The Vendor Village had vendors including a local race coming up, physical therapy office, Honey Stingers, and of course New Balance was there with some shoes to demo. We made our way around the Vendor Village checking out the vendors and collecting our first tickets.
It was the 2nd Thursday in the month which means it was time for Road Runner Sports Alpharetta Adventure Run! What is an Adventure Run you ask? Adventure Runs are hosted by Road Runner Sports stores and are a scavenger hunt style fun run. At the start of the run, a map is revealed on a board (or sent to your email if you pre-registered) and you are sent on your way. Your goal is to get to as many checkpoints and get back to the store in an hour. Each checkpoint gives you raffle tickets to be used in the drawings once the run is over. At some checkpoints you simply get tickets for arriving and some have fun little tasks to complete (such as burpees, planks, etc). There are some pretty awesome prizes to be won and the best part is that Adventure Runs are FREE! Each Adventure Run night has a different theme. The theme can be anything from luau, patriotic, movies, and more. Most of the schools in Georgia have gone back to school in the past two weeks, so tonight's theme was "Revenge of the Nerds." Suspenders, knee high socks, pig-tails, and taped glasses were abundant this evening. Remember my Adventure Run last week when storms were forecasted? Well, when we arrived at Road Runner Sports, there were some nasty dark clouds in the area and some kickin' wind. Fortunately, nothing came from it and we were good to go! The Vendor Village had vendors including a local race coming up, physical therapy office, Honey Stingers, and of course New Balance was there with some shoes to demo. We made our way around the Vendor Village checking out the vendors and collecting our first tickets. The map was revealed at 6:30 and we were on our way. We knew that the furtherest points we wanted to go to were Orange Theory Fitness and our secret check-point at Alpharetta High School. First, we went to Alpharetta High School for the secret check-point. Today was "Left-Handed Day" so our task was to write our name with sidewalk chalk using our left hand. I think we did pretty well at this task if I may say so. After leaving Alpharetta High School, we made made our way back towards Avalon. We stopped for a quick check-in at Orange Theory Fitness before starting the 1+ mile run back to Avalon. I love the Alpharetta Adventure Runs because Avalon is such a cool shopping area. There are some major retailers but at the same time some really neat local restaurants and shops. Their check-points are always fun for sure. We had to do a water balloon toss at Road Runner Sports and jumping jacks at Haven @ Avalon. Of course we always make the checkpoints take some awesome selfies with us too! We got back to the lawn and separated our tickets and got them in the buckets for the drawing. The team at Road Runner Sports even had some root beer floats waiting for us as we returned. Thanks a bunch for the cold and refreshing treat! There were some great prizes this evening including products from Athleta, gift certificates for Road Runner Sports R-Gear apparel, Exhale spa, and Flywheel....and of course FREE SHOES! We were winners this evening with Momma K winning a Stretch Out Strap from the local physical therapy office and us winning some Balega socks. Thank you again to Road Runner Sports for hosting yet another great Adventure Run! Also, a HUGE thank you to the generosity of the vendors who open their doors to be a check-point and donate awesome prizes for the drawing. If you have never tried an Adventure Run, I highly recommend that you do. They are free, fun, and a great way to get in a few miles during the week. Who knows, you might even discover some new restaurants around town or new product to try out. Hop on over to the Adventure Run website to find out the dates and locations of an Adventure Run near you! After you register for your FREE Adventure Run, be sure to check out my post on Adventure Run tips on how to make the most of your Adventure Run experience.
