#fuelyourbetter with Vega Sport Performance Pre-Workout

Disclaimer: I was given 1 box of Vega Pre-Workout Sugar-Free Energizer to review on my blog in association with my Sweat Pink Ambassadorship. I received no other compensation for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always. 

I've reviewed and used Vega products before because I love that they are all-natural and plant-based. I'm a fan of their chocolate shakes and protein powders.  So of course I was excited to be selected to review Vega Sport Pre-Workout Sugar-Free Energizer through my ambassadorship with Sweat Pink in conjunction with the #FuelYourBetter campaign.

The Vega Sport Pre-Workout Sugar-Free Energizer is a plant-based pre-workout supplement designed to increase energy, boost endurance, and enhance mental focus . It's also dairy, gluten & soy free.  It comes in two flavors: acai berry, which I was sent to try, and lemon-lime. 

How to Stay Cool During Summer Runs

Well, Fitbloggin' is in 3 days and I'm BEYOND excited. If you're going be sure to come say hello, and if you're not follow me on Twitter and Facebook and see what I'll be up to all weekend! 

This weekend was my first long run of marathon training! After I get back from Fitbloggin' I'll start with the regular weekly training updates on the road to the Chicago Marathon. My runs went well this weekend, especially since it was closer than it had been during the week.  Getting used to the summer weather is no joke. I read this article in the Washington Post about how your body reacts to the heat. I highly recommend checking it out.  

Did you know it actually takes 2 weeks to acclimated to the heat?

 I know I had some tough runs where even an easier pace felt awfully hard because of the temperature and humidity so don't be discouraged!

Besides training for a marathon all summer, I'm also running the Hood to Coast relay with the Nuun team in August. You bet 3 outdoor runs in 24 hours will probably include at least one that is super hot, so training in the heat will leave me well-prepared! 

I'm linking up with some other Hood to Coast Nuunies today so check out some other awesome blog posts!

At least here in the Northeast, we have been getting a taste of the hot and humid weather to come. I definitely notice a difference in my runs and how I feel as the weather heats up. It’s important to tweak some things with the changing of the seasons so you can keep logging miles all summer.  Here are a few summer running tips that I use to stay cool.  

It's the Little Things Thursday

I've decided I'm starting a regular series called It's the Little Things Thursday.It will be a compiled reflection on the little joys I find in everyday life.  Sometimes it may only be a couple things, sometimes it may be a lot. I'm thinking it'll be an every other week thing, but we'll see :)

I find a big part of being happy is enjoying the everyday, not just the big occasions, vacations, or celebrations. 

I've noticed myself feeling anxious and discontent again lately so I've needed to remind myself the virtues of positivity and seeking happiness from within.  

Going to the gym, working, still working, cooking dinner, catching up on emails,running errands and doing chores. This is how most of our days are spent.

Sometimes those are not the most thrilling or fun ways to spend our time so I think stopping to enjoy and savor the small but maybe not so insignificant things in our days that make us smile is a good thing. 

After all, all the little things which make us happy add up!

Here's some of the little things lately that have made me smile or brightened my day, even if just for a moment!

Monday Updates and a Face of Fitness

Hello to another marvelous Monday.  I can't believe we are already halfway through June! I'm getting super pumped about Fitbloggin' and even picked up some sweet new Baltimore blue crab business cards via a Klout Perk with Moo using a photo I took with Instagram. I love how they came out and know they'll be a big hit at the conference.

After a fun filled but long afternoon/ evening celebrating Baltimore Pride weekend in my neighborhood on Saturday (along with many adult beverages!), I was happy to spend most of Sunday finishing up Season 2 of Orange is the New Black on Netflix.  It's so good, and now I'm sad that I finished it so soon! I also finished catching up on The Mindy Project's last season, which is such a funny & sweet show. 

Image from here

Now I'm lost since summer TV is pretty sparse. Anything I should check out next on Netflix?

North Face ECSDC Trail Marathon Relay with the November Project family

This past weekend I was lucky enough to run not only my first trail race, but my first marathon relay race with my November Project (NP) Baltimore people! NP Baltimore was sending two relay teams of four, a guys and girls team, down to Virginia to run the North Face Endurance Challenge Series DC event along with teams from November Project tribes all along the east coast. 

Who wouldn't want to spend all day with these fine-looking people?

