New Goal: 12 in 12

One of my goals for the past year was the run a 5K, 10K, and half marathon. I've definitely accomplished that and even made my way into Half Fanatics with my record of 2 half marathons in 2 weeks! So, what's next?

Twelve half marathons in twelve months - how does that sound?


Well first off, it sounds expensive, but besides that it sounds amazingly fun!! What races could I find to fill in the gaps? Something I realized as I started planning was that there are some months that are just not big on races, period. Like July and August - I get it, who in their right mind wants to run 13.1 miles in sweltering heat? Not me, but it has to be done!

Since it's already the middle of June, I think I'm going to forgo finding races this summer and work on conditioning instead, hopping back into the circuit in September. Hopefully, I'll be able to find something next summer to complete the loop! Here's what I have on my wish list so far...

September: Hokie Half (Blacksburg, VA)
You get to run through the beautiful country side and get a Hokie Bird medal at the end. Enough said!

October (1): Crawlin' Crab Half Marathon (Virginia Beach, VA)
This one will be back to back with Hokie, but that just means I'm already trained up, right? After running my first J&A race last March, I fell in love with the whole racing scene in Virginia Beach. With an option to run the "Shell Yeah" 5K + Half challenge, they sure know how to woo me with pretty medals.

October (2): Baltimore Half Marathon (Baltimore, MD)
The final leg of the King Crab Challenge, I'm super excited for all the scenery, crowds, and swag from this race. I have several friends coming from across the country to run it as well (for many, their first!!) so it's going to be extra exciting.

November: Harbor Lights Half Marathon (Virginia Beach, VA)
Another beautiful racing weekend in Virginia Beach. I'm not sure if I'll run the 5K + Half "Get Lit" Challenge, but see the above comment about being a medal hoarder.

December, January:
Still looking. These are the months I'd LOVE to run since they're so cold, but alas, not popular distance running months. Maybe I can find a holiday themed something or other...

February: Disney's Princess Half Marathon
Sarah and I are ready and waiting for the registration for the Princess Half Marathon to open up next month! We're hoping to sign up for the Glass Slipper Challenge (10K + Half) and are already planning costumes (of course).

March: Shamrock Half Marathon (Virginia Beach, VA)
Are you sensing a theme yet? This is my current PR and I'm looking to crush it.

April:
After two big back to back traveling races (Princess and Shamrock) I'm going to try my best to keep this one local. I don't have one picked out just yet, but there seem to be several in the area that can check off the month without breaking the bank.

May: Frederick Half Marathon OR Pittsburgh Half Marathon
I ran Frederick this past year and had a wonderful time, but have also heard great things about Pittsburgh - a city that I absolutely love. They're back to back weekends during a busy time at work, so it'll come down to one tough choice!

June, July, August: 
Which brings us back to the main point of this post. There are a few half marathons in June that I've stumbled upon, but July and August seem pretty bare. It may take some creativity or traveling to get it worked out, but I'm open to suggestions!


If you have any suggestions for great races in the PA, MD, WV, VA area, hit me up!

Fitness Friday: Annapolis Classic Recap & New Footwear

No, not new running shoes, unfortunately. This.

But we'll get to that. First, the race that got me here.

Way back five years ago, I married this guy. Don't we look so young and well rested?

For our 5th wedding anniversary I knew that we didn't need more "stuff," so instead I bought us registration for the Annapolis Classic Half Marathon. He's always wanted to run a half, I am practically addicted to race bling at this point, and Annapolis is the place we were married. Brilliant, right? Though our anniversary was Halloween, the race wasn't until November 22nd. Plenty of time to get a sitter, find somewhere to stay, and finish getting trained up.

One thing I didn't think about was the weather. End of November on the waterfront is COLD. I am entirely too non-committal to dress myself properly for running in these kind of temperatures. Do I wear this? Or this? Too much? Too little? It's enough to make me crazy. I settled on my new Under Armour Infrared hoodie and hat, Under Armour cold gear tights, and this sweet Bay Six shirt I got at the Diva's expo back in September. Finished off with Feetures socks and my good ol' Brooks, I was ready to roll.

When we arrived on Saturday morning, it wasn't nearly as crowded as we though it would be - there was a ton of signage, friendly volunteers, and parking was a breeze. Easy races are my favorite!

