prAna Early Winter Collection!

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

It's no secret that I love my running and workout clothes! I also love to look cute while I'm getting my fitness on! I think looking good helps boost your confidence and that's just as important as the workout. So you can bet there are tons of running clothes on my Christmas Wish List!

When I got the chance to try prAna I was so excited! I'd always heard about how great this brand was but had never gotten the chance to try any of their stuff.

I absolutely love what they stand for: "Breath, life, vitality of the spirit. These qualities infuse not only our name, but also our aspirations, the things we make and how we make them. Welcome to mindfully designed, built to last products."

I also love how they have the environment in mind when making their products. They use recycled materials as well as organic cotton. 

I got to choose two items out of their new early winter collection! It was so hard to make my choice! I loved everything I saw! But I finally settled on two things.

The first thing I chose was the Kirsten Top. I loved the look of this sweater and knew it would be great for those walks in the woods on a chilly day that I like to take with my family. The top is made of wool so it is super warm. It has a hood on the back with a toggle so you can pull it tight to stay out of the wind. It's also a longer sweater which I love! It looks great with a pair of jeans or some leggings! I also think it would be great for wearing on top of my workout clothes on a cold day!

The second item I chose was the Gazelle Legging. I fell in love with these leggings!!! We had some really cold days here on the Gulf Coast and these were the pants I wore to run in. They are made of performance stretch French terry that is moisture wicking. They were contoured to my body and didn't slip when I ran. And...they are super cute and slimming!

My favorite part of these leggings is the reflective zippers at the bottom of each leg. They make it easy to be seen when you are running. But the best part....it makes it so much easier to get the leggings on and off...especially when you are sweaty from your run or workout!

I love the products I got from prAna and am already choosing other items to add to my Christmas wish list! These products are perfect for that health conscious person in your life! Be sure to check out their early winter catalog! And...I have a discount for you! Use the code pspf14rrg for 15% off your entire 
purchase! Perfect for that holiday shopping!

Be sure to check out prAna on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram!

QOTD: Have you ever tried prAna? What is on your Christmas wish list?

Hayden's Baptism!

Sunday was a very special day for my son Hayden! He was baptized! He asked Jesus to come into his heart on November 2nd...my birthday weekend! Me and my hubby are so so proud of him and his awesome decision to follow Christ!

Here are a few pictures from his special day!

It was a great way to start off our Thanksgiving Holidays! I'm so thankful for Hayden's decision!!!

QOTD: What are your plans for Thanksgiving?

The Weekly Chase #99!

Only two days of work this week and then we are out for Thanksgiving Holidays! I'm so excited!!! We had our Thanksgiving Feast last Friday. My class dressed up as Pilgrims and were sooo cute! It's so much work to do the feast but so worth it! This is the face of a tired but happy preschool teacher that made it through the Thanksgiving Feast! ;-)

We are spending Thanksgiving Day at my Dad's house. We haven't done Thanksgiving there in a few years so I'm excited to see everyone!

This weekend was pretty low key. We didn't have any plans and I was ok with that since lately the weekends have been so busy!

Friday night we spent some time with my sister Christy and niece Ella! We took Ella to the park and let her "walk" some. She's 14 months old and not walking on her own yet. But she LOVES to walk while holding your hand! She's fast too! She just needs some confidence to walk by herself! Pretty soon she is going to take off!

Can you tell that I just love being an Aunt to this sweet little girl??? :-)

We also got to watch the sunset. It was gorgeous! I am so thankful I live here on the beautiful Gulf Coast!

Saturday morning I ran 2 miles PAIN FREE!!!! I know 2 miles is nothing but for someone who has had calf pain for the past month this is HUGE! :-) I was a happy girl for sure!

Saturday afternoon the boys begged and begged to put up the Christmas tree. We usually put it up the weekend after Thanksgiving. But....why not? So we are now all decorated for Christmas! And this year it was MY turn to put on the star! :-)

Sunday was a very special day. Hayden was baptized!!! Andy's parents and his sister and her husband all came to church with us. I'm so proud of my sweet boy and the amazing decision he has made!

Now it's time for the Weekly Chase! It's a new week and I have new goals to achieve! I hope you will link up your own goals with me too! And feel free to use the badge below in your post too! You can grab the badge HERE! :-)

Here are my goals from last week!

