Road ID Giveaway: Safety first, safety last, safety always!

April 1, 2013 by Meridith

Who is a Nervous Nelly (like I am) when it comes to safety?

When I first started running longer distances, I always carried my license (and keys, GU, phone, iPod) in either my pockets or pouch and then spent the rest of the run wondering if I was going to lose my license when I grabbed a GU. I had visions of my license flying out, into the river, and then a tragic accident befalling me as I scrambled after my license. How would anyone know who I was? How would they notify my husband that I had a very overactive imagination?

Or worse, what if something actually happened to me?

Thankfully, my running coach Brandi, and running partner Sarah, saw me silently freaking out during a run one day (until I tracked down my license) and asked what, exactly, I was doing.

That’s when I first heard about Road ID.

Wearing my Road ID during the Cooper Norcross Run the Bridge.

Road IDs are a nifty little way to share your information with anyone who might need to know. While my license has my name and address, it doesn’t have the phone numbers of my nearest and dearest, which could come in handy if something were to happen to me. Of course, I still fill out the back of my bib during races, but for training runs that’s not an option.

Safety first, people!

Once I got my first Road ID, I clearly needed another because there were so many options and I needed to be really safe. (And fashionable.)

Of course, my friends had to get in on the action.

Jess rocking her Road ID at the Color Run. She was 18 weeks pregnant during this event and while Cam and I were with her, we wanted to make sure she was well cared for!

And my children needed them, too. The slim bracelet works really well for the kids and mine have worn them everywhere from a Disney Cruise vacation, to camping, to school/camp trips and, of course, during runs.

Pooks showing off his Road ID.

Besides including the basics (name, year of birth, hometown and state, phone numbers of family), there’s a sixth line available to include a motto or any medical conditions. My little guy has Autism, which is something that he cannot express for himself at this stage in the game, so the sixth line provides that information if he should ever get separated from us. (Obviously, I’d be having a panic attack, were that ever to happen. But knowing that he has his Road ID will help me have a slightly less severe panic attack.)

While I have all the pertinent information on lines one through five, my sixth line has my motto when it comes to working out – I CAN AND I WILL! It’s always nice to have that little reminder there for myself!

I asked my fellow Chicks what sayings they’d use for motivation.

bec2point0 YESTERDAY YOU SAID TOMORROW.

beewhobabbles JUST TEN MORE MINUTES.

camoozle DON’T STOP. GET IT, GET IT.

vfreile ANYONE CAN RUN A MILE. (Vic says this to herself when the run gets crappy and rough and she’s down on herself.)

writeitdownjess DON’T FALL ON YOUR FACE, JESS.

Now, of course, we want our Scoot a Doot readers to all be safe and sound, too – which is why we are thrilled to partner with Road ID on a giveaway for two $35 eCard Gift Certificates for two lucky readers to buy their own Road IDs!

So how do you enter to win? There are a couple of different things you can do to increase your chances:

1. Leave us a comment on this post. What would you put on your sixth line of your Road ID?

2. Follow Road ID on Facebook. Leave us a comment saying that you did (honor system, guys!).

3. Follow Road ID on Twitter. Leave another comment.

4. Follow Scoot a Doot on Twitter and Facebook. Add another comment!

5. Share this contest anywhere– your own blog, Facebook, Twitter, t-shirt, sign on your lawn, where ever. Leave a comment (a link is always awesome, as are pictures – especially if you make a t-shirt. That would be really rad) and you get another entry!

Contest ends Thursday, 4/4/13 at midnight EST. We’ll use Random.org to choose the winners and announce them on Friday, 4/5/13 here on the blog. Cool? Cool!

This contest has sadly come to an end! Look for more giveaways from us soon!

I hate running… Wait, no, I love running!

March 25, 2013 by Meridith

I’m going to let you in on a terribly kept little secret.

Sometimes, more often than I care to admit, I don’t like running. In fact, I don’t use the H word often but I might have said that I’ve *hated* running once or twice.

I’m sorry, I’m sorry; Please don’t shun me from the runner’s club!

I say it’s terribly kept because I’ve got no qualms telling anyone who asks what I truly think about running. My relationship with running has always been tumultuous. In fact, the “it’s complicated” status would be what I’d use to describe us (you know, if Facebook wanted to know the nitty gritty details of me and running).

Cam, Me and Vic before my first race ever (smiles can be deceiving – I was terrified.)

It’s just that, well, there are some days that I’m quite reluctant to run. Once I’m moving, the reluctantly usually subsides, but the motivation to get going is a challenge. I always wind up doing it because I’m fairly driven, but I understand and sympathize with people who say to me “I don’t know how you do it.” Because, honestly, there are days when I’m not sure myself how I do it.