Here we are, bundled up at the starting line ready for 13.1 miles of freezing our butts off!

Truth be told, the weather didn't turn out to be too much of an issue. Our layers were good and kept us at the right temperature, especially once the sun came up into the cloudless sky. The sub-freezing temps did affect, however, the water stations. Carelessly tossed water + freezing temperatures = ice. Runners + ice = bad. I'm so grateful that I didn't fall, because normally I would have been one of the first ones to bite it. A huge thanks to the volunteers for trying their hardest to keep the ice melted! Not a fun job, but greatly appreciated.

Then there was the scenery; Annapolis. This was the reason I wanted to do this race. Annapolis is such a gorgeous city. The water, the boats, the bridges, and shops. Absolutely gorgeous. Part of the race took us down Main Street and across the water front, then over a few bridges.

Though we stopped for one pee break, we clocked in at just over 2 1/2 hours. I appreciate that Jeff stayed with me without complaint despite being a faster runner. Towards the end, he thanked me for pacing him and keeping him grounded; he realized that he probably would have blazed out in the beginning and been wrecked by the end. Ah, the run/walk method claims another supporter.

After our 13.1 mile date.

I even got jewelry out of the deal.

Thank you Annapolis Running Classic for a gorgeous race and sweet medal! We'll be back next year!


Onto the boot...

Most of Saturday I felt fine; the typical just ran 13.1 miles fatigue. The race was uneventful, pain wise. By Sunday morning, however, my left foot hurt something awful when I walked. Not when I stood, just when I walked. I stretched, I rubbed, I took meds - nothing helped. The first few steps didn't hurt, but as I kept walking it got to the point where I'd limp. Monday was awful at work, hobbling around the office to and from meetings. Tuesday morning I went to the doctor and Tuesday afternoon I was in x-ray. Though nothing definitive showed up on the x-ray, my doctor is fairly confident based on my symptoms that I have a 5th metatarsal stress fracture. Whomp whomp whomp.

The good news is that with the boot I can walk on it and it doesn't hurt. The bad news is that I'm out of running for at least three weeks. The other good news is that apparently this kind of injury heals quickly without much issue. I'm bummed that I can't run, but let's be honest, I wasn't exactly planning on doing a ton between Thanksgiving and Christmas anyway. I guess this is a good time as any to chill out.

So what is to become of Fitness Friday in the meantime? I've got a "Runner's Wish List" next week, my spring race list coming together (hopefully), as well as a cool review of the Hipster Running Dog Leash, courtesy of my still able bodied hubby. With our hot mess of a dog, this will be a fun one folks!

Stay warm out there, runners!

Hershey Half Marathon Recap

Yesterday I had the pleasure of running the 5th Annual Hershey Half Marathon, benefitting children at the Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital. Not only was this race kicked off by a pediatric patient receiving care at the hospital, but the entire atmosphere was cheerful, friendly, and supportive!

As I mentioned in my prep post on Saturday, we left super early in the morning - 5:15AM to be exact. I can't lie, getting up sucked, but waking up the kids was oddly satisfying since it's normally the other way around. Charlie was not a happy camper and laid on the couch in a ball asking to go back to bed. I knew how he felt, but at least he could sleep in the car.

After we were all dressed and ready, off we went. I love the amount of traffic on the roads at 5AM on a Sunday morning. The answer is "none." It was only when we approached the park that we ran into a bit of slow down. Having gone to Hershey Park many times, I was surprised (and slightly scared) to see that parking was a free for all instead of the highly structured system we typically see. We all survived, but I would have really appreciated some parking attendants waving people along into spots instead of having to do the aisle by aisle hunt for an opening.

Packet pick up began at 6AM and the race at 7:30AM, so arriving right around 6:30AM turned out to be perfect. When I stepped out of the car the wind nearly knocked me on my butt. It was FREEZING. I knew I'd be fine once the sun came up and I got moving, but holy moly. I seriously regret not bringing a pair of sweats to throw on over my tights until the race started! The kids were all bundled up in the stroller and, a fun fact for you, the My31 Stadium Blanket fits perfectly as a rain/wind shield over a double stroller!

We said our goodbyes and I headed over to the corrals. While they weren't well labeled or really enforced, I knew well enough to not be too close to the front. I wasn't a "walker" for the race, but I wasn't one of the spring chickens crowded at the front. Once the race started, it took about 2 minutes for me to actually cross the starting line. A race of 5,000 in a small space will do that to ya.

