Dopey Training Week 13: Providence Edition

This past weekend, I ran Rock n Roll Providence Half Marathon! I cannot wait to tell you about everything we saw while we visited Providence, and about the Expo and race. But first, let's start with my week in workouts!
Monday: so sore from the Sloppy Cuckoo! We walked the dogs, and I planked.
Tuesday: 3 mile run, dog walk, and walk to the dry cleaners, plus a plank.

Wednesday: dog walk, 2:00 plank, plus a 3 mile walk (to drop off and pick up the car at the gas station!)
Thursday: 3.1 mile run for Sara's September to Remember Challenge 5K. My legs were still achey and tired from the Trail race. Ugh, another Half Marathon in a few days, what was I thinking? I also did Kettlebells and a plank.

Friday: dog walk and plank, plus errands to prepare for our weekend in Providence.
Saturday: we walked Providence for hours. I actually earned 12 Activity Points with my ActiveLink. That's nuts!
Sunday: Rock n Roll Providence Half Marathon! I will talk all about that next! Week 13 is done! This week coming up I hope to get in more Kettlebell workouts, and it will be another back to back running weekend, this time with only 3 miles each time. I might walk them if my leg still aches!

Saturday we started out for Providence, we took our time getting up and getting out the door, since we knew Sunday would be an early day. Around lunch time, I stopped at a scenic overlook of Mystic, CT and the hubs suggested we stop at Mystic Pizza for lunch. You know, from the movie with Julia Roberts. Oh.my.heck. I fangirled while he looked up the address. It was only 8 minutes away! OMG!

we passed this on our way! OMG

It was super easy to find, and we even sat right down! No wait! The pizza was super tasty, and the whole place was covered with pics from the movie, as well as pics of other celebrities. It was very cool, very clean, and the service was super fast.

bacon and meatball, yum!

It was deep dish pizza, super cheesy, super fresh, crispy crust, crispy bacon. OMG. I am not a huge pizza eater, but this was divine! The hubs is pizza picky, and he loved it, too!

I'm such a loser, lol

I swear, it made my whole day! We got back in the car and finished the drive to Providence. The hubs dropped me off at the Expo so he could look for good parking. Every garage wanted $10-$15 cash, and then you had to come back at night and pay at least another $20-$25 to park overnight. UGH. He did find a place that he thought was $7 a day, and turned out to be $7 for the weekend. Score!
He planned to meet me at the Expo, after he checked us in at the Hilton. I got to the Expo, picked up my bib, tee, and swag bag, and entered the Expo. It.was.tiny.
I have been to 2 other RnR events, and they both had HUGE expos, so this was disappointing. No free samples, really, and not a whole lot to look at. They had the 2 usual photo ops, but I was still alone at that point, and ended up skipping them both. I was finished before the hubs even got to the hotel!
The hotel was only 2 blocks away, so I started back to the hotel, past the Dunkin Center and a Starbucks. YUM! I got myself a nice Trenta Iced Tea Lemonade, and proceeded to wait in the very nice lobby while the hubs checked us in. That;s how small the expo was, he hadn't even checked in yet!
We dumped our stuff and headed out to walk around Providence! Highlights:

Street Painting Festival. This is chalk, people. Seriously.

At Roger Williams Park, the American Indians were having a Festival of their own:

See the video here

Water Fire

This is a huge festival that goes on all night, several weekends a season. They light these fires all along the river, and there is food, and artwork for sale, crafts, fundraisers. It was so amazing!

Living Statues, for $1 they give you a riddle

luminaries

star luminaries

We walked along the river, and at the end, when we decided it was time to head back to the hotel, we found the Wall of Hope. It is made in memory of those lost on 9-11. This is just a small piece of a huge display!

I will post about the race tomorrow, but I will leave you with these awesome shout outs:

Love those ladies!

What did you do this weekend to keep your body moving?

Packing for a Destination Race....and a giveaway!

Getting ready for a race is always crazy.  You want everything set out the night before, to make getting ready at the butt-crack of dawn just a little bit easier! When you are traveling for a race, though, things get serious! You don't want to leave anything important at home, because you never want to run in something, or use something, that you haven't already tried out! Especially if you are running a Half or Full Marathon. 13-26.2 miles with a shirt chafing you, or a fuel belt that won't stay put, can be the difference between a PR and an all out melt down!
This weekend, I will be running Rock n Roll Providence! We will be driving to Rhode Island, which is about a 4 hour drive for us, so it is not too bad!

