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!