Tiux Compression Socks review

I had the awesome opportunity to try out a pair of Tiux compression socks over the last few weeks. After wearing them during and after my runs, I have nothing but positive things to say about them. I'll start with the company first.

Tiux is a small, start-up company that sells premium, technical compression socks at an incredible affordable price(only $35!!!).
They skip the middleman process and eliminate wholesalers and distributors by selling directly online to their customers so there's no inflated mark-ups like other brands.

Not only are the reliable, high quality compression socks, they're also for a great cause. Tiux donates 1% of all it's profits to MAGS(Mines Advisory Group) to help save lives and protect communities from landmines and other weapons remaining after conflicts.

 I am in love with the bright pink and yellow. They're also available in black/yellow and yellow/blue.
They're surprisingly warm, which is perfect for fall/winter running but also breathable since I'm a heavy sweater when I run. My favorite thing about these socks would probably be the padded footbed. It almost feels like a normal sock then the rest of the sock is stretchy and fits like a glove. They're my new go-to sock for recovery after a long run or keeping my legs from feeling fatigued especially during a fast paced run.

For the cost and value of these socks, I highly recommend you give them a try. I'm hosting a give-away on my Instagram for one lucky person to try them for free!

The Puppy Run!

I am all about running for a cause and supporting charities. I believe that if you have the means to make a difference, then make it happen. I use my Charity Miles app on my Iphone often and ran my first marathon raising $1500 for the American Cancer Society.

So when I read about the Puppy Run, I absolutely loved the idea. It's a family and/or dog-oriented swag filled virtual run that supports a canine-related charity for dogs in need. A portion of every registration will make a huge impact on those pups lives.

In case you've never participated in a virtual run, here's how it works. Instead of all the runners meeting up in one location, the run can be done anywhere on your own time. Participants register online (registration is open now until 5-13-15 at 11:59PM or until sell-out). You can run it solo, with a team of people, or with a child or dog.

Once registration closes, the swag is mailed out and arrives straight to your doorstep!! Then register to submit your results, qualifying you for awards and prizes.
Get out and run your selected distance then submit the results online. It's that easy! Let me tell you about the sweet things that come with the run...

There's distance options of a 5K, 10K, or 1/2 marathon and also has registration options for kids and dogs with their own specific swag items.

*All adults receive a custom shirt, finisher medal, bib, and sticker.

*All kids receive a draw-string bag, folder frisbee, finisher medal, bib, and sticker.

*Dogs receive a bandana, collapsible water bowl, and doggy treat :)

 

Soft t-shirts for adults

 

 

 

5K finisher medal

 

 

 

10K and 1/2 finisher medals

 

 

Kid swag

 

 

 

Dog swag

 

 

 

This is a fantastic opportunity to get out with a group of friends or family to enjoy the spring weather and help make a difference in a dog's life. Or take your pooch out for some exercise and some bonding time. I know my 4 year old daughter will love this!

 

 

You can register at  www.thepuppyrun.com

 

 

Save 10% of the registration cost and use my special code, jennifer10 when you checkout.

 

 

So sign up, get out and run, and celebrate dogs everywhere with The Puppy Run!

 

 

 

photo from thepuppyrun.com

 

 





 







Why do I run?

Probably the single most asked question I receive is why do I run?
"Isn't it hard?"
"It's so boring!"
"You're so skinny, why do you do it?"
"I only run when being chased, ha!"
"You think running is fun?!"---crazy look on face

If you're a runner, I'm sure you've heard the same things. A lot of times when I'm asked this question, I really don't know what to say. I'll hesitate and I know why I do it, but I can't elaborate into words why I do it day after day. Maybe that's because running is more of a feeling then anything else. I'm not the greatest at expressing feelings either, so usually I'll just mutter the words, "because I want to."

When I started running years ago, it just kind of happened. I didn't wake up one day and say to myself, "I'm going to run and do it everyday until I'm good at it!"
I've always had an itch inside of me to be active. I was a tomboy growing up and loved playing basketball or football with the boys in the neighborhood (including my now husband)
As a kid, I was shy, unpopular, and had a kind heart. These things combined ultimately killed me throughout school. I was picked on, sat by myself at lunch, and never had any girlfriends I could talk to or hang out with. I so badly wanted to join a sports team to connect with others and cure this itch I had deep inside. I was getting in trouble in school and failing classes. My junior high school counselor even wrote a letter to my parents calling me a derailed train with a dim future.

So when the time came when I was allowed to join a team, I tried Poms in 8th grade. Found out I wasn't pretty enough, so I dropped out. At that time, I had started running around my neighborhood by myself a day or two a week. I'd usually sneak out of the house with my Walkman cassette tape player and just zone out while I trotted down the street. I was by myself with no one judging me or telling me I couldn't do it. It was liberating.

