Close friends contribute to our personal growth. They also contribute to our personal pleasure, making the music sound sweeter, the wine taste richer, the laughter ring louder because they are there. – Judith Viorst
I have always known how lucky I am to still be best friends with the ladies that have been by my side since elementary school. These days, it’s hard to get us all in the same place, but when we do it’s like things have never changed. Except that there are kids.
I’ve had the chance to see my three best friends transform into mothers over the last few years, and it’s been amazing (and sometimes very amusing) to see them step into their new role of “Mommy.” Most recently Jenny has joined the ranks. A family event finally brought her, the hubby and their new baby girl, Ida Lou, back home from North Carolina, and this called for a BBQ reunion at her parents’ house.
Jenny and her baby girl Ida Lou
I walked into their house on Monday, and it was like I was walking through time. Before you knew it, we were all sitting in the back porch, like we had done countless times growing up, and doing our favorite things: laughing and eating. Whoever said you can’t go home again didn’t know this group.
Yesterday my co-worker told me that laughter is like running for your insides. I hope it’s true, because if so, my insides are doing much better than my leg. Growing up we laughed a lot. Monday we laughed a lot.
We laughed the hardest when I looked down to see that my zipper on my super tight jeans had split open. This was a sure sign that I should’ve have gone back for more ribs. Boothe and Kel joined me in the restroom to try to help (and by help, I mean they stood around pointing and laughing a lot). We finally resolved the manner with some giant safety pins and by untucking my long shirt. Everyone was put on notice to let me know if they saw my undies. And I’m pretty sure Boothe has an incriminating photo of this event.
We went to get a group pictures of the ladies, when someone (I think Donnie?) suggested we take a picture laying on the ground like one we have from our past. We hit the pose, putting baby Ida Lou in between us and the boys snapped away. Donnie (who I am now thinking missed his calling as a creative director) suggested I mock the photo up next to the original (taken 14 years ago as we were headed off for college). The comparison between the two pics is amazing. When I mocked them up I realized we were in the same formation! I’m in the top left and going clock-wise it’s Boothe, Kel and Jenny. Baby Ida Lou is the middle, kicking our heads.
The pic on the left was taken 14 years ago, as we headed off for college. The pic on the right was taken Monday.
Donnie always likes seeing the four of us together because I turn back into a teenage girl, giggles and all. That’s okay… it’s good for the soul.
Me and Donnie – On top of the world.
I need to be careful. I might be enjoying my running hiatus just a tad bit too much. 🙂
Thursday night I participated in continuing my education. My beer education.
You see, I’m using my little run break to do things I normally wouldn’t do… like drink alcohol on a school work night. If I was training I would have woken up at 4:15 AM on Thursday, and the thought of going to do anything after work, especially one that involved beer and retaining information, would’ve horrified me.
But lucky for me, I am nursing my right IT band. So instead of being a homebody, I joined my friends in a beer class at our local Total Wine store.
I should probably state that I’m not a big fan of IPA’s. In fact, I think most of them taste like perfume or hair dye. Not that I’ve ever tasted either. But I know what they smell like. However, I’m always up for learning and spending time with friends, so I signed up for Total Wine’s ‘Hooray for IPA‘ class.
The class was only $15 and started at 6:30 PM. It was in a small class room towards the back of the store. I’ve never been so excited to learn.
We started off the class learning about hops and moved quickly to how to taste beer. According to our teacher, to truly enjoy a beer, a taster should engage all of his/her senses. From then on, we would analyze all beers by appearance, aroma, taste and mouthfeel. The first three are fine, but quite frankly I don’t like to swish beer around in my mouth. It makes me feel like I need to go brush my teeth immediately.
I was fascinated that IPA (stands for “India Pale Ale”) originated in England during the 1800’s. Pale Ale and Porter we being shipped to the British troops stationed in India, but the 90-day voyage often resulted in the arrival of spoiled beer. Â So the English started to amp up Pale Ale with higher alcohol and more hops (both natural preservatives) so that the beer could make the voyage. In theory, the troops could then water down this high alcohol beer, but that’s just silly. They drank it as is and just got drunk faster.
We learned the differences between English IPA, Belgian IPA, American IPA, American Double (a.k.a. Imperial) IPA, American Red Ale and American Black Ales. If you’re wondering, the American IPA’s and American Double IPA’s are the most pungent, and my least favorite. Â A finer beer taster would describe these as “hoppy, citrusy, piney, spicy and medium-bodied.” But I just said, “Ew, this tastes like hair dye or perfume.”
Thankful for the pretzels
I did, surprisingly, like a couple of the IPA’s and the Black Ales, which I conveniently marked in my workbook with smiley faces (how all beer testers do, of course):
I was surprised to enjoy an ale that tasted of smoked bacon ham and maple syrup, but I won’t ever actually purchase this. I prefer my ham and maple syrup served on a plate.
Overall, we tasted 14 different beers and I can now confirm what I knew before the class: IPA’s are not my fave. That’s okay, now instead of saying “I don’t like IPA’s because they taste like perfume,” I can now say “Oh, they’re just too hoppy for my liking.”
A big shout out to my friends, whom I loved “learning” with, our patient and funny teacher and the pretzels and dump bucket, both of which I took full advantage of. 🙂
My best attempt at a group self portrait.
Have you ever taken a beer or wine tasting class? How did you like it?Â
Woke up at 6 AM so I could give myself a pedi and shave my legs. Which I had to do before I…
Went to Doc for an 8 AM appointment to check out my leg. Glad I completed said pedi and shave. It seemed like everybody and their mother (Doc, Nurse, X-Ray tech) touched my smooth legs and had their faces near my nicely polished feet.
Received bad news: I can’t bend my right leg because my IT band is tight and overworked. Apparently it thinks I’m the bitch and is refusing to work with me.
Received good news: This confirms that it is just my IT band, I didn’t tear anything and that I will one day be able to run again.
Had a slice of lasagna pizza for lunch. Not to celebrate. Just because this is an every Wednesday occurrence for me and my co-workers. It’s the pizza of the day every Wednesday at Pizzeria Valdiano in Winter Park Village. If you’re ever in the area on a Wednesday, I strongly suggest you stop in for a slice of sausage, sauce and ricotta cheese deliciousness! Trust me on this one.
My half eaten slice of lasagna pizza from Pizzeria Valdiano
I’m off to stretch every single muscle in my legs and show that IT band of mine just how bitchy I can be. 🙂
It’s been just over a week since my second marathon and this is the thought that crosses my mind several times a day: “What if I can never run again?”
Even after my first marathon, I had rejoined my running group after just one week. I was restless. And I’m terribly restless now. And did I mention that I’m scared I’ll never be able to run again??
I’m on a serious icing, rolling, stretching, and absolutely no running regiment for a month. I even made a new frenemy:
Meet my frenemy: The Stick
The Stick is coined as a “toothbrush for muscles” on its website. However, I can’t remember the last time I was screaming in pain as I brushed my teeth. I picked this bad boy up at Track Shack last week.
Almost nightly I’ll lay down and ask Donnie to roll my leg. He said he barely uses any pressure, but when he rolls around my knee I swear he’s getting me back for something. Since crying while getting one’s IT band rolled out is out of the question, I instead scream and laugh while gripping a pillow and pretending this is good for me.
And all the while I think, “What if I can never run again?”
Coincidently, when I roll my own leg in the AM’s it’s a lot less painful, though I’m pretty sure it’s less beneficial too.
Since I’m starting to get scared that it’s been a week and I still have to take the stairs one at a time, I’m going to make an appointment with a doc to confirm that this is just my IT band. I tend to heal better when my mind is at ease.
Once I hear what the good doc has to say I hope to start my yoga back up again. Until then, I’m enjoying being a couch potato. And I’m totally thankful that I’m blessed to have two good legs, with a flare for the dramatic.
Have you had an injury that kept you from running? How long did you have to take a break for?
When I train for a race, I tend to bribe reward myself along the way (for example: a new running outfit, ice cream, new heels).
As for the big reward after the race, I’ve promised myself a tattoo after each of the last five races, though I’ve only actually cashed in on my reward once:
My hibiscus tattoo
I got my hibiscus after I ran my first two half marathons. It was supposed to be my reward after running the first one, but I jumped right into training for my second one and didn’t have the healing time needed when you get ink done. (By the way, I got the hibiscus done at Ascension by Hoffa and absolutely love it. I hope to have him do my next piece!)
It’s tough to get ink done in the midst of training for your next race and I’ve been training for one race or another for the last three years. Since I still owe myself the big piece I was going to get on my shoulder after my first marathon (mainly because I jumped right into training for another marathon) this marathon’s reward was much simpler and all calorie-based:
Monday: Bistro Burger topped with BBQ sauce and served with sweet potato fries from Miller’s Ale House
Tuesday: Chocolate Cookie Crumble Frappuccino *with* the Whipped Cream!
Yup, a BBQ burger and a frozen coffee beverage with whipped cream got me through 26.2 miles. Both were absolutely amazing. What can I say? Sometimes, I’m easy to please. 🙂
As for the shoulder tattoo, I keep going back and forth on whether or not to miss beach season (sun and water are tattoo healing no-no’s).
One of my favorite parts of running any race are the signs along the way. I don’t know what it is, but as a runner, words written on a piece of poster board can be so helpful when you need it the most. They either make you laugh or shout absurdity’s to its holder, or if you’re just plain delirious and tired you might cry. For just a moment in time, they distract you from the task at hand (running many miles) and focus your attention elsewhere.
A few years ago, the OUC Half Marathon course took runners right by the end of our street. My friend was running it, so we made sure to make a poster. I like to do one side of the poster name specific for friends, and the other side just plan ridiculous for the rest of the runners.
It was a cold morning, and my friend Tim (a.k.a. “Coach”), my boyfriend Donnie and I wore many layers and drank coffee to stay warm as we waiting for our friend SB to run by. I also made this poster, which generated a lot of feedback:
Donnie (holding the sign), Tim and the pugs
The reaction from the freezing, scantily-clad runners was hilarious and this is one of my favorite race posters that I’ve made to date.
Imagine my excitement when Jill from JoggingJeans.com branched out to a new hilarious blog: Best Race Signs. I know I would be referencing it the next time I was spectating and needed to make another sign! This post is for her. 🙂
There were tons and tons of great signs at the Flying Pig Marathon. I got pictures of my favorites when possible.
(I almost hurt myself getting this first one)
I think this one was my favorite.
I’m always a sucker for a little potty humor.
Around mile 15 or so…
A special shout out to the sign that read “I’ll be your support” and had a drawing of a bra and a jockstrap on it. I was too busy distracted by beer to get a photo.
Our pig pen finally started to move towards the start line and soon after we were of running the 2012 Flying Pig Marathon.
I have to say, what a gorgeous start:
Running towards stadium
The crowds at the start were exciting, and I decided not to listen to my iPod Shuffle and instead enjoy their cheering. In fact, the ear buds for my iPod would never make their way out of my fuel belt.
I was just starting to get in a groove and wanted to enjoy whatever good time I had on my right leg before my IT band started to lock up when I heard someone behind me yell “Hey little piggy!” I turned around and saw that it was Molly. We took this blurry pic:
Early in the race with Molly
We ran together for maybe a quarter mile before she took off as we crossed the Taylor-Southgate Bridge into Kentucky. I walked up the incline (I was planning on walking all inclines during the course).
Molly had reassured me that Wendy and Emily were behind me, so I looked forward to them passing me.
Running through the Kentucky portion of the race was fun. The crowds were out and I enjoyed running through Covington, the neighborhood we were staying in.
By the way, I totally loved the iFitness iPhone belt add-on I picked up at the Expo the day before. For the Disney Marathon they had run out, and I’ve been looking to pick one up since. It made getting my phone in and out to take these photos while running super easy!
Just as I we were about to cross back the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge back into Cincinnati, I met a gentlemen who was running his very first half marathon and loving every minute of it. We were almost three miles into the race and chatted a bit before I wished him luck as we started to go over the bridge since I was walking up inclines. Chatting with fellow runners is definitely one of the pros of not listening to music. 🙂
And back to Ohio we went:
A train was on the bridge with us and honked at us runners:
I started to follow the pig:
The sun started rising and I was so thankful I bought some cheapy Ray-Ban wannabe sunglasses at Target the week before the race. I figured I could toss them if they started to bother me. We were running east and the sun was blinding:
I was feeling the heat already and was glad I remembered to apply sunscreen before we left the house.
Around mile six, I was handed this tasty treat:
These were being handed out just before a water stop, but I don’t think they were provided by the course. I didn’t care… It was the most delicious thing I had ever had. It was a hot, muggy morning, with highs expected in the mid 80’s.
Around this time I could feel my IT band already tightening up. By the time Wendy and Emily passed me without recognizing me around mile 8, I was having trouble bending my knee. I called out their names and they turned around surprised. We would run together for the next six miles or so.
Around this time you start to run an never-ending incline, which we conquered through various methods:
Run 5 minutes / walk 1 minute intervals
Run to the next lamp post / walk to the next lamp post
Run until one of us cried mercy and then walk (and by “one of us” I meant me)
This is when my right leg said “I’m not going to bend anymore.” Well, I showed my stubborn IT band who’s the boss: I figured out that if I swung my leg around when I ran (think pirate on a wooden leg) that it wouldn’t hurt. Sure, I looked like a special case but at least I was covering the distance.
Up, up we went with Emily looking for the nuns she had heard about, Wendy running through every sprinkler possible, and me just hobbling along. It was hilarious because Emily and Wendy were usually a few steps in front of me and the crowd would just do the usual clap and yell for them. But when they noticed me, they would yell words of encouragement and clap harder. I know what they were thinking: “Oh boy, this poor girl has to run quite a few more miles on that wooden leg of hers.”
Here are me and Wendy cheesin’ our way up to the top of that nasty mile 8 hill:
This was one of our views:
How gorgeous is that??
And we found a local to snap a photo:
Around mile nine is the half marathon turn-off. The girls asked what I was going to do. I finally told them I was going to do the full marathon, but only under the condition that they would leave me. I knew there would be a point I could no longer run, and didn’t want to hold them back.
As my pain increased, we stopped at an aid station to see if they had Biofreeze or aspirin. No such luck, all they had was Vaseline. What kind of aid station is that?
However, if you’re running a marathon and say the word “pain medicine” loud enough several times, you’re bound to have a kind runner overhear you and offer up some of their own. I was this fortunate when we met the loveliest lady. I declared my love for her as she gave me two Advil, but sadly I cannot remember her name, other than it started with the letter ‘R.’ But I will remember her fondly.
We made it to the half marathon mark and did mini-celebrations. I tried not to dwell on the fact that I could be finished for too long. Thankfully around mile 14 we came across what felt like a street party and were offered some beer. Since I’d already disobeyed common sense rules like “don’t take drugs from a stranger” I thought… “why not.”
That beer was hands down the coldest drink I had during the entire race course. I relished it. So did Emily and Wendy.
God is good and so is beer. (Not pictured: Emily… she thought if she wasn’t photographed then it didn’t happen. Until I blog about it, of course.)
That orange headband around my left arm is what I used to cool myself off. At every water stop I would dump water on it, then wipe myself down with the headband. It’s easier than carrying a rag and definitely helped to keep my temperature down.
Wendy and Emily kept asking me if this was still the best day ever and I kept answering with a “yup.” No one ever said the best day ever was going to be easy.
Shortly after that picture was taken I finally decided I could no longer hobble run, chasing after the ladies. After the next running interval started, I continued to walk. I think they knew it was time and off they went. I would be on my own for the next 12 miles… or so I thought.
I was about to put my earbuds in, but was distracted by this guy:
Apparently he had juggled his way through the 10k the previous day and was now on day two of run juggling. I was mesmerized. I even started to run again so I could stay near him longer.
Around the mile 16 turnaround point I did three things:
Allowed myself to entertain the thought that I might not finish this race
Scored some ice from a family (I may or may not have told the little boy that handed me the ice that I love him. Yeah… totally inappropriate… ha ha ha ha… )
Waited until I got out of said family’s view before I dropped that ice down my sports bra for instant cooling and much happiness
Once again I was about to put on my headphones when I heard someone asking me if I was okay. “Oh yeah, just can’t bend my leg. No bid deal, just running a marathon,” I responded. It’s the same response I had given at least ten people already. However, this runner had some items of much value: IcyHot (yes, he was carrying an entire tube in his pocket) and Advil.
He offered me the Advil and IcyHot and I didn’t even hesitate in answering with a big ol’ “YES!” Since I had already taken drugs and alcohol from other perfect strangers, I thought why stop there? When he handed me the Advil, he pointed out that it said ‘Advil’ on it, so I didn’t think he was trying to drug me. I reassured him that even if he was slipping me some Ecstasy, I think I’d be okay with it. Yup, that’s how much pain I was in… I was willing to finish out the rest of the marathon in a drug-induced trance-like state. Lucky for me, it really was just Advil.
The runner ended up being a local named Will and he was running to help raise money for LAM research. His friend suffers from LAM (short for “lymphangioleiomyomatosis“) and Will figured if his friend could survive with LAM, then he could endure the pain of running a marathon without training. This made him okay in my book. He even wore the cotton shirt she asked him to wear. Also, his bib read “SHOOT ME NOW.”
The final 10 miles of the marathon consist of highway hill running and running through not the nicest of neighborhoods. This reminded me of the long stretch during Disney where you run on the highway and I started to resent it.
By this point the sun was beating down on us and there was no shade. And at every water stop, the water and Gatorade got hotter and hotter, until it was undrinkable. Oh, and the water stops were running out of water. At one water stop I spit the water out because it tasted like garden hose water, probably because it was garden hose water. (I saw the volunteers refilling pitchers with a hose.)
Here’s a pic of me at mile 22. I was holding a styrofoam cup full of ice that we had scored. I may or may not have professed my love for the stranger that handed me said cup full of ice.
In the photo above, you’ll see that the road has some pretty fresh tar. I’m not sure if they patched up the road for the race, but it was so hot that the tar was sticking to my shoes. I had to make a concerted effort not to step on it.
Around mile 24 I saw a church with a sign that said “restrooms” outside and made a dash for it. Making it up the stairs to the entrance was a little tricky though, but the promise of an air-conditioned restroom helped guide me.
The final two miles of the marathon were horrible. It was all highway, and by this point the sun was torturing me. It was relentless. And the water and Gatorade got so hot at every stop that I couldn’t drink it. All I could think about was ice-cold water. And being able to sit down.
I started to wobble run when the finish line was in an attainable distance. I crossed the “finish swine” in 7:03:10, hobbling every step of the way. My average pace was 16:10/mile. My right leg was throbbing. My throat was parched. My feet were swollen. I had joined the ever-elusive 7-hour marathon club. But I didn’t give up.
Rox and Rachelle were just about some of the last few spectators remaining. Thank God for friends!
I thanked Will for the company and headed off in search of iced-cold water. I would not find ice-cold water, but I was , however, greeted with a beer by Erin. I declared my love for her too.
Me, putting the pig in a choke hold.
Making nice with the pig
Did I mention we had piggy tails? Because we totally did.
Balancing on my bad leg while holding my beloved beer, and the ice bag that Erin was able to get from a vendor. No beer was spilled in the taking of this photo.
Some final thoughts:
PROS
I’ve never been to Cincinnati and had a great time exploring a new city.
The crowds were amazing. The people were lovely.
It was a scenic course that took you through the city, over bridges, along the water and into the hills. Oh my!
The medal is great. The shirt was great. The duffle bag was great. (Yes, we got all 3!)
I love the pigs. Everywhere.
CONS
Ohio weather in May is tricky. Last year it rained. This year it was hot. I would suggest race organizers talk to race organizers from Florida for tips on how to keep runners cool: more ice, sponges, etc.
Hills. Train for them or they will eat you up alive.
Aid Stations didn’t have pain meds or Biofreeze. I thought this was a race staple! Bring your own.
Don’t take 7 hours to run your marathon. If you do, all of the volunteers at the end will have packed up, and you’ll get nice warm water.
Final verdict: I would like to run the Flying Pig Marathon again one day, but with two good legs. However, I would much rather just run the half marathon, and skip the awful highway portion that makes up the back half.
Thanks to everyone for your well wishes and support! A big shout out to the six wonderfully crazy ladies I travelled with and also the ones that couldn’t make the trip, but still sent their love.
Have you run the Flying Pig Marathon? Tell me about your experience or link to your own recap in the comments!
On Sunday morning shortly after I woke up at 4:15 AM, I said “this is going to be the best day ever.” I was, of course, being highly optimistic. It was the morning of the 2012 Flying Pig Marathon.
After over a month of having issues with my right IT band (I blogged about it here and here and here and here) I knew what I was potentially walking into. But because of how fabulously stubborn I am, I decided I would still participate in the Flying Pig Marathon, even if I had to walk it. Or crawl it.
Let me start at the beginning: I run with some really fun and amazing ladies. Earlier this year, a group of us decided to run the Flying Pig Marathon and Half in Cincinnati, OH. I was just coming out of my first marathon, and determined to get right back on that horse.
