Day 12 of the 21 Day No Junk Challenge

January 23, 2015 by Meridith

Have you ever heard this saying?

How about this one?

Because I have… for years. I’ve seen them on tumblr. Heard my trainer mutter the sentiments as he ~~rants~~ asks kindly about our eating habits.

However, that is exactly what I was trying to do, for the past few months. It will surprise approximately no one that it wasn’t working.

NO MORE! I decided to take on the 21 Day No Junk Challenge. It doesn’t include magic potions, wands, wraps, etc. It’s simply being mindful of everything I eat, every move I make, every breath I take. Oh wait, this isn’t a Police song, is it?

Right now I’m over halfway through the challenge and I’ve lost 4 pounds since I start 12 days ago. What the what? That can’t be right, can it? But it is.

And I’ve told everyone who will listen because this doesn’t usually happen for me. But here I am and it’s been 12 days and I am working hard and I’m down four pounds.

I started at 158 but didn’t think to take a picture.

So what exactly am I doing? (Besides challenging my inner Destiny’s Child with No, No, No…)

1. Really, really, really watching the snacking.

Just call me the mindless snacker. Bored? Stressed? That calls for a snack!

I love snacking. However, when a snack involves thought, you question if you really want/need it.

And when you DO, you land on things like these:

Yum!

Om nom nom.

My choices have all been delicious and smart choices. I don’t feel like I’m depriving myself at all. I feel like I’m fueling myself!

Ahem, that’s not to say that I wasn’t craving sugar the first week. There was one evening in particular that I thought that I absolutely needed ice cream.

2. Support group, rally!

“I want candy.”

“I think I really need wine tonight.”

These are the texts I sent to Brooke and Bec last week. And then they sent supportive texts back telling me why I didn’t need those things and gave me alternatives instead.

It takes a village and I am so grateful for mine.

3. Really, really, really watching the steps.

Every day = 10,000 steps (at least)

No excuses.

If this means getting on the treadmill in 20 minute increments while my little dude is sick with a never-ending cold, I will do it. If it means that I can get it all done in one shot with a 5 mile run, I will do that.

Whatever it takes. Additionally, I don’t limit myself to running. If I feel like speed walking, that’s what I do.

As further motivation, I’ve got challenges going on with my Fitbit pals. So throughout the day, I’ll get messages like this:

Back off, Moe!

When I see messages like this one, it makes me want to get moving and beat Maureen. And Cyanne. And everyone else.

4. When I work out and eat well, I feel really good. (Sore, but good.)

I think I might need to invest in regular massages because I’ve got to say that upping the intensity of my workouts has me with a few more aches and pains than I’m used to. That “good sore” is teetering on the edge of “sore sore” on certain days.

On the flip side of that, I’m also feeling good. More toned, more “in shape”. I don’t know actually how true that is, especially after only 12 days. There are no abs to speak of yet, but if I continue this… if it’s more of an every day challenge and not just a 21 day thing, who knows!

With all of this, I need to have that healthy balance, as sometimes I can get a little disordered in my thinking. So I’m not tracking my food and after this challenge is over, I’ll be cutting back on the scale/weight thing to every couple of weeks.

I need to do what works for me so that I can succeed and ultimately do the best by me that is possible.

There’s my update. I’ll be checking in again once I hit 21 days; but I want to hear from you, too!

If you’re doing the no junk food challenge, Whole 30, Whole 60 (Kyle is on round two, holla!), no beets, no nasty stares, whatever you’re doing… I want to hear about it. What are your struggles? What’s been easier than you thought it would be?

Serendipitous WDW Marathon Cheering

January 15, 2015 by Meridith

Brooke and I weren’t planning on going to any of the parks on Sunday. However, I sort of had Disney non-visit remorse on this short trip (I know, I know) and since Brooke has an annual pass, I suggested an Epcot visit.

We were about halfway there when I said, “Hey, wait a minute. Doesn’t the marathon go through Epcot?” (You know, because we live in a bubble and didn’t think about it prior!) After a brief glance at the course map we realized that it did, indeed! Not only that but it was at the very end of the marathon, miles 25 and 26.

SCORE!

Brooke and I are VERY big into the rah-rah! I mean, if we had the supplies in the car, we would have whipped up some signs on the spot. But since we didn’t we had to rely on our big mouths.

No problem-o!

We knew quite a few people running the full marathon. Naturally, we were tracking exactly zero of them.

But everyone is a friend in Disney, right? Knowing that everyone deserves a good cheer, we decided to just cheer for everyone and hoped that maybe we’d stumble across pals!

I’ve got to say, the way that Disney handle crowds while the park is open is very impressive. They had a couple of different routes so when they routed runners one direction, the park goers would wait. Then they would change the runners directions slightly so that the crowds could cross. It works very well (as long as you wait at the crosswalk and don’t dart out in front of runners).

It started raining a little after we arrived but it wasn’t as cold as it had been the past few days. We made our way over to Mexico, cheering as we walked.

Figuring margaritas were in order for cheering, we grabbed yummy beverages. Some of the runners had the same idea. Because, why the heck not? (This nearly made me say, “Hey, we should run the marathon so that we can drink at the end.”) (Nearly. Then I realized I could just do that anytime in Epcot and NOT run a marathon.)

