Zensah Compression Socks Review and GIVEAWAY!

Disclaimer: I won this pair of Zensah Compression Socks. I received no other compensation. All opinions in the post below are mine and mine alone!

A few months ago I was the lucky winner of a pair of Zensah Argyle Compression Socks from Karen at Just Me and My Running Shoes! When they came I immediately tore open the package and put them on! Aaahhh! They felt so awesome!

I love compression socks but these were the most comfy ones I had ever put on! A lot of times the band at the top of compression socks hurts me but these didn't do that. They were also so soft and felt very sturdy.

A few days later we left to go on vacation to Disney World. I was doing the run streak at the time and my legs were super tired and I even had a few shin splints coming on. I grabbed these compression socks last minute as we were heading out the door and wore them the entire 8 hour drive to Disney.

Guess what? No more shin splints! I couldn't believe it! These socks were like magic!!!

So what makes Zensah Compression Socks so special? I love that their name comes from the word "SENZA" meaning "without." They believe their athletes should be "without limits."

This is what sets Zensah apart according to their website:

Zensah® was the first to develop high performance sports apparel. We use the finest yarns which provide the most performance, but don't give up comfort. For those of you who have experienced chafing with the other brands you know what we are talking about.

All of our products are created with state of the art computers and Italian machinery. There is no child labor in our factories. We let the computers and the machines do all the precision engineering. Zensah® seamless technology is cutting edge and very different than what you will find in the big box sports stores.

Zensah® provides athletes with the most comfortable experience.

• Seamless construction - Eliminates Chafing

• Zensah® Silver Ions- Reduces bacteria growth & Takes Away the Stink

• Soft Hand - Most comfortable workout you will ever have

• Pinpoint compression- Provides compression where you need it

• Moisture Wicking- Faster than the other guys

I will say that I have worn these compression socks so much lately! I haven't yet run in them because it's been way too hot for that but I know this winter they will be perfect! The recovery aspect is amazing! Any little ache or pain I feel in my legs goes away once I wear these for a little while.

And they are perfect for lazing around on a Saturday afternoon while you watch your favorite tv show! ;-)

Because I love these socks so much I contacted them to see if they would be willing to offer a giveaway to my readers...because you MUST try these! They were very happy to offer a giveaway for not one, not two, but THREE winners! Each winner will receive a pair of Zensah Compression Socks of their choosing!

Enter below for your chance to win (please follow all the guidelines...I will be checking)! Good luck!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

When the Run Gets Tough...

Saturday morning was long run day! I was looking forward to running but I knew it would be tough since I hadn't run all week due to my mission trip in Destin. Well...I ran one mile on Friday but I knew that wouldn't help with my endurance. Tough? Boy was it tough! I had to come up with some strategies during the run to keep me going! I had to get TOUGHER!

I knew as soon as I started running that this run would be tough. It had been almost a week since I had last run. The heat didn't help. And the humidity seemed to be stronger than ever. The first two miles went ok. And then I started getting pretty tired. And the voices started talking. You know those voices...the ones that say..."Just quit. You're not training for anything right now anyway. Stop and walk. 2 miles is good enough. No one will ever know you didn't run the whole way." And then the arguing began in my mind..."I don't want to quit. But this is so hard. How in the world did I ever run a full marathon? I'm not sure I like this running thing anymore. Why do my legs feel so heavy? I will NOT give up. But walking would be so much easier."

I knew then that I needed to shut my mind off. I didn't need to think about the doubts and how hard this run was. So I came up with a few strategies to help me pass the time...and miles.

• Set mini goals. I would tell myself to run to the next lightpole. Once I reached that lightpole I would pick a different object to make it to...like a mailbox. Or the house with the red door. Even though I never stopped running breaking it up into mini goals helped.
• Pray. Talking to God always helps the time pass by when I am running. And it's usually some of my best conversations with Him.
• Enjoy the scenery. I am bad about looking down at the road and not looking around me when I'm running. Focus on nature and God's creation and how beautiful this world is that we live in. Who knows...you may even see an animal or two. I've seen several foxes and bunny rabbits on my runs.
• Plan your next meal. Hey it's no secret that I run to eat lol! Why not be productive while you're running and plan out your next meal or next week's meals? I guarantee you won't be thinking about the run...you'll be thinking about food!
• This one takes some advance preparation...listen to an audio book while you run. There's nothing like taking your mind off something then reading an awesome book! I'm going to try this one next time!