It was a 6 AM Saturday wake-up call, a car drive, a much-needed Starbucks pit stop, and then shuttle to the event at Algonkian Park in Virginia. As waited to board the shuttle, all the NP folks seemed to show up at once. There was tribes from Baltimore, DC, New York, and Boston. The Boston team was the two tribe leaders (who started this whole awesome community) Brogan and BG. I thought it was so freaking cool to meet them because I remember seeing them in Runner's World when I first read about November Project.   

Even though I'd only met a couple people from the DC tribe, everyone from all the tribes made sure to introduce themselves and give each person they met a big hug. It's why I freaking love this community-it's a big family. 

Buy a Shirt to Help Fight Hunger!

Tomorrow I'm going to recap all about my fun weekend and first trail run, but today I'm asking for your help!

 I've already talked about how you can sign up for the Women's Health RUN 10 FEED 10 race series and get a $5 off discount any race through me with the code "WHSESERKO"! 

There is even the "Run Your Own 10K" option where you can run a solo 10K or get a group of friends together to register and still receive an awesome tote bad and know that your registration fee is going to help fight hunger in the US. 

 I'm a Women's Health Action Hero and want to spread the word about the race series and great cause!

While I have a fundraising page to make donations to the FEED organization I thought I would try something fun for people to get involved in so I designed a tee shirt. 

Own Today {Momentum Jewelry Review & Giveaway}

Did you check out the reasons why I run yesterday? I hope you had a great National Running Day whether you got a run in or not!

Lately I've been really into mantras. Little words that help me reflect on the moment or task at hand are really helpful, especially with my anxiety. I love posting inspiring sayings on my walls and writing little quotes on post-its I put all over the place. 

Having some words of motivation and happiness can be really inspiring when you are having a hard day or a tough workout (or trying to complete the #RWRunStreak!). For the Baltimore Marathon back in October I wrote mantras like "dig deep" on my hands in sharpie, but they ended up coming off by the end of the race.  

I was really excited to be offered the chance to review Momentum Jewelry, a line of jewelry by Amy and Wendy which blends their passion for fitness and over 20 years of jewelry-making experience.  They make motivational jewelry that is workout-proof so you can be inspired while you get your sweat on!

Happy National Running Day 2014!

Happy National Running Day 2014! 

Yes, it's a real thing-you can check out more information here!

First of all, I've made it to day 10 of #RWRunStreak. I'm pretty proud of myself for making it a quarter of the way through the streak. Many of my runs are me convincing myself it'll just be 10 minutes (or less!) on the treadmill to run a mile in the evening when I really don't feel like it, but I've stuck with it and that's what counts. Today I'm counting my one mile as all the  running we did at November Project Baltimore this morning even though I didn't track it-I'm sure we ran over a mile with all those sprints!

To celebrate National Running Day you can pledge to run miles for charity, call a friend and go for a run after work, find a new running group, sign up for a summer or fall race, or just maybe just go for a run because it makes you happy. 

I'm going to share 5 reasons why I run. 

1. I run for me. Running is stress-relief. Sometimes it's challenging, sometime's it's relaxing. It's a hobby and a passion. It makes me happy!

MIMM: Will Run for Bananas

Um, when did June get here? I don't mind right now because I am loving sunny summery weekends. This weekend was one of those marvelous ones. 

 Time is flying by, and I'm SO excited that Fitbloggin' is in 26 days! YAY! I'll be talking about it before, during, and after the trip so stay tuned (and sorry in advance!). 

Friday I went to Crossfit and rocked some deadlifts and then lounged around watching TV and eating this kale salad I made to dinner from an Eating Bird Food recipe. This salad was so good and was boyfriend approved! I added some chicken on top to make it a full meal.  

I also picked up my latest package from Women's Health as part of my partnership with the magazine as a Women's Health Action Hero-two new flavors of the LUNA Protein Bars to try in lemon vanilla and chocolate coconut almond. I LOVE the chocolate chip cookie dough LUNA Protein Bar so I was excited to get to try these flavors.  I even got a couple chapsticks in the  chocolate coconut almond flavor and knew that flavor would be my favorite after testing those out!

As predicted, I loved the coconut chocolate almond which I gobbled up as a snack yesterday. It is gluten-free and packs 12g of protein in a delicious little bar that tastes like dessert! I packed the lemon vanilla flavor today as a pre-workout afternoon snack. 

