OOFOS!!! A review and GIVEAWAY!!!

Want to enter for a chance to win your own pair of OOFOS?  Read on and then enter the contest via the Rafflecopter below!

Running is something that is still new for me... I have only been at this for about 3 years.  Sometimes the things you really need aren't obvious at first.

When I first started on this Run / Walk journey... after a long run or race day I did notice fatigue and soreness sometimes in my lower legs and feet.  I wondered about just wearing my supportive running shoes after a run or race and thinking that might help.  There were times though that even though my running shoes are awesome... after a run I just want to let my tootsies breathe and be comfy!  Then one day I found out about Recovery Sandals.  I tried another brand first... actually one that I found out about on a fellow Bloggers review.  I thought the idea of recovery sandals sounded good so I ordered them.   They were comfortable but I felt like there must be a better pair out there. 

OOFOS Mission - Our mission is to make YOO FEEL BETTER.  We know when you wear our shoes you will understand.  

I had heard through various modes of social media about OOFOS.  (All good things!)  To be honest the price is what kept me away at first... after all they are "just" flip flops right? Then prior to my trip to Disneyland in 2015 to participate in the Tinker Bell Race Weekend my bestie running buddy told me she was thinking about ordering a pair of OOFOS.  So I considered it and I did too!  I thought they might be the perfect sandal to tour the park or at least wear around the hotel after our races and long hours touring the theme parks.   I ordered the OOFOS OOriginal in Black.  I would suggest ordering true to your size in the OOrignal.  I wear a size 10 running shoe but in OOFOS I ordered a size 9.  They were (and are) a perfect fit.  I have NEVER looked back!  They are my go to around the house and I kind of wish they would make a warmer slipper version.  I live in the Pacific Northwest and unfortunately it isn't always "sandal weather" here... even indoors.

To add on about our trip last year... I wore them all over Disneyland and NEVER once had that "I am so sorry I wore flip flops moment"!  I usually would go to a sturdy tennis shoe with good socks for touring the parks... but this time it took one time wearing the OOFOS and I wore them everyday of our trip!

  

OOFOS OOriginal

I love my OOFOS for lots of reasons... but the biggest is... they just feel good.  SO GOOD!    So naturally I wanted another pair to add for our Mother's Day trip to Disneyland again this year.  BUT... this year I am bringing along my 10 year old daughter so I needed to make sure she was going to be comfortable too!    She is a runner and a dancer.  She has had some soreness issues due to growth with her heels.  I knew getting her some of her own OOFOS was a no brainer.  She could definitely use them on our trip as well as after her dance classes.  We went with the OOFOS Original and actually have a pair of the OOFOS OOlala in "Tink" (seafoam) green for her.  She is in LOVE!   Last year at Disneyland I ran the 5k, 10K and the Half Marathon as well as toured the park for 5 days!  I know... that is a lot of running and Disney...  I can't get enough... did you see the name of this blog?  

This year... Mother's Day weekend my daughter and I will be participating in the Neverland 5K and and Tinker Bell 10K together and I will be doing the Tinker Bell Half Marathon on the actual Mother's Day morning.   Yes... we do have 5 day Park Hopper tickets too... So you can be sure our OOFOS will be getting a lot of mileage for recovery and comfort!

OOFOS OOlala in green

OOFOS Originals in Black

OOFOS OOlala Slides (pictured on my daughter's friend's feet)

OOFOS are just the BEST!  

Here are some features that are so obvious the minute you slip your feet into them...

- Absorbs more shock than traditional foams... 

Athletic shoe foams are designed to “rebound” and propel you forward. Revolutionary OOfoam does the opposite, absorbing 37% more shock with every step than traditional footwear foam.

- Reduces stress on sore feet, knees and back...

Your feet and joints take a pounding on hard surfaces. Slipping on OOFOS after a workout provides them with relief and a chance to recover.

- Cradles your arches...

Unlike flip-flops, the OOFOS patented footbed is designed with tremendous arch support to take the pressure off of ankles, knees and hips, as well as your lower back.

- Enables more natural motion...

Biomechanically designed, OOFOS flex with both your foot and the ground. The soft, flexible OOfoam material enables your foot to articulate the way nature intended.

I will just add these other things stated on the OOFOS website because they are all true!

