Growing up with brothers I have always considered myself a ‘guy’s girl’. I play rough, say too many bad words and get along with the boys.
But, as I get older I realize more and more how important my girlfriends are. 
I have been blessed with some solid friendships over the last few years and I am so so grateful I have my girls to love and support me even when I’m a mess in a dress showing too much chest.
I adore my girlfriends and have turned into a super girl-power believer! I hate when women tear each other down, we should all support each other and stay positive.
See? The banana says two thumbs up to girl power….
Let all flowers bloom.
I heard this phrase a few years ago and really love it. You don’t need to tear someone else down for you to grow and be beautiful.
Let all flowers bloom – and I would love for you to come ‘bloom’ with me in Bloomington!
I have been invited to run the Women’s Half Marathon in Bloomington, MN on June 16th. 
The hashtag for this Women’s Race series is #BeAmazing
I think you’re amazing whether you run this race with me or not, but if you can it’d be great! Plus, I really need someone to hang out with, I don’t know anyone in Minnesota!
If you are in Minnesota there is a fun Girls Night Out April 13th at the Uptown Running Room. Check out that link to RSVP!
If you want to sign up for the June 16th race check out this link: Women’s Half Marathon in Bloomington.
Get $10 off when you Use Code Code: FITMNMON
Question: Name a friend who is supportive of you.
Extra points – text them that they are amazing!
Disclaimer: The Women’s Running Series is compensating me for this trip, but my love for half marathons is a deep, passionate love…all opinions are my own.
Signed up last night! I didn’t realize the race is basically in my backyard haha can’t wait for it!
Another YAY! for Minnesota here! I’ve considered doing this race, but keep talking myself out of it…
Yeah! I feel the same way about girlfriends! I’m running the 5K in Scottsdale in November! Love Women’s Running Series! #BeAmazing
Yay Minnesota!!! You’re picking a good time to come visit! I keep eyeing the Women’s Half, as it’s SO close to me (maybe 1-2 mi down the road?). Nervous about signing up, as I’m running 2 halfs in May…in the span of two weeks (and I’ve only managed 1 half before)… So the question is, will I be recovered to run another one by then (and enjoy it)??
That first picture of you is so cute!
I’m signed up for this race! Hopefully, we can meet-up! I go to a great yoga studio too if you want to get your strength and stretch on also 🙂
Dude, you’re heading to the WRONG Bloomington! We have a terrific half here in Bloomington, IL in September! (I’m helping to organize & promote it, in case that’s not obvious.) Web site is currently being updated for 2013, but here’s our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WeCareTwinCitiesHalfMarathon?ref=ts&fref=ts
Oh you will love MN! Just get ready for some humidity 🙂 Maybe I should sign up for that race?!? It would be fun to meet you 🙂 You could also convince your SoCal happy hour friends to join you!! 😉
Sweet post, I love ‘let all flowers bloom’ – a great reminder not to cut others down (which makes everyone involved feel awful anyway – no one ever ‘wins’). Love your positive attitude lady.
I’m a race addict and would love to do this race in Bloomington! I’m running grandma’s half the following weekend in Duluth, MN, so not sure it’s the best idea for me if I want to PR. Shoot! I’ll have to come and cheer on all the lovely ladies running!
Awesome that you will be coming to MinneSNOWta! yay! I will be running this one as well and would love to be your MN friend!
What a coincidence!!! The inaugural Malaysia Women Marathon (www.mwm.my) is happening this weekend and Kathrine Switzer (arrived in KL yesterday) will be at the expo as well as flag the ladies off.
The RD – Karen is a good friend and my #1 supporter, cheerleader.
So sad I won’t be home (i’m from Minne) to run the half with you!! Instead i’ll be graduating. LAME.
Enjoy Bloomington!!
I’ll hang out and celebrate extra hard in honor of your graduation 😉
Congrats!
HOLY CRAP i live in bloomington and would LOVE to run with you. so sad i’ll actually be out of town then (and i almost never leave town) BUMMER!!!
Boo.
I love the little message between the lines here 🙂 GL at your half!
AWWW I am so excited you are coming to MN! I will be your MN friend…now I really want to sign up for that race. You should stay another week and do Grandma’s Marathon too;-)
I wish I could!
My Cruiser Chicks (girls in my running group) rock! I just adore them all, and can’t wait for Saturday mornings for our long runs together! 🙂
Dang! I so wish I could go up there and do this with some of you. I need to find a race in Minnesota. But alas, I’m already traveling so much in 2013 for races that the “bank account” might frown upon it.
