mizuno wave sayonara :::: review

the following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Mizuno.

when it comes to running the roads, mizuno and i have a very exclusive relationship. i have been in the wave rider model for as long as i can remember, and i have no intention of rocking the boat [as evidenced by my hoarding]:

well, mizuno is rolling out a brand new shoe [available JULY 5th/today!!] and i was lucky enough to get to try it out.

  meet the all new wave sayonara::::

the details::::

• weight: 7.1 ounces [a full ounce lighter than my usual wave riders]
• ramp:  10mm [wave rider 12mm]
• heel/toe: 19/9 [wave rider 24/12]
• on sale:  july 5, 2013
• suggested MSRP:  $119.99

my two cents::::

• i love the look of the shoe. it's bright but wearable.  
• they are incredibly light. 
• i wore them to the gym for a workout just because i was so excited to try them and actually found a great use for them... they are minimalist enough to lift in but enough shoe to hop on the treadmill afterwards! this is huge for me. when i lift [especially legs] i prefer a minimalist shoe but i can't run in them afterwards because i need more support. who wants to take two pairs of shoes to the gym? the wave sayonara solved this problem completely. 

• i was really surprised by the amount of support and cushion the shoe offered while i was running [it's the Mizuno Wave Technology].
• i think this would be a great shoe for someone who wanted to try a minimalist shoe but didn't want to sacrifice cushion or support. 
• i don't usually do speed work, but these shoes made me want to run fast! [and they're so light that you feel like you're moving a lot more quickly than usual!]
• they fit like a glove so i'm also looking forward to trying them without socks. 

want to know more?

mizuno running website

mizuno running on twitter @mizunorunning

mizuno running on Facebook

wave sayonara video

Week In Review

As I mentioned to y'all, the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge has officially begun and part of my participation involves sharing my workouts publicly and that means y'all get to read all the boring details [please feel free to skip right over it, i won't be mad atcha!].

but i will also smush in my marathon training weekly recaps to kill two proverbial birds...

monday::::  lifted shoulders and did a RUSH yoga class
tuesday::::  3 mile training run, 20 minutes stretch/yoga
wednesday::::  4 mile training run, lifted bis/tris/abs
thursday::::  5k turkey trot (with b-rad), yoga (plus cooking/cleaning points!)
friday::::  lifted shoulders/chest
saturday::::  9 mile training run, 20 minutes stretch/yoga
sunday::: 1 mile walk, yoga, WOW*

*the WOW stands for workout of the week that amanda posts to her YouTube channel. such a great way to learn new exercises to incorporate into your routine.

week 4 of marathon training::::  
i completed all my runs as planned. i was supposed to run 3 miles on thanksgiving and i ran raced a 5K. not the smartest (and keep in mind, me "racing" is still slow) but i selfishly wanted a new PR. i definitely paid for it and had to ice and foam roll like crazy.

i've been doing most of my training runs on the treadmill [with my eyes glued to gossip girl on the iPad] but i've kept the incline at 1. what do you all think about that?

here are some pics from the week (minus my turkey trot pics which i'll share in a separate post)::::

this was on the doorstep on monday, and i didn't order it. either i've gotten b-rad addicted to lulu  or he's been doing some Christmas shopping!

gossip girl on the treadmill, mismatched yurbuds, blox BCAAs, mizuno wave riders on the treadmill

after shoulder day

thanksgiving at our house!

me and my little brother

the fam at wild wing cafe on sunday after church

me and my beautiful momma

have you signed up for the Sock Swap??? 

RnR Savannah Half Marathon:::: #8 of 12 in 2012

rock n roll savannah half marathon, savannah georgia

half mary # 9

race# 8 of 12 in 2012

time:  2:17:42

division:  557/1266

gender: 2933/7568

expo::::

we arrived in savannah on friday afternoon and after checking into our hotel we headed straight for the expo. i remembered reading nightmares regarding the expo from last year so i wanted to pad our travel time. the expo is at the convention center, which is on an island. your options are driving, taking a shuttle, or taking a ferry. 

i would have preferred to drive since we were already in our car, but the website really encouraged parking and taking the ferry. plus all the nightmares had to do with traffic onto the island. we paid $10 to park (every garage was in 'event' mode) and took the ferry. the ferry was free and only about a 4 minute trip. 

the lines to get your bibs, swag bags, and shirts were well staffed and the lines were super short. 

the expo itself was very large. pretty much every vendor you'd ever want to see. we got some free stuff at the Brooks' setup, and Brad got fitted for shoes while i checked everything out. 

i purchased some zippfizz at Rachelle's recommendation. then in stood in line FOREVER to get a race day parking pass ($10). i SHOULD have bought this online ahead of time, then i could have picked it up a lot more quickly. but oh well, you live, you learn. here's my loot:

i have no shame, i definitely went by the downy booth twice then made brad go! i love those unstoppables!! i also stopped by the ACA booth and made two bibs. i ended up just wearing the one for my aunt sherri. i think my granny would understand why i made that choice. 

race morning::::

race morning was a little more hectic than usual for us because we were packing up and checking out of our hotel room (unplanned, more on this in a separate post). also, due to road closings, we had to be parked in our garage by 530 a.m. traffic was minimal and we had no trouble parking, but then we had more than 2 hours to kill before the race. we sat in the car for awhile and i made my way towards the start line around 7 a.m. 

