Product Review: Earth's Care Pain Relieving Ointment

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!

Most of you don't know that living on Maui changes your outlook on a lot of things. The people around here are either super passionate about something, or they don't care about it. One of the things that Maui has always had the most passion about it what goes in their bodies. Maui is very supportive of local organic farms who pride themselves on growing clean produce. So get to my point, people tend to be a little more careful with what chemicals and/or ingredients go in their products too, since they are so passionate about what else they consume. 

How this relates to me and this product is that since moving here I have taken huge strides to reduce the amount of chemicals that go in and on my body. So when I was given the opportunity to test out Earth's Care's ointment, it really was a no brainer. 

About Earth's Care

One of the most important concepts to Earth's Care is only using ingredients in the most natural was as possible. They make sure that their products are clean and don't have any of the bad ingredients that we like to avoid these days. 

• No Petrolatum
• No Parabens
• No Animal Testing
• Allergy Tested
• No artificial Colors or Fragrances
• No Phthalates

Initial Thoughts

Opening up my tub of ointment I was immediately attracted to the scent of it. It smells like a cool scent of menthol and mint which to me smells really good! I do think I have associated that smell with healing and relief so I always love that smell. 

I've used many different types of creams on my legs but never an ointment, and ointment is definitely the word to describe it. It is a bit thicker than other creams I have used in the past however it did spread on very easily, it didn't leave a greasy feelings, and it works super quickly!

Run Test

I was very fortunate to have tested this product while I was running Honolulu Marathon. It was definitely one of the hard races on my legs. They were pretty sore by the time I finished and made it back to the hotel room. I even had to sit down in the shower afterwards because they were so sore. After I cleaned myself up and got settled on my bed, I rubbed some of the ointment on my knees since that's where most of the discomfort was. Within 3-5 minutes I could already feel the light tingle of the ointment working. 

Now this ointment isn't like an Icy Hot in the sense that it uses chemicals to apply temperature changes to relieve muscles. To be totally honest with you, I don't know how this ointment works or what ingredients help with the pain. What I do know is that after the light tingle on my knees that pain was starting to dissipate. It worked so well that I was able to walk to the restaurant for dinner as I normally would. There was absolutely no pain in my legs that caused me to alter my stride when walking. If I wasn't wearing my finisher shirt and medal you wouldn't be able to tell that I rant the race. Since most of us are familiar with the struggle of walking post marathon.

Conclusion

It's not just what a product does to your body that counts, it's also about what's in it. I can use this pain relieving ointment from Earth's Care in good conscious knowing that it's a clean product that won't do any harm to me in the long run. It's fast acting to take away muscle pain and stiffness, and it lasted about 30 minutes too. After running a marathon and walking around Waikiki, 30 minutes of pain free walking is a long time. I was really about to enjoy the surrounding without feeling discomfort every step.

Join the rest of the BibravePro Team for Bibchat this Tuesday, December 20th for an hour of fun sponsored by Earth's Care!

Follow Earth's Care on Social:

T: @earths_care

IG: @earths_care

Product Review: Merino Wool Buff®

Disclaimer: I received a Merino Wool Buff® 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!

I have to be totally honest with you, I was nervous about testing out this Buff® headwear. When you hear the word wool you think about either sheep or being super cold and layering up. So since neither of those two affected me, living on Maui of course, I wasn't too sure how this would go. Also to point out I couldn't tell you the difference between regular wool and merino wool last month either. But I decided to keep an open mind as I tested this out.

Initial Thoughts

When I first put it on my head I could tell right away that the texture was very different than the UV Buff® that I have; the Merino Wool was much softer and longer. I really had a hard time believing that it was wool to be honest! So it was at this point that I did a little more research into Merino Wool.

What makes this Buff® headwear so great is the unique properties of the Merino Wool. Merino Wool comes from Merino sheep native to New Zealand and Australia. This bread of sheep grows a wool that is much different than the normal wool we are used to. This wool is much softer since the fibers are much finer than normal wool. What this means for us athletes is that we are able to take advantage of the benefits of wool during activity.

Wool has the ability to wick up moisture from your skin. It can do this because it is water-resistance, so instead of absorbing water it pulls it off your skin and disburses it so it can be evaporated. So imagine wearing this during activity, it's a soft material that keeps you dry which also prevents chaffing.

One of the most important benefits of Merino Wool is its ability to manage temperature. I know that might seem silly to say since it's not alive and its not a device, but hear me out. If you are hot during activity while wearing a Merino Wool Buff® because you are in the sun. The Buff® headwear will help evaporate all your sweat to help regulate your temperature. Now on the flip side, imagine you are doing activity in the cold, the Merino Wool Buff® will help insulate and keep you warm by blocking the wind and adding another lightweight layer.

