WeekEnd Round-Up 2/28

"Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others, cannot keep it from themselves."
~James M Barrie

This weeks workouts
Tuesday: 3 miles, 20min kettle ball ab work
Thursday:5.1 miles
Friday: 3 miles

Total Miles:
week:11.1
month: 29 miles
year: 79.9 miles

How'd I do this week

~Run 15 miles: Not quite if I would have just gotten one more 4 mile run in. :(
~Start a Pretraining workout for my 1/2: I missed two runs the plan calls for 5 days of running a week that is a real stretch for me I might have to combine some miles to make it 4 runs instead of 5.

Goals for Next Week:

~Run 15 miles
~ No Caffeinated Beverages ( I have been having headaches and always seem to associate them with caffeine so I must need to cut back. )

Great things going on in the blogworld

*Race Reports (I love 'em how about you?? If you posted a race report and would like it linked let me know I would love to stop by and leave a comment)

Racing With Babes
Amy's Running Life
My Journey to Fit
The Boring Runner
Eri-Thon: From 0 to 26.2 in 30
Finishing is Winning




It's For A Good Cause:

Mel from Tall Mom on The Run is hosting a Virtual Race on March 27th to raise money for Susan G. Kormen for a Cure. So stop by and check it out.

Laura who you can find over at My Reason to Run has put together an amazing raffle/giveaway for Joubert Syndrome

Giveaways!!!

I'm a Sleeper Baker: Baking Dishes 3/5
Long Legs on the Loose: Road ID 3/5
Run Mommy Run!: BondiBand 3/5
The Fat Chick Runs: Tote bag full of Goodies 3/4
Run Momma, Run: Road ID 3/5
Endurance Isn't Only Physical: Running Skirt 3/5

Giveaway Winner!!!

Without further ado the winner my One More Mile giveaway is...
#42 Erin check here out at Eri-thon: From 0 to 26.2 in 30

Congratulations!!! Thanks to everyone who stopped by and entered, and if you haven't already be sure and check out my GU Giveaway!!!

Have a Wonderful Week!!!

Feature Friday- GU Review & Giveaway!!!

It is not uncommon to hear opinions on chews, gels, and electrolyte replacing beverages , so I am taking the opportunity to chime in with my 2 cents about GU. Over this past month I have sampled some of their products, I've tried the...

Chomps: (Performance Energy Chew) I thought they were good I favor the Cranberry Apple Flavor and didn't really care for the Strawberry (but that's just me), they are a tad thick so make sure you have plenty of water to wash them down. I have used them on a few runs including my longest run to date 6.2 miles and felt good throughout the run.

Brew: (Electrolyte Replacement Drink) I am a fan of proper hydration what can I say leg cramps and headaches don't really suit me. All the flavors were good but the Lemon Lime came out as 1st place with Blueberry Pomegranate following with a close second and sadly Orange takes 4th place in the brew competition.

Energy Gel: Saving the best for last the GU Energy Gel I learned from the GU website that they started out with their gels and honestly the gels were the product I least wanted to test out (fear of stomach issues) but I am so glad I was sent some of the Jet Blackberry and Chocolate Outrage to try, though I must admit I personally am not a fan of the Jet Blackberry and I am unconditionally and irrevocably in love with the Chocolate Outrage (yes that was my attempt at a Twilight reference, don't hold it against me) but really it is that good it's like a tiny piece of heaven, it taste like chocolate pudding, a little bit thicker, sweet but not sickeningly so. If it didn't have caffeine in it I would seriously consider buying them to eat as 100 calorie snacks, bottom line I'm a big fan.

From the Website:

"From 1991 until today, athletes the world over have come to the same conclusion: GU works. Our Berkeley-based sports nutrition company started with our original GU Energy Gel, a revolutionary and more effective method to keep athletes fueled during exercise. Since then, GU has continued to improve the recipe, incorporating the latest scientific research into its products. In 2001, GU Electrolyte Brew (formerly Gu2o) was launched as the perfect hydration companion to GU Energy Gel. 2008 saw the introduction of Roctane Ultra Endurance Energy Gel, followed by Chomps Energy Chews and GU Recovery Brew in 2009. Every product is formulated to further GU’s mission: to help athletes go faster and longer than ever before."

I understand that everyone has different likes and tastes so I don't expect you to go out and get the Chocolate Outrage Energy Gel just because I say it's awesome (it is though, it really is) or the Lemon Lime Brew because I enjoy a little citrus refreshment when I workout that's just what works for me; but I will say that I believe fully that somewhere in the GU product line you will find a product maybe two that you will like and that will work for you.

Buy It: To read more about GU products or to shop online visit them at www.guenergy.com

WIN IT!!!!
( I couldn't share with you my the GU experience and not give you a chance to try some,

up for grabs the GU Products pictured below)

~ To enter: share with me how you GU or how you stay hydrated and energized during workouts??

For me a GU Gel or Chomp 15 mins. before and water with 1/3 package of GU Brew in my waterbottle, during works for my runs (my longest run right now is generally about 4-6 miles), and I have also started taking GU Brew along with me to my step and cardio classes

Extra Entries: (Please Leave a separate comment for each)

~ Become a fan of GU on Facebook
~Follow GU on twitter
~Become a follower of this blog, or let me know you already are
~Link back to this contest

Contest open to U.S and Canada only. Ends 03/05/10. Winner will be chosen using random.org and will be announced in my Sunday Weekend Report post and emailed.

Three Things and One Questions Thursday

• I love the Amazing Race!!! Every week I tell my husband "I want to go on the show" then I see someone walking a tight rope 120 ft. in the air or getting kicked by a cow and I think "not so much"
• I missed my workout yesterday :( the good news is my husband got tired of my whining felt so bad for me that he agreed to go on a run with me today, yay!, he never runs with me so it should be interesting to see how this turns out.
  
• For some reason to me eating Subway for dinner is strange who eats a sandwich for dinner? (we did last night) but I see no problem with eating eggs and pancakes for dinner, what kind of weird am I???
  

Question: Okay so your best friend who never runs decides you are such an inspiration that she want to start training to run a 5k if you could give her only 1 piece of advice to start her on her journey what would it be???

This is one thing I learned my first few days blogging:

"That 100% cotton t-shirt and socks that you love to workout in are not your friend, if it's not wicking it's not working"

I Asked, You Answered #1- It's All About The Music

Last week on my Three Things Thursday Post I ended with a couple of questions and I would like to turn those answer into a weekly post this weeks questions were all about music so here we go

Poll: Do you listen to music while working out? (out of 26 responses)

62% said yes
15 said no
23 % said sometimes


I asked what songs get you pumped, you answered and here's what were listening to...

Black Eyed Peas- "I Gotta Feeling"
Black Eyed Peas- "Imma Be"
Black Eyed Peas-"My Humps"
Will.i.am- "I Got It From My Mama"
Nelly/Lynyrd Skynyrd "Country Grammer/Sweet Home Alabama mashup"
Three Doors Down- "The Champion In Me"
Charlie Daniels-"Devil Went Down To Georgia"
Kat Deluna-"Unstoppable"
Miley Cyrus- "Climb"
Buckcherry-"Crazy B!tch
Michael Buble-"Feeling Good"
Foo Fighters-"Bets of You"
Paramore-"Misery"
Lady Gaga-"Just Dance"
Muse-"Uprising"
Green Day-"Eat Jesus Nowhere"
Kesha-"Tik Tok"
Toadies-"Possum Kingdom"
Prodigy-"Breathe"
Gloria Gaynor- "I Will Survive"
Good Charlotte-"The Anthem"
Cake-"The Distance"
The Doors-"Peace Frog"
Beastie Boys-"Sabatoge"
Weezer-"Beverly Hills"
Jay-Z/Alicia Keys-"Empire State of Mind"

Missed last week post or have a song that gets you moving and want to share it just shoot me a comment and I will add to the list.

Taste Test Tuesday 2/23

Garlic & Spinach Mashed Potatoes

(courtesy of Cooking with the 14 superfoods cookbook)

Ingredients

2 lbs. gold or red skinned potatoes
1 tsp. dried basil
2 tbs. butter
1/2 c. finely chopped onions
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 (10 oz) pkg. frozed chopped spinach, thawed
3/4 c. plain yogurt
salt and pepper, optional

Directions:
1. Scrub and thoroughly wash potatoes, but do not peel. In large pot, place clean potatoes and add water until potatoes are covered by 1" of water.
2. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook potatoes for 40 minutes , until tender.
3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, place 1 tbs. butter. Add chopped onions and minced garlic and saute until softened but not browned.
4.Drain excess water from spinach and add to skillet. Add dried basil and continue to eat until spinach is softened, about 5 minutes. 5.When potatoes are tender, remove from heat and drain pot, reserving 1 c. cooking water. Let potatoes cool slightly, peel and place in a large bowl. Using a potato masher, mash potatoes.
6.Fold in spinach mixture, yogurt, and remaining 1 tbs. butter.
7.If desired, add salt and pepper to taste. Continue to mash potatoes, adding reserved cooking water if necessary.

The Verdict: I used all the reserved liquid and them some, me and my husband liked them but I couldn't even talk my kids into trying them I should have let them watch me make them so they could see all that went in to them but the finished product for them just had to much going on.

