Jessica's Gifts Giveaway ...

A few weeks back, I was lucky enough to win a giveaway from The Making of a Runner. The prize was a gift certificate to Jessica's Gifts. I was super excited. Jessica has so many great designs, including the one that made me enter the giveaway ...

How cute is that? And perfectly fitting for me, don't you think?

Anyway, when I actually got to ordering, I couldn't choose between all of the selections. So, instead, I had Jessica make me a custom piece, combining one of my favorite phrases and of course, cupcakes. Here's how it turned out ...

Sweet, right? And since Jessica's prices are super reasonable and I intended on adding the charm to a necklace I already owned, I had enough money from my gift certificate left over to choose a piece to giveaway to one of my readers.

And this is what I chose (on an 18 inch chain) ...

I love the quote and how it is presented on the charm. So, do you want to know how to win it? Here's what you have to do.

1. Become a follower of this blog and leave me a comment to let me know.

2. Become a fan of Racing With Babes on Facebook HERE and leave a comment to let me know.

3. Visit Jessica's Gifts HERE and leave me a comment to let me know what your favorite piece is.

4. Make a purchase from Jessica's Gifts and leave a comment to let me know what you bought. Each purchase will get you five (5) entries.

5. Repost this giveaway on your blog, Facebook page, Twitter or anywhere else you can think of and leave me a comment to let me know.

Entries will be accepted until Thursday, October 7th. Winner will be selected at random and announced on Friday, October 8th. Good luck!

everything but the mud pie ...

Like I mentioned yesterday, I don't really think that any recap I can write will accurately display the amount of fun I had during my trip to Seattle. We saw the sights, ate some amazing food, had a monster bloggy meetup, put on a baby shower for the lovely Zoe, hosted a East coast versus West coast cupcake battle (yes, I carried my FAVORITE cupcakes across the US so that everyone could try them) and most importantly, built friendships. Oh, and we laughed. A lot. Like so much that I ended each day with a headache from the constant stress on my "smiling" muscles (you know the ones on the back of your head).

Now, looking back, I'm not sure that all of the funny moments would translate well into writing. I really think you needed to be there. Because of that, I decided that rather than bore you with endless details of Jill's desire to create cell phone apps and Mel's navigational skills, I would share my favorite moments via photos ...

Self photo on the U of W campus ...

Yeah, I ate that ...

That's right. I kissed a fish ...

The quad at the U of W. We were showing Kerrie our allegiance ...

Potato balls. Enough said ...

Jill eating the clear favorite cupcake. From Two Sweet, on the East Coast naturally ...

The cupcake battle aftermath ...

Playing with the self timer before the bloggy dinner ...

Mel and me looking rather happy ...

Blue Steel anyone?

Showing off the guns ...

We were shooting for a 1:52 ...

Post-race lunch with Janna and Mel ...

Mud Pie. (also known as the You Go Girl! Half Marathon Recap) ...

Disclaimer: I am in no way going to do justice to my trip to Seattle and the AMAZING time I had. It was AWESOME, SPECTACULAR and TOTALLY FUN. And my recaps (today - the race, tomorrow - the trip) can't possibly include everything I want to, unless you want to read a novel.

So, here it goes. The You Go Girl! Half Marathon Recap ...

The Expo: On Saturday, Mel, Jill, Katye and I went to the extra mini race expo. There were just a handful of vendors, but I did pick up some super cute tees from Banana Blossom Press for me and my girls. You should totally check them out.

Pre-race dinner: Bloggy Meetup at The Old Spaghetti Factory.

Pretty much everyone ordered some sort of pasta. Except me. I was so full from lunch that I ordered only dessert - MUD PIE. Mel was less than pleased with my choice of pre-race dinner. I told her it was the key to my speed.

Race Day: My SUPER AWESOME pacer Mel and I woke up to rain. Not completely unexpected for Washington, but I was kind of hoping we would get another awesome weather day like we had on Saturday. Anyway, Mel and I got ready and were picked up by the lovely Janna to head to the race.

The race plan was simple. Meet up with our team (Will Run For Ice Cream) before the race.

Then head to the very front of the pack (Mel and I are on the left side - I'm directly behind the race winner. You can really only see my socks).

