Labor Day and LMWL Challenge

Hi all,

I have to start by saying that I am disappointed in two things. One of them being that labor day weekend is over and the other is that no one took me up on the free race entry for the Isabella Santos 5k in Ballentyne. C'mon people, no one wants a free race entry? No strings, honestly it's just free. If you want to reconsider, here is the blog post with instructions on how to enter and I will extend the deadline until the race comes or I get an entry. LOL.

Labor day weekend was exactly what I needed, 3 days sleeping under the stars camping on Kerr Island. My fiance and I plus 2 other couples went camping and had an amazing time just disconnecting from the outside world a bit, eating all of our food cooked over a fire and lounging in a hammock.

It was great because I really felt I could relax and didn't HAVE to do anything. I let myself eat whatever I wanted including yummy s'mores and goldfish crackers. It was excellent and an important reminder that some times you need to let yourself fully relax. One long weekend of relaxation and indulgence isn't going to cause major problems. It may actually help you in the long run because stress can be a killer. However, this morning it was back on track and up at 5:45 to do a 45 minutes HIIT routine in my living room from Fitness Blender.com. It wasn't as high impact as I had hoped but I have to remember that I did 4 minutes of burpees and pushup before 7 this morning, did you?

Kerr lake was great, I mean seriously, look at the view we woke up to every morning.

The dog also had an amazing time, although we did realize that he is not the strongest swimmer. I think he had a pretty traumatic experience in the lake but was enjoying all the attention.

When we got home, I was so excited to see that my bridal headpiece had come in! I ordered a handmade hairpiece and birdcage veil off of Etsy.com and it is exactly what I had hoped. I am officially in love with it.

It was the perfect weekend to have right before we hit the 7 month mark before the wedding. This is the time that I really feel I should buckle down and start taking better care of my skin, teeth, hair and body than I am now because pretty soon I am going to be photographed like crazy and those photos are for life. So, about a week ago a friend of mine shared a link to a "Live More- Weigh Less" 28-day challenge with Sarah Jenks which is less of a weight loss challenge and more of a ways to improve your life in a healthy way challenge.

I got the first email today and basically what it does is share with you a challenge to do everyday to make your life more healthful. I have to say, I like the challenges for the first week.

Today's challenge is to buy yourself flowers!
Wednesdays - To start your day with a green smoothie
Thursday - There's a video (not sure what this is)
Friday - Eat without distraction, no tv, no phone - just food
Saturday  -Take a hike
Sunday - Watch the sunset

I definitely think that these are things I can do and some sound wonderful! Let's see how far I get and if I actually remember to document it : ) I hope you all had a wonderful long weekend!

ROC Race Recap and Comment to Win a Free Entry for the Isabella Santos Foundation 5k!

Hello all!
 
This post will be one of the more exciting I have written because I am having my first giveaway! First things first though!
 
Sunday afternoon, I ran the ROC race for the first time at the Motor Speedway in Charlotte. ROC stands for Ridiculous Obstacle Course Race and it certainly lived up to its name! It was an obstacle race like the Spartan Race but much more focused on family fun than training like a beast. A-Roo!
We ran the race with our friends Stan and Krista and it was their first obstacle course race, they were tired, wet and ready to sign up for the next one.
 

 
We were team United Steelers Nation since all of us have lived in Pittsburgh and are huge Steelers fans! The race itself was so much fun, I couldn't have a camera since there were quite a few water obstacles but to give you an idea, we got to finish by going down the worlds largest inflatable waterslide!

We swung across water moats, walked tight ropes and ran across a huge moon bounce! By the end, we were covered in suds, water, dirt and had an awesome time!

Now to the really exciting part! I have been lucky enough to be given the opportunity to provide one of my readers with a free race registration for the Isabella Santos Foundation 5k on September 21st, 2013 in Ballentyne Corporate Park.

A Little About the Race:



Isabella Santos is a Charlotte girl who suffered a 5-year battle with a rare childhood cancer called neuroblastoma. She passed away on June 28, 2012 at the age of 7. You can learn more about Isabella's story by watching this video: http://vimeo.com/64600369

The annual 5K for Kids' Cancer is an event that the Santos family started shortly after Isabella's diagnoses to raise funds for pediatric cancer research, as they quickly found that funds and resources for this particular cancer (and most pediatric cancers for that matter) were few and far between. The race has brought much of the Charlotte community together over the past 5 years, and last year's race was the most successful yet, bringing in 1,600 participants and raising over $200,000.

The 6th annual event will take place on Saturday, September 21 at Ballantyne Corporate Park, beginning at 8am. Some of the race's events include:

- A 1-mile kids' fun run where kids will have a chance to wear a race chip and capture their time just like the adults

- A Kids Zone sponsored by Levine Children's Hospital and United Support Services with food, music, and lots of activities for kids and families
- There are many great raffle and silent auction items being donated by businesses and individuals throughout Charlotte. In addition, the silent auction will be hosted on a cool, new online app and this will be the first race ever to use it!
- Out-of-town supporters have the option to sign up for the race as a "phantom runner" and will receive an ISF T-shirt that they can wear at a race of their choice in their local community.

More information and the registration link can be found here: http://www.5kforkidscancer.com/

 

How do I Enter to Win a Free Race Entry?

 

Leave a comment on this blog post below and tell me why you want to run this race. Maybe it's your first 5k, maybe you have been effected by cancer, maybe you just like free stuff. No answer is wrong!

 

I will pick a winner and announce it on my blog on September 1st, 2013. So make sure to check back and see if you won!