Goals, racing and a giveaway!!

Posting a day late but thought I would check my August goals and set some September goals and a GIVEAWAY!!

Let's start with August goals:
1. Run 85+ miles (I started my half plan on the 30th of July)..... Totally killed this one, ran 100 miles this month
2. Complete the August Core Focus Challenge with Sneakers and Fingerpaints..... once again nope, didn't do it.  I wasn't feeling challenged so I stopped.
3. Foam Roll 3 x week..... lucky if I did it twice a week
4. Complete Plank challenge (doing one, 1 minute plank for the day #)... was doing fantastic and then the monthly stomach issues started and I took a break and then restarted.

All in all, I think August went pretty good. I was plagued again with stomach issues, handled a bachelorette party, bridal shower, two orientations, sending my oldest off to kindergarten, sending my twins off to preschool for the first time, soccer practice, gymnastics, sports class, work and training/racing.

New goals for September:
1. Run 100 miles (PF flare up right now, hoping to still meet this goal)
2. Complete personal plank, tricep dip and push-up goal
3. Give up soda
4. Foam roll 3x week

I think they are all attainable.  The rolling and soda goal are going to be tough.  I drink probably one a day and LOVE them but we'll see what drinking more water does for me!!

Now onto the review of the Charlottesville Women's 4 miler and the giveaway. I decided to sign up for this race on a whim one Saturday morning. A person from my running group posted on our page that registration was that AM and I signed up right away. It literally sold out in the first three hours so I was happy to get it.  There were 3000 women total (not huge by any standard, but big enough).
The race is in Charlottesville, Virginia.  Not sure how many people are familiar with the area so here's the gist of the area.  It's in the mountains, not real big ones but mountains none the less.  The course thankfully was more rolling hills than steep inclines.
I almost bagged the race, was not feeling it all week or the night before but I rolled out of bed a 530 and headed out.  I have no pictures of my racing outfit but I thought I was cute.  I wore my pink skirt, black "Sweat Pink" tank and my awesome compression socks from Sockguy.
I decided to line up in the front of the 8/mile coral. I'm so glad I did.  I ended up having to weave a lot but that's because the first two miles I was rockin out at a low 7/mile pace.  I know I was doing it all wrong but it felt good to keep up with the teen aged cross country runners and young 20-somethings. So when I hit the 2 mile mark, my lovely GPS watch decided to kick in and I could watch my pace.  I slowed it to 8:20 and cruised the rest of the race at this pace.  I was shooting for a 35.  I caught a glimpse of the finish line and saw 31.  I about lost my mind.  The time was ticking down and I decided I was going to finish sub 32.  That I did. I grabbed my water and bagel (thank you Panera) and got on the road.  I had to work right after the race so no post race celebration for me. So GLAD I dragged my negative Nelly butt out of bed and ran that race!!! But sadly now, PF has flared up and I am going to have to rest for the next few days :(

So here's the giveaway. The Sockguy gave me a pair of compression socks to review and wear during the race.  I love great socks and love compression socks so here's the low down.  They looked awesome and I did not cramp.  The heat and humidity was super high and a lot of people were having trouble with the heat but I did fine.  I loved them and will continue to hit up the site for more socks.

Here's what they sent to me for a giveaway.  They are a pair of "Save the Tatas" compression socks size small (womens 6-10).  You know the deal, follow the rafflecopter giveaway!!

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Hammer Nutrition goodies!!

So most of you know I've been battling stomach problems and trying to train for a half marathon.  I've been eating the Gu's and just suffering the rest of the day with GI distress (you all know what I mean).  Well I decided, I really don't want to feel crappy after my long runs, my legs understandable, my stomach.... unacceptable.  So I took some advice from an Ultra Marathoner and am going to try out Hammer products.  They advertise that it WILL NOT cause GI distress.
So I decided I wanted to call and talk to someone.  I got a hold of them at 1100EST as they are on Mountain time and chatted with a very wonderful woman.  She explained the products to me and I went with the ones that were recommended by another runner.  I wanted to try out the small sizes before I purchased in bulk so I ordered 8 gels, 2 vegan recovery bars and 4 HEEDs.

This is what showed up on my door.  I opened the very larage box and was completely amazaed at all the extras they had sent me to try.  I am in love with the "Little Red Book".  I have my long run scheduled for Thursday and am going to try the gels.  The HEED is for my REALLY long runs (2+ hours) and the gels are for my short runs (1-2 hour runs).  I am excited to try them and will definitely let everyone know.  So far I am VERY impressed with this company, and NO I was not given any product to review for free.  

On another note, I took my babies (twin 3 year old sons) to preschool for their first day of school  I thought it would be harder than it was but my runner buddy (her son is in their class) was there and we went for a quick 5 and then got smoothies and chatted the rest of the time.  I did much better this go round than I did with my daughter in kindergarten!!

Anyone tried Hammer?  I'm always trying to get my hydration and nutrition right, any recommendations?

