I Am a Skirt Sports Ambassador Captain!

It's no secret that I love a good running skirt! I wear them to practically every race I run! I applied to become a Skirt Sports Ambassador and was so excited to get my email this week. Not only am I an Ambassador, but I am an Ambassador Captain! You could have knocked me over with a feather!

I may have had a little too much fun shopping yesterday.....

For those rainy races I cannot seem to avoid these days!

Every girl needs a good sports bra!

And a cute pair of socks....

I will be using this one as part of my Mrs. Incredible costume. 

Too cute to pass up, especially since this is the year of the marathon.

I live this whole line, the 261 line, and this shirt is perfect for the NYC Marathon!

Want to have a little fun of your own? Use this code for 20% off: SSBMAR20

This code will also work on their virtual race series!

I will add some links when I am home, right now I am blogging from my phone while my boy gets a tooth extracted! 

For now, check out http://www.skirtsports.com

Have you ever run in a skirt?

Almost Wordless ..... Thursday

Just some pics from our weekend in DC, before I delete them from my phone!!

stickman 

Capital Building

Majesty of Law

Selfie in Air and Space Museum

This thing is everywhere! 

Handsome horses 

Dudes in teeny tiny cars

My fave part of the whole darn parade!

Thinker

Love!

Sigh.

Marathon Mon.... Tuesday, staying Injury Free with Jeff Galloway

 

I love being a Galloway blogger! Receiving these little tidbits every two weeks is so helpful with my training for the NYC Marathon. I just know that Jeff is going to get me to the finish line! I have been using the app as well, and I am loving that Jeff does voice overs during the session. One came today just as I was slowing down a bit, encouraging me on!

 

This week's hints are especially helpful for me. I have been experiencing some foot pain, most likely Plantar Fasciitis, and I am struggling. Luckily, the pain is lessening, especially while running, and my runs are becoming enjoyable again! I ran the E Murray Todd Half Marathon with very few training runs, and add in those crazy hills, I was bound to get injured!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been using 3:1 during training runs, and 1:1 during races, and I have been happy with the results!

 

Since I am pre-marathon training, my runs have mostly been easy 3-4 mile runs, with races in between. I have begun doing PiYo again, on the off days, to strengthen and stretch all of my muscles. I am at my best when I incorporate PiYo into my schedule!

 

A few other tidbits from Jeff....

 

Are you concerned that running will damage joints, and other body parts ? I was told this regularly, from my first week of running over 50 years ago but the research shows the opposite result: Runners have healthier joints, etc. than non runners as the decades go by.

While researching for my book RUNNING UNTIL YOU'RE 100, I reviewed dozens of studies and could not find one showing that running harms legs, feet, joints, etc.

It may surprise you to know that many studies show that runners have fewer orthopedic issues compared with non-runners as the years go by.

A respected and large population study out of Stanford following thousands of runners over 50 who had run for more than 20 years concluded that runners had less than 25% of orthopedic issues compared with non runners of the same age.

What big race are you training for? Do you Galloway?

Rock n Roll DC Half Marathon Recap

Sorry this is a week late, it was such an emotionally draining race! I have so many pictures from the weekend, not too many from the race, but I might still break this up into two posts! 

Eileen and i carpooled into DC on Friday morning and used Parking Panda to park about a mile from the hotel. I cannot rave enough about Parking Panda, and there was a Groupon as well. Parking at our hotel was $50 a day and would have been $150 for the weekend. Parking Panda was $68, and after the groupon it was $48. Win win win.

We dropped our bags at the hotel, and went over to the expo.

Our first stop after getting our bib and tee was the Brooks Happy Island. They were doing free gait analysis and giving away free insulated totes. I got my gait analyzed, found out I'm wearing the right shoes, and happy skipped over to the booth where they had more giveaways! I had a choice between key covers or a visor. I regret not choosing the visor. 

I bought some shoes, got my free bag, and we met up with Gigi and her friend Paul.

So pretty!!

We got the expo and donated a little blood for research...

Afterwards, we had some lunch and checked into the hotel. Because we had such a late lunch, we decided to have a light dinner. Off to Chinatown.

