Running « The Everyday Warrior

Under Armour What’s Beautiful Contest

by Betsy

This post is sponsored by Under Armour through FitFluential and all opinions are my own!

I am so excited about the Under Armour What’s Beautiful contest! The contest is all about redefining the female athlete, setting individual goals and crushing them, joining teams for team goals and challenges and general all around badassery! You know that I love me some badassery!

It is true that I was approached by Under Armour through FitFluential to be part of the contest but prior to that I was already considering joining because it is right up my alley! To be quite honest, it is a good fit for ANY woman.

And the timing for this contest could not be better for me. Did you see this goal that I put out there for the world to see? Yeah , that is going to be my individual goal for the What’s Beautiful contest. That’s right I WILL run back to back Tough Mudders in ONE weekend!

And on top of that I have been thinking lately that I have a lot of fitness wishes that I have yet to make into fitness accomplishments. It is time to do something about that. Because of that desire I have started a team for the What’s Beautiful contest called Fitness Warriors. The goal of the group is to turn “I wish” into “I did!” You know all those times when you see someone do something amazing and you say to yourself “I wish I could do that!” My group is all about taking those wishes and making them into accomplishments. Each person’s desires may be different but that will be the fun part of the group and having support and encouragement to get out of your comfort zone and make those wishes come true is always a good thing!

I would love for you to be part of this contest! Click here to sign up and set your own personal goal! Once you do that, be sure to follow me! Click here for my Under Armour What’s Beautiful profile! I promise to follow back. Lastly, join my team by clicking here! I look forward to seeing you on the What’s Beautiful site!

Oh, I almost forget! Prizes!!! What is a contest without prizes, right? Each week Under Armour will give away swag bags full of great gear and at the end of the contest (It is 8 weeks long) Three winners will be flown to Costa Rica to attend a four-day yoga and surf retreat plus much more!!! Amazing stuff, right?

So what are you waiting for? Join the Under Armour What’s Beautiful contest now! Set a big goal and crush it! I know you can do it!

Blogging FitFluential Fitness Friends Fun Running

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New Blog Series: Mud Runner Monday!

by Betsy

Next Monday I am starting a new series on my blog called Mud Runner Monday! It’s no secret that I am a mud run addict and naturally I am a big fan of all runners but most especially mud runners! Mud / obstacles runners are a different breed of runners, in my opinion, and each mud runner has his / her own story. My goal is to share some of the stories with you and introduce you to the world of mud running through the different runners that will be featured on my blog.

If you are a mud runner and would like to be a part of the series just let me know! All you will have to do is answer some questions and send me some pictures for the post. It’s easy, I promise! Interested? Email me at bamoats@gmail.com

And speaking of mud runs, I think I have found the solution to my Tough Mudder problem. If you are not sure what I am referring to click here to read all about it.(Btw you were all incredibly supportive and uplifting about this issue. Thank you!) The solution? Run back to back Tough Mudders! I am currently signed up to run the Michigan Tough Mudder on Saturday June 29th so if I run on Sunday too that will complete my goal of running two Tough Mudders this year! It sounds crazy but I figure I will already be there and some of my teammates from Saturday are doing Sunday as well. This also means that I won’t have to worry about trying to fit another race into my schedule or alter my training for other races! It’s the perfect solution!

This will be the first time I have ever ran back to back races (and I have secretly been wanting to do it), so I am pretty excited about it!

Have you ever done back to back races before? How did it go? Also don’t forget to contact me if you want to be a featured mud runner for my new series!

Blogging Fitness Fun Mud Runner Monday Running

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The Tough Mudder That Wasn’t

by Betsy

I’ve been dragging my feet on writing this post.

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook you may already know the outcome of my Tough Mudder but if you don’t here’s the scoop. I didn’t accomplish a single item from my goal list for the race. In fact I had a big fat DNS! (Did Not Start)

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The reason for the DNS? I got stuck working when I should have been in Ohio racing!

I’m big enough to admit that I cried a little. I’m actually tearing up just by writing this. I am also big enough to realize that sometimes being an adult sucks and that sometimes work will get in the way of my running plans.

