Skirt Sports Peek-a-Boo Review Part 1

The Peek-a-Boo is easily one of my favorite Skirt Sports skirts. I like nearly everything about it.

• It is the perfect length.
• The skirt is as light as a feather.
• The shorts underneath are super comfortable.
• The print is sassy and cute.
• There are pockets on both sides.
• The skirt stays put. It isn’t too tight, but it doesn’t move.

If I have to think of something to criticize, I guess it is a little tight in the tummy area. I’ve got some flab around the middle, and this skirt, definitely, gives me a muffin top. For some reason, my muffin top bothers me less these days, but that isn’t the point. Honestly, I’d rather have a muffin-top and not need a drawstring, then no muffin top and a draw string. Of course, just tight enough to not need a drawstring and no muffin-top at all would be ideal.

If you want a fun, short, summer skirt, this is a great choice.

This skirt is going fast. It is at a great price point right now, but sizes are limited. Check it out here. The peek-a-boo is on sale, but use my discount code (825Sign) if you would like to a try a full priced item.

Depression Monday, 4/16/2018

Well, I am encountering problems. My right quadricep is hurting (high-near the hip flexor) and my left foot hurts (toes). I’m working on it and trying not to get discouraged about it.
I wanted to do a double today, but I figured with everything hurting, it probably wasn’t the best idea. I didn't run again, and my kids were clearly disappointed.  Good grief, give me a break, right.

Happy Memories
Skirt Sports ambassadors have a challenge to share a race pic. I love this pic, because I ran it with a good friend, and we were happy and excited. I think that it is ridiculous that we didn’t figure out that the porta potties were our backdrop...lol

Marathon Pace Thursday 4/12/2018

Last week was a 85 mile week, but the miles and the race took its toll. I had to take Sunday off. I was really sore, and I probably needed a mental break. I had to really bring it in order to reach 85 miles last week.

At the end of the 25k, I realized that instead of a PR mileage week of 82, I was pretty close to 85. I ran to the parking-lot in  order to get as many miles as I could muster. There was no internet connection on the Ranch, so on my way home I stopped the car and uploaded my last few runs to see if I had made it. I had run 84.8. I had no choice. After all I had been through that day, I was going to get that last half of lap. I had two problems. My feet were wrinkled prunes. My water-proof socks had filled up with water, so each foot had its own personal swimming pool for 4 hours. Second, my legs hurt. They legitimately hurt with each step. I pulled into a neighborhood and pulled over. I put on some dry shoes with no socks and hobbled up and down the street. Mission accomplished, thank goodness.

The next day (Sunday), I was very sore, so I took the day off from running.

Monday 4/9/2018
Monday, I was still extremely sore. I ran ten miles at an excruciating snail's pace.  I say excruciating, because everything hurt. I thought that I would run 12 when I set out, but there was no way. The only reason I ran 10 was, when I finally accepted how bad my body was hurting, there was no way to get home. If I would have had my phone, I would have called my husband to come get me. I did some stretching and used the roller. It was a painful, unpleasant day of training.

Tuesday 4/10/2018
I was up late the day before, so when my alarm rang, I didn't get up. I was also gun shy from yesterday's fiasco of a training day. By the afternoon, my foot was hurting a little. I decided to take another rest day.

Wednesday 4/11/2018
Wednesday is my scheduled rest day. I don't want to take any chances with this foot, so I gave it one more rest day.

Thursday 4/12/2018
I know that body needed some time off after that race. I was back at it today with a 9 mile MP run. It was tough, as usual, but I ran the perfect MP on a hilly course with a tiny bit of a headwind.

As for SOS runs, I'm down a strength run for the week. I'm hoping to fit it in on Saturday.

I wanted to run a double today, but my body is so sore! My mileage is going to suck this week.

Skirt Sports Challenge
You know I love Skirt Sports, and I love challenge, but this dag-gone poetry challenge is hard! The lioness is one of my favorite skirt. I'm wearing it at the top of the blog. Here is my "Ode to the Lioness."

