ZOOMA Annapolis Women's Racing Half Marathon 2015 Recap

Disclosure: As a 2015 ZOOMA race ambassador I received complimentary entry into the race. As always, all thoughts & opinions are my own. 

If I had to describe this past weekend's race it would be the 3 H's-hot, humid, and HILLY.

Nonetheless, ZOOMA put on an awesome race event in Annapolis and I'm so happy to have been an ambassador for the race. 
Check out all of their race events here and an awesome set of pre/post-race recipes from the Annapolis ambassadors with a promo code for future ZOOMA races here!

This is a longer race recap, but I just had so much to say and so many photos!

Packet Pick-up/Expo: After a Crossfit class on Thursday I popped into Charm City Run to use a coupon before it expired and stumbled upon the ZOOMA packet pickup so I grabbed my bag & bib.  Apparently Sean Astin had picked up his bib a little bit before-SO awesome that he was in Baltimore and was running this race!

We got a nice women's sized race shirt, ZOOMA branded journal, and a pair of my favorite running socks-Feetures! It was nice to know I already had everything I needed for the race with me, even though I planned on checking out the expo the next day in Annapolis. 

The race host hotel was the Loews Annapolis, but their special race rate had already sold out by March so I ended up booking a night at the historic Maryland Inn. I got there in the afternoon on Friday and was really happy with the room. It's old and the rooms are smaller, but staying in a place with so much history was great. The bed was really comfortable so that's the most important thing in my book!

My boyfriend and I grabbed dinner in downtown Annapolis and then I headed over to the Loews where the expo was taking place for an ambassador happy hour. It was great to see all the other ladies and chat running. I even got to get some great advice on marathon training from the race's announcer, Creigh Kelley.  Thanks so much to Stella Valle for the beautiful bracelets as well! I had a really terrible headache for most of the evening so after meeting up with my boyfriend at the bar down the street and grabbing a late night pizza bagel, I laid out my Flat Lauren gear and went to bed. 

5 Friday Favorites 5/29/15 : Snack City {snacks I'm loving lately}

Whew, even with a shorter work week it still felt long so TGIF. This week has flown by and all I really feel like talking about are all the yummy snacks I've been eating.  I didn't pack lunches or plan meals this week (oops) so I did a lot of snacking! I'm joining the DC Trifecta Friday Five linkup since the topic was a freebie today. I stocked up on some food this week plus got a few surprises that I can't wait to share. 

5 Friday Favorites: Snack City {snacks I'm loving lately}

1. Everything Watermelon

Even though it's still officially spring, with warmer temperatures post-Memorial Day it's been feeling like summer. That means I'm in the mood for one of my favorite fruits-watermelon! My parents hooked me up with a huge bag of watermelon chunks that no one at the house was eating (um, why?), and it disappeared last weekend before I could snap a pic, oops.  Also over the holiday weekend I enjoyed post-beach run Gundalow Juices in my new favorite summer flavor Watermelon Waves, which is watermelon juice with lime and mint. It's so refreshing and delicious. 

Take me back to the beach!

2. Lesser Evil Wasabi Style Bonsai Popcorn

I seriously have more snacks and popcorn from Lesser Evil than I know what to do with. Seriously if you are in the Baltimore area and want me to share the wealth, message me! 

This week they sent me their brand new flavor of popcorn-Wasabi style Bonsai. I love wasabi with my sushi so I was excited. My first handful tasted super spicy like whoa-they didn't hold back on the wasabi flavor at all! It has one a kick right off the bat, but the spice/heat doesn't linger or build in your mouth as you kept eating. After the first handful the spiciness wasn't as in your face. It's 40 calories per cup, non-gmo-, gluten-free, and delicious! 

If you love wasabi you need to get your hands on this. 

3. Double Chocolate Chunk Quest Bars

Rock 'n' Roll DC Half Marathon 2015 {Race Recap}

Disclaimer: I received a free 3-pack Tourpass through my Rock ‘n’ Blog ambassadorship. As always, all thoughts & opinions are my own.

I ran the DC Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in 2014 and thought the race was just okay. I honestly wasn't planning on running it again this year until I found myself with a Rock 'n' Roll Tourpass (thanks to being a Rock 'n' Blogger) for 3 races with not much money to travel far. While I appreciated the course a lot more this time around, overall it was a crappy race for me.  

Mostly because of the cold, rainy weather. 

This is partially a pity party because I was not enjoying myself for most of the race so apologies if that's annoying. 

I'm pretty sure this race used to be the National marathon and 1/2 but officially is now the DC marathon and 1/2.  I'm luckily my best friend lives in D.C. so I always crash at her place the night before any races I run in the area.  

