Citrus Heritage Half Marathon - Race Review

This past Saturday, January 9, 2016, I participated in the Sixth Annual Citrus Heritage Run (third annual with the half marathon distance) in Riverside, CA. This is my third year doing this race and it is truly one of my favorites! Need evidence? You can read my race reports from 2015 and 2014 - Part I and Part II. Okay, so a couple notes about the race - there is a 5k and Half Marathon option as well as a kids fun run. It is an out-and-back course next to the Arlington Sports Park in the citrus area of the city of Riverside (Southern California/Inland Empire area). The race is put on by the Riverside Road Runners and benefits their youth scholarship fund. We had gotten a significant amount of rain the week leading up to the race, and in their last email to participants they noted that they had an alternate, all-road, course plotted out for use if needed as the regular course (USATF certified) is partially on dirt roads. Thankfully, we dried out enough that they didn't need to go to Plan B, but I was thrilled to know that they had an alternate course in place so that the race could go on rain or shine. Alright, let's talk details!

We were greeted with an amazing sunrise!

Registration

The day of registration cost for the half marathon was $90, and prior to that was $85. I registered fairly early so I think I got early bird pricing. If I remember right I think it was about $80, but don't quote me as I don't know exactly. They have a great event website that includes all the details and is very well organized. Registration and packet pick-up at the event is very easy as well. You just look up your bib number and then stop at the tent to get the bib, then get your t-shirt at a different tent. Super easy and well staffed. I don't think it took us more than 5 minutes to do the entire process and it was very clearly marked and easy to know where to go.

Expo and Venue

I absolutely love this venue for races! It is held at the same sports park that the Hometown Heroes Honor Run is held at so it offers lots of great parking, real restrooms (they also have plenty of port-a-pots too), and a playground to keep the kiddies entertained while waiting. It's also very easy to get in and out of and offers plenty of room to get a good warm-up in. The expo is very tiny, but I really don't care about that anyways. They have several booths, some food trucks, and a DJ getting the participants pumped up and ready to run. I love it just as it is because it is so easy to navigate and never feels overwhelming.

Swag

Participants get a long-sleeved technical shirt. This year the shirt is gray and has the logo on the front. Last year's shirt was prettier and had more detail, but I still really like it and gray seems to be the "it" color for race shirts right now as my friend Sally just did a race that also had gray/silver shirts. There really isn't anything else outside of the shirt, although there are other race perks that I'll talk about in post-race celebration in just a few moments. :)

Sally and I pre-race...freezing our tushies off! LOL Starting temps in the upper 30's/low 40's. Okay, I almost feel guilty saying that 30/40 is cold when I saw plenty of my friends around the country in negative degrees! HA!
But that's SoCal cold...sorry!

Course

I have made no bones before about how nice this course is! I really do love it as it has the perfect mix of gorgeous views, challenging terrain/hills, downhills, and turns to keep it interesting. Beginning at the Sports Park you immediately get a nice downhill to get you started as you run along orange groves before heading into the Historic Citrus Park. This first section has some fairly decent hills and can really kick your rear if you aren't careful. Racers pass by several real restrooms that are open for use during this section, and the citrus park has at least two aid stations. After the citrus park it is back out into the orange groves after off-roading for a little bit. Several miles wind through the orange groves and this terrain makes runners really focus on footing - which I actually like because it keeps me focusing on that instead of how tired I am! After the orange groves it is up a long gradual hill overlooking a beautiful canyon to the halfway turnaround. From there you get the downhill for a bit which is SO NICE before turning towards residential streets to run the final 5k of the race. There are a few more hills on the final stretch and they still throw me for a loop because I just don't have anything left by then. HA! There are a lot of port-a-pots along the course and they have the streets closed to traffic (THANK YOU!!!!). There are a lot of lot of aid stations well stocked with cold water and gatorade, and at the halfway they had oranges (ohemgee so delicious!!) and plenty of GU in lots of flavors to choose from. The volunteers at the aid stations are amazing and have it down to a science as they let you know if they have water or gatorade as you are coming up. Lots of great signs, cheering, and helpful volunteers out on a chilly morning! Two of my favorite things about this course is that there is a section where you pass the front of the pack runners - that is so motivating to just see them flying by; and then there is another section where you pass the 5k runners as they make their way into the citrus park...so much fun to get to "mingle" with the other runners. Plain and simple, I'll say it again, I love this course. It is my favorite half marathon course to date.

