Category Archives: Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites #16 – winter running gift guide

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Brr, it’s cold outside. It’s in the teens in the NYC area today and wind chill makes it feel like the single digits. My alarm went off this morning a little after 4AM and I decided I was too cold and tired to wake up. With the weather and missed workout, this day is getting off to a great start… but it’s Friday and a week away from the holidays, so I can’t complain.

In case you’re looking for some last-minute presents or something for yourself, here are some of my favorites that I know will be staples in getting me through another season of the cold.

Plantronics BackBeat Fit Bluetooth Headphones – I’ve been on the market for a pair for a while but with all the treadmill running I’ve been doing recently and my epic clumsiness of dragging my phone off the treadmill, it was time to make the investment. After some research and reading the Wirecutter reviews, I decided on these. I will do a full review in a later blog post but so far so good.

I’ll Have Another with Lindsey Hein Podcast – A good playlist or podcast is essential to help me get through the treadmill miles. I’ll Have Another is light-hearted and easy for me to follow along on early morning treadmill runs.

Feetures Elite Merino+ Light Cushion Socks – Wool socks are my go to for winter outdoor running. I am a big fan of Feetures socks and especially like the merino wool ones for winter use. They keep my toes toasty even when I’m outside waiting for a race to start.

HotHands Hand Warmers – Okay, these are not a lot of fun as a present but they are a necessity!

Oiselle Softshell Gloves – My fingers and toes hate the winter. I usually opt a double layer of gloves and mittens but love these gloves from Oiselle. They are super warm!

L’Occitane Shea Butter Body Cream – This is without a doubt my favorite lotion especially when my hands are super dry from weather. My hands feel so soft afterwards!

Lululemon Runderland Neck Warmer – I love me a soft neck warmer with adjustable sizing. I usually want the neck warmer higher on my neck and even sometimes covering my mouth initially but as I warm up, I adjust the sizing so it falls lower along my neck.

Lululemon Kick The Cold Funnel Neck and Athleta Techie Sweat Jogger – I don’t use these for running but I love lounging around in this sweatshirt (and it keeps my neck toasty, I’m extremely wimpy in my old age) and jogger pant. These are especially great for post long run relaxing or in my case like today, pure laziness relaxing.

Have a happy Friday and stay warm this weekend!

**This is not a sponsored post, rather just a collection of some of my favorite winter running essentials. Some items contain an affiliate link.

Friday Favorites #15 – randomness on a Saturday!

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Please excuse my tardiness on posting about Friday Favorites on a Saturday. Let’s talk about my Friday Favorites but with a twist on the things I really missed being able to do in the last year. And oh by the way, I’m horrible at taking pictures of anything that’s not our baby, so please ignore the lack of pictures in this post.

The Olympics. I love competition and I love the Olympics. It’s been great having coverage on in the background throughout the day. Women’s gymnastics are awesome and of course, swimming. I am also very much looking forward to the track and field events, which started yesterday. By the way, the Women’s 10K race was incredible and so excited that Molly Huddle broke Shalane Flanagan’s American record. Oh and I am with the New Yorker about Women’s Gymnastics deserving better TV coverage.

img_5568Any and all cheeses. Man, I hated asking everywhere I went if the cheeses were pasteurized. Josh and I went out for the first time just the two of us last week for dinner at Bin 14 and it was the first time we just ordered whatever we wanted without concern.

A glass of Riesling. My absolute favorite wine. I never did drink much, only socially, and with constant marathon training over the last couple of years, I was drinking even less. But I really did miss being able to order a drink on occasion.

Smoked salmon with bagel and cream cheese. Yummy! I haven’t had one of these in over 10 months and was so excited to finally be able to eat smoked salmon. Josh makes it best with frozen whole wheat bagels, cream cheese, tomatoes, and of course, smoked salmon.

Stokke MyCarrier Cool, Gaiam Backless Ball Chair and Africa. The combination of these three things have been a savior the last couple of days when our little one would wake up early and not be able to fall back asleep. I carry her with the carrier, either pacing/dancing around the apartment or bouncing on the ball chair while singing Africa. This also keeps my hands free to eat (very carefully that I do not drop anything on her) and of course, type this blog post.

img_5475Can’t wait to run/exercise again. I’m itching to start exercising and running again but will wait until I hopefully receive clearance from the doctors in a week and a half. Did I tell you I brilliantly signed up for the Bronx 10-miler and NYC Marathon? Ha, we’ll see how I do getting back into shape especially in this heat. To inspire my return, I am purchasing a new pair of running shoes. Brooks is having a sale on the Launch 3 in select colors until Sunday! It’s too bad the USA edition is not discounted.

Our families. They deserve more than a mention in a post. We’ve been so fortunate to have our families visit for the birth and afterwards. They have been incredibly helpful and have spoiled us and their granddaughter with so much love, lots of diaper changes, early morning feedings, and extra sleep for Josh and I. We’re so grateful for them.

Hope you have a great weekend with a lot of running, Olympic watching especially the women’s marathon tomorrow, and if you’re in the NYC-area heat wave, that you’re staying cool.