Lorna Jane Active Wear: What's in my box?

 

I'm so glad that this week's theme for Tuesdays on the Run is Clothing! This is giving me the push I need to get my Fashion Column wrote for this week. ( If you didn't know, I write a Fashion Column called "Fashionably Fit" for my real job).

I've been wanting to write about Loran Jane Active wear for a while now.   I had never heard of the name Lorna Jane before I started blogging. ( Isn't it amazing the stuff you discover when you hangout on social media?).

Last month I was sent a few pieces of this line to try. Here is what was in my box.

                                                                     Dash Excel Tank

This was probably my favorite piece that I received. It's a slim fitting tank ( color is Shocking Pink). It is made from the LJ Excel mesh fabric that wicks away moisture and is quick drying and breathable. It's a T-back. When I wore this I layered it over a sports bra.  It has a reflective logo on it and on the back waist line it has a hidden pocket! It's a zipper pocket so you can be sure that your items stay nice and secure. It's a very generous size too. I can fit my phone in there. This tank is perfect for summer running! Even though it says it is a slim fitting tank, I still felt that it was kind of loose around the belly area ( which  I liked) There is nothing worse than having all your clothes sticking to you after a hot run!

                                                                                   Pammy Bra

The next item I got was the Pammy Sports bra in black. I believe it also comes in white.  I received this bra the same week I had just bought a new sports bra of my own and received the one from Victoria's Secret for their campaign. But hey, it's always nice to have some extra!  I wasn't crazy about this item at first because  I generally favor the bras that have the hook and eye closures in the back ( this did not). It was a pull over the head kind. These particular bras are not sized by chest size, they are sized XXS thru XL.  I was given a size smaller than what I probably would have picked out on my own because it was very snug.  Another thing I wasn't crazy about was the removable padded cups. I know you can take this out when you wash them, but I rarely remember and then it becomes a twisted mess inside there ( you know what I mean?). One of the pluses to this bra was that it had adjustable straps AND you could criss cross them if you wanted to or wear them the traditional way.

The Verdict: I ended up REALLY liking this piece. I've run in it several times and it is SO comfortable. Even though I thought it was a bit tight at first, it did the job and there was no chaffing! And those removable pads, well lets just say that YES, I forgot to remove them before washing this item, MACHINE WASHING none the less ( you can gasp now)! And guess what? This is the first sports bra that I've owned where the padding stayed in place. It did not crinkle, it did not move!  Now this is quality folks!


These next two items aren't exactly Summer items so I have not run in them yet, but I can tell I am going to love them and get good use out of them.

                                                         Maxed Out Hooded Zip Through
This is the softest hoodie I have ever felt. It is made from the LJ Exel moisture wicking, quick drying breathable material. It reminds me of the white zip up I got this year at the Disney Princess Half Marathon but like 10 times softer!  This has a LOT of storage space in it!  (Isn't it funny that runners look for clothing with "storage space"...haha)

                                                               Don't Wait 3/4 Tights

The last item I was sent were the 3/4 Don't Wait Tights. You can't tell from the picture, but the stripes on the tights match the color of the hoodie.  These are compression of course and I found that a lot of the tights in the Lorna Jane line come in 3/4 ( which would be like capris), and 7/8 ( which might be more like cropped ( a  bit longer than capri length). Although I haven't found much "Storage Space" in these, they are very well made and I think they will be great for Fall and Spring running.  They have the safety reflectors on them too.


The Lorna Jane line comes in a lot of fun colors but I think the best part of it is the quality. I'm pretty sure you would say the quality of clothing would rival some of the best women's workout wear such as Athleta, Nike, and Lululemon.

I think the pink excel tank is probably my favorite piece for the summer!

Not a great picture, but you can see that I am wearing the Lorna Jane excel tank on the Fitness Trail at Seven Springs Resort last month!


What is your favorite piece of running/fitness apparel this summer?


   Don't forget to enter our GIVEAWAY going on and also the  Chocolate Milk Contest!

                              

 

*I was sent this active wear from Lorna Jane Active at no cost to me. The review and opinions are all my own.

This Just In...A New Chocolate Milk Contest!

Hey guys! We were just notified about a new contest that is being launched by Rodale Press ( the parent company of Runner's World and Women's Health Magazines).


