Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

The lucky winner of the Long Beach Marathon/Half Marathon race bib giveaway is comment #8!

Please email me at bostonboundbrunette@gmail.com so I can get you all registered and set up to run Long Beach.

Thank you to everyone who entered and good luck to you if you are going to be out there running Long Beach with us!

Long Beach Marathon/Half Marathon Bib Giveaway!

I was contacted by Florastor, one of the sponsors for the Long Beach Marathon, to try out their product in exchange for a race bib. I was not compensated to write this post but I was given a free sample of their product to try.

Florastor^® is the most trusted name in probiotics around the globe. Since 1953, people of all ages have been taking Florastor daily to promote whole-body health. Recommended by doctors and pharmacists in 100 countries and backed by more than 50 years of use, Florastor is made with all-natural ingredients using the highest standards.

What is Florastor? 
Florastor is a friendly yeast-based probiotic that is backed by more than 60 years of clinical research. Probiotics are live microorganisms that benefit health by promoting the body's own natural intestinal flora. Florastor is made with yeast found naturally on the skin of lychee and mangosteen fruit.  Florastor has natural ingredients and is vegetarian and gluten-free. Florastor is generally tolerated by people who are lactose intolerant. Florastor even increases lactase production which helps with the digestion of lactose.

What Can Probiotics do for Athletes? I have personally never tried probiotics so reading about Florastor educated me on what they are all about and how they can be useful to me as a runner. Did you know that 81 percent of distance runners experience some type of intestinal disturbance while exercising? "Florastor is designed to promote the natural flora we all have and help our bodies function naturally so runners can stay active and avoid intestinal disturbance." Since 70% of your immune system lies in your digestive tract, taking a probiotic has the added benefit of supporting a healthy immune system. Less sick days means you can stay on track with your training!

My body is super sensitive to antibiotics and when I take them you don't want to know what they do to me (TMI). Unlike yogurt and other bacterial probiotics, Florastor keeps your intestinal flora in balance even when using antibiotics. I haven't taken antibiotics lately but I am definitely going to take Florastor to see how it helps my body be more tolerate to the medication.

Here is the fun part! Florastor was also generous enough to give one of my readers a free bib to run the Long Beach Marathon or Half Marathon. To enter this giveaway, here is what you have to do:

1) Leave me a comment about your personal experience with Florastor or any other probiotic. If you have never tried probiotics then you can just tell me why you want to run the Long Beach Marathon/Half Marathon and your goal for the race.

You have until Monday, September 8, 2014 to enter this giveaway and I will announce the winner here on my blog on September 9, 2014. 

GOOD LUCK!

Feeling Lucky!

My luck for winning giveaways has struck again! I won three giveaways this past week which include some Justin's Nut Butter from Marcia's Healthy Slice! Can't wait to eat this right up!

I entered a Hump Day Running Giveaway from Another Mother Runner for two entries to a Zooma Race of my choice. To enter the giveaway all you had to do was tell them who you would take with you and why. I entered with my friend who lost her husband in mind and we won! Her and I will be running Zooma Napa Valley because she loves it there. I had dinner with her on Sunday night and told her that she will be going to Napa with me in June and she was excited. She ran her PR half there a few years back and she celebrated her last wedding anniversary with her husband there as well. The plan is to enjoy the trip and run the race with no pressure and to enjoy the course. I am really excited about it and I hope it brings her some peace and relaxation because she love her wine and there is plenty of it in Napa!

I also find out today from Run with Jess that I won the prize for Week#3 of Winter Miles Challenge. I won a running shirt from Milestones Sports Jewelery & Apparel. It is super cute and I can't wait to wear it! This is the design on the shirt!

In other news, I survived my 20 miler this past weekend and I am looking forward to an easier week. I closed the week with 33 miles and my long run for this week will be 15 miles. I think my body is looking forward to cutting back this week.

How long is your long run this week?

I am feeling sad that I did not register for anything this weekend since the weather is going to be perfect for racing!

Feeling Thankful and a Little Lucky Too!

I am feeling so thankful today for the many blessings in my life. So many good things have happened to me in the last few weeks and I am always reminding myself to count my blessings. I am feeling so grateful and I have even had a little bit of luck on my side too!

1) I am thankful to be spending Father's Day with my Dad this Sunday. I never imagined that he would be such a fighter and be able to tolerate his cancer treatment so bravely! 

2) I will be graduating this Sunday. Yes the commencement ceremony falls on Father's Day. I am so thankful that my Dad will be sitting out in the audience watching me participate in the ceremony. I want him to be proud of me and know that he raised me the right way and instilled so many values in me. Education is something that my Dad was not able to pursue and always encouraged me to do so I am sure he will be proud. 

3) I am not sure if my last marathon PR was a result of good luck or not but I am still feeling so grateful that I was able to improve my time more than I even expected to! More than anything I am grateful that I am able to run because so many cannot.

4) I am also feeling pretty lucky! I won an amazing giveaway from Run with Jess! Jess is a pretty inspiring runner who is always running some kind of race and striving to meet new goals. Thank you for all of the awesome goodies Jess! You made my day!

Remember to count your blessings every single day!
What are you grateful for today?

Chill Cooling Towel Giveaway Winner!

The lucky winner of my Chill Cooling Towel 5-Pack Giveaway is......

The lucky winner is Gabby!

Gabby, please email me at BostonBoundBrunette@gmail.com with your address so that we can get your towels out to you! CONGRATULATIONS!!

Chill Cooling Towels: Product Review and Giveaway!

Other than my runDisney bling-bling medal and my two biggest fans, the most amazing thing was waiting for me at the Disneyland Half Marathon finish line, a Chill Cooling Towel! I had never heard about these towels but I glad I found them! I was hot and sweaty after my race and really needed something to cool me down and a Chill Cooling Towel worked it's magic. The towels were not refrigerated and were just being handed out from boxes at the Finish Line. When I opened my Chill Cooling Towel, I was amazed at how a towel that came out of a package could be so cool and refreshing. Chill Cooling Towels have me sold and now I have decided that every race needs to provide these to their participants. My race day bag now includes a Chill Cooling Towel just in case they are not provided!

What I like most about these towels is that they provide immediate relief from the heat! I like to wrap mine around my neck and I immediately feel refreshed! I was more amazed at how cold the towel remained without me having to do anything to make it happen. The towels are packaged in resealable bags and can be used multiple times which is also a plus.  Once I have gotten all of the use that I can get out of a Chill Towel, I wash it and re-use it as a dry gym towel so these towels serve multiple purposes for me!

If you have never heard of Chill Cooling Towels or have never had the chance to try one, they are all-natural, fully recyclable, 100% terry cloth towels that are hygienically sealed and contain antiseptic properties. They provide instant cooling and drop 25-30 degrees F below your normal body temperature to provide instant relief from the effects of heat. There is no soaking, rinsing or wringing out required.  Just open the bag and they are ready to use!

After a long run or a race, one of the first things that I used to reach for was a cold towel and now I reach for a Chill Cooling Towel. These towels come in three convenient sizes: Small (12 x 12), Medium (12 x 20) and Large (12 X 27). I prefer the large size since I like to wrap mine around my neck. These towels can be used for any type of sport other than running, like cycling, tennis or golfing.  They can also be used after or a during a workout at the gym and you can even use them when you are out on a hot day walking around at an amusement park or even the beach.

I was so impressed with this product that I contacted Robert over at Chill Towels and asked if he would be willing to partner with me to give one of my readers the opportunity to try this amazing product! Chill Towels has agreed to send one of my lucky readers a Five Pack of Large Chill Cooling Towels to try out.  I promise, you are going to love them!

To Enter this Giveaway to win a Five Pack of Chill Cooling Towels, all you have to do is:

+1: Follow my blog Boston Bound Brunette via Google Friend Connect and leave me a comment telling me that you are a follower!

+1: Like Chill Towels page on Facebook and leave them a comment telling them that Boston Bound Brunette sent you!

+1: Follow Chill Towels on Twitter and leave me a comment telling me that you did!

For Bonus Entries you can do these things too:

+1: Follow me on Twitter: Tweet about this Giveaway and leave me a comment telling me you did.

+1: Follow me on Instagram (bostonboundbrunette) then leave me a comment telling me you did.

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and I was not compensated in any way to share my opinions with you.

