I'm so excited to announce that for the 4th year in a row I have been selected to be an ambassador for the Esprit de She race series!
It's been such an honor to represent this series since they first started back in 2013. They have a great message to send and it's been really cool to see them grow!
If you're looking for a great race experience for runners of all ages and fitness levels, this is definitely one to zero in on! Before the race starts, you can walk around the marketplace and check out the different vendors, or stop by the beauty bar and get your hair braided or a mini massage to loosen up those muscles!
After the race is over, head into the Park Tavern's Southwest Porch and grab some SUPER tasty treats! This past year we noshed on veggies and hummus, wraps, and spinach artichoke dip! Don't forget to swing by the Bubbly Bar for a glass of wine to toast your race!
They know how to treat a girl right! They always have a great race goodie bag and finisher shirts...and new this year for Atlanta, all finishers will receive a finisher's medal with a removable charm! You can flaunt your medal after the race and have a small keepsake to wear every day to remind you of your race experience!
The Esprit de She race series offers many races across the country...even a few triathlons and duathlons along with running events! You can check out where they'll be here.
The ladies at Esprit de She were nice enough to give me a discount code to share with my readers...it gets you $5 off and it's good for ANY of their races!
Check them out and join me at the Esprit de She Atlanta 5k/10k on Thursday, November 3rd!
I have had the privilege of serving as an ambassador for the Esprit de She Atlanta race
since it first came to Atlanta in 2013. That year it was chilly and SUPER
windy! In 2014, I was unable to run as I was at Walt Disney World for the Wine
and Dine half marathon. But in 2015 I was ready to run again! The awesome people at Lifetime and Gildan sure did know how to treat the ambassadors. A couple
of months before the race, I got a surprise pink package stuffed with shirts,
socks, a hoodie, water bottle, and other goodies from Gildan!
Race day came and I wasn’t feeling super confident. The weather was a little
dreary but luckily, it ended up being a great night! I recruited one of my OTF
friends, Kimberly, to run the race “with” me (she’s faster than I, so we started
together and she waited for me at the finish).
We arrived with time to spare before the race, so we checked out all the
pre-race areas – they sure know how to make a girl feel special! There was a
“marketplace” full of vendors…Gildan, Girls on the Run, Aspire Beverage, Yoplait, Sunset Grown, and a beauty bar where you could get a mini massage, a manicure,
and/or your hair done for the race! They also provided a super easy and convenient bag drop off inside the
Southwest Porch at the Park Tavern, which was great as it was nice to have
something a little warm to put on after the race was over! I got the opportunity to meet Abby, the National Brand manager and one of our
ambassador contacts for the Esprit de She race series! It was great talking to
her and hearing her passion for the race as well as to hear inspirational
stories of women who had participated in their various events throughout the
year across the country.
Before we knew it, it was time for the race to begin! Esprit de She brought in
a very entertaining Zumba instructor to lead us in a warm-up. I most certainly
do NOT have the moves he does, but I had fun attempting them :)
After warm up was done, we lined up in the corral. There were a lot of women
who were running their first 5k! It’s such a great first step and a huge
accomplishment. I remember running my first one and am thankful for taking that
step in life.
Soon, we were off! The course was fairly well lit…there were a few dark spots
but I just slowed down when I felt like I needed to…my biggest fear was slipping
on wet leaves as it had rained the entire day before. I stuck with my intervals
and felt great during the whole race. The course winds through Piedmont Park
with very little incline. It’s mostly on a paved road/trail but there is a
small part of it on a gravel/dirt trail. I kept going back and forth with a woman in front of me and made it my goal to finish before her. As I approached the finish line I kicked it up a notch and managed to pull ahead!
After crossing the finish line I went to turn off my GPS and noticed my
time…could it be? Did I just PR? WOW!
