RWR:MEET KRISTINA, RUNNER, MOM, CREATOR OF KOALA CLIP

"I am not a professional seamstress, just a passionate runner looking for a better option to carry my phone while on the go." 

~ Kristina Powell

As many of you know, I've always run with some sort of music-listening device.  Up until about a year ago, it was my iPod Nano.  I probably went through about three or four of them (washed it, jumped into a pool with it, poured water on it during a marathon) before I was forced to finally let go as Apple stopped making them which meant I could no longer replace the ones I was breaking.  So, I sought out a different option as I've never been a fan of carrying my phone with me when I run.  I did find some good choices like the Mighty, a tiny little audio player that synchs up with Spotify.  It's an awesome device, but I still wasn't able to tap into all my music sources.  After a few months, I found myself frequently carrying the Mighty and my phone so I had more than one option, which I especially wanted for longer days when I was out on the road for 3+ hours.  What I soon realized during this window of running with music exploration, however, was that it wasn't that I didn't like having my phone, I just didn't like carrying my phone.  Not only was I using it for music from several different sources (Apple, Spotify, Pandora).  I was also using it for things like keeping tabs on my girls if I was running long and they were home alone.  I liked that they were able to reach me, if only just to tell me they couldn't find something (Rosie) or that I should hurry up and come home because she missed me (Grace).  Actually holding the phone, however, was out of the question as I like to have my hands free.  There were a few options out there like the waist belt or the arm band.  But, for some reason, they never really felt comfortable for me.  Lots of tights now have legit phone pockets but I've  found that the weight of the phone results in my pants slowly falling down (yes, even with the draw string) which results in my hiking them up every half mile or so which is very annoying.  Finally, my friend and Oiselle teammate, Kristina, introduced me to her Koala Clip and my run-music-phone dilimmna is now and will forever be resolved.

The Koala Clip is the first sports bra phone carrier that allows you to keep your phone secure and out of the way while running.  It's such a simple concept.  You just zip the phone into the pouch, slip it inside the back of your sports bra or onto the back of the waistband of your pants and secure it in place with the magnetic clip.  Kristina sent me one of these puppies just before I was running my last marathon.  I think I used it maybe twice before deciding to try it on race day; always a bit risky.  I clipped it in and totally forgot about it for the entire 26.2 miles.  The pouch is made with water resistant fabric so my non-stop sweating was not a factor during the race.  It's also made of technical fabric, so there was no chafing or rubbing at all.  I reached out to Kristina right after the race to thank her and to let her know that this little product was a total lifesaver.  For obvious reasons, I wanted to get to know her better and to spread the word about the Koala Clip.  Kristina is a mom to two little ones (a spunky three year old daughter, and an aspiring superhero five year old son).  When she's not chasing them around, you can find her on the roads training for road races from 5k to the half marathon (and hopefully a marathon in the next year), or dreaming up the next step for Koala Clip.  Koala Clip was created from her own tiresome experience of trying to bring her huge phone with her on a run without it annoying or bothering her.  Her motivation to solve this problem has now paid off for all of us.  I have two clips and I use them every, single day.  To sum it up, if you carry your phone when you run, the Koala Clip is a complete game changer.  So, first, head over to koalaclip.com, pick a color and style and then use code RWM10 at checkout to get your clip.  Then come back and learn more about Kristina, a RUNNER WHO ROCKS.

RWR:MEET KRISTINA POWELL

Name: Kristina Powell
Where you're from: Rural IL (a town of 1200 people in the middle of corn fields about 2.5 hours outside of Chicago).
Where you reside now: Rochester, NY
Age: 36
Occupation: Aspiring Entrepreneur (political fundraiser by day)
Blog/website: koalaclip.com

RUNNING & MUSIC:
What do you love most about running?
The freedom you get the moment you lace up your sneakers and hit the ground.  The world melts away expect you, your breathe, and the beat of your feet hitting the ground.
What do you love most about music?
Music has always been an emotional release for me.  Since becoming a mom, it’s taken a new meaning to introduce or change the mood in the room.  From dance parties to mellow music, it’s an important part of our home.

KRISTINA'S FAVORITES:
Band (current, all time or both): Alabama Shakes
Album (current, all time or both): Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon (I think it’s the nestalgia from high school and college that it evokes).
Race venue: LA Marathon (my first marathon)
Music venue: Orpheum Theatre in Boston
Race distance: Half Marathon
Show you've seen live?  When my husband and I started dating we saw Damien Rice and Alanis Morrisette at The Hatch Shell in Boston.  It was a gorgeous evening, amazing location, and one of those nights just etched in my mind forever.
Ice cream flavor: Cherry Garcia!

THIS OR THAT
Sweet or salty? Salty
Live or recorded? Live (but live shows don’t happen often anymore)
Coffee or tea? Coffee (is there anything else?)
Summer or winter?  Summer (please come soon!)





MORE MUSIC INFO:
Which band or artist would you go see tonight if you could? Alabama Shakes
Which band or artist (wait...but no longer alive or playing together) would you go see tonight if you could?  Janis Joplin
Which band or artist would you like to have dinner with tonight if you could? Lady Gaga
Which band or artist would you like to be playing alongside you during your next race (or long run)? Busta Rhymes

Alabama Shakes

LAST ONE:
Today, I feel like….(fill in the blank)
More coffee is very necessary.

Top 5 Songs for running, dancing or both?
Stronger - Kanye
Dancing on My Own - Robyn
Work - Rihanna
Hotline Bling - Drake
Run the World - Beyonce

Last 5 Songs you listened to today?*
Touch It - Busta Rhymes
DNA - Kendrick Lamar
Havana - Camila Cabello
Run Through the Jungle - CCR
River - Leon Bridges
*I have a very eclectic playlist in Spotify that I listen during the day while I’m working and these were the last five that played this morning.


Listen to this:

Touch It - Busta Rhymes

**PLEASE NOTE: $1 from every Koala Clip purchased goes to support Every Mother Counts, a non-profit that is working to make pregnancy and child birth safe for every mother.  Learn more about Every Mother Counts at everymothercounts.org