This giveaway ends at midnight (local time) on September 26, 2012 and is open to anyone who enters! The entries will be numbered based on the order that they are received and the winner will be selected via random.org. The winner will be announced on September 27, 2012 and the winner must respond to me via email within 3 days of the announcement or an alternate winner will be selected.

GOOD LUCK!!

Playing It Safe and A Cool Giveaway Coming Soon!

So this happened.....

After being injured once you learn not to mess around and let things go. The pain that I am having is a very small area (about an inch) on the side of my shin and my doctor thinks that it is inflammation of the surrounding tissue and not the bone itself. I wanted to be on the safe side so he agreed than an x-ray would rule out a stress fracture and then we would go from there. I won't have the results for 24-48 hours so now it is time to patiently wait it out and hope for the best. In the meantime I am just doing other forms of cardio but no running.

I have a 10K on the books for Saturday so hopefully I will know something by then and that will decide whether or not doing the 10K is safe. I would much rather save myself for the Long Beach Half Marathon which is less than three weeks away so if I have to sit the 10K out. I don't want to but I know it might be the smartest thing for me to do.

I thought this was pretty funny and I wanted to share it with all of you. I was telling my son that I was going to have an x-ray to see if anything was wrong with my shin and he asked what was wrong? I told him that I wanted to make sure that I didn't have a stress fracture and he replied, "Mommy, did I cause you to have the stress fracture from stressing you out sometimes?"  Kids say the funniest things, don't they?

I have another COOL Giveaway coming up that you are really going to like! I will give you a hint...it's another one of my favorite running items!!

What are some of your favorite or must have running items?

We Have a Winner!!

The lucky winner of my giveaway "A Few of My Favorites"  is.....

Michelle ...who blogs over at 26.2 before I Turn 40! 

Michelle is going to need these things as this awesome lady is going to rock her very first 26.2 in Chicago, before she turns 40 of course, in less than 20 days! GOOD LUCK MICHELLE! YOU GOT THIS!

Michelle, please email me at BostonBoundBrunette@gmail.com with your address so that I can send your goodies out to you! 

Weekly Recap and Last Chance to Enter My Giveaway

I haven't been doing much running lately. I ran 5 miles on Tuesday and then did the Color Me Rad 5K with my family on Saturday which was mostly speed walking with minimal jogging. My shins are all better but there is a small area on my right shin that is kind of tender to the touch. It didn't help that last night my Pom was screaming under the bed and I jumped out of bed to see what was wrong and hit the hell out of my shin on the side panel of the bed! I think I really did some damage when I hit it! NOT GOOD because now it kinda hurts when I walk on it!  I hope it's not another injury but it is bruised this morning from the hit. I guess I will wait and see how it feels in a couple of days. I am not sure what happened to my dog but thank God she appears to be alright.

Thank you to everyone for the advice on Marathon Training plans. I think I might try the Run Less Run Faster plan which was recommended by many of you since it includes three quality runs per week and cross training which fits my schedule. I will have to commit to the cross training but I know that it is just as important to prevent injury so this seems to be a plan worth trying for me. I am also going to try some fast finishes during my long runs that Terzah, who blogs over at BQby40, recommended. I think this will be helpful when I attempt to tackle those last 6.2 miles of the marathon next February. I may have to make some minor changes to the plan to make sure I can stick with it but I am excited to try something new this time around.

If you haven't had a chance, this is your last chance to enter my GIVEAWAY! It ends tonight at midnight (local time) and I will announce the lucky winner tomorrow. If you haven't entered, go do it now so you can win some of my favorite running things! 

You can find it here.

My Very First Giveaway: A Few of My Favorites!

In celebration of my One Year Blogiversary, which happened back in June (oops), one lucky reader will receive all of the following. All of these items that I am giving away are some of my favorites that I want to share with you. 

1) 3 GU gels: I cannot live without this stuff on my long runs and during races! These are a few of my favorite flavors!

2) nuun:  This is one of my favorite forms of hydration! Fruit Punch is my favorite flavor and I hope you like it too!

3) Body Glide: After my first marathon I knew that Body Glide was a must and it works wonders for me! No more chafing for me!

4) Nathan Handheld Hydration Bottle: I always carry my own hydration no matter the distance since this summer has been crazy hot! I love this Nathan handheld hydration bottle because there is no top to open. All you have to do is squeeze it!

