Slight, Demi, Bold, and Supreme

I think there are few things more frustrating than shopping for jeans. Okay, that’s not true. There are plenty of things more frustrating. (Like trying to fit a spoon into the lid of a small Frosty! Now that is frustrating!) But shopping for jeans is no walk in the park.

This picture is from a jean shopping excursion in October. The big pile is all the jeans that didn’t fit. The small pile is the one pair of jeans that did fit me. Sad. I think it has something to do with legs being a weird body part and denim being not as friendly as, say, sweatpants. Enter: Levi’s Curve ID. You can get a custom fitting from a Levi’s specialist (aka sales associate) to determine the right type of jeans for you. Sounds great! Alas, I have two problems with this:

1. The Curve ID jean styles are named slight, demi, bold, and supreme based on how curvy you are. (I’ll let you guess which one is the most curvy.) I hear “supreme” and I think burrito supreme. (What, you don’t?) I don’t want to associate that with any of my body parts. Buying jeans sucks enough as it is. I don’t think naming my jeans “supreme” will make it any better.

2. The advertisements suck.

For jeans that are meant to be for all body types, the models they use to demonstrate that fact look pretty darn similar. Except for the one on the end. She must be wearing the buty panty. I read in this post that the ad above is actually an old ad. The new ad:

Again, I’m not seeing much variety in body size. Plus, these women are headless. Sad.

Do the Levi’s people not watch tv? There’s a great Fruit of the Loom commercial that shows women in a variety of shapes and sizes in their underwear. Underwear, I tell you!

Let’s be real, I like Levi’s. My two favorite pairs of jeans right now are both from Levi’s. Their lame advertisements and poor choice of style names won’t stop me from buying their product. I just think they need some sense knocked into them. If you are advertising to a variety of body types, show an actual variety! It’s not like we don’t notice!

What are your thoughts? Do you think the Levi’s people are dum-dums or is this all really no biggie? Do advertisements effect how you feel about a product and/or impact the likelihood that you’ll buy it?*

SPIbelt SPIband Wristband Wristbelt

I got 3 faboo things in Austin this weekend:

• A band spankin’ new PR
• A really cute T-shirt that I’ve already run in
• A SPIbelt wristband (or SPIband wristbelt? or Wrist SPI thingy. I’m not sure what it’s called!)

I couldn’t wait to test this bad boy out, so I wore it on my wrist during a 6 mile run on Tuesday. I normally wear a SPIbelt around my waist with my cell phone and my keys while I run. It can be a pain when someone calls or I try to pull my phone out to take pictures. (I’m paranoid about losing my keys!) With the wrist SPIband, I could keep my keys and phone separate. Nothing is in danger of getting lost!

The wristband fit me perfectly, not too tight or too loose. I was also able to easily fit in my car key, house key, and mail key no problem. I was worried that there might be some jingle-jangling going on (which I can’t stand!), but everything stayed in place. My wrist did get a tad sweaty, but it was a strangely warm day. (We’ve been getting weather in the 70′s lately!) That said, this might not be the best bet during the summer when it will be even warmer.

The other thing that I don’t like, I feel like I’m on an episode of Saved by the Bell with this thing on. (Buddy Bands, anyone?)

I wondered if the wristband would give me a strange tan. Surely if I wore it regularly it would. I already have a weird tan on my leg from the knee strap that a wear, and let’s be honest, no one gives a hoot about my tan lines, so that doesn’t bother me. If you care about your tan lines, it might be an issue.

I definitely see myself wearing the wristband more often. It’s just the right size and gives me peace of mind about the location of my keys. I don’t know that I’ll wear it all the time, but I like that I have the option.

What do you do with all your junk while you workout? Are you a wristband type of person or is it to Saved by the Bell for ya?*

Thou doth speaketh too soon

I mentioned command sponsorship a mere week ago, and what happens between now and then? My husband’s unit announced that it will be deactiviated.

I’ve heard rumblings that this was a possibility for months now, but like all things that are out of my control, I tried to just put it out of my mind. Now that it’s officially official, I can’t really ignore it.

So what does this mean for me:

I probably won’t be moving to Germany. (I’m going to continue with my paperwork, but families aren’t usually moved overseas unless the soldier will be there for 36 months or more.)

I don’t know where we will live or when we’ll move there. Stephen’s set to be in Germany until May 2013. He might end up living there until then or he might get PCS’ed (moved) before that date. And we don’t yet know when we’ll know that information.

I could potentially have to remain at my job another year. I had been planning to leave at the end of the school year, but now I don’t know. I want to quit (I’m burned out), but there are too many factors that are still question marks right now.

