Happy Halloween ghouls! Get ready for a pun filled post! I love boooo-ty products, so I decided to put together a list of treats! I'm going to creep it real and and give you my honest thoughts on these products. Spoiler alert - I'm batty about them all.
1. Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Nahz Fur Atoo. I'd never tried anything from Kat Von D's makeup line but I'd always heard good things. Recently, I've heard people raving about her liquid lipstick. I saw a picture of someone with a similar skin tone as me and it looked great on her. So, I crossed my fingers that it would work for me. I absolutely love it! Beyond the color, I love the product. It goes on feeling like a lip gloss, then it dries (doesn't dry out your lips) and doesn't move. I tested it out on a 6 mile run (yes, I test products on runs, witches, haha). It looks exactly the same as it did as when I put it on.
2. Living Proof PhD Dry Shampoo - I try to only wash my hair about 1-2 times per week (yes, I shower a lot more frequently than that! I just don't wash my hair when I shower). Your natural oils are so important to keeping your hair healthy. I've tried just about every dry shampoo. There are a few I like so I wasn't expecting much from this product but O.M.G was I wrong. This stuff is incredible. You spray it onto your hair, wait 30 seconds and rub it in/comb it. This stuff made my hair look like I just finished blow drying it. There was no white residue, not gross feeling and the smell is to die for! This is now my absolute #1 favorite dry shampoo.
3. Benefit Cosmetics Boi-ing Industrial Strength Concealer - I'd been using Erase Paste from Benefit for years. It's my go to concealer but it's unfortunately finally run out. I loved the build-able coverage and the color match. I decided to give Boi-ing a shot before trying a different brand. I'm so glad I did! It has everything I loved about Erase Paste but with a matte finish. 4. Essie Gel Coutour Color, Turn 'n' Pose Nail Polish - I love Essie. Their nail polish never disappoints and their gel line is no different. While $12 is expensive for a bottle of polish, it's cheaper than going to a salon. I love the deep purple color of this. It's perfect as we transition into fall and winter. 5. Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Concentrate Matrix - While the price on this may seem wicked, you use a very small amount. I love the applicator because it helps to eliminate wasted product. Since using this, I swear my under eyes have improved. Less lines. I've been trying to find a great under eye cream for years. This has been by far my favorite. 6. Estee Lauder product: Crescent White Full Cycle Brightening Cleanser - I've got very sensitive skin but I also still get pimples. It's been hard to find a product that doesn't dry out my face but still keeps it clear. Don't let the price scare you. A tiny bit goes a long way. I'm talking pea sized small (picture below shows the size drop I use)! Since I've been using it, my skin has cleared up and my skin tone has improved, a lot! I feel like my skin has a glow to it now.
Well, that's a wrap! One final parting gift for the day, I would make a skeleton joke, but you wouldn't find it very humerus.
Happy Halloween! xoxo, Chelsea
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While the desire to improve is always there, sometimes the motivation to actually get out and do it isn't. I'm coming off of a week where I had no motivation to run or blog. My feeling is, if you want something, you should make time for it. I want to improve my running. I want to continue to blog. My lack of motivation kept me from accomplishing both last week. Normally, I'm pretty driven. But with everything, there are always ups and down. So far this week, I'm back on track which got me to thinking about motivation. One thing I will admit I'm actually good at is staying motivated. My personality is to go at things 150. My good friend K.S. said it best "You overdo everything you do". BUT there are times, like last week, where it diminishes a bit. It's important to re-set and re-motivate yourself. Don't get down on yourself because you had no motivation. It's normal. It happens to everyone. Let that go, and move forward.