Run Test

I know that Buff® headwear has many other uses than just running, but let's be honest - running is what I like to do - so I tested this by running. However it can be used for an array of other sports as well.

My first run with the Merino Wool Buff® was after work one night during sunset. Now I consider myself to be well versed in the subtleties of time and temperature on Maui. Meaning that I know how hot or cold it will be at different points of the day. Sunset runs tend to be on the warmers side since you are running in direct sunlight. Granted the sunlight is a not as strong but it still affects me as a runner. I wore my Merino Wool Buff® as a full head cap this night. One of the things that I noticed was that I didn't have as much sweat dripping down my face as I usually do. I knew it should be there since I was sweating in other places. Then once I got out to the point by the ocean the wind picked up and the rest of my body cooled off quite a bit since it was damp, except my head which stayed nice and warm.

I remember gawking when I was first approached about testing this because I live in a tropical environment and couldn't possibly wear any type of wool. I would like to full rescind my feelings!! This past week we have had constant trade winds mixed with lots of rain. So it cooled off the temperature very drastically for us. The temperature is usually very consistent here, so when it differs we notice it. The days were in the mid 70's and night in the 60's, that is COLD for us. I have to say that I was very thankful to have my Buff® headwear to wear.

My final test was to see how the Merino Wool Buff® held up to even colder temperatures. On thanksgiving I ran a 16 mile Turkey Trot up in the town of Kula, which is above 3000 in elevation. The temperature was in the 50's during this race. Boy let me tell you it was so nice to have had my Buff® headwear on! What was the most interesting part was that during the end of the race the sun had finally come up and it was getting much warmer. The versatility of the Merino Wool was proved to me here. I went from being cold and having the Buff® headwear keeping me warm to being too warm and the Buff® headwear keeping me cool.

Conclusion

I was able to see just how this Buff® headwear can really impact my running experience whether is was in the cold or heat. I'm sure that for runners who have a more intense winter will find it more beneficial for sure. But for someone like me who runs in the heat a lot I found it invaluable to temperature regulation!

Join us on Tuesday December 6th for a Buff, Inc. sponsored bibchat at 4pm HST!

You can follow Buff, Inc. on social media on the following outlets:

FB: www.facebook.com/Buff,Inc
T: @BUFF_USA
IG: @buff_usa

Check out what the other pros are saying about their Merino Wool Buff® experience:

                              Fallon     Karen

Product Review: Aerodaks Men's Sport Briefs

Disclaimer: I received a pair of Aerodaks Men's Sport Briefs 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!

This was one of the most unique products that I've been given the opportunity to test and review. These are running briefs designed only for men from Australia. Perhaps a little TMI - but let's face it there will be a lot more of that than normal in this post - I wear a lot of Australian undies, so I was excited for ones that are made specifically for running.

Here's what makes these briefs different from other running undies out there:

• The material: the material this babies are made of is a premium micro fiber mesh that makes the biggest difference
• This mesh is moisture wicking so it pulls the moisture away to prevent chafing
• The front of the mesh is a double layer so that it holds everything is place, no slip outs, no bouncing, no chafing. The same idea as a sports bra but for holding men's goodies instead of women's
• The design: this design is made to have several benefits:
• The design of the mesh is very breathable so this provides the least amount of resistance to airflow, allowing you to stay cooler
• The shape of the brief is designed for superior comfort by not having any seams to cause irritation or any resistance

Initial Thoughts

When I first put them on I was really impressed with how comfortable they are! I would have enjoying wearing them for the entire day, and I actually might have once. I have to say that I was slightly concerned about mesh and exactly how breathable they were. When you look at them you can clearly see all the holes that provide for breathe-ability, my concern was that it would reveal too much of my butt. But once I put them on and had a look and my concerns were "wicked away" since they didn't reveal too much.

I also really like the drawstring in the front. Being able to tighten the waist made me feel like they were secure and wouldn't slip down. I also like the visual appeal of the drawstring, I think it's cute but it also adds the right amount of variety to the front of them so they don't look so plain.

Test Run

It was finally time to get out on a run with these. Due to my work and running schedules I have been running early in the morning before sunrise, so I can get my runs done before work. But that didn't seem like a fitting way to really test out these briefs for the first time. So I waited until I had a day off and went out for a run in the middle of the morning. 

