gear whore

My hair stylist once called me a product whore because I can always be counted on to buy crap that feeds into my dream of making my thin tresses look fabulous.

It's already been established that I am most definitely a carb whore.

And I was asked by one of my friends on dailymile.com if it's possible that I'm a cowbell whore.  My answer?  Oh my, yes!

Well, I think I may be turning into a gear whore.  I love getting new running gear - love the clothes, love the accessories (read: calf sleeves - but I really DID need them!), and love the gadgets (Garmin Electra!).... Hopefully, the husband isn't getting freaked while reading this.  I don't want him to think he needs to initiate an intervention. 

I'm going with, "the camera angle made my calves
look abnormally girnormous and misshapen."

Take a look at my sassy new calf sleeves!

Skins A400.  I LOVE them.

Absolutely NO calf pain since I started wearing them.  None!!

And just look at how sexy they make my legs look.

I was careful to not show the pasty fat stores  bulging out from the elastic constraints at the top of the sleeves.

But look at my ankles.  That lily white skin you see is not a trick of the camera - that's my actual skin tone.  Did you know that I'm a red headed Irish lass?  S'true!

And here we have my sweet new kicks!

Back in the Saucony's.  ProGrid Guide 4.  And Pink!!  So girly!

You'd hardly notice I'm wearing a frickin' size 12 because the pink makes them look so very dainty and princess-like.






  


I tried to get a shot of the new kicks in the sunlight but Jane wanted to get headed out on our walk.

Jane won.

Speaking of Jane, here's a shot of her channeling Santa's Little Helper (the Simpson's dog) while we were out on our Easter Sunday walk.

Back to my gear whoreness..... The only snag in my gear acquisition plan is that I hate to pay full price for stuff.  HATE TO.   So that constantly gets in my way.   I guess that makes me a frugal gear whore???  (Cheap just doesn't sound right.)  But oooOOOooo!!  FrugalGearWhore could be the subject/title of my next blog!  My frugality has limited me to two pairs of running shorts that I'm willing to wear in public, and one pair of running pants.  I know I'm going to have to bite the bullet at some point and get more clothes (regardless of discount status) because I can only do laundry so many times each week....

Anywhoo, I don't think I'm alone in my love of gear.  I just know there are p-l-e-n-t-y of you out there.

Speak up!  Tell me about your gear love!

And oh please - I need a sassy new outfit for Grandma's so if you know of any discount running gear places I should be haunting, tell me about that too!

the week ahead

So here's what my trainer, TenacityChris has in store for me this week.

Keep in mind, I'm supposed to baby my muscle tear and cut back on miles and/or not go too fast on my runs if that seems to be irritating it.  Injury recap: What seems to be happening is that I'm so worried about the chest wall hurting that I contort my body in unusual ways (more so than usual in order to protect the chest wall tear) and that's what is causing me to have all these new and interesting pains.

Liz, my postural restoration PT, wants me to take it easy, too, and really listen to my body and limit mileage as needed.  So I may or may not get that many miles in and it's highly unlikely that I'll do any kettlebell this week.

Anywhoo - here's what's on tap:

4/24 Sunday:
Off – Happy Easter!
4/25 Monday
Kettlebell
5 miles easy running (11:00 pace or greater)
4/26 Tuesday
7 miles running as follows (tempo)
Miles 1-2:  11:00 pace
Miles 3-5:  10:15 pace
Mile 6-7:  11:00 pace
4/27 Wednesday
Off day
4/28 Thursday
5 miles easy running (11:00 pace)
4/29 Friday
Kettlebell
4/30 Saturday:  Get in Gear Half Marathon
17 Miles Long Run
Miles 1-5:  11:30 pace
Mile 6:  10:45 pace
Miles 7-12:  11:30 pace
Mile 13:  10:30 pace (take time to have a drink, grab a banana, then finish the rest of your run…don’t let your body cool down)
Miles 14-16:  11:30 pace
Mile 17:  10:30 pace  Finish strong - you CAN do this!  Ice Bath!!!

