Elf on the Shelf Photo Contest

I love Christmas! It is one of my very favorite times of year! Decorating the tree, picking out just the right pictures for the cards, everyone is in a great mood. Truly magical.
The first time I really noticed the Elf on the Shelf, my son had just told me the magic was gone. I was devastated! I would have been a great Elf Helper! I am really glad that the class I work in every morning has an Elf (aptly named Elfie). Not only does he move every day, but he provides the word of the day. But don't touch him! It sucks out the magic! Serious stuff!
When my good friend and fellow blogger Darlena asked if I wanted to help sponsor her Elf on a Shelf Contest, I was thrilled to join in the fun! If I can't move an Elf, I can help judge the pictures of where *you* move yours!
Check it out here:
http://runfindyourhappypace.com/2012/11/29/runfyhp-friends-elf-on-the-shelf-photo-contest/

Get creative, there are going to be some great prizes!

Bulu Box

Bulu Box contacted me last month and asked me if I would like to try out one of their boxes! I was so excited for the chance to try something new, I said YES right away! I was like a kid in a candy store when the box came!

It was a very trendy looking box! I wanted to just rip the paper open, but for the sake of the blog, I restrained myself! It had a great handout inside that told you about all of the products you would be trying out. I was *thrilled* to see that every item in the box was something that I had never tried before! *AND* it was all about extra energy!

It included Deoderant Towelettes (woot! That is going in my running bag to be tried out the next time I am smelling......not so fresh......after a race! Immuno Viva Defend+Energy, which I will be trying out this week. My teenie has a cold and I don't want her sharing it with me! CocoaWell enery blend, with a link to a $2 off coupon, Almased which speeds up your metabolism with honey, soy and yogurt!

It also had a big ole bag of these energy chews, which I will be giving to the hubs for those long days of work. They are pineapple mango, which is something I don't care for, but he will *love* them. The teenie tried one and she said they were delish!

I absolutely LOVED getting this little care package in the mail, and I am definitely going to be signing up for some more! I love trying new things, and I really love being able to try them in small quantities!
You can check Bulu Box out here!  They are having a discount deal on memberships right now!

Bulu Box provided me with these products to try, I was under no obligation to review them if I so chose. Any opinions stated were entirely my own (and that of my teenie!)

Navesink Challenge Trail Race and HBBC week 1

Today I ran in my very first Trail Race. The Navesink Challenge is a 15K race, half road, half trail, and VERY hilly. Some road hills but mostly trail hills. Steep ones. Yikes! I was also excited that this race wasn't cancelled like the last two, due to damage sustained during Super Storm Sandy. The race was also changed last minute to benefit local efforts to rebuild. Yay! I couldn't resist wearing my new Ergo Restore the Shore tee, although it wasn't a tech shirt.
I met my friend Eileen at the start, and was excited to find that she was going to stay with me the whole time. Eileen is faster than me, so it was super nice of her to hang back a bit. We started out fast, but there was a hill right away, and it felt like there was always a hill! It was an out and back, so we knew that it would be no better coming back! We did manage to maintain a nice 12 minute mile average. I wanted to finish in under 2 hours, and we managed to finish at about 1:50. Hooray! It was so cold, that we didn't really hang around afterwards, just made a break for our cars!

I can't wait to try it again next year, and improve my time!


This was also week one of the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge!

You earn points for workouts, accountability, and weekly challenges. I did pretty well in the points category, I had some great workouts and I posted to facebook and instagram every day. I love the accountability of this Challenge, it is really keeping me motivated!

I joined another Challenge at the last minute, one with daily challenges and tons of support.

You get an elf every 2 weeks, and you support and motivate each other. Should be a great tool for surviving the holidays!!

What is your favorite kind of race? Are you racing in December?

Vitacost Cyber Sale!!

The sale starts Saturday morning and ends Monday night - 15% off everything

The sale starts today, Saturday,  11/24/2012  at 9:00AM EST and ends on Monday,

11/26/2012  at 11:59 PM EST. Did I mention you can get 15% off everything? Everything!!!

Did you go shopping yesterday? Crazy crowds, rude people, long lines, traffic?

I gave that up years ago! I have mastered the art of shopping online!

 

What better way to avoid the hassle of shopping during this crazy time of year, than sitting in your jammies on the couch, laptop ready, while listening to some Christmas music on the radio?