Immediately I could already feel the difference in the temperature, being much hotter than running before sunrise which is exactly what I wanted. Taking my first strides I noticed that I had a lot of room for mobility. Meaning that the briefs hadn't restricted my range of motion at all. Sometimes the seam of undies runs along my hip flexors and adds a little resistance to each step, this was not that case for the Aerodaks. The seam was in the perfect spot for maximum range of motion. 

This next bit will be very TMI just to forewarn! I usually run in compression shorts like the ones to the right. The main difference that I felt in Aerodaks compared to the shorts was how comfortable my jewels were. If you look at the shorts there are three seams in the groin area, these all can be felt if there is too much friction. They can also cause the jewels to be suck in uncomfortable positions because the tightness of the seams. With Aerodaks they don't have any groin seams, so no uncomfortable pressure or positions, just bounce free support.

Another thing that I noticed is that how the breatheability of the briefs made such a difference. I think we have all been in a position where we don't realize how bad things really are until we experience something different. I had one of those moments in these briefs. I wore them on a hill run the other day and was blow away by how regulated my body temperature had felt. I had run that path dozens of times and was usually pretty toasty by the time I made it to the top, but not this time. 

So I was determined to try and feel if there was a difference, so I ran those hills again that week but wore my compression shorts. I could definitely feel the heat being locked in more than the Aerodaks, the difference was obvious!

Conclusion

The quality of these briefs far exceeds that of what I usually run in. If you take into account all the aspects that make them special and compare them to what you normally run in, you might just be surprised. In a place as warm as Maui I take certain steps to make sure that I don't overheat when running. Aerodaks Men's Sport Briefs are another great product that I have found to help this! If you take into account the no seams on the groin and extra support they offer then it's a no brainer!

Need to hear it from someone else? Read about what my fellow Pro's think:

                                                 Frank               Bradley               Jeremy              Casey

We have an Aerodak's sponsored Bibchat on Tuesday November 29th at 4pm HST. I wouldn't miss this one since there will be tons of underwear pics to enjoy! 

You can also follow Aerodaks on following Social Media accounts:

T: @aerodaks
IG: @aerodaks
FB: https://www.facebook.com/AERODAKS/?fref=ts 

My new Thanksgiving tradition, Maui Style

First off I want to thank you for taking the time to read my blog today! If you don't know yet, this post is one of many that has been brought to you by the Bibravepro Team as a fun was to share our holiday spirit with you! After reading my post follow the link at the bottom to check out what my fellow Pro Jessica has to say about thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is some of everyone’s favorite holidays of the year. For runners it’s probably even more so. Not that we need an excuse to carb load because we do our best to on the regular,  but this is a holiday where everyone else who isn’t a runner gets to eat like a runner. The point I’m trying to make is that now since others get to eat copious amounts of carbs with us, we don’t feel weird by piling the mashed potatoes and stuffing.

Thanksgiving was always very big in my family, both of my sides. So we would have thanksgiving early with my mom’s side and then we would be in Florida on the actually day with my dad’s side. Add on the gravy and the desserts and you can probably understand why I had some winter weight every year. However that all changed when I moved to Maui. I work in the hospitality industry which means that I have sold my holidays to the pleasure of my guests. I haven’t had a thanksgiving off in 5 years. So that made going home difficult because this is one of our busiest times of the year, and even if I was approved the time off I would feel bad making my team work harder in my absence.

So I knew I would have to come up with a new holiday tradition since I would be stuck here. My first two years were rather hard to come up with a tradition since my friends that I were close with were always changing – Maui is considered to be a revolving door in the sense that people are always coming and going. But it wasn’t until last year that I finally found what I wanted to do as my new tradition. The Valley Isle Road Runners (VIRR) hosts a turkey trot on thanksgiving that’s either an 8 mile or 16 mile race, with the intention of being a good training race for the upcoming Honolulu Marathon on December 11^th.

What's super cool about this race is that it's not a position based race for the winners, meaning he/she who finishes first is not the winner. At the beginning of the race you give the officials an estimated finish time for the race. The winner are determined by who has the closest finish time to their prediction, without the use of cell phones or watches.

It's not exactly the flattest course by any means. The first six miles are all down hill, then the next eight miles are solid uphill, then the remaining two miles are down hill again back to the beginning elevation. But the views are remarkable, so it's worth it! The race begin in Kula, Maui at Rice Park which is over 3000 feet above sea level, so all the views are looking down on the valley of Maui. 

To add a little more challenge to the race, there are companies that run bike rides from the top of the summit at 10,000 feet down to the bottom, so that means that you are dodging cars and bikers the whole time. Can you say, wear bright clothes? 