Just after the starting line! There's nothing like seeing runners for days ahead of you!! I <3 it!

Medal

The medal is amazing every single year! High quality, perfect size, pretty to look at, fabulous ribbon. Take a look:

I love their medals each year and they are some of my favorites hanging on the medal rack. They definitely get this right every single year.

Here's a picture of me holding it so you can get some size perspective. It's not huge, but it's definitely not tiny either. I would say it is Goldilocks "just right".

My Gear

I wore the following:

Skirt Sports BBF Beanie in Pink Crush (on sale for $9.99 right now and I LOVE IT!!)

Skirt Sports Don't Sweat It Long Sleeve in Razz (I wore the Ambassador top that isn't available, but they have other awesome prints available!)

Skirt Sports Jette Capri Skirt in Poparazzi

Skirt Sports socks (not currently available)

Flip Belt*

Mizuno Wave Rider 17's

Fuel was Island Boost and GU Chomps (I alternated for a total of 4 times fueling during race)

*I'm struggling with a way to carry my new iPhone 6s Plus so I had to break out my FlipBelt. It did fit, with the case on if I really stuffed it in there, but I think I'm probably one of the only people on the planet that doesn't really care for the FlipBelt. I don't know if it's just my body shape, but they say that it won't ride up and will stay where you put it...nope, not for me. I would prefer to wear it around my hips, but it always makes its way up to my waist (usually taking my shirt with it risking flashing people) and that makes it difficult to get anything out of it. That's the other part of my dislike, you have to flip it over to keep items inside, but then you can't get anything out of it without flipping it back over and then you run the risk of items falling out. I lost my body glide during my marathon and a chapstick another run. One final thing I don't like about it is that it doesn't have a waterproof layer so my phone case was all sweaty at the end of the run. Moisture + Phone = Bad Idea. Right? haha The only reason I'm using it right now is because I didn't have anything else that I could use for my phone. If you have any recommendations, please let me know!!

The clothes were all spot on and absolutely perfect. I have zero complaints about anything I was wearing outside of the Flip Belt. Skirt Sports is just the best. I'll have a 2016 discount code available for you very soon!

My Race

You guys - I had a really good race!! Coach Tiffany and I had decided prior to the race that this wouldn't be a PR push and would be an opportunity for me to just get out and run and see where I'm at so we can put together a great plan for my spring races. I knew I wanted to start off nice and slow so I didn't get tight legs/shins like I have in the past, I knew that I wanted to walk through the aid stations and take in some water/gatorade at each as I was not carrying any water on me this time (wanted to see how it went if I didn't carry my own since it wasn't a PR push), and I knew that I wanted to try to tackle the hills stronger than I have in the past. If I needed to walk them I would, but I would definitely try to not let them get into my head. So with those goals in mind, I started off slow, gradually geared up and didn't let the hills scare me. When we got to the first big hill I looked and it and said out loud "I LOVE HILLS!!! I'm going to totally run this thing right now! I eat hills for breakfast!" I don't know what else I said but I pretty much convinced myself up the entire thing and then I got to the top of this hill that I walked the previous two years and wanted to absolutely burst into tears that I DID IT!! I ran it and I didn't even feel like I was going to die. And the kicker? I didn't start walking at the top...I kept running right up the next hill, and right up the next one, and so on and so forth. For 10 miles I ran every single hill and I only stopped to walk through the aid stations. The mental boost from that...I can't even begin to tell you how good it felt.

Sally and I getting our groove on!

I took a brief moment of pause at the halfway point to take off my beanie and throw my hair into a ponytail as I was getting too warm. My gloves came off about 7 miles in. My sleeves rolled up about 8 miles in. haha Okay, so you know I ran strong for 10 miles but I definitely felt the fatigue really settle in at that point and I ended up taking some walk breaks during the remainder of the race. I was really feeling the fatigue in my hips and feet, so I started picking out a spot to run to, then would walk to a spot, and then start again. But I typically get tired much earlier than 10 miles, so I was thrilled. I finally headed to the finish line and kicked it into high gear to sprint to the finish line! I even got another gal to really pick it up because she could see me coming up behind her and she wasn't about to let me pass her! I told her she better get it if she didn't want me to beat her! We high-fives each other at the end of the race. LOL I just love that...the spirit of perseverance. She was a fighter and I salute that! Before I share my finish time for this race, I want to share my previous two finish times first.