Saturday morning I meant to go to a free AM yoga class but instead slept in. I did my first Surfset class at a new Baltimore fitness studio called Beachfit (more on that later this week!) which was fun and definitely worked my core.

I Needed a LYFT this Morning!

I was super pumped to get to November Project Baltimore this morning as always, but my body was not liking the time my alarm went off. A five day weekend (thanks to a few extra days off) still has me out of sorts. Luckily I had a extra Pure LYFT Energy Stir Stick on me thanks to an opportunity as a Sweat Pink ambassador! 

Pure LYFT Energy Stir Sticks are an energy product that has zero calories, zero taste, and contains as much caffeine as one tall coffee. However the caffeine is natural from green coffee bean extract and also has vitamins A and B complex.  It's easy because you just open the package, remove a little label and dip the plastic stick into a drink for 20 seconds as the powder dissolves.  

I just put this in a glass of water as I ran out the door. It doesn't have any taste and was really undetectable which made me wish I had put it into something flavored.

We're Going STREAKING!

Guys, I'm going streaking.

No, not like Will Ferrell in Old School. 

 After a relaxing, limited-tech long holiday weekend in the woods I'm ready to get ready for summer and marathon training. Eh, after a weekend consisting of hiking, many beers and mint juleps, smores, and sleeping in, I think I am only actually excited for summer.  It actually felt like Memorial Day weekend was the kickoff to summer this year. 

Mid-hike: look at that view!

I'm in luck because Runner's World magazine is sponsoring it's annual summer challenge where you can join and pledge to run a mile a day, every day from Memorial Day to the Fourth of July. 

Paddling in the Uncomfortable Zone (and my cute new sunglasses!)

Something I realize more and more in life is that the situations that make us uncomfortable turn out to be really great experiences and a chance to grow.

On Sunday I had to chance the take a free Floyo class as part of CapitalSUP's grand opening weekend in Annapolis.  Floyo is a mix of yoga and pilates, all while on a stand up paddleboard. I'm not very experienced with water sports and have never been stand up paddleboarding ever.  

I somehow managed to convince my boyfriend to come,with who's trying to get fit and is supporting my summer goal of doing more outdoor activities. I was really excited because it sounded so fun, but as soon as we got on the dock I was extremely nervous, anxious, and a little scared. It was a small class of around 7 people. Jessie, the founder of Floyo who I know from November Project and her yoga and spin classes, was teaching and did her best to make me feel at ease. I haven't done yoga regularly in a while so trying to do it on a paddleboard on the water made it more difficult. Clearly. 

Sitting on the dock of the bay...

I paddled on my knees out to the spot where we were going to have class because my legs were so shaky that I didn't want to try to stand up and fall in immediately.  In the beginning of class Scott fell off his board into the water, and after that he felt like he wanted to leave. He finished the class like a champ, even though he's far harder on himself.  

During the warrior poses I was still feeling shaky and had those negative voices in my head. All I thought of was how embarrassed I would be if I fell in. 

I'm in the blue on the right doing a modified warrior pose!
(photo courtesy of Jessie and Floyo's facebook page!)

Eventually I got into the yoga flow and realized, so what? I had said it was my first time being on a paddleboard and if I fell it's nothing to be upset about.  I'm trying something new and uncomfortable.  

5 Reasons to be Excited for Summer (Five Friday Faves a day late!) 5/17/14

Okay so yesterday was crazy busy so you're getting my Five Friday Favorites on Saturday, sorry! I'm linking up with the DC bloggers Five Friday linkup too! With the weather finally looking consistently good besides some rainy days, I'm getting even more excited for summer and all the fun it brings! I am warm-weather loving gal for sure. 

Five Friday Favorites: Reasons to be Excited for Summer

1. Sunshine

The warm weather just seems to make everyone happier, especially after the winter that lasted through spring that the Northeast had. I love running downtown and seeing everyone working out, taking walks, and enjoying the weather.   I love flowers,clear skies, and the sun on my face. It makes me want to spend all weekend outdoors!

clear skies and blossoming trees in Philadelphia a month ago!