So did I give in to those voices and quit? Or did my strategies work and I finished the run? You know me...I did NOT quit! I finished! And I was soooo happy to be done!!!! ;-)

QOTD: How do you deal when the run is tough?

The Weekly Chase #31!

Happy Monday everyone! How was your weekend?  Mine was super busy! I ran a 5 mile long run (which was tough). It was also Hayden's 8th birthday! He wanted a loft bed with a desk for his birthday...and he and the hubby spent all weekend working on it. It's not completely finished but he is loving it so far!

I also have some NEWS!!! Remember last week when I told you about the job I interviewed for? Well I got a call from them on Monday when I was in Destin and I GOT THE JOB!!! Say hello to this new 3 year old preschool teacher!!! I enjoyed substitute teaching last year but the pay wasn't steady enough. And I really missed teaching preschool. So I am super excited about this opportunity!!! Bear with me as I start getting my new classroom ready for school to start in 3 weeks! I will be sure to share some photos with you! :-)

It's Weekly Chase time! I'm excited to share this week's goals with you! I hope you will link up your goals too!

Now – It is July – that means a new challenge! Molly has created the All About the Minutes Challenge! Each day this week you are to take one minute and do one exercise as many times as you can in that minute! 

Here are my goals from last week. I'm gonna be honest with you...I didn't do so well! :-(

• Goal #1: Run 3-4 times this week. No. I only ran two times last week. I had good intentions to run while I was on my mission trip in Destin but it didn't happen. I planned to wake up early to get it done but it was raining (thunderstorms) every morning. And the only other time I could do it was at night...and it was always raining (thunderstorms) again! There were only a few sunny times during the day...and we were always doing our mission work at those times. 
• Goal #2: Get in at least one walk each week for some cross training. If walking around the outlet mall while it was raining counts...then I got this one! Hayden even said, "Hey Momma this is our walk for this week!" :-)
• Goal #3: Do my "All About the Minutes" exercises every day (challenge goal). Big time FAIL! I didn't even plank while I was in Destin. I was too busy doing mission work...but I think that's a good thing! :-)
• Goal #4: Be an awesome witness for some awesome kids this week! I think this was a huge success! If you haven't read about my mission trip experience be sure to read about it here!
• Goal #5: Help Hayden have an awesome 8th birthday! I think this was a success too! Hayden acted like he had a great day! :-)

Here are the goals I am chasing this week!

Goal #1: Run 4 times this week. Gotta get back into the routine this week!

Goal #2: Get on at least one walk each week for some cross training. I hope we get to do this as a family this week!

Goal #3: Do my "All About the Minutes" exercises every day (challenge goal). Planks, squats, lunges, push ups, dips, burpees, and crunches are on the list to do this week!

Goal #4: Start working on classroom stuff and lesson plans! This one is gonna be fun! I love planning, organizing, and decorating my classroom!

Goal #5: Go through the boys' school uniforms. I need to figure out how many uniforms they both need for this next school year. We have our tax-free shopping weekend coming up and I want to have a list of what they need!

So that's it for this week! Hopefully I will do much better at my goals than I did last week.

QOTD: What goals are you chasing this week?

Runner Spotlights #46

Hey all! I've had a great weekend so far! I ran 5 miles yesterday morning. It was Hayden's 8th birthday so we spent all day celebrating with him! I can't believe my baby is getting so big!

It's time for another runner spotlight! If you are interested in being spotlighted on my blog please email me at mindy@roadrunnergirl.com. I would love to feature you! You don't have to have a blog to be spotlighted...you just have to be a runner! I'm running low on spotlights so here's your chance! :-)

Today I am spotlighting Amanda from Mommy Go Run! This lady is super funny! And of course she's a great runner! Keep reading to learn more about her!

Name: Amanda Medau         

State: Texas

When and why did you start running? I started running on June 2, 2012. On Friday, June 1, I found out about the Impact a Hero Race taking place on Saturday, June 2. I signed up and ran it that day and I've been running ever since. I had absolutely NO TRAINING whatsoever and had quit smoking less than a month before-May 6^th.