2014: 2:53:20
2015: 2:59:01

And this year:
2016: 2:38:55

Guys - that's 20 minutes faster than last year and 15 minutes faster than 2014 on the exact same course!!! A 15-minute course PR!!!!!!!! Am I excited about that? HECK YEAH!!! And what's my overall half PR? 2:42 at the Tinkerbell in 2012. A flat course that I ran before my knee disaster! So not only did I get a 15-minute course PR, I also got a 4-minute half marathon PR. My work with Coach Tiffany is totally paying off. I said in my post on Instagram/Facebook that I don't do it very often as I tend to be very hard on myself, but I'm so proud of my effort on this race. I wasn't going for a PR, but I got one anyways. But more important to me than any numbers was that I ran those hills that beat me every other time. More important is that I felt great. More important is that I fueled and hydrated to plan. More important is that when my watch clicked off the miles I was shocked at how quickly it was going by. I feel like I won a mental battle on this run and that is the absolute most important. I'm gonna ride this runner's high for a while. LOL

Post-Race

The post-race amenities at this one are pretty good. They have bananas, fresh oranges, and Clif bars, full water bottles, and Gatorade along with bowls of chili from Farmer Boys (a local burger joint that is just now expanding to the Los Angeles area). They also had mylar blankets this year and had the beer garden back again. One of the best things about the beer garden? They had belly bars (those are the high tables) and bowls of pretzels on the tables. Nice touch!! (I didn't partake in the beer garden, but a nice gentleman was more than happy to put my ticket to use! hahaha)

Final Thoughts

Did you guys get the idea that I really like this race? *wink* I really do - I love this race. Gorgeous course with just enough challenge, great amenities, wonderful course support, lots of volunteers, great swag in a beautiful location at a perfect time of year. What more can you ask for? Seriously, you won't be sorry if you run this race. Hope that you'll join me in 2017 because I will definitely be back!!

Finally, I will also highlight that this is part of the Run Riverside Challenge series so I got some extra swag this one! Here's all the Run Riverside medals from 2015-16:

And here's all of them from the beginning of this series that began three years ago!

Half Marathon #7 is in the books! Run happy, or dance, or skip, or jump, or whatever, my friends!

Hemp Hearts Product Review and GIVEAWAY!!

I was provided an opportunity to try Manitoba Harvest's Hemp Hearts as a Sweat Pink Ambassador through FitApproach. All opinions are my own and are my honest thoughts on this product.

I will be honest, I had absolutely NO idea what Hemp Hearts were before I tried them. I know that I've heard a lot of talk about how healthy Hemp is and I know a lot of people that have been snacking on various Hemp snacks. So as soon as my Hemp Hearts package arrived, I wanted to know more about what the benefits were and how I could use these mighty little seeds, so my first stop was manitobaharvest.com where all my questions were answered!

So, why Hemp Hearts? Here are the top 10 reasons from Manitoba Harvest to give them a try:

That's just 10 of the reasons to try them but I'm sure there are a lot more. So why did I want to give them a try after reading all about them?

My # 1 reason is the Omegas and the Protein! I also love all the other things about them like the magnesium, that they are easy to use, vegetarian, etc., but for me, I'm always looking for ways to get a little boost in my food without adding a ton of extra stuff. So with Hemp Hearts I can sprinkle some on my oatmeal in the morning, throw some in a salad, mix it into a protein smoothie, sprinkle a little on a PB&J...you name it, I can do it because they really do TASTE GREAT and are very complementary to everything I added them to! So what do they taste like? They have a slightly nutty flavor  and are a soft, chewy texture. They don't taste all that different from other nuts or seeds, but pack that mighty punch of Omegas, Protein, Magnesium and more! So they are good for you and taste great. A winning combo for sure!

So this is staged photography at its best because that's just how I roll over here. 😂 Nobody will ever accuse me of not keeping it real. LOL But the important thing here is that some #hemphearts from @manitobaharvest are GOING DOWWWWNNNNN!!! And guess what? They are delicious!!! Packed with protein and Omega 3 & 6 they are complimenting my steel cut oats very nicely! Get some for yourself at www.manitobaharvest.com and get 20% off with discount code HHSP1015. #fueledbyhemp #sweatpink @fitapproach #SPA Giveaway coming on the blog soon...

