Hugh Jass

That will be the name printed on my race shirt instead of my real name.  The goal is to prompt a child to unknowingly swear in public.  I have two of these black shirts and now one will say "Hugh Jass" across the front.  I had a couple of name like this in the running, but Hugh eventually won.

I should have put it down a little lower.  It's always hard to tell.  I also think that maybe I should go over it one more time with the silk screen stuff.  A lot of it absorbs into the black fabric so you have to lay it on real thick.

I suck at smiling.

What do you think?  Another layer?

I made another recipe from the meal plan last night.

Egg noodles with basil, scallops and broiled tomatoes.  It was really good.  Scallops are always awesome, and the tomatoes were even better.  This was officially the first time that I have ever used the "broil" button on any oven.  Here it is if you want it.  It was quick and easy.

Check out my friend's rack

Yesterday I found out that Paula and Michelle(!) don't like Glee.

Why would Kurt tell Santa about Paula's and Michelle's Glee bashing?  Because Kurt moonlights as an Elf On The Shelf.

The Susan G Komen Race For The Cure is this weekend in Charlotte.  I'm not running in it, but I've been handing out bibs and t-shirts for the last few weeks.  Breast cancer isn't an issue that has ever affected myself or any of my family members.  The only tie that I have to it is through my friend Karen.  Her mother was diagnosed this spring and is still undergoing chemo treatments after having two surgeries.  This is the cool wig and scarf rack that Karen made for her mom.

Karen has more creativity in her left pinkie than I would have if there were two of me.  I loved the relationship she and her mother have and the humor they maintain throughout her mom's treatment process.  You can read about it in her blog post here.

I have made three things from my meal plan so far.  The first was the fruit turnovers.  It's just apple and pear that has been sauteed in a skillet and then baked in puff pastry.  Easy.

Then yesterday morning I did the English muffin with arugula and poached eggs.  Poaching eggs isn't all that easy, but I'm a bad ass.  The pasties and the poached eggs aren't really anything new.  I've made them a few times before.

Last night I did a brand new item from my collection of recipes torn from Family Circle mags, the Salmon burgers.

They were actually pretty easy.  You could really use canned Salmon too.  Just add some Panco bread crumbs, lime juice and diced (seeded) jalapeno then put in the skillet for a couple of minutes.  The sauce is what really made this awesome.  It's mayo (1/4 cup), lime juice (2 tbs), cilantro, salt and pepper.  Delish.  Here is the recipe if you want it.  I'm not typing it all out and my scanner doesn't work.

Does this count as a Three Things Thursday post?

Brooks Pure Project

I got to see the new Brooks Pure Project line last night.  Since I am completely average and fit in sample sizes, I even got to try them on!

The short and long of it is that all four shoes in the line have a 4 mm drop from heel to toe.  They all have that split toe in the front (This is only on the out sole.  You do not need iniji socks).  They all also have this support, pod like, thing on the sole.

The rep explained this thing, but I didn't really understand or remember what he said.  It all has to do with mid foot striking.  When I tried the shoes on I didn't feel it, so it wasn't annoying or anything.

My favorite was the Grit, the trail shoe.

I got a real great picture there, didn't I?  I really want a trail shoe that is light weight, low to the ground, but still offers good cushioning and traction.  This shoe definitely has all that.  I felt like it had all the benefits of a minimal shoe (light, flexible, low profile) with out the threat of being stabbed by a sharp rock or stick.  I wore my Vibrams on that trail down to the swimming hole last month and it beat the hell out of my feet.  Here is the Grit sole.

If you've ever tried on a Brooks shoe, you're probably familiar with that, walking on marshmallows, feel that their "DNA" cushioning has.  These shoes have that same stuff and it's obvious when you put it on.  I don't think people who are already in minimal shoes will be busting down the doors in October to grab a pair from this line.  But folks who are looking for less shoe without the high risk of injury will love these.  I would put these shoes in the same category as the Saucony Kinvara and the Nike Free.  They're pretty cool.

It's already Tuesday?!

I didn't do much of anything this weekend except make a meal plan for the week and purchase all of the groceries for that plan.

