News and Sentinel Half Marathon (Race Recap)

Saturday, August 18
Parkersburg, WV
Half Marathon #67
State #49 (!!!)
Weather - Foggy and cool at start, mild at finish

Originally, West Virginia was supposed to be our final state. However, due to insane airfare costs, we had to postpone our Vermont race in July. We had managed to coerce Kim to join us for state 50 (or 49 as it ended up being). We were NOT looking forward to this race. We were anticipating heat, hills, and humidity. NONE of the things I enjoy. Then, a few days before we left, I checked the weather and saw the highs weren't even going to break 80. What, what?? I can totally deal with cooler temps. MAYBE, it won't be awful.

Rewind AGAIN. K and L booked their flights in May. Due to my traveling to Peru, I didn't have the money at the time, and by the time I had the money to book a flight (mid July), their flights were going to cost me close to $600. FOR WEST VIRGINIA (Actually, flying to Columbus, OH - flying directly into West Virgina is even MORE). I ended up booking completely separate flights - meaning my flight out of Denver was at 6:00 am - 4 hours earlier than theirs, yet I'd only land about a 1/2 hour earlier. And the return flight was similar, with my flight leaving 3 hours later. But I did book for about 1/2 of what their flights would have cost. Anyway.

The News and Sentinel half marathon was pretty much only picked for 2 reasons. It fit one of my criteria (needing to have a medal) and we weren't already committed that weekend (since racing in August should be banned anyway). So off we went.

K flew in Thursday night and stayed at our house so that she could be on our same flights. As I said, I had to leave a few hours earlier, so at 4 am Friday, I was headed to the airport. My flight to Atlanta was on time, and then I had about 3 hours to kill in Atlanta. With no free WiFi. Boo. Flight to Columbus was also on time, and I landed around 3:30 pm. None of the monitors in the Columbus airport had arrivals, so instead of meeting them at the gate, I waited for them at the rental car counter. It wasn't a long wait.

L managed to rent a Jeep Liberty for the same price as a compact. Probably not as good on the gas mileage, but it was a bigger vehicle and I enjoyed being driven around in it.  We stopped on the drive to Parkersburg for Dairy Queen. Best idea ever.

You know what's delicious? The M&M brownie blizzard. I only got a size small, even though I really wanted a bigger one. Considering how much weight I've put on lately, this was probably a good call. The drive took a bit longer than we expected thanks to the Friday afternoon traffic out of Columbus. We arrived in West Virginia with no problems.

Parkersburg wasn't that far over the border, and we didn't get lost finding where we needed to go. Parking downtown was $5. Unsure if that was a cost incurred because of the race or the awesome "homecoming" festivities. Either way, there was a carnival-esque atmosphere with food and a live band. We found the packet pickup with ease:

We got our bibs and packets, and K scored a pair of her discontinued saucony shoes. Then we decided to check out the FREE pasta dinner that was being hosted down the street. BEST THING EVER. The walk to the dinner was fun and the downtown area was super cute and quaint.

I totally could never LIVE in a tiny town, but I think they are super cute. And THEN, we saw the awesome finish line:

Somewhere there is a picture of me and K running (in slow motion) across the finish line. We found the place for dinner, and it was PACKED. We shared a table with a nice lady and her two kids. She gave us some hints on where to find our West Virginia souvenirs and was super friendly. Dinner was pretty great also:

After dinner we headed out to get our souvenirs, since we were not going to have time to after the race. We ended up going to the nearby mall and picking stuff up there. Relieved to get that out of the way. We arrived at our "motel" just before 9:00. Pretty great deal for $60, outside of the ridiculous outlet situation:

We headed to bed around 10:00 pm, after eating delicious cupcakes we had picked up after dinner.  Well, L and I ate our cupcake, K dropped a lot of hers on the nightstand and floor. Sadly, no pictures of that either. I'm slacking.

Race Day

K got up first at 6:15, and we got up about 20 minutes later. I had slept surprisingly well, and had "saved time" by taping my knee and putting on my compression socks the night before. FYI, the "pro" KT tape DOES stay on tons better than the original. Not sure about the 5 day promise yet.

We left the room just after 7:00, and we were parked less than 10 minutes later. Another $5 parking charge, but we were close, so that was ok. We used the port-o-potties by the stage and there was no wait. Score. A few minutes later, we were at the start line, with about a half hour to kill.

