Category: Running
Saucony Virrata Review
| April 2, 2013 | Posted by Madeline @ Food, Fitness, and Family under FitGear, Reviews, Running |
It’s not often that I give the reins to my blog over to Chris but he’s here today to share his views on the Saucony Virrata running shoe. He got them to review from my partnership with FitFluential.
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I had the opportunity to test out the new Saucony Virrata running shoe. Having never worn a zero drop running shoe before, I was eager to feel the difference between the Saucony’s and my traditional running shoes. After about a month of running, I had the following observations:
Pros
- Fit – I’ve been a Nike or Brooks shoe runner for most of my life and for both those companies, I wear a size 13. With the Virrata’s, I dropped down a 1/2 size to 12.5. I also have narrow feet and the Virrata didn’t feel like there was any excessive room in the forefoot. The mesh tongue being sewn to the rest of the inner liner ensured the tongue wouldn’t move and kept a snug fit throughout the run.
- Design – The Virrata is about as light of a shoe you can find without going the minimalist route and the mesh upper made the shoe light and breathable. I’m not the biggest fan of black shoes but the lime sole really pops and I actually got a lot of compliments on the looks of the shoe.
- Zero Drop – As I said before I’ve never worn a zero drop shoe before but I’ve run enough and seen enough video to know that I don’t always have the best running form and will strike with my heel. As soon as I began running with the Virrata’s, that changed. Maybe it was mental for me or maybe it was the lack of weight in the shoe, but either way, I could definitely feel my form change when I wore the Virratas. I could feel my foot strike being more balanced and much more toward the front of my foot, allowing me to transition to the next step faster. That felt the most evident during shorter sprints (400m and less).
Con
- Support – The only con I had for this shoe was a lack of support. I don’t think of it as false advertisement as it’s billed for a neutral striker, which I am…..on my right foot. On my left, I pronate which on longer runs or slower paces resulted in some pain in my ankle.
Overall, I really enjoyed the Saucony Virrata. It was lightweight, durable, and gave me that zero drop feel I’ve wanted to try. For those that pronate, I’d recommend it for shorter runs or sprints as you won’t get that support you need for the long distance. I plan to continue to use the Virrata as a viable sprint or 2 mile option.
**Added from Madeline: Not only did Chris like these shoes for short and fast runs, they also were great for playing some soccer with Emmalyne 
Have you run in a zero drop shoe? I am super jealous of Chris’ Saucony shoes and might have to get some for myself after reading some awesome reviews!
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Disclosure: Chris received a pair of Saucony Virrata running shoes free of charge due to my affiliation with FitFluential. No other compensation was received and opinions are 100% his (and my) own.
Augusta Half Marathon 2013
| February 25, 2013 | Posted by Madeline @ Food, Fitness, and Family under Race Recap, Running |
**Congratulations Amy Adelsberger! You are the winner of my Dasani bike and drops giveaway! Please email me at foodfitnessandfamily (at) gmail . com to claim your prize.
Happy Monday folks! We had a great weekend in Augusta, GA for the Augusta Half Marathon. Chris, Em, and I headed up there on Friday night and stayed with one of my college roommates, Erynn, for the weekend. The weather on Friday and Saturday was pretty miserable but lucky for us race day turned out to be beautiful.
I went into this half marathon with a plan. I trained using training paces from McMillian running. I topped off at 11 miles during my training and tapered the week before. I even took 2 complete rest days before the race. I knew going into the race that there were going to be some killer hills. Since Savannah is pretty darn flat this had me nervous. I mean check out the elevation map:
The night before the race Chris and I sat down and I talked through my plan. I knew my “goal” would be to average 10:00 minutes/mile. To get that I knew I was going to have to race smart. I wrote out on my hand goal times for 5K, 10K, and 10 miles so I wouldn’t have to think paces. I also wrote down what miles were uphill and which were downhill. After Presley and I decided to stick together for the half we knew we wanted to start easy, keep steady on the hills, and take advantage of the downhills. I was ready.
The morning of the race my alarm went off at 6AM which is pretty good for race day! Not too early …. just the way I like it I ate a whole wheat English muffin with PB and chia seeds and a banana and washed it down with coffee. Erynn lives just a few minutes from the starting line so we didn’t even leave the house until 7:05AM.
