Sunday, September 14, 2014

Stonewear Designs clothing review- first of many!

Hey everyone! Life has been going at lightening quick speed again since my SNP adventure several weekends ago.
Finally catching up with myself to write my first blog post primarily about Stonewear Designs. I was so elated to named to their team of female mountain athletes. Firstly, because I truly love their story of functional, versatile clothing for women that is made in the USA and can be utilized for whatever you wish- you can use it for having epic adventures in the mountain or going to yoga and then shuttling your kids to soccer games- the clothes are classic, sturdy and simple(but cute!) and can meet anyone's needs whatever they maybe- so I like the mass appeal aspect and that they aren't really catering to a certain sport or niche.
Secondly, I love that it's a small company that reps in house and has outstanding costumer service.
Thirdly- my heart truly is passionate about getting more women of all ages and skill set outside being active and being in the mountains (if they feel led to go there) there is so much personal growth in setting goals for ones self, reaching outside your comfort level and doing things that perhaps you only dreamed you'd like to do. You can make that a reality- all you have to do is "be a doer" we are what we repetitively do. So if you want to learn to trail run- find a group! If you want to learn how to rock climb, google to find your closest climbing gym- same with yoga- find your nearest yoga studio and go!! We grow by seizing the moment, experiencing new things, meeting new people and practicing enough self care to do things for ourselves. Whether that be running an hr or going to the gym- love yourself enough to make time for yourself. :)

Wow- didn't mean to go so deep with that! But with out further ado I wanted to do some gear reviews of some Stonewear pieces that are in heavy rotation in my wardrobe :



- The wunderlust skirt- I have two of these one grey and one khaki and I wear them all the time. I wear them to work- running errands, I've worn it hiking, family camping and to a festival and a Dave matthews concert. This skirt never disappointed me once- easy to care for - the fabric is super sturdy, quick drying, washes well- never shrinks or fades.

My favorite feature is the zip off external pocket. I loved this when I went to the Dave concert. I put money, my car key, ID and iPhone in my zippered pocket and I was hands free with no purse to keep up with! Genius!
http://www.stoneweardesigns.com/p-433-wanderlust-skirt.aspx



Second pic is a two for one! The Lyra top- which is my absolutely favorite of the supported tops by Stonewear. It has an internal bra (with bathing suit type cups) which I think rock!! Please keep doing this to your tops and dresses!! The material is a comfy stretchy technical fiber- great at wicking, and quick drying. This top can be used for running, hiking, yoga, rock climbing- but it's also nice enough to be paired with a nice skirt accessories and you could wear it to a dinner date http://www.stoneweardesigns.com/p-488-lyra-top.aspx

Third item is the nomad Capri.

I love this Capri for so many reasons. I love the cut and the fit. The material is indestructible - so sturdy- first time I wore them- I took maverick my Aussie to zazzy z's coffee and accidently spilt coffee all over myself- I did worry that they would stain- but nope one cold water wash and dry later- good as new. You could wear these hiking, adventuring and I think these are a great 3 season travel pant option.
http://www.stoneweardesigns.com/p-427-nomad-capri.aspx



My last review is for the Lyra dress this is from the spring line and is currently on sale but I had to mention it because I love love love this dress- it's so sassy, but without being too revealing- the hem is low enough you will never feel self
Conscious it's right at the knee. It offers the same cross back feature as the Lyra top and I just think it's strikingly beautiful on anyone who wears it. I usually am a solid color kinda girl but I have been digging the river stones print. I think it's funky, outdoorsy and fun. http://www.stoneweardesigns.com/p-371-lyra-dress.aspx

My last closing comment on Stonewear designs clothing for this post is that it means so much to me that they create this line with such a broad audience in mind. These clothes look great on virtually any body type or age- my mom can wear Stonewear to the gym or working in her garden- so can the little 14 yr old girl across the street who runs cross country.
It really is such great high quality clothes with a reasonable price point. And they are so durable they last forever. I have a pair of rockin pants that are 11 yrs old I bought from msl - when I first got married. still look awesome.
Hope that was an adequate gear review and I do want to thank Stonewear designs for this opportunity and for believing in me and my abilities to represent their brand in a positive way. Thank you!!



Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Dirty Mother SNP weekend

Wow. I'm still processing the adventure from the past weekend. I spent last Friday, Saturday and Sunday running the length of the AT through Shenandoah National Park with 4 other awesome
Ultrarunning women who are all moms- we called our group "the dirty moms" and the run "dirty mother SNP run". Annie Stanley, Maratha wright, Sophie spiedel, Stephanie Wilson and myself composed the group

I won't go into all the logistics because I think Sophie and a couple others are going to blog in detail about that, but today, in my mind:
It's full of all the wonderful imagery of the trail- there are some really sweet sections and amazing overlooks. I didn't use an iPod all weekend so my head is full of birds chirping and insect noises and the crunch, crunch, crunch of out Cadence on the trail. We had some very fun miles full of laughter and excitement in shared adventure. For me by the end of day two their were some tears of both happiness and some tears of frustration because running 75 miles on single track in two days HURTS. I'm so incredibly proud I got through day 2 and got up and ran day 3- which was blissful because I knew the journey was drawing to a close and wanted to relish every second I had left even if my feet were trashed. We ate together, slept in close quarters, ran in the woods together - this was like summer camp! And we all got along so beautifully and were so supportive of each other. This was a magical dynamic I wish more women in our sport were able to experience.

It was so amazing to bond with such strong girls with whom I have so much commonality. I drew from their tenacity and life experience as much as I could, and found it extremely inspiring- each one of the group I felt had something special and unique to bring to the table- Sophie: her leadership skills and organization. Annie: steadfastness and consistency, Maratha: loving, nurturing- she was our "trail mom" very quick to always help others in time of need even if it was at the sacrifice of her pace. Stephanie: quick witted, hilarious and always optimistic- she and I bonded over our love of making things ( art) and shared suffering on the trail- many many funny Jenny and Steph stories from the weekend.

What I take away from this experience is this was UltraRunning in its purest form: no competition, no egos,  we just plotted a course, got a minivan with tons of shared aid and went out and had a great epic adventure and enjoyed ourselves and each other- end of the day, it won't matter how many buckles or medals you have collecting dust- what truly will come to mind is your experiences you've shared with others and that is what they will remember you for- not how many wins, finishes (or dnf) you had- your fellow ultrarunners will remember how you made them feel when you talked to them, or that one time you both ran out of water and had to struggle to make it back--etc I really understand now when david Horton stands at hellgate and says "people need people. We all need each other."
 I truly feel blessed to have had this experience and be apart of such a wonderful community.
 I love being competitive and racing, but  I most certainly am in a place in my life where I plan to make time for MORE of things like this.

Here are some pics from my super awesome 3 day epic journey!!

























CHEERS YALL!! My next blog post ( hopefully tomorrow)  will be some Gear Reviews for Stonewear Designs new FALL 2014 line:)