I just do.

I run on the treadmill more than I run on the road, because that’s what currently fits in my life. And also because I feel like when I run outside, people are judging me. The rational part of me knows otherwise but the scared girl who walked around the track in high school instead of running the mile doesn’t want to look foolish.

For years I said those four words that so many people say: I’m not a runner. I had a million reasons why I wasn’t a runner. My knees. My body type. My genetics. It’s Thursday. I don’t run unless I’m being chased.

But the real reason I wasn’t a runner?

Because it’s HARD. Running is a challenge, physically demanding and it occasionally hurts. I remember asking Vic if it gets easier and I think she told me that it does. Or at least that’s what I want to believe she told me because I’m still waiting for that to happen.

Injuries after my first 5k (which happened to be a mud run).

Maybe one day?

I sign up for races because I know that it will encourage me to train consistently. I have moments of greatness with running. They usually happen while I’m running alone with my ear buds in and I lose myself in the run. Like I said, it doesn’t happen often but I’m constantly searching for those moments of greatness because I know they exist, the almost mythical creature that shows up just when you start thinking that maybe you imagined the entire thing.

I get a great sense of accomplishment that I’m running. It’s mine, and I don’t have to be the fastest or the best. I’m a non-competitive person by natural, at least where athletics is concerned. So when it comes to running, it’s enough for me that I’m actually doing it, after 34 years of not doing it. I don’t beat myself up (too much) if I don’t hit a PR goal or get upset if I’m 62 out of 67 in my age group. I’ll take it because the fact that I’m participating is what matters most of all.

Let’s get back to those moments of greatness. Lately, they’ve been showing up more, little glimmers that remind me why I do this (other than the health benefits). Maybe I’m actually figuring out this running stuff a bit more. Maybe I’m improving as a runner and therefore I’m seeing them more and it’s all related.

Maybe I actually like running. A little bit.

Okay, fine. A lot.

I can and I will.

Do you find yourself falling more and more in love with running every day? Or is your relationship status “it’s complicated” too? Do you run to race or to say you’ve done it?

It’s raining, it’s pouring, it’s sleeting, it’s snowing… but we’ve got chocolate!

March 18, 2013 by Meridith

I’m pretty sure that’s not how the old nursery rhyme goes but that’s how our “reward trip” Philadelphia Chocolate Tour and our visit to the City Sports store went after the Haddonfield Adrenaline 5k.

I’d originally heard about chocolate touring when I’d visited Chick Bec back in October. We’d gotten LivingSocial deals for the Boston Chocolate Tour and had a fantastic time checking out the sites, and chocolates, of Boston with Chick Cam and Jenn.

The idea of a chocolate tour is quite simple: visit chocolatiers to sample some of their finest products (and buy more, if you’re so inclined!). Some places even give discounts to tour patrons; there’s no pressure to buy anything but the option is there.

Bec, Cam, Mer and Jenn enjoyed Teuscher’s of Boston! (And a sunny day!)

Naturally, when we saw the LivingSocial deal for the Philadelphia Chocolate Tour, Vic and I envisioned a lovely March day of walking around the city, eating delicious chocolate and having a grand time. Well, at least two out of three of those happened!

Our meeting spot – 12th and Filbert at Reading Terminal Market.

We found our tour guide, Laura, and the rest of our soppy but otherwise happy group. After Vic took a quick picture and Laura called a group that didn’t show up to tell them how they could reschedule, we scooted around the block, which was blessedly under the cover of an overpass.

Once we were shielded from the elements, Laura gave us a little history of the Chocolate Tours company and chocolate in Philadelphia. We learned that Philly is the number one city for cocoa bean imports in the country, in part because the Hershey and Mars factories are located nearby. In addition to the Boston and Philly Chocolate Tours, there is also a Chicago Chocolate Tour (road trip!?!).

The members of our group introduced themselves, sharing their favorite types of chocolate, and then we headed inside Reading Terminal Market to our first two stops.

If you’ve never been to the City of Brotherly Love, you might not be familiar with what Reading Terminal is… which is pure AWESOME. It’s been around since the late 1800’s and is an indoor market with fresh produce, meats, fish, crafts and goods, coffee, and (most importantly for this tour) chocolate opportunities!

Our first stop on the tour was The Famous 4th Street Cookie Company (which, if anyone is wondering, is near 12th street). Vic and I had drooled over these cookies as we’d passed by earlier, so we were very excited that we’d be able to get a sample! We tried their chocolate chip cookies and everyone was quite pleased that they were warm and fresh out of the oven, made especially for our tour group.

And? There were extras so we all got more! Delicious! I can see why they’re “famous” and I’ll definitely be stopping by on my next Philly excursion.

Reading Terminal was quite active, perhaps more so than usual given the rain, but we had no issues following Laura through the crowds to our second stop, the Pennsylvania General Store.

Chocolate Scrapple and Wilbur buds

At this kiosk we were treated to chocolate scrapple and Wilbur buds. If you’re not from the area, you might not be enlightened as to what scrapple is: a mixture of meat scraps and cornmeal that’s formed into a loaf and fried. It’s commonly found in the Northeast region of the U.S. Thankfully, the chocolate scrapple didn’t involved any pork products (although there was a chocolate covered bacon at this store), but did have a delicious mix of marshmallow, popcorn, and nuts. Good stuff! Since my husband is a huge scrapple fan, I wound up getting him a package of the chocolate scrapple there and was pleased to see that they gave the tour group a discount. Score!

Wilbur buds are also a regional treat; the manufacturer is located in Lititz, Lancaster County, Victoria’s hometown. She’s no stranger to the Wilbur buds and suggested letting the chocolate melt a bit in our mouths before biting. The dark chocolate was so heavenly.

We had to travel through the streets of Philly a bit to our next location, which was a bit off the beaten path, in a jewelry and accessory store called Verde. There, tucked into the shop, was Marcie Blaine’s artisanal chocolates.

This spread was aesthetically pleasing, as were the jewelry and purses in the store. We were given a white chocolate Pub Crawl bark sample, which was white chocolate with crushed pretzels, smoked almonds, and cashews. It was okay, but Vic and I were both pretty disappointed because neither of us really like white chocolate and the truffles were fairly pricey, so we didn’t really get a good feel on whether we enjoyed the chocolates at this stop.

The rain was unrelenting at this point and there was no dodging the puddles (or drunk St. Patrick’s day celebrators) on the streets. Thankfully the next stop on our tour was the never-disappointing Teuschers of Switzerland. The small store is tucked into The Shops at The Bellevue on Broad Street and charming in every which way.

Laura gives us an overview of Teuscher and lets us know that we’ll be trying their best selling Champagne Truffle. YUM!

Once inside the store, we were greeted by two associates who gave us a more in depth history of Teuscher and then invited us to try the champagne truffles. I’d actually tasted the champagne truffle at their Boston location so I knew what a treat we were in for! Both Laura and the associates suggested taking a bite of the truffle to fully taste the champagne and chocolate middle.

It was absolutely incredible! Vic couldn’t resist and wound up getting a small gift box.

Our last stop was farther away, right in the heart of Rittenhouse Square. Our tour guide mentioned that on a nicer day, we would wander through Rittenhouse Square Park but on this day, we were just looking to get out of the rain that had turned to hail.

Capogiro Gelato was the final stop on our tour and Vic and I were no strangers, having visited a couple of years back with a friend who lives in the area. We both love gelato but weren’t expecting it on a chocolate tour. We were each given four spoons and ceramic ramekins were passed around the group with four flavors: chocolate, hazelnut chocolate, peanut butter chocolate and double chocolate.

Guinness gelato – everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s day, even gelato!

As we wrapped up, we bid our chocolate tour group a fond farewell. Thankfully City Sports was just a few blocks away. By this time we were a bit tired and cranky but knew that we had a very important task to do before we took the train back into New Jersey – picking out the City Sports Philadelphia shirts for our giveaway winners!

All the pretty colors!

We took our job very seriously, picking the best of the best.

Jayme and Shannon, your shirts will be on their ways soon, complete with a lot of love, a bit of St. Patrick’s day drunk and a small sprinkle of Philly rain. Bec, our Boston representative, will be getting Kate’s City Sports Boston shirt.

Between the Adrenaline 5k, our Philadelphia Chocolate Tour, and City Sports, it was a full and satisfying day!

Have you ever done a food or drink tour in your area? Should we check it out? Let us know in the comments.

Last chance to enter our City Sports t-shirt giveaway!

March 11, 2013 by Meridith

City Sports and boulders, perfect together!

Less than 12 hours before our first giveaway comes to an end and we announce our three winners! So far the response has been great but just in case you were waiting for the last minute, we wanted to gently remind you about our…

Supremely awesome Scoot a Doot blog kick-off Rafflecopter giveaway

Click on that little link, do what you choose to participate in the raffle, and then cross your fingers that you’ll see your name posted/tweeted/emailed by us tomorrow! Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

We started this blog quite recently and if you’re reading this, you’re one of the first people that are checking us out. We are so appreciative that you’d take a chance on a young blog so we wanted to give something back to a lucky few.

Well… what are you waiting for???

The kids are watching… and that’s a good thing!

March 11, 2013 by Meridith

“Momma, there are people running outside! Look at them run so fast!”

