Chobani GIVEAWAY!!

Chobani recently sent me some yogurts to try out and they are willing to spread the love by giving some Chobani to one lucky winner.

But before we get to that, I gotta tell you what I think of it first. Chobani uses milk which is free from synthetic growth hormones and supplied from local farms. The yogurt is all natural, with no artificial sweeteners (love that!) or preservatives and twice the amount of protein as regular yogurt. In a 6oz cup there are 100-160 calories, depending on flavor, and around 13g of protein. They have a large variety of flavors and the fruit in the yogurt is great. I'm usually grossed out by yogurts which have clumpy gross fruit in them but this is not the case with Chobani. My favorite flavors are honey and pineapple.

Now, there is one downside to the yogurt...sugar. The pineapple flavor, for example, has 18g of sugar. I tend to eat plain yogurt to avoid added sugars but for a treat now and then, these are definitely worth it. If you're concerned about sugar, you could choose the plain flavor which has 7 grams. Regardless, I really like these yogurts and think they are a perfect post run recovery snack. Since they are a little expensive, I won't be eating these every day, but I will be purchasing these to have in the house. I'm giving Chobani 9 Biscuits. 

In order to enter the giveaway, visit Chobani at http://www.chobani.com/ and tell me one little thing you like about the site, something you learned, the flavor you want to try, etc. Oh, and you have to be a follower of this blog. :-)  I'll pick a winner by random number generator on March 4th. Good luck!!

This contest is open to US residents only.

Climb the Ladder

Thanks for all the nice comments regarding my 5 mile PR. I'm feeling really good about it and based on the outcome of that race, I think I'm going to go all out at Shamrock Marathon in March. Can you imagine if I BQ again?? What obnoxious comment will my anonymous commenter think up then?? I hope I get to find out. Here are my stats from the race:

Overall: 145 / 1147

Female: 27 / 537

Age group (F30-34): 6 / 97

Anyway, I woke up Sunday morning feeling the hills from the race in my quads but it actually felt good to be a little sore. I knew I raced hard and put in a good effort. I followed up the race with a 17 mile run on Sunday. I had 18 on the schedule but between being tired from early wake up calls all week and sore from the race, when I hit my car at 17 miles I called it quits. It was a great 17 miles, though and I rewarded myself for a full week of hard workouts with a complete rest day yesterday. But today I was up and at 'em again at 5am for an 8 mile run with a "climb the ladder" workout. I had so much fun with this run and climbing the ladder made the run go by so fast. Here's the workout: after I warmed up for 2 miles, I ran 1 minute at my 10k pace (7:24). Jog (9:05) for a minute, then 2 minutes at 7:24, jog for a minute, then 3 minutes at 7:24, then take it back down to 1 minute. So, it looks like this: 1 min 10k/1 min jog/2 min 10k/1 min jog/3 min 10k/1 min jog/2 min 10k/1 min jog/1 min 10k/1 min jog...repeat. The 7:24 pace felt great and I was very comfortable at it. Breathing and form were fine and when the workout was all said and done, I wanted more!!

I was hoping to have my giveaway up by now but I'm not quite ready. Hopefully by the end of the week I'll have it posted. Stay tuned!

Here's my schedule for the week:
Mon - off
Tues - 8 mi, climb the ladder
Wed - 4 mi (lift)
Thurs - 4 mi (plus cardio)
Fri - 20 mi
Sat - 8 mi
Sun - off (cardio/lift)

Frostbite 5 Miler Race Report - New PR!

The Frostbite 5 miler is a local race put on by the running club which I'm in. To pay my dues as a member, I volunteered again this year for packet pick up. I love handing out race packets. There's so much excitement and I love the people that are about to run their first race. So many questions...people ask what to wear, where to park, how early they need to be there, what the course is like, etc. I also realized that everyone is a little insane when it comes to safety pins. I had so many people very concerned as to whether or not there were safety pins in the bag. One guy asked several times so I threw even more into his bag. He smiled and thanked me because he didn't want to have to carry his bib the whole race. Anyway, the race has really grown over the years and this year there were 1200 runners.

The course has some pretty good hills and with it being in February, you never know what you're going to get with the weather. We lucked out today and had the perfect day! A little windy but sunny and in the mid 30's. The race kicked off at 9am and since it's only 10 minutes away, I actually got to sleep in until 7! Heaven! I went into this completely calm but curious to see what I could do since I haven't felt very speedy since the marathon and I wasn't sure what my back could handle.

