Road Tested: LaceLocker shoelace fasteners

October 3, 2013 by writeitdownjess

Shoelaces and I have a love/hate relationship. Actually, it’s more of a neutral/hate relationship: I don’t pay them any attention when they do what they’re supposed to do. But I hate when they decide to revolt and untie themselves. I am clumsy enough as it is; I don’t need my laces’ help in tripping, okay?

Needless to say, I was pretty stoked when Stash Sporting Goods reached out to us about trying their LaceLocker shoelace fasteners, which are designed to securely store your tied laces so that they don’t come loose or get dirty/wet.

The question was this: was it possible that I could actually get through an entire walk without having to find a safe spot to retie my shoes?

I took to the streets to find out. First, though, I had to get these little contraptions onto my sneaks. They looked a little daunting at first – insert this tab into this place, then fold and fold, etc. As I mentioned in my Fitbit review, I hate reading directions, but there are just four steps to get your laces locked into place so even direction-loathers like myself can deal with it.

Easy as 1, 2, 3, 4!

Ta-dah!

The process was ridiculously quick and easy, which I sincerely appreciate as both a mother and an eternal lazy person. Then! To the streets!

Bottom line is this: my shoelaces didn’t budge. Like, at all. I be-bopped (okay, fine, dragged myself) up and down some gnarly hills and my laces stayed locked. And while I might not use them for every single run, you can bet your sweet booty that I will use them for every single race. I definitely think LaceLocker fasteners are a must-have for every runner on race day, especially for those of you who are looking for your next PR. There’s not a chance you’ll have to stop to retie your laces.

Plus, how adorable is that name? They really ARE little tiny lockers for your laces!

Stash Sports were awesome enough to offer up a pair of LaceLockers to a lucky Scoot reader. To enter, click on the cute Rafflecopter pic below. The giveaway runs through 10/8!

Click the pic to enter!

Disclaimer: I received one pair of LaceLocker fastener for review. All words and opinions are my own. Giveaway prize donated by Stash Sporting Goods.

Guest Post: Non-runner to half-marathoner

October 2, 2013 by scootadoot

Six months ago, I wasn’t a runner.

Today, I’m a half marathoner.

The story of how I went from non-runner to half marathoner begins and ends with the same person: Chick Vic.

Vic and I both work at the Democrat and Chronicle in Rochester, NY, and she’s the newsroom captain for our team for the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge, an annual 3.5-mile race that draws 10,000-plus runners who work for Rochester-area companies.

In early April, I was at a conference in St. Louis for work when I got an email from Vic saying when this year’s race would be. She sent it to me, I presume, because I had expressed some interest in running and had tweeted some about my difficulties on my once-a-week treadmill runs at the Y.

Even though I didn’t really enjoy running at that time, I had always been intrigued by the Chase because my colleagues all seemed to have a great time every year. By the time I left the conference, I had decided to reschedule an event I had planned for the night of the Chase and register to run. I left the hotel in St. Louis the morning of Sunday, April 7, walked past runners competing in the St. Louis Marathon and headed to the airport with no idea that I’d soon have plans to become a marathoner myself.

Eight days later I was at work when bombs went off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. As with most everybody else, I was sickened by what happened, but the thing that moved me to tears over the next couple days was the power of the running community. The stories of runners who pushed exhaustion aside to help those who had been injured. Of the finisher who gave his medal to a runner who had been stopped at mile 25. I was so moved that I decided that I wanted to be part of the running community.

Two days after the bombing, I tweeted out a new fitness goal: To get myself into good enough shape to run the half marathon in Rochester on Sept. 22.

I had no idea what this would entail. I had never run a road race before. I had never run “farther” than six miles before. And I say “farther” because I didn’t actually go anywhere; my only runs to that point had been on the treadmill.

I spent the rest of April researching how to train for a half marathon. Vic and some of the other distance runners I work with gave me some advice, and articles online provided a wealth of information. Ultimately, I decided that I would modify Hal Higdon’s Novice 2 program, extending it by four weeks so I could start it right after the Chase.

I immediately increased my running from once a week to four times a week to get ready for the Chase. And I started to run outside some. The results were immediate. I started to run faster. I started to enjoy running. I started to think about running all the time. I started to look up other races I could run. I was hooked.

Getting my first taste of racing at the Chase just cemented my addiction to running. The atmosphere before the race was incredible. I lined up with Vic and several other members of team D&C. For the first couple miles, Vic, Traci Bauer and I ran as a group, a tremendous help to me since I had almost no experience pacing myself. I pulled away with about 1.5 miles to go as they cheered me on and when I saw the finish line I got a jolt of adrenaline and was able to sprint to a 30:43 finish.

The rest of the summer was some of the best fitness self-control I’ve ever exhibited. My training plan called for four runs a week for 15 weeks, so 60 total. I did 59 of them, skipping one three-mile run in July because my knee hurt.

I ran three more races between the Chase and the half marathon: the Firecracker 5-mile (44:22) on Fourth of July, the Jungle Jog 5K (25:23) a few weeks later and the Summer Fest 12K (1:09:20) at the end of August. I loved all three races. The feeling of crossing the finish line is one of the best imaginable, and my times in the races made me feel like I had a good shot at hitting my goal for the half marathon: two hours.

Ben finishes the Jungle Jog 5K in July

The unexpected part of the summer was that my journey to a half marathon became more than just me, my training program and some advice from friends.