2. Shorts and Sandals
Honestly, I hate wearing pants. Except yoga pants, which don't really count as pants. I love wearing shorts and tank tops, mostly because it means it isn't freezing cold outside. Also not having to bundle up anymore for running is amazing!  I used to love being barefoot all summer when I was growing up. Now it's great to slip on a pair of flip-flops and head outside!

my current fave Lululemon shorts

Natural Beauty Favorites of the Moment featuring Burt's Bees Brightening Line

Mostly what I have to talk about on here is running and food, but today I'm switching it up and talking about some natural beauty products I'm loving.  Now that it's starting to actually feel like spring/summer and I'm feeling less like a cave creature who doesn't want to leave my warm bed, I've been focusing on trying to look less than ghostly pale and more even-toned.  

Since I have sensitive and acne-prone skin, I'm pretty cautious about what products I'm using on my face. With the huge trend of natural makeup and products, finding things that won't irritate my face has been a lot easier!

Avoiding crappy food helps my acne, but I still have a bunch of leftover dark spots and scars from years of fighting it.  This is why I was really excited to receive some samples of the new Burt's Bees Brightening Dark Spot Corrector (retails for $20.00).  It claims to visibly brighten skin, even skin tone, and reduce the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles in 4 weeks.  I'm a big fan of Burt's Bees chapsticks so I was interested to try another one of their products.   

The Brightening Dark Spot Corrector is noncomedogenic and dermatologist-tested, along with using natural daisy extract which is shown to brighten skin by regulating skin's melanin production.  The whole Brightening Face Care Line also includes a Brightening Daily Facial Cleanser, Even-Tone Moisturizing Cream, Eye Treatment, and Refining Tonic.   The product line claims to brighten and even skin tone when used as part of a daily regimen over 8 weeks. 

The corrector is super thin and light!

Official Crazy Runner Lady and Birthday Recap

I had a marvelous weekend and am happy to say that for my dreaded anatomy & physiology II class I have my final today, and then I'm done! I'll have two nights of my week back and can't wait.  Here's a little birthday week and weekend photo recap! There was lots of food drinks, and smiles! Food and friends is pretty much all I need for a good birthday. 

My watch knows what day it is!

Yay for awesome balloons again

Recovery Tools: Got Chocolate Milk?

When I was offered the chance to try out chocolate milk as a recovery tool as a Women's Health Action Hero, I jumped at the chance. I'm sure you know by now that I have a huge sweet tooth so being asked to drink chocolate milk post-workout was such a treat! Personally I have switched over to almondmilk because I limit dairy due to my tummy troubles, so it had been a while since I've had some real low-fat chocolate milk. 

Some goodies and information about chocolate milk from WH 

Anyways let's be honest, after some swigs of water lately my post-race beverage of choice is a cold beer. 

After the Rock and Roll National half marathon in March I actually drank some chocolate milk I was handed right after the race  before I downed my bottle of water and was reminded how great of a recovery tool it was, before I even started this assignment! I've been having an 8 ounce glass (let's be honest, probably a little bit more!) of chocolate milk immediately after some runs and workouts. 

 I usually look for something I can quickly eat after a workout within the 20 minute recommended time-frame so I love having some chocolate milk in the refrigerator ready to go. It's also great because it's portable! Many times I don't have the tools or the time to blend up a protein shake so having a post-workout beverage handy right away that has carbs, protein, and electrolytes to start repairing my muscles immediately is great!  Since starting to use chocolate milk as a recovery beverage after my half marathon training runs, I've noticed I've been less sore and more ready to attack my next workout!

Lowfat chocolate milk is a natural source of protein, the right mix of protein and carbs, and provides fluids and electrolytes.  

Running with KIND Snacks: Fiesta 5K Recap

This past Saturday I got the opportunity to run the Fiesta 5K with a group of people for KIND Snacks, one of the race's sponsors.  One of the marketing guys for KIND approached me about running for them, and of course I couldn't turn it down, especially to run a race for such a great cause like the Packard Center for ALS research. 

Not only do I love KIND healthy snacks like their dark chocolate sea salt bars and peanut butter granola, but I've become more impressed with KIND snacks' involvement in community events around Baltimore along with nation-wide which goes along with their slogan Do the Kind Thing. They even have a campaign with NBA star Kevin Durant to reach 1 million Strong and Kind pledges to support their $1 million donation to Durant's foundation which creates specialized after-school and education programs for at-risk youth.  Join me and take the pledge here!

