See Amanda Run - Musings from a Pacific Northwest Runner

Jun 07, 2018 Product Reviews Post a Comment

Infinite Energy Seattle City Guide, presented by Brooks

Disclaimer: I received a free pair of Brooks Levitates and a free entry to Rock ‘N’ Roll Seattle as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews.

Rock ‘N’ Roll Seattle is upon us! There’s nothing better than a race in my hometown Seattle. I am so fortunate that I can call this wonderful city home. To make things even better BibRave partnered with Brooks Running to create the Infinite Energy Seattle City Guide, presented by Brooks. Here are some of my must visit sites in the guide.

Fleet Feet Sports Seattle
By far the best all around running store in Seattle. Located in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, Fleet Feet Sports Seattle is a one stop shop for all things running. It’s owned by husband and wife, Brian and Andrea Morrison. They not only run amazing training programs, I’ve done two of them, but I’ve met some fabulous people through this store community. The staff there is super knowledgable. Shoutout to Caroline and Dan, they are super helpful and can order almost any shoe you will ever need. Also – Brian is an amazing ultra runner – he was profiled in the Ginger Runner’s film A Decade On.

Evoke Coffee
One of my favorite coffee shops in all of Seattle. Not only do the serve a good pour over and yummy baked goods the staff knows their coffee! I may or may not stop there on my way into work far too often for the coffee and a visit with Pablo the store’s adorable Bernese Mountain Dog.

Seattle Waterfront
A fun fact about Seattle is not only does it have epic views of Mt. Rainier it is surrounded by both fresh and salt water. The Seattle Waterfront is along Elliott Bay and has a vast expanse of running and biking trails. You can run from the Interbay neighborhood all the way to the ferry terminal. Along the way you will run though Meryl Edwards Park, see some AMAZING views of the Olympic mountains, run through the Olympic Sculpture Park, past the Edgewater Hotel, the Seattle Aquarium and of course the Great Wheel. There’s never a dull view and there’s also some great people watching along the way. For a shakeout run I highly recommend running an out and back starting at the Olympic Sculpture Park so you can visit Macrina Bakery for breakfast.

Brooks Trailhead
Another fun place to visit! The Brooks Trailhead store is the full Brooks Running experience! Not only can you shop, touch, and try on the latest and greatest Brooks shoes, the store is located in the bottom of the headquarters! While you visit you can find your Run Signature, and find your perfect fit shoe. The store staff is wonderful and can provide you with all the running routes and gear suggestions you need.

Check out the map below for more fun places to visit. I love my city and I am so happy BibRave and Brooks created this awesome guide for Rock ‘N’ Roll Seattle weekend. I will be running the half so if you see me on the course say hi!

Jun 06, 2018 Uncategorized Post a Comment

Product Review: Brooks Running Levitate

Disclaimer: I received a free pair of Brooks Levitates as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews.

The all new Brooks Running Levitate slogan is ‘Experience infinite energy’ and yes you really do! These neutral pronation running shoes are made to help you get more energy return with every stride.

These shoes are so comfortable! From the knit upper to the nicely shaped toe box, the fit of this shoe is great. I do have a wide foot so I usually wear mens shoes but I don’t have any problems with the width of these. The knit uppers are also very breathable so I don’t need to worry about overheating and blisters.

I’ve worn these shoes in the heat, rain, and even trails and they’ve held up well. There were no issues with stability or traction whatsoever. The new DNA Amp midsole not only gives your feet a boost, but it felt much more stable as I was running. When running they feel like you’re bouncing off your heel to your toe.

Here are some more highlights:

DNA Amp – Brooks’ signature midsole technology
Intuitive fit – Knit upper that lets your foot move as you run
Arrow-point patterned outsole – helps your feet move heel to toe quickly
Comes in five different colorways!

Even Joey the dog loves the Brooks Levitates

Yes, the price tag is a bit much, $150, but the Levitates are well worth it. So far I have had no issues with durability. I am a heavy strider and my heels have shown no compression after running in these for over a month.

Overall, I highly recommend these shoes for anyone who wants a smooth and energized run.