A little before the Chase, Vic mentioned that Scoot A Doot was holding a giveaway for PROCompression socks. I didn’t really know anything about compression running socks, but I like free stuff, so I entered (I didn’t win, but I ended up buying four pairs of PROCompression marathon socks over the course of the summer).

As many of you know, getting entries to the giveaway entailed following Scoot A Doot on Twitter and Facebook, tweeting about the giveaway, etc. That led to me learning about more giveaways, which of course I entered. Which led to me following more people on twitter and following more blogs. Which led me to chatting about running on Twitter with people I may never meet and getting tons of encouragement from an online running community I never even knew existed.

It was, and is, amazing. The thing that pushed me into running was that I thought it would be great to be part of the running community. I was right. The specifics of what that would mean just weren’t exactly what I expected.

When I finished my final training run before tapering, a slow 10-miler the Sunday before the race, I felt incredibly content. Whatever happened in the race, I had already fulfilled the fitness goal I set out in that tweet five months earlier: to get myself in good enough shape to run a half marathon.

The morning of the race, my nerves weren’t as bad as I might have expected. I was glad I had already run four races earlier in the summer. I knew what routine worked for me and I just made sure I gave myself plenty of time to get ready. My wife dropped me off down the road from the start line about 25 minutes before the race, which was perfect.

As I wandered around among the thousands of people gathered around the starting area, I saw Vic. We hadn’t planned to meet at the start (she was actually looking for a different friend she was going to run with), but I was glad to see a friendly face. She reassured me that I’d do great and, as the start time neared and she still hadn’t found her friend, she said she’d run with me until she felt like she needed to slow down. This was just supposed to be a training run for her as she prepares for the New York City Marathon.

I won’t go into as much detail as she did in her recap last week, but she never slowed down. We ran side-by-side, almost step-for-step at times, and chatted for 13 miles. It was so much fun. I think most non-runners, and even some runners, are skeptical when people say running can be fun. And certainly, not every run is fun. This one was. I enjoyed every minute I was out there on the course.

Some people asked me if I had a time I was shooting for. My response was always the same: two hours would be nice, but it’s not a big deal if I miss. I was lying. I wanted to be under two hours badly. As we ticked off each mile, I become more and more confident that I’d make it. We were setting a great pace and felt comfortable doing it.

Also as the miles went past, I became more confident that Vic was going to keep up with me the entire way. At some point I asked her what her PR was. “2:03:something.” I got even more excited for a potential sub-two-hour finish. It’s one thing to set a goal, work for months toward that goal and then achieve it. A intensely satisfying feeling, to be sure. It’s something else entirely to have somebody give you encouragement and advice every step of the way toward that goal and then, unexpectedly, be able to help them reach a goal of their own. It was wonderful running karma that all the help she gave me in preparing for my first half marathon led to me being able to help her break the two-hour mark.

As the finish line came into view, we could see that we had plenty of time to cross before the clock would read 2:00:00. I got my usual finish line adrenaline surge and Vic, sensing that I suddenly had a lot more energy, told me to go. I sprinted to the line and crossed in 1:58:56 for a net time of 1:58:38. I got my medal and turned to cheer on Vic, but she was already across, finishing seven seconds behind me. Traci (whom we had seen briefly about halfway through the race) finished nine seconds after Vic.

Ben sprints to the finish at the half marathon

We hugged. We high-fived (badly; we were tired). We grinned from ear to ear. We got some post-race food and drinks. We took pictures. We discussed the race. We reveled in our achievement.

Over the summer, when I told people I was training for a half marathon, they frequently looked at me like I was crazy and/or told me they could never do that. I used to feel the same way. Then I started running. I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

The sub-2-hour club: Vic, Traci and Ben

Ben is a husband, father, runner and editor. This week he started training to run his first marathon in February at a race to be determined (but hopefully in Florida). He can be found on Twitter at @bjacobsroch.

Do Good, Feel Good: Million Mile Run Wrap Up

October 1, 2013 by scootadoot

We’ll be honest, we weren’t sure how this month was going to go. That’s always the way with something new, something in its introductory year; whether it be a race, a blog, or an event, there’s always a slight fear of the unknown.

We heard about the Million Mile Run early in the summer and knew immediately we wanted to be involved. The whats and wherefores needed to be sorted out, but we knew the most important reason… the why.

We’ve inundated our lives, our social media accounts, our friends and our families with yellow. We’ve shared facts, recipes, pictures, and videos.

And we haven’t done it alone.

31 amazing people joined us in Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation’s inaugural Million Mile Run event.

Sara, Heather, Katharin, Karen, Maureen, Jan, Suz, Cyanne, Nita, Kate, Keri, Melissa, Sarah, Shaina, Lisa, Beth, Ben, Kyle, Kristen, Wendy, Jenn, Ashley, Sara, Megan, Gene, Heather, Mark, Ashley, Anne, Brandi and Michelle… THANK YOU.

We thank you with our whole beings and if we ever see you in person (that will be sooner than later for some of you), be prepared for tacklehugs!

We got to hear some of your stories, reasons why this cause spoke to you and we thank you for sharing with us. Furthermore, muchas gracias for sharing your miles with the Million Mile Run.

Our original mileage goal was 1,000, which we decimated within two weeks. Incredible! While a million miles weren’t achieved as a whole this year, 198,830 miles were “donated” to the cause. We’re sure that next year that number will grow exponentially.