Motivation isn't forever. You need to replenish your motivation every now and again. I'ts like a pillow that needs to be fluffed. It's like lipstick, you need to reapply it from time to time. Here are my tips and tricks to stay motivated: 1. Preparation. Before the week began, I sat down a listed all of the days I planned to run along with planned mileage. Now I've got something in writing that I want to complete. This will keep me accountable on days that I'm feeling meh, to get out an accomplish the daily goal I set for myself. I use a planner for this and it is EXTREMELY helpful. I do not think I'd hit my goals without my planner (Side note: I went jumbo sized again this year, up from large last year, and I'm in love. SO MUCH ROOM FOR ACTIVITIES, er, I mean WRITING). 2. Attitude change. I was treating things that I love like a chore. I choose to do these things because I love it. No one is forcing me to do it. Once I reminded myself the "why" behind running (and blogging), I was able to change my attitude away from treating running like a chore and back into the mind set that I'm lucky to be able to do it. I remembered how frustrated I was when I was injured and couldn't run. During those times, I said I'd never take it for granted and yet, I was. 3. Set goals. Having a purpose for what you're doing makes it a lot easier to stay motivated. For me this year, first I was training for Broad Street, shortly after that a half marathon and now I'm aiming 1,000 miles for the year. Knowing there is a bigger reason than just that one run is really helpful. 4. Bribe yourself. A new lipstick just came out that you reallly want? A top, sneakers, bag? Do not allow yourself to make that purchase until you hit your goal! This will give you some extra incentive to hit your goals on days your motivation is low. PLUS, you get something you've coveted. Sometimes, that "thing" you've been wanting, doesn't end up being as important as it was when you set your bribe. 5. Remember how you felt when you didn't accomplish your goal. Sometimes, it's important to reflect on a time you've failed. Don't beat yourself up about it. But remember that feeling. Remember all the 'what ifs' that you had. You know you could have accomplished your goal, but you didn't get out and get it done, Let that feeling fuel you to get out the door, or to write your blog post. You can do it, so get up and do it now. 6. Just do it: as Nike says, "just do it". There are days when I'm feeling lazy and do not want to blog or run. But I make myself do it anyway. Why? Oh. Because she's dead... whoops, went off on a T.Swift tangent.. Let's bring it back in (told ya, it wouldn't be my blog without a side note here or there). I will just make myself go out and run or sit down and write because a lot of times (most time), once I've gotten started, I remember why I do what I do. I remember the feeling you get from a run (runners high is real!). I remember how good it feels to get my brain moving to come up with ideas or colorful language. xoxo, Chelsea Sleep is really, really important. I know, I know... here I go again, talking about sleep. Seriously though, sleep is SO crutial! Here's a few reasons::
That said, sleep isn't just about quantity. Quality of sleep matters. Some days I feel like I've had a great night's sleep and others not so much. But I've never had a way to analyze my sleep and see if was getting quality sleep. That's why when I received a complementary Sleeptracker from BeautyRest, I was over the moon with excitement! It comes with two sleep sensors, a processor and the power plug. It was super easy to set up and they even include an instructional video in the ap. The sleep sensors are placed under the pillow. For Rob and me, we placed them towards the outside of the bed to monitor us each individually. The first night, we were SO excited to get some sleep to test this out. The first night, it can take about 18-hours to get your results. I got mine in about 6 hours. I had felt like I got a great night's sleep, so I was interested to see if the numbers lined up with how I felt. Here are my numbers from the first night (& yes, I sleep for a long time haha): I was delighted to see that my sleep score and sleep efficiency were both above the range. Night two, I didn't get as much REM sleep. I felt pretty groggy all day. I decided to to a little research on the sleep cycle (I'll do a full post about that), but basically your body cycles through different levels of sleep. Each are important and have their own function. REM (rapid eye movement) is when usually when you're dreaming. REM sleep is the phase of sleep where your body is repairing itself.
