Thursday, December 30, 2010

Leave of Absence

I’m sorry for my absence here in the blog world…   I just have a lot going on right now… I feel really bad because I had some giveaways all lined up for the month of December and only got one done…

I will be posting the others as soon as I can, I promise!!  But, I’m so busy right now that I just wanted to tell you all that I will try to pop in every once in a while with updates and such :)  I’ll try to make it around to a few blogs every once in a while too when I have time! :)

I hope you all had a GREAT Christmas!!  AND… if I don’t pop in before the 1st, have a Happy New Year as well!!  2011 is full of promises and goals! :)

Saturday, December 25, 2010

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!


Merry Christmas everyone!!  I love this season/holiday not because of the gifts
but THE gift of Jesus to the world!!  I hope that everyone has a blessed
Christmas
and may we never forget the reason for the season!!

Monday, December 20, 2010

Just a Little Notice

I have gotten a lot of comments and emails from people telling me that they have sent out their Christmas cards… Thank you!! :D

However, there are still quite a few that I have not heard from.  The deadline was supposed to be December 15th for sending out the cards.  If you have not sent them out yet, please please please, send them out in today’s mail!!

Thank you all for signing up!  This has been a lot of fun!!  If by tomorrow, I haven’t heard from someone, I will email you asking you if you’ve sent out your cards and just remind you to send them out as soon as possible, as Christmas is THIS Saturday!! woohoo!! :D

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

My Exciting News!

Ok, so I know I left you all hanging Monday when I posted the ITunes winner lol… 

As you all know (or now know) I got engaged on Dec 2nd! You can click on the link to read our engagement story if you would like! :)

 

The exciting news is that we set a date!!!

JUNE 25, 2011!!! :D

 

So, that is why I haven’t been able to get around to all your blogs and comment because we’ve been PLANNING A WEDDING!!! :D  6 months to plan a wedding!!

So, do any of you have any advice or stories (funny or serious) from when you
were planning your wedding or of the actual wedding day?!  I’d love to hear them!

192 Days Left!! :)

Monday, December 13, 2010

ITunes Winner

So, I apologize for the delay… Me and my FiancĂ© have been discussing some things…
Which I think deserves a post all of its own ;) … and I got my ring back from
sizing today!! That is why I have been a little absent!  Please forgive me! ;)

Now… without further ado I give you the winner of the $10 ITunes Gift Certificate Giveaway as determined by Random Number Generator…

Caroline from Journey to a Half Marathon!!!

Please shoot me an email with your address!!

Thanks to everyone who entered and welcome to all my new followers!!  If I can ever stop being so excited I will post a couple more giveaways here before Christmas lol ;)

Friday, December 10, 2010

Giveaway Reminder!!

 

You have 2 days left to enter my ITunes gift certificate giveaway!!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

Tis the Season for Reviews: Skirt Sports Skirt Breaker Jacket

 
skirt-sports-logo-2010 You can click the logo to go to their website
 
 
Tis the season for a review of a great item that you can buy as a gift or for someone else this Christmas season!!  I bought the Skirt Sports Skirt Breaker Jacket at my Women’s Half Marathon Expo in Nashville this September.  I saw it and liked it and had them hold it for me so I could walk around and think about it a little before I purchased it.  (Which they kindly did)  I bought it for $100** which is what it sells for on their website.
 
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I wore this jacket for my Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot (I have no pictures because it was raining.  BUT… I LOVE this jacket by Skirt Sports!!  It’s rather thin, and not bulky, and is very feminine.  The cut is flattering and is very cute!  It doesn’t make you look like you’re wearing a garbage bag like other rain jackets may do!  It kept me rather dry… the only part of my shirt that was wet was the very bottom where the long sleeve tee was hanging out past the jacket and a couple spots from sweat ;) 
 
**My parents actually paid half and said “Merry EARLY Christmas” ;)
 
Here is the picture of the tag that came on the Breaker:
 
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Here is a little blurb taken from Skirt Sports website about the jacket:

Product Overview

With wind proof, water resistant, see through fabric, the Skirt Breaker Jacket doesn't wait for the storm to pass! Lightweight, easy-to-pack, and loaded with reflective features, this jacket is the best value in town.

Features & Benefits

  • Flattering hourglass design lines
  • Wind-resistant internal zipper lining
  • Raglan sleeves with wide cuffs
  • Cozy cuffs with thumbholes
  • Reflective piping on back yoke & back zipper pocket
  • Underarm ventilation
  • Semi-transparent steel gray color

I love this jacket! Thank you Skirt Sports for a wonderful product!!

I was not compensated for this review in any way, the thoughts are all
my own and I just wanted to share a great product with you that you
could buy as a Christmas gift or for yourself :) All the pictures (except the tag)
are taken from Skirt Sports website!

If you are a company looking for someone to review your products or would like to
host a review on my blog, please contact me (Zaneta) at runners.luck@hotmail.com

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

2010 Christmas Card Swap Group Info

Okie Dokie everyone… I stayed up a little past my bedtime emailing everyone their group info (addresses and introductions)!! :D  If anything needs fixed, please let me know as soon as possible so I can get it taken care of!!  Also, if you didn’t get an email, but signed up let me know!!! PLEASE send your cards out by December 15th!!  Also, let me know when you send your cards out! (this way, if someone for some reason doesn’t send out cards I can send cards to the people who are missing out!) I hope everyone has fun with this!! You all have made it fun to put together because you’re so excited!! :D  I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!!

Monday, December 6, 2010

2010 Christmas Card Swap Groups

YAY!!! It’s snowing here in Ohio and it’s so pretty!!  I bet you all are excited to get your groups for the card swap?!  You will be getting an email with your group’s information (address and introductions) at some point tonight because I have to go to work, but here are the groups!!  I used random.org to put you in groups and made sure that if you said “max 5” you got put in the right group, or if you said “no mailing abroad”.  If for some reason you signed up but can’t find your name in a group, LET ME KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!!  Also, once you get an email with your group, if there are any problems please let me know as soon as you can and I will switch the groups around!! Thanks for joining in on the fun everyone!!!  Cards must be sent out NO later than December 15th! Please comment on this post or send me an email letting me know that you sent your cards! :D

2010 Christmas Card Swap Logo

 

Group Reindeer

Jody from Running With Sharp Objects
Suzana from More to Life Than This
Karyn from This Mama's 26.2 Mile Journey
Christina from Making Healthy the Norm
Leslie from And Her Little Dog Too
Stacie from Impossible Is Nothing
April from Mommy's Fit for the King
Mr. and Mrs. Leonor Carey No Blog

Group Snowflake

Bobbie from 2010 Journey in Running
Caroline from Journey to a Half Marathon
Tiina from One Crazy Penguin
Scott from Big Daddy Diesel
Janae from Hungry Runner Girl
Zaneta from Runner’s Luck
Trish from Begin Again and Again and Again
Emily from If I Can't Convince You, I'll Atleast Confuse You

Group Mistletoe

Erica from I Run Because... I Can
Kim from (Just) Trying is for Little Girls
Laurie from The (Mis)Adventure of a Jogging-Stroller Mom
Randi from S Club 4
Courtney from Run, Courtney, Run
Amy Lauren from Amy Lauren's Blog
Monique from Confessions of a Lazy Athlete

Group Cookie

Jill from Run With Jill
Kadie from There She Runs
Christel from Silly Girl Running
Barefoot Neil Z from Because All the Cool Kids Are Doing It
Keeley from Wanderer in a Strange Land
Melanie from Half Marathon Rookie
Julie from The Hotlegs Runner

Group Joy

Irene from Tales From the Back of the Pack
Christina from Lace it up and Run
Alanna from Running 42km
Aneta from Running Bucket
Amy from Amy Runs a Marathon

Group Peace

Jamie from Heat Runner
Sherry from Life From My Perspective
Kate from Run With Kate
Daphne from Racing for the Rainbow
Kathy from Running, Life, Learning and Growing
Rae from 5k Rae
Jill from Run for the Hills

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Weekly Roundup: November 29-December 5


Workouts

Monday:  Rest
Tuesday:  Rest
Wednesday:  15min run (1.5 miles); [10lbs] (10 Bicep, 10 Tricep, 5 lat) X2, 10 squatting rows, 20 Lunges; stretch  [+1.5+1]
Thursday: .21 miles (6:20) walk and GOT ENGAGED!!!! :D  [+.21]
Friday:  Rest
Saturday:  Rest
Sunday:  Nightly (50/10)

HBBC for Week =  2.71
HBBC Total =   23.21


I GOT ENGAGED!!!

Thursday, December 2, 2010 my handsome boyfriend of 3 years and almost 9 months made me the happiest girl in the world by asking me to marry him!! :D  You can read the story HERE!! I had to take my ring in today to get sized and I should have it back on December 23rd at the latest… hopefully it doesn’t take long at all :)

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Blog Posts From The Week

LAST CHANCE!!!
Here’s the Deal…
Hear Ye, Hear Ye…
Pardon The Interruption…
Tis The Season For Giveaways and Reviews
Tis The Season For Giveaways: I-Tunes Gift Certificate Giveaway

Registered Races

5/7/11 – Capital City Half Marathon

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Tis The Season For Giveaways: I-Tunes Gift Certificate Giveaway

Tis the Season for Giveaways and I’m starting off with a fun one!!! :D  I LOVE music!!  I have only run without music once I believe.  It wasn’t bad, but I prefer to dance and sing along while I’m running… especially those longer distances.  I really don’t have a favorite song to work out to or a specific “running” playlist.  I just set my Ipod to shuffle and off I go.

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Itunes gift cards make great Christmas gifts because the recipient can buy whatever songs they want and they don’t have to buy the whole CD!!  Also, this way, you don’t risk buying someone a CD or songs they already have!! Now you have the chance to win a $10 Itunes gift card for yourself or for someone else!! :D



Here’s how to enter
(please leave a separate comment for each):


Mandatory

1. Be a follower of my blog!  It’s easy… just hit the “FOLLOW” button on the right sidebar of my blog!

Optional

1. Tell me what your favorite workout song is

2. Post this giveaway on your blog

3. Follow me on Twitter

4. Tweet the following:  
Check out the ITunes Giveaway that @superwoman4002 is having on her blog!! http://tinyurl.com/28kp6e8

5. Link back to the official page of “Tis the Season for Giveaways & Reviews” using the following logo and URL

http://zanetaruns.blogspot.com/p/fun-stuff-in-blog-world.html

tistheseasonforgiveawaysandreviews5

That’s six(6) ways to enter this giveaway!! Don’t forget to leave a separate comment for each entry!! Last day to enter will be December 11th (Saturday) and I will use random.org to choose the winner December 12th (Sunday)!


***I was not paid for this giveaway and the prize was purchased by me with my own funds

Tis The Season For Giveaways and Reviews

So, after all the excitement of getting engaged (you can read the story HERE) we can get back to the regular programming ;)  YES I GOT ENGAGED!!!! lol ok, sorry… still a tad bit excited over here lol…

For the month of December, I wanted to do something special for all my readers (all 126 of you!!!)!  I still can’t believe that 126 of you find my life, and running, adventures that exciting to read about lol ;)  Anyways… With the help of a few different companies, my blog is going into full blown “Tis the Season for Giveaways and Reviews”!!  How exciting right?!

tistheseasonforgiveawaysandreviews

I figured that December was a great time as some people wait ‘til last minute to buy Christmas gifts and sometimes just don’t know what to get people, so I’ll be reviewing some stuff that I love and having a few giveaways thrown into the mix because I LOVE CHRISTMAS TIME and giving things to people! :)

Also, I am working on putting the groups together for the 2010 Christmas Card Swap and should have those posted either tonight or tomorrow!  I’ll also send out an email with your groups addresses, so be on the lookout!! :D

What’s your favorite thing about this time of year?!

 

If you are a company and would like me to include your product in a
review or giveaway, you can contact me at runners.luck@hotmail.com

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Pardon The Interruption…


I had a post started earlier and was going to explain all the fun stuff that I have planned for the month of December but then something completely MORE fun and MUCH more important happened today!!!

I GOT ENGAGED!!!! :D

I am so happy right now!  I feel like I’m living a dream!!!
My boyfriend of a little more than 3 1/2 years asked me to marry him today
and of course I said YES!!!

Here’s the short version without all the tiny details lol…

My boyfriend had class today and wanted to know if I wanted to go running after he got out around 1:30.  Of course, I said I would LOVE to (duh.. run?!) but ended up having to go to work!  Well, I ended up leaving work early and I met Joshuah to go running afterall!  I was so excited because we never get to spend time like that together anymore!

It was freezing out of course so we were all bundled up and Josh suggested we just walk a little bit to warm up before we took off running, so I grabbed his hand and we started walking… We talked about the bike path being kinda like life and how you run into different people and different things a long the way, things like that and then we came to the covered bridge that holds a soft spot in each of our hearts, and decided to go in, out of the wind to reminisce a little bit and he told me he had learned a new magic trick (being silly as always)…

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So I closed my eyes and told him it better not be the tickle monster and he told me it wasn’t lol…  Then he told me I could open my eyes and turn around. Needless to say we never ended up running lol…

7393a9061ee2__1291320802000This is the exact spot he proposed to me!! (pretty snow)

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Reenactment after we walked back to get my phone for pictures

I’m pretty sure I had no clue it was coming!  I was so surprised!!  I didn’t even look at the ring! lol… I covered my mouth and shook my head yes as I cried happy tears and I managed to squeak out a verbal “yes” as I sat on his knee and hugged him for dear life!  I am the happiest girl alive right now!!  I can’t stop smiling! :D

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We don’t have a date set yet as we haven’t really talked about it much yet.  We both have some college left (about 2 years each) so we’ll see…

All I can say is, that was the BEST “run” of my life!!! ;)

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Hear Ye, Hear Ye…


The 2010 Christmas Card Swap is now CLOSED!!

closed card swap
Thanks to everyone who joined!! :)  If you didn’t get to join this year, there is always next year! :)  It was such a hit this year that I’ve decided to hold it annually!  How fun is that? Here is the list of people I have who signed up.  If for some reason you remember signing up but your name is NOT on this list… please please PLEASE contact me as soon as possible and we’ll get it all straightened out!  You guys rock and are making this fun to put together!!  I’ll start working on the groups and have them posted no later than December 5th!  Also, I have some more FUN stuff planned for the month of December so be on the lookout!!  I’m hoping to have a post up either tonight or tomorrow about it!

I hope everyone is having a GREAT Dec 1st!!

List of People in the 2010 Christmas Card Swap

Zaneta from Runner’s Luck
Randi from S Club 4
Laurie from The (Mis)Adventure of a Jogging-Stroller Mom
Tiina from One Crazy Penguin
Amy Lauren from A Couple Dents in my Fender, A Couple Rips in my Jeans
Keeley from Wanderer in a Strange Land
Christina from Lace it up and Run
Melanie from Half Marathon Rookie
Courtney from Run, Courtney, Run
Rae from 5k Rae
Kim from (Just) Trying is for Little Girls
Janae from Hungry Runner Girl
Irene from Tales From the Back of the Pack
Alanna from Running 42km 
Suzana from More to Life Than This
Kadie from There She Runs
Christina from Making Healthy the Norm
April from Mommys Fit for the King
Kathy from Running, Life, Learning and Growing
Daphne from Racing for the Rainbow
Amy from Amy Runs a Marathon
Christel from Silly Girl Running
Erica from I Run Because…I Can
Kate from Run With Kate
Aneta from Running Bucket
Trish from Begin Again and Again and Again
Monique from Confessions of a Lazy Athlete
Julie from The Hotlegs Runner
Caroline from Journey to a Half Marathon
Sherry from Life From My Perspective
Jamie from Heat Runner
Jill from Run for the Hills
Stacie from Impossible is Nothing
Jody from Running With Sharp Objects
Bobbie from 2010 Journey in Running
Barefoot Neil Z from Because All the Cool Kids Are Doing It
Scott from Big Daddy Diesel
Karyn from This Mama's 26.2 Mile Journey

Jill from Run With Jill
Leslie from And Her Little Dog Too
Emily from If I Can't Convince You, I'll At Least Confuse You
Mr. and Mrs. Leonor Carey (No Blog)

Here’s the Deal…

I got called into work, and realized that I have some people still signing up for the 2010 Christmas Card Swap so I’m going to move the deadline to 5pm ET tonight (DEC 1)!!  If you want to sign up, you still can until I get home from work!  Just click on the name of the swap above or the picture on my sidebar to get to the official page!  I hope everyone has a wonderful day!!  HAPPY DECEMBER!!!

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

LAST CHANCE!!!

Today is your last chance to sign up for the 2010 Christmas Card Swap!!!!  I have about 30 people signed up (all of the female kind) and am waiting on more!!  Trust me, you do NOT want to miss out on this fun!!  So sign up TODAY!!! 

2010 Christmas Card Swap Logo

I will be putting the groups together and posting them no later than December 5th!!  Cards must go out by December 15th!!  So, if you want to still get in on all this excitement, you can sign up by clicking on the picture above!! :D Also, you can check if you’ve already signed up by going to the official page (click the picture) and looking at the list… I believe I am all caught up on updating it, so if your name isn’t there I might have missed your email!  If I did, please send me another email letting me know!

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Weekly Roundup: November 22-28


Monday:
  Rest
Tuesday:  Rest
Wednesday:  Rest
Thursday:  BPK Scholarship 5k (Recap will be posted this week!)
Friday:  1 Hour of Wii Cardio
Saturday:  4th Annual Turkey Trot/Fun Run (Recap will be posted this week!)
Sunday:  Rest


Reminders

Please please please… if you are wanting to be “in like flynn” sign up for the 2010 Christmas Card Swap!!!  Sign ups close Late November 30th/Early December 1st and groups will be posted no later than December 5th!!  So far we have about 30 participants (all ladies) from all over the world… we’d like others to join too… and it’s not just for the ladies!! ;)  You can click on the picture below to see all the details and sign up information! :D2010 Christmas Card Swap Logo
Also, I haven’t been able to get around to everyone’s blogs like I want to… I’ve been skimming most of them but haven’t really been commenting but hopefully I can get back into the swing of things this coming week as well as write my two race recaps.  So, don’t think I don’t care… I do and I will make it to your blog eventually :)


Blog Posts From The Week

Reminder!!
Breaking News!!
[Almost] Wordless Wednesday
Thanksgiving Recap


Races I’m Registered For

5/7/11 – Capital City Half Marathon

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Thanksgiving Recap

 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! :D  I ran a 5k in the morning and then came home to eat a wonderful breakfast, watched the end of the Macy’s day parade and then went to my boyfriends for dinner, came back to my house for dinner AND dessert! haha… Yes, I was full!  I don’t think I’ll have to eat any the next 5 days or so ;)

Then yesterday everyone was home and the boyfriends and girlfriend came over and we played wii (what a workout!!), had homemade hot chocolate and pumpkin pie, watched some really funny home videos, and put our nativity up.  It’s a Christmas tradition that we put it up as a family.  It’s one that everyone enjoys and kind of a competition to see who can find baby Jesus first out of the box.

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This morning, I ran another 5k! (That’s right… 2 in 3 days!!)  and had a blast!!!  I will start working on my race reports to put up when I can.  I’ve got some things that I’ve been working on that are quite time consuming (my mom’s afghan) so I’ll put them up when I get to it ;)  I can put my mom’s Christmas gifts on my blog because I know she doesn’t use a computer lol…

Also!!!  I wanted to remind everyone that you have only 3 days left to sign up for the 2010 Christmas Card Swap!!!  So get to it and invite your friends!! :D  CLICK HERE TO JOIN!

Did any of you go shopping yesterday (Black Friday)?  Any good deals?

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

[Almost] Wordless Wednesday

Well, I was supposed to work tonight, but it’s really cold and rainy so they called me off, telling me I wasn’t needed… Bad for the paycheck, but grateful I don’t have to go out in that weather!!

So, tonight this is my perspective:

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And this is what I’m working on:

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While drinking this:

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And I can’t wait to eat that pumpkin pie tomorrow!! :D  Yummy!!  What are your plans for Thanksgiving?  I have a 5k in the morning at 9am and it’s basically the last chance I have to go sub 25 because my last 5k (this Saturday) is on a cross country [grass] course. Yeah, that’s right… I have 2 (two!) 5ks in 3 days! haha… I don’t want to hurt myself pushing for a PR on grass since I’ve never run on just grass before… I’d rather run that one for fun.  Don’t forget to sign up for the 2010 Christmas Card Swap if you haven’t already!  We have about 30 people who have joined the party so far! :D

What do you do on cold, rainy nights?
Do you have any hobbies besides running?

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Breaking News!!

So, I sat down to watch Tuesday night tv … mainly NCIS and NCIS LA … but wheel of fortune is on right before my shows, so i’m watching it.

They introduced the people and there’s a lady on there who is a marathoner, training for her 9th marathon! 

Then, there’s another woman on there who has run marathons! lol… Fun stuff!!  Just thought I’d share! :)  Runner’s are awesome!! ;)

Reminder!!

 

Ok, so I have the day off and I’m getting frustrated with the crochet pattern I’m working on!!  The pattern is HERE if anyone crochets and would like to help me…  I’m stuck on the Border Row 2 where it says “ch 3, 3dc over the last dc made”  Please and Thank You!

By the way, you guys will be seeing a lot more of my crafting (knitting and crocheting mainly) endeavors because I decided that having two blogs is really not that fun and my crafting one has been dormant mainly since I’ve started this blog.  I’m sorry if that makes anyone upset, but it’s part of who I am, so this blog is not just going to be strictly for running… hope that makes sense to everyone!

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Now that my little cry for help is over lol… I’m getting ready to go run with a friend after she gets off work so I’m looking forward to it!** :)  It’s nice and sunny and not too cold!!  I just wanted to remind everyone that the 2010 Christmas Card Swap signups are closing November 30th… so if you want to join but haven’t yet, you’ve got exactly ONE WEEK!!

Click the picture to take you to the official page! :D

2010 Christmas Card Swap Logo

**Well my friend cancelled so now I’ll probably just do some yoga and weights since its starting to get dark already…

Monday, November 22, 2010

Weekly Roundup: November 15-21

 
Workouts

Monday:  Rest
Tuesday:  Rest
Wednesday: Nightly (50/10), 10 Lunges each leg
Thursday:  1.61 miles (15min), 10 bicep curls L/R, 10 tricep L/R, lat 5, front 5, Bicep curls 5 L/R, [10lbs], stretch
Friday:  3 miles, stretch
Saturday:  5.5 miles with Jess;  20 pushups, 50 crunches, 30sec plank, 10 pushups, 50 crunches, 30sec plank, 10 pushups; stretch
Sunday:  Rest


Received Giveaways That I Won

Inperspire Towel from Running Through Life

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Allied Steel Medal Hanger from Forward Foot Strides

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Blog Posts From The Week

2010 Christmas Card Swap
Partayyyy!!
Throwback Thursday
Frightful Friday
The United Way 5k Race Recap


Registered Races

11/25/10 – BPK Scholarship 5k Run
11/27/10 – 4th Annual Turkey Trot/Fun Run
5/7/11 – Capital City Half Marathon

Sunday, November 21, 2010

The United Way 5k Race Recap

13th Annual United Way 5k run/ 2 mile walk
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Start Time:  9:00 am

I ended up getting off work around 8:15am and arrived at the race around 8:25ish…  The sun was shining and it was 50 something degrees so it was beautiful!!  I went into the building to pick up my packet and took it back to my car so I could prepare to run.  I put my bib on and got my ipod set up. This was the first local race that was chip timed so I put the little chip on my shoe with a zip tie, and started doing a little warm up jog and stretching.

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The race director was counting down over the loud speaker, until the race started and reminding everyone to put their chips on their shoes because if you didn’t have one or if it fell off, you wouldn’t get timed.  Once the director said there was 10 minutes left until the start, I went to the starting area.  I finally spotted my parents and I hadn’t been sure they were going to get there on time or not so I didn’t give them my camera.  Too bad because they ended up seeing me 4 times on the course!! (next year they’ll have my camera for sure!!)

**All the race pictures were taken by the people who put the race on, I just snagged them from facebook**
75834_157774484265388_106206739422163_271883_2656168_n76933_157774787598691_106206739422163_271896_5302500_nNo clue what that lady is doing or what’s up with that dude’s beard but had to post this picture! lol 

I headed over to chat with them before the start of the race and as soon as I told them “im gonna go line up on the inside” I hear a horn and everyone started running!!  Oh my goodness!! Seriously?!  The last announcement was at 10 minutes before the start of the race!!  They didn’t even have any announcements before the race like the usual run through of the route or telling you where the water stop is or to have fun or anything like that… I was very surprised!  Good thing the race is chip timed! ;)

Well, I finally got to the “start” flag and realized that there was no “mat” to start my timing… great!  my time had started while I was towards the back of the crowd and the chip is only used to record our time at the finish! ugh!!  If I would have known that, I would’ve started as far in front as I could get away with! Especially since I’m trying to go sub 25!!  (next year i will start towards the front!!)

The first part of the race we had to run around the horse track (the race was at the local fairgrounds) 1 1/2 times.  I tried to stay on the inside as much as possible, but ended up passing people on the outside most of the time. Then we ran up a little hill and around part of the fair ground path.  I saw my parents right after mile 1 and shouted “If I want it, I gotta keep this pace!”  “It” being sub 25.  I had run the first mile in 8:01 according to the guy who was shouting out times as everyone ran by.  I’m so glad that my parents were where they were, because they had stationed themselves right in front of the big hill leading out of the fairgrounds and onto the road.

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My parents are GREAT at spectating races… especially this being their first year to do so ;)  I destroyed that hill!  I was passing people going up and down that hill and I was feeling great! After the hill came a really long straight stretch and I kept looking for a mile 2 marker, but I never saw one… I was getting thirsty and hadn’t brought along my handheld.  Since there were no announcements at the beginning of the race, I had no clue if there was a water station or not. But I picked out a girl in front of me and focused on passing her…and I did!

A couple minutes later and I found out there was!!  Thank goodness!! I grabbed a cup and thanked the volunteers.  I didn’t look before I tried to drink some, but the cups were filled to the top with water and somehow I choked on the water causing me to swallow my gum causing me to throw up in my mouth, which in turned caused me to pull over and stop on the side of the road to let it all out… talk about disgusting!  Also, disappointing because I had no clue how much further I had to run but that little incident kind of zapped the remainder of my energy!  Also, that girl I passed had passed me back big time!

I started running again as soon as possible and focused on running strong and catching back up to the girl I had picked out.  We were rounding around a couple of side streets and now me and the girl were running side by side.  as we came to the road that would eventually take us to the finish line, the girl and a guy that was running with a dog pulled ahead of me.  I started thinking thoughts like “I might as well give up, I’ll never get sub 25 now”  and “I really haven’t run much at all the past couple weeks, why am I kind of expecting to run good today?”  I shook my head and pressed on telling myself I only had a little ways left. 

I could finally see the finish line a little ways in the distance.  Stay strong Zaneta!!  Just finish strong!!  Well, that girl and guy were only a little ways ahead of me now and I told myself I had to gain some ground.  Except I wasn’t so sure I could.  That is when I spotted one of the guys that runs all of the local 5ks (and he is mr speedster).  He had run back to stand across the street of the finish line.  He was cheering and then he saw me and started cheering for me and the one thing he said that pushed me to run as hard as I could was “Girl, you’ve got this!  You have to pass them!  You’re almost there!”

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Bill, if by some chance you happen upon my little blog… thank you so much!!  You really pushed me and were the reason I crossed that finish line strong!  For some reason I just felt like I didn’t have it in me, but you helped push me along!!  I ended up passing the girl AND the guy with the dog to come in to the finish chute with a time of 25:16.  Not my best, not my worst BUT not a sub 25 either.  So yes, I was a tad disappointed.

I found my parents, grabbed a bagel and orange and some gatorade and told my story to my parents… IF I would have started in the front and IF I would have not had to stop somewhere right after mile 2 and IF I would have run more the past couple of weeks I SO could have gone sub 25! 

I ended up getting first in my age group which I was surprised by… I’m always surprised when I place in my age group… but especially 1st place…. Instead of a medal I got a blue ribbon and $10! lol… I joked with my parents that I’m a pro now because I got paid to run! ;)

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All-in-all, this was a great race, great course, great volunteers, great shirt… my only complaint is that there was no warning that we were starting the race and that I was led to believe that “chip” timing meant that the chip would start timing once we crossed the start, and stop once we crossed the finish.  Instead, we had a gun time with fast web results.  It was fun, and I’ll definitely do this race again next year!

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Stats

Time:  25:16
Pace: 8:07/mile
Overall Place: 105/343
AG Place: 1/9

Upcoming Races

11/25/10 – B.P.K. Scholarship Run/Fun Walk
11/27/10 – 4th Annual Turkey Trot 5k Run/Walk

Friday, November 19, 2010

Frightful Friday

ok, so… I just got back from running (no I didn’t go this morning.. we switched our plans to tomorrow morning 7am)  and I can’t help but think that my run deserves a blog post.

I got all bundled up in my “winter gear” and headed outside totally in the mood for a great run!  It’s the coldest I’ve run in so far but it felt so refreshing!!  I was going to take my favorite route and headed down the lane when I saw those 3 dreaded dogs just waiting for me to come by so they could snap at my calves and heels…  I immediately turned around and headed the other direction.

That’s ok” I thought  “A few more hills should be fun!”  and off I went!

I felt like I was running at a decently fast pace and I was really enjoying my run and battling up those hills was like a game to me… After each hill I conquered, I did a little fist pump at the top before running towards the next one…
childish? maybe.. fun? definitely!  ;)

I turned around when I decided it was getting too dark and that’s when it happened… my “perfect run”  turned into just a “good run”  … I got some side cramps.  But they usually go away pretty quickly so I powered through it and decided it wasn’t going to ruin my fun!

Not even a minute after my cramps went away, I started up a hill and halfway up, I passed a line of trees…

OUT OF NOWHERE COMES THIS ST BERNARD… running right towards me, barking so loudly!!!  If you’ve been following me for a while now, you know i HATE dogs!!!  Right away my vision started getting blurry, the blood drained from my face, and my muscles tensed up, I got an instant headache and kept saying
“go home”
“stay”
“good dog”
“go home”
“stay”

I felt like I was going in slow motion…  yes, for all you new followers, I’m deathly afraid of dogs… I try to act like I’m not, but all that flies out the window when you have a huge mass of 200 pounds running AT you!!

That’s when it really started going downhill… literally and figuratively… I made it to the other side of the hill and the dog finally went back home and I tried so hard to relax but I think my fear and adrenaline really did a number on my tummy!  I felt terrible!  like I was going to throw up or go to the bathroom and I kept telling myself that I really needed a Road ID and to start running with my phone.  What if something would’ve happened and that dog KILLED me and mauled my face?!  no one would be able to tell who I was or who to call… ugh!! Stupid dogs!  ok… maybe that last part… about the mauling… was a bit dramatic…

My tummy problems persisted and I had to run/walk the rest of the way home… I thought I was for sure gonna be a mess by the time I made it back home, but luckily I was not!  I made it in one piece and was never so happy to be home!!  This is my “I survived” pose:

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Don’t mind my crazy hair, I think it has a mind of it’s own.  AND Yes, I have a “dog”, but he’s not really a dog… he’s a 7 year old puppy lol ;)  Look how cute he is!  all 7 lbs of him!  I probably wouldn’t mind if all dogs were Gabriel’s size! haha!

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So yeah… that was my nice, relaxing, fun run turned stressful, run for my life and survive, run lol… are any of you deathly afraid of dogs? Or am I the only one?  How do you deal with dogs while you’re running? Especially BIG dogs!?

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Throwback Thursday

Yes, I’m stealing Q’s Move…. It’s late and I’m tired so no race recap tonight… tomorrow for sure though! I promise!!  I’m getting up early to go run with someone before I head to work…so that should be a fun time.  I’m sure you’ll hear about it at some point ;)

Throwback Time!!

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This was probably taken around 1988-89… yeah, I was ballin’ way back then!! ;)  Little did I know that I’d play from 4th grade through college! lol

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In other news… we have 20 people signed up for the 2010 Christmas Card Swap so far and about 7 other people who said they are interested and want to join but haven’t sent me an email yet!  Don’t forget to send me an email because that is how you officially sign up!  It closes on November 30th, so get on it people!!

Also, Starting next week my work hours should go down from 45+ per week to about 13-25…. lots more free time!  BUT, smaller paycheck too lol… it’ll only be like that for a couple weeks or so before I take on more hours again, so let freedom ring! ;)

I guess I could’ve called this 3 thing thursday lol ;)  
I guess I just wanted to cramp Q’s style

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Partayyyy!!

Well, I was getting ready to write a blog post when our electric went out. It’s cold, rainy, and so very windy with gusts up to 50 mph here in Ohio.  Then I remembered that I could write up an entry on Windows Live Writer and then post it when the electric comes back on… as long as my laptop battery lasts long enough!

Right now, my whole family (minus my youngest sister who is away at college) is sitting around in the living room with candles lit and we’re enjoying talking, eating ice cream, and spending time together even though its midnight!  It’s a lot of fun!  Brings back some memories :)

It seems like everyone around here is registering for 2011 races…  Guess I’m in the “in” crowd…  Lookie what I did Friday night!!

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I’m so excited!!  Half Marathon #2 is now paid for and on my calendar!!  Anyone else running The Capital City Half Marathon?!

Also, I will post my race recap from this past weekend hopefully tomorrow or Thursday… I was hoping that the organizers would post some pictures but I’m not sure if they will or not and I wasn’t sure my parents were coming so they didn’t have my camera.

Last, but not least, I am hosting the 2010 Christmas Card Swap!! :D  If you haven’t already joined in on the party, head on over and sign up!!  It’s going to be loads of fun and I’m positive you don’t want to miss out!! ;)  You can click on the picture and it will take you to the official page!

2010 Christmas Card Swap Logo

Ok, well… I’m getting tired and I don’t think the electric is coming back on anytime soon, so I’ll have to post this in the morning!  Goodnight all!

**The power is now back on… It was out for about 1 1/2 hours

Monday, November 15, 2010

2010 Christmas Card Swap

Ok, so I had a lot of you say that my idea for the swap was a fun idea and would definitely join!  So, it’s official!  2010 Christmas Card Swap is now underway!

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Depending on how many people sign up, I will divide you all into groups of 5 or more people.  You will send a Christmas card to all the people in your group, and will be receiving cards from the people in your group.  Let’s say you are put in a group with X,Y,Z…  You will send cards to X, Y, and Z and will receive a card from X, Y, and Z.  Make sense?! Good! :)

Your cards can be store bought or handmade and you can feel free to add a little something to the card like your favorite running quote, running advice, candy, a little ornament, a sticker, a note of encouragement or a funny note, or you can just send the card… Whatever you want to do is PERFECT!  Just don’t be sending pairs of running shoes, an Ipod, or a free entry to Boston (unless you’re sending it to me)  We want to keep this cheap so everyone can join and doesn’t feel bad for just sending a card!   :)

After everyone is put into their groups I will be sending out an email including your group members ONLY with their blog links (so you can get to know them if you don’t already) and addresses so that there’s still a bit of privacy and everyone’s addresses aren’t out there floating around on the internet somewhere!  Safety people!!  :D   The groups will be picked by Random.org so we keep things mixed up!

I will be adding people to a list at the bottom of this page as they sign up…  So, if you sign up and for some reason, do not see your name on the list after a couple days… just shoot me an email and we’ll get it taken care of!

If you can think of anything that I may have left out, let me know!  Let’s get this PARTY STARTED!!!  You are welcome to invite your friends!  All are welcome! :)  Feel free to put the logo on your blog and link it back to this page as an invite to other bloggers! AND YES, international bloggers are welcome to join!!!

2010 Christmas Card Swap Logo

How to sign up:

Send an email to runners.luck@hotmail.com with the subject “2010 Christmas Card Swap” and include the following:

Name:
Blog Title and URL:
Mailing Address:
Introduce yourself in a couple sentences:  (so that others in your group can get to know you)
Additional Information:  (if you feel you can only send to 1, 2, or 3 people instead of 5 or more, its totally cool!! OR if you are willing to send a card internationally or not!  Just let me know!)

Come back to this page and just post a quick comment stating that you’re in. That’s it…  So easy a caveman could do it!   ;)

SIGN UPS WILL CLOSE ON NOVEMBER 30TH @ 11:59PM
(Basically if you sign up before I wake up December 1st , you’re golden!

 

Sign ups OPEN November 15-30th
Sign ups Close November 30th @ 11:59 pm

Partners Emailed December 1-5th
Cards need to be sent by December 15th

 

People who are IN LIKE FLYNN!