I've never forget the feeling of finally making it to the top of the road and starting down. I was so happy after those grueling eight miles, but then my legs we so sore going down such a steep hill. I think that only momentum kept me going. Then the finish came into sight and I was so proud that I completed it. I hung around for the awards because I wanted to know how close people were going to be. The biggest surprise was that I had won second place for being within 3 minutes of my guess. My prize was a canned ham, which I had never had before but I was thankful for it regardless.

Then what made this race even more victorious for me was that I had burned over 1700 calories. That meant a free pass for all the thanksgiving fixing, an extra guilt free slice of pie, and gravy over everything. As I sat there reflecting after dinner I realized that I was full of food and pride for my run that day, and boy was I content. That's when I knew that this would be a tradition that I wanted to keep, I wanted to feel this good at least for one night every year!

Now it's time to continue on to Jessica's post as you continue along our Thanksgiving inspired Bibravepro blog linkup. Click here to go to Jessica's Blog! Wishing you all a safe and satisfying holiday this week!

Product Review: XX2i Brazil1 Casual Sunglasses

Disclaimer: I received a pair of XX2i Brazil1 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!

This is my seconds product from XX2i that I've had the pleasure of testing and reviewing. I have to say this time was a little more interesting since the Brazil1 sunglasses are from their casual line, not their sports line. Meaning that they are not meant to be worn while running or exercising. Testing these out was definitely going to be fun because it gave me so much more of any opportunity to test them.

Initial Thoughts

I loved the simple and elegant black design, however they do have other colors to choose from. I knew I would be able to pair them easily with many different outfits that way. When I put them on I couldn't figure out if they are just a perfect fit to my head or what but they're so comfortable! I can shake my head as fast as I can and they won't move at all. As with the other pair of XX2i I have, the Brazil1's don't have any nose pads however it's not necessary at all. No discomfort in any way. The polarized lenses also are a plus too! Seeing everything just a little bit clearer and more vibrant is amazing, especially in Maui with all the sunlight all the time. 

In Everyday Life

I wanted to try to incorporate these sunglasses into as many parts of my daily life as I could to show off the versatility of them. I work at a hotel and have to dress in business casual five days a week, and I've worn these sunglasses just about everyday to work and I always feel like they compliment my outfit. Especially when I wear any shade of blue to match the lenses. 

I absolutely love to wear them when driving my car! The lenses are wide enough that they don't limit my range of vision or have any blind spots as other sunglasses do. I've had sunglasses in the past that don't dim the sun's light at all even if they protect your eyes from UV. These are not like that, I've had direct sunlight hit me while wearing my Brazil1's while I'm driving and it's not intense at all. I can still see without having to squint or drive impaired from being blinded. Anything that keeps my senses alert while driving in a place with lots of foreign drivers is a big bonus!

I took them to the beach on one of my days off and have nothing but good things to say about that experience. No sliding down my nose from sunblock, and since the frame isn't metal I didn't have to worry about rust when rinsing off the sand. Granted there are metal screws but there is so little exposed that there wasn't anything to worry about. I also found that they fit comfortably with a cap on without hurting my ears. Sometimes the combination of wearing a cap and glasses of any kind can really hurt the tops of your ears. This was not the case with these sunglasses. 

The Real Test

I wanted to do something really out of the box to test these sunglasses, something that was fun while still within the range of being casual. I went horseback riding with my friend Kat the other day. I figured this would be the best opportunity to prove that these sunglasses are good for any situation since horseback riding is as close to the boarder of casual and performance sport in regards to style of sunglasses.

We were up at Mendes Ranch on the North Shore of Maui. It was a beautiful morning, sun was shining, and trade winds were pretty strong. We did a two hours hike along the sea cliffs that's all part of the ranch. The polarized lenses just increased the beauty of everything that I saw, from the deep blue water, the green trees and bushes, the red clay dirt, and especially the ridges along the cliffs. Between the wind and bouncing from the horse I was happy to not have had to readjust my sunglasses once as they didn't slide at all. The horse I was paired with was named Rosie, ans she did not like to wait for other horses. There were two different spot where we were actually able to run with the horse, full sprint. Rosie was a very fast horse and flew past a few other horses who were running too slow for her. Even at a full sprint the sunglasses stayed in place. I consider that a successful test of the limits of these sunglasses.

Conclusions

Keeping in mind that the Brazil1 sunglasses are meant for casual everyday life, you won't have a problem adding them to your lifestyle. Especially if you like to test the boundaries like a do and wear them in more active situations. I think these are the most versatile sunglasses I have ever worn since they look super sleek, and can match any outfit while still giving you the benefits of polarized lenses without the price usually associated with them.  

Don't forget to use code "BRAZIL1" for 60% these sunglasses now through midnight Tuesday!

