Rock n Roll SD Kickoff Recap and Crazy Compression GIVEAWAY!

I know I ran the La Jolla half marathon on Sunday but I couldn't miss going to the Rock 'n Roll San Diego Epic Summer Kick off Run. It was advertised as 3 1/2 miles in beautiful Balboa Park in San Diego.

We were all to meet at Whole Foods in Hillcrest where we were greeted by the ever friendly Sherri Matthews from the Lululemon Run Club. At any rate, I thought I would test that hip out.

We were initially a group of about 30 people which quickly grew to about 50 people. We were then given course directions and we were off.  I'm ashamed to say that I was only able to run about a mile and a half.  My hip was too much.

They did have a beautifully set up water station manned by Rock n Roll Ambassador Chase.

Chase

We got samples of the new Salted Watermelon Gu, Propel and water bottles.

We then headed back to Whole Foods where we received Epic Summer run t-shirts, chicken wings, Brussels sprouts, wraps and Suja.

Have you heard of Suja?!  It's good stuff. Pricey though!

That coconut almond one is divine!

Next up, a raffle. I won a cool pint glass and a gift card to Movin Shoes. Never heard of it?!  Meb's Movin Shoes!!!  He owns it!!!  (By the way, I heard a rumor that Meb was going to be the pace leader for the 1:30 group at the Rock n Roll.  Use Code ChaseRunSD for $15 off if you want to run it!)

My super cheesy I won face!

My friend Justin won a watch and Jess won a gift card to PF Changs.

But the whole time, I wore my Crazy Compression socks. And my Words from the Wise running shirt but more about that in another post.  (In the meantime, you can use code SDMOM to get 20% off here).  This was my second time wearing the socks and running in them. I love them. So much. Never switching.

Nate, the owner, used to work for some big brands in their sock design department so he knows his socks. He has come up with some colorful styles and designs and they even have a section where you can design your own sleeves and socks.  What a fan-freakingtastic idea!  Here are the tech specs from their socks:

And some "About Us" info directly from their website:

I don't just wear their sleeves though.  I have also been running in their socks and I love them even more.  I want 100 of these hence my running gear addiction!

I realize that compression socks are not the most flattering things to photograph!

And now, I have a pair to giveaway to one of you lucky readers!  You can pick any non-custom pair of socks on their website if you win!  If you don't want to wait to see if you won, use Code Crazy25 for 25% off your next order!  Enter below on the Rafflecopter widget!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

GIVEAWAY RULES:   
Contest runs 4/30/2014 to 5/5/14

No purchase necessary.

1 winner will be randomly selected via Rafflecopter.

Open to US and Canadian residents 18 years of age or older.

Winner will notified via email (if available) and blog post, and will have 48 business hours to claim prize.

If original winner does not claim prize within 48 business hours an alternate winner will be selected.

Contestants must enter on the Rafflecopter form in order to win.
All winning entries will be verified. If a winning entry cannot be verified as completed, a new winner will be drawn.

Prize will be shipped directly from Crazy Compression.  #poweredbycrazy

As always, I wish you Happy Feet,
SD Mom

La Jolla Half 2014 Recap!

My stomach has been in knots for weeks, no, months about this darn race!  Why?  Because of this:

The CRAZY hills!  Not one not two but lots.  Little ones and big ones and medium ones!  All OVER the course!

Let's back up (oh no!  Is SD Mom really going to tell us about her HIP AGAIN?!)...yes, I have a hurt hip.  But it wasn't going to stop me from completing this race.  La Jolla Half is the 2nd race of the Triple Crown Series.  You can read about it here.  So since I did Carlsbad already, and I had already paid for La Jolla and AFC, I knew I had to follow thru and cross that finish line in under 3 hours.

I took myself to Road Runner San Diego for the Expo on Friday.

And picked up my shirt and bib.

