Holidays and Athletes

I could write the traditional avoid the holiday weight gain post but I won't. We already know what we should and shouldn't do. Whether or not we follow our own advice is another story. Instead I want to talk about a deeper problem.... shopping for an athlete who has everything!

With Shane and I both running and racing almost every weekend we usually don't hesitate to buy things that make running, recovery, and tracking workouts easier. We seemingly have everything and it just keeps getting harder to buy for eachother as the years go by. So this year I'm starting early with some brainstorming and I wanted to share. I hope this helps with shopping for the athlete on your list!

Starting on the inexpensive end you may want to check out the iFit app, available on iTunes for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod. It can sync with other iFit enabled devices (your gym's treadmill, etc) as well as track weight, calories, and workouts. You can set a metronome to work on your cadence, hear voice prompts to keep you on track, connect with a heart rate monitor, and more. And it's all only $1.99!

Moving onwards, every runner needs (good) advice and some help with planning their training. Depending on your runner's history and level of running I've come up with two great choices for getting them off on the right foot but less expensive than hiring a coach! The first is the Big Book of Marathon and Half Marathon Training from the folks at Runner's World Magazine. This book offers everything I wish I'd known or done when I ran my first marathon. It will cost you $27.95 on the Runner's World website.

The second book is for the more advanced runner and is extremely popular with those looking to PR by a large margin or qualify for Boston. Pete Pfitzinger's 'Advanced Marathoning' offers a look at the physiology behind each workout and why it should be included in your training. From diet to cross training to plans ranging from 55 - 100 miles per week this book has it all! I found this book as low as $13.57 on Amazon.com.

The next item is for the athlete in your home who seems to have medals jammed in every corner or hanging from every possible space. Maybe your daughter is earning cheerleading medals every other weekend or your son is racing through his karate belts and winning tournaments. No matter the medal or award Allied Medal Hangers has something for you to display it on. We currently have 4 of these in our house plus two extender bars. They are virtually indestructible, beautiful, and hold more medals than I ever thought possible! Ranging from about $40 up to $100+ you can choose from any of the awesome styles available or design your own.

The LG Tone+ is a revamped version of the LG Tone I reviewed last year. You may already be familiar with LG products through your radio or television or mobile devices. The updated Tone contains all of the features and quality expected in an LG product plus some. Listening to music on the Tone+ is a great experience. It has all the sound quality of the really expensive headsets and even offers bass response and noise reduction. This makes it great for listening to music at the gym when you want to block out the grunting guy on the weight set or craptastic canned music they play. If you have a smart phone and the right app you can also experience text to speech so you can have your text messages read to you instead of digging for your phone while walking, driving or working out. With 10 hours of music listening and up to 15 of talk time you don't have to worry about your battery dying during the day. Lastly, the connection to your phone or device uses Bluetooth technology so there's no more wires to get tangled or bounce. The LG Tone+ is available online and in stores. So far the lowest price I've found is $52.99 at Newegg.com.

With the earbuds stowed

 

Earbuds loose for easy listening

 

For the stylish runner in your life you can't beat INKnBURN. I talk about INB gear all the time and I wear it even more than I talk about it! I can honestly say that I never experience chafing or constriction while running in their clothing. And it doesn't fade, bleed or lose quality even after tons of times through the wash. For women my favorite items are the camisoles (see the Roses below) and for men I love the Run or Die shirts (who am I kidding? I have one too!). With everything from headbands to calf sleeves to Halloween running gear INKnBURN has something for every budget and every style plus their gear is made in the USA!

 

 

I hope this holiday shopping guide helps you stuff plenty of stockings compression socks for the athlete in your life (or yourself) this holiday season! Do you think I overlooked a great product? Let me know and I'll start compiling the second edition just in time for Thanksgiving!

Disclaimer: I was provided with free product for several of these reviews. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Fresh Ink (& Burn)

I'm now in week 6 of marathon training and still going strong! I have to say that the more comments I get on here, FaceBook, Twitter and DailyMile the more motivated I feel to keep up with it. I can't let all of you down now, can I?!

Sunday was a little rough. I was scheduled for 14 miles but we had to take our niece about 4 hours away to meet her grandmother for a visit. After a 9 hour round trip, including a stop for lunch, I didn't feel much like running and the temperature was still in the high 80's. My wonderful husband wouldn't let me quit though. He practically shoved me onto the treadmill as soon as we got home and I felt better for it (once it was over!).

My treadmill resets at 100 minutes so the actual time was 2:32:25. Not bad!

On Monday I did an intense leg workout with my trainer. I'm really enjoying how much more I can do now without suffering (as much!) the next day. We did step ups with 10 pound dumbells in each hand, pause squats with a 10 pounder (hold for 2 seconds at the bottom), and lunges with 10 in each hand. After that it was calf raises with my feet at different angles to hit all the muscle fibers. I was stoked that I could do it all without an issue the day after my longest run of the training cycle!

The best part was waiting when I got home though! My package from INK N BURN was calling me to work out again. I resisted but I did try everything on right away! If you know me then you know I love, Love, LOVE INB gear! Maybe you remember when I ran the Lt. JC Stone 50k in 2011 wearing my Run or Die shirt? I do!

Somewhere on the way to 50k and still smiling in my favorite shirt!

I was practically bouncing out of my chair all day waiting for my lunch break so I could go try out my newest outfit. As soon as my time was up I rushed to the gym. I was only scheduled for 3 miles today but you can't be a pansy when you're wearing Ink N Burn clothes!

Could this outfit be any more awesome?!

Let me start the review with my first thoughts. I would NEVER run in denim. I can't imagine that I have enough Aquaphor to deal with the resulting pain despite the massive supply in my basement. So when I found out INB was making denim-print tech shorts I jumped on them! These have a built-in liner that fits like a glove, doesn't rub or move, and breathes amazingly well. The print is so realistic that I could probably wear these in public without anyone realizing they're not real jean shorts. The camisole fits perfectly too. The straps lay just right without rubbing or twisting and the built in shelf bra is supportive but not constricting. And, of course, all the seams are flat so they won't chafe. The print and colors are to die for too!

Now back to the good stuff! I hopped on the treadmill and I could instantly tell it was going to be a good run. My legs were sore but not dead and my breathing settled into a steady rhythm right off the bat. I ran the first mile at an easy pace and then decided to put my new clothes to the true ultra test, hills! I started doing quarter mile hill repeats with a quarter mile flat in between. I varied the hills from 2 - 5% incline and kept the pace the same the whole time. When I reached 3 miles I just wasn't ready to be done yet so I continued on to 3.25 or so and then walked to 3.5 as a cool down. I wouldn't hesitate to wear this outfit for my next long run!

Not a bad lunch run!

I'm going to try the outfit for strength training tonight. I promised my friend I'd help her get into a workout plan so I'm meeting her after work at the gym. There's no doubt in my mind that I'll be just as comfortable tonight as I was at lunch. And I'm really stoked about my first personal training 'client'!

Looking cute AND tough in the gym ROCKS!

The camisole even has a built in key or GU pocket.

The only thing that made my day even better was my Ultra Running magazine's arrival. I opened it up to find the Umstead results front and center! And, of course, my name is right there. I'm officially famous now right?!

Someday my picture will make it in there too!

*Disclaimer: I bought these items. They were not given to me for review and, as always, all of the opinions expressed are my own!