Dorothy Beal

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@mileposts Favorite Black Shorts

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Feels strange calling myself @mileposts but after having that handle for 11 years online it’s what people google vs my name.

I frequently get asked what my favorites are, so in an effort to cut down on the mess that is my instagram DM’s I’m going to put my favorites in to a series of blog posts so I can send them over to you whenever you ask!

First up are my favorite black shorts. I’ve been running races for the past 20 years and blogging for 11 so you could argue that I’ve tried a pair of shorts or two! I HATE wasting money on gear (…I actually just hate wasting money in general) so these are my TOP favorites because I’d hate for you to waste money on gear too!

Keep in mind that shorts are truly a personal preference. What I love, you might not and visa versa. If I had to pick 6 pairs of shorts to keep and toss all my others, these would be the ones I’d wear on repeat.

MALO PR Shorts: These are my go to tight black shorts. I have a bunch of them in the prints as well and have worn the printed ones in multiple different marathons. According to their size chart I should be a smaller size than I purchased but when picking out shorts I have to consider the size of my waist compared to my thighs, which are much thicker in relation. I often struggle to find jeans that fit because if they fit my thighs, they gape in the waist. If your body is like mine then you might want to consider sizing up. I have noticed that the solid colors of these shorts feel tighter than the prints – just as an FYI. I’ve had some runners tell me that the legs roll on them – they don’t roll on me – that’s usually a result of not having the correct size for your body type – though sometimes tight shorts just roll up in general. If you want a longer version I have the MALO Little Bit Longer Shorts and like those as well. They are also super cute as a lifestyle piece worn with a big comfy sweatshirt!

Athleta Hustle 3″ Shorts:

If you are looking for looser black running shorts with liners these ones from Athleta are one of my favorites. I find I chafe less in shorts that are shorter so that’s why the majority of my favorite black shorts are shorter. When a short has a longer inseam there is more fabric that can bunch between my thighs vs using some type of glide with a shorter short. The fabric on these shorts is really soft and dries quickly.

ASICS Road 3.5″ Shorts:

Another one of my favorite looser black shorts with a liner are these ones from ASICS. I often struggle to find looser running shorts that fit comfortably because they don’t stretch like tight shorts. When I get a size large enough to fit my thighs then they are swimming in my waist, that’s not the case with these shorts from ASICS – they fit perfectly. There is a draw string in these shorts so you can get them over your hips and then make them tighter in the waist. The back of the shorts is slightly longer than the front, which is barely enough to notice while looking at them, but makes a big difference in coverage while running. Wore these for LA Marathon this past March and like them so much that I just ordered another black pair the other day.

Lululemon Hotty Hot Short II 2.5″:

In comparison to the Athleta and ASICS shorts these ones from Lululemon are lower rise (though in this picture they don’t look that way!). They sit more on my hips than the other two and while you can pull them up a bit they are still low. That being said I like having different styles of looser black shorts with liners. I gravitate towards these shorts more in the summer than in the winter months because I like tucking in a tank top in the winter to keep my stomach warm and there really isn’t much to tuck in to in these shorts. I wore them for Berlin Marathon and loved them + did not chafe at all (I always use glide though because I’m just someone who chafes in general).

Rabbit catch me if you can 2.5″:

Another favorite that I’ve worn during multipe marathons, including Boston Marathon are these black ones from Rabbit. They are tiny in comparison to the other shorts I’ve mentioned – so I gravitate towards them when I’m feeling fit. They are the type of short that makes you forget you are even wearing shorts. I like that the back pocket is 100 percent functional – I’ve stuffed gels in there and had no issue with them bouncing while trying to run fast-for-me.

Day Won Biker Star Short 5″:

I love love love Day Won for their size inclusivity. They go from a size 0 to a size 32 in this short. When I first pulled the shorts out of the bag I wasn’t sure they were going to fit because they looked really small, but they fit perfectly. The fabric is a bit thicker than my other tight black shorts and offers more compression, so even though they may look smaller than you actually need, they fit perfectly (they suggest sizing up if you want a looser fit). The rise is higher which is nice on days you want more support. There is also small pocket which is great for holding a gel and an ID or something similar.

Are you OK?

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I’m ok but not okay, if you know what I mean.

I haven’t used the “d” word because I just don’t like it. I don’t want to be someone who is getting divorced. No one walks down the aisle (I didn’t walk down an aisle which in hindsight makes me laugh a little) thinking that their marriage is going to end. If you thought it was going to end, why would you even let it begin. Yeah, yeah the better to have loved and lost thing, and yeah I get that but I’m also a bit bitter and jaded and all that jazz, so maybe better to have not loved and not lost is sort of how I feel right now.

