Hiiii beauties! I hope everyone had a great fourth of July weekend. Mine was SO nice. A mix of fun and relaxing, and filled to the brim with my favorite people. A full update coming your way this week!
For now, I figured it was time to update you on my running journey. As you know, I ran the LA Marathon in February, and the Vine Body Sole Half Marathon in Napa in May, so you might be wondering… Am I training right now?
Not technically. Right now I am not signed up for any races, but the funny thing is, because the pressure is off, I am actually running MORE.
Funny how that works sometimes, isn’t it?
(Wearing head to toe Nike // outfit details below!)
I love running races, and there is a certain element to being signed up for a half marathon or marathon that definitely keeps me in check as far as training goes. You can’t not train if you’re planning to run a long distance like a marathon or a half.
But with my personality, being sort of last minute and crazy independent and all, I always scrape by with just barely enough training for my longer distance races.
Now that I’m not training for anything specific, I get outside and run several days a week because my heart and soul really wants to. Cheesy as it may sound, I’ve been running a lot because that’s what sounds most appealing to my body right now.
And because I don’t have any races to worry about, I have been working on my speed more than ever. When I train for distance, I definitely hold myself back from running full-out during training runs because I know the faster pace won’t be my race speed. I also don’t want to tire myself out when I am training for fear that I’ll ruin another workout by pushing myself too unnecessarily hard one day.
The AWESOME result of running purely for fun is that I have been able to work on my sprints! I’ve mainly been doing that at OrangeTheory, increasing my “all out” pace to a 9.0 and sometimes 9.5 mph speed versus my previous 7.5-8.0. BIG change for me!
I also find that when I am not training for a race, I end up going out way more frequently for short runs during the week. I have pretty much been doing a daily 4 or 5 miles, where before (when training) I’d be putting pressure on myself to increase those slower runs to 6-8 miles and doing them less frequently.
Overall, I’m loving the non-race life, BUT at the same time I am craving a good half marathon. I think I may have convinced my friends to sign up for the Big Sur half in November, sooooo there’s that. 😉
But before I commit to that one, I think I will keep coasting along in this fun no pressure zone for a while (especially with my yoga teacher training coming up), and then sign up for a race when the timing feels right.
Also, I should note, there is no REASON for me to put pressure on myself while training. It’s not like I’m trying to be the next Olympian or even trying to compete with anyone I know, but the pressure is more out of fear that I won’t be ready for the run.
So the fear ends up driving me toward training less, because that’s how my brain works. Maybe I should talk to my therapist about it? LOL.
My latest activewear + running shoe addictions:
Anyway, just because I am not training for anything specific right now doesn’t mean I haven’t been just as obsessed with running clothes as usual.
It wasn’t until I became more of a “runner” that I really started to notice the major difference between yoga clothes and running clothes. I used to find them sort of interchangeable, but now I know that I prefer to keep them separate.
Running clothes CANNOT rub, or they drive me crazy! Yoga clothes cannot hang loose, or they drive me crazy! So I have searched around to find the perfect clothing options for each one. 🙂
NIKE, BABY!
Today let’s talk about NIKE. The king of all activewear, obvi.
Lately I am quite obsessed with my Nike RN Flyknits… Especially because they are so colorful they feel like a straight up neon rainbow on my feet. With my favorite lime green woven throughout!
But I’m not just obsessed because they are comfier than life, I am also obsessed because they are super flexible and dynamic, and they also have a new soft foam feature that gives extra cushion while you run. I always look for that extra support in a shoe.
Also, there is an upper part to the shoe that gives a more sock-like fit. I looooove that so much because it feels more supportive on my ankle, and it’s also just cute and hides the mismatched socks that I am sure to be wearing (lol).
Also, the SUPER COOL THING is that you can purchase your Nike Frees on a 30 day trial, so if you don’t like them after using them for 30 days, you are guaranteed a full refund. How awesome? I mean, you’ll probs love them, but still. You can head here to learn more about that!
Now, clothes.
Okay, so. I’ve told you about my shoe addiction. I think I want the Nike RN Flyknits in every color. Wait, I know I do. Now let’s talk CLOTHES.
I fell madly in love with these neon green running shorts the moment I put them on. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that it was 108 degrees in Sacramento when I was wearing them… But man oh man, are they comfy and breathable.
And SO CUTE. And my fave color. Win, win, win.
Then there are these tights. So fun and colorful, and they don’t slip while you run. (Remember, if they did, I’d hate them.)I also get tons of compliments on these when I wear them because they are so bright!
This sports bra is everything. Supportive. Flattering. Comfy. Studio friendly AND under-a-t-shirt friendly. Need I say more?
Love, love, love this hoodie. It’s super breathable so it fits more like a long-sleeve shirt than a sweatshirt. It’s great to throw on over a tank for those in-between-weather days, and also great to wear on its own.
And more of the whole look. Because I love it mucho, and the American River is so dang beautiful.
These tights rock too!
There you have it, my boos! My latest running update & activewear must-haves. Are you guys signed up for any races lately? Any fun ones that I should totally do along with you?! Do tell! X
