Weekly Wrap...April 30

Welcome to another edition of the Weekly Wrap.

This is going to be a quick wrap this week! Because I am not training for anything I've rearranged my run days. I've been trying to run Tuesday's and Thursday's and walk Baylee Mondays and Wednesdays. So far it's been working out pretty well. Even on the day's I'm not running, I look forward to getting out on the trail with Baylee (did you read my Runfessions?).

I saw these two lovelies on the path but as I ran towards them they scurried into the water.

Running was not the highlight of my week though this week. We had our neighborhood yard sales this weekend so we spent most of the week preparing for that. We hadn't participated in the sales the past few years so this year we had plenty to set out.  I was so pleased to see how much stuff actually went and the little bit that we had left got donated.  I've pretty much kept every CD I've ever owned since High School and I finally decided it was time to let them go. I can't even tell you the last time I listened to a CD (I don't even have a CD player except for in my car). I sold the CD's for 50 cents a piece and every person that bought one, bought more than just one. They were a big hit!

Now that I have less "junk" in my house, I've done a major Spring Cleaning. I feel so refreshed! If my house could talk, I'm sure it's giving a sigh of relief right about now!  

I'm looking forward to redecorated a few rooms. I started in my bathroom this weekend. I have a palm tree shower curtain that I hang up in the Summer months and then a dark floral one for the winter months.

Not my photo but is the exact same curtain. Source

 However, since our winter was pretty warm, I never ended up taking down the palm tree shower curtain. I'm now tired of it so I am putting up this Tres bombshell one that I had up a few years ago. I also got a chrome shower rod with crystals, gems on the end and crystal/gem shower hooks.  I am now on the hunt for new vanity accessories and some light pink rugs. In all honesty I've been looking for the pink rugs for over a month now.  Apparently pink bathroom rugs are no longer in style. I've looked at  Target, Wal-Mart, Bed Bath & Beyond, Marshall's, Burlington, Boscov's, Bon-Ton, JC Penny, TJ Maxx, Ross, and Kohls, and K-mart.  I've even looked at their online store too. 

I am finding some extra time on my hands this week so I am going to continue to clean and shop for new house decor!   And that s a wrap! -M

When was the last time you listened to a CD?

Where else can I look for pink rugs?

We are linking up with Holly and Tricia for the weekly Wrap!

Runfessions from the Trail

Welcome to another edition of the Friday 5. Since it's the last Friday of the month, we'll be doing Runfessions. Can it be a "Runfession if there wasn't much "running" involved? I guess I'll have to ask Wendy about that one!

First of all I will Runfess that I was taking a gamble letting go of a Labrador's leash this close to the water. Baylee's a good dog though so I figured she'd stay put for a picture. Second of all I will Runfess that I thought of all of these Runfessions while I was walking Baylee on the trail.

1. I Runfess that I need to buy more shorts for Spring/Summer running. There is nothing wrong with my old ones, I just need more so I don't have to do laundry as often (not that I do anyway).

2. I Runfess that I feel guilty listening to my ipod while I walk Baylee.  I feel like she might think I'm ignoring her. I also Runfess that I talk to her when we walk. Yes, I talk to my dog!

3. I Runfess that the beginning of every walk with Baylee can be a challenge.  When she is hooked to that leash she's ready to go and she thinks that we are going to run. She still has some spunk to her but because of her age and her health condition, I won't run her anymore.  This means the first hundred yards of our walk is spent sniffing the surroundings. After that she's good!

4. I Runfess that when I returned to the trail this week I was a bit hesitant when I approached the spot where the "incident" happened last week. I actually surveyed the area before continuing forward.

5. I Runfess that I Really enjoy my walks with Baylee when we walk on the outer trail by the water. It's so peaceful when nobody else is there.  I like to put the music on my ipod and sing along.  Yea, I can sing out loud when I know nobody else is around. Baylee doesn't mind.

Can you relate to any of these?  -M

An InLinkz Link-up

The things that affect our lives: Pom-poms vs Race medals

Recently Scott and I started doing some Spring cleaning. We are really trying to down size, maximize our space in our house, and get organized. We no longer want to feel obligated to keep things because they were given to us by friends or family members if those things aren’t “useful”.  Which can be hard to do because I know I feel guilty getting rid of things. I am NOT a hoarder but I tend to hang on to things for sentimental reasons.

We came across some bins that we probably hadn’t opened up since we moved into our house over 10 years ago.  In those bins were old yearbooks from both High School and College, old trophies, and a few old photo albums of mine that were mostly pictures of school friends from High School and college, and memorabilia from High School, and college, and sorority stuff.

I will tell you that I had no problem tossing this stuff. The old Sorority paddle, it went in the trash. All the High School newspapers that I wrote for, gone. I even tossed my Varsity Letters from High School.  Now mind you, they were only from Cheerleading, but they went in the trash.

 Scott pulled them back out and said “You can’t throw away your varsity letters. You earned these”.  I looked at him and said “Cheerleading did not change my life and it’s not like I will be displaying them on the wall. They can go.”  He put them back in the trash and reminded me that I’m throwing these letters away which I earned but yet I was keeping a Beverly Hills 90210 book I’ve had since High School…lol. Yes, I may have issues. But come on, 90210 was THE show back in the day, right?

I would have probably got rid of my Yearbooks too but that kind of seems like something we should keep out of obligation.

Anyway,  the next day when I walked into my dressing room, I looked at all the race medals I have hanging on my wall and wondered will there come a day when I think these are all just things?  Will I look at them as things that no longer have meaning? Will they be things that no longer have any sentimental value? Will they be things that have not affected my life in any way?

 Of course they mean something NOW but will they mean something in 10 or 20 years from now?  This I don’t know.  However, I can say that unlike cheerleading, the races I’ve done HAVE affected my life.  I know that I can accomplish hard things (like really hard things), I have become more determined and dedicated to tasks, I’ve learned to love the outdoors, I’ve got to experience some really cool places and events, I’ve got to spend meaningful time with family, and have built friendships that will hopefully last a lifetime.

Although I am not doing as many races as I use to, and I’m sure I’ll even slow down more as I get older, I think I’d view these races and medals as a part of my adult life and always look at them with a sense of pride and happiness. I could never imagine tossing my marathon medal in the trash. But if I do, I am glad to know that I will have Scott there to dig it out! 


What are your thoughts? -M

April Highlights

Holy cow, we’re wrapping up the month of April this week!  How can that be?  I know it's a few days early to be wrapping up the month but that's the topic on TOTR  this week so I will oblige! 

 Because I had this cough and chest cold hang around longer than I wanted, there wasn’t a whole lot of running going on, but that’s okay because this was one of the best April’s. Here’s why…

1  - The weather has be absolutely gorgeous and everything is green again! We haven’t had many rainy days like most places. If it rained it was usually at night or in the middle of the day while I’m at work anyway.

#ChocolateNails

2  - Going to Hershey! As you may recall I ran the 10K and then had the best time at the Hershey Spa. Visiting the Spa may have been the Highlight of my month! Is it any coincidence that the Hershey 10K was the weekend before Easter? I still have so much chocolate leftover!

3 -  Miles with my sister. I don’t always run with my sister because she is faster than me, but since I needed to ease back into my running after being sick, she agreed to walk the trail with me which I appreciated.

4  - EASTER! I absolutely LOVED Easter this year. We usually travel for Easter but this year we went to my Parent’s house for dinner (and a doggie egg hunt of course) and I couldn’t have been happier. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and it was a great day to stay in the area. We also visited my family at my Pap’s house and made an adult egg hunt for our adult cousins. It was actually a lot of fun because Lacey and I were the only ones who knew where the eggs where!

