Tag Archives: racing

Race Day Packing List (leave the anxiety at home)

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Am I running a half-marathon this weekend? I’ve done the training, and I know we’ve mentioned it around these parts quite a bit, but other than that, I’m really unprepared. Friends are asking me what time I’m arriving, where I’m staying and I’m all “Hmmm. I should know the answers to these questions.” I wasn’t even sure what corral I was in, until last night.

If you know me well, you know this isn’t the norm. I’m a bit scattered- but I love to plan. I live for poring over details for things, again and again. Making lists, checking them twice. Sort of like Santa, but with better shoes.

I’m not sure what my deal is with this race, but I’m feeling mostly breezy about the whole thing. Perhaps it’s because I know it’s not going to be a PR moment for me. Sure, I’m going to try my best, but my current best is not so close to my overall best. For me, that eliminates a lot of race anxiety and pressure. It’s also an insane Saturday for me and my family; my husband has football tickets to his college’s homecoming game (Go Knights), and I’ll be working at our city’s craft show all morning; it’s the major fundraiser for my women’s service club. (A nap has been scheduled. Now who can I get to make me pancakes at 6am before I have to be at the show?) There’s been a lot of coordinating between us, the grandparents, and our babysitter to make sure we all get to do what we need to do. I have a lot on my mind! Finally, I’m just really excited to see my friends. My kids and I met up with Meri and her fam on Monday to travel around the world in EPCOT, and it was the best day I’ve spent at Disney in a long time. This Friday, I’m heading to the expo with Vic, and then the Wine & Scoot Chicks, plus some cool friends, will all meet on Saturday for some pre-race fun. So yeah. I’m thinking about a lot of stuff besides the race. And that’s okay. I’m sort of enjoying my lack of anxiety.

I started packing on Saturday, because I was cleaning my bedroom and thought- “why put this away if I’m just going to pack it in a suitcase in a few days?” Besides my costume and shoes, I had to think about my racing essentials. In no particular order…

1. My garmin. I switched to the Forerunner 10 when my 210 broke a few months back, and I absolutely love this watch.

2. My spibelt. I wear this so I can easily carry my fuel and my iphone.

3. Clif Shot- Mocha flavor. I had some trouble figuring out what would work best with my invisalign and this is tasty and gets the job done without getting stuck in my braces.

4. My iphone. Every blogger needs a camera and a twitter account at all times, right?

5. My ipod shuffle. I don’t normally run outside with music, but I think I’m running solo at this race. Music will be a good break from being inside my head! Usually, I run 7 or 8 miles of a half marathon without it, and then I blast my tunes for the homestretch.

6. My water bottle. I’m debating this because I hate water stops. They’re crowded and I always feel like I lose momentum. I also usually end up looking like I’ve entered a wet t-shirt contest. I don’t care for my current water bottle though so…maybe.

So, I’m packed and feeling good. The only thing I’m nervous about is running so late at night, because I’ve definitely become an early morning runner. I guess I should stay up late for the rest of the week. Who will entertain me on twitter?

What are your racing essentials? Should I bring a water bottle to the race? Are we following you on twitter? Leave me your twitter name!

Coming To A City Near You…

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It’s no secret that we Chicks love a themed run. We’ve satisfied our ice cream cravings at Jog ‘N Hog, we’ve run in neon, we’ve begun a race in pristine white and arrived at the finish covered in color. We’ve done the princess thing, the villain thing, the fairy thing, and we’ve got something cooking for the food and wine thing in a few weeks. Themes! Costumes! Photo Opportunities! Gimme, gimme, gimme! Last week though, I received a race advertisement that made me wonder if the whole gimmicky race gimmick had gone too far.

The Tap’N’Run is a 4k race with four beer chugging stations along the course. I love beer and I love running but…really? What’s next? What other wackiness is already out there? (And do we really need to prop up running this much? I think it’s sorta cool on it’s own.)

I love to waste time on my smart phone, so I did the research for you, friends. Here are some other crazy themed races, possibly coming to a city near you:

1. Thanksgiving Dinner 5k- eat a traditional Thanksgiving dish at each kilometer! Cross the finish line and have a slice of pumpkin pie. Each runner gets a pair of Thanksgiving pants with an adjustable waistband.

2. Backwards One Miler- Begin this race at the finish line where you will receive your medal; then race back to the start while walking backwards.

3. Burlesque Run- Race along the Strip in an event that claims it’s the most running you can do with almost none of your clothes on! Remember, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. (No race photography allowed.)

4. #insta5k is the only race that combines a run with a photography competition. Tag your photos along a scenic course!

5. Balls in the Air 5k- You’ll juggle- yes, juggle- along this flat course. Don’t drop the balls!

6. Dash for Mr. Darcy- It’s a truth universally acknowledged that Austenites will do just about anything that involves Darcy. Run this 5k dressed as your favorite character from one of Jane Austen’s novels and cross the finish line to the Wedding March.

7. Reality Run- Vlog your way through this one mile fun run and then post it on our event page. Everyone gets their 5-15 minutes of fame in this race!

8. Pie in the Face Relay- This four mile run is a team event in which each runner gets a pie to the face before they begin. Hope you like banana cream!

Click here for more information on any of these races.

Tell me about your crazy, silly, fun themed races! Real or imaginary.