After our light dinner, and a side trip for Gelato, we went back to the hotel to get some sleep. Race morning came quickly, and it was already raining when Eileen and I headed to bag check while Gigi and Paul got ready.

We went back to the hotel so we could all walk to the start together.

 

I don't have many pictures of the race. It was very much like Wine and Dine, plus my foot is really bothering me so I was miserable.

Eileen and I stopped at mile 2 so I could pee and it took almost 12 minutes! Ugh!

We saw Paul when we passed him at mile 4 but we never saw Gigi until we finished!

We did stop for this photo...

This was right after Capitol Hill and the blue mile. I cried through the whole thing, and am so thankful to the families who stood there in the rain, holding American flags, slapping us five, and encouraging us. I'm teary eyed now, just writing about it.

That hill killed my foot. It was pretty much over for me after that. I gimped through the entire second half.

 Vader sighting.

We couldn't resist stopping here!

At around mile 9.5, Eileen went on ahead. I was really lagging, and totally holding her back. She probably ran an extra three miles doubling back to cheer me on during the course of the race. Darn foot!

At around mile 11, they were handing out Thin Mints. Seriously. How cool is that? I love people. The woman actually ran up and down that stretch and handed them out. Some grumpy dude actually snarled  at her, and a trio on my left was whining. It was toxic, and completely understandable, the rain was miserable. 

At mile 12.5 a girl next to me was panicking about finishing. She was just done. I had run the race before, and knew we were close, and sure enough, minutes later we could see the finish area. She was so happy!

It was not my worst finish ever, but very close. It took just over 3:24 to finish and i was a mess. I got my medal and food, inhaled a chocolate milk and went to find my friends.

We visited some museums that nigt and the next day, and saw a parade, but more about that later.

I must say, I have no complaints about the race at all. The water stops were great, amazing volunteers, well marked, smooth finish area. The expo was big and covered all the bases.

That darn rain.

Shower Pill at the Sleepy Hollow Half Marathon #SHHM15

*****thanks to Sweat Pink and  Shower Pill for providing me with a box of Shower Pills in exchange for this review. As always, all opinions are my own!*****

Today I ran the Sleepy Hollow Half Marathon or, as I have been calling it, the 13 mile search for hot Ichabod. You know. From the TV show. Totally makes sense, right? 

He's so pretty.

Anyway, it was supposed to be warm today, almost 60, but then it snowed.

Sigh.

It was literally freezing when I picked up my bib, tee, and drawstring bag. I'm not gonna lie, I was sad that the shirt had no Ichabod or horseman on it.

Anyway, I sat in the car with the hubs until it was time for the Porta Potty shuffle and then we zipped over to the start. I will share those pics this week, they are on the digital camera!

It started right on time, and on a hill. Awesome! We looped around and actually ran past the start again, but not before we hit the one mile mark here.....

I hope this isn't the only Ichabod we find!

This was right across from the lot where we parked, I was surprised not to see the hubs. It turns out that he was at the diner, having a bagel, but he got pics as we ran by. Again, with the digital!

The race was super hilly so we ran in between, and walked up the hills and ran down them. A pretty fair strategy and it worked out well. We got past mile two before we realized that there were no water stops yet. Ummm we are thirsty people! These hills are hard work. The first stop was actually at mile three! Yikes!

We did find this guy right around there....

I wanted to choke him! There were lots of these sprinkled around the course: Zack in the Hangover, Ralphie in the Pink Nightmare, Buddy the Elf, to name a few!

It was at the three mile water stop that we found Ichabod. Not the hot version, though. And a selfie fail. Oh well.

The hills were rough, and the traffic was scary. They only closed off some parts of the course, and cars were driving scary fast on the back roads.

Around mile 6 the sun came out.

It didn't stay for long. Mile 8....

Mile 10.....

Mile 12, almost done!

The final stretch was up a nasty hill. Before I conquered it I told one of the cops I wanted to lodge a complaint about the hills. His answer? It's Sleepy Hollow, ma'am, it's all hills.

Thanks buddy.