Its all about Chocolate Milk!  Here are the details!

Snap and upload a photo of how you recover right after a tough workout and you could win great prizes including a trip to Run 10 Feed 10 in NYC!

 Contest started July 1^st. Visit www.Rodale.com/builtwithchocolatemilk for more info.

Runner's Gazette and a GIVEAWAY

 I want to introduce you to something special today. I know many of you are subscribers to publications like Runner's World, the Running Times, Marathon and Beyond, etc, etc.  But did you know that there is a Running Newspaper?  There is, it's called Runner's Gazette, and it is America's  FIRST Running Newspaper! (and guess what, the editor is a long time friend of Bart Yasso)

Like Runner's world, Runner's Gazette is printed right here on the East Coast. It is available for purchase mainly in the Mid-Atlantic Region but has subscribers from all over.

RG (Runner's Gazette) does gear reviews, personal race stories, nutritional suggestions, a calendar of upcoming events, ( and much more).  RG even has a poetry corner for those runner's who like to write.  The RG staff also travels to many East Coast races ( and other US races as available) and gets the inside scoop.   Will you or have you run races like NYC Marathon, Boston, or Marine Corp Marathon?  Your picture just may end up in print!


RG has agreed to give one lucky reader of Fairytales and Fitness their own subscription to the newspaper for FREE!    Tell us in the comments what your favorite running or fitness publication is.

 

We are linking up with Kristy from Runaway Bridal Planner for this Giveaway Blog Hop.  Click on her link to find some other awesome giveaways you might be interested in!

A Peek in our Week

Hey guys! We hope you all had a fun yet relaxing ( and safe weekend). 
My week and weekend ended up being busier than I though it would be and I am still exhausted so I will just go through some highlights.

( Lacey had another busy week at work, so she said she didn't do anything worth noting. She is working on putting together her exercise room so I think she is going to show us that when she is finished)

Monday 6/30
This week was suppose to start the "Goofy" training, but I admit I didn't do very well.
I didn't run this day, but I did get a much needed haircut!
I finished up an article I was working on for a magazine and another feature piece for the newspaper. Every time I complete a big assignment I feel like a kid on the last day of school, so relieved!

Tuesday 7/1
My new planner is working out just fabulous for me! I love writing down all my tasks the night before and then seeing how many I can cross off during the day. Quite a few tasks from Monday didn't get done so they got pushed over to Tuesday's list. ( I won't bore you with the details though).

I had a Dr. appointment this day to take a look at a sore I had on my foot. The dr said that he could surgically remove it but then I wouldn't be able to run for several days. I opted to go with the OTC medicine instead.  When I bought the OTC medicine, I read the box said it would take 12 weeks for my sore to heal. No, I wasn't waiting 12 weeks. I promptly called up my dr and made an appointment for the following day!

I did get a 4 mile run in this day and it was a good run.
I did 1 mile later again than night as well.

Wednesday 7/2
Today I had my orthopedist appointment. I got a cortisone shot in my hip.
I went back to my other dr in the afternoon and had my foot taken care off.

I received a new pair of running shoes in the mail when I came home and promptly tried them on and laced them up. I wore them around the house all evening.  Surprisingly I had no pain in my foot at all.

Friday 7/4
We spent the day in Pittsburgh and went to a Pirates vs Phillies game.

 I was kind of rooting for the Phillies but honestly they played an awful game.  We stayed for the evening fireworks and then drove home afterwards. I got word that Miss Baylee was very scared at home with all the fireworks that were going on around our house.

Saturday and Sunday we had a graduation party and a shower to go to. I did get 3.1 miles in on Sunday morning though.

I have no excuse not to have ran on Monday but after my shot on Wednesday I was kind of taking it easy on purpose. After 4 days, my hip is still black and blue from the shot ( which is to be expected) but it is still hurting. I don't remember still feeling pain for this long after the first shot.  I thought I had read some where that soaking in Epsom salt helps relieve some of this pain. Is this true?
~M

Do you have any suggestions on what I can do to relieve the soreness from my shot?

How did your week go? Tell me something fun you did this weekend.
Be sure to check back tomorrow for a Giveaway we have going on!

Friday Five: Celebrate with 5 Discount Codes for Products You Love!

Happy Independence Day!

Where ever you are, we hope the weather is beautiful and that you are able to celebrate living in this great nation.

Lacey will be spending some time in Lexington, KY today and Meranda will be heading out to a Phillies and Pirates baseball game and a fireworks show afterwards.

Since we have celebrating on the mind today, we thought we would celebrate by sharing a few summer discount codes to some favorite products. Hopefully you'll find one for one of your favorites!

1. Pro-Compression. If you have never worn a Pro-Compression product you are seriously missing out! This stuff is like a huge hug for your feet or your whole body depending on what item you are wearing.

 I love my compression Calf Sleeves. You can get some of your own  Pro-Compression gear with these discount codes below.

30% of Women's Leggings with code LEG

40% of Marathon socks with code BLG13


2.  Block Island Organics. Since we have been spending time at the beach, at the pool, and doing yard work, sunscreen has been a must. I really enjoy this stuff from Block Island Organics.  I like that it is light weight, non-comedogenic ( That means it doesn't clog your pores. I learned that when I sold Mary Kay cosmetic for a while...lol). It is both UVA and UVB protectant. And oh, its water resistant too. That's a must! I know I'll be lathering this stuff on while I'm at the ball game today!

If you are looking to upgrade your Sunsreen to something mineral based ( and not chemical based) you can use my code meranda for 20% off your own purchase ( discount will be valid till 7/10/14).This would be great for children or those with sensitive skin issues! (Actually if you go to their site right now they have some more discounts going on. I even saw 50% off certain products)


3. Ink n Burn. My friend Larisa from Larisa Runs Trails is sharing her discount code for Ink n Burn Products.  Honestly, I've never purchased anything from Ink n Burn before, but that have some pretty creative designs over there. Have you checked out their arm sleeves?
For 15% of use the code LarisaToldMe

4.  Flip Belt. Remember that awesome flip belt we reviewed a few days ago? Well, here is your opportunity to grab one for your self at a discounted price.

Use the code MRNTHSTWN for 10% off.



5.  Koss. Last but not least,  are you looking for a new way to listen to your tunes? How about some new headphones? Koss is offering 25% of with code USA25 but you'll have to hurry on this one because it is TODAY ONLY!

Make sure you come back on Monday to check out our new Giveaway. We'll be linking up with Kristy from Runaway Bridal Planner for another blog hop!

Steps I took to resolve IT Band and Hip Pain: Things I've tried when nothing would work

Sorry for such a late post today but if you have read the blog earlier this week you may have remembered that today I had my appointment with the Orthopedist.   Instead of just telling you what happened there today, I thought I would give a run down of what all I've been through while dealing with this IT Band  and hip pain. It seems like I've been reading that quite a few other runners are starting to have the same pain/symptom as I had.

I am not dispensing medical advice, I am simply just sharing what I have done, what worked and what didn't. It has been a long road ( and a painful one)

In January: I started to have my pain It was on the side of my knee and it was an awful pinching feeling. It was actually both knees.
 Some things that I had been doing that may or may not have contributed to the pain:

 *I got a new pair of Drop zero shoes back in October. Although I was wearing them gradually, I was starting to wear them more regularly.

* I was running on the treadmill more often.

* I may have been increasing my mileage too quickly ( Doing 4 miles one day and the 10 miles the next) I assumed that since I had already been able to run 13.1 miles that I would be okay running any distance at anytime. Not the case.

*I was getting lazy and instead of driving to my favorite trails, I would run along the road/highway near my house. The unevenness of the road is not a good thing.

I have posted about my pain several times and many bloggers gave some great advice. I followed the advice of one blogger who told me to seek a Chiropractor that does ART ( Active Release Therapy), so I did.  After my first visit, he said that he would not perform ART on me because it would hurt way too bad ( I knew that it was painful and was prepared for that, but it was a no go). He sent me home with a list of stretches to do in hopes that we could fix the problem that way. I had gone back a few times before The Disney Princess half in hopes that I could get some relief.

February:  I ran the Royal Family 5K, the enchanted 10k, and the Princess Half Marathon. After each race I promptly came back to the resort and iced my legs. I got through the half marathon by jogging, walking and then sprinting. The faster I ran, the less the pain was. But I could not keep up that pace for all 13.1 miles.