The two features I really enjoy are the white noise maker and the alarm. The white noise maker is so relaxing. Since using it, I feel like I've been getting a deeper sleep. The alarm feature is really cool. You set your wake up time and the app will have the alarm go off within 30 minuets. Because of the sleep sensors, it knows what the optimal time to wake you up, leaving you less groggy. Since I've been using the app, I've been able to pin point why I've felt a certain way in the morning. On days where I'm feeling very energize, my sleep matches that. I've been in the deep sleep and REM sleep longer than light sleep. All in all this is a remarkable product! I would recommend this product to anyone, especially if you're having problems sleeping or, if you're like me and loveeee data! This has been a great tool for me to see what my sleep was like and follow the tips provided from the app to improve my sleep. Hope you are all having an amazing week! xoxo, Chelsea Hi everyone and happy hump day. I hope you like the random pictures, I feel like they’re a pretty good representation of me.
I haven't forgotten about blogging. I've been sick, so blogging has taken a backseat to some rest. I've got some fun stuff in the works that I'm excited to share with you all! While this week will be fewer posts, I'll be picking up steam again next week. I feel like it's important to have a specific purpose of all of this (blogging), so I wanted to share with you some of the "WHY" behind why I chose to write Run Wilk. Why Run Wilk Exists:
If you're still reading, thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking it out. Run Wilk has been a fun project so far and I can't express my gratitude to the people who are following and reading along. xoxo, Chelsea Happiest of Friday's to you all!! It's finally the weekend again! This week, instead of featuring a few looks, I've decided to show you guys a few new pieces I am LOVING right now. I've got links for everything above (not affiliate links, I just do it because I love it!). My other posts had older items styled (I am a girl on a budget after all), with options of similar styles. However; this post is all linked to the exact item that I have. {Sorry for the dark pictures! Our light blew and we didn't have an extra bulb on hand, so I made due with what I had.} First up, I've got these adorable booties! The heel height is perfect and the color will go with so many pieces. These also have memory foam, so they're comfortable to wear. My favorite part is that they're water & stain resistant so they won't get ruined in the rain. I love cute pieces that are practical too! Next up, another Old Navy find. I love saddle bags. It is so nice being able to put the bag on and have both hands free. I'm looking forward to being able to use this for an upcoming brew fest. It'll keep my hands free so I can sample some beers, but I'll still be able to carry essentials, like, you know, lip gloss hehe. I also love they color of this. It's a pretty light blush color, so I'll be able to use it all year. Finally, I love the adorable tassel they added. It adds a bit of fun to a classic style. Another piece I'm loving is this black hat from Abercrombie. I own a few other felt hats and the quality of this felt is way better! It's so sturdy and thick. I'm very impressed. I also love the chain they added to the hat. It makes the hat a little more edgy and inspired me to dress it in different ways. I can picture this with a pair of vegan leather pants and chucks. I can also picture it with a black swing dress, over the knee boots and a fall scarf. And the price?! Currently on sale for $7.60! That's what my Starbucks order costs me when I order whilst hungry, haha. Another item I've been crushing on is this magenta Kendra Scott necklace. A little pricey for a necklace, I think it is definitely worth it. *TIP: You can also sometimes find these on sale on other websites. If you sign up for emails from Kendra, you'll also get a 15% off code* I didn't expect to get so much use from this necklace but I find myself wearing it all the time. I wear it with jeans and a casual shirt, I wear it in the summer with shorts and I will definitely be wearing it during the fall. The bright pink of color really adds a splash of fun to outfits. Last but not least, an adorable ruffle shoulder sweater from Abercrombie (I got size small in oatmeal and I'd say it runs true to size). This sweater is literally SO soft! I also love the color, a perfect neutral! It's also light enough to wear during this transition period. I'm going to try to experiment with laying this sweater as it gets colder. That's all for now! I hope you have a splendid weekend. I'll be spending tonight watching spooky movies with my girls. It is Friday the 13th after all! Saturday will be spent celebrating a 1st birthday. It's going to be a great weekend.