Expo: 

I headed down to DC after work Friday and just the trek was much less unpleasant this year since the expo was at the Convention Center not the Stadium Armory.  Brooks Running is a sponsor of the race series and had an awesome area called their Run Happy Island with a tiki bar to show off their shoes and some games. I was flying solo for this expo, so I had some time to walk around and check everything out.  

Of course I stopped at the Rock 'n' Roll Race Series booth as I dreamed of running a race abroad. 

A Mile is a Mile is a Mile {Workout Comparisons}

A mile is a mile. It doesn't matter if you are a marathoner, a new runner, or record-setting Deena Kastor. No one's workout is better than someone else's. If you challenged yourself with a two mile run, that doesn't make it worse than someone who ran 12 the same day. While a mile as a distance is the same, everybody's miles are different. Everybody's workouts, bodies, and goals are different too.  

Sorry if this gets a little rant-y as I think out loud, this has just been a topic that has been on my mind recently. I find that it is so easy to play the comparison game with other people.  With a culture of over-sharing and social media it's easy to just see other people's mileage and workouts. Online there are lots of gym selfies, workout recaps on blogs, and #runbrags. 

How many photos of Garmin watch faces and heart rate monitors post-workout are posted online everyday?   

Sometimes that all can be motivating and creates a supportive community.  

However personally sometimes it causes me to doubt myself, especially since I follow so many inspiring athletes, fellow runners, and bloggers.  Stepping away from the fitness and blogger community I realize that many people would think it's crazy awesome just to work out 4-5 days a week like I do. 

I just  am friends with too many kickass people! 

I'll be out for a run at a slower pace than I wanted and feel badly about it. It's easy to get caught up in things like who ran how many miles today and how that person that passed you on your run is running way faster.  Maybe they are faster, more fit, or more experience than you. Then again, maybe you are just having an off day. 

Sadly sometimes true. 

Or you look at someone's workout recaps or post-run Instagram and see that they ran double the miles you did, fit in my workouts, burned more calories, or lifted more than you did.  It's so easy to get caught up in the numbers game and compare weekly mileage, paces, weights, and calorie burns.  

It's not all online either. Maybe a friend said they were feeling a little tired or sore so they were taking it easy on your run together. Meanwhile your breathing is getting heavier as you struggle to keep up so now you feel like you must be out of shape or not as good of a runner. 

Then I just remember that my run is not the same as your run. Just like my race isn't the same as someone else's, even if we are running the exact same miles, course and distance-wise. Everybody is on their own journey.    

Your run or workout is different because you are different. Your sleep,your fitness, your eats, your mood, and what's going on in your life are all different and all differently affect your runs or workouts. 

Just because someone who is also training for the same race runs more miles than you doesn't mean that their training is better. Everybody's training can be different to fit your own needs. Just because someone worked out more days a week than you doesn't mean they are stronger or faster. 

It's important to remember that even if you ran the same race as someone, they did not have the same experience. You don't know how they were feeling, their thoughts, or what's going on in their lives that affected those miles. 

So guess what, getting your sweat on counts no matter what. 

Running 2 miles is better than no miles. Doing a 20 minute body-weight circuit in your living room because that's all you could fit in today is awesome. Deciding to start running and feeling accomplished when you can run a mile straight through is awesome. 

It's okay to get motivated by scrolling through your Instagram feed or following fitness blogs. It's okay to post your accomplishments or post-workout selfies when you are proud of yourself. Just remember that you don't need to prove anything to anyone. 

Your workouts are for you. 

Anybody else get caught up in the comparison game?  Do you find motivation from social media? 

This post was linked up to the Fit & Fashionable Friday Link-Up. 

Broad Street Run 2015 Race Recap

I am originally from the Philly area and got into running after I moved away so I was really excited to be able to run Broad Street for the first time . The Broad Street Run is the largest 10 mile road race in the country and is most definitely a staple of Philadelphia-area running. It's actually so popular now that they moved to a lottery system for entry a few years ago. It always falls near my birthday so I was excited to be able to run it and get in the lottery this year.  

Expo: The expo was a decent size and efficient. I didn't get the tech tee initially, but ended up buying a tech shirt vintage design from Modell's on sale while I was at the expo. They had it in the convention center so it was spacious but not overloaded with vendors. I'd like being able to go on a Friday afternoon and beating the crowds.  I had just gotten back from a family vacation the day before so it was nice to be able to have a relaxed day in the city.  

Of course I stopped by the Bondiband booth to check out their designs. 

Remember you can always use my code BREATHEBLOG to save 10% on their website off their headbands compression socks, and more!

