Here it is. Race eve. Not just any race eve, but a 100 mile ultramarathon race eve.

It is Friday evening and I’m in Houston at Devin & Alida’s place. Devin is also running the 100 miler. Go us I’m just about to attempt to fall asleep at 7pm. 3:30am cometh quickly! 

I know people have questions about ultras, but particularly 100 miles in general.

#1) What will I eat?

I’ve written about it before, but aid stations (AS) don’t really have real, nutritious food. They have processed sugar, candy, etc. For this 100 miler I’ve made my food or bringing everything with me. At the AS I will eat cold, hard, boiled potatoes dipped in salt, fruit dipped in salt and hot chicken broth at night.

Here is the food I made and brought (and bought if we are going to get really technical!)

Sweet potatoes. I bought 7 LARGE sweet potatoes. I may never want to eat another one again! I mashed 5 and chopped the other 2. After mashing I added fresh, grated ginger, sea salt, a little honey, brewers yeast, cinnamon and a little Goji Juice. Once I filled the 25 little baggies, I added soaked chia seeds and hemp hearts.

Chopped sweet potatoes with fresh, grated ginger & cinnamon

Sweet potatoes with chia seeds

Sweet potatoes with hemp hearts and chia seeds

Row of sweet potato nutrition!

I will eat some pure energy nut bars (Lara Bar & Bearded Brothers), sunflower seeds, Q Energy, nut butter, and Gen UCAN. *I have no idea why it flipped the photos around. I didn’t have time to fix them. You’ll have to turn your computer or smart phone around if you are really picky

Gen UCAN (mix with water)

Justin's Nut Butter (almond)

sunflower seeds

Lara Bars

Bearded Brothers Natural Energy bars (with chia seeds)

Q Energy Drink (mix in water)

Alida also made cashew butter (raw/vegan) and I’ll have some with veggie chips. All the food I will be eating is additive free, chemical free, natural, and/or homemade. Just the way I like it

That’s the food part.

#2) Travel

For a big race (I think a 100 miler qualifies), I like to be at the race 2 days before hand. And smart decision that was. You never know about flight delays/weather/other. I flew into Houston, TX from Denver, CO. And not a moment too soon. A HUGE snow storm moved in just hours after I flew out. Hundreds of flights were cancelled. Thank the Lord I booked my ticket to fly out on Thursday.

Shannon picked me up at the airport and we made a quick trip to the store to get some ingredients (tuna, avocado, tomatoes) for my lunch. Then she dropped me off at Devin’s. I made my lunch, took a late nap, went and got all the sweet potatoes for race day and salmon for Friday’s night pre-race meal.

I had a good night of rest (although I was getting nervous) and woke up refreshed Friday morning. To a weather forecast of 80% rain and 83% humidity. 24 hours till go time.

I made 2 hardboiled eggs mashed with avocado and cut up cherry tomatoes for breakfast, then started preparing sweet potatoes! As they were baking I got some work done, shot a video, and tried to relax . Not much luck there. Ha! My best friend Rachel called me and then my friend Terry called and prayed with me. Definitely better after that!

Took a nap, mixed my sweet potatoes up and laid out all my food for tomorrow. This whole nutrition thing takes a lot of planning, prep and hard work!

Had salmon, peas and sweet potatoes for dinner and going to bed early. We have to be up at 3:30am and at the race by 5am. Race start is at 6am.

Pre race dinner!

I’ve trained hard for this. Put a lot of time, energy, and investment into it. I am ready by the grace of God.

My prayer is that I will run strong and that God will use my feet to honor and glorify him. And that children in Africa will be sponsored.

Thank you to my friends, my supporters, everyone that encourages me, and yes, even to the haters- you actually motivate me to do a better job for the Kingdom of God. So thank you!

I’ll be posting live updates as I am able (80% chance of rain might hinder that plan) or my crew will.

Till next time, may you be encouraged to go do something positive, something hard, and do it well.

Oh and you don’t want to miss tomorrow morning’s article. It’s really good if I do say myself.

Sweet dreams!

peace, sweat, love: life

FIT Project Miami Edition

Race Date: Dec. 11, 2011

HERE IT IS! The last race of 2011 and the last race (No. 18) in the 2011 Rock n’ Roll Marathon series! Hallelujah! I can’t believe I survived this year!

