We are in the process of decorating our patio, so we thought we would share some pieces we found on sale, and some that are affordable or fun to add in to your current home decor. We also rounded up some home decor items on Amazon and Target.
This gold bar cart is the perfect piece to add to any kitchen or living space. You can also decorate it for any holiday or theme and add your favorite coffee or cocktails on it.
Since we are all shopping for activewear, even if we are not working out 😉 We love a good Lululemon find, but sometimes we don’t want want to spend a lot. We rounded up some of our favorite Lululemon pieces and some look for less options for you all to browse. Some of these are a 1/3 of the price, and look almost identical.
If you don’t own a pair of align leggings, this pair is almost identical. We have size 2 in the Lululemon pair, and size xs in the dupe pair. This pair is also a great save option.
This jacket is such a good staple for any time of year. We have the dupe option and it is almost identical to the Lululemon version. We are size xs in the dupe, and size 4 in the Lulu.
These are such a good legging. These are a little different than aligns, but are great for workouts or athleisure. We have size 2 in the Lululemon pair, and size xs in the dupe pair.
These shorts are the BEST running shorts. We wear these for all kinds of workouts and have size 4 in the Lululemon version. We haven’t tried the save option, but they are a great find!
Happy Weekend! We hope you all have had a good week, and that things are slowly starting to open up around you. We are taking this weekend to organize more, clean the house, and see some of our friends. In case you missed our previous amazon favorites posts, you can find those here.
Today’s finds are a mix of casual finds, athleisure, and cute sandals. For the days, you feel like getting ready, some of these are fun to dress it up a little, and for the other days where you are lounging at home, we have you covered, too!
In case you missed our last episode of An Extra Dose, you can listen to that here!
A little about this episode:
On this episode of An Extra Dose Podcast, we are sharing how our quarantine beauty routine has changed, compared to our usual routine. We are also sharing our go to products we are using. Samantha and Alexis are also giving their opinions on which pieces are worth investing in, and which items you should find a look for less for. Their favorites include beauty quarantine finds.
Summer is almost here, so we wanted to share four cute sandals you can style four different ways. All of these cute sandals we found at Shoes.com. They are all so versatile, and whether you are wearing denim shorts, a flowy dress, or some jeans, you can find so many ways to wear them. They are also offering 25% off a lot of cute styles with code BESTSHOES30.
Edgy Casual
This look combines some of our favorite basics like these denim shorts and a fun graphic tee. We added these studded Sam Edelman gladiator sandals to it for a fun and edgy vibe. We actually had this pair in college, and wore them so much, they wore out, BUT, we were so excited to see these available again.
You can wear these sandals with dresses, jeans, or anything else in your closet. Since they are black, they go with everything.
For this next look, we paired some of our favorite white pieces with another favorite Sam Edelman shoe. These tan mules are such a good basic to have in your closet. They are great to wear to work, or to dress down with jeans or shorts. You can also wear them in the fall with jeans or leggings.
We also own these mules in the leopard print, and have gotten so much use out of them. We have these in a size 6.5, and actually have the leopard print in size 7. The size 7 are kind of large on us, so we recommend sizing down or getting your usual size.
This white eyelet dress is perfect for any bride-to-be, or for just a fun, summer look. We love this dress with these white Dolce Vita sandals because it creates a seamless, chic look. We have these in a size 6.5 for reference.
These sandals are surprisingly comfortable, and we know you’re probably thinking, “when will I ever wear white shoes?” Really, though, you can get way more use out of them than you think!
Think about branching out and wearing these sandals with things like some white jeans, or an all black look with a pop of white shoes, or even a fun, floral dress or printed piece with these sandals. SO many options!
Last, but not least, this pair of Dolce Vita slide sandals is so fun because it has the neutral strap, but also a print of snakeskin. What’s great about them is that since they are more neutral, you can pretty much wear them with anything. Even if you wanted to wear them with another neutral print, you totally could!
We went with a size 6.5 in these, and these sandals also come in two other fun colors: an iridescent color, and a leopard with a bright green.
If you are all new here, we had both set a goal to run our first half marathon this year. We are definitely not major runners, and don’t typically run for our workouts, but we had always wanted to accomplish a race, and we did it! We actually ran a 10K a little over two years ago, and really enjoyed it. We are not sure if we will run any other races, but this was a good start!
To start with, we had actually signed up for a race that was originally scheduled for April 25th 2020. We were so excited and had trained for four months, but sadly, due to Coronavirus, it was cancelled. We both decided that we would still try to run on our original race date, even though we weren’t going to have the “true” race experience.
We ended up running it, and despite having knee pain during half of it, we finished it and met our goal!
*click image to shop*
If you’re just a beginner, like we were, we wanted to share our experience, as well as what worked for us, and what did not. In case you didn’t have a chance to listen to our podcast all about our training schedule, you can listen here.
How long did you train for?
We trained for about 4 months. We were not running more than 2-3 times per week, so that is why we started early. We wanted to still be able to do get in other workouts we love like rebounding and pilates.
How did you start training?
We were already in pretty good shape before running. We had mentioned earlier that we had ran in a 10K race a few years ago. Since we were already jumping on our rebounder pretty much 5-6 days a week, we were used to doing some sort of cardio. Once we began training, we started out running 2-3 miles twice a week, and then built up weekly from there. The slower you start, the better.
You also really want to pay attention to your pace. You don’t need to be running super fast miles, especially if you’re not trying to beat some sort of time.
Did you follow a specific training plan?
One of our friends suggested using the Nike Run Club app, but we just kind of did our own thing. There are so many good apps to use. See below of our training plan.