Once we got down to the start line Erynn and I hopped in line for the porta potties. The line was short and moved fast which is awesome. The Augusta Half Marathon is a relatively small race and they definitely had enough potties for everyone. This was Erynn’s first half marathon so I was pretty excited for her!
We met up with Presley and a couple of her friends and before we knew it it was time to line up for the 8:02AM start. The Augusta Half Marathon also had a wheelchair division and a 10K option. When the gun went off Erynn was off (she’s SPEEDY) and Presley and I started chugging along.
Mile 1: 9:42
Mile 2: 9:32
Mile 3: 9:37
Around mile 3.5 is where the first small incline started. After that came the monster hill. This hill was the hill of death and sadness. I am not going to lie … it was terrible. Like holy cow. My legs hated me. And it went on …. and on … and on. For over a mile to be exact. This picture can’t capture the horror that we experienced:
Mile 4: 9:53
Mile 5: 10:50 (<–hill of death)
The only thing that got me up that hill was that Presley was suffering with me and also the mantra that “what goes up, must come down”. Once we got to the top we were rewarded with some serious downhill action.
Mile 6: 9:13
After the downhill we had another climb ahead of us. This one wasn’t too bad in comparison to the hill of death but was definitely tough to get through after running 6 miles. I knew that Chris and Em would be at the end of the hill though to cheer us on and wanting to see their smiling faces got me up there.
Mile 7: 10:09
Mile 8: 10:07
This is the first race that Chris has spectated and cheered me on. He ran both the Go! St. Louis and Savannah Rock-N-Roll. It was really neat having someone you care about on the sidelines cheering you on! PLUS, holla for free race photos And Presley you got me good on this one haha.
Somewhere around mile 9 we started running around a pretty lake. This was the most scenic part of the race. At this point though Presley and I were both starting to feel significantly uncomfortable but just kept chugging along.
Mile 9: 9:36
Mile 10: 10:02
At mile 11 my right calf seized up and started cramping right where my calf hits my knee. It was tight and painful. Presley’s hip was hurting too so we decided to stop for a second and stretch. The stretching temporarily offered some relief but my calf bothered me the rest of the way. I think it was a combination of the uphills/downhills as well as the uneven road …. one foot was often more elevated than the other.
Mile 11: 11:04
Once we hit mile 11 at 1:49:45 I knew my allusive goal of a 2:10 finish was in sight. I also knew that there were only 2.1 miles of flat or downhill course ahead of me. I told Presley we got this and we took off.
Mile 12: 9:52
Mile 13: 9:04 (<– !!!!)
Mile 13.1: 7:47
Presley and I crossed the finish line together and I am so glad. I definitely couldn’t have done as well as I did if I wasn’t running with her. We both struggled with a very difficult course and having someone to commiserate with makes a big difference! When I looked at my Garmin after crossing the finish line I realized I did it.
Official time: 2:09:33 … average pace of 9:53/mile. OH HECK YES. Not only was this a 6 minute and 27 second PR from Rock-N-Roll Savannah, I also met my first big running goal of a sub-2:10 half!! Given that this course SUCKED I am so freaking proud of myself, my legs, and most all my heart. I didn’t go into this race expecting a PR. I came in it determined to run a smart race and I think I did that. I followed my plan and it worked it my favor 
Post-race food was pretty good. There were muffins, oranges, bananas, and bagels. There was also a waffle station! Presley and I immediately found Chris and Em and Erynn soon after. Erynn killed it with an official time of 1:51:02!!
Overall I enjoyed the Augusta Half Marathon. If you are looking to run it, find some hills and run them a lot. In a row. For now, I am going to sit back and enjoy my PR while thinking about what my next big race will be Suggestions??
Did you race this weekend? How often do you curse when running hills? I had a few choice words for the hill of death
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Essential Running Gear (Giveaway)
| February 12, 2013 | Posted by Madeline @ Food, Fitness, and Family under FitGear, GIveaway, Running |
I have been getting a lot of questions lately about my favorite running gear and I realized that I have never posted it here! I have written an entire running survey but never gear focused. After my awesome long run on Sunday I have been on a runner’s high ever since so I thought this week was as good as any
1. Garmin Forerunner 305
I got my Garmin as a Christmas gift two years ago when I was training for the Go! St. Louis Half Marathon after I had Emmie. I have loved it ever since! I think it’s super easy to use. I have realized I am a Garmin “dependent” runner because it keeps me in check. Without it, I start out too fast and then crash and burn miserably.
