Lily Trotters Compression Socks Review

Hello!  My name is fRAN from the fb page, I Run Long!  I wanted to shout a BIG THANK YOU to a brand new company, Lily Trotters, for sending me TWO pairs of their stylish compression socks…a pair of the black/pink/lime polka dots for me and a pair of black/pink/lime polka dots for one lucky follower!

Susan Costa-Walston is the Founder and Designer of the Lily Trotters fashion compression socks! THANK YOU, SUSAN!  I love the cute name and logo, too!  Lily Trotters compression socks are built with revolutionary micro-nylon weave and are made here in the USA!  Susan is very committed and passionate about supporting the US economy and jobs for Americans. 

Lily Trotters are like no other compression socks.  They meet high performance, quality, style, and will protect your legs and feet from every day life to running long distances such as marathons and ultra-marathons!  As a busy mom, multi-tasking wife, mom, and ultra runner, I appreciate that!  Compression socks are great for quicker recovery and they help reduce soreness after runs, workouts, and help tired legs and feet feel better! If you’ve never tried them, now is the time!  Look great while taking care of your legs and feet.  What I love about Lily Trotter, besides the fact they’re so darn cute, sassy and thin enough for regular shoes, is that you don’t have to fight to get them on or off.  There’s nothing more exhausting than having to try and squeeze your feet into compression socks and then get home from a hard workout and have to fight to get your compression socks off!  Girls, we deal with that enough with sports bras, right?! 

• Proprietary easy-to-get-on 100% micro nylon weave
• 15-20 mmHg (millimeters of mercury) – just the right squeeze! 
• USA tested & approved high performance gradient compression
• Cushioned heels & reinforced toes
• Moisture wicking, antimicrobial – yay, no stinky feet!
• Built to last a few years, not a few months like traditional knee socks
  
  
  
  
   ****************************************************************************
  
  
  
  These socks are not available just yet, but will launch soon, so be on the lookout!  In fact, head to www.lilytrotters.com to sign up for the email newsletter of when the kickstarter goes live so that you can order some at a discount!  To all of my international page followers, these will ship internationally through kickstarter!  These very distinctive designs will be in assorted colors-YAY!  I can’t wait to see Lily Trotters on all of you.  It will be fun to spot them in race photos, at the gym, but not just in the fitness world, but in the work place and casual settings as well. They are so distinctive and I KNOW us Lily Trotters fans will get asked where we got your socks!  They will be shocked to know that they are also compression.  Look stylish on the run, in the gym, at the office, while traveling, at your kid’s ball games or even at home!  They are perfect for anywhere, anytime!  To my male followers, these will make great gifts! ;-)

Lily Trotters have felt great on my runs, at work and even while coaching track practice.  They stay in place.  I’ve had a pair where the socks did not stay at my knees and I kept pulling them up before and after my race.  I did not have that problem with these.  The socks go on very nice and are NOT so tight that you get a workout trying to put them on and off, LOL!  I have also worn these to work under my skinny jeans and did not have a problem with the socks squeezing my legs so tight that I needed to pull them off as soon as I got home from work.  They feel great, I promise you!  In fact, I’m wearing them writing this review.  The toe area is roomy and I just love the Lily Trotters logo design on the bottom of each sock—TOO CUTE!  I love that Susan designed the cute ruffle edging along the top of the socks (see picture).  All their socks will have the ruffled edge, very clever and sassy for us girls!  Thanks, Susan!  Looking forward to being a Lily Trotter wearer forever!

Lily Trotters Mission…

  “To bring the energizing benefits of compression to women everywhere—with unmatchable style and unforgettable sass.”  They also mention that Lily Trotters compression are tough enough for your marathon, but sassy and thin enough for everyday."

 **********************************************************************************

GIVEAWAY!

 WANT TO WIN A PAIR?   HERE’S HOW… 

1.“Like” Lily Trotters on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/lilytrotters?fref=ts&ref=br_tf and mention I Run Long sent you.

2. Go to www.lilytrotters.com to sign up for the email newsletter of when the kickstarter goes live and get a chance to receive discounts on Lily Trotters!

