Bondi Band Giveaway! [Closed]

I’m so happy to announce that my first giveaway on The Girl’s Got Sole is for an awesome Bondi Band! The folks at Bondi Band sent me two bands, one to review and one to giveaway!  They are great for holding your hair in place when you run, walk, bike, hike or whatever you love to do as well as keeping the sweat out of your eyes. Not to mention they are stylish and cute. Bondi Band makes bands that are just solid colors as well as bands that say motivating mantras and the like. I have been enjoying mine thus far during all of my outdoor workouts and have even ordered a couple more for upcoming races! The bands are extremely comfortable and have gotten me some compliments and thumbs up from people.

The band that I’m giving away is right up the alley of anyone who loves to cycle. Whether you’re the casual recreational type, or a triathlete, this band will be a great addition under your helmet or just on it’s own.

To enter, you must follow this blog and comment below what your favorite band is from Bondi Band’s website. Contest ends at midnight Eastern on November 4^th and I’ll choose the winner on 11/5 using www.random.org. (Extended entry time! Enter by midnight Eastern 11/5!) 

Rules:

1. Follow this blog.

2. Go to www.bondiband.com and tell me which band is your favorite.

**Please leave a separate comment for each of the following so that each entry gets counted!** 

Extra entries:

+1 Like Bondiband on facebook

+1 Follow Bondi Band on twitter

+1 Follow me on twitter (ShutterbugShann)


Congrats to Courtenay, aka autopilotlegs for winning the bondi band! And, thanks everyone for participating. Hopefully, I'll have more giveaways again soon!

Runner's knee, you will not be the end of thee!

I woke up Monday morning to my knees feeling sore and hurting. At first, I thought that it was probably nothing and that it would go away at some point in the day. However, this soreness and pain wasn't what I was used to with muscle aches from a hard workout. I should have taken the hint right away that something wasn't right, but instead, I shrugged it off. 

Today, I woke up still in the same amount of discomfort. I began to rack my brain. Did I hurt myself somehow over the weekend, or do something differently? After some thought and quick research online, I came to the conclusion that I have runner's knee on both legs (mostly on my right though). Thinking back and connecting the dots so to speak, I believe that my walking more on the sidewalk the last couple of walks, not to mention not using my knee support may have been the cause (also, now that my desk has been moved upstairs at work, I'm going up and down the stairs a lot). Also, I have to admit that I didn't stretch much all weekend after my 6-miler or my bike ride on Sunday evening. Definitely not helping my case any with very little post-workout stretching.

So, I'm going to do the right thing here and follow the treatment regime to get my knees happy again. I've already started to take some Ibuprofen, and I'll be icing tonight. Also, my foam roller is going to get some serious attention this week. My right knee has always been a bit weak, but I haven't had this kind of discomfort in awhile from my knees. It's not fun in the slightest, especially with working a desk job where my legs already get too much rest during the day. I've got 11-miles to do this Saturday for my 1/2 marathon training, but I'll have to see how things go as I might be cutting my mileage down for my long run day.

Miracle Miles 15k Race Report

I did it! After over a week of nervousness and anxiety over the 15k, I can proudly say that I conquered it! It really feels good to do something that you never thought you could possibly accomplish. I've learned in the last couple of years that I am so strong and capable of more than I could have ever imagined I could do with God's help. My faith has aided me so much in my journey.

Mom came with me for this race. I was hoping that my dad would also come along as this was another big race for me after my 10k back in March, but it didn't happen. I was so grateful that my mom gave up sleep to get up so early and wait around for me to finish.

We left the house at about a quarter before 6am since I was told the crowds for this event can get crazy. My parents house is about 30 minutes away from downtown Orlando where the race was, so the drive there was not bad at all. I was pleased to see that we got into a garage fairly quickly without any real waiting. I'm sure if I would have left the house much later it would have gotten more crowded. Parked the car and headed toward the race area. I had a lot of time before the 7:20am start time (I believe it was just after 6:30am when we got there), and that was a good thing. I had plenty of time to use the oh-so-fun port-o-lets, get some pre-race water and just try to relax (not really, but I tried!).

Before I knew it, time had flown by and the 15k race was about to get going. I got behind the walkers sign and got my iPod ready to go. Quite a lot of people were lined up for the race which was nice to see as this race benefits Winnie Palmer Hospital for preemie babies. The starting horn blared and feet began to move. I hit the starting line over two minutes after the clock started, so I took note so I had an idea of my actual timing versus the race clock. I also hit my iPod/Nike+ once I crossed the starting line, so that would be accurate at least on my time.

