Milestone!

300+ miles before the end of March! YAY!

iFitness Ultimate Running Belt Review and Giveaway

Recently, I was given the chance to try and review the Ultimate Running Belt from iFitness. I have a belt already (won't tell which) and a hydration belt, so I was curious to see how this belt compared. As you can see from the picture, it has a flat panel behind the pouch and the gel holders. This flat panel helps to keep it stationary while you move. I love this about this belt! My SpiBelt always seems to slip or turn. My hydration belt is only for long runs, and I really don't like the extra weight. So, this one seemed a happy medium!

As you can see from the picture above, it has a pretty good sized pocket. I have had my cell phone, car keys, lip balm, toilet paper :), and a package of Clif shots in the pocket all at once, and it wasn't even full! I could have fit a few more things in there.

I love the gel holders also. On my other belt, I had to store them in the pouch. The pouch would get all nasty on the inside and I would have to fool with the zipper everytime I needed a gel or wanted to put an empty gel back in the pouch. With my hydration belt, I would open an empty bottle and put the gel packets in there. Too much energy! By doing those things, I was wasting energy I could have been using to finish my run.

All in all, I absolutely LOVE this belt! Of all 3 of my belts, this one is my definite favorite! This belt will be the belt that I will be wearing on May 1st when I tackly my first full marathon! :)

Now, onto the giveaway! One lucky reader will have the pleasure of winning a belt just like mine! There are several ways to get entries (leave a separate comment for each):

1. MANDATORY: Become a follower of my blog or let me know if you already are.

2. MANDATORY: Visit the iFitness website HERE and let me know the belt you would choose if you could have any of them.

3. Become a follower of iFitness on Facebook HERE and let them know I sent you.

4. Post this giveaway to your Facebook.

5. Post this giveaway to your blog.

Good Luck! The giveaway will end on Sunday, April 3rd at 11:59 p.m.

Marathon Training Update - Pretty Good Week!

Even though I ended up being about 1.3 miles short on my mileage this week, it was still a pretty good week for running. This week, we had a 5, 8, 5, and 19 for the long run. My week looked like this...

4 miles - 39:11 (9:48 pace)

6.15 miles - 57:44 (9:23 pace)

1.7 miles - 15:15 (8:57 pace)

3.3 miles - on the mill, not sure what my time and pace were

19 miles - 3:09:57 (10:00 pace; flat!)

It was such a busy week that there was not way I was going to get all of my weekly runs in without splitting them up a little, and I still didn't get them all in. But, this is the very first week since the end of December that I have skimped on mileage. Actually, I'm usually over a litte due to boot camp, so it evens itself out, right?

I felt pretty good on all of my during the week runs, and I know Bobbie had some fabulous runs during the week, including two 1st place medals in her age group for some St. Patty's Day races. Way to go Bobbie!

As for the 19 miler, I am very happy about the way it turned out. I hadn't run since Friday morning, so my legs were extra fresh when we set out Sunday morning. We began at the Wellness Center and ran 6 miles through downtown Danville, with a potty stop at Super America. When we returned to the car, we dropped off our jackets, GUed, and took off for the other 13 miles.

We completed the last 13 on Bluegrass Pike, a road famous for it's rolling hills. We are training here because we've heard that there is not better way to prepare us for the hills we will encounter in the Flying Pig!

My goal is to finish the marathon in under 5 hours. I finished 19 miles keeping 10 minute per mile pace, which is well under 5 hours for a full marathon. If I keep a 10 minute pace during the marathon, I can finish in 4 hours and 22 minutes. We'll see!!!

Marathon Training Update...and some advice needed!

Well, another week down, just a few more to go. Our schedule this week looked like this...

5 miles - 48:38

8 miles - 1:18:20

5 miles - 45:00

Shamrock Shuffle 3K - 15:52

17 miles - 2:56:27 (10:23 pace)

All of my runs this week went pretty well, and I'm positive that Bobbie's did as well. We were able to do our 8 mile run together this past week and our 17 miles. We always do our long run together. My first 5 miler was okay, but my mind was preoccupied. I left from school because I had to be back for a meeting, so I was kind of worried about getting back on time.

