Rock n' Roll Denver Half Marathon (Race Recap)

Sunday, October 19
Denver, CO
Half Marathon #118
Colorado Half #54
Weather - PERFECT

Expo

I happily work downtown very close to the expo. The Rock n' Roll Denver race has fallen on L's birthday weekend the last few years, so I took an extremely extended lunch so I could take L to lunch at the Cheesecake Factory (for the dairy trifecta) and then get to the expo when it opened at 1:00.

I think this was one of the smallest RnR expos I have attended. There were not that many vendors there, and it was really disappointing how bad the Brooks/RnR section was. I had been hoping to get L a new hoodie and the selection was crap. No bueno (although it did save me some money).

L was trying to figure out where to get her special "5 year runner" stuff (I missed the first year because the half sold out by the time I decided to run, so this was only my 4th year. Sad I'm not a legacy runner), so I headed to the INKnBURN booth, where I still managed to find two shirts I didn't already own, and picked up my custom, limited edition Denver drop bag. Really no other vendors of interest, but we did stop by and visit Cheryl from Razzy Roo. After buying from her since 2010, she finally told me that I was her VERY FIRST online customer :) We picked up a lot of cute hair ties and I got a new Denver Bronco colored Chevron print band.

In and out in less than 40 minutes. The race shirt this year is pretty adorable, although white tech shirts are no good because they are SO SHEER.

Race Day

Thanks to my blog, I knew we needed to leave the house by 5:30 to get parked and walk the 1.5 or so miles to the start. My dad was doing the 10K and the kids had spent the night at their house, so we picked up my dad and drove down to the lot on Auraria campus, where we have parked in previous years. The start for the 10K was in the opposite direction of our start, so we parted ways with my dad so he could walk up to his starting area.

I was hoping to have a nice, fast race. The course was different this year, and MUCH hillier. In lieu of breakfast, I drank a beer on the walk over to Civic Center park. Don't judge. We cycled through the bathroom lines a few times and headed over to the corrals at 7:18 (the race was supposed to have started at 7:15, but it started late).

L was technically in corral 7, I was in 8. Not sure where we fed in, but I lost her immediately. Only the first mile or so was the same as previous years. We ran towards the Pepsi Center, then up Speer, which I (stupidly) thought was really the only hill:

I was feeling pretty good, but wondering where the aid stations were as I really wanted a water/walk break. We ran over by Sports Authority Field (another hill), and I managed to catch my favorite Team Beef guys:

We then headed down 17th around Sloan Lake. The road was TORN up from construction. Thanks Rock n' Roll for routing us down there. Awesome. The Roost aid station was around mile 4.5 on the south side of the lake, and I saw Carol, Dan, and some other friends from run club. The walk break there helped, and I felt REALLY good running around the lake.

View of downtown from the west side of Sloan Lake

I managed to finally pass Ruth (she had been in my line of sight for about 2 miles) when we got to the aid station at the 10K marker. MORE HILLS.

I think mile 7 was pretty good, and sort of downhill. Still feeling pretty good. Somewhere around mile 8 is when we finally crossed back over into the Denver downtown area. Mile 9 I was cruising, and then hit the (horrible and understaffed) aid station at mile 10, just before a big overpass. I had not taken any unplanned walk breaks and managed to run up the hill, but my legs went numb, and around mile 10.5 I had to walk for about a tenth of a mile to loosen everything up. I felt much better after that and was pretty psyched we had less than 3 miles to go.

Ran through the same ugly warehouse area that we had run during Hot Chocolate, and then we turned down Lincoln (instead of Broadway) for essentially the same chute finish. The split for the marathon was literally at the intersection where my building for work stands, and I was HAPPY to be finishing.

Official Time - 2:12:54 (fastest half in 11 months!)
Official Pace - 10:08
Official 5K - 31:31
Official 10K - 1:03:54
Official 10M - 1:41:17
Overall Place - 3879/8113
Gender Place - 2018/5260
Division Place - 395/950
Garmin Time - 2:12:56
Garmin Distance - 13.19 miles
Garmin Pace - 10:05
Mile 1 - 9:55
Mile 2 - 9:59
Mile 3 - 10:27
Mile 4 - 10:33
Mile 5 - 10:48
Mile 6 - 9:51
Mile 7 - 10:17
Mile 8 - 9:29
Mile 9 - 9:16
Mile 10 - 10:10
Mile 11 - 10:50
Mile 12 - 10:12
Mile 13 - 9:24
Mile 13.1ish - 9:00

Thanks to runner tracking, L knew when I finished and I met her and my dad without any trouble. We got our finisher pictures in front of the Civic Center building. COOL clouds in the picture with the three of us - this is NOT photo shopped!

