Training for a half-marathon can be painful, time-consuming, tiring, cold (when you train in Wisconsin in the winter), and a bit stressful.

But, at least I look good while I’m doing it.

Okay, I’m not a conceited brat, but recently I was given several pieces of our new women’s Jockey Sport activewear collection to try out. I have been given samples of Jockey apparel before, but these shiny new pants and bright, colorful tops are different. These are REAL athletic gear, and our customers and other employees who have tried them have been raving about them since they’ve hit the stores. I couldn’t wait to put them through my own rigorous half-marathon training test.

I know, I know—I work for Jockey, so of course you’d think I have to love the activewear. But, I am going to be 100% honest with you. (As I always have been—remember that I even told you when a bird pooped on me during a run? How embarrassing.)

And, keep reading, because there’s a special deal for YOU to try out our new activewear, too. (And gosh, do I love a good deal!)

I’ll start out by telling you about my highly exciting Friday night. Usually, when I get home from work, I drop my bags, change, and head back out the door to workout. But not this past Friday. Instead, I plopped on the couch and fell asleep for an hour. When I woke up, I thought there was no chance I would go workout; but, an hour later, I found myself at the gym. I got home later and changed into the Jockey Sport relaxed pant and active tee and headed back out the door. I’d heard people talk about how they could wear this pant out and about running errands and not feel at all frumpy, but as I am not a wear-workout-gear-to-the-store kinda gal, I thought I would be the ultimate say in this test.

And, I’ll admit…my grocery shopping just got a whole lot comfier. The relaxed pant is a wide-leg pant so it’s roomy and comfy, but the fabric blend it’s made of makes it smooth and sleek, not faded and cottony-looking like the other lounge pants I own. I wore the pants with cute flats, and it literally looked like I just had nice dressy black pants on! I could not believe it—I’m a convert. Also, one of the best things about the relaxed pant is that it comes in short, regular, and tall lengths, so I ordered the short length. I am definitely glad there is an option on length, because these pants are the perfect size for me; the regular length would be too long (I am about 5’5” tall).

Also, I love, love, love the active tee. It has seams that come down the front that flatter, and also pockets! It’s super comfortable, a good length, wide enough that I don’t feel self-conscious, and I like the bright colors (I got blue).

Final point: I thought the relaxed pant and the active tee were the ultimate relaxing comfy clothes, but I don’t think I’d necessarily wear them to go work out in.

Shifting gears here, I’ll tell you about my long run of the week, which I did on Sunday. The temperature here in Wisconsin is finally above -20, so I decided it was a perfect day to try out the modern pant from the Jockey Sport collection while I ran 5.5 miles outside. The wind may have held me back a bit, but the pants felt awesome as I jogged my way along the lakefront. The best part about the pants is that they come in short, regular, and long lengths, and up to sizes 2XL; so once again, I ordered the short version. For once, I didn’t worry about my nice pants dragging along the pavement or getting wet. I also like that there’s a zipper pocket in the back, which I could put my house key in, and the seams along the side of the pant curve down the front of your leg, making them look slimmer. Of course, these things didn’t help me run any faster, but I still finished my run and felt good in the process.

Another little-known perk that isn’t advertised about these pants: They hold up to dog bites! Yes, indeed, a little yippy dog bit me during my run, but rest assured that my pants remained fully intact…as did my leg.

Yesterday was my toughest workout of the week. Tuesday workouts always are… They are my “sprint” days. I decided it was time to up my performance at the indoor track. Before a few weeks ago, I hadn’t done a speed workout in MONTHS, so I am always kind of nervous to see how these workouts go. Plus, it doesn’t help that the college boys’ track team always seems to be on the track at the same time, and I imagine them snickering at my slowness. This week, I decided to channel a speedy workout via the Jockey Sport performance crop pant. I hit the track running, feeling kinda like a pro in my new crops, and before I knew it, I was knocking out 400 meter sprint repeats faster than I could scarf down a cupcake. (Well, maybe not that fast.) I felt awesome when I finished—tired, but strong, which I can’t say is always the case.

Usually, I don’t like crop pants because I have bigger [very muscular] calf muscles, which makes crop pants ride up and bunch under my knees. I was very skeptical of these pants, but decided to try them because of this small detail: The knees of the crop pants have ruching on them, so that when I bent my knees, the leg of the pant stayed in place but the ruching allows only the extra fabric to move. Thus, I didn’t get any bunching! My one complaint was that I usually wear a size medium, but these were a bit snug when getting them on, until I got moving around in them. Because they are a “performance” style, they are very form-fitting, which helps while running but also made me a bit self-conscious when just walking around. Bonus: I can’t wait until it’s warmer out, because these will be fabulous for biking! (They even have a mini key pocket—perfect.)