SUCK IT UP BUTTERCUP!!!!

EVERY damn morning.   Why is it that I have to have that mental battle at 5AM every morning of my long run.  I try to go to bed early, I start trying to sleep at 9:30, have the alarm set but as soon as it goes off, I roll over and say "Do I really want to do this?"  I drag my butt out of bed, slap in the contacts, brush my teeth, grab some oatmeal, load up all the gear that I need to run in the dark and then in the sun and head out the front door trying desperately not to wake my kids.
This morning I had an epic battle in my head. I've been battling my stomach for the past week, stressing over a bridal shower, bachelorette party, my daughters birthday party and then her first day of school and it has finally caught up with me. I have a cold, the snot dripping down your throat, runny nose, sore throat in the AM kind of cold.  That just screams, "GO BACK TO BED!!!" While running I looked at my calender, mentally adjusted my half program, told myself I would be okay if I only ran 7 this AM and ran the 9 next week. I had this battle from mile 1 to mile 6 and then I just said suck it up and go. It was cold, my ears and fingers were cold (I HATE having cold hands, I always am in gloves), I had to constantly spit because of the snot and I couldn't eat any of my normal fuel because of the issues with my stomach.  I had a myriad of excuses why I should stop, why I should decrease the mileage, why I should move it to another day but I was out there and I finally told that voice in my head to "SUCK IT UP BUTTERCUP!!" I was up, I went to bed early the night before, I did everything I needed to do to prep for the run, I did not want to have to do it again on Saturday.  I trudged through those 9 miles, ran it at a respectable 9:00/mile pace (respectable to me) and called it a day!!
Anyone else have some running demons they battle with?  How often do you let them win?  How in the world do people run early EVERY day????

BAD DAY!!!

Sorry for being MIA for the past few days.  I had to get through a bridal shower, bachelorette party, 5th birthday for my daughter and today is her FIRST day of Kindergarten.  As I write this, I am tearing up again. SHE was totally ready for this, I was not!! She wanted to ride the bus to school this AM but I wouldn't let her, I wanted to be there to watch her walk into school, I wanted to walk her back to her class, I wanted to grab her and put her back in the van and rewind back to when she was 3 and went to preschool two days a week for a few hours then I got her back for lunch. MY BABY IS GONE!!!! 
Okay, I have got to move on and get over it.  I still have my TWO babies at home with me and they don't start preschool until next Tuesday so I will be a mess then too.  

Training has been going.  I am such a nerd about my plans, I feel like I am failing if I miss a run or don't run the specific distance that day but I've been having such stomach issues that I am lucky to still be running.  My diet has been cheese sandwiches and grilled chicken which hasn't always been staying down (TMI).  I moved my Friday run to Saturday and then skipped my Sunday run.  I did get my Monday and Tuesday runs in and today, thankfully is a day of rest.  I have a 9 miler planned tomorrow and hope I have enough fuel in me to get through it. My 3's and 4's have been tough enough and I know I won't be able to use any gels tomorrow so it's going to be a challenge. I am calling Hammer Nutrition today to chat up one of their people as a blogger recommended them for tummy challenged endurance athletes!! Hope they have all the answers I need. 

Training Schedule:
Thursday: 9 miles
Friday: 3 miles
Saturday: rest
Sunday: 4 miles
Monday: 4 miles
Tuesday: 5 miles fartlek

We'll see how I do, praying my stomach was just unhappy about my daughter starting school and it will get better as I calm down and let go of some of the control that I feel I have to have.  
Anyone else with an angry belly?  Anything work for fueling?  

Kona Kase Review and ZuZa Giveaway!

The wonderful folks over at Kona Kase sent me their July box to review and as always,  it didn't disappoint. I didn't get a chance to take a picture of it before the family broke into it so I got this one from their facebook page.

The first item stolen from my box was the Perky Jerky. My husband LOVED this stuff.  Perky Jerky is all natural jerky.  It's made with 7 ingredient marinade, is low fat, low carb and high protein without preservatives, nitrates or MSG.

He got too the Enjoy Life Seed pack too.  He is a big fan of seeds (old baseball player) and ate them as a snack on a busy work day!  The are salty, sweet and crunchy.  The pack features sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and dried fruit. They are Gluten free and free of the top 8 allergens, non-GMO and vegan!

I got to try the Garuka Bars and and Babara Llewellyn Granola.  Both of these were great.  The Garuka Bars are named after a mountain gorilla in Rwanda that is in need of protection.  The proceeds from these goodies goes to gorilla conservation.  The Granola was even better.  I LOVE granola so this was definitely for me.  Rolled oats, sliced almonds, sesame and pumpkin seeds, honey sweetened and spiced.  It was as good as I thought it would be. Orders can. be placed via email at info@barbarallewellyn.com

Pro Bar  chews were used on my long run last week.  Bolt organic chews are loaded electrolytes, B vitamins, antioxidants, and complex carbs to get me through my run.  I love chews for shorter runs!