I flew into Ft. Lauderdale and I was getting off the plane a flight attendant – Jim – was getting on. Now this may not seem like a big deal, but I flew here a few weeks ago and Jim was on my flight to Denver! Travel/fly much Sarah?! Needless to say, we were both in shock!

A friend picked me up and we headed down to South Beach. I was digging the warm, humid weather.

Saturday, I took a yoga class and walked around the town a bit. Oh and picked up my final race bib of the year. WOOHOO!

If you’ve been following my traveling/racing adventures you know that I haven’t spent much time home, let alone having time to do normal things like getting my hair cut. My last haircut was back in June when I was traveling in Vancouver, B.C. Yeah, past time for one! So I researched a reasonable hair studio and got a haircut Saturday evening before having dinner with the other runners that also ran all 18 RnR races. What was special is that I was the only female to run them all .

After dinner I crashed. Race morning cometh!

Sunday morning dawned and I was excited for the 13.1 mile victory lap. The sunrise was beautiful and reminded me that God will never leave me nor forsake me. I met up with my friends and before we knew it, we were running! The weather was humid (hey, it’s  Miami after all!) and sunny, then turned to rain and wind at around mile 9 for me.

The course was fairly scenic which I like. There were some hills via bridges and the wind made them challenging (but fun). I have to say I felt pretty strong. I always put my whole heart, mind and soul into whatever I do and every race I run. Today was no exception.

As I was running, I was thinking back over the past year and everything I have been through, overcome and achieved. More about 2011 this weekend.

Soon enough, I was hearing the sounds of the finish line and I ran to it. 1:54:41. Good enough for 30 in my age group (out of 397). As I crossed the finish line, I thought I might become emotional with the accomplishment I just achieved. But I didn’t. I simply got my medal, wandered through the crowd and walked back to hotel. No fanfare. No celebration. Just quietly ran and finished.

I had a photo shoot to get to! I quickly got a shower and then did my hair and makeup. The shoot was a ton of fun and it was a nice way to conclude a very epic year! And then after the shoot I took a glorious nap. Yessssss.

That evening I went out to dinner with other running friends and we talked about the past year. Good memories.

I headed back to FLL on Monday where I ended up spending the night at Midway in Chicago on the floor and made a friend Nancy. All the flights were full to Denver, so had to wait for the Tuesday 6 a.m. flight out. Needless to say we didn’t get a whole lot of sleep. And we both crashed on the flight to Denver.

Another flight down. Home. Mission accomplished. Thank you Jesus. To God be the Glory. Amen and amen.

peace, sweat, love: life

In 11 days I will be embarking on my second 100 mile ultramarathon (and 12th ultra distance). Gulp. I’ve been writing my – ahem – detailed nutrition plan, crewing description and other ultra descriptions. While ultra vocabulary is second nature to me, in talking with my roommate (Kelli) I realize it’s not. So I thought it would be fun to do a little “ultra talk.” Enjoy!

Oh and before we go any further, I’m running 100 miles to help get 100 children sponsored in Africa with World Vision. Would you consider sponsoring a child with me?

Ultramarathon Definition First of all, an ultra is technically classified as anything over a marathon (26.2 miles). But running 26.3 miles isn’t quite what an ultra is. Sorry, nice try. The four classic ultra distances are 50K, 50 miles, 100K and 100 miles.

Crew Crew is typically used for 50 miles, 100K or 100 miles. Crew is your own personal support team. Sherpas. Moral support. Sock changers. You get the idea. Your crew can be 1 or 10. The crew meets you at the designated race aid stations. While the aid station (AS) are fully stocked with provisions and friendly faces, it is really nice to know that you have a team eagerly awaiting your arrival. The crew’s job is to get you in and out of the AS as quickly as possible. The clock is ticking! They will make sure you have the food you want/need, refill water bottle, pull your shoes off, change socks, bandage your feet if you have blisters, give hugs, pep talks…. Pretty much whatever you need. You might only see them for only five minutes in 90 minute or four hour stretch, but just that little bit of interaction is awesome. When you are out running in the big, spooky, dark forest, YOU CAN’T WAIT TO SEE THEM. It gives you something to look forward too. Crew is awesome. Side note: if you ever have the chance to crew or volunteer at an ultra (particularly a 100 miler), do it. The experience is life-changing.

