Adventure Day!

We are packing up because today we embark on yet another adventure ( no we aren't running a race)!
 My sister and I will be traveling separate and will meet up at our final destination later this afternoon when her flight arrives! I am so excited for this trip and all the amazing sights we will see! We will be sure to post pictures upon our return.

Any guesses where we might be going? We have each been to this place separately (years ago), but never together!

What adventures do you have planned for this weekend or upcoming week?

Dogs Day Out

 

We've mentioned before that our Labradors keep us active. We walk with them, run with them, hike with them, and swim with them. Some days they just need a day to play on their on own.  That's when we walk them over to the playground. Yes, we are those people that take our dogs to the playground to play on the equipment.

They've mastered the Rock wall.

 

They run across the bridge.

 

                                        We even got them to run through the tunnels!                                 

 

 

Not quite able to go down the slide, so this will have to do!

 

And just having fun!

 

Do you have a dog? What's playtime like for your pets?

Hats, Visors, and a Sweaty Band Winner!

Since we've been promoting Sweaty Bands this week, we thought it would be a good time to talk about other things that go on your head. Did you ever wonder why many runners wear visors?

Many runners choose visors instead of regular ball caps because a regular ball cap will trap the heat. Obviously when you are running you want to stay cool while still shading the sun from your face. For that reason, a visor is a great choice.

If you have light hair like I do, sometimes you need to cover your head or you will come home from your run with a sun burnt scalp!  If this is the case, make sure your cap is a mesh one or made of the breathable fabric.  This lets the heat escape from your head and keeps you cooler.

Okay, enough about hats and visors. Lets talk sweaty bands!  We have a winner!

Tammy Rice is the winner of the Sweaty Band giveaway.  Congratulations Tammy!  Please message us through our facebook page or  email us at fairytalesandfitness@gmail.com

We can't wait to see which sweaty band you get!


What do you all prefer to run in, a Hat or Visor, or nothing at all on your head?

Nashville ( Where in the World Wednesday) Is that Taylor Swift?

My sister isn’t the only one who has toured a city that was home to a popular TV series!

 

 

Last year I told my cousin that I would take her on a trip anywhere she wanted to go when she turned 21. The city she chose was Nashville. Having been there several times because my best friend lives there, I was more than happy to show her the city. We stayed right downtown and were able to walk to many attractions.

 

 

 We went to many bars and restaurants and took a haunted ghost tour of the city. Day or night, there is never a dull moment in Nashville. Every place you go there is a band playing. The most fun was the dueling piano bar we went to several times. We were even able to walk down to visit the County Music Hall of Fame. Every couple months there is a feature exhibit.

 

The time we were there the feature exhibit was Taylor Swift. It was neat to see the many dresses she wore during her Back to December tour. In addition to Swift, we saw many other outfits that country singers wore during their tours, including Leanne Rimes, Faith Hill, and Tim McGraw.

We also took a tour through the Gaylord Opry House. We learned that many of the singers that perform there are locals and they drive themselves to their shows and walk right in the front door. Even though they are rich and famous, they act like one of us just coming there to do a show. They even have their own mailboxes they check personally when they come in to perform. I'm sure they get a bunch of fan mail, but maybe if you're one of the lucky ones they will respond to you.

During the tour we saw several dressing rooms and were told which stars like which rooms when they arrive. We also saw a back room that many artists have their party at after getting inducted to the Hall of Fame. This is also where some scenes to movies are made.

 

 

While touring the Opry House, we were told that this was where the new series Nashville was being filmed. I’ve never heard of this series before and I was curious to watch it when it started in the fall, since I've been there. When I came home, I remember seeing the previews and thinking hey I was there! Of course everything looks bigger and better on tv. During the tour, it did feel very homey, but of course on the show it looks very glamorous. And the stage and auditorium is much smaller than it looks on TV.

Nashville must have left a huge impression on my cousin, because the following summer(which was this year) she decided to take a internship in Nashville. Seeing that she was a local now, she was able to show me some other places that the locals hang out, rather than the downtown honky tonk touristy bars. We were going to go to the famous Blue Bird Café, since we were unable to do it the year before. But since the Nashville series aired, it became much more popular and apparently you have to get tickets the week before for the following weekend. So just a heads up if you want to go there while visiting Nashville, make sure you get your tickets ahead of time.

Nashville is such a fun city! There are many artists that live in the area, and it is not unlikely to see someone famous out and about doing their own thing. I remember my best friend called me one time and said Taylor Swift was behind her in line at a Starbucks. How cool is that?

 

Ever been to Nashville? If so what did you think?

Our Time at The Miss America Pageant and Their Time at Disney World!

 

This year the Miss America pageant is back in Atlantic City again!  I can’t help but wonder if they brought it back to the Coast in an effort to help boost the economy since hurricane Sandy’s visit last fall.   ( I wondered if that is the same reason that the Super Bowl will be held in NJ/NY this year)

My sister and I had the opportunity to sit in the audience of the Miss America Pageant when it was previously held in Atlantic City.  The competition was held inside Boardwalk Hall.  Although the venue looks all glitzy and glamorous on TV, I assure you, it is not that way in person.  I was shocked when we walked in to Boardwalk Hall and the atmosphere was like a ware house!

Here is a zoomed out picture so you can see the whole area.

 

Regardless of what “our end” looked like, it was amazing getting to watch something “in person” that we’ve only ever got to watch on television.

 It’s so great that the pageant is coming back to NJ. The pageant began back in the 1920”s in Atlantic City. It was always held the week after Labor Day in an effort to extended the tourist season and build more revenue for the city.  2004 was the last time the pageant was held here. It has since moved to Las Vegas and instead of holding it in September, it was held in January.

The preliminary competitions start tonight ( Sept 10) and continue through Sept 12.  The final competition ( the one we see on TV) will be held September 15.  The “show us Your Shoes” parade, hosted by the Bachelor’s Chris Harrison and Good Morning America’s Lara Spencer will be held on Saturday September 14 at 5:00pm on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. 

We had so much fun in Atlantic City for the April Fools race this year, I wish we were going back for the pageant festivities, but we have something just as exciting already planned for this weekend!

Photo from Disney Parks blog

Speaking of exciting…. Did you see that the lovely Miss America contestants got to spend some time in Disney World last month? 

Have you ever been to Atlantic City?

Have you ever been to a live taping of something shown on TV?

My Beach Work Out with Kim Lyons ( former Biggest Loser trainer)

I had the opportunity to go out to California to take a boot camp class with Kim Lyons. Many of you may not know her, but if you were a fan of the Biggest Loser in the first few seasons, she was one of the trainers. She was the trainer for the “Red Team.” She is a personal trainer and also a former body builder.

 

Me and Kim Lyons

 

She was doing a boot camp class opened to the public in Santa Monica Beach. I found this out by reading an insert about it in OK magazine. You know you read about events that are going on in magazines but never actually get to attend. Well this was something I was going to do. During this time she was promoting her first book “Your Body, Your Life.” The advertisement even said the first hundred participants that arrived received a copy of her book that she would sign.

 

My friend and I arrived at the beach early to make sure we had a chance of getting the book. While we were waiting, my friend noticed Kim, and made sure that I went over to say Hi. Being so star struck, I couldn’t believe she was standing right across from me. I remember saying we were so excited to be there to see her. She was so down to earth and friendly and said "I hope we get a good turn out today." I’m thinking to myself…hello you’re Kim Lyons why wouldn’t you!? Other celebrities that were there included Harley Pasternak, and Brooke Burke.

 

It’s amazing how good of a workout you can really get by just using your body weight. We did a lot of squats and lunges. We even had to run to the ocean and back to our spot on the beach, which ended up being further than what it looked. Kim Lyon’s husband(Gunter Schlierkamp) was even on the stage with her trying to follow her boot camp moves. He is (was) a professional body builder and I remember her saying "Honey, I didn’t know you were so uncoordinated". She looked so small compared to her husband on stage.

 

 

In addition to the boot camp, there were nutritional and fitness seminars taking place that had great giveaways. I remember I received a yoga mat and water bottle, along with some healthy snacks.

 

 

This was definitely an experience I will never forget. I had a great work out on beautiful Santa Monica Beach meeting Kim Lyons and was lucky enough to receive her book that she signed for me. Not only did I get to meet Kim, the following week I saw my picture in the OK magazine.

( funny side note: I never even told my sister about being in the magazine but just randomly she picked it up at work one day and was browsing through it. She called me and said "Hey, is your picture in OK magazine?")

 

Do you think you can pick me out?

 

 

I have Kim's book several times. It’s for all fitness levels, whether you are just starting out on a new healthy lifestyle, or just need some motivation you will find many useful information in the book, including workout plans and healthy recipes.

 

 

 

 

Have you ever done a work out on the beach?

Race Day VIP at VA Beach and Third Eye Blind Concert

Just because the race was over does not mean the festivities ended!  If you did not read Part 1 ( Race Expo) you can read it here.  Click Here, if you did not read Part 2 the race Day Recap.

Since we were invited to be VIP's for the weekend, we got to experience more post race fun! Once my mom and sister and I were all reunited, we made our way over to RockFish Grill which was just beyond the finish line.

 Our VIP bag check was just outside the restaurant so that made it easy for us to get our bags. We didn't have to go look for those trucks!

 Even though it was nice to be in the air conditioning for a moment, we did opt to sit out on the patio.  RockFish does a nice job setting the food up in a buffet style. The options were the same as last year, salads, sandwiches, cookies, chips, fruit, juices, mimosos and other various beverages. When I stopped at Rockfish earlier to use the restroom, I noticed that they did have eggs, potatoes and more breakfast items out.

After brunch and some celebratory pictures on the beach, we went home and relaxed until the festivities started up later that evening.

The Rock n Roll Half Marathon is held in conjunction with the American Music Festival.  The festival hosts over 30 bands over a three day period on a stage along the ocean front.

On Friday night the main stage acts were Fuel and Daughtry.
Saturday  the main acts were Smash Mouth and Bare Naked Ladies ( there were other smaller bands, but we forget who they were...sorry)



Meranda and Lacey at the Ocean Front Concert on Friday night.

On Sunday, we were invite to the VIP post race party. The tent was set up right behind the main stage. Once inside it was all you can eat food, beverages, and dessert.  It started to rain while we were in the tent, so we didn't go out to watch the opening bands nor the awards ceremony, but they did have TV screens set up in the tent, so we got to watch it in there.  

By the time the headliner act was scheduled to come on, the rain had cleared up.  Everyone that was invited to the VIP tent had a special roped off area up in front of the stage.  We had a great view for Third Eye Blind.

After the concert, the weekend really went out with a bang with a fireworks show on the beach!

We don't claim to be great photographers, but we were just impressed that we were able to take a picture of the fireworks that actually turned out!

It is always such a great weekend at Rock N Roll Virginia Beach whether you are a runner or just a spectator.   I have a feeling we will have to make a decision next year whether or not to participate in RnR VA Beach again or do Disneyland.  Too bad both races are the same weekend!

Thanks for reading!


Have you ever had to decide between two great races that are held the same weekend?
What did you use as your deciding factors?