I Run Because... I Can: May 2011

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Quotable Tuesday

This weeks quote comes off of my board the very first postcard I received sent to me by Michelle from LetsRollMama

"Only as high as I reach can I grow
Only as far as I seek can I go
Only as deep as I look can I see
Only as much as I dream can I be"
-Karen Ravn

Thanks so much it came in handy when I was thinking about my goals for this upcoming 1/2 marathon. Early this week I was thinking about how much better I trained for my first 1/2 marathon than this one and from that I was giving myself an excuse to do worse, I was making up my mind that a slower time (if that is possible) was acceptable instead of giving myself the confidence to do better. Because even though its true that I followed my training plan more stringently last time the fact is that since my last 1/2 marathon I have been running and that should count for something so I am resetting my dream to better a time and going to do my best to push through to achieve it. :)

If you would like to add to my board by sending me a postcard, and exchanging inspiring quotes one of your favorites for one of mine email me at ericarunning@hotmail.com with your mailing address and I will respond back with mine. :)

Monday, May 30, 2011

WeekEnd Round-Up 5/30

This was my Saturday night/Sunday morning in a nutshell.

Thanks Michelle, Rio and The Green Girl for your comments on Thursday the stress was really unnecessary because it all turned out just fine and I am glad I get to spend the week focusing my thoughts on my 1/2 Sunday and a couple days on the beach. :)

Great things going on in the blogworld

(If you posted a race report, have a giveaway going on and would like it linked let me please let me know)

Race Reports

Historiadora on the Run
Detriot Runner
Run Eat Repeat
Racing With Babes
Miles to Run
Running Toward a Higher Calling
Shut Up and Run
Watch MeGo Run
Running with Attitude

Raffles, Fundraisers, Virtual Races, etc.

Lisa over at Running.Fitness.Health is really excited to host her first giveaway but she would love to have 50 readers before she announces it so go check out her blog and become a follower.

Giveaways

Running With Attitude: Running on Empty Book 6/3
Foward Foot Strides: BodyGlide 6/1
Tri-ing My Hardest: Allied Medal Hanger 6/5
Miles,Muscles & Mommyhood: Triathlon Rocks Tee 6/11
Running for Bling: Races2Rememer 6/5
Misszippy1: Merrell Pace Gloves 6/6

The Winner of the Yoga For Runners DVD giveaway is Amy Lauren from I've got a couple dents in my fender, got a couple rips in my jeans...

Congratulations!!! email me at ericarunning@hotmail.com with you shipping information.

Happy Memorial Day!!!

Have a Great Week and Happy Running!!!!

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Three Things Thursday- Motivation

Really quick today 3 things that I found motivating this week
1. I got a new book:
I have been a fan of Chicken Soup for the Soul Book so when I came across this on Amazon I decided to check it out.

2. I heard some good news:
Word on the street is that my local gym is going to start a running club. Yay!! For so long I have read other bloggers talking about how wonderful and fun their running clubs/groups are so I am excited...really excited...probably too excited about being able to do some group runs and connect with other local runners.

3. I received my first quote:
Thanks to Michelle at LetsRollMama I will be using it for Quotable Tuesday. If you would be interested in helping my fill my poster please, please, please and trading some words of inspiration you can check out this post for all the details

One day left to enter my Yoga for Runners Giveaway!!!

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Quotable Tuesday a day late. :)

Sometimes it's important to work for that pot of gold. But other times it's essential to take time off and to make sure that your most important decision in the day simply consists of choosing which color to slide down on the rainbow.
~Douglas Pagels, These Are the Gifts I'd Like to Give to You

Lately I have been putting a lot of stress on myself these next two weeks are really busy for me I need to bake, frost and decorate 200 cupcakes this weekend for a wedding, I am still training and preparing for my next 1/2 in two weeks, not to mention planning and working out details for the house, pets and kids and myself for the week we will be gone in June the problem is I have it all in my head and I need to sit down write it down and make some checklists but not today, today I am just breathing, working in my garden and enjoying my family I have turned off all the excess noise and am giving myself a break today, now tomorrow that's a whole nother story. :)

