Road Tested: Knockaround Fast Lane Sports Sunglasses

Disclaimer: I received Knockaround Sport Sunglasses 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 and no further compensation is given.

I have a new surprise obsession.

Knockaround Sunglasses.

I say it’s a surprise because as someone who needs to wear prescription glasses to see for distance, I’ve never put much consideration into sunnies.

With the arrival of my Spearmint/Sunset Knockarounds, all that has changed!

BibRave has a great partnership with Knockaround and I’ll admit, the more I saw my fellow BibRave Pros rocking the super cute glasses, the more intrigued I became. Earlier this summer, Ash shared her review. The next opportunity I had to opt-in, I knew I HAD to try them.

Obsessed. I can’t even tell you how much love these sunglasses (but I’ll try). And after you read this, you might be too…

First off, the color. Can you tell it’s a favorite of mine? The spearmint frame, the red sunset polarized lenses. Yes and yes!

Knockaround offers so many different colors and designs, it’s now my mission to have them all.

The polarized lenses are fantastic on cutting down major glare, especially on the water. I wore them while I was on “watch” for my kids on my in-laws’ speed boat.

We spent hours upon hours tubing and water skiing on the river. The sun was high in the sky and I needed to be able to see the kids well, especially because we use hand-signals to speed up or slow down.

The Knockaround sunnies made it a much more comfortable experience; I wasn’t squinting because of the harshness of the glare.

Second plus? Knockaround sunglasses are extremely affordable! The Fast Lane Sport ones I’m donning are $25 and styles range between $20-$35.

My son nearly knocked them off my face while we were on the boat (I’ll leave out which one it was to protect his identity) but even if he did, it would have been OKAY because things are only things and also, I’d be getting another exact pair.

And hey, did I mention that while I was bumping around on the wake of other boats and jet skis, the Knockaround sunnies stayed right in place! Why? Well, they’ve got a rubber nose pad which makes them non-slip. Other than a child-force actively pushing the glasses off my face as I hoisted him over the side of the boat, these sunnies didn’t move. Yet another check for the pro list!

Apparently the Knockaround lure is strong in these parts because soon after mine arrived, both my husband and older son decided that they needed to get them too. They both went with the Black frames. My younger son just keeps taking mine…

Knockaround sunglasses are already super affordable but you can use code BibRaveKnocks5 and save 20% OFF entire order (one use per customer). I’ve got my eye on the Shark Week Knocks! Which would you pick?

Check out what other BibRave Pros have to say:

Jeremy’s YouTube video

Katy’s blog

Jaimelee’s blog

Nicki’s blog

Danielle’s blog

 

And be sure to swing by Knockaround’s social media accounts if you’d like to connect with them:

Knockaround Twitter
Knockaround Instagram
Knockaround Facebook

Feelin’ Clever On our 1000th Post

After years of searching for the perfect planner, I think I may have finally found one that meets all my needs!

It’s called the Clever Fox Planner Pro and it’s the perfect blend of planner styles because it’s includes goal setting, weekly planning, and bullet journaling. It could be customized to use for race training, too. It’s supper nifty and I’m stoked to tell you more about it below.

This post is not an ad. I received no incentives for posting about this Planner. I honestly just love it and wanted to share with other planner-y type people.

 

 

This post marks our one-thousandth, and we think that’s pretty cool. We’re grateful to each of you following along and making us laugh! We’re gonna keep on keepin’ scootin’.

Scoot’s Most Popular Posts

Sometimes, it’s hard to believe Scoot A Doot has been going strong for six years. It’s fun to take a look back over all our posts and remember the race destination or recipe that inspired us to share a post with you. It’s also fun to take a look at the stats and see which ones are the most popular over time. Today, I thought I’d share a look at our most popular posts. The top five posts on our blog cover everything from food to costumes to inspiring a positive body image in our kids.

The Color Run vs. The Color Vibe

Far and away our most popular ever post is retired Chick Victoria’s comparison of the Color Run and the Color Vibe races. When theme races were in their heyday, everyone wanted to know which of these two packed the biggest colorful punch.  Vic dishes on her experiences at both, and reading this brought back memories of my own Color Run. We all need a little nostalgia sometimes.

Costume Tutorial – Running Skirt with Pocket Waistband

When Meridith and I ran the BOLDERBoulder together in 2015, we knew we needed special costumes befitting the 3rd largest road race in America. Going with the whole rock theme, we settled on Wilma and Betty from the Flintstones. I decided it was the perfect chance to try making a running skirt with a pocket, and an even better opportunity to document the whole process so you can make one, too.

