If you're a long time reader of this blog, or just someone that knows me, you know that I have had some trouble in the sports bra department for some time. 
They just don't... they just don't really do anything for me and it fucking sucks, dude! I've never not been able to do any high impact activity without two sports bras and sometimes two sports bras and a tank with one of those built in "shelf" bras (why? why are they called shelf bras?)

About two years ago, I decided to make an investment on a good, solid sports bra. So, I did some researching and made my way down to Lululemon who carries the highly rated Ta Ta Tamer . This bad boy runs about $60, so imagine my disappointment when it went on its' first run and that run only lasted 3 minutes before I had  to go back home and throw a cheap racer back second bra over it. 
Seriously- Disappointmentville. Population: Katy. 

I am so cheap with my workout clothes so this was a major let down. BUT! It did work well in combination with a cheap racer back overlay. The two sports bra system seemed it was here to stay (Or as I call it, "double bagging it." Because I'm classy and I say classy shit) 

So, it was more or less a blessing in disguise when I lost my Ta Ta Tamer. I just... I just lost it! I put it in my gym bag when I went to work, but it was no longer there when I got to the gym. So it either fell out of my bag in my apartment, work or gym parking lot, but it hasn't been seen since. 
So, it was time. Time for me to start my dreaded search for a new sports bra

It's from Target, it's under $25 and I don't have to double bag. It's basically what I've been looking for my whole life. It's called the C9 by Champion High Support sports bra, and here's the rating I gave it on the Target website 

So, the important part of the story is that I ended up with a great product at a great price, but you guys come here for the awkward parts of the story. So, I'd hate to disappoint you. 

So, there is a Target like in my backyard. Like, seriously. Target and my apartment complex share a fence and I go there way too often. It's a Super Target so I'm even able to get my groceries there so I'm there like all the time. All. The. Time. 

So, sometimes to avoid shopping around and buying more than I intend to I will go onto the Target website, purchase the item I want and they will hold it at the customer service desk until I can pick it up. You just have to wait for a confirmation email. 

BACK STORY:  
Okay, so the only back story you really need is that the last time I bought something on the Target website it was for off my friend, Sabrina's baby registry. I purchased it and had it shipped directly to her home. 
END BACK STORY. 

So, I purchase the bra, wait for the confirmation email, go to Target and first buy my groceries. After I get my groceries I make my way to the customer service desk and wait. 
There's a pretty long line and I'm starving at this point, so I get an apple out of my bag of food and hope the line moves along soon. Unfortunately, there's only one older lady behind the counter of the help desk who is... overwhelmed... to say the least. 
I'm contemplating my third apple when I finally make it to the front of the line and pull up the confirmation email. 

Target Lady: Name?
Me: Katy Hearne. It may be under Kathryn.
An awkward amount of time passes. She asks me how to spell my name. She calls me Kathy. I cringe. My name is not Kathy. I spell my name. I tell her I'm Katy and finally... 
Target Lady: There's nothing here under your name, Kathy. 
Me: Okay, I have a confirmation email
Target Lady: We look up the orders by name, Kathy and there's no Hearne. 
Me: Okay, but I have the confirmation emai--
Target Lady: (in an older lady overwhelmed type voice) Everyone get's an email!!!! 
Me: ... do you want the order number from the email?
Target Lady: No. We look up the orders by name. 

She decides to call up her floor manager. 

Target Lady: Her order isn't here
Floor Manager: Did you look it up by the order number? (to me) Did you get an order number in your email? 
Me: ................................................................................................yes. 

Floor Manager: Okay, let me look it up by that number 
Target Lady: I was told to look it up by the name. She's not in there
Floor Manager: Okay, ma'am. It was a sports bra, right? Okay. Tell me your name again? Katy? I have it under... Sabrina Harland?

And here is the exact face the damn Target Lady gave me

If you'll remember from the complicated back story, the last online purchase I made was for and shipped to my friend Sabrina from her baby registry. So even though when I sign into my Target account and when I get emails from Target it says, "Hello, Kathryn", for some reason my purchases were under... Sabrina?

And the drama didn't stop there. 
It went onto another conflict with Target Lady who got really snappy with me in regards to me apparently not knowing my name and me saying "I'm done working with you" to her. No, I am NOT proud of being so short with a sweet old lady who was just trying to do her job as she was told, but ...
OMG, y'all. I was just so done working with her. 
... She did give me a $3 off coupon though. 

Oh, and then they said my charge didn't go through online and they had to check me out there at the in store register and come Monday I had two Target charges for $24.98 on my account and I got to go in and dispute the charge and explain the whole situation to everyone again and explain why I only had one receipt... 
I'm sure there is a lesson to be learned, but I have no fucking idea what it is. 
Don't buy people stuff off their registry? 
Really. I don't fucking know. 

I went for an hour long run this morning in my new bra (in this new non-omgImightHaveAHeatStrokeAtAnyMoment- ATX weather!) and it was so comfortable. 
What a beautiful way to ring in fall. 
And now I'm going to stuff my face with pumpkin puree straight from the can. 
Because it's not really fall until OMG PUMPKIN. 

HAPPY END FALL EVERYONE! 

I go through cycles of loving to run & just really feeling like I can't be bothered.
So, this week it has cycled back into the "fuck yeah! I'm a goddamn baddass. I'm gonna run outside" mentality. 
Let me tell you something, those first couple of runs after 2 or 3 weeks of not running is fucking difficult. 

Unless I'm really in a pinch- I say a run is at least 30 minutes or 3 miles (lemme tell you, the 30 minutes always comes before the 3 miles, but it does good things for my mind to have options) but I always strive for longer. 
Tuesday was my first run in ages & I had just got a new phone & hadn't uploaded  my music yet, so I was solely relying on the kindness of iHeartRadio. I always feel like these streaming radio stations are so hit & miss, but luckily the Robyn radio station was killing it for a solid 20 minutes so that at least got me into the groove.

Ok, listen to "Cobrastyle" and tell me it doesn't make you want to move around. You can't. You just can't do it. (also, remember Robyn's early stuff from the 90's? Ha! I totally forgot she sang that "Show Me Love". I'm sure she would prefer everyone forget...Thanks, iHeartRadio!)

So, anyway. On Tuesday after the first mile- I was really, really ready to stop, but I powered through. I was super winded. It was a little embarrassing  Luckily, the sun wasn't really up yet so no one driving by could tell that I looked like I had already been running like 6 miles in the Sahara desert in midday. 
Seriously, I was so gross. It was... it was gross. 

Once the 28th minute came around I told myself "Goddamnit, Hearne. You can go another 5 or 10 minutes. You can do anything for another 5 or 10 minutes" BUT -by what I am convinced is divine intervention- it started raining! 

In case you don't know: it doesn't really rain in Austin.. and also it was only sprinkling, but I took it as a sign from the powers that be that I had done enough for that morning & spent the last two minutes jogging home.

And then I ran again this morning & it was a little easier. I am always so sore all over my everywhere after a first in a long time run.

Anyway, as I mentioned: I got a new phone! Which means downloading all my apps again & uploading music & replacing contacts, etc... 
It also means fun new features. Like this distortion on my camera: 

Which brings me to an app questions. 
Don't worry: it's still about running because I know you guys are all dying to talk about my running routine more & more. 
Do you use any fitness apps that you just can't live without- specifically a running tracker with distance & pace tracked on it? I've been using Jog Tracker for ages. There's not really much to it & it just does what it's supposed to. My only gripe with it is the calorie counter is weird & I think inaccurate. (but I'm starting to shy away from calorie obsessing, so not a huge deal) For instance, this morning I ran for my 30 minutes & looked at the calorie count & it was approximately 230ish. 
So, then I switched to walking for the last leg of my walk & at the end of my journey it said 170ish calories... which... I mean... 
What?


Now, I've just downloaded MapMyRun. I haven't had a chance to use it yet so I don't know at the moment if I'm going to prefer it, but it looks like you can map out runs & see what others in the area are running- which seems neat. 
What do you use?


HEY! HERE'S MY NEW FAVORITE RUNNING SONG

It's fun, right? Isn't it fun? I think it's fun. 