This awesome guy was drinking around the world! He’d already gotten an Orange Slush and beer and was rounding it out with a margarita.

We hung out around the Mexico pavilion for awhile, cheers-ing and cheering the runners!

We made sure not to say that they were almost there or that the finish was just around the corner. Instead we emphasized how much they all rocked and were looking good and strong!

Of course, while we were there we made our way to Norway! We needed to give a Scoot a Doot shout out to our favorite statue of Grete Waitz!

Around this time, we started wondering if we would be able to track down Kristen and Suzanne. We did a little social media stalking (I feel only slightly weird saying that; after all, we were looking at people’s skirts yesterday to find them!) and knew we were looking for peach colored shirts and that Suzanne was wearing a cool superhero skirt. We continued to walk and cheer until…

I don’t even know HOW to describe the noise we made when we all saw each other. I really don’t. I mean, we were excited when we found each other during the half the day prior. But this? This was a whole other level!

We offered them our drinks and they took sips before they were once again on their way! Oh my word, it was seriously awesome.

I’d been texting with our friend, Meredith, and told her we’d be by Morocco. It was her first marathon and my hope was to see her to cheer her on at some point because we’d missed each other the rest of the weekend!

Brooke and I grabbed some yummy food and sat down outside to eat when I heard Meredith yelling my name. We were falling down on the cheering job!

Mer and I had met each other at the 2013 Wine and Dine meetup and it was especially awesome to see her again, right where we had first met. She was running for Team Noah and she ROCKED it!

We sat and ate while watching more running streaming through the World Showcase. We saw awesome costumes, people who looked like they were hurting (but they were persevering!), and family members cheering on their people. It was all wonderful!

After awhile, we saw the balloon ladies come and go. For those not familiar with the term, the balloon ladies are the very last people to start a race and they keep an exact 16 minute mile pace so people know how fast or slow they are going. The goal is to be in front of the balloon ladies to keep an accurate pace and avoid being swept.

I’m not sure what mile you have to get to in order to be “safe” but I know that we spent a good amount of time right near the balloon ladies in Disneyland and it seemed like mile 10 was the key mile there.

Brooke and I continued to walk along the course while the runners became more sparse. Finally, the last runners made their way through the course while we were in France.

What wound up as spontaneous cheering for the marathoners was a great treat for us! As runners, it was wonderful to be out there, supporting our tribe.

You’re all out of this world and we give you two thumbs up! Way to rock!

2015 Walt Disney World half marathon recap

January 14, 2015 by Meridith

Fun fact: I’ve never run a Disney race twice.

I kicked it off in 2012, tackling Princess as my first half marathon and doing the 5k for funsies the day prior (and friends thought I was nuts). From there it’s been a whirlwind of the Castaway 5k, Tink, Wine and Dine, Disneyland 10k and half (again, with the nuts comments – they obviously don’t know many who have done Goofy/Dopey), and most recently the Walt Disney World half this past weekend.

Anyone who has run a Florida runDisney race knows about the dreaded early wake up time.

Anyone who has not run a Florida runDisney race but wants to… you may want to set your alarms now for 2:45am and practice that along with training. Because yes, that’s what time you get up for these races.

The struggle is real.

Extra, extra, read all about it. It’s COLD outside.

Brooke and I decided that we would be Newsies. We also decided that we would wear cute little tanks and running skirts. And then Mother Nature decided that she was going to throw a curveball at all of northern Florida and make it fairly chilly. Warmth took precedence over cuteness.

Sleep nearly took precedence over the race, if I’m being quite honest. Have I mentioned how early it was?

We stayed at the All Star Movie Resort, which made our travel to the start very simple; buses are scheduled non-stop starting at 3am. We didn’t check bags so we gathered our SPIbelts, food (wheat flats, almond butter, and bananas), and braced ourselves for the cold weather.

Donning our pajama pants and Brooke’s husband’s sweatshirts we found ourselves at the start village. Our dear friend, Ashley, was doing her first half marathon and our plan was to find her before the race. Attempts to track down Kristen and Suzanne were made, as I knew they were starting in our corral but to no avail.

The walk from the start village to the corrals is about a mile or so and while I found it daunting during the Princess half (remember, that was my first half ever), this wasn’t bad at all. The flow of traffic was smooth and we were able to get to the corrals with no issues. Our walk consisted of us geeking out over Universal’s Harry Potter world and books in general.

These are my people!

Ash, Brooke, and me

Soon we had to split off and go to our separate corrals, so we gave hugs and high fives to Ash and her friends before heading to corral J.

Thanks to social media, Brooke and I knew which skirts Kristen and Suzanne were wearing so we spent a good long while walking around the corral, peering at people’s legs. Yes, indeed. Sadly, we didn’t find them (but hey, it was a way to pass the time).

The earlier corrals began to cross the start line and we both shimmied out of our pajama pants, tossing them into the collection boxes. We listened to the announcers banter and watched the fireworks at the start of each corral.

Before long, it was our turn!

Our plan for this race was to HAVE FUN and I would say we succeeded! We thanked volunteers left and right. We ran when we felt like it. We walked when we felt like it (or when the course narrowed and there wasn’t much of an option). We cheered for other runners.

We pulled to the side and took selfies.