What is your favorite race and race distance? Right now my favorite distance is 5K but that’s only because it’s the distance I've done most often. I can’t really pick a race that’s my favorite yet because I’m so new to the sport that EVERY race has had significant meaning to my journey. I ran my first half marathon as a virtual for Sandy Hook, my first “official” half in Austin, Texas (my favorite place to visit), I ran my first full in Dallas with my best friend from Denver. (We’d trained together ‘virtually’ for a year with the same schedule and same pace! She’s my training twin!) and I recently ran with my son in his first 5k race.

What is your race day routine? I know a lot of runners are OCD with things needing to flow a  certain way on race day. I think the only thing I can count on is that I will need to find every port-o-potty. I have really nervous bladder!  I usually wake up before the alarm and still hit snooze a couple times, I don’t eat before a 5k. And I haven’t run enough distance races to have a favorite fueling routine down. I’m such a newbie! I’m just lucky that I haven’t had the misfortune of eating or drinking anything that’s made me ill or crampy for a race!

What is your most favorite piece of running gear? I never leave home without my music so I suppose that it’s my iPhone. I’m also pretty fond of my Garmin and my custom visor. I really like my compression capris too. UGH sorry that’s a lot of favorite things!

Do you follow any diet or take any specific supplements that complement your running? I try to stay pretty paleo, it seems to work well for my stomach. I am still at an experimental phase with supplements. I haven’t developed an attachment for any one product yet. But I do like to have protein powders and/bars for after long runs so I can get on with the napping and spend less time cooking J

What do you wish you’d known when you first started running? I wish I’d have known that black and losing toenails wasn't a myth. I would have started with better shoes!!! I have significantly less toenails than toes at this point!

What is your fondest running memory? I have 2 favorite moments- the first was crossing the finish line of my first half (which was actually an ULTRA -27.9 miles- due to the car leading the elite runners taking a wrong turn..oops!) holding hands with my best friend Robin E. I felt like we conquered the world! There were so many miserable moments that I thought I couldn't finish, and all the pain and heartache melted away when we crossed that line!

The second best memory was the entire 5K with my son. Chatting with him and giving him running pointers and finally hauling ass over the finish line!!

What is one thing that most people do not know about you? I’m pretty open with everything. I have a black belt in TaeKwonDo and I am the Texas State Forms and Sparring Champion and I placed 3^rd in the world (in 2007). I am awkwardly shy in real life social situations but I can be a keyboard warrior! Ha ha ha! 

Here are all the different ways you can connect with Amanda!

Blog: http://mommygorun.wordpress.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MommyGoRun

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MommyGoRun

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/amandamedau/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/amandacmedau

Thanks for sharing with us Amanda!

QOTD: What active thing did you do this weekend?

Birthday Boy!!!

Happy 8th birthday to my sweet Hayden! He is the most kind hearted kid I know! He loves Legos, Spongebob, and art. He's shy but so sweet and smart. He is my heart! I love you Hayden Andrew Bobe!!!

Destin Mission Trip!

Hey everyone! I feel like I've been gone for so long when in reality it was only 4 days! Normally on Fridays I do my Fitness Friday post but that's not the case for today. To be truthful...I don't have a lot of fitness to report for this week. Most of you know that I have been in Destin, FL this week on a mission trip with my church. It was a family mission trip so me and the boys went (hubby had to stay home and work). We took several adults and kids with us! We had an amazing time! I had planned on running while I was there but every morning and every evening (the times I had the chance to run) it was thunder storming!

Group picture before we left!

When most people think about missions they think about going overseas or to someplace far away and out of the US. But our goal was to do missions close to home. We trekked 2 hours to Destin, FL. We were representing a new church there called New Day Church. They are a church that is just getting started and wanted our group to come in and help them reach out to others in the community. Basically we went to two parks in the area and held a "backyard bible club" type event. We called it the Summer Bible Adventure (SBA). Our theme was this year's Vacation Bible School theme....Colossal Coaster World. I was in charge of crafts...which was so much fun!

We held SBA from 9am-11am. Our schedule started with music, then Bible study, crafts, snack, recreation, and ended with more music. We had no idea how many children would show up that first day. We had 10 children attend...and it was storming outside when we began!

We found out later that week that most of the children that came didn't go to church. We were able to give each one of them a Bible. :-)

Yep that's my Sawyer in the middle helping lead music! :-)

Bible Study! All the kids were so engaged!

Crafts! In this picture they were making "Facing Fear, Trusting God" Rollercoasters!

Recreation! We played so many fun games with them using hula hoops, pool noodles, balloons, and sponges!

Funny group picture on the last day!

One of the most amazing parts of the week was seeing how our kids interacted with the new kids that came. We told our kids that they were missionaries this week and our goal was to tell new friends about Jesus. Our kids did an amazing job with that and making the new friends welcome! I was so proud of them!

Since the missions part of our trip was only two hours long, we also had some free time to do some fun things with each other and our family. We went shopping at the outlet mall. We also went to the beach on one of the afternoons that it didn't rain!

We stayed at a church in Destin called Village Baptist Church. We were housed in their office building. We all slept on the floor on air mattresses. There was only TWO showers that all of us had to share! Very cramped but we made it work! Everyone there was so nice and accommodating to us and we were so thankful to them to let us stay there! They also had the COOLEST playground that the kids enjoyed!

My friend Paige and her boys were there too and it was awesome to spend the week with her! 

I also got to know some of the ladies in my church a little better! I loved that!

A few words from the trip that I will NOT forget (yeah you had to be there):
Bee-do, Bee-do, Bee-do!
Wha-wha-what?
Oh mylanta!
It's so FLUFFY!

It was an awesome experience! I LOVED loving on all the new kids that came to the park! They were so cute! I feel positive that we planted those seeds of Jesus inside the children's hearts! And it was awesome to experience this with my boys! It will be a trip we will remember forever!

"And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation." Mark 16:15

QOTD: Have you ever been on a mission trip?

ABCs of Me!

I've seen several of my blogger friend's posts about the ABCs and I've really enjoyed learning more about them! A few weeks ago Abby from Back at Square Zero tagged me in her post. And last week Karen from Just Me and My Running Shoes tagged me in her post. I was pretty excited to write my own ABCs of Me! So here ya go!

A. Attached or Single? Attached! Andy and I have been married happily for 12 years! He is the love of my life and he gets me and all my craziness! I couldn't have asked for a better husband and father of our children!

B. Best Friend? I am lucky enough to have several best friends! My hubby is one of them! My friend Rhonda has been one of my best friends for about 10 years. We taught school together.

Paige is one of my best friends that I met through running. We love to do races together. We also teach Vacation Bible School together each summer.

Stephanie is a best friend that I first met because I taught her daughter. Then she started teaching at the same preschool and we became fast friends! She went to Disney World with us this summer and now lives in California. I miss her!

C. Cake or Pie? Um both! :-) My favorite pie is Pumpkin Pie. My favorite cake is Red Velvet Cake. And my best friend Rhonda makes the best one ever!

D. Day of the Week? Saturday because it's usually long run day and family fun day!

E. Essential Item? My iPhone! I couldn't live without it!

F. Favorite Color? Blue, pink, and purple

G. Gummy Bears or Gummy Worms? Gummy bears! These are really good during a long run as fuel! :-)

H. Hometown? Somewhere in the panhandle of Florida. How I ended up in Alabama I'll never know!

I. Favorite Indulgence? A good book or TV series and vanilla ice cream with Oreos mixed in.

J. January or July? July! It's summer time! Although I like January better for running..it's cooler then!

K. Kids? Two precious boys! Hayden is 7 (about to be 8 on July 27th) and Sawyer is 5 (about to be 6 in August).

L. Life isn't complete without? Jesus, family, friends, and running! :-)

M. Marriage Date? May 19, 2001

N. Number of brothers/sisters? This one is tricky! I have 1 half brother, 3 step brothers, and 2 step sisters! No we didn't all live together growing up. But I am definitely lucky to have so many siblings!

Me with my sisters!

