Three Things Thursday

Wow- is this week flying by.   Here are my 3 things for this Thursday

1) Christmas decorations are all down and in their appropriate boxes. Now we just have to put all the boxes away.  That is the project for tomorrow.  But everything is down, tree and all.  Wow, does the house look so spacious.  I love the house all decorated but when everything comes down, I am always amazed at the amount of room that shows up.  How about you??

2) 1st official week of Marathon training.  The running so far, so good.  I have gotten 3 runs in, following my schedule 3,3,3,6.  So I have a long run of 6 miles to be completed sometime between tomorrow and Sunday.  I think that is doable!!! 

3) I did a little cross training.  Nothing to major but I got a few things in.  How do you in your cross training in?  I have a hard enough time fitting in my running so my weight workouts are thrown in all over the day.  Yesterday while I was cooking I did some squats,  my as while do that while you meat is browning.  Then during  a basement clean up, I stopped for few minutes and did some Ab V rotations , hammer curls and arm raises.  I know it isn't much but it is surely better than nothing.


Still pondering my New Years Resolutions- but I will let you know them soon.

Two Tuesday

Yes- I am very excited to report that I have run 2 days in a row ; hence my Two Tuesday!!!  I feel committed having the schedule, knowing that I  "have to" get my runs in.    This week, with it still being Christmas vacation the kids are home from school.  All the kids being home make the running a little more difficult,  but with the advent of new Christmas toys I have managed to sneak in some time.   Today was a new box of Model Magic Presto Dots (a gift from my sister in law to my boys);  this kept my boys and my girls entertained long enough for my run.      I know I could get up early in the morning and run but since no one has to get up early I dont want to either. 

3 miles 28:02 .     Hope everyone is finding time to get there runs/ exercise in!!! 

Have a Terrific Tuesday!!!

Marathon Monday

As of today marathon training has offiicaly begun .   I am so excited!!   Excited but nervous.  Excited to have a plan in place but nervous as I know what is ahead.  This is Marathon number 3 for me-  hoping for much better results this time around ( no injury's and no 85 degree heat) . Kalamazoo Marathon,  May 8th!!!!!     3 quick miles in for today. 3 miles 28:22   It felt so nice to get on the treadmill - needed to run off some of the food that I have eaten in the last few days. Good thing Christmas is only one time a year,  because all that great delicious holiday food is way to tempting.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!!  We had lots of fun in our house.   It has taken us almost 3 days to get every gift played with.  Lots and lots of family fun time. Looking forward to Happy New Year

Run and CSN review

Well so far this week, 1 run in.  I know it is Wednesday and only one run.  This week is crazy.  3 miles so far.  I am hoping to get in a few more runs this week, so that I dont feel so guilty indulging in on the Christmas treats.  Marathon training starts officially next week!!!!!!!

A few weeks ago I was given the great honor of a Promotional Gift Certificate to the CSN store for $40.    How awesome is that??  Purchase what ever I want and then just write a review about it.  This may sound like an easy feat but holy moly over at the CSN store there are so many things to chose from .  This was a very very hard decision;  buy something for myself, my kids, my husband,  someone else??   Well I decided, the house and the family.    I purchased 2 things:

InStyle Geo Shower Curtain in Brown - S-4009 BRWN

This is 100% cotton so it can be machines washed.    I was so excited to pick this out.  We have had the same decorative shower curtian in our bathroom for the last 10 years,  so it was time for a change.  I  love it!!!  Went from a blue bathroom to a brown acented bathroom.  I changed everything while the kids were in school / husband was at work .  When they all came home they were said  "Wow, that looks great"

Milton Bradley Classic Scrabble Game - 4024S5

This I picked out because, ironically we own alot of games but not this one.  This game is being given to all the kids for Christmas-  what a great way for them to learn their letters and practice spelling words.  I foresee lots and lots of family fun time.

The shipping was very timely.  The items did arrive separately but that was no problem;  very fast shipping.   There is only a one negative issue-

Free Shipping  

On Just About Everything!

I found this statement to very untrue.  Unless I just was an exception to the rule.  I must of looked at about 20 or more different items before I made my decision on what to purchase. Every single item that I looked at did not offer free shipping.   With being given a gift certificate I wanted to get the most bang for my buck, After a while I just gave up the search of trying to find something with free shipping and picked out the 2 items that I did.  I had to pay shipping on both of those items. 

 Overall though,  I am very happy with my purchase and would consider shopping at the CSN store again in the future.  Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.

 

Few things Friday

First off -  I ran 4 four miles today.  Nothing super fancy, not super long but I ran 4 miles.    With that run it gave me a total of 9 miles this week ( 2, 3, 4).    Also, I have ran 9 miles that last 2 weeks in a row , with each week getting 3 runs.  So I am sloooowly getting back on track.    Official training starts back up in just 2 weeks!!!! 