(sorry I forgot to get a plated picture, on a plate they looked much more delicious)

Orange-Chocolate Macaroons
(courtesy of Weight Watchers magazine)

Ingredients:

1(7 oz) package flaked sweetened coconut
1/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. all purpose flour ( I used spelt flour)
4 lg egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 c. sliced almonds, chopped
Grated zest of 1 orange
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
4 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 tsp vegetable shortening

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine coconut, sugar, and flour in large bowl. Stir in egg whites, almonds, orange zest, vanilla, and almond extract until well blended. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet 1 inch apart, making a total of 20 cookies. Bake until lightly golden, 25-30 mintues. Slide parchment paper onto rack and let cool until firm, about 20 minutes. Peel macaroons off paper, transfer to rack and let cool completely.




3. Place chocolate and shortening in small microwavable bowl. Microwave on medium just until melted, 1-2 minutes, stirring at 30-second intervals. Stir until smooth, then let cool slightly.
4. Dip on half of each macaroon into chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Place macaroons on sheet of wax paper. Let stand until chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.

The Verdict: I made them for my husband since he loves some coconut, he liked them. In my opinion they were a little to sweet, you could probably get away with 1/4 c. sugar but they were tasted good coconut with a hint of orange and all you have to do is cover something in chocolate and it gets my vote. :)

Foodie Giveaways!!!

Live, Love, Eat and Play: Brothers Fruit Crisps 2/26
CinciMom11: Madhava Agave 2/28
Jocelyn Eats Fresh: Tons of foodie loot 3/7
Gathering My Roses: Chobani Greek Yogurt 2/26
Change of Pace: Newmans Own Organic 2/28
An Apple A Day: Namaste Foods 2/26
Chelsea's Chew and Run Fun: Chobani Greek Yogurt
Happy Runner Giveaways: Egglands Best 3/1
You Can Call Me Liv: Chobani Giveaway 2/25
Eat Oxygen: Don Sabrosa Salsa 2/23

WeekEnd Round-Up 2/21

"Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome."
~Arthur Ashe

This weeks workouts

Monday: Mini Boot Camp (60 min. class)
Tuesday: 2.0 miles
Wednesday: Core & Sculpt (60 min. class)
Thursday:4.2 miles ,20 mins. ab work with kettleball, ouch!

Total Miles:
week: 6.2
month: 17.9
year: 68.8 miles

Goals for Next Week

~Run 15 miles
~Start a Pretraining workout for my 1/2

Great things going on in the blogworld

*Race Reports (I love 'em how about you?? If you posted a race report and would like it linked let me know I would love to stop by and leave a comment)

Her name is Rio & She Runs
When I Get a Little, Run Run Run...
Two Runners and A Brown Dog
And Her Little Dog Too
Run Momma, Run
Make a Run For It
Fat Wuz Here
Age Group Rocks
21 Days

Recipes I wanna try:

White Beans & Sausage

It's For A Good Cause:

Mel from Tall Mom on The Run is hosting a Virtual Race on March 27th to raise money for Susan G. Kormen for a Cure. So stop by and check it out.

Laura who you can find over at My Reason to Run has put together an amazing raffle/giveaway for Joubert Syndrome

Giveaways!!!

Tall Mom on the Run: Running Essentials 2/24
Happy Runner Giveaways & Review: Champion Shorts 2/22
Running Fool: Road ID 2/21
Mom vs Marathon: Nuun 2/24
Run, Zoe, Run: Champion Gear 2/25
MCM Mama: Nuun Giveaway 2/24
Live, Smile, Run: My Glass Slipper Running Shirt 2/26
Chelsea's Chew and Run Fun: Chobani Greek Yogurt 2/22

Giveaways Winners!!!!

Sophia's Gourmet Foods Giveaway: #17 Felice check out her blog The Happy Runner

Inperspire Giveaway: #15 Carly you can find her at Tri-ing My Hardest

Kalyx Giveaway: #74 sAm from I've Been Set Free

Congratulations Ladies!!! Thanks to everyone who stopped by and entered, and if you haven't already be sure and check out my One More Mile Giveaway!!!

Have a Wonderful Week!!!

Feature Friday- One More Mile Review & GiveAway!!!

Workout apparel is my newest obsession, so I was a kid in a candy store when I came across One More Mile. This great company makes quality, affordable running apparel that is not only functional and comfortable but also fun with a dash of humor mixed in. I was able to choose a shirt to review and I figured since in my near future I am going to have to start increasing my mileage to get ready for my first 1/2 that their "Find Your Happy Pace" shirt would be a very appropriate choice. I put it to the test on my Valentine's Day 10k and it passed with flying colors. So my closing thoughts are I have only good things to say the fit, color (iris since purple is my favorite) & feel are all great and there are so many other shirts I would love to own. So I definitely recommend you stop by and check out the One More Mile website I don't think there is anyway you could leave without finding something you really really like.

