Just Happened & What's Next

Just Happened

So, as some of you know I just ran the Market to Market Relay Nebraska on Saturday October 3rd.  I'm still gathering photos and writing up the race recap for that.  In a short, it was AWESOME! So awesome that we have taken the opportunity to secure our spot for next year.  Below is the recap video you can watch while waiting for the recap.

What's Next

I just got an email from Katy, the editor at Omaha World-Herald's Live Well Nebraska, saying that I won entry into this coming Sunday's inaugural of The Nebraska (Half) Marathon!  I got a choice between a 5k and the Half Marathon.  Naturally I want to run the Half Marathon, but my pace is kind of slow right now so I'm waiting to hear back on cutoff time to make sure I have enough time.  Otherwise I will likely do the 5k.  How awesome this is to be able to run the first running of it!  So, I will have that race recap coming in the near future as well.  Here is the promo video.

Until next time, keep those beats coming!

WhoAmI ID Armband Review & Giveaway Winner

I just want to warn everyone, this is my first video review of a product.  Please be gentle, but share with me your thoughts on how I did.  The winners of my birthday giveaway of the +Who Am I  products are below the video....just in case you are interested in that.

Louise is the lucky winner of the Armband and "aer12" is the lucky winner of the slap band! I will email the winners and they have 48 hours to claim their prizes before they forfeit their prize.

Until next time, keep those beats coming!

Happy Birthday #GIVEAWAY

So, I'm not quite ready to post my review of the Who Am I? ID Products Armband just yet.  I'm thinking about doing it via YouTube!  You can check out the product some from the YouTube video below before I post my review.

Robert Masson, founder of Who Am I? reached out to me to test out and review the LED Armband.  I've been wearing it on my morning runs as you have seen on my Instagram post the other day  He has graciously given me 2 products to give away.  So, you can win one of the LED Armbands that I'm trying out and reviewing.  Or, you can win one of the Slap ID Bands!

GOOD LUCK!!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Until next time, keep those beats coming!

Viter Energy Review and Giveaway

So, we all have those products that end up being our "go to" for certain things.  And we all know how much energy plays such an important role in our lives.  ESPECIALLY when you are doing something physical like running.  I introduce you to Viter Energy Mints!  These are a sugar free mint that also have 40 mg of caffeine in each tablet for that quick boost.  Then, it also has a B-vitamin complex to aid in the energy levels.  Each mint has about 1/2 the caffeine as a cup of coffee or a standard Red Bull.  Oh, and since they are mints they help provide you with some "cool" wintergreen breath!

I have been using these instead of some of my "norms" that help with energy the past couple of weeks.  I am really liking how they help.  They help with my energy levels and are easy to carry.  Since they are a mint they are small and compact.  However, they provide with with a quick "double punch" as they cool your mouth and boost your energy at the same time.

The Supplement Facts on the back

Now, how would you like to win some for yourself?  Byran & Jacob (the guys behind Viter) have arranged the opportunity for you to win some!  Now we all like winning, so they are giving 3 people the opportunity to win.  The grand prize winner will win a six-pack of Viter Energy Mints.  The 2 Runner ups will each win a single tin.  So, the runner ups get 20 energy boosts while the Grand Prize Winner will get 6 times 20!!! Duh, math here....that's 120 boosts of energy and fresh breath!  Be sure to enter in the widget below!  Don't forget to share with your friends because the best thing beyond us winning ourselves is seeing our friends win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

All of the ways you can follow Viter:

• On the Web at http://www.goviter.com/
• Instagram as @GoViter
• Twitter as @GoViter
• Facebook as FB/ViterEnergyMints
• Google+ as +Viter Energy Mints 
• On Tumblr at http://goviter.tumblr.com/
• On LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/viter-mints
• On Amazon HERE

Disclaimer: A sample pack was provided to me free of charge from Viter Energy.  All opinions are my own.

Until next time, keep those beats coming!

