Have you heard of Dimity and Sarah from Another Mother Runner? These ladies are the authors of Run Like a Mother and Train Like a Mother. They also blog, run marathons, and do free podcasts through iTunes! You will laugh, be motivated, encouraged and learn that no matter what, you are not alone in this running gig.
In their store they have a Sole Sister Tank Top and they want to give one away- for free!- to a luck blog reader! In addition, you can enter the code SSDiscount in the notes section when you order and the ladies will rebate $7 off your tank top order! This code is good until this Friday!
Want to win a free tank? Comment below with your favorite item from their store, or your favorite tidbit you learned from one of their books! You can earn additional entries by doing one or more of the following, leaving a separate comment for each:
1. Follow Our Sole Sister blog!
2. Follow Sole Sisers on Facebook
3. Follow Another Mother Runner on Facebook
4. Add yourself to the Mother Runner Tribe
5. Share this blog post and giveaway on Facebook!
These ladies were kind enough to send our friend Carrie a Sole Sister tank after her brain tumor was removed. Thank you so much, for loving on our Sole Sister!
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Monday, October 15, 2012
The Vintage Pearl Necklace: A GIVEAWAY!
I was given the opportunity to wear and review a hand stamped necklace from The Vintage Pearl.
I'm pretty picky when it comes to wearing necklaces because they tend to give me a headache depending on how the necklace lays and pulls on the back of my neck. I am happy to announce that I now have four necklaces that I can wear headache-free! This one is not heavy so it does not pull! I've worn this for several days and many people have commented positively on it! It also comes with a polish pad to help keep it looking new. If you have children like mine who like to look at and and gently touch your necklace, it comes in very handy! I plan to order another necklace from her store as a gift this Christmas.
Now, I have some more good news! The Vintage Pearl has given us a necklace just like this one to give away to one of you! I'm using Rafflecopter for this giveaway. The first entry is mandatory if you'd like to be included in the giveaway. It starts today, October 15 and closes on October 22 at 12:01 AM EST. One winner will be chosen and announced here on the blog. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thursday, October 11, 2012
You just never know....
I was pretty excited to get outside for my run this morning. The weather was pretty fantastic, cool enough to be comfortable even when running, but NOT windy! The wind can be pretty fearsome out here so any run without fighting it feels like a walk in the park.
For the most part I am a creature of habit. I run the same roads at about the same time and on the same days. Just when it starts to get boring some happy neighbor forgets their dogs outside and I veer off in a different direction and run on the other side of town to avoid becoming a mid morning snack for Fido. Or like today I got to run past a film crew!
In this part of the country, it is not too common to see crews filming in my neighborhood. So, I made sure to take pictures! ;) I am definitely not the best with cameras under good conditions so taking photos with my phone while running (and doing my best not to trip!) was not easy for me. But I hope you get the gist!
Not only did I get to enjoy a fabulous fall morning while completing 4 miles I got to witness a truly unique happening. How was your run today? :)
For the most part I am a creature of habit. I run the same roads at about the same time and on the same days. Just when it starts to get boring some happy neighbor forgets their dogs outside and I veer off in a different direction and run on the other side of town to avoid becoming a mid morning snack for Fido. Or like today I got to run past a film crew!
.JPG) |
| Sorry for this picture being blurry, I wanted to capture the line of cars on what is normally a deserted street. |
.JPG) |
| They even brought this huge generator. If you click on this photo you can see the lights and staging better. |
.JPG) |
| The white trailer in this picture had a clothes rack fully loaded down with outfits. I was almost ready to stop and do a little shopping. ;) |
Not only did I get to enjoy a fabulous fall morning while completing 4 miles I got to witness a truly unique happening. How was your run today? :)
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
STRONGER
So on this Saturday and Sunday October 13 and 14th, 2012 I am going to
attempt the most physically challenging thing I have ever done. I am
going to run a half marathon on Saturday, 13.1 miles and then wake up and
do it all again on Sunday! Say what?!?! You read that right. It is
called the Double Half Mary and it is BOLD! If you know me you know I
enjoy running, I have run two half marathons, some 5Ks some 10Ks. I DO
consider running not just something I do but PART of who I am. I often
use the line “ I have turned out to be so much stronger than I ever
thought I would be”. That sounds all great but what exactly do I mean.
So many other
amazing women in this group have been so very very honest about why
they run and all their struggles and trials. I thought I would be
honest as well.
When I use the line stronger than I ever thought I would be, I am talking about a time in my life when I would not have used Strong as a word to describe myself or anything about me. I was in a young marriage that was not healthy. It was both physically and emotionally abusive. I will not tell you about all details, but I went through ALOT and it was a hard time for me. I felt weak emotionally and physically. I made the decision to start a better life for my beautiful newborn daughter and started my journey as a single mother. I sacrificed to make ends meet and am proud to say she turned out to be a pretty wonderful, she is an amazing young lady today, OK actually she is perfect.
