Run Naked Giveaway ...

I want you to Run Naked.

Got your attention, didn't I?

OK, so I don't really want you to run without your clothes on. If for no other reason than it's getting really cold outside and I don't want you to get frostbite. (There are other reasons too, but I'm sure you can figure those out yourself.)

So, you probably want to know what I mean, right? Well, it's simple. I want you to be seen when you run. And a surefire way to do that is to Run Naked.

Run Naked Sports is an apparel company, attempting to make reflective gear more fashion forward and fun. Here's what they have to say ...

"Why Run Naked? Comfort. Freedom. Safety.

When you are running in low light conditions, bits of reflection on your shoes usually doesn’t cut it. Reflector vests can seem like a punishment of discomfort. Reflection will only protect us if we wear it. Run Naked Sports is making reflection fun.

Be seen. Be free. Be safe."

What more could a runner want?

Personally, I run at least half of my weekly miles in the dark. I already don a headlamp, but I'm not about to wear a reflective vest. It's just not my style. So, when I stumbled upon Run Naked Sports, I was pumped. Simple designs. Extreme visibility. A match made in heaven. I wanted to Run Naked.

So, I contacted Joan (the woman behind Run Naked Sports), who greeted me with fantastic customer service and was nice enough to let me test her product. She sent me the women's short sleeve tee (black) in a large (medium would have fit, but I sized up since I fell between sizes). Here I am before an early morning run, last weekend (I tried my best to keep the reflection to a minimum for the picture) ...

Super cute, right?

I can not speak highly enough of this shirt. It is ultra-comfortable (I've been wearing it when I'm not running, too). And it is MASSIVELY reflective. The slightest bit of light is all it takes for you to be seen. And that's something we all NEED as the days get shorter and shorter.

Now, for the fun stuff.

Thanks to Joan at Run Naked Sports, ONE lucky reader will win their own Run Naked tee (available in both Men's and Women's cut). Here's how to enter (separate comments please!):

1. Become a follower and leave me a comment to let me know.
2. "Like" Run Naked Sports on Facebook HERE and leave me a comment to let me know.
3. Visit Run Naked Sports website HERE and leave me a comment to let me know what color shirt you would choose if you won.
4. Leave me a comment to let me know what you currently wear when you run in low-light conditions.
5. Repost this giveaway on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. and leave me a comment to let me know.

FIVE (5) BONUS ENTRIES: Email me at racingwithbabes (at) yahoo (dot) com with a picture of you in your current reflective gear. Be creative. I'll pick my favorite and send them a surprise.

Entries will be accepted until Saturday, November 20. Winner will be randomly selected and announced on Sunday, November 21.

when expos attack ...

This time tomorrow morning, J and I will be racing. We have been training for this day for months and are both ready to crush our current PRs (J, in the half marathon and me, in the 8K.)

But before toeing the line, we needed to pick up our race bibs. So, last night, I took the girls to the race expo, where we met up with G, the illusive Dave and Earth Momma Mer. The plan was simple.

1. Meet around five. Check.
2. Pick up our race bags. Check.
3. Scope out the booths. Check.
4. Spend zero dollars. Check.
5. Keep the kids reigned in. Fail.

Ever wonder what would happen if you let a five year old and a three year old with sticky fingers attend a race expo? Well, wonder no more ...


The vast majority of this was NOT INCLUDED in the race bag. If it was FREE, my kids were taking it.

With that said, the experience was far from bad. The high points included ...

• The fact that the expo itself was sweet. I would have been there for hours had I not had the kids with me OR if I had an unlimited budget.
• P.F. Chang's was giving out fortune cookies with running-themed fortunes. Mine couldn't have been more perfect for me. It said, "Eat to run. Run to eat."
• Dizzle, who was on the hunt for free food, found a table of GU and said, "Is that free? Or is it regular running GU?" (I seriously love that my kids know what GU is for).
• The girls made these adorable signs for J and me ...

Cute, right? And if PRs come from channeling the energy of butterflies, unicorns, rainbows and smiling suns, then J and I are golden ...

why I hate business trips ...

So, I haven't really ever gone on a business trip. I think you actually need a job for that. OK, maybe once, I kind of had a business trip (my coaching certification course). But even then, it was more like a day at work rather than an actual trip, since I drove home after each session.

J, on the other hand, has been on half a million business trips. A large part of his job is to audit events and attend meetings all over the country. Some are heavier travel months than others, but being the one who "holds down the fort," I often feel like the travel is non-stop (I know in actuality that it's not.)

For instance, J had trips last week and this week and next week. His current adventures will get him home a mere 17 hours before he toes the line at the Richmond Half Marathon on Saturday. (Nothing like cutting it close.)

Now, I will admit it. Sometimes, it makes things easier when J is gone. I have my schedule and I can stick to it without interference. But most of the time, I REALLY hate it. And this is why ...

1. I miss J. I love him to pieces and not seeing him totally sucks. Plus, the vast majority of my time is spent with people age five and under, and some days I don't get enough adult interaction.