Pacers Pacers are typically used for the longer ultra distances (100 miles). Pacers are other runners who will run WITH you, give you moral support, make sure you don’t wander off to see the teddy bears and encourage you. They are not mules (meaning they don’t carry any of your nutritional supplies or other). They simply run with you.

Ultra Environment Ultra races are primarily run on trails. Cross country. Translation = hard, challenging, not for the faint-of-heart. And if it’s an ultra, you can bet that the course will be unusually tough. From rocks to boulders to crazy elevation gain to LONG climbs to nasty weather (either freezing cold or really HOT)… Yeah, ultras are pretty hardcore if I do say so myself!

Aid Stations (AS) Aid stations are little pieces of heaven in the middle of hell (oops, was that too negative?!) AS are part of the race and as an ultra runner, we really look forward to them. Personally, I use each AS as incentive to get to the next one. While most of AS have a lot of junk food, my go-to food is cold, boiled potatoes dipped in salt, oranges, red grapes, watermelon … I don’t eat grains/dairy/processed sugar so my options are usually pretty limited. This is where crew comes in handy. The volunteers are always friendly, helpful and some have themed AS. Aid Stations are always a highlight of my race day! Not all AS let you have access to your crew, so you make the most of what you have.

Drop Bags Drop bags are small bags (not a giant suitcase) you’ve pre-filled with what you think you’ll need. If an AS doesn’t allow your crew in, a drop bag can be handy. Depending on the ultra distance, you might include shoes, socks, your special fuel/nutrition that you use, etc. Drop bags are at certain AS- not all of them.

Ultra Times If you have run marathons and are looking to run an ultra, first of all, congratulations! Second, throw your marathon times out the window. Marathon times mean nothing when it comes to ultra running. Remember previous definition of ultra surface? Cross country is hard. Fun, but hard. Running an ultra is more about enjoying the forest and challenging yourself vs time. By all means, have a goal time, but be realistic. For a 50k, you can add anywhere from two to four hours to your marathon time. 50 miles, double your marathon and then some. For 100 miles, survive .

Cutoffs. Cutoffs are time limits. You have to make it to aid stations by a certain cutoff time. Make the cutoff!

Ultra Conditions I touched on this briefly above. Ultra race conditions are usually pretty challenging (as if running 100 miles wasn’t hard enough!) Depending on location and month of ultra you can expect snow, rain, hail, lighting, bears, cougars, bobcats, snakes, steep climbs, mud, leaves, slippery leaves, roots, hidden roots, rocks, hidden rocks, beautiful scenery, boulders, crazy elevation (Leadville or Hardrock anyone?)… having fun yet? When you run an ultra be prepared for ANYTHING. While they are fun, they aren’t easy.

Have I whetted your ultramarathon appetite? I hope so! They are thrilling, exciting and will challenge every part of your being. If you are looking to run a ultramarathon, let me know!

Peace, sweat, love, life.

Photo of shoes after finishing Vermont 50 Mile Ultramarathon

In observing (not judging) the nation, my Twitter stream, Facebook updates and other general interactions I have found that many people are confused with three things. Exercise. Food. Beverages.

Three camps that people fall into.

Camp 1) “I workout and burn a ton of calories so I can eat whatever”

Camp 2) “I don’t pay attention to what food I am putting in my body nor do I care”

Camp 3) “I sweat so I can drink sports drinks. OR I drink anything but (or very little) water”

While I wish I could shake some common sense into people and beg them to wake up, I can’t. What I CAN do is live, breathe and show by example. See photos below of meals I have cooked and prepared.

First a few facts.

1) You can’t outrun or out workout bad food and beverage choices

You might run a lot of miles, hit the gym and burn a lot of calories, but that doesn’t equate to eating whatever. This DOES mean that you can eat quality calories. Like organic fresh vegetables, fruit, lean, farm-raised meat, nuts, water. This is how your body can recover. This is how your body feels alive and full of energy.