Race: My boyfriend and I parked at the Stadium Complex at the start since it's a point-to-point race. We took the Septa train from there all the way to the start at the beginning of the line. They let runners ride for free to the start so even though it was packed, thank goodness there was no ticketing delays. The trains got very crowded, and it seemed that people in the middle of the line at stops couldn't get on. Once we got off, we parted ways as I made my way towards the corral. The weather was already quite warm so I immediately ditched my throwaway shirt as I entered the crowd of people.  

I was pissed that I wasn't even close to getting into my corral because it was too crowded. I thought it wouldn't be so bad since I was in the Orange corral which wasn't too far back. However, once the race started and my corral went I was able to get in pretty smoothly. It was amazing starting a race with 45,000 runners. The energy was amazing! 

TOL: Everyday I'm hustlin'

Yes I've been hustlin', as always it seems. I'm still behind on blogging and have like 10 overdue race recaps. Life has been crazypants. So here's some random thoughts and updates as for Thinking Out Loud Thursdays. 

1. I've been so busy I can't even be bothered to put my socks on the correct feet, even though I'm not sure it makes a difference.  

Shout-out to my comfy Feetures! Running socks. 

2. My birthday was pretty low-key but awesome. 27 is a pretty weird age to turn, but I'm trying to just focus on continuing to do awesome things. If "nobody likes you when you're 23" I don't know who likes you at 27, haha. The actual day involved a couple margaritas, a cupcake & some unpictured cannolis leftovers from when I was with my parents, and tacos with my boyfriend. 

Clearly eating is my favorite. 

3. I also was really pumped to be sung to by the November Project Baltimore tribe after the workout a couple days after my birthday. It's the little things. It's also definitely how I talked myself into getting out of bed last Wednesday.   

5 Tips For Getting Back into A Routine

My mojo has been missing lately, and I'm over it! I haven't been following a running training plan or scheduling out my weeks. Lots of missed workouts, shorter runs, and not enough stretching & yoga.  Also I've been really slacking on my greens and water intake (as I try to to drink a Gundalow green juice after an indulgent wedding weekend).  Side note, the Tone it Up ladies posted a great list of how to bounce back eating-wise after an indulgent weekend. 

I like being flexible with my schedule and being comfortable with getting in what I can when things come up throughout the week #wycwyc).  It's the only way I stay sane. That meant when I woke up feeling under the weather on Saturday and had to travel to a wedding later, I did 4 miles instead of the 8 I had planned. That meant eating out for dinner many times this week due to birthday celebrations.  

With being busy at work, vacation, social events, and my birthday, I've gotten off track. Before the start of a new week and as the spring/summer only proves to be busier, I want to get things in line again. 

Being organized keeps me happy, less anxious, and more productive!

Getting my life re-organized is easier said than done. 

Here's 5 ways I'm setting myself up for this week:

1. Drink more water. 

With the warmer weather I have definitely been noticing  that I am more dehydrated and really need to step up my water intake, especially when outdoor are in the mix.  You here this advice so often because it's so important! More water makes your body happy & balanced, gives you clearer skin, and gets rid of bloat. I'm aiming for half my body weight in ounces in water each day based. I use a 32 oz. water bottle so I only have to drink 2 bottles a day which makes it easier for me.  

 2. Go to bed at a reasonable time.

This is probably the hardest one for me. I'm a night owl, but have been in this awful pattern for months and months now of staying up late, sleeping in later because I need sleep, and repeat. If I go to bed earlier I can workout before work and not feel completely like death all morning.  This will definitely help me to fit in all my workouts. The less I need to do after work the better, especially with a full calendar these days.  

5 Friday Favorites 5/8/15-Ways to Share Running & Fitness Love

I obviously  love sharing running & fitness love so today's  DC Trifecta Friday Five linkup seemed like a perfect topic to discuss on the blog . Life is still cray and busy and I'm not caught up on life or even unpacked after my vacation, race, and birthday.  Hoping to make some progress Sunday but if it's sunny outside, all bets are off! 

5 Friday Favorites: Ways to Share the Running/Fitness Love

1. Find a group. 

Whether you recruit friends to run with you or join a local running group, running with others is my favorite way to share the love.  In Baltimore, check out local running groups through Charm City Run, a race training group like the Baltimore Women's Classic 5K training,  join this month's Shake Shack Track & Field run, or drop in for a free November Project-Baltimore workout with me! People who sweat together, stay together!

Mid-run Team Nuun Hood to Coast selfie from August 2014

2. Connect online. 

I love finding motivation, encouragement, and friends through connecting with others online. There are Facebook groups like the Half Fanatics, Twitter, blogs, and Instagram. You can search for hashtags like #runchat, #run, #fitfluential to find some posts about running & fitness and be inspired! 

3. Make it a date.