Brooks Transcend Demo Party

If you haven't heard, Brooks Running launched a new shoe called the Transcend, and they think it's a big deal. They have been running a space-inspired ad campaign that included the first video magazine advertisement in Runner's World and an awesome page about it set up on their website here. They were also hosting a bunch of midnight launch parties across the country, and I was lucky enough to attend the one in Baltimore last Friday at the local downtown running store, Charm City Run . It was a demo run at 11 PM followed by a party and the officially launch of the shoes at midnight when they would officially be available for purchase  I only have run in Brooks shoes, partially because I love them and partially because I've won a handful of pairs through various contests and giveaways so I was super excited to demo their new shoe. I used the Brooks Ravennas for marathon training, but have since switched back to their Pure Project minimalist line, which I prefer for shorter distances.

I showed up at right before 11 PM on Friday night, and the store was decorated with streamers and some Brooks inflatable furniture.  I immediately went to get a pair of shoes to demo and got a women's pair in hot pink (see the colors here), which I LOVE, especially since I feel that Brooks shoes don't always come in the flashiest colors.

Photo from brooksrunning.com

The Brooks regional sales rep described the shoes as having unique pressure zones, lots of cushion, and guiderails in the shoes that act like bowling bumpers.  Pretty much if you need stability you can activate it, and if you are neutral you won't tap into the guiderails-pretty awesome, in my opinion. Just walking around the store in the shoes, I loved how comfortable they were. They felt lighter than the Ravennas and had a nice soft, bouncy cushion.

blurry shoe shot-see how bright they are?

After the Brooks reps talked the group went on a chilly 3.82 mile run along the Inner Harbor where you wrote down your predicted time beforehand and ran the route without a watch or anything. Whoever was closest to their predicted time won a pair of  new Transcends. Sadly it wasn't me-someone was within 10 seconds of their time, which is crazy close. I was about 3 minutes faster than I predicted because I tried to run a slower pace.

After the run there was yummy beer, sandwiches, and snacks all provided by Brooks along with lots of Brooks goodies to grab including freeze-dried ice cream (Neapolitan flavor!) to market the Transcends.  I even had a little coozie for my post-race beer :)

 At midnight when it was officially February 1st a guy bought the first pair of Transcends sold, at least in Maryland, but possibly the nation (depending on timing of course)!

my Brooks swag

Anyways I'm not sponsored by Brooks or anything ( I wish!) but just wanted to review this really fun and unique event for this shoe.  I only ran once in the shoes, which felt different from what I have been in running in so I can't judge too much, but I did really love the shoe's cushioning and way my foot felt when it hit the ground. I can't justify buying a new pair of shoes right now, but I'm definitely going to keep this in mind for when I need to pick up some new shoes for marathon training in the summer!

Disclaimer: This post was not sponsored by Brooks, but is merely my observations about the running shoes and the event. As always, all opinions are my own.  

Have you ever been to a running shoe demo event? What is your favorite color running shoe?

WIAW-Great Eats Lately

One of my resolutions was to try one new recipe a month, and I've actually been surpassing that! I've saved up some photos of great meals I've made and have a little photo dump for you on this "What I Ate Wednesday". It's my first time participating in the link-up, but is a great way for me to share some snapshots of my yummy eats and get some of these photos off of my cell phone! 

Sauteed kale salad with dried cherries and goat cheese and topped with an egg and sliced steak prepared by my boyfriend. I love cooking, but I'm lucky that he can help out too :)

The first time I used my spiralizer I made zucchini noodles as a side to this crusted tilapia and avocado cream dish. I followed this recipe except I changed up the tilapia part a little bit, using almond meal instead of corn meal and adding garlic to the crust. 

A couple weeks ago I had some bites of takeout beef bulgogi and remembered how much I loved the delicious Korean dish.  I found this recipe from A Spicy Perspective which uses a wok for easier cooking and ingredients I happened to all have on hand. It was simple and satisfying so I definitely see it something to keep in my dinner rotation!

 PaleOMG's Almost 5 Ingredient Spaghetti Squash Pie was on the menu last week. I added some cheese to make it even more like pizza. Clearly I took a photo after I had dug into it and the leftovers did not make it through the next day. It's even boyfriend-approved-he said it was one of the best things I've made in a while!