Ready for a nap. And beer. Maybe beer, then nap.

Product Review: Buff Butter

Retired Chick Bec was a nut butter nut, and got everyone excited to try Buff Butter. The company is  now called Buff Bake, and Bec gushed over three of the four flavors she tried. To quote her, “If you haven’t heard of Buff Bake’s butters, it is a line of high quality nut butters with added whey protein. Depending on the flavor, you’ll also see things like hemp, chia and flax seeds and organic coconut palm sugar. And, it comes in awesome flavors like Snickerdoodle Almond Butter and Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter, just to name a couple.”

 

Road Tested: Sweaty Bands

once upon a time, Meridith had a MAJOR problem with headbands. Her thick goregous hair (trust me, I’ve braided it) could not be contained by just any headband. She gave Sweaty Bands a run way back in 2013 and she was a big fan. I later bought one at a RunDisney expo and loved mine, too.  Skeptical? See for yourself in Mer’s review!

The Most Important Thing About Me

One of my favorite posts is from retired Chick Cam, and some insight she gained into the mind of her then eight year old daughter. If you’re a parent, especially of girls, this post will speak to you. Even if you aren’t a mom, you’ll remember being easily manipulated by society’s expectations of what’s healthy and beautiful. It’s a reminder to jump off that bandwagon.

We are the champions!

 

With nearly one thousand posts on the site, there’s quite the archive to browse through. I hope you find a few more things that speak to you. Be well, friends!

 

Road Tested: Garmin Forerunner 935®️

Disclaimer: I received a Garmin Forerunner 935®Multisport GPS Watch from Garmin 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!

Little known fact about me: when it comes to transporting things, I like to make things as difficult as possible for myself.

No, no, really. I do. It’s very hard for me to condense. My husband always laments that I’m the least efficient when it comes to packing.

This applies to running too. I have… a lot of things. An iPod. My iPhone. A FitBit. An interval timer. Headphones. Watch. Gels. Belt. Hydration vest. You name it, I probably have it somewhere on my person.

Or… well, I did.

After six years of running, I’ve realized the error of my ways. When I’m running I should carry the least amount as possible, not the most; I’ve been trying to par down my running gear. While these things are all extremely useful unto themselves, there’s gear that can pull double, even triple duty!

Cue the Garmin Forerunner 935®️!

Since getting the watch last month, there hasn’t been a day that’s gone by that I’ve not worn it. I don’t wear it to sleep (but I could, and perhaps should) because it has sleep tracking.

The Garmin Forerunner 935® has so many features that if I were to include them all, I’d be writing a novel that rivals War and Peace in length.

As such, I’m going to share the top three features that I use and as blog posts go up, I’ll be sharing links at the end of this post to other BibRave Pros blogs so you can read their highlights too.

The Garmin acts as my step counter, so the first thing I shed was the FitBit One. My FitBit hadn’t been working well recently. And since I’m trying to par down, making the decision to switch over to the Garmin was an easy one.

My goal is to hit 10,000 steps every day and I do check on this number throughout the day (more than I care to admit). I’m a stay at home mom so on the days that I don’t have a run scheduled, I use the step counter to keep me honest and motivated throughout the day.

Additionally, the Forerunner 935® has a move alert. If I’ve been sedentary for too long, a vibration reminds me to get up and move!

I’ve also said goodbye to the interval timer that I used to clip to my belt because I can just use the one on my Garmin! You can easily set the intervals for distance, time, or open (which means open-ended intervals).

I’m a fan of the Galloway method for longer races, meaning that I use set intervals to pace myself throughout a workout or race.

One of the main reasoned I used a separate interval timer was that it allowed me to change my intervals mid-race. This is slightly more challenging using the Garmin.

For example: Occasionally I begin a run or race at 2 minutes/walk 1 minute and decide that I’d like to switch to a run 1 minute/walk 1 minute. Changing intervals run on the Garmin breaks a run into segments, rather than a continual overall distance.

However, I feel like I’ve gotten better over the past few years about gauging what type of timing I’ll need on a particular day so I’ll continue to use the Forerunner 935® for this feature. The interval timer is getting moved to the back of the running drawer.

Speaking of moving, the third feature that I’m loving on the Garmin Forerunner 935® is its wrist based heart rate monitor. This is a new to me feature; my old watch had a chest strap heart rate monitor, which I rarely used.