Before the race the weather was cloudy but warm. I actually had some blue capris that matched the KIND shirt so I was in fully matching running clothes for once! I jogged an easy mile down to the start line after having my usual pre-race breakfast of a banana and peanut butter!Our team was Joe, Theo, Holly, and me. I know Holly from group marathon training last summer so it was great to catch up!

photo of the team from Tim of KIND-thanks!

Birthday Cake and Tiny Hamsters

I had a pretty fabulous weekend with lots of delicious food and drinks (including cake and crab cakes and beer) to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday. I also got in a really nice run around the harbor with the Lululemon Run Club with a bunch of November Project peoples on Friday evening.  It was a great start to a busy weekend! For Scott's birthday celebrations we had an awesome lemon cake from La Cakerie with a raspberry buttercream frosting and raspberry puree layered in the cake. Yes, it was just as delicious at it sounds!   

Cake is pretty much my favorite part of birthdays. I definitely went back for seconds plus an extra spoonful or two of icing! It was a great day, and in the honor of cake and May the 4th (be with you) here's this Disney throwback to my vacation last year. 

delicious chocolate cupcake during Star Wars weekend

 I also had a great time running the Fiesta 5K Saturday morning with KIND Snacks, but that recap will be up later this week because today is my birthday!

 I sadly have back to back exams for the one class I'm taking, after work (seriously, life?) so I'm hopefully getting in a great AM workout (it's been sooooo long) and then having a mini birthday celebration after my exams with champagne and cake. I don't feel like running a marathon tomorrow so maybe I'll just run 2.6 birthday miles instead! There will probably be some tacos involved too because it's Cinco de Mayo/Mexican Monday, and honestly they are just super easy to make! Hopefully I'll have balloons because I love them, and they help make getting older less depressing! 

amazing birthday balloons from last year

 Happy Cinco de Mayo! Get your sweat on and then enjoy some tacos or big margarita for me! 

Or you can chow down on some burritos like this little hamster in this video that makes me giggle:

If you're having your own festive dinner check out my mango salsa recipe from a while back! 

Are you having a festive dinner tomorrow? What is your favorite part of birthdays?

Five Friday Favorite Packages (Sorry We Missed You!) and Fiesta 5K

Before I get to my Five Friday Favorites packages edition I want to let you know that I'm excited to be running a 5K this Saturday with KIND Snacks who, besides making delicious bars and granola, are super involved in local communities. 'Tis the season for spring racing! The Fiesta 5K is a local race that benefits the Packard Center for ALS Research at Johns Hopkins, the "only international scientific operation dedicated solely to curing ALS" or Lou Gehrig's disease. 

Find out more about the Packard Center here!

I'm really excited for the chance to work with the KIND team and run a race that supports such an amazing cause! If you're around Baltimore Saturday and want to run I know they have race day registration. More information can be found here!

So I've gotten lots of packages lately so I thought I'd share my favorites! Some are from months ago, but that just means they have gotten some use! 

Five Friday Favorite Packages

1. Favorite snack package: Krave Jerky

B.A.A. 5K Race Recap and Boston Marathon Expo Fun

Well I looked up my official scores for the Nike Women's DC Half again last night and it's back to saying that I was one second slower than my PR at 1:39:50. Psssh whatever Nike-make up your mind. Close enough but supposedly not a tie anymore. Oh well! I finally unpacked the race shirt we got so here's a quick peek! I love the finisher's necklace more than last year's-I will totally be wearing it all summer!

UPDATE 5/6/2014: Nike + saying I did tie my PR again! Hurrah!

I'm still catching up on getting my feelings about Boston out here so we'll start with a race recap of the B.A.A. 5K. It's the first race of the B.A.A Distance Medley and was held on the Saturday before the marathon this year. I was in the middle of switching where my boyfriend and I were crashing so we woke up bright and early Saturday morning and drove about an hour into the city to get to a close T station which I took to the start.  I was anxious to get there on time since Scott and I got lost getting into the city but was relieved when I got to the race area. 

Luckily the weather was sunny and slightly cool. I was going to wear a short sleeve shirt but am glad I brought extra layers. There was lots of people trying to cram into the corrals(there were over 8,000 participants!) which were slightly unorganized. I just managed to squeeze my way in not too far back! 

at the start

I had no expectations going into the 5K and was running it just for fun! I had heard it was a great race and very popular. Apparently this year they had changed the course to start and finish at Boston Common instead of Copley Square Park to accommodate more runners. Many marathoners use this as their shakeout run before Marathon Monday so there was a really nice vibe amongst the crowd.  

NWM DC Half Marathon Recap: That time I met Shalane Flanagan!

So I ran the Nike Women's DC half marathon again and liked it more than last year! I have lots of photos for this post so sorry it's so long! They had tons of advertising in metro stations near the race course and expo which was cool. I still think it's annoying to have to trek out to Georgetown for the expo but understand how it fits their race image.  

 I was rushing around on Saturday morning to catch a train from Baltimore down to DC, knowing how last year I had to wait about an hour in line to grab my race bib. I forgot my race fuel and socks when I was packing so had to pick some up in DC, whoops.  I managed to get to the expo and wait in line for only 5 minutes before I had my bib-win! They also gave you the race tee with your bib pickup, instead of after the race like last  year.  I forgot that the Nike women's sizing runs small though so my size small shirt is cozy. 

We Run DC this Weekend: When Goals Change

Well before I get to more Boston fun I suppose I should mention I'm running the Nike Women's DC half again this year.  And the race is this weekend.  How did that sneak up on me?

from the Nike Women's Race Series page

I ran this race last year (read about it here and here!) and while I had some mixed feelings about the expo and race, I decided to run it again as a Truebar-fueled athlete sponsored by Bakery on Main. I love having Truebars before or after runs. I usually eat half a bar before a run and the other half afterwards before I make another snack!  I like the fairly flat course and a little blue box from Tiffany's never hurts. I saw via social media that Shalane will be there again, and I'm secretly hoping to meet her.  It was amazing coming across the finish line and slapping her hand last year.  

Had some Truebars with me to watch the Boston Marathon!

Thinking Out Loud: Boston Recap

Since it's been a while-HEY I'm BACK, linking up with Amanda's Thinking Out Loud post is perfect for me to talk about random things from my little trip up to Boston along with lots of photos! I have lots of feelings about the marathon and various things so there will be multiple Boston posts!

1. Being back from vacation is one of the worst things ever. The only good thing is that my we did wash before we left so I only have to unpack a massive suitcase of clean clothes. We had some apartment issues while we were away so now I need to deal with repairs. Oh and dealing with a million emails and snail mail is always fun too. I need some coffee to get through work today! 

2. I would totally live in Boston if it wasn't so cold/expensive. It is a fabulous city, and I can't wait to get back. I really loved all the marathon/runner love too. 

Check out my Runner Spotlight on Runaway Bridal Planner!

Hello all! Remember you still have a few days to enter my San Franola granola giveaway!

Today go check out Kristy's blog Runaway Bridal Planner where I am the featured Runner Spotlight! I talk all about how I got started running, my favorite races, and what I hope to run in the future! Check out the post here!  

Happy Running!

Sole of the City 10K 2014 Race Recap

Make sure to enter my San Franola granola  giveaway(ends Tuesday 4/22!) and check out my Ahnu shoes review. 

Before I get to my race recap, I wanted to take a moment to recognize the anniversary of the Boston bombings.  Last year I wrote this in reflection and re-reading makes me remember how sick I felt that day. I knew I wanted to run Boston someday, but the tragedy was just fuel to my fire.  I cried on and off all day, mostly thinking about how many people were hurt who were spectators, which could easily have been my loved ones waiting for me to finish another race. I'm visiting Boston this week as a tourist (I've never been!), a marathon spectator, and as a runner. If there is one thing I've learned from this hobby of mine, runners form an amazing community. We are strong. So today just be thankful for those around you who support you and run if you can for those you can't! 

from Organic Runner Mom

On a lighter note, if anyone has Boston suggestions, let me know! I have all of the major places covered, including a Red Sox game!

The Sole of the City 10K is a big race for Charm City Run with over 3100 runners this year. I ran the inaugural race 2 years ago which I remember as being hilly. Last year it was right after the Boston tragedy which gave it a different tone. This year they had a new course, which was supposedly less hilly. I was really stressed Friday afternoon after staying at work late and having to rush off to a movie with friends so I grabbed my bib and packet in a hurry. The race always has a super nice gender-specific premium, and this year's Under Armour half zip did not disappoint!