Can I just say that TenacityChris CLEARLY has a mean streak? <even though she doesn't have a mean bone in her body>

Look at Saturday's run - I'm running a half marathon.  But 13.1 miles isn't enough mileage, so after I dazzle all the folks at the Get in Gear Half Marathon with 

This will be me at the
GIG half mary

my 

lightning 

fast 

speed, 

I get to grab a snack and then run another 4 miles.  That's gonna suck!  But at least I get to grab a snack.  So she's not completely heartless!

Yeah, I know.  I know. I KNOW that TenacityChris is doing her damnedest to turn me into a Honey Badger marathoner despite my lack of running talent.  And, oh how I LOVE her for that!  So, <crap> assuming all goes well and the body is behaving, I guess that means I have to hold up my end of the bargain and just suck it up and do it.

But I might I'll probably whine a little. 

those who can't run, cook

So I'm on limited mileage for the time being due to my (stupid non-running injury) chest wall muscle tear.  I guess I tore it while trying to fold the backseat in my car while sitting in the drivers seat. Then exacerbated it the next day while walking an overly exuberant Jane.  Jane likes squirrels.  When Jane sees squirrels she sometimes tears after them.  Holding Jane's leash can be an exciting exercise in itself.

I did manage to get a run in today - 3 miles, not the 11 that was on my training plan.  But still, I want to keep doing what I can while keeping the old body healthy.  It was a nice run around the lake the with the husband and Jane.

So anywhoo, since I didn't run yesterday, I decided to cook!  Here's what I made: Pan seared tuna steak served on white beans with fresh basil.  Bibb lettuce salad with fresh dill and english cucumbers with a lemon dijon vinaigrette.  And because I am a carb whore, bread - a lovely baguette served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping.  The tuna and white bean recipes are from my Williams Sonoma "The Weeknight Cook" cookbook and I just winged it on the salad and vinaigrette.  It was a tasty meal and even the kids liked it!

Mmmmm, tuna steak!

Here's the lowdown:

White Beans (makes about 10 cups cooked beans)
2 pound pkg of dried white beans
2 T olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

Parboil the beans

Put the beans in a large pot and add cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, about 15 minutes. Drain the beans and transfer them to a dutch oven. 

Cook the beans

Meanwhile, in a fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the 2 Tbs. oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the onion mixture and the 1 1/2 Tbs. salt to the dutch oven and stir to combine with the beans. Add cold water to cover the beans by about 2 inches. Cover and cook until the beans are tender (about 90 minutes). Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. 

Pan Seared Tuna

4 tuna steaks, each about 4 oz. and 3/4 inch thick

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

3 Tbs. olive oil

2 Tbs. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley (I opted for fresh basil instead of parsley)

Sear the tuna
Season the tuna steaks on both sides with salt and pepper. In a fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the 3 Tbs. olive oil. Add the tuna steaks and sear until crisp and browned on the outside, about 2 minutes per side for rare. Transfer 2 cups of the beans to a large bowl and toss with the parsley. Store the rest of the beans for later use ('cuz you're making about 10 cups of the stuff).

Divide the beans among 4 plates, top each with a tuna steak and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Bibb Lettuce Salad with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette

Bunch of bibb lettuce washed and drained (or you can use a bag of bibb lettuce, that works too)

1 English cucumber, peeled and diced

Another view.  Guess I should have paid more attention to
 "plating," and maybe used cloth napkins!

big bunch of fresh dill, washed and chopped

for the vinaigrette

approximately 1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 dollop Dijon mustard

juice of one lemon

healthy pour of Rice Vinegar

Sea Salt

fresh ground pepper

whisk all ingredients together and adjust amounts to taste - sorry this is so vague but I don't measure when I'm throwing stuff together!

Apply vinaigrette to salad mixture and toss right before serving.

By the way, I'm no cook.  So if I can make this stuff, ANYONE can!

