My March Madness

I know there is still one day left in March, but I'm summing up the month a day early and posting my April goals now in hopes of motivating myself by putting in black and white what I need/want to do. Since I didn't have any specific running goals for March, other than to run as much as possible, I'll skip the running recap. Next month will be different though. There will be a plan and the plan will be followed.

Current Book: The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. The Shadow of the Wind was excellent, and Angel's is not disappointing. In fact, if I hadn't borrowed it from my brother, it would be marked up by now. And I am not typically a person who highlights and marks up her books, in spite of my English degree/background. I finally finished Freedom by Jonathan Franzen. It took sooooo long. It is a long book, but it just never drew me in. I would give it a 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure: Putting the RUNNERD store together. Only shame inducing due to the ridiculous amount of time I have spent doing it.

Current Colors: Purple. The Princess has her first soccer game tomorrow, and she is on The Purple Team.

Current Obsessions: Coconut Creme Hershey's Kisses. You MUST try them.

Current Drink: Water, water, water.


Current Song: Lady Gaga's Born This Way

Current Wish-List: Tangled. I was going to buy it today, but it is sold out everywhere!

Current Need: To get registered for the Thanksgiving Point Half Marathon. The price goes up on Friday.

Current Triumph: My little Bean's excitement about starting gymnastics.

Current Bane of my Existence: The article I have due on Monday. The timing couldn't be worse and the interview subjects couldn't be less cooperative.

Current Goal: Sticking to April's training plan and the Thanksgiving Point Half on 4/30.

Current Indulgence: Blogging, since I should really be working.

Current Blessings: My girls, the hubs and my health.

Current Excitement: Going to see My Run tomorrow night with some of my favorite fellow RUNNERDS.

April Goals:

• Run at least 4x/wk and no less than 25 miles/wk


• P90X Core Synergistics 2x/wk


• Upper and lower body strength 2x/wk


• Cardio cross train at least 1x/wk

Don't spit on my cupcake and tell me it's frosting *

I finished the Cupcake Marathon (in my case HALF marathon) last week. I forgot to send a photo of myself with my "bib" so I decided to post it on here. I am terrible when it comes to taking pics of myself; even worse when I attempt it with my phone, as you can tell from the pic. I never remember to take a picture post-run, so you get this instead. A very tired, post-allergic reaction (keep reading) shot.

What allergic reaction? Well, I was diagnosed with chronic ear infections (yes, both ears) this morning and have an appointment next week with an ENT/otolaryngologist (say that fast three times; I can't even say it slowly once). In the meantime, I was prescribed amoxicillin. About five minutes after I take it, my nose, eyeballs, throat and inner ears start itching like CRAZY, and it lasts about 20-30 minutes. I started to suspect an allergy to amoxicillin when I took it at the end of last year for an ear infection (of course). Then I really had to wonder when my Bean was on liquid amoxicillin last month, and I licked a little off my finger and had the same reaction. When I wanted to scratch my eyeballs out after my first dose today, I am pretty sure it is an allergic reaction. Fun, huh?

What IS fun is the movie I'll be watching Thursday night. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you better take a break from running and read a few more blogs, because it seems like everyone in the running blogosphere is talking about My Run. I'm going to see it with two fellow running bloggers, Alicia and Farrah, and will be sure to fill you in on the details of our girls night out. And I'll let you know how the movie was too. * Quote from The Simpsons, Episode: The Parent Rap (2001)

Things I Love Thursday - Jimmer

The Princess has been walking around the house singing a mash-up of these two songs. The first one is great. The second, in spite of Jimmer crushes all around at our house, is a little disturbing. Especially the part about seeing him in his shorts.

Yet hearing my girl sing: Teach me how to Jimmer. Teach me, teach me how to Jimmer. I love you Jimmer! = AWESOMENESS.

WINNING

Today is about WINNING. And no, I'm not jumping on the Charlie Sheen bandwagon. However, can you believe his tour could put $7 million in his pockets? Who knew turning your life into a train wreck could be so profitable. Not that I'm suggesting it. Instead, just take up running.