This course is the exact same as Princess so we knew what to expect. But honestly, my feelings toward this race couldn’t have been more different. My first half, it was all about getting through it. This? This was just about having fun and spending time with my friend. I didn’t hurt. I didn’t push any limits. I just had fun with Brooke.

The park is always crowded, as you can see in this video. There are people cheering and there’s not much room to navigate if you want to go faster than the people in front of you. What’s a courteous runner to do? Just roll with it. Soak it up, enjoy the moment, and smile.

It was “snowing” as we ran into the castle.

If you’re a middle to the back of the pack runner, realize that you probably won’t get that awesome running shot of you coming out of the castle. I know for me, it was slightly disappointing when I first ran a Disney race. However, there are photographers stationed right in front of the castle if you want to stop and grab pictures with the castle in the background.

Brooke was hoping that this train would bring us to Diagon Alley. It does not. Sadly.

Miles 7-11 are what I like to call “the boring miles.” You exit Magic Kingdom and it’s lackluster. I feel like Disney could do something MORE in these miles to make it less tedious. I said that 2 years ago during Princess and I’m saying it again.

That’s not to say that the boring miles only pertain to runDisney, it’s really true of any half marathon. They are just sort of ho-hum, are we done yet? miles. For the record, the answer is no. You’re not even close to being done.

Which is why when you run into Kristen and Suzanne, whom you’ve been looking for the entire time, you basically lose your ever-loving mind and make loud squealing noises!

They spotted my hair and hat and we spotted their SKIRTS. How cute are they?

We hung out with them for about a half mile (I’m guessing – my watch was set on kilometers so I wasn’t exactly knowledgeable of anything in the distance department) before I pulled to the side because I had something in my shoe. It was so wonderful to see them and it definitely made those “boring miles” way more exciting!

Since the race is mostly on access roads, it’s hard for spectators to get out to the more remote areas. That’s why I totally have to give kudos to this guy! This was mile 10, just before going up the access ramp.

Brooke and I kept chugging along although we were straight up speed walking at this point with the hopes of finishing up faster. Right outside of Epcot there were people cheering and it was wonderful to hear my name being called. Only LATER did I realize it was Bonnie! OH MY GOODNESS, I love that girl!

When you hit Epcot, you hear the same thing over and over. “The finish is just around the corner.” But we knew the course and we knew that it was NOT. You have to wind your way through Epcot a little before that corner finally comes. However, this is how you know the corner is really the actual corner and not a fictional one.

That’s right! There’s a gospel choir! You can hear Brooke WOOing them, like a good Woo Girl should.

Then, and only then, can you expect to see the finish line around the corner.

This is the moment that you’ve been waiting for for 13.1 miles. You take it in. The crowds cheering. The people in front of you holding hands. The far off sound of medals clanking.

The sound of Brooke as she exclaims, “WAIT! Is that Minnie Mouse?”

Why, yes. Yes, it is.

The finish was wonderful. Filled with great medals and snacks because runger is a real thing. Oh, and banana phones.

W stayed at the finish area, snacking and stretching, so we could meet up with Ashley after she finished her very first half marathon. Mark my words, next time we are running TOGETHER.

Different races have meant different things in my life. Some are for PRs, others are for fun with friends. This one, and this weekend in general, was therapeutic. It was good for the soul and exactly what I needed.

Do different races hold different meanings in your life? When is your next race? Anyone entering the Broad Street 10 Miler Lottery? The next 5k I’m registered for is the Adrenaline Run 5k. After that it’s the Atlantic City April Fools Half. Will I see you at either of those?

Shake out the Sugar

January 7, 2015 by Meridith

When I was in college, a friend of mine had a post-it note on her campus card. It said one word: NO.

I remember asking her about it; she explained it was her way of reminding herself not to use her card to buy cookies. And it worked because that girl did NOT buy cookies.

Personally, I’m not a big fan of the word NO. It feels restrictive to me. Don’t tell me what I can’t do, tell me what I CAN do.

However… maybe a little restrictiveness could go the distance? Especially when it comes to food. Because I’ve gotta tell you, my pants are feeling a bit tighter than usual.

Self-control apparently went the way of the dodo during the month of December. And maybe a little bit of November too.

Okay, a lot of November.

I can’t even call them “holiday pounds” because these 8 pounds have been creeping on slowly over the fall/winter. I’m fully cognizant that when you don’t work out as much and “treat yo self” with goodies, your body says “Oh hey, I guess we need a little extra padding for the winter.”

We do not, body.

Kyle has had great success with the Whole 30 and it’s something I might consider in the future. For now, I’ve decided to try something a bit less restrictive than the Whole 30, yet still restrictive. Because apparently, I need some rules.

I created the graphic, not the challenge. However, if you DO know who created the challenge, give me a shout!

This is happening. Not today though. Because tomorrow I head to Florida for a few days of quality time with BROOKE, and for the Disney World half marathon. Starting today would just be cruel and unusual punishment for everyone involved.

Therefore, I’ll be starting the No Junk Food Challenge on Monday, January 12th. And when I say challenge, it’s definitely going to be because we have things like this in the house…

We “won” this movie basket. Oy!

