Nutrition, Food & Health ……

Posted on June 24, 2016 by tootallfritz

Several things have happened this year that have really made me take a closer look at nutrition. I’ve realized that most people have no idea what it means to eat healthy. I’ve realized that many people who want to eat healthy struggle with food addictions that derail them at every turn. I’ve realized that food companies are not our friend. I’ve realized that the entire concept of nutrition has become muddied by people/companies who want to sell us something without regard to our wellbeing and overall long term health. The bottom line is that if you want to be healthy, and I mean really healthy without just going thru the motions, you need to do your own research. Invest the time. Make your own decisions. Health is not a one size fits all proposition but if you put some time into your nutrition, you can be healthy. And please don’t confuse being healthy with being the “perfect” dress size. While for some, that my go hand in hand, that’s not the case for all. The focus here is on nutrition and ultimately health.

Confession. This post has been in queue for months. First paragraph drafted & left to sit. Why? Not because I didn’t think it was important but because I didn’t feel as if I had enough knowledge to bring it to you. I’m not a nutritionist. I’m not a coach. I’m not a trainer. I’m not the person with all my ducks in a row with regards to food or fitness. I’m not anyone other than a regular person who is passionate about food and exercise. I want to be healthy. I want my kids and family to be healthy. I want you to be healthy. So I’m going to share some of the things I’ve learned. Give some tips on a few things you can do that might help you to feel a little better. And I’ll leave you with a list of documentaries that might peak your interest and help you get started in really thinking about yourself, your food and where you want to be health wise in the years to come. How’s that sound? I’m not selling anything. I’m advocating for real food, real health & a real future.

A few things I do that help me to feel good are listed below. I don’t have my nutrition 100%. I’m still tired sometimes. I’m grumpy a lot (especially now that schools out for the summer & full blown chaos has ensued). I don’t recover from workouts/races the way I used to but for the most part, I feel pretty good.

Cook real food. Avoid take outs & fast food when possible.
Eat less meat & more fruits and veggies (aka: freggies). Lunches should be fresh and appetizing! I usually have one or two “meatless” meals each day.

Drink water. Avoid soda, processed fruit/veggie juices, caffeinated sugary drinks & alcohol.
Prep dinners (Hello, Crockpot!!) and snacks ahead of time so that good choices can be made when everyone is starving.

Traveling? Pack a cooler with snacks & bottled water.
Try to avoid processed snacks: chips, bars, juice boxes, cookies. Embrace snack baggies full of your kids favorite freggies. Or make your own granola or energy bars as a family project.
Buy local via the local farmers market or food co-op. Buy organic, non-gmo foods. If that’s not an option, shop the outer aisles of the grocery store and try to pick as many fresh options as possible.

Cook seasonal fruits & veggies in new and different ways. Just because the kiddos don’t like red peppers raw, doesn’t mean they won’t like them as the base for crockpot fajitas! Asparagus or Zucchini anyone? Let’s try it on the grill, you’ll find it in abundance at the local farmers market for the next several months!

Experiment with getting nutrients thru real foods. I’ve been taking in less supplements and utilizing more vitamins/minerals in real food. Anyone try juicing? Its fun. Its easy. I’ve taken in a lot of nutrients thru the juicer that I wouldn’t have consumed previously.

If I have extra or don’t like a particular veggie in the juicer, I roast them in the oven. Sea Salt & Olive Oil will make anything yummy!

I’ve changed a lot of things this year and its mostly about my food. I buy as many local organics as possible. I don’t like to go to the supermarket. I go to the co-op first, then supplement at the grocery. I still struggle with the fact that my kids are not on board with my fruit & veggie movement. They still want pop tarts for breakfast & cheetos in the afternoon. But I’m making an effort. They complain a lot about there being “no real food in the house”, so I know I’m making an impact. If they choose an apple or strawberries one time over something processed, then that’s a mini win for me. Smile

Everything in moderation, right? That’s the saying but overall, I think eating real food, without chemicals & hidden ingredients will lead to better health for me and my family. There are many who believe that overeating, in conjunction with consuming processed & “fast” foods are killing this nation. Each year, the pharmaceutical & food companies are making a killing. Healthcare conglomerates are growing bigger and bigger. Yet, each day people are dying from cancer, heart disease, diabetes and a plethora of other diseases that never used to exist. Maybe we should think about getting back to basics. If you can’t grow your own food, make sure you know where your food is coming from and whether the person growing it actually cares about their consumers. That’s why I buy local. I want to know who is growing the food that I’m eating. And I’ve even started growing a few things myself. Normally I plant flowers. This year, Michael, Aby & I planted non-gmo veggie plants. Red peppers, cucumbers, zucchini & tomatoes. We’ll see what kind of yield this brings. We’ve already seen some decent growth over the last month.

