I will let the pics speak for themselves :-) Until next time, happy running!
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Baltimore's Color Run
Today my friends and I decided to do the Color Run. For some of my friends it was the first 5k race and for others it wasn't. But no matter what our speed, we all got to where we needed to go and we had fun doing it. Overall, it was a lot of fun and we would totally do it again. If you are wondering, the majority of us are wearing a puffy paint pink shirt that says "Running for Erin" and our friend, Erin, is wearing a shirt that says, "Hi! I'm Erin!" Even though we were team "Lactic Acid Droppers," we felt that it was important to honor our friend who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Erin is incredible, she is heading in for surgery in 3 days, but still went out and ran her first 5k! I know, she is pretty awesome!
I will let the pics speak for themselves :-) Until next time, happy running!
I will let the pics speak for themselves :-) Until next time, happy running!
Friday, October 18, 2013
How Do You Know When You Need New Running Shoes?
I am a little behind on posting all of my marathon pics from the past couple of races. I seem to be taking this race season a lot harder then before. So I apologize in advance....pics will be up sooner or later!
Well after the Baltimore Running Festival, I took a look at my shoes and I realized that I had run the tread right off of my shoes. This is one of my favorite pairs of shoes that I have owned since I started running. I really liked them and I was sad to see them finally wear out. I started thinking about what are the signs that you may need new shoes. Honestly, this is a question I get from my friends a lot. So here is a list:
1. The soles are completely worn out. This is perhaps the most easily identifiable sign that your road companions are ready to bite the dust.
2. Shin splits or leg muscle fatigue. Usually when the cushioning wears out, I find that I have a lot more aches and pains.
3. Lower back ache. When cushioning wears out in my shoes I always find that I have a lot more pressure in my lower back. This is usually my first big indicator that I am going to need to buy new shoes.
4. Heel pain. Once my cushioning is dead, I notice my heels tend to be a lot more sore. Unofficially, I think I might have a case of plantar fascitis and it seems to flair up when my shoes are at the end of their life cycle.
5. Mileage. A good rule of thumb is that if you run over 300 miles then its a good chance you are going to need to start looking into getting new shoes.
6. The 6 Month Rule. Every 6 months you should plan on replacing your shoes. Generally the 6 month mark is when your shoes are worn out.
Hopefully you find my rules of thumb helpful!
Until next time, happy running :-)
Well after the Baltimore Running Festival, I took a look at my shoes and I realized that I had run the tread right off of my shoes. This is one of my favorite pairs of shoes that I have owned since I started running. I really liked them and I was sad to see them finally wear out. I started thinking about what are the signs that you may need new shoes. Honestly, this is a question I get from my friends a lot. So here is a list:
1. The soles are completely worn out. This is perhaps the most easily identifiable sign that your road companions are ready to bite the dust.
2. Shin splits or leg muscle fatigue. Usually when the cushioning wears out, I find that I have a lot more aches and pains.
3. Lower back ache. When cushioning wears out in my shoes I always find that I have a lot more pressure in my lower back. This is usually my first big indicator that I am going to need to buy new shoes.
4. Heel pain. Once my cushioning is dead, I notice my heels tend to be a lot more sore. Unofficially, I think I might have a case of plantar fascitis and it seems to flair up when my shoes are at the end of their life cycle.
5. Mileage. A good rule of thumb is that if you run over 300 miles then its a good chance you are going to need to start looking into getting new shoes.
6. The 6 Month Rule. Every 6 months you should plan on replacing your shoes. Generally the 6 month mark is when your shoes are worn out.
Hopefully you find my rules of thumb helpful!
Until next time, happy running :-)
Monday, September 23, 2013
Shape Diva Dash- Crumland Farms
This past weekend I participated in the Shape Diva Dash. This was a challenging race, but in comparison to other obstacle races I have run this one is somewhat average. Before I get to the lovely photos, which are sparse because of the course layout and because spectators weren't really allowed on the course, let me recap the positives and negatives.
Positives: The parking was efficiently run, especially if you opted for the shuttle service from the firehall. My biggest concern was that I would be waiting around for a while for a shuttle to leave, but Shape did a good job of having a constant bus service so you weren't waiting around a long time. The bag and the shirt were really nice, and I liked that you got a copy of their most recent magazine too. Great course support and spotters. There were a couple of obstacles I had some difficulty figuring out, but the spotters were there to talk me through. They were very attentive. Finally, it really is for any fitness level. I saw women in better and in worse shape than me and some women who were older than me, but we all got through it.
