Clothing Review - INKnBURN Healing Mandela Pullover

Umm, guys. Have you checked out the INKnBURN site lately? I mean, there has been a lot of great pieces come out that I love like the Octopus Hoodie, the Chameleon skirt, and the Wildflower longsleeve tech but I gotta say, the long sleeve pullovers that were just released blow these out of the water. I can already tell, they are going to be my go-to shirts for the Fall and Winter, and probably into next Spring as well. They are just perfect. They are soft and cozy and fit so well. I love then thumb holes. And have you seen them? I mean, talk about knocking it outta the park with the Healing Mandela design. Whoa.

So, let's get to the shirt. I mean, I can talk about it all day, but you want to see what I'm talking about!

 Here are the photos from the INKnBURN website. Looks good, right?

Here I am at the gym. I wear a medium and did have a tech shirt on under it.

The front. Such a great design. It reminds me of the adult coloring books that are so popular right now.

The back is just gorgeous!

 The sleeves are not missing a thing! The thumb holes work great. I really like that they cover my palm and work almost like a mini glove if I happen to forget a pair.

Here I am at my CrossFit box. Works well for lifting. I didn't feel uncomfortable doing an overhead move, nor did the shirt ride up and expose my not-so-rock-solid abs. #winning

Seriously, if you don't order anything else from INKnBURN in the next couple of months, don't miss out on this. Or the pair to it, the Crane Pullover. (pictures from me coming soon!) These are top notch pieces of clothing, fitness or no. INKnBURN has really stepped up their game on this, and you don't want to miss out!

The front and back of the Crane Pullover

And speaking of games, did I mention that tonight is Game 3 of the World Series?! That's baseball for those of you that don't pay attention. (Tsk! Tsk!) Tonight's game is in NYC, and I'm pretty pumped that my Boys in Blue are up in the series 2-0. Take the Crown, boys. Take the Crown and bring it home to Kansas City!

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New Shoes - Reebok CrossFit Nanos 2.0 Review

Yahoo! New shoes! Can you tell yet that I love new shoes? And really, who doesn't?

This past weekend I was at Academy Sports to purchase some sneakers for my son, and thought I'd check out the Nanos while I was there. I'd tried on a pair at Dick's a couple of months ago to figure out my size, but just hadn't pulled the trigger yet to purchase a pair. So, in the Nano section there were several choices in color and model. Nanos go all the way up to 5.0 right now, and I was pretty sure that there wasn't a huge amount of difference in the models. Having just started CrossFit this past June, I wanted to give myself some time to make sure I really enjoyed CrossFit before I invested $120+ into shoes just for that activity. (I know, I pay way more than that for running shoes, but I already know I love to run...and stuff like that. Don't pick on me!)

Anyway, there in the Nano section was a pair of 2.0s marked down to just $39.99. Whoa. Let me take a second look at those. They weren't my first color choice, but at that price I could certainly look past their wild side and give them a shot. And really, the colors match everything I own in the fitness department - I wouldn't look silly wearing them.  :)

I've worn them for two days now at the 6am CrossFit class. And so far, I like 'em. They take some getting used to as they are very flat inside and offer no arch support. But that works for what they help you do - grip the floor to make lifting work easier. At first they almost felt like clown shoes with how much room my toes had to move around, but after two days, I like it. I get it. They work.

Like I said, the color choice is bright. Like some neon puke just landed all over my shoes. But, that too is growing on me, and I'm starting to like it. Neon is popular in fitness gear right now, and I wear a lot of it. So, why not have matching shoes?!

 The soles after two days in class. Day one was rowing, lifting on a rubber floor, and then a one mile run - outside. These are certainly not running shoes, and anything beyond a mile I would want to change out of these and into general sneakers or running shoes. These are not made for running. I also wouldn't want to do much more than a mile outside. I like to keep the soles looking pretty.

I sized up to an 8.5. I wear 8s in normal, everyday shoes. I wear 8.5 in running and gym sneakers. So, I stuck with the 8.5 for these as well. They don't feel too big at all. Just right and roomy, like they should be.

