Bra Maintenance

I have a confession to make, please don’t judge me (too much), as of this morning I own approximately ten sports bras and several of them are more than three years old. Yeah, they are seriously old… I know that you are supposed to get rid of them after a significant amount of wear, but I’m the type of person who seems to hold onto clothing as long as possible. Well, in this case I’m finally realizing that I need to make a change.

Last night I was lucky enough to join some other Janes at a Moving Comfort Bra Extravaganza. I was excited as I’ve only been wearing Moving Comfort bras, namely the Fiona, for the past six years. I was ecstatic when I found a bra that fit well for my high intensity workouts. Of course, in speaking with June (the MC rep), I found out that I really should be rockin’ the Jubralee for all my workouts. Check out the website to find the perfect bra for your size and activity of choice.

At the event, one woman admitted that she always washes her sports bras after one wear which means she owns a serious number. June let us know that it is perfectly acceptable to wear a sports bra more than once before washing. To which I admitted to wearing my bra into the shower after a workout to help rinse off the sweat. I was amazed how shocked the other ladies were to this thought. June immediately agreed that it was a great idea and the other gals decided to give it a shot. This allows me to wear it more than once and avoid any sweat/smell from previous wears.

And when you do wash it, remember to fasten the hooks (something I neglected to do for too long). A lingerie bag is also a great idea (for any bra you own). Then it is best to let it hang dry. To help keep the fabric breathing properly avoid fabric softener which will clog the material.

But most importantly June let us know to look for signs of wear in our bras, this will let you know when to move on to new ones.  If you see any signs of a stretched bottom band and straps, faded tags, possible chafing spots, or a less-than-fresh scent, then you should probably invest in a new bra. After it has been worn too long the support is reduced drastically which will lead to bounce-age and, even worse, chaffage.

Thanks to June and See Jane Run I’m tossing out five of my oldest bras. No need to keep them around if they aren’t supporting me fully. And now I’m going to invest in a Jubralee or two. Sorry budget…

How many sports bras do you keep around? How do you keep them fresh?

Note: This post was not sponsored in any way by Moving Comfort. However, I won’t complain if they want to subsidize the cost for the new bras I’m about to purchase…

 

Ellie Review and Discount

I first learned about PV.body when I attended Fitbloggin this past year. It sounded like a great opportunity to get high quality workout gear at a great price. I was intrigued, so I subscribed and got excited about my first outfit. A few days after ordering my outfit, I was contacted by PV.body to be an ambassador for their brand and I couldn’t turn them down. There were some issues with the style they sent me, but I was able to exchange some of the items for more suitable options.

After seeing all the great items on the market (and due to some style/sizing issues), PV.body recently decided to start their own line – Ellie. You can bet I was excited when I saw their new line of clothing. Each month Ellie has a new collection, so you have to get items while they last! There are new tops and bottoms to select from. Best of all? You can get two items for only $49.95. Seriously, when was the last time you got a full outfit for that price? You can also buy the pieces separately, they range from $39.95 – $59.95.

This month I was sent the After Dark top and My New Obsession leggings. I’ll admit that these were not my initial picks (I can’t typically wear tanks like this), but they are great quality items. The fabric is thick and durable, with great elasticity. At first I was nervous about the leggings, they looked so small, but they stretched and held me snug. (Can you tell I had a slight dance party during the photoshoot?)

Thoughts: I love how snug the pants are.  They make me feel secure and svelt. I wore them during speed training and they never slipped! They have a great wide waist band that is very flattering.  Unfortunately they don’t have a pocket for a key, instead I tied mine to my shoe. I’ll admit I was slightly over heated, but I blame this on the fact that California is getting too nice these days.

The top gives me a great shape. Yes, the straps were an initial concern, but they work well with my new racerback bra. There is a bit of cleavage in the front, but how else am I going to lure in the men folk? I don’t think I’d wear these two items together since I try to avoid wearing two tight items at once. But these would be great with a pair of shorts for a workout in the gym.

I definitely suggest checking out their new line. They have plenty of options to choose from and they are quite flattering. April pieces will be out in less than a week and the all black March line promises to be slimming. The material and manufacturing are high quality (things I notice as an engineer). Click on the image below or in my sidebar to get 20% off your first order.

 

Note: Ellie reached out to me and sent my outfit free of charge. All opinions expressed in the post are my own.

Back to the office for me

This past Monday I started my new internship in (unseasonably) sunny San Francisco. I’m working right downtown, seven blocks from the Ferry building, so I’m in a prime location. It feels odd to go back to work, I almost forgot what it was like to wake up at 6am and take the train into the city. Sigh…  Hopefully I won’t get up as early when I actually move into the city next week (very exciting stuff to come!).

Monday began with a long orientation.  There were thirty-three interns starting this week, it got a bit chaotic. We all introduced each other and I happened to sit next to the most gorgeous Stanford business student (swoon). Before I knew it, I was being shuttled off to go learn about my new position, or so I thought. Three more hours of orientation before I trekked over to my actual office. My manager and I spoke briefly about what I would be working on and then I set up my new Macbook Pro. Have I mentioned that I’m a PC? This will be an odd learning experience (I can’t master the scroll, why is it backward?).

