December Challenge – Merry Plankmas (and #sweatpink winners)

November 30, 2012November 30, 2012 / Anna @ Piper's Run / 3 Comments

Drum roll, please…………..The winners for the Sweat Pink shoelaces are: Elle, Brittany, Lila and Meghan. I thought since I had four responses I would give them all a pair of sweat pink shoelaces. Thanks for sharing how you get your sweat pink on.

Please email me at pipersrunblog@gmail.com with your mailing address so I can get these out to you 🙂

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Recently, I started following a great blog called Fat Chick 2 Fit Chick and I read about her December challenge that I believe some of you may really enjoy.

Merry Plankmas:

Do one plank-a-day move each day.

Details from Fat Chick 2 Fit Chick:

Let’s start planking it up daily for the jolliest month of the year. Tweet me,Instagram me, and/or email me pics of your plank timers, of you planking, and of you passed on the floor from planking yourself silly! I will post your pictures periodically through the month and give you a shout out for being awesome. Let’s motivate each other to make New Years resolutions a thing of the past.

Why wait? December 1st seems like the perfect day to be fit!

Be sure to use the #merryplanksmas hashtag and tag me @fatchicktofitchick in your daily posts on instagram!

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A few tips on planking:

How to do a plank.

Backyard Boot Camp (plank move)

10 Ways to Plank

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Sure hope you join the Fat Chick 2 Fit Chick challenge. I am hoping to join but will be waiting until baby arrives as I don’t think planking would be a smart thing to do at this point. Or, maybe it would. Maybe it would encourage this baby to come on out. Hummmm………

Do you plank?

Have you ever tried doing a plank a day?

What’s your favourite way to plank?

{Guest Post} Run Find Your Happy Pace

November 28, 2012November 28, 2012 / Anna @ Piper's Run / 1 Comment

First I want to thank my fellow Sweat Pink Ambassador Anna for inviting me over as a guest blogger while she takes care of baby! 🙂

Let me introduce myself. My name is Darlena and I blog at Run Find your Happy Pace. I am a military wife, mom of 3 and a runner. Some of the toughest “jobs” you’ll ever love right?! Don’t get me wrong I do love every one of them, the trick is the balancing act of all three.

Lets talk deployments shall we? Since 2002 my hubby has been on multiple deployments. Some short and some well….not so short. I would definitely say running has helped me keep balance and sanity in all three positions. But how does one run or train for a half marathon (or any distance) while the hubby is away. Well that all depends. First of all you really needed to be flexible and creative with your time.

Here are some of the strategies I have used over the years:

The YMCA (or local health club) that offers great childcare. Fun for them and a guilt free break for you.
Get a jogging stroller / bike trailer (for 1, 2 or 3)) On the upside GREAT cardio conditioning! However runs do require a bit more planning. Just remember to pack snacks, drinks and when all else fails a portable DVD player. And for fall/winter be sure to get a wind/rain shield to keep the kiddos toasty. Short on cash? Check out second-hand stores, ebay and craigslist for great deals on used joggers.
Find your local chapter of Mom Run This Town. Many hold weekly group runs that are stroller friendly. You get the benefit of running and making new friends!
Kid “sharing” find a friend that runs (or just needs a weekly break) and plan to sit for each other. (great for long runs when you just really can’t imagine pushing a kid for miles and miles)
Long runs are NOT just for weekends. It took me a while (actually way to long) to realize I didn’t have to do my long run on a weekend. This is a must for me while the hubby is deployed. You can tweak any training schedule to fit YOUR schedule. Right now my long runs are Thursdays when the kids are all at school.
Get a treadmill (dreadmill/hamster wheel) of your own. OK I know this isn’t feasible for everyone, but if you can swing it I highly recommend it. I lucked out and got mine as a present when I turned the big 40. Although I find long runs hard on them I have done it in a pinch. They are also great for speed work and bad weather days.

All that being said I find the most important thing is that when I exercise or run (by the way I love Jillian Michaels DVD’s) I am not only a better runner I am a better wife and mother. It’s not about being the fastest or the best, it’s about finding your happy pace (and place) in running and life. So get out there and get moving and…Run Find your Happy Pace.

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A BIG Thanks to Darlena for helping me out this week and being a guest on Piper’s Run. You can read more about Run Find Your Happy Pace below on:

Blog is www.runfindyourhappypace.com

Twitter: @runfyhp

Instagram @runfindyourhappypace

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/runfindyourhappypace

Cheers!

Pregnancy: 38 Weeks

November 27, 2012 / Anna @ Piper's Run / 4 Comments

I am a little surprised we’ve made it this far but thrilled to know the baby will be a little more stronger and bigger then when Lilly was born at 36 weeks 2 days. Note to baby – I’m ready for you, come out, come out whenever you are ready.

Week: 38

Baby’s Name: “Four”. Named by Lilly as when we ask her what the baby’s name will be she says “4”. Interesting!

Baby Items I Found: When I packed away all of Lilly’s clothes she out grew, I apparently forgot how many boxes there were. Found a box with all kinds of stuff on the weekend.

Challenges: I’m exhausted all the time, night-time seems to be the worst.

Exercise: Up and down the stairs, house work, a little walking and prenatal yoga.

Food: Not craving anything but in the evenings I don’t really want to eat dinner. I do eat, but it’s a struggle – maybe it’s because I am running out of room.

Gender: Still a surprise.

Maclean: (our dog) She has been hanging around my side of the bed at night and I just realised she’s been hanging around me today. Hummm….does she know something I don’t?

Mood: I’m ready for baby to be out and am over the whole fear of giving birth again.

Preparation for baby #2: Making a list of things we need to get once baby arrives, talking lots with Lilly about the baby. As I mentioned before, she includes the baby in everything now.

Random: I can’t handle some songs on the radio and have figured out that when I was in my first trimester (and extremely nausea) these songs where playing on the radio constantly. When I hear them today I get this extreme ill feeling and have to leave the room or turn the radio off.

Sleep: Really not much these days but I am taking advantage of being able to nap.

Photo:

Me and “the monkey” at 38 weeks.

Anyone want to guess when the baby will arrive?

Leave me a comment below.

Sweat Pink Giveaway here (ends Friday).

Life goes by fast

November 26, 2012November 26, 2012 / Anna @ Piper's Run / 2 Comments

I remember when Lilly was born at 36 weeks, all I could think of “is this really happening”. I couldn’t make any decisions because it was happening so fast. We were ready but not really READY, if you know what I mean.

We took pictures the day she was born and pretty much every day after that! Then finally when she was around 3 months I started taking “monthly” pictures until she was 12 months old.

I recently came across a post from 7x7xMommy about her two daughters and how they captured their first daughter’s life and now with their second. You can check out a recent post on what they’ve done for their girls here – The Raffi Report.

Lilly during her first year: 0 – 5 months

And 6 – 12 months:

This past weekend, we had to run a few errands and decided to purchase an ‘animal’ for the baby. Lilly made the final decision and will be giving it to the baby when it arrives! So, you’ll see a few random photo’s over the next year with this little guy:

The Monkey:

Hanging with our hospital bags….just waiting patiently.