Pro Compression Calf Sleeve Review!

Disclaimer:  I received this product for review as part of the Sweat Pink ambassador program.  I was not compensated.  All thoughts and opinions are on my own.

I first learned about compression socks and sleeves when I began to get shin splints in the first few weeks of starting off my running journey.  I've tried many brands but Pro Compression has stood out among them and have been my go-to compression socks for well over a year now.

When I had the chance to review their compression sleeves I was super excited!

So...why Pro Compression?

 A few key points from their website - 

1. MADE in the USA

2. We always have a super fun Sock of the Month!  A new sock designs every month with a discount!  (so make sure you are on our email list).  You can sign up on the home page under: Receive Monthly Specials.  

3. One of the few compression socks companies that makes a true graduated compression sock (the ones that work!).  

4. We sell direct, what does that mean to you?  Bigger discounts and more focus on the customer.  Our goals is to make sure everyone is in the correct sock or sleeve that is best for them! 

Some of the key features about Pro Compression - 

 

1. True Graduated Compression 

2. Arch support with just the right about of compression 

3. Stabilization zone thru the sides to mid foot. Helps provide foot bed comfort.   

4. Open toe box so it will not keep your toes to tight.  

5. Wide cuff for added comfort. 

6. Moisture wicking materials

7. No blisters!  

PRO Compression socks deliver maximum comfort and speedy recovery times. The science is complex, but benefits such as improved blood flow, stability and comfort are universally understood.  The moment you put these socks on your feet, you will feel the difference.

This design requires more effort to put on than standard socks. But it’s that extra effort and much-needed compression that make all the difference. Be patient and your feet will thank you.

True graduated compression promotes circulation by pushing fluid up from your feet and ankles to toward your knees. This design also helps reduce swelling and inflammation while providing critical support to muscles and tendons.

If you already have a specific brand of low cut socks that you love, compression sleeves are a perfect option for you!  It gives you the flexibility to be able to wear your socks as well as the sleeves.  

I also love them because after a run, I can kick off my shoes and socks and still be able to wear my flip flops - this is nice especially in these hot, humid Georgia summers.  They're not only great to wear during runs, but are fantastic for recovery after long runs.  I am not ashamed to walk out and about to run errands wearing my sleeves, especially since Pro Compression has so many fun and colorful patterns.

Have I convinced you yet that these are awesome?  Maybe a discount code for 40% off can entice you to try them out!  Use the code PINK for 40% off your ENTIRE purchase!  And if you're feeling super adventurous, they're even offering a grab bag of 3 pairs of their compression sleeves (and yes, the discount code works for those, too!)  

Don't forget to share this discount with your friends!  Let me make that a little easier for ya -

Tweet: I #KeepItTight w/ @PROCompression! Use the code PINK for 40% OFF your entire purchase! http://ctt.ec/W2UDL+ @fitapproach #sweatpink  

Thanks to Fit Approach and Pro Compression for the chance to share my love of this product with my readers!

Do you wear compression socks/sleeves?  Where do you wear them the most?

Until next time,

Jen

Weekly Workout - July 22-28

Gah...I have been a horrible blogger lately, and for that I apologize.  I need to make it a point to carve out an hour or so to sit down and write out my blogs. 

Last week I got my back-to-back runs in on the weekend.  Saturday I did 2 miles with Guinness.  They were slow as I'm still working with him on running, but we did okay.

Sunday I got up early to try and beat the heat.  I parked at Fowler Park and ran toward the trailhead so that I would have a place to stop, refill my water, use the restroom, before heading back to finish the rest of my run.  I tried Sharkies for the first time as my fuel - have to say I wasn't a fan of them.  They were super chewy and took me a few minutes to eat them. (I do love my Handana though!)

The second half of the run my legs started to feel really heavy.  I walked more than I wanted to, but it was getting warmer and the humidity was rising as well.  There were so many friendly runners along the path, waving, saying "Good morning" - it was really nice to be out there with other runners of all range of experience.

I was pretty pleased with my time.  When I did my 7 mile run a couple of weeks ago, I "think" it took me about 2 hours (since my watch died during the run I guestimated based on what time I started and what time I finished), so being able to add 1.5 miles in the same amount of time was a nice surprise.

In the past I have had issues with not fueling my body properly before long runs and have had a horrible time recovering, but I think I've finally kicked that bad habit!  Before my run, I tried out a Snickers marathon protein bar.  It was really good and even kind of tasted like a Snickers bar.  After my run, I enjoyed peanut butter and jelly on a slice of bread with some water.  Besides being a little sore, I felt good after my run!

