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Ellasport Review & Giveaway

It is no secret that I like my workout clothes. But what you might not realize is that I am neurotically particular about material and cut, and I go crazy if I feel like anything is touching my skin too much. It is for this reason I can’t wear running tights (and most running crops) or higher-wasted bottoms, and it is the reason I will never, even wear a short sleeve top for exercise. It has to be a tank and it has to give me room to breathe. If I am wearing yoga pants to a class, I will roll up the bottoms so they aren’t touching my legs. Another quirk is that I absolutely have to wear a headband when I work out. If too much sweat touches my face I get nuts. And you better be sure all the clothes are very moisture-wicking or I will claw at myself.

I also don’t sleep in underwear, I take off my pants and jewelry the second I get home from anywhere, I never wear tights or stockings, I never wear socks at home and I always wear a big sweatshirt to travel so I don’t have to wear a bra. But those are stories for another time.

My point is, I am very particular about what I wear to exercise. So when ellasport reached out to me to review some clothes, I felt a mix of excitement and apprehension. Excitement because someone wants to send me free things! Free things for exercise! My dream in life! Apprehension because I knew there was a chance the clothes would cause one or more of the problems outlined above.

But when I read through their website I was impressed. Especially when I saw the company’s mission:

ellasport’s mission is to provide women with technical athletic apparel that is designed for a woman’s body and makes her feel good about herself.

ellasport’s goal is to give you the confidence and motivation to push yourself further than you thought possible, to help you release your motivated inner self and unstoppable confidence that knows no limits.

I love what ellasport is aiming for with their brand. This is exactly the type of product I’d like to promote. I browsed through the website and there are really great elements included with the products, such as that awesome, useful and cute back zipper in the New Power Capris.

I received two products to try — the Gramercy Racerbank Tank and the Workout Skirt.

The Review

Gramercy Racerback Tank in blue.

The Gramercy Racerback tans provides ample support with an attached bra that gives full coverage across the chest. The bra is made of the same fabric as the tank. The hip is wider than the waist and top so it stays in place and does not ride up. The Gramercy Racerback tank has a feminine, sexy look with its square neckline.

Ellasport Gramercy Racerbank Tank    Ellasport Gramercy Racerbank Tank
[Photos from ellasport.com]

When I first tried this top on I wasn’t sure if I liked it. It fit very well across the top, but the bottom was a bit baggier than I usually wear. But it was comfortable and the built-in bra felt relatively supportive.

I wore this tank top twice to spinning and once to do the 30 Day Shred DVD. When I did the DVD — which includes lots of jumping jacks — the shirt was comfortable and surprisingly supportive during the jumps. I wouldn’t run without another bra underneath, but it was more than sufficient for this particular workout. I tweeted:  “Just wore my new @ellasport tank for my workout. Comfy and surprisingly more supportive than it looks.” The top was extremely lightweight and almost felt like I wasn’t wearing anything at all — exactly my type of clothing!

The first time I went to spin with this on, I couldn’t stop looking at myself in the class mirrors. This shirt is even more flattering that I originally thought, and it has a really great fit. I actually liked the slight bagginess that I was unsure about at first because it hid some areas I’ve been self conscious about since Cookie-Overload Oh-Eleven, and it didn’t feel uncomfortable in any way.

After class, I tweeted again:  “Another note of praise for my @ellasport top – it is so moisture wicking, I thought I just didn’t sweat much in spin. Until I took it off.”

True story — the inside was soaked! The sweat-wicking abilities in the Gramercy Racerback Tank far surpassed what I expected based on other workout clothing I’ve worn.

Workout Skirt

The Workout Skirtâ„¢ falls just below the waist and has compression shorts attached – made of the same fabric as the skirt – that provide light compression to your leg muscles to help fight fatigue. The compression shorts hit at the mid- to high-thigh and have a mid-rise. The skirt portion is an inch longer than the shorts for just the right coverage.

Ellasport Workout Skirt    Ellasport Workout Skirt

I also tried the Workout Skirt for running. The skirt was long on me, longer than it looks in this photo. I have to admit that I like really short shorts and skirts when I run. A big part of exercising for me is feeling comfortable and sexy. So while this skirt certainly felt comfortable and looked flattering, I knew it wasn’t something I would choose for myself as I would the top.

While the material is not particularly lightweight, the built-in compression shorts under the skirt really make this a standout item. They are long enough that you’d wear them as shorts on their own (if they came that way), eliminating any fears of flashing strangers as you speed by. They’re comfortable and do not ride up at all. And like the top, the Workout Skirt is incredibly moisture-wicking.

I went for a quick treadmill run with this skirt. As I suspected, the longer material made me a little crazy as it touched my legs during the run. But that is my own quirk and I think for women who prefer longer shorts and skirts, this would be a great piece to try.

The Giveaway

To enter to win the Gramercy Racerback Tank worth $68, leave me a comment in the comments section below telling me which color Gramercy Racerback Tank you’d most like to own. Visit ellasport.com to see the colors available.

Get up to three additional entries by doing each of the following:

  • Follow ellasport on Twitter (let me know you did so in your comment)
  • Like ellasport on Facebook (let me know you did so in your comment)
  • Tweet the following: I want to win @ellasport workout gear #giveaway from @dysterious: http://dorishinyblog.com/?p=7752

I must receive all entries by 11:59 pm on Monday, January 23 and the odds of winning are determined by the number of entries received. No purchase necessary to enter. Open to US residents only.

I received these products from ellasport at no charge. I was not paid to write this review, nor was I obligated to write one. All opinions are entirely my own.

