Time to Relax!

My view for the summer

I don't know about you guys but I'm SO READY for a long weekend. Being the good Jersey girl I am, I'll be headed down the shore for Memorial Day Weekend. All last spring and summer my Dad and Bryan spent a lot of time fixing up our shore house after the effects of Hurricane Sandy. We were very lucky in that our house was still standing but we had a great deal of water damaged. So most weekends down the shore last summer I spent helping to paint and get things back in order. This year we'll really be able to enjoy the beach and relax!

The shore is also one of my favorite places to go run and is where I did the bulk of my Wine & Dine training. There's always a slight ocean breeze, everyone is out being active, and it's pretty darn flat! I'm itching for my orthotics to come back in from getting adjusted so I can go for my first summer run! 

Happy Memorial Day and I hope everyone enjoys their long weekend, I know I will!

QOTD: What are your plans for the long weekend? Are you running in any Memorial Day races?

Nike Women's Half Marathon DC - Race Review

Ready for Race Day!

My alarm went off at 5am and I woke up feeling a little nervous. I couldn't believe race day was already here. I ate my pre-race breakfast of a bagel and peanut butter and kept hydrated with water and gatorade. I had laid out "flat Lauren" the night before just to be sure I had everything and wouldn't have to think about it that morning. Right around 6am Bryan and I made our way out of the hotel towards the starting line. We stayed at the Grand Hyatt which was only a few blocks away, a quick 5-10 minute walk. 

One of the 3 gear check areas

I decided not to check a bag and would just have Bryan bring flip flops for me to change into after. If you did have a bag to check the areas were divided into 3 separate locations depending on bib number. Since we had some time to kill we just looked around to see where everything was located and to figure out a good spot to meet up after. Soon enough they were asking everyone to get into their corrals to get ready. Both Shalane Flanagan and Joan Benoit Samuelson were there to kick off the race but unfortunately I couldn't really see or hear them from where I was. Right at 7am the race started with the first wave. There were 3 waves total which started about 5 minutes apart each. I began in the 3rd wave just about 15 minutes after the race start.

The view form my corral

They were AWESOME

We started out heading towards The Capitol and already there was tons of on course support. We passed this bad ass (there's no other way to describe them) all women drum line. They were AMAZING and really got you pumped up. Right after that I passed a spectator with a "may the course be with you sign" dressed up as Princess Lea. The FULL get up people, side buns and all. Bravo Princess, I applaud and thank you for your dedication.

This video doesn't even do justice to how
cool this section was

Around mile 2 we went into "the tunnel" that I've heard about. All I can say is WOW, this was my absolute favorite spot on the course. You go in and immediately you can feel the drums reverberating off the walls and completely engulfing you. It put a HUGE smile on my face and I decided I was going to just enjoy this race. I knew I was under trained so I was just going to enjoy all that the course had to offer me at whatever pace that may be. The "We Run" sign was also here, glowing for photo ops.

The We Run sign made its way into the tunnel 

Just past mile 2 I spotted some port-a-potties that didn't have a completely ridiculous line and jumped in. I waited about 5 minutes but I'm glad I went when I did because the lines were long at pretty much every stop throughout the whole race. It's a women's focused race, we've been hydrating like nobody's business, and we always have to pee all the time, of course bathrooms were in high demand. One thing that I did love that I think all races should incorporate was Nike had flags at each bathroom stop stating how many miles until the next stop- GENIUS! 

Photo: Nike

I quickly got back on the course, kept going past The National Mall, then out and back towards the Arlington Cemetery. I had started my intervals right after my bathroom stop and was feeling pretty good. I was tailing these 2 girls dressed as Aubrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany's and loved seeing their outfits the whole time! How had I not thought of that? I love anything Audrey, oh well next time. Right up until Mile 6 the crowd support was phenomenal. There were people cheering everywhere and it kept spirits high. Mile5/6 is usually where I find my groove and was feeling confident at this point. 

I kept trucking on until, uh-oh, my calves were cramping WAY early. Like mile 7 1/2 early. I said some curse words to myself because I knew this was the part of the course where there wasn't as much spectator support. I text Bryan "I think I'm going to walk a lot more than I wanted to." I was really annoyed at first but then I reminded myself, this race is more about the experience than the race. I knew I didn't put the training in to PR and wasn't expecting to. It was an absolutely beautiful day so I was going to walk/run as much as I could and take in as much as possible. 

I would run until I cramped, then switched to walking until that hurt and started cramping, and just kept repeating the vicious cycle. There was this one woman on the course around mile 8 1/2 that was handing out Oreos. Guys, I don't really even like Oreos but I had never been SO HAPPY to eat one in my life. I yelled "thank you" to her and loved every bit of sugar and chocolate that was being soaked up into my body. 

So close!

At this point I just kept telling myself "make it to mile 10 then you only have a 5K left." Once I made it there I felt like the end was in sight. I tried to run/walk as fast as my legs would let me. Around mile 12 the crowd support picked up again and this was what I needed to help push me through. I knew I was getting close so I text Bryan to see which side of the road he would be on. I headed back through the tunnel again, the drumming was not as intense this time since so many racers had already passed through. 

Bookin' it to the chocolate milk & Tiffany's

Outside the tunnel I knew I wasn't that far away. There was a giant screen greeting us by name like at the Expotique with words of encouragement. I was going to wait to see my name but then decided to just push through and get done. I saw Bryan in the crowd, made my way over long enough to yell "my calves hate me!" get a kiss and run off. At this point I could see the finish line in front of me so I took every ounce of energy left, powered through the finish line and threw my hands up in the air with excitement. 

I was exhuasted but so happy to be done. Some sweet woman who finished next to me said "good job!" and put her hand up to give me a high five. Me, still not being completely coherent looked at her like she had five heads, realized she wasn't talking to someone else behind me, realized what a jerk she probably thought I was, and said thank you and high fived her back. Real smooth Lauren. If you high fived me at the finish line THANK YOU and congratulations on your race, sorry I was so spaced out! 

Victory!

My official finish time was 2:52:56, just 9 minutes behind my Wine & Dine time. For how early my calves started cramping, being sick withing the 2 weeks before the race, and how much more I should have trained, I was more than happy with that time. There are plenty of races for me to try and PR in the future, this was not one of them. 

Option 1

Option 2

After the finish line there was a good sized crowd that you unfortunately had to wait with. The first table you had to wait for was where they handed out water in reusable bottles that had the Nike Women's Half and the Whole Foods logo. I thought this was a nice touch and I'm sure helped with water bottle clean up after the race. The next table was food, which I was really disappointed in. We got some dried fruit, some nuts, a mini luna bar, and some other stuff I wasn't really interested in. Honestly, for a race of that size I think you should at least have bananas to offer your runners when they're done. I'm not sure if there was at one point but they ran out by the time I crossed. Either way, volunteers were scrambling to get everything into the bags to hand out to runners. Once we got our food and chocolate milk (YUM!) there was heat sheet distribution which was much needed at this point. 

Can you hear the choir of angels?!

Then, the moment we had all been waiting for-TIFFANY FINISHER NECKLACES! You could either go through a line where the guys just handed the box to you, or you could go to the line where the guys were holding the boxes on silver platters. Since I was feeling worn out and my calves did not want to stand in any more lines I chose the quicker option. 

Finisher area pre-race

There was also a finishers tent with mats and foam rollers-I completely missed this but probably would've taken advantage of it had I know. There was also another tent for finisher merchandise. The lines looked long to get it so I decided to skip it, I had spent enough money on merchandise for one weekend already! I finally located Bryan and my friend Colleen who had come to cheer me on. I switched into my heavenly gel flip flops to slowly stroll around to cool down. I was a happy girl and couldn't wait to celebrate my accomplishment with mimosas at brunch with my friends later!

Photo: Nike
Thanks for making me look so legit! Hopefully I'll be back next year!

Considering this is only Nike's 2nd year in DC, I think they listened to runners last year and made improvements for this year. Hopefully, this will only continue to happen as the race goes on. For a $175 race fee where you get a Tiffany's Necklace as your medal, I think this race is absolutely worth it and I would love to run it again in the future.

QOTD: Have you ever run a Nike Women's race? Would you ever consider running in DC or San Francisco?

Nike Women's Half Marathon DC- #RunnersLove Meetup & Expotique

I can't believe race weekend has come and gone already! Last Friday night, Bryan and I made the drive from New Jersey down to Virginia. A few of my friends from college live in the area so we were able to stay with one (and her new dog!) Friday night. 

#RunnersLove

Saturday morning we drove into Georgetown around 10:00/10:30 for the #runnerslove meetup at Sprinkles. Just driving around you could see the masses of runners making their way to packet pickup and the Expotique. As we got to Sprinkles, there were even more amazing #runnerslove ladies taking over the cupcake shop. A huge THANK YOU to Kristy and Meg for organizing this get together. We all chatted for a bit, ate cupcakes and got to know each other. Since it was so beautiful out we moved outdoors to a cute garden down the block. After a while we all parted ways, I needed to go pick up my packet!

Nike Women's Half Marathon everywhere!

We didn't make it down to packet pick up without a pit stop at the Nike store. I had pre-ordered items online but there was still a water bottle that I had my eye on. I got into the store and to the right was a wall lit up with the course map and the TIFFANY NECKLACE that we'd be receiving the next day! Sidenote: I've been so obsessed with this pattern, I wanted to get my nails painted with in it. You can't imagine how excited I was when I saw it was going to be our medal!

I'm famous!

After snagging my water bottle, I headed outside to find my name on the We Run DC wall. Holy crowds batman. There's girls everywhere with their eyes fixated on the wall scanning for their name crossing up and down the sidewalk in front of it, guilty! It took me a few minutes, but there I was!

Everything moved quickly even though there were a good amount of
people in each area

Now that that was done, on to packet pickup! I was expecting a HUGE line to get my bib at noon on Saturday, but I was in and out withing 5 minutes, it was seamless. First, you'd go to the packet pickup tent, there you scanned your race pass from your We Run DC app and all your information appeared. Once you confirmed all the information was correct, you were given your bib, pace bracelet, and all other info, then directed to go to the next tent to pick up your shirt. Again, I walked right in, up to the counter, the girl checked my bib for my shirt size and I was off. 

Unfortunately for me, that's where the "busy but moving quickly" stopped. We passed the "We Run" sign on the way down to the expotique. The line to take a picture with the sign was 45 minutes long. I won't even wait that long for character pictures in Disney! I kept moving down to the expotique tent which was PACKED. I did love the personalized sign with your name when you walked in. Besides that there were so many people I could barely move, let alone see what was going on. If I wasn't visiting friends as well I might have stayed a little while longer and tried to check out the products. I decided I got what I needed and it was time to go catch up and relax with my college friends. 

Ready for race day!

Nike knows what they're doing when it comes to race weekends, but my biggest problem was SPACE. You have 15,000 runners plus whoever their traveling with and there are only a few tents and a store for expo/packet pick up. Georgetown can be a logistical nightmare before you add that many extra people in. I would've loved to have been able to actually move in the expotique and not feel like I was fighting crowds almost the entire time. In hind sight, I probably would have taken Friday off of work, come down early, and gone to the expotique Friday afternoon. I would imagine the crowds would've been much less then. Besides that I really can't complain. Nike is a marketing/branding genius and knows how to cater to the women running their races. 

QOTD: Have you ever experienced an overly crowded expo? How does it effect your race weekend?

Lauren 

Unite 8K Race Recap

Sunday morning I was able to wake up, get ready, and get out the door within 30 minutes. Bryan, being the awesome sport he is, got up early with me to be my cheer squad. The drive to the race was only 30 minutes, so we arrived at Rutgers and parked at the football stadium by 7 am. There were a few lots in which you could park, some closer to the start and some by the finish. There were shuttles running between all the lots and the start/finish as well. We chose to park closer to the start line since the walk back from the finish was only a mile and would be a nice cool down post-race. 

The walk up to the start area was quick and easy to find since it was where packet pick up was the day before. There were plenty of port-a-potties to use before the race as well as water stations, and a DJ. The Rutger's Knight (their mascot) was also wandering around taking pictures and giving out high fives. I was a little chilly waiting for the race to start, but once I got going the temperature was absolutely perfect in the mid-50's.

Waiting to Start!

The half marathon started first at 8am. The half started out in one direction, then 10 minutes later the 8K participants lined up in the opposite direction since our course was the back 5 miles of the half. Everything was very casual and just feel into place wherever you felt comfortable. 

I started off faster than I should have, 9:45/mile, waaaay too fast, I just get too excited! I dropped down to about 10:30 which was still a full minuter faster than I should have been running but more comfortable. I was feeling good and decided to just run and see how I felt. The course started on Rutger's campus, then took you into a local park. There were a few bands along the course from polka to rock. There was more on course support closer to campus but inside the parks was pretty and I just enjoyed the run.

I ran the first 2.5 miles without stopping until I hit the first water stop. I walked through and then started my intervals. I feel into a nice groove just enjoying the scenery and listening to my music. After the park we crossed an overpass bringing us up a slight hill towards another park. 

Yelling to get Bryan's attention, typical.

At mile 3.5, just as I was making my way up to the 2nd park I spotted Bryan making his way to see my at the finish line. It couldn't have worked out any better if we had tried! I yelled "Am I going to beat you to the finish!?" worrying he wouldn't see me.

We were looped through park #2 which was flat and fast like the majority of the course. I was making my way out towards the road to the finish when I spotted the first half marathoners. They were just making their way into the park which was about mile 11 1/2 for them. Those guys are speedy!  

Coming out you had to take on a slight uphill back onto campus. That uphill is not what you want to tackle towards the end of a race. I had tried to open up my shot blocks prior to this but my darn sweaty hands wouldn't let me. I could have used that extra fuel for the last mile! Anyways, I powered up the hill to finish my interval and then took a quick walk break. Just enough time to catch my breath because I knew the finish line was close! 

The nice part about that uphill was the glorious down hill that just propelled you through the finish line. I think all races should finish on a downhill, it was that extra speed and boost I needed to cross the finish! I crossed at 55:16, which I was very happy with! I had predicted I would finish in 55:00-1:00:00 and was happy to be on the lower end of the estimate. Considering I didn't have a goal for the race besides "let's see what happens" I couldn't complain. 

That bad boy is as big as my wine & dine medal!

I crossed through the finishers chute, received my HUGE medal, and then headed towards the tent housing post-race food. Everything was already pre-packaged with volunteers ready to hand them to the runners coming in. Super easy and no wait time. Further down there was also free hot chocolate for finishers but I decided to pass since it had warmed up to the 60's and hot chocolate isn't exactly what you want when you're hot and sweaty. 

SUPER excited about the post-race pretzel

Everything came pre-packed for
easy carrying (minus the pretzel that I inhaled)

I found Bryan shortly after and we headed back towards the finish line to watch the rest of the 8K runners come through and some fast half marathoners! I was ecstatic to find that a SOFT PRETZEL was one of our post race goodies-YUM! Except there was no cheese sauce-oh wait this isn't Disney. I think I'll write RunDisney and let them know they should start including Mickey pretzels in our runner boxes. 

These girls were AWESOME! They had so much energy at mile 11 of the half.
Their signs say "Run now, wine later" and "Punch for power" and the runners would
punch her sign as they ran past

After I had stretched and refueled enough we started our stroll back to the parking lot. It brought us right along the course so we were able to continue cheering on other runners all the way back to the car. As I was cheering and clapping for the half marathoners, they were congratulating me for my race while they were still running! Guys, this is why I love the running community. We're all pretty awesome and supportive if I do say so myself. Go ahead, give yourself a pat on the back. 

So for $59 (plus processing) I received a huge medal, a tech shirt in a women's cut (yay for a shirt I can actually wear again!), FREE finisher photos (that'r right, multiple! Any finish line photo is free for you to download), a complimentary coffee mug, packet pick-up was a breeze, parking and transportation were equally as easy & free, the course was fast and flat (except for that last mile uphill!), the volunteers were great (all enthusiastic Rutger's students) and I lucked out with beautiful weather. My only complaint of the whole race was that there was only water on the course, no gatorade/powerade. Even at the finish only water bottles were provided. Luckily I had left some gatorade in the car but I was really wanting it right after I had finished considering it started to get warmed a lot from the start of the race.