Amazingly enough, I don’t have a single photo of all seven of us together. But with a few pics from this weekend, I got us covered:
Left to Right: Molly, me, Rachelle, Emily and Erin
Rox
Me and Wendy
Emily, being the traveling pro that is is, found us a great brownstone rental in Covington, KY. Covington is conveniently located just across the Ohio River from downtown Cincinnati and the house was just a tiny bit over a mile away from both the expo and the start line. And it was super cute with a rooftop deck (not that I could access said rooftop deck after the marathon):
Our view of Cincinnati
Sunday morning I woke up around 4:30 AM. I ate half of a bagel with peanut butter, drank some black coffee, used the restroom and got dressed. The night before I had laid out all of my stuff:
This included:
Running tank
Sports bra
Running tights
Running shoes
Socks
Bib number (filled out with emergency info)
My borrowed Garmin
Fuel belt (equipped with $20 bill)
Fuel – Vanilla Stinger Waffles and Clif Shot Bloks
Head band turned into my wrist band
(not pictured) Cheap $15 sunglasses from Target
The rest of our group left the house around 5:40, while Rox and I ran fashionably late. This is not new for us. We’ve run several races together, and I’d say we’ve been running up to the start as the gun goes off for about half of those.
We left the house around 5:50 AM. We were just about to start crossing the bridge into Cincinnati when Rox looked down at my knees and asked where my IT band straps were. An expletive flew out of my mouth. I had forgotten to set those out, therefore forgetting to put them on.
We turned around to get them. Ten minutes and two IT straps later, we were crossing the bridge, where we got this lovely view of the super moon while we ate our bananas:
We followed the crowds towards the stadium and started to feel the energy created by thousands of runners ready to run their hearts out.
The corrals, or pig pens, at the start.
Especially this guy:
Praying or Tebowing?
Sure, it looks like Rox was doing the same, but she was just tying her shoes:
Here we are looking fairly relaxed for two girls that were running super late:
We stretched during the intro then Rox and I wished each other luck and split up to join our separate corrals pig pens. I tried to find the rest of the ladies, but had no such luck. I set my watch, stopped to say a prayer for strength and waited for my coral to start the race.
There are only four days until the Flying Pig Marathon and my emotions are everywhere. One minute I’m excited, and the other I’m so nervous because of this IT band issue. Excited is currently winning out and I think it’s because of this:
My new Lululemon marathon top
Yuppers, I got myself the Lululemon no limits tank in hot, hot pink for marathon day. I ran my first marathon in a no limits tank (in a different color) and had absolutely zero issues with chafing or the shirt riding up so I think I’m safe running in the same top without having actually taken it for a long test run. I will, however, wash the shirt so I don’t bleed hot pink (though that may be cool). I think the color is perfect for Flying Pig, don’t you think?
A couple of weeks ago I got the crops in the photo. They are the run: a marathon crop, also from Lululemon. I’ve done a couple of runs in them (one long run and one short) and they were great: the bottoms of the legs didn’t ride up and the top is higher wasted and didn’t ride down. And they passed the very-important-for-all-tights-bend-over test (when I bend over the pant does NOT get transparent). Perfect!
On a side note, it will be toasty on Sunday:
Expected weather for 2012 Flying Pig Marathon
However, I can’t run in shorts. My lovely Spanish thighs engulf shorts and I end up chafing and pulling my shorts down all run. So that’s why I’m usually in tights (unless it’s my Lululemon running skirt that I can use for anything shorter than 10 miles). It’s a good thing that my shirt opens up on the sides for some fresh air. 🙂
Yesterday I read this post by Meghann of Meals and Miles and it made me chuckle. I am in complete agreement with her when she wrote “I’m a big believer that a big race deserves a new outfit, sorta like a big date requires a new dress – am I wrong?” Nope, not wrong at all.
If you’re running your first half or full marathon, I would recommend you buy your new outfit a month before your race and wear it during a shorter long run. If it passes the test (no chafing, riding up, etc.) then wear it for your longest run. It’s amazing how a few miles can alter the wear of your running outfit. For example, I have a singlet that I wore in different colors for all three of my half marathons without any problems. However, when I wore one of them for an 18-mile run, I was surprised to see severe chafing on the inside of my arms. It was so bad I was bleeding! Needless to say, those are now restricted to runs 13 miles or shorter.
I consider this running outfit quite the splurge, but I’ve worked hard the last four months (and seven months before that training for Disney) and I like that I’m at a place where I can reward my hard work with a splurge like this. In my future I’ll have kids and a home to worry about and these days will be long gone. I’ll enjoy it while I can!
What do you do for your race-day running attire?Â
Yesterday morning I went for a 3-mile walk with Emily, one of my group leaders. She’s running Flying Pig with me so it was nice to catch up and do some race day strategizing. Afterwards I rushed home to start my day with some yoga. I took it easy with this Yoga Vibes class, focusing on the outer hip and IT band.
I Sweat Pretty 