Spartan Race Contest!

You did it! You made it through yet another work week! And because you busted your butt, you deserve to be rewarded, am I right?

What could possibly be any better than winning a FREE pass to a Spartan Race event?


Reebok's Spartan Race is a world leader in obstacle racing. What sets them apart from a typical mud run, is that they offer not one, but 4 brutal course options depending on your athletic (and insanity) level: Spartan Sprint, Super Spartan, Spartan Beast, and Death Race.

As a virgin to any mud run or obstacle race, I would personally chose the Spartan Sprint. Though, I'm sure I could very well complete the Death Race with these muscles...

 ...but I think I'll sit that one out ;-).

I have always wanted to participate in an obstacle run and if you would like to prove your strength and courage to the world as well, now is your chance!

TO ENTER: Please comment on this post, telling me what Spartan Race you would want to participate in. For an extra entry, "Like" my Facebook page here and make an additional comment on this post telling me you've done so. One winner will be chosen at random next Friday, May 24th.

To learn more or find an event in your area, go to www.SpartanRace.com!

And because EVERYONE is worthy of participating in a Spartan Race, I have a 15% off promo code for you! Visit their page here to take advantage of this awesome offer!


Good luck!!!

Heels & Humidity

I am proud of myself. Not only was I in bed by 10:30 (10:24 to be exact), but I was able to last the day without soda. Sure, the day is not yet over, but I lasted this long without a problem. I think I can make it another 2 or 3 hours.

On a completely different subject, I think my foot was healed by magic. After my week off, I was still experiencing some pain. It wasn't as significant as it was the week before, so I felt it wasn't enough to keep me from my most loved activity. In fact, the only time that I felt the pain was not when running, but when I walked in sneakers. Heels were a completely different story. I wore some yesterday and had absolutely no pain until I took them off.

Believe me, I'm stumped too!

I woke this morning, still with the same annoying pain. However, as the day progressed, the pain started to slowly dull down. By noon, the pain was almost completely gone. Peter and I went on a walk on our lunch break. I was prepared to do only one lap instead of our normal two. The pain was there when we began, but after lap one, it was gone. So I risked another lap and the pain did not return.

So what happened? I am completely stumped. I don't understand how I went from having a decent amount of pain this morning to suddenly losing it on the walk. Was something just out of place this whole time and just snapped back to where it needed to be? I'm thankful the pain is gone, but I wish I knew why.

Anyway, my run this evening was not enjoyable at all. It was sticky and hot on the trail. That and I was attacked by every gnat on this side of the country. I am not a fan of humid weather.

Because of that, I was highly considering the treadmill this evening. Though, if I gave in this early, I would probably end up keeping all of my runs inside till fall. So I sucked it up for a day. And my time didn't suffer too much. I finished 5 miles in 46:16. Not too shabby!

Anyway, I'm trying to hit the hay early again tonight so I have to wrap this up now to get laundry finished and lay down by 10:30 again. Seemed to do me some good last night. Figured it wouldn't hurt again!

Have a good one!!


What goals have you set and achieved lately?

Ever have an injury magically disappear when you haven't done much to make it do so?

How do you survive humidity on a run?

Sleep, Soda, Six Mile PR

This is going to be a quick update because I have a goal in place for tonight: A 10:30 bedtime. Well, I intend to be laying in bed by 10:30. We shall see if I really go through with that one. I have been tired though and I am sure it would be for the best.

Speaking of goals, I have another in mind: NO SODA FOR ONE DAY! I have been an absolute soda addict for the last month and have nearly abandoned water.

That cup doesn't have JUST soda in it...

It's definitely having many negative effects, as well. For example, bloating. What woman likes bloating?!

I will make every effort to avoid the soda machine tomorrow. I am even thinking of letting Peter hold on to my wallet so I can resist the temptation of swiping my credit card through the machine. I will have water and Mio by my side at all times to help.

Anyway, on to running!!!

I anticipated today's run to be a slow one, but this week has been extremely abnormal for me, so it didn't up being as slow as I wanted. As a result, I got a PR on my 6 mile running time.

Believe it or not, I tried desperately to start out slow...like 9:30 slow. But my legs didn't want any part of that. I, at least, tried to make it consistent for the first 3 miles, then speed it up in the end. Boom...PR.

I have my Garmin to thank! <3

But that about sums it up! I gotta get my lunch packed and prepare for bed so I can be there by goal time! Have a good night!!!



Do you have a bed time? How many hours of sleep do you normally get a night?

Are you addicted to soda or caffeiene? What's your favorite soda?
-I love Diet Mountain Dew and Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper

Ever get a PR without intention?

 

Going the Extra Mile...or Two.

How many celeb mentions, retweets, and favorites does it take for the awesomeness of it to wear off?

I think this is the 8th time I've been acknowledged by someone in spotlight. My first RT by a celebrity was actually Snoop Dogg. Another I was extremely excited about was Seth Green. He wished me a happy birthday 2 years ago. Oh, how I love Twitter.

Anyway, yesterday was Mother's Day, and I couldn't be more blessed with the mom that I have...

My cousin, Heather (purple overalls), me (baby), my mom,
my sister, Ashley

Peter invited her and his mother, Maria, over for a Mother's Day feast and it was very successful! We had BBQ chicken breast, mashed potatoes, biscuits, and more! It was all very delicious because our mother's deserve nothing but yummy food! I also presented my mom with a FoodSaver. She's been dying for one and since Peter and I love ours so much, I figured we'd get her the same one as we have. I'm so glad she loves it!

Now, today is my mother's birthday! So Happy Birthday, Mom!!! <3

Anyway, I decided to trash Maniac Mile Mondays until further notice. I want to wait until my foot feels like its old self again. At this point, it really feels sore more than anything. Though, my RockTape aka MiracleTape has really made a difference. I'm already prepared to buy some more.

Today, I aimed to do 5 miles since I was tired and sore from yesterday's 14. But once I hit the trail, I felt completely energized and refreshed. I ended up doing a full 7 which is extremely abnormal for me during the work week.

What was even more abnormal was my time.

Can someone say "PR"?

I paid very close attention to my Garmin today. My intent was to keep things slow. But when I saw those negative splits every mile, I figured "Why the hell not give this my all?" So, not only did I PR in my 5k and my half this month, I PRed on my 7 mile time as well.

My birth month has really treated me well, minus the foot issue.
 It's nice to see myself leave age 24 with a bang!

Have you ever been retweeted or mentioned on Twitter by a celebrity? Who was it and what did they RT or say to you?

What did you do for your mother on Mother's Day?

Have you had any PRs this month?

RockTape, Forerunner, and a Dead iPod

Today's run did not go as planned at all! Yet, I can't say that it was a bad thing.

First off, I "overslept". For me, sleeping in is considered waking up after 7:30 am. So I almost felt I had to rush through breakfast and get ready for my run. But I did take time to apply my new roll of RockTape...

Yes, my legs are that white....

They say it helps prevent/heal injury prone areas. I figured it wouldn't hurt to have it placed on my peroneal tendon. It wasn't but a few minutes after application that I was already sold on this miracle tape.

Anyway, I quickly gobbled down my eggs and bagel (with homemade raspberry jelly thanks to our roommate, Chris) and I hurried down to the trail to begin what was originally intended to be a 13.1 mile journey. I didn't want to do more since I had the prior week off from my foot. Also, my run(s) yesterday were very exhausting. My goal was to make today's long run very easy on myself.


Then came Obstacle #1: A Fallen Tree.

After the weekend of storms, I should have expected more than mud on the trail. Yet, I was not prepared for a tree that nearly made the trail impassable. I was determined to not let this affect my planned path, so I took it as a minor challenge and climbed over the trunk to continue forward again.

About quarter of a mile later, I encountered obstacle #2: The dead iPod.

When I left the house this morning, I made sure to check the battery life on my iPod Touch since I had not used it since the half marathon. From my quick glance, it looked to have a decent amount of battery left. I estimated about 75%. You could imagine my surprise when the music cut off mile 2.25. I felt like this run could not get any worse.

Now I was faced with a decision: Do I continue with the run or do I turn back?

I just literally climbed over a tree to get this far and going back just seemed stupid. So I took off my earbuds and decided to go forward, promising myself that if it got unbearable, I could turn back at mile 5 to make the total run 10 miles in distance.

Surprisingly, the lack of music was almost unnoticeable. I was more concerned with mud puddles and pace. I hit the halfway point of 6.55 miles with ease. That's when I decided that going the extra .45 miles wouldn't kill me.

When I arrived at mile 7, the trail did actually come to a watery end. The path was flooded from the rain. Satisfied with my distance, I took a break to eat a granola bar, then turned back, steadily increasing my pace to make a negative split.

I ended the unplanned 14 mile journey in decent time...

I could not have been happier. With all the inconveniences, the run turned out to be one of my favorites to date and it taught me to not be so dependent on my iPod. You can easily survive without one. I may make it a habit to lose the iPod once or twice a week.

Anyway, I must start making Mother's Day dinner with Peter. Our mommies are visiting tonight and we plan on making this a good time! Have a great day and Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there!


Have you ever tried RockTape or KT Tape? Do you swear by it or not see the point?

Ever encountered so many obstacles on a run that you called it quits? Or did you manage to press forward?

Do you religiously run with an MP3 player or can you live without it?

What are you doing for your mother today?

Drunk Run & A Two Part Treadmill Workout

After a week off of running, my first mile was RWI (Running While Intoxicated).

After a Mike's Hard Mango and an Irish Trashcan, I couldn't take it anymore! I wasn't waiting until the morning. I had to run right then and there!

I grabbed my heart monitor, phone, and earbuds, then hit the NordicTrack for a Friday "Fun" Run. By "fun", I mean "plastered". I only did 1 mile under the circumstances, but, I can't lie...it was a great feeling! My Pandora station also started my run with the song "Gold Digger" by Kayne West and Jamie Fox. So you can bet your bottom dollar that I sang it out loud!

I finished the mile in 9:15, which I don't think is terrible for being drunk. Though, once I finished, I was a little light headed. But it wore off within minutes and I was fine...sober actually. I was almost compelled to run another mile, but I thought I would save my energy for the morning. I drank the rest of my drink instead.

I ended my Friday night watching the Goonies before happily passing out.

Then came morning and the "long-short" run I planned; 7 miles on the treadmill with Stefan, Damon, and Elena from Vampire Diaries. There's nothing like sexy vampires to start your day.

Unfortunately, the run didn't go as planned. After a week off all cardio activities, I think I lost some of my endurance. I was really beat around mile 3. I did manage to push through to mile 5, but I immediately called a time out.  I decided to take a lunch break and lay down for about 20 minutes. After the quick rest session, I hopped back on the treadmill to finish out the 7 miles I originally intended.

Though, I one upped myself and instead of doing 2 more miles, I did 3.1. :o)

Ignore the distance on the first pic...the satellite was going
for a treadmill run

Also, I LOVE my Garmin! I'm still getting used to it though. Haven't used it for splits...I kept forgetting. However, I have used the heart monitor and I find it pretty awesome. You don't even know it's there, in my opinion. So far, I give this watch a thumbs up!

Anyway, tomorrow I plan on getting out on the trail for what could be a 10+ mile run. My foot is feeling fine after today. It was a little tight after the run, but once I put heat on it, there was no issue. I think 10-13 miles is a realistic expectation for myself. But we shall see!


Happy Saturday!


Ever do a drunk run? Did you like it, hate it? Did you hurt yourself?

Have you ever taken a break during a running session, whether you just weren't feeling it, or just because?

What are your Saturday plans?

Let's Do a Quick Workout!

I don't think you could possibly understand how pumped I am about running tomorrow.

However, since it is raining pretty severely in my neck of the woods, I may have to keep it to the treadmill. I don't think a mud run would be ideal running conditions for me coming off of a foot injury.

Though, I am no stranger to getting dirty :)




Anyway, instead of doing Food Foto Friday, or write a long drawn out blog post (It's Friday, you all have better things to do than read about this red head runner), I thought I'd post a workout video that I did a few months back.

I used to do 10-20 minute workouts in combination with running. They were also great for days I didn't feel like running or didn't have time. You will hit cardio, strength and abs in less time than it would take to watch an episode of Family Guy (love family guy). Not only that time will fly by, but you're butt will be kicked!

Try to fit it in this weekend! You have 20 minutes or less to workout.

I plan on making more if you guys like this! Besides, it couldn't hurt for me to bring more fitness back into my life!!!

Have a good Friday!


Are you running this weekend? Treadmill, trail, or road?

Ever do a mud run? Do you like getting dirty or wet when you run?

Did you try my video? If so, what did you think? Feedback = Love