Outside the Oil & Gas Museum

L, K, Me - Start Line!

Cycled through the bathroom lines just in time to watch the underwhelming wheelchair start - only two that I saw. Ten minutes later, we were lined up and headed to the start line. The interesting thing about this race is the separate race walk division. Also interesting - they line up close to the front, even though the race in chip timed.

Flag dropped for the Star Spangled Banner

I did not go into this race with any expectations, since my knee is still being a punk. Main goal - don't die. Secondary goal - don't fuck up my knee any worse. Gun goes off and the race starts. Mile 1 wasn't even that congested. I was feeling pretty good the first mile - the ONLY good mile of the race.

Cute house in the historic district

My calves started seizing pretty much right after we passed the first mile marker, and were super tight until mile 2. Then my knee started acting up. It sucked. I'll summarize how I felt during the race with this. DAMN IT. From about mile 2 on, it was a painful run walk. I only ran at all so that we had time to take quick showers before the drive back without anyone missing a flight. Honestly, I would have preferred to have walked the last half. The flats were the least painful. Uphills were sort of awful. The downhills were not even runnable. By mile 12 I could barely move. Even walking hurt. With that said, enjoy a few pictures I took on the course.

Around mile 4?

Every mile marker has a permanent street sign!

Mile 10.5ish  

Mile 11 or 12?

The Good

• Pretty much everything outside of the running.
• WEATHER - I was psyched to see temps in the low 60's for most of the race. That's much more bearable than what I've been running in, and certainly better than I expected to have in AUGUST.
• Parkersburg is SUPER cute and everyone was very friendly. The family that we had eaten with at dinner were on the course and they did a loud "GO COLORADO" cheer for L and I when we ran by. How cute is that??
• Most of the course is closed to traffic and there weren't any super narrow areas
• 17 (or 18) aid stations. All had water and gatorade. Most also had ice. Two had sponges. No GU or food, or medical that I saw. At least 4 or 5 had port-o-potties.
• The medal is REALLY nice
• The free pasta dinner and free pizza lunch (although we didn't have time for the lunch).

The Bad

• Calves - but at least that was minimal since it only lasted about a mile.
• The "rolling" course was super painful because of my aches and pains. On a normal day, the hills were not NEARLY as bad as I had been anticipating, so that was great. Around mile 11.5, there was a substantial hill - the "13th Street hill" - but even that wasn't very long.

THE UGLY

• MY DAMN KNEE. Honestly, I thought the "worst" thing was getting slow and sluggish running. No. This is pretty much my first injury since I started racing and it fucking sucks. I felt GREAT outside of my knee and I could NOT run because every step was excruciatingly painful.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the whole experience of the race. If you have a half to run in West Virginia - pick this one. For real.

Everything is more fun with a friend!!

Bib #80
Official Time - 2:42:46
Official Split - 1:13:27
Official Pace - 12:25
Overall Place - 710/786
Division Place - 42/49
Garmin Time - 2:42:48
Garmin Distance - 13.19 miles
Garmin Pace - 12:21
Mile 1 - 9:56
Mile 2 - 10:54
Mile 3 - 13:09
Mile 4 - 11:26
Mile 5 - 11:53
Mile 6 - 12:23
Mile 7 - 12:10
Mile 8 - 12:13
Mile 9 - 12:27
Mile 10 - 12:47
Mile 11 - 12:54
Mile 12 - 14:04
Mile 13 - 14:04
Mile 13.1ish - 13:05

So yeah. You can see what went wrong and where. I'm bummed that I felt so shitty, because everything else was so good. Next blog I'll go more in depth about the stupid knee stuff.

Exciting News!!

Non Running Related

I GOT THE JOB, I GOT THE JOB, I GOT THE JOB!! (Do I sound excited?? Because I super duper am!) So my official title is Billing Specialist/Non Traditional Paralegal. Fancy! And even MORE fancy? I will be working in a high rise building downtown. Pay is good, they all seem very nice, job seems challenging. I start tomorrow (Wednesday).

With a only 7 class periods left (and my job is working around my classes), I have all A's! I even got 100% on my last two exams. Wheeeee!!