I’ve been keyed in on this data the past month. I’m always interested to see my resting heart rate compared to my heart rate when I’m doing HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) or running.

While this is a multi-sport watch, I haven’t had the opportunity to use it during a different type of workout yet. However, the fact that I can use it while swimming has piqued my interest! Without a doubt, I’ll be trying when we open our pool again in 2018.

I could go on and on about the other things that I love about this watch.

The long battery life is unparallel to any previous devices I’ve had.  The texts/app alerts so I’m not constantly grabbing my phone are so convenient. The ability to change music directly from my wrist so I don’t have to constantly take my phone out of my belt is awesome.

The Forerunner 935® stops just short of cooking and serving my family Thanksgiving dinner. (Oh, how lovely that would be!)

I have everything I could ever want or need in one spot and that spot is the Garmin Forerunner 935®.

Reviews from other BibRave Pros:

Jenna
Mai
Gina
Brenda
Vanessa
Frank
Casey
Angie
Lindsey
Emily
Mark
Ryan

What are your must haves during a run? I’m a reformed pack-rat and I’m doing good with the paring down on items that come with me on long runs/races. Do you have any specific questions about the Garmin Forerunner 935®? Leave a comment and I’ll do my best to answer from personal experience and if I don’t know, I’ll ask around to my fellow BibRave Pros.

Wishing you a very happy Thanksgiving!

Road Tested: Earth’s Care Triple Action Pain Relieving Ointment

As a runner and someone who works out with weights multiple times a week, I’ve had my fair share of aches and pains over the past couple of years.

In fact, it’s a joke among the people at the gym during my hour that there should be a personal safety/accident free countdown posted with the amount of times I’ve fallen (box jumps)/bled (sandbags – don’t even ask how I managed that one)/generally messed myself up in some way, shape, or form.

What can I say? I’m accident prone.

2016 has actually been fairly accident free as far as I’ve been concerned, which means I was overdue to injure myself.

And I did.

I’m now dealing with sore back muscles, which, in the grand scheme of things is low on the injury scale but still annoying.

From lifting weights? Oh, no no. That would be far less embarrassing than this. It would make sense even.

My back is sore from (of all things) wrapping presents. Yeah. I know. Adorable.

I like wrapping presents while sitting on the floor, in front of the television. Being that I’m not in my 20s anymore… and I’m nearly not in my 30s anymore, being hunched over for an hour at a time isn’t fantastic. I’ve wound up walking around with my hands on my lower back and hollering at kids to get off my lawn.

Then I realized they were my kids and I like them playing outside, so I let them stay.

When the opportunity presented itself from BibRave to try out Earth’s Care Triple Action Pain Relieving Ointment, I thought it was the perfect time to try a new-to-me product and hopefully fix myself up so that I could continue on with my wrapping and other various holiday merriment, pain-free.

One of the things that stood out to me immediately, before receiving the product, was the company’s dedication to both the environment and its customers. I always appreciate companies that care for the earth; it says so in its name and you can see it throughout their standards and product line.

via earths-care.com

The menthol aroma clears the sinuses completely and it instantly brought back memories of my dad using different medicated rubs after playing tennis. Ah, nostalgia.

Apparently I’m not as limber as I thought because applying it to my own back was not easy. After a bit of a struggle (read: flailing around, trying to rub the ointment into my lower back) I enlisted the help of my husband.

He complained that his hands will forever smell like “candy canes”. To which I politely pointed out that it could be far worse, and to quit his bellyaching.

It honestly felt amazing, like it settled into my muscles and worked its magic. What’s the magic, exactly? I’m going to go with the triple action formula of three natural ingredients: Camphor, Menthol, and Wintergreen Oil.

I’ve used the product for a couple of days now and it’s helped significantly. I consider that a win!

Finding Earth’s Care products in my area have proved a bit challenging; the closest store that carries it is 15 miles from here and over the tolled bridge. However, there is a 15% off your first order on the website and I’m planning on taking advantage of that deal.

What do you use for pain relief? 

Disclaimer: I received Earth’s Care Triple Action Pain Relieving Ointment 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!

Quest Nutrition: Our Two Cents

Last month, Quest Nutrition announced a new initiative: QuestLabs – a space to share new products with customers while they are still in the development stage.