The verdict - I'm keeping 'em. I'm glad I purchased them. Is it silly to say that they make me feel like a real, legit, CrossFitter now? I mean, I've got the shoes - I must be part of the club. And by club, of course I mean cool kids club. What other kind of club is there?



In other news, tonight marks Game 1 of the World Series, and for the second time in as many years, The Royals are headed to the Fall Classic. Go Royals! #TakeTheCrown

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Weekly Wrap-Up for October 18 - 24, 2015

My week of fitness looked like this...

Sunday -

Monday - 8:30am Jazzercise

Tuesday - 6am CrossFit
                 9am Yoga
                 3pm Finger nail biting while watching the Royals beat the Blue Jays

Wednesday - 6am Boot Camp
                      8:30am Jazzercise

Thursday - 6am CrossFit
                  8:30am Jazzercise
                  4:30pm 3.5m walk

Friday - Rest Day

Saturday - 4m easy run with KC Express

Fitness and Travel

Recently I traveled to my parents home in Oregon so my boys could spend a fun week with Grandma and Grandpa. Knowing that I had a half marathon coming up just two days after I returned home, I knew I couldn't let my fitness slide while I was out of my normal routine. So, I planned ahead.

First I checked out Facebook to see what some options would be. That search feature in Facebook is pretty great, and with little effort I was able to see that the small town I was going to be in had a Jazzercise Center.  Yahoo! My membership with Jazzercise is good with any center in the country. Right there I was able to see that I'd have access to daily classes that I was familiar with, and wouldn't cost me anything.

I also checked to see if the town had a CrossFit Box. Turns out, yes, they did. Great! Another type of exercise that I am familiar with, and would be able to do a drop-in with little to no problems.

My parents live in a pretty small town (think less than 10,000 people), and it's not a subarb. I wasn't sure if they'd have anything, and at this point I was really excited.

I did a little more searching, this time on Google, and found that there were two gyms in town. There were also a couple of yoga studios listed on Google, but when I tried to look on their websites, they were not updated and I wasn't sure if they were still in business. When I sent in inquiry about class schedules, no response was received.

At this point, I knew I had options, and would wait to see how they played out once I was in town. The key to this was the planning ahead, and spending a little time before the trip to see what options I had. I know I can always just pack my running shoes, but I'm more of a social exerciser.

Once in town, I checked out the Jazzercise place. Jess and her staff couldn't have been more welcoming and friendly. The other classmates were also friendly, and I felt comfortable from the get go. I ended up taking three classes at the center over the week, and would have taken another but class ended up being canceled due to instructor injury.

I also took a class at the local CrossFit box, and again, was welcomed right away. The coach was great, and gave me some good pointers on my form. I had a great partner for part of the workout, and would have gone back had the times lined up with my schedule.

I also spent a lot of time walking. My parents live in the downtown section of this small town, so everything is less than a mile away. It was great to get in some extra steps and window shop. And it burned off energy that my young boys had, so that was certainly a #winning thing.

I'm so glad I spent a few minutes before I left town and my normal routine to make sure I'd be able to maintain my fitness while I was gone. A little planning went a long way. When you travel, do you plan ahead as well? How so?

Race Review - Kansas City Marathon 10.17.2015

Another October is here, and with it brings crisp Fall temperatures, and the Kansas City Marathon, my home town run. This is the half marathon that started it all for me, and for that, it has a warm spot in my heart. In 2012 I ran it for the first time and finished at 2:22:50 - not bad for a first timer. This year, I ran it for the second time as a pacer - a guide on the course to help others achieve their running goals.

Like my tights? INKnBURN made them!

The SmartPacing team for the 2015 Kansas City Marathon

I serve as an on-the-spot cheerleader, someone who encourages, distracts, assists, and doesn't let you fail. I really love that role, and love it at this race even more. This is the big race for Kansas City; the one with all the cards. The whole city comes out to support the 10,000 runners to flood the city on a Saturday each October for one morning. It is a special day in the city, and for the past couple of years has been even more special because our Boys In Blue (aka The Royals) have been in the post-season, so you see a lot of blue on the streets.  #GoRoyals #TakeTheCrown

This year I was placed at the 2:55 group (I mean 2:50-FUN!), and I ended up in the lead pacer position. I haven't ever been the lead pacer, but I jumped to the challenge, and gave it my best go. At the start of the race I tried to connect and say hello to as many runners in my group as possible. We played our 'air band' instruments (I did guitar and drums), danced a bit, and took a selfie (duh).