Anyhow, as far as WINNING goes, the person Random.org chose to take home some 2Toms booty (ha, ha, get it, booty) is:

Jen @ Why I Run

Congrats Jen! Please send your mailing info to me at ihaverun@hotmail.com. And a big thanks to Kristin and everyone at 2Toms for hosting this giveaway and for making awesome products.

Now the rest of you get out there and keep winning at whatever it is you do!

Don't Leave Home Without It

Since I've now told at least a dozen people why I spent just over 24 hours in Sacramento last week, you might as well know too. It's nothing amazing or mysterious. But it was supposed to answer some questions and help the hubs and me come to a decision. A work decision. I am totally grateful that my hubs has a good job and that the decision is just a matter of a potential job change, but that hasn't made the decision any easier. The new job would require a lot of travel, and it's hard to weigh the sacrifices and benefits of each offer.

And while Sacramento didn't miraculously bring the answers I needed, it did bring a few other things. Our original travel itinerary had us traveling Friday/Saturday. That meant Friday doing work stuff and Saturday doing fun stuff. At the last minute, the plan changed to a Thursday/Friday itinerary. So Thursday meant going on a quick office tour followed by dinner and lots of talk. Shop talk. When we finally headed back to the hotel, I was ready for dessert so we grabbed something from the hotel lobby. And my little caramel cheesecakes were so good I had to take a picture of them:


Friday morning was our first chance in five years (since The Princess was born) for the hubs and I to both sleep in, so we did. When we finally rolled out of bed, we grabbed breakfast and headed to the office to talk business, then it was more talk over lunch, and then it was back to the airport. I know you are jealous of my fun-filled Sacramento excursion.

You may have noticed two things missing in there. The first was my girls. This was my first time away from my girls overnight, and I did OK until I got a text saying they were getting ready to do bedtime. Yes, DO bedtime. My cousin watched my girls, and she is a lot like me as a mom to her two little boys. At our houses, bedtime is more than just going to bed. It is probably my favorite time of the day. First I read with, sing to and rock my little Bean. Then it's stories, songs and snuggles with The Princess. I get some one-on-one time and lots of cuddles. So imagining someone else snuggling my girls to sleep made me a little emotional.

The other thing missing was a run. Originally, I was going to run Saturday morning. Then the plans changed, and I didn't see much opportunity for a run during our Thursday/Friday trip, so I left my running shoes home. The first thing I wanted to do when the plane hit the ground was run. I will NEVER, EVER travel without my running shoes again. So while I didn't get a run out of the trip, I learned a valuable lesson: ALWAYS PACK MY RUNNING GEAR.

Decisions, Decisions

This past few months haven't been terrifically easy around my house. To say the past 90 or so days have tried my patience is quite the understatement. As a family, we've had some big decisions to make. And it seems each time a decision is made, new factors come into play that make us question our decision. Add that to the fact that Livingstons (my maiden name) are ridiculously bad at making decisions (we don't make BAD decisions, we just can't make them in the first place), and it has been quite the ride.

I'm not trying to be vague; I'm just not ready to get into details. The reason I am sharing this is because the craziness of our lives is taking me to Sacramento this weekend. And I'm counting on my Saturday run to help keep me sane. So if you know any great places to run in Sacramento or live there and want a running buddy Saturday morning, let me know.

In the meantime, be sure to enter my 2Toms Giveaway.

Carpet Burn On My Butt (and a giveaway)

After two lame, pathetic, lackluster weeks of running, I woke up excited to run yesterday. And today, I wore my running clothes all morning in anticipation of my nap time run today. Even in spite of sore glutes and tired quads from getting in some P90X Core Synergistics last night, I couldn't wait to get moving on Millie.

I am a planner. Today I had a plan to get my run in while my girls slept, and my day was organized accordingly. I am also a creature of habit. The first thing I do when I roll out of bed every single day is make my bed and my girls' beds. If I do something else first, it throws off the entire morning. I am a creature of habit when it comes to my running routines as well. There are a few things that differ depending on whether I am running on Millie or outside, whether my girls are asleep or not, and whether or not they are joining me in the jogger. Yet, no matter when, where, how far or with whom I run, some things are always the same. My hair goes into a pony with a headband. And I always lather my toes and feet with Glide. Or at least it was Glide until recently.