What Went Down Week 10 5-16-5/22

Monday: nothing
Tuesday: nothing
Wednesday: Step & Weights class
Thursday: 5.0 miles
Friday: Yoga for Runners
Saturday: nothing
Sunday: nothing

Last week wasn't my greatest it took me the first 2 days we got back from our Anniversary weekend to get back into a normal routine and then I spent the weekend helping move my grandfather (let me tell the amount of stuff one can accumulate living in the same house for 30 yrs is ridiculous. )

On Deck for Week 10 5/23-5/29

Monday: 9 m
Tuesday: Stretch and Strengthen
Wednesday: 5 m
Thursday: 3 m or cross
Friday: 5 m +strength
Saturday: rest
Sunday: 60 mins cross

If you haven't done so there is still time to enter my Yoga for Runners DVD giveaway :)

Monday, May 23, 2011

WeekEnd Round-Up 5/23

Great things going on in the blogworld

(If you posted a race report, have a giveaway going on and would like it linked let me please let me know)

Race Reports

Running With Sass
I Run, You Run
Why I Run
Chocolate is MY LIFE
Julie's Running Blog
Running my Own Race
Junk Miles
The Runner's Kitchen
Keep Moving Forward
I got a couple dents in my fender,...
Maybe it's obsession...but this is my confession

Raffles, Fundraisers, Virtual Races, etc.

Running to Health is having a Home Base Raffle to help raise money for the treatment of Veterans of war. It's ongoing so there are still some really great prizes up for grabs and most importantly it's for a good cause.

Callie from The Wannabe Athlete along with few other wonderful bloggers have teamed up to host a Blogger Baby Shower for Tuscaloosa. So please stop and check it out. :)

Michel over at Baby Weight My Fat Ass is having a fundraiser raffle to raise money for Autism research through Train 4 Autism. She is trying to reach her goal by and the contest ends on May 26th which is her daughter Avery's 3rd birthday (her daughter was diagnosed with Autism last fall) so head over donate to a great cause and a chance to win some pretty great prizes.

Molly from I'm a Sleeper Baker is running the New York Marathon to raise funds for the Children's Tumor Foundation. So you can help and be entered to win the bounty of running goodies she is giving away here...

Giveaways

Shut Up and Run!: Go Girl Sport Yoga Tank 5/26
I Run Because...I Can: Yoga For Runners 5/27
Running Diva Mom: Sof Sole 6/2
The Studly Runner: 110% Play Harder 5/30
Runninghood: Kara Groucher Book 6/2
Running Diva Mom: Yurbuds 6/2
Running Diva Mom: Sunglass Warehouse $20 Giftcard 6/2
Pink Hat Runner: Bondiband 5/29
Diary of an Average Runners: GU 5/26
Run to the Finish: Loads of Running Gear 6/10
Caution: Redhead Running: Running on Empty Book 5/25

Have a Great Week and Happy Running!!!!

Friday, May 20, 2011

Yoga For Runners Review & Giveaway!!`

I have for awhile wanted to look into a Yoga class figuring along with running yoga would be a way to get some really good stretching in. So I googled "Yoga for Runners" and came up with an match to a dvd and site for Christine Felsteads Yoga for Runners. Christine Felstead who's full story your can read here...is a runner who discovered yoga and over time decided to "trade in her running shoes for a yoga mat" and now shares what she has learned about the positive connection between yoga and running by devoting her yoga classes to runner exclusively. And developing videos for those of us not fortunate enough to try her classes or experience one of her Yoga for Runners Retreats (which I recently added to my running bucket list, looks like I am going to have to make a trip to Canada)

