A Peek in Our Week: A ball and a giveaway

Hey guys, our peek in the week is a little later in the day then usual but only because we have been pretty busy.  Of course we had the Thanksgiving festivities on Thursday, but Friday, Saturday, and Sunday we spent at the Allenberry resort for the Murder Mystery weekend.

The theme was "A Diva to Die For" and it was about a billionaire's daughter who is about to celebrate her 21st birthday but over the weekend her parents end up dead. The guests are encouraged to take notes to solve the murder but as usual, we got it wrong!

Each night was a different theme, but the formal night was Saturday and the theme was a masquerade ball.
 
 
 
At one point in the weekend we got to go for our first run on the Appalachain Trail.  Because of the wet conditions this past week, it made for less then ideal running conditions on the trail, ( it was pretty messy and we had to watch our step). But other then that, we'd like to run it again in the Summer.

Ok, in honor of tomorrow being Cyber Monday, we have a giveaway coming up! You are going to be logging on to your computer anyway, right? So stop by here for a very SWEET giveaway!

See ya then!

Did you do anything fun this weekend?

Simple ways EVERYONE can show a little Gratitude this season

Hello Friends and Happy Friday, Happy Black Friday that is! We hope everyone had a fantastic turkey day. Since we often share with you good deals on Fitness apparel and fun stuff you would think that we would have posted some of those deals for you here today. But the truth is, we aren't shoppers! We didn't get up at 3 am and we have no idea what sales are out there but if we just happen to come across something super fabulous, we'll be sure to let you know.

Instead, we are headed to another Murder Mystery Weekend.  We love our Murder Mystery Weekends! In fact, you may have remembered when we went to one back in March where the theme was Back in Time. The theme this time around is A Diva to Die For, ( It's a birthday party theme).

Since it is Friday, we are still linking up with the gals for the Friday 5 and the theme is gratitude.
We wanted to show 5 simple ways you can express gratitude this holiday season.


1. Volunteer- Volunteering can be fun and is a wonderful way to show gratitude to your community. My mom and I have volunteered at a local senior center wrapping holiday gifts. We actually had a lot of fun and hope to do it again this season.

2. Make Food- I think everyone loves food gifts. Baking a little something for a neighbor is a great way to show you are thankful for them.

3. Make a phone call- We thought of our grandparents when we came up with this one. It's so easy to just text people when we want to chat, but our grandparents don't text  ( our Pappy tries), and I know getting a call from us really makes their day. Think of someone in your life who could use a phone call.

4. Write a hand written note or card- Again, technology has really taken over the way we communicate yet nothing can replace the feeling of getting a card in the mail.  Speaking of cards, today officially starts the Holiday Card Swap!

5. Last but not least, Remember to thank those who work on the holidays. Whether it's a waiter at a restaurant, a cashier at a store, or the pizza delivery guy (or gal). So many people have to work during the holidays and it would be nice to appreciate them. Remember to be polite and to always say Thank You. I'm sure they would much rather be home with their families too.


What ways will you be showing gratitude this season? Did you shop today? If so, what did you buy?






When you wish upon a star.......

When I was a little girl, I can remember standing with my grandma looking out her sliding glass doors. We had seen a flashing star and decided to make a wish. A few minutes later I asked my grandma what she wished for ( this was SO many years ago yet I still remember what she said). She wished for all her children to be healthy and happy in life. As a small child, I didn't understand why she didn't wish for something tangible ( like a million dollars). I don't remember what I wished for but I am sure it was something materialist like a doll or something.

As an adult, there are very few "tangible" things that I need or even want. Around the holidays it makes this all too apparent. People are always asking "What's on your wish list?"  It is definitely nice to have new things, but the real things in life that make you happy are things that money can't buy.  They are things like Wanting my dog to live forever, hoping a loved one is not ill, wishing that relationships would work out,  wishing friends and family lived a bit closer. And sometimes it's wishing I could get a good night's sleep without listening to a barking dog.  ( Actually, I think money could buy this wish. I live across from a hotel. I could buy a good night's sleep there I suppose...lol).

In any case, I thought today would be a good day to share this story.  Take a moment ( or two) and be thankful for the people in your life and forget about the "things".   I know quite a few people have taken the pledge to not shop today ( on Thanksgiving), because that is not what this holiday was intended for.  This certainly was not a challenge for me because I don't like to shop anyway!

Happy Thanksgiving Folks.  We are Thankful that you take the time to read what we write!

What are you thankful for?  What is it that you wish for?

While Visiting Disney, take me to Bahama Breeze Please

Like most travelers we fly into the Orlando International airport and take Disney's Magical Express to the Disney World Resort. When we get in line for the Magical Express, we can already feel the Disney Magic! Of course relying solely on Disney transportation can be a little limiting if you ever want to venture of property. We don't go off property much, so we don't usually mind.


This past trip we had the opportunity to get off property  and explore a little bit of the Lake Buena Vista area. One place that we stopped was Bahama Breeze on Vineland Avenue ( this is considered the Lake Buena Vista Location. There is another location on International Drive).  I am so glad that we stopped here for lunch. This was easily one of our best meals throughout the trip.

We walked right in and there was no wait if we wanted to sit outside on the lanai. This was perfect since it was an extremely gorgeous day out.


For starters, the spinach dip and chips. I also had this refreshing beverage but I forget what it was called. I know it was a "Sunset" something or other but couldn't find it on the menu.


I had the  Grilled Chicken with Cilantro Crema ( that is not a typo, it is crema, not cream) . It came with mashed potatoes and roasted corn topped with a blend of three melted cheeses drizzled with cilantro crema sauce!   This was amazing! Scott had the Key West Fish Tacos which he said was fantastic as well.
 