The first few miles felt AMAZING. The wind was pretty bad, but the sun came out and started to warm up. The pack started to thin out, but I found myself still in good company, meaning I wasn't falling to the way back. Around mile 2, I saw Jeff and the kids for the first time. They hauled ass from the start to the first spectator spot. Good thing too, I tossed my hat and gloves to him as I passed and rolled up my sleeves, finally getting comfortable.

The race course lead us through the town, through parts of Hershey Park (which was really neat!), and through the Milton Hershey School campus, where we were welcomed with tons of students cheering us on for miles. Their sports teams, marching band, clubs, and general students all lined up with signs and high fives - talk about encouraging!

Oh hey, Fahrenheit. Just passing through. 

At one point, around mile 7, I ran with a woman who had battled cancer and this was her first race back since going into remission earlier this year. Since the Hershey Half was the last race she ran before being diagnosed in the winter of 2012, she trained and trained to get back for this year's race. Talk about inspiring. The shirts and signs I saw today were wonderful. There was definitely the funny, cheeky ones, but I saw some really inspiring stuff. It's one of my favorite parts of running.

The other thing that kept me going was how many times I saw Jeff and the kids along the way. It had to be 4 or 5 times! He continued to run (with a front to back double stroller, no less) from spectator spot to spectator spot to see me pass by. By mile 11, I was hurting...bad. My feet and ankles felt great and my lungs were working for me, but my hips were on fire. Almost to the point of weakness. I've gotten that a few times when I've run; a stiff, locking pain down the front of my hips. I stopped to stretch several times, but the pain kept on. As I turned onto Chocolate Avenue and saw the hill ahead of me, I wanted to cry. Jeff saw me slowing down and yelled encouraging things to keep going. I only had a mile and a half left.

I did the math on my Garmin and realized that if I could keep my miles under 12 minutes, I could clear 2:30 - my goal. My previous half marathons were 2:51 and 2:52, so 2:30 was mighty ambitious, but I was on track for it. Looking at my splits, you'd never know I was struggling, which amazes me. I did mile 11 in 11:07, mile 12 in 10:52, and mile 13 in 11:31. All times I am very proud of.

I crossed the finish line with a final time of 2 hours 29 minutes and 39 seconds, taking over 22 minutes off my previous time.

As I came across the finish line, I noticed that everyone had these space looking foil blankets. I didn't need a blanket, I was hot as heck from running. Well, the second I stopped running I figured out why everyone had a blanket. BRRRRRR!! Those foil  blankets are my new favorite thing ever. Holy moly, are they warm.

For my previous two races, I felt like the miles dragged at times. This race was different for some reason. While the end was pretty tough, I feel like the miles flew by for the most part. I also never felt the need to turn on my iPod, only keeping the ear buds in to block the wind (which worked like a charm, by the way). Maybe it was the fun scenery or the friendly people? I don't care, it was awesome.

I hope to run the Hershey Half again next year. It was well organized, energetic, had a beautiful medal, and by darn, they had more than one flavor of Gatorade at hydration stations. Okay, maybe that last one isn't as important as others, but my hatred of lemon-lime is not a secret.

If you live anywhere remotely near the Hershey area, I highly recommend checking out the Hershey Half Marathon! It sells out fast, so register early in the summer to guarantee a spot!

A big thank you to Leslie from Greater Fitness for my awesome Hershey Kiss tutu! Leslie hand makes custom tutus to match any running outfit or costume you can dream up. I told her what I was going for, emailed her a picture of my shirt, and she sent me a coordinating tutu. Easy as that! Follow her on Facebook or Twitter and email her if you want information about your own custom tutu.

I Don't Want a Pinterest Craft Room

They say that if you have a pile of unfinished projects, you're a crafter. Or sewer. Or scrapbooker. Or knitter. The list goes on an on. The problem is when you live in an apartment with three other people and try to dabble in a little bit of everything. I'm fortunate to have a little corner for all of my crafty stuff, but I'm at the point where two things are happening; 1) There is so much stuff that I can't find anything 2) There is no room to work on things when I have time. I try my hardest to keep things organized and pretty, but the truth is that I just have too many projects on the list and not enough time.

My Aunt gave me excellent advice - pare down to one hobby you know you love and just do it.

