S.I.K.E..................

Well, I want to thank everyone for their support over the weekend on my desperate last post. Yes, I did think I was going to have to run 11 miles by myself
BUT GUESS WHAT.....
the photographer canceled (boo on the picture people) but yeah on getting to run my 11 miler with my girls!!! So, sorry for my boo hoo of a last blog...but thanks for the support anyways!~

Now on to how the run went....we met at Creve Coeur park at 6:30am, and there was all 4 of us together. This is the first time we have had more than 3 girls to run, so I was super excited! I actually felt like we had an official "running group!"
Beck wasn't feeling so hot when she got there, and actually ended up making herself throw up before we started...(not a good sign when we still have 11 miles to run) But, we started up...I was feeling great! Just glad to be there running with everyone, and the weather was nice too. A little chilly, but not bad. We hadn't ran this course in the 1/2 training (ran it a few times when I trained for my 10 miler last year) It is a beautiful course with a huge lake that the trail run around. There were quite a few people out when we started, and as our miles added up, so did the people. At around 3 miles, Beck decided she needed to stop (to throw up 3 more times, we found out later) and so me, Kris and Sar ran on. At mile 4 we stopped for a water break and Gu and ended up finding Beck (this course has a lot of different ways you can go and back track etc) So, she decided to start up with us again. We took off and started onto a trail, which was a nice change. Again, I was feeling really good (did have a few stomach issues, but I had that before we started) We talked about the upcoming 1/2 and what we were going to wear etc. Beck again had to leave us due to not feeling well. We continued on, and picked her up again around mile 7.5 or so. At mile 8 we stopped again for a water and Gu. By this time we were all the way around the lake and close to where we had parked. We decided we would run past our cars 1.5 miles and then turn around and head back. So, we started back up, again, I was feeling Fabtabulous!!!! I don't think I had had such a good run...EVER!?!? (knock on wood) As we turned around at mile 9.5, everyone was getting a little tired, and we started to run into the wind, which wasn't good, but I was still feeling good and had a really good pace going. With only a little more to do, Sar (who had been having some burn out issues with running, and her longest run to date also) picked up speed next to me, and her and me sprinted the remaining .25 miles. It felt great to finish, and I totally felt like I could have gone more! Kris and Beck were right behind us. Beck had finished 9 miles herself, while puking 3-4 times (she ended up sick the rest of the day with the flu...go her for sticking it out!!!) I told her afterwards that a true runner was someone who could puke and keep going...and she did!!!
Afterwards we all gave high fives and walked back to the cars to stretch. It was such a great feeling of accomplishment, and made me feel like I was really ready for the Go St. Louis 1/2...in ONLY 13 DAYS!!! :)
We are going to taper a little next week and do only 10 miles, but I think we are going to just pick a place around St. Louis and run...no real course to follow. Thought this might be fun for our last run before the 1/2.
And guess what....while I was typing this post, I received an email from Go St. Louis, and I received my official bib number: 12515
So super cool!!!

The rest of the weekend was spent with family. On Sunday I did hit the gym with my hubby and did some weights and abs! Tonight I am heading to the gym with my neighbor for Body Combat, and then we are going to stay to try out Zumba. Never done it before, but heard it is fun! Can't wait to burn some major calories!!!

Have a great week, and I have some really cool things in the works for my 1/2 marathon outfit...still working on a few details, but when everything is finalized, I will post a pic! I can't wait!
Here is to a week of happy running,
Steph

I Need Some Advice/Motivation

Hi Bloggie World:
I know I have stated a few different times that I have to run a 11 miler this weekend...my longest run to date. I was planning on meeting 3 other girls tomorrow morning out in St. Louis for the run...the problem is, we had my son's 18mos photos scheduled for Sunday (outside) and it is suppose to rain, so we are looking to reschedule them for tomorrow morning at 10:30am. This will work, except I will miss my run with the girls. Me and my husband are planning on being in the pictures, and there is no way to get in a 11 mile run and get home get ready and make it to the pics by 10:30am.
SO...........................................................
I would have to run my 11 miler, my longest run ever, my PR for mileage, my only two miles point two short of a 1/2 marathon, A.L.L B.Y M.Y.S.E.L.F!!!!!!!! Can we say freak out!
I have never ran over 5 miles by myself...how am I going to do it, plus, it will most likely be in the rain, because I will do it Sunday morning. I need some help from my fellow running bloggers...Can I do this???
I mean, in my mind I can, but then I kind a, sort a, have a freak out moment and think...Can I really do this? This would place me in a place I have never been...I have ALWAYS ran my long runs with someone. Plus, I have no Garmin...What is a girl to do??? (I mean, I know I can use Map My Run, but I have become so accustomed to relying on my friends Garmins)

