Music to My Ears - Koss Headphones Review

This post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Koss.

This last week I received not one but two pairs of headphones from Koss. These headphones are different from other headphones because they are made specifically for active women! In fact, they were designed by Olympic Gold Medalist, Dara Torres. I was sent both the FitClips - ear clip headphones and the smaller FitBuds - that fit in your ear. I have been on the hunt for new headphones and these showed up at just the right time! 

Gifts from Koss

The first pair that I tried on my run was the FitClips. The first thing I noticed about the clips was how light they were. They fit over my ear and didn't weigh it down at all. A lot of times the over the ear headphones will start to put pressure on the outside of my ears because of the weight, but not these, I hardly noticed that they were there. I also love the color. For anyone who has run the Nike Women's Marathon, these come in a great Tiffany blue teal color! They are also sweat resistant and come with three ear cushions, small, medium and large, to help you create a custom fit. 

I wore the FitClips for the California International Marathon Relay race on Sunday and they were a great fit and kept the music flowing during my six mile leg of the race. The also kept my ears a bit warmer than they would have been if they were exposed to the cold - in the low 30's on race day - brrr!

CIM Race Day Outfit - FitClips in the top right corner!

The second pair of headphones were the FitBuds. These came in a fun, bright coral color. I liked the fit of these headphones. I had to put on the smaller ear cover to keep the earbuds in my ears, but once I adjusted the size properly, they stayed put. I will be wearing these for training runs and when I'm listening to music around the house. Personally, when I am running long distances I will be wearing the FitClips because I don't want to take chance that I have to worry about my FitBuds moving. This is just a personal preference. I feel the most secure in the FitClips and they will be my racing and marathon headphones. 

FitBuds - sweat resistant and they do not fall out!

Both of these headphones have a lot to offer for a female athlete. They were designed for women, by women. They feature a 33% smaller fit than traditional headphones, fit more women's ears, are sweat resistant and come in stylish and bright colors. These will make great stocking stuffers or gifts for your fellow runners this Christmas season. Generally, these retail for $29.99, but during the holiday season they will be offered for a discounted price of $19.99. You can find the earbuds at many local retailers:

• Best Buy
• Wal-Mart
• Walgreens
• Kmart
• Sears

What are you waiting for? Grab a pair for yourself and one to give to a friend. At this great price, you don't want to miss out. When you snag a pair be sure to let me know what you think. Follow Koss on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for more holiday ideas!

Happy Running!

Your Feet Have a New Best Friend in the Mizuno Wave Rider 17

The following post is sponsored by Fitfluential LLC on behalf of Mizuno. 

The day before Thanksgiving a special package showed up at my door from Mizuno Running. As a member of the FitFluential community I get the opportunity to try new products from time to time and share my opinion with my readers! On Wednesday morning, as Thanksgiving preparations were in full swing, a shoebox containing the new Mizuno Running Wave Rider 17 arrived. I am always ready to try new shoes and I was ready to run. I wore tested them around the house on Wednesday and Thursday morning took them to the lake for their first run! 

Thursday morning was a gorgeous day. I dressed for a cold morning run but quickly warmed up. The Wave Rider 17's performed really well on their first three miler. According to Mizuno, the shoes are created for a neutral runner with just enough cushioning to perform well at high mileage training. I felt great during this run and barely even noticed the shoes on my feet. If they weren't so fun and bright to look at I might not even notice them on my runs. I would definitely consider using these for my next half marathon training program - I just have to find a race to sign up for!

The shoe weigh's in at 7.4 oz (varies by size) and has a midsole with incredibly lightweight and resilient cushioning. I noticed that it was very responsive both on the cement path and on the packed dirt trail around the lake. The sole has deep flex grooves that offer optimal flexibility and cushioning and seemed to work well on multiple surfaces.

They also seem to have caught the eye of the male population as I was asked on a running date by a complete stranger. So ladies, if you're looking to find a man perhaps these shoes could also play matchmaker? You could turn shoe love into true love. Too much? Honestly, the shoes look great and everyone wants to look good while they run. I know that it makes me faster when I feel like I look the part. These shoes definitely gave me confidence and they can do the same for you, especially in a bright fun color like I received. Don't be afraid to make yourself visible on the road. Bright colors are fashionable and keep you out of harm's way. Mizuno also did great with color combinations on the Wave Rider 17 so you are sure to find one to fit your style and personality. 