A photo posted by Kristen Grimes (@kgrimes526) on Oct 6, 2015 at 10:43am PDT

And guess what? You can eat them straight out of the bag too - you don't have to add them to anything!! But just in case you want to get creative, Manitoba Harvest has a bajillion recipes on their website using Hemp Hearts and other Hemp products - you can check those all out here.

Pumpkin Hemp Pancakes? Yes, PLEASE!!!

Alright, I know you can't wait to try them for yourself now, right? But I also know you might have some questions about Hemp and its relation to marijuana. No worries, here's what Manitoba Harvest says about it: Hemp contains 0.001% Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and will NOT cause a psychoactive effect nor will our products cause a false positive drug test. Largely thanks to Manitoba Harvest co-founders’ advocacy efforts, hemp was demystified and Industrial Hemp was legalized in Canada in 1998. From there an industry was (re)born! For more on hemp history click here.

But if you want even more information about it, you can visit their very informative FAQ page as well! If you can't wait to try them, you can also get 20% off of anything in the store at www.manitobaharvest.com with the discount code HHSP1015

So now I know you REALLY can't wait to give these a try. And guess what, you have a chance to win a 2 ounce bag of your very own Hemp Hearts!! There's a lot of giveaways going on right now for this product, so if you have already won on another blog, please leave this opportunity for someone else that hasn't had a chance to win yet. Pretty please, and thank you!!!

It's super easy to enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. The contest will run from today, November 3 through November 12 at midnight. Good luck! Winner will be contacted by email and will have 72 hours to claim their prize before another winner is selected.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!!!!

Accountability is Key

The last couple of weeks all the FitApproach/Sweat Pink Ambassadors were talking Motivation and Goals and I even wrote a couple posts - one on the blog and one on FitApproach. To keep with that theme, we are now talking about strategies for being successful with those goals and how we are going to stay accountable to them. I'd like to talk about Accountability today...one of those three pieces of your girl-squad along with Motivation and Consistency (if you read the Motivation post it makes total sense...trust me. LOL).

The thing is Accountability is critical to your fitness and health success - especially if you have some big goals that you're trying to accomplish! Can you do it alone? Sure...but why go it alone if you don't have to? There's at least two times recently that accountability played a big part in my fitness. Both times were Saturday mornings that I had scheduled runs with others and both times I know without a doubt that I would have skipped those runs if I hadn't already promised others that I would be there. And then of course I can't discount the #1 accountability piece that I have built into my goals recently: Coach Tiffany. I know that I have to report back to her my results and it automatically makes me want to work just a little harder and not slack off as much as I typically do.

When you share your goals with others that have like-minded goals of their own, they lift you higher than you can lift yourself. And before you think that you have to tell every single person you know about your goals whether they support them or not, you don't. Accountability comes in many different ways:

BLOGGING: yup, I use this space to help keep me accountable. Knowing that I have put some hard and fast goals out there to any readers makes me want to work hard to not let those goals just fall by the wayside. Especially if I come back and provide updates on a regular basis...I certainly don't want to come back and here and be all "I suck". Yeahhhhhh, I really don't wanna do that. LOL

CHALLENGE GROUPS: there's pretty much a different challenge group for everyone's needs. I've been a member of Coach Jenny Hadfield's challenge group on Facebook for the past two years and that group is great for accountability! I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to slack off and I get on there and read all the posts from challengers talking about getting up and working out and it totally makes me want to too! Find a group, let them know your plans even if it is just the day, for the week or long-term - share your goals and then report back on how you're doing!

SOCIAL MEDIA: Will some people on your friends list get sick of hearing all about your workouts? Yes, possibly. But you know what - they can just keep scrolling on through and if they really want to they can even call it exercising if it makes them feel better about it. hahaha The reality is that you will also have a group of people that will cheer you on and keep you motivated towards your goals. And even if absolutely nobody says a thing - YOU KNOW that you said you were going to do x and you broadcast it to the world...so you know you need to do it, right? :-D

FRIENDS & FAMILY: If you have some friends and family that will back your plans, then by all means - include them in assisting you! I told you all a while back how I set up a plan with my husband to earn rewards for exercising. My sister and I, including my Mom for a large portion of time, have been workout accountability partners. We try to get together at least a couple times a week and have run several family workout challenges for points and rewards. And guess what, it WORKS. Because we are competing with each other, and encouraging each other, it makes it so much easier to keep going when we want to quit.

