Category Archives: BibRavePro

Looking Ahead (At Races)

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I loved reading Mer’s post about writing her actual post and how she finished it on Monday morning instead of Sunday night like she usually does. I’m sure I’ve said it before, but we usually have a “schedule” for posts. It’s pretty simple, really. Of course, when you’re like me and you literally have no schedule…the schedule kind of gets away from you. Point being: I’m a day late. Oops?

Summer, for me, is kind of coming to a close soon. I’m heading off on vacation next week and I’m already itching to get back to my classroom and start setting up my room for the new year. My official start date is the first week of August, only I know I’ll be in way before that. I procrastinate on a lot of things (this blog post) but my classroom set up is not one of them.

This year has been about loving running again and so far it’s been okay. I know, that doesn’t sound very promising, but I’m working on it! So far this year I’ve done a race every month and that’s really helped to keep me accountable. Here are a couple of things I’m looking forward to for the rest of the year!

July

I’ve actually already done a race for the 4th of July, but I’m looking forward to completing the Eagles Lakes 5K as part of a summer series that I ran one of the races for last year. My running buddy and I did the first one on a whim toward the end of June and are ready to sign up for the next one. It’s a series of 5Ks in some of our beautiful parks in Southwest Florida and it’s definitely worth getting out early in the morning for. The views are great. Just stay away from the water, you never know what lives in it!

August

The Rampage 5K is the final race of the series, the one I ran last year. I actually managed a 5K PR with this race, my best time in the six years I’ve been running. It’s difficult to get hyped up about these races because it is so hot down here right now. On the plus side the company that runs the races, Elite Events, have begun starting the races earlier in the morning and for that we runners are grateful!

September

September is up in the air right now, just because there are a few races to choose from. So far I’ve done a lot of 5Ks and that is a-okay with me! Last year this was peak Chicago Marathon training time and there was really no way I was doing any extra running. Life was hard enough as it is! I’ll be on the lookout for something fun, though!

October

“Disclaimer: I received free entry to Sarasota Half Marathon as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!” Use the code BRSARASOTA19 for $10 off the Half and $5 off the 10K!

I’m excited to run this race with some BibRave Pros and my BFF. The course is beautiful, right on the water, and has a pretty lengthy bridge run. Those can really be bad or good. Either way, I’m excited!

November

I usually reserve November for runDisney’s Wine & Dine 10K, but I was too late for registration this year. It doesn’t help that runDisney raised their prices and I’m a teacher in Florida. (Woe is me, right?) I’m still considering this one with a charity team because it’s one of my favorite races. Plus, it gives me an excuse to visit Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival one last time before it ends.

December

December is where it gets tricky. Last year we planned on running Ragnar Alafia Trail but had trouble getting our team together. We transferred our registration to this year in hopes of making it work. I’m excited to do another Ragnar, HOWEVER, I saw people posting pictures from last year’s race and the GIANT ALLIGATOR on the trail made me glad I missed it.

That’s what I’ve got up my sleeve for the rest of the year. I’m also hoping to do a Hot Chocolate race with BibRave (fingers crossed) and I’m sure there will be a Girls on the Run 5K in there somewhere. Who knows!

Do you plan your races in advance?

Road Tested: BUFF Coolnet UV+ Headband

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Disclaimer: I received a BUFF Coolnet UV+ Headband to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews!

Being a BibRave Pro has such great perks, especially when it comes to testing products. I live in south Florida, where it’s basically summer year round and I’m always looking for ways to keep cool when I’m running or working out. This summer has already proven to be a scorcher and technically it just started!

I was super excited to receive my BUFF Coolnet UV+ Headband and thankful we got to choose the style and color. I chose the headband because it was less material and seemed like a better fit for me. I have short hair and headbands don’t always work out in my favor. I think it’s the shape of my head, IDK.

Just leave me in my driveway to melt, y’all.

I’ve basically used my new BUFF for everything. Last week I started some new workouts and ran a couple of times (including two 5Ks, go me) to try and restart my fitness regime. I wore it with every workout and, for lack of a better term, it “worked out” great.

The material is super lightweight and stretchy, so I never felt like it was too tight or uncomfortable. One of my issues with head wear is that it has to feel comfortable with my glasses or sunglasses as I need to see things. This BUFF headband fit the bill and held my glasses in place during sweaty workouts or runs.