After I was contacted by 2Toms and asked to try and review their products, I gave SportShield a try. For the past several weeks, I have rolled it onto my toes, my callus-prone areas and my blister zones before every run. And it hasn't disappointed. I even relied on it after removing my calluses last week, and that baby soft skin stayed baby soft. I haven't had one blister or hot spot since using it. I have also used it on my inner thighs and where the built-in liner of my shorts sometimes rubs. Again, it worked great. No rubbing. No chafing.

And now for a little TMI (you've been warned). A few weeks ago, I noticed a sore area near my tailbone just after I finished my run. More specifically, that bony spot at the top of my crack felt raw. (Yes, that crack.) When I looked in the mirror, there was a red spot about two inches long that was clearly chafed. I have no idea what rubbed my booty during those eight miles, but I know the after effects were very unpleasant. It was like having a carpet burn along my butt crack. You can bet my new best friend, especially on longer and/or sweatier runs will be 2Toms ButtShield!

And while I haven't tried it yet, if it works even half as well as the other 2Toms products, I'm counting on BlisterShield to keep me from taking pictures like this in the future:




So, because I love my 2Toms so much and because Kristin at 2Toms was so generous, I have these to give away to one lucky reader:

• A 1.5 oz SportShield Roll-On
• A 1.5 oz ButtShield Roll-On
• Three packets of Blister Shield

Here is a little more about each of the products from the 2Toms website:

Using SportShield® liquid roll-on or convenient towelettes, you apply a smooth, thin invisible coating to the skin. This coating eliminates or greatly minimizes the friction that causes blisters, chafing and irritation. It can be used on any part of the body where skin is subjected to rubbing by clothing and equipment pressure points.

Do you suffer from Butt Irritation while participating in your favorite sport or hobby, at the gym or even while at work? Well look no further as 2Toms has the solution for even the worst Butt Irritation. 2Toms is excited to introduce ButtShield®, a revolutionary new product which is applied to your butt to create a frictionless satin smooth surface that prevents chaffing. ButtShield® is applied with an easy to use roll-on applicator (no messy powders) and will not rub off even under the most extreme condition. One application of ButtShield® is all you need to guarantee a day of comfort, since the last thing you want to be doing all day is thinking about your butt!

BlisterShield creates an almost frictionless surface on the foot, reducing heat build-up and blister formation. When applied to the foot, this remarkable powder repels moisture….keeping skin dry and blister-free for lengthy periods of activity. BlisterShield significantly reduces discomfort and fatigue, resulting in increased performance and a more pleasurable exercise experience.

Here's how to enter the fabulous 2Toms giveaway:

• You must be a follower of my blog to enter. Leave a comment to let me know you follow. (required - 1 entry)
• Tell me why you want to win this giveaway in a separate comment. (optional - 1 entry)
• "LIKE" 2Toms on Facebook and/or enter the Marathon Contest 2011. Leave a comment letting me know! (optional - 1 entry)
• Post about this giveaway with a link to it on your blog, Facebook and/or Twitter. Leave another comment telling me where you posted. (optional - 1 entry)

The winner will be selected by Random.org and announced Tuesday, March 22, 2011.

*2Toms provided the items for this giveaway. I did not pay anything for them.

Someone Slap Me

The other day, someone asked me if I am a runner. I replied yes, and then said, "I know I don't look like a runner."

Ummmm, what? As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I wanted someone to slap me. And I am not one for violence. In fact, our house is a no spanking, no slapping, no hitting zone.

I don't have abs like Shalane Flanagan's, a booty like Kara Goucher's or legs like Paula Radcliffe's. Because of running, I do have a smaller booty, sweet definition in my legs and am working on the abs. But what really matters is I am blessed with a strong, healthy body that allows me to be a runner.

And for the record, I do look like a runner. If you've spent much time wandering around the running blogosphere or have lined up next to hundreds (or thousands) of runners at the starting line of a race, you've seen proof that I look like a runner. And you look like a runner.

So if those words ever come out of my mouth again, someone please slap me. And if I ever hear one of you say you don't look like a runner, watch out!