Anyways, I just needed to get this out while I am sitting here freaking out...like I said, I know I can do this, but in some ways, I feel like if I can accomplish this, I can accomplish anything, and that kind of scares me! (not really sure why...)
Has anyone else felt this way before? Any advice/motivation would be great!

Have a great day, and I will keep you posted on what happens....dang...11 miles (all by myself)

Fab Friday Review: GoLite HydroClutch

Happy Friday! Hope everyone has some good plans for the weekend!

I wanted to let everyone know about an AWESOME product that I have been recently introduced to...The GoLite HydroClutch water bottle. It is da bomb!! I just started running some longer runs, where water was needed. I was carrying a regular water bottle...looked like this:

Not only was this not convenient to carry, but it is not good for the environment. So, here I introduce the HydroClutch. This little baby is A-W-E-S-O-M-E! I used it for the first time two weeks ago, and it was perfect. It has a little zipper pocket that is perfect for storing my key and some Gu. How awesome is that! (plus, I think my running buddies were a little jealous too!) I have ran a 9 miler and a 10 miler with it, and it has been perfect as far as size and weight. I hardly notice it is there, except when I need that little sip of water, and it is right there in the palm of my hand. How Cool!

To get one of your own, go to the Golite Website. While you are there, check out all of there other products...running apparel, visors and much more! Thank you Golite for making my runs that much easier!

As far as runs for this weekend, I have an 11 miler scheduled for tomorrow morning...Wish me luck!

I wanted to post a question out there for all of you runners...What is your favorite running product website? This would be for gear, apparel, or just plain fun running things.

Have a great weekend, and run with ya soon,

Steph

Check Out These Current Giveaways:

Erica: Ryder Sunglasses Giveaway (ends 4/2)

Jamie: Girls on the Run Giveaway Package (ends 4/1)

Tonia: Run Like a Mother Book Giveaway (ends 3/26)

Dorothy: Saucony's Shoe Giveaway (ends 4/1)

Kayte: Raffle for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (ends 4/1)

3 Miles, 18 Days, 1 Month....

Today is kind of a big day...why you ask??? Well, it is the day after I ran my fastest 3 miles to date, it is the day that marks exactly 18 days until my first 1/2 marathon, and it is the day that marks 1 month until we leave for Mexico! Dang...IT-IS-A-BIG-DAY!

Last night I met up with my awesome, fully dedicated, ever inspiring running neighbor, Jen, to run my short run (which she liked to call my TEMPO run...I have never ran a TEMPO run before, so I was EXCITED!) Jen has been running for 3 years or so, and has ran quite a few 1/2's and 2-3 marathons. She gets up most mornings during the week to run with some elite runners and then sometimes runs in the evenings, or we head to the gym together.

This particular night I was planning on running, and she said she would like to run with me...I was a little nervous, because the girls I run with are all on my level...we normally run approx. 10min miles during our training runs. Jen's pace is 9miles, and she told me she would start me at her pace and then we would decide if we needed to slow down depending on how I felt.

So, at 7:30ish last night we set out...we were going to take my normal 3 mile loop through our neighborhood into the neighborhood next door, and back. She told me that she would talk to me the whole time, so not worry if I got tired and couldn't. We started out, and she has such a nice stride and makes it seem so effortless. We definitely started out faster than I normally do, but I felt good! (I had done a Gu right before, because I wanted to make sure I had the energy to put my full effort into this run...I wanted to prove to Jen, plus myself that I had come a long way!)

