Not My Problem #3 (yes, another giveaway!)

Did you read this post I wrote in November? What Your Mother Never Told You About Running Marathons

Was any part of it a bit much? If so, you might want to skip this one and wait for the next giveaway. Seriously.

Ok.



Still here?


You were warned!

Oh and if you are kind of grossed out by your own body and it's natural functions, you should skip this giveaway and wait for the next one. Ok?


Ok....


The post I mentioned is the most popular post on this blog. It exceeds the second most popular post by thousands of views. It was featured on BlogHer and I suspect that one particular topic grossed people out more than any of the others.

One detail I keep track of when I'm training for a race is my menstrual cycle. (Normally I barely track it.) I know I can't change anything about it (I am one of those anti-birth control people- don't judge- I ain't judging the pro-birth control folk- this is my body and my choice, holla, right?) but I like to be mentally prepared for amount of fluid that will be leaving my body whether I want it to or not. Especially if I am going to be running for more than 2 hours.

Where on earth could I keep extra tampons? How could I possibly stay focused on running when I'm continuously worried that I might drop these things or sweat so much that while they are in my pocket they... oh dear... I think you get the idea. And pads are out of the question. My underwear ends up drenched in sweat by mile 10. What do you suppose would happen if I were wearing a... never mind. Graphic detail is left to your imagination. Yikes. That's even too gross for me... Sorry.

But ya know what? It's not my problem.

In that post, there was a link to Instead Softcups. You're wondering what the heck that could be, right?

It's an alternative solution for period protection. It's exactly what it sounds like. It's a soft cup. And yes. It goes in there. Hey, it's likely that your mother or your grandmother used to shove a giant diaphragm in there, so this is not a totally foreign concept.

your mother's diapragm

Now before you go over thinking this, let me tell a few very significant facts:

You can leave this thing alone for twelve hours. Yes. Twelve hours.

This will not mess with your body's pH levels. So if you're prone to pH problems (like yeast infections) this may be a preventative solution for you.

There have been no reports of TSS (toxic shock syndrome) associated with Instead Softcups.

You may be able to wear it during intercourse. (From what I understand, this depends on the... ahem.... anatomy of your partner.)

There are many other reasons why Instead Softcups are superior to tampons and pads and you can read about them here.


I have been using these for about five years. Since this (much like the epilator I just gave away) is an unfamiliar concept, here are some of the conveniences that Instead Softcups have brought to my life:

I only need one during my entire work day. I am never afraid of any embarrassing... accidents...

I can run, swim, hang out, whatever and not even think about my period.

It seems to shorten the duration of my period. Really. I have occasionally used tampons in the last few years, and it seems as though I have more heavy flow days with tampons. (Probably because an over-saturated tampon turns into more of a cork- sorry, yeah I know.... Super gross...) With Instead Softcups, I only have one.

I have yet to run a full marathon during my period (thank goodness) but I did run a couple of half marathons and a ten miler. I was glad that I was not the person that left a tampon in the porta-john. Changing a tampon in a porta-john must be a bit of a stunt, come to think of it...

Some of the inconveniences of the Instead Softcup:

You need a few trials with these things before you master them. It took me a couple of cycles before I could get the placement right.

If you can't remember whether or not you uhhh... inserted one, it's a bit tricky to check. I'll let you finish that thought on your own.

These are not sold at every drug store. They can be a bit hard to find. So if you find yourself without any in your purse, you may have to resort to an impulse tampon purchase.

I have yet to find a way to conveniently change this thing in a public restroom.

And yes, changing/removing/emptying this thing can be a bit messy when you are first getting used to it.

So you guessed it. I think everyone should try this product. And so do the people who make Instead Softcups. So they gave me a few boxes (MASSIVE BOXES WITH 24 IN EACH) to give away. Uhhh.... Want one? You are curious. Even if you think this is kind of gross, admit it. You're curious. You kind of want to try them.

Here's how to win one: Tell me about one of the best days of your life. BUT don't use your wedding day or the birth of a child. Those are standard issue and a bit cliche. (yawn) Something else. Your seventh birthday? When you hit that home run? When you came out? Your first kiss? I'll pick a few winners.

Men are not excluded!(I will assume you are attempting to snag a box for your wife/girlfriend but if not, you must let us all know what on earth you intend to do with these)

I wonder if the responses will be light...

Winners of Not My Problem #2 (Emjoi Epilator)

I'm all excited to give away these Emjoi Epilators.