From the Website:

Before we started this business we were runners and walkers buying exercise clothes in the retail marketplace – just like you. We hated having to pay so much money for running apparel, especially when the quality was questionable. It also seemed difficult to find basic, everyday running clothes. We didn’t need or want fancy and expensive. However, we wanted our exercise clothes to do the job, that is, to wick sweat, to be of good quality, and to be comfortable. So we did some research and learned that other runners felt the same way. About a year later Wick-lite fabrics and One More Mile Running Company were born.

We’ve also learned that many runners and walkers want clothes that are fun to wear and we try to honor this. Let’s face it, most of us are midpackers or back-of-the-packers and we’re not going to be breaking any world records. We’re running and walking for the joy and fun of it so why shouldn’t our clothes express this?

Buy It: To read more about One More Mile Running Apparel or to shop online visit them at www.onemoremilerunning.com

Win It!!!

Thanks to the generous people over at One More Mile one lucky reader will be able to win a short sleeve shirt of their choice.

Mandatory Entry
~ Visit the One More Mile site and let me know which shirt and color you would choose if you won.

Extra Entries: (Please Leave a separate comment for each)

~ Become a fan of One More Mile on Facebook
~Subscribe to the One More Mile Mailing List
~Become a follower of this blog, or let me know you already are
~Link back to this contest

Contest open to U.S and Canada only. Ends 02/26/10. Winner will be chosen using random.org and will be announced in my Sunday Weekend Report post and emailed.

I received a shirt from One More Mile to review, all opinions expressed are my own.

3 Things & 2 Questions Thursday

• I wanted to point out how amazing I think all the runners out there that are looking winter in the face and laughing. Everyone who is pushing on through snow, rain, wind and crazy low temperatures is a rockstar in my book. I am such a wimp the slightest breeze or appearance of possible rain producing clouds sends me racing (in my car of course) to the gym, please don't think any less of me. :)

• I was lucky enough to get tagged by Keri, Darlene & Michelle to receive the wonderful Sunshine Award, thanks so much ladies. I will put forth my best effort to tag some other wonderful bloggers this weekend.

• Okay this has really nothing to do with running or working out but it needs to be known that I hate cleaning the bathroom. Hate isn't actually even strong enough a word, I avoid it at all costs and can usually beg and plead with my husband to get him to do it but for reasons beyond my control (my husband has found other tasks to fill his day) today I am on bathroom detail, oh the horror . The kicker is I can probably get both bathrooms done in under 30 mins. but it is the longest most excruciating 30 mins. ever (ok not really I'm just whining, but I'm done now off to clean hope you all are having a better morning than me. )
  

( I love sharing but I also love knowing more about you all, so I will end this post with a couple questions for you if your don't mind. Hopefully if I get a ton of answers I can put together a list for a "I Asked, You Answered" post

1. Do you listen to music when you workout/run??
2. What 1 song would you say really gets you pumped up, motivated, just makes you wanna move?
   

You still have one more day to stop by and enter my Kalyx Giveaway. And be sure to check back by tomorrow because I will have another great giveaway starting up.

I've been thinking..

So during my latest Treadmill Therapy session I thought of a couple more things I would like to try out on my blog, the 1st of which is a mailing list

I would like to start a mailing list; I like cards, postcards, and encouraging or funny notes giving and receiving so I would like to be able to share a little bloggy love and encouragement occasionally via snail mail so if you are interested in being added to my mailing list all you have to do is email me at erica_haggins@hotmail.com

Please include: Name, Address, Blog Url and any important dates or goals you wanna share with me.

I don't know how often I will send out cards, whenever the urge hits me and probably more around holidays, this will be new to me and will do my best to spread the love. So if your interested hit me up. :)

Also you have one more day to enter the Inperspire Giveaway

Taste Test Tuesday (Mexican Chicken Salad)

Mexican Chicken Salad

(I don't actually know what makes this mexican chicken salad but that was the recipe name when I found it so I just kept it.)

Ingredients:

6 c. shredded lettuce
2 c. cubed cooked chicken
1 bg. tortilla chips
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
tomatoes and olives, optional
Dressing: My husband uses Italian, the kids like ranch, I prefer taco sauce.

Combine lettuce, tortilla chips, chicken, beans, dressing and cheese in a lg. bowl. Garnish w/ tomatoes and olives.

The Verdict: I usually keep all the ingredients separate so everyone can put together a salad they will like so this is one meal the whole family enjoys (and trust me that is a rare occasion)

Iced Oatmeal Cookies

(found the recipe in Vegetarian Times then made a couple little changes)

Ingredients:

Cookies

2 tbs. ground flaxseed
1 c. spelt flour or oat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbs butter, softened
1/2 succant or 1/2 c. brown sugar and 1/4 sugar
1/4 c. applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. old fashioned oats.
1/2 c. dried raisins or cranberries, optional

Icing:

1/4 c. confectioners sugar
2 tbs. lemon juice

1.To make Cookies: Stir together ground flaxseed and 3 tbs. water in a small bowl. Set aside. Whisk together spelt flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in large bowl. Set aside.
2. Beat butter and succant in large bowl with electric mixer 1 to 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add applesauce, vanilla and flaxseed mixture and beat until smooth. Stir in spelt flour mixture with spatula or wooden spoon. Add oats and raisins stir to combine. Cover and chill 2 hours or overnight.3. Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or coat with cooking spray. Roll cookie dough into golf-ball sized rounds, and place dough balls 1.5 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Flatten each cookie to 1/4 inch thickness with the bottom of a drinking glass dipped in water. Bake 10-12 minutes or until cookies look dry on top and are just beginning to brown.
4. Meanwhile, prepare icing by whisking together confectioners' sugar and lemon juice in small bowl until smooth; icing should be thick, but spreadable. (maybe I should have only used 1 tbs lemon juice because my icing was pretty runny) Gently brush icing on hot cookies with pastry brush. Cool 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container.

The Verdict: Really good with a glass of cold milk.


New Stuff I tried this Week:

Whole Spelt Flour: I used in place of regular flour in my cookie recipe and it worked really well, I am excited to try it out some more recipes.










Organic Succant: I have seen this on the ingredient list for a couple recipes in my Clean Eating magazine so decided to buy some to have on hand. Succant is dehydrated cane juice and can be used as a 1 to 1 replacement for refined sugar and stand for "Sugar Cane Natural" I used it my cookie recipe and cut out 1/4 sugar and the cookies were more than sweet enough.











Foodie Giveaways!!!

Earth Muffin: 1st Giveaway 2/23
Simply Savor: Maranatha Nut Butters 2/23

Weekend Round-Up 2/14

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.”

~ Henry David Thoreau

Just a little quick announcement:I registered for my first 1/2 marathon so I will be running in San Diego June 6th!!!

This weeks workouts

Tuesday: 3.0 miles
Wednesday: Strength Training class 60 mins.
Thursday: 2.5 miles
Sunday: 6.2 miles

Total Miles:
week: 11.7
month: 11.7
year: 62.6 miles

How'd I do This Week

~To not eat any packaged food with more than 5 ingredients the whole week: Nope

• Let me just say when I first decided to put this one the list I honestly thought that should be that hard I eat some pretty basic foods the majority of the time I would just have to watch the snacks, it was a good lesson in paying attention because reading labels all week made me really look at the food I was eating. As for the actual goal well that was a fail.
  

~To run, walk, eliptical, crawl 15 miles: Nope

• Close but no cigar, next week though for sure.
  

~To read 20 mins a night, if I make my kids do it every night I should be able to do it to: Yep

• 1 for 3 is something right, this one wasn't a problem I just left earlier to pick my girls up from school and soccer and read in the car while I waited.
  

Goals for Next Week:

~Run 15 miles
~Eat at least 1 serving of fruit and/or veggies with every meal


Great things going on in the blogworld

*Race Reports (I love 'em how about you?? If you posted a race report and would like it linked let me know I would love to stop by and leave a comment)

Junk Miles
Chasin' Bunnies
SueMac On The Run
MissZippy1
Julie's Running Blog
Goals for the Week
Girl Runner
Of Running and Parenting
Tall Mom on the Run

Foods/Recipes I wanna try

Smokey Sauteed Kale and Mushrooms

It's For A Good Cause:

Mel from Tall Mom on The Run is hosting a Virtual Race on March 27th to raise money for Susan G. Kormen for a Cure. So stop by and check it out.

Giveaways!!!

Psychobabbles of a Running Fool: Born to Run Book 2/22
Her Name Is Rio & She Runs: Runner Lounge Coffee Mug 2/15
Shut Up and Run: Tons of Champion Gear 2/16
Live, Love, Eat and Play: Road ID 2/15
Setting You Free: YakTrax Pro Snow and Ice Cleats
Finishing is Winning: Blogversary Giveaway 2/17

There is still time to enter my Sophia's Gourmet, Inperspire Fitness Towel & Kalyx Sports Bra Giveaways

The Winner of the Harbinger FlexFit Giveaway is...

#3 Julia from Chocolate Shoestrings

Have a Wonderful Week!!!

Virtual Valentine's 10K

I did it!!, I did it!!(okay now imagine me chanting that while doing a victory dance to get the full effect)

I was really hesitant to sign up for Becca's Virtual Valentine's 10K because I didn't know if I could actually finish a 10K. I have done workouts where I did 7 miles at the most but that usually included treadmill and elliptical but I wanted to try and figured even if I didn't finish it was good incentive to fit in a workout I usually wouldnt have do on the weekend so it was win/win.So I pulled myself together and put on my One More Mile shirt which say "Find Your Happy Pace" which was very fitting, Sugio Tights and set out to the gym with a 2 1/2 hour time slot approved by the husband to finish in

It wasn't until a little over 4 miles that I thought to myself that I could actually complete 6.2 miles it wouldn't be fast but it would get done.

And I did I finished 6.2 miles in 1hr 19 mins and 34 seconds. I have the sweat to prove it. I was very proud of myself. :)

Valentine's Day

Box of chocolates: $10
Roses: $50
Finishing : Priceless

Thanks Becca for hosting the event it gave me the motivation to push myself further than I thought I could. :)

Giveaway Ending Tonight!!!

Just a quick note to let you know that my Harbinger Giveaway is ending tonight. But there is still time to enter for a chance to get your hands into a pair of FlexFit Gloves.

Feature Friday- Kalyx Review & Giveaway!!!!

I will not go into details over my the woes of growing up small chested. I will not bore you with stories of high school sports where I wore a regular bra under more sports bra to give the appearance that I was working with something in the chest area or how I very unashamedly get excited when I find a good padded bra that makes my boobs look good in a fitted tee. Instead I will simply talk about a great company that makes a sports bra that doesn't completely flatten and reduce the size of my above the midsection shortcomings because being 100% honest that is what tops my priority list when I look for a sports bra. Years ago I accepted that my boobs (yes that is twice in one post I said it) were not gonna be my thing and actually feel that I have enough hips & butt to compensate for that but still I wanted a sports bra that would give me a flattering shape and comfortable fit and that is what I got with the Uplift Max Bra from Kalyx (pictured below)

Uplift Max Features:

* Interior KALYX Power Sling
* Ventilated Front Mesh Panel for Maximum Air Flow
* Reflective Tabs and Trim for Visibility during late night runs
* Padded Band for added comfort and support
* Adjustable Back Closure

I worked with Ashley from Kalyx and she was very thorough, super helpful and sweet, it took multiple emails since I had no idea what size cup I actually am to figure out the best size for me and let me tell you it was spot on. I should have taken a picture with it on so you could see, since I know you probably would like nothing more than to see me in a sports bra, but I didn't maybe next time. :) I think it is a wonderful bra the fit is great, no smooshing but still supporting, the color I love and though they are a bit higher on the price scale I do fully believe they are worth it here and here's why:

From the Website:

Together with a team of experts, including athletes, architects, designers, engineers, reconstructive surgeons and textile developers, KALYX has created the world's most advanced line of activity-specific encapsulated sports bras. Created with K-FORCE Technology, KALYX Sports Bras incorporate revolutionary design, cutting-edge construction, and top-notch composition, creating an overall superior sports bra. KALYX Sports Bras have been engineered to work with a woman's body depending on what type of activity she enjoys.
KALYX products are good for a woman, good for her game and good for the earth. No matter what kind of sport you play or what type of exercise you enjoy, know that KALYX products are for women who love to get in the game!

There are a lot of sports bras to choose from these days and not all bras are created equal. It can be a difficult decision. Compression Bras smash the breasts against the chest creating the dreaded Uni-Boob. Encapsulation Bras rely on irritating under-wires to separate the breasts...OUCH! Seamless bras look cute but are designed for low cost, high volume sales.

Wait a minute. Did you say seamless sports bras? Telling a woman that a seamless sports bra is supportive is like telling a marathon runner to train in a pair of flip-flops! It's bad advice.

Every woman needs to wear a high-quality sports bra when she exercises. At KALYX, we spend more money on every component in our sports bras so they are the highest possible quality. From concept to completion, we have spared no expense to ensure that the precious assets of a KALYX Woman are adequately protected.

Buy It: To read more about Kalyx and their products or order online visit them online at www.gokaylx.com

* Use code: ericarunning at checkout and receive 20% off your order until March 31st

Win It!!!

The great people at Kalyx have generously offered one lucky reader a Kalyx sports bra of their choosing.

