Race recap: Movie Madness Half Marathon

September 15, 2015 - Mel

After mentally and physically having a rough couple weeks of training, I needed to have some accountability for this past week’s long run. I have also been dealing with weird stomach nervousness and anxiety before I leave for my runs. Since I was traveling to Ohio for graduation, I searched for — and found — a half marathon for early Saturday morning: the Movie Madness Half Marathon in Lewis Center (about 30 minutes from downtown Columbus). My training run called for a total 16 miles, so I planned to do the race at an easy pace then add another three miles to it. But… well, there was a plot twist.

Race Day Selfie. Plot twist was not that dreary sky.

Registration and Cost: Registration was easy and online through Active.com. Since I made my decision a couple days before race day, it cost $59 (plus fees).

Expo and Packet Pick-up: No expo, as this was a super small race. There was race day packet pick, which started an hour before race time. I planned for about half hour before race time and there was no wait. I even had some extra time to relax in the car beforehand.

Bag Check: No bag check, but the state park had PLENTY of available and close parking near the start line.

Weather: When we left the hotel it was about 55 degrees and RAINING. Thankfully (smartly), I packed my rain jacket — so I ran back up to the hotel room to get it. The weather apps all said that the rain would move out of the area by race time (8 a.m.), AND THANK THE WEATHER GODS, it ended up being a beautiful, cool fall-like morning. LOVE.

Course: This “all right turns” course took the scenic route around Alum Creek State Park and its lake.

Map

I liked the course (there were water/snack/Gatorade stops at Mile 3.5-ish, 6, 9, and 11), and there was a relentless climb after Mile 10 as you can see in the elevation below; however, the roads were NOT closed off, so we basically ran in pace lines on the shoulder of all the streets. Mile 10-ish also was the area where the dam is, which I’ve never seen. It was really neat.

Fans and Experience: No fans, and the course was quiet and peaceful (save for passing traffic). I did run with my earbuds and music for the duration of the race. I honestly felt like I was having some sort of spiritual awakening on this run. It was beautiful.

Random Bullshit: Running on the side of the roads, you see the amount of litter that people disgustingly toss out of their cars. I passed at least three dirty diapers. People are just gross. There was also, um… roadkill. I legit had to jump over the carcass of a possum at one point.

Finish Line: There was music playing at the finish line approach, and I sincerely loved hearing my name and time called out when I finished. I played a serious game of mental skill for that last mile. And somehow, my mile 13 split was only 9:37.

Medals and Swag: I like my new pink short-sleeved tech shirt! It’s not race-specific, but has the US Road Running logo on the front. The finisher’s medal is pretty sweet too.

Bonus: Because this was a “Movie Madness” theme, there were several runners dressed in costume. The best of which (and the costume winner) was the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. He was hilarious (and said that he bought the costume the night before and never trained in it).

Double Bonus: Well… I couldn’t run my extra three miles because I GOT A TROPHY AND PLACED 3RD IN MY AGE GROUP!

OVERALL
The Great: The realization that I really, REALLY like the half marathon distance. Also, small races are awesome!
The Good: I had a pace friend for most of the race, which was awesome. I chatted with her a bit after the race and it seemed like we both needed/used one another. Kinda cool experience.
The Bad: I started going into disaster scenario solution mode when Mile 3 didn’t have a water stop (it was about .6 miles after that). But OMG could you imagine?! I was planning in my head the logistics of my boyfriend tossing bottles of water out of the car at random course points for me. LOL
The Ugly: Car drivers. I mean, COME ON. If you obviously see a pace line of runners on the side of the road and there is traffic in both directions, SLOW DOWN — don’t speed up just to pass more quickly. I kept my left ear bud out for portions of the race because I was nervous about getting run off the road at a few points.

