Winning for Christmas! The iFitness Running Belt Giveaway!

I didn't forget to draw a winner- it's just been a very busy week!!
Taking the list of comments received during the posts in the promotional period- and using the List Randomizer from random.org (unfortunately, the rafflecopter tool didn't work properly- so I had to use a backup plan).
The winner is.................................

F*R*A*N*C*I*E

You have won a Neoprene Single Pouch Running Belt - you get to select which color you would like and iFitness will ship it to you!

Congrats! I know you will love your iFitness belt as much as I love mine!
I will email you with details on how to select your prize from iFitness!

If you didn't win this time- stay tuned - I hope to be able to give away others soon! (Can't Wait? Head over to http://www.ifitnessinc.com/ and get yours now!)

**Other than donating a belt for me to giveaway, I was not compensated for promoting iFitness products in any way. The opinions and reviews in this blog are mine and mine alone.

Holiday Gift Ideas for Your 2011 Runner

Hopefully you surround yourself with lots of active friends and family- and if so, you might want to get them something to help support the habit for the holidays! Here are some of the gifts I'd love to see under my tree!

Running Belt

I talk about it a lot- you’d think I was paid to – but I’m not!

I just really love that this belt does what it says it will do- stay put and fit all my stuff in one place. The only catch is that you need to be realistic about the definition of “all my stuff”. If your stuff will take up more than one pouch- get the double! Never hurts to have extra room. Does not slip, doesn’t bounce and keeps your items dry.

iFitness Single Pouch Running Belt  

AND- I’m giving one of these belts away on December 19, you could win, read on to see how. . .

Hydration;
Camelbak- Like this Annadell-version, the light-weight, 50 oz holding, pack is perfect for those long runs where you don’t want to have to stop for water or carry it in your hands the whole time.
Camelbak Hydration Pack


Early Morning or Night Running- Reflective gear
If you value your life, and you SHOULD- invest in good reflective gear. For cold weather, I think the ultimate is the Nike Vapor Flash Jacket Pricey- but one of these, soon, will be mine.
Don’t have $350 bones to drop on a running jacket (or maybe, where you are, it would be too warm)? Then at a minimum, make sure you have a reflective vest- with lights, even better! Nathan Photon LED Vest 

Gadgets
Lots of people love their various gadgets- but I love my Nike Plus, and here is why:
I don’t like watching a GPS watch, it makes me neurotic about checking my pace or distance or time. With the Nike Plus, I set it- turn on my music and go. Unless I manually check it- I don’t know my pace or distance until I’m finished and it allows me to focus on form, on breathing, on nothing at all. Plus, I like being able to look back through the runs, set challenges for myself and an animated Mini-me isn’t bad either.  Find a Nike Plus


Still stumped for the perfect gift for the active individual in your life?
Here are a few more ideas:

     • Local Running Store gift certificates

          o They can use this towards new shoes, or fuel or clothes- but shows you know their heart is in being active

     • iTunes Gift Card

          o If they like to run (or workout) to music- the gift of music is always a good one!

     • For the ladies: Sweaty Bands! I love these head bands! They are the only ones that don’t slip on my head even when really sweaty! http://sweatybands.com/ Makes a GREAT stocking stuffer!

Now how do you enter to win the belt? It's easy- just comment. Say hi, tell me your favorite accessory or tell me why you need this running belt. You can enter once, every time I post between now and when I do the drawing on 11/19. Each comment is worth one entry.

I'll talk about this running belt in each post- but if you have any questions- use your entry to ask them too!

Giveaway Terms and Conditions

• Other than receiving a free single-pouch running belt from iFitness to give away to one of my readers, I am in no way being compensated by iFitness for my posts. The views and opinions of these posts are mine, and mine alone. Only 1 comment, per post, will be counted as an entry. However, during the giveaway period, you may comment on multiple posts for additional entries. Only Living A Lola Life posts created between 11/28/11 and 12/18/11 will be valid for entry. Winner will be selected, at random, via Rafflecopter; winner selection and announcement via post on 11/19/11. Winner will then select color choice of iFitness Single Pouch running belt, which will be fulfilled through iFitness.

Staying motivated to run. . .when you can't!

It is kind of funny that in my last post I said I would be doing a "posting series about staying motivated to" and then I got really sick . . .and now I can't run.

That is one of the hardest things I had to come to grips with about running. That you really have to work at getting back out for a run when things get in your way. Work gets busy, LIFE gets busy, you get a couple of runs in and think "great! now I'm in a routine again" and WHAM! You get a cold. Now, I know that some people can run with colds - and more power to them! However, with my asthma, I really can't mess around when I get a cold because it is prone to move directly to my chest, no matter what. That typically means I'm out for a week, at least. I've just come down with a cold- that I'm already feeling in my chest. I have a race on Dec 10 - 8 days from now. Blaaarrrrrrrggghhh!