Another part of my workouts, besides running, is getting in some strength training. This can involve simply doing crunches and ab work, push-ups, lifting weights, or doing Pilates. I found that the seamless tank top rode up on me while I was running, which most workout tanks do, so I wasn’t surprised. But, for the strength sessions, it lets my upper body feel free since it’s free of sleeves and form-fitting; it stays in place, the material is soft and moisture-wicking, and it is PINK so it makes me smile. It also had a built-in bra, so for lighter workouts like Pilates, yoga, or strength training where you aren’t bouncing up and down, it does the trick.

And now, for reading my entire post, you deserve a treat! For those of you who read this fabulous blog, you can get any women’s activewear for 25% OFF on Jockey.com! All you need to do is use the coupon code AMANDA when you check-out online, and the discount will be applied. (Go see the selection HERE.)

And hurry, because my boss said she has to cut the code off on Friday at midnight. I would use the discount to try a pair of the pants that I talked about, because they are (in my opinion) by far the best workout gear we have, and 25% off will save you $15 on them!

Fat Stats:
Starting weight: 166 pounds
Last week: 148 pounds
This week: 148 pounds
Goal weight: 145 pounds

Happy shopping,
Amanda
@jockey_amanda

Before you begin to worry too much about where on earth this post is heading, don’t worry—I promise it’s not too gross.

This morning, I was once again proud of myself for getting up at 5am to go for a run. I was trucking it back into my apartment parking lot near the end of my run, when I saw a flock of birds gathered in a corner. I felt a sudden rush because the finish line of my day’s run was just steps away, plus I was simply happy and feeling awesome because I enjoyed my workout, so I decided those birds needed scattering. So, like any sane 23-year-old woman, I took off on my final round of the parking lot and ran full-speed at the birds, watching them take off in flight while squawking angrily at me.

As I laughed to myself and walked to my stoop, I pulled my leg up to stretch my quad. I felt strong, I felt healthy, I felt so happy! Don’t you just love that great feeling after a good workout?

Then suddenly—as I turned my head to grab my other foot, I looked down at my shoulder in horror.

One of the birds had POOPED on me!!!!!

Well, it was a little gross (a little?!) but I didn’t let it totally ruin my runner’s high. I hurried inside to chuck my shirt off as fast as I could before I finished stretching. But what I will now refer to as The Bird Incident made me think about all the times when we think we are unstoppable, unbeatable, just on top of the world—and then something poops on our parade.

I really don’t think I’m pessimistic, just realistic: Sometimes when things are going 100% in the right direction, something is going to pop up (or fall from the sky) and try to make you swerve off track. It’s the expectation that these things may happen that allows us to deal with them.

But lately, it seems like not only The Bird Incident has been getting in my way. While my hip is feeling better and I can run again, I only run 2-3 miles at a time, and only a couple days a week. It’s frustrating, after having been able to run for 6 miles at a time earlier this summer. And on the eating front, I am getting tired of “dieting”. I’m not sick of “healthy” food—I don’t keep myself to a strict set of foods to eat, and I make some great meals. But, it’s just so hard to fit in going out to eat or having a couple after-work drinks when you’re on a limited caloric intake. As much as I’d like to have a glass of wine some nights, I know I shouldn’t cut out part of my dinner just so I can have that vino.

It’s just hard not being a “normal” eater like everyone else. Sometimes people just don’t understand why I can’t go get chicken wings with them, or why I don’t want to come out on a Friday night and tempt myself with all-you-can-drink beer.
And, as much as I have been trying to watch my calories these past few weeks, it just seems like the number on the scale keeps hovering. Still, I think I’m a pretty positive person, so I know that eventually I’ll get to my desired results.

But some days, it’s just hard to avoid the poop.

Quite simply, please tell me:
How do YOU deal?

Fat Stats:
Starting weight: 166 pounds
Last week: 152 pounds
This week: 151.5 pounds
Goal weight: 145 pounds

Watch the skies!
Amanda
@jockey_amanda

Looking back over the last two months, this blog has really kicked my butt into gear. Knowing that all of you will be checking up on me has kept me motivated. But there’s been so much more that I have learned beyond the blog, that has kept me moving forward…

Last weekend I partook in the National MS Society’s Mud Run in St. Louis (I cannot believe I am posting pictures, but there ya go). The run was SIX miles long, littered with 24 obstacles and a mess of mud, and trampled on by a whole lot of crazy, fun people. It took me 1 hour & 42 minutes to complete the run in the grueling sun and heat (it was 90 degrees when we started at 9am—yikes). By the end of the race, I was definitely glad to be done; all I wanted to do was sit down and not move another muscle. Heck, I was so exhausted that I couldn’t even finish my free bottle of beer!