Thoughts:

• This was probably the best weather we have ever had for this race. I think it was the only time I wasn't concerned about getting hypothermia walking to the car afterwards.
• L is a legacy runner, so I of course will run this race again. Not super crazy about the course change, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I had imagined it would be. I think I could run it a bit smarter next year.
• There was NO GU on the course. I made sure to check every aid station because they were supposed to have Salted Watermelon. NONE. Glad I brought my own.
• The one aid station around mile 10 was horrible. There were only 3 or 4 volunteers, they didn't have most of the cups filled. L said she was handed an empty cup. Wheee!!
• There were MAYBE 5 bands on the course. Maybe. And at least 2 of them were actually just speakers playing music, not anything original. Maybe RnR needs to consider changing its name...
• Really like the shirt, really REALLY like the medal (which doubles as a bottle opener).
• Other than that, unless you register early, this race probably isn't worth the hassle. There are a TON of people, you have to pay to park on race day, most of the parking is well over a mile away.

Redline Turkey Day 10k (Race Recap)

Thursday, November 28
Broomfield, CO
Weather - Chilly, perfect

My dad registered me for the Turkey Day 10k back in October. I wasn't ready to shell out the money for a 10k since I don't like the "fast running." Apparently there was a miscommunication relating to babysitting, so I thought I was going to be sitting out. The night before, I had done an 8 mile tempo run. Needless to say, my legs were a little heavy race morning.

The 10k started at 9:00, so we planned to drop the kids off with my mom at 8:15 and to pick up my dad, who was also doing the 10k. By the time we parked the car, we barely had enough time to cycle through the bathroom line. As we headed to line up, a childhood friend found us at the start line:

Me, Kathy, L

Right after this picture it was time to start. L was going for a PR, and I was hoping to not die. I knew I had started out a bit too fast, but it is hard to pull back in a faster, crowded field. It caught up with me before we even hit the first aid station at mile 2. I was tired from my tempo run the night before and my legs were HEAVY. I walked extra long at the aid station and took a gel, hoping it would revive me for the last 4 miles.

Spoiler - it did NOT. I had to walk a few more times before the course finally headed downhill just after mile 3, which was when we met up with the 5k course. Unfortunately, the 5k had started in waves 15 minutes after us, so I caught up to the super slow walkers. Don't get me wrong, I loved that there were so many people out, but I had met up with the drunken toddlers and elderlies that were out for a luxurious stroll. I felt pretty good between miles 3-5 and then I DIED. The last mile was terrible, and I probably took 3 walk breaks. I barely was able to run the end - but then I saw L, and is my trademark, took a SUPER AWESOME chute picture:

My finisher time was actually NOT that terrible, considering how poorly I felt. And still 3+ minutes faster than I ran it last year.

Official Time - 1:04:08

Gender Place - 173/233

Division Place - 64/81

Garmin Time - 1:04:10

Mile 1 - 9:40

Mile 2 - 11:30

Mile 3 - 10:54

Mile 4 - 10:22

Mile 5 - 10:09

Mile 6 - 11:05

Mile 6.2 - 9:31

Did I mention that L KILLED her PR and ran a 51:06??????? She is The Fastest!!!

My mom drove the kids up to do the 1/2 mile kid's run. We had a miscommunication and we were at the parking lot waiting for them to pull up and didn't think they had made it in time so I missed getting to see A run. My mom says that she was about 10th kid back. Oh. 10th.

We stuck around for the raffle again... my dad was actually the second person called, and they had to play "Price Is Right" - guess Constantina Dita's 2008 Olympic marathon pace. The winner won $100, runners up won an autographed picture from her. (Did I mention that she won the women's 10k with a time of 37:00??) Sadly, neither L nor I won anything, even though I totally could have killed either the pie eating contest or the plank contest. Maybe next year.