 

If you are looking for a shoe that will stand up to the pressure of running hard miles while offering you a smooth ride the Wave Rider 17 may be for you. They release on December 5th, so you can pick up your very own pair in just a few short days. These would also be a great shoe to put on your Christmas list or gift to your favorite runner! You can never have too many running shoes so go ahead and tell Santa you've been a good girl (or boy) this year and add them to your list. 

When you snag a pair be sure to let me know what you think in the comments below or share a picture on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #WaveRider17 and spread the word. Keep the #mezamashii running spirit of Mizuno alive with the Wave Rider 17 this holiday season.

Mizuno Wave Sayonara Review

The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Mizuno.

These last few weeks I have been testing out the Mizuno Wave Sayonara running shoe. As an ambassador for FitFluential I occasionally have the opportunity to try out new products and I was recently sent a pair of the entirely new Mizuno Wave Sayonara shoe releasing on July 5th. I have been running in my Nike Lunarglide's and Nike Free Run's so I was interested to see how these compare. They arrived about two weeks ago and I have been testing them out on runs ever since. 

Just out of the box!

The Mizuno Wave Sayonara comes in two colors. The blue color is for the men and the pretty pink color for the women. Yes, you may have noticed that my pair is the men's version. Unfortunately, for a girl I have very large feet and Mizuno did not have these produced in a women's size 11.5, while they do make my size in other shoe styles. They offered to send me the men's version and I have to say the bright blue color has grown on me. It's not as girly as the pink and purple, but I have already received quite a few compliments on them at the gym. Do you see the pretty pink ones below? How cute are they? I'm not normally a pink person, but oh how I want these! Maybe they will make them in my size soon? Pretty please Mizuno!

Fun Pink and Purple Women's Wave Sayonara

I started out my testing by wearing the shoes around the house. The first thing I noticed was how light the shoe is. The men's version is only 8.1oz and the women's version is 7.1oz (though weight may vary based on size). These shoes are Mizuno's lightest everyday training shoe yet. The second thing I noticed was how low to the ground these shoes are. This makes the shoes more responsive and I can see myself using these on shorter, faster runs and track workouts. Say goodbye to slow and hello to a speedy ride! 

The sole was really interesting to me. It's a G3 sole that is lightweight and offers superior traction. I did notice that the shoes seemed to be gripping the ground more than my current runners. The rubber sole also allows the shoe to be very flexible. The design on the bottom of the shoe is super fun too! Almost like a piece of artwork. Wouldn't you agree?

I took the shoes out on about five different runs, with the longest run being three miles. I can see putting these shoes into my rotation and using them for speed sessions and tempo runs. The shoes are firm enough to support my knees and feet, yet flexible enough to not feel heavy during speed work, a problem I have had in the past. 

Headed out on a three mile run through town.

The release of the Wave Sayonara fits in well with a new project Mizuno has started promoting. Their Mezamashii running project is described below:  

"The Mezamashii Run Project is an effort by Mizuno to help create a more euphoric running experience — a more "brilliant" run — for more runners everywhere. The word "mezamashii" means "eye-opening" or "brilliant" in Japanese — it's a word that captures the euphoric feeling of a brilliant run."  

Basically, it means transforming yourself and the world through running. Learning from your runs, growing from your runs and sharing that feeling with the world around you. Make that world a better place. I personally have experienced so many freeing moments on my runs and consider myself a member of Mezamashii. Running gives me an outlet, it gets me out of the house and allows me to have time to either be alone with my thoughts or to relax and hang out with my friends by sharing the same passion. For some inspiration from other Mezamashii runners, check out the video below.

If you're looking for a light shoe with superior cushioning and a fun design, you can find that in the Mizuno Wave Sayonara. These shoes release July 5, 2013 and retail for $119.99. With so many upcoming fall races now is the time to invest in a great training shoe and you can't go wrong with the Wave Sayonara. Will you join me in finding Mezamashii running?

I PR'd at the Shamrock'n Half Marathon!

I am happy to report that today I ran my fastest half marathon at the Shamrock'n Half in Sacramento, CA! I have been training over the last few months and today was the day I got to put that training to the test. I woke up at 5:45 to prepare and drive to the race. I was in the first wave and shooting for a sub 2-hour finish. Fueled by Nuun Hydration, Clif Shot Bloks, and my race wardrobe courtesy of Athleta and my kicks a gift from Nike, I was ready to make this my winning race!

