...and the winner of the Sweaty Bands giveaway is....

True Random Number Generator

Result: 16 

I used random.org to generate the winning number which is #16...


There were 28 comments and 3 people got extra numbers 29, 30 and 31 who put their 2 entries in their one comment.


The lucky winner is: Karen from Lake Charles, Louisiana!!!! 
My daddy was from Lake Charles!!!  Well from Mamou but afterwards everyone ended up in Lake Charles!  A fellow cajun!!!


Way to go Karen!!!!    Karen email me your address at junevidrine@msn.com and I will send your Sweaty Bands out this week!

**************************************************

Did a short 35 minute run this morning before heading out to do my Christmas shopping, which is now about 90% done!  Did most of it at the crazy mall, and the rest online after I got home.  Just a couple more things to pick up here and there and its all done!!!  And I ended up with about $400 left over from my Christmas cash savings!!!  Everyone got nice things so its not like I cheapskated out either!  For now that money will just sit in its safe place and I will keep adding to it every payday as normal.  I am sure something will end up having to be bought between now and Christmas.  I always either forget something or see something else I want to get for someone.

It made me sad though...the first year I havent had to worry about what to get momma for Christmas...

Just was able to get some good deals with a little effort on my part and saving more $$$ this year helped too!  

And I may or may not have even gotten myself a pair of black jeggings and a cuuuuuuuuuuuuuute white faux fur vest that was just calling my name!!!

Kenyan Way - Long Run

Was a cut back week.  10 miles on the schedule.

And FINALLY I get some of my speed back!!!  10:13 pace with little effort on my part.  I gotta say I was starting to get a bit frustrated.  I know its only been a month since Chicago but still...At least now I feel better going into Dallas/White Rock in 3 weeks for the half marathon there.

It helped also that it was cool (53ish) and even though it was raining and windy (at the start) I still thought it was perfect weather with the very cloudy skies. It stopped raining by mile 2 and it actually felt warm (even though I know that was just the humidity) and I left my shirt at the water stop and just ran the rest in my jog bra and shorts.  By the time I was finished the wind had kicked up again and I was thankful for my warm hoodie waiting for me in the car :)

I am still not going to fully commit to going through with the full at Houston until after next weeks 17 miler.  If I can nail the 17 miler with my usual training pace without having to work at it, then I will more than likely still go through with the full and not drop to the half.

No ankle or back pain today.

A New Segment! Favorites Friday! Best Dressed! VIP List!

I read A LOT of blogs...and I mean A LOT...and on those blogs I always seem to find several posts through out the week that really resonate with me for one reason or another and I think those bloggers should be 'rewarded'!!!

So I figure I am going to make note of those posts and post my weekly conglomerate of "Things That Make You Go Hmmmm"....

I don't have a lot this week since I just made it up :O)... but here are a few from this week that make 'the list' or get access beyond the 'velvet rope'.  Order of appearance in the list means nothing.  :O)

Each item is linked in its entireity so you don't have to figure out which word has the link to the post associated with it.

1. Jamoosh on the snarkiness of the dumb-dumb that wrote that assinine article on NYCM and/or the participants. 
2. SkinnyRunner for her overview of her experience in the NYCM last Sunday.  She pretty much summed it all up and as close to being my same experience (with a few minor details that were off from when I ran it in 2008 to her in 2010).
1. She also just added a grrreat giveaway!!!!
3. Charlotte, dear Charlotte...almost every post of hers is beyond the velvet rope worthy, so I just picked one from the week that I loved more than the others.  I was especially drawn to this one because of the 'thermometer' clothes reference.
4. Holiday gifts from the heart and they won't break the bank!  Being the frugalista that I have become I was really excited to see this list because while I can be frugal, I am NOT creative.  This list is going to save me AND my Christmas money stash a lot of angst.
1. Here's a tip for next year:  I have done this now for 2 years and its a life saver.  Every payday I go to the bank and withdraw $40-$50 and then I take that money and I come home and put it in a safe place.  My mom use to call this 'mad money'.  Money she would have stashed away to spend whenever she got mad at my dad.  :o).  To me its Christmas gift money.  It adds up and you can alter it to fit your budget and your pay day schedule.  I am lucky to get paid every other Friday, and sometimes two paychecks if I worked my part time job.  And yes I take an additional $20 out of THAT paycheck to stash away.  Thanks to Bobbie I am going to have a lot left over!!!  One has to be very stoic in not dipping into this money!  If you don't have it in the bank for whatever, then well, you wait.  The first year is the hardest, but once you see that wad of cash in December it becomes much easier the 2nd year!
5. Adrienne.  Because we should all be thankful for non-injury running times, but gives a perspective on how to overcome the 'I can't run right now' blues.
6. And of course THIS one since you can win Sweaty Bands!

And I have to add my most favorite (read: astonished and appalled) example of Photoshopping skills of the week!  If I were Kim Kardashian I would feel so horrible about myself if someone made me look that skinny in the ad to promote my line of swimwear... I would go into a serious episode of body angst and probably would go on 'restriction' like nobodys business....I mean REALLY? I wish Brightroom and Raceshots, etc. offered this service to my race pictures... 