If you’re keeping score: I don’t know where I’ll be moving or when, I don’t know if I’ll keep my job or not, I don’t know when I’ll see my husband again or when we’ll get to live together again. Lame sauce.

I was really mad at first, but I’ve simmered down. What really matters to me is that my husband completes his deployment and returns to Germany safely. I’d rather have him live far away than not have him at all. We’ve been apart for so long (he went from Basic to Germany to deployment), so I’d really like to actually live with him again, but I’ll take what I can get.

Have any of you experienced unit deactivation? Is there a bright side to this that I am just not seeing right now?*

Destination Racing

This weekend was my first and so far only destination race. (Yes, I do consider Austin to be a destination.) I’m not expert, but I do have a few pointers for those fixin’ to run a race far from home.

1. Book your hotel early! I got my hotel back in December, and I had a heck of a time finding one that had a vacancy for race weekend which was two months out. I must have found 10 or more fabulous looking hotels that had already booked up. My mom and I both liked where we stayed (at an Embassy Suites), but there was no late check-out. Boo. ( We had hoped to squeeze in quick showers post-race. Instead we drove back to Dallas stinky.)

2. Plan ahead when it comes to meals. I had zero plans for breakfast. Considering the fact that I always eat the same thing before a long run (PB&J toast), I don’t know why I didn’t bring food with me. The hotel didn’t serve breakfast until 7:30 (the race started at 7), and even if they had food earlier, it would have been a crapshoot. We hit up Target and bought bagels and peanut butter the night before. If I had planned ahead, it would have saved us some trouble.

3. Pack for all types of weather. This I excelled at. I had shorts, pants, a tank top, a short-sleeved top, a long-sleeved top. I was ready for hot, cold, or anything in between. The only thing I didn’t prepare for was rain. Had the weather been rainy, I would have gotten really wet!

4. Give yourself plenty of time to get to the race site. I was really nervous for this race. I didn’t know where to go or what to expect. Going early helped calm my nerves. Plus, we had zero trouble with traffic and got a great parking spot.

One hour before the race start: the line of cars looking for places to park. Thankfully, we had been hanging out in our car staying warm for the past hour.

5. Make a finish line plan. This is key for any big race. Usually my mom and I just plan to meet each other at the finish, but since we didn’t know what to expect at this race, that wouldn’t fly. Instead our plan was for me to finish and then get in touch with her. I ended up downloading the Austin Marathon app the night before, and I’m so glad that I did!

I thought it sounded dumb, but it’s actually pretty cool! I was able to track my mom and see a course map of where she was. That was especially helpful when I walked back along the course to find her. We also called and texted each other. It would have been a lot trickier if we didn’t both have our phones on us.

6. Travel with someone you like! We may not have run the course together, but my mom and I spent a lot of time together this weekend. I speak for both of us when I say that it was a lot of fun. She was patient with my navigational skills (or lack thereof), and I was happy to listen to her talk about work. We managed to keep each other company without driving each other crazy.

Like I said, my destination race experience is limited. What other tips do you have? What race destination is calling your name? I’ve been eyeing Berlin, but I don’t know if it’ll happen. Have you run a race that had an app? Thoughts?*

Austin Half Marathon Race Recap

Yesterday (was it really only yesterday?) I ran the most difficult half marathon course of all time, and I lived to tell the tale! Austin is about 4ish hours from where I live, so my mom and I drove down the day before together. We had lots of fun talking and joking the whole way there. Unfortunately, the weather was crummy.

Wind, rain, cold, oh my!

It had both of us really nervous for race day. (We didn’t want a repeat of White Rock!) My sleep was very restless that night. I guess sleeping in a hotel plus race nerves will do that to a girl. Not to mention, we woke up obscenely early. It was worth it, though! We got to the race site early enough to score a great parking spot. Bonus: the weather was cool, but with moderate wind and zero rain! We’ll take it!

The race started and ended at the state capitol. (Did you know that the Texas state capitol building is larger than any other state capitol building? Now you do!)

We hung out at the base of the capitol with the other runners. The race seemed more laid back than many that I’ve run. There were corrals, but they weren’t sectioned off, and they weren’t assigned. Basically, you lined up where you wanted to. Ten minutes before go-time, my mom headed toward the back corrals and I made my way up to the 9:00/mile section. The anthem was sung, the elites were off, and within 7 minutes, I was crossing the start line!

This race is known (in part) for its hills, so I was really scared that I’d bonk or end up taking much longer than I expected. My plan was to run my toushie off. I figured that if I gave it all I had, I wouldn’t have any regrets.