For me I rate workout DVDs on how likely I am to do it again, because there are some really good workout videos that I have tried and after 1 or 2 times I was ~~lazy~~ just wasn't feeling it anymore. So for this dvd on a scale of 1-10 1 being very unlikely 10 being no doubt in my mind I will do it again. Yoga for runners scores a 10 even if I don't have time to run through the whole video there are some poses I try to do everyday (legs up the wall is my favorite and & hero pose is the most challenging my goal is to be able to do it without support under my legs). I have found it very very Yoga For Runners useful, beneficial and complimentary to my 1/2 marathon training. At the beginning of the DVD Christine Felstead points out that yoga will: Strengthen the body, Improve your breathing & deepen your mind body connection so she had me sold before we had even gotten in to the first pose. Here are some other benefits.

From the Website

Overall Benefits of Yoga For Runners™

Tight muscles will limit range of motion in joints, create muscular imbalances that will affect your running stride and increase your risk of injury. To stay healthy and on the road, runners will benefit from integrating yoga for runners. Developed by a runner specifically for runners, this program includes both strength and flexibility in key zones. Yoga is not only for flexible people - those that have the most to gain are 'tight' bodies, like runners and endurance athletes.

Some of the benefits yoga will bring you:

* Eliminate nagging aches and pains
* Recover from injury and reduce risk of new injuries
* Become stronger
* Improve recovery times after racing
* Feel better and run faster

Overall two thumbs up I would recommend Yoga for Runners to everyone and as soon as I can master the The Essentials I am hoping to try out Christine's Intermediate video.

WIN IT!!!
One lucky reader will have the opportunity to win a copy of Christine's Felstead Yoga for Runners The Essentials Beginner's Program for themselves.

To Enter (Do one or all of the following leave a separate comment for each)

-Let me know your favorite yoga pose or why you would like to win this giveaway?

-Like Christine Felstead Yoga for Runners on Facebook

-Follow Christine Felstead on twitter 

-Become a follower of this blog or let me know you already are
-Link to this giveaway on your blog

Winner will be chosen randomly. Contest Ends 5/27. Open to U.S & Canada. Winner will be announced in a post (and emailed).

*I received a copy of the Yoga for Runners to facilitate this review are opinions expressed are my own.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Quotable Tuesday

"Your biggest challenge isn't someone else. It's the ache in your lungs and the burning in your legs, and the voice inside you that yells 'CAN'T", but you don't listen. You just push harder. And then you hear the voice whisper 'can'. And you discover that the person you thought you were is no match for the one you really are."
~Anonymous

What went down during week 9

Monday: 8 mi.
Tuesday: Yoga for Runners/ Kettlebell Core workout
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 3 mi.
Saturday: 4 mi.
Sunday:

On Deck for Week 10

Monday: 6.2 miles
Tuesday: Stretch & Strengthen
Wednesday: 5 mile
Thursday: 3 m. or cross
Friday: 5 m. + strength
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: 60 min cross

Monday, May 16, 2011

WeekEnd Round-Up 5/16

Today is officially my 9 yr. Anniversary. We had a good time in Vegas this weekend Thanks everyone who wished me a Happy Anniversary I appreciate it. :)

*This pic is from Knott's Berry Farm last year but it was the only one I could find of the both of us.

Great things going on in the blogworld

(If you posted a race report, have a giveaway going on and would like it linked let me please let me know)

Race Reports

It's Life, Max it Out
Finishing Firsts
The Turtle's Pace
Run for the Bikini
Maybe it's obsession...but this is my confession
Run, Dream & Laugh Out Loud
sisterbison..running with the herd
Blonde Ponytail
Keep on Keeping On...
The Studly Runner
5k Rae
Run, Zoe, Run
Running Toward a Higher Calling
Half Virgin

Raffles, Fundraisers, Virtual Races, etc.

Running to Health is having a Home Base Raffle to help raise money for the treatment of Veterans of war. It's ongoing so there are still some really great prizes up for grabs and most importantly it's for a good cause.