I have since that time forgiven my Ex- husband, met and married a wonderful man who loves me just they way I am and have two more beautiful daughters, twins now age four. I have a little three bedroom house with a backyard and I am able to stay home with my children and enjoy every moment with them.
I run because everything I have been through is a part of me, I have lived through it and gotten stronger for going through it. I would not change one minute of anything I have gone through. I love the person I have grown to be and every experience made me what I am today. With every step on every run I feel stronger, I think of where I have been and what I have learned and where I still want to go. I think of my amazing family and how much I love them. Most of all I just feel Happy and Grateful.
So this weekend when I line up on the starting line of my crazy races you may be standing right next to me in the race but it is not you I am competing against. I run for me, I run to be STRONGER.
When I use the line stronger than I ever thought I would be, I am talking about a time in my life when I would not have used Strong as a word to describe myself or anything about me. I was in a young marriage that was not healthy. It was both physically and emotionally abusive. I will not tell you about all details, but I went through ALOT and it was a hard time for me. I felt weak emotionally and physically. I made the decision to start a better life for my beautiful newborn daughter and started my journey as a single mother. I sacrificed to make ends meet and am proud to say she turned out to be a pretty wonderful, she is an amazing young lady today, OK actually she is perfect.
I have since that time forgiven my Ex- husband, met and married a wonderful man who loves me just they way I am and have two more beautiful daughters, twins now age four. I have a little three bedroom house with a backyard and I am able to stay home with my children and enjoy every moment with them.
I run because everything I have been through is a part of me, I have lived through it and gotten stronger for going through it. I would not change one minute of anything I have gone through. I love the person I have grown to be and every experience made me what I am today. With every step on every run I feel stronger, I think of where I have been and what I have learned and where I still want to go. I think of my amazing family and how much I love them. Most of all I just feel Happy and Grateful.
So this weekend when I line up on the starting line of my crazy races you may be standing right next to me in the race but it is not you I am competing against. I run for me, I run to be STRONGER.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Out of the box.
This weekend, a few friends and I went to SheQuest women's retreat at Camp Gargano, just south of the city limits. The event was advertised as a retreat and "rejuvenation" for women of all athletic abilities. It was to conclude with a 5K obstacle run! Even though I am only about seven months in to the healthy eating and lifestyle change process, I figured it sounded like something I could do. You know, since it was for people of all athletic abilities! After all, I had confidently reached my goal of running a 5K before the end of 2012 (I did a nearly 6-mile run a few weeks back!) and have competed in multiple races this year with decent results. I felt as if I was well prepared, but a little nervous for the obstacle course- mostly because I didn't know what to expect from it.
Well..... let's just say there is not much on my body today, two days later, that doesn't hurt. Really! Even my toes. No joking there, it's from trying to move sideways on a tall vertical wall with only small 2" x 4" boards to stand on. In crappy shoes that don't fit me. (it would have been a mud course if not for the c-c-c-old temperatures.)
This retreat, in my opinion, was not for any sort of "beginner level" athlete. I have bruises on my body that indicate some sort of vicious attack on my person. My bumps and bruises have bumps and bruises! I have muscle pain in places I didn't know muscles existed! I was afraid to admit this to a friend of mine who is in wonderful shape, having began her journey two years ago (or more?) but she is also sore and bruised today. Phew! It's not just me.
All of that being said, I learned so much about myself and about my determination. I learned that when things get tough, I CAN do it. I will try and try and push and push and yes, sometimes I will give up- but sometimes I will surprise you (and myself!) by grabbing that six-foot wall and just tossing myself over it. Truth be told, I learned how much further I have to go, and in the middle of this challenge I was in tears behind my sunglasses: jaw trembling, fear deep inside of my soul. I started to think through the "why me?" and "what was I thinking?!?" "how did I get this way?!?" and for a few minutes I really gave up on myself and lay in the dirt, literally and metaphorically. I felt unworthy of being in that place, once again "the fat one" but for once in my life not the girl who thinks that she can't. Could I do the workouts? You betcha. And I did. I surprised myself, and it was not because my friends were there, it was because I really wanted it.
Later on in the course, we were asked to grab one or two large jugs and carry them while we walked what seemed like five miles (it was probably only .25 mile or maybe even less!) "How much do these weigh??" I asked. My answer: 30 or 35 pounds each.
Suddenly, it clicked. I was struggling to heave this 30 or 35 pound jug though the course. It was HARD. And how hard is losing weight/getting stronger? Also HARD. I used to lug 32 pounds everywhere I went in life. And now, I am 32 pounds lighter of that weight burden. It was the first time I have had that self-realization of how far I have come. I can not believe how hard it was to carry that weight along, and how much easier it will be when the next 32 pound jug is a thing of my past. So, while I have a long ways to go, I am able to (for the first time) realize that life is a series of small victories that we should celebrate.