Do you think it is easier to run outside in the winter or the summer?  There is this man that I have seen out running off and on since the very beginning of the shcool year.  I asked him if he is training for a race and he said "No, I am just running".  Yesterday while at the bus stop he came walking by ( not running I assume since the road was a slick ice rink)  I told him " I give you kuddos for being out here running!!"  He said  "I think this is alot harder than running in the summer heat."  I would agree-  that is why we bought a treadmill. So what do you think,  winter or summer ???

Today  of my kids start their Christmas vacation-  they are off for a while!!!  Oh man,  I don't have nearly everything done that I wanted to have done.    I am doing one more last trip out sometime this weekend- last minutes gifts and food for all next week including Christmas.  I do not want to step foot in a store at all next week!!!


Have a Fabulous Friday!!!!! 

Wonderful Wednesday part 2

Yippee- got the 3 mile run in.  Love looking at the snowy cold weather yet being nice and warm running on the treadmill.   3 miles of rolling hills.   

New Winner Wednesday and more

One of the winners never contacted me so the new winner of Chocolate #9 is
                                            Amber
                                    please send me your address

Crazy weather going on here in MI.  It is mighty cold out.  The crazy part is that it isn't even officially winter yet-  I have a feeling this is going to be a long season.     High in the 20's today,  that is a heat wave compared to this past weekend.    The wind chills pushed us below 0.  We were visiting my parents this weekend,  which on a normal day is about a 3 hour drive.  Well, Sunday it took us almost 6 hours to make that drive.  Talk about being crazy.  We got veered off the freeway due to an accidnet , went to get on the freeway and a local policman said I wouldnt get back on because you will be veered off again due to a fatal accident 3 miles down. So we drove the back roads to get around all that.  We made our way back on the freeway to only be stopped by another accident.  This one, we should have been veered off the freeway for-  a semi truck was split into 3 pieces- with the cab of the truck in oncoming traffic.    After that crazy drive I was so happy that school was cancelled on Monday due to inclement weather.

As for the running-  last week I got 9 miles in.  That isnt super great but better than nothing.  Due to the sub zero weather here I am staying indoors.  Yesterday I ran 2 miles.  Since I was only planning on running 2 miles, I put the treadmill into rolling hill mode,  which gave me a nice workout.  Hopeing to get 3 miles in today-  we will have to see .

Trying to finish up all Christmas gifts,  food purchases, wrapping, etc... so that I can enjoy my kids Christmas vacation with them and not be stressed out.  I do not want to step foot into any store at all next week, as I know that they will be slammed packed.      Do you think I can do that?

Hope everyone has a Wonderful Wednesday!!!

Supplement Giveaway Winners

Thank you so much for entereing my giveaway!! 
The 3 winners are as follows (  drum roll please):


1) Peter Rabbit Organic Fruit Pouches - Bobbi

2) Chocolate #9 -  Jenna Z


3)  GU Products - E. Rostron


Please send me your addresses  so that you can receive your products. 


Thank you -
Christa

3 things Thursday

                                               Enter my supplement giveaway

So here is my really exciting 3 things Thursday-  but for this time of year and for the motivation that I have been lacking lately here you go. 

1)  Monday ran 3 miles
2) Wednesday ran 3 miles
3)  Thursday ran 3 miles


There is my 3 things-  I know that is pretty lame,  but that is all I have .  3 runs in one week is huge right now   ( how sad is that)  Can I tell you how good I feel this week with having got the exercise back in-  AWESOME!!   

Wonderful Wednesday

                                                      Enter my supplement giveaway

Wow!!  What a wonderful week, and a wonderful Wednesday!!!  I have so much to say, sorry I may be rambling on.

1) First I want to give a great CONGRATULATIONS to my husbands Uncle John who just ran the Cal International Marathon in CA-  he PR'd beating lasts year time by 11 min.  Who Hooooo  way to go Uncle John!!!!

2)  I ran, I ran-  yes so far I have run twice this week!!   I know that isn't that exciting, but since I haven't  ran that much the last month, I am so excited that I have fit in 2 runs this week.  Two 3 mile runs-  nothing to crazy.  I was going to run farther today but then I decided , nope I want to stay injury free for this marathon ( that is only a mere 21 weeks away). Hope to get in at least 2 more runs before the week is over.   Do clothes make you feel motivated to run?  I put on my Chicago Marathon shirt from 10/10/10 and I instantly got a jolt of energy to run.    I want to thank my great friend B, who spoke great words of motivation to me yesterday.  Funny she called me to get motivation to get running again and she motivated me to go running.   Despite over a 1000 mile distance we are still motivating each other!! 