Negatives: Parking was expensive. It was $20 to park at Crumland or $10 to park at the firehall. I am used to about a $5 parking fee, and you were pretty much locked into paying because there was really no other way to get to the race. A lot of the obstacles involved tires, after the 4th tire obstacle, I began to wonder if they got a good deal on tires. No real finishers food, if there was some it wasn't easily seen or advertised. You could buy food, but I didn't really see any post race snacks except for water. Again, it may have been there in the Shape Dome Tent thing, but it wasn't really advertised and line was super long.
My Assessment: I may do this again, but I like mud runs a little better. If you want to challenge yourself and mud isn't your thing, then this race is for you. If you are looking to get a little dirtier then you may want to forgo this race for a messier one!
Race Day Run Down:
This weekend I am off and honestly I am getting over my 3 week cold. Going to the doctors tomorrow and hopefully a little R&R and I will be ready to run my two half marathons I have coming up!
Until next time, happy running :-)
Positives: The parking was efficiently run, especially if you opted for the shuttle service from the firehall. My biggest concern was that I would be waiting around for a while for a shuttle to leave, but Shape did a good job of having a constant bus service so you weren't waiting around a long time. The bag and the shirt were really nice, and I liked that you got a copy of their most recent magazine too. Great course support and spotters. There were a couple of obstacles I had some difficulty figuring out, but the spotters were there to talk me through. They were very attentive. Finally, it really is for any fitness level. I saw women in better and in worse shape than me and some women who were older than me, but we all got through it.
Negatives: Parking was expensive. It was $20 to park at Crumland or $10 to park at the firehall. I am used to about a $5 parking fee, and you were pretty much locked into paying because there was really no other way to get to the race. A lot of the obstacles involved tires, after the 4th tire obstacle, I began to wonder if they got a good deal on tires. No real finishers food, if there was some it wasn't easily seen or advertised. You could buy food, but I didn't really see any post race snacks except for water. Again, it may have been there in the Shape Dome Tent thing, but it wasn't really advertised and line was super long.
My Assessment: I may do this again, but I like mud runs a little better. If you want to challenge yourself and mud isn't your thing, then this race is for you. If you are looking to get a little dirtier then you may want to forgo this race for a messier one!
Race Day Run Down:
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| Sniped a pic of the hubby on the bus ride over! Too much estrogen for him and as you can see he is super excited to be on a bus full of women!!! |
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| Me in my new Under Armour Wonder Woman Shirt. Love this shirt so comfy! |
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| Goat Time Fun! |
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| Hubby as a goat, so sad! |
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| I am a sucker for a petting zoo and with an hour and half to kill, Mr. Goat and I hung out for a while! |
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| Taken from on top of the huge hill I had to run up in order to finish. As you can see the forecast was pending rain! |
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| There I am crossing the finish line :-) |
This weekend I am off and honestly I am getting over my 3 week cold. Going to the doctors tomorrow and hopefully a little R&R and I will be ready to run my two half marathons I have coming up!
Until next time, happy running :-)
Friday, September 20, 2013
Muddy Mamas Run
So I am a little late in posting, but I wanted to do a recap of the Muddy Mamas race in Hagerstown. This race was awesome and so much fun! I would highly endorse this one again. In fact, I am recruiting a team for next year. What I liked about this race is that it was challenging, but not too hard to do. It is exactly what a women's race should be. I especially liked the fact that the fire dept. came out and set up showering tents for everyone to use, which had hot water. I think this is possibly one of the best run races I have ever participated in!
There you have it the highlights of the Muddy Mamas race. Efficient parking, well supported course, and other things to do for the family at the Hagerstown Ag Center. No complaints here for the race, this was about as well an executed race as anyone could hope for!
Tomorrow I take on the Shape Diva Dash!
