Best Sports Bras for Big Busts

Here's the sad truth: my larger boobs used to be one of the biggest obstacles in my way of getting a good workout.

Sometimes I just didn't feel like layering on THREE sports bras just to go for a jog on the treadmill. Other times I didn't want to have to face the stares of guys in my college gym while I bounced away on the elliptical. Simply put, dealing with my boobs before a workout was always an uncomfortable struggle.

About 5 years ago I had a light bulb moment. There HAD to be a better way than wearing three sports bras. Cue the magical world of the internet! I quickly discovered that there are in fact lots of sports bra options for large chested women. The downside: these bras cost anywhere from $70-$100. What the F?? Despite the prices, I decided to bite the bullet and try a few bras out. Luckily, since I first started looking into these bras the prices have decreased by quite a bit. Yay!

First up:

The Ta Ta Tamer from Lululemon (available in sizes 32C - 40DD).

Front

Back

This is definitely the cutest and most versatile of all of the bras I tried. It has removable pads, straps that can cross for racerback, adjustable straps similar to a regular bra, and soft sweat wicking fabric. Sadly, it provided the least amount of support for me and I experienced some chafing with the straps. I think this bra would be great for girls on the smaller side, and it's turned into a nice yoga/low impact bra for me.

Next up was something totally different: the Enell Sport (available in sizes 00 - 8, use their measurement guide to find your fit).

Front

Back

I hate to say it, but this bra is just ugly. The shiny fabric. The thick straps and band. By far, this bra provided the most support for me (and the most "uniboob"). You can't completely tell in the photo, but you basically harness yourself into this bra by fastening 11 clasps up the front center and moving your boobs into place as you go. I really hate this process, and it felt similar to my dread in having to squeeze myself into numerous sports bras at once. That being said, this is the best bra I've worn for long distance running. I also think their measurement guide is great, and allows for you to really find the right fit. 

The next bra I tried continues to be my favorite to this day: Brooks Moving Comfort Fiona (available in sizes 30B - 40DD).

Brooks is always having sales on these bras, but they sell out FAST. Right now there's only one color available in my size, but for $29 I don't care! I own 3 of these bras, 2 in black and one in the plum color above. It's way brighter in person than it looks in that photo. This bra is super light and comfortable. It provides a TON of support but doesn't feel like a harness. It has adjustable straps, a simple hook closure in the back, and somehow manages not to dig into my shoulders. It does not have a racerback, so it doesn't exactly look cute under most workout tanks, and it's hard to avoid the uniboob. This is my go to bra for running, zumba classes, strength training -- basically any high intensity workouts. I would not wear this bra to yoga or a light walk.

Another good options from Brooks is the Juno (available in sizes 30C - 44DD).

Front

Back

This bra is super comfortable. Like the Fiona it has adjustable straps, but has a racerback instead. It also has individual cups so there's far less uniboob than you get in the Fiona. I find that this bra provides a bit less support, but still gets the job done.

So the winner for me is the Brooks Fiona, but I think all of these bras are good options depending on what you're looking for. If you're still layering your sports bras, STOP, and let one of these babies change your life!

Onward and Upward

I've been feeling quite motivated the last few weeks to bounce back from the excessive holiday feasting/laziness. Maybe it was all the January 1st hooplah. Whatever it was, I'm embracing it.

I want to feel more comfortable in my body this year. I don't have super aggressive goals and I'm not assigning any numbers or strict time frame. So far this year I've been a meal prep warrior, tracking my food again, and working out 4-5 times/week. I restarted the BBG program and started with the four pre-training weeks (listed as PT below) to ease into it. I'm currently in the middle of week 4.

I've been planning my workouts each week on Sunday and doing my best to stick to it. Each week I do some combination of:

- 2-3 sessions of BBG (arms and abs, legs and cardio, and total body)

- a zumba class (because I love it)

- a yoga class (because I love it and need to stretch)

- 1-2 30-60 minutes LISS (low intensity steady state) cardio sessions, this can be power/incline walking/spinning/elliptical/hiking and eventually jogging when I feel like it
- 1-2 PLANNED rest days

Here's what my workouts the last few weeks have looked like:

1/4/2015	1/5/2015	1/6/2015	1/7/2015	1/8/2015	1/9/2015	1/10/2015
Yoga class	BBG PT wk 1 - arms & abs	Rest	Zumba class + LISS (walking)	BBG PT wk 1 - legs & cardio	Rest	BBG PT wk 1 - total body
1/11/2015	1/12/2015	1/13/2015	1/14/2015	1/15/2015	1/16/2015	1/17/2015
Yoga class	Rest	BBG PT wk 2 - arms & abs	Zumba class + LISS (walking)	BBG PT wk 2 - legs & cardio + LISS (incline walking)	Short hike (on vaca)	Rest (on vaca)
1/18/2016	1/19/2016	1/20/2016	1/21/2016	1/22/2016	1/23/2016	1/24/2016
Rest (on vaca)	BBG PT wk 3 - arms & abs	Skipped workout, moved to Fri	Zumba class + LISS (walking)	BBG PT wk 3 - legs & cardio + LISS (spinning)	Volleyball	BBG PT wk 3 - total body
1/25/2016	1/26/2016	1/27/2016	1/28/2016	1/29/2016	1/30/2016	1/31/2016
Yoga class	BBG PT wk 4 - arms & abs + 30 mins LISS (elliptical)	Zumba class + LISS (walking)	Rest	BBG PT wk 4 - legs & cardio	Volleyball	BBG PT wk 4 - total body

BBG has a great, motivating community on Instagram and facebook. The women who stick to the program see some incredible results and are really wonderful to each other (a nice change from the usual cattiness/jealousy you see all over the place). I've tried to find a few blogs that track progress from week 1 - week 12 and haven't found many that have actually finished the program. Hopefully I can be one of those!

Here are my observations/progress so far:

- I like leg/cardio and total body days WAY more than arms and abs. Squats continue to be my favorite exercise.

- The only modification I've had to make so far is push ups, but I am now up to completing half of push up sets the full way (on my toes) and half modified (on my knees). When I started I had to do them all on my knees. That's so exciting after just 3.5 weeks! I guess that's what you get doing nearly 120 push ups on arms day...

- My joints (most noticeably wrists and knees) are pretty tender after workouts because of all the jumping/push ups. I hope this doesn't become an obstacle in completing the program. I ain't 15 anymore.

- I love that each workout only takes about 30 minutes, but I leave each session sweaty and spent. Thanks to my Fit Bit I know my heart rate is raised throughout the workouts too. 

- I've been diligent about keeping my rests between sets to 60-90 seconds. It's tough, but it's important to the plan.

As far as eating goes, I'm not following the BBG nutrition guide exactly. I've been focusing on eating semi low-carb, limiting alcohol, and eating as much organic, locally-sourced, non-processed food as possible. I'm far from perfect here, but I'm trying. Here's some yummy food pics:

New favorite side: baked sweet potato with coconut oil and cinnamon

Homemade hummus!

Pistachio crusted salmon. So good.

New favorite recipe.

Train snacks

So I'm feeling really good overall and [knock on wood], this doesn't feel that terribly hard at this point. Scheduling my workouts and planning my food are KEY. Saying no to drinks has been my biggest challenge so far. My fridge is filled with so many delicious beers!

Today my body was feeling tired and I was very happy for the rest day. I just returned from a fun blogger event that I'll write about in another post! It's couch and TV time for the rest of the night.

MDW 2014

I've been a bad updater lately. Honestly, I was feeling pretty defeated about not running the half marathon and just didn't feel like writing about it. I had to decide on Saturday at the expo if I wanted to switch to the 5 mile race. After sitting there pondering and flipping back and forth a hundred times, I decided to switch. When I ran the Harpoon 5 Miler the week before my foot didn't feel exceptional. It wasn't terrible either, but I'm just not the kind of person who can happily run 13 miles without fully training for it.

I still feel upset when I think about it so I'm just going to look forward and think about the future...and that's that. I actually managed to get some decent pictures from the races (yes, I wore the same shirt. I clearly need some new running t-shirts).

I love those pictures of me and Tom! The Run to Remember had an awesome course, and I hope I can do it next year. There were sooo many people (13,000) and sometimes it just looked like a sea of runners in front of me.

Now that I'm past this half marathon debacle, I feel like the options relating to fitness are endless! Here's what I know I want to do:

- Continue exercising 5 times/week
- Keep up my running stamina so I can run 3-5 miles comfortably
- Continue strength training
- Continue doing yoga
- Keep losing weight
- Reach the final diet bet goal!!

To help with the running, I made a list of a bunch of races I want to run:
6/29 - Tory Row 5k (ran last year)
7/13 - Vert Sasquatch 2.3 mi trail race (registered)
7/17 - Jim Kane Sugar Bowl 5k (ran last year)
8/24 - Race to the Row 5k
9/14 - Lone Gull 10k
10/13 - Tufts 10k (ran a few years ago)

Ideally, I'd LOVE to get my 5k time under 30 minutes. My fastest recorded 5k time ever is 30:37 from October 2010 (jeez). I think if I keep that goal in mind I can do it!!

And just because pictures are fun, here are some more from Memorial Day weekend...

Victory

Pre race hydration

Post race excessive breakfast

Tomato plants in the garden!

Little snap peas in the garden

Pretty flowers

First fro yo of the season

Craving satisfied

A Mixed Bag

Of emotions, that is. That's how I'm feeling lately about this approaching half marathon. It's just 2.5 weeks away!

I spent some time reading old posts from before the half I did in 2011 and am experiencing a lot of the same feelings. Mostly...fear, worry, anxiety, excitement, anticipation.

I went to Marathon Sports yesterday and bought some new sneakers. The guy who helped me said it was possible that I was overcompensating with my old shoes, and that could be causing me pain. He didn't really seem to know (I mean, he's not a doctor), so I figured I might as well try running in a new pair and can always return them if I want. I ended up with Asics Gel Cumulus 16s. I've never worn Asics before but they felt good when I jogged in them at the store and during my strength class. We'll see how they feel tonight on a shorter run, and this weekend on a longer run.

At this point I feel like I'm going to run the half. Obviously if I have extreme pain in my foot at any point that will be a different story. When it comes to running I still consistently struggle with not only comparing myself to others, but comparing my current self to my old self. In terms of others, I made the mistake of looking at last year's results for the Run to Remember. Based on my last long run, my finish time would put me in the very near the end of the 6,300 finishers. That shouldn't matter to me, but it does. It's hard to feel proud of accomplishments if you also feel embarrassed. Plus, they've made it very clear that they want to open up the roads ASAP after the race (anyone who averages a 14 minute mile after 2 miles won't be allowed to finish). I'm not afraid of that happening, but the fact that they want this done quickly makes me feel like slower runner won't get decent support from the race organizers and volunteers. Hopefully I'm wrong about that.

Even worse, I keep comparing my running self today to back in 2011. Back then, I was easily running 10 minute miles. These days I average 11-11:30 minute miles for shorter runs, and much more for longer runs. I stumbled upon Carla Birnberg's post "Dont compare you to..you" and it really resonated with me, particularly...

"I don’t compare myself to others. And yet I also studiously avoid comparing myself to myself. As crazy as it initially sounds comparing you to YOU can also be the thief of joy. My philosophy is a simple one. I do my best each day in everything from fitness to family. I go to bed. I get back up the next morning and give my best efforts again. Some days are amazing. Some are less so. Regardless, I focus on the fact our windshields are larger than our rear-view mirrors for a reason."

This is always something I'm working towards, but it's tough not to look backwards. For today, I will just try to accept where I am and use the next 2.5 weeks to prep myself as well as possible. I can't change where I am, so I might as well try to enjoy it and be proud of it.

Workouts wise, here's the plan for the next few weeks:

W 5/7: 3 mi run + yoga 

Th 5/8: Cross

F 5/9: Rest

Sa 5/10: Long run in St. Louis (8-10 miles...we'll see how I do in the 80 degree heat)

Su 5/11: Rest/stretch

M 5/12: Hot yoga

Tu 5/13: Total body strength

W 5/14: 3 mi run + yoga

Th 5/15: Cross

F 5/16: 2 mi run

Sa 5/17: Rest

Su 5/18: Harpoon 5 miler

M 5/19: Hot yoga

Tu 5/20: 3 mi run

W 5/21: Yoga

Th 5/22: 2 mi run

F 5/23: Rest

Sa 5/24: Rest

Su 5/25: Half marathon!! <- forced exclamation points. Get excited Julie!!!!

Other than that, I'm going to foam roll as much as possible, eat as healthy as possible, and try to practice drinking water/fueling a little during workouts. I had one sip of water during my 9 miler and I immediately cramped up. Not good!!

And for motivation...a reminder to myself of some helpful mantras:

Great accomplishments take time but are always worth the effort.

No matter how small, do not diminish, but take pride in your successes.

If you're reading and have any to add, leave a comment and let me know!

Half Marathon Training Week 10

In addition to my workouts I've been keeping up with my Plank a Day challenge! In case you're doing it with me, I realized I made a mistake on Day 14 -- should be 1 minute 20 seconds instead of 45. Womp womp.

Monday, 4/28

20 minute HIIT elliptical workout

Hot yoga: 60 minutes

Tuesday, 4/29
Total Body Strength class (60 minutes)

Wednesday, 4/30
Yoga: 60 minutes

Thursday, 5/1
3.1 mi run: 36:47

This was my first real run back after a long bit of rest. I already wrote about it here, so I won't repeat myself :)

Friday, 5/2
REST: walked 2-3 miles throughout the day casually.

Saturday, 5/3
Hot yoga: 60 minutes
Foam rolled for 20 minutes or so

I held crow pose for 5 seconds at yoga!! I was seriously in shock. I could have possibly held it for longer but I freaked myself out. It's definitely a combination balance and strength pose. You need core strength, but if you can get in the right spot you kind of just balance there.

(Not me)

Sunday, 5/4
9 mile run: 1 hr, 55 mins

Well this was unexpected! I planned to attempt a 5-6 mile run, but once I got to that point I was feeling good and decided to keep going. The weather was perfect (minus wind at some points) and I loved the route I was on, so I just went with it. Some photos:

Leftover motivational signage from the Walk for Hunger!

As I was approaching the 8 mile mark I knew I couldn't keep it up, so I intentionally walked/ran the last mile. This run gave me both confidence and some trepidation. The 9th mile was really tough to get through, and honestly, I felt like shit after the run. I spent a long time foam rolling and stretching and then basically laid on the couch/hobbled around for the rest of the night.

Recovery.

That being said, I still have 3 weeks before the half and I'm pretty sure if I was in race mode I could have done another 4 miles walking/running just like the ninth mile. Time wise, that puts me near a 3 hour half marathon, which is not a very nice number, but oh well. I also didn't have any foot pain during the run, and so far am doing good today. I'm taking tonight as a rest night (no hot yoga) but am going to stretch on my own for a while because I'm still feeling tight in some places.

My route (I finished 8 miles at my apartment door so I just ran around the neighborhood for the last mile):

And my splits (time includes a decent amount of stop light breaks...gotta love city running!):