2. Pro Compression Marathon Socks
I wrote about my love for my PRO Compression marathon socks. These have changed my life. Ok, I am being melodramatic but they have seriously made running a lot easier for me and made my recovery time less and less. LOVE. Plus, they run 40% off specials all the time.
3. Nathan Hand Held
I bought this Nathan hand held recently and have loved it. It is a 22ish oz water bottle which is big to a lot of you I know. However, I am a runner who needs a good amount of hydration while running. It doesn’t bother me at all while running and the pouch as enough room for my Honey Stingers, iPhone, and key.
4. Sparkly Soul Inc. Headband
Last year I won two Sparkly Soul headbands from Victoria and fell in love. Every headband I had tried before these either slipped or gave me a headache. I was skeptically when the company said they did neither but the sparkles attracted my attention. Once I tried them out I was sold. These headbands have staid put during the Go! St. Louis Half, the Rock’N'Roll Savannah Half, multiple yoga inversions, volunteering at the hospital (hence the above pic) and so much more. On top of that, the company interacts SO MUCH on social media and is always positive and friendly. LOVE. I need one in every color. Immediately. You can find Sparkly Soul on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram too.
AND because I love Sparkly Soul so much and they love the readers of Food, Fitness, and Family they are giving away a headband of the winner’s choosing to one lucky reader! WEE!! Enter via the Rafflecopter widget below. Sparkly on!
What is your “go to” favorite piece of running gear?
Like what you see? Make sure to subscribe to my feed! I would love to hear from you on Facebook or Twitter! Need a daily dose of Emmalyne? Find us on Instagram!
Disclaimer: I did receive a free Sparkly Soul Inc. headband to review. However, I LOVE these headbands and all opinions are 100% my own. No other compensation was provided.
Compression Socks for Running
| January 8, 2013 | Posted by Madeline @ Food, Fitness, and Family under FitGear, Reviews, Running |
It’s safe to say that compression socks have changed running for me in a big way. I first discovered compression sleeves after running the Go! St. Louis Half Marathon last April and have never looked back. I wore them for 24 hours after the half for recovery and my calves literally had no soreness or pain. This was a stark difference from my recovery from my first half marathon. Based on this fact alone, I was sold.
When I started training for the Rock-N-Roll Savannah I began wearing my sleeves on my long runs. By doing this, I found that I needed less time to recover and generally felt stronger during my runs. LOVE. The theory behind compression socks/sleeves is that they work by increasing blood flow to your lower legs. The better the blood flow, the more waste products are removed from your circulatory system. Some of these by-products are those that cause muscle soreness.
Some possible benefits of compression socks for running:
- Might help improve your performance
- Improve venous blood flow at rest
- Some people claim it helps with shin pain
- Less muscle soreness and easier recovery
- Reduce swelling and inflammation
- When worn during strenuous activity, may lower the amount of muscle damage that occurs
While those benefits may or may not be the case, there isn’t a lot of substantiated research about the benefits of wearing compression socks during exercise but there is quite a bit on the benefits of wearing them after exercising, I can claim how much they have helped me. I LOVE them. My only problem? I just had one pair. So when I had the opportunity to try the PRO Compression marathon sock because I am a FitFluential Ambassador, I jumped up and down.
I got two pairs: hot pink and white. I’ve had them for over a month now and they have accompanied me on many runs. I love the PRO Compression marathon sock. I think the material is fantastic, the fit good, and the results better. My legs didn’t feel sore post-run and they felt fresh while I was pounding the pavement. PRO Compression has some seriously awesome colors and great discounts available as well. Compression socks have improved my running and recovery ten times over and I am on the hunt to add to my PRO Compression collection.
Do you wear compression socks during or after running? What’s your experience with it?
Like what you see? Make sure to subscribe to my feed! I would love to hear from you on Facebook or Twitter! Need a daily dose of Emmalyne? Find us on Instagram!
Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this review. I did receive two pairs of PRO Compression marathon socks to try out. I honestly love them and all opinions are my own.
