The Fitness Game Review!

A few weeks ago I was given the opportunity through Sweat Pink to try out and review the new app called The Fitness Game. I was eager and excited to try this out as I had a feeling it was going to be fun. I am still playing with it and don't know all the ins and outs of the app but I have a pretty good idea of the basics and I am really loving this app so far. Let me first give you a little run down on the app....

 

So this app basically takes working out and social media and turns it into a game for you. You can connect with people and challenge them to do workouts with you or dare I say against you. You have the ability to create your own work out or you can choose from workouts that are on the app. You can choose from cardio to strength training to full body training and cross training.

 

 

Now like I said I am still playing and messing around with this app but I will share with you some of the major things in it I liked. I chose to do several of the cross training workouts. From just looking at the list of things you needed to do during the workouts you thought "oh this isn't going to be that bad"...yeah I couldn't walk for two days after doing some of them. So what the workout looks like is it give you a list of the exercises you have to do and how many to do and how many reps to do. When you start it starts a timer, you can pick to challenge one of your friends, challenge someone near by, challenge yourself or challenge worldwide. This is the game aspect of it and then you get to work. The other thing that is great is if you are not sure of what something is you tap it and it gives you a few pictures of that specific move and a short few second video demonstrating. See pictures below.

 

 

 

The next things I really liked about this app was the full body workout section. I didn't have a chance to use it but it will come in handy when day light savings comes around and I am back at the gym. This gives you a full body workout using gym equipment with photos and videos of each move as well. This part alone would make people want to get this app. I mean how many times have you gone to the gym and been completely intimidated by all the machines perhaps staring at them thinking how on earth am I going to use that. And we all know those pictures that are on the side of the machines sometimes trying to explain what to do don't help at all. This section of the app will be great to help people concur their fear of gym equipment and get a full body workout in as well!

 

Also in this app you can post pictures of your workout or gym selfies for your friends to see. You can also see how other people you have connected with are doing and challenge them to an activity. Really the things in this app are endless. The more I play with it the more I find out. I encourage you all to go and download this and try it out for yourself!

 

QOTD: Do you have this app? If so what is your favorite part of it????

 

Disclaimer: I was given the opportunity to try this app out through Sweat Pink Fit Approach, however all opinions are my own. 

Disneyland Half Marathon 2014 Recap!!!

I am finally getting around to finishing my recap of the Disneyland Half Marathon and the Dumbo Double Dare Challenge! Lets first start off with the half marathon....

 

I set my alarm to wake up Sunday morning to wake up at 4:00. last year for some reason I set it for 3:10 and I am just not sure why I would wake up so early when I didn't have to be at the start line until 5:30 but oh well. Anyway I was dead asleep when my alarm went off which totally freaked me out. The night before a race I am normally excited and anxious and I can't sleep a wink but for some reason slept like a baby and was in a deep sleep when my alarm started blaring. I jumped up turned my alarm off and tried to get in the game. At this point I was totally freaked out feeling as if I was going to do horrible in the race because of my sleep the night before. As if getting a great night of sleep was going to make me run awful ha-ha! I met my Mom in her room to tape up her feet and then we headed down to the race around 4:45.

 

 

Once we got to the corrals it was a bit confusing there were people everywhere and the chutes to go into the corrals were very crowded. I was in C and my Mom was in E so we had to go separate ways once we got to that point. When I got to my corral I couldn't even get in, the line was going down the side of the outside of the corral. I finally pushed my way in and was in the very back. I was fine with this I just wanted to make sure I got in. Pretty soon they were starting the race, and letting two corrals off at a time which was great because things moved very quickly. About ten minutes after the first corrals went off I was crossing the start line.
 

 

I started off feeling great running at a great pace which I wanted to keep throughout the race. My main goal was to just finish around the same time as last year. I wasn't trying to beat any records. This year was a little different for me because I knew what to expect and what was coming up next. I knew about how long I would be in the parks and when the vintage cars were going to be coming and then when we were going to go into the stadium so I felt like I was almost waiting for things to happen which was good for me. The race literally flew by! As usual running through the parks was amazing! I just love that no one is there except people cheering you on and runner also that it's dark and all the lights of the rides are on and some are going, it is truly magical! Once I had left the parks this year I made sure to grab water at every water stop. I knew it was going to be a hot one and I didn't want to chance getting dehydrated which has happened in past races.  It was very hot last year and I am not sure I hydrated enough so wanted to make this a priority. I also stayed fueled with sports beans eating one every few miles which really keeps me going. The vintage cars came up very quickly, I tried to really look around this year as I feel these were a blur last year and before I knew it I was running into the stadium! This is my favorite part of the race it give you chills! The fans screaming the announcers calling out runners as they enter and you can see yourself running up on the big screen it is just awesome! Something I think everyone should experience! Once I got out of the stadium you only have three miles left and you are done! Those three miles fly by and in an instant you are running past the Disneyland hotel and through the finish line high-fiving Minnie!

