The 2015 Publix Georgia Marathon/Half Marathon Expo changed locations this year and was held at the America's Mart exhibit space. The expo looked like it was going to be mid-size with about 25 vendors listed. The vendors included a variety of companies including nutritional products, running apparel/shoes, races, and more.
You already know that one of my favorite part of large race weekends is getting to hit up the expo. Expos are a great chance to check out new vendors, get free samples, and get discounts on merchandise or future races. The 2015 Publix Georgia Marathon/Half Marathon Expo changed locations this year and was held at the America's Mart exhibit space. The expo looked like it was going to be mid-size with about 25 vendors listed. The vendors included a variety of companies including nutritional products, running apparel/shoes, races, and more. We arrived to the expo shortly after it opened on Saturday morning (the expo ran Friday and Saturday). A majority of our friends were coming a little later so we started making our way around the expo checking out the vendors and deals. As you first entered the expo area, there was an area that you could sign up for pace groups and meet some of the pacers from Half Fanactics and Marathon Maniacs. There was also an area to sign up for the Atlanta 26.2/39.3 Challenge (completing both the 2015 Publix Georgia Marathon/Half Marathon and the Michelob Ultra 13.1 in October). I have ran the challenge multiple times, so of course THIS happened... Yep, I am registered for the Michelob Ultra 13.1 in October. Did you seriously think that I wouldn't sign up? They gave me a free shirt and hat - DUH! We wandered around the expo a little more and collected some freebies (pens, bags, etc). I of course had to stop by the PowerIce booth! I decided to get a sample of grape since it matched my outfit :) We stopped by the Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon & Diva's Half Marathon booth and noticed on the "register to win" sheet that some of our friends were just here. When we went to the next booth, there they were! We met up with our Team Awesome buddies Nicole, Chuck, and Crystal. After chatting with our Team Awesome 'framily' we continued our adventures through the expo. I picked up a few deals on some new products that I was interested in trying out and got my bib. On our way out from the expo we ran into more of our peeps. We ran into our friends Mike and Ramona as well as Matthew and Angela. Papa J was about done at this point (he doesn't do crowds and "aimless wandering"). Momma K were heading out from the expo when we ran into more of our Team Awesome "framily" - this time it was Becky, Mandy, and Jeff. There is something about being around my "framily" that fills me with joy and puts a smile on my face so of course we did another loop of the expo. These two wonderful ladies are two of my best friends and they are why I push myself more and more everyday. They seriously inspire me to be the "best Brandi." After the expo, Papa J went to our hotel room to watch some March Madness while Momma K and I took a ride on the new streetcar in Atlanta. The streetcar takes passengers to different parts of downtown Atlanta and has stops at some of the major attractions. Last year, we started a tradition of getting friends together to "carb load" before the race. Most of us live in different parts of metro-Atlanta and some even come from out of town for the race so it is a great way to get together. Our group include Matthew & Angela, Jen & her husband Jason, Jill and Matt along with their sweet girls, and my family. It was a great day of expo-ing, site-seeing, and seeing friends for sure. Now, it is time to get some rest before my 4th Publix Georgia 1/2 Marathon.
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Training and Motivation Tips by Olympian Jeff Galloway www.runinjuryfree.com Why do we get injured? 1. Be aware of irritation of weak links.
So staying focused on the way one runs and following these guidelines, can often allow runners to maintain a manageable increase without injury Top 5 ways to avoid stress buildup-and avoid injuries 1. Take walk breaks more frequently, and run shorter run segments 2. Form: shorter stride, feet low to the ground 3. Slower long runs, with more walk breaks 4. Avoid Stretching 5. Be careful when running speed sessions PROMOTIONAL NEWS! Register now for the Jeff Galloway 13.1 with no risk! The 2nd annual half marathon on Dec. 13, 2015 is currently $95. You can sign up with no risk! Take advantage of this low price, and if you can't make it, you can roll into the virtual option with no extra charge! Register today at Jeff Galloway 13.1! ***DISCLAIMER: All information provide above was provide to me by the Jeff Galloway Blogger Program to share with my readers. Thoughts are not my own (other than if noted), rather they are the advice and thoughts of Jeff Galloway. My thoughts: Thank you Jeff for sharing these awesome tips with us. It is now Spring and a lot of major races have held registration and lotteries in the past few weeks which means people are ready to start training or at least think about their training plans. It is awesome to have a goal, but you need to have the appropriate plan to fit your goal so you aren't side-lined on race day.
I love running local races, and more so I love running races that support my local community. A few weeks ago I saw that a local elementary school was hosting a 5K & Fun Run as a fundraiser. At first I was not going to run this race since I knew that I was running the Publix Georgia Half Marathon and didn't want to push it too hard. After consideration, I decided that I would register and just take it easy (no goal time, just running at a comfortable pace). A huge perk of running a race that is 10 miles from home is that you can sleep in! Wahoooo! The race had an 8am start, so Momma K and I arrived at the school around 7:10ish. We could tell instantly that this was going to be a small and "younger" race. Most of the participants there were students, their parents, and teachers. I was excited to see so many young runners there to run the 5K or the Fun Run. They had a number of activities for the kids to do before and after the race (bounce house and various outdoor activities) and the Target dog was there for pictures as well. About 80 runners lined up for the start of the 5K and the course took us for a nice 3.1 mile loop around town. The course wasn't too difficult but there were some rolling hills - we are in NW Georgia so there is no avoiding hills here. I was very proud of myself for not pushing myself today - it was hard to control myself but I did it. I was pretty pleased when I finished and found out that I ran my 3rd fastest 5K - not too bad for not pushing it. I turned in my place-card and waited for Momma K to come to the finish - which she placed 1st in her Age Group! Today marked day #300 for our Run Streak. We started on Memorial Day last year as part of the 40 Day Runner's World Run Streak that goes from Memorial Day to July 4th. Well, July 5th came around and we continued to get our mile in every day - rain, sun, hot, cold, etc. It was awesome to see so many children running with their family or friends at this race. Running is such a great activity for families to do together, so it was great to see the school host this event. We had to leave fairly quickly because we were heading to the Publix Georgia Marathon/Half Marathon expo with friends so we didn't get to stick around for the Fun Run event. I had a great time a the inaugural Cartersville Elementary 5K and Fun Run. I hope that they bring this race back in 2016 and continue to promote running to its students.
Roses are Red, Violets are Blue My friends at Sparkly Soul and I have a giveaway for YOU! Happy Spring everyone! Spring is finally "officially" here - even if it may not feel like it where you are but hopefully it will soon. Spring means warmer weather and of course getting to be outside! I have a lot of fun races lined up for this spring and I look forward to sharing my race experiences with everyone and reading about yours as well. Last week I shared with you my love for Sparkly Soul headbands - here is the link in case you missed it. Well, a few weeks ago my sweet friends at Sparkly Soul asked me to host a giveaway - OF COURSE! What better way to share some sparkly love than with a Sparkly Soul giveaway! Well, to get you ready for spring my friends at Sparkly Soul are letting me give away a Sparkly Soul headband (of the winner's choice) to TWO of my readers! To enter, please go to my Rafflecopter page here. ***Giveaway will run through Sunday, March 29th at 12:00EST and winners will be selected and contacted on March 29th. Winners will have 24 to respond to the congratulatory email or alternate winner(s) will be selected. Winners will select their choice of Sparkly Soul headband from the Sparkly Soul website (excluding multi-packs) and will email their selection and mailing address. Be sure to go check out Sparkly Soul's website and social media pages to check out their product line as well as new products, expo events, and even special promotions and giveaways Question of the Day: What Sparkly Soul headband would you choose if you won?
Training and Motivation Tips by Olympian Jeff Galloway www.runinjuryfree.com Most injuries experienced by my runners are due to 1) pacing long runs too fast 2) increasing the weekly mileage too quickly, 3)lengthening stride and 4) stretching. The principle in staying injury free is to balance gentle stress with the right recovery periods-allowing for rebuilding. (for more information, see my book RUNNING INJURIES). Finding the right Run Walk Run strategy from the beginning of a run has been the best way I’ve found to stay injury free, come back from an injury and in some cases, continue to run while the injury heals. (See my book RUN WALK RUN)
***DISCLAIMER: All information provide above was provide to me by the Jeff Galloway Blogger Program to share with my readers. Thoughts are not my own (other than if noted), rather they are the advice and thoughts of Jeff Galloway. My thoughts: I am glad that Jeff shared these thoughts with us. Racing season is about to start in most of the country very soon (if not already), and a lot of runners who have been running lower mileage during the winter months might be tempted to jump back into long runs too soon.
