What I’ve Been Wearing

Spring is in the air! Although some days it feels like fall here in San Diego, and other days like summer! It’s been seriously weird weather. I know. I know. How can San Diego have weird weather? But, honestly, once you get used to “Sunny San Diego”, when it rains, you are like “woah”, which it rained a lot last week. And when it goes from 80 degrees one day to a high of 50 the next, you’re like, what happened to my 70 degree sunny days, every day? And, when it comes to fashion this can seriously make a difference in what you choose to wear each day. As for the weather, yea, not so extreme.

Jcrew Shirt // JBrand Jeans from StitchFix // Toms Wedges // Jcrew Necklace

Sanduk flip flops // Jeans from StitchFix // Shirt from Jcrew // Necklace from street market in Thailand // Sweater from StitchFix

Top from StitchFix // Jeans from Free People // Shoes from Tobi 

Toms wedges // Joe’s Jeans // StitchFix top

Toms wedges // StitchFix pants // StitchFix top // StitchFix bracelet

StitchFix skirt // Nordstrom’s Tank // StitchFix necklace

American Rag boots // Tilly’s jeans // StitchFix tank // Urban Outfitters leather jacketIpanema sandals // Banana Republic Dress

Want to try StitchFix? Give it a shot here using my referral link –> here. I promise it’s worth it 🙂

I swear I’m going to post fashion posts more often! It’s on my priority list to get these going weekly! Because, let’s be honest. I LOVE fashion and I want it to be a staple in this blog, just as much as fitness is 🙂

I would love for you all to share some links to some of your favorite pieces you are seeing this spring/summer! Share away! 🙂

xoxo!

Katie

Life Lesson and Quotes of the Week

Do you ever feel like you have to be perfect? Are you ever afraid that if you aren’t perfect that people won’t like you? But, maybe your version of “perfect” is different from someone else’s version of “perfect”. Are you afraid of someone truly getting to know you? Are you afraid of letting people in? Letting people get close to you?

I swear as I’m getting to know someone new, a boss, a friend, a potential boyfriend, etc. I always start to get discouraged when things aren’t “perfect”. I get scared. Are they going to run? What if something bothers me about them? Should I say something? If I say something will it ruin the relationship we are building? Relationships of all kinds aren’t perfect, and one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is to try to let go of “perfection”. No one is perfect. We all have insecurities. We all have moments of weakness. Moments of jealousy, sadness, anxiety, anger, frustration. But, we all also have moments of love, affection, admiration, inspiration, and happiness. We are all one big mess of emotions. We can’t “keep it together” all the time. We have to have people in our lives, bosses, friends, significant others, who we feel like we can let down our guard and be ourselves with. We all have qualities that will annoy someone out there, and people have qualities that will annoy us.

I think we all have to own our insecurities and annoyances and if someone can’t put up with them, just know that there are people who will. 🙂 What are the annoying habits that you can tolerate? What are the annoying habits that are deal breakers? Can you handle someone who has jealous tendencies? Who’s extremely competitive? Who gets easily angered/frustrated? Can you handle someone who is a poor communicator? Can you handle someone who is needy? Can you handle someone who is super independent?

I’ve gone off on a tangent here, because what I really wanted to focus on this week is accepting our insecurities and moving on after insecure moments, and being OK with not having every moment of your life be “perfect”. For some reason, I care so much about making every single f’ing moment HAPPY AND FUN. I really struggle when things aren’t happy and fun and “perfect”. I can handle conflict totally fine, but then I want things to be fun and happy again, but then sometimes I get all caught up on how the conflict happened, and I blame myself, and think of what I could have done differently, and then I start getting really self-critical. It doesn’t matter if it’s at work, with friends, or a significant other. I easily carry blame. Which is silly. We all need to accept our “sucky” moments and move on. They happen. Just like bad workouts happen. Not every single workout can be amazing. Although, I always wish they were. haha.

