The Weekly Chase #65!

It's the start of another great week! I had a great weekend! Friday night I went to my race packet pickup with my friend Donna. Then Saturday was race day! Despite the threat of thunderstorms pushing the start time back an hour...it turned out to be a bright and sunny day! And it was super hot and humid too. Not the best race conditions but I still had fun! After the race my family and Paige's family went to lunch and then to the Pensacola Naval Air Museum...one of my boys' favorite places to go!

Unfortunately our visit got cut short because Hayden starting feeling bad. We took him to Urgent Care on the way home and my suspicions were confirmed. He had caught my strep throat. Poor guy! So Sunday was spent at home nursing my baby. :-(

Now it's time for another Weekly Chase! I'm ready to tell you all about my goals for this week! I hope you will link up your own goals with me too! And feel free to use the badge below in your post too! You can grab the badge HERE! :-)

Here are my goals from last week!

• Goal #1: Run 3 times this week. Yep! I got in 2 short runs and then my half marathon on Saturday! I also ran the Couch to 5K with Hayden twice this week!
• Goal #2: Roll and stretch daily. Yes!
• Goal #3: Log and stay under all my calories this week except Friday when I'll be fueling for my race the next day. Yes! I did great with this! And Friday I was only over by 13 calories!
• Goal #4: Hydrate and fuel well for my half marathon on Saturday. Yes! I felt like I was fueled well. And I know I was hydrated well. Although the heat got to me at the end of the race....but that could be because of the late start and the fact that my body is not used to running at noon.

Here are the goals I am working on this week!

Goal #1: Run 3 times this week. I want to run 2 short runs and a longer run of about 5 miles. I need these to be easy runs since I'm recovering from the half marathon. I also hope to get in some run/walks with Hayden. Since he was sick he didn't get to run yesterday. 

Goal #2: Roll and stretch daily. I definitely need to keep this up since I am now running with Hayden too.

Goal #3: Get prepared to go camping this weekend with the Cub Scouts. It is the Cub Scout's spring campout this weekend. There is some rain in the forecast so I'm not sure if we will stay both nights or just go up for the day on Saturday. Either way I need to prepare. We have to provide all our own food this time except for dinner Saturday night.

Goal #4: Log and stay under all my calories this week. If we do go camping this weekend it will be tougher to keep my calories low. I'm not sure what they will be serving for dinner Saturday night. My plan is to watch my portions since I may not know the exact calorie count. We will be hiking some that day too so that will help.

So that's my plan for the week! Hopefully the week goes smoothly!

QOTD: What are your goals for the week?

Runner Spotlights #81

Happy Sunday everyone! I've had a super busy weekend and can't wait to tell you all about it this next week! Yesterday I ran my last half marathon until the fall. It's already getting way too hot to race here on the Gulf Coast...and I really felt that heat yesterday!

Now 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! ;-) And I'm running low on spotlights so now's your time to shine!!!

Today I'm spotlighting Kim from This Runner's Fuel! She is a Boston Marathon finisher and super cute! Keep reading to learn more about her and her running journey!

Name: Kim Yohe

State: Pennsylvania

When and why did you start running?

I started running oddly enough after a drastic diet change. I was learning more about the ways food had become industrialized and decided to eat a whole foods plant-based diet. Once I eliminated meat and 90% of dairy from my diet, I had so much energy that I just started running. I decided to sign up for a 5K, ran it and fell in love with the feeling of confidence pushing myself gave me.

What is your favorite race and race distance?

That’s a tough one. I love half marathons because the distance is very challenging and the training is very manageable. However, the marathon, to me, is a true test of endurance. I haven’t mastered it yet and I’m still improving, learning and working towards a time that will satisfy me, if that’s possible. :-) The Boston Marathon was amazing and one of a kind, but Pittsburgh is my home town and they put on one awesome marathon!

What is your race day routine?

I like to get up at least 1.5 hours before I have to leave. I start by drinking black coffee followed by a pre-meal, typically toast with peanut butter and a banana. I usually get dressed after I eat and start drinking water. I stretch and roll while I wait to “digest”. While driving to the race, I usually listen to upbeat music and imagine myself running a strong race. So, really nothing unusual. I do tie and re-tie my shoes about 12 times before I start. :-)

What is your most favorite piece of running gear?

My running shoes of course. They’ve been through a lot with me. My Garmin 410 is a close second.

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

I’m not as strict about my vegetarian diet as I used to be (I eat salmon often), but I am committed to easting as clean as possible. During training, I eliminate sugar, saturated fat and alcohol within reason. As far as supplements go, the only two things I really use are MSM Powder for recovery and Beet Crystals for vascular dilation.

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

I thought about this for a while and came up with nothing. I’ve learned so much along the way in my running journey and wouldn’t change a thing. All of the mistakes I’ve made and lessons I’ve learned the hard way are what make me the runner I am today.

What is your fondest running memory?

Running the Boston Marathon without a doubt. I was on cloud nine the entire way. The crowd support along the way made me feel like I was running in the Olympics for gold. A feeling I will never forget.

What is one thing that most people do not know about you?
I’m kind of an open book. I blog my life away, so pretty transparent.