I also appreciate Jeff hushing the rumor that running is bad for your joints. Momma K gets questions about the effects of running on her joints constantly by her former classmates and peers. Running is good for you in so many ways - even for aging joints! I hope everyone enjoys the first day of Spring - go out an enjoy it! ***DISCLAIMER: I was provided complimentary samples of products from Influenster to review. All items are strictly my own.*** Earlier this month I received my first VoxBox from Influenster to review. When I received my box, it was like Christmas morning because I had no idea what I was going to be reviewing. I quickly opened my VoxBox only to be very pleased with my items. I received detergent, dental products, hair care products and lotion. I could not wait to dig in an start trying the items! Skinfix Hand Repair Cream No matter what part of the country you live in, winter can do quite a number on your skin. Even though we are approaching spring and warmer weather, my skin has taken a beating this year. My hands have been so dry lately and even starting to crack from the cold/dry air. I wish that I had the opportunity to try Skinfix sooner - this stuff is AMAZING! I am not one for overly scented lotions/creams and this had a light scent to it which was nice. The best part was how it performed. WOW! Yes, I really loved it this much. My hands felt so much better after applying Skinfix to them. There is a fine line between hydrating your skin and a lotion that makes you sticky - Skinfix nailed it. I will certainly be purchasing some tubes before next winter! Rating: A - I would definitely purchase this again especially for next winter. I absolutely loved how much is nourished my skin. Colgate Optic White Toothbrush (with whitening pen) and Express White Toothpaste I was very excited to see the Colgate Optic White Toothbrush in my VoxBox! This toothbrush isn't just a toothbrush, it is a 2-in-1 essentially. It is a toothbrush with a built in whitening pen at the bottom. How cool is that!?!?! If you know me or follow me on social media, you know that my one vise in life is Diet Coke. Yes, I know it is bad for me, but it is my one bad thing. After years of staining being done to my teeth, I was excited to give this a whirl. The Optic White Toothbrush, pen, and toothpaste claim to have results in as little as 3 days. The toothpaste had a good taste to it - it was minty but not too powerful. The whitening pen in the toothbrush was extremely easy to use and was not messy as some strips or pastes are. After about a week of using twice a day as directed, I did notice a little lighter color on my teeth. You cannot expect for any product to remove years worth of staining in 3 days though. I am interested to continue to use the product a little longer and see if I get any additional results from using it. Rating: B - I loved the convenience and ease of the whitening pen in the toothbrush. I do wish that the toothpaste had a little more of a minty-fresh feeling to it though John Frieda Beach Blonde Haircare Sampler I have extremely long hair - like, mid-back length hair. Trust me, I know my shampoo and conditioners and I know what works on my hair. I have had a few products make my hair into a total disaster, so I can be pretty hesitant about trying new things on my hair. I have used John Freida products in the past and have enjoyed them and their results on my hair. I was interested to see what the "Beach Blonde" product line was going to be like. I have brunette hair, but the bottles all say that they are good for blonde and brunette. Well ok, here goes nothing. The sample kit came with a shampoo, condition, sea salt spray, and 7 day volume spray. The shampoo and conditioner both had a mint scent to them, however it was light enough that it did NOT smell like you were showering with a mojito. The shampoo lathered very well and the conditioner applied evenly on my hair. I was very pleased with them for sure. The Sea Salt Spray is supposed to help create "beachy waves" in your hair. This product has different ways you can use it - let it air dry or use a diffuser when blow drying. Since I am always in a rush in the mornings, I had to take the quick way which I didn't notice much difference in the my hair. It did smell very good though :) I played around with the 7-Day Volume a little bit, but did not see much difference in my hair volume. Rating: B - I enjoyed the shampoo and conditioner a lot. I even looked for it at my local Target over the weekend, but it is not in my store yet. I will keep an eye out for these on my store shelves and would likely purchase them again. I am willing to try the Sea Salt spray another try - perhaps on the weekend when I can blowdry my hair. My least favorite of these items was the 7-Day Volume which did not do much for my hair. Tide +Febreeze Pods Let's be real - I have a lot of laundry. Ok, tons. After work clothes, running clothes, and gym clothes galore I feel like there is always something needing to be washing. I really enjoyed the Tide +Febreeze Pods. At first I was skeptical that they would not dissolve fully in my laundry (as an issue I have had with dish washing pods) or that they would not get my clothes as clean. The Tide +Febreeze Pods worked great and they were so much nicer to toss into the washer than dealing with the nasty detergent cup - y'all know what I am talking about. The Tide +Febreeze Pods even worked wonderfully with my running/yoga clothes which always smell like roses before washing...haha. Even with the toughest loads I could throw at it, the Tide +Febreeze Pods did great. Rating: A - I would definitely purchase these in the future for their ease of use and effectiveness. Thank you again to the team at Influenster for giving me the samples in my VoxBox to review and share with you. I look forward to working with them again to provide you with more product reviews in the future.
