the week:
I’ve experienced all kinds of weather in Iowa, but this week’s crazy severe storms and tornado warnings had me legit freaking out. I don’t ever want to be in my car during a 70-mph wind storm ever again! I saw a trampoline in a tree, so I’m pretty sure that’s like Iowa Bingo right there.
All that said, what was 94 and humid at the beginning of the week is now 45 degrees and depressingly gloomy.
-_-
weekend:
It’s a weekend of brunches! After my Saturday morning run, our group is having brunch at Louie’s Wine Dive to celebrate our race reason. On Sunday, the hubs and I are going to see “Curious Incident…” at Des Moines Performing Arts Center and having brunch beforehand at Bubba | Southern Comfort (I need those buckwheat waffles).
seven things, seven days:
1. A coworker gave me two heirloom tomato plants. I’m so excited to take care of these guys and tend to fruit! I miss our little urban plot that we had in Pittsburgh, and want to make a plan to have a small vegetable garden in place by next year.
2. Did you see the FitSpi shorts that will be in next month’s Runner Crate? Got me to subscribe. [affiliate link]
3. I found the cats have been taking turns napping on my workout bag that I leave on the bench in our garage entry. One of them is snoring over there right at this moment. ?
4. That Demi Lovato collection at Fabletics is ?.
5. Lucky Charms is hosting a contest to win a MARSHMALLOW ONLY box of cereal. Gimme.
6. A story too close to the skin for me: Vitamin D deficiency vs. Skin cancer {via HealthLine}
7. I no longer feel guilt over wasting time (though I am also much, much better at managing my time) {via Quartz}
the week:
So… yeah. Can I remain 30-something in this blog space if I’m actually 40? I knew this moment would come, and I don’t yet have a plan for the change. I know that I want to continue to blog — blogging been a part of my life for 15 some years, and I’ve been posting here for about 6 years. I’ve been waiting for a “big idea” lightbulb moment. And since that hasn’t happened yet, I’ll remain here as a 30-something in spirit.
weekend:
Having a kind weird weekend — I’ve been feeling something wonky in my right knee intermittently for a week, along with my left arch feeling sore since Illinois. And now my lower back is bothering me since Friday. I don’t have it in me to run outside in 30-degree temperatures and rain. And when I attempted to make up some miles on my treadmill, the machine started smelling like burning rubber and I got nervous about the motor burning up (or the thing catching fire) and had to QUIT. Things are rough over here right now.
You know, in case you wondered what 40-something blog posts would be like.
seven things, seven days:
1. Took a DNS for the Drake Half marathon. I just didn’t have it in me.
2. Golf season has arrived (amidst the snow showers in the forecast, WTF), and I’m finally spending my Dick’s Sporting Goods gift card from LAST Christmas on a new pair of golf shoes.
3. I found an additional VISA gift card, as well as a Dunham’s (hopefully those still exist?) and another for Amazon. Maybe I need to clean out junk drawers more often?
4. Is running contagious? {via NYT}
5. This food article spoke right to my soul (and inspired me to make a gluten-free carrot cake this weekend): The Nonnegotiables of Good Carrot Cake {via Taste}
6. Sports Psychology: The effects of loss aversion (sorry in advance about the auto-play video) {via Stack}
7. A guide for giving your cats their annual performance review — OMGGGGGGG ???
Disclaimer: I received a free entry to The Illinois Half Marathon as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!
The college was celebrating its 150th birthday, and race day was a PARTY. When the Race Directors said that the city gets behind this race, they really meant it. And with the spectators having so much fun, I was feeding off that energy.
Location: Champaign-Urbana, Illinois!
Registration and Cost: As my disclosure states above, I received a free entry to the Half I-Challenge series. If you register for the race early, you can run the half marathon for as cheap as $60. There are several incremental increases as the race approaches; expo registration (pending availability) went as high as $90. The Half I-Challenge for the half marathon and 5K starts at $85 and goes up to $140.