It's true. I haven't touched yarn work (knitting or crocheting) in years. Why the heck do I still have supplies? I don't ever make greeting cards and while I do scrapbook for the kids, there is a bunch of stuff I could get rid of in that department too. And who needs this many glue sticks?!

Sewing. I love sewing and I miss it so very much. I have a piles of fabric, patterns, and good intentions. I could sew for a year straight and never run out of ideas. BUT my craft table is covered in other projects, ideas, and to be honest, junk. Time to destash, for real this time. I'm going to keep some of the general crafting things (paint, ribbon, glue, etc.), but the other hobbies sneaking into the craft area are getting out. Like this unnecessary pile of stickers. I know a few teachers who would make use of these.

The other part of this issue is function. When I set up the space, I was so focused on making it pretty, I missed the point. Hanging mason jars full of buttons and pins? A bouquet of crochet hooks in a little vase? A pile of strategically ordered books with a tchotchke on top?

C'MON.

Seriously, how the heck am I supposed to use the open space if there isn't any? It looks nice in pictures, but it was not useful at all. I ditched all of the mason jars and weird "organization" tactics and went for straight function. Labeled photo boxes, plastic storage tubs, and shelves. It's not pretty, but I know where everything is and I have an open space to work on. What's better than that? Pinterest is pretty, but not always functional - especially in such a small space.

Unfortunately, after 4 hours of organizing and cleaning, there isn't an "after" picture just yet. I don't know if there will ever be. It's not that it will never be clean and ready, it will be, but I don't know how much it will be to look at. I think that's the point though. I want/need a space where I can have a hobby, not a place to display all the craft supplies I'm not using. Hopefully, you'll be seeing a whole lot more tutorials like the good old days. I've got plenty of ideas, now it's time to do them.

My First Half Marathon!

I DID IT!! I ran 13.1 mother effing miles! My first half marathon is in the books and I could not be happier. No, not that it's done and over with, but that it happened. Racing is all so new to me, so I'm not exactly an expert at race recaps, but I'll try to cobble the day together for you.

This all started when Sarah told me she wanted to run my first half marathon with me, in celebration of my 30th birthday. She suggested the Diva's Half in DC since the course was great for first timers and, c'mon, there would be lots of pink, sparkles, and awesomeness. It was a little sooner than the half I planned to run in Hershey, but training worked out fine and after our 10 mile run a few weeks ago, I was ready.

This. Beautiful motivation. That medal would be mine!!

If you're not familiar with the DC area, there is this game they like to play when advertising events. When something says, "in DC" or "in the DC metro area," it could mean it's in the DC belt line, but more than likely it means somewhere in Maryland or Northern Virginia. In our case, the race was in "DC, j/k it's really in Northern Virginia wine country." Now, that was fine with us, just thought I'd share. ;-)

We drove down to Virginia on Friday night so we could pick up our race packets, check out the expo, and get some rest before the early morning start. The expo was small, but really neat. I picked up two awesome shirts and a quintessential running accessory.....the 13.1 sticker. I swear, expos do not cater to superstitious runners! I hated buying these things BEFORE I ran the race, but I had no choice!

After a little shopping and a delicious carb loaded dinner, we headed to the hotel to lay out our clothes for the morning and hit the sack.

One thing I never realized, a race that starts at 7:30AM requires you to be there at 6:30AM (and make that 6AM if you want to pee before you start!) That makes for a very early morning, which is not normally my forte. Somehow, I got my life together at 5AM and got ready to head out. I brought several things to wear; I wasn't sure what I wanted to run in. I decided on this and I'm so happy I did. I bought this shirt several months ago when I decided that I would be running the half. Aside from making me laugh, it's so true. This beast was on my bucket list and I had no idea when I wrote it that I would be crossing this off before so many other things.

After a very confusing trek through the dark, foggy wine country, we thanked the heavens we purchased VIP parking and got our butts to the race. After realizing the time had come and gone for us to wait on the massive bathroom lines, we found our corral and got ready.

Nerves. There was a sea of tutu clad women on all sides of me (and a few guys here and there). Everyone adjusting their headbands and skirts, fixing pony tails, and setting Garmins. I couldn't believe I was there. Six short months ago when I ran my first 5K, I would never have believed I would be doing this. Yet, there I was.

Wave one left and wave two scooted up towards the starting line. Wave two was announced and off we went.

As we got started, we refocused ourselves and talked about our goal - to finish with a smile. We ran the first mile at a solid, but slower pace. With 13 miles to knock down, there was no need to burn ourselves out. We stuck to a 2:1 run/walk interval and despite a few weird looks and one unnecessary (and slightly rude) comment from a woman sprinting by during mile one, we knew it was right and we were not the only ones run/walking.

Thanks to our planning, we were able to stick to mostly negative splits throughout the entire race. There were a couple of miles that included beastly hills that slowed us down a bit, but I am genuinely proud that at no point did I want to stop or give up. I felt strong and can honestly say that my last few miles felt as good as my first few.

Evil, evil hill around mile 6!

Over half way done!!

The course was nicely paved road that was closed off to cars, save for the occasional idiot who somehow missed the hundreds of women in costume running far as the eye could see. The mile markers were a relief to see as they passed and the water stations seemed to pop up just as I needed one. I definitely could have managed my bathroom breaks better, but hey, what can you do.

My favorite part of the race was the other runners. The kind words, the waves and head nods, the encouragement, the hilarious racing shirts, the inspiring quotes - it was awesome. One woman was running 7 months pregnant, another for a lost loved one. One runner I met, a man named Sid, had run hundreds of half and full marathons, wearing a different fallen solider's picture on his back for each race. The inspiration was incredible.

You know the days where you REALLY feel like you're living? This was one of those days.

The perfectly overcast day turned to drizzle as we rounded the course to the last half mile. We were speeding past other runners and I could hear the music and excitement at the end. At the 13 mile mark, with .1 mile to go, a team of volunteers handed out pink feather boas and tiaras. Then the last .1 mile. A distance I could hardly run with any kind of confidence less than a year ago.

The announcer called our names as we crossed the finish line. I threw my hands up and wanted to cry.  I had done it. I moved my body for 13.1 miles. What a feeling.

We finished in about 2 hours and 41 minutes. Not too bad for a crowded, hilly course. And as predicted, as soon as I was done and had gotten a bit of rest, I was back online looking for more races. I've got the bug.

I used to tell people who ran for fun that they were nuts. The truth of it is that yeah, we are kinda nuts. The thing I appreciate about running is just that; it has a mystery to it that you can only understand if you do it. It's such a simple thing, the simplest of things if you think about it. Movement, forward motion. It's what we're made for, so that's what I'll do.

A tremendous, unending thank you to Sarah. You are an incredible inspiration to me (and many others out there). I may have been able to physically run these miles without you, but without your motivation, positivity, and kindness, I would have had no idea what I was capable of achieving. The courage and confidence you helped me find has truly changed my life. You are a beautiful person, inside and out, and I'm so appreciative to have you as a friend.

Running Over Bumps in the Road

I know it's not Friday, but I'm going to write about running anyway. It's only Tuesday and I'm already bummed about what this week is going to look like for my half training. Between the weather outside, whatever I did to my ankle, and now a referral to the cardiologist, running is just not going to happen this week.

So, my ankle. What I thought was a bruise on my inner leg, just above my ankle, was actually a tendon getting angrier and angrier. After my 10 mile run last Friday night, it was NOT happy at all and the pain began to radiate down around my ankle to under my foot. Only then did I realize that it wasn't a bruise - it was my posterior tibialis tendon.

And now we're here. Using frozen veggies as an ice pack because ours have mysteriously gone missing. I know it's just a bit of tendonitis, but it still sucks. I can run, but need to be careful. In the meantime, it's a great time to try out some KT tape while rotating Tylenol and ice packs....errr, veggie packs.

Onto the heart. Now, understand this - up until a few months ago, the most exercise I got was straightening up the house after the kids went to bed. I was not in great shape at all. Now that I'm working out and running, I'm in much better shape. So someone explain to me why it's now that I start having weird heart issues?

I followed up with the doctor today about the 24 hour Holter monitoring last week and while my blood work was fine, apparently the lower chambers of my heart are beating faster than the upper half making for the fluttering flip flop feeling I've been getting. Onto a specialist for a stress test and possibly an echocardiogram.

