A couple of weeks ago my friend, Jill, suggested that we host a #WeRunSocial meet up at the Georgia Publix half/full marathon expo. With the help of myself and our friend, Brandi, it became a reality....and a huge success!
Photo credit: Jill and Angela
We decided to meet outside a Starbucks....only Brandi discovered that it was now a Chick-Fil-A! With a quick shout out on our Facebook event page, everyone still made it :) There were a lot of hugs, selfies, and cookies consumed.
Photo credit: Jill (@mrscrashmattb) and Abs
Photo credit: Angela & Matthew
Photo credit: Angela
We gave away some awesome prizes - PRO compression socks, INKnBURN gift certificates, a Starbucks gift pack, Road ID credits, Sparkly Soul headbands and hair ties, and the item everyone wanted - a pretty sweet Miznuo gift pack! We were like Oprah giving out the prizes....EVERYONE left with something!
Photo credit: Brandi (@FunnerRunner)
Of course, with most things...picture or it didn't happen, so we had to get a group photo before everyone dispersed.
Photo credit: Jill (@mrscrashmattb)
The first #WeRunSocial Atlanta meet up was a success! Jill, Brandi, and I thank everyone for coming and we hope to be able to host another one in the near future! If you've never heard of #WeRunSocial, you can read about about them here. Also make sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Have you been to a #WeRunSocial meet up? Until next time,
I love buying gifts for my family and friends. There’s something so
satisfying about picking out a gift for someone and seeing them light up when
they open it. There are so many fantastic products out there for runners, and I
wanted to share some that are on my Christmas list with you!
PRO Compression socks
This is my go-to brand of socks…whether I’m out and about running errands or I’m
sweating it out at OTF or the open road, I always have a pair of PRO compression
socks on. Not only are they great for your feet both during workouts and for
recovery, they also have super fun colors and designs! I’m loving the December
Sock of the Month – they will be perfect for those holiday runs and workouts!
Unfortunately these sold out in about 3 hours! Make sure to subscribe to their
emails so that you won’t miss out on the next “Sock of the Month”
These are so fun, versatile, and go with ANYTHING in your closet. I love them
because, for me, they actually stay on my head and don’t move during my
workouts. They have no piece of black elastic in the back either. They’re
always coming out with new designs and colors, and the ladies who run Sparkly
Soul are AWESOME! They truly love what they do and you can definitely tell.
What girl doesn’t need a little more sparkle in her life? Oh…and they were
named as “The Best Stocking Stuffers of the Season” in Women’s Running
magazine! Now how can you argue with that?
If you love standing out during races and wearing something unique, InknBurn
is the answer! They come out with such beautiful pieces of clothing, ranging
from bottoms that look like denim to shirts that look like a holiday sweater –
they have something for everyone. Not sure what the recipient might like? Get
them a gift card and let them pick it out themselves! They have camisoles,
tees, tanks, long sleeves, shorts, capris, and pants/tights to choose from. All
made in the USA by a small company of less than 20 people. The quality and art
you’ll find here is hard to beat!
I absolutely love my RoadID. I actually wear mine everyday and not just when
I run or work out. If you’ve never heard of the company, they make
identification both for your wrist as well as one you can wear on your shoe.
You put any vital information on them so that in case of an emergency where
you’re unresponsive, the people caring for you are able to contact your loved
ones. I know I’m guilty of not always filling out the form on the back of my
race bibs, so having this guy on my wrist is not a bad idea. They also have a
service you can pay extra for that has a number to call that gives any allergies
or other vital medical information.
If you know of a race that someone wants to run, a race entry could be the
PERFECT gift! Back at Christmas 2013, the hubby gifted me the 2014 Wine and
Dine half marathon weekend, complete with airfare, hotel, race entry, and park
tickets! Now, yours doesn’t have to be as elaborate as that, but it could be a
great idea…maybe find a race that you can run with them!
Those are just a few things on my Christmas list…please feel free to
leave any additional suggestions in the comments….I would love to see them and
maybe even learn of a new product to try out!
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!
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?
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?