Pre-Race: The communication from Illinois Marathon RDs was EXCELLENT leading up to race weekend. They utilized Facebook and Twitter and interacted with participants, and sent out several emails regarding race info, packet pickup, and after parties.
Swag: Each race had its own drawstring race bag and t-shirt. The half marathon shirt is great — a bright neon yellow short-sleeved tee with a more breathable tech material. I also love that it’s v-neck. The drawstring bag for the half has a mesh back and extra zippered pocket in the front. I have SOOOOOO many drawstring race bags now; I wish that there was only one for the Challenge runners.
Weather: While I knew it was going to be chilly, race day was downright COLD — at the start it was feels like temp of 35. I was a little cranky about it, but also glad that I had an extra long sleeve. It was also pretty windy, so that added to my pre-race chill.
Course: The course for the half marathon was basically flat — and it was fast. A lot of it was run through neighborhoods and some through paved trails in a park, but none of it was boring.
Start Line: Definitely not as crowded as the day before (thankfully). Not the same start location as the 5K, but still on campus near the Stadium and only a .5 mile walk from my hotel. There were wave starts and a countdown for each start.
Aid Stations: There is an oranges station sponsored by Meijer around mile 6, which was a nice surprise (I love oranges during races!). There were a few hydration stations with water and some with Gatorade (I missed the first Gatorade stop because I didn’t realize until I was already at the water tables). I got a strawberry-banana GU (my favorite!) at mile 6.5-ish, too. I was able to store my GU for later on when I had some awful stomach grumbling from hunger (I carried some Figgies & Jammies with me, but didn’t feel like “eating” during the race).
Finish Line: Muscle Milk (chocolate and vanilla) and bottled water on the field. I walked all the way up the stadium seats until I realized that I forgot to pick up my Challenge medals back in center field. After walking back UP the stairs, I saw the signs…
ERMAGAHD GLUTEN-FREE PASTA AVAILABLE IN THE CONCESSION STANDS!!!
I was more than a little excited (thanks, Biaggi’s!).
Fans and Experience: Crowd support was probably the most engaging and fun of any race in which I participated. There were signs everywhere (my favorite: “We’re blocked in our driveway, run faster!”) and spectators lined the streets and neighborhoods — high-fiving and cheering and handing out samples of beer and makeshift water stops and tissues to runners. I find some of the larger races to be overwhelming with people, but this was the perfect amount of energy; I was really feeding off it. It reminded me a bit of the neighborhood support when I did the Akron relay.
I particularly loved the genuine “Welcome to Champaign” (was that the mayor?) greeting as we ran through the downtown area and the “Finnish Line” (hilarious!). There were Cheer Zones and live music (I loved the multi-instrument band with the accordion and brass — I wish I caught the name of their group) and even Elvis! The entertainment was awesome throughout the course. Around 8-9 miles in, some friendly neighbors were passing out cups and cans of beer — not for me, obviously but if there was something gluten-free, I may have taken something; I was sincerely loving the energy.
Even better, the RUNNERS seemed to all be having equal fun.
After Party: The 27th Mile celebration was just outside Memorial Stadium, similar to the party the night before — free beer for participants and free cake and live music. After walking back to my hotel room, it was breakfast, a hot shower and a long nap; and then a friend drove in to hang out over night. I needed to fuel, so it was (gluten-free!) burgers and buffalo chicken dip at Scotty’s Brewhouse first, and then we drank wine and ate stinky cheese and caught up in the hotel room afterward. The weekend overall was a total blast.
Water, chocolate milk, coffee… I like options (and the hotel was EXCELLENT at keeping the breakfast going a little late for runners)
OVERALL The Great: THIS RACE WAS AWESOME. SO FUN. ALL CAPS. The Good: I negative split the 2nd half of my race — WHOOP! The Bad: Blah, weather. Tolerable, but I thought winter was over! The Ugly: As runners are approaching the stadium for the finish line, the course kinda narrows; well, I came up to a band of walkers spanned across the distance. It was irritating, and I got a little run rage-y — I may have yelled at them to move left (sorry).
