Three and a Half Things Thursday (vacation edition) ...

Once upon a time, there was a girl. A girl who hated Thursdays. A girl who prayed every week for Thursday to not happen. But her wish was never granted. Instead, she was left to deal with all the stress-inducing things that would come her way. Until today. Because, today she is saved by Three (and a half) Things Thursday, Vacation Edition ...

1. J and I are going to Key West for the next five days. It is the FIRST vacation we have taken alone since our honeymoon, six years ago. It has been booked for a year and we are beyond excited that it is finally time to go. (Note: This trip was J's 30th birthday present from me. I turn 30 in two years. He's going to have to try to top this trip. Just saying.)

2. There are a lot of things I am looking forward to during this trip. Swimming without worrying that the people around you might drown. Not wiping anyone else's butt. Taking a nap in the sand. Eating dinner after 5 p.m. (that doesn't happen in my house). Running the streets of Key West with my love by my side. Not waking up because someone is screaming. Going to the bathroom in private. But more than anything, I am looking forward to NOT STRESSING. I won't have to manage my household. Or other people's schedules. I know my kids will be well taken care of. Plus, my life is LOUD. Like sonic boom loud. And five days of peace and quiet is pretty much my idea of heaven.

3. It would be overwhelmingly obvious to anyone who opens my luggage to know that I am a runner. I would say that 15% of my bag is filled with non-running gear. Between my Mizunos, skirts, and socks there is little room for much else. Well, other than my Garmin and handheld water bottle and iPod and GU and Clif Bars and Sweaty Bands ...

3.5. And speaking of getaways and running, yesterday I won a free entry to the Rock 'N' Roll Chicago Half Marathon from Sof Sole. Now, I just need to plan the trip. Anyone else running this?

Sweaty Bands Winner ...

Thanks to everyone who participated in my Sweaty Bands Giveaway. There were 250 entries and thanks to random.org, the winner is #130 ...

Jamie @ Running and Some Sauce on Top

Congrats! Send me an email with your contact information and I will get your Sweaty Bands out to you right away.

Sweaty Bands Review and Giveaway ...

I'm not sure about you, but I have crazy hair. No matter what I try, I get flyaways and breakage and frizz. All of which needs to be tamed. And finally, I have found the product that keeps all of that craziness out of my face when I workout ... SWEATY BANDS! A few months ago, the lovely people at Sweaty Bands sent me a few headbands to test out. And after one run, I was hooked. These headbands, which come in a multitude of adorable patterns, do not slip. At all. They are comfortable. And cute. And basically the perfect hair accessory. Can you tell I love them?

Here's what Sweaty Bands has to say about their products:

"Sweaty Bands are made for women and girls who still want to look put together while they are dripping with sweat! They are the ultimate exercise and sport headband. The secret is the interior lining. It gently grips onto your hair and won't come off until you take it off. They soak up a ton of sweat and are washable. Sweaty Bands come in cool, funky colors and patterns that can be tossed in your gymbag without breaking because they are completely flexible and soft-sided. The styles are endless. They are like potato chips, you can't have just one."

I was sent both the thin (1") and the thick (1 1/2") versions to try. Here's how the thin version looks on me.

Both styles performed equally well. And I would highly recommend them. In fact, I have purchased several more Sweaty Bands, for both myself and as gifts. However, I will say that I prefer the thin versions as I feel that they sit better on my head, as the wider one tends to gap on the back edge. But to be honest, I don't think anyone notices the gap. Except me. I'm a little OCD like that.

In addition to sending me a few Sweaty Bands to test, I was also sent a two-pack (one thin and one thick) to giveaway to one of my readers.

Here's how to enter (one comment per entry please!)

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

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

3. Become a fan of Sweaty Bands on Facebook HERE and comment to let me know.

4. Repost this giveaway on your blog, Facebook, Twitter or at your local hair salon and comment to let me know.

Entries will be accepted until Tuesday, May 18th. Winner will be selected at random and announced on Wednesday, May 19th.

* I was not paid for this review, although I was sent the product for free. The opinions stated here are completely my own.

not the best idea ...

Remember how I told you all I was feeling under the weather? And how I was going wait until Saturday to run? Well, shocker, shocker. That didn't happen. My mom and aunt are in town today and I just wasn't able to pass up the opportunity for a kid-free morning run (and music-free since my iPod was dead - FAIL). Plus, it was like 60 degrees and I was super psyched to test out the Sweaty Bands I received in the mail earlier this week (expect a full review and perhaps a giveaway in the future ...)

So, I put Dilly down for a nap. Got dressed. Look at this spiffy number I put together (the socks are from Little MissMatched picked up in Disney).

I planned on taking my Newtons out for four easy miles. Mile 1 was not so easy. My legs were golden, but I could only make it a few strides before I was hacking up a lung. I considered turning back, but you know me, that wasn't going to happen. So, I trekked on. Eventually, the coughs were farther apart, but they never stopped. And when I ended my run ... well, that was even worse. Let's just say it might not have been the best idea I have ever had ...

(but, in case you were wondering, I still finished the 4 miles in 35:57, 8:59 pace)