Athletic clothes that wont break your bank

I am one for deals. And by that I mean I hardly ever, ever, ever pay full price for anything. In most retail stores, clothes are full price one day and half the next. Also promo codes are everywhere. Too expensive in store? I'm sure you could find a 25-30% of coupon online, so why not use them?

Whether you're in the gym, on a run around campus, or down the bike trail, it never hurts to look good in what you're wearing. Most great athletic brands will come with a hefty price tag although what you may not know is MANY other places have the same quality for half the price. Lululemon is trendy and all but on a college budget I've found great things at other places! :)

Fabletics 

So far my favorite place for athletic wear is Fabletics! I've owned a pair of crop leggings for years and worn them for a couple marathons and they're still doing great. They haven't lost their shape and come in a variety of colors. So... I bought two pairs in black and one in purple.

If you're not a member already, you get your first outfit for only $25! Be warned though because if you don't cancel your VIP membership after your first purchase you will get charged $50 each month to purchase a new outfit.

Tip: Shop here on holidays. On black Friday the discounted outfits will be even cheaper. I bought mine on labor day and mine was discounted $10 off.
My newest 3 piece outfit was only $20! and that included the Salar leggings I love, a crossed sports bra, and this twisted shirt.

The Clymb

This site is super cool if you're looking for high quality, name brand products at a discount. You need to sign up in order to buy and if you refer a friend and they buy something you get $10 off your next purchase. 

Website: www.TheClymb.com 

Target

Check out Target's athletic section if you haven't before! I recommend their teeshirts and sports bras! It also looks like all of their items are buy one get on 50% off at the moment too.

Tip: Clearance items, clearance items, clearance items. You'll find clothes for about $10 and they're good quality. Also they have good customer service if something breaks or doesn't work for you!

Promo code: TGT6ZXY3

Old Navy

One of my favorite places to get cheap workout clothes. The quality is great and they have all types of designs that are cute too. 

Tip: use promo code "FORYOU" for 40% off. Also check out the clearance racks, they always have simple tanks there for about $4-$10.

This top is only $10,  pants are $25, pullover for $19

Top Ten Running Costumes

It's that great time of the year where we all get to dress up in our favorite costume for Halloween. For some of us it's a day, the weekend, or for brave, the whole week. It blows my mind seeing people continue this dress up theme for a long 26.2 miles but it has been done. And done so with creativity and passion. From tutu's to superhero costumes, this is the top ten fun costumes people have worn during a race.

Enjoy!

10.  A Chicken

9. Nerds Candy

8. Harry Potter

 

7. Hooters Girl

 

6. Gorillas in Tutus

 

5. Power Rangers

 

4. Christmas Tree

 

3. Anatomy Body Suit

 

2. Blue Men Group

 

and for the top spot...... 

1. The Dedicated Two Man Camel Costume

 

 Thank you for reading this week!

Post-Homecoming Detox

It certainly is that time of the year again where all of our diets seem to go straight down the drain. From tailgating to buying anything "pumpkin spice," the fall season never fails to make us take in those extra calories.

Yesterday was Illinois State's, as well as many other schools, Homecoming celebration and I'm sure we all ate one too many hot dogs or handfuls of chili dip. Feeling those post-homecoming decisions today, I know it is time for a cleansing detox. Whether you drank vodka waters all day (good for you) or preferred Busch Heavy beer bongs, I hope this easy detox can help you get back into the swing of things!

 

I have tried several different detoxes around summer time as well as the holiday season, and this water detox has always been the easiest to do. It's best to use a large gallon size jug and make one large batch so you do not have to cut everything individually each time you finish a glass.

What you'll need:

• 1 Gallon of water
• 1 Large cucumber 
• Handful of fresh mint leaves
• 2 Lime
• 1 Lemon

What to do:

• Cut all ingredients. Slice the lemons, limes, and cucumbers.
• Combine all of the ingredients in a large water pitcher.
• Put the pitcher in your fridge for 4-6 hours to let everything soak together. Or you could even combine everything and let it sit over night. 
• Enjoy!
• Once you fill a glass just add water to the batch. With the fruit sitting in the water you should be good to refill the pitcher several times without losing taste.

Thank you for reading, have a wonderful week! :)

Chicago Marathon Recap

I ran the Chicago Marathon this past weekend for my first time. It was such a fun race and I had a blast meeting people around me in my corral. People from all around the world came out for this event and it was a blast meeting new people. I met people from Mexico, Miami, Pennsylvania, and Brazil, just to name a few.

Here are a few pics from the race, enjoy!

 

 

The official shirt

 

 

My boyfriend Jake came to watch the race

My friend Matt ran Chicago for his second time this year!

 

When your dog looks better with a medal than you.


Now it's time to buy new shoes and start preparing for Honolulu! Thanks for reading this week!

Chicago Marathon 2015

Two more days until the Chicago Marathon! I've been training for roughly four months although it seems as if it has been year round since I ran the Illinois Marathon in April and haven't had much downtime since.

This past week I've kept my exercises relatively easy with minimal weight training to avoid being sore by start time and doing different types of cardio. I've mostly done the stair stepper although earlier in the week I did sprints and ran a few miles at a comfortable level.