As a member of Quest Labs, you’re an essential part of our innovation process. This privilege comes with many benefits, including access to products that haven’t been released to the public, plus the ability to help us continue to improve through your feedback. You’re now a stakeholder in Quest and it’s an honor to work with you. Welcome to Quest Labs!

As a fan of Quest protein bars and protein powder, I knew I wanted to get in on this, so Clay and I ordered a few of the test products to try…

IMG_2419

Protein Bar

quest barsClay: It’s Quest. They’re perfect. Nothing new here.

Kyle: Hahaha. Well, yes. That’s about it. I’ve been using Quest protein bars for a couple of years now and I love them. Lots of flavors, low in sugar and carbs, high in protein. Great for a pre-workout snack, these are often my breakfast go-to for a long run. The new flavors released here were Oatmeal Chocolate Chip, Rocky Road and Blueberry Muffin. Though it was difficult to pick a favorite, I think I have to give this one to Oatmeal Chocolate Chip. I would like more of this immediately.
Crunch Bar

Clay: A really nice offering that steers away from the typical protein bar platform. I dislike that Quest advertises “3g of net carbs” on the front. Carbs are carbs, and these guys come in at 18g of carbs per bar. 10g of sugar isn’t enough to be too concerned with, and it really helps in the flavor department. 12g of protein help round out the macro portfolio, along with 4g of fat.

To me, these feel confused. They don’t know if they want to be a protein bar, or an energy bar. With that, it’s hard to categorize them. That said, these are delicious. The texture is light and crunchy, and the typical “whey” taste of protein products is non-existent. The Waffle bar offered vanilla and maple syrup notes, along with a VERY realistic Belgian waffle flavor.

As a whole, I think these will do great serving its purpose as a mid-day snack, or a grab and go breakfast option.protein crunch

Kyle: We differ here – the “net carb” issue is one that has been long debated, and while I’m generally trying to cut back on my carbs as a whole, the 18g here (and the 15g of fiber) don’t much bother me. Mostly because I would eat this in the morning and that’s when I like to have my carb heavy meals anyways.

These also call to mind other “cereal and milk” bars that are on the market now, but these succeed in being much healthier. Thumbs up, Quest.

End of story: These things were awesome. We tried Waffle and Peanut Butter Chocolate and I would like both of those in my life frequently.
IMG_2435
Keto Cup

Kyle: So – I’m going to say that these babies were delicious. They come in four different flavors: vanilla creme, chocolate fudge, mint and peanut butter. And as products that are meant to fit a loose ketogenic diet, they are high in fat. Clay will get more into what keto is and why he takes issue with these, but I’m going to tell you that as a treat? These are awesome. I’m not following a ketogenic diet, but I do like to make sure I get enough fat in during the day. I also have a major sweet tooth. Usually this results in me wanting cookies. Or brownies. Or both. At the same time. Unfortunately, those things are sugar bombs and make me feel gross after too many.

Keto Cups seem to fill that hole nicely. I would have one cup (a serving is two) a day when I felt like I needed a little treat, and I was surprised at how good they were! Thank you, fat, for packing in the flavor!

Ultimately, these won’t make it into a regular rotation, but I could see this product being an “every once in a while” treat.

Clay: Oh boy. Here we go. First, I would like to say that these are all opinions based on MY fitness and nutritional goals. Everyone’s mileage varies, so please keep that in mind.

I will preface by saying that I LOATHE health and wellness marketing. “Lose 10 lbs in 10 days!” “Get shredded in a month with fat burners!” “Guaranteed to add 40 lbs of mass!” While not complete lies, it is certainly misleading. They never add the whole “smart workouts and smarter dieting is required” part. It leads to bad body image, disappointment, and ultimately leaves an inexperienced individual feeling like they don’t want to come back to fitness. While Quest didn’t take it this far, there are still questionable marketing techniques in the name.

The Keto Cup.

First, the facts. A whopping 26g of fat, with 11g of carbs, and 7g of protein. It’s definitely a snack based on ketosis, the act of forcing your body to use fat for energy instead of carbs. The diet is a bodybuilding staple that allows for high caloric intakes, while still dropping body fat. The old phrase “fat doesn’t make you fat, carbs and sugar do,” is the general idea of Keto dieting.

