Jamberry Nail Wraps

It’s becoming clear that I just finished training for a race because I have all sorts of time to update runfunfood.com!

I usually try to get a creative manicure before some running or TNT event. Traditional polish chips quickly on me (I wash my hands no less than 15 times a day working in a hospital.). Gel polish lasts for 2 weeks. “But that’s the point!”, you say. Except, as excited as I am for events, I want it for the 1-to-few days before and no more than a day after. Plus, at $30-$40 for a gel manicure, do you really want to take it off after a weekend?

I read about Jamberry Nails nail wraps very recently, right in time for the Nike Women’s Half Marathon. I was immediately interested. They have several pre-made designs from solid color to fun, festive holiday prints and everything in between. They are designed to last up to 2 weeks on hands and 4 weeks on toes. The best part is that they also have a design studio where you can design your own wraps, which is just perfect for events! I designed mine for Nike Women’s, which I ran with Team in Training. Because I was a part of a special team within TNT, Team On Fire, I also wanted to incorporate that. And this is what I came up with:

As you can see, this is for one sheet. So each sheet comes with enough wraps for 2 hands and 2 feet. These were about $18.00 because they were custom made. Many of the pre-designed wrap sheets are $15. I submitted my design for approval (you can upload pictures for these, so I imagine they have to be cleared for copyright reasons), and had an approval within a day. I emailed customer service to see how long they would take to deliver and she responded quickly and told me 6-10 business days after you get confirmation that they’ve shipped. That was going to be cutting it very close since the event weekend at that point was in 7 days. But that was completely my lack of thinking ahead. I got the email on a Monday. The wraps arrived on Wednesday. Yes, seriously. It was that fast. Perfect! Here is the finished product on their sheet.

(Pic is a little blurry, sorry about that!)

I am so happy with how they came out. Particularly because these are more fun than I would have had a salon do (though I’m sure they could have, I’m just simply not patient enough).

I’m a little clumsy with new things, so it took me a few minutes to get these right. Mainly, because my fingers fell in-between some of the sizes so I had to trim some down. Then you add some heat. They have a dryer, or you can use a blow-dryer, which worked just fine for me. You heat them up, lay them onto the nail. Then you smooth it out with a rubber nail tool (I don’t own one because I don’t generally do my own nails, so I used a cotton swab). Once it is smooth, add a little more heat from the dryer to make sure it adhered and is smooth. I trimmed down the end and filed, and voila! Perfect, event-ready nails.

I LOVE them. If you looked really close (like so close it would be weird if someone actually looked that close) you can tell they were printed. That’s a win. They came out awesome and for what I wanted, it was perfect. They lasted through a rough day at work, the expo, a few events and the race. I took them off myself the day after and they were still in perfect shape. A major plus was that there was absolutely no damage to my nail underneath. I can’t say that that’s true even with gel that is soaked for awhile to remove. Had they been a solid, or rather, every day, color, I would have left them on. I have no doubt they would last 2 weeks. They were shiny like gel and did not “appear like a wrap”, if that makes sense. I got so many compliments on them.

Things like this make me super happy.

So, all in all, it was a win. Would I get them again? Definitely. Will I refer others? Absolutely. Will I be trying some other styles, without a doubt.  I’m curious what other’s thoughts are on this. This was the first time my nails suited-up for a race other than just typical colors. But this was fun. Have any of you used Jamberry or any other nail wrap? What has your experience been?

Thanks for reading!

Brie

Nike Women’s Half Marathon San Francisco, 2014

It has been one unbelievably challenging year. I started out too eager, got hurt…..and then kept getting hurt after that. I learned a valuable lesson about rest and recovery. (But that is for another post). For now I want to talk about the awesome that was the Nike Women’s Half Marathon. (Insert thumbs-up here).

As I may have mentioned a thousand times before once or twice, I have been actively involved in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training for a year and a half. This was my third season. The team here in San Francisco is incredible. They’ve become more like family. Since June we’ve been training and raising money to fund research aimed at finding cures for blood cancers and improving the lives of patients and families. I’d say we did that….$450,000 later! So shout out to my SF/Marin Run Team for that!! I was also a part of an amazing group, Team on Fire. We worked together to raise over $250K, which funded a grant for research aimed at Acute Myeloid Leukemia. (A cancer a friend of mine has). I should mention though that at one of the awards receptions there was a surprise meet and greet. And look who I met:

Why yes, that is Shalane Flanagan.

