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Sunday, March 31, 2013

Happy Easter!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter! We are having friends and family over for lunch and an egg hunt after church! I hope you get to spend time with friends and family today! And please remember the true reason we celebrate!


QOTD: What are your Easter plans?

Friday, March 29, 2013

Fitness Friday...March 29th Edition!

Yesterday was an interesting day! Me and the boys headed out to run at the track like we did on Tuesday but when we got there they had the road blocked off. They were doing some kind of work in the parking lot.  So we headed back home and I tried to think of a different plan. We live at the beginning of our neighborhood so the traffic is very busy. It makes it hard to run and for the boys to play. So we walked to a side street where the traffic isn't as bad. The boys rode their bikes while I ran up and down the street. They only let me get a mile in but it was better than nothing. We walked back home and I reached inside my skirt pocket for the key...and discovered it was the car key...not the house key! We were locked out! I called my husband but couldn't get him until about 5 minutes later. He was in a meeting for another 20 minutes and then he could come let us in. So we played in the backyard until he got there. Not the way I wanted my day to start out for sure!

Today it's Fitness Friday! I'm going to tell you all about my runs and workouts for the week. It wasn't the best workout week due to my boys being on Spring Break and home from school but I enjoyed getting to spend more time with them!


  • Sunday- #plankaday 1:02, walk around Fort Pickens 
  • Monday- #plankaday 1:01
  • Tuesday- #plankaday 1:02, 3.11 mile track run in 30:22 average pace 9:46

  • Wednesday- #plankaday 1:15
  • Thursday- #plankaday 1:30, 1 mile run in 9:46 average pace 9:46, 25 burpees in the backyard while we were locked out!

  • Friday- #plankaday 1:00

So that was my week! I did more playing with the boys than anything else! But it was a great week! This afternoon I am headed to New Orleans with Paige for the Crescent City Classic 10K tomorrow! I can't wait to run this race! It's going to be fun!

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter! Remember the true meaning of Easter and why we celebrate it. I am so thankful God sent his son to die on the cross for my sins...and that He arose!!!

QOTD: Are you racing this weekend? Any Easter traditions?

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Spring Break Running (and a winner)!

This week is Spring Break for my boys. So you'd think we were visiting the beach and swimming. But that's not the case. It's been cold! Three nights so far we've had a freeze warning in effect! So being outside has been a struggle because of the cold.

There has also been the question, "How am I going to run this week since the boys are out of school?" Well I found the answer! It's really a win win situation for me and the boys! I loaded up their bikes and we headed to the track!!! I got my run in...and they got to ride their bikes!


Now yes...running three miles around and around and around the track is pretty boring. But this way I could keep an eye on my boys AND run!


I will admit that this definitely wasn't my favorite run. Most of the time I was just ready to be done. But I stuck it out and did it! And of course I felt so much better after the run!



We had a great morning at the track! I am so glad I can show my boys how important it is to be active and to exercise! I love those little guys!


So how about a WINNER? Thanks to all who entered my giveaway for Huma Chia Energy Gel! If you didn't win and still want to try this awesome gel you can still order your own sample pack from their website. You can get free shipping using the code ROADRUNNERGIRL at checkout. The code expires April 7th. 

Here are the winners:


Congratulations Jen and Gaby!!!! Please email me your shipping address at mindy@roadrunnergirl.com!

QOTD: If you are a mom, how do you get your runs in when you have no one to watch your kids?

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

My Next Race...The Crescent City Classic 10K!

Yes I am so excited that I get to run this race in one of my favorite cities...New Orleans! The Allstate Sugar Bowl Crescent City Classic is one of New Orleans' premier road races! I've always heard how much fun it is! It's a race for serious competitors AND runners and walkers that want to have a ton of fun! It is known as New Orleans' "party race" and attracts around 20,000 participants each year! And I get to run it with some of my favorite blends (blogger friends) Larisa, Heather, Shannon and Stefanie!!!
The Crescent City Classic is being sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl! In case you're not a football fan...the Allstate Sugar Bowl is a college football bowl game played in New Orleans' Mercedes-Benz Superdome. It is one of the second oldest bowl games in the country. 

This year the Crescent City Classic has a new host hotel and expo location...the Hyatt Regency New Orleans. The expo will be held Thursday-Friday from 10AM to 8PM. You will pick up your bib, timing chip, race t-shirt, and get to shop with the exhibitors that will be there! I just LOVE race expos!!!

The race is also having a corral start for the first time. Seeded runners must have proof of time when they register. To access your corral you will go to Champions Square and then up onto the Superdome and down ramp A. Corrals are done by colors. I know corrals will help so much since there will be so many runners. 

The race also has a new course! It is a fast, point to point course. It starts in front of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Poydras St. You will run through the French Quarter and pass Jackson Square and the French Market...some of the best sights to see in New Orleans! The course ends in City Park. You can see the course map HERE

After the race...the party begins! Or continues! You will enter the Michelob Ultra Post-Race Festival where free food, beer, water, and fruit will be served. Runners (with a race bib) get in for free and their friends and family can get in for $5. And the part I am most excited about....the entertainment!!! Papa Grows Funk and Marc Broussard will be entertaining!!!

This will also be the first 10K I have participated in that gives you a medal! Yay!!! The race also has new race bibs and race posters! 


Be sure to check out the Allstate Sugar Bowl Crescent City Classic website! Also you can check them out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

And if you're interested in running the race this year it's not too late! You can register at the expo!

I'm sooo excited to run this race!!!!

QOTD: Have you ever run the Crescent City Classic? 

St. Patrick's Day Virtual 5K Race in NEW shoes!

As you know one of my running resolutions for this year is to run 13 races in 2013. Luckily Jill and Jen started this challenge and I am so happy to be a part of it! To help us all reach our goal, Jill and Jen are hosting several virtual races this year.

So far I have participated in all of their virtual races thus far. Tackle the Miles was the last one I ran.

This month I participated in the St. Patrick's Day Virtual Race! I was so excited because I so wanted to wear some fun St. Patty's Day run gear! You know it's all about the outfit, right?!


I headed out for my run like any other day except I was dressed in St. Patty's Day gear AND I was running in a new pair of shoes. I love my Asics GT-2170's and they have been discontinued. As soon as I learned they were being discontinued I bought a couple of pairs. Well..sadly this is my last pair of my beloved shoes. Asics has updated the model to the GT-2000 but I've heard varied responses on whether they are comparable to my GT-2170's. So I am going to enjoy these shoes while they last.


I don't know about you but I HATE getting new shoes. It always takes me a few runs to break them in. I know they say you shouldn't have to break in a new pair of shoes (especially when it's the same model you wore previously) but I always do. New shoes are always tighter on my feet and I always have to retie them a thousand times to get the fit I like. I like my laces super loose when I run. I also feel like I run a little different when I get new shoes. I'm sure they are rearranging my gait a bit since the older shoes have worn down and my gait follows. 

I also usually have some kind of weirdness that happens with new shoes. For instance, I've had my right foot go numb the first few runs in a new pair. I've felt like I was running heavier in another new pair. My hips were super sore after running in another new pair. These things always work themselves out after a few runs in the new pair of shoes but I still dread it.

So I wasn't really looking forward to this run because I knew it would probably feel awkward. I started running and could immediately feel the difference in the run. The new shoes felt great! I realized how bad my old shoes actually were! I looked down at my Garmin and saw that I was running pretty fast...I guess the new shoes were making me speedier too! 

Around the halfway point of the run I started feeling a small stab of pain on the top of my right foot. Here we go. I kept running and prayed it would go away. It wasn't an enduring pain....just a stab every so often. So I ran through it. 

I made it to the 5K mark, stopped, and looked down at my watch. 29:56! That's the fastest 5K I've ran in a long time! The new shoes helped me go fast!

The rest of the day my right foot felt weird. I waited to see what it felt like the next day...and it was fine. I analyzed it and decided that I had laced my shoes too tight. So the next run I did I loosened the laces and never felt that pain again. But of course now it's in my mind...and every run I focus on that foot hoping no pain arises. Ugh! 

The St. Patrick's Day Virtual 5K was a speedy success...despite the achy foot! And don't you think the outfit is too cute??? ;-)


QOTD: Do you like running in new shoes? Have you ever had your favorite model be discontinued?

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Azalea Trail Run 2013!

This is one of my favorite local races! It also holds a very special place in my heart because it was my first ever 5K! I remember that day so well! I also remember being so inspired by the runners who ran the 10K and thinking that I would never be able to run that far! Well...this was my 4th year running this race...and 3 out of those 4 times I have run the 10K!!!! :-)

(Thanks to my friend Dana for this picture!)

The day before the race I headed to Mobile to pick up my race packet.


The expo is held in the Civic Center. There aren't a ton of vendors but it's still a fun expo to attend.

I got to visit with Dr. Justin some (I haven't seen him since he released me from my knee injury).

My boys visited the Publix booth and got free bananas (they were super excited about this)!

I got to visit with Missy from Running Wild Fairhope...one of my favorite running stores.

Even Swiftwick was there!!! I was super excited about that since they are my favorite socks to run in! And the Swiftwick vendors were super nice and even gave my boys a Swiftwick wristband!

Another local running store, Sports 'N More, was there too and they had tons of running clothes on sale...and each item was only $9.99! It was a steal!!! I bought a red Asics hoody jacket...for $9.99!!! It normally retails for $58.00!!! I love it!!!


While shopping I ran into Robbie from Run 4 It! Robbie and I have been Facebook and runner friends for years...but we have yet to meet! She recognized my boys first and then found me! I was sooo excited to finally meet her! She is such an inspiration and one of my best encouragers! 


That night I of course posted my gear picture on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!


Cullen approved! ;-)

I got tons of comments about my outfit! I was dressing up as Wonder Woman for this race. In fact, all of my Sole2Soul Sisters were dressing as superheroes for this race. Why? Because this race benefits the Superhero Foundation of Mobile, AL. This organization is all about fighting child abuse.


Race morning we all met up early to take pictures and carpool to the race. We had a ton of Sole2Soul Sisters dress up!!! (And this picture doesn't even include some of them)


And here's my picture with Paigey (if we are running a race together we always take a picture of just the two of us...it's become a tradition)!


After pictures we headed to the race. After a bathroom stop and a few more pictures we finally made it to the start line!

Me and Laura...as Wonder Woman!

Me and Stephanie!

And I am always so flattered when I have people come up to me and tell me that they read my blog! I met two readers right before the race...Andrea and Leigh (who I got a picture with)!!! It was awesome to meet them AND to realize that people really do read this! 


We finally lined up at the start line...and I saw several people I know on the way! I just love races...it's like a big reunion of people you may not have seen in awhile! Here's the last picture before the start...Paige, me, and Suzanne! (Thanks to Suzanne for the picture!)


Finally the race started! I had been watching the weather all week long...they had been predicting a 60% chance of rain and we were all just hoping the rain held off until we finished the race. But because rain was moving in it meant it was hot and we had to deal with 100% humidity. None of us were used to the humidity...we had been running in cooler temperatures. And my outfit was hot! My shirt was 100% cotton plus I had a cape on the back! So half a mile in I was already breaking a sweat! I knew I could deal with it for 6 miles though so I kept on pushing. Luckily my pace partner Holly from Running and Baking Oh My had decided last minute to run the race. I also run better when she's there to push me! 

Because of the humidity Holly and I stopped at every water station but the last one. I was super thirsty (although I made sure to hydrate well the entire week) and didn't want to get dehydrated. I really didn't have a goal time for this race...I was in it for the fun and costume! It was so motivating to hear all the spectators cheer "Go Wonder Woman!" Like always, Holly and I would keep trying to slow ourselves down. We didn't want to run too fast and too hard and not have enough energy to get us to the end. But we struggled with our pace like normal and one time I looked down and we were running in the late 8's! We knew we'd never make it at that pace! 

The first 4 miles were hard for me like they always are. I feel like I say that for every race! But I just don't get warmed up until then. So around mile 4 I was feeling great and I downed a Huma Gel and could really feel it when it kicked in! 

They reversed the course this year so it made the race feel totally different than in the years past. We could see the finish line from about mile 5 so it made it feel like we would never get there. But finally we got close and I kicked it into high gear and started sprinting! 

Thanks to my Sole2Soul Sister Bonita for this picture of me racing to the finish line!

I finally made it! My official time was 1:05:26! (Yes..it took me almost a minute to cross the start line...there were about 6000 runners there!) It wasn't a PR but it was faster than last year's time at this race so I was happy!



After finishing I headed to find some water and food. They had bottled water, bananas, apples, and muffins to choose from. Holly and I grabbed our goodies and headed back to the finish line to see the rest of our Sole2Soul Sisters finish. 

Me and Holly waiting at the finish line!

I was so excited to see Stephanie finish! It was her first 10K and she did awesome!!!



After all our sisters had finished we took a few more pictures to celebrate and then headed for the after party!


Wonder Women!!!

Only after a race will you ever see a garbage can piled this high with bananas lol!

On our walk to the party a random guy came up to me and Paige and asked if he could take a picture with us. He kept saying our costumes were awesome. We agreed to take a picture lol!


The post race party was being held in the Civic Center. The vendors from the expo were all still there so you could do more shopping if you wanted. They had beer, cokes, cheese grits and sausage. Yum! We also saw tons of people with Chick Fil A sandwiches and it took us forever to find them. But finally we did. They were outside the Civic Center and only had a few more left so we quickly got in line! They shot the sandwiches out of the side of the truck...it was fun to watch! And that chicken sandwich had never tasted so good!!!


I am so glad the weather held up for us. Around 1:00 that afternoon the skies let loose and we even had some hail! I'm so glad that didn't happen while we were running...ouch!!!

Many of you asked where I got my costume. The shirt and socks I got online but I can't remember where. I just googled "Wonder Woman shirt and socks" and found them. The skirt came from Team Sparkle. It was my first time running in a Team Sparkle skirt...and I was super impressed! It never bothered me once during the run and it didn't ride up or chafe! I will definitely be investing in some more of these skirts! The headband is a Sweaty Band that I bought at the Walt Disney World Marathon Expo to wear with my Snow White costume

It was a fun race...like always! If you ever get a chance to run a race in Mobile, AL...this one is a blast! I highly recommend it! 

QOTD: Do you have a local race that you run every year?

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