5 - I’ve been using my fitness tracker again and on Monday through Friday I’m able to get in 10,000 steps. For some reason I struggle with it on the weekends. I'm I the only one?

I don't have any big plans for the rest of the month so unless something amazing pops up, this was my April in a nutshell.  Oh, our community Arts Festival is this weekend so I hope to check that out and see if my favorite artist is there (she does lab prints)!

What was the highlight of your month? Are there certain days you struggle with getting all your steps in? -M

We are linking up with the lovely ladies from TOTR.

Something you DON'T Want to see on a Run

If you all got a chuckle out of Wednesday's post on what I though I saw, then you're gonnna love this post!

This week was my week to get back at it! I could tell my chest was still a little tight so some full out running was not going to happen (until Thursday). Instead, I dug out my fitness tracker from ifit and gave myself some new goals to work towards. I would try to get 10,000 steps in each day.  I know a lot of you do this every day, but boy it can be a challenge, especially if you are not running(or walking) at least 3 miles a day.

My sister kept me company on a 5 mile walk/run (but mostly walk) on Monday, and then again for 3.6 miles on Tuesday.  Wednesday and Friday I walked and Thursday I ran. It was a challenge but I did get 10,000 steps in each day.

Okay, now back to the Thursday's 3 mile run on the Island.  This time of year the Island Park is just swarming with visitors. Soccer is in full gear and there are always games and practices going on in the fields and kids playing at the playground. The inner paths are filled withe walkers, runners, people with dogs, kids with bikes, etc.  Us serious runners, often deviate from the inner path out to the North and South trails which are in the woods. They are clearly marked as trails and people have been using them for years. Just to be clear, there is no mistaking these are walking/running paths.

Well, I did my first mile on the inner trail (I got my pace down to a 9:12 which I thought was pretty good for me for my first run in a while) and then decided to run the South trail in the woods. The south trail runs along the water, comes to a point, and then I loop and run up the opposite side of the island.  As I was running I could see that some Spring clean up had happened. Trees were trimmed, a lot of brush was cleared out, and some trees were cut down leaving just stumps for now.

Not the exact spot but a picture from the Island Trail.

As I got half way down the other side of the island, I could see further ahead that something was blocking the path. I couldn't quite tell what it was. Maybe a stump? As I got closer I saw a turqoise color and what looked like a plumbers butt.  Had someone fallen? Was someone hurt?  OMG was someone being attacked??

This is NOT a picture from this day, but this is almost exactly where the "incident" occurred and I wanted you to see the path I was talking about.

And then I saw what was happening. Eeek! It never occurred to me to give them privacy and turn myself around. All I kept thinking in that short amount of time was how I would get around them as they were clearly RIGHT ON the path (and this is a dirt path at this point).  The most discreet thing for me to do would be to run below them, but that only gave me a narrow path that is banked into the river and at this point I was running pretty fast and didn't want to take a chance of slipping.  So I ended up running above them. Thank goodness I had my sunglasses on  cus I looked directly down and just kept running.  The man heard my feet shuffling when I ran passed and he quickly got up and I heard them both start to giggle.

I got to the end of the wooded area and turned back around to run the loop in the opposite direction.  I was not deviating my running plan because of these two.  As I ran by them again, they had put themselves together and were standing upright. As I ran by I mentioned to them that this would be my last loop running by and just smiled. They giggled and said I was just fine. Darn right I was fine!  What do they think they are doing????  I am not condoning what they were doing but geeze, they could have at least took it off the path into the grass area. There is a grassy lawn area right above the path that is still secluded with tress and no one ever walks up there, that could have been their spot! For that matter, there are many other "hidden" spots around the island they could have found to be alone.

Clearly these people where not locals or they would have known how busy these paths get (even the wooded ones). My case in point,  shortly after I passed the couple for the second time, I passed another runner coming in that direction.

So, that's my best running story for the week. Heck, it might be my best running story all season. We will see!