For dessert the waiter suggested this cake ( I think it was some sort of rum cake). I don't usually order dessert but since we were on vacation I thought "Why not".
 
The prices for this restaurant were very reasonable and more like what we would pay at a restaurant at home.   I know Bahama Breeze is a chain restaurant but we don't have one extremely close to where I live, so I was very pleased with this experience.  I'm thinking I might make the extra effort to travel the distance to get to one of these restaurants in my own state now. Yup, we do have 2 have them!   ~M
 
             Have you ever been to Bahama Breeze? If so, I hope you had a pleasant experience too!

                                          We are linking up with Deb at Focused on The Magic
 
 
.                                                       

More from Sports Unlimited



Remember a few weeks ago ( actually it was on Halloween), we shared with you some super duper savings on athletic and running apparel? Remember those .99 cent calf sleeves? Did any of you end up ordering those?

Well anyways, the generous folks at Sports Unlimited left me pick out an item free of charge to review.  I ended up picking out this Under Armour Running Jacket.  They were available in several colors. I really wanted the grey with the pink trim but that wasn't available in my size.  I also liked the blue and orange jacket pictured above but I realized that I wouldn't have anything to match it. I have several pairs of grey and black running pants so I figured the grey/black jacket would be a more practical choice.

 From the review, I knew that it was going to be light weight so I thought it would be perfect for those windy days we were having. I've gone on several runs with it so far. The first time, it was a pretty chilly day and I only wore a long sleeve tech shirt underneath it. I really didn't think this windbreaker type jacket would keep me warm but boy was I wrong. It actually did! 

What I didn't expect were all the pockets in this jacket. Not only are there 3 zipper pockets on the outside but there are 2 netted pockets in the interior.

Here are the specs on this running jacket:

Lightweight protection from rain and wind, the Under Armour Qualifier Woven Women's Jacket features breathable HeatGear construction with moisture wicking properties.  Raglan sleeves with a semi-fitted design eliminates the bulk of extra fabric without inhibiting range of motion.  3 piece hood, chest pocket and 2 hand pockets.

Features:

  • Moisture Transport System wicks sweat away from the body
  • Breathable, lightweight woven construction delivers durability
  • Blocked woven melange panels on arms and hood
  • Wind/water resistant technology blocks the elements to regulate your core temp
  • Low-profile 3-piece hood with high neck for extra coverage
  • Raglan sleeves
  • Zip chest and hand pockets
  • Elastic cuffs and slight drop-tail hem
  • Semi-fitted cut eliminates the bulk of extra fabric
  • 100% polyester


If you are looking for some gifts for runners, definitely check out Sports Unlimited for some good buys. Right now they are offering $20 off purchases of $100 or more ( some exclusions apply).  Also a majority of the items are available for free shipping.  Happy Shopping!


                                          

Rock n Roll Las Vegas Marathon and Half Marathon

Sunday was the Rock n Roll Las Vegas Marathon and Half Marathon. We planned to just relax at the resort this day. We got a late start so we ended up having a late breakfast and therefore didn't feel like eating a lunch before we left our resort at around 2:30pm. We each ended up eating our banana from the 5K the night before as we walked to the monorail.  We were worried that we hadn't fueled properly that day before the race but we crossed our fingers and hoped for the best.

Unlike the 5k the night before, we were not able to walk to this race start from our hotel. The marathon and half marathon both started at the South end of the Las Vegas Strip. We had a quick walk to the monorail ( which unlike at Disney, you have to purchase a ticket to ride. We ended up purchasing a three day pass but didn't end up using it all the other days because we found it was more convenient to just walk to where we needed to be).   As we were on the monorail, I remembered that I forgot to put the "marathon cream" on the back of my knees like I had wanted to. I had been having some pain in that area and my sister bought this cream at the expo that she said worked for her. We rode the monorail all the way to the end ( which was the MGM resort), got off and still had to walk about 3 miles to the start line.

There were 48 corrals, and it filled up 2 roads! The marathon and half marathon started in the same place and were inter mixed in the corrals. We placed ourselves in the correct corrals although there was no one monitoring it. This was evident when I was at mile 2 and I was passing folks who had bib numbers in the 30's and 40's!
  It was quite chilly that evening ( there was actually a freeze warning in effect for that night). I ended up wearing a long sleeve shirt over my tank top and my gloves.  My mom wore a long sleeve as well and Lacey wore a short sleeve with her arm sleeves.

The first corral started at 4:30 pm and a few minutes later our corrals started. I can't believe how dark it got just in the few minutes that we waited to start.  The first mile was actually behind the Las Vegas Strip and then mile 2 was when we turned on to the strip. We passed the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign, which we both neglected to take a picture of.  Running down the strip and seeing all the lights and especially the lights, tall buildings, and Statue of Liberty from the New York, New York, resort gave me a feeling as though I was really running through New York City!  I figured after this race, I don't have a need to run a NYC race now!

From what I can remember, we were running on the strip till about mile 6. We passed the famous "Gold and Silver Pawn Shop" from the show Pawn Stars. I don't know who it was but I actually saw a person sitting inside. You would think they would be out cheering for the runners!  We passed multiple wedding chapels ( I wish I would have started counting them). Although I didn't witness any runners getting married, I did witness a runner stopping in front of the Elvis Chapel to propose to another runner.

Mile 7 was in a residential area and then mile 8 was in front of Freemont street. That is where they were giving out GU and where the split off was. Half marathoners went left and marathoners went right.  After the left hand turn, the half marathoners were back on the strip again until we reached the finish line.  I ended up crossing the finish line at 2:20.  I was actually pleased with this time seeing as this was my time when I first ran 13.1 miles in 2013. My goal for that year was to try to improve that time but as you know, I ended up being injured for 7 months so my previous half marathons were not ran for time.  I may not have improved, but at least I'm back where I started!