Side note (would this be my blog is a post didn't have a side note? I think not haha): I recently realized that hitting 1,000 miles for the year is realistic at this point. I'm over 700 miles with 3 months left. If I average 112 miles the next three months, I'll hit it! So far this month, I'm right on track with only two runs left this week. I'd love to hear from you! Is there anything in particular that you'd like me to blog about? Any questions or topics that interested you? Would you want to hear more about my running plans or what not to do? Style posts? I'm all ears! XOXO, Chelsea You may have heard the saying that running is 90% mental. I tend to agree with that and my mind certainly was not in it on Saturday. I was slow to get up, didn't have the proper nutrition pre-race and generally, unfocused. I didn't "feel" like warming up. I was just blah. Looking back, I'm a little disappointed that I wasn't more focused. My training has been consistent and I know I could have done better. I wanted to do the race and I was excited about it but race day, my mind wasn't having it. I'll be sure to make sure to be mentally ready for my next race. That said, I'd still call it a successful day. I had great weather and the best fan/photographer there to cheer me on (I'm looking at you, Rob).
I was the third overall woman! It was a small race, so that isn't as impressive as it sounds but, I'm still pretty proud. I've never been able to say that about a race I've done. Now onto the summary: Goal: 54:47 or faster Actual: 6.82 1:01:57 -> 6.2 finished in 56:05 (calculated via Smash Run) Mile 1: 8:15 Race starts and I'm feeling pretty good! It was a smaller race, so I'm keeping up with the front-ish of the pack. This race was really cool because they didn't shut the roads down, the cops were driving along with us and closing the intersections as we arrived. I've never seen such a presence for a race. Big shout out to the East Orange cops. They did an excellent job! Mile 1 ends, I'm at 8:15. During my half, my first mile was in the 7's so I'm already a little behind. I'll just be more consistent here than I was for the half, I think to myself. Only three miles and I'm half way, this'll be easy. Mile 2: 8:53 At this point, I'm already feeling it. The music isn't doing it and I'm just feeling blah. I look at my watch and I haven't even completed mile two yet?! What is going on? I feel like I'm running forever at this point. This blows my mind. I usually never do runs that are shorter than three miles, so why would I be feeling this way during mile 2? I realized at this point, it's going to be a longgg race. Mile 3: 9:24 I finally made it out of the terrible second mile. I know once I finish this mile, I'll be about half way and I can start concentrating on picking up speed and finishing. I thought mile three would be better than mile two. I was wrong! Early into mile three, I was passed by two woman, I was no longer the first place female. I was frustrated. I tried to keep up with them but my mind wasn't in it. After I was passed, I thought about walking, I thought about giving up, I thought about quitting. Instead of stopping, I bargained with myself. Slow down for this mile, use it as a recovery mile, and if you still feel like quitting, you can walk next mile. And so, that is what I did. Mile three was my slowest of the run. Mile 4: 9:16 During mile 4, I really focused on picking things back up. I knew my cadence took a hit during mile three, so I really concentrated on lifting my feet as fast as possible. This made running a little easier and I began to settle into the run. At this point, I was already half way, and I stopped fighting with myself so much. Mile 5: 9:20 I was not feeling it! I settled in during mile four but mile five was just a battle. I knew the end was coming, I knew I was almost there but I just couldn't get myself going. There was a lot of internal battling going on during mile 5. I also knew I wouldn't PR during mile 5. Mile 6: 9:07 I think realizing I wasn't going to PR today allowed me to relax and not be so focused on the time. I passed a few people at mile six. Quick side note: there was a father and son running together. The son was probably about maybe 7-8 years old, maybe even a little younger. They ran almost the entire race hand in hand. I was so adorable and definitely #goals for me with out (hopefully) future children! The final stretch: .82 miles 9:06 pace A true 10k is 6.21371 miles. Understandably, I was excited when I entered the final stretch. I've completed 6 miles, so not much more left! 6.2 miles came and went, I looked at my watch and saw the mileage climbing. 6.4... 