At some point during my run, my compression shorts got a hole in the inseam, so my exposed skin got a bit chafed - boo!  I've had the shorts for close to a year and I've definitely gotten my money out of them, but man, chafing hurts!!  Especially on the inner thigh.  Off to buy some new shorts this week!

I PROMISE to get some blog posts up this week, complete with some reviews and a giveaway!

I hope everyone's training is going well....my fellow Dumbo runners - just 30 days away!  I can't wait to meet some of you!

Until next time,

Jen

Disney Princess Half Marathon - Part 2

If you missed my other recaps, you can find them here!

Disney's Fit For A Princess Expo - Day 1
Disney's Fit For A Princess Expo - Day 2
Disney Princess Half Marathon - Part 1

And now...the conclusion of my first half marathon!

Once I sent Amanda ahead, I stopped at a medical tent for some Biofreeze and kept on going.  I finally began to follow my run/walk intervals when we came to the halfway point.

A couple of weeks before the race runDisney asked on the Facebook page what song you wanted to hear at that halfway mark.  People gave recommendations, and about a week before the race, the final choices were posted for everyone to vote.  I didn't really have a preference, but the winner was "Girl on Fire" by Alicia Keys.

I even decided to take a little video clip of the halfway point -

When I got to mile 7, I decided to text Sharon to see how far back she was.  She was only about half a mile, so I decided to wait on her so we could run together for a bit.  We started off and in the sea of people almost immediately got separated.  Amanda had texted me earlier to let me know Lilo and Stitch were close to mile 8, and since it's one of my favorite movies AND having just gotten home from a 2 week Hawaiian vacation, I wanted to get a picture with them.

Giving the "shaka"

Shortly after I saw Genie from "Aladdin", and since he didn't have a long line I jumped in for another photo op -

Between miles 8 and 9, an accordian club was playing some fun tunes.

After the water station at mile 9, I saw this, and it just cracked me up-

My dear friend, Jessica, had big plans to come down and watch me run, but it didn't work out that way, but she followed me through the texts from the runner tracking and texted me words of encouragement, so I sent her this lovely picture of me in return -

At mile 10 I believe I hit my "wall".  My feet were absolutely killing me, it hurt to run, and I felt so incredibly sluggish.  BUT...I kept telling myself "You only have a 5k left...you can do this"  And, of course, at mile 10 is the dreaded on ramp that you have to climb.  The Green Army dude from "Toy Story" was there helping the Princesses stay motivated to get up the ramp.  Honestly, I didn't think it was too bad.  Even if I wanted to run up it I couldn't...there were sooooo many other Princesses!!

The Princesses behind me!

Running on the overpass was actually a lot of fun.  Car after car of people driving into the parks were honking their horns and shouting words of encouragement.  I'm really glad I decided to run without my headphones!  We came to mile 11...not much further!  We were right outside Epcot and a very animated DJ was rocking some tunes and chatting it up on the microphone.  I ran by and saw Mulan and Mushu, and since the line wasn't long and I was almost done, I stopped for another picture!

As I mentioned before, one of my favorite things about the race was looking at all the awesome signs made by the spectators.  This one, just past mile 12, was one of my absolute favorites -

When we got behind the scenes at Epcot I knew we were sooooo close!  At the last water stop, I saw Sharon, sprinted up to her and said "We're finishing this race together!"  We were both in pain at our feet, so we decided to walk a majority of the way and save our energy to run across that finish line.  I saw Pinocchio and had to get a picture with him....but not before the Cast Member that was with him took one of himself with my phone :)

Thanks, random CM!

As we made our way to the edge of World Showcase and looped back around, that Epcot ball never looked so good.

We went to the right of the ball and saw the gospel choir - that's your signal that you're in the home stretch!!

At this point I texted J and tell him we were almost done!  He texted back to let me know where he and D were standing, and Sharon spotted them out.  They had huge grins on their faces (hopefully because they were proud of us?) and so did we.  We rounded that last turn and saw the finish line!!  As we crossed we hugged...we had done it!  We were half marathoners!  The volunteer put that beautiful medal around my neck and we walked to the area where they were handing out water and Powerade, then went to get our finisher pictures made.

We grabbed our runDisney snack box and went to find the boys. 

We hung out for awhile and I decided to take a seat on the ground to change out of my shoes and just relax.  J snapped this (cute) picture of me -

As we went to head back to the resort, i saw that Snow White was out taking pictures.  Of course, I had to get my picture made with her seeing as I chose to dress up as her!  J stood in the bus line and waited for me.  She complimented me on my sparkly skirt as we took a picture (for whatever reason the picture the CM took with my phone is really washed out - will have to post the pro pictures when I buy them).

We headed back to the resort to shower, pack up, grab some lunch, and head to the airport.  I was a little bummed to have to leave so soon, but the overall weekend was something that I will never forget.

On the way home, I sported my awesome new Team Sparkle shirt and my gorgeous new bling.  While the first half of the shirt might not be accurate (yet), I definitely kick ass.

I had such an amazing time doing the Princess half marathon as my first.  Will I do it again?  Hard to say - there are so many other awesome races that runDisney puts on that I want to do first, but maybe in a few years.  My next runDisney race(s) will be the Dumbo Double Dare in August.  I've never been to Disneyland before, so I plan to take it all in, check out the parks and see how it sizes up to Walt Disney World.  Maybe I'll see some of you there!

Before I end this post, I want to say thank you to my husband, Sharon, Amanda, my fellow Sweat Pink, Girls Gone Sporty, and Energybit amabassadors, my friends, my family, fellow bloggers, and you...my readers.  This journey wouldn't have been as memorable had it not been for all of you.  I hope that you'll stick around to see what happens in the next chapter of my running career, because I'm not ready to hang up my shoes yet...I'm just getting started!

Until next time,

Jen

We're Home, Packing Again, and a 100th post Giveaway! (GIVEAWAY ENDED)

Well I have learned my lesson as a blogger - never go on vacation for an extended period of time without finding some other awesome bloggers to have some guest posts for me!!  I am so incredibly sorry that the lights have been out over the past two weeks, but I will probably now annoy you with the multiple posts that I have planned!

Our Hawaiian vacation was amazing.  We had such an incredible time spending two weeks there exploring a new island that we've never been to and visiting O'ahu again.  We have tons of pictures and lots to tell so be on the lookout for them!

I'm home just long enough to unpack, do laundry, and repack...why?  Because the time has finally come...this Friday I'm flying down to Walt Disney World to participate in the Disney Princess half marathon - my very first one!!

Can't wait for this to be MINE!

 I've gotten most of my packing done.  I wanted to start early so I had enough time to figure out what I was missing or forgetting.

It **might** all fit...

I've still got a few things in the dryer that need to go in and, of course, my costume!  I've printed my waiver and proof of a 10k time in hopes of moving up a corral, and all of my other little odds and ends that us runners carry.

Few more bits and pieces

 I can't wait to get down there and have some girl time with my Florida sole sister, Amanda...the one who is guilty of sucking me into this race!  Sharon and our husband's (and Amanda's adorable daughter) will join us on Saturday to get in on the fun!

So...as I mentioned...this is my 100th blog post!  I can't believe it's been almost a year since I started this journey, and now I'm just days away from my goal.  In honor of my 100th post, I have a pretty awesome giveaway for you!

As you know, I am a Sweat Pink Ambassador, and I want to spread the Sweat Pink love.

Sorry for the awful picture!

This is a very cute and extremely soft Sweat Pink hooded shirt.  It's a gray color (and the brown oval is just a sticker...not part of the shirt).  Just a heads up that this is a Large!  The hood is even cuter...

I'll even throw in a pair of Sweat Pink laces for you and a pair to share with a friend!

Want this to be yours?  Enter using the Rafflecopter below.  Contest will begin at 12:00 a.m. EST on Wednesday, February 20th, and will end at 12:00 a.m. EST Monday, February 25th with the winner being announced later that day.  Winner will have 48 hours to contact me or else another winner will be chosen.  I will check to ensure that the winner's entries are valid.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Until next time,

Jen 

Another Long Run in the Books

Last week was not my best...J traveled to NYC for work and I hate leaving the pup in his crate longer than usual, so I came home every day this week without getting a workout in.  It's shameful, but it's the truth.

BUT...Friday J got home and I decided to take a 2 mile run around the neighborhood.  It wasn't too horribly bad, but it was COLD!

And before I get flamed by all my Northern readers...yes...I understand that it is nowhere NEAR as cold as it is for you guys (my grandparents live in Minnesota so I understand) but for a girl in the South it was pretty chilly.

Sunday I had my 8 mile training run on the calendar.  We were super lazy and I didn't pull myself out of bed until 1:30 PM.  I ate a Clif bar, got dressed, and drove to the greenway.  It was a bit cooler than I thought it was going to be (I wore a tank and capris) but my run quickly warmed me up.

The trail crosses a highway, and I didn't really want to go that far, so I decided that I would turn around when I got to that point, run back to where I started, then turn around and run back down the trail, then back where I started (did I lose you yet?).  That was probably not the most intelligent thing for me to do as when I got back to the parking lot it was tempting to leave....but I pushed on and finished my 8 mile run.

I had a personal goal to run it in 1:45 or less, and I beat it!  Mind you, not by much, but hey...I reached my goal!