3. Type “Pick Me” in the comments below and I will draw a name from a bag.

3.Check back on April 21^st to see if you’ve won.  Winner will be announced in the comments and on my I Run Long facebook page.  You will have until April 23rd by midnight to claim your prize.

 

HAPPY RUNNING IN LILY TROTTERS!!

fRAN 
www.facebook.com/irunlong

Bentonville Half Marathon Review

I am super excited because I have found a new race that I will be running every year and one that I hope you will sign up to run in 2016!  It’s called the Bentonville Half Marathon which also includes a 5K and 1 mile fun run located in Bentonville, Arkansas and starts in the beautiful Plaza!  I ran the half.  Stay tuned for some details of why I will be returning...

I got to meet the race director, Layne Moore, who was very nice.  She had entered a building where a bunch of us runners had been standing in line to use one restroom, LOL! You can imagine the line! Layne was very helpful in letting us know of the porta potty’s that were located near the start line.  Off we went because we had about 20 minutes until the start of the race!

The race this year included about 2,600 runners.  The race started at 7 a.m. just after the Mayor spoke to the runners, followed by other announcements and the National Anthem. It was beautiful to hear all the runners singing along.

 Just before taking off, it had started to rain lightly, but that didn’t ruin the spirits of the runners.  I was running this race as a training run and as motivation for a comeback on my training.  Over the winter, I had not done a whole lot!  Anyways, we took off with excitement!  The crowd support was amazing!  Every block of that race was filled with cheering fans, little kids giving hi-five’s, etc.  I appreciated all the hydration stations at about every two miles along with a couple of porta potty’s at each station.  We ran through beautiful neighborhoods.  There were signs that people had posted for their friends and loved ones.  There were bike patrollers, encouragement signs for the runners and even live bands along certain areas of the course.   It was awesome!   

Mile 8ish was awesome.   It was downhill on S. Walton Blvd. and then we turned right into the Bentonville Bark Park.  

 It’s a beautiful bike trail where there was music sounding throughout…very entertaining!  I enjoyed the river and the clean bike park, trees and all!  I think it was my favorite scenery! I went back after the race to take a few pictures of part of the trail on the outside. 

I enjoyed the chatter among friends and runners who were introducing themselves to each other.  There were some awesome runners who ran up to friends to chat with them for a minute, which put a smile on my face.  Support from strangers, friends, and family really means a lot to us runners when we’re out feeling exhausted, etc.  I really appreciated all the Police Officers patrolling traffic.  I always yelled out, “Thank you!” to them and so did several others around me.  Some races you have to watch out for yourself even when you have been told ahead.  If I’m running  trying to shoot for a PR, having to make frequent stops for traffic can be a huge disappointment!  Been there done that.

SO, let’s talk about the last mile of the race.  Yeah, it’s all uphill, baby!  You read that right…uphill, LOL!  It really made it fun though and challenging and I do love challenges.   Once we got near the top, we were handed Hawaiian Leis.  That was a nice touch and it just so happen I was handed green, one of my favorite colors. You could also hear the crowd and I was on target for a sub-2:00 half marathon.  As I got closer to the finish I could see the time clock showing just under 2 hrs. and I sprinted to the finish and got a sub-2:00. It wasn’t my best time, but considering the lack of training I did over winter, I was very happy with how I finished.  The finish line was one of the best finishes!  Thank you all for your cheers and encouragement.  You helped to make my experience wonderful.  I was super grateful for the volunteer crew for cutting off our timing chips because I was too tired to do it myself, LOL!  The finisher medals were huge and very, very nice along with the race shirts and post race fuel which included Chicken Biscuits from one of my favorite restaurants, Chick-fil-a, pizza, fresh fruit, snacks, drinks, etc.  Thank you!!

 I also enjoyed coming out of the finishing area and going over to see my finishing results which they were posting on a wall as the runners came in.  On it showed how you placed, etc.and if you won an age group award.

I suggest following this page and putting this event on your 2016 race calendar.  Arkansas is beautiful and there are some awesome shops in Rogers, Arkansas not too far from the event.  You can also purchase race photos through Smug Mug, a service used by the event.  I was happy to purchase my photo and appreciate the race photographers for capturing moments during my race!

THANK YOU, Bentonville Half for a MEMORABLE event!  I will be back!

