Winner of MyBella Giveaway....and Off To Mexico I Go!

Well, this week hasn't been my greatest workout week, but I did get in a nice 5 mile run on Monday, Body Combat on Wednesday and a 3 mile run on Friday.  I have been super duper busy at work and home, plus....I have been getting ready for MEXICO!!!
Me and my husband leave tomorrow morning, super early, to head to the Riveria Maya until Wednesday.  I truely can't wait!  I am super sad though, because we are leaving our little man, but I know he is in good hands.  I will just miss the heck out of him!!!
I have a lot of new clothes and shoes for the trip, along with a few new bathing suits...that is one of my favorite things about vacation....THE.NEW.CLOTHES!!
With my slacking of working out this week, I don't feel 100% about my body, but I don't think I ever do/will.  I vow to have a blast, drink fun margaritas and eat yummy food, but try to keep everything in moderation!  I don't want to come home to feel gross about myself.  One thing I do know...I hope to come home with an AWESOME tan!!!
We are also going ziplining one of the days we are there(I have always wanted to do this) and I can't wait!  Look for some fun pics from the trip soon!

Now, on to the winner of my first giveaway, a $20 MyBella Gift Certificate...Thank you to everyone who entered, and welcome to all of my new followers!  I hope you've enjoyed things so far, and if you don't win, please take advantage of Liz's special, now through May 1st, where you can get FREE SHIPPING with ANY order.  Just enter the code   'RBFS2010' into the comment section when you are making a purchase.  She will refund your shipping through Paypal.  Super easy!  I ordered this necklace for myself.  It was only $12.  You can not beat that!(still waiting for it to arrive; and of course, it has an S on it):

I also am thinking about ordering a really neat Grandma necklace for my mom and my husband's mom for Mother's Day from my son.  They are sooo super cute and affordable.  So, don't delay, order your items today, while you can still get FREE SHIPPING!   You can check out what Liz has to offer HERE plus read my review on her items HERE.

DRUM ROLL PLEASE....after using randomnumber.org,
it chose #5:
THE WINNER IS: TRISH @ KETELCOPIA

Trish, please send me your contact information at stephanie_walter0409@hotmail.com so that I can get it over to Liz so she can send you your MyBella Gift Certificate.  Congrats to you!!

Please keep your eyes peeled for another giveaway once I get back from Mexico! 
Have a great running week and talk to ya when I get back,
Stephanie

Virtual Race Recap....50 Followers, Oh Yeah!