As far as the UV+ and cooling is concerned, I’ve definitely noticed both of these while using the product. My moisturizer has an SPF, but I don’t tend to put sunscreen anywhere above my eyes when I’m running. Last time I did, I spent the last two miles of a 15K in terrible pain because I was sweating sunscreen into my eyeballs. The material has definitely protected my forehead while out and about. Too bad it can’t do anything about my sunglasses’ tan on my nose.

Hats and other heavy head wear make me extremely hot, but I didn’t have any issue with this BUFF product. It was just the right weight and has magical cooling properties! This is definitely a great product to grab, whether you’re running, working out, or just running errands. It’s versatile and conducive to all your styling cooling needs.

You can get 15% off one of your own by visiting BUFF USA and signing up for their newsletter. Check out the hashtag #BUFFBR for some other great reviews!

This pattern really goes with everything.

Do Good, Feel Good: World Refugee 5K Recap

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Disclaimer: I took part in the World Refugee Day 5k as part of being a BibRave Pro in conjunction with our good friends at Soul Focus. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews!

Like Mer wrote earlier this week, some BibRave Pros have partnered with Soul Focus for a virtual 5K in honor of World Refugee Day, which is today! This is a great opportunity to help raise funds for the American Refugee Foundation. It’s so cool to think that not only are there over 1,000 people running in Uganda to support this mission, but also (hopefully) people around the world, too!

I started out my morning by mapping out a route in my car that would take me the 3.1 I needed to go to complete the 5K. I’ve done virtual races before and it’s nerve-wracking because the only person to hold you accountable is YOU. I’m not always good at holding myself accountable.

In true Florida fashion it was sweltering before 8AM. I tried to represent in my BibRave orange, but ended up ditching the shirt halfway through for a little bit of relief. It’s been hard for me to keep on a schedule since I’m on summer break, but I’ve really been trying to be active this week. I started out strong, but I haven’t been in the best mental state with running lately.

With the heat and me just feeling meh, I ended up walking the rest of my 5K and, even though I though about quitting (a lot!) I still managed the full distance. I’m excited to see other people’s posts about their own “races” and hope that we here at Scoot have inspired someone to sign up and run for a cause, too. If you’re running share on your social accounts using the hashtags #WorldRefugeeDay5k #WRD5k and tagging @worldrefugeeday_5k, too! I’m sure they’d love to see your pictures!

Did we mention you get a really sweet BOCO Gear hat with your registration? Because you do!

BOCO Gear World Refugee Day 5k Hat

Registration for the World Refugee Day 5k has been open since May 20th and will remain open through this Saturday, June 22nd. As a little something extra, code BR5 will get you $5 OFF registration.

There’s still time to take part in this virtual race, so check out the link above. You can check out Mer’s post for some other tips, too!

Happy running!

Do Good, Feel Good: World Refugee Day 5k

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Disclaimer: I’m taking part in the World Refugee Day 5k as part of being a BibRave Pro in conjunction with our good friends at Soul Focus. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews!

June 20th is World Refugee Day and I’m joining with a bunch of pals for the virtual World Refugee Day 5k. The funds raised during this effort will support refugees through the American Refugees Committee.

For those who haven’t taken part in a virtual races before, the way it works is pretty simple.

Virtual Run How-To

ONE – Register! Registration for the World Refugee Day 5k has been open since May 20th and will remain open through this Thursday, June 20th. As a little something extra, code BR5 will get you $5 OFF registration.

TWO – Print out your commerative WRD5K race bib!World Refugee Day 5k race bib

THREE – Get social with it! Run the 5k distance. This can be with a group, solo, with your pup, with your cat, whomever wants to go the distance with you and raise awareness and funds for the World Refugee Day 5k.

After you run, share on your social accounts using the hashtags #WorldRefugeeDay5k #WRD5k and tagging @worldrefugeeday_5k on Instagram. I can tell you from experience that they are very interactive with their runners and love seeing what everyone’s experiences!

FOUR – Wear your swag with PRIDE! After Thursday, June 20th, World Refugee Day 5k BOCO Gears hats will be sent to all participants. BOCO Gear are my #1 hats to run in and I can’t wait to get mine!

BOCO Gear World Refugee Day 5k Hat

It’s an amazing way to take part in a global event and be a part of a movement, from home. While I would LOVE to travel to Uganda to be there in person, that’s just not in the cards for me (this year, at least).