This morning I went to my new gym with full intent on doing the elliptical machine for about 45 minutes to an hour. The thing is... sometimes change really sucks. & eventhough I've upgraded- I liked my old elliptical so much better! 

I couldn't tell you what it is exactly about the Cybex Arc trainer, but it just always made me feel at home. We did have a two year, very close relationship. I reached some of my ultimate cardio highs on it & I guess the change is just going to take some getting used to (Also, it's the brand they use on The Biggest Loser & I like to think that using it makes me & Jillian kind of friends)

Anyway, try as I did, I just could not find my groove in the gym this morning. I did about 13 minutes on the elliptical, hopped over to the rowing machine & lost interest after 5 minutes, looked at the stair machine... it was no hope. 
While going free for all at the gym is a great way to experiment with new workouts, going on your own with no plan & no trainer can lead to this. Exactly this. I was out of there. 

BUT! I did end up running around the neighborhood for 30 minutes. The beauty of  running on the terrain is that if you run two miles from your house... you still gotta get back to your house! 

Something about me- music makes or breaks a work out. If I am in a dance or otherwise cardio class & the music sucks, I hate my life in that class. 
I need a beat. I need some serious vocals. I don't mind a synthesizer or two.  
Let me tell you, my shuffle was kind of killing it this morning, but I need some new music like whoa. 
So, if I had to make a playlist for a 30 minute run based on what I'm into right now, it would go something like this: 

1) "I love it" - Icona Pop. 
2) "Let it Out" - Girl Talk *
3) "Can't Hold Us" - Macklemore, Ryan Lewis (I usually listen to this one twice. I'm surprised by how much it gets me going)
4)"Otis"- Jay Z & Kanye 
5) "Deceptacon" - Le Tigre
6)"Die Young" -Ke$ha (I'm sure I'll explore my embarrassed love for Ke$ha & how uncomfortable it makes me at some point in this blog)
7) "Triple Double" - Girl Talk **
8) "Sleephead"- Passion Pit 

Yeah, and if you have any suggestions for me, based  on this list above, please please leave them in the comments. I am always looking for something new to get me moving! 

* Yeah, dude. If you are NOT working out to girl talk, you are doing it WRONG. Here's an example of one of my very favorites:

**Seriously. 

Sports bras have always been a troubled spot for me. Home girl needs loads of support. As a top-heavy lady who does a lot of cardio, I am always on the hunt for a good & sturdy sports bra that will keep the girls in place while doing any number of activities- especially running.
So, after an extensive search of the world wide web & more than a few message boards on the topic- I decided on a daunting task: setting foot in the lululemon near 6th street. 
It's not that I have anything personally against lulu herself, it's just I am a budget savy lady & that place be 'spensive y'all. But I had read so many great things about the sports bra called The TaTa Tamer that I just had to try it for myself. (also, what damn cute li'l name). 

So, I am not 100% what happened. I remember putting it on in the store & jumping around a bit & the associates assuring me that yes, of course this would be a great bra for running, so I left the store, $60 or so poorer, but pleased in the thought that I had made an investment that would be lasting me for years. 
DISAPPOINTMENT!!!!!!!
No. No. Just... not. The next morning I get up to go for my morning run, tame my tata's, put on my shoes & go! Once I start running... oh no! Something is horribly wrong. Nothing is tamed! Not a damn thing is tamed! 

Sigh. This was nearly a year ago & I am still so apprehensive on ever buying a anything besides my cheap-o Target brand bras ever again (I have like a dozen of those. I just pull them on OVER the my investment bra). At $10-$15 a pop for these at anywhere from Target to WalMart to my love, Marshalls... I feel silly paying the big bucks. 


Now, let me say this- the TaTa Tamer (god, I feel silly saying that so much now.) is great for yoga! Which is LuLulemon's main market. Also, I can wear it solo to strength train or to a class where there isn't much jumping around, but for the high impact cardio--- I gotta "double bag" my boobies (god, I'm classy)

Any suggestion on how to tame your beasts? (boobs. your boobs are the beasts here)