2) What you eat or don’t eat DOES matter

Does your food come from a box, can, wrapper or package? Have you read the ingredients on the labels? Boxed cereal is not a health food. Other then foods like Hemp Hearts, Chia Seeds, whole food bars (like Lara Bar, KIND Snacks or Bearded Brothers), I try to avoid all packaged food completely. If you had a good workout, that doesn’t mean you can “reward” yourself with a donut or burger or ____ (your choice). Look, I know it is challenging to avoid packaged food. If you do have to buy boxed/packaged/canned food, be diligent to read the labels. What you eat does matter. Make wise, healthy choices!

3) Water IS important (not sports drinks)

You might run a lot of miles, hit the gym and sweat a lot. Yes, this includes sports drinks. 99 percent of the population doesn’t need a sports drink and IF you do workout, that means you want to hydrate your body WITHOUT food dyes and toxins. Water is the best option. Add chia seeds for natural, pure energy. Also, stop drinking soda. You already know it’s not good for you. Don’t fight the facts.

4) Don’t justify calories burned

When you had a quality workout, you can feel entitled to eat whatever. Remember this: you burn calories to live, not to eat (whatever). Resist temptation and opt for real, whole food. Your body will thank you.

People might wonder why they workout and still feel like crap. WELL, they are feeding their bodies crap! You have to eat healthy for life. Want to prevent disease? Eat for health. Want to have energy? Eat for health. Want to have clear skin? Eat for health.

If you buy packaged food, read the labels. Most meats are filled with nitrates, fake sugar and other toxins. Applegate Farms is a good choice for meat if you typically buy deli meats.

Be aware with the food you eat. Only you can be in control of your health. 

Here are some meals that I have cooked recently. I love buying fresh vegetables! Eat with pure, natural, whole food. You will feel fantastic!!

Dinner: avocado, red cabbage, swiss chard, garlic, ground bison.

Breakfast: eggs w/ chia seeds, tomatoes w/ garlic & tuna, spinach and orange

Breakfast: red cabbage, tomatoes w/ garlic, red kale chips, eggs w/ Hemp Hearts, turkey

Pre-ride fuel: orange, Tanka Jerky, Hemp Hearts

So there you have it. You see how and what I eat. I only drink water. And I train, race and live on this health plan. You can too .

FIT Project Savannah, Ga. Edition

Race date: Nov. 5, 2011

I barely left the West Coast (LAX), spent 40-ish hours in Colorado and then jumped on another plane for the East Coast. WHEW.

I had an EARLY flight (5:30 a.m.). To make matters worse, I was traveling on a standby ticket and get this – LEFT MY TICKET AT HOME. How’s that for a Thursday morning? I had to wait to get it which meant I missed my flight. Thankfully, Southwest Airlines rocks and I was able to get a direct flight. However, I did have five hours to kill at the airport so I slept on the floor. Oh the fun we have!

After flying to Jacksonville, Fla., I had to make the 140-mile drive up to Savannah, Ga. I got to Savannah just as the sun was setting. Whirlwind.

I met up with friends for dinner and a walk around the town squares. We walked past Paula Dean’s restaurant and the smell of fried food turned my stomach. It was a challenge to find a healthy meal in this town! I ended up eating a burger sans bun with extra lettuce. And longed for a bowl of veggies!

Savannah had a lot of ghost tours, but we just walked around. Saw the bench where Forest Gump said “Life is like a box of chocolates.” Savannah was a very clean town and enforced a no heckler policy.

Friday was spent wandering, expo-ing, relaxing and having FUN. It was the first Friday and that meant fireworks! We watched them from a hammock by the water front. It was awesome.

Race morning came early. And it was chilly. It was 35 degrees at the start. Perfect. I was pacing David (who likes to run fast at the start). It was a challenge to hold him back.

I was really excited to run another marathon. My last long race was Sept. 25 (VT50 miler). Today was a benchmark for me – if I felt good I would sign up for BIG race. Stay tuned for the verdict!

Last evening, Land Shark was handing out Land Shark hats. I got one and David and I both wore them during the race. Little did we know they would be such a HUGE hit! And I mean HUGE.

Like I said, I was pacing David. I kept trying to rein him back. The first half of the race doesn’t really matter how fast you run it in if you can’t run the back half. But I was going to try my best.

The course was not all that scenic. We did get to run through a few neighborhoods and outskirted the downtown area which was nice. The best part though? THE SPECTATORS. They were fantastic! I’ve run all the “big marathons” (NYC, Chicago, Boston, Marine Corps Marathon) and the spectators at Savannah were awesome. They packed almost the entire 7-8 mile stretch. And they SCREAMED when they saw my Land Shark hat. It was awesome. I made a mental note to wear it at every race!

Soon we reached the point where the half and full course parted ways. Always an interesting feeling . This stretch of the course was out on a highway. The sun was out, but it was still cool. Thank God, because if it was humid, this part would have sucked. Highways aren’t fun to run on as it is!

We reached the halfway point and David began to tell me to go on ahead. I wanted to stick with him a bit longer, but by the next mile I knew I should go on ahead. I was feeling really strong. So the Land Sharks parted ways.

There was a group of guys who were cheering someone running my pace, because I was able to partake of their cheering four times. It was great. They ADORED my hat. By the third time I saw them, they were yelling “Land Shark! Land Shark! Go girl, go!” Thank you!

Mile 17 (?) was also awesome. It was Savannah State College  (I think? Some college) and they were out in full force. From manning the water station to do high fives to a cheering squad, the energy was amazing. It was a GREAT boost!

One thing I try to do when I am running a marathon is call out of words of encouragement along the later miles. Or when passing a mile marker. “Look guys, 18 miles down!” Today was no exception. I shouted “Mile 18 folks! Great job!” Two guys responded by saying it was their first marathon. I encouraged them and told them they were doing awesome.

Mile 20 and only 6.2 miles left. I yelled out “10K left! Single digit miles baby!” Not only does this encourage me, but those around me too. Love it.

Soon, the course was back on the highway and we were running on a slant. And not just a slant, but the wind was ferocious. You need to keep your head up when you run, but the wind was not making it easy. As we runners leap-frogged each other we made remarks about the wind.

Soon, Mile 24 was finished. I yelled out “2.2 miles to go!” The course had a gradual uphill the last mile. And don’t forget the wind giving us extra work! Thankfully, my Land Shark was holding on for dear life and it provided great encouragement the last miles.

Soon, the finish line was within hearing distance. And then sight distance. I ran strong to the very end. 4:16. I felt great and knew my “reward” was on.

I was in the finish area and a older lady tapped me on the back. I turned around and she told me thank you for the encouragement and inspiration I provided on the course. She didn’t even know me! How’s that for a positive impact? I think it rocks!

After shivering under a space blanket, drinking some water and getting some food, it was time to head back to the hotel. For a shower.

I have to say, I felt absolutely great. It is awesome to be able to finish a marathon and not feel like you ran one.

Another race down. Three more in the series to go. To God be the glory!

So what was my reward? By signing up for another 100 mile ultra marathon. This will be my second one. I’m not naive about. Just because I’ve done it once, doesn’t make it any easier. But I am excited to run another one. Yep. Another 100 freaking miles. God help me!

FIT Project Los Angeles Edition

Date: Oct. 30, 2011

From St. Louis to California (I’ve spent most of October here!) I feel more like a bird at 3,600 feet than a runner. No, that’s not true, but it sounded good . 

It was nice to be back in sunny California. I really enjoyed this trip because I got to hear Jars of Clay at a free concert at Saddleback Church! Jars of Clay is one of my favorite groups and I was completely stoked that they were playing when I was in town! Although it made for a late, late Saturday night (I like to go to bed early), it was well worth the lack of sleep.

But it just wasn’t a lack of sleep, it was also a lack of FOOD. For some reason I spent the whole time rushing around the city, driving, etc., that I didn’t get a chance to eat. I kept thinking, next hour, next hour, before church/concert, after church/concert. Well, yeah. That never happened. By the time we got back to Los Angeles, it was midnight. No way was I eating at that time! So I went to bed with a grumbling tummy. Always a joy .

I was staying close to the race start, so I had the luxury of rolling out of bed an hour before race start, drinking my Gen UCAN and walking to the race start. It was the day before Halloween so A LOT of people were dressed up. As if Hollywood needed any more characters :).

My friends and I got in the corrals. Ready to rock another race! I really wanted a 1:49:59, so Jarrett and I ran together. David also started out with us, but slowed down at the 5K mark.