Meal	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
B	Banana nut pancakes; aprox 400 cal	Eggs with toast; 400 cal	Poached egg on English Muffin; 250 cal	Fruit turn overs	Banana nut pancakes; 400 cal	Poached egg on English Muffin; 250 cal
L	Brad's spicy soup
D	White Bean and Spinach Pizza; 200 cal	Edamame and mushroom risotto; 500 cal	Falafel sandwiches; 600 cal per sandwich	Quinoa and Red Bean Burritos; 400 cal	Pork and Sweet Potato Stir Fry; 400 cal	Fresh Salmon Cilantro Burgers; 400 cal

This is almost all of it.  I have snacks included too, but I didn't copy that part.  Green= meat free meals and Red= meat meals.  I get all of my recipes from Family Circle magazines so I know the approximate calorie count.  I high balled the calories to accommodation larger portions that might be consumed.

How has it worked so far?  Not well.  I worked yesterday morning and then went in again for a meeting last night, so nobody was here to fallow through with the plan.  I want to do the cilantro burgers tonight since we already had cilantro and need to use it.

I may not have been able to enact my meal plan last night but I did go for a pretty good run.  I went back to work an hour earlier than the meeting was to begin so I could run uptown and have a change of scenery.  As it turns out, the Run For Your Life running group, Run For You, was meeting up.  One of my coworkers, who leads the group asked if I wanted to join.  Of course I did!  I'll take any opportunity to not be lonely and miserable on my run.  We did a 1 mile warm up, 4x800, and then the 1 mile back.  I was actually the fastest one out there which was shocking.

While I was in my meeting last night, my husband went to TJ Max and purchased a new yoga ball, but this one came with a small medicine ball and three of those bungee cord things.  I left my last yoga ball in Texas on accident and really should not have waited so long to buy another.  It's my favorite way to get a core workout.  It also motivates me to vacuum and steam the carpet.  If I'm not down there, what's the need?

Tonight I have another, sort of, meeting at work.  The Brooks rep is coming to tell us about their new minimalist line, The Pure Project.  I am very excited!  I'll see if I can take some pics, and hopefully I'll be able to try some on as well.

Saturday morning short story for ANGIE

Grab your cup of coffee, kick your feet up and enjoy a heart warming narrative.

It was a hot August day in the small town of Tom Bean, Texas.  People from across the globe had gathered here for the celebration of my boyfriend's father's 50th birthday.  There seemed to be a representative from every continent whom had all, at one time, been a member of my boyfriend's family as exchange students.

My boyfriend's elder sister was fresh off of her second child and a picture perfect soccer mom.  She had soccer mom hair, soccer mom clothes and had just acquired her first mini van.  A bright and mature young lady, she was never rude and always carried herself with poise and dignity.

Also in attendance on this day was the former girlfriend of my current boyfriend, Penny.  Penny lacked any real connections to other members of the party that might validate the necessity of her presence, but alas, there she was.  A petite blond with a small waist yet ample bosom and ample ass.

Penny would call my boyfriend from time to time for a good chat, even calling out "Tell Alecia I said hi!".  Of course she made me uneasy, but pride wouldn't allow me to be the jealous type.  On this August day in Texas, she arrived early, just before the festivities were to begin.  Tables were still being set up and chairs were being brought out.  Penny asked if I would like to join her for some shopping at the local mall.  I couldn't imagine why she always tried so hard to befriend me.  As the old saying goes, "if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck" then it probably wants to sleep with your boyfriend.

Penny ventured to the mall alone and when she returned, the festivities were in full swing.  Cousins sang songs dedicated to the man of the hour.  Former exchange students from around the world read letters, and recalled fond memories.  As the night crept in, so did the fire water.  Better know as "agua diente" to the half dozen or so Colombians in attendance.  The wonderful thing about Colombians is the life they bring to a party.  The hand full of times that I had witnessed my prospective in laws drinking, were those occasions when there was a South American presence.  To be offered a shot is to be offered a gift, and to not accept that gift would be rude.  Everyone was letting their hair down.  Shots were being taken, salsa music was playing and everyone was dancing.  Everyone except the sole Asian of the bunch.  He had hit the Corona too hard, too early and had long since been passed out.

During one dancing sabbatical, I went inside to sit around the dining room table with my boyfriend and sweet Penny.  The table sat in a bay window that looked out over the yard and the long back patio where the salsa music continued to blare.  I have no recollection of the conversation that was taking place, or the catalyst that set the following event into motion.

The door opened and in stepped the elder sister of my counterpart.  I am certain that she did not turn down a single South American shot that had been handed her way.  That would be rude.  However, poise may have been forfeited at this time.  She did not have to ask for the floor upon entry.  She already had it.  In one abrupt moment everything I thought I knew about my potential sister in law had changed.

