Hello,
I’m on vacation this week (much-needed) & will be slow in posting and/or commenting on blogs.
{sorry}
Have a great week – I will return the week of October 3, 2011.
Thanks,
{will run for margaritas}
P.S. I am drinking margaritas on the beach
Lately, I’ve been dreaming a lot…
I’m not talking about the middle-of-the-night kind of dreaming, but I have been doing that, too.
No, I’ve been dreaming about my goals, my career, my life.
Yesterday Josh Cox posted an article that really hit home {it kind of felt like he wrote it just for me}.
The reality is, most folks aren’t living out their dreams. When you mention yours to them, the only reference point they have is their own – chasing dreams wasn’t prudent for them, therefore it’s not prudent for you. I’ve said it before but it’s worth repeating: those who have given up on their dreams will try to get you to abandon yours. It doesn’t make them bad folks it just means they didn’t pursue their passion, so neither should you. The reality is, making your dreams become reality is a scary proposition, it’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s rewarding beyond belief.
Even though I’m young, I’ve given up on dreams. Dreams to write for magazine. Dreams to live abroad. And over the last 2-3 years, dreams to work in the running/sporting goods industry.
Following your dreams is not easy. No one ever said it would be. But 5 months ago, after running my 1st marathon and qualifying for Boston (one of my dreams), it became abundantly clear to me that I had given up on a dream. I had given up because I was scared, couldn’t afford to make ends meet, and didn’t know how to make my dream a reality.
Running a marathon reminded me of why I love the {running} community – and since May 1, I have put a plan into action that may (or may not) get me to where I want to be. My plan includes more community involvement and a commitment to serve others.
 |
| My Dream: Qualify for Boston |
The key to success – the crux of the message: The Serve. Find a way to use your gift to serve others – don’t make it about you, make it about them. How can your passions and giftedness serve someone else? Anyone can use a gift for personal gain; the key to success is making your gift valuable to someone else. Asking, how can I help? and delivering on that question, will open dozens of doors. You’ll fall in love with helping others, there’s nothing more rewarding.
The more you serve others, the more impact you make. The most influential folks in history – those with statues and streets bearing their names – are those who used their gifts and passions to serve mankind. If you want to have long, lasting, real success, find a way to use your aptitudes to serve others. Help others reach their potential; in helping them reach theirs, you’ll reach your own.
My Serve (in the Northern Virginia community)
My Stepping Stones (things I have accomplished to help me get one step closer to my dream)
So here it is, THIS IS MY DREAM:
What is your DREAM?
Josh, thank you for writing exactly what I need to hear & read. You can read the rest of the article {here}
Enter my Wasa Crispbread giveaway {HERE}
I’ve been a Wasa Crispbread fan for years, so I was excited to sample three flavors that I had never tried: Fiber, Sesame and Whole Grain. If you aren’t familiar with Wasa, it’s a health food that doesn’t taste like a health food. What I love most about Wasa is the crunchy taste (think pretzel) but without all of the calories (think bagel, english muffin). For breakfast, I eat my Wasa like a bagel – with whipped cream cheese, apple butter or honey. For a snack, I eat my Wasa with hummus, veggies, or cheese. I’ve also been know to substitute or add Wasa to my breakfast, lunch, snack or dinner routine (it’s that good!).To all of my triathletes: I took the Wasa Crispbreads to my group-triathlonhouse this past weekend and it was a huge hit post-race!
Favorite Recipes
Peanut Butter and Banana on Wasa
Ingredients
1 piece Wasa Whole Wheat Crispbread
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1/3 banana, sliced
1 teaspoon dark chocolate, grated
Directions
Spread peanut butter over Wasa Crispbread. Cut the banana in slices and place on the peanut butter. Spread dark chocolate on top.
Margherita Pizza on Wasa
Ingredients
1 piece Wasa Sourdough Crispbread
2 slices fresh mozzarella
2 slices plum tomato
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 leaf basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Slice the tomato and the mozzarella and place on Wasa Crispbread. Give 20 seconds in the microwave or a minute under the broiler. Drizzle with oil, salt and pepper, and garnish with basil.
Yogurt and Fresh Berries on Wasa
Ingredients
1 piece Wasa Hearty Crispbread
2 tablespoons plain yogurt (low fat)
¼ cup mixed berries (e.g., raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, fresh or frozen)
Directions
Spread yogurt on Wasa Crispbread and top with berries.
Giveaway
One winner will receive 3 packages of Wasa – Fiber, Sesame and Whole Wheat (one of each)
To enter you have to follow of my blog (leave a comment).
Extra entries (please leave a comment for each):
The giveaway will run until noon EST on Friday, September 30, at which time I will close the post for comments, choose 1 winner via Random.org and announce the winner with a (new) blog post.
Disclaimer: I was provided Wasa Crispbreads free of charge. Opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.
Well, it’s official: watching this video (on repeat) made me miss Nuun and the AMAZING ladies on the Hood to Coast relay team even more than I already do. All I want to do it time-warp back to Oregon, hang out with everyone, run 200 miles, spread the nuun love, eat sprees, and not sleep for 28 hours. For real this time.
Seriously, Becker, you did an awesome job making this video (and i’m sorry we got mad when you took up the entire back row of our van and slept for 10 hours – this video is totally worth it). I love all 4 minutes and 6 seconds of footage!
Nuun | Hood to Coast from eric becker on Vimeo.
Love nuun?! Don’t forget to use the code “afternuundelight” at check-out for 25% off your online order, spend $50 and get free shipping. Discount code is good until September 30.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – SavageMan is my favorite (and hardest) triathlon of the season! I’m in my 4th year of racing (of the 5 years in existence) and it just keeps getting better. I love the course, the volunteers, the other racers, and the laid-back feel of the entire weekend.
Of the 4 years, this year was by far the coldest and most windy. The morning had a slight chill – but I was hoping the sun would come out and warm things up. Wishful thinking – the sun never came out and it was cold the entire race (about 45 degrees with a strong wind) Pre-race: The race started at 9:30am (race directors take note – this is the *perfect* time for a race), with transition closing at 9:15am. I pushed it to the last minute because I did not want to take off my cozy, warm clothes. Little did I know that the swim would be the warmest part of the whole race! Swim: I usually hate the swim, but I make an exception one time/year – for SavageMan. Deep Creek Lake is beautiful and I can see the bottom of the lake the entire swim. And since it’s a smaller race (but getting bigger), I don’t feel like I’ve just gotten into an all-out cat fight when I exit the water (not that I know what a cat-fight feels like). I’m a slow(er) swimmer – I’m totally okay admitting that – but I’m excited to announce that I had my 1st sub-30 minute swim on Saturday! T1: One of my slowest transitions in triathlon history. I did, however, attempt to dry myself off as much as possible and wiggle on some arm warmers before heading out on the bike. Time: 3:06
Bike: I’m not going to spend much time talking about the bike, because I don’t want to sound like a major complainer – but this ride was hard and challenging. It was cold, it was windy – and I was still very wet from the swim. If I wasn’t wearing arm-warmers I probably would have called it quits (BJ was certain that he would see me on the side of the road, waiting to be taken back to transition). I wanted to cry on every.single.downhill and could not feel my feet for 23 miles. At one point, I was {only} going 5mph up hill with a major head-wind. {day-dreaming about the run} T2: I could barely tie my running shoes because my fingers were frozen. Run: I spent 1 hour, 26 minutes and 18 seconds dreaming about the run. Even though it took 3 miles for my toes to finally thaw out, I felt really good on the run (especially since I have only done one brick workout all season, and it was at the Columbia Triathlon, ha). The run is one of my favorites – hilly and shaded but with plenty of flats to recover on. One bystander recognized my Brooks I.D. uniform and cheered for me throughout the run – it was great motivation and just what I needed for the last mile. I pushed hard for the last mile and finished in… Overall Time: 2:53:01 (2 minutes slower than last year, but I’ll take the weather and wind into consideration)
Recap: I placed 4th in my AG group for the 4th year in a row! I kind of feel like I should earn a medal or plaque for consistency. Each year I think “If I just train harder next year, I’ll get 3rd” – but the field keeps improving and I keep getting 4th. Now, it’s just funny!
Post-race = Freezing
Time: 29:55
Time: 1:26:18
Time: 2:41
Time: 51:03 (8:13 pace)
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| Trying to stay warm, with BJ |
I love this race, absolutely love it. After we raced on Saturday, I said to BJ: “We should start charging our friends a fee for introducing them to this race”. I was joking, of course, (kind of), but this year we had 5 friends join us for SavageMan weekend. We rented a huge house (log cabin-esque), and celebrated with lots of wine, hot tub excursions, and (real) fires – it was so much fun. I already can’t wait for 2012.
A HUGE thanks to race management, race officials and all of volunteer for making SavageMan an awesome triathlon experience!
Do you love Brooks? Are you excited about their newest initiative, the PureProject?
Get ready! Over the next two weeks, Brooks is visiting 14 cities and giving away 28 pairs of Brooks PureProject shoes.
Check the Facebook page on the day Brooks is in your city – clues will lead runners to their secret destination through a series of hints (found on the Facebook page).
The first runner to find Brooks in each city wins a pair of PureProject shoes, Brooks apparel and other free gear. And, the winners of the first and last stops – Philadelphia and Seattle – will also receive a free entry into the Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon or Half-Marathons! (kind of wish I lived in Philly right-about-now)
How to participate:
Not in the neighborhood? That’s OK. You can also enter for the chance to win one of 14 pairs of PureProject shoes by posting a photo and title on the Brooks Facebook wall about why you should be selected to win. One online winner will be selected each day.
Where can you catch Brooks?
Check out cities and dates below. Each day Brooks will reveal hints on their location (check the Facebook page)
Anyone in the DC area trying to win a pair of PureProject shoes on September 19?
As a member of the Brooks Bluestreak Team, I had the opportunity to test & wear the {new} PureConnect before they are available to the public on October 1. I’m in the process of writing my review of the shoes – but let’s just say, I can’t wait for October 1!
I’m a little late with this {recap} – but better late than never, right?!
The 1st Annual Dominion Trail Mix was a great success, despite a massive storm (complete with {scary} thunder and lightening). While we had to cancel The Great Skedaddle for safety reasons, Hail the Trail and Trailfest were a huge hit. More than 250 people volunteered to clean-up the Washington & Old Dominion Trail – the largest clean-up in the trail’s history!
The sun came out around 2pm and festival-goers were able to enjoy nice weather, yummy food, face painting & more. Trailfest featured free performances by awesome performers, including the country band Gloriana, The Jenny Leigh Band, and the local teen group A+ Dropouts.
A HUGE thank you to all of our volunteers – we couldn’t have done it without you!
{as the Director of Volunteers, I especially thank YOU!}
We encourage you to continue to celebrate The Washington and Old Dominion Trail by utilizing the trail throughout the year for fitness and environmental related activities with family and friends.
Stay tuned for more information on the 2012 Dominion Trail Mix!
web: www.dominiontrailmix.com
twitter: @domtrailmix
Do you love (and utilize) the W&OD; Trail? What’s your favorite memory or adventure on this trail?
I have 2 {favorite} memories: my (now) husband proposed to me, on a run, on the W&OD; Trail and training for my 1st marathon on the W&OD; (I logged a lot of hours on that trail).
It’s hard to believe that Hood to Coast was almost 2 weeks ago. I mean, where does the time go?! When nuun first announced the team in June, August 26-27 seemed like years away… Now, it’s September and back to reality (and trying to convince BJ to let me run HTC again next year).
There are few races that leave me totally in awe – and Hood to Coast was one of them. Running this epic relay was an adventure that I will never forgot, one that will go down in the history books (or at least, my running book). Everything about this race was cool and I am incredibly thankful that nuun picked me to be a part of it. 1) Nuun 2) Leg 22 (Run #2) One of my nuun-mates said the nicest thing ever about watching me run leg 22 (the van passed me a couple of times on this run). XLMIC, thank you for making my day! “I loved watching you motor past EVERYONE in sight during that leg in the dark… pink sparkles flashing as your legs turned over faster than the Roadrunner! Poetry in motion you are 6.81 miles – 46:18 (6:48 pace)
Hood to Coast {Top 10}
(in no particular order)
Yes, I am a strawberry lemonade – citrus fruit – lemon tea addict and I had access to an endless supply of {free} nuun, but that’s not why I really love nuun (even though it helps). I really love nuun because of the people, the company and what they represent. Nuun went above and beyond for 20 female bloggers – people they had never met. From a dinner party, to hotel rooms, to race logistics/support, to cool gear, to the best 12-passenger vans a runner could dream of – nuun thought of it all. Thank you, nuun, for an amazing experience.
Leg 22 was ranked the hardest of my 3 legs, yet it was the most fun & (what felt like) the easiest. My leg started at 5:15 am, completely in the dark, and ended just as the sun was starting to rise. It was beautiful. Even though I was running on no sleep and very little food, I remember thinking: Thank you, God, for this run, for this earth, for this memory (there’s a lot that one can think about on a 6.81 mile run in the dark).
”
3) Roadkill
Roadkill
-noun
A runner that has been passed by another runner (term most often used during a relay race)
I had no idea how fun and motivating it would be to “roadkill” runners. Not in a mean way, but in a fun-friendly-competitive sort of way. We would joke, we would encourage each other, and we would talk about my pink sparkle skirt. It was also fun to tally up & see other vans mark their roadkill, too.
My HTC Roadkill (RK)
Leg 1: 22 RK
Leg 2: 33 RK
Leg 3: 18 RK
Total: 73 RK
Sorry buddy, I just “chicked” you!
4) My {pink} sparkle skirt
When I found out that the Team Sparkle owners were on my team, I couldn’t ask for Team Sparkle skirts fast enough. Not only are the skirts super cute, they are totally comfortable and I forgot I was wearing a skirt (while running). People started to recognize us: “oh, those girls are from nuun” and “those are the after-nuun delight girls”. People loved our skirts (and it was kind of fun passing people, especially men, while wearing a pink skirt – sorry fellas)
Check out Team Sparkle skirts {HERE}
5) Leg 10 (Run #1)
I was nervous. I was excited. I had no idea what to expect. But, as soon as Mel handed the baton to me, I took off. I couldn’t believe that I was running the Hood to Coast relay; that my 1st leg had finally arrived. It was kind of a boring leg – on a paved path with no place for vans to pull-off to cheer or provide water – but it went fast. And, as soon as I handed off to Kelly, I couldn’t wait for Leg 22!
5.04 miles – 34:31 (6:51 pace)
6) The Van
You couldn’t miss After-NUUN Delight - our van was a “tie-dyed” psychedelic piece of art.
Carrie designed our {awesome} logo & Mel had {awesome} car magnets made based on our theme/logo. From there, we painted our van and added headshots, twitter handles, and blog url’s.
Our van pretty much rocked. A huge “Thank You” to Build-A-Sign for designing our car magnets – those were the icing on the {van} cake.
7) New Friends
I love meeting new people. As a former Army-brat, I moved around most of my life – I was always the new girl and always trying to make new friends. This was no different.
I loved meeting the incredible women that made up the Nuun relay teams. 20 amazing, talented and very cool women. It was such an honor to meet moms to beautiful children, entrepreneurs, social media experts, teachers, event planners, coaches, etc. My only wish is that I could have spent more time getting to know everyone.
8) Leg 34 (Run #3)
My last leg. 3.52 miles, rated Easy. After 26 hours of very little sleep, I was ready for an easy run. Well, about 5 minutes in, this run proved to be the hardest of the 3. Maybe it was hard because it was Run #3 in 24 hours, or because it was extremely hot, on pavement with absolutely no shade – either way, I was thankful that it was short. My teammates stopped at mile 2 and hooked me up with some water & cheers (thank you) – I needed it. I was glad to be done (and ready to celebrate at the Finish – with beer, duh!)
3.52 miles – 24:05 (6:50 pace)
9) Ken & “Pumped Up Kicks”
Ahhh, Ken (!!!) – our fearless van driver. No Hood to Coast race report would be complete without including Ken. He totally rocked, got us to every exchange in time and navigated his way through traffic, runners, and mountains. He also made us some mixed CDs, including Foster the People. “Pumped up Kicks” quickly became our theme-song for the weekend, and Ken didn’t mind when we asked him to play it on repeat.
Ken, thank you for putting up with us and driving us (safely) for 200 miles!
10) Other Companies
Our team was sponsored by nuun, and provided everything our hearts could desire. We were, however, lucky enough to have the support of other companies, too. A huge thanks to the following companies:
Team Sparkle – sparkle skirts
Nathan Sports – Power Shower body wipes
Build-A-Sign – car magnets
One Love Collections – Rainbow headband
Endorphin Warrior – Warrior Training bracelet (I picked “Believe”)
Insperspire Towels – customized towels (I picked “Sweat is Sexy”)
Hood to Coast was an unforgettable adventure – if you ever have the chance to run, I highly recommend it. Nuun was a gracious sponsor & I’ve met new friends that I hope to see again soon (Marine Corps & Boston Marathons).
If your interested in trying nuun, use “afternuundelight” at check-out for 25% off. Spend $50 & get free shipping.
Hi! I'm Melody - a running lover and fitness fanatic with a margarita problem. I live in VA with my husband, 10 pairs of running shoes and 3 bikes. I love all things running and racing {I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do – plus, I need to do something to burn the margarita calories}! [Read More …]