Dress Has Always Been My Strongest Suit

June 17, 2015 by Meridith

I have never, ever claimed to be a fashionista. I truly would love to be one because I find it fun, yet daunting. More daunting than fun, if I’m being honest. Most days? I’m wearing something akin to this.

Yep, that’s a car selfie. Because I started writing this post in the car and also because I spend a good deal of time carting my kids around to and from activities. Keeping it real, that’s me.

Now while I am not a fashionista, I actually do embrace the dress up factor to the very fullest extent. I’m talking costumes! Run Disney is the perfect opportunity to get creative. Our costumes have progressively gotten more elaborate. Thankfully I have a couple of very talented friends who are able to make dreams a reality.

Of course, over the years, it’s also expanded to non-Disney events as well. Because why the heck not? (Also, prizes for costumes sure don’t hurt the odds of the Scoot a Doot chicks dressing up!)

It only stands to reason that having the opportunity to try on actual Broadway show costumes would make me lose my ever-loving mind, correct? Correct! And yet, that’s actually what happened.

Let me say it again because I’m not sure you understand. I GOT TO TRY ON COSTUMES FROM BROADWAY SHOWS.

(I also spazzed out slightly. More on that in a few.)

I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration in New York City on Monday and I’m still on cloud 9 from the entire experience, start to finish. Actually cloud 9 might not be high enough. Cloud 10 or 11, at least.

In the coming weeks I’ll be sharing lots of good info that I gleaned during the event but as a jumping off point, let’s talk about the absolutely amazing and intricate costumes from Disney Broadway shows.

Conference attendees were invited to tour the New Amsterdam theater, which is currently home to the Broadway show Aladdin.

The first thing said to us on the tour was, “How would you like to try on costumes and check out some set pieces from Disney Broadway shows?”

This was my facial expression.

Then I sort of had a freak out moment as we walked to the room. I’m not sure if I’ve shared this before but I am a big theater geek. I was in musicals throughout childhood and college, we have subscriptions to local theater companies. I just love the stage!

I did a good job of keeping it together, for the most part. I think. Okay, maybe the immediate people around me realized how much I was freaking out. I mean, this was a HUGE deal.

After a brief history lesson about the Disney Theatrical groupsshows: Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins, Tarzan, Aida, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King and Newsies and seeing a bit of the magic behind a few of the sets, we were able admire the costumes and set pieces that lined the walls of the room.

The wardrobe costume from Beauty and the Beast. Aren't the details incredible?

Madame De La Grande Bouche’s costume from Beauty and the Beast. Aren’t the details incredible?

Headdresses from Aida (that's where the title of this post came from, btw)

Headdresses from Aida (that’s where the title of this post is from, btw)

And then this happened…

Under the sea on King Triton's throne! I think I could actually run in something like this.

Under the sea on King Triton’s throne! Isn’t the headpiece amazing?

My new friend, Melissa of Autism Mommy Avenger, needed a little bath in Ariel’s tub.

From Under the Sea to Stepping in Time.

Fun fact: that coat was small (like my arms were contorted a bit) and very heavy!

And then we took to the jungle!

On the bus ride home Melissa mentioned that these headdresses were worth $7,000. WHAT THE WHAT?

You can bet that I was holding on tight! I am slightly accident prone.

Unsurprisingly, the attention to detail was incredible. Would you expect anything less from Disney?

Something I thought was very interesting was how they used “cheats” with their costumes, sneakers under the Beast’s “claw boots” and Velcro on things like the wardrobe costume above.

Jenn and Cam are always looking for ways to simplify things on our running costumes and make them fit our situations and needs; I loved seeing that Broadway designers do the same!

These headdresses look like heavy wooden carvings but they are actually only 4 ounces. They adjust with the same design as a construction hard hat!

One of the main reasons I enjoy costumes is because it allows me to take on a different persona and be someone else, if only for a little bit.

I think it’s so easy to get caught up in the day to day routine of being a mom, a wife, a community member. When I get to wear something a bit out of the ordinary, it’s a reminder that those aren’t the only things that define me. Every day can have a little magic if we just seek it out!

Are you a fan of dressing up random days of the week? Or just Halloween? Are you a big theater geek like me? I’m not alone, right?

The Disney Social Media Moms Celebration was a free event that I was fortunate enough to be invited to. Other than a magical day, no other compensation was given and all opinions are my very own.

Road Tested: My Inspire Wear

June 10, 2015 by scootadoot

As Meridith and I strolled along Pearl Street Mall checking out the BolderBOULDER Expo a few weeks back, we came across a pretty purple tent. Being purple, and being that purple is the best color in the world, we were immediately curious. As we got closer we could see the tent was full of cute tops and pants and bras and every good thing (in the way of athletic wear, anyway). Stewarding the tent was a very nice person named Debbie Pedersen. Debbie is the force behind My Inspire Wear, an athletic wear company with an agenda, and one that Meridith and I could easily get behind.

In Debbie’s words, she is an entrepreneur that is committed to inspiring the world and giving back to non-profits that focus on breast cancer prevention. The apparel is made of bamboo fabric, which is extremely soft, breathable, moisture-wicking and eco-friendly. She says “My Inspire Wear wants to motivate you to be the best you can be! Inspirational products include tank tops, pants, skorts, headbands, water bottles, socks and even tees and briefs for the guys! If you know a breast cancer survivor, check out the zipper pocket sports bra, specifically designed for post-surgery. This bra is like no other on the market!”

Methinks Debbie is good people and My Inspire Wear is doing good work for the cancer community, for the planet, and for women. When Debbie gave us each a bra to take home and try out, we were stoked! I think I can honestly say that they were a hit pretty much immediately. Here’s why.

I love the Breathe bra that Debbie gave me. If she only knew how perfect it was for me because sometimes I really need a reminder to just take a moment and breathe. If I could, I would have chill pills on auto-refill. Luckily, I have yoga.

Although I’m not as busty as some…scratch that. Although I’m not as busty as most women, it’s still a challenge for me to find supportive sports bras. For the most part, many I try are overkill for my A cups or are super flimsy and made for hanging around the gym but not working out in the gym. All looks and no substance.

