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,

Atlanta Halloween Half Marathon & 5k

Just a week after the Fast Pace Race I was set to run the 5k portion of the Atlanta Halloween half marathon and 5k race.  This race was also about 1.5 miles from my house (it starts and ends at the Cumming Fairgrounds) so getting there didn’t take long at all.

Ramona and I spectated the race during its first year in 2013, and I was familiar with the half marathon course as I used to drive most of it to and from work.  I was unable to run it in 2014 since it was the same day as the Atlanta 10 miler, so this year I decided to give the 5k a whirl.

Decided that since it was Halloween weekend that I would rep Orangetheory Fitness Cumming (after all…their signature color is…well…orange)

I headed down to the race and hung out with my OTF friends who were working our table.  Coach Fox led the pre-race warm up and got everyone loose and ready to run.  I was able to meet up with my friend, Kristen, and her mom, Jackie, and catch up with them for a bit.  We watched the half marathon runners start their race and hung out for a bit before lining up for the 5k.

About 30 minutes later it was our turn to start.  This was another course that I knew fairly well since we drive it frequently.  I had also done some training runs on it so I knew what to expect…a nice uphill start!  I felt strong and stuck with my intervals.  One thing that keeps me engaged while I run is to pick a person in front of me and make it my goal to pass them.  Once I’ve achieved it, it’s time to pick another.  I spent the race doing just that.  The turnaround point for the 5k was actually at the front of my neighborhood.  Oh how tempting it was to run home, but I kept going.

 
                              (photo credit to Becky)

This race was actually a lot better than I thought it was going to be for me…I was worried that the hill would wear me down fast and I would be slow for the rest of the race, but I felt great and was even 6 seconds away from a PR!  It was fun to come up on the finish line and see Coach Fox cheering me on – I think he might have told me I was at an “All Out”?

                                                   (photo credit: True Speed Photo)

It was a fantastic race for me!  They gave out medals for the 5k as well as the half marathon -

I joined Coach Fox and we cheered as more runners came to the finish line….the race photographer even got a picture of us :)

We were super excited to see one of our OTF Cumming members, Debbie, finish her first 5k!  She placed 3rd in her age group and she credits OTF for helping her prepare for the race.  We were crazy proud of her!

I also got to see Kristen and Jackie finish the race :)

I thought the race was well organized, it started on time, and the shirts were super cute!  i didn’t stay for too long as I had to get to Orangetheory Fitness for work, but I cheered on the half marathoners as I drove home from the race….that course is not easy but they were doing a great job!

If you’re looking for a fun Halloween race next year, check this one out!

Until next time,

LiveJournal Tags: Atlanta Halloween half marathon,5k,Cumming,Orangetheory fitness,OTF Cumming,All out,race,PR,Halloween,run,Sparkly Soul,Pro Compression,Brooks running,keepittight

Fast Pace Race 5k

My friend, Ramona, had been persistently telling me I should run this race, insisting that I would get a PR.  I hadn’t PRed at the 5k distance since 2012 (the first year I started running!) so it was definitely time to see what I could do.  I was a little worried since I hadn’t really done any training runs with the exception of the Paws in the Park 5k the weekend before.  As it turned out, my husband’s company was one of the race sponsors so it all worked out!

Lucky for me, the race ended about 1.5 miles from our house, so I didn’t have to get up super early.  They shuttled runners to the start line.  The course starts at the top of a “hill” and you slowly make your way down (hence the name of the race).  For the 5k, 2.29 miles of the race was downhill, and 0.28 miles were flat.  That only leaves about half a mile of hills…not too shabby for a race in Georgia!

The Fast Pace Race benefits prostate cancer awareness, education, and treatment options.

I met up with Ramona and another friend, Paula, at the starting line.  We all run different paces but it’s nice to start the race together…gives you a chance to chat and get rid of any pre-race jitters as well as to pass the time.

They played the National Anthem and the race started!  I went out WAY too fast in the first mile, so my second mile was definitely slower.  I picked it up during mile 3 and flew into the finish line with a 14 second PR!  (Thanks to my husband and Ramona for the pictures)

I was super excited…14 seconds isn’t a lot, but it’s a PR, especially considering I’d done little to no running outside.  I have to credit Orangetheory Fitness Cumming with that…my endurance is so much better and I feel stronger when I run!

We hung around for the awards and Ramona as well as some of her other friends placed in their age group.  Super proud of her!  We were also sporting some InknBurn, so we had to document it.

After the awards, we headed to Cracker Barrel for food and laughs.  it was a great morning and a great race for a great cause.  I’ll definitely put this race down on my calendar for next year!

Until next time,

 

LiveJournal Tags: Fast Pace race,5k,race,InknBurn,ProCompression,keepittight,sparkly soul,PR,Orangetheory fitness,OTFCumming,KT Tape,Brooks running

Paws in the Park 5k

I love running races for causes that I truly believe in.  Pet adoption is one of those.  As most of you know, we adopted our dog, Guinness, from Peace Love and Dog Paws Rescue in Birmingham just a week after moving into our house.  We’ve had him for just over 4 years and can’t imagine what life would be without him.