And once the gun went off, we were going to run at exactly an 8:33 pace for the entire race.

Well. That was the plan anyway.

I didn't look at my Garmin the entire race. I was putting my faith in Mel. I knew she would get me to a PR. Well, 8:33 didn't really happen. Mel let me take the lead and I had fast legs. Our first mile was a 7:58. Um, yeah. I don't run that fast. At least not for 13 miles. But, I was blind to it and I am sure Mel thought she was banking us time by not slowing down (which she probably was to a certain extent).

I was feeling great in the early miles. We passed Zoe when we were around mile 2, where she snapped this picture. How great do we look?

Looking at the race elevation, we knew that miles 3-4 were a climb. We slowed slightly, but were still fine on pace. Plus we *KNEW* that the course was downhill or flat after that. We would make any lost time up. Too bad, we were wrong. The rest of the course was not flat. Yes, there were flat portions, but there were also killer hills (known as overpasses) too.

I was still feeling OK until about mile 9. I was working as hard as I could and even snapped at Mel because I thought she was going to tell me we needed to pick it up. (I was super nice about it though). Honestly, I don't remember much about the last few miles. I was having a hard time getting a deep breath in and was kind of wheezing. And my mile 12.5 all of my energy had been transferred to my legs, keeping me from being able to open my eyes. (Seriously. Mel had me throw water on my head.)

But, the course finished downhill. When we rounded the final corner and I saw the finish line, I booked it, leaving Mel. My final kick clocked in at a 5:05 pace, not really sure where that came from. I crossed the line in 1:58:02, a 3:34 PR!! (I also set an unofficial 10 mile PR by 2 minutes during the race).

And I couldn't be happier! Mel was amazingly supportive on the course (even though she was under the weather) and I finally got my sub-2 hour half. Yes, we didn't hit our "goal" time. I know I went out too fast and it crushed me at the end. But, as you can see from the smile on my face, none of that mattered.

Plus, now I have a new goal to shoot for ...

Three Things Thursday ...

1. I am currently in taper mode. I cut my weekly mileage (kind of. It's a fallback week in marathon training), added a rest day and will not run again until Sunday's You Go Girl! Half Marathon where Tall Mom will be pacing me to an a**-kicking PR.

I am so ready to run fast. I feel strong. My training has been spot on. The temperature is going to be ideal. And did I mention Tall Mom is pacing me? Seriously. It is going to happen.

2. Since Tall Mom is pacing me, we kind of need to be in the same place to make that happen. So, tomorrow morning, I am headed to Seattle for a fun-filled weekend with bunches of Seattle bloggers. The schedule appears to be jam-packed. And I'm sure I will have oodles to report when I get back on Tuesday.

3. I am not sure what I am most excited for - the trip (I've never been to Seattle and I dream of living there), the blogger meetup, the race, or 4 days away from my parenting responsibilities.

Hmm. It's close, but now that I think about it, I'm probably most excited for the last one. The past few weeks have been super hectic and I need a break. But, I am sure going to miss the crazy things my children say. Like when Dizzle asked me about skin color earlier this week:

Dizzle: "Mom, does everyone have different color skin?"

Me: "Yes. Everyone has a different amount of brown in their skin. Just look at Doodle. Her skin is much whiter than yours. But it doesn't matter what color it is, it's all just skin. Think of it this way. If one day you wear pink socks and the next day you wear white ones, they still do the same thing regardless of what color they are."

Dizzle: "Oh. OK. Well, I want chocolaty brown skin."

Me: "Dizzle, it's a little late for that now."

Doodle (who is listening in, but not very carefully): "No, Dizzle! You can't have chocolate egg skin. Chocolate eggs are only brown on the INSIDE!"

Where do they come up with this stuff?

a loser and two winners ...

LOSER: Doodle

Apparently, Doodle was attacked by a venomous insect. Because yesterday morning, I realized that her hand looked like a ping pong ball had been implanted under her skin. Total suckage. Take a look for yourself. The unaffected hand ...

And the affected hand ...

It's looking better today, but the score is definitely "Evil Bug" 1, Doodle 0.

WINNER: Dizzle

Just look at this outfit.

Enough said.

WINNER: ajh

Because although there were 405 entries in my Brooks Giveaway, random.org chose number 12, which was the lovely ajh. Congrats! Email me your contact info and I will send out your gift certificate from Brooks.

chaos ...

I don't try to hide the fact that my life is often chaotic. I am overscheduled and overworked. We tend to walk a fine line between smooth sailing and total destruction. Or at least it feels that way.

The vast majority of the time, I like my jam-packed schedule, as I am the type of person who tends to work better when there is a lot to get done. Loose deadlines are my downfall. I know this. But, even though I usually run through my daily checklists without a second thought, some days it's not that easy.

Yesterday was not that easy. It all started on Sunday night when J's car was smoking from underneath the hood. We both thought it best that he not take Dizzle to school, but head to the mechanic to get it looked at instead. So, I took Dizzle. And normally, that would be OK. But, yesterday, I had zero wiggle room. And I had already used that up.

Dizzle and I headed to school at 7:35. I dropped her off and was back at my house at 7:50, which gave me exactly 10 minutes to get Doodle and Dilly ready to leave the house for the day. I was assigned to work in Doodle's preschool yesterday, which meant we needed to be there by 8:45.

So, you are probably saying to yourself, "Well, T that gave you 45 minutes to get to preschool. Easy peasy." And that is where you would be wrong. Sure, if I left at 8:00 I would have 45 minutes to get there, but I failed to mention the fact that I had to drive Dilly to G's (my savior and training partner) house first. And G lives 15 minutes away. 15 minutes not in the direction of the preschool.

Still, leaving at 8:00 should have given me enough time. If I actually could have left at 8:00. Which I was going to. Until Doodle spilled my ENTIRE CUP OF COFFEE into the driver's seat of my car. So, I had to go back inside and get towels. And a new cup of coffee. After 10 minutes or so, we were on our way. And I made it a whole half mile before the coffee on the seat had soaked through to my pants. Fun times.

Eventually, we got to G's and I dropped off Dilly. She was happy and cheerful. For about three minutes, then apparently, G had to deal with my crying child for the next 4.5 hours. (Did I mention that she's my savior?) Anyway, Doodle and I then headed as quickly as possible (without excessively speeding) to school and we got there - one minute late.

Didn't I tell you I border on chaos at all times?

(Note: The day did slightly improve after that. Well, until we picked up Dilly. Her crying wasn't just for G. She also cried for hours on end for me. Needless to say, by 5 p.m., I had had enough of everything ...)

you wanted to know, questions 21-25

When I had my 1,000 mile giveaway, a requirement for entry was to ask me a question. Any question. And I promised to answer them in a series of posts. Here are questions 21-25 ...

Angie Bishop asked, "What do you typically eat during a day to stay fueled up for all these miles?"

Food. Lots of it. I am a big believer in keeping your calorie intake consistent from day to day. So, I try to eat about the same amount of calories each day, regardless of how far I run. For me, the happy number that keeps my weight from changing is somewhere from 2,200 - 2,800 calories (I weigh 150 pounds).

On a typical day, I eat 3 meals, 2 snacks and dessert. I almost never skip dessert. Breakfast is either two servings of cereal with skim milk or a fiber one bar and a chobani. Lunch is some sort of sandwich (PB and Banana, Turkey and Cheese, etc) and a fruit or veggie. Dinner is usually something involving black beans (burgers, burritos, chili). For dinner, we usually have vegetarian options. As a whole, we rarely eat red meat and have chicken/pork/fish/turkey about once a week.

Snacks include but are not limited to pretzels, popcorn, pita chips with hummus, veggies, fruit, cereal, Fiber One bars, and Clif Bars. And dessert - well, there are no rules about dessert.

But all joking aside, I try to eat cleanly. Simply put, food is fuel and I try to get the best I can without being obsessive about it. We don't eat very much meat. Most of my protein comes from beans and dairy sources. I don't do fried foods. I try to limit the amount of processed items. But I NEVER SAY NO to ANYTHING. Moderation is the key.

Angela asked, "Have any of your girls completed in any fun mile runs and if so, did you complete the run with them?"