So, that’s a little bit about what I’ve been doing lately. I know nutrition and food isn’t interesting to everyone. I’ve had friends specifically tell me that they do NOT want to know where their food is coming from and/or how it gets to the supermarket. That’s certainly their prerogative. If you want to know more about food, how it relates to health, nutrition and what’s in the supermarket, then consider watching a few of the documentaries listed below. All are on Netflix and available for streaming.

If you have any other documentaries that you think would be helpful for us to learn more about food & nutrition, then please share! I have several others I’ve heard are good but I haven’t watched because they aren’t on Netflix. I need to expand my streaming capabilities!

** Eat REAL Food ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Fort4Fitness Spring Cycle – Inaugural 100K Ride

Posted on May 26, 2016 by tootallfritz

The 2016 Fort4Fitness Spring Cycle was on May 21, 2016. This was the 3rd year for the Spring Cycle event but the first time adding the 100K distance (62 miles). It was also the first time I participated. To be honest, I’ve been intrigued by the event in the past, but this year the 100K pulled me in for registration!

It was a cool, crisp morning on Saturday with temps expected to reach the 70s. The 100K had 258 participants, who started at 9am. The remaining 1,050ish participants started at 10am to ride the 10, 16, 34 or 44 mile routes. Large crowd. Easy venue for packet pickup & the start, all of which was at the Arts United Center on Main Street in Ft Wayne. I was happy to have started early because there were several events in Ft Wayne and parking looked difficult as it got closer to the start time. So many bikes! The 100K was off at 9am on the dot! There I am!

The route traveled thru Ft Wayne, out of town and toward Antwerp, OH. Mostly low traveled country roads and some busier roads with a wide shoulder. Police at most major intersections. Course markers both painted on the road, then larger visual signs to help cyclists follow the route.

Four aid stations for the 100K, one that we hit 2x, one at the turnaround and the last one near the end. I only stopped at the turnaround point where I was pleased to see that there was NOT a line to the ladies room but the line for the men’s room was quite long! Such a roll reversal, where were all my lady cyclists for the 100K? The aid station had bananas, water & Gatorade, snacks and energy bars. It was a quick in and out and I was back on the road. The wind was decently strong and it was overcast. I was wondering if it would rain even though it was starting to warm up. I definitely wanted to keep moving and get back to the finish area.

The return trip to Ft Wayne took us down some nice roads with the wind at our back. Smooth sailing for a bit, then we hit Amish Country and the roads weren’t as smooth (read pretty darn rough on my bum) & there was horse “debris” that we had to dodge. Not something I’m totally unfamiliar with but it forces me to be extra vigilant. About this time, we also started meeting the cyclists from the other events. That was nice. I tend to fall in a category of my own when I ride. I’m not fast enough for the fast people and I’m not slow enough for the slower riders. That means I spend a lot of time pushing alone. Not a bad thing because I ride for triathlon and we can’t draft. Plus, the road cyclists make me nervous when they travel in large packs and are so close to each other. I always worry they will crash and take me with them! So once I joined the other riders, it was game on, just like a triathlon when we are pushing back to T2 …… “ON YOUR LEFT”.

I want to shout out all the police and volunteers who helped with this event. It takes a lot of people to put on a 100K ride. So many intersections, especially when we traveled thru several towns and the ride started and ended in the middle of downtown Ft Wayne. Getting back downtown in the afternoon was not an easy task for us or the many police officers who were assigned to help with traffic. They did a great job and seemed to be patient. Thanks for that.

I was all smiles when I hit the finish. I was ready to rack the bike!

The finish line festival offered a bike valet so we could rack our bikes, enjoy the expo and go to the finish line party. I was very happy with that. I was parked very close to the finish line but would not have stayed if the bike valet wasn’t offered. The first 1200 participants received a medal & tee shirt. We also received a picnic lunch (hot dog, chips & a drink) and there was beer to purchase for those who were interested. However, the cycling was definitely the main event. It looked as if most rode, ate & left. Good time. Good day. Great support. Thanks, Ft Wayne! I’ll be back next year!

** Happy Cycling ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Favorite Things …. New Edition

Posted on May 10, 2016 by tootallfritz

I haven’t done a favorite things post in a while! That’s because I’ve been busying using what I Iove and not deviating from the box. I’ve dropped a few brands because some of my preferences have changed but if you must know I’m still wearing Athleta & Saucony EVERYTHING, I’ve tossed in a couple pair of 7” Nike Pros, some Gypsy Runner & I don’t run without my Injinji Socks. Enough said on the “normal”. Let’s talk about what’s NEW! And for the record, I’m not an ambassador or affiliate for any of these brands, I don’t have a discount code ~~but if you find one send it to me~~, and I don’t have free product to give you. Lame, huh? Sorry, I’ll try to do better next time.

Tailwind Nutrition – How many of you have this sitting in your fuel drawer but haven’t yet tried it? I had a few packets sitting for months, like 6+ months. I didn’t try it til I had enough with my tummy issues. Tailwind politely calls our tummy issues “gut bombs”. So appropriate.

Tailwind is a liquid nutrition that is wheat, gluten, diary & soy free. It’s 100% natural. It was designed for people running ultra distance like 50 & 100 mile races but I’m proof that it works great for marathons too! This product hydrates, fuels & gives the electrolytes needed to race for as long as I like. Easy to mix, clear since it doesn’t have artificial additives for color & flavor, comes in 7 flavors (one of which is unflavored) and with or without caffeine. It has the consistency of water and has a light refreshing taste. Plus it has glucose/sucrose which helps fast delivery of energy to the muscles. I’ve been low on sugar before while racing and it’s not pretty. Sometimes the miles & time on our feet get away from us. Sometimes the heat & humidity take more out of the body than we can possibly understand until it’s too late. With the constant stream of tailwind going into my system, I feel good, all the time. Even when those around me are getting sick, crashing & heading for the med tent. For more info, checkout the tailwind website. They have more info that I can possibly share, I just know it has worked wonders for me and I’m confident that I’ll finally get that PR that I’ve been chasing.

FlipBelt Hydration Bottles – Have you seen these yet? You now know that I’m in love with Tailwind. The reason it took me so long to try it was because I didn’t want to CARRY IT. I despise hydration belts with all my being. I don’t even care if they are good ones that don’t move or bounce. I avoid them like the plague. I also dislike handhelds. And I haven’t had the desire to try a hydration vest. So when FlipBelt came out with their new hydration bottles, I ordered one before the ink was dry on the website.

I use my FlipBelt ALL the time. I load it up for runs & races and go, go, go. I was hoping it was be just as awesome with the hydration bottles. It worked great & did NOT bounce. I was so happy! I use the 11oz bottle & mix in my Tailwind. Tip: If I’m using the scoop out of the Tailwind bag, I also use a baby formula dispenser to get my Tailwind in the FlipBelt bottles. The opening on the bottle is small, which is good cuz its easy for drinking and carrying, not so good for adding fuel to the bottle! The bottles are curved to fit snuggly to our body. I can only carry one 11 oz bottle at a time or I’m not comfortable. But the Tailwind mixes so nicely, that I put 4 scoops into ONE 11oz bottle for marathons. That’s 400 calories and I make sure I drink that by the 20 mile mark. Then I use water on course for extra hydration. These FlipBelt bottles are a great option for hydration on the go! Tip: FlipBelt usually is running some sort of special discount code on their Facebook Page. Go find them on FB if you are looking for a discount!

Eagle Creek Pack It Sport Bags. I had never heard of Eagle Creek until a couple weeks ago when they sent the RockNBloggers some free stuff. It was right before I left for my double marathon weekend & I tweeted out a pic real quick, packed up the bags to go & I left. I had zero idea how helpful they would be for that race weekend.

They sent me a large Foot Locker that fit shoes up to size 11. I always have more than one pair of run shoes for these big weekends but the plan is to race in one shoe unless there is a problem. I was able to put my main pair of shoes in the locker, plus I added my watch, fuel, socks, calf sleeves and FlipBelt to the foot locker. Super easy. I pulled it out on race morning and had everything I needed for the run other than my clothes. VERY nice having everything in one place! Quick pics below before I stuffed the rest of the goodies into the shoe locker. Lots of room. Sealed up the shoes and the smell (if that’s an issue).

The real gem of this collection was something I didn’t use initially when I packed up. It was the large Fitness Locker. I took this with me for my dirty run clothes. It’s water proof & antimicrobial. I was thinking it would be prefect for my wet, nasty marathon clothes. Little did I know how much I would need it. There was non-stop rain at the Kentucky Derby Marathon. Upon finishing the race, I had a wet singlet, bra, shorts, compression sleeves, socks, flip belt & visor. Normally, I would have been thieving the bag in our hotel room that’s reserved for dry cleaning, but not this time. I threw ALL those clothes & the visor into the Fitness Locker and zipped it up. Done. No wetness. No smell. Then I threw the Fitness Locker in my gym bag with all my other CLEAN clothes & zipped everything up.

Then we headed over to Cincinnati, where I did it all again. Got done with the Flying Pig Marathon the next day. No rain but this time we had heat, humidity, sprinklers & water hoses. Same scenario when I got back to the hotel. I was drenched, my clothes were drenched. So I grabbed the Fitness Locker, which didn’t smell at all from the Derby race, and unzipped it to add the clothes from Flying Pig: wet singlet, bra, shorts, compression sleeves, socks, flip belt & visor. The bag was now full with 2 full sets of wet clothes but it easily zipped & I tossed it into my regular bag with the remaining clean clothes. Easiest travel I’ve ever had with wet, gross, dirty clothes. I’m very happy to add these Eagle Creek Pack It Sport bags to my travel collection. Check out their website if you need help organizing your fitness clothes & gear or need to transport wet/gross clothes to and from the gym or while traveling. Prices are very reasonable and that is the best part!

Okay, that’s the latest edition of my “Favorite Things” list. I think these are all relatively new products that are noteworthy. I hope they help you as much as they have helped me.

Do you have any new products that you’re loving? If so, let us know in the comments below!

** Happy Running & TRIing ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Flying Pig Marathon …. A Pigcredible Race

Posted on May 5, 2016 by tootallfritz

The Flying Pig Marathon was my 32nd marathon. Let it suffice to say that I know a good race from a bad one and I’d put Flying Pig at the top. This was definitely one of the best races I’ve ran to date. I’d go back to run the hills of Cincinnati anytime. They did an amazing job with a lot of people, in very warm conditions. Plus I’d like to shout out kudos to the communities, all of whom embraced this race as their own and were PROUD to showcase their town, their neighborhoods and they brought fun, food, music & games curbside for the runners to enjoy. Incredible, Cincinnati, absolutely incredible. Thanks for letting me run YOUR town.

The theme this year was “Get Oinked for Life”. As I understand it, they have a different piggy theme each year. But the swag is always amazing. This year they gave a gender specific tee, poster, gym bag (with yoga mat holder) & a buff at the finish line. I’ve seen finisher hats in years previous but it was a buff this year.

Nice sized expo with lots of Flying Pig logo’d merchandise. I normally don’t buy much from the expo but I had a feeling this was going to be a great race so I grabbed a visor & an insolated water bottle, which was a fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati.

Lots of piggy photo ops too. If you didn’t get your pic with one of the many cool looking piggies, then really, can we even be friends? Get excited, people! Have some fun! WhoooHoooo! Me & Lindsay Glitter Girl on the Run leaving the expo on the right. Pigs FLY in Cincinnati! Yes, they do. And thanks, Lindsay for being excited about all the cool piggies! Smile

This race was much larger than I anticipated so getting to the start & into the corrals on Sunday morning was a bigger process than I anticipated. We had plenty of time but there were a lot of people (over 39,692 participants for the entire weekend)! I said goodbye to Lindsay as she went into our corral. Pre-race selfie with Lindsay below!

Her run plan was to crush the hills. My run plan was to 1) not let the hills crush me, 2) have fun, 3) find some bacon, & 4) run with my friends! So I went back a corral to be with friends and hope that they would walk up some of the hills with me! Found Julie B at waiting for us at the entrance to Corral F! Julie B, Tamyra & I walking up one of the bridge inclines around mile 3. All smiles.

The sun was coming up. The fog was lifting. It was turning into a glorious day and we were all happy to be in Cincinnati to Fly with the Pigs!

I found bacon immediately within the first couple miles (blurry pic but I was excited!!). Then I found Elvis. We ran in and out of Cincinnati several times. Over 3 different bridges, past a few more.

Past Horseshoe Casino & into Eden Park. The views in Eden Park were breathtaking. It was hard not to linger and enjoy the view. Most everyone was stopping for pics & I love to see that. Runners ENJOYING the race vs zooming past all the cool stuff!

We said goodbye to Eden’s park, passed under a cool footbridge & headed to the split for the half & full marathons.

The split was huge. There were 12,532 half marathoners (including walkers) and they split at an intersection with one of the most beautiful churches I’ve ever seen (pic below). Then the full marathon continued and had 3,861 finishers (including walkers). I would like to note that the full initially had 4,737 registered runners. Not sure how many bowed out or dropped to the half pre-race but the conditions got very tough and a lot of people were not able to finish. I really hope that we didn’t lose 850+ people over that last half of the race. That’s a big discrepancy in registered vs finished.

After we dropped the half runners, we started to stretch out and head toward the neighborhoods. There are a lot of races where I’d tell you to stick with the half. So many races put all the sites & fun in the first half because the number of half runners always trumps the full marathoners by a lot. They focus on those runners and then just stretch out the course for those of us who “have to” run the 26.2 distance. Cincinnati was NOT like that. There was plenty to see and fun to be had in the last half of the race. Plus, I’ve honestly never seen as better proration of volunteers to runners. Even the people who didn’t volunteer in an official capacity brought the party to the curb as we passed thru their neighborhood.

I’ve never ran a race with so much entertainment. Live music. Boom boxes. Car radios. Bubble Machines. Mini Basketball stations. Cheerleaders. Singers. Bands. Children cheering and high fiving. Mascots. Fun, fun, FUN!

I’ve never ran a road race with so many food stations. Bacon. Need I say more? Chocolate. Hershey Kisses. York Peppermint Patties (Pig Mints!!). Graham Crackers. Chocolate Graham Crackers. Twizzlers. Pretzels. Oranges. Watermelon. Fruit cups. Swedish Fish. Pringles. Trail Mix. Candy.

I’ve never ran a race with the level of community support that I saw in Cincinnati. Full on block parties. Lots of drinking in the early a.m. More piggy decorations than I knew to exist. Beer shots. Mimosas. Margaritas. Music. Cheers. Laughter. Painted streets. Encouragement galore. And dogs. If you love dogs as much as Cincinnati loves pigs, then you will be in heaven. Big dogs. Little dogs. Old dogs. Puppies!! Fat dogs. Skinny dogs. Hairy dogs. Friendly dogs. Scared dogs. LOL! I loved the Cincy dogs as much as I loved the people!!

The race stretched out. Hill after hill. Big hills. Little hills. But always hills. Hard race. Don’t let all the fun deter from the hills cuz Cincinnati is know for hills more than fun. There was over a 1000 feet of climbing and just as much descending (ironically not much more climbing than in Olathe KS for the Garmin Marathon that we thought was flat & fast!).

Our turnaround point was the Village of Mariemont. Cute community! By this time, I was soaked. It was hot. Full sun. I was dumping water on my head & I was drenched. So, no pics by me but I grabbed this from the Mariemont Inn website because I wanted you to have a small taste of Mariemont. The entire area was just this awesome.

By the time we got to Mariemont and were headed back to the City, the temps were soring and the runners were starting to suffer. Some had been suffering for quite some time. I was hearing a lot of ambulance sirens. I was worried about those around me. I was doing okay but going at a very pedestrian pace. Lots of walking. Lots of water intake. Lots of electrolyte intake. I hit every sprinkler and loved the Cintas station that set up with icy cold towels, dry towels and full water hoses with shower heads! About the time things started to get really bad, race officials had gotten ice and were bringing it back to runners. They had gators loaded with cases of water, huge bags of ice and were proactively headed from the finish back toward the runners still on course. I was very impressed that although they had not planned for the higher temps, they were proactive and did what they could to help the suffering runners. That’s a great race organization that is able to react quickly to a less than ideal situation.

There were also about 30 bike support people on course who were watching the runners very closely. They had supplies on their bike and would go get something a runner needed. Med & aid stations toward the end were stocked with margarita shot blocks with extra salt, Coca Cola and things that we normally don’t see at road races. I was very, VERY impressed with the Flying Pig Marathon. I will definitely go back and run it again.

Registration for 2017 is now open. You can register HERE for the May 7, 2017 marathon for $70 (or the half for $60) thru May 15, 2016. Get Oinked for Life!

I’m headed into triathlon season now. My next marathon will be on October 1st in Fort Wayne, IN. The Fort4Fitness event that I’ve loved since its inception in 2008 is offering its first ever marathon and I can’t wait to run in my back yard and rock the run in Ft Wayne. Flying Pig reminded me a lot of Fort4Ftiness in the way the communities come out to support the runners and that made me even more excited about the upcoming Fort4Ftiness Marathon. I hope to see YOU in Ft Wayne on October 1st!

** Run Happy, All. Have Fun & Enjoy ALL the Races. ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

A Personal Investment ….

Posted on February 19, 2016 by tootallfritz

Bet on yourself. For life. And don’t be afraid to throw down a little cash to protect that investment. Buy new running tights. Keep your run shoes fresh. Pay for a gym membership. Register for a race. Get a nice juicer. Buy organic and locally grown produce. Spending money on your health, wellness, and making goals is not throwing away money, it’s investing in your personal wellbeing.

If you think you can’t afford to workout, run, or race, then think again. Can you afford Starbuck$? Can you afford to order out? Can you afford that fancy handbag that you’ve been eyeing? How about designer pumps, that you can’t even wear to the office because they hurt your feet so badly?

The excuses are endless. Stop. If you don’t take care of yourself, nobody else will either. Taking care of yourself is a sign of respect. A sign of intelligence. A sign that there is more to life than all the material things that so many focus upon. At the end, nobody is really going to care what kind of car you drove, whether you had an amazing designer wardrobe, or how much money you had in the bank. It’s time to really be honest with yourself and figure out what is important.

Too harsh? Maybe. Maybe not. So many people are struggling each and every day and just can’t commit to investing in the single most important thing, themselves. It’s time to educate ourselves. Exercise. Health. Nutrition. What different fruits & veggies can do for the body. How exercise effects not only your body but your life, and those around you. How can we feel good, each and every day? Everyone wants to feel good, right? Why don’t you feel good? Too much bad food making your feel bloated & sick? Too much stress leaving you an emotional mess? Too much alcohol to combat the stress? Too much sugar making you tired? How do you feel? I mean, how do you REALLY feel?

Now go grab a glass of water and figure out a plan. I want you to feel good, tomorrow. I want you to feel GREAT, next week. If you don’t feel great, and I mean REALLY great, then figure out why. Invest in yourself before its too late. Exercise and get the blood flowing. Eat foods that nourish the body and fight sickness and disease. You get to choose where to spend your money. Bet on YOU.

** I’m Betting & Investing on ME ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Feeling Flat ….. How Stress Effects the Body

Posted on February 18, 2016 by tootallfritz

There are so many ups and downs of a typical training cycle. Two weeks ago, I was flying high, hitting my numbers and ran the “easiest” 20 miler I’ve ever run. This week, I’m quite literally sinking in the pool. My butt is dragging.

I swam this morning and should currently be on the treadmill knocking out my tempo run. But I’m stalling. Trying to figure out if I should run or not. Of course, I’m going to run but should I try for the tempo pace? That is the question. I’m tired and well, I have an angry hamstring that popped up out of nowhere. Sad smile

To be honest, I expected to be fresh this week. I had 3 forced rest days (SAT, SUN & MON) because the little guy was in the hospital with pneumonia. He is doing much better now. Still weak but improving every day. His biggest complaint at this point is that his back hurts (from the hospital bed, or maybe the pneumonia?) and that he can’t run as fast as he used to before he got sick. Give it some time, Buddy. Just a little time. As for myself, I’m guessing that hanging out with the little guy in the hospital and being stressed/worried about him was probably more daunting on my mind and body than I realized. I’m back on schedule & trying to follow my plan. I expected to knock out one more killer week before pulling back next week to recharge for the Rock N Roll New Orleans Marathon on 2/28. But alas, I’m just tired. And my back hurts too! And one of my hamstrings is on strike. So I’m just slogging thru the week. Not pushing at all. I’m trying to focus on getting some extra rest, making sure I get extra nutrients, and hoping that I’ll bounce back next week while I’m “tapering” for RNRNOLA.

It’s important to realize that events in our lives effect our bodies. A stress reaction is real. Stress takes a toll on the mind and body. You might feel fatigued, get sick, have stomach issues or stress eat (that’s me!). Long term stress can do some serious damage if we are unable to manage it properly. Please see the awesome graphic below from Life Advantage. Go HERE to see the full article on how stress can effect the body.

Bottom line, give yourself a break when your body is rebelling. Look at what’s happened in life for the last couple weeks if something “new” has popped up. Don’t stress about not feeling great. Just focus on what you can do to improve the situation. Sleep and making sure you get lots of fruits & veggies to up the nutrients in your body is so important. Drink lots of water to flush all the toxins. Avoid caffeine & alcohol. Exercise. Don’t push hard on the workouts but get the blood flowing and you’ll be back to normal before you know it.

** Cheers – Amanda – TooTallFritz **

Highlight Reel …. 2015

Posted on December 29, 2015 by tootallfritz

I think the end of the year highlight reel is important, particularly for those years that go down in history as being difficult. And if I thought 2014, and the move to our new home in Indiana was difficult, I was wrong. 2015 brought us trials and tribulations that would have broken most. Yet we are still standing strong, just a bit weak in the knees.

I encourage all of you to focus on the positive. Leave behind the negative whether it be people, habits, attitudes or memories. Grab onto the positive from each year and make your own highlight reel. When we are old & grey, nobody wants to hear sad, woeful stories but rather the ones that inspire and bring laughter & smiles. We get to choose the legacy that we leave behind, let it be a positive one.

Stats – 1100 miles on foot. 900 miles on bike.

Races:

5K – 1
8K – 1
Half Marathon – 2
Marathon – 8
1/2 Ironman – 1
50K – 1

Best Run – Charleston, NC – Cooper River Bridge

Favorite pics. 1) Kids first day of school, 2) Lilo – 2.5 months, 3) Aby’s First Half Marathon, 4) Celebrating Mom’s birthday at Dierks Bently.

Favorite Race – Eugene Curnow Trail Marathon, which is a “practice” run for the Minnesota Voyager 50 mile ultra up by Lake Superior in MN. Took Julie & I forever to run it. So freaking hard. But we smiled the entire time.

Best Bridges – Pittsburg Marathon. Really loved this race, town & all the bridges.

Fastest Marathon – Indianapolis Monumental Marathon – 4:26

Best Selfie – Indianapolis Monumental Marathon. Me, Erin Rose, Tamyra, Missy & Julie in the back “flying”. Love this pic.

Favorite Race pic – Ironman 70.3 Steelhead

In 2015, I checked 6 new states off my list: Missouri, Pennsylvania, Iowa, California, Minnesota & Oklahoma. My goal to run a marathon in every state is ongoing as a long term goal. I love the adventure and the road trips with my run friends. But I also like to support local races, help my friends and run group members achieve their goals and run iconic races that just so happen to be in states I’ve already checked off the list. I’ve ran 15 states thus far and the journey will continue well into the future. One state at a time as the family & budget allows and as my run friends can fit travel & new states into their schedules.

As we close in on 2016, I first and foremost pray for a healthy, happy family, then a healthy body that can continue to pursue goals at whatever pace seems manageable. I hope to color in a few new states on my marathon map and participate in a few more 70.3 triathlons. I’m looking forward to a fresh start, new goals and the beauty of the unknown. Cheers to 2016! I hope it’s the best year so far for my family & yours!

** Cheers ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Winner of the Garmin Marathon FREE Entry & Still Searching for the Flying Pig Winner!

Posted on December 24, 2015 by tootallfritz

Merry Christmas, all!! I just finished recording all the entries into the Garmin Marathon Giveaway. I’m thrilled with the response, we had 359 entries for a small town race in Kansas. So who wants to go run the Land of Oz? I know, I do!! But I’m already registered. Smile

Our winner was #86. Judy Fishbaugh!

Judy, please email me at Amanda @ TooTallFritz.com. I will need to verify that you are a follower of the Garmin Marathon on Twitter, so please send me your Twitter handle first! Then we’ll get you set up with a free entry!

For the rest of us, we can register for the Oz Run, HERE. I hope to see you in Kansas on April 16, 2016!! If you are making the trip, definitely let me know. I’d love to meet you!!

****Side Note – This is the LAST CALL for AshleyRStumpp who was the random winner of the Flying Pig Marathon Giveaway. I haven’t heard from Ashley & I even sent her an email. If you know her, have her contact me ASAP. Otherwise, I’ll be drawing a new winner for Flying Pig.

I hope all of you have an amazing Christmas. Have fun, be safe & enjoy the crazy family time.

** Merry Christmas ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Garmin Marathon (or Half) FREE Entry Giveaway – 2016 – Welcome to the Land of Oz

Posted on December 17, 2015 by tootallfritz

Lions & Tigers & Bears ….. Oh my! What does that phase mean to you? In my world, I grew up singing this phrase over and over. Its one that my friends and I would scream, shout & sing while chasing each other around in a game of tag, keep away or while out in the dark pretending to be scared of the unknown. The Wizard of Oz was more than a movie to us. We incorporated the story line and plot into our own playtime antics. We dressed up as Dorothy for Halloween. We named our dogs Toto. We had Wizard of Oz lunch boxes. The Wizard of Oz was and still is a classic. Here is a pic of Aby at 14 weeks, absolutely enthralled with the movie. I know the feeling.

So how many of you are aware that there is an #OzRun in Olathe (O-Lay-th), KS sponsored by Garmin? The Garmin Marathon, In the Land of Oz is on April 16, 2016. Who’s running with me?

If you’re a Wizard of Oz fan, this is a must run event. If you are a Garmin fan, this is a must run event. If you are a Marathon Maniac, Half Fanatic or 50 States runner, you’ll end up at the Garmin Marathon because it’s where your friends are going and because this is the premier marathon in Kansas. So who’s running with me now?

This is the 13th year for the Garmin Marathon but it is still a smaller race that caters to the runners. There were less than 4000 finishers in 2015 so know that you will be getting the red carpet, I mean, Yellow Brick Road treatment. I anticipate this race to grow exponentially over the coming years so am happy to be running while its still smaller and focused on delivering a quality race to the runners. See the finish line below. Just follow the yellow brick road! Follow, Follow, Follow, Follow ……

The start/finish will be mere steps outside of your hotel room at the new Embassy Suites Hotel at the Olathe Convention Center. After our hotel fiasco in Tulsa, you know I’ll be staying there. Book HERE for a discounted rate.

This will also be the location of the Emerald City Finish Line Festival which will offer runners freebies such as: snacks, beer, a meal, chiropractic adjustments, massage therapy, yoga stretching & live music.

Sounds awesome, right? The Garmin Marathon has graciously decided to give away ONE entry to any race of your choosing. Giveaway starts NOW and runs until Christmas Eve (12/24/15) at 8am CST. I’ll do a quick drawing on Christmas Eve morning so we can announce a winner and make sure that someone has a great start to Christmas 2015. To be entered you MUST comment below. You can also get additional entries by jumping thru a few hoops (listed below).

Comment Below – Required – 1 Entry
Garmin Customer – 1 Entry (tell us which product you own)
Like the TooTallFritz Facebook page HERE – 1 Entry
Like the Garmin Marathon Facebook page HERE – 1 Entry
Like the Garmin Facebook page HERE – 1 Entry
Follow TooTallFritz on Twitter HERE – 1 Entry
Follow the Garmin Marathon on Twitter HERE – 1 Entry
Follow Garmin on Twitter HERE – 1 Entry
Follow TooTallFritz on Instagram HERE – 1 Entry
Follow the Garmin Marathon on Instagram HERE – 1 Entry
Follow Garmin on Instagram HERE – 1 Entry

Total of 11 possible entries. Just let me know in the comments what actions you preformed so I can allot you the proper amount of entries. Good luck. I’ll announce the winner on Christmas Eve morning!

** Let’s Run the Land of Oz ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Flying Pig Marathon Giveaway WINNER

Posted on December 16, 2015 by tootallfritz

There is some serious love for the Flying Pig Marathon events. Wow. Just wow. This giveaway has been a huge success and there are so many people that want/need a free entry. Unfortunately, I only have one entry to give out today. But please know that I read each comment that was posted and I was both inspired and amazed by the stories that you shared with me. Thank you for that. And if you asked a question in your comment, I tried to respond but know that you can always contact me at amanda@tootallfritz.com with any questions. I’m here for you and will help in any way that I can. Lastly, remember that we are all on a journey. Some journeys take longer than others. We can’t compare what we go thru to our neighbors or friends. It’s our journey alone and no two people are traveling the same exact path. No matter what you are going thru right now, take a minute to pause, be grateful for the blessings in your life and then focus on how you can improve the things that you wish to change. You have control. You have choices. Sometimes the choices are less desirable than we would like but we always have choices.

Now let’s pick a winner!! No worries, if you didn’t win, stop back tomorrow because I’ll be positing another amazing marathon (or half marathon) giveaway. So many races, so little time. RUN.ALL.THE.RACES.

We had 938 entries & the winner is #562.

#562 is AshleyRStumpp. Ashley, please email me at amanda@tootallfritz.com with your Instagram name so that I can verify that you are a follower. Then we’ll get you set up with a free race entry to either the full or the half marathon! Congrats, girlie!!

For all of the rest of us, we can register for the Flying Pig races HERE. And if you see me in Cincinnati on Flying Pig weekend or out on the course, please say hello. It’s going to be a great weekend! Can’t wait to meet you!

** Let’s Get Oinked ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

TooTallFritz

Running Toward: Health, Wellness & PEACE …………………………………….. Running From: Insanity, Screaming Children, Housework & a Big Ass

Category Archives: Family

Nutrition, Food & Health ……

Fort4Fitness Spring Cycle – Inaugural 100K Ride

Favorite Things …. New Edition

Flying Pig Marathon …. A Pigcredible Race

A Personal Investment ….

Feeling Flat ….. How Stress Effects the Body

Highlight Reel …. 2015

Winner of the Garmin Marathon FREE Entry & Still Searching for the Flying Pig Winner!

Garmin Marathon (or Half) FREE Entry Giveaway – 2016 – Welcome to the Land of Oz

Flying Pig Marathon Giveaway WINNER

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