Valentine's Day Gift Guide for the Runner You Love

Whether you’re someone who loves Valentines’s Day, someone who celebrates Singles Awareness day or someone who thinks it’s just another day, it’s always a good time to get something for that someone special in your life. If you’re shopping for  a significant other, your best friend or even yourself, here’s some things that I think are great for showing some love to the runner in your life.

Source: www.memegenerator.com

73 Threads
Have you seen the tees and tanks made by 73 Threads? Not only are there some great prints, you get to pick your color tee or tank. The hardest part will be deciding which one you like best.  (And a big thank you to my friend Smitha for sharing the love-- use SDMOM to save 10% off your order.) And they aren't just for runners-- they have everyone covered from Triathletes to Sweet Tea drinkers. 
   

One of my favorites! Source: www.73threads.com

Chocolate
Seems cliché, right?  But I’m not just talking about your normal chocolates.  I’m talking about Vega Protein Smoothie mix.  I actually am not a huge fan of chocolate, but I love my Vega chocolate smoothies.  Add a banana and peanut butter—amazing!  (And the other flavors if Vega are delicious too!)   

Brown bananas make the best smoothies!

Burts Bees Lip Balm
I randomly picky up a tube of this last year and now I can’t get enough.  I carry it with me when I run, have a tube in my purse and use the tinted version when I need to dress in non-running clothes.  There are several flavors and is perfect for any runner or non-runner in your life. 

Flowers
No, not those kind of flowers.  Did you know that Sparkle Athletic recently debuted capris and check out how cute the floral print is! Complete with a pocket, these capris are definitely the best kind of flowers to receive.  

How pretty! Source: www.sparkleathletic.com

Time
You don't need to be a runner to spend time with someone who runs.  Take some time and go for a walk/hike/run.  If getting outside isn't your thing, spend some time cooking together or anything else that they like to do.  If given the option to run or spend time with a loved one, the time with a loved one wins hands down every time. (And if you're not sure what to do, a quick Google search will give you options. It's one of my favorite ways to discover new places) 

Goodr Sunglasses
For a “free” sport, running can get expensive so I was super excited when I discovered sunglasses that were cute and inexpensive. Goodr sunglasses provide a “no slip, no bounce, all polarized, all fun” experience and can you believe they’re under $30?!  I have the “Flamingos on a Booze Cruise (pink)” and the “Donkey Goggles (orange)” but all the colors are fun.  

"Flamingos on a Booze Cruise"

In keeping with the spirit of love, Goodr has given me a pair of their sunglasses to share with you. Enter the giveaway below. 



a Rafflecopter giveaway



What’s something you’d like to get from that special someone?


Until next time, happy running.
Jenn13.1


No purchase necessary.  Void where prohibited. 1 winner will be randomly selected via Rafflecopter.

Open to anyone 18 years of age or older. Winner will notified via email (if available) and will have 24 hours to claim prize. If original winner does not claim prize within 24 hours an alternate winner will be selected.
All winning entries will be verified. If a winning entry cannot be verified as completed, a new winner will be drawn.Sunglasses will be mailed to the winner from Jenn13.1, sunglass color is selected by Goodr.   Entries will be received until Friday, February 10, 2017 11:59PM PST.

San Diego Santa Run Recap

After scoring a pair of ProCompression's Ugly Sweater Socks, I decided I wanted to rock them at a holiday run.  I made a last minute decision to sign up for the San Diego Santa Run, joining thousands of Santas as we took over the streets of Pacific Beach (PB).  

Packet pick-up was the day before the race-- there was also race day pick-up, but I honestly like having my bib the day before.  So I made my way down to Pacific Beach and located the pick-up-- it was in a random parking lot, but surprisingly, parking was relatively easy to find and packet pick-up was well organized.  With your race bib, you are received a Sunny Claus suit, sunglasses and some other goodies. 

Start Line

The day before the race a rain storm hit San Diego and I was a little nervous it would still be raining on race morning.  I woke up to sunny, blue skies and was ready to head down to PB for the run.  Since parking in PB can be a bit tricky, I headed down there early.  I'm glad I did-- I ended up parking a mile away from the start line.  I made my way to the start line, which was easy to find-- you just had to look for the Santas.

So many Santas!

I have never seen so many people dress as Santa and one area and the energy was amazing.  RunMC was providing pre-race entertainment and was on point.  I could tell this was definitely going to be a fun race.  The race had a 5K, a mile speed race, a kid's race and a Santa's Little Helpers race (for dogs and their owners.)  I was running the 5K and it began promptly at 10:00am.  