Alright....cardiologist referral 11 days before my first half marathon. Yeah, I'm freaking out a little. This is the first thing in a very long time that I've really worked on and done for myself and I'm going to be disappointed (and pissed) if I'm benched while this all gets figured out. Realistically, all I can do is exercise within my limits and stick with it until I'm told otherwise. Here's to a quick cardio appointment with an easy fix for these flutters!

Fitness Friday: Double Digits & Sweat Pink!

I'll be honest. With how busy things have been around here coupled with the terrible, wet weather we've been having, I really haven't been running since the 10K at the beginning of the month. I feel....sluggish. The reality, however, is that I have a half marathon in ::does math:: really freaking soon. Two weeks and one day, to be exact. Basically, I need to get my ass in gear and jump back on the training wagon. My last long run was 8 miles, so tonight Sarah and I will be tackling 10. My first double digit run! Far from the first for her, however. I think she's just coming to make sure I don't die. ;-)

Despite the horrible training schedule I've been offering up to the running gods, I was accepted as a Sweat Pink Ambassador! Hooray for all things pink and tough and girly!

I love their mission...

"We believe that kicking ass is best done in pretty shoes. We’ve learned that real women sweat, and sweat hard. We know that assertiveness, strength, and ambition are the ultimate feminine qualities. We concede that sometimes it takes hours to get ready, but we’re also no strangers to just rolling out of bed and going. We’re convinced that we run faster in pink shoelaces. We believe in pushing ourselves, and we believe in giving ourselves a break, too. We’re all about the rush of endorphins and the thrill of the challenge. We’re all for looking great and feeling even better. We’re committed to finding our best fit, and making it stick."

Sweat Pink is part of the Fit Approach community; a community built on support for health and fitness of all types and levels. I'm so excited to be part of this community, represent Sweat Pink, and share my newbie running story with others! Check out the Sweat Pink community on the blog, follow on Twitter, and check out Facebook.

Armed with my fancy pink laces, I'm ready for tonight's run. Hopefully, I'll have good things to report for next week as I get closer to the big day!

No Wonder I'm Stressed

A few weeks ago, I got sick for the first time in a looong time. Probably since being pregnant with Ginny. I got full on, want to claw my throat out strep. Ugh. I don't know how kids deal with this kind of illness - I wanted to jump off a bridge. I have no idea if its related or I'm just using it as a timeline, but since then, seemingly out of nowhere, I've been getting this weird fluttering feeling in my chest.

Now, the hypochondriac in me has been fighting the urge to call on Dr. Google to diagnose, but so far I've held out. The thing I don't get is that it's not pain, it was just fluttering. I was able to run that 10K without a problem, so it can't possibly be my heart, right? For three weeks I chalked it up to stress. After all, things are....stressful. It's the busy season at work, Jeff still doesn't have a job, figuring out all the stuff with Ginny's doctors....it's been a tad hard on the emotions. The past few days, however, these flutters have been accompanied by a headache and a weird nausea that only lasts as long as the flutters. And at that point I called my doctor.

She checked me out and said my heart sounded fine, but wanted me to do 24 hours on a Holter monitor just to be safe. Alright, I can get behind that. She also told me that she wanted to do blood work to check my thyroid. I explained that the other doctor had checked it back in the winter (when I was dead tired all the time, like 1st trimester level of tired) and said it was fine. After double checking it, she said that it was technically fine, but that my T3 and T4 levels were one point above the bottom of the range and should have been followed up on. Oh, well that's nice to know! So between the flutters, fatigue, difficult weight loss, and a few weird hormone things, it could be my thyroid. OR I could just be crazy. At least I know it's one of those options. Updates to come, I suppose.

My doctor's appointment was not the only one yesterday. Charlie also went to the pediatrician, this time for his eyes. We've noticed him squinting at things and one eye drifting a little when he looks over his shoulder. Not sure what's going on, but he was referred to a specialist to figure it out. So, between his immunology referral and this eye referral on top of Ginny's urology referral, let's just say the referral coordinator at the pediatrician and I are on a first name basis. :-/ At least my insurance is accommodating these requests, right? There's always a bright side.

In the meantime, there's lots of waiting for appointments and test results. At least everyone is (relatively) healthy in the meantime.

Fitness Friday: My First 10K!

Scratch another thing off my 30 in 30 list! It's been a few weeks, but on Saturday, August 9th, I ran my first 10K race! The Penn State Hershey Chocolate Tour combines two wonderful things, running and chocolate, and all to benefit the Penn State Hershey Melanoma Center. My third race in all, it was a lot of fun despite being on an ugly hot, humid day.