I read and re-read all the quotes. And I kind of feel like some people have lost the definition of "inspirational" in this world of sarcasm and passive guilt. I don't feel too inspired by guilt or sarcasm.

I hope I don't sound like a dick.

Anyway, my winners are Prickett Puppies and Ebiz.

Both of your quotes actually inspired me and in no way made me feel inferior or lazy or craptastic when I applied them to my life. Thank you. Happy epilating! I kind of would like to know how your first attempt goes! (Maybe you can blog about it???)

I will e-mail you tomorrow. (It's past my bedtime.) If you'd like to beat me to the punch and hook me up with your address, you can find my e-mail address when you click on the contact info tab.


If you didn't win this time don't be a sore loser. And have no fear. There are more giveaways coming. More awesome stuff like this.

Winners of Not My Problem #1 (Bodyglide)

I am late on posting the winners of "Not My Problem #1" and I apologize for that! In order to make it up to you guys, everyone that posted an awkward moment on the blog is a winner!

I will contact you (if I can) via message, if not, you saw it here and you can get my e-mail address by clicking the "contact info" tab right here on this page.

Nikkiarmy, thank you for posting so honestly about nearly crapping yourself. People need to know that this could happen to beautiful women, not just old crotchety folk.

Brian, did you run in your unmatched shoes? I almost headed to the Philadelphia Marathon with no running shoes packed at all.

Tasha Gray, I think that humor can keep us going!

Nicole, as I said to Nikki, it's good for the world to know that lovely ladies soil themselves from time to time.

If you don't receive an e-mail from me, please message me. I will mail your prize to whatever address you provide!

Not My Problem #2 (another awesome giveaway)

This giveaway is primarily for the ladies. I will never ever exclude men from a great opportunity to get something for free, however.

There is nothing worse than the feeling of stubble. As in hair that you wanted gone that is now growing back. As a runner, this can't be fun. If your legs are bristly and you're trying to slide your running tights on, doesn't it kind of feel... wrong? And if your armpits are bristly and you are wearing something sleeveless, this can't be comfortable when your arms are moving back and forth continuously for miles and miles. Should I even point out what it might feel like to have bikini area stubble poking through skin tight compression shorts?

I don't ever ever experience these issues. Ever. Not because I'm well put together and I never forget to maintain these areas. I'm not. Not because I'm super particular and I don't leave the house without ensuring that proper personal maintenance is complete. That would be too much pressure for me.

It's not my problem because of this:

I haven't touched a razor in ages. I have been using an Emjoi Epilator for about six years or so. I will never go back to razors.

Years ago, a different brand of epilators hit the market and (from what I read and what I remember- I was a bit young to really consider one of these) using it was pretty painful. Epilators have since been redesigned so that there is less discomfort when using them.

For those that don't know, the Emjoi Epilator is am electronically operated hair removal device. There's a series of little tweezer discs that roll and pull the hair from the root as you glide it across your skin.

Why is an epilator more convenient than a razor?
(these are my opinions only- based on my own experience)

1. You don't have to shave regularly. Hair takes weeks to grow back. Weeks. For real.
2. It pulls hair from the root so you get a truly smooth finish. Shaving never gets that close.
3. When hair grows back, it's finer. I remember the discomfort of stubble being more annoying that the fact that I didn't want visible stubble. So if you go a few days "over due" it's not uncomfortable the way it is when you slack on your shaving.
4. You won't cut yourself.
5. You don't need shaving cream or water.

What are some of the inconveniences of an epilator?
(again, just my opinions)

1. It takes longer than running a razor over your skin in the shower. (But you don't have to do it NEARLY as often.)
2. When you first transition to an epilator, it hurts. It takes some getting used to. If you're a big wuss when it comes to pain, you may want to keep your razor for days when you're not in the mood.
3. When you first transition from razor to epilator, you may have a few ingrown hairs. It's been so long since I shaved anything that I don't remember if this happens when you shave.
4. It's rather annoying to forget this thing at home when traveling. Disposable razors can be purchased anywhere for a couple of dollars. The lowest priced epilator that I know of is maybe $40... Big difference.
5. Your children will (if they know what this thing is) dare each other to try it. So you ought to keep it well concealed.

And once again, I love this product. I think everyone should try it. And so does Emjoi. So they're letting me give two away. Want one???

