FitBloggin11

I'm entering to win a ticket to FitBloggin11, a conference dedicated to all things fitness! I've been to numerous blogging conferences but I'd really like to attend this one because the focus is on fitness and over the past year this has truly become my passion.

I've been accountable and kept up with my journey to healthy living because I've blogged about it here, on twitter, facebook, youtube and flickr. I truly attribute my success to the support that I've received from my friends online. Attending FitBloggin would give me the opportunity to meet many of these people for the first time in real life and I can't imagine anything better than hugging all the folks that have been my support system.

Wish me luck, I really hope I win!

Winners!

I've held a few contests and want to announce the winners!
$100 Gift Card for fitness - Bari
Earth Shoes Boots - YUMMMommy
IPod Shuffle - Danielle

Congratulations ladies! I hope that winning these prizes keeps you on your journey to health and fitness!

Living healthy ain't easy!

Well, this has been an interesting week. I have not exercised. At all. I've been in recovery mode since running the Nike (Half) Marathon. It has been quite revealing for me. I realize that if I don't exercise my mood changes tremendously and not in a good way. It is clear to me that in order to maintain my mental health exercise is necessary.

Not only have I been lacking in the area of exercise but I have been eating terribly. I'm pretty sure I've had McDonalds at least 3 times this week. Probably a record for me because I tend to shy away from fast food but for some reason I've been drawn in.

I am focusing on picking myself up and dusting off my shoulders, eating healthy again and exercising. The funny thing about all of this is I've actually lost weight over the past couple of weeks. I just wanted to share my challenges this week because I think it is easy to believe that this process comes easily to some of us and in actuality, living healthy is a challenge for me every single day.

Wendy's Healthy Chioces

Although I am on a journey to healthy living, there are times when cooking at home is not an option. Because of my limited diet, eating at fast food restaurants is rarely an option for me but the exception has always been Wendy's. I've always been able to get a potato as a healthy option and back in the day they used to have this great Greek Salad wrap.



Last week I had a chance to hang out with some of my blogging friends and try out the new Wendy's pick 2 menu which is filled with healthy options. You choose a salad of your choice and add a side from numerous choices. I am not a meat eater so all of the chicken salads were out for me but I did choose the Baja salad. It is usually served with chili but since I don't eat beef I requested that it be left off. They added an extra scoop of guacamole for me and I was quite happy.



The salad was topped with pico de gallo so I didn't add any additional Saldana dressing. This is something to be aware of because when salads are high in calories it is because of the dressing. All of the dressing available at Wendy's had the nutritional information included so you can make an informed decision when choosing your dressing.

I choose a potato for my pick 2 and although it had sour cream and butter they were served on the side so I again was able to limit my calories but still enjoyed the chives. I finished off my meal with a water. I appreciate the fact that if I do decide to go the fast food route I know I can make healthy choices at Wendy's.

Disclosure - I was provided with a gift card to purchase my meal and my guest's meal. I was also compensated to spread the word about the pick 2 menu but as usual, all opinions are my own.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

What's Next?

Mile 12 - 1.1 miles left to go

At the end of every Superbowl the question is asked - "Now that you've won the Superbowl what are you going to do next?" And the classic answer is "I'm going to Disney World!"  Well, I think the Nike Women's Half-Marathon was my personal equivalent to a Superbowl and want to maintain my title. So, I"m going to Disney World to run the Disney Princess Half-Marathon! On February 27th, 2011 I will be running another half-marathon with a group of my friends - both folks I know in real life and others that have become my friends online. I've been recruiting people to run with me to help celebrate my birthday which falls on February 26th.

I'm truly committed to being fit and I know that having a goal keeps me on track. Subway also believes in people "committing to be fit" and is supporting Jared as he prepares to run the New York Marathon next month. They'd also like to support you and your fitness goals. Perhaps you'd like to join me and run the Disney Half-Marathon in February. Maybe you want to try out that new Zoomba class but haven't had the extra pocket money. Well, Subway has provided me with a $100.00 giftcard for one of my readers so that you too can "Commit to Fit"! 

All you have to do is leave a comment here and let me know what you would use the giftcard for. Will you be registering for your first 5K? Getting a dance card for your local dance studio? Anything goes, just tell me how you will use it! 

Bonus entries for tweeting about this contest with a link back to this page using #committofit

Good luck!!!!!  

Disclosure: I received a giftcard and will be using it for my Disney registration! 

Nike Women's Marathon 2010 Recap

ALERT: Long Post Ahead! 