Thoughts:

• Different course than last year and I did NOT like it. Meeting up with the 5k course was pretty tragic. Too many slow people with dogs, strollers, walking 4-5 across...
• I don't know WHY the results are 10k vs. "Women's" 10k... c'mon now. It is 2013, I think we are all running the same race.
• LOVE the shirt. He does a great job doing unique, high quality tees. A is wearing the shirt in the above picture (there is a zippered pocket on the back left seam for iPod, money, whatever).
• LOVE the raffles, MAYBE I WILL WIN ONE YEAR.
• Lots of goodies at the end - Mrs. Field's cookies were my favorite and I really restrained myself only taking 3.
• Fairly inexpensive as they usually do a deal that makes it around $25. Will probably run again next year.

Boulder 100 (Race Recap)

Boulder, CO
October 12-13
Ultra Marathon #9
Second 100 Mile Attempt
Weather - Partly cloudy, chilly overnight, sunny

I have been doing crazy things for a while. I wasn't going to register for this event at all, then I got an email about the 100K being 50% off with one of those Active specials. Well, it worked out to only being like a dollar a mile, so that seemed like a great deal. But then... I got 100 mile fever. I was doing the math and figured if I felt I was in shape to complete 100K in the 15 hour time limit, I could SURELY do the extra 38 miles in 15 hours... So I emailed the race director who told me that it would be no problem to upgrade to the 100 mile. I set aside the money and waited... if the weather was going to be good and I had people willing to pace, I would upgrade to the Boulder 100. 10 days out and the weather looked good - no chance of rain or snow and low 60's for high. PERFECT running weather. I locked in my pacers and the Boulder 100 was a go.

Race Day

Thanks to the late start of 9:00, I didn't need to get up very early. I had gone to bed around 11 the night before and had my alarm set for 6:20. I had asked my dad to pick up the kids at 7. I already had my gear packed and ready to go but wanted to allow for time to stop and get breakfast. I had coffee and a piece of pizza at home.  On the drive up to Boulder I stopped and got a German Chocolate donut. Delicious, although it was actually too much food (what), so I only ate half. The drive took a bit longer than expected because of (shocking) construction on the highway. I made it to the start over an hour before the race started, which gave me time to upgrade and pick up my bib. I sat in the car running the heater until 20 minutes before the start.

The race was supposed to be Halloween themed. The race director was dressed as Heisenberg (Breaking Bad, for the 1% of you that don't watch), but other than that, I was the only one that got in the spirit.

Final race instructions

I used the bathroom, and then it was time to line up for the start:

What. Was. I. Thinking. This was crazy. There were not a lot of us, maybe 50 people total? I never looked at the numbers, but there were the 100 milers, 24 hour runners and 100K runners all starting at the same time. We took off a few minutes late.

And then began The Longest Day of My Life.

The plan all along was to start slow, maintain a fairly steady pace and run as much as I could to bank as much extra time to allow for finishing.

The short section (to make up distance) was the first out and back I would do. The turn around was close, only about 2/3 of a mile in. That quickly broke up the pack as the 100K'ers had to turn around at a different place and the 24 hour runners had to do full out and backs every time.

After getting back to base camp the first time, I saw Dan (my night pacer) was already there... he planned on hanging out all day I guess. I put in my headphone and settled in for The Longest Day Ever. I was running a decent, steady pace. Made easier by a fairly flat and non-technical course. I took all my pictures early on, before I would start hating seeing the same things a jillion times. Pretty with the leaves changing!!

I ran the first 13.1 on par with my normal half marathon pace, around 2:34 I think. Obviously, with an out and back course, I kept seeing the same people. Over and over and over and over and over and over, and hey, over again. But I didn't mind. The turn around was 3.3 miles out, and I absolutely LOVED that aid station. They kept rotating out food. Between the staples of chips and pretzels and m&m's, etc, they also had banana bread, brownies, coffee cake, pizza, ramen, TONS of food. I ate well on this course.

I kept running, jamming my music. A nice change, it has been months since I ran with music. It really kept me motivated.  I don't remember when (how many miles in or time), but I saw Laura (not my sister, a girl from run club) out on the course. She got a few pictures of me (at various times), and was awesome at grabbing food/beverages for me (and other runners). This was my favorite picture she got:

During the race, I set PR's in the 50K (20 min), 60K (2ish hours) AND 50M (over 25 minutes) distances. That left me in GREAT spirits for the first part of the race. I set out for my last alone lap just after 6 (when the 6 hour fun run started).

I was able to have a pacer at 7, and I was pleasantly surprised when I showed up at base camp and saw L there with Hannah! YAY!! I used the bathroom and changed into my warmer clothes, taking the longest break of the night - probably 15 minutes between changing clothes and visiting and eating. I checked at the timing booth and thought I had already done all 50 miles and was PSYCHED that only 10.5 hours in and I only had 50 miles to go.

Dan and I set out, it already being pretty dark. I was already NOT in the mood to run much. I had turned off my music and we either talked (I can't even remember about what) or just walked in silence most of the time. I know Dan was aching to run, but I was already tired and already had enough time banked that I really did not NEED to run, so I didn't... I ran a minute here and there, but pretty much, I was done running for the race.

The aid stations were AMAZING. I had chicken broth with potatoes, ramen, even coffee!! Everyone was so friendly. I still was seeing the same people out on the course, and never felt alone. I didn't really hallucinate overnight, but it was chilly and I was starting to get squirrely and ragey being in the dark for so long. The closer it got to "morning," the angrier I got. WHY was it still dark? WHY was it so cold? WHY was the sun not going to come up until after 7??? I was starting to get MAD.

Hope was supposed to meet me at 6:30 and planned to do a few laps with me. Dan got me back to base camp right around 6:30, and that lap is when the race changed for me. All night, I had been confused about how many miles I had run and what was left. My watch had died about 78 miles in, so I was relying on the timekeepers to tell me what was left. By the time I headed out with Hope, I thought I only had two laps to go (about a half marathon). Turns out I had three :(

That loop was called the rage loop. I was nearly in hysterics. I yelled at the timekeeper and almost broke down in tears. I had for HOURS prepared myself for what I thought I had left. To add another 6.57 miles in was practically adding in another marathon. I LOST IT.

I spent the entire lap complaining about how this should be my second to last loop, why was I doing this, I wasn't going to finish, etc. Hope was GREAT about keeping me in good spirits. SHE IS A GREAT FRIEND!!!

FINALLY, the sun came up, and it really changed my attitude. I was back to my normal ray-of-sunshine self.

Sun up, about 16.5 miles to go

I warned Hope that I had ZERO plans of running even one more step, and like the great friend she is, she said she was sticking with me to the finish. L was off work and planned on joining us for the last two laps.

They really helped get me through the race. The second to last lap, I was no longer allowed to complain about the "extra" lap I had to do. Hope got to re-listen to all the stories I had told her on the previous lap.

I don't know why, but I've always found these signs along the reservoir HILARIOUS. Hope took this picture of me around mile 90:

At this point, I knew I was going to finish, it was just a matter of it being THE LONGEST WALK EVER, and how much longer we were going to be out there. Heading back into base camp for my last check in and I made SURE to verify with the timekeeper that I was going out for the last time.

We passed time during the last loop by talking. A lot. My favorite games were coming up with adjectives A-Z for how awesome I was, my mental condition and my physical condition. The 50K had started at 7 am and there were people blazing past me as I was plugging along at a 20-22 min pace. With about 2 miles to go, I passed the only other 100 miler on the course. Chatted for a minute with him and his crew, then just kept moving. I was feeling lucid and alert, and Hope and L kept telling me that if I hadn't been telling them how bad I hurt, they would have had no idea.

The last mile of the race were occupied by a couple that walked with us almost to the finish, asking me about the race, what I planned on having for dinner to celebrate, etc. 

The Best.

And then, coming around the corner, I saw my dad. And A. A ran towards me and grabbed my hand and walked up with me to the finisher chute.

Where I did, in fact, run the last 10 or so feet to my first 100 mile finish. I didn't cry then, but just typing those words, I'll admit, I teared up.

100 miles. 29:04

Miles 1-13 - 11:36, 11:37, 12:31, 12:13, 12:23, 11:09, 10:52, 12:16, 11:08, 10:58, 11:31, 14:00, 11:06 (half marathonish - 2:33:20) My last half marathon was 2:45:21

Miles 14-26 - 12:15, 13:12, 11:04, 12:05, 13:09, 11:42, 11:53, 14:00, 12:25, 13:03, 12:54, 14:24, 12:33 (marathonish - 5:17:59) My last marathon was 5:17:31

Miles 27-31 - 12:05, 18:32, 12:32, 12:56, 14:05 (50Kish - 6:28:09) My 50K PR is 6:47:21

Miles 32-37 - 13:35, 12:53, 12:48, 17:51, 13:01, 13:39 (60Kish - 7:51:56) 60K PR is 9:58

Miles 38-50 - 15:25, 13:11, 13:41, 26:06, 14:33, 15:06, 16:03, 15:35, 15:12, 14:52, 20:53, 16:34, 16:51 (50Mish - 11:25:58) 50 Mile PR is 11:52:30.

Miles 51-62 - 18:41, 16:43, 16:40, 27:31, 17:29, 16:50, 17:31, 20:00, 17:23, 16:58, 20:40, 17:16 (100Kish 15:09:40) 

Miles 63-78 - 17:13, 21:37, 17:37, 17:33, 18:43, 21:01, 18:13, 19:11, 24:31, 18:37, 17:46, 25:38, 18:46, 18:53, 20:15, 24:31

And then... the watch died. According to my watch, I maintained 15:46 pace for first 78 miles (which took 20.5 hours). So yes, the last 22 took 8.5 hours. NUTS.

Edited:

FINALLY, there are official results up.... WOO HOO!!

I made sure to ask when I finished. 17 people started the 100 mile race. 7 people finished. I was the only female finisher, so of course, by fault, I got first female. WHO CARES!!???

I got to sit down, FINALLY, and tired the compression boot/sleeves that were amazing.

After only spending about 20 minutes at base camp after finishing, I had to drive home. FYI, driving a stick for a half hour after being on my feet for that long was ROUGH.

L had stopped on her way home and picked up Chili's for dinner - guacamole sliders! I showered, and then headed upstairs to eat. After eating, all I wanted to do was lie down and get under the electric blanket with a movie. Next thing I know, it's 11:00 at night (I somehow lost almost 6 hours?!). I went upstairs, and watched The Walking Dead.

100 mile recover in #magic pants and compression socks

One day later... I actually can walk. I can go up and down the stairs. I'm sore, but not any worse than I have been before.

Thoughts:

• You know what's far? 100 miles.
• You know what's hard? 100 miles.
• You know what I just ran? 100 FRICKIN' MILES. OK, well "run" might be a bit overstating things, but I sure was on my feet for that long.
• I have NO blisters, NO chafing and ALL my toenails.
• I have not taken any pain medication.
• I fueled well, taking probably 10-12 gels over the course of the run, eating ALL the things - yes, I had pizza, cake, brownies, bread, ramen, broth, electrolyte capsules, etc.
• I could NOT have done this without my friends. ESPECIALLY Dan - who was with me for about 35 miles during the night. Especially around mile 80 (?) it would have been SO easy for me to just stop. Having someone there to remind me how crazy I was being helped.
• Having friends/family with me at the finish to celebrate was AMAZING. 
• For the most part, I was in great spirits.
• I probably will not do this again (runnesia already??)
• INKnBURN was great to wear. I wore shirt and skirt and arms sleeves the first day, all of the clothes at night, and still kept on long sleeves during the next day.
• I wore the New Balance Leadville (1210's) the entire race, never changing my shoes or socks. My toes felt weird, but they were "mostly comfortable."

I may or may not revise this post as I remember things, but I wanted to get something up while I still remembered things.

Redline Turkey Day 10K (Race Recap)

Thursday, November 22

Broomfield, CO

Weather - Mostly sunny, WINDY (warm at start, cool at finish)

The Redline Turkey Day 10k is the only road race I have signed up for since I decided I hate running and my IT Band has been acting up. It was "only" a 10k, and the course literally runs right by my old house in Broomfield (literally - my house was one house beyond the mile 2 marker AND is apparently for sale again). I was enticed to register early for being one of the first 1,000 to register and getting FREE arm sleeves.

Redline is one of the most disorganized companies I've ever known to put on a race. For example, this is an excerpt from the email I got the NIGHT before the race:

"Shirt and Armwarmer pickup - It is fun to be a race director! You never know what is going to pop up and inevitably, something always does. There is always a lot of excitement around the unique designs of our race tee's on our popular Redline Gear. I flew to LA on Monday and drove back the shipment of shirts for the event, thinking that the delivery was the only problem with our factory's shipment. Upon opening the cartons we realized the factory failed to print the designs on our shirts. So you get a brand new Redline colored tech tee, that has never been on the market, but you don't get to use it as a conversation starter about the cool design and race advertised on it. I am more upset than you are, believe me. The other surprise was the exclusion of the much anticipate release of our totally unique arm warmer that we are introducing as a gift to the first 1000. Those will ship on DECEMBER 3."

W.T.F. For freakin' real. I registered for this at least a month ago? L started seeing advertisements for this months ago. This is the FIFTH year? How does this guy continue to be a race director? (For more of his blunders, you can read about this race.)

Anyway, the race is really close and I know the parking is pretty good, but I did still have to register A for the kid's race, and registration closed at 8:30. So... we dropped the kids off at my parents house at 7:45 and got to the race shortly after 8. Hit up the bathrooms (no line), registered A and picked up shirts (hers fancy and printed, mine not) and then sat in the car until it was time to go.

Apparently, the giant arch was NOT the starting line and we stood in a giant cluster waiting to be told where to start. The race was supposedly chip timed, although we saw no mats and started in the back.

The race is course is almost identical to what I used to run (back in 2007 and 2008) when I was doing my long runs around the neighborhood. I knew it was mostly flat. I was hoping it would be an awesome and glorious race. It was not.

There was no gun or announcement and we ended up in the back of the pack and never moved up. Apparently people in Broomfield are fast (other than me). First water station was around mile 1.4. My old house, as I said, was at mile 2. That was the end of the excitement. Around 2.5 miles in, the course turned north up Zuni, and that is when wind and stupid tired legs kicked in. My pace was NOT fast. I should have been able to run with ease. And yet.

Walked. Got passed. Jogged up a hill. Course turned back to the west and the wind was even worse. Next aid station was at mile 4. More walking.  More getting passed.  The worst of the wind was the last mile. L's awesome turkey hat kept almost blowing off.

Official Time - 1:07:28

Official Place 307/336

Garmin Time - 1:07:29

Mile 1 - 9:52

Mile 2 - 10:46

Mile 3 - 11:31

Mile 4 - 12:40

Mile 5 - 11:21

Mile 6 - 11:22 

Disappointing finish, but awesome outfits.

• "Turkey" tank. This is the third year we have worn it.
• Yellow Princess skirt from running skirts (clover socks also from there)
• Arm Sleeves - Ink n' Burn
• Hats - Clearance rack at Michael's

The Kid's race was supposed to start at 10:30. We had no idea where that started either. A decided she wanted to wear her awesome shirt, so I had to run back to the car to get it for her.

Razzy Roo Turkey headband

There were a TON of kids, so I told A to line up near the front so she wouldn't get trapped behind all the slow people (like me):

A is freaking fast. She was easily in the first 10 (out of probably 100 kids). Her hat came off too. I should have tried to get a better video of her running. She has a super long stride and it looks so EASY for her. She was one of the first girls across the line. I asked her what it was like to be in the front and she says "like being champion of the kids"

Hannah also ran - success with NO falling (for either kid). They even got awesome ribbons! (Somehow, I think they got a better deal for their $10, than I did for my $32).

After the race there was an insane raffle. Even though the wind picked up it was freezing, we stuck around to the very end. I am sad to report I did NOT win any of the $4500 (CASH) or pies. I might be more sad about no pies.

:(

The rest of Thanksgiving was:

• Starbucks
• Jumping at the trampoline center (2 hours for only $5!)
• Dinner at my parents house
• Movies - Barbie and Megamind (which, according my blog from last year, we watched then too).
• Bed at... 8:45?

#runalltheraces WINNERS!!

Here is a condensed list of the prizes. If you are picked, please send me a list in the order of which you would want them. That way we can get everything sent out ASAP. Prize choices (probably easiest to copy and paste to email me - squirrelgirl44@hotmail.com):

1. Team Sparkle - one basic skirt and one pair of race legs.
2. Pro Compression - one pair of marathon socks, any color
3. Pro Compression - one pair of marathon socks, any color
4. Aspaeris Pivot Shorts - one pair
5. Razzy Roo - one headband
6. Nuun - 4 pack and water bottle
7. Nuun - 4 pack and water bottle
8. Allied Metal - one medal rack - (nothing custom)
9. Run Pretty Far - one shirt
10. Ink n' Burn - one pair of arm sleeves
11. Flip Belt - one belt in your choice of color
12. YMX - one classic shirt OR classic run tank of your choice
13. YMX - one classic shirt OR classic run tank of your choice

PLEASE BE SURE IN YOUR EMAIL TO.... include your full name, mailing address and phone number. Every company has different requirements to ship, and almost everything is shipping directly from the company (not from me).

With that said... THE WINNERS ARE (selected via random.org)!! (will update as prizes are selcted so you know what is left if you haven't contacted me yet!)

1. Donation #29 (E. Kalifeh) - Team Sparkle package!
2. Donation #55 (L. Larsen) - Allied Metal medal rack!
3. Donation #71 (S. Klassen) - Aspaeris Pivot Shorts!
4. Donation #95 (G. Kurdziel) - Nuun 4 pack and water bottle!
5. Donation #34 (E. Kalifeh) - Pro Compression Socks!
6. Donation #56 (L. Larsen) - YMX shirt!
7. Donation #12 (M. Plummer) - Flip Belt!
8. Donation #11 (M. Plummer) - Run Pretty Far shirt!
9. Donation #42 (L. Larsen) - Razzy Roo headband!
10. Donation #84 (A. Brocato) - Pro Compression Socks!
11. Donation #27 (E. Kalifeh) - Ink n' Burn Sleeves!
12. Donation #75 (J. Johnson) - YMX shirt!
13. Donation #62 (L. Larsen) - Nuun 4 pack and water bottle!

Please send me your info ASAP, and thanks again for all of your support to AFSP, and congrats to everyone that won!!

I of course am still fundraising (will be through the beginning of January, so if you ever have a couple bucks you can toss my way, the link is on the left column of my blog!)

Run All the Races - VIRTUAL RUN!

About a year ago, I posted that I hoped to do a big giveaway when I completed my 50 half marathons in 50 states goal. It is hard to believe that day is almost here. In just a few weeks, on October 14, L and I will complete our goal - in VERMONT. We will have completed a half marathon in all 50 states + DC, and we will have done it together.

I have really enjoyed my journey and have met TONS of great people along the way, both runners, and those that go the extra mile to provide awesome products to runners (and other athletes).

I didn't want to do *just* a giveaway. I have blogged about it a few times already, but I have joined Team AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention) to run the Tinker Bell half marathon in January. I am running in memory of my friend Bob, who was lost to suicide two months ago.

So this giveaway is a bit different, and I hope to raise money for Team AFSP while celebrating the completion of my 50 state goal at the same time. So... keep reading:

When: Starts... NOW and runs through midnight MST October 14, 2012
Where: Wherever you feel like racing. #runalltheraces

Here's where the fundraising comes in. 

$5 donation = 5K = 1 entry
$10 donation = 10K = 2 entries
$25 donation = half marathon (13.1 miles) = 5 entries
$40 donation = FULL marathon (26.2) = 10 entries
$50 donation = ULTRA marathon (50K or longer) = 15 entries

HOW THIS IS GOING TO WORK (hopefully):

1. Choose your distance - obviously you can donate the amount you are comfortable with, and extra donations are happily accepted. (Additional entries 1 = $5 donated beyond the amount noted above. Ex: Run a 5K and donate $15, receive 1 entry ($5 for the 5K) + 2 entries (for the additional $10) = 3 total)
2. Click here to donate to Team AFSP.
3. Leave a comment or email me (squirrelgirl44@hotmail.com) with your race distance and donation amount (I will calculate your number of entries, but if you want to include that in the email, it might help me out).
4. Please, please, PLEASE tweet and/or Facebook and/or blog about this! These vendors have very generously donated products for this giveaway/cause and a few shout outs to them would really make me (and them) happy! (copy me on any tweets please!! @squirrelgirl44 )
5. Run your race (or bike, or swim or whatever) take some pictures, write a race report, and email it, send me the link, or comment.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE leave me a comment so that I can get everything logged ASAP.

I'll post a link to all of the race reports once compiled.


Now, the million dollar question....


WHAT do you get out of this?


First off, knowing what your tax deductible donation does:

For every $50 I raise, AFSP can provide educational materials to 25 people, emphasizing the importance of early identification and treatment for those suffering from depression and other disorders that put them at risk.

For every $100 I raise, AFSP can educate a mental health professional or primary care physician about the warning signs of suicide; they, in turn, will reach hundreds (maybe thousands)of people.