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| The start! Here I am in my nice new white t-shirt! This was a nice fitting cotton shirt, which I promptly destroyed :-) |
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| Love this sign, mainly because it pretty much sums it up. |
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| No joke...first time I have ever been on a slip and slide! I almost lost my race number on the way down. |
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| This dirt pile was pretty steep, but I made it up and down and was super proud of myself! |
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| Obstacle course name: Did I shave my legs for this? So much fun, run, jump, then slide through foam. |
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| First it is completely necessary to crawl through tubes and trot through mud before crawling completely through it! |
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| Love! Love! Love! That they forced you to get down and dirty and crawl through that mud ;-D |
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| As If I wasn't already muddy enough, I went down a huge slide into a mud pit. I also saw a girl completely wipe out on this and get the event staff muddy. Pretty funny stuff! |
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| Would you believe that I pretty much got that shirt almost completely white by the end? |
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| Nothing caps off a fun race like trouncing through a ginormous ball pit! |
There you have it the highlights of the Muddy Mamas race. Efficient parking, well supported course, and other things to do for the family at the Hagerstown Ag Center. No complaints here for the race, this was about as well an executed race as anyone could hope for!
Tomorrow I take on the Shape Diva Dash!
Saturday, September 14, 2013
2014 DC Divas Debacle
Friday afternoon, I left work after teaching my last class of the day and trekked on over to Leesburg, VA to the Lansdowne Resort (the host hotel). I get my packet, check out the swag and head to the hotel lobby to wait for my friend, Kathleen. We get settled into our room, hit up the expo to get her packet, and then head on back up to get ready for dinner. I made the mistake of flushing the toilet which led to me breaking the toilet. No one in the hotel picked up the phone and on our way to dinner we had to go ask the hotel staff to send maintenance up to fix our toilet. By the time dinner had ended the problem had been taken care of and we went to bed. We were asleep by 9. Around 2 am some women went screaming down the hallway, luckily others were equally as pissed off about it as we were and yelled at them before we could.
4:30 am we start our day. In our race bag we received explicit instructions stating that we had to be at the Tarara Winery before 7:15 or else we would be turned away. So we were up and out and at the winery by about 5:45am. We were a little concerned that the one in/out road used to access the winery would become too crowded and boy were we right. Kathleen and I stood out in about 50 degree weather for 3 hours waiting for the race to start. The original start time was 7:30am, but there was a 90 minute delay and we didn't start until 9:00am. This was absolutely unacceptable, and at this point being out in the cold after hearing "15 more minutes of a delay" for 90 minutes led to my cough worsening and my muscles stiffening. To make matters worse, I now had to use the bathroom and I was hungry. Unfortunately, way too few bathrooms for the approx. 6000 people that were there.
The race was hands down the toughest course I have ever run. It was advertised as a relatively flat course with a few rolling hills. Bull! Others who mapped their run posted that it was well over 1300 ft. To make matters worse most GPS' also reported that the race was between 13.6-14 miles long. So the course was over measured. Not to mention we ran 5 miles on gravel which was very slick and slippery at times. People were getting injured fairly frequently. The constant up and down on the hills really took a lot out of me since my lungs weren't operating at normal capacity. However, many other of my fellow divas were having to walk a majority of the race because we couldn't handle it.
Leaving the site was also disastrous as well! It took over an hour to go 2 miles in order to leave the winery. Sadly this was no comparison to the 7 mile back up that occurred in the morning to get to the race. Oh and there was no champagne like we were promised! Instead we got sparkling cider! It was very irritating.
On a positive note: The volunteers on the course were amazing. They were super friendly and eager to give water and cheer you on. The medal was very nice. It is probably one of the best quality medals that I have ever received. The shirt, the back pack, and the expo were great as well. Sadly, I wish there were more positives and that it was like the previous Divas Series race that I ran. Last year, my friend, Annie, and I ran the Divas Race in Long Island. It was the most incredibly well executed event. The course was challenging, but not overly so. Tons of race support and most importantly it started on time! I would love to give the Divas Series another chance in DC, but I am going to have to take a long hard critical look at what they do for next year. Right now it is unlikely if the course is still at the Winery that I will be participating in the event. Sad, but true!
Well, until next time. Happy running!
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Color Me Rad
Color Me Rad 5k:
Today I went to Goucher College to participate in the Color Me Rad 5k. Its another variation of the Color Run. Overall, it was enjoyable and well done, but I didn't have as much fun as I could have. I screwed up the time I was supposed to be there and as a result, my friend, Annie, wasn't able to run with me. I barely made it to the race on time.
So here is my assessment of the race:
Negatives: There was only 1 really and it was that I expected it to be more of a road race, but a large portion of it took you through the wooded trails on the Goucher Campus. Trail running is different from running on pavement. I spent a majority of my time walking the trails because of the fact the terrain was a little difficult at times. I heard many comments about people being afraid of twisting an ankle. If you are a trail runner then you will have no problem. If you aren't, well then when this race comes back next year, then just be prepared to run in the woods :-)
Positives: I will be honest, when I first signed up for this race I thought it would be just a rip off of the Color Run. There are a lot of great aspects to both, but here is what was nice about Color Me Rad.
1. You get way more colorful then the Color Run. They really do a good job of saturating you in color. Instead of 5 color stations where you just get hit with powder, there are 3 stations of powder and 2 with a liquid dye. The nice part is that the color sticks. However, the blue dye doesn't wash off so easily. I currently look like I went on a smurf murdering rampage because I can't get the blue dye off. But it adds character :-)
2. The Swag. I liked the fact that you got a t-shirt that was women's cut and a pair of sunglasses to wear. The nice thing about the sunglasses is that it helps to keep the powder out of your eyes when you are running. The Color Run gives you the option of buying them, but the Color Run does give you a nifty sweat band.
3. Less of a Crowd. Everyone tends to think the Color Run is the penultimate, but in reality a lot of these races are just as good. There was a decent amount of people there, but nothing like the 7,000 individuals at the Richmond Speedway.
This is definitely on the run again list, but I need to recruit a buddy and actually make sure I know the proper starting time!
Oh, I almost forgot! I took photos with my phone during the race. Pretty snazzy pics, huh? Well, I bought a special water, dirt, etc case for my phone (the life proof fre case). It worked so well! I wasn't paying attention when I ran through the yellow spray section, my phone was doused in dye, but completely protected. Actually when I got home, I just rinsed the entire phone in water to get rid of the dust and dye. Highly recommended because its been Color Me Rad tested and Pink Running Shoes approved!
Up next, the divas half marathon!
Until next time, happy running ;-D
Today I went to Goucher College to participate in the Color Me Rad 5k. Its another variation of the Color Run. Overall, it was enjoyable and well done, but I didn't have as much fun as I could have. I screwed up the time I was supposed to be there and as a result, my friend, Annie, wasn't able to run with me. I barely made it to the race on time. So here is my assessment of the race:
Negatives: There was only 1 really and it was that I expected it to be more of a road race, but a large portion of it took you through the wooded trails on the Goucher Campus. Trail running is different from running on pavement. I spent a majority of my time walking the trails because of the fact the terrain was a little difficult at times. I heard many comments about people being afraid of twisting an ankle. If you are a trail runner then you will have no problem. If you aren't, well then when this race comes back next year, then just be prepared to run in the woods :-)
Positives: I will be honest, when I first signed up for this race I thought it would be just a rip off of the Color Run. There are a lot of great aspects to both, but here is what was nice about Color Me Rad. 1. You get way more colorful then the Color Run. They really do a good job of saturating you in color. Instead of 5 color stations where you just get hit with powder, there are 3 stations of powder and 2 with a liquid dye. The nice part is that the color sticks. However, the blue dye doesn't wash off so easily. I currently look like I went on a smurf murdering rampage because I can't get the blue dye off. But it adds character :-)
2. The Swag. I liked the fact that you got a t-shirt that was women's cut and a pair of sunglasses to wear. The nice thing about the sunglasses is that it helps to keep the powder out of your eyes when you are running. The Color Run gives you the option of buying them, but the Color Run does give you a nifty sweat band. 
3. Less of a Crowd. Everyone tends to think the Color Run is the penultimate, but in reality a lot of these races are just as good. There was a decent amount of people there, but nothing like the 7,000 individuals at the Richmond Speedway. This is definitely on the run again list, but I need to recruit a buddy and actually make sure I know the proper starting time!
Oh, I almost forgot! I took photos with my phone during the race. Pretty snazzy pics, huh? Well, I bought a special water, dirt, etc case for my phone (the life proof fre case). It worked so well! I wasn't paying attention when I ran through the yellow spray section, my phone was doused in dye, but completely protected. Actually when I got home, I just rinsed the entire phone in water to get rid of the dust and dye. Highly recommended because its been Color Me Rad tested and Pink Running Shoes approved!
Up next, the divas half marathon!
Until next time, happy running ;-D
Thursday, September 5, 2013
What's Up In the Next Couple of Months???