However, I will be there in spirit and I’m very pumped to run virtually along side of everyone!

Want to join in the fun? It’s not too late, this virtual run is open for 4 more days. Hop on over to the registration page and get moving! Lots of the BibRave Pros and I will be out there and running our 5ks on June 20th but you don’t have to wait until Thursday – that’s the beauty of a virtual run!

Who else is running?

Becky
Ken
Brenda
Stephanie
Lissa
Kim
Juan

Safety in Numbers on Global Running Day and Beyond

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Disclaimer: I received Sabre products to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews!

Each year, the first Wednesday in June is Global Running Day. A day to celebrate running and inspire today’s youth to get out and get active. That’s a mission I can get behind, especially as a Healthy Kids Running Series coordinator.

My pup Gemma is my usual running buddy but we’ve been working our way back to running after she recently had CCL surgery. Running is always so much more fun with someone so naturally I reached out to one of my favorite buddies, Ana, and gently and not at all pushy talked her into running with me.

There’s safety in numbers when it comes to running. I never really thought much about carrying pepper gel while running because… well, who’d want to mess with me? However, there’s always the just in case factor. When I heard that BibRave was teaming up with Sabre to bring safety to Global Running Day, the just in case factor jumped to the forefront of my mind.

Sabre not only sent the products above for me but included Pepper Gel and a Personal Alarm with LED Light for a buddy as well. Score for Ana!

We had an hour and a half at dusk to map out our route through a park and nearby town before we needed to return to get our children from band practice.

Global Running Day - Ana and Mer with Sabre Safety products

We went through the empty wooded trail at the local park before hitting the town’s hills. It was mostly quiet, save for our constant talking, because that’s what we do when we’re together.

No need to employ any of the Sabre safety gear but before we hit the road, we checked out the good, noting how easy it was to unlock the Pepper Gel with a flick of the thumb.

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByVu1N5HK6k/

While making our way through town, naturally we wondered… just HOW loud is the Personal Alarm? We didn’t want to push the button while on our journey and cause anyone unncessary panic/concern.

Instead we waited until the end of our run and found a spot at the end of a parking lot. Naturally I made a video on Instagram stories, which goes away after 24 hours but YouTube is forever.

Hopefully these are products that I’ll never, ever have to use. But… just in case, they’re good to have. If you’d like to get safety products for yourself or a running loved one, discount code SABRERUN saves 20% at Sabre’s website. 

Want to Know About Being a BibRave Pro? Then this VLOG post is for YOU!

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I wear my BibRave orange proudly and have done so for the past 2.5 years. The only thing I regret about BibRave? Not getting involved sooner!

Think you might be a good BibRave Pro? Click here for the application.

Then check out a few of my fellow Pros videos as they share what they enjoy about being a BibRave Pro.

Road Tested Vlog: Win Detergent

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Disclaimer: I received a bottle of Win Detergent to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews!

Oh, laundry. My constant nemisis.

It’s neverending and as long as there is a day that ends with -y, I have laundry to do.

When BibRave said that we were teaming up with Win Detergent, I decided to jump in on the campaign.

My family is an active one and we generate a metric ton laundry.

My husband goes to the gym 3 times a week, my older son is a runner, and my younger son does karate. Oh yes, and I happen to contribute too.

We sweat a lot, and now that it’s warm out, the smell that comes along with that sweat is that much worse.

Regular detergents don’t work as well as Win does because of chemistry. Personally, I’m not as well versed in chemistry as I am in doing laundry so I’m going to let the folks at Win explain.

The fundamental difference between WIN and other detergents is that WIN contains ingredients that separate the oils from the synthetic fibers.  Just like pulling that static electricity balloon off the wall, WIN breaks the bond between the oil and the fibers.

Once the oils have been freed from the fibers, special detergent molecules called Surfactants go to work.  Surfactants are common – all soaps contain surfactants.  WIN has chosen its surfactants specifically to get the oils out of synthetics while leaving your gear functioning and feeling great.  Just like you wouldn’t wash your pots and pans with shampoo or wash your hair with dish soap, we’ve chosen the right surfactants to wash synthetic clothing fibers.

Surfactants are two-sided molecules.  One side is hydrophobic (repels water), so it grabs onto the oils.  The other side is hydrophilic, so it grabs onto the water in the wash.  When the water goes down the drain, so do the oils.  And with them, the bacteria.

