BQ or Bust Baby!

Okay, not really. I'll never qualify for Boston (unless I keep up my current speed until I'm about 85). And raising huge amounts of money for charity isn't really feasible for most of us either. I don't mind fundraising but some of the spots for Boston charity are just outrageous! However, there is now another option!

My favorite shoe company, Altra Zero Drop, is giving away ten, yes TEN, entries to the Boston Marathon. So how do you win? The complete post is here. But here's the basics...

Facebook (4 winners):
1. Tell Altra why you deserve a spot! Tag Altra Zero Drop in the post on YOUR own wall. BE CREATIVE! Pictures, videos, or just words are all acceptable.

Twitter (2 winners):
1. Send out a tweet about breaking up with your old running shoes! Tag @AltraZeroDrop at the end of the tweet.
Ex: “Dear old running shoes: You’re unstable. We’re done. @AltraZeroDrop’s are the shoe for me.”
Ex: “Hi old running shoes, There’s someone else. @AltraZeroDrop and I can go for hours and I love the way he/she holds me.”

Instagram (2 winners):
1. Show the world what #ZeroLimits means to you!
2. Follow @AltraZeroDrop.

Pinterest (2 winners):
1. Follow Altra Zero Drop.
2. Repin the Altra Takes Boston “Pin it to Win it” graphic.

Vine (1 winner):
1. Follow Altra Zero Drop (Open app-> Click the house in top left corner-> Explore-> Search “Altra Zero Drop” on “People” tab->Follow).
2. Make a Vine showing why you deserve a Boston entry.
3. Use the hashtags #ZeroLimits #AltraTakesBoston and #Running in the description.
What’s Vine? Its a new iPhone app. Check this out.

Terms and Conditions:
-All entries are pre-qualified
-Registration fee not included
-Travel and related expenses not included
-Registration Code will be mailed upon completion of contest
-Contest will run from 12 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 7 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17
-Winners will be notified Monday, Feb. 18 2013

So there you have it! Now 9 of you go win and save the last one for me! See you in Boston!

Crazy Busy, or Maybe Just Crazy

I'm sure most of you are aware that I've never fully committed to a training plan before. In fact I probably slacked more than I adhered in the past. I promised myself that I would not repeat that pattern this year and so far I'm keeping that pattern. I'm working very hard to find a balance between pushing through complications and taking extra rest when I need it.

"Rest is a good thing, but boredom is its brother." - Voltaire

I find myself feeling out of sorts and lazy on rest days now. And I finally understand the tweet I saw from Ryan Hall about a year ago that said, "You know you're in marathon training when you get sore just vacuuming the house." Next week is a cutback week for me and I'm looking forward to it and dreading it all at the same time.

This week has been exciting for me as a runner. I've been pushing the boundaries of what I thought I was capable of and I should go over 50 miles for the week. This is a first without a marathon or ultra to 'artificially' bolster my totals. Of course, we got an ice storm last night so there's an inch of ice with 3 inches of snow on top outside today. I'm gambling with the chance that the weather will be better tomorrow and planning to switch Sunday's recovery miles with today's long run miles. I was contemplating doing my long run today on the treadmill but I'm not ready to do it if I don't have to. Too many of my miles are treadmill miles as it is!



The ferocity of my desire to complete this training and push my body to its limits still surprises me. I'm not sure where this was two years ago when I first started running longer distance races but I'll take it. If I had 'committed' to doing lunch runs a year ago I would most likely have ended up with an expensive gym membership that got used once or twice a month. Or maybe just a bag of running gear in my car that would eventually become nothing but an annoying reminder of what I wasn't doing. A year ago I would run on the treadmill in the evenings sometimes but if I was tired or hungry or it was cold in the basement I'd end up on the couch instead.

Now I find myself organizing my work schedule so I can have longer lunch runs and then coming home and finding time to get on the treadmill too. I've even started contemplating just how much sleep is really necessary and whether or not I could get in 3-5 miles in the mornings before work. I'm not ready to commit to THAT yet but maybe someday...

To top it off I've been busy blogging too. Now you're confused right?! I mean there hasn't been a new post here for a week right?! Well, sort of... I wrote a "What's in my Gym Bag" post for Running, Loving, Living. I also wrote a post for the FitFluential blog on keeping your kids active during the winter.

Of course, I'm still working hard to raise money for the IAFF Burn Fund and the giveaway/raffle is still open until the end of the month! A winner was selected for the Centrum ProNutrients giveaway and I was super excited to see that Elle from Eat, Run, Sail got her choice of supplement. Her blog is always full of great stories so check it out!

Things are about to get even crazier though. My college courses start back up full time on Monday and I have some courses that sound awesome but tough: Sports Nutrition, Current Health Issues, Anatomy & Physiology II, and Ethics in Sport. I know that my education is a great investment and it's going to help me to help others but it also feels like marathon training x 2! So please bear with me if I'm a little scatter-brained over the next couple months. I promise it's only temporary and I'll be back to blogging full steam by summer!

Happy running everyone!

P.S. I found this picture today on a camera card from my mom. I had to do a before and after just to believe how much I've really changed. I didn't know I had a problem in the before and I can't believe I actually look like the after now!