This IS the Race I’ve Been Dreaming Of

October 26, 2015 by Jennifer

In June, something big happened and I forgot to tell you guys about it. I manged to score an entry into the Disney Star Wars Rebel Challenge in January. I’ll elaborate on my excite in a sec, but I have to let you all know that it wouldn’t have happened if not for Mer. She’s always our superhero!

I tried to remain calm. At peace. I failed.

You know those times when you have everything all planned out so you can get your entry submitted before the race sells out in mere moments? You have all your info in a Word document so you can quickly cut and paste it all into the online form (thanks for the tip, Cam). You set reminders on your phone to buzz 15 minutes before noon EST just in case. And then, your pesky job gets in the way by sending you to an all day training class where there will be no internet access.

Mer to the rescue! I frantically emailed her and told her of my impending enforced internet deprivation on registration day and she, because she is the most wonderful person ever, said she’d help me out. And because this wasn’t her first Disney registration rodeo, she got me in! Thank you so mucho, Mer!!!

I could barely contain myself!

The best part is that Cam also got in, so we get to run it together! This is the best because Cam is one of the funnest people I know, and I think she loves Star Wars as much as I do. Rest assured, we will be in costume, and the costumes will be awesome! I seriously cannot wait to partner up with Cam on this one.

Love these Chicks!

Why is this race sooooo important to me? Well, for two reasons. Firstly, I am a lifelong fan of all things Star Wars (except Jar Jar Binks). I saw The Empire Strikes Back in the theater in 1980 when I was 4 years old and it was all over from there. I take great pride in the fact that I’ve seen all of the films in the theater ever since, and yes, I already have my tickets for The Force Awakens.The geek in me really wants those medals, partly because they’re pretty, and maybe partly to flaunt them at the Denver Comic Con next year. What can I say, I’m a scoundrel.

No one will play my game with me anymore. 🙁

I am also a huge Disney fan. I’m Team Sleeping Beauty because Prince Philip actually fights for her and Maleficent is the biggest bad ass in the Disney villain pantheon. I’ve wanted a princess makeover since I saw Amy, Bernadette, and Penny get one on The Big Band Theory. (I found out later it’s only for kids. Oh, Walt, you cruel tease.) And yet, I’m 39 years old and I have never been to Disneyland or Disney World. Needless to say, I’m beyond excited that my first experience at Disneyland will be the Rebel Challenge where I’ll get to run in costume with a great friend.

Best. Email. Ever.

So I’m training. I’m thinking about what to make for my costumes. I’m freaking out that it’s less than 90 days away. I can’t believe I’m finally going to Disneyland! I can say that now for real!

Do you have any tips for a first time Disney racer? Are you running this race too? Do you need help distinguishing between Star Wars and Star Trek (because I can so help with that)? Let’s chat!

Show Me Your (Medal) Rack!

October 7, 2015 by Jennifer

The medal is one of the best things about racing, right? We work so hard for them, and they represent our big accomplishment. I don’t know about you, but if I had 5 minutes to evacuate my house, my medals are coming with me. It’s only right that they are given an honored place in our homes and are handsomely displayed. Just like our dreams should be.

Cam’s Wall of Triumph

Meri’s bib board (a few years back)

But my two half marathon medals deserve a nice rack on which to be proudly displayed. Currently, my two medals are in my office at work, hanging from a coat hanger.

It’s tragic.

Since I like to make stuff I’ve decided to make a rack myself. I went to Michaels today and got a nice 12×16 wood blank plaque that I can do whatever I like to!

And a coloring book because of reasons.

The thing is, what to do? I found some inspiration (thank you, Pinterest), and imagine I will incorporate some of these elements into my rack. I love this one because you can use any old shelf or hard surface since you’ll cover it with the bibs using Mod Podge. We love upcycling!

This one I liked because it’s so beautiful you could display your bling anywhere in the house!

I will probably end up using a little chalkboard paint because I like having the option to track times or to just write myself a note to stay motivated.

I can’t wait to get started on this project! I’ll share the progress in Instagram, but please share photos of your rack. Or pile. Or coat hooks. Lemme see what creative ways you’re honoring your bling!

Thanks for the Journey, Friends!

October 1, 2015 by Jennifer

Somehow, September is over, which means that the 2015 #Journey2aMillion is over. We’re always sad to see the event end because it means our united hearts and legs won’t be working for this great cause until next September. That said, we’re always so proud of our team and all the hard work they do fundraising and logging miles!