Jun 05, 2018 Product Reviews Post a Comment

Product Review: COROS Pace Multisport Watch

Disclaimer: I received a COROS Pace as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews.

My life has been crazy over the past month – I was taken out by a nasty virus after Big Sur and then work got super super busy, so running has been a challenge.

The one thing getting me to run is the new COROS Pace Multisport Watch! This brand new watch from COROS is for runners, swimmers and triathletes alike. With the longest battery life in its class, 25 hours in GPS mode (!!), this watch is a game changer.

The COROS Pace has an optical heart rate sensor that is crazy good. I took it for both a run and a walk and the watch got my heart rate perfectly. The COROS Global app, that uses COROS UltraSync Technology, makes it easy to check out my heart rate, running pace, and stats for every workout. Right after a workout I just opened the app and within a minute all of my stats and route appeared. It even syncs to Strava so I can keep track of my training. The other nice part about the COROS Pace is the odometer and the exercise goals. Even if I don’t have a run, bike or swim it will still track my goal and tell me when I reached it!

My favorite part of this watch is the lightweight design and bright 1.2” screen. Even in super bright sun I can read the screen while I run and I don’t have re-adjust during activity. I was surprised that I had no issues with the huge screen on my tiny wrist. I’ve had issues with larger GPS watches before, but the COROS Pace did not give me any grief. The altimeter is also crazy accurate. I took it up Hurricane Ridge and it was reporting the exact height. So cool!

I even took it for a few bike rides. The crazy accurate GPS was able to track all of the swerves while on the bike path. I wasn’t able to test it a power meter, that capability is out now. I was very impressed with the biking activity stats without the meter connection.

Overall, I highly recommend the COROS Pace for any multisport athlete. At the affordable price of $299.99, this is a great multi-sport watch

Jun 01, 2018 Training Post a Comment

Race update: North Olympic Discovery Marathon

Disclaimer: I received a free entry to the North Olympic Discovery Marathon Relay as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews.

Well it’s race weekend! I’ve been so busy with work and other personal things, like being super humanly sick, that I haven’t had a chance to write about training or anything else.

What’s super exciting is instead of running the North Olympic Discovery Half Marathon, I will be running the relay with my boyfriend! My boyfriend is excited to run this race instead of spectating it. We haven’t decided if we are each running 13.1 miles or if we are going to run split up the legs individually.

I am excited to run part of the first half of the race since I ran the half marathon last year. No matter what the course is going to be gorgeous! We are hoping the weather will hold and most the run won’t be pouring down rain.

Overall we should have run and it will be an adventure!

May 12, 2018 Product Reviews Post a Comment

Product Review: Aftershokz Trekz Air

Disclaimer: I received a free pair of AfterShokz Trekz Air as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews.

Marathon training is in full effect. Since I’ve been running longer distances listening to podcasts helps me kill the boredom on a long run. The new AfterShokz Trekz Air were just what I needed for marathon training and beyond.

AfterShokz Trekz Air are use bone conduction technology to that allows you to listen to music with out an ear but in your ear. AfterShokz make it so that you can hear on coming traffic while you run and still enjoy your music or podcasts. They also come with a zipper carrying case and a two year warranty!

Use this link to save $30 on a pair of AfterShokz Trekz Air!

My favorite things about Trekz Air is the ease of use and the long battery life. When I opened the box and turned the Trekz Air on they were instantly recognized my my iPhone. I haven’t had any problems connecting to them since. The battery life on these is AMAZING. They can last for up to 6 hours which means they will last for an entire long run, regardless of how fast you run.

They also work great in all weather or sweaty conditions. I ran Big Sur 21 Miler with my pair and they held up great with all of my sweat and the brief rain shower around mile 14. I also was able to stay aware of my surrounding on the race course. Since the course was so busy with other racers and volunteers it was great to hear course instructions and listed to podcasts to keep me running. They are so lightweight, I barely noticed I was wearing them during my race.

Overall, I highly recommend any distance runner buy a pair of AfterShokz Trekz Air. They are so easy to use and comfortable to wear that the investment is worth it. If you want to buy yourself a pair, use this link and save $30 on your purchase!