5) $15 Starbucks Card: I always reward myself with my favorite Starbucks drink after a good run and I want you to do the same! My favorite drink is a Soy Caramel Brule' Latte that only comes out during the holidays.  I can hardly wait!!

 DON'T YOU LOVE THE BONUS STICKER THAT I AM THROWING IN??

To Enter this Giveaway all you have to do is:

+1: Follow my blog Boston Bound Brunette via Google Friend Connect and leave me a comment telling me that you are a follower!

For Bonus Entries you can do these things too:

+1: Blog about this Giveaway and send me the link in a comment.

+1: Follow me on Twitter: Tweet about this Giveaway and then send me the link of your tweet in a comment.

+1: Follow me on Instagram (bostonboundbrunette) then leave me a comment telling me you follow me on Instagram.

The giveaway ends at midnight (local time) on September 17, 2012 and is open to anyone who wants to join! The entries will be numbered based on the order that they are received and the winner will be selected via random.org. The winner will be announced on September 18, 2012 and the winner must respond via email within 3 days of the announcement or an alternate winner will be selected. 

GOOD LUCK!!

My One Year BLOGiversary Celebration!!

It's my One Year BLOGiversary! 

One year ago today, I hit the "Publish" button to announce that my friend Shawna and I were planning on running the Long Beach Marathon.  Even though I knew nothing about blogging, I am so glad that I went for it because I have met so many wonderful people in the last year. I look forward to gaining new readers and meeting new people this year who share the same passion as I do.

So here I am: 148 posts, 564 comments, 8,352 all time page views and 44 followers later still talking to all of you about my hopes and dreams of running the Boston Marathon someday.  My posts have been mostly about my ups and downs with running and other personal things that matter most in my life.  

I enjoy blogging and I do it as often as I can but my favorite part about being a blogger is the wonderful people that I have met along the way.  I also enjoy reading about what all of you are up to, challenges you are up against, goals you have met and all of the wonderful and sometimes not so wonderful things going on in your lives.  I try to keep it honest on my blog because we all know that we do not live in a perfect world, injuries happen and every race is not a PR.  I am human and I don't mind being honest about a race gone wrong or when I fail to meet a big goal that I talked and talked about for months on end.  Hey...Caca happens!! 

Thank you to my few but faithful followers that have heard me out over the past year, gave me some great advice, shared some of your personal struggles and put up with my complaining during my injury.  I know negatively is not what people want to read but sometimes we need to vent and my followers always have a way of turning my negatives into positives by leaving me inspiring comments that change my perspective. Thank you so much for reading, commenting and sharing. My blogging goals for the upcoming year are to gain some new followers and to blog more often.

I have never hosted a giveaway and I thought that my One Year BLOGiversary would be the perfect opportunity! Keeps your eyes open for it!

Check Out This Amazing Giveaway!

To celebrate the new year, the Rafflecopter team is going to give away a 16GB Apple iPad2 and several Kindle Fires. The giveaway started Monday 1/9 at 12:01 a.m. and lasts for a month. To enter, head on over and visit Jenn at Jenn's Adventures so you can enter!! While you are there, check out her amazing blog!

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly!

THE GOOD:

Let me start with the good news and tell you that I am still on a winning streak and have managed to win two more giveaways since the last four that I reported! Here is what I recently won:

1) Free Entry into the San Diego Jingle Bell 5K from Skinny Runner. Thank You Sarah!

2) My Run, the movie, from Baby Weight My Fat Ass. I have never seen this movie before so I am excited to watch it! Thank You Michel!

I hope I don't start getting hate mail for stealing all of the giveaways! Please stop by and visit these two wonderful ladies and check out their awesome blogs!

Another good thing is that I PR'd at one of my Turkey Trots and cleaned up pretty well at the other! Now onto the bad....

THE BAD:

Due to the strange pain that I developed in the back of my right leg/knee I did much of nothing last week. I missed two key runs and one day of cross training.  I spent most of the week being lazy and resting my leg. I guess it was a good thing that I did because my leg is feeling much better now. I am not quite sure what the pain was all about or the actual cause of it but now i know how to get rid of it should it come back. Other than the two 5K's and one day of cross training, I did absolutely nothing! 