I wanted to welcome all of my new followers!!!  I have reached the 50 mark...Heck Yeah!!!  I am sooo glad you decided to follow me!
To celebrate my 50 followers, I will do what alot of others do....I will list 50 random things about myself...so, here ya go:
1. I have one sister, who is 23 and a nurse in St. Louis.  My parents have been married for 33 years.
2. We both went to SEMO (Southeast Missouri State University...and my husband went to SEMO(this is where we met) and my SIL went to SEMO...and my two best friends went to SEMO...oh yeah, my sister's boyfriend(and most likely future husband) went to SEMO
3. We were all in sororities or faternities: Me- Delta Delta Delta; Sister- Alpha Delta Phi; Hubbie- Phi Delta Theta; SIL- Delta Delta Delta; 2 Best Friends- Alpha Chi Omega; Sis's BF- Pike  (LOTS of legacies there!!!)
4. I wanted to be a police officer growing up...and I even got a degree in Criminal Justice.
5. I am now a physician recruiter for a hospital in Belleville, IL
6. I have broken my arms three times in two years....My right arm riding a bike; My left arm swinging on a rope; My right arm again roller skating
7. For years after that, my New Years resolution was to not break my arm(s)
8. I have naturally curly hair, and HATE IT!!  I have straightened it everyday since sophomore year of college.
9. I played both softball and basketball in grade school and high school. 
10.  I have a passion for softball and wish I was still playing!  I did play intramurals in college.
11. The best thing I have EVER done in my life (prior to getting married and having my baby boy) is having gone White Water rafting.  I went for a college course to the Galley River in West Virginia.  We camped out every night, made our own food, slept in tents for 5 days, went backpacking, mountain climbing and white water rafting.  I came home thinking I could conquer the world!  Such a life changing experience, and I hope to do it with my husband some day!
12. I didn't wear makeup the whole 5 days....THAT IS UNHEARD OF IN MY LIFE!:)
13. I met my husband away at college, but we grew up only 10 minutes from each other.
14. From the moment I met my husband, I knew we would be together forever!
15. We celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary April 9th, 2010 (together for 8 years)
16. We leave this Saturday for Riveria Maya, Mexico to celebrate our anniversary.
17. When I had my son on Sunday September 28, 2008, it was THE best day of my life!
18. I had THE best labor and delivery, and wanted to do it again right after.
19. I HATED being pregnant!
20. I breastfeed my son until he was 10 months old, and loved every second of it!
21. I tell my son EVERY day that I will "Love him forever!"
22. I sing "You are my sunshine", "The sun will come out tomorrow", "Twinkle,twinkle little star" and "Rock-a-bye Baby" every night to my son before bed.
23. I am VERY independent, and sometimes this drives my husband CRAZY!
24. I am a daddy's girl, and look up to my daddy in sooo many ways.  I will be lost without my daddy someday!
25. I owned a bearded dragon lizard in college.  I got her when she was only a few days old and I named her Molly. (I was hoping to someday be able to walk her on a leash)  I sold her a few years ago, and the people that bought her found out she was a HE.  Molly is now named Maui.
26. I traveled to Hawaii 5 years ago, and it was the best vacation ever!
27. My favorite color is pink!
28. I scrapbook and make all of my own cards (birthday cards, holiday cards, invitations etc)
29. I obsess way too much when planning a party.  I started planning my son's 2nd birthday 2 months ago, and it isn't until the end of September.
30. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to shop!  If I could shop all day long and had the money to do it, I would!
31. In college I worked part-time at Kay Jewelers, and became the sales manager at the age of 21.  I worked for them for 6 years.
32. The hospital that I work at, I was born at 28 years ago.  My son was also born here!
33. I have ALWAYS struggled with my weight and ALWAYS will!  I know this is a lifetime battle, but after losing the baby weight + a little, I feel that I can and will win this battle.
34. The Southbeach diet is the only thing that I have found that helps me lose weight.
35.  I had NEVER really run in my life until last summer.  I decided to train for a 5K.
36. The day I did my first 5K, I had never ran outside before(trained on a treadmill), and my husband got called into work, so I did it pushing my son in a stroller.  I finished in 36min and some seconds.
37. I feel that no matter what happens in life, it happens for a reason.  Every experience is a learning experience.
38. My favorite baseball team is the St. Louis Cardinals!  I LOVE THEM!
39. I LOVE water!  My drink of choice would be WATER all of the time!  I do drink a cup of coffee in the morning and a cup in the afternoon, and sometimes will splurge on a Sugar Free Red Bull.
40.  I gave up caffinated soda and french fries in college, and haven't had either for 7 years.
41. The only fast food restaurant I will eat at is Taco Bell.  All of the others have french fries, and since I don't eat them anymore, I don't want to be tempted. (I still would LOVE french fries!!!)
42. I do drink alcohol occasionally...I love beer, wine, mixed drinks!  Not a huge fan of shots, but my sister's boyfriend always makes me do one when we got out.
43. I was a big partier in college, but since having my son, have slowed down.  I do LOVE  a party night every once in awhile!
44. In college me and my 2 best friends drank Hooch everytime we went out.  We were known as the "Hoochie Mommas"
45. I hope to have more kids, but I am sooo in love with my little boy, that if I could never have anymore children, my heart would be complete!
46. My husband is ready for another child now...but I told him that this year is MY year (for running) and that we can start trying early next year.
47. I have a feeling I will have all boys!(and I am ok with this)  I just feel like I am a all-boys type of Mommy!
48. Me and my 2 best friends all were pregnant at the same time.  Our kids are only a few weeks apart in age.
49. My husband is my true, true, true best friend!
50. I love the running community and all of the running blogs out there.  They keep me motivated and inspired! Thank you for following me, and I hope you learned something about me...probably WAY more than you ever wanted to know....

So, now that we have gotten through that, I wanted to recap my virtual race that Atena put on last week.  We were suppose to run 7.64 miles and could do this anyway we wanted. (We were also suppose to wear PJ's, but I didn't do that) 
I got my first 3 miles down last Thursday on the treadmill at the gym, after my body pump class.  This was my first run since the half, and I felt Fan-freaking-tastic!!!  I ran it in 29min 32sec!
Then Saturday morning I got myself up at 6am to beautiful sunshine, and headed out for the remaining 4.64 miles.  I did a .25 warm up walk, and then started jogging.  I know now that I totally started out the half way too fast, and was one of the reasons I struggled so much.  On Saturday I started at about a 12min pace, and by the end of it was in the 9:30's.  I just have to remember that this is the best thing for me, and the way my body works!
The run was sooo amazing!  It was a really nice sunny, crisp morning, and I set off with my garmin watch and just decided to run.  No set path.  I ran, and ran, and ran, and felt sooo good!  I did carry my Golite handheld, and sipped it when I needed it, but overall felt great!  Such a relief that after such a "hard"half the weekend before, that I could still come back out here and do such a good run!
I finished the 4.64 in 46min and some change.  (I actually ran a total of 5.25 miles that day, so not sure on the exact)  Here is a pic of me after the run:

I actually wore my new Nike "Run" shirt that I got at the Go St. Louis Expo.  It is super cute, and of course pink!!!