• Goal #1: Run every day! Yes! I kept my streak alive another week!
• Goal #2: Roll, stretch, and ice daily. Done!
• Goal #3: Maintain my weight by logging my calories. Yes!
• Goal #4: Get everything ready for Hayden's Montgomery trip. Yes...and we had a blast!
• Goal #5: Get everything ready for our Thanksgiving Feast at the preschool. Yes! My class was so cute as pilgrims! And their placemats and table centerpieces turned out great!

Here's my plan for this week!

Goal #1: Run every day! I still plan on keeping the streak alive this week! I hit 183 days this past week! I'll be at 200 days soon...I can't believe it!

Goal #2: Roll, stretch, and ice daily. I've just made this part of my daily routine. The calf is starting to feel much better. I'm hoping I only have a few more treatments left with Dr. Justin and that I can start running long again soon! The calf only gets tight during my runs now...there isn't any pain. After the run there is a little pain in one spot but after about an hour it subsides. So it's progress!

Goal #3: Maintain my weight by logging my calories. This will be a little tougher this week due to Thanksgiving I'm sure. But even if I go over I'm not going to get too mad at myself. I'm going to try my best to say no to foods when I'm not hungry instead of just eating because it's there like I've always done in the past. 

Goal #4: Make my plan for Black Friday shopping. It's a tradition every year for me and my hubby to go out on Black Friday and shop! Last year we started Thanksgiving night! We may do that this year too. But I need my plan so I know which stores to hit first! ;-)

Short and simple this week! I hope you all have a very happy Thanksgiving! Remember all the things you have to be thankful for! I know I am very very blessed! 

Good luck with your goals this week!

QOTD: What goals do you have this week?

Runner Spotlights #113

Happy weekend everyone! Is anyone else already in the Christmas spirit? I guess the cold weather has made it feel like Christmas around here for me! I'm already listening to Christmas music...and I usually have a rule of no Christmas until after Thanksgiving. I'm obviously breaking that rule this year!

It's time for another runner spotlight...my favorite time of the week! I love reading other runners' stories about their running journey! If you are interested in being spotlighted on my blog please email me at mindy@roadrunnergirl.com! I'd love to spotlight you! You don't have to have a blog to be spotlighted...you just have to be a runner! ;-) And I'm running low on spotlights so now's your time to shine!!!

Today I'm spotlighting Ariana from Happy Life Healthy Life! Ariana lives in British Columbia, Canada! Keep reading to learn more about her and her running journey!

Name: Ariana Fotinakis

State: British Columbia, Canada!

When and why did you start running?

I started running in 2010 when I lived in the Yukon. I had a lot of area I wanted to explore and not a lot of free time, so running seemed like the most efficient way to do it! It didn’t take long before I realized how much I loved running.

What is your favorite race and race distance?

My favourite distance is the half marathon and my favourite race would be Lululemon’s SeaWheeze Half Marathon – it’s so much more than just a race! It’s a weekend party filled with yoga, limited edition Lululemon gear, awesome post-race swag, and tons of things to keep you entertained along the race course.

What is your race day routine?

My race day routine begins the night before a race. I drink as much water as humanly possible, get all my clothes and gear laid out, and of course have the much-anticipated pre-race dinner…lately I’ve been big on steak and potatoes. Weird, I know.

Morning of I chug water until two hours before the race then stop until I’m on the course – eliminates the need for bathroom breaks! I eat breakfast about two hours before, listen to some good music, and get my body prepared for the awesomeness that’s about to ensue.

What is your most favorite piece of running gear?

My fuel belt! I’m a hoarder when I run and I bring a ton of stuff. My Nathan belt holds everything and doesn’t bounce around when I run.

Do you follow any diet or take any specific supplements that complement your running?

I follow the “food that makes you feel good” diet. It’s based primarily on whole, nutrient-dense foods that enhance performance and promote recovery, but it also includes things like frozen yogurt, dark chocolate, and nut butter. Lots and lots of nut butter. I’m more of a “fats” girl than a “carbs” girls.

What do you wish you’d known when you first started running?