The reality is that when you feel like you have people "depending" on you, you work a little harder.

So find someone - whether it is in real-life or virtually, whether it is a single person or a whole group to share your goals with, your strategy for getting there, and then ask them to keep you accountable to those goals. Set up a PLAN for how often you will report in, how you will report in, and anything else that you need to ensure you will be checking in with your partner on a regular basis. And then be accountable to not just your person, but most of all, be accountable to YOURSELF. Stick with your goals, keep working your plan and you will find success!

Question: Who are you accountable to for your fitness and/or health goals?

#LoveBulu - Bulu Box Review...and Discount Code!

Click the picture to visit www.bulubox.com

I was thrilled to get the opportunity to review a Bulu Box via FitApproach as a Sweat Pink Ambassador*. Bulu Box is a subscription box service that delivers you 4 to 5 samples each month so you can try products out before buying full size versions. Plus you can earn rewards by reviewing the products you sample and earn points towards purchasing the products! Pretty cool, right?

*Even though I was provided a box free of charge, all opinions and thoughts are my own and I have not been compensated in any way for this post. I have been asked by FitApproach to provide an honest review of the Bulu Box and that is what is contained here.

Try Samples, Earn Points, Cash Out towards full-size purchases - it's THAT EASY!

Bulu has different types of products that are tailored to your goals - I received the Succeed at Weight Loss box. Each box includes a product card that discusses the samples that are included and provides purchasing costs if you choose to order the full sized product. Additionally, Bulu makes it really easy because they include all the products for purchase on their own site so you don't have to go searching the web for them! One-stop shopping - BOOM!

Fusion Jerky: Lemon Pepper Artisan Chicken Jerky..."offers a unique, high protein flavor experience made using real chicken and nothing artificial...is gluten-free, minimally processed and 99% fat free!" They also have beef, pork, and turkey varieties too!

What did I think of this? Oh my goodness this stuff was delicious!! I opened it and had a couple small pieces then shared with my kids and husband and we all really liked it. It was moist and so flavorful! I've seen some other chicken jerky out at the store that is basically all smushed into a little bar, so that it looks a little like a fat slim jim and I don't know...that just isn't appealing to me at all. Here, take a look at the actual jerky...

www.fusionjerky.com

Whole pieces of chicken covered in spices. Delicious!!! I made the mistake of setting the bag aside while I finished cooking dinner and I never saw it again. I finally started interrogating the family before my husband fessed up that he took it to work and promptly enjoyed every last little piece, including dumping the scraps at the bottom of the bag into his mouth. AND THEN he asked me to get him some more. So did we enjoy this? Hell yeah!! Would I buy it again? Hell yeah! Would I have purchased it without trying first? Probably not...so I'm really glad this sample was included. SUCCESS!

Simple Being Simple Website

Simple Being Simple Diet Supplement: "...features an effective 4-part blend of ingredients such as Green Coffee Bean, African Mango, Acai, and Resveratrol to promote fat burning, appetite suppression and boost metabolism."

What did I think? I will start by saying that I don't really know what a lot of the ingredients in these are or what they are for and I'm pretty much a skeptic when it comes to weight loss supplements. But I figured I could give them a try and see if I noticed any difference. I took one each day with lunch and it did seem to give me a little boost of energy and I didn't feel as wiped out by the afternoon. Would I buy them? Eh, the verdict is out on that one as I am not totally sold on the benefits. But I'm definitely glad I got to try something that I never would have bought all on my own.

RUNA Website

RUNA Tea: "Powered by Guayusa, a native Amazonian tree leaf, provides as much caffeine as a cup of coffee and twice the antioxidants of green tea." I had the Ginger-Citrus flavor in my box, but they do have a variety of flavors like Cinnamon Lemongrass, Traditional, and Mint. I really, really want to try that Cinnamon Lemongrass!!!

What did I think? I enjoyed the tea, it had an earthy flavor but was sweet enough to drink without added sugar. It is USDA Organic and all kinds of good stuff. I was a little worried that the ginger would be overpowering but it really wasn't. Would I have this again? Yeah, I would. I wouldn't say I was doing cartwheels over it (definitely did cartwheels over the Fusion Jerky though!) but if I came across it in the store I would buy it and I will definitely be actively looking to try the Cinnamon Lemongrass flavor if I can.

