What better reason (for a Giveaway!)

Yesterday was a great day.

At the start I had my doubts though.  With the time change and the loss of daylight in the morning I overslept and we had to move it to get ready for the school bus.  But like a champ S'ghetti Girl hustled and we made it with time to spare. 

After getting S'ghetti Girl on the bus I did what any obsessed runner would do with a flexible 20ish minutes I hopped on the treadmill and ran 3 miles.  I justified this by telling myself that I never know what the day might have in store for me but this way I did at least a little something good for me.

Fast forward through the drudgery of the work day and we are back home.  I can't interest LBM into getting into the jogging stroller even though it is really nice outside.  Not wanting to waste much time in the effort I relent and get on the treadmill for 5 miles while the kids play. 

I stop knowing the 8 miles is more than enough with my next race, the Hat Run Trail 50k on Saturday.  When I get upstairs and see that we still have a bit of daylight remaining I tell the kids we are going to walk to my sister's house and pump up the tires on the jogging stroller.  This will not only make sure the tires are ready for when I can get LBM to go for a run but will also give the kids a little more exercise outside.   Surprisingly LBM climbs into the jogger asking for a snack on his little tray.  He hadn't forgotten all the little stay-in-the-stroller tricks after all.  I grab a little pack of gummies and S'ghetti Girl grabs her scooter and we run down to my sisters to pump the tires.

Task accomplished we jog back up the hill to our house but when I try to get LBM out of the jogger he tell me he wants to keep going.  Well, who am I to deny the child what he wants?!  I grab my Garmin and we are off.  I keep offering to turn around but LBM encourages me to go farther finally agreeing that we should turn around near my one mile marker of course I finished out my mile before turning, runner first.

And that jogging stroller mommies is how you get your little back in the jogger after being stuck on the treadmill all winter.  So what better reason to have a Giveaway?!

The great folks at CSN Stores have a $55 gift card for one lucky follower.

Since I am running the Hat Run on Saturday and I want to keep this nice and simple here's what you need to do (can complete in ONE Comment):

1.  Be a follower or your comment won't count.

Then you can choose to do both or just one of the following:

2.  Give me your best "How I got my little one back in the jogger" story.

3.  Guess my finish time for The Hat Run Trail 50k. 

Hints:  You can use anything helpful from the Hat Run's site.  My last 50k on trails was my PR setting 6:06 which was March 5th (less than 2 weeks ago, think tired legs might be a factor)  however my last trail 50k on a more technical course in the rain was 7:06 at the Skyline Challenge.

You have until Friday night March 18th at midnight to leave your comment.

Winner will be the person who guess my exact race time to the minute if that does not happen the winner will be selected by random drawing.

Good Luck!

Life giggles

For those who follow me on Daily Mile it will come as no surprise that I will more than likely be going into a streak of Ultras without any consecutive runs over 15 miles.  That is not really ideal when you consider I will be running 31+ trails miles twice within two weeks potentially followed by a trail 50 miler in early April.

To say that I am nervous about that point would be true.  But I have put in some serious weekly mileage.  I have done a bit more cross training

still not nearly enough. 

Life is sometimes like that.  You make plans and set goals. 

Life however giggles at your attempt to control things as it throws you curve balls. 

The best thing to do when you are served a curve ball is to adjust your swing so that is what I will do.

As I approach the final two weeks before the Seneca Greenway Trail 50k I will adjust my mindset. 

Add a few levels to my mental goals.

Since this will be my second time at this event the obvious A Goal is to better my time.

With the experience I have gotten over the past year in racing this distance on trails I should be able to accomplish that factoring weather conditions somewhat.

But another factor for how I run Seneca will be the HAT Run two weeks after.

The HAT Run is a new course for me.  It is also a much harder course.  This makes goals difficult to set. 

And before goals are finalized there is one last factor for my early spring racing.

The Bull Run Run 50 miler 

and my position on the ever shortening wait list.

This would be a new distance, new course, new adventure for me.

This would be a PR no matter what.

Well, assuming I finish and that would be the goal.  To finish.

So I ask you experienced and new runner friends alike,

What strategy would you use for goal setting?

Three Things Thursday ~ Sticky Edition

I am offically on the wait list of the Bull Run 50 miler.  Just this past weekend I sorta told my husband I was wanting to do a 50 miler "...maybe in April."  That's how I put it.  I told him that on the heels of reminding him that I have 2 50ks in March.  I guess you could say I am in a sticky situation with Hubbs.

  LBM is getting so independent lately.  He wants to do everything by himself.  And by everything I mean regardless of the mess it makes he just attempts to do it himself. 

Pour his own drink?  Yep.  Half a gallon of milk on the floor but some in the glass.

Clear his place after dinner?  Yep.  Plate, silverware and scraps all somewhere between the table and the trash can.

