Monday, April 30, 2012

Crossfit for Hope

I am asking for donations for Crossfit for Hope, a colaboation between Crossfit and St. Jude Children's Hospital. This June, I will be completing a workout (shown below) to raise money for this amazing cause! Please, please consider donating, even if only $1. EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS! Follow the link at the bottom of the page to reach my donation page.



“Hope”

Three rounds of:
Burpees
75 pound Power snatch
Box jump, 24" box
75 pound Thruster
Chest to bar Pull-ups

"Hope" has the same format as Fight Gone Bad. In this workout you move from each of five stations after a minute. This is a five-minute round from which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating. The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. On call of "rotate," the athlete/s must move to next station immediately for good score. One point is given for each rep.

How much of what I donate actually benefits the children?

100% of the proceeds from CrossFit for Hope go directly to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. During the past five years, 81 cents of every dollar received by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has supported the research and treatment at St. Jude.

Sponsoring

To sponsor a participant or affiliate, use the "Donate or Make a Pledge" block in the right column of the site and search for the athlete or affiliate you would like to sponsor. There are two choices: Performance-based Pledges and Flat Donations.
If you opt for a Performance-based Pledge, you can choose how much you would like to pledge per point (rep) earned by the participant during the workout on June 9, 2012. Once the athlete enters their score for the workout, you will receive an email detailing how you can fulfill your total pledge amount.
If you opt to contribute with a Flat Donation, you can make an immediate contribution payment.
Both forms of sponsorship will contribute to the donations-earned amount of the participant, the affiliate, and the overall event, represented by a thermometer on their respective pages.

Is my pledge/donation tax-deductible?

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is exempt from federal income taxes under Section 501(C)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, therefore your gift is tax-deductible to the full extent provided by law. St. Jude is a nonprofit charity operating since 1962. Our federal tax identification number is 62-0646012. You should consult your financial planner or tax adviser to determine the exact tax advantages of any gift you are considering. We provide a receipt for all online gifts that can be used to claim a tax deduction. If you need a copy of the receipt or need a receipt for your annual giving please call 1-800-822-6344.


http://hope.crossfit.com/athlete?id=86301

Thursday, April 12, 2012

I'm a BETTY :)

As many of you know, I am a triathlete. I have searched each year for an awesome "different" tri jersey, as I was tired of matching other racers at events. This year it is even more important, as I am rocking a 1/2 IM in Benton Harbor this summer.

There have been a couple companies that have impressed me, and today I found yet another.Featured in the monthly column "CHICKED" in Lava Magazine, the company BETTY DESIGNS is profiled and critiqued.


Photo courtesy of Bettydesigns.com


Run by triathlete Kristin Mayer, Betty Designs strives to be the company selling race apparel that sticks out from the norm. She writes that her apparel isn't for EVERYONE... but that's the point. Her skull and butterfly design captures the bad ass in the girly girl. Not only does she sell tri suits, cycling clothing, tees and tanks, she also sells hats, water bottles and a line of specially branded Kestrel bikes. Pretty amazing stuff she's done.

I am always up to support women-run businesses. I find it especially awesome knowing she is a triathlete as well and knows what you need in a tri top - performance wise. Her clothing wasn't the only thing that stuck out in my mind, so did her mantra.


You can order her items or read more about her designs by visiting her website www.bettydesigns.com

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon Recap

So, this past weekend I ran in the 48th Annual Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon in Springfield. This was my second consecutive year running this race. Last year, I was pretty proud of my time, 2:03 - but this year I wanted to complete my first half sub-2 hours.

Let me start by saying, I have NOT been training very well this year... at ALL!! I have only run a handful of times, and it was reasonable to say I was NUTS for signing up for this race. I arrived about 7:30 - thinking it started at 8am - and my friend, Jessica, commented that I was in no hurry and totally calm... so I was baffled that at 7:45 the guns fired and we were off. Whoops! No wonder she thought I was acting laid back... ha!

 Pre-Race with fellow Sole Sisters: Anna, Jessica and Me!


The first couple miles I started out faster than I was hoping, but I got warm quick. By mile 5 I was feeling pretty awesome, just coasting along, then they came... the HILLS. Yikes. I don't remember this course being so hilly last year. My pace began to slow and my inner negative talker came out in full force. I started getting mad. My split halfway through was :50 minutes. Damn. I was flying. So, when the hills began to slow me down, I wasn't happy.

My legs started to fatigue...and it seemed like there wasn't any flat road in site. My head kept talking and I began to get even more mad... I started thinking... "this isn't even any fun, why do I do this to myself"... "you can't run, you're tired"... No, shut up I told myself... just keep your feet moving. They moved... slowly... but they moved. . .

About 2 miles to go and a woman shouted at me "you're doing awesome, almost there, empty the tank"... to said to her, "thanks, but the tank is bone dry... " We both laughed. A half mile to the finish and spectators began to emerge... the finish was in site. Usually I crank it up, but seriously, my legs REFUSED to move any faster. Fine.

I finished with 1:54. Mad, knowing I could have done better, but happy that I did finish sub-2 hours. I have to be happy with this, for the lack of training I had going in to the race. I saw my wonderful husband and beautiful daughters waiting for me at the finish. It made the hard run all worth it, seeing them so proud of me. I received my giant penny medal at the finish.

Post Race with Abe!

All in all, it was a BEAUTIFUL day for a run. Looking back, there are several things I could have improved on, but I am happy with how I did. There's always going to be something you find that you can improve on... I am blessed to have been able to run the race and finish under my goal. I'll be back next year with something to prove... we're going for sub 1:45!!!!