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Hi there,

Happy Friday, and congratulations on getting through the week! Stick around till the end as I have an awesome giveaway for you guys!

MARATHON TRAINING UPDATES

The last few weeks have actually been pretty good, which is encouraging as I type that. I’ve tried to do my runs in the morning to escape the heat, although in Vancouver, we were running in the afternoon, which is my preference. There was no humidity and it was so glorious to run in 60/70 degree weather with new, exciting scenery all around.

Yikes, my form below is not good.

I didn’t quite get my scheduled running miles in while on Vancouver, but I more than covered them when taking walking and hiking into consideration, so I’m not too worried on that front. The hikes we did had me sore for days, so it would have been difficult to bust out my long runs anyway.

After this weekend’s long run, I’ll have 46 miles for the week. I do feel like I’m ramping up more slowly than other marathon training plans, but I’m okay with it. My number one goal is to finish, and I have a goal A time, a goal B time, and a goal C time, which I’ll share as we get closer to the race.

I’m looking forward to running on trails this weekend.

I’m also focusing more on speed, and I hope it’ll start to make a difference. I’ve been a little disappointed in my pace, as I’ve mentioned before, though I know a lot has to do with the heat! But I enjoy the challenge of intervals and fartleks, so it feels good to have them back in my life.

AURORAE YOGA

With all of the pounding of running, I’m not doing as great a job foam rolling as I should, but I am very adamant about stretching and yoga. Yoga is the perfect complement to running because it helps stretch and strengthen my muscles, build my core and quiet my mind. When I’m nearing a burn out period (just getting over one), I find that going back to yoga is what helps me get back to my goals and mindset. When traveling in Vancouver, I even justified spending way too much Canadian money on a drop in hot yoga class to help alleviate some of my muscle soreness.

Aurorae Yoga reached out to me earlier this summer about trying some of their products. I did some quick research on the company and found a bunch of yoga apparel and products that were eco-friendly, which I stand behind.

Aurorae’s Story

I appreciate family owned companies. Dennis Ingui, the founder, has such a fascinating story. He started the company in 2009 after developing a deep passion for yoga as a way to develop inner peace. He used yoga to help build his body and mind after being diagnosed with cancer.

Another great thing about Aurorae is that they treat all of their supporters as family. The last 3 letters of the company, “RAE,” are even taken from Dennis’ mother’s name. Aurorae has even sent boxes of yoga mats to children in Guatemala, as well as other inner city communities, cancer patients, disaster relief communities, and veterans. You can read more about the story here.

Aurorae sent me a yoga mat towel, some sandles, and a sling backpack to test out. I made it a point to go to yoga the next day to try them out!

The non-slip towel is 5 mm thick, so it’s not paper thin like others. Since it’s made of microfibers, it provides comfort and stability that is meant to protect your joints and muscles.

Additionally, it dries faster due to a higher absorbency rate. It is perfect for those hot yoga classes, which are my favoriteeee!

But, the best part of all was the fact that it is SO COMFORTABLE. I had a hard time standing back up after Shavasana.

I am also in love with the flip flops. The flip flops are made from yoga mat materials, so not only are they comfortable, but they are eco-friendly.  The extra cushioning and padding they provide make them the perfect supportive surface for before and after yoga. Or, just walking around the house in. When my feet are sore, I love walking in these.

I also got to test out the sling yoga backpack. The backpack can be used for anything – it’s very versatile!  It would be perfect for those of you who can walk to a yoga studio, because you wouldn’t have to carry anything! You can keep a change of clothes in there, roll your yoga mat up in it, pack your water bottle and even listen to music.

AWKWARD POSE…

..So you can see the cool bag strap holder and the nifty water bottle holder.

I love the headphone jac it has, so you don’t have to carry your iphone in your hand. Good thinking!

AND NOW, A SPECIAL GIVEAWAY

And because you guys are awesome, Aurorae Yoga would like to offer one lucky reader (US residents only; sorry Canadian friends) a free pair of flip flops and a swim towel. You can enter below – I’ll pick a winner next week. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you’ve run a marathon, what plan did you follow? Did you amp up mileage quickly?