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Sometimes you have races that you have circled on your calendar for months in advanced. This was me with Vinings Downhill 5K. I really enjoyed this race last year - it was very well organized, great atmosphere, and I PR'ed. As soon as the date came out for Vinings Downhill 5K 2015, I was sure to mark it on my race schedule. I have been getting quite a bit faster in 5Ks the past month with my two fastest 5Ks being in the past three weeks, so I was excited to run a course that I did well on last year. The morning was humid which is normal for August in Atlanta, however we had a beautiful sunrise that greeted me as I got out of my car in the parking garage. I was hoping that this was a sign of a great morning ahead. I got there bright an early to make sure I had plenty of time to get parked and settled before the race. Fortunately, my friends are also early-birds so we were able to meet up and chat before the race. We all lined up in the middle of pack at the start line. I think it is fair to say that we all wished we started a little further up though. While there was a timing mat that started your time at the start-line, the congestion was insane the first 1/3 of a mile. There was a huge bottleneck that prevented me from getting to go out the way I planned on. The first 1/2 mile or so is a generous downhill and I wanted to take advantage of that start. While my first mile was not what I planned, I quickly adapted and continued trucking. While the race is named Vinings Downhill 5K, don't let that fool you. Yes it is a point-to-point race, however you still encounter a number of long yet fairly gradual uphill portions. You have to quickly switch gears from running downhill to going uphill. Those not familiar with the course are surprised when they start the uphill portions. I would say though that the uphills are pretty mild - not too steep. I will admit it, I was a little frazzled when I didn't get to start the way that I wanted to, but looking back I think it was better. The humidity was getting the best of my breathing at mile 2.5 and I started to hit a little wall. It was probably a good thing that I had a slower start. I made the turn at 2.9 to head up to the finish line and I knew I was close to my goal. I had a A, B, and C goal for the day. I will go ahead and say that my A goal was a rather lofty goal that would have had me getting a 2 minute 5K PR. I missed my B goal by 3 seconds.....3 SECONDS! I did get my C goal though which involved a PR by over 20 seconds having me shave a minute off of my 5K time in the past month. Not too shabby. I guess my hard work is paying off. :) Our group of lovely ladies (and Chris) met up at the finish line. It is always the best to have friendly faces waiting for you at the finish line. As I mentioned earlier, this is a point-to-point race. The post race area is about a mile from the finish line (and another .5 mile from the parking deck). Participants have the option of riding the bus to the post race area or walking/running. Ummmm, we will take the bus please. :) For this being a local race with about 1,500 participants, this post race area is AWESOME! There are some great vendors, awesome refreshments, music, fun, and more. One of my favorite vendors was West Stride Running who had a "spin the wheel" game which I scored a gift card playing! Yes, please. As you can already guess, I highly recommend this race. Don't be fooled by "Downhill" in the name and prepare for the humidity/heat and you will have a great time! In case you are wondering, yes, I already have this race on my 2016 list.
It is hard to believe that in a little more than three weeks I will be starting the first leg of my 3rd Dumbo Double Dare Challenge. If you don't know what the Dumbo Double Dare Challenge is, it is a challenge held during the runDisney Disneyland 1/2 Marathon weekend. Participants in the challenge run the Disneyland 10K on Saturday followed by the 1/2 Marathon on Sunday. That is right, 19.3 magic miles of fun and memories (or 22.4 miles if you opt to do the 5K as well). The race course is about a mile or so outside of the parks before entering Disney California Adventure, Disneyland, and Downtown Disney before crossing the finish line. As with the other runDisney races, there are great character photo ops and Disney magic surrounding you. The Disneyland 10K was my first runDisney race at Disneyland. This race is special to me for a variety of reasons but mostly for the memories that I have made with some of my amazing friends the past two years. I decided that it would be fun to take a look back at some of these awesome memories that I have made. In 2013, the inaugural Disneyland 10K was an Alice in Wonderland theme. This is probably one of my favorite race themes that I have ran with runDisney because there are so many great options for costumes or inspired outfits. Between Alice, Mad Hatter, Cheshire Cat, the Tweedles, and the many other characters, the options are amazing. Last year was Momma K's first Dumbo Double Dare Challenge and she was super excited to kick off the weekend. We ran with our friends Fiona and Lena and shared many giggles and smiles along the way. We even ran into a few interesting "characters" along the way. :) This year's medal excited me quite a bit when I saw it. I think the Evil Queen will be quite a great addition for my runDisney medal collection. Question of the Day: Will you be running the Disneyland 10K? Are you taking part in the Dumbo Double Dare challenge?