My boyfriend whipped me up this super yummy dinner late one night last week, and it was heaven. It's basically sauteed kale and vegetables with a honey balsamic vinaigrette topped with a drippy egg. Perfection! 

Pizza is one of my favorite foods. I made this awesome pizza this weekend using a FlatOut wrap, organic tomato pasta sauce, spinach, and mozzarella slices. It hit the spot!

Chocolate avocado mousse topped with mini chocolate chips and a big dollop of peanut butter. I posted my recipe a while back here except I have been using a whole avocado and omitting the banana.  

I had a bunch of frozen corn to use up from my Friends and Farms CSA basket so I found this recipe in their newsletter for a corn and sweet potato chowder . I made some changes by halving the recipe and only pureeing half of the soup to leave some whole corn kernels and sweet potato chunks in it. I did not get as beautiful a color as the photos from the original recipe, but it tasted delicious!

What are some of your favorite meals lately? Any recipes you recommend?

In a funk...time to reset.

I'm not really sure where this post is going to go so hang in there with me. It was also hard to publish this because it's personal but something about writing it out helps.  I'm having one of those days where I dreaded getting out of bed. And I want to cry a little and have a pity party for myself. No, it's not that time of the month, ladies.  I have this personality where I am slightly self-destructive and focus on the unreasonable and ignore the reasonable logic for things.

I had a weekend that started off pretty well with a midnight Brooks launch party of their new shoe (more on that later) and a nice little run followed by a few beers. Then I woke up early for an unusually warm run with my friends. We did 10 miles but the second half of the run I was feeling discouraged. We were settling into a faster pace which we would usually run during our summer marathon training long runs, but I felt like I couldn't do it  that day and my legs were tight.  
Unreasonable thoughts: Why do you suck? You aren't going that fast, this should be fine for you. How are you going to run four half marathons in the spring? You should be running more and stop using the cold weather as an excuse. 
Reasonable logic: Maybe you feel like crap because you ran last night and didn't stretch well, then had a few beers and got 5 hours of sleep. If you start running more regularly your speed will come back.  

See what I mean? Then I had a nice Saturday afternoon running errands and stocking up on some food followed by a nap and friend's birthday get together.  I had been feeling good about my food choices and was going to limit my drinking because I knew I wanted to get up early and make a spin class and had to make some food for a Superbowl party.  It ended up being a strange night where I drank way too much, got home late, had a fuzzy morning, and slept through my spin class. On top of that I felt like I was getting hit with a cold and ended up missing the party because I was a sniffly, achy mess.  
Unreasonable thoughts: Why would you act that way and get a little out of control?  What kind of person are you? You know you really wanted to go to that spin class and have a productive Sunday.  You are a ginormous mess. 
Reasonable logic:  You didn't eat enough for dinner so drinking on top of that hit you harder.  Everybody makes mistakes, it's okay.  It's good you stayed in when you felt sick because you have another long week ahead of you.  

I've been trying to lose some weight I put on during the summer when I was marathon training. I hate trying to follow food plans or exercise plans and just want to live and not have those things become stressors instead of stress-relievers in my life.  I was looking at some photos last night from a friend's wedding right after the marathon and was surprised at how I felt. 
Unreasonable thoughts: Look how fat your arm looks, you need to lose some weight. Your face looks so bloated. 
Reasonable thoughts: I just ran a marathon a week before these photos were taken-I rock. My arms are bigger but there's some muscle under there too.  What about my smile and how happy I look? 

I have been wanting to try to get to the gym in the morning because of my evening class and I like having time to cook and relax after work so I can go to bed earlier. I find myself staring down midnight each night and aimlessly clicking on my computer or scrolling through Instagram on my phone in bed. 
Unreasonable: Why can't you just go to bed early and get up early like every one else? You must not be committed to your plans. No wonder why you are always tired and bloated. 
Reasonable: Stick to the plans you have and slowly get to bed earlier.  Focus on unplugging and having dinner prepared ahead of time.  It's okay. 

