I FEEL SO AWESOME!!! I'm doing another giveaway!

Today was my tri.  After the stress of the TOU/2 marathon, I just wanted to race stress free, no expectations.  Thus, I didn't swim for the last two weeks, only went on one bike ride and did no speed training at all.  Just ran for miles.  

I had this tri on the calendar for a few months.  It's a free, low key event put on by a friend of mine, one in the spring and one in the fall.  The spring one I did well and wanted to improve my time this fall, but ehh, with recent events on the mind, decided to do it just for fun.

Last night was supposed to go like this: 

nice pasta dinner, relaxing walk around the block with hubby and in bed with a great movie by 8:30 so I could be asleep before 10pm.  Then wake up around 6, get ready, fill my water bottle, eat a little and take off.  On the way, stop and set up t2, drop off the cooler with recovery drink for everyone after the race and be there 15 minutes early to calmly visit with my friends before the swim.

What really happened:

My awesome friend wrote an amazing book about her mom (who had multiple personalities), love, forgiveness and the gift of peace the Savior can bless us with, it's called Mother Had a Secret.   Well she had her book launch party last night, so of course we had to have a girls night out and go buy our books and get them personally autographed! Then Olive Garden was the perfect place to carboload!  By the time we got home it was already 9:30.  

Daughter calls and needs a ride home from volleyball tournament.  Luckily she calls back and has a ride.  When she gets home, I could tell she needed to talk, so I took her with me to drop off my food co-op order to my friend so she could pick it up for me.  And we sat in the car till 11:30 talking.  

Finally off to bed.  But I'm so excited about the book, I have to read 2 chapters before my eyes refuse to stay open.  Morning! Marks alarm goes off at 4:30 for work!  YAY!  I try to doze, but between that and getting daughter off to 2nd day of volleyball tourney, and trying to catch a few extra winks, I end up not getting out the door on time and after setting up t2 and dropping the cooler off, I get to the pool to set up t1 exactly when it is supposed to start.  So great to get such a good night's sleep before a race, UGH.

I also took a huge chance and ate something completely different for breakfast.  I know HUGE no-no!   I have some Rokit Fuel and just never tried it.  Mixed a little water in and downed it.  It was soooo good!  And it sat well in my stomach, no issues today!  Highly recommend trying some.  You can win a pack in my SEPTEMBER CHALLENGE GIVEAWAY!

Fortunately it's a small, casual tri and no one is stressed about starting on time.   Oh yeah and did I mention it was 42 degrees this morning? So fun to run out of the pool in a dripping wet tri suit!

Distances: Swim 800 yards, Bike 12.3, Run 3.2

Times are an estimate from my amazing, fabulous, incredibly untechnical $7 Walmart watch.

Swim was my best ever!  15:56, a good 30 seconds faster than my best.

FREEZING!!  Fast choice, risk the cold and just throw on a jacket or pull pants on over a wet body.  Hmm.  Decided to go with the jacket and hope to become numb as fast as possible. t1 ridiculously long due to trying to dry as much as possible.  about 4 min

Bike, Ears went first then legs and finally feet lost all feeling.  It was so cold!  But a reasonable time, about 41 min.  Ended bike in 3rd place over all, but I am amazing at t2...

Dropped bike, ripped off bike shoes, slipped into running shoes with ibungee elastic laces (lightning fast!)  throw the helmet as I run away 30 seconds!

Off for the 5K +.1.  Legs feel like frozen Jell-o.  I'm in second, (because I'm lightning fast at t2)  About a third the way in, still haven't hit my stride and Dale slowly passes.  Crap, 3rd again.  But as we hit the top of a slight incline and start a little decline, it hit's!  My legs are fine, turnover increases and I make my move! Back into 2nd.  Aha!  near the turnaround I determine Trevor is only about 30 seconds ahead of me. Oh yeah, I'm gonna do it.  About a 1/2 mile from the finish I passed and felt sooo fine!  Coming to the finish however I heard the pitter patter of big feet.  OH NO YOU DON'T the sprint was on and I finished 5 seconds ahead!  Run time about 28 min.


MY FIRST WIN!! 


Total time 1:29:27


So one of the prizes was a $15 Road ID Gift Certificate.  There were extras, so one of you gets to win one too!


1.  Follow me on the blog, comment to let me know
2.  like Road ID on Facebook here. Comment to let me know.
3.  Go to Road ID's website here. Comment with what you would get and why.
4.  Post on your blog, facebook or twitter.  Comment for each one.
5.  Bonus, enter my September challenge giveaway and comment to let me know.