Overall, with only 6,000 runners between the half and the 8K the field was big enough but not overwhelming. I would absolutely recommend this race to someone else in the future. Who knows, maybe next year I'll tackle the half instead. 

Lauren

QOTD: What are some of your favorite local races?

Training Update-Nike Women's Half DC

Since my last post about my training (or lack-thereof) for the Nike DC Women's Half Marathon, I have to say I'm feeling much more confident about race day. I completed a 7-miler yesterday where I tried out some new things for race day. Some went well, others not so much. First, the bad of yesterday's run.

• I tried Cliff Shot Gel, I do NOT like Cliff Shot Gel. I'm a texture person when it comes to food so it kinda threw me off. The texture didn't throw me off as much as the taste. I couldn't decide if it was trying to be sweet or salty. I'll just stick to shot blocks in the future.

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• I didn't bring back up fuel so I was feeling slightly sluggish the last mile. Rookie mistake! I'll make sure to have more than enough fuel on future runs
• My orthotics starting rubbing the last 2 miles :(. I'll need to make sure I bandage up that area to help prevent rubbing and blisters on my next long runs.

And guess what, that's it for the bad! The good list (which is longer-woo hoo!) is as follows.

• I've been doing exercises for my shin splints and I can tell they've been working because NO SHIN SPLINTS during or after my run!
• I also tried those ribbon elastic hair ties. They stayed in my baby, fine hair like a charm. I didn't adjust my ponytail once. Ladies, you'll understand it's the little things.

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• I also listened to a new music app called FitRadio and I didn't hit next the entire run! That's big for me as I'll probably shuffle through half my iPod on a 30 min run. You can choose all different genres of music and it lists the BPM for each station.
• My splits were all within 20 seconds of each other throughout my entire run, yay for good pacing!

Overall, I still don't think I'm quite ready for race day, but I'm feeling much more confident. Only 3 more weeks until I'll be taking on DC!

Lauren 

QOTD: What are your "must haves" for long runs?

Training Update-Nike Women's Half DC

Time to come clean, I have been doing some serious slacking in training for my 2nd half. I know what factors have been affecting my training or lack thereof. I also know that I'm only hurting myself and no one else can run this race but me. GAHHH I know better but why do I keep doing this to myself?! Here's the culprits of why my performance has been so lack-luster.

1. Weather

When I moved from Florida back home to New Jersey this past April, I distinctly remember telling my boyfriend, Bryan (who was born in Florida and raised in Minnesota) "Winters in New Jersey are nowhere near as bad as Minnesota winters." Insert foot into mouth. Thank you universe for rewarding us with the worst winter New Jersey has seen in YEARS. When I started running last February, I could just hop outside in my shorts in the 70 + degree weather and take a loop around the neighborhood whenever I pleased. Now I have to bundle up, drive to the gym, fight through the after work crowd to secure a treadmill etc. I'm really missing the convenience factor the warm weather affords you of being able to run outside whenever you please. Considering the bulk of my training is during these frigid winter months I really need to dig extra deep for that motivation.

2.  Lack of Training Partner

Part of the reason I felt so prepared for Wine & Dine was because I had Kayla as a training buddy. There was always someone to talk and share the experience with. I was always researching and looking for any tips that would help us along our new endeavor. Part of this second half still doesn't feel like it's happening because I'm not constantly talking about it or obsessing over it with someone else. Reality check-It's happening whether I'm prepared or not!

3. I'm a HUGE procrastinator

Plain and simple. I have perfected the art of procrastinating. One of my interior design professors at school called interior designers "Professional Procrastinators," and I couldn't find it to be more true. I'm used to being able to pull an all nighter and come out with a decent product. Half marathon training is one place in my life where I know that pushing everything off to the last minutes will NOT help. It will probably just leave me injured and unhappy. 

When I signed up for this race I thought I'd be able to go out and crush my last half time. I had figured out all my problem areas the last round of training; this time I just needed to go out and put in the work. I haven't been putting in as much work as I should and I'm at the point now where I'm telling myself, "Enough! Put on your big girl panties and do the work!" 