What was your training schedule and mileage breakdown? Did you do any sprints?
We started out running 2-3 miles, 2-3 times a week for the first few weeks. After that, we would run about 3 miles twice a week, and then do our longer run on the weekends. The longer runs started out at about 3.5 miles and then we increased our mileage each week by 0.5 a mile. So as an example, it would look like:
Monday: run 3 miles, Wednesday: run 3 miles, Saturday: run 3.5 miles
Monday: run 3 miles, Wednesday: run 3 miles, Saturday: run 4.0 miles
Monday: run 3 miles, Wednesday: run 3 miles, Saturday: run 4.5 miles
See more of our favorite running shoes in this post.
**It is very important to go to a running store that specializes in recommending the proper running shoes for YOUR feet and body. Try to find a place that analyzes your foot. The reason we chose our shoes was that they were recommended to us at a running store, and we prefer more padding in our shoes, rather than a flatter shoe. It all depends on preference, and some shoes that work for some, may not work as well for others.
What is the best way to start if I have never been a runner?
Our biggest tip is to start slowly. Don’t worry about how fast you’re running, or how far you can run.
We also suggest using the run/walk method. For example, you can try to run for 2-3 minutes, and walk for 1 minute, or adjust as needed. Repeat that pattern until you reach 20-30 minutes, and increase the minutes of running each week.
Another big thing is to take time off. Don’t put too much pressure on your body, especially if you’re feeling tired.
Going from HIIT classes with a treadmill to the pavement has been hard. Any tips to help with feet/body?
We totally get it! Our knees take a beating running on the pavement We definitely suggest finding a place to run that has a track-like surface, or if you’re able to, run on track! We also suggest switching up the surfaces like grass, dirt, pavement, etc.
Does it matter where your foot strikes first: heel, mid, or toe?
We are not experts, but from what we have read, landing on the center of your foot helps to reduce the strain on lower leg muscles and also alleviate the impact.
We suggest seeing a physical therapist if you have any sharp knee pains. If you are suffering from runner’s knee, we suggest icing your knees with this freeze sleeve. Also, foam rolling your IT bands and legs helps a lot. You can also incorporate hip strengthening exercises with resistance bands to even out any imbalances you may have.
What is your go to sweat-proof sunscreen for running?
Some of our favorite sweat-proof sunscreens are this Thinksport and Coola. The Thinksport sunscreen is waterproof, so it is perfect for running and sweating and it is EWG certified (free of harmful chemicals).
Coola is another good option and is organic and broad-spectrum.
What was your favorite part of training?
Our favorite part of training was seeing how much our bodies could accomplish if we set our mind to it. Your body is truly capable of anything. Also, just growing to *actually* enjoy running and how it can clear your mind and open your eyes to nature and seeing other people outside.
*click image to shop*
How do you slowly build up at 5 miles? I die after 3.
We would suggest running slowly (at a slower pace). We always say, “slow and steady!” We also recommend running and walking together. We suggest running for 1-4 minutes, and then walking for 1-2 minutes and repeating. As you practice more, you can make the running interval longer, and the walking interval shorter.
Also, doing what we did, and slowly increasing your mileage each week helps a lot. Even if you’re only increasing by 0.1 or 0.2 miles each week.
Have you tried the Peleton outdoor runs? If so, did you like it?
We have not personally tried the outdoor runs, but we LOVE their yoga and strength workouts.
What are some strength exercises for non-runners we can do before starting to run to prevent injury?
We recommend doing the following exercises bodyweight, or with light weights or resistance bands:
clamshells
glute bridges
lying leg raises
squats
lunges
planks
stability ball leg curls
calf raises
single leg deadlifts
hip abductions
Have you always liked running or was it an acquired taste?
It was definitely an acquired taste. We don’t really “love” running. A lot of people love it because it clears their heads, but for us, every second of running felt like a lifetime, especially on the longer runs.
There were some days, like anything else, that we would dread going on runs, but other days, the run would be amazing, and we would feel so accomplished after finishing it. It is so nice to be outside in nature, especially when it is the perfect weather. It is also really fun to go with a partner, whether it is your spouse, friend, sibling, etc. Sometimes, it is really therapeutic to go alone, and have some quality alone time.
Do you think you will do another race?
That’s a tough question to answer. We really wanted to experience a “true” race, but we were in so much pain during our half from our knees, that it would be hard to put our bodies through that again. We were in great cardio shape, which is why it is so frustrating. We are thinking we would do a 10K or 5K.
How often do you run now?
We haven’t ran again since our half marathon (about 2.5 weeks ago). We are giving our bodies a break right now, but are still working out. We think we will run a couple miles here and there, but nothing super long.
Best advice for getting back into running?
Our advice would be to start back slowly. Similar to our tips we shared earlier, we would suggest doing a combination of running/walking and to create some sort of running schedule or plan to stay accountable.
We also recommend upping your lower body workouts to build strength, and to stay patient with yourself as you get back into the swing of things.
When does running become easier?
We think it is always hard, but you get adjusted and more used to it after a few weeks and months. Trust us, there are days where your runs just suck, or you’re not feeling it, even if you’re an experienced runner. We think you learn to actually enjoy it as time goes on, which makes it easier.
Also, strengthening your legs with different exercises (see previous question) will help you runs feel easier.
Other tips:
be patient with yourself: this takes time and practice, so give yourself time and allow yourself to get into a groove.
know that runs can be good and not so good, and that is okay.
track your progress: we love being able to track all our previous runs and seeing how our pace, cadence, and other factors improved, or didn’t.
watch your heart rate: you don’t want to burn yourself out, so monitor your heart rate on each run to be sure it doesn’t get too high.
