#GoalGetter2013 Update: January

How's everyone doing with their goals and resolutions? The first month of the year has flown by and I hope you haven't given up on what you promised yourself you would accomplish this year!

As you know, I've been using #GoalGetter2013 and the Weekly Chase to help me stay accountable for my running resolutions and weekly goals. I will be doing an update each month to help me stay focused.

One of my running goals for this year is to run 13 races in 2013. I'm proud to say that I knocked out two races this month...the Resolution Run 5K and the Walt Disney World Marathon!

Another running goal is to complete the 5 by the 5th Virtual Run Series...this was completed with the Resolution Run 5K too!

Per #GoalGetter2013 requirements, I posted the following picture on Instagram to show my goal progress for January! The Walt Disney World Marathon was a huge deal for me due to my knee injury and I am very proud that I finished!

For the month of February I am adding in a few other goals. I want to incorporate more fruits and veggies in my diet. I also want to do something kind for someone at least once a week. :-)

I hope you are joining me for both the Weekly Chase and #GoalGetter2013!

Feel free to grab the badge and play along with us as we conquer our goals this year!!! All you have to do is take a photo of you working towards or completing your goal, use the hashtag #GoalGetter2013, and upload it to Instagram and/or Twitter! You can also post your picture on our #GoalGetter2013 Facebook page!

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QOTD: What goal have you crushed so far in 2013?

Vitacost Be Fit Box Review!

I was excited when Andrew from Vitacost contacted me about reviewing their new Be Fit Boxes that are being released February 1st! I am all about trying new products that help me with my running!

So what is a Be Box? It is a surprise selection of personal care and wellness products from the best natural and organic brands. Each box has products that are valued at $39.99 and you also receive a surprise coupon to use on your next order!

The Be Fit Box is the sports and fitness box and this is the one Andrew sent to me. It arrived in a very pretty red box! Who doesn't like things in shiny red boxes?

And when I opened it up it was full of more goodies than I expected!

• Hydroxycut Gummies. These are weight loss gummies. I can't wait to try them!
• Hyper Shred Thermodynamic Metabolic Activator. These are capsules to help you have more energy, focus, burn fat, and manage weight.
• DukanDiet Oat Bran Bars. These are coconut almond with stevia and my hubby has already claimed them as his own!
• Twinlab Endurance Fuel. There were two packs of these in the box. It's supposed to help with stamina and is the ultimate pre, during, and post-race nutrition.
• Sun Warrior Warrior Blend Raw Protein Vanilla. I can't wait to make a protein smoothie with this after a run!
• Kind Bars. There were two of these in the box...Cranberry Almond and Almond & Coconut. Yes these were the first things to go! So good!

I think this box would be perfect for those that like to try new products but don't want to buy the full product in case they don't like it. I love getting samples of new products and that is basically what these boxes are all about!

If you are interested, head over to Vitacost on February 1st to find out how you can get your very own Be Fit Box!

QOTD: Have you ever tried any of these products? Which one?

Running Long After a Marathon

I've always heard that you should rest as many days as the miles you run. So if you run a marathon you should rest 26 days. Have I ever listened to this??? NO! I would go crazy if I couldn't run for 26 days!!! And my hubby would probably kill me lol! Although I believe resting and recovering from a marathon is crucial, I think the most important thing is to listen to your body. If you feel like your body is ready to run again...then by all means RUN! If you feel your body needs more rest...then rest!

So after 10 days of rest I was ready to run again! Last week I ran a short run of 3 miles with my friends Paige and Jen. On Saturday I ran 9 miles with the Sole2Soul Sisters that I am helping train for the Seaside Half Marathon! It was great running with them again! My friend Katrina took over my group for me the weekend of the marathon and the weekend after so I could rest. Oh how I missed running with these ladies...and they floored me with how awesome they did on their 9 mile run!!!

I went into this run expecting it to be tough. I knew my legs were probably still recovering from the marathon. But I was so ready to hit the pavement!

As always the first 3 miles were hard. I wanted to quit. But I knew if I could just get past 3 miles I would be warmed up and ready to go! Once I made it to mile 4 I was feeling great! My legs were tired but the run was going great!

I also was happy to be running with Holly from Running and Baking, Oh My! We haven't run together since the Pensacola Half Marathon! I really missed her! We run around the same pace and even push each other when we need to. We make a great team!

The rest of the run was fabulous! Holly and I kept on pace and talked for the rest of the run. It was great catching up with her since it had been so long.

After the run I came home and did my normal post run stuff. I stretched, rolled, iced, and drank a protein shake. I tried a new protein shake since I was out of my normal Premier Protein shakes.

Has anyone ever tried the Gatorade Protein Recovery Shake? It was actually really good! There are 10 less grams of protein than in the Premier Protein ones but it's still a great option for me. It kept me from getting the headache I get after a long run if I don't refuel correctly. I found this one at Walmart...I can only get the Premier Protein ones at Sams Club. So these are great for when I can't make a trip to Sams.

After showering I headed to find all my men. They were at the Pinewood Derby Car races for cub scouts! I'll tell you more about that later!

A long run is a great way to start my weekend! Love it!!!

QOTD: Do you run long on the weekends? Or during the week?

The Weekly Chase #5!

Who's ready for another Weekly Chase? I am!!! This is the last week of Molly's January challenge to make yourself a priority! I have loved this month's challenge! I hope you all have too! Next week I will be taking over the month of February with a new challenge for you! You will also link your posts here on my blog. Stay tuned next week! ;-)

Let's recap last week's goals:

• Goal #1: Read a book at least 15 minutes each day (challenge goal). Boom! I finally did this! Yay!
• Goal #2: Schedule the massage (challenge goal). Fail! Once again...I forgot to do this! I've got to do this because it expires on Valentine's Day!!!
• Goal #3: Get my hair cut (challenge goal). Done! I got about an inch and a half cut off! It's not real noticeable but my hair looks and feels so much healthier! I even got my eyebrows waxed!!! :-)
• Goal #4: Return to training! Yep! I got 2 runs in last week...and that was my goal! I got a 3 miler and a 9 miler in! Yay!
• Goal #5: Get my Disney recap written and posted. Yes! It took me three recaps but I got all of my Disney recaps done...the expo, the marathon part 1, and the marathon part 2!

Here's the focus for this week:

Goal #1: Schedule that massage (challenge goal). Someone please remind me to do this this week! Because I am obviously having a hard time remembering!!!

Goal #2: Complete all of my Bible Study homework (challenge goal). I started a ladies only Bible study this week that I am super excited about! It's all about the inner life of men! I hope to learn a lot!!! ;-)

Goal #3: Get in 3 runs this week. I need to run 10 miles this weekend and I want to get in at least 2 short runs this week. 

Goal #4: Get race literature started. The running group that I am an officer for...Sole2Soul Sisters...is putting on our 3rd annual race on February 9th. One of my jobs is the race literature. I need to at least start on it this week and if I get it completed then that's a bonus! 

Goal #5: Post my picture for January for #goalgetter2013. It's the end of the month and time to post my goal for this month on Instagram!

So that's my plan for this week! Time to get those goals done!!! 


QOTD: What are your goals this week?

Runner Spotlights #23

This weekend has been busy! Friday night and Saturday morning we were consumed with Cub Scouts! The boys had their Pinewood Derby Car Races! They had a blast designing and decorating their cars the past few weeks. Their cars didn't win but Hayden DID win 1st place for the Most Patriotic Car! :-) Saturday morning (before the races) I ran 9 miles...my first long run since the marathon! It was an awesome run! I hope you are having as good of a weekend as I am! 

It's time for another runner spotlight!!! If you are interested in being spotlighted please email me at mindy@roadrunnergirl.com! I'd love to spotlight you!!!

Today I'm spotlighting Erica from Life as a Running Mom! Erica is amazing! She has been on a running streak for over an entire year! I think today will make 395 days of running every day!!! WOW!!! And she does this all while being an awesome Mommy too! Keep reading to learn more about her!

Name: Erica G

State: Hawai’i, The Rainbow State

When and why did you start running?

I have always been active since my youth. I played organized soccer from elementary school through my senior year in high school. Ironically, I always despised the running part. I did not want to run track and the idea of running a whole mile sounded torturous. Once I entered college my activity level decreased due to the demands of going to school while working. Fortunately, my college just opened a new gym on campus and needed students to take gym credits to fund it. I took aerobic running and it was the best decision of my life! I almost immediately shed some of those college pounds, got positive reinforcement from others, and fell in love with running!

What is your favorite race and race distance?

I love the half marathons and marathons since I feel they involve more dedication in the training. If I am going to train hard I want it to mean something and have a good payoff at the end! I do race more half’s than marathons though just due to the training and cost factor.

What is your race day routine?

Race day is the icing on the cake so let’s talk race week. I begin focusing on getting lots of sleep each night and drinking more water. I also start envisioning my race plan and make my play list. It is good to race to a fresh sequence of songs! Three days out sleep increases in priority and I aim to get 8 hours a night, if possible, since I know the night of I may not get much at all.  The day/night before, I prep. I get my clothes together with my hydration, gels (if needed), sunscreen, bib, bondi band, and racing shoes. The morning of, I wake up a good hour before departure time to eat and drink. I have found this works best for me and if I am fidgety, a quick shower. Then off I go for the icing!

What is your most favorite piece of running gear?

Besides my running shoes my iPhone. It is essential. It has my tunes, it has my Nike+ app, and it is there for me in case of emergency. Gotta have it!

Do you follow any diet or take any specific supplements that complement your running?

I have never been a firm believer in strictness in any diet. I go by the “everything in moderation” rule and listen to my body. If I am craving something, there is a reason. And my job is to know the difference between the true and valid reasons versus the bored and stressed reasons. I do take a daily vitamin and a calcium supplement almost every day. And I feel better when I eat plenty of veggies and have found that a green smoothie can do wonders for an afternoon pick-me-up. I would say the only thing I am focused on is eating 5 small meals a day. I am always grazing and it seems to help me avoid bad choices when I am starving. Plus, I keep a food diary with my fitbook when I am in intense training mode to ensure I don’t succumb to too many cravings for treats!

What do you wish you’d known when you first started running?

That I would get better at it and that there will always be hard days. Running is a challenge and I am glad I choose to take it on each day.

What is your fondest running memory?

The Kaua’i Half Marathon. It truly was a spiritual experience for me. I ran it two weeks before my first marathon last year. I got to meet Dean Karnazes, and most importantly, I truly felt my dad’s presence with me along the course and even had to take a moment to catch my breath. I hope to return to run the marathon next year and to share this special island with my family.

What is one thing that most people do not know about you?

I am, and have always been, a nerd. I love to learn. Always have and always will!

Here are all the different ways you can connect with Erica!

Blog: http://lifeasarunningmom.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningMom6

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Life-as-a-Running-Mom/167852949939561?fref=ts

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/runningmom6/

Daily Mile: http://www.dailymile.com/people/EricaGorman

Instagram: lifeasarunningmom

Thanks for sharing with us Erica!

QOTD: Have you ever run a streak? How many days?

Fitness Friday...Let's Get This Started!

Hey everyone! I know this post isn't going to be as excited as my Disney Marathon posts but I guess the fun had to end sometime! I loved reliving the marathon as I was writing about it! Thanks so much for all of your awesome words of congratulations!!! You guys are amazing!!!

Also...I hit over 600 likes on my Facebook page this week!!! Wow!!! I am in awe! Thanks so much!!!

Well last week was all about recovery. This week was about easing back into it.

This week's workouts:

• Saturday- #plankaday 1:30

• Sunday- #plankaday 1:00

• Monday- #plankaday 1:10

• Tuesday- #plankaday 1:00

• Wednesday- #plankaday 1:32, 3.11 mile run in 31:36 average pace 10:09- This was my first run since the marathon! I ran with Paige and Jennifer. We started out slow and then really picked up the pace at the end! It felt great to get back out there!

• Thursday- #plankaday 1:00

• Friday- #plankaday 1:00

Tomorrow I am running 9 miles with my Sole2Soul Sisters Seaside Half Marathon training group! Hopefully I can keep up with all of them! I know these marathon legs are not fully recovered so I'm not going to push them too hard. 

Oh...and yes....this just happened!!!!! 

That's right! Paige and I are running the Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans Half Marathon on February 24th! I wasn't going to do this race originally because the Disney Princess Half is the same weekend. Well...this girl waited too late to register for Princess and it sold out. So I decided to go for Nola! I can't wait to run the streets of Nola again!!!

The weekend after Nola is the Seaside Half. So I'm going to use these two races to qualify for Half Fanatics! :-)

QOTD: Have you ever run a Rock 'n' Roll race? Which one?

Walt Disney World Marathon 2013 Part 2!

Don't forget to read Part 1 of my recap!

We left Animal Kingdom around the 13 mile mark. And so began another long stretch until we reached the ESPN Wide World of Sports. We were basically running on the highway...the sun was beating down and there was absolutely no shade. Miserable!

There were a few character stops along the way that we stopped for. I couldn't pass up Pluto and Mickey!

And let's not forget the gravediggers! Yes there were actual gravediggers and tombstones! I decided to play dead...but I couldn't stop laughing! One of the gravediggers came up to Rachel and me and asked if we felt dead yet. We told him no and he said, "Good. I don't feel like working today." Hilarious!!! And a nice break from knowing we still had about 12 more miles to go!

Finally we saw the 15 mile sign! Yay! 11.2 miles to go!!!

And then who did we see? Launchpad McQuack!!! I haven't seen this character in forever! My boys don't even know who he is! I had to take a picture with him!

Around mile 17 we entered the ESPN Wide World of Sports. And right when we entered they had the absolute BEST thing ever...a sponge station!!! They handed us cold, wet sponges! It was amazing!!! I dripped it all over my face and the back of my neck! I don't think anything has ever felt so good lol!

We ran around the perimeter of a couple of soccer fields. We ran a lap around the track...changing from concrete to the spongy track was fabulous! Then we finally made it out onto the baseball field where the Atlanta Braves hold their spring training! They had video of us running up on the jumbo tron...it was so awesome!!!

After leaving the field we knew we were close to mile 20 and the "Mile 20 Spectacular" runDisney had been telling us about. I was really hoping whatever surprise they had in store for us was going to help get me through those last 6.2 miles. We joked that maybe they had transportation for us to the finish line!!! ;-)

Well....I'm not sure if maybe my expectations were too high or what but it wasn't that spectacular in my opinion. They had neat puppets (I guess that's what you call them) and a photo opportunity with Mickey, Minnie, and Pluto.

And there was a pretty awesome arch that showcased all 20 medals from the marathon...that was pretty neat!

As we were headed towards Hollywood Studios I knew this was it. Only 6.2 miles to go. I knew this would be the hardest part of the race both mentally and physically. Everything was screaming at me to stop....my head and my entire body. But my heart wouldn't let me stop. I was almost there!

Rachel and I were taking a lot longer on our walk breaks. Not only were we tired but the sun and heat beating down on us was taking its toll.

Finally we reached mile 22 and entered Hollywood Studios. And guess what we found there? CHOCOLATE!!! They had wonderful volunteers handing us chocolate!!! Yum!

We ran down the Streets of America, made it to the hat, and then down Hollywood Blvd. And these are some of my favorite pictures of me running! See the look of determination on my face? I was trying to enjoy running through the park but I was also ready to see that finish line!

We exited Hollywood Studios around mile 24 and we were on our way to Epcot...our last park! We started running toward the Boardwalk and passed the Yacht and Beach Club. I loved this part of the route because I've never been lucky enough to stay in these resorts. And I've never been to the Boardwalk either. So it was awesome seeing new scenery! And it was sooo quaint and beautiful!

We finally entered Epcot and I knew we just had to run around the World Showcase and past Spaceship Earth and the finish line would be there. We only had a little over a mile to go!!!!

I'm not sure which country we were running in at the time but all of a sudden I heard Rachel scream and run over to the side. Her boyfriend had surprised her by waiting for her in his favorite country! It was awesome seeing their reunion! He snapped a few pictures of us (which are some of my favorite...thanks so much Rachel!) and we were on our way.

We had almost made it around the World Showcase and I looked to the side and saw Snow White and Dopey!!! I was so excited! I thought I wasn't going to see her. It was the one picture I really wanted since I was dressed like her! When I walked up to her she gave me a look that told me she was flattered I'd dressed like her! Then she asked me to do my hand a certain way and I had no idea what she was talking about! Finally the photographer told me to make a heart with our hands and then I got it! I apologized and said I'd been running for way too long and had no brain power left lol! It was pretty comical....and I felt like an idiot lol!

But I was so excited I got my picture with Snow White!!!

Finally we saw Spaceship Earth and I knew we were close to the finish line!

And then we saw it....the 26 mile sign!!!! It was soooo good seeing that sign!!!

We took a quick picture and then we were on our way! That finish line was ours and we couldn't wait to see it!!!

And there it was!!! I started getting real emotional at this time! We did it!!! Rachel was a marathoner!!! I was soooo proud of her!!! And I had finished my second marathon!!!

I grabbed Rachel's hand and we crossed the finish line together!!! It was the best feeling ever!!!

We stopped running and hugged each other! I'm not sure if Rachel was but I was crying! We started walking and saw the medals! That beloved bling was finally mine!!!

My official time was 6:43:09...an hour and 15 minutes slower than my first marathon! But my first marathon wasn't a Disney race...so there were no stops for pictures. And the weather wasn't hot and humid. It may not have been the time I wanted...but who cares? I am now a second-time marathoner!!!

Final Thoughts:
- This race was what I expected of a runDisney event: super organized, tons of water stops and food stops (there were at least 2 stops that I remember that had bananas), and the volunteers and cast members were amazing! They were always calling you by name (or in my case calling me Snow White) and telling you what a great job you were doing!
- Having character stops and entertainment along the route was so much fun! And of course running through the parks was unforgettable!
- I HIGHLY recommend any Disney race! It is truly a magical experience!!!

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I questioned why I encountered a knee injury during this training. I wondered and asked God why it was happening to me. I loved running Disney races and just wanted to run pain free. Why was I getting injured now?

I believe that God has a plan for us that we may not always understand. I KNOW now why God allowed my knee injury. I believe He wanted me to slow down and take it easy during this race because he wanted me to meet Rachel. He wanted me to help her and encourage her through her first marathon. How do I know this? Because normally I run for me. If I'm feeling good then I just run. I usually don't wait for anyone. I felt great during this marathon other than the normal tiredness. But something just wouldn't let me leave Rachel. I just couldn't leave her. And that's not like me. Crossing that finish line and seeing her face was truly unforgettable and an experience I will never forget!

QOTD: Have you ever run a Disney race? What is your favorite thing about Disney races?