Earlier this month, Sparkly Soul headbands celebrated their 4th birthday. They had a great celebration by hosting a Twitter party chat with some SPARKLY giveaways and had a great sale to celebrate the occasion. As a special celebration, Sparkly Soul even showered their ambassador team with gifts to celebrate their birthday as well. We will just say that they are 'tickled pink' to have us on board with them. I am pumped to add the summer-release Tickled Pink and Confetti Hearts to my Sparkly Soul collection. The Sparkly Soul team is such an inspiring group of women from different walks of life who have a passion for an active lifestyle. Whether it is running, yoga, CrossFit, or anything in between, we are pushing our limits all while adding a little "sparkle" to it. Thank you Sparkly Soul for having me be a part of the team and be surrounded by a group of extraordinary women. I "heart" Sparkly Soul for sure! <3 Be sure to follow my sparkly adventures as well as Sparkly Soul on social media! Sparkly Soul posts special promotions on their pages and often hosts some really fun contests, so be sure to follow them as well.
Grab your wings and pixie dust - it is time to fly! It is registration day for runDisney's Tinker Bell 1/2 Marathon weekend in Disneyland. 2016 will be the 5th Anniversary of the race which means anniversary bling and more likely a faster sell-out. Events included during Tinker Bell 1/2 Marathon weekend include Kid's Races, Neverland 5K, Tinker Bell 10K, Tinker Bell 1/2 Marathon and Pixie Dust Challenge (10K on Saturday + 1/2 Marathon on Sunday). Even though I have never ran Tinker Bell 1/2 Marathon weekend, it is actually how I discovered runDisney. When at a race expo a few years ago, I found the runDisney booth and learned about the Tinker Bell 1/2 Marathon which was being held a few days before my birthday. Even though I was unable to go run it, I had learned a lot about the great races that runDisney hosted. Shortly after, I registered for Princess 1/2 Marathon 2013 and the rest was history. Due to a heavy travel schedule in late 2015 and early 2016 for "racecations" - I will yet again be watching the magic of Tinker Bell weekend unfold over social media. One year I will be able to head out there and earn my wings, until then I will cheer for my friends from home. If you are planning on registering for any of the races, make sure you are online and ready to go at noon (eastern time). Check out the runDisney website for more details including registration fees, travel information and more. Here are a few tips for getting registered: (1) Be on time.
You will want/need to be online at noon Eastern (if not even before) (2) Be ready. Have all of your registration information and credit card ready to go. (3) Know what you are registering for. Are you registering a friend or loved one for a race (or races)? Make sure you know in advance what you are signing up for. Noon is not the time to hem and haw over what you want to run. Yes, it is a commitment, but you don't want the race to fill up while you are making up your mind or waiting for you loved one to respond to your text. (4) DON'T GIVE UP! Active.com has been know to crash during hot race registration such as runDisney races. A new queue system has been implemented that will put you in a "line" to register, so get in line and be patient (don't exit out and come back in because you will lose your spot in line). (5) Register in order of importance If you are registering for multiple races, register in order of importance/popularity. More than likely, Pixie Dust Challenge will fill up first. (6) Use social media. Follow runDisney's Twitter account (@runDisney) for the most up to date information such as the current percentage sold out. (7) Have a back up plan. Just in case something happens and you are stuck in traffic getting to your computer or your internet goes down have a friend/family member on call to register you. (8) Get shut out? There is still hope! If worst case scenarios happen and you miss open registration, there is still hope. Make sure to check the runDisney site for information of purchasing bib packages from travel agents or you can run with a charity group and raise money for some awesome charities while you runDisney in May. It seems like forever since I have had an Adventure Run night! Well, it has been 4 weeks, but it still felt like forever. Let's be real, Adventure Runs are by far some of my favorite nights of the month. What is an Adventure Run you ask? Adventure Runs are hosted by Road Runner Sports stores and are a scavenger hunt style fun run. At the start of the run, a map is revealed on a board (or sent to your email if you pre-registered) and you are sent on your way. Your goal is to get to as many checkpoints and get back to the store in an hour. Each checkpoint gives you raffle tickets to be used in the drawings once the run is over. At some checkpoints you simply get tickets for arriving and some have fun little tasks to complete (such as burpees, planks, etc). There are some pretty awesome prizes to be won and the best part is that Adventure Runs are FREE! Each Adventure Run night