  If you’d like to consider putting this event on your 2016 calendar, please visit the website at www.runbentonville.com or their facebook page at

https://www.facebook.com/BentonvilleHalfMarathon?fref=ts&ref=br_tf

Pavepara Wings Arm-Warmers

A big thank you to Chance Poe, Pavepara Lead Designer at Pavepara, for letting me test the Wings Arm-Warmers.  Chance Poe has a love for wilderness, fitness, and fashion and a bigger story of integrity.  I first heard about Pavepara when they were featured on Runner's World facebook page a few weeks ago.  So glad I saw it!

The Wings Arm-warmers are made of 100% super-fine jersey merino....LOVE LOVE LOVE the quality  fabric and the thumb holes!!  They come in five colors, and are USA made.    I chose Deep Lake and the color looked even prettier in person.  It was hard to capture the actual color with my cell phone. 

I've had the chance to wear these 'Wings' Arm-warmers  for some light runs, with my tanks on a few warm days we've had in the last couple of weeks, and recently in my half marathon.   The Pavepara Wings are the best looking and best fitting arm-warmers I have ever worn!  My favorite feature about them are the thumb holes which adds extra style to them.  Wings feel  soft and smooth against my skin.  I love the length, and  they don't slide down my arms!  Why?  Because they were designed with a no-pinch cuff that will not pinch.  (See collage of the Wings turned inside out to view the inside of cuffs.). They can be worn over a fitted top, under a loose top or with a tank.  I wore them under a hooded sweatshirt  that had sleeves that were not as long as I liked them, so I wore my arm-warmers underneath and felt nice and warm and without having to keep pulling my sleeves down over my hands.  You can probably come up with other ways to wear yours.  If you do, send us a picture!

Other items from their line at pavepara.com include a shorter version of the Wings Arm-Warmers (fits just over the elbows),Talons Leg Warmers, Rings of Distinction (stackable sterling silver rings), Soar Poncho, Plume Scarf, and The Bill.  I just love the bird related names for these items!  

CARE INSTRUCTIONS: wash in cool water, eco-friendly soap, and air-dry.   Someone in my family accidentally dried my load of clothes that had my arm-warmers in them, but they still looked great.  The cuffs still had great shape and did not bunch up.  They looked just as good on as they did when I first wore them. 

Pavepara products are made in the USA.  2% of profits go to Bird Conservation. Pavepara is for the Birds!  

Thank you for taking the time to read my review and thank you, Pavepara!

Follow Pavepara 

Website-  http://pavepara.com/

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/paveparaclothing/info?tab=page_info

 Twitter-  http://pavepara.com/products/wings via @Pavepara

Thanks!

fRAN

www.facebook.com/irunlong

RejuvahHealth Compression Socks Review by Brightlife Go

Special thanks to Brightlife Go for the opportunity to test and review their RejuvahHealth Compression Socks for healthy legs and feet!  They arrived quickly, well packed and in a very nice product box displaying the actual socks through a window of product box with a size chart and product info on the back of box. Whether you're running, working out, sitting or standing long, traveling, at the office, lounging, etc., they are sure to give you style and comfort. 

 

These awesome socks are healthy, helping to prevent pain, swelling, and fatigue.  They come in sizes S-XL. The style is Chevron/Everyday Opaque and come in slate or ivory They are perfect for women or men.  

They have a 15-20 mmHg, which means minor ankle and leg swelling, and tired aching legs.  These socks have a graduated compression meaning they are strongest at the ankle and gradually less above and you feel it when you slide them on.  They have cushioning which feels awesome!  The color I'm wearing in the picture is Slate.  They look great with shorts, casual or running skirts, dresses, slacks, etc.  I love that the compression socks have a wide toe box, allowing wiggle room for your toes.  I do own a couple pair of other socks that squeeze my toes together.  Your toes should not feel cramped!  I also love the fact that the socks are knee high.  I have a couple of others that aren't quite tall and I would find myself pulling just to try and stretch them to my knees, which was causing less room at the toe area and by end the of my race they've crawled down.

So, a great socks with lots of great qualities about them AND affordable...$29.99,  and I can wear them with a variety of clothing styles--Wootwoot!

