Hi-dee-ho there!

I came home from work last night to 2 packages.

First package was the replacement “enhancer” pieces for my Yurbuds Inspire earbuds that I bought a few months ago, and then lost one of the enhancers the day of the NYC Marathon.

for $10 they send you 2 sets of them so now I've got a backup pair =)

for $10 they send you 2 sets of them so now I’ve got a backup pair =)

I don’t think I’ve listened to music on a run since the marathon so today I went for a run and boy did I need my music. I struggled. This is how I felt the entire time…

Not feelin' it

Not feelin’ it

But it’s 3 miles of running that I would have regretted if I didn’t venture out for, so that’s that.

first run i opted for something warmer than a baseball cap on my head

first run i opted for something warmer than a baseball cap on my head

3 miles of heavy legs

3 miles of heavy legs

The second package was the snowshoes I bought for myself.

Someone wasn't happy the delivery wasn't Barkbox

Someone wasn’t happy the delivery wasn’t Barkbox

I bought Mr. SOTSS snowshoes for Christmas and decided I must buy myself a pair too! We’re heading up to Vermont at the end of the month and we’ll definitely be using them (so long as there is enough snow!)

So I’m finally getting a chance to share my thoughts about the Roosport pouch that Jane sent me as a holiday gift last month. I wore it a few times to get a good feel for it.

Roosport

Roosport

The Roosport pouch is a beltless option for toting small items while running (or walking). I’m really used to my Spibelt which I’ve been using since I started running marathons and while I don’t mind the belt part most of the time, there are those few occasions where it irritates me and I just want to toss it.

So here’s what I think about the Roosport:

It’s really cute! I love the blue accents. There are a bunch of colors to choose from so thanks Jane for picking this color for me. I like the idea of it. The magnet closure is really secure and the pockets fit my phone, money, ID, and keys. I don’t think it would fit all of my fuel for marathons but possibly for half-marathons. The biggest issue for me is that I can’t seem to get to the items in the pouch with ease while on the go. Aside from the small zippered pocket on the flap, everything else is in the pocket that is on the other side of your pants (capris, shorts, skirt etc.) And with my wide waist band capris and extra “middle” I can’t really get my hand in to find the zipper. Also, I wanted to secure the pouch in the small of my back but it bounced a lot there so the best place I found was on my hip bone. This also makes it hard for me to get to it. It looks funny because it protrudes out from under my shirt. (sorry for the terrible pics. My phone was in the pouch so i had to use the camera on my laptop).

If I keep the shirt tucked a bit It seems better

If I keep the shirt tucked a bit It seems better

I don't like to draw attention to my "thickest" part so the lumpy aspect isn't the best

I don’t like to draw attention to my “thickest” part so the lumpy aspect isn’t the best

The good news is that the pouch was secure, didn’t irritate me at all and didn’t bounce once I found my “sweet spot”. So I think for me, it’s best suited for things I won’t need to access while running. (I could keep something like a chapstick on the outer pocket for access while running). Maybe just cash if i needed to stop at the store to buy water on a long run, or just to carry my phone for safety reasons. I don’t think I’ll ever wear this for a marathon. I might keep trying to pull the pouch completely out while running so i can fiddle with it and then learn to get it back in the sweet spot of my waistband again. If I can master that, then it will open up a whole new ballgame for me.

Also, they sell clear waterproof bags that fit inside if you want to protect your phone from moisture. Trust me, you sweat a lot around the waistband. In 3 miles the pouch was damp. My phone was fine but 26 miles? Probably not so much.

BUT, I definitely will use this when I walk the dog at the park when I don’t have a jacket with pockets. And I’ll use it for my shorter runs when I’m working from home because I like the idea I can have my phone with me just in case a client needs to reach me.

It’s definitely going to be a personal choice for everyone and I don’t think I can tell you one way or the other if you should get it. I can say that if you’re used to tucking things in your waistband then this is definitely for you =).

Happy Humpday!

Do you tote stuff around when you run? Do you use a fuel belt or some other type of pouch? 

 

Hello.

How’s it going? I enjoyed a lazy, rainy Sunday morning with my favorites….coffee and Duncan.

rainy-lazy-coffeeThen, the sun came out and it was 61 degrees (in January!) so I figured that was a sign I needed to go for a run.

sweating way too much for a winter run.

sweating way too much for a winter run.

I almost had a dilemma with my Garmin Vivofit. The wristband broke. But then I remembered it came with 2 size bands. I went through my junk drawer and found the box and sure enough the smaller band was still in there (2 years later! pays to be a packrat sometimes). It just fits my wrist.

garmin-band

I worked from home on Thursday and Friday which was great because it meant spending extra time with the doodle and also getting in some running in the afternoon.

The face I wake up to every morning.

The face I wake up to every morning.

working from home looks like this

working from home looks like this

lunch break!

lunch break!

