Good call

May 11, 2010 at 8:53 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments
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I think I made the right choice in skipping my run this morning.  After work, this familiar site came peeking through the trees.

Well, hello Mr. Sun.  Haven’t seen you around here lately. 🙂

Sam met up with me for a quick three-miler on the ol’ bike path.  We followed a familiar route from our half marathon training days and ran free of iPhones or GPS trackers.  It was awesome.  I read in Runner’s World a while back that you should aim for one run and make it a free, peaceful run.  Ditch the heart rate monitor, leave the Garmin behind and tell your iPod to take the day off.  I had a fabulous run today and I think it was because I wasn’t concentrating on pace or song or anything other than keeping up a slightly breathless conversation with my hubby.

Good running partners motivate you ;).  Towards the end, Sam started speeding up, then I sped up to keep up, then he started sprinting, then I busted it out full force and we tore across the “finish line”.  What a nice way to end a run.

Notice my outfit?  We all know I can be a little (okay, a lot) thrifty.  Hello, Aldi is a regular on my grocery shopping route.  My running clothes are no exception to my desire to save a buck.  When I started running regularly, the possible cost of clothes overwhelmed me.  My eyes bugged out at the price tag on a DryFit t-shirt or (in the winter months) a pair of compression tights.  I want to pass on my “secrets” to finding inexpensive running (and exercise) clothes:

🙂 Check TJ Maxx and Marshalls for good deals on moisture wicking shirts and running shorts.  I scored a NikeFit cold compression top for $17 at TJ Maxx and I know it was probably originally $50-60.  Score!

🙂 Target carries the Champion line of clothes at pretty reasonable prices.  My cold weather running tights are from Target (yes, those sexy hot-pink striped leggings — you know you’re jealous!) and they carried me through 17 degree-weather runs.  I think they cost $25.  That’s like a quarter for every run I used them.  My pocketbook loves that.

🙂 Check outlet stores.  My favorite running shorts are from the Champion outlet — $15!  Sam got a Nike top at the outlets that was basically 75% off.  My regular running socks were another score at the outlets.  Bingo.

🙂 It’s not all about name brands.  The shirt I’m wearing in this picture (from our run tonight) was bought at Walmart.

It’s moisture-wicking (obviously — check out that belly sweat!), has a shelf bra built in, a racer back that mirrors my sports bra lines (so I’ll only have ONE set of weirdo tan lines come summer ;)) AND…

a media pocket, perfectly sized for an iPod shuffle.  Now, if only I had one. 😉  I feel like that shirt is an awesome deal for $7.  Yep.  Just 7 tacos.  You can afford more than one at that price.  I bought two.

🙂 Finally, if this is something you’re going to stick with, buy out of season.  Shop those “end of the summer” clearance racks.  Grab a pair of shorts to tuck away for next year or get a cold weather top when it’s starting to feel more like spring.  It will be like Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa for you in the coming months when you open up those boxes and say, “I forgot I bought that!  AND I got a great deal!”

Just a few tips I thought I’d pass on — from my cheapskate wallet to yours.  It’s not rocket science, but it’s helpful. 🙂

Tonight was one of those nights where you come home, look in the fridge…

and decide you’re eating oatmeal for dinner.  Sorry, it’s kind of an uninspiring night food-wise.  We’ve all been there.

I ate a double batch of Trader Joe’s Quick Cook Steel Cut Oats with half a can of blueberries (rinsed of their “light syrup”) and a tablespoon of PB.  Mmm.  Melty.

It filled my tummy right up — just what I needed after such a good run.

A shower is in order (peee-uuuu) and then a little reading before bed.  I’m digging into What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell.  Ever heard of it?

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