Because WIN removes the oils from your apparel, the wicking properties of the fabric are restored to almost brand new.  Not only does your gear smell better, it works better.  And because it works better and smells better, WIN users keep their gear longer.

Join me in my laundry room! Don’t worry, I won’t put you to work.

So the obvious question is: Does it work? In this case it’s a good thing that we DON’T have smell-o-vision because you would NOT want to smell our laundry beforehand.

Thankfully, our duds are fresh-as-a-daisy after washing so the next time you see me, feel free to give a sniff.

Want to try it out yourself? Hop on over to Amazon and use code WIN4RAVE at checkout to get 20% off any WIN Products!

See what my fellow BRPs have to say:

Becky – Ken (and his VLOG) – Corey – Lisa – Thanh – Jonathan

Road Tested: Stunt Puppy Nano Bowl™

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Disclaimer: I received the Stunt Puppy Nano Bowl™ to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews!

Anyone who knows me, knows that I’m obsessed with my dog, Gemma. She is my ride or die; we spend most of our days together.

In mid-March she had a surgery on her back right leg for a complete ligament tear, similar to a human’s ACL. Since then we’ve been in recovery mode; much to her dismay.

It’s hard to get her to sit down and rest because we’re always on the go together. If anything it’s taught us (okay, me) to relax and take time to enjoy the spring sunshine.

We got the “all clear” about a month ago that we are allowed to add time to our walks in 5 minute increments. We go back to the vet in a few weeks for X-rays and want to ensure everything is a-okay.

While my personal stunt puppy isn’t allowed to do any high flying adventures at the moment we are big fans of the Stunt Puppy brand.

Stunt Puppy makes quality gear for pups and through quite a few BibRave opt ins, I’ve had the opportunity to try the Go Dog Glo Collar and the Stunt Runner Leash. It stands to reason that we needed to give the Nano Bowl™ a try too!

The Nano Bowl™ is a small, lightweight (1 oz.) bowl that folds down to the size of a handkerchief. It’s easy to carry during walks, runs, and hikes. When unfolded it opens to sit unassisted, 5″ wide, 5″ deep, and holds 3.5 cups of water.

Gone are the days of dripping water out of my bottle for Gemma. When she’s panting and looking for water she gets her own bowl for hydration.

I love how small this packs up, it’s easy to throw into my fuel belt or even loop it through the leash. It’s also very easy to clean, it’s machine washable but I usually hand wash it and leave it out to air dry near the sink.

Additionally, it’s good to use for food. We haven’t taken Gemma camping yet but this could work well if we do.

Interested in learning more about Stunt Puppy and connecting with other runners? Join us for the Stunt Puppy Twitter #bibchat on Tuesday, May 7th at 9pm est. It’s always a good time.

Plus, I have a strong feeling we’ll be seeing lots of dog pictures (my favorite!).

Check out more reviews from my fellow BRPs (and their pups):

Corey – Ken – Virjinia – Deanne – Amy– Matt– Jessica– Connie

Race Recap: The Novo Nordisk New Jersey Marathon 5k

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Disclaimer: I received free entry to The Novo Nordisk New Jersey Marathon 5k race as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews!

The Novo Nordisk New Jersey Marathon weekend has been on my list of ones to do for awhile. I’m a Jersey girl, born and raised, and I’ve heard great buzz about this race.

While I would have rather run the half marathon, the scheduling worked out better for the 5k so that’s the race I opted for.

Registration through Athlinks was super simple.

The 5k and kids races were on Saturday; the half and full marathon on Sunday. Because I was doing the 5k, I was able to do day-of bib and shirt pickup. Therefore I didn’t see the expo but it helped save travel time all around which was a plus.

My childhood friend, Chrissy, also signed up for the 5k, so we traveled to the race site together and ran the race together as well!

The race management suggested getting there early for parking purposes and we arrived a couple of hours before the 9am start time. We were actually the first ones in the parking lot. It gave us plenty of time to relax, eat our breakfast, and then pick up the bibs and Diadora shirts.

The shirt is cute in the front but has a mesh back that threw me off a bit. I don’t know if I’ll wear it anywhere but at home.

You can see the mesh on the sleeve.

Like I mentioned, we had plenty of time prior to the start of the race so we wandered back to our car (about a half mile away) to put our shirts away and stay shielded from the wind. It was a beautiful, sunny day but the wind was intense which was a bummer because we knew that running was going to be a challenge. This seems to be the case for a lot of races that Chrissy and I run together. We battled the wind a few years back in Atlantic City too.

As the start time drew closer, the parking lot filled and we walked back to the start.

After a young lady sang the Star Spangled Banner, we were off on our 3.1 mile journey. The course was flat and wound along the ocean boardwalk, onto the streets, near a park, through a neighborhood, and back to the boardwalk once again.

There were two water stops along the way. Police presence and volunteers were throughout the course.

Our goal for this race was to get under 40 minutes. We did 1:1 intervals the entire race.

The wind was pretty brutal and by the third mile, we were fighting against it. Thankfully, the finish line was in sight; we finished strong at 39:53. Mission accomplished!

The medals are BEAUTIFUL – record shaped and they even spin, which is so much fun!

I didn’t see photographers along the course and didn’t notice any at the finish line for the 5k. Not sure we’ll get pictures but we took a good amount of our own (yay for blogging!).

In the finish line chute there were water bottles and snacks, which were great. There was also a small race village set up with a few vendors. We spent a few minutes visit booths and then watched the kids run their mile and a half race before heading back to the car.

Great race, maybe next time I’ll do the half!

Next race for me isn’t until late June but who knows… maybe something will come along in May. Anyone have any suggestions in the NJ area?

Race Recap: 2019 Allstate Hot Chocolate Philadelphia 5k

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Disclaimer: I received free entry to the Philadelphia Allstate Hot Chocolate 5k race as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews!

Ken, Ryan, Joe, me

2019 marks the third consecutive year that I’ve run one of the races at the Philadelphia Allstate Hot Chocolate series. I kicked off my 40th year in 2017 with Christina, 2018 was my friend Ana’s first 5k ever, and this year I ran solo. But I was never alone, I had friends all along the way.

Ana, Dora, Rocky, me

What I think is so cool about this race is the appeal for not only local runners but newer runners, at that. Friends that don’t usually run sign up for this because it’s laid-back and has fantastic swag/treats. Not only did I see adult friends, I also saw a few of my kid runners from Healthy Kids Running Series (or they saw me – I have a few come up to me at our next race to tell me how they did).

While I love visiting Philly, I opted to have my race packet mailed to me because I had a lot going on the week before the race. Along with the super soft jacket, there was also my bib, and a card saying that as a 3 year legacy runner, I was going to get even MORE swag! What? It’s true – I just had to bring the card along with me and I was able to pick up a 3 year legacy medal, pin, and hat.

The course itself is standard Philly running. We chose to take the train in from New Jersey rather than deal with parking and walking from 15th/16th and Locust to Eakins Oval which is where the race began (for those not from around here, right in front of the “Rocky steps” aka Philadelphia Museum of Art).

We got there just before 7am and had time to get a picture with fellow BibRave Pros. It’s always great to see my orange clad team. I’d met Joe and Ryan before but this was my first time meeting Ken!

I was placed in D but started in E because I saw some friends from my turtle running group. Love these ladies – always so supportive!

They request that you don’t move up in corrals, only back, which is standard for races. I know at other races there are people there monitoring corrals but I didn’t see that here. The 5k race began at 7:15; I crossed the start exactly 10 minutes later at 7:25.

Running along the Schuylkill river is nice, you get a great view of Boathouse Row and the Art Museum. The other side of the road is 1-76 which is decidedly less pretty.

I don’t love how the road there banks to the sides, it’s not very visible but you feel it in your hips after awhile. This is where I ran my first road race ever so it always takes me back to my roots.

There was water and Nuun on the course, along with one chocolate station. I chose to skip the chocolate and indulge at the finish line.

After I crossed the finish I circled back and cheered for my friends finishing the 5k. We grabbed our chocolate and treats and then cheered for the 15k finishers.

One thing that was disappointing was the photographers. Hot Chocolate always has free pictures for runners (yay!) but this year I didn’t get that many and the ones that I’m in, I’m behind people. There are a few of me running but they’re blurry. This was standard:

I’d say this one is probably the best of me crossing the finish line. Hey, I’ll take it!

The morning was perfect for running and as always, the race was a lot of fun! Communication leading up to the race is always on point and they had some nice little perks so that people encourage their friends to join them in running this sweet experience.

Have you ever run a Allstate Hot Chocolate race before? What treat gets you motivated to run?