Bon Appetit!

shut up and run

You know what a sucker I am for free stuff and this was one giveaway I just couldn't resist!!  Beth at Shut Up and Run is giving away a su-WEET piece of Sporty Girl Jewelry jewelry and I WANT IT!!!  My choice, should I be lucky enough to win, is the Joan of Arc quote necklace.

Here's the link to the SUAR post if you want to compete against me: http://twentysixpointtwoormore.blogspot.com/2011/04/winner-and-sporty-girl-jewelry-giveaway.html?showComment=1303568809373#c8521944377239696554

If you chose to compete against me and win, then I want you to give me proper credit.  And maybe whatever jewelry you choose.  That seems fair.

sunday synopsis

Freaking windy windy windy run!  Gorgeous sunny day though.

Today's 15 miler fell a tad short....

Pre-run.  The husband had to take a
picture of me in all my runner geek glory.  He
 also tracked me down on my run to give me
water and got ice for my ice bath.
Thanks love!!

I stopped at my brother & sister-in-law's (hey B & B!!) house to use their bathroom (this was at the start of mile 8), oohed and ahhed over their awesome new fridge and gawked at the ginormous dog (pony?) who was a puppy just yesterday....

Anywhoo, I paused my Garmin while I was there but because I took so damn long to get it going again, it shut itself off.  Then I overestimated how far I had gone and thus underestimated how far I had to go.... so the upshot of it is, I ran 14.5 miles, not 15.  Frankly, I don't think I could have gone another half mile.  After about mile 11, my left hip and my right calf were killing me.... Surprisingly enough, I wasn't physically tired - I was just too sore to move very quickly.  But the chest wall issue is so much better!  It was pretty painful at the beginning and hurt to take deep breaths but seemed to improve as the run unfolded.  I just hope my little legs can get stronger.  It sucks to limit the run because of pain.

Distance: 14.5 miles
Overall Pace: 11:19 minutes/mile
Gear: 
Tunes - The iPod was a savior today.
Fuel belt - I wanted to rip off my water belt and throw it far, far away for the first half of the run.  Damn thing kept bouncing up, shifting around.... it was SO annoying!!!  I found myself saying things to it like, "I hate you and your ass face!" <Ooo, name that movie!!> and "You, f-ing SUCK!!" quite a bit while I was pulling it down and adjusting it over and over and over.  After the sweat started seeping through my clothes the belt stayed put and did the job it's supposed to do which is to carry fluids without being a complete pain in the ass.
Shoes - I forgot to mention that I returned the Asics.  They just weren't doing it for me.  So I'm back in the old Sauconys and have ordered another pair, but this time in PINK!!  Can't wait for the new shoes to arrive.  I figure, better the devil you know....
Sustenance - Pre-run.  Oatmeal with banana and blueberries.  NO eggs!!  During run: GU chomps.  I felt like they gave me some good energy boosts and there were no GI issues at all.  Whoo hoo!!
Clothes - Moving comfort bra.  Success!  My ONE pair of long (almost long enough) pants - I wanted to keep my cranky calf warm.

Overall, I guess I'm satisfied with the run - my longest distance to date!!  I just need to figure out the whole pain issue.  The ice bath afterwards was wonderful!  (I still can't believe I love them as much as I do!)

And OMG was I wishing for the snot rocket skills today.  My nose ran like a fire hose.  My gloves are gonna need a good washing!

honey badger

I'm trying to be a tougher runner.  I want to be more like the honey badger - completely badass!  (plus, I just love this video.  I laugh every time!)

It's been tough to get tougher because I'm dealing with some injuries. Again.

This time I somehow torqued my chest wall by trying to fold up the back seat of the car while sitting in the driver's seat.  The pain is located right under my right armpit and radiates in a half circle from front to back ending at my shoulder blade.  Then I made it worse when walking overly exuberant Jane - she was Super!Excited!ToBeGoingForA WALK!!! - and pulled really hard on the leash several times. Which I was holding in my right hand.  Jane is strong!