March: After the races, my IT band pain was even worse and the pain had now traveled to my hips and it was bad.  The pain was worse at night and in a book I had read it said that was normal. As your body gets tires, the pain will feel worse. Even though the IT band exercises and stretches were not painful for me to do ( they actually felt good), I couldn't do some of the other stretches that involved hip movement. I told the Chriro that too.  After several weeks of Chiro with no results, I started going to Physical Therapy. 
My legs were SO weak when I first started PT.

I went over the list of the things that I did differently and my PT told me that if a runner is a strong enough runner, then they can wear any shoe and to not blame my injury on the shoes ( not sure if I agree with that yet).   He told me that I was weak and that's why I was injured. He was tough on me, but that is what I needed. I wanted to get through this because I was registered to run the Big Sur Marathon at the End of April.  We all know how that turned out!

April: I'm Still going to PT and doing the stretches and strengthening exercises at home. My legs are getting stronger but I am still having some pain. Most of the pain again was when I was doing the exercises or stretches that involved hip movement. I told my PT this too.

 I was able to do the April Fools 11K.  I wanted to bump myself down to the 7K, but since they wouldn't let me, I sucked it up and did the 11K. I'm glad I did it. It was painful, but I finished and was actually pretty happy with my time!

May: Both my chiropractor and PT told me that they could no longer help me and that I needed to seek another medical professional for possible x-rays. I went to my family dr.  and right away he could tell that I had an inflamed bursa and that is why I was still having hip pain. He gave me a shot of cortisone in the left hip and it has been fine ever since.  When I called back to say that I was still having pain in the right side and in my lower back, he decided that I should go to Ortho.

June: I started running again regularly  and although I am having very little IT pain/knee pain when I run, I am in much pain when I am seated or standing in one place.  I couldn't believe that I made an appointment for ortho back in May and I had to wait till July. How would I get though

July: So this brings me to today. I had my ortho appointment. I had the x-rays done and everything came back normal. After being examined by the doctor and me telling hip where most of the pain was, we also said that he thought it was an inflamed bursa. So guess what he did? He gave me a cortisone shot in the right hip this time.

So I was going on 6 months of pain when I probably could have just got a cortisone shot to begin with. I went 6 weeks at Chiro saying that I had a problem with my hip, and nothing. I did 6 weeks of PT and also said I knew there was something wrong with my hip and nothing was done there as well.

I am hoping that all of this pain is behind me now.
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Here are a few tips for those of you who may be suffering with IT Band pain now.

*Stretch and strengthen as much as you can.  I had a set of stretches and a strength exercise I was doing after every run  last summer and fall and I can't believe that my body had lost that much strength over the winter to cause that injury but apparently it had.   Here are a few great stretches.

*Because I was running while injured, I aggravate my hips as well. If you feel you are in pain. Stop running.

*Don't be afraid to get the cortisone shot. I had heard various opinions on cortisone shots like they only provide temporary relieve and once you get it you will have to keep getting the, etc, etc.  The reality of it is ( from my doctor) is that the shot can actually help in the healing process. It helps the swelling to start going down. it may work and you may never have to get the shot again.

* They numb the area they will shoot the cortisone in. It's not that painful. But after you get it, make sure that you keep moving around and that you are active. This will allow the medicine to circulate better.

* Its not just runners that suffer from IT band injuries. Cyclers get them often too. So don't think you will avoid it by cycling instead of running.  Make sure you do your stretches after your bike rides too.




Again, this is just my story of how I've dealt with my IT band / Hip pain over the last 6 months. maybe some of these ideas will work for you but you should certainly see a medical professional first.

Now that I have all this taken care of, I am going to schedule my much needed massage!
Thank you for everyone that offered suggestions and advice to me during that past several months.

(If you read through this whole long post, thank you) -M

Blogging Tips: How to Keep Things Simple for your readers

Technology and us don't always play nice together. We frequently have questions on how to do things on our blog, so when we discover the answer, we like to share with other bloggers.

We thought maybe these tips would be useful for our fellow Running Bloggers!
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1. Adding a Pinterest Button to your images.  This was one of the very first "Techy" things we learned how to do on our blog.  Have you ever noticed that when you hover your mouse over one of our images it can automatically be pinned?