Getting Back On Track

How many of us have let ourselves slip only to want to get back on track, but find it hard.  I know that I am certainly victim to this situation.  I am currently in that rut yet again.  You would think that with the start to Spring that I would be even more motivated to workout and go for runs.  Add on the fact that randomly my knee started hurting one day and hurt for a little over a week didn't help.  What was the other factor that brought this to my attention?  I got on the scale and didn't like what I saw.  Yes, I know that the scale is just a number, but I know why it's that way.

Now the question is, how do I get back on track.  The time that I need to get myself moving is now.  I really can't wait.  I was thinking about the ideal of wanting to be the best, the fastest, the strongest.  Everyone always says that you don't have to be.  I disagree.  I want to be the best, the fasts, the strongest......ME THAT I CAN BE!  Not better than anyone else.  Not faster than anyone else.  Not stronger than anyone else.  Just me.  So, keeping this in mind I HAVE to get my behind back on track.  Not to mention the fact that I have Nebraska Market to Market Relay coming up on October 3rd, 2015 that I have to be ready for.

DRUMROLL: What keeps you from getting back on track?  How do you motivate yourself?

Until next time, keep those beats coming!

LaceLocker Winner

Congrats to the winner of the US Flag LaceLocker system!  The winner is Jenn Schmidt Powell!  Thanks to everyone that entered.  My review of the LaceLocker system will be coming soon.  I will also have a review of an ID Band system that is new to me.

Until next time, keep those beats coming!

LaceLocker Giveaway

So, I know that we've all had issues at some point in time with our shoe laces coming untied.  The worst time for something like that to happen would be when you were doing something physically active like running.  Just imagine running along and then you trip because your shoes came untied.  So, to help with this Carol from Stash Sports brings to us the LaceLocker.

The LaceLocker motto is "Tie, Stow and Go!"  Once you've installed your LaceLocker on your show you simply tie your laces like normal. Then you Stow them in the LaceLocker system and GO!

I'll be sporting my US Flag LaceLocker on my runs for Independence Day!  If you want to get your own US Flag LaceLocker system enter below.

Check out the installation video below to see how easy they are to install.

You can find Stash Sports online at the following:

• Stash Sports Website
• LaceLocker Website
• LaceLocker on YouTube
• Stash Sports on Twitter
• LaceLocker on Twitter
• LaceLocker on Google+

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Disclaimer: Sample US Flag LaceLockers were provided to me (and the winner) free of charge from Stash Sports.  No compensation was provided other than the sample systems.

Until next time, keep those beats coming!

Spring Update, Day Before Lincoln Marathon

I know I have not been posting on the regular for a while.  If you've been following the blog (when I've posted) or have been following the Dreadmill Drummer Facebook page you know then you know that I have the Lincoln Marathon coming up tomorrow, Sunday May 3rd, 2015.  Those that have been following long enough know that I attempted the very same course last year.  You also know that I had a DNF for that run.  I guess that I technically didn't since I was able to finish the half marathon.  That being said, I fully intend on finishing the full 26.2 miles this year.

Like last year I am running this for an amazing charity that is helping folks affected by Pancreatic Cancer.  They are Project Purple.  Or, as they would word it....we are Project Purple.  You can read more about them on their site (http://www.run4projectpurple.org) or on my post from January HERE.  I am actually leaving home here in about an hour to visit the Runner's Expo Prior to volunteering at the Project Purple booth from 3 PM until it's time to go to the Celebration and Awards dinner tonight.  You can still donate to help fight with Project Purple by visiting http://www.crowdrise.com/DreadmillDrummerPP2015.

2014 Project Purple Team dinner

I have learned that The Lincoln Track Club has redone the way everyone starts this year.  They are still doing a waved approach, but they've ordered everyone based on their expected finish time.  I've been assigned the slowest wave and have been assigned to get a purple bib.  We all know that I run at a turtle's pace.  So, I'm okay with this.  And how fitting that my bib is purple as I am once again running for Project Purple this year.  If you would like to track my my bib number is 11,598.  There is an app from the Lincoln Track Club that you can download from Google Play or the App Store.  It allows you to check out the course and track runners.

Testing out my Project Purple singlet at work.

