And the WINNER is....

Thank you to all of you who entered my "WIN-WIN" contest!  It was fun to finally have a giveaway.  I also learned that most of you WASH your workout clothes ASAP!  I loved Marlene's comment about not having her workout clothes marinate...that is a great tip and even better choice of words.

And the winner....is....COMMENT #31

Zaneta at Runner's Luck who just graduated with a Bachelors Degree...CONGRATS and is also training for her first HALF MARATHON!

Zaneta, please email me at jillellingson@hotmail.com with your address and I will ship out your bottle of WIN!

Three Things Thursday

Helllloooo Bloggers!  Another list day...how nice.  Figured I would chime in with my "Three Things Thursday" since I am too tired to write a post.

1.  I am obsessed with Black Iced Tea from Starbucks and now from Traders Joe's.  I just bought the Trader Joe's iced tea this week and it AMAZING!  They only bummer about my black iced tea at Starbucks is that "Treat Receipts" don't work since they are $1.90 something...but at least hubby can get his quad shot iced latte and we don't have to battle for the treat receipt.  Oh and the other problem is that it's caffeinated and that is why I couldn't get to sleep until 2 am last night...oops!  Speaking of Trader Joe's...they have the best stuff.

2.  Shelly has challenged us bloggers to a 10 Day Streak and I totally accepted...not really knowing if I could or would do it but figured it was worth a try.  Today was DAY #7 and I had my doubts because of my 14 miler (13.5) yesterday and my 2 am bedtime so I figured go for a mile and see what happens!  After a mile I still wanted to keep going...2 came and went and before I knew it mile 3 found me and I still wanted more...I went for 5.5 miles and loved it and could have kept going.  I love running with my friends, but I have to say that my solo run today reminded me of why I love to run.  I got to listen to me music, talk to God and fall in Love with running..AGAIN.  Who knew that Shelly's challenge would do this to me?  I realized that when you do something consistently and don't tire of it....you might actually like it.

3.  Can't believe I gained weight on my vacation. I  know that it's normal, but I was down to my lowest weight in a LONG time and it took forever to get there and within days it comes right back.  SO FRUSTRATING.  Why can weight be sooooo SLOW to come off and then can reappear with a day of cookies?  You know what I mean!  Come on 10 day running streak...get it OFF!  Will I ever be skinny? 

Because Lists are EASY!

Wow, there are a lot of GREAT giveaways going on right now!  Not just mine, but many others that are for sure worth your time!  Check them out and go WIN some GREAT stuff! 

I will never understand how I can have so many idea's to blog about, but once I get in front of my computer...it's all gone!  What gives?

Lets do a list...maybe that will make it easier...though my list start to become lengthy, even then!

1. So excited that Tonia from Racing With Babes will be here in a month!
2. The above means...You Go Girl half marathon is very, very CLOSE!
3. Also Excited to meet Kayte from Long Legs on the Loose who is making her way out to be a part of our team too...I love bloggy land!
4. I am running 14 miles with Jamie tomorrow, should be fun.  It will be the furthest I have run since my marathon! 
5. I have to pee...why does going to the bathroom get in the way soooo much?
6. I am obsessed with the new headbands everyone is making and selling.  I just got some from Tonia (check her collection out here)and I LOVE THEM!  Thank you to all of you have way more creativity then me.
7. Summer is almost over and I am not happy about it!  I will miss the sunny evening and wearing tank tops on my runs.  Plus it just gets so gloomy in the fall and the dark evening that start at 5pm is depressing.
8. I am on my 5th day of running, thanks to Shelly's "10 Day Streak" challenge and so far so good.  I'm kind of liking the challenge! 
9. Running today with a friend who is getting back into running is so amazing.  I love helping people go after something that they have never done or haven't done in a long time. Especially when I have been there myself!  Made me think that maybe I need to look into this coaching thing.  I can't believe how much running has changed my social circle...I love it and have enjoyed getting to know so many new people!  Who knew?
10. Tomorrow (Wednesday) my family is going to the Rainer's games.  Cole is OBSESSED with baseball so it should be a fun night.

10 thoughts of mine for the day!  Now it's time to go relax and get ready to watch Flipping Out!  I love that show.  I wish Jeff Lewis could come make-over my house.  He is hilarious and an amazing designer!  What's your favorite show?

Don't forget to enter my "WIN-WIN" drawing!  You have until Friday!  Don't you want some clean, fresh workout clothes?  Of course you do...so go enter!  Even if you don't...the other people living in your house might!?!?!  ....I'm just saying...

My first...GIVEAWAY!!!!!