This is Team On Fire. A Cancer-ass-kicking-cure-finding team. $252K for Acute Myelod Leukemia. 

I went into the actual race with no expectations. I had two significant injuries this year that cost me months of quality training. They weren’t even simultaneous. Literally, as soon as the first one resolved the second one occurred. (ARRRGGGHHH!!!!) In my previous post I talked about my journey with acupuncture, which has been my saving grace. After weeks without running I did decide to try a light run and I was able to loosen the muscles in my back enough to start training, albeit carefully, again. By two weeks ago I was up to 10 slow, reluctant miles. I knew at that point that I could be on my feet with out my sciatic nerve taking over so I knew I could at least attempt this race.

I got to the start line really early. Oh, I should mention that the finish line was basically across the street from my apartment, so I had to get out to Union Square before the road closures at 5am. So I was there by 5am! I met with the team for a couple of pre-race pictures and a loud, “GO TEAM!!” before we departed to our prospective corrals.

I might be one of the few that doesn’t mind a long wait in the waves to get to the start line. I had good friends with me. We chatted with the runners around us, so it was fine. I noticed that because I went into this race just wanting to finish it, I wasn’t even the slightest bit nervous. I was just eager. About an hour and fifteen minutes after the gun, my wave was moving. We crossed the start line and almost immediately began a slight incline.

Now, if you’ve spent any time at all in San Francisco, you’ve learned that when we say “hills” we don’t mean “inclines”. We mean, adjust-how-you-walk-and-don’t-look-down-HILLS. The kind that make your car lose it’s breath. I was prepared for the inclines we had at the beginning. I held steady, really focused on my pacing. Last year I started way too fast and did a great first four miles, and then croaked at mile 5-10. I finished exhausted and in pain. I kept that in mind. I did a slow (really slow) first 5K, but I PR’d my 10K time by 3 minutes. Between miles 6 and 8 I alternated between, “I might actually PR this thing” with, “No PR, but my legs and back don’t hurt, SCORE!”. My legs were a little stiff, but okay. My lungs actually felt great.

I’ve run this part of the course, so as I crossed mile 8, I knew full-well what was coming up. After mile 9 there is a hill. Not just any ordinary hill, but the mother of all race-course hills. If I thought a picture would do it justice I would post one. But here is a look at the course elevation map.

(Click the map above for a larger view)

I knew I would lose some time on this so I just moved up it as quickly as I could without having to stop (read: I walked it, briskly). A teammate saw me and she pep-talked me to the top. At the top it dawned on me that I would actually finish this thing and I was in position to get a PR. The next mile and a half were down hill, and then the last mile or so was flat, feeding into the shute to the finish line at Marina Green. I have run this section so many times I could do it with my eyes closed, but this time it seemed to go for days. I found bumps I never knew where there. I swear they kept moving the finish line. One of my coaches ran with me for little while, which helped. I began to see more crowd gathered, ran into another friend spectating who cheered me on and then finally, I could see the finish line. Another coach joined me at this point (which he did at the same time last year!). When I looked at my watch I realized that I was going to finish no less than 4 minutes faster than my current record. Suddenly, I had energy that came from who-knows-where, and I bolted the last 0.2mi. Annnnd, I finished. I finished with energy. I finished without significant pain. And I finished with a -5:00min PR.

I was so excited. But I wanted some water. It got sunny and warm in the last few minutes! I went and collected my finisher’s bag full of snacks (thank you Whole Foods Market!) and collected my coveted Tiffany and Co. silver finisher’s necklace. Right around then I started to get a bit dizzy and not feeling well so I shoveled in a banana and bunch of water. I was able to connect with my boyfriend really fast. We then walked hobbled towards home. I would have liked if I didn’t have to buy my finisher’s shirt, but at this point, they could have sold me anything, so it was fine!

When I got home, my awesome neighbors had decorated my apartment door. This was the icing on the cake. I have felt so much support between my fundraising for cancer research (our group funded a research grant!), and the love of friends, I can’t even express my gratitude.