• Mile 1 – 9:19
• Mile 2 – 8:57
• Mile 3 – 8:47

Within the first three miles, I was already feeling the hills. When I was going up, I focused on pumping my arms. For some reason, I would hold my hands flat like I was doing a karate chop instead of holding my hands in fists. I probably looked crazy, but it worked! My friend Heather always says to “run through the hills,” meaning use your momentum to continue going fast. I practically sprinted on every downhill, but it made up for the time I lost going uphill.

• Mile 4 – 9:12
• Mile 5 – 9:15 (<– gu)
• Mile 6 – 9:07

Uphill, still uphill, more uphill. This section was brutal! I was able to stay positive (one of my goals), and when I felt like crap, I would just run even faster. When I took my Gu, I pulled over to the side of the course and walked. I think knowing that I’d get a walk break in made it easier to push myself. After the short break, I felt energized. Plus, I knew we were nearing a long downhill stretch.

• Mile 7 – 8:21
• Mile 8 – 8:31
• Mile 9 – 8:51 (<–more gu)
• Mile 10 – 9:11

These miles had incredible crowd support! People were so friendly. Even the police officers were dancing and high fiving runners. I saw some excellent signs. A few of my favorites: “Keep calm and JFR” and “Fast Girls have Good Times.”

Mile 9 was the Livestrong mile, so there were volunteers (I guess) cheering like crazy. The street had inspirational messages written in chalk. It was a great boost before the upcoming hills.

• Mile 11 – 8:59
• Mile 12 – 8:46 (<–”The Beast”)
• Mile 13 – 8:40
• Last .26 – 7:28

At 11.8 there was a behemoth of a hill that I referred to as The Beast. I had set the goal of being positive on hills, but this sucker was ridiculous. When I saw it, all I could say was, “Oh, Nelly.”

The pictures don’t do it justice. I was “running” up the hill, but I was probably moving at the speed of a fast walk. When I reached the top, I’m pretty sure my legs were hating me. My heart wanted to sprint since I was so near my goal time, but it took me a good while before my legs cooperated. I eventually got back into the groove, tackled the last remaining hills, and dashed to the finish line!

My stats:

• 13.26 mile finish time: 1:57:56 (according to the race website)
• Average pace: 9:00/mile

I quickly made my way through the finishers chute and started heading back along the course. My mom was walking and still had a ways to go. I decided to head back as far as my wobbly legs would take me so that I could keep her company for her final miles.

Turns out, my mom had made a buddy and was having a great time! (I had been stressing about the fact that she might be hating the race & me because of all the hills. In fact, she said it wasn’t that hard!) We tackled The Beast together, continued on another mile, and then my mom finished on her own while I headed to the end of the chute to meet her.

We eventually met back up and hit the road. (Well, after we found our car; that part took a while!) If I had it to do over again, I’d love to stay an extra day so that we could take our time and enjoy the city a little more. The hills were torture, but I gotta say, I loved the race. The crowd support, organization, and swag (we got free SPI write bands) were all excellent.

I’d run it again in a heart beat!*

According to my Garmin

I finished The Austin Half Marathon in under two hours! I’ll post more after I’m home and have time to decompress.*

Austin Goals

I’m running the Austin Half Marathon tomorrow. It seems like this race came out of nowhere! (My last race was only 3 weeks ago. Maybe that has something to do with it.) With the race so near, it’s time to write out some goals. Here’s what I got:

1. Finish in under 2:00. This is a pretty lofty goal. I don’t see myself as a sub-2:00 runner, but I’ve exceeded my expectations in two recent races (NYD & Texas Half), so I don’t want to sell myself short. I’m going to aim for under two hours, but I’ll be happy with anything under 2:10.

2. Run smart. This is a big race, and sometimes crowds and lots of runners can throw me off my game. Instead, I need to run it like I’ve trained. Hydration, Gu, and walk breaks need to occur at the usual time, and I can’t start out too fast. (<– That will be my primary challenge!)

3. Stay positive on the hills. According to the elevation map and fellow runners, this course is a beast. I know that physically I can handle the hills. The trick for me to stay in a good head space when I’m on them.

4. Have fun with my mom! My mom is going to walk the race, so we’ll be driving to Austin together. I foresee lots of mother daughter bonding. I know this is an easy goal, but every list of goals needs at least one easy one.

I think these are all achievable. I’m crossing my fingers that I can make ‘em happen! I plan to briefly pop in tomorrow to let y’all know how it went. Catch you on the flip side!*