Lovely legs stretch
Ice bags packed
Occasional chases
No time to be wasted
Early trials prove
Spectacular races
Sore legs, but happy faces

If you would like to try the lioness, feel free to use my discount code. It provides 15% off any full priced item. The code is 825Sign.

Mod Quad Skirt Sports Review Part 1

I bought my sister, Lisa, a the Skirt Sports Mod Quad for Christmas. She was skeptical, but she agreed to write a review after she tried it out. The review she wrote follows.

This was my first time trying a skirt for working out, and I liked it a lot.  I usually where capris when I teach dance fitness classes because they are full coverage and the most flattering for my shape, but I got this skirt as a gift and decided to give it a shot.  I found it to be more comfortable than capris which is a big plus.  I also love the pockets, especially the hidden one on the shorts.  With this skirt it is very easy to move in every direction, it is a great length for me and it helps me to stay a bit cooler than with capris or leggings.  The only thing I would improve on is the sizing.  I would love more exact sizing rather that small, medium, large, etc.  This skirt was just a tad bit tight through the hips and large in the waist.  The drawstring did help but it is not perfect for someone with a small waist and big hips.  Despite this, I do love the skirt and think it will get plenty of use.

If you are interested in the Mod Quad or any other Skirt Sports product, feel free to use my discount code: 825Sign.

Scenic Saturday, 3/31/2018

It was beautiful, today, on the trails. I ran 6 miles and hiked a little. I've got a big run tomorrow, but no worries today. Usually, I have the trails to myself, but it was downright crowded out there. That would normally annoy me, but not today. The day was too perfect.

Why I Run, 3/11/2018

Long Run Sunday

I set my alarm to get up and run before church, but it was another early morning failure.  It didn't matter, because everyone woke up late. Once I got up, I had breakfast, but I didn't actually get out of the house. I did not start running until after 10AM, so I was really hungry on the run. The route I chose had lots of hills. I thought that I would pick up the pace a little, but that didn't happen. It was truly a long, slow run (17 miles @ 9:25). It was pretty enjoyable for maybe the first ten miles. Then, it turned into work. The last 3 miles were difficult.

Elevation Profile

Why I Run

I have been thinking a great deal lately about why I run, and what will it take to keep me running in ten years. Competition is what has driven me up to this point, but I know that it won’t be enough to motivate me running for a lifetime. I ran my first 5K at the age of 39. My story is not unlike many women. After I had kids, I stopped working out, but when my kids got a little older, I started to take better care of myself. Working out gradually led to jogging, which eventually led to me running my first 5K. I was hooked with that first race.  I had never done anything competitive before. I didn’t know a single girl, before I entered high school, that participated in any organized sport. Approaching middle age, I knew that I loved the outdoors and that there were periods in my life when I loved to workout, but I had never actually experienced the thrill of competition.

I found out that the thrill of competition wasn’t figurative. It is an actual thrill.  I started taking training more seriously, and I did well. I ran 5ks thru half marathons for a few years. Below is a picture of my first half marathon. I'm pretty sure that I am wearing a skirt sports running skirt. I just gave that skirt away a few months ago, because it was too big.

Half Marathon, Santa Barbara 2010

I told myself that I would run a marathon if I ever ran 1500 miles in a year. I got close, but in 2015, I ran 1500 miles, so I felt like I was ready to take on a marathon. That first marathon was the best race of my life. I had put so much into the training, and I had no expectations of myself. It was the first time that I ever felt that I had already achieved my goal before I even started. I was happy and chatty for almost the entire race. It got miserable around mile 20, but I think that is the nature of a marathon. I truly loved that experience. I love to compete, but I loved running for the joy of the experience.
For me it is difficult to put down the burden of expectation. I get closest during some trail races.  There is often a time during a trail race when you know that you aren’t lost, and you are running completely alone. I love those moments. The expectations melt away, and I am just happy.   Frankly, most of the time, I’m running for time, competing against myself or someone else and seeking AG awards. I enjoy competition, but that just isn’t going to cut it in long run. It is going to be the joy that keeps me doing this over the long term. I’m not really there yet, but I’ve had a taste of what it can be like and that is my goal.