The candy won’t be my biggest issue though. Oh, no no. My biggest vice is/has/and always will be ice cream. That will be the main challenge of the challenge. Also, not listed but something I’ve added in is alcohol. And that, will be a challenge because I like to enjoy wine with my dinner.

Apparently, I’m a creature of habit because I posted this exactly a year ago.

Meridith of a year ago knew what she was talking about and Meridith of today will be following the same mindset!

More water, less bazillion calorie drinks.
More homecooked, less takeout. More veggies, less cookies. Smaller meals throughout the day and smarter choices.
More movement, less non-movement.

When I put my mind to something and give myself parameters, I can and I will thrive! And so, it’s with that knowledge and a bit of restrictiveness that I move forward for the next month. Let’s see where I land! I’ll be checking in (accountability is a beautiful thing).

Bec and Brooke are joining me for this challenge. The more the merrier so if you’d like a couple of accountability partners, give a shout in the comments!

If you see me in Florida this weekend, and I happen to be eating ice cream, drinking wine, and trying a cronut for the first time (that’s not technically a donut – see totally starting early!), please try not to judge me too harshly. Also, come say hello and we can share!

What’s your game plan for the next 21 days? Have you ever tried a cronut? (I’m slightly intrigued by this phenomena but not really a donut person so I’m not sure I’ll like it.) Who should I look for at the Walt Disney World marathon weekend?

Always Look On The Bright Side of Life

December 30, 2014 by Meridith

You know what? I’ve been having a rough couple of weeks.

Not like small rough. BIG, STEAMING PILES OF POOP, rough. I’m not going to go into too much into the craptastic details. But you can trust me when I say that things haven’t been the greatest.

I’ve repeatedly stated that I can’t wait for 2014 to be over; however, just like you can’t have a bad workout and give up for the week, day, month, year… you can’t blame an entire year for some crappy days (weeks, months, events, blah blah blah).

Besides, today, I realize that things are actually going my way! Seriously, I’ve got a few awesome things that I did today. And no, they aren’t BIG things. But I’ve always been a glass half full type of person, despite what life has thrown at me so why change that now?

Without further ado:

1. I’ve saved $450 of random cash this year in an envelope.

CHA-CHING!

I can’t find the exact blog post but Suzan over at Welcome to the Nuthouse mentioned that every time she got a 5 dollar bill, she set it aside to save.

Following her lead, I did just that, occasionally throwing in other random bills along the way if I had extra in my wallet that I didn’t need immediately. A few times, bills came OUT of the envelope (emergency fund/no cash in the house/have to pay for piano lessons/etc.) but overall we did a good job of donating to our cause.

Saved money = good!

2. A few months ago that we switched from a .com to a .org and with that change, we changed the look of the blog, added a few awesome Chicks, etc. However, for the life of me, I couldn’t get the LIKE button on the bottom of posts.

I really, really like the like button.

Today I finally figured out HOW TO GET THE LIKE BUTTON BACK. I mean, it’s a little thing, but this was something that I wanted on the blog. And it’s there! Happiness is being able to figure out something that you couldn’t figure out before.

(Now, if anyone has any idea how to get Facebook to post a picture from a blog post rather than pulling a sidebar image… let’s just say I would be most grateful for the insight.)

3. Christmas Crazy is slowly dissolving in my house. And I can breathe again.

Ahhhhhh.

You cuties can go back to your spot, nestled in the attic, until next time!

I’m taking down decorations, cleaning up the living room and finding spots for all the new toys and gadgets. I thrive with order and the chaos of the holidays really does a number on my sensibility.

4. Awesome, awesome, awesome workout with my trainer this morning.

My gym schedule is Tuesday/Thursday (with my husband going Monday/Wednesday/Friday). My Thursday last week was a bit on the busy side, what with it being Christmas and all. Last Tuesday I was injured (part of the craptastic story) and unable to make it. Therefore, I hadn’t really trained with my trainer since 11 days ago.

What was that I said above? Oh yes, I thrive on ORDER.

This morning’s workout was so necessary and so good for me, both physically and mentally. No doubt that I’ll be sore tomorrow and grateful for it!

Thursday is New Years Day so while they are closed, Dude has graciously offered up his Friday to me.

Mark December 30^th, 2014 on your calendars, friends. Because today? TODAY I WIN.

Tell me your best news of today! Big or small – just share it with me. 🙂

All is Calm, All is Bright

December 25, 2014 by Meridith

It Made a Difference For That One: 5 thoughts on volunteering

December 8, 2014 by Meridith

Hi, I’m Meridith and I’m a professional philanthropist.

I always joke about this with friends (especially Brooke, who is also a professional philanthropist) but I’m only somewhat kidding. I volunteer my time… a lot. And it rocks.

If you’ve read Scoot a Doot for any amount of time, you’ve probably figured out that we chicks are big on the doing good things. Do good, feel good! That’s our motto.

Okay, no it’s not. But it’s our secondary motto. (Do those exist? Well, they do now!)

When the PTO needs a secretary… or a vice-president – yeah, I’m holding two positions this year – I’ve got my hand up.

Food drive? Here’s the tuna fish!

Gifts for the holiday giving tree? We’ll take two requests!

When you’re looking to do good, there is never a shortage of opportunities. In fact, it can all be a bit daunting. As a professional philanthropist, I feel it is my duty to share different ways that you too, can volunteer.