The My Inspire Bra was just right for me, giving me enough support for running, cycling, and vinyasa flow yoga while still feeling light, cool and comfortable. I even wore it to work under my dress clothes. Bamboo is one of my favorite fabrics for its softness and moisture-wicking qualities, as well as its sustainability. And it’s still feminine and pretty!

This will likely be my go-to bra because it isn’t loaded with tight elastic or spandex that feels constrictive like most of my other sports bras, instead I’m just supported and happy and running freeeeeeee!

The bra that I was given by Debbie to try is the “achieve” bra and I can say I definitely did just that!

I have a few bamboo shirts and I truly love the soft, breathable material. However I wasn’t sure how a bra would stand up to my… um, my girls. I’ve been blessed with a larger chest (how’s that for looking on the bright side of life?) and I don’t want to hurt myself while working out. As such, I tend to lean toward things I know work for me – that includes bras, sneakers, food, and workouts.

In the interest of branching out I decided that June would be a time for me to try new things! I’ve taken the month off from running due to my plantar fasciitis but that doesn’t mean I have to sit still. We all know that’s impossible!

My “testing” of this bra was threefold. First, I slipped this bra on immediately after the Bolder Boulder race to hang out with Jenn and her family. Don’t worry, a shirt was involved too! It was so comfy (and I was so tired), I wound up sleeping in it that evening; that was awesome too.

The comfort during two non-workout events spurred me on to give it a true test: a spin class. My dear friend Brandi teaches at the recently opened Upcycle, a really cool spin and yoga studio in my area. I’ve always wanted to check out spinning and I figured two birds, one stone!

What goes with a message bra? A message shirt, of course! Donning my Inspire bra and my Don’t Forget to be Awesome shirt, I arrived at the studio, ready to roll. Brandi made sure I knew how to set up my bike, assisting other newbies too, and then we were off, journeying through songs and tedious hills!

For forty-five minutes, we jammed out to awesome music and I sweat all over the bike, the floor, my water bottle, and my bra and my shirt. From the seated position to standing from my saddle during the “hills”, my chest felt good and supported. I bopped up and down, the girls did not. Trust.

You can see from this picture we took after the class, my shirt isn’t at all sweaty besides a bit under the armpits. Easy breezy! The bra, not the class. The class was a workout!

Did the bra “achieve”? You betcha! And so did I.

Another pleasant surprise, My Inspire Wear is affordable. *Gasp* I know. Their pants are under sixty bucks, and these bras? $19.99 folks. That’s like, unheard of. Debbie is so fantastic that she even gave us a discount code, scoot10, to share with you guys. We highly recommend checking them out!

Coffee Talk (hold the coffee)

June 1, 2015 by Meridith

Yeah, I gave coffee up a few months ago. But you go ahead and grab a cup! I’ll wait.

Okay! So a few weeks ago I was talking to my ten year old kiddo and he said, “I’m so excited!” When I asked him “About what?” He responded, “LIFE!”

What a refreshing and honest answer from him! I mean, isn’t life pretty gosh darn exciting sometimes? I’ve been feeling that way, too, and with good reason.

Why? Well, we’ve got a lot of good going on in our lives. Some meh too, but the good far outweighs the bad. And I feel like I haven’t had a chance to chat with you all in so long, you don’t know a couple of the mundane things (like the fact that I gave up coffee) and the not so mundane things. I’ve blogged about races and products, but not about life.

So here’s a LIFE update!

1. Health

In the past few months I’ve turned up the running because I had four races in May.

What you might not know is that during my last eight mile training run for the Broad Street 10 Miler, I felt the very annoying twingle (that’s a twinge and a tingle, all mixed up together) of my plantar fascia.

Again.

This isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with this stupid pain in the foot so I know all the things that can help heal the heel.

Rest, ice, massage, stretching.

You might notice that running isn’t on the list. But I did the Broad Street Run, a Mother’s Day 5k, and Bolder Boulder.

Smile, though your heel is aching.

I had a 5k scheduled for this past weekend but wisely I decided to skip it. See, I did something smart! Yay me!

My poor foot just needs a break from the constant beating it takes when I run. It’s pissed off and I am well aware of that. So I am going to cool it with the running for the month of June (which does not excite me, I’ll have you know, but I’m aware it’s necessary) and focus on cross training and… food.

2. Food

Food, you are my life now. (Yes, I just Twilight quoted you. I hope you still respect me.)

Let’s talk about this. You might have noticed I’ve been sharing some yummy looking pics on our Instagram lately.

Eggs and fruit, anyone?

Chipotle Lime Shrimp Tacos with Strawberry Salsa – I would push people out of the way for this.

Fish taco bowl (mine’s without the cilantro because ew).

Y’all, this is stuff we are making at home. We haven’t done take out in over a week. This is a big deal!

So what the heck is going on here? Well, I was fairly certain that I would never, ever, ever do a product challenge. I mean, just call me Taylor Swift because that’s how adamant I was about not doing a product challenge.

And yet… here I am, doing a product challenge.

That will teach me. Folks at my gym are participating in the 24 day AdvoCare challenge and that includes my husband and yours truly. I’m drinking the proverbial Kool-Aid, or should I say Spark, and (prepare yourselves)… I’m actually loving it.

You see, I wasn’t too sure what we were getting into when we originally signed up. It’s a 10 day “cleanse” and then 14 day “max” phase. When I heard “cleanse” I envisioned rabbit food and not a whole lot else. But as you can see from the pics, we are eating. Eating like kings and queens, even!

It’s a lot of prep work and planning but I’ve got to tell you, I’m on day 6 as I’m writing this 5/31, and I’m down 5.2 pounds. But more importantly, I’ve got a ton of energy and a renewed sense of accomplishment. Doing the healthy living/eating thing can get sort of rut-like after awhile and this has helped snapped me out of that! I’m hopping up and down (on one foot, to give my left one a rest).

I’ll keep you posted with the final results. We finish the 24 days on the 18th of June.

3. June

First day of June, holla at me! June is really exciting, right? I mean, end of school (for us Jersey folks), long days, sunshine. I love it!

Me with my dear friend Bernadette, 20 years ago.

My 20th high school reunion is this month. If you’d have told me in high school that not only I would be going but I’d be paying over $100 to attend, I probably would not have believed you.

Actually, I would have laughed in your face.

Yet, I’m going. And not only that, but I’m actually looking forward to it. Life is weird. And exciting.

Just as exciting, I’ve been invited to the Disney Social Media Moms event in New York City!

I was very appreciative to be invited to last year’s Philly event and although timing didn’t work out for me to make it to this year’s Florida conference, I’m thrilled that I’ll be at the NYC On the Road celebration.

Disney is very good at bringing the magic along with them and paired with awesome speakers and great attendees, it makes for a party-like atmosphere that cannot be compared.

The new business cards are on their way and I’m hard at work figuring out what I’m going to wear. I’m thinking Disneybounding might just be in order. Zip a dee doo dah!

And don’t even get me started about July!

But enough about me. Now it’s your turn! Tell me about your life. What exciting things do you have on the horizon for June? Will I be seeing you at the Disney Social Media Moms NYC? Or perhaps at my house for dinner (open invite!)?

Road Tested: Cultures for Health

May 11, 2015 by scootadoot

Recently, the ladies over here at Scoot a Doot were approached by Cultures for Health, a real food company run by Julie and Eric Feickert. Their goal? To create a website where people making a food change in their own lives could find all the products and information they need to be successful. Part of that website provide folks with kits to make their own food. From yogurt, to cheese, to kefir, to sourdough, to kombucha – these starter kits provide the perfect opportunity to dip your toes into the world of sustainable, traditionally prepared foods.

The lovely folks over there gave Meridith and Kyle the chance to try their hand at making some food… these are their stories.

Kombucha.

Wait. What?

Yes. You read that right. Kombucha. What is Kombucha? Well, according to the wisdom that is the internets (and Wikipedia, which, you know, ALWAYS has the right answer), kombucha is “a lightly effervescent fermented drink of sweetened black and/or green tea that is used as a functional food. It is produced by fermenting the tea using a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast, or ‘SCOBY’.”

That’s a fun way to say it’s a delicious drink with debatable health benefits. Whatever. I like kombucha, though I usually buy it pre-made, in a bottle, at Whole Foods. It’s bubbly, and fizzy, and has a fun little tang to it.

So obviously, when Mer and I were offered the chance to test out the Cultures for Health kits, I jumped at the opportunity to try and make my own kombucha.

Things I knew going in:

Kombucha is cultured (duh, hence the name).
Unlike some cultures, kombucha takes a looong time.
This might be a struggle because I’m terribly impatient.

When my kit arrived, I immediately busted it open because I wanted to know what this process was going to be like and what other things I might need to gather to be successful.

Turns out that I needed to get a bigger mason jar, but given that I’m dumb and that I don’t plan ahead, by the time I needed to start the culture to have something ready for this post, I hadn’t picked one up. Solution? Use the leftover coconut oil jar (washed, of course) instead. It was a little small, so I had to half the recipe. I was a little concerned about how successful this would be. #badplanning

Anyways. The process itself was fairly simple. Essentially, I had to brew some tea (the kit included some black tea, which I enjoy), add some sugar (more than I thought, but… science, I guess?), some vinegar and the SCOBY, and then… wait.

And wait.

The instructions say that the starter culture is supposed to take roughly 30 days to cure. So far, it’s sat for 11. It’s looking good!

I tasted a little off the top – and while the culture still isn’t completely ready yet, it’s definitely doing something! It’s sweet and vinegary (a little). I’m excited to see how it turns out after a month.

The instructions in this kit were very clear as to how this process was supposed to go – and while the recipe is fairly simple, the process for making the starter culture vs. your own kombucha tea can get a little confusing. I appreciated that these steps were delineated clearly. I also liked that they gave instructions on how to continue using your culture to make multiple batches of tea. If this goes well, I definitely will!

Cheers!

Mozzarella and tomato slices, drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

Homemade pizza with delicious melt-y cheese.

Yes indeed, I had big dreams for the Cultures for Health kits.

My best sous chefs were prepped (aka: my kids) and ready to go. Although I’d never made cheese before I was confident that I could follow the directions in the booklet.

After all, how hard could it be?

Famous last words.

The kits came with most of the ingredients, we needed to supple one gallon of cow or goat milk and chlorine-free water.

Note: don’t do what I did at first and get organic milk. Organic milk is highly pasteurized and that doesn’t work well when making cheese.

After actually reading the directions I ran to the store to get regular cows milk. We wanted to make sure we had the highest chance of success possible, and that means following the directions. (We also now have a lot of milk in my house – the kids are thrilled because this means lots of chocolate milk!) It also says in the booklet under the section “Before You Start”: Read all the instructions. Okay, okay, I get it. Reading is fundamental.

The kiddos love helping with food prep and I kept them busy, pouring the milking and mixing ingredients. The little guy has high food selectivity (Autism/mouth-feel, you do it to me every time!) but I’ve found if he is involved with making food, he’s more apt to at least try new things.

Once we moved things to the stove, the kids helped stir the milk while we got it up to the proper temperature.

At this point, I think we were about a half hour into the process. The directions suggest that it takes about 30 minutes to make, in total. Obviously, we are not artisanal cheese makers. Yet.

Checking to see if the curds had separated from the whey. (They hadn’t fully so we let them sit a few more minutes.)

There was much singing about the Little Miss Muffet and tuffets and whatnot. I wasn’t exactly sure what we were doing at this point but I was hoping that we had good stuff going and soon would be feasting on mozzarella yummyness.

However, things weren’t looking so great when it came to the stretching of the curds. I had grand visions of being very twirly, creative at this point. Instead, this is what I got.

Not so stretchy. Not so twirly.

I continued on with this, wishing, hoping, praying that it would magically turn into a beautiful shiny ball of mozzarella. Instead, this is what we wound up with…

Cheese?