Mandatory Entry
~ Visit the Kalyx site and let me know which bra and color you would choose if you won.

Extra Entries: (Please Leave a separate comment for each)

~Follow Kalyx on twitter
~ Become a fan of Kalyx on facebook
~Become a follower of this blog, or let me know you already are
~Link back to this contest

Contest open to U.S and Canada only. Ends 02/19/10. Winner will be chosen using random.org and will be announced in my Sunday Weekend Report post and emailed.

I was given product from Kalyx to review, all opinions expressed are my own.

3 Things, 3 Giveaways & 1 Question Thursday

1. I am feeling 1000% percent better, being sick really makes you appreciate your health.

2. I am glad I took the time to rest last week and thankful I am feeling better but it is hard to jump back into working out after 7 full days off . a couple of times in my strength training class tonight I thought about crying it was so hard and I stayed with my light weights the whole class. Plus side I didn't cry and I did finish. :)

3. Treadmill Therapy: during my run on Tuesday I planned my menu for the rest of the week, put together a to-list for my husband and figured out a solution to a problem that has really been bugging me, so from this I have come to the conclusion that all decisions big or small should only be made after a good run.

Giveaways there is a lot going on around I Run Because...I Can I have 3 giveaways up and running right now

• Harbinger FlexFit Gloves
• Sophia' s Gourmet Foods
• Inperspire Fitness Towels

so be sure to check them out if you haven't already and tomorrow I will have 1 new giveaway starting so be sure to check back for that.

So now that I have shared I have a quick question for you
If you had to choose a personal positive affirmation what would it be??

I think I am on the fence between "I think I can, I think I can" or "If I can believe it, I can achieve it"

Inperspire Fitness Towel Giveaway!!!

A couple of months back I reviewed a couple of wonderful towels from Inperspire, you can check it out here..

Inperspire is a great company that sells motivational fitness towels their philosophy is that "everyone can be healthy... sometimes we just need a little motivation to help us along the way." I love my Inperspire towels, not only is it a nice motivational reminder while I am working out but the gym I go to actually charges a small fee for using their towels which is cool cause I am not big on community towels anyway and it's nice to go prepared. This year Inperspire decided to start featuring a "Towel of The Month" this months towel perfect for February is "Show Yourself Some Love Workout Daily"

Buy It: To read more about Inperspire or order online visit them online at inperspire.com.

• Use code: ericarunning at checkout and receive 10% off your order.
• Free Ground Shipping when you purchase 2 or more towels

Win It!!!
One lucky reader is going to have the opportunity to win a "Show Yourself Some Love.." towel of their own.

Mandatory Entry
~ Visit the Inperspire site and let me know which towel you would love to see as a towel of the month

Extra Entries: (Please Leave a separate comment for each)

~Follow Inperspire on twitter
~ Become a fan of Inperspire on facebook
~Become a follower of this blog, or let me know you already are
~Link back to this contest
~ Tweet about this contest ( feel free to copy and paste)
(Show Yourself Some Love.. Enter to Win an Inperspire Motivational Fitness Towel http://bit.ly/9ifbnn @erica_h @inperspire)

Contest open to U.S residents only. Ends 02/18/10. Winner will be chosen using random.org and will be announced in my Sunday Weekend Report post and emailed.

Tasty Review and Giveaway!!!

This past week I was under the weather which for my family meant hot dog night, spaghetti night, pizza night whatever I could make to exert the least amount of energy was on the menu and for my Taste Test Tuesday that means I have no new recipes to blog about so to make up for my lazyness I am going to do a Taste Test Review & Giveaway!!!

A couple weeks back the FedEx man dropped off a box of Sophia's Gourmet Foods Greek Island Dressings. I was not expecting so many choices to be sent my way but I will gladly try them all. I haven't had a chance to taste them all yet but will periodically add the individual reviews as I try them. The dressings I received were:
Tahini ,Feta Olive, Original, Pomegranate, Cilantro Lime &
Blueberry

So far I have tried the Cilantro & Lime I used it as my marinade and sauce along with a few other seasonings for chicken fajitas it was a hit, next time I marinate the meat overnight though.

..and I have tried the Tahini which to be honest was the one I was the most hesitant to try but so far is my favorite I tried it on the grilled fish recipe Sophia's Gourmet has on their blog except I used salmon and baked it instead of grilling it but it still turned out quite good and it is never a bad thing to have a new baked fish recipe on hand. So far I am really liking what I am tasting.

From the Website:

"Sophia's dressings are ALL NATURAL and made with 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil, contain no cholesterol, are gluten-free, low in sodium and calories, yet rich in flavor. Sophia's Greek Island Dressings compliment the much-praised Mediterranean diet, which focuses on heart-healthy olive oil and flavorful herbs and spices. These versatile dressings can also be used as a savory marinade. For Sophia's Gourmet Foods, it's all about great taste and good health."