TL;DR: My weekend in Illinois was incredible. A 5K PR and my 2nd fastest half marathon time — and probably the best overall race energy and experience. They put on a great event there in Champaign-Urbana, and if you’re looking for some fun (or a PR), I would definitely add this race to your calendar.
Disclaimer: I received a free entry to The Illinois Marathon 5K as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!
I’m breaking down my trip to the Illinois race weekend into two posts. This first post will include the 5K portion of the I-Challenge and the Expo. The second will focus on the half marathon and overall race weekend experience.
Location: Champaign-Urbana, Illinois! A nice little 5-hour road trip from Des Moines.
Road trip rest stop #1: At least I know that I hydrated properly!
Registration and Cost: As my disclosure states above, I received a free entry to the I-Challenge series (5K and half marathon). If you register for the race early, you can run the 5K for as cheap as $25. There are several incremental increases as the race approaches; expo registration (pending availability) went as high as $50. The Half I-Challenge for the half marathon and 5K starts at $85 and goes up to $140.
There are four different distances as part of the Illinois Marathon weekend: the full marathon, half marathon, a 10k and 5k. There is also a youth run, a marathon relay, and the challenge races that all include the 5k on Friday night and one of the distances on Saturday.
Me and Alma… and Alma… and Alma.
Expo and Packet Pick-up: The Health & Fitness Expo opened on Thursday (4-8pm) and continued Friday from (10am-7pm); I drove in on Friday and made it to the expo around 3pm (after checking into my hotel). The expo takes place at the University of Illinois Activities and Recreation Center (ARC) and, after parking, was easy for this out-of-towner to find her way. Arrows directed you to the bib pick-up area first — I didn’t experience any lines in the afternoon.
After picking up my bibs (separate bibs for the half and 5K), registrations are then directed to the large gym area for the vendor area and swag pick-up. There were a large number of vendors, a series of speakers — including marathoner Dick Beardsley — and several photo opportunities. I really enjoyed the experience and layout, and spent a good amount of time looking around (and, of course, shopping). Biaggi’s restaurant was also hosting a Pasta Feed at the Expo — and they had gluten-free pasta (YAY!).
Parking was a little annoying from a time management perspective, but there was plenty of it and it’s free. Signage was very helpful around campus to direct where to park — and look for all the volunteers with orange foam fingers. You just might have to do some walking, and the Expo gets busier as people get out of work.
Swag: Each race had its own drawstring race bag and t-shirt. The 5K shirt is short sleeved and the typical boxy fit that comes with unisex sizing. If you’re local to the area, there were a BUNCH of race and product flyers — many with discounts.
Weather: The weather was much chillier than I expected at 48 degrees (and super windy). And I’m REALLY glad that I packed that extra pair of pants and a long-sleeve layer.
Course: All of the races for the weekend started near the State Farm Center and ended at Memorial Stadium. I don’t know much about the area, but it was fun to run through campus and Champaign at nighttime. There was a great energy along the course, with a lot of students cheering from the sidewalks and porches around campus. I did my fair share of “woo’ing” with spectators.
Start Line: The 5K started at 7:30 pm — and at a half hour before start time, it was SO CROWDED. All of the runners couldn’t even fit into their corrals, and there was quite a long wait in between waves in order to fit all the people in as each corral moved forward. It kind of made me nervous for the half marathon start. Maybe that bottleneck could be alleviated with entry open to both sides of the corrals?
Bib Rave Pros!
Aid Stations: There was a water stop on the course about 2 miles in, though I didn’t need to stop.
Finish Line: The big appeal of the Illinois Marathon is the 50-yard finish inside Memorial Stadium. Imagine my surprise to learn we would be doing the same for the 5K! It was a really cool experience, though you couldn’t linger long on the field. Inside the concession area was free food for finishers: Jimmy John’s sandwiches (sadly no lettuce-wrapped), bananas, and Nature Valley granola bars.