On Friday, I offered to take my dad to pick up his car at the mechanic which is over an hour away, so I let Duncan come for the ride for company.back-seat-doodle

Yesterday I finally attended another one of New York Road Runner’s “Open Run” events. open-runThey hold these every Saturday at 9am and it’s free. I’m hardly ever around on Saturday mornings but yesterday I had absolutely no plans so I figured what the heck. It’s a 3 mile course and they time you the old fashioned way…..with a stop watch. =) Best part was that they were hosting MulchFest at the park too…all the disposed Christmas trees being mulched left the most amazing aroma! tree-mulchPlus, it’s always nice to meet up with other runners who are local and the course is mostly trails—but just loose gravel trails—not “tree root and other obstacles to avoid” trails which is really nice because I’m just too accident prone for the latter. Later on in the day I took Duncan for a walk along another trail system at a different park which I always forget about.

the blue trail

the blue trail

New places to sniff

New places to sniff

greenbeltI’m going to try and do some more trail running this year and I’ll definitely be going back to both parks on a regular basis….especially on weekends when I have the luxury of time. I can’t believe how many miles of trails there are:

lots-of-trails

I came over to my brother and sister-in-law’s house to hang out and have dinner and now we’re watching House Hunters on HGTV. It’s one of my favorite shows.

wild and crazy night. 2 sleeping dogs, a sleeping brother. Oh and my SIL and I are playing Words With Friends while sitting right next to each other. =)

wild and crazy night. 2 sleeping dogs, a sleeping brother. Oh and my SIL and I are playing Words With Friends while sitting right next to each other. =)

Ugh, weekend is just about over. Hope you had a lovely weekend.

Anyone prefer trail running over road running or treadmill running?

I worked from home again today and went for literally the exact run as yesterday only this time I stopped to take a picture of that Flamingo I told you about.

Santa and a flock of flamingos.

Santa and a flock of flamingos.

And then I passed a SECOND house with the same flamingo!

solo bird

solo bird

How did I miss this yesterday? Oh, and I also spotted a frog.

IMG_9763It was 61 degrees today which was even warmer than yesterday so I went with short sleeves. It’s almost like Florida.

A right to bare arms in December

A right to bare arms in December

Apparently last year on this day it was 38 degrees. Why is it that we runners are so obsessed with weather?

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After my run I took a ride to Target and Bed Bath and Beyond for a few things. I ended up getting this 50 piece ornament box for $15. You can never have enough Christmas balls right? =)

IMG_9757

I also colored my hair today and for the first time ever I opted for chocolate brown instead of red. I kinda dig it. =)FullSizeRender-1

no more orangey ends!

no more orangey ends!

Duncan digs it too!

doggie kisses!

doggie kisses!

Well I have a wild and crazy Friday night ahead of me….time to fill out, address and stamp my holiday cards.

Have a super weekend!

Happy Thursday!

I took today as a vacation day but ended up working from home. It’s ok. I’m happy to make money and without the 3 1/2 hours of commuting I was able to start addressing my holiday cards, take the doodle for a nice long walk, and go for a run at 3 in the afternoon!

It was 60 degrees out today—a lovely December surprise. And apparently we’re anticipating a potential record breaking 64 degress this weekend. I’m ok with it although I really do hope Winter arrives on time in a couple of weeks.

60 degrees in NYC on December 10th. Woo Hoo!

60 degrees in NYC on December 10th. Woo Hoo!

I dropped off some coats to a neighbor who is collecting them for a coat drive. Then I ran around the neighborhood.

Ran the first .1 miles to my neighbor to drop off these coats

Ran the first .1 miles to my neighbor to drop off these coats

God I love 3 milers. They're so non-committal. I can just enjoy the 30 minutes of running without worry.

God I love 3 milers. They’re so non-committal. I can just enjoy the 30 minutes of running without worry.

I always get a kick out of running through the neighborhood during the holidays to see what fun and/or bizarre decorations people have put up. This year most decorations actually made sense but I did see this pig. There was a similar flamingo in a santa hat but I was across the street so I couldn’t snap a good pic. Trust me, it was bizarre =)

Is it because some people eat ham on Christmas?

Is it because some people eat ham on Christmas?

Do you remember when I posted all about the bizarre holiday decorations in my neighborhood 2 years ago? Ironically it was almost 60 degrees that day too. And last year I was injured but walked my usual route and shared this post with you.

So my fridge has been pretty bare and I haven’t had the time (or desire) to go grocery shopping.

The Gatorade is left over from the weekend of the NYC Marathon and I can't go without my coffee creamer.

The Gatorade is left over from the weekend of the NYC Marathon and I can’t go without my coffee creamer.

So tonight I ordered in Chinese. I got enough to last me through the weekend. =)

IMG_9753

Duncan was annoyed that I didn’t share any with him but it’s not doggie-friendly and I don’t want him to get sick.

pouting on top of his crate

pouting on top of his crate

OK, well I’m headed over to Mr. SOTSS’s for a bit to hang. Catch ya later!

Any guess as to why a pig with a santa hat?
What’s the wildest holiday decoration you’ve ever seen?
What is your favorite holiday decoration to see?
I love a simple fresh wreath and white lights.