Aren’t these totals unbelievable? Every dollar of that money will go to fund childhood cancer research, helping little warriors fight a fight that no adult should have to face. Every mile we clocked helped contributed to the larger Million Mile community, and every time we wore yellow, we hopefully brought some awareness into our sphere. Everyone worked so hard, and one even nea nea’d her heart out for donations at the eleventh hour! We are so very grateful to have a team with you guys. It’s pretty much impossible to find words to show our appreciation for our team, so we give out prizes in a sincere thanks for your participation and generosity.

First off, we have Jenney, aka IrishRedSox77, racked up the most miles with an astounding 158.36! She won a Fitbit One, a anti-microbial workout towel, an a package of yummy Hemp Hearts!

Megan, aka @ritternation, takes home the prize for most funds raised with a whopping $1060.00! Megan, wow! Just WOW! You’ve done it again this year and we THANK YOU. Your epic nae nae moves are now legendary! Megan will receive a copy of Another Mother Runner signed by Dimity McDowell, a Boulder Running Company t-shirt, and a BAMRbands headband!

It was a great event this year, folks! We’ll be back next year with a new team and new yellow outfits to sport on Wednesdays. Best of all, we’ll (and by we I mean us and you) join up to do some good while feeling good together. Because together is always better!

Last Call On Our #Journey2aMillion

September 30, 2015 by Jennifer

We’ve reached the end of September, Team, and you’ve been FANTASTIC. You’ve logged over 1600 miles and raised almost $1400. How awesome are you?!

If I could, I’d buy each of you this shirt.

Best. Shirt. Ever.

But we’ve still got a few hours left to get in a run or raise a few more bucks. Get creative! You can even register your kid’s sports team by adding a “participant without an email address” and log their miles for them. Or log our dog’s miles. If they run with you just double you miles! We won’t tell. Don’t forget to sport your yellow on Instagram today! We may dish out more prizes if you tag your photo #onwednesdayswewearyellow.

donations can be made right up to the very last second, so please pass this link around: www.alexslemonade.org/mypage/1156489

Tomorrow we’ll announce winners of our prizes for the event. Some of the prizes are shown below. Some are not. Some we’ve already given away. All are awesome. You know how we roll.

A peek at the giveaway treasure chest!

We know we have a wonderful community of folks who support us and our philanthropic efforts. Each year, we are amazed anew at your generosity, commitment, and support. We thank you so very much! <3

#Journey2Million Round-Up (Hint, We Still Rock)

September 22, 2015 by Jennifer

We know it’s not news, but Team Scootadoot continues to be amazing! We’ve logged over a thousand miles for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation’s #Journey2aMillion event, and the month is not over yet!

You guys own us. It’s true. To show our love, we’re handing out a few tokens of appreciation!

The event wraps up next week, but we’ve still got 8 days to knock it out of the park. And we will, because we’re awesome like that! If you’d like to join us, it’s not too late to help us make an impact. We’re doing great things together here, folks.

500 Down, 2000 To Go On Our #Journey2aMillion

September 10, 2015 by Jennifer

YOU GUYYYYS. I cannot even. I seriously Can.Not Even. We are barely 9 days into September and we’ve reached 20% of our #Journey2aMillion mileage AND fundraising goals. So yeah, I cannot even begin to tell you how amazingly, wonderfully, fantastically, stupendous you all are!

Of course numbers are great. Goals are great. Meeting goals is even better. But the best part about our 425 miles and $500 is that we’re doing it together. Nothing is better than that. That’s why we’re giving out a few pretty prizes this week just (and every week this month) for being a part of the team!

Every year, we ask you to join our team and donate your miles to support Alex’s Lemonade Stand. Every year, we are awed and inspired by your generosity and commitment. All the kiddos fighting the good fight are grateful for you, and so are we.

There’s always time to join the team (if you haven’t already).

Thanks to Racedots and KatieK Active for their kickin’ prize donations!

The Lemon-Face Challenge; Cancer Can Suck It!

August 12, 2015 by Jennifer

If you’ve been following us for a while, you are well aware of the fact that we hate cancer, pediatric cancer, in particular. You also know that we are big supporters of Alex’s Lemonade Stand, a foundation dedicated to raising funds for research to eradicate childhood cancers. Because seriously, who doesn’t hate cancer?

September kicks off their annual Alex’s Million Mile (#AMM) Event where we run, walk, and bike while raising money for cancer research.

