Sarasota Music Half Marathon #win

disclosure: This entry and the giveaway entry was given to me by the Sarasota Music Half Marathon. All opinions are my own.

I am very excited to share with you that I am officially signed up for the Sarasota Music Half Marathon.

Date:   Sunday, February 8, 2015
Start Time:  7:00 a.m.
Start / Finish:  Start at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, over the Ringling Bridge and back, pass Selby Gardens, up Orange Ave into the Cherokee Park neighborhood, back through Selby Gardens and finish at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall!
www.SarasotaHalf.com

Discounted entry fee ends Dec. 31, 2014!

Only $85.00

I have been trying to find a way to get myself motivated to run. Rather than wait til 2015, I am starting now! I will be running two half marathons at the beginning of the year. One is this one, and the other is the Sarasota First Watch. I am offering a free entry to the Sarasota Music Half Marathon to you! See below for details on how to win.

I will be following this training plan. (Unless I find something I like better... you have any good ones?)
 http://running.competitor.com/2014/06/training/half-marathon-training-program_68037

I am really excited about this, but I am also really realistic. I know that I am probably not going to have an epic, fast time, but I look forward to pushing myself and feeling good about myself. At the end of the day, I only have to impress the "gal" in the mirror right?

Here's What You Get:

courtesy of Sarasota Music Half Marathon's website

• Gourmet Athlete Post Race Brunch with Signature Mimosas, French Toast Crostini Topped with Syrup, Strawberries & Whipped Cream, Scrambled Eggs, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Freshly Baked Mini Muffins, Biscuits & Bagels, Cream Cheese, Whipped Butter & Fruit Preserves, Breakfast Potatoes with Peppers & Onions, Fresh Fruit & Berries with Freshly Snipped Mint, Bananas & Oranges.
• Motown Party with Reverend Barry & Funktastic Soul featuring the Hellacious Horns.
• Enjoy the botanical gardens as you run through Selby Gardens at Mile 10.
• Girl Scout Cookie Zone
• Really cool tech t-shirt (Yes, we have separate shirts for boys and girls!)
• A great finisher’s medal that doesn’t weigh 5 lbs.
• Post-race beer party (21+)
• A 13.1 mile moving party!

This is not your typical Rock n’ Roll type event, there are more bands and entertainment stations per mile than any other half marathon or marathon in the country!  And your dollar goes a lot further here — 22 local non-profits will receive a total $25K from organizers and the finish line full is a catered breakfast buffet (stuffed french toast anyone?) by one of the leading local caterers.

Sure to be an inspiring run!  What are you waiting for? Register today for the coveted free entry!

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Reebok Speed Freese Shoes Giveaway
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Apera Bags Giveawaya Rafflecopter giveaway

Momentum: Designs that Move You
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Color me Rad! Giveaway and race info!

disclosure: I was given 4 registrations for this race and two to giveaway to a reader. All opinions are my own.

Last year, Bryce and I ran the Color Me Rad race with some of our  friends. It was a blast. I am so glad that Bryce's buddy Jackson and his family was able to come with us. It made the day ever better. You can read about it here: http://www.mindysfitnessjourney.com/2013/05/color-us-rad-at-color-me-rad-and.html 

Here we are before the race looking so bright and clean!

Our tips for success:

1. Dress in white! Wear as much white as possible. It will allow you to get as colorful as possible!

2. Get there early and stay late! Make a day of it. It's so much fun to enjoy the music and color before and after the race. Don't be in a hurry!

3. Bring your camera or phone but put it in a plastic baggie.  You will want to take tons of pictures and video. It's a blast.

4. Don't run for time. If you are a runner who only wants to PR, I would skip this race. It's not meant for that. It's a chance to get your mom, dad, kids, and neighbors out to have fun. There are walkers, runners, and even some who skip. It's just fun!