We got to the start line forty-five minutes early and I was freezing until the sun finally came out. My training partner and I were near the front of the corral and started promptly at 7:45. The race was through downtown Sacramento, crossed a few bridges and then hit the bike trail. I stuck with my training partner until about mile four and then ended up getting a bit ahead of her. When I looked at my Nike GPS watch and saw how fast I was going I knew if I could keep up the pace I would beat my goal.

Me at the start line of the race!

The race was relatively flat with some rolling hills. I felt really strong for the first 5-6 miles, I did slow down and try to find my training partner around mile six, but couldn't see her so I kept going. Around mile eight I started to question why I was doing this. I told myself to keep pushing. It helped that I saw a sign on the side that said "Keep going unless you puke, faint, or die." Talk about motivation! I kept pushing and actually sped up during those final five miles. My fastest mile was mile 13, which I ran at a pace of 8:17. The race ended on the field of the Sacramento River Cats Baseball team and it was really fun to round the bases to the finish chute! 

Mid race, around mile 8! 

I finished the race with a time of 1:53:45 and I waited at the finish for my training partner to come through. She crossed with a time of 2:04 and I am very proud of her! We picked up our race medals, which I absolutely love and headed up to meet our friends and take some pictures! 

At the finish with our medals! 

This race was an amazing experience and I enjoyed it so much. I had a lot of friends that ran this for their first half marathon and I am so proud of their accomplishments. I am sure this is only the first of many for them. My next half marathon is only six weeks away at the Nike Women's Marathon in Washington, DC. I am excited to see how well I do there. 

Proof that this was my fastest half marathon! 

I love the Nike App because it keeps track of my previous times and records so well. I loved seeing this after my big run today! It's such a great feeling to be able to track progress and see the positive progression over time in my running. 

I hope you all had a fun St. Patrick's Day and if you raced, congratulations! 

Crossfit, New Tunes and Running!

It's been a while since my last post. This week has been so busy, I apologize for the delay! The basketball team that I coach had three games this week, of which we won two, so it was a pretty good week for them. With work, coaching and keeping up with my own fitness time just seems to fly by.

This week I tried my first Crossfit class on Wednesday and my second on Saturday. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I was excited. The workouts were tough and I did so many squats! The Workout of the Day (WOD) changes each time, but it is always challenging. It's kind of like intense circuit training. We did a short 800 meter sprint followed by 21 squats, 12 pull-ups, a 400 meter sprint, 50 burpees, 75 push presses and 100 squats with weight. We repeated this sequence twice and ended with a 1000 meter sprint. My quads have been so sore all week. Running on Friday and Sunday I could really feel my legs. I do think this is a great workout and the instructors at this gym really challenged me to push my limits. If you have a chance to give it a try, do it! Often there are great deals on Groupon!

Also this week, I found an interesting article about workout mixes. Did you know that you can get workouts on iTunes that are guided by athletes such as Kara Goucher and Serena Williams? Read the review here and then head over to iTunes to check them out. They were made in 2009 so the songs are older, but having Kara and Serena talk me through a workout is pretty exciting!

During my running this week I was very happy to be able to do a few runs in sub-8 minute miles. I'm focusing on speed this year so this is positive news. I'm hoping to push the pace this next week and see what happens! Any tips for speed work? Leave me a comment with your advice or encouragement!

2012 - A Year for the Record Books

2012 was an amazing year! If I had been asked in December 2011 what I expected 2012 to look like, it would not have been nearly this exciting. As a fitness enthusiast, I could not have asked for a better year. I can't believe what an amazing journey it has been and I am so excited to see what 2013 holds. Here's a look back at what made my 2012 spectacular!

I ran my first Bay to Breakers 12k race in San Francisco! I love running in San Francisco and this race is a beautiful short run throughout the city. A must run event on any serious runners race calendar!

I got to run with ultra endurance athlete Jason Lester on his journey across the country with the Nike Journey for a Better World Campaign. This was such an inspiring run and I can't believe I got to meet him and run with him. Dream come true!