Quest named it that to hit a place that doesn’t exist in the market. Low-carb sweets. The flavors are essentially Reese’s cup, Oreo, Thin Mint, and chocolate. My issue is that I doubt anyone actually Keto dieting wants a snack that has 11g of carbs. That’s extremely high for something not in a meal. Low carb? Sure. Call it that! Keto? No. Dieting for ketosis is difficult, requires an incredible amount of discipline, and instead of marketing a diet friendly product, it feels like Quest has made a mockery of the ketosis process. Long story short, while Keto is low in carbs, low in carbs does NOT automatically mean Keto. Keto Cups are just that. A low carb, high fat alternative to candy. They taste great, and have a nice macro profile for a NORMAL low-carb diet, but not for a Keto diet. Even on refeed days, Keto dieters seek more “real food” carbs than this can deliver. Solid product, misleading name. Quest’s marketing team made the product leave a bad taste in my mouth on this one.

To lighten things up a bit, I did really like these. I will definitely eat them again. I maintain a fairly low carb diet, and these will help with the sweet tooth cravings. They are absolutely delicious. When I go on a hard cut, where reaching a state of ketosis is the goal, they will be removed from the diet. Again, this is all based on YOUR goals for YOUR body. My issue is not with the product, but the branding.

Conclusion:

We both really like Quest products and I think we’re excited to see the ways the company is branching out. It will be interesting to which of these things make it to mass market production – QuestLabs has a great customer forum going, where folks are offering their reviews, and I think they genuinely care about what we have to say.

Note: The opinions offered above are our own – we were not offered any compensation or free products by Quest.

2016 SkirtSports Ambassador

My first experience with SkirtSports was last summer when I participated their 13er race event. It was a really fantastic women-only race on a gorgeous course where I got a 10k PR and made a few new friends. How can a race get any better than that? Oh yeah, CAKE. THAT’S HOW. Cake is always going to be the way to my heart.

13ercollage

At that event, I met Noelle, SkirtSports’ Community Outreach head cheerleader. She told me about the monthly clinics and fun runs they hold at their Boulder headquarters and I decided to check it out. Lo and behold, they were a blast! They even let me Periscope a talk Dimity McDowell was giving.

cliniccollage

Before leaving that clinic, Noelle gave me one of their skirts to try out in exchange for an honest review.  I was already crushing hard on the vibe SkirtSports was giving off at their events, but the Lioness skirt turned my crush into full blown twitterpation. The quality was impeccable, and its smart construction and pockets, it definitely helped me get through my toughest half to date.

lionesscollage2

So when I found out earlier this month that I had been chosen to be a 2016 Ambassador Captain for SkirtSports, I was over the moon. I’m learning that this is a fantastic group of inspiring women, and I’m honored to be among them. I am so excited to get to know them and learn their stories. That’s one reason why it was easy for me to put my name behind the SkirtSports brand. There were other reasons, too.

AmbassadorStamp21k

The SkirtSports Message is all about supporting real, everyday women of all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds pursue and achieve their healthy living goals. Pro triathlete and founder Nicole DeBoom was inspired to start the company after noticing her reflection in a window on a training run. She decided  to find a way to offer flattering performance wear to support all women in being the best version of themselves.

realwomenmove

#REALwomenmove is a social media campaign intended to encourage each other in our fitness activities and achievements.  Who is a REAL woman?  She is proud of who she is. She is confident. She does not judge, but rather, encourages other women. She is comfortable in her own body. She accepts and loves herself as she is. She prioritizes health and fitness in her busy life.
This is a message I can get behind 1000%.

Running Start Program  is designed to pair beginner runners who face barriers to developing fitness goals with Personal Motivators who help them overcome those challenges. Personal Motivators are women who’ve also overcome obstacles to fitness in the past and can share their experience and support. Anyone can apply to join the program.

Photo Credit: SkirtSports Website

Photo Credit: SkirtSports Website

The Clothes are well made, well priced, and most importantly, adorable! They carry sizes XS to 22, and as a seamstress myself, I’m definitely impressed with the construction of their garments. The prints are super cute and colorful, and they make some of the most practical running clothes I’ve seen. Their phone pockets are a big hit with me, and they are working on the Gotta Go Skirt which will make life much easier for all of us on those long runs when nature calls. Seriously, they’re thinking of everything.

I’m beyond excited to be a part of this program for 2016 and to have the opportunity to share all the good things (and discount codes) with you. These ladies are doing amazing things and spreading an inspiring message of love and support of one another. I know we can all get behind that!

 

Are you a Skirt Sister? Who inspired you to start your running journey? What is one thing you try to do to support others at races? Let’s chat in the comments!

The Biggest Loser and Katie K

This is going to be one part ramble, one part product review. Just to set expectations. And those two things might not seem related, but I’ll explain.

Any time The Biggest Loser comes up in conversation, there are usually a number of people saying “I love that show!” and an equal number of people saying “I hate that show!!” And, I get both sides, honestly.

I am in the love camp. I have watched almost every season. I love Bob. I miss Jillian. I newly love Jen. I’m okay with Dolvett, and I tolerate the other trainers that have rotated through the show over the years. Ali Vincent will always be my favorite winner, and Abby Rike will always remind me that you can live through anything.

But, the show is definitely controversial. There was a frenzy of backlash about the show when Rachel Fredrickson won in 2014, and numerous contestants have spoken out about their experience on the show. It sets unrealistic ideals, and possibly unattainable goals. I have my own issues with the show (why do the female contests have to wear sports bras at the onset when they are heaviest, but get to wear tank tops toward the end when they are leaner? Humiliation factor?)

But overall, I don’t watch the show to learn how to lose weight. I don’t aspire to be on the show, although if Jillian wants to come train me here, I’m all for it. I take the show for what it is. “Reality” TV, for entertainment purposes. Mostly, I watch for the moments where you see people do things they never through they could do. Every time one of them maxes out the treadmill, I get butterflies. Every time a contestant gets to Onederland, I shed a tear. And every time the contestants’ families see them during makeover week, and they look so proud, I think “I want that.”

Biggest Loser isn’t perfect, but it gives me hope. It keeps me remembering that anything is possible.

Me, at the top of a mountain. Anything is possible.

Me, at the top of a mountain. Anything is possible.

Which brings me to Katie K. I love this company. No controversy here, I am so very proud to have been an ambassador for this amazing, growing, female-owned company for the past year. I love their line. I love that their sizes range from Small to 3X. I love that their products are well made, affordable and trendy.

As a plus sized athlete, I also love that Katie K  has things like thumbholes and patterned pants and burnout tees IN MY SIZE.

All the pretty colors

All the pretty colors

So, when I got the opportunity to review the Katie K Urban Capris, which just happen to be the capris the female contestants on the Biggest Loser are wearing this season, I jumped at the chance.

You guys, these pants are like a dream come true for me. I’ve worn them to Zumba, and running, and they are VERY comfortable. But, where as most comfy pants aren’t the best for working out in, these are also incredibly functional. There was no riding up, or down. I didn’t have to stop and adjust the legs or the waist. From the Katie K website, the material is Mid-weight Semi Compression 88% Polyester/12% Spandex Peach Brushed Finish. The Peach Brushed Finish is the best part. These are SOFT.

Rush Hour Long Sleeve in Cobalt, Urban Capris in Black

Rush Hour Long Sleeve in Cobalt, Urban Capris in Black

Along with the pants, I’m absolutely loving the Rush Hour Long Sleeve top. It comes in Cobalt, pictured above, and Rose, which is a bright pink. Complete with thumbholes, this is another really comfortable piece of workout wear. It’s Lightweight Compression 90% Polyester/10% Spandex Brushed Jersey, and again with the soft. And I’m a texture snob, so when I say they are soft and comfy, I mean it.

In the interest of keeping things honest, these products were provided to me free of charge in exchange for my honest review.

So, if you’re a plus sized athlete and you want to be comfy and fabulous while you work out, I highly recommend Katie K Activewear. Or if your not plus sized. See how that works? You can also use my code, BEC15, for 15% off and free shipping. And, I get no special credit for telling you this, except maybe your undying love and devotion, but right now, the code EXTRA50 will get you an additional 50% off of sale items (including the Urban Capris) and free shipping. I get no sales credit with that code, I just like you and I want you to get a good deal. I don’t know when that one ends, so if you’re into sales, hop to it!

Being a Katie K Ambassador for the last year has been awesome. They were with me when I climbed a mountain (a smallish one, but still) last summer.

Defining brave, and proud

Defining brave, and proud

They were with me when I restarted my journey to 13.1.

C25K, W1D1

C25K, W1D1

And they will be with me when I finish it, whenever that is.

So huge thanks to K for giving me this opportunity, and letting me show how I #definebrave.

Soybu For You Giveaway

For the last few weeks, I’ve been testing out some pretties from the Soybu Fall line. Actually, I’ve practically been living in one of the pieces.  So I’m going to tell you about it, and then we’re going to give away a lovely black wrap that is an absolute wardrobe staple. Deal? Deal!