 I had my Garmin set for intervals but did not follow it. Actually I never looked at my pace or time ( except once at mile ten). I was worried about having some pain behind my knee, but that never happened.  Since I had to be cautious on the 5K route the night before, I was worried about these road conditions but they ended up being fine. Traffic was blocked off during this race so we had the entire road to run on. The only nuisance would be those reflectors on the road that actually did not even reflect. Also, at one point in the residential areas there was a "bike lane" painted on the road and I started to run on that but there were metal pieces sticking up. I have no idea what they were suppose to be for seeing as though there was nothing reflective on them. I almost tripped over the first one. ~M
The medal on the left is from the half marathon ( the full marathon was the same design but outlines in black instead of red and slightly bigger) the middle one is the remix challenge medal for doing both the 5K and the half/full ( it's a spinner medal and I bet we walked about another mile just to find those) and the one on the right is the 5K medal we earned the day before.


 Now on to the FULL Marathon....When I first signed up for this race I was really excited. I had never ran a fall marathon and was excited to see how my training in the summer would reflect my race in the fall.  With cooler temps and a flat course, I was hopeful for a PR. But ever since MCM I have been having IT band issues and haven't gotten any long runs in. When I was at the Expo in Vegas I purchased this marathon cream that was suppose to help with soreness on the area. I don't if it was a quick fix or if it was just in my head but I thought it really helped with the pain. It was almost like a Biofreeze that smelled good. After I put it on my leg I was freezing. It almost felt like a numbing cream.  No wonder why I wasn't in any pain after I put it on! I used it that night several times as well as the next morning. I wish I would've put it on right before I left to the start but time got away from me and I was busy doing other things.
I was in corral 8 and when I started it was still daylight but not for long. I told myself I was going to be conservative since my leg had been bothering me. I kept thinking to myself I should've ran the half instead. They had the fun part up and back on the strip.  While we have to venture out into the desert. After we branched off at mile 9 we ran under the Freemont street dome. That was the most fun of the Full Marathon. There were many spectators along this stretch. After that, it just got really quite for a long time. There were a few bands along the way and a lighted arch you ran through, but nothing too exciting. During this time I became very cold and it was a bit windy. I kept thinking I was going to warm up while I was running but it was the complete opposite. I would sweat and then the sweat just made me cold. I was so glad to have chosen the short sleeve and arm sleeves opposed to the tank top I almost wore. I probably could've went with a long sleeve since I never rolled my arm sleeves down once. 

After hitting the half way mark I knew I was going slower than normal and knew I would have to pick it up a little the second half to make the time I wanted to. My leg was still bothering me a bit but I told myself I was going to feel it going slow or fast so lets pick it up. They say there comes a time in a marathon that it becomes mental over physical and I was hoping this was the time. The only other fun part was running back through the Freemont dome at mile 21. Shortly after that we were back on the strip for the home stretch. I kept thinking to myself regardless of my time I am going to finish strong and always know it could've been a lot worse. I don't regret anything that I have done during this marathon, except for not wearing a long sleeve shirt and gloves instead.
                                              After a cold but strong finish for each of us.
I am grateful for the experience,  but I wouldn't do the full marathon again. It was way too cold and no matter what corral you start, you run most of it in the dark. Lighting mostly came from street lights or the lights on the cop cars that were almost blinding. Either way, you definitely had to watch your footing at times. If you want to take part in this race weekend I would suggest the half, or the half of the half.  This was a good experience once but I don't think either one of us would do it again. As far as RnR Races go, VA Beach will always be our favorite!  ~L
Here is our Recap from the Las Vegas 5K if you are interested in reading that.
Have you ever run a race that you didn't quite know how to dress for?

Walt Disney World Marathon Meet -Up

If you are a friend of ours on Social Media ( Through our Facebook page, Twitter account or through Blogging) AND you are running any of the races during the Walt Disney World Marathon weekend, we invite you to a Meet Up.

We have been in discussion with a few other bloggers and have decided that Saturday January 10th would be a good time. This way we can celebrate those who had completed the half marathon and we can pump up those that will be running the full marathon the next day. Besides, we didn't know too many people who planned to go to the parks on Saturday afternoon ( due to the marathon being the next day). So this time frame seemed perfect.

So here are the details.

Saturday, Jan 10th at 2pm

Meet on the beach behind the Contemporary Resort.  Depending on how many people we have, we may be able to use some of the contemporary beach chairs but you might want to bring a beach towel too just in case.

We do plan to play some games.

We do have some vendors who have been gracious enough to donate some prizes for this event. I won't give too much detail about it, but there are some GOOD prizes!

So grab your favorite beverage and head over to the Contemporary Resort on Jan 10th!



We ( and our vendors) would like to have a count of how many people will be attending so if you plan to come can you please either let us know in the comments or leave us a message on our Facebook page. Thanks!

Holiday Flavored Running Fuels

There are always certain flavors that you associated with the holidays, right?  At Thanksgiving it's pumpkin, and then around Christmas time it might be peppermint, candy cane,or gingerbread.

We love when special "limited edition" flavored stuff comes out while it lasts.  We really get excited when we find Holiday flavored running fuels.   Here are a few you might want to pick up this holiday season.


1. Clif Bar- We love Clif Bars. This season's holiday flavors are Spiced Pumpkin Pie, Frosted Gingerbread, and Pecan Pie. I am sad to see that Cranberry Orange Nut Bread will not be returning to the holiday line up this year.

2. Honey Stinger Waffles- You know we love Honey Stingers too! Be sure to pick up a Gingersnap Waffle. It goes great with a hot chocolate or a hot chai tea!