Enter by midnight September 18 and courtesy of Random.org, I'll choose and announce a winner on September 19.  Good luck!

September Challenge with PRIZES!

So after failing  missing my goal for the TOU/2, I am regrouping.  Last year, I took a week off and never really returned to pre-race mileage.  

So this year, I got my tushie out Monday morning and did a few miles and then Tuesday night a few more.  (they were run/walk---very, very slow)  That was to finish up Tall Mom on the Run's   80 miles in August challenge.


Now I am issuing my own challenge to you and myself.  In order to hit 1000 miles by the end of the year, I have to step it up a bit.  So, my personal challenge is 100 miles in September.  


You however, can choose your distance challenge!  Take what you did last month and bump it up!


To officially be a part of my challenge, and be eligible for the end of the month prize..... you have to do the following:

1. Be a follower of my blog.  And comment to let me know you are now or already were.
2. Comment and state your challenge and tell me why you chose your distance.  (give me a good story)
3. Repost this giveaway on your facebook, blog, twitter (leave a separate comment for each one.)
4. At the end of the month post your mileage and whether you met your goal or not, why etc (good stories again)

The winner will be chosen by random.org, but must be qualified!  In order to qualify you must do at least numbers 1, 2 and 4.  Number 3 will give you bonus entries. (each comment is an entry)  


And you will win: (drumroll please!)
A pack of Shot Bloks
A pack of Rockit Fuel
A Zoot visor
And a 1 year subscription to Fitness magazine.


A second winner will be chosen based totally on my bias.  I'll pick the best story, no judging criteria have been established.  It might be the one that makes me cry, belly laugh or that reminds me of me.  Don't know yet.  This winner will receive a 1 year subscription to Fitness magazine.


Good luck on your goals! Can't wait to hear the stories and see the success!


{HUGS}
 

Have been humbled

Saturday I ran the Top of Utah Half Marathon.  Awesome course, well supported, perfect weather.  Yet I failed.

I did this one last year and had a stellar experience.  Under 2 hours and felt great.  But this summer has had more down time (some injury, some pure lazy)  There were a couple weeks where I only got a long run in.  

Given that last spring I had hoped to hit a pretty lofty goal and had revised to "please let me beat last years time", I really bombed.

My chip time was 2:07:12.8, or 7:50 slower than last year.  What happened?  PRIDE.

Despite low weekly mileage, I assumed that because I did it last year, I could do it this year.  Wrong.  Running is not a forgiving sport.  There are no gimmies.  You will earn every second shaved off your time.

Since I don't get any bragging rights on the time, I'd better learn something out of this.

1. Don't sing along out loud to your ipod.  Not only do people stare at you, you get out of breath and get a stitch in your side that takes a mile and a half to get rid of.  


2.  When you are out of breath, keep jogging even slowly.  Walking a little to catch your breath lets your muscles get cold and you have a hard time getting going again. Thus resulting in more walking.

3.  Having a rocking playlist tailored to the race is AWESOME!  Just don't let the item number 1 happen because your playlist is so awesome.  (#1 started up because Living on a Prayer came on at exactly the right time--half way through the race, think about it)


4.  When items number 1 and 2 happen, don't let your brain tell you all the reasons you can't make it.  Your body will go as far as your mind will.  Unfortunately mine shut down all positive thinking around mile 8.


5.  When you finish the race and you are in more pain than you have been in since you gave birth 10 years ago, forget the awards and drawing and go back to the hotel room for an ice bath.  Thus avoiding limping down the street to the car in front of 2396 other racers and their families.

Looking back, it wasn't the worst experience of my life.  (I thought that when I crossed the finish line)  I know I need a bigger running base.  I worry too much about speed work when I should be focused on endurance.  I lost this race because I assumed once you do it you own it forever, because I didn't keep my breathing under control, and mostly because I didn't keep my mind under control.


In spite of my time, I did place 28 out of 103 in my division.  So that helped me feel a little better.

I'm not letting go of my goal.  Next year, I want to run this race in 1:44:48.  


The training begins NOW!

Half Marathon Jitters!

