my favorite things:::: giveaway #3

so here's the last giveaway in my 'marathon must haves".... the pro compression marathon sock.

i love them for running:

i love them for recovery:

riley even loves them:

pro compression was the third compression company that i tried, and luckily, the third time was a charm! :) i have no reason to look any further!

how i use pro compression::::

• running
• recovery
• i sleep in them the night before long runs to make sure my legs are fresh
• as my mid week runs got longer i even wore them to work so my legs would be ready to run when i got home... then i noticed how much they helped [i'm on my feet for 10.5 hours straight] so now i wear them to work a couple a times a week!

what sets them apart::::

• higher quality materials [helps with comfort and also great moisture control]
• great compression level [mmHg 22-26]
• great colors and fun prints
• they're constantly working and finding ways to improve their products
• i have larger calves and i like that while these socks offer great compression, they don't cut off my circulation right below my knee
• they're made in the USA
• i know first hand that their customer service is amazing. seriously. timely, considerate, attentive, and really a pleasure to work with. 

pro compression has generously offered up a pair of marathon socks to one of my readers! you can gain entries by:

• checking out their website and telling me what color you'd choose.
• follow pro compression on twitter
• tweet about the giveaway ( include @courtneymelson and @procompression)

FYI::::

pro compression also does a sock of the month and check out this month's socks!!!

how cute are these? you can use the code SOM3 to get 40% off [it works for calf sleeves too!]

leave me a comment for each entry. this giveaway will end at midnight [est] on tuesday march 5th. 

pro compression is providing one pair of marathon socks to the winner, i purchased my own. all opinions are my own. 

my favorite things:::: giveaway #2

first of all, the winner of the Gu giveaway is::::

missy, email me your address and i'll get your fuel out to you!

and on to another favorite thing of mine, a true marathon must have!!!

when i started running i had no idea how much junk i would need to carry with me. fuel, hydration, music, phone... where are we supposed to put it all?

i purchased an iFitness belt at the expo for my first half marathon and wore it the next day... and for every half marathon since! i feel like i broke the golden rule for racing [nothing new on race day!] but luckily it worked out perfectly for me.

i chose a double pouch belt and it provides enough room for me to pack my phone and fuel. it is not bulky, even when packed to the gills. and i cannot stress this point enough, it seriously does not move, bounce or slip. it has an adjustable strap and i love that it's thick and lies perfectly flat.

showing off my double pouch belt after Run The Bluegrass

iFitness also sponsored 12 in 2012 last year and generously provided us all with single pouch belts. i use this belt for shorter distances, when i don't need both my phone and fuel. 

my single pouch belt

why i love these belts:::

• they don't bounce, slip, or ride up
• they don't chafe
• they're water resistant
• adjustable strap
• they don't smell [even after repeated use and sweat drenches]
• they are made well and they don't show wear

iFitness has generously offered up a belt to one of my readers [the winner can choose a single or double pouch belt]! 

to be entered in the giveaway, head over to iFitness' website and tell me which belt you'd choose if you win. 

for extra entries you can:

Follow  iFitness on twitter

Tweet about the giveaway (include @iFitnessInc and @courtneymelson)

this giveaway will end at midnight [EST] on thursday february 28th. iFitness is providing the prize to  one winner. all opinions provided above are my own. 

my favorite things::: giveaway #1

as much as i'd love to give everyone of y'all ALL of my favorite things... i'm not oprah so i had to settle for this. i've picked a few of my marathon must haves that i'd like to share with you all over the course of the week leading up to the big race.

when i started running i was totally clueless about fuel. i couldn't for the life of me understand how people ran so much and kept their energy up. as luck would have it, i stumbled upon the running blog community and found a wealth of information about race fuel.

i've experimented with a lot of different fuels and I've finally seemed to find what works best for me. for half marathons i prefer to use one pack of Clif Shot Bloks. They're delicious and give me just enough energy. I tear into them at mile 7, and consume one every mile until the end.