Movit Energy Gummies Website

Movit Energy Gummies: "...use power-boosting ingredients like guarantee, CoQ10, and folic acid to combat fatigue and help you perform your best!" I got the Citrus flavor pack and took them prior to doing some sprint intervals on the treadmill.

What did I think? I really liked the flavor of these and would totally use them again! I didn't have any stomach issues and it felt like it gave me a good boost of energy. It definitely got me through my workout without feeling like I was going to die...so I totally consider that a success! I typically use GU Chomps or Honey Stinger Energy Chews, so these are right along my alley of preferred energy sources for working out. They were a little chewier than the other two products, so I don't feel like I would like them as a mid-workout snack, but they were perfect for a pre- or post- snack.

Earth's Care Anti-Itch Cream Website

Earth's Care Anti-Itch Cream: "Relieve pain and itching associated with skin irritations such as poison ivy, sunburn, and minor cuts or scrapes...no artificial colors or fragrances and petroleum-free."

What did I think? Well, I didn't have any true cause to use this product in the last week or so, but I did rub a little on to the back of my hand so I could see how it felt. This is a nice, non-greasy lotion that has a natural smell of menthol and camphor without being overpowering. It went on nice and smooth and felt good. I would buy this and use it and would love to try it on a sunburn or bug bite. I guess it's pretty nice that I don't have either right now...but it sure would have been nice to see how it handled some itchy skin! haha

So, overall what did I think of Bulu Box? I really enjoyed the products, I enjoyed the ease of use on the Bulu Box website (and that I can buy any of the products I love right there in one place!) and I love getting samples of products that I wouldn't normally buy without trying first or knowing first-hand from word of mouth of someone I trust their opinion on. I can definitely say that I would buy and use at least several of the items included in my box, and it's pretty obvious that my family absolutely loved the jerky that we sampled! I am actually going to go ahead and do a 3-month subscription so I can get a better feel for the service and then decide if I want to continue it past 3-months.

You want to try the Bulu Box too? I totally recommend giving it a try and you can even get a discount on a 3, 6, or 12 month subscription! Just use code SWEATPINK for 50% off!! Time to #LoveBulu for yourself!

Question: Have you tried any subscription box services? What did you think?

Hodgepodge, Potpourri, Call it What You Will...

I have such a variety of information I want to share with you guys so I'm just going to kinda do a little brain dump this morning.

Motivation...That Fickle Friend
I wrote a post for the FitApproach team the other day discussing motivation and how she can be such a fickle friend always disappearing when you need her most. But when you couple her with your "girl squad" of Consistency and Accountability that Motivation will want to hang around a lot more often. You can check it out in its entirety by clicking the link or picture above.

SunRype Prize Pack Giveaway
Don't forget that you still have time to enter the SunRype Prize Pack giveaway that is going through this Sunday, August 23rd! Lots of great 100% fruit snacks, a visor and a tote bag are up for grabs...don't miss out on your chance to #tastethesun!

Skirt Sports Virtual Boobie Run
Join Skirt Sports for a Virtual Run that is all about the "girls"! You can run it anytime really, but the actual date is September 12, 2015. You can choose to run 8k (just under 5 miles) or 8 miles - you choose the route, you get your girlfriends together, and you run for a great cause! Plus, with your registration you get a voucher for $70 to purchase a new bra so your girls are supported for every run and activity. And here's the really awesome part - you can use SSPQL20 for 20% off of the registration! Registration is normally $60, but with the discount it is only $48 AND you get the $70 voucher...so really, you are MAKING money by registering for this race!!! (And yes, I use that justification with my husband on a regular basis...LOL). Post your pics to social media using the hashtag #REALwomenmove and #skirtsports and share the love for the ta-ta's! Don't forget that when you use the #REALwomenmove hashtag you are also helping new runners get started through the Skirt Sports Kick Start program so that's like a HUGE bonus to using that hashtag. It's a win-win!!


Are there too many races?
I read the article (click the link to read) recently in the print version of Running Times and found it very interesting. It appears that more and more cities are starting to look at limiting the number of races that they issue permits for because they could potentially have a race every weekend or multiple races on a single weekend especially in areas that are considered "active" such as Denver Colorado. On the one hand I love that there are so many options available and that running is experiencing such a boom! On the other hand, I do understand the frustration of people living in these areas with streets getting shut down, or you have that other trend of races getting cancelled last minute because companies go under or because they didn't meet their registration quota.

