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Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Woolite Everyday Laundry Detergent Review

Woolite sent along some samples of their Woolite Everyday Laundry Detergent.
  It can be used for hand washing or machine washing your everyday laundry.  I tried it on bed sheets, delicates and my running gear to check out the versatility of the detergent.  I tried it on a hot cycle with the bed sheets and on a cold water cycle with my delicates and my running gear.
 
 
Woolite Everyday claims to give all your clothes the right balance of cleaning and caring. It doesn't contain harsh ingredients, so it won't cause stretching, shrinking or fading. With Woolite Everyday, you can keep all your clothes looking like new!

 
The wicking fabrics in my gear often remain stinky - it's REALLY hard to get that soaked in sweat out.  Especially if your running gear sits in the laundry hamper for a few days after your workout.  Woolite made my running gear smell fresh.  I'm not sure if it was any better than my other laundry detergent, but it definitely did the job.  I also enjoyed the sparkling falls scent.  If you are worried about the fading color of your clothing, also checkout Woolite Darks.

 
Want to try it out yourself?  Check out the Woolite website for a $1 off coupon.
 

Monday, July 28, 2014

Giveaway Winners ....


I was recently given the opportunity to review several products for active families.  You can read all about my fabulous experiences at the link below.  Please visit their websites below and start shopping.

 

One winner was chose at random to receive the following items.  Random.org chose ……..

 

Honest Tea Lemonade
RDM Review:  HERE
Company Website:  HERE
Winner:  Beth HERE

Enso EvoFit Muscle Roller
RDM Review:  HERE
Company Website:  HERE
Winner:  Kathy Howe HERE
 

Congratulations!!!  Please email me at ( runningdivamom at yahoo dot com ) with your name, email and mailing address.  And, I will get you your prize!

 

Thank you for following my journey!!

 

[If you would like YOUR product, event or website featured on Running Diva Mom, please email me at ( runningdivamom at yahoo dot com ) ]

Waunafest 10 Miler 2014 Race Report

On Friday I went out for one of those "longish runs".  I was targeting anywhere between six to fifteen miles.  Wanted to see how I felt.  I felt slow and sluggish and actually got passed by two runners on my route - including one lady speeding past with a jogging stroller.  Ugh.  I just wasn't feeling it.  After each mile clocked in at around 10:30 I decided to head back home and finish with ten miles.  The clouds were dark and the rain started at mile 9 and I was blessed with some light sprinkles during my final 10:30 mins.  I finished the ten miles in 1:45 - which is tragically slow for me.  The watch reflected even slower times than I was feeling out there. 
 
Oh well, a run is a run and it's done and I didn't regret it.  I had a ten mile race on tap for Saturday.  I was glad I didn't run more on Friday and totally trash my legs - and my mental game.   I wasn't sure what to expect for Saturday's race and really went into the event with no expectations.  This would be my sixth or seventh time competing in the Waunafest 10 miler (HERE)  and I have crossed that finish line anywhere from 1:25 - 1:35 in years past.  Who knew where I would end up this time.  Hopefully just with a smile on my face.
 
 
Hubby and I grabbed our packets on Friday afternoon, as we were heading through the only Waunakee in the World on our way to a tour at Wollersheim Winery in Prairie du Sac.  We set the alarm for 6:15 on Saturday morning, so that we could squeak into the start line at 7:30 am.  I love close, small town races!  I ate some Honey Nut Cheerios, greek yogurt and downed an energy shot.
 
We parked nearby and used the restroom at the park, since we didn't have to go inside for our packets.  I had my handheld water bottle, filled with water and stashed a mint chocolate Gu inside to consume during the race.
 
With the shot of the cannon we were off on our ten mile route.  The route was pretty similar to year's past, but was altered a bit as well.  The first couple of miles would meander through an industrial park and then head out into a really nice, new neighborhood, a second neighborhood and then out past Waunakee high school.  The route had been a little different every year I ran it, but was always spotted with a lot of hills.  I loved the course this year - probably my favorite of all of the year's I've ran this event.
 
At mile two, I spotted a gentleman that I have seen at almost every small local race I've ran in.  We always end up running together at some point and he passes me and finishes ahead of me.  I lowered my music and told him that I recognized him from so many events.  We chatted awhile.  Turns out his name is Sam and his daughter's name is Jamie.  I was glad I finally introduced myself and hope to see him at another event.  I never saw him again after mile 2.  I also lost site of Hubby at mile .1!
 