I read a quote once that said “Girls envy one another. Women empower one another” or something similar to that. I think especially as well get older this holds true.
Awesome! I’ve stalked your blog for long enough, now I can stalk you in person (insert evil laughter)! It will be my second time running the Bloomington Half – it’s hilly and people were pissed afterwards… but you… pretty sure you will be all amazing.
Can’t wait to tell you how funny you are in person, wait, you are funny in person?! LOL 😉
Hills?! Boo.
But, I am excited to meet you. Warning: I am not funny at all.
Another Jamie from Minnesota here. Mile 7 of the course is directly behind my parent’s house (the house I grew up in). I would love love love to run this race, but will be 25 weeks pregnant. I am going to try my best to watch the race from their house and cheer you and all the ladies on!! If you need any Bloomington/Twin Cities advice just let me know. So fun.
Hey Jamie! Congrats on the baby 🙂 Hopefully we’ll meet at mile 7!
I’m a new follower of yours but I’m a Minnesotan and am soo happy to see you’ll be coming here to run this summer!
I’m doing my first half at the end of April and have been toying with the idea of signing up for this run too. I’ll be your MN friend too! I don’t have any running friends.
You’d be happy to know there’s a self-serve frozen yogurt shop at the Mall of America in Bloomington! It’s called Freeziac 🙂
I am so there 🙂
I live in the Twin Cities! Yay for you coming to run a race in MN! I have been seriously considering running this one. And now that I know you will likely be there means I can look forward to some exciting blogger stalking. 😉
Emy – hope to meet you there!
I live in the Minneapolis area and ran it last year, but I had decided against doing it this year because the hills were killer! Maybe I’ll reconsider. . .
Great post – I think it’s important to remember that we should build each other up rather than tear each other down.
Good luck at the half – I wish I was closer!
I am running this as well, bringing my husband and son….and coming from Canada! 🙂
Hey Monica!! Glad to hear that you are going to be enjoying our wonderful state!! I am a MN girl and was planning on running the 1/2 but chickened out!! You will love running in that area – it might make you want to give up sunny CA..ok, that might be a stretch!
I love me some girl time! Since moving I feel like my girl time is scarce, we can never find time to all get together with busy schedules. 🙁 It’s noooo good.
Amen, sister suffragete! Is it corny to say that my mom is my best friend? But there are so many other amazing women in my life, as well – both real-life friends and blends (blog friends)! It breaks my heart when I see women tearing themselves and other women down – life can make it hard enough to get your girl power on! Wish I could make it to Bloomington, but I’ll be sending nothing but good vibes to you and all the other amazing ladies running it!
Sending you good vibes too Chelsea! Rock on.
My mom is my BFF too:-)
Monica-I’m from MN, but won’t be racing (I’m due w/baby #2 6/30/13) this one. Let us know if you or someone else plans a meet-up:-) I’d love to meet you & some other MN runner’s.
http://www.runningafterbabiez. blogspot.com
Wow! I do agree with everything you said! 🙂 Thumbs up to girl power! 🙂 I would love to do a women’s race someday. I haven’t done one but I was invited to volunteer to one of the local races here in OHIO. It’s called “Girls On The Run”. I’m excited to support them! 🙂
I haven’t really had a good group of gals since high school but I am still in touch with my crew and I love them all very much. For some reason I find that post high school girls become harder to meet up and relate too because they get too competitive. This comment is getting really long so maybe I’ll blog about it later… whatever shoutout to my chicago ladies from LA!
Love it! I am dying to do a women’s race, and hopefully will get one on my calendar next year!
I lived in Uptown and right down the street from the running room, always passing and thinking, “I should try that running thing. Or I could just go eat. I’ll do the latter.” the paths around the lakes are great, though, for a run. Don’t forget to have the fried cheese curd.
I still love Minnesota, though, if only because my bff is there.
Fried cheese curds are now on the schedule 🙂
I live in the burb next to Bloomington! And I would love to be your instant Minnea-Mexican friend!! I want to run this race but I havent done a half in a while… and youre a speed demon.. but Ill think about it!!! Yay Minnesota and all the awesome ladies that live here!
Guess what? I’m free that weekend.. and I think Bloomington is only about a 4 hour drive from here… 🙂
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I live just north of the cities in MN! June is a great month for races! I want to do this race, but I am running Grandmas Marathon the weekend after so I am not so sure I should! If I do run it hope to see you there!
Hey Jess, I would love to meet you 🙂 See you at the race!
Hi Monica!