That’s $315 OVER our goal! Thank you to all who donated, shared the link to our team, and raised awareness and funds. You are amazing!

Some of our team members really went above and beyond with fundraising efforts and as a thank you, we put together a Top Fundraiser Prize Pack. We gave a little sneak peek last week…

The amazing companies, Sweaty Bands and Lace Locker, both graciously donated items toward our top fundraiser prize pack and we are so grateful. We know that our winner will put the headbands and lace stays to good use.

We happen to know that our tippy-top fundraiser loves Boom Chicka Pop and does not yet have a Scoot a Doot shirt. Watermelon Nuun because… yes.

But wait… there’s more!

The Chicks pooled resources and connections to add even more to the prize pack for our Don’t Stop ’til Ya Get Enough top fundraiser.

Oh yes! That is an Alex and Ani bracelet. A sweet Oiselle shirt. Bearded Brothers Energy Bar. Clif Shot Bloks. Wilbur’s Chocolate Coffee – because the melding of two of the best things ever is amazing and encouraged.

So let’s wave our hands in the air like we just don’t care for someone (but we do! And she does too!) for the woman who should go into nonprofit fundraising as a profession… MEGAN!

http://mandmpage.blogspot.com/

Rock on, Megan!

Should we say thank you again? Aw, what the heck!

Thank you. Thank you all so very much.

PR!

September 26, 2013 by vfreile

I’ve been chasing my best half-marathon time for nearly two years. Finally, last weekend I smashed through the barrier.

Let me tell you, it was well worth the wait.

I actually never intended to race the Rochester half marathon last weekend. I has planned to use the course as a 13-mile training run as I prepare to run the NYC Marathon in November.

But I couldn’t find my training partner at the start of Sunday morning’s race. I lost another in the crowd near the toilets. Fortunately, I ran into colleague and friend Ben, who had trained for six months to run his first-ever half marathon.

We agreed to at least to start the course together. I told him I’d drop back if I felt like I was pushing too hard.

That was my plan, anyway. But it never happened!

We set off at a decent clip. Our first mile was around a 9:15 minute pace. I assume our second was the same. I stopped looking at my watch for a few miles and just ran.

Ben and I chatted for much those first 5 miles – about his training, his family, my family, the supportive online running community and racing strategies. When I looked at my watch again, I saw we’d just finished our fifth mile at a 8:50 minute pace. And our sixth, seventh, AND eighth!

The miles were ticking by. We both felt fantastic!

We pushed each other along as we ran. Ben brought a handheld water bottle with him and I grabbed liquid at each water stop, took a swig and sprinted to catch Ben.

I sure didn’t want to let Ben down on his inaugural race, so I matched his pace. My lungs were clear, my legs felt strong. Onward!

Around mile 10, with a 5K to go, I realized that not only was I going to set a personal best time, we were on track to break the two-hour mark. This milestone was a long time coming for me, as I’d aimed for and missed it more than once over the last two years.

My dearest friends have witnessed this – more than once, my bid for a sub-2 half ended closer to the 2:05 or 2:10 mark because I started out too fast.

But not Sunday.

We zipped past runners along the river path. We enjoyed the view of Rochester’s skyline from the University of Rochester’s river campus. We cursed the slight ramp that led us up to the Ford Street bridge.

That last mile flew by. As we ran down South Plymouth Avenue, the wind pushed us backward. I grunted. Ben grinned.

“Let’s finish this thing,” he said to me as we approached Frontier Field. We stepped up our pace and sprinted in to the finish.

As we crossed, I could see the clock had a number that began with a “1.” Success!

Vic at the finish (photo by colleague Kris Murante)

I finished in 1:58:45 – my personal best half-marathon time by exactly FIVE minutes. That previous PR, set in October 2011 in Toronto, needed to come down.

Hey, if its going to happen…why not go big?

I wholeheartedly believe that Ben and I were meant to run together Sunday morning. We tripped into one another at the start. We fell into a steady pace easily and at times, ran in sync, our feet slapping the pavement in perfect rhythm.

Congratulations to us both! I can’t wait to see what our next race brings.

Perfect conditions at today’s @ROCMarathon! finally ran a sub-2 half & PRed by 5mins! @oiselle_team #oiselle pic.twitter.com/6ofDR0LRyy

— Victoria Freile (@vfreile) September 22, 2013

Everyone loves a PR! Tell me about yours in the comments!

A PRO Compression giveaway!

September 26, 2013 by scootadoot

The Scoot chicks love fashion! But we also love function. We are particularly pickled when the two come together.

As many of you know, we are huge fans of PRO Compression marathon socks. We run in them, we recover in them, we shop in them too!

Meri, with pals, sports her pink marathon socks at a recent 5K

Vic recovers from a long run at the salon!

PRO Compression is generously sharing one pair of compression socks or sleeves with one of you lucky readers!

Care to try your luck? Of course you do! Click on the photo below to enter.

Click the pic to enter!

What’s that? You don’t want to wait to snag a new pair? Sure, we can hook you up! PRO Compression is offering 40% off purchases and free shipping on marathon socks and sleeves with the code BLG13.

How do you use your PRO Compression socks? Do you wear them to run (like Meri) or for recovery (like Vic)?

We have a piper down

September 16, 2013 by Meridith

It started on Thursday evening. The sharp, shooting pain in my quad wasn’t one to be ignored. I audibly gasped and my husband asked what was wrong. I shook it off as the pain slinked away, thinking that it was nothing more than a freak occurrence that wouldn’t happen again.