This year I'm going to be running with a couple folks from the Blackshirt Spartans fitness family.  That should prove to help me in the motivation department if I start to waiver.

Being a BioSkin Ambassador I'm really going to enjoy the Calf Sleeves that I have on this long distance.  They have helped me both on long runs and in recovery during training.  So, they'll help me on race day.  I also purchased a new Orange Mud Double HydraQuiver to help with hydration during the run.  Some would ask, "Do you really need it? Don't they have aid stations?"  They do, but I sweat A LOT when I run.  So, naturally I drink a lot of fluids too. They also have compartments for my phone and gels that I'll "need" along the way.

Until next time, keep those beats coming!

Safely Running in a New Environment

Welcome to a new week Drummers!  I hope all of your training is going good.  Mine has its up and its downs.  And I'm not just talking about the hills!  Last weekend I was out of my comfort zone.  I was in a different city and had to look up where I could run by our hotel.  Luckily it was only about 1/3 of a mile to the nearest trail system.  So, I figured that I would plan to hit the fitness center on Saturday and the trails on Sunday.

On Saturday I ran on the treadmill for a mile and did 4.5 miles on the bike to get some cross training in.  I was hoping to run longer, but there was something not right about it.  The dreadmill felt broke and I just felt worn out, but then did fine on the bike. You can see to the left that I'm struggling to smile as I start to do the bike.  I even wore my Lincoln Marathon shirt from last year for some inspiration.

On Sunday I took to the trails.  I had glanced at the trails and looked at which ones went which direction and even checked which ones I thought might be safer since I was out pretty early.  So, come morning I got up and got ready to face the unknown....slightly planned out.  As you can see I knew I was planning on running 8 miles so I wore my awesome (yes I am biased) Bioskin calf sleeves.  I'm really glad that I did considering the fact that the wind was a nightmare.  So, they helped me prevent injury during training and they also helped to shield my legs from the wind.  An unintended benefit, I'm sure.  Well, since I didn't quite know where I was going I only got in a 6.57 miles.  I had to keep checking the signs to make sure that I was going the way I had planned.  On the return it was much quicker.  It took me an hour to do the first 3 1/4 miles and just 39 minutes to do the return.  Still slower than I wanted to be, but I'll take it.  As I was running along I started enjoying the trail.  As you can see below there were a few bridges to run under.  I didn't take pictures of all of them, but there were a lot.  The second bridge picture (6th total) below was towards the end of the out and back.  It goes underground for around 100 meters.  It was pretty cool.  They have a sign right before you enter to not enter if there has been a heavy rain because the trail will be flooded.

Even the paper towel machine
knows that I'm Marathon training!

So, all of this got me thinking about safety.  I could have taken a few more precautions than I did to keep safe.  I'll lay out some of the guidelines that I followed, and a few that I didn't and I'm not admitting to what I did/did not follow.

• Be sure to have ID of some sort.  I wore my Road ID, that I almost forgot.  State issued ID will work if you can carry it.
• Carry a small amount of money ($10 or $20) just in case.
• If you are running in the dark be sure to wear reflective clothing, even if you are running somewhere there won't be cars.
• Another tip for running in the dark would be to wear a headlamp.
• Find a running partner or a running group to run with.  Even if you are out of town you can probably find one by contacting a local running outlet.
• Make sure someone knows the route you plan to run.  Even though I use the "Live Tracking" feature of my route tracker it is better that someone knows where you intend on running.
• Make sure you are prepared for the weather that you will be running in.  That means thermal gear for cold, waterproof jacket for rain, and such.

YOUR TURN TO INPUT: What tips do you have for safely running?

Don't forget, my Project Purple fundraiser is still going on and you can still win the Fitbit or the Runners Fuel Box.  You can enter below after donating to my Crowdrise at https://www.crowdrise.com/DreadmillDrummerPP2015.  You can check out the main post at http://bit.ly/PurpleGiveaway.

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Until next time, keep those beats coming!