 

 

 

 

I was so happy when I finished I felt amazing through out the race and felt like I could continue running (in fact I did run more after the race to find my boyfriend waiting a bit away from the finish line) I ended up coming in almost exactly the same time as last year so I was really pumped about that and felt much better then last year. I didn't have any pains or problems! We then waited for my mom for a little while and pretty soon saw her charging in and met her in the family meet up. She had a great race as well and mentioned running through the stadium might have been her favorite part as well! All in all it was an amazing race for both of us.
 

As for my thoughts on the race between this year and last year they were all together different, as were my trips to Disneyland. Last year I was a ball of nerves, it was really hot and humid and I just didn't know what to expect. I was excited but scared all at the same time. I knew it was going to be amazing but I just wanted to know everything I was going to see and everything that was going to happen before it did. This year I was much more relaxed and went with the flow and honestly had a much better time. I knew what was coming up next and had a general familiarity with where I was going which was nice. Don't get me wrong my first time was awesome but it makes me feel better to know what and when things are going to happen.

 

As for the Dumbo Double Dare Challenge, I am so glad I signed up for it. I felt great after running the half marathon and the 10k the day before as well. I was not sore at any point during or after either race and I wasn't nearly as tired the days following the race as I

was last year when I had run the half but I think my nerves had something to do with that. All in all it was amazing and I had a great time and wouldn't have changed anything!

 

QOTD: Do you like to be surprised during races or like to know what is going to happen?

Click here for my recap on the Disneyland Half Marathon Expo and here for my thoughts on the Disneyland 10k!

Disneyland 10k Recap!!

I can't believe it has already been over a week since the Disneyland 10k! It seems like just yesterday my alarm was going off at 4am to get ready for the race! So lets flash back to that then....

Last year I ran the half only and didn't sign up for the Dumbo Double year so this year I signed up for Challenge. I was very eager to run this race as I had heard the course was great with a majority of it in the park. I was the only person in my family running this so I told them all to sleep in, I would run and wake them all up after when I was done. As I had mentioned I woke up at 4am well 3:45 I was very excited to run and couldn't sleep anymore. I wanted to be in my corral by 5 so this gave me plenty of time it was only about a ten minute walk to the race start so I headed down at around 4:40.

I got over to the start line just as they were opening up the corrals. I was in A and was really excited about that because I was right up in the front and could see everything that was going on with the announcers. The theme of the race was Stitch. As you may know Stitch is a big fan of Elvis so that was a big part of the theme as well. Before I knew it "Elvis" was singing the national anthem and we were off and running. My plan for this race was to take it easy not go for a PR and have fun after all I had a half to run the next morning. As soon as I took off I knew I wasn't going to run this one slow. I was feeling really good it was not humid at all like Cape Cod and it was actually quite cool. The first two miles or so were outside the parks and then we headed inside with the remainder of the race weaving in and out of the parks. One of the interesting parts of the race was running behind the scenes of Disneyland. It was kind of cool to see whats behind the park and through all the doors that block of certain areas. Also there were so many twist and turns and things going on the miles just flew by. Before I knew it I was heading out of the park hitting the six mile mark and flying through Downtown Disney to the finish! As soon as I crossed the finish line I got a text from my mom and found out I had PR'ed! She had been getting my alerts texted to her through out the race, so I guess I ended up waking her up pretty early. I was very happy about my time and was feeling great body wise! I grabbed my finisher medal and my DDD wristband and headed back to the hotel to change and get ready for the day!

My overall thoughts on the race and the course were I loved it! I liked it much better then the 10k course during Princess. I know they are different places and what not but I liked that we were in the parks so much, and two different parks at that! I also liked that the course was not super flat. There were some slight uphills and downhills that made it a bit more interesting too. Also the crowd support was great! There where people all through the parks and through Downtown Disney. I can't tell you how much I love when people are lining the course screaming for complete strangers it just really keeps you going. Another thing I liked about the 10k and this applies to Disney World races too is there aren't as many runners which sometimes is nice. runDisney does a great job with corrals and not having everyone start at once so it is very spread out however there is just something about the 10k. If you have not run a runDisney 10k do it! All in all I loved every minute of this race! 

For those wondering about the amount of characters throughout the race. In Disneyland the characters are only allowed to be in the parks so there are normally many more in Disney World races because they are along the course. I don't stop for character photos so didn't notice many of them just a few. This didn't bother me though because there is so much going on. I did hear people commenting on how they were disappointed by this though. The amount of characters out didn't alter my thoughts on the race.

Also check out my expo review here!

QOTD: Which runDisney race course is your favorite?!?

Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend Expo Recap!!!!

This week has completely flown by and not in a good way! Last week I went to California....Disneyland to be exact to run in the Disneyland Half Marathon! This is one of my all time favorite races, not only was it my first runDisney race last year but it also takes place in Disneyland and it just doesn't get much better then that!

I am going to recap the race in three parts so bare with me on this haha! First being the expo, next the 10k and finally the half with my final thoughts between this year and last year. If you want to read my reviews from last year here is part 1, part 2, part 3 oh and don't forget part 4! That should hold you over while I get these next three up!