That's one thing I do to stay motiveated and get back out there quickly when things get in the way: Sign up for regular races! The one on 12/10 will be my 7th (and last) race of the year.  As long as I have a race coming up, I know I'll get back out there the first chance I get.

I'd like to know how others stay motivated, or get back on track, after an extended break or illness. What do you do?

Don't forget! All you have to do is comment- and you'll be entered for my iFitness Single Pouch Running Belt giveaway on Dec 19. Each post you comment on from now until then will get you entered for the giveaway.

Holiday Giveaway (and a new post!)

It's been a minute since I posted last (ok, maybe several minutes).
No worries- I've been busy with work and working my run schedule.
I've been adding races to keep my training on track- or at the very least semi-consistent.
I'm re-learning how to make 5 a.m. workouts my friend.
The good news is that I'm nearing my 2 year runniversary- which is not something I expected to hit. I've just always given up before- but I truly have a love for it now. I've figured out how to work through the rough runs and to shrug off the plain BAD runs- I've learned how to let it build me up mentally- but also not break me down emotionally. Plus? I'm building quite the tech shirt collection.

Now for the FUN part!
You may remember that this time last year, I gave away an iFitness running belt after doing a month long review (don't remember? check it out here). I still use this belt on almost every single run, and if I don't- it's because I'm using my OTHER iFitness running belt (same belt, different color). It has ALWAYS lived up to what they say it will- it doesn't slip, it doesn't bounce and it holds SO much. Not every time, but most times- I run with my phone, my keys, my inhaler, my ID, chap stick and iPod and gum. All of it fits in the belt. That's the double pouch.
This giveaway? It's for the single pouch iFitness running belt - if you win, YOU get to pick what color you want. Aside from my SHOES, my running belt is my second most necessary accessory for my running.
I'm going to do a posting series for the next couple of weeks- about the things I do to keep myself motivated, to stay prepared and to run, run, RUN!
For you- it's easy- just comment. Say hi, tell me your favorite accessory or tell me why you need this running belt. You can enter once, every time I post between now and when I do the drawing on 11/19.
I'll talk more about this running belt in each post- but if you have any questions- use your entry to ask them too!
Happy Running!

Re-energizing the Plan

I've been in a bit of a running/fitness funk lately. In my head- I still really want to work hard to reach my goals, and really- my body wants to too. However, life has a way of trying to chip away at the hard work and routines you've built- so between the cold and some recent work stress (simply many highly important projects being due all at once), my routine had suffered. I wasn't getting proper sleep, which meant I wasn't getting up for early morning workouts- and was often forced out of afternoon workouts. After so many missed workouts- you end up with a new routine- a poor one.

Who do I want to be? The Rock Star runner I felt like at the end of May 2011 again.

Yesterday afternoon, while taking a sanity break on Twitter- @FatGirlvsWorld posted that she was disappointed that more people had not yet signed up for her 2nd annual #GoTheDist challenge. It started out as a personal challenge but picked up some steam via twitter and her blog. It was the right message at the right time for me. I had seen the original #GTD and then #GoTheDist tags on Twitter before- but I didn't take the time to really look into it. The principals are great- set measurable, attainable goals WITH others but not VS others - and achieve greatness together.

I set my goals rather low- but did this to keep myself focused on going through the motions and recommitting to my routines. 25 miles running (total) in the month of October, 8 strength training sessions. Absolutely doable if I make the time. I'd like to be more around 40 miles a month and 12 strength sessions- but I'm willing to work my way back there.
If you'd like to join me- and the rest of us-
Follow This Link and follow the directions to sign up

No Fair

not a lot to say here but I'm not happy that the weekend is now semi-consistently cool and I am sick and not able to run. Not cool, universe, not cool.

Sluggish Success

If you live in Indiana, or if you've visited it regularly enough- you know that the weather (especially right at the seasons changeover) can be very - shall we say- fickle. The last week or so has been incredibly comfortably cool. Makes for great runs (in my opinion) and drives me to want to get out there more to inhale that fall air. .
Today- was one of those wilder shifts where it is back at 90-ish degrees (my car said 92). After a very long work day and not the best fuel sources all day- I still got out there and got in just under 2 miles running and then walked another 5 minutes or so. I felt so sluggish- but turns out I was running on the faster end of my spectrum with an 11mm pace.  I was rocking my Ragnar Relay shirt from Wasatch Back 2010 (so far, I'm not an official Weekend Warrior- but I'm going to annoint myself an honorary one until they take notice). As weird as it might sound- I draw strength from that shirt by reminding myself how far I've come since that race - even when the mileage is shorter, I feel stronger now than ever before.
Overnight- it is going to likely drop 25 degrees for the high tomorrow- and that will be my perfect running weather- so while I don't usually run back to back days- tomorrow, I have the opportunity after work again- I'm going to get out there and go!