Burst Into Summer: Aug 31 Check-In

Today is Wednesday (obviously) and it's supposed to be check-in day over at The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans.  As you read this, I am sitting in my second day of inservices for the start of another school year.  My first day was 11 hours long.  I know I shouldn't complain, since I really have a most blessed schedule and I love what I do, but 11 hours on your first day back?  That's just freaking cruel.  I'm tired.  My knee is all messed up from sitting cross-legged all day (today I'm making a vow to NOT cross my legs at my knees - please tweet at me and remind me, m'kay?).  

Since I've really fizzled on this challenge, let's just call this check-in a wash, shall we?  I'm trying to breathe when stressed and did a great job yesterday when tech fails occurred multiple times.  Not only work tech fails, but personal tech fails, too.  Insult to injury, KWIM?  

Tomorrow, I plan to attempt my first before-work run.  I have to get in 5 miles, which means I'll need to be up and running before the sun.  Frankly, this scares the crap out of me and is the one time I wish I owned a dog, but I'll get it done. I'll make sure to run a well-lit and populated route to be as safe as I can be.  I'm also thankful that this week is a step-down week again in miles, although 15 on the weekend still seems like and awful lot!

So, there's my check-in.  How did you do this week?  Does the start of the school year improve or wreak havoc on your schedule?

Yesterday I introduced you to my newest 26.2 sponsor, Melissa.  Would you like to join my sponsors Ben, Erin, Andrea, Lisa, Ann, the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans and now Melissa in supporting me as I train to finish my first full marathon, the Grand Rapids Marathon?  I have set up a sponsorship page in which you can help me reach my goal of crossing the finish line (sponsorship will help pay for race fees, nutrition/hydration, shoes, etc).  You can click HERE, or click on the tab above.  I would love and appreciate any support you can give me.  Bloggy and linky love will follow, as well as the ability to sponsor individual miles and run "with" me on October 16th.  I cherish all the love and support my readers have given me this year.  I wouldn't be attempting this race without you.

Terrific Tuesday: Another Sponsor - @MitaKay !

Typically, Tuesdays around these parts would be "True Confessions Tuesday", but other than eating enough to fuel my marathon and enjoying the occasional Captain Lime & Diet Coke, I've been pretty good lately. Tomorrow starts my first full day back at work, so I anticipate a lot of chocolate and more Cap't being consumed this week, but we can talk about all that NEXT Tuesday.

Today, I'd like to introduce you to my latest 26.2 sponsor - Melissa!  I "met" Melissa through Shrinking Jeans quite some time ago and I've never looked back.  She has been so encouraging to me on this marathon journey and I appreciate her very much.  She even signed up to Run the 'Hood with the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans and is kicking butt on her c25k training.  Melissa is mom to an adorable little boy and super cute Doxy, plus, we both share a *not so secret* love of Adam Levine :-)  You can find Melissa on twitter as @MitaKay and she blogs over at Bring on the Rain!  Go visit and give Melissa some bloggy love!

Would you like to join my sponsors Ben, Erin, Andrea, Lisa, Ann, the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans and now Melissa in supporting me as I train to finish my first full marathon, the Grand Rapids Marathon?  I have set up a sponsorship page in which you can help me reach my goal of crossing the finish line (sponsorship will help pay for race fees, nutrition/hydration, shoes, etc).  You can click HERE, or click on the tab above.  I would love and appreciate any support you can give me.  Bloggy and linky love will follow, as well as the ability to sponsor individual miles and run "with" me on October 16th.  I cherish all the love and support my readers have given me this year.  I wouldn't be attempting this race without you.

Menu Monday! Chocolate Zucchini Bread

This weekend, I had multiple requests for a zucchini bread recipe.  I asked, "Chocolate or Regular?" Um, hello?? You mention "chocolate" on twitter and all heck breaks loose!  So, I decided to turn the request into a blog post (aren't I a good little blogger?).  Now, I should preface this my saying that I am NOT a professional cook.  My attempts at food photography SUCK.  And I'm not a registered dietitian or anything so you'll get no nutrition info.  If you want to figure it out, I believe there are sites that will do it for you if you plug in the ingredients.