Once. Dizzle ran a quarter-mile fun run when she was 3. It was so cute to watch and she started so fast that she quickly crashed. I do hope that they will all run more races in the future. But, honestly, I need to sacrifice my race schedule a little to make that happen for them. At this point though, they are consumed by ballet and soccer and have little concern for running. They all tell me that they will run when they are "older."

Pam asked, "I've seen you mention before that you don't ever stretch. a.) Why not? b.) How do you keep from getting injured?"

Um, yeah. About the stretching. It is true that I don't stretch. I just never have in the entire 25 years I have been an athlete. And if I am being frank here, I don't feel the need to stretch. Yes, it might be beneficial to some people, but not stretching does not increase your chance of injury. In fact, stretching improperly can cause injury. So, for me, I just don't see the point.

Personally, I keep from getting injured by listening to my body. If you catch the subtle signs that your body gives you, injuries can often be minimized.

Janet asked, "How do you find the motivation to stick to your running?"

When I initially started running, I found motivation by signing up for a race. I knew that I had to stick to the training because I did not want to be embarrassed on race day. It worked and over time, my pride started to give me the push I needed. I liked to be able to say that I ran a certain distance or finished in a certain time.

Once I realized that the end result was what I was seeking, my motivation became internalized. I have always been a self motivator. I just needed to figure out how to apply that to my running. Basically, I don't like to let people down, including myself. So, I set a goal and find a way to accomplish it. It's a system that works for me, but I'm sure it wouldn't work for everyone.

destinationathlete asked, "What's next? I mean, now that you've hit 1000 miles (which I believe was your goal for the year), what are you going to aim for next?"

The sky's the limit, right? Mileage wise, I will be happy with whatever I finish the year with. I have already hit my goal and now I am just looking to set a mark to beat next year. On the racing front, I am hoping to set PRs in the 8K, the half marathon and the marathon, by the end of the year. I'm feeling strong and I believe that I can do that.

the key to the perfect marathon ...

As we all know, a lot of things are important on marathon day.

Your weekly mileage. The quality and length of your long runs. A quality taper. Fresh legs. The weather. Hydration. Nutrition. Course support. A positive outlook.

But do you know the real key to the perfect marathon? Of course. The outfit. And mine has been selected and tested.

Quite appropriate for Indianapolis in the fall, don't you think?

p.s. - I killed yesterday's 22 miler wearing that combo. The run couldn't have gone better.

10 miles and Race Day Memories Winners ...

Like I mentioned yesterday, I had a 10 mile stroller run on the schedule. And as I had hoped, my mental boost from earlier in the morning definitely carried through to my run. But rather than bore you with all the details, instead, I will share the scenic views from my route (and maybe a shot of me and Dilly.)


And because I know you really came here to see if you won, here are the winners of the Race Day Memories Giveaway:


MissZippy, Alanna, Earth Momma Mer, April and Mama Hen's Nest have each won THREE PERSONALIZED PHOTO MAGNETS.


Stephanie has won A MINI SCRAPBOOK.


Bobbi, Zoe, Kingston's Mom, Running Diva Mom and lish have each won A "WILL RUN FOR CUPCAKES" MAGNET.


Congrats! If you are a lucky winner, send me an email and I will get you in touch with Suzy, so that you can claim your prize!

energized ...

Running is hard. If it weren't everyone would do it and we wouldn't have an obesity problem.

But, it's not just hard on your body. It's a mental struggle - a struggle that varies from day to day. Even those crazy insane runners (like me), who will run 25 miles for fun, have those days when they just don't want to run. And sometimes, even if you LOVE to run, running may not be your friend.

Today was gearing up to be one of those days for me. Last night, I was dreading my scheduled 10 mile stroller run. I didn't want to do it. I was looking for anything to get me out of it. Could I wait until the evening? What about Sunday? Why not skip it all together?

When I woke up this morning, it was even worse. I couldn't get my head around the idea of another 10 miles. Seriously. What's another 10 miles when you have already run 1200? Is it really going to make a difference?

Without an answer, I got out of bed and started my day. I had a consultation/time trial at 6 a.m. with a new client and when I got there something changed. I was instantly re-energized. Sharing my love of running and seeing the excitement on R's face was what I needed. It reminded me of why I run and it made me want to tackle those 10 miles. Maybe the run will be great. Maybe it will be the worst I've had. But, it doesn't matter. I won't regret it either way.

Three Things Thursday ...

1. So, preschool started for Doodle on Monday. Here's a few obligatory first day photos ...

Things are going rather smoothly. And I'm not really shocked. I don't exactly have "clinging" children. In fact, I am pretty sure that they prefer it when I am not around. Whatever. Who really cares? It's not like I sacrificed my body and mind for them or anything. Wait, wait, wait. That wasn't my point. What I was going to say is that the start of preschool has shown me that Doodle may be as OCD as I am. When I asked her what she thought she was going to do at school yesterday this is what she said ...

"First, I am going to wash my hands. Then I am going to play at the rice table. Then it is circle time. Then I am going to have snack. Then it will be time to play outside. And then we will have lunch. And then I will go potty."

Um, OK, Doodle. I didn't realize that you had your day quite so planned. Or that bathroom breaks are now scheduled ...

2. I totally forgot what running with a stroller is like. Yesterday, G, D and 3L headed out for our first 10 mile stroller run of the year. And it was ROUGH.

Of course, I was stupid and let G (who is notorious for hilly routes) plan our run. I was feeling good for the first 5.5 miles (running a 9:35 pace), but just before mile 6, G offered to push the stroller. I let her and I just about died. Apparently, running with the stroller and then passing the stroller off is worse than just running with the stroller the whole time. It went downhill from that point on. Shockingly, we still finished the 10 miles with an average pace of 10:01. I guess it could have been worse ...

3. Although I have run 21 miles in the last three days, I still have 32 more to run this week. Tomorrow will be another attempt at 10 miles with the stroller (I won't be passing it off this time) and Saturday is my longest run of marathon training - 22 miles. I'm freaked out and totally confident at the same time. Wish me luck!

you wanted to know, questions 16-20

When I had my 1,000 mile giveaway, a requirement for entry was to ask me a question. Any question. And I promised to answer them in a series of posts. Here are questions 16-20 ...

Monica asked, "What is your favorite P90X workout? What is your least favorite?"

If you didn't know, I completed P90X earlier this summer and LOVED it. You can check out my results HERE. (Wow. I don't look like that right now. I should probably start the program again ...)

With that said, there were parts that I loved (and hated) more than others. My two favorite workouts were Chest and Back and YogaX (which I thought was the most difficult of the set). These two workouts were killer and I still felt challenged by them at the end of the program.

On the other hand, I CANNOT STAND KenpoX. Such a horrible workout. Maybe I'm just not coordinated enough for it, but I constantly felt like I was fumbling around and barely worked up a sweat. I hated it so much that I only did it twice and then started swapping it out for CardioX and Core Synergistics.

justme asked, "What, if anything, have you done to prevent the injuries that can occur when people consistently run?"

The number one thing I do is LISTEN TO MY BODY. I try to pay attention to the signs of impending injury and halt it in its tracks. If I need a rest day, I take a rest day. If I need to slow down, I slow down. The injuries I have had in the past could have been less severe had I not tried to "push through." I know better now.

Rae asked, "What is a good pace I should run when doing long runs? I saw on a training plan that I should do over 10 minute miles. Should I be doing that? I feel if I run that "slow" I won't be able to run fast in races. What is the pace you run when not racing?"

OK. I always get this question and no one ever likes the answer.

You (and everyone else) should be running the MAJORITY (not all) of your miles at about 80% of your max speed for the distance. For most people, this equates to about 1-2 minutes slower than race pace.

For example, if you run a 10K at an 8 min/mile pace, your 6 mile training runs should be at about a 10 min/mile pace. And if you run a 10K at a 6 min/mile pace, your 6 mile training runs should be at about a 7:30 min/mile pace. Speed is relative. But the calculation is the same regardless of what your race pace may be.

This is not to say that you need to run slower ALL THE TIME. Speedwork has it's time and place and on average should make up about 10% of your weekly mileage (once you have a well-established weekly mileage base.)