So what went wrong? Well, I think the processing of the milk could have been a factor. Even though it wasn’t ultra-pasteurized, I’m assuming that this is where the I had issues. The booklet has troubleshooting tips and I think that we could have increased the amount of citric acid to help balance this.

Thankfully, each kit makes quite a good amount of cheese; I’ll try again because I’m bound and determined to make it work. Additionally, the website is helpful in troubleshooting and they have an 800 number and email for customer support, which I will be taking full advantage of in my next venture.

Homemade cheese will happen! I will triumph!

Thanks to ztpr and Cultures for Health for giving us the opportunity to try the products mentioned. No further compensation was given and as always, our opinions are our own.

The Good Life – Philadelphia’s Broad Street 10 Miler

May 6, 2015 by Meridith

It’s over.

The Broad Street Run. The past few months we spent so much time doing training runs and preparing for the race; now I have the post race blues. Whomp.

So what about my husband, Jay, the reluctant runner? How is he feeling after all of this?

Well…

Wellllllll…

I’ll get to that.

A little history: the Blue Cross Broad Street Run has been in existence for 36 years. It boasts that it’s the largest 10 mile race in the USA and I sure can believe it! The results page shows that 41,511 runners participated and the numbers on the bibs went into the 43,000s. That’s a lot of people. And it’s a lot of Philly love through and through.

The crew!

We were in the pink corral, which is the very last corral, for those expecting to finish in 1:45 or longer. Which is exactly what category we fell into (the “or longer” category). During training runs we kept Jay’s pace, which put us at an exact 13 minute mile pace. Joining us for this run were two friends who I’ve known since flowered baby doll dresses were in fashion and running was uncool: Keri and Chrissy!

Chrissy, me, Keri – never ever forgetting to be awesome!

This sums Chrissy up quite nicely. “Want to talk on a banana phone with me?” “Hell yeah!”

Since Broad Street is a point to point race, we parked near the finish line at the stadiums and took the Broad Street rail line, which is free for runners on race day, to the start staging area.

We got there in plenty of time and were able to use the porta-potties and take the above pictures without feeling rushed. When you’re in the Pink corral, it’s a lot of “hurry up and wait”.

Ahhh, the Pink corral. Let me set the stage. You’re so far back from the start that you can’t actually hear the start of the race. No Star Spangled Banner for us and no clue of what’s actually going on up at the start of the race. So yes, a whole lot of cluelessness. We stood (im)patiently, waving to the helicopters circling overhead and entertaining ourselves.

In 2013 I started in the Pink corral and we got to the start at 49 minutes after the start. This year we started at 59 minutes after. More runners? More people in Pink? Not sure. But after one last stop at the porta-potties, we were off to the sounds of Weezer (anyone who knows me knows just how much this thrilled me).

I’d never been so excited to see a START line in my entire life and that’s a fact.

Jay’s plan, so subsequently OUR plan, was to run the first mile and then switch to 2:1 intervals. And run he did. That dude clocked a 10:30 the first mile. I asked him about twenty times if he knew how fast we were going (because it was definitely faster than his normal mile pace) and he either wasn’t able to hear me over his music or he was ignoring me.

I’m going to go with the first thought.

We hit the mile mark quickly and then switched into the 2 minutes running, 1 minute walking.

The first five miles were flawless. We kept a solid averaged 12:20 pace after that first speedy mile and everything was going swimmingly. Runningly? That. We were cruising and everyone seemed as happy as running people could be.

2/3 smiling!

There were bands. There were cheer squads. There were children outside of the children’s hospital again, waving and smiling and cheering from their wheelchairs. City Hall was becoming a more real sight and less a speck in the distance and it’s incredible.

Walking with purpose. Look at the swoosh of my Sparkle! ;)

Walking with purpose. Look at the swish of my Sparkle! 😉

The Broad Street Run can be separated into two parts. Running toward City Hall (which is AWESOME) and then the after City Hall part. Which, I think, is still awesome. But that’s when you really start feeling the race. Mile 6 our pace slowed up a bit and our aches started to make themselves known.

Personally I’m dealing with another bout of plantar fasciitis, which in no uncertain terms, BLOWS. It flared up during my last training run and here I am, dealing with it again. I was feeling it. Jay hips weren’t lying when they said they were feeling awful. Chrissy’s knee was acting up. And Keri’s shins were making a bit of noise.

So, yeah.

Thankfully the crowd support was just as awesome the second half as in the first half and we relied on that to help get us through those tougher miles.

To really see all the signs, click on the pic. They were the best!

The water stations increased in the second half, which was good because it was pretty toasty out there. We haven’t had many hot days to train in so this was a little different than the weather we’ve been used to but the additional water and the occasional fire hydrant open helped cool us off. The cups on the street were a little slick, which comes along with a race as large as this one and not being able to clear them all.

The entire race Chrissy, Keri, and myself spent surrounding Jay – his own personal sparkling cheerleaders. Since Jay was plugged in to his music, we chatted along the way, pointing out cool sights and fun stuff. I hadn’t seen Chrissy in years before this weekend so it was really great to catch up! Yet another bonus of running 10 miles together.

You’ll notice that there are less pictures of Jay here. That’s because he was not thrilled with life. I took a selfie with him at one point. I’m not going to post it though because he just looks miserable. In fact maybe I’ll delete it from my phone and he’ll forget all about that feeling. Maybe?

The first part of the race has City Hall to focus on, while the second part has a slightly less visible sight, until you’re right there. The Navy Yard sign.

Hello, you beautiful vision!

It signifies that there’s only about a quarter mile left so we were pretty jazzed to see it! Or I was pretty jazzed. I think Jay was saving his excitement for the finish line.

What’s a Navy Yard without a ship?

As we drew closer and closer to the finish, I kept looking to Jay to see if he was ready for the sprint to the finish line. Once we were close enough, he took off like a shot and I knew that he was looking forward to wrapping up!

His goal was to finish under 2:15. His reach goal was 2:00. Had we kept the same pace we did the first half, we would have hit 2:00. We finished in 2:11 which is exactly 13 minute miles – training run pace held true. We high fived each other at the end and cheered our accomplishment. Some louder than others, natch.

We walked down the chute wondering exactly where we were headed. There wasn’t much guidance at that point. We continued to walk, in search of water, food, medals, something. Finally there were tables with water bottles. Then tents with bags of food and pretzels.

The volunteers were handing out the bags of food and the medals were nearly an afterthought. It was a bit odd. I understand not wanting to crowd the finishing chute with medals but I was surprised that they didn’t have more of a comprehensive flow in that regard. Eventually we got everything sorted out!

On the long walk back to the car I made a teeny tiny comment about signing up again next year and sheesh, you would have thought I told Jay we were running another ten miles the next day with how quickly he said NO. So I guess he doesn’t want to do it again. (I think he forgot that we already registered for Beat the Blerch 10k in September.) (I’m not reminding him just yet.)

Our car held a glorious cooler filled with delightful beverages so once we finally got there we planted ourselves in the parking lot and relaxed, waiting for the crowds to disperse.

He longs to be close to me. That’s why that finger is reaching out there.

So, it’s over. But if I get in via the lottery, I’ll be back, Broad Street! You can count on it.

Have you ever done the Broad Street Run? Or a ten mile race? How about coerced your significant other into doing something they wouldn’t normally do?

The Top 5 Things I Learned from the Atlantic City Half Marathon

April 21, 2015 by Jennifer

Because I had SO MUCH to say about my first half marathon experience, I had to break it up into two posts. Mainly because it wouldn’t be fair to push that much excitement on you at once.

You’re welcome, eyeballs.

So here are the top 5 things I learned at the race.

Runners also like to re-fuel. A lot.

I came totally unprepared for the race as far a fuel goes. I’m not much of breakfast girl, and was relying on the advice Mer, Vic, and Cam as far as what was best. Because Cam is the sweetest, she gave me some of her stock; a packet of Gu and CLIF Shot Bloks packet to try out. On race day, I forgot to pack my Honey Stinger and Cam forgot all of her fuel, so I gave her back her Gu and stuck with the Bloks, which, for the record, tasted pretty yummy! By the time we reached the turn in the course, Mer had eaten her Gu and I was busting open the Bloks. At mile 9, we were looking for a station with some fuel because, as we all know, rungry is a very real thing, and it can make for grun-py runners. Perhaps we missed them, but one thing we didn’t see any Gu or fuel at the water/Gatorade stations. The lesson I learned here was to always remember to pack extra fuel. Because we really like, and need, our Gu and Bloks and stuff.

A big, shiny medal is muy importante.

Since this was the very first pretty shiny medal I’ve ever earned, I was pretty stoked to get it no matter what. The fact that it was MASSIVE and BEJEWLED was even better! Everyone was oooh-ing and ahhh-ing over it because it was totally fabulous. Meri said she thought it was the best medal of the race series, and since she is a legacy runner for this race, I took her word for it. Back at her house, she pulled out her past AC medals and sure enough, this year’s was special. They kept it classy and simple and BIG. Thank you AC Race Series!

My first medal ever and it’s soooo purdy!

Legacy Girl Mer’s AC Half Medal Spread

It’s all about the intervals.

As I mentioned, I really had no clue what I was doing. The furthest distance I had run at once was 10k. Yes, I was worried about this, but once again I knew I could rely on my girls to suggest the best plan of attack. Also? Sometimes ignorance is bliss. The initial plan was that Meri, Cam, and I would start together doing intervals of two minutes running and one minute walking. After a few miles, Meri planned to pull away to pursue the PR she wanted. We started off, and before long, I realized that this was going to be unlike any run I had been on yet. I was feeling so fantastic! I stuck with Meri and we stayed with the 2:1 run/walk interval until about mile 10, when we switched to walking for two and running for one. We played cat and mouse with some lovely people who were pursuing their 50 in 50 goal. We teased, and taunted, and toasted with them after the finish. Bonds on the course are quick to form!

New Friends!

Toward the end, we started bargaining with ourselves to run to different landmarks along the Boardwalk like “those apartments” or “that restaurant”. I wanted to run to a particularly tasty looking Gyro shop around mile 11 but we kept on, and averaged a pace of 13:14. I’ll take it for my first half!

A great race partner makes ALLLLLLL the difference

We had our plan and all was set, but sometimes things don’t always work out the way we plan. We got separated from Cam, and I felt badly because I had promised her we’d stick together. Meridith reassured me many times that Cam would want us to run our own races, because she’s awesome like that and friends support each other’s goals. She found a new friend to finish the race with and we went out to escort them to the finish. And this is what I love about running; the love and support of one another is something rare and precious in today’s world, and it’s my favorite aspect of the running community.

Coming to the finish with a new friend. (Photo Credit: Ken Shelton Photography)

It’s been said on Scootadoot many times that Meridith is the best cheerleader and race coach. Seriously, folks, if you have an opportunity to run with this girl, do it. She knew exactly what to do when to do it, what to say and when to say it. I don’t think I’d be exaggerating if I said we might have been having the most fun of anyone out there. I NEVER thought running could be fun, but with the right partners it always is.

You can do anything with the right attitude.

My only goal for this race was to finish. The clock didn’t matter, I just wanted my first medal. Much more importantly, I wanted to have a great time with friends I don’t get to see nearly enough. The race was really just an activity we would be doing together. Together is what’s important. And fun. Fun is important, too.

That being said, I was curious to find out how I would do at the race. I promised myself, and all of you, that I wouldn’t half ass this race. Even though I didn’t train like I meant to, I was determined to push myself as much as was safe and, of course, fun. I don’t ever get to run with friends so that alone made the race infinitely more fun, and Meri and I laughed and danced and got many compliments on our costumes, which always helps. Before I knew it, the race was ending. Our time of 2:55:15 felt like an hour. I grabbed Meri’s hand to cross the finish together, and it was honestly one of the best feelings of my life.