  Brightlife Go also carry ankle, calf, knee high, leggings, panty hose and thigh high socks/hosiery and some of the other brands they carry include CEP, Zensah, 2XU, to name a few.

You can find these socks and many others at www.brightlifego.com and you can also follow Brightlife Go at…

Facebook -  https://www.facebook.com/brightlifego

Twitter –  @brightlifego https://twitter.com/brightlifego

Instagram – @brightlifego https://instagram.com/brightlifego/

 My name is fRAN....Be sure to follow my facebook page at www.facebook.com/irunlong

Become a Swirlgear Brand Ambassador!

A big thank you to Swirlgear for making me one of their Swirlgear Brand Ambassadors! Swirlgear is stylish women's running gear!  I've enjoyed this past week getting to know some of the other Swirlgear Brand Ambassadors from all over. It is truly a great team to be a part and I look forward to share about this amazing small company based out of Chicago.  

Swirlgear will be accepting applications for their Brand Ambassador program through February 7th only, so get your applications turned in ASAP!  Their ambassador team is full of the most amazing group of women runners- whether this is the beginning of your running journey or if you're a seasoned marathoner, this inspiring group is for you. On behalf of swirlgear, I'd like to offer you free shipping on your order. Simply put in the code "swirlon" at checkout! Please feel free to send your story in to Swirlgear at swirlgear.com

Follow swirlgear on facebook too!

#swirlgear
#swirlon
#iloveswirlgear
#swirlgearambassador, fRAN JOHNSON

UPCOMING RACES IN 2014

1. February 15th- Run With The Wind 25K (My 2nd)

2. March 2nd- Little Rock Marathon (Marathon #3)

3. March 29th-Superheroes vs Villains

4. April 27th-Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon (Marathon #4 )

5. May 10th- Joplin Memorial Run (half marathon)

6. June-Starry Night (5K)

7. July- Joplin Starry Night 5K & 10K (5K)

8. Aug. Blue Moon 5K & 10K (5K)

9. Aug.- Lamar Free Fair 5K

10. Sept.- Mercy Day Run- (half marathon)

11. Oct.-Kansas City Waddell and Reed Marathon (Marathon)

12. Oct.-Dogwood Canyon 25K Trail Run (1st trail race at that distance)

13. Nov.-Bass Pro Marathon (Half Marathon)

14. Nov.-Route 66 Race Across Kansas (Half Marathon)

15. Nov.-Ultramax Half Marathon Trail Run

16. Dec.-Run For The Ranch Marathon (Marathon)

Tips On Choosing Your Top Races For The New Year!

Happy New Year and greetings from I Run Long!  Thank you Women Races for feature me in your #Pacesetters feature!  Be sure to follow at womenraces.com and on their facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/womenraces.  I am honored!  My name is fRAN and I am a competitive endurance Masters runner.  Masters runners are those who are in the 40 and up age group.

Let’s talk races/racing!  2013 was a GREAT year for me.  I ran a lot of races…20 of them ranging from 5K’s to marathons!  Because of running 5 half marathons in 63 days in 2013, I became a member of the Half Fanatics group-YAY #6109! 

This girl grew up as a high school sprinter in track and ran cross-country back in the day.  I never thought that I would one day become a marathoner!  I’m really proud of all the new distances I tried this past year.  I was nervous about trying something new, but I did it and you can too!  I ran new distances such as the Pumpkin Run 5-miler, Blue Moon 10K, Big Red Shoe 15K Run With The Wind 25K, AdventureMax Half Marathon Trail race and the OKC Marathon!  Just before the New Year and as I thought about how to choose races for 2014, thought I’d take a look at what I ran in 2013.  I was curious to know how many races I’d ran.  I ran 20 races and how I will determine what races goes on the 2014 list will be to choose my favorite!   

TIP: 

If you’re not sure what to run in 2014, make a list of all the races you did and put a star next to your favorites.  Choose the amount of races you allow yourself.  That should make it easier for you.  You might leave room for a new distance race to try.  If you’ve done all 5K’s, kick it up a notch to the next distance such as a 10K or maybe even a half.  Most training schedules have 10 miles as your longest training run.  If you can run 10 then 3.1 more shouldn’t be that hard for you.  I’ve been there.  You can do it!  If you’ve done several halfs, try mixing in a trail race.  I loved it!  It is really fun mixing things up.  Have faith in yourself and know you can conquer any challenges and obstacles. 