After Party: The 4th Mile party outside Memorial Stadium was the celebratory kick-off to the 5K and race weekend. All participants got a free drink (lines were fairly long by the time we finished our races) from Riggs Beer Company. There was also live music, food trucks, and FREE CAKE to celebrate the 150th birthday. All of this, sadly, not meant for the gluten-free runner. I was positively shivering from the cold (I had to purchase an oversized men’s sweatshirt from one of the vendor booths to get warm) and unfortunately, couldn’t stick around the party too long.
Speaking of birthdays, the 5K medal is a balloons bouquet celebrating the sesquicentennial. And for me, it also celebrated a new PR! HOLY CRAP. I ran the race by feel and… it felt easy. I’m just so ecstatic to have that feeling and see those splits — while also having so much fun.
OVERALL The Great: I wasn’t planning for a 5K PR, so that was a GREAT surprise! The Good: Despite being cold, I was having fun. The Bad: Not the races fault, but my hotel room was right outside the elevators. Whomp, whomp. The Ugly: Entry to the corrals was pretty backed up, and people were getting irritated and pushy. I hate pushy people.
the week:
Recovering from traveling, returned to my original office building (but in a new space), and roads closed on my usual route leaving my house THROUGH NOVEMBER (ugh).
weekend:
Another race weekend; this time a road trip to Solon, Iowa for the Hawkeye 25k trail race. Super excited for this one — spoiler alert: there’s a water crossing!
Though I have to wake up at, like, 4 am to drive east, and Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
seven things, seven days:
1. My sleep schedule is a MESS.
2. We saw Fun Home at the Des Moines Civic Center. I had a giant lump in my throat by the end and wanted an ugly, cathartic cry. It was such a beautiful show!
3. Also, enjoyed an awesome dinner at RoCA downtown. I loved my pasta dish so much (gluten-free!) — and there were a lot of choices for gluten-free dining.
5. Ugh, Runner Face. {via Women’s Running}
6. How much does it cost to be fit? (My percentage per my monthly income is pretty high!) {via Outside}
7. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
weekend:
So, we made our marriage license official — and celebrated EIGHT YEARS together! ? We found a wonderful lady to come to our home and get our signatures (along with our witnesses), and then will celebrate with some corned beef and cabbage and shots of Irish whiskey.
Disclaimer: I received a box of NuGo Dark bars to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find and write race reviews!
It’s three p.m. Your stomach roars. The snack machine calls you with its siren song of empty calories. Think…YES! Top desk drawer! You open it, and there, among the pens and paper clips, is the NuGo Dark bar you had stashed this morning. You bite down. The decadent REAL Dark Chocolate flavor floods your senses. Hunger defeated. You have finally found a truly delicious gluten-free, vegan, OU kosher pareve and Non-GMO snack!
WORD.
About NuGo:NuGo Nutrition Bars make such a wide variety of healthy, great-tasting snacks in line with a variety of dietary needs: organic, gluten-free, low sugar, or no soy — NuGo Dark is also made of antioxidant-rich REAL Dark Chocolate. The cocoa butter in NuGo Dark may aid in reducing inflammation and lowering blood pressure. No cheap vegetable fats in these bars!
NuGo bars are made in the Pittsburgh area, so I feel something of a special connection to their company. I initially discovered their products when I ran the Pittsburgh half marathon but I couldn’t eat the bar included in the race bags because it was unclear whether is was gluten-free. That’s why I’m so happy about NuGo Dark — certified gluten-free right on the label!
First Impression: Boy, do I love dark chocolate. Also, YAY! GLUTEN-FREE! I received a case with four different flavors of the NuGo dark: Dark Chocolate Coconut (it tastes like a Mounds bar — it’s incredible!), Dark Mint Chocolate Chip (my least favorite; I’m not a huge fan of mint and chocolate together), Chocolate Chocolate Chip (so.much.chocolate), and Dark Chocolate Pretzel (MY FAVORITE).
