Monday, April 1, 2019

#TeamSparkle Virtual 5K Recap

Saturday morning was the #TeamSparkle Virtual 5K Meet-Up in Orange County. Even though it isn't necessarily a "race" (Sparkle Athletic hosts a virtual 5K as a way to get more people involved in our #Ragnar4Rett adventure, seeing as not everyone can jump in our van and run alongside the six of us ladies), I still wanted to put a little recap together.

Everyone was able to "break tape" {aka pink crepe paper} at the finish line!

Participating in the Virtual 5K is easy-peasy. After signing up (registration is $35 and everyone receives a real, actual race bib AND a beautiful, sparkly, die cast, 2019-edition #TeamSparkle medal, with all the profits going to Girl Power 2 Cure), you simply run/ walk/ roll 3.1 miles (5K) anytime between then and Saturday, April 13th, 2019 (but it's extra special, if at all possible, to complete the 5K the weekend we are running Ragnar So Cal {April 12th-13th}). With that said, there are some IRL (in real life) "group runs" happening across the country so folks don't have to run alone. Since the ladies of Sparkle Athletic were hosting one in Orange (obviously before the weekend of Ragnar) we thought we'd go join in the fun!

Source: @SparkleAthletic's Instagram Feed

The meet-up was scheduled from 8-9:30am at Grijalva Park. Seeing as there was no pre-race logistics to work out (like having to take a bus to the start line, pick up my bib, etc), we were free to leave the house around 7am since it takes about an hour to get there. And, shoot, since normally we leave by like 5 or 6am on race morning, this felt like sleeping in!

I had a little work to get done before getting ready and waking the
hubby up by 6:30am, so I was up a wee bit before I needed to be.

I did order a #Ragnar4Rett shirt with my registration (they were only available for pre-order, so unfortunately you can't get one any longer), but told the ladies I'd pick it up with the other goodies at the meet-up so they could save on shipping. With that said, I had to do my #FlatCarlee with an older #Ragnar4Rett shirt, but I was totally fine with that ;)

#FlatCarlee included my #Boston4Rett muscle tee from last year, Heather Slate PRO Compression Socks, Magenta Sparkle
Athletic Skirt
, Be Awesome trucker, black Handful sports bra, elite Road ID, blue and pink QALO silicone
wedding bands
, gray Momentum Jewelry wraps, COROS APEX Watch and Brooks Ghost 11 with pink Shwings.

The ladies of Sparkle Athletic were introduced to Rett Syndrome by a friend, Allison, because her daughter suffers with this terrible and debilitating neurological disorder {Allison is normally on our #Ragnar4Rett team (she's the speediest of us all), but she registered for the Boston Marathon and planned her trip before she knew we were doing Ragnar again. Even still, she came to the meet-up with Emma and the rest of the fam!}. Rett Syndrome is the leading genetic cause of severe impairment in girls, brought on by a single gene mutation that leads to underproduction of an important brain protein.

Source: @afoley09's Instagram feed

Girls are born “normal,” but without the protein, begin to lose acquired skills between 1 and 3 years old. Many lose their ability speak, walk or use their hands, and depend on their families for every part of their day. Despite their physical disabilities, girls with Rett Syndrome are believed to be functioning mentally at a much higher level than previously thought. Amidst the mass confusion in their central nervous systems, they're smart, strong and waiting bravely for a cure.

Source

Today, there is no cure, but Rett Syndrome is CURABLE! Research has proven once protein levels are back to normal levels, symptoms subside. Not only will the work help thousands of girls and women worldwide, but the findings have a direct impact on research on Autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer's and many other disorders. In essence, Rett girls may hold the key to a cure for millions of people suffering from dozens of disabilities. So six of us ladies will be tackling 185 miles for 185 children (and their families) and dedicating each mile to a specific Rett fighter!


I love going to the IRL meet-ups because it's AMAZING to see the community come out to support finding a cure! Allison gave a little speech before the run started and said that WITHIN THE YEAR there should be a gene trial going - they are just waiting on the final approval from the FDA! We are one step closer to ending Rett!

We had quite a decent turn out this year! 

The hubby and I ran with Jody (one of my teammates for #Ragnar4Rett) during the 5K. We normally see her for all of like 5 minutes at race expos or meet-ups, so it was nice getting to chat with her for more than a few minutes here or there.

There were Rett facts along the course (along with inspiring quotes and sayings).
This one even included a picture of our sweet friend Maggie! 

The Sparkle Athletic ladies really go all out for this meet-up! They have an aid station/ water stop at the turn around {THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS!} and cover the "course" with amazing chalk art. I love that they add sparkle skirts to the bikers that are painting on the trail. PS It's a good thing we didn't get any rain and lose their hard work!

Rainbows are my favorite!

After making a slight wrong turn (oops, we were chatting too much and weren't paying attention to the chalk arrows on the ground), we crossed the finish line. Everyone was able to "break tape" because we are all winners!

The hubby is my favorite running partner of all time!

If you know the ladies of Sparkle Athletic, I'm sure you guessed there would be donuts involved in the meet-up! And if you know the hubby (and his GIANT sweet tooth), I'm sure you guessed there were a couple donuts enjoyed after the run.

Glazed are normally my go-to, but this sugar one was calling my name.

Before we left we had to snap a pictures of "the team". Hey, five out of six isn't too shabby, right?! Kristen, our sixth (and speediest) teammate won't get into town until the day before Ragnar, but Allison offered to step in for her for the photo ;)

Love that I can call these strong, amazing women my friends!

Registration for the Virtual 5K is still open (but I wouldn't wait too long, it did sell out last year, so don't miss out on the bling and opportunity to give back!). If you'd like to donate to the cause, please visit my fundraising page HERE. Every dollar counts, so even if you can only do $5, think of it like you're buying me a coffee with a greater and longer impact ;)


Have you registered for the Virtual 5K?

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