My kids genuinely get excited when they see people running on our street. They press their little faces up against the window and they watch. They watch the older gentleman on his daily jog, shuffling along. We live close to a high school and college, so they closely watch as the teams make their rounds. They watch the couple that runs together on the weekends, the woman always a couple of paces ahead of the man. They watch the young girl and her dog.

They watch.

My kids are your cheerleaders, as well as mine. You might not hear them from inside my house (actually, it’s quite possible you do; they’re loud and I’m sure their noise transcends time and space) but they’re there, cheering and watching. Everyone is fast to them. And everyone is doing a terrific job in their eyes.

These kids of mine know that sometimes it’s hard work getting out the door to run. They see it in their own home every day and they always ask us, “Did you run today? What did you do at the gym?” The older one truly wants an answer, while the little one just wants you to pick him up, despite the sweatiness.

They’re inspired without knowing the word to put with the emotion. They’re motivated to run. To run fast. To feel free. Because when other people are running, their natural inclination is to want to run too.

On our Saturday run at the park. For the record, we both wear Road IDs, even when we are running together.

Pace, stride and time mean nothing to them. Eye of the Tiger is their favorite song (and I’m Sexy and I Know It -much to my dismay- because hearing an eight and three year old singing that is wrong) and they both can belt it while running with no issues. They run around the house, around the yard, around any open space. Because obviously, open spaces are made for running.

Before I started running, we would point out planes or diggers on car rides. Now? It’s always runners.

Do you play the game in the car of thinking how far things are in relation to your house and how long it would take you to run there? (Or am I the only one? I don’t think I am!) My elder son actually asked me how long I thought it would take to run to the grocery store the other day… and then lamented it probably wasn’t a good idea because “how could we run home with all the groceries?”

I absolutely adore it. I love that he’s thinking this way and wondering these things, just as I am. Running has made me feel a part of a community, a fraternity of like-minded individuals, my kids are legacies and they want to be a part of it just as much. If there’s anything I know, it’s that my husband and I are doing right by them by committing ourselves to being healthy and active.

The truth is there are days that I probably wouldn’t choose to run… except that I know they’re watching and they’re cheering for me. So I do.

2012 Mother’s Day 5k

Keep on running, friends. And know that my children are cheering for you and think that you are number one, whether you’re running in our neighborhood or across the country, just because you’re out there and you’re moving. And I do, too.

Haddonfield Adrenaline 5k 2012 race recap

March 6, 2013 by Meridith

March 2013 brings many things including “springing ahead”, leprechauns, and egg hunts. However, the one that I’m looking forward to most is the kick-off to race season, and more specifically the 2013 Haddonfield Adrenaline 5k. If you’re from the NJ/PA area, you’ve probably heard of or participated in this race. It’s a favorite in the area; it’s USATF certified, has chipped timing and substantial cash prizes (not that I’m anywhere close to getting a cash prize, but I’ll admit that the awesome medal does have a certain draw!). This year’s race marks the 16th year of the race’s existence and the 8th that it’s been sponsored by the Haddonfield Running Company.

I’ll be there, as will Chick Vic, and in his running debut, my husband, along with more than 1,050 other runners. This was one of my first of twelve races last year (ever, really) so I figured I’d share a bit about the 2012 event to get pumped up for THIS year’s race.

What? You don’t see me? That’s because I was nowhere near those people. They were going for cash. I was going for not puking and the medal!

March 17, 2012 was a perfect day for a race. Low 60s, nice relaxed atmosphere. My friend (and coach) Brandi, her husband Sean (with their daughter in the running stroller) and I started out near the back of the pack and steadily gained speed for the first mile. According to my Garmin, we did that in ten minutes.

Which was super fast for me and comfortable for them. So after that mile, I waved them ahead and fell into a far more comfortable pace. The best part of this race was the nice downhill in the second mile, it breathed life into my legs (even though that was my slowest mile at 11:11). Of course, as the saying goes… what goes down must come up. Or wait, is the saying the other way around? In any event, just before we hit the third mile, there was a HILL.

Now, I don’t know about you all but I’m not what one would call… a fan of hills. In fact, at that point in my running career, I usually walked them. I started walking this one but I could see the clock at the top of the hill so I said, “Aw, f- it!” and ran up the hill.

The last part of the race was on the main street in the town, which is very Gilmore Girl’s Stars Hollow-esque. I’m always a fan of the last half a mile of a race because there’s just something very motivating about the fact that I can see the finish line. The knowledge that there are people cheering me on near the end and also that I’m nearly DONE is a strong draw. And since I always want to finish strong, I throw myself into it. It’s just a good feeling!

There I am, in the home stretch, smiling and waving in my Running Skirt!

