Active Accessories

I finally have a minute to breathe (and take pictures). So I wanted to share with you some really awesome products that my friend and fellow runner has designed for her brand, Active Accessories. If you follow me on FaceBook or Twitter you've probably seen some posts about these but if not you should definitely check them out! (My pages and the products. *ahem*)

First, there is an awesome little accessory pouch. It has several pockets and pouches on the inside plus a cord that snaps back onto itself (you'll see what I mean in the pictures). It is made from ripstop nylon and it's super light (only 2.4 ounces). It comes in two colors and two patterns right now: black, fuschia, polka dots, and pink and grey circles. It can easily hold a debit/credit card, a little cash, your jewelry, and a smart phone while you're working out. The wrist strap has a clip so you can attach it to your purse, use it as a wallet, clip your keys onto it, or attach it to a pack or your pants. And it's only $14.95 available on Amazon. Perfect for a last minute stocking stuffer!

I chose grey and pink circles.

 

 

I was easily able to take my car key, my debit card, and some cash to CrossFit. Plus I clipped my rings on the snap-strap in the center so I could deadlift in comfort. I also zipped my phone inside during my workout. I'll be getting one of these for each of my female running friends plus also one for Gemma. I think she'd love to use it as a tiny purse for school plus she can clip it on her backpack.

 

The second thing Active Accessories has come up with is something (almost) every woman needs. Who hasn't busted a hair tie trying to get thick hair into a ponytail? Who hasn't looked desperately in their purse, car seats, and every pocket for a hair tie before a workout? And who doesn't hate the stupid line they leave in your hair when you're done?

 

Active Accessories' hair ties can fix all of that. They're also available on Amazon for $9.99 for a 6 pack. There are available in 5 color schemes: cool, elegant, warm, neutral, and polka dot. I picked neutral for my first pack.

 

The neutral hair tie collection

 

These ties are soft fabric/cloth and look pretty enough to wear on your wrist as a bracelet. In fact, the first time my friend wore her prototypes around me I thought they WERE bracelets, until I saw her put one in her hair. They don't leave a mark in my hair and they also don't cut off the circulation in my hands when I wear them on my wrist. What they do is keep my hair out of my face and look nice while I work out. These are definitely another great stocking stuffer! Pretty sure I'm ordering one of every color scheme... for the kids, ya know?

 

The warm scheme is perfect for girly girls.

 

You can also check out the Active Accessories brand on FaceBook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram!

 

So what's going in your stocking this Christmas?



The Journey

This week has been rough. I'm not complaining though. I expect hard and I want tough. I knew when I registered for Burning River 100 that 'easy' was a thing of the past. Sure I might have easy runs or recovery runs on my schedule but they'll come after hard workouts and more mileage than I have ever consistently run before. I'm going to feel muscles I didn't know I had and I'm going to have to train through illnesses and minor injuries. No more 'playing it safe'.

And, as I thought about this today, I was reminded again how deeply running and life mirror eachother. I started coming down with a cold early this week. By Thursday I felt awful with stuffy head, runny nose, sore throat, headache, body aches and fever. However, I sucked it up and went to work. I felt thankful it was a rest day, sure that I would wake up tomorrow feeling better. But then tomorrow came and I felt WORSE. All through work I wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed. There was no way I could run.

I had a hard workout on the schedule Friday and my long run scheduled for today. I put some effort into figuring out what to do. And I came up with pushing everything back one day. Run my time trial today and my long run Sunday. I'm extremely happy that I woke up feeling better, not 100% but better, today. Because you know what they say about the best laid plans...

As I hit the treadmill (my safety net in case I was still too sick and had to cut it short) for a warm up, 5k time trial, and cool down I thought about how there are no short cuts in life or running. I want a degree so I do the homework and studying sometimes late at night when I should be sleeping. I want to have a meaningful blog so I make time to write about things and leave myself notes with ideas all over. I want to run one hundred miles so I will put in a thousand miles (or more) of training. And that reminded me of my favorite quote and necklace...

 

The front of a necklace is a compass rose and the back says, "The journey begins today." It is a reminder of the quote from Lao-Tzu and I purchased it when I was just beginning to run. I have no idea of the company who made it or anything about it except I have been wearing it for the past four and a half years and it reminds me that I made the first step, the hardest step. Now it's up to me to finish the journey.

On July 28, 2013 when I cross the Burning River finish line I will finally feel that I've completed the journey I set out on in 2008. It doesn't mean my journey will be over, just that it will head in another direction. I can't wait to see what 2013 holds!

Do you have a favorite quote? A favorite piece of jewelry? What inspires you to give it your all every day?