The first mile came easy, but about mile two, a challenge approached, brick road. I hate walking or running on brick. Especially since the brick is not even in the least with some being broken or loose. When possible, I went on the sidewalk. I couldn't avoid the brick all together though, as there were times that it was unavoidable. Not to mention the hills that seemed to come up here and there (guess Florida isn't COMPLETELY flat). I did pretty well up until mile 4. At that point, I began to have some back pain. I prayed that it would calm down and also massaged it a bit, but it still lingered. Since that was the case, I decided to stop at the port-o-lets at mile five. Since my back injury, having to go can cause back pain for me. While I hated to lose the 40 to 60 seconds it would take to stop, I also wanted relief for my back. It just made sense to lose the bit of time for me. Thankfully, the stop was well worth the time loss, as I did feel better once I got back on the race route.

I was doing pretty well from mile five to mile seven, keeping a good pacing. My back was doing fairly well and I felt okay. Once I hit mile seven, my right leg began to really cramp up. Talk about exchanging one problem for another, huh? I massaged it a bit, but that wasn't really helping. So, I paused for a moment and pulled my knee support down to my ankle and continued walking. My hope that this would aid my leg in loosing up worked! It calmed enough to be tolerable to walk through. I ended up pulling the knee support back up to my knee in the last mile or so, as my knee was bothering me. But, keeping it off for that 10 or so minutes of time was of help.

 By the time I saw the mile nine marker, I couldn't have been happier. Both of my legs/calves were so heavy and tight that I just wanted to finish! I did my best to push myself through the final bit of the route. Once I saw the finish line, I went into a running sprint for it. I wanted to cross that finish line strong! I was so happy to finish, but also very drained. This was a long, rough race! My official d-chip time was 2:21:50. However, the route seems to have been a bit longer than 15k. After seeing that other runners also got more than 9.3 miles from their apps/monitors, the course was more like 9.4 to 9.44 miles. So, I had a pace of just over 15 minutes per mile which I'm so proud of. This was a good race, but very challenging. I'm glad I did it though! I now have my first medal and a new distance high for myself. And, I'm already thinking about my next race. :) (NOTE: Some of my awesome co-workers sponsored me in this race, so big thanks to them for helping make this possible for me and for helping support Winnie Palmer.)

I've got my RoadID!

As an athletic gal these days, I like nothing more than to go out for a good power walk or bike ride to get in my calorie burn. While I love working out and being active with others, more often than not, I am a solo athlete, hitting the pavement on my own. I recently began to wonder, what if something happened to me? Of course, I hope it won't, but what if it did? No one would know who I was or who to call since I don't my license during those outings. With that in mind, I began to research what other runners and cyclists carried with them when they headed out the door. A good deal of them have some kind of ID like RoadID.

After debating if the RoadID would be a good fit for me, I was offered a chance to get one for free back in late July. A promotional company that works with RoadID contacted me via twitter asking if I'd like to get my own RoadID. Of course, I was interested and responded back just that. There are a few style options available, I went with the RoadID Elite. Once I conquered the sizing and cutting part of things (the Elite requires you to cut your own once you get the bracelet), I was good to go! I now wear it every time I go out for a walk or bike ride. Sometimes, I even wear it anyway, since it's so comfortable. The first time I wore it, the bracelet did feel a bit heavy on my small wrist, but now I barely know it's there. 

If you are the outdoorsy type and don't carry ID with you, or are seeking a wearable ID, check out RoadID's offerings. They guarantee their products, and the ID itself is easily updated when needed.

Countdown to 15k...

I will be participating in my first 15k race on Saturday. At this point, I'm both excited and nervous about the event. A couple of weeks ago, my 1/2 marathon training called for a 9 mile walk, and I made it through, but it was a push during the last 15 or so minutes. I came to the conclusion that I needed more fuel. By the end, I was not only very hungry, but I was feeling light-headed and tired out since I had only taken one Gu Energy Gel at about mile four. I'm hoping that carrying an additional gel/chews as well as part of an energy bar broken into pieces might help curb those previous problems. Walking for almost 2 1/2 hours takes a lot out of you, and I know now that I wasn't really prepared for that time span.

My only other worry is that my sciatica might cause me some trouble on the course. It comes and goes sometimes, thankfully not as bad as it used to be, but I have had times where my left leg gets numb during a walk. So, I'm doing a lot of positive thinking and praying for this weekend. I know that I have a lot of strength inside and out and that I can do this 15k. I had similar concerns right before my 10k back in March, so I suppose it's just a matter of keeping your head up and knowing that you can and will cross that finish line. I'm thankful for the support that I have in my dailymile running friends. They are great motivators and inspiration for me when I'm having to push through a tough time.