That night, and for two days afterward, I was in pain. My hip had been bothering me from straining it too much lately, so I was limping around again. On top of that, it seemed like each muscle in my body was groaning with every movement I made. But I was happy and felt so lucky. That’s right—lucky. Lucky because I was able to run six miles in the mud, climb over rope towers and swim under logs in a pond, crawl into mud pits and back out of them with the helping hand of a complete stranger, and finally go down a giant mud slip-n-slide with my good friend to finish the race. But most of all, I thought about all the people out there who have multiple sclerosis, or other conditions that inhibit them from being able to even walk confidently out their front door, let alone run down the block. And here I got to travel to a new city to run six miles in the MUD. I’d say that’s pretty lucky. And blessed.

I think that once you realize that some people don’t have the option to be able to cook what they want, eat what is healthiest, get out and go for an early morning jog, whiz around on a brand new bicycle—that is when you realize that you don’t HAVE to do those things yourself. But you choose to, and you get to. And you’re lucky to have that option, because some people don’t.

I don’t know about you, but I’ll remember that next time I hit the snooze button in the morning and contemplate skipping my workout!

But what about those days where we DO want to go for a run or cook a healthy meal, but life just gets in the way? Last week, I talked about this conundrum in my own life, but this week I got to see it from the perspective of those that I look up to—people here at Jockey® who have families (and lots of pets) to juggle, long hours on the job, and more. Take a look at their challenges and how THEY overcome them—I have already decided to adopt a few of their good habits!

Challenge: Workout time, including the kids, and [unhealthy] food
“My challenge is finding time to exercise with two little kids and a full-time job. The only way I can consistently work out is to do it first thing in the morning before the kids are up. There are just too many distractions at night, plus I am too exhausted! My alarm goes off by 4:52 a.m. on weekday mornings, and I get out of bed and I work out. It is not optional! No snooze button. No thinking about it. Just get up and go. Also, we are lucky enough to have fitness classes offered on-site at my job, so I try to do these 2-3 days a week. On the weekends, I take a more fun approach to fitness that usually involves my kids. We have a “dance party” where we dance to our favorite tunes, or we get out the double stroller and walk around the neighborhood. I even have a fitness video where you can lift your toddler instead of dumbbells! I honestly don’t need much motivation to exercise since I have made it such a routine. It’s just a part of my life like brushing my teeth. I will say that I never want to be the 85-year-old woman who can’t carry her own groceries. I want to be the 85-year-old woman running 5Ks! I also particularly like that I can eat more because I work out. Healthy eating is a constant struggle for me, but working out really helps me maintain a healthy weight despite my love of cheeseburgers, fries, and hot fudge sundaes.” - Amanda, Modeling & Analytics

Challenge: Working out with long work hours & a family
“My challenges are eating healthy and finding time to exercise with work, my wife and kids in the balance. I bring my lunch in almost every day to force myself to each healthy. To fit in workouts, I would get up at 5:30am everyday and work out before work, or I ran at lunchtime at work. What keeps me motivated is signing up for races. When I know I have to compete soon I am much less likely to skip or cut short a workout.” - Mark, Business Planning & Analytics

Challenge: Being active but still giving attention to the family (and many pets)
“My challenge is that I have a wife, 2 kids, a dog, a cat, 2 fish and a pet frog all demanding attention when I get home from work. Not to mention a 24-hour business that also needs care and feeding. I really struggled with fitting in exercise after the kids came. Before kids it was no problem to disappear for a 40-mile bike ride on a weeknight, but after the kids I was lucky to fit in 10 miles. So instead I turned to running because you can get a great workout in 30-45 minutes without all the gear you need for cycling! The best motivators are the bright blue eyes looking up at me from my 5 year-old and the big smile on my 3 year-old.” - Tim, E-commerce & Interactive

And now for the moment of truth…

Fat Stats:
Starting weight: 166 pounds
Last week: 155 pounds
This week: 154.5 pounds
Goal weight: 145 pounds

Have a safe & fun 4th of July,
Amanda
@jockey_amanda