Personally, I run 90% of my miles somewhere between a 9:45 and 10:45 per mile, depending on the length of the run. The other 10% is run at a 9:30 (marathon pace) or faster, depending on the workout.

Michelle asked, "As a new runner I'm trying to figure out how to incorporate tempo, speedwork and hill repeats into my training - which would you advise to start with and how often?"

For a beginning runner, I feel building your weekly mileage base is more important than speedwork. Building your base will increase your endurance, which in turn, will increase your speed.

But, once you have a solid base, speedwork can safely be added in once a week (twice for the more seasoned runner). I think that tempo runs are the easiest form of speedwork for most people and is what I recommend to my clients who are adding in speedwork for the first time.

Tempo runs, intervals (track workouts) and hill repeats are all very effective training tools. But finding the right combination really depends on the individual, their goals and the course profile of their race.

Shannon asked, "If you ran before you became a mom, did you ever have a freak out moment where you thought "omg, my life as a runner is over!?" and if so, how did you overcome that?"

Ha! I would probably say that.

But, no, that never happened. I didn't actually start running until after my second daughter was born, so this whole "mommy/runner" thing is all I have ever known. That's not to say that I haven't had those freak out moments where I thought I wouldn't be able to get it all in. If I am having one of those days, I try to BREATHE. And I try to remember that other moms and runners are out there getting it done, and so can I. And then, I schedule, schedule, schedule, until I work it all out.

Brooks Giveaway ...

We all know that Brooks Running has long been a major player in the running world. From race sponsorships to awesome shoes to great apparel, Brooks Running is a force to be reckoned with. And despite their standing, they continue to be innovative.

Seriously, have you heard about their new top-secret SAC technology? And what about Team BILBO (Brooks Innovation Laboratory for Biomechanical Observation)? And that new "Spy Happy" video that they released?

No? Well, what are you waiting for?



Go ahead. Watch it. The payoff could be HUGE.

Are you back? Good. Now for the payoff.

Thanks to Brooks Running one lucky reader will win a gift certificate for their choice of Brooks shorts or jacket. Pretty sweet, right?

Here's how to enter (SEPARATE COMMENTS FOR EACH ENTRY PLEASE):

REQUIRED:
1. Become a follower and comment to let me know.
2. Watch that video (you already should have) and comment to let me know your favorite part.

BONUS ENTRIES:
3. Visit Brooks Running HERE and comment to let me know what you would choose if you won.
4. Repost this giveaway on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, gym locker, wherever and comment to let me know.

Entries will be accepted until Tuesday, September 21. Winner will be randomly selected and announced on Wednesday, September 22.

wanted: a nap and a 26 hour day ...

The first week of Kindergarten was tiring. Well, it was tiring for me. I'm not quite convinced that Dizzle was any more tired than usual. Not that I am shocked. We're talking about a kid who walked approximately 5 miles a day for an entire week when we went to Disney and never took a nap or crashed early.

OK, so back to my point. Kindergarten wiped me out. I thought that having one less kid to manage would free up some time, but instead, I found myself running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

Maybe I had more going on. Maybe I have been slacking all summer. Or maybe, just maybe, my overachiever personality kicked into high gear and I tried to accomplish as much as I possibly could in those 6.5 hours each day. Who knows?

Fine. I know. I did it to myself. I overloaded my days and I struggled to get my runs in. But I DID get them in. Between early morning runs and late night treadmill sessions, I logged 42 miles during my cutback week. But I am going to be honest, it was hard. I'm not adjusted to this new schedule and it's a little overwhelming. Oh, and did I mention that this week I'm scheduled to hit my peak mileage of this training cycle (52 miles)?

I think I need to breathe.

Plus, our schedule gets another shake up today. Doodle starts preschool at 9 a.m. And like Kindergarten, I am sure it will be a blessing and a curse - at least until I figure out how to juggle it all.

Do you think there's any chance of a nap and/or a 26 hour day? No? Me either.

shock factor ...

I have always been the type of person to try things because "it sounds like fun" or because "there's no reason not to" (which was the reasoning behind my first marathon). And while I am not rebellious when it comes to authority (total rule follower here), I am rebellious when it comes to my style.