Splits: 11:08 (1) / 10:58 (2) / 10:57 (3) / 10:41 (4) / 10:33 (5) / 10:43 (6) / 10:23 (7) / 10:19 (8) / 10:38 (9) / 10:09 (10) / 10:11 (11) / 10:38 (12) / 9:37(!!!) (13)

Results
Official time 2:18:36 – a new PR by two minutes!
3rd (!!!) in my 30-39 age group

Weekly Therapy: A change will do you good.*

September 11, 2015 - Mel

the week:
This has been a rough week. My job was realigned into a new department, on a new team, and I now also report to a new person. There has been a lot of confusion about how my role is changing for the company, and I’m really trying to be open about embracing those changes. What a lesson in organizational development and change management! I wish I was currently in those i/o-psych classes to tap into the experience a little more. And, maybe… help me process everything.

weekend:
It’s finally here — graduation and commencement! (Are they the same thing? WHO CARES! HOORAY!) I’m looking forward to spending some time with my family and celebrating this accomplishment. But also will be doing a LOT of thinking about my future on this weekend’s 16-mile (!!!) long run (I ended up registering for another half marathon to keep me accountable). I really think that I need that career coach.

52 books in 52 weeks:
I realized this week that I’m *tired* right now of reading self-development/inspirational/how-to books. I need a break and some more reading for fun. Have any good book recommendations? Please leave in the comments! I do prefer non-fiction, so a good memoir or biography that you’ve read would fit my interests.

seven things, seven days:
1. We went out (and subsequently got *smashed*) on a Sunday night when we found out that Howl at the Moon was having a luau because of the holiday weekend. We had a BLAST! Nice change of pace.
2. I’m all for social media, but can we PLEASE stop with the wedding hashtags?
3. Speaking of change, I had some lavender dyed into the “hidden”/underneath part of my hair. YOLO, amirite.
4. Pittsburgh blogger? Sign up for Allegheny Inn’s “Partei Für Blogger” happening next Friday.
5. The heel of my loafers somehow completely fell off on my walk to work on Thursday. Like, seriously life?
6. Performance sportswear gives psychological as well as physical boost
7. A breakdown of research about the role of Vitamin D in athletic performance — something that I’ve long considered is the reason behind all my persistent fatigue and exhaustion (I have extremely low levels of Vitamin D, despite supplementation; and yet, still have no answers as to why).

*can’t get that dang song out of my head!

Training Week 13: Niagara Falls International Marathon

September 7, 2015 - Mel

It’s another drop-back week in my training plan and THANK GOD because the Demons of Summer Humidity have returned with this awful weather and really wrecked my training week. My mid-week 4-mile run felt terrible, and I felt even worse the day after (soreness that I didn’t even experience after running 14 miles, which I cannot figure out).

MONDAY: Usual Rest Day/Laundry Day.

TUESDAY: Took another rest day.

WEDNESDAY: run//yoga club – 4 miles started off at a 9:30 pace, but I started trailing behind the group at 2 miles in. I decided to turn around before my companions and slow it up a bit. That was a good decision, since that group ended up with about 4.8 miles. And OMG the heat and humidity. UGH.

Yoga felt better than last week. I really focused on stretching out my hamstrings and hips throughout the practice. I felt really strong in my warrior and crescent poses — been far too long.

4.15 miles, average pace: 9:36/mi, total time: 39:53 (no splits)

THURSDAY: My body felt like absolute shit. I’m so frustrated.

FRIDAY: I had to spend another night stretching. I wish I would have rolled too. This is something that I’ve completely let fall to the wayside but this week convinced me how badly my body needs more care.

SATURDAY: Yoga outside! These park sessions through Yoga Hive will be held every Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. (The date on the Fittsburgh website says it ends on August 29 but the instructor confirmed through weekends in October.) The weekends when I’m in town I plan to make this part of my Saturday morning routine. Drop-in rate is only a $5 donation too.

SUNDAY: Any previously-denoted “bad” run that I’ve ever talked about is now one-upped by the run I had this Sunday. I planned to meet the boyfriend after he golfed so I could enjoy a little pool time; since our club is only about 6.5 miles away and my plan called for 10, I figured I could commute there by my legs. Seemed like a good challenge. Until you realize that once you cross the West End Bridge, it’s all uphill to Crafton. ALL. UPHILL. All uphill without a lot of sidewalks. And then uphill some more.