Anywhoo, it's a strange injury because I can do planks but can't do crunches.  I can't lay (lie?) on either side in bed, I have to lie (lay?) on my back. It hurts to brush my teeth.  Not the brushing part, the curving the arm part to reach the teeth.... Hurts to cough.  Hurts to sneeze.  Hurts to take a deep breath.  So I haven't been able to go to kettlebell class.  And I LOVE kettlebell class!!  It doesn't hurt when I'm running, but it aches afterwards.... Strange.  With my history of osteopenia (a precursor to osteoporosis) I was a little afraid of having a cracked rib.  It's pretty unlikely but still.... So, feeling a bit like a hysteroid, I went to the doctor after several days of the pain not getting better.  She offered to do an x-ray but pretty much said I didn't need one.... so I didn't get one.  I think it's getting better.

Then there's my right calf.  It's been getting super tight and while not exactly painful, I was worried it might turn into something nasty.  I've been stretching and icing and using the foam roller on it but it still tightens up.  Then I made the mistake of doing an internet search for "calf pain" and seeing all kinds of horrible possibilities and the recommendation that I MUST take 7-10 days MINIMUM off from running.  So I called my PT Katie to talk me down for advice.  Katie thinks I'll be fine.  I need to just keep doing what I'm doing and listen to my body, and maybe try some compression socks.

purchase of this magnet was inspired by the honey badger

I'm getting SO AFRAID I'm going to do something to hurt myself and make it impossible for me to do my marathon.  Argh!!

I think it's just that achieving the goal of running a marathon is so important to me.  I was disappointed last fall when I couldn't run the TC Marathon but this is somehow different.... life is still complicated but running has really been a release for me.  Last fall running was a chore, a "have to."  It has now become a blessing, a "get to."

Tomorrow I get to run 15 miles!  I have never run that far so I'm looking forward to seeing how the body holds up.

It's time to relax and enjoy the journey.

And it's time to find and embrace my inner honey badger.  I know it's in there somewhere!

thinking like a runner

Things that make you go "hmmmmmm".....

So last weekend I was running my 13.24 miles.  At one point I passed a woman who had stopped along the trail, turned away from all us other runners and blew a massive snot rocket onto the grass.  From each nostril.

I was impressed.

My nose drips like crazy when I run.  I always have to have kleenex tucked into the waistband of my pocketless pants.  Said kleenex gets pretty damp on those long runs.  And once they get used?  Blech.  NOT pleasant to carry around.

It's not for everyone

Anywhoo, when she turned back towards us, I purposely took a good look at her face.  It was clean as a whistle!  I immediately thought to myself, "Damn, I wish I could do that!  How does she NOT get snot all over her face??"

OMG, I was ENVIOUS of her skill at forcefully jettisoning snot out of her nose.

In public.

With no shame.

Normal people don't wish for skills like that.

Is this an indicator that I have officially crossed the line to thinking like a runner?

goldilocks and the 13 mile run

Here's a little story about me and my adventures on a long run.

Ok, so I ran 13.24 miles yesterday in 2:22:57, with an average pace of 10:47.  Not bad, not bad, but you know me,  I was hoping I'd gotten a little faster with all this training I've been doing.  It was a tough run for me so I had to incorporate some walk breaks in there.  But hey, I burned 1,518 calories!  That's a lot of Oreos!!  Too bad I didn't have any on hand on which to snarf.

So I tried out a few new articles of clothing on the long run yesterday.  Of course, I always want everything to be just right on my long runs, but sadly, I came up short with some of my choices.

The Intimidator

First up: the Bra

I'm still trying out this Moving Comfort bra.  It's one tough mother - I call it The Intimidator.  When I first got it, it was so STIFF and uncomfortable I didn't think it was going to be a contender.  It has since softened with washing and is no longer quite so rigid, but still has an air of no nonsense about it.  I used Body Glide to reduce likelihood of chafing and really have no complaints about the bra at all. It might just be a keeper!