Considering the conditions I was crazy proud of myself! It was the 2nd time I’d
PRed the 5k in 3 weeks! This called for a celebration, so Kimberly and I headed
into the Southwest Porch to grab some food, take some pictures and redeem our
free drink from the bubbly bar.
We also walked around a little more and checked out some of the awesome vendors
they had. Those tomatoes were AMAZING! They also had a pizza but we missed out
on trying a slice of that. Oh well! I highly recommend checking out Aspire
Beverages…it’s a sports drink with much less sugar than Gatorade or Powerade…I
loved it and will be getting some of my own soon!
We had a great time at this year’s Esprit de She Atlanta 5k/10k race! It’s a
great event to get a bunch of your best running friends together, run a race,
and party it up afterward!
Next year’s race will be on Thursday, November 3rd, at Piedmont Park again.
Mark it on your calendars and sign up today! Use my referral code “EDS015” too for $5 off any registration in the United States!
Thanks for another great race, Esprit de She…see ya again next year!
Exactly one month ago today I was running down Peachtree Street with 54843 of my closest friends. This race is one that I think everyone should do at least once. The atmosphere is simply amazing, and what better way to kick off your holiday than to run (or walk!) a race?
I had been stalking the weather for about a week and knew the chance for rain was pretty high. After running Wine and Dine (aka "Splash and Dash") last November I was at least prepared with what to do.
I didn't go to the expo but my friend, Ramona, was kind enough to pick up my race packet for me :)
The night before was a perfect evening. The hubby, Guinness, and I walked up the road to watch the fireworks the city was shooting off at the fairgrounds. It was nice not to have to worry about traffic and crowds of people.
We got home and I did my usual pre-race tradition of laying out "Flat Jen" - I absolutely love my new InknBurn Patriotic tank!
I also collected a towel, change of clothes, and my Oofos to throw in my car since it was pretty evident that I would be soaking wet after the race. The next morning I overslept a bit, but nothing too bad. It actually worked out to my advantage! The drive to MARTA was quick and easy and I jumped right onto a train. As I walked to the starting line I was just in time to see the elite athletes participating in the Peachtree Cut to start the race!
About 10 minutes later I made it to my corral. I kind of hung out and then slowly made my way into the crowd, where I ran into my friend, Zoila. We chatted and decided that we just wanted to have fun and enjoy the race, so we ran together. It was good to catch up with her as we hadn't seen each other in quite some time!
Finally our corral made it to the start line. Due to the rain, they had taken down the huge American flag that usually hangs down over the runners. Just as we were crossing the start line, a HUGE bolt of lightning struck and everyone simultaneously gasped. They delayed the race as our corral went off, but we just missed getting pulled off the course (we didn't see anymore lightning after the first strike).
Despite the weather, there were TONS of spectators out, cheering and having a great time with the runners. One of my favorite spots on the course is by the Catholic church. The priest stands in the road and throws holy water on the runners. Even though we were soaked from head to toe by the rains from the heavens, we managed to get some of his water on us as well.
I didn't take any pictures during the race as I didn't want to chance damaging my new phone (again...long story). We had a great time, despite the rain...it definitely didn't dampen our spirits.
Once we crossed the finish line and received our coveted t-shirt, we went our separate ways. I headed over to the Atlanta Track Club members only area at the Park Tavern to find a dry place to text the hubby and let him know that I was done and to snap a post-race photo...still smiling!
Soon after I headed back to MARTA...most of my friends had either left or I couldn't get in touch with them, so I decided to leave. At least I was able to grab a seat on the train and chill out on the way back to where I parked. Before heading home, I made a pit stop -
Yay for a free Starbucks reward coffee! It was much needed as I was chilled to the bone!
Even though it rained the whole race I still had a fantastic time. You have to make the best out of a situation that's out of your hands, and we definitely made lemonade outta lemons for this race. :) I'm ready to run it again next year and continue the tradition! Absolutely loved the race shirt design this year, too!