To be honest, I’m surprised that it didn’t take me longer to do those 6.83 miles. Also a big fail that Google Maps kept crashing so I kept getting lost. At a certain point I realized that I was one street over from where I needed to be but it may as well have been 3 miles. And I still had to go uphill to get to the club entrance.

Being in the pool after that hot mess felt amazing though both in cooling my body off and getting my joints moving in the water. And I got to show off my hawt running shorts tan.

6.83 miles, total time: 1:29:02
Splits: 10:59 (1) / 12:13 (2) / 12:59 (3) / 10:51 (4) / 16:12 (5) / 12:38 (6) / 13:12 (.82)

Total runs: 2
Total miles: 10.98 miles
Total training miles: 153.62 miles

Only a couple more days of this insanely hot and humid weather. Then, good riddance dog days!

Weekly Therapy: What’s with all the questions?

September 4, 2015 - Mel

the week:
How do you shift your thinking amidst a bunch of change? I’ve been really taking in the perspective of others and asking a lot of questions to help guide me through a few transitions — both professional and personal. I don’t necessarily feel stuck but I don’t feel as though I’m making any meaningful progress either. I have made it a priority, however, to start getting all the info I need to go to grad school. Spreadsheets are made and envelopes of program brochures are sitting in my mail pile. I’m not yet paralyzed… but I’m certainly feeling a little overwhelmed.

Anyone know a life/career coach who helps with the grad school application process?

weekend:
Long weekend, everybody! We originally had plans to drive to Ohio for a party, but that got canceled. So I’ve got a lot of NOTHING TO DO… in my hammock. Buh-bye, summer. Don’t let the door hit ya. And would you mind taking out that 90-degree/100% humidity garbage?

52 books in 52 weeks:
#31: Are You Fully Charged? by Tom Rath – I received this book for review via NetGalley. Since I enjoyed Rath’s StrengthFinder book so much from my personal development work, I expected this to be equally as inspiring.

The first couple sections of the book resonated, and I was particularly interested in what Rath categorizes as “energy”… but the result of that was either heavy on personal anecdotes that didn’t really add much or regurgitated info that I’ve learned from other books (and from my interest in positive psychology). Like, I GET IT ALREADY: I NEED TO GET MORE SLEEP. When someone tells me a HOW that works, then maybe it will be ground-breaking book info.

Hashtag, not getting enough sleep.

seven things, seven days:
1. Did you know that in Pittsburgh you have to renew your library card? My procrastination framework is firmly integrated. Coincidence that it’s National Library Card Sign Up Month?
2. Why did I feel so much worse the day after my 4-mile run than I did after my 14-mile run? WHY.
3. Why are health insurance companies the worst? My claims were denied for the same blood panel I get every year, albeit with my new insurance, and they won’t even apply the $550 payment towards my out-of-pocket expenses or deductible. THE WORST.
4. Why does this make me feel like shit (but I totally get it)? Read: How ‘transference’ makes you hard to live with.
5. A depressing – but hopefully a means for reflection – opinion piece in the New York Times: How Not to Be Alone. I just realized this is from 2013. Why am I just reading it now?
6. Copywriter to Performance Psychologist… Wait, whose life is this? Sustainable High Performance: Five Questions with Matt Fellows {via Forbes.com}
7. Did you know the GRE costs $195?! The hell.

Training Week 12: Niagara Falls International Marathon

August 31, 2015 - Mel

Nothing like a good half marathon race to put your running spirits on overdrive! I had to force my brain (and my body) to rest on Monday.

MONDAY: LAUNDRY DAY! aka: Rest Day. Seriously though, I go through an ungodly amount of clothing in the summer.

TUESDAY: My plan called for a Fast Finish workout (4.5 easy and 1.5 moderately hard), but I was more in that mood where I wanted to see what my body could do. Surprisingly, I was able to sustain a fairly fast pace at Mile 3 (once I was warmed up). And though it was a cooler evening, the humidity still was pretty unbearable (hello, elbow sweat). Followed up with about 20 minutes of foam rolling.

5.10 miles, average 9:40/mi pace. Splits: 9:27 (1) / 10:02 (2) / 8:10 (3) / 10:45 (4) / 10:03 (5)

WEDNESDAY: run//yoga club night!

3.00 miles, average 10:10/mi pace. No splits. I struggled with this yoga session a lot and my hips were so tight. I frequently felt “stuck” in poses, especially warrior. My legs eventually gave up.

THURSDAY: Rest day. Originally planned to do the Elevation Challenge with True Runner, but other plans took priority.

FRIDAY: Rest day

SATURDAY: 14 miles!!! Yep, my furthest training run. I honestly cannot believe how great this run felt. AND I was out the door by 7:30am. The morning was so nice and cool, which is probably why I felt mostly normal again. I kept this training run intentionally slow because I knew it was going to be a long morning. First time that I listened to a podcast during a run, and synced up perfectly with the release of Nicole Antoinette’s new show Real Talk Radio.

14.00 miles, average 11:23/mi pace. Total time: 2:39:39.
Splits: 11:34 (1) / 11:17 (2) / 11:34 (3) / 11:08 (4) / 11:00 (5) / 10:57 (6) / 12:11 (7) / 10:47 (8) / 10:50 (9) / 11:39 (10) / 12:04 (11) / 11:11 (12) / 11:53 (13) / 11:29 (14)

I should mention that my legs felt *really* tight afterward, and I had to stop to stretch my IT band near the end of the run because my left knee was starting to go wonky on me. Not pain, but TIGHT. I also have my new favorite long run fuel in these Pamela’s lemon shortbread cookies. It may be wholly unconventional but those goos and gummies do absolutely ZERO for my hunger on long runs.

SUNDAY: Early in the morning, I took off for OMs in the Outfield at PNC Park. To be honest, I was underwhelmed by the experience despite feeling very excited before the event. I originally intended to do a separate review, but now that I feel very “meh” about the whole thing, I won’t. And I refuse to give in to FOMO again. I did think it was cool that Chelsea Collective got involved with OMS in the Outfield though — every participant got a free branded yoga mat.

Maybe I was just crabby about how janky my feet looked?

Total runs: 3
Total miles: 22.10 miles
Total training miles: 142.64 miles

Weekly Therapy: The same… but different.

August 28, 2015 - Mel

the week:
Every day my boyfriend asks me what I’m going to do with my evening. For the last two years, my “free time” consisted of my head in a book or laptop and hours spent on homework. More often than not my answer these days is somewhere between “nothing” and “everything.” I feel like I have no gear, but I’m trying to be mindful about my time with minimal obligations and my intentions for using it wisely.

It still hasn’t quite hit me that I’m done with my degree program. So, now I’m currently vacuuming a lot.

weekend:
Long run! A street party with lots o’ pig. And some yoga in the outfield of PNC Park. Yeah, pretty stoked for this weekend.

52 books in 52 weeks:
#30 “Whisper My Secret” by JB Rowley – Wow, I got completely caught up in this book! While the story was a bit predictable, the writing style kept me engaged until nearly the end (where I feel as though some of the writing fell flat).

seven things, seven days:
1. I received a postcard from a hello prompt subscriber in India. Made my week! I seriously love that tiny letter community so much.
2. I guess I got a head-start on my 30-day challenge to get rid of stuff… by leaving a bag of hair styling products and accessories in my hotel room over the weekend. RAWR.
3. Oh, just stockpiling my favorite running shoe that was discontinued and on 6pm.com at a closeout discount. What was that about getting rid of excess?
4. So excited for the boyfriend, who had the opportunity to golf in an amateur-champions game this week. He got to golf with a LEGEND and that is just the coolest. I really wish I could have been there to watch.
5. TRIGGER WARNING: And how those Trigger Warnings are coddling us. {via The Atlantic}
6. The difficulties of change management sums up my unusual work week. {via HBR}
7. For me and for my fellow social introverts: How to Avoid Introvert Burnout {via PsychCentral}

Training Week 11: Niagara Falls International Marathon

August 24, 2015 - Mel

MONDAY: Finally got back to spinning class this week (on what is my usual rest day). I knew that I would have more than enough rest days this week. And I just really wanted to start the week off right.