At 7:00am the gun was shot, and the race was off. It was 8+ minutes before we crossed the start line, but the party was on. We were rockin'! 

A couple of miles in the sun finally came out, so I had to dig out my sunglasses, and it warmed up a bit. Not enough to take off the hat and gloves, but it wasn't quite so cold. As a group, we worked the hills, climbing them light pole by light pole. We were grooving! So much so, that we had to stop and take another selfie about mile 3.

About Mile 8 I started to realize that my watch was off on the mile markers laid out by the race. When the mile marker said 8, others around me had a reading of 8.15, and  my watch was reading 8.25. This really threw me off, and I knew that I was going to have a hard time reaching my pace time of 2:55. I encouraged those around me that wanted to reach an official time of 2:55 or less to try and speed up their pace. I received a lot of 'I just want to finish' from the crowd around me. I totally understand that. The newness of the race has worn off, and about that time you are thinking things like "Why the hell did I sign up for this?" and "OMG, it is over yet?" Racing can be tough on the brain, and having a pacer along for the ride really helps. Being a pacer, you need to stay calm, cool, and collected. I didn't want to show too much about being off time, but I wanted to make those around me aware of my error. 

Mile 12 rolled up, and I really started to encourage all those around me to start to think about only having a mile left in the race, and if they were reaching for a certain time to keep that in mind. The last half mile is a tough stretch, with a pretty big, long hill at the end. At that point I really wanted those around me to give it all they had, and empty their tank. I always want people to finish strong and confident, and I saw a lot of that happening. Awesome!

I ended up finishing the race at 2:57:00. Not the goal time I was reaching for, but I learned some things from this race. First - I like being the tailer pacer. I like having that little bit of leeway and flexibility. I like being the cheerleader. As a lead pacer, I think I need to lose a bit of the cheering and focus more on my watch. So I'll have to work on that for the next race.  I also learned that I need to be able to adjust my pace to what the mile markers are saying. I think that goes hand in hand with being a lead pacer, and again, I'll work on that. I want to be able to deliver the time I've been asked to keep. Live and learn on this one.

Over all, another great race hosted by Kansas City. Love it!

Did I forget to mention, I jump this town!

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Weekly Wrap-Up for October 11-17, 2015

My week of fitness looked like this...

Sunday - Rest Day

Monday - 9am Jazzercise - Never miss a Monday!

Tuesday - The Jazzercise class was canceled, so I read a book.

Wednesday - I walked around the Portland, OR zoo with the family, but no formal fitness.

Thursday - Travel Day

Friday - Some quality time with my boys, and race packet pick-up for the half marathon.

Saturday - The Kansas City Half Marathon

Weekly Wrap-Up for October 4 - 10, 2015

My week of fitness looked like this...

Sunday -  Fun day with the family.

Monday - 6am CrossFit
                 8:30am Jazzercise
                 5pm 2m walking on the treadmill during the boy's karate class

Tuesday - 6am CrossFit

Wednesday - 6am CrossFit

Thursday - No formal exercise, just family time.

Friday - 9am Jazzercise
               530pm CrossFit

Saturday - 8am Jazzercise

Weekly Wrap-Up September 27 - October 3, 2015

My week of fitness looked like this...

Sunday - Rugged Ridge race 1.67m with obstacles

Monday - 8:30am Jazzercise
                500pm 1.6m treadmilll walk & 3m treadmilll run

Tuesday - 6am CrossFit - I hurt my back catching a wall ball, and wowzers it hurts! Didn't finish the class. Rested the remainder of the day.

Wednesday - Rest day to let my back heal.

Thursday - Finally feel good enough to give the treadmill a try. Walked 1.37m.

Friday - Another rest day.

Saturday - 8:30am yoga class