"I don't give a f@#$ about your big boobs, or your blond hair!  This is ALECIA'S territory!"

She went on to say more, such as "Why are you here", and "You need to leave".  My first reaction was to calm her.  I actually felt bad for Penny.  Oh, if I had only known.  I would have let my boyfriend's sister rip off Penny's head and.... well, anyway.  My second reaction was pure disbelief that I had just heard the "F" bomb come from the lips of the girl with the mini van.  My third reaction was gratitude and a little bit of fear.

Fast forward about 9 years and I am still grateful for my awesome sister in law.  I also still fear her a little.

Happy Birthday Angie!  I hope I never piss you off.

Stats gone crazy!!!

Last night I had the pleasure of being the next Skinnyrunner.com Cat Lady!  As a result my stats went through the roof.  Where I usually get around 50-70 page views a day, I got over 500 in a matter of hours!  I also gained 5, no, 8, no 11 new followers!  Welcome newbies, welcome.  You're very lucky to get in on the action now.  I expect that Oprah, or the ladies at The View will be calling any day now, and you can tell all your friends about how you've following since before I "made it big".  They'll all be so jealous.

Last night I went on a spectacular trail run.  It was hosted by Run For Your Life, but a different part of the franchise.  A rep from Montrail was there and we were all given a pair of shoes to demo on the trails.  Sweet!  I went with the Rogue Racer.  It was light and flexible and reminded me of the New Balance 890.

I'm socially inept so before the run I just stood there and didn't talk to anyone.  I do that awkward thing where I move a little closer to a group of people, in the hopes that I'll slide right in to the conversation.  Why do I suck so bad at talking to people?!  Thank goodness our daughter got my husband's social skills.  She jumps out of the car at the park, screaming "My friends! My friends!" and immediately strikes up a game of hide and seek.

We split off into groups and I went with the single track (narrower, more technical trail) folks.  There were four of us including the Montrail rep and as soon as we took off, so did the chatter.  We were moving at a pretty good pace.  The shoes were amazing and I felt so smooth in my stride.  Throughout the run, I stared at the ground and chatted.  We talked about everything and before you know it, the run was over.  Our leader is a girl, still running in college, who qualified for the Olympic trials.  Of course, since she was leading a group of rec runners she was moving at a much slower pace, but that doesn't change the facts.  I KEPT UP WITH A GIRL WHO QUALIFIED FOR THE OLYMPIC TRIALS.

After the run, the Montrail rep swapped our demo shoes back for our own shoes, and then she tossed out goodies for every one.

I ended up with nice pair of socks for my husband.

When I got home, we had brisket tacos.  This is after my brisket sandwich I had for lunch.  We're making a dent!

I didn't want to take the trash out last night, so I said I would do it this morning.  Of course it's raining cats and dogs.  My own fault really, but I will still use the completion of this horrible task to get out of another task.

Hope it's a great weekend!!!

Giant slab of beef

Carolina John over at Smoke Training has been doing a series about how he got fast.  You can read part 1 & 2  here.  Part 1 is all about trimming down so you can speed up.  It makes total sense and had actually been somewhat on my mind since shortly before his first post.

You may remember that I recently ran the Greek Fest 5k averaging 9 minute miles.  I ran the first mile in just over 8 minutes!  It was so exciting to see that potential, but I was 100% tapped out at the end.  I had nothing left to give.

This is what I looked like pre race.

And here is what crossed the finish line.

I could blow this up and doodle all over the problem areas, but I think it's clear that this is MY wide ass bouncing in the wind, cottage cheese in tow.

I don't want you to think that I'm being really hard on myself.  Or that I compare this photo to magazines in search of the perfectly sculpted ass.  Truth be told, this ass doesn't look all that terrible in a pair of jeans.  But I've begun to feel this ass weighing me down more and more when I run, along with the love handles.  I really wonder how much extra energy I'm using to lug around these extra pounds.

It won't be easy at all to trim up and I want to go about in the right way.  I purchased Racing Weight by Matt Fitzgerald, and I'm trying to learn all I can about proper nutrition.

Also not very easy because a book about nutrition isn't exactly a page turner.  I'm going to have to start a food log and count calories which doesn't excite me at all.  I don't have to do that forever, but I do agree that I need to be me more conscious of what I'm consuming right now.