Join the Bibrave Team Tuesday November 22nd at 4pm HST for an XX2i Sponsored Bibchat!

Follow XX2i on social media to stay up to date on their new releases!

T: @XX2i
IG: @XX2i 

Running with Jet-lag

Just a few weeks ago I returned from my fall runcation to the Northeast for Chicago Marathon and my brother's wedding in Pennsylvania. I was so happy to be back to the Valley Isle where it's warm. #sorrynotsorry I'm spoiled here with the warm tropical climate. Anything below 74 is cold to me, so it was a very cold vacation for me. I have to say I did enjoy wearing jeans for a change!

The one thing that's hardest for me when I come back home from the east coast is the Jet-lag, a six hour time change really messes with your internal clock. Especially spending over two weeks in that time zone, it's quite the challenge to readjust to Maui time. I'm one of those people that rarely has to set an alarm because I'm always up at the crack of dawn anyways.

My whole first week back on Maui my body was waking up between 3:30-4:15am. Aka the time that most people my age are going to bed, especially my friends that work closing shifts are restaurants. At first I thought that I would go crazy waking up so early! What could I possible do for almost six hours before I had to go to work? The first day I easily filled in the time getting my life and apartment back in order, planning my groceries for the week, etc. But come day two I was already caught up on everything. So I found the healthiest outlet for my restlessness, and what feel the most natural, running.

I could have literally slapped myself for not thinking about it sooner. This pale half Irish white boy on Maui knows the peril that awaits me if I run while the sun is up, sunburn. So what I had gotten used to during my marathon training in the previous m
onths was running after dark. I already had the gear to run in the dark that keeps me aware of others, and others aware of me: my Amphipod reflector vest, Knuckle Lights, and Treks Titanium headphones (featured on the right).

What I noticed first was that it was much cooler in the mornings, duh. The sun had been down all night so the residual heat had already dissipated. Cool temps meant cooler body and less stress which equal faster pace and better performance. The other and more noticeable observation was the slim to none traffic when compared to night running. Most people were still sleeping so there less people were on the roads which means less of a chance for me to get hit from a drunk driver or tourist (sorry but they cause more accidents than drunks on Maui).

After two or three days of spending my early mornings out running I realized how much better my days happened to be. I'm a firm believer that when you start a day with a healthy decision then you are more inclined to make healthy decisions throughout the day. So by starting the day with a run that led to a veggie packed protein shake, and tons of water. That then led to better food choices in the employee cafeteria. Then come night time I would end up heading to bed much earlier, but I was sleeping longer and better than before.

Just this week I had a night body barre class, and going to bed after that class was much harder since the workout was so fresh that my muscles hadn't had all day to start recovering. So by exercising in the morning my body was ready for restful sleep by the time it hit 8:00pm. That might seem early to most people, call me a grandpa if you want, but I was still waking up at 4:00am so going to bed that early would get me my eight hours of sleep.

To sum this whole idea up I want to keep this whole morning thing up for a while. I want to see how my training differs, how my sleep will be affected in the long run, and how strong my body will become because of it.

Product Review: Legend Performance Compression Socks

Disclaimer: I received a pair of Legend Performance Compression Socks 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!

I was super happy to be part of the group that tested these products! I love compression socks and had never worn a full sock, only a calf sleeve. So I was very eager to test out the full sock. 

Initial Thoughts

At a first glance I could tell that they had more features than just compression. The toes and arch were a different color, so I assumed that they did different things. The toes are made with extra material so that you can still wiggle your toes. I guess other compression socks are just as tight in the toes which can lead to discomfort and blisters. Then the arch was actually a bit tighter than the rest of the sock to give extra support. What struck me when putting them on was how easy it was. I think we know the struggle of putting on compression socks or skinny jeans, the full body workout, push and pull struggle.This was not the case at all, the socks slid up my foot and calf so easily!

The next thing I noticed was how comfortable they felt on my legs. I didn't feel like I was getting strangled by a boa constrictor (gross), the compression was what Goldilocks would agree with, just right. The idea behind Legend is that they focus on graduated compression, meaning that it's tightest around the ankles, and gets lighter as you move up your leg. This is supposed to give the best benefits to your circulatory system during and after activity. Their motto is "right not tight" look for #rightnottight on social media for what other people are saying about them.

Test Run

Now that I had spent a few hours just hanging out around the house in the compression socks (it was cold in NY when I was on vacation) it was time to actually take them on a test run. I decided to take them straight to the trails behind my house. It was a beautiful fall morning and I needed to get into the woods and enjoy. I also thought that the trails would be a great way to test the durability of the socks because of the variety of obstacles I would find. I was running up and down in elevation, jumping over fallen trees, running over uneven ground from roots and rocks, and not to mention the ground was wet with dew.

