Tuesday’s Thoughts

Peonies are so photogenic (as is the kitchen floor, hah). The Guy bought these for me at Trader Joe’s on Sunday night, even though he had to tell me they’d be wilted within a few days. I’ve always wanted a bouquet of peonies to brighten up the house, but didn’t know they were seasonal. They have been filling our main floor with a delicious fragrance. I can’t stop smelling them.peonies

Hanging outside, waiting for my sweat to dry off, as you do. I’m back into running. My legs are sore. I’ve ran between 2-3 miles every day since Friday. That’s pretty good right? K, so I only did 3 miles that one day but the other days were 2 miles! Good lord running is mentally hard. After my run

I mailed off the birthday giveaway winner’s prize yesterday. The lightweight hooded sweatshirt I’m wearing was $15 from Old Navy — it’s stretchy and incredibly soft. I’ll be wearing this a lot.Old Navy hoody

Mr. Spiffykerms has been smelling great lately. We got a his and hers Lacoste perfume (not from the same line) from a PR company, that I’ll be talking a bit more about tomorrow.Lacoste

I have been making smoothies non-stop this week. They’ve been keeping me full for pretty long. The base is always a chobani plain non-fat greek yougurt, and I use ice and skim milk with a few pinches of cinnamon as the other half, then add in random stuff.  I made a strawberry banana, PB banana, and a blueberry with other fruit. They were all delicious minus the peanut butter one. That one was for the mister (I hate PB). Blueberry smoothie

There’s nothing worse than a snobby sales associate. Why do some act that way? If you hate your job that much, leave. Not to diss them but aren’t they making minimum wage? Get another job elsewhere, dude. I spent a couple of hours at Nordstrom yesterday taking my time walking through the make-up, beauty and fragrance section. People at Chanel and La Mer were kind, the lady at Cle de Peau gave me a billion and one samples with my purchase, but the dude at Jo Malone was snippy and gave me quick one worded answers, some of which were “mmm-hmm“. No idea if they work on commission but I was sure not to buy anything from him.Samples from Nordstrom

This will be my California uniform for cooler days this summer. White on white. Can’t get better than this. Baseball tee is a sleep-shirt from Old Navy. Twelve bucks.California uniformTell me something random in the comments.

  • Coke or Pepsi?
  • White jeans or dark wash jeans?
  • Heels or sneakers?
  • Open toed or closed shoes?
  • Real or fake flowers?
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Speedy treadmill workout

Today was raining and I was bored, so I decided to hit up our gym in the complex here. My husband and dog were both sleeping, so I figured why not?

Workout clothes, MPG, Lululemon, Mizuno, Ironman CanadaI put on my workout clothes and then did a speedy 20 minute run on the treadmill with 8 minutes of walking. It was pretty sweet.

speedy-20-minute-treadmillI just sort of made it up as I went. I tried to mimic my first ten minutes but I knew I probably couldn’t keep up the 7.5 speed for 3 more minutes.

FFCheckinInstead I wanted to do a little speed/slowdown/speed up again type of run.I know that the weather is nice and all, here in California. But I actually prefer running on a treadmill and watching TV. I’m probably the minority here, but does anyone agree with me? I feel like if I’m running outside I can’t just go pee whenever I want, and I can know exactly how to pace myself on a treadmill, which I can’t do outside. I don’t know why.

Mizuno-Wave-RiderI’ve been using my Mizuno Wave Riders and they haven’t been giving me any issues at all. No rubbing on my feet whatsoever.

MizunosPretty comfy if you ask me.

Shortly we’re going to check out Trader Joes, hopefully they have some dried unsweetened mango in stock.

What are you up to today?

When’s the last time you ran on a treadmill?

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post as I’m talking about some delicious tea!

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Got some new kicks

Saucony-on-box

I was late on the receiving end of these bright kicks (Virratas by Saucony). I got them in the mail three weeks ago and they’re pretty wild and fun, I gotta say! First off, let me tell you that Saucony sent these Virattas to me, so I could review them as part of a FitFluential Campaign. As always, my reviews are honest and to the point. Let’s get to it shall we?

So now that that’s out of the way I thought it was due for a review of them. How’dya like’m on me?Me-wearing-Saucony

I was hesitant on parting with my beloved Nike Free’s for a few weeks while I tried out this minimalist shoe, but I was eager to try them out since they’re a 0mm heel drop, and I haven’t had much experience with barefoot type of shoes before. They’ve definitely caught my eye since more and more people seem to be wearing minimalist running shoes.

The barefoot running shoe like the Virrata is a natural and versatile way to run. But be careful… Saucony-Virrata-sole

If you’re not used to minimal shoes (and my Nike’s are pretty minimal but not quite as much as the Virratas) you may experience calf pain, or shin splints — especially if you’re a heel striker. Zero drop shoes encourages a midfoot strike, which luckily I already have and didn’t realize until I got a running coach. Hooray midfoot strikers!saucony

The fit of the Virrata is on the narrow side, but I don’t have a super wide/super narrow foot by any means so the overall feeling of the sneakers suit my 8.5 foot a bit narrower than I’m used to, but not uncomfortable.

My Boyfriend runs in the Kinvara’s (red one’s on bottom) that he just bought while down in the states training for his upcoming Ironman Triathlons this year. They’re a very similar shoe to the Virratas. Pretty colorful collection we’ve got going on, eh?sneakersWe’re a shoe-lovin’ fit fam. :)

I’m not a regular runner, I admit. But whenever the feeling strikes (ha!), I like to do my regular 6km run to test them out.Lace-up-SauconyI’ve worn them both outside running and to a number of CrossFit WODs. In fact, when I wore my Nike’s one day and switched immediately over to the Saucony’s, that’s when I noticed the most difference. The Saucony’s were incredibly lighter and airy feeling on my feet. Get this — I felt like I had cushiony socks on, minus the lacing up bit. But it felt pretty great.

Virrata features:

  • 0mm heel drop
  • Seamless fit which limits friction
  • Keeps your feet moving in a natural foot strike

Stretching

What I liked about the Saucony Virratas:

  • The weightless feeling on my feet
  • Didn’t receive any foot fatigue
  • Love the flexible platform
  • Ample cushioning on my feet
  • They run true to size

What I didn’t like:

  • The color scheme which is easily changed from swapping out the laces.

So far, they receive two thumbs up from me!Thanks Saucony, and FitFluential!Happy-Runner

What kind of miles do you put on your sneakers? 

Have you ever worn a minimalist shoe?

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