So, without further ado...Chocolate Zucchini Bread

(this recipe makes 3 loaves - if you only want 1, do the math)

Ingredients
3 cups flour
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil (yes, you read that correctly - the original recipe called for MORE)
2 TBSP margarine, melted
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
3 cups shredded zucchini (about 3 medium sized ones)

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350* and grease/flour 3 8"x4"x2" loaf pans.

Step 2: Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Step 3: Combine wet ingredients in another bowl.

Step 4:  Add wet ingredients to dry in the large bowl.  Combine well.  Don't worry - it will look really dry.  This is perfectly normal.

Step 5: Find a couple of huge, mutant zucchini from your garden.

Really, you just need about 3 cups of shredded zucchini, but this IS a great use for those zuc's that get too big to eat because they'll taste nasty.  And, yes, I have an old-school Salad Shooter and I use it all the freaking time.

Step 6:  Fold the shredded zucchini into the batter and mix well.  See how much moister (it's a word, I promise) the batter looks now!

Step 7: Pour the mixture into your prepared pans (mine are actually a little too big - yours should be more filled up than this). 

Step 8:  Bake at 350* for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes then remove from pans to a wire rack.

This is SOOOO good.  My son used to love it until his sister told him it had zucchini in it. I promise, if you don't tell your kids that the zucchini is there (and they don't watch you making this) you can just call it "Chocolate Bread" and they'll eat it up.  

I hope you love it.  It's definitely NOT lo-cal :-)

So, what do you think?  Would you like to see recipes posted on a "fairly" regular basis here?  Any particular recipe requests?  I'd love to hear what you all have to say.

xoxo

Bari

Also, if you are a regular reader of Live Laugh Run Breathe, you know I'm training for my first full marathon.  Would you like to join Ben, Erin, Andrea, Lisa, Ann and the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans in supporting me as I train to finish my first full marathon, the Grand Rapids Marathon?  I have set up a sponsorship page in which you can help me reach my goal of crossing the finish line (sponsorship will help pay for race fees, nutrition/hydration, shoes, etc).  You can click HERE, or click on the tab above.  I would love and appreciate any support you can give me.  Bloggy and linky love will follow, as well as the ability to sponsor individual miles and run "with" me on October 16th.  I cherish all the love and support my readers have given me this year.  I wouldn't be attempting this race without you.

PS-"It's Monday and I'm being "Miss Elaine-ous" over at The Miss Elaine-ous Life!"  Go visit her, I promise you won't be disappointed!

LLRB 365: 2011 Week 34

This week marked an epic point in my marathon training.  You can read about Saturday's run here.

Monday

8-22-11

My kids decided it was time to put up my bulletin board for the year. 

In a couple weeks, it will be filled with my little "fish".

Tuesday

8-23-11

I worked today, but had to use someone else's room because mine is getting new carpet! 

(yes, it't the little things)

Wednesday

8-24-11

Broke out my new 10# medicine ball for some NTC and then worked out my sore muscles.

Thursday

8-25-11

School hasn't even started yet, but my girl had her first swim/dive meet (she's a diver!).

Friday

8-26-11

Carb-loading :-)

Saturday

8-27-11

Me and "Nessie" at the 1/2 way point of my 18 mile run.

Sunday

8-28-11

Broke out some shiny flats today.  They make me smile.

Now, if I could just find a cute pair of skinny jeans that fit, I'd be all set!

