MASH Up Conditioning Winner, Weekend Racing, and March Challenges....Whew!

Wow, I haven't been back since Wednesday! I meant to post this yesterday, but the Teenie is playing the dragon in Shrek the Musical and I was so busy running around, that I just didn't get to it!

she is 1/5 of the dragon, top row, center

I am really really loving these MASH Up Conditioning workouts! I have the Tempo DVD, and each workout is 15 minutes long, and it has strength, core, and interval training. In each workout! I have been doing one workout, then running about doing errands, or walking in front of the TV, and then doing a second workout. They are really kicking my butt!

Without further ado, the winner of a MASH UP Conditioning DVD is.......

Jennifer Wimbley!!!!!

Congratulations! Email me at kprytherch@gmail.com with your mailing information, and I will have your DVD sent ASAP!!!

For my readers that are Personal Trainers in the Oklahoma and Texas areas, you can earn your MASH GT Coach Certification! You will also earn .8 ACE CECS! Check out the Website for more information, or call 1-888-885-2646

This weekend, I will be running the E Murray Todd Half Marathon. It is very low key (no bling! Holy Heck!) and very very hilly. My friend and I ran it last year, and it took us FOREVER to finish, so we are hoping to redeem ourselves this year! Of course, neither of us have put in enough time to really do it right, so this may just be another train wreck. No worries, though, it is the mileage that counts at this point! Snowpocalypse will be rearing its ugly head again tomorrow night, so this may be my only run for a few days! 

Thanks Darlena, from Run Find Your Happy Pace

Tough Chik Shout Out

I totally forgot to take a Flat Mama pic last night, the play ran so late, so I will post my outfit tomorrow. I will be repping for Digital Running, and looking awesome, of course! And layers. Lots and lots of layers. Brrrrrrrr

I hope I haven't lost you all, yet! Being that today is March 1, I am going to share my March Challenges! I always start these with the best of intentions, and I usually finish most of them! If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you might have seen that I was chosen to be a FitFluential Ambassador yesterday! Wooohoooo! It takes a few weeks to become official, and I am just fangirl-ing all over the place!

Which brings me to Challenge #1. Fitfluential even provides you with a handy calendar to help you get your miles in! I have over 125 miles planned for March, so this one should be a no brainer! 

I am so glad that Amanda from Run to the Finish is doing the Spring Bootie Buster Challenge again! You log in your workouts and accumulate points. The people with the most points win prizes, and there are also random drawings! I have won some great prizes in past challenges! When you sign up, mention me as your referral!

I love Photo Challenges, and the gals at Shrinking Jeans have come up with a great challenge for March to help keep you motivated!

They also came up with a 10K steps challenge with a little kick! I love this, because I have been trying to focus on 10K steps a day, which isn't always as easy as you would think! I have printed out both of these to keep me motivated!

Whew! That was long, and I apologize! I have some household chores to tackle now, and then I go back to the theatre to see the Teenie in the Understudy Production (she will be one of the sassy 3 Blind Mice today, and the dragon again tonight. She is on the left in this photo from the Thursday Dress Rehearsal)

What challenges will you tackle in March?

Almost Wordless Wednesday, Confessions

In January I completed Dopey. 20+ pounds overweight.

I immediately joined WW after I returned. I hated it, even though it worked for me before.

And then, came

source

I used this as an excuse not to run, workout, or function as a responsible human being.

source

source

It's no surprise, that I am feeling terrible these days!

Mentally, and physically!

source

SO now it is time to take back my life!

 I updated my ticket at Sparkpeople.com where my screen name is Kimmiep

I pre-ordrered the 21 Day Fix through Beachbody

I've got this!

Has this ever happened to you?

Donna Virtual Race and 4 Pretty Muddy Winners!

What a beautiful weekend we had at the Jersey Shore! A nice break in the weather before the next round of snow hits us! I was especially happy, because I needed to get my 13.1 miles in for the Donna Virtual Race!

 I was devastated that I could not go to the race in person, especially after being chosen as an Ambassador! Unfortunately, with Dopey expenses and upcoming races, and life getting in the way, it just was not fiscally responsible to go. I decided to do the Virtual Race, which meant I needed too run 13.1 miles before March 1. NO problem! I wanted to do the distance all in one day but it just didn't fit my schedule, so I made sure to get it done all in one weekend!
I started out on Saturday morning. The teenie had training for her new job, and I planned to run at a Bike Trail around the corner from the store while she trained. I was hoping for at least an hour, so that I could bang out 5 or 6 miles. They only needed her for a half hour. UGH. I gave her money and told her to get a smoothie and stall a bit, so that I could run 10K.
Off I went. The day was beautiful and I was flying! My pace came easy, people on the trail were mostly friendly, and the miles ticked by. Just around mile 3, she called to tell me about her exciting new job, and I told her I was halfway done, and to give me another 40 minutes.
At mile 4.5 the texts started, both from her and from a  friend who just went back to WW. Yikes. I ended up stopping at mile 5, to answer texts and walked the last mile.

The teenie took this for me, don't I look awesome in my Swirlgear? I was wearing my Run Donna Training tank over it, but it was hot so I took it off. Blogger FAIL. I finished the first 5.1 miles at a 10:20 pace! I have not run that fast in ages! I was happy about it at the time, but totally regretted it later! I still had 8 miles to go!

Sunday morning, I had a fun run to attend. It's called the Train Run, and it is run by my running club, the Jersey Shore Running Club. It is a great run, and they host it a couple of times a year. You hop on the train in Asbury Park, NJ and take the train south to your chosen destination. There are 3 stops: 1 or 2 miles, 4 miles and 6.5 miles. We planned on the 6.5 miles, but decided last minute to add a little extra, and make it an 8 miler. Perfect for my Virtual Race! I got on my Digital Running Club gear, grabbed my Donna bib, and went over to the start. I couldn't wear the Donna bib during the race, but I wanted to bring it in case there were somme photo ops. Then, I forgot I had it. Another blogger FAIL.

At the start of every Train Run, the president, Bob Both, takes a photo of all of the runners. At the last minute, Dave the Trumpeter dashed in, and slid right into the front of all of us. He is in the Tie Dye shirt on the left. Somehow, he picked up a homeless guy on his way in, who is center front. He was a very funny guy, and he kept us all entertained with his antics until it was time to board the train!

The run is always the same for the Train Run, which is nice. You get off of the train in Spring Lake, run to the lake and cross the bridge, and make a beeline for the boardwalk. Once you hit the boardwalk and turn North, you just keep running until you hit "the shell", where you make your left and head back to the bar. At the bar, you get free pizza and beer. Nice! The pizza and beer is the hubs favorite part, and the reason he so gladly accompanies me to this run every year. It was very windy on the boardwalk, and at first it was cold, but soon I was shedding my jacket. This slowed me down, and I lost Eileen and Carol Ann a bit at that point. When I realized I wasn't going to catch up (Carol Ann is super speedy) I turned on the tunes and ran my own pace. It was so beautiful on the boards, even though there was a lot of restoration going on, thanks to Superstorm Sandy. As I was nearing the Shell, Eileen came back and said they were too hot to run the 8, and they were just going to finish the regular course! Fine by me, my legs were TIRED. We headed back to the bar, got our tee and our "medals", and gave our free beer to Dave. The medals were a new addition to the Train Run, they gave leftover medals out from a previous race. It was a nice change, and I can't wait to send one to my buddy Bryce.

After the race, the hubs and I went to Mogo for lunch, and then headed home to grab the dogs and finish the Race. After a 1.5 mile walk, I was officially done! Whew! I was tired!
I spent the rest of the day checking on the finishing times of all of my  Princess and Run Donna friends, who had to fight some pretty scary tornado and lightening storm warnings!

This morning, I picked the winners for the Pretty Muddy giveaway!

I am pleased to announce the following winners:

Congratulations, ladies!!! I will be emailing you all to find out which registration you would like! You will have 48 hours to get back to me.


Did you race this weekend?

Staying Motivated, Virtual Races with Digital Running

I love Virtual Races! You pay a little money, usually way less than at a live event, run the race, or races, on your own time, and you get bling. Did you hear me?
BLING!!!!
I love bling.
Last year I discovered the Digital Running Club. Brian, Head Coach Extraordinaire, has come up with  some wonderful challenges to keep us all motivated, with some amazing bling! His bling is better than some I have gotten at a live event! True story!
This year he has several challenges ongoing, and I am super excited to earn them all! Just after I finished Dopey, I wrote all about earning these medals, and I hinted about a surprise challenge. I will give you the details in just a minute.
The Hat Trick Challenge is currently $25, and will go no higher in price. You run 3 of the following distances during the year to earn it: 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, or Full Marathon.
The Grand Slam Challenge is earned by running all 4 distances, and you get BOTH medals! Woot! The price is currently $25 but can go as high as $30, so register soon to get the best price.

I also mentioned the Interstate Challenge, which I will be earning on March 2. You earn it by running a Half or a Full in two different states or Canadian Provinces. I ran a Half (and a Full) in Florida, and I will add NJ on March 2nd. I ran the same races last year to earn this medal! Disney Marathon and E Murray Todd Half Marathon! So exciting to be repeating that performance this year!

I love that this will be my second Interstate Challenge! The cost for this challenge is currently at $20, and the highest it will go is $25. The sooner you register, the better your chance at getting the lowest price possible!

Ok, on to the newest, and the most exciting, Challenge. Well, at least I think it is the most exciting! Why? It keeps you moving all year long!
The Time of the Season Series
Doesn't the name alone get you excited?
OK
This Series is a year long event! You complete four separate challenges during the year, and earn a medal for each challenge. Once you complete all four, you earn a fifth bonus medal. And they interlock. Oh yeah. They become one big mighty BLING! I have seen the bling, but for now I can only show you this:

So let's talk about each Challenge!
We will start with the Spring Dawn Challenge. You earn this bling by running a 5K race, or longer, during March, April, AND May. That is three races, peeps. Once you do this, and submit your results, you will get the above bling. I promise, it is worth the wait, and I will post new pics once they are available to the public! You can sign up for this race on its own, or register for all of them at once to get the fifth and final piece this winter!
Next is the Summer Day Challenge.  This is earned the same way, running one race in June, July, AND August. Again, three races total! Your bling will be in the same shape as the Spring Race.
The third part of the series is Autumn Twilight Challenge.  Again, the same challenge as before, running a race in September, October, AND November! Aren't the names of each Challenge spectacular? I am so freakin excited!
Final Challenge. Possibly the most difficult, especially towards the end, weather wise. This challenge will take you into 2015. The Winters Night Challenge will have you running your races in December, January, AND February.
Once you have completed all 4 Challenges, you will receive the final piece, the bonus BLING that ties them all together. Again, I will post the images once I have them, but here is a sneak peek:

Are you intrigued yet? I actually stopped writing this blog up so that I could go and register! It is currently $58 to sign up for all FOUR challenges, plus a FIFTH bonus bling, but it can get as high as $110, depending on how many people sign up before you! Sign up soon!

******I do not benefit from you signing up, I am an Ambassador for the Digital Running Club, and I LOVE to share about their awesome Challenges, but I am not an Affiliate. All I get is the satisfaction of knowing that I inspired someone else to get out there and move!******

Do you like Virtual Races? Which was your favorite?

Almost Wordless Wednesday, Winter Running Style

Running has been super difficult lately, but I put on my big girl pants, and several other layers, and ran with my friend Eileen Monday morning! The boardwalk was too icy, so we ran along the side of the road, mostly through parking spaces, to get our seven miles in. We even ran along the ocean for about 1.5 miles, even though it slowed us down. A lot.

How do you make it through 7 freezing below freezing miles?

Stop and smell the roses  ocean.......

Write silly things in the sand, hoping that the ocean will just wish wash it away....

Wear layers. Lots of them. And gloves. And a hat. And sunglasses, because the sun reflecting of snow is bright~ I debated not using this picture, because I couldn't suck it all in, but the truth hurts, and I have developed a winter gut. It will be gone soon, because I grabbed a hold of it, and reigned it in!

Check your fitbit when you get home, and dance with glee that you beat your 10,000 step goal by 10:30 am, and surpassed it.

Do you like running when it is cold out?

Mash Up Conditioning Workout DVD Review and #Giveaway

Around the time of the Disney Marathon, I was contacted by Jamie at Mash Up Conditioning. She asked if I would like to try their new workout DVD, Tempo, in exchange for a review, and I jumped right on it! She found me through Girls Gone Sporty, and I am glad she did!

What I love about these workouts, is that each one is 15 minutes long. You would be amazed at what kind of torture these ladies pout together in 15 minutes. Jamie and Stacy are both moms, and they get that many women don't have more than 15 minutes at a time to workout. They created this DVD, with seven workouts, each 15 minutes long, that combine Strength and Agility, Intervals, and Mind/Body core exercises in each workout! Lots of squats and lunges, combined with upper body movements using weights, core work, and intervals that just kick your butt!

They also have 3 different people in each workout, each working at a different level, and level one is demonstrated by a pregnant woman, showing you how to safely workout while you are pregnant. LOVE!

When I tried the first two workouts, I was trapped in the house by yet another snow storm! I did T1, then walked in place while watching When Calls the Heart, then did T2. Then I plopped on the couch to die in peace. Squats, lunges, planks, ab work, intervals. Ouch. I felt thoroughly worked out, and I was a sweaty mess! I used my kettle bell for one of the exercises, but they demonstrated it using hand weights! 

I also loved the timer in the bottom left corner. At any given moment, you knew how much time you had left before you could die in peace. It was perfect! The instructions were always very clear, the exercises were easy to follow, and there were plenty of ways to modify. Anyone can do these workouts! I look forward to trying T3-7. Included with the DVD is nutrition advice as well as a calendar to help you maximize the benefits!
(In case you are curious about my collage pics, the tank is Swirlgear and the cute lil foot belongs to my buddy Bryce. I run for him, because he cannot run himself. He made me that foot as a shrinky dink!)
The ladies at Mash Up Conditioning have also given me a DVD to pass on to one of my readers! Wooohooo!
The rafflecopter link is below, and I will hold the giveaway for 10 days. I don't usually run 2 giveaways at a time, but I couldn't resist!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What is your favorite type of workout?

Ways to stalk the ladies at Mash Up:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube

Pretty Muddy Giveaway .... Take 2

That's right! I have four more entries to giveaway to Pretty Muddy! Special thanks to Girls Gone Sporty for hooking us up! I wrote a lot about Pretty Muddy yesterday, check it out!

 It is no secret that I like to get Muddy, and now you can, too! If you live near, or plan to travel to, one of these locations, then this giveaway is perfect for you!

• Dallas, April 26th
• Sacramento, May 3rd
• Chicago, August 16th
• Richmond, September 20th

I will be getting Muddy in Chicago, hopefully with my good friend Gigi from Running on Candy! I have 4 entries to give away, 2 for the regular edition of Pretty Muddy, and 2 for the Family Edition!

Want to see some pictures, to get you ready for the big event? Check them out here:
Pinterest
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Instagram


Where do you want to get Muddy?


a Rafflecopter giveaway