My watch was clocking in much faster than my ten miler the day prior.  8:50-9:15.  I was ecstatic and feeling great.  The hills pushed me and I got stronger with each one.  I enjoyed all of the hometown race support and the small groups cheering along the entire course.  There were a ton of water stations, but I was disappointed when I asked at each one if there was sports drink and the reply was always no.  I downed my entire bottle of water over ten miles and never grabbed a cup of water.  I could have used a boost from sports drink at some point (or two).  I sipped on my energy gel around mile five and that gave me a good boost.
 
I saw hubby at the turnaround loop, around midway through the course.  He said he could tell I had some bounce in my step.  I turned on the my strongest running songs on my workout playlist and repeated a few of them.  I could feel my pace increasing.  I played Katy Perry's "Roar" and Mumford and Sons' "Roll Away Your Stone" a few times.  It kept me going.
 
With two miles left to go, I could see a familiar face up ahead.  Kristin and I always run a similar pace and end up finishing marathons together.  Coincidentally, I was approaching her again.  I ended up passing her and game her a thumb's up as I continued to gain some speed with "Roar".  I looked at my watch and thought I may just have an outside of shot of finishing under 1:31 or 1:30.  Holy buckets!  I started counting backwards in my head, tried to "focus on my breathing; not on my legs" and charged ahead.  I knew that extra push was in me for the finish line.  We headed down around the track and around the baseball diamond to the finish line.  I passed everyone down the hill and around the track.  I had my tunes CRANKED, but could hear strangers cheering as I pushed it into the finish and I could hear Hubby say "Good job, Babe!" near the finish line.  I plowed past the finish - and further.  And I looked down at my watch and it read 1:30:04 - just a smidge over 90 mins.  Not to shabby. 
 
It's amazing how this run built my confidence back up.  The run the day prior kind of broke it down, but it took just one strong finish to build it back up.  20 miles in two days, with minimal training.  I was happy.
 
The sweat from my brow started pouring into my eyes.  As I was reminiscing with other runners and family, I suddenly couldn't see.  I hate when this happens.  It's miserable and doesn't go away.  With my diva-like makeup on for race day, I had to be careful and headed to the restroom to douse my face with cold water.  The lack of papertowels forced me to be patient.
 
We then watched the dozens and dozens of awesome little kids run in the kids race events, went out for a comical breakfast and some bloody Mary's and headed home for a shower and a nice afternoon nap. 




 
 
187/ 322 overall
10/21 age group
66/158 gender

Ten Miles:  1:30:04
Pace:  9:01 min/mile

Friday, July 25, 2014

Register Now - WOMENS RUNNING RETREAT



WOMENS RUNNING RETREAT
November 1, 2014
Madison, WI
 
Meet other active women from the Madison-area at the second annual Womens Running Retreat.  You and your running buddies will enjoy motivational speakers, a group run, yoga for runners, cupcake party, mini expo, giveaways for everyone!
 
 
 

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Honest Tea Lemonade Review & Giveaway

My family was able to try some of the refreshing lemonades from Honest Tea (HERE) - also called Summer Refreshers (HERE).  I always love working with Honest Tea and trying their products.  I have enjoyed sharing their products with my running groups as well to keep them hydrated and refreshed after a good workout outdoors.  Honest Tea seeks to create and promote great-tasting, truly healthy, organic beverages. They have also strived to create their business with the same honesty and integrity they use to craft our products, with sustainability and great taste for all.    
 
 
  
 
My family  has tried many of the Honest Tea products, but these lemonades have been -by far - our favorite.  Sometimes the kids don't like the after taste of some of the Honest Tea products (They LOVE the Honest Kids pouches!), but they really liked these lemonade flavors.  Little Dude really liked the Berry Hibiscus Lemonade and Little Diva was a fan of the Classic Half & Half, lemonade and tea combo. 
 
 
 
The Summer Refreshers Lemonade lineup by Honest Tea looks like this .....
 
·         Classic Lemonade: Water, Lemons, Fair Trade sugar... and that's about it. The sipping is simple and easy.
·         Berry Hibiscus Lemonade: You don't need to see the world through hibiscus-colored glasses to enjoy this fruity brew.
·         Mint Limeade: Summerlime enjoymint.
·         Mango Lemonade: The mouthwatering mango flavor will have your taste buds celebrating like it's Carnival!
·         Classic Half & Half: Take a refreshing dive into this tasty lemonade and tea combo.
 
Honest Tea made a twist on the original product and used organic lemons and sweetened it with Fair Trade sugar to help farmers invest in their communities.  Enjoy these great Honest flavors at your next family BBQ or picnic at the park.  We also enjoyed trying these out in our very own Host Tea mason jars. 
 



 
 
******************************
 
One lucky winner will win a
Five Bottle Sample Pack of
Honest Tea Lemonades
(US ONLY)
 
PLEASE LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY!!!
 
1 – Become a follower of my blog or already are?!  LEAVE ME A COMMENT
2 – Follow Running Diva Mom on Facebook HERE.  LEAVE ME A COMMENT
3 – Visit the Honest Tea website HERE and tell me what you think is fabulous.  LEAVE ME A COMMENT
4 – Become a fan of Honest Tea on Facebook HERE (and let them know Running Diva Mom sent you!).  LEAVE ME A COMMENT
5 – Post about this giveaway on your blog, Facebook or Twitter (@RunningDivaMom @HonestTea #RunningDivaMom) account. LEAVE ME A COMMENT FOR EACH.
 
Enter now though Monday, July 14.

[If you would like YOUR product or website featured on Running Diva Mom, please email me at ( runningdivamom at yahoo dot com ) ]

Enso EvoFit Muscle Roller Review & Giveaway

EvoFit (HERE) introduced me to their Enso Roller (muscle roller) earlier this spring.  I had used a few different foam rollers in the past at gyms and liked using them.  I love that love/hate relationship you have with a muscle roller.  It feels so good - it hurts so bad - but it's so good for you and aids in muscle recovery. 
 
When I got the Enso Muscle Roller out of the box, I was intrigued by the design.  It wasn't just a "foam roller".  This thing was heavy duty.  I've used it on and off and found it really simple to use.  I like the size, too.  Some foam rollers can be too large and difficult to store and transport.  This roller is heavier than most, but small enough to be mobile.  I loved the designed and enjoyed the ease and versatility of the roller.   It truly is easy to get a custom fit and target the area you are looking to hit.
 
 
The ensō roller increases your performance and enhances your recovery by incorporating multi-use functionality into its design. By doing away with uniform pressure, ensō roller provides you with both deep-tissue and low-impact massage in order to meet your fitness needs. Unlike any other product, with ensō you can configure the disc layout to attack trigger points, and to effectively engage in Self Myofacial Release (SMFR).
 

Versatile and customizable

ensō is designed for versatility. It is effective on broad areas like your back and is equally useful in massaging smaller isolated muscles with their own complex conditions.  With a quick and easy adjustment of the discs, ensō conforms to all body types and training and recovery needs.  In addition to the easy positioning of the discs, you can also push them together or individually remove them in order to utilize ensō as a hand-held massaging device.
 

 
Features
  • Elongates muscles, relaxes tight muscles and aids in breaking up scar tissue, increases circulation and flexibility
  • Customizable design supports and works targeted areas without pressure to surrounding muscles and bones
  • 8-disc design can create a one-of-a-kind fit for your body shape and training needs
  • 13in proves to be the most versatile length for most body types
  • Rollers are constructed with a lightweight EVA foam and are supported by durable molded plastic discs and an anodized aluminum core
  • Grooved notches on tube position rollers to not slip out but adjust without friction for a micro-tuned disc arrangement
  • Weighs 2.13lbs


 
The Enso roller retails for $89 on the EvoFit website.  They also offer a smaller version in "travel size" for $69. This would be great for packing in you luggage and taking to destination races for post-race recovery.

 
Not sure how to reach the desired area or how to use the roller in general?  Watch the great videos on the EvoFit website.  Roll out your hip, your back, your hamstrings, IT band, quads, calves and more.
 
The roller worked great on hard, flat surfaces (wood floor) as well as carpeted areas.  Little Dude also has enjoyed playing around with the EvoFit Muscle Roller for all of his "aches and pains".  He especially likes using it on the bottoms of his feet.  Being an active six-year-old is so rough.



******************************

One lucky winner will win an
Enso Evofit Roller
(US ONLY)

PLEASE LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY!!!
 

1 – Become a follower of my blog or already are?!  LEAVE ME A COMMENT
 

2 – Follow Running Diva Mom on Facebook HERE.  LEAVE ME A COMMENT
 

3 – Visit the EvoFit website HERE and tell me what you think is fabulous.  LEAVE ME A COMMENT
 

4 – Become a fan of EvoFit on Facebook HERE (and let them know Running Diva Mom sent you!).  LEAVE ME A COMMENT
 

5 – Post about this giveaway on your blog, Facebook or Twitter (@RunningDivaMom @EvoFitForLife #RunningDivaMom) account. LEAVE ME A COMMENT FOR EACH.

Enter now though Monday, July 14.

[If you would like YOUR product or website featured on Running Diva Mom, please email me at ( runningdivamom at yahoo dot com ) ]