06/29/12

All in the Family

Good morning! Another beautiful weekend is just around the corner! Though I might not have a lot planned, I am super excited because I plan on going for a long run this weekend and going to see the new Pixar movie Brave. What are you doing this weekend? In other exciting news, I have two new running partners in crime, which I am in running heaven just thinking about it! My brother, Scott, and his fiancée, Dana, have decided to join me at the start line and run the 2013 Tinker Bell Half Marathon. Though we might not live in the same city anymore my brother and I have always been very close. I look forward to talking about all of his training via iChat and text supporting him during his journey in running his first half marathon. I am pretty confident that once he runs this RunDisney race, like his little sis’ he will be hooked.

Disneyland Half Marathon 2011… My New Running Partners

QOTD: Do you run with family? Has your running influenced other family members to get healthy and join in your craziness for running half or full marathons?

06/28/12

Today Lesson is Brought to You by Running

As if life does teach hard enough lessons, running proves to provide valuable life lessons that has leant itself to a whole new perspective and view on the world. Here are 13 lessons that I have learned from running…

Remember to always put one foot in front of the other.
If you fall down, brush yourself off, get up, and get going.
Respect and listen to your body.
If you are tired of starting over, stop giving up.
Take lots of pictures. Someday, if not today, you will be really glad that you did.
Stepping outside of your comfort zone will put things into perspective from an angle you can’t grasp now.
Nothing is not within your grasp, all it takes is 20 seconds of insane courage.
If you don’t want to go for a run, just do it! You will feel so much better when you are finished.
Always be ready for the camera especially on race day.
Drink more water and when you feel that you have had enough water, drink more water.
Be you and eliminate competition. The one the only you.
Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.
Running is fun! Don’t forget to wear a costume or even a tutu on race day!!

QOTD: What life lessons have you learned from running?

06/25/12

Arroyo Creek Half Marathon Race Number 10 Recap

I think that I am still suffering from runners high!! I am still in amazement as to the amazing day that I had yesterday at the Arroyo Creek Half Marathon. From the moment I woke up I knew that it was going to be a great day!!

Did you spot this frog during the race?

The race started at Rancho Simi Park and ran along the Arroyo bike path, which was along side Arroyo Creek filled with ducks and cranes enjoying the beautiful summer day. This was one of the most serene and tranquil races that I have ever participated in. At times it felt as though it was just me and nature running this race. I even was able to spot the Arroyo Creek frog mascot. I am not sure if I have admitted this previously, though I am proud that I have completed each race, I have not been proud of my completion times as I felt that since I got sick this winter I have digressed rather than progressed with my pace. That all changed yesterday when I crossed the finish line in under 2 hours 49 minutes. That was start of yesterdays running high.

I did it!! Check Race 10 off my list!!

Following breakfast at Brent’s deli and exploring Westlake Village, I headed over to the Lululemon in Calabasas. For those not aware of Lululemon it is heaven on earth for both female and male runners. Mind you I am a walking Lululemon advertisement from head to toe. I can’t go on a run without wearing my favorite Lulelemon socks, running capris or a skirt, they are seriously the best pants and skirts as they have zip back pockets. I was immediately greeted by happy and peppy Lululemon clad women who quickly congratulated and praised me on completing my half marathon earlier in the day. One thing lead to another and we started talking about goal setting, 13 Going on Crazy, and specifically my goal of completing 13 half marathons in 13 months.

After trying on numerous cute tanks and skirts I decided upon 2 skirts. When I went to the register the super nice Lululemon ladies, Sabrina and Samantha had an ear to ear smile and told me that they wanted to give me a skirt as a present as they were inspired and motivated by my goal. I was stunned by the generosity of these ladies and Lululemon. After profusely thanking them their response was, we are so inspired by your story that we wanted to give you this skirt as a gift of congratulations.

My New Favorite Lululemon Running Skirt

Needless to say I did not want the day to end! What a great race followed by a wonderful experience at Lululemon. Hat’s off to race director Bill Escobar at the Arroyo Creek Half Marathon for providing runners a most memorable running experience. And a special curtsy bow to Sabrina, Samantha, and the rest Lululemon Calabasas for my favorite cute new running skirt!!

QOTD: If you are a Lululemon lover, what’s your favorite product or must have item? Did you just run the Arroyo Creek Half Marathon, what was your favorite part about the race?

06/23/12

Running Gives Me Hope

More times than I care to remember running has taught me a valuable lesson; to put one foot in front of the other. I feel that I am at my most insightful and learn the most about myself when I am out for a run. Out on a run I am simply a girl with her thoughts. I often think of these as my moment’s of clarity. I’m sure other’s could relate to this as well. This is where I learned that when things are not going right in your life, you have to accept them because that is when the transformation begins. I never thought that this is where I would be in my life, but here I am. I have learned quickly that this is not the place for me, nor the place that I want to be at, so I am fighting like hell to move on and change my life. My running has given me hope, that I could transform into the person that I want and know that I could be.

: Where I am able to zen out and transform…my happy place.

QOTD: Does running give you hope? What gives you hope?

06/12/12

And the Winner is…Shopportunity Giveaway for Dr. Lucy’s Cookies

Congrats Patricia!! You have won 3 boxes of Dr.Lucy’s Cookies…Shopportunity Giveaway! Please e-mail, 13goingoncrazy@gmail.com your contact information and we will have Dr. Lucy’s cookies send out your cookies!

Thanks to everyone who entered and for being a part of my cheer squad!!

Remember wherever you are, there you go!!

Happy Running!

06/12/12

Confidence and Courage

Without it we can accomplish nothing. Confidence and Courage is very important for a runner. It is what gets you out the door and to the starting line.

I have been mulling over the idea of attempting a full marathon for quite some time now. I think about it often, I have read and reread the Jeff Galloway training plan from last year. I don’t know if I drank too much of the Kool Aid, but it actually seems possible. I don’t know why in the world I want to attempt a full. I could probably even given you a million reasons why I should not run a full, but only one reason as to why I should do it. Perhaps like in life it’s a natural progression for me as a runner. At the rate I’m going as a runner I will be completing my 20^th half marathon at the Walt Disney World Half Marathon 2013.

I keep asking myself, am I really capable of this? Can my body really complete 26.2 miles? Actually 39.3 miles in a two-day period. I am strong believer that just about anyone is capable of finishing a half marathon, if they train properly. A full marathon is a completely different story. It is very hard on the body, both physically and mentally. This is has been a really difficult year health wise. During that difficult time I made a promise to myself that if I became healthy again, my new goal would be to participate in the 2013 Goofy race.

How do you know when you are ready for a full marathon? How do you get the confidence and courage to not only sign up, but also get to the start line? The thought of signing up for a full marathon is an over whelming thought, but it’s just like ripping off a band-aid, eventually you just got to do it.

Perhaps Walt Disney was right, “if you can dream it, you can do it.” I suppose that if I am already dreaming about running Goofy 2013 then YES I can do it!!

06/8/12

Gluten Free Ice Cream Sandwich Recipe & Shopportunity Giveaway

While the ultimate summer treat for most is yummy ice cream and delicious cookies on both sides, this however is not true for all. Often times when you are Gluten Free and Dairy Free you are on the sidelines eating a plate of fresh fruit while watching friends indulge in this snack, until now! Here is how to make easy Gluten Free Ice Cream Sandwiches!! Be sure to check back during the course of the next few weeks and I will be posting a recipe for a July 4th Dr. Lucy’s Cookie Pie Crust! But wait, keep reading to find out how you could win 3 boxes of Dr. Lucy’s Gluten Free and Vegan Cookies to help you prepare this amazing night time snack!!

WHAT YOU NEED

2 Dr. Lucy’s Gluten Free Cookies Sugar Cookies or Cinnamon Thins (Or flavor of your choice)
½ Cup Arctic Zero Frozen Desserts Vanilla Maple
Optional: Sprinkles, Mini Chocolate Chips, or Topping of your Choice

HOW TO DO IT

Place ½ cup of Arctic Zero Frozen Desserts on flat of side of 1 Dr. Lucy’s Gluten Free Cookie; top with flat side of second cookie to make a sandwich.
If desired: Roll sides of sandwich in sprinkles or mini chocolate chips.
Wrap tightly in plastic warp and freeze for at least 1 hour before enjoying!!

Total Nutrition

125 Calories
3 g Fat
13.6 Sugars

Dr. Lucy’s Shopportunity Giveway

Okay the secret is out. I LOVE cookies especially Dr. Lucy’s Cookies. What’s not to love? Each Dr. Lucy’s cookie is made from a dedicated bakery ensuring that there are no detectable allergens from their testing. No gluten, milk, eggs, peanuts, and almonds. It’s hard to choose a favorite, but I’d have to say mine would be Cinnamon Thin. Have you tried the Maple Bliss yet? Mmmmm! There are 7 flavors to choose from, so there’s a little bit of something for everyone! For only 130 calories and 4.5 grams of fat you get 3 Dr. Lucy’s Cookies, how could you go wrong?

One lucky reader will win 3 Boxes of Dr. Lucy’s Cookies.

To enter, leave me a comment telling me your favorite flavor or the flavor you would like to try (mandatory). Click here for all the flavors.

For extra entries (leave a separate comment for each extra entry):

1. Follow me on facebook HERE.

2. Follow me on twitter HERE.

3. Comment on 2 other 13 Going on Crazy posts.

4. Tweet about the giveaway using the following:

SHOPPORTUNITY GIVEAWAY of yumminess from @13GoingonCrazy. WIN 3 boxes of @lucys_tweets. http://www.13goingoncrazy.com/?p=157

5. Follow Dr. Lucy on facebook HERE.

6. Follow Dr. Lucy on twitter HERE.

Giveaway will run until Monday, June 11 @ 8 p.m. PST. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, June 12.

Good luck!

Remember whever you go, there you are!! Melissa

06/4/12

My Mountain…

As of late my preferred method of running oddly on the treadmill, yes I have been known to call it the ‘dreadmill’. I understand that running on a treadmill is a completely different animal than running on the pavement outside, but I am actually enjoying my runs. Until I regain my confidence I think that I will be covering new terrain and logging my miles on the treadmill. Perhaps how we get up the mountain is just as important as how we get down the mountain. In life we sometimes lose sight of how far we have climbed and how far we have come. What matters is how we handle these curve balls that comes our way. I like to think that I handle it with a little bit of grace and whole lot of strength.

Remember wherever you are, there you go.

Melissa

Question of the Day: Do you prefer indoor or outdoor running and why?

06/1/12

Epiphany

Not everything is meant to be okay. Hard times will come to us all. People come and go in our lives. What matters in the end is not what happened, but how we prevail and push through. Life is a magical journey and it’s not always about the destination, it’s those moments that count and take your breath away. I feel as though I am on my home. Tonight I had a great run, not my old pace, but a new pace which I am equally proud of. With time, practice, and persistence I will push beyond these walls and beat my old running pace. My newest venture in my life, 13 Going on Crazy, has connected me with some amazing people who are examples of not falling to your fears, but instead, disregarding life’s limitations and living life to the fullest.

Remember wherever you are, there you go.

Melissa