Its been a while and I have very unsuccessfully been easing back into running. The good news is my knee is much better and no longer feels like it is going to take up residence on an island far far away from the rest of my body! I am really looking forward to the next couple of weeks because it will be super awesome!
September looks fantastic because this weekend I am completing the Muddy Mamas race and the Color Me Rad race. I have really been looking forward to Color Me Rad because my friend Annie will be running it with me. I also bought a case for my phone which is completely dirt proof. This means I will be taking some pretty awesome and colorful photos!!!
Not only am I looking forward to this weekend, but to next weekend as well. I am traveling to VA to meet up with my friend to run the Divas Half Marathon. I love the Divas race and I have been looking forward to it! Side bonus, I get to just take a half day of work since I will be doing some traveling!
The 3rd week in September boasts another race in Frederick the Diva Dash. Its not so much a race, but a series of physical challenges. Think low key, low intensity tough mudder without pain or electroshock therapy :-) Oh and I plan on hitting up the wine festival that Sunday too!
The last week in September isn't so much about running, but more about making running costumes. This year my friends Ashley and Valerie are both doing the Headless Horseman 5k and we are trying to win the group costume award by going as the Disney Princesses. Val is Belle, Ashley is Aurora, and I am Snow White. At least that is the plan right now.
So lots ahead and just for the record I am expecting for the Divas Half Marathon to have some growing pains since I haven't been running as much as I usually do!
Tune in for some more exciting posts!
Until next time, happy running!
September looks fantastic because this weekend I am completing the Muddy Mamas race and the Color Me Rad race. I have really been looking forward to Color Me Rad because my friend Annie will be running it with me. I also bought a case for my phone which is completely dirt proof. This means I will be taking some pretty awesome and colorful photos!!!
Not only am I looking forward to this weekend, but to next weekend as well. I am traveling to VA to meet up with my friend to run the Divas Half Marathon. I love the Divas race and I have been looking forward to it! Side bonus, I get to just take a half day of work since I will be doing some traveling!
The 3rd week in September boasts another race in Frederick the Diva Dash. Its not so much a race, but a series of physical challenges. Think low key, low intensity tough mudder without pain or electroshock therapy :-) Oh and I plan on hitting up the wine festival that Sunday too!
The last week in September isn't so much about running, but more about making running costumes. This year my friends Ashley and Valerie are both doing the Headless Horseman 5k and we are trying to win the group costume award by going as the Disney Princesses. Val is Belle, Ashley is Aurora, and I am Snow White. At least that is the plan right now.
So lots ahead and just for the record I am expecting for the Divas Half Marathon to have some growing pains since I haven't been running as much as I usually do!
Tune in for some more exciting posts!
Until next time, happy running!
Sunday, July 21, 2013
LoziLu- My 1st Mud Run
I went to my first ever mud run yesterday called LoziLu and it was a blast. LoziLu is an all women's mud run race, which is nice because there are some women, like me, who get nervous competing with men on a course. The course has several obstacles on it which require you to crawl and climb in various ways as you navigate through the 5k course. Let's be honest, I only signed up for the mud!!! The added bonus is that portion of the race fees go to the Cancer and Lymphoma Society for cancer research. So here is a run down of the race.
We arrive over an hour early. My husband hates crowded areas so he parked about a mile or so away from the Fairgrounds and we walked. We get there a little after 7 and I check in and then check my bags. Before the race, I also purchased a spectator band for my husband so he could be on the course watching. It was only $5, he was not happy about having to pay to watch me make a mess. But to be fair, he was not happy about me doing a mud run because he hates anything involving messes. I think spectators paying is pretty common at mud races though, so I had no problem with this. Also, the money made from watching the participants went directly to cancer research. I feel like if I am going to have to pay to have a spectator watch then the money should go to a worth while cause. It did, so no complaints here.
The first, second and third obstacles all were pretty basic. One was getting through tires and two were climbing up and over wall like structures. They weren't too big so our entire wave stayed together. It wasn't until "Tan Lines," which was a giant fence/wall like structure that there became a back log. I will be honest, I skipped that obstacle because I did not feel comfortable doing it. One of the nice things about LoziLu is that you do only what you feel comfortable doing and no one shames you. I have heard from various people (not sure how true it is), but they can give you a hard time for skipping an obstacle. In this case, they just want you to have fun. It was also really cool hearing everyone cheer and clap for each woman who made it over.