The race day included a 10K walk, 10K run, and then bike races of various lengths. I hitched a ride with Sarah, Matt, and Julie to Hershey, which was helpful since I'm still a newb and Sarah and Matt are pros at this whole race thing. After the riders left, we got registered (complete with our neon yellow t-shirt and post-race ice cream coupon) and got ready to roll.

I took a shot in the dark and guessed I'd finish in about 1:10, since that was my 6 mile time a few weeks ago. The route was a nice figure 8 around the Milton Hershey campus, which is beautiful and relatively flat, but pretty boring. Corn field, house, house, corn field, farm, house, farm, house, repeat. Like I said, it was beautiful, don't get me wrong, but a little more scenic entertainment would have been nice!

The most exciting part of the day, geeky enough, was that I got to try out my new Garmin Forerunner 220 for a long run/race. This thing is amazing and I am so glad I saved up for it. It was super easy to set up, syncs to my computer without a problem, and is so much more convenient than pulling my phone out of my waist pouch all the time. I can easily see my pace, time, splits, etc. right on my wrist and it also has an alert (sound and/or vibrate) that I can customize for run/walk intervals. Brilliant!

My watch worked perfectly throughout the race and was super comfortable. I need to learn not to look at it so much though; a watched pot never boils. I need a wrist band to cover it that says, "Don't worry about it. Just run."

Having run 6 miles only one other time before, I was surprised how well things went. I definitely started having the, "WTF are you doing? This is ridiculous." thoughts around mile 3, but just kept running. I am still listening to Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children on my iPod as I run, so that kept me occupied as the sunny miles wore on. There were water/chocolate tents at each mile marker giving out bottled water and chocolate to the runners. I definitely took advantage of the water, but cannot imagine eating more than a Hershey Kiss while running! I downed at least two bottles of water and am still not sure how I didn't have to stop to pee. Porta-pots are a mighty strong motivation to hold it.

The last mile was rough and I admittedly took it easy. It was only about 80 degrees, but there was not a cloud in the sky and the humidity was just hanging in the air. I came across the finish line to happily see a 1:09:47 on the clock. A fraction of a second under my predicted time -- I'll take it. I averaged an 11:11 pace and had relatively good splits.

Happy finisher!

After some post-race chocolate and Turkey Hill ice cream, we put in another 2 miles to keep up with training for the Run Like a Diva half on September 13th. The crazy part? I didn't even hurt the next day. Whoa.

Despite the disgusting weather, this was a really fun race. I felt good and was really happy I did it. Good race with good friends. I can't wait for the next one!

Fitness Friday (on Thursday): Safety with Road ID

Now that I'm really getting into my half marathon training, I've been running longer distances than the 2-3 miles I was doing when I first started. It was easy to do a few quick laps around the neighborhood walking path and call it a day. Doing 7 miles of that, however, would be a boring, boring nightmare. I've found a lot of really great runs around town, but it's been a little nerve wracking going out so far by myself. A good friend of mine, and soon to be marathon runner, suggested that I get a Road ID. A what ID?

Born from Edward Wimmer's dangerously close call while running one day, Road ID was inspired by the concern his father, Mike Wimmer, had while Edward was training for his first marathon. The idea to have important identifying and medical information available in an obvious and accessible place should something happen, is nothing short of simple brilliance. Still run by Edward and Mike, Road ID has received countless thank you's and testimonials over their 15 year span and I can understand why. 

Whenever Jeff or I go out to run, day or night, we always tell each other to be careful...and worry anyway. Obviously this snazzy looking band isn't going to prevent an accident, BUT it will provide incredibly helpful information to EMS quickly, saving precious time in an emergency situation. 

Our bands (of course I got a pink one) were easily customized on Road ID's website - I think it took me 10 minutes to order them. Once you choose between the original version or the interactive version (compare them here), pick a size, and the type of band you want, you can begin plugging in your information. At first, I wasn't sure what information would be best to add, but their easy to follow guide gave suggestions for what each line should contain. There was even a long list of one line, inspirational quotes to add if I had extra space. 