A major obstacle that I face is my culinary counterpart.  For example, my husband just smoked a giant piece of brisket.  A huge slab of seasoned, falls apart, beef currently sits in the fridge wrapped in plastic and someone has to eat it.  It's delicious and I love/hate it.  I mentioned to my husband that maybe we should cut meat out of our diet except for a couple times a week.  The idea was not well received.

After the brisket is all gone I shall begin a grand master plan for trimming up my thighs and hopefully our out of control grocery bill.  Yay, for meal planning spread sheets!

As I typed "after the brisket is all gone" it made think of this song

Where I've been

Not camping this time.  Just a great trail run at a small mountain just south of Charlotte.  Crowders Mountain State Park.

I didn't camp there or anything.  I just did a pretty awesome trail run there on Sunday.  It was only 1.7 miles one way, but it was extremely difficult.  It took me 33 minutes to get to the top where you enjoy some spectacular views.  It took so long because A) it's steep.  My calves were screaming the whole way. And B)   some parts of the trail are so cluttered with boulders that you have no choice but to walk/hop around them.  I had to planned to run up and then take pictures on the way down, but after taking pics at the top my camera died.  So this is all I got.

In this one can you see the Charlotte Skyline in the distance

It took 24 minutes to get back down the trail.  My ankles are still a little sore and my main focus throughout the entire run was to NOT bust my face on ground.  I also decided that the Saucony Xodus isn't really the trail shoe for me.  For $25 they are still an excellent bum around shoe, but I need something that puts me closer to the ground.  With every uneven step I felt my foot sliding off the side of the Saucony's.

Another fun "Where I've been" is at work!  Last night the New Balance rep came to talk to us about all the new versions of shoes that will be coming out in 2012.  Running Ramble might interested to know that there will be a new Zero Drop Minimus on the market!  I got to see one!  New Balance is working on making all of their support shoes a little more appealing visually.  They are also decreasing the size of the heel stack  on all shoes throughout their label, thus slightly decreasing the heel to toe drop on all of their shoes.

Yep.  I'm feeling like a VIP with all this info.

Your excuses are stupid

I just finished Matt Long's "The Long Run".  Literally just moments ago.

This book has been out a while and you've probably already heard about it.  A New York city fire fighter who was run over by a bus while biking, sustained absolutely horrific injuries (HORRIFIC), and comes back to run the NYC marathon... oh, and an IRON MAN!  His physical struggle was only half the battle.  Prior to his accident he was already an Iron Man and a Boston Qualifier.  He then had to face the prospect of never even walking again.  After reading about all that he went through just so he could stand, let alone run, I started thinking about all the lame excuses I concoct for the things that I'm simply scared to try.  Not even athletically, just in life.

It also gets me thinking about the way people usually respond when I say that I have/am running a marathon.  It's almost always the same thing.  "Wow.  Well, I could never do that because... blah, blah, bad knees, blah."  I don't even ask or say that they should take on the challenge.  They just instinctively start unloading defensive excuses.  This only bothers me because instead of instead of just saying "you know what?  Putting myself through extreme discomfort for 4+ hours really just doesn't appeal to me." they start in with the "cant's".  Maybe rock climbing changed your life.  Being one with nature and experiencing it from the eyes of a soaring eagle (all rock climbers are hippies aren't they?), and I'll be honest with you, I could totally rock climb.  Give me some lessons and some time and I could climb the shit out of some rocks.

BUT... dangling hundreds of feet above solid ground while visualizing my own painful death drop just doesn't appeal to me.   Perhaps if there were a net?

Today at work a guy came in and was telling us stories about when he was in the military.  He claimed that every month they had to run the distance of a marathon and do it with their packs on.  Wow.  And I bitch about my crappy hydration belt.

I'm not using the word "can't" anymore about anything that I do.  I've said before that I can't run in the morning.  The fact is, I'm a lazy shit who lacks the will power that running in the early am requires.  Nothing wrong with that.  I just have to get it done at night.  No excuses.

In Addition: My mom just commented on my facebook page "I take this to mean that my "I can't walk" excuse is not worthy either."  My mom has Fredrick's Ataxia, a form of Muscular Dystrophy.  Like Jerry's Kids.  Anyhow, she must be in a mood this morning so she's bickering with me about the point of my post.  Mom, you display the exact behavior that I was pointing out above.  My mom is currently attending Texas A&M in Commerce and is well on her way to a bachelors degree.  She has overcome numerous obstacles, handicap and divorce, to achieve more on her own than some able bodied people that I know.  In addition to getting her degree, she stays up until 5 am drinking beer with her buddies on her birthday (which I failed to do that evening).  Sorry it took me a little to put in this edit.  I've got gravy from scratch on the stove, just the way you taught me to make it.  So there ya go mom.  A marathon isn't always a foot race.