My second 5 miler was awesome! I kept a 9:00/mile pace the entire run. I started at the Wellness Center, ran 2.5 to the hospital to visit a friend who just had a baby, and ran the other 2.5 back to the Wellness Center.

As for the 17, rough! We had both run on Friday and Saturday, so doing 17 on Sunday was a little much. But, we made it and still stayed under our target time for the marathon.

Now for the advice. Please help!

I am such a busy person. When is it okay to skimp on miles? I haven't skimped yet, but I'm afraid I might have to this week. Skimp on the short runs or the long run?

Brooks Apparel Review...AWESOME!

Don't you love my new outfit? You can't see the entire thing in the pic, I just wanted you to see the outfit in action! I wore it this past weekend during a race, and love it! Tiffany over at Brooks sent me an EZ Run T, a pair of Epiphany shorts, and an Essential Run Long Sleeved 1/2 Zip Pullover.

I can say that I absolutely love everything about my new outfit! The shorts and the shirt are both very breathable. They are both made from moisture wicking material and are very lightweight, which I love. I sweat, A LOT! I have to have material that is breathable. For example, I found a running skirt the other day that was reasonably priced, but I couldn't but it due to the fact that it was 100% cotton. No can do!!

Also, the shirt and shorts match! I'm not one of those runners who tries to match every outfit I wear. So, it was nice to have an outfit already put together for me. The shirt is super cute and the shorts are as well. The short have a brief on the interior that is super light and a hidden pocket on the inside which is perfect for a key or an energy gel.

My favorite part of the outfit? The pullover! The pullover that Tiffany sent me is black with silver, reflective lettering on it. I love the fact that it has reflective pieces on it. I'm not very comfortable with running in the dark by myself unless I have something reflective on. I also love the fact that it has THUMB HOLES! I love thumb holes! My hands tend to get too hot in gloves and I usually end up carrying them, so a shirt with thumb holes is a great compromise between gloves and no gloves. Also, it has a fabulous pocket on the left side where my keyless entry to my car and my cell phone (my husband asks that I carry i,t just in case) fit perfectly. The pullover is also made of a lightweight, wicking material. This is perfect for Kentucky weather right now. It's not cold here, but it's not hot either. For a morning run, you need something light, but breathable!

A huge THANK YOU to Tiffany over at Brooks! I really appreciate you letting me try out and review your apparel! :) Happy Running!

Acoustibuds WINNERS!

Here goes! The first winner of the Acoustibuds and Acoustigrips is...#27

DeAnne from Running Mommy of 3!

And the second winner is...#25

Courtney from I Can Do This!

Congratulations Ladies! You need to choose between black or white. E-mail me your color choice and your mailing address at sheridunlee@bellsouth.net and I will have those mailed to you! If I don't hear form you by Wednesday, March 16th, I will draw for a new winner. Thanks!

Shamrock Shuffle 3K Race Recap

Well, I have to say, I've never seen so many costumes in my entire life! WOW! People really get fired up for St. Patty's Day, don't they?

Today was my first 3K race ever! So, what does that automatically mean? PR, baby! I do have to say, it was a fun race. And...it's always fun hanging out with the girls! :)

We got to Lexington and the wind was outrageous, but the sun was warm! Everyone did great. Bobbie and I stayed together the entire race and finished 12th and 13th in our age group, which is good considering how many people run this race. Our time was around 15:52, according to our chips. Katrina and Angie stayed together and finished together also, with Melinda just a little ways behind. And of course...Ruby was there snapping pictures! All in all, a good run! Not to mention, Bob Evans afterwards...yum! :)

Another week finished - 16 mile run was FABULOUS!

Well, another week of marathon training finished! This week we had 4, 7, 4, and our long run was 16 miles. Bobbie and I ran our two 4 milers alone, and then ran our 7 miler together. All of my weekly runs went pretty well. Bobbie's went well also, with the exception of some leg pain she's been having. It starts down by her foot and shoots up the front of her leg, kind of like a shin splint.

So, with her leg, I was a little worried about her for our 16 miler on Saturday. Well, we woke up Saturday and the rain was pouring. Run postponed until Sunday! :) It was supposed to be quite a bit colder on Sunday, but we would rather run in the cold than in the rain. Don't get us wrong, we are crazy...we will run in anything. But, if we can help it, we'd rather not run in the rain for 16 miles. So, Sunday it was!

We set out with water belts and 3 GU's a piece. We stopped and had our GU's at 4 miles, 8 miles, and 12 miles. The weather wasn't the best, cold and windy. We'd make a turn and would feel no wind at all, then another turn, and the gusts would be ridiculous and cold. But, we made the best of it and the wind was at our backs for the second half of our run, so that was good.

Bobbie's leg didn't hurt her at all, HALLELUJAH! I didn't like the idea of an injury...don't think I could do this marathon without her! :) We are a team! By my Garmin, I kept a 10:03 pace for the entire 16 miles, which is well below the five hour finish we are hoping for. So, if we keep up the pace we are keeping, we will finish in well under 5 hours. YAY!

No one responded to my question from last week, so I'm going to repost. What do you do mentally to get through the long run?

Thanks for following our journey!

Don't forget my Acoustibuds GIVEAWAY...last day to enter is Sunday! CLICK HERE!

Stylish Blogger Award - TWICE!

WOW! In the past three weeks, I have been awarded the Stylish Blogger Award not once, but TWICE! Since I never posted about it the first time, I'll give credit to both bloggers who honored me with the award. First, it was given to me by Bobbie at Journey in Running (click here for Bobbie's blog). Then, it was given to me by Kayla at Running Through Life (click here for Kayla's blog). Bobbie and I are running buddies, and Kayla gave me the award because we have the same blog name! :)

So, here's the deal. I have to share 7 things about myself, pass the award on to 5 other bloggers, and let them know that I've awarded them. So, here goes...

1. I am huge, make that HUGE, Pittsburgh Steelers fan! My Terrible Towel does more waving from my couch than half of the towels at the game! I can't honestly say what my favorite part of Steeler football is, but I can say that I think it's fabulous that they are one of the oldest and followed franchises, and they don't have cheerleaders! I love cheerleaders, don't get me wrong (I cheered in high school and college), but for a football team to not have cheerleaders, they shows that winning is the only thing that matters. My favorite people in Steeler football? Troy Polamalu, Mike Wallace, Heath Miller, Mike Tomlin, and Dick LeBeau.

2. I love my school friends! I work at an elementary school here in my hometown, and I have some awesome friends who work alongside me. They each have their own special personalities and quirks about them, and that's why I love them.

3. My husband has a first love, ME! But, he has a second love also. FISHING! He fishes whenever he can. Rain, snow, cold, heat, he loves to fish! I'm so glad that he has something that he loves the way I love running. Although we don't have the same hobby, it's nice that we both have a hobby at all.

4. I play the Appalachian dulcimer. If you don't know what that is, it's a zither (a string instruments that lies across your lap while you play it). Also, it's the official state instrument of the state of Kentucky. I began to play the dulcimer after seeing it at an arts training I attended several years ago. I just recently purchased my first handmade dulcimer from a man named Warren A. May in Berea, Kentucky.

5. I love to act! I am a thespian at a local theatre called West T. Hill Community Theatre. I have been in one musical ("Radio Gals"), two plays ("To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Our Leading Lady"), and have hopes of getting a role in "Oklahoma" this July.

6. I am a closet Justin Bieber fan! Being a music teacher, I know talent when I hear it. Now, with that said, get past the fact that all the teenage girls only like him because they think he's dreamy. Just listen to him...he's uber talented!

7. Last but not least, I have a niece and nephew who absolutely rock my world!

Now...who to choose...