We LOVE this event because we get to raise money and awareness while running. It makes running fun.

No, that’s a lie.Running will never be FUN.

But #AMM does make routine runs more meaningful. Us Chicks are eager to get started, so we’re launching our team today by telling cancer to go suck the big fat (yellow) one.

Everyone is doing it! Jenn’s mileage goal is 80 miles in September.

Kyle hopes her miles hit 70 for #AMM

Bec’s mileage goal is a firm 50.

Cam going for 25 and her daughter, Sophie, is shooting for 10!

Jess is down for 30. Go Jess, go Jess, go, go, go, Jess!

Jess is down for a firm 30. Go Jess, go Jess, go, go, go, Jess!

Meri’s looking to log 40 miles!

Vic’s shooting for the triple digits at 100!

If you hate cancer too and like to win cool stuff, take the Lemon-face Challenge and Join Team Scootadoot!

After you join the Team, Facebook, Tweet or Instagram a photo or video of your best lemon-sucking face, let us know your mileage goal, and tag it with #Journey2aMillion and #lemonfacechallenge , we’ll enter you in a drawing for a great prize!

We’ve got goodies from FitBit, iTunes, Another Mother Runner, SkirtSports, and RaceDots (to name a few), and we’ll be giving out prizes to Team Members throughout September!

Recruit your friends to join the team with this QR code which links to our team fundraising page. How slick is that?

Let’s show cancer what us running folk can accomplish. Go suck a lemon and help us fight back!

Race Recap: Rocky Mountain Half Marathon

August 3, 2015 by Jennifer

On Saturday, I participated in the 2015 Rocky Mountain Half Marathon presented by Vacation Races, who, in case you aren’t familiar, hosts races at various national park locales across the country. I was super excited to register for this one because the Rocky Mountain National Park is celebrating 100 years this year, and as a proud native of Colorado, I really wanted the commemorative medal!

Got my bib and my shirt!

I’ve been to the location of the race, Estes Park (pronounced Estis) many times, but I’d never gotten up at 3:45 on a Saturday morning to get there before. The race started promptly at 6:00 am, and we arrived at about 5:35 with plenty of time to park and walk to the start. My saint of a husband came with me and brought his camera. He’s a keeper for sure!

Not quite awake but I’m ready to run!

Sunrise over Lake Estes

The race entry was limited to 1500, and 1329 raced. I felt this was a perfect number of people for the course. There was lots of room to move and maneuver, and I was never alone on the course even though I was running by myself.

Just keep waiting, just keep waiting…

And I’m off! I’m the one in purple (of course).

The first hill is in sight.

People are walking a half a mile into the race. Altitude + hills = no bueno.

I love when the mountains are pink from the sunrise!

I scoped a lot from the course, starting at mile 1. The course took us around the eastern edge of Lake Estes, and the views were pretty grand just like they were every mile of the course! Although the National Parks Service supports these races, we didn’t run through Rocky Mountain National Park. Instead, the course runs along the paved streets of the town, but the scenery is still spectacular. Nestled in a small valley with the lake and surrounded by Longs Peak, Mount Meeker, and many other peaks, Estes made sure the Rocky Mountain Half lived up to its name!

The weather was perfect for running. It was 54 degrees Fahrenheit when we got to the race, and by mile three, I was stripping off my hoodie and tossing it to my husband as I ran by! They also had a gear check at mile three for you to leave your jacket and they’d bring it to the finish for you. Nifty!

Mile 3 and I’m feeling strong.

It’s so pretty!

A bit further along came the first long hill of the course. I ran/walked it and felt good at the top, only I knew what was coming ahead. A slow, gradual 4 mile uphill slog where most of the 490-ish feet of elevation on the course is gained. There was a lot of walking going on in this section, folks. At least it was pretty!

The long, slow climb.

This is about the time that Meri texted me to see how I was doing. I whined to her about the never-ending hill of little oxygen, and she reminded me of something very important.

I love this girl.

Then I rounded a bend and saw this view. I stopped complaining.

At mile 9, the hill ended! HOORAAYYYY! I stopped for a potty break, grabbed some Honey Stinger energy gels, half a banana, and some Nuun and was off again. I loved that the aid stations had water, Nuun, energy gels, bananas, and orange slices. Way to keep us hydrated and fueled, Vacation Races!