TUESDAY: Went to the Chelsea Collective store preview party. See my post here!

WEDNESDAY: run//yoga club with another 3.01 miles (time: 29:54) and 75 minutes of hot, sweaty yoga. Still a little adapted because of my finger, but I definitely felt stronger than last week.

THURSDAY: Anticipated getting a post-work run in, but there was an office party that went longer into the workday. Meanwhile, I skipped drinking at the party so I could run, but then I was too tired by the time I got home at 7pm PLUS I still had to pack for my weekend trip. At least I got another day’s worth of walking in for my commute.

FRIDAY: Drove to Cleveland, and there was no time for anything but singing alone in the car. Hashtag, thanks Pitbull Sirius channel.

SATURDAY: I really didn’t want to run the day before the race. I did a 5K the day before Pittsburgh, and well… I didn’t want to do that again.

SUNDAY: Half Marathon Day! Read my recap here. 13.1 miles at an average 10:37 pace. This run felt great, and as I wrote in my recap, was 33 seconds faster than my Pittsburgh time. I only walked at two water spots (just long enough to drink and eat some beans). I probably could have even done the first few miles a little faster but I had a really great pace group. This feels good though and makes all this mileage madness worth it. A few seconds is progress, and interesting to see where I can make even more.

My breakfast was a little different than for my usual long runs too, which is interesting to note. No eggs (stupid room service).

Total runs: 2
Total miles: 16.11 miles
Total training miles: 120.54 miles

By the end of next week (and in next Monday’s post), I can officially say that I have run the furthest that I ever have, with a 14-mile long run on the schedule for my weekend. Here’s hoping for some crisp Fall-like weather, eh?

Race Recap: Rock Hall Half Marathon

August 23, 2015 - Mel

I finished my second half marathon this morning, you guys! And overall, it was a great run and I feel good about my result.

I’m at the mid-point of my full marathon training right now, and a half marathon just happened to coincide with my weekend long run of 13 miles. This was the Rock Hall Half Marathon in Cleveland presented by Second Sole and part of Greater Cleveland XC — in collaboration, obviously, with the Rock Hall.

Registration and Cost: I was one of the first 500 participants to sign up, so the discounted registration price was $55. Registration day-of-race (for comparison) was $95.

Expo and Packet Pick-up: No expo, but bib pick-up was INSIDE the Rock Hall, and you can’t get much cooler than that venue!

Bag Check: This race did NOT have a bag check, but I was staying at a nearby hotel and walked to the start line all geared up.

Weather: The morning temperatures were probably very similar to Pittsburgh’s Half — chilly but sunny. The temperatures quickly rose into the low 80s and I was glad for wearing my tank and shorts and not having to shed any layers (despite how chilly I was to start). No humidity at ALL though, and even a nice little wind. SO NICE.

Course: USATF certified course that started at the 9th Street Pier (aka: where the Rock Hall sits) and its ONLY hill is within the first 3/4 mile going up West 3rd. The course quickly diverted out of downtown down Lakeside, and up 18th Street to Carnegie, which took us all the way to MLK Boulevard — where the museums and beautiful Cultural Gardens are located. MLK dead ends, basically, into the lake, so we pulled a left to run along North Marginal, which takes you back to the Rock Hall for the finish. There is the tiniest little incline coming back into the last finish sprint, but coming from Pittsburgh, Cleveland “hills” are laughable.

There were many jokes made in my small group about the “perfect” place to have a heart attack, as we passed through Cleveland Clinic’s campus.

Fans and Experience: Minimal fan interaction along the course, save for the start and finish. My favorite fan was definitely the female cop on MLK who gave every runner a high five. Considering my being overwhelmed by the crowds at the Pittsburgh Half, the nearly-empty sidelines were welcomed.