has a different theme. The theme can be anything from luau, patriotic, movies, and more. In celebration of the upcoming Area 13.1 (alien themed 1/2 marathon and 5K), this week's Adventure Run was alien themed. We grabbed our antennas and headed to Road Runner Sports Marietta for an Adventure Run that was 'out of this world.' It is summer in Atlanta, which means that we have threats of severe weather coming through periodically. Today happened to be that way. We had some serious rain come through earlier in the afternoon but projections of severe weather was in the forecast for the evening. Due to the weather, this week's Vendor Village was set up inside of the store. While it was a little cramped, it totally worked. We decided to give the New Balances a test drive this evening since we were planning on staying pretty close to Road Runner Sports. There were a few other vendors set up including Zensah compression sleeves, a few upcoming local races, and fitness facilities from the area. We even had a surprise "guest" this evening - the fabulous Brooke from Road Runner Sports Alpharetta was helping at the Marietta store tonight! The team at Road Runner Sports did a great job of watching the radar to make sure that the runners would not be in danger. We were very lucky, and about 10 minutes before we started the weather cleared up. Crazy! They dropped the map (and sent the digital maps to your email) and we were on our way. We decided to stick pretty close to Road runner Sports in the event that severe weather came our way. Since The Avenues had 5 checkpoints there, we headed that way first. We hit up Barre 3, a couple of restaurants, High Country Outfitters and Origins. Of course we had to take some selfies and pictures along the way. After leaving The Avenues, we went by a few other close checkpoints and gathered more tickets before heading back to Road Runner Sports. We got back to Road Runner Sports early to make sure we had enough time to return the New Balance shoes that we tested (which we loved) and get our tickets separated and organized for the raffle. We really racked up the tickets tonight for sure! Becky was our only winner this evening. She won a gift card to a local store, High Country Outfitters, and she was able to go purchase herself a new Kavu backpack which she had been wanting. The funny part is that she actually spotted that they had the one that she wanted when we went there for our checkpoint. Yay Becky! Since I have two Road Runner Sports locations nearby, I am lucky enough to get to go "adventuring" next week! The Road Runner Sports Alpharetta theme for August is "Revenge of the Nerds" themed. Hmmmmm, time to plan my attire I guess :)
Today was a big day for runDisney Disneyland 1/2 Marathon runners! A ton of information was just released to runners including waivers, corral placements, event guide and i-Gift bag. The most anticipated information was the release of the waiver (bib numbers) and corral placements. Now, runners can now see what corral they will be starting in for the 1/2 marathon. Note: runDisney does not release corral placements for the 5K and 10K typically so you will likely find out that information at the expo. This also applies for Dumbo Double Dare Challenge runners - your bib number will show your corral for the 1/2 but you will find your 10K corral on your bib at packet pick-up. Waivers (bib numbers) for all Disneyland 1/2 Marathon weekend races can be found here. Once you locate your Dumbo Double Dare Challenge or Disneyland 1/2 Marathon bib number, you can locate your corral. Please keep in mind that you can FALL BACK corrals, however you may not move forward. For example, you are in corral E, but your friend is in C and you wish to run together your friend may move back to E however you cannot move up to C. I am beyond pumped about my corral placement for Dumbo Double Dare! I have worked my little booty off the past year to get a better 10K proof of time to submit and it paid off! I earned a placement higher than last year which is always great! Another exciting bit of information that came out today was the Disneyland 1/2 Marathon event guide. Inside the event guide you will find basically anything you want to know about the race weekend from expo times, course maps, running tips, and more. My favorite part of the event guide though is looking at the expo vendor list and map. There are always a lot of great vendors at the expo so I enjoy scoping out what some of the vendors carry (especially vendors that I am not too familiar with). By my initial glance, I see quite a few that I will definitely be shopping at including Sparkly Soul who was recently invited to have a booth! Yay! The 2015 Disneyland 1/2 Marathon Weekend event guide can be found here. Getting this information really makes it real that we will be heading to Disneyland before we know it. In less than 4 weeks the weekend kicks off and many magical memories will be made. I am wishing all of my fellow runners the best of luck in the final weeks of training for the weekend. Question of the Day: Who will I be seeing at Disneyland? What corral are you in for the 1/2 Marathon?
Last year was my first Disneyland 5K during Disneyland 1/2 Marathon weekend. There are a variety of reasons that I absolutely adore the runDisney 5Ks. They provide a more relaxed environment for families and novice runners to enjoy the magic of runDisney race weekend, they are a great shakeout run for those running the other races, and its just FUN in general. The runDisney 5Ks are a un-timed race which makes for a much less competitive and relaxed environment. While there are still plenty of people that run hard, there are just as many that have fun and take it easy. The Disneyland 5K takes participants on a 3.1 magical journey mainly through the Disneyland Resort area. Most of the course is through Disney California Adventure, Disneyland, and Downtown Disney. Of course, it wouldn't be a runDisney race without a few of your favorite Disney characters along the way for a photo opportunities. To celebrate the "unofficial countdown" to Disneyland 1/2 Marathon weekend 2015, here is a look back at a few of my favorite moments from the 2014 Disneyland 5K. This year, I will once again be taking part in the Disneyland 5K to kick off 22.4 magical miles through Disneyland over Labor Day weekend. 5K finishers receive a rubber medallion upon crossing the finish line. In celebration of the 60th Anniversary of Disneyland and the 10th anniversary of the Disneyland 5K, the bling reflects the occasion perfectly! Question of the Day: Will I be seeing you at the Disneyland 5K?
Want to Run an Adventure Run? Tips on How to Get the Most Out of Your Adventure Run Experience.8/5/2015 After running a number of Road Runner Sports Adventure Runs this year, I wanted to share some tips on how to make the most out of your Adventure Run experience. Adventure Runs are all about having fun and collecting raffle tickets to win PRIZES all while getting a few miles in. While I can't help you with the running part, I can tell you how to have fun and collect some serious tickets. Before Your Adventure Run 1 . Find your Adventure Run. Go to your local Road Runner Sports store or www.AdventureRun.com to find out when your local store's Adventure Run is. 2. Pre-Register for your Adventure Run at www.AdventureRun.com. By pre-registering, you will score bonus tickets when you check-in the day of your Adventure Run. You will also receive an email with the Adventure Run map when your run begins (more on that below). Remember, Adventure Runs are FREE! 3. Get Social! Follow your local Adventure Run on Facebook. My local store is Alpharetta which their Facebook page is here. By following your local Adventure Run on Facebook, you will be in the know of the 'secret checkpoint' which is revealed on Facebook the afternoon of your Adventure Run. You may also learn about other ways to score bonus tickets on Adventure Run day! 4. Participate in the Adventure Run theme. Remember how I just told you about following your Adventure Run's Facebook page? Well, they will also announce your run's theme on there. Examples of some of them themes are: luau, America (red, white, & blue), Star Wars, etc. Accessorize with something that fits the Adventure Run theme for that night and score bonus tickets at check-in! Adventure Run Pre-Run Events 1. Check in at Road Runner Sports. When you arrive at Road Runner Sports, look for the check-in tables. They will get you signed in and you will receive your starter ticket(s) along with a plastic sandwich baggie to put your tickets in. 2. Purchase an Adventure Run Shirt (*optional). The 2015 Adventure Run shirt is for sale in Road Runner Sports on Adventure Run day. While purchasing and wearing the official Adventure Run is totally optional, the perks are well worth it! You will score DOUBLE tickets at all checkpoints! Double tickets = double chances of winning some sweet prizes! 3. Visit the 'vendor village'. The 'vendor village' is a place to check out new products, demo shoes, and check out races coming up in your area. The best part is that you can score bonus tickets for visiting the vendors! If you are interested in using demo shoes or compression sleeves, be sure to bring some "collateral" such as an ID or credit card (returned when you return the product after the run). Time to Run! 1. Utilize a "Tour Guide" (if available). Some of the Adventure Runs have a volunteer as a tour guide. The tour guide takes the group out on the "course" a few minutes before the map is revealed. Your tour guide will have a printed map of the stops and a strategy to get you to the most stops possible. From my experience, the "tour groups" usually run around a 11:00-12:00/mile pace. I highly suggest running with a guide especially if you are new to Adventure Runs and/or not familiar with the area. Even if you are a seasoned Adventure Runner, the tour guides add additional fun to your run for sure! If you are interested in running with a guide, talk to your Road Runner Sports staff member when you arrive to your Adventure Run (note: not all locations or events have a tour guide option). 2. Use the Emailed Map! Remember how you pre-registered for your Adventure Run online? Well, when the map is revealed, you will also receive an email with all the checkpoints, their distance away from Road Runner Sports and the ticket values for each stop. This means you won't waste time drawing maps, or jotting down locations on paper. 