Selfie with one of the snuggle pups, Star. ADOPTED

Selfie with one of the shelter snuggle pups, Star. ADOPTED

Front and center on my volunteering stage recently has been my local animal shelter. The want to do this was always present; the reality of me being able to make this happen started in August.

Let’s break it down. I’ll be using the animal shelter as my emphasis but really, this works for many volunteer positions.

1. INTEREST

It’s usually a good idea to make sure you’re fully interested in volunteering for a cause. For example, I wouldn’t volunteer to be a children’s archery instructor because I have bad aim and bad luck.

Many volunteering positions are one and done opportunities, and that’s great if you’re short on time or looking for a quick jolt of feeling good!

An example? Recently the shelter was low on food. As in, so low that they weren’t sure how they were going to feed the animals for the next month. A local news station picked up the story as a human interest piece and then this happened.

A-maz-ing. Photo credit: Camden County Animal Shelter

Community members far and wide came together to donate cat and dog food, beds, laundry detergent, and other daily shelter needs. It was truly incredible to see!

Some people want to do even MORE. That’s when they come out to volunteer interest meetings. Shelters, hospitals (I was a junior volunteer aka candy striper, once upon a time), PTOs – they all have these meetings to tell you more about the organization and what you can do to make a difference.

2. TIME

Time is something that everyone seems short on these days and I can appreciate that. I do have more time than many as a stay at home parent, which is why I like to fill my time with things that are valuable in meaning.

I love dogs and I would have all of the shelter dogs living in my house if I had the option. However, I do like my husband and he’s told me that we are good with ONE dog for now. Sigh.

Anyway… runners and walkers, take note because this is for YOU.

The dogs in shelters NEED exercise. They want nothing more than to get out of their kennels and frolic with me. I walk with many but there are some who are all about running! I spend approximately a mile per dog, which adds up for both dogs and mileage! It’s a win all around.

Also, some of those dogs require upper body strength because they are STRONG! Total body work out, heyyyyy.

3. GOODS/MONEY

Oh, you’re not independently wealthy?

Yeah, me either.

Until I hit the lottery or find a suitcase of 100s, I’m not always able to give financially. However, I have plenty of things in my house that are useful.

And I bet YOU do too.

Shelters need old bedding, towels and sheets to make their animals feel comfy cozy in their temporary homes. Recently I went through my linen closet and pulled older things I no longer used and then reorganized my closet. Donation for the shelter AND a clean closet. Look at me, being all domestic! (This happens less often than it should so yes, I’m totally patting myself on the back.)

In the case that you ARE independently wealthy, I hope you’re donating to your favorite causes!

4. ADVOCACY

There is something that speaks to me about being a representative of someone or something that might not otherwise have a voice. The animals at the shelter don’t have Facebook, they don’t have blogs, they don’t get a chance to get out much…

But I do.

As a volunteer, I am able to bring a pup to get pictures taken at an amazing photographer.

Sweet Lexus on the way to her glamour shots! She is available at Camden County Animal Shelter.

Photo credit: Valerie Bruder Photography

As a volunteer, I am able to take a dog to a local park in hopes of having them meet people who are looking to add a new member to the family.

Shawna at the park! ADOPTED!

As a volunteer, I am able to sign up for events such as parades and mall visits to get the pooches out of their kennels and visible in the community.

It’s good stuff. And when you’ve got a big mouth and a willing audience, you cannot be stopped!

5. MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Listen, when it comes down to it, a big reason that people volunteer is that it makes them feel good.

I love animals, I love spending time with them, and I want to help them in any capacity that I can. Since I don’t live on a ranch and since I’m not independently wealthy, volunteering at the shelter is the absolute best thing I can do to love on the dogs there (and cats – I’ve ventured into the cat room too, I’m still learning the ropes there).

Kiwi – Available at Camden County Animal Shelter (edit to add: ADOPTED!)

I have many four-legged friends and yes, I’ll admit that I miss them when I enter the kennel area only to find a new little face looking up at me.

But that’s also the best day, because it means that they’ve found their forever home.

And that new pup will need a friend to love on them, to walk them, and to give them treats. I’ll be there, leash in hand.

What are your favorite ways to give back to the community? Is there a volunteer opportunity that’s on your bucket list? What’s stopping you?

Special Olympics Step Up Challenge

November 21, 2014 by Meridith

Have you ever signed up for an event only to have more than one person ask you, “What were you thinking?”

Okay, okay, sometimes the things that I find are a little bit out of what people consider ordinary. (Read: Jog ‘n Hog) I happen upon particularly random events that I think might be fun. Then I try to talk someone into joining me. Usually at least one person says, “Aw heck, why not?”

Cue the Philadelphia Special Olympics Step Up challenge.

53 flights of stairs, 1,109 steps, and money for a good cause.

I learned about it on Facebook and after sharing the post, my friend Lynn agreed to join me! Yay Lynn! We registered a week prior to the event, made our plans, and headed into Philly the morning of the stair climb.

BNY Mellon Center on Market Street

There were four “challenges” for varying abilities. Lynn and I didn’t really know what we were getting ourselves into, as we’d never done a stair climb before, so we decided to go with the “Fun Climb Challenge”. The Fun Climb was not timed and you were encouraged to go at your own pace – which sounded like a plan to us!