Running Related


I know I have talked a ton about how much I sweat. I am unfortunately "that person" that sweats just sitting around, which is why I almost always wear dark colors. I have FINALLY found a solution... Product is called Certain Dri. I started using it last week... NO CRAZY SWEAT MARKS. So anyway, if you are looking for something. It is clearly going to make my life better.

I got an awesome discount and finally tried Brooks PureFlow. I ran 6ish miles in them today and think I love them a little bit. My only complaint would be they don't seem to breathe as well as my Newtons. I can live with that I think. Especially to save $60 on a pair of shoes.

Remember I drank the Luluaid? I finally tried some of their socks. They are all that and a bag of chips. Trust me.

In just a few days, Kim and Lisa will be here to run with me for the Platte River half marathon. We are currently looking at temperatures in the upper 40s with rain... SORRY...

It is only 10 days until SoCal Ragnar!! I haven't talked much about it, but I am CRAZY excited. I get to see my BFF Heather and some of my Disney running buddies. I have been given the "death" leg, aka, the hardest leg. Should be fun and challenging.

I am addicted to Nuun. I now drink it every day, even if I'm not running. Current favorite flavors are tropical and strawberry lemonade. Yummo.

On the Sundays I am not racing, I will be taking A with me to Yoga at Lululemon Boulder. She has been begging to go, and let's face it, it will give me an excuse to check out the merchandise.

Not so exciting


I realized I will no longer be able to do the weekday runs with the running group I literally just joined. I'm a little bummed about that, especially since I had already told A she could come with me. She is also bummed. I will still be able to do the weekend runs, on the rare weekends that I am not racing. Le sigh.

New/Renewed aches and pains. My ankle was bothering me during long run on Sunday. Wrapped in KT tape today and it was better. I wish the tape would stick better though. My right knee is also bothering me, ouchy right under the kneecap. Also, I have felt super tired and exhausted lately. Getting enough sleep. Eating/hydrating pretty well. Still not feeling energetic. Hope it is nothing serious.

Sorry no pictures today :)

Three Things Thursday

1.

Year #2 of entry... C'mon!!!

2. I pulled out my KT tape and wrapped up my left calf and right knee for my run at the gym this morning. Truly amazing how much better I felt today than I did on Sunday. Part 2 of my workout? My headphones shorted out with about 2 miles left of my run. For those keeping track, that is two pairs in FIVE days. WTH??? I'm apparently headphones jinxed :(

3. I started classes on Tuesday. This semester I am taking about law enforcement, called "Policing America" and "Criminal Justice Research Methods." They sound a lot more difficult than the classes I took in the fall. I needed two books. At the bookstore they were roughly $287+tax. There should really be some sort of regulation on textbook pricing. I find that FREAKING OUTRAGEOUS. I got them shipped to me off Amazon for the "bargain" of $172.28.

Greenland Trail 50K (Race Recap)

Part 2
Larkspur, CO
Saturday, May 7
Ultra Marathon #1
Weather - Sunny, Slight Wind, HOT (low 50s at start, upper 70s by the end)

I'm not even sure what possessed me to sign up for the Greenland Trail 50K. Other than someone "challenging" me to run an ultra, and the fact that their website claimed the race is "beginner friendly." More on that later.

Alarm goes off at 5:14. Other than having to use the bathroom in the middle of the night (from all that water and beer), I slept great. Got dressed quickly, then headed upstairs for my breakfast of a bagel with peanut butter. I drank part of a lemon mint water before preparing my water with Nuun (tried a new flavor of Lemon Lime. Tasty.)

Since there is no physical address for the race start, we couldn't figure out exactly how long it was going to take to get there. Before 6 on a Saturday morning we weren't expecting there to be much traffic and estimated it would take about an hour. Quick stop at McD's for a cup of coffee, then off we were, leaving the area just before 6:00 am. I decided to tape my foot in the car. Look... you can see the barren highway and downtown Denver skyline:

Had the rest of my breakfast around 6:30. Yep, a soda and a Luna bar. Breakfast of champions, I'm sure.

Packet pickup started at 6:30 am, and and we got there around 6:50. We also wanted to arrive early to get as close a parking space to the start/finish area as possible. Quick stop at the port-o-potty and then walk to get our packet (just across the parking lot). Have about an hour to kill, so of course, time to check the weather. (It felt warmer than this).

Estimated temperature increase of 20 degrees by the time we hoped to be done.

We finished prepping our stuff in the car, then decided to use the bathroom again, then I had L take my picture at the entrance to the open space:

Close up of the sign

Official starting area

Weird building where we got our packets

Awesome Razzy Roo headband!

View of Pikes Peak from the car

By now it's only about 30 minutes to the start. It's getting so close. I can't believe it is already here. It seemed so far away, but now... 7:40 we decide ONE more stop to use the bathroom. There is only ONE port-o-potty on the course, so better safe than sorry. It took forever to get through the line. We literally finished, walked over to the starting area, took this picture...

Me and L

And then off we went. I don't know WHAT I was expecting the course to be like. I don't even really know what I expected anything about this to be like. But I do know, the actual experience was totally different. Right off the bat I was struggling.  Remember the goals I had set? Those went out the window when "Colorado Runner" posted last years winning times. 3:52 for men and 4:28 for women. Wow. That's not a very fast finisher. So, the new "A" goal was going to be 6 hours. That's a LONG time to be out on a course.

I've never really run trails. It's tough. The first mile of the course we would only run once, the other three loops would be entirely in the open space. The picture below is what we got the first mile or so. The tire tracks were "soft" sand and the center part was "harder" since we haven't had any rain, but the terrain was pretty rough. I was really concerned about either stepping in a snake hole or just twisting my ankle on loose gravel. And notice... NO SHADE. We encounter ALL sun the entire course.

Pikes Peak in the distance

By the time I'm done with the first mile I'm already starting to stress out. How can I be SO tired SO early in the race? I started out slow, but it doesn't seem to be making any difference. My legs are tired, my lungs are tired. I take my first walk break after the first two miles. We only overheard the phrase "rolling hills" when we were in line for the bathroom the last time. Not that I thought it was going to be flat... I just assumed "beginner friendly" meant the course would be easy-ish. Not. I get passed by the first 25K racer about 3 miles in. They started 15 minutes after we did.

More pictures from along the course:

Blazing. Hot. Sun.

The first aid station is about 3.5 miles into the course. Of course since we are running in an open space, you can see about a mile before you actually get there. Which sucks. Arrive at the aid station and take a cup of Gatorade and a cup of water. Fill the water bottle in my fuel belt. Walk while I finish my drink, then I see the next section of course. Great. It looks like the hairpin turns we had to run up for Warrior Dash up the side of Copper Mountain last summer. People are already walking. 

Best picture of me on the course (photographers were only out the first two loops). This is taken right after the first downhill section, so I've probably only run 5.5 or 6 miles. Maybe that is why I am still with other people and why I'm not really grimacing yet. My hands look weird though. To quote Tony Horton, "I have funny hands."

Small pond around 9 miles in, two guys in lawn chairs cheering us on. Virtually the only "crowd support" other than the 2 aid stations. Another big uphill. Some sorta flat ground finally. Take another GU at mile 10. Then we hit the fork in the road and head back toward the first aid station. I take a small handful of M&Ms and a pretzel, and at just over 2 hours in (close to 11 miles run), I realize I'm starting to get a sunburn already. Luckily one of the volunteers had some sunscreen, so I reapplied. Nothing to wash my hands off with, so unfortunately my hands were all greasy. But, I'd rather be greasy than burned.

Off I go. Ridiculous uphill hairpin turns. I swear I see L walking, but she looks to be about a half mile ahead, and walking with someone else, not sure if it is her or not. Decide I will try to catch up. I jog what I can up the hills, and then right before the much anticipated downhill, I have to stop and take off one of my shoes. I have a ton of gravel in it, and it is started to hurt the bottom of my foot. I run the flat/downhill section and "L" (if it IS her) is also running and I don't seem to be catching her. At the fork in the road, head to the aid station, almost half done! Then I see L walking toward me. She tells me her knee hurts really bad and she plans on walking the rest. Uh oh. I jog to the aid station, get more sunscreen (I had forgotten to reapply on my neck), take my M&Ms and drinks, then jog to try and catch up with L.

By the time I catch up to her, we have about 15.5 miles done, and are about 3 hours in. I am on track to hitting my 6 hour goal. I take off my headphones, start chatting with L. She is hurting. She can't run. I don't know what to do. We've always run at our own pace, done our own thing. Out of the 35+ races we have done together, we have never run together. Ever. I decide to walk with her a bit to get a better feel for how she is doing. This is one of the flat sections of the course (after that little pond) - finally some cloud cover (although it doesn't last).

I stay with her, slow jog here and there for about 1.5 miles. Then I make sure she is going to be ok, and tell her I am going to go on ahead without her. I feel bad about leaving her, but this is my race too and she says she will be ok and I believe her. Right before the aid station, I talk quickly with the girl L had been walking with earlier. She had run the 8 mile distance last year. 6 1/2 months pregnant. And her husband came in 4th last year in the 50K. Madness.

I decide to stop and use the bathroom at the first aid station. Someone is in there for a REALLY long time. I got time I guess. Seriously about 5 minutes later, I get to use the bathroom, and by the time I get out and get my salt tablets and M&Ms and drinks, refill my bottle, L has just arrived. I'm confident she will finish and probably not too far behind me, so off I go toward the ridiculous hairpin turn section.

I start chatting with a lady who is about my age and also doing her first 50K. She swears she read the course was "fairly flat." We have some fun conversation about how mislead we were into this race. We walk up the hills and jog the flats and downhills. I don't normally talk to people when I run, but everyone is really friendly. Nice change of pace since I've already been out there FOREVER. We stick together until the 2nd aid station. I'm refueling and swear I see L coming. Already. Pink shirt that I was talking to said she would see me at the end and headed off, I decide to wait for L.

L is struggling, but at this point, my time goals are pretty much already out the window from the amount of walking I had already done in the third loop. I figured I should just stick with her until the end. I tried to think of how I would feel, and it seemed the right think to do. By the last loop, of course all the shorter distance racers were done, and we were toward the back of the pack. It was hot, windy, and the course was pretty lonely and deserted. So we walked most of the hills, and jogged slowly down the downhills. I loved these signs:

So happy to be at the first aid station for the last time. We are about at the marathon distance, about 5:14 in, which isn't even really that bad. Of course the last 5 or so miles were going to be our slowest. We pretty much walk the entire next mile or so. At this point, every other person we see is walking. I sit on a bench to dump the gravel out of my shoes again. Tracking our progress, it seems we can finish under 7 hours. Quite a different goal from what we had initially hoped.

By now even the downhills are a struggle. My legs are getting tired, and it's painful to "brake" so that I don't slip and fall on the gravel. It's hot. I'm tired.  We both just want to be done. And then, all of a sudden, we are at 30 miles. What??! We are actually going to finish??? I almost can't even believe it. We weren't supposed to stop at the last aid station since it was only a quarter mile from the finish, but I was SO tired that I grab a cup of Gatorade anyway. We "run" as fast as we can, and for the first time ever, we cross the line together. What a great feeling :) I especially enjoyed the announcer commenting on our matching outfits! Got our medal. A very hard-earned medal.

There was actually still some food at the finish line, so I grabbed a Snickerdoodle cookie, grabbed more water, then took this quick picture of the finish line (yep, this really was ALL there was) and then we headed to the car.

Just like that. It's all over. All the worry, all the stress, all the unknowns. It's done. I'm an ultra marathoner. And proud of it.

Elevation Profile of the Course, check out the altitude I was up against!

Official Gun Time - 6:47:42
Official Chip Time - 6:47:21
Official Pace - 13:08
Overall Place - 129/154 (I beat L by one second apparently)
Gender Place - 42/56
Division Place - 23/27
Garmin Time - 6:47:19
Garmin Pace - 13:14
Garmin Distance - 30.78 miles
Mile 1 - 11:00
Mile 2 - 10:58
Mile 3 - 11:49
Mile 4 - 12:00
Mile 5 - 12:35
Mile 6 - 10:18
Mile 7 - 10:04** Fastest Mile
Mile 8 - 10:56
Mile 9 - 11:40
Mile 10 - 11:39
Mile 11 - 13:33
Mile 12 - 13:19
Mile 13 - 11:40
Mile 14 - 10:13
Mile 15 - 10:54
Mile 16 - 14:43
Mile 17 - 17:06
Mile 18 - 13:21
Mile 19 - 17:00
Mile 20 - 13:55
Mile 21 - 12:13
Mile 22 - 12:27
Mile 23 - 15:27
Mile 24 - 15:54
Mile 25 - 15:42
Mile 26 - 15:26
Mile 27 - 19:42**By far slowest mile
Mile 28 - 14:57
Mile 29 - 13:39
Mile 30 - 13:32
Mile 30.78 - 12:05

My race shirt and medal

Take off my socks the second I get to the car. Look how dirty my feet and socks are! You can only imagine what the rest of me was like...

My awesome KT Tape stayed intact!

We stopped and grabbed a burger and fries and the BEST tasting diet coke ever on the drive home.

Three Things Thursday (and then some)

1. My foot/ankle is feeling a lot better. I am continuing the use of the KT tape (today's colors are red/white/blue). Light icing and the Strasburg sock.
2. Training... first is of course the 50k. That is more of a mental game as I haven't added distance to my training. But, I think I have a pretty solid base and I'm sure I can do this.
3. and second is the Great Wall, which is only 2 weeks after the 50k. (It took me a while before I realized that. I must be insane). Anyway, I've been doing the Stairmaster at the gym, ran stairs last Sunday and plan on running more this weekend. That's about the extent of that training. Just in the last few days I've been bombarded with emails from the travel coordinator, which means it is RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER... psyched.
4. My headphones finally stopped working ten minutes into my treadmill run last night at the gym. Which means I ran for an hour with no music. I've never done this. Ever. The good news is that I don't breathe nearly as loud as I think I do, and the workout wasn't as tragic as I dreamed it could be.
5. P90X - I started again this week, and man am I sore. Crazy how just taking a few weeks off when I was sick set my base so far back. As for the Ab Ripper X? I can now do 98% of the reps. For a long time, the mason twists were my biggest struggle. Now? The backward bicycle. I swear it is just too unnatural feeling. Even placing a mirror next to me to watch my legs doesn't help. My mind can't comprehend. Sigh.
6. NYC Marathon... I didn't get in. I shouldn't be surprised. The NYC half was also a lottery and I *did* get into that one. I just realized that running for charity isn't even an option. They all require that you provide a credit card so if you don't raise the required amount they can charge your card. I no longer have credit cards. This is a bummer. I guess I'll try my luck at the lottery next year. (With that said... I am tempted, SUPER tempted, to run the San Francisco FULL marathon instead. Thoughts??)
7. I've added another item to the 50K GIVEAWAY, which means more opportunities to win! Check it out!

The 50K Giveaway!!

It rhymes, therefore it MUST be awesome.

I am super excited for my upcoming 50K. It is my FIRST ultra AND also my first trail run. I'll be running the Greenland Trail 50K... and YAY that L is joining me for it. It's my greatest challenge to date!

With that said. Anyone who follows my blog knows that I am a creature of habit. When I find something that works, I stick with it. That especially goes for...

GEAR I CAN'T RACE WITHOUT

I have a pretty standard race outfit:

From top to bottom:

• Headband - Coordinated with my outfit... duh!
• Sunglasses and/or Visor
• Tank top.... 99.9% of the time (except Kansas), I wear a tank. I get way too hot and sweat too much to wear anything else when I race.
• Garmin watch - I'm obsessed with mine.
• Road ID - You can never be too careful
• Running Skirt - They are comfortable, cute, and practical (Really! They have pockets!)
• Compression socks - Besides looking awesome, I firmly believe they help to keep my legs fresh
• Newton Running Shoes - I love these!!

With that said...

I have contacted some of my FAVORITE brands/manufacturers, and I am PSYCHED to announce my latest giveaway:

GEAR I CAN'T RACE WITHOUT

1. Underneath It All

If you have been following my blog for any amount of time, you know that I have been suffering on and off from random foot/ankle pain. Not quite bad enough for me to see a doctor, but annoying. A few races it has affected performance as the throbbing has been quite intense. The regimen for the longest time was just to ice and take it easy. Then I found a sample of a product in a swag bag from a race. KT Tape, which boasts "Perfect for common sports injuries" and "Pain relief and support for Muscles and Joints." Well, that is exactly what I was looking for so I tested it out. NO KIDDING that this tape is the best, hands down. Easy to use and comes in more than a dozen fun colors, this tape has done WONDERS for my ankle pain. How big of a fan am I?