The first thing I pack is always my running outfit. It is definitely the most important part of the weekend! Like I mentioned earlier, you never want to wear something new to a long race. Always try everything out beforehand on a 3-5 miles run, to be sure that nothing rubs wrong, or hangs wrong, or rides up. If the race has a theme, I usually have the outfit picked out way in advance, but for this race I literally decided what I would wear this morning as I packed. I bought the shirt for RnR USA, and thought it would be nice to wear it to more than one race! The skirt, of course, is for added sparkle. I added my Moms Run This Town Bondi Band to keep with the theme! I also pack my gear: fuel belt (I use my Running Buddy, if you use code RBuddyA6 at checkout, you get 15% off and free shipping), earbuds, gps watch and plug (always pack the plug as you pack the electronics, that way nothing gets left behind!), sunglasses and visor (so you have a choice on race morning), Road ID, and the Stick.

Next, I pack what I will wear at the expo, and after the race. These are both super important outfits as well. Your expo outfit should be comfy, and  I always wear something from one of the companies I represent. This expo, I will wear my Swirlgear shirt and hoodie. (Use code 961 at checkout for free shipping!) They are super comfy, and I can move around easily in them. For after the race, I usually prefer sweats. Not glamorous, I know, but I am tired and sore, and usually traveling back home again, so sweats it is. I am wearing my GIANTS sweats this weekend. Even though they suck right now, they are still my boys. I also pack Compression Socks, too, just in case my legs are really sore. They help immensely! I also packed my Sweat Pink hoodie in case it is cold after the race.

Now that I have all of my clothes ready, it is time to pack the little, but very important, things.

Fuel! I can fit all 3 of these in my Running Buddy, along with my iPhone and keys!

paperwork! Directions, waiver, dinner reservations, expo info, and hotel info

Add caption

This last picture is super important! I know, the Stick is in here twice, I couldn't decide where it belonged so I used it in both collages! I love having this after the race, to sooth my aching muscles. I even keep it in reach on the car ride home, for when my legs get achey after too much sitting. I bring Aleve for aches and pains, and I take the Anti-Diarrheal the night before and the morning of the race. TMI? Maybe. Lots of runners seem to need this, and on occasion I am one of them! Better safe than sorry! With my knee pain lately, I will also be bringing my KT Tape. I will tape up whether I have pain that morning or not, just to be safe. It is pure coincidence that it matches my outfit, by the way. I only own it in lime green right now. Such a happy color. speaking of happy, you gotta love my Duck Dynasty band aids. I have not had a blister in 2 years, but the time I leave my band aids home, is when I will need them!

Of course, I will also pack the essentials: toothpaste, toothbrush, razor, deoderant, makeup. On an overnight trip, I trust the hotel to provide soap and shampoo. We always stay at a Hilton or a Kimpton, and they are very reliable about that stuff. On a trip of 3+ days, I will bring my own, in case the hotel does not replace used soap and shampoo.

I also pack my laptop (with plug) and my iPhone (with plug) at the last minute, along with my external battery and my backpack with built in charger. That backpack is the best invention. You charge the backpack overnight, and then you can plug in any phone and charge it twice. It is great for Disney, and for Expo days as well. Thanks Mom. Best Christmas gift ever!

As I was packing all of my stuff, and decided to go with the Moms Run This Town theme, I realized that I had some great MRTT stuff to give away! If you are not a member of MRTT, click the link I provided above my Flat Mama pic. It is a FREE running club for women! There are local chapters, and if you put your zip code into the finder, it will tell you which ones are close by! Chapters do races together, training runs, get togethers, and more. There are also fun virtual races a couple of times a year. 

Anyway, I will be giving away:

Sweat Pink shoelaces, a MRTT Bondi Band, MRTT pen, MRTT lip balm, a few MRTT tattoos, and a 5K shubeez shoe tag! Awesome, right? The giveaway will end on Saturday, and I will post the winner by Monday at the latest! Good luck!

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Thursday Humor

I love these videos, although in this case, the genders are swapped. SO funny, they never get old!

Happy Thursday!
Tomorrow I am packing for Rock n Roll Providence, stay tuned for what to pack for a destination race!

Almost Wordless Wednesday.....RnR Providence Edition

With my knee pain coming and going, I thought a little motivation would help!

