Day 16 - Black Out Friday

Black (Out) Friday
In what will be considered one of the more questionable decisions of my life, I braved crowds last night to hit the malls for some deals. Josh and I were basically out all night hopping from store opening to store opening, bewildered by the sheers amounts of bargain hunters out there. We thought we were hardcore for fighting off turkey coma and leaving the house, but there were some intense people out there. Best Buy had a huge crowd in tents at 2 AM and Target had a line wrapped around the entire store. In some ways, our Black Friday story is a happy one: we got what we came for a left without bodily injury. (Was it worth it? I got this Cuisinart food processor for $70.) But leaving the mall bleary eyed at 9 AM not having slept took its ugly toll. We looked, smelled and felt awful. I literally felt hung over all day as if I had been boozing all night. I made it through the day with two naps, jolting up at 11 PM going "I gotta workout!"

Day 16
Godawful is a perfect word to describe today's workout. After that 11 PM awakening, I was shaking off sleep and panting my way through some bad breath to fumble my way through this workout. Everything was difficult. I felt floppy and sloppy. Those V-raises nearly killed me, but I'm glad I made it through and managed not to bail on today's workout.

Your Other Workout Buddy: Your Sports Bra!
I went on a hunt recently for some good workout gear, in particular, some affordable and attractive sports bras. I mean, they didn't have to be something smoking hot, but just something that a) supports well and b) you're not mortified to pull a Mia Hamm in. The results of my hunt are pictured above and reviewed below:

Danskin Now High Impact Active Sport Bra - Ringing in at $10, this bra was by far the most affordable. In terms of support, the name states "high impact" but I don't think this would be the absolute best bra for running a marathon for me. It is padded and molded and supports surprisingly well, but the sizes are limited, so it doesn't fit me spot on and there is some room for jiggle. Danskin is available at Walmart, and they actually have an entire line of very nice workout gear including yoga pants and tops, all at incredibly affordable prices. I will certainly purchase this bra again.

UnderArmour Endure - At $44.99 this bra was the most expensive, but also the most effective. It has a ton of padding, cross straps in the back, and a zip-front closure that truly locks everything into place. It feels like a bulletproof vest version of a bra. This would be my top choice for the marathon. I'm not sure how UA's sizing works, but for me, everything of theirs tends to run small or is meant to fit very snug, so be sure to try on their different sports bras for the best fit for you. Also, I paid full price for this item, but searched later and found that you can get it on eBay, or even at the UA outlet for at least 25% less.

C9 by Champion Seamless Fashion Cami - This bra is available for $16.99 at Target. I think this is the sports bra that Anita is wearing in the Level 2 workout! I discovered these bras a while back and have been a fan for quite some time. I own several in different colors and they're great just for daily wear as well as working out. They keep their elasticity and color through washes very well. Out of the 3 bras reviewed, this one is the least supportive, but still offers some support. I ran the half marathon in one of these no problem, but think that for longer distances, more support would be helpful. This sports bra is ideal for low to medium impact workouts, such as yoga, elliptical, and jogging. I usually wear these to do the shred workout. FYI, these go on sale at Target now and again for about $12, and also, there are a lot more colors available in store besides what's online.

Other sports bras tried that did not make the cut: VSX sports bra (like the C9, but more expensive and has a hook and eye closure, which is useless and annoying), Fruit of the Loom tank style, front-closure and shirred front (all useless in terms of support), various bras from Academy sports (no support, didn't last through washes). other UA bras (teensy sizes).