Ok where do I start......We left Boston on Friday morning, our flight ended up being delayed an hour which I was not happy about but was so excited to get there that I didn't let it bring me down! We landed in LA around 11:30 and headed straight for Disneyland! While we were in the cab I realized that I hadn't signed my Mom and I up for the virtual que to get our Minnie shoes so did that quickly! This was something I might have been stressing about just a bit since at Princess it was very challenging to get the shoes! The que filled up in about 5 seconds. I was on right at 6am during Princess and it filled up minutes later. This time 6am PST I was mid flight so just hoped for the best. After I signed us up I received our text messages that we should report to the new balance booth at 2pm! I was pumped, perfect time since that was around the time we were going to be at the expo and they still had our size in Minnie's!

We got to our hotel, Paradise Pier and checked in. We stayed at the Disneyland Hotel last year and I think I would say I prefer that one over Paradise Pier but was full when I ended up finally booking a room. All the hotels are very close to the park and downtown Disney and are all great hotels, but I think I just liked the location a bit better at the Disneyland hotel. More on that in a bit! Once we started checking in the rooms somehow got all messed up and they ended up sending us to a room that was still dirty. It was a bit of a hassle checking in, I guess the problem was that rooms kept coming up in the system as clean and they were actually dirty. We ended up having to wait about an hour for our room, which was fine since my Mom's room was ready we were able store our luggage in there and headed to the expo. We were told we would get a call when our room was ready but that we didn't have to hurry back.

As soon as we headed to the expo I got the phone call our room was all set but we decided to go back after we were finished there. We went down and got our numbers and park tickets first. That was smooth sailing. Last year we went the first day and it was completely insane! People everywhere, lines super long. I will never do that again! We had the boys come with us to get our park tickets to make sure they didn't need to see their ID's and then they left us to go to ESPN for some food or beer (ha-ha!). My mom and I had certain things we wanted to get so we had somewhat of a plan of attack. We grabbed our numbers checked out the Dooneys to make sure we didn't want one of those. Went upstairs grabbed our race shirts (thank god they were in women's sizes this year) then we headed over to the runDisney booth. I wanted to get a few Dumbo things a key chain, sweaty band and a magnet for my car. I really wanted the sweaty band and was nervous I wouldn't get one since they sold out super fast at Princess but luckily they had maybe five left when I got there! I grabbed that and the other things I wanted and went to check out. My Mom also got some half marathon stuff, we were out of there in no time. No lines no waiting! Next we headed over to the Raw Threads booth and grabbed a few shirts and stickers. That booth was very busy but I also ended up getting everything I had wanted there! I was really making out at the expo. I also scored one of their 19.3 stickers which I was happy about because I am always afraid to put the runDisney magnets on my car as everyone says they get stolen, so a magnet for the fridge, sticker for the car! Enough with the rambling......Next we grabbed our lasting commemorative cards and it was about time to go to the New Balance booth!!!

Once arriving at the New Balance booth we had to wait in line to show our text message saying what time to come back. Once you got through that part you got a sticker that said "I survived the NB Virtual Que" you then waited in another line for a NB employee to meet with you and grab your size shoe and start the fitting process. This whole waiting in line process took about 15 minutes there were a lot of people so it seemed like it would take forever but it was fast. We were then in trying on our Minnie's! The NB guy that helped us was from Boston how weird! My Mom and I both have Cindy's and really wanted to get the Minnie's so we were glad we were able to snag some! Once we got our shoes we went to check out and they were having a deal on water bottles ones that matched the color of the Disney shoes for $5 each. We both grabbed one which ended up saving us a TON of money in the park buying waters because all the food stands will fill your water bottle for you! I spent a small fortune on water last year so this was awesome! 

Once we were done with the NB booth we were out of there. We didn't go through the entire expo just hit the booths that we knew we wanted things at. Plus the boys were waiting and we still wanted to get to the park that day. We spent about an hour in total getting everything and waiting in any lines we had to. All in all it was a very successful expo. It went much smoother then last year it wasn't so crazy and I didn't feel over whelmed. I am glad I had a plan of attack that way I didn't waist time moseying around and buying things I didn't need.

After the expo we went and found the guys and headed back to the hotel to get everything squared away with our room. The cast members were great once we checked in and everything was all set and they even gave us some fast passes to use on any ride we wanted! This was a really nice bonus and made up for all the confusion we had gone through in the beginning.

Tomorrow Part 2 the 10k will be up so stay tuned!!!

QOTD: Do you make a plan when going to the expo or do you just like to take your time and walk around or does it depend on the race?!?!? 

Summer....Where have you gone!?!!?

Summer is over...... and let me just say this summer flew by and I am not sure where it went or how I feel about it going by so fast. I feel like May was just here and now it is September. Even though technically summer is still going on and it feels like summer, here on Cape Cod it is now Fall. Great things come with Fall though, the coolness in the air, boots and sweaters and fall race PR's. As much as I am sad to see another summer pass us by I do enjoy the more relaxed mood in the air that fall brings. 

Over the past few months I have been more then busy as you can tell with the lack of blog posting. First off I've become a travel agent! So please contact me for a free quote on any type travel! I am specializing in Disney travel but of course can book just about anything your heart would desire! You can click the travel button on the banner of my blog for a bit more information, also please go Like my facebook page! Second I have had such a busy race schedule this summer. Some of them I have reviewed and some of them are still on the list to be reviewed but I will work on getting those up as soon as possible. I had the opportunity to run some pretty awesome races this summer and want you to hear all about them!