I started off with the 2:40 pacer (who was ironically from Pittsburgh), and it was a really great group. I broke off with one of the older gentleman around five miles in. At the mid-point of the race, we attempted to catch the 2:15 pacers. Eventually, I needed a shortest-walking break to take in a bit more water (that I had mostly skipped) and eat a packet of sport beans, and my partner advanced ahead of me. It was nice to have someone to run and talk to for a lot of the race though! Plus, I didn’t put my earbuds in until about 8 miles in.

Random Bullshit: Uh, there was no cop or volunteer stopping traffic at the 18th and St. Clair intersection, which was a little scary. Thankfully, another runner grabbed a cop at the next intersection to get somebody there ASAP.

Finish Line: Short chute, with plenty of water close by at the end. Jimmy John’s was giving out sandwiches and I saw people walking around with plates of pizza and ice cream sandwiches (crazy jealous!). SO MANY vendor booths at the Pier. Well done.

Medals and Swag: Both the half and 5K medals were awesome, and the awards were in the shape of a guitar pick (none of the latter for me lolz). In our swag bag was a ticket for free admission to the Rock Hall and probably one of my favorite free race t-shirts ever.

Bonus: Since I haven’t been able to curb my hunger during long runs, I packed a couple gluten-free lemon shortbread cookies from Pamela’s and THEY WERE PERFECT.

Double Bonus: One of the SCRR runners that met up for a pre-race picture saw me approaching the finishing climb of the race and ran with me almost to the end. That really made me feel good, and that kind of race day camaraderie is why I love this running community.

Pittsburghers (and Steel City Road Runners) invade Cleveland!

Notable 30-somethings: High five to the 35-39 age group winner (ahem, my group) who finished in 1:23.42. Seriously.

After party: I found out from my sister that, randomly, my dad’s band was playing out at Legacy Village. We stopped out there for a couple hours to catch up with family, got more sunshine and lunch. And then it was back in the car to Pittsburgh.

OVERALL
The Great: Being able to run a race back in my hometown!
The Good: Weather was awesome, and I felt really, really good. Man, I haven’t had a good run in far too long.
The Bad: My boyfriend forgot to bring down my dang chocolate milk to the finish line!
The Ugly: Um… had some “digestive” issues prior to the race which made my already-nervous stomach more so. Thankfully, I had no problems on the course (but certainly did again afterward). Hashtag, runners problems.

My internal monologue was doing a little shit-talking after Mile 12, but MAN I felt so much better at this race overall than I did at Pittsburgh.

RESULTS
Finished: 2:20:16 — 33 seconds faster than my half in May, so I have a new PR!
53rd in my age group (out of 82)

Weekly Therapy: …but maybe we should.

August 21, 2015 - Mel

the week:
I feel as though I haven’t had a chance to think this week, let alone PACK (or, you know… run). Every night I had something on my calendar and to be honest, I’m looking forward to a couple hours in the car by myself tonight.

weekend:
Heading over to O-hi-O for some running (participating) and roller derby (observing). I have the Rock Hall Half Marathon on Sunday, and the WFTDA D2 Playoffs at the Public Auditorium throughout the weekend. Should be a kick-ass, hot-ass weekend.

52 books in 52 weeks:
#29: Seeking Ultra by Paul Klipp – I feel… a bit disingenuous including this in my list, given that it’s about 50 pages long. But I had no idea going in, and was, frankly, disappointed that I was duped into reading this book that’s not really a book (via Kindle). Moving on…

seven things, seven days:
1. Randomly won a $250 visa gift card for taking a survey about healthcare (which I’ll be ironically using to pay a stupid doctor bill; WHYTF do I even have insurance if it covers nothing?).
2. There was a wellness fair in Market Square this week, and I finally got to try some Gluten Free Goat Bakery baked goods (chocolate chip cookie and a cider donut, if you must know). I know that she uses potato starch in her ingredients, but I had already failed at my attempt in having a non-contaminated, nightshade-free lunch (which was so much FAIL), so… YUM.
3. Excited about crossing a few of these cool places to do yoga off my list soon. {via NEXT Pittsburgh}
4. Speaking of yoga, 1600 (SIXTEEN HUNDRED) people signed up for OM in the Outfield next weekend (I am one of them). More like OMG in the Outfield, amiright?! #anxiety
5. I feel like I was reading something that my daily internal monologue posted with this: …Or Maybe, I Don’t. {via Wit & Delight}
6. The psychological obstacles holding you back at work {via The Book of Life}
7. ME, in sum: “If being watched while you undergo a task, even something benign as eating, makes you highly uncomfortable, then you have social anxiety.” Social anxiety and 7 ways to cure it {via A Daring Adventure}

