Despicable Me 2 in theaters July 3, 2013

Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s worldwide blockbuster Despicable Me entertained audiences around the globe in 2010, grossing more than $540 million and becoming the 10th-biggest animated motion picture in U.S. history.  In summer 2013, get ready for more Minion madness in Despicable Me 2.

Chris Meledandri and his acclaimed filmmaking team create an all-new comedy adventure featuring the return of (former?) super-villain Gru (Steve Carell), his adorable girls, the unpredictably hilarious Minions…and a host of new and outrageously funny characters.

In honor of Father’s Day, here’s a really fun prize pack. 

One winner, US Residents Only.

Good luck.

Giveaway ends June 19, 2013

Prize-pack includes:

• 1 tote bag
• 1 Hasbro movie-themed game (Monopoly or Operation)
• 1 9” plush minion

Despicable Me 2: Fire Alarm Row (Spanish Version Trailer)

Please note: A Despicable Me 2 Prize Pack was provided by H+M Communications for this post and giveaway.

Running is a solo sport.

But there are times when you just need a friend.

The Oakley Mini 10k took place this past weekend. This was a women’s only 10k run around Central Park. This was also my first race in which I ran by myself.

Originally I had planned to run this race with a friend, but things happened and my friend wasn’t able to run this race.

Like my last race, I was nervous and this new feeling of loneliness came over me while waiting at the start line. I got somewhat emotional, but the emotions eventually went away as I started running.

This run wasn’t easy. You would think the shorter the distance the easier it’ll be. But in reality the shorter the distance the harder it gets because you have to push yourself harder to get a decent finish time.

This was my second time running Central Park, and even though I did better during this 10k than in my previous 10k run around Central Park. I still did not beat my personal best.

My official finish time was 1:03:31, not a bad time for a 10k in my opinion.

My biggest accomplishment besides getting past my emotions early during the race and being able to finish, was maintaining a good pace to get negative splits. Negative Splits is when you are able to decrease your pace time after every mile. You start out slow and get faster and faster after every mile. In my case I started out with a pace of 11 ish and ended with a steady pace of 9 ish. I loved seeing that.

Negative Splits will come in handy when training for the marathon. The goal is to start out slow and give it all you got towards the last few miles. It’s a good way of saving your energy.

In a few weeks, I will soon start training for my very first full marathon, during this training I will continue to run small races, here and there, as part of my marathon training. The small races here in NYC, will also help me qualify for the ING NYC Marathon next year.

A few weeks ago, I completed my very first Half Marathon (13.1 miles, 21 kilometers), at the Brooklyn Half. I steadily trained for a good 6-8 weeks (originally it would have been 12 weeks of training, but I had to cut my weeks short because of minor injuries, and last minute race registration).

The day of the race came and I was excited, nervous, clueless as what to expect, it was my first race period. My previous 10k earlier this year, was a virtual run, so there weren’t a large group of people running with me. This time it was a large crowd, about 20,000 or so. The good thing was that I wasn’t running alone.

The energy for the half marathon started from the moment we got on the train, the immense crowd of runners early in the morning was truly amazing. Runners are really friendly people. I love talking to other runners and learning about how they got here, how long they’ve been running, etc… It is great to hear their stories.

I met a young lady at the Pre Race party that talked about her running history, and how she loves it, loves the adrenaline, the crowd, and the spectators. She mentioned how she’s been running for a few now, and how she is now a Boston Marathon qualifier! That’s awesome! When she started running she never thought of being a Boston Qualifier. Look how far she came. Before I left her, she mentioned one thing that really stuck with me, she said, running can be addictive, be careful, lol, then she said, after you finish the BK Half, you will either love running and want to do it again (as in register for more races), or hate it and never want to do it again. I think I love it, because after that, I decided that I wanted to start training for a Full Marathon, which will be happening this October. :D

“After you finish your first race, you will either love it and want to do it again, or hate it and never want to run again.”

The first few miles during the half marathon were my toughest, I really need to stop thinking about them, while I’m running, because they get to be really debilitating at times. From mile 1 through 4 I was wishing I didn’t have 9.1 more miles to go. But once I reached mile 4, I was ok, my body loosened up, legs felt great and I was ready to go.

Around mile 8, we are now on Ocean Parkway, one straight road to the finish line, this was beautiful. I grabbed some Jelly Belly Sports Beans, (without caffeine), I had placed in my Nike Handheld Running Water Bottle, and chewed some up. Then grabbed some plain water from the water stations and I was ready to go.