I read your blog every day on my reeder (what am I going to do when that’s gone??) and live in Minneapolis. Bloomington is a suburb of the city, but I would love to meet you when you are here! I will sign up for this half marathon just to do so! My sister lives in Kansas City and we write a Fitness, Fashion, and Fitness Fashion blog together http://www.therightfits.com Check it out! You might find some useful information about Minneapolis. Also, let me know if you want any tips on what to do while you’re here. You’ll definitely want to run around the beautiful lakes in the city, before/after the half. Fun!
Perfect message! Girls should be taught this YOUNG!
I live in Minnesota (small town) and love the Bloomington area. I wish this event wasn’t on Father’s day! I’d love to meet you at another event in the Mpls area.
This post made me smile because I too grew up with brothers and am used to hanging out with dudes but have recently started becoming pretty close with a group of girls. There’s nothing like having your girlfriends. But then I FREAKED OUT when I saw that you’re coming to Bloomington!!! I live 5 minutes away. I will be your Minnesota friend! 🙂 But seriously, pretty exciting. Minnesota is beautiful and I’m proud to call it home. Hopefully it won’t be too humid that day!
As far as supportive girls, that would be my best friend Amanda, whom I’ve known since 7th grade. She has stuck with me through some tough times. She also sparked my interest in running and come to think of it, she was also the one who told me about your blog. 🙂 We run almost all of our races together and are planning on running our first full marathon together in the fall!
Jamie! Please be my Minnesota friend!!!
I so will! I was debating signing up for it, but now I’m in. 🙂
A friend that is supportive is my reeciekins. I text her that she’s freakin’ amazingballs!
I have plans to do that half in November in Florida!
I think it is going to be so amazing to be
surrounded by amazing powerful women!
Love that saying!
Potential humidity aside, Minnesota is such a beautiful place for a run! I spent some time there during one summer in high school and was so impressed with how green and lush everything was.
I think the whole women’s race thing is interesting on a sociological level. I think the guys need to initiate a few men’s only races, just to stir things up a bit. I’m all about equality.
I’m all about equality when it benefits me. Wait. Never mind.
Awwww, sweet post. I love my girlfriends and couldn’t survive a day without them!
sounds like a very fun weekend!
i work for the running room so it is super cool to see our logo at the top of the invite!
I have some pretty awesome girlfriends! I wish I could run this with you, but already signed up for a wonder woman’s half that weekend=)
I’m from Minnesota! Love love love! (Currently live in SoCal but may be moving back this summer) Actually, one of my best girlfriends ever (we met in first grade and have been friends ever since!) ran this last year and I think she signed up again this year!
I totally agree with!! I kills me when women break down other women!
I am so blessed with so many amazing close friends that I can’t just name one – Lisa, Meaghan, Dina, Michelle, Barrie, Danielle, Heather….I don’t know what I would do without that…even better, having cousins that are my close friends as well….Jilly and Amy…amazing. I am one lucky girl…I wish I could head to Bloomington, looks like fun. I always wanted to go to Mall of America out there!
I love the Women’s Race Series – it looks great! I actually have a post coming up soon about the top women’s running getaways for run-cations with girlfriends. 🙂
One of my biggest running encouragers is my best friend from undergrad – she’s been supportive with all my ridiculous endeavors, and better yet, surprised me by showing up at Surf City (first full for me). So grateful for her!
I really liked this post. I completely agree that women often unnecessarily tear each other apart. We already have enough problems without turning on one another. Thanks for posting about this!
Sarah, my co-blogger, is always super supportive of me! Having support from other women is so incredibly important. I enjoy going to an all women’s gym for this reason (and many other reasons).
Just the mention of “girl power” has put multiple Spice Girls songs in my head for the day, so thanks for that.
Ha! I was super close to full on posting a Spice Girls pic 🙂
Minnesota love! Should be a beautiful course & summer in MN is the reason we all put up with winter. Hope you have a great race and a fun visit.
My bff Erin is the most supportive friend ever – when I was trying to work up the nerve to talk to my boss about changing jobs, she was always sending me encouraging text messages and listened to so much whining from me – seriously, great friend.
Sounds like such a great time! It really is a shame that we’re brought up in grade school to not trust one another, but eventually we grow up and know better. Girl Friends are the Best!
I am from MN! I just might have to sign up for this. But…..I have never ran a half marathon :/
Hey Jessica do you run now? If you have a base you can do it!
I do run. I am comfortable at 5 miles. I have done 6.5 here and there but not on a regular basis.
That looks like so much fun! I’m running a female-only 10K the weekend before the Women’s Half in Bloomington. Wish there was a ladies’ night out that went with it too!