How'd September Go? (And Winners)

September 2011

Monthly Miles Ran: 245.7 (Year total: 2216.40)

Highest Mileage Week: 09/5 - 09/11 (DM Weeks) 68 miles

Rest Days Taken: 0

The Streak: September 30st was Day # 509 of the streak ~ 4067.9 miles,

692 Runs ~ ave. 8 miles per day/ 55.95 miles per week

Races:

None. So sad.

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure:  
Eating out way too often.

Non-food Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure: 
Swimming in the way too cold pool.
I just love using the pool as my "icing" after running in VA.  It will have to end soon.

Which Outfit did I Wear the Most:

What We Are Watching:

With the Kiddos:  Still watching Veggie Tales.

We have a lot of them!

My Viewing: 
My Run and
Robin Hood

with Russell Crowe

Funniest/Best Kid Quote:

 

"My homeworks is all done!"  spoken most every night by S'ghetti Girl

She is the homework rock star!

Current Triumph:

Hitting 500+ days on my streak

Current Goals

Personal:
Making this a bigger priority
Lose this freakin' 15 pounds

Running/Fitness:

Maintain a 50 - 65 mile week base
to prepare for another round trail 50ks,

A Tough Mudder with Hubbs

and another 50 miler in November

To lose 15+ pounds

will this ever happen?

Current Blessing:

Every single day in my life. A gift.

Both those few days in CA to spend time with just Hubbs were needed.

Current Excitement:

Family: a Few days on the West Coast with Hubbs - without the kiddos

those days are still fresh in my mind.

Blogging:  Got to meet Katie in real life.  Amazing person.

Running/Fitness: Having races (oh yeah plural!) to look forward to again.

Current Concern:

Personal: Eating out TOO much

Running: Not being anywhere near a comfortable race weight.
And having a 10k tomorrow.  It might not be pretty.

How did your September days add up?

It took a long time to tabulate all the entries
(19 eliminating Miss Zippy's at her request)
on my My Run giveaway post but I finally got it done.

Whew!

Thanks to Random.org

# 10 Julie at Adventure Is Out There is the lucky winner

I always think of Mr. Fredrickson from Up

# 19 Jeff at Detroit Runner is the other lucky winner

Each of you will soon be snuggled on the coach or sweating on the treadmill watching the amazing story of Terry Hitchcock and his 75 marathons in 75 days.

UPrinting.com WINNER

Kara at It's a Dog Lick Baby World

Come On Down!

You are the WINNER thanks to Random.org

As you can see partially above I choose to paste the enormous list of entries into an Excel spreadsheet

deleted the little trash can icon line

and each person's entry ended up being five lines on the spreadsheet

more if you typed a lot.

Kara send me your real life contact info as soon as possible so I can forward it to UPrinting.com to get you set up with your 250 Personalized stickers! 

Thanks to UPrinting.com for sponsoring this giveaway.

I'll be back with a recap of my FABULOUS WEEKEND trail run.  It deserves it's own post, yes it was that good!

 

Three Things Thursday

Today is day 319 of my streak.  I am so excited that in a mere 46 days I will have completed my year.  A year that started out as a challenge to do 100 runs and went a little viral from there.  While I know that running every day is not the only or best route to a healthy lifestyle, I do believe it shows that even a busy working mom can make the time to focus on fitness each and every day.  It's just a matter of priorities and I believe it's time we all start making ourselves a priority again.

If you haven't read my insanely long wonderfully articulate HAT Run race report you should.  It in I talk about my feelings towards celebrities.  Well, my honesty touched a place deep inside Chris

 (yeah, I can call him Chris we are practically BFFs now)

because he already wants to share photos.  Now I don't know where this will go I mean I am a married woman but clearly we share a deep admiration for one another...well that and PB&J sandwiches.

I am sure you remember my post asking each of you to guess my finish line time for the HAT Run.

You remember it because it was a giveaway.

I think next time I'll have to request a reserve with so few entries.  

All joking aside, I listed the entries in reverse order just to switch it up.

And the winner is... 

Rae drop me an email and I'll get you the details.

Punctuation

To many my life is very routine.  I typically run the same distances everyday at about the same times.  The family and I go about the day-to-day routine kind of like a dance with each partner knowing where the next step will be to keep things running smoothly.

It's along the way within that routine that amazing things can be found.

Perhaps to some those things seem trival or unimportant but to me they punctuate my days.

Day # 114 ~ 6.5 / 53:04

The past few runs have been punctuated by wildlife. 

Most recently butterflies.

Black swallowtail butterfly

There is a section of my 6.5 mile loop that has been filled with butterflies. 

Several different kinds.  I don't know if they are ending their lifecycle but they seem to simply stay in the stretch of road and flutter in the adjacent fields.

Happy Big Second Birthday to my Little Bug Man!

Seeing them.  Holding them. 

They remind me; as we celebrate LBM's second birthday, that life is precious and fragile. 

I want to enjoy and breath in every moment that I am given.

My hope is that I am showing this philosophy to my children and in doing so, teaching them to take nothing for granted and appreciate everything.

I will leave you with a final thought

because I know you all REALLY just want the winner's names

What are you allowing to punctuate your days?

Would those around you say the same?

A few more bits of punctuation!

WINNER #1 ~ SOF SOLE!

Erika @ Chasing my Monkeys 1 mile at a time

is the winner of some sweet savings on Sof Soles products!

PLUS:

Sof Sole is hosting a giveaway for 2 free entries into the Philadelphia 1/2 Marathon!

Sof Sole Here's another chance to enter the Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia giveaway...just Re-Post or Retweet the following: "Sof Sole giveaway into the Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia 1/2 Marathon is going on now!" ...Make sure that you link back to our page using "@" before Sof Sole.... you now have two ways to enter: Photo upload and/or Re-post...contest ends Friday!

Everyone who didn't win head over and enter for your chance to still win.

WINNER #2 ~ ROAD ID!

Jill @ Run with Jill was the second name drawn and she is the winner of a gift card from Road ID!

I bet she gets the PINK one!

WINNER #3 ~ CEP COMPRESSION!

Jill @ Running to Sanity 

was the third name drawn and the winner of some sweet CEP Compression!

Do you think she'll chose GREEN?

Winners please email me with your contact info so I can send you your winnings.
shellyrm at yahoo dot com

Thanks for Sof Sole, Road ID and CEP Compression for helping me get to and exceed my goal of 100 days!  Thanks for supporting me through a ton of amazing miles.

Thanks to everyone who actually follows, encourages, offers advice and supports me as I take my journey,

One Foot in Front of the Other!

It's only Day # 115 there are many more miles and races to come.

Check back soon.

The Weekend Review - Race Recap

Friday

Of course I went for the second half of my run Friday evening.  I wasn't going to allow a silly little thing like a 10 mile trail race the next morning stop me from attempting to hit my 50 miles this week.

But seriously, I am still trying to get as many trail runs in as I can before my next trail 50k in July and the easiest way for me to do that is to run a trail race. 

For those wonderful readers who may not know, these are not the kind of trails you can push a jogging stroller on.  They are "technical" trails.  Trails that are not groomed.  Trails that require technical ability to traverse safely.  Thus the need to do them when I can have hubbs or family support with the kiddos.

So Friday evening found LBM and I out finishing our run enjoying the setting sun on Friday.

Saturday

At 7:30 my cell phone rings.  It's hubbs. 

"Oh great to hear from you!," I say " How close are you?"

Hubbs was coming home from working night shift and had volunteered to be home in time to watch the kids while I went and ran my race.

"You are not going to believe this but...I am just leaving work."

That's 2+ hours away

"Oh well.  I will figure something out."  I say being all cool and easy going.

"Call me back so I know what is going on."

"No problem." I agree.

AGGGGGGHHHHHHH!

Insert frantic calls to the rest of the family to recruit support for the kids until Hubbs can get them picked up.  I finally work it out with no time to spare and I am cruising to the race.

Thus this very rushed picture is all you get!

You miss out on all the beautiful scenery of the trail.  I didn't carry the camera. 

And this is your after race shot.  I AM flying down the road to attempt to make it back in time for my daughter's soccer game.

We were a little late.

The race was amazing.  As all trail races are!  The course was challenging and beautiful.  The organizers did a great job!  It was their first race.  Support was spot on during the race which consisted of two 5 mile loops around a beautiful lake.  (luckily that supplied a little relief from the intense heat of the day!)

I am still struggling with knowing what pace I can produce in a trail event.  Due to that I went into the race simply as putting forth my best effort at a challenging but steady pace.

I finished in 1:34. 

Which is 4 minutes beyond my secret goal pace. 

But I was 14th overall, 6th female and winner of the Master's Division.

So not to bad!

I didn't stay for awards (I'll show you those after I get them) because I had to rush back home for my daughter's soccer game.

Then it was off the the new house.  I drove our truck and trailer to give Hubbs a break.  We moved some things in.  Luckily beating the rain that come Sunday!

The house is now offically ours.  We put up our door knocker.  We have had it since we got married but never used it. 

LBM loved running  around the deck sans diaper, it was HOT!

We enjoyed our Sunday of cleaning and mowing but then it was back on the road with the much lighter trailer.  We made better time getting home but it was still a lot of driving for one weekend.

