Best Running Week Ever? Quite Possibly

No two ways about it. I've had a pretty amazing week.

It's definitely been one of my favorite weeks running-wise, and it really had very little to do with me.
Yes, I did have a pretty good week, posting another 40-mile week and recording back-to-back days with double-digit mileage. However, none of that made this week special.

No, it was my family that made this week special ... especially my daughter.

Can't really explain it, but she seems to have caught the running bug.

On Wednesday, Haylee decided to join my bride and I at the track. She ran with us for a while, but after a little over mile she was done. She had enough.

Announcing The Winner Of the RunGuard Prize Pack

This has been a great giveaway. Never could I have imagined such a great response.

It's apparent a lot of you like and/or want to find out more about RunGuard as there were just under 300 total entries.

I really appreciate each and every one of you who took the time to comment and register for the giveaway as well as further check out my blog. I love running, especially the running community. It truly is a family.

I especially want to thank RunGuard for agreeing to do this giveaway. They have been super gracious and went far beyond what I even suggested what the giveaway should be. Good people there at RunGuard, that's for sure.

Also, not sure how much longer this coupon code is good for, but you can take $5 OFF an original or sensitive 2.7 ounce stick of RunGuard! Go to the RunGuard website to order, and at the checkout, use this code for the discount: RUNJAYRUN

Anywho, the winner of the RunGuard prize pack is ...

Gel-Bot: My Secret Weapon To Help Get Me To A Sub-2

I've made it no secret I'm shooting for a sub-2 hour half marathon. Additionally, I've made it no secret I'm gunning for this sub-2 at the Iron Horse Half on Oct. 13.

Consequently, I'm doing and looking for any advantage I can get to help cut and save time. I'm upping my speed work. But anything that can help me maintain my pace and not slow me down, I want to employ it.

Enter the Gel-Bot.

I first heard about the Gel-Bot on a post by Scott on his blog iRunnerBlog, and I wanted one. My lovely bride then bought it for me for my birthday last November. (The actual post I first read about the Gel-Bot is here.)

However, I really haven't figured out how to incorporate the Gel-Bot into my running because it did not have a pocket/handle for me to better carry it during my runs. This is important to me because of comfort and since I always carry my cell phone with me for safety purposes.

But then I had a stroke of genius to hit me.

Y'all, I Did Crossfit And Did Not Die

Tried something new yesterday: crossfit.

My sentiments of the evening.

When I agreed to go, I did not realize how tough of a workout this was. I know it  was a challenging workout, but I honestly didn't know to what degree.

Sadly, I agreed to this workout with the same flippancy I did when I agreed to run my first half marathon. Let me just say, I was not as worn out after the half marathon as I was this nearly 20-minute workout. Wish I was joking about that, but I'm not.

Fred, a member of our local running group, has been doing this program for several months, and a few of us were intrigued so we went to check it out. Actually, Chris - the head of our running group, was intrigued and roped a couple of us in to suffer with join him.

I fully admit to being naive. That won't happen again.

RunGuard: Product Review And Giveaway

When I started running, I never realized I'd 'need' a variety of different gear and products. I mean, it's running. "Don't I only need the five S's? Shorts, shirts, stopwatch, socks and shoes?"

As I racked up the miles, I soon found out how much other things I needed to go run. A GPS watch, a fuel belt and/or a hand-held water bottle, GU gels or some other type of food/fuel, headlamp and other safety running gear. And the list goes on and on.

It was during training for my first marathon I learned runners sometimes chaff.

Talk about a painful lesson. Not fun at all.

I had heard stories of male runners getting bloody nipples, but to be honest, I thought it would never happen to me.

Sad to say, I was wrong.

Consequently, I sought ways to prevent this from happening again.

And The Winner Is ...

Wow! What a great response!

Some of the swag I got from last year's 7 Bridges Marathon

When I first decided to run this giveaway, I had no idea what kind of response I would get. In truth, I was super surprised when the good folks, in particular Denny Marshall, from the 7 Bridges Marathon granted me an entry to giveaway. They run a fantastic event, which, in my humble opinion, will only get better and better with each year.

In all, there were 131 total entries. Given that this was my very first giveaway, I am pretty happy with that.

I also enjoyed hearing all the different reasons of why people wanted to run 7 Bridges. Running really does bring people together, and I really wish I could help fulfill everyone's goals and hopes in running this race.

But alas, there is can only be one winner.

And the winner is ...

I Think I Can! I Think I Can! I Think I Can!

Not going to lie, when I first studied the training plan I found to help me shoot for a sub-2 hour half marathon, I was a wee bit apprehensive. I mean, I've never been confused with being a speed demon ...

Like ever. (To borrow a phrase from Taylor Swift)

But being one to set goals for myself, I figured why don't shoot for the sub-2. After all, my current half marathon PR is 2:05:13 and I set that without really trying to. (True story! Check out the recap here.)

That all said, the thoughts of averaging 9:10/mile for 13.1 miles seems very daunting to me. For a plodder like me, that's a lot of speedy consistency.

Yet, as Thomas Jefferson once said, "Anything worth having is worth fighting for." I'm sure he was referring to our nation's freedom, but it aptly applies to anything that's worth having - even a simple running goal. If I am to hit that sub-2 mark, I'm going to have to work for it.

Especially since speed does not come easy for me.

Halfway There At The Halfway Mark

"You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself.
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go."

- Dr. Seuss "Oh, The Places You'll Go!" 

Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever had thought I would travel so many miles ... on foot!

Running never had any appeal to me whatsoever. Of course, I blame this largely on playing basketball where my coaches insisted on using running laps - and lots of them - as punishment. Sucked all the joy out of running for me.

Fortunately, I fell in love with running, albeit much later in life. And I've amazed at how much more fun and challenging running has become with each passing mile. Nothing like seeing how far you can go.

Or better yet, how far you've come.