Why shop at Vitacost?

With Vitacost.com, you don't have to choose between stores that sell products you don't really want at super-low prices, and stores that sell the better health and wellness products you want at crazy-high prices. They offer over 2,000 of the top, most-trusted natural brands, diet foods and healthy living essentials-the very best nutritional supplements, whole foods and sports nutrition-at discount prices, up to 50% off. And they'll deliver them right to your door for FREE if your order totals $49 or more. Otherwise, shipping is just a small, flat-rate fee of $4.99, no matter how big the box.

So get comfy, turn on some jolly music, and get shopping!!!

Holiday Challenges

I don't know about you, but I am *loving* all of the Holiday Challenges that are starting up! I joined a few to help keep me accountable!

Run Find Your Happy Pace is holding this fun challenge: Do Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred 5 days a week, starting today, Black Friday and running until Christmas Eve! There is even a Facebook Event Page that you can report to! LOVE! LOVE! I did my first day today, quick and easy, about 25 minutes long, and you only need a set of weights. I used 5 pounders.

Runner's World is hosting another Run Streak Challenge. Run one mile a day, every day, between Thanksgiving Day and New Year's Day. I tried one of their streaks over the summer and it was an epic fail. I felt like such a loser lol. I started this streak yesterday with the hubs while the turkey was cooking. We did 2 miles. Today, I ran 5 miles with my friend Grace for my Barking Mad Turkey Trot (the info is on the Fundraiser page, but there are only a few medals left!) I wonder if I can accumulate spare miles? Probably not!

This is a great challenge that just started the other day, using a points system. You get points for miles run/walked, aerobic exercise, WOW (workout of the week) and spot challenges. Check it out here and be sure to mention my name or my blog if you decide to join in the fun. There are tons of great prizes to be won!
I am loving this challenge, it keeps me motivated to workout and eat well (although I have to eat 7 freggies to get a point, which I have only managed once!) and there is a great facebook group for Challengers with lots of motivation and friends to be met! LOVE it!

Have you joined any Holiday Challenges?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Long Runs and KenpoX

Saturday was my first official long run! I have been doing Half Marathons as my long runs, which has sort of set back my training a little, but I am getting back on track! My friend Colleen, who is also doing the Disney Marathon, came with me to the Manasquan Reservoir, a 5 mile loop trail, that is about 20 minutes away. We got there at about 1:30, which seemed smart at the time, since it was warmer than the morning.
I parked the car right next to the trail entrance so that we could stop at every loop to get a drink, eat, whatever we needed. It was a little chilly when we set out, but it didn't take long to warm up. I forgot how hilly it was there, and how beautiful! What an amazing view! There were tons of people there as well, walking, biking, running. It was great to have a partner, someone to talk to definitely made the time pass!
The first 5 miles was a breeze! It took just over an hour, we had a nice steady 12-13 minute mile pace, and we stopped for a drink and I had some PB&J to hold me through. Back we went with no problems. Around again, only this time the hills seemed.....hillier. We stopped at mile 9 for a potty break and I realized I didn't have my keys! OHNO! Did I lock them in the car? I did take time to snap a photo, so I couldn't have been too stressed, lol

I also texted the hubs, in case I needed him to come and bail me out! We got to the car at mile 10, and found that the keys were on the seat and the car was not locked. Yikes! Good thing people around there were honest! More food, more drink, and back to the trail for lap 3.
My back really ached and we started a little slower. The hills were HUGE on lap 3, how did that happen? By mile 12 and 13, I was shuffling, and stopped to walk a bit. Jumping all of the downed branches and dodging horse poo really takes a lot out of a person! I finished 15.14 miles in 3:36:33. Colleen ran 2 extra miles for her training, in the pitch blackness! My hero! She was awesome!

Sunday was a rest day, Monday was P90X KenpoX, which was like Tae Bo....Tony Horton style! I wore my cute pink Piloxing gloves, and got started. Those gloves were HEAVY by the halfway mark, so I took them off. It was a fun workout, I really enjoyed it! I felt pretty badda$$ when I was done!

I have done alot of TaeBo in the past, so I knew the moves, which was helpful. I can't wait to do that workout again! I was only a little sore this morning, and it didn't linger. I ran 3.3 easy miles today, to start off week 21 of Marathon Training!
OH and did you know it is Hug a Runner Day?