Callie from The Wannabe Athlete along with few other wonderful bloggers have teamed up to host a Blogger Baby Shower for Tuscaloosa. So please stop and check it out. :)

Michel over at Baby Weight My Fat Ass is having a fundraiser raffle to raise money for Autism research through Train 4 Autism. She is trying to reach her goal by and the contest ends on May 26th which is her daughter Avery's 3rd birthday (her daughter was diagnosed with Autism last fall) so head over donate to a great cause and a chance to win some pretty great prizes.

Molly from I'm a Sleeper Baker is running the New York Marathon to raise funds for the Children's Tumor Foundation. So you can help and be entered to win the bounty of running goodies she is giving away here...

Giveaways

The Happy Runner: Running on Empty Giveaway 5/18
Live, Smile, Run: Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30 DVD 5/27
Pink Hat Runner: Bondi Band 5/29
Journey in Running: Sony Walkman W-Series 5/30
Lungs and Lashes: Favorite Healthy Foods Giveaway
Working It Out..: 4All by Jofit 5/23
Running to Health: ALO 5/26
The Journey of a Running Green Girl: Spenco Sandals 5/19
FANNEtastic Food: Spibelt 5/18

Have a Great Week and Happy Running!!!!

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Anniversary Weekend So No Posts Post

The husband and I managed to talk my mom in to coming out to watch the girls so we could sneak away to Vegas to spend some much needed quality time and celebrate our Anniversary which is Monday, I thought I would be able to finish all the posts I wanted to go up this weekend on Thursday & Friday but sadly blogger was down which made that impossible so instead as my husband sleeps in our hotel room I have stepped out to the Starbucks (which is literally a minute and 1/2 walk) from our hotel to do a post letting you know I will not have a Feature Friday or In The Garden Post (so next week I will double up on both and I may even have a giveaway or two) and to catch up on some of your blogs. :) this week I am determined to get a WeekEnd Round-Up post done so check back for that.

Alright ya'll I am off to enjoy some kid-free grown up time. Have a great weekend.

Do me a favor and check out my Three Things Thursday post I could really use your input.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Three Things Thursday- I Need Your Help

With about a month left before my 1/2 marathon I don't have the fears that I had last year of not knowing what to expect so I am excited and anxious about the event and hopefully beating last years time. and now I have to make some decisions and would love your feedback.

1. The shirt last year I wore a One More Mile shirt and so I think this year I will do the same and I have narrowed it down to two choices.

So what do you think?

2. Playlist I am working putting together my race day song list. so I need some songs so far on the list I have in no particular order:

Who Says- Selena Gomez (what can i say my girls love it and it makes me think of them singing at the top of their lungs and I may or may not have joined in a few times)

Girls(Run the World) - Beyonce

Price Tag- Jessie J

Made to Love You- Gerald Levert (The song the husband and I dubbed our song)

Come Around- M.I.A

Rollin' in the deep- Adele

Tonight, Tonight- Hot Chelle Rae

Cupid- Lloyd

So what are you listening to??

3. This is the poster board in front of the treadmill I have been using for a large portion of my runs

so do you see my dilemma I bought it with the vision of filling it up with positive, inspiring quotes and stuff like that then I thought maybe I could enlist your help I would like to do a inspirational snail mail trade.I will send you a post card with one of my favorite quotes

In exchange for your help filling my board with your favorite quotes, jokes,comic strip or sayings you use to motivate yourself (keep it PG my kids will more than likely read it). You can put it on a post card, a post it, piece of paper, index card doesn't matter and send it to me. My only request other than sending mail is that you put your blog and/or first name on it so I can shout you out on my WeekEnd Round-Up as I plan to do regular updates as my board hopefully fills up.

Added Bonus everyone who sends me a little love in the mail before June 3 will be entered in a giveaway I will have post 1/2 marathon I haven't figured out the prize yet I plan on picking something up while in San Diego.

So if your interested email me your address to ericarunning@hotmail.com I will respond with my addy and get your post card in the mail.