Here's what I found, my feet got pretty wet very quickly but that didn't have any affect on the socks. The foot of the socks were tight enough that even though my feet were sliding around in my shoe (I wasn't in trails shoes), I never got a blister, and my arch was very well supported. The quick feet that I needed to have to dodge all the obstacles were only enhanced by the socks. My blood was circulating very well and nothing was sore at all. Although my legs were tired running up the hill they never felt deprived, further showing the benefits to leg circulation, especially with the weather being much colder than what I'm used to running in. One of the bonuses of wearing them out in the woods was I knew that my legs would be protected from thorns and ticks.

My next test for them was to wear them on a longer run. I did this when back on Maui and in the afternoon when the sun was still out. Why I did this was to see how my legs would differ from the colder temps that I ran in while in NY. What I really noticed was that even though I had the extra layer on my legs from the socks, my legs weren't super hot. The sock are very breathable, the wind was able to get through the material to keep my legs cool and not sweltering. Also my legs were protected from the UV rays of the sun. With my pale complexion I need to apply sunblock if I'm outside for longer than 10 minutes. Being able to wear these socks that protect my legs not only saves me time from applying sunblock to my legs but it also saves me money because I don't have to use as much sunblock. Big bonuses here!!

Final Thoughts

I'm never going back to traditional compression that's so tight that it inhibits your abilities. I have to say that there was one down side to these, I only had one pair so I had to wait until I did laundry to use them again. I've since fixed this problem buy ordering a few more pairs. Use code "bibsave15" to save 15% on your order!

Join us Tuesday November 8th at 3pm HST for Legend Compression sponsored #Bibchat 

Make sure to follow Legend on social media for their latest products:

T: @LEGENDlegwear 

IG: legendcompressionwear

Race Recap: Bank of America Chicago Marathon

If I could sum up my race weekend in Chicago with one word it would be: life-changing (using a hyphen counts as one word right? To read my race review on Bibrave click here.

All of my hard work since January was finally about to pay of as race weekend finally came to be. I joined a Fundraising Team with American Cancer Society (ACS) - DetermiNation Illinois that way I would have guaranteed entry to the race, and I would get to spend more time with Eric while in Chi. To be honest the fundraising was harder than I thought it would be. I found it very to ask people for donations knowing that the money they donated would not be used on Maui. Maui has had a difficult past with charities that raise tons of money on Maui then it isn't actually used to better Maui.

After months of training and fundraising it was finally time for me to leave the Valley Isle and head to the windy city. The night I made it to the city we had a team dinner with American Cancer Society. It was a busy night with guest speakers, pasta buffet, awards, and more. Collaboratively all the runners raised over $700,000 toward finding a cure for cancer, a truly amazing job by everyone! There was one thing that I really took with me from one of the guest speakers. There was no reason to be nervous about the race because regardless of the months I had spent training, I wasn't going to win. The message hit me like a ton of bricks, he was right I wasn't going to win. There was no point in being nervous. I just needed to remember my training and all would be fine!

The expo was mind blowing by how big is was. So much bigger than anything that I have seen on Maui or Oahu! So so organized and easy to navigate. Everything was digital with QR codes that pulled up your profile, making the whole process seamless! We carb loaded the night before, and despite the jet lag I managed to get several hours of sleep.

We were super fortunate that ACS had rented a great hall of the Congress Hotel for us to use during the day. We had a save place to check our bags, and hang before and after the race. As I made my way to the starting corrals I noticed that I wasn't nervous at all, I felt well cold, very very cold (the temperature was 20+ degrees colder than Maui), but ready.

The corrals were huge which gave us ample space to warm up and stretch without being on top of each other. I felt I was at a disadvantage
because of my corral placement. I was farther ahead than I should have been. My half pace, that I PRed with and used for Chicago was much faster than my marathon pace. So I followed the advice of the runner coach at the hotel I work at to run a 30 seconds slower pace for the first 5 miles to allow all the faster runners to pass me, and allow the runner of my pace to catch up to me.

The plan was a success! About 5-6 miles in the 4:10 pace group showed up and I stuck to them like glue for the rest of the race. I really have to give them the most credit for my successful race because I couldn't have done it without them. They were so inspirational and motivating throughout the race. At every mile marker they would count down from 3 and we would all raise our hands and cheer as we ran over the line. The optimism was intoxicating! About three times during the race they asked us to get to know our neighbor, introduce ourselves, and say where we were from. Then other times they would have us do butt kicks or high knee kicks to keep our blood circulating. And let me tell you, doing those while running was definitely a great way to keep it all flowing.