Shalane Flanagan & Kara Goucher

Photo Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

Things I Love Thursday - Winners!

Is it Wednesday yet? For some reason, I had in my mind that the giveaway would end today. So sorry for the delay. I hope none of you waited up until all hours of the night for this post. Welcome to the new followers! I'll be checking out your blogs ASAP! And I hope you'll stick around, even though there aren't awesome arm sleeves up for grabs anymore. You can however get a pair from INKnBURN right now. And if you haven't checked out their shirts yet, do that now. In fact, you can get free shipping and two free glow in the dark RUN or DIE bracelets with your order this month by using the checkout code MarchMad.

Now for the the moment you've patiently been waiting for (since yesterday). I stopped by Random.org this morning and let it do the difficult job of selecting the winners. So here's what Random.org decided....

Winner of the "HIS" sleeves:

Iron Mike

Winner of the "HERS" sleeves:

RunKnitRun


Winner of the bracelet:

Sara

Thanks to Charlie and the awesome people at INKnBURN for hosting this giveaway! And congrats to the winners. Please send your mailing info to ihaverun@hotmail.com.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

It's my turn to do the ABC's that have been making their way around the blogosphere. So here goes...

A- Age [of The Princess after yesterday]: FIVE!!! (I'm in denial about my own age)

B- Bed Size: King. We tried to go back to a Queen, but Rowdy made sure that didn't last.

C- Chore you hate: Doing our taxes. And it's that time again.

D- Dogs: Rowdy. Boston Terrier. Not sure he's a dog though, or at least he thinks he is a person.

E- Essential Start Your Day Item: Seeing my girls.

F- Favorite Color: Pink, of course.

G- Gold or Silver: White gold or platinum

H- Height: 5'7"

I- Instruments you play: Piano & flute

J- Job Title: Freelance writer/editor, Mom

K- Kids: Two beautiful, amazing girls

L- Live: Utah

M- Mom’s Name: Mom or Grandma

N- Nicknames: Mom, Candi (unless you want me to respond), Runner Barbie (courtesy of Tall Mom Mel)

O- Overnight Hospital Stays: Two [when my girls were born]

P- Pet Peeve: Hearing people chew their food

Q- Quote from a Movie: "If I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet, I wouldn't be more surprised than I am now." (National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation)

R- Right or Left Handed: Right

S- Siblings: Older brother, younger brother, younger sister

T- Time you wake up: Between 6:30-7:00am

U- Underwear: Usually

V- Vegetable You Dislike: Green peppers

W- What Makes You Late: Thinking I have more time than I really do.

X- X-rays You’ve Had Done: Knees, dental, wrist, foot

Y- Yummy Food You Make: Sugar cookies, turkey soup, pumpkin cream tortellini

Z- Zoo Animal Favorite: Monkeys

Now it's your turn!!

Don't be a drag. BE A QUEEN!

Thanks to Lady Gaga for that reminder during my run this morning.

Five years ago, I became a queen when I was entrusted with my princess.

Happy 5th Birthday to my Princess!!

Things I Love Thursday - Creative Crosstraining

Monday I tried out the P90X Core Synergistics after a short 3-mile run. When I finished, I wasn't too tired and didn't suspect I would be too sore. I don't know if it is because it works such a large group of muscles, but I just wasn't sure it was going to do its job. I was wrong.

My inner thighs hurt the day after, I didn't even really remember doing much to work them. I felt a little soreness in my glutes during my Tuesday run. And my abs are still a touch sore today, three days later. I think I'm going to be revisiting that P90X workout often.

I didn't end up running yesterday because The Princess had a program at school so I spent my usual running time making myself presentable to be seen in public. Then nap time was spent getting caught up on some work. I will run today though, even if it means I don't get around to cleaning the toilets until midnight.

I did get some crosstraining in already today though. I spent an hour with my girls at Jump On It, a giant warehouse of trampolines. We played tag and crack the egg and took turns doing as many tuck jumps (one of The Princess's gymnastics moves) in a row as we could. We just might have to make this a weekly thing!

What is your favorite type of "creative" crosstraining?