Pacing, Schmacing

I haven't written much about running lately, but in a word, it's been GREAT lately. It really is amazing how much easier it is now that I've lost weight and have improved both my health and fitness in general. I'm currently in the early weeks of training for the Medoc Trail Races 10 miler in October. I created a moderate intensity plan using the online SmartCoach tool at Runners World. It's only included short runs of two and three miles so far. I can't believe I'm actually looking forward to increasing the distance next week to 4 miles. 


But, even though, the effort associated with running has improved so much I've discovered that my pacing still completely sucks. I feel like I'm running at generally the same (although slow) pace most of the time, but my runkeeper app shows some strange peaks and valleys still.


Maybe it's just the GPS/app software? Yeah, that's what I'll blame it on.

But the most important part is that I'm using words like GREAT in the same sentence as running. There was definitely a time when that was not the case ...

Wordless Wednesday: Running on the Farm

Me Likey

I had to take a picture last night for a Body by Vi ad that will be running soon in our local newspaper. Luckily, I had my hair cut earlier in the evening and was thrilled with my new 'do. I kept looking at the camera after my husband took each picture and thinking to myself "that's really me!"


A lot has changed since September. I'm still kind of in shock.

The pictures that started it all (don't look at the hair, it was very hot) - late July 2010

Yikes!

My "official" Body by Vi "before" picture September 2010 - so bad that I rarely show it to anybody

The most current "after" picture - completed by the huge smile

Even the cross on my necklace hangs lower now. This is a complete pat-myself-on-the-back post but I am just so FREAKIN' excited that I had to share.

Giveaway winner!

It's so fun going through the process of picking a giveaway winner! Here is the result ...

There were 26 total comments

I plugged those numbers into random.org

I counted to 10 (I'm talented that way)

And the winner is Kittee at Running Half Crazy. Send me a message at gisrunner (at) gmail (dot) com, Kittee, so I can send your prize to you.

Thanks so much to everyone who entered my giveaway and are now following my blog. I sincerely appreciate it. If you want another chance to win a Body by Vi Balance Kit, be sure to enter Teamarcia's giveaway before June 3.

Now for a little running update since I'm only doing a little running now. As always, I'm not making running a priority in my schedule. When am I going to change that?

I did run a little under 2 miles last night. I waited until 8:20 as it was another day in the mid-90s here in NC. It was slow and tough due to the heat and humidity. I was so hot when I finished I jumped in the pool to cool off in my running clothes. Heck, my clothes were soaked with sweat anyway so the pro's definitely outweighed the con's. It felt so good and is a wonderful way to recover!

I'm also registered for the Medoc Trail Races 10 miler again this year. This will be my third year running it and it's my favorite event by far. Apparently it's a favorite event for a lot of runners as it's completely sold out with the the 10 miler filling in 62 hours! Medoc is a small event and they definitely take care of the runners. They give a finishers prize each year (last year was a running vest). I would love it if this year's prize are compression socks but no one knows what the prize is until the day of the event. 

Someday I would love to run this event's marathon, but my lack of commitment/discipline makes that impossible at this point. But the 10 miler is very doable and is so much fun. There will be a lot of hot and sweaty training runs to report here between now and October!

Making Memories: American Idol Edition

My husband Taylor and I often talk about "making memories" with our children. Those moments that last a lifetime are so important. I know I certainly have childhood memories that still make me smile today. I decided a few days ago that this goal of making memories blends extremely well with American Idol.


Say what?


My daughter Kate has been following Idol this entire season and is a huge Scotty fan. She absolutely loves country music (spending a huge amount of time with her grandfather is the primary reason for that). The fact that he is from North Carolina just makes him even better in her eyes. So when he advanced to the finals last week and the plans for the huge finale party were announced, I decided to surprise her with a trip to the RBC Center in Raleigh.


Even though I haven't watched Idol in many years, I have to admit I had just as much fun as she did. It was very exciting being in a coliseum with 12,000 or so screaming fans. The RBC Center is also home to NC State University basketball and that made the night even more fun as Mr. and Mrs. Wuf entertained the crowd (I'm an NCSU grad).  It's hard not to smile and have fun when you're in an atmosphere like that, especially when your daughter has just declared that you're the best mom ever.