The first mud pit was fun, I jumped right in and crawl/walked through. I emerged understanding what it was like to have sand and pebbles in my shoes. Soaking wet I was expecting, but sand/pebbles I was not. It was interesting running the rest of the race like that. Then, I hit the crawl space which was just stinky, humid, and wet. It wasn't hard or bad to do, just stinky, humid, and wet.
My least favorite obstacle was the balance beam. If I do this again, I may skip it. I did okay with the first two beam, but what you can't see is that the beams are slightly tilted. I usually do well with balance beams, but these weren't entirely flat and I am not sure if that's because it was designed that way or if something knocked a beam or two slightly off kilter because of the participants in front of me. Eventually a spotter had to hold me hand through the remaining three beams because the third beam was very unstable. So much so that the girl in front of me jumped off because she couldn't keep her balance. That beam wiggled and wobbled very badly and it made me really nervous.
The next series of obstacles were pretty easy, but tiring. I had to jump over and then crawl under a variety of things. By this time, I was feeling pretty tired and I was surprised how much more exhausting obstacle courses are in comparison to just running. But, I hit the cargo net, which I went up very quickly and then got stuck at the top for a little bit because I couldn't figure out how to get down. The spotter had to verbally walk me through it. Once I figured out my footing I was fine and climbed down. I was high up and it was scary. What you can't see is my husband laughing a little bit because I got stuck.
There was another mud pit, a wall you climbed over, and then the giant inflatable slide called the Fun House. You climbed up the steps and then slid down into a big pool of water. I of course picked the one side that didn't have a support rope and I lost my footing for a second. I thought I was going to fall, but I managed to pull myself up and slide down. I went completely into the water and apparently splashed a whole bunch of little kids. This led to me emerging from the water with little kids cheering me on very excitedly. This was my husbands favorite obstacle because he thought the excitement of the little kids was hilarious.
I ended with the exfoliator, which was giant mud pit that you had to army crawl through. I decided to go for it and I just flopped right into the mud and army crawled my way through. When I emerged I had mud and sand everywhere. I also cut up my knees and shins a little bit during my escapades, but it was worth it.In the end, I hosed off and changed clothes. I also donated my old shoes to charity. The muddy shoes that are donated are cleaned up and donated to people in Africa so that they can shoes to protect their feet.
I would absolutely do a mud run again. However, it would still have to be women's only. Also, I think I would work on my flexibility. I am not very flexible, but I think that would go a long way in mastering these obstacles. Another thing I would do differently is wear a different bottom. I wasn't sure what I would wear if capris would be to difficult to maneuver in, but I think they are a necessity. My knees are pretty torn up and I didn't really think that would happen. However, knowing what I know now, I would totally wear longer pants to protect my legs more!Well happy running, next race is about a month from now!
Thursday, July 4, 2013
10 Reasons to Run!
Happy 4th of July everyone!
I was feeling all kinds of contemplative today and thought I would give you my top 10 reasons for running.
10. Stress Relief & Mood Boosting: Ever have a bad day and all you want to is veg out on the couch and be a self indulgent grump? Me too! That's one of the reasons why I like to lace up my shoes and hit the road. A quick 3 miler and I am usually in a much better mood because I have had time to de-stress. A wise woman once said: "Exercise releases endorphins, endorphins make people happy, happy people don't go around killing people!" - Elle Woods :-)
9. An Excuse to Wear A Costume: Who doesn't love tutus or other silly costumes? Have you seen my photos from the Halloween runs? I look ridiculous and I love it. Plus I love the added challenge of trying to beat heat stroke (reference the banana and the angry birds costume) when running.
8. Friendship & Camaraderie: Whether you are running with friends in a group or you are just meeting people on the course, you have a lot of great conversations. I don't think I have ever been to a race where I haven't met someone friendly on the course where I could strike up a conversation. Sometimes it commiserating, sometimes its a goofy conversation, and sometimes you are just providing support.
7. Boosting Your Wardrobe: Do you like tech tees? Do you have an affinity for all things running? If so, then running is a sport for you. Sign up for a race, get a shirt, then wear it proudly. You can get anything from a plain old cotton tee to a fancy state of the art Under Armour shirt depending on the races you choose. The nice part is that usually the cost of the t-shirt would be more than what you are paying to run the race.
6. Running This Town: If you are like me, then you probably like to travel and look for unique races out of town to run. I've run in Virginia, DC, New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. I am always looking for the next race to run else where. What better way to see America then with your own two feet?