3. Luna Bars- Nothing says the Holidays like biting into a Chocolate peppermint Luna bar. We will be sure to grab one of these this holiday

4. GU Energy Gels- Although not exactly listed as holiday flavors, The Salted Caramel and Caramel Macchiato will make you think of the holidays when you are on your run!

5. Lara Bar- If you are a fan of Lara Bars, they have you covered with holiday flavors. The Lara bar line up includes, Snickerdoodle, Gingerbread, Pumpkin Pie and a variety of other pie flavors as well.

What holiday flavored running fuel have you had lately?

Thank you for all your comments on our Rock n Roll Las Vegas 5K post. We will continue with the Las Vegas Marathon and Half Marathon next week.


                                          We are linking up with the gals from the Friday 5

Rock n Roll Las Vegas 5K



I suppose it is time for us to recap our Las Vegas experience.  We are not going to recap the expo because lets face it, once you've been to one expo, they are pretty much all the same and nothing too interesting happened.

The races kicked off on Saturday night with the first one being the 5K.  The 5K start, finish, and race village all took place in the parking lot of the SLS Hotel located on the North end of the Las Vegas strip. Because our resort was on the North end, we could easily walk to and from the 5K race and the expo. The expo was located at the Las Vegas Convention Center on the North end as well.

We were all undecided on what to wear. It was a bit chilly but I knew I would warm up as we ran so I decided to just wear my tank top.

Looking back, I shouldn't have worn a black tank top to a night race. Especially when there wasn't anything reflective on it.

I'm not sure how many corrals there were, but they must have been more crowded than anticipated because the security started splitting each corral into two.

The race stated at 6:30 pm and it was already dark.  There was very little light at the start line and beyond. This was kind of a problem because the first little bit was like running through an alley. There was gravel and pot holes and I don't think anyone expected that because I heard a lot of comments about it. People where definitely being cautious right out of the gate.

Once we got through that, we were running on the street the rest of the time. This was very well lit but we had to be cautious of the light reflectors along the road. 


The roads we ran on were not closed down, there was heavy traffic on them. This made the section we were suppose to run on very narrow ( and a lot of it was on the uneven surface of the shoulder of the road). At some points we were able to run on the sidewalk but there were also some non runners walking on them as well so we had to watch for them. The roads were also cracked and full of pot holes.  Shortly after mile one a runner in front of us tripped. She went down hard.  We made sure she was okay. She ended up scraping her knees. This was a reminder to us to be very cautious on the rest of the run.

The 5K race was basically a run around the block and we did run on the strip for a little part of the way, so that was fun!  The crowd support was really great too.  As we came back around to cross the finish line, they had some arches set up with Christmas lights for us to run through.

They had the standard finish line snacks and support at the end. We had about a half hour left before the concert started and we were starting to get a little chilly so we just decided to start walking back to the resort.  Overall I thought the atmosphere was a lot of fun but I didn't like running beside traffic.
 

This was the first time that Rock n Roll offered a 5K race in Vegas and I am glad we did it. I'm glad they had a variety of race distance so lots of people could be involved.


         I'm loving the 5K shirt we got and was pleasantly surprised that it was long sleeved.

 
This 5K medal is huge ( and heavy). It's probably one of the largest 5K medals  I've earned. (It's actually a bit larger than the Half Marathon medal)
 
 
 
What is your favorite 5K medal?

Holiday Card Swap Update

Hi everyone! We are back from our exhausting Las Vegas trip. Glad to be back on the East Coast but this frigid weather was not a happy welcome this morning. I guess it could be worse, we could have come home to snow.



I just wanted to pop in and tell you all who are participating in the Holiday Card Swap that all emails have been sent out.  You should have received an email with another blogger's mailing address and their blog address.   ( If you contacted us through Facebook, then we responded to you through Facebook so check your messages)

Just in case you are wondering, the way we organized this is we wrote everyone's name and address down on a piece of paper in the order that we received your address.  The person who's name was below yours, is the person you will be sending the card too.  Lacey and I then drew random numbers and then inserted our names on the list there.

If you are unfamiliar with the person who's name was sent to you, please make sure to check out their blog to get a sense of who they are.

The swapping will start next week and all cards should be sent out by December 15. When you receive your card, don't forget to mention it on your blog!

If you need more info, here is the original Holiday Card Swap Post.

If you have any additional questions or find that there was a mess up with someone's blog address or real address, please let me know.  I am in the process of returning emails that some of you had sent pertaining to other things.  Sadly, I had to take my computer to Best Buy while I was on vacation and when Scott picked it up, he had found that the whole computer had been WIPED OUT. I have nothing left on this computer so I will be starting from scratch again! Luckily I was able to save a few things. Needless to say, I'll have a lot of work to do over the next few days!

But anyway, Thanks for participating and happy swapping!


Have you ever lost everything on your computer?  ~M

A Visit to Nine Dragons at Disney's Epcot Center


                                                                    
On one of the evenings that we were visiting Epcot during the Food and Wine Festival, we decided that we wanted a sit down meal instead of grabbing some food from one of the kiosks.

Nine Dragons  restaurant in the China Pavilion wasn't even on my radar of a place I wanted to visit but Scott suggested it and I thought "Why not?". I had ever eaten here before so I was up for something new.

Do You Roo?


I wanted to share this product today because I thought it might be a good product that some people might want to put on their holiday list.

Anytime I find a new running product I am always excited to try it. There are many fuel belts out there, some great some not so much. The biggest problem that comes with fuel belts is finding the right one that doesn't bounce while your run. Another problem are the loops that you put your GUs through that you find may fall out during your run. Well problem solved.  Meet the Roo Sport. 