But i finished, and knocked about 5 minutes off of the E Murray time. Score!

They only had cups of water at the finish, and bagels and bananas. I wanted to just change my clothes and hit the diner.

I'm so glad that I brought Shower Pills with me!

They are huge, and very wet, so you can wash your whole body. I may have changed in the car and cleaned up as I went. Maybe. 

As wet as it felt at first, my skin dried quickly, and I could get dressed speedy quick.

No stickiness, no alcohol smell, kills 99.99% germs, and has Aloe Vera and vitamin E.  Win win win. And each box comes with 10 individually wrapped wipes, for sharing or for your next 8 or 10 races....

Good thing, too, because we had lunch right after, and we didn't want to stink up the joint! It was the Horseman Diner, after all, and you don't want to mess with that!

No Hot Ichabod at the diner either. Search failed.

Maybe next year.

You can get your Shower Pills here, and can stalk them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!


Have you tried a Shower Pill yet?

Meal Enders Winner and a Discount Code!

 

 

 

This morning I picked the winner for the MealEnders giveaway! I wrote down all the names of the entrants and used Random.org to choose a winner. Congratulations to

 

Breanne Finger!!!!

 

Please email me at kprytherch@gmail.com with your mailing information! The Chocolate Mint has been so popular that they are backordered, but they anticipate shipment of your prize to be mid April!

 

Everyone is a winner with MealEnders exclusive MealEnders discount!!

 

MealEnders wants to put an end to overeating and believes the more people its 15-calorie signaling lozenges can help, the better! So for two weeks, all "runners up" for our recent giveaway will be able to buy MealEnders at 30% off! Just enter the coupon code WINNER-TOO at checkout. To place an order and learn more about the product, visit us here!

 

How awesome is that?!?!?

 

 

I'm so excited for you all! Now remember, the Chocolate Mint is on backorder, so it may take a little longer to ship, but you can still order it now with the coupon code to lock in that discounted price!

 

 

Thanks again to Sweat Pink for turning us on to this amazing new product!

 

What flavor will you use the discount for?

Girls on the Run SoleMates Program

Last year I started coaching for the Central Jersey chapter of Girls on the Run. It was easily the coolest thing I have ever participated in, and I look forward to another wonderful year coaching these amazing girls to run a 5K.
It's not just about running, though. It's about making good choices, being a good friend, being good to yourself. We get to watch these girls grow as people, as well as runners.
Last year, our region was blesses with a grant that allowed them to provide this program to underprivileged girls in the area. They ran the program in three different schools and were able to give the program for free. The normal cost is roughly $100 per girl. This year, they couldn't secure that same grant, so they are looking for new ways to raise the money.
Enter the SoulMates program. I have registered to be a SoulMate with the goal of $250-$300, in the hope of raising enough money to get two or three girls into the program!

I am brainstorming for a way to raise funds, but for now, I leave you with this link to my personal fundraising page! I chose Wine and Dine as my goal race, and hope to have raised the money by then!
Any ideas for fundraisers? I am considering a yoga class, and also a pottery painting fundraiser for starters!

Honey, Do You Need a Ride? Book review

 

 

One of my fellow SPAs suggested we all read this book, and share our thoughts. I jumped right on board because it has been on my wish list for awhile now.

 

 

 

 

 

This book could have been written by me! So many of her thoughts and feelings about herself, about running, about life, resemble mine! It really does prove that our feelings about ourselves are subjective, to be sure. I don't want to give any of it away, but I do want you all to read it. This is the perfect book for anyone who once thought that they weren't good enough, thin enough, fast enough, cute enough.

I amused my self by reading some reviews on Goodreads, which was probably a mistake. It sort of proved the pint, though. The author thought herself to be too fat to run, and many of the comments bashed her for being thin. Obviously, none of them ever looked in the mirror and felt fat, even when everyone around them swore that they were not.

Plus, there are amusing anecdotes involving pet donkeys. For real. Read this book!

 

Check out other reviews!

Have you read it? What did you think?

Rock n Roll DC Half Marathon

Just some pictures for now. It was wet and miserable and horrible, but I finished!