Aaaaaand we’re done! (Photo Credit, Ken Shelton Photography)

Once reunited, we collected our costume contest prizes, said goodbye to to friends (Bye, Bonnie!) , and left to stuff our faces at the Melting Pot in full costume. Because runger, omg.

Our winnings! Goooo Peaches!

Bye, Bonnie! Until next time!

Mmmmmm, chocolate.

This was the best race ever. At least, until the next one I get to run with this wonderful friends in this fantastic community we call running.

Speedy, happy miles of smiles to all! <3

10 Things I Learned from the Atlantic City Half Marathon (Well, the first 5 at least)

April 17, 2015 by Jennifer

Last Sunday, a few of us Chicks gathered in New Jersey to run Meridith’s birthday race, the 2015 Atlantic City April Fool’s half marathon. You may have noticed that this has become an annual Chick tradition, so please join us next year! I highly recommend the race, and you can’t go wrong with the company, if I do say so myself.

Coincidentally, it was also my first half marathon, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. Training hadn’t been as successful as I would have liked, and my hip decided to be a jerkface the week before the race (I heard and felt something snap when I got out of my car one morning, totally random). So I walked into this race really not know what to expect, or what I was doing, for that matter. One thing I did know is that I would be in fantastic hands, i.e. Meridith, Victoria, and Cam’s hands, and I was determined to see how hard I could push myself while making it as fun as possible.

Sewing Costumes can be time intensive (but oh so worth it!)

Ahhhhh…sewing. Let it be known here and now that I love to sew. I really do. From quilts to handbags to costumes to doggy diapers (aka, bitches britches), I’ve done it all. So when Meridith texted Cam, Vic, and I to say we needed Rockford Peach uniforms, I didn’t bat a lash. Of course we needed to needed Rockford Peach uniforms because HOW CUTE IS THAT, OH MY GOODNESS. Cam and I started researching patterns and fabrics and before long, we had a plan and sewing commenced one week before our flight to Philly.

From start to (almost) finish.

Soooo, what I learned from this particular sewing project is that I need at least one week to make each costume. I started on Victoria’s costume first and then feverishly worked on mine, which gave me some trouble (stupid buttonholes). And that right there my friends is what you need to remember. In my thirty plus years of sewing experience, I’ve learned that every project will hit a snag (or five) and extra time is needed to deal with such annoying delays. I also wish I had sewn in a zippered pocket at the waist seam to hold that pesky inhaler I am forced to carry everywhere. Run and learn, I suppose! The costume itself, made from 100% cotton, was super comfy and not too hot, which was a relief. Vic supplied the PRO Compression socks to top off our outfits (and keep our legs happy), and Cam purchased the red baseball caps for the finishing touch!

May we present, the Rockford Peaches! (Photo Credit, Ken Shelton Photography)

Annnnd we’re off! (Photo Credit, Ken Shelton Photography)

Our costumes were a BIG hit! Everyone loved them and we heard “dirt in the skirt”, and “there’s no crying in baseball” more times than we can count! We always replied with “but there is crying in running”. No one argued with that! Meridith and I passed an older gentleman who, based on the Navy veteran baseball cap he wore, may have been a WWII vet. When he saw us running toward him in our costumes, his entire face lit up and it was obvious that for a moment, we sparked a memory and made him feel young again. For me, that was definitely a highlight of the weekend!

It is possible to run in full make-up and hair (even false lashes!)

When it comes to costumes, Cam doesn’t mess around #allout

I’ll be honest, running in foundation and mascara seemed like it would be an exercise in futility. I mean, it’s called sweat, and not even Coco Channel could conquer THAT amount of dewy sheen. But sometimes a girl’s gotta sacrifice for the sake of her…costume. After all, one cannot run as a Rockford Peach and NOT have red lips and victory rolls. So I was charged with hair because I’ve been known to rock some rolls from time to time, but realistically, I worried that my handiwork wouldn’t last through the first two miles of running.

Mer and Vic rockin’ some rolls!

We snapped tons of photos before the race (Ken Shelton Photography did an absolutely fantastic job with the race photos), and were SO GRATEFUL that our costumes were judged PRIOR to the start because you and I both know we would be looking a hot mess after the race. Our faces and hair held up so well, I have to give a shout out to our hairspray, TRESemme Mega Firm Hold and lipstick, NARS “Fire Down Below”.

Ready to play ball! (Photo by Ken Shelton Photography)

Altitude really does make a HUGE impact on one’s ability and endurance.

HOLY WOW. This is how running at sea level felt for me.

Seriously you guys, if I could run at sea level all the time, I would be completely, irrevocably, in love with hitting the pavement for miiiiiiles and miiiiiiles. Now I fully understand why Kara Goucher (and numerous other pro/elite athletes) live and train in Boulder. My lungs felt so strong, and my legs didn’t begin to tire until around mile 9.5. Back home, the longest I had run was a 10k. Lesson here is low-landers beware when running at altitude. It’s no joke.

Feeling so great at the halfway point that I was dancin’!

Names on the Bibs

Attention AC Race Series, the Rockford Peaches would like to formally request that runners’ names be on their bibs. Once I ran as She-Ra, Princess of Power, and it was pretty awesome. If given the option this time, I totally would have listed Marla Hooch for my bib name, then I wouldn’t have had to wear make-up. It’s just one of those fun touches that enables us adults to be goofy and silly and, in my case, really nerdy. I will totally run as Princess Leia of Alderan at the Disney Rebel Challenge if I can.

Cool, but could maybe be a teensy bit cooler.

Runners appreciate when the race is well prepared and stocked with goodies.

After last year’s race, I heard faint grumblings about the snacks being gone before all the racers crossed the finish line. I’ll tell you that the thought of that amazing pretzel and popcorn waiting for me at the finish helped me ignore the uncomfortable fact that my thighs were seizing up on me at mile 12. If they weren’t there waiting for me I would have been soooo sad panda. Thankfully there were PLENTY of snacks when we crossed the finish, so much so that they were giving runners two or three helpings to rejuvenate. They had popcorn and amazing pretzels and bagels and water and Gatorade and stuff! WAY TO GO, AC RACES! We don’t have photos of the pretzels. We ate them.

