Flat Mama Friday AllState Hot Chocolate Edition

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

Today was kind of a repeat of last week, I'm not gonna lie. I just didn't have to drive as far! My little South Carolina town is actually a suburb of Charlotte, so it's just a hop skip and jump away.

I drove into Charlotte this afternoon and picked up my bib and jacket...



I won't go into all of the crazy details since it is just a repeat of last week, maybe a little smaller scale.



I came home and prepped for race day. It's going to rain again, y'all. I'm dying. Really. But. It will be almost 20 degrees warmer and lighter rain! This time I am prepared with a poncho, just in case.



I will be driving into Charlotte with some of the girls from my running club, and will also be meeting up with some BibRave Pros, I hope!
I also went with a different set of BibBoards this time, just to mix things up! Hopefully I have better pics for you this weekend!



Happy Friday, y'all!

Are you racing this weekend?

Almost Wordless Wednesday, Facing Your Fears

Still deciding on September!

What are you afraid to do?

That Time I Froze at the AllState Hot Chocolate Atlanta Race

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



I want to preface this with a bit of a disclaimer. The weather sucked on race day. It was literally freezing cold, pouring rain, and miserable. I'm going to whine a lot during the review. None of this is the fault of AllState Hot Chocolate 15k. They cannot control the weather!

Ok, so I already posted about the expo, so let's move on to race morning. We woke up around 6ish to the sound of pouring rain. Legit. Pouring. Rain.
Ugh
My weather app, which has been deleted from my phone, said light rain and 40s. This is what I packed for. No poncho. 2 long sleeve tech shirts.

not warm enough!

Not even my toasty running pants. This is gonna get ugly.
The Facebook page was updated with the weather report, and the race director was on point with replies. Races never delay or postpone unless conditions are dangerous. This weather sucked but it was in no way dangerous.
We stalled as long as possible and then walked over to the race. Luckily, we were close by. We were still soaked by the time we got there. We each went to our corrals to wait for the race to start.



The anthem was sung and we heard from Taylor, who benefited from Make a Wish, the charity that the race sponsors. The corrals started on time and we waited our turn to begin the race.



While we waited, the emcee mentioned that mile 1.7 was decision time. This is where the 2 races separate. I had read on the Facebook page that morning that if we wanted to run the 5k we could still get a medal if we had a 15k bib. Hmmm.

Looks pleasant, right?

Did I mention that the weather sucked? Before the race even began, I was soaked to the skin. I couldn't get warm, and my legs were like lead. I was running a 15:30 pace and the limit for the 15k was 15:00. Ugh.

poor, wet little chocolate chips!

Even this little ray of sunshine couldn't motivate me. It was mush after the first taste. The volunteers were amazing though! The course had 2 big hills, one at the beginning and one at the end. I heard that the 15k was worse! Atlanta is very hilly, so I expected it. Add those hills to the bad weather and I wanted my mommy more than once.

finisher chute. still raining.

I finished the 5k (you knew that was going to happen!) And let a group of ladies take selfies with my medal before I headed to the chocolate tent. A Mylar blanket would have been perfection here. I'll have to remember to bring one next time there is weather like this!



Photo cred to Lissa on that one! They wrapped it in plastic which was awesome! I drank my hot chocolate right away, while I made my way to the merch tent to wait for Lissa, who was having a PR day at the 15k!

It was still cold but much drier in there. A very nice man gave me his hand warmers when my teeth started chattering!

this is the back of generous dude's head

After about 20 or 30 minutes, Lissa finished and we headed back to the hotel.

yes. I do have chocolate on my chin. don't judge.

Ok, maybe not too much whining. We cleaned up and put on our super cozy race jackets for the drive home.



One very important thing to mention...all of those race photos above? FREE! Y'all, they give everyone race photos for free. FREE! I'm gonna live off that until my next race! Way to go, Hot Chocolate peeps!

My sad results are finally up on Athlinks! Check them out here!

I'll be running again on Saturday in Charlotte, that's how much I love this series!

Have you run a Hot Chocolate race?

#SavetheShirt with BibBoards

I received 3 sets of BibBoards as part of being a BibRave Pro. Check out BibRave.com to read and write race reviews.

Use the code #BibChat

You know how the story goes. You run a race, which requires pinning a bib to your shirt. If you're anything like me, it's a really cute shirt, a favorite, one that you wear all the time. After the race, you pull it off, bib and all, because you're so disgustingly sweaty, and toss it in the back of the car. When it's time to do the laundry, you go to take the bib off, and the cheesy safety pins won't come off easily, you end up with little pin holes in your shirt.
Sound familiar?