5. Bring a change of clothes and lots of towels. At the end of the race, you will be a mess. You will want to change or put some towels down in your car. The clean up is fun, but be prepared to have blue ear wax and snot... LOL... yep I said it! :)

Getting pumped up to start!

It really was amazing. I hope that they will join us again this year on May 24th. 

We cannot wait til this year's. We will be running this race on May 24th in Tampa. There are many other places where this is run. You can win 2 entries to run this race in your city in the rafflecopter below.

If you don't win, you can save 20% on your registration right now! The code MindysFitnessJourney25

 will get you 25% off! Seriously.... 25% off!!! That is a huge discount!!! Go sign up now!!! :) 

Register here: http://www.colormerad.com/.

Have you run a color race? Why would you want to?

Enter for a chance to win an entry to any Color Me Rad in the country:

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ElectroDash 5k... Enter for a chance to win! #giveaway

There is really nothing more fun that doing fun runs with a big group of friends and family. I am excited to share with you that Electrodash 5K has contacted me and asked if I would like to help promote this run. Um... YES! Are you kidding me! Here is some of the awesomeness you can expect! This is going to be a blast! 

We are fortunate that I have been given 10 entries to giveaway to you! I am going to give them away in groups of two. That way you can take a friend with you. These races are all over the country! Head over to their website to see if there is one near you. Our race is March 21st. It's going to be a blast! I am going to create a team, so you can sign up to be with us if you want! 
Register at www.electrodash5k.com and enter code: MINDY15, which will actually give you a 15% discount. According to their website, our senses will never be the same as we spend our night decked out in a neon glow, dancing our way through a gallery of dazzling light displays, electronic dance music, winding up at the finish line with our world a whole lot brighter... How could you miss this!!! I cannot!

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I Ran For Meg! #megsmiles

Today I ran. I was tired, and I really didn't want to. I am just getting back into running after medical problems, and it's not easy to run. But today I ran... Why? Because I can! Because I am able to lace up and go outside whenever I want to. 

Today, Meg Menzies didn't wake up and run. She couldn't because the last time she laced up was the LAST time she will ever lace up. A drunk driver took her life. She will never hug her 3 children again, and she will never hug her husband. I had to run today. Even though I didn't really want to. I had to for her. For her children. For her husband. For her memory. 

I have never met Meg. We aren't neighbors. But she was a runner. And runners CARE about other runners. 

I ran today because I had to. What if I lace up, and it's my last run? What if my last hug to Bryce is my last hug? I had to run today because there was NO other choice. I had to appreciate the pavement under my feet. I had to love the wind trying to stop me on my sprints. I had experience the pain and voice in my head telling me to stop. I had to LIVE! I had to do it for Meg. I had to do it for me.

My heart aches for Meg and her family. It aches for the man who killed her as well. He will never get over what he did. I know that those drinks weren't worth what happened. There is so much pain in this story. 


Meg, your family is in my prayers. I hope that all of the runners out there appreciate their runs today and I hope everyone remembers not to drink and drive or even text and drive. Life is too precious for that! 

Meet Nanci! Featured Blogger

Meet my sweet friend, Nanci!

I have been motivated by Nanci over the last year. She has been killing it on the pavement and at Weight Watchers! You need to follow Nanci! She is the real deal! She and I met through the Tampa Bay Bloggers. We are a community of bloggers who often work together. It is truly one of the greatest group of friends I have found. 

Name: Nanci Cernak State: FL

When and why did you start working out? 
I first joined a gym just out of high school and have worked out in some form or fashion ever since then. I have been through phases of gym memberships and working out at home for over 20 years now. I have always been self-conscious about how I look. I started running – briefly – in 2006 to lose weight. I started again in 2011 after a miscarriage, failed infertility treatments, and losing my dad all caught up with me and I realized I needed to take care of myself. In 2012, running became a big part of my life and this year it has become even more so.

What is your workout of choice?
Running. It is my therapy and has helped me tremendously this year with weight loss, stress, and becoming a much stronger person.