At mile 1, we had kept close to a 9 mile pace, and we were talking back and forth, and I felt really good. Jen said she was very impressed and we kept on. At the half way point, we were at 13min something seconds (she has a Garmin, so that was nice) We picked up the pace a little and kept going. I had to stop once to tie my shoe (I had never had my shoe come untied, but of course when I am trying to get a REALLY good time, my shoe doesn't cooperate!) This only took a few seconds, and we were off again. As we headed into our last mile, we really picked up the pace, but I felt AWESOME! I was a little winded, but was still carrying on a conversation and my body felt great! We came around the corner onto our street, and she stopped us at 3 miles...She asked me what the fastest I had ever ran this route was. I told her approx. 28min 30 seconds..she told me we blew that out of the water...

Final Stats:

Mile 1: 9:08
Mile 2: 9:03

Mile 3: 7:48 (told you we picked up the pace)

Final Time: 26.03

AWESOME...I was on cloud 9! I was sooo proud of myself and sooo thankful to Jen for pushing me and helping me prove to myself that I can run faster! I hope to continue to do some runs with her. I think she will really help me improve my time.

As for the 18 days...the Go St. Louis 1/2 is in 18 days...Woo Hoo! This weekend I will be running my longest run ever...11 miles! I can't wait!

And....drum roll please....1 month until Mexico! Me and my husband are leaving for Mexico in April to celebrate our 5 Year Anniversary! So fun...but also holly one month to lose these extra pounds...so, what did I do this morning??? I committed to REALLY REALLY REALLY trying to stick to my Weight Watchers Online program. I have been doing fairly well, but have fallen off occasionally. Plus, I need to kick it in full gear with the 30 Day Shred...cause like I mentioned, I only have 30 Days until VACA!

On a side note, I received my "Name That Garmin" present from Amanda at 5 Miles 2 Empty. I helped name her garmin...I was the last name...NIMRAG!

Anyways, I received some running laundry detergent, and a super cute Nike running hat! I don't have a running hat, so I was SUPER excited! As you can see from the pics above, I wore it on my 10 miler this past Saturday. Thanks Amanda!

Have a great rest of the week,

Stephanie

100 Miles

Yea!!! Big accomplishment this week...I hit 100 miles (to the dot) after Saturday's 10 mile run! How exciting...I have ran 100 miles this year! Who would have thought it???
Saturday's run was originally scheduled for 7am, but due to a conflict in B's schedule, we met at 6:30am. It was a nice morning, approx. 40 degrees out with a little bit of a crisp breeze. K also met us for the run! We decided to make 2 laps around the park we were running at, which would get us right at the 10 miles. The first few miles were a little rough...on all of us! There were a TON of runners out, so that made it fun, and I knew that a lot of these people were probably training for the same 1/2 that we would be running in only a few weeks!
At 3 miles we stopped for a water break and all did a Gu...we needed something to push us forward those remaining 7 miles. This was the same trail we ran last weekend, and is pretty hilly! As we finished the first loop, K started to get a cramp and not feeling very well. We decided we would stop at 7 miles for another water break and Gu. At approx. 5 miles, I was finally feeling good and really got in my groove. We stopped at 7 miles, and did another Gu, and decided we would run another 1.5 miles, and then turn around and run back the remaining 1.5 miles. This would put us closer to the cars, and both B and K needed to be somewhere by 9am. As we started up after our 2nd quick stop, K decided she had to stop and for me and B to keep going. We both felt really bad, but knew that K needed to take a break. Me and B kept going, and at one point B looked at her Garmin and it said we were running under a 9 minute mile...Yea for us!!!
We turned at the 1.5 mile marker, and headed back to finish our last 1.5 miles. I was starting to get tired (I had done the 30 Day Shred the night before...yes, I listened to everyone and just went out and bought it at Target...and my bank is going after that scam company!!!) so, I was a little sore from that, plus, with us running faster, I was really starting to feel it and was ready for it to be over!
We looked and looked for K and didn't see her, so we assumed she went back to the car. We finished our 10 miles and gave a HUGE high five!!! We had done it! Our time was right under 1hr 40min. As we were stretching, we saw K behind us...she had stopped off at the Visitor's Center (threw up) and then continued her run. She only did 7.5, but at least she didn't give up, plus she was feeling better!
It was a great run and next Saturday we are scheduled for 11. This will be my PR for mileage....I have never ran over 11 miles...I can't wait!!! The 1/2 is in 3 weeks...YaaHoo!!! I ordered my 13.1 PINK visor the other day...can't wait to get it!!!