Even worse is when you pin another bib to the back. That's 2 sides of your shirt with holes in it!



BibBoards helps make all of that a faint memory! No more pin holes, no magnets that slide around in the porta potty, just an easy to use system that takes care of it all. They are simple to snap on, easy to take off, and reusable!
They won't tear your race bib, either, so if you store your bibs in a binder like I do, you don't have to worry about how to snap the bibs in!



I just used mine at Hot Chocolate 15k Atlanta. It was pouring, freezing, and miserable. My bib was a mess, but it was still fully attached with no damage to the holes from the crazy wind. No rust either!

Being the mature individual I am, I got poop emojis, but they had all kinds of other cute emojis, plus race distances, and more! You can also order custom BibBoards with whatever logo you want!



Some of my friends have even snapped them onto their watches or their sleeves as a reminder of the distance they are training for. So creative!

With all of the races on my calendar this year, I am so lucky to have these in my arsenal. I need my shirts to last, especially my coaching shirts. BibBoards definitely helps with that.

Since I have 3 sets, I will be bringing them to the Disney Princess weekend. I'm running all 3 races, so I can snap these on to my race shirts when I get my bibs and not worry about them again! I'll only have to remove the challenge bib and transfer it to a new Shirt, which will be easy peasy!

Check out all of the cute BibBoards here. Which ones will you order with the discount code above?

AllState Hot Chocolate 15k Atlanta Expo

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



Lissa and I left SC this morning and road tripped to Atlanta for the Hot Chocolate 15k. It was a quick and easy drive into Atlanta and after we parked at the hotel, we walked over to the expo.

I have to say it again, I love the way Hot Chocolate does bib pickup. You bring your email with your QR code in it to an open volunteer. They scan it, a label prints out, and they slap it on a bib. DONE!
Genius!



After that, you go to the swag table and they give you a super comfy jacket. Winning!

After our speedy pick up, we walked around the expo.



We found a booth selling Bib Boards...



Then we tasted some Kind Bars, and took one with us...



Time for treats! They had a marshmallow and a cookie straw thing dipped in chocolate, along with a sample of hot chocolate. Yum!



On our way to check out the course map, and how close the start was to our hotel, we ran into fellow BibRave Pro Samantha!



She is sweeping the 15k tomorrow.
We did visit Centennial Olympic Park on the way back to the hotel, which was beautiful. I will leave you with a few pics....

Flat Mama Friday AllState Hot Chocolate Atlanta 15k Edition

I received entry into the AllState Hot Chocolate Atlanta 15k as part of being a BibRave Pro. Check out BibRave.com to read and write race reviews!

Tomorrow morning, after I coach my pace group's long run, I'm jumping in the car with Lissa and we are headed to Atlanta for the AllState Hot Chocolate Atlanta 15k!



We will be twinning with the hoodies so we should be easy to find at the expo! We will be arriving some time around 2, if all goes well. Look for us!

It will be raining on race morning so I had to choose accordingly. I might bring a second shirt to wear underneath for warmth, but this is the general idea. The Bib Boards will save my shirt from getting pin holes.



I will be using my buff on my wrist to wipe water out of my face, although I'm hoping that my sweet Boco Trucker Hat will take care of that! I will also be packing this....



pjuractive 2skin will take care of my sports bra area and toes, to prevent blisters and chafing in a rainy race! Lissa is already asking if I'll share.... which of course I will. What are running besties for?

That hot chocolate is going to taste like heaven at the finish!



And the fleece jacket will be heaven sent after the race!



Be on the lookout for way too many pics on Twitter and Instagram!

Have you run the All State Hot Chocolate 15k? What location?

#RealWomenMove I'm a Skirt Sports Ambassador... still!

I'm so excited y'all! I am writing this post as a Skirt Sports Ambassador. If you use my discount code, I do get incentives from the company. If you know me, even a little, you know that I'm an avid Skirt Sports wearer, and all opinions are my own!



The emails went out today, so don't be surprised if your Instagram blows up with gleeful ambassadors! There is nothing quite like being a Skirt Sports Ambassador! The women are all amazing, kind, beautiful, and strong! We come from all walks of life, and it is one of the only drama free zones I have.



It's not hard to see why. The activewear line has something for everyone. From skirts, to capris, to tanks, and tees. Hehe you will find what you need for your next run, yoga practice, hike, shopping trip.... need I go on?



Most days you will see me wearing something, whether it's a skirt, tee, capris, or trucker hat! You might even catch me in an email from the company!



I look forward to another year representing the most amazing company run by women!

You'll usually find me in a Happy Girl or Jaguar. What's your favorite?