So yes, I’m getting divorced but I’d like that to not define who I am as a person. I’d like to just be me going forward, only this me doesn’t have rules I never signed up for. This me doesn’t have to fake smiling on the outside when I’m not smiling on the inside. This me says, yeah I cried on my run today and I had a hard time breathing because it felt like a full on panic attack.

I could say oh yeah I’m fine every time someone asks me are you okay, but sometimes I’m not fine. I think it’s okay to both be OK and NOT OK at the same time. In this season of life I’m giving myself grace and letting myself feel the emotions that bubble up rather than stuff them down.

I spent a good portion of yesterday crying, which sucks because I had my kids and I don’t like crying around them, but for the most part I shut my bedroom door and just let myself cry and then would pull myself right back together again and return to mom life. Today that feels silly. Today crying is laughable, well other than when I ran in to a friend at Target and started crying while talking to her BUT my point is that I don’t feel the need to fake it anymore. I’m going to cry and that’s okay. I’m going to feel on top of the world and that too is okay. I’m going to do things that people tell me not to do or advise against and that is also ok, because this is MY life now and I don’t have to live it for anyone other than myself and my kids.

So yes, I’m okay….thanks for checking on me. Welcome to the real me.

Saucony Ride 13 From Zappos Review

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Sponsored by Zappos

If you have followed me for any period of time you know I’m always talking about the benefits of rotating running shoes. Either rotating between different shoes from the same brand or what I prefer, rotating running shoes between different brands. There are a multitude of benefits in my opinion to doing this, one of which is injury prevention.

Today however I’m going to talk about having a go-to brand in your running shoe rotation.

I like to think of your go-to running shoe brand as an old friend.

“Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver the other is gold“

Yes, I like to try new shoes to see what’s out there but on runs where I don’t want to experiment, my shoe of choice is a reliable go-to that reminds me of past good runs. When I put this shoe on I know that if I have any issues on the run that day, it wasn’t the shoes. Saucony has been one of these brands for me since I first became a runner 20 years ago.

The Ride is one of my favorite go-to neutral running shoes. In August I first tried the new update to the Ride, the Saucony Ride 13.

I was a fan of the update and have continued to run in the shoe weekly. It was time for a new pair so I ordered a different color from Zappos.

Unless I am absolutely head over heels in love with a color way, I try to never buy the same color way twice in a pair of shoes. I want the mental association that comes with a new to me colorway being a fresh start.

Zappos has all four colorways of the Saucony Ride 13. I went with the Coral/Alloy color way this summer and decided to go with the Alloy/Black color for fall/winter!!

I wear a 8 in regular shoes and am typically an 8.5 or a 9 in running shoes. I went with an 8.5, my typical size in Saucony shoes, and they fit perfectly. I’m a neutral runner who rolls a bit to the outside (supinate) so I always run in neutral shoes. 

Tip: when trying to find the perfect fit for a pair of running shoes. You can use socks to make them fit better. If the shoes are a tad big, wear thicker socks, if they are just right as is, wear thinner socks.

What I love most about this shoe:

Straight out of the box comfort – there was zero “break in” time for me.

The shoe laces – this might sound silly, but anyone who has had their shoelaces come untied during a race knows that shoe laces matter. The laces are puffy and round so they don’t come undone at all.

The tongue is attached – I can’t stand it when the tongue of a shoe moves all around and slides down to one side of the shoe. The way the Saucony Ride 13 is designed it feels like the shoe is wrapped around your foot – almost as if it’s just an extension of your foot.

Comfort mile after mile – because I am able to try a lot of shoes I’m sensitive to notice when a shoe starts to feel not so great after a while. This shoe literally feels great on mile 1 and on mile 300. I like it so much that after I’m finished using it for running, I wash them and then wear them as everyday shoes.

As someone who is currently limiting my contact with other people because of the pandemic, I love shopping at Zappos. I’m a Zappos rewards member so not only do I get free expedited shipping, I also earn rewards on each purchase. Most of my recent orders have arrived within a day or two! I also really like their return policy. I get 365 days to decide if I want to keep an item or return it. I rave about Zappos for a good reason – I’ve literally never had anyone tell me that they didn’t enjoy their experience ordering from them!

@mileposts on Instagram

Dorothy Beal