What is your favorite race, race distance, and WOD? 
To date, my favorite race is probably the Sarasota Half Marathon because I PR’d there in March of this year and finally finished under 3 hours. I am really hoping to PR again this Sunday at the Women’s Half in St. Pete!

What is your most favorite piece of workout gear? 
I have two… My Brooks Glycerin 10 running shoes and my Garmin Forerunner 100 watch.

Do you follow any diet or take any specific supplements that complement your workouts? 
After successfully losing 27 pounds on Weight Watchers back in 2006 and then putting it back on, I decided to go back again on January 1st of this year, making 2013 my year to lose weight. I set a goal of 40 pounds and I am down 27 pounds so far. Weight Watchers works for me. Nothing is off limits if I have the points, I love the meetings, and I need the accountability of the weekly weigh-ins.

What is your favorite cheat food?  
Wings and beer. So bad, but so good. I firmly believe in working hard and playing hard, and enjoying my favorite cheat food is a necessity!

What advice would you give someone just starting out? 
Don’t give up. Do what you can, when you can. Don’t have an all-or-nothing mentality when it comes to working out or losing weight. What is your best workout memory? 
When I ran my first half marathon in 2012, I had an average pace of almost 14:00. I would walk more than I ran. Now, I run much more than I walk. I can run a full 3 miles without a walk break, and have done a couple 5 mile runs without a walk break as well. I believe walk breaks are fine – and important – but it is a huge thing for me to run non-stop for 30+ minutes. My best pace to date is 09:37 – that was on a 3 mile run. Pretty darn awesome!

What is your biggest “FIT BUCKET LIST” item? 
Even though I swore I would never do a full marathon, I want to train for one in 2014 and complete one in 2015.

Tell us something that not many people know about you?  
Contrary to what people may think, I am very shy and I always worry and wonder what people think of me. My blog has helped me step out of my comfort zone, to open up a lot more and I am becoming a much more confident person.

How we can connect with Nanci: Blog: http://thiscrazylifeofmine.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuntNanci Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nanci.cernak Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/auntnanci/boards/ Instagram: http://instagram.com/auntnanci#

Do you have a success story like Nanci? I want to hear it!!!

The Color Run Fun!

THE COLOR RUN! 

The Color Run has exploded since its debut last year with more than 2 million "likes" on Facebook and more than 7 million views on YouTube. The Color Run has recently been featured on ESPN, Runner’s World, Sports Illustrated andWall Street Journal, to name a few.

With no winners or official times, The Color Run celebrates healthiness, happiness, and individuality, bringing the community together to create a five-kilometer canvas of colorful fun in which thousands of participants are doused from head to toe in different colors at each kilometer.

Last year, Bryce and I ran our first color race in St. Petersburg. It was so much fun. 

This January, 26, Bryce and I will run it again! We are thrilled to be a part of it! We will be running in Clearwater, Florida!

CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITE FOR A RACE NEAR YOU! 

http://thecolorrun.com/ 

If you enter the code: COLOR5OFF you can save $5!

Announcing the 2014 Kaleidoscope Tour! We're hitting your cities like never before... Amazing new participant gear, Fresh music, and Color crazy race attractions. This is 5K Magic like only The Color Run can do.

“We call The Color Run the ‘happiest 5K on the planet’ because our events bring together friends and family in a unique, healthy, and fun environment,” said Travis Snyder, founder of The Color Run. “Our only rules are that people wear white and prepare to be covered in color at the finish!”

The Color Run visited over 50 cities last year with more than 600,000 participants, a feat following their first event in January of 2012. They plan to make 2013 a stellar year, launching more than 170 events with well over 1 million participants.

“Color Runners,” as they are called, vary in demographics and reasons for running. With no winners or official times, The Color Run caters to anyone – first time runners to professional athletes. Over 60 percent of Color Runners are first-time 5k runners and participate as a celebration and capstone of their healthy living accomplishments. 

Have you ever done The Color Run?  Would you?