Category Archives: Running

You Might Be Serious About Your Training IF…….

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Some people call me motivated, others call me crazy.  It really doesn’t matter as long as I am focused and moving toward my goals.  I’d like to think that I am Making It Happen for me, not just out there day in and day out being “crazy”.  In my quest to Make It Happen, I recently just got back to swimming HERE and onto the bike HERE in prep for my 2012 TRI season. One thing that I have realized over the last month, jumping back into TRI mode, is that I didn’t have all this damn hair the last time I had a SERIOUS TRI season.  When I’m in transition, I don’t have an infinite amount of time to try to jam this mop under a bike helmet.  Ponytails & bike helmets don’t mesh well.  And I’ll just skip the details on trying to get a bunch of hair under a swim cap.  OUCH!

So I pulled a pic of me in TRI season…..

Yep, it’s a slightly younger version of me and my baby girl, Aby (now 10) but obviously there wasn’t any trouble shoving that hair under a bike helmet.  So the plan was to chop off my hair as soon as I could manage getting into a stylist amongst the family, training & Aby’s track schedule.  I understand that I look more attractive with long hair that I can actually style but let’s be realistic, I have a two-year old and it’s been since Christmas a while since I styled my hair.  Yes, it has actually occurred to me that you “might” be crazy serious about your TRI training IF you chop off all your hair to be faster in transition.  Then vs Now:

Thank goodness I have lots of PunkeeLove Headbands now to use in my hair for fun & “styling”!  If you need a few stylish, kick ass headbands, don’t forget to use the one time per customer code:  tootall20 for an extra 20% off!

So now that I cut my hair, I thought it would be fun to do a You Might Be Serious About Your Training IF segment.  I’ll start and then I’d love for you to add to this in the comments below!

You Might Be Serious About Your Training IF

  • You cut your hair to better fit under your bike helmet & swim cap.
  • You own a bike that cost more than some people’s car.
  • You carry your workout clothes in your car “just in case”.
  • You know exactly how many miles you have run this year and how that works into your 2012 goal.
  • You plan “A” races and “B” races (AKA – Practice Races).
  • You spend more $$ on training/workout clothes than you do on your work wardrobe.
  • You don’t mind having black toenails, you can cover them with dark polish, right?
  • You schedule your life around training runs, bike rides and swim workouts.
  • You get up before your children the sun on the weekends to get in some training before “life” gets in the way.
  • You gave up high heels in favor of running shoes to tame the plantar fasciitis.
  • You have dropped all most friends who don’t workout or run.
  • Your social life revolves around your running/TRI friends….. if you have enough energy for a social life.
  • You make beg your mother go on running vacations since your hubby refuses.
  • You adopt/buy a dog based upon whether they will be a good running partner.
  • You consider your GPS watch one of your most “precious” possessions.
  • You start a blog to talk to strangers about running to keep your hubby from being bored from all the “gory” details that you just need to share with “someone”.

How about you, can you add to this list?  Please keep this going in the comments below!

Happy Training,                                                                                                                Amanda – TooTallFritz

Self-Destructive Habits…..

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As I was walking to work today, one too many people blew smoke in my face.  I was irritated.  Smoking seems to be the one bad habit of OTHERS that I can’t avoid.  I hope that I am wrong but smokers seem to just not care about the rest of us in their quest to get high off their nicotine.  They don’t care that they smell bad, or that their clothes and cars reek, that the smell of smoke lingers in an aura around them following them everywhere:  into their house, into their bedrooms, onto the train, into the office, on their children and everything they touch.  They not only smell bad but if you have had a relationship with a smoker you know the taste is also horrid.  It comes out of their lungs when they breathe, it’s not just on their breath, it’s INSIDE OF THEM and it’s impossible to get away from it.

Since I work downtown, I encounter a lot more people in a normal day than say somebody who just drives to their job, parks in the parking lot and walks inside.  Over the course of a 15 minute walk from the train to my office, I may encounter several thousands of people.  Those people are all shapes, sizes and have different interests and habits.  Those of us who take the train, know that we have smokers who are standing by the doors to disembark first and they light up immediately as the train doors open.  They take that first puff, which must be an amazing high since they can’t even wait to get off the train, and then they blow that smoke right back at all of us who are behind them.  Wow, great way to start my day by having to suck in somebody else’s smoke.  Somebody I don’t know, somebody I don’t like/love so I shouldn’t have to deal.  It sucks. I’m tired of it. 

The smoking issue got me thinking about habits in general and specifically self-destructive habits.  Some of us have self-destructive habits that don’t affect others as much as say smoking.

Can you think of a few self-destructive habits that are somewhat common?  Here is the list which immediately popped up for me:

  • Smoking – Yuck, nobody likes this except the smoker themselves.  It’s a disgusting habit, uncleanly and affects others, it’s an addiction that apparently people can’t control, it kills the addict one day at a time.  Click HERE to find out more about how smoking is killing you or your loved ones.
  • Drinking in Excess – Alcohol leads to some good times…..sometimes too good!  I like it a lot; it doesn’t like me.  I have to be very careful with alcohol because my brain doesn’t have a stop button.  I’m probably considered an addict since my brain just keeps telling me to drink more and never gives me the stop signal.  Therefore, I have cut it out of “most” of my life.  Alcohol kills brain cells, leads to bad decisions, impairs memory/judgment/reactions.  It destroys the person from the inside out.  If you use alcohol every day and have been doing so for a prolonged period of time, click HERE to see what other people see in you:  slurred & slow speech even when you are sober, poor memory, difficult learning.  If you are a woman, you are even more susceptible to alcohol disease than men.  If you are a man and are taking your lady to the bar all the time for “dates”, you are killing her.  Maybe go for a walk, a bike ride, to a movie, or check out a local museum or festival.   Don’t be afraid to get creative; we like adventure! 
  • Overeating –  Another one of my favorites!  I am a total overeater.  I am better now than I used to be but I still binge on holiday candy and overeat at meals.  According to WomenFitness.net:  For some women overeating means bingeing and for others it means consuming more or other than planned. Most of us are overeating for a hundred different reasons. We are eating due to stress, irritation and frustration. It may be worry or overwork. We eat because our stomach feels ‘blah’. We are eating out of habit and with no real direction or thoughts about what we are doing with our face in the fridge.  Obviously, this is bad, it’s not healthy, and we can’t use food or smoking or alcohol to fix our problems, it just causes different problems!  Please go to the WomenFitness article HERE to identify overeating triggers and tips on how to avoid overeating.
  • Negative Thinking – Did you realize that negative thoughts are self-destructive?  Are you the person that see the glass half empty rather than half full?  I try to keep my family focused on thinking positive, which is really a full-time job.  I am constantly reminding them to “Think Happy Thoughts!”, “Be Happy”, “Smile”, “Be Nice”, “Tell me one HAPPY thing about today!”.  This is as much about me as it is about them.  I know that nobody is going to conquer the world by negative pessimism.  Click HERE to find out how to conquer negative thinking. You can honestly change your life by changing the way you approach things and by maintaining a happy, positive outlook on life. Don’t assume things are going to go poorly, assume that you are going to kick ass at everything you attempt!  You don’t have to be the best, but you will be BETTER by knowing that you are AWESOME!
  • Sleep Deprivation – Ha, Ha!  Yep, this too is self-destructive!  Not something that us busy people want to hear but we absolutely need to sleep.  While we are sleeping our body is repairing the damage we did during the day.  Your brain neurons and muscles are regenerating, your body is revitalizing itself to work hard for you when you awake.  Sleep Deprivation can cause memory loss, headaches, weakened immune system, and depression to name a few.  It was hard to find an article that was not “too” scientific in regard to sleep deprivation but if you need more information, there is a plethora of info and details HERE.

We could go on and on identifying self-destructive habits/behavior but the bottom line is that you get to choose your habits.  You pick.  Rule your life, don’t let your additions and bad habits rule you. Stop making excuses and using vices, or food, to provide temporary comfort.  Nobody is perfect so just deal with the situation and move on, you’ll be happier for it in the long run.  Speaking of “run”, lots of problems get sorted out when you exercise.  Go burn some calories and you may be surprised at how the problem that was so horrid “before the run” becomes just a bump in the road after a mile or two.  Take time to step back, cool off and focus on the “positive”.    

What bad habits do you have that you are planning to kick to the curb?  Any advice for those of us who are struggling with some of the above habits?

Take Control of YOUR Life,                                                                                          Amanda – TooTallFritz

Stealing Time…..

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I frequently find that I do not have enough hours in the day to get done what I want and what needs to be done.  Therefore, I am always stealing time from somewhere.  I steal time from the sleep column to run.  I steal time from work to run or swim.  I steal time from my commute by driving verses taking the train so that I can squeeze in a longer run.  I steal time from my family by requesting hubby to do the daycare pickup so that I can squeeze in a run, swim or bike……  Or I sneak out of the house in the early mornings on the weekends to put away some miles before the family is really awake and “active”.  There is never enough time but you make time, or steal it if you must, to squeeze in what is important to you.  Fitness is either important or it’s not. 

Wednesdays are my biggest “time” stealing days.  I not only leave work a few minutes early, but I also drive to steal time from my commute, plus hubby does daycare pick up and manages the kids for an hour after he gets home.  I love my Wednesday runs, they are my favorite part of the week.  It is not normal for me to get out for a group run during the week but I have made it a priority on Wednesday’s and the family has flexed to make it happen each and every week.  Thank you, Family!  I normally am able to squeeze in 10 miles on Wednesday nights and that really makes my week.  I don’t run daily, usually only 3 or 4 days a week, so when I get out I try to make it count.

It’s not easy, you have to make the effort to get in the things that matter to you.  How do you steal time from your life to get in those “extra” things to really make it count?

Happy Running,                                                                                                           Amanda – TooTallFritz

Running Alone In The Dark….

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I haven’t had the pleasure of running in the morning for quite some time.  Shortly after the marathon last year, we moved Mr. Michael into a “big boy” bed.  The idea was that I had been spending a lot of time in the rocker sitting beside his toddler bed and I was EXHAUSTED.  So we moved the lil man into a full size bed, which we put on the floor cuz he was so tiny and I feared he would fall out and get hurt.  During the bed swap I prayed that he would have the space he needed to stretch, turn & flip throughout the night without waking but apparently that wasn’t the real problem.  He really just wants his momma with him all the time.

So for the last 6 months, I have been floating between beds, half asleep, confused,  and not sure where I am when I awake.  I just follow the screams for “momma”.  This has left zero very little time for morning runs.  Frequently, hubby has to wake me up because I’m still sleeping in Michael’s bed when he leaves for work.  Not good!  But things have been changing over the last month or so.  My lil man is sleeping til about 5:00 or 5:30 am before he bullets out of bed to start his day.  And most importantly, he is sleeping for longer stretches at a time.  Good, Great, AWESOME!  So I decided to try to start adding the morning runs back into my routine. 

How do you feel when you haul your ass butt out of bed to run alone in the dark?  Are you scared?  I am!  I never used to be but dang, with each year of age, I think I develop a bigger pile of nerves.  Thankfully I live in the middle of nowhere so traffic isn’t an issue.  We don’t have any a lot of creepy people roaming our country roads, so basically it’s just me, the coyotes and any unleashed dogs that decide to give chase.  Ugh!  I’ll take the coyotes before those biting dogs any day! 

There weren’t many stars out this morning but everything was clear and still frozen.   Thankfully I had the light of the moon since I couldn’t find my knucklelights.  The road was actually well-lit with this lopsided moon. 

I tried not to focus too much on the moon since I didn’t want to fall into a hole, or off the side of road, while obsessing looking toward the sky.  So I just tried to focus on running an even pace in the middle of the road.  I have a default pace when I’m tired, grumpy, can’t see, scared or it’s dark:  9:30.  I’m pretty sure that my pace for 4 miles this morning was a 9:28ish.  That’s my pace.  My comfort zone.  The spot I go back to when everything else is uncertain.  Running in the dark is very uncertain.  So many things can happen.  I wouldn’t recommend it.  However, if you are trying to get more time out of your day and need to run in the dark, here are a few tips:

  • Be aware of your surroundings at all times.
  • Don’t use an ipod and if you do because you too hate hearing coyotes kill other creatures of the night, then only use on ear bud and keep the volume low.
  • Run against traffic so that you can see the drunken madman swerving all over the road and be prepared to dive into the ditch.
  • ALWAYS assume the vehicular traffic CAN NOT see you.
  • Wave to cars like a happy idiot as they pass you.  This will foster a sense of community between you, the runner, and them, the driver.  They will start watching for that “idiot runner” when they are driving to work.
  • Take your cell phone.
  • Tell somebody your intended route or leave a map by hubby’s coffee pot.
  • Avoid routes with unleashed  aggressive dogs/pets.
  • Always trust your gut feeling, if it feels wrong it is wrong.  This FREQUENTLY changes my route. 
  • Carry pepper spray or something with which you are comfortable using if you need to defend yourself.  I like the Wrist Saver from Personal Savers, they have a pink one now!  Here is a pic of mine:

Check out the link HERE on how to defend yourself with pepper spray!

  • Wear reflective clothing, multiple items.  I don’t even buy clothing without reflective accents.
  • Use a headlamp or KnuckleLights.
  • Be ready for anything.

Ideally, it is always safest to run during the daylight hours and with a friend if possible but as a mother, wife, full-time employee, runner & triathlete, that’s not always possible for me.

Do you any have any running in the dark tips?  Anything I missed?  Help me out!

Happy SAFE Running!                                                                                                 Amanda – TooTallFritz

Taking Back Schubert & Sauk Trail Woods

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I know that the Schubert & Sauk Trail woods have a poor reputation due to circumstances beyond their control.  But I have now ran the area 2x and I am telling you it is not only a safe area but also one of the best trails we have in this area.  I was amazed today with the beauty and old world feel of this trail.  There are old bridges made of stone and railings of iron that we just don’t see on our normal trail runs.  This trail is one to be seen and enjoyed by the public.

I have started both times at the spur that begins on Chestnut Street, off of Western Ave just north of Sauk Trail, since that is where the Pancakers begin on Sunday mornings.

I love that I get to conquer a nice hill as soon as I get out of the car!

Each time out, although I fail to arrive on time, I have seen a few Pancakers on the trail and my new friend Alexis.  I saw her in the distance today and had to run a few tangents, and speed up to a pace much faster than I “wanted” to run to get close enough to shout her name.  But it was worth it, we talked and ran a short bit together before she had to turn off toward home.  She did kindly oblige my photo request before we parted.  Thanks, Alexis!  Good to see you again!

After Alexis dropped me headed for home,  I slowed down to a more leisurely pace and grabbed some photos that I didn’t have the opportunity to take last time.   These are all from “The Shoot”, the spur that crosses Sauk Trail at Ashland, runs southwest for 1.5 miles, then makes a u-turn at Steger Road & Western for a return to the loop.

Love the moss on the trail!

The noisiest creature on the trail.

Second noisiest creature.

Back on the main loop, which is 4 miles in distance, I saw lots of runners & walkers out enjoying the day!  Here is a pic of Sauk Trail Lake from the trail.

Cute little stone bridge over a stream.

Today was a very peaceful run and I really enjoyed it.  Although, I enjoy these quiet trails with low traffic, I really feel as if this trail is under utilized due to its reputation.  The trail is safe.  It’s beautiful.  It’s the perfect length with both a 7 and/or 4 mile option.  Let’s run this trail together!  I’m going to set up an event thru Facebook for next Sunday, April 15th, 7:45 am to run Schubert & Sauk Trail Woods as a group.  Let’s take this trail back and enjoy some of our tax dollars!  If you don’t get a FB invite (because we aren’t friends), then please feel free to show up at the Chestnut entrance to the Thorn Creek Bicycle Trail (south), in Park Forest at 7:45 to join us for a run.  If you can’t run, then bring a bike, it’s worth the trip!

See you next Sunday!

Happy Running,                                                                                                      Amanda – TooTallFritz

Good Friday Waterfall Glen Run {2012}

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What a beautiful day to hit the trail and meet some new people.  In fact, we had so many newbies show, I can’t even remember everyone’s name!  That is a huge success in my book.  Thanks to everyone who took time out of their busy schedules to come run with us this morning!  It is much appreciated and I hope to see all of you again!  The morning crew, courtesy of Maggie – MagMileRunner, from back left:  Kathy, Wayne, Joe, Christy, Fredric, Mark, Eric, Jim, Brian, Lonna, Cathie & Amanda W.  Front left:  Maggie, Me, Kim, Susan, Keith, Missing a few names:  girl in blue, girl in black, girl in pink, Angela.

I apologize on the missing names, if anyone can fill in the blanks, I will make the edit.  Sorry!!!

In addition to the sunshine, we also had temps in the 40s, and the woods were alive with springtime noises, scents and active critters although I didn’t actually see anything of significance.  Here are a “few” photos of the day.

I think we all had a great run.  Our paces were far and wide but we all made it back in with a smile on our faces.  I really love this trail.  It’s not too technical but is a nice jaunt thru the woods.  There are a few hills but nothing too taxing and the scenery is totally worth the short drive.

Thanks again to everyone who made the trip. Next “official” Waterfall Glen trip will be on Black Friday.  Plenty of time to plan for that one, right?

Enjoy your race season, folks.  I’ll see you on the trail or on the road.  Get after it this year, who knows what next year will bring!

Happy Running,                                                                                                              Amanda – TooTallFritz

Perfect Running Weather….

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This week has been good weather for running with temps in the low 50s.  Last night I had to get started a little early so that I could knock out the Jelly Bean Virtual Race Half Marathon for Run with Jess, which I am considering a “challenge” since I wanted to do all 4 events but am a “little” short on time this week.  When I hit the trail a little before 4pm, it was cool and there was a slight wind.  I had to seriously convince myself that it was “ok” to leave the jacket in the car!  I knew I would be warm within a mile or so and didn’t want to have to deal with something to carry or tie around my waist once I warmed up.

It was a beautiful afternoon and Old Plank Trail has really come alive over the last couple of weeks with budding trees/flowers everywhere.  I love you, Spring!

I even saw a new runner on the trail.  I wasn’t really sure how to treat him as I couldn’t identify a consistent pace……should I pass him, or will he pass me, or is he going to attack me?  I was cautious, to say the least, with my new “friend”.

Soon after I left Mr. P in the dust, I caught up with Susan D. who unknowingly was signing on for a rather quick 10 mile run with Ms. TooTall.  Thanks Susan for helping me complete the Jelly Bean Half!

We caught up on life and crushed some miles before picking up the rest of the Wednesday Night F’N Runners.  I asked them to stare into the sun stand by the lilacs for the photo since I’m in love with Spring.  🙂  From left:  Cathie, April, Nicole, Susan, Kathy & Me.  Wayne is “manning” the camera, apparently he was the only guy who wasn’t afraid of the peacock felt confident enough to run with us F’N chicks.

It was just one of those perfect runs.  Everything was right:  the weather, the company, my legs were fresh since Aby had track meets all week and it was a great run.  We took a few small water breaks but basically just kept pumping out the miles.  The goal was to go sub 9 for every mile and other than the peacock photos 2nd mile and one 9:03, all the splits were well below 9 minutes miles.  We finished the 13.1 in 1:54:35 and for a Wednesday night, running a Jelly Bean-Old Plank Half, that’s pretty darn good.  Thanks Susan for helping me slug out those miles!

Have you done any random, non-supported half marathons that were not part of a training plan?  How did it go?  Was it hard to push without the adrenaline of race day?  We certainly didn’t run all out but this was faster than a normal Wednesday night jaunt on Old Plank.

If there is anyone left who has not already registered, or won a free entry, to the 13.1  Chicago on June 9th, they are offering the TTF readers a $5 off discount on registration through April 22nd.  Use the code:  131BLG5

Last point of business, the PunkeeLove Headband Giveaway goes til Monday morning.

Happy Running,                                                                                                             Amanda – TooTallFritz

Scheduling Conflicts…..

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I start planning my race schedule a year or so in advance.  I know this “may” seem OCD to some but there are a handful of races which I run each year, mostly because I like the course, or the race director (example:  Palos Half Marathon that Mel from Running For Kicks organizes in May), or it’s a charity event, or it’s close to my mom’s house and gives me an “extra” reason to go for a visit.  Whatever the reason, I certainly have my favorites and I will choose a small event over a big expensive event each and every time. Therefore, I have never delved into real Ironman territory.  I participated in an awesome 70.3 event, the Great Illini Challenge, in 2008 while I was trying for Mr. Michael but it was a generic version of the half “Ironman” distance and a fraction of the cost.  I normally stay away from big name events where you pay for an after party, band, and/or the brand name, etc. with your entry fee.  It’s just not my thing because I participate for the running/TRIing, not the party.  However, as this year’s schedule plays out, I have paid for both an entry into a Rock N Roll event and now I am registered for the Ironman 70.3 Muncie.

In my defense, I got a super deal on the RnR Chicago event when I registered for it last November with a coupon code and as an early bird.  As for the Ironman event, hey, that’s where my friends are going and I want to be there with them, and the timing/location is right.  Plus, my one friend is a kickass great biker, which is my weakest link, so I will just focusing on “trying” to catch her or if by chance I get out of the water first I will be pedaling my ass off fast trying to stay away from her!  I know that she will still crush me on the bike but a little added incentive is worth the price tag.  🙂

Unfortunately, I had to nix a really GREAT race on my schedule to take part in the IM 70.3 Muncie.  I gave up the Evergreen International TRI in Hudson, IL due to scheduling conflicts with family, run & other TRI events.  This event is on July 14, 2012.

If you are available on July 14th, I highly recommend this race!  It is in a great location, great course, plus they offer both a sprint and an international distance so good for everyone in your party.  This is definitely one of my favorites and the course is fast, I will miss it on my 2012 calendar but please partake, take photos and send them to me and I will  post them while congratulating you on your achievements!  Go, register for Evergreen HERE.  As an added bonus, the race director a super cool lady who puts on a series of events under the TRI Mom/TRI Shark name.  In the last event I raced for TRI Mom, I was handed a sack lunch as I was leaving for my drive home.  Thanks, Mom!  I was starved and much appreciated that sack lunch.  Some times it’s the little things, you know?

So how is your racing season shaping up?  Is it coming together smoothly or are you coming across a few speed bumps like me?  I honestly can’t fit in one international/olympic distance TRI this year and will just be focusing on the two 70.3 distance events.  Not ideal and I’m sure my transitions will be slow due to lack of practice but attitude and an over abundance of confidence will make up for transition issues because I plan to totally crush both 70.3s this year.  I only have one time in which to compare and that is the pre-Michael race but the time still stands and counts in my books.  The 2008 Great Illini Challenge brought me a 6:33 finish and I am hoping by drafting off Renee the Muncie race will get me under the 6:30 mark so I can go on to really get after it at the 2012 Great Illini Challenge 70.3 on Labor Day weekend.  BELIEVE!

If you would like to join me at the 2012 Great Illini Challenge 70.3, they offer both an Olympic and 70.3 Distance, so feel free to come and have fun at whatever distance you are ready to tackle!  This course is really user/spectator friendly too as it has 2 loops to each part.  You will be close to your car transition several times during the race in the event that you “need” anything.  I hope to see you out there!

**Disclaimer** – Drafting in a triathalon will get you disqualified.  Don’t do it.  And if you do, don’t tell them that TTF said it was ok cuz it’s not! 

Sidenote:  Let me just say how excited I am for all of you over the PunkeeLove Headband Giveaway!!  I wish I had a headband to send each and every one of you and I will be on  pins and needles doing the drawing on Monday.  Good luck everyone!  Don’t forget to use the one time only code for 20% off:  tootall20   to order the bands that you want on discount.  I’m certainly taking advantage of the code and placing an order today since I don’t need to wait for the drawing!

Happy Running & TRIing,                                                                                             Amanda – TooTallFritz

PunkeeLove Headband Giveaway!

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Today is a good day because the weather totally rocks I have a great product to give to you for free!   You already know that I fell in love with the PunkeeLove Headbands I picked up at the Shamrock Shuffle Expo.  I wore the green sparkly “twice as nice” headband for the Shamrock Shuffle and pretty much every day since and my girl Kristina shamROCKED in the twice as nice silver.

The headband not only stayed in my hair while I was racing the streets of Chicago but also when I took a major tumble on the lake front path a few days later.  The photo below was taken about 15 minutes before I kissed the ground. I promise I was not running and taking a photo of myself when I fell but the fall did work out since I didn’t get hurt to prove the AWESOMENESS of these headbands.

Ran in the headband all weekend too, here is a photo after my Sunday “Birthday” Run.  Michael is singing Happy Birthday to me: 

Punkee Love has sent 5 headbands for me to give away.  I am so excited for you and a bit jealous, can I enter my own giveaway? and have decided to give these out to 5 different individuals so we can spread the Punkee LOVE as far as possible. 

Know that you are totally a star if you are rocking one of the PunkeeLove Headbands because they will be included in the 33rd Annual Sports Emmy Award gift bags for the airing of the April 30th awards ceremony in New York City!  Below are the pics of the 5 headbands to be given away.  There is a wide variety of the styles that PunkeeLove offers and here is nice sampling.  These 3 are a few of the thicker style bands and include from left:  Sargent Pinkie, Cleopatra 1.5″, & Love Running 1″.

Love Running 1″

Then we also have 2 of the Twice as Nice headbands in the blue & silver.  Please notice that each band is adjustable to fit your head and your daughter’s.  This makes these headbands unique to other big name bands and also easy to share. 

So if you would like a chance to win a free PunkeeLove Headband, a $14-$16 value, you probably already know what to do but here are the hoops through which you will need to jump:

Mandatory

  • Become a Facebook fan of PunkeeLove Headbands & write on their wall that TooTallFritz.com sent you for the giveaway (requested by Punkee Love!) – 3 entries

Optional

  • Become a follower of this blog  – 1 entry
  • Become a Facebook fan of TooTallFritz – 1 entry
  • Link this post up to your Facebook page & announce the giveaway to your friends – 3 entries
  • Link up this post up to your blog and announce the giveaway to your followers – 5 entries
  • Tell me which band you would prefer if you win (not guaranteed but I will take this into account during the distribution) – 2 entries

Max entries will be 15 per person, please leave a comment below for the things which you have done and how many entries to assign you.  As always, if you are already following me, that is not a punishment, just make a comment below stating the same.  Only one band per winner.  I will randomly select 5 winners via a random number generator at 9am on Monday, April 9th.

If you want to make an order now, like me, then you may use the 20% off ONE TIME PER CUSTOMER coupon code:  tootall20      Make sure you get what you want when you place the order as it’s a single use code.

Good luck, now go tell ALL your friends about this giveaway and bombard the PunkeeLove Facebook page with some serious LOVE and appreciation for donating these bands. 

Happy Running,                                                                                                            Amanda – TooTallFritz                                                                            amanda@tootallfritz.com

Deal Days….

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I think it’s safe to assume that everyone loves a good deal.   I recently snagged some good ones and wanted share with you savvy shoppers.  Please note that if you purchase anything that I like, I don’t get compensated, I just tell you about them so that you can be as informed as possible when you are shopping around.

First, due to my schedule with the kids, work and running life, I don’t have a lot of time to shop.  So I rely heavily on the net for most of my shopping.  If I stumble onto a deal at a store, it’s mostly likely because I had to stop in for something for one of the kids.  I got lucky on Friday when I had to hit Old Navy for Michael.  I have tried several of the Old Navy active wear pieces and really like them for running and lounging.  On Friday, they had a deal on their sport bras and GoDry shirts for $10.  I have a couple of an older model, panel sport bra from Old Navy and I love those but have resisted purchasing the new model due to adjustable straps which have plastic pieces.  I was concerned the adjustable pieces would chafe. However between the $10 price tag and the GREEN color, which is my favorite, I couldn’t resist.  Huge thumbs up for this product.  It didn’t chafe with the adjustable pieces or anywhere else.  It fit like a glove but wasn’t too tight.  It also separates “the girls”, which isn’t an issue for me but I know that others have problems with their “girls” when they aren’t separated.  Win!  I even wore it to bed one night and still loved it in the morning.

The GoDry Tee was also a win in my opinion.  It fit well, runs true to size, is seemless, soft and comfortable.  Although, I normally don’t run in tees, this will be a good lounge top for me.  In fact, I wore it most of the weekend when I wasn’t running.

I also recently picked up a bargain thru the  Active Swaggle.  If you aren’t familiar with Active Swaggle and are an athlete, go to that link above in green and sign up NOW!  The Active Swaggle is a deal system which emails you a group of deals on almost a daily basis.  This includes everything from VERY discounted races, to super sales on sport/running/TRI clothes and gear.  This is the “Groupon” for active people.  Join.  There is currently an active deal for the Wisconsin Dells Half Marathon for $40.  A couple weeks ago, I took advantage of the deal on Pro Compression socks for $25 a pair (50% discount – now expired).  I have tried a couple of brands of compression socks, the CEP Sleeves, which I love for running, the RunLove RunningSkirts.com socks which I bought off a Swaggle around Christmas and now these. 

These socks work really well for me.  They are unisex so come in different sizes but I followed the size chart and ordered accordingly.  They are longer than the other compression socks that I have and come all the way up to my knees, plus they have a roomier foot bed so my toes don’t get crunched.  LOVE these!  I purchased the yellow above so I could possibly wear them with my RMHC (Ronald McDonald House Charity still has a marathon spot available for YOU) shirt & red Aspaeris Pivot Shorts (use my 25% discount code:  PC2012)  for the 2012 Chicago Marathon.  I also purchased…..wait for it…..the GREEN!  I ran in these yesterday and they are really nice compression socks.  They are not too tight, I never even notice them while running or lounging.  I am hoping they will put them on the Swaggle again!

I have picked up RunningSkirts.com merchandise on super discount off the Swaggle, Mission Skin Care products, and various race entries. The Swaggle sign-up is free and definitley one of the best deals around to be “in the know” in regards to deals across the country. 

I still think the best deal on the web is the Tough Chik irun tank.  All Tough Chik products are handmade by a local seamstress in California.  The fit is perfect for those of us who have a six-pack UNDER the layer of mommy flab and it is soft, silky and super cute. For $30, you don’t need a sale to grab one of these.  In fact, you can grab the green and the pink and still be under what you would pay for a normal performance top.  And don’t worry, if you have a real six-pack, you’ll still look like a goddess in this top!

Last but not least, if you are a chick, you should also sign up for the email updates from  SkirtSports.com.  They have killer deals that they only publicize thru Facebook and those email updates.  I normally don’t order anything unless it hits the sale rack and I have gotten several shirts on temporary discount for $12-$15.  I have also picked up some of the pricier items for 50% off, like the Happy Hour V-Neck tops that I have worn all winter.   I grabbed a pink & black for $26 each off of one of those email specials around Thanksgiving, see pic below.

Try hard not to impulse buy but instead make good choices for good products based upon the price.  There are deals to be had but not if you want them now at whichever store your shopping.  You have to wait for the deals to come to you then spread the word and share with the rest of us!!

Happy Running,                                                                                                            Amanda – TooTallFritz