The “Stair Climb Challenge” was timed and the participants were eligible for prizes.

CrossFitters looking to step up the challenge even further were able to register for the “Cross Climb Challenge” which tacked on a WOD to the stair climb.

For participants who had an hour and ambition, the “Multi Climb Challenge” was perfect! People signed up for this would see how many times they could climb the 53 flights in a one hour period.

We took the train from Jersey. After a little walking detour (the police had the area around City Hall roped off for construction), we got ourselves to the building. Staring up to the top, we wondered what exactly we’d signed up for!

In the lobby, we were given our challenge t-shirts and wristbands which labeled us “fun climbers”. An email earlier in the week had said that there would be a gear check but when we inquired, we were told we could just leave our belongings on the floor. Thankfully we both “packed light” for this and shed our sweatshirts, tucking them away into a corner.

From there, we wandered a bit, as we were given no clear directions on what to do or where to go. We found the snack table (bananas, pretzels, and water) and decided we’d stop by for a Philly pretzel after accomplishing our stair climbing task. Watched the Cross Fit challengers, doing their thing. Visited the bathrooms. Things seemed a bit disorganized and when we asked a volunteer questions, we didn’t really get solid answers.

As we started our second loop around the lobby, the stair climbers and fun climbers were called to together by someone who knew what was up. Hooray!

Dun, dun, dun!

The event coordinators gave us the run down of how things would work and we lined up, with people going a few at a time. In total there were about 190 participants in all four challenges for the morning.

Those doing the timed challenge went prior to the fun climb. The people right in front of me were timed climbers and I was informed we’d start immediately after them.

We were told to pass on the right. The rescue floors were 9, 25, 34, 40 and at the top (53) – each had water stations and climbers had the ability to bail during those floors.

Once we started, we were immediately going way too fast! Since I was following on the heels of the timed climbers, and I had no sense of how fast or slow I should be going but I soon figured out I wasn’t going to be keeping their pace. Around floor 4 we fell back into a more comfortable cadence. Right around this time, Lynn and I exchanged a glance. The glance was “Whoa! Who came up with this challenge?”

Soon we reached floor 9 and we both gratefully grabbed a cup of water from a volunteer there. Many of the Special Olympians were also doing the fun climb and it was great to see them out there, supporting one another and having their coaches with them.

The scenery?

After a quick breather, we were off again. Taking a break at the rescue floors put a little pep in our step, at least for a couple of flights! The rescue floors were spaced just right.

You know the saying, “don’t look back, you’re not going that way?” Well, I did. Or at least I looked down.

I jammed to my music as we continued up, up, up. I sweated. I took another cup of water at floor 25. I stopped with Lynn at 34 so she could get more water. And we continued on! I looked forward to floor 37, my age, so I could get a picture.

Floor 40 was the last “rescue” floor before we made our way to the top and then there were only 13 more to go. I kept my pace slow and steady, using the handrail and enjoying my music. My quads were burning a bit but nothing horrible and we cheered each other on as we made our way past a couple of other stair climbers. Around floor 51 there was a bit of a change where we made our way into the next tower – it was fun to do something a bit different!

Just like that…

We made it!

Hooray for Lynn!

We turned into the 53rd floor and finished our climb. Unlike a run, there’s no finish line, and no cheering (well, except for the two of us cheering for each other). But the sense of accomplishment was great!

And you can’t beat the view!

Lynn and I estimate we climbed the 53 flights in about 25 minutes, which wasn’t bad at all. I had no frame of reference as to how quickly we might be able to do it so 25 minutes definitely worked for me. We made our way back to the lobby, via the elevator, and happily got our pretzels. Our sweatshirts were just where we’d left them too!

I overheard a few people talking and figured out that they were in the competitive stair climbing competition. Being curious, I asked the woman (Peggy) how fast she thought she had done it. Turns out I asked the right person! She was the female winner last year at a time of 10 minutes and she beat her time this year at 9:51. Whoa! I asked how she trained for an event like this (as I obviously had NOT) and she said she goes to buildings like this and runs the steps; she does two workouts – one where she does every other step and one where she runs them straight. Always take the elevator down!

The organizers of the event followed up with an email survey asking for input and feedback, which I always appreciate.

Have you ever done a stair climb challenge or something of the like? What events do you sign up for that leave others wondering about your sanity? Do you like follow up surveys?

Biggest Loser Run Walk recap: Six Flags Great Adventure New Jersey

November 5, 2014 by Meridith

Also known as: that time I fell.

So, spoiler alert, I fell during this race. It was bound to happen; I’ve watched other people fall during races (wincing on their behalf) and knew it was only a matter of time before I was the one going BOOM.

It was my time and it was a spectacular fall. But man, I am so grateful because it could have been so much worse.

As always, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Let me set the stage: it was a cold, blustery day here in New Jersey on Sunday. The rain was non-stop the day prior and everything was still wet from the storm. And it was cold. So cold. Even though it was low 40s, the wind was relentless, making it feel much colder than that.

Dude, Pooks and I piled on the layers and traveled the half hour from my parents house to Six Flags Great Adventure (fun fact: most other Six Flags parks are called “Six Flags” but we Jersey folk like to refer to ours as Great Adventure). I’d registered for the 10k and Pooks was doing the Kids Mile Fun Run!