Before I get into anything else though I will review my Dumbo Double Dare experience! I just came home from Disneyland and while that is fresh in my mind I will tell you how I felt about it! I ran the half last year and decided on the Dumbo this year and will let you know which I liked better. Hang tight everyone there will be many more blog posts, reviews and giveaways!!!!

Exciting News To Come & Shipyard Old Port Half Recap!!!

Hello everyone! As you can see I have changed a few things on the blog, updated some things and the color is looking a little different! If there is anything you think I should change please let me know I am always open to suggestions!

 

I have some exciting things going on right now, and once I finalize everything I will fill all of you in! New adventures are always fun right! But in running news I wanted to recap the Shipyard Old Port Half Marathon I ran a few weeks ago in Portland Maine!

 

I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to run this race with my Mom, this was her first Half (She did great and loved it!) and I will say a few days before the race we both weren't feeling it. She was nervous of the distance and I just wasn't feeling great. Even the morning we were suppose to leave we were still up in the air. We decided we were going to go. We had signed up and we weren't backing out. We drove from the Cape to Portland about a three hour drive make that three and a half there is a sonic on the way so you know we had to stop there on the way and also coming home haha! There slushies' are delicious!

 

Once we got to Portland we went straight to get our numbers the expo closed at 6 and we were kind of cutting it close with time so we went straight there instead of checking into our hotel. Parking was not super convenient for this, We ended up parking in some lot for $20 which we thought was a bit steep but there was really no other place to park. It was about a five minute walk to number pick up. We went and grabbed our numbers and they told my mom about the beer garden not me though I must not look 21 haha and then we walked around the expo a little. There were not a ton of vendors maybe a handful and nothing I was too interested in. One thing about the number pick up and race that I am not sure if I liked or not was t-shirts were not included. You could pre-pay for one with your registration or chance getting on at the expo. I got one there it was only $12 and it was a nice form fitting tech shirt but I don't know I almost felt like it should have been included. They were also offering for $30 or $35 a really nice singlet that you pre ordered and then it was shipped to your house at a later date. Had they had those there without them getting shipped later I would have bought one they were really nice.

 

Anyways moving right along we walked around old port for a bit hitting some shops, they have some very cool shopping and TONS of restaurants and then we headed over to our hotel to check in. We stayed at the comfort inn, it was about 10 minutes from the start line and had a shuttle the next morning to and from the race which was great. I do wish they had an expo shuttle too that way we wouldn't have had to pay so much to park but that's ok. We checked in went and grabbed something small to eat and then headed to bed we had an early wake up time.

 

We woke up around 4:30 our shuttle was leaving for the race at 5:30. The hotel was great they had coffee and granola bars and such for the runners down in the lobby so we didn't have to worry about getting anything the day before for breakfast. We then headed down to the start line. We were probably one of the first people there but it was nice we were able to use the port-o-potties without waiting in line forever and relax before the start of the race. Pretty soon it was time to go!

 

The Corrals lined up down this pier which was very neat, I was scared I was going to fall in the water though so I stayed away form the edge. They had pulse starts which was great and fast and pretty soon we were running. The route is kind of like an out and back but a little different. You head out and then weave your way back through. The first three miles are pretty hilly I mean there were some huge hills but there was also significant downhill's with every terrible uphill so you had time to recover. We passed the start line around mile 6 which was a bit of a tease and then we headed up a GIANT hill, it was not fun. After that it was a very flat course, just a few small inclines but nothing like before. Around mile 8 you head around this big lake, it might have been the ocean, I am not sure, it was a large body of water haha! That was nice and flat but a little dusty because parts of it were dirt, once you went around that you then headed back towards the finish but first you went by this sewerage plant that smelled awful, not something you want to be smelling 11 miles into the run. The last mile is down a bike bath and then you head into the finish.

 

This race was a great race a bit challenging but not hard enough that you felt you couldn't finish. There were a few things I didn't like about the race however. First thing being there was a serious lack of water at the finish. This should NEVER happen! Water and Gatorade are the most important parts of a race I think so there should be more then enough. I was able to get one water bottle but they were gone once my mom finished about 20 minutes after me. In saying that there were a good amount of water stops along the way. Next and this comes from my Mom, there were not enough port-o-potties around the race course. There were only a few and the lines seems to be long at them. Hey when you gotta go you gotta go. Lastly the finish was very crowded, I felt like I couldn't move around and just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. It was a small area but I think the area the bathrooms were in was larger, maybe a different set up would help with this.

 

All in all I enjoyed the race, it was a beautiful course and like I said challenging but not too bad. The medals were very nice and the t-shirts were nice even though you had to pay for them. I do think I would put this race on my race calendar again.

 

 

 

 

 

"Disclaimer: Although I was provided with a number all opinions are my own"

 

QOTD:Did you run the Shipyard Old Port Half and did you like it??!?!

It's been a while.....