I wanted to keep my pace right around 7:30 and while this was difficult on the hills, the pace overall felt really comfortable. I really pushed myself up the last big hill, which is about a half mile from the finish, and am so happy with my last mile coming in at a 7:00 minute pace.

Mile 1 - 7:27

Mile 2 - 7:31

Mile 3 - 7:31

Mile 4 - 7:21

Mile 5 - 7:00

So...I'm happy to say I started off 2010 with a PR. The official print out says 37:08 but I'm a little curious about this because my garmin says 36:58. I was pretty close to the front of the pack and started my watch right when I went through the sensor. When I crossed the finish line, the clock read 37:03 and Andy is my witness to that as he was standing right there ensuring I hit my 37:XX goal!! There was chip timing, with the chip in the bib, and a few seconds after I crossed the finish line a kid waved some thing in front of my bib and it beeped. I'm wondering if that's what registered the official time? I don't know but it's funny how a few seconds can bother you so much. But in running, a few seconds is a big deal. I'd love for my official time to read 36:XX even if the XX is 58 seconds!! It's under 37 which sounds even better!! But I'll take the 37:08 because it's just under a minute and half faster than last year and a personal record!

Can't wait to see what I can do at this race next year...oh, and have I mentioned how much I love racing!

Back to My Old Self!

So far this week, I have got up at 5am to take advantage of my free trial membership at the Y. Even though it involves getting up at the crack of dawn, I absolutely love it. Over the past few months I had been feeling not myself; not really sure where I was at with my fitness goals, not loving my workout routine, etc. But that poopiness is gone! In just 3 short days, I feel like my old self again. My workouts this week have been GREAT...I'm sweaty and gross after them and loving every second of it. Nothing beats a nice sweaty workout where you know you worked hard. I feel so at home at the gym and from the second I walk in, I'm happy. I have an hour and a half to work out before I need to head home and get ready for work and honestly, I'm not ready to leave when it's time to go. I could literally spend all day there and this just reinforces that getting my personal training certification is the right direction for me.

Update on my back…it's not too good. I'm able to work out cause once I'm upright I'm ok. It's the standing up from sitting that is painful and it takes a few seconds to be able to straighten out and walk right. Not sure what this means for my upcoming race on Saturday but I guess if I can't race it, I'll still run for fun. I placed 3rd in my age group last year, running 5 miles in 38:33, and I really wanted to beat that this year. I would love to see my finish time start with 37...

One last thing before I go, I've posted a lot of new reviews lately. Please check them out, hopefully you'll stumble across something new that you might want to try. Since I mentioned my love of sweating up above, I wanted to show you these cute towels that the nice people at inperspire sent me.

Aren't they cute?? They are the perfect size (16x25 in) and so soft! They have a ton of choices, with really cute sayings, and they are only $10!! I think they make the perfect little gift for anyone who exercises and I already know a few people who will be getting one from me. I'm giving inperspire 10 biscuits!

Stayed tuned for an upcoming GIVEAWAY!!

Mishmash

Here's a mishmash of stuff...

• I hurt my back and have no clue how I did it. It started Thursday morning and it's not getting any better. I can't even blame it on shoveling snow because I did none of that on Wednesday during the blizzard. Instead, I went for a run with the yak trax and I'm wondering if that has something to do with it. I took off from running on Thursday and only managed a few miles on Friday and Saturday. I missed my long run for the week and I'm actually not stressed about it. I am glad I got my 20 miler in the weekend before, though...even if it was a terrible run.
• I stopped by our YMCA today to check them out. I can't take not belonging to a gym anymore. I tried to make my makeshift basement gym work, but it's not cutting it. I haven't cross trained over the past year and have solely been running. It's not working, people. While I've been doing a lot of running, I'm a firm believer in cross training. I know I'm not nearly as fit as I was a year and half ago since cross training took a back seat and that needs to change. They gave me a week trial membership so I'm hoping my back is ok tomorrow and I can get started with my old workout routines. That means a 5am wake up call, but it will be worth it to get back to where I was. I need to hussle, too. Jamaica is coming up quick...less than 2 months.
• Andy and I got a hotel in the city last night and went out to a nice dinner. This was NOT a valentines day celebration, though. I've mentioned before that I am not a fan of this day. Sorry, but I'm all about spontaneity and think it's silly to make a big deal out of how much you love someone on specific day because Hallmark tells you to. Anyway, we had a free Mariott night to use up before it expired and this was the weekend that worked best. We went out to a wine and cheese bar for happy hour then had dinner at a Hawaiian restaurant. We then hit up our favorite bar in the city and a lot of bucks later, I'm still smiling thinking about how nice of a night we had. 