Georgia Game Changers Resolution Runz Giveaway (CLOSED)
| January 4, 2013 | Posted by Madeline @ Food, Fitness, and Family under GIveaway, Running |
Two posts, one day? Who am I??! Make sure to check out Fitness Friday from this morning for an awesome elliptical workout.
I have a pretty sweet giveaway today for those of you local peeps … Moms Run This Town ladies, I am looking at you Georgia Game Changers running company opened its doors less than a year ago in Richmond Hill, GA but has already made a huge impact on the local running community. Focusing on natural running, the store carries a variety of shoe options as well as running gear to meet everyone’s needs. I have had the pleasure of talking with Sandra, one of the founders, a ton in store and absolutely love the environment there. While I am not running in a natural shoe, I still love going in to pick up my honey stingers and nuun.
Sandra is awesome to chat with and she seriously knows her stuff. Not only is she a natural runner herself, she is a physical therapist. The store is warm and inviting and the quality of service exceptional. They even tolerate Em running around and being a toddler with a smile In the local community, Georgia Game Changers has been present at many of the races often taking race photos and posting them for free for the runners. I got my pictures from the Squash for Josh 5K and the Matthew Freeman 5K from them!
On January 19, Georgia Game Changers will be hosting their first ever race, the Resolution Runz out at the Waterways. There is a 1-mile, 3-mile, and 10-mile race option which makes it accessible to beginner and competitive runners alike. You can even run all three races to make it an even half-marathon. More race information can be found HERE.
I am SUPER bummed that I can’t run in it (I will be flying back from AZ) but one of you lucky readers can! The lovely people at Georgia Game Changers are giving away a free entry to one lucky Food, Fitness, and Family reader. The winner can register for the race distance of their choice. Enter below via the Rafflecopter widget. Good luck!
**Giveaway will run from midnight January 4 to midnight January 8. Winner will be announced on the blog on January 9. Winner will have 3 days to claim their prize before a new winner is chosen. Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this giveaway. Chris will be running in the race for free but this is a company I truly admire and love in my community and I want to help make their first race successful.
Like what you see? Make sure to subscribe to my feed! I would love to hear from you on Facebook or Twitter! Need a daily dose of Emmalyne? Find us on Instagram!
Two posts, one day? Who am I??! Make sure to check out Fitness Friday from this morning for an awesome elliptical workout.
I have a pretty sweet giveaway today for those of you local peeps … Moms Run This Town ladies, I am looking at you Georgia Game Changers running company opened its doors less than a year ago in Richmond Hill, GA but has already made a huge impact on the local running community. Focusing on natural running, the store carries a variety of shoe options as well as running gear to meet everyone’s needs. I have had the pleasure of talking with Sandra, one of the founders, a ton in store and absolutely love the environment there. While I am not running in a natural shoe, I still love going in to pick up my honey stingers and nuun.
Sandra is awesome to chat with and she seriously knows her stuff. Not only is she a natural runner herself, she is a physical therapist. The store is warm and inviting and the quality of service exceptional. They even tolerate Em running around and being a toddler with a smile In the local community, Georgia Game Changers has been present at many of the races often taking race photos and posting them for free for the runners. I got my pictures from the Squash for Josh 5K and the Matthew Freeman 5K from them!
On January 19, Georgia Game Changers will be hosting their first ever race, the Resolution Runz out at the Waterways. There is a 1-mile, 3-mile, and 10-mile race option which makes it accessible to beginner and competitive runners alike. You can even run all three races to make it an even half-marathon. More race information can be found HERE.
I am SUPER bummed that I can’t run in it (I will be flying back from AZ) but one of you lucky readers can! The lovely people at Georgia Game Changers are giving away a free entry to one lucky Food, Fitness, and Family reader. The winner can register for the race distance of their choice. Enter below via the Rafflecopter widget. Good luck!
**Giveaway will run from midnight January 4 to midnight January 8. Winner will be announced on the blog on January 9. Winner will have 3 days to claim their prize before a new winner is chosen. Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this giveaway. Chris will be running in the race for free but this is a company I truly admire and love in my community and I want to help make their first race successful.
Like what you see? Make sure to subscribe to my feed! I would love to hear from you on Facebook or Twitter! Need a daily dose of Emmalyne? Find us on Instagram!
