**GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED!**

Dear Readers,

Today’s run was fantastic.

It’s not that I PRed. I’m building back up, and I had to walk a little. Six months ago, this would have made me angry.

It’s not that I went on an exciting route. My daughter was up last night with a 103 fever, so I got little sleep and wanted to hang close to home in case she woke while I was out running. I rose early after interrupted sleep and ran a .5 mile loop over and over and over again. 7 times. And after each loop around I ran back to the house to make sure daddy hadn’t flipped on the porch light, which would have been my signal she’d woken and needed me.

It’s not that I felt  I was pushing myself to great extremes. I wasn’t trying to go faster or farther, though I would love to do both things. I was doing a shorter run. Slower run.

But the point is,

I was doing it.

This may not seem like a big “Woo hoo!” to some, but parents reading this will nod their heads and say, ‘Uh huh! I get it!’

Because fitting in fitness when you have little lives to take care of can be difficult at best.

This weekend I read a few race reports from moms and dads who trained and ran Chicago.

First of all, congrats to all of you! WHAT AN ACCOMPLISHMENT!

It has been several years since I ran my last marathon, but I clearly recall the difficulty of training and planning while taking care of two children, who at that point were quite young.

One theme reoccurred in many race reports I read:

The runner hadn’t done as well as (s)he wanted. Didn’t PR. Had to walk. Finished slower than thought.

Then I had a conversation with another mother who discussed her frustration with a stop and go fitness routine. She wasn’t going as far or as fast as she wanted. She didn’t squeeze in three pilates sessions each week between kids going to bed and her dropping into her own. She hoped to run a 5K next month but has been unable to faithfully run three times each week in order to train, and has only run two times a week and for not as far as she wanted.

Here’s the thing, though:

The marathoners and the mom got out there and ran. They did what they could do to fit in some exercise. 

If we spend all of our time negating our accomplishments, we won’t go continue to try. 

If we say, “I should have gone farther,” or, “I didn’t go as fast as I wanted,” we will lose hope and, eventually, interest.

If we aren’t proud of what we are doing when it comes to fitness and exercise, our kids will see this; and then they, too, will stop trying.

Here’s one thing I can guarantee you:

Exercise programs will fail if you don’t believe in yourself!

So in order to continue keeping on, you must start to appreciate the efforts you put into exercise and fitness each week.

Here’s your first chance, and it comes with an AMAZING prize, all thanks to the Henkel Helps Get Kids Fit program! In order to get your kids active and healthy, they must see you, too, making the effort.

So here’s what I’m doing: I’m implementing Tuesday’s Triumphs, and my question to you each Tuesday will be this:

 What exercise and/or fitness accomplishment(s) did you meet this week?

Did you start a new fitness program?

Did you pass on sugar for the week?

Did you get up early on the days you were supposed to just to fit in some exercise?

Did you get your kids to join you for a bike ride after school?

Did you do a run or walk while your child attended soccer practice? Squeeze in a run in the early morning or late evening hours?

Win a Wireless Fitness Tracker!

To start this off this weekly conversation, I will be giving one lucky reader/commenter a fitbit ultra wireless activity and sleep tracker, worth $99, plus a bottle of yummy smelling Dial body wash, cause we all know how much we stink when we sweat!

This awesome device will get you motivated as it:

• tracks steps and distance
• tracks calories
• syncs to your computer
• lets you log food
• allows for online graphs and tools
• lets you monitor your sleep (though some of you parents may be frightened to see how little you are getting!)
• And more! Read about it on their website!

What do you need to do to win? It’s easy!

Simply list one or several of your fitness and/or exercise accomplishments this week! Don’t be shy! Anything you have done to get fit and to show your children you are committed to being healthy is an achievement!

Each comment gives you one chance to win the fitbit ultra AND

Want extra chances to win? Here’s how you can!

1 extra chance if you follow me on Facebook and return here to comment about the follow

1 extra chance if you follow me on Twitter and return here to comment about the follow

1 extra chance if you Tweet this giveaway and return here to comment about the follow (this can be done one time per day until the time of the drawing!)

I will choose a winner on Monday, October 15 via random.org.