If you are interested in signing up for Influenster and reviewing VoxBoxes go here I have ran the Silver Comet 10K twice previously and the 1/2 Marathon that they host in October twice as well. The 10K course is absolutely amazing as a majority of the race is a slight downhill grade with very little elevation gain and 4 miles of the course are ran on the Silver Comet trail which is beautiful. You know that I am always real with my readers - I share my triumphs as well as the bad and the ugly. I present to you, the "I didn't really care" race of 2015. I had a KILLER 10K PR a week ago and submitted it for my Peachtree Road Race proof of time, so I had a bad mind-set. I had accomplished what I wanted to and I didn't go into this race with a new goal. From the moment that I crossed the start line I just didn't "feel" it - I didn't have the passion or mental focus that I needed. There was a chance of rain the morning of the race which I think deterred some people from going, but the field was still around 325 people. Fortunately, there was a light drizzle/mist that only lasted a short time. The first 2 miles of the course lead you through some residential neighborhoods with slight rolling hills. The last 4 miles are on the Silver Comet trail (paved trail) which is flat and a slight downhill most of the way. I ran at a decent pace and felt comfortable in my pace. I ended up running my 3rd fastest 10K which would have been a PR until 2 weeks ago, so despite my mental battle I still ran a good race. Once I crossed the finish line, I turned around and ran back ran back in Momma K. I knew about how far back she should have been, and I was BLOWN AWAY by how close behind me she was! She was about to PR!!!!! I ran along side of her the last .25 miles or so and kept pushing her to finish strong. She ended up with a PR of about 2 1/2 minutes! I was so proud of her to say the least. WAY TO GO MOMMA K!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Since this was a point-to-point race, runner had to take buses back to the start for the post-race events (and get to your car). The line was not too bad fortunately and we only had to wait about 5-10 minutes to board a bus. The post-race events included shirt pick-up (you got to select your shirt color - YES!), snacks such as donut holes, fruit, and bagels, and a DJ. My favorite part though was them celebrating Pi Day (3.14.15) with pies for everyone! Despite my mental battle during the race, I have to say that this is seriously one of my favorite 10Ks in the Atlanta area. While it doesn't have a ton of course support since you are on a trail nor does it have a lot of frills, it is a great course that produces a lot of PRs. I am ready to come back in 2016 and hopefully my head is in the game this time. Later that day.... As you may know, I LOVE Disney, so of course I had to see Cinderella on opening weekend. My friend Becky joined Momma K and I for a late afternoon viewing of a remake of one of my favorite movies. I have to call out Becky for a moment....SHE HAD NEVER SEEN A "PRINCESS" MOVIE IN ITS ENTIRETY! Excuse me!?!?! Time to fix that for sure. I don't want to post any spoilers for anyone who has not yet seen the movie. I will let you know that all 3 of us absolutely LOVED the movie. I found that the movie incorporated a good balance of the original story and some new twists without ruining the integrity of the story. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it. I also recommend getting there a little early to make sure that you are in your seat for the previews because the Frozen short, 'Frozen Fever', is very cute. Question of the Day: Have you ever had a hard time focusing in on a new goal after you recently achieved a previous goal? How did you shift your focus?