Next up:  The Shoes

My Asics Gel Kayano 16

The Asics were great on my short run this week so I thought I'd try them on the long run.  Remember when I mentioned the right shoe slap, slap, slapping on the treadmill?  It seemed to settle down on the treadmill but not so outdoors.  The stupid right shoe slapped with Every.Single.Step. Multiply that by 13.24 miles and not only was it annoying as hell, but my poor hammer toe on the right foot really took a beating.  I also had some significant pain in my left hip - felt like the joint needed to be popped back in the socket so I had to stop a few times to stretch the hip flexor; that  would help for a short period of time but then the pain would return.  I'll have to try the shoes a few more times but right now, I'm not liking 'em as much as I did after my 5 miles on the treadmill.

Are these Fila capris ass-tastic?  Maybe a little!

Third up: Fila capris

I'll be honest, I did not need a new pair of capris.  Truth is, I succumbed to the marketing on these pants - Fila claims they will make my ass look amazing.  You should have seen how quickly I forked over the 40 bucks - seemed like a pretty decent price for a miracle.  <Marketing works!>  They were comfortable for the most part but the waistband was a little too big so I had to hike 'em up a few times during the run.  Question for pants manufacturers: Hello?  Why no pockets???  How am I supposed to carry keys, lip balm and GU without pockets???

The burning question: Was there a miraculous ass transformation?  Ya know, for capris, they weren't too bad!!

These socks just didn't do it for my size 11s

Lastly: Pearl Izumi socks

My favorite Asics socks (I love them so much I have 5 pairs) are all getting pretty threadbare so I wanted to try a new pair of socks.  (Try as I might, I can't find those specific Asics socks anywhere!)  I wore these socks and though comfortable, they were not the greatest for a long run.  The (ankle??) band was too tight and left a deep welt along the top of my foot.  Verdict: these socks are fine for short distances but fail for long runs.  I'll have to keep looking for new favorite socks.

Food Choice


Scrambled eggs before a long run = bad.

I usually have oatmeal but forgot to make it Friday night and didn't have 45 minutes to cook it Saturday morning before heading to Minneapolis for my run. Let's just say I won't be fueling with eggs ever again and leave it at that.  And thank God for porta-potties.

Oh yeah

I forgot to mention: My official half-marathon time is 2:30:45, which means that even with my walk breaks, I shaved 7 MINUTES and 12 SECONDS off my time! And that doesn't take into consideration the fact that I ran farther than a half-marathon.... so I'm going with shaving almost 8 minutes.... that feels just right to me.

The End.

'cuz I know you wanna know

The new Asics are great so far!

Ran 5 miles on the treadmill last night.  At first the shoes seemed to be slap, slap, slapping pretty hard (especially the right foot - ????) but things settled down after a couple of miles.  The feet were happy, the left shin didn't bark at all, and there is no soreness today!  Yay!

Computer model for tomorrow's weather from intrepid
Minnesota meteorologist, Paul Douglas.

13.1 miles on the training plan for tomorrow and the forecast is for thunderstorms. Here's hoping I find out that the new shoes are FAST, too.

big girl feet

Good news!  The shin pain must have been an anomaly, or maybe the ice and foam rolling helped...at any rate, it's much better.  I did 3 miles on the elliptical last night and when that seemed ok, I jumped over to the treadmill and did another 2.5 miles.  Seemingly, all is well. <knock on wood> Whew!!

The cat lost that lovin' feelin' for the
Saucony's too, or at least she did for the laces.

After looking at the mileage on my Saucony ProGrid Guide 4 running shoes, I decided it was time for some new kicks.  Plus, I'm just not that  into them anymore.  If you recall from my quest for the perfect lady lump holder, (credit Liz for that nugget!) I want to LOVE my clothes and be loved right back!  And I was definitely not feeling the love from the ol' Saucony's anymore.  Oh sure they were great early in the relationship, cuddly, supportive, cared about their appearance, fun to be around....but I think they've become complacent and no longer give a rip about my comfort or my needs.  So I'm looking for a new love.