For example, as a teenager, I had 13 earrings on the outer lobes of my ears. I also had that little spot on the inside of the ear next to the cheek (totally blanking on the name) pierced, which I did myself. And because that wasn't enough, I also put a piece of metal in my eyebrow, nose, belly button and tongue - all by my 18th birthday. Add all of that to my two tattoos and hair that ranged from blue to pink and well, my style was ... UNIQUE.

I guess I kind of feel that you either go big or go home. And going home is NOT AN OPTION.

You might say, I am all about the shock factor. And you would probably be right. Because last night, I looked like this ...

And thanks to J and a pair of clippers, this morning, I look like this ...

Shocking, right?

Race Day Memories Giveaway ...

As I mentioned yesterday, today's post is a super sweet PERSONALIZED giveaway. A few weeks back, Suzy HERE, asked if I would be interested in reviewing some products from her new business, Race Day Memories. All I needed to do was send her some running photos and my mailing address. Easy peasy. Rather intregued, I was quick to say yes, despite having no clue as to what would be coming my way.

About two weeks later, this showed up in my mailbox.

The packaging alone was enough to make me smile. But I was in for a real treat once I opened it. Inside were two photo magnets, a "Will Run For Cupcakes" magnet and a mini running scrapbook.

How cute is this stuff? I absolutely love all the personal touches and think that these items are a great way to document your running journey. I cannot wait to order more.

It is clear that Suzy has taken her love of scrapbooking and her love of running and combined the two to create Race Day Memories. And now, she wants to share that love with you. Here's what you can win. (11 winners will be selected).

• FIVE people will win THREE personalized photo magnets, like those pictured above.
• ONE person will win a personalized mini running scrapbook.
• FIVE people will win a "Will Run For Cupcakes" Magnet.

Pretty sweet, right? I bet you want to know how to enter. So, here's the scoop (NO NEED FOR SEPARATE COMMENTS).

1. Become a follower of this blog.

2. Become a follower of the Race Day Memories Blog HERE.

3. "Like" Race Day Memories on Facebook HERE.

4. Repost this giveaway on your blog, Facebook page, Twitter or anywhere else you'd like.

Entries will be accepted until Friday, September 17. Winners will be randomly selected and announced on Saturday, September 18.

Three Things Thursday ...

1. Remember back in May when I was complaining about how school was over and I was never going to be able to get my runs in? Well, guess what? School has STARTED and I can not get my runs in.

Currently, my midweek runs are 5, 10, 5, 10. During the summer, G, the rest of our posse and I would meet at 5:30 a.m. and get our mid-week long runs in. 10 miles by 7 a.m. Now, that school is back in session and we all need to be home to send our crews off every morning, 10 miles just isn't happening. Sure, we can get those 5 milers in, but if I have any intention on running 10 miles before school, it needs to be at like 5 a.m. from my front door.

Fortunately, G's youngest and Doodle start preschool next week. That means we can resume our "preschool stroller runs" with Dilly. On Wednesday mornings, we will alternate pushing my single BOB for 10 miles. And as torturous as it seems, I am looking forward to it. But, when do I do that other 10 miler?

2. A few weeks back, I won a personalized bibfolio from the lovely Lady Em. Yesterday, I went to pick it up. Just look how freaking sweet this thing is ...

Thanks Lady Em!

3. If you like my bibfolio, then you are going to love my next giveaway. Here's a few hints:

• It's hosted by one of my favorite bloggy peeps, Suzy HERE
• The prizes will be personalized to the winners. Yes, I said WINNERS.
• There might be some reference to my love of cupcakes included in the prizes.
• If I can get my act together, it will be posted tomorrow ...

Dizzle's First Day ...

After five long years of non-stop parenting, I am finally getting a break (OK, not a break, but a small reprieve). Because, yesterday, Dizzle started Kindergarten.

The day went pretty much how I expected it to. Neither one of us cried. And neither one of us thought that the school day was long enough (6.5 hours, in case you were wondering). Dizzle loved every aspect of the experience. And she especially enjoyed rubbing the fact that she's a kindergartner in Doodle's face.

Aren't sisters the best?