Project Purple Raffle 2015

I posted last with about a venture that I am undertaking for the new year.  I am Fighting Pancreatic Cancer with Project Purple!  Last year you may have remembered that I ran the Lincoln (Half) Marathon under the Project Purple flag.  If not, you can read about it HERE.  This year I'm doing it again.  This time I will be completing the full marathon.  I have also increased my goal amount to raise.  Last year I raised $600 for Project Purple.  My goal was $500.  This year I am upping the ante and trying to raise $650!  I figure that I should be able to raise more than I did last year.

So, this year I'm holding a raffle for a couple of prizes to help "drum" up donations for Project Purple.  The two prizes are going to be a Fitbit Zip and a Runner's Fuel Box put together by me.  So, the box could contain some Gu, some Clif Shot Bloks, some EnergyBits, some bars, or.....who knows.  We'll see what I can come up with.

You may ask what you will be funding.  Project Purple helps families in so many ways.  If you haven't read last week's post you can do so here.  A quick list of things are:

• Help with medical bills
• Help with day to day bills
• Care bag for those in treatment
• Scholarships for family members

So, how are the entries going to work.  For every $10 you donate you get 1 (one) entry. So, if you donate $20 you will get 2 (two) entries.  I have also added "bonus" entries for the $50 marks.  So, if you donate $50 you will get the 5 (five) entries plus a bonus entry for a total of 6 (six) entries!  I have also added bonus entries for learning more about Project Purple by going to their Facebook Page and following on Twitter.  There will also be a daily tweet that will gain you an additional entry each day that you do it.  In order to donate you will need to go to my Crowdrise.  You can get there using the following link: https://www.crowdrise.com/DreadmillDrummerPP2015.

For those paying attention to what this says, if you donate and comment below you can request me to do 10 burpees.  I borrowed this from by teammate Pedro of the Blackshirt Spartans.  Oh, and I will also do a daily blog post for each person that requests this and as an added bonus I will video each set and include it in the posting.

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Terms and Conditions:

Giveaway ends February 28th, 2015 at 12:00 AM CST. Open to Residents of the Earth.  Prizes cannot be shipped to PO Boxes.  Winner will be selected by Random.org and be notified by email. Winner have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is selected. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Rafflecoptor, and Google+ are in no way associated with this giveaway.  By providing your information in this form, you are providing your information to me and me alone.  I do not share or sell information and will use any information only for the purpose of contacting the winner.

How to Enter: In order to access additional entry options you must go to my Crowdrise fundraiser at https://www.crowdrise.com/DreadmillDrummerPP2015 and donate $10 or more.  Once you donate the minimum you can accept your 1st entry into the giveaway.  Each additional $10 earns another entry that you must accept.  (i.e. $10 earns you 1 entry, but $20 earns you 2 entries.)  Bonus entries are given at the $50 increment levels.  (i.e. If you donate $50 you gain a bonus entry.  If you donate $100 you get the bonus for the $50 mark and the $100 mark.)  If you donate more that $100 and need entries beyond there, please contact me and I will add an option for your additional entries.

ALL ENTRIES WILL BE VERIFIED!

Until next time, keep those beats coming!

Fighting Pancreatic Cancer With Project Purple

 Last year I ran the Lincoln Marathon for Project Purple.  Who or what is Project Purple?  Project Purple is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that raises funds to help fight pancreatic cancer.   Not only do they raise funds to help with pancreatic cancer research as most organizations do, but they also help the families that are or have been afflicted with this disease.  They provide financial assistance for those that are struggling while being treated and even partnered with a local hospital to provide newly diagnosed patients with a care bag that has a hat, blanket, and a scarf to help comfort those being treated for the first time.  Another way that they help is through scholarships for the family of those that have pancreatic cancer.  Just last year they donated $150,000.00 to the University of Nebraska Medical Center for pancreatic cancer research under the direction of Dr. Hollingsworth.  So, they even helped out in the community in which I live and run.