When I heard about the Paws in the Park 5k in Blue Ridge, I knew I wanted to run it, especially since all the registration fees went straight to the Humane Society of Blue Ridge.  So I had my parents sign me up when they were in town one weekend and was ready to go!

Packet pick up was held at Terra Outfitters, a fairly new running store in Blue Ridge.  If you’re ever in the area I highly recommend stopping by and checking them out.  The owners are amazing and they have some great products.  They also host weekly run and walk groups.

Saturday morning brought some cold temperatures to the mountains.  Just about everyone was bundled up from head to toe.  Knowing I would warm up soon after the run started, I went with my usual race attire – a tank and shorts, with some arm sleeves added for a little warmth.

The race started and I felt great!  I hadn’t run outside since the Disneyland Half Marathon last month so I wasn’t entirely sure how I would feel or how I would do, but I had a really good race.  The course was a loop/out and back (if that makes sense).  My parents snapped some pictures of me along the course.

I finished 14 seconds away from a new PR…I was pretty pleased with myself!!  After the race they had warm chili and cornbread and fried apple pies for the runners, as well as the usual bananas and water.

Here’s where things took an unfortunate turn -

When I picked my bib up the day before, I noticed that it had my incorrect age on it (35…I am 33).  It wouldn’t have been an issue except that it bumped me into the next age group.  I never go into any race thinking I’m going to place in my age group, but this time…I did…I place 3rd…in the wrong age group.

I accepted the award and stood on the podium, knowing I didn’t belong there…it should have gone to the next person, but I did not want to interrupt the awards ceremony to make the correction (which I know I should have done).  I should not have posted a picture on Facebook saying that I managed a podium finish (which I did).  I was unable to find the race director afterward, but I have reached out to her to make her aware of the mistake and have offered to mail the award back to them so that the rightful person can claim it.

I know there are a lot of cases of cheating that happen (people running with someone else’s bib, cutting courses short, etc), which I do not condone.  This was a clerical error that was not realized until the night before the race.  I am doing what I can to correct it and already have guilt for taking away the podium from the person who should have been there, but I cannot go back in time to change my actions.  Sadly, what’s done is done and all I can do is move forward and be more careful (and make sure my parents know exactly how old I am if they sign me up for another race).  So the lesson is to never assume anything – get things corrected before something like this happens.  I’m sure I’ll get some negative comments about this, but I am being honest and putting it out there instead of hiding under a rock.  I did not need anyone to tell me the right thing to do…I knew what it was and handled it as soon as I could. 

Other than that, I really enjoyed the race and hope to be able to do it again next year.

 

Have you ever had something similar to this happen to you?  How did you handle it?

LiveJournal Tags: Paws in the Park 5k,pet adoption,adopt don't shop,Blue Ridge,Terra Outfitters,dogs,cats,5k,race,InknBurn,Sparkly Soul,PRO Compression,Brooks running

Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend – Day 1

I am so incredibly behind, so hopefully I can get all caught up!

A little over a month ago I boarded a plane to head to one of the Happiest Places on Earth for what promised to be an epic, amazing, fantastic, spectacular (oh…you get it? Okay) #DiamondGirlsWeekend at Disneyland!

After landing in LA and hopping onto my own “Cinderella’s Coach”, we were off to the Disneyland Hotel for the Disneyland Half Marathon race expo!

 

Here I met up with my friends and awesome roommates for the weekend – Lena and Heather.  Lena had jumped in line for the official race merchandise (which was crazy!!) and was sweet enough to pick up my wish list items and purchase them for me :) 

We didn’t stay at the expo long as we had to head to the airport to pick up Krissy!  We then headed to the InknBurn headquarters to say hi and check out some of their amazing clothes, then it was time to feed our bellies with a true California tradition -

IN-N-OUT!!!  We don’t have them on the east coast so it’s always a must have (animal style is the bomb)

After lunch, we headed to our hotel to check in and drop our luggage off, then back to the expo to pick up our bibs, anniversary party tickets and do a little shopping.  I loved how close our hotel was to the parks and Downtown Disney…definitely a perk of Disneyland vs. Walt Disney World.

We had a lot of fun walking around the expo, checking out all the amazing vendors they have, and running into friends we hadn’t seen in awhile!  Some of my favorite vendors included Sparkly Soul, PRO Compression, and Sparkle Athletic.  runDisney also had a fun photo booth for us!  You could pick between a Sleeping Beauty Castle backdrop or a Dumbo backdrop….or even both!  Since I was only running the half marathon this year, I went with Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, and I thought it turned out pretty cute!

Once we finished with the expo, it was back to the hotel to drop off our purchases, a quick change of clothes, and it was time to head into Disneyland for the runDisney 10th anniversary party!

To be continued…

LiveJournal Tags: runDisney,Disneyland,Disneyland Half marathon,Dumbo Double Dare,Sleeping Beauty Castle,race expo,Downtown Disney,Sparkly Soul,PRO Compression,Sparkle Athletic,LA