So Many Medals...What to do?

If you are anything like us, you love to participate in race events!  You get that shiny medal when you cross the finish line and then come home and toss it in the drawer.  If you are really fancy (like Jen) and you have an awesome husband (like Jen), maybe you have a really cool plaque with hooks to display all of your hardware!  However, if you're like me...they just end up in the drawer.

Some of the medals are really neat though, and I want to be able to display them in a neat way.  I LOVE arts and crafts, so I hit up the wonderful worldwide web to find some ideas and I stumbled across an idea to make magnets!  It was a really neat (and super easy) way to display race medals in a USEFUL way!  Here's how I did it:




Step 1: Find some magnetic sheets that preferably has one side with adhesive.  I found these at Joann Fabrics.






Step 2: Remove the ribbon used to hang it around your neck - you won't need this.








Step 3: Peel off the adhesive protector sheet.






Step 4: Place medal carefully onto the magnetic sheet - if the medal is really heavy, I recommend using extra glue to reinforce the adhesive.






Step 5: Trim off excess magnetic sheet around the medal.  If the medal is a standard circle or square, this can be done with scissors.  If not, then you might need a crafting blade and a firm surface to cut on.



Step 6: Proudly display your medals on the fridge!!!

Tracking Progress

I'm a huge fan of spreadsheets and data crunching...yes, I lead a thrilling life.  There's something exciting about putting a bunch of numbers or data points together to identify a trend, whether it's a positive or negative trend.  I despise statistics without meaning.  I want to know what factors haven't been included, what have, and how accurate the results are.  

So, where am I going with this?  Since I started doing triathlons, I decided it would be important to keep track of how I did in each one.  Unfortunately, triathlons are a bit different than your standard running races.  A half marathon, regardless of where you run it, will ALWAYS be 13.1 miles.  However, a sprint triathlon can have varying differences for the swim, bike, and run distances.  This made tracking my progress somewhat difficult.  Therefore I decided to add a few more columns to my spreadsheet and it involved a bit of math (not my forte), but I calculated out my pace per kilometer or mile (depends on how the race distances are calculated).  

Do you track your race stats?  How do you do it?

Race Report: Run Like a Diva Half Marathon

Ahhhh, back from 10 days of vacation!  We travelled to Virginia, Maryland and New York, so it was quite a busy trip.  My mother-in-law was signed up to run the Run Like a Diva Half Marathon in Long Island on Sunday, 7 October....so I decided I should run it too!  

At first I was pretty nervous.  I haven't run more than 6.5 miles in the last 10 months.  But I thought, why not?  It might not be my best time, but I love all women's events and this seemed like a great opportunity to get in my first long run.  

So for the race recap: weather turned out to be PERFECT!  They had been calling for rain all week and I really don't like running in the rain when it's cold out.  The temps were a little cold for me - I think it was 54 degrees when we arrived at the race.  But the sun showed itself as we started the run and it was perfect running weather.  

The course was overall very flat.  We ran around Eisenhower Park and some museums which was cool.  There were tons of folks out cheering us along the route.  Aid stations were placed every 2 miles and were very well run.  It never got too crowded when trying to get water.  

Now for my favorite part - at mile 12 they had a station where they handed out pink feather boas and tiaras!  How much fun is that???  I loved it.  

Fixing my tiara for the photo-op!

At the finish line, we were presented our medals by some very nice looking firemen sans t-shirts ;-)

They had a ton of post race food to include the standard bagels and bananas, but also had flutes of champagne (or ginger ale for the non-drinkers like me) and delicious Luna bars.  

I ended up finishing in 1:55:10, which I was thrilled about!  I would absolutely run one of their events again!  What an awesome event that encourages women of all fitness levels to get out there and challenge themselves!!!  

WAC Triathlon Recap

On Sunday, June 24th, I headed down to Wilmington to run the Wilmington Athletic Club Triathlon. It was a short one: 300m swim, 11.5m bike, 5k run. I haven't been in the pool to train since I was pregnant (Weasel turns 2 next month to give you some perspective!) and it's been months since my bike tires have felt actual pavement. I have done a bit of riding on the trainer when Weasel naps, but otherwise, not much. Luckily I've been running for the last year and half or this would have kicked my bootie!

With my setup

Pat, Jill and Liam pre-race. They take turns racing while the other cheers and watches the kiddo. What a great team!

My friend, Jess, was kind enough to volunteer to ride down with me and, being a seasoned triathlete herself, provide me with some tips for the race. She also let me borrow her bib belt which came in handy.