One of my goals for this year was to run two Tough Mudders. The Ohio Tough Mudder was supposed to be the first one with the Michigan Tough Mudder in June being number two. Now I need to either let that goal go to the wayside or try to find another Tough Mudder that I can add to my race schedule. I would prefer to find another Tough Mudder to run but I already have quite a few races scheduled and I need to make sure that whatever Tough Mudder I add doesn’t conflict or interfere with my goals and training for those races. Sigh.

Not to mention I already paid for the Ohio race and the thought of having to pay for another Tough Mudder doesn’t sit well with me. Those races aren’t cheap!

On the other hand, I am running the Iron Warrior Dash In September which is supposed to be the Warrior Dash’s version of the Tough Mudder being that it is 15-20 miles of mud and obstacles. Perhaps I can allow myself to count that as my second Tough Mudder. We’ll see. When I commit to a goal, I like to finish it not change it to suit my needs at the time.

The Tough Mudder isn’t my first DNS but the two other DNS’s that I had were on my terms and I made the decision to DNS. Those DNS’s were easier to handle than this one.

Have you ever had a DNS? What was the reason and how did you handle it?

Running

22 Comments »

Tough Mudder Ohio Goals

by Betsy

It’s hard to believe but tomorrow is the Ohio Tough Mudder! Woohoo!

Ohio was where I did my first and only Tough Mudder so it seems fitting that I am returning to Ohio for my first of two Tough Mudders for 2013.

Who else is returning for the Ohio Tough Mudder? This guy!

Justin was my teammate last year and he made quite a name for himself in the Tough Mudder circuit! I’m super pumped to get to run with him again!

Here is just a glimpse of what Justin and I and the other Mudders will be up against!

You can also click here to check out a course map.

And now without further ado here are my goals for tomorrow’s Tough Mudder!

- Finish! No time goal for this one, I just want to cross that finish line and stake my claim on another orange headband!

- Run a smart and injury free race. Tough Mudders are fun events but they are still extreme obstacle races and should be treated as such.

- Have fun and get muddy! That’s what it is all about after all right?!

Anyone else racing this weekend?

Running Tough Mudder Travel

9 Comments »

My Thoughts on Boston

by Betsy

I haven’t blogged about Boston until now. I have been wanting to but I have been at a loss of what to say. Even now while typing this I am still struggling with coming up with words to describe how I feel about it.

In addition to that, I am not sure if I can say anything that hasn’t already been said by others. Not much can top this awesome letter or this post that sparked a global movement.

Despite all of that, I can’t not write a post about Boston.

When I first heard about the what happened at the Marathon my emotions were all over the board. I was shocked, sad, upset, disgusted, heart broken, angry, afraid and many many more.

For a brief fleeting moment I even thought to myself, “Maybe I shouldn’t run big races anymore.” That was a thought out of fear and it was immediately replaced with “Hell no, I am going to run whatever sized race wherever and whenever I want to. End of story.” I refuse to make decisions that are based on fear. I will not allow myself to be controlled by others.

I almost forgot to mention another emotion that I felt and still feel in light of these events. Proud. I have never been more proud to be part of the running community. I have always known that runners are generous and supportive people and the stories that are coming out of this tragedy are amazing. Like the runners who finished the marathon and then continued to run to the hospital to donate blood, or those who ran towards the bombing area instead of away from it to see what they could do to help and the person who finished the race and gave his medal to someone who wasn’t able to finish it.

I may not be able to help in the ways that the runners I mentioned were able to help. But I am going to help in my own way.

1. I purchased one of these shirts in which all of the proceeds go to The One Fund Boston, Inc.

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They are now sold out but you can also donate directly to the fund if you wish.

2. I am going to run. I can’t think of a better way to honor those that lost their lives or were injured than to put on my running shoes and log some miles. There are many group runs being planned for today all over the world!

Here are a couple that I know of that are happening in the Detroit area.

1. The New Balance store in Farmington Hills is hosting a Runners for Boston run. Click here for more info.

2. The Hanson’s Running Shop in Royal Oak will be hosting a group run at 6:30pm.

Let me know what you are doing to honor Boston. Did you blog about it? Leave your link in the comments! Did you plan an event? Leave that link below as well.

