Hot Chocolate Charlotte 15k

I received an entry into Hot Chocolate Charlotte 15k as part of being a BibRave Pro (ambassador). Check out BibRave.com to read and write race reviews.



I am super excited to be doing back to back Hot Chocolate weekends as a BibRave pro! I will be adding the Charlotte race to my calendar on February 10th! This makes me so happy! This race will be a hop, skip, and a jump from my house and the bling is a-mazing!



I will be training for a 50k during this time and the race fits right in, plus I will get to meet up with other BibRave Pros! I am also all about races that involve costumes! For every Hot Chocolate race I've done, I always dress up like candy!



You also get some pretty sweet swag! The jacket is always so comfy, and if you use my code to register, you will also get a free hat!



Will I see you at the most delicious race on the planet?

Tips for Enjoying Rock n Roll LA

Ok y'all, BibRave and the folks at the Rock n Roll race series hooked me up with a free entry as part of being a BibRave Pro. Check out BibRave.com to read and write race reviews.

Unfortunately, due to some personal issues, I had to stay home. However, I have run a ton of Rock n Roll races so I feel like a pro anyway!

Here are a few tips for enjoying any race, but especially a Rock n Roll race.

Don't wear anything new on race day. This is probably the most important one of all. This can be tricky with a costume race, but it's so important. Find a 5k before the event and wear your costume.



I have the best luck using running clothes and changing them up a bit, but that's not always possible.
Also, no matter how much you love the finisher shirt or the cute stuff you bought at the expo, don't wear it on race day. Chafing at mile 8 can make those last 5 miles torture.

Read every email they send you, and sign up for race day texting. If there is a weather delay, you don't want to find out when you get to the start and are wondering where all the people are. And why the sky looks so scary. I speak from experience!

Line up in the proper corral. They gave you that assignment for a reason, they know what they're doing. Also, use a recent race finish time when you register. That race you ran last year that was totally flat and you haven't run as well since is not the race to use. Lining up in the wrong corral can get you jostled and knocked over by faster runners and it is not fun!

Take all the pictures!



Unless you are aiming for a PR, I highly recommend it. I do a 2:1 run walk and I take pics during that 1 minute walk break. It's so much easier to remember bits of your race that way!

Check a bag or leave one with your sherpa. I always put my Oofos, a change of clothes, band aids, and shower pills, as well as some body glide in case something chafed.



Don't eat anything new the day before the race. Stick with something simple like pasta or a burger. Now is not the time to try out some spicy Mexican food or Thai food.



Hydrate for days. For real, people, drink all the water. You don't want a migraine after the race! Also, drink a lot post race. Nooooo, not a pina colada.... water! If you are dehydrated, you can experience that pesky migraine, and you can also get really sick. It is not fun!



If you are visiting the area for the first time, try and resist seeing all the sights the day before the race. You don't want to run on tired legs, and seeing those sights after the race can be really good for your stiff legs.



Wear that medal proudly on race day, and even the day after. It's a proud moment, you should show it off. Plus, it explains why you are walking so funny...



I'm sure I could go on for days, but this will give you a good start. Remember to have fun! Pain is temporary but bling is forever. Enjoy the crazy signs, take some candy from strangers, and enjoy that post race beer of chocolate milk. You earned it!



What advice would you give to someone running their first race?

Boco Head Gear for Sunny Running

*I received a Boco Gear hat and visor as part of being a BibRave Pro (ambassador). Check out BibRave.com to read and write race reviews.*



I don't know about you, but I'm one of those people that finds something I like and then I stick with it. I'm super brand loyal.
I wear one brand of running shoe, one brand of running skirt, and one brand of socks... well, 2 I guess, since I wear one brand of regular socks and another brand for compression socks.
A couple of years ago, I started wearing Boco trucker hats. That was pretty much my introduction to my forever hat brand!



When I was asked if I wanted to try their hat and visor for BibRave, I pretty much started fangirling!



I wear them all the time! I mean, I don't have a problem or anything... I'm not addicted....



OK, but there are worse problems to have, right? Should I not mention here that those aren't even all of the Boco hats that I have? There might be one more in my bathroom for tomorrow's run, and one more that I keep in my car for when I coach Girls on the Run. Maybe.

Anyway.

Let's talk about why I have this...um...addiction.



Trucker hats.... they have a wicking internal headband so you don't sweat into your face, the side and back are mesh, it has a flat bill, and the back has an adjustable snap closure. I wear these on runs, hikes, or because it's Tuesday. Or Thursday. Ok. Any day. This is my favorite style. I might have 3.



Run hats.... super lightweight, mesh side panels to keep your head cool, wicking sweat band so you don't go blind when the salt drips into your eyes, adjustable buckle strap in the back, machine washable. Machine. Washable. Yesssss. I wear this on swampy runs, or when it's super sunny out. You know, so I don't die. Or sweat into my eye balls, which is worse than dying. For real, y'all, running in the South is rough!