3) I think ( can I hope) that I have all my Christmas shopping done.  Man, I hope so.  Now it is just time to wrap wrap wrap. 

4) Snow, snow, snow.  It is just snowing away here.   Now comes lots of bonding time with me and the treadmill.  I know, I can go outside.  But I always have this crazy fear of falling on ice - really dont need a broken bone.  Plus with it getting light so late in the morning and dark so early in the evenings, I would just rather run indoors whenever I have the chance.  Don't get me wrong though, if we were to have an Indian Summer day ( which I doubt will happen) then I will head out doors. 


5)  Do you notice that when you eat healthy your body craves healthy food?  Ever since the marathon I havent' been eating super great.  I haven't been eating bad but just not super great ; with traveling and resting.  But this last week I have gotten everything back on track.  Weird, I can walk past the cookies and go straight for the salad.  Strange .  Every time I have a salad, I comment how much I love them ( which I would have never said in the past) .  Just had  post run snack of a banana with almond butter. 

6) Speaking of cookies-  oh my word.  We had a cookies swap at the MOPS meeting that I attend. We each made 20 bags of 3 cookies each and then brought them in to swap out.  So when all was said and done you would end up with about 5 dozen assorted cookies.  I did splurge and have a couple, they were to die for. So, instead of continuing the indulgence I packed the rest of them into the freezer to be taken out on Christmas weekend.    What a fun idea!!  Yummy!!!

7)  Don't forget to enter my Supplement giveaway!!!!  Also, if anyone has any healthy natural supplements that they use,  I would love to hear about / try them.     My family trys to get as "natural" as possible, so I have a hard time taking running supplements that have an ingredient list that is super long. 

Ok- I think that is enough wonderment for this Wednesday!!! 


 

Supplement Review and Triple Giveaway

Supplement Review-

As you add high mileage runs to your training schedule you need to learn how to fuel yourself.   While training for the Chicago Marathon I experimented with this.  Most of the experimentation was due to the fact that some of the fueling supplements made my sick, caused headaches or just did not seem to work.    Some I bought for myself, and some were samples sent to me to try out.  Instead of having 5 different reviews I thought I would compare them side-by-side. 

• Gu Energy Gel/ Chomps
• Sport Beans
• Clif Bloks
• Chocolate #9
• Peter Rabbits Organic Fruit Pouches

GU ENERGY GEL / CHOMPS

Gu energy gels come in about 10 flavors.  They are very convenient to carry, usually can fit in the pockets that are on all the running gear.      I have tried a few of the different flavors but unfortunately I just cannot stomach the gels.   I personally like the convenience of the chomps better.  Gu Chomps come in 5 different flavors; I can put one in my mouth and just continue running, unlike the gels where I have to stop.       I am not sure what it is in the product but every time I have tried the chomps, I get really bad headaches.  With that being said the only chomps that I have tried are ones that have caffeine in them.  Could that be the culprit for the headaches, I don’t know or is it something in the chomps themselves.  Chomps $2.20/ package   Gel $1.35/ gel pack

SPORTS BEANS

I love the convenience of this product.  You can grab one, you can grab a handful and just go.   I used sports beans a lot on many of my long runs.   Sports Beans come in 6 different flavors and a mixed bag.  The main issue I have with this supplement is it really wrecks me after I am done running.  It is crazy, during the run it supplements me awesome and then as soon as I stop running my body starts revolting, resulting in bathroom issues later.   $1.00/ package

CLIF SHOT BLOKS

These are very similar to the Gu Chomps but just made by a different company.  Not exactly sure what is different between the 2 companies but this one settles a lot better with me, no issues at all.  Cliff Shots are available in 9 different flavors.    $1.98/ package

CHOCOLATE #9

 This company was so nice to send me an entire box to try out.  Per a recommendation of a fellow blogger ,  I was turned to Chocolate #9.  I was (and still am) on the hunt for natural supplements for endurance running.  Chocolate #9 only has 2 ingredients. Yes, only 2 ingredients- organic agaves and cocoa.  Chocolate #9 comes in a gel format very similar to that of GU.  This product is great, if and only if you are a chocolate lover.  Personally, for myself I was so excited that this product had natural ingredients but since the chocolate flavor is so strong I could only stomach it on indoor runs or those that were cooler outside.  If I ran outdoors on a very warm day, when it came time to fuel up I felt like I was sucking down brownie batter.  Which some of you many thoroughly enjoy ( as I do when I am baking) but not so much when I am in the middle of a long distance run.    Gel pack  $1.34 / piece

PETER RABBIT ORGANIC FRUIT POUCHES

 This company was so nice to send my 3 different pouches (one of each flavor) to try out.  Wow, these are amazing.  There come in 3 flavors.   Straight up 100% fruit, the consistently reminds me a lot of really pureed up baby food (applesauce consistency) .  I really really liked this product.  I used it on a lot of my tread mill runs.  Unfortunately due to the size of the product I didn’t take it on any long runs.  Really that would be my only problem with this product, size.  I believe to become very marketable in the running (endurance sports) the size of the product would have to get smaller.    Pouches $1.99/ piece. 