Got myself a little Triple Crown Merchandise because as we all know: #imayhavearunninggearaddiction

And of course, had to shop inside RRS itself and stock up on Nuun lemon tea flavor.  

While I was in there, I stopped at the Hoka One One booth to check out the shwag and was rewarded with the much coveted bottle opener.

The same day, I visited my acupuncturist, Ryan.  Have you ever tried acupuncture?  If you are in the San Diego area, I highly recommend Ryan.  He has magic hands or magic needles.  Something like that!  here is his info from Yelp.  Well, he needled (?) my hip, my calf, my wrist and magically, my hip felt GREAT.  Not just good.  I went to bed Friday night thinking I would be okay for Sunday.

Ryan Lee

Next, how am I getting to the race?  You have the option of parking at the finish and shuttling to the start or parking at the start and shuttling back after the race.  My friend Justin had called the week before suggesting we carpool.  I offered to drive this time.  Well, on Saturday, my friend Cris wanted to carpool and soon it was a big carpool party.  Justin, Cris, Laura, Jay and I would meet at McDonalds and drive over together.  I am a paranoid person when it comes to being on time so I suggested we meet at 5:45 for a 7:30 race start.

The McDonalds Crew: Laura, Justin, Cris, SD Mom & Jay

We got to the Del Mar Fairgrounds and met up with some other friends from the Moms Run this Town SD Group.

Cristina, Melissa, SD Mom, Jess, Lisa & Laura

It started out bright and sunny and beautiful!

Started the race with this lovely who also took some action photos for me on the course!

Ericka is a mom, runner and blogger too!  Check out her blog here.

And we were off...

Some pictures on the course - 

And me at Mile 12 (somehow still smiling!):

Torrey Pines Hill was not the only hill.  There were several.  But with every climb came a glorious down hill.  In fact, the downhills were almost harder on my hip (OH NO!  There she goes again) than the hills!  Almost!  Miles 3, 5, 7, 12 were the hardest.  The hill at 12 is the worst!

But then, I was done!

And I celebrated with my family!

At Wahoos where I ate this:

Blackened chicken with cajun white beans and a Pizza Port Chronic Amber on draft!  Best.  Post.  Race.  Meal.  Ever!

Then I came home and had this:

Some thoughts on the race:

-  Prettiest course I have ever seen and can ever imagine!  80% of it was on the coast.

-  The breezes helped so much on this sunny day.

-  My awesome BRF Jess PR'd on this course.  No one does that!

-  I gear checked for the first time in a race and loved it!  

-  Beer is a great post race drink, a close second to a Bloody Mary!

-  The hills are killer but if your hip is broken, the down hills are worse.

-  Not as much course support or local support as the Carlsbad Half.

-  I AM NEVER DOING THIS RACE AGAIN!

-  Everything is worthwhile when these two make an appearance:

Did you race this weekend?  Have you run the LJ Half?  Do you like hills?  Gear check?

As always, I wish you Happy Feet,

SD MOM

Mommy Guilt? Not anymore! #changetheconversation

When I first started running (a year ago!), it felt strange.  Since becoming a mom, I hadn't really taken the time to take care of me.  Sure, I went out with my husband and girlfriends and enjoyed activities but I never did anything that was just for me.  And then I started running. Time spent with me, improving me.  Time to think or not think, either way, my choice!

But then I started running longer distances and since I am not (yet) the fastest runner, I needed to take up to 4 hours including travel time on my long run days.  I felt bad leaving the kids and my husband for our weekend family time.  So, I turned to my Mother Runner friends and asked their advice.  I wanted to know how to walk out the door in the mornings and not feel that guilt.  

I am sharing their advice with you and their pictures...

Mine & Izzy

Miné: I love that my kids see both my husband and me (I get points for being grammatically correct

here :)) being so active all the time. It's a great sense of pride! It's a regular part of our life and one in which they'll soon take part. I can't wait to do our first parent/child triathlon!