My husband tried the Caveman Cookies.  He thought they were a great snack. They are cookies made of simple ingredients, honey, nuts and berries, are all natural, grain free, dairy free, preservative free and naturally sweetened.

There are two other products that I haven't gotten to yet.  The first is the Health Warrior Chia Bars. Each bar has only 100 calories, 5g of sugar and is a great snack to boost workout performance.  The other product is the Body Glove Surge Gel. I haven't had to run any LONG distances that would require a Gel yet but am getting close.  The gel delivers rapid and sustained natural energy and contains 150mg of caffeine. 

As always the Kona Kase has delivered.  I LOVE their service and have received many of their boxes.  My family loves seeing that orange box show up in the mailbox and they have the best customer service!! Check them out at Kona Kase on the web or on Facebook.  They are offering $5 off  using the "GIFTSUMMER" code at checkout!

I also have my ZuZa giveaway going on until 8/12.  Hope everyone has entered and good luck!!

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ZuZa review and Giveaway!!!

Well I survived the weekend. I wouldn't say I made the best food or beverage decisions but I rarely do this type of thing so I am not that worried. My friend, the bride, had a wonderful time with all of us girls and it will be a weekend we will all remember the rest of our lives. 

Now onto to good stuff.  I recently was given the opportunity to review ZuZa  compression socks from Lunatikathletiks.com and here's my thoughts.
I typically only wear my compression socks during runs over 6 miles. Anything else, I really haven't found the need for.  This past week, start of my half training, I had a 7 miler for my long.  I woke up at my normal 5AM time, damn summer heat, slipped on my pretty awesome socks and out the door I went.  Okay, I fueled first and then I left.  It rained on me the first 4 miles which really didn't bother me but after it stopped, it felt like I was running in a sauna   The steam coming off the road and the heat beginning to build made it HOT!!  They kept my calves happy, no cramps so these are definitely keepers.  I love compression socks and swear by them for my longs.  I am going to try to start wearing them for recovery too after my runs get above 10 miles so I'm sure I'll have more to say about them in the future. 
Onto the other stuff. 

 Lunatik Athletiks is an athletic apparel company created with the extreme athlete in mind. The dictionary definition itself identifies a "lunatik" as being "wildly or giddily foolish, insane, and is characterized by eccentricity", all of which have also been used to describe particular athletes. Endurance and extreme athletes are often referred to as being crazy, insane or a "lunatik" for enduring the dedication, focus, training, sacrifice, and pain associated with their particular athletic endeavours . Lunatik Athletiks hopes to support these athletes reach their athletik goals and lifelong dreams by providing the highest quality athletic apparel.

Lunatik Athletiks thrives on the passion, focus, and determination of the athletik ethusiast. We are inspired by the athletic culture, the "buzz", the sensational fulfillment associated with athletic and sporting event participation. It is our hope that we can encourage more individuals to participate in any type of sport or activity by providing our athletes with an avenue to express their thrill-seeking, sport crazed identities through our high quality performance gear with extreme funky, functional personailty.

FDA and GMP graded facilities with recognizable quality assurance certificates and seals. The importance and functionality of compression socks have only just been recently discovered in the athletic and sporting world. Compression socks have been used for many years in the medical field to assist and speed recovery.st been recently discovered in the athletic and sporting world. Compression socks have been used for many years in the medical field to assist and speed recovery.

You can check them out at Lunatik Athletiks, on Facebook or on Twitter.  
Now the REALLY fun stuff.  Lunatik Athletiks is providing me with a giveaway!!  Enter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

August goals and a Bachelorette Party!!

This is the month, the month that I will foam roll three times a week and complete a challenge!! I am starting this month off on a positive note as I pack up the car in preparation for a girls weekend/bridal shower/bachelorette party.  I am not looking forward to all the bad choices I will be making this weekend but it's only a weekend.
Here's my goals for this month:
1. Run 85+ miles (I started my half plan on the 30th of July)
2. Complete the August Core Focus Challenge with Sneakers and Fingerpaints
3. Foam Roll 3 x week
4. Complete Plank challenge (doing one, 1 minute plank for the day #)

I think they are realistic goals and I know I can meet each and everyone if I  keep my head in the game.

Half Training Week 1
Monday- 4.5 miles
Tuesday- 4.5 miles
Thursday- 7 miles
Friday- 3 miles
Sunday 4- miles

I've been trying to start back to my PT exercises for my glutes as I am always fearful my IT band will start screaming at me when I increase my mileage.  I am doing it right this training, increasing at the correct % and not overdoing it.  I will start speed training once the kids are back in school (August 20th). I've never done speed work but I have a feeling it will help!!

Race Schedule for August:
August 31st- Charlottesville Women's 4 Miler

That's it from my world.  Off to the wilds of Maryland and bachelorette parties.  I'm getting a little too old for this kind of thing!!!
FORGOT to tell you--- Tuesday I am reviewing ZuZu's from my long run this week and will have a GIVEAWAY!!!