We’d driven up from our house the day prior to do packet pick-up and spent the evening in central Jersey. Once we arrived at the race site, we found that people were still registering and doing packet pick-up. I wish I had known that was an option, as I would have definitely done the morning of the race. Ah well, there’s always next time.

The race village was fairly small and looking around, it seemed like most people there were participating in the 5k, with a smattering of 10kers. We didn’t see many kids at first, but there were about 20 who participated in the Kids Fun Run when the time rolled around.

Dan and Jackie Evans, Biggest Loser season 5, were the event hosts and made everyone feel welcome. I heard them introduce Jenn Widder, also from season 5 and she discussed having a baby and weight loss after pregnancy. It sounds like she’s doing great!

At the 8am, when the race was supposed to begin, many people were still getting their packets; in fact, the race start was pushed back 15 minutes to allow everyone to start at the same time. While I appreciate the sentiment of that, it was C-O-L-D and I was looking forward to moving.

Thankfully I had the company of Kim from Barking Mad About Running and her friend, Shannon, and that made the time pass more quickly! I’m so grateful that I was able to hook up with them at the start line – we stayed together throughout the race.

There were no official corrals. They asked that runners line up in the front, run/walkers in the middle, and walkers toward the back. It wasn’t an exact science but for the size of the race, it worked out well.

Huddle together for warmth!

Dan, (whom you might remember is a musician) sang the Star Spangled Banner and then we were off!

Jackie and Pam Geil, Biggest Loser season 14, sent us on our way with high fives and cheers. I believe that Jay Jacobs was also there, but I missed seeing him because he was running the 5k. Good on ya, Jay!

Pam and Jackie were so motivational!

My husband said that once everyone started the race, there were maybe 25 people hanging around, waiting for us to work our way through the park. Which just goes to show that people were doing this run/walk for themselves, which is always a wonderful thing to see.

The course wound its way through the Great Adventure parking lot and then into the park. A little less than a mile in, we found ourselves at a trail portion, which lead us past a lake and into the surrounding wooded area before wrapping us back around into the park and out to the village once more. The 10k race was a double loop of the 5k.

via the Biggest Loser Run Walk site

I have to admit that I didn’t really know too much about the course going into the race. I’d look at the map a day or two before, but other than seeing the names of a few of the coasters, I didn’t realize we’d be going off-road at all. Add the leaves and mud puddles (thanks to the rain) to the mix and it was definitely a slippery situation.

We started off running through the parking lot, chatting along the way. I grew up going to Great Adventure, but it’s bigger and even more coaster filled now!

We entered the park near the carnival games and it was still “dressed up” for Halloween, complete with a fountain that sprayed RED water. Spooky!

The first mile past quickly and soon we were on the trail portion. It was gorgeous scenery and I was pleasantly surprised; this was not what I expected at all.

At mile two there was a water and Gatorade station, along with a few HUGE muddy puddles. We squished a bit on the mud but I managed to stay upright there. I marveled over that fact… obviously that was a wee bit premature.

We were near the mile 5 marker (for the double loop). I’m not even sure what happened, exactly. All I know is that one minute, I was running and the next, my ankle was twisting and I was on the ground! I’m so glad that I didn’t take anyone else down with me because I came down HARD. It wasn’t a little fall. It was a heavy impact fall. There was no stopping or bracing myself. Timber!

I’m incredibly grateful for the woman who stopped to give me a hand up and for Kim and Shannon who walked with me until I reached the point where I felt comfortable running again. What I really loved about this race was the fellowship I felt with everyone else out there. People were friendly and supportive throughout the race. Like I said, it wasn’t a spectator type of event and everyone was doing this for themselves, but there was a family atmosphere from start to finish.

It would have probably been prettier had my ankle not been throbbing…

Now, I must admit, I went through a couple of trains of thought while I was evaluating my level of ability to continue the onto the 10k.

1. Got up, immediately knew I had messed up my ankle and possibly bruised my leg. Crap, I’ll just finish with the 5k. Thank goodness it’s a double loop.

2. No. No! I can run. I could TOTALLY do the 10k. “I’m doing the 10k!”

3. Just kidding. This really hurts. I need ice. Plus, I’ve run 3.1 miles today and I’ve got more races coming up. I’m finishing at the 5k.

A pic with my heroes!

After seeing monkeys in the safari area, we crossed the finish line. Pam welcomed everyone back with high fives and great spirit! That lady has spunk! Directly past the finish line we were handed our medals and there were tables set up with water, bagels and bananas for each person to grab.

I immediately sought out the medical tent to get ice. While doing that, I somehow lost Kim and Shannon but I know that I’ll being seeing them at races again in the future.

At the finish line, Dan was jamming out on his guitar and it was great to be able to relax and enjoy the music for a few moments.

Once I was all patched up (at least for the moment) I wandered around with Pooks and Dude because we had some time in between the my finish and the start for the Kids Run. At the Solutions tent I was able to meet Christina, who I’d been emailing with in regards to the event, and she was absolutely lovely! It’s always great to put a face to a name.

