Collaboration Pop: Neon Blonde Runner + King of Pops

During a long, hot, and sweaty run, what do you dream of?

My mind always wanders to ice cubes and cold, sugary popsicles.

Actually, I love crisp refreshing pops any time of the day, doesn't even have to be after a run.

Needless to say I was thrilled when King of Pops RVA approached Brittany [Btypes], Brittany [Eating Birdfood] and me to create collaboration post-run Recovery Pops.

King of Pops is a local popsicle cart that makes hand-crafted all-natural pops.  They are sold at festivals, farmers markets, food cart parties, and tons of different events around town.  Click here to find the carts, they're always on the go.  They also have branches in Athens, Atlanta, Charleston, Charlotte, and Chattanooga.

Anyway, back in April, Brittany squared and I headed over to the King of Pops RVA brew spot over in the industrial district and started cooking.

All 3 of us bloggies came up with our own pop creations, inspired by favorite flavors and what we love/crave after a hard workout.

Brittany's Lean Green Elvis Pop and
Brittany's Icy Hot pop

I love greek yogurt (protein), blueberries (antioxidants), and honey (carbs) after a run, so I mixed all these ingredients and created the Greek Olympian Runner pop.

We had a blast making the pops.

The pops were sold at the Monument Avenue 10K, the Hardywood Twilight 4 Miler, Color Me Rad Richmond, and various events throughout town.

Next time you're in Richmond and see the King of Pops cart, ask for the Greek Olympian Runner pop :)

Have you ever made popsicles before??
This was my first time (with a lot of guidance) and they turned out super well, I'm hoarding some in my freezer because they were so delicious.

Saucony Kinvara 4

Saucony Kinvara 4

Early April, a featherweight surprise arrived at my door: a pair of NEON yellow Saucony Kinvara 4's.

At first I thought someone had sent me an empty box, but they seriously are just that light.

Kinvara 4 at my doorstep

You may have noticed them hanging around my photos in the last couple months.

My Kinvara's have done it all...

They traveled to the Boston Marathon with me.  They got to check out the finish line, expo and toured all around town:

Kinvara 4 at the Boston Marathon

 They traveled to NYC with me for a day after the Boston Marathon:

Kinvara 4 in NYC

They've been cruising around town on a bike with me:

They've played tennis (well, more like chased balls) with me:

Kinvara 4 on the court

But most importantly, they have been running with me:

And let me tell you, the Kinvara 4 is one of the most comfortable pairs of running shoes that I've had the pleasure of wearing.  For the last couple years, the Saucony 2 has been my go-to shoe for shorter races (10K and below) and the 4 is definitely a nice upgrade.

The Kinvara 4 is extremely lightweight (7.7 ounces) and flexible.

They feel like feathers, but still somehow have the perfect amount of cushioning.  Saucony used an updated ProGrid technology in the sole, which is extremely soft, yet supportive.

Makes me feel like I'm running on mini-clouds.

The FlexFit mesh in the upper of the Saucony 4's is breathable and flexible.  Hugs your foot in the right ways, supportive throughout the phases of your gait.

I'm still working on getting back into running after Boston...and these shoes have been one of the highlights of my little jaunts these days.

What's your go-to speed shoe?
Previously the Kinvara 2 was my speedy shoe, but these have taken their place.  I also have enjoyed wearing these shoes for my every-day fun runs as well.

5 Friday Favorites: North

This week, all of my friday favorites originate from spots North of Richmond, VA.

1)  I'm excited to show you one of my favorite new recovery treats from a super fun Canadian company...Lunatik Athletiks.  I am a huge fan of this beautiful shade of lavender and they're super soft, with just the right amount of stretchiness.

cozied up in bed with my new
Lunatik Athletiks' Zuza compression socks

2)  When I was at my parent's home in Arlington, VA for Mother's Day, I was able to go on one of my all-time favorite runs from my parent's house:  down to Georgetown and back.  On my run, I stopped off in the Georgetown Lululemon and a really sweet lulu gal gave me a special tour of their huge studio (one of the biggest in the country.)

on my favorite run down to Georgetown

3)  When I was up north in DC, my sister and I were able to hang out, which was a major highlight of my week-- although I don't see her often enough, she is a truly exceptional person.  She's a confident world traveler (she even received a Fullbright scholarship back in the day...), tells you how it really is, and has a generous heart.  It's easy to take sisters for granted, but sometimes you need to step back and realize how lucky you are.

sissies

4)  I love citrus fruits because of their bold flavors and colors and I recently came across this adorable citrus tree at the National Arboretum in DC.  I wanted to take the whole tree home with me.

cute little mini citruses

5)  I am crazy fascinated by these beautiful columns in the middle of a random field up at the National Arboretum in Washington, DC.  They were from the east wing of the Capitol (dating back to the days of Lincoln's inauguration) and after a renovation in 1958, they were put out to pasture.

pretending we're in Greece...
but really it's the National Arboretum in DC

Happy Friday!  Anything fun or any races on the agenda?

I'm looking forward to a long weekend :)

Do you like to wear compression socks for recovery?
I'm a huge pro compression fan (I have 3 pairs) but I'm also really loving these new Lunatik Athletik socks.  I wear compression to work every day (I work long 12 hour shifts, a lot of which is spent on my feet) and I love them after a tough workout too.