You may have noticed a small addition to my bib - a 4-H clover. I have a very dear friend, Dr. Bo, who had run the past 25 Peachtree Road Races, but had to miss this year due to going through cancer treatments. I have known him for years as he was the State 4-H leader here in Georgia when I was growing up. We reconnected at a race back in 2012 and I currently serve on the Georgia Master 4-H Board with him. When I learned that he would not be able to run this year, I knew I had to run "for" him. So I came up with the idea of the 4-H clover and wrote this on my hand -
It's a little smudged from the rain but it says "#Run3rd Dr. Bo". He is a very inspirational man, and I was happy to do this for him. I happened to see him the following week and he told what I did touched his heart.. I am happy to say that his latest tests show no signs of cancer!!
If you are unfamiliar with #Run3rd, it started as a Twitter campaign by actor Sean Astin, who is a long distance runner himself. The meaning behind #Run3rd is that I first run for myself, second for my family, and third for you. Members of the #Run3rd campaign often dedicate their runs to friends, family, and complete strangers. If you want to find out more, check out their blog here.
Is there a race that is a tradition for you to run?
Since I registered for the Disneyland half marathon a little late, I panicked a bit since I hadn't run a 10k race since the 2014 Peachtree Road Race. When I entered my finish time on the runDisney proof of time page, I was not pleased with my estimated finish time for the half. I started looking frantically for a 10k race that I was in town for and thought I was out of luck...
...until I saw a post in one of my Facebook running groups. There was a 10k race on Saturday , May 30th! Talk about getting one in just in the nick of time! I immediately signed up, hoping for the best for the race.
Race day came, and I woke up with a very unhappy stomach. I was not feeling very confident about the race, but I knew it was my last chance, and even if I shaved off a couple of minutes from my proof of time, it would be better than what I already have, right?
The race was in Roswell, GA and started and ended at a Catholic church. The race benefits the work of the Ghana Friendship Project's work. It helps to supply medical and health care supplies, educational material and clothing to the people of Ghana.
Getting to the race was super easy. I arrived at around 6:30 and had plenty of time to grab my bib and shirt, walk back to my car to get ready, and get to the finish line. I kind of liked that I didn't have a lot of time to stand around. I went to the race solo so I took some time to give myself a little pep talk (and a couple of pictures)
The race started promptly at 7 a.m. and we were off! The weather was perfect....low 60s and overcast. The humidity was a little high but the cool temperatures helped. I wasn't able to find my interval timer the night before so I depended on my Garmin to tell me when to run and walk. As the race started I skipped over the intervals until I got away from the crowd. Mile 1 felt pretty good. During mile 2 I started to struggle mentally and actually considered cutting my race short and making the turnoff for the 5k course.
But I didn't.
I pushed through and kept going. Mile 2 I slowed down a bit, but really picked it up the rest of the race. We ran for about a mile on a dirt road, which my knees enjoyed. At this point in the race I started to make it a goal to pick people off in front of me. Each time I passed the person in front of me I aimed to pass the next. During mile 4, I realized that I could actually PR my 10k time. I kept with my intervals and was shocked at the average pace per mile each time. As we came up on the finish line I really kicked it into gear. There was a nice little downhill toward the finish line and I sprinted toward it. When I stopped my watch, I was at 1:16:55...a new PR! I haven't PRed a 10k in over 2 years, so I was absolutely ecstatic with myself.
I grabbed a bottle of water and saw runners with freeze pops, so I scoped them out at the refreshment table and snagged an orange one. So tasty after the race!
I was shocked when I looked at my splits....with the exception of mile 2, I had all negative splits! Usually I get slower as the race goes on, but to run faster? Go me! When I got home I immediately entered my new proof of time into the runDisney website and was much happier with their estimated finish time for me.
I have to give so much credit to my trainers at Orangetheory Fitness. I haven't run outside much lately...the only runs I've been doing have been on the treadmill during our workouts. My workouts have really helped build my endurance and got me here. I really got back my love of running during this race and I am already looking forward to meeting up with some friends on Saturday morning and getting some more miles in.