5. You Can Run For A Cause: I am a terrible fundraiser. I try, but I just don't know enough people to get enough money to ever run on a team like Team in Training, even though I think they are great. But, most of the races you sign up for will support a cause. You are not only doing good for yourself, but others as well.
4. Gaining Confidence: 3 years ago I would have never donned a pair of spandex pants. The idea of my booty in any type of compression wear seemed alarming. However, I have learned to not care about what I look like when I run. One of the biggest roadblocks I mentally had to running was having to run in front of other people. Now, who cares? At least I am moving and I own it! Plus, the more you run the better your butt will look ;-)
3. Working Towards A Goal: Best part about signing up for a race is that I now have a concrete motivating factor to work towards. I am a horse with a carrot and I know I need to push through because I have a goal I need to reach and that time is finite. Do you think I liked waking up at 5:30am in January and layering on tons of clothes to trot up and down hills for 5 to 6 hours at a time? No!!! But I did it because I had to be ready by March 17th for a marathon. You are more motivated to do something when you know you have to.
2. Running Doesn't Have to Be Just Running: So you find 5ks boring or you would never run a half marathon because 13.1 miles seems half crazy (see what I did there? :-D). But now there seems to be an entire new branch of running, the Color Run, Color Me Rad, Warrior Dash, Electric Run, Dirty Girl, Tough Mudder, FoamFest, and the list goes on and on and on... If you need something to mix it up then go for it. An obstacle course race not only breaks up the running, but it can help you train different muscles of your body in preparation for your race. Or maybe you just want someone to hit you with big puffballs of colored cornstarch, either way running doesn't have to be a chore it can be fun! Do what speaks to you!
1. The Bling: One of the really fun things for me is finishing and getting a medal. I have them proudly displayed in my office and I love looking at them. They remind me of my hard work and I can think about all of the challenges I faced getting through each race. But most importantly, the just look cool! Hey, I am girl I am supposed to like jewelry.
There you have it, my reasons for running! Until next time, happy running :-)
I was feeling all kinds of contemplative today and thought I would give you my top 10 reasons for running.
10. Stress Relief & Mood Boosting: Ever have a bad day and all you want to is veg out on the couch and be a self indulgent grump? Me too! That's one of the reasons why I like to lace up my shoes and hit the road. A quick 3 miler and I am usually in a much better mood because I have had time to de-stress. A wise woman once said: "Exercise releases endorphins, endorphins make people happy, happy people don't go around killing people!" - Elle Woods :-)
9. An Excuse to Wear A Costume: Who doesn't love tutus or other silly costumes? Have you seen my photos from the Halloween runs? I look ridiculous and I love it. Plus I love the added challenge of trying to beat heat stroke (reference the banana and the angry birds costume) when running.
8. Friendship & Camaraderie: Whether you are running with friends in a group or you are just meeting people on the course, you have a lot of great conversations. I don't think I have ever been to a race where I haven't met someone friendly on the course where I could strike up a conversation. Sometimes it commiserating, sometimes its a goofy conversation, and sometimes you are just providing support.
7. Boosting Your Wardrobe: Do you like tech tees? Do you have an affinity for all things running? If so, then running is a sport for you. Sign up for a race, get a shirt, then wear it proudly. You can get anything from a plain old cotton tee to a fancy state of the art Under Armour shirt depending on the races you choose. The nice part is that usually the cost of the t-shirt would be more than what you are paying to run the race.
6. Running This Town: If you are like me, then you probably like to travel and look for unique races out of town to run. I've run in Virginia, DC, New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. I am always looking for the next race to run else where. What better way to see America then with your own two feet?
5. You Can Run For A Cause: I am a terrible fundraiser. I try, but I just don't know enough people to get enough money to ever run on a team like Team in Training, even though I think they are great. But, most of the races you sign up for will support a cause. You are not only doing good for yourself, but others as well.
4. Gaining Confidence: 3 years ago I would have never donned a pair of spandex pants. The idea of my booty in any type of compression wear seemed alarming. However, I have learned to not care about what I look like when I run. One of the biggest roadblocks I mentally had to running was having to run in front of other people. Now, who cares? At least I am moving and I own it! Plus, the more you run the better your butt will look ;-)
3. Working Towards A Goal: Best part about signing up for a race is that I now have a concrete motivating factor to work towards. I am a horse with a carrot and I know I need to push through because I have a goal I need to reach and that time is finite. Do you think I liked waking up at 5:30am in January and layering on tons of clothes to trot up and down hills for 5 to 6 hours at a time? No!!! But I did it because I had to be ready by March 17th for a marathon. You are more motivated to do something when you know you have to.