As I sit here thinking about the course I remember how flat the course was. There were very few elevation changes, save the very end, but we'll get to that later. I remember running through several parks where the trees were showing off their fall colors, leaves on the ground, and very open. Much different from running past all the buildings.

I actually tried not to pay as much attention to my surroundings as there were so many spectators that would cheer for me by name (my name was on my shirt). I found that to be very distracting, so I was more concentrating on my breathing, footing, and pace.

At mile 23 I did hit a wall and lost the pace group. I was still positive about it because I made it so much longer than my previous marathons before hitting the wall. What was different this time was that I was prepared for it. I knew it was because I was needing electrolytes and hydration. So I ate a few pretzels that I brought, drank some nuun that I brought, which got me to the next aid station. From there I downed a few cups of Gatorade and a banana and suddenly my legs were back into full gear. I charged the final few miles, even turning off my music because with the cheering crowd I didn't need it.

Now back to the elevation change at the very end. The final .2 miles run up Mount Roosevelt which wasn't too steep by my standards. Since I trained on hills every other week during training I was able to plow of the hill and into the finish. To my luck the pace team was still at the finish and were in fact waiting for me. I was happy to snag a group picture with them!

One of the pacers had said something to us during the race, that at some point during this race we would have "our moment" where we knew that we are a marathoner. Well he was right! Mine happened once I left the pace team and got wrapped up in the blanket and I looked at my finish time. I had taken off 51 minutes from my marathon PR. I remember being so overwhelmed that I just started crying, and just like he said I knew that at this point that I was a marathoner.

Cheers to a successful marathon weekend!

Product Review: Orange Mud Transition & Seat Wrap

I think The Wrap was one of the most exciting purchases that I have made this year! I've already been a big fan of Orange Mud Products since I got my Double Barrel Hydra Quiver a few months ago, and The Wrap hasn't let me down yet.

I was browsing through IG one day and caught a glimpse of the promo video for The Wrap and I knew that I needed it. Living on Maui as you can guess if amazing because let's face it, you're in paradise all the time! However, and a big however, paradise does have a few downfalls. The heat, sand, mud, cane road red dirt, etc... The list isn't too big, but the one thing that all these have in common is they are messy.

Going to the beach is one of the best thing about living here because you can go whenever you want. The only thing that drives me crazy about it is afterwards you're wet and sandy, and then have to get in your car. Then all that sands gets in your car and gets stuck in the little nooks and seams of your seat and you can never get it out. On one end of The Wrap it zips together making a corner that goes over your headrest, so you can drape the rest of The Wrap over your seat. (see below)


Since buying The Wrap, it's always in my car if it's clean so that I will always have it when I need it. It's also always in my beach bag because it's so much more than just a towel. I love the way that the waist line has notches with a hook on the end, so that you can hook to one of notches for a secure hold. One of the worst things when you're trying to gather up all your stuff to leave the beach and your towel keeps falling off. Orange Mud has solved that problem. The Wrap always stays securely on your waist which give me an extra arm to use that would normally be holding onto the tucked towel.

This is especially useful for me after going to spin class or finishing up a run. With the tropical temperatures around here, you're always going to be hot after a workout. I do a lot of trail running on a red clay dirt road that goes through the old sugar cane fields. Suffice it to say, when I'm finished with a run I'm not only sweaty but I'm also covered with red dirt. Knowing that I have this to put over my car seat to soak up all the sweat and dirt makes me feel really glad knowing that I'm not having all that liquid and minerals going into my seat. My seat stays clean and odor free!

I think this should be in everyone's go bag whether it's to the beach, for a workout, or even if you have kids. I don't have kids myself but I knew from my family that kids love getting into anything and everything. Having this in your car ready and waiting for the time when your kid slips and falls or dumps their food all over them self can be the difference between a protect seat and spending a few hours cleaning your car.

In conclusion, it's simple, just go buy one of these!

Product Review: Ampla Fly Running Shoes

Disclaimer: I received a Ampla Fly Running Shoes 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!

Testing out a pair of running shoes was a really cool experience for me! I'm one of those runners that finds a shoe I like and buys a few pairs of them so I can keep the consistency on my feet. So testing out these shoes was like taking your first step out of Port Authority in NYC and seeing all the possibilities out there for the first time. Okay so that might be a little over dramatic but it definitely broke me out of my shell!

What's really unique about these shoes is the carbon-fiber plate in the forward part of the sole. It's designed help create a better landing strike by changing the form of your landing to make you faster and run farther. It does this by using the force of the strike in a beneficial way to keep the energy continuous from the landing to the take off. The plate guides your foot into the right form so you're force to land each strike in the way that's the most efficient. 