Overall I had higher hopes for last week, but I can't beat myself when I slip up. I need to love myself-nobody's perfect. I think that having a little breakdown can be okay. I can accomplish anything I want to do. I am in control.  I need to take a deep breathe and reset. 

So here's some small things I'm going to try to do this week: 

1. Go to bed a little bit earlier each night and unplug after dinner.  

2. Create a flexible training plan for my half marathons and print it out!

3. Try to get in AM workouts at least 3x this week.

4. Say one thing I like about myself in the mirror each day. 

5.Continue with some reflection and focusing on my goals each night before bed.  

6. Listen to this song more: 

Do you find yourself focusing on unreasonable thoughts? What do you do when you need to take a step back and reset?

Runner Spotlight #73

Hello all, I hope you had a great day and enjoyed the Super Bowl (unless you are a Broncos fan..). Just wanted to let you know that I was featured as the Runner Spotlight #73 on Mindy's blog Road Runner Girl today. I love her blog and all of the inspiring runner spotlights she posts so I am excited to be a part of it now! Go check out the post here. You can read about my race day routine, favorite race, and more!

 

Five Friday Favorites 1/31/2014

Okay, slow down 2014, we are already a month into the new year! If you missed it, check out my post from yesterday about recent deliveries and packages! I need to really focus on my goals for 2014, although I have been better at trying new recipes and have used far more than one this month. I plan on sharing some of my favorites here next week! Also this weekend is Super Bowl Sunday, which is less exciting that it was last year when I celebrated the Baltimore Ravens victory in streets of Charm City.  I'm feeling pretty nonchalant about the whole thing, but at least there will be some good food with good friends. Here were are again for another five of my favorite things!

Five Friday Favorites

1. Favorite quote: SOTU speech: "I believe that when women succeed, America succeeds"-Barack Obama

Whatever your politics are, it's important to still hear about what is going on and what our nation's leaders think. I happened to like the State of the Union speech a lot this year and especially the focus on girl power. With lots of problems in the world, people seem to forget the inequalities that still exist between women and men.  Also Joe Biden is hilarious. 

From People.com

2. Favorite workout: Core Workout for Runners from Crazy Running Girl

This workout looks awesome because it has some core moves specific for runners that does not involve just a million crunches.  These reverse plank leg lifts below look especially difficult! 

3. Favorite recipe on my must-make list: Fudge 'Ems from Barr and Table

I have seen and pinned multiple recipes for black bean brownies but have never tried them. This recipe for more a black bean fudge looks super easy and delicious-good thing I have a couple cans of beans lying around! 

4. Favorite meal of the week: Grilled Bronzini from The Food Market

Last night I had an amazing dinner at The Food Market in Baltimore. It's a super hot and trendy restaurant that has been open for less than two years. I had a really nice brunch there about a year ago so I was excited to try their dinner menu. We started off with the hot nuts, street tacos, pan roasted popcorn (with grated basil parmesan and truffle oil!), and lobster fingers to share for the table. Lobster fingers are like chicken fingers, except made with lobster. They were amazing. Anyways, for my entree I ordered the grilled bronzini which was a massive piece of fish, perfectly cooked and paired with asparagus and a caper-raisin butter sauce. I also got some soy roasted brussel sprouts instead of potatoes because I love brussel sprouts.  I'm so glad I was not disappointed!

5. Favorite feature: Featured blogger on Miles to Blog

Sorry for the self-promotion, but I am super excited that I was picked as the featured blogger on the Miles to Blog directory this week! Miles to Blog is a newer running blog directory that organizes running bloggers by location and allows runners to connect with each other by sharing blog posts and race recaps. 

Any big plans for the weekend?

Sorry We Missed You #1

Today I'm introducing a fun little feature I'm going to post on the blog every so often I'm calling Sorry We Missed You which will be showcasing some of the recent packages I've had delivered to me. I am shipped packages from giveaways I enter and happen to win (I enter lots!), products from brands I'm working with, and all the things I buy when I have spurts of being an online shopping addict. Whoops. 