Then yesterday was a bit more low-key. After arriving at the office at 8:54am, I realized that most of my coworkers are late risers. The door was locked and I had to wait until a bit after 9am to get in. Most of the day I spent doing research on my company and the other half was spent fighting with the computer system (it won). Somehow, even though I was seated for most of the afternoon, I was exhausted by the time I finished. Does this happen to other people? I felt like I’d been lazy all day, but was horribly drained regardless of my activity. This is something I need to combat and quick!

And a serious note to self: do not wear brand new shoes on your first day of work, they will hurt you! My gorgeous pink new shoes ended up tearing apart my heels. Fortunately I’m working for a Do-it-yourself company so there was plenty of duct tape to make myself fancy bandages. I wanted to dress like an adult and have a little pop to my outfit, but this wasn’t the way to do it. Any suggestions for how to break in shoes without putting myself in more pain?

In addition to my new hectic work day, I realized that I need to keep running. This week I have over an hour commute each way, but I am determined to get in a run. Which meant that this morning I woke up at 6am and pumped out a few miles before getting on my way. It was tough, but I had to do it.  In fact, it felt pretty fantastic (which I’m still surprised about). Hopefully I can keep this momentum going and do it again this week. Although I’ll admit that I can’t wait to live closer to the office so I don’t fret as much about timing.

How is everyone’s summer thus far? Any tips for feeling energized at the end of a long workday?

Pack it up, Pack it in

Oh man, it is taking everything I have not to break out and dance to Jump Around right now. (My suggestion: you should probably go to YouTube and enjoy it yourself.)

In other news, it is time. Time to get my rear in gear and all of my dreck packed up to make the big move. For those of you who aren’t aware, I’m far too lazy to drive the 47 hours to my new home (Palo Alto, CA) so I’m shipping my car. This has its advantages and disadvantages. Most importantly it means that I will save several days of my life. I’d love to see some of the sites along the route, but I’m not a fan of driving (read: I’m an awful driver with a bad case of road rage). This also means I won’t be able to utilize all the room in my vehicle. I can technically pack 100 pounds in my trunk, but the back seat will have to be empty (note: I packed my trunk until it could barely shut, probably 200 pounds or so…).

I was under the impression that my car would be shipped last week, but the shipping company had other plans. My car is still sitting in my driveway waiting for its chariot to take it away. I’m hoping they will call today and get it on the road so I’ll have it by next weekend.

Next on my to do list – pack my clothing. I’m not sure if anyone was aware of this, but I may own enough clothing that I don’t have to do laundry for a month (yes, I have that much underwear). According to US Air, if I choose to check a third bag it will cost me $125. What is a girl to do?

Since my cheap bone is bigger than my materialism vein, I decided to purge. Again. I was speaking with some lovely bloggers about my attire and they reminded me that it is quality over quantity. If I haven’t worn an item in a year, I probably shouldn’t hold on to it. And if it doesn’t make my body look bangin’, then I don’t need to ever put it on again. So now I have a thirty pound bag to be donated, I’m hoping someone else enjoys that hoochie dress I used to rock…

To be honest, I’ve managed to pack the majority of my items but then I keep remembering things I want to bring. (Yes, I do need that fourth pair of running shoes.) But now I’m almost scared to put my suitcases on the scale to see how much they weigh. (Although  I’m quite excited to see their body fat percentage.)

Alas, I have little time to worry and need to get my sh*t together. Time to go finish this nonsense so I can shake off the stress it is providing me. Two days and counting!

How do you prepare for a big move? Anyone want to be a pack mule and transport some items for me?

Sock it to me {Review & Giveaway}

Your feet are two of the most important parts of your body while running, if you don’t protect them properly they may blister (which can be a serious long term issue). Cotton just isn’t going to cut it! We have to remember that our feet will sweat and they need to breath.

Socks come in many flavors these days. My collection includes a wide variety of fabrics and ankle lengths (although I like them short). So when I was offered the chance to test out some New Balance socks with Coolmax Moisture Management, I jumped at the opportunity.

The Verdict: First thing I noticed? These bad boys are soft! I didn’t expect them to feel so fluffy against my foot. I’ve worn them for a few runs recently and haven’t had any trouble with foot sweat (or smell, not that I smell…). They have some cushioning, but won’t feel heavy on your foot. Perfect for summer or fall weather.

Also, these socks are a fantastic deal. You can get a three pack for $9.99 which is much cheaper than other performance socks. You can purchase them from Academy Sports and Outdoors (based in Texas).

And now for the giveaway:
One lucky reader will win a week’s worth of socks (okay only six pair, but on the seventh day remember to let your toesies go free!).

Now here is how the giveaway works:
Tell me a little bit about your footwear. What type of socks do you wear and what works best for your feet? Also, make sure to check out information about COOLMAX® fabric to find other shapes and sizes that would please you.

Want an extra entry into the giveaway? Well here are a few options:
1. Visit Academy Sports and Outdoors and let me know which COOLMAX/New Balance socks are your favorite
2. Follow me on Twitter
3. Post a tweet about this giveaway, please include @RunningJewess and a link to this post.

Leave an additional comment for each extra entry.

The giveaway will be closing at noon EST on Friday, September 2nd, 2011.

Note: Open to US entries only. The giveaway I received and the items I am distributing have been provided by COOLMAX®. The opinion expressed in this post is solely my own.