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8.29.2014

labor day sales.

who doesn't love a good sale?
take advantage of labor day sales to stock up on your summer favorites or fall must-haves!
here's a few places i'll be stalking:


SEPHORA: Up to 75% off summer favorites




ADIDAS: Extra 25% off sale with code: EXTRASUMMER




ANTHROPOLOGIE: Extra 20% off sale items




NASTY GAL: Up to 60% off





you might also like these:

2020ave | Up to 80% off sale items
Sunglass Hut | Additional 33% off sale items
Lulu & Georgia | 25% off with code: LABORDAY25
Steve Madden | 20% off $100, 25% off $125; 30% off $150


where will you be shopping?


8.28.2014

marathon chronicles 06. race recap 15k.


the Boca Hawaii - Norman Tamanaha 15k
6am, 8.24.14 (originally scheduled for 8.10.14)


in my last marathon chronicles, i mentioned that i was starting to feel the burnout, so i was a little nervous going into this race. i had just started to get back into my running groove and wasn't feeling 100% confident at this point. this race was only a mile more than the great aloha run (which i'd done twice before with no problems), but it was hilly for most of the course. and that's what i was worried about.

PLUS, in the days leading up to the race, i learned that this was a smaller race (<800 runners) comprised of serious runners.

AND, the time i guestimated for myself wasn't even close to the finishing times of previous years. 

seriously, no. pressure.

so when i found out that they had a earlier 5:30am unofficial start time for walkers/runners with slower paces, i took it for fear of coming in last!


a 3am wake up call allowed plenty of time to get ready and have breakfast (a cup of coffee + a small bowl of cheerios with protein).

my friend and i got to the park at 5:15am giving me just enough time to pick up my timing chip and head to the start line. i wished my friend a great race and was off (she started at 6am).


the weather was great for the entire race. it was still dark for the first couple of miles, and even though the sun came out at 6am, it didn't get miserably hot.

i started out at what felt like a comfortable pace and ended up jogging the entire course without walk breaks (except through the water aid stations). 

miles 1-6 were fairly easy - i was tired, as to be expected, but i wasn't experiencing any pain or problems. since i incorporate walk breaks throughout my training runs, completing the first mile without stopping should have been the first red flag for me. in addition, my training runs with walk breaks are usually at a 17 minute pace, so hitting that first mile in 12 minutes should have been the second red flag.

mile 1: 12:28
mile 2: 12:05 
mile 3: 12:35
mile 4: 12:35
mile 5: 12:12
mile 6: 12:25

here's where things got tough. i saved my energy gel for the water aid station at mile seven hoping it would give me a burst of energy for the final hill. can't say it helped. the last hill was brutal, and i should have taken a walk break. i slowed down but kept moving. i started to feel some hot spots (rubbing/blisters) on my feet at this point, too.

mile 7: 12:41
mile 8: 13:58

then it happened. mile nine...my left calf muscle cramped. i stopped and stretched until i was able to move again. i didn't get much further along when my right calf muscle cramped. i started to panic a little, but after a few minutes of massaging, i was able to push through and make it to the finish line.

mile 9: 13:21
mile 9.3: 13:36
official time: 2:04:55

i was feeling ok...i grabbed some gatorade and fruits while i waited for my friend. i could feel my muscles tightening again, so i kept moving. i couldn't fight it off...my right leg cramped up so severely that i almost dropped to the ground. i clearly couldn't walk it off, so i sat down, threw off my shoes and started to massage my leg. my toes were literally curling and i felt like the pain would never end. definitely scary.

7:45am

by this time, i found my friend, and we sat for 10-15 minutes chatting about the race until our ride came. fortunately, the cramps subsided, and i was able to walk to the car.


i was eager to get home to an ice bath and
my recovery protein drink.


i don't have compression socks [yet], so i grabbed whatever bandages i could find and wrapped my legs. this definitely helped to improve blood circulation, reduce swelling, and aid in muscle recovery. i continued to hydrate, stretch, and elevate my legs throughout the day.

hydrated with nuun tablets.

race gear: adidas top; roxy siren top ; fabletics running shorts; new balance 890 v4 shoes
race fuel: honey stinger gold energy gel (mile 7)
the good: i ran the entire 9 miles!
the bad: muscle cramps (mile 9/post-race); hot spots at toes and top of feet

in the days following: i was sore from head to toe on monday. i used this recovery day to stretch and drink a lot of fluids, including my protein supplements. i did an easy 45 minute walk on tuesday to stretch my muscles, and i was back to a three mile run on wednesday.

actions to take: increase stretching and strengthening exercises, begin to increase my training run pace + decrease the amount of walk breaks to reach a happy race day medium, hit the pavement (vs. treadmill).

next race: 20k, september 7th. since the 15k was postponed due to the hurricanes, it messed up the race intervals. instead of a month, there's only two weeks until the 20k. my friend and i are considering skipping this one and doing a run on our own.


8.22.2014

an [oomph] review. eshakti.