Here's my schedule for the week, back permitting.
Mon - 4 mi
Tues - 6 mi
Wed - off
Thurs - 6 mi
Fri - 4 mi
Sat - Frostbite 5 mile (race)
Sun - 18 mi

I know I've been terrible at commenting lately, I'm trying to catch up. You take off a day from reading and then you're so far behind!!

Non Essential...and Proud of it!

We're getting pounded again with snow today. On top of the 18 inches we got on Saturday, we're supposed to get up to another 2 feet today with blizzard like conditions. Thankfully, work declared that only "essential" personnel need to come in. Needless to say, I've never been so happy to be non essential before in my life!! I did make an attempt to log on from home but with thousands of others trying to do the same thing, I kept getting booted off. Devastated. I can't work from home. Crushed. I thought about sitting around and sulking all day, but instead I strapped on the yak trax and headed out for a run! We ran out last night to buy yak trax in anticipation of today's storm so this was the first time I was trying them out. Honestly, I couldn't even tell they were on my feet and they provide a ton of traction. I slipped a few times but it was when I went through some deeper, slushy piles of snow. Really, I ran like it was a normal dry day. I didn't feel like I had to watch my step or be cautious. I did 4 miles and averaged a 8:43 which isn't too bad considering I was sloshing through snow. I had such a blast! It was beautiful and peaceful and I felt like a rock star. But that may have been due to the comments that were shouted as I ran by people shoveling out: "Now that's determination", "Good for you", "Brave soul" and a few thumbs up. Thanks, strangers!!

Here's a pic of what the yak trax look like...and yes, that is a miller high life mat on the floor in the background. Andy made sure to capture as much of that in the picture as he could. He HAD to have this mat, which is nicely hidden out in the garage.

Not sure what's in store for us tomorrow. The weather peeps just said to expect heavy snow for the next 10 hours. I don't think I'll be lucky enough to be non essential 2 days in one week, but a girl can dream. I have a 17 miler to do on Friday so I'm just hoping I can find some place that's clear enough to run.

The Remaining 16...and Road ID WINNER!!

So, I got home on Friday around 3:15 as planned and was out the door for my remaining 16 miles by 3:30. The run started off ok, I was feeling pretty good and excited to be out there. My stomach was a little off, but I didn't foresee any major problems (like pooping in the woods). I was running a steady 9:30ish pace and had decided to run 7 miles out then turn around and head home. This would give me 14 and I could finish up the last 2 on the treadmill if I had it in me to give me my 20 for the day. The last 1/4-1/2 mile before my turn around was up hill and when I reached the top, I was completely wiped out. I was breathing pretty hard and my legs were tired, which is a little unusual. I knew the rest of the run was going to be hard but I took a deep breath, regrouped and kept chugging along. Around mile 10 my stomach really started acting up and I was getting a little worried. At one point, I had to walk a little to calm it down and thankfully I made it to a Starbucks just in time. My pace really slowed down around mile 11 and I felt like I had nothing left. I shuffled along around a 10 minute pace; just happy I was still moving. When I hit 14 miles, it was dark and starting to snow so I headed inside to finish the last 2 on the treadmill. Just walking in the house, my legs were aching. I didn't waste any time because I knew if I stopped I wouldn't keep going. The last 2 miles just flat out hurt. My feet hurt, my legs hurt, my body hurt. Everything hurt. When I was done, I barely made my way upstairs. I have no idea why that run was so hard, but it killed me. My legs were aching so bad I couldn't stand still and just wanted to sit down. I never feel like this after a long run and it really bummed me out. I even looked bad, really worn out and pale. I managed a hot shower, put on my recovery socks and hit the couch. I didn't even have an appetite but I ate a small dinner because I knew I had to eat. I was so exhausted and headed up to bed early but unfortunately, I wasn't able to sleep. I felt like I was burning up and my whole body was aching. I eventually drifted off to sleep and had some crazy night sweats throughout the night. I even had to change my pj shirt a few times because I was drenched. I woke up yesterday feeling fine except for the fact that I hate a crummy run and it's been bothering me ever since. No clue what went on with that run. Maybe it was doing it after a full day of work? Or the fact that I've been feeling a little beat up lately?  Maybe I'm fighting something? I don't know. Regardless, I'm glad I got it in and even though it wasn't pretty, the important thing is that I toughed it out. Now it's time to go redeem myself...

