Adidas Ultra Boost Sneakers

I received these super cute Ultraboost Running shoes by Adidas as a BibRave Pro (Ambassador). Check out BibRave.com to read and write race reviews.

Okay, if you've been reading my blog at all for the last little while, you know I'm pretty much a one shoe kind of girl. Practically every pair of shoes I've run in for the last 5 years has been the same brand in a different color. When I was given the chance to try the Ultra Boost kicks, I tried to go in with an open mind.



I wore them for the first time to a group run held at night, and there were many ooohs and ahhhhs over them! They are so unique looking, but I'm not gonna lie. I was NOT liking the way they felt on my feet at first. After hanging out in the store for awhile, I totally forgot I was wearing them. They felt comfy on my feet and I ran the 3 or so miles with no problem.



I've worn them to a bunch of different runs, usually running anywhere between 3 and 5 miles, and I'm really liking the way they feel on my feet. No aches or pains while I run, or after, and the fit is perfect.



I recently took them with me to run a relay race, because I didn't want to rely on just one pair of sneaks. I wore them for the 2nd of 3 legs and they were divine. They hugged my feet and carried me through 3.5 miles of crazy Pennsylvania hills (mountains. They were mountains.)



Will I wear these on my long runs? Probably not. I am a nervous Nellie, and I like the support that my regular shoe gives me. I will definitely be wearing them for my short runs, while I train for Chicago. I gladly add these to my rotation!

Sidenote: These are a neutral shoe, and the cool rubber soles are great for wet or dry running! I ran my 2nd leg at night and it was very damp out, but I had no problems with slippage!

Have you ever tried a new sneaker and just loved it, or are you more of a creature of habit?

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Ragnar Pennsylvania, Part 1

I'm not even sure how to begin, it was such an amazing, overwhelming, exhilarating, exhausting weekend. I was Runner 4 in Van 1, and was blessed with amazing Van Mates.



We all met for the first time the night before. We decorated the vans, picked up our packets, and got maybe 4 hours sleep before we needed to get to the start.



Our start time was 5 am, the earliest start because we were a slow team. We cheered our first runner and then hopped into the Van to meet her at the first exchange.



We kind of sucked at first, it was hard to get to the exchanges on time, but by the time we finished we were pros!



I was 4th to run and my first leg was 5.9 miles. The bills were nuts, more like mountains, but it was so beautiful that I didn't care. I was in Amish country, and it smelled like manure for miles. I absolutely adored my entire 6 miles.



Best.sign.ever.



We had a really great first round (is it a round? a leg? I don't know.) and met Van 2 at the first big exchange.



Time for lunch, or first real meal of the day. It was amazing to sit down and eat actual food! Then it was on to the next exchange so we could run through the night!



Part 2 coming soon..... Have you run a Ragnar? We are already discussing our next race!

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Wordless Wednesday

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Jimmie Johnson Fit Fest 8k Trail Race

Wow! That's a mouthful!
I almost don't know where to start with this! Are you a NASCAR fan? I'm not, so I had no idea who Jimmie was. I spoke to more than one person who drive in from our of state just because he would be there. (As well as Lance Armstrong and Jason Sehorn!)
The event was amazing, I'm not gonna lie. You definitely don't need to be a fan to appreciate it. There was a 5k and 8k trail race, a 2k Spartan Kids race, and 2 bicycle trail races. The Spartan races ran all day, the 8k started at 8, with the other races following.

We had to park at a nearby high school and take a short shuttle ride to the park, so I got there nice and early. Maybe a little too early, but that's okay.



I walked around a bit, checking everything out, and met up with some friends....





We talked until it was time to line up. The race director gave directions, the anthem was sung, Jimmie made a speech, and then we were off.



Most of the first mile was a rocky road, but then we hit the actual trail, and then it got real. I have Ragnar in less than a week, so I was super cautious. I walked a lot. It was beautiful, and I enjoyed the view.



The humidity also took its toll, and there was a group of 5 back of the packers all walking together for mile 4. We all separated at the end, so we could finish strong.



One of my friends placed in her age group and the prize was pretty great. A cap and a cooling cloth with Jimmie' s number on it.



There was live music and food trucks at the finish, but I high tailed it out of there and met the hubs for waffles instead.
I really enjoyed the race and I'll definitely try it again next year! It was super well marked and the volunteers are awesome!

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Flat Mama Friday and a Pro Compression Raffle

Monday morning I'm running the Jimmie Johnson Fit Test 8k trail race. I'm pretty excited about it, because I've never run an 8k trail race so it's an automatic PR. I'm also pretty terrified because I kind of suck at trail races. I really hope I don't die.



Aren't my new socks cute? Pro Compression had one of those awesome Buy 2 get 3 free sales so I got some cute new socks. Two days later they had a grab bag sale. I've had some decent luck in the past so I ordered one. After all, who doesn't need 8 new pairs of compression socks?



I'm kind of bummed, I'm not gonna lie. I already have black and gold and I don't do white socks. I'm such a hot mess, they wouldn't be white for long. I thought I would raffle them off, since not everyone already owns black and gold socks. I'm still fundraising for MDA Team Momentum, so let's put the two together so everybody wins! For every $5 donation, you will get an entry into the raffle. I will draw three winners on Tuesday, June 6th and announce the winners for Wordless Wednesday on the 7th. The first name I draw will get first pick, and so on.
Here is the link to donate:

http://www2.mda.org/site/TR?px=2919245&pg=personal&fr_id=23378&s_src=boundlessfundraising&s_subsrc=:sub_source

Good luck! Have you ever bought the grab bag before? What colors did you get?

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Thursday Training Update

I love marathon training..... in the beginning! Don't get me wrong, I love the challenge of marathon training, I love that I can make my body run for hours on end. There is something special about the beginning of a training plan, though. The runs are short and yet I'm still knocking out that plan!
I've been following the Chicago Marathon plan that Run For Your Life has for members. (RFYL is a running store in Charlotte, it's the company that I coach for.)
My daughter is visiting from college for a couple of weeks, so I pretty much just ran, but I've tried to move a little every day.

Wednesday.... Trail hike to the Little Free Library. It was about 3.5 miles and pretty warm out, but it was about to start raining pretty much every darn day since, so I'm glad I got out there!



Thursday.... 5.3 miles coaching. Seems like a strange number, right? One of the ladies dropped her phone, but she didn't know where, so we had to go back to look for it. Turns out she dropped it at the start! Our 4 miles became a little longer.



Friday..... total lazy day with my daughter, I'm not gonna lie.

Saturday.... Run Ballantyne 8k, and a 5 minute PR! It was a hot and humid day, but I loved every minute!



Sunday.... rest day

Monday.... 3.5 mile walk on the trail. It was a little muddy, so we walked back on the street.



Tuesday.... heavy rains kept me from running with the group, but I got in 3 miles once it stopped. It was so nice and cool out that I walked an additional mile.



Wednesday.... Morgan and I went for another walk, this time on the road since the trails are too muddy. It was a little misty, but otherwise a great day. We walked to the park and did all the stretchers and then walked back. 3.1 miles plus the stretches.



Not a terrible week, but I miss 9 Round! I hope to get there soon, so I don't lose too much of my training. Next week is Ragnar, so be warned.... many crazy posts will be coming!

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Wordless Wednesday

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