Training Week 12: Niagara Falls International Marathon

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?
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

New Store Opening in Pittsburgh: Chelsea Collective

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

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.

chelsea collective pittsburgh athletic store

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.

chelsea collective photo booth pittsburgh

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.

zobha athletic clothes

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.

New workout bags!
New workout bags!

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.

nike workout bag chelsea collective

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.

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