I also found Jackie and chatted with her for a couple of minutes about the chilly weather, the race series, and about how awesome our sons are. Of course, we needed to get a group shot. Dan was a bit busy but we made it work.

Pooks was a bit nervous leading up to the event but the day of, he was ready to go! At 9:45 the Kids Race was underway. The kids lined up at the start and took off. No timing chips, this was strictly FUN!

He’s off!

Originally we had planned for him to shed the outer layer but with the weather being so chilly, he decided to channel his inner Rocky and kept the gray theme going. My husband went about a tenth of a mile onto the course to cheer for him as he ran out and back.

The kids ran the opposite direction on the course so they were able to see the monkeys too!

And then, just like that, they were on their way back to the finish. Pooks hadn’t done a mile in awhile so he was happy to get out there and stretch his legs, especially after being sick all last week.

I was really grateful to be able to do this particular event with Pooks. We watch the Biggest Loser together and were so excited for the past month, leading up to the big day. While I wish we had warmer weather, and I certainly would have liked to have not fallen, I’m so glad that we got to experience this together!

Something that this race series does is provide FREE race pictures to participants. Um, how cool is that? They should be up on the website in a few days and I can’t wait to see them.

Have you ever participated in the Biggest Loser Run Walk Event? Which one? And have you ever fallen or injured yourself during a race? Thankfully, my ankle is feeling a lot better now! Thank you for the well-wishes via social media! xo

The Biggest Loser Run Walk Race Series compensated entry for both my son and myself. No other compensation was given. All opinions and any spectacular falls are my own.

2014 AC Marathon Race Series 10k Recap

October 22, 2014 by Meridith

One of my tried and true, go-to race series that I return to repeatedly is the Atlantic City Marathon Series. Why? Well, it really boils down to these key points:

1. It’s in my state! New Jersey races for the win!

2. The value is phenomenal. If you sign up early with a finisher’s code, a 10k or half marathon can cost less than other single pricey 5k events.

3. Overall, it’s a really great smaller race series and I love supporting it.

Last year’s 10k was a bit on the soggy side, so I was very happy to see the weather forecast for this year’s race was sunny and clear skies. Especially considering that I’d been sick with a pretty horrible cold throughout the week.

Since I was still recovering, I decided that rather than doing Neptune’s Challenge (which was the 10k and half that I originally signed up for) I was only going to do the 10k. Spoiler alert: I made the right call!

Yes, please!

In October, you never know what you’re going to get in terms of the weather, but we lucked out! And it’s a good thing because I had my cheer crew with me.

Little and Mom!

Usually I’m flying solo or with friends for races, but this time there was the added bonus of my mom and my youngest son who not only joined me for the expo but also the morning of the race.

Since I live within driving distance, we drove the hour back and forth on both Friday night (for the expo) and Saturday morning. Sadly, there was no day of race pick up – that would have shaved some travel time for us, as well as parking costs (although we got $5 vouchers at the expo). We made the best of our visits by getting treats at the candy shop on the boardwalk and wandering around.

Little was very excited that he was somewhere that his big brother had never been before. TWICE. It’s all about the competition when you’re five.

Really excited about this sign. The other side said, “I love you mom, because I love you.”

However, when you’re 37, it’s all about finishing the race and not hacking your lungs out on the boardwalk. Or, well, at least it was for me during this race. Because, let me tell you, this was not a fun race for me.

The race environment was awesome, as always. Running the boards always feels good because it has that extra give; I enjoyed the running aspect.

This particular race is an out and back – the first mile is on the populated “store area” of the boardwalk, then you run along a residential area. There is a 5k turn around and further down the 10k turn around.

The problem was that my lungs felt like they could never get quite enough air and when they finally did, I was coughing. I ran 2:1 intervals throughout and while I wasn’t feeling wonderful, I did appreciate the view.

I mean, how can you not?

By the last mile I was so ready to be done, which is a shame, because that’s usually my favorite part of this race. This time? Not so much. The last mile definitely felt like it had doubled in length but finally, I saw the finish line!

My mom snapped this.

I crossed the finish with a smile on my face, because, YAY! I WAS DONE! They said everyone’s name as we crossed the line, which I thought was a really nice touch and with a field of 950 participants, very doable.

I was immediately handed a medal and a bottle of water. I made my way over to the barrier where my mom and Little were cheering and Little immediately homed in on the water. “Oh, Momma, I’m SO thirsty.” Yes, he took my bottle of water.

Thankfully, in the finisher’s village I was able to snag a plethora of treats including Gatorade, Rita’s Water Ice, a banana, pretzels, bagel, and PowerBar. This was a welcome change from the end of the April Fool’s Half where the back of the pack missed out on most of the snacks. It’s always great when you know that race directors hear you!

After handing off my beer ticket, I met up with my family once more.

Little promptly took my bagel.

Was it my best race ever? No, it was not. But not for lack of effort on the AC Marathon Series’ part. Some races will just be better than others, due to circumstances beyond control. And hey, that’s okay. My greatest takeaway from this one is that I have the best cheering squad ever! Even if one of them takes all of my things. At least he let me wear the medal.

What fall race do you have coming up next? I’ll be at the Biggest Loser Run Walk at Six Flags Great Adventure for their 10k and kids race. Ever run a race while under the weather?

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Author Archives: Meridith