I wasn’t sure what to expect of the course, but I was pleasantly surprised that we got to run through some scenery. There were a few hills. And the hill at Mile 9 (“the bridge”) broke me. Jarrett got away from me and I wasn’t happy about it, but knew there wasn’t much I could do about it either! Soon the horrible hill was finished and the race course made a U-turn and we ran back down it.

The sun was out and it was getting hot. I just wanted to finish! I pushed a little harder. This part of the course was an out and back and my friend Raf was running up the hill I just finished and we gave each other high fives. The course had us run back through the tunnel and people were having fun hearing their voices echo.

I saw a guy that was running a good pace and I joined him. Turned out we were both pushing each other. Soon, we emerged from the tunnel and headed down the hill to the finish line. I pushed a little harder and dropped said guy. Soon I crossed the finish line. 1:52:04. So stinkin’ close to a 1:51. Oh well. A finish is a finish right?

The following day my finish was a little more eery. A guy that finished right around the time I did (9 a.m.-ish) died. I was thankful for just finishing.

After the race, it was a busy day, ending with a sunset dinner at the Santa Monica pier.

Four more RnR races, baby. Four more.

FIT Project St. Louis Edition

Date: Oct 23, 2011

It has been an insane month. We’re almost at the end of October and I’ve only seen my bed 3 times. If you’ve been following my adventures, you will know that I just got back from cycling 600 miles down the coast of CA for Kids on Bikes (Celebration Ride2). And now I’m in St. Louis! Somedays I’m just thankful for my watch telling me what timezone I’m in .

The back story of being in STL will have to wait for the book, but let’s just say the first 24 hours in St. Louis were pretty interesting. Race morning finally came and it was time to RUN! Jarrett and I ran together for the first 8 miles. He was running the full marathon, me just the half. I seriously thought about running the full as we were running along but I kept to my plan and stuck with the half.

The course had a turn every 100 feet or so it seemed. The Cardinals were in the World Series and the town was decked out in red as well as a lot of runners.  The usual funny and not-so-funny signs were ever present on the course. It is always funny what spectators decide to write. You can tell who has run before too .

The weather was cool when we started and got warmer as the day wore on. Besides the zig-zag course, there were a few moderate hills too. Oh and after the half and full course split cars decided that the cones weren’t for them AND STARTED DRIVING ON THE COURSE! There were thousands of people running! Perhaps they thought they were targets? Or we would run faster if they drove behind us? I don’t know. Thankfully, I was in the front of the race and heard later that as time went on, things didn’t improve. Eek.

As far as scenery goes, the half marathon course was a nice mix of town, neighborhoods and nature. I like to see the area when I’m running a race! I’m sure I had some great thoughts as I was running but because I am writing this almost 2 months later, I couldn’t tell you what they were .

The finish line was in sight and soon enough another race was completed. Yay! Today’s race made 19 (?) for 2011. After getting an ice bath, checking out of one hotel and into another I took a THREE HOUR nap. I was so exhausted. Not from the race, but from the month of racing and cycling. Naps are wonderful things .

That evening I had a delightful meal at Mango and after craving this dish for YEARS, finally found it! Aji De Gallina. It’s chicken in this to-die-for sauce with potatoes and a hard boiled egg and a sprig of parsley. I licked the platter clean . If you are in STL, make sure you go have a meal here!

Next, back to LAX!

Dear Active Santa,

You know I like to run. A lot. Thing is, it’s winter running season. Translation= cold. I’m sure you can relate. Here are some of my favorite cold running items. Perhaps you can make other runners happy this Christmas season? I’ll be sure to leave some freshly baked Kale Chips & a glass of water out for you .

#1) MICROspikes

These make winter/cold/icy running possible (no need for a treadmill!). Want to impress someone at work? Tell them you ran on ice. It will make you the office rock star. They might cost a little more than another traction device, but MICROspikes are worth every hard earned penny.

#2) Balaclava 

No, this is not the calorie version (you wish), it IS the calorie burning version. You have to keep you head warm when out running! Breathing cold air might make your lungs angry, so pretend you are Batman and pull an balaclava over your head. Just remember people can’t see you smiling .

#3) Hat and neck warmer

If you don’t want to embrace your inner Batman, you can opt for a neck warmer and hat combo. You can pull the neck warmer over your mouth and nose. Add a warm hat to not only make you look cute, but comfy as well. Keep your face warm and help combat the dry air with these items!