Off I went to Run N Fun in St. Paul in search of my new BFF shoes.  Although I'm certain the shoe salespeople have seen all nature of hideous running feet, I sometimes feel that I get a Chief Brody-type reaction when I unfurl my dainty size 11s - complete with hammer toe and black toenails - for their fitting pleasure.

And of course, shoe manufacturers don't always carry shoes in my size (again, 11 or rather, 11.5 for running shoes) so options are somewhat limited which sucks.  As in bras, I want color!  I want to be able to put the FUN in Function!! Why do clothing manufacturers believe that just because you're above average in height or length (um, talking about arms, legs and feet here) that you have no desire for colors other than fleshtones, white or black, or that you are uninterested in things that are just plain cute???   I had the same problem a bazillion years ago back when I was pregnant.  Apparently, tall women don't get pregnant, or if they do, they certainly don't buy maternity clothes.  BECAUSE NOTHING FITS THE TALL PREGNANT CHICK.  Yikes!  "Someone" is still harboring some resentment! Let it go, Nora.  Let it go!

Annndddd we're kind of getting off topic here, so let's get the train back on track......

Could this be love?  Time will tell!

Anywhoo, so I found a new pair that I liked enough to take home and try.  Asics Gel Kanayo 16s.  (16 is the version people, not the size.)  I wore them last night - they were quite comfy and seemed to really care about what I needed.  I'll spend a little time with them, get to know what makes them tick, give them a chance to continue to meet my needs and go from there.

5 miles later today so I'll be taking the new squeeze(s) out for a spin. Don't worry, I'll keep you posted on how it all turns out.  I know you'll be dying to hear every detail no matter how insignificant!

How about you?  Any clothing-related love/hate/other relationships you care to share?

uh oh, Houston, I hope we don't have a problem

So here's the plan from TenacityChris for this week:

Monday 4/4
Kettlebell (done!)
4 miles easy running (NOT done - only 1.5 miles in, and today is Tuesday, right?)
Tuesday 4/5
5 miles Hills as follows:
Mile 1:  11:00
4 x 2:30 min @ 10:45 at 3% on TM with recoveries of 2:00 min @ 11:00 at 1%
Cool down to 5 miles total at 11:00
Wednesday 4/6
Off day
Thursday 4/7
5 miles easy running
Friday 4/8
Kettlebell
Saturday 4/9
13 miles Long Run
Miles 1-3:  11:00
Miles 4-6:  10:30
Miles 7-12:  11:00
Mile 13:  10:30 (Really try to push yourself to make this pace at the end of the run – you need to practice pushing yourself when fatigued so you know you can do it during the real deal at Grandma’s)  Ice Bath post run please!
Sunday 4/10
Recovery walk

Ok, so I started my run yesterday and everything just felt OFF - stride was funky, legs felt weird, I just felt out of whack physically.  Not too long into it, my left shin developed some severe pain.... I kept going for a little while to see if it would sort itself out but it wasn't happening so I stopped after 1.5 miles.

My shin was tender to the touch and I was PISSED.  Grandma's is only 75 days away!! I still have to build up mileage!  Arrrrgghhhh!!

Iced it for a bit (which seemed to help) and went to kettlebell class.  Consulted with TenacityChris and she thinks (and I agree, not that I know anything about anything) that the hills of Saturday's long run have made my calves get tight, which is leading to shin pain.  I need to nip this in the bud so I don't develop shin splints, or worse, lead to a stress fracture.  More ice, quality time with my foam roller, and we'll see how it goes.

Patience, Nora, patience!!  Anyone have ideas for other things I should try?  Compression socks, maybe??

I'll try to run later today.... and try to keep in perspective that I'm training to run a marathon, not racing to save a life, so let's not sweat the small stuff.

But I can still bitch about it, right?

Happy Birthday to my big brother!

He is one of my heroes, and not just for being a cancer survivor.  Kind, generous, funny as hell, fabulous husband, dad, son, and brother, and I'm lucky that he also counts as a friend.