THE UGLY:

I am coming down with a cold!  I am the type of person who never ever gets sick.  My son sleeps with me whenever he is sick and no matter what he has, I never catch it.  I think I may have picked this up from that cold air that I inhaled at my turkey trot on Saturday. It's mind over matter so I keep telling myself that even though I am sneezing and coughing like crazy, my nose is running like a faucet, and I am tired as ever, that I am going to be okay! I refuse to have another horrible week of doing nothing so I have to kick this cold in the butt!  I have a half marathon coming up next Sunday so I need to get better so I can keep up with Shawna as she goes for that PR that she has been chasing!

Good luck to everyone that is running in Las Vegas on Sunday.  I am sad that I didn't sign up for it and now it's sold out!  The Las Vegas Marathon holds a special place in my heart since it was my very first marathon. Blonde Ponytail also blogged about a blogger meet-up on Saturday so you might want to check that out if you are interested!

You Should Take Me to Vegas with You!

I am never really lucky!  I mean, the most I have ever won is $2.00 on a lottery ticket but I think my luck may be turning around!  I have won so many blog giveaways lately for running stuff that I really need.  Let me tell you about all of the wonderful things that I have won and then do me favor and stop by all of these awesome blogs and give these ladies a follow if you haven't already!

1) The first item that put me on a lucky winning streak was these awesome Aspaeris Pivot Shorts.  This giveaway was hosted by Christina over at The Athletarian.  I tried them out for the first time on my 18 mile run over the weekend and I really like them.  They were created to prevent injury in females and enhance performance so you should look into getting a pair of these bad boys! Thank You Christina!

2) The second awesome item I won was a Handful Bra from Jennifer over at Running with the Girls.  I haven't tried it out yet but I love the way it looks on me.  It was designed to "flatter and not flatten" like most sports bras do. I am not very well endowed to begin with so it makes me look like I have a little something!  I chose the pink and it's super cute! I have heard lots of great things about it from other bloggers so this is another item that is worth trying out. Thank You Jennifer!

3) I was really feeling lucky today since I won two items!  The first item that I won was a knee compression sleeve from Tommie Copper.  This giveaway was hosted by Stephanie over at Run for Fun.  According to Tommie Copper's website, this knee sleeve relieves joint pain all day and combines comfortable compression and copper yarn for maximum relief. I haven't received this item yet because I just found out that I won it today but I will have to let you all know what I think of it once I give it a try.  Stop by Stephanie's blog and give her some love for rocking her first marathon!! She is still on a marathon high! Thank you Stephanie!

4) The last item I won and I hope it doesn't stop here was from Beth over at Running Around My Kitchen. Her giveaway offered 20 lucky winners a pair of Wrightsocks.  What got my attention about these socks is that they are guaranteed not to give you blisters due the double layer moisture protecting system! Beth swears by them and has never suffered from blisters while wearing them so I hope I am as lucky as her.  I always seem to get blisters during a marathon so this may be the solution! I can't wait to receive these and try them out. Thank You Beth!

Being the recipient of all these great giveaways makes me feel like I should be giving something back, right? I have never been approached to try out a product since I am just an average runner with just a few awesome followers. I am fairly new to the blogging world so maybe I can ask all you  seasoned bloggers this question: How do most you of receive the opportunities to host these great giveaways?  Do you approach the companies as a user of their products or do they approach you?

Road ID Review and Giveaway

Are you safe on the road while running, biking or walking?  You better check out this GREAT GIVEAWAY from the Gourmet Runner for a Road ID!!  Her blog is great too so check it out!

CHECK OUT the Aspaeris review and GIVEAWAY!!

Don't miss out on another great giveaway from The Athletarian.  Check out these great compression shorts which can be yours if you just do a few simple things!!!

Go Sports Running Skirt Review and Giveaway!

Looking to try out a new running skirt or add one to your collection? If you do, then check out and this great Go Sports Wear giveaway from My Dirt Road Anthem! She did a great modeling shoot for us too! Good Luck!

CHECK OUT THIS GREAT GIVEAWAY!!

Check out this great giveaway from Tommie Copper courtesy of The Athletarian!

Chocolate #9 Giveaway!

Check out this great giveaway for Chocolate #9, from Gourmet Runner! 

Subway Giftcard Giveaway from Shut Up and Run!

Check out this awesome giveaway for a $10.00 Subway gift card!!