Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Guest Post - Fall Fitness Essentials

Whew! Sorry this post is a little late but we had a brownout and then the internet was out here in Kupang. Hey, at least the view's pretty!  



I'm super happy to bring you a guest post today from another great Workout Wednesday participant, fellow volleyball-er, and real life friend: Alexis from Flecks of Lex, who's sharing some of her favorite fall-weather running gear.

"Two weekends ago, I went nuts at the nearby outlet mall. I desperately needed some long sleeve shirts for outdoor running in the fall, and had a grand total of zero. After I finished going HAM on this mini shopping spree, I blacked out, as I often do when I actually go shopping. What did I buy again?  When I recovered, I did an inventory of cooler weather apparel in my closet. I’ve made the decision this year to stop making excuses about it being too cold to run outdoors, and am making an effort to get outdoors and be active. Did I have enough things? Did I have everything I needed?


That’s when I decided that it would be a great idea to share five fall fitness essentials, and what better way to do it than by guest posting for Amanda?! I know her readers love her lists, and I’m going to do my best to make sure that my list lives up to your high standards! (Amanda’s lists are pretty awesome!) 
1. Leggings - It’s really only been about a year or two that I have realized the true power of the legging. You can actually find warm leggings, and, if you find the right pair, they make your bum look uh-may-zing! I really love my Under Armour ColdGear Compression Leggings. They do a great job at keeping me warm (as I learned the hard way when I wore them into the sauna once), and the compression feels great on my legs. Another neat thing about them is that you can use them for layering when the temperature drops even lower in the winter. I like to wear them under waterproof pants when I have to shovel out my car after a snowstorm, or when I get cabin fever and just want to walk and play in the snow. In short, find yourself a good pair of leggings, and maybe pick up an extra pair of them. You’ll find yourself using them a ton over the next several months! 
2. Slim fit, warm jacket - In the fall, you're constantly making sure you’re layering, and sometimes making sure you're prepared in case it starts raining. I have a couple of jackets that I rotate, depending on the temperature; however, the one I have that gets the most use is definitely my Nike DriFit jacket. I love the color, and it is so warm and comfy. Bonus: It has a hood! I’m sort of indifferent when it comes to the finger holes, since I can’t quite figure out the use, and my hands get all sweaty whenever I hold anything whilst running. Some people swear by them. Nevertheless, there are so many styles by so many brands that you are sure to find one that suits your needs and fitness style! 
3. Reflective accents - Since the sunlight hours are shrinking, you definitely want to really make sure that you are visible when you go running in the morning and evenings this season. In my area, there are a lot of pedestrian collisions, and a heck of a lot more near collisions. Protect yourself the best you can, and make sure that people can see you! I have a Nathan’s running belt that has reflective accents all over, but I also have some reflective accents on my shoes and many of the bottoms and jackets I wear to run. I love bright colors, so I don’t mind looking like a highlighter when I’m running. It’s a heck of a lot better than not having anyone see you! Be safe, y’all! 
4. Long sleeved fitted tops - Short sleeved tops are great, but the fall practically requires long sleeve tops. I’m not talking about those cotton ones that you got in college that may/may not have holes in them, and cause chafing under your arms. I’m talking about some serious fitness tops meant for running. I have a mixture of regular moisture wicking tops, and some that are meant especially for cooler temperatures. Be mindful that certain styles in some brands are compression tops, and they might give you some lumps and bumps in places you’d rather not have if you’re not careful. When trying out a new style and/or brand, I recommend trying it on before you buy it. I had to learn the hard way that the Nike Hyperwarm series can also be called the “hey! Check out my bellybutton through my shirt” series. Whomp whomp. :-( I don’t like my clothes super tight, so I’ll be exchanging that one shirt.  
5. Quality sports bras - You should always, always, always make sure that you have ample, good quality sports bras. They’re one of the most -- if not the most -- important and essential parts of your workout wardrobe. I like to check on my sports bras each season to get rid of any that have gotten raggedy, and make sure that I have enough good ones that will last me through the season. If I need an extra sports bra (or two), I make sure to pick one up. At the moment, I’m working with a couple of great styles for high impact activities, and just picked up an extra one last week, thanks to a collaboration with Influenster and Victoria’s Secret Sport. (Be on the lookout for the review this week!) I did a write-up a few months back on how to find a good sports bra if you are a bit busty: http://www.flecksoflex.com/2014/04/best-sports-bras-for-large-chests.html Make sure you find the perfect fit and style for your body! Sometimes the trendiest or cutest styles aren’t the most practical for your activity.

