Ultimate Stocking Stuffer Giveaway

I’m glad I’m not the only one who fell out of a car when I was little. Yet, clearly I am the only one who hit my head hard enough to make me want to grow up to be a blogger who writes about crapping in bushes and trees while running.

I will say, the comment that made me laugh out loud was this one from Julie:

“One of my favorite childhood memories is being about 5 years old, topless, in a convertible, on a road trip with NO seatbelts and doing the honk motion at every truck on the road. Good times.”

Best visual ever.

The Giveaway

I’m naughty. But, I’m nice too.

Outside PR, on behalf of their GU, Road ID and Ryder’s Eyewear clients, has generously offered up an Ultimate Stocking Stuffer Giveaway right in time for the holidays.

Are you ready? The winner will get all of the following:

• Vanilla Gingerbread, Mint and *your favorite flavor/product* from GU ($24.00 value)

• Road ID socks ($7.99 value), Road ID hat ($9.99 value), & Road ID gift card

• Ryders VTX sunglasses for racing, working out, and the like ($59.99 value) :

Ryder’s Grindhouse or Shreddie sunglasses ($39.99 value)  for naughty relaxing while eggnoging

That’s a lot of stuff. I personally like the sound of the Grindhouse. It just has that dirty ring to it.

Want the loot? Here’s how to enter (comment for each):

1. Follow my blog and let me know or if you already follow tell me + 1 entry
2. Write about this giveaway on your forehead, blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. + 1 entry
3. Sign up for the GU blog RSS feed +1 entry
4. Submit a photo of yourself doing whatever sport you love at the Ryders "Ride for Real" photo gallery +2 entry (please leave two comments)
5. Enter the Road ID Holiday Giveaway (extra entries granted for every $5 donated) + 1 entry (5 extra entries per $5 donated. Leave that number of comments)

That’s up to 6+ entries! So, get busy. This giveaway will end on 12/14.

Good luck,

SUAR

The fine print:

• Per FTC guidelines: Outside PR (by means of their clients: GU, Road ID and Ryders Eyewear) provided the giveaway items.
• Contest  open to both US and Canadian residents!
• The winner will be chosen at random by Random.org. Check back December 14 to see if you won!

Mountain Lion Encounter

My friend Michelle and I ran 7.5 miles yesterday. That gave her plenty of time to tell me about her recent encounter with a mountain lion while on a solo run. She is obviously still alive, so it was a happy ending.

Michelle was visiting Steamboat, Colorado with her family. One morning she decided to take a run up the ski mountain. Alone. She didn’t tell anyone where she was going (and I’m assuming didn’t have on a Road ID). As she crested the top of the mountain trail, she looked ahead of her to see a huge lion standing about 15 feet from her. He stared her down and started pursuing her slowly. Think of a cat pursuing a mouse and how they crouch down and steadily move forward. She had time to snap this picture. As if.

You can’t go to a trailhead in Colorado without being told what to do if you have an encounter with a lion:

• Do not run. Back away from it slowly, but only if you can do so safely. Running may stimulate a lion's instinct to chase and attack.
• Face the lion and stand upright.
• Make eye contact.
• Do not bend or crouch over. Try to appear larger. A person squatting or bending over looks a lot like a four-legged prey animal. Raise your arms. Open your jacket, if you're wearing one.
• Throw stones, branches, or whatever you can grab without crouching down or turning your back. Wave your arms slowly and speak firmly in a large voice.
• Do not approach the lion.
• Fight back if attacked. Try to stay on your feet if a lion attacks you. Lions have been driven off by prey that fights back. Some hikers have fought back successfully with sticks, caps, jackets, garden tools, and their bare hands. Since lions usually try to bite the head or neck, try to remain standing and face the attacking animal.

Do not approach the lion??? This is kind of like the warning on the iron that says, “Do not iron clothes while wearing them.”

The above instructions are about the opposite of what you do when you encounter a bear, so I always get confused. I’m hoping if I run into a mountain lion and I curl into the fetal position, he will be so astounded, he’ll leave me alone, thinking: “She’s too dumb to attack. Stupid blonds don’t taste good.”

But, back to the story. Michelle turned around and ran her ass off, screaming, arms flailing. She knew you weren’t supposed to do this, but she also knew that if she got attacked in this isolated area, she’d be a goner. She wanted to get a bit closer to the condos further down on the side of the mountain. She turned around once to see the lion continuing to pursue her. He wasn’t in a full run, but was coming after her.