You may be confused about the title of the post unless you know firsthand the turmoil of living in an apartment building and trying to receive packages. I'm not talking about one of those big apartment buildings which conveniently have lobbies or front desks. It's pretty much a guarantee that I miss a package at least once from the Postal Service, Fed Ex, or USPS before I get it. I love getting mail, but it can be so inconvenient sometimes. 

 If no one is home, a package can't just be left on my stoop in the middle of a city street so I'm always receiving those "Sorry We Missed You" or redeliver slips. Pretty much the biggest pain because guess what, I work during normal business hours, like most people and am never home to receive packages!  I take photos of most things I receive and never get around to uploading them (worst blogger ever) so think of this as a bunch of snapshots of the more exciting mail I receive!

I was super pumped this week to receive the first order I purchased as a Nuun Ambassador! I picked up a visor to wear to rep Nuun at some spring races and also the multi-pack of their All Day Nuun to try all out all the flavors! I'll let you know what I think soon, of course. 

A month back I got some samples of Larabars to try. I like these bars when before workouts or to keep around as snacks for when hunger strikes. I've had the Snickerdoodle flavor before and LOVE the nice cinnamon flavor it has. I was lucky enough to get to sample the seasonal flavors-Pumpkin Pie and Cappuccino, yum!

My Delta Labs Green Tea + supplement delivery. I love the girly touch of the pink tissue paper it comes wrapped in! Remember use code "BREATHEBLOG" for $5 off any order, anytime.



I won a Twitter Giveaway from Kodiak Cakes to try their new Minute Muffins which remind me of microwavable instant oatmeal based on the packaging. I love their pancake/waffle mix so I'm super pumped to try these out. I got the package yesterday and am already drooling over the flavors which are lemon chia,apple cinnamon oat, double dark chocolate, and mountain blueberry!

Lastly I have some clothes I purchased because I'm clearly dreaming of warmer weather. On the left is a black sequin J.Crew skirt I bought on Poshmark app. Also on the left are a pair of hot pink J.Crew shorts that I had been lusting over since I saw them last spring/summer. I finally picked up a pair on J.Crew.com's most recent sale with an extra 40% discount making them around 1/4 of the original price. Win. On the right  is a Lululemon purple marathon skirt also from the Poshmark app. I'm excited for my secondhand Lululemon with all the comfort and style at a fraction of the price!

DISCLAIMER: I was sent Larabars and Delta Labs Green Tea + for no charge to review but received no other compensation. I receive a discount on Nuun products as a Nuun Ambassador. Any other products pictured have been specified as a giveaway prize or personal purchase. As always all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Did you receive any packages this week? Do you do a lot of online shopping?

Uneventful Weekends

Lately I have a lot of great posts swirling around in my head that I need to actually plan out to type up.  It's even been a while since I participated in the Marvelous Mondays linkup, mostly because my weekends have been slightly boring. Guess what, I like it that way. I'm in that lull between the holidays and spring where I'm not too busy yet. My calendar is getting quite full starting in a couple of weeks and starting my last grad school pre-requisite class this week on top of working  full time is going to be hectic. Boo. I probably should have just gone to bed earlier last night instead of watching the Grammys. They were quite underwhelming so I should have just tuned out after Beyonce performed and been more well-rested today. At least there are some great benefits to having an uneventful weekend.

1. Sleep.  I am still awful about getting to bed early so I caught up on some rest and sleep this weekend. It's even better when cuddling is involved. 

Sleeping in is the best. 

2. Cooking. I like having time to leisurely cook a nice big breakfast or fancier dinner.  Yesterday even though I was short on time due to sleeping in late, I prepped my lunches , set up a beef stew in the crockpot for dinner, made those red velvet cookies I talked about for dessert (SO yummy), and got a whole chicken in the crockpot later for dinner tonight. Winning. 

3. Mindless TV watching and Netflix. Saturday after a freezing run I showered, ate, and spent a few hours in the same spot on the couch watching Netflix and some random crap that was on TV. Some may call it wasteful, but sometimes you just need to veg out. 

4. Going out for coffee. Besides the occasional coffee I pick up at work when I'm in need of a little pick me up, I usually brew my own coffee in the mornings or forgo it.  I like the experience of grabbing an americano at one of the local coffee shops leisurely on the weekends. It's the little things, ya know?

I effin love latte art too. 

5. A nice long run and stretching followed by a big meal and a long nap. Enough said. 

6. Brunch. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day so doing it leisurely on the weekends with others is the best. Even if mimosas aren't involved, but as long as there are pancakes!

Yes, I've been watching Parks and Rec on Netflix. 

7. Throwing back a few beers. I haven't had too much of a chance to hang out and have a few drinks these past couple of weeks (that's what happens when you're an adult, boo) so it was nice to have a night to try some craft beers and see some friends.

I'll just leave you with dose of truth from me, speaking of good days: 

#nutbuttersanonymous

Did you have a lazy weekend? What's the last good thing you watched on Netflix or TV?

Friday Favorites 1/24/2014

Ugh, this polar vortex weather makes me want to do nothing but put on tons of layers and lay on the couch watching TV. Like most of the Northeast, I had a snow day and a half this week where I did just that, along with lots of sleeping of course.  I suppose I can't be too unhappy because today is Friday! I start taking my last prerequisite class for grad school next week along with hopefully figuring out some sort of half marathon training plan. The only thing I'm looking forward to today is a charity cycle class at REV that I won a spot in thanks to Mary! Here are some of my favorite things from this week. 

Five Friday Favorites

Favorite website/app: Poshmark

This week I've been addicted to Poshmark, an android/iPhone app (it also has a limited website) that is a virtual consignment store which allows you to buy and sell clothes, shoes, and accessories with the click of a button! After you sign up, you can just take photos of items you want to sell with the app and list them within seconds. I just started adding some things into my closet on Poshmark since I'm constantly switching up my wardrobe. I usually only buy things on sale and lots of consignment pieces due to my tiny bank account. The problem now is that I just want to buy everything and haven't sold anything yet! I bought a couple of workout tops, a J. crew plaid skirt, and a few dresses for spring so far.  Check out my closet (username: lserks1) -I've got some dresses, coats, and my first real pair of running shoes-Brooks Ghost 4 in 9.5 that still have miles on them!  

Favorite on the go breakfast: P28 High Protein Bagels

Besides my lazy snow day, I've been running late each morning which means I've had to whip up something quick for breakfast. I am LOVING these bagels with a banana, almond butter, and jam as a quick breakfast for when I'm rushing out the door. They aren't gluten-free, but they are 100% whole wheat and 100% natural and taste pretty darn good for a store-bought bagel. My main reason for eating them is that each bagel packs 28g of protein which I'm always trying to make sure I get enough of! P28 also makes flatbreads, bread, and peanut butter, which I have yet to try. I bought the bagels from Wegman's but you can find them online too!

Favorite guilty pleasure TV show: The Carrie Diaries

As a huge Sex and the City fan, I scoffed at the talk of a prequel TV series that followed young Carrie in high school. After a recommendation by a friend because of the fashion on the show, I watched the first episode of Season 1 on Netflix a couple of weeks ago while trying to run a few miles on the treadmill without dying of boredom.  Well, it looks like I'm hooked. I've watched about 5 more episodes and even though it's a cheesy teen dramedy, it's entertaining and endearing. Also the 80's fashion and music is amazing.

Favorite lust-worthy workout item: Oiselle Lux Side Zip Top

I don't own any pieces from Oiselle but everything I see looks so comfy! This side zip running top looks perfect for cold weather running. It's wicking and even has thumbholes.  I would probably wear this around the house too, let's be honest. I definitely wouldn't mind having this gift to me :)

Favorite item on my must-bake list this weekend: Naturally Red, Red Velvet  Chocolate Chip Cookies from Delighted Mama

I'm a sucker for sweets, if you didn't already know. I'm so excited that I found the Delighted Mama blog this week where there are tons of recipes for healthier sweets (including lots of gluten-free, paleo, etc.).  This cookie looks like the perfect treat to make this weekend since I  have all the ingredients on hand and love anything red velvet. The red color comes from beets so they are not only all-natural  but also reminiscent of Valentine's Day (which is right around the corner!). 

What's your favorite quick breakfast? Did you have a snow day this week?