Venus Trapped in Mars Sports and Lifestyle Blog Dallas

11 November 2016

The Best New Running Shoes

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Thank you to Mizuno for sponsoring this post. All opinions and reviews are my own!

Whoa can we say ghost town around these parts this week? I've been waking up at 4:45am all week, working on this year's photoshoot in Crystal River, Florida for work. It was a shortened shoot, only three days - we normally do two weeks, but it was still long days and hard work. Sure, I posted nothing but gorgeous sunsets on Instagram, but there is so much that goes into a shoot that you don't see! Like, for instance, the bug bites covering every square inch of my body! Hooray! 

Before I left for Florida this past Sunday, I was lucky enough to get to attend an event with Mizuno at Dick's Sporting Goods! The event was centered around the release of the all new Mizuno Wave Rider 20. 




Running, for me, has been an up and down struggle. I'll go several months in a row and kill it week after week. The key for me is never taking a week off. When I take a full week off from the gym, it becomes 2, then 6 then all of a sudden it's been 5 months and I haven't been running at the gym. I'm a big fan of couch to 5k, mostly because it keeps me in the gym and on the treadmill week after week.  

I'll take inspiration to get my butt to the gym anywhere I can get it, and these new Mizuno Wave Rider 20 kicks are currently giving me the running itch. The first Mizuno franchise to incorporate Wave Technology®, the Wave Rider 20 features new cloudwave® technology – designed using convex (u-shaped) geometry – to provide soft cushioning underfoot while acting as a spring at the same time. The curve in the cloudwave is longer and gentler to convert more of the runner’s heel impact into forward motion. 




The coolest thing I learned about the Wave Rider 20 is the inspiration for the design, which comes from a detailed study on how the wings of insects have evolved over the years to be lighter and stronger. There is also a feature called the U4ic compound which helps maintain that "new shoe" feeling longer than ever before. This is great for me, because that new shoe vibe helps keep my motivation levels high! 







Several other Dallas area bloggers and myself met at Dick's Sporting Goods for a morning filled with a first hand introduction to the new Wave Rider 20, a scavenger hunt that involved running in our new kicks all around Dick's Sporting Goods and some healthy snacks and trail mix!






I couldn't wait to get these bad boys on my feet. These new shoes are so comfortable it felt like I was walking on air. I sometimes have a problem in other brands where my feet slide forward (just me? I dunno...) and that never happened in these shoes. I should know, I ran all around Dick's Sporting Goods looking for a fanny pack and hand warmers in the scavenger hunt - which I went "LIVE" for on Facebook!






It was a fabulous event, I got a new pair of kicks and met some great fellow bloggers! Wins all around!



Want more info on the Mizuno brand, the new Wave Rider 20 or to make a purchase, check out the full site HERE!

In case you missed me going LIVE on Facebook, catch the replay below. Also, if you have motion sickness I wouldn't watch this (LOLS!) because I was running and bouncing all over the store trying to win that darn scavenger hunt!



This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Mizuno.




 

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03 November 2016

A Cute Fall Gameday Look








Holy nap time needed, y'all. Those of you on the East Coast - God Bless YOU! What time did you make it to bed last night? 1am? Later? Was I secretly hoping they'd roll out the tarp and the game would finish at a reasonable hour the following evening --- NOOOO! Maybe. Ok, I was. My bedtime is 10pm, sometimes 10:30pm if I'm feeling really young and crazy.  


Oh well, small price to pay for what I would consider to be the best baseball game I've ever seen, and I didn't even have a dog in the fight. 

So, congrats to you Cubs fans, you really managed to put things into perspective for me. Here I am, crying out WOE IS ME all over Knoxville, all over Dallas, because Tennessee Football is in an 18 year drought. If WHEN Tennessee (obviously not this year) wins the National Championship, I'll lose my absolute mind. My mind will literally be lost, and we are only going on 18 years. Shoot, I totally lost it when Tennessee beat Florida to end an 11 year streak. I cannot fathom how high I would be riding today if my team ended a 108 year curse. 

So, again, CHEERS to you, Cubbies! Enjoy it. 

Speaking of Tennessee though, I've been searching high and low this season to find you guys new small businesses, boutiques and shops to buy your gameday gear from. I hope you'll love today's collaboration as much as I do. Meet Gameday Couture and Shop Flying Fox. 

If you are a Shark Tank watcher like I am, you might recognize Gameday Couture when they formed a partnership with my boy, Mark Cuban on the show in 2014. They produce the cutest, fashionable, gameday gear for everything from your favorite NCAA team to NBA team. This Tennessee Power T Quilted Puffer Vest (also available in other schools too) is so unique and guaranteed to get all of the gameday compliments.

Use code: VENUSTRAPPEDINMARS for 15% off your order at Gameday Couture! 

Shop Flying Fox is a NOLA based shop created by Tiffany Napper. Once the (*ahem* stupid, IMO) clear bag rule came around a few years ago, Shop Flying Fox was founded in an effort to make the perfect clear, stadium approved bag. See Also: The Devil Wears Ziplock. 

Shop Flying Fox's stadium approved bag is the cutest. I've worn it to the Vols at Texas A&M game and the Bama vs. Vols game and got compliments the entire walk to the stadium. It is absolutely perfect for gameday, and won't make you feel like you're carrying around a freezer bag. 

I hope you'll check out these two companies, I think you're going to dig them! 
#GBO! 

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