She made it down to the condos and found a guy taking out his trash. He took care of her and calmed her down. By now the lion was gone. Her husband called the wildlife people who were very interested because they hadn’t seen a lion on the mountain that year. They drove up to the spot of the encounter and found her tracks as well as the lion’s. The also found a dead deer. Turns out the lion had just killed a deer when she came upon the scene. Mr. Lion was protecting his food and trying to keep her away. Seems he was not chasing her, but warning her to get away.

One time when I was at band camp Emma was 2 months old my mom and I went on a hike outside of Boulder. I had Emma in the front pack. We were about 1/2 mile form the car when we heard the distinct growl of a mountain lion beside the path. I have NEVER been so scared. I can’t believe I didn't soil myself. We picked up rocks and started walking quickly away. I now know not to go trail running in the early morning or at dusk. I also know to always go with someone and on a well travelled trail.

What’s the scariest or strangest thing that’s ever happened to you on a run?

Don’t forget my Subway giveaway!

Insane Contest and Giveaway

Running tip: If you have always wanted to run naked, but didn’t know how to go about doing it without being arrested, check out the Naked Pumpkin Run website. Good old fashioned fun!

I’ve got something brewing. I’ve had it brewing for a couple of weeks now. And, I’m going to let it out.

Those who know me and know this blog are likely worried I’m about to have a colon blow. But, alas, it is nothing like that. Not even close. This is something you will like, something that won’t revolt you and doesn’t smell. I might go so far as to say this is something you will love. And, if this wasn’t my blog, I would be all over becoming a part of this thing.

You are not going to believe this giveaway/contest. There are two parts, so listen up. Or, if you don’t read my blog out loud, then read up:

Outside PR, a company that represents such faves as Ryder’s Eyewear, GoLite, Road I.D., Sugoi and GU, helped score the amazing products for this contest/giveaway. Devon of Outside PR (who is a she, not a he) did this up right. Thanks Devon and thanks to GoLite and Ryders!

Here we go.

For the giveaway, there will be two winners, a female and a male. Here are your prizes:

For the female winner:

GoLite Cottonwood Run Tank $50

GoLite Tilly Jane Run Skirt $60

Ryders Drill Sunglasses: $39.99

For the male winner:

GoLite Wildwood Shirt $45

GoLite Mesa Short $40

Ryders Eyewear Drill Sunglasses $39.99

Combined, this is $275 worth of stuff from GoLite and Ryders Eyewear! Nothing to sneeze at.

To enter:

There are several ways to enter to win, each that will give you points:

1. Submit a picture of yourself to brisdon@comcast.net in your most ridiculous and idiotic running gear. Don’t be shy. Showing skin, fat, wedgies, camel toes, etc is fine if it’s not too profane. Let me see your style! Go for shock value! Show me why you need some new clothes!: +5 entries (I will enter your entries manually in the comments to be sure you get your credit).
2. Leave a comment as to why you want to win the gear: +1 entry
3. Become a follower of this blog and leave a comment telling me so: +1 entry
4. Link back to this giveaway from your blog and leave comment telling me so: +1 entry
5. Become a FB Fan or follower on Twitter of Ryders Eyewear and leave comment telling me so +1 entry
6. Become a FB Fan or follower on Twitter of GoLite and leave comment telling me so +1 entry

Note: You do not have to submit a picture to enter the giveaway. Just do one of the above for an entry (or entries).

Please leave a comment for each of the above so you get your correct number of entries!

One female and one male winner will be selected randomly on April 12th.

Photo entries from the top contenders (at my discretion) for both male and females will be published on my blog on April 13th. Readers can then vote on these photos. On April 19th, the female and male winners with the most votes will each win:

GoLite: Rush Pack $70

So, get busy. Find the grossest/ugliest/outdated/worst running gear. Undress yourself. Observe yourself in the mirror for a moment like you usually do when you’re naked. Put on your grossest/ugliest/outdated/worst running gear. Set the self timer, or find someone who won’t make fun of you to take your picture. Email it to me at brisdon@comcast.net. Sit back and wait for your victory!

As an example, here’s me in some a stupid ass running get-up. I know you can do better than this:

In small writing:

• Enter now through Monday, April 12, at noon (Mountain time).
• Only residents of the US and Canada, please
• Winners of the random drawing to be announced Tuesday, April 13.
• You guys will vote on the top photo entries from Tuesday, April 13 to Sunday April 18.
• Winners of the photo contest to be announced Monday, April 19.
• All of this cool stuff for the giveaway was provided by Outside PR from GoLite and Ryder’s Eyewear. I didn’t pay for any of it.

Good luck!

Drinking: H2O

Review: Ryders Sunglasses

Running tip: Buy running clothes you like. This may sound obvious, but you're probably more likely to be motivated to run if you have something to put on that you feel good in. If this is a sparkly bright red thong, so be it. Your neighbors will love you for it.


A few weeks ago, this seemingly cute and very smart guy, Devon, contacted me from Outside PR wanting to know if I could review a couple of running products. I know he is smart because he used big words I didn't understand in the email. I know he is cute because he was witty and works for a cool company. Those people are always cute.

I hate getting stuff for free, especially running goods, but I said “yes” anyway. Outside PR is an agency that represents such favorite products as Road I.D., Sugoi, GU, Go-lite and Ryder’s Eyewear.

By the way, I’m kidding. Like any breathing human, I love free stuff. I will review a business card, a Frisbee or a plastic cup with your university logo on it if you send it to me. You can only imagine the goody bag I bring home from a marathon expo.

Last week I got these Ryder’s sunglasses* in the mail:




Yes, that's a cut on my finger. Wanna see it up close? Wanna see what a sucky camera I have? That could just be a smile I made with a red Sharpie, but it really is a wound from a knife. Cutting apples can be very dangerous.


Fortunately, because I am in the last two months of marathon training and I am running so much I almost despise it (oh, stop your gasping, you feel that way sometimes too), I had ample opportunity this week to give these shades a whirl. Also, fortunately, the sun had finally returned from its long hiatus to Tahiti or Hawaii or wherever the sun hangs out when it’s not around here (okay, calm down, I know the sun is just behind clouds or going down on Elton John – “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me…” which could very easily be “Don’t Let Your Son Go Down on Me”, but that’s another post).

Previously, I was sporting the Wal-Mart special aerodynamic glasses (I think Kara Goucher wears these too), and it was tough to think of parting with them, especially since they cost $4.99. Devon gave me some options to pick from on the Ryder website from the Adrenaline collection. It is not an easy thing to pick sunglasses without trying them on. That means you can’t look at yourself in the mirror and make faces and pull your hair back and in front of your face and pretend you are running by jogging in place. Or maybe I just do that.

In any case, I chose the Sprint model in black with a grey lens. I chose them because they will make me look hardcore and will make me a better runner. In reality, I thought they were a good looking pair of glasses, with that athletic vibe. I also liked the option for the grey lens as that’s my color of choice in sunglass lenses. I prefer to see the world in hues of grey because it is uplifting. Here’s the actual description on these glasses:

FRAME: MATTE BLACK, DURAFLEX
LENS: GREY, VENTED, POLYCARBONATE, 100% UV PROTECTION
TINT: 15% VLT
FIT: MEDIUM
FEATURES: ADJUSTABLE ANTI-SLIP NOSE PADS, ANTI-SLIP TEMPLE TIPS
PRICE: $39.99

The lenses are shatterproof, scratch resistant and provide 100% UV protection. All glasses have anti slip and adjustable nose pads. The temple tips are also anti slip.

After a couple of runs in these glasses, I found I really liked them (and not just because they were free). I liked them because I did not notice them. To me, not noticing things on my body while running is a good thing. I hate having to mess with anything during my runs, especially if it’s because it’s uncomfortable, annoying, or not performing its function properly.

Essentially, the glasses did their job: stayed in place, provided protection from the bright Colorado sun, and were lightweight enough that I didn’t feel them on my face. They reduced the glare, but were not so dark that they distorted colors or kept me from knowing when the light was green at the crosswalk (this is important if you want to live during your run). The price isn't bad either ($39.99 or free if you're me).

Next up in a future post will be my review on the Race + Recovery Compression Tights from Sugoi. To wet your pallet, expect to see me in the tightest tights you’ve ever seen. As in, I could put on high heels, get a perm and be slutty Sandy at the end at the end of the movie, Grease (if only I could sing, was gorgeous, smoked and came from down unda').

Drinking: H20

*Outside PR sent me the product for free to review on my blog (courtesy of Ryders Eyewear). I did not pay for the item or exchange any favors for it.

Is Running a Marathon a Health Risk?

Running tip: Always carry an ID with you when you run. Road I.D. is a great option, but a driver's license or any identification card will do. You just never know what might happen out there.


Did you guys hear about the report that came out today saying that marathoning is a health risk because it stiffens the arteries, thereby stressing the heart? Basically, the study contends that running is VERY good for you - to a point - then it can be dangerous. Despina Kardara, author of the report states, "The cardiovascular system is like a sports car engine. If you do not use it, it will decay, but if you run it too fast for too long, you might burn out."

Take a look at my Examiner article about this study and let me know what you think. Does it change your mind about running long distances, or do you think that this is just one random study that does not apply to you and that the odds are in your favor?

I'm of the opinion that the benefits of running far outweigh the risks. I tend to live my life doing what I love, rather than fretting about every little thing that could happen. This especially applies to something like running that is so advantageous both mentally and physically. I truly don't think I'll die running a marathon. But, I will always go for yearly physicals and blood work and continue to take care of myself in a responsible way. These days it seems you can find any statistic to support or undermine what you do, eat, or drink. Everyone has to find what works for them.

And, to those of you who asked if the paparazzi follows me around me house since I have so many pictures of myself doing odd things, the answer is "yes." I have a paparazzi comprised of my two children who have their own cameras and are bored. That's why I have tons of memories like this (yes, indeed that is me dancing in a French maid's costume. Go figure):

Random pool shot:

Doing what moms do:

Taken by my husband, 'nuf said:

Can't I get some privacy? I mean EVER?

Drinking: H2O

Best Gifts Ever and Then Some

Running tip (sort of): Don't wash your iPod in the washing machine after you forgot to take it out of your pocket, but if you do, immerse it in a bowl of dry rice. The rice will soak up the water and your device might just work again. Mine did!

I am spoiled. I'll admit it. Not the kind of spoiled where you ask daddy for a pony and he runs out and gets it for you and if he doesn't you make everyone's life miserable around you, but the kind of spoiled where you have the most amazing people in your life who show you they care about you all the time, in the coolest of ways. Maybe I should say I'm blessed instead of spoiled,but I don't use the word blessed like ever. I feel like that's saying that Jesus is involved and maybe he is, but he might have been dealing with other things like Haiti and Iraq and hospitals and car accidents instead of me.

Let me start this post off by saying you guys are amazing. 108 birthday wishes and 108 weird and unique facts about yourselves.

Everything from Jenn w/2 n's who said she has coulophobia, a fear of clowns, to Fit in the city who was held up at gunpoint at a bank and locked in the vault, to Runnernic who has a birthmark on her butt in the shape of the number 12. I could not have asked for more interesting and bizarre readers if I tried. The dog (see to the right ->) was even impressed. It's takes a lot to impress him since he has three legs and a chronically erect penis.

Okay, the gifts. Reading this, you just might get some gift ideas for that special person in your life who is female, turning 43, a pants crapper and a runner.

First, there were the books:

Don't know a thing about this, but want to give it a whirl? Anyone read it?

And this one from Joie, which I have read before, but LOVED about ultra marathoner, Pam Reed.

Then there was the jewelry:

This awesome one from J. Jill from my dear friend, Jenn:


And this agate bracelet that is supposed to attract miracles from best buddy and fellow blogger, Clair:

Next, Ken ordered these Chia sports drink mixes from some Native American, Wingfoot, in California (btw, if I were a Native American I would be called Wind Breaker or Turd Maker). Apparently, if I drink this I will be able to run barefoot over many mountains tomorrow. Flavors are orange, lemon and lime. I wonder what this will do to my colon?:

Of course you have to have entertainment, so Ken get us tickets to see Chelsea Handler in Denver. I just hope she brings her midget friend, Chuy, along. I've always had a secret crush on Chuy. I am wondering if everything including is penis is just shorter. I don't know how that works (don't even think about reserving seat 5 in row 1).

Anyone who knows me, knows I love my Dots. I eat them in bed at night. I know what you're thinking: she complains about turd issues when she eats Dots at night in bed? She deserves what she gets. Well, the Easter edition of Dots are out, so all is well with my world.These came from my kids, who longingly watch me eat them. I don't share. Mostly because the kids both have braces and Dots are on the shit list. The ortho would have my ass if I fed these to my kids.

Then there was the Fit Foam Roller from Carolyn. I know this will come in handy for my many post running aches and pains. I am 43, remember?

And, anyone who knows me knows I'm a coffee FREAK, so I got this ceramic/silicone to-go cup. Seriously, one of my most favorite gifts.

Then, the token Road ID (in purple) because I want people to know who to call when I am in the ditch. It even says, "Shut up and run." Notice I am not posting a photo because I do not want any modelling companies or talent searches to be contacting me.

Lastly, but not leastly, Ken who is the most thoughtful and creative dude, had this tech shirt made for me:

See what I mean about being spoiled??? To me, there is nothing better than receiving a gift that speaks to who you are as a person. This means the giver had to take time out to think about you, your likes, your passions, how you spend your time. This = love in my book. What's the best gift you've gotten this year?

Drinking: Kirkland coffee roasted by Starbucks