It seems that mile 10 is were my body starts to whine and get annoyed. My hips start to get tight and pinchy, and I’m ready to be done. I put my head down and slogged through the rest of the race. I didn’t take any photos or video. My husband was down at the finish waiting for me and he got to see the elite runners come in. They were lucky enough to see some elk on the course!

Elk are a common site in Rocky Mountain National Park. That buck has HUGE antlers!

The elk were not cheering for the runners, and moved on to the golf course.

The finish is in site and I CANNOT WAIT.

Aaaand DONE!!!

I finished with a time of 3:17:47, much slower than my 1st half marathon. It’s okay, the elevation at this course was just under 7500 feet, plus there were lots of hills and no cushy Boardwalk to run on. I expected that my time would be quite a bit slower than at the April Fools Half. All in all, I’m quite pleased with myself!

It’s so pretty and special and I love it!

The medal for this race is really fabulous. It’s huge and heavy and bronze plated and I can’t wait to get a medal rack!!

I think I need to get this baby engraved.

I’m so proud that I ran this race and accomplished it. I knew going in that this would be the hardest thing I’d aver asked of my body, and I did it. It was hard and it hurt, but it wasn’t as hard or as painful as I expected it to be. This is something I’m super proud of, and will be for a long time. I conquered the Rocky Mountain Half!

Then it was time for recovery. Pro Compression socks, Mexican food, and vintage Batman. Perfect ending to a prefect day!

If you’re considering a Vacation Race, I would recommend you do it. I have nothing negative to say about the race. It was well organized, well sponsored, and well stocked. They fed us generously, gave us a pretty shirt and a GORGEOUS medal, and we got to run in a spectacular setting. Really, what more can a runner ask for?

What’s next on your race calendar? Have you done a Vacation Race Series race in the past?Do you like Mexican and/or classic sci-fi? Let’s chat in the comments!

*No compensation of any kind was given to me by Vacation Races for this race review/recap.

Road Tested – Skirt Sports Lioness Skirt

July 29, 2015 by Jennifer

Today, I’m dishing on one of my favorite topics, clothing-slash-fashion-slash-cuteness. I firmly believe that your outfit sets your entire tone for your day, or your race. If you feel like you look good, your confidence naturally rises and you feel better able to meet whatever challenges you may face. It’s a philosophy shared by Skirt Sports, which is the main reason I signed right up when they offered me a skirt to try out. It’s called the Lioness, and it’s new this fall. This color is called “Razz”. Also? IT’S SUPER CUTE.

I love the pattern in the contrast fabric.

The back is as cute as the front!

I only had one reservation about the skirt. After looking at their adorable clothing online, I was wondering about the price. I mean, the price is comparable to other companies making similar garments, but the seamstress in me always asks two things: can I make it myself (and then show you how to make it), and is the price fair given the quality of the garment? Is it made well? It is going to hold up over many races and washings and trips to the dog park?

After getting the skirt home and really inspecting its construction, I’m a firm believer that that price is worth every shinny penny! It’s so nice to be able to say that! I’m a stickler for quality construction, and I can’t tell you how often I shake my fist because the new shirt I bought two weeks ago already has a button missing. SkirtSports surprised me with the quality of the skirt. Their garments are made in Cambodia, and the skirt far surpassed items I’ve examined from other high-end athletic wear companies. It would cost me well above the retail cost of this skirt to make it myself when I factor in time and materials. I love it when you can get more than you pay for! Well done SkirtSports!

Encased elastic makes it much more comfy.

Rubber nubs keep the shorts in place on your leg without chaffing.

One of my favorite features is the pockets. There is a zippered waist pocket in the back and a side pocket on each leg of the shorties. The right pocket has a reinforced hole to feed your headphone wire through. This skirt had plenty of room for my key, ID, phone, earbuds, and my stupid inhaler. I still had room for an energy gel or two if needed. I would like the waist pocket to be a little bit bigger, but that’s just because it seems like I’m always carrying a lot of stuff. The other plus for me is the built in shorties with the silicone dot grippers.

Now for the real test, wear-ability! I donned the outfit I want to wear for my second half marathon this coming Saturday. Head to toe: Headsweats visor (thanks Vic!), Champion running shirt, the most adorable running skirt ever, a slick pair of neon pink PRO Compression socks, and my New Balance kicks. I snapped a few goofy photos of which I’m required to share at least one, and I was off!

I went for a 3 mile run in 90 degree heat. The skirt was so comfortable and cool. It held all my stuff and my stuff didn’t annoy me. The silicone grippers on the shorts kept them in place and I wasn’t constantly adjusting…anything. It was so great to not feel encumbered by a bunch of stuff because everything was in its place nice and snug and my hands and arms were free. FREEEE! I’m pretty sure I’ll be sporting this skirt at my race this weekend, and as I climb 400 feet in elevation over two and half miles, I’m hoping this skirt will make me feel as powerful as its namesake!

Do you prefer running skirts to shorts or pants? Do you have feelings about looking cute on the course? Do you wear make-up when running, or only when it’s part of the costume? Tell me all about it in the comments!

*Skirt Sports gave me this skirt to try for the purpose of reviewing it. No other compensation was given.

Race Recap – 2015 BolderBOLDER 10K

May 29, 2015 by Jennifer

This was my second year running the BoulderBOULDER, and it was super extra special because Meridith and I ran it together. I cannot even tell you all how excited I was to have her come visit me and run with her again, especially so soon after our last visit in A.C! That never happens! She handled the altitude like a champ, too, and the hills weren’t too crazy. We had the most fun of anyone on the course, natch, and we have the photos to prove it. Our fun always begins with the perfect outfit, and there was really only one choice for the BolderBOULDER.

Yabbadabbadoo!!!

This race is huge. Like, not just big, but massive. It attracts around 50k participants and 50k spectators. This uber organized race does quite a bit to make it easy for runners to have a good time, things like advanced packet pickup and race day registration. The crowds are no joke, and it seemed a little more packed than last year which added to the legendary party feel of the race.

Race Day Registration

Go CU Buffaloes! The hats make the outfit.

Getting closer to the start!

So many waves still to run!

Once our wave started and the crowd thinned out a little we were able to jog. The weather had stopped being a jerk for the morning and we were feeling good through the first half mile. Pretty quickly we caught up to a group of Fire Fighters and Police Officers running the race in full gear and carrying a flag. It was inspiring, and made me feel like a schmuck for complaining about being chilled before the race. These folks are tough! They even went through the first of 2 homemade slip-and-slides in their gear. This race requires a sense of fun from all participants!

Soon after, we were approaching our first hill up Folsom and into the residential section of the course (the fun part, really). One of the best things about this race is the organizers have bands playing every so often along the course, but the residents of Boulder step up and provide a TON of runner support and entertainment out of the goodness of their hearts. There’s never a moment when you don’t hear live music, whether professionals, garage bands, or belly dancers and drum circles.

Just a homemade Slip and Slide. In some dude’s front lawn. For 50k people to run through.

And some random dude with his dunk tank.

Through the neighborhoods we went, passing up the Jello and Drambuie shots that were offered to us. We heard there was someone handing out bacon but we sadly didn’t see him. We did a lot of bobbing and weaving, and Mer and I got separated a few times, but only briefly. The lesson here is you want to run this race, like, actually move forward at a pace that is faster than a meander, you need to get in a qualified wave. We registered as “jogging/walking mostly jogging, and there was mostly walking going on around us, which is fine, if the walking occurs on the sides of the street. It really made no difference, though, because we had the most fun of anyone on the course. That’s always the goal!

Run, Betty, run!!!

We came into the last mile of the course and found the Firefighters again. Hearing bagpipes playing Taps, they stopped, and Meri and I had to stop for a moment too. It was a touching Memorial Day tribute.

Just a few more meters to go and we’d be turning into the University of Colorado’s Folsom Field. We picked up our pace as best we could in the crowd and ran into the stadium.

FINISH LINE!

Running into the stadium with all of those people watching and cheering is a rare experience, and something that certainly sets this race apart. The fine folks with the BolderBOULDER fed us, and gave us some excellent seats to watch the International Team runners finish.

The Memorial day celebration at this event is touted to be the largest in the country, and after seeing it myself, I believe that may be true.There was a touching tribute to 4 WWII Veterans, and skydivers carrying the flags of each branch of service, as well as the United States Flag and a POW Flag.

Ready for a nap. And beer. Maybe beer, then nap.

The folks at the BolderBOULDER have been really great to me this year, and I want to say how grateful I am to have worked with them in 2015. Despite the crowd and the confusion about the shuttles back to the starting line, we made it work and had fun. I grew up with this race in my backyard so I feel a certain pride about its popularity. It’s a legendary race that you should do if you can. The setting and the crowd support is unlike any other race in the country!

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