A Run Through Redlands plus Things I’m Loving Lately (and Discount Codes!)

I’ve had so many irons in the fire lately that I haven’t had the time to stop, reflect, and share! This seems to be as good a time as any. There may be some affiliate links here, just sayin’. If you choose to purchase something using my links I make a little bit, which goes toward supporting this writing habit of mine.

If you’re here for blogging tips, my usual Wednesday post, I apologize. Life caught up with me this week. I’ll be back next Wednesday with Starting a WordPress.com blog. Promise! In the meantime, here are some blogging tips that you might find helpful.

I took A Run Through Redlands on Sunday

This was my first race since I cracked my patella last October (and my first 10k in years!). I had no expectations other than to have fun. Alan announces A Run Through Redlands each year. I often just go for a run while he works, and I’ve done the half marathon a couple times, but I knew I wasn’t ready for that.

I kind of hoped I could sustain a 10-minute mile, but once I discovered, within a quarter mile, that I’d forgotten my asthma inhaler, I just relaxed and took my time. Redlands is a great town, with so many beautiful houses along the route that it’s like taking an old home tour.

The weather was a challenge. Cold, windy and rainy, I actually kept my plastic poncho on for the entire race.

I also had the opportunity to meet Isela, who is an Instagram friend. She and her husband ran the 5k. She is such a positive person that she made me happy just to be around her. Here’s to meeting again and running together someday!

Let me pause for a moment of reflection. It doesn’t seem all that long ago when I ran sub-7:00 miles in a 10k (42:47). Well, it was around 15 years ago, but it doesn’t seem that long. Which kind of is my point, all you speedsters. Enjoy it, and take care of yourself because it all goes by so very quickly.  There is this, though…I still managed to finish second in my division. So there is something to be said for getting older. The ranks thin out a bit.

Enough whining reflecting. Here are some of the other things that are going on and that I’ve been loving lately.

Rock ‘n’ Blog: Here is Your Discount Code

I already told you that I was selected as a Rock ‘n’ Blog blogger for 2016, but I finally have a discount code for you! Hurray! Save $15 with the code COACHDEBBIERUNS (easy to remember, isn’t it?). If by chance you do forget, it’s in my sidebar too.  It’s good for any marathon or half marathon (though some may not be set up for it yet). Now you can join me in San Diego, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. And very possibly Arizona in 2017!

Skirt Sports: More Discount Codes!

I’m so excited to be a Skirt Sports Ambassador Captain for 2016. I have one of the very first skirts produced by Skirt Sports from around 2004, which I dug out and wore on the run the other day. A little shorter than I wear these days, but still very functional and cute. And it still fit!

Anyway, I have another discount code for you! Use the code CDR20 to save 20% when you shop at Skirt Sports! That is also in my sidebar just in case you forget. In the meantime, look at these new adorable skirts I’ve been running in.

If you couldn’t see my Lionness Skirt in the Free Love print under my poncho, here is my Flat Debbie from the night before the race. This skirt is short, sassy, a little flirty, and I love it!

The Gym Girl Ultra skirt (in Emerald City print) is a little longer, and really comfortable. I feel ready for St. Patrick’s Day in this outfit!

And of course, the Jette Skirt in the Tantrum Print. It’s still my favorite.  I love this skirt so much I chose it for my Holiday Fitness Gift Guide, long before I knew that I’d be a Skirt Sports Ambassador.

Don’t miss the 261 Fearless Sale! Save up to 60% on 261 Fearless apparel and accessories. It’s inspired by Boston Marathon icon Katherine Switzer. No extra discount codes for this sale, but the savings are great! Click the link below the picture.

 

Lucky Vitamin: I’m an Ambassador!

All the good news! I was selected as an Ambassador for Lucky Vitamin! I’ll share more details about this as I myself learn more, but you will find great prices on a wide variety of vitamins, supplements, and more (including tons of vegan options!). Check out all of these Easter products that will be on sale all month long!

EnduroPacks

The folks over at EnduroPacks sent me a sample of their electrolytes to try out. Perfect timing too. Not only am I increasing my mileage for marathon training, the weather has been unusually warm for winter here in the California desert. Plus my friend and elite runner Tina Muir uses it, so I figured I should give it a try.

It’s so simple. Just 10 sprays for 16 ounces of any beverage and you’re good to go. There is very little taste, which is important to me, even though I just put it in water. A serving contains 48 mg of sodium and 80 mg of ionic mineral complex which includes potassium, magnesium, iodine, manganese, zinc and others.

I love the simplicity of EnduroPacks. I also love that there is no flavor and I can drink it alone, or add it to another drink. And it does the job. With EnduroPacks I can hydrate better and recover faster. That’s all I need.

Milestone Pod

The Milestone Pod is a small device that you wear on your shoe. It gives you a lot of complex information about your run, including distance, time, and pace, just as many GPS devices do. Unlike those, the Milestone Pod does not use GPS, and it also tells you a lot of data about your form, such as foot strike, cadence, stance time, stride length and more. You can learn a lot about your running style from the Milestone Pod.

I took me a while to love the Milestone Pod. I was sent one several months ago to try out, and it was not the smoothest relationship. For one thing, the distance was always wrong. They tell you that it takes a while to calibrate, and that at first you might have to correct the distance. Well, I did that, and it still was wrong. And the time was wrong. And never in one direction either. Either too short or too long. Then it stopped syncing completely.

Finally, two things happened. First, I changed batteries. Even though it said there was plenty of juice in the battery, I thought I’d give it a try. The other thing, and probably the most important, was a firmware upgrade. And suddenly, everything worked. The time and distance is very close, if not exact, to what my GPS says. And I do love the extra information. Here is the data from my last run (the above mentioned 10k race). It’s a little more than 10k, but it agrees pretty closely with what my own GPS says.

If you’re a running data junkie like I am, then this is the tool for you. It takes a few runs to calibrate correctly (you can change the distance after the run). Since then I have found that now it is quite close to what my GPS says.

One of the best things about the Milestone Pod (besides all the extra data) is that you don’t need to do anything. You simply run. Then, sync at the end of your run. Easy peasy.

Try it yourself and find out! Save 35% with the discount code CoachDebbieRuns. That means you can purchase the Milestone Pod for only $16.22 which is barely the cost of a plain old pedometer (but you get so much more). This code is only good for a week (until March 16), so check it out!

#SharetheSpark with Momentum Jewelry

This may be my favorite campaign ever! Momentum Jewelry sent me four wrap bracelets with the intention that I give them away to #SharetheSpark with women that I thought could use a little extra motivation, inspiration, or just a pat on the back. Two of the bracelets say “You Got This,” and the other two say “Never Give Up” (which may be my favorite saying ever!). The idea is to gift the bracelets, then share the story on Instagram. So far I’ve given two away. The first went to one of my favorite people, Liz. Here is the post:

I was so happy and proud to #sharethespark with this awesome bracelet from @momentumjewelry with my friend and client Liz. I’ve written about Liz before. She lost 100 pounds, she is a triathlete and single mom. She had been struggling lately. In spite of her training and efforts to eat right, she can’t seem to lose more weight, and had actually put some weight back on. She is frustrated, unhappy, and even angry at herself. She and I are now working together to figure out what changes we can make to get her back on track . With this bracelet, I wanted to tell her that she is not alone, I’m there to do what I can to help. I wanted to tell her she’s got this. She did it once, she, we, will do it again. This time for good. She did let me take a picture of her, but I promised I wouldn’t publish it until we have an “after” picture to go along with it. Do you need a spark? You can save 15% on your own order at momentumjewelry.com with the code FFSPARK15.

A photo posted by Debbie Woodruff (@coachdebbieruns) on Mar 4, 2016 at 10:07am PST

The second person I shared the spark with was a co-worker. To read Rea’s story check my Instagram. And in case you missed it in the Instagram post, you can save 15% on your own Momentum Jewelry order with the code FFSPARK15

PlantFusion

I make a smoothie almost every day. I love trying different plant-based protein powders and getting creative with my add-ins. I recently was sent some samples of PlantFusion to try out. PlantFusion is a 100% plant-based protein and meal replacement powder. It is free of allergens such a soy, nuts, and gluten, and has 21 grams of protein per serving. And it’s raw! It is a complete protein source, providing all the essential amino acids, using a proprietary blend of pea, artichoke, sprouted organic amaranth, and sprouted organic quinoa proteins.

I loved all of the flavors that I tried, especially the Chocolate Caramel Phood, which is essentially a meal-replacement shake. It has everything you need in a meal including protein, greens, fiber, healthy omega fats, digestive enzymes, vitamins and more. And it tasted really, really good. The only addition I made was a banana, because I put a banana in all my smoothies.

Whew! That was a little wordy! Thanks for sticking it out. Your reward is all the great discounts for the Rock ‘n’ Roll series races, Skirt Sports and Momentum Jewelry!

 

If there was one person in your life (your personal life, not online) that you would like to motivate with a You Got This or a Never Give Up bracelet, who would it be? Why? I’d love to hear stories!

 

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My weekly linkups! Please stop by and check out all of the great recipes, workouts, and information that all these awesome bloggers share every week!

Sunday Blog Hop with Jenn
Meatless Monday with Sarah and Deborah
Meatless Monday with Annmarie 
Inspire Me Monday with Janice
Anything Goes with Marilyn
Bonnie, the Pin Junkie
Tip Tuesday with Debbie in Shape
Wild Workout Wednesday with Annmarie, Michelle, Sarah, and Angelena Marie
Wednesday Wisdom with Nanna’s Wisdom
The Running Coaches’ Corner with Rachel, Suz, Lora Marie, and Me!
The Blogger’s Pit Stop with Kathleen
Let’s Get Real with Karen.
Friday Fitness with Jill
Fitness Friday with Miranda