The winner of the Coolest Giveaway E-V-E-R is

Drum roll, please…

Amanda at RuntoFinish (selected by Random.org)

When asked what she would buy with $100, RunToFinish said:
Can I buy abs like yours at Dick’s? If not then I think I would probably go for a bosu ball, it seems like a great addition to my running for cross training.

Hilarious, right??!!

Amanda – thanks for the awesome shout – out but I think your new Bosu Ball will be much more reliable than my summer-induced-abs!

Thanks to all of my new followers (and my old ones) who commented to win this awesome giveaway from Dick’s Sporting Goods! I think my 1st giveaway was a success. You all had great answers to the $100 question – I seriously wish everyone could win!

Amanda – email me your address so you can start training with your new Bosu Ball
(melody.parry@gmail.com)

P.S. – follow @dickssportcmo on Twitter for another chance to win. I was the Day 12 winner – and am getting a new Speedo with my $100!

P.P.S. – BJ and I are off to Sun Valley, ID for 9 days (so I will be blogging MIA). Happy Running – I know we will be training like crazy!

Have you ever Googled yourself? I mean, really Googled? Like, got down and dirty, searched more than “page 1″, and read the articles…??

I’m only asking because yesterday morning, coaching boot camp, one of my “students” told me that he had been reading my blog. Since he’s a super cool guy, I was not freaked out (actually, I think it’s kind of awesome that someone can find I RUN LIKE A GIRL when searching my name!). But how did he find it???

That’s right – he Googled me!

Well, you better believe I went to right work and Googled myself. I wanted to make sure there were no incriminating lies on the WWW about me.

Instead, I was pleasantly surprised. Beside the obvi Twitter, LinkedIN, FB accounts, it was kind of fun to read about old races and my college days. Here are some of the fun things I found – who knew some 1-5 years later they would still be on Google!

1) Sun Gazette – Arlington Running Roundup (I’m in a Newspaper article!!): At Potomac Valley Track Club’s Go Fourth 8K at Belle Haven Park in Alexandria, Edi Turco, 36, wrapped up another age group win, fourth overall in 28:56. Anthony Lee, 36, charged into 14th place in 31:00, and Tom Carey, 32, ran 32:00 for 22nd. MP, 25, carried 35:46, eighth among women.

2) Sun Tree Turkey Trot: Women’s 5K, Ages 20 – 24 (2007)
Place: 1
Name: MP
Age:23
Time:22:04
Km pace: 4:25
Mile pace:7:06
Bib #348
**I’m just finding out today, 2.5 years later, that I got 1st in my AG!!

3) College Choices 2001 – by College
These are the College choices by Track and Field and Cross Country Athletes of the class of 2001:
University of Central Florida – P,M– Satellite BCH – FL

4) University of Central Florida Track and Field Media Guide (this is my *favorite*)

Name: MP
Hometown: Satellite Beach, Fla.
High School:Satellite HS
Event:400mH, 400m

*2005: my senior year of college

So I wonder (readers, this is a question for you): What would you find if you Googled yourself?? A race you forgot about, a time you didn’t know you could run..? It might be kind of fun to see what you can dig up!

Also, DON’T forget about my awesome $100 giveaway – you have until Friday (August 21) to enter! Click here for more information.

You are never going to believe this – but I’m the Day 12, lucky winner of a Dick’s Sporting Goods $100 gift card. No more Speedo day-dreaming for me: I have myself a brand new hot pink/black tankini that will “make me fast” (that was my reason for wanting the $100 gift card/ Speedo)

See, I told you that this giveaway was not a joke!

For those of you that have no idea what I’m talking about – I’m hosting an awesome giveaway sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods! The winner gets a $100 gift card to buy anything-your-(running)-heart-desires! Simultaneously, they are hosting a giveaway on Twitter – and as previously mentioned, I have been tweeting my @$$ off…only to f-i-n-a-l-l-y win!!! (Yay!!!)

So, you should tell all of your friends about it. Yes, I’m peer pressuring you – but really, who doesnt want free stuff?!

Official Rules (or click here):
1) Follow @dickssportcmo on Twitter
2) Comment on the Coolest Giveaway E-V-E-R post with an answer to the question “What would you buy at Dick’s with $100 and why?”

Extra points:
1) Become a I RUN LIKE A GIRL follower (if you aren’t already)
2) Post the “Coolest Giveaway E-V-E-R” on your blog and link back
_______________________________________________________

In other running/life news: being a fitness instructor is so much fun (the only kind-of-not-fun part is waking up sooo early, and even more-not-fun than that: a grumpy boyfriend because he “didn’t get enough sleep” and “I woke him up twice”)! Life continues to be crazy so I’ve had to squeeze my workouts in – but fear not, I leave for vaca on Saturday and I plan to train my butt off (last year, I actually lost weight on this vacation – we went biking, hiking, running, swimming everyday – and my friends call me crazy it was awesome!!)

Happy Running!

Okay, I’ve officially been M.I.A. I hate it. And I’m sorry.

I have been so busy at work. BJ told me he “doesn’t even know who I am” since I’ve been working so much! Not that I’m a slacker, because I promise that I’m not, but I’ve had so much going on that I’ve even been working when I get home! Let’s just say that’s not very typical of me (and leave it at that). The cool news is that I’ve been working on an awesome ENERGY STAR campaign for EPA (EPA is my client) – but the deadline got pushed up 2.5 months – and we have been running around like crazy! When the campaign launches on September 1, I’ll be sure let everyone know.

On a cooler (or hotter) note, BJ and I went to Florida last weekend and had a blast. My family lives on the beach and it’s the best little beach town ever. I love home! (BJ and my best friend, AC, are pretty much the only reason(s) I live in Virginia!)

Above: MP, LP, KP, KP Jr. and JP – the whole “P” family

We did some good working out on our mini-vaca. BJ, KP (my little sis) and I ran a couple of times (thank God I brought my Camel Bak) – including a beach run and a causeway run (the only hills in FL are the causeways aka the bridges that take you mainland to beachside). On Saturday morning, BJ and I woke up early and did an ocean swim. It was great – and as soon as we got in the water, we saw 2 dolphin swimming – it was so cool! We also have the most awesome family dog ever – LBM – or little brother Max (as we call him). He’s a yellow lab and too handsome for his own good. We took him to the beach everyday because he loves to play in the ocean and catch his whatever-toy-we-took-to-the-beach toy. It’s a blast to watch him in the water – he’s literally hilarious.

So, part of the reason we went to Florida was because AC’s little brother got married – he’s practically my brother, too – so it was so much fun to be a part of their special day. I’ll get mushy for 1.5 seconds and say: I wish them a lifetime of happiness! But, really, I do!

The only reason(s) I live in VA!

Now, back to my family. They are so awesome. It was just fun to hang out, swim in the pool, drink a couple of margaritas, go to the beach and spend time with my family. I am literally the luckiest MP in the world. I miss them already!

Also – more big news – I’ve decided to become a fitness instructor!! I’m working for this cool company called Custom Fitness Concepts – and teaching a Boot Camp M-F! This is my 1st week – but so far, so good. Eventually (like, when I am a wife with kids) I would love to be a personal trainer/fitness instructor/high school track coach. Until then, I’ll have to keep my government consulting job (dagger!).

I know, i know – this has been a random-hot-mess – but I had to blog about something because it’s been over one week and I’m having I RUN LIKE A GIRL (and margarita) withdrawal!

Happy Running!

I signed up for a Half Ironman today. NBD.

(I wish…)

I don’t even know what I’ve gotten myself into! BJ and I did it this morning – 510 dollars ($255/each) later we are going to die signed up for EAGLEMAN.

Later in the day, I went to lunch with two girls I work with, who are also triathletes. Too embarrassed to mention my unlikely-cause-of-sudden-death-at-26, our lunch went a little something like this:

Trigirl1: EAGLEMAN registration opened today. I wonder if I should do it (???).

Trigirl2: It’s a flat course, but the bike can be really windy (30+ mph) and the run can be really hot (not shaded).

MP: (in my head) Great…!!!

Trigirl1: I wonder if it’s expensive (??)… Do you think it’s already sold out (??)… [more questions I can't remember because I'm trying to remember why I signed up in the first place...]

MP: (gulp) I signed up today….

So…I just stopped having “sign-up” anxiety, like, 5 minutes ago – but now I’m really excited and want to tell everyone! Blog World: I’m doing a Half Ironman. That’s right: 70.3!!

June 13, 2010 – here I come!