Thanks for letting me crash here for the day, lovely Eat Hard Work Hard readers! Until next time! :-) 
What are some of your fall fitness essentials? Do you have a favorite style of long sleeved running top? Do you like leggings, or do you run in sweat pants?"
Thanks so much for being this week's guest star, Alexis! I don't need as many fall layers any more since the move to California, so it's great to share this with everyone who still has some cold weather running ahead of them! For more from Alexis, check out her blog and follow her on Instagram and Twitter.

Now on to the party!

Welcome to this week's Workout Wednesday (WOW) Link Up!

Brought to you by your hostesses

Diatta Harris | Femme Fitale Fit Club and Sheila Simmons | The Frugal Exerciser.

Workout Wednesday Link Up co-hostesses

Joining us are our co-hostesses:

Amanda | Eat Hard Work Hard and Heather | Divas Run For Bling
Workout Wednesday Co-Hostesses
Amanda | Blog | Twitter | Instagram
Heather | Blog | Twitter | Instagram

Be sure to stop by BOTH of our co-hostess' blogs as they are really cool and full of their fitness and running adventures so read some posts, leave some comments, share and subscribe so you receive regular updates. We are very happy to have them as co-hostesses.

How to Participate:

1. Follow, Like and/or Subscribe to your hostesses and co-hostesses:
2. Post our badge on your site so folks "hear" about our weekly link up 
3. Leave no more than 2 links to your blog, Facebook or YouTube post or video using the link up tool/button below 
4. Invite your like-minded friends! We love finding and reading new blogs so spread the word so we can increase the size of our parties every week til we make the walls sweat!!!! I told ya we party hard! :-) 
5. Use hashtag #wowlinkup when you comment on someone's post so they know how you found them 6. Last but definitely not least, HAVE FUN! This IS a party.

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21 comments:

  1. Ooh I need to get some reflective accents - I hate how short the daylight hours are now ):

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    1. Yea shorter days are a huge bummer! It's going to be weird to not be able to play beach volleyball after work when I get back!

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  2. interested to see that review on the VS bra. hope you are having a nice trip

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Deborah! Alexis just put up her VS review and you should definitely check it out. Super informative!

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  3. Great list! Definitely agree with great sports bra. And thank goodness more running gear has built in reflective accents but I always wear a reflective belt when it is dark outside.

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  4. I'm in AZ so the fall list really is our 'winter' list. To me, it is cold at 4AM when going for a brisk run so the above are definitely essentials! I used to run with regular loose fitting workout pants and found that the air breezed in the pant legs so I liked the form fitting ones much better for warmth.

    Good sports bras are a MUST no matter what time of year!!

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    Replies
    1. Oh man getting up at 4 AM to run is super hard core--especially when it's cold out! I'm impressed!!

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  5. I like to run in leggings (I save on Old Navy) and wear my long sleeve Flyte Top (a little splurge there). Amanda great views! Lex great to "meet you"

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  6. HEY LEX!!!! This article was right on time. I just bought some cute Fall running gear and all of these items were on the LIST!!!! I am so hyped and excited about running during this season. #wowlinkup

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    Replies
    1. Yay congrats on the shopping trip! Can't wait to see your new gear around the blog :)

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  7. The only thing I don't have on this list is a reflective belt...and that sounds pretty important so I just may get one of those!

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  8. Great post! I definitely need a nice jacket and some WARM tights for fall and winter running!

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    1. Thanks Janelle! Good tights are definitely key!

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  9. Finding a good sports bra is my struggle. These are some great tips!

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