Here are some facts about Pancreatic Cancer:

• 4th deadliest cancer
• Survival rate after 5 years is only 3%.
• Only cancer in the top 10 with a single digit survival rate.
• Least funded of the top 10 cancers
• Can cause jaundice, weight loss, pain, digestive problems, blood clots, and diabetes

So, what is my part with Project Purple you may ask.  Well, I am running the Lincoln Marathon for the Project Purple Lincoln Marathon Team.  As a part of this I am also raising funds to help support their efforts.  Last year my goal was to raise $500 and I was able to raise $600.  So, this year my personal goal is to up the ante a little and try to raise $650!  You can check out my Crowdrise fundraiser at https://www.crowdrise.com/DreadmillDrummerPP2015/fundraiser/cecilvermule.  If you can only donate $1, that is all I ask.  If you can donate $10, that is awesome.  If you can donate more, I couldn't thank you enough.  Help me reach my goal and help those affected by this disease both directly and indirectly.

The 2014 Project Purple Team

You can check out more and follow Project Purple online in the ways below:

• On the Web: http://www.run4projectpurple.org/
• Facebook: Project Purple
• Facebook: Project Purple Nebraska
• Twitter: @Run4Purple
• Instagram: @ProjectPurple

Help me relive last year's 13.1 finish for Project Purple and make that 26.2 this year!

Until next time, keep those beats coming!

Return of the Drummer

So, I haven't realized how long is been since my last post. I haven't posted since right before The Lincoln Marathon. So I haven't posted in over 6 months!  That's 1/2 of a year! Holy cow!  I know it's been a little while, but wow!  So, that means that I have content that I need to share. I also owe any that read my small slice of the web an apology for being so absent.  While I have been sharing on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media I haven't shared here.  So, I start 2015 with an apology and a promise to work harder at remembering to share.

So, 2014 started with me having an unspoken goal of being the "year of endurance." What do I mean by that? Well, I had the goal of running my 1st marathon, a small chance goal of possibly running my 2nd marathon (wasn't totally set on this), then I had the goal to run my 1st 50k, the goal of running my 2nd 50k, and of course finishing another Spartan Race as we all know I like ORCs.  No that's not "orc" as in the mythical creature famous in the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings, but ORC as in Obstacle Race Course (also OCR, Obstacle Course Racing).  With the 1st goal of running my 1st marathon, that ended up being my next half marathon instead. The possibility of a 2nd marathon this year, that wasn't a dead set goal since it was going to be so close to my 1st 50k.  My 1st 50k was going to be the Market to Market 50k. I even paid my registration for this, but I didn't double check the date before I registered. It was the same day as my niece's wedding that officiated. So, I couldn't run it. And unfortunately there wasn't an option to transfer it to another run or another runner. And I was going to rerun the G.O.A.T.z Trail Run that I ran last year as a 21 mile run, but I was going to step it up to the 50k this year. Well, my wife went out of town for her business so that is more important. And the Spartan Race that I was going to run was been canceled. So, this hasn't been the year for runs for me.

I have considered writing off formalized runs and just continuing to run for me and my family. The part that stops me from actually "doing that" is that they are a way to set goals and the run directors set the courses for you. So, they do part of the work for you. And my buddy Geoff from Sasquatch in Public is trying to convince me to run The Hawk. It's a marathon, a 50 mile, or a 100 mile run on technical trails. And it is within days of my birthday. So, I am thinking that it will be my birthday run next year and will be my goal for next year.  And as of this week I have official confirmation that I have been accepted to run the The Lincoln Marathon again this year under the Project Purple charity again!! So, this makes me so excited to help raise funds to help beat Pancreatic Cancer!  If you wish to help me hit my goal this year can donate to my Crowdrise account here: https://www.crowdrise.com/DreadmillDrummerPP2015/fundraiser/cecilvermule.  If you wish to help please go and donate.  You can also join my team to help me hit my fundraising goal!  If you are interested follow the link above or send me a message and I'll help.

I also didn't get to announce on the blog that I am now a Bioskin Ambassador!  So, be sure to check out the posts when I share about their awesome products!

Final thoughts:

What goals are the rest of drumline going for in 2015?

What let downs have you had in your training/goals that have set you back in your thinking that you are going to still try to accomplish?


Until next time, keep those beats coming!