Then last night I got home late from work, so I wasn't going to be able to make my work out class, so I laced up and went for a run around 7:30ish last night.  It was a great evening!  I was also feeling great again.  I had originally set out to do at least 3 miles, and since I was enjoying it sooo much, I ended up doing this:

I walked the first .25 miles again, but ran 5 miles.  LOVED IT!

I would like to get in a few more workouts this week before we leave for Mexico on Saturday.  I have tons to do this week...Hope I can get it all done!

Also, don't forget my 1st giveaway going on right now.  It goes until Friday at noon.  I swear, MyBella's jewelry is just sooo freakin cute!  You have to check it out HERE.
And don't forget, you can get Free Shipping between now and Sunday May 1st by using the code 'RBFS2010' in the comment section to the seller when you place your order. (she will then refund your shipping via paypal)
I hope to have some more fun giveaways coming soon!

Have a great week, and again...thanks for checking in with me!
Steph

Current Giveaways:
My: MyBella Jewelry Giveaway 4/23
Lil Runner: CEP Compression Socks 4/23

Jog for Joubert Syndrome: Running Skirt 4/29
Running Diva Mom: Whooha Giveaway 4/26
Njoy Life: Lush Giveaway
Tall Mom on the Run: Gone for a Run Giveaway 4/30
nhershoes: Aurorae Mat Giveaway

My First Giveaway to Celebrate or UnCelebrate My First Half!

Today is my very first giveaway!  I thought that because of all of the outpouring support and advice from my followers on my first half marathon, that I should reward someone with a really fun giveaway!
I have ran across a really neat jewelry maker shop called MyBella.
MyBella was created by a stay-at-home-superhero, Liz, that has a passion for jewelry.  She came across this passion accidently.  Liz tells her story:
"A couple of summers ago, my in-laws wanted to take my two small kids (then ages 2 & 3) with her on vacation for a whole week.  I spent an entire teen and adult life being a nanny, and I couldn't wait untl the days I'd spend with my own kids.  The idea of them being gone from me for a week was not thrilling at first.  As the day grew closer, my anxiety skyrocketed, until I went to drop them off.  She thanked me for letting them go along, and handed me a $7 'Jewelry Makers Starter Kit' to keep my hands busy while they were away; in her mind, it would keep me from cutting their trip short.  Honestly, that's all it took!  Everthing just kind of spiraled out of control from that moment!!  I'd started with doing a few pieces from friends, and within a couple of months I had opened my Etsy shop.  A year after my shop opened, I hit the "100 Sales" mark, and three months later, my shop hit 250+ sales.  I am now only a few sales away from 300.  I am beyond blessed!!"

Liz's MyBella shop offers a wonderful array of handstamped pieces that represent so many different things.  For example, she has a "Run Like A Girl" necklace that can be customized with the name of your half marathon or marathon, or with "SwimBikeRun" for all of the triathletes out there.

She also has a necklace called "Tours of Service" which can be customized with tour information and military branch.

And for all of the stay at home mom's out there, she even has a necklace for the "Stay At Home Super hero".  How sweet is that?

Some other items Liz offers in her store is handstamped inital wine charms. 

She also has an amazing bridal line that any bride would be proud to wear.

An item I HAVE to mention in Liz's MyBella collection is the adorable "Mommy N Me" necklace "For the Inner Princess In Us All"  How cute would this be to get for Mommy and Daughter to wear?  (If only I had a daughter....)

When asked which item is Liz's favorite, she states:

"With my 'Carried To Heaven On Angels Wings' necklace, I've had many back stories to accompany the orders.  Being told that the piece is for a friend who just lost her husband a week ago, or a family who just lost a small child absolutely floors me.  To put myself in the position of that person's pain is almost overwhelming.  When I realize that my work, my craft, my creative design was chosen to help be a part of the healing...that is beyond an honor."

