Tag Archives: bibrave pro

This And That

I think when last I left you, I had been in Hawaii then sadly came home to the freezing cold.  I did post a picture of some snow, but here… I have a better one.  My first day back at work, I got stuck, even with studded snow tires.  I’m the blue SUV.  I didn’t feel half as bad as the yellow JEEP who also got just as stuck.  (Okay, so we both only have front-wheel drive.)  No one got up the driveway that day.  Eventually when it was time to go home, we who were stuck had to dig ourselves out.  Gotta say, I have some really great co-workers as everyone helped (which basically consisted of 3 other women, but damn, we killed it with the snow shovels… boys, take note, 😀 ).

It’s the beginning of March and with all the snow and cold weather, we’ve yet to see any babies at the wildlife rescue center, for which I’m extremely grateful.  History dictates that first up will be the baby cottontails or the baby raptors.  But while we don’t have wild baby bunnies yet, I do have have one big baby that I care for and hug on daily… the clinic manager’s bunny that hangs out with me and guilts me into feeding him treats.  Daryl got himself a nice polar bear knitted cap which he doesn’t really like wearing, but it doesn’t matter, he’s too freaking cute.  (Just FYI… I do not cuddle on the wild baby bunnies… wildlife remains wild.)

This weekend was the Seattle Allstate Hot Chocolate 15k that James and I both signed up for to represent BibRave.  It was the first race of 2018 for both of us.  As this is a partnered event with Bibrave, I’ll cover the legalities now:

Disclaimer: I received free entry to the Allstate Hot Chocolate Seattle race as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!”

Saturday had us going to the race expo and practicing travel logistics for the race on Sunday.  But, I have to say, this race support has been great from the very start.  Once I signed up, I was emailed a 10-week training plan based on my pace.  They then emailed me every week to remind me which week I was supposed to be on for training.  Fabulous support throughout the training.  Kudos to them.

If you want to know how I did, you’ll have to stay tuned.  Spoiler alert:  I did not have a good day.

 

 

Lastly, today would have been my mother’s 81st birthday AND my brother’s 60th birthday.  Yes, my mother’s first child was born on her 21st birthday… what a fabulous gift.  For those who are new to my blog, my brother died in 2015 from cancer and my mother died several months later in 2016 of complications from a GI bleed.

Today, on their special day, this song is for them:

Lyrics:

Sorry I never told you
All I wanted to say
Now it’s too late to hold you
‘Cause you’ve flown away
So far away
Never had I imagined
Living without your smile
Feeling and knowing you hear me
It keeps me alive
Alive
And I know you’re shining down on me from heaven
Like so many friends we’ve lost along the way
And I know eventually we’ll be together
One sweet day
Darling I never showed you
Assumed you’d always be there
I, I took your presence for granted
But I always cared
And I miss the love we shared
And I know you’re shining down on me from heaven
Like so many friends we’ve lost along the way
And I know eventually we’ll be together
One sweet day
Although the sun will never shine the same
I’ll always look to a brighter day
Lord I know when I lay me down to sleep
You will always listen as I pray
And I know you’re shining down on me from heaven
Like so many friends we’ve lost along the way
And I know eventually we’ll be together
One sweet day
Sorry I never told you
All I wanted to say

Under Armour HOVR Sonic Shoes

I’m home from vacation now, and look what I came back to!  It was in the 50s (10s) when I left, and now look at it!  It’s the never-ending winter, I swear!

But I’m not here to gab on about how cold it is… I got to test new running shoes!  Read on…

Disclaimer: I received a free pair of Under Armour HOVR Sonic shoes as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews! As always, all opinions are my own and based on my personal testing experience.

Under Armour has just released a new shoe this month, otherwise knows as the UA HOVR Sonic.  I had great fun testing these out.  Before I get into my thoughts on them, let me give you the specs which were taken directly from UA’s website:

  • DIGITALLY CONNECTED: (UA.com & Brand House Exclusive!) UA’s Record Sensor™ technology tracks, analyzes & stores virtually every running metric so you know exactly what you need to do to get better
  • UA HOVR® technology provides ‘zero gravity feel’ to maintain energy return that helps eliminate impact step after step
  • Compression mesh Energy Web contains & molds UA HOVR® foam to give back the energy you put in
  • Microthread upper dries fast & provides a breathable, compression-like fit that delivers lightweight directional strength & unmatched comfort to help you go the distance
  • Ventilated midfoot panel increases breathability
  • Unique tongue construction is attached to the footbed by stretchable support wings to maintain a snug fit throughout the foot
  • External TPU heel counter for additional support & structure
  • Removable, anti-microbial Ortholite® sockliner molds to the foot for customized comfort &  cushion
  • Blown rubber under the forefoot is lightweight yet incredibly responsive
  • High-abrasion rubber placed under the heel to help absorb ground contact
  • Offset: 8mm
  • Weight: 8oz/225g

My first thought when I put the shoes on was “super comfortable.”

As they come with a sensor in the heels, they connect to Map My Run or Map My Fitness so you can track all your running data.  For us data geeks, this is a super cool techie thing.  The shoes track your cadence, stride, miles, pace, and splits.  All this data stores in the shoe’s sensors so  you don’t have to take your phone with you on your run, and it syncs up nicely to the app when you’re done.

As a lot of you may know, I’m a fair weather runner and I do the majority of my running right now on the treadmill.  These shoes are fabulous for treadmill running.  Sometimes your watch and treadmill don’t always coincide, ever notice that? But as the shoes are tracking your stride and cadence with sensors in both heels, this seems to line up nicely.

I also give them two thumbs up for appearance.  I love the “Brilliance” color I received, and the microthread upper is unique looking and breathable.

There was only one downside to these shoes that I noticed… the traction.  They do great on dry surfaces, but I went for a run a couple of times after it had rained and/or while it was sprinkling, and I felt they were a little slippy.  However, that being said, I will have no problem running in them once the rainy season has stopped in July.

In summary, these are very comfy shoes with a very comfy price point of $100, especially for what you get.  As I prefer a more cushioned shoe, I wouldn’t run further than 10 miles in them, but I think that’s more of a personal preference as everyone is different.  These shoes are definitely staying in the rotation until they wear out!

  • So tell me… have you ever heard of shoes with sensors in the heels?  (I hadn’t)  
  • Has anyone bought any new shoes lately that you’re excited about?  If so, what’d you get?
  • As I’m so behind on my blogging, anyone got a race coming up soon?
  • Is your part of the world warming up yet????

OOfos — Feel The Oo!

Disclaimer: I received a pair of OOFOS sandals to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews! All opinions are my own. 

In the spring of 2016, I suffered from a bout of plantar fasciitis with some added morning heel pain.  It was a very hard year to get through, with 9 races scheduled.  I remember Rock ‘N’ Roll Seattle being a very painful race to finish.  I stood in the corrals for about an hour before I crossed the start line and I was already sweating bullets from the pain in my feet.

After months of Arnica therapy (thanks Rob!) and heat and ice treatment on my feet and Achilles, I got the PF under control.  However, I still suffered a bit from heel pain first thing in the morning.  Enter OOFOS recovery sandal!  Admittedly, I felt the oo the minute I slipped these on.  Heaven sent, and I’m not kidding.  I then put them on first thing the next morning, and holy wow!  No heel pain whatsoever!

Feeling the OO after a Seahawks pedicure!

Why OOFOS?

  • OOfoam absorbs more shock than traditional foam.
  • Patented footbed.  Reduces stress on sore feet, knees and back.
  • Cradles your arches.
  • Biomechanically designed, they enable your foot to move the way nature intended.
  • They bloody well feel great!

Also, with every Project Pink shoe that is sold, $10 will go to breast cancer research.

Final Thoughts

I love this shoe.  My feet feel fantastic after wearing them for a couple of weeks, and they’re especially amazing after a workout.  They’ve passed the rain test… no slipping or sliding.  I now wear two types of shoes… my trainers and my OOFOS.  I feel everyone, runner or not, would benefit from wearing these sandals.  And that is my honest personal opinion.

Still in doubt?  Go check out these reviews from my BRP friends.  If I haven’t convinced you, they just might!  Mai; Meredith; Jenna; Vanessa; Laura; Emily.

BibRave Pro!

I have a fun announcement!  I’ve been selected to be a BibRave ambassador, otherwise known as a BibRave Pro!

What is BibRave?  BibRave is a website that provides a community forum for runners to research and review races.  Anyone can submit a race review and there are no fees to use the service.  There is already a great online community and a weekly twitter chat, #bibchat, hosted each Tuesday at 6pm PST.

What is a BibRave Pro?  BibRave Pros are run bloggers who help spread the word about BibRave and BibRave-partnered races and brands.

What does this mean?  It basically means I’ll be reviewing races and products right here on my blog and continue to write race reviews on BibRave.

I’ve updated my website to include some discount codes.  If you’re interested in a race discount code, such as any Rock N Roll or Hot Chocolate race, you can visit my Race Discounts tab, and for gear and product discounts, visit my Gear Discounts tab.  These discounts are for runners and non-runners alike!

If you’d like more information on BibRave, you can visit http://www.bibrave.com.

I’m super excited to be doing this!  Wish me luck!!  You may be seeing a lot of orange in my near future!!