 
Roo Sport is a small pouch that has a magnetic strip that fits on your waistline. The above picture is just to show where it snaps at. (Of course I would not wear my shirt tucked in while I run). The pocket actually is open that faces towards you so it is easy access. There is an additional pocket that has a zipper on the other side.
There are few different sizes to choose from. I chose the smallest one. One because I didn't need anything too big and two it was the least expensive.  The description said it would fit several GUs, keys, and credit cards. I thought that's exactly what I need it for. Perfect!  It did make it very clear that the small ones did not fit smart phones.  I don't normally carry my phone with me anyways and was not looking for something that did so I wasn't to worried about that. Well let me tell you, my phone DID fit (without the case). I have the Samsung Galaxy 3. I was quite surprised.  
 
I took a few trial runs with it on and I couldn't even tell I had anything on. I had several GUs and a few tissues in there.( Even though my phone fit in it, I did not run with it). The real test was when I used it for the Vegas full Marathon. it was great! I had no problems with it bouncing or getting anything out of it I needed.

In addition to wearing it for the race, I wore it during the day walking around. It was so nice to not have a purse to carry around. I did put my phone in it during this time, as well as credit cards, cash, and chapstick. I am looking forward to taking it with me to Disney World while visiting the parks. It will be great to go hands-free.

If you want to try a Roo of your own,  they are giving a 20 % discount. Use code roosale at checkout.

Have you ever heard/tried of Roo Sport?   ~L
 
If so what did you think of it? 
If not what are you waiting for? Go try it!
 
I was not asked to write this review. I truly love the product and just wanted to share.



 

Live from Las Vegas

Good morning all! Well, it's still morning here in Vegas anyway! These past few days have been absolutely exhausting. We had the very long plane ride, then the 5K, and then the Full and Half marathons last night.

We will get a full review of the races later this week but last night's race was a bit chilly. There was even a freeze warning in effect. Can you believe that? Of all nights! Besides that, there was still some PR action going on! We aren't quite the party animal type so we didn't do a lot of celebrating afterwards. The cold weather and pure exhaustion we felt played a role in that. However, we will be going out some today and tonight. The weather is actually suppose to be warmer today.

We also want to give a big congrats to our friends who ran in Richmond and in Disneyland this weekend. It was a great weekend for races!

Did you race this weekend?

Items you'll want for cold weather running.....



Happy Friday Folks!  The theme for the Friday 5 this week is Cold Weather Running Tips.  We have been extremely lucky that it has been quite mild in our neck of the woods lately. However, I hear all that will change this weekend. I hear it will be cold! It's a good thing we are on our way to Las Vegas!  I'm hoping it's not cold there. We went to Vegas a few years ago in November ( this same weekend) and it was freezing!  It has been quite a dilemma figuring out how to pack!

So anyway, here are some tips on cold weather running.

First piece of advice:  Don't do it.  I kid. I know not everyone has a treadmill at their home or access to a gym. So in that case here are some of my favorite things to help keep warm on those cold runs.


#1. I wouldn't have been able to get through some of my runs last winter with out my Under Armour Cold Gear hood. I've seen similar ones but they were made of fleece or heavier material. Plus, this is the only one I could find that wasn't black. I felt that if I ran around town in a black hood like this that people might think I was a burglar..haha.

#2 Another piece of essential gear for me were some fleece lined leggings that I found. I'm pretty sure they aren't specifically for running. I found them at a clothing boutique in town. They are polyester and not cotton and they work great.  I will ditch my compression pants and wear these on cold days.

3. My Running Gaiter is another thing that I love. Mine is a pretty purple C9 by Champion one.  ( True story: I actually wear this in the summer too. Whenever we ride in the convertible, I wear it over my head so my hair doesn't blow all over) My husband thinks I look like a goof but I think it looks 1950's fab. Although it is meant for around the neck, mine is stretchy enough that I can pull it up over my head when I run. I like using this on windy days. I would show you a picture, but of course I look like a goofball! Hey, what you need to do to stay warm.

4. Right now I am using my knit gloves from Runningskirts.com but I am hoping to get a pair of running gloves that have the touch screen tip on the fingers so I can access my electronics ( like my ipod) when I run without having to take my gloves off.  The whole touch screen thing isn't something that I normally think about ( and you might not either) until I'm out in the cold and want to hit the next track on my ipod. I did get a pair of those touch screen gloves for Christmas last year but they were dressy gloves and not very warm at all.

5 ( Final Tip) I admit, a snowy run can be fun. I did a few of those last year and it was peaceful, almost like running through a winter wonderland. Just make sure you  are running on paths and sidewalks that are cleared. You don't want to run over any unexpected ice hiding underneath that fine layer of snow.

Don't forget we are coming up on the last few days to enter the GIVEAWAY and sign up for the HOLIDAY CARD SWAP.

What gloves do you wear to run in?   ~M







Re-Decorate as a Runner

I have been wanting to re-decorate a few rooms in my house for quite a while now, but I keep putting it off and putting off because I believe painting a room is a huge undertaking. Scott on the other hand thinks it's no big deal. If you don't like the color, you can just paint over it. Well, as true as that may be, I know that's easier said then done.  A lot of time and effort goes in to painting. It's not just painting, it's moving furniture, covering the carpet, taping up the trim, etc. That is why I study my paint samples days on end, in the dark, in the light, in the natural daylight, and up against the carpet before I decide which color to go with. I want to make sure it's a color I'm going to be happy living with for many years!

all photos are from Goneforarun.com
So let me give you a little background, ten years ago when we purchased our home, it was a blank slate. White walls everywhere. Scott insisted we get some color on them. Of course I went through my routine of getting the paint samples and then taking forever to decide on a color. One evening we were at Home Depot to get some paint samples for the living room. I thought we were only getting samples but Scott insisted that we come home with a color that evening. I was going crazy, I couldn't decided on something right there on the spot. You mean I can't take it home and see it in the dark? I can't see how it looks in the daylight? I can't match it up against the carpet?  So trying to be a smart alec, I pulled out just a random paint sample and said "okay, I'll go with this one".  I really just wanted to see what Scott would say. Being as agreeable as he is, he said "okay, lets go get it mixed up". I was shocked. I said WAIT, Do you know what color this is? It's Pink. We can't have a pink living room.  Actually the color was called  "Suede by Eddie Bauer", And it was a deep shade of pink. Needless to say, that is the color we ended up with and it has been on our living room wall for 10 years now.