Will you stop bitchen now?

Another edit: "haha Loved it, But you failed to mention about the modification. I'm all about being able to get it done through modification. p.s. I love you! ♥"

Choctaw Bingo

Lately I've been listening to this song way too much.  My husband is a huge Ray Wylie Hubbard fan, thus the reason for my exposure to his various compilations.  I don't know a ton about him, but I think he's a buddy of Willy Nelson's and I think he wrote a song or two that are classic country hits but he himself did not sing.

Anyhow, he's a popular guy in the south, especially amongst those who deem contemporary country music to be disgusting, poppy, shit.  I guess you might say that he's part of the "underground" country music scene, or "Americana", or whatever.  His songs must contain subliminal messages because I have yet to hear a song that I loved immediately.  The first time I heard Snake Farm, I thought it was stupid.  The first time I heard Choctaw Bingo, I was disgusted.  The things he says about his cousins at around 4:40 will make you cringe.... the first time.  After that, you're a little desensitized to the whole thing.  Then the third time, you think it's hilarious and it becomes your favorite, twisted song!  Plus, he's singing about my home.  I only lived about 40 minutes away from Choctaw Bingo.  My Granny would go there all the time and when I was 16 my cousin Josh took me there to gamble for the first time.  At that time it looked like this...

I haven't seen it in years, but this is what a google image search turned up...

WTF is that?!  The Oklahoma border is becoming a bigger and bigger gambling spot.  It's kind of funny.  Texans cross the border to gamble, but Okeys cross the border for higher alcohol content in their beer.  Unless things have changed.

Anyhow, here is Ray Wylie singing about the people and places that I grew up with.

What I hated about my run today

1. My tank top rubbed a small spot on both my arms.  Guess I need to rethink my race day outfit.
2. Body Glide failed me during the last portion of my run so now my thighs match my arms.  WTF Body Glide?!  You have NEVER done this to me before.
3. I thought my route would have been closer to 18 miles.  Wrong.  16.87.
4. It was one of those days when I hated being alone.  F#$@ going solo.
5. Why can't the sidewalk extend the full length of the street?  Why?
6. GU tasted nasty today.  Vanilla, Espresso Love, and especially the Chocolate Cliff Shot.  Blec!
7. My nemesia (that's plural for nemesis, right?), the two hills plus the steady incline all the way back home got me again.
8. My feet hurt (that one is a little whiny).

The weather was great this morning and I did roll out of bed.  Count em.  1 & 2 on the positive board.

On the exciting side, my new book came in the mail today!  Matt Longs's, The Long Run.  Yay!  Let the inspiration begin!

Quotes from my friend’s boss

 

A close friend of C25Karen and I has a pretty swanky job at a bank and even has her own “minion”.  Every once in a while “minion” will draft a document containing their boss’s top quotes.  Most of these are off color, politically incorrect and may be mildly offensive.  So if you’re offended… well, maybe you should lighten up a little.  I changed the names and anything else that might indicate where all this came from.

B.  Big Bossisms:

The Classics

“Know your audience”

“Never assume. You are just making an ass out of you and me.”

1. “I don’t care if you call it EBITDA, EBITDAX, or Shit on a Wall, as long as the definition remains the same, the word is irrelevant.” – 12/17/10

• B. Big boss expressing his feelings toward the esteemed law firm in Oklahoma that BOT Big Energy is obligated to collaborate with given certain parameters. This specific instance dealt with a discrepancy in term definitions.

2. "If you are willing to do anything to make money, then you might as well be a whore on a street corner." – 2/9/11

   • B. Big Boss differentiating between a financial institution that adequately assesses the risk of a prospective client and a financial institution which is less particular with the choice of clientele because the latter is too focused on gaining bank fees and increasing revenue.