My winners are...

1. Kris from Gotta Run

2. Charlie from Miles to Go

3. Ruby from My First

4. Karen from West T. Hill

5. The Green Girl at Journey of a Running Green Girl

Acoustibuds Review and Giveaway

About a month ago, I was given the honor to try out Acoustibuds and Acoustigrips. Acoustibuds are earphone adaptors that are supposed to stay in better, sound better, and feel better. My earphones are constantly falling out of my ears, so I'm always looking for something to help them stay in my ears. I have a pair of Yurbuds, and I like them, but the smallest size they have is a 5, and I don't think they fit well enough.

So, to my first part of the review. The best thing about the Acoustibuds is that you get 3 sizes in a box to choose from. I tried the 5 first, since that was the size of my Yurbuds. They fell out of my ears. I then went to the 4, they fell out also. So, I went to the 6. PERFECT! When I tried the first two sizes and they didn't fit, I was a little worried. But, I've been wearing the 6 for about a month now, and I love them! I wore them just yesterday on a 14 mile run, and they stayed in the entire time. I never even had to fool with them. They rock!

Not to mention, the Acoustigrips! They grip to your headphone wires and then to your clothing, so that your wires aren't flapping in the wind! I absolutely adore them! I will never go back! They tackle the problem of wires getting in the way. I always run my wires up my shirt or up my back, and now I don't have to do that anymore.

Now, onto the giveaway! Rhonda at Acoustibuds, is letting me give away two pairs of Acoustibuds and Acoustigrips! FABULOUS!

Ways to enter (leave a separate comment for each):

1. MANDATORY: Like Acoustibuds on Facebook HERE and tell them Sheri from Running Through Life sent you.

2. MANDATORY: Visit the Acoustibud website HERE and tell me one thing you learned.

3. MANDATORY: Become a follower of my blog or let me know if you already are.

4. Post this giveaway to your Facebook.

5. Post this giveaway to you blog.

This giveaway will end on Sunday, March 13 @ 11:59 EST. Good Luck!

Marathon Training Week ??? Update

Is it bad that I don't even know how many weeks into marathon training we are? I think it's week 8 or week 9. (Bobbie, help me remember!)

Anyway, it was supposed to look like this...

Monday - 4 miles

Tuesday - rest

Wednesday - 6 miles

Thursday - rest

Friday - 4 miles

Saturday - 14 miles

I got all my mileage in, but it looked more like this...

Monday - 1.7 miles

Tuesday - 2.3 miles

Wednesday - 2.9 and 6.1 miles

Thursday - rest

Friday - 1 mile

Saturday - rest

Sunday - 14 miles

Not so bad, huh? All of my runs this week went pretty well. With the exception of the 14, I ran everything in under a 10 minute/per mile pace.

As for the 14 miles, Bobbie and I were a little worried about it, being that neither of us have ever run farther than a 1/2 marathon. So, even though it's only a 1 mile difference, sometimes that 1 mile can make or break you. Needless to say, we were a little scared.

But, we were pleasantly surprised. We both wore our hydration belts, both use 3 GU's, and both stopped at 7 miles to drink the water we dropped. I really have to watch myself when drinking water on the run, or else my belly will not be thanking me for it. The water starts to slosh around in my stomach and I start burping! :) So, I have to sip when I take a GU, and I made sure I did that on our 14. And...my belly felt fine! Not to mention that Bobbie didn't have to listen to my water sloshing around inside! :)

When we reached 7, we felt fabulous! I didn't want to say anything though. I didn't want to jinx us! So, I kept my mouth shut. When we started back, we had to stop once so that I could tinkle and once to pick up Bobbie's jacket that she unloaded.

All in all, a great run! Finished in about 2 hours and 24 minutes...kept a 10:16 pace!

I've figured out that in my mind, I can't think 14. I have to divide it up into smaller runs and pretend I'm starting all over again.

Copying off Bobbie and asking a question...

Anyone else have any secrets as how to keep up your endurance during the long run?