10g of protein + only 200 calories!
Side note: I really need to order a box of Dark Spicy Chocolate with Chili Peppers and Dark Peanut Butter Cup because those also sound amazing
NuGo Dark bars make for a great HANGRY tamer — I stashed one in my carry-on when traveling, always had one in my lunch bag for work, and even kept one in my purse while I was out car shopping. They work great as an emergency snack AND for post-run fuel. I didn’t carry any with me ON my runs — I was worried about the melting factor — but another BibRave Pro confirmed that they didn’t melt! So, I’ll be stashing one of these on my next trail run.
BibRave Discount: Enjoy 15% off NuGo Dark with code BIBRAVE1, good through 2/8/17.
Check out NuGo Nutrition on Twitter and Instagram. And join us during BibChat this Tuesday 8pm CST on Twitter — follow @NuGoNutrition and chat along with the hashtag #bibchat to get more familiar with NuGo brand (and likely a chance to win free NuGo Dark product ?).
Disclaimer: I received The Runnerbox to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find and write race reviews!
The Runnerbox is a bi-monthly box of athletic awesomeness — hand-picked products and accessories geared towards runners to enhance their active lifestyle.
About Runnerbox:
The bi-monthly subscription box costs $20 and is stuffed with products and accessories geared towards runners. Runnerbox contains items hand-picked by athletes and can contain everything from gels to chews to protein shakes/supplements, and nutrition bars, energy boosters, healthy snacks, personal care, and other running gear or accessories. Some of the products are brand new to the market while others are tried and true favorites. I’m a huge fan of being able to be be something of a public “first tester” of new products.
The box I received was winter themed and contained items focused on keeping runners warm and fueled when the temperatures drop (and keeping motivation up!).
Here’s what my box included:
HOTSHOT (2 bottles)
Louva Shorties (in black)
Banza Mac & Cheese (Chickpea pasta)
Zest Tea (cinnamon apple)
Oatmega Whey Bar
biPro (2 packets)
Chosen Foods Chia Bites
REDD Superfood Energy Bar
Runa Energy Drink
Hyperice Hypersooth (sample packets)
So. Much. Stuff!
First impression: As someone who is obsessed with monthly subscription services, there is a LOT of stuff in this box! It looked as though most of the products were gluten-free, too. Gear that has adaptable uses get a gold star by me, so the Louva shorties sound like my kind of product.
Favorite Products: Banza mac & cheese, biPRO protein powder, the chia bites, and Zest tea.
30-Something Runner Approved: I love finding out about new stuff, and Runnerbox is a great way to test out new items — particularly for fitness-oriented products and fuel that is already tested by other athletes. I was SUPER pumped about all the gluten-free products! I like subscription boxes (a lot) and I like them even better when I can eat (and enjoy) everything. I also appreciated the mix of items — mostly food or fuel-based, but with some non-edible items.
Disclaimer: I received samples of LUVO frozen meals to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find and write race reviews!
Good Food Equals Performance LUVO frozen meals don’t sacrifice nutrition in the name of convenience. “Whether you’re training for a marathon, or simply maintaining the marathon of everyday life, we’re interested in fueling every body to be the best they can be at work, at home and at play.” Hey! That sounds like me!
Here’s what I like (a LOT!) about LUVO meals and mission: A full serving of fruits and veggies. Appropriate levels of sodium and sugar. High in fiber. Whole grains. Meats raised without antibiotics. Meals made with ingredients your body needs and flavors your taste buds will marvel over. No artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners. Non-GMO soy, corn & canola. Gluten-free and vegetarian options.
First impression: Gluten-free freezer meals? For someone who dislikes cooking very much and in the midst of a training cycle where every hour is HANGRY, I was excited to be part of the BibRave Pros selected to sample some of LUVO’s dinner options. I received two different meals (3 of each): Chicken Chile Verde and Tandoori-inspired Spiced Chicken.
