Running Makes me Smile

  It's not a secret how much I love running. I talk about it ALL the time. I dream about running when I sleep and feel sad when I can't go for a run. It is my happy place.

  When I run no matter the distract you will see me with a gigantic smile on my face. Sometime I wonder if people pass me on the street and wonder why that crazy sweaty lady has that weird smile on her face. lol  I don't care because in that moment I feel alive and free and that is what is most important.



  When I designed this shirt I thought of all those runs and I wear this shirt all the time. This morning
I went for a trail run and I while I was smiling I thought it I would share my happiness with everyone
and offer it a special price all week long for only $14.99 plus shipping. You can get the lettering in either Navy Blue (shown) or Royal Blue.

Happy Running and don't forget to smile!


Get yours at Race Junkie on Etsy

 https://www.etsy.com/listing/154613108/special-price-limited-tim-eomly-running

Cross Training Anyone???

What is cross training?

Wikipedia says this...
     Cross-training refers to an athlete training in sports other than the one that athlete competes in with a goal of improving overall performance.


Here is what I say...
   Cross-training is what makes me as a runner stronger. It is what prevents hard core injury. It is what helps me stay focused and at times motivated. It is what gives me a little break from running without sacrificing my fitness level. It is and always will be absolutely essential in all of my training schedules. It is what gives my running muscles a break, almost like a little massage.

So what type of cross-training is best?
   I do not believe that one form of cross-training is better than the other. I think all forms are beneficial at different times for different reasons depending on YOUR needs at the time for what you are training for.

Here are a few of my favorite forms of cross-training...

BICYCLE
One of my favorite forms of cross-training is cycling. I just love a good sweaty bike ride. I really feel like at times high-powered biking works my leg muscles even harder than uphill running BUT without the impact on my knees and hips.

CIRCUIT TRAINING
This type of interval training where you are working all muscle groups one after the other is a great form of exercise in my opinion. It mimics interval running where your heart rate is elevated for short bursts of time depending on what muscle group you are working and then it lowers for a time while you work on a muscle group requiring less exertion. This type of cross-training is great for days when you do not have much time to spare. A great circuit training session can take as little as 25 minutes if done without stopping.

SWIMMING
Everyone can enjoy swimming as a form of cross-training. It is so easy on the body and great for those weeks late in your training regime when you feel you are doing too much. Swimming is a great way to stay fit working out many different muscle groups.

WALKING
If you can run, you can walk and you can walk far. Walking is great in my opinion because it can help you build your endurance. If you are at a point in your training where your long run takes you 90 minutes to complete, try walking for 120 min or even 180. Then when you increase your long run mileage and the time increases your endurance will be far greater.

Of course there are many other forms of cross training out there and like I said, not one is any better than the other. Every form of exercise has its own set of benefits and for a runner simply conditioning those heart and lung muscles is what is key. So  enjoy your cross-training days, change up what you are doing, try something new and most of all have fun. 

I would love to hear from you Race Junkie fans as well. What are your favorite forms of cross-training? How often do you cross-train? Leave a comment and share with me some of your experiences.

Motivational Monday... Life is better..

My life is ALWAYS better in many ways when I RUN!

How about you??

Choosing the Proper Size Tutu for you.

 Trying to figure out what size tutu to buy can sometimes be a difficult task.
Not everyone one is shaped the same way and a lot of us want to buy our outfits early
but with all these miles of training ahead we may lose weight. I think if I explain how sizing works a bit more in detail it will make your choice much easier.

To start off the basic sizing chart you see in all the listings is not something I made up.

I actually searched many retailers and was able to find out what the standard
U.S measurements were for off the rack clothing.
 
Meaning if you walked into a GAP store today and bought a size medium yoga pants you will fit into a size medium tutu.


Size Chart

X Small fits size 0 to 2 ( 25 to 28 inches )
Small fits size 4 to 6 ( 29 to 30 inches)
Medium fits size 8 to 10 ( 30 to 34 inches)
Large fits size 12 to 14 ( 34 to 38 inches)
X Large fits size 16 (38 to 41 inches)
2XL Fits sizes 18 to 20 ( 43 to 45 inches)
3XL Fits Sizes 22 to 24 ( 46 to 50 inches)

The waist size inches are included in the chart so that you have a general guideline since not all off the rack retailers are created the same. Such Ambercombie and Fitch, Hollister ect. Also keep in mind if you wear a size 29 in jeans that is NOT your waist size. You would actually need to order a medium.I didn't actually find out about the jean size versus waist size until The 2012 Princess 1/2 Marathon. If you only know you wear a size 27 jeans but are unsure as to what you need to order just contact me and I will be glad to help :)

The tutus are made on elastic and there is some give in the elastic. That is I why I say pick your waist size and they will easily slide onto your hips which is where most people decide to wear the tutu.  When I say give in the elastic I am saying about 3 to 3 1/2 inches past the largest number on the size chart. So if you wear a size medium and it goes up to a 34 waist but your hips are a 37 you have nothing to worry about its going to fit fine. 


What do you do if you measure yourself and your on the cusp of a medium and large?

Stick with a medium! You never want to go up a size in your tutu unless you really need to.

Sometimes as women we say it better for it to be a little to big than too small. That is the wrong thinking when it comes to tutus. Your tutu needs to fit snug in order for it to not move around. If it is too big it will for sure move around and may even begin to slide off. That is the last thing you want happening during a race. 

Can your tutu be sized down if you lose weight? Absolutely! You can either mail it back to be to re-sized or I can email you instruction to re-size it at home with a home sewing kit or machine. You would be surprised at simple re-sizing really is!
 
What do you do if your waist is a 34 but your hips are a 43? This is not at all uncommon in women. In this case you will need a more custom fit.You are not married to ordering from the standard sizing chart. The best thing to do is pick the size closest to your off the rack store bought size. Then in the 
" Notes to Seller" portion of checkout just add a note that you need a custom fit tutu and include your measurements. Each tutu is made upon ordering so cutting the elastic to fit you is absolutely no problem. 

Selecting the right length for you  

Let me start off by saying a 9 inch tutu is much longer than it sounds. The above photo of the white tutus are all 9 inch tutus. 

 I find the 9 inch tutu to be very practical for running. It does not get in the way or overwhelm me during a race. I have never had it catch on my Garmin or Road ID. It does not generate too much heat. 9 inch tutus are pretty comfortable. They also have a a lot of poof to them and since I never wore tutus as a child it's my time to poof and have fun.

 

 

The 12 inch tutu is much more like a skirt and very long as you can see from the photo above. They will still be long no matter if you wear them on your hips or your waist. If you plan on wearing one during the winter your bottom half will be guaranteed warmth. Also of you looking for more rear coverage you will get that from a 12 inch tutu.

Some things to consider before ordering a 12 inch tutu. They will catch on the Velcro of a Road ID. They do tend to fly around a lot and become a little distracting if you have never ran in a tutu before. If you running during the summer they can get a little warm. 12 inch tutus also lose a lot of there poof since they hang more like a skirt. However, you can see from the above photo they don't lose too much poof :)

Length really just depends on what type of look your are going for and your style of running. I often run trying to PR so these days I cut my own tutus between 7 and 8 inches and love them at that length.
    

Fit Foods Friday: Watermelon Slush

The summer seems to bring out the blender more often on my home.

Summer fruits are the best for blender creations too.

Here is a super easy delicious treat to throw together in your blender.

About 2 cups of watermelon chunks and a hand full of ice and blend blend blend!!!

Motivational Monday: Fierce

Have you had a chance to check out the running tanks at Race Junkie yet?

Find a shirt that compliments your running ability.

Do you run to be fierce?

 Then you will LOVE these running tops...

Visit our etsy shop or our website and order yours today!

DOUBLE DISCOUNT!!!!

Cruella Di Vil is the tutu of the month for JULY!!!

 This tutu is normally $36.95 but for this month only it

 is $31.95! 

Pair it with some awesome Villain sleeves made by Katie

 at Groovy Baby Action Gear and some fun racing kicks.

AND

In honor on of the 4th of July you can get $5.00 off

 every purchase by using code: 

FIREWORKS

 This offer valid through July 7th only.

Should you join a running club?

Running Clubs

 

 

  When I started running I just kinda went out and did it. I did C25K for about 2 1/2 weeks and then decided I was ready to run a 1/2 mile non-stop on my own. Many miles and several severe injuries later I wish I had not been so hard headed and just stuck with the program. That is not my learning process I am a graduate of the school of hard knocks on the head. lol For some reason I like to learn the hard way mess it up and fix it later. The love of my life is almost annoying to me with his one and done way of learning and doing things.

 One of things I found to be an asset to me and probably the only thing I have done right from early on in running was joining a club. Due to my work schedule I am not able to attend all there functions and be super social but it sure is nice to have people to run with on long run days. Even if they are not running along my side it's just nice to know everyone is around, headed in the same direction with a common goal. It is so nice to meet up an say hello at the water station and take a little break. My water breaks used to be on a busy street corner but the marina setting where my club meets is much better.

 My awesome club here in Long Beach is AREC. I love them so much for only $25.00 a year you get all kinds of discount codes for races including Disney. Marathon training, trail runs, casual weekday runs, social events and advice from certified running coaches. They have have some track training as well. It is a good group and over 100 people come out to run every time we meet. I am always proud to wear my club hat, shirt or windbreaker everywhere.

 I tend to be a little bit of loner because I do not work in a traditional office setting with people. So it is especially helpful to me to get and make friends with people who love running as much as I do. Although I probably scare them just a little I am more enthusiastic than other when it come to race talk. lol

Something I have recently done that had proven to be interesting is training on the full marathon routes. Runs consist  of 1/2 marathon training and full marathon training. I am not running a full just yet but I need to keep my mileage high since I have so many races coming up. Full marathoners are a totally different breed of runner. This is  something I  have heard before but wasn't too sure about. I have also heard people who have completed a full say there life changed forever. I can't tell you just yet how they are different but they are just very different. They are full of knowledge and grit so it's really cool to be able to talk to everyone about there experiences.

 It is a great way to make friends most clubs have tents set up a large races so you have a place to hang out.I know some people hesitate because maybe they worry what other runner swill think about

them or just finding them time. I say don't worry about other people we are runners on a running high and love everyone. If you can only make a few meet ups that okay too. I was not able to attend very much my first 7 months but I saved so much money in discount codes it wasn't even funny.