Be sure to hug a runner today!

What is the longest you have run so far? How did it go?

Happy New Year.......Now!

The gals over at I'm Fit Possibleand My Life My Way came up with a brilliant idea! Why wait until New Year's Eve to make Resolutions? Why not make them now? I couldn't wait to jump on board this wagon! Now, during that crazy Holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, I will be on the right track. LOVE it! Tara said it so well on her blog I am sharing it with you:

 To help you get started, here are my Top 5 Goal Setting Tips to help you set some really wicked, achievable, inspiring, hug-worthy goals:

1. When it’s written down it becomes real (I said this one already).

2. Write down short and long term goals-but don’t stop there. For each goal you have, you MUST write a few action items (or process goals) in order to help action your goals and keep you on track.

3. Write them down in the present tense. I am as opposed to I want to.

4. Stick with the positives as opposed to the negatives. Remember you bring about what you think about.

5. Share them! Your friends and family want to know. Maybe they can help you. Don’t be shy.

Thanks Tara!!!
So here are my goals:

1. I am going to run 3 times a week. I have them already written down on my weekly calendar, so I have an appointment with myself to do those runs! My family knows I plan to run them, and will make sure they don't ask for any rides or favors during those times!
2. I am going to participate in Run Find Your Happy Pace's Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred Challenge which runs until December 22. I will do the workouts 2 days a week. I have the workouts written in my weekly calendar so that I have an appointment with myself to get it done! I have the DVD out on the Entertainment Center as a reminder, and the kids and dogs have been warned to leave me alone during workouts. The dogs don't listen, but a girl has to try!
3. I will eat 5-7 servings of freggies per day! I will go shopping weekly so that I have plenty of options available and the hubs will make me a salad every night with dinner. I get Bonus Points for the HBBC challenge (the button is at the top of my blog, if you join, mention my name!) if I eat 7 servings, so I have an extra incentive!
4. I will eat less junk food! Chocolate is my down fall! I will keep less of it in the house, instruct my hubs not to bring it home, and I will not buy it when I am out shopping!
5. I will read 3 books. I am an avid reader, but reading always seems to be the first to go when things get crazy! I will set aside *at least* 30 minutes a night to read before bed. I will also bring a book with me when I play Mom's Taxi, so that I can read while I wait for the kids at pick up.

If you were going to make Resolutions today, what would they be? Feel free to join in on Happy New Year...Now!

Veteran's Day 11K and P90X

I can't believe it took me so long to get this done!
On Sunday, November 11, I strapped on my Veteran's Day Virtual 11K bib and set out to run for the second year!

I decided to use the exact same route as last year, to compare results. Last year, my time was 1:29, which is about a 13 minute mile average. I was just starting out, and I was doing a walk/run method to get through the distance, which was my longest at the time. I knew I could beat that time, I couldn't wait to see how well!

Of course, I had to have my daughter take a pic before I left:

It was very sunny in my living room! I am wearing my Flag Active Headband, although you can't really tell!
I was a little nervous about this run for two reasons:

1. I had done a very hilly 10k in Trenton the day before
2. This route is a long stretch of road that runs along the water, and they were hit hard by Sandy. I ran this route the week before and it was devastating....and dangerous!

I set out with no real objective, other than to finish the run faster than 1:29. It was a little cool when I started, with a cold breeze. It is a great out-and-back route, and one of my faves for a 5-8 mile run. Of course, before I even hit mile 1, I hit the bridge just as it was going up! UGH! I paused my watch, and stretched my shin. The view wasn't bad, actually!

The bridge finally went back down and away I went. I was thrilled to see that the debris had been cleaned off of the road, and the downed wires were all fixed. The Disaster Recovery team was removing all of the furniture and materials destroyed by the Storm. I was so glad that the victims would no longer have to look at it every day! I waved to the men, gave them a thumbs up, and thanked them.
I turned around at the halfway mark, and was happy to see my time was pretty good. Much better than I thought! My legs were hardly tired, and the temp was warming up. On my way back, as I passed the men from Disaster Relief (who were making AMAZING progress!) the man I thanked gave me a thumbs up as I ran by, and a big smile. SO nice!
I finished my 11K in front of my house with a time of 1:15:56, 13 minutes faster than last year's time! WOW! I just checked my results at the website:
38th out of 96 overall
24th out of 68 women
I can't wait to get my medal and tee shirt!