- Soft conforming toe post eliminates chafing

- Durable OOfoam holds the cushion its entire life 

- Moisture and bacteria resistant closed cell foam is shower ready and machine washable! (I have tossed mine in the washer many times... just set them out for a few minutes to dry)

- So light... they float!

 OOFOS OOriginal in Black

(...and my cute daughter ready for her Disneyland adventure in May!)

OOlala Slide in Seafoam Green

 OOFOS OOlala

 OOFOS OOlala

I turned one pair over so you could see what the tread on the bottom looks like!

OOFOS OOlala

As for sizing... I would stick pretty close to your normal size... I will say about the OOFOS OOlala Slides... the sandal seemed to fit fairly tight on my daughter's foot so we sized her up on those only to allow for that to be more comfortable for her.  I don't think she has particularly wide feet but that is what worked for her.

I would also add that personally I prefer the Original to the OOlala... mostly for the thickness of the over strap.. but the OOlala is not uncomfortable at all. Both styles of the OOlala come in lots of fun colors too and are slightly "shiny" on the upper which is fun.

More colors available on the OOFOS website.

So... are you convinced!  I think the minute you try OOFOS on you would be a BIG fan!!!  Find a store near you and go and try them... Click HERE to find a retailer near you.

Would you like to try and WIN a FREE pair??? The winners get to choose which pair (size and color too) they would like from the OOFOS website - either the OOFOS Original, OOFOS OOlala, OOFOS OOlala Slide, or the OOFOS OOahh Slide.

GOOD LUCK!!!

UPDATE!!!  

The 3 Winners have been randomly selected by Rafflecopter and are listed below.  
They have been notified via Email!

  Thank you to EVERYONE who entered!!!  

I hope you all will be feeling the OO!!!  

#feeltheOO #OOFOS

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We were provided OOFOS Sandals for this review from OOFOS but the thoughts and opinions here are all my own.

Giveaway Rules:
Prize: THREE winners will receive ONE pair each of OOFOS Recovery Sandals... winner's choice.  Contest entrants are only eligible to win ONCE per sweepstakes, - one pair OOFOS per household.
Contest starts on April 14, 2016, and ends on April 20, 2016, at 12:00 am PST. 

Enter through the Rafflecopter widget.  The winners will be chosen via Rafflecopter and notified via email provided to Rafflecopter.  The winners have two days to respond, or they forfeit and another winner will be selected.


Prize will be shipped directly to winner from OOFOS.   Winners are to notify Blog author via email of preference, size, and shipping information.  Choices LIMITED TO... OOFOS Original,  OOFOS OOlala Slide, OOFOS OOahh Slide,  and OOFOS OOlala.

59 days and counting... Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend!

If you have read my blog before you know that I am a HUGE Disney fan... yep... it is true... 

The other thing you may know is that I am a relatively new runner... really only since the Fall of 2012 have I been what some people call "a runner".   I ran my first ever race that Fall and then participated in the Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend at Disneyland in Janaury of 2013.  That was my first Half Marathon! Way to set the bar High... it did not disappoint!  I had the time of my life and I was hooked! The hook was on the running stuff - the Disney stuff already had me.

(Photo by AngryJulieMonday/flickr)

I have participated in a few races since then (click HERE to see how many)... and even returned to Disneyland in 2014 to do the Tinker Bell Weekend all over again!  I surprise myself when I look at my list of races done but what really surprises me is the new person I am.  I was never a runner before this.  In fact I thought running was stupid.  It made you sweaty and uncomfortable and why in the world would I want to do that to myself? Something changed in me after I had my 3rd baby.  (Yes - I have 3 kids)

My kiddos - Summer 2014

I needed to lose weight... which I did with the help of weight watchers... but then when Baby #3 was about 2 years old I gained a little of that weight back and that scared me.  I did not want to be a mom that just sat there and watched my kids... I wanted to be one that they had trouble keeping up with.  So I knew deep down that had to be something that would involve sweat.  Then one day I saw this picture... 

photo credit - rundisney

and at about the same time I learned of a running method (run/walk/run) of conquering races developed by Jeff Galloway who was a former Olympian and now a trainer.

I knew that I HAD to do this!  So - 15 Half Marathons later (and 3 more on the calendar so far for this year) I just wanted to thank Disney, my husband, Jeff Galloway, my social media friends, those who "like" my runs on nikeplus... (you know who you are), and anyone who has ever just asked about my running, the medals, my regular workouts and all of it.  You all are part of this... It has been a journey and it continues... I know I have written about these things before but I was feeling a little reflective to day so this is what came out.  Also - I am a little sorry if I have been a "tiny bit " annoying to my friends that were here before all of the running.  I love you guys too... so sorry (not sorry) about all of the annoying running stuff.

   

 

Tinker Bell Half Marathon 2013 and 2014

I get to go back to Disneyland in 59 days (who is counting... yep... ME!) and do the Tinker Bell Weekend all over again!  I can't wait!  Stay tuned for updates about that and reviews of course.  I am participating in the 5K, 10K, and the Half Marathon... seriously if I am going to go all of that way I have to run all of the races!  I really just consider the races my victory lap... Can't wait!

See you real soon!

Are you going to be at the Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend?

Tell me your running story... I love to hear about transformations!

My 10th Half and other things...

This might be a race review and some reflection...

This past weekend I finished my 10th Half Marathon... that is super crazy considering I had never even finished any sort of race before the Fall of 2012.  But... I did do that... finished 10. 

 

 

This race took place down in Carnation, WA... slightly over a hour drive from where I live.  I didn't know anyone else participating so I made the drive alone.  The Half was set to begin at 9am (with a 10K starting at 9:30) and this was the Inaugural year for this race so I had no idea what to expect.  I knew that this race wasn't set to be huge... the Seattle Rock and Roll Race series was happening the same morning.  I picked this one because it seemed to be much more up my alley.  Smaller... more of a country setting... and lets face it the medal was just much better then the Rock and Roll one (in my opinion).  Lets compare...

 

 

First ... here is the Rock and Roll medal

 

Then this is the Snoqualmie Valley Half medal I earned...

 

All a matter of opinion but I like the one I got better.  I feel a bit sorry for the folks earning this years medal at the Rock and Roll.  Other years the medal has been much more attractive.  I will give it clever but not super cool.

Back to the race.  I wasn't sure what to expect on arrival so I gave myself lots of extra time.  I actually arrived at the parking area over a hour before race time.   The hike to the staging area was significant but doable.   Most of this course took place on the Snoqualmie Valley Trail beginning at King County's Tolt MacDonald Park.  I believe the cap for the Half was 300... and the race was full.  No folks were allowed day of Race registration.    There weren't any corrals or anything fancy... no pacers... they just announced the line up about 10 minutes prior and then had a countdown.  We were off. 

The course was advertised as Flat and Fast.  Yeah... right.  It seemed like it should be but as my friend with a Garmin noted afterwards the first 7 miles had a significant uphill grade.  I was sure feeling that by mile 12.  I enjoyed this course though having it not be on any kind of open roads and mostly neatly tucked away on a Park Trail.  The course was wide and open... mostly covered by trees.  I missed a PR by a few minutes... and I am blaming that on the "gradual incline of the first 7 miles".  It was fun though and definitely a course I would consider again!

My friend Penny and I at the finish.  I have been doing this running thing for a little while now and even though I went down alone... I always seem to run into someone I know now.

I wore my Pro Compression socks for this race... during the race.  I think I did notice a difference in how my legs felt.  Especially the 2nd half of the race.  I think I my have to add to my collection of these.  I had previously only used them for post race recovery.  I like how they made me feel less fatigued.   


Do you go to races alone?  Or prefer to make it a fun outing with friends?

Compression Socks during a race?  Yes or no?



What inspired you to begin?

Lately it seems I have been getting asked a similar question.  Let me begin by saying that I haven't always been a runner or even into exercise for that matter. 

I have had periods of my adult life where I lost some weight and some sort of physical activity was involved... I spent the good part of my 20s working as a Horsemanship instructor/program director for children's programs at summer camps.  Some people might not think of riding horses as physical (you just sit there) but it is and there were many parts of my job that demanded I be in some sort of good physical shape.

circa 1995

But then enter the next stage of my life... I got married at 33 and then had 3 children in my late 30s.  I gained a lot of weight and basically wasn't really happy with how I felt physically.  After Baby #3 was born in 2008 I felt out of control... my weight had topped out at 254 (9 mos pregnant)... and then settled to 225 after he was born.  I looked in the mirror one day and just said enough is enough.  

 Me... about 2 months after baby #3 was born in 2008

After watching a few friends and family have great success with Weight Watchers... I joined up.  I made a goal to be to my goal weight by Baby #3's 1st birthday.  I didn't quite make it...  but then decided the goal to make it by the time I had been going to WW for one year.  In the Fall of 2009 I made goal (160 pounds) ... finally.  

Fall of 2009

But then... after about 6 months or so... a few pounds had crept back on and then a few more.  Before I knew it I had gained back about 20 pounds.  UGH!  I knew that I needed to make a physical change and not just alter my food intake.   One day when I was flipping through a magazine at the doctor's office I saw this photo...

  (photo courtesy of runDisney)

Now... everyone that knows me knows I have loved anything Disney most of my life.  I was born in Anaheim, CA... it was meant to be.  This photo in the magazine was accompanied by an advertisement for a Half Marathon at Disneyland.  It took me about 5 minutes to decide that I wanted that running girl to be me!   Who knew that there was a whole race series at Walt Disney World and Disneyland run by an arm of Disney called runDisney.   I have hated running my whole life.  I have never thought I was good at running.  It made me tired, and sweaty, and just plain not fun.  BUT... there was something about this picture that made me want to try.  As I read more about runDisney I learned they had a celebrity trainer named Jeff Galloway who was a previous Olympic Marathoner.  Jeff has a training program called the run/walk/run program that intrigued me.  It meant I would have walk breaks as I ran ...and a lot of them.  The more I read the more I thought to myself that it seemed doable for me.

Fast forward months and months... races and running... and sweat and weight loss.  In the summer of 2012 I registered for the Tinker Bell Half Marathon at Disneyland!   I traveled to Disneyland (with my husband) in January of 2013 and ran (walked too) my first Half Marathon!  That girl I saw in the advertisement finally WAS me!  (My legs didn't quite look as good as hers but I did it!)

I was so inspired that I kept going after I returned home from Disneyland that January.   The Tinker Bell Half Marathon was on January 20th, 2013... I returned to Disneyland in January 2014 and participated in the Tinkerbell Half Marathon again.  In fact I ran the 10K the day before too!  In the course of this past year I ran a lot of races at home too... Tinkerbell 2014 was my 6th Half Marathon in 12 months!  I also participated in 7 - 5Ks, 1 - 5 miler, 13 - 10Ks, 2 - 15Ks, in addition to my 6 Half Marathons!  Me!  The girl who hated running!  I have found this thing that I love.  Is it hard some days... YES!   All of these things fight against me to stick to it.  My schedule... my self talk... my family... lots of excuses.  But I have to remember to keep it in perspective and make it a priority!  I just do it... no excuses!

 At the Tinker Bell Race EXPO - 2014 after completing the Inaugural Tinker Bell 10K

Because of this commitment and involvement in races and running I have been so blessed.  I have met so many amazing and inspiring people!  People conquering way more obstacles then I could ever imagine!  I have NO excuses!

I would encourage anyone to pursue goals that seem out of reach or impossible. Just do it!  Don't let anyone get in your way and tell you that you can't.   Go find your life and grab it!  Do it!

  


What inspired you?

What inspires you to push forward when excuses are easy to fall back on?

Racerversary! Run in a race... Ha... I said I would never do that!

On September 8th, 2012... I ran in my very first race.  I had participated as a walker in some 5Ks before and even walked 60 miles in 3 days to raise money for Breast Cancer Research back in 2002. But actually run in a race... I would have laughed in your face if you had told me I would be doing this prior to 2012!   I had lost a lot of "baby weight" (about 65 pounds) after I had my 3rd baby in 2008 using Weight Watchers ... I had reached my goal weight without any exercise to speak of in September of 2009.  BUT... slowly over the next year I had gained back about half of that number.  So I knew I needed to do something... I wanted to make a life change!  I knew diet paired with exercise was the answer!  What was my motivation to even consider running and get started... originally it was to run in the Tinkerbell Half Marathon at Disneyland in January of 2013.  I was focused!  I could see that pink castle... I was going to do it!  

I can only dream that these were my legs and that is my backside... alas this is not me.