It is difficult for me to summarize the Nike Women’s (Half)Marathon to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society because so much was packed into my weekend in San Francisco. I’ll start by saying doing an event with Team in Training is something that I believe everyone that wants to try their hand at an endurance event and in the process make a difference in the lives of others should do.

I met my team at the airport Friday morning and we arrived in San Francisco at 11:30am. During the flight attendant announced our collective accomplishment of raising over $250,000 for the LLS and I have to admit I got a bit teary eyed.  When we arrived we took a shuttle to Union Square, we stayed at the swanky Westin St. Francis. After check-in my teammate Nicole

and I ventured over to expo in Union Square,the highlight was signing up for facebook updates on race day (most people are not like me and don’t tweet and fb during the race). Next we ventured over to Niketown

Every year Nike posts the names of all the runners on a wall outside of the store. Here is mine! 

Once again I got a bit teary-eyed but we went into Niketown where there was a party like atmosphere. A live dj was spinning on the ones and twos and NWM10 branded merchandise was all over the place. I actually needed to purchase a pair of pants for race day because despite all of my pre-race preparations, I left my running skirt and capris at home! I ended up going to Macy’s and getting a discount on a pair of Nike capris and had a wonderful to go dinner from The Burger Bar located at the top of the store. My salmon burger was delicious and a bargain because it was a lunch special!

I went back to the room and fell asleep, traveling all week took a toll on me and I wanted to be sure to get a full night of sleep. The next morning we did a 1 mile run.

and then headed to my favorite breakfast place in San Fran- Honey, Honey. I had the salmon scramble and it was to die for. 

After breakfast I headed back to the expo to listen to a reading by the authors of Run Like A Mother Dimity and Sarah.  Love them! If you are a running mom and haven’t read their book, you must.

I met up with my college friend Monica 

and we explored Fisherman’s Wharf before meeting up with my buddies Beki and Kristen from Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans. They were with their SOs and had Coach Joe the Virtual Team in Training Coach along too! Check out our photo here. I had a Crab Cesar Salad and great conversation. It was such a pleasure to finally meet my friends in real life. After lunch Monica, Joe and I went for a ride back to our hotel on the Cable Car. I was afraid I’d be late for my team meeting but I made it in the nick of time.

I received awards for achieving Rock Star Status in fundraising

and then we headed to the Inspiration dinner with TNT. More tears ensued when upon arrival we were greeted by hundreds of TNT staffers cheering us on! 

It was beautiful. I sat with our team honored hero Mitzi, she is so kind and generous.

She gave all of the team members Hero shirts. Love her. And am so proud that she ran her first marathon on Sunday!

It was back to the room where I laid out my outfit and tried to get a good night of sleep. I only woke up a couple of times and when the alarm went off at 5:15am I was already up and putting on my race gear. 

temporary tattoo of my Aunt Helen

It was downstairs for one final pep talk and then out to Union Square. Monica and I met up and we hung out with my team members that I trained with during the season. After the National Anthem the race began - which just meant a lot of waiting. Imagine 20,000 plus people trying to start a race. We finally crossed the Start line after about 20 minutes and we were off! 

Monica and I took the slow and steady approach to the race. I’d decided that I wasn’t going to push myself this time and that my main objective was to have fun, revel in the spectacular views and finish the race. That attitude allowed me to have a smile on my face the entire run. I am not exaggerating. I had a cheese grin that I could not contain. Except at mile 7 when I reached the summit of the mile long hill, I was a bit out of breath there. LOL

I took photos at almost every mile marker, tweeted updates and enjoyed the race. I loved hearing my name called out by random people on the race. The support was amazing. Miles 1-6 I ran with Monica and after that we were separated. She took even more photos than I did! I cranked up my tunes on my iPod shuffle and instead of listening to my usual workout podcast, I just let her play. It amazed me when songs like Breathe, Marathon, and Boom Boom Pow came up at appropriate times during the race. A gospel song started playing at mile 8 or 9 just when I needed it! When I was running down the Pacific Coast Highway my TNT staffers were there calling my name and rooting me on. Thanks Mary, Javi and Lauren. It was so nice to see your smiling faces! Apparently I was smiling and running so fast at that point that Javi

I ended my race by listening to B.O.B. (Bombs over Baghdad) by Andre 3000 and Big Boi. I just kept that on loop for the entire last 5k of the race. At mile 12 I began to wonder when the race would be over because all of the beautiful scenery was behind me and running through the park was getting pretty boring. Not to mention the rain but that actually didn’t dampen my spirits because when I felt the drops my thoughts were - “I’m so glad I did that 4 mile training run in the rain, I don’t even have to go that far today!” I was glad when my coach Amy ran about 100 feet with me she encouraged me to keep moving. And at about mile 12.5 the national team coach (and our head coach) Tommy cheered me to keep going! I walked some and ran some but I completed the race with a smile. I remembered the advice from Sarah and Dimitry - I chicked a guy (passed him on the course) actually several guys! I chatted with friends and I cheered and encouraged other runners along the way.

