No words for Blue Ridge

I don’t have the words to explain how awesome the Blue Ridge Half Marathon weekend was again this year.

With so many different people I know — former co-workers, friends from high school, #RunChat friends, several other bloggers and an unusual amount of Iowans (hi Josh, Angie and Theresa!) — taking part in it, the race itself has felt like just a small part of the weekend for a couple of years in a row.

The race, though, is what we all talk about before, during and after. It’s crazy. It’s nuts. It’s brutal. It’s painful. It’s rewarding. It now has Peakwood in addition to Mill Mountain.

Take everything you could imagine about a race, both good and bad (and everything else in between), and that’s what the Blue Ridge Half Marathon has become. I could only imagine what doing the full marathon would do to me.

On the way up Mill Mountain, in just the first three miles, I told my friend Josh (not the one from Iowa) that if I had any small desire left to do the full marathon, it was already gone.

Now I’m not so sure.

The Blue Ridge Half (and full) Marathon toys with my emotions. It has for 4 out of the past 5 years. Actually, even the one year I couldn’t run after an injury it messed with my mind because I missed it so much.

If you happened to come here looking for some kind of race recap, I apologize for my lack of finding the right words to explain it.

It’s just one of those race weekends that you have to experience yourself to fully understand why I have this reaction.

ZOOMA Race Series Joins 1/26 #RunChat

My apologies for anyone who has had trouble with #RunChat’s website recently — we’ve had a few server issues and are currently working on them. So instead of waiting, you’ll get this week’s information here on my (somewhat neglected) blog!

This week we’re excited to announce that the ZOOMA Women’s Race Series is back to sponsor #RunChat! The ZOOMA race series holds races throughout the year around the country “to inspire women to live healthy, happy, and active lives.”

ZOOMA says on its website that “our primary goal is to execute events that cater to the real needs and wants of women runners.”

As part of this week’s #RunChat you can get a 10% discount to any ZOOMA race (yes, guys, you can run too!) when using the code runchat while registering for a race.

We also have a chance for you to win a ZOOMA race entry! All you have to do is tweet the following by filling in the blanks before 7:55 p.m. ET Sunday, Jan. 26. You then must answer at least one question during Sunday’s #RunChat (8 p.m. ET).

Entries are now closed!

Be sure to browse ZOOMA’s website to find the race of your choice. (Please note, this is for 2014 races only.) A winner will be announced in the final 5 minutes of this week’s chat.

This week ZOOMA also launched a blogger contest on Facebook. The blogger who best embodies ZOOMA’s mission to inspire women to lead healthy, happy and active lives (based on the most votes) wins a trip for themselves to ZOOMA Napa Valley (airfare, 2 nights hotel, race entry) as well as a trip for a blog reader that they can give away on their blog. Click on the image below for more information.

Falling back in love?

My favorite quote of the weekend was during Dave McGillivray’s presentation. Dave is the Boston Marathon race director.

For much of the past year, I have felt disconnected from the running world. I’ve had so many more downs than ups since I fell apart at the Richmond Marathon. Without diving into it too much, before this weekend I found myself glad I’ve given myself this break.

No pressure, no major goals, no thinking about running other than doing enough to not get too far off track, no getting wrapped up in what other people were doing.

After my experience this weekend at the Runner’s World Festival, though, I know that it’s time for change. In my mind I’ve been ready to make some changes, but I haven’t pushed myself enough to take action.

It’s time to refresh my goals. Really refresh them. And be realistic about them. And be harder on myself as I get closer to them.

I can get into all that later, as this post really isn’t about me. It’s about this group of 20 people over the weekend who have help me realize I need a new path.

As a full disclaimer, Runner’s World paid for my trip to Bethlehem, Pa., and treated 20 of us bloggers to an experience like no other.

While the swag was nice, the experience of meeting so many people I knew by blog name or Twitter name only is what made this weekend truly special.

It’s easy to say that this weekend is the moment where I fell back in love with running, but I won’t know if that’s true for another month or so. Like any good relationship, it’s going to take time to figure that part out.

As I think about how I want to really sum up the weekend, I have trouble finding the right words. Fellow blogger and #fitblog founder Katy (who was the inspiration for starting #runchat) said it best in her post:

From the Runner’s World staff and editors to the volunteers to the passionate sponsors who seemed truly excited to meet and work with us, this weekend affected me deeply. Thank you is not enough …

For those of who blog regularly or enjoy conversations on Twitter, I have to blunt with you: don’t hide behind your phones or computer screens.

Go to races. Socialize. Meet other people you think you know so well. You’ll be rewarded with experiences that will change you forever.

As for the actual running this weekend? I’ll save that unexpected story for later in the week.

Thanks to Running Skirts for hooking up me, Scott and Bart Yasso with a skirt at the Skirt Olympics.

Bloggers at the Altra clinic.

The Running is … board from Altra.

Runner’s World cookbook

Awesome items from Icon Fitness

Eat Run Repeat and Stuftmama with their tiny silverware.

Scott and I with #fitblog founder Katy, our inspiration for #RunChat

A huge thanks goes out to sponsors who provided gear or other information directly to the bloggers at the Runner’s World Festival: Altra, Running Skirts, Ortholite, Icon Fitness, Bondi Band, Injinji, PRO Compression, SPIBelt, The Stick, Wild Planet, Belvita, Deer Park Water (Nestle), Run Donna, and Bermuda Marathon.

Join the Runner’s World Half Marathon and Festival

A collection of bibs and medals from last year’s event

In just a few short weeks, I’ll be heading to the Runner’s World Festival once again. With so many things going on in my life, and my desire to focus on the Richmond Half, I’ve opted to skip out on the half marathon this year and instead do another crazy aspect of the weekend — the Five and Dime.

The Five and Dime is the 5K and 10K, back-to-back, on the Saturday before the half marathon. I don’t know how to really prepare, or how I’ll approach either race, or if I’ll just do it for pure fun, but I’m certainly looking forward to this opportunity for a unique race experience.

I’d love to have you join in. My #RunChat partner Scott will also be there that weekend.

You can register now with a 10% discount code for either the half marathon or the Hat Trick, which consists of the 5K, 10K and the half.

Enter the follow codes when registering:
10% off Half: runningbecauseRWHalf
10% off Hat Trick: runningbecauseRWHat

Race dates are Oct. 19 and 20.

For more information about the Runner’s World Half Marathon and Festival, visit their website.

No. 1,002

I didn’t think 2 posts after my 1,000th post that I’d be doing a list post, but I don’t have that much to say about specific running-related things right now. That’s a good thing.

A week from tonight I’ll be mentally preparing to run in a costume. I’m ready for all the fun that the Monument Avenue 10k has to offer, but I’m not revealing any costume secrets.
Speaking of Monument Avenue, I’d love a $1 or $5 or $50 donation for my efforts for Comfort Zone Camp. Help out a child. It’s simple, I promise.
Two weeks from tonight race preparations will be a little more serious as I think about the hills (mountain) of the Blue Ridge Half Marathon. I’ve had a few good hill runs in the past two weeks, but I have no idea what will happen that day. I kind of like that unknown.
I had a run this week that included two miles in 15:33. I feel really good about my speed right now and about my chances of a 5k PR in another couple of months. I just have to find a race that would be realistic to go for it.
Scott and I started a #RunChat shop through CafePress. I got my first items this week and I must say they are great. And I’m not just saying that to sell them. Go check it out.

My not-so-secret love affair

Over on the #RunChat blog Scott and I have a “Things you love about running” blogging challenge going on with some great giveaways. It was one of my favorite contests last year that pretty much resulted after we both had a lull going on.

It’s one of those things every runner should do every once in a while — make a list of what you love about running. Valentine’s week is the perfect time to do it.

Since I’m in somewhat of a blogging lull, I thought I’d come up with a (short) list too.

The start of the Walt Disney World Marathon in January felt like small towns of runners coming together for a big celebration.

1. The community
Someone made a comment to me on Twitter the other day about “real runners” and that you’re not a “real runner” if you listen to music. I call that out because I’m here to tell you those most runners do not have that attitude. The running community — both virtual and at races — is a strong one. The positivity that I see through the lens of #RunChat is amazing and grows stronger every day.

I demand more snow in Virginia.

2. Snow
I love a peaceful run the day after a snowfall.

3. Me time
As great as the community is, I also enjoy how running can be such a solo act. If asked on an interview if I work better as a team or as an individual, I would draw the comparison to running.

Sometimes running with others makes me stronger and will lead me to produce a better result than I expected; the work I do solo, though, is what gives me the confidence to run in a group of like-minded people. That makes sense, right?

Also, just being out there without worrying about anything else in life is pretty nice.

4. Hills
Yeah, I said that.

5. The new shoe smell
It’s kind of like that smell of a new car. It’s one of those things you really don’t encounter that much in life, so smelling shoes that haven’t touched my feet yet is one of the great joys of running.

What’s on your list? Head over to the #RunChat blog entry to find out how you can share yours and win great prizes.

Running …

… because I can … because it's fun … because it's healthy … just BECAUSE.

Tag Archives: #runchat