Such an awesome line of products, and she has sooo many more special pieces that I wish I could list them all.  The cool thing is, Liz has so generously offered up a prize to one lucky follower.  Between now and noon on Friday April 23rd, you can enter in to win a $20 MyBella Gift Certificate toward a piece of jewelry of your choice.  How wonderful is that!!! 

Also, EVERYONE has the chance to purchase one of Liz's custom pieces and recieve FREE SHIPPING between now and Sunday May 1st.  All you have to do is go to MyBella HERE and enter the code: 'RBFS2010' INTO THE COMMENT SECTION TO THE SELLER WHEN YOU PLACE YOUR ORDER. (she will then refund your shipping via paypal)
What a great Mother's Day gift to someone special in your life!?!?

So, to enter the giveaway, you have a few different options, listed below.  Please respond back with individual comments for each.  A person will be chosen by random drawing in the afternoon of Friday April 23rd. 

To enter:

1. Please become a follower of this blog, or let me know you already are.

2. Please visit Liz at her MyBella's Shop HERE and tell me which item you would chose, if you won.

3. Please visit MyBella on Facebook HERE and become a fan and let me know that you have done so.

4. Please link this giveaway on your blog, Facebook page or twitter account and let me know that you have done so.  (You will receive an entry for each link)

So, what are you waiting for...Enter in to win a wonderfully customizable gift that you can design for yourself or for someone wonderful in your life.  And don't forget, you can get Free Shipping between now and Sunday May 1st by using the code 'RBFS2010' in the comment section to the seller when you place your order. (she will then refund your shipping via paypal)

Good luck, and again I want to extend a HUGE thank you to all of my followers out there.  The running community is AWESOME and I would not have been able to go out there and kill my 3 miles last night, without all of your encouraging words! 

Run with ya soon,

Stephanie

Go St. Louis Half Marathon Recap

Well, it has been 4 days since my first half marathon...and as you can see, I haven't blogged about it yet...It was a little bit of a disappointment.  Since Sunday, I have had a chance to think about everything, re-evaluate what I should and shouldn't have done, and I am all geared up to do it AGAIN!!!
Let me give you a recap of the week leading up to the race, and then the day of the race....
I did the normal "taper" that everyone talks about, where I only worked out twice during the week, so that I could relax my muscles and legs.  During that week, I for whatever reason, lost 6lbs.  Let me just tell you, that I am ALWAYS trying to lose weight, and during the whole 8 weeks of training, I didn't lose even ONE pound...so, of course this 6lb weight lose in 5 days, was AWESOME!! (but I didn't even think of how it could potentially affect my running...)  On Saturday evening, I went out to dinner with my family and had a pasta dinner along with bread. (carb loading...like everyone says)  I also drank plenty of water leading up to the race, and felt really good all week.

Race morning I woke up around 4am and got ready...I had my race outfit picked out and everything charged and ready to go (including my BRAND NEW Garmin watch!!!)  I ate my normal breakfast (before a long run) of a fiber one bar, a banana, water and a little bit of coffee.  I did this approx. 1/2 hr before we were leaving, so everything could digest, and hopefully I would go to the bathroom (which I did before we left)  I was meeting my next door neighbor Jen outside, and then we were riding with a doctor that she runs with, Dr. Mohan.  He was going to be driving us down, and then my husband, son and parents would be meeting me there later so I could ride home with them.  I knew I could only bring the necessities because I would have no where to leave anything once we got to downtown St. Louis.  Here is a pic of me before I left the house:

I walked outside at around 5:40am (we were leaving at 5:45am)  My neighbor Jen was at the end of her driveway waiting...she saw me and told me I better grab a "throw away" shirt, so I wouldn't be cold while waiting for the race to start.  The temps were in the high 40's/low 50's by then, but there was a slight breeze and chill in the air.  I ran back inside and grabbed a long sleeved shirt to wear.  I then ran back out and waited with Jen for Dr. Mohan.  (My 3 other running friends all live in St. Louis, and they were taking the MetroLink down to the race...I had spoken with them earlier and everyone was SUPER excited!)
Right at 5:45am, Dr. Mohan can pulling up in a brand new Jaguar, for us to ride to the race in...Super Cool!  I told him we were riding in style!
We had a little bit of trouble getting down there because of exits being closed etc, but at around 6:20am we arrived and I went off to find my friends.  My friend Becki had picked up some balloons, and I spotted them right away (good tip for anyone who is meeting people...It was super easy to find them!)  They were right at the back of the 9:55 pacer.  We stretched some and talked and just all were super excited.  At 7am, the race started...Becki had handed all of us a balloon, and we released them as we crossed the start line (I'm hoping for a cool pic of this from the photogs)
The first 4 miles were really good...I felt good, and the weather was not too hot yet.  We were keeping a steady pace, and actually when I looked at my watch a few times, we were actually going faster than I would have wanted (sometimes it said 9:30ish, and sometimes 9:20ish...way to fast for me to start out a race...I am the type of runner who starts out slow and can really pick it up at the finish)
Right after mile 4, I started to feel a little dizzy and not like myself.  My legs felt heavy, and my feet started to hurt (which had never happened to me during a run)  We had just done a Gu and I was carrying my Golite handheld, so I was sipping water.  Around mile 5, the heat really started to pound down on us, and I was.not.feeling.good.at.all!!!  I didn't want to mention it to the other girls, because I didn't want to discourage them, so I just pushed on.  Me and Becki had been out ahead of Kris and Sarah most of the time, but around mile 5.5 I dropped back to run with Kris and Sarah.  Sarah mentioned she thought she might have to go to the bathroom....
At mile 6, I spotted my husband and parents and my little running supporter Logan, along with some of my parents friends (their daughter was also running the half...this was her first race, EVER)  This did cheer me up, and I was able to show a smile and a wave:

Right after this, I saw some porta potties, and even though I didn't need to pee, I told Sarah that if she wanted to stop, I would stop with her.  She took up my offer and we stopped (note: I never normally want to or have to stop during a race...first time EVER!)  But, I was just not feeling good and I thought maybe stopping for a minute would help.  Sarah ran to one of the potties, while I stood outside...then out of nowhere, I couldn't control it and pee started to run out of me...I freaked because I couldn't control it, and I ran into one of the open porta potties and went to the bathroom.  (At this time I didn't know what was going on...these were things that never happened to me...especially only 6 miles into a run.  I felt like I couldn't control my body!)
After I was done, I ran out to find Sarah, and I didn't see here anywhere...I waited around for a few more minutes and started up again...not sure if she was still in the bathroom or had gone ahead and started back up again.  At around mile 7 I spotted my friend Sarah's husband, son and parents and in-laws, so I ran up to them to see if they had seen Sarah, which they hadn't...so, I decided to wait with them for a little bit to see if she came by.  (And again, I felt like I was going to pass out...I started to get tunnel vision, and everything around me was a blur)  I do remember Sarah's MIL ask me if I wanted a banana and I took it and ate half.  I finally decided to push on without Sarah. 
I took off again, and did a run/walk thing for another couple of miles...My legs just didn't want to move, and I was almost running slower that I was walking...It was such a horrible feeling, and I just couldn't understand it.  I tried to listen to my music and just concentrate..I tried to focus on my breathing and tried to force my legs to run harder, but NOTHING was working.  At one point, I JUST WANTED TO QUIT!  I told myself that the one thing I have ALWAYS told my 18mos old son, is to "Never Give Up!"  I knew I had to push through this and prove to him and myself I could finish this!
Around mile 9 the route looped back around, so I could see everyone on the other side of the road running back.  I told myself I would run this, focus on looking for my friends.  At mile 10, out of nowhere, someone yelled my name and came up from behind me and hugged me...IT WAS SARAH!  I guess I had ran past her while she was walking...It was soooo great to have someone with me to finish this "excruciating race"!  She was also feeling it...I haven't mentioned yet, that the heat continued to rise, and the course was HILLY, HILLY, HILLY!    This of course didn't help anything!
We continued to do a run/walk for the next 2 miles.  We pretty much walked the hills, ran the downhills or the flats.  We did stop at every drink station, and I did fuel up on a little gatorade, which I think might have helped. 
At mile 12, I finally started feeling better.  There was one big hill that we decided to walk, and then I told Sarah, lets run the remaining bit, and cross the finish line running!!!  She was really starting to hurt too, but she agreed.  We finished the hill, and then took off at a run.  My legs really felt weird, and I was having shooting pains in the front of my calves, but I pushed on.
We crossed the finish line TOGETHER and gave each other a huge hug!  We had done it...through the heat, hills, pain, and just a HORRIBLE run day, I had done it!  Mine and Sarah's 1st half marathon, and we had completed it together! 
Afterwards I was still really, really dizzy and at points thought I was going to pass out, plus I had HORRIBLE leg cramps, where I couldn't hardly stand, and it brought tears to my eyes.  This happened 3 different times after the race....again,something I had never, ever experienced before!
It was such a relief to see my parents and my husband and son...We did get our race pictures taken together, with our medals.  We also took some with our own cameras:

I really didn't start to feel better until we reached the car.  We went to lunch with Becki and her husband, and it was nice to get something to eat and not feel sooo dizzy!
That afternoon I was not feeling great about the race, but my husband kept telling me how proud he was of me...It did make me feel better!  I took a long shower and nap that afternoon, and by that evening, felt a little bit better about everything.  Here is a pic of my and my son that I took once we got home:

So, for final results: (not very proud of them, but I will still share)
Final Time:
2:31:47
Distance HALF MAR
Clock Time: 2:39:15
Chip Time: 2:31:47
Overall Place: 7403/10705
Gender Place: 4181/6821
Division Place: 977/1460
6 Mile Time: 1:00:30

So, this was the long post of my first "kind of successful, kind of not successful" half marathon.  I am now evaluating and re-evaluating what I should or shouldn't have done, and what caused me to feel the way I did throughout the race.  Has anyone else ever felt this way, and what do you think the cause was?  Do you think the weight loss could have contributed to my body breaking down like it did?  Why did I cramp so bad after it was over?  These are all questions I need to figure out before I start my marathon training in a few months.  I will tell you this:
Even though I had a bad run, I am ready to get back out there...I know I can do it, and I will!!!  Also, I plan on running another half marathon before my marathon in October.  I need to prove to myself that I can do this...because I know I can!!!
In speaking with a lot of other runners who ran this race, everyone said it was extremely hard and hilly!
Contests to check out:
Amanda: RuntoTheFinish: 3 Changes Challenge- Ends May 15th
Jamie: Running Diva Mom: Inspire Towel Giveaway- Ends April 18th
Jamie: Running Diva Mom: Run Like a Mother Book Giveaway- Ends April 15th
Erica: I Run Because....I Can: Gu and RoadID Giveaway- Ends April 16th
Lil Runner: CEP Compression Socks Giveaway- Ends April 23rd
Laura: My Reason to Run: Runningskirt Giveaway- Ends April 29th
Tonia: Racing with Babes- Food and Music Giveaway- Ends April 20th

Lookie...Lookie...What I Got!!!

Well, today is me and my husband's 5 year anniversary!  On this day 5 years ago, I was getting ready to walk down the aisle and marry the man of my dreams!  It was such a wonderful day...similar to the weather today...Sunny, nice breeze with a calmness!  I LOVED my wedding and truly wish we could do it all over again.  It is such a wonderful memory that I will cherish forever!
Well, last night when I got home from work, I had orginially thought I would go to the gym for Body Pump and then get in a quick 3 mile run afterwards.  When I walked in the house, there was a huge gift bag sitting on the kitchen table...and my husband looked at me and said, "Open It"!
Well, it wasn't our anniversary yet, and I wasn't expecting to do gifts right then, but he just seemed sooo super excited!  Of course, my son was whining for me to pick him up, and so of course, I had to see him for a couple of minutes...but my husband kept saying..."Open it, open it...I am super excited for you to open it!"  This was probably the most excited I had seen my husband about a gift he was giving me...so of course, I was curious...I.had.no.idea what it was???
So, after I was able to set my son down for more than 2 seconds I proceeded to open the gift bag, and down at the bottom of the bag was this......

Look how freakin AWESOME this is!!!  It was my Garmin watch!!!  The watch that I have talked about for months and months...that I was going to use money from a contest I am in at work to buy (which wasn't going to be until sometime in May)  I was soooo shocked and soooo happy!  Plus, I thought it was sooo cool that my husband was sooo excited to give me a gift that had to do with my new passion....running!  It made me realize, he really does understand!!! 
He told me he wanted to give it to me early, so I could play around with it and have it all ready to use by my first half marathon this Sunday.  How cool...My first half marathon will be ran with my new Garmin watch!

So, needless to say I decided to skip the gym and just do my 3 mile run outside (I was hoping while wearing my new watch)...but, I had to charge it for a full 3 hrs before using it for the first time, so I wasn't able to do that...but I could at least try it on and oooo and aaaa about it!
My husband explained how he didn't know which one to get me etc, but he really liked this one and thought it would be perfect for what I needed it for....and of course, IT IS PERFECT!  I can't wait to use this baby for the first time this Sunday!