1/2 Marathon Training Update: Week 5

As I enter my second month of training, I thought an update on how things were going was in order. I would be onto week six at this point, but I got sick about week two, so I restarted the week that I only made it partially through. That's okay though, as the Space Coast 1/2 Marathon isn't until the end of November, so more than enough time to repeat weeks when necessary.

I hit my longest and hardest long mile day to date this past weekend. Saturday called for 7 miles and up until that point, I hadn't done anything longer than 10k distance wise. I was both excited and a bit nervous heading out the door at just after 7am that morning. The first 5k went easily, as my body is so used to that distance now. By the time I hit mile four, I was feeling a bit lower on energy, but I downed a Gu energy gel and figured I'd be good to go. The fifth mile is when the real mental push began. I not only started to have tired legs, but my bladder was less than thrilled about continuing on. Really took a lot of pushing to make it those last two miles. The last mile had me imagining how great it was going to be to complete the 7 miles and get off my feet. My music always helps me along, but hitting that pavement for long periods of time really does take some mental stamina. I made it through the full 7 miles and couldn't have been happier about it. It really was an accomplishment, the start of many more to come as well. 

I picked up my first foam roller a little over a week ago and have slowly begun to incorporate it into my after workout training routine. I will admit though, I'm not completely comfortable with it as of yet, and I already know I don't stretch nearly enough before or after my training sessions. That of course isn't good, so I'm making sure to remind myself that my time stretching is just as important as the workout itself. Hopefully, I'll get it better ingrained into my brain in the coming weeks so that it will come more as a second nature thing to me.

Over the weekend, I ended up talking with a fellow walker at Track Shack about race walking. He is a race walker and told me that I would get much better results from my walking if I used the race walking technique. The biggest thing that got me is that he said that I would be much faster race walking. So, I'm going to try to start using the technique during this week's walking days. I'd love to see a faster pace for sure. I may never win anything in the races that I do, but while finishing is the most important thing of all, challenging myself to do each mile quicker is always something on my mind.

Fuelbelt products

As my fitness goals and adventures have grown, I've begun to explore the plethora of products out there for runners, cyclists and everyone in between. There are so many great products made for us athetes to help make our training just a bit easier. In this particular blog, I'm going to discuss Fuelbelt and my experiences with their products thus far.

My first Fuelbelt purchase was the Slim Pocket Race Number Belt. I was recommended the belt earlier this year when I was about to take on my first race longer than a 5k. I wore it during the Winter Park Road Race 10k and it was great. I was able to store a gel as well as my phone as I completed the route. My race number stayed on without any problem. A much better solution to dealing with those safety pins. I will likely be one I use during future races as it's comfortable and lightweight.

Since I was so impressed with Fuelbelt's race belt, I found myself leaning toward their products during my search for a bento box for my bike back in June. I did a lot of research both online and in the local bike/specialty shops and found the Fuelbelt Bento Fuel Box to not only have great reviews from customers, but it appeared to have the stability I was seeking for a stem storage bag. Upon recieving it, my only complaint is that since I have a smaller bike (13in women's Raleigh Eva), I had to attach one of the lower velco straps differently than expected. But, once I figured out a secure way to keep it in place on my stem, it's held up well and I use it every time I go out on my bike.

In July, with a big goal in mind of completing my first-ever 1/2 Marathon, I found myself again in the market for another running product. This time, it was a hydration belt. At first, I was torn between just picking up a handheld bottle, but the folks at Track Shack were great at educating me as to why a hydration belt would be a better investment. Then, it was up to me which belt I would go with. Spotting Fuelbelt on the product wall, it didn't take long for me to decide to go with one of their hydration belts. I walked out of the running store with a Helium 4 Bottle Belt. My first workout with it was a bit awkward, I'll admit (my family even thought it looked funny), but I always wear it and carry at least two bottles with me now every time I head out the door for my training. The only downside to the product for me is that to keep the water cold in the Florida heat, I freeze the bottles overnight; this causes them to "sweat" all over my shirt and shorts. Folded up paper towels stuck between the bottle and my clothes have helped some, but not completely.

I'd love to check out other Fuelbelt products in the near future. I'm already very interested in getting an extra pocket for my Helium belt to hold my android phone. Some of the other products that interest me are the Crush Belt, Sprint Palm Holder and Insulated Sahara Palm Holder. I'd definitely recommend checking out their products, especially the hydration and race belts.