Are you totally excited?  Well I am because it's a WIN, WIN!!!  I actually have a few giveaways, but we are going to start with this one first!  WIN High Performance Sport Detergent is sponsoring my very first giveaway!  You will win a bottle of your very own Win High Performance Sports Detergent.  As we speak I am washing my running clothes with this great stuff.  If you haven't tried it yet, you are missing out.  I won a bottle of this detergent a while back from Amanda's giveaway and I fell in love with it from the first load.  I wasn't aware that they even had sports wash out there.  My running clothes never smelled that clean after washing them with regular detergent and it was so annoying, not to mention GROSS.  After one load with Win it smelled clean, cleaner than it had in a long time.  The smell is not too much, just a settle clean, fresh scent. 

Check out what they have to say about their great product...

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Stubborn Odors:

Most liquid detergents do not target embedded odors and even after gym clothes are washed, these odors stay entrenched in the fibers. After a few workouts, even the best high tech fabrics typically develop a musty odor. This is caused by bacteria attracted to sweat soaked fabric.

Super Oxygenated Formula:

Using a unique technology, Win Detergent's scientifically designed super oxygenated system directly targets offensive odors and stains. This powerful oxy cleaning technology eliminates the embedded sweat molecules and odors that overwhelm the fabric. Simultaneously, these same ingredients also react with soil and organic materials causing them to either decolorize or disintegrate. Once in a soluble form after oxidization, dirt and odors easily wash away.

Unmatched performance and efficacy:

Two sets of independent laboratory tests show that Win Detergent outperforms the leading detergents and specialty products on removing sweat and odors from all fabrics. Win is formulated to be safe and gentle for all colors and fabrics and works for traditional and high efficiency machine or hand washing.

Product Details:

A laundry detergent especially designed for today's high performance active wear. WIN High Performance Detergent eliminates embedded sweat and odors from your workout clothes. From high end training gear to ragged, sentimental t-shirts, our super oxygenated formula leaves even the sweatiest gear smelling fresh and clean. Used by the US Olympic Team, WIN is safe on all color and fabrics.

PRODUCT USAGE:

• Win Detergent is safe for use on all colors and fabrics.
• Win Detergent works equally well in all temperatures.
• Win Detergent can be used in high efficiency machines and for hand washing.
• The super oxygenated formula in Win Detergent is biodegradable based on OECD standards.

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How to ENTER:

1.  Become a FOLLOWER of Running to Sanity and leave a comment, or if you are already a Follower leave me a comment!

2.  Share this Giveaway on your Blog, Facebook, Twitter, or tell a friend to enter. Leave me a Comment each time you share.

3.  What's a PRODUCT you found out about and have come to LOVE?

4.  Leave a comment about how you keep your running clothes FRESH and CLEAN (or do you?).

*This giveaway will end Friday, August 27th at midnight!  Now go wash your running clothes and tell me how much you want to WIN some WIN!

2 Fun, Long RUNS and 3 friends!

About to start our run!

I was so excited that Jamie and I planned a run the morning after I got back into town.  It got my right back into things and I would highly suggest doing that when you get back from a being gone for a while.  Luckily it worked too sleep in a bit and meet at 9am for 9 miles around town.  We had a lot to catch up on and again the miles flew by as we talked about most of it.  Felt good to get it done and be able to enjoy the rest of the day.  Its been so great to do the long runs with Jamie as she is training for her November Marathon.  I figured I would train right along with her while I can.  We will see what I do when she gets into the high teens and 20 milers!  I will go as far as I can, why not.  I had 10 miles planned the following day with my BFF and was hoping I would feel ok to do 2 long runs in a row. 

After our 9 miler!

Woke up the the next morning feeling tired and was curious to see if I could get in a 10 miler.  Luckily we always take it a bit slow, so I knew that would be on my side.  I have mentioned it before, but it's amazing when you go slower how much further you feel like you can go.  I don't tend to go slower by myself so its nice to have someone slower with you for your long runs so they keep you at a slower pace.  The run felt good and I was so excited to get another long run in since I didn't get to run as much as I hoped in Sunriver.  A highlight of the run was running into Amanda!  I saw her after bathroom break at Starbucks in Old Town ans thought it might be her and figured I will yell her name and if it's not, then no big deal...well good thing I did because it was her and Red on their 16 miler.  We ran together for a few minutes before we let them run ahead, but not before snapping a quick picture.  Thank goodness for camera phones!  Bff and I finished our run and felt good to get it done!  Always enjoy our runs together. 

I love, love running into my friend on my runs.  Always a wonderful Surprise!

Daily Mile Meet-up and some pictures

I wish you could all run with me and see the sights that I have been able to see and run through this last week.  Are you sick of hearing that or what?  Yeah I might sound like a broken record and I think my family is sick of me saying "It's so beautiful here", "I love it here", "Can you believe how amazing the view is"...yep I'm vocal about how I feel...almost all the time.  So like I promised...here are some pictures from my run the other evening.  It was a last minute run and was totally short.  Did I mention the elevation here?  Yeah, we are a little higher up then my normal running territory which I'm not used to and the breathing has been a little different, but the sites take my mind off it...did I tell you how pretty it is here??? Haha...see...

