• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Its a Hero

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Sponsor and Advertising
  • Categories
    • recipes
    • brews + food
    • wellness
    • events
    • dairy-free
    • money saving tips
    • Explore Ohio
    • Family Travel
    • tips + tricks
    • Instant Pot Recipes
    • giveaway
    • printables

sports

running // the cheap sport.

April 8, 2015 by Rachel 1 Comment


image (30)
I used to think that running was the sport that required little monetary investment. All you need is a pair of shoes and an open road. Right?

Wrong. Oh so wrong.

Sure, you need shoes. But the more you run, the more often you need to replace your shoes. And only the right shoes will prevent injury. And shoes range in price from $50 – $250. On average, let’s say a good pair of running shoes costs $110 and need replaced anywhere from 3-6 months. Yes, you CAN run with cheap shoes; but I don’t recommend it. Cheap shoes are cheap for a reason.

If you want to run outside — which is the most fun, am I right?? — you’ll likely want to carry your phone with you for music. So you invest in an armband, such as the NeoSleeve for the iPhone, for your smartphone. This particular sleeve, which is my personal favorite (and costs less than $15 on Amazon) because it’s fairly inexpensive, water resistant, and has a space for your car key. Others can cost upwards of $20.

run-shoes2
And then you begin to run longer distances. Long distances require keeping yourself hydrated and also energy gels for fuel. So you decide to get a hydration belt. Which costs anywhere from $10 to $30. I paid approximately $24 for mine. And energy gels are an ongoing expense. You have to figure out which of the gels are best on your personal digestive system, but they range in price from $.85 to $2.00 each (this is the price if you purchase in bulk on Amazon; but if you purchase them individually, they are much more expensive).

Now that you’re running longer distances, you start to get aches and pains that come with the kind of wear and tear running puts on your body. Enter compression sleeves, KT Tape, and foam rollers.

run-gear
Compression socks run about $30 – $50; KT Tape is about $15 per pack; and foam rollers run anywhere from $10 to $70.

And then you sign up for a race. Let’s say a 5k or a half marathon. A 5k will probably run you between $25 – $35. A half marathon is anywhere from $50 to $150. That’s JUST your race entry (which may come with some ‘swag’ such as a t-shirt and post-race food).

If you are running in a cold climate, a gym membership or a treadmill may be necessary for your training. A cheap gym membership would run someone about $20 (hey, Planet Fitness!) a month. So about $240 per year. And a treadmill is a one-time investment of anywhere from like $800 – $1700. It’s insane how much a treadmill or a gym membership can cost. This past winter was cold — like -20 degrees cold. But we cancelled our gym membership and I started running on a treadmill, which is saving us monthly.

Some runners (OK — MOST runners) choose to run with a GPS watch, whether it be a Garmin or Nike watch. I had a basic Garmin and I hated it; but now I have a much more user-friendly Garmin that I LOVE to use! The battery lasts for my long runs and it controls my pace better than any iPhone running app could possibly do. These run $100 to $500. Mine is middle-of-the-road and runs about $170; but I have to admit I wish it had Bluetooth so it would update to the internet/my iPhone app automatically. (I know — first world problems, right??)

run-garmin1
Last but not least you’ll need running clothes. I used to be a Target running gear connoisseur; but that changed when I realized I was getting what I paid for — the clothes I was running in were not withstanding the wear and tear of my running regimen. I don’t feel like I was putting any extraordinary wear on my clothes, but somehow they were pulling and riding and wearing out in a major way. Also? Target charges like thirty-five bucks for running pants! Do you know you could spend just about $50 on a good pair that actually lasts?? I’m not saying that you need to shop at Lululemon; but go to a running store, but go to a running store and try on some gear made my athletic designers. Believe it or not, this makes a difference. I personally stalk down good deals with local running stores to find discounts on “expensive” running clothes.

I wanted to add up all of these costs, but my wallet told me that it would just depress me; so YOU do the math. It’s EXPEN$IVE to run — am I right!?

Basically, running is NOT cheap. In theory it should be just a “lace up and get out there!” kind of thing; but it isn’t. Not if you’re serious about it and doing it right. You don’t have to be a marathoner or even a half-marathoner to take running seriously; but I can tell you that once you put your mind to it and start running seriously, you’ll find a way to make these things a priority. And it’s totally worth it. <3

Filed Under: #GetFit, #SweatPink, 1/2 Marathon, Beachbody, deals, fitness, health, life, marathon training, mother runner, pictures, planet fitness, review, running, sports, workout Tagged With: #GetFit, #SweatPink, beachbody, fitness, health, just keep running, life, mother runner, MRTT, review, running, sponsor, sports, workout

weekend wrap up //

May 19, 2013 by Rachel 1 Comment

The last three days have been B-U-S-Y! I had a crazy work day on Friday so at 5PM I was pumped to run like heck outta there! Plus, Chad and I had planned a little date night to celebrate his birthday [it was last Monday, the 13th — but we were kinda busy].

We left Ari with our sitter and went to see Ironman 3 in 3D! I love, love, loved it! In my opinion, it was the best yet. It doesn’t hurt that Robert Downey Jr is gorgeous! The movie let out after 9PM and though we had grand plans for a late dinner, it didn’t happen. We decided to go home and call it a night instead.