The last few miles went by fast, I was loving my first half, loving the crowd, the cheering squad, running alongside pushing you harder, keeping you smiling and motivated. Loving how the last mile was called the smile mile, I was cheesing all the way to the finish line. It was fabulous!

image source: NYRR.org

The ultimate euphoric moment for me was going up the boardwalk and looking at that finish line banner. This is where we gave it whatever little energy we had left and sprinted the rest of the way. I finished with a 2:31:25. I think I could’ve done better, but it is a great time for a first time.

This summer I’ll be training for my full marathon (26.2 miles/42.1 kilometers) which will take place in San Francisco. I was tempted to register for the half marathon just to try to beat my PR, but I felt motivated by my peers that encouraged me to do the full marathon. Therefore, I am trusting my training plan and giving it a go. I’m going big or going home.

I really encourage anyone to give running a try. I amaze myself at how far I’ve come. From hating to run, to running 13.1 miles and training for more, it is a long way for me, which I never thought possible.

What’s on DVD Tuesday, June 4, 2013?

Identity Thief

Jason Bateman (Horrible Bosses) and Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) lead an all-star cast in this hilarious blockbuster hit. Unlimited funds have allowed Diana (McCarthy) to live it up on the outskirts of Orlando.  There’s only one glitch: she’s financing her shopping sprees with an ID stolen from Sandy Patterson (Bateman), an accounts rep who lives halfway across the U.S. With only one week to hunt down the con artist before his world implodes, the real Sandy Patterson is forced to extreme measures to clear his name.  From the director of Horrible Bosses and the producer of Ted, critics are calling Identity Thief “smart, funny and surprisingly touching” – Rafer Guzman, Newsday

Enter below for a chance to win a DVD/Blu-ray/Digital Combo of Identity Thief.

US Residents Only. Giveaway ends June 10, 2013.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please note: A copy of Identity Thief Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) was provided by H+M Communications for this post and giveaway.

What’s on DVD Tuesday, May 21, 2013?!

Beautiful Creatures

I loved Beautiful Creatures, and I was wondering when it was coming out on Blu-Ray, well it has arrived and I’m excited. Beautiful Creatures is also a book, maybe you’ll like to read the book before watching the film.

A supernatural love story set in the South, “Beautiful Creatures” tells the tale of two lovers, Ethan (Alden Ehrenreich) and Lena (Alice Englert). Together they uncover dark secrets about their respective families, their history and their town. Lena’s family are Casters who have the ability to read minds, have power over the elements and hold other supernatural powers. Their romance is threatened by the darkness of her family and at age 16,  Lena will have to make a decision that will change her life forever.

The Last Stand

After leaving his LAPD narcotics post following a bungled operation that left him wracked with remorse and regret, Sheriff Ray Owens (Schwarzenegger) moved out of Los Angeles and settled into a life fighting what little crime takes place in sleepy border town Sommerton Junction. But that peaceful existence is shattered when Gabriel Cortez (Noriega), the most notorious, wanted drug kingpin in the western hemisphere, makes a deadly yet spectacular escape from an FBI prisoner convoy.

Side Effects

This is one of those films, where you don’t know what to expect. I still can’t say if I liked or didn’t like this movie.

SIDE EFFECTS is a psychological thriller/whodunnit, starring Rooney Mara as a woman whose dependence on a new medication for anxiety prescribed by her psychiatrist (Jude Law) unravels the life she shares with her husband (Channing Tatum). Soon a chain of events are set in motion that lead to murder and paranoia, with more than one unexpected twist along the way.

Parker

Parker (Jason Statham) is a professional thief who lives by a personal code of ethics: Don’t steal from people who can’t afford it and don’t hurt people who don’t deserve it. But on his latest heist, his crew double crosses him, steals his stash, and leaves him for dead. Determined to make sure they regret it, Parker tracks them to Palm Beach, playground of the rich and famous, where the crew is planning their biggest heist ever. Donning the disguise of a rich Texan, Parker takes on an unlikely partner, Leslie (Jennifer Lopez), a savvy insider, who’s short on cash, but big on looks, smarts and ambition. (Amazon)

Image Source: theHDroom.com

YouTube Comedy Week

May 19 – May 25

YouTube Comedy Week showcases the best of comedy with live events, video premieres and creative collaborations from the world’s funniest people. From May 19-25, YouTube Comedy Week brings together the biggest names in comedy on YouTube and beyond to create a one of a kind experience for comedy fans. YouTube Comedy Week starts today, go check it out at www.youtube.com/comedyweek

A live, all-star comedy variety show kicks off YouTube Comedy Week with a global livestream on Sunday, May 19 at 5pm PT/8pm ET.  Featured comedians will do a mix of stand-up, sketches and musical performances and there will be a special pre-show at 4pm PT/7pm ET.  This event will be followed by a week of dedicated programming that includes live performances, new episodes from popular YouTube comedy channels, curated top ten lists from comedy stars and more.