#1 on the list is the first marathon I ever ran and that was the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon.  It was supposed to be Little Rock Marathon, but I ended up getting sick and couldn’t run it, so OKC Marathon was a back-up plan, which turned out to be perfect!  It was just over 3 hrs. from my hometown.  I’ve registered for that one as my 1^st year anniversary 26.2 and can’t wait to run it again.  This time without stopping to take photos, LOL!  I loved the whole experience and would suggest that as a first marathon. Little Rock Marathon is on my list and set to run it March 2^nd.

The AdventureMax Trail Half Marathon in Highlandville, MO was a new experience for me, so I will for sure do that race again. It was quite different than everything else I have been running because trails are run on different surfaces.  On part of the race we ran in a single file line, but can pass when you reach a good spot to pass.  I’m a roadrunner and running on rocks, dirt, uneven surface, was quite challenging and you have to watch where you’re stepping.  I about fell five times and was pretty sore when I got home, but it was worth it.  I love challenges!  It was held an hour or so from where I live.  It was a great experience, beautiful scenery along the course, great medals, etc. 

Our local Ronald McDonald House Big Red Shoe 15K in Joplin, MO was challenging because of the hills along the course, but being a part of the first year event and tackling those hills was fun for me.  The final stretch of hills was on Jackson St. and that road is known as “Miss Jackson.”   I accomplished something pretty tough, but most of all, it was for a great cause.

Lastly, any of the local and surrounding area races will be on my list for sure such as the Joplin Memorial Run, Run For The Wind, Bass Pro Conservation weekend races, Run for the Ranch, Joplin Chilly 5K, Joplin Turkey Trot, to name a few, are on the list for 2014.  Three full marathons are on the list and I am already registered for two of them  already.

Logo Shirt & Headband Giveaway from I Run Long on Facebook

Hello, friends!  Enter for a chance to win an I Run Long logo shirt (orange with maroon logo/font).  It's my way of thanking you for being a page follower at I Run Long!

To enter, please put your name in the comment section below and I will draw a name from a jar tomorrow morning.  This giveaway is for today only!

Thank you so much! fRAN

Manduka Giveaway!!

Welcome to my I Run Long blog!  For those who don’t know me, my name is fRAN and I am a Marathoner!  I believe in comfortable, quality gear, that is why I am excited to give away a Manduka PROlite Mat 71” and eQUA Hand Towel to one lucky reader!  I was inspired to check out Manduka after my 'Yoga For Runner’s' Instructor told me about her Manduka mat.  I love the thickness of them and it is very comfortable.  It's perfect for all of your floor exercises when doing yoga, stretching those sore muscles followed by a race,planks, sit-ups, etc.  I love the variety of colors as well.  If you go to the Manduka site, you can save 10% on your next order just by entering your email address.  Look for that info at the top of the page at www.manduka.com

Read The Manduka Story below and under that will be instructions on how to enter.

The Manduka Story

“Sometimes it’s the bumps in the road that end up defining our journey. This is the story of Manduka, a company founded on the simple idea that a better yoga mat could make a world of difference.
In the late 90's, Peter Sterios, an architect turned yogi, discovered a simple, elegantly designed black mat whose combination of firm grip and complete support revolutionized his yoga practice. In honor of the yoga masters who inspired him, he sought to share this amazing product with others.
Peter had always been the beneficiary of great generosity from other yoga teachers. To repay that debt, he sent mats as gifts to many of the teachers he admired including Erich Schiffmann, Rod Stryker, Angela Farmer, Victor Van Kooten, Rodney Yee, and Shiva Rea. The teachers who inspired Peter were his first customers. And in the great yoga tradition, they shared their mats with their students, and a true yoga company was born. Peter chose the name Manduka in homage to his teacher and mentor, Shandor Remete, whose core practice and teaching always included the ancient Hatha Yoga Pradipika pose, Mandukasana or frog. The first time Peter heard and repeated the name of the pose he experienced a sense of childlike joy and delight as the sound rolled off his tongue. The word and the pose were mirror images, simultaneously playful and profound. The joy of Manduka is now spoken in so many countries, all over the world.
The quality and performance of Manduka mats and yoga accessories are still unmatched in the marketplace. They are still crafted using simple, enduring, natural, and whenever possible, renewable materials and a fine attention to detail. Manduka is a company built by and for yoga teachers and their students. We are still evolving, still introducing new products, and still celebrating the spirit and wisdom of yoga teachers and their students. From the road less traveled, something great and meaningful has arrived.
Manduka: for your practice and for our world. Namaste.”