I'm a little sick of the color, but alas I am too lazy to go through the effort to re-paint it. Actually I think the thing that is holding me back is that I haven't found the perfect drapes yet! But in the meantime I am going to try to redecorate in other ways to bring in some different colors.

I wanted to add shades of blue to this room and this pillow that I received from Gone For A Run is helping me do that. This is just the incentive I needed to start displaying more colorful decorations.

I haven't bought any throw pillows in quite a while because I had a dog that would chew them a part. This particular dog no longer spends time in the living room anymore, so I am happy to display this pillow there! I was surprised to see that the pillow had a smooth satin-y type finish on it and the casing is removable and washable. If you look really closely, inside the chevron print is a stick figure runner girl. It's hard to see and I didn't notice it either at first.  The pillow insert is actually a faux down and it very soft. I really liked the Chevron print and wanted it in blue ( because like I said, I want to start adding more color to my room), but there are lots of fun styles and prints to choose from.
all photos are from Goneforarun.com

The above dog pillow was also a contender. You can of course get your name or a race bib printed on it as well.  Gone For A Run has over 50 styles of pillows and each one of them comes in multiple colors.

Scott keeps encouraging me to hang my medals downstairs so I can show off my accomplishments, but I like all my medals upstairs in my dressing room. However, I do like that Gone For a Run has these items that  have a running themes without being too "in your face" about it. Like the subtle 13.1 on the pillow I got, and the great word art that is pictures in the first photo. Gone For a Run also has some cute picture frames and some wall art as well.   ~M

Do you have any "Runner" decorations in your home?

I am a Gone For a Run ambassador and was provided the 13.1 pillow free of charge. As always, all opinions are my own.

Runner Stuff I'm Loving and My Birthday!



Since today is my birthday I thought I'd share with you some of the goodies I received this week.

Medal Hanger- I was pretty excited about this one in particular because it is the J&A logo. If you live in the Virginia area and ever ran any of their races, then you will recognize this. I completed all the J&A races in 2013. In additional to one in 2012 and one in 2014. Now I have a place to display them all.
 

Also I got a mini foam roller to take when I travel to races. This will come in handy this weekend for Vegas.


I got this piece of Bling in the mail this week. It's for completing 2 Rock n Roll series races.  I'm looking forward to getting my third one after Vegas.
 
 
 
I was sent a box of Protein Chox to try. I worked some long hours this week and thought it was the perfect time to try them since they have 22 grams of protein. After eating one of these bars I can honestly say they were quite filling and it held me off until my next meal, unlike many protein bars I have tried in the past. A few things I enjoyed about these bars is they don't have hardly any dietary fiber in them. Now you may think that is a bad thing, but when you are working long hours and always on the go you don't have time for additional bathroom breaks. And with that much protein in them, they are filling enough.  Speaking about protein. It did not taste like most protein bars that you may have tried. I hate when you can actually taste the whey protein in it and the thick consistency it may come with. This almost takes like it could pass as a candy bar. The flavor I tried was maple and pecan, which was delicious. But they also have many other tasty flavors to try.
 I was given a complementary box of Protein Chox to enjoy.
 
And although not running related, I came home from work and this was set up in the dining room.
 
And this Burt's Bees Gift Basket was delivered to me.
 

Since I had off from work this past weekend, the Melting Pot was the restaurant of choice for my celebration. Of course it looked better after it was cooked, but who has time for pictures after it's cooked:)

And then there was dessert....delicious!    ~L
 
 
Have you tried Protein Chox?  Do you like the Melting Pot?
 
Don't forget to Enter our GIVEAWAY and sign up for the Holiday Card Swap.

What every Massage therapist wants you to know




I have done many post race massages, the ones that are offered directly after the race but I have had very few "professional" massages. Don't get me wrong, I am sure the people giving the massages in the race tents are professionals, but I'm talking about a massage at a spa or studio. My first "real" massage was at the Phonecian Resort and Spa in Arizona and that was several years ago. A few months ago I had my second "real" massage at a studio near my home and it was fabulous. Do you remember me commenting back then about the massage therapist being blind? Well that was not a concern at all. In fact I booked a second appointment with her and it was equally as fantastic.
In fact, we talked about some things people can do to make sure they (and their massage therapist) have a pleasant experience.


1. Get there early: If you are a first timer, you will need to show up early to fill out paperwork and what not. If you have been there before, know that generally your time starts from when your appointment is scheduled, NOT from when your massage starts. For instance, if your appointment is at 9:00 am and you show up at 9:10, you've already loss 10 minutes of massage time.  Of course each massage therapist is different and if nobody is scheduled after you, he or she might give you a break. But to play it safe, show up early.

2. Be clean and showered: you would think this is a given but my massage therapist said that you wouldn't believe how many people come right to the studio after working out at the gym.

3. Don't wear a bunch of Jewelry, tie long hair back and watch how you dress: This is also common sense. You'll end up taking that jewelry off anyway. I would also add to not dress too complicated. You don't want to waste too much time fiddling with ties and buckles and buttons and what not. You will be taking your clothes off ( with the exception of your underpants). Don't worry, you will be covered with a sheet the entire time.