Arnold Schwarzenegger pumps you for the first ever YouTube Comedy Week:

• The Shoot (50 sec spot) (Ensemble cast)
• Advice (Sarah Silverman & College Humor)
• Rap (Epic Rap Battles & Epic Meal Time)
• Who will win? (Rainn Wilson, Ryan Higa, Grace Helbig)
• Fake Laughing (The Lonely Island and Sarah Silverman)
• Exquisite (The Lonely Island)
• “Learn Guitar with David Brent” (Ricky Gervais)

Source: YouTube/Google, MPRM Communications

The blimp will be docked at the Solberg Airport in New Jersey.

The Despicablimp Stats:

• At more than 165-feet long, 55-feet high and 46-feet wide, the “Despicablimp” is one of the biggest in the world and one of 15 unique blimps that currently fly.
• The blimp will fly about 32,000 miles, crossing the country three times in the six months it is scheduled to fly – making multiple stops across the continental United States.
• The “Despicablimp” can be tracked via GPS at its Despicablimp Command Center http://www.despicablimp.com/ . Fans can tweet and post images to Instagram or Flickr using #despicablimp which can appear on the site and be entered to win prizing.
• Fans that visit and register on the site can enter to win a trip for four to Hollywood, CA and attend the Despicable Me 2 world premiere.

Did you know?

• The Despicablimp is one of only 15 airships flying in the world today.
• The Despicablimp is an A-150 blimp, one of the largest in the world at 165-feet long, 55-feet high and 46-feet wide!  How big is that? You could fit approximately 75 million golf balls in the Despicablimp.
• Blimps have the best safety record of any type of aircraft, and use less fuel in 2 weeks than a 747 uses to take off!
• The blimp normally flies at 1,000 feet above the earth so that it’s easy to see the giant Minion, but it can fly as high as 10,000 feet above the ground to get over a mountain range.
• The Despicablimp is lit from within using two 1,000-watt light bulbs and will be beautifully illuminated in the night sky.

Image source: H&M Communications

What’s on DVD Tuesday, May 14, 2013?!

Cloud Atlas

Epic Drama. “Cloud Atlas” explores how the actions and consequences of individual lives impact one another throughout the past, the present and the future. Action, mystery and romance weave dramatically through the story as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero and a single act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution in the distant future. Each member of the ensemble appears in multiple roles as the stories move through time.

Texas Chainsaw 3D

Lionsgate’s TEXAS CHAINSAW 3D continues the legendary story of the homicidal Sawyer family, picking up where Tobe Hooper’s 1974 horror classic left off in Newt, Texas, where for decades people went missing without a trace.  The townspeople long suspected the Sawyer family, owners of a local barbeque pit, were somehow responsible. Their suspicions were finally confirmed one hot summer day when a young woman escaped the Sawyer house following the brutal murders of her four friends.  Word around the small town quickly spread, and a vigilante mob of enraged locals surrounded the Sawyer stronghold, burning it to the ground and killing every last member of the family — or so they thought.

Image Source: DailyDead.com

In the previous post I told you about how I got past my comfort runs, those runs that we keep doing on replay because that’s all we think we are capable of doing. Mine were anything under 3 miles. I was on 1 to 2 miles for at least a good year or so.

In this post, I wanted these amazing ladies tell you how they got past their comfort level and a brief snippet on what they’ve been up to as far as running.

Enjoy!

If you have any questions for them feel free to ask in the comments section.

Nerissa Ann | @Nerissa_Ann | Work Hard, Train Hard, Play Harder

Nerissa to date has done one (1) half marathon and two (2) 5Ks.

Here’s what Nerissa had to say about running past her comfort level:

I found the worst thing about long distance running was the tedious rep around the ‘hood/track, but that was also lack of planning. So to help push me further I made a playlist for running track or for the trails/parks and took in nature and just ran each weekend; even after the Nike Women’s Marathon San Francisco (#nwmSF) training I try and challenge myself to go further on the weekends.

Tiara Beth | @TiaraBeth | Ignite.Perspire.Inspire

Tiara to date has done two (2) 5K races, three (3) 10K races and one (1) full marathon. Tiara is getting ready to do another 10K run on May 12, 2013 and another Full Marathon on May 26, 2013 and October 20, 2013.