O. Oranges or Apples? Oranges! I don't like apples...unless they're in a pie lol!

P. Phobias? Snakes, roaches, and spiders. I do NOT like these things. Luckily I have a hubby, two boys, and a cat that protects me by killing these things! I also have a fear of my house burning down. My aunt's house got struck by lightning in the middle of the night and burned when I was a little kid. It scared me so bad that I am terrified of it happening to me.

Q. Favorite Quote? "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." -Philippians 4:13 and of course I can't forget my favorite man...Walt Disney!

R. Reason to Smile? For all of God's many blessings in my life...family, friends, running, health, and happiness!

S. Season of Choice? Fall and spring! I love how both seasons bring on change and new beginnings!

T. Tag 5 People: 

1. Laura at Catching My Breath
2. Beth at Read Hard Run Harder
3. Beka at Rebecca Roams
4. Mendy at Flaming June on the Run
5. Rachel at Runner's Tales

U. Unknown Fact About Me? Feet completely gross me out! Unless they are cute baby feet I just cannot deal! Weird I know!

V. Favorite Vegetable? Broccoli...although I can never remember how to spell it correctly!

W. Worst Habit? Playing with my hair. I am constantly running my fingers through it when I'm not thinking about it. Another habit...being too plugged in....but I love it!

X. X-ray or Ultrasound? Well I've had both! I've had an x-ray of my knees recently due to a running injury.

I had ultrasounds of my boys when I was pregnant! Love those kinds of ultrasounds!!!

Y. Your Favorite Food? Pizza! I love pizza and always use my running as an excuse to eat it. I need those carbs before a long run! ;-)

Z. Zodiac Sign? Scorpio...but I don't follow the zodiac stuff.

That was fun! Thanks for reading and listening to me ramble on!

QOTD: Did you learn anything new about me? Pick one letter and answer the question yourself in the comments below. 

Designer Whey Sustained Energy Review

Disclaimer: I received this product free to review through a FitFluential campaign. I received no other compensation. All opinions in the above post are mine and mine alone!

You all know I love me some Designer Whey! So I was sooo excited when this wonderful box of goodies arrived on my doorstep!

Yes Designer Whey has a new protein blend...Designer Whey Sustained Energy!

Designer Whey® Sustained Energy™ is specifically formulated with our proprietary Endurance Blend™. Designed to give you balanced, stimulant-free, sustained energy through fast absorbing whey protein and slower absorbing soy and casein proteins, giving you a steady supply of essential amino acids while helping you control hunger with fiber.  Packed with 16 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber and 19 Essential Vitamins & Minerals and naturally flavored and sweetened – all for only 100-good-for-you calories! 

Designer Whey says some of the key causes of low energy are stress, high sugar diet, dehydration, lack of sleep, and meal skipping. I know as a runner and busy mom I don't have time for low energy! I need all the energy I can get! Designer Whey's Sustained Energy is perfect for giving me the energy I need!

This protein powder is made with Soy...something I'm not used to. I don't do Soy products that often. So I was curious about how it would taste. 

The first time I tried the Chocolate Velvet flavor was after a long run. I was tired from not only running but because I hadn't slept well the night before. I mixed the powder with fat free milk. The texture was a little grainy but the taste was great!

I tasted the Vanilla Bean flavor one morning in one of my smoothies. I had some blueberries on hand that I needed to use so I added them in my smoothie with the Vanilla Bean protein powder.

Blue-Vanilla Protein Smoothie
Ingredients:
1 cup fat free milk or almond milk
1 cup blueberries
1 scoop Designer Whey Sustained Energy Vanilla Bean Protein Powder
1 handful of ice

Mix all the ingredients in the blender. Pour into a glass and ENJOY!!! So yummy!

So what do I think about Designer Whey Sustained Energy? It blends well (although the texture is a little grainy) and it tastes great! I love that it gave me energy and kept me full! 

And yes Designer Whey sent me the SHAPE magazine (Hey Brit!) and bookmarked the pages where they were featured! There was a cute ad and also a recipe using pineapple, cinnamon, bananas, and the Vanilla Bean Sustained Energy powder in a smoothie. I can't wait to try that recipe! 

QOTD: Do you have some kind of protein after your runs/workouts? Do you have protein in the middle of the day when you need some energy?