October Instagram Challenge: #Octogram with #Parkesdale

Disclaimer: This Instagram #Octogram #Parkesdale photo challenge is a sponsored collaborative effort between the Tampa Bay Bloggers and Parkesdale Farm Market. Other than prizes to be awarded as giveaways for the Instagram photo challenge, the Tampa Bay Bloggers did not receive any compensation for this campaign.

Halloween is kind of my thing.

So when discussions began among Tampa Bay Bloggers about co-hosting a Halloween-themed Instagram challenge, I was totally in.

Starting on October 1, I'm co-hosting my first October Instagram Challenge with the Tampa Bay Bloggers. 

 

Follow each of these bloggers on Instagram and the hashtags #Octogram and #Parkesdale.

 

The #Octogram Hosts – Blogs and Instagram IDs

Parkedale Farm Market – @parkesdale

Tampa Bay Bloggers – @TBbloggers

Denise of Run DMT – @Run_DMT

Scotty of Dads Who Change Diapers – @diaperdad

Life as Dad – @lifeasdad

Haley of Running with Diapers – @runningwithdiapers

Caroline of My Fascinating Life – @carolinecalcote

Tara of Everyday Ramblings of My Life – @tfunair

Jenny of Metamorfit – @metamorfit

Nanci of This Crazy Life of Mine – @auntnanci

Jina of Behold the Turtle – @behold_turtle

Stacey at Artsnark’s Artifacts – @Artsnark

Crystal of Thrifty and Frugal Living – @Latsyrc728

Beth of Making, Baking and Creating – @anasilan

Lydia of Running Wild(er) – @Wildlyd

Raffi of Running Betty – @rafdarrow

Mindy of Mindy’s Fitness Journey – @mindyartze

Carlee of Frugal and Fun Mom – @frugalandfunmom

Bonnie of Not So Modern Housewife – @notsomodern

April of Pixiedust Savings – @pixiedustsavings

To join in the freaky October Instagram Challenge photo fun, add your Instagram ID to the linky collection below. Then each day in October, snap a photo using the suggested photo prompt for that day and upload it to Instagram with the hashtags #Octogram and #Parkesdale.

Everyone who Instagrams and plays along will be entered for a chance to win a gift fruit basket from Parkesdale Farm Market valued at $65.90. TWELVE lucky winners (only eligible to USA and Canada residents) entered in linky tool below will be randomly selected on November 1.

We’ll be watching for your photos from the shadows of Instagram. 

Do you like Halloween? Are you going to join in the challenge? Let me know!

HOT Run 5K and 10K, St. Pete Beach, FL, Sept. 19, 2013: race recap

I may have mentioned a time or 50 that summer running kind of sucks for me. So, when an inaugural summer race came about, I really debated if I wanted to do it. I thought about volunteering. But, after the majority of my running group signed up for either the 5K or 10K, I decided to go for the 5K. Maybe it would be motivating? Maybe I could finally shake my horrible running streak?

 

The race was on a Thursday evening, which was a nice change from the super-early Saturday or Sunday morning. But, it also had the potential to be hot and humid. And, it was.

 

It also had some sprinkles, which caused a slight delay in the start.

Scary sky before the start

The course was a totally flat, rectangular-shaped loop. For the 5K, it was two loops. For the 10K, it was four loops. The course went along Pass-A-Grille Beach, east to Boca Ciega Bay, north along the bay, west to the beach and south again to complete the loop. So, incredible views the entire way.

 

The idea with the 7:20 p.m. start time is that you’d see a 7:30 p.m. sunset over the Gulf and at 7:36 p.m. full moon rising over the bay. Unfortunately with the rain, you didn’t really see either. 

Sunset trying to show through the clouds.

 

I should have gone into this race with the idea to just have fun and enjoy my running group pals. Instead, I got some crazy idea in my head that some miracle could occur and I could finally get that under-30-minute 5K.

Fun before the race

I started off “fast,” and boy did I regret that. I felt pretty miserable the entire race. There’s no need to analyze each mile or figure out where things went wrong. I just wasn’t ready for a personal record (PR) 5K. That sweet previous time of 30:09 seems so far away.