PROlite Mat 71”

 

To enter; CONTEST STARTS IMMEDIATELY AND ENDS SEPTEMBER 30, 2013)

1.     Type in “Me” for a chance to win the Manduka PROlite mat 71” in the comment section below

 

2.     Visit www.manduka.com

 

3.     “Like” Manduka facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MandukaYoga?directed_target_id=0

 

4.     Invite friends/family to visit my facebook I Run Long page at https://www.facebook.com/irunlongalways?ref=hl

 

Winner must live in the U.S. and must reply with shipping address within two weeks after I announce the winner.  The items will come from me, not the company, so item may not be returned or exchanged for any other items.

Thank you and good luck!

Words To Sweat By Review & Offer

WORDS TO SWEAT BY REVIEW & OFFER

Thanks to Words To Sweat By for giving me the opportunity to let me review one of many of their fun motivational bracelets!  I LOVE IT! I got to choose what I wanted mine to say so I chose "Run Long" and I got to choose the color jersey knit I wanted, so I chose purple.  They also threw in a black jersey knit as well, so I was extra excited to have a couple of choices!

The bracelet is composed of 3/8" by 1 5/8" textured aluminum charm that is hand stamped with your choice of word strung on a bracelet made of lightweight gray jersey knit. Also included is an additional lightweight jersey knit strand that can be used to make a bracelet/cuff to layer with the charm.

The bracelet is really cute and I really love it and the option of switching out the jersey knit :)  I love the "Run Long" message as it inspires me to "Run Long", of course and it's also is a great conversation piece of jewelry.  I love running in it too! 

You can find this and many other inspirational items at;

 Words to Sweat by shop: http://www.wordstosweatby.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/wordstosweatby.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/wordstosweatby
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/wordstosweatby 

Email: www.wordstosweatby.com

OFFER

Words To Sweat By is offering 10% off your entire order with code "irunlong" until 9/15/13.  Offer starts today!  Head on over and have fun shopping and be sure to check them out on facebook!

Thank you, fRAN

www.facebook.com/irunlongalways

This bracelet is composed of a 3/8" by 1 5/8 " textured aluminum charm that is hand stamped with the word "TRANSFORM" strung on a bracelet made of lightweight gray jersey knit. Also included is an additional jersey knit strand that can be used to make a bracelet/cuff to layer with the charm. - See more at: http://www.wordstosweatby.com/details#cid=199114

Fit4ACure GIVEAWAY!!!

Fit4ACure is giving away a Hipssister Fanny Pack!  Hope you saw my review on this hipssister fanny pack the other week :)  If not, go to my home page of my blog and scroll down and you will find it.  Their moisture wicking fanny packs are proudly MADE IN THE USA and patent-pending. Winner will get to choose a color of choice.  Email questions to them at fit4acure@ymail.com

Sizes include:
 Sizing is as follows:
Size A ( is a size 0-8)
Size B (is a size 10 - 16)
Size C (is a size 18 - 24)

HOW TO ENTER:
1. Like the Fit4ACure facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/sbcfit4acure
2. Type "Enter Me" in the comments of this post with YOUR NAME.
Please only enter if you have not won a prize in the last 30 days.  If you don't claim your prize within 48 hrs., another name will be chosen.  I will draw a name of a winner and post here and on my facebook page.  You will have the 48 hrs to private message me your mailing address on my facebook page at www.facebook.com/irunlongalways.

Giveaway starts immediately and ends September 6th, 2013.  Winner announced on September 7th, 2013.  GOOD LUCK!!!

Photo via Fit4ACure

 THANK YOU!!