My fire is re-ignited after a one-month funk and I am ready to commit to workouts that are as hard as what I experienced on the course this weekend, and in class with the trainer. I am going to borrow my neighbor/trainer's P90X and get to work on my Jillian DVDs on a few days, too. I can do the weight machines just fine, but I learned that my core and balance need a lot of work, as well as my upper body, and I am super determined to master the burpees and planks I struggled with on Saturday.
So here's a little "You can do it!!" for your Monday, because you know what? You can! And I can! We all can! Let's just step out of the box at times and see where our steps will lead. To greater strength! And endurance! I am thankful for the journey, even when this beginner athlete gets her tail kicked.
If you're interested in seeing the course we competed on (and a few of the obstacles I fell off of, haha) here is a neat video I found.
Victory Quest/Camp Gargano obstacle course
Well..... let's just say there is not much on my body today, two days later, that doesn't hurt. Really! Even my toes. No joking there, it's from trying to move sideways on a tall vertical wall with only small 2" x 4" boards to stand on. In crappy shoes that don't fit me. (it would have been a mud course if not for the c-c-c-old temperatures.)
This retreat, in my opinion, was not for any sort of "beginner level" athlete. I have bruises on my body that indicate some sort of vicious attack on my person. My bumps and bruises have bumps and bruises! I have muscle pain in places I didn't know muscles existed! I was afraid to admit this to a friend of mine who is in wonderful shape, having began her journey two years ago (or more?) but she is also sore and bruised today. Phew! It's not just me.
All of that being said, I learned so much about myself and about my determination. I learned that when things get tough, I CAN do it. I will try and try and push and push and yes, sometimes I will give up- but sometimes I will surprise you (and myself!) by grabbing that six-foot wall and just tossing myself over it. Truth be told, I learned how much further I have to go, and in the middle of this challenge I was in tears behind my sunglasses: jaw trembling, fear deep inside of my soul. I started to think through the "why me?" and "what was I thinking?!?" "how did I get this way?!?" and for a few minutes I really gave up on myself and lay in the dirt, literally and metaphorically. I felt unworthy of being in that place, once again "the fat one" but for once in my life not the girl who thinks that she can't. Could I do the workouts? You betcha. And I did. I surprised myself, and it was not because my friends were there, it was because I really wanted it.
Later on in the course, we were asked to grab one or two large jugs and carry them while we walked what seemed like five miles (it was probably only .25 mile or maybe even less!) "How much do these weigh??" I asked. My answer: 30 or 35 pounds each.
Suddenly, it clicked. I was struggling to heave this 30 or 35 pound jug though the course. It was HARD. And how hard is losing weight/getting stronger? Also HARD. I used to lug 32 pounds everywhere I went in life. And now, I am 32 pounds lighter of that weight burden. It was the first time I have had that self-realization of how far I have come. I can not believe how hard it was to carry that weight along, and how much easier it will be when the next 32 pound jug is a thing of my past. So, while I have a long ways to go, I am able to (for the first time) realize that life is a series of small victories that we should celebrate.
My fire is re-ignited after a one-month funk and I am ready to commit to workouts that are as hard as what I experienced on the course this weekend, and in class with the trainer. I am going to borrow my neighbor/trainer's P90X and get to work on my Jillian DVDs on a few days, too. I can do the weight machines just fine, but I learned that my core and balance need a lot of work, as well as my upper body, and I am super determined to master the burpees and planks I struggled with on Saturday.
So here's a little "You can do it!!" for your Monday, because you know what? You can! And I can! We all can! Let's just step out of the box at times and see where our steps will lead. To greater strength! And endurance! I am thankful for the journey, even when this beginner athlete gets her tail kicked.
If you're interested in seeing the course we competed on (and a few of the obstacles I fell off of, haha) here is a neat video I found.
Victory Quest/Camp Gargano obstacle course
Sabre Red Winner
Congrats Randi S
True Random Number Generator
4
Powered by RANDOM.ORG
Please e-mail me at mockander {at} yahoo {dot} come and I will put you in contact with Sabre Red for your free Pepper Spray!!
True Random Number Generator
4
Powered by RANDOM.ORG
Please e-mail me at mockander {at} yahoo {dot} come and I will put you in contact with Sabre Red for your free Pepper Spray!!
Friday, October 5, 2012
Handana Winner!!
Winner, Winner, Handana Winner: Patty T
True Random Number Generator
7
Powered by RANDOM.ORG
Congratulations, Patty!!! You can send your preferred mailing address to me at Melaneyt at hotmail dot com.
I have to admit that I was super excited to see people I don't know entering this giveaway! I love finding new blogs and I hope you all continue to enter Sole Sisters giveaways and leave comments on posts. Thank you!!
True Random Number Generator
7
Powered by RANDOM.ORG
Congratulations, Patty!!! You can send your preferred mailing address to me at Melaneyt at hotmail dot com.
I have to admit that I was super excited to see people I don't know entering this giveaway! I love finding new blogs and I hope you all continue to enter Sole Sisters giveaways and leave comments on posts. Thank you!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)