Jingle Jog 5k recap

I'm still trying to play catch up on my blog.  As I mentioned in my last blog post, I started a new job and my hours haven't exactly been consistent, so it's been hard for me to sit down and write up some blog posts.  

Last month I decided to run the Jingle Jog 5k in Cumming.  I ran this a couple of years ago and, while the course is a bit hilly (hey, it is Georgia) I wanted to see how I would do since my 5k time had been consistently improving.

I was fortunate enough to get a bib through J's company (thanks Hansgrohe!).  

As tradition has it (and to make it easier when I get up in the morning) I lay out Flat Jen - it made me laugh that I ended up with Bib 1....ha!

The race was only about 5 minutes from my house (yay for local races!) and it had a later start time, so I always welcome getting a few extra minutes of sleep.  Parking was super easy, and I had some time to stop by the Hansgrohe water table to chat with them as well as walk around to check out the fun outfits people were wearing.

 

As I walked around the race area, I heard someone yell "JEN!"  I turned around and saw my sweet friend, Zoila, and her hubby, Chris (who I went to college with).  




I hadn't see her since the Peachtree Road Race so it was wonderful to catch up with her!  Chris was running with some of his Army buddies, so Zoila decided to join me.  The only goal I had for this race was a course PR, and Zoila wanted to push herself a little more.

The race started right on time, and we were off!  Within the first half mile you go up a decent hill, but we stuck with our intervals and made it up.  The course has rolling hills (as do most race courses in Georgia) but we kept a good pace and enjoyed each others company.  The volunteers on the course were great, but there were some super creepy looking "gnomes"...they reminded me of a bad version of the dwarves from "Snow White".  I didn't get to take a picture of them, but just trust me on this one...

The nice thing about going up hills is that you have to come down, and we had a very nice downhill finish.  Once we crossed the finish line i saw that I got a 6 minute PR!  We walked up and got our shirts, some water, and then hung out for a bit.  One of our OTF members was also running so I walked back to the finish line to try and see her finish, but sadly I missed her! :( 

 

Although the website said "No dogs allowed", there were a couple of cute pups who trekked the 3.1 miles with their humans.

Local races are always fun to do, and this is one that I really enjoy.  I'll be back again next year gunning for that PR!

Did you do a Christmas race this year?  

Until next time,


 
 

Esprit de She Atlanta 5k recap

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!

Until next time,

Disneyland Half Marathon Packing Vlog

Hey guys!

Soooo….I kind of leave for Disneyland in EIGHT DAYS!!!!  I cannot believe the time is almost here!!!

I’ve started to get my things together and pack, and had a crazy idea to do a vlog…my FIRST vlog….was a little scary but I did it and now I’m posting it for the interwebz to see. 

So here it is…check out my “must have” racecation items!

Just a couple of things to add that I left out -

ALWAYS pack your race clothes into your carry on bag.  If you check your luggage and it gets lost, you could be up the creek without a paddle.  You don’t want to run in any new clothing or shoes for the first time at a race, so make sure you have these!  Everything else you could buy once you arrive.

Also, I like to make sure that my KT Tape sticks to my skin by using alcohol and hair spray before applying.  Make sure that your skin is clean and wipe the area down with alcohol and allow it to dry.  Then, spray on the hairspray (aerosol works the best) and allow it to dry, then apply the tape.  You can purchase small spray bottles to fill with alcohol and travel size hairspray to take with you.

I am so unbelievably excited!  Hopefully we'll see what fun merchandise will be for sale at the expo :) I hope to see YOU there, too!

Did I leave anything out?  What's something you would add to the list?

2015 Peachtree Road Race recap

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?  

 

Georgia Publix Half Marathon Expo & Race recap

This past weekend I ran my second half marathon....just 3 weeks after my first one.  A little crazy?  Maybe...

I got to the expo Saturday morning as soon as it opened to beat the crowds.  I also wanted to get my knees taped up by the fabulous people at the KT Tape booth, and their line tends to get long as the day goes by.  After getting taped, I picked up my race packet and meandered around the expo for awhile.  I had plans to meet up with a couple of Twitter friends at the runDisney booth, so I had some time to kill.

