Sunday, August 31, 2014

Workout Recap - Week 35

Sunday, August 24th – 6 x 800 track workout with the hubby, Foam Rolled & Stretched


Monday, August 25th –  6 mile run, PiYo (Sweat), Foam Rolled & Stretched


Tuesday, August 26th –  Strength Training (abs, back, arms and legs) & PiYo (Core)

Wednesday, August 27th– 6 mile runPiYo (Buns), Foam Rolled & Stretched


Thursday, August 28th – PiYo (Drench), Foam Rolled & Stretched



Friday, August 29th – Rest Day (including walking around Disneyland for most of the day), Foam Rolled & Stretched

Saturday, August 30th – Disneyland 10K Race, Foam Rolled & Stretched



A bit of a "taper" week for me, since I had a race on Saturday and Sunday of this weekend, but still got in some quality miles. I have two more weeks before my "official" training calendar starts up again. Excited to try and get faster (crossing my fingers) while training for some big races coming up.

How were your workouts this past week?  

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Disneyland 10K Recap

This morning I ran the first leg of the Dumbo Double Dare Challenge - the Disneyland 10K.


I had decided on my Russell from UP costume a while back, but was SOOOOO excited when my friend I was running with said she would dress up like Kevin!!



Obviously running in a costume is so much more fun, but what is even more amazing is running in a costume that the spectators are stoked on too. I can't tell you how many comments, cheers, and all around joy we saw while running through the Disneyland Resort and around Anaheim. (By far, my favorite is that everyone would say "Kevin's a girl?!" - it was PERFECT!)


The race itself was great, but honestly it is the memories, miles, and magic that MAKE it what it is! It's a race in late August (Labor Day Weekend), so the weather is a bit on the toasty side. Unfortunately we have been experiencing some wacky weather lately - including HIGH humidity. It seemed like while we were waiting for the start of the race the temps were on the cooler side (thank goodness), but who knows if it was just because it was 5am ;) We did get pretty sticky and sweaty within the first mile, but if there is one thing runDisney can't control it's the weather.

A BIG THANKS to the Sparkle Athletic ladies for this action shot
of us running through Downtown Disney towards the end of the race.

Rachyl didn't think she was "trained" for the 10K (although I told her she would ROCK IT), so the game plan was to just have as much fun as possible and stop along the way for as many pictures as we could (I mean I should probably save my legs for tomorrow's half, right?!). We were in Corral A, which was GREAT because it means there were less folks on the course (we were the first corral to be released for the race) and the lines are much shorter at the characters, but the bummer part is it's still DARK. My iPhone is pretty craptastic anyway (it is a hand me down, hand me down - originally it was my hubby's dad's, then it became my hubby's, and now it is mine), but having an old phone AND taking pictures in the dark, you can imagine they aren't the best... SORRY IN ADVANCE. I am hoping that the "professional" pictures turned out a bit better and maybe I will order a couple for Rachyl and I.

No sun in sight... And this was around mile 2-3...

I think they caught me in mid-word or something...

Chip & Dale? Cops and robbers? Elvis? WHO KNOWS!

Lilo and Stitch

I have to say, I was pretty disappointed with the number of characters on the course. I feel like last year's course had so many more photo ops (check out the recap here - complete with #AllThePictures). Even though the characters might have been lacking, the enthusiasm from the voluntEARS was NOT. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE how pumped they are. At times it actually makes me a bit teary-eyed. I mean, they are out there with the sole purpose of making sure we have a great race... HOW WONDERFUL IS THAT?!

Being someone who LOVES my social media (and wants to share what I am doing with the world... seeing as everyone cares, right?!), something else stood out to me. I WISH they would do a better job to set up pictures. Because the races start so early, you know it will be dark. Why not set up a light so that you can actually see the people in the pictures when you are standing in front of something lit up? I mean, it could only help spread the word... The better the picture quality, the more likely you will share it. The more likely you will share it, the more likely someone else will see it. The more likely someone else will see it, the more likely someone else will want to do it because they see how awesome-sauce it is. And the more likely someone else will want to do it the more money the race makes ;)

runDisney events are a GREAT place to meet up with some AMAZING runners IRL (in real life). I saw so many folks while we were waiting to run and out of the course that Rachyl actually mentioned she thought I was famous. (It's pretty fan-freakin'-tastic on how amaze-balls the running community is!) Although I saw lots of friends on the course, I didn't grab pictures with many of them (sorry everyone - we will DEFINITELY get a shot together tomorrow - just remind me :) [I'll be a Tweedle Dee]).

My San Diego buddy, Henry, and I in the Family Reunion
Area (flag was backwards - FAIL)
Thanks for the picture Henry!

We just happened to find Danielle from Live. Run. Grow. and her hubby
 in the corral! They were The Mighty Ducks - TERRIFIC!
Thanks for the picture Danielle!

All-in-all, the race was decent, but would have loved to see more (and BETTER) photo ops along the course (especially when dropping the big bucks for the race). Because the Disneyland Half is my "race-iversary", I hope to continue doing it year after year as part of a little tradition. If that is the case, I would probably throw in the Dumbo Double Dare Challenge (because why not get extra bling?!). With that being said, I'd love to see some future improvements on the 10K.


Do you stop for pictures during a race? What about mid-run selfies?

Friday, August 29, 2014

Friday Favorites: Gladsoles

It has been couple weeks since I did my last installment of FRIDAY FAVORITES and I am so sorry about that (how lame am I?!)! But hopefully with this post (and GIVEAWAY) I will make up for it :)

I mentioned a few weeks back that I got my first pair of Gladsoles (barefoot running sandals). I have been wearing them now for quite a while and still really love them (hence why they are a Friday Favorite - duh :)). Feel free to check out my original review of them here.


I love wearing them to run (extremely minimalistic "shoe"), walk the dog, get groceries, hit up the beach, do PiYo in my living room, and just wear out and about. The more you wear them, the more they form to your feet and become like a second skin.

I wore them during the Color Me Rad 5K I ran this past weekend.

Walt the Wiener Dog and my Gladsoles at the Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals

Wearing them while doing a stairs workout at our place a few weeks back.

I always get a ton of questions when folks see me running in (or posting about) them, so now is your chance to try them out for yourself! I can only tell you how AWESOME they are so many times before you just have to take a step of faith, get a pair, and lace 'em up!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

BEST OF LUCK TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERS!! The giveaway runs through Thursday, September 4th (because obviously we need a winner before the next Friday Favorites is posted ;)). Enter early and enter often!!

And just in case you don't win, but still want to order a pair or two from Gladsoles (which I HIGHLY recommend) you can do it and save 15%! Just use code "carlee" on your online order.

Thursday, August 28, 2014

REVIEW: On The Go Towels

Source

A few weeks ago, Joe, the owner of On The Go Towels, sent me some samples of their cleansing wipes to test out. I have been meaning to try them ever since they arrived, but hadn't gotten around to it until now. Don't get me wrong, I was intrigued, but I think my main reason for not trying them sooner was because I wanted to make sure I had A LOT to clean so I could see how they would hold up.


In comes my hubby's race a couple weekends ago :) He and a friend ran the Gladiator Rock'n Run in San Diego. Ryan and I have done a couple themed runs in the past, but nothing to this "extreme". I was nervous I wouldn't be able to complete all of the intense obstacles, so figured I'd let him have some boy time.


After they were done, he and his friend both tested out the On The Go Towels. Ryan, being the good sport (and loving husband) that he is, had some pictures taken of him using one of them.





I was able to "interview" both Ryan and his friend Kornel to get their feedback of the product.

Ryan: "I really liked the On The Go men's wipes. First off, they are a great size and easy to bring along to any race. I used mine at both a mud run and a color run. They are a great way to clean up after a dirty race. I want to use them after my next half to freshen up before the car ride home. All in all I would definitely like to add these to my race day kit."

Kornel: "They were awesome, convenient and handy. I used them after a mud run and they made us feel so much better, even after going through mud puddles."

Since I was sent quite a few samples, I still had some additional ones to try out. That is when I remembered we had the Color Me Rad race on our calendar this past weekend! What a great way to see how these wipes would stand up against some insane elements... I mean, if you didn't see the pictures, we were CAKED in sweat and colored cornstarch (it was a BLAST).


The four of us that ran the race together all used the wipes once we got back to the car. Because Ryan had already had a photo-shoot with the towels, I let him out of this picture so he could play photographer :)


I have been able to get the ladies thoughts on the towels since using them.

Lisa: "I liked the wipes and would use them again. They smelled good and were very durable, allowing me to wipe most of the color off with one wipe. My face felt very refreshed and clean after using them."

Rachyl: "The wipes are awesome! They were great for both my face and my body. Left my skin feeling clean, and for someone who is very active outdoors, I would definitely use them again. Even after an event like the color race, one wipe went a long way!"

And of course I saved my thoughts for last...

Overall I have to say that I was extremely impressed (as you can tell, I think we all were). I was expecting it to be somewhat of a baby wipe, but these are long-lasting, heavy-duty, and legit (they are even machine washable, so they can be reused, although we didn't try it out). The smell was fresh (and even though they said "men" on the package, they didn't smell too manly or like we had bathed in cologne) and I didn't feel slimy or sticky after using it. They held up great too - I used a single towel on my face and arms and was able to get most all of the color off without feeling as though the wipe was overly grimy. The size was awesome as well - the towels are 10 inches by 12 inches.

Although we used these after "dirty" races, I think they would be something awesome to have after any type of run (or sweaty activity for that matter). These would be GREAT for races to put in goodie bags, to have for runners to grab at expos, or even to have at the finish line/ after party. Who wouldn't want to feel clean, cool, and refreshed after a hard run?!

Lately Ryan and I have been a one-car family, so when I have to go into the office (the majority of the time I work from home but do have meetings I need to attend), I end up commuting via my bike. These wipes would be a great way to clean up and cool down before going into the office on those hot afternoons.

I'd suggest putting one or two of these in your gym bag. Not only are they great for freshening up after getting your sweat on, but they would be extremely helpful to have in case you ever have somewhere to go after working out and want to feel clean before getting there - whether it is running errands around town or meeting up with friends for happy hour.

Earlier this week I received word from Joe that he has improved the formula again (I LOVE companies that are always striving to get better) and has also made the towels thicker and stronger.

I would DEFINITELY suggest picking up some On The Go Towels to have on hand! Whether you use them after working out, while you are camping, after a long plane ride, before getting into the car following a long run, etc, you will NOT be disappointed!

Source

Is this a product you see would be helpful in your daily routine?