First off let me just say I can't believe it is almost August! Where has the summer gone?? For some reason in my head I feel as if it is still the beginning of June and then I am quickly reminded it is nearly August! Only good thing about it almost being August means we are that much closer to Dumbo Double Dare!!! That being said I have been more busy then I ever thought I would, lets just say I moved in May and I am still moving in (haha!) With work, racing, training, eating and sleeping (and trying to move and organize) I haven't had a lot of free time! 

Over the next few weeks I am going to be updating my blog a bit as you can see it is starting to look a little different! I am also struggling with a possible name change if you have any ideas please comment below! I want to thank all my followers for sticking around also you guys are the best! Don't worry I will be back soon with more race reviews, giveaways and much much more!

QOTD: Do you have any blog name ideas for me?!?!???!!!

Old Sandwich Road Race Half Marathon Recap!!

So sorry it has been a week since I have written a post, I was away for a bit and have just gotten around to catching up on things! Thank you for all of you who entered my giveaway on the pro compression socks. I am always so blown away on how many people enter so thank you for visiting my blog and for taking the time to enter my giveaway! There are more to come I promise! The winner of the pro compression socks was  Liz D.! Congratulations!!

 

Moving right alone a few weeks ago I was given the opportunity to run in the Old Sandwich Road Race Half Marathon. I had written a blog about this three race event which you can read here. This race consists of a half marathon, a 10k and a 5k. I ran the half.

 

Just a short recap of the race, it is run in Plymouth, MA and runs along Old Sandwich Road, one of the oldest roads in Plymouth. Most of it a dirt road the winds through farms and fields throughout Plymouth. A very scenic route if I must say so.

 

This was my first time running this race so was unsure of what to expect. You park at the finish line and you are bused out to the start for the half. (This will be primarily about the half because I did not run the others.) The start line is the beginning of Old Sandwich Road, which you have to take the highway several exits to get to. Something that can be a bit intimidating especially if it is your first half. We were dropped off and there was place to use the bathroom and get some water. They also had portable lockers where you could store your stuff if you wanted to and then those were driven back to the finish line. It was a pretty warm day so I didn't have anything that I needed to get a locker for such as extra clothes. The race started a little bit later because some people were late getting to the bus so we ended up starting about 10 minutes late which bothered me a bit. I want everyone who is signed up to be able to run but get there with enough time to spare.

 

Once the last bus arrived we crossed the street to Old Sandwich Road and we were off. The first 5 miles were dirt road and pretty flat. The one thing that did bother me was when cars drove by us it got very dusty around you. You then were breathing in dirt for a bit. Also there were little rocks throughout so you really had to be careful where you stepped. We came out of the dirt road and were then on pavement for the remainder of the race. This was a bit of an adjustment on your legs since the dirt was so soft to run on. The mile markers at this point got a little screwy which you will later find out why. It was starting to get very hot so I had to slow the pace down it seemed like the rest of the race was in the bright sun too little to no shade. At the first mile I had team up with a girl who was running her first half marathon and paced with her for the remainder of the race which was really nice because I am telling you the heat was getting to me and I wanted to stop. We chugged along and got to a water stop and they said your at mile 10. My watch only said 9 and I knew my watch was not that off since it had been right on with every mile when I started. We kept going and then stopped at another water stop and the guy said just around the corner and you are done. I said my watch only says 11 miles and the man said they messed up the half route so it is short. We finished running and it ended up totaling about 11.5 miles, not quite a half marathon.....

 

Now I understand things go wrong at races and I get it, there are a lot of people doing all different things but a race distance is something that should be right on point. It was getting hot and I will admit I wasn't pissed I didn't get the last mile and a half in but if I hadn't raced the day before and it had been my first half marathon I would have been so aggravated!

 

A few days after the race I did receive an email from the race director offering all of the half marathoners a spot for next years race or if they wanted a free entry into any of the other races the company puts on they could do that . I was happy they were trying to make good on this.

 

All in all the race was a nice it had beautiful scenery through out but was very hilly in spots. Everyone got a medal no matter the distance and everyone got a tech shirt. I would recommend this race for intermediate runners. Not sure I would want this race to be my first half but those who have been running a while and are familiar with halves will enjoy the small challenge and the beautiful scenery.

 

Disclaimer: Although I was provided a race entry all opinions are my own.

Pro Compression Sock Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

Several weeks ago I was given the opportunity to try out Pro Compression socks. I have wanted to try theses for a while but was always afraid they would be super uncomfortable or restraining on my legs and calves so when Pro compression extended this offer to me I was all over it and couldn't wait to try these out!

As some of you may know compression socks can be worn during and after a workout. They speed up recovery and enhance performance. Who doesn't want that right!

A little about the sizing they come in XS, S/M and L/XL. I recieved a pair of the S/M and they fit great! I wear a size 8.5 shoe so I was right in the middle of the S/M size. Below is a size chart.

I found the size to be just a tiny bit big on me but the XS would have been too small. I have pretty short legs so the biggest concern was how long they were but they felt great. I will say I was nervous that they were going to be incredibly hard to get on. I have heard stories of it taking up to ten minutes to get your socks on and to me that sounds insane and like something I DO NOT want to be part of. Not to mention that has to be wicked comfortable right?! If it takes that long it must be incredibly tight which sounds AWFUL! Pro Compression socks are not like that at all. I literally pulled them on like a sock,maybe took a little more effort but nothing serious. I didn't have a workout before my workout putting these socks on that's for sure! The material of these socks is awesome as well. They are smooth and soft and feel great on your feet! I have also washed them and hung dried them and also by mistake thrown them in the dryer and both ways they came out fine and didn't shrink at all when put in the dryer.