Except every time I moved that night, the pain woke me. In my mid-sleep haze, I wasn’t exactly sure what motion was causing it. But I was pretty sure that it was the worst pain I’d felt in awhile, and that possibly I was going to die (the mind works in crazy ways).

In the morning (after having a panic attack, which my husband talked me through) I began moving my leg in different ways to assess what motion caused the pain. Not straightening. Not bending slightly. Not bending a little bit more. BENDING AT NINETY DEGREES. Holy hell, I saw stars. Raising my leg with my knee bent. THAT TOO. My leg shook at the thought of feeling the pain and naturally my mind raced. What about running? What about my Alex’s Lemonade Million Mile Run streak? And training? Or even walking down the stairs?

After a visit to the doc in which he made me move my leg to show him the pain (Couldn’t he just take my word for it? No. He could not.) The diagnosis was a torn/strained quad muscle. The treatment? Follow RICE: rest, ice, compression and elevation.

As I sit here on my couch, with my leg propped up, ice pack strapped around my ace bandage, I’m left wondering… now what?

This probably comes as news to no one but I’m not very good at resting. I mean, sure, I complain sometimes about the whole running thing but generally speaking I’d rather move than not.

I’m also fully aware that I need to give my muscle a chance to heal. Over the past few days my range of motion has advanced and I’m able to do things like squat slightly.

However, if I squat slightly more than slightly? Well, let’s just say that it still feels like someone is stabbing my quad with a shiv. That is not a good feeling, folks. But I’m also encouraged that I’m able to squat slightly, because last week? I could not. Maybe there’s something to this RICE thing. Maybe.

So I’ll just be over here, trying to rest and impatiently waiting for the healing to happen.

I’m not used to injury – how long do these things typically last? When was your last injury that made you RICE (or at least take a couple of days off)?

It’s Electric! The Electric Run DC

September 12, 2013 by Meridith

There’s no greater compliment that I can receive than “you inspired me to run”. Sometimes I hear feedback like, “Well, I was going to bail on this run but then I heard a voice in my head that sounded very much like you telling me I can and I will and I kept going!” And other times apparently people are cursing me in their heads. Either which way, I’ll take what I can get!

My high school bestie, Keri and I were chatting a couple of months ago while she was doing the Couch to 5k program and I told her that she should pick a race and we’d do it together.

Meet my friend of 21 years, Keri! We don’t see each other nearly enough but when we do, it’s like no time has passed.

Keri picked the DC Electric Run, we signed up as soon as registration opened (in April) and began planning! In July I happened to be in Philadelphia, where I run many of my races, when their Electric Run got shut down because of a particularly bad thunder and lightning storm. It was the same weekend as the Philadelphia Zoo Summer Ale fest and Jog ‘n Hog and I saw many disappointed runners throughout the city. Thankfully we didn’t have the same fate but I definitely felt for those people (as we all ran through the rain together in search of taxis!).

We paid the extra $5 for race day pick up since neither of us are particularly close to the packet pickup locations – National Harbor is about forty minutes from Keri’s abode – and arrived super duper early to claim a good parking spot in one of the garages. Our first stop was packet pickup and since we arrived right at the beginning of the time window, we waltzed right up and got hooked up with shirts, bibs, glow bracelets and glow glasses. It’s worth noting that the women’s shirts run fairly small (I got a XL, for reference).

For the love of Pete, somebody help this giant! The Awakening.

Since we had plenty of time, we wandered around National Harbor before settling at McLoone’s for dinner. Perfect weather lead to eating outside where we got to see other Electric Run participants, a wedding party, boats, and all around general awesomeness. We saw a couple of the Electric Run’s “Worlds” set up and ready to go!

After our dinner we ditched our race packets in the car and readied ourselves for the run. We came prepared with at least 60 glow bracelets which adorned not only our wrists but our necks (two hooked together), shoes (pretty sure this isn’t what SKORA had in mind), and hair.

We headed into the corral area a little after 7pm where they were checking bracelets to make sure that everyone was on the up and up. Finding ourselves close to the starting line, we knew that we’d be going out in the first wave.

Now… it was time for the sun to get the heck off our lawn so we could Electric Run! GO ON, sun. Shoo!

There was a really, really tall dude standing right next to us. Keri isn’t shy (*I’m so demure*) so she asked if he’d take a picture for us. I love this picture because it really gives you an idea of the sheer magnitude of the crowd. And what an awesomely diverse crowd it was!

Getting darker! We were antsy at this point – time was creeping along but the Electric Run’s DJ, MC, and staff did a great job keeping the interest going with giveaways of glow sticks, glow rings, hats, and other fun stuff.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwDNvKNiE5k&w=640&h=480]

The race started around 10 minutes after 8pm and we were off into the Electric Run experience!

Something I’ve noticed during “fun runs” like the Electric Run and The Color Run is that there are a lot of people who plan to walk the entire course, which is GREAT, because they are out and moving. However, I think that as walkers, many don’t realize the etiquette that runners have come to expect during events (walkers to the right, runners to the left). It would be pretty rad if the event coordinators could make mention of this, perhaps in both race documents and while the participants are lining up and they’re hyping the crowd.

Once the crowd thinned a bit, we were able to find a really nice, comfortable pace and take pictures along the way.