I had the chance to work this summer for the Sacramento Capitals World Team Tennis tournament as their marketing coordinator and I had the privilege of meeting some top ranked players, like Sam Querrey and Mardy Fish. As a tennis player and enthusiast, this was such a neat opportunity and I really enjoyed working with this team on their digital marketing, definitely something I want to pursue in the future (hint - Nike - I'm ready to be part of your social media team!)

The Nike Women team featured me in one of their campaigns for my achievements with the Nike Training Club App! The workouts on this app totally changed my body for the better and I am stronger and more toned because of these drills. Thank you Nike for recognizing my hard work!

In October I got my Black Belt in Taekwondo the week before I ran my 2nd marathon. I have been working on this achievement for so long and I made it to the big day! I was so honored to have put in the work and achieved this ranking, I can't wait to continue my journey in martial arts in the future. 

In October I ran my 2nd Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco and got to meet my favorite trainer, Marie Purvis! She is the developer of the Nike Training Club workouts and I was in awe of her, seriously, such an amazing trainer! She created my customized training plan for the Nike Women's Marathon and I PR'd!

Nike Women selected a group of five ladies to train and dote upon with Nike gear for the Nike Women's Marathon and I was one of the chosen ones, along with Renisha, Elizabeth, Tiara and Nerissa. As Nike Women's Marathon 2012 Training Ambassadors we were given elite training gear, a personalized training plan, a photo shoot in San Francisco and an all expenses paid weekend at the race. Nike made my year with this one. I will never forget this experience and hope that it is not the last time that I get to work with them. This is a picture of the group of us before the race!

Crossing the finish line at the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco! Such a proud moment. Thank you for making this possible Nike!

I found out about a month ago that I was accepted as a FitFluential Ambassador and while I haven't done much yet with them, I know there will be incredible opportunities to participate in campaigns with them and improve my blog and fitness knowledge in 2013. Thank you for believing in me FitFluential!

I got to visit the Nike World Headquarters campus in Beaverton, OR and participate in a live NTC workout. This was a dream come true, I flew to Beaverton, slept for 4 hours and then got up at 5:30 in the morning for this workout with Nike Elite Trainers. I was impressed with the workout and the facility. I have made myself a promise that I will work here someday soon, currently it's on my 5 year plan. Get ready Nike, here I come!

A group of my friends from work and I did The Color Run in Sacramento. This was such a fun race, not necessarily for time, but just a really fun event for the whole family to enjoy. I would recommend this to everyone! Find one in your city this year, you won't regret it!

I ended 2012 with a trip to Sun River, OR for a snowboarding trip at Mt. Bachelor and it was a blast. So fun to try out different sports. While in Oregon I went for a run in the snow, snowboarded and got in an evening of iceskating. 

2012 was a year of many adventures, running events and training. Thank you to those who believed in me and those who are supporting me now and in the future. Thank you Nike, Nike Running, Nike Women, Nike Fuel, Marie Purvis, Leah Kim, Tiara, Elizabeth, Renisha, Nerissa and FitFluential for making this a year to remember.

Watch out 2013, I'm stepping out of my comfort zone and going for big goals!

Merry Christmas to All!

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all had an amazing day and that all your Christmas wishes came true. I had a great day with my husband and my parents just relaxing at Sun River Resort in Oregon. It was definitely a great idea to rent a cabin and spend time appreciating family. The snow today was gorgeous and I got to go out for a bit of a walk/run and took some great pictures with my family. It's definitely nice to be able to just get away from the everyday life events sometimes and appreciate the small things.

My dad and I went ice skating this evening, and while I don't think the US National Hockey team will be knocking on my door anytime soon, I still had a great time. With only one fall to speak of, I would say that today was a success. I was even getting into a bit of a rhythm near the end of our hour and a half of skating. I was definitely a bit too bundled, skating is a great workout and I was roasting, too many layers! I was a bit worried that I would not reach my Nike Fuel goal today because of all the lounging that we were doing, but ice skating really burned those Christmas calories!

Even when I don't get a workout in at the gym, I still find ways to stay active and keep my body guessing. Aaron and I even tried to get into the gym at the resort but we were turned away because we were not homeowners here. Oh, well, that will come soon enough...I hope! We decided we would make our own workout and instead shoveled snow off the balcony...tough work! I don't think anyone has shoveled the snow all season long, they must have known that some crazy fitness fanatics would be by just in time to clear the deck of three feet of snow!