As for the colors of these socks you can pretty much get them in any color and pattern. I got marathon pink of course and I love them. I also bought the Ragnar ones during Ragnar Cape Cod which are pink but hey I can't get enough! They also make sleeves too if you don't want the full sock. You may have a lucky pair of socks you need to wear so don't worry you can still wear them and get the sleeve.

Moving right along to performance,The first time I wore them I felt great and had an amazing run. My legs didn't feel tired and my calves didn't feel constricted like I thought. I was hooked. Since them I have been wearing them off and on and still love them! I like them when it is kind of cold but you want to wear shorts and not capri's too because they really do keep your legs warm. I have worn them for short three mile runs and longer nine mile runs and they are equally great each time.

All in all I highly recommend them for all runners. My mom finally bought a pair and will not run with out them now. I haven't worn them yet for recovery but might try that out this weekend as I have back to back races in the same day! YIKES! But I will let you know how that goes!

Pro compression has been nice enough to let one of my readers win a pair for themselves! Enter to win below!!!!! Also go check out their website they have lots of choices for compression socks!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

"Disclaimer: I was provided a pair of Pro Compression socks to review however all opinions are my own"

Warrior Dash Recap!!!

On Saturday my Mom and I had the opportunity to run the Warrior Dash up in Amesbury, MA.Originally the location for the race was Bridgewater, Ma but got switched last minute. A bit of an inconvenience and about an hour and a half difference in travel time but I will tell you it was definitely worth it! 

First off I have wanted to run one of these races for some time now. I knew it would be a blast and a bit challenging but so much fun. I have only heard great things about them so needed to get in on the fun!

 A little background on the race each warrior dash is around 3 miles long and it can be through trails or woods and there are roughly 12 obstacles through out the race ranging from climbing over 20 feet structures, crawling through the mud and swimming through mud pools. Beware there is a lot of mud involved and I mean a lot. They have the races all over the country and in my opinion  you get a lot for your money.

The race cost around $40 if you sign up when the race is announced and the price increase the closer it gets to the race like all others but you get a lot for that. A t-shirt, a warrior helmet, a kilt coozy, a bottle opener medal, free beer (for those that are 21 and over), pictures through out the race and a finishers picture that can be uploaded right to your facebook after taking it. Not to mention an awesome 3 mile course of mud, obstacles and fun!

We got to the race around  8:45am checked in got our bib numbers, shirts and warrior helmets, then got ready for the race. Our start time was at 9:30am, They have start times every 15 minutes. We started off up a steep, steep rock filled hill. At first it was slow getting started a lot of stopping and walking and I thought is it going to be like this the whole time. I think the guys in front of me were feeling the same way because they kept saying things like "Just jumped a rock, must be the first obstacle" but then things got interesting. We curved around and up and down hills in the woods for a while and then hit our first two obstacles crawling over things and climbing up big dirt piles. We then headed back into the woods down an incredibly steep hill jumped over some trees that had fallen down and through TONS of mud puddles (beware of the mud sucking in your shoe!) Some people were going around the mud, I was running straight through my goal was to get as muddy as possible, hey that's why I was there right! This continued for a little bit making us extra tired then we hit some more obstacles, ones where you had to climb up and then swing your body over and climb down. I am afraid of heights so the biggest thing for me was not looking down but I still got freaked out a bit. There were lots of obstacles like this but the end ones were my favorite! Before the last few obstacles we had to jump over this line of fire, which dummy me stops in front and says to the guy "Are we suppose to jump this?" He said yes patiently, had I been him I would have answered to myself "No idiot walk through it see how that goes" but legally I think maybe they aren't suppose to say that. Anyway I backed up a bit and ran and jumped over it screaming while they took my pictures and then headed toward the mud pool. Everyone seemed to be swimming through so that is what I did. I crawled out covered in more mud then I have ever had on me in my life and then climbed up the last obstacle where you then slide down this pretty large slide into a pool of muddy water. This is where all the mud from swimming in the mud pool gets washed off. Once you finish with the you then run down a steep hill that I almost face planted on thank god it flattened out and then you are finished and soaking wet with mud in areas you really didn't want there to be mud. 

The down hill finish

My mom and I stuck together the whole race and finished pretty much the same time.It was by far the most interesting and fun race I have run. I literally laughed through the whole thing. Not to mention the people who were out on the course running with you were so nice and helpful. I had gotten to the top of an obstacle and was unsure of how to get down so a runner ahead of me climbed back up to assist me down. I love when I run races and have awesome strangers around me! 