I think what’s most important is to be as self-loving as possible, and when you are having those sucky moments, remember what is so awesome about yourself, and start to remove that cloud that is hanging over you. As long as there are waaaaaay more awesome, beautiful, “perfect” moments than sucky ones in your life, then we are all good. Life is a roller coaster, there is no finish line. We are all constantly a work in progress and no one really knows what the “f” they are doing. We are all just trying to take it one day at a time and be happy. 🙂

So…LET GO….MOVE ON…and BE HAPPY!

   

Hope everyone is having a good week!

xoxo!

Katie

Saucony Kinvara 6 Review

Ever since the Saucony Kinvara came out, I have been in love with it. This update to the shoe is no different. I have been racing in the Saucony Kinvara for 5 years now, and it is amazing. It is like running on clouds. It is light and cushiony. I LOVE cushion. It’s easy on the knees and ankles and feet. But, it’s not so cushiony that you feel like you are sinking. It’s the perfect bounce that puts a spring in your step.

I think what I love most about the update with the Saucony Kinvara 6 is the new lacing system. It keeps your foot comfortably snug, and where it laces keeps a perfect mid-foot fit. I really feel comfortable running hills in them, my heel isn’t sliding out the back, and I’m hitting that mid-foot strike every time. 🙂 There’s something about the mesh and the fit of the shoe that is different this go around. I really like the mesh and progrid form. I feel like this shoe more than past versions really keeps my foot in place, and there isn’t much sliding around, which I occasionally got with the 5.

I really think the upgrades on this shoe are noticeably compared to other versions, and are worth it! Can’t wait to race in them this weekend!

Seriously bouncing on clouds like Mario bouncing on mushrooms 😛

LOVE THIS SHOE!

1 Week til St. George 70.3

This is it! It’s been over a year since I last competed in a half iron distance race. And this coming weekend, I will be racing in my 12th half ironman. You would think after all this time, I would be relaxed, but I still get anxious. Not am I physically prepared, but just how is race day going to go? I get nervous. I try not to put any pressure on myself, but somehow I end up feeling pressure anyway. I think nerves are good though, it means I care. 🙂 But, I do, do this for fun, but I like to do well. I like to perform at the best of my ability. With that, here is what this past week’s training looked like:

Monday – REST DAY! = MASSAGE DAY!

Tuesday – 3450yd swim and running Torrey Pines repeats – 3x5min, a little less than normal since my taper started. Plus, my legs were still pretty tired from the weekend.

Wednesday – Masters swim – 2600yds – felt really good. I was given some good feedback on my swim stroke, and so I put it into practice today, and it felt amazing. I really felt in my lats, which I always knew I was supposed to, but never did, and I was always ending up with shoulder and chest injuries. I was pulling too wide, and when I straightened out a bit more, not only did my pull become stronger, but my hips started to rotate more which allowed me to become more streamlined. It was definitely a positive change. There’s still more work to do, but super pumped to be feeling sore in my lats instead of my shoulders and chest. 🙂

Thursday – Cycling Torrey Pines repeats. Again, my legs were still pretty tired, but I successfully made it up all within 8:10 again! #winning

Friday – 2800yd swim in my new ROKA SIM Pro Shorts! And then an easy 36min run in the rain, which was super refreshing.

Saturday – 3hr ride and a 30min run. Legs were still feeling a bit fatigued. I feel like my massage on Monday really brought out any fatigue my legs were feeling. They just felt kind of heavy all week.

Sunday – 1hr 20min run – I wasn’t expecting to run hard, but since I didn’t do any tempo/speed efforts this week, I threw in some speed, which felt really good! I don’t know why, but when I go hard, my body really loosens up and I feel better. It’s weird. Does that happen to anyone else? Followed this up with an hour easy ride.

Total Time: 11hrs 28min

Total Distance: 112.8 miles

One week til go time! I think with some solid rest and a few shake out workouts this week, I’ll start to feel more like myself 🙂 At least I hope! I’m definitely feeling a little intimidated by the St. George course, but they have made some course changes which has decreased the elevation gain on both the bike and run, so at least there’s a tad bit less climbing. 😛 Still going to be a challenge, and it’s looking like it’s going to be HOT!

Hope everyone had a good week!

xoxo!

Katie

ROKA SIM Short Review

As I have already confessed here many times, I’m kind of addicted to the pull buoy, but honestly it’s been hurting my swim, not helping it, because well we still need to kick in a race. 😛 Even if we have the help of a wetsuit to lift up our bums. I have never raced in a triathlon without a wetsuit, so it kind of makes sense to practice in “one”, even if it’s not a full one. There’s been a lot of chatter about the ROKA SIM shorts, and so after seeing some people see serious improvements in their swim after practicing with them, I was excited and eager to try them out.

Photo Cred: Topher Riley

What is the ROKA SIM Short? And what is it’s purpose? The SIM is the ultimate training tool for triathletes and swimmers who want to mimic the body position and experience of a wetsuit swim or a full speed swim race in open water or in the pool.  The SIM mimics the lift and position of a wetsuit without overheating.  It is also a pull buoy replacement, vertical kicking tool, and race simulator all in one. The SIM lets you kick and turn naturally, and the reduced buoyancy on the sides of the suit encourage proper rotation. The SIM makes every swim a race-specific training workout and is a great tool for your kit. Note, these shorts are designed for the pool and should have excellent durability if you rinse them after use with fresh water and dry them thoroughly.

Photo Cred: Topher Riley

Seriously, this product was screaming my name! I mean, I LOVE the pull buoy. So, why not use something that “mimics” one, but also is a useful training tool for race simulation. Tip #1 – Turn them inside out first, put each leg in each leg hole, and pull up to over the knee, then pull slowly pull it over, and put on like a wetsuit. I often do a few karate kicks and such, looking like a weirdo to truly get these babies on, just like a wetsuit. And remember not to use your nails to inch it up. 🙂 Once on, tie them at the waist so that they stay snug. And then it’s swim time! https://youtu.be/anDpujDeMcM After a 2800yd swim, I can truly say I’m in LOVE with these shorts. They stayed put, and definitely helped me with my swim stroke. I felt that I got more hip rotation, and that my kick was more efficient. I easily cut off about 5sec per 100 with the shorts. I highly recommend them, and I can’t wait to hop in the pool again! Have you tried swimming with race simulator shorts? What did you think?

Photo Cred: Topher Riley

Photo Cred: Topher Riley

Photo Cred: Topher Riley

In addition to trying out the ROKA SIM shorts, I also tried the ROKA F2 goggles.

I loved these goggles. No fogging, no leaking, no marks on my eyes and I didn’t have to wear them tight either. Super comfortable. No headaches, etc. Overall, super satisfied, and feel like they have designed a goggle that definitely competes with the best of the best. Looking for goggle tips? Read my blog post on how to wear goggles here.

Can’t wait to swim again!

Get to Know Liquido Active

I recently have tried two pairs of Liquido Active leggings, and they are awesome! They are super soft and very flattering, especially on the booty. It’s crazy how some leggings just make our butts look better than other leggings. I have …

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Quotes of the Week

I’m going to bring back sharing my favorite quotes of the week. The quotes that are motivating me, inspiring me, or are resonating with my soul. Quotes are one of my favorite simple things in life. They bring me so …

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2 Weeks til St. George 70.3 – Half Ironman #12

It’s amazing what taking a bit of a break off from regimented training will do to your motivation and even your fitness. I’m seeing numbers I have never seen before. I have no idea what race day will bring, as it always comes with it’s own challenges, but it feels good to know that I’m making leaps and bounds of progress in training. Some people can swim, bike, run with regimented training ALL the time, but for me, it comes and goes, and I’m definitely someone who needs a break from it every once in awhile to pursue my other hobbies and loves. I think going hiking in Aspen, Colorado, and going to Thailand were two of the best decisions I ever made to bring some adventure and new experiences in to my life. When I got back from Thailand, my motivation was high. I would LOVE some day to be able to combine my loves triathlon and travel, but I need more money in the bank first, or some rad sponsors 🙂

I digress, training has been amazing. And here is what this week’s training looked like:

Monday – Masters swim – 2400yds

Tuesday – Torrey Pines Cycling Hill Repeats – 3 on the outside, 1 on the inside. Had the fastest TP repeats I’ve ever had, and all of them were consistent. They were all within 1 sec of each other. That has never happened to me! It was a break through night on that hill! I was losing daylight which may have contributed to the fast repeats, haha.

Wednesday – Masters Swim – another break through workout – 3100yds and I finally did a whole 1:30 lane masters without a pull buoy. I’m going to confess right here, right now, that the pull buoy is my crutch. I can swim soooo much faster with it, and I’m trying to wean myself off of it. So, that was HUGE for me to make it through with out the PB. My 2nd workout was steap 12x30sec hill repeats running. Again, I felt strong and good. 🙂

Thursday – 3100yds – mostly focused on drills and form. Later did a trainer workout – 3x10min hard with 5min easy spin after each.

Friday – 2800yd swim – speed workout. Did a lot of 50’s and 100’s. Followed that up with a 40min easy run.

Saturday – 3hr ride with 3x 20min tempo effort with 10min easy spin after each followed by a break through t-run. I did 5×1 mile repeats, and it was suggested to me to try to hit 7/7:15’s. I was kind of intimidated by that. Even though I had been having some really good runs, but off the bike, you never know. Not only did I hit each one within that range, but I even had one at 6:57 pace! CRUISIN! I did loops around the new park in Cardiff and the skater boys were good fans, cheering me on as I came around each time, which helped with my motivation 😛

Sunday – 1hr 45min run. I wasn’t sure how my legs were going to feel after Saturday’s brick run, but they felt fresh and awesome! That made me really happy. And then went for an easy bike ride to flush out the legs.

Total Time: 14hrs 54min

Total Distance: 135 miles

It was a SOLID week. I know St. George is going to be really challenging. I’m not expecting any PRs and I have no idea where I will fall in my age group, but I know that I’m going in feeling confident and strong, and happy with my progress. No matter what I will give it my all on race day, and we’ll see where the cards and numbers fall.

Thanks for all of your support! You all are amazing! I hope to see a lot of your bright and smiley faces in St. George!

xoxo!

Katie

Liquido Active and Jolyn Clothing Review

I recently tried out some new leggings by Liquido Active that I’m in love with! They are so fun! They are functional and really comfortable. I went for a walk in them, did some yoga, and I could definitely see …

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PUMA Ignite Running Shoes Review

I was excited to try the new PUMA Ignite running shoes. There have been a lot of buzz about them because they are worn by Usain Bolt. And we all know how fast he is! I was excited to throw them on and go for a run. My first run with them was a tempo run, and they felt great. I felt super fast! They were super lightweight, very flexible, and comfortable. (FYI: I wear orthotics, so I always take the insoles out of every running shoe and throw in my own).

My 2nd run, I did Torrey Pines hill repeats in. Again, they felt great! I really like how light they are, yet they have a good amount of cushion.

Here are some of the features:

• PUMA IGNITE is our most responsive running shoe ever. Maximum energy in for maximum energy out so you can stop running and start igniting.

Features:

• ENERGY RETURN: Full length IGNITED foam midsole’s PU blend offers high rebound cushioning
• STEP IN COMFORT: IGNITE foam provides instant comfort where you need it most
• LONG-LASTING PERFORMANCE: Foreverfoam is used in the heel to disperse impact and provide extra durability

I felt comfortable and fast in these, so if you are looking for a new shoe to try, I would check these out! You can learn more about the PUMA Ignite line –> here

This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of PUMA.

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This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of PUMA.

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