If you're looking for a great 10k race, I highly recommend the River Run for Hope. Flat, fast course and it supports a great organization. I'll definitely put this race on my calendar to run again.
Wow...so LOTS of info has surfaced in the past two days about the Disneyland half marathon weekend, and I must say, all the buzz about it on Facebook and Twitter is making it very hard to concentrate today!!
I'll be in Corral D! If you're in that corral as well please join in on the fun! I'll reveal my costume a week or so before the race so you know what to look for.
Waivers and Authorization forms are up, just in case you need someone to pick up your bib for you. I'll be helping out my roommates with this task while they enjoy all that Los Angeles has to offer them!
I was reading through the final race instructions for the Dumbo Double Dare as I was concerned how they would verify that you completed both races of the challenge, and luckily it was explained here. A few months back in one of the Facebook groups I'm a member of, someone was talking about how they would register for a challenge and skip the first race, complete the second and still get their challenge medal. This infuriated me...I'm training hard to complete this challenge and I know there are so many people out there who actually want to run both races, and to have someone half ass it and expect their challenge medal rubbed me the wrong way.
If you are completing the Dumbo Challenge, you will receive one bib to wear for both races. Once you complete the 10k, you will receive a wristband. After completing the half marathon the next day, you will trade your wristband in for the Dumbo Challenge medal. I was really relieved to read this and wonder if they have always done it this way for Goofy's Challenge or if it was something new.
You can find the race program, virtual goodie bag, final race instructions, and tons of other information on runDisney's website.
I am so incredibly excited and really hope to meet some of you there!
Thank you everyone for entering my giveaway! You had some really inspiring stories, and no matter how far you've run, all distances are something to be proud of.
I hope everyone is having a good week. My parents are coming over tonight to pick up their dog, Rocky, and we're grilling steaks for dinner. Looking forward to seeing them.
Dumbo training is going okay. I will post my recap of the Possum Trot 10k tomorrow or Thursday. Tonight is a run night, but with my parents coming I'm going to push it to tomorrow. Some of my friends moved back to Georgia from Florida, so we're going to go for a run on Thursday after work. I'm looking forward to seeing her!
Today definitely deserves a second post....because today runDisney revealed the medals for the Disneyland half weekend, including the new Dumbo Double Dare and Disneyland 10k medals!!
I am absolutely LOVING the colorful Dumbo medal!! I'll be getting the first three, PLUS my Coast to Coast medal -
PLUS, my Three Little Pigs Challenge medal!
This is going to be an epic weekend with some absolutely fun loving running friends!
I can't believe I forgot to write a post about this!
A few weeks back I talked about registration for runDisney's inaugural Dumbo Double Dare. With this being an inaugural race as well as the newly added 10k, it was sure to be a big hit...and with the Dumbo Challenge selling out in ONE HOUR, followed by the 10k and the half marathon...they were sold out in 24 hours! Well...I was lucky enough to get registered for it!
I've never been to Disneyland so I am really looking forward to this trip! My 409 friend and the one responsible for getting me into Disney races, Amanda, will be making the trip with me as we head out to California Labor Day weekend, along with two of her friends (who I will be meeting at the Princess half in a few weeks!), for a fun girls "racecation"!
Super stoked about this trip for another reason - Disney is known for having some pretty awesome medals to give out. Not only will I be receiving a medal for the 10k, half marathon, and the Dumbo Challenge, but I will also be earning my Coast to Coast medal!
If you aren't familiar with runDisney, the Coast to Coast challenge is earned when you complete a race at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World in the same calendar year. Since I will be running the Princess half in a few weeks, this will qualify me for the challenge!
Now to start thinking of costumes for the 10k and half marathon...
Will you be traveling to Disneyland for the Dumbo Challenge? Would love to meet some of you there!