Buy It: To order any of Sophia's Gourmet Food Greek Island Dressings online or to find a store near you check them out at sophiasgourmetfoods.com

Win It!!!
The wonderful people over Sophias Gourmet Foods are giving 1 lucky reader the opportunity to try win the same six bottle Greek Island Dressing pack they sent me

Mandatory Entry: ( Must be done to be entered in contest)

~ Visit the Sophia's Gourmet Foods site and let me know which of their products you would most like to try.

Extra Entries: (Please Leave a separate comment for each)

~Follow Sophia's Gourmet Foods on twitter
~ Become a fan of Sophia's Gourmet Food on facebook
~Using the store locator tell me the nearest place you can pick up Sophia's Greek Island Dressing
~Become a follower of this blog, or let me know you already are
~Link back to this contest

Contest open to U.S residents only. Ends 02/16/10. Winner will be chosen using random.org and will be announced in my Sunday Weekend Report post and emailed.

I was provided with products from Sophia's Gourmet Food to review, all opinions expressed are my own.

WeekEnd Round-up 2/7

"When an illness knocks you on your ass, you should stay down and relax for a while before trying to get back up. "
~Candea Core-Starke

This weeks workouts

This week I made a conscious effort to not workout, I have been sick for about 2 weeks now and every time I thought I was getting better I would wake up the next day feeling horrible and the week before I worked out through it but I just takes to much energy to keep up with my family and be sick so this past week I told myself I would just rest so until I got better and now I do believe that I am officially over what ever bug was residing in my body well past it's welcome now I am just waiting on my appetite to return to normal.

Total Miles:
week: 0
month: 0
year: 50.9 miles


What I am Reading this Month:


"In The Way We Eat, Singer and Mason examine the eating habits of three American families with very different diets. They track down the sources of each family's food to probe the ethical issues involved in its production and marketing. What kinds of meat are the most humane to eat? Is "organic" always better? Wild fish or farmed? Recognizing that not all of us will become vegetarians, Singer and Mason offer ways to make the best food choices. As they point out: "You can be ethical without being fanatical."






"Once a Runner is the story of Quenton Cassidy, a collegiate runner at fictional Southeastern University whose lifelong dream is to run a four-minute mile. He is less than a second away when the political and cultural turmoil of the Vietnam War era intrudes into the staid recesses of his school's athletic department. After he becomes involved in an athletes' protest, Cassidy is suspended from his track team.Under the tutelage of his friend and mentor, Bruce Denton, a graduate student and former Olympic gold medalist, Cassidy gives up his scholarship, his girlfriend, and possibly his future to withdraw to a monastic retreat in the countryside and begin training for the race of his life: a head-to-head match with the greatest miler in history. This book is a rare insider's account of the incredibly intense lives of elite distance runners; an inspiring, funny, and spot-on tale of one man's quest to become a champion."



How'd I do this last Week
~Run 20 miles ( It will stay on my list until I actually do it): Fail, no workouts for me.
~Start taking a multivitamin, I am so over being sick. (any suggestions???): Pass, I decided on Women's One a Day.
~Find a new book to read for February: Pass not just one found 2 :)


Goals for this Week:

~To not eat any packaged food with more than 5 ingredients the whole week
~To run, walk, eliptical, crawl 15 miles.
~To read 20 mins a night, if I make my kids do it everynight I should be able to do it to. :)

What are your goals for the week??

Great things going on in the blogworld

*Race Reports (I love 'em how about you?? If you posted a race report and would like it linked let me know I would love to stop by and leave a comment)

Eliza on The Run
Running Tales
Her Name is Rio and She Runs
A Lone English Girls Passion for Healthy Eating, Exercising and Living
Planet Ynnep Running
This Running Life
I'm a Sleeper Baker
One Step At A Time


It's For A Good Cause:

Katye over at Long Legs on the Loose has a couple big things going on:

~First check out the Raffle/Giveaway she is hosting to raise money for Team Fight
~You can also visit her and check out her Bondi Bands Fundraiser proceeds go to Leukemia and Lymphoma Society


Giveaways!!!

Tall Mom on the Run: Recovery Socks 2/10
It's Just One Foot in Front of the Other: Lift Your Sole
Endurance Isnt Only Physical: Oiselle Running 2/9
Running off at the Mouth: Nathan Handheld water bottle 2/8
That Girls is A Running Fool: Bondi Band 2/14
I Run Because...I Can: Harbinger Fitness Gloves 2/12

Have a Great Week!!!