The Visor.... I think I have the most of this style. It's lightweight, it has that awesome wicking internal sweat band I mentioned before, it has a super comfy elastic back for a nice fit, curved bill, machine washable. I love the machine washable part for real, people. This is the one I grab for those hot runs in the early morning or evening, since I don't have to worry about scalp burn! I also prefer this hat on trail hikes. The sweat band is super effective, and it fits like a glove. I also grab one for coaching Girls on the Run because it goes on easy, doesn't blow off of my head on windy days (neither do the others, for that matter) and I can sling it over my arm while I juggle all of my other coaching materials.



Again, let me reiterate, I do not have a problem, or an addiction..... right? This is totally normal!

What piece of gear are you addicted to?

Thursday Training Update and the Mount Dora Half Marathon

I'm so excited y'all!

* I received entry into the Mount Dora Half Marathon as part of being a Bib Rave Pro (ambassador). Check out BibRave.com to read and write race reviews*

I just found out last night that I'll be traveling to Mount Dora, Florida in December to run their Half Marathon. It's the week before Christmas and I'm going to try and turn my orange BibRave tee into some sort of Christmas themed costume! Any ideas?
The race winds around Mount Dora and their two lakes, so I'm really looking forward to the scenery.



PLUS
I'm already training for Goofy, so the race fits right in to my training plans. I had to tweak it a little bit, but it's totally doable!

Let's get down to last week's workouts.

Thursday I ran 4 hilly miles with the Speed Demons. These were legit hill repeats and I just about died.



Friday I mostly recovered from doing hills 2 days in a row. I walked for about an hour, but that's it. I also packed for my weekend in Myrtle Beach since we were leaving right after Saturday's training run.



Saturday I ran with the Speed Demons, but I cut it down to 6 miles on the Greenway since I had the half on Sunday. Great training for Goofy weekend! We also kept it under 14 minute miles, which I will need to maintain at MCM next Fall.



Sunday, we ran the Myrtle Beach Mini. It was a beautiful course, and I would definitely run it again.



Monday was a rest day. I did 30 minutes or yoga with Adriene and a little over an hour of walking.



Tuesday was a track day. My legs were still tired from Sunday so we just stuck to a 2:1 run walk, keeping it under 14 minute miles!



Wednesday I totally planned to run a few miles, but it was cold and I stayed snuggled in bed with the hubs instead. I volunteered at the book store and walked for an hour instead.



All in all, not a bad week!

Have you ever run a race at Christmas time? Any costume ideas that go with an orange shirt?

Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon Recap

I traveled to Myrtle Beach to run the race with my friends Christie and Sara. There's nothing like a road trip with your running besties, but it's even better when you stay with Santa Claus.
No. Really. We legit stayed with Mr and Mrs Claus. Check them out at CoastalSanta.com they are the real deal!



So we dragged our butts up at the crack of dawn so we could leave the house by 6. It was a pretty nice morning, I'm not gonna lie.



We found parking easily, and chilled out until the race began. Plenty of potties at the start!



The race began after the anthem was played and we were off. Sara was up ahead and I Christie and I chilled in the back. We were taking it easy since I was recovering from Chicago and Christie had been having some foot trouble.



We ran into some friends on the course, which was fun, and had a good time for the first 5 miles.



The water stops were every 2 miles and totally on point. Lots of water and Gatorade to be had.



After mile 5 Christie began having serious trouble with her foot and before long her back was hurting too, probably from overcompensating. We started walking to ease her pain, and that's when I noticed this sign...



Yikes! This better be a half marathon, people!
We began looking for Christie' s family because they had made a sign for her...



Mrs Claus had some serious sign skills, and had one for all 3 of us, which I thought was super sweet! This was after mile 7, and Christie was really feeling it now.



I was trying to distract her with some silliness, but the sag wagon was creeping close. We were past mile 10 when she just couldn't go another step.



She was working so hard, I was sad that she wouldn't be able to go the whole 13, but it turns out she had a stress fracture, so I'm glad she stopped when she did! I did get a fun selfie while she was deciding what to do...



I'm such a sucker for a man in uniform, especially cops. I run for my Dad, who is a retired cop, so I try and get a selfie with a cop during every race!

Once Christie got on the van, I hauled butt to finish within the time limit. I started doing a 2:1 run walk and banged out those last few miles.



The last mile was along the ocean, which I loved, but on a windy cement path which kind of sucked. I was so happy to be back at the beach that I didn't care.



After I finished (a few minutes late) and checked in with Sara, who ran part of mile 12 with me and then went back to check on Christie, I got my bling (which I had to ask for!) and started looking for my peeps.





Mrs Claus had chocolate milk for us, and we talked about the race a bit and went looking for the car.

Overall, a really great race that I would totally do again. Very flat, great course support, apples and bagels and chips at the finish as well as water. The medal was enormous and has a magnet on the back and a bottle opener!



Have you ever run the Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon?

Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon Expo

Today, after our training run, we traveled to Myrtle Beach so that we could run the Mini Marathon tomorrow morning...









I'm ready!

Flat Mama Friday, Myrtle Beach Mini Edition

I have a busy weekend as far as running goes! Saturday I am coaching and Sunday is the Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon!I will be running with some of my fellow Speed Demon friends (that's what my running club is called), so of course I'm representing...



I'm looking forward to the medal for sure, and the shirt isn't bad either...





I'm also looking forward to seeing some friends on the course!

Are you racing this weekend?