Each of the “worlds” had speakers with music pumping! I think the phrases “HOW FREAKING COOL IS THIS?” “SO FREAKING COOL!” were the only ones that Keri and I uttered for awhile. It was very “Dude!” “Sweet!” of us.

BECAUSE… IT WAS SO FREAKING COOL.

Once we went through a couple of tunnels, we found ourselves on gravel, right along the water. I have to say that this course ranks in the top three favorites. (And there were hills, so I think that really says a lot.) It was absolutely gorgeous! There were volunteers along the course, pointing us in the right direction. I suppose the “wrong” direction would have been swimming and since none of us had signed up for an aquathon, we continued along on the path.

The first hydration station we reached had Rockstar Energy Drink but we were in search of plain old water. Thankfully, there was a lovely table of water cups just ahead!

Soon after we hit the water station, we got to a really gravelly portion of the course. Not to mention, it wasn’t too well lit. And oh, there was a hill. We took this part slow and tried to see where we were going based on the glowing luminaries ahead. It might have been helpful to have little luminaries along the path in the particularly dark areas. Oh, if only I were in charge of the world!

I think that Umbrella Land was one of my favorite parts of the course. Just as we arrived Coldplay’s “Paradise” started playing and it was just so perfect. It was dark, the night bugs were talking, the umbrellas were floating in the trees (that’s not something you see every day) and we were running. Honestly, it reminded me a bit of when we used to dance in the headlights of our cars at night. Yes, we really used to do that. I blame Footloose and being theater geeks.

Keri and I were talking after the run and she said she couldn’t stop smiling (like the first day she rode a bike as an adult) and I agree. IT WAS REALLY FREAKING COOL. Ahem.

See how cool I am?

Just after we ran under the glowing arches, we came to light-up walls with projections on them. Ran through that and wound up right near a father and son duo. The son was probably around eight (my older son’s age) and the dad was giving the pep talk that I’ve given so many times. “Just a half mile to go! You’ve got this! You’re looking strong, buddy!”

Keri wasn’t sure the significance of the mouse – but we rolled with it! When the dad said we were only a half mile out, it made both of us kind of sad. We wanted it to go on forever!

Just after we went through these lit up trees, we hit a steep uphill. But there were actually spectators at this point in the course and we knew that we were nearly done so naturally we tapped into their energy and RAN up that hill. I think Keri might have actually said “WEE!” at one point.

And thankfully, where there’s an uphill, it’s usually followed by the downhill! We flew through the streets of National Harbor, lined with spectators and picked up steam as we went. Faster and faster, we ran through an area of fog (thanks to the fog machine) and then saw the FINISH arch! Keri was so happy speeding along, she nearly missed the fact that we were AT the finish!

We grabbed the post race water and granola bars, took a very glow-y picture, and made our way to the post race par-tay!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un1hGbqIC6I&w=640&h=480]

Thanks to Keri for this video – I was dancing. Naturally!

I’m so very grateful that not only did I get to experience this race but that I got to run it with Keri. I think I’ve said this before; I was the girl who walked the mile in gym class. Keri was the girl who walked right next to me. For us to do this and enjoy it all these years later? Ah-maz-ing.

Ever do an Electric Run or night race? My next night race will be runDisney’s Wine and Dine! And I’ll be cheering at the Philly Rock ‘n Roll half marathon this weekend – look for me with my bright yellow sign, hopefully with a Scoot a Doot shoe logo if I’m able to get crafty. 😉

Running with the Amish, again.

September 11, 2013 by vfreile

Last weekend, I headed back to my hometown in Pennsylvania to visit family and friends and run a half marathon through rural Amish Country.

Does this sound familiar? It might, because last spring I ran a half marathon through Amish Country with a childhood friend Wendy, and we had a blast. Shortly after running that race, the Garden Spot half marathon, I decided to register for its fall counterpart, the Bird-in-Hand half marathon.

What a great call!

Lancaster, Pennsylvania is Amish country. Home to many in the Pennsylvania Dutch Amish and Mennonite community. Many in the county’s Amish community love to run and are quite fast.

Saturday’s race was FILLED with Amish men and women, most of whom run in Amish clothing. That means men run in black pants and suspenders and women wear long dresses and aprons. (and of course, sneakers)

An Amish man and woman fly by. Yep, they are running.

My friend Kyle came in for the race. As we headed to the race site Saturday morning we were treated to a pretty spectacular sunrise. And thank you mom, for driving us in and cheering us on!

Lancaster County sunrise

We arrived early. We wanted plenty of time to park and use one of the slew of portajohns waiting for runners. (There were more than 60 and lines were short. Thank you, race organizers! You understand!)

Hot air balloons inflating at the start

I also had the chance to meet my Oiselle teammate, Michelle, who was making her race debut as a member of the brand’s running team. (I made mine last week at an 18-miler in Watertown, NY, where I PRed!)

Oiselle, pronounced “wa-zell” and means “bird” in French, is a women’s running apparel company that encourages women athletes to push their limits, take chances and just be your amazing self. Michelle and I last month were both named to Oiselle’s Volèe team (That’s “flier” in French) and represent the brand. Side note: I love everything about this company. The gear, the women behind it and the women representing it.

Birds in Bird-in-Hand!

We were both excited to meet, and to race in our singlets for the first time! Can’t wait to run with you again, Birdie!

The race itself was a stunning, but hilly course. Kyle and I used the event as a training run for our fall marathons. Since I really pushed myself last weekend in Watertown, I knew I have to take it easy this weekend.

