Courage. Strength. Grace.

February 12 - Those of us in the running world have all heard the tragic story of what happened to fellow runner Sherry Arnold on January 7th. Yesterday runners from all over took part in a virtual run in her memory. It didn't matter where you were or how far you would go. It didn't have to be an organized event or even a group run. Only a simple request was made by her relative Beth from Shut Up and Run to take a moment of silence to think about Sherry, her family, and her community.

Sherry was a wife, mother, runner, teacher, daughter. All roles that I can relate to. As I laced up my running shoes and got ready to head out to meet my running partner, I couldn't stop thinking about Sherry and how much we're all like her in one way or another. It would be so easy to ignore her story. To not let the ugly in the world enter your thoughts. The truth is, Sherry's real story is that of the life she lived. She touched so many people and will be remembered for her Courage. Strength. Grace.

We ran 8 miles yesterday. The blue bib stood out on our clothing as we made our way to downtown Manchester. The sky was gray, the winds were brisk, and we were quieter than usual. Before hitting a mile, there was a honk. Then a few minutes later, another honk. These weren't the typical honk-to-harrass-the-runners honks. These were the sounds of people supporting our run because they saw we were Running for Sherry.

Sizing Up

February 8 - I decided to take a quick look back at my 2012 goals and assess how I did in January.

1. Keep running:

92 miles in January

2. Run a race every month:

10K on January 1st

Twitter Road Race 5K

3. Continue to improve my blog:

First review & giveaway

4. Add another New England state to the places I have run:

Massachusetts - 1st Run 10K

5. Keep meeting new running friends:

I'm an Ambassador!

Dailymile = tons of running buddies!

NEW. I didn't include a workout goal for 2012, because I'm not a fan AND I hate failure. However, I created my own 30 Day Workout Challenge:

How are you doing with your 2012 goals?

Twelve Fantabulous Miles & Winners

 
February 4 - This morning I had a fantabulous run. On the schedule was a twelve mile run for my half marathon training. My first of the year is in two weeks at the Hampton Half and my second is in May at the Cox Rhode Races. I met my training partner at the Executive Health Club near MHT at 8AM. She had the route since it was one she has run when training for marathons. Here's what it looked like afterwards:

Everything worked today. The route was mainly flat with just a couple of small, easy inclines. At about 30 degrees the weather was just right and even managed to puff out a few flurries for us. All of the sidewalks and paths were clear and open. Most importantly my legs were feeling good and loose. I love when my runs are nice and easy like this.

Do you ever wonder what causes a good run to happen? The weather? Your meals? The right frame of mind? Wouldn't it be great to know so that you could replicate it right before that BIG RACE?

I don't know what my combination was exactly, but I love weather like today in the 30s, my dinner last night was a pepperoni calzone with some wine (ok a lot of wine), and my mom surprised me by coming to visit from Cincinnati! Fantabulous!

Momma!

Congratulations to the winners of the Simple Hydration Water Bottle Giveaway:

Tara Martin

Chuck Abbey

Please email me your mailing address information so I can get your bottles to you!

The Simple Life: A Water Bottle Giveaway

January 31 - A couple of weeks ago I found the best running accessory. A Simple Hydration Water Bottle. I heard about this bottle from another runner, checked out the website, and ordered one.

Let me tell you why I love this water bottle.

I get thirsty when I run. Not gulping-water thirsty. Just need-to-wet-the-whistle thirsty. However, I do not like to carry things when I run or wear things around my waste.

This bottle is perfect because of its shape.

It is made to rest in the small of your back and hooks onto the waste band. If you run with a belt, it will also hook onto that. Holding 13 ounces of water, it is the perfect size and weight. Simple.

I have worn my water bottle with shorts, capris, and running pants. Initially, I had to tighten my waistbands to accommodate the water bottle weight and worried that it would feel awkward when I ran, but this was not the case. The bottle rests comfortably on my lower back and is light enough that I actually forget that it is back there. Simply wonderful.

This water bottle is so awesomely simple that my running partner, hubs, and stepson have all ordered their own after seeing mine.

I think you will love this bottle a much as I do. Simple Hydration has generously offered to let me give away TWO bottles on my blog.

Here is what you have to do to enter:

Take a funny running picture (it can be posed). Could be a shoe on the head, race numbers pinned all over, funny running pose - have fun and push the limits. Then post the photo on the Simple Hydration Facebook page. After posting try to get as many people to like your photo as possible. The winners will have the most likes. The deadline is 7AM EST February 4, 2012.

While you are here, please take a minute to support my blog.

• Like Running Escapades on Facebook
• Follow me on Twitter
• Subscribe via RSS
• Tweet about this giveaway with something like "Make life simple. Simple Hydration Water Bottle Review & Giveaway http://runningescapades.blogspot.com/ @runningescapade @SimpleHydration #giveaway"

Head over to Simple Hydration and tell me what you think!

Testing the Temps

January 30 - Unexpectedly, I found myself packing for a quick weekend trip to Orlando. Now I know the weather in New England has been pretty mild this winter, but who wouldn't be excited about visiting the sunshine state?

Source

I took a quick peak at the forecast for Saturday morning before packing my running bag: 51 degrees. My scheduled run on Saturday would give me a chance to see how I felt running in temperatures that are pretty average for May in Providence, which is where I will be running my second half marathon of the year at the Cox Rhode Races.

Saturday morning after a quick breakfast of PB&J toast at the hotel, hubs and I headed toward the Airport Lakes Park that the concierge recommended. It was a picture perfect day to run. Sun, sun and more sun.  

The run to the park was much shorter than we expected and it was smaller than we hoped, so we decided to follow the sidewalks. We ended up looping around the hotel before trying inside the park. Duh. There we found a nice, though short, running trail. At one point it led out to a small lake.

Since we didn't really know the area (and hubs was only running 4 with me) we decided that to be safe I should stick to the immediate area around the hotel. This was a combination of several other hotels as well as shops and restaurants. After 7 miles, I was done running what felt like circles. 

Admittedly, the warm weather did affect me. I was wearing a short sleeve running shirt, but could have easily worn a tank. When I get excited I also tend to run too fast, just like on race days. All things to remember for my half marathon in May. The best part was running on beautiful sidewalks and having water delivered. He's training for my halfathon, too!

Best hubs EVER!

After the run, we headed to the hotel pool. At 70 degrees, it wasn't warm enough for me to get in, but I did take a dip in the hot tub. You have to spoil yourself when you can, right?

Do you pack your running shoes on trips/vacations?

How do you spoil yourself after a run?