So about the shoes, I’ve decided to return them and get the next biggest size, the 6.5. I ran about the house for a bit and it was just almost like they were good for maybe 5 minutes but after that they wouldn’t last long distances. Anyways, last night we had a mini Christmas gift exchange between Mr. R and the fam because he left this morning to fly home. He got me a really cute pink nano armband, so I don’t have to wear my old huge ipod armband when I’m out running. He said it was because he was embarrassed for me. It’s even breast cancer awareness and has a really cute pink ribbon on the side and seems to be super well made with all the top fabrics. I can’t wait to try it out. He also got me the movie StepBrothers, and big headphones for at work to listen to music, which everyone else has but me so I am glad I won’t be left out anymore.

I would have to say though, the best gift was definitely the pink breast cancer awareness cupcake carrier shown above. I love making cupcakes, but never can take them anywhere and so they sit at home and get yucky. I have been lusting after this cupcake carrier for a while too. So last night, between drinking margaritas, wine, and champagne, there were some good times had, and I can’t wait to see what Christmas brings!

This is going to be my last post for a while, after these 26.2 things I don’t have much else to say! Just kidding, but I’ll be posting once after Christmas and then will be back in full force around January 5th, so don’t worry, I’ll make a comeback!

Today’s gift, and the final gift of 26.2 things to get a runner for Christmas is Dean Karnazes book, “UltraMarathon Man”. I recently finished this book and it’s inspiring and really a quick read. I enjoyed his stories and insight to running, and I felt like I was there with him, or with his family in the motor home cheering on Team Dean. It also really allowed me into the mind of an ultra runner. It was great to see his perspective on races and how he attacks them and never gives up. His spirit is contagious and his descriptions are dead on. It’s a great read for any age and I highly recommend it. It’s amazing what he does, and just reading about his races and training reminds me that my training isn’t that hard at all.

You can find it here @ amazon.com for $13.57. Go out and pick up a copy and make it a resolution to read it in 2009!

Merry Christmas to all my readers, and friends. You all make my life so bright with cheer! I hope you have a Merry Christmas, and wonderful holidays. I get a whole week off work, I am so excited.

xoxo

And not the chocolate kind! So today the gift of the day is NIP GUARDS! These are mostly for my guy running buddies, but still, girls can get a good laugh in at some of these descriptions. I can for sure see that happening as I was writing this whole post I was laughing.

But hey, Guys love them, check out the reviews below and how much they profess their love for them.

“Nipple sensitivity almost ruined my runs, until someone told me about nipguards. These are great. Easy to use, comfortable, and best of all, no more sore nipples after a good run.”

“No more gauze and 12″ pieces of medical tape across my nipples! Tried out my Nip Guards for my first mini-marathon and couldn’t be more pleased. 13.1 miles of pain-free nipples. And almost invisible under my shirt. Kudos to the inventor(s)!”

“For men who have had pain/bleeding from nipple chafing from longer runs (>6+ miles)when wearing even the best of running sportswear. (I have not used compression shirts) I don’t leave home or go to a race without them now. Cost about the same as toe corn pads but are sized to fit and will stay on much better. Yes, they will last through a marathon. They prevent an injury which requires about a week to heal from.”

Guys have such passion about the strangest things, now don’t they! To the man wearing 12″ tape across your chest… Wow!

TriSports.com has the best deal for a 10-pack of Nip Guards coming in at $8.95.

So guys like Steve, Greg, Borsch, and Stuart, this is a special gift just for you. Protect the Nips! ;)

And, now, girls you are free to laugh.

I got new shoes last night but I’m still very up in the air about them. They seem great but INCREDIBLY overpriced and I can’t decide in between a 6 and a 6.5 size. I am going to have to test them out around the house tonight so I know if I for sure love them. Anyways, hope everyone is gearing up for Christmas!

xoxo

Can you believe we only have a few more days of gits? I know it’s pretty crazy! :) Whatever will I post about after the gifts are all given away?

This weekend was a great weekend for a run and I got in a 6.5 miler and it really felt great. Well let me rephrase that one. The first mile and a half felt like CRAP. My shoes are so shot and my feet just felt so flat. I need to get new ones ASAP, but I just keep putting it off. The first mile I felt like I was only wearing socks, and my whole body ached. I thought my entire run was going to feel like that, and thought about buying new shoes the whole way. I still have yet to get them, I’m going to go this week for sure, hopefully tonight or sometime tomorrow night. Once I hit two miles though I was on cruise control and just knocked the rest of the miles off. Other than the shoe issue, it was a great run, and I felt really, really good and somehow pulled out a 6:45 last mile, which I don’t know where that came from. I even ran in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt, and got almost a little bit to warm! Sorry all you snowbirds! Alas, I was planning a nice long run the afternoon of Christmas eve if I get off work early enough down at the beach, and now in CA we are projected for rain all through Thursday. I do not run in the rain so I’ll be putting in a few miles at the gym for the rest of the week.

Also, as for running my 500 miles this year, I am at 493 now! I am really excited because I get a certificate from Nike+ once I hit 500. Hooray! Those 6.5 miles really helped me out, and I’m feeling a bit more confident about the 1/2 coming up. I was starting to get nervous so we’ll have to talk about goals for that, and the four weeks of hardcore training I’ll be doing in January. Pray for no more rain, because putting in more than three miles on the treadmill is awful for me.

So the gift of the day? Well, A runner makes a statement with every shirt worn. Many drivers can see what your shirt says, and I’ve been caught reading other gym-goers shirts often as well. Maybe it’s just me though. :) Especially at races, shirts can have important meanings and even become inspirational tools. Anyways, the gift of the day today is a custom running shirt from Running Banana.

You can pick out the type of shirt you want from a singlet to a long sleeve or short sleeve. You can pick from a variety of sizes and then can upload whatever picture you want, along with your own special text. This would be great if you planned on running any given race for a specific person. They also work great for teams as well.

You can be creative and inspirational just by wearing a shirt by Running Banana. They also have pre-made options that you can choose as well if you aren’t very creative that include marathon graphics, girl power graphics, animal graphics and in your face graphics. Their shirts range from $31-$37 dollars. Check out Running Banana to get your runner a special shirt for Christmas or for their next race!

Here are some creations in their gallery.

xoxo

So I’m super excited about today’s gift. Not only did I and all the other loungers at Runner’s Lounge get some samples of Penguin Sport Wash, but you can too if you sign in over there and leave a comment in this forum. That is why today the gift of the day is for Penguin Sport Wash!

So we all workout, workout means *hopefully* getting a sweat going, but then unfortunately it means being smelly. Though we might not notice our own stench, people around us can definitely smell us, and that is why we should all give Penguin Sports was a try! Hey, running for any distance can make you stinky, lets be honest here!

According to Amazon.com’s reviews everyone has given it at least four or five stars, and the reviews are all raving how it got the stench out and did it’s job. They also have said that it’s gotten the ‘kitchen’ smell out of clothes after working at a restaurant as well. You can read the reviews for yourself here.

On Epinons.com, the “Pros” I have seen are that is cleans the smell out of expensive, high-tech, clothing perfectly, and saves the clothes as well. While the only “Cons” I’ve seen are that it’s hard to find and many wish it would come in bigger bottles.

So where do you find Penguin Sports wash? Of course here are the links for you with the best prices I could find:

Zombie Runner has One small packet of Penguin Wash for .95

REI has Six pack of one use Penguin Wash for $6.00

TriSports.com has 20oz Penguin Wash for $8.25

Joe’s Sports has a 2 pack of 20oz Penguin Wash for $19.99

So scrub with with Penguin Wash, and watch my blog for when I get my own and am able to post an in depth review! Can’t wait to be clean!

xoxo

So sadly, it has crossed my mind that I might be attacked on a run. I already gave you the option of stun guns and pepper spray on this post, but I found this and couldn’t resist adding this to my list of 26.2 things to give to a runner.

It’s a Spalding Electronic Whistle. Single tone electronic whistle that has a loud, consistent sound every time, even if user is short of breath or injured. Personal Safety & Signaling Device and includes 2 sets of AAA Batteries. It’s also hand operated instead of mouth blown is sanitary, even for multi users. Get yours for $15.95 here.

Be safe out there!

xoxo