 

Aside from my performance, the race itself was fun! They had DJs stationed along the course. They had fun lighting and even a station that blasted out cryogen (cold air).

 

After sweating like a maniac and crossing the finish line at 33:21, I got this sweet medal. 

HOT is from a local radio station (HOT 101.5) not based
on the temperature or the people wearing the medal.

 

I actually had to towel off (well, napkin off, technically) before this
photo because I was so sweaty.

The Hurricane Restaurant provided the post-race food (the race began and ended there), and it was pretty sweet, too.

 

While this personally wasn’t a great race for me, it was for so many people in my running group. There were PRs and age group placers galore. These peeps are amazing! And, having that group support makes a personally poor race so much more bearable. If not for celebrating others’ successes (or even commiserating about others’ bad races), I would just dwell on my poor performance and take that turn to negative town.

Fit2Run St. Pete represent!

Thanks to some of these great running peeps, I learned so many things this race:

• An injured runner is a bitter walker.
• Fourth place is a very bitter place.
• No matter how long the wait for beer is, it’s worth it.
• Watch out for piles of puke on the course.
• Celebrate others’ successes.

I also learned that the HOT Race was a blast, and I’m looking forward to running it next year.

 

Do you ever run races for fun? Have you ever done a loop course? Did you run the HOT Run? What did you think?

Island Boost review: a long-run fueling option

Disclaimer: I was provided three packets of Island Boost at no cost for review purposes only. All opinions are my own.

When you’re running a long distance, you need some nutrition mid-run unfortunately. I write “unfortunately,” because most of the stuff they make for this is dreadful. Gels that are funky textures and tastes and gummy things to chew (chewing and swallowing are not something I should be doing while running). Both make me feel ill either later in the run or later in the day. Blech.

I've used both types, tried multiple brands and ended up with the same result: ummm, no. I'd like them for a time, but it never failed that I'd still get that ill feeling. Yuck.

Enter a new player in the game: Island Boost.

Island Boost was created by a runner with a sensitive digestive system who got sick using the traditional options. This sounds familiar.

Some features and benefits of Island Boost, according to their website: it contains no artificial sweeteners or flavors; it's vegan and gluten free; there's no need to drink water to dissolve the carbohydrates since they're readily absorbed via the coconut water in Island Boost; and it's quickly absorbed in the bloodstream to fuel muscles.

Sounds good, right?

Well, I put three different flavors to the test on three different long runs. I used two flavors mid-run and one before the start of a run.

What did I think?

Texture: I liked the texture more than any gel-type product I've tried. It went down easily without feeling like it was sticking to my throat (please tell me you know what I mean). It was almost as easy as drinking water.

Flavors: The flavors were surprisingly sweet. I really like sweet, so I liked them. But, if you try them, be prepared for a kick of super-sweet liquid. I can see them being too sweet for some people. My favorite flavor was Passion Fruit, followed by Strawberry-Orange and Blueberry-Pomegranate.

Feeling: Island Boost delivered the nutrition I needed to keep running or the nutrition I needed before a run. But, the best part? I didn't feel sick during the run or after. I kept waiting for the miserable stomach issues I used to get, and they never came.

Want to try Island Boost? It's available via REI (in stores and online).

Have you tried Island Boost? What did you think? Do you have stomach issues with other products? What is your go-to fuel?

This week in running: week 2

I had another craptastic week of running. Darn you, Summer (or the Summer-like Fall weather)! Go away.

Monday

Since I missed my running group on Sunday, I made up my long run miles on Monday. I started off saying I’d run 8 miles. It went down to 6 before I started. I ended up with 5 miles. I’m just not great at running by myself. In fact, I’m pretty darn terrible at it. I just never got into a groove on this run. I’d go fast, then slow, then really slow (as in walk). I basically repeated this the entire time. Bah.

5 miles
1:03:02

Tuesday
After waiting out the rain, our group finally headed out, and I managed to get in a decent 2 miles. Definitely not as far as I hoped, but I was happy to get in any miles. I was afraid I’d end up with zero and have to run by myself again … yikes. These 2 miles after the rain were actually pretty sweet. It felt a little cooler after the rain, and my pace was closer to what it used to be … before the surface of the sun temperatures hit. It actually gave me some hope for a decent 5K on Thursday.

2 miles
22:00

Job hazard: red pen on the hands

Thursday

I ran my first race since May on Thursday. It was such a fun race (recap to come this week), and I had a fabulous time (as in my time there, not my time for the 5K). It wasn’t the 5K time I wanted, but I really didn’t expect to see anything great with this race. I’ve struggled all summer and with this race being in the summer, I knew realistically that an under-30-minute 5K was probably not happening. I momentarily forgot this during the first half of the race, and I was completely miserable. 

3.1 miles
33:21


I thought the rain might make my run awesome like it was on Tuesday.
I thought wrong.

Do you run by yourself or with a group? Have to have it one way or the other or can you do both? Is summer running miserable for everyone?

This week in running: week 1

So, after I made the big declaration that I’d start posting my training, I probably had one of my worst weeks of running. Ugh.

It didn’t start off so bad.

Sunday

Aside from a few glorious treadmill runs, this summer’s running has been pretty craptastic. So, imagine my surprise when this 7-mile outdoor run went pretty smoothly. Dare I say good? It was a few degrees cooler than it has been (so just really hot instead of really, really hot), and I think that made it decent. I’m still not where I want to be, but this is better than anything in recent times (i.e., the period that feels like the surface of the sun).

7 miles
1:25


Tuesday
It was super windy, which was strange. I’m used to no wind whatsoever. Running along the downtown St. Petersburg waterfront, I really felt the wind. The wind made it difficult, but it also made it cooler, which really, really rocks. I ran almost 3 miles (that were really not that great and I started doubting my running abilities) and walked 1 mile with Running Buddy Lori, who is currently on the DL.

3 miles
0:38

The wind brought out the kite surfers.

Thursday

I was planning on going to running group. I set out my clothes; I wanted to go (even if I hadn’t eaten or slept much in a few days, and I just felt sick due to some unexpected bad news). But, pesky work actually interfered and kept me from going. I kept thinking I’d make it up that night or Friday or Saturday, but I just didn’t get it done. I just really kind of got knocked down last week, and it took me awhile to finally feel decent again. Everything suffered – running included. 

0 miles

Aside from Sunday, the week was kind of a disaster. But, there is no need to panic (I’m telling myself this more than anyone else).

How was your week in running? What are you training for? Do you panic if you miss a run? (For your sake, I hope not. But, I sure do.)

See the good things

Reader's note: I know I’m never serious, so this post will seem out of place with all the goofiness here, but I just feel that it’s something I need to write. I'll be back to your regularly sporadically scheduled goofiness soon.

Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, I got married at the age of 21. It’s a decision I still regret, and it is probably the worst decision of my life to this point.

He was a cute charmer, and I fell in love fast. We dated six months, got engaged and married within one year.

I knew at the time it was the wrong decision, but it didn't stop me from doing it. It seemed like the thing to do at the time. I thought that’s what all Kansas girls did: go to college, meet a guy, get married. I fit in that mold.

But, we were both young, immature and didn't know who we were as individuals. And, the marriage was a disaster.

We stuck it out for a few years. We got separated. We stayed married for a few more years while we were separated. We’d hang out pretty regularly, and it was still a disaster. We finally pulled the plug, and I finally felt a weight lifted off of me. I could finally breathe again. I could be me.

We emailed a few times and still had some commonalities as friends, but I just remembered the nightmare of a marriage and wanted to keep my distance.

So, we did. I stayed in Florida. He moved to Texas. And, that was it.

I’d hear an occasional update, and while I wanted the best for him, I just didn't want to be involved.

So, when I started filling out an application for a passport and saw the section for marriages, I stopped filling it out. I couldn't remember where he was born, and the darn passport application asks that. Why? Why must you do this to me, pesky passport application?

I just did nothing with it for a long time. Like a really long time. After threats of going to the Bahamas, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Thailand without me urging from my boyfriend, I finally decided to fill the thing out, and I knew what that meant. I had to use my friend, Google, to figure out where my ex-husband was born. If I couldn't find it online, I’d need to get in touch with him and just get it done.

So, on Monday, I used my smart friend. And, I found out where he was born: in the form of an obituary.

I was in shock, but I wasn't sad. I mean, I was sad for his family, and it’s sad for anyone to die that young, but I personally did not feel sadness.

I told my boyfriend what I discovered, and he asked what I needed. He wondered if I wanted to talk or needed days off from work. Neither, I said. Why would I need that?

I looked at some old pictures of my ex-husband and I together, and I didn't even recognize myself. I just don’t look happy. And, I still didn't feel sad.

On Tuesday, I still felt the same way. I mean, it’s not like we were in each other’s lives anyway, and I remembered so many bad times from our marriage. Why should I be sad?

Tuesday night, I ran along the downtown St. Petersburg waterfront with some running group friends. I ran the majority by myself because my running buddy, Lori, is injured and just walking for the time being. 

I decided that when I made it back to Lori, I’d walk back and talk with her. I made it back to her and another girl, and we walked back in a pack of three. 

I decided to tell the story of what had happened with them. I told them about the horrible marriage, and Lori said, “Well, there had to be some good things.”

"Yeah, right," I thought. I said I wasn't sad. And, I was starting to feel like a cold-hearted snake (cue Paula Abdul).

Tuesday night into Wednesday, I was working on a project that I severely under-estimated the time it would take. As I worked into the wee hours of the morning, for a break, I looked into the cabinet near the table I was working and found a photo album (some break).

I found this, and I suddenly remembered the good things (Lori is so wise).

Thanks for throwing such a fun wedding, Jay and Linda! This
photo from a disposable camera a guest used at the wedding
has always been my favorite photo of us.

And, now I’m sad.

But, I definitely want to see (or remember) the good things in everything. 

Many things Monday

1. I ran 7 miles on Sunday, and it was pretty awesome! It was just slightly cooler (still ridiculously hot and humid, but less so), and it felt so much better. Come on, Fall!

2. Also, after much discussion on Sunday, I decided to replace my February half marathon (St. Pete Rock 'n' Roll, which was cancelled) with a Gasparilla race. The Gasparilla Distance Classic consists of four races: a 15K and a 5K on Saturday and a half marathon and 8K on Sunday. The logical choice would be to replace the half with a half. But, I'm illogical ... and I really want a jacket. So, to get a jacket, I need to do a challenge. The plan: 15K and 8K (Bud Select Challenge). I really like half marathons and kind of want to throw that into the mix, too. Or maybe I'll just find another half (after I win the lottery).

3. I watched a lot of football this weekend. I even planned some activities around football games. Hopefully, this is just an NFL opening weekend thing because it could get kind of ridiculous. Well, I'm fairly certain I won't be watching the Tampa Bay Bucs anymore, so that's one less game each week.

4. But, my watching of football allowed me to see this.

5. EEEEEK! I just love this guy. I really need to chill out on him, though, so I don't become crazy-annoying fangirl. Sometimes I find myself telling myself, "Stop it. Not everyone wants to hear about Bruno. Not everyone thinks he's the best thing ever." So, after this mention, I'll lay off of him for awhile. Unless I win the trip to see him in Vegas. Or London. Or if he's on an awards show. Or if I dress up as Elvis for Halloween because that's something we have in common. But, other than that, I'll restrain myself (and the masses few people who read my blog rejoiced). 

6. Did you see the rerun of the Saturday Night Live that Bruno Mars hosted this weekend ... oops.

7. My dog's favorite thing ever is walks. Well, maybe walks are behind Milkbones, but they're a close second. She loves them. So imagine my surprise when she sat down and refused to walk. Stubborn dog. I have no idea where she gets that from, ahem. 

You think I'm moving? Funny.

Have you ever gotten a jacket for a race? I haven't, and I'm super excited about it! Did you watch a lot of football this weekend? If not, what did you do?

Looking back and ahead

I finally organized my  "Upcoming races" and "Race results" pages. My upcoming races make me excited. I really love running half marathons, and I can't wait to start in October (in a costume)! But, it really made me sad because it doesn't have the St. Pete Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon on it. I received the news on Wednesday that one of my favorite races is cancelled. I'm still sad about it, but it's time to find another February half marathon.

Some options:

• Best Damn Race, Feb. 1, 2014: I'm already signed up for the 10K (because I love this race), but I'm thinking about upgrading to the half. For anyone interested in this race (and you all should be), there is currently a discount code, ROCKROLL, for $5 off. It is active until Sept. 17.

One of the best damn races from 2013

• Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans, Feb. 2, 2014: I love Rock 'n' Roll, and I adore New Orleans. This seems like the perfect combination. Well, except for the fact that I live in Florida. And the fact that it's the day after the Best Damn Race that I'm already registered to run. But, if I could swing one of my favorite race series in one of my favorite cities, it would be pretty sweet! 
• Gasparilla Distance Classic, Feb. 23, 2014: I've never run this race, and I hear good things ... but something keeps me from really wanting to do it. I'm not sure what it is. Maybe because I work a few blocks from the start line, and I want to keep my weekends away from work? I don't know. 

I'm not ready to make a decision yet (or say goodbye to Rock 'n' Roll St. Petersburg), but I do have some quality options when I am ready to move on.

While the "Upcoming races" page made me excited, the "Race results" page made me kind of sad/mad/determined. I was kind of upset looking at my half marathon times for the past year. I don't want to sound whiny or overlook accomplishments (because I did get a personal best, and I did run eight half marathons). But, I really think I could of and should of done better. So, that's what my goal is for this half marathon training cycle: become a faster half marathon-running turtle. 

How am I going to do that? Good question. I'm still working on that. But, I am going to start posting about my training weeks again. I need to see how I'm doing and for accountability. And, I'm going to get serious about some cross training. And, I'm going to work on silencing that pesky voice in my head that says, "I can't." I think that will do it. 

Have you ever run any of these races? What do you recommend? Have any other races for me to consider? Any tips for getting faster?

A week of fabulousness

The past week was full of complete awesomeness.

It started off with the Bruno Mars concert. He was A-MAZ-ING. (Yes, it deserves all caps, and yes, it deserves hyphenation.) I can’t remember having as much fun at a concert before. We drank, danced, sang and screamed through the entire show. He is so worth seeing in concert, and I’ll go again the next time he’s back in town (I may have looked at his remaining tour dates and thought about the feasibility of following him the rest of the way, ahem.) 

We were excited (OK, I was super-duper excited)
about Bruno (and sangria). 

My favorite fedora-wearing guy: Bruno. (Both photos are courtesy
of Caroline because I was too excited and all of my photos
are blurry.)

After this glorious event, I hopped on a plane to Kansas (with my voice returning somewhat) and attended another glorious event, a Kansas State football game. Well, it really wasn't that glorious because they lost and it was over 100 degrees that day, but it was still good to have my favorite purple school playing football again and hanging with some of my favorite purple peeps.

Spending the long, holiday weekend in Kansas allowed for time with friends and family, sand volleyball … and no running. Oops. I wish I was a morning person who could knock it out before everyone woke up, but I’m just not. I keep trying to be, and I keep failing.

But, in other running news, I did sign up for a 5K this month. It is appropriately titled the "HOT Run.” At this point, every 5K I run I have the goal to do it in under 30 minutes (fastest official time: 30:09). I really don’t have a lot of running confidence at all right now (especially with the ridiculous heat and humidity), but I’ll give it a shot.

I almost cried when I read this news: the 2014 St. Pete Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon is cancelled. This is one of my favorite events. I was registered for the third year in a row, and it makes me incredibly sad that this fun race is not coming to our area. So I have some work to do to rearrange my race schedule and find another half marathon that is just as fun.

How was your Labor Day weekend? What is your favorite concert? Ever have a race you were excited about cancelled?