While waiting for them, I stopped and chatted with Dane from See Dane Run.  He ran 52 marathons in 52 weeks, all while working a full time job!  Now running is not only a job, but a passion for him.  He was a lot of fun to talk to, and I bought one of his books.  If you're reading this, hey Dane!

I met Jenn and Patrick, a couple of Team #runDisney members for a quick picture at the runDisney booth -

And stopped off at the Spartan Race booth for some fun!

Once we were done checking out the expo, we headed to Antico Pizza for some lunch and lots of laughs. 

Now...for RACE DAY!!

I got to the World of Coca-Cola at around 6 a.m. to get a group picture with the members of Team #runDisney before the race.  I headed into the park and ran into Ramona and her boyfriend and chatted with them for awhile before heading to my starting corral.  As I was walking that way, I ran into Leigh, a Twitter friend, and we decided to start the race together.

The race started, and we headed down through Georgia State University's campus.  We got close to mile 2 and I had to make a bathroom stop, so Leigh went ahead and I told her I would catch up.  The crowd support was awesome throughout the whole race.  I kept plugging along and made it to the Jackson Street Bridge and got the money shot of the day-

Soon we passed Ebenezer Baptist Church and The King Center -

I loved the different neighborhoods that the course took us through.  The Old Fourth Ward was probably one of my favorite cheer stations.  They had some pretty awesome signs -

 We ran into Inman Park followed by Little 5 Points -

Something new to the course (and new to me) were food stations.  There were two along the half marathon course, and the first one had Jelly Belly jelly beans!  Don't mind if I do!

By this time (just before mile 6) I had FINALLY caught up with Leigh!  We started talking and came to find out that she used to live in the same town I grew up in, AND I graduated with her sister-in-law.  What a small world!

I made sure to go the right way!!  We kept chugging along, talking the whole way.  It was nice to have some company.  It was around this time that my feet started to hurt...when we got near and into Piedmont Park.  (The same thing happened to me during the Princess half marathon!).  Going through the park was nice, and CBS Atlanta had a well manned cheer and water station.  Once we got out of Piedmont Park, O.M.G.  It was almost all uphill for the rest of the race!

Shortly after, we got onto the Georgia Tech campus.  Too bad I wasn't wearing my UGA gear...I'm sure that would have gone over well.  We passed Bobby Dodd stadium and some other Tech landmarks that I'm not familiar with :)

Just before their water station was another food station, this time with M&M's.  I grabbed a cup as well as some water and Powerade (I did this at just about every station to make sure I stayed hydrated).  I've gotta give it to the Techies...they had a good cheer section.

Leigh caught up to me here (I had run ahead just before Piedmont Park) and I could barely keep up with her walking...my feet were killing me!!  We came up on a photo op and had a little fun-

I was shooting for a 3 hour finish, but with the hills, hardly any runs between the Princess half and this one, and my feet killing me, I knew it wasn't going to happen.  The hubby texted me and told me to let him know when I was rounding the corner to finish.  The rest of the way to the finish was uphill, so I decided to walk and conserve my energy so I could run to the finish line.

As I turned the corner to the finish I started looking for the hubby and found him...he was videoing me finishing the race. :)  He snagged this picture from the video -

As I headed to the finish I picked up to a sprint and passed a few people just before the finish line - I actually really like my finisher photo!

I had done it...finished my second half marathon AND have a new PR - 3:18!  That's a 19 minute PR off of the Princess half, and I know I can do better.  Now I have a new goal!

Leigh and Marie waited for me at the finish (they finished a couple of minutes ahead of me) and we went to get our medals, water, and chocolate milk.

The hubby found me, and we made a quick stop by the Information Tent so I could exchange my race shirt - they gave me the wrong size by mistake at packet pick up, and the shirt ran SUPER small!  Then we walked toward the food tent where we ran into Patrick and some other Team #runDisney members, so we decided to get another picture, complete with our finisher medals.

Overall, I really enjoyed this race.  It was well organized, the course was great, and I hope to get revenge on it next year and tackle those hills!

Like my headband?  Look for a giveaway this weekend and you could win one!

Until next time,

Jen