So there you have it I know I am asking a lot of you but I do greatly appreciate it.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Quotable Tuesday

"Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired. When you were younger the mind could make you dance all night, and the body was never tired...You've always got to make the mind take over and keep going."

- George S. Patton, U.S. Army General and 1912 Olympian

What went down during Week 8 training

Monday: 5 mi. run and step class
Tuesday: Yoga
Wednesday: 4.5 mi. run
Thursday: Yoga For Runners
Friday: 4.5 mi. run
Saturday: Rest
Sunday:

On Deck for Week 9

Monday: 8 mile
Tuesday: Stretch and Strengthen
Wednesday: 5 mi
Thursday: 3 m. or cross
Friday: 5 m. run +strength
Saturday: Rest or easy run
Sunday: Rest

I've decided I am going to challenge myself this week by doing ab work everyday.

Monday, May 9, 2011

WeekEnd Round-Up 5/9

Great things going on in the blogworld

(If you posted a race report, have a giveaway going on and would like it linked let me please let me know)

Race Reports

Adventures of Badgergirl
Run to the Finish
Longs Legs On The Loose
Gotta Run Now
Morning Runner
Finishing Firsts
Alicia Runs
My First 5k and More...
eri-thon: From 0 to 26.2 in 30
Words to Run By
Eat,Drink, Run
Run Girl Run
...Just Me and My Running Shoes...

Raffles, Fundraisers, Virtual Races, etc.

Running to Health is having a Home Base Raffle to help raise money for the treatment of Veterans of war. It's ongoing so there are still some really great prizes up for grabs and most importantly it's for a good cause.

Callie from The Wannabe Athlete along with few other wonderful bloggers have teamed up to host a Blogger Baby Shower for Tuscaloosa. So please stop and check it out. :)

Giveaways

MissZippy1: 110% PlayHarder Compression Sleeves 5/11
Runninghood: Tri-It Wear 5/11
Running for Trevor: 23rd Birthday giveaway 5/13
Happiness...One Mile At A Time: RazzyRoo 5/11
Running Ricig: GU, Bondi Bands & ITunes 5/11
Midwest Multisport Life: BlisterShield 5/16
What the Hell Was I Thinking: Bondi Band 5/16

Have a Great Week and Happy Running!!!!

The Winner of my Favorite Teas Giveaway is....

Laura from Laura's Boise-full Life

Congratulations!!! email me your shipping information to ericarunning@hotmail.com

Saturday, May 7, 2011

In The Garden - The Beginning

Over the past couple years I have taken a real interest in trying to start and grow a productive vegetable garden and after much trial and error I think I might be learning a few things and I am hoping 3rd times a charm so as I change my current gardening plan over to the square foot gardening technique I had started a separate blog for gardening but I don't update it as much as I would like so I plan on doing a week post here to document my successes and failures, and this is the first one so I will do a brief summary from the beginning

My first garden was spring/summer of 2010 had 3 fruitful plants 1 broccoli and 2 pepper. I just bought some seeds and planted them I knew nothing about warm/cool weather crops or planting schedules.

So I picked up this book from the library and picked up a few ideas on how to do better. Since we were moving at the beginning of the new year I didn't start a fall crop.

Spring 2011 I got a little ambitious and decided to try collard greens, spinach, bok choy, strawberries, 3 kinds of tomatoes, jalapeno and bell peppers, potatoes, carrots, garlic and watermelon. I have had my share of issues bad soil, poor planning and starting seedlings turned out to be a pain with poor results. My greens and spinach did really well but with the temperatures being so hot this week many of my leafy plants are bolting so now I am waiting to see if my peppers, watermelons, zucchini and tomatoes will do anything.

Recently I discovered a book called All New Square Foot Gardening and read it front to back in a couple of days and was sold so for the fall I am going to be working on changing over and preparing my garden to be a square foot garden I am going to add a 5th box and work on building some covers to hopefully grow some cooler climate veggies over winter.