On Monday I did P90X

It was Back and Legs day. Now, let me just say here that I am not following this program religiously. I do not do a workout every day. On days that I am not running, I see what workout is next, and i do it. It will be more like P180X  for me! Back to the workout. HOLY LUNGES BATMAN! There were over 100! OUCH! Add some squats and some back exercises, and I was one tired gal when it was over. I LOVE Tony Horton, he is funny, easy to follow, and....well....eye candy. Definitely easy to look at! I love the workouts. I am only on week 1, and I cannot do a chin up at all, but I bought the chin up bar so that when I am ready, I have it. At the end of every "week" I will try a chin up. Until then, I am using a band tucked into the top of a door for my "chin up" exercises. When I finally manage one, no matter how ridiculous I look, I will be sure and have one of my minions take a pic. It will be a momentous occasion for sure!
I must say that on Tuesday I woke up and felt like someone had beat my legs and butt with a stick! I was SORE! I work in a classroom, and bending over to pick stuff up? Nope. Wasn't happening. Wednesday either. Today I feel normal again!

I have been feeling thick and stupid this week, though. You know what I mean? Like a cold is coming on, and my body is fighting it? I am pretty sure I am winning, but I still feel slow, my eyes are tired and watery, and my head aches off and on. Saturday I am attempting my longest run, 15-17 miles, so I am resting to avoid getting sicker. I will be sure to post about the run afterwards. Luckily, my good friend Colleen is coming with me, so we can motivate each other! We are both training for the Disney Marathon in January!

Are you training for any big races?

 

Trenton Double Cross Half Marathon and 10K

This weekend is a crazy busy weekend for me! Sunday I am running the Veteran's Day Virtual 11K, for the second time. Last year was the Inaugural, and the medal and tee were awesome! This year will be even better! I got my bib, and once I report my time they will send me my tee and medal!

So let's talk about the Trenton Double Cross Inaugural Half Marathon and10K. I drove to Trenton on Friday to pick up my jacket and bib. It was a long sleeved tech shirt, pull over style,  with a zipper at the neck. A very nice fit! We also got a drawstring bag.  Other than that, unless you lived locally, the "expo" was a waste of time. I wish I had saved the half tank of hard-to-come-by gasoline and picked up my bib this morning!

 

My friend Colleen picked me up at 6:00 this morning to make the one hour drive to Trenton. She was running the Half and we needed to be there early for her start! I was running the 10K so I had a little more time. We parked and got a shuttle pretty quickly, got through bag check quickly, went to the bathroom pretty quickly. And then we waited. The email said the Half would start at 7:45, the DJ said 8, and it started at 8:30! Crazy! This is the first year, so there are bound to be errors. They didn't get all of the roads closed down on time, and the police escort was late because of it.
Several of my friends were in the Half, and I met some amazing Half Fanatics before the start, so it was no hardship waiting, although it was very cold! I even got to finally meet someone I "know" through several facebook groups. We have been at a bunch of the same races and never met, and she came over and introuduced herself to me because of my Half Fanatic shirt. I didn't realize it was her and she actually made the connection wayyy after the race and facebooked me! SO funny!
After the Half started, the 10K runners filed into the corral. There were lots of amazing ladies there from Black Girls Run! They had such energy, and we all ended up doing the Electric Slide in the corral! They all stretched together as well, such a supportive group! Have you ever seen them at a race? They are right up there with Team in Training as far as support goes!

And then we were off! We only had to wait 15 minute for the Halfers to get going, which was nice. Did I mention it was cold? The first 2 miles for me were rough. It was very hilly, the whole time, and my shin was *screaming* and then it was *crying*. I stopped twice to stretch it and it helped a little. What finally loosened it up? Running over the bridge!

Something about the grate on the bridge was good for my shins I guess. My timing was only so-so, I knew I could PR, but wasn't sure how much I could knock off. Every time I felt like I was ahead, I would lose steam on some ginormous hill! A couple times we met up with the Halfers, and that really charged me up because they were the *fast* Halfers! Yay! That definitely helped my time!
The last leg of the race was also uphill, as we entered the stadium. We ran into the stadium, and got to run around the warning track and the Finish was Home Plate. SO COOL! My time was 1:09:09, a new PR! I beat my old time by 3 minutes! Woohoo!

