Mizuno 2013 - love it!

Mizuno Wave Ronin 5

I received the best Valentine's Day presents. No, not flowers. Not chocolate. Not a romantic night out with my husband. Truth be told, the gifts weren't even from my husband. 

That's right. 

Oh, well played Mizuno. Delivering my parcel of 2013 apparel on Valentine's Day. You know how to make a runner's day. 

I received my shoes (Nirvana and Ronin) and compression socks last week and yesterday's parcel completed the package. It was like Christmas. Except better because you know you're going to love everything.

Embossed flowers and shapes on the singlet

This year the main women's apparel colour is pink (coral and rouge red according to the labels). And oh how I adore it.

Not only is the colour fantastic, but Mizuno has added funky little details - like the embossed flower motifs on the singlet and the print on the shorts. Oh, and the lining of the shorts matches the singlet too. I love feeling coordinated. 

The Ronin are FLURO YELLOW and I'm so excited about it. I love bright shoes (like the aqua Elixir from 2011). I've given them a test run which reaffirmed that they are indeed my favourite shoes ever. 

A quick side note on the shoes. For years my training shoe has been the Nirvana, a really comfortable and supportive shoe that I chose to do most of my running in. Now I'm running again whilst being treated for/recovering from high hamstring tendinopathy I'm finding the shoes that have a little less support (the Elixir and the Ronin - both of which used to be my race shoes) feel better for me to run in. This may well change when I begin to increase my distance again, but for now I'm doing most of my running in the Elixir. 

Another reason I like training in the Nirvana (aside from the support factor which is important when you're doing loads of kilometres) is that the it is slightly heavier than the Elixir (and the Ronin is lighter than both shoes) so on race day my feet feel super light and ready to run fast. 

Mizuno Wave Nirvana 9

Also included in yesterday's package were gloves, which I really appreciated seeing as though I threw my last pair on the side of the road during the Sydney10 last year. I strategically threw them somewhere I thought I could go back and get them (they were my good pair because I'd forgotten to bring a cheap throwaway pair) but when I went to find them after the race someone had already picked them up. 

Shorts - see the designs that show up in the light? Love it. 

I am incredibly grateful to be a Mizuno Brand Ambassador again, but I really want to make it clear that's certainly not the reason I'm so positive about all the gear. I want to be the best runner I can be, which means I'm not going to wear something unless I truly believe its the best thing for me. What's the point in having a relationship with a brand if that brand isn't going to help you reach your goals? Mizuno's philosophy is 'Never Settle' and it's something that strongly resonates with me. 

Back in 2010, after winning the Canberra Marathon, I was desperately searching for a new model of shoe. I had been wearing Asics up to that point but something had changed and the new Asics shoes were uncomfortable and causing me calf problems. I had friends who were having similar issues so there was obviously a change in the design. 

I was introduced to a Mizuno rep and he spoke to me about becoming a Brand Ambassador. I said I'd be keen to try the shoes as I hadn't worn Mizuno before and I was having a hard time finding a suitable shoe. As soon as I tried the Nirvana, I knew I was on to something good.

Since then I've been really fortunate that Mizuno has continued the relationship with me. I've tried a number of different models and I'm convinced the Nirvana (training, although we'll see what happens when I return from injury and get back to full training), Elixir (marathon distance racing, perhaps my new training shoe), and Ronin (so far up to half marathon, but I'd like to try it for a marathon) are the shoes for me.

Finally, I thought I'd include an extract from Mizuno's 'Mizunofesto' because I really do like it.


Our victories are personal.
Our devotion is perpetual.
And our potential is limitless.

Every day you make promises to yourself.
Be tough, only tougher.
Be strong, only stronger.
Be yourself, only better.

And, above all, never waver.
Never quit.
Never settle. 

So excited. Need to get out and race now. Hopefully that won't be too far away. 

Yeah! New Mizuno stuff!

Elixir 7

Nirvana (top) and Elixir (bottom) and CLOTHES!

Yeah baby! New stuff from Mizuno!

How cool is the new Elixir? I love shoes that look a bit different from everything else that's around.

Now I'm all set to try some of this out at the Summer Run in Port Stephens this weekend... just gotta decide what colour to wear. I'm thinking yellow, just because I've never had yellow stuff before.

Thanks to Mizuno for the support.

Mizuno Brand Ambassador for 2012

Yahoo!! An early Christmas present and a fabulous way to finish off the year.

Yesterday afternoon I was (very literally) dancing around the house after receiving an email from Mizuno offering me a place in the Mizuno Brand Ambassador Program for 2012.

I've been fortunate enough to have support from Mizuno since 2010, after winning the National Capital Marathon in Canberra. The timing back then was serendipitous - I was desperately looking for new shoes for both racing and training because the brand I had worn for many years completely changed the models I wore and they were causing me no end of trouble. I thought it may have just been me, especially after being told by a fitting specialist there wasn't a significant change in the shoes, but my husband and a couple of friends were also having problems with their arch support and archilles, so it was definitely more than my imagination.

I had never tried Mizuno before (simply because I was lazy and it was easy to stick with something else while it was working for me), and I was thrilled to find they were exactly what I was looking for. I was recommended the Nirvana for training and the Elixir for racing, and both proved to be spot on.

Not only did Mizuno support me by providing me with shoes, they also gave me a clothing allowance so, for the first time, I started to get outfits that not only fitted really well, but actually matched! So exciting!

I was invited on board again in 2011, and I was just so grateful (and surprised) that an international company like Mizuno would actually consider me worthy of representing its brand. Again, I got some fantastic kit, including the coolest looking shoes I've ever had to date - the Elixir 6 (pictured left). Love, love, love them. Everyone does.

A little while ago all the 2011 Brand Ambassadors received an email thanking us for the year and explaining the program was going to be consolidated for 2012 and only those selected for 2012 would be receiving another email. I very honestly thought that was the end of a very good (very lucky!) wicket for me. I was so sure that I actually went and purchased a new pair of Mizunos from the store because mine needed replacing!

Needless to say I am absolutely over the moon to have the opportunity to represent Mizuno again this year. It has been such a privilege, and I desperately hope I can have a few excellent performances over the next 12 months to prove their selection was warranted.

Now, I can't WAIT to see what the new range is like! Happy days!