October Recap/Stats

October Recap/Stats

Miles Planned/Ran: N/A / 97.8± M

Rest Days Planned/Taken: 13 / 13

Highest Mileage Week: 25.7 M

Long Runs Planned/Ran: 5 / 5

Hill Workouts Planned/Ran: 0 / 2

Pace Workouts Planned/Ran: 0 / 4

Current Book: - (Reading) Brief Gaudy Hour by Margaret Campbell Barnes; I love period pieces, especially about Anne Boleyn. (Finished/Listened to) Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert; I absolutely loved this book. I found the period she was in India so intriguing.

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure: I'm back to being stuck on watching Hoarders.

Current Colors: Loving me the Fall palette.

Current Obsessions: I can't really think of anything at the moment...

Current Drink: Pumpkin Chai Latte's from Schuler's Books and of course, H20.

Current Song: "Raise your Glass" by P!nk

Current Wish-List: For the Winter to skip Michigan this year.

Current Need: For my house to magically pack itself.

Current Triumph: Having a great Grand Rapids Half Marathon

Current Bane of my Existence: The impending cold weather...

Current Goal: To continue to keep a solid base thru the winter (if at all possible that is...)

Current Indulgence: Halloween Candy

Current Blessings: As always my family, my kick@ss friends and le Spike.

Current Excitement: Moving in 2 weeks followed by Ragnar followed by Thanksgiving in Denver where I get to see my Fam AND meet Ms. Heather! :)

How'd your October shape up?!?!

Running is what you make of it; Make it an Adventure!™

3 Things Thursday

1. ...and the winner of the PurCore Balance Board is:
   
   
   
   Amanda BF - After reading your comment it sounds like you absolutely NEED this thing! Congrats! Send me an email to redheadrunning (@) gmail with your contact info.
   
   
   
2. This weekend Sun Runner (who FINALLY wrote her G.R. Half Race Recap), Spike and I are all headed to Hell, MI for the Run thru Hell on Halloween 10k!
   
   I'm stoked because let's face it, how many people can say they've actually run thru Hell? I'm still working on what costume I'm going to wear and whether or not to try to race it or run for fun especially since it's probably going to be my last chance to actually race something between the upcoming winter and...
   
   
   
   
3. The Cleveland Marathon!!! That's right kiddies, May 15th I'm headed to the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to re-attempt Marathon #3!!! Training starts January 24th; let's all hope it's a mild winter so this Redhead can get her BQ on! Who's with me?!?!?!?
   
   
   
   
   Rock those races and long runs! I hope y'all have a spooktacular Halloween!!!
   
   

   

Tuesday Trial: Valero & PurCore Fitness Products

Awhile back (Read: Mid-Summer = FAIL!) America's Nutrition contacted me about reviewing their products; they offer everything from nutritional supplements to weight loss pills, protein powders, as well as fitness, bath and beauty products. After perusing the site I said I'd be willing to review a few things and lo and behold they sent them all! I had chosen a few xtraining items that would be extremely beneficial to maintaining my fitness as I worked through the wretched leg gremlins that derailed my marathon training.

Let's get ready to... XTRAIN!!!

First up we have the Valero 8lb Medicine Ball:

This bad mama-jama is PERFECT for core training! It comes with a page of exercises but I Googled to find more; this post from April was THE BEST one I found and also this site that has a few more. I do the various floor related moves while I'm icing and/or elevating post-run and it's the perfect distraction during those 15-20 minutes. I started out with sets of 25 a few times a week and added 25 more each following week. You can do these core exercises anytime; while you're watching TV, waiting for your laundry to dry, etc... Improving core strength will let you run for longer without suffering from fatigue and will also decrease your risk of suffering an injury. Of all the items I reviewed the medicine ball has been my favorite and has been utilized the most, as in almost daily.

Next up we have the Valero Resistance Tubes:

Again, the product came with an exercise card but I Googled more; This site had exercises to tone up every part of your body but my all time favorite exercise is the one that helps strengthen your hips, good for peeps with ITB issues. (I couldn't find a pic so I'll just reenact it for you.)

Left: Starting position / Right: Take one step to the right/left

Return to starting position by bringing the leg you didn't take a step with over to join the one you did. Repeat across a room. Repeat with the opposite leg taking the step and go back across the room. Feel the burn, strengthen the hips!

Finally we have the PurCore Balance Board;

For those of you that followed my xtraining during my injury you would have seen me mention using the balance foam a lot at the gym, this balance board is essentially the same thing. It helps improve your balance, strengthen your lower legs, ankles, etc... and also your core. As my balance improved I would perform free weight arm exercises while on the board to make it a more total body workout. There are many exercises that you can do and I found this site that has a series of video's called How to Exercise on a Balance Board that instruct you how to maximize the board. This product would be great if you had tile and/or wood floors but because I have carpeting in my apartment it just didn't get very much use.

As I've mentioned, xtraining is essential to my training plan and helped me come back from my injury stronger than ever. A big thanks goes out to America's Nutrition for sending me the different products to test out and review and I will definitely be picking up some more, for home use equipment as the temperature continues to drop around here and you should too!

To end, as a thanks to y'all for reading I'm going to conduct a little giveaway; If you have unlimited access to tile and/or wood floors and would like to win the PurCore Balance Board that has been used on carpet only approx a handful of times please leave a comment below with a reason why you need to improve your balance and core. (I'll throw your name in twice if you share an EPIC klutz FAIL.)

Isn't it high time you got your xtrain on?!?!?!

Disclaimer:

• Per FTC Guidelines: America's Nutrition provided these items for my personal use at no cost to me.
• Contest is being conducted by me personally and is open to US residents and all you Canuck's
• The winner will be chosen at random by Random.org and awarded on 3 Things Thursday (10/28/10)
  

3 Things Thursday

1. Inspired: Yesterday I attended the #140Conf in Detroit at The Fillmore and I can honestly say I haven't felt this inspired in ages. Between the energy of the conference (Social Media FTW!!!) and the beauty I found in the ruins of downtown Detroit, I came home bursting with ideas and my long lost creative juices are once again flowing!
   
   
2. Finish Line: This picture pretty much sums up how I feel about Grand Rapids...
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Winter Running: Ok so maybe it's not quite winter yet but the past few runs I went on it was high 30's, low 40's which got me thinking, I still have a long ways to go before my winter running wardrobe is complete. I have 2 pairs of pants and one pair of capri's but Spike was talking about running tights and I have no clue what those are and I probably need one of those mask thingy's... So how bout it Northern running peeps, what do I need and when do you start breaking out the winter gear?
   
   
   
   
   

G.R. Odds & Ends

• K-Tape: I have seen and heard of K-tape plenty of times but never used it personally. When I saw that they had reps at the expo I decided to get all the help I could get and told them about my collapsing arches/arch cutlets situation. They listened, looked at my shoes and then told me they had a way to help with that. A few minutes later I was taped up and when I stepped down the lingering aches from my hilly 7 miler on Wednesday disappeared. I wore the tape thru til the race and I'm happy to say it worked great and didn't bother my skin one bit during. When I took it off after the race I actually felt my arches lower and it made me realize I really have to do something about building them back up and strengthening them if I want to get a solid base built leading up to my next Marathon attempt. (Details to come...)
  
  
• Race Attire: Race morning I couldn't find my racing sleeves and was worried I'd be cold in just my tank but lo and behold it was a blessing in disguise as I would've gotten way to hot had I have worn them. The kicker was when I got back post-race they were right in my suitcase where I packed them but had somehow overlooked them. Although the temps around here continue to get colder by the day I have realized that I know how to race in the cooler temps and need to trust my better judgment. I simply can't stand feeling constricted in a real shirt and prefer to wear a tank and sleeves instead. When it's cold you know that you will always warm up but when it's hot you just have to pray you get to the Finish as fast as possible. Maybe I will end up enjoying this cold weather running after all? (Well until it snows anyway...)
  
  
• Nutrition/Hydration: The aid stations were oddly placed on the course so for the first time ever I raced with my 10 oz Nathan Handheld. I worried it might annoy me, but it was hardly noticeable and came in handy when I wanted to take my Powerbar Gels at exactly Miles 5 & 10. Besides that I really didn't need it and easily could've made do because I was able to grab water at each stop just fine and never felt thirsty between. This race only verified that I am being smart about my hydration and nutrition out on the course and I will continue to stick to this plan of action.
  
  
  
• Xtraining: With everything that happened over the summer with my injury and having to step down from training for the Full and almost not even being able to run the Half I have to say that xtraining saved me. It sucked and there were times I wanted to stab myself in the eye rather than aqua slog another lap but it was worth it. I was able to ramp up quickly once I got running again and was only able to do so because I had maintained a solid fitness base. I know some runners never xtrain and to each their own, but for me xtraining has always been a welcome addition to the training plan and I will continue to incorporate it with each cycle.
  
  
• 100%: I was not at 100% on race day. I knew this going in and with only 3 1/2 weeks of training could only realistically hope for a solid Finish. Based on my previous PR of 2:02:30 I knew from those few longer training runs I should easily be able to PR but I had been hoping, wishing and praying I would sub-2. In hindsight had I not have stopped to pee or let myself momentarily give up in Mile 12 I would have broken it and then some but I'm honestly thrilled to have hit it right on the dot at 2:00:22. Going forward I will focus on recovery and establishing a strong, solid base so I can show up to Ragnar in 4 short weeks at 100%.
  
  
• Sore: I was and still am very sore. It's a good sore, the kind you earn, but it still makes walking and sitting a little awkward. LOL! I went for a recovery run this morning and was pleasantely surprised at how well it went; I think I can run better than I can walk at the moment!
  

Grand Rapids Half Marathon Race Recap

Official Stats:

Grand Rapids Half Marathon - 13.1 M

Clock Time: 2:03:05

Chip Time: 2:00:22

Overall Place: 716 / 1686

Gender Place: 321 / 1039

Division Place: 57 / 171

Pace: 9:11

Pre-Race: Up and at 'em about 6 am Spike, Emma, LeBrian and I moused about the house getting ready. There was the unmistakeable electric charge in the air of pre-race excitement and nerves as we ate, used the facilities and layered up before heading over to the Start. As we all went to lace up we found this most excellent poem Spike had written tucked in our shoes, definitely worth the read. Emma refrained from reading because she was already emotional over today being her first Marathon.

Spike, LeBrian, Red & Emma ready to Rock and Run!

We arrived at the YMCA with time to spare and proceeded to stretch, warm-up and wrap our heads around what was about to come! I looked for Sun Runner but had no luck before it was time to head to the start.

Arch Cutlets + K-Tape = SUCCESS!!!

Me (Half), Spike (Full), LeBrian (Half) & Emma (1st Full!!!)

Start Corral: LeBrian, Emma and I left Spike in the zone and headed out to the Start Corral, we had talked it over and agreed to start the first mile together nice and easy. As we waited LeBrian and I joked around with the other runners and pumped Emma up with confidence and support. As the gun went off we were snuggled nicely between the pace groups for P.Diddy & Oprah. (All the pace groups were associated with famous people's finishes like Lance Armstrong, Will Ferrell, Al Gore, etc...)

Start - Mile 5: As we passed under the Start we played it up for the photog's before settling in to a nice 10 min pace. It felt like only a few minutes before we saw the first mile flags at which time I wished them a great race and headed out to start my own race. The course wrapped around an industrial-ish area before heading on to a trail. The crowd support was spotty but when you came on it the spectators were great! The next few miles ticked off quickly and before I knew it, I was at Mile 5 and it was time to Gu.

10:07, 8:59, 8:58, 8:55, 8:57

Mile 6 -10: As I headed into Mile 6 I accidentally unplugged my iPod and ended up having to wrestle with it a bit to get it righted. I slowed just a tad but once I got it fixed I was back into the swing of things. As we approached the first aid station in this stretch of the trail I heard a boom box blaring tunes and lo and behold it was tahoegirl!!! She had come out to spectate as promised and returned the favor of giving me a hug of support! Thank you so much girl! It was AWESOME to see a "familiar" face out on the course!

*Photo courtesy of tahoegirl, a customized "Redhead Running" poster! :)

After I left tahoegirl I hoped to snag a chance at the porta-potty but no such luck as their was a line so I ran on. (I had needed to pee the whole friggin' race! Darn child size, nervous bladder! As if going 5 times pre-race wasn't enough!) We hit another huge spectator area and I highfived as many kids as I could, it was fun and made me wonder why I don't always do that?! After the spectating area we scaled a tough little hill and made our way down a pretty empty stretch of road save for some silo's that I seriously considered popping a squat behind but decided against it because too many guys were using it. Shortly after that we split from the marathoners, I wished those around me a great race and then the Halfers ran over this awkward grassy hill and down to the trail again. I slowed here because the decline was kinda steep but otherwise I was still keeping a good clip. From this trail we headed back and were under a beautiful canopy of trees, it was so peaceful, I think that was my favorite part of the whole race. As we came back up to revisit the aid station just after Mile 10 I was starting to feel tired and rallied just enough to flash a smile at tahoegirl before heading in to the Finish.

9:08, 9:00, 8:55, 8:57, 9:04

11 - 13.1: As I headed into Mile 11 I was starting to feel spent. The sun beat down in this exposed stretch of the trail and my less than solid training was starting to wear thin. I also still needed to pee and thankfully found the next aid station without a line! With that out of the way it took me a few steps to get back into a solid run but once I did I found it tough to keep up. I was exhausted and it was really taking everything I had to keep it together. About 1/2 way thru Mile 12 I felt so physically spent that I allowed myself to mentally give up. I stopped and walked for a good 15-20 seconds before I rallied by reminding myself I was SO close to the Finish and a quick check at Hermes showed I had a shot at hitting 2 hours. So without another glance I mustered up everything I had left and ran it in as best I could.

Lucky #13 = Finish Line is just ahead!!!

9:01, 10:08, 9:05, .1 = N/A

Finish: After I crossed the Finish Line I shook the Race Director's hand, grabbed my medal and headed for the water station. I was lightheaded and a little loopy so I totally blanked on stopping Hermes. That last .1 is undocumented for time since almost two minutes had passed before I shut it off but I guessed I had come in right about two hours which meant a solid 2 minute PR!!! If you're going to be robbed of your Full by an injury there's nothing sweeter than coming back to PR a Half!

PR BABY!!!

Post Race: After I got out of the Finishers area I doubled back and cheered LeBrian in with his girlfriend and Spike's Fam. We had a few before we'd see Spike so I changed quick and we flipped over all the posters to Marathon Mode!

Spike has been talking non-stop about post-race donuts so I only thought this appropriate. For the record, I did in fact get him a Krispy Kreme post race. :)

No sooner did we get in place did Spike appear in the distance coming down towards the Finish! We cheered on the top of our lungs as he made his way on past and into the Finish for a BQ!!! (His race recap) Once we had Spike collected from the Finish we all gathered to cheer Emma in on her maiden voyage of the Marathon distance and she was all smiles when she saw that it was a whole family affair gathered to cheer her in! She looked on top of the world and glowed as she ran into the finish hand in hand with her son and daughter...

Post Race Half & Marathon Finishers!!! Way to go guys!!!

After Emma joined up with us we all stood around and exchanged war stories, stuffed our faces and regaled in the excitement of a fantabulous day of racing. Around then fellow blogger/racer Dawn texted and we got to meet up to exchange congrats.

When I grow up, I want to BQ like them!

Post Race Thoughts: The course was beautiful, the spectators were awesome and I loved the personal effort the race coordinators put forth, especially the motivating newsletters Race Director Don Kern sent first monthly then daily for 10 days leading up to the race. Was I sad I didn't run the Full? Yes. Could I have run the Full? Absolutely NOT! Was I happy I ran the Half? F*ck Yeah! It was a great day, I hit a tough spot and fought through for a PR! With that I think it's about time to raise that enthusiasm level on up because this Redhead is...

3 Things Thursday

1. tahoegirl you vision in pink! Please, please, please shoot me an email!!! (redheadrunning (@) gmail) I have been wanting to talk to you for ages but you don't have an email linked to your blogger profile! I am so excited I got to meet you Sunday and during your first marathon no less!!! Would love to meet this weekend if you're spectating G.R.!
   
   I hope you and all the CM10'ers & Portland Marathoners have been recovering well and enjoying life after the Finish Line!!! Ya'll braved some insane weather conditions and I have been reading through the race recaps thinking ya'll are the toughest cookies out there! Congrats again!!!
   
   
   
2. I'm EXCITED because today I run my last run before Grand Rapids Half and am feeling pretty good about a decent finish time come Sunday. I plugged in the numbers of my last few training runs on the McMillan calculator and if all goes well race day I could, possibly, maybe even score a PR. Guess we'll see what the Running Gods have in mind for me on race day... Arch cutlets FTW!
   
   
3. After Sun Runner, Spike's cousin and I Finish up the Half I'll put on my Susy Supporter pants one last time (that's 4 weekends in a row for those keeping count at home) to cheer on my beloved Spike, his sister Emma, Marcia (Again! Crazy woman!), Dawn and Kevin as they finish up the Full. Dream STRONG and Run FAST fellow racers!!!
   
   I may or may not post before the race but if not I'll catch ya'll on the flipside with a race recap!
   
   

2010 Chicago Marathon: Spectator Recap

Before I even begin I just want to congratulate and applaud every single runner that toed the line for the Chicago Marathon this morning. Mother Nature delivered unto them a day that would test their very will, determination and heart. The blood, sweat and tears I witnessed today left me humbled and in awe. I can not even fathom what it took each of them to endure all 26.2 miles but I admire them all for their courage and I can only hope they all know what absolute and complete BAD@SSES THEY ARE FOR FINISHING!!! You are all my HERO!

That being said, here's my spectating racap from Mile 22.5 of the 2010 Chicago Marathon (CM10):

I arrived in the city just as dawn was breaking and many a marathon runner was anxiously awaiting the start of the marathon...

7:00 AM and all is calm...

As promised I set up shop at Mile 22.5, just off the corner of 31st St and Wentworth Ave. and just after the aid station. While I awaited the action to get under way I read a book to pass the time, made a few calls and became friendly with the other spectators that began to show up when it got close for the Elite's to start the day...

The socks didn't last long but the tunes did! Spectating Success!

At 1:47+ in, the Elite pack zoomed by...

...and shortly after the first woman. They all looked amazing in action!

Do you know what the best part of spectating is? Recognizing your runners!!! Who could this be in the orange bandana you ask?!?!? None other than the one and only, speed machine that is known as: The Running Laminator!!!

GO LAM!!! I was so excited to see him!!! YAY!!!

Not long after I spotted Sam from Operation Jack!!!
(Easily spotted by shirt alone! CM10 was #50 of the year! GO SAM!!!)

Just after Sam ran by Nicole from Runner Nic and Erika from Chasing My Monkeys came and spectated the next few hours with me. I was SO thankful to have them there, have some company and rally together when the sun made even spectating tough.

Ready to hear about the absolute most craziest thing to happen while spectating today? We saw Dean. As in Dean Karnazes the Ultramarathon Man!!! Kid you not!!! Nicole looks over and spots him running up the sidewalk, we all scream like star struck high school girls and he THANKS US for spectating as he runs by!!!! HOW FRIGGIN' AWESOME!?!?! Had I have had any common sense I might have snapped his picture as he ran by but I was just too in awe do anything but be in awe! LOL!

To end this, throughout the course of the morning I saw a few more friends (it's much harder to spot and snap pics once the crowds thicken), but missed most, met a few readers (Thank you all for coming up and saying hi!!! I hope you all had great races!!! Be sure to let me know how you did!!!!) and helped more than a few runners along the way. I saw things that inspired me and things that broke my heart. I saw things that I don't even know where to begin to discuss. As I said in the beginning of this post, the blood, sweat and tears I witnessed today left me humbled and in awe.

Congratulations to all the CM10'ers out there recovering from what was surely one of the toughest days they've ever endured. Lest you forget, let me remind you again:

YOU ARE ALL AMAZING!

Excited.

I'm excited.

You know this has got to be good if it warrants a weekend post.

I'm excited because one year ago today I met Spike (in real life) at the Chicago Marathon expo, so it's unofficially our year anniversary!

I'm also excited because I'm just about ready to head down to Chi-town to visit with my cousins to celebrate our collective birthdays this month with a night out on the town, then I'll get up early to spectate CM10!!! (Super excited to cheer on all my bloggy buddies!)

I'm even more excited because this morning I ran 10 miles. 10 MILES! As in double digits, as in my beloved 10 miles that makes me so happy! This milestone inevitably leads me to officially raise the enthusiasm level to Excited. (!!!)


But do you want to know the reason why I'm most excited of all?!?!?!

With Coack EK's blessing I have officially been given the green light to RUN the Grand Rapids Half Marathon next weekend!!!

It's not the full but d@mn it, I'll take it. I've been steadily training along in the hopes that if today's 10 miler went well I could realistically look at running the Half and lo and behold the running gods have shed their light upon my arch cutlets and let it be so! I may not be in racing shape but I'm def ready to Finish!

So yeah... EXCITED!

Now I'm off to Chi-town! WOOT!!!

3 Things Thursday

1. Blogosphere Spectator: Cowbells... Check! Posters... Check!! Tu-tu... Check!!! Excited Redhead... CHECK! Alright my Chicago bound peeps I will see you all Sunday at Mile 22.5!!! I'll be cheering my brains out, taking pics and giving out free hugs of support and encouragement!
   
   
   Am I missing anyone? Let me know!
   
   
   
   
2. Thank You! Big thanks to Jodi of runjodirun for featuring me as her Thumbs up Thursday Spotlight! Jodi has some of the cutest kids ever, just recently celebrated her 100th Post and two weeks ago set a 5k PR while snagging an AG award! If anyone should be given the thumbs up it's Jodi! Thanks girl!
   
   
   
3. Officially Official: Yesterday I got my Michigan Driver's License in the mail, I am officially (and legally) a Michigander again. Goodbye Sunshine State ID. *Sigh*
   
   Speaking of Sunshine State, a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISH goes out to COACH EK today!!! Coach EK just ran his first Ultra this past weekend, cheers to many more running firsts Coach E!
   
   
   

Monday Mash

You know the drill...

• The Social Network - Excellent movie, highly recomment.
  
  
• Saturday morning I met the Fam at Tony's, a truck stop infamous for their greasy food and large portions. They have sloganed apparel, "Got Bacon" and when my fam ordered up their dishes they were delivered at least a 1lb of bacon each. I opted for the lightest thing on the menu I could find; 3 eggs and 3 slices of toast. It was humanly impossible for me to eat that much food and boy was I happy I didn't later... Oy!
  
  
• After breakfast we hit up Bronner's Christmas Wonderland for a complete overload of all things Christmas. I for one was much more excited about their Halloween displays. I love me some Halloween.
  
  
  
  
• Christmas'd out we headed into Frankenmuth to peruse the Bavarian Village; the weather SUCKED so it wasn't nearly as enjoyable as it could've been but I was definitely entertained by the random sights:
  
  
  
  
• Sunday I spectated Spike as he ran the Brooksie Way Half Marathon, he did great, top 100 finisher! While he was out running I kept myself entertained by getting a Pumpkin Chai Latte, meeting the infamous TNT Coach Ken, snagging a ride with a race worker in his golf cart to the finish line while he gave me a historic recap of the area and taking in the sights of the beautiful Oakland University Campus. Rochester Hills is such a beautiful area but a little too hilly for me!
  
  He's uber TALL!
  
  
  
• Have you read all the controversy going on between Marie Claire and the healthy living bloggers? The article they wrote is bananas! My heart goes out to the girls that were included in that controversial article and I'm so glad their readers have come to their support.
  
  
• I'm so frigging excited for all you CM10'ers!!! Make sure you look for me around Mile 22.5, I'll be rocking my tu-tu and an assortment of other obnoxious paraphanelia that will make me hard to miss!
  
  
• Best part of my day: Spike was MIA when I returned home from my recovery run this evening so I called to see what he was up to, his response upon answering, "I'm picking you up some sweet potato fries." I had totally thought on my run that all I wanted was some sweet potato fries but knew we were out! Best boyfriend ever.
  

Why is October the best month ever?!?!?

October is the best month ever for any number of reasons; Halloween, Fall is in full swing, it's also the celebration of life of yours truly, its the one year anniversary of running my first marathon, its also my unofficial one year anniversary with Spike (I played hard to get the first two months and pretended we weren't really dating! LOL!), a whole slew of other people's birthdays including; my beloved Rixy, Tall Guy Surfing, four of my cousins, my little sister, Marlene, Katie, Chic Runner, etc...

But one of my favorite reasons for loving October is because October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Do you support Breast Cancer Awareness and Breast Cancer Awareness Month?

Here are a few ways to show your support:

On FB: http://www.facebook.com/breastcancerawarenessmonth

http://www.facebook.com/BreastCancerAwareness

Find an event near you: LinkIn Events, The Breast Cancer Site Events, Susan G. Komen Events, or simply Google "October Breast Cancer Awareness Events in (your city here)"

Eat Dannon Yogurt:
http://www.cupsofhope.com/

Get Gear: Shop Breast Cancer Awareness on CafePress, Save the Ta-ta's, Save 2nd Base, or rock some I Love Boobies Bracelets!!!

Wear PINK!

Sorry to cram all this down your throats but as a woman with family history of Breast Cancer I think its very important to show my support any way that further funds research that might someday find a cure so we don't have to lose anymore loved ones or fight it ourselves.

I rocked a pink headband for Chicago last year to support the cause

Jill & I ran the Breast Cancer Half in February in honor of our family that have been affected by Breast Cancer; You are my hero Aunt Donna!

I support Breast Cancer Awareness Month, won't you join me? Get your PINK on!