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

Blog: www.thisrunnersfuel.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThisRunnersFuel

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

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

Instagram: http://instagram.com/thisrunnersfuel

Thanks so much for sharing with us Kim!

QOTD: Did anyone race this weekend?

Fitness Friday...March 28th Edition!

Hey everyone! It's the end of another week! I had a pretty busy one! Both of my sons had their awards ceremony at school this week. Sawyer made the AB Honor Roll!

And Hayden made the AB Honor Roll and he had Perfect Attendance!

I'm very proud of my two little men! They worked hard for those good grades!

It's time for Fitness Friday! It's been a busy week of running for me! Not only am I getting in my own training runs but now that Hayden decided he wanted to do the Couch to 5K, I am running with him too! Whew! He's doing great and I LOVE spending that time with him just the two of us!

• Saturday- Azalea Trail Run 10K in 1:10:07 average pace 11:19

• Sunday- 1.54 run/walk with Hayden

• Monday- #plankaday 1:06, 3.11 mile run in 29:09 average pace 9:23

• Tuesday- #plankaday 1:00, 2.02 mile run/walk with Hayden

• Wednesday- #plankaday 1:01, 3.11 mile hilly run in 32:07 average pace 10:20

• Thursday- #plankaday 1:05, 2.02 mile run/walk with Hayden

• Friday- #plankaday 1:00

Weight loss this week: 1.6

Weight loss total: 6.9

So I'm pretty happy with all the running I got in this week! Tomorrow I am running the Rock 'n' Fly Half Marathon in Pensacola! It will be my last half marathon until the fall because it is starting to get too hot for races here. But the weather forecast is NOT looking good for tomorrow. There's a 70% chance of thunderstorms at start time. I'm hoping the forecast is wrong and the race doesn't get cancelled. Wish me luck!

Congratulations to Marla for winning the Apera Bags Giveaway!!!

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

Indigo Joint Relief System Review and Giveaway!

Disclaimer: I received this product free to review. I received no other compensation. All opinions in the post below are mine and mine alone!

As a runner injuries are going to happen. I've had my fair share of them including shin splints, hip and IT Band issues, and knee issues. Part of recovering from an injury involves ice and heat therapy. Ice and heat therapy are two of the oldest healing methods. They help the body's natural healing systems. Ice and heat therapy are two of the most efficient and natural ways to speed up healing and handle pain. 

I was excited to learn about the Indigo Joint Relief System! 

"Our FDA cleared system and patented technology delivers targeted hot or cold therapy and lightweight support to provide effective joint pain relief resulting from arthritis, physical exertion, obesity, bad knees, aging, post surgery, and more."

Their products include ankle relief, neck relief, back relief, knee relief, elbow relief, and wrist relief. Since I've had several knee injuries they sent me their knee relief system!

The knee relief system includes the knee brace, 2 heat pods, and 2 cold packs. They also sent me some extra heat pods and cold packs! 

I tried the cold packs first. I had run a pretty hilly route and knew the ice would be great for my knee. It was really easy to set up. You had to squeeze the cold pack until you heard a pop. Then you shook it for 30 seconds. It was amazing how cold it got so quickly! Then you slipped the cold packs into each side of the inside part of the knee brace and you were ready!

Setting up the heat pods was just as easy. You slipped the heat pods into the dock openings on the outside part of the knee brace. These were like magic! They just started heating up immediately! 

The knee brace itself was really comfortable to wear. It wasn't confining at all. Before you order you must measure around your knee so you will know which size to choose. Mine fit perfectly!

My favorite thing about the Indigo Joint Relief System is the convenience of it. When I travel to races I don't always have access to a freezer for ice packs to ice my knees. With this system you don't need a freezer to keep your ice packs cold or a microwave for heat therapy. 

Here are some more benefits of the Indigo Joint Relief System per the website: 

• FDA cleared class 1 device ensures safety and effectiveness

• Noninvasive, convenient system makes it easy to use anywhere: at work, at home, on the go

• No need for microwaves, freezers, or other power sources

• Reduce the intake of pain pills

• Eliminate the smell and greasiness of transdermal patches and topical creams

Make sure to check out Indigo Joint Relief System online at their website, on Facebook, and on Twitter!

Now the fun part...would you like to win your own Indigo Joint Relief Knee System? Here's your chance!!! 

Enter below using Rafflecopter for your chance to win (please follow all the guidelines...I will be checking)! Good luck!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Azalea Trail Run 10K Recap!

This race is one of my favorite local races! It's also the biggest race in our area. Even the Kenyans come out and run it! ;-) It also special for another reason...it was my very first 5K four years ago! I remember that day being in awe of the runners running the 10K...thinking I would never run a 10K! I've run this race every year since...but I've always run the 10K! ;-)

The race expo is always at the Civic Center. Several vendors come out and the expo lasts until a few hours after the race! So if you didn't get something when you came to pick up your packet...you have a chance to get it after the race!

The shirts always have a super cute design on them. They are tech shirts but they are unisex. So I hardly ever wear mine because they never fit me correctly.

And a race recap wouldn't be complete if I didn't show you my race outfit that I always lay out the night before! ;-)

I wasn't sure how this race was going to be for me. I was recovering from strep throat that had hit me two days before. That morning I decided I would start out super slow and see how I felt from there. If I felt good then I would push on. If not, then I would hang with my friends and just have fun. No matter what I knew I would finish the race.

Me and my Sole2Soul Sisters all met up before the race so we could caravan over there. There were so many of us running! So much fun! Some of these ladies were running their very first 10K! I was so proud of them!

And my traditional picture with my BRF Paigey!

Once we got to the race we headed to the restroom! Luckily we were able to avoid the porta potties and use real restrooms in the Civic Center! Then I got a text from Elizabeth from Running for Bling. We were both headed to the start line and hoped we would see each other. Luckily, I just happened to glance around and I saw her! She was so cute and so nervous! She was aiming for a sub 45 minute 10K PR! I knew this was the perfect flat course for her to do it!

I wished her luck and then we headed to find more of our Sole2Soul Sisters. There were so many of us there from so many different groups! It was so great to see such a huge group of us!

That is one thing I love about this race being local....you get to see so many people you know!

Then it was time to head to the start line!

Before we knew it we were off! There were so many people running! So fun!

We were not even at a half a mile and we saw a Mardi Gras float! It's the first time I've seen one during this race!

I started out slow and ran with my friend Paige. So far I was feeling great! Around mile 2 Paige had to stop at a porta potty. We ended up waiting about 5 minutes but I didn't want to leave her. So I people watched!

We got going again and picked up the pace. I was feeling great! It was fun running with Paige again! We hadn't run a race together since the Gulf Coast Half in October. We were having fun running and talking!

Thanks so much to my new friend Tim Ard for capturing this pic of us on the course!

Around mile 4 Paige wanted to slow down. I was feeling great so I decided to keep going! The last 2 miles of the race were solo. I was running pretty fast and I was loving it! I looked down at my Garmin a few times and I was running in the high 8's! I never run that fast! 

Finally I saw the finish line! I started sprinting! My official time was 1:10:07! It is my slowest ATR time but I was happy considering I had strep throat a few days before and I stopped at the porta potty with Paige. 

After the race I headed back towards the finish line so I could cheer on the rest of my sisters! Then we headed back towards the Civic Center where the after party was. On the way we saw these guys and couldn't resist a picture with them! I'm not sure about the men but the girl won first place in the 10K! Wow! (I think they thought we were crazy for wanting a picture with them lol)

We walked around the expo a bit more. And a few of my friends got a post race massage! It was a great way to end and celebrate a race!

I'll definitely run the Azalea Trail Run again next year! It's always a great race!

QOTD: Do you have a race that you run every year?

The Weekly Chase #64!

Happy Tuesday friends! Thanks so much to my Weekly Chasers for your patience in my post being a day late. I was super excited to tell you about the #HeatItUp April Instagram Photo Challenge yesterday! I hope you are all going to join in on the fun!

This weekend went by way too fast! Saturday I DID run my 10K race! I felt really good despite having strep throat two days before. But then on Sunday my allergies flared up and I had a headache, sinus drainage, and a scratchy throat! Pollen is everywhere you look around here right now. My car is covered with it and when I ran the other day there was pollen on my phone! Crazy!

In exciting news...my son Hayden decided he wants to train for a 5K!!! Sunday afternoon we ran his first run of the couch to 5K program! He did so great!!! He started getting tired during the run portions so I got him to talking about Lego's (his favorite things) and he forgot he was even running!!! I hope he wants to keep this up!

Now it's time for another Weekly Chase! I'm ready to tell you all about my goals for this week! I hope you will link up your own goals with me too! And feel free to use the badge below in your post too! You can grab the badge HERE! :-)

Here are last week's goals!

• Goal #1: Run at least 2-3 times this week. Yes! I wanted to get in 3 runs but strep throat made me cancel one of them lol! 
• Goal #2: Roll and stretch daily. Yes!
• Goal #3: Log and stay under all my calories this week. 95%! I stayed under my calories every day except Friday when I was fueling for my race. Some days were harder than others but I was strong!
• Goal #4: Figure out my running outfit for the race this weekend. I ended up wearing a black shirt, royal blue sparkle skirt, and black compression socks. 

Here are the goals I am working on this week!

Goal #1: Run 3 times this week. I hope to get in 2 short runs and then I have my last half marathon of the spring season on Saturday. It's starting to get way too hot to run half marathons so this will be my last one until the fall. 

Goal #2: Roll and stretch daily. Gotta keep this up!

Goal #3: Log and stay under all my calories this week except Friday when I'll be fueling for my race the next day. I've been doing pretty good with this! Some days are definitely harder than others but I'm loving that my clothes are fitting better! I've lost 5.3 pounds so far!!!

Goal #4: Hydrate and fuel well for my half marathon on Saturday. I need to be sure to drink plenty of water this week. I've been doing great with this since I've started counting calories but need to make sure I keep it up this week. I also need to eat some extra carbs (pizza!!!!) on Friday before the race. 

That's my plan for this week! Not a whole lot different from last week but goals are goals, right?!

QOTD: What are your goals this week?