Things Went Downhill

Happy Holiday Weekend, Blog Friends!

Hope your weekend’s off to a great start!  Mine sure is!  It started off last night with the usual Friday night antics . . . happy hour and dinner, then in bed by 9:30 PM.  Standard craziness.

After work, I ran a few errands, then met up with Danielle and Bryce at Bar Louie.  We are so predictable! 

I am getting a tiny bit tired of Bar Louie, but they do have great happy hour specials, so it’s hard to beat!  I tried their version of a Skinnygirl cocktail called a Revive.

VeeV Açaí Spirit, fresh lime juice, sugar-free sweetener, cucumber and fresh mint.

I will definitely be re-creating this at home!  It was so fresh and light, but not overly sweet.  Plus, it really packed a punch!  I could feel it after only a few sips—now that’s my kind of cocktail!  Then again, at $10 a pop, it had better be!  Unfortunately, their “skinny” cocktail menu isn’t a part of the happy hour.  Why, Bar Louie???  Why???

Anyway, it was nice to let the stress of the week melt away with good company and good drinks.  Danielle and I also had a little photo shoot.

Then, we got to talking about how suddenly we look older and more tired all the time, which led us to attempt wrinkle removal on the spot.

Who needs Botox when you can just press your wrinkles away???  We really are normal.  I promise.

If you needed further evidence of the Revive’s potency, look no further! 

It’s a good thing I kept it to one cocktail last night, though, because I had the last of my training runs this morning before my race next weekend! 

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I typically map out my route beforehand and then drop off a Gatorade at a point that I will pass at least twice along the way so I can rehydrate.  I always run into Walmart to grab the Gatorade right before my run, and the same sweetest old man greeter is there every Saturday morning to offer me some sort of compliment.  It’s nice to have someone tell you that you’re lovely and call you “young lady” when you’ve just rolled out of bed and aren’t feeling particularly gorgeous.  Today, he rewarded me with a sticker!

It’s the little things.

This morning, I planned out a 10 mile course, donning my new running duds to test them out and see how they did on a longer run. 

I was most anxious to see how the compression shorts would do on this run.  Originally, I wanted these shorts because they’re lightweight, close-fitting, and keep you dry in the heat.  For me, running in the heat requires as little clothing as possible so that my body can cool and sweat properly.  It’s amazing how much easier my runs are when I run in just a sports bra, so I thought I might be onto something with these tiny little shorts on the bottom. 

In theory, compression clothing is supposed to keep your muscles warm and prevent fatigue, but I honestly don’t think shorts this little are going to do all that much!  My first thought about them when I started running this morning was, “Holy crap, these are going to give me the worst wedgie!”  But after a few steps and a little tugging, they settled into place.

My run went relatively smoothly for the first 6.5 miles.  It was hella-humid, but nothing I hadn’t dealt with before and I felt pretty great despite the excessive moisture.  And then, well . . .

Things went downhill.  I’m not blaming the compression shorts, but I’m not ruling them out, either.  But my stomach?  Was.not.having.it.  I have never had to stop in the middle of a run to go to the bathroom, but you best believe I was crouching behind a tree today.  TMI?  Sorry.  But like Paula says, don’t neglect the bowels, people!

The last few miles felt better, but my stomach was (and possibly still is) having some kind of event.  Not fun.

So, my unofficial review of the compression shorts is that I liked them for their comfort and moisture wicking properties.  They were really lightweight and didn’t pull or ride up at all while I was running.  I’m going to wear them again on my next couple of runs and see how they do.  If the stomach issues persist, they will be retired to my drawer.  But I’m not giving up on them yet! 

Today, I’m hoping the weather cooperates so I can get in some quality pool time with my collection of magazines that I never seem to have time to read! 

Two questions for today:

Have you ever worn (or would you ever wear) compression shorts?  What did you think?

What are you up to this weekend?