Overall, I think fuel supplements are a personal preference.  As for myself, I am on the hunt for “natural fuel supplements” to help during my long runs.     All these products are fairly similar in price comparison.  If I only had these supplement to choose from this is how I would rank them

1)      Cliff Bloks

2)      Sports Beans

3)      Peter Rabbit Organic Fruit Pouches ( only due to the size)

4)      Chocolate #9

5)      Gu gel / chomps

As always, my reviews are based on my own observations.  My objective is value.   I may not always choose the best product due to price, but I am not looking for the cheapest product either.  I am not being compensated for my reviews and my allegiance is to you the reader not suppliers or manufactures.  If you have questions and/or comments I am always happy to hear from you.

GIVEAWAY

Here is the fun part, a TRIPLE Giveaway!!! Yes, there will be 3 winners

 1)      Peter Rabbit Organics has so graciously offered to giveaway an assorted 10 pack of their fruit pouches.   (Open to U.S. Residents only)

        2) Chocolate #9, I was given such a large supply that I am graciously giving away 7 pouches

       3)GU products.  I have a supply that I would like to share.   A Tri Berry Gel, A Strawberry Banana Gel   and a Orange Gu Chomp

In order to enter the contest you must, in separate entries, do one or more of the following.  Each entry will equal one chance of winning.  Up to 8 chances per person.  This giveaway will end on Sunday Dec 12th at 8pm Eastern Time

1)      Become a follower of my page

2)      Join Christas Fitness Challenge on Facebook

3)      Like Peter Rabbit Organics on Facebook

4)      Like Chocolate #9 on facebook

5)      Like Gu on Facebook

6)      Like Clif Bar on facebook

7)      Announce my give a away on your page /facebook/ twitter

8)      Add me to your blogroll

MIA

Where have I been?????  I was gone over the Thanksgiving Holiday; took an extended vacation and went up to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. 

No running to be heard of !!! BLAH I  say I have been on a running sabbatical since the marathon.  But starting next week I am back at her- printed the training schedule  I am sooo ready to return.  Trying to take the rest of this week and get as many holiday things done so that I can enjoy the holiday and not feel guilty squeezing in my runs.   

I had a request from some of the Fitness Challengers in the MOPS (mothers of Preschoolers) group that I am in, for my running play list.  So I thought I would share it with you.  What music do you listen to? 

It may not be the best music to listen to on a daily basis but the songs do have good "running beats"  Most top 40 stuff. 


Here was my last marathon play list:
Bad Romance - Lady Gaga
One Time- Justin Bieber
So What - Pink
Teenage Dream - Katy perry
Whatca Say - Jason DeRulo
Your love is my Drug-  Keisha
Baby- Justin Bieber
Boom Boom Pow - Black Eyed Peas
Single Ladies - Beyonce
When I grow up- Pussy cat dolls
Party in the USA -Hannah Montana
Ridin Solo-  Jason DeRulo
Tik Tok - Kesha
Carry out - Timbaland
LoveGame  - Lady Gaga
Rock that Body - Black eyed peas
Sexyback - Justin Timberlake
California Girls- Katy Perry
Cant be tamed - Miley Cyrus
Down - Jay Sean
I know you want me - Pitbull
In my head - Jason DeRulo
Sexy Chick- David Guetta
Whatya want from me-  Adam Lambert
Paparazzi- Lady Gaga
Cooler than me - Micheal Posner
Do you remember - Jay Sean
Give you hell - American Rejects
Meet in the middle- Timbaland
Poker Face - Lady Gaga
U smile - Justin Bieber
I like it - Enrique
Bust your windows -Glee
I gotta feeling - Black eyed peas
Lovestoned - Justin Timberlake
OMG - Usher
Telephone - Beyonce / Lady Gaga
We belong to to music - Timbaland
Hotel Room Service - Pitbull
If I had you - Adam Lambert
Rude boy - Rihanna
Eenie Meenie - Justin Bieber
Fireflies - Owl City
If we ever meet again- Timbaland
DINOSAUR - Kesha
Boots and Boys -Keha
Sweet Caroline (Glee)
Nothin on you - BoB
Just the way you are -Bruno Mars
Love the way you lie - Eminem

 Sorry, dropped the ball  on my giveaway before the holiday-  BUT I do have one coming up early next week (PROMISE!)