Dopey Challenge Training, Week 12

What a crazy week! I am so glad that my knee os finally showing some improvement!  I was still taking it easy during the week, though, so my workouts are not so impressive!
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday: plank and a dog walk each day. See? Not impressive, lol
Thursday: 8 mile bike ride, because I felt like a lazy lump! I also ran 3/4 mile with the hubs that night, to test the knee! NO pain!

Friday: lots of errands, including getting Nugget groomed. All the fast walking had my knee aching! Oh NO! I had a double race weekend starting! Yikes! I also planked and we walked the dogs.

 Saturday: Run Now, Wine Later 5K. It was a great race, my time wasn't bad, and my knee gave me very little trouble! Woohoo! We also rode our bikes, walked the dogs, and I planked.

 Sunday: Sloppy Cuckoo Trail Half Marathon. OUCH! I ached, I still ache! I also walked around the Bloomsburg Fair while the Teenie and her friend E saw Hunter Hayes in concert. Oh, and I planked.

Not a terrible week, all in all, but not great. It was my first back to back running weekend for the training plan I am using for Dopey, and I lived!
I am adding Kettlebells to my routine this week. I love Kettlebells and I have a great 12 week program to follow by RKC. I bought this plan *years* ago and have never finished all 12 weeks. I can't wait to see how much stronger I am by the end of the 12 weeks. I am such a fan of Kettlebells, and I haven't used them in such a long time!

What did you do this week to keep your body moving?

Sloppy Cuckoo Trail Half Marathon

Did you ever have one of those days where nothing seems to go your way?
I got up early Sunday morning, dragged the teenie and her friend E out of bed, and headed to Philadelphia's Pennypack Park for the Sloppy Cuckoo Trail Half Marathon. I got to the park with no problems, and found Eileen right out in the street! WOW! I thought that everything was going so well, it's going to be a great day! We found my friend Kurt as well, and walked around and chatted while we waited for the start.

don't we look happy? The race hasn't started yet.

At least I remembered the KT Tape. The race started and we ran across the grass towards the course. This was the easy part. It would not be easy again. Ever. It rained a lot overnight and the course was alternately dry and muddy. There were puddles and lakes and mush to run through. For 13.1 miles.
Oh.my.heck.

Eileen took this, one of 2 bridges we ran across.

Eileen took this! MUD!

Eileen took this! Muddles!

It went uphill, downhill, there were crazy rocks everywhere. I had figured on finishing in 3 hours. Hmmmmm
The first water break was at the 3 miles marker, and it felt like forever before we got there! It was a great stop though, they had water, gatorade, PB&J, candy. We ate and drank and ran on. The second half of the course was more uphills and downhills, twisty and turny trails, swishy skinny paths, and some more rocks. Yeah. I wanted to die. My knee held up nicely but my legs were so tired! I seriously considered stopping at the halfway point, I'm not gonna lie. When I saw the finish line, and I knew that I still had to do all of that again, I considered it. Seriously.
Eileen motivated me through the whole thing, I definitely could not have done it without her. The second lap was less muddy, which was nice, and we stopped to take some photos. We knew that 3 hours was not a possibility, but we were determined to finish!

Ever see Blair Witch? 

Yeah, I slipped in the mud, and landed on my bad knee. Hooray.

We did it! We finished. In 3 hours and 45 minutes (well, for me, Eileen was a minute or three ahead.) I love my running buddy, she kept me going through that whole race!

Isn't the medal cool? It really whistles!
I limped back to the car, my legs ached, my arch was on fire, and I was SO tired. As I am changing into dry clean clothes, the teenie tells me that she listened to the car radio for an hour.
Uh oh.
I ask her to start the car.......nothing. Dead battery. Yikes. We need to drive to Bloomsburg so the teenie and E can see Hunter Hayes in concert.
One very nice guy stopped and checked on us, but he had no jumper cables. Nobody did. AAA to the rescue! I actually needed a whole new battery, but he installed it lickety split, and we were on our way in less than 45 minutes! Hooray!
I drove the 2.5 hours to my Mom's house, took a nice hot shower, and we all piled back into the car (UGH) to go to the Fair. The teenies ran off before I even parked the car, and my parents and I headed over to the Agricultural Buildings. My Mom belongs to a flower club and they usually get in the top 3 each year for their entries.

their table and mantel

2nd place overall! WOOT!

1st place pedestal

2nd place pedestal

We ate some yummy food, and walked around  bit before we all got too tired. I went back to the car and waited for the teenies to come out. SO glad Hunter is a new artist, and only played until 9:45. I managed to get into bed at around 11, after using my Mom's Bengay Zero Degree Stick. I LOVE that thing!