Here’s what Tiara had to say about running past her comfort level:

Karen Poole | @superwomankw | Reason to Play

Karen to date has done ten (10) 5K races, five (5) 10K races, one (1) 12K race, three (3) half marathons and two (2) full marathons. She has also done a relay marathon twice. This year, Karen plans to do another marathon, 1/2 marathon, Hood to Coast Relay race and multiple 5k and 10k races. She’s also training for her first sprint triathlon.

I have always been into sports. In high school I played basketball and volleyball and then went on to play for the Basketball team in college. I never considered myself a runner. I ran sprints in basketball practice, but running was always considered more of a punishment than something I did for fun. At the time, I pushed through the pain of sprinting and running because my coach was telling me to do it. After I graduated college things began to change. I no longer had someone pushing me for two hours a day in practice, I had to be the one to push myself.

I took up running initially to stay fit. I started by running a few miles at a time and it was hard. I remember having debates with myself in my head. Telling myself to keep pushing and to remember basketball practice and keep going. Those first few miles are always the worst for me. I am most uncomfortable during those first 3-4 miles of a run. It takes my body that long to really settle into a rhythm. One way I push through the pain is by listening to music, I will tell myself to just keep running until the next song and then the next song. I also set goals before I set out on my run. If I am going to run 6 miles, I refuse to let myself quit just because I am uncomfortable. Definitely during my first few runs setting small goals and playing mind games was key to pushing through the uncomfort. I would sprint between light posts or pick a tree to run to and then another until pretty soon I had run three miles.

One thing I try to remember about being an athlete is that as an athlete you need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. I always feel so much better after a run when I have pushed myself. Uncomfortable miles always teach me something and the next time they are a little less uncomfortable and I can go even farther. Sometimes when I embrace the uncomfortable feelings I run better than when I am settled into a comfortable pace.

Setting a goal can be key as well. I set a specific time goal or mileage goal and then I know that I must work towards it. Also, verbalizing my goals helps to keep me honest in the moment when I am running. If I know I have someone that is keeping me accountable to my pace and someone I will have to answer to, then I know that I must push through those uncomfortable miles.

With running, it is important to realize that it will never be a comfortable sport and that is what makes it so appealing to so many. It is something that is constantly challenging and never completely comfortable. Like life, there are good times and bad times, but the journey is what is worth all the uncomfortable moments.

As a new runner I might not know the right or complete answer to this, all I know is, what has worked for me.

Before I got into running I used to think 20 minutes on the treadmill was the best I could do. I never understood how people can be on the treadmill for longer than 30 minutes. The torture I would say.

What worked for me, was having a goal. When I first started really running, earlier this year, was when I signed up for my first 10k even though it was a virtual 10k I was motivated and super excited to do it.

I quickly realized that having a goal is the first and most important thing to getting past that comfort level.

MY GOAL was to do a 10k, MY MOTIVATION was my goal + my training plan.

If you know anything about me is that once I set a goal that I really want, I will complete it. I wanted to do this and I didn’t care if I had to run, walk or crawl the rest of the way. I also trusted my training plan and knew that if I did what was on there (runs, strength training, cross training, stretching and rest) or at least most of their runs, I would be fine.

My first 3 mile run wasn’t easy, but like that Showtime Rotisserie Infomercial says: set it and forget it. I set my Nike+ GPS/Nike+ Running app to distance 3 miles and away I went. Ran, walked, and crawled, I wasn’t leaving that gym without 3 completed miles on my screen. And that’s how it all began. That’s how I began running past my comfort level.

Now I’m running 11 miles, as I continue training for a half marathon.

It ain’t easy, but it’s not impossible, and I sure don’t regret it, even if at mile 2 of a long run, makes me think how da hell am I going to get through this. Lol. It happens, it’s mental. You get through it, it’ll hurt, then it doesn’t, and away you go. Feeling the wind, passing the miles, and crossing or reaching your goal. I LOVE it. OMG, I can believe i just said that?! Ask me six months ago what I thought about running. Crazy, isn’t it?!

Knowing I can do it, knowing I did it, knowing the soreness will heal. I don’t mind it.

Words like focused, determination and motivation were just words before, now they’re what get me through my runs, my training, my life.

I asked a few of my motivators, the people that kind of influenced me to give running a try, because we shared a similar interest, in this case was NTC. These ladies are super users of Nike Training Club, and they well deserve it. They are also amazing runners. I wanted them to share their answers on how they got past their  comfort level. You can read their stories in Part II of this post.