 

Now... looking back I probably should have picked a nice 5K... a cute short race with a fun t-shirt as a perk as my baptism into the world of running.   Nope... not me... I dove right into the deep end and registered for a 15K  (yes - that is 9.3 miles)!  So last September after just a few short months of training I showed up in the morning in Bellingham just north of where we live.   It was a nice cool morning and off we went.  As the race morning wore on the sun came out and it warmed up.  Fast forward to the last 2 miles... it was WARM... super warm for me.  I made it to that finish line but mentally I wanted to QUIT the last 2 or so miles.  BUT - I made it and successfully finished my first race as a REAL runner!

This is a photo of me after the finish of the Fairhaven 15K in 

Bellingham, WA on September 8th, 2012.  

I can't believe it was a year ago... crazy!   I have a lot more race experience under my belt now.  

2012 completed

Fairhaven Waterfront 15K - Bellingham, WA -  Sept 8, 2012

Poulsbo Marathon (I did the 10K) - Poulsbo, WA - October 14, 2012

Shoebox Run 10K  - Arlington, WA - October 20, 2012

Santa Dash 5K - Stanwood, WA - December 8, 2012

Toys for Tots 10K - Arlington, WA - December 8, 2012

2013 completed

runDisney - Neverland 5K - Anaheim, CA - January 19, 2013

runDisney - Tinkerbell Half Marathon - Anaheim, CA - January 20, 2013

River and Rails 10K/5K (doing the 10K) - Arlington, WA - March 23, 2013

Sandy Hook Run for the Families 5K - Virtual Runner - March 2012

River and Rails 10K/5K (10K) - Arlington, WA - March 23, 2013

Hippity Hop 5K - Stanwood, WA - March 30th, 2013

Super Hero 5K - Benefits Kids to summer camp - Bellingham, WA - April 13, 2013

Heroes Half Marathon - Everett, WA - April 28, 2013

Inspiring Hope 10K - Everett, WA - May 11, 2013

Walk and Roll 10K - Arlington, WA - May 18, 2013

Boston Solidarity 10K Run - Arlington, WA - June 8, 2013

See Jane Run Half Marathon - Seattle, WA -  July 14, 2013

Refuse to Abuse 5K - Seattle, WA - Safeco Field - July 20, 2013
 
Columbia Winery 10K - Woodinville, WA - Aug 17, 2013

Run A Muk 10K - Mukilteo, WA - Aug 24, 2013

I will definitely approach this race again with a different mind set.  I will most likely be a lot more calm at the start... have a little more fun as I run... and also be aware of the hills towards the end and not be intimidated by them.

Yep - on September 14th - I will run the Fairhaven 15K again.  Wow... a whole year has gone by!  

So on September 14th - Happy Racerversary to me!!!  I used to laugh out loud at people who ran... now I am one of those runners.  I am addicted to what running does for me... how I feel... my time for me.  I am actually grumpy when I don't get my run in when I had planned.  Who is this person?  Wow!

PS - I still have the Disney motivation... but some of my motivation is also... lifestyle, healthy body, good example for my children, and something for ME.

And... I did run the Tinkerbell Half Marathon and wrote about HERE and I am going back in 2014 to run it again!

Excuses... I have a ton of them... well 3 to be exact. #motherrunner

Excuses... I have a lot of them.  An easy one to keep me from my running outside are my three kids... cute as they are (especially when they were babies) their mere presence can limit my running choices.  (I have included photos of them as babies below... to prove the cute factor.)

Wyatt - 15 months

Makenna - 17 months

Luke - 18 months

I noticed on my NIKE+ app (the way I track my running) that I had been quite heavy on the treadmill use lately. Now... the treadmill is nice... lots of advantages to my stage of life.  The kids can play and watch movies while I sweat it out with the A/C and fans blowing on me.  But... from time to time I do need to get outside... I probably should also mention that my awesome husband is a Seattle commuter... so getting up early most days is not really an option either because he leaves for work REALLY early... like East Coast early.    We live about an hour north of Seattle.