Jill with Jude & Beck

Jill: I don't have any mommy guilt about working out. By working out, going for runs, doing races, we are setting a good example for our kids that 1) health and fitness are important, and 2) Mommy has to take care of herself so that she can be a better Mommy.

Melissa and Danika

Melissa: I am more than just "mom." I am Melissa. I have always been one to be active and meet my goals and challenges. A child shouldn't completely change you; I don't want to loose myself in motherhood and then be lost when my daughter is grown. The time I spend with myself each day improving myself is good for my whole family, including my little one.

Mendy & Family

Mendy: I don't believe in guilt. I rephrase it and believe I'm being a role model to my kids for leading a healthy lifestyle and putting fitness a priority in your life. Everyone knows date nights are crucial for marriage--- but no guilt is assoc. So running/exercising is more like a date with myself or girlfriends for my mental peace of mind and much better /easier to justify than girls night out and getting drunk (tho I miss those and certainly have beer after races to make up for it!!). Somewhere on the internet is a pic of mom running and it is not mommy feeling guilty, it is mommy being badass.

Nina & Drew

Nina: Running three days a week has been manageable. I do feel like I am lucky because Drew, my husband, understands why it's important and that I have a schedule that allows me to run most of the time (Wednesday mornings, Friday after work, Sunday during nap time). And if we want to be role models for our daughters, we have to show them how important it is for us women to be healthy and have our own lives/interests.

 Julie and Family

Julie: I can't say I never feel mommy guilt, but it rarely appears because I know that I'm a much better person when I'm running than when I'm not. It has been most evident recently since I took this whole month off to heal my hip. Everyone needs stress relief and time alone with their thoughts, or to chat with friends. Running provides that for me. My poor kids and husband probably can't wait for me to get back to running!

Diana & Madison 

Diana: So I struggled with guilt when [my daughter] was younger because I didn't work but I would take Madison with me to the gym while I ran/worked out. I mentioned it to her doctor and she said that my healthy lifestyle was a positive for my child and that she can't stand martyr parents. I then felt confident that I am making the right decision. Madison lovveessss running because she sees me doing it and we run laps in the backyard all the time. I can't wait for her to do 1k's and 5k's with me.

Alexis: To be honest, I do not have any Mommy guilt when I go for a run. I am a runner. I was a runner before I had kids, and I am a runner now. It's part of who I am. My kids know nothing else. I feel happy when I run a race and my kids are being taken care of by my husband or my mom. I set a good example for them and they always ask, "Mama, did you win? Can I see your medal?" It shows them hard work can pay off. Running makes me happy. Running keeps me sane. All of that is good for my family

Janet: I have no guilt. Making time for my work out makes me a better mother. It is exercising my physical and mental health, which gives me the stamina and mental strength to keep up with two young kids. The only guilt I feel is leaving the kids to my husband alone. However, to offset that I schedule my workout/runs to early mornings before everyone wakes up. The kids know my run schedule so they see the priority exercise plays in my life and how I fit it in to have the least impact on family time.

Alexis: You should only feel guilty if you haven't taken care of your child's basic needs. If they are loved, nourished and safe then taking an hour to workout should not cause guilt. Working out is a positive thing, your children will see that you value yourself and in turn they will value themselves. As they get older, it is something you can enjoy together. My children love running with me and it is almost entirely their idea.

SD Mom: I don't feel guilty anymore.  After a year, I realize running is a chance for me to be me.  I can process my thoughts and I can get fit and get healthy.  I can spend time with BRFs or not.  It is MY time for ME.  My kids also accept that running is a part of my identity.  Looking for my husband and kids at finish lines fills me with the deepest pride.  They love me and they are proud of me.  And guess what?  Because I run, I will be around a long time to watch them grow.  No more Mommy Guilt!

Do you feel "Mommy Guilt?"  How do you #changetheconversation?  How do you incorporate your kids in to your active lifestyle?

As always, I wish you Happy Feet,

SD Mom