Kyle and I chatted as we ran, and ran. We spotted quite a few Amish men and women passing us by. Here’s my fave pic, snapped mid-stride.

Run!

Here are a few highlights from the race:

– About a dozen hot air balloon launched just before the race began. This was incredibly beautiful and the balloons entertained us for the first few miles of the hilly, rural course.

Hands down, my fave pic of the race

– Running with Kyle, because hello, she’s awesome! And we can comfortably chat while enjoying the scenery.

– All the water stations were manned by Amish children. Boys and girls cheered as they handed out water and Gatorade to thirsty runners.

– A mid-race cheer and high-five from my teammate Michelle! We spotted each other near the mile 5 turnaround. In our matching singlets, we each cheered for each other. “Fly birdie!” As Kyle said, it was “absolutely stinkin’ adorable.”

There were many fans along the route, both human and animals. We thanked many children and volunteers as we ran. Those lovely Amish girls cheering at mile 11 on the one-lane bridge will also forever hold a place in my heart. Kyle and I cheered back. How often do you have the chance to interact with such simplicity and joy?

As we rounded the bend to the finish, I spotted my mother, then high-tailed it across the finish line where family friend Carole was cheering!

Post-race with Kyle, who PRed by 12 minutes! Rock on lady!

Yes, those medals are real horseshoes. Yes, they are insanely heavy. Yes, I nearly toppled over when it was placed around my neck by little Amish girl. Yes, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Bird-in-hand half: Beautiful course! Loved meeting @SeenontheRun & our mid-race high-5! #oiselleteam @kylepjennings pic.twitter.com/fNlyUxx6kc

— Victoria Freile (@vfreile) September 7, 2013

I can’t wait to run this course again next fall… and I’ll plan ahead this time so I can really fly! (are you in, Kyle? Michelle?)

Have you run a rural race? Have you ever run with the Amish? Is this event now on your bucket list? (and they have a 5K too!)

Guest Post: Heather dishes on the Inaugural Disneyland 10K

September 5, 2013 by scootadoot

I spent most of my childhood living within a 30 minute drive of Disneyland, I have been to the park more times than I can count. In 2011, when I was ready to take my running to the next level, it made perfect sense to make the Disneyland Half Marathon my first.

I absolutely love the challenge of the half marathon but I’ll be honest, the last two miles can really be a struggle for me; the 10k is where it’s at.

When runDisney announced the addition of a 10k to Disneyland Half Marathon weekend I knew I had to run it. Early registration was offered in January at the Tinkerbell Half Marathon Expo. That’s when Tony and I registered.

Finish Line for 5k and 10k

We got to Disneyland about 2:30 on Friday afternoon and headed straight to the expo to pick up our bibs and shirts. Throughout the afternoon the Twitterverse was abuzz over crowding and long lines at the expo, but when we arrived we walked right up to the bib pick up booth, got in another line for our pre-purchased park tickets then headed upstairs to the expo floor where we received our shirts. We walked the whole expo and from start to finish were out in less than an hour.

Saturday morning we were up bright and early and made it to the holding area for 10k participants right about 5:15am. While we were waiting for the 5k to kick off, I had the chance to catch up with some of my friends who were also running.

Anya and Heather (aka, Figment and Aurora)

It was a very hot and humid 80 degrees as we lined up towards the back of corral D. The race started a bit behind its 6:15 scheduled time. Corral D and E seemed to meld together and we got the go ahead to starting line at 6:29.

At the start

The course was extremely crowded as we ran down South Disneyland Drive, past Katella and circled around the Convention Center. After we passed the first marker and made our way back towards the parks on Harbor it opened up for a bit.

DCA!

Mile 2 brought us into Disney’s California Adventure park and, although it was a bit crowded, I was able to maintain my normal pace. As we came around to the boardwalk area, all bets on me running for time were off. It was such a pretty day (despite the heat) so I decided many pictures were in order.

Fancy to see you here!

Tony and Heather

Even stopping to snap photo after photo, the miles seemed to fly by. Before I knew it. we were heading into Disneyland and approaching mile 4.

Running along the backlot of Disneyland provided plenty of photo opportunities of parade floats. Once we entered Fantasyland, we found Alice in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter waiting by the mile 5 marker.

It’s a mad TEA PARTY!

Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum and the Red Queen were also nearby.

Heather strikes a pose with the Red Queen

Through Sleeping Beauty’s Castle we went, out of the park into Downtown Disney, which was filled with cheering spectators and fellow runners. We ran down the home stretch on to the finish line beside the Disneyland Hotel.

I was so happy I decided to register for this race. I think it offers runners who don’t feel quite ready to tackle a half marathon a great mid-way distance event. And like I said I absolutely love the 10k!

It was a bit crowded and slow moving in points of the course, but everyone seemed to be having such a great time and we are all there because we love Disney.

As for me, I will be registering for the 10k distances as long as runDisney offers them. And yes, I was bummed I just didn’t sign up for the Dumbo Double Dare. But those 10Ks – they will be my low key, get silly and take pictures along the course run as opposed to shooting for my personal record half marathons.

Tony and Heather at the finish

Heather is a mom, runner, crossfitter and contract administrator. She blogs at Heather in the Middle and can be found on Twitter at @hsb0372.