4. Hydrate: Not only should you be hydrating well before the massage, but hydrating well AFTER the massage is essential. My massage therapist gave a very good analogy when she said our bodies are like a wet dish cloth. When you wring out the cloth you are releasing all the water. The same thing happens with our body.

5. Communicate with your therapist: Sounds easy enough but not a lot of people do this. Tell the massage therapist what you want. If you have problem areas, tell them. If the pressure is to intense, tell them. If the pressure is not enough, tell them. Don't be afraid that you will offend them. They want to give you the experience you want but they are not mind readers!

* If you are a Runner it is not recommended that you get a deep tissue massage the day before a race.  Your massage should be at least 2 or more days away from race day. Remember this tip  when you go on a "Racecation" because you may be tempted to check out the spa at the resort and get that much needed massage before race day.   Lighter massages should be okay.

Where is your favorite place to get a massage?

Don't forget to enter our GIVEAWAY and have you signed up for the HOLIDAY CARD SWAP?


Holiday Card Swap

If you are reading this post, then that means you are a blogging friend of ours. We'd love for you to increase your circle of blogging friends this Holiday season and that is why we are hosting a Holiday Card Swap.

We would love for ALL of you to join in. Here's how it will work.

Each blogger who participates will get the name and address of another blogger. You would then send that blogger a holiday card.

You are encouraged ( but not required) to send "a little something" with your card. It might be just some words of encouragement, maybe a coupon for an item you think they would like, it could be anything really, but please make sure it fits inside the card. We don't want you to have to use anymore then one stamp to send it!

Once you get the name of your "secret blogger" you are encourage to visit their blog ( if you aren't already reading it of course). You might find that they are training for an upcoming race or maybe they are having a tough time with something and your encouraging words will be just what they need this holiday season.   It is up to you as to whether or not you want to keep your "Secret blogger" a secret.

Once you receive a card from a "secret blogger"  please mention it on your blog and give that blogger a shout out.  ( you can also mention that you are doing the Holiday Card Swap with Fairytales and Fitness so your readers don't think you just get random cards from people...haha)

 Know that you will actually be connecting with 2 blogger, One that you will send a card to and one that will be sending you a card.  We thought this would be the best way to increase engagement among all who want to participate. Also, we don't have to worry about having an even number of participants.

Okay, so now you want to participate, right. So now what?

1Let us know that you want to participate by Nov 17.  PM us on Facebook, or email us. ( Our email can be found on the about us page).  You'll need to supply us with the name of your blog ( which I am sure we already know) and your mailing address.  Please know that your mailing address will only be share with us ( Meranda and Lacey) and whoever is chosen to be your "Secret blogger".  Sometime after Nov 18, you will get an email stating who your "Secret Blogger" is.

2. Follow us on Facebook. You'll want to make sure you are joining in our discussions this holiday season. Also this will be an easy way for us to communicate with you.

3. Mail out your Card.  Holiday cards should be mailed out between Nov 28 and Dec 15.  This way we get it all in before the Holiday rush of that last week before Christmas.  And remember, once you get your card, mention it and the sender in a blog post!

Okay, so now who's ready to spread some Holiday Cheer with us?

A Peek In Our Week and A Tip You Might Want To Know

I finally found a trail around my area. A friend showed me where it was and it's pretty close to my house and I never knew it was even there. Since finding this trail this week, I have already been there twice running 8 miles each time. It is a nice change of scenery as well as terrain. But I don't think I would run through there by myself (kind of scary, maybe I am just a wimp). If I do, I would definitely bring my phone on that run. ~L

My IT band is still bothering me this week. I did take a few days off and don't plan on doing much this coming week. Also my feet have been so sore. I have so many blisters that I can't pop, almost like calluses. I keep thinking it has to be my shoes because I have been wearing the same kind of socks forever and never had any before,  unlike the shoes. But I know a week before the marathon is not ideal on finding another pair of shoes. Any suggestions?  ~L
 
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I still hadn't kicked that cold last week but I still tried to get some runs in. I did 4 miles outside on Tuesday, 3 treadmill miles on Friday, and 10 miles on the trail on Saturday. It is absolutely beautiful hear today so I am hoping to head out to do some more this afternoon.  ~M
 
 While I was on the phone with a good friend Thursday night, we were talking about each of our illnesses. (I think it's a sign of getting older when you have in depth conversations about mucus and phlegm)  But anyway, she was telling me a tip she learned from her friend about using vinegar an water to clear your throat of phlegm. At this point I was willing to try anything, so I did.
 
In case you find yourself in my situation later this season, here is what I did.
 
 
Mix 2/3 cup cold water with 1/3 cup Apple Cider Vinegar.  Gargle, and then ( with the mixture still in your mouth) hang your head upside down ( like you are going to touch your toes).  Every 2 -3 seconds tap the rough of your mouth with your tongue ( I think this controls where the liquid goes in your mouth).  You are suppose to stay in this position for 3 minutes. I couldn't only stand to do it for only 1 minute ( because I couldn't breath out of my nose because it was all stuffed up and I obviously could not open my mouth).
 
What is suppose to happen is that the apple cider vinegar is suppose to draw out all the mucus/phlegm and then after the 3 minutes, you spit out the apple cider/water mixture and the phlegm goes with it and you have a clear throat.  I did this 3 times for only 1 minute each time. I can't say that it removed all my phlegm forever, but it did clear it up a little bit and I did feel better for the rest of the night. I do wonder if it was really the apple cider vinegar or if it was just the motion of hanging my head upside down that did it?    ~M
 
Do you have any remedies to help clear your throat of phlegm?