I'm posting a few pictures taken with my phone camera, so excuse the quality. We'll both have those memories forever, but it's nice to preserve them here, too.

Loving the poster of Scotty with Mr. Wuf

Approximately 1/4 of the crowd

Scotty won!

(don't forget about my Body by Vi giveaway - enter here)

Another BBV Giveaway!

I'm so excited about the wonderful lifestyle changes Body by Vi has helped me to make the past 9 months that I decided to share with my fellow bloggers again. In fact, the wonderful Marcia is also hosting a giveaway for me, so hop over to her blog for another chance to win. 


Hopefully, you've also read my prior posts written during my first BBV challenge. They're not all about Body by Vi and ViSalus Sciences, but I think you'll be able to pick up on my enthusiasm about how great I'm feeling in those posts. I've lost a total of 23 pounds and at least that many inches since September 2010 (I really need to update my measurements). So now I've started my third 90 day challenge with the focus of losing the last 10 pounds or so and build lean muscle.

I've really been thinking about the three pillars of the ViSalus Sciences' mission: Life, Health and Prosperity. I can honestly say that these 3 words speak volumes to me. I was in a funk (midlife crisis?) last year this time and regaining control of my health by making better food choices has vastly improved my overall quality of life. As for the prosperity, well, who couldn't use extra income each month to help plug those holes in the family budget?


From the website ... 

ViSalus™ is a community dedicated to making a positive impact on the life, health and prosperity of everyone we can reach. Our creed is so important to us that it is rooted in the very name of the company. "ViSalus" comes from the Latin "Vi," meaning Life, and "Salus," which means Health and Prosperity.

Life ViSalus Sciences® enhances the lives of our members through incentives and rewards designed to create new experiences, build relationships, and create lasting memories. Click to learn more.
	Health ViSalus™ offers a line of innovative wellness products developed by a world class Scientific Advisory Board and backed by some of the most advanced scientific technology available. Click to learn more.
	Prosperity ViSalus™ gives people of any experience level or educational background the entrepreneurial opportunity to grow and fulfill their financial potential in this exciting industry. Click to learn more.

With that said, I'm giving away a free ViSalus Body by Vi challenge "Balance Kit." The balance kit includes 1 bag of the Vi-Shape shake mix and a 5-pack assortment of flavor mix-ins. To better describe the Vi-shape shake mix, I copied and pasted from the corporate website again, of course.

The "Balance Kit" is designed to help you begin your journey by giving your body good nutritional balance. This kit contains 30 servings of balanced nutrition with our Vi-Shape™ Nutritional Shake Mix for once-a-day balanced nutrition. The kit includes an assortment of our Health Flavors, to add flavor variety, and added health benefits to your shake.

The Vi-Shape™ nutritional shake mix includes patented ingredients to help you maximize nutrient absorption while cutting calories. Shake mixes with milk or water for nutrition on the go. Low sodium, no trans fat, and an amazing Sweet Cream flavor. Our version of the perfect “fast food.”

The balance kit includes enough shake mix for 30 meals, so you can use it once a day as a recovery drink after your run, for a meal on the go in order to not hit the drive-thru, or to replace 1 or 2 meals a day if you're like me and looking to lose a few more pounds.

This is a $49 value and I'll ship it to anywhere in the US or Canada. The giveaway ends Tuesday, May 31 2011 at midnight EST and I'll use random.org to choose a comment number. 

- 1 entry for leaving a comment describing your initial reaction to the company's mission to impact Life, Health & Prosperty. Don't sweat too much over this ... I'm not looking for a deep, philosophical insight. Just write what appeals to you.

- 1 entry for following my blog (please leave a separate comment below that you are a new follower or already are one)

- 1 entry for mentioning this on your blog (separate comment)

- 1 entry for a mention on your facebook or twitter (separate comment)

Good luck and I look forward to reading everybody's comments!

Note to self ...

After using Runkeeper on the phone while sleepless on the train, it's best to delete this activity from your profile because it REALLY throws off the year's statistics ... just sayin'