Guest Post: Anya takes on the Dumbo Double Dare

September 5, 2013 by scootadoot

When my girls at Scoot A Doot asked me months ago if I would write a guest post for the Disneyland Half Marathon and the Dumbo Double Dare I, of course, said “yes!” I thought it would be an easy-to-write recap of an epic day. Little did I know how epic my day would end up (and how difficult it would be to put into words).

The Dumbo Double Dare was a challenge presented this year by runDisney where if you ran the Inaugural Disneyland 10K and then the following day ran the Disneyland Half Marathon you would receive an extra medal (and some extra pride).

Two weeks prior to Dumbo I was playing soccer in an over 30’s Women’s tournament and was tackled HARD. I flipped and the first thing to hit the ground was my left shoulder. Immediately I knew something was wrong. I couldn’t lift my arm and the pain, oh the pain! Later, as we sat in the ER, it dawned on me that I would not be running the races that I had so diligently trained for.

Before my shoulder injury, I was feeling so good and prepared for the Dumbo Double Dare! Based on my training runs, I truly felt I could PR both the 10K and the Half Marathon.

In my over 28 years of playing soccer this would be my worst injury. My Orthopedic Surgeon informed me that I had separated my shoulder, torn some ligaments and had some nerve damage. He followed that with the best news I could have heard: I could probably run the half marathon, it may hurt but I would not do any further damage! Since I had already come to terms with the fact that I would NOT be running Dumbo this was all amazing news for me! I was cleared to use a stationary bicycle, so I hopped on and cycled my heart out. The Thursday before the race I was finally cleared to run both events. I did a short run and it was awful. My shoulder hurt so bad that I got nauseous during the run (it probably didn’t help that it was 90 degrees that day). The good news is that every day my shoulder was better than the day before, so I had hope that it would feel better by Saturday morning.

We packed the car and drove up to the Expo on Friday morning.

Me at the expo in my awesome Scoot A Doot t-shirt

How cute are the bibs for the Dumbo Double Dare?!

Fast forward to the morning of the Disneyland 10K. As I stood in my corral I was so nervous to take those first few steps! I had an amazing cheering section (my wife and dog) and a ton of support from family and friends so I knew that no matter what happened that day I would be okay.

I ran the first mile very carefully and quickly realized that my shoulder felt good, my legs felt good, my lungs felt good and it felt so good to be running again! When I crossed that finish line- I crossed it with the biggest smile ever! I checked my time and I PR’d the race by 6 minutes! I don’t run too many 10K races so it was a PR that was long overdue, but it still felt so good to get it!

Here I am with my 10k medal – loving life!

I woke up the next morning with my shoulder aching a bit and my legs feeling a little sore from the day before otherwise I felt good and I was so excited to be running the half! My wife, Laurie, and I left the hotel and walked to the starting line – with our little dog in the basket of Laurie’s bike.

People loved seeing him and kept calling him “Toto”

Once we got closer we parted ways and I headed over to Corral C to get ready to get going. This was my first runDisney race that I would be completing without Laurie next to me (along with the 10k).

It was very dark and crowded, but everyone was so friendly!

The energy at runDisney races is incredible and contagious. I was once again very nervous but all the excited people around me helped to clear my mind. It was an abnormally hot and humid day in Anaheim and my legs were already a little sore, how would I do in this race? I knew I would finish, but how bad would it hurt?

They did a countdown and sent us off with some fanfare and Mickey and Minnie waving to everyone. I tried to take photos but my water bottle was very full and I could not hold it in my left (injured) arm for very long. I tried to take photos with my left hand but that was a total failure! I did manage a few photos through Disneyland and CA Adventure- but they were very blurry.

World of Color and Mickey’s Fun Wheel! If you squint your eyes, it looks normal.

Running down route 66 at Cars Land

My favorite part- running down Main Street Disneyland!

At this point I was moving at a very cautious pace. My legs were feeling a little sore, but my shoulder was feeling good (unless I held the water bottle with my left arm to take pictures). I decided that I would just keep going and tuck my camera away. But not before getting the one picture I really wanted:

Me with the Dumbo ride, while completing the Dumbo Double Dare! Bonus: sunrise over the Matterhorn.

At around the 4 mile mark you are out of the parks and you embark on your journey through Anaheim. If it wasn’t for some amazing High School Bands, Cheerleaders, Dance Groups, and friends and family of the runners, this section would have been a very boring run on the streets.

I had last seen Laurie in between California Adventure and Disneyland and as I approached mile 6 I spotted her again! It was so great to see her, as I needed a morale boost. Every step was hurting and it was so hot out, but seeing her (and our dog) helped me forget that. She rode next to me for a ways and then left to meet me somewhere else (I never knew where she would be). As she rode next to me she snapped this shot with the GoPro camera (which subsequently ran out of battery):

One foot in front of the other!

And I took this picture of her:

Why oh why didn’t we have her dress as Dorothy from the Wizard of OZ?!

I started having to dig down deep in order to keep myself going. My doubts were setting in, could I go another 7 miles?! I just kept telling myself that I could do it, and it worked as I kept going.

At the mile 8 mark something amazing happened. I saw this guy and took my last picture on the course:

The 2:15 pacer!

I knew that the 2:15 pacer started a ways in front of me in my corral. This meant I was going a little faster than a 2:15 half marathon! My PR was 2:16. Was I REALLY going PR pace?! Right then I heard Laurie yelling for me. I ran over to her and said “did you see the pacer?!” she immediately knew what I meant. She had been doing runner tracking so she knew what my pace was but I did not (until I saw the pacer). I forgot to look at the clock when I started so I didn’t know how many minutes to subtract and I made a few guesses but nothing was official. It’s always best when I don’t focus too hard on my pace (you’ll see why). Laurie took this picture of us before I took off again:

I’m smiling! Could I actually PR?!