Hope everyone had a great weekend of runs! Today I took the day off and just chilled with my boys!
I do want to give a HUGE shout out to Erica at I Run Because...I Can for sending me my GU prize from her contest and an AWESOME Golite water bottle. I have used it the last few runs, and absolutely LOVE it! Thank you Erica...you are a lifesaver!!!

Happy Running,
Stephanie

Website Scam...Please don't use...

Good Friday morning! I am a little disappointed and ticked off today! I mentioned a few weeks ago that I ordered the 30 Day Shred online, and was so excited to receive it and start using it. Well....I still don't have it!
I ordered it from a company called SaleEater.com on 3/4/10. The follow up email I received said they would process and ship my order is 1-2 business days. Well, 13 days later, I still don't have it. I have tried emailing the company, and also left a message for them. Today I tried calling again, and their 866 number is stating that the mailbox is full??? WTF
I googled more about the company and have read about alot of complaints like mine, where people NEVER receive their package. This is soooo disheartening! They did have good prices, but it is starting to look like this company is a scam!

I just wanted to put it out there to anyone that might run across this company...SaleEater.com
Don't use them. I have a feeling, I am out my $9.73, plus I don't have my 30 Day Shred! :(

Anyhoo...I did get to the gym last night and did a 60 minute Body Pump class, and then jumped on the treadmill for a 3 mile run. Tomorrow we are scheduled to run 10 miles. We are meeting at 6:30am, and they are calling for rain and snow...crossing my fingers it holds off!

Have a great week, and watch out for shady companies...So sad!!!:(
Stephanie

St. Patrick's Day 5 Mile Run

This past weekend was filled with RUNNING! Saturday morning I had the St. Patrick's Day 5 Mile Race. It started at 9am, so I got downtown around 8:15am. My husband and son were going to meet me down there. I was suppose to meet up with my friend S (her very first race) and her husband and one of his friends. Well, when I go down there, it was SUPER crowded...people were everywhere! I looked and looked for S and just couldn't find her. As it got closer to race time, I started getting nervous for her....It was her first race, and I was sooo sad I wouldn't be there to run it with her.

Finally they sang the National Anthem, and then the gun went off, and we were off...well, not really...with sooo many people, I stood there in the sea of people for probably 5 minutes or so, before we started to move....S-L-O-W-L-Y! Then we started to run, and everyone cheered...and then we STOPPED again! Then, finally we took off. Thank goodness for the chip for my shoe to help with calculating the correct time.

So, when I finally took off, I was running at a pretty good pace just watching all of the crazy people around me...It was a swarm of green everywhere! I saw girls in tutus (made me think of B), girls with knee high St. Patty's Day socks, a guy dressed as a banana, and two crazy guys with nothing on except St. Patty's Day whitie tighties and beer fanny packs around their waist. I was sooo wishing I had a camera!

The first mile or so was pretty good, and then the course stared to gradually go uphill. Not hilly, but the gradual uphill that your legs feel, and makes you feel like you are running in slow motion. This continued until I got to the section of the course that looped us back up the next street towards the finish. This was also pretty inclined, with a few down hills. At around mile 3.5, they had two water stops, and I missed them both! I was starting to get really hot, and yanked off my gloves. I decided to do my Gu at that point (lime flavored...green of course) but, had no water to wash it down. At about that point, I looked over to my left and there was my little buster and my husband. They were just walking around the corner and we just happened to see each other. This made me SUPER excited and pushed me into the last 1.5 miles with more energy. (even though, I realized they wouldn't be at the finish to take any pictures of me crossing the finish line...but at least I got to see them throughout the race)

Finally with about 1 mile left, I came across another water station, and was able to snag a cup of water, but not before the guy in front of me grabbed his, which with the wind made some of his water slam me in the face!

At this point, I hit the turn that would lead me to the finish. I was looking on both sides trying to find my parents...and of course, I see my dad, towering over everyone, and I yelled for them. They cheered me across the finish!

I was excited to be done (it was a fairly challenging run) It wasn't until later that I found S and her husband. Her husband had stayed back and ran with her...and she finished and did a great job!