From here on out I've written every workout on my calendar so I have to look at it every day. I can tell Bryan on any given day to make sure I go do my run and he is more than happy to remind me and give me the push I need. Since I don't have a training partner to hold me accountable, he is great at making sure I do what I've set out to do for the day. I can tell you this past week I've gotten in all my training runs and I already feel better. Why don't I do this all the time?! It's been the push I need to keep me going in the right direction. 

Lauren

QOTD: What do you do to keep your motivation up during training when you're just not feeling it?

The Flipbelt-My favorite thing to run with!

The FlipBelt is my absolutely favorite thing to run with. I love this for many reasons, but number one it doesn't move! I ran with this for my half marathon and bought it the day before at the runners expo at Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports. I was a bit skepical of buying something that I wasn't used to running with the day before my first big race. I really needed something that would hold more than just my iPhone and headphones so I decided to give it a try. Good thing I did because it couldn't have worked out better. 

The flip belt comes in many colors and sizes. I was able to get my favorite color (purple) and the medium size was perfect. It's a bit snug and didn't move at all! 

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During the half marathon it held my iPhone, for my music, which also had a large speck case on it to hold my id and money, a package of shot blocks, and a pack of tissues. I wasn't running with a ton of stuff but more than what I usually would, so this option was again a great choice. It didn't move or chafe! I don't like belts with water bottles on them so this was a wonderful alternative. 

I may or may not have worn my felt belt out once or twice when I didn't want to carry a purse. Yes, that's how discreet it is 😊

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-Kayla

QOTD: Does anyone else love their flipbelt? 

233 days until our next runDisney event!

Well it's official! Today the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10 miler weekend registration opened up! Lauren and I are very excited and proud to say we are running! We have signed up for the Disney Happy Haunted 5k also! Two races packed into one day is going to be a whole new adventure for us. But let's get real we just wanted two metals! 

This was spur of the moment for us. We had originally wanted to run the Wine and Dine half marathon for the second time. But after talking about it we wanted yet another new Disney experience. I'm so happy about our decision to try a new race. 

Has anyone ever ran two races in one day? Any advice for us rookies?

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We are so excited! Who's running with us?

-Kayla

QOTD: Who else signed up to run during the Tower of Terror 10 miler weekend?

After Workout Fueling

I really like Muscle Milk. It's a great source of protein! Yes runners need to fuel and have lots of energy which is gained mostly from carbs. Runners build a lot of lean muscle as oppose to "bulking up" which is what muscle milk or protein products are associated with. So high protein products aren't crucial to a runners diet, I've even done some research and most say runners shouldn't drink muscle milk. But I don't care, I usually drink it after a very intense work out or very long run. And it's been so satisfying! I can feel my legs feeling better quicker after a long workout since I started drinking the stuff. I used to have intense practices when I played lacrosse, I wish I would've had muscle milk then. I really do feel a difference. 

Lately, I am running around like crazy too! It's busy season at Liberty Travel and I'm working long hours. I enjoy muscle milk when I can't eat and enjoy a full meal, for example while I'm at work. Something else I love about this product is that it tastes good! The chocolate flavor actually gives me my chocolate fix if I'm having a bit of a craving. You know we all have them!

I guess I just wanted to put it out there that just because it's a protein product doesn't mean runners should "run away" from trying it.

-Kayla 

QOTD: Have you ever used Muscle Milk? What do you like do drink post workout?

Valentine's Gift Guide

Valentine's Day is just a week away. If you're anything like me you will procrastinate getting chocolates, cards, flowers, etc. until the night before. You'll find yourself standing in the card aisle with everyone else looking slightly sheepish that you've put so much thought into your loved ones. 

Don't fret, I have come to the rescue and have complied a list of great Valentine's for any runner in your life!

1. Pro Compression Marathon Socks

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Show your runner you love them with these aptly themed compression socks. Whoever receives this gift will be reminded of you every time they wear them. They may also come in handy for a race costume down the line (Queen of Hearts anyone?). 

2. Sweaty Bands

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For the ladies in your life Sweaty Bands always make a great gift. They do not budge an inch the entire day and look great. Every time I wear a Sweaty Band I'm complimented on it, and what girl doesn't love compliments? It's the gift that's going to keep on giving. 

3. Runnerbox

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Who doesn't love getting a package full of surprises on their doorstep? The runnerbox will send your runner samples of various products for them to try. You can give a monthly subscription, a one time gift box, or they even have a special Valentine's Box (it's like they've done all the planning for you already)!

4. Massage

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Regardless of whether your runner has been training non-stop or not, who doesn't love a good massage? I'm sure your runner has a very close relationship with their foam roller, but sometimes the roller just won't cut it. Treat them to some pampering and I can guarantee they will be thankful to have someone work all those knots out of their calves. 

5. Race Entry

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Any runner would love free race entry; I'm pretty sure we all not so secretly want to #runalltheraces. If we had money trees and no jobs or obligations we would, but alas, we don't live in this fantasy land. A race entry could be anything for a great themed fun run/5K to a big event like a RunDisney weekend. If you're a fellow runner, join in with them, if not, make sure to be watching from the sidelines with an embarrassing (yet endearing) sign showing your support!

If all else fails and you still let procrastination get the best of you, just remember you can never go wrong with chocolate, lots and lots of chocolate. 

Lauren

QOTD: As a runner, what would you like to receive for Valentine's Day?

Picking the Right Training Plan

The next big race on my horizon is the Nike Women's Half Marathon DC. I was so excited to be one of the luck ones chosen for the second installment of this race. As of this past Monday I am officially 3 months out from race day which means I need to get my butt back into a training schedule. After Wine and Dine I took it easy; first my orthotics had to be sent out to be refit (there goes 2 weeks) then Christmas, New Years, and my birthday all came in quick succession. Oops, maybe I haven't kept the post-half momentum going quite as strong as I would've hoped. Oh well, you live and learn.

Nike offers a training app exclusive to the DC half marathoners featuring that beautiful Tiffany blue. I'm already a Nike+ user so I was excited to see what their training plan held. Once, I had the chance to check it out I was honestly disappointed in their developed plans. You can choose from Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced. All 3 version have you running 5-6 days a week. Personally, I felt like that was too much running and not enough cross-training/rest days. 

                   
I had encountered a few injuries during Wine and Dine training and didn't want the same thing to happen again. For my first race my main concern was to cross that finish line in one piece and not feel too much like death. This time around I know I can finish all 13.1 miles, so I'd like to add in strength training and maybe some speed work. 

I looked into Hal Higdon's plans as well as the Runner's World Smart Coach. Hal Higdon's plans again were like the Nike's plan with too many days in a row of running.

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For the Runner's World plan I loved that you could customize the length of your plan. It really broke down what you should be doing during each training day, what your pace should be while running, etc.

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I've decided to give the Runner's World plan a shot. I liked that it's structure is similar to Galloway's but I can adjust the length & intensity to fit my needs. Looking back at the Galloway plans I feel like I'm somewhere in between a "beginner" and "time improvement" plan and this new plan appears to fall into that area. I'll keep everyone updated on how this new plan works for me!

Lauren

QOTD: What do you look for in a training plan?

Welcome!

Kayla and I are going to give this blogging thing a shot! Kayla and I became friends when we were roommates on the Disney College Program. We made so many memories together while living in the most magical place on earth. Now we're living six hours apart but still motivating each other and continuing to build on our friendship.

We discovered the wonderful world that is RunDisney last November at the Wine & Dine Half, our first half marathon ever! We were a little sad we didn't discover it sooner--like when we were living at Disney (that would've been too convenient). Now, we're committed to healthier lifestyles, thanks to motivation from the most magical place on earth.

We want our blog to be a place where we can reveal our Disney Parks tips, tricks and expertise. In exchange we hope you'll learn with us as we navigate the new territory for us that is RunDisney. Along the way we'll also talk about our favorite products we've discovered, some new recipes we've tried, or how our latest workout it going. 

Welcome to our journey from CAST members to HALF marathoners, we can't wait to share it with you!


Lauren


QOTD: What would you like to see on our blog?