There were a couple of things I've done much differently with this training versus previous ones such as incorporating weekly yoga into my schedule to help sore muscles, cut meat out of my diet (thanks to advice form my Uncle Jon), drank alcohol minimally, and truly have stuck to my goals I've set for myself.

I wanted to achieve dropping 20 pounds and finishing around 4 hours. Since June I have lost 15 which isn't necessarily where I wanted to be although improvement is improvement and I'm proud I've made it this far. In The Twin Cities Half Marathon I finished in ~1:55 which sets me up for a sub four for Chicago although my time my fluctuate a bit due to how I'm feeling day of.

Gear for the race:

Zansah Compression Sleeves
I'll use these the two nights before, the day before, pre-race, and post-race. Great to use if you have ever suffered from shinsplints. These were given to me as a "pass it on" gift from a worker named Clint from Often Running when I was buying my first real pair of running shoes. I've been extremely thankful for these, it was an surprising act of kindness I'll never forget.

Lululemon headband
I've worn this headband for each race therefore it's fitting to keep the tradition going.

Brooks Ghost 7 Running Shoes
I got these on sale for $70 from Often Running although the fit has been wearing and my feet slide now. I wore the vertex version for the Illinois Marathon and they absorbed too much heat. I probably will not buy this version again.

Marika Slim Waist Band
Awesome product. The fit is very light and doesn't bulge under your shirt while holding everything you need.

Balega Blister Resist Running Socks
Haven't used these socks much but my blisters are gross so I'm hoping they save my feet!

10 Ways to Keep Runs Fun

Run in different locations with varying mileage. Try diverse workouts, and do them with new running partners. Even better, find a local running group. Mixing it up helps get you out the door, keeps it fun, and boosts your fitness level.

It can help to plan your runs for the week ahead. Keep in mind that every run you do should have a purpose to it. Runs can be easy for recovery, fast for speed, long run for endurance, or hill workouts to build strength. Plan your route and distance of the run with the purpose in mind.

RELATED: Run your first—or fastest—marathon ever! Train smart with the Big Book of Marathon and Half-Marathon Training.

And, most important of all, keep it fun. Regardless of how hard or easy, or how long or short, the run should be fun. Experiment! Find the workouts and the running routes you enjoy the most and incorporate them, but keep searching out new options to keep it fresh, exciting, and interesting.


Here are some suggestions for mixing up your week:

1. Run to a destination. For example, run to the gym or run to complete an errand—like going to the post office. You can meet up with friends so you have a ride home or plan to run back home.

2. Easy/medium/hard run. For a speed workout, run easy for three minutes, at a medium difficulty for two minutes, and hard for one minute. Repeat this sequence for the duration of your run.

3. Landmark runs. After a warmup, run hard for a short interval to a landmark like a mailbox, a driveway, or a streetlight along the route; then jog easy for recovery to the next landmark. Repeat.

4. Explore a new running area. Go to a park, or a new neighborhood popular with runners.

5. Try a trail run. The concentration needed for trail running engages your mind as you figure out how to traverse uneven terrain, rocks, roots, hills, water, and other obstacles. It's a great strength builder, too. (Check out these 21 trail tips to get you started.)

6. Plan a hill repeat run. Find a hill in your area that is about a quarter mile in length with a nice incline. Run one mile for a warmup then tackle the hill. Run up the hill and jog easy down, then turn around and run up the hill again. Repeat several times. Run a one-mile cooldown afterward.

7. Try a track workout for speed. Run a one-mile warmup. Time yourself and run one lap at a hard pace; then, jog or walk one lap for recovery. Repeat four to six times. Set a consistent pace for the hard laps and stay within a five-second variance for each lap. Gradually increase the number of laps you run over the weeks.

8. Make running dates with friends. Nothing like good conversation to help pass the miles.

9. Running on a treadmill? Try using a pre-programmed hill run or interval run. The treadmill will automatically speed up or down or add an incline. Varying the pace and incline will engage your mind. (Our chief running officer, Bart Yasso, has a few favorite treadmill workouts you could try as well.)

10. Register for a race. There is nothing like making a race commitment to get you out the door and focused on training. Select a local race or go for a destination race. Finding a race somewhere you have always wanted to visit is a great motivator and a fun way to tour that area. If you have already done some races, select a race that presents a different challenge—like a new distance, a trail race, or an obstacle race.

From: www.RunnersWorld.com

Twin Cities Half Marathon

This past Saturday I ran the Twin Cities Half Marathon in Bloomington, Illinois. The weather was perfect and the course was nice and flat. I PRed with a time of 1:55 which was really exciting as I was shooting for a 2 hour half time. Hoping Chicago goes smoothly so I can keep this pace and try to knock some time off for my sub 4 marathon goals.

Placed 3rd in my age division! I couldn't believe it considering I literally never win anything.

Congratulations to Jake for for running his first half marathon!
He did awesome and I am so proud of him for kicking butt doing so.  I warned him when we first started dating that I was going to try turn him into a runner. Now time for a marathon.


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