Below is the code that we found so you can have your own "Pin It" button. I only know how to do this for the BLOGGER platform.

<script> //<![CDATA[ var bs_pinButtonURL = "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4z0AqWTprqFEFOGfJqlMDO7mcCffvK0WmGaLFEwLR5ZzUWNXWQI8SP6kFtRMsfNqnPygF_CtEZ6l60WxJ8wCE2l4TY-t1Tb715mVcwQqrpG45LTT_4xn1bX8TRsC8JT8lR-rSorNeXqv/s1600/pinterestx1_72.png"; var bs_pinButtonPos = "center"; var bs_pinPrefix = ""; var bs_pinSuffix = ""; //]]>< /script>< script src='http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.8.2/jquery.min.js' type='text/javascript'></script>< script src='http://greenlava-code.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/publicscripts/bs_pinOnHoverv1_min.js' type='text/javascript'></script>< !-- please do not alter or remove the following code --><div id='bs_pinOnHover'><a href="http://www.bloggersentral.com/">Blogging tips</a></div>

To insert this code:
1: Go to  your Blog's Overview page/Blogger dashboard.  On the left hand side of the screen choose Template>Edit HTML.

2. Press ctrl+F to open up your "find" bar.

3. Locate the </body> tag near the bottom of the template.

4. Copy the code above and insert it right above the tag.

5. Click SAVE. Then View your Blog. Hover the mouse over the image you want to pin!

Let me know if  you tried this and if it works for you.

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2.This next one might not be so much of a "Tip" as it is a Plea for bloggers to please remove the Captcha!  If you don't know what Captcha is, its the group of letters or numbers that your readers have to type in as a sort of security code in order to leave a comment.  If receiving comments are important to you, you might receive more of them if you turn the Captcha off. There are times when I feel I have left a thoughtful comment for a fellow blogger but I have the most difficult time typing in the Captcha code. If I am lucky enough to get a code that is all numbers, I am happy and things are easy peasy but sometimes I get ones that are letters and for the life of me I can't figure them out. I'll go through a couple of rounds of trying to put the correct letters in before I just give up and that particular blogger misses out on a comment. I know typing in a bunch of letters should be easy, but if you've ever struggled with Captcha, you know what I mean.

On Your Blogger dashboard Click on Settings (on the left hand side of the screen) >Click on Posts and Comments. You will see something that says "Show Word Verification".  You can choose to turn that off.  Some people keep their Word Verification or "Captcha" on because it eliminates most Spammers. You can also change who can comment on your blog which will also eliminate most spam messages too.  You will see these options on the same screen. 
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3 While we are on the subject of commenting: We like to visit those bloggers who stop by our blog and leave comments. We do this by clicking on the commenter's name. In some cases, clicking on the name will take us right to that person's blog ( if they have one). In other case, clicking on the name takes us to their Google Plus profile. This makes us sad because sometimes we can not find their blog through the profile ( even though we know they are a blogger). Sometimes its like a scavenger hunt to find their latest blog post.  Did you know you can make it easier for people who are clicking on your name and expecting to go right to your blog?   If you are using the Blogger platform, you can click on your picture icon in the upper right hand corner of your blog and change your profile so it shows your Blogger profile, not your Google Plus profile. This way when someone clicks on your name from a comment you had made, it will take them to your blog instead.
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4. And one last thing about commenting. If you ever leave a comment for someone that is on the Blogger platform ( like us), you will notice that there is a little box that says "Notify me". If you click on that box, you should receive a message when we reply to your comment.  This will only work if you have your email address shared on your Blogger profile. If you have your e-mail set as private then you are what they refer to as a "No Reply" blogger.  EDIT: Clicking the Notify box may result in you seeing ALL responses to that blog post.

So , Did you learn something new here today?
Would you please Pin one of our images for us and let us know if it works?

Do you ever check the "Notify" box for comments and does it work? I've clicked it a few times and I've only ever got a response back from one blogger and I think its because she responds manually through e-mail.


And Since it is July First, My "Official " Goofy Challenge training starts today. I found some really good training plans from Lauren that she found from Run Disney. If you need help with a plan, go check out what she's found!