Wordless Wednesday

My 2020 Achievement Board

Each year at about this time, I make my Achievement Board for the next year. I start by choosing one word to describe how I want the year to go. I chose this word last month after I tore my mensicus. I knew that I would have to change the way I look at the year in terms of goals, since I don't know how well I will be able to run. 

2020 will be all about the journey. No worrying about PRs, no worrying about running tons of races, more focus on doing some fun things..... 

After I put my one word in the center, I made my border, and wrote in some song lyrics (The Climb and Fight Song) plus some Dolly Parton quotes that spoke to me. 

Time for the goals. Many are reading related, some running and yoga, plus traveling to the UK and Cuba. A couple are scary experiences, like horseback riding and indoor parachuting. 

As I reach the goals, I shade in the square and sometimes I will add a new goal. For instance, when I reach my reading goal, I might make a new goal of reading even more. Or when I hit my 30 day yoga streak, my next goal might be 60 or 75 days.

I love having these small, mostly easily attainable goals. They are so much more realistic than setting a NYE goal of losing 50 pounds, or cutting out certain foods, etc. Setting resolutions has never really worked for me! Is it ok if I don't reach all of my goals? Absolutely! You best believe I'm gonna try though!

Check out my

2013 Board 

2014 Board

2015 Board

2016 Board

2017 Board

2018 Board

2019 Board

Do you set goals or make resolutions at the beginning of the year?

Win Paris with Runderwear

I am receiving Runderwear products in exchange for promoting this giveaway as part of being a BibRave Pro (ambassador). Check out BibRave.com to find and write race reviews.

The wonderful people at Runderwear are hosting this crazy giveaway! You can win a trip for two to run the Paris Marathon! Both of you! Plus, they are giving you everything you need to run the race. You cannot lose! 

Have you ever traveled for a race before? I have never left the country before this year, and now I have been bitten by the travel bug. You best believe I entered the giveaway, 

Berlin, Germany at the Brandenburg Gate

Part of the prize pack is Aftershokz! These are not to be missed, I don't race without them! I lobe that I can hear my tunes and also hear what's going on around me! 

Besides winning great stuff, you will get to spend a few days in Paris! Besides the Eiffel Tower, I would really want to see Disneyland Paris. Y'all know what a Disney freak I am, it would be a must see. 

Don't forget to stalk Runderwear on Instagram and Twitter!

Besides, you know, Paris and all, what swag are you most excited about winning?

Wordless Wednesday

Flat Mama Friday

Tomorrow I will be walking the Gingersnap 5k in Waxhaw NC. It’s a Girls on the Run race, but I will be running with the ladies I coach. They have been training for the last 8 weeks in a twice weekly 5k program I coach at night. It should be a fun way to end the season!

The swag was good, too!

Are you running any Holiday themed races this month?

Warm Winter Hands with Turtle Gloves

I received a pair of Turtle Gloves Lightweight Turtle Flip Mittens as part of being a BIBRAVE Pro (ambassador). Check out BIBRAVE.com to find and write race reviews. 

Weather is finicky in the South. I know that I have talked about this before! I will use last week's Turkey Trot as the perfect example!

The day started off close to 40, which is frigid for SC! It will drop to 30 and sometimes below in the morning, but....

Race begins and I am running in full Turtle Glove splendor!

I stopped to fold them over at about mile one, because I was starting to get too warm. I folded them down a bit as well. You can adjust the length after you fold them down, which I love!

By the end of the race, they were in my pants pocket, you can kind of see them there on the right. They fit right in there with no problem, which is good because in the hour that I was out there, the temp rose 10 degrees and the sun was shining hard! 

So let's talk about these versatile mittens! 

They are interchangeable so you can wear them on the right or left, so no worrying about which mitten goes where.

When you flip them, there are no awkward lumps or bumps, the thumb tucks right in! As you can see above, they are adjustable so that you can have the length you want!

The wrist portion is LONG. You can tuck it under you shirt for extra warmth!

The tech fabric wicks moisture, resists wind, and repels water!

I am loving these mittens, they are just what I need for this crazy state I moved to, especially with how you can change them with the weather! Check them out, and be sure to use the code in the graphic above to get 15% off! Be sure to check out all the styles, so you get the right ones for you!

How cold does it get where you live??

The Giving Season with Aftershokz

I received a Give Good Vibez box set from Aftershokz as part of being a BibRave Pro (ambassador). Check out BibRave.com to find and write race reviews.

Have you ever done a good deed or participated in a Pay it Forward event? I love things like that, and I try to do it all year round. I volunteer my time at Girls on the Run whenever I can, I volunteer weekly at a local book store that fundraises for their town library (that's right, *their* library, I live over the border in another state), I donate my books to them or to Little Free Libraries. Just to name a few. It makes me feel good, the way Christmas feels. All.Year.Round.

When I heard about the Give Good Vibez program, I knew I had to take part. I even had the perfect recipient, but we will get to that in a bit. 

The program was simple. If you signed up for the special email before Black Friday, Aftershokz would email you a link. Using that link, you could buy a pair of their amazing Aeropex Bone Conduction Headphones, and get a FREE pair of open box Titanium Bone Conduction Headphones, with the hopes that you will use them to gift someone amazing in your life: a teacher, a firefighter, perhaps an amazing nurse.... 

Since I received the Aeropex to try out, I passed on my old Titaniums to my Dad. He may have walked around for two days bopping around to music. 

This past Saturday, I finally had my chance to pay it forward. I was hinting on Instagram about it, but I didn't want to give it away! I was so thrilled to be able to gift a pair to my amazing friend, Ali.

I know that I don't have the right words to convey how truly selfless Ali is. Besides being a nurse in the Charlotte area, Ali recently donated one of her kidneys to an extended family member. Y'all. She donated a vital organ. I would like to think that I would do that, but I just don't know if I am that brave. I have nothing but mad respect for anyone that does something like that! Special thanks to my peeps at Aftershokz for giving us both this special gift!

I have also been testing out my new Aeropex headphones over the last week or so. They are so lightweight! They came with not one, but two magnetic charging cords as well as earplugs for those times when you are indoors and do not need to hear what is going on around you. They also stay charged for two extra hours, which is always a nice bonus! They are water proof as well, so bring on the rain, and there is a moisture detection alert! The blue tooth range is about 33 feet, a friend of mine dropped her phone and didn't find out until her headphones stopped working. She used them to find her phone! Fun fact!!

Aftershokz is currently having a Black Friday sale, so hop over there quick and score some new headphones at a discount!!

What have you done to Pay it Forward?