Following the race you can go get your picture taken on the warrior dash cut out that they upload straight to your facebook. This I thought was very cool I had not encountered this at a race before and I really liked the idea. Following that we went and changed into clean clothes,  you can rinse off but we just changed our clothes and stayed muddy. We then went over to the merchandise table which was also great, all registrants got a free kilt coozy and we also bought tank tops which were only $12! What race can you buy a cute shirt for $12....none of them $25 maybe but not $12! We headed over got our free beer, bought some food again which was really reasonably priced and they had a pretty wide variety of things ranging from veggie burgers to pulled pork, hot dogs and cheese burgers. We sat on the AstroTurf field for a bit in the sun then headed home in desperate need of a shower....I also had to wash my hair several times to get all the mud out! 

Finisher Photo

Take top I bought

This to me is a race that even if you are not a runner you can do. If you can walk three miles and handle some obstacles you will have an absolute blast. I am definitely going to sign up for this next year hopefully with a group because it is a race that everyone will enjoy. Well done Warrior Dash I can not wait for next year!

The aftermath of dirty clothing

Disclaimer: Although I was given a race entry for free all opinions are my own.

QOTD: Have you done an obstacle race if so which one and did you like it?

Heartbreak Hill Half Marathon and Festival

The Heartbreak Hill Half Marathon and Festival is coming up in just a week! This race consists of a 5k, 10k and a half marathon and a few challenges being run all three for the hat trick challenge or run the 5k and 10k five and dime challenge! 

This race is sure to be an amazing event it is being put on by Runners World Magazine and takes place around Newton,Ma with a bit of a challenging course! I was lucky enough to get an entry into the 10k and can't wait to run it! The 5k and 10k will run Saturday June 7th and the half will be run on the 8th. There is also a kids race on Friday! 

This race weekend is sure to be a great one with lots of races and running seminars so do not miss out! Click Here to find out more about the races and events going on that weekend!

I was given the opportunity to get an entry through Swirlgear and BibRave go on over there and become and member! It is a great place to learn about races around the world! You can also write your own reviews on races you have run! Also Swirlgear has amazing women's running clothes so make sure to check them out and also they are having a huge sale right now so load upon some amazing apparel!

Disclaimer: Although I was comped an entry all opinions are my own.

Vega Sport Energy Bar Review!!!!

A few weeks ago I was given the opportunity through Sweat Pink to try out Vega Sport Energy Bars. I was super excited about this. I have tried Vega products before but had never tried these before. I am always up to try new things that will help sustain my energy during runs and couldn't wait for these to come!

For those of you that are not familiar with the Vega brand all of their products are plant based, gluten free and non GMO. They have many products for sport but also for everyday use. They have smoothie mixes, energy bars things to prepare for a sporting event, to having during and to help you recover after and many many more products I am failing to mention. All their products are good for you and for the environment so I encourage you to go and check them out! 

Moving onto the energy sports bars....When they came in the mail I was eager to try them, the flavor Chocolate Coconut Almond they also come in Apple Cherry!! I had one the next day for breakfast, I wanted to taste it first before I had it before running and I was pleasantly surprised. It tasted like a brownie, but a brownie that was good for you. You could see the coconut in it and the almonds which I liked. It had a bit of a crunch to it which was nice and was very moist. It is however very sweet. I love sweets so I was fine with this. My mom also had one and said she couldn't finish it because it was too sweet. So if you like sweets you will love this but if you don't then you might not like it so much but I thought it was delicious 

Moving onto the energy factor of this...After having this bar in the morning I did feel like I had a bit more energy then normal and it kept me full longer then my usual breakfast, but that is not exactly the point of this bar. I did eat a few of them while I was running Ragnar Cape Cod (stay tuned for my recap!). I had one before my first leg of the race which was just over 6 miles. I felt good during this leg and found I had more energy then normal. I had been up for several hours and had to get up super early and expected to be a bit tired while running but after eating this I didn't. I checked my time after running and I ran a bit faster then normal. I had planned on taking it slow so that was a nice surprise and I felt good when I was done not like I had over worked myself. I will credit this bar to that! I also had one before my second leg which was only four miles and felt the same way. I cruised through this leg and felt awesome. I will credit this feeling to the bar!

Final thoughts....I really liked this bar, I have a couple left and will most likely get them again! They were delicious helped my performance and made me feel good. I highly recommend these bars!

To learn more about these bars Click Here and to learn more about Vega Sport and Fuel Your Better Click Here

Disclaimer: Although this product was given to me all opinions are my own.

QOTD: Have you tried any Vega products if so how do you like them?

Old Sandwich Road Race

I was recently given the opportunity to get a number for the Old Sandwich Road Race and wanted to tell you guys a little bit about this awesome race! First of all it is coming up fast (June 1st) so Click Here to sign up for the 5k, 10k or half marathon you will not regret it! 

A little bit about the race, it takes place in historic Plymouth, Massachusetts. Not only is Plymouth an incredibly beautiful town full of amazing scenery but it is also home to the famous Plymouth Rock, Plimoth Plantation and is where the Pilgrims first landed in America. The race takes place on Sunday June 1st at Plymouth South High School promptly at 10AM.  There are three races taking place a 5k, 10k and half marathon. 