Thanks for hooking us up, AC Races!

Next Tuesday, I’ll be posting part duex; the top five things I learned from the AC (and my first) Half. Until then, here’s a photobomb. Sorry we’re not sorry! Thanks again to Ken Shelton Photography for the amazing race photos!!

Quite a turnout!

We got to see Bonnie S.! What a sweet lady blessed with a beautiful family!

Cam coming around the turn and looking strong!

It takes all kinds to win the race. #NB #Mizuno #Brooks

Vic looking lovely with her shiny new medal!

FYI, If you run this race, a photo with Lucy the Elephant is obligatory.

(Make)Up While (Working) Out

April 3, 2015 by Meridith

The idea for this post all started with a tweet.

Followed closely by another tweet.

To refresh your memory, I’m the lady who needs to be told how to wash her face. I’m also the one who is still learning the correct way to apply makeup. Thankfully, Influenster deems me fit to try makeup. Cam always tells me that you just play with makeup and see what looks good; it’s pretty rad to be able to play with things like YSL Mascara!

I’m getting better and better about “putting on my face” as my mom calls it when I’m going out and about. However, the Twitter conversation that followed the tweets above with a variety of pals had me wondering about people who workout with makeup on. I know I’ve personally seen women at races with full makeup and while I am not quite at that level (I’m still working on wearing makeup on the regular), I decided to test Yves Saint Laurent Mascara out for a test run! After all, if it could stand the test of a couple of hard workouts, it can definitely hold up during a night on the town.

Not that I have those very often. BUT IF I DID…

Before putting mascara wand to lash, I needed to learn how to pronounce “Yves Saint Laurent”. Sure I could have taken the easy route and continued to called it YSL, but what fun is that? Plus, I like to pretend I’m French.

Okay, cool.

Now that I knew how to say it, I could wear it. That should be a rule, in general.

First things first: you must know that Yves Saint Laurent MASCARA VOLUME EFFET FAUX CILS (that’s the product’s full given name) smells really, really good. I don’t make it a habit of going around smelling mascara but it’s one of those things that I noticed right away, so I have to mention it. I applied a nice coat to my upper and bottom lashes; it felt light and not clumpy at all.

But how would it hold up during a treadmill run?

I did five miles and worked up a good sweat because I am nothing if not a good sweat-er. Sweat pours from my hairline and down my face, as usual, within the first half mile. I had a white towel that I used to wipe my face throughout the workout and I kept peering at it, scared to see black streaks. I was running but YSL was not! 1 point for you, fancy mascara.

Oh, but I wasn’t done yet. The very next morning the intensity of my workout was cranked up to eleven when I hit the gym with my trainer. I applied two coats, pumping up the lashes and putting YSL mascara to a greater test. That morning was an inside/outside workout and I was sweating profusely.

Side note: I recently added red to my hair and that was running all over the place. Seriously, one of my workout buddies was concerned that I was bleeding. It was not cute. However, my mascara? That stayed put and was cute! Thankfully. So I didn’t look like a complete fool, only a partial one.

Another point for mascara. Hair, you fail that test. Work on bonding to the strands and get your act together (but I still love you).

So does mascara stand up to working out? Well, I can’t speak for every mascara but Yves Saint Laurent mascara certainly does! Up next? I plan to run in full makeup at the Atlantic City April Fools half. Why? Because I’m running in a costume that calls for it, of course! Not ready to give the costume away quite yet but I bet you’re going to love it. Any guesses?

I received Yves Saint Laurent MASCARA VOLUME EFFET FAUX CILS complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

South Jersey Running: Haddonfield Adrenaline 5k

March 25, 2015 by Meridith

This past weekend I ran the Haddonfield Adrenaline 5k. Again! Nowadays, I don’t do too many 5ks, but this race is one I picked up at the very start of my running career four years ago and it’s a favorite. It kicks off the start of spring and without a doubt, I’m guaranteed to see my favorite Jersey running family.

Thanks to Brandi for this pic!

These are the local people who were instrumental in my running in the first place (in addition to their counterpart, Vic – my far off running guru). These are the people who comment on my Facebook running posts, without fail. They’re the ones who know about all the local races and dollars to donuts (mmmm, donuts), I’ll see a component of them there. Who wouldn’t want to see these smiling faces all over the South Jersey/Philly area?

My husband began running this race in 2013 and since then, we always stick together. You know him, right? The reluctant runner?

At 2013 finish line

The night prior, we both made new playlists. Dude doesn’t necessarily like to talk during races. And apparently, he doesn’t want to be talked to either. Hey, he’s running. If he doesn’t want to chat with me, that’s cool.

I asked if he’d like to share his playlist with the fair readers of Scoot a Doot but he declined. Personally, I think he’s embarrassed that he has Taylor Swift on there. Just sayin’.

The day before the race, it snowed in New Jersey. Four days prior to that, it was mid-60s. Out like a lamb, March. OUT LIKE A LAMB. What was the weather race morning?

Ice ice baby. Too cold.

Not the 60s we’d been hoping for, however it was warming up quickly, depositing icy plops of snow on us this entire race. Jolting? A little. But also a bit refreshing too.

Just before 9am we said our goodbyes and good lucks to our faster friends. We placed ourselves toward the back of the start corral and waited for the air horn. This race attracts a lot of fast runners; I believe the winner this year finished in 14:30! I wonder how that must feel. Seriously. I’ll never know. But I definitely wonder!

I let him set the pace and put myself a few steps behind him, following along the way. He’s been following a great training plan for the Broad Street 10 Miler and was feeling good about PRing during this race. The first year he finished in 39 minutes and last year he shaved about a half a minute off his time. This year he confided in me that he would like to hit the 35 minute mark, but also realized it might be a bit ambitious.

During this race, they have timing clocks at miles 1 and 2 so I have a pretty good idea of how we’re doing (my watch was buried under layers of clothes). However, mile 1’s clock wasn’t working so I really was pretty clueless. I was just jamming to my playlist and trying to howl along with Adam Levine at that point. Dude uses RunKeeper so he always hyper aware of pace, but like I said, he was a couple of paces ahead of me. And not talking. Ho hum.