Would you like to join Ben, Erin, Andrea, Lisa, Ann and the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans in supporting me as I train to finish my first full marathon, the Grand Rapids Marathon?  I have set up a sponsorship page in which you can help me reach my goal of crossing the finish line (sponsorship will help pay for race fees, nutrition/hydration, shoes, etc).  You can click HERE, or click on the tab above.  I would love and appreciate any support you can give me.  Bloggy and linky love will follow, as well as the ability to sponsor individual miles and run "with" me on October 16th.  I cherish all the love and support my readers have given me this year.  I wouldn't be attempting this race without you.

18 Miles, Baby!

Today, Grand Rapids Marathon training got real. I ran my first 18 mile run and I killed it! This first 18 mile run represented the fact that I was really going to do this thing. Maybe that's crazy, but it's how I feel. When you start talking about 18 mile runs, there's no hiding that you are training for a marathon!

I am beyond thrilled with how today's run felt. Was it easy? Hellz No! But it kicked my 17's butt from 2 weeks ago. I'm sure my attitude, weather, time of day, nutrition/hydration and the lack of hills made a huge difference in how I performed today. In any case, this is definitely a run I am proud to have "banked".



After my run, I came home to all sorts of kudos from my friends on twitter.  Those "way to go" and "good job" and "rockstar"s really made my day.  I also gained another 26.2 sponsor!  Huge thanks and big squishy hugs go out to The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans for sponsoring mile number 1!!!! Christy (and the rest of the sisters and brothers) have been so supportive of me as I've started on this journey to becoming a runner.  I think it was a bunch of them training as part of Team in Training last year that really got me thinking about pushing the envelop.  I ran a virtual 5k with them 2 years ago and a 10k last year (since I was training for my first 1/2 marathon and needed to run a few more miles).  Now they are gearing up for their 3rd annual virtual race!  You, too, can Run the 'Hood in 2011 and run a 5k or 10k with your sisters and brothers at Shrinking Jeans! I strongly recommend you sign up and run with the Sisterhood!  If you think you can't run or walk 3.1 miles, you couldn't be more wrong.  A few years ago, do you think I would have thought I could run 18??? No.  And a few years ago, I also thought running 3 miles was crazy impossible.  We all start somewhere.  Today is your chance.  Take it.

Would you like to join Ben, Erin, Andrea, Lisa, Ann and the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans in supporting me as I train to finish my first full marathon, the Grand Rapids Marathon?  I have set up a sponsorship page in which you can help me reach my goal of crossing the finish line (sponsorship will help pay for race fees, nutrition/hydration, shoes, etc).  You can click HERE, or click on the tab above.  I would love and appreciate any support you can give me.  Bloggy and linky love will follow, as well as the ability to sponsor individual miles and run "with" me on October 16th.  I cherish all the love and support my readers have given me this year.  I wouldn't be attempting this race without you.

Fitness Friday: Every(Satur)day I'm Shufflin'

Tomorrow, I will attempt my longest marathon training run EVER.  

18 miles. 

 I have my route mapped out.

The husband is going to bike with me while I run.

I'm thankful for that.

It will take me over 4 hours.

Some of the areas are a bit scary.

Some are downright gorgeous.

I have a plan (sorta) for nutrition and hydration.

I'm ready.

I hope.

Would you like to join Ben, Erin, Andrea, Lisa, and Ann in supporting me as I train to finish my first full marathon, the Grand Rapids Marathon?  I have set up a sponsorship page in which you can help me reach my goal of crossing the finish line (sponsorship will help pay for race fees, nutrition/hydration, shoes, etc).  You can click HERE, or click on the tab above.  I would love and appreciate any support you can give me.  Bloggy and linky love will follow, as well as the ability to sponsor individual miles and run "with" me on October 16th.  I cherish all the love and support my readers have given me this year.  I wouldn't be attempting this race without you.

Thankful Thursday: Another Sponsor!

Good morning loverlies!  Today is Thursday, and while it's important to give thanks for the good in your life everyday, today is the day I've set aside to give thanks here.

1. First of all, I'd like to give thanks to my newest 26.2 sponsor, Ann, from She's Gonna Blow!!!  Ann has been one of my biggest cheerleaders for as long as I can remember.  She's a mom of 2 (a 20-year-old in college and a 7-year-old she homeschools).  She's participated in countless challenges with Shrinking Jeans and has lost 30 pounds!!  Right now, Ann is training for the Komen 3-day Walk for Breast Cancer.  60 miles over 3 days - that's like 2.3 MARATHONS in 3 days!!!!  That is freaking A.MAZ.ING.  (Please go visit her fundraising page and donate if you can.  This is a cause near and dear to so many of us.)  The weekend of my marathon, Ann is walking 18 miles on Saturday and 8 miles on Sunday.  She said she'd take either of those miles to "run" with me.  Since I have my first 18 mile run this weekend, Ann is getting mile 18!  Thank you so much Ann.  Your faith in me means the world to me.  MWAH!
2. Next, I am giving thanks for my talented, intelligent children.  They are entering high school this year (9th grade) and I am so proud of both of them.  D is taking 3 honors classes, made the varsity/competition marching band, and made the jazz band (which practices before school as a zero-hour class).  K is taking 2 honors classes, 10th grade Spanish, is also in the varsity/competition marching band, and is on the varsity diving team.  I know I complain about how busy our schedule is and how crazy these two make me sometimes, but I honestly couldn't ask for better kids.
3. Lastly, I'd like to give thanks for this morning's mild weather and the training that allowed me to run an honest-to-gosh sub-30 5k this morning!  I don't feel like I'm getting any faster because I've had all these uber-long runs that require me to conserve my energy, but then I go out and run 3.12 in 28:21!! Who am I?  I'm a freaking RUNNER is who I am!

Would you like to join Ann, Ben, Erin, Andrea and Lisa in supporting me as I train to finish my first full marathon, the Grand Rapids Marathon?  I have set up a sponsorship page in which you can help me reach my goal of crossing the finish line (sponsorship will help pay for race fees, nutrition/hydration, shoes, etc).  You can click HERE, or click on the tab above.  I would love and appreciate any support you can give me.  Bloggy and linky love will follow, as well as the ability to sponsor individual miles and run "with" me on October 16th.  I cherish all the love and support my readers have given me this year.  I wouldn't be attempting this race without you.

Burst Into Summer: Aug 24 Check-In

Here we are, another week into the Burst Into Summer challenge over at the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans.  Can you believe this challenge (and summer) are almost over?

Since I was never in this challenge as a team member or someone trying to lose weight, I haven't really given it my "all" like I have with past challenges.  This past week's mini challenge was to work on breathing before we even got out of bed.  I'd have to say I pretty much failed at that, but I have been trying to stop and take a few deep breaths when I start feeling stressed.  Considering I go back to work next week and my kids are at freshman orientation as I type (hold me) I'm needing those deep breaths.

I have my longest marathon training run coming up this weekend (18 miles) and I'm beginning to freak out.  I've changed my route about 852 times in the past couple days and keep rethinking what I'm going to bring for fuel and hydration.  I'm seriously considering making asking my husband to bike along side as I run in case I get into trouble and also to sherpa (yes, it's a verb) more water and nuun for me.  Asking someone to bike for nearly 4 hours at a whopping 5.2 mph is downright cruel, but unless I want to just do a bazillion loops near home, it might be my only option.  Plus, the north-south out and back is the flattest route.  If I do loops, I'll get mega hills, which I don't really want for my first 18.  Decisions, decisions.

Speaking of the marathon, I would LOVE your help in getting across the Grand Rapids Marathon finish line.  I have set up a sponsorship page in which you can help me reach my goal of crossing the finish line (sponsorship will help pay for race fees, nutrition/hydration, shoes, etc).  You can click HERE, or click on the tab above.  I would love and appreciate any support you can give me.  Bloggy and linky love will follow, as well as the ability to sponsor individual miles and run "with" me on October 16th.  I cherish all the love and support my readers have given me this year.  I wouldn't be attempting this race without you.


What do you endurance athletes do for hydration on these uber long runs?  My fuel belt only holds about 20 oz if I fill the bottles all the way to the top and I generally run on trails that are not open to vehicles, so driving out to drop extra bottles isn't really an option.  Help a girl out, m'kay?

True Confessions: Summer's Gone :(

Today I went back to work.  Only for a few hours and we don't officially start back until next week, but it was bittersweet all the same.

Because of work and then running home to run K to diving and then to the gym to get my own workout in, I totally forgot it was True Confession day.

My confession?  I'm sad to see summer come to an end, but also ready to work again and get my kids started in high school.  (They have a 3 hour orientation tomorrow!)  Working with 4 adorable preschoolers today reminded me how much I love my job.

I will miss sleeping in though.  Except I haven't slept in on the weekend all summer - darn marathon training.

What will you miss most about summer coming to an end?  What are you looking forward to this fall?

LLRB 365: 2011 Week 33

It was my birthday week this week, so I got to do everything I wanted and the family waited on me hand and foot I was just as busy as usual carting kids around and trying to enjoy the last couple weeks of summer before schools starts up again.

Monday

8-15-11

Happy Birthday To Me!

(since it's my bday, I get 2 pictures)

Bought this when we went to Disney for my bday last year!

Oh yes! Yes I did.

Tuesday

8-16-11

Yummy dessert I made for K's diving team parent potluck.  It was like the movie "Gone in 60 seconds"!

Wednesday

8-17-11

Finally bought a new fuel belt that fits (my old one had gotten too big - great NSV)!  And - it's ORANGE!!!

Thursday

8-18-11

Beautiful clouds in the sky at 7 am for my 10 mile tempo run.

(seriously - 10 miles mid-week was CRAZY)

Friday

8-19-11

I finally got my birthday lunch & cupcake at Bartertown Diner!

(I had the maple cupcake (OMG) and M had the Mexican hot chocolate - super spicy and so yum)

I had the Grandwich -  beer battered buffalo seasoned tofu with coconut curry coleslaw and cocktail sauce - OMFG I thought I'd died and gone to vegan heaven

Saturday

8-20-11

We headed to Saugatuck to meet my dad and two of his friends for lunch.  (Richie is here visiting from England and Jim lives in W. Virginia.)  This was my reward for running 13 miles this morning.

This is the Oval Beach Blond Ale from Saugatuck Brewing Co.

It was so nice to meet Richie and Jim. 

Sunday

8-21-11
Decided I needed a double-dose of "Strength" today.  It's no coincidence that I have the word "strength" tattoo'd to my ankle now.

By now I'm sure you know I'm training for my first full marathon (if you've been around this blog for any length of time).  I would LOVE your help in getting across the Grand Rapids Marathon finish line.  I have set up a sponsorship page in which you can help me reach my goal of crossing the finish line (sponsorship will help pay for race fees, nutrition/hydration, shoes, etc).  You can click HERE, or click on the tab above.  I would love and appreciate any support you can give me.  Bloggy and linky love will follow, as well as the ability to sponsor individual miles and run "with" me on October 16th.  I cherish all the love and support my readers have given me this year.  I wouldn't be attempting this race without you.

Fitness Friday: Some Changes Around Here!

I have been busy at work trying to make Live Laugh Run Breathe a better place to visit.  Here are some of the changes you might see:

I now have all the "follow" buttons integrated into one!  Look over there, to the left - isn't that cool!  So, if you don't follow me on Twitter, Facebook, through your RSS or email - what are you waiting for? Go on, I'll wait.

Speaking of Facebook, Live Laugh Run Breathe now has a Facebook "fan" page.  Be a dear and click that "Like" button on the left, pleaseandthankyou!  If I have everything set up correctly, my blog posts will also automatically post onto the Facebook page.

You will also notice at the end of my posts is a sharing bar.  (Don't go there yet, finish reading the rest of the post first, silly!) If you like what you've read, please share with your friends on Twitter, Facebook, or anywhere!

So, what about these changes makes this a "Fitness Friday" post?  If you look over to the right, you'll see a heading labeled "Affiliates".  I am so excited to announce I have been accepted as an Affiliate for RoadID!  RoadID is very near and dear to my heart.  As a Speech-Language Pathologist, I worked with many adults and children who had suffered Traumatic Brain Injuries, often as a result of being hit by a car while walking or cycling.  I'm not sure how many (if any, this was quite a few years ago that I worked in rehab) were wearing any form of ID when they were injured.  Wearing a RoadID would allow first responders to quickly alert your family members of your injury.  It could possibly save your life if you choose to place medical allergies or other pertinent medical information on your ID.  I've had my RoadID since March and I never run or bike without it.  In fact, I'll often wear it 24/7.  If you don't have one yet, I strongly recommend it.

Disclaimer: As an affiliate, if you click through Live Laugh Run Breathe and purchase any products from the RoadID website, I will receive a small commission, which I will gratefully use to support my running habit. I struggled for a long time about adding advertising to my blog, but running is getting expensive, yo!

I'm also thrilled to announce another 26.2 sponsor, Lisa, from Growing Up Mo!  Lisa has been a dear friend to me since I started hanging around the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans back in 2009.  She was one of the first to connect with me and encourage my journey into the world of the "runner".  I was even lucky enough to be her roommate at FitBloggin this year!  Lisa writes for Shrinking Jeans as well as on her own blog, and you can find her on twitter here!  Thank you, Lisa!  I love you girl!

Do you want to join Ben, Erin, Andrea, and Lisa and run "with" me as I complete my first marathon? I would LOVE your help in getting across that Grand Rapids Marathon finish line.  I have set up a sponsorship page in which you can help me reach my goal of crossing the finish line.  You can click HERE, or click on the tab above.  I would love and appreciate any support you can give me.  Bloggy and linky love will follow, as well as the chance to sponsor individual miles and run "with" me on October 16th.  I cherish all the love and support my readers have given me this year.  I wouldn't be attempting this race without you. 

Thankful Thursday: 26.2 Sponsors!

I have been blessed to be supported by wonderful friends as I journey toward becoming a marathoner.  Today I'm giving thanks for some of my 26.2 sponsors.

You already met my first sponsor, Ben.  You can read about him here. I've gotta say, this guy is becoming a running force to be reckoned with!

Today I'm thrilled to introduce you to two more 26.2 sponsors!

Allow me to introduce you to my friend (and fellow runner), Erin!  Erin blogs over at School Teacher by Day, Superhero by Night and you can find her on twitter @ecsuperhero.  Erin is a kick-butt teacher - of middle schoolers, no less!  That makes her a hero in my book (and considering my twins just "graduated" from middle school and are entering high school this year, I can fully appreciate the "joys" that are 13 year olds).  Even more importantly, Erin is an awesome mom to two adorable little boys.  She even delivered her second son herself!  I am in awe of this woman and proud to call her my friend.  Thank you, Erin, for having faith in me and sponsoring mile 13.

Also sponsoring me on this journey and running "with" me at mile 14 is Andrea!  Andrea is also an awesome runner of 1/2 marathons (triathlons, too!) and you can find her on twitter @AZLB.  She also blogs about her fun adventures in Arizona at The Love Bug Adventures.  I'm super excited that she is sponsoring me in my marathon journey and can't wait to run with her IRL someday.  Thank you, Andrea!

Do you want to join Ben, Erin, and Andrea and run "with" me? I would LOVE your help in getting across the Grand Rapids Marathon finish line.  I have set up a sponsorship page in which you can help me reach my goal of crossing that finish line.  You can click HERE, or click on the tab above.  I would love and appreciate any support you can give me.  Bloggy and linky love will follow, as well as the chance to sponsor individual miles and run "with" me on October 16th.  I cherish all the love and support my readers have given me this year.  I wouldn't be attempting this race without you. 

Burst Into Summer: Aug 17 Check-In

It appears I have completely fizzled out on the latest Shrinking Jeans challenge.  It's bound to happen to the best of us, right?  I've even made the decision to not torture myself with the scale for then next couple weeks.  With my birthday earlier this week and a bunch of sports "potlucks" coming up, eating right is going to be tough, yo!


At this point, I am so focused on my marathon training and school starting up that I couldn't even tell you what the previous mini-challenges were, but this week's challenge I NEED:


"This week, I want you to practice your deep breathing. As corny as it may sound, when you wake up in the morning, take 10 deep breaths to start your day. Throughout your day, if you start feeling stressed and overwhelmed, repeat. I will admit, I have been doing this A LOT lately. Life has been crazy busy and ohmyheck I tend to get caught up in it and get so frustrated and make poor, quick decisions that I wouldn’t otherwise."


The next few weeks are going to be rough for me.  Trying to adjust my training schedule to accommodate going back to work and the kids starting school is making my head spin.  My daughter already has her first diving meet next week and school doesn't even officially start until September here!  Needless to say, taking some deep breaths throughout the day will probably be a good thing for me.


So, obviously, I'm training for my first FULL MARATHON! I would LOVE your help in getting across the Grand Rapids Marathon finish line.  I have set up a sponsorship page in which you can help me reach my goal of crossing that finish line.  You can click HERE, or click on the tab above.  I would love and appreciate any support you can give me.  You can read about my first sponsor here! Tomorrow I'll be highlighting a couple more sponsors!!! If you'd be so kind as to help sponsor me, bloggy and linky love will follow for you too, as well as the chance to select individual miles and run "with" me on October 16th.  I cherish all the love and support my readers have given me this year.  I wouldn't be attempting this race without you. 


While we are on the subject of running, you must go check out the Sisterhood Virtual 5k & 10k!  This event will occur on Saturday, October 22, 2011 and there is all sorts of swag and bling for those who participate.  Seeing as this is a mere 6 days after my first full marathon, I will most likely NOT be running.  (Who knows, maybe the 5k will feel good, but I really have no clue what to expect a week-post marathon.)  Whether I participate or not, you can bet your cute booties I will be cheering you all on.  So go for it, register, start the Couch to 5k training.  Remember, it doesn't matter how fast you go, so long as you GO!

True Confessions: Is This Wrong?

So, today I decided to head over to the brand-spanking new YMCA by my house for my speedwork session. The facility just opened yesterday and it's quite nice. Tons of cardio equipment (I think I counted 40+ treadmills), a nice spin studio, a small family pool. All pretty and shiny :-)

It's 8:30 in the morning and there are 5 of us using treadmills, a couple people on ellipticals, some on the weights, but overall really quiet. I get myself setup for my 3x1600 speedwork. The TMs are great: they charge your iPod while you run, nearly all have TVs attached, it's going GREAT! I'm jamming out to my tunes while I watch Regis. I'm into my 3rd mile sprint, almost done actually, when all of a sudden, the treadmill goes from the 7 mph I had it set at to 4 mph.  I literally SLAM into the front of the TM because my legs are still going said 7 mph.  I even torque my knee a little, which pisses me off.

No where on the treadmills does it say they will automatically switch to cool-down mode at 30 minutes.  NO WHERE!!  Now, not only have I lost all my workout data because the timer went away, but I'm in a bit of pain from slamming my stomach into the TM bar.  Needless to say, I'm a bit pissed.  I quick speed the TM back up to finish my last 1/4 mile or so of my sprint and then I slow the belt down to 6.0 to do my cooldown 1/4 mile.  During this, the stupid thing slows itself down several more times because I didn't think to just turn it off and restart.  It's still in it's own cooldown mode.  I finish my workout and really have no idea what my actual time was.  At least the distance was accurate.

So, here's my "True Confession" question.  Do you think it's right for gyms to automatically impose workout time limits on the equipment?

The other branch I go to has little signs up "please limit your time to 30 minutes" but I take that to mean if others are waiting or during peak hours, not when there are a bazillion other machines open.  This morning, there were no less than 35 open treadmills.  Also, all of us have very different workout goals.  I don't think I've done less than 30 minutes on a treadmill in forever.  Does this make me some kind of workout snob because I might want to run 6 miles or because my 3.5 to 4 mile speedwork can't be finished in less than 30 minutes (at least not by me)?  My husband says I need to talk to the gym about this because, A) I could have really gotten hurt when the TM changed speeds without warning, and B) to see why this is the policy.  I'm not even sure what to say without coming across as bitchy and complaining.  Any suggestions, my dear friends?

Also, since this is True Confession Tuesday, I'll confess that yesterday was my birthday (my 3rd annual 39th if you must know) and I ate a lot of crap and drank a fishbowl's worth of margaritas.  Calories do not count on your birthday! (Also, THANK YOU to everyone who wished me "happy birthday" yesterday on twitter, facebook, texts, the hood - I love all you guys!)

So, by now you probably know I'm training for my first FULL MARATHON! I would LOVE your help in getting across the Grand Rapids Marathon finish line.  I have set up a sponsorship page in which you can help me reach my goal of crossing that finish line.  You can click HERE, or click on the tab above.  I would love and appreciate any support you can give me.  You can read about my first sponsor here! Bloggy and linky love will follow, as well as the chance to sponsor individual miles and run "with" me on October 16th.  I cherish all the love and support my readers have given me this year.  I wouldn't be attempting this race without you. 

My First Sponsor! Ben Teal

It is with great pleasure that I introduce to you my first 26.2 sponsor, Ben Teal!  I met Ben at FitBloggin11 this past May, and now you get to meet him.  Ben is the author and developer of Build Muscle and Burn Fat with Middle Management and FatLossAcademy.com, websites chock full of techniques related to exercise and nutrition, all designed to help you lose fat while building strong muscle.  His tag line says it all:  "Your Body IS Your Business."  Common sense ways to "trim the fat."

Ben is a smart guy - a self-described "shirt and tie middle manager" who took what he learned in the business world, and as a multisport college athlete, and turned that information into a successful Internet business.  He has utilized his own techniques to shed weight which resulted from "life" getting in the way after college.  (You know the drill, sitting behind a desk, takeout, and not playing sports several hours a day.  Who hasn't had that happen to them?)  In addition to disseminating tons of health and fitness information, he has quite a presence in social media.  Ben has over 56000 followers on twitter and presented at FitBloggin11 on how to create a community and a social media following.  Clearly, with 50000+ followers, he knows what he's talking about :-)

While being a social media superstar, he is also quick with a comment and word of encouragement to us "little guys".  I can count on Ben for a DailyMile "nice job" or "way to go" after a run.  Ben has even started running himself!  He started the Couch to 5K program and has his sights set on his first 5k, a race I'm sure he's going to own, especially given his latest 3 mile, 9:10 m/m paced run! I've gotta say, I'm pretty proud of the guy.

You can find Ben on twitter here or on his Facebook Fan Page here.  If you are on DailyMile, you can follow his training here.

Thank you, Ben!  I can't wait to run "with" you in October!

Do you want to join Ben and run "with" me?  (He's got mile 23, by the way!) I would LOVE your help in getting across the Grand Rapids Marathon finish line.  I have set up a sponsorship page in which you can help me reach my goal of crossing that finish line.  You can click HERE, or click on the tab above.  I would love and appreciate any support you can give me.  Bloggy and linky love will follow, as well as the chance to sponsor individual miles and run "with" me on October 16th.  I cherish all the love and support my readers have given me this year.  I wouldn't be attempting this race without you.