9th grade I tried the track team, but that lasted one day and I was forced to drop out then too.

10th grade I practiced with the softball team and was pulled aside by one of the girls and was told I probably wouldn't make it because, "I was too skinny and not strong enough to handle it."

I knew I wasn't a natural athlete. No one in my family was active and as a kid, it was hard to get out. I turned to running even more during this time to allow myself to decompress from school, from the lack of friends, and the lack of confidence I had.

The more I ran, the more self-worth I gained. I wasn't good at it. I had no idea what pace I was running or the miles I put in. I wore cheap tennis shoes and had to take a lot of walk breaks. I couldn't breathe, my knees hurt, and I questioned why I was doing it many times. All I know is when I returned to my house as tired as I was, I felt stronger...inside. This was a feeling I wasn't used to and it felt so good. Between 11th and 12th grade in high school, I started to turn things around. I stopped caring what others thought of me. I started getting A's and B's and taking honor's classes. I developed self-esteem and was starting to understand what it was to take care of my body and my mind. This derailed train graduated with Honor's and enrolled straight into a nursing program in college. I took running with me the entire way.

Maybe it's a coincidence that running changed me for the better.
Is it hard? Hell yes it is!
Does it hurt? Like a motherfucker.
Isn't it boring? It can be, but if it is all the time, you're doing it wrong.
You're skinny, why do you run? Who said it was about being skinny???
I only run when being chased? Maybe you have something chasing you and you can't see it...
You think running is fun?  When you put in the work and your body adapts, it does become fun. Imagine no pain, no shortness of breath, and the feeling of flying----this takes time and work. You have to earn it day after day, month after month, year after year.

We now live in a world were the majority of people are overworked and are used to having things made convenient for them. Being an active, healthy person in a world like this, will definitely make me stand out. Whether it's in a positive way or a negative one. That's why I turn to others who run and connect with them through social media or at local races. Before the days of Instagram and Daily Mile, I really felt like an alien, like the oddball. Now I see runners are out there...everywhere and it's a hell of a community to be a part of.

After 15 years of running, I don't ever see myself giving it up. It's a part of me. You ask me why I run, I'll ask you why you piss in the morning when you wake up. To me, it's natural and a normal part of my day. I eat better, I feel better, and hope to be a positive influence to my 4 year old daughter as she grows in a world of convenience and lack of people taking care of themselves. Running teaches us that things are hard and do hurt...but is that an excuse to quit and throw in the towel. NO! Persevere and push through it. Take on challenges and allow them to change you and make you stronger. Then take on a harder challenge and see what you can do. Such is life. You'd be surprised at what you can do and how it changes you for the better.

Never stop running

Fueling for the long run

I've been asked a lot about my eating habits and nutrition and how it plays into my training and distance running, so I thought I'd post a blog about it for those who are curious.

First of all, I've always been a skinny kid. I had a crazy high metabolism when I was young and I was full of energy. I started running when I was just 14 years old, but back then I didn't think anything about nutrition or training. I ate what I wanted and I ran whatever I felt like running that day. It wasn't really until I began racing back in 2006 that I started thinking about what I was putting in my mouth and how it would affect my running.

My very first race (Turkey Trot 5k)

 

 

Running distances like 5ks and 10ks is pretty much what I stuck to for years. I never pushed myself out of my comfort zone or did any kind of training plans. I just had a natural affinity toward the sport and it made me feel good about myself. I was placing in my age groups and I was content with that. I never was really into eating out at restaurants or eating fast food, but I definitely wasn't eating healthy. My idea back then was "fake healthy"...like Lean Cuisines, basically anything that was low fat, low calorie. I had the attitude that the lighter or thinner I was, the faster I could run. So I skipped breakfast, had a light snack for lunch, then I'd eat a Lean Cuisine for dinner and call it a day. I never got crazy about my weight or anything like obsessing over the scale. I never looked in the mirror and thought, "I need to be thinner, I'm too fat"  I never had issues like that. I think I just had the wrong idea of what fueling my body for performance meant. 

 

 



It wasn't until I suffered a major injury shortly after the race I did pictured above in the fall of 2012 that I starting questioning my nutrition habits. I was at the time, running the best times I had ever run. I had just finished my first half marathon a few months prior and finally considering a full marathon. I ran a 5k PR of 20:39 and was dominating the local short distance races in my area. This injury was devastating to me because I was doing so well and it was making me second guess becoming a distance runner. During my downtime from running, I took advantage of educating myself on running form, nutrition, and training. It was then I realized that my idea of "healthy" eating was SO far off. I was not eating enough calories and was not even close to fueling my body for what I'd need for long distance running. That was when I made a change.