Anyone have a story quite like this to share? -M

We are linking up with Holly and Tricia for their Weekly Wrap!

Spring Races to Run

I messed up last week and I posted my pampering post when I should have posted about Spring. If you’d like to read about the Chocolate Spa at the Hotel Hershey, you can check out this post HERE.

So now I guess I’ll talk about Spring!

I can’t believe how fast Spring is going already. Heck in another week it will be May! I also can’t believe how many good races are available in this short window of time. I know many people can plan a full race schedule for each season and not think anything of it. I am not one of those people. I can really only plan one long distance race and maybe a few mid distance races per season.  As you know, I’m just building my confidence and strength back up and I don’t want to do too much!  This year already I’ve done the NYC Half in March (would you consider that a spring-ish races?), and the Hershey 10K in April, and I may do one more mid-distance race in May before our Spring ends. That is enough for me!

However I’ve been keeping a running list (no pun intended),  of Spring races I’ll want to do in 2018. Since so many of them are around the same time, chances are I won’t get to do them all, but it’s good to keep a list for the future.

1. The Lucky Charm 5K/10K- I’m hoping to have this race in March be the first race I do next year. I think training for a 10K is a good and reasonable goal to have for over the winter months.

2. The NYC Half??? – Scott said I should do this one again since we had so much fun last month. Even though I LOVED this race and will claim it as the best courses I’ve run so far, I’m not sure I want to jump right in and do it again next year. I had such a great training cycle this winter, we ended up having great weather on race day, and just everything worked out wonderfully. Even though I didn’t PR, it was a really great race for me and I just want to leave it at that! End on a high note if you will.

3. Atlantic City April Fools – This is one of my favorite race weekends! I’ve done this race the past four years but this year opted not to do it in exchange for doing the Hershey 10K instead. Usually the Hershey race and this race are on the same weekend in April but this year it wasn’t for some reason but I didn’t realize this until I had already made other plans. I’m hoping to go back and run it again next year!

                                                            or

Hershey 10K ???- I really LOVED being in Hershey! I loved Chocolate World, I loved the Hotel, and most of all I loved the Chocolate Spa! I had a chest cold while running the 10K race and I found it to be way hillier than I would have liked. There was a lot of time ran in the park (which was also hilly) which was nice. The medal was great as was the shirt and post race swag! I’m not really sure how I feel about this race but giving it another chance is not completely out of the question (as long as it is not the same weekend as the Atlantic City race).

4. Pittsburgh Half Marathon – Gotta get that "Runner of Steel" medal at some point. Plus I want to try the new "flatter" course".  I ended up giving my registration away to Gretchen from Gretch Runs, so I am happy that she will be running it this May as I virtually cheer her own! 

5. The Kentucky Derby Half Marathon- This race has been on my bucket list for a while now but this may have to be a full out Race-cation for me since it is not close.  

As always, so many races in such a short period of time.  I won't get them all done in one year, but hopefully I'll do them.. What Spring races have you wanted to do but haven't got to do yet? -M

An InLinkz Link-up

My silly IRONMAN (the race) story

 Because of the holiday weekend our blogging schedule is a little off. So instead of doing posts Monday and Wednesday, you are getting them Tuesday and Thursday this week (and we will still be doing the Friday Five).

So since it’s Think Out loud Thursday, I wanted to share a little story with you about my commute to and from work recently. Disclaimer: Please don’t judge me for my judgement but I do hope you get a laugh out of this.

I don’t know if I am just more aware lately, but I’ve noticed that I’ve been seeing an increasing amount of Ironman license plates and stickers on cars.

I found this odd because I am not aware of any Ironman events in my area. So why do so many people have these stickers and license plates?

The second thing I noticed  (and I don’t mean to judge or profile anyone) but the vehicles that had these stickers and license plates on them were not exactly vehicles that I would think overly athletic /ironman type people would drive. Now I know this sounds completely like I am profiling, but a lot of these vehicles were bigger type trucks, almost like farm trucks.

And then one day I saw it!  These weren’t Ironman stickers and license plates at all. In fact, they had nothing to do with running or anything athletic.

What I thought was the symbol for Ironman (as I passed it at 65 MPH going down the highway), was actually the symbol for International Harvester, a Tractor company (and other agricultural equipment)!

So that completely explains why these symbols were on all the big trucks!  I do realize that now that  I see them side by side that there is no mistaking which is which and that the symbol is clearly not an ironman. But hey, I did say I was passing them at 65 MPH.   Ha! Honest mistake I guess.  

Things to consider when planning a Race-cation

A lot of our races have been race-cations so I'd say we know a thing or two about traveling for races.

With that being said, we thought we'd mention a few things that racers might consider (or reconsider) while planning their race-cation.

1. For some people their race-cation may be their "family Vacation" as well. This is common when doing Disney races. If it is your first Disney race, you may want to reconsider bringing the kids, the in-laws, and other relatives.  The race weekend is YOUR weekend. This is not a time to be worrying about coordinating everyone else's schedule. Race weekends can potentially be stressful enough (but in a good way) and sometimes worrying about family can add to that.  I am thankful that I come from a family of runners, so when we go on race-cation they are running with me. If they are not, they at least understand about the early bedtime and the "running routine".  If you do not have runners in your family, consider going with a running friend.

2. This is one mistake I've made more than once (especially at Disney). Reconsider doing your sightseeing or park hopping before race day. I know when we go to Disney we want to make the most of our time and get our monies worth out of our Park tickets but sometimes it's just not worth it. I've shown up on race morning not being able to move my legs at the start line because I walked around all day at Disneyland the day before. Huge mistake!  We've learned our lesson and now there are times we go to Disney races and don't even bother to purchase park tickets. When I visited NYC last month there were a ton of things I wanted to do, but I knew better than to do all that walking before race day.  Plan accordingly.

3. This one is a no brainer but if you have to fly to your race-cation, ALWAYS pack your race gear in your carry-on. Enough said.

4.  When booking a hotel for your race think Location, Location, Location!  Splurge on the hotel if it is close to the start, finish, or transportation. Being in the area you want to be in is well worth the extra $100 or so and can cause a lot less stress for you on race morning.

Any other suggestions?

We are linking up with the gals from TOTR.

The night before Boston.....

Twas the eve before the Boston Marathon

I only went for two dog walks this past week and in my mind that does not a Weekly Wrap make! So instead I am looking to the week ahead and will post this poem I created about the Boston Marathon

We have some friends running the Boston Marathon on Monday and they were our inspiration for this post....

T'was the eve before the Marathon and all through the town, 
the runners were restless and couldn't calm down.

Their race gear was laid out all in plain view, 
shirt, shorts, socks, shoes, and compression sleeves too!

The "Flat Runner" picture was taken. This was getting real!
 Minus the bib number of course (they didn't want anyone to steal). 

The race belt was filled with all sorts of fuel,
 Stingers, Chomp, Clif Shots, and Watermelon GU.

One last check of the weather was done.
They hoped for sun yet cool enough to run.

After carbing up and belly's were fed, 
they did some last minute foam rolling before heading to bed.

As runners fell asleep they dreamed of the race. 
Would they do well? Would they keep pace?


They thought of the course and how they'd get through.
They believed in their practice and to their training plan stayed true!

They hoped they wouldn't stumble, trip, or fall
but having to take a potty break would be the worst of all.

They pictured Hopkinton, Wellesley, and Heartbreak hill,
They knew when they were over it, it would be such a thrill.

The spectators would be out all holding their signs.
Some would be inspirational and some would be rhymes.

Some would hand out candy and the college kids would give beer. 
Some would just smile but all would cheer!

As they take the last right on Hereford and left on Boyeston,
their race would come to an end.

The race might be over but the pride will live on.
This wasn't just any race, it was the Boston freakin Marathon!

Good Luck Runners!

We are linking up with Holly and Tricia for the weekly wrap. Since I am posting from my 

 iPad I am unable to post the weekly wrap badge but I will try to add it later. Sorry.

The Chocolate Spa at the Hotel Hershey

After the Hershey 10K race, we returned to our Hotel and had a spa day at the Chocolate Spa. I was so excited for this day because I had never been to the Chocolate spa before. 

When we arrived at the spa, we got a tour so we knew what all we could take advantage of during the day.  We were given lockers to store our things and big comfy robes to wear all day.

1.   After we changed we waited in the "Quiet room" until it was time for our appointments.  While there, they had coffee, tea, water, muffins, fruits, trail mix, chocolate, etc. I had only an apple since I didn't eat anything after the race. 

2.  I wanted to get something other than a basic massage that I could get anywhere and wanted to have one of the specialty chocolate services so I got the Chocolate Sugar Scrub. My mom was getting the reflexology. Note: The spa fills up very fast (especially on the weekends). We had to make these appointments months in advance.

I was lead to a special room for my service. 

 When I inquired about the service I asked if I should wear a swim suit and was told it was fine. When I got into the room, the lady working on me told me I should take everything off because the scrubs would stain the suit. I was told to take all my jewelry off and then showed how to wrap my top and bottom in towels. When I was covered, the lady came back in and performed the service. The lights were actually dim when she was doing it. I feel like I chose a great service because it was like a massage and pedicure in one. I was massaged with a yummy smelling sugar scrub, then while still on the table, I was rinsed with warm water. I was then wrapped in towels and then she did another massage treatment with the cocoa moisturizer.  It was fabulous!

3. After my treatment, I met up with my mom again and we headed to our lunch reservations at the Oasis (in our robes)! 

The Oasis is a restaurant that is only for spa guests and everyone eating lunch in there was in their spa robe! 

4. After lunch we spent some time in the Steam Room. This steam room was a wet steam and was 110 degrees.  Since we had the room to ourselves, I decided to lay down on the "hot" bench. After a while a burst of steam was coming right from where my head was. All of a sudden the entire room was filling up with steam and I couldn't even see in front of me. I decided to move up to the upper bench, and then finally I had to open the door to get a breathe. Finally I could not take it anymore so I said that was enough of that!

After the whole steam room experience, I was completely wiped out and exhausted. We then finally got to spend some time in the aroma therapy room to relax( this room is very popular). I was told there was a lounge that we could nap in but I thought that would be a little silly (even though it sounded like a good idea at the time).  The aroma in the room was thyme and eucalyptus. 

5. Lastly, we were able to use the showers where we got to shower with the chocolate body wash, and chocolate mandarin shampoo and conditioner. This spa has everything to completely pamper you, you do not need to bring ANY toiletries or beauty products.  They even had hair dryers and curling irons at each of the vanities. 

Even though my race was only so/so, I had a fabulous time at the spa and would not hesitate to return to the Hotel Hershey! -M

An InLinkz Link-up

Bye bye PGH

Now that I've completed all the Disney races that I've wanted to run, One of my new "intentions" this year was to run some bigger (notable) city races.

I've already checked a big one off my list this year, the New York City Half. Earlier this year, I mentioned a few other cities that I wanted to run. Among them was Pittsburgh, only because I wanted the coveted "Runner of Steel" medal ( for obvious reasons to those who know me).

I also mentioned earlier this year that my husband's company is a sponsor of a particular race and that  I was invited to run it in May. I did not mention the race by name because at the time I was unsure if I would run it or not.  The race was the Pittsburgh Marathon and half marathon. I of course would sign up for the half marathon.

Even though this is a race I wanted to do, I didn't want to make any decisions until after I ran NYC. After all, I've been having a pretty good "no injury" streak going on here and I wanted to see how I felt after the race.

Turns out, after Running NYC, I felt fine and eager to tackle the city of Pittsburgh! I heard that the course had changed since years past and now it is much flatter!

Well a few things have changed over the past few weeks. As you know, (besides the 10k race I just ran this past weekend), I've taken a bit of time off running to try to get over this cold. I am in no shape to pick up half marathon training again this week or probably even next. Also with a race date of May 7th, it makes a very tight schedule for my family as there are other travel plans involved and would just make for a hectic weekend. Quite frankly, I'm just too tired for all this right now.

With all this being said, I still have the free registration. It can be used for either the full marathon or half marathon. Who wants it? -M

Hershey 10K Race Recap

This past weekend I ran the Hershey 10K race. I was looking forward to this weekend for so long but as you recall, I hadn't been feeling well lately so was worried about how the race was going to go.

Packet Pick-Up

Packet pick up for this race was available the day of the race and the day before. If you picked up the day before, you had to go to the arena which is located to the left of the entrance to Hershey Park. It actually took us a while to find this.  The "expo" wasn't really a big deal but there were a few local running stores there and a some vendors so if you needed some GU or a water bottle, etc, you were covered.

Race Day

When I got up on race day the weather app said it was cooler than what I expected so once again I wimped out and decided to forego the colorful running pants and slipped on my comfy fleece lined tights. I also wore a thin long sleeve and my pink Reebok running jacket which was admittedly a mistake.

We stayed at the fabulous Hotel Hershey and were offered race day transportation. (Note: the two Hershey resorts are Hotel Hershey and the Hershey Lodge), the Hotel Hershey is the closest to the park, attractions, and race.  We left a little after 6:45 am for a 7:30 start. 

It only took us only a few minutes to arrive at the start which was at the stadium just across the highway from the hotel.

I should note that my mom came with me on race day morning to spectate. Spectators were allowed to go into the stadium to watch the runners finish. After I had already walked to the start line (which was on the other side of the stadium) my mom called me to tell me she was not allowed to go in the stadium to watch because she had her purse with her.  I'm glad the security team was so diligent in doing their job but they were also letting people with strollers and diaper bags in, and she said a wheel chair went through that also had a backpack hooked to it but if you were a person without a baby, you were not allowed to take a bag in! I told her to ask if she could bag check it, but they wouldn't let her do that. She ended up having to call our driver that brought us to the race to come take her purse so she could come inside and watch. I thought this was important to note because no where on the pre-race info did it mention that spectators who wanted to go into the stadium could not have bags. 

The Race
The race started just outside the the Hershey Stadium. Just like Disney, there were even Hershey characters at the start. It wasn't all that cold and I knew right away that I was over dressed.  I started my Garmin and then we were ready to go.

The first two miles were around the parking lot. Since I had a chest cold, my chest was burning and heavy and I was feeling cramps in my thighs (something I've never felt before while running).



There were no mile marker flags or signs but I heard a guy next to me tell his friend that we had just completed the first mile. I looked down at my Garmin to see how I was doing and I noticed that it never started. I was bummed! I started it again and just had to remember that I was about a mile off.

It wasn't until mile 2.7 that I noticed that some of the mileage was marked on the side of the orange cones that were along the course.  After exiting the parking area we ran up Hershey Park drive which is quite an incline. Around mile 3 I started picking up speed and then a lady right in front of me decided to bend over ( I don't know if she dropped something or what), I ran right into her bottom with the top of my thigh, which hurt. I did apologize even though I felt she was in the wrong. She apologized too and then moved to the side of the road.

We then ran around the shopping outlets and then entered Hershey Park at mile 4. As we ran around the park I thought that it reminded me of running at Disneyland through California Adventure.  We actually got to do a lot of running through the park (which was pretty hilly).

The 7K mark was the first time I saw a mileage flag, and then again at the 9K mark.  That last kilometer seemed more like a mile or so. During this last "kilometer" we exited the park and then ran to the stadium. I was hoping that we weren't going to have to run a lap around the track before crossing the finish and luckily we didn't.

We entered the stadium at the side and then I sprinted to the finish line that was  located on the same side! I ended up finishing in 1:02. If it were any other 10K I would have wanted to finish under an hour but since I knew this race wasn't going to be at my best effort, I was completely okay with my finish time.

I didn't carry water with me (I should have) and from having a chest cold and doing all this running I was extremely thirsty.  The first person I saw as I crossed the Finish Line was Ana. She was waiting for her sister to finish. She was so sweet as she congratulated me. We chatted for a moment  about the race but I was in one of those post race hazes where all I wanted to do was find water.

I eventually found water and then they handed out these goody bags. I must say that this race had awesome swag.

The medal was awesome, the shirts was great, and the Goody bag was a lunch box filled with great treats and a race magnet which I was most excited about.

We didn't really hang out at the race and finish watching others like we usually do. We called our driver and he promptly picked us up and returned us to the Hotel so we could get ready for our day at the spa. 

 Although I really enjoyed being in Hershey, I have mixed feelings about the race and the hilly course (but then again it could be because I wasn't feeling well). So for that reason I don't think it is fair for me to have too strong of an opinion on this race.  -M

 We are linking up with the gals from TOTR.

Weekly Wrap....April 9

As far as workouts/running this past week, I did that lousy 3 mile walk on Monday and then did absolutely nothing the rest of the week except for nap. I was trying to recoup and save up energy for the race.

I still didn't have as much energy as I hoped but I jammed in as much fun as I possibly could while visiting Hershey.

     We stayed at the Hershey Hotel which was absolutely lovely.

     We visited Chocolate World.

Inside Chocolate World is a retail store, baking demonstrations/classes, candy Making, chocolate tastings, the Chocolate tour, and lots of food! The main attraction is the ride.

The ride kind of reminds me of the "Living with the Land" ride at Disney. Instead of getting into a boat, you get in a little car the shape of a Hersey Kiss. The ride takes you on a "tour" of the chocolate factory and shows you how the candy is made.

      I ran the 10K race.

   We spent the day at the Spa.

   We did lots of Shopping.

In all it was a fantastic weekend.  I will do a separate post on the race and the Spa later this week.  -M


We are linking up with Holly and Tricia for their weekly wrap!

5 Alternatives to Starbucks

Today's Friday 5 theme is all about drinks!  It's no secret that my favorite drink is a cold frozen frappe from Starbucks! This was my "reward" after my long runs last summer. I pretty much worked my way through the menu and I will say the Strawberry Shortcake  (which was a limited time drink) was my favorite. You can get the Strawberries and Cream frappe anytime, but it's not the same.  Anyway, regardless of what flavor frappe I get (and never mind that the Starbucks is conveniently located at the end of my running trail), I realize that it is not very healthy (or wallet friendly) to be getting them after every long run.

Here are some alternative Summer drinks that I find just as refreshing........

1. Last summer I was hooked on this Lime Cucumber Gatorade.  I've only been able to find it at one store though.

2. This Spring I have discovered Fierce Melon Gatorade. This flavor is just as yummy! I believe it is cantaloupe flavor and will be my new "go to" drink after a run.

3.  Another Summer time must have are these Margaritaville Singles To Go pouches.  They are just regular drink powders (no alcohol) you pour in your water bottle to flavor it up. My favorite is the Pina Colada, then the Strawberry Daiquiri. I am not a fan of the Margarita.

4. Sometimes I will cheat on Starbucks and get a Cake Batter frozen cream at Sheetz. It's still less calories than a frappe and for only $2.00 with my Sheetz card, you can't beat it!

5. I'm pretty good at making my own frozen concoctions too! This is my own version of a frappe. Throw some Chai tea, almond milk and some ice in a blender and top it with whip cream and chocolate shavings. It's a great "at home" treat!

What else should I be trying? -M

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