Put the bubbles in the tub at bathtime?  Yep.  Well, that would be a not exactly.  When LBM thought he was being helpful in putting the bubbles in, he actually put in an entire bottle of hair gel.

Mega Hold hair gel!

Look what the great folks at Build A Sign sent me!

They are amazing. 

It was so fun and easy to create my stickers.  I think I may use this idea for party favors for S'ghetti girls next birthday bash.  She loved helping me change the design a hundred times.  But she wanted pink of course.

Want one?  Send me your address.  Just that easy

Three things Thursday - Super Hero Edition

 Speaking of secret identities, I think I have one now too. 

I mean I must because I don't know anyone else who would be registered for 2 long races and have a fairly decent lottery entry into a mega long race all within the next 3 months and have yet to concretely discuss those plans with their husband. 

I think I should be known as Super Runner Girl.

But I'll let you know if that should be Stupid Runner Girl after I drop the news of multiple hotel reservations on my husband.

I know many of you may think you know Iron Man's secret identity but you don't.  

You probably think it's Tony Stark, right?

Naahhh.

It wouldn't be secret if that were true.

But since we're such close and such good friends I'll tell you the truth.

Iron Man's real identity is...

Little Bug Man!

This morning I had to get my miles ran since I have work all day and then have a meeting after work.  I was determined to somehow make it happen but when I woke up at 5:15 running just wasn't what my body wanted to do and my mind couldn't get my legs moving.  Fast forward to 6:30 and we are knee deep in the morning bus routine.  After S'ghetti girl got on the bus LBM and I went to the workout room and I hit the treadmill.  LBM played with the cat and climbed all over the storage boxes. 

He must have gotten tired somewhere around 3 miles because that's when is set up his little folding chair in front of the treadmill and after a few minutes....

he turned it off.

What super power is it when you can only fly backwards?

I know you were wishing for a photo of that one.

Brisk

It was 3 degrees this morning.

It was brisk and invigorating.

I find an odd kind of beauty in a morning like this one.

It seem the colder the temperature gets the quieter it becomes.

I am missing that quietness in all my treadmill running lately.

Although I am enjoying the benefits of running in one place; being home with the kids, watching movies and not having to pee in cornfields, I am also eager to get back to those quiet reflective runs.

In the meantime, we enjoyed a weekend of running in one place and exhausting afternoons of playing in the snow.  We built snowmen, had snowball fights,  

 played on the swings and

sledded down hills.

Now this is a kind of cross training I can really get into no matter the weather!

33 days until the Seneca Greenway Trail 50k

47 days until the HAT Run Trail 50k 

What are you asking Santa for?

Sunday ~ Day # 210

This weekend was filled with a lot.

A lot of running in one place.

A lot of wind and blowing snow.

A lot of housework.

A lot of playing.

A lot of preparing.

But finally Sunday morning we did what we haven't been able to do very often lately, we took time to slow down.  After church we attended a lunch and we lingered.  We visited with friends and family.

We even had a visit from Santa!

The cousins enjoyed getting to play together.

S'ghetti girl thinks maybe she is too old to sit on Santa's nap. 

But not too old to share her wish list with him!

LBM wasn't into sitting on a guy's lap but did enjoy his present! 

And made sure to tell Santa a few things on his wish list.

Thanks Santa.

It wasn't the weekend that I thought I might have.  I had been hoping for a early anniversary gift from Hubbs.

The half marathon kind.

But I didn't hint quite hard enough.

And to be honest, I enjoyed the break

of simply running

and stopping when I wanted to.

With the holidays we all are doing more than our fair share of racing around so my next race for now will still be Seneca Greenway Trail 50k and the the Hat Run 50k both are in early March. 

On my Christmas list this year, a strong mind and tireless legs.

What are you asking Santa for?



Brrr! It's cold in here

Day # 145 ~ a.m. run

Will I ever figure out the outfit shot?

So I watch some old tweenie movies.  You don't like it well Bring It On?  heehee

It's whatever gets you through the miles, right?

This week of running I have been pulling back a bit on the mileage.

46 miles as of this morning.  And only ran ONE double day this week. 

But mileage and running on the treadmill is not the excitement.  Running OUTSIDE this morning was and is again tonight! WooHoo.  It was so great after being stuck inside.

Is it just me or does everyone smell FALL in the air?  Yummy.  And by fall I mean warm food, cornstalks, pumpkins, and falling leaves!  I even wore my capris this morning.

This weekend is the first weekend of our local fall foliage festival.  And maybe a race for me.  Since Hubbs aka party pooper backed out , I am torn about running it.  You'll simply have to check back to see if I do or not.

What is on tap for your fall weekend?

Get out here and enjoy it!

Edited to add:
I went crazy and registered for another Ultra in March.  I already do the Seneca Greenway 50k on March 5th but today I went crazy and registered for the HAT Endurance 50k on March 19th.
Don't tell Hubbs!
Maybe someone wants to join the insanity??