Meh, chicken. Despite my disdain for the poultry, chicken is a constant source of protein in my diet — and we runners need our protein.
But if I’m being honest, I was disappointed that I received two different chicken dishes, and I felt a little jealous that another Pro received a gluten-free enchilada option (*sad trombone*). Additionally, I was disappointed that both meals contained potato starch (why it’s a necessary ingredient for chicken meat, I don’t know). I do know it’s difficult to stay away from white potato ingredients particularly with prepared gluten-free products (though not impossible), and I try to stay away from it as much as possible. That said, these entrees were not a bowl of cereal or a sandwich-for-dinner, so it was a win for me considering I was consuming double meals for like two weeks straight in my most-recent training cycle, which coincided with my boyfriend’s travel work schedule — he’s the cook in this family.
That said, I’m always happy to see more healthy meals in the frozen section, from a completely selfless perspective!
Each frozen meal contains a steam bag that remains in tact while it goes through the cooking process — which takes around 5-6 minutes. Upon opening my first box, it had a punctured bag (despite it exclaiming DO NOT PUNCTURE) and still cooked OK. Two of my tandoori chicken entrees had completely torn bags. Little disappointed about that, but cooked them anyways; I don’t know if the flavors would be any different had they marinated in a closed bag.
Note to anyone who brings these to work: Bring scissors! You’d be amazed how difficult it is to find a pair, despite having thousands of coworkers. I had to cut mine open with a plastic knife so I could eat my lunch.
They plate nicely, right out of the bag and I thought the portion was good for someone (ahem, me) who eats every couple of hours. I also had some fun making my meal into a breakfast burrito BECAUSE WHY NOT?!
LOVED the polenta and the chile verde sauce – though the pepita seeds got lost in the dish. Disliked the chicken, and the black beans felt overcooked every time. Flavors and spice level, however, were great.
Blah, I do not like mango either, unless the flavor is completely covered up in a fruit smoothie. The flavor of the mango was almost-completely covered by the tandoori-ish flavor and added a sweetness to the meal; the vegetables and rice steamed up nice. Overall, this one packs a little heat, but it’s really, really tasty.
For both meals, I added either sour cream or plain greek yogurt for an added flavor profile. It’s especially helpful with the tandoori entree to balance the spiciness.
LUVO’s website is pretty great — you can read all about their products and story, and learn more on other (more famous) ambassadors and partnerships (food on Delta flights?!). Ingredients for all of their products, as well as informative dietary and nutritional facts are marked with each product. Unsure why both of my entrees are identified as not being gluten-free on the website, but both of my packages are marked as such.
So I went out of my comfort zone a bit and tried something new. I really value what LUVO is doing, in providing healthy and convenient meal options — particularly helpful for athletes, and for myself in really focusing on “righting” my diet.
No discount codes to offer on this these guys, BUT there are are bunch of coupons on LUVO’s website!
the week:
This week went by WAY too quickly and my nerves kind of got the better of me. I had many intentions that fell flat to feeling overwhelmed, and I’ll be using my evening to reset (and using some overtime to catch up with work tomorrow). We’re back up into the 80s again for temperatures (alongside its best friend 90% Humidity), so looks like summer is sticking around to make the rest of my long runs sticky and miserable.
Summer: please see the door, I would like to wear my scarves and coats and boots, kthxbai. And I’m kind of tired of the treadmill.
weekend:
I’m doing 108 sun salutations at LifeTime tomorrow morning, followed by my second short run of the week, working some overtime, and then resting for a LONG, LONELY 12-miler on Sunday.
Among all THAT, I’ll be watching MOAR ROLLER DERBY — Team United from Des Moines is playing in this weekend’s WFTDA playoff tournament in Madison.
The Runnerbox is a bi-monthly box of athletic awesomeness — hand-picked products and accessories geared towards runners to enhance their active lifestyle. 