No real pain today, except on the stairs! Time to get *back* in the car, and drive 3.5 hours home! Times like these, I wish we lived closer!

OH

this was race #9 of 13! Woohoo!

Have you ever been to a State Fair?

Run Now, Wine Later 5K

This post is brought to you by the numbers 5K, and 3.1, and the letters B (for Bengay).  It is not, however, brought to you by the letters KT, because I left the tape at home!

But let's not get ahead of ourselves!
For the last 2 weeks, I have been sitting around, resting my knee, after I injured it at the Brielle Day 10K. I knew that I would be running the Sloppy Cuckoo Half on Sunday, but during the week, I was coerced into running a 5K today.
And by coerced, I mean that my running buddy Eileen Facebooked me a coupon code and a pic of the bling. Yeah. Didn't take much arm twisting. My Dopey training called for a 3-4 mile walk today anyway, the first double weekend run of the training schedule. I *had* to run. Why not get some bling? Right?
Last night, I got some shout outs from my running friends, just what I needed for some extra motivation!

I dragged the teenie out of bed early (she needed a ride to rehearsal which meant she had to come with me) and we set out for New Hope, PA around 6:45 this morning. It was dismal looking out, and I hoped it would be a dry race! By the time we got to New Hope, it was so foggy that you couldn't see the water below the creepy metal bridge you have to cross to get there! Yikes!
We parked the car, and headed to packet pickup, where I figured we would find Eileen. They only give you the bib at pick up, you got the shirt at the finish, so it was a quick pickup!
We posed for the obligatory pre-race photo, and then hung around until it was time to start.

We walked down the hill (read: the race starts uphill) to the start, and got ready to race. Eileen told me to set the pace, since I was worried about my knee, and she would stay with me. LOVE it. My running friends are awesome. We decided to run without music, so I started the Runtastic app, and stuck my iPhone into my Running Buddy, and started off. We started running up the first of many hills, and I was ecstatic that I felt no pain. New Hope is amazingly beautiful and the time just zipped by. Every time I saw a mile marker I was amazed!

Since I wasn't plugged in to my iPhone, I had no idea how my time was. I figured about a 12 minute mile since I wasn't winded, and I thought I was taking it easy. During the last 3/4 mile, Eileen pulled ahead and finished strong at 31:30 and I followed right behind at 32:35! That is a 10:30 pace! Imagine how well we would have done if I actually tried! OMG!
The volunteers handed out water bottles and our medals, and then we headed in to the Wine Festival.

Isn't it fabulous? I always wanted a medal like this, and I don't even drink!
They had crazy amounts of food, in addition to the wine. We started with soft pretzels, and then added a few sugary delights. There was also fruit and cheese. It was quite a spread!

Yeah, I ate all of that!
We got all turned around walking back to the parking lot (it did not finish near the start) so we got a bit more walking in! It really was a perfect race, not bad considering it was an Inaugural event!

After getting lost (again!) on the way back, and wasting 30 minutes, I dropped the teenie off at her play rehearsal, and came home. The hubs came home from his morning of dirt biking, and wanted to go on a bike ride. Our neighboring town (we are Point Boro, they are Point Beach) was having a Seafood Festival, and he wanted to go. OK, I *hate* seafood, but I figured why not?
UGH
There were THOUSANDS of people in that little part of that little town. Mostly Bennys (a local term, picture the cast of MTVs Jersey Shore, and you will totally get it) and they were so rude. Pushing, shoving, trying to cut in line. It was chaos.
We managed to get some Butterfly Fries and a soda and then sat in a doorway to eat them.

the line was insane, no Root beer for us!

heaven. SO potato-y and delicious!

We stopped for some chocolate after that and then left. It was just too nuts!
What a crazy day! I still have laundry to do, and packing for tomorrow!
Tomorrow I run the Sloppy Cuckoo Trail Half Marathon in Philadelphia, then I take the teenie and her friend E to my Mom's so they can see Hunter Hayes at the Bloomsburg Fair. I am just gonna wander about and check out my Mom's Flower Club display. They got 2nd overall! Woohooo Mom!!! They always do such a beautiful job but I don't always get to see the real thing! SO excited!
I will take lots of pics tomorrow, I hope! Oh, and I will remember the KT Tape for tomorrow! I don't want to re-injure my knee!

Is it Fall yet where you live? Do you prefer Fall for running?