Virtual Race Recap: America Runs 5k

Disclaimer: I received an entry for the America Runs 5k 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!

2020 has been the year of the virtual race! Self motivation for training runs during the summer are always a challenge but after a knee injury, I was looking forward to getting back on track with running.

Through the month of August, I worked my way up in distance while being cognizant of how my knee was feeling both during and after a run. The Galloway method (interval running) has always been a go-to for me and I continued to use the one minute run, one minute walk for my training runs.

My son hasn’t been injured and usually leaves me in the dust.

Back in July I wrote about the America Runs 5k Virtual Race and after I slowly worked up my training, I felt confident that I could run the 5k at the beginning of September. I met up with a few of my amazing running group friends at our favorite local bike path and set on the course.

They had 6 miles on their agenda but said that they’d do a couple of out and backs so that I could finish up at 3.1 miles. The majority of the bike path is nice and shady and it was great to have friends to chat with the entire way.

Amy and Keri – two amazing friends in my run group bubble.

This was a great distance to get done and I have a few more longer virtual races on my agenda for this fall so I’ve continued upping my miles and training.

I’ve been waiting to write this until my America Runs swag arrived and yesterday was my lucky day!

Pretty awesome, right?

There wasn’t too much in the way of email communication from the promoters of this race; since it can happen on any day and at any time, there was no big “race day” announcements or getting hyped with a large online community. It’s something that I’m missing from in-person events so that might be something to consider for those hosting future virtual runs.

America Runs benefits local COVID-19 recovery funds and registration is open until the end of September 2020. If you’re looking for some sweet swag, this might be the virtual race for you!

What’s up next for me? Well, I have a whole slew of virtual races that I’m apparently supposed to get done this weekend. That wasn’t the case when I originally signed up for them but um, here we are. I’ve got the Gritty 5k, Broad Street 10 miler, and Atlantic City Bungalow Beach 5 miler. We’ll see how everything shakes out! I’m happy to keep moving any way I can.

Have you done any in-person races? The one that I had on my schedule, I decided to defer until 2021. 

Road Tested: Earth’s Care Triple Action Pain Relieving Ointment

As a runner and someone who works out with weights multiple times a week, I’ve had my fair share of aches and pains over the past couple of years.

In fact, it’s a joke among the people at the gym during my hour that there should be a personal safety/accident free countdown posted with the amount of times I’ve fallen (box jumps)/bled (sandbags – don’t even ask how I managed that one)/generally messed myself up in some way, shape, or form.

What can I say? I’m accident prone.

2016 has actually been fairly accident free as far as I’ve been concerned, which means I was overdue to injure myself.

And I did.

I’m now dealing with sore back muscles, which, in the grand scheme of things is low on the injury scale but still annoying.

From lifting weights? Oh, no no. That would be far less embarrassing than this. It would make sense even.

My back is sore from (of all things) wrapping presents. Yeah. I know. Adorable.

I like wrapping presents while sitting on the floor, in front of the television. Being that I’m not in my 20s anymore… and I’m nearly not in my 30s anymore, being hunched over for an hour at a time isn’t fantastic. I’ve wound up walking around with my hands on my lower back and hollering at kids to get off my lawn.

Then I realized they were my kids and I like them playing outside, so I let them stay.

When the opportunity presented itself from BibRave to try out Earth’s Care Triple Action Pain Relieving Ointment, I thought it was the perfect time to try a new-to-me product and hopefully fix myself up so that I could continue on with my wrapping and other various holiday merriment, pain-free.

One of the things that stood out to me immediately, before receiving the product, was the company’s dedication to both the environment and its customers. I always appreciate companies that care for the earth; it says so in its name and you can see it throughout their standards and product line.

via earths-care.com

The menthol aroma clears the sinuses completely and it instantly brought back memories of my dad using different medicated rubs after playing tennis. Ah, nostalgia.

Apparently I’m not as limber as I thought because applying it to my own back was not easy. After a bit of a struggle (read: flailing around, trying to rub the ointment into my lower back) I enlisted the help of my husband.

He complained that his hands will forever smell like “candy canes”. To which I politely pointed out that it could be far worse, and to quit his bellyaching.

It honestly felt amazing, like it settled into my muscles and worked its magic. What’s the magic, exactly? I’m going to go with the triple action formula of three natural ingredients: Camphor, Menthol, and Wintergreen Oil.

I’ve used the product for a couple of days now and it’s helped significantly. I consider that a win!

Finding Earth’s Care products in my area have proved a bit challenging; the closest store that carries it is 15 miles from here and over the tolled bridge. However, there is a 15% off your first order on the website and I’m planning on taking advantage of that deal.

What do you use for pain relief? 

Disclaimer: I received Earth’s Care Triple Action Pain Relieving Ointment 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!