Easy Thursday, 3/8/2018

Yesterday was a rest day.  After work, I went to my sons’ track meet. I spent at least four hours shivering. No matter how many layers I wear, I never seem to figure out how to stay warm. I was tired when I got home. I told myself that I was going to get up and run in the morning, but deep down I knew I wouldn’t. Since, I didn’t get up this morning, I decided to save my marathon pace run until tomorrow.  After work, today, I warmed up with some rope jumping, and ran 11 miles at an easy pace.

Tuesday Hill Workout, 3/6/2018

I’ve been having some trouble the last couple of days, but I’ve got most of my mileage.  Yesterday, I accidentally set my alarm an hour late. I didn’t have time to do my entire run before work, so I split it in half and did a double for a total of 8.6.

Today, my alarm rang, but I didn’t get up.  I intended to do a double today, but, instead, I combined it all into one workout, doing a hill workout first and then a couple of easy miles after. I had to make dinner when I got home. I told myself that I would get a few more miles after dinner, but deep down, I knew that there was no way I was getting out the house again. Of course, I didn’t, but my miles are fine. I ran just a hair under 9, today.

The hill workout is tough.  If things go as planned, I will work my way up to ten repetitions.  Today, my goal was six.  The concept is simple. Run as fast as you can up, and, then, jog down—Repeat. I was pretty disappointed with my performance, but when I got home I looked at the data and found that, last year, my first hill workout was just about the same. I have to keep telling myself that the point of training is to improve.  I’m going to improve. The hill is .47 miles long.  The numbers are paces, not total minutes.

Skirt Sports Challenge

Skirt Sports has a challenge every month to write a Skirt Sports poem. I, generally, enjoy doing Skirt Sports challenges.  That is why I do them, but poetry is far out of my comfort zone. I’m positive that a second grader could write a better poem, but here is my acrostic poem about my favorite Skirt Sports Skirt.

Jette makes me feel…

     J ubilent,

     E nergized,

     T otally

     T itilated, & ready for an

     E scapade.

Use my coupon code: 825Sign for a 15% discount on a full priced item.

Skirt Sports Zip ‘Em Up C/D Bra Review

My sister, Lisa, was in the market for a sports bra, so she decided to try one of the Skirt Sports bras.  I asked her to write a review. She agreed, and here are her thoughts.

Skirt Sports Zip ‘Em Up C/D Bra Review

I am always on the lookout for great sports bras for C/D cups that do not have to be put on over the head so when I found out that Sport Skirt offered zip up sports bras, I got excited and when I saw the price I knew I had to try one.  Let’s start with the price.  The bras are by no means cheap but they are comparable to other sports bras that I normally purchase and in the range of $44 to $50.  The one I purchased was $48 with a $5 discount and $7.50 added for shipping.  I love free shipping but my bra was delivered in 2 days, which was quicker than expected.  I didn’t even have time to check the tracking and there it was.

Overall, I would give this bra an A+.  I like the way it looked under my top.  It had the perfect amount of compression to keep bouncing to a minimum.  I must admit, it was not the easiest to get zipped up but I really don’t think there is a cure for that.  Once it was zipped, it provided pretty good coverage.  For my first use of this bra, I taught 3 Zumba classes and had no issues at all.  I liked the way it felt and preformed.  One of the best features of this bra is the adjustable straps which have hooks that will not slide during a hard workout.  Several other bras that I own will not stay adjusted through an entire workout.  You should never have that problem with this bra.  I would buy this bra again and try others from this company.  I do really wish they had a bigger variety colors though.

See Part 2 (previous post) for video of the Zip 'Em Up c/d Bra.

Use my discount code, 825Sign, at Skirt Sports for a 15% discount off of a full priced item.