ROAD ID WINNER:
And the winner, #70 picked by random.org, is...

hmm114 from Fat Girl Running. Congrats!! Email me at dclaffey76@yahoo.com and I'll give you the e-coupon to order your Road ID. Thanks to Road ID for the great giveaway!!

4 down 16 to go...

Mother Nature is really cramping my style. Why can't we get a snow storm during the week and get a day off work? And if it has to snow on the weekend, can't it start at noon on Saturday after my long run? I'm telling you, I used to love winter. But training this winter has made me start to pray for Spring! We're looking at 8-14 inches of snow coming our way, starting today around 5pm. Needless to say, this messed up my Saturday long run plans. I'm not sure how you deal with glitches in your training plan, but I don't handle it well at all! I tried to not let this bother me. But yea, that didn't work AT ALL. I have a schedule and I like to stick to it! All day/night yesterday this looming storm stressed me out. Should I get up at 4am to do it before work on Friday? Should I attempt it on the treadmill (if it wasn't for staring at a cement wall while on my treadmill, this option would have won)? Wait until Sunday and hope the roads are clear enough? What's a girl to do??

Well, I decided to get up early this morning and I got 4 miles out of the way on the treadmill. I got into work extra early so I can head out around 3pm. I have all my clothes/gear laid out and ready to go so I can hopefully be out on the roads by 3:30 for the remaining 16 miles. While I prefer not to split up a 20 mile run, I know for sure I'll be running on tired legs and it will be good training. My legs have been pretty shot this week. It started Tuesday night with that fast 8 mile run with the running club. Then I was up early the next morning lifting, legs included. Yesterday I got up at 5am and ran 8 miles with 8 x 200s. I was beat after this and to make it worse, I was on my feet for most of the day at work. So if the 4 miles I ran this morning were any indication, I'm positive the 16 this afternoon will be a challenge. But of course, I'm fine with that. It will all be worth it when I get to sleep in tomorrow and have a lazy, snowed-in day with Andy.

Don't forget the Road ID giveaway...it ends Sunday!

Fast is Fun!

Don't forget the Road ID giveaway if you haven't already entered!!

I'm running Shamrock Marathon in VA beach March 21st. Originally, my plan was to run my upcoming 3 marathons at an easy pace so there's no pressure and I can just have fun. Well, I sort of realized that running easy isn't enough fun for me. I love racing and to me, pushing myself to see what I'm capable of is fun! I was planning on running Shamrock with the 4 hour pace group because Coach Jack and a friend are pacing it. But after further thought, I think I'm going to put more of an effort into this one and see what I can do. I'm not looking to PR but maybe a 3:45? I have a 3:50 and a 3:38 under my belt, so 3:45 seems like a good number. I'm trying to keep in mind that I have 2 marathons shortly after this so I have to be smart so I don't get injured. 

I've been feeling a little bit better with the speed lately, too. Last night I ran 8 miles and averaged an 8:13. Two of the miles were around a 7:45 and during those miles, I felt fantastic. We also sprinted the last half mile and it felt so good to push myself hard. It always takes me a few miles to warm up and get comfortable but once I start going, I feel great. I have a 20 miler this Saturday that I was really looking forward to but now they are calling for a "wintry mix." Grrrr. I'm sick of the long runs in this cold, crappy weather!

I've also been working on upping my calories and thought I was doing a good job. Well, I calculated every little ounce of food I'll eat today and it only came to 1700. So I'm up a whopping 200 calories and still not close to where I need to be. Seriously, anyone have any suggestions for adding some food into the mix? I feel like I'm eating a ton, all the time! Anyway, since some of you have mentioned you like seeing the eat clean posts, I thought I'd tell you about one of my favorite snacks...TJ's fat free plain European Style yogurt with 1T flax, banana slices, handful of mini shredded wheat biscuits and agave drizzled on top. The European style yogurt is really thick and creamy and the shredded wheat gives it a nice crunch! Mmmm.

Here's my schedule for the week:
Mon - 4 mi
Tues - 8 mi
Wed - off (lift)
Thurs - 8 mi, 8x200 at 5k pace
Fri - 4 mi (lift)
Sat - 20 mi
Sun - off (lift)