I decided to be El on a Shelf!

The course was a typical street course-- it had more of a gradual incline at the beginning than I was expecting, but that also meant you got to run back down and I love a good down hill run.  There were random spectators and a lot of people taking pictures--- how often do you see that many Santas running down the street.  It was one of those races where you couldn't help but smile.    

As I was looking at my Garmin, I realized I was on target to PR for a race 5K, which helped push me to the finish.  I was a little disappointed to discover that the 5K wasn't quite a 5K (my watch read 2.9 miles)  

Overall, this was a very fun race. High Performance Movement definitely puts on a good race.  The energy was amazing-- this race can definitely turn any Grinch into a Santa!  I'm definitely planning on doing it again next year and am hoping I can talk some of my friends into running it with me.  

Always fun to see Carlee at races

One more race left in my 2015 race season!  Until next time, happy running.
Jenn13.1

Avengers Half Marathon Weekend Recap

Last weekend I was excited to head up to Anaheim for my second RunDisney race event.  I had a blast at the Disneyland Half Marathon and I couldn't wait to do it again with the Avengers Half Marathon Weekend.  I have to admit, I've never seen the Avengers movies-- I wasn't really sure what I signed up for, but after googling costume ideas, I was ready to have some fun!

The Expo

The race expo was very similar to the Disneyland Half Marathon weekend.  I was a little disappointed that some of the official RunDisney merchandise had sold out by the time I got there, but overall it was a good experience.  (If anyone had any extra race pins, let me know! :) )  I didn't need anything at the expo, but I still managed to find a few goodies.   They also had an area to make little care packages for our troops overseas-- I loved this.  You completed a post card and filled a bag with some treats and toiletries.  I love when races give back!

Jeff Galloway

Pamela at Sparkly Soul Inc!

When I picked up my packet, I noticed that my corral was further pack than I had anticipated.  I'm pretty sure I had submitted my time verification, but their records indicated that I hadn't. Fortunately I was able to pull up a race time from another event and they changed my corral for me.  

We Run Social Meet-Up

Friday night, there was a We Run Social meet-up at the Starbucks in Downtown Disney hosted by Ivie (@ivieanne), AJ (@a2thej44) and Jen (@pinkcupcakegirl).  All the fun was had and I enjoyed making some new friends!  It's fun when the social media worlds and the real worlds collide.  There was conversation, coffee and treats.  I even won a pair of ProCompression socks. This was definitely a great start to the race weekend.

"Do the Pavey!"

Captain America 10K

Saturday morning I woke up bright and early for the Captain America 10K.  RunDisney had suggested we arrive at 4am to get through security and make it to the corrals in a timely fashion.  Everything pre-race was well organized.  I was the one who wasn't organized-- I was not prepared for how cold it was.  By the time my corral started, I was frozen.  I started running with a group of friends I had met at the meet-up, but eventually separated from the group in an effort to speed up and get myself warm.  It took a few miles before I lost the chill.  It was a hard lesson to learn-- I am weather spoiled in Southern California and don't usually run in temperatures that cold. (And yes, because I am weather spoiled, the 50 degrees was cold for me :)  )

Flat Jenn for the Captain America 10K

The 10K course was the same of the Disneyland 10K course, which I enjoyed.  I loved the areas of the parks we ran through and the crowd support.  I hadn't intended on doing any character stops, but decided that since this was in the inaugural Captain America 10K, I had to take a picture with Captain America.  Overall, the 10K was another fun RunDisney event and I look forward to doing it again next year.  

Avengers Half Marathon

Sunday morning, I woke up bright and early again.  I headed to the pre-race area, better prepared for the cold this day.  (I had a mylar blanket from the 10K)  I met up with the runners I had met at the meet-up again and we made our ways to the corral.  My plan for this race was to stay with the group-- sometimes the fun you have and the people you run with are more important than your race time.  This was going to be one of those races.  

Flat Jenn ready for the Avengers Half Marathon

This course was different than the Disneyland Half Marathon and I'm not honestly sure how I feel about it.  My biggest complaint is that during the parks portion of the run, you don't run through the castle.  How can you have a RunDisney run without the castle?!  There was also a trail portion of the run as we made our was to Angel's Stadium that was too narrow for the number of runners.  If a runner was trying to maintain a steady pace, it would have been really hard to do so at this portion of the run.  

