The Biggest Loser RunWalk Mobile Packet Pick-Up!

Disclaimer: I was provided a free race registration in exchange for this post. No other compensation was received. All opinions in the post below are mine and mine alone!

It's no secret that I LOVE the Biggest Loser! It's one of my favorite television shows! I absolutely LOVE that they have The Biggest Loser RunWalks around the US! This would be my third time running a Biggest Loser RunWalk Half Marathon. I ran the one in Panama City Beach in 2013 and the one local to me in Mobile last year. I was super excited they were coming back to Mobile again this year!

And I love that I wasn't going to have to travel far for this race. It's only about a 15 minute drive from where I live! Sweet!

My friend Donna and I headed downtown Saturday morning to pick up our race packet. Packet pick-up was being held in the Holiday Inn downtown. We were hoping to luck out with close parking but it didn't happen. We drove around a good 15 minutes trying to find a place to park. It was sprinkling rain and we really didn't want to park too far away in case the bottom fell out. Luckily we found a place to park a few blocks down.

We headed inside the hotel and the directions to the event were clearly marked.

Since we already had our waiver signed we were able to walk right in and grab our race bibs. Then we took our bib to another table where we were given our race shirts and a cute drawstring bag that would also serve as our gear check bag. There were volunteers everywhere directing us where to go. It was super organized!

Then we took a few minutes to look around. There were a few vendors there as well as some pretty awesome Biggest Loser RunWalk merchandise.

Of course I had to take my traditional picture with my race bib!

The best parts about packet pick-up at a Biggest Loser RunWalk race is that the former contestants speak. It's so inspirational to hear them tell their stories! When I was there, Gina from season 14 was telling her story!

I hated I didn't get to say hey to her. She is one of the sweetest people you will ever meet!

But I DID get to meet JJ O'Malley from Season 16! And he was just as amazing!

So much fun! I love the race shirt! It's a tech fabric and they even had a women's cut which was great! And the drawstring bag is awesome as well!

After packet pick-up I went back home. It was nice to relax at home before race day! And of course I had my pre-race pizza dinner! Yum!

And...Flat Road Runner Girl! I was going to wear a visor because there was rain in the forecast. I was hoping the rain would hold off but I was going to be prepared just in case!

Stay tuned for my recap of the race!

QOTD: Do you prefer local races or races where you have to travel?

#RnRNola Expo!

I had an amazing time in New Orleans this past weekend! I hope you're ready for a week full of New Orleans inspired posts! ;-) Today I'm talking about the expo for the Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans Marathon!

I left home for New Orleans on Friday afternoon. It takes me about three hours to reach this awesome city! My friend Donna and I drove in together. After about 30 minutes being stuck in traffic we finally made it into downtown, parked, and headed to the convention center where the expo was being held. There was only about an hour left until the expo was closing so we decided we would just grab our bibs and shop the next day with our other two roommates for the weekend.

As always, Rock 'n' Roll put on a very organized expo. Picking up your race bib was super easy. You just went to the section that had your bib number, handed them your confirmation sheet and I.D., and then they gave you your race bib. Then you took your bib over to get your gear check bag and shirt. Easy peasy!

We had to take a few pictures in front of the countdown clock! Not much longer and we would be running the streets of New Orleans!

We still had a little bit of time so we checked out the official race merchandise. I found a super cute tank but didn't get it. I was on a mission to not spend too much money this weekend since I have Disney Princess Half weekend in three weeks.

After looking at the official merchandise we headed into the expo with all the vendor booths. There was so much to look at but they kept announcing they were closing. We headed quickly to get my VIP parking pass and wrist band. Then we were out of there with excitement about returning the next day.

Donna and I were starving by this point so we stopped at The Cheesecake Factory for some dinner. Yum, yum!

The next morning we went back to the expo with our roommates Jennifer and Jessica. They got their race bibs and then it was time for some expo shopping!

There were a ton of vendors there and we had a blast visiting each one and getting some free stuff! ;-)

We had so much fun at the Got Chocolate Milk booth! I was so excited low fat chocolate milk would be at the finish line waiting on me!

And you know me....I can't resist a character photo! ;-)

After the expo it was time for some lunch and exploring New Orleans! But I'll tell you all about that in another post! :-)

Of course it's tradition that I lay my outfit all out and take a picture the night before the race. Here it is! The only difference come race morning was that I added a long sleeve shirt under my tank. It was cold out there!

