Taper Run!

Currently training for: 
Gulf Coast Half Marathon Mandeville (use code ROADRUNNERGIRL for $20 off!)
St. Jude Memphis Half Marathon
Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans Half Marathon (use code ROADRUNNERGIRL for $10 off the full and half and ROADRUNNERGIRL10k for $5 off the 10K!)
Disney Glass Slipper Challenge
Seaside Half Marathon

This past weekend it was taper time! My next half marathon is on Sunday!!! So on the schedule was an 8 mile run. Andria and I decided to run on our own again. We also ran the same route as last week but turned around sooner. We just love that route and wanted to run it again!

But the weather wasn't as nice this time. It was hot! The temps were back in the high 70's and the humidity was 100%! It made this run tough!

The first few miles flew by! We had lots to talk about and minimal traffic. Before we knew it we had made it to our first water stop. We both almost drank that entire bottle since it was so hot!

Before long we made it to mile 4. We turned around and that's when I started to notice that my legs seemed really tired. I guess the humidity was starting to take a toll.

But lucky for us....someone had left some motivation on the sidewalk! That helped me forget about my tired legs and that I was struggling.

That helped us make it to our last water stop. We then had only 2 miles to go! I could tell I started to pick up speed around this point. My legs no longer felt tired. There was also a breeze along this stretch of road that helped!

The last mile I don't think Andria and I said a word to each other. We had left the safety of the sidewalk (there weren't any) and were running on the side of the road. The traffic had picked up immensely so we were both just concentrating on watching the cars. It's funny how some cars are so nice and go way around you where others don't.  :-(

Finally after what seemed like forever we reached 8 miles! This run seemed so much tougher than even the 12 miler we ran a few weeks ago! After looking at my Garmin some of that was explained. We had been running a pretty fast pace! And the heat and humidity didn't help.

I'm always thankful that I have a running partner that runs the same pace as me! Andria is awesome!!! I only wish she was running the race with me this next weekend. I'll be there with friends but none of them are my pace so I'll be running the race on my own. Hopefully I will run good!

After the run I went inside and had my low fat chocolate milk! Soooo good! I have a feeling they won't have chocolate milk at the end of the race so I will have a cooler in my car with some waiting! :-)

QOTD: Have your legs ever felt really tired during a long run? Did it ease up later in the run?

#MissionApolo Will #BuildIt With Chocolate Milk!

Disclosure: The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK.

I told you a little last week about the benefits of recovering with low fat chocolate milk. Not only does it taste amazing but it has the right balance of protein and carbs for optimal recovery!

Low fat chocolate milk facts (read more about how low fat chocolate milk is backed by science HERE):

• A natural source of high-quality protein to build lean muscle.
• The right carb-to-protein ratio scientifically shown to refuel and rebuild exhausted muscles.
• Vitamin A to support a healthy immune system and normal vision.
• Electrolytes including calcium, potassium, sodium and magnesium to help replenish what’s lost in sweat.
• B vitamins for energy.
• Fluids to rehydrate.
• Calcium, vitamin D, phosphorus, protein and potassium to build and maintain strong bones and help reduce the risk for stress fractures.

I make sure to recover after my long runs with a glass of low fat chocolate milk within 30 minutes of finishing my run. It tastes so good that I always feel like it's a treat when I'm drinking it!

Not only do I recover with low fat chocolate milk but so do many elite athletes! You may remember me telling you all about #MissionApolo where the speed skating champion Apolo Ohno and Women's Health editor Jen Ator have been training for the 2014 IRONMAN World Championship in Kona. They have been recovering with low fat chocolate milk for their entire training. Well...their day is almost here! Apolo and Jen will be conquering the IRONMAN THIS WEEKEND on Saturday, October 11th! I cannot wait to follow along!!!

To celebrate the upcoming event, Got Chocolate Milk wants you to enter their sweeps (Oct. 6th-12th) for a chance to win awesome swag from @TYRSport, @NewtonRunning, @VeloStop, @trekbikes, @trainingpeaks, #FuelBelt, and @2xu_usa. All you have to do is snap a picture of yourself completing the daily challenge and share it on Twitter (tag @GotChocoMilk) or Instagram (tag @GotChocolateMilk) and include #BuildIt. What an awesome opportunity to win some great gear!!!

Be sure to catch up on all the #MissionApolo episodes! I've LOVED watching them! You can watch the latest episode (episode 6) below!



Be sure to follow Got Chocolate Milk Online:

• Website – GotChocolateMilk.com
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QOTD: Are you BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK?

10 Fall Miles!

This weekend was a 10 miler one with Andria! We didn't want to have to wake up as early as we did last weekend so we decided to run an hour later! This was no big deal because the weather was so nice! The temps were in the low 60's...perfect running weather!!! It actually felt like Fall around here!

Andria asked me to plan the route and she would drop water for us. That sounded great to me since I LOVE planning routes! I decided we would run one of our favorite routes...down Main Street! There are some hills on this street but we didn't have to hit a ton of them...only a few. :-)

The run started out great! It was so nice to be able to see where we were running since the sun had already started coming up! As always, Andria and I had lots to talk about! That's what I love about long runs with friends. It's girl time but you're active while you're doing it!

Before we knew it we had reached mile 3 and our first stop for water. This picture shows you how fabulous the weather was....we had already run 3 miles but you can't see any sweat on my skirt or shirt! That's unheard of around here lol!

After water we kept heading down Main Street for another 2 miles. We would turn around at mile 5 and head back home. We passed so many people running. It was great seeing everyone out there enjoying the weather! These next few miles were where the hills came in. It's funny how hills don't hurt as much as they did 35 pounds ago! ;-)

At mile 5 we turned around and starting heading back. I think I talked Andria's ear off this entire run lol! But it passes the time and you hardly think about the run. We stopped at mile 7 for another quick water stop. By now the sweat had started to form! ;-)

We only had 3 more miles to go! We were running at a strong, feel good pace. And then all of a sudden a fierce wind came out of nowhere! It was a little harder to keep our pace against that wind! But we did it! Before we knew it we had made it back to my house...and completed our 10 miles! :-)

It was a great run! I'm so thankful for my friend Andria! I love that we both run the same pace, we both have lost weight recently, and we both like to run at a later time lol! I just wish she could run the Gulf Coast Half Marathon with me in 2 weeks but she couldn't work it out. :-/

After the run I started my recovery routine...stretching, rolling, and refueling with lowfat chocolate milk! Lowfat chocolate milk never tastes as good as it does after a run! 

The rest of the day I did a great job of refueling as well. I ate way too much that day (I still stayed within my calories but almost ate all of the ones I burned back...yikes)! I enjoyed two chocolate chip cookies at my sister's house...so good! ;-)

QOTD: What is your favorite route to run?

#BuildIt With Chocolate Milk!

Disclosure: The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK. 

As a runner I know that recovery is important. Recovery is just as important as the training itself. And now that I am run streaking...I definitely have to recover well so that I can get back out on the road the next day.

After a run you will always find me stretching, rolling and icing. But I also know how important it is to refuel my body. My favorite way to refuel is with lowfat chocolate milk. I know what you're thinking...chocolate milk after a run? Yes! It tastes AMAZING after a run! And even better...it has all the nutrients and vitamins my body needs to recover.

I know for sure that lowfat chocolate milk is the perfect way to recover because it is backed by science. There have been more than 20 studies that support the benefits of recovering with lowfat chocolate milk after a hard workout or long run. Studies have shown that lowfat chocolate milk helps athletes gain lean muscle and lose fat! That's why even on my weight loss journey I have continued recovering with lowfat chocolate milk. I truly believe that recovering with lowfat chocolate milk helped me attain my 19 minute PR at the Talladega Half Marathon!

Lowfat chocolate milk...

• … is a natural source of high-quality protein to build and repair lean muscle after strenuous exercise.
• … has the right carb-to-protein ration scientifically shown to refuel exhausted muscles and help return muscles to peek potential.
• … provides fluids and electrolytes – like calcium, potassium and magnesium and sodium – to replenish what was lost in a tough workout.
• … has B vitamins that help convert food into energy.
• … has five bone-building nutrients: calcium, vitamin D, phosphorous, protein and potassium.

Chocolate Milk is the Official REFUEL Beverage of Men’s USA Hockey, Women’s USA Swimming, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, IRONMAN U.S. Triathlon Series, Iron Girl, Esprit de She, Life Time Fitness Cycle Club and the Challenged Athletes Foundation®. Not only do everyday runners like myself recover with lowfat chocolate milk but the elite runners do as well! You better believe I will be grabbing lowfat chocolate milk after I run the Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans Half Marathon in January! 

Speaking of amazing athletes, BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK launched a marketing program and online documentary series called Mission Apolo: BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK. World Champion short-track speedskating legend, Apolo Ohno, accepted the mission to conquer the 2014 IRONMAN World Championship Race in Kona-Kailua, Hawaii on Saturday, October 11. He has joined Women’s Health editor Jen Ator for a six-month training and recovery program with sports dietitians and elite professional coaches 8X IRONMAN World Champion Paula Newby-Fraser and 3X World Champion Craig “Crowie” Alexander. And WE can follow along on Ohno and Ator's training journey! We can follow along through the eight-episode series that features behind-the-scenes content and training tips from Ohno and Ator at www.gotchocolatemilk.com.

I'm really enjoying the series and watching Apolo and Jen's journey to become an Ironman! You can watch the series trailer below!



All the other episodes can be found at www.gotchocolatemilk.com or on YouTube.

Be sure to follow Apolo and Jen as they conquer the Ironman on Saturday, October 11th! Use the hashtag #MissionApolo. And be sure to follow Got Chocolate Milk on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

For more information on how you can #BuildIt With Chocolate Milk, join me at 8 PM EST October 2nd for a twitter chat about post-workout recovery. There will be prizes! Got Chocolate Milk is awarding 4 BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK gift packs! Use the hashtag #BuildIt to join the chat!

QOTD: Have you ever recovered with lowfat chocolate milk?