This race felt so different. Between pacing, and nutrition, and listening to my body. The stars just aligned for me to have a good race. I know that they aren’t all like that (apparently, according to the San Luis Obispo Half-Marathon that I had to scrap in April due to shin splints). But I feel good because I knew I’d done something right this time.

We don’t know where Nike will be this spring, but I love this race series. I will keep doing it as long as it makes sense to. I am hoping they’ll keep the fall one in San Francisco, but if the city is right I’ll travel for it. I hope this is an indication that I’m healing and ready to start working towards the next race. But not before a nice long recovery period.

Have you run Nike Women’s (either full or half)? Without looking at your race results, how and when do you know you’ve run a good race?

Happy Running!!

Brie

Team On Fire

Many people know that for over a year I’ve been actively involved with the Greater Bay Area Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training. Last fall I trained for and ran in the Nike Women’s Half Marathon and raised $2700 for blood cancer research. I ran in honor of a friend, Maggie, who was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in 2012. I’ve made so many good friends through Team. I’ve met survivors; people who themselves survived blood cancer and people who were survived by someone who didn’t. I run for all of them. I met some very special people last Fall. Stephanie Waxman, who was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of leukemia 2 years ago; who walked the NWHM with Team Stephanie and crossed the finish line just over a year after being diagnosed and undergoing a life-saving bone marrow transplant; who is now running with us this season. Christine Attia, who joined our team in August (3 months before the race!) and just 4 months after she lost her fiance, Dave LaRiche to Acute Myeloid Leukemia in April 2013. He was just 27. These two extraordinary women touched me deeply. Their stories were so relate-able. We three continued on to subsequent seasons; Christine and Stephanie on the Summer Team and I on the Spring Team. Little did I know then what a monumental Fall season we were about to embark on.

Christine and Stephanie had been throwing around the idea of forming another team with LLS/TNT to raise money directed specifically towards AML. “Wishful thinking” has resulted in a campaign that Christine has spearheaded called, Team on Fire. I went to an event honoring Dave on the 1 year anniversary of his passing and Christine told me that this was an idea in progress. I told her then, “I’m IN!”. (The survival rate of AML 5 years post-treatment is still only 25%). Well, our respective seasons ended. I signed back on to be a Mentor for our Fall season and I talked to Christine again. This time the campaign has grown and the goal of Team on Fire is to raise $250,000 aimed at funding research and treatment specific to AML, and she’s asked me to be the Team on Fire mentor. Of course I was so excited I actually almost burst. (And after I regained my composure I said YES!!!) 

And so we begin, with Christine as Captain, Stephanie and Lois Markovich (cancer survivor!) as Honored Teammates and myself as Mentor, Team on Fire as of today has 29 AML-fighting, run-spired members and we’re growing. This is a NATIONAL campaign through Team in Training, so anyone, anywhere can join our fight. We need to meet more survivors and our hope is that with more research and advancement specific to AML, we will. Our Dave, and our Maggie, and every other person diagnosed with a form of Leukemia will not be discussing end-of-life at age 27 or looking at a 5-year survival rate, because AML will be a cancer that has a high cure-rate. WE CAN DO THIS. WE WILL DO THIS.

I am so incredibly proud to be a part of this team and to be surrounded by such strong and determined people. All survivors in their own right.

To give you an idea of the beauty, courage, strength and determination that has developed over the past year, please visit the Team in Training Homepage, where Christine was interviewed just after she rocked the Nike Women’s Half Marathon in October 2013.

http://www.teamintraining.org/alumni/stories/christine_attia/

My single hope is that everyone reading will take a look at my page, at our Team Page and learn about what we are going to do.  By raising enough money to fund a specific grant, this will make a difference in the recovery of AML patient’s and their families. I hope that you might follow our progress. Maybe come to an event. Maybe dig even a bit deeper and make a donation to me or our Team. I’m looking forward to sharing this journey with you.

Here is the link to my personal page: http://pages.teamintraining.org/gba/nikesf14/bkellyj5jp

Here is the link to the Team On Fire team page: http://pages.teamintraining.org/gba/nikesf14/TeamOnFire

THANK YOU for reading. Happy Running!

Brie