My friends, Liz and Jess (on the right). I didn't get a picture of her on race morning, so I stole this old one from FB.

After I checked in and staged my gear, I headed over to the heated pool to do a warmup lap. Thank goodness I did, because that's when I found out my goggles didn't work! I ended up tying both rubber straps to secure them, but water was still leaking in. I discovered that Weasel had removed the rubber around the actual goggles, so after fixing that, I thought they were good to go. When I registered, they asked me for my 100m swim time. I had no idea, so I guessed a 1:55. That put me in line at number 95 and 26 minutes into the race I hopped into the pool to start my swim. It was 6 lanes down and back. On the first push off, I realized my goggles were definitely NOT fixed. Nevertheless, I continued to swim, passing two ladies and then enjoying some clear lanes. I finished the swim in 5:56 (6th for overall females) and quickly made my way to the transition area.

Me and my fellow SW, Darcie, who was doing her first tri! This is just after my warmup swim when I discovered my goggles SUCKED!

Waiting in line to start the swim. I think I had just witnessed one of several head-on collisions in the pool!

And I'm off...

Exiting the pool and heading towards the transition area

53 seconds later, I was headed out on to the bike course, a 2-loop course with tight, technical turns. The staggered start didn't allow for much interaction along the bike course and I found that I passed two people and was passed by two others. The 11.5 miles took me 38:24, way longer than it probably should have if I had invested more training time.

I ran my bike well passed the "mount" line because the course started with a little hill. I didn't know what gear my bike was in, and I didn't want to get stuck:)

Starting my second loop. I was so bored at this point and really wishing I had someone to ride with.

I had decided not to wear socks for the first time ever and popped on my running shoes right away. I now know why people invest in those quick laces as I felt like it took a lifetime (55 seconds) for me to tie my shoes. And if you're going to buy the quick ties, you might as well add in one of those straps that holds your racing chip, or your ankle may end up looking like this:

This is from my run on Monday, but you get the idea. I was wearing one of those plastic bands they give you and apparently I didn't have it high enough or tight enough.

The plastic band rubbed my ankle raw:(

But soon enough, I was out on the course and running down people one-by-one. I'm pleased to say that I passed about 10 people and was not passed by a single runner. I finished the 5k in 23:46. It was by no means my fastest run time, but I was happy with it. The temps were brutal, but they had two great water stations available that we passed twice since it was an out-and-back course.

Someone was happy to be off the bike!

I don't run like this...I was putting my bib on!

The final turn before the finish line.

My friend Jill's husband was running too and it was so nice to see him a couple times throughout the course. It was also a great pick-me-up to see friends cheering me on! A fellow Stroller Warrior, Heidi, even brought her mini-warrior, Maddie along to cheer!

Heidi and Maddie. (Also not from race day, obviously:). This was taken a week or two after she gave birth. Yes, we are all jealous!

All in all, it was a great race. I ended up placing 3rd in my age group and 7th among all females (63 total females raced). I know I need to do some swimming and biking beforehand next time around, but this was one last thing to do for fun before turning to on MARATHON TRAINING! I promise my next post will finally include the plan I'm going to use. It has been really tough sorting through existing plans without deciding to quit before even beginning!

Me and Pat with our race "trophies." Pat placed second in his AG with a time of 1:06:36

Have to Half

I've mentioned my awesome running club, Stroller Warriors, a few dozen times. This post is all about just how great this club is! Back in March, a HUGE group of us participated in the Quintiles Half Marathon. Following that, several of the girls ran either the Hope for the Warriors Half or the Myrtle Beach Diva's Half (one of my favorite gals even ran BOTH!). Since then, there has been a shortage of races in the local area. SW wouldn't let a small thing like that get in the way though...

Two of our fabulous group leaders (they run the C25K program for newer runners), developed an idea that was conceived over a glass of wine in the kitchen...the Have to Half series! These girls (pictured to the right) mapped out a course on board Camp Lejeune, complete with mile markers, directional signs, water stations, medals and motivational sidewalk chalk sayings. On Saturday at 7am, almost 30 of us met at Dunkin Donuts to kick off the first race of the series.

This group consisted of ladies who have done several marathons and half marathons to those who have never run more than a 10k!

After a group photo, we walked across the street and got started with a very casual, "Ready, Set, GO!" My friend, Jill, and her husband Pat even brought their son, Liam, along for the entire 13.1! He was a trooper and didn't make a peep for 2 hours in the stroller! The first couple three miles of the course included the only hills on base, so it was nice to get that part over early on. We are blessed with great paved trails on Camp Lejeune with only a few minor detours due to construction, and we took advantage of being able to run in small groups. We had a few gals who came out to support the race by taking pictures and providing directions too. 

