Plus 3 Network

What's better than the feeling you get from a good run?

How about knowing that your run is helping someone else.  As a Team in Training participant and mentor, I know the rewards of training and logging miles in order to help others.  After all our purpose is raise money to fight blood cancers by training for endurance events.

However, recently, I was told of another way to make my miles count.  Every.single.mile.  Plus3 network is a great website that lets you choose a sponsor and charity.  Then you log in every time you run, bike, swim, kayak, skateboard, walk, spin, sail, do yoga, strength train, etc.  If you have a GPS device, you can just upload your miles and tell Plus3 what you were doing, they do the rest for you.  If you don't have a GPS or are doing an indoor activity, you can just enter the miles or time of your efforts on your own.

Depending on which sponsor and charity you choose, and the activity you do, each mile is worth a certain amount of change.  I chose the charity of Team in Training and the sponsor: Chain Reaction Bicycles.  They donate about 6 cents a mile.  This may not sound like a lot, but since I joined on January 3, 2011, I have raised $23.62.  I generally only remember to upload my GPS activity too, so I could be earning more if I would remember to log treadmill miles and cross training.  I figure, by the end of the year, I'll have raised $100 just by logging the miles that are part of my daily routine.  Not too shabby.

For those of you that are competive...there is a leaderboard for the sponsor and charity you choose.  FYI: I'm currently the leader on my "leaderboard."  :)  There are also challenges such as first one to 99 runs or 99 spins or to reach 600 miles.  You have to sign up for the challenges seperately, so no pressure if you're not into that.

As in most things these days, it's also a social network of sorts if you choose to use it that way.  You can be friends with people that are with different sponsors and charities, so be sure and friend me if you decide to sign up.

What are you waiting for!? Imagine what all of use could raise if we lot into Plus3 Network.  Why not give it a shot.

Friday, Friday!

I found my keys

That is all.  1.5 weeks post losing them.  My Trader Joe's bag fell over in my car, and lo and behold there they were, under the passenger seat.  Has anyone seen Adjustment Bureau?  I'm convinced they were involved in this.

OK, well I also had a great run on Sunday.  16 miles at an 8:41 pace.  This was not a planned pace because I've been trying to not stress about my long runs.  However, it felt good to hold that pace for a full long run.

Compared to last week, the weather was great.  I still have to admit that I like a cooler run, especially for a long run, but mentally, I'm ready for Spring.  That being said, the 40s on Sunday was pretty spot on for what I need right now.

And on a life note.  State testing for my 7th graders is this week.  I think I'm looking forward to it being over more than they are.  They are good kids and put their all into the tests, but the rest of the day...my class gets invaded by gremlins (and most of them aren't like Gizmo).

It's either the tests, or they're turning into 8th graders...time will tell!

Exercise Induced Amnesia

This post is a little overdue, but worth sharing.

Sundays I have a pretty set routine.  Get up around 6, eat some toast with almond butter and an apple, get in the car and drive to our TEAM group training location about 35 minutes away, listening to accoustic Sunday Morning.

Then I run whatever the set distance is (this week was 18 miles under 9min pace in torrential downpours), chat with TNT members for a bit and then head to Whole Foods for some fuel and veggies for the week. 

Then I drive home, and grade papers or make lesson plans. 

This week was no different.  Rountines are easy.  However, somewhere between putting my groceries in my car at Whole Foods and going to start my car, I lost my keys.  You may think, "oh perhaps she returned the cart with her keys in them" - no cart (Only a few things; Whole Foods is pricey!), or "she left them on top of the car," -no such luck there, or "she dropped them in a grocery bag -nope; not only did I look in every grocery bag, I opened up my salad bar container to see if they somehow opened the container and placed themselves in there. 

Long story short (well sort of). My mom had to drive the 35 minutes in the torrential rain to bring me my extra set of keys.  It's now Thursday, and they are still nowhere to be found. 

So my question for you is (I guess I should say questions)...Is it possible that in a fit of exercise induced amnesia I chucked my keys down a storm drain or something of the sort?  Has anyone else experienced something like this?  Has anyone seen my keys?