Running Tip with Liz (and a Yellow Finch Designs GIVEAWAY!)

Today I'm so excited to have a guest post from Liz, one of my lovely sponsors. I loved this post because I'm slowly becoming a "runner" and will be running my second 5k on the 4th of July and, hopefully, a 10k soon after. My next running purchase is going to be a new pair of shoes- thanks for the tip, Liz.

And, of course, don't forget to enter the giveaway at the end of this post. Everything is her shops is so beautiful!



Hello everyone! I'm Liz from Yellow Finch Designs Blog and I'm honored to be a guest over here with Morgan. It seems that Morgan and I have quite a bit in common, which made it very difficult when deciding what to write. Originally I thought I would talk about fashion for mamas on the go. But THEN I saw Morgan's twitter post today about running a 5k and thought... wow we have one more thing in common! So, perhaps I'll talk a little bit about running.

I wasn't always a runner. After college I would run here or there and maybe sign up for a race and maybe I would actually go to the race. I didn't start running seriously until after my second child, Joshua, was born. I had such a wonderful birth and fast recovery, that after three weeks I was ready to get out and do something. Now that I had two children it was a lot harder to sneak away to the gym for an hour or so. And it didn't help that Joshua was very colicky. So I turned to running. I knew I could walk out that front door and run for 20, 30 and eventually 40 minutes and feel great. Once I found my confidence I signed up for a race. I started small, with a 5k (3.1 miles) and worked my way up to a half marathon. I actually accomplished something I never thought I would do....run 13.1 miles. It was truly amazing and I don't know that I can find the words for the feelings I had as I crossed the finish line.

I spent months training for this moment. I ran. I ran hard. And I continue to run today because I discovered that running is part of who I am.
Now, I know not all of you are runners. But perhaps you're thinking about giving it a whirl, so I created a quick little list of suggestions. If you are a runner and have anything to add to this little list I would LOVE to know!

1. Do your research. There are so many wonderful sites out there with great info on traning. Runner's World is a great site and they have a fantasic publication. Thinking about doing a 5K? Check this site out.

2. Start slow. It's easy to want to run right out the door and take off, but trust me, you won't get far and you'll burn out. Take it slow. Gradually add distance to your runs. When I first started I just ran. No watch, no distance.

3. Are you wearing the right shoes? If you think you're serious about running you may want to visit your local shoe shop. Running shoes are expensive, but the investment is worth it. TRUST ME. I had a bad injury for several months and wasn't able to run.

4. Dress comfortably. You don't want to mess with your shirt, or tug at your shorts while your running. If you're like me, you'll fixate on what's bothering you.

5. Keep a journal. Write down each run and take detailed notes. How did you feel? Did anything bother you? How long did you run?

6. Most important....have fun! There are certainly the runs that aren't fun, but then you have the runs that are amazing. With each run you'll gradually get better, all you have to do is hang in there!

My favorite running gear includes:

1.sports bra 2. asics running shoes 3. nike running shorts 4. sun protection shirt

Ok..now for the fun part! This giveaway is NOT related to running at all, but everyone loves a giveaway. One lucky reader will win a set of Yellow Finch Designs vintage inspired bobby pins AND a shabby chic rosette clip. The hair accessories are great for mama, baby or toddler.



To enter to win the hair accessories visit my etsy shops Yellow Finch Designs and The Vintage Letter and take a look around. Then come back here and leave a comment with your name and email. That's it! You have until Friday, June 24th to enter.

For additional entries follow My blog, like me on facebook, follow me on twitter, or follow Morgan's blog. Please leave a comment for each additional entry. Good luck!

Do you have a running question? I would love to know! Leave a comment here or feel free to email me at yellowfinchdesigns@yahoo.com