I'm not perfect by any means. I love pizza, cake, candy, ice-cream just like the next person. And even now, I still indulge in those things every now and then. Not often, but I do a couple times a month. For the most part, I try to eat clean. I avoid processed foods, simple sugars, or man-made chemicals. I used to drink diet pop like there was no tomorrow, but I've replaced it now with water or Zevia (an aspartame free soda)

I eat now...A LOT...every few hours, I'm eating something. Some key foods in my everyday diet include, almonds, nuts, Greek yogurt, chicken breast, quinoa, brown rice, oatmeal, Vega nutrition shakes, peanut butter(typical, right lol) pretzels, fig newton bars, Quest Bars, and of course try to get some fruits and vegetables in there with a lot of water intake. I do not count calories. I do not count fat grams or carbs. I just try and aim for complex carbs, healthy fats, and protein with each meal or snack. When I run, especially after a hard workout, I immediately refuel with either a Core Power protein drink or Vega accelerator shake. I've noticed eating a good blend of carbs and protein after a hard run, improves muscle soreness and energy. Running definitely helps me make better food choices throughout the day. I eat to run. I fuel my body like you'd fuel a car. When I eat like crap, I feel like crap, and I run like crap. I don't care about a number on a scale, I care about how my body feels during mile 9 of a tempo run and how I recover after so that I can get up the next morning and do it again. It's taken many years, but I'm happy with what I've got. I don't have a perfect body and I'm still at times insecure with myself, but I'm proud of what I can do with my legs. We are all human. It's our imperfections that make us beautiful and unique. And I'd like to add, that I get my ass handed to me many times by runners that are "bigger" than me. Strong is beautiful. Strong inside and out, and everyone is strong in their own way. I'm not the greatest or fastest runner, but I'm out there everyday giving it MY personal best.  My ultimate goal when it comes to eating is to stay injury free, full of energy, and able to blast out some intense miles. Happy Running :)

 



Chicago Lakefront 50K recap

What an experience!

 

 

 

My first ultra marathon was this last Saturday (April 5th) and it certainly goes down as my favorite race of all time.

 

Started off with waking up at 5AM and driving myself to the northside of Chicago at Foster Beach House along the lakefront. Beautiful sunshine and a brisk 35 degrees at start time. I actually felt super calm and really wasn't nervous about this, I think because the only goals I had were to have fun, stay injury free, and JUST FINISH.

 

The second I pinned my bib to my shirt, I was like "omg, I am running a freakin Ultra"

I met up with my IG friend Steph(runtrimom)who looked super cute in her bright, colorful running outfit. Before we knew it, we were off and running.

The miles just flew by as we admired the beautiful lakefront scenery and talked about life in general. We stopped for a few minutes at each aide station to refuel or stretch and for the first 15 miles, I was in heaven and feeling fresh and running effortlessly. We ran into a few of Steph's friends along the way, including her 84 year old coach who inspired me like crazy!  I was debating on whether or not to stick with her the whole time because I wasn't exactly sure on how my IT band would hold up, but the pace she was running felt right to me with the distance I was going. So at about mile 17 I decided to stick it out with her and finish together.

And I'm SO glad I did. Running with her really helped push me, especially the last few miles. Liz(fitandfab4life) ran the last 10 miles with us, which was awesome too. I kept repeating to myself "embrace the suck" "I've got this" Pretty much every fiber in my legs were hurting, but I pushed as I envisioned that finish line in my mind. I thought about my 3 year old daughter and husband too. I thought about all the amazing support from my Instagram friends.  These are the things that got me through.

We crossed the finish line 31 miles later, our hands together and held high over our heads tears streaming down our faces.  We had done it. We had just become ultra marathoners. I gave her the biggest hug crying like a baby.  I never had imagined I'd be a marathoner, let alone an ULTRA marathoner.  I faced my fears and conquered them head on. After running the Chicago Marathon last October and ending up injured, I started to question whether or not I could be a long distance runner.  But this finish proved to me that I could. I could go the distance....and I'll never look back.  I'm looking forward to more marathons, hopefully a Boston Qualifying one, and maybe some more ultras in there too :) 

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/t/tseliot161678.html#lbihmdIdP755wtIX.99

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/t/tseliot161678.html#lbihmdIdP755wtIX.99

ONLY THOSE WHO WILL RISK GOING TOO FAR CAN POSSIBLY FIND OUT HOW FAR ONE CAN GO