Family Friends Running

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Chicago Day #2: Race and VZWVoices Meet Up

by Betsy

This post was made possible by the Verizon Health and Fitness Voices program. As a participant of the program I have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product. I was also invited to Chicago to kick off the program which included a hotel stay, travel expenses and an entry into the Shamrock Shuffle 8k. Click here for more info on the program.

I know I promised all of you that I would post this yesterday but in light of the events that happened at the Boston Marathon I thought the post that I actually published was more fitting. It probably goes without saying that my heart aches for all of those effected by what happened in Boston. I would also like to add that I am very proud to be part of the running community, a community that is full of love, support and determination.

Now on to Day #2 in Chicago. And in case you missed out on what we did on Day #1, click here to get caught up on our adventures.

A good chunk of day #2 was spent at the Shamrock Shuffle 8k. You can read my recap of my experience here. After the race we had breakfast at Wildberry Café. We had to wait a little bit since it is a popular restaurant and with it being close to the race area there were quite a few other people who had the same idea as us.

Yes, I ate breakfast in my full race gear.

And the food was well worth that wait. I had cranberry pecan pancakes with a side of bacon and Chris had cinnamon apple waffles. Both were AMAZING!

After breakfast I was in dire need of a shower and a change of clothes, so we headed back to the hotel. Once I was cleaned up and presentable again we headed to the Art Institute of Chicago. That was also included in our CityPASS!

We wandered around and looked at some awesome art. We also reenacted a scene from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

There is a cute little story that goes along with why we did this. Chris came to Chicago many many years ago and saw the stained glass that was used in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and decided that he would one day return there with a girl and kiss her in front of it just like in the movie. And I got to be that girl.

Shortly after the art museum I had to say good-bye to Chris. He was hopping a flight back to Detroit while I stayed in Chicago for all the Verizon Wireless Voices activities. I was sad to see him go because we were having such a good time but I was excited to meet some new blogger friends and find out what device I would be trying out from Verizon!

The bloggers for the program that were able to make it to Chicago all met in the lobby of the Hard Rock Hotel and then we walked over to the Park Grill where we spent the next few hours eating, drinking and getting to know one another.

This was my first blogger meet up ever! I have met other bloggers on several different occasions but never a large group at once. I also didn’t really know any of them before the dinner although I had read a few of their blogs on occasion. Dinner at the restaurant was so good and the service was excellent! But the best part was enjoying the company of all of the fabulous health and fitness bloggers! They really are a great group of women and I am so flattered to be a part of the group!

Come back tomorrow to find out what happened on my third and final day in Chicago! Here is a hint, it involves some awesome new gadgets!

Fitness Food Friends Fun Running Travel VZWVoices

4 Comments »

Sending Love to Boston

by Betsy

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Running

2 Comments »

Shamrock Shuffle 8k Recap

by Betsy

This post was made possible by the Verizon Health and Fitness Voices program. As a participant of the program I have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product. I was also invited to Chicago to kick off the program which included a hotel stay, travel expenses and an entry into the Shamrock Shuffle 8k. Click here for more info on the program.

This past Sunday I ran the Shamrock Shuffle 8k for the first time. In fact, it was my first ever race in Chicago or the state of Illinois so that made it even more exciting. It was also my second ever 8k!

Prior to signing up for the race I had never heard of it. So in case you are clueless about it like I was here are some fun facts about the race. It starts and finishes in Chicago’s famous Grant Park. It represents the official kick off of the racing and running season in Chicago AND it is the largest 8k in the WORLD! This years race had over 33,000 participants! Wowza!

On Saturday before the race, Chris and I headed over to Navy Pier to pick up my race packet. Generally I am not a fan of expos, but I LOVED this expo. I am not sure if we just got there at the right time of the day but it wasn’t overly crowded and there were a lot of fun booths with things that interested us both.

I love this race shirt!

Ooops how did that get in my race bag?

The night before the race I got flat Betsy ready so that I would have no thinking involved when I woke up Sunday morning.

I ended up adding a black jacket to the outfit and in hindsight I wish that I did not wear the jacket because I was a tad warm with it on during the race but before and after I was glad that I had it.