for marathon training, however, i began searching for a different plan. i'd tried Gu before and hated it, but apparently I just hadn't find the right flavor for me.

through trial and error [aka, gagging on several flavors] i found three flavors that i actually look forward to consuming:  peanut butter, chocolate outrage, and vanilla bean. i've used them for all my long runs and they sit well and also give me a good burst of energy.

in my experience, the only bad thing about gels and chews can be that sometimes i just feel empty. you know that hungry deep down in the pit of your stomach feeling? i had that during my 30K. i just wanted some solid food!

you all know that for racing reasons i split up my two twenty milers. in hindsight that may have not been the best idea for multiple reasons, one of which, i fueled during those breaks with natural peanut butter on ezekiel toast. so now, i have no idea how to fuel for on race day. GREAT.

so i'm trying to decide on race day fuel. should i take 4 Gu's with me [i used 2.5 during my 30K], should i take 3 Gu's and a pack of Shot Bloks, should i pack a five guys burger?

give me your opinion on how i should fuel for race day and i'll enter you for a chance to win an assortment of Gu energy gels. i'll include my favorite flavors plus some others in case your taste is different than mine. 

this giveaway will end at midnight on Tuesday February 26th (eastern standard time).

Downhill at Dawn Half Marathon Recap::: Ridgecrest, North Carolina::: #5 of 12 in 2012

downhill at dawn half marathon::: ridgecrest, north carolina

half mary # 6

race# 5of 12 in 2012

time:  2:06:10 (PR)

division:  20/31

overall: 207/361

packet pick up:

You could pick up your packet either Friday afternoon or Saturday morning before the race. I had never been to Ridgecrest and didn't know what to expect, so I drove over on Friday afternoon to pick up my packet. It was not crowded at all and it was very easy to find thanks to all the wonderful signs and volunteers. I was greeted at the pick up and got right in and out. Everyone was super friendly! The race shirts are very nice long sleeve tech shirts:

I thought it was really odd to get  a long sleeve shirt for a June race in the South, but it ended up being CHILLY and I got to wear my shirt all day Saturday after the race!

race morning:

My 4am wake up call came way too early! I did not want to get out of my warm bed! I got dressed and had my usual Clif bar with G2. I took care of Riley and headed out. Brad was off this weekend but I get the best wife of the year award for insisting that he stay in bed. It was so early and I wasn't sure how many opportunities he'd have to see me on the course. I was finished and back to the house before he was out of bed!

Ridgecrest is about 30 minutes away so I left the house around 445am. I got to Ridgecrest and parked without trouble. It was really cold outside and I felt like a dummy for not bringing my arm sleeves. Didn't even cross my mind (HELLOOOOO it's June), must check weather in the future! 

One odd thing about the race was that there wasn't a real start line. Not even spray painted onto the road. They showed us where to line up and then told us to go! 

The first 1.5 miles was downhill and then 1.5-3 was back uphill. I was FLYING at the beginning and having a lot of trouble finding a good pace. I didn't really settle until after the first water station (Mile 2). Running downhill sounded like a great idea (and it was really fun!!) but it does jar you and jam your joints. Everything also bounces... think bladder and boobs (Under Armour your bra did NOT cut it today!!). I've never had digestive issues during a race until today and that was NOT a good time. Even after the race I was struggling. Haven't quite figured out what I did wrong there. I almost stopped at the porta potties two separate times. I told myself if they were empty I'd stop. Once it was occupado and another by the time I got to it I didn't feel so bad so I kept going. 

From mile 3 on, the course was mostly downhill. Beautiful views of the sunrise, mountains, creeks and streams. I was in heaven minus my stomach issues. The course was well supported with water stops every 2 miles and GU gels and chomps at Mile 8. 

The course measured a little short on my Garmin (a welcome change after the Flying Pig) coming in at 12.86 miles. Between that and all the downhill, I think this PR is going to be tough to beat!! But I do love a challenge!

Here are a couple pics from the course:

And here's my playlist: