CEP Compression Socks Winner!

And the winner, as chosen by www.random.org, is...

PAULA

from Running Mom of 5!

Congratulations Paula!

E-mail me at sheridunlee@bellsouth.net and I will get you the details!

CEP Compression Socks Review and GIVEAWAY!

I can't count on my fingers and toes how many times I've contacted companies about sending me some CEP Compression socks to try out and review. Well, a friend of mine gave me a direct email address to Jamie. Jamie jumped right on board to send me a pair of socks to try out and review. A lot of women runners that I know are obsessed with hot pink. Well, I think I am becoming obsessed with lime green, so I chose the lime green ones.

A little bit about the CEP brand...

CEP (Compete, Endure, Perform) Prevents...

-shin splints, cramps, Achilles issues, fatigue, micro muscle tears, vibration trauma, blisters, and blood clots from travel

The science behind the CEP brand...

-they help to have arteries with a normal blood flow

-they extend your arteries, thus improving blood flow

-they provide increased arterial blood circulation by 30% while resting and 40% during physical activity

My reasons for using the CEP socks? Well, I have wanted a pair for a very long time because long runs have been a part of my routine for some time now. My goal at first was to use them strictly for recovery after my long runs. I had no intention of wearing them during my long runs. For the longest time, I wore those white 'old lady' socks for recovery until I received my socks from CEP.

Well, we all have goals and goals change. I started out using them for recovery only and they helped. They didn't just help! They shortened recovery time after a long run tremendously. Now, I can't them in the washer and dryer fast enough! I bet I wash them three times a week! :) As for how my goals changed, I decided to wear them on the day we ran our 19 mile run. It was chilly outside, but I am hot natured, so I felt it wasn't cold enough for pants. So, I wore capris with my lime green CEP socks! What a fashion statement! But, needless to say, my CEP socks will be worn during all long runs from here on out, unless it's sweltering hot outside. I love them, love them, love them! I love them so much that I made them a part of my half marathon outfit last weekend. They matched perfectly! I even got some press on Facebook HERE for my outfit!

So, whoever is the lucky winner of these socks, I wish I were you!

Ways to enter (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 CEP website HERE and tell me one thing you learned about CEP compression.

3. MANDATORY: Like CEP on Facebook HERE

4. MANDATORY: Follow the CEP blog HERE

5. Post this giveaway to your Facebook.

6. Post this giveaway to your blog.

This giveaway will end on Sunday, April 24th @ 11:59 p.m. EST. Good Luck!

P.S. - If you are interested in purchasing a pair of CEP compression socks, go to www.sportscompression.com and use the code BLOG15 to get 15% off your order.

Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon Report and some hospitalization...what a combo!

Well, this past weekend, we ran the Run the Bluegrass 1/2 Marathon in Lexington, Kentucky. We ran this race last year, but it was under different management and the course was backwards. Last year, I can say, this race was an unorganized joke. This year, the race was fabulous. I love it when races are locally organized! It makes them so much more fun and personal. Well, here was my race outfit. The 3 Way Racing people (who timed the race) actually took a picture of my outfit and put it on their Facebook page HERE. They loved my color combo! I didn't even know they took the pic until they posted it on Facebook.

The day was beautiful. There were wind advisories, but not until late afternoon. So, that left us plenty of time to finish the race and not have to deal with the wind. The race started in the Kentucky Horse Park (which is beautiful), then onto Ironworks Pike, Newtown Pike, then through the Fasig-Tipton Horse Farm (also beautiful), and back to the Horse Park. Absolutely beautiful run! With lots and lots of hills! But, I've come to realize, I love hills! Call me crazy, but I like it when the course changes.

In my mind, I wanted to finish in under 2:06:00, but it would be golden if I could finish in under 2:00:00. The wind was blowing a little bit more than expected, so we had that to fight against. Bobbie stayed ahead of me until about mile 3-4 where I met up with her at a water stop and we stayed together for the next 3 or so miles. She stopped to take a potty break, but I kept going. If I had stopped, I think I would have had a big DNF next to my name in the results list.

I came really close to finishing sub 2 hours, but didn't quite make it. I finished in 2:01:31, which is a PR for me, so that rocks! Also, I would later find out that my body was probably fighting a pretty serious illness, even though I wasn't showing symptoms at the time of the race, so to PR was fabulous.

Monday, I woke up achy and feverish. I dealt with it all day and thought if I still felt that way on Tuesday, I would go to the doctor. Well, I fell asleep on the couch that night. Around 1:00, my husband woke me up to get me in the bed. As I walked down the hallway, he went to turn off the light in the kitchen. When he turned around, I apparently was on the ground having a seizure. Not the shaking kind, the eyes fixated kind. He finally got me to come to, and I headed toward the bathroom. I had two more seizures before making it to the bathroom. Needless to say, he rushed me to the ER, where I had another seizure. They admitted me that night.

At times, my fever spiked to almost 104 degrees, which is very abnormal for an adult. I had several tests the next day and my fever remained high. All tests were normal, so my doctor decided it must be something viral. So, they sent me home. When I woke up yesterday, my throat and ears were killing me. I went to my doctor with a fever of 103. She looked in my throat and said "Oh goodness, get a strep test." It came back positive in about 3 minutes. So, the seizures were most likely a side effect of the high fever and my body was probably already fighting the strep when I ran the 1/2. So, I'll take 2:01:31!

iFitness Running Belt WINNER!

There were an amazing 101 entries into this giveaway. The winner was chosen using www.random.org. And the winner is...

#61

Penny from Pink Hat Runner!

Congratulations Penny!

Email me your shipping info at sheridunlee@bellsouth.net and I will have them ship it right out to you!