A little before lights out one of my friends tagged me on Facebook asking if I'd seen this post. Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans had used my outfit picture from last year's race to wish everyone good luck on their Facebook page! I felt like a celebrity!!! ;-)

Stay tuned all week for more #RnRNola posts!

QOTD: What is your favorite thing about race expos?

Crescent City Classic Expo!

This past weekend I ran the Crescent City Classic 10K in New Orleans! I love this race! It is always so much fun and a great end to my racing season (way too hot for racing after April here on the Gulf Coast). Today I'm going to tell you all about the expo!

Me, my friend Paige, and her boyfriend Billy arrived in New Orleans a little later than expected but with plenty of time to hit up the expo and enjoy it.

First thing we went and grabbed our race number. The CCC has colored bibs for the different corrals. Paige and I put the same finish time when we registered so I was confused when my bib was a different color than hers and considered a "walker" corral! What??? I was not a walker but a runner! I was told to go to runner solutions where they would put me in the correct corral. The volunteer was super nice. She scanned my bib and said, "Are you Mindy Jones?" Um no! Mindy Bobe! They had given me the wrong bib! Luckily it was fixed quickly and I was given the correct bib!

Then we set out to find Larisa and Melanie. They were hanging out at the Community Coffee truck where we scored a free t-shirt and a free cup of coffee!

I always love seeing blends (blogger friends)!

Then it was time to get our race t-shirts and SHOP! This expo is fairly big for a 10K race! We had fun looking at all the booths. It was a runner's shopping paradise!

And then we got our traditional pictures with our race bibs!

After the expo we headed about 45 minutes away to Paige's Mom's house where we were staying for the night. Gotta love a free place to stay! I took my traditional flat Road Runner Girl!

And Paige had fun taking a picture of me taking a picture of my flat Road Runner Girl lol! Hey...the bed was really tall and I am really short. I did what I had to to capture this shot...for you guys! I did it all for you! ;-)

We got into bed a little later than we would have wanted but it was ok. I had brought my air mattress with me...only to wake up in the middle of the night with my hip hurting....because the air mattress was losing air! I was literally sleeping on the floor! :-( So it wasn't a great night of sleep for me but I was super excited about the race so waking up wasn't too bad. 

Stay tuned tomorrow for my race recap!

QOTD: How do you sleep the night before a race? Do you sleep well or are you too excited to sleep?

The Biggest Loser RunWalk Half Marathon Mobile Expo!

Disclaimer: I was provided a free race registration in exchange for this post. No other compensation was received. All opinions in the post below are mine and mine alone!

After running The Biggest Loser RunWalk Half Marathon in Panama City Beach, I was super excited this race was coming where I live! 

My sweet hubby took me to the expo since I am horrible with finding parking downtown. As we were waiting at a stop light to turn I could see The Biggest Loser bus! It made me even more excited!

The expo was held in the Riverfront Plaza Hotel. We couldn't find any parking so we ended up parking in the hotel's parking garage. It was a bummer that we had to pay $4 for parking. :-( 

Once inside the hotel it was pretty easy to find the expo. There were signs everywhere pointing us in the right direction!

Picking up my bib was really easy. There were no lines and I was able to easily find where I needed to go. 

With your bib you also get a really cute drawstring bag. I got an orange one in Panama City Beach so this time I chose a blue one. After getting your bib you walked through the vendor area and then there was the shirt pickup. I really love the shirts! They are purple and match the medal!

I was disappointed in my shirt size though. I don't know if I registered wrong or what but they had women's sizes and I got a men's shirt and it is HUGE. I can't even wear it. I should have looked at it when I picked it up but I didn't until I got home. :-( So I'm sad that it's the cutest race shirt ever...and I can't even wear it.

After grabbing my shirt I stopped for my obligatory expo picture with my race bib! I had a great background for this one!

There were several vendors set up. They also had a table where you could buy official Biggest Loser RunWalk merchandise.

There was also a stage set up for guest speakers, including former Biggest Loser contestants. Unfortunately I wasn't there at the time when the former contestants were speaking like I was at the Panama City Beach Expo. But I knew I would see them at the race the next day.

This expo was set up a lot like the one in Panama City Beach. It wasn't huge but it was still a fun experience! Like I stated earlier, the only downside for me was my shirt being way too big. From now on I will be sure to look at my shirt before I leave!

And just because you wouldn't know what to do if I didn't post this...here's my outfit for the race!

Stay tuned for my recap of The Biggest Loser RunWalk Half Marathon Mobile!

QOTD: Have you ever gotten the wrong race shirt size? Were you able to exchange it?