Question: What do you think? Are there too many races in your opinion?

Fuel Your Fire!

FitApproach has asked the Sweat Pink bloggers to share how they fuel up for working out. I don't know about you guys, but I'm super excited to read what others have to say about this because even though I've been running solid for 6 years I STILL don't know that I have fueling properly down. It's confusing, ya'll!!!

Here's what I do know right at this moment.

I know a lot of articles actually suggest having a cup of coffee prior to running, but I have to say that if I do indulge in the java before heading out, it is a sure thing that I will have to pee ridiculously bad within a few miles. If I skip the coffee before heading out, I very rarely even THINK about having to stop and use the restroom. So I've definitely learned that I can't fuel a run with coffee unless I want to pee every two miles.

GU Chomps are my absolute favorite energy chew. I'm still getting the timing down on when to take them and how often, but I seriously LOVE how they taste. I could eat them like candy, as a matter of fact (Something I have NOT done because I fear that once I did I could never go back...).

I ingested so much of this stuff during marathon training last summer that I don't know if I will ever want to have another packet again (specifically, Salted Caramel). I had a few left and attempted to use them earlier this year and just one taste and I wanted to vomit or die, or maybe both. I ended up handing them off to Mom & Sister. Know this - whatever your preferred fuel is you probably will want to mix the flavors up some. Too much of a good thing and all...

So that's what I currently know about fueling. I told you, it's not much. So what am I doing to fuel at the moment?

BEFORE
If it's a weekday run I won't have anything before except for some water and maybe a GU chomp or two if I happen to have some left in a package laying open. I may only do that for the simple excuse that I absolutely love them though (see above item and eating them like candy). If it's a long run I will wake up and eat my normal bowl of cereal, which has been Frosted Mini-Wheats for quite some time now. I seriously think I could eat them until I die and never tire of them.

Mmmmmm...Delicious!!

DURING
I carry good ol' H2O with me on every run, so on a short easy run during the week I will simply sip on water as needed. On the long runs I have been doing the GU Chomps and ingest 4 about every 45 minutes or so. I suck so bad at running I couldn't tell you if they are working or not because I get tired and lazy and don't want to finish and start fighting the stupid lazy brain anyways so is that because I'm not fueling right or just because I suck at running? I have no idea. What I do know is that being able to eat some delicious GU Chomps in the middle of a totally sucky run is a nice distraction. After all, I may not have mentioned this yet, but I could eat them like candy!!! ;-)  I really feel like I have to become a better runner to know if fueling is even working. I know that nailing down my nutrition would probably make me a better runner, but I still struggle with this.

AFTER
Weekdays I have my normal breakfast (aforementioned Mini-Wheats) and my cup of coffee. After a long run I will usually eat another bowl of cereal as a snack and then follow it up a little bit later with a lunch that has some substantial protein in it depending on what is around the house. I have to admit that I don't plan this out very well and this could be part of my overall problem. I know that last summer when I was marathon training I had to eat something salty soon after my run otherwise I would get a headache. I'm sure this means something important, like maybe my electrolyte balance is off and I need to do some alternate hydration during runs like that, but remember how I told you that this whole thing is confusing? Yeah...that. I always "plan" on having a protein shake, but rarely remember to actually have one. I seriously suck at this whole fueling thing...don't say I didn't warn you! LOL

Mmmmm...salty goodness! Lay's Kettle Baked Chips were my fave salty choice last summer.

So that's what I'm doing to fuel and I hate to tell you guys that I'm probably not a lot of help if you're looking for what works. HA! I seriously think that I could run for a million more years and fueling my run will still be confusing to me. I often think about hiring a coach that does fueling and regular training and I really want Vinnie, my Garmin, to be able to be programmed with fueling intervals to remind me when it's time to take more in. Why don't the Garmins do this yet??? No really, I want to know...

I have read one book that I felt was VERY informative and when I get around to getting it back from my sister (ahem...), I would actually like to read it again. I think following the fueling plan in this book might make an impact, or at the very least, I would like to give it a solid try and see what happens.

So there you have it - that's what I'm doing, but I certainly know that what I'm doing could be done a whole heckuva lot better!!! So guess what? I'm going to keep working at it and trying different things until I feel like an expert on my fueling plan! Because that's all part of the fun, right?

How do YOU fuel before, during and after? I wanna know...