I couldn't be more thankful for great friends and family this holiday season. How was your Christmas? Did you find any creative ways to stay active and enjoy time with your family? 

Sometimes it only takes a moment...

Sometimes I need to take a moment to pause and just think about how far I have come in my life. It's very hard sometimes to put in perspective where I was a year ago in comparison to where I am now. The team at Digital Royalty came up with a great concept for taking a moment in your busy day to just breathe and reflect. It's called, "Ready, Set, Pause." This week they even launched their very own Twitter handle @readysetpause to help implement this concept into our everyday lives. The idea behind it is that you take a moment in your busy day to just stop everything you're doing and give your body and mind a chance to pause and relax. It doesn't have to be long, it can be thirty seconds or 10 minutes, it just needs to be enough to let you feel rejuvenated. 

My implementation of the Ready, Set, Pause concept.

I have been trying to implement this concept into my life this week. I have so many changes and so much going on at all times, sometimes I get too caught up in what needs to be done that I don't take time for myself. Yesterday was one of those days, I don't think I stopped moving until after 11 in the evening. Today, all my rushing caught up with me. I finally had to realize it was time for a ready, set, pause moment. It made a world of difference, just consciously taking the time to clear my mind and focus on me helped to calm me down and put the days activities into perspective. 

As this year ends I can reflect on all that I have done and see that I was anything but complacent this year. From becoming a Nike Women's Marathon Ambassador, coaching high school girls varsity basketball, named a FitFluential ambassador, working a full time job, blogging and writing, my year has been full of new and exciting opportunities. I can only imagine that 2013 will be even better. 

With plans to get more involved with FitFluential, continue to work with Nike, blogging, studying to become a personal trainer, participating in my first triathlon, and hopefully opening my own studio, my time is going to be limited. Luckily, I have learned the importance of taking a moment for just me. 

Ready, Set, Pause

Happy Holidays!

FitFluential, Running, Snow...December is Full of Surprises

Today has been an interesting week, lots of exciting things are happening in my life, some good and some I'm still not sure about. This week I filled out my official FitFluential ambassador documents and I just can't wait for all the exciting opportunities this may bring, not to mention, the community I will get to interact with and learn from. I will be learning about what my responsibilities are within the next few weeks and am looking forward to 2013.

My first running group on Sunday went great and I enjoyed sharing my love of running with others. It was a fun group to run with and the five members were all different levels, from beginner to experienced racer. It was great to share running with others who want to learn and grow in the sport. Already, a few of the runners are planning on bringing their friends to this Sunday's group. I'm so excited to see this group grow!

Christmas is just around the corner and I am excited for our snowboarding trip! I haven't been in two years and I can't wait to go again. I'm sure I'll have to work myself back up to my former level, not that it was that high to begin with, but I can hardly wait to take on the challenge. It will be nice to get some different workouts in and snowboarding is a killer full body workout!

I'll definitely be taking my Nike Training Club workouts with me on the go with my iPhone and will get great workouts in while I'm away. It'll be a great opportunity to up those minutes and work my way to the 20,000 minute mark, as far as minutes trained goes. If you haven't tried the Nike Traning Club app yet, you need to! It is one of the best fitness apps out there and I highly recommend it for all your training needs. With preplanned workouts and step by step instructions, this app is the perfect fitness trainer.

How are you spending the holidays?

I'm a FitFluential Ambassador!

Today I found out that I was accepted as a FitFluential Ambassador! I'm excited about this opportunity because it is just another step in the right direction for my fitness career and a way to inspire even more people to work on their fitness and life goals. The email alerting me to my acceptance was a bit unexpected, but so exciting! I had applied months ago, right before my Nike Women ambassadorship took over.  Running the Nike Women's Marathon was one of the best experiences of my life and I can only hope that we will all meet up again for another race soon. 

"FitFluential is fitness found." It is an amazing online community of bloggers, ambassadors, enthusiasts and brands. It merges the online and the physical world into one amazing FitFluential community. With motivation and events across the country, it is a great place to connect with others who share my fitness passion. As I try to merge my love of fitness with my skills in social media, the FitFluential family will be key to my success. 

With so many new goals and challenges for 2013, the FitFluential community is just one area of my fitness journey that I hope will bring me closer to my goals. I also plan on becoming a personal trainer and running coach and expand my online presence. 

What are your goals for 2013 and for your fitness journey?