This is easy. Become a follower (if you aren't already) and reply with your favorite (not over-used and heard every five seconds) inspirational quote. It doesn't need to have anything to do with running. I'll pick two winners in a week.

It's A Bird... It's A Plane... It's Lance Armstrong

You will never hear me go on and on about a famous musician or actor. Aside from prize winning authors (Seamus Heaney, Carol Shields, and John Irving to name a few) I have no real burning desire to find a way to get near a famous person. To me people are just people. Some of them got a lucky break and got famous. I am convinced that most famous people are really no different than the rest of us.

EXCEPT for Lance Armstrong.

What other living American athlete comes anywhere close to being as incredible as Lance Armstrong? He was an amazing athlete before he had testicular cancer and went on to become even more amazing by winning the Tour De France SEVEN TIMES after treatment that included radiation and chemo and surgery. The cancer had spread to his lungs and brain. And this superhuman endured and beat it. It's bad ass enough that went on to train for a race that's over 2,200 miles long that spans over weeks in the middle of July. Any person who had to have brain surgery who is willing to hop on his bicycle and pedal for that long just once is heroic in my book. But to WIN??? SEVEN TIMES??? What do you even call that???

No one cares that you only have one testicle when you are that incredible. The meager attempts at jokes about him having an advantage because he is a few ounces lighter are not even audible because Lance Armstrong's triumph and ability and physiological gifts make it impossible for cynics to say anything about him in jest and actually be heard. His VO2 max is off the charts. At his peak, his resting heart rate was 34 bpm and his max heart rate was 201 bpm. I know he can't leap tall buildings in a single bound nor can he shoot spider webs out of his wrist or stop moving trains. But to me, his physical ability makes him the closest thing to superhuman that America has. He should be in a comic book. He defines endurance. Dictionary.com ought to have a photo or video clip of him as synonym for the word.

You would think a seven time champion would kick back and relax and retire. (He did retire from professional cycling.) He's got enough stories to tell his future grandchildren and enough material to brag about at the corner bar. But no. He builds Livestrong and raises insane amounts of money for cancer victims and survivors.

But he's still not done.

His athletic career is revived and he is now competing in triathlons. The superman cyclist is 41 years old. On Feb 12, 2012 he competed in the Panama 70.3 Ironman. And most of us are thinking "Wow! Making a debut in triathlons in your 40's is awesome!"

Lance Armstrong, testicular (and brain and lung) cancer survivor who won the Tour De France seven times who is a father to five children who was accused time and again of doping during the height of his career shows up for Ironman Panama and comes in SECOND.

SECOND place at 41 years old. Swimming 1.2 miles. Cycling 56 miles. Running 13.1 miles. SECOND.

Who does that???

My superhero. That's who. If I ever get near, I am going to touch this man. I will consider it a true brush with greatness. I can't wait to see him win Ironman Kona. He will. That's what superheroes do. Watch.

Not My Problem #1 (A series of give-a-ways!)

Blisters and chafing.

I am one of those simplistic girls. I do not glam up unless there's a high occasion that calls for it. I rarely carry makeup or a hairbrush in my purse. I cannot remember the last time I wore perfume.

BUT when it comes to running, there are things that I am hell-bent about. Things that HAVE to be just so, otherwise I ain't running. I suspect every runner has a few things that are non-negotiable. Over the next few days, I'm going to post on this topic (see title) and have a give-a-way for my followers. I'm still trying to figure out the parameters of how I'll go about it. I'm all kinds of excited to post my very first give-a-way and I'm looking forward to seeing the stack of goods in the corner slowly diminish.

If I don't have this I am going back to get it or rescheduling my long run:

I don't usually have major chafing problems, but if I do not put this stuff on certain areas of my feet, I can almost bank on blisters. Not severe blisters, but just enough to turn into callouses over and over again if I don't take care of them. And I have better things to do than obsess over my feet all day long. For long runs (in excess of 10 miles, let's say) I have to put this stuff on under the band of my sports bra, under my arms if I am wearing sleeves of ANY kind, and uhmmm... in my butt crack. I sweat like a.... gosh I don't even know what to call myself because it's that gross- if I compared myself to a pig that would be an understatement... and moving for longer than an hour drenched in sweat is pretty much asking for chafing. To me chafing feels like rug burn in the most inappropriate areas. It's something that I can certainly do without.

Body Glide For Her is pretty handy. And it's easy to use. It looks like a little deodorant stick. Rub it on CLEAN, DRY areas that are prone to friction. And that's it. Oh, but don't forget to wash it off. Since it's sweat proof, it's obviously pretty water proof too. I use a washcloth and soap to make sure it's all off. The last thing you need is Body Glide from two days ago still lingering in your butt crack... Right?


Have you ever tried Body Glide For Her? Well, whether you have or have not, I would like you to. And the folks at Body Glide were kind enough to send me some just for you. Yeah really. And if you are not a "her" you can still use this if you're secure enough in your sexuality to get past the light pink hue of the product. Don't worry, it goes on clear. It is barely scented. (It may be unscented but I really don't feel like getting up and sniffing the stuff, so please just trust me that it doesn't smell like old lady perfume. If it did, I'd throw it out the window. I think it has an ever so slight baby powder kind of smell.) Want one?

How to win a .8 oz stick of Body Glide For Her:

1. Follow this site.
2. Like For The Love of The Run on facebook. (You can just click on that and it will take you there.)
3. Give me something! I'm collecting awkward running moments. Anyone who runs regularly has experienced or witnessed some awkward moment while running. Tell me about yours in the comments. Best awkward moments win. I'll choose them one week from today.

Giveaways! I promise....

I have a bunch of stuff that various awesome amazing generous companies sent me to give away on this blog. I am going to post these give aways soon! I promise.

Stay... uhm... tuned...

Take time to stop running and....

I love running. It is part of my existence. Part of what makes me who I am. It is the main thing that I do for myself and by myself. (Yeah yeah, it makes me a better person for youandyouandyou but I know damn well that running is a selfish interest.) But I am very (proudly and boastfully) guilty of putting my running schedule on the back burner. And there are many days when I know I'm not pushing myself to my utmost challenging fullest ability and I am glad for that too. For awhile, I felt guilty about ditching a run here and there or hanging back in a race when I knew I could've pushed harder and had a better finish time. These days, I don't regret it one bit.


I will not cry for knowing I didn't finish a marathon a few seconds faster because I had to slow down and take in the beauty surrounding me on the race course. A sunrise, a mountain, a fellow runner's tearful determined perseverance, a child cheering at the top of her lungs for her daddy.

I will not be disappointed because I cut my long run short to pick my son up after his guitar lesson. Arriving in time to hear him pluck out "Amazing Grace" while my hair dripped with sweat brings more health to my heart than an extra five miles.

I won't regret changing my training schedule and only running 4.37 miles (instead of my scheduled nine)to the little league baseball field to watch my middle child's team win. I won't ever miss those miles as much as I will someday miss seeing my twelve year old boy jump for joy after a hard earned victory.


When I am older, I will not remember that I didn't run enough this week. I will fondly recall the time and effort and fun that I poured into my youngest son's performance in his school's variety show. I will forget that I missed my tempo run but I will remember the excitement and pride in his eyes and in the eyes of his friends when they took to the stage and gave it their all.

The moment my oldest son's eyes met mine after an exhausting victorious fight at his very first high school wrestling match is something that only happens once. There will be plenty of other opportunities for an interval run.

The day I stood outside after work encouraging and consoling a co-worker and the words spoken between us go further in both of our hearts than that ten miles I intended to run. I am no less of a runner for only having time to run six on that day.

I will not regret those few mornings when I was too hung-over to think about lacing and suiting up. The nights that these mornings followed are all to rare and too much fun to miss.


So when you hard core runners ask me how bad I want it, well, I'll be honest. That all depends on what "it" is up against.

I will always make running a priority. But the moments that I live for and the experiences that make life worth living will always be the ones that make running something that I can live without. If you know what loneliness and sorrow feel like, then you know that joy and kinship are precious and savory. Live in the joy and savor every moment and you won't even care if you forgot about the run.

If I never qualify for Boston because I spent too much time watching my children grow from sweet young boys into strong humble men, I can live with that.

If I don't gain a single other Marathon Maniac Star because I would rather take a vacation with my family than invest in back-to-back marathons, I will consider myself blessed.

If I never train for an ultra marathon because I find myself too busy enjoying hot coffee in my warm bed while wrapped in my husband's arms, then so be it. I would rather lose those miles than have missed those mornings.

I hope that even the hardest of hard core runners can see where I am coming from. I love to run, but there are some things that I simply love more. So don't kick yourself for missing a few miles here and there if those miles were replaced by precious moments and priceless memories. There will always be time to run.