6.5.... Is this ever going to end?! What felt like turn after turn, I like someone was playing a joke on me. I actually thought the race would never end and that I was lost. Finally, one of the police officers announces through their car PA system, "You're almost done! You're going to tun right, then left. Then you'll make a right and you're on the home stretch." I felt like I had run for a while after the announcement and still no end in sight. I almost asked some people if I was getting close to the stadium because I was desperate to finish! Finally, I made the last turn and saw Rob. I'm almost done!! I thought. I was elated!! While, my recap may sound like I hated the race, I really did enjoy it. I always enjoy races. I'll be doing this race again if they have it next year. I was just so mentally not in the right place that it made reflection back on the race seem so, well, negative! Saturday was a big wake up call about how important mental strength is. Running is 90% mental, couldn't ring more true. While I will continue to work to be a faster runner, I'll also be working on mental strength. While I haven't exactly figured out how to go about doing that, I'll be sure to share what I come up with! I hope you all had a marvelous weekend! xoxo, Chelsea It's finally Friday! We've made it to the glorious weekend. If you haven't noticed, I love flat lays! Like I said, I'll never claim to know it all, but flat lays give me a way of testing new looks together without dragging Rob with me to a cute spot to take a million pictures. Now, I'd love to have a professional photographer on call to be able to get gorgeous shots in picture perfect places, but that isn't in my budget! So, flat lays are the next best thing! I'm also going to compile a post wearing the flat lay looks, but I'm not quite there yet! Baby steps ;-) I love the contrast of the dark chambray dress with the tan scarf. The red boots really help make the red accents in the scarf pop, too! I finished the look of with a tan fall hat to tie the whole look together. I'm definitely going to have this on repeat as we transition into cooler temperatures. An unusually warm fall is an excuse to keep on wearing bright clothes. I paired this long sleeve Lilly Pulitzer with a blue moto jacket. The sleeves of this dress are mesh and they've got bubble out at the bottom. It's absolutely adorable. There's a lot going on with the dress, so I kept the shoes simple with some nude wedges. I paired this off shoulder gingham dress with nude wedges, a tan felt had and bright blue lens sunglasses. I will probably continue to wear off shoulder throughout the winder (yes, impracticable) but I just love the style. I keep this look transitional by pairing wedges with a felt hat. I also added gold dangle earrings to dress it up. I love this time of year. It's kind of like how you can dress up (or down) certain pieces. This time of year you can "summer-ify" or "fall-ify" different pieces to make a transitional look. It's too warm to bust out the Uggs, but not too warm for a fall hat. What are you favorite transitional looks? xoxo, Chelsea Shop The Looks:Stretching is so important! I'm guilty of not stretching enough but this past year, I've really made an effort to stretch after my runs. Happily, I haven't had any real IT issues, stress fractures or knee pains this year, so I wanted to share my stretching routine. I also foam roll, but I'll cover that in a different post. Don't just take my word on how important stretching is, here's what Mayo Clinc has to say about stretching: Stretching can help improve flexibility, and, consequently, range of motion about your joints. Better flexibility may:
I personally do not stretch before most runs. For races, I will stretch but only after a warm up. Stretching cold muscles can actually end up hurting you. So, if you stretch pre-workout, be sure to do a quick warm up prior to stretching. A few notes before getting into the nitty-gritty:
Standing Quad StretchQuadriceps are the large muscle group in on the top front of your leg. They're called quadriceps because the group is made up of four different muscles. They're critical to running, squatting, walking, A LOT. Being such a large muscle group, it's important to stretch them. Pretty basic stretch, you've probably been doing this since elementary school gym class. Remember to stand tall and gently pull up so you feel the stretch on your quad. If you don't feel a stretch, gently move your quad back, so instead of being parallel as shown above, your knee will be slightly behind the standing leg. You do not want to pull the lower half of the bent leg too close or past the top half of the bent