This was around the area where there was about a mile of classic cars. This part was so awesome! So many people there with their extremely cool cars (eye candy) cheering for total strangers very early in the morning!

Mile 9 was just before Angels Stadium. Right around here I lost the pacer as he was in front of me and I could no longer see him. I was feeling pretty deflated. I had tasted a PR, I had it in my grasps and I felt like I had let it go. I felt like maybe I should just walk, but I quickly talked myself out of that and just kept moving.

As we entered Angels stadium I got chills! I had done this race twice before (2009 and 2010) so I knew this part would be incredible. The stands are packed with cheering Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and many screaming families and spectators. The noise is deafening yet uplifting. Not all of us are professional athletes (clearly) so having a stadium filled with people yelling for you and everyone around you feels pretty amazing.

Shortly after we left the stadium we hit mile 10. Mile 10 for me, usually (I have run 10 other half marathons), is where I get the most excited. It is the point in the race where I know I have made it. The point where I feel I am done with the hardest part of the race. This day, alas, I did not feel this way at mile 10. It was tough and I was really pushing myself to keep moving.

I don’t know how I made it to mile 11. It wasn’t pretty but I just kept repeating my mantra “I am alive” reminding myself I was okay, I was breathing, I was going to do this. I hunkered down and pushed myself harder than I have ever pushed myself. I wasn’t going to stop. Right around here I saw Laurie once again. She saw I was struggling and she asked me if I was hurting, I told her I was (but she knew this already). She told me to keep going because I was going to finish! I could do it! I honestly would have stopped and walked if I didn’t have her voice in my head over and over telling me I could do it. Let me be clear, there is nothing at all wrong with walking during a race. We walked almost all of the Princess Half Marathon, but this race was just different for me. I was so thankful to be able to run! Laurie also knows me so well if I really looked like I needed to slow down or stop she surely would have stepped in and said so. I trusted her and I just kept going.

At mile 12 I was absolutely shocked. I caught up with the 2:15 pacer! He was stopped and waiting for people to catch up. My guess is that he was ahead of schedule. That was my cue to stop doubting and start pushing. I ran. I ran HARD. He would NOT catch me again! I would get far enough away from him that if I needed to slow down I would still be in front of him. I have never pushed myself so hard. When I took the last turn to the straightaway to finish, I knew I was close and I sprinted.

I sprinted past the screaming/cheering spectators that lined the course near the Disneyland Hotel. I sprinted past the mile 13 sign. I only slowed down to high five Minnie Mouse before I crossed the finish line. I couldn’t believe how hard I pushed- and what was my time?? I immediately checked my email because I was having my official times tracked and sent there. There it was: 2:10:32. I had PR’d by 6 minutes!! I was in shock!! I made it to where they put the medal around your neck and I was such an emotional mess. I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that I had actually finished this race after thinking that after months of training hard I wasn’t going to be able to run it- and on top of that I finished with a new PR!

Right after I got my half medal, I burst into tears. Tears of joy. Tears of exhaustion. Tears because I did it! I tried to compose myself while they gave me my Dumbo Double Dare medal.

Wearing both medals felt great!

Shortly after I crossed the finish line my phone died. When I plugged it back in a little later I got this text from my mom “Anya, you are my hero”. She had apparently been tracking me and she sent me that text right as I crossed the finish line. Cue the waterworks again. Boy, was I emotional!

The breakdown of my race (from the tracking emails):

Just as I had trained! Negative splits!

There’s something magical about the runDisney races. I have always had such an amazing time when I run them, and despite this one being such a difficult race for me I finished with a huge smile on my face! I don’t think I could have PR’d so close to my injury at any other race. I am so thankful for every single stranger that cheered for me. Thankful for all the volunteers who worked! Thankful for the volunteers helping me fill my water bottle again. Side note- I drank 2 full water bottles during this race (that was a first for me as well) on top of Powerade at most of the later stations and 2.5 GU’s. I am also thankful for all of the Anaheim police who were out controlling traffic on the course. I am even more thankful that I had Laurie racing around on her bike to cheer me on. She truly is the reason that I was able to finish. I love the Disneyland Half Marathon and I am so excited to have a shiny new PR as well as 3 shiny new medals from running the Dumbo Double Dare (that’s a lot of shine!).

How amazing are these medals?!

Of course I had to wear my Dumbo medal for this picture!

Oh and our dog? Apparently it’s exhausting riding around in a basket!

Good night, little man.

This race really showed me that I have the strength to reach my goals if I get out of my head and just go for it. I will never give up on myself again. This race was such an emotional victory for me. I feel like I really became a runner (like, a runner) this weekend. I have so much support from the people that love me it’s overwhelming. My friends and family were so awesome cheering me on and congratulating me. They are my inspiration. I am also proud of the training I have done this year. It is a true testament to my training that I was able to take 2 weeks off from running (and basically all exercise/movement) and still complete 19.3 miles in 2 days. I still feel
so good!

Oh, runDisney you got me again. What a wonderful time I had! I will be back!

Anya is an avid sports fan, career soccer coach, terrible chef, and an occasional blogger at http://runningisakick.wordpress.com/ You can also find her on twitter at @AnyaBC18

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