Soybu Package

I know there is a plethora of companies out there making active lifestyle clothes. Some of them I want to try, others I refuse to support. I was eager to give this company a try. Sustainability is a priority for the Soybu, and they also recently launched a plus size line. It’s great to see more and more athletic apparel companies answering that need. Also, I noticed that the Soybu line is at a lower price point than some of their competitors, but the quality is equally good.

Allegro Leggings and Starburst Tank

Allegro Leggings and Starburst Tank

The Starburst Tank in Mandala: I LOVE THIS THING. I’d have one for everyday of the week and never wear a bra again if I could. I love the pattern; I stepped out of my solid-color comfort zone and went for it and I’m glad I did. It’s fun, and goes with lots of colors and bottom styles.  And it’s soooo comfy, once you get it on. Pulling the built-in bra and top over my (little) girls is a challenge in any athletic top with a built-in bra. Or maybe I’m just uncoordinated, either is entirely possible. The tank is long enough to cover my bum, which is essential when in leggings. What I love most about the tank aside from the fabric pattern is the freedom of movement the design offers. The starburst in the back is open and cooling, and lets me feel unrestricted when doing difficult poses. Plus, it really shows off those back muscles!

Lily loves to do downward dog!

Lily loves to do downward dog!

The Allegro Legging in Storm Heather: I seriously love these leggings, too. I love leggings in general and am honestly sad that it’s too hot to wear these with some boots and a chunky sweater. Soon enough, my warm, gray friend! I have worn them during my home yoga practice in the house (which is not air conditioned), and they are just as soft and comfy as the top. I love the waistband design with no elastic, it even has a slit pocket built in big enough for key, cash, ID, or a phone. What I appreciate most is that the leggings aren’t too long for me. At 5′ 2″, leggings usually end up looking like scrunchy socks gathered at my ankles. Thank goodness for riding boots! The Soybu leggings had just the right amount of extra fabric for me and they didn’t accentuate my short legs. I love that.  Maybe now I can wear flats with them!  Oh, glory day!

The Meryl Wrap: Okay, I must confess…I…I…didn’t wear this wrap. I only had it on long enough to snap these photos. If I had worn for longer than 4 minutes, it would be COVERED in pug fur, and I’d never do that to the lucky person who is going to win this lovely piece! It looks heavenly, though, and I have three wraps very similar to it in black, gray, and white. It’s hard to see in these photos but the three-quarter sleeves have cute rouching at the elbow. I promise the Meryl will become a go-to layering piece for you. This one is a size medium, and is a nice, lightweight cotton.

rafflepic2Enter to win this stylish wrap here! Follow Soybu on social media and sign up for their emails, we’ll be announcing the winner on Tuesday, August 25th.

I was impressed with Soybu’s clothes and felt the samples I received were well made, fit well, and fairly priced, not to mention cute and super duper comfortable!

Soybu provided me with the free outfit to review. No other compensation was given. The wrap retails for $48.00, and will be shipped from Colorado, USA. 

Why Fitbit is My Boyfriend

It’s SO RARE that you encounter a company that takes customer service seriously. Seriously, right? When I’m fortunate enough to find that in a company, they can guarantee they have a customer for life. I know I’m sounding sales-y, but let me say that I am receiving nothing in the way of compensation for this post. This is all just pure fangirling over Fitbit, because they treated me so well when I lost my One recently that had we been on a date, we might have gone to third base.

So July 4th weekend, I lost my Fitbit One somewhere in this red circle:

Kiss that baby goodbye!

Kiss that baby goodbye!

I tweeted my heartbreak and tagged Fitbit. I’d gotten that One right before my trip to Paris and had it on through my first half marathon; we’d been through a lot together. Fitbit Support tweeted me back, offering to help me find my One. Since I lost it in an area likely the size of Rhode Island, I knew my One and I would never be reunited.

alice
Fitbit reached out and asked me for some proof my One purchase and said that they’d review my case to see if they could replace my One as a “gesture of goodwill”. A GESTURE OF GOODWILL. I could not believe it! I sent them a copy of my online purchase invoice, and a new One was in the mail the SAME DAY, Y’ALL. When it arrived just in time for last weekend’s half marathon! I was legit like this:

sheldon

Fitbit, you are the BOMB. That is all!!

 

Do you have a Fitbit? Do you love it and why? Let’s dish in the comments!!