Training Tuesday - Handana Review

Here's a recap of my workouts for the week:

Tuesday, February 4:
kept thinking I was going to do some weight training today, but got distracted by other things.  Worked the dinner shift and then was going to come home and get on the bike - but after I ate dinner at 9pm, it didn't seem like it made sense to get sweaty.

Wednesday, February 5:
Managed a little speed work today.  1mi warm up, 2mi at 10:40mm pace, 1/2 mile recovery, 2mi at 10:40mm pace, 1/2 mile recovery, 1/2mi cool down
I am still trying to figure out how to determine pacing.  I've got my watch, and I try to monitor my pace on the watch.  But going back and looking at the workout, whether on watch tracking or RunKeeper tracking, the pace looks a little different (and even different between apps).  Any ideas/suggestions?
Love how great I'm feeling even when pushing the speed.
No time for yoga or foam rolling after the run, but did have my post-run smoothie and a bottle of Nuun.  Will stretch tonight before bed.

Thursday, February 6:
I thought about getting up early to run before work, knowing I wasn't going to have a chance to run the rest of the day.  But as I got in bed Wednesday night, I realized I hadn't set my alarm early enough to actually get in a run, and by that point I wasn't getting up to change it.  I did manage to get 10,000+ steps in for the day, but no run.

Friday, February 7:
Squeezed in a 5K while on a conference call - no real attention to pace, just ran when I could and walked when I had to contribute to the conversation! hahaha.  I'm supposed to be in taper anyway ;)

Saturday, February 8:
Got up to cheer on my friends in a local 10K, but took today as a rest day.  Did walk down to the race, so got in my 10,000 steps for the day.

Sunday, February 9:
We had gorgeous weather today - perfect for a 12 mile long, slow run.  Met up with Jason in the afternoon to hit a new trail together.  It did get a little warm in the middle, but we had a good time.  Took the Handana out for a spin again.
12 miles in 2:23..  Avg pace:
This week I went a little later in the day.  So my pre-race fuel, included a bowl of Peanut Butter Cheerios before church, then a whole wheat english muffin and natural peanut butter right before heading out for the run.  I also had 20 ENERGYbits with my cereal, and a cup of coffee.
On run nutrition: a Fig Bar from a runDisney post-race kit at mile 5.  3 Clif Bloks at mile 9.  Cherry Limeade Nuun.  Some Blue PowerAde when my Nuun ran out and the water fountains weren't on to refill my bottles.  Thanks to Jason for sharing his electrolytes!
Post-run fueling: this got a little messed up thanks to a flat tire.  I did have some Jelly Belly Sport Beans - Recovery Crisps and a PowerBar Vanilla Protein Bar in the car to have once I finished, knowing I was driving home, and not getting anything in my system right away otherwise.  I also had more Nuun in the car.  Unfortunately, I got a flat tire and ended up waiting 1.5 hours for AAA to come help me change the tire (seriously, all he did was kick the tire, because I had already gotten the car jacked and the bolts off, but then couldn't get the tire off the car!).  This messed up my usual post-run plans.  As soon as I got home (after 8pm) I made tacos for dinner.  Then it was time for foam rolling, yoga, and a shower before icing.  And can I just say how happy my feet are that my Foot Rubz has returned!

Monday, February 10:
Worked a long day, but essentially today was a "rest" day.


Last week's winner of the tin of ENERGYbits is: Lindsay M.  Congratulations!

This week, I want to share my review of Handana.  This is a product I have been wanting to try to over a year.  When I found out I won the Boston entry, I reached out to them to see if they would be willing to send me a Handana to review on my Training Tuesday posts, and they were so gracious to send me a Boston-inspired one!

Boston-inspired Handana

I can't remember when I heard about or saw Handana for the first time, but I immediately knew it was something I wanted.  I'm not afraid to say it - I'm a heavy sweater, especially in the summer months.  In the winter, I don't really sweat, but I need my thumb-hole sleeves to wipe my nose.  This may be a little gross and TMI, but I know I'm not the only one with these issues (although apparently my BRF does NOT get a runny nose in the winter).  But in the summer, when I'm wearing my tanks, I need something to wipe the sweat from my face.  

That's where Handana comes in.  You slide it on over your hand and you're ready to go.  

My Nike Thumb-Hole Pullover

I was sent a medium, but I feel like I'm on the cusp between small/medium.  I've tried on the small at an expo, and it didn't feel too tight.  The medium felt a little large - I would have liked it to be a little more snug around my wrist, but I also have small wrists.  The other thing I noticed - compared to my thumb-hole sleeves - is that it doesn't come down onto your fingers as much.  In the summer, I'm sure that I'll love having as little fabric as possible on my hand, but for now, I wished it was a little longer just to give me more room for the sweat.  I said it before - I sweat A LOT!  

I took the Handana out for two runs this week.  The first run was Monday with speed work.  The temp was probably in the 50s to 60s.  It was great to just slip it on and go - and be able to wipe my brow with ease while running.  I am right handed, but for some reason I typically like to wear everything on my left hand.  Oh right - quick side note - they come in singles, so if you want one for each hand, make sure to order two!  With my watch being on my left wrist, however, I ended up sliding the Handana on my right hand.  It's versatile in the sense that there isn't a "right" or "left" to worry about.  The fabric is really soft and comfortable for wiping your face.  No worries about scratching yourself.  The seems are smooth too.  

The second run I tested Handana on was my long run on Sunday - 12 miles.  I did wash the Handana during the week, actually hoping it might shrink a little bit, but it stayed the same size.  It still fit great, and even though I got a little warm wearing capris and a t-shirt for my 63 degree run, my hand never felt hot.  It did soak up A LOT of sweat on 12 miles, so I'd definitely want to have 2 for long run days.  Also, for me, some times it's easier to wipe with my left hand, and I didn't have that option without moving the Handana from hand to hand.  So, yeah, I would recommend having at least two in your running wardrobe.

All in all, I give Handana 2 thumbs up for awesomeness!  And the great thing is the story behind the product.  From the website:

Handana was created by Katie Niemeyer as a solution to inefficiency cotton sports wristbands.  

At 16 Katie developed SJS, a severe allergic reaction to medication that can happen to anyone.  She found herself in the burn unit, with 2nd and 3rd degree burns, after being on a new prescription for three weeks.  She fought hard to survive the experience,  spending three weeks in the hospital recovering.  She managed to fully recover, although some who are diagnosed with SJS can experience blindness, lung or kidney problems, joint issues, or even infertility.  Katie's development of Handana isn't just to solve her own problem or share her solution with others, but to bring awareness to the condition of SJS.  

As a Stevens-Johnson(SJS) survivor, her eyes were very sensitive, and she found it difficult to focus on training for her first marathon while sweat was dripping into and burning her eyes.  Hats, headbands and sweatbands helped, but in the Texas heat, sweat dripped causing extreme pain and providing an excuse to stop her workouts.  With the marathon a few months away, she needed a solution.

That's when Handana was born.  Her idea was to create a high-performance, fashionable wristsweatband for running and sports that wraps around your hand allowing you to use both sides of your Handana hand to wipe sweat from your neck or forehead.   

Handana comes in an array of fabulous colors, and I am so thankful that Katie has given me a code to share with readers for 10% off your purchase.  Just use the code "HandanaFriends2013" to get your discount.  This code is only available this week, so put in your order today.  And in case you miss your chance to order, check out Handana at the expo for Princess Weekend next week, or at the GO! Health and Fitness Expo in St. Louis in April.   

Thanks again to Katie for sending me a free product to review.  All opinions are my own.