Healthy Chicks

Note: This post is sponsored by Vocalpoint and True Runner, but as always all opinions are my own.

It’s been in the high 80s in Boston this week, and summer is on my mind: roof-top bars, crop-tops, BBQing, beach days, and all the good stuff that comes with my favorite season. As the weather starts to warm up — along with my mood — I also begin thinking about fitness and how I move my body.

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that running has always been one of those exercises that makes me shine. Unfortunately, these past few months have got the best of me and I’ve been kind o’ putting my weekly fitness on the back burner. However, a mind-clearing run last week up Summit Avenue hill (for those of you who don’t know, it’s a monster hill in the heart of Brookline) got running back on my mind.

And what better way to inspire a gal to keep it going than new workout clothes + gear? (If you know me, my wardrobe is like 90% fitness, 10% regular person!) That’s why I was delighted when I got the opportunity from the lovely folks at Vocalpoint to visit True Runner for a cool, personalized shopping experience.

For those of you who’ve never been to True Runner, they’re a pretty sick destination for anything & everything running. Aside from stocking the obvious like apparel and gear, they also boast knowledgable staff who literally know everything there is to know about running. In fact, they even offer a special arch & gait analysis so you can find your perfect shoe and sports bra fittings so you’re all taken care of top to bottom 😉

I have been to True Runner’s Chestnut Hill location before (right in Chestnut Hill Square) but never took the time to explore their unique services they offer, so I was thrilled to check it out.

Upon walking in, I was swiftly greeted by Raf, who helped me get set up for my arch & gait analysis. I apologized for wearing flip flops and forgetting to bring socks, but it turns out I actually needed to be barefoot for the analysis anyway! Raf directed me to take off my flip flops, and hop on the treadmill where I jogged normally at about a “5” speed, while he did his thing on the fancy iPad. After about 60 seconds, I hopped off to get the deets.

Raf explained to me that as I ran, they were essentially tracking my running form and foot patterns. Turns out, I had a tendency to over-pronate, which Raf explained can lead to stress factor, shin splints, and general discomfort while running if you’re not using the proper shoe.

Fortunately for me, I was in running shoe heaven, and Raf took me straight to the section for us over-pronators. I won’t lie, I was definitely going for looks when thinking through my options but I fell super in love with the Nike Zoom Structure 19. (OK, it may have had just a little to do with the purple!)

After the glorious time spent in the shoe section (I wanted them all), I did a little perusing before I met with Alicia to get my sports bra fitting. To be honest, other than at Victoria’s Secret, I’ve never had this done before nor thought too much about my sports bra size. I kind of always just grabbed whatever was on the shelf, and made it work. Sometimes, I don’t even try them on since I’m always in such a rush!

Alicia got me all measured up using a tape measure, and then used her special “magical wheel” to identify my size. I ended up falling right between a 32/34 B. After that, we head over to the bra section to see which options would work best for me! I grabbed a few to try on in my size range, but quickly fell in love with the Nike Pro 360 Support.

[OK, I may have had a little too much fun in the fitting room]

Once I was all suited up with my shoe and bra fitting, I did a little more shopping and bopping around. There was so much to choose from, but I narrowed it down to these items. Again…it’s not like I love purple or anything 😉

I’m especially excited for the Nike 2-in-1 shorts that have extra support for running! I can’t wait to come back to the store after Memorial Day to purchase most (or all!) of these items using the gift card I was sent to go toward my purchase — the staff was even kind enough to hold everything for me!

Aside from the amazing apparel and gear True Runner offers, I think my favorite part was the friendly, knowledgeable staff who went out of their way to help me with everything I needed, and knew the answers to all of my weird questions like “Do I have flat feet?” “What happens if you over-pronate?” “Do you think this is a little too much purple?” (NEVER!!)

It’s also clear to me that they’re more than just a running store and truly value community — they even host weekly fun runs on Tuesday nights and Saturday mornings ranging from 3 to 7 miles. How fun?

Thank you bunches True Runner for a fun, education evening…and inspiring me to up my summer workout wardrobe 😉 I’m so glad I learned the importance of what a difference it makes when you have the right fit — top to bottom.

What exercise lights you up, especially come the warmer summer-y months? Have you ever had an arch & gait analysis… a sports bra fitting? What did you learn?