So, on to my run....after I put my son to bed and kissed my husband a few more times, I decided to head out for my quick run.  I hadn't ran all week, so I needed to get it in before the race on Sunday...plus I wanted to try out my new Champion running skirt that I got at, of all places Target, since I might wear it on race day. (I do really, really, really want a running skirt from the cutie pie twins at runningskirt.com) but this running skirt was at Target for only $16.99 and I have never run in a running skirt, so before I fork over to much $$$ I wanted to try one out to see if I liked it.  Here is a pic of the skirt:

So, I headed out, wearing my new RoadId(of course) and my old Polar watch(tear, tear...for having to leave my new Garmin watch at home), but at least my Polar watch could calculate my final time.  It was a nice cool evening, and there were plenty of people still out mowing and tending to their yards etc.  The first 1.5 miles was a little rough while I warmed up, but after that I felt OK.  I should have drank some water before I started, because my mouth was super dry and I kept getting gunk in my throat, plus I hadn't eaten since lunch, and it was 7:30ish or so.
As I was running, I was thinking about my upcoming half...I started to freak out a little...could I really do this???  I mean, here I am only running 3 miles, and they seemed kind of hard tonight...but 13!?!?  How am I going to get through it...I started to get all nervous!  I told myself to settle down...that I was just going to be going out to run a nice long "training" run, or as Kerrie at mom vs marathon stated, out to do my "victory" lap!  This did settle me down some, but I do know that on race day, I am going to be N.E.R.V.O.U.S!!!
I finished the 3 miles in 26.50 per my old watch...wonder what I can do with my newbie!!! :)
As for the review on the running skirt...It was FABULOUS!  I think it is a top contender in my outfit for Sunday....

Anyways, tonight my parents are watching Logan so we can go out to dinner and then out for drinks and some fun with friends...tomorrow is a hang out day for me, and then Sunday is the B-I-G DAY!!!  Race Day!  Wish me luck...full race report next week...plus, I will be able to have the breakdown by miles etc (per my lovely new watch)  Yea!!! 
Enjoy your weekend and all of your runs,
Stephanie

8 Hilly Miles....Now Time to Reflect

First off, I have attached some pics from my 3 mile run earlier last week. (sorry for the pic quality), but here I am super sweaty!!! Also, I received my Road ID from the wonderful people at Road ID (and Outside PR) last week. It is soooo super cute and super PINK!!! I wore it for my 3 mile run and it was awesome...didn't even know it was there. This little baby will help someone identify me, should something happen to me out on the road. If you run outside, then you NEED one of these...you just never know what could happen. You can engrave your name, contact information and any health issues right onto it...that way, you can be identified easily (especially since most of us don't carry an ID when we are running)...plus, it is such a cute running accessory!
If you would like to get one of your own, you can go to www.roadid.com and order one. Edward from Road Id has provided a coupon for 20 of my readers to receive a $1 off of their order if you order before April 20th. The coupon code is: ThanksStephanie629114

Now...on to this weekend's long run....

This weekend's run was a lot of fun! We all met up at Frontenac Plaza in Clayton, MO at 6:30am. Sarah had printed out a route where we ran all over the Clayton area. No trail, no park, no clear route...It was going to be an adventure, but it was going to be fun!

This was going to be our last long run, and our last run together before the half the following weekend. We originally were going to do 10 miles, but the route Sarah had was either an 8 mile or a 9 mile route.

We started out running up Clayton Rd. It was fun...This part of St. Louis is VERY ritzy...very rich neighborhoods with really neat, big, expensive homes, and all of the stores look alike...there was even a fancy looking hardware store we ran by...such a neat area! It was a great morning...the rain from the night had passed by and there was only a slight chill in the air.

Off of Clayton Rd, we turned onto Spoede and continued up towards Chaminade. The one thing we noticed early on, was ALL.OF.THE.HILLS! They were everywhere!!! As we approached one, we all kept running and did really good conquering them. This was one of the only runs I had done with this many hills!

We then ended up running onto Lindbergh, which then brought us to MICDS (a private high school, that looked more like a small college campus) We came up on their football stadium and high school track. We weren't sure how to cut through, and because we were right at 3 miles, decided to stop and take off a layer of clothes, hydrate and down a Gu. Afterwards, we took off again and finally figured out how to snake our way off of the track and through the h.s. campus back to the main road.

We then took a right onto Warson, and again...TONS AND TONS OF HILLS! We knew there would be a few, but this was far more than I had EVER ran! It was definitely a good run to prepare us for the half the following weekend, since we have heard it is a little hilly! We then came to Ladue and then took a right into the St. Louis Country Club Golf Course. It was beautiful, and again hilly! We ran past the clubhouse and *down* a hill. At the bottom we stopped for another drink of water...we were right at 6 miles. At that point we decided we would only do 8 miles (it is our taper week, plus these hills were challenging enough...) our butts would be feeling it the next morning. So, we then took a right back onto Clayton and ran UP again, a few more hills until up over one of the hills, I saw Lindbergh and our cars!! Yea!