Love you, B!!

wookin' pa nub

I'm looking for a sports bra I can love.

The girls and I are getting pretty tired of bouncing along the roads of life and could use a little more support.  And color!  I'd also like to not risk dislocating my shoulder getting in and out of a boulder holder strait-jacket.  I need some help, people!!  Help me find a bra the girls and I can love which will love us right back!!

Fun facts to know and share: I wear a 34D.  I am 5'11" tall and weigh about 145 pounds. I am also in my mid-forties so the level of perkiness has gone from amazing and unappreciated (age 19 or so - oh, the sweet ignorance of youth!) to reasonable (mid-thirties) and has now morphed into.....disappointing.

But I digress.....

Here's what I have tried so far:

Champion style #6209.  Pink.  Really faded pink.  Standard bra with 3 hook/eye closure.  Non-adjustable straps. Entry and exit difficulty rating = 1.0.  I love this bra but it's getting quite ratty and not nearly as supportive as it used to be. It fit PERFECTLY when I got it.  Plus, the inside is getting all pilly so I had to use a sweater shaver on it to avoid irritation.  Don't judge.

Champion style #6209.  White.  Standard bra with 3 hook/eye closure.  Non-adjustable straps. Entry and exit difficulty rating = 1.0.  I bought this one because I LOVE my faded pink one so much.  But of course, Champion had to *eff* with the sizing and fit so it rides super high under my armpits and I swear the straps are shorter.  Fairly uncomfortable.  Big disappointment.

Under Armour style #unknown.  White. Pullover with no clasp. Non-adjustable straps. Entry and exit difficulty rating = 8.5. Comfy but has annoying seams IN the cups.  Can you say "Chafing alert?"  Owie!!

Moving Comfort style #unknown. Electric blue!! Pull over with no clasp. Non-adjustable straps. Entry and exit difficulty rating = 9.0.  Comfortable once I can get the damn thing on except for the seams at the shoulder which are irritating.  Strange little nubbins on the band that leave interesting pattern on skin.  

Champion style #1612.  Hot pink!! Pullover with 2 hook/eye closure.  Non-adjustable straps. Entry and exit difficulty rating = 6.0. This one has a strange fit to it - too big and just right at the same time.  Quite comfortable but not supportive enough.  Ok for when I'm on the elliptical, anything more "impactful" equals fail.

Champion style #9516.  White. Standard bra with 2 hook/eye closure.  Entry and exit difficulty rating = 1.0. Worst bra ever.  Ugly.  Cheap construction. Is only included here as a warning. Piece o' crap!! 

Champion style #unknown.  White. Pullover with 3 hook/eye closure.  Adjustable straps. Entry and exit difficulty rating = 1.0.   In it's heyday, this bra wasn't too bad but has now passed its prime.  Hate the seams in the front.  

Moving Comfort style #350025.  Bright green!  Pullover with 3 hook/eye closure.  Adjustable straps. Entry and exit difficulty rating = 7.0. Probably operator error but I have a tough time hooking it together.  I really want to love this one but the jury is still out.  Just got it and it's finally getting softer.

So here's my wishlist:
1.  34D
2.  Color! Color! And more color!! (what is it about bra manufacturers and their unwillingness to bring color to the chests of women with boobies larger than a C cup????)
3.  Adjustable straps
4.  Relatively easy in/easy out.  I don't want putting my bra on to be the toughest part of my workout.
5.  Seamless inner cups
6.  Separate cups - one for each lovely girl.  I am NOT a fan of the uniboob, from the aesthetics standpoint as well as comfort and moisture accumulation.  Blech.

Oh, and a bra that will take me back to my 19 year old shape. <she said wistfully>

Any ideas, ladies??  Please help the girls!!  What bras can you recommend I try?

And hey!!  Any sponsors out there looking for aging runners to test their bras??  Send 'em my way!!  I'll post honest reviews - glowing, scathing and in between!