Friday Feels

Posted on July 14, 2017 by runstrongrun

Happy Friday friends! This week has felt like one ginormous roller coaster ride and I don’t know about you, but I am ready for the weekend! I’m so stoked because on Sunday, I am running the Craft Classic half marathon in sunny San Diego! This is actually the first Craft Classic race of 2017 in their Craft Classic series.

Here are the races in the series:

Craft Classic San Diego – July 16, 2017

Craft Classic Atlanta – September 9, 2017

Craft Classic Seattle – September 10, 2017

Craft Classic Phoenix – October 15, 2017

It’s not too late to join in on the Craft Classic fun! When you register, use code BIBRAVEHALF for $10 off the half and BIBRAVE5k for $5 off the 5k. (Looking for other race & product discounts? Check out my discount page at https://runstrongrun.com/discounts/)

I’m actually writing this blog post while in the car with the hubby and two kids. We’re headed out for a week long vacation. Yes, I was able to slyly sneak in a race while on family vacation. 😉

Here are a few reasons why I’m looking forward to the Craft Classic half marathon on Sunday:

This will be my first time running a race in beautiful San Diego
Race giveaways for all participants include a commemorative event shirt and beer glass, special finisher’s medal, a free beer at Green Flash and free race photos (who doesn’t love FREE?!)
This is my first official BibRave race. I’m looking forward to proudly wearing my BibRave gear.

As for my training leading up this race? That’s a whole other story! If you’ve been following me on Insta, Twitter, or Facebook, then you know that I just started running again three days ago after taking a month off of running (not due to personal choice nor an injury). My last race was the Utah Valley Marathon on June 10th. I definitely am not feeling prepared, for Sunday’s half marathon, but two things I am sure of:

I will finish.
I will have fun!

Are you running one of the Craft Classic races or have you run them in the past? Have you ever gone into a race feeling unprepared? If so, how did you cope?

Until next time,

Disclaimer: I received a free entry to the Craft Classic San Diego race as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

Review: BUFF UV Arm Sleeves

Posted on June 2, 2017 by runstrongrun

Disclaimer: I received a pair of BUFF UV arm sleeves to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews!

When I first started running in 2011, I didn’t own a smart watch, a fuel belt, compression socks, nor any arm sleeves. Now, I don’t know what I would do without all of the amazing running accessories I have found!

One of the latest accessories I have discovered are BUFF UV arm sleeves. I’ll be honest and say that up until this point, I mainly used knee high socks with the toes cut off as my make-shirt arm sleeves. Now that I own a pair of real arm sleeves, I won’t be going back to the altered, cotton knee-high socks ever again!

When my BUFF UV arm sleeves first arrived I was a little skeptical. I wondered if they’d fit, if they’d be uncomfortable, and if I’d get too hot. Fortunately, I used the sizing chart (shown below) before ordering, so yes, they fit! Yes, they were comfortable (besides the minor inner arm irritation due to the tag. Perhaps I’ll end up cutting the tag off.)! No, I did not get too hot.

My fist time taking out my new BUFF UV arm sleeves, I headed to the nearby levee for a short evening run. I thought I would feel claustrophobic in the arm sleeves, but thankfully that was not the case. As soon as I began to sweat a little, the sleeves actually helped to keep me cool. As stated at BUFFusa.com, “The highly breathable polyester material wicks moisture, is comfortable next to the skin, and blocks harmful rays.”

Next, I wanted to test out the BUFF UV arm sleeves for a longer run, so I packed them in my bag when I headed to Reno, Nevada for the Downtown River Run marathon. Yes, I wore the arm sleeves for the entire 6 hour, 26.2 mile race! At the start of the race it was 37 degrees Fahrenheit. At the finish line, it was close to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The sleeves helped to keep my warm at the starting line and cool towards the finish line. When I started getting warm during the race, I simply poured water over the sleeves at the aid station. With the sleeve’s breath-ability and moisture wicking technology, I stayed nice and cool while keeping my arms protected from the sun’s damaging UV rays.

Speaking of the sun’s rays, one thing I learned during the Downtown River Run was to put sunscreen on my hands. Can you tell where the BUFF UV arm sleeve ended?

I tested the BUFF UV arm sleeves again during the Rina’s Run half marathon. Again, the sleeves helped to keep me warm at the starting line and cool toward the end of the race. I didn’t have to worry about my arms getting sunburned since the sleeves provide UPF 40+ protection! (*Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) measures the amount of UV radiation that penetrates a fabric and reaches your skin. A fabric rated with a UPF of 40 will allow only 1/40th of the sun’s UV rays to pass through.)

Some of the other things I love about the BUFF UV arm sleeves are the reflective elements strategically placed for better visibility in low-light conditions, the elastic upper with engineered silicone grip so that the sleeve is held comfortably in place, the ease in pulling them on and off as needed, and that the sleeves are light, packable protection that fit nicely in a pack or pocket.

If you have any questions and/or comments about the BUFF UV arm sleeves, please feel free to leave me a comment. I’d love to hear from you!

BUFF® USA will be sponsoring the weekly #Bibchat on Tuesday, June 6th at 8pm CST on Twitter. You could win a set of UV BUFF^® USA Arm Sleeves for chatting! You can also check out BUFF^®USA on Facebook and Instagram!

Check out some other BibRave Pro bloggers who have reviewed the UV Buff Arm Sleeves!

Lindsey Tedrick Amy Jeannine

Until next time,

I’m a BibRave Pro!

Posted on May 30, 2017 by runstrongrun

You may have already seen on my Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook, but today I am officially announcing on my blog that I am indeed a BibRave Pro. I know some of you already know what a BibRave Pro is/does, but there may be others of you who have no idea what exactly I’m talking about. Let me tell you.

BibRave.com is a website to write and read race reviews. As a BibRave Pro, I receive races and products to review. Have you heard about a particular race, but you’re unsure if it’s exactly the right one for you? Then make sure you head to BibRave.com to read the review written by someone such as myself or another runner somewhere around the world.

When I first joined the online running community about a year and a half ago, I knew right away that I wanted to be a BibRave Pro. Yes, I wanted to don the bright orange BibRave shirt and proudly let everyone know that I was a BibRave Pro. I must have applied to be a BibRavePro three times or so. Finally, I got the confirmation email that I was accepted into the BibRave Pro community and I was so ecstatic! I knew that I was joining the ranks of some pretty amazing people such as Melissa, Emily, James, Erin, and many more! Be sure to check out #BibRavePro on Instagram or Twitter to follow some of the awesome BibRave Pros.

Stay tuned in the coming months as I write some reviews for the San Diego Craft Classic, Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver, Adidas Ultra Boost shoes, Buff arm sleeves and Brilliant reflective safety strips. I am quite excited for both the San Diego Craft Classic as well as Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver because it’ll be my first time running in these two cities! Also, RnR Denver will be my first Rock ‘n’ Roll event! I can’t wait!