On my band, I included:

Full Name

Town, State

Jeff (555-555-5555) Husb

Chris (555-555-5555) Sis

DOB Year

No Allergies, B+ Blood

This will allow someone to know who I am, where I belong, two options for emergency contacts and who they were, my age, and that I have no allergies and my blood type. Six lines of info - that is huge! I really think when Ginny gets to the age of needing a medical alert band that I will get her one of these to wear. It's comfortable, inexpensive, and has the ability to contain a huge amount of information. 

I think Jeff and I both feel a little more at ease when the other goes out for a long run, especially as the days get shorter and visibility becomes poorer in the evenings. In addition to the wrist bands, Road ID also has a selection of visibility gear such as reflective bands, tape, and laces.

To check out their website, click the affiliate link below!

Aside from wearing high visibility colors and reflective gear, here are other ways to stay safe while running...

• Avoid using noise canceling head phones or keep one ear bud pulled out so you can hear traffic around you. 
• Always run against traffic. Even if a driver is distracted, you will see them before something happens.
• Side walks aren't automatically safe - pay attention to driveways, hidden alleys, entryways, etc. as you run along. 
• Follow traffic signals and laws. Yes, pedestrians have the right of way, but dodging through traffic or running through "do not walk" signs is just unsafe. 
• Anticipate blind curves and steep hills where cars may not be able to see you as clearly. 

Luck favors the prepared, so be as prepared as you can be!

Blogger Bash Recap!

A few months ago, I mentioned that I was planning on going to my first blogging conference - Blogger Bash NYC. Between the trip to NYC, the fun events, and free swag, I was pumped to go. Little did I know how much I would actually get out of this two day event.

Blogger Bash is the brainchild of six brilliant women who know what it takes to network and use social media to the max. With the recognition that parent bloggers are some of the most influential forces in media, the Blogger Bash team built a two day conferencing opportunity for bloggers from around the country to gather, learn, and network with some of the biggest brands around. A combination of lectures, round tables, and expo settings provided a huge opportunity, to even small time bloggers like me, to make once in a life time connections with companies I would otherwise have no access to like Lego, LeapFrog, Disney, Crayola, Fisher Price, and more.

Credit: Janice Croze for Blogger Bash

Credit: Janice Croze for Blogger Bash

Wow. Right?

Let me tell you, after two days I had a fist full of business cards, about 15 miles put on my shoes, and a powerful need to take a nap. After I recovered from my networking hangover, I took a little time to go through all of the material I'd gathered up and realized that not only did I have a list of brand reps I was super excited to contact, but I had connected with a ton of other women; about blogging, about parenting, about working....so many things. Some we just chatted about our kids and whether our husbands were surviving being at home with them, others gave me a pep talk that it's "not all about numbers." Either way, it was the first time I was around that many women, that many Moms, and didn't feel like it was a competition. There was smiling, there was sharing, there was kindness.

Now that I'm getting all misty, onto the rest of the event!

One of the larger events during the conference was called Sweet Suite. What a blast! Sweets, treats, and toys galore. I absolutely loved seeing all of the fun, new products and toys brought by the various brands and representatives! There was SO much to see! The people representing each brand were a ton of fun to talk to and I was so impressed at their ability to talk to nine billion eager bloggers and not lose their minds!

Credit: Janice Croze for Blogger Bash

But seriously, how often do you get to play without the kids around (and without getting funny looks from strangers....) There was video games, board games, coloring, stuffed animals....the works.

Credit: Janice Croze for Blogger Bash

Credit: Janice Croze for Blogger Bash

In addition to Sweet Suite, there were several other events including BabyPalooza, a brand "speed dating" session, meeting Anne Geddes (!!!), lots and lots of delicious treats, a Back to School Party hosted by KizVuz, and more. I can't even begin to describe it all. Not to mention more tweeting, instagramming, and facebooking than I've ever done in my life!

Check out the BabyPalooza interview with Anne Geddes below!

Credit: Justin Lee of Josh Strauss Studios

I can't say thank you enough to the women who worked, what had to have been hundreds of hours, to make this happen. For me, this was so much more than the business cards and free stuff. For the first time, I was immersed in the blogging community in a real way; not staring at avatars on a screen. I cannot wait to continue my contacts with everyone I met and truly see what I am capable of achieving.

Want to see more post recaps and pictures from Blogger Bash and Sweet Suite, BabyPalooza, and KizVuz? Check out the link up at A Grande Life!