This morning found me outside running my wake up run (3.5 miles /28:34).  I needed to stretch my legs and having Hubbs home to watch LBM was great!

 

It was a fantastic blur!  Thanks for stopping by and getting caught up with me.

What great things did you accomplish this past weekend?

3 Changes Challenge

April 30th through May 2nd  - Friday, Saturday & Sunday

 

1. h2o/non-caffeinated - +64 oz. each day - Success (easy to drink while you are traveling and at a 80+ degree race!)

2. Destress - I've been praying every day!  Oh and I ran an amazing TRAIL race that put me on a high that lasted through all the driving.  - Success

3. Xtrain - Friday; sit ups & pushups.  Saturday; moving.  Sunday; cleaning (this counts a little) & traveling - Needs Improvement (I stink at cross training!)

Free Stuff, Squeaks and Race Swag

Free Stuff.  aka A Giveaway!

Did that not catch your attention?  For just a few brief moments of your time you could be entered to win some great things from One More Mile.  Just click over to You Might Remember to get the details and grab your chance at some great merchandise.  What might you win?  You can win your choice of something like this...

or this....

or this...

The best part...the winner will get to choose one great item from One More Mile's website!

So click over my post entitled You Might Remember to get your entry in by January 6th, 2010!!

 Squeaks.

So I was running on my treadmill tonight squeezing in 12 miles.  You know treadmill, I've mentioned him before.  No, he does not have a name.  Well, if he does I never caught it.  Because our relationship is not a cordial one.  We are not friends.  It is somewhat of a working relationship.  I don't really spend time with him outside of my work(outs).  I mean it's not like we hangout together.  And since he does not read my blog, it's not like I really like him all that much.

Don't get me wrong I do know I know am lucky to have him here, in the house, for me to jump on and run when the weather is bad or the kiddos don't want Mommy to go joggy again BUT (you knew it was coming, didn't you?).  BUT.  Treadmill is either tired of us not talking and is attempting communication or he has got a serious problem.  Because he squeaks.  Now Hubbs had tried lubricating whatever little bits are to be lubricated and he has purchased me a new belt (which is still not on yet) but for now treadmill squeaks.  I have been attempting to decipher his language on the odd chance that it is an attempt at real communication.  (My luck, he is probably just yelling at me to get my big butt off of him!)  But I have had little success.  So for now I on treadmill with headphone because I am watching movies to help the distance pass.

Tonight I watched Valkyrie.  There will be more on that later.

Race Swag.

Don't be jealous of my Winter Misery One Miler Swag. 

Thanks to RunningLaur for hosting a great virtual race!

Now remember to click over to my post entitled You Might Remember

Don't miss out on your chance at some FREE sweet running gear!

You Might Remember...

What I Did on My Christmas Vacation

a rather lengthy blog that recapped the highlights of my
Christmas Holiday.

Hidden within that blog - for those brave enough to read it all - was a little hidden give away!

My introduction to a couple of months of aMaZiNg GiVeAwAyS!

Not everyone remembered to wear cool slipper socks!

Can you guess which ones are mine??

Be a follower who is first to e-mail me with the correct answer and you could win a price.

First.  The winners.  Yeah there were two. 
That's the thing about hidden giveaways the rules are a little vague.  I didn't have anyone e-mail me the correct pair of socks but I had two people say the striped penguins were mine.  The actual first responder said two different socks so there is a consolation prize headed to Mel at Tall Mom on the Run.

The grand prize winner is Jill at Run with Jill.  A package of goodies is headed your way. 
Congratulations to you both for winning and for being such loyal supporters of my little story of life! 
I don't want to spoil the surprise so we will all have to wait and see the goodies from the
winner's blogs once they are received!! 


Some exciting news! 
An official giveaway graciously sponsored by the wonderful people at
One More Mile

You might recall the awesome shirt my oldest got for me this Christmas!

(Yes that is littlest trying to grab my new shirt!)

And my awesome magnet!

Those are just a sample of some of the great things you will find at One More Mile.

Now for the rules.  To enter please complete the following:

1.  Be or become a follower of this blog.  Leave me a comment.

2.  Be or become a fan of One More Mile on Face Book.  Leave me a comment.

3.  Go to One More Mile's Website and let me know what one item you

would want to win.  Leave me a comment.

4.  Give this blog a link on your next blog.  Leave me a comment.

4.  Tell me the best, worst, most creative or most embarrassing running outfit

you have ever seen during one of your races or one you have worn yourself.  Leave me a comment.

That's it and you could win some awesome merchandise from

One More Mile!

Winner will be selected are random.