So there it is my humble beginnings in gardening so I plan on doing weekly updates and fingers crossed that I will finally pull together a successful garden will be somewhat self sustaining. :)

Any garden tips??

I am thinking ahead for a future post so if you have a garden and wouldn't mind being part of a post send me a picture of your garden to erica_haggins@hotmail.com, let me know how long you've been gardening, what your growing and 1 tip to those who are thinking about starting a garden. :)

Friday, May 6, 2011

Just a fun list I found.

I found this list on running.about.com while I was looking for a quote to use this week and thought is was quite entertaining you can click on the link to read the entire list I picked out my favorite 24 and highlighted my top 5 in red.

You know you are a runner...

1.when you find that you have to think of your run schedule to remember what day of the week it is.

2.when you can name at least three writers of running blogs.

3.when you wake up thinking about today's run and go to sleep thinking about tomorrow's run.

4.when you use the words "easy" and "long run" in the same sentence.

5.when you cross the finish line of a 1/2 marathon and you start considering where and when the next one will be.

6.when you have your race schedule set out for five years in advance but can't remember if you are scheduled to work the next day or not.

7. your first thought when you look at the weekly weather forecast is, "When can I fit in my runs?"

8.you have more running clothes than regular clothes in your laundry pile.

9.you have a drawer full of race shirts and other race souvenirs that you're not sure what to do with.

10. you no longer make fun of fanny packs because your running belt looks very similar (although cooler) to one.

11. you get an invitation to a wedding and you automatically think about what race the date will conflict with.

12. you have dreams about showing up to a race late or not wearing any clothes.

13. you're not embarrassed to wear spandex.

14. at least one of your web site usernames or email addresses has the word "run" or "runner" in it.

15.you know where your illiotibial band is located.

16. you spend more time researching running routes than local restaurants when traveling to a new city.

17. you know where exactly one mile from your front door is (in any direction).

18. you know how to correctly spell and pronounce plantar fasciitis.

19. you own more pairs of running socks than dress socks.

20. when you hear PR, you automatically think "personal record", not "public relations".

21.your holiday wish list can be fulfilled at any running or sporting goods store

22. you get excited when the new Runner's World comes in the mail.

23.your only recent photos of you alone are race photos.

24. you always have your next race on the calendar.

Have a Great Weekend.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Quotable Monday uhhh I mean Tuesday :)

Since I know you were wondering where Quotable Monday was last week (that's what I'm telling myself) fear not I am making a slight change from Monday to Tuesday so I don't have two posts go up on Monday, now everyone can rest a little easier

"Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it's all about."
-PattiSue Plumer, U.S. Olympian

So the other day after reading about 10 race reports and thinking "yea I don't think I will ever have the desire to run a full marathon" I started thinking what's next? since my 1/2 marathon is only a month away and the next one I plan on doing is 6 months after that I need a plan of action for the in between time, I'm a girls who needs a goal in front of her at all times so I don't repeat last years "I don't have a plan so I guess I'll do nothing" strategy the took effect immediately after I ran the same 1/2 marathon last June. And so the conversation I had with myself went like this:

"You know that if Rio can run a 50 mile trail race and EMZ can run on a treadmill for 24 hrs. I can at least train for marathon. Yea between my half marathons I will find a marathon training plan and do it, I'm not saying I'm going to run one just train for one that's less scary. And hey who knows maybe after Vegas I'll run the Arizona RnR marathon..okay let's not get to crazy baby steps" (yea I had a full conversation with myself, it wasn't out loud if that makes it any better)

So there it is I am going to challenge myself to find a marathon training plan and complete it. Any goals or challenges your working on/have for the future?

On deck for week 8 5/2-5/8

Monday: 7 mile
Tuesday: Yoga
Wednesday: 4.5 mile
Thursday: 3 mile or cross
Friday: 4.5 mile
Saturday: rest
Sunday: 50 min cross