I’m not indestructible! I have boasted in the past about how indestructible I am, having gone X number of years without any injuries from all the activities I participate in. Karma got me and I’ve been dealing with ITBS since July 2013. But there’s hope on the horizon and I’m positive I’m going to beat this thing once and for all.

What is your fondest running memory?

Running my first half marathon, the BMO Vancouver Half Marathon. There was such a mixture of emotions – I was so nervous I was shaking as I waited by myself at the starting line, I was elated at the time I was making, I had to hold back tears as I watched a blind man be led by his friend through the course, and I felt like I was going to puke a couple of times. It was awesome.

What is one thing that most people do not know about you?

I’m actually quite shy and introverted! I try to make this known so people don’t think I’m just being rude, but I think sometimes I give off the impression that I’m outgoing because I’m so open on my blog and on social media. Working as a Personal Trainer by day and at the front desk in a hotel at night I always have to be “on”, so when I do get my downtime I like to stay at home and be quiet.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

I spent a lot of years trying to hide who I was by trying to be something different; I went through my gangsta rap phase, my “life is abysmal” emo phase, my tree-hugging hippie phase, and my party girl phase. It took a long time to accept me for me – a kinda weird, kinda awkward girl who likes to eat, run, and get sweaty. And occasionally listen to gangsta rap.

But it’s totally liberating! Just DO YOU and enjoy life.

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

Blog: http://happylifehealthylife.com/

Twitter: @ariiana_f

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

Instagram: @ariianaf

Thanks so much for sharing with us Ariana!!!

QOTD: What did you do this weekend?

Fitness Friday...November 21st Edition!

Happy Friday! Today is a super busy day! We are having our Thanksgiving Feast at school today! My little class is dressing up as pilgrims! They are going to be super cute!!!

This week we hit some record lows for this time of year....again! We had two mornings where the temperature was in the low 20's but the feel like temperature was in the teens! It was cold! But I LOVED it when I was running!

Check out the frozen dew on my mailbox Wednesday morning! That stuff was rock solid ice!

Thursday I went on a field trip with my Hayden! We went to the state's capitol...Montgomery! In fourth grade they learn about Alabama History and get to take this amazing field trip. He was so excited and we had a blast! It was a long and tiring day but I'm so glad I got to experience it with him!

Now it's time for Fitness Friday! I had low mileage (again) this week due to my calf strain injury. Dr. Justin seems to think it's right on the verge of being pain free...but I haven't reached that yet. Because of the cold weather this week I wore this awesome C9 brand jacket that I got from Target. It kept me sooo warm! But it looks like I'm wearing the same outfit in all my pictures lol! I promise I had different tops and bottoms on each day. I just wore the warm jacket as my top layer on the cold days! ;-)

• Friday- #plankaday 1:30, 1.30 mile run in 10:50 average pace 8:21

• Saturday- 1.51 mile run in 13:03 average pace 8:38

• Sunday- 1.51 mile run in 12:43 average pace 8:25

• Monday- #plankaday 1:05, 1.30 mile run in 11:29 average pace 8:49

• Tuesday- #plankaday 1:15, 1.31 mile run in 11:19 average pace 8:38

• Wednesday- #plankaday 1:15, 1.31 mile run in 11:21 average pace 8:40

• Thursday- 1.31 mile run in 11:30 average pace 8:46

The runs went well this week. The calf doesn't really hurt when I run...it just starts to get tighter and tighter the farther I get into my run. Hopefully that tightness will ease up soon!

My eating was good this week! I'm still staying within the range of my calories and the scale is still staying the same. So I'm happy!

No long run...again...this weekend. But at least I can run some! I'm trying to stay positive! Dr. Justin DOES want me to run one mile in the morning and then one mile in the afternoon one day before I go see him next to test the calf. Wish me luck on that!

Also...I'm sure most of you saw my post on Wednesday about the tough decision I had to make about St. Jude Memphis Half. I'm still sad I'm having to DNS that race but know in my heart it's the right choice. Thanks so very much for all of your kind words about such an emotional decision for me! You guys are amazing and so supportive and I'm so thankful for you!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!!!

QOTD: What was your best run or workout this week? Racing this weekend? Tell me about it! I want to live vicariously through you! ;-)