I've been running for years so suffice it to say I'm sure I've picked up some bad running form habits. Let's face it though, we all probably do, in the same regard that we all definitely have some bad driving habits as well. So taking these beauties out on a test run was top on the priority list that week they arrived in the mail. 

Initial Reaction

Putting them on and lacing them up was like ripping the wrapping paper of a present, I couldn't do it fast enough to get to the prize inside. Walking around in them was totally weird at first. I immediately noticed the carbon-fiber plate and how it was forcing my foot to land in a certain way. Very different from the normal posture that I walk around in. I have to admit that finding my balance in them while stretching was interesting as my center of gravity was slightly different than my normal running shoes. 

I took them out for a short run along the highway. What I noticed right away was how landing each strike was very predetermined I think is the best way to say it. The shoes pretty much forced me to land more in a centered strike than a heel or toe strike. Another thing I noticed is that the carbon-fiber plate is not very flexible, I palm-to-faced myself for not thinking about that earlier. I mean hello it's a carbon-fiber plate it's a pretty sturdy thing. To expand on what I mean, the road I run along is angled to direct running water when it rains. So when I would strike the ground I usually land on the side of my foot, but my Ampla's would force me to land with a flat foot even on the angle. So something to definitely be mindful of, the shoes like flat surfaces. Another, and probably one of the most important things that I noticed, was

that these shoes worked different muscles than the shoes that I have been using. Different parts of my legs were sore from when I would previously run. I'm actually pretty happy about that because I hadn't realized how comfortable your legs can get with only running in one pair of shoes. I thank the Bibrave Podcast for planting the seed of that in me. I like the idea of working muscles differently by rotating shoes.

The Speed Test

One of the things I was eager to experiment with was how these shoes would improve my speed. So I ran my usual hill sprints path with my regular shoes to get a baseline time and pace, which fell into the normal range for what I had run in the past. Then the next time hill sprints were in my training plan (about two weeks later) I ran the same path but in my Ampla's. Going up the first hill I could already see and feel the difference that the shoes made to my form and keeping the energy flowing with each strike. I ended up finishing over 3 minutes faster. Now that might not really seem like much, but when considered with running 6.5 miles of hills with an 1,100 foot elevation gain that is a lot of time! 

Long runs

So I had had this idea in my head that these shoes were only good for speed work and not really that

beneficial for long runs. I had heard of runners lacing these bad boys up for long runs, and since I had great success with them for my speed work I wanted to test this theory as well. I didn't want to go all out with them right in the beginning so I took them on a moderate 10 mile run. I was pretty pleased with how that turned out, no pain anywhere, no chafing on the ankle, no blisters, just a very smooth 10 miles.

So next if was time for the big guns, no holding back. I laced up these shoes and ran the Maui Half Marathon in them. The course is relatively flat with a few small hill, and these shoes performed beautifully. The hills were easy to crush, and I was able to keep the momentum going on the flats for a pretty successful run. Then to take it one step further I ran an additional 6 miles afterwards, because of my training for Chicago Marathon. I was very impressed and glad I decided to wear them for that race and long run. 

Direct to Consumer 

This is a pretty cool aspect of the company. They only operate direct to consumer. What does that mean, for those of us that didn't take or pass economics? What most shoe companies do is they sell to a purveyor which then sells the shoes to a store where you buy your shoes. So the shoes have changed hands a few times before getting to the place where you buy them. What this means for us as a consumer is that the cost of the good will be much higher than it was initially. Each time the product passes hands there needs to be a profit on it or else the business isn't making money, so each time it changes hands the price of the product increases. So those shoes that a shoe company might only sell

for $100 has been marked up to $180 or even $200 by the time it reaches us. That's a big mark up, and lot more money out of our pockets. 

So now that the economics lesson is over let's get back to how Ampla is a direct to consumer company. This means they only sell to us, not to purveyors, not to shoe stores. So you won't find their shoes at any retail store, only from them online. This means that the cost of the shoe is much less because there is no change of hands, and thus keeps more money in our pockets. Big bonus points!!

Conclusion

I think these shoes should be part of a runners training tools. I could see and feel the benefits of running with better form. I enjoyed them more during the shorter runs, but didn't have any problems with them on long run. I think I feel this way because it was easier to notice the difference in the shorter runs than the longer runs. And they are cheaper than most other running shoes as well, so it's a no brainer.

Join us for Bibchat on Tuesday September 20th at 3pm HST when Ampla is sponsoring the chat!