New Store Opening in Pittsburgh: Chelsea Collective

August 20, 2015 - Mel

This post is sponsored by Vocalpoint and Chelsea Collective. All opinions in this review are my own.

Tuesday evening, I had the pleasure of being invited to a special event preview for the new fitness apparel store opening at Ross Park Mall: Chelsea Collective.

Chelsea Collective is the only fitness-focused specialty store that provides head-to-toe product diversity across footwear, apparel, accessories and beauty — with a variety of fitness interests from studio to running and more. Chelsea Collective selects every piece to be as high-performing as it is sophisticated.

I brought along my friend and fellow running blogger/enthusiast Chelsea (appropriate, right?!) of Pittsburgh City Girl to the preview, which included a store tour, passed appetizers and a yogurt parfait bar, specialty cocktails (champagne!), and some amazing surprises. This preview proved that this store was MUCH more than just about fitness apparel. Can we call it a lifestyle store? Because this store pretty much nailed my life AND style. Chelsea Collective is the brainchild of Dick’s Sporting Goods. The brand is said to cater to all types of women with varied athletic interests. I found that to be true and then some. There are plenty of options from the casual lifestyle to the fitness enthusiast and all body types in between.

This Chelsea Collective location carries a LOT of Nike-branded apparel — nearly half the store! Familiar brands like Adidas, Asics, and Calia (Carrie Underwood’s label) were set up in different sections throughout the floor plan too. There is even a bra bar with trained fit specialists to help make sure that you are shopping the correct size. I was particularly impressed by new-to-me labels Zobha and Lorna Jane and their respective merchandise. I really wanted this short-sleeved hoodie from Zobha which had already sold out in my size by the time I circled back around the store.

And OMG an entire section devoted to Splendid, which is one of my favorite brands! (I even saw Hunter boots, and their website teases me that Sorel boots will soon be carried in stores). We received a $25 gift card when we arrived for the event, which I used towards a pair of Sanuk sandals — you all tell me how awesome and comfortable they are, so it was a good “deal” to finally buy a pair.

I was absolutely SHOCKED by the additional generous gift that Chelsea Collective provided to all attendees to the party — a “build-a-bag” that included a workout bag worth over $250 (from Nike), which we were able to fill with four additional self-selected items from several shelves of goodies. I got a new yoga face towel, sport headbands from Nike, an infinity bracelet from Pure Vida (an organization close to my heart), and a Nike scarf (it’s SO soft). They also had yoga mats, straps and blocks (which I just purchased doubles of) and other fitness accessories. For signing up for their rewards card, I also received an extra gift at the register: a multi-strap leather bracelet with the brand’s logo.

The store is fairly large and there is a lot of merchandise to look at, with additional beauty products and fitness accessories surrounding the register area (many of my favorites here too!). The changing room area is basically a social lounge, which is important for me when shopping (because, exhaustion) — with chairs and tables to relax at (for you or any of your shopping buddies) and stations available for charging your phone while you shop. It’s beautifully accented by a live plant wall and gorgeous fixtures.

You have to experience it for yourself!

Chelsea Collective opens this weekend and will be celebrating its official Grand Opening on August 22 and 23. They’re located on the second level near the Nordstroms wing. They’ll be hosting in-store styling demonstrations, offering complimentary services and refreshments — and experts will be on-site to offer advice. The first 25 guests will receive a special gift. I already wish I could return this weekend.

Find Chelsea Collective on social:
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Heartland Transplant

Author: Mel