On Sunday I woke up, fueled with some oatmeal and water, got dressed and headed over to my corral area with Chris. Chris wasn’t allowed to go very far with me as spectators were not allowed in the participant area. We experienced this with the Nike Women’s Half Marathon so this was not a surprise for us. In fact, for large races, I think this is a smart idea as it helps keep things organized and controlled.

Speaking of the size of the race, big races always make me nervous. Any mistakes made by those in charge of the race can have a HUGE impact on how runners and spectators experience race day. I was supper impressed by this race. It was VERY organized and well thought out. The corrals were probably my favorite of any race. There were two start times for the race and each start time was broken down into corrals. In order to get into the first start time, you actually had to submit a time from a previous race and from that time you were assigned a corral. To be part of the second start of the race you had to submit what time you thought you would finish and then you would be assigned a corral. I submitted my time from my 8k in January which qualified me for the earlier start. Never at any time during this race did I feel like I was being held back because there were too many people or that the people in front of me were not in the right corral. This is a HUGE accomplishment for this size of race! Kudos to the race director!

Waiting in my corral!

Somehow the stars aligned and I accomplished all three of my race goals!!! I am super pumped especially about my time. I ran sub 9′s the entire race. I don’t normally run that fast but I felt super strong the entire time. Well, maybe not the ENTIRE time. At mile 4 I was starting to fade but at that point I just held on because I knew how awesome my time could be if I kept it up.

This is the fastest pace I have EVER ran!

I attribute my PR to the consistent training and healthy eating I have been doing and also to the great crowds along the course. Having people cheer you on always helps and there were not many parts of the course that didn’t have people. I never did see Chris during the race but knowing he would be waiting for me at the end, certainly gave me an extra push as well.

Overall I LOVED the race. I think it is a must do for every runner and I would love to be able to run it again!

Dating Fitness Running Travel VZWVoices

19 Comments »

How to Display Race Memorabilia

by Betsy

Today I have a very special guest post for you from my boyfriend Chris! As you probably already know I am not crafty AT ALL! Chris on the other hand is incredibly crafty so he more than makes up for my deficiency in that area. You may also know that Chris recently started running and even more recently ran his first 5k and got his first medal! I will let Chris explain to you how to get crafty with your race memorabilia!

As you may have read, I have recently completed my first 5k. From the get-go I told Betsy that my goal was to get a medal and frame it with a picture of the 2 of us to display on my wall. Yeah… my goal was all about the medal… for a 5k… that’s right go ahead and chuckle under your breath I dont mind. So anyways, as Betsy’s self-appointed “blog manager” I suggested that she feature this on one of her blog posts to share with everyone and here is the end result:

First: get a good idea of what you want to frame. Along with the medal, I wanted to frame the race bib, a photo, and a sticker we got in our packet. This gives you a good idea of what size frame you will need. I found this 12 x 12 shadowbox frame at Target for only $10 which was perfect for my needs.

Second: take the backing out of your frame and play around with the layout. As it turned out, cramming everything into the frame seemed a bit crowded and took away from the medal itself. In the end I decided I wanted more of the ribbon to show then I had originally thought so my layout was drastically different.

Third: leaving everything in place, take the items one at a time and add 2 sided tape to the backing and carefully stick them down. Make sure to get a good, strong tape and if you are adding anything heavy you may want to use silicone glue to hold it in place. I attempted to stick the actual medal down but it didn’t hold very well so I let it flop around freely inside because once its on the wall gravity will hold it in place. You really only get one shot when you stick something down so make sure to mark your spacing and place it carefully.

Finally: when assembling the frame make sure you dust everything off real well and clean the inside glass. In my case, the excess ribbon just hangs out the back of the frame so I stuck it to the back of the frame to keep it from getting in the way of the hanger.

And there you are! A memory you can keep forever! I hope this has inspired you to go out and preserve the memory of one of your “first” races.

Guest Blogger Running

23 Comments »

The Everyday Warrior

Turning the everyday into a day of badassery through fitness, fashion & fun.

Under Armour What’s Beautiful Contest

New Blog Series: Mud Runner Monday!

The Tough Mudder That Wasn’t

Tough Mudder Ohio Goals

My Thoughts on Boston

Chicago Day #2: Race and VZWVoices Meet Up

Sending Love to Boston

Shamrock Shuffle 8k Recap

How to Display Race Memorabilia

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