So, tomorrow is the big day!  I had some pretty high hopes for this race when I signed up months ago.  {sigh}  Well thanks to the combination of plantaar faciitis, itbs, and some lazy busy mornings, I don't think that I'll be running in 1:44:48 or less.  It was an aggressive goal anyway, (this is where I start to justify my poor performance before it happens) and with the injuries it was very hard to get training in.  There were a few weeks that I only ran the long run. 

So, while I still want to get that same time eventually, this year I have set three other goals, that if I meet any of them, I will be very happy.

1.  Beat last years time of 1:59:23. (ave pace 9:07)
2. Run at an average pace of 8:45, time of 1:54:37.
3. Run at an average pace of 8:30, time of 1:51:21.

All three are very worthy accomplishments, and I'd be proud to report any of them.  I'd better be able to report at least one of them.

We're taking off around 4:30 and hoping to ride the motorcycle up.  Get the hotel room, pick up packet and go to dinner.  Then back for early bed, around 8.  I'll probably need some melatonin with my nerves going crazy.  Up about 4:30 for a breakfast of toast with pb and banana.  Then off to the buses to wait with 2299 other crazy people.

I'm wearing a cute pink nike shirt, pink and green camo headband and wishing I had a white running skirt. But I have black and that's what I'll be cruising down the hill in.  And of course I'll be wearing my new, wonderful mint green and silver saucony's!  I love them!  I also really love my green superfeet in them!

So farewell friends, I will let you know tomorrow which goal I hit.  If you don't hear from me, I've gone into hiding feeding my frustration with Chunky Monkey ice cream.

NEED HELP!!!!

Dear Bloggy friends,

As is usually true, I get myself involved in lots and lots and lots of volunteer activities.  I love all of them and am so very grateful for the opportunity to help people I love.  But I need some help myself. 

3 things are happening.

1.  Daughter made the volleyball team at the high school.  The fundraiser is a  dinner/auction.  So we are putting together a basket for the auction.  My theme is fitness, so I am donating spin class passes, personal training and possibly a gym membership.  But I also want to include some sports nutrition and small equipment or gift certificates.

2.  I'm race director for a fundraiser 5k for a dear friend.  In order to make every dime possible to their medical trust fund, we need donations/sponsorships to cover some costs and also prizes for the post race drawing.

3.  Helping with a local triathlon that has been and hopes to stay free.  It's a great way for people to try tri without breaking the bank.  So also looking for stuff for swag bags, freebie coupons, and prizes for a post race drawing.

If you have any ideas for me, contacts or even things you would like to contribute I would love the support and information.

Thanks again!

I made muffins!

I'm feeling quite pleased with myself right now.  I haven't "baked" anything yummy for a while and with some plantains and bananas getting really dark, banana bread seemed to be calling my name.  But when I got started, I remembered "I LOVE MUFFINS".  So there you go, I must make banana muffins.  But of course they need to be somewhat healthy too.  So here is the recipe for the yummiest muffins!

Now lest you get carried away and think I am somewhat creative and came up with these myself, well let me just stop you there!  Like most brilliant things I do, I copy and then vary someone elses work.  So the basis for this recipe came from "The Tightwad Gazette" by Amy Dacyczyn.

Here is my super amazing adaptation for:

Banana Walnut Oatmeal Muffins
3 c flour
1/2 c brown sugar
2 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
2 c cooked oatmeal (usually leftover at our house)
2 eggs
1 c milk
6 T oil
2 c mashed banana or plantain or both
1 c chopped walnuts

Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately, then mix together just till lumpy.
Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and bake 20 min at 400 deg.

It makes 24 muffins.  I use silicone muffin pans that I found at Target in the bargain bins by the front of the store.  Each one has about 200 calories, 5g protein, 2g fiber, 7g sugar, 22g carb, and 7g fat.

Sometimes I have made it with honey or added craisens for a different flavor.  I'm sure there are tons of other ways to make it healthier, but this combo is pretty popular at our house

Any feedback on adjustments to try are always welcome!!!!!!!!!

And the winner is...

Yesterday was a BAD day.  Too busy and felt like crap, so as soon as I could, I crashed and completely forgot to post the winner.

So here it is, courtesy of Random.org..

The winner is Courtney of I CAN DO THIS!

Courtney, email me at onedailyrun@yahoo.com with your information and which one you want (tell me based on how many from left or right, so I don't mix it up)  and I'll get it right out to  you!  

Thanks again everyone for entering my first bloggy giveaway.  Mostly thanks for your support, feedback and sharing your experiences with me!

XOXOXO to you all

Trish