Bloggers
Feel free to add a link of one of your Skirt Sports Reviews by clicking An InLinkz Link-up.  If you link your blog, please mention your host on your own blog, and share the love by visiting some of the other linked blogs. Thanks MCM Mama Runs for the links. I first saw InLinkz on her blog.

Wow Exercise Monday, 2/26/2018

I'm Issuing a Challenge! (end of post)

My body is feeling the training. My quadriceps and right knee aren't quite right, and my hips are aching a little bit. That doesn't sound good, but usually if I get down to doing my hip exercises, regularly, everything gets better. So, I did my hip routine today.  It is difficult, but I don't think that it is an overstatement to say that doing the routine consistently changed my life. At the end of 2016, I found myself with pain in my quad that I just couldn't ignore. I thought that it was highly unlikely that I had a stress fracture of the femur, but at took an MRI to really rule it out. While the PT and I were waiting for the insurance to approve the MRI, the PT decided that we were going to work on my hips. I hadn't even bothered to tell the doctor or the PT that my hips had been hurting for years.

About a week after starting this exercise regimen, my hips stopped hurting completely, and the pain in my quadriceps disappeared. I started out with all five exercises for a minute.  The routine is hard.  No matter how much I do it, it doesn't get much easier, but it has helped me tremendously. My problem with the routine is that I don't get motivated to do it regularly until I'm having a problem. As soon as I feel better, I do it less and less. It should be a regular part of my training.

I did a short video for a Skirt Tv challenge demonstrating the routine. Here it is.

Challenge

What is your hip routine? I have a challenge for you in the month of March. It is to do hip exercises regularly during the month. Do whatever exercises you like to do. Do as many repetitions as you like. The terms of the challenge are: #1 Do hip exercises, #2 Do them on a regular basis throughout the month of March. Any takers??

Scenic Saturday Skirt-Tv, 2/24/2018

Scenic Saturday Trail Run

The afternoons have been particularly windy, and the temps have gotten cold recently. I have a great deal of incentive to get my runs started a little bit earlier. Yesterday, I wasn't even tempted to sleep in when the alarm went off.  Winds hit 30 miles per hour yesterday.  I got out earlier, today, too.

Bi-Monthly Skirt Tv-Fueled by Positivity Recommendation:

When I’m doing marathon training, I’m constantly looking for inspiration in books and videos. Skirt Tv produces short inspirational videos, in a talk show format, under a category called “Fueled by Positivity.”  This week, I am recommending the January1st episode.  In it, Nicole DeBoom interviews Colleen Cannon.  Colleen Cannon made a career as a professional triathlete and, after, founded Women's Quest. Women's Quest is a company that holds retreats that educate women about healthy body image, nutrition and an active lifestyle.  During the episode, Colleen talks about adopting "easy going goals" that inspire. My nature is to be rigid in the way I train and set goals, but I'm working on letting my passion inspire me to train in a way that I have more of a connection between mind, body and spirit. There isn't a lot of "how to" advice in the episode, but the program gave me the words to articulate what I want to do.

Skirt Tv would like to know the kind of programming you would like to see.  Let them know by completing their What do You Want To See on Skirt Tv Survey.


While you are looking around,
please consider a donation of any amount to Ventura Land Trust.  After the Thomas Fire and subsequent rains, our trails are in desperate need of maintenance and rehabilitation.  VLT is at the forefront of that work.  I’ll be raising money for VLT during my marathon training for Mountains 2 the Beach marathon.

I have several signed copies of Running the Edge:  Discovering the Secrets to Better Running and a Better Life. I’ll gladly send one to the next few people who donate to VLT.

Marathon Pace #Neverdo Friday, 2/23/2018

Prescription Oakley Commit

This morning, I did a marathon pace run of 7:24 miles @ 7:54 pace.  I wore my prescription glasses. I need bifocals, but that doesn't work so well with running glasses. With thick gloves and a handheld, it was too tricky to lift my glasses to actually be able to read the the numbers on the watch. I basically had to guess most of the way. My pace was good, but I thought that I was going faster than I was.