2. Running Doesn't Have to Be Just Running: So you find 5ks boring or you would never run a half marathon because 13.1 miles seems half crazy (see what I did there? :-D). But now there seems to be an entire new branch of running, the Color Run, Color Me Rad, Warrior Dash, Electric Run, Dirty Girl, Tough Mudder, FoamFest, and the list goes on and on and on... If you need something to mix it up then go for it. An obstacle course race not only breaks up the running, but it can help you train different muscles of your body in preparation for your race. Or maybe you just want someone to hit you with big puffballs of colored cornstarch, either way running doesn't have to be a chore it can be fun! Do what speaks to you!
1. The Bling: One of the really fun things for me is finishing and getting a medal. I have them proudly displayed in my office and I love looking at them. They remind me of my hard work and I can think about all of the challenges I faced getting through each race. But most importantly, the just look cool! Hey, I am girl I am supposed to like jewelry.
There you have it, my reasons for running! Until next time, happy running :-)
Saturday, June 29, 2013
AWLFC's Paws & Claws 5k
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| Smiling with my eyes open! Awkward! |
This race was very similar to a lot of races that I have run throughout the past couple of years in Baker Park. In fact it is pretty much the standard race route. I finished about the same time I usually do which was about 43 minutes. I walked the same spots I usually do, and I finished by sprinting past a couple of individuals running towards the finish line like I always do. The only thing not typical about this race was some guy, whom I thought to be random at the time, sprinted by me with a jogging stroller. I hate being passed by jogging strollers, but this guy was really booking it. Then, I realized it was my friend, Martin and his infant daughter, Luna who cruised past me. Still embarrassed, but a lot less mad. I thought he was running the race, turns out he was on his regular run route when he joined in on the race and then he realized he was running with us. he veered off at the end, but it was still comical none the less. So here is my race review:
First the negative, really the only two thing I could find "wrong" with this race was the dog poop I stepped in while running. I underestimated that some pups running in the race would poop on the street and I stepped in a big ol' steaming pile of it somewhere on the first mile. But it is par for the course. The other is the swag, it is awesome if you own a dog, they gave away some really nice stuff including a priority pet water dish, tennis ball, bandana, and fancy dog food samples. I own two cats and two guinea pigs so aside from the tote bag, I couldn't use most of the race swag. However, if you own a dog you will totally enjoy the swag. I would also like to state that the swag really wasn't that big of a deal to me, but I am trying to be objective in my review. To be honest, when I sign up for races that benefit animals I expect for any giveaways to be more dog centered because it seems like most people own and love dogs. Clearly us cat people are all crazy and just like to hoard them :-) Consequently, neither one of the negatives listed above would ever keep me from endorsing this race or lead to me not signing up again for it next year.
Second, the positives which far out weigh the negatives. First, the swag for a dog owner was fantastic, the tote bag which was sponsored by Sophie and Madigan's playground was very usable, and I loved the Leslie Jordan Apparel Tech Tee they gave us. Second, at the water stop they gave us full bottles of water, which was awesome. It was nice to be able to carry water with me and never have I been to a race where they were that generous with the water. In hot weather like today it was really a nice touch. Third, the volunteers were super nice. I am accustomed to nice people, why else would you stand there in the heat and cheer/direct people if you didn't want to, but these people were really friendly. Next, did I mention this race had dogs running in it! It's so cute to see pups of all shapes and sizes trotting along with their owners. Besides if there is ever a time for a fast runner to smoke the competition, then this would be the time. I loved watching the dogs get excited and pull their owners in haphazard directions. One dog kept getting excited to run into the stream. Finally, the post race celebration which had ample food, cold water, and cold gatorade for everyone. Again, they were not skimpy with what they gave you. You got full bottles of both water and gatorade. It was really nice.
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| Sprinting to the end- 43:35 finish time! |
Up next is LoziLu!!! My first ever mud run and obstacle course. I have been lifting and training for this, and I am really going to kick it up a notch since I don't have any 5ks to run in the next few weeks! Until next time, happy running :-)
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