My final time was 33:01, which was and IS my 5k race personal record (PR). I actually don’t run that many 5ks and the ones I’ve done since haven’t been the most ideal conditions. I’m hoping that the March 16 race will offer me a chance to set a new PR. The fastest woman last year finished in a bit over 17 minutes, which is impressive since I basically took twice as long. The male winner finished in 14:51. That’s pretty speedy!

While I don’t have any delusions of finishing in that amount of time, I do have a plan on being able to PR.

What is that plan? Well, quite simply, I’m going to chase Vic through the streets of Haddonfield. She’s faster than me but she’s graciously offered to stay ahead of me so that I can use her as a carrot to my rabbit. I tend to “store my energy” in a 5k, since I’m used to longer races. And really? I don’t need to do that with 3.1 miles. So with her help, I’m hoping to go full out and use up all the gas in my tank (without going out too fast either – something that I fear). While ten minute miles were a bit fast for me last year, I believe I can conquer them now.

So I’ll put my fast playlist on while Vic leads me on a footrace through town. Maybe I’ll pretend she has chocolate! MAYBE I’LL GIVE HER CHOCOLATE TO HOLD AS SHE RUNS! I would say ice cream but that doesn’t make much sense.

Picked up the race packets for Saturday! And new kicks, which I’ll share soon. ;)

Last year, my oldest son Pooks participated in the kid’s race. He’s sitting the 2013 race out since Jay and I are both running. However, he’s joined the Track and Field team in our town so he’ll be having plenty of time to run.

1/4-mile race for the kids – such determination! By the way, he got nervous when he saw some of the fast runners puking in the chute at the end of the 5k… he thought he was going to puke too. Thankfully, there was no puking at the kid’s race. At least, not that we saw.

A proud finisher!

As of yesterday afternoon there were less than 250 spots available so if you’re considering the Adrenaline 5k, now’s the time to sign up. And hey, if you see us there, come say hi!

We’ll be in reporting back in few weeks with our recap of the 2013 Haddonfield Adrenaline 5k, our Philadelphia Chocolate Tours trip and, of course, City Sports for our giveaway winners! And, who knows, maybe I can talk Jay into sharing his first race experience!

Do you go into races with a strategy? Does it involve chocolate, chasing, or promises of money?

Blog Kick-off Giveaway!

March 5, 2013 by Meridith

Raise your hand if you like the chance to win free things!

Okay, good! Now that we’ve got that sorted…

We are so excited about the start of this blog that we decided that we needed to do something for the people who are checking it out right off the bat! (That’s you, if you’re reading this!) Therefore, we’ve got not one, not two, but THREE chances for you to win a City Sports t-shirt. Up for grabs is one Boston shirt and two Philadelphia shirts. They are super comfy and they’ve become sort of our uniform when we’re just hanging around.

You need pictures, don’t you?

Vic, hanging out on her porch, drinking a beer. In her City Sports shirt.

Meri, in her City Sports Philly shirt, hanging out on top of Runyon Canyon.

We tend to go with the men’s cut shirts but there are also women’s cut available and we’ll gladly pick one of those up for you, if you’d rather! We’ll sort out the details once the winners are selected. Bec is our MA representative and will hand pick the Boston shirt, while Vic and Mer will be heading into Philly… JUST FOR YOU (and a chocolate tour!).

So what do you need to do? It’s easy! Click on that link below that leads to Rafflecopter and our spiffy sign up form.

Supremely awesome Scoot a Doot blog kick-off Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway runs from March 5th, 2013 – March 11, 2013 at 11:59pm EST. You can return each day to gain more entries through tweets and Facebook posts. If you win, you provide the size (by 3/15/13), we get to choose the color and which city you’ll be receiving. This contest is not sponsored by or associated with City Sports (we just like them a lot).

Also, do you like our new look? Our graphic designer, Sara, created it especially for us! We feel very grown up now!

2012 Atlantic City April Fool’s 1/2 Marathon (and 7k!)

February 26, 2013 by Meridith

Being born on April Fool’s day has a few disadvantages. There’s always the same tired jokes. And there was that time in high school when my friends decided to each bring me Mylar balloons so that by the end of the day, I had about 20 balloons with which I was knocking people down in the hallways.

But then I met my husband in college; one of the first conversations we ever had was about birthdays. And that’s because we share the same one! Being born on April Fool’s day was looking up.

Another cool fact about being born on April Fool’s day is that there are actually RACES that revolve around the fact that it’s April Fool’s day. Let’s all get crazy and run on April Fool’s day!

Last year, I ran the inaugural Atlantic City Marathon series half marathon on my 35th birthday with fellow Scoot a Doot chick, Cam. I was obviously the seasoned half marathon runner with preciously ONE half marathon under my belt. Chick Bec was signed up to do the 7k and there was an 11k on the same day as well. This recap was written after the race on my personal blog but I’ve freshened it up to share on Scoot a Doot.