I grabbed a sports drink, and went to the beer tent where they were giving away free beer. I grabbed one for my dad and husband and then we decided to head somewhere to eat lunch, because it was too cold to hang around for the parade.

It was an exciting race, and until I got home and checked my final time, I wasn't sure what I had ran it in...Online, the final time said:

Time: 45:57

Pace: 9:12

Overall Place: 2407 out of 7960

I was ecstatic! This was the fastest I had ever run 5 miles! So, needless to say, the race was a success!

Label Snob!?!?

Recently I have been wanting/trying to add a few more pieces to my running wardrobe...I don't have a ton of things, but have been slowly buying items when I can. In doing so, I have ran across a thought, that I might be a label snob!!! What I mean is, if I buy an Under Armour shirt, then I HAVE to have the Under Armour shorts to go with it...plus, the green's have to match perfect etc. Am I just being too picky, or is anybody else like this?
Is it OK to wear a Nike shirt with UA shorts etc? I'm not sure...I mean, I'm sure I wouldn't get sued or anything, but in the running world, is this type of mix matching of labels acceptable?
Is anyone else this obsessed?

As for running, my 5mile St. Patty's Day Run is tomorrow, and they are calling for rain...:( I'm crossing my fingers that it holds off, but I did go out today and buy a visor (UA of course, because the rest of my outfit is UA..hence the above post...) Hoping this will help keep the rain out of my eyes. Either way, I will be racing in downtown St. Louis at 9am tomorrow morning! Yea!
Then Sunday is our 9 mile 1/2 training run. Should be a good weekend of running!

Run with ya soon,
Steph

My New Bling!

Last night I was suppose to go to the gym to get in my mid-week run and to go to Body Combat. When I got home, my son was a little crabby, and wouldn't eat dinner, and my husband wanted me to help him put our son's playroom back together...He painted it, lime green, earlier in the week. Looks awesome!

I was dressed and ready to go, but as the time got closer to leave, I just felt that I should stay home and help my husband out. Just when I was trying to decide what to do, my husband asked me to close my eyes...He then handed me a "Pandora" bag!!! If you don't know what Pandora is, it is an awesome jewelry line that sells bracelets, necklaces etc. and you can buy charms/slides to go on them. http://www.pandora-jewelry.com/

I have been wanting a Pandora bracelet for quite a while now. A few weeks ago we were out at the mall, and my husband asked me if I wanted to go in and look around. We did, and he ended up buying me a gorgeous bracelet. I really like the bracelet, but now the point is to add charms/slides to it. He told me to make a wish list and he would buy them for me for different occasions. One of the first one's that caught my eye, was the running shoe! I would definitely have to have that one before my 1st marathon! Of course then, I picked out one to represent my husband, and one to represent my son, and then I will probably do some really pretty colored beads ones etc.

Anyways, back to last night...In my indecision on what to do with my workout for the evening, my husband hands me a "Pandora" bag. I was sooo surprised! No occasion at all...just an everyday Wednesday. When I opened it, what was it in, but the running shoe charm.(pic below) Soooo super cute! He told me it was a good luck for my race this weekend! Yea!

Well, I guess you can bet what I decided to do...I stayed home and hung out with my awesome husband and my son (he finally ended up eating dinner!)

So, tonight is my workout night...I have 3 miles on the schedule with Body Pump (weights) afterwards.

Then on to my St. Patty's Day 5 mile run on Saturday. The weather is looking pretty good....50's with 20% chance of rain..hope the rain holds off! We are hoping to stay for the parade afterwards.

Then I have 9 miles scheduled for Sunday. Can't wait!

Hope everyone has a great weekend,

Stephanie

Road ID...Or Not Road ID...That is the Question?

I was heading out for one of my runs last week. It was around 7:30pm (had to wait until my son went to bed), so needless to say it was dark. My husband always gets a little worried about me running alone at night, but that is one of the only ways to get my runs in.
So, he hands me a flashlight to carry with me as he tells me his normal concerns...be careful, don't get run over etc. I turned to him and said..."what I really need is a Road ID?"
Him not being a runner I explained to him what it was and what I had read about them....I told him that if I would get run over, they would be able to identify me by my Road ID. Well, of course his response is..."You better not get run over...."