There is a mountain back there...

Can you see the moon?

A little dark, but you get the idea.

See what I mean?  Beautiful!

Love this part of the run.  I think it's a cool picture.

In some random and TOTALLY exciting news I got to meet up with a fellow Daily miler, a You Go Girl teammate and now a vacation buddy. It's a small world and I am constantly reminded of that even when I am away from home. Kim is staying a mile away at the same resort! See...I told you it was random. We figured it out yesterday and after many confusing, complicated texts (thanks to me) we were able to make a run happen this morning. I was thrilled to get to meet Kim and run with someone who loves this place as much as me. We met up early and it was freezing. I should have brought my gloves because after my .85 mile run to our meeting place my hands were still freezing. We met up and hugged and were excited to finally meet face-to-face. Always fun meeting new running friends. We headed down to the river, which was the same route I took the other day and is my favorite run here. Kim is a great gal and actually grew up about 15 miles from where I live. We talked about the usual, family, work and RUNNING of course. So much fun to meet new people over the miles...there I go again with my broken record...I know you all know how I feel about miles with old and new friends...it's the best. Had to bring my cell phone so I could take some pictures. At the end of our run they were herding the horses to the stables which was so cool to see...I tried to get pictures...did the best I could.

Had to stop for a picture with the horses!

Cool sight...right!

I love this part of the run! It's the other side of  the trail from a picture above.

Do you see the horses?

Silly lady runners...

Our last picture before we parted ways!

Later in the afternoon we met up at the pool and got to meet each others family and friends. Kim's husband ran a half-ironman recently so it was great to talk to him about that briefly. Love talking to people who have done those! Kim and her husband run together which is so nice. I can't even get my husband to run around the block with me, so to all those wives who's husband run with you...You are lucky and you should be so thankful! Someday...maybe my hubby will...someday!

I love, love Oregon!

The views of where I am at are BEAUTIFUL!  I went on a run the other day and wish I had pictures to show you the beauty.  My run took me by the river and the water was so blue and the grass on the rivers edge was so green, I loved it and was soaking it all in for 5.5 mile run.  The good news is I had no idea how far the run would be and the bad news is I had no idea how far my run would be.  Running without any idea of where you will be when you finish can be mental.  It can make a run feel a lot further than it really is.  Plus it's a huge place so I was really worried I was getting lost.  I wanted a good run, but I didn't want it to turn into a 20 miler.  The views in this run really reminded me about how Great God is to give us rolling hills, mountains and beautiful rivers to run along.  Running allows you to enjoy Gods great creation in ways you wouldn't other wise see it....one of the reasons running is so great and breathtaking (because of the view...or breathtaking because of the hills!!!)

Max and I and Cole in the background

The boys LOVE, LOVE baseball

This vacation has been nice, but I don't know if I would call it a vacation with 2 kids, more like a trip.  It's been great to be at the pool and watch the kids having a blast.  Max has been doing so well in the pool which has been fun to watch.  I swear if we had a pool he would be an amazing swimmer....I need a underground pool at my house...STAT!  Well since that won't happen maybe just more trips with pools.  Watching your kids have so much fun is the best.  The weather has been in the high 80's which is better than the high 90's at home.  I love clear blue Sky's and the nature like setting here...AMAZING.

Cole having fun in the pool!

Cole loved playing with Uncle Andrew

My little brother, Andrew and I at the pool!

City Living, but no City Running!

First off...What a difference a MONTH can make.  July was not one of the best months, actually besides my marathon, June and July have been tough.  I have talked a little about the craziness and the good news is that my rental house is rented and new tenants have moved in!  So happy that we are done cleaning and fixing it up and now we can start collecting rent again!  Whew!  Answer to PRAYER...BIG TIME! 

The really exciting thing is that the boys and I are on VACATION!  Oh yes!  We are in Portland and getting ready to head out with my brother and mom for a week to a resort in Central Oregon.  Hubby had to work, but we are so thankful for all he does so we can do fun things like this!  We came to Portland today so that we wouldn't have such a long drive. The 3 hour drive, alone made me question if this was such a good idea?  I will let you know next week!  My mom and her husband recently sold their beautiful home to move and their new place is AMAZING.  They are in Downtown Portland on the 30th floor and the views are breathtaking.  Wish I had some pictures to share.  We had such a fun afternoon going to the park and playing in a little fountain/water park a block down.  The boys had a blast and so did I as I watched them having a ton of fun.  Oh the simple things that kids like!  I don't live in a city but have always wanted to experience what it's like and now that my mom lives here I will get glimpses into City living.  It's only been 8 hours since I got here, but so far...City Living is COOL.  We walked to Spaghetti Factory for lunch and walked to the street car and took a ride on the tram (more like a gondola).  So much fun and the boys loved all of it.