Overall, this was probably the most fun I've had with a race.   I ran with Stephanie, Toni and Michelle-- it was awesome to have running buddies during the races.  I usually run on my own, so this was a great new experience for me.  We stopped for pictures, had great conversations and it was great to see Stephanie cross the finish line with a RunDisney PR and reaching her race goal for 2015.  We're all planning on coming back for the Tinkerbell Half Marathon in May 2016.  

Running the 10K and Half Marathon meant you completed the Gauntlet Challenge

Random Weekend Shenanigans 

A weekend of running at Disney meant a weekend of fun at Disney.  I spent Friday and Saturday in the parks, enjoying the holiday decorations and people.  Disneyland is definitely one of my happy places and I love being there.  I also love that they offer interpreting services on the weekend-- on Saturday, I was able to see several shows in ASL.  The interpreters are awesome!  

Until next time, Happy Running!
Jenn13.1

Rock N Roll San Jose Race Weekend

Life got a little busy this past week, so I'll be recapping the whole weekend in one post.  This was my first time in San Jose, so I was definitely looking forward to this race weekend and exploring a new city.

The Expo
This was my fifth Rock N Roll event and I've learned that not all expos are created equal.  I suppose it has a lot to do with location and the number of runners involved for companies to decide if it's worth being at the expo.  The expo for RNRSJ was small compared to some of the others, but some of my favorite companies were there. I was excited to see Mama Chia there-- due to the liquids limit for plane carry-ons, I couldn't bring any with me, so I was excited to get my weekend supply at the expo.  I also found a few other goodies to bring back to San Diego with me.     

The 5K
As part of the Remix challenge, the weekend begins with a 5K on Saturday.  Our hotel was conveniently located 2 blocks from the start line, so we didn't head over until about 20 minutes before start time.  I'm usually at the start area at least an hour before a race begins so this made me a little nervous.  But we had plenty of time and I had a chance to say hi to one of my running friends, Karla, before the race.  And then we were off.  The race started at time and it was your typical 5K course.  Because I'd never been to San Jose, I was intrigued by the architecture and obvious economical differences in neighborhoods.  I always find the beauty in the juxtapositions in one general area.  The finish line area was fun-- a band was playing some good music, they had free beer and I was able to chat with some people I'd met earlier in the morning.  I also had a change to meet Roger Craig-- I'm not a 49ers fan, but I respect the sport enough to know that this was a opportunity I couldn't pass up.  After the race, we were off to explore San Jose.

The race outfit-- you can't go wrong with We Run Social and ProCompression gear.

The Bling!

49ers legend, Roger Craig

The Half Marathon

Sunday morning brought the Half Marathon-- we were a little further away from the start line for this, but still close enough to get there with a 10 minute walk.  With an 8am start time, this was the latest I've ever slept in for a race morning.  

Rocked the #TwoPairDontCare Look for the Half!

I had been told this was a flat course and it mostly was.  There were a few elevation changes, although I wouldn't call them hills.  The course took us through several areas of the city and again I was fascinated with the differences in the neighborhoods and their differences.  

The race support along the course wasn't as much as I've seen in other cities, but the people that were out there were awesome.  Especially in the neighborhoods.  One house was handing out fresh fruit and it was delicious! The volunteers were also awesome-- I always appreciate the people who get up early to volunteer their time for us. 

Half Marathon and Remix Challenge Bling

Overall, this course wasn't bad, but it wasn't that exciting either.  It's a fun race and I'd run it again, but I would change a few things.  A 8:00am start time for a half-marathon seems a bit late.  It started getting warm, especially towards the end.  I don't know their reasoning for the later start, the 5K started 30 minute earlier the day before, but I'm sure they have reasons.  They also had run out of some of the refreshments by the time I had finished.  I'm not the fastest runner, but I'm also not the slowest and I was looking forward to the chocolate milk at the finish line.  (The had also run out of Power Bars, but I was't interested in those.)  I've never organized a big race, but since you know how many people are running, I would think that you would plan for that number.  I heard from other runners that they weren't monitoring how many of each people took, so several runners took multiple items.  I'm not sure where the issue was and overall it's something silly to be cranky about.  Maybe it will just encourage me to run faster for my next race so that I get my chocolate milk! 

Exploring San Jose

As I mentioned in the beginning of this post, I had never been to San Jose before this weekend, and I wasn't sure what to expect.  We stayed in walking distance of our hotel, but there were some cute areas around us.  We went to the San Jose Museum of Art (several exhibits were closed for new exhibit installations, so I wasn't impressed) and walked around.  

San Jose Museum of Art

After the 5K, we met up with Karla (@purple_kaye) for lunch at Ike's, a sandwich shopped based in Northern California.  I'd had never been there and my Home for Thanksgiving sandwich was delicious.  

When Instagram friends hang out in real life.

Exploring the city was fun.  We tried new restaurants, admired the street art and explored fun little shops.  The most fascinating part about the weekend was the visit from the Prime Minister of India.  I've never experienced anything like it-- from the media coverage to the intense security everywhere, it was fascinating to see everything in action. 

I'm looking forward to my next Rock N Roll event in Los Angeles later this month to complete my Cali Combo challenge.

Until next time, happy running!

Jenn13.1

Runner's High and Runner's Lows

Two weeks ago, I ran in my first RunDisney event, an event that I had been looking forward to for months.  When it was over, I had my runner's high for a few days.  It's the best feeling that can't be explained.  If you run, you know exactly what I'm talking about.  And then it happened-- my post race blues.  

I stared at my running shoes and found so many excuses not to put them on-- it was too hot, I was tired, I had laundry to do, I should take my dogs for a walk, I should clean...... These were things I normally avoided so I could run.  And now here I was doing these things so I didn't "have to run."  This lasted for a few days until I finally made myself put the shoes on and go for a run.  (And getting some new running gear definitely helped-- who doesn't love new gear?!)

And I ran.  It wasn't pretty.  It wasn't fast.  It wasn't far.  But still, I ran.  And then I ran again the next day and again the day after.  Finally, I found my "Run Happy" pace again.  Once again, I'm looking at my shoes and wondering when I can put them on to run.  Fortunately, my next month is full of races-- just as the post-race blues will be ready to set-in, I'll be off to another run.  But this wasn't the first time I had the post-races blues and I definitely know it won't be the last.  Until then, I'll just keep on running.

Do you get post-race blues?  What do you do to help get back into your running groove? 

Until next time, happy running!

Jenn13.1

Disneyland 10K Recap

After months of anticipation, the moment had finally arrived for me to run my first RunDisney event.  And it arrived with an early wake-up call!  To make sure the runners are out of the park before they open, the races start at 5:30am.  I arrived to the pre-race area around 4:30am and had a great time people watching-- I definitely got some ideas for some costumes for future races.  I was running with Team Lemon, supporting Alex's Lemonade Stand, for this event so I was wearing my team shirt.  I paired it with an awesome Sparkle Athletic Skirt and my favorite ProCompression socks.  

"The Gibbler" Socks are my favorite!

When it was time, I found my way to my corral.  As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I was excited to see an ASL interpreter for all the start line festivities.  I was impressed with the prompt race start-- it's frustrating when you plan hydration, bathroom breaks & such around a start time and the race starts late.  5:30am came the runners were off!  (After a very odd rendition of the National Anthem-- still trying to decide how I feel about that!)

The Start Line Post-Race-- I forgot to take a pre-race picture.

The first two miles of the course are outside of the parks.  After mile 2, we entered California Adventure, making our way into Cars Land, one of my favorite areas of the park.  As a huge Disneyland and California Adventure fan, I was a little emotional when we entered the parks.  I was so excited and happy that I may have gotten a little teary eyed. We ventured through California Adventure and made our way into Disneyland. 

One of my favorite spots in California Adventure

Once we hit Disneyland, we ran through various parts of the park and behind the scenes. One of my favorite things was seeing all the action behind the action.  I also loved all the race support from the staff at the parks and the ChEAR Squads. At mile 5 we were running through the castle. That was as awesome as I'd imagined it would be!  I didn't stop at any of the character stops during this run-- I'm not a big fan of the villains and there wasn't anyone out that I "just had to get a picture with."  

After running through Disneyland, we made our way to the finish in Downtown Disney.  The crowd support was great-- I love people who will get up early to support the runners.  As with everything else about the race, the organization at the finish line was on point.  Once we finished, we could either make our way through a corral to get official finisher pictures taken or make our way through the other corral, skipping the picture crowd.  Although I went the picture route, I think it's great that they have this option.  I also loved that our post-race snacks were in an easy-to-take box. 

The Bling!

I had a great time at the Disneyland 10K and it was followed up by a fun time at the We Run Social meet-up in Downtown Disney.  For a great recap on that, check-out Carlee's blog at http://www.carleemcdot.com/.   After the meet-up, I was off to get some sleep before the Disneyland Half Marathon. Recap on that magic coming soon!

Happy Running!

Jenn13.1