I Am Really Excited About Everything in the Month of September

Summer is unofficially over. I do not feel good about this. Each day that passes that is not 90 degrees pushes me deeper into unhappiness. Luckily, I have a lot to look forward to this fall, like, I don’t know, running a MARATHON. Or spending lots of time inside a warm apartment watching football (I care about football. I even understand some rules).  So there’s some good here.

Here’s what I am excited about this month:

{} Labor Day Weekend

I mean, pretty much if there is a long weekend or any sort of time off work, I will include it in my monthly excitement. I really value all time off. In fact, I never understand when people say they wish they could be back in college. Not me. I love working because for the most part, when I go home at the end of the day, I am done. I don’t constantly have work hanging over me. Except this blog.

Over this long weekend, I saw my mom, got my fro tamed by Maria (discount to DSB readers on Keratin, haircuts, color and more — (917) 331-3450, ran 15 miles (more on that below), sat outside at three restaurants, watched lots of 90210 (Andy’s favorite show) and read. I loved the entire weekend.

{} My New Job

Speaking of my new job, things are getting good. I am really loving our Hydroxatone products; I got to “live tweet” from the Charlotte Ronson Fashion Week show where we were the Official Skincare Sponsor; and I would be forever grateful if you could help me out and do the following:

Seriously, I would appreciate this to no end. For the most part, the updates are from me. And if you are a blogger and want to do a review or giveaway, or work with me in any other way, let me know!

{} Getting Deep Into Marathon Training

Two weekends ago, I ran 15 miles for the first time in my life.

I ran it all by myself. The idea of doing long runs alone has terrified me, and I’ve managed to find a friend to run with each week until this run.

My strategy for the 15 miler was to break up the run in my head as three 5-mile runs. Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. So instead of being like, “I still have 13 miles left, that is an entire half marathon, how overwhelming,” I instead thought “I have 3 miles left in Part 1.” The entire run felt much more approachable this way and it really worked!

During my 15 miler around the city, I stopped to take a photo of my office across the river. I tried to imagine tiny Dori, like a little ant, working hard in that building as I ran past. Strange.


[I work in one of the buildings pictured here]

Last weekend was another first: 17 miles. My plan was to run 8-9 miles myself, then meet up with my Girls on the Run Solemates team for the rest. I ran about 8.5 myself and then met up with the team, but shortly after we started running I realized thy were way too fast for me. I tried keeping up but after a mile I just didn’t have it in me, and I watched as they disappeared ahead of me.

While I don’t mind that I wasn’t able to run with them — in fact, I was a little relieved because I actually wanted to be alone — I do wish I knew ahead of time that they run so fast. The bright side is I won’t feel guilty anymore for not attending their runs.

Which is especially OK with me because I only have three new long run distances to conquer before the marathon! How did this happen already? And if I did 17 with so little issue, of course I can do these. 18, 19 and 20. I also have a few races lined up, so I won’t be alone. There are a few step-back weeks in between these distances, and a taper period after, which all fits into my two-month timeline before 26.2.

So after the team escaped me, I ran back up to the Reservoir for a couple more loops myself before running home, and I made it to 17 miles. My legs were screaming after and walking the rest of the way home was hard at first, but I recovered pretty quickly.

I was even able to run 5 miles just two days after that, where I saw this sunrise:

I remember when after a half marathon I couldn’t walk for a week. Now I can run 17 miles and run again a couple days later. AND my 13 miler this coming weekend, as part of my step-back week, actually seems like a “shorter” run. Perspective is funny.

{} Dave Matthews Band

Hurricane Irene canceled the DMB Caravan Governor’s Island show I was excited for last month and it’s been rescheduled for Randall’s Island. I saw Dave there back in 2006. I am excited to walk there this year.

{} Baseball Game

Yeah our tickets for this were also during Hurricane Irene. Instead, we are going to a Mets game against the Phillies (Missy is from Philly and we will be with her, so it will be extra fun) instead. Although I am slightly less excited that we are going in late September when I won’t be able to wear a tank top or a little dress (the only things I want to spend an outdoor event in) I will suck it up and be happy anyway.

{} Reading

Now that I commute every day, I have the time and motivation to read books. I have been a book fiend and it feels good to be back — although I have been getting significantly less sleep. P.S. Read The Hunger Games Trilogy. By far, the best bandwagon I have ever jumped on. And I generally don’t do bandwagons. These are the type of books that get into your head and under your skin and you can’t stop thinking about them long after you finished reading.

{} Being the Subject of an Interview

My good friend Ben interviewed me for his own NBC New York GO Healthy New York column in a post called Extraordinary Motivation: Dori’s Passion for Fitness. Apparently, I might be motivating or something?

 

{} My Final NBC New York Post

The opportunity to write for NBC New York’s GO Healthy NY blog was one of the most incredible things to happen to me this year. It fell into my lap at exactly the right time in my life — when I was desperately looking for a job in the fitness world and needed some solid writing samples, connections and visibility. Now that I am balancing my fantastic job with marathon training, it’s been harder to keep up with my NBC writing and class-taking that goes with that. I decided to stop writing for them and it feels like a weight lifted from my shoulders.

My last post is my review of my month-long FITiST trial:

NBC New York – Dori’s Quest: My Month of FITiST

{} Weekly Blogging for Work

I will be writing for a couple of blogs at work. One of these blogs will be a weekly column that I will link to from here each week the way I did with NBC. I am very excited about the content because it is not fitness related but still very much me. I’ll just say that any job that lets me write about my overall laziness when it comes to everything and doesn’t fire me is a job worth keeping.

What are you excited for this month?

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