A weekend off the grid

Hello, happy Monday friends!

First, I’d like to thank everyone who entered the Picky Bar Giveaway! It’s been a lot of fun and I’m excited to announce the winner!

But first, let’s talk about the weekend!

Since I’m not training, and my workouts are consisting of yoga, pilates and walking, I thought we’d skip the talk about that and talk about something more fun. J & I spent the weekend with some friends in a cabin near Payson, AZ. We got in late around 9:30 Friday night, and joined everyone around the fire to hang out and drink some beer.

Saturday morning, we lounged around, waiting for everyone to wake up and then made some breakfast. After eating we decided a hike was in order since it was a beautiful day. My ankle has been feeling a lot better, so I decided I’d try to go with and see what happens. We drove separate from the rest of the group, in case I needed to turn around early. The goal was to make it to a swimming hole near the creek…about a 5 mile round trip.

It was a beautiful trail and a beautiful day! About a mile and a half in or so, my ankle started to feel strained, so I let Jeff know and we said goodbye to the group and headed back out to the car.

It’s definitely a bummer not being able to do the things I love right now. Especially since the weather is starting to get really damn beautiful and all I want to do is be outside. But, I know that the easier I take it, the faster I’ll be back out there doing the things I love.

Anyway, J & I made it back to the car, and decided to go explore for a while, since everyone was going to be on the trail for a while longer. We followed a dirt road that went up and around the creek and brought us back down on the other side of the mountains.

It was friggen beautiful out there. When we got back, everyone had just made it back from the hike, so we all settled in for an afternoon of lounging.

It was wonderful. Saturday night we made burgers and grilled corn on the cob and then hung out around another bonfire.

We made it home mid-afternoon yesterday and enjoyed a lazy Sunday afternoon too. It was such a treat to get away for an ENTIRE weekend with some friends and have an opportunity to just relax. As much as I miss running, it has been nice to have some forced down time. Some being the key word there.

And now time for the giveaway winner….

According to random.org’s random number generator, the winner is

#11….Lizzy over at Run Hare Run!

“I’ve never tried them, but I bet I’d like the almond the most. I love almonds.”

Congrats Lizzy! Email me at runninghighsite@gmail.com to claim your prize!

Hope everyone has a glorious Monday!

Pick your perfect Picky Bar for a Picky Bar prize!

There’s a lot of things that are super depressing when you’re injured.

Your running shoes, sitting alone in the corner of the bedroom, unused (especially when they’re BRAND SPANKING NEW)…your Garmin, sitting on your nightstand, dead, uncharged..because what’s the point?! The lack of laundry, because all your running clothes are tucked away cleanly in your dresser. It’s sad. Depressing. A constant reminder of the fact that you are not running.

This week, I received yet another harsh reminder that I’m not running….my monthly delivery of Picky Bars.

Oh Picky Bar delivery…you’re usually such a joyous occasion.

Since I’m not running, I still have half a box of Picky Bars from last month’s delivery. I opened the mailbox the other evening to find another new box, and thought “Aw man…what am I going to do with these?”

And that’s when I decided, I’m going to share the Picky Bar love with one lucky reader.

I’ve written about my love for Picky Bars before…and I truly believe in the power of the Bar. I used them as my fuel for the Phoenix Marathon, and despite everything else going wrong in that race, I never once felt like my fueling was out of whack.

And I don’t use them just for long runs! I usually keep one in my purse for emergency snacks, whether I’m out running errands or needing a quick energy boost at work. They’re delicious, good for you, and they WORK.

I believe in the brand, its philosophy, and most importantly, the product itself. It’s a real food bar, guaranteed to provide the energy needed to perform your preferred method of activity. They’re not just providing awesome energy bars for athletes, but they’ve also just created the Picky Bar Team, through which they’re sponsoring athletes of all sports and interests. They’re just a kick ass company that provide an awesome product.

So what is it that I’m giving away?

2 of each of these awesome bars:

All-In Almond, Cookie Doughpness, Lauren’s Mega Nuts, Smooth Caffeinator

For a grand total of 8 bars. FO FREE.

The RUNdown:

These bars are first and foremost: Delicious. But also: All Natural. Gluten Free. 100% Non-GMO, and 60% Organic (if you care about those kinds of things).

If you’re into the science of it all, check it out here.

Here’s the rub: Picky Bars has no idea who I am. This is not a sponsored post. I am not being compensated for this post in any way. I have already paid for these bars, and I want to share the Picky love. So here’s what you’ve got to do: Comment on this post and tell me what flavor of the four you’re most excited to try, or the one you love most (if you already know the glory that is Picky Bars). I’ll pick a winner on Monday (5/4) and send you 8 glorious bars for FREE.

Good luck!

(Open to US residents only.)

Also a very happy birthday to my amazing soulmate Sarah. She’s the best there is.