Slam slam ... oh hot damn..what Part of Party Don't You Understand?

OMG.  AWESOME.  

Oh and go submit comments for the giveaway...you know you want to...and remember you HAVE to comment to be entered...just being a follower wont cut it :O)

More Hot Yoga Luuurrrrve!!!!

As mentioned after a short run yesterday morning, Tuesdays after work (and Thursdays) are now reserved for some serious sweatiness.  I wish I could express how muuuuuch I am in love with hot yoga!
It was a great session, with me actually doing a couple of poses in the 2nd degree of difficultness..thats not a word but whatevz. 
Today I was doing some 'research' online about the effects on running, at least in the beginning.  I am feeling better about why my running since Chicago Marathon hasnt always been the bestest (meaning speed).  It takes a bit of time when beginning yoga to not have the soreness, especially in the hamstrings, which isnt always noticeable but does in fact have some impact.  Good to know.  Knowing this now, I might put this to the 'test' next week if I can stand it.  This would entail me not going to yoga next Tuesday and Thursday the week of my next long run in my quest to still do the full marathon at Houston.
I dont know if I can actually commit to not doing yoga next week though!  I think I will wait to make that decision AFTER this Satudays shorter long run which is only 10 miles.  What I am looking forward to is a mini-goal I have for right after Houston, whether its the full or the half.  You'll read more about that later!

One of my most favorite poses...the tough part is wrapping your hand from the INSIDE instead of grabbing the outside as so many people will tend to do...I couldnt kick my leg up very high at first, but every time I go I am getting it higher and higher!

This one I am getting better at as well...I still cant straighten my legs all the way out, it really tends to hurt some days more than others in the area where my lower back issue lies (and my left knee from previous running injury)...but at least the 'sweat runs up my nose' which means you are doing it right; which I take means I am upside down enough for that to happen.

Wednesdays are currently the only day where I run in the afternoon once I am out of work.  So with the time change, I looked to see what time 'sunset' was today and it was 5:28 so I started shortly before 5 and altered my route to exclude Rice since its terrain is littered with roots and hard enough to manuever even in the daylight.  Plus we had rain today and I didnt feel like dodging all the mud and puddles.  Today was a good run!  I actually like the fact that I am running as the sun is setting and also that its not 146deg with 200% humidity!  A wonderful 6 miles where at times I was so lost in thought I would 'snap out of it' and think how the hell did I get here?

Tomorrow is a short run in the morning before work (3-4 miles) and then HOT YOGA AFTER WORK!! SQUEEEEEEEEE!!!!  I will make some of the suggested 'adjustments' to some of the poses to minimize the effect on the hamstrings to see if it makes a difference on Saturday.

Now have you entered the Sweaty Bands giveaway???? 



Ready....Set....Go!

OK, so as mentioned yesterday I have Sweaty Bands for a give away! (see below for pretty picture!  Don't you just think they are pretty?  I'm partial to the animal print one myself...

Lets make the rules simple...

1. Leave a comment as to how you tame that crazy hair of yours today when running, yoga, gym, biking and yes, Nicole even during roller derby!  What do you use?  Anything?  Or do you just wet your hair down with the sweat :O) and hope for the best?
2. Become a follower of my blog and you get an extra entry into the hat (and yes I really mean a hat because I dont have one of those fancy schmancy picker outer things to go through and randomly select one, so I will be numbering and drawing from a hat!)  Your comment will be assigned a number as they appear in the comments list. 
3. Link this post/giveaway on your own blog (or go on top of your house and shout it from the roof top) and you'll get one more entry.  Put the link to your blog in your comment as well so I can make sure you aren't lying ;o)  If you do the roof thing, you'll need to post a video ;o)

So thats up to 3 entries you can get!

Winner will be drawn on Sunday night!

Happy Happy Sweaty Sweaty!

First things first...humidity was back in full force this morning so I had a sweaty run before work...and there will be more sweat this afternoon with 90 min of hot yoga!  I looooooooooooove my hot yoga days!  I might even be brave and place my mat under a fan today which one would think would make it 'cooler'.  It does not!  Its actually hotter!!  I dont know if I can actually make it through under one but I think today is as good a day as any to try!

Now....a couple of weeks back after I posted the product review for Sweaty Bands, I wrote the company asking for a sample to do a giveaway on my blog.  I have done this once or twice before with other brands but never heard back from them.

Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut this morning when I checked my mail, in the mailbox were Sweaty Bands for a giveaway!!!!!!!!  And a handwritten note thanking me for my awesome product review (I had sent a link to the post when I wrote them)!!!

So I will doing my first giveaway on my blog in the VERY near future!  So stay tuned for the 'requirements' to be entered to win 2 really cuuuuute Sweaty Bands that they sent me!!!  One is a wide (1.5in) and one is of normal size (1in).  They didnt send any sparkly skinny ones...good thing too because I might have had to keep it for myself!  Jokes!  OK...

So you can get a head start by becoming a follower of this blog (and sucking up to me in the comments; more jokes!)...tell your readers to come on over!

Will post a picture and the 'rules' later on (probably tonight; more likely tomorrow :O)