We arrived in Atlantic City the afternoon prior to the race. My house is less than a hour away from AC but we decided to relieve some stress and get a room at one of the hotels associated with the race. There was no expo for this race but the packet pick-up was quick and easy.

Cam and Bec showing off their numbers!

We raced over to the Tropicana (where we were staying) from Bally’s (host hotel) to check in and get ready for our carb loading dinner… only to find out at the front desk that the “only room they had with two beds was a smoking room.” That wasn’t going to fly and after sorting that out, we wound up in a large two bedroom suite, which was greatly appreciated.

Shuffling the rooms took a lot longer than anticipated but once we got situated, we went to Carmine’s for our carb loading!

(This is when we were able to breathe again at a normal rate.) (I think the bread basket in front of us helped immensely.)

We had a delicious dinner and then made our way back up to the suite where Bec took a bath in this amazingly huge tub and Cam and I decorated our One More Mile race shirts for the next day. Already we could tell that we wouldn’t be sleeping much because our neighbors were pretty rowdy. We had WOO GIRLS on one side and the Bruce Springsteen fan club on the other. I wish I were joking but alas… we were serenaded at 4:40 in the morning with a very repetitive rendition of Born in the USA. At that point there was really nothing to do but laugh.

Despite the non-sleeping, we were up at 5:20 to get ready for the race. Cam did a kick-ass Katniss braid in my hair and they both sang Happy Birthday to me, with bits of Born in the USA thrown in for good measure. It was very lovely.

We drove to Bally’s (since we wouldn’t have time to check out after the race) and wandered around a bit before the race. Met an interesting, still-drunk-from-the-previous-night guy who dubbed us “running nerds” – which was pretty awesome.

Saw a great sunrise over the water and just tried to calm nerves.

Look at these nerds!

I told Cam that I would stick with her and go at her pace throughout the entire race, take pictures, and just have a good time with it. The race coordinators said they’d gotten a lot of calls about not being able to get to the site by 8am so they were pushing back the start to 8:15. Honestly, it might have annoyed some but it really didn’t phase us one bit. More time to dance and be silly.

There were close to 2,000 people running the 7k, 11k, and half marathon with about half of those doing 13.1 miles. There were no corrals or placements to start, just the start line and the open boardwalk ahead of us.

The race was on the boardwalk for about 3.5 miles, then turned onto the streets of nearby cities. It was an out and back and honestly, running on the boards was much more forgiving than running on the asphalt. Being that we don’t get to run on the boards regularly, it wasn’t something we went into the race knowing but something we looked forward to once we got back on the boardwalk.

Throughout the race I would run ahead of Cam and then turn back to take pictures of her coming up, like a rock star! She had her very own paparazzi.

When we discussed the night before what Cam was hoping to achieve from this half, her goal was simple – TO FINISH. She didn’t have a specific time goal in mind and she just wanted to run and run HAPPY. And I could fully support this mindset!

So of course, we stopped for pictures along the way.

The first five miles were happy and feeling good. The asphalt was sort of a bummer on the legs but not on the spirit. There were bands and radio stations throughout the entire course and lots of great scenery to look at.

There were eight hydration stations along the route – four in total that we hit there and back. The turn around was a bit past mile 7 and around that time I called my husband just to check in and see how his birthday was treating HIM. Yeah, I was THAT GIRL on the cell phone while running. I think I get a pass because it was my birthday. Right? Maybe?

SO VERY GORGEOUS, right?

Around mile 10, Cam started telling me that she was ready to be finished. And I told her that was fine, she’d be done in about… forty minutes or so. She really loved me then.

And then? Around mile 12 we found DEATH.

And that made Cam EXTREMELY happy.

At about 12.75, I bid Cam adieu and sprinted the rest of the way so that I could get a picture of her crossing the finish line and earning her first 13.1 medal!

Bec took this one of me coming through the end.

AND HERE COMES CAM!!!

My girls were both VERY HAPPY! (Cam swore she needed to get in the Atlantic Ocean. Bec and I, both east coasters, opted out.)

Bec texted me when she finished her 7k and then I kept her posted throughout the rest of the half and let her know when we’d be coming through. She got to rest and people watch while we finished up.

Our MEDALS!

All in all, a great race. It felt really good the entire time and it was so much fun. If I do another race in AC, I’ll probably opt to stay at my house and just drive there super early in the morning because I didn’t sleep a wink the night before. But really, since I wasn’t pushing myself or going for a specific time, that didn’t hinder us a whole lot.

It was the perfect way to spend my 35th birthday!

Updated to add: I’ll be running this race again on April 7th, 2013! There are still spots available so if you’re interested, make sure you check out AC Marathon series and sign up because the price goes up in a couple of days. And, of course, I’m going to have to eat my words because I will be spending the night down in AC again. The host hotel this year is Revel, which was just built in 2012. Looking forward to continuing my April Fool’s half marathon streak and sharing my experiences with you.

Everybody’s talking all this stuff about me… A look back at the 2011 Rothman 8k – Philadelphia Marathon weekend

February 21, 2013 by Meridith

Right now, there’s a lot of talk in the running community centered around the Philadelphia Marathon. Just yesterday it was announced that the race, which is traditionally held the weekend before Thanksgiving, will be held earlier than normal, November 15th-17th.

This race, in particular, holds a very special place in my heart because it’s the one the gently lured me into running with its siren song. Anyone who has been to a big race probably knows what I’m talking about… the song that makes you think, 26.2 doesn’t seem THAT far, maybe I should just start running RIGHT now.

I watched Victoria run her first marathon in Philadelphia in 2010. A year later, I signed up for the Rothman 8k, while she ran the half. Last year I worked as a volunteer the entire day. I’d planned to run the half this year but now I’m waffling because the runDisney Wine and Dine is only a week prior. If I eventually work my way up to a marathon, I’d like the Philadelphia Marathon to be my first.

I’d like to share my old race recap from my very first road because it seems relevant at the moment and this race has always treated me, and the racing community as a whole, very well.

This was the first time that Chicks Vic and Brooke met, which is always fun, because I love when worlds collide. Vic arrived on Thursday night and Brooke flew in on Friday morning. Both of them were immediately friends (I wasn’t too worried about that) and super adorable. We hit the Philadelphia Marathon expo on Friday and picked up our t-shirts, bags, bibs and sparkly headbands for our Princess race in February. All of which were absolutely essential.

Started getting (more) nervous on Friday night. This was my first ever road race and I’d only started running earlier in the year. My plan, which I had told the girls, was to finish in an hour. Brooke’s plan, which she told Vic, was for us to finish in under an hour. Ha!

Took the train in early Saturday morning and lined up. Since Vic wasn’t running, she held all of our stuff and hung out with us until she needed to scoot to the “spectator” side. We were toward the back of the pack when we started (no corrals, which was cool for a race of this size) and just sort of took it nice and easy.

The first three miles felt great and I was pretty happy throughout. Saw Victoria around mile one, which was great and then we headed out to boat house row. Brooke was chatting away and I was chiming in when I felt comfortable talking but mostly listened to her awesome stories.

Brooke had her Garmin and I wasn’t keep track of our time, which was a good thing. The clocks along the route marked miles but it was about a minute faster than our actual time (which I didn’t realize because I’m silly and new to racing) so we were actually going faster than I thought. Brooke took this selfie of us running and it makes me laugh every time I see it!

The turn around point was at mile three and there was a water station there. Took a cup, drank nearly none of it and reminded myself that I was over half done.

But mile four was rough. Brooke continued to entertain me, as did the juggling runner who was near us.

I think the reason I didn’t like mile four too much was because the road was sloped, the right side of my body was higher than my left. So it felt uneven and… off. I’m picky about my streets.

There was a stupid hill right near the end (hi, who put that there?) and I’m pretty sure that’s when I told Brooke that I felt like I was going to throw up. She was concerned until I got over that, and the hill, and we booked it to the finish line. I was pretty happy to see 58:35 and even happier still that it was OVER!

Overall, it was a great race. I was so fortunate to run my first race with a great friend who was supportive of me AND to have a cheering friend on the sidelines! This was the third time I’d ever run five miles in my life so the fact that it went so well, I couldn’t have been more pleased.

The Rothman 8k is a great race for beginners, like myself, or people who want to be involved in Philadelphia Marathon weekend but aren’t looking to run a half or full marathon.

Swept off our feet! 2013 Tinkerbell Half Meetup

February 19, 2013 by Meridith

Meri and Vic here with our Tinkerbell Half Meetup recap!

Our trip to CA had been months in the making so when we heard about the opportunity to be a part of runDisney’s TinkHalfMeetup, an exclusive running party to kick off the Tinkerbell Half Marathon weekend at Disneyland, we jumped at the chance! For those who haven’t heard of or experienced a runDisney Meet Up firsthand, a little overview: selected runners are able to join the runDisney crew for a short early morning run/walk around the park and then are treated to meeting special folks and doing special things.

Amazing, right? We were thrilled to be able to participate and talked about it non-stop the week prior!

We arrived at the Sorcerer’s Hat by the Disneyland Hotel bright and early, shortly before 6 a.m. We had rented a car and allowed an hour to make the trek from our bestie’s West Hollywood bungalow to Anaheim. We flew there mainly because no one in their right mind is on LA’s highways so early… that’s about the ONLY time those highways aren’t jam-packed!

We were not the first to arrive as many other excited runners were already gabbing – and shivering. We quickly donned out new runDisney shirts (thanks runDisney!) and joined the crowd. It’s always a little awkward starting up conversation with people that you’ve just met but once we got started, it was easy to fall into easy conversation. After all, they aren’t just RUNNERS (which already gives you something to talk about), they love Disney just as much as we do!

(Photo credit: runDisney- we are on the left, next to the woman in the pink jacket, that’s Ali!)

Actor and Runner Sean Astin, Season 5 Biggest Loser winner Ali Vincent and Marathon training expert (and former Olympian) Jeff Galloway were also on hand. Soon enough, we set off to run-walk through Downtown Disney and the parks!

(Photo credit: runDisney)Moments later, we were running along the still-dark Main Street USA in Disneyland, chasing a golf cart with an official photographer as he snapped some pics for the parks.We ran in and around Frontierland, New Orleans Square, through Sleeping Beauty’s Castle to Fantasyland where we ran into Tinkerbell at Pixie Hollow.

Vic snapped this pic of sleeping Beauty’s castle. Seeing the park before opening was such a surreal experience; we waved to the workers who were getting ready to open the park and start the day. Yes, NYC might hold the title of the city that never sleeps but we’re fairly certain that Disney gives it a run for the money.

(Photo credit: runDisney) There’s Vic, on the right, in all black.

(Photo credit: runDisney) Meeting the fairy of the hour with some new friends!

Along the route, Meri chatted with Tara Gidus, runDisney’s nutrition expert, about pre-race fueling, treats, and running as therapy. She spoke during our breakfast about the importance of making good decisions when it comes to food, both before and after workouts.

Everyone taking a twitter break…

After the Tink meeting (and tweeting) we followed Jeff Galloway back down Main Street toward the California Adventure park.

We took over Main Street USA. Did we mention that it was REALLY COOL to have the park to our little group? IT WAS REALLY COOL!

We ran all over – past Tower of Terror, the Paradise Pier and Mickey’s Wheel and Cars Land.

Look at all of the colorful shoes, including many of the new Disney-inspired New Balance sneakers! There was a New Balance rep. at the meetup and he told us all about the launch of the much-coveted shoes. Hot ticket item (which sadly neither of us have)!

With the running portion of the morning over, we paused in Carthay Circle for a water break, and saw some familiar faces.

I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing — that it was all started by a mouse. – Walt Disney (We swear, we’re not sisters/twins/cousins separated at birth…)

We also got the opportunity to mingle a bit and chat with Ali, Sean, and Tara. Now, normally Mer is a little nervous/awkward/unsure when it comes to chatting with people she’s only just met but she followed Vic’s lead. Everyone was very down-to-earth and approachable.

Soon enough, we walked over to Cars Land where we had the chance to ride the new Radiator Springs Racers. (It opened last year.) We were thrilled as we knew this was a hot new attraction and would likely have a long line once we made our way into the parks.

Here were are, LOVING the ride. (An added bonus was that our new friends Anya and Heather were in the rear seat of our car!)

Breakfast was at the very beautiful Napa Rose in the Grand Californian and on the walk there, we had the very special opportunity to chat with Jeff Galloway! He showed off his bling (perfect 20 ring) that he received at the 20th Anniversary WDW weekend the previous week. There are 95 runners who have ran every single marathon since they first started in WDW in 1994 so they honored those runners.

Jeff offered run-walk words of wisdom. Vic told him how she’d used his run-walk-run method the previous weekend (during the Goofy challenge) and was thrilled with the results.

It went something like this:

Jeff: So I bet you passed people left and right in the last few miles of your marathon. Am I right?

Vic: YES! I had so much energy I didn’t know what to do with myself. I high-fived everyone I saw!

Jeff: That’s what I like to hear. Well done.

At Napa Rose, Sean spoke of his #Run3rd campaign in which you run first for yourself, second for your family and third for the cause of your choice. Ali told the story of her weight loss journey spoke about the importance of relying on each other for support.

Jeff Galloway spoke about his run-walk-run training technique and runDisney nutritionist, Tara Gidus, shared tips on pre-race meals, hydration and snacks.

As a final treat, Napa Rose executive chef Christine Weissman treated us to a delicious (and healthy) black bean cake with poached egg to round out the morning.

We are so fortunate and very grateful! Thanks for an incredible experience, runDisney! See ya REAL soon! Why? Because we like you!

(Photo credit: runDisney)

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Author Archives: Meridith