There were some nice teenies handing out the medals,

 so I grabbed mine right up and went to look for my friend Michelle, who finished about 15 minutes ahead of me. We waited with the ladies from Black Girls Run and cheered on the racers as they entered the stadium. I got to see my friend Josh come racing by. He finished the Half in 1:52, a new PR for him! Woot!
We went in search of food next, and had to walk up a flight of stairs, across the stands and down another set of stairs to the parking lot. We did stop to take pics of each other with our medals first!

Down the stairs we went. What did we find? Chaos.
There weren't enough volunteers and people were just grabbing anything that wasn't nailed down. I managed to get a soft pretzel, but there was no other food there. I later saw people walking around with whole bunches of bananas (which I hate, but so not the point!), people were giving food to their young kids and other family members. I saw racers carrying whole boxes of pizza and later found out that we were supposed to get pizza. People found boxes of leftover shirts and magnets and were taking handfuls of everything and walking off. It was insanity!
I walked back up the stairs to try and see my friend Colleen finish but I planned it poorly and she was already done! We did manage to get her a pretzel and her bag and then we went to the shuttles.
The line was sooooo long. After 10 minutes of waiting, and not seeing any bus, we found out that we could walk there faster, so we walked back to the car.
All in all, it was a great race. There were plenty of volunteers on the course, and the scenery was amazing. It was my first race that started in one state, passed through another, and then ended back in the original state (NJ-PA-NJ), which was cool. The medal is amazing! It is beautiful and heavy and looks great on my bling rack. The tech shirt is comfy, fits well, and will be great for cold weather training. It wasn't the RDs fault that the crazies ransacked his post race party. AND I got to meet some awesome Half Fanatic ladies.
If they hold it next year, I won't be doing the 10K. I will be doing the Half!

Are you running for Veteran's Day this weekend?

Hurricane Sandy:Afterwards....Voting, and some running

The last week has been a rough one. Every day I hear about another friend or neighbor who lost *everything*. On Saturday, I attempted my longest run, 15 miles. I got dressed in layers and planned an out and back run for the first leg, and planned to stop home for a drink and to strip off the top layer. Then I would run the second leg, a loop around town. Great plan, right?
I started out on the first leg, one of my favorite routes because it is a straight 4 miles out, for an 8 mile total run. Off I went. Passed houses that were ravaged. Piles of debris, furniture, toys, life. All at the curb. And the smell! Like rotten low tide. Everywhere. Because seeing their lives at the curb isn't enough, they have to smell it as well. By mile one I was in tears. Over the bridge and down Princeton Avenue I went. Rolling hills, beautiful houses, and more lives at the curb. Christmas decorations, furniture, clothes. Only now, there are also downed wires, work crews, and fallen trees. Not smart, this girl. Totally unsafe. And yet I continued!
At 4 miles, I about-faced and started back. Past the same fallen trees, downed wires, and lives at the curb. Now I am a wreck. My head aches. My heart hurts. Down my street at mile 7.7 and right at mile 7.9, a block from my house, I try to jump a puddle. And land in it. Epic Fail.
Needless to say, that was it for me. I stopped at my house and didn't continue. Smart, this girl. The downed wires are everywhere in Point Pleasant, and leg 2 would not have been safe either. I cut my losses and stayed home.
We have no school again this week, so I went to our local Crisis Center to help out. They are holding it in a closed-down car dealership building, and all of the donations from the great people in our town are collected there. I helped to sort out the toiletries section and some of the clothes for 3 hours yesterday, until my siatica kicked in and I needed to stop. It was so great to see everyone chipping in and helping those who lost everything.

My pet peeve: people who came back repeated times and took extra stuff, and the people who showed up to "shop". They had power, they had no damage to their homes or apartments, but came to shop for free stuff. Ugh. There are so many in town who truly need these things, so it  bothered me to see people abuse the privilege!
Which brings me to today! Election day!

Our usual Polling Site is our Beach Club's clubhouse. Unfortunately, it suffered damage during the Hurricane and it is unsafe. So we, as well as surrounding towns with nowhere to vote, were all invited to vote at our Municipal Building.

We knew that it would be packed, since so many would be voting at one location, so we went early to cast our votes! It wasn't as mobbed as I expected, and we were in and out pretty quickly!
Today, if the temp actually goes above 40*, I will do a short run, maybe 3-4 miles, as well as P90X and my challenge exercises. I have been horrible with my exercising this first week of November, and the scale knows it. I am up 3 pounds since Sandy, and I don't like the idea that she is winning over that part of my life as well. It is very hard to get motivated with such disaster everywhere I look, but I am going to take back the reins today!

Did you vote today?

Hurricane Sandy and Turkey Trot Winners!

I doubt there is anyone who hasn't heard about the devastation that Hurricane Sandy left behind. I live in Point Pleasant Boro, one town away from the devastating pictures you will have seen if you watched the Telethon. Jenkinson's Boardwalk is where I, and now my kids, grew up. It is a mile away. The Mantaloking bridge, which had a house float through the water and hit it, is 5 miles away. I can see it from the beach that is a mile from my house, only now half of it is gone and many of the houses went with it.
I have only one personal picture of actual damage to my neighborhood, where many lost *everything*, because we have been restricted to our house for almost a week. The curfew was 5 pm to 7 am since the hurricane hit. When we woke up Tuesday morning, this is what we saw 3 houses away.

The water came up to our garage, but never entered my home. We were blessed. We suffered a few broken fence pieces and loss of power for 4+ days. We had to throw away the contents of our fridge and two freezers. That's nothing. Absolutely nothing. So many lost so much. When my Jeep battery died from too much phone charging (for the second time in as many days!) and we needed candles to light the way at night, my amazing friend Val came to the rescue. The water damaged her house, and she is living elsewhere right now. People here are amazing!
The National Guard is here, because people are coming in to the neighborhoods with no power and no people, and stealing from the victims. Karma will get those people, I know that, but who does that? Who steals from people who have already lost so much? This is what we see all over our neighborhood:

I would like to thank the police, fire dept, EMS, and National Guard for all they are doing! We got free firewood to keep our house warm and when I asked about candles a cop went in and got me 3 votives because it was all they had. I love my town! Point Boro rocks!

Now, onto some happiness!
I am hosting a Virtual Race right now, there is a link with info to the right, but you can see the Facebook event page here. I did a drawing for everyone who signed up by Nov 1, and I will do another on Black Friday. So far I have 32 runners and have raised over $400 for the Cancer Concern Center! Hopefully their offices were not damaged by Sandy, they are close to the ocean in Point Pleasant Beach. I am accepting registrations all month, unless I run out of medals. At this point, I have 30 medals and will be purchasing more today so that I have a total of 60 medals. That leaves 28 up for grabs, and I will gladly order more if necessary! My last Virtual Run had 100 racers and I raised $1500 for Komen!
On to the winners! If you see your name, your prize will arrive with your medal! I am not shipping out this week as I originally planned, because the mail here is wonky right now. I am hoping things will be back to normal by next week!

1. Athleta Visor: Debbie Bornstad
2. Breast Cancer bracelet: Heather Keefe
3. Havasu Decal Tumbler: Kathy Morris
4. Pumpkin iRun decal: Valerie Morales, Maxine Rebeles, Christine Shubin
5. iRun decal: Sam Steppe, Christy Blankenship, Stacy Hicks, Kim McKee, Suzann Lankford, Cary Bomgren
6. Breast Cancer Pin: Grace Hagemeyer
7. Breast Cancer Pin: Lisa Mercado
8. Pedometer: Paula Owens
9. Ford Warrior Scarf: Alexis Struszczyk
10. AVON Breast Cancer Scarf: Danielle Borgo
11. Breast Cancer bandana: Pattie Rundgren
12. Pilates DVD: Tara Lee
13. Sweat Pink Laces: Darlena Kolpak, Evelyn Smith, AnnMarie Bornstad, Heidi Cardoza
14. notepad, stickers, etc: Morgan Prytherch

Congratulations!
Anyone who did not win will be entered into the next drawing! Good luck!

Today is my long run, 15 miles! My usual route will be blocked off sue to the storm, so I will be making some changes! I have never run 15 miles before, it should be.....interesting!

What is the longest distance you have ever run?