So, my question is, how important is having a Road ID when you are running outside? I do quite a few runs outside, and with the weather getting nicer, I'm sure I will do plenty more. I would like to see what others have to say about the pros/cons of a Road ID....

Have a great day!
Run with you later,
Stephanie

8 MILES...TO AMAZING!!!

Well, this weekend we ran our long run on Saturday instead of Sunday. I met Sarah at 7am Saturday morning at Grant's Trail. The weather was AMA-ZING! It was sunny and 28 degrees when we started. This was Sarah's 2nd long outside run...(Becki was in Florida watching the Cardinals WIN at spring training...we missed her!) Sarah was worried that we would need water during our run, so I told her I would carry a water bottle for us to share. (I really want to look into getting one of the Golite Water Bottles that Tall Mom has blogged about) Starting out, the water bottle was full, and made my hands cold, even though I had gloves on.

The first 4 miles went by in no time at all. We were using Sarah's Nike Tracker thing that she has in her shoe that goes through her I-pod...not sure how accurate it was??? I think we stopped soon on the first half, and Sarah said we could run more, if I wanted, but I told her we could make up the difference on the way back. So, we both downed some Gu and drank some water (VERY nice to have a drink of water after our Gu this week!) and then we headed back.

Again, the time went by very quickly, and I could tell that Sarah was enjoying this run a lot more than last weeks run.

Once we got close to where we had started, Sarah said that her thingie was saying we were at 8 miles...I knew we weren't yet, so I told her..."let's keep going" so we continued on and ended up running over a bridge, and then came to a portion where the trail ended...we continued onto the road...I could tell Sarah was getting a little tired, and I wasn't sure how far we had run, so I told her..."let's run up that hill, and then we can be done" So, we took off and made it!

Afterwards, we walked back to our stretching spot. The temps were in the mid-30's by then, but it felt like 60...It was AMAZ-ING!

We were talking about the run, and I kept saying that I wasn't for sure how far we had really run, not sure if it was a full 8 miles (It just seemed TOO easy for me, but again, this could be because I am getting better at my runs, and they ARE starting to get easier!) Sarah turned to me and said..."Let's just say it was the full 8 miles"....so, just like that my mind was set...WE RAN 8 MILES!!! See pic below from the aftermath....



Here is a pic of my and my son from last Tuesday night right before my 3 mile run. I have my new Bondi Band on that I bought from Katye! So super cute! I just love it and can't wait to get more. Check them out at Katye's blog at: http://http//runninaround.wordpress.com/2010/02/24/bondi-band-fundraiser-for-leukemia-and-lymphoma-society/wordpress.com/2010/02/24/bondi-band-fundraiser-for-leukemia-and-lymphoma-society/

The rest of the weekend was spent with my boys! On Saturday we had a fun family day at the park and on Sunday we went on a long walk in the afternoon and played ball outside. It was sooo much fun and makes me want spring to be here sooo much quicker.

All in all it was a GREAT weekend! My husband took off today to paint my son's playroom...It is going to be Lime Green...Can't wait!

One cool thing that happened this weekend...Last weekend when I made my decision to start the 30 Day Shred, I told a few ladies that I work with (still waiting for it to come in the mail...can't wait to start the program!)

Well, last night I was at Walmart with my son and husband, and I ran into one of the ladies I work with. One of the first things she mentions to me is that she found the 30 Day Shred video at Walmart (why didn't I think to just go there to get it???) and it was only $9. She was going to start the next day. This morning she came into my office to let me know that she got up at 5am and did Level 1, and it kicked her butt!!!! But she was sooo glad she did it (she hasn't worked out in years) and is also starting a eating program to help her lose weight....and the best thing is, I AM HER MOTIVATION! So, so, so cool! (The one thing she doesn't know, is now she is my motivation! I can't wait to talk about our 30 Day Shred workouts together etc.)

Have a great day! I have my 5 Mile St. Patty's Day Run this Saturday and then a 9 miler on Sunday! Can't wait! I'm crossing my fingers for sun!!!

Run with ya soon,

Stephanie

Weekday Wrap Up

Happy Friday! I want to wish all of the "princesses" happy running this weekend, and I am super excited for them and super jealous of them!!!
This week I decided I wanted to add an additional workout to my current schedule. After thinking and researching it, I decided to order the 30 Day Shred, by Jillian Micheal's from the Biggest Loser.
My husband's schedule does not allow me to go to the gym or run outside in the mornings, so I have to find things I can do inside at my house. I have a treadmill down in the basement, but our basement is unfinished, and I can only look at Crate and Barrel boxes for so long.
The 30 Day Shred workouts are only 20 minutes long, so I think I should be able to get up at 4:30 and knock out the workout before I hop in the shower to get ready for work. I am looking forward to starting the program, and I will let everyone know how it goes.

As for this weeks workouts...here is the rundown:
Sunday: 7 Mile Run at Grant's Trail (time: 1hr 10min)
Monday: Off (son had a peds appt and has a 4th ear infection in 2mos...:(
Tuesday: 3 Mile Run Outside after Logan went to bed (yeah! Spring is coming!)
Wednesday: Body Combat
Thursday: Body Pump
Friday: Off
Saturday: 8 Mile Run at Grant's Trail (time: TBD)

I did get some fun things in the mail this week also. First I received my shoe cookie cutter that I won in Running Diva's contest http://runningdivamom.blogspot.com/ ....It is super cute and can't wait to use it come 1/2 marathon day!
I also received my 1st Bondi Band! I received it from Katye at Long Legs on the Loose http://runninaround.wordpress.com/ (Check out her blog...she is continuing to sell Bondi Bands for charity...soo cool!) I wore it that night on my 3 mile run! Love it!!! I did take a pic, and will post it soon!

I also want to say THANK YOU to all of my new followers! I look up to sooo many of you and follow your blogs religiously, and a few of my idols are now MY FOLLOWERS!!! So cool!

Have a great weekend and Happy 5th Day of March!

Run with ya soon,
Stephanie

Luck of the Irish...What to wear?

Well, on Saturday March 13th I will be running the St. Louis Annual St. Patty's Day 5 Mile Run in downtown St. Louis. I have heard it is a really fun race, and they have a St. Patrick's Day Parade afterwards. My friend Sarah will be running it with me, along with a few of our friends. My husband and son will be there to cheer me on and possibly my parents and sister.

My dilemma comes in here...WHAT SHOULD I WEAR???

Of course, I have to wear green...that's a no brainer, but I would like to do something fun, but cute! Does anyone have any suggestions or experience running a St. Patty's Day race and can give me some good ideas?

I like to do fun things, but I like to keep them cute...See pic above (tutu's and cheetah outfits!!!)

Run with ya soon,

Stephanie

Sunny Sunday....7 Mile Run!

Sarah, Becki and Me after our 7 mile run~

This week we actually had sun!!! Yea! We met for our third week of 1/2 marathon training at Grant's Trail at 7am. A first time runner (with us) and first time runner outside (she has been training on a treadmill), Sarah, joined us on Sunday. She will be running the 1/2 marathon in April with us, so it was SO much fun to have her train with us! She was a little nervous, but she did GREAT!

The weather was approx. 28 degrees and SUNNY! I was so happy to see the sun as I left my house around 6:15am on Sunday morning. I was really looking forward to the run, especially since I had had a really bad workout and run the day before. I knew today HAD to be better!

We ran the first 3.5 miles pretty easily! The sun was beaming down on us, so we all actually got a little warm. At the half way point we stopped and downed some Gu and took back off. On the run back, the sun was behind us, and we were running into the wind and cold. It made it a little uncomfortable and more difficult to run. But we sucked it up and finished at 1hr 10min. I was sooo proud of us! "Sweetmates" 7 mile run! (old college lingo)

As we were stretching I asked Sar how she felt...she answered..."Ask me later!"

About 10 minutes later as we were taking our post-running pic, Sar turned to us and said..."I am feeling really good now!"

SUCCESS! A first time "outside" runner and she did it...and me and Beck were there with her each step of the way!

Next weekend Beck will be out of town in Florida (JEALOUS!) so me, Sarah and possibly Kris will be meeting at Grant's Trail on Saturday for an 8 mile run! Can't wait!

Only 1 month, 1 week and 3 days until race day! CRAZY!!!!