3. “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.” 2/16/11

   • B. Big Boss utilized this phrase when explaining the correlation between the width of a female’s hips and her ease in childbirth. Simultaneously, B. Big Boss was explaining how the larger a company borrowing money is, the larger the loan’s potential write-off would adversely affect the revenue of the lending bank. In this instance, his statement can be both translated as ‘The larger the loan, the more significantly it will negatively impact the overall revenue of the lending institution if it is written off”, and as ‘The bigger a bitches hips, the easier it is for the kid to pop out’. It should be noted that B. Big Boss fallowed up his assessment of a woman’s hip size affecting labor with a hypothesis that males are naturally more attracted to females with wider hips. He evidenced this theory by noting that bears, wolves, and dogs have the same instincts when mating.

4. “You gotta make shit happen. The only thing that happens regularly without you doing anything about it is a bowel movement.” – 2/25/11

• B. Big Boss eloquently slipping advice to Dude Man at his desk after a tuft with Oklahoma in which he obviously made shit happen.

5. “You know, I was a practicing Catholic for quite some time, until all those priests had to start f#$%&$# the little boys. Haven’t been to a Catholic Mass since.”

• B. Big Boss stating his previous religious affiliation on a Catholic Holy Day of Obligation. It should be noted that the said topic of conversation was abruptly initiated with the phrase “What the f$%& is on your head” after B. Big Boss noticed ashes on the forehead of Dude Man.

And with that, I leave you to enjoy your weekend.

Tread it up

 

Blue Ridge Relay

Over the past two days a lot of people have coming into the store to get headlamps, reflective vests, and little blinky LED lights.  They are all preparing for the Blue Ridge Relay (procrastinators).  It's a 208 mile relay race that begins on Friday.  One guy came in to purchase some things and then began to tell us that he had a member drop out at the last minute.  He was asking all of us if we knew anyone who could fill in.  You have no idea how close I was to saying "Me! Me! I wanna do it!"  But we have a little family vacay planned for this weekend and I think my husband would be pissed if, at the last minute, I decided to partake in a running event that didn't involve the rest of the family in any way.  BUT, it has gotten me thinking and I really want to try to put together a team for next years race.  When Angie decides to rejoin the 21st century I'll see what she and other bitches think.  It may just be another wild idea that will pass in a few days.  We'll see.

12, shoes, and Bras

The run
On Sunday I did the 12 mile long run meet up.  My run was fantastic as I held a 10:40 pace.  That's 20 seconds faster than I want to run Chicago.  Yay!  I shortened my stride and took more steps which I think helped.  It was much less exhausting to run that way.  As great as the run was, I don't think I'll be doing this meet up again.  A 10:40 was really good for me and everyone else at this meet up runs around a 9 min mile.  I run the whole thing alone, which is fine and nothing new.  By the time I get back to Starbucks, everyone is already deep in conversation and all the seats are taken around the two tables that they pushed together.  The camaraderie that I look for in group runs just doesn't exist for me in this one.  It's ok though.  I'm not pissed about it.  There are plenty of other meet up's out there and if this one were closer I might still consider it.  I don't need to drive 30 minutes to run by myself when I can just step out my front door.

My new shoes
I got a pair trail shoes from work on clearance.  They're the Saucony Xodous with a Vibram rubber sole.  Prior to this I did not own any trail shoes.  On the the clearance tables I only had two to chose from in my size.  A Brooks Cascadia and the Saucony.  I walked around with one on each foot for a few hours and after suffering some numbness in my toes on the Cascadia foot, I decided on the Xodous.  In Brooks defense, had there been a nine available, the numbness may not have occurred.  I'm happy with my purchase.  How can you not be for $25?

A tale of two bras
I saved the best for last.  My free Moving Comfort Juno bra finally came in.  I don't know if I told you, but being that I am one of only two girls at my store, they wanted me to have one of these bras so that I could know more about them.  So I got one for free!

I took this sexy lady out for first time on the 12 miler.  Probably not a sound decision.  First, I'll say, LOVE the color and LOVE how awesome my boobs look in it (that matters!).  It serves me right for building up the awesomeness of this bra in my head because this is what I got after 12 miles.

This is where the hook closure rubbed me on my back.

This is where the crazy stiff (and kind of sharp) straps rubbed my shoulder.

This is the little bitty solid piece of fabric that rubbed a spot in my cleavage. 

Which is really a shame because I just got this bra from Victoria Secret and my cleavage looks amazing. :(

I still haven't given up on Moving Comfort.  I tried on a different style a while back that was incredibly comfortable.  I'm putting this one through the wash a few times, maybe even the dryer, and I'm hoping it will loosen up the stiff fabric.  My boobs look so good in it!  I want it to work!