If I remember correctly, this picture was around mile 4.

With limited support staff, the coordinators decided the best way to provide water was with these "stations" of ice and water bottles. It was perfect!

At mile 4, the course left the housing area and wandered along a great trail we frequently use for our weekly workouts. It was a great break from the noise of traffic and luckily there were no bugs out! There was a short out and back along the New River that was quite scenic and allowed us to cheer one another on throughout the later miles. We made the final turn toward Dunkin Donuts and arrived at the finish line just short of 2 hours (1:56:45). It was an fantastic event made better by the race bling, beer and chocolate milk found at the end:)

We even had three pregnant mother runners along for the race!

In conjunction with their need to race, the coordinators also do a lot of fundraising. They have decided that each race will be paired with a charity of the club's choosing. This time around we ran in support of the Semper Fi Fund (and raised over $500!). The overall cost to enter was minimal - $5.75 to pay for the medal and whatever donation you chose (if you even wanted to) give to the Semper Fi Fund (an organization that is near and dear to many military spouses). 

I had to take off early, but most of the ladies stuck around to cheer on everyone who finished:

This is a photo of two amazing ladies (white and blue shirts) who volunteered to run with whomever needed the extra motivation and support. The gal in the purple had never done over 9 miles and was super hesitant to run 13.1. Needless to say, she totally rocked it!

And here's a shot of the group once the race was over:

I'm so blessed to have joined this group of women who are crazy enough to think that randomly running a half marathon is a great way to spend a Saturday morning:) I'm already looking forward to next month's race!

SW Take On The SemperFit 5k

Living near a military base definitely has it's perks. One of those is frequent free 5ks to participate in. These are just small races organized by SemperFit to promote different causes. On Friday, they held a 5k to support awareness of sexual assault prevention and discussion. So that day, instead of our usual workout, the Stroller Warriors decided to participate. There were over 100 Marines and family members present! The SemperFit crew came out with their van and did a short warmup with the participants and handed out tons of raffle prizes to include shirts, bags, and Timex watches! 


The race was scheduled to start at 11:30, so at about 11:15, I took off down the trail for a short warmup jog. After that, we did our best to gather the SWs for a photo op. The club has gotten so big, that we had to take two pictures to get everyone in:

As the coordinators indicated the start was looming, I headed to the front of the pack. Typically, stroller runners start in the back, but on that day, I didn't feel like having to weave around a bunch of people, so I took my chances at the start. I was standing next to these amazing women pushing TRIPLES, so I didn't feel too bad:

The one with the red stroller is on of our club members and she's amazing! She finished third for the women in 22:10!

The start was signaled and we took off at a good pace. I did my best to hang with Jane (the one with the red stroller). She's pushing well over 100 pounds, so as I only had the Weasel weighing in a 27.2 pounds, I decided to try my hand at picking up the pace as we headed towards our second incline (we don't have actual hills in Eastern NC). It worked and soon I was the lead female. We hit the first mile marker at just over 7 minutes and I started to worry. I don't run this fast! Instead of stressing over it, I just kept pushing the pace and trying to pass Marines. I got to the turn around and started to head back to the start. It was great motivation to see my fellow Stroller Warriors and cheer for one another!

I came across the finish line at 21:20, by far my fastest 5k with the stroller and I was thrilled! The Weasel was passed out, so I stationed her along the side of the path and cheered my fellow runners in. The 5k ended with on of our SW's husbands who suffered several serious injuries in Afghanistan about 9 months ago walking in with the assistance of a cane. It was inspiring to say the least, particularly, because doctors told him they weren't sure he would ever walk again. He's come so far in his recovery, and were were thrilled to be a part of this big day in his life!

So while I just blogged about not having time to write posts, I really wanted to recap this day! It was a good one and an inspiring one to say the least!

5 5Ks in 5 Hours Wearing Bib #555 (that's a LOT of 5s!)

Jessica's husband, Sean, recently participated in the Carlsbad 5000 All Day 25k! This is incredible for 2 reasons. Number 1, he's a die-hard CrossFit junkie who doesn't really like to run that much. Number 2, because it's 25k in one day!! I took the opportunity to interview Sean about his recent accomplishment. Here are the details:

Q. Why did you decide to tackle the All Day 25k Challenge?


A. Last year, I ran my first Carlsbad 5000. During the event, I learned about their All Day 25k and thought it would be an interesting challenge. Plus they have a special area for the 25kers to hang out in and a finishing medal that is actually useful - it is a bottle opener shaped like a surfboard. 

Q. What was the most difficult part of this challenge?


A. Races 4 and 5 is where it really started getting difficult. I'm not much of a long distance runner because I get bored with it quickly and thus, don't train to prepare myself for much more than a 10k. During race 4, my legs started to hurt and then we had about a 90 minute wait between races 4 and 5 so it was hard to stay warm and not tighten up for the final race.


Q. What did you eat/drink to fuel yourself during these 5 hours?


A. I just stayed as hydrated as possible throughout the morning, occasionally snacking on fruit or almonds between races. (Sean follows a fairly strict Paleo diet and always eats well.) Of course afterwards I celebrated with some beer and pizza.


Q. How were the logistics of this super popular race? Was it professionally run?


A. The Carlsbad 5000 is one of the best races I have participated in. The course is laid out well, the races begin on time, and you get to see some of the world's fastest 5k runners in the invitational divisions.

Q. (Because I must have an odd number of questions...yes I'm strange) Will you do it again next year?


A. As long as I'm not out of town, I will probably do it again next year. Even though I was pretty sore for a few das, it was a great accomplishment for me. It's a pretty great feeling when you're on your 4th 5k of the day and passing folks who are on their first and only 5k that day.

Congratulations Sean! What an awesome accomplishment! You inspire us to push through the pain and achieve our goals! Oh, and it doesn't hurt that you send me CF workouts whenever I ask:)

12 in 12: Guest Blogger

Hi! I'm Lynsey from The Moores: Capturing Our Adventures One Day at a Time. I was thrilled when Jen & Jess asked me to write about a recent challenge that I just completed called 12 in 12. Basically I ran 12 5k's in 12 months. I started in January 2011 and ended in December 2011. 

Why did I challenge myself to do this? Plain and simple: running is not something I really enjoy. Sure, I love to be active and work out but I prefer to run with a ball at my feet (aka soccer!). So this really was a challenge for me and I had one goal in mind.... FINISH! Some months I would do an actual organized 5K race while other months, I managed to squeeze in a 3.1 mile run around our neighborhood. No matter what though, I did it. I did 12 5k's in 12 months! I FINISHED! I didn't let pregnancy stop me either! 

Jen asked me what my favorite race was and why. I would have to say that my July race: Beat the Heat 5K was my favorite. This is because 1- It was my fastest time and 2- one of my sweet friends tagged along and watched Mason for my husband and I so neither of us had to push the stroller, thus, improving my time! Also, this was an evening race and there was free pizza afterwards! That right there is a race after my own heart. 

In all honesty, I am glad I pushed myself to finish this challenge. Do I love running now? No, but I don't dread it like I used to. It's all about baby steps! I did learn through this challenge that if I really set my mind to something, I can accomplish it. It never hurts to have an amazing group of people that are cheering you along as you strive to accomplish your goals. Jen & Jess have been amazing friends through this. They challenge me and inspire me to always push myself a little harder than I think I can go. 

So tell me, what have you done lately to really push yourself? 

A Worthy Cause

My fellow Stroller Warrior, Elizabeth, formed a team for the upcoming (March 2012) Quintiles Half Marathon in Wrightsville Beach. This team is running in support of research for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a disease for which there is no known cure. The creator/leader of SW, Steph, has a two-year old son who suffers from SMA. He's a total rockstar and kicks butt with his "magic shoes" and walker during PT sessions.  

Cole's "magic shoes"

Here's a little bit more about SMA: Spinal muscular atrophy is a collection of different muscle diseases. Grouped together, it is the second leading cause of neuromuscular disease. Most of the time, a person must get the defective gene from both parents to be affected. Approximately 4 out of every 100,000 people have the condition.

The most severe form is SMA type I, also called Werdnig-Hoffman disease. Infants with SMA type II have less severe symptoms during early infancy, but they become progressively weaker with time. SMA type III is the least severe form of the disease.

Rarely, SMA may begin in adulthood. This is usually a milder form of the disease.

A family history of spinal muscular atrophy is a risk factor for all types of the disorder.

If you have the time, please check out Steph's blog here to read more about the personal affects of SMA on her family.

Source

I have joined the team to support fundraising for researching a cure for SMA. I know you all run for various causes that you have ties to, and it's the holiday season, so pennies are tight, but if you could spare even $5, we would be so grateful. Thanks for reading about this cause that has found its way into my heart. This little guy sure appreciates it too:

To donate, click here.