i had eaten some Ezekiel bread with PB in the car, but i was starving before the race started. luckily RnR had water, bananas and bagels out for us. i had a half a bagel and some water while i waited.  

the race started on time, but it was a wave start so i think i started around 820ish. i did have a mini panic attack right before the race started that went something like this:

• i turn my garmin on before the race to allow it time to find satellites. then if it tries to turn itself off i just hit the light button to keep it on. 
• i went to turn on my iPod and it won't play.
• i proceeded to freak out and try to decide whether or not to use my phone for music (did this during the Flying Pig and it was not a good experience, plus i didn't have the playlist loaded).
• while this was going on, apparently my garmin beeped at me but i was too busy freaking out to notice. when i finally get situated (my iPod actually DID end up working) my Garmin had turned off. and it was time for my corral to start. SIGH. 
• i'm proud of myself for not completely losing it. i just hung back and waited for it to locate satellites. 

the race::::

i can't even describe to you how much i loved this course. it was mostly flat and beautiful. they changed the course from last year (after criticism about not really seeing the pretty parts of the city) and i was really happy with it. 

the course support along the way was first class. lots of water stations, GU station, and loads of bands, signs, crowds, and cheerleaders. i also saw a lot of first aid stations. 

this race flew by and i felt really good the whole time. i am also happy to report that aside from walking through water stations (i always do this, i'm not coordinated enough to drink and run at the same time) i ran this whole race!!! FIRST TIME EVER! [it only took me 9 half marathons to get to this point!! ;) ]

i'm not really sure why i thought i needed to put my hands up in every picture. all in all, this was an amazing race! great experience, great city, i'd definitely do it again. this was also my first RnR race. while i do enjoy the smaller race scene, they've definitely got it down and it went off without a hitch. 

what i'm wearing::::

under armour hat (from Suz)

nike sunglasses

lululemon run: swiftly tech long sleeve

nike running tights

mizuno wave riders (14s) with sweat pink laces

road id

iPod shuffle with yurbuds headphones

iFitness double pouch belt

my recommendations for this race::::

• try to drive to expo unless you're staying downtown. if traffic's bad, park downtown and try ferry.
• STAY DOWNTOWN if at all possible! everything's there! 
• if you need a parking pass, reserve it online to avoid the lines at the expo!
• find a bathroom before you get to the start line. 

Downhill at Dawn Half Marathon Recap::: Ridgecrest, North Carolina::: #5 of 12 in 2012

downhill at dawn half marathon::: ridgecrest, north carolina

half mary # 6

race# 5of 12 in 2012

time:  2:06:10 (PR)

division:  20/31

overall: 207/361

packet pick up:

You could pick up your packet either Friday afternoon or Saturday morning before the race. I had never been to Ridgecrest and didn't know what to expect, so I drove over on Friday afternoon to pick up my packet. It was not crowded at all and it was very easy to find thanks to all the wonderful signs and volunteers. I was greeted at the pick up and got right in and out. Everyone was super friendly! The race shirts are very nice long sleeve tech shirts:

I thought it was really odd to get  a long sleeve shirt for a June race in the South, but it ended up being CHILLY and I got to wear my shirt all day Saturday after the race!

race morning:

My 4am wake up call came way too early! I did not want to get out of my warm bed! I got dressed and had my usual Clif bar with G2. I took care of Riley and headed out. Brad was off this weekend but I get the best wife of the year award for insisting that he stay in bed. It was so early and I wasn't sure how many opportunities he'd have to see me on the course. I was finished and back to the house before he was out of bed!

Ridgecrest is about 30 minutes away so I left the house around 445am. I got to Ridgecrest and parked without trouble. It was really cold outside and I felt like a dummy for not bringing my arm sleeves. Didn't even cross my mind (HELLOOOOO it's June), must check weather in the future! 

One odd thing about the race was that there wasn't a real start line. Not even spray painted onto the road. They showed us where to line up and then told us to go! 

The first 1.5 miles was downhill and then 1.5-3 was back uphill. I was FLYING at the beginning and having a lot of trouble finding a good pace. I didn't really settle until after the first water station (Mile 2). Running downhill sounded like a great idea (and it was really fun!!) but it does jar you and jam your joints. Everything also bounces... think bladder and boobs (Under Armour your bra did NOT cut it today!!). I've never had digestive issues during a race until today and that was NOT a good time. Even after the race I was struggling. Haven't quite figured out what I did wrong there. I almost stopped at the porta potties two separate times. I told myself if they were empty I'd stop. Once it was occupado and another by the time I got to it I didn't feel so bad so I kept going. 

From mile 3 on, the course was mostly downhill. Beautiful views of the sunrise, mountains, creeks and streams. I was in heaven minus my stomach issues. The course was well supported with water stops every 2 miles and GU gels and chomps at Mile 8. 

The course measured a little short on my Garmin (a welcome change after the Flying Pig) coming in at 12.86 miles. Between that and all the downhill, I think this PR is going to be tough to beat!! But I do love a challenge!

Here are a couple pics from the course:

And here's my playlist: