The Biggest Loser RunWalk Mobile Race Entry Giveaway!

Do you like to watch the television show "The Biggest Loser?" I sure do! It is so inspiring seeing all the contestants and how hard they work to lose all that weight! I LOVE that The Biggest Loser also has races! Their RunWalk races consist of 5K's to half marathons! And they encourage any one to participate!

I've been able to run in two Biggest Loser RunWalk Half Marathons! I ran one in Panama City Beach, FL and one local to me in Mobile, AL!

Well the one in Mobile is coming back this year! The race is on Sunday April 19th at 7:30 AM! There is a 5K and a half marathon! I am so excited to run the half marathon again!

All finishers will receive the following:

• The Biggest Loser Finisher's Medal
• Commemorative Biggest Loser RunWalk shirt
• Drawstring Backpack
• Chip-Timed Race for Runners and Those Tracking Personal Goals
• Free Downloadable Race Photos
• Award Divisions for Runners and Walkers
• Celebrity appearances by former contestants from "The Biggest Loser"
• Hydration Stations with Water/Sports Drinks Along the Course & Food at the Finish Line
• Last but not Least, a Truly Inspirational and Unforgettable Experience

My favorite things from this race:

FREE PHOTOS!!! Yes! I LOVE when races have free photos! (And I'm super excited that this time I will be much skinnier in my photos lol) 

MEET AND GREETS WITH FORMER CONTESTANTS! I LOVE meeting the former contestants and talking to them! Dan and Jackie Evans (season 5), Gina McDonald (season 14) and JJ O'Malley (season 16) are all going to be in Mobile! :-)

Don't you want to run this race with me? You can register for $65 until April 15th! You can also enter my giveaway below for a chance to win a free entry! :-) Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I was given a complimentary race entry and one to giveaway. No other compensation was provided and all opinions in the post are mine and mine alone!

Azalea Trail Run 10K Recap!

This race is one of my favorite local races. I love it so much that this was my sixth year in a row running it! It is always fun running down the streets of Mobile under the canopy of the oak trees and with the azaleas in bloom! It's the perfect way to celebrate that springtime is here!

Usually the weather for this race is warm. The temps are usually in the 60's and a lot of times it is humid. But this year...it was chilly at start time! The temps were in the low 40's. So I had to rethink my tank top that I had planned to wear. I knew the tank top would be fine while I was running. But I was worried about before and after. I was so miserably cold at Seaside in a tank top before and after the race and I really didn't want to be that cold again. So I decided to wear a long sleeve shirt under my tank.

Like in the years past, I met friends early so we could all carpool to the race. We got there about an hour and 15 minutes before start time. That gave us plenty of time to head inside the civic center to use the restroom. And take pictures!

It's tradition at this race that Paige and I get this pose in!

I also ran into my blogging friend Regina in the civic center! I was so happy to see her! It has been so long! She looked fabulous like always! I even got to see her for a second after finishing as well!

Finally it was time to head to the start line!

We met our Sole2Soul Sisters at the start line for a group picture and prayer!

Then we headed to line up at the start. There aren't any corrals at this race. You just line up at suggested pace times. But I couldn't find any pace signs so we all just lined up wherever. And before long...it was go time!

It was super crowded at the start! Because of no corrals there were slow runners at the front of the line. There were even race walkers at the front! And they seem to all be on the left hand side. I passed so many people in the beginning. But it was hard passing them. It was so congested.

Then I saw a race walker right in front of me. I went around her....and she stepped on the back of my shoe...and MY SHOE CAME OFF!!!! In the middle of the street! I panicked! There were so many people running and I had no idea how I was going to get my shoe! Luckily a nice man stopped and grabbed it and threw it at me. I stepped to the side and quickly put it back on (thank goodness for Lock Laces) and then I was back running again. Crazy!!!

I hadn't been running long and I heard someone to my left say my name. I knew instantly that it was Jenny!!! We've been following each other on Instagram for a while now and have wanted to meet each other. She lives in my town and it seems like we have so much in common...including the same running pace! She saw my shoe came off and realized it was me!

I'm so glad I was able to catch up to her and that she called out my name! And that was it...instant friends! We ended up running the rest of the race together! We talked and talked and talked and the miles just flew by! We were having soooo much fun!

Thanks to Fleet Feet Sports in Mobile for taking these pictures! :-) You can see how much fun we were having!

Before I knew it, Jenny said we were almost done. We were at mile 5.6! I couldn't believe it! The race was almost over and it felt like we had just started!

We could see the finish line up ahead. And then I saw my amazing photographer friend Tim up ahead taking pictures! He took a great shot of me and Jenny! Thanks so much Tim!

The finish line came quick! It was pretty congested though because the 5K runners were coming in at the same time. Jenny and I finished side by side and with huge smiles on our faces! We looked at our watches...we had both PRed!!!!!! My official time was 52:30...a 2 minute PR for me!

Of course, we had to get a picture of the two of us together after the race too!

We found Jenny's husband (who was super nice as well) and talked some more. Then I found Susanne (who I rode with)! Tim saw us again and took another picture! Thanks again Tim!

After some chocolate donuts (YUM) we headed towards the civic center. The fun thing about this race is that the expo is still open so you can still shop around if you want. We wanted some of the red beans and rice and cheese grits that they were serving though. So we headed that way.

Too soon, it was time to say goodbye to Jenny. I am sooo glad we found each other on the race course! I truly believe God allowed my shoe to come off so that we would meet! :-) I loved getting to know her better during the race! Hopefully we will meet up again!

Susanne took one last picture of me celebrating my PR!

This was such a fun race! I can't believe how fast it flew by! And...of course I will be running it again next year! :-)

QOTD: Have you ever lost a shoe in the middle of a race? What is the craziest thing that's happened to you during a race?

Senior Bowl Charity Run 10K Recap!

Saturday was not only my birthday but it was also the Senior Bowl Charity Run 10K race! This would be my 3rd time running this race. It was my first 10K ever in 2010. And I ran it again last year with a knee injury.

I was hoping for a great race this year....even though my calf has been really tight and hurting since I ran my sub 2 half marathon two weeks ago. I had no doubts that I would run an official 10K race PR (my previous PR was 59:42) but I also wanted to beat my training run 10K PR which was 57:40. I was hoping the calf would cooperate and allow me to achieve this goal.

I woke up to freezing weather!!! The temperature was in the low 40s but the real feel temp was in the low 30s. And there was a wind advisory in effect! The wind was blowing from the north and it was soooo cold!!!

We made it to the race about an hour before it was supposed to start. You know how usually there are tons of people mingling by the start line before a race? Well...it was a ghost town! We wondered where all the runners were! I knew they were inside somewhere trying to stay warm. You can see the bare street and the start line sign blowing in the wind in the picture below.

We were freezing just standing around! I saw a hotel across the street so we headed towards it seeking some warmth. I just prayed that the doors were unlocked! Luckily they were! It felt so good to be out of the cold and wind!

Since this race was for the Senior Bowl (a football game for college seniors that is played in Mobile in January) we all dressed in our favorite team colors (Go Auburn)! Of course some of us had our team colors covered up with warm clothes lol!

We stayed in the hotel until we had about 15 minutes before start time. Then we slowly made our way back outside. It was just so brutally cold out there! We took a really quick picture in front of the start line.

Then we headed to the middle of the pack in the starting area. We saw our other Sole2Soul Sisters and headed towards them. They were so sweet! They sang happy birthday to me while we were waiting for the race to start! Made me so happy!

Finally the gun sounded and we began to run! I was so happy to have Andria there to run with me! This route is gorgeous as it takes you through downtown and under the canopy of oak trees. I would have taken a picture but my hands were freezing inside my gloves and I wasn't taking those gloves off for anything!

The first 2 miles were pretty miserable. I felt frozen. My feet were so cold and numb. And so were my legs. The good thing...because it was so cold I couldn't feel the sore calf lol!

Andria and I barely talked during this run. I think we were just so cold.

Finally, around mile 3, I started warming up. The top part of me even starting getting hot. I think I started to pick up my pace here because Andria was running a little behind me.

Around mile 4.5 I ran into my friend Melissa. It was so good seeing her and talking to her! But then she waved me on since she knew I was after that PR.

From that point on I was focused. I just kept putting one foot in front of the other. I wasn't real sure about my time. I just kept running.

Finally I saw the finish line in front of me! I sprinted! I had done it! I had a new PR!!!

This race is not timed with a timing chip so I had to pull the tag off the bottom of my race bib and hand it to a volunteer. I wasn't sure what my official time would be but my Garmin time said I had run it in 54:29! That was a 2 minute PR!

As soon as I crossed the finish line I saw Billy and Gary...Paige's finance and Donna's husband. A few seconds later here came Andria! She PRed too!!! I was so proud of her!!!

We waited around the finish line for all our friends to come in and then we headed to the food area lol! They had so many options...hot dogs, jambalaya, red beans and rice, and chicken fingers! I gobbled up some yummy chicken fingers...they were so good!

Andria and I headed to look at the official results. This was a pretty big race so I knew I wouldn't place but it's still fun to look at the stats. They had my official time as 53:57. I wasn't sure how they were that far off from my Garmin.

Now that all the results are in I looked the results back up online and here are my stats:

Time: 54:42
Place: 13 out of 51 in my age group

Not too shabby! ;-)

Even though I felt like I was in the Frozen movie....this race was a blast! I'll definitely do it again next year!

QOTD: When a race isn't chip timed...do you go by your Garmin or the race results?

Trick or Trot 5K Recap!

Last Friday night me and the family headed about 40 minutes away to the University of South Alabama college campus in Mobile. My husband's company was a sponsor for the Trick or Trot 5K and gave me their free entry! I was super excited because I had heard this was a fun race!

We arrived about an hour before race time and I headed to pick up my race bib and goody bag. The goody bag was stuffed full of fun items...including Halloween candy! It was a very simple process getting my bib. And the awesome volunteers even let me switch out my race shirt since it was huge on me!

Pre-race picture!

And here's my husband's company and their sponsor sign!

Since we had some time to kill we walked around the campus a little. We visited the Moulton Tower. My husband graduated from here but the tower wasn't there when he was a student. It was really beautiful!

The campus is really beautiful! It has tons of huge oaks that are really gorgeous. I was super excited to run there again...it had been a few years since I had run there.

Finally it was time to start! We walked a little way to the start line. My hubby and boys lined up on the side of the street to see me off!

This race wasn't a very big race. But there were still quite a few runners. I lined up pretty close to the start line..something I'd never done before. Usually I start about mid way. The horn blew and with a quick wave to my family I was off!

I had a goal for this race. I was hoping to PR. I knew I would beat my last official 5K race time (30:57). But I was hoping to beat my PR from my 5K training runs (25:52).

I started out running pretty fast. But I knew I could keep that pace if I really wanted that PR. The course was so pretty! Running under the oak trees was gorgeous! We never left the campus. But there were several hills. And I'm talking big hills. But I didn't slow down. I kept pushing.

I would make it up a hill, have time to catch my breath, and then another hill would be upon me! But I wasn't going to slow down.

I made sure to run the tangents as best as I could. I didn't want to waste any time weaving in and out of the turns.

Finally I was almost to mile 3 and I could see the finish line up ahead. But....there was a huge hill leading to it! Yes...we finished at the top of a hill!!! How cruel lol!

I crossed the line so out of breath! I looked for my family but didn't see them. I grabbed a bottle of water and kept walking, trying to catch my breath. And then I saw Andy and the boys on their way to the finish line. Surprise! I had already finished!

The boys saw some inflatables and wanted to go jump. I followed them there. I was still out of breath lol! Finally I caught my breath and looked at the time on my watch. I did it! I ran a new 5K PR!!! My Garmin time was 25:21!

I was sooo happy!!! I ran hard! I had earned that PR on those hills!

I was curious to see the official results. Had I placed? I've never had to think about that before. But I knew this time I might have a chance! I also knew that there weren't a lot of women around me while I was running.

While we waited on the results we walked around and visited all the vendors.

There were tons of things for kids! My boys even decorated pumpkins!

Finally....the results were posted! There I was!

My official time was 25:23, I was 22nd overall, and I placed 3rd in my age group!!!! What??? I placed??? I was soooo excited!!!!

I told Andy we HAD to hang around for the awards. I had never placed before and I was so excited about it! They were all ready to go but I made them stay lol! We played a few more games. They even had the University of South Alabama football game playing on a huge outdoor screen for everyone! It was really cool!

Finally it was time for the awards! I was super excited to get third place in my age group! And check out that fun medal! :-)

This race was so much fun! A ton of people were dressed up in costumes! The course was beautiful but challenging. And the vendors made it a fun family event! I hope to do this one again!

Thanks so much to Preble-Rish for the free race entry! :-)

Stay tuned tomorrow for race #2 of my back to back 5K's this past weekend!

QOTD: Have you ever placed in your age group? Have you or are you running a Halloween themed race?

Bodies By Cindy Health and Fitness Center Review!

Disclaimer: I attended a High Definition Cycle Class at Bodies By Cindy Health and Fitness Center for free as part of the Fitness Influencer Campaign through Fit Approach. I received no other compensation. All opinions in the post below are mine and mine alone! 

I was super excited to be given the opportunity to be a fitness influencer from Fit Approach! My job was to review a class at a gym in my area. Sounds so fun right? The gym I was chosen to review was Bodies By Cindy Health and Fitness Center. This gym was about 45 minutes away from where I live. I signed up to take the High Definition Cycle Class at 6:15 on a Thursday evening. I was excited because it had been about 12 years since I had taken a spin (or cycle as I learned was the correct term now) class!

Luckily my friend Larisa lives about 5 minutes away from the gym and is co-host on the Fat to Fit Radio Show with the gym owner Cindy! So Larisa was excited to attend the class with me! It's always more fun working out with a friend!

Bodies By Cindy has been around for several years but before it was a personal training studio that also had boot camps and yoga. Now (opened in beginning of August 2014) it is a full service co-ed gym! They still have personal training...in a private training room. They also offer several group classes including High Definition Cycle, High Definition Boot Camp, and High Definition Butt, Guts, and Thighs! And they even have child care for us moms out there!

The gym is located at 4674 Airport Boulevard in Mobile, Alabama. It was super easy to find!

The very first thing that came to mind when I stepped through the door was how CLEAN the gym was! It even smelled clean! None of that sweaty, rubbery smell you usually experience in a gym. I also loved the layout. Everything was very open but also had it's own section.

All the equipment looked super nice! And TV's in front of the cardio area are a plus!

The gym also has an awesome private personal training room!

I had to sign a waiver before I could participate in the class. But I got to meet the owners, Cindy and Jason Ross. They were super sweet and seemed excited that I was there!

Next...it was time for High Definition Cycle! I was excited but also a little nervous since it had been so long since I'd taken a group class of any kind! I'd also run 3 miles that morning and was worried I wouldn't be able to keep up. But I was pumped! I knew I would have fun!

The group class room was HUGE! The bikes were all at the far end of the room. And on the opposite end was a stage and a projection screen.

Me and Larisa ready to CYCLE! :-)

During the class the lights were dimmed and crazy lights were added! The music was LOUD and the music video to the song being played was displayed on the projection screen! It was awesome! That night the class was all about the 70's. So we had some pretty great music! And seeing the different hair styles and clothing on the videos was hilarious! It really helped keep your mind off how hard you were working! 

Larisa giving #proof I was actually doing this! :-)

This cycle workout started on the bike. But after a few minutes we had to get off the bike and get on the floor for some core work! IT. WAS. TOUGH! But the burn felt so good!

More #proof! Thanks Larisa!

After a few more minutes of core work we got back on the bike and climbed more "hills!" And then came another on the ground core work session. And then we had a few more hills on the bike and then it was cool down time! Whoa! The class ended with us getting off the bikes and stretching. 

Here we are with the awesome cycle instructor! She was amazing and super motivating during the workout!

Check out those rocker dudes behind me lol!

This class was soooooo much fun!!! It was an amazing workout! I was sweating just as much as I do after running a long run! One of my favorite parts of the class was watching the projection screen. In between each song there was a motivational quote that would pop up. I really LOVED that! The only downside to this gym for me...it's 45 minutes away!!! :-(

So if you are in the Mobile area....please go check out the Bodies By Cindy Health and Fitness Center! You absolutely will NOT regret it!

Thanks so much Cindy and Jason for letting me experience your gym!

QOTD: Do you like cycle classes?