3. Know Your Pace. You have 1 hour to run and collect as many tickets as possible before the raffle starts for PRIZES! It is important you are back on time (and actually a few minutes early) so you can get your tickets separated and put into the raffle. It is important to know your pace so you can figure out how far out you can go and get back in time. Remember, you will likely have to cross intersections and perform tasks as well which will tack on a few extra minutes. 4. Start Far Out. We always start out with the checkpoint that is the furthest that we plan on going to then work our way back to Road Runner Sports. This way we can gauge if we need to skip low ticket checkpoints closest to Road Runner Sports in the event that we are running low on time. You Ran...Now What?!?! 1. Separate Your Tickets. When you return back to Road Runner Sports, you will want to separate your tickets quickly to get them in the bucket. You keep one side and you put the other into the buckets that are in a central location (or that volunteers are walking around with). 2. Organize Your Tickets. The team at Road Runner Sports will conduct the raffle by calling out the color of the ticket along with the number on the ticket. Your life will be a lot easier if you keep tickets organized by color and keep strips of tickets intact. 3. Cross Your Laces. Once you have your tickets separated and organized, sit back and relax before the raffles start. Typical prizes included are some great running gear, race entries, gift cards to local restaurants, gyms, and even spas....oh yea, and FREE SHOES! Even if you don't win prizes, you still got a few miles in all while having a great time with friends (and even making new ones). ....Most Importantly - HAVE FUN! Adventure Runs are a great time for everyone whether you run a 6:00/mile, running with your kids by your side, or making it a girls night with your friends. While I cannot guarantee that you will win any prizes, I can tell you that by following my tips you and your friends will have a great time at your next Adventure Run!
Happy August! Man, where has the year gone? There are a lot of destination race weekends coming up for me this fall which I am really pumped about. While I am excited to be hitting the road this fall, there are still a lot of great local races more me to run before then. A few weeks ago, I PRed at the Elf Trot 5K which is a part of the Kennesaw Grand Prix series. The next race in the series was the Run for Wounded Heroes 5K. I have ran this race several times previously and really enjoy this race. While the race is on a great course and is very well organized, it is the cause that means the most to me. The proceeds from the race fund multiple programs for veterans including the Wounded Warrior Project. After the heart-breaking events happening to our military in the past weeks, this event truly touched my heart even more. The first race of the morning was the 1-mile fun run. I love that they do the 1-mile run first so all of the 5K runners can cheer. Today's events were even more special for me. A group of Atlanta Track Club Kilometer Kids were taking part in their race today. The "Swift Kids" is a group of 140 junior runners ranging in age from 5-14 years old. They have spent the past 9 weeks working with some great coaches in order to prepare for their race. Some of the kids ran the 1 mile and some ran the 5K. It was really awesome to get to cheer for them and watch the smiles on their faces as they accomplished their goals. A huge shout out to the wonderful coaches as well! You could tell by watching the Kilometer Kids run that not only did their coaches teach them about running, they also taught them about racing and race etiquette. I have become quite familiar with the course over the past few years. You head from the start towards Swift-Cantrell park for a loop of the park that is approximately 1 mile before you head back towards the finish. The course is made of slight rolling hills most of the way but is a great course for sure. I had a good race for sure. While I didn't PR, I was only 4 seconds away from my PR so I can't be too bummed about that. I gave it all I could, and that is all that you can ask for. The post-race area had a good number of vendor and refreshments, but the highlight was definitely the band. The energy from the band was great. I met up with a few friends after the race including my fellow Atlanta Track Club ambassador, Bob. Bob was one of the Kilometer Kids coaches and it was great to chat with him about the success of the program and their runners. Thank you again Bob for all of your dedication to helping shape the running community and our junior runners! Becky and I also ran into her friend Wes, he is definitely awesome and such a positive and encouraging person. Sadly, I won't get to run any of the other Kennesaw Grand Prix races this year as I have other commitments on those days. If you are in the Atlanta area and are looking for some great and pretty fast 5Ks, these races are for you! I look forward to returning to the Kennesaw Grand Prix series in 2016!
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BrandiI love to run and most importantly I love to have FUN while I run....I am the "Funner Runner" Feedspot's Top 100 Running Blogs
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