Saturday morning I woke up bright and early for a power yoga class. Ari and I spent the rest of the day running errands, cleaning and making sure he got his naps in [he did, thank god!]. My aunt visited us in the afternoon and offered to stay and hang out with Ari while I finally took Chad out for his birthday dinner.

We ended up home by 7:30, but it was a date night, nonetheless! 🙂

We were actually able to sleep in a bit on Sunday, which was amazing, but also made it difficult to get out of the house on time for our coffee date with Gretchen. Ari and I met her at Nervous Dog and he was rough and tumbly the whole time! This kid wants to get into everything these days!

After our awesome coffee date, our family of three headed to Downtown Cleveland to see the Indians beat Seattle [again]!

photo (63)

It was ridiculously hot. But we had fun. And Ari made it to the 7th inning before we had to leave [woo hoo!].

photo (62)

Overall, completely awesome weekend. Exhausting. And awesome. 🙂

Filed Under: cleveland, Cleveland Indians, family, weekend Tagged With: cleveland, life, local, ohio, sports, weekend

weekend wrap-up

April 15, 2013 by Rachel 1 Comment

This weekend was how I wish every weekend would be — simply amazing.

It started on Friday when I spent the evening in my pajamas! I cleaned and relaxed and started the weekend out on the right foot.

Saturday I stayed in bed for as long as possible. It was a dreary morning and Ari was sleeping in [hooray! — but he was up a number of times throughout the night]. So I snuggled up in our big cozy bed and caught a few more z’s.

We spent most of the morning cleaning the house and preparing for our date! It was our first date where we had a teenage sitter watching Ari. But not just any teenager — our sitters daughter! The only teenager I would completely, 100% trust with our Babycakes! By 2pm we were on our way to Cleveland for the Indians game!

We had tickets to the Indians Social Suite — a suite reserved for people who frequent social media to observe and live-tweet the game! [you can check out all of the details and apply here; or you can follow the social suite by following #socialsuite or #tribetime on twitter.

We watched the Indians destroy the Chicago White Sox from the comfort of our suite, thankfully! It was cold and rainy, but we had a blast hanging out with @koskim and @jensteer!

The game ended by 7PM so we were home early enough to put Ari to bed. No matter how long or short of a time we seem to be away from him, we miss him tons!

And then Sunday morning was here before we knew it! Besides plans to meet up with my friend Gretchen and her new baby, we had very little on our agenda! Spending the morning at Nervous Dog Coffee Bar with Gretchen & the baby was perfect. Two lattes and lots of conversation later, and both babies started to get fussy.

coffee shop baby

After our coffee date, Ari and I headed to Earth Fare to pick up some delicious healthy food [and perhaps some vegan oatmeal raisin cookie dough as well!] before heading home! I was able to get a run in while Ari napped.

He napped! Like, a real nap! 2 hours and 45 minutes, to be exact. It was lovely. And it made our day. Once he woke up he was happy and playful and it even warmed up enough for us to go swing in the park!

Happy Swinging boy

It was pretty much the most perfect weekend ever. Any weekend that’s fun and leaves me feeling refreshed & ready for the week? Amazing.

Filed Under: Ari Davis, babies, bloggers, Cleveland Indians, friends, fun, life, Twitter Tagged With: ari davis, cleveland, explore locally, friends, life, sports, twitter

Saturday Randoms

April 6, 2013 by Rachel 1 Comment

saturdayrandoms

  • My mom came into town last night. I’m excited for a couple of reasons:

    1. She hasn’t been able to visit very much since January. She was here the first week I went back to work + then again a couple of weeks ago.

    2. Chad and I are going to go on a date while she’s here! Yep, another day date [evenings are still too exhausting and hectic for us]. It’s pretty awesome having her around.

  • This blog post about explaining gender to boys is something I have a feeling I’m going to relate to at some point. I’ll have to save this.
  • I kind of misplaced my kindle. I mean, I know it’s around here somewhere. But I have “stuff” scattered everywhere. I’m going to make it a point to find it this weekend.
  • Ari totally needs this Where the Wild Things Are print from Etsy store Olive and Birch:
    etsy - where the wild things are
  • We scored tickets to the Indians home opener this Monday, but we aren’t able to go. Luckily, we have tickets to the game next Saturday against the Chicago White Sox in the Indians Social Suite!
  • I have a three-day weekend. And it seriously couldn’t have come at a better time. I need Monday off in the worst way.

Filed Under: links, random Tagged With: cleveland, etsy, life, links, random, sports

Primary Sidebar

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Blog Archives

Grab the Button

It's a Hero

Recent Posts

  • Air Fryer Hush Puppies Recipe
  • First Alert Home Safety Priority Checklist
  • Air Fryer Copycat Krispy Kreme Donuts
  • Maternal Mental Health Matters: Quit telling moms they’re overreacting
  • Heart Shaped Peanut Butter Cups Recipe
  • Must Try Copycat Starbucks Pink Drink Recipe
  • Must Try Air Fryer Copycat Cinnabon Rolls Recipe
  • Every Valentine’s Day Printable You Need This Year
  • STEAM Valentine’s Day Card Printable
  • Copycat Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich Recipe
Collaborate with Rachel Loza on influencer marketing
dealspotr.com
Follow