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{isn’t it just awesome}

Well, this is awesome, too…

Nuun is offering 25% off all products on the website {woot, woot!}

Enter the code afternuundelight at checkout for:
25% off
Expires September 30, 2011

I’m stocking up on Strawberry Lemonade and Citrus Fruit!

Author’s note: I am trying to be funny {and make fun of myself} but also serious at the same time. Use caution when icing!

“I have frostbite”, I said to one of my running buddies.

She looked at me, looked outside {it was 96 degrees}, and looked back at me. Obviously puzzled.

Let me explain: I have frostbite on my foot. From over-icing.

As a runner I’ve been icing various parts of my body for more years than I can remember. I’ve taken more ice baths than I care to indulge. And I’ve used everything I can get my hands on, including but not limited to: frozen water bottles, bags of peas/corn/lima beans, frozen paper cups and ice packs.

Never, not even once, have I come close to giving myself frostbite.

Until now….

I had no idea I could get frostbite or an ice burn from icing without something between my skin and ice (towel, sock, etc.). Is it just me, or does it seem like a bit of an oxymoron – if I’m trying to treat an affected area, why would I place something in between?

Well, I guess getting frostbite would be a pretty good reason to use a sock or towel.

Frostbite HURTS! Like really, really hurts. I could barely walk for 3 days. My foot doctor freaked-out when I showed him {he said that the affected skin would never be the same}. And moving forward, I have to be extra careful when icing. All that from a little ice pack.

You better believe I’ll be wearing a sock in the future.

One of 2 affected areas

Well… {ha}, I never thought I’d be writing this post in the middle of the summer but since one never knows when frostbite will strike, I’ve included some {frostbite} tips & tricks*. Always use protection when icing!

Examine the Affected Skin
If you suspect you have burned yourself with an ice pack, begin by visually inspecting the area and evaluating the extent of the damage. If the skin is tingling and red, you can safely proceed with home treatment. Also, if the area is numb, but you experience a pins-and-needles sensation as it begins to warm, you have not sustained permanent damage and can continue with self-care. However, if the area is white, cold and hard when you touch it and if it then becomes red and swollen as it warms, you need to seek professional medical assistance. This type of injury is generally followed by the formation of blisters and permanent “bruising” or skin discoloration, which indicates lasting damage and possible destruction of the blood vessels.



Rewarming
The affected areas need to be rewarmed, but this must be a gradual process or you will unintentionally inflict further harm on already delicate tissues. Submerge the burned skin in lukewarm water, between 104 and 107 degrees Fahrenheit. Do not move or massage the damaged areas, as this can cause subcutaneous ice crystals in the tissue to move and do further damage. Leave the injured skin underwater for 15 to 30 minutes, or until the skin is pink, soft and pliable again. If the temperature of the surrounding water drops below 100 degrees Fahrenheit, reheat it and resubmerge the affected area. This thawing process may be painful. An over-the-counter pain medication, such as ibuprofen, may be taken to ease discomfort.


Treatment
Once the skin surface has returned to a normal temperature, apply a generous coating of aloe vera or honey to the burned area and cover it loosely with gauze. Both of these substances help the skin to retain moisture and increase the rate at which new skin cells are formed, decreasing recovery time for burn victims.

Prevention
In the future, should you feel the need to place an ice pack on an injury to help reduce the swelling and inflammation, wrap the pack in a towel first; do not apply it directly to the skin. Leave it in place for 10 to 20 minutes at most as any longer application drastically increases the risk of injury.


*Source

Some of you might remember that BJ bought me a Garmin 110w for Christmas. It’s probably one of the best and most practical gifts I have ever received. Plus, it’s pink & gray – I can’t think of a more perfect running watch {for me}.

Garmin #1 – love at first sight

Well, what I never told you is that Garmin #1 died on February 9, 2011 – less than 2 months after I got it. {with at least 35 unrecorded miles on it}

I took my watch back to Pacers {a local running store} and they replaced it. Yes, they asked me some questions and had me try it once more (at home) but ultimately, they gave me a new one. For free.

So, I started running with Garmin #2 as if nothing had happened. I ran hundreds of miles with Garmin #2, took it to New Zealand, ran my first marathon, a triathlon….

I ran until June 26, 2011 – until Garmin #2 decided to die. {with at least 25 unrecorded miles on it}

I took my watch back to Pacers {a local running store} and they replaced it. Yes, they asked me some questions and had me try it once more (at home) but ultimately, they gave me a new one. For free.

But this time, Pacers replaced my watch with a Garmin 210. Apparently Garmin is phasing the 110 out – shocker!. I know I should be happy about the (almost) free upgrade but part of me is sad. I’m sad because the 210 isn’t available in pink & gray. I’m sad because my new Garmin is ALL BLACK {and kind of boy-ish}

new watch, already rockin’ it with pink!

I’m also sad (and maybe a little mad) that I’m on my 3rd Garmin in 6 months, that I’ve “lost” dozens of runs and miles, that I’ve had to deal with this. {I’ve had my Timex for over 6 years – I’ve never had a problem and I’ve never had to replace the battery}

I am, however, happy that my 210 seems to be working fine. I’ll just have to wear plenty of pink while running {so I seem less boy-ish}

Pacers: thanks for being really cool and replacing my Garmin’s (plural) {now, that’s good customer service}

Garmin #3: seriously, don’t die on me – I’m not sure I can take it any more!

Garmin Lovers & Users – have you had problems with your watch before?
It can’t just be me, can it?!

Today is the last day to enter my CamelBak Groove Giveaway {HERE} 

When I signed up for the Crystal City Twilighter 5k two months ago, my goal was to run a 5k PR. I’m so close to breaking 20 minutes in a 5k, yet so far away.

2 months before the race: The plan was to add speed work back in to my routine and really focus on running a PR but with the diagnosis of Plantar Fascittus, I had to alter my training. I took time off from running, incorporated more swimming/biking into my routine and started (a pretty serious regiment of) ART, graston and acupuncture. Needless to say, this is not the recipe for running a PR.

1 week before the race:
a) ART, graston and acupuncture seem to be working. I’m able to run (virtually pain free) – but also have to take my foot into consideration while training. If I run consecutively for 2 days, I usually take the following 2 days off from running (I’m swimming & biking instead). While I’m extremely thankful that I am able to run, I’m aware that I have not properly trained to run a 5k PR.
b) The Washington D.C. area experienced record highs with temperatures in the high 90’s – 100’s (and “real feel” in the 120’s). It was HOT. Training may or may not have been affected due to heat.

Race Day: It was so hot on July 23, that Pacers offered deferments to the 2012 race for individuals who felt they could not safely compete.

I had to adjust my goals for the CTT 5k – and I was okay with that. Instead, I was excited to run a night race and hang out with BJ.

Thoughts:
The course was flat and fast. It seemed a little long (my Garmin said 3.26) but the course was mostly an out and back, so that always seems to make things “longer”.

Very well organized event with plenty of volunteers, water stations, and ice sponges. My only complaint would be that about 100m into the race, we ran around a short “U” {think apartment building round-about} that was sectioned off by cones. No one was expecting it and no one could see the cones until you were right on them – people were tripping, I had to catch a women from falling and people were yelling (they were pissed). The cones were there because we ran back through the round-about on the return lap, but there would have been plenty of time between the 1st runner/last runner to add the cones after the race had started.

Overall, I think the CTT 5k was a good race (albiet extremely HOT) and I’ll plan on running it again next year. While I didn’t run a PR (I was almost 1 minute off my current PR), I had a great time. BJ and I stayed after the race to talk, hang out and grab a beer. I also had a chance to meet some awesome bloggers that live and race in the area. It was a really fun night!

Stats

Time: 21:05
Overall: 125/1,605
Female: 21/838
AG: 13/292

Blogger Meet-Up: I’ve followed these blogs/ladies for a few months now and they rock. It was fun to finally meet Lauren, Katie and Amy in real life!

L-R: me, Katie, Lizzy, Amy and Lauren

Don’t forget out my CamelBak Groove Giveaway {HERE}

Being on Nuun’s Hood to Coast team definitely has it’s perks.

Look what came in the mail today….

Thanks Nuun! That’s one delicious and hydrating goodie box!

Don’t forget to enter my CamelBak Groove Giveaway {HERE}

Waterholic
–noun
a person addicted to water

Some Most would say that I am a waterholic. {I love water, am practically addicted to it} I drink well over the eight-8oz glasses of water per day and BJ might even argue that I drink too much water. I drink {a lot of} water because I actually like water, not because I have to.

My only beef with {tap} water is that it usually tastes funky. So much so that I have to load it up with a lot of ice to mask the taste. I like ice (are you surprised?) but I don’t want to always rely on ice when I drink water.

Most recently, the ice machine at my office broke. Imagine my panic when I had to drink {more than} eight-8oz glasses of tap water/day without ice. I was in full-on hysteria mode.

Enter my new {CamelBak Groove} water bottle.
freshly filtered water. anywhere.

Some of you may recall my pre-existing love for CamelBak, most specifically that BJ hid my engagement ring in a CamelBak on the night/run that we got engaged. If CamelBak is good enough for my engagement ring, it’s good enough for me.

The Groove is a portable filtration device that promotes a healthy and hydrated lifestyle (read: an awesome invention). It filters water as you sip, so you can hydrate on the go. {my kind of water bottle} Plus, hold your breath, tap water finally tastes good!

Like most water bottles, it’s easy to refill and use – but unlike other water bottles, the Groove features a filter built into the straw. The Groove helps eliminate waste from plastic water bottles (think Dasani & Aquafina) because it provides freshly filtered water – anywhere! Water has never tasted better.

Since water is so important {as runners, triathletes, bloggers, foodies we loose a lot of water throughout the day} CamelBak is hosting a {My Favorite Things} Groove Giveaway!

How many disposable bottles could you give up in a year by using one Groove?/
I probably buy/recycle close to 100 plastic water bottles/year (I’m sick just thinking about all of the waste)

To enter you have to follow of my blog.

To win (please leave a comment for each):

• “Like” CamelBak on Facebook – leave a comment
• “Like” {I RUN LIKE A GIRL} on Facebook (my “fan page”) – leave a comment
• Post this giveaway on your Facebook page – extra points if you link both {I RUN LIKE A GIRL} and CamelBak to the post – leave a comment
• Tweet this giveaway on Twitter – I just entered the @run4margaritas CamelBak Groove giveaway www.willrunformargaritas.com – leave a comment

{My Favorite Things} Giveaway will run until noon EST on Wednesday, July 27, 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.

I’m beyond excited to be running Hood to Coast with Team Nuun – but with my foot, I’ve been skeptical to log too many miles. This puts me in an interesting spot: resting my foot versus training for Hood to Coast. Thankfully between ART, graston, acupuncture and doctor’s orders (to run), I’m feeling confident that my foot will heal and can withstand the miles. 

After my ART appointment last week, my doctor ordered me to run – my 1st run in over  one week. It felt awesome! That run gave me the confidence to try my 1st Hood to Coast workout: 3 runs in 24 hours. I didn’t want to go overboard or stress my foot on my first attempt – but overall I felt really great.

Run #1: 5.5 miles at 7:40 pace
Run #2: 3.1 miles at 7:25 pace
Run #3: 3.3 miles at 7:20 pace, included crossfit style workout before the run
Total: 11.9 miles at 7:28 pace (average)

As my therapy continues and my foot starts to heal, I hope to log more miles at a faster pace. Until then, I’ll take whatever I can get.

{Now, I really can’t wait for Hood to Coast}