Running Naked

If you're not a runner and you saw the title of this post, you probably went "wait... what???" Runners know better, though. Long story short, I forgot to charge my Garmin last night. My husband and I had to switch phones this week, so I had none of my tracking apps, running playlists or my Starbucks app (to be honest, THIS was the real problem - I have to get my stars, after all!) The easy thing would have been to hit the treadmill with my iPad, but it was sooo beautiful outside...

Kara and Oiselle: My Thoughts

I remember where I was when I read the news. I was on Spring Break with my family, standing in the line for "Radiator Springs Racers" at Disneyland (which had, of course, broken down). The kids were busy making friends with the people in front of us, so I pulled out my phone to catch up on my twitter feed. I was scrolling through when I saw the Runner's World post - BREAKING: Kara Goucher Signs With Oiselle." My first thought was "HOLY. COW." I'm pretty sure I thought it out loud. My second thought was "I'm so happy and proud for Kara and Sally and Oiselle and runners everywhere and... and..." And then I read Kara's story (you can read it here)... and it made me even more proud - as a woman, as a fan, and as a runner.

A Balancing Act

As I was ironing a shirt for my husband this morning at 1:15 a.m. (because that's how I've been rolling lately), I started thinking a lot about running. Well, I think about running a lot of the time anyway, but specifically, about races. Part of me said, you need to finish this shirt and get to bed - tomorrow is going to come early. The other part of me (which clearly won out) wanted, no needed, to sit down and write this post, even though I'd already turned off my computer for the day.

Happy New Year - Get Back At It!

Let's not talk about the fact that I haven't posted a blog entry since July or that I never actually followed "Race Week Recap Part 1" with "Part 2." I'm not here to make excuses, but things kept getting in the way (I honestly don't know how you regular bloggers do it, other than the fact that you obviously ROCK). No sense in posting it now, but just know that it was a week full of personal accomplishments for me that, I'll be honest, felt ridiculously awesome.

Race Week Recap! (part one)

My life has taken a crazy busy turn lately.  Thankfully, I've still been able to make time to run and work out, but the blog keeps getting pushed to the back burner.  So, my apologies that I'm just now getting around to recapping what was probably the best week of running I've ever had.  Each race was a different length and each had a completely different feel, which made things really fun.

Pushing Through

Today I had to do something I haven't had to do in a really long time.  I had to walk for 3 minutes in the middle of my run.  I don't know whether it was the heat, humidity, tired legs, time of day (11 am - definitely a yuck time for a summer run in the Midwest!), or a combination of all of those, but I felt like I just couldn't take one more stride or I was going to die.  I was wearing my RoadID and was running on a busy street, so someone probably would have stopped to help me if I dropped to the ground, but I decided to swallow my pride and not take that chance.  And guess what?  It turned out okay...

Tuesday Tidbits

I can't believe it's been almost 3 weeks since my last post.  I feel like I've been going non-stop.  I thought summer was supposed to be a break from the hectic schedule of the school year?  Not so in our family.  VBS, camps, t-ball, baseball, dance, and gymnastics have been keeping us very busy so far this summer.  In addition, I just started a new job with my old company and have been interviewing potential people to join my team and getting them trained and ready to go.  It's very exciting, but has also been adding to the craziness. :)  Thankfully, there has been one constant and that's running...

A Fantastic End to National Running Day

I thought about running ALL day today.  After all, it was National Running Day, right?  Truth be told, I think about running most of the time anyway, but today was special.  We runners got a day to ourselves, for our sport to be recognized.  We don't necessarily need the recognition, but boy, it sure feels nice. 

Color Run Recap (and Why You Should Give it a Chance)

There are many runners out there who would tell you that The Color Run isn't a real race, and they'd never in a million years participate in one.  It's not timed, there are no winners or medals, and there are most definitely more people walking than running.  I agree - it's not a race, but it doesn't really claim to be, so what's the problem?

Let's Talk About Socks

Shortly after I started running, I was on a run with my brother, and we were talking about our favorite running shoes and clothes.  We moved on to the subject of socks, and he mentioned that he probably had at least $200-300 worth of running socks in a drawer.  At the time, that was amazing to me.  I knew I didn't like running in cotton, but socks were socks, right?  It was unfathomable to me that anyone could need that many pairs.

Disappointment

I've been training for the Hospital Hill Half, a race I've never done but had always wanted to try.  It was scheduled for next Saturday.  I say "was" because while the race is still happening, it will not be happening for me.  My husband now has to go out of town for work, leaving Friday night and returning early Saturday afternoon.  Ironic, huh?  We have no family near us, and I challenge you to find a baby-sitter who is interested in coming over at 4:30 a.m.  Not going to happen, at least not with high school students who prefer to sleep in on Saturday mornings.

Big News!

After months of trying to be patient, I just received word today via e-mail that my brand ambassadorship with Nathan has started!!!  It was so exciting to find out more about the program.  Each ambassador on our team gets to "go shopping" for a few products that we'd like to use and review.  It's going to be hard to narrow down my choices.  I had a nice conversation with one of the other ambassadors on Facebook this afternoon, and I'm really looking forward to getting to know the rest of the team.  I have been a huge Nathan fan for quite some time, and I'm really excited for the opportunity to try some new products and spread the word with all of you.  I'll be sharing some of my reviews for the products I choose in future blog posts.

Running With Heat

I stepped outside this morning to go on a run, and was amazed at how hot and humid it already was at 10 a.m.  It was incredibly windy, sticky, and sunny, which can make for an unpleasant run.  As I was running, I started thinking about what is necessary to enjoy a run safely in this kind of weather.  Here are my top 3:

May StrideBox Winner

Thanks to all who entered my StrideBox giveaway.  The winner is... Shannon Gorneault!!  You have until Sunday at noon EST to e-mail me at getupandrun@kc.rr.com with your address.  Congratulations, and thanks again for entering!  

The Coolest Mother's Day Present EVER.

I love the things my kids make me each year for Mother's Day, and I have a special place where I keep everything they've made for me.  Their gifts are so sweet, innocent, and honest.  I love it that my daughter thinks I'm 11' tall and weigh 7 lbs.

May StrideBox and a Giveaway!!

You know how some days, the mail just rocks?  Monday was one of those days.  My long-awaited StrideBox came!  StrideBox is a monthly subscription box for runners.  You pay $15 a month and receive a box of running goodies like apparel, accessories, nutrition products, and discounts delivered to your door.  Sounds like a great way to give some new things a try, right?  I thought so, too.  Little did I know the anticipation would be similar to Christmas morning when I was a young child...

Top 10 Reasons I Run

It's been awhile (too long) since my last post.  I found out that my incredibly cool job is no longer, which totally bummed me out.  It was a good ride while it lasted, and I'm looking forward to the next thing that comes along.  Mostly though, I'll miss the people.  I had the best team on earth to work with (and the discount didn't hurt, either).

Starbucks Giveaway - Just Because!

A long time ago, there was a commercial on TV where a woman was ordering a latte.  I don't even remember what the commercial was for, but she walked up to the counter and proceeded to order her drink with all sorts of crazy demands.  The other customers watched in amazement with their plain old cups of coffee.  I could not believe that anyone was THAT serious about their coffee.  Well, guess what?  I've become "that person." 

Inspiration

I have an amazing family, which includes two incredibly awesome brothers.  When I started running, my oldest brother was my lifeline.  He was the one I went to with questions and he was the one who helped me train (through text and e-mail) for my first half-marathon.  I had two goals during my first half - first, not to walk and second, to finish.  With his help and encouragement, I accomplished both of those goals.  He was much fast than I was at the time, but ran at my pace so we could run and finish it together.  Since then, I've gone on to shatter that race time as well as complete other races.

A Little Picky

It takes a lot for me to find a breakfast/energy bar that I like.  I eat them a lot, mostly as a post-run breakfast on the go.  So many bars masquerade as being “healthy,” but I find myself struggling to pronounce the majority of the ingredients.  That doesn't seem very healthy to me, so I steer clear of those.  I have found several that I really like: LÄRABAR, Clif Kit’s Organic, and most recently, Picky Bars.  The downside of these healthier versions is that they tend to be more expensive.