The perfect gift at the end of the race was being greeted by a lovely fireman who gave me my Tiffany Box. 

And here is my lovely 2010 Nike Women Marathon Tiffany finishers necklace

I checked in with TNT, added more food to my bag and went to pick up my dry clothes. I changed, got my picture taken, ate and headed to the stretch tent. I HIGHLY recommend doing this if it is available. We went through about 20 minutes of stretching with foam rollers, pilates bands and when my left calve seized up and cramped, a trainer came over and massaged it out for me. Talk about service!

After all the excitement I took the shuttle back to the hotel, took an ice bath for 15 minutes (it sounds like torture but I am happy to report no soreness) and headed out to Niketown. I got a personalized running shirt and had my necklace engraved. The Victory Dinner that evening was so much fun. 

Me and my mentor Carol - a Leukemia Survivor

And now, I vow to do it again. Same time next year, same goals and same race. I am resting until tomorrow when I will start my active recovery and start preparing for my next event........but first a tattoo to commemorate the occasion and my 50 pound weight loss!

Nike Women's Marathon 2010 vol 1

I am flying back to Atlanta after a whirlwind weekend in San Francisco with Team in Training to run the Nike Women's Marathon. I took on the half marathon and have so much to share. I'll keep this post short because my flight is freezing and I have a ton of photos to share.

I just have to say that if you have an opportunity to train for an endurance event with TNT you must. The support I received along the way on the race and during training is unbeatable. The Nike in particular was great because the entire race benefitted the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. All along the race people shouted my name and pushed me to keep going.





The views were spectacular and running with my college friend Monica was amazing!


Needless to say, I literally had a cheesy grin the duration of the race and I am not exaggerating. I smiled running in the rain, I smiled running uphill, I smiled when I walked and I smiled when I received my Tiffany box from the fireman at the end of the race.

I also grinned when I met the winner of the marathon Leah Tholizin at Niketown. She set a record 2:46 finished just 15 minutes after I completed my 1/2, yeah, amazing!



Me, Leah and Monica

I'll give my full report later, filled with reunions, first time meetings of old friends and the spirit of TNT. I'm happy and proud of my accomplishment and can't wait to share more with you!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Why I'm running the Nike Women's Marathon

I'm on the plane in route to San Francisco to run the Nike Women's half marathon. I'm giddy with excitement and proud that I'm pushing myself physically to complete the race. I'm a little apprehensive because despite months of training I feel like I could have done more. Injuries have kept me from following my training schedule exactly but I am confident that I'll complete the race.

My confidence comes from remembering why I'm running this race. I am running in honor of Ja'Naya and will be wearing her smiling face on the day of my race. She was diagnosed with leukemia in January and is currently in remission.

I'm running for those who can no longer run, in memory of my cousin George and my Aunt Helen. Their names are on my race day jersey and I have this lovely tattoo of my aunt that I'll wear proudly on Sunday.









And I'm running for Mitzi, our team in training honored hero she has raised over $10,000 for the cause and will be running the full marathon on Sunday. And I'm running for all of the people currently struggling with these diseases with the hope that the $250,000 that my team has raised will go a long way in this fight against cancer!

I know I'll cross the finish line Sunday even if I have to crawl. There are too many people that I know who'd love to be physically able to walk let alone run across a finish line. And I'm doing this for you.

For the next 24 hours paypal is donating .05 for every blogpost, tweet and facebook status update mentioning #beatcancer. Please support the cause by using the power of social media for good. It won't cost you anything, we might break the Guiness world record again this year and most importantly funds will go to cancer research!
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Location:Unnamed Rd,Orlando,United States

Final preparations Race Day Essentials vol.4

Three more days. I have 3 more days until the Nike Women's Marathon. I can't believe it. As I'm packing I decided to share a few more essentials for race day. First up, my new purple and white Saucony Grid Pro-ride 3 running shoes. I use the word "new" loosely because I've done several runs in them already. I'd never run in brand new shoes on race day. I had to return to my roots with this pair of runners. In the past I've run in Saucony and I don't like Nike for distance(my feet are still recovering from awful blisters). The new Saucony shoes have a smaller toe box which limits the amount of rubbing. I like the snug fit and they are extremely comfortable when I run.