Pink, Light Blue & Silver!

I contacted KT Tape and they are donating a roll, in a color of your choice. Visit their website to check out all the colors, find out more product information and view application videos.

2. Holding Back

Nothing is more annoying to me than little pieces of hair in my face when I am working out. I'm happy I discovered awesome headbands to hold it all in place. Who knew they came in SO many colors and designs? By far, my favorite brand of bands is Razzy Roo. If you are looking for unique designs, and prompt and personal customer service, this is the headband for you!! I first tested out a Razzy Roo headband for the Thunder Road half marathon I ran last December. Look how awesome the band is:

I was a bit worried about washing them, but I have washed ALL of them, including the glitter bands. Put them in a regular cycle in the washing machine and then air dry! I adore these bands! I have since acquired quite the collection of them. Honestly, you can get one for just about every situation you can imagine:

I contacted Razzy Roo, and the winner of the giveaway may chose any headband of their choice (and there are a lot of them!) Visit their website to check out all the options!

3. Run Like a Girl

I started wearing running skirts shortly after I saw a girl wearing one at a race two years ago. It never occurred to me to shop the internet looking for different brands, so I settled for the one I found at my local sporting goods store. It was the only one I had for ages. Then when I started this journey to run 50 half marathons in 50 states, I encountered an entirely different group of runners and bloggers. These ladies ran in STYLE! And so the obsession began... literally.

I am a colorful person, so when I came across Running Skirts, I fell in love. All the choices in colors and patterns? The first skirt I bought from them was from their "Princess" line. I was on a mission to find a yellowish/gold skirt that would match my new Half Fanatics top. Immediately I was hooked. I started racing in these awesome skirts and coordinating awesome outfits:

Boston Half Marathon (October 2010)

Athens Classic Marathon (October 2010)

Mississippi Blues Half Marathon (January 2011)

NYC Half Marathon (March 2011)

My collection has gotten... rather large:

I contacted the lovely ladies at Running Skirts, and they are offering a free ultra swift skirt since this is all about my first ultra! They come in a lot of fun colors, and have an extra third pocket in the back. I ran wearing the black ultra skirt (linked above) when I ran the Martian half marathon in Detroit last month. That third pocket was great for holding the keys to my rental car! I love the "freedom" of running in a skirt. I find the pockets very useful for my iPod, GU, and extra piece of gum. Best part is... NO CHAFING!!

So, if you have always been wanting to try a skirt, now is the time!! Visit the Running Skirts website and pick your favorite color available in the ultra swift skirts!

4. Being Safe

One of the most important items that I run with when I am not at the gym is my Road ID. Be safe when you run. Wear a Road ID that has all your emergency contact information, you never know what could to happen. I have had mine for about a year, and honestly, I don't even notice it when I wear it (well, except for my awesome tan line). Road ID has agreed to contribute a Wrist ID Sport to the winner, color of their choice. I personally like the yellow:

Visit their website and check out the colors that are available. (PS, if you don't win this contest and don't currently have one, they are a great investment. I have had a link to them on my sidebar for about a year now).

Other prizes TBD but I wanted to get the ball rolling on this one!

Entries accepted until 4:00 MST, May 5. Winner will be announced shortly after.

ENTRIES (you MUST enter these all as separate comments or you will only be given one entry). Check out the requirements. I am giving all of you LOTS of chances to win.

**Guys, I apologize for the girly giveaway! Don't be discouraged! You should still enter and you could be the best husband/boyfriend/friend for your favorite lady!**

1. Become a follower of my blog, or let me know if you already are. REQUIRED
2. Follow KT Tape on Facebook
3. Follow Razzy Roo on Facebook
4. Follow Running Skirts on Facebook
5. Visit KT Tape's website and pick YOUR favorite color of tape
6. Visit Razzy Roo's website and pick YOUR favorite band
7. Visit Running Skirts's website and pick your favorite color of ultra swift skirt
8. I love a good race. Post the official website for YOUR favorite race.
9. I love an underdog! I want to hear (briefly) about your greatest challenge with running.
10. What are the three items YOU can't race without?
11. Link this giveaway on a sidebar of your blog OR as a blog entry.
12. Follow Road ID on Facebook
13. Visit Road ID website and tell me YOUR favorite color of the Wrist ID sport