Got my Sweat Pink on :)

I was really trying to get a couple of negative splits in my run, so I was anxious to download my run from the Garmin to their website.

Woo hoo!!! I had not one, but TWO negative splits!!  I was pretty excited to see those numbers!

After I got home, I showered and slipped back into my compression socks for the day and had a nice post run meal of Skinnytaste's Spaghetti Squash Lasagna (I highly recommend trying it..it's so tasty!)

Overall, my run is good...but maybe some of you could help me solve a mystery.  The past two long runs I've done I have gotten pain on the inside arch area of my left foot, and on the ball of my right foot.  I have started wearing a new pair of shoes to break them in, but it happens with my old shoes as well.  I'm wearing either Swiftwick or Feetures! socks.  Any ideas?

I love Crossfit, and I will miss it while I'm gone on vacation, so I've decided to put it on the back burner until I get back home and focus more on my training for the half marathon (only 26 more days...squee!!).  Once that's over I plan to dive back into Crossfit.

Thanks for all the new likes on my Facebook page!  I'm trying hard to post more often on it, and please feel free to share with your friends!  Hello Fitness - We Meet Again

Until next time,

Jen

Christmas Mail

I'm playing catch up from the holidays so I apologize in advance that most of the posts for this week will be from stuff in December!

I love getting mail that isn't a bill or junk.  So during the holidays I got a lot of fun mail from some of my fellow Girls Gone Sporty ambassadors.

Danielle over at Healthy Kitschy Vegan was my partner in our GGS Halloween swap, but instead of Halloween stuff I got Christmas stuff!

She sent me some homemade cookies, a bird ornament, 2 Cliff bars, a headband to run in, a Honey Stinger, an almond butter cup, and a protein shaker!  I have enjoyed everything she sent!  Thanks Danielle!

Next up was our Christmas swap, and Tammy at kyrunnergirl and I were paired up.  She sent a box full of goodies that myself, my husband, and even Guinness got to enjoy!

We got 2 bags of homemade chocolate chip cookes, a puppy cookie stick, 2 super cute ornaments, and Guinness got some homemade dog biscuits!  Thanks so much Tammy!

You may remember that I became an ambassador for energybits awhile back, and I finally received my ambassador kit!

If you're interested in learning more about energybits, check them out here, and to get 15% off your order use the promo code "HelloFitnessJen".  They rock!

Finally, through Sweat Pink, I was able to receive a Bulu Box!  Bulu Box is delivered to your doorstep once a month filled with different products for you to try.  The products change each month so you never know what you're going to get!

I will be doing a full review on the contents of my Bulu Box soon so stay tuned!

And finally, on Christmas eve, we got a letter from Santa :)

Do you look forward to getting fun stuff in the mail?  What's your favorite item(s) received?

Until next time,

Jen

It Happened Again...

The Princess Half marathon is fast approaching (only 45 days away!) and it's time to get serious about the long runs.

Yesterday I did a six mile run.  I jumped on the computer to Map My Run to plan my route, ate some peanut butter crackers, and headed out.

The run itself was okay...I wasn't expecting too much from it, but I knew I needed to get out and get it done.  I did learn a thing or two during my run - 1) don't wear a hoodie.  By mile 2 I was hot and ended up taking it off and tying it around my waist.  As I started to run again, I heard a car honk at me - it was J and Guinness coming to check on me, so I sent the hoodie home with him.  At mile 3 I had planned to take some Gu Chomps, but they were so hard!  I hadn't eaten all of them from a previous race so I saved them, which was lesson #2 - they don't store well after being open.

But I finished...and that's when things went downhill.

The same thing that happened to me on my 8 mile run back in September happened again yesterday.  I got very hot, clammy, and nauseous, so I took a cold shower.  I continued to be nauseous and then couldn't warm up after the shower.  I went straight to the bed when I got out, texted J that I would be upstairs for awhile, and just laid under the covers shivering.  I know exactly what I did wrong....I wasn't properly hydrated and I didn't fuel myself enough for that length of run.  J came up to check on me and tried to help warm me up, and finally about 3 hours later I felt better.  I absolutely cannot continue to let this happen, especially after my half marathon!

I have my first Crossfit class this Wednesday!!  I'm both excited and nervous about it, and I hope I'm still able to run!  Luckily this weekend's long run is only 3 miles per my schedule, so it shouldn't be too terribly bad.  You can bet I'll be blogging about it...if I can move my arms and fingers to type :)

I'm still working on my Christmas blog posts and hope to have those up this week.  Getting caught up at work and at home has put me behind!  And stay tuned for a Fit Approach Sweat Pink giveaway!

Until next time,

Jen