The temperature was cold, but not too bad. It was probably in the low to mid 30s. My hands were fine during the MP run, but my fingers got painfully cold during the 3 miles of easy running. My total miles were just a hair under 11.

Skirt Sports Neverdo Challenge

1st backpacking trip

Skirt Sports has given ambassadors a challenge to post about something that they thought that they would never do. Growing up a city girl, I never saw a mountain growing up. I never hiked. I never camped. I didn't go on nature walks. What a surprise it was for me to discover, when I moved to California, that I love the outdoors. Here is a pic of my fist backpacking trip. A friend and I went out for a few days. We had a great time, and I came home with a lot of stories that are still pretty funny.

Challenge Friday, 2/16/2018

Yesterday, I was supposed to do a double, but my knee was hurting in the morning.  I decided to give it a break.  I want to run today, but I might not get the chance. I have easy miles on the schedule, but it's a busy day. It might not happen.


Challenge: Love to Hate Race Pic
Since I have little to post regarding my training today, I'm going to do a challenge. The challenge is to post a pic that you love to hate. I'm going to post the counter picture to the one at the top of the blog. I do hate this picture, but I kinda like it too, because it really does capture a moment in time. I trained very hard for that race. At the start, I thought I had a PR in the bag, but a headwind got me on the "back" of the out and back course. I knew that I wasn't going to PR. I was fighting and angry, but I knew it was hopeless. You can see the frustration in the photo. It ended up being the best race experience. I placed in my age group in a very large race. My husband and kids were there, and I had friends there. The finish line party and awards were fun. I ended up having a fantastic day, but that moment...

Skirt Sports Valentine Day Sale

Skirt Sports Peek-a-Boo Skirt & Redemption Knicks

Today is a scheduled rest day for me, but I plan on doing ab work and my hip exercises.

I recently got some new Skirt Sports gear.  I’m looking forward to wearing them, and I’ll write a review after I’ve worn and washed them several times.

Maybe I should have waited a few days, because Skirt Sports is having a Valentine Day sale.  I have my eye on a few other items, so now looks like a good time.

Recovery Run Recommendation Monday 2/12/2018

I have 11 recovery miles on the schedule. I, normally, wouldn't run that far on a recovery day, but it's a holiday; so it is an opportunity to get some extra miles. I would, also, normally post after I ran, but since today is the day the giveaway winner is announced, I wanted to post early. If something unexpected happens and I don't run, I'll let you know tomorrow.

Skirt Sports Giveaway
A winner has been chosen. Congratulations Karen F! A free skirt sports running skirt will soon be on its way.

Recommendation - Skirt Tv:

When I’m doing marathon training, I’m constantly looking for inspiration in books and videos. Days can be long and the training can be tough. Sometimes you need a pick me up.  Skirt Tv produces short inspirational videos under a category called “Fueled by Positivity.”  I watched one recently that I enjoyed and highly recommend.  It was called Find your WHY.  In it, Nicole DeBoom interviews Erin Carson.  Erin Carson is a fitness professional with a long resume including strength trainer to the stars. Nicole & Erin discuss how discovering the true motivations behind your goals can improve your results.  I connected with the episode because the issue of motivation is becoming more and more important to me. I want to be running 10-15 years from now.  To do that, I will need to identify and embrace motivations that transcend PRs or AG awards.

Skirt Tv would like to know the kind of programming you would like to see.  If videos like Find your Why interest you (or don’t interest you), let them know by completing their What do You Want To See on Skirt Tv Survey.

While you are looking around,
please consider a donation of any amount to Ventura Land Trust.  After the Thomas Fire and subsequent rains, our trails are in desperate need of maintenance and rehabilitation.  VLT is at the forefront of that work.  I’ll be raising money for VLT during my marathon training for Mountains 2 the Beach marathon.

I have several signed copies of Running the Edge:  Discovering the Secrets to Better Running and a Better Life. I’ll gladly send one to the next few people who donate to VLT.