my front door and then ran three miles back. I don’t really like the route because it’s on a busier street, it’s really close to cars, and there’s a few stoplights.

At the last minute, I decided to bring my hand-held water bottle with me. I was glad because I haven’t ran six miles outside in quite a while, so I was grateful for the few sips of water.

It was also a little chilly and drizzling this morning. I was going to wear a long-sleeve dri-fit shirt, but I decided against it. By the time I turned back and was running against the wind, I would have loved those long sleeves.

I debated going to BodyPump this morning, but by 8 am I was exhausted. I’m not sure if it was from getting up earlier than I’m used to or running six miles, or a combination of both, but I decided not to go. My quads were very sore just walking up the stairs, so I thought that it would be best not to go.

Instead, the kids and I worked on some secret crafts

Butterflies

Jaden got a butterfly kit for Christmas and a few weeks ago, we ordered the caterpillars in the mail. I was a little skeptical, but I shouldn’t have been because Jaden had five caterpillars turn into butterflies!

We let them go last night.

Jaden wanted to make sure that all of us were there before he let them go.

Have a great Friday!

Any plans for this weekend?
What do you wear while running outside in mild weather?
What’s the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you while running or exercising?