For every $500 I raise, AFSP can train a new Survivor of Suicide support group facilitator, and the members of the group will be given a chance to be with other survivors who understand, and will know that they are not alone.

ALSO!!! You will get entered to win some of these cool prizes...


From... TEAM SPARKLE! Your choice of one regular sparkle skirt AND a pair of race legs!! You can find them on twitter @runTeamSparkle

From... PRO COMPRESSION! TWO people can choose from ANY color of the awesome marathon sock. I have FIVE pairs of these. LOVE them. The neon yellow MIGHT be my favorite. You can find them on twitter @procompression

From... ASPAERIS! These truly are #magicpants. If you haven't tried them yet, now is your chance. I put these bad boys on after the Austin marathon and was not sore. Not one tiny bit. You can also wear them under things like... sparkle skirts! Winner may choose any color of pivot shorts. On twitter @AspaerisPivot

From... RAZZY ROO! My favorite headband lady! She is now even doing custom work. Made in the USA, inexpensive, and the best customer service you can ask for. Winner chooses any headband! On twitter @RazzyRooBands (also, she is running a sale right now. 20% of EVERYTHING, use the code FALLSALE at checkout). Look at the cool band she made for Rock 'n' Roll Denver!!

From... NUUN! I have been using Nuun for about 3 years. I use it just about every day. I have tried every flavor (except banana... I can never find it!). Nuun has been kind enough to donate for TWO winners. Each will get 1 4-pack of Nuun and a Nuun water bottle. Sweet!! On twitter @nuunhydration

From... ALLIED MEDAL! Any standard metal rack. What??? Yes!!! These are the best metal racks out there! Anything on their site that is NOT custom and it is yours!! So many things to choose from! I have this one (obviously):

From... RUN PRETTY FAR! I first heard about these AWESOME shirts when I ran Ragnar back in April. These are the most comfortable shirts you will ever wear, hands down. Jenn at Run Pretty Far will donate ONE tank or shirt of your choice! My personal favorite is the "cake" shirt. I'll be sporting a tank at the Palo Duro 50k next month! Find them on twitter @runprettyfar

From... INK N' BURN!! They are generously donating ONE pair of arm sleeves! I personally LOVE the new Halloween line they have out and have ordered the Zombie sleeves for myself. This one is a great one if I have any guys out there interested in participating. Find them on twitter @INKnBURN

 
From FLIP BELT!! They are going to donate one of their awesome flip belts... IN ANY COLOR to the winner. Their website states that it even works with the iPhone 5 (I have tested with iPhone 4, and it worked great). I wore my Flip Belt during the San Francisco marathon, and it held everything I needed for the race. LOVE THESE!! (PS - the nuclear yellow looks AMAZING). On twitter @FlipBelt

From... YMX BY YELLOWMAN!! YMX is generously donating to TWO winners. Each winner has their choice of any classic tank or run top!!! I was lucky enough to win a long sleeve tri jersey from them during a twitter contest last fall. I ADORE IT. They are my go-to brand for stylish tops to wear - especially in winter. The only time I've ever (intentionally) raced in long sleeves, I was wearing one of their shirts. I am PSYCHED to be able to offer this to you! Aren't these beautiful?? Find them on twitter @WearYMX

One winner a day will be selected via random.org beginning OCTOBER 15. Winner will have 24 hours to get in touch with me to select their prize. After the prize has been chosen, this post will be updated to reflect that it is no longer available. (This MAY have to be adjusted... I have enough to give out that this could go on for weeks.) Thanks to overwhelming support from the above companies, I am going to do the giveaway prizes a bit different. I will select ALL the winners via random.org on October 15. If you are selected as a winner, email me ASAP (squirrelgirl44@hotmail.com) and rank the prizes in the order you would want to win them, with 1. being the items you would want the MOST. (On the day winners are announced, I will list the prizes so you can copy and paste - hopefully that will make things go a bit smoother).

Also... I might have a few other things to toss in there, and will add at my discretion. I wanted to get this up and running so that you would have THREE weekends to race!

****NOTE**** If you've already donated, THANK YOU, and there is NO NEED to donate again to join the race. To the two AWESOME ladies that have already donated, I have already set you up with entries.

Disclaimer: ALL of these items were donated to me by those fantastic companies. All of the opinions are my own. I only approached companies that I personally use and love. Let's show some love to these awesome AWESOME companies.