The 5k course is slightly hilly taking place along Mast Road and Long Pond Road Click Here for exact route. The 10k is flat in the beginning and then more uphill towards the end. It starts at the historic Plimoth Plantation it crosses Old Sandwich Road and runs along the Eel river basin preserve through several horse farms and finishes on South Plymouth high school's track. A stadium finish you do not want to miss! The stands will be full of people cheering with music playing. Click Here to see the exact route. Lastly the half marathon starts off with ocean cliff views and runs about 6 miles down Old Sandwich road which is flat and fast which is always nice during a half marathon. You then travel along horse farms where you encounter a few hills and finished again with a stadium finish at South Plymouth High School. Click Here to see the route.

All three races are not to be missed! The races are full of beautiful sites with lots of history! Don't miss out! Make sure to sign up before this race fills up, It is sure to be an amazing day!

 

Disclosure: Although I was provided with a number all opinions are my own

B.A.A. 5k Recap!!!

About a week ago I ran the B.A.A. 5k the first part of the B.A.A. Distance Medley. For those who are unfamiliar with the B.A.A. Distance Medley this is a three race series through out the year a 5k, 10k and half. If you complete them all you get a special distance medley medal at the end of the half in the fall. You can sign up for all three in January or you can hope you are lucky and get into the races when registration opens. I have chosen to try my luck!

Moving right along My Mom and I signed up for the 5k a few months ago which took place the Saturday of Marathon weekend. I had been looking forward to this race since I signed up. I knew the city would be buzzing with the excitement of the marathon and I was also looking forward to going to the marathon expo! 

If you read my blog on the B.A.A. Half (click the link if you haven't!) The numbers were sent out to you the same way a few weeks before the race. Like I had mentioned then and still feel the same way I love this part of the B.A.A. races. I love running expos but picking up your number the day before a race when the venue is not super close can sometimes be a pain. 

The race started at 8am so we headed up pretty early, leaving the cape around 5. We got there around 6:30 parked in the Copley parking lot and walked down Boylston to the start of the race which was near the common on Charles street. We got there around 7 and it was a bit more chilly then I had expected it to be, so we hung around in our warm clothes a bit. It was already super crowded when we arrived so we headed straight to get our t shirts and then to check our bag. For those signing up for the 10k or the half the race shirts are awesome but they run really big. I was going to get a small but it fits like a medium so I ended up getting and XS and its a little big but fits pretty good so make sure you go a size down. We got our bag for bag check which were supplied and you were only allowed to use their clear bags.  All other bags were not allowed which was not the case for the half in the fall you could have used a backpack if you wanted but security was definitely heightened for this event which was understandable. More on that to come. 

We waited as long as possible to take our warm clothes off and then headed over to the start around 7:45. I was still so shocked by the number of people around. The way that corrals are set up for this event like the half you just go where you feel your pace is so we went in the 8:30 to 9 minute pace. A little fast for us but I wanted to get out as quick as possible. I wasn't holding anything back in this race. The corrals started to get super crowded as the race start grew closer and I will admit I was getting stressed about getting out. I was using this race to see where I was at speed wise. This did end up being a problem. 

The race got underway and it was just way too crowded they had let a lot more runners register this year then last year and I think this was a mistake. There were almost 10,000 runners and there was just no where to go when you started, lots of pushing and shoving... I may have done a bit of this myself(Sorry to anyone I might have elbowed.)  Thankfully all the streets of the race were closed so people could spread out a bit but I felt so closed in until we hit about mile 2-2.5, then I kicked it into full on sprint mode. The route is super flat except for a little on ramp but I really wanted to break out and run faster but I couldn't move. This is my biggest complaint for the race. 

 

One of the best part of the races was running down Boylston through the Marathon finish line. The city was just so alive that this part gave you chills. Lots of people stopping and taking pictures it was just really neat. Once you crossed that you didn't have much further to go. The race started and ended in the same spot which was nice. Once you crossed the finish line you got your medal and then headed to grab your food bag. They gave out a lot of food and drinks which is always nice to get. I grabbed my swag and waited for my mom to come in a few minutes after me. We both had good races and loved the course.

As for the added security, there were police officers EVERYWHERE and you could tell people were a bit on edge. Every loud noise or scream you heard your heart did stop for a second. Everyone knew that everything would be ok but you could tell people were more aware of their surroundings, and praying that everything was going to go smoothly not only that day but for the remainder of the weekend. All of the race volunteers, security and police officers were great at keeping everything as normal as possible but still making sure everything was going to go according to plan. I will say I have never felt so safe in the City as I did this weekend. 

All in all I did love the race the energy and excitement that filled the city definitely added to that. I liked the course it was very fast and flat. There were several water stops, I did not stop at any of them but if you needed them there was one at every mile with water and gatorade. These races are always super organized with getting your shirts and bag check and the finish line too with getting your medal and food which is always a plus. The one thing I am hoping for come next year is they cut down the number of entrants, but I highly recommend running this race and will be signing up again next year! Also the added bonus of going to the marathon expo is another reason to sign up for this. 

Shout out to the amazing girls of Swirlgear it was awesome finally meeting you in person. For those who don't know about Swirlgear go check them out they have amazing running clothes that are super cute! 

Also sign up for the B.A.A. 10k is tomorrow morning at 10am EST don't miss out this race will fill up within minutes!