Thursday, May 24, 2012

Gear Check: Sports Bras

This is the first edition of a segment where I would like to go over essential gear for the geek girl runner. Or namely just me. It is totally biased, but not yet based on any sponsorship. If you want to sponsor me, I'm not saying no. Just don't be Pepsi or the Dallas Mavericks or any of those shows with a vampire. I hate teen vampire shows. Also, I can't be sponsored by new episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. It's pointless without Christopher Meloni and you know it and now he's on that vampire show on HBO so thanks, I've got to watch that now.

If you are a woman with a larger bust size, you may have noticed that there is a dearth in the world of sports bras. From what I've seen at the start line of many races, a lot of runners are not. In fact, I think what may be keeping a lot of women with larger cup sizes from running is the lack of a sufficiently supportive sports bra.  If you're not, you're thinking, what, I see those everywhere? My current bra size is a 38 F. If you're thinking0 not unreasonably- why don't I just lose some weight and reduce the size, that doesn't help me. No, really, all I've managed to do is get rid of the fat around them so that the underwire of my bra is now hitting rib. I'm actually starting to see some ribs and giant breasts, only made to appear larger by the fact that there is not much left around them.

If you do not have your 38 F bust under control, we are talking serious problems, people. Pain, sweat, nasty under the boob rashes- no, cards on the table, people! If you have a smaller bust and fall in the normal range for sports bras, well, good for you. No, really. Count yourself lucky that you can buy two for twenty dollar sports bras. I sadly cannot. Nike and Adidas only seem to go up to a C or D cup. The really expensive Under Armour Bras only go up to like a 40 D. I did attempt to try one of those on and could only get it over one breast. So, clearly that was not going to work.

Enter the Internet! For a lot of my running gear research, I go to Zappos. It's particularly good for bras because you can filter by size instead of clicking on a bra only to find out that the bra doesn't come in your size. They also have a special section for running where they've put all their running gear into one area for you. This is how I found my current bra: SHOCK ABSORBER D+ MAX SUPPORT SPORTS BRA N109

You're really forced to take stock when the company that makes your bra is called Shock Absorber. So, a  few reasons why this bra is great. One, it has all that moisture wicking jock stuff. Two, it keeps the girls up and back and trust me, they are not going anywhere. Three, padded straps so no digging into your shoulders. Mine was $59 and they do have some more expensive models and some that are meant to be specifically for running. That may seem like a lot of money, but face it, it's about what any quality bra for anything DDD cup or over costs and it beats having the girls out of control. In other words, money well spent. If Shock Absorber wants to sponsor me, I'm all ears. I also wouldn't mind a trip to the factory in England like when pro athletes go to the Nike Campus to be analyzed. If that trip was during the Olympics so be it, but I will settle for any date where either the Doctor Who Experience is open or where David Tennant is performing in live theater. I think he's doing a movie in Poland this summer so, fall? BBC America had that come up on my Facebook News Feed, I don't actually make a habit of keeping track of the whereabouts of David Tennant.


Other sponsorships I would accept: Freebirds, Starbucks, Coca-Cola, BBC America, Spurs Sports and Entertainment, Bare Escentuals, Philosophy, Sephora. I would add Victoria's Secret, but since they don't make a bra my size, eh. Other sponsors may contact me and I will consider your proposal. 

Monday, May 21, 2012

Mission Statement

Hello and welcome to the Geek Girl in Training blog. I've sort of done this at the behest of my mother, but let me tell you some things about myself and then we can have some context.

Who the hell are you exactly?

Well, I'm Kristiana. I could tell you my last name, but then there's security, but frankly there's not that many people with my first name, so you can probably find me anyway as I'm probably the only one in San Antonio, I am sure. Why do you want to find me anyway? What did I do to you? Is that you, Mark Cuban?


Is this a fitness blog?

Not as such. Let me explain my fitness experience: not much. A couple of years ago, I started going to the gym around the time my mom did. My mom has seriously lost over a hundred pounds and can take the protein shakes and cleanse and whatever. I cannot. She started going to boot camp with an awesome trainer TT (which is a pseudonym because I think she might need to have a secret identity because of the job she has when she's not training me. She's that legit.) The next year, I went with her. TT kicked my ass, which is the idea. I kept going because I've never been able to stop things that I find painful (please see IB certificate, BA in History and MFA in Screenwriting for proof). At TT's behest and Mom's insistence, last year, my mom and I did the Rock N Roll San Antonio Half Marathon Relay. By the way, relay is misleading, it's divided into 8 and 5.1 mile segments. I got the 8.1 and did it in a little under two hours with my patented run/schlep method. I thought I was through. Then I went to the Austin Marathon Expo because the most fun part of a race is the expo and saw information about the Austin 10/20 and thought it would be fun to run 10 miles with live music. Then I sucked at it mostly because my foot fell asleep for three miles. That starts cutting into your time. So, I've found a slew of other races that look like fun and I think I'm going to run some. I don't know when I started thinking that would be cool. it just sort of happened.


What's your dream race? Is it Boston?

Boston?! Are you kidding me?! Do you know how fast you have to be?! I watched that race on TV and the KENYANS were sweating up that last hill. It's called Heartbreak Hill! It gets its name from the race! This year, I'm looking to do the See Jane Run Half Marathon in Austin, the Rock N Roll Half Marathon in San Antonio and I would really like to do the Disney Princess Half. Lots of races sound cool and I'll try to tell you about the ones I've found some time, but I think Detroit, Toronto and some day far in the future if I can ever compel myself to do a full, London.

 Why is this called Geek Girl in Training?

Excellent question! I'm a geek. I love geeky things: Star Trek, Star Wars, Babylon 5 and Doctor Who. I've invented a workout called Audience Participation Doctor Who. Basically, you plug your iPod into the Nike Plus machine and put on an episode of Doctor Who, you run through the opening titles and when they run on the show.

 What's Doctor Who? Is it a medical show?

 Seriously, just stop.

Do you have any healthy eating tips?

Uh... no.

Do you know where to buy lots of running stuff?

Yes. I actually do know that and will try to share with you on occasion.

Who do you admire?

 Tina Fey, Nia Vardalos, Mindy Kaling, Catherine Tate...

 Who are your arch enemies?

In no particular order: Mark Cuban, Shalane Flanagan, Rose Tyler, Dirk Nowitzki, this girl who started being a bitch after she visited me one time...

 I just saw your picture, how old are you?

Okay, you can shut up now.