[i received one dress for purposes of review; opinions good or bad are 100% mine.]

let me preface this post by saying that i have personally shopped at eshakti prior to this review and was more than pleased with the items i received. regardless of my feelings about this particular experience, i would still make future purchases as well as recommend the site to others.

i'm sure you're all familiar with eshakti, an online clothing retailer that provides fit and style customization. this is a great option for those who are shorter or taller than average, have a longer or shorter torso, or anything else that makes you special! for me, it's my height. everything is too long for my 5'-2" frame. you can also purchase standard sizes without any customization.


i selected this lace up cotton print dress. it's not my style, but of the items available to me at the time, this was the only one i felt i could make work...possibly a beach cover-up because of its boho vibe? 

the default length for this dress was 'above the knee', and per the diagram on the site, it literally grazed the top of the knee caps. because i'm short, i decided to shorten the length to 'mini' which is mid-thigh. the dress on the left is what i received.

i was told the dress was processed at 34.5" per my height. it hits my knees and is definitely not mini. they were more than happy to rectify this, so i took 5 inches off their measurement and requested a length of 29". based on the original dress, this would hit mid-thigh if not slightly longer.


the dress on the right is the new length. mini, for sure. too mini! we just couldn't get it right. i felt frumpy in the original dress, so the new length is definitely more wearable as a beach cover-up and for lounging at the beach house.

length aside, the dress was not what i expected with a texture i can't describe. it's stiff and the heavier material makes it hot. if you wanted to close the gaping neckline, the ties don't stay tied because the balls are too heavy, and eventually the straps around the neck and at the arms just become a tangled mess getting caught on everything.


whether you need customization or not, eshakti has many other great styles to choose from. check out the other beachy white dress i purchased. definitely one of my faves!

do you have the need to alter your clothes?
have you tried eshakti? if so, tell me about your experience.

8.20.2014

what does the fox say.

keeping this a semi-wordless wednesday...

mini-he used to get a kick out of this song. so i got this shirt with him in mind thinking that he'd get a kick out of it, too. he did. only, he asked if there was a shirt for him. oops.

happy hump day.

(9th & Elm tank; patty's closet skirt and bag; justfab shoes; libi & lola bracelet)

8.19.2014

oomph [remix]. sporty sweatshirt.

who doesn't love a comfy sweatshirt? i'm all about comfortable pieces that can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion.

in the past, i seem to have played it safe with this oversized-because-i-ordered-the-wrong-size sweatshirt by pairing it with black, white, or denim, then throwing in pops of color with my heels. so here's a fun mix with these bold leopard pants and sneaks.

which look would you rock?

(full posts here: pencil skirt; white denim; denim shorts)
(zara sweatshirt (similar); patty's closet pants (similar);
nine west shoes (similar); shop lately necklace (similar))

you might like these:


8.15.2014

hello goodbye.

hello to the weekend, and goodbye to this work week.
i was so tired this week...maybe my late night marathon runs + the earlier [than normal] school wake-up calls...but i could barely stay awake when afternoon rolled around. so finally, i fell asleep at 8pm putting mini-he to bed last night...false lashes and all. haha. but now i'm recharged and ready for the weekend.

what's going on in your neck of the woods?

(hello goodbye tank via quiksilver; target hat;
nine west glenda shoes; DIY levi's denim)

a few to try:



8.13.2014

$300 Sephora GIVEAWAY.


ahhh...so jealous, guys! we're giving away a fabulous gift card to one of my favorite places to stock up on beauty essentials...SEPHORA! one lucky reader will have the chance to win a $300 Sephora gift card! i have a huge Sephora wish list...benefit hoola bronzer, diorskin pore minimizer, anastasia beverly hills brow wiz just to name a few! what would you get?

enter daily over the next 2 weeks and earn bonus entries by sharing the giveaway with your friends on social media.

good luck!

GIVEAWAY
Prizes: $300 Sephora Gift Card


giveaway organized by: Oh My Gosh Beck!

giveaway ends 8/26 and is open worldwide.
enter using the rafflecopter form below. 


want to participate in awesome giveaways like these? click here for deets.

8.12.2014

woven sneakers.

for as long as i can remember, i've always been a shoe (vs sandal) girl. i rocked high top converse, dr. martens, and loafers in intermediate. i remember there was this one particular leather loafer from Esprit that i wanted badly in intermediate. my mom wouldn't buy them for me, but later surprised me (for christmas or birthday?) with three pairs. the pink one was my favorite.

while i do appreciate a cute sandal nowadays, i still feel most comfortable in shoes. maybe it's the tomboy in me. these sneaks from nine west are so comfy and light, plus i love the detail at the heel.

do you gravitate towards shoes or sandals?
have your [style] preferences changed since you were younger?

(express top (similar); nine west sneakers (similar);
JustFab statement bag; lips: revlon fire & ice)

you might like these:

8.11.2014

weekend slippers.

finally filled the void i had for a weekend slipper. black can sometimes feel too dressy for daytime, but a cork heel keeps this one casual. nine west has been a long time favorite for two reasons - they carry my size (5), and their shoes are comfortable.

do you have a go-to shoe store?

(joe's jeans top; nine west glenda shoes)

a few to try: