Fitness Friday...November 29th Edition!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I sure did! And yes...I ate way too much! Today me and the hubby are out braving the crowds for all the Black Friday Sales! We always have so much fun shopping on this day every year!

I've enjoyed this week off with my family! Reality is coming way too soon lol!

For now it's Fitness Friday time! I'm excited to tell you all about my runs this week because....I ran THREE times this week!!! Yay! My knee is doing so much better and I'm really hopeful about the St. Jude Half Marathon NEXT WEEKEND!

• Saturday- 5 mile run in 56:47 average pace 11:21

• Sunday- REST
• Monday- #plankaday 1:05, 3 mile run in 30:06 average pace 10:01

• Tuesday- #plankaday 1:11

• Wednesday- #plankaday 1:12, 3 mile run in 29:42 average pace 9:54

• Thursday- #plankaday 1:00

• Friday- #plankaday 1:00

I was so excited to be able to run consistently this week!!! Dr. Justin told me at my appointment this week that "I was passing with flying colors!" That was music to my ears! He told me I could do a long run of 5-7 miles this week. I'm looking forward to that and gaining some confidence for next weekend's half marathon. I leave on Thursday for Memphis! Now that the knee feels better I am sooooo excited for this race!!!

Make sure to stop by my Instagram...I am giving away another BAMR Band! All you have to do is like the picture below on Instagram to enter! Good luck!

Happy weekend everyone! And I have to say it since I live in Alabama and there's a HUGE game tomorrow...WAR EAGLE!!! ;-)

QOTD: What was your best run or workout this week? Did you run a Turkey Trot race on Thanksgiving?

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart. Psalm 9:2

Happy Thanksgiving!!! I hope your day is filled with many blessings!

We are headed about 3 and a half hours away to my sister's house! I can't wait to see her! I need some sister time! And some turkey....lol!

I want to say that I am so thankful for you....my readers! Thank you for taking the time to read about my life, my running, my ups and down, and everything in between! You are all such an inspiration to me and I'm blessed to have made so many new friends through my blog!

Me and my hubby...Thanksgiving 2012!

Another thing I am thankful for...Black Friday SALES!!! I love that every year it's a tradition for me and my hubby to wake up early on Black Friday and go shopping! Believe me...it's the only day of the year I can get him to shop lol! But we have a blast!

Some of the sales start tonight...and I want to be sure you know about some of my favorite compression socks...Zensah! Their compression socks will be 50% off online starting at 8PM tonight! What a great deal!

I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving!!!!!

QOTD: What are you thankful for?

5 Painless Miles!!!

I was super excited this past weekend because Dr. Justin said I could run 5 miles as my long run. It has been forever since I've run anything over 2.5 miles! I was ready!

Friday night I started getting a little worried and nervous. Would the knee start hurting during the run? Was I running that many miles too soon? What if I felt tightness? Would I be undoing all the progress I'd made?

Finally I decided to just give it all to God. I said a prayer that He would let me have a pain and injury free run. That He would be with me the entire run no matter what happened. That helped put my mind at ease.

I slept well Friday night. When my alarm went off at 4:25 AM I was ready! I was meeting my friends in downtown near the bay to run. I couldn't wait to run with them since it's been awhile.

The weather wasn't ideal...it was muggy, humid, and hot. Of course the rest of the day it turned cold...it just wasn't that way when we were running.

I started the run slow. I wanted to make sure I had enough energy to run the full 5 miles. I was paying careful attention to the knee. A few times I thought I felt some tightness but then it would go away. So I kept going. Before I knew it I was at mile 2.5 and it was time for me to turn around. I was super jealous because all my friends but one were running 10 miles. So they weren't turning around with me.

I've missed seeing and doing this in the early mornings!

I said goodbye to my friends and headed back. My friend Holly was running 5 miles too so I wasn't alone. So far my knee felt great!

I ended up pulling away from Holly. Her stomach was hurting and she needed to walk. But she understood how important this run was to me and knew I couldn't stop. And I didn't stop. I ran the entire 5 miles....with ZERO PAIN!!!! I was thrilled!!!! And sad when the run had come to an end.

Can you tell I was a little emotional in this picture below??? I know 5 miles is nothing to some of you...and usually it is to me too....but when you haven't been able to run pain free in about a month....5 miles is HUGE!

I was worried the rest of the day the knee may start to hurt. But thankfully it didn't. It felt a little achy but I think that was mostly to running more miles than I'd run in awhile. I was a little sore the next day but it felt amazing!

After the run Holly and I stopped by my favorite coffee shop, The Coffee Loft, to celebrate! I added protein to my favorite cold drink. It was heavenly and the perfect way to celebrate a pain free run!

I have a winner for my BAMR Bands Giveaway! Congratulations Lisa Ngai!!! Send me an email with your mailing address and the BAMR Band you want to mindy@roadrunnergirl.com! 

Be sure to check my Instagram today...I will be giving away another BAMR Band!!! :-)

QOTD: What do you like to indulge in after a great run?

Introducing Isis Mobile Wallet and Verizon!

Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Ambassadors SE Voices program and have been provided with a wireless device in exchange for my honest opinions about the product.

The holidays are upon us and everyone (at least I am) is getting excited about shopping! I can't wait to shop all those Black Friday deals! 

How about making your shopping experience a little easier? Verizon has just launched a new app called Isis Mobile Wallet! 

What is Isis?
Isis is a mobile wallet app that basically allows you to leave your wallet at home! No more carrying around multiple credit cards! All you need is your cell phone and you can shop anytime! 

How does it work?
First you have to download the Isis Mobile Wallet app (available through the Google Play Store) and create an account. Then you enter any of your compatible credit cards and bank accounts that you would like to use. You can tap to pay with your Isis Mobile Wallet at any of the participating stores nationwide (about 20,000) that have the contactless symbol! When you get to the cash register you enter your pin (chosen by you), pick the card or bank account you want to use, and tap your phone to the terminal and it pays! Simple! 

You can also add your loyalty cards (those that junk up your keychain) AND add your special offers, deals, or promotions so that they will always be with you organized and ready!

More Savings!
Isis has partnered up with American Express Serve! You can get all the benefits of an American Express account with no monthly fees if you sign up through Isis! 

How safe is it?
Your wallet is protected by a 4 digit pin that you choose. If you lose your phone you can be assured no one can access your wallet because of the pin. You can also visit My Verizon to have them suspend your wallet in this case of emergency. 

You know the 3 digit CVC numbers on the back of your credit cards? Isis Mobile Wallet's transactions are secure because with each transaction this CVC number changes.

Your privacy is valued by Isis. Isis will never know what you have bought.

Who can use it?
Currently only Android devices are compatible with Isis. You can go to Verizon's website to see a list of the devices that are compatible. You may possibly need to order a free SE SIM Card to use Isis...you can visit MyVerizon.com to order your free one. Isis Mobile Wallet is free to download through the Google Play Store. 

I'm told that Isis will be available for iPhones soon! 

To see Isis Mobile Wallet in action watch the video below!




I can't wait to use Isis Mobile Wallet when I'm out shopping on Black Friday and this Christmas season! I've already got my loyalty card for Toys 'R' Us stored in the app (shhh...don't tell my boys)!

QOTD: What would you purchase with the Isis Mobile Wallet? What feature do you like best?

The Weekly Chase #48!

It's Monday...and the start of my Thanksgiving vacation!!! I am excited about spending this week with my family!

We had a great weekend! Friday afternoon we got to visit with some friends that moved away 2 years ago. They were here for a visit and we met at the park so the kids could play and the mommies could catch up. We all met when our kids were in preschool. It was great seeing how big the kids have gotten. And the kids just picked up right where they left off and had a blast playing together again!

Me and my friend Stephanie (yes I have two really great friends named Stephanie!!!)

Friday night the boys had a birthday party to attend and the hubby and I got to go out to dinner! We felt pretty rushed but it was nice getting in a meal just the two of us.

Saturday started off with a 5 mile run! I will tell you more about it in another post but I will say that I had no knee or hip pain!!! Yay! After the run I felt so good that I came home and cleaned the house. My hubby joked and said he wished every Saturday was like this! I told him...get me back to running long lol! Later that afternoon my Sister-in-law and her hubby came over to hang out. They are in the process of buying a new house and we got to see it for the first time...at least the outside...we didn't get to go in. I'm so excited for them though! After that we went out to dinner together for my favorite...pizza!

Sunday we went to church and ate lunch there. It was the church's Thanksgiving Feast and it was super yummy! Then...I got to go see the movie Catching Fire with a friend! I've been so excited about this movie and it did not disappoint! I think it was better than the first one!

So that was my fun weekend! Now it's time for another Weekly Chase! I'm excited to tell you all about my goals for this Thanksgiving week!

Here are the goals from last week and I how I did!

• Goal #1: Follow run directions from Dr. Justin. Yes! I've been a good listener lol! He let me run 2-2.5 miles this week. AND he let me run a longer run of 4-5 miles on the weekend. Yes being the runner that I am I ran the highest mileage he allowed lol! 
• Goal #2: Roll, stretch, and ice daily. Yep. This has become a nightly ritual for me lol!
• Goal #3: Get everything ready for our Thanksgiving Feast at school. Yes! I got everything ready and the feast was a success! I wish I could show you pictures of how cute my class was dressed as pilgrims but ya know...there's that privacy policy I have to follow. Can't be posting pictures of my sweet 3 year olds on the internet without permission. ;-)

Here are the goals I will be chasing this week!

Goal #1: Follow run directions from Dr. Justin. I will only see him once this week but hopefully he will let me get in a little longer run this weekend. St. Jude Memphis Half is the next weekend (Dec. 7th)!!!

Goal #2: Roll, stretch, and ice daily. I really think all of this has helped me recover.

Goal #3: Make my shopping list for Black Friday. This is a tradition for me and my hubby. Every year his sister comes over Thursday night and spends the night with the boys so that we can get up early and go shopping! Some say we're crazy but we enjoy it every year! 

Goal #4: Get some blog posts written and scheduled. I want to make good use of my time off this week and get some posts done. Especially since I will be leaving for Memphis next Thursday!

Goal #5: Be thankful. I try to be thankful each and every day. But this holiday reminds me even more of how many blessings the Lord has given me. I am so excited to get to spend Thanksgiving Day with my sister and her family!

So there we have it! I hope each and every one of you have a great week!

QOTD: What goals are you chasing this week? What are your plans for Thanksgiving?

Runner Spotlights #63

Hey everyone! Hope you are all having a great weekend! I sure am! And I know you are all wondering how my long run went on Saturday right? Well...it went great! I ran 5 miles with no knee or hip pain or tightness! The knee was a little achy all day yesterday but no pain. And I think it was more of me being paranoid about it than anything. It felt great to be out there running longer than 2 miles! Hopefully I am on the uphill of recovery. 

The St. Jude Memphis Half Marathon is in TWO WEEKS! I'm hoping the knee is going to be ready for me to run the majority of the race. I got my bib number yesterday...#6526! It's getting real!

It's time for another runner spotlight...my favorite time of the week! I love reading other runners' stories about their running journey! If you are interested in being spotlighted on my blog please email me at mindy@roadrunnergirl.com! I'd love to spotlight you! You don't have to have a blog to be spotlighted...you just have to be a runner! ;-)

Today I'm spotlighting Jennifer from Kinetic Fix! She is actually running the Berkeley Half Marathon today! I know she is rocking it! Keep reading to learn more about her!

Name: Jennifer Hellickson

State: California

When and why did you start running?

I ended up on the Track & Field team in high school...a bit by default, actually! I was more into solo sports (horse-back riding, ballet) growing up, but was looking for the camaraderie of a team, so I thought I’d check it out. After coming in dead last in pretty much every 100- or 200-meter race, however, I finally figured out I wasn't a sprinter and switched to Cross Country. Something just clicked, and I've been hooked on long-distance running ever since!

What is your favorite race and race distance?

My favorite race is, hands down, the Chicago Marathon. It was my first marathon, so it’s an experience I’ll never forget. But it’s also in one of my favorite cities, and the environment is just so electrifying there. I don’t think it registered with my brain that I was running until around mile 16; I was having that much fun watching and interacting with all the spectators along the way!

My favorite distance, though, is the half marathon. It’s long enough where you need a solid training plan and a race strategy, but manageable in terms of time commitment and wear and tear on your body. Plus, it’s fun tinkering with the mix of speed and endurance, so it never gets boring!

What is your race day routine?

It depends on the distance – the longer the race, the more prep I usually need – but, typically, I set two alarms (learned the hard way once when I overslept – never again!), get up and have a cup of coffee and a light breakfast while I get dressed. I triple-check my race gear (again, learned the hard way when I left my timing chip in the hotel room once) and then get to the start. I’m not one to hang out in the corral beforehand, though, so I like to get there pretty close to race time to keep myself distracted and to keep the nerves from setting in.

What is your most favorite piece of running gear?

My Nike+ GPS Sports Watch. I am a total nerd when it comes to tracking stats!

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

I try to eat as many whole, unprocessed foods as possible and eat a varied diet to give my body all the nutrients it needs. But I don’t follow any strict or specific diet because I love the occasional In ‘n’ Out (animal-style, of course), and I have a pretty big sweet tooth. That said I do try to make sure I fill in any gaps with multivitamins and a few other supplements (Vitamin C and probiotics for immunity, for example).

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

I wish I had known that the non-running activities are just as important in becoming a better runner. When I was younger, I focused exclusively on logging a lot of mileage. But it made me prone to injury and burnout, so now I take a more holistic approach with lots of cross-training, stretching, balance work, massage and even an adjusted training schedule (I only run 3x/week when training for a race). It’s definitely a case of learning to ‘train smarter, not harder.’

What is your fondest running memory?

My fondest running memory has been completing two half marathons (Chicago and Detroit) with my sister. She doesn't necessarily identify herself as a distance runner, and I don’t think I've officially been able to convert her, but I was beyond proud when we crossed those finish lines together.

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

As much as I love working out, I have to really force myself to do ab exercises! I’ll run, squat, lift, etc. for days, but am a wimp when it comes to crunches. :-)

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

Blog: http://kineticfix.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KineticFix

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KineticFix

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/kineticfix/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/kineticfix

Thanks so much for sharing with us Jennifer! I hope your half marathon was awesome today!

QOTD: Who raced this weekend? Or did a long run?

Fitness Friday...November 22nd Edition!

Happy Friday!!!! Today is the last day of school for me and the boys until after Thanksgiving!!! Yay! I'm really looking forward to having all next week off!

And just because I haven't shared one lately...here's a picture of my sweet Cullen! I'm loving the camera on my Samsung Galaxy S4!!! It takes awesome pictures!

It's time for Fitness Friday! I'm ready to tell you all about my Fitness this week!

• Saturday- REST 
• Sunday- #plankaday 1:05, 2.5 mile run in 25:28 average pace 10:10

• Monday- #plankaday 1:01

• Tuesday- #plankaday 1:06, 2 mile run in 19:51 average pace 9:55

• Wednesday- #plankaday 1:01

• Thursday- #plankaday 1:10

• Friday- #plankaday 1:00

I was so happy to get to run some this week! It wasn't my normal run....I usually run at least 3 miles....but a 2 mile run is better than no run at all! And....I had no pain or tightness in my knee!!!! Yay!!! I was going to run on Thursday morning but I didn't. The reason why is because after my run Tuesday afternoon and after seeing Dr. Justin that afternoon my left booty cheek (lol sorry but that's where it was) was pretty sore. I'm not sure if I did it running or if it happened because Dr. Justin adjusted my hips. But it was sore on Wednesday and I was worried I had injured something else. So I decided not to run on Thursday just in case. Thankfully it's not sore anymore so I'm hoping that's all it was. Dr. Justin worked on it when I saw him Thursday. It was tight and he thinks it was just from me overcompensating for the knee. 

The good news...Dr. Justin said I could run 4-5 miles this weekend! Yay! He made me promise that if I felt the smallest twinge or even tightness in the knee after 3 miles to stop. He doesn't want me to have a set back after all the progress I've made. I'm just excited to run a longer run! I'll let you know how it goes next week! Have a great weekend!!!

QOTD: What was your best run or workout this week?

Don't forget to enter my BAMR Bands Giveaway!!!

BAMR Bands Giveaway!

Disclaimer: BAMR Bands sent me this product to review. I received no other compensation. All opinions are mine and mine alone!

If you've been reading my blog for awhile you know I LOVE my running skirts (remember you can get 15% off with the code roadrunnerskirt) and headbands! My favorite headbands are BAMR Bands! Katie sent me three awesome bands this month that I absolutely love!

Red and White Minnie (will be released Feb. 1st): This one will definitely be going with me to Disney in January for Marathon Weekend!
Auburn Tigers: Katie knows that's my team!
Autumn Argyle: Because this one is super cute!

Reasons I LOVE BAMR Bands:

• For every band purchased $1 goes to the charity Every Mother Counts!
• The inside velvet lining keeps the band from slipping
• Most bands are only $10 plus $2.50 for shipping...so they are the cheapest ones out there
• They are handmade by Katie...who is just awesome!

I wear these headbands every time I run! You may remember certain races and times when I wore them.

At the Gulf Coast Half Marathon with my friend Paige! 

At the Turkey Trot Fun Run with my family!

At the Senior Bowl Charity Run 10K!

And just a normal run!

Yes...I'm addicted to BAMR Bands and I'm not afraid to admit it!!! ;-)

Katie was awesome enough to let me host another giveaway! Winner can pick the pattern they want (based on availability). Open to US and Canada only. Enter below for your chance to win (please follow all the guidelines...I will be checking)!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!!!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

I just want to say that I've had these shoes on twice this week already! Yay for no pain while I'm running! Let's just hope it continues as I increase distance (once Dr. Justin gives me the ok to run more mileage of course)! I haven't run over 3 miles but at least I'm running some!

QOTD: Do you like short runs (3 miles or less)? They aren't my favorite but I'll take short runs over no running at all!