#4) Gloves

You want to write about your run when you return, so don’t freeze your fingers off! A quality pair of gloves or these makes all the difference. And besides keeping your hands warm, they also double as a tissue .

#5) Under Armour ColdGear

I have had UA Cold Gear pants for 4 years now and absolutely love them. Keep your legs warm! Of course they also have other layers too. Women’s ColdGear and Men’s ColdGear. The gear is designed to keep your body heat inside the gear so you stay nice and dry and toasty.

#6) Mizuno Breathe Thermo Gear

This is another running brand I love. I’ve been wearing various pieces of this gear since it came out in 2006 (or was it 2007- I forget). According to Mizuno, their Breathe Thermo line is designed to “change body moisture to heat”. Translation when you sweat the gear will keep you warm. From socks to arm warmers to gloves to pants to tops, I am sure you will fall in love with this material as much as me! The Breathe Thermo gear is mixed in throughout- check the gear title. Women’s and Men’s

#7) Socks

You must keep your feet warm! You don’t want to run with cold feet! Besides the Mizuno Breathe Thermo socks, Balega, SmartWool and SwiftWick are all great moisture wicking socks. If you live in really cold areas, you may have to double up on socks. I have put on a plastic grocery bag (another way to recycle!) over my socks before putting my running shoes on. The plastic bag acts an an wind barrier to keep all 10 happy .

If you have a runner in your life, they would probably like something from this list. Or if Santa doesn’t bring you running gear joy, here is your list.

Note: I am in no way affiliated with above brands/products. I just have had positive success with them and passing it on to you. Peace! 

Photo credit: danbruell

Happy Monday kids! And when I say kids you can be 3 years old or 73 years old – we’re all kids at heart !

In the USA it is Thanksgiving week and food temptation abounds! And maybe that time of year when working out gets put on the back burner. Why throw away all the hard work you just did for the past 11 months? NO! Don’t use the holidays as an excuse to slack.

Pro tip: sign up for a race taking place in January 2012.

Personal application: perhaps you need a little kick in the pants. Well, I aim to please. Yesterday, I officially signed up to run BACK-TO-BACK marathons. Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012 AND then Sunday, Jan. 8, 2012. Two states. 26.2 miles x 2. Glup.

Mississippi Blues Marathon in Jackson, Miss., on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012.

BankTrust First Light Marathon in Mobile, Ala., on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2012.

I’m currently training for my second 100 mile ultra marathon (Rocky Raccoon 100) and I need the miles. So what better way than to run two marathons in a weekend? I think it’s genius, but that’s my humble opinion .

So what January 2012 race (or fitness class or other fitness goal) will you sign up for? If you need ideas, you just let me know!

REMEMBER! Don’t use the holidays as an excuse to slack!

Race eve can be an exciting and yet nerve-shattering time. Did I train enough? Did I get in my long runs? What about the weather? Will I finish? Can I finish? Will I miss seeing my friends on the course?

First of all, it is a-okay to be nervous! If you weren’t, well it would be like not having a heart beat! Nervousness is your body’s signal that something BIG is about to happen. Embrace it. But don’t get hung up on it!

The list of thoughts running (no pun intended) in your head can be fast & furious. What are some ways to calm your mind? Here are a few tips for you!

- Stay off your feet! Go to packet pickup/expo 2 days before race!

- Keep hydrated (all week)! Sip water throughout the day.

- Don’t try any new food! Trust me on this one!

- Be prepared! Lay out your gear, put timing chip on shoe, race bib on shirt, whatever you need for race day!

- Take a gentle yoga class! If you have practiced yoga before and it is something your body is used to, this is a great way to calm down and get centered. I would advise against Bikriam or hot yoga. You want to keep hydrated before race day.

- Take a nap! Close your eyes, relax. Usually the night before a race, runners find it hard to sleep. Get some rest during the day!

- Read! Have a book you’ve wanted to start or finish? Today is the perfect time for it! Or a good magazine.

- Pray! Faith works. Say a prayer. Or quote a favorite Bible verse. I personally love Jer. 29:11.

Have confidence! You will finish! The human body and mind are amazing. Have the will to dig deep when it hurts!

Peace, love and sweat!

Photo by lizbadley