A few weeks back I had an idea... I could run at our church and let the kids play at the playground.  They are old enough now to be trusted when I can't see them the entire time.  It is a safe place to be for all of us... (no real strangers around).  It gets them outside for some exercise.  They can bring bikes and follow me for parts of my run.  Nice restrooms inside for all of us if needed... a win win.  All except for the repeated scenery for me and the killer hill that I would have to go up each time I rounded the back corner.  Oh well... I would just play Kelly Clarkson "Stronger" over and over if I needed to.  So I tried it out a few weeks ago and it worked great!  

So we went there again today.  This time though my kids were fighting more than normal and more than one time when I came down the hill from the upper parking lot I was met with one of them whining or crying that someone else had "wronged them" in some way and I needed to intervene.  UGH!  Really.  I lost it a couple of times and told them to work it out themselves.   One time I came down and they were no where to be seen... had to hit pause again on my app and found them inside hitting up the receptionist for chocolate.  Really?  More lecturing about obeying and staying outside unless someone had to use the restroom.

It is hard enough to keep a consistent running schedule and train for Half Marathons alone not to mention put 3 kids in the mix.  Don't get me wrong... I love my cherubs.  

We are blessed beyond measure... cup runneth over and all of that.  My older 2 will be back to school in 22 days but who is counting... that will make scheduling runs a little easier.   Not to mention my youngest will be in Preschool 2 mornings a week.  I remember stressing out last year when I had to use the treadmill more that I had expected and thought it would affect my Half training.  It was fine and I will be fine.  I have a 15K on September 14th, a Half on Sept 29th, and another Half on October 14th... so the running continues. 
  Sometimes it might have to be round and round at the church parking lot.  No excuses though... #getitdone !  There are a ton of other excuses I could have included here... rain, rain, and more rain... (I do live in the Pacific Northwest)... too dark, I want to sleep, too hot, too cold, I am lazy, I don't feel like it, I need to go to Costco... and more.

Click HERE if you want to see how many times I went "round and round" to get 6.2 miles in!

What things tend to get in your way when you need to plan a run?

For those of you that are parents... and don't have a full time nanny... how do you creatively solve the "I need to run" factor?

Want to go running sometime? Uh ... actually no.

Yep... it happened again today... a friend that is also a runner said to me... "We should go running sometime."  Almost immediately I had a lump in my throat and I was doing everything I could do to be polite and just nod... and say... "Yes... maybe sometime."

This is me in this photo...running a 10K near our home in Washington State.

I have been running consistently for over a year now and I have learned some things abut myself in my short time as a "real" runner.  I like to run alone.  Actually I LOVE to run alone.  I have a busy family with 3 young kids.  My running time (even if it is on my treadmill with my headphones on) is my escape... my "ME" time.   I know that running can be a very social activity.  I am addicted to formalized races and the atmosphere that surrounds them.  Running groups and organized runs are just about everywhere you look.  One of my sisters who has been a runner for most of her adult life almost always runs with at least one friend.  I have not found this to be helpful for me.  Actually it stresses me out.  I don't enjoy it.  I tend to be worrying all the time about my pace being too slow for the other runner or maybe I am too fast (probably not the case).  What if they don't like the route I chose ... what if I want to walk and they think I am a wussy... what if they want to walk and I don't... oh it just stresses me out!

 This is not me in the photo... hard to take a photo of yourself if you usually run alone.

 I LOVE doing organized races but I LOVE to do them alone.  Now... if you have done any organized races you would probably tell me that you are not alone when you participate in those.  Actually you are...  I don't feel like I have to talk to anyone I know and my only pace setter... is me.  I have done 2 races in my running career with other people.    I ran a 10K last October with one of my sisters.  We had never run or trained together ahead of time.  She does not run with walk/run intervals like I do.  She agreed she would stick with me and do the intervals with me for this one run.  It was fine... the race went well... she ran ahead at times and then finished about 5 minutes ahead of me.  All good. 

My husband ran with me at the Neverland 5K at Disneyland .  It was fun... again we had never really run together before.  (He doesn't really run at all) We learned pretty quickly that our strides are MILES apart.  I could not keep up with him stride for stride.  We figured out a system fairly quickly that worked for this short race.  He would run ahead until he needed a walk break where then I would catch up and run with him for just a little bit and then he would run ahead again.  We never really lost sight of each other and finished quickly.  We were able to get those pictures we wanted together.  As for the running part... we ran independently but finished strong together!  It was loads of fun! (How can you not have fun at Disneyland?) 

Doing the races as a one time thing was okay... but not my favorite.

I read an article recently that totally explained how I feel about solo running.  For lack of just retyping what this person said I will post it HERE.

So does this make me an incredibly antisocial person in the running world?  (if you ever see me at a race don't talk to me... ha ha)  I am actually quite an outgoing person and love talking and lots of friends in other areas of my life. 

But for running... I will just say it... I love the "alone time" - me and the open road or me and my treadmill with my earphones in and I can go to that place of being alone (even when all 3 of my kids are in the room).

Do you like to run with others?  What is your favorite part about it?

Are you a solo runner like me?  What do you love about running alone?

Inspiring Hope 5K/10K Race Recap - May 11, 2013

Wow!!!  I recently participated in the 10K part of the Inspiring Hope Race on May 11, 2013 in Mukilteo, WA.  My friend Penny Kellam sure knows how to put on a top notch race! (I met Penny in 2002 when I was part of her Kindred Spirits Team and walked the Seattle Breast Cancer 3 Day).

Let me begin with package pick up... early package pick up was available at a small shoe store called Shoes and Feet in Everett - for a few days the week prior to the event.  What a great idea!   This was so convenient for my schedule to check the days the store would have the packets available and then zoom on down to pick up my packet a few days before the busy weekend.  They also had pick up available on race day but I like to pick up early if I can.  It is how I roll.   I neglected to take a picture of the contents (bad blogger) of the package but it was chock full of goodies.  Along with the race number and timing chip... there were valuable local coupons, fruit bar sample, sample deodorant (hint hint), and some flyers from some of the sponsors.  Good stuff.  I did manage one photo of the number, my shirt, and race day necessities...

Then came race morning... I live about 40 minutes driving time north of Mukilteo, WA... I got up about 6am, dressed and made the easy drive south.  I arrived to pink signs and ladies dressed up in lots of pink directing traffic at Kamiak High School in Mukilteo.  Plenty of parking!  I walked on over to the Commons building to where the little mini 'Expo" was being held. 

I had my race number already (of course) but if I had not there were tables set up and clearly marked where to get anything you were looking for. m I did still need to pay for my race shirt which was an extra $15 on top of the registration for the race.  Well worth it... a really nice tech shirt in a lovely blue color.  it went well with my Team Sparkle skirt!  I need to mention that most of the races I participate in near home... I am usually the lone sparkle skirt wearer.  Not this race!  I found some fellow runDisney runners (and walkers) and several gals sporting the Team Sparkle!  I made some new friends and it was awesome!

It was nearing 9am and it was time for the race to start... after a bit of warm up hosted by somebody from a nearby fitness business (sorry I don't remember who that was) the 10K runners were off.  Oh - that was me!  They started the 5K runners/walkers slightly after the 10K runners.  I appreciated this  - there were a lot of participants... strollers, dogs, people intending to walk.  It was nice to have them have their own pace group and the runners have their own group.  

We were off... the route was beautifully marked... fluorescent arrows showing us the way.  The uneven bumps in the sidewalk and pavement were marked with chalk and there were crossing guards at every street crossing... they had thought of everything!  This course was a little hillier than I am used to so that posed a little personal challenge at times but my finish time was still very similar to my other 10K finishes.  I felt good about that!  The course was pretty and the weather was perfect.  It had been a little overcast that morning and even spit a few raindrops... but at race time the sun was peeking out and it even got a bit warm towards the end.  The only real (little) complaint i would have about the course is that nearing the end the 10K route merged with the 5K route and I don't think a lot of the 5K walkers really realized they needed to stay to the right.  A few times I had to yell out "Please move to the right" as walkers (with dogs and strollers) were walking 4 and 5 abreast.  I was pouring on a little steam at the end and it was a little bothersome to come around a bend and have to slow beacuse of walkers blocking.   Not a huge deal overall but a little one for me.

This 10K had beautiful finisher medals for everyone (even the 5K walkers)!  Not any of the 10Ks I have done to date had that!  I was pleasantly surprised by that!

Thank you Penny for an amazing experience!  I had fun and was honored to help raise some funds for the cause!

Here are a few more photos from the event...

Penny and I after I finished!  Thanks again Penny!