Zaneta from Runner’s Luck
Randi from S Club 4
Laurie from The (Mis)Adventure of a Jogging-Stroller Mom
Tiina from One Crazy Penguin
Amy Lauren from A Couple Dents in my Fender, A Couple Rips in my Jeans
Keeley from Wanderer in a Strange Land
Christina from Lace it up and Run
Melanie from Half Marathon Rookie
Courtney from Run, Courtney, Run
Rae from 5k Rae
Kim from (Just) Trying is for Little Girls
Janae from Hungry Runner Girl
Irene from Tales From the Back of the Pack
Alanna from Running 42km 
Suzana from More to Life Than This
Kadie from There She Runs
Christina from Making Healthy the Norm
April from Mommys Fit for the King
Kathy from Running, Life, Learning and Growing
Daphne from Racing for the Rainbow
Amy from Amy Runs a Marathon
Christel from Silly Girl Running
Erica from I Run Because…I Can
Kate from Run With Kate
Aneta from Running Bucket
Trish from Begin Again and Again and Again
Monique from Confessions of a Lazy Athlete
Julie from The Hotlegs Runner
Caroline from Journey to a Half Marathon
Sherry from Life From My Perspective
Jamie from Heat Runner
Jill from Run for the Hills
Stacie from Impossible is Nothing
Jody from Running With Sharp Objects
Bobbie from 2010 Journey in Running
Barefoot Neil Z from Because All the Cool Kids Are Doing It
Scott from Big Daddy Diesel
Karyn from This Mama's 26.2 Mile Journey
Jill from Run With Jill
Leslie from And Her Little Dog Too
Emily from If I Can't Convince You, I'll At Least Confuse You
Mr. and Mrs. Leonor Carey (No Blog)

Friday, November 12, 2010

Wanted: Thoughts and Opinions

I’m not clever by any means, but I thought that with all my time spent at work, I’d “blog” on paper on my break and then just retype it when I got home so I could save some time and be able to do other things in the evening… genius right?!

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One of the radio stations I usually listen to is playing Christmas music.  Not only on weekends, but 24/7!  Don’t get me wrong… Christmas is my most favorite holiday, but I do not listen to Christmas music until Thanksgiving OR the first snow.  (Whichever comes first)  With 72 degree, sunny weather, it’s hard to even think about snow!  BUT… all the Christmas music and holiday store decor has got me thinkin’.

In the knitting community (yes, I knit AND crochet… lay off the old lady jokes) we do these things called swaps.  They usually have a theme and a price limit and then everyone gets partnered up and they send each other goodies.  Seriously… this is a HUGE deal on Ravelry!!** 

So I figured, why not try out a little swap-like action in the running community?!  My idea is to “swap” Christmas cards…  Depending on how many participants we had, I would break it up into groups and everyone in that group would send everyone else in their group a Christmas card.  That’s why I want your thoughts… I would love to hear if you all would be interested in doing something like this or if you think it’s kind of stupid…  If I get atleast 5 people that say they’re interested I’ll go ahead and get the details put together and make it official.

So… What do you think?

 

**Ravelry is an online knitting and crochet community

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Three Things Thursday

1. I wanted to share a coupon with everyone… If you are thinking about buying a Road ID use this Road ID coupon code for $1 off!  

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It expires December 9th so use it for all those Road ID Christmas Gifts you’re going to buy ;)

2.  I joined the 2010 Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge over at Run to the Finish…  it’s a really fun way to stay determined over the holidays and reach some goals too :)  PLUS, there are some fun prizes so go check it out!  Click on the button to go to the challenge page.

HBBC Logo

3.  I have a race this Saturday… The United Way 5k… It’s chip timed so I’m kind of excited… AND it’s in my hometown! :)  I’m going to try to push myself as hard as I can to try to get my sub 25… but If I fail, I know that I have 1 (maybe 2) more 5ks after this to meet my goal before the end of the year!! :D

Happy Veterans Day!! Thank you to those of you who have served for our country!!  Also, to those of you who have the day off… enjoy!  I am heading to work!  Have a great day!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Make Believe… I’m a Pro!

This past weekend was a bust!  I was sick all weekend starting Thursday, and Friday was supposed to be a great day off… I spent it mostly in bed! I’m still feeling some of the effects but I’ve mostly recovered.  So, due to a couple set backs and thinking things through, I’ve decided not to run the Ashland Half Marathon and I’m ok with that because I have a plan forming in my brain! MUAH HAHAHA!! lol… I’m pretty excited for 2011! :D

Today started out great though because the very first thing, I got a call telling me that I wasn’t needed at work… Ok, so I guess that can be both good and bad, but the weather was gorgeous!! Sunny and about 65 degrees!  I definitely had to get outside and go running!!  Due to being sick, I hadn’t gone running since last Tuesday!

My brother decided that he would ride his bike along with me while I ran and he took some pictures of me before we headed out.  Photo Op!! haha… I felt like a pro! ;)  Take a look at some of my favorite pictures (and then go visit my brother’s photography page on facebook HERE):

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You can click the pictures to make them larger

Why yes, I did custom make some arm sleeves out of a pair of socks… thanks for noticing!  haha, it was kind of chilly when we set off but i didn’t feel like wearing a long sleeve shirt… they worked pretty well and I ended up taking them off about a mile into my run.  My brother put them in one of his kit pockets for me.

We ended up going 4.28 miles, well I ran that and my brother probably rode about double that because he would coast down hills and then come back to where I was and so on and so forth.  When we got back I made myself stretch because being sick made my muscles tight and then I made one of my favoritest (yes, that word is in my vocabulary) protein shakes and hopped in the shower. 

Since then, I’ve been blogging (and working on the layout of mine), relaxing, crocheting, and spending time with my family…  Today is what my Friday was supposed to be like!  God knew that I needed today so badly!  It was a fabulous break from the busyness and stress of my normal weeks!

Do you ever make believe to be something you’re not, just for fun? (seriously… adults can have fun too!)

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