2. It is really hard to get my kids ready for the day without any help. By choice, we drive Dizzle to school. When J is here, one of us takes her in while the other one stays with Doodle and Dilly (who is usually sleeping). If J's not here, I have to wake up Dilly a good hour before she would normally get up and have all three kids ready to walk out the door by 7:30 a.m.

3. Certain errands don't get accomplished. There are some places I don't like to go with my children. The list includes, but is not limited to, the bank, the grocery store, the post office. When J is home, I can usually sneak away for solo trips to these places. When he's gone, things don't get mailed and we eat from the pantry.

4. Bath time is a NIGHTMARE. Getting three tired children cleaned up and ready for bed is a hard task when both parents are present. Take one out of the mix and things go from bad to worse.

5. I eat more than I normally would. I am an emotional eater. And boredom is a BIG trigger for me. Once I get the girls in bed and have nothing to do and no one to talk to, I eat. I know I shouldn't but the little self-control I have goes right out the window when the boredom sets in.

6. Business trips mess with my running schedule. Early morning runs are out. Non-stroller runs are out. And unless I want to pay a babysitter (which I don't), the treadmill becomes my running partner. And sometimes, I'm just not feeling it.

7. I get crazy jealous that I don't get to go. Sure, J has to work. But, he gets to travel the country, eat at awesome restaurants and sleep peacefully without the threat of a screaming child, all of which sounds pretty fantastic to me.

You know, now that I think about it, moms should get business trips too ...

guess what ...

WE WON!Thanks to everyone who voted for us!

Cubs on the Run ...

You may or may not realize this, but I have a hard time saying no. I am confident in my abilities and I often take on more things than I should. Usually, everything gets done and we all walk away in one piece, but sometimes that just isn't the case.

At this current moment of time, I have the following OFFICIAL titles:

• Full-Time Stay-At-Home Mom (and all of the zillion non classified titles that come with that)
• Small Business Owner - TMB Endurance Training and TMB Endurance Bands
• Marathoner
• Vice President of Licensing for Ashland Community Preschool

It's a lot. And J works long hours and travels, so I don't always have a support team in place. I'm not complaining. I like our chaos. But with that said, I was PLANNING on saying NO to anything else that came my way.

Well, that was the plan. Until a notice was sent home from Dizzle's school. It was a request for parent volunteers. Parent volunteers who like to run. (You can see where this is going, right?)

HOW COULD I SAY NO?

Here's the deal. Dizzle's school is launching a running program called "Cubs on the Run." It's objective is to get kids moving. To show them that running for fitness can be fun. That running is not another sport's punishment. (Did I mention how I COULDN'T say no?)

I tried not to get involved. I really did. I even called G to have her remind me that I already had TOO MUCH going on. (She failed to do that and told me to volunteer.)

So, I ended up volunteering and Dizzle joined the group (as if she really had a choice in the matter.) This morning was the first session. And can I just say that it was SO MUCH FUN?

The group is small. There are only 12 children in the program. But every last one of them was so excited to be there. We started by walking a few warm-up laps and then let the kids see how many laps they could run in six minutes. Dizzle, the youngest in the group, finished 4.5 (just shy of half a mile) while some of the older children ran 6 or 7. We hope that we can repeat this exercise at the end of the four weeks to show the kids how their hard work has paid off.

You know, I'm kind of happy I didn't say no ...

mileage mania ...

On August 14, I reached my 2010 goal of 1,000 miles. The most I had ever run in a single year prior to that was 923. Obviously, I was psyched.

But yesterday, November 7, was even better. Because on a costumed run (we dressed as ROAD KILL and SAFETY SISTERS), the last long run of G's marathon training, I broke the 1,500 mile mark. Any guesses on what I'll be at on December 31?

Oh, and did I mention I looked wicked cute in the process ...

D, 3L, me and G before the run (freezing our tails off)

Us at mile 3 (Yes, my quad is real ...)

Running through Hollywood Cemetery about to hit mile 1,500

Me, G and D around mile 6

Looks like fun, doesn't it?

time to train?

Potty train, that is.

I have been avoiding all the signs. Dilly almost always tells me when she's wet. Either by taking off her diaper and throwing it in the hallway. Or by telling me that she's "stinky." She follows us into the bathroom and is quite fond of the words, "pee," "poopie," and "potty." I've tried to shut my eyes and ears to these things, but yesterday, she did something I couldn't ignore.

Just before lunch, Dilly was in our playroom. J walked by and noticed that she had taken off her pants and was only wearing a diaper. He told me to pay attention because she would probably shed the diaper too. I agreed and continued doing whatever I was doing. A few minutes later, I did a "hallway check." We were all clear. The diaper hadn't been thrown.

But, I may have slightly overlooked something. Sure, the diaper wasn't in the hallway, but that didn't mean that the diaper was actually on her.

That's when it happened. J walked into the playroom and saw Dilly totally naked standing next to an empty toy bin. The only thing was that the toy bin WASN'T ACTUALLY EMPTY. Yes, it was free of toys, but Dilly had decided to pee in it. Fantastic!

Apparently, she was sick and tired of waiting for me to potty train her. Go figure.