Oh, but the bad news is that I had planned a 10 miler with my BFF this morning thinking I would be able to squeeze it in, but no luck.  I figured I would have time to pack and get everything ready the few days before, but I am a total procrastinator and never really dive into packing until 8pm the night before a trip and last night was no different. Got all the laundry done, but the packing took a back seat. I was so hoping to get 10 miles in so that I could go into my vacation feeling good about having a long run done, but looks like I am going to have to do 10 miles at our destination.  It's the thought that counts, right...right?  I was thinking of trying to squeeze an evening run in tonight, but after a glass of wine I thought just enjoying the view from the living room was the best idea.

I just saw the most beautiful, orange sunset in the distance as I wrote this and now it's gone!  Goodnight to you all and HAPPY RUNNING!

Local Running Buddies, ROCK!

I have had some great runs with some local friends.  I have been sacrificing my sleep to do it, which I thought would be hard, but I'm getting used to it and really starting to love the early mornings with my running friends. Plus getting it done in the early morning gives me the rest of the day...PERFECT!  Some of you have read in a previous post about my fear of running with people and I am so happy that the last 6 months I have overcome that! I used to be so in-secure about my lack of speed and didn't want to slow my running buddies down, but I am over it.  For so long I didn't have many local runner to run with but lately I have found some local running buddies.  Both are training for upcoming races.  Jamie is training for her FIRST MARATHON and Rachel is training for her first Half Marathon, You Go Girl.  Its so fun running with people who are training for something that they have never done before.  I love it.  So excited for them to achieve something BIG like a HALF and Full Marathon!  GO LADIES!

Before our 11 miles!

Jamie and I had a FABULOUS run on Friday morning.  She had 11 miles on the schedule so I figured what a great way for me to get my long run in too.  We started early and the miles seriously flew by!  I felt like we had gone 5 miles and we were almost done with 11...that's the best.  We ran up Mile-Long and Nice Hill, but go to finish down hill...it was LOVELY!  She is a great runner and takes HILLS like nobodies business.  She faces some serious hills on her daily runs, I do too, but she runs steeper and longer hills than I do.  I'm looking forward to more long runs in the months to come.  She is going to do great at the SEATTLE MARATHON.

8:30 am and done with 11 miles!  SWEET!  We look a little more awake then the first picture.

My next run was with Rachel who had her long run of 7 miles schedule for Sunday.  I was so excited when I realized I would be able to run this with her.  I usually don't run early on Sundays with church happening, but we left early enough to make it happen.  She chose our route for this run and I was glad she did.  It's a route that I have never ran because the hills looked too long.  The first part is downhill but after the first 1.5 miles it's an uphill climb.  The beginning felt great and then the climb began...it was long and steep, but we took each hill one at a time and made it through.  We had to run up nice hill before our down hill finish.  Nice hill...SUCKS!  We made it to the top, but it was HARD.  Luckily after Nice Hill it was mostly downhill for the rest!  Downhill is so nice after a hilly run.  Felt good to finish 7 mile in the early morning with a friend.  (No pictures of Rachel I since I didn't have my phone...next time!)

Now time to get ready for my vacation with my 2 boys and my mom!  I am so excited, but have a ton to do before we go!

Marathon and Beyond...

Yes I have said before and I will say it again...Running is liking birthing a child.  I find myself thinking about dates and events like this..."that was before my marathon" or "that was after my marathon".  Do you do that?  Since having my children I do that, but I find it funny that I am doing it with my marathon now too...Who would have known?

I love this picture...Wish it wasn't taken with my cell phone!

My family had a fantastic evening in Seattle the other night.  I loved it!  The kids biked on Alki and we all soaked up the views of Seattle and beyond.  We went to the Space Needle, which is where  Loren and I had our very first date there years ago...and I don't think I had been to the top since then, that was 1995.  We walked around the Seattle Center and had dinner at Dick's.  It was a great family night.

Good thing he has his safety glasses on...snowboard helmet and glasses...Nice choice Max.

Loren and I

Max, Cole and Loren

The Seattle Space Needle.  It's way up there...

Amazing views South of the Needle

Loren, Cole and I at the top...poor Cole got cut-off!

The cool fountain at Seattle Center

Max enjoying the view of the fountain

Cheap, good burger place in Seattle!

The funny thing about it is that while I was there I was thinking all about what a great place it would be to run and I would think of where I would and wouldn't run if I was there.  Alki is an amazing place to run and thought the whole time the kids where biking that I had wished I had brought my running shoes.  Running is becoming OBSESSIVE....I mean it has been but really...it's kind of funny, well funny to me.

Do you do that?  Go to new places and wish you could run there?