We finished the 8 miles in right at 1hr 20min. It was such a feeling of accomplishment as we all gave each other high fives for the last time before the big race.

During the run, and on the drive home, I thought about how far I have truly come...not even one year ago, could I run even 1 mile....and now, I am pushing myself to run 8 HILLY miles, and enjoying every second of it. Of course it is hard, and I have struggled at times, but knowing that I can push myself to do this, is such an awesome feeling! It is also awesome to know that I have such great friends to be there with me each step of the way! These girls know all of the sweat, and times of struggle that I have been through (and each of them having their own struggles along the way) to get us to this last training run. Next weekend is what these last 8 weeks have been all about...Race Day!

I can't wait to start and end this race with all of my training buddies, plus approx. 12,500 other runners who are all there for the same thing...to win this race, because we are all winners! This race isn't against anyone but ourselves! Next Sunday at 7am, the gun will go off, and us "runners" will begin our race...and at the end of the race, there will be a medal, but beyond all of that, it will be a HUGE sense of pride...a sense of pride knowing that our bodies and our minds could push us through this and truly, you can do ANYTHING you set your mind to! Next Sunday there will be 4 proud Mommy's cross that finish line, knowing that we DID IT!

5 DAYS UNTIL THE GO ST. LOUIS HALF!

GO HARD OR GO HOME!!!

Happy Easter...and Happy Running!

Well, Friday is finally here, and tomorrow is my last long run before my very first half marathon next Sunday. Soooo exciting!
I decided to do a recap of March to see where I have been, and what I would like to accomplish for April....
Ran= 10x
Total Mileage= 57 miles
Shortest Run= 2 miles
Longest Run=11 miles

Body Combat=5x
Body Pump= 4x
Zumba= 1x
30 Day Shred=1x
Other=2x

Total Days in March= 31
Total Work Out Days in March= 23

I feel really good about this number. I have really set my mind to think that working out/running is just part of my life and my schedule. At the beginning of the week, I talk with my husband and plan out my workout days/runs. Only a couple of times did I have to switch, but I don't think I missed any days this month, which I am proud of.
My goals for April are to continue my working out schedule:
Run 2-3 days/week
Cross Train 2-3 days/week
Weights 1-2 days/week

I would like to really work the 30 day shred program into my workout, and I think I might start that next week. I did it once, really liked it, and because I have to do it in our unfinished basement (my husband doesn't want me jumping up and down in the living room), the dvd player we have downstairs, we can't find the remote, so I need to go buy a new one....and just haven't....so, that's my excuse for the lack of the 30 day shred in my program, but I plan to get the remote and plan on really committing to this.
I also want to really focus on my eating. For some reason this week, I have gotten a little off track, and I know with Easter this weekend, it won't get much better until Monday. I don't want to do anything too drastic next week, with the half being on Sunday, but I would like to cut out sugar and possibly carbs the two weeks before our vacation. I plan on ordering my swimming suits tonight from Victoria Secret, and they have to look good!!!

So, that's my plan....

As for my workouts this week:
Sunday: Weights and Abs
Monday: 1 Hour Body Combat/1 Hour Zumba
Tuesday: 3 Mile Run (27:03 minutes)
Wednesday: Planned to do Body Combat...but I was sooooo tired, so ended up going to bed at 8:15pm instead
Thursday: Felt MUCH better....1 Hour Body Pump
Friday: Off
Saturday: 10 Mile Run

I will post a few pics from my run on Tuesday in my next post...haven't downloaded them on the computer yet....also have a fun product review to do!

Hope everyone has a great weekend and even greater Easter! Enjoy your time with your family and the yummy food!
Run with ya soon,
Stephanie

Current Giveaways:
Tricia: Kettleworx (ends tonight)
Erica: Ryders Sunglasses (ends tonight)
Momma Twitch: 1/2 Marathon Giveaway (ends 4/3)
Running For Good: Bondiband Giveaway (ends 4/4)
Happy Runner: Run Like a Mother Book Giveaway (ends 4/5)
Miss Zippy: Runervals DVD (ends 4/7)
TMB: Moving Comfort Bra Giveaway (ends 4/8)
She Runs Like a Girl: Swag Giveaway (ends 4/10)
Katye: Running Skirts Top Giveaway (ends 4/10)
Random Chick: Book and Sunglassess Giveaway (ends 4/12)
Erica: Road ID and Gu Giveaway (ends 4/16)