I am excited to announce that I am a part of the Jeff Galloway blogging team. SQEEEEEEE! I am a TOTAL "Galloway Girl." I am lucky to have had the opportunity to meet Jeff on several occasions and even run with him a few times! If you aren't familiar with Jeff Galloway, you should be! He is a former Olympic athlete and founder of the "Galloway Method" (also called interval running or run-walk-run). If it weren't for Jeff Galloway and the "Galloway Method", my running would not be where it is today. I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the blogging team and share information with you to help you either start your running journey or take it to the next level. I highly recommend that you go to the Jeff Galloway website and learn more about Jeff and his training programs. Jeff Galloway Website
Jeff Galloway Twitter Page Jeff Galloway Facebook Page Today is the day! runDisney's Wine & Dine Half Marathon weekend opens for registration today at noon Eastern. I ran this race (1/2 Marathon and the Jingle Jungle 5K) in 2013 and had a wonderful time to say the least. The Jingle Jungle 5K is a untimed "fun run" through Disney's Animal Kingdom in the morning and the Wine & Dine Half Marathon is a nighttime race that takes runners to EPCOT for some Food & Wine Festival fun at EPCOT. One huge perk of running the half marathon is that runners get access to an after hours party at EPCOT that is only accessible to runners and spectators (spectators must purchase a post-race party ticket to gain access). While I am sad to not be participating in Wine & Dine weekend 2015, I am wishing all of my friends luck and sending pixie dust for an easy registration process. Here are a few tips for getting registered: (1) Be on time. You will want/need to be online at noon Eastern (if not even before) (2) Be ready. Have all of your registration information and credit card ready to go. (3) Know what you are registering for. Are you registering a friend or loved one for a race (or races)? Make sure you know in advance what you are signing up for. Noon is not the time to hem and haw over what you want to run. Yes, it is a commitment, but you don't want the race to fill up while you are making up your mind or waiting for you loved one to respond to your text. (4) DON'T GIVE UP! Active.com has been know to crash during hot race registration such as runDisney races. Just keep trying! (5) Register in order of importance If you are registering for multiple races, register in order of importance/popularity. More than likely, the half marathon will fill up first. Register for the most popular first then go back and register for the Kids Races or the 5K. (6) Use social media. Follow runDisney's Twitter account (@runDisney) for the most up to date information such as the current percentage sold out. (7) Have a back up plan. Just in case something happens and you are stuck in traffic getting to your computer or your internet goes down have a friend/family member on call to register you. (8) Get shut out? There is still hope! If worst case scenarios happen and you miss open registration, there is still hope. Make sure to check the runDisney site for information of purchasing bib packages from travel agents or you can run with a charity group and raise money for some awesome charities while you runDisney in November. Question of the Day: Will you be signing up for any of the events at Wine & Dine Weekend 2015? Which ones?
One of my absolute favorite races each year is the AJC Peachtree Road Race 10K hosted by the Atlanta Track Club. Every July 4th, approximately 60,000 runners pound the pavement down the streets of Atlanta for the nation's largest 10K. This race holds a special place in my heart as I have made many memories at this race over the past 6 years. The Peachtree Road Race is much more than a 10K, it is giant celebration of our great nation. Most of the 6.2 mile long course is lined with spectators cheering on runners, passing out food and drinks, and just having a great time. Running the Peachtree Road Race is a great way to kick off your 4th of July! After conquering 6.2 miles of Atlanta hills, runners finish at Piedmont Park where the highly coveted race shirt is presented to finishers along with a huge after party! While Atlanta Track Club members were able to register for guaranteed entry earlier this month, the lottery to get one of the coveted bibs is now open to the public. Peachtree hopefuls can register for the lottery from Sunday, March 15 until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, March 22. Go to www.ajc.com/s/peachtree for additional information on the race as well as to register. I hope you see you on the 4th of July! Question of the Day: Have you ever ran the Peachtree Road Race 10K? Will you be entering the lottery for 2015 (or already registered as ATC member)?
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BrandiI love to run and most importantly I love to have FUN while I run....I am the "Funner Runner" Feedspot's Top 100 Running Blogs
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