The streets of Haddonfield have had a rough winter and they’re peppered with potholes. They’ve always been present but this year it seemed particularly crater-filled. Thankfully the good people of Haddonfield Running Co. placed cones in the worst spots so we had a heads up. Or a heads down. Or eyes on the road. Whatever, you get the idea!

Dude slowed down slightly going past the water station (which is around 1.5 in) and looked back to see where I was. He hadn’t so much as glanced in my direction most of the time so I figured he was feeling good and gave him the “RUN” face. You know the one. Or maybe you don’t. It basically consists of me mouthing the word “RUN” and shooing him along with my hand.

On we went. We slowed down on the hill right before mile 2. I saw the clock at the top of the hill was under 24 minutes and was very happy to see that he was on target to PR. When he saw the clock, he began to run again. At the top of the hill I wound up next to him and we ran together from that point.

As we crested the last small hill, the opening strains of Paradise City flooded my eyes. I could see the finish line and I saw the time clock had 36:xx, so I hit the gas for that last little stretch of road hoping we could get there. We’d started the race a bit further back so I thought in the 35 minute range was possible. Instead we came in at 36:16 and 36:31, which is still a huge 2 minute PR for Dude!

We partied it up at the Haddonfield Running Company store after, making sure to use our medal bottle openers for the beer offered there because that is obviously the best part. Since the store is currently in their 18th year, everything was 18% off. And you better believe we took advantage of that!

10th year of the race and they did it up BIG with the medal!

So, in summary: A PR for Dude. A rockin’ playlist for me. Beer and food (om nom nom) Good friends. Great race.

South Jerseyians, do this race. And if you do, come find me so we can discuss its awesomeness.

Tell me about your most recent PR! What’s your favorite song on your playlist? I haven’t made a new playlist in awhile but this one was great, it had the perfect songs at the perfect places.

Tell Me What To Do, Internet!

March 6, 2015 by Meridith

I remember the first time I heard about Pinterest. I was at a Stroller Strides class and it was the hot topic of conversation. Intrigued, I checked it out as soon as I got home. A place on the internet where I could collect my favorite ideas and look at my friends favorite things? Yes. Please.

I pinned motivation. Inspiration. Quotes. Hair styles. Craft ideas.

And workouts. Lots and lots and lots of workouts.

Well, pinning and doing are two very different things. Since I’m living in the “weather hell” that in New Jersey (I’m sure the majority of you out there can feel me on this. Florida, California, and Hawaii friends… you guys can just pretend), I decided to flip through the Pinterest Rolodex and do a couple of the workouts I’ve pinned through the years.

Using the very scientific method of closing my eyes and pointing at the screen, I landed first on PopSugar treadmill workouts and then on this one specifically.

What’s that you say? I’m not a new runner? You’re right, I’m not. But I figured that this would be a good way to switch it up a bit and do something that I normally wouldn’t, especially because I’ve been on the treadmill every day hitting my five mile goal (running, walking, skipping, whatever). Plus, I can tell new runners my thoughts on it… you know, in case they want to give it a go!

I’m a Galloway runner (that’s one who does intervals, for the record) so this type of workout was right up my alley.

Off we go!

Staying at the 3.0/3.5 pace was a bit of a challenge on the psyche for me because I’m more accustomed to keeping a 3.8/4.0 walking pace. But, I had a good playlist on the iPod so I jammed out, waving my hands in the air like I just didn’t care and patiently waited for the first jump in pace to 5.5.

5.5 is a comfortable speed for me but getting up to that from 3.5 was a bit jarring after hanging out at 3.0/3.5 for 10 minutes. I’m thinking an intermediate step might be more comfortable (for me and for a beginner). Maybe 4 minutes at 3.0, 3 minutes at 3.5, and then 3 minutes at 4.5? That’s my non-professional opinion right there.

And then going down, down, down from 5.5/5.8 to 3.5 was sad and wonderful all in the same breath. The 2 minutes of running to 4 minutes of walking was very nice though; it gave me time to bring down the heart rate, only to jack it back up again. It was attainable and while I wasn’t maxing out on my running, it felt good and I enjoyed the 40 minute workout.

My trainer has always been a firm believer that you always keep your treadmill at 1.5 incline to mimic the feel of the road more correctly so out of habit, I had hit 1.5 and didn’t realize it wasn’t on 1.0 until I was nearly done. My bad!

This workout is based on speed and time, but not distance. I stuck to the script the entire time and finished the 40 minutes in 2.72 miles.

What I find particularly interesting about Pinterest is that sometimes the image pinned doesn’t lead back to the direct source. Tracking this one down only took a little bit of sleuthing, thanks to the TribeSports watermark on the image! You can click the picture to go directly there.

I like this one a lot because while I do core work at the gym, I don’t usually spend more than a couple of minutes at a time working at it. This one had my abs shaking toward the end, in the best possible way!

The hardest part of this workout? My dog truly wanted to be a part of the process. I got licked in the face more times than I’ve kissed my husband this month and she also tried to crawl under me when I was holding my plank and bridge. It was nearly more challenging than the actually core work itself.

Finally, my head space has been very cluttered with extraneous chatter and unnecessary worry lately. Therefore when I saw City Fit Girls’ Instagram post mentioning Headspace I knew I had to check it out. Try a gym membership for the mind.

http://youtu.be/DmqI1u72QLU

Also, I really like accents and this guy has a lovely one. (How’s that for clarity?) I’m currently on day 5 of 10 and I start each day with a 10 minute “take 10” meditation. It’s good stuff; I like starting each day off with more of a clear intent. Sometimes it doesn’t last more than a couple of minutes but sometimes it does. And that’s some pretty powerful mojo!

So tell me, do you actually DO the workouts that you pin on Pinterest? Got any good ones for me? What’s something recently that’s surprised you? What would you like to do more of? Random: One of the coolest things was when a friend sent me a link to a picture of Cam, Vic and myself on Pinterest board for RunDisney costuming ideas.

Scootadoot

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