How to Stay On Track During the Rough Patches

The theme for the Friday Five this week is "How to Stay on Track'.  There couldn't have been a better theme for me to write about this week because after struggling with a cold last week and this week, I could have certainly found myself veering off track. However, I haven't fell of completely and here's why.

1. I have a running partner. I strongly suggest you get a buddy. Even if it's a walking buddy. You need some one to call you up and tell you they are picking you to go run/walk on the trail even when you don't feel like it. 

2.  I make ways to get workouts done in my own home. Fortunately, I have a treadmill at my house that I can use anytime I want. I know not everyone has the capability to run on a treadmill at home, but you can find some other way to stay active without having to drag yourself to the gym. I've also started doing a favorite workout video of mine again. It's called Fat Burning Cardio and I love it because it uses the Fitness Bands.

3.I track my progress on a calendar. I have a running log that I use. Sometimes it takes me a couple of days to transfer my data from my Garmin to my Calendar, but when I do, I feel so accomplished.  Seeing a few days gap on your calendar should be a sure way to motivate you to get stuff done!

4. I follow a training plan. I've never followed a training plan for any of my other races, I just ran on how I felt. Now that I am training for the Marathon I wanted something in print to follow. I admit I have adjusted some of the miles to suite me at the time but what really helps me is having a plan of how many miles I will be running before I even get out the door.

5. Okay, and if the above suggestions aren't enough to help keep you on track/motivated. Think about what your race day will be like? Do you want to be struggling?  Do you want to risk injury?  Do you want to fall behind all of your friends who have been training for months?  I didn't think so. So this is just more reason to make sure you get off the couch and go get stuff done!

I know the next month or so it may be a challenge to get those runs in.  I'm sure there will be weekends where we have Holiday things going on and we might not get that long run in, the weather is going to start getting colder, and illness will be in the air. We can't let these things get us off track though.   Hang in there friends!    ~M


Don't forget, there is still time to enter our GIVEAWAY!!!!!

                                    


If the Disney Princess lived in the United States, Where would they live?

Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday. Today is just a day to be completely random.
The thought for this post came about while we were working in the yard one day. Isn't it amazing what random stuff we come up with...lol.  But really, it should be no surprised to you that we came up with this post since we love Disney so much!

 
Okay, so if the Disney princess lived in the United States, where would they call home?  This is all in good fun of course.

1. Snow White : Since she lived with 7 little men that worked in the coal mines, we thought she would probably live somewhere in West Virginia.

2. Aurora (Sleeping Beauty): She would live in the sleepiest city in the United States, Seattle of course!

3. Bell (Beauty and the Beast)She'd find her home among all the other "Southern" belles in Charleston, South Carolina!

4. Ariel ( Little Mermaid); She'd start out living in Sea Isle City New Jersey, but later retire to Key West.

5.Tiana ( Princess and the Frog): She would live in New Orleans. There really isn't any doubt about that.

6. Rapunzel: She of course is use to being in high places so somewhere with high altitude would suit her fine. We think she would make her home in Colorado. Maybe in Denver.

7. Merida: Although she is originally from Scotland, we think she would make her home somewhere in Montana. They have a good population of bear there and she'd have lots of places to shoot her bow!

8. Jasmine: Since this princess is use to warm climates, we thought she would do well living in New Mexico. Besides, she already enjoys looking for magic carpets, maybe she will enjoy looking for UFO's.

9.Pocahontas: And just because we don't want to re-write history, we will keep Pocahontas in Virginia!  Maybe some day she'll make it down to the beach!

10: Mulan: For no particular reason, we thought Mulan might be happy living in California. Maybe in San Francisco?

11 Cinderella:  Now clearly, she'd live in the Hamptons!

While we were doing this post, we looked up a list of Disney Princess so we were sure not to forget anyone. While doing that we cam upon some interesting facts.

* There are 11 official Disney Princesses and 2 unofficially in waiting. Can you guess who the ones in waiting are? Anna and Elsa of course ( and of course if they made their home in the U.S, they would live in Alaska, right?)

* Snow White is the youngest Disney Princess.

*Cinderella is suppose to be the "leader" of the Princesses.

*Ariel is the only one to have ever had children.

*Merida is the only princess that didn't have a love interest.

You want to learn more Disney Princess Trivia, click HERE.


So thanks for having fun with us today!
If these Disney Princess did live in the United States, which one would you live near?
Do you have any other random facts to add?


Don't forget to enter our GIVEAWAY that is still going on.

Songs that are Perfect for Night Races



As we are gearing up for Rock n Roll Las Vegas ( which is a night race), we decided that we wanted to revamp our play list to add more "night" time songs. You know there are certain songs that just give you that Night time vibe? Since many runners are heading to Disney's Wine n Dine  this week ( which is also a night race), we thought maybe they would appreciate these suggestions too.

 So whether you are running Vegas, Wine n Dine, the new Surfin Santa night race, or any other night race, be sure to check out some of these tunes. You might just want to add a few to your play list.

1. We Run the Night - Pitbull and Havana Brown

2. Tonight is the Night - Outasight

3. Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO

4. White Walls - Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

5. Starships - Nicki Minaj

6. Dynamite - Taio Cruz

7. Counting Stars - One Republic

8. I've Got a Feeling - Black Eyed Peas ( This should probably be the first song on our playlist for a night race. It will hopefully set the tone for the race)

9. Wake Me Up - Avicii  ( Because we too just might be feeling our way through the darkness being guided by a beating heart)

10. Some Nights - FUN

11. Stay The Night- Zedd and Hayley Williams

12. Waiting For Tonight- Jennifer Lopez

13. We are Young - FUN

Good luck to everyone running Wine n Dine or any other upcoming Night Race!

What other "Night" songs would you add to our list?