leg. Changing the angle of your hips will also deepen or lessen the stretch depending on your personal flexibility. Be sure to do this on both sides. Downward Facing DogTypically, in downward dog, your head should be in alignment with your arms. However, I push through my arms to get a nice stretch in my shoulders, too. My gaze is toward my shins. I love this because it stretches my calves, hamstrings and shoulders. Elongating my body also helps with posture. I'll hold this longer than 30-seconds. I like to breathe nice and slow while in downward dog. Stretching my calves in downward dog has helped to eliminate shin splints (which untreated, can turn into stress fractures... I learned that the the hard way.... twice). Shin splints are usually caused from over use, this pounding of the pavement on the shin bone causes the muscles to become irritated and swell. The swelling of these muscles causes them to pull on your shin bone. Shin splints are painful and can be dangerous if left untreated. By focusing on stretching, I'm helping to increase blood flow and prevent the muscles from swelling. Standing Pike - lEGS cROSSEDThis is another simple stretch that hits a few muscles groups. It will stretch your calf, hamstring and bum. Step 1: Cross your legs. Step 2: Fold forward and try to touch your toes. If you're not able to go all the way down, add a block (or a book) so you can rest your hands on it. Be sure to do this for both legs. This stretch has been great for me for preventing knee problems. The hamstring is an important muscle, making sure to stretch it really well has helped me stay injury free. sTANDING pIKESimilar to the last stretch, just not with your legs crossed. This can also be done in seated position. sTRADDLEThis is another stretch that is simply but effective. It stretches your hamstrings, your calf, and your groin. If you're not able to touch your toe, keep your back straight, look toward your foot and gently reach forward keeping your back straight. Maybe it is the former cheerleader and gymnast in me, but I still love the straddle stretch. You can do this with your toes pointed and flexed. Just be sure to do the same on all three sides to keep everything even. Crossed Leg IT Band StretchThis is the IT band stretch that has been SO helpful for me. I didn't even know what an IT band was until I started running. IT band aka iliotibial band is a pesky one. ITBS is iliotibial band syndrome, aka runners knee. The IT band runs from your hip to your knee. If it isn't stretched properly, it can cause severe pain. Runners knee is one of the most common injuries for runners, so preventing is very important! When I had ITBS, it felt like someone was stabbing the side of my knee. It was just awful. Finding this stretch has been great for me. Start by crossing your legs. You want to keep the bottom leg and the top leg parallel. Make sure both your cheeks are on the ground and that you're not leaning to either side. Once you've got yourself set up, apply pressure to the top knee. You'll feel the stretch on your bum and outside of the leg. LungeThe lunge is another stretch I'm sure you've been doing most of your life. I like to start in downward dog and step through to my hands with one leg at a time. Make sure your knee is over your toe. This will prevent any pressure on your knee. Push through your heal on the back leg. Depending on your flexibility, this may look different for you. Your hands do not need to be on the ground, If you're performing this standing, make sure to keep your knee over your toe. If you push your hip forward, you'll feel this more in your hip flexor and the back of your leg. The great thing about a lunge is there are SO many different lunges you can do, this one just happens to be my go to! And that is my stretching routine! Don't stretch regularly? I can't recommend it enough. It's been so helpful for me and I will definitely continue to stretch. xoxo, Chelsea Shop The Post:Shop:
As a girl on a budget, I'm always looking to spruce up my wardrobe, but I don't want to break the bank doing it. I've put together seven items that, in my mind, radiate all the fall feels and the colors remind me of the falling leaves.
I'd have to say that my favorite color of fall (right now) is marigold. I absolutely love how vibrant it is while still totally feeling like fall. Putting this together, I've realized I need to add more marigold to my wardrobe pronto! While, I won't be ditching my bright clothes for the entire fall, I am totally in love with rich fall hues. What are you favorite fall colors? xoxo, Chelsea |
About meMore than just running....
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