I'm running on Sunday in a pair of Thorlo socks but I'm going with a thin pair because I know my feet will swell over the duration of the race. I'm pretty confident that my feet won't blister and I'll be sure to repot back after the race. I have to give a big shout out to Saucony for sending my shoes and ensuring my feet are race day ready. If you like to try a pair use the code SanFran10 for a discount just for my readers.








For after the race I purchased compression socks. Compression socks are supposed to help keep pain away after races by keeping the blood circulating properly. If you've ever had surgery you may have worn compression socks but in my experience they aren't so cute. I'll let you know if these work for me.








The last time I ran in the cold here in Atlanta one of my hands went completely numb. I decided to order these running gloves to prevent that from happening in the future. I will be wearing these in San Fran because I know it will be cold the morning of the race.





Since it will be cold and I'll be wearing a singlet I purchased these arm sleeves. I've worn them on runs and they work wonderfully. I love the design and like to think the butterflies power my runs.



For after the race I am bringing along Epsom salt. Although I'd like to take an ice bath to help with recovery, my entire hotel will be full of runners with the same idea. I'm bringing my salts just in case the ice runs out because a bath after the race is a necessity.







Finally I have a gift from my mentor. A water bottle that I'll use leading up to race day to stay hydrated. I'm aiming for 100 ounces a day. The bottle is filled with energy beans and gels that I will eat along the race. Thank you Carol for being such a wonderful Team in Training mentor, you've inspired me to become a mentor in the future.

So, that is it I leave early in the morning. I plan to post on Twitter during the race, have fun and remember my reasons for running. I have some special race day essentials that I plan in highlighting featuring my honored hero Ja'Naya and my Aunt Helen. More on that later, I have to get back to packing!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

My ideal vacation

Sponsored By


Cheerios® is giving you the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, your ultimate family vacation. As part of a paid promotion for their “Do What You Love” Sweepstakes, Cheerios® is sponsoring my post today about what my ultimate family vacation would be. Read mine and Enter the Sweepstakes for a chance to actually win your own fantasy family trip or one of a bunch of other great prizes.





If it isn't obvious I truly enjoy living a fit and healthy life. I also love the beach and the water. In an ideal world I could combine this for the ultimate family vacation. I suppose you are wondering what that would look like. I've always wanted to go on a Disney cruise, hang out in the Carribbean for a few days to soak up some sun and frolic in the waves.

My son has never been to the beach but he talks about it often so of course he will take the trip with me. After our cruise we'd move on to enjoy a stay on a Disney property. I can only imagine his joy when he experiences the Magic Kingdom for the first time.

The icing on the cake would be for me to run a race at Disney, I'm partial to the Disney Princess Half Marathon because I'm a Princess! Although I doubt we will take my dream vacation in 2011, something tells me that 2012 will be our big year!

Don't forget to enter the “Do What You Love” Sweepstakes, for a chance to win your own ultimate family vacation. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Miami Beach, a bikini and a few extra pounds

I'm traveling so this is going to quick.

Last week I ran on the beach in Miami






and watched the sun rise over the water.






I wore a bikini on the beach for the first time in at least ten years.





And I've gained a couple of pounds(I only mention this because I know I'll be kicked off the Shrinkvivor island this week). I'm going to attribute that to carb loading ( you do know I'm running a half-marathon on Sunday, right?). I actually don't mind the extra pounds because I believe I still look darn good in a two piece!

Shop for a Cause!

It is hard to believe that the Nike Women’s Marathon is only 5 days away!  When I started this journey in June I was apprehensive about my ability to run 13.1 miles and raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. But once I called my friend Jennae and told her that I was running in honor of her daughter, Ja’Naya who was diagnosed with leukemia in January and is currently in remission, I had no choice but to do it!

Jennae and her husband have launched a new t-shirt line called Guillotine  - “a cut above the rest” and they have decided to do Shop for a Cause. For every shirt that is sold between now and October 17th, fifty percent of the proceeds will go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I encourage you to support their new endeavor and give to a worthy cause! Here are a few of their designs and new ones are popping up almost daily!

I am really loving the Eat local shirt ( it can be designed with your State of choice) 

and since I’m an empress, I see one of these t-shirts in my life soon.  

All of the shirts are made from organic cotton (there are onesies available for the little ones in your life) and all of the designs are original. Check them out, I’m sure you will find something that you like and you’ll benefit a wonderful cause!