Blog Ahead #15 Originally written on October 11, 2018
Y'all know I'm a planner, so I like to think ahead in all aspects of my life, including running! I have big goals for 2019 when it comes to my running, and I'm hoping that I can achieve them all. I thought I could share them here ahead of the 2019 race season, then follow up at the end of next year to see how I did!
1. Join Marathon Maniacs
For those that might not know, the Marathon Maniacs is an international running club. Pretty much every race I've run, I've seen someone rocking a Marathon Maniacs shirt, and they always have support on the course for all runners sponsored by that club! The kicker about joining this club is you have to qualify, and to do that you need to run 3 marathons in 90 days. Woof! That's something I've never even attempted before, but it's something that I think I can do if I really focus and work hard toward that goal! I've wanted to become part of a running club ever since I started focusing on distance running back in 2012 and it'd be so cool to be a part of this crazy bunch of awesomely inspirational runners. Fingers crossed that I can make this happen! 2. Complete at least 5 marathons
So I've been thinking that I want to start being a bit more aggressive about ticking states off my 50 Marathons in 50 States challenge, and why not start running a lot more marathons every year? Of course, traveling and registration can add up financially, but if I can swing it, I'd like to shoot to run 5 marathons in 2019! Here's the ones that I'm looking at to potentially complete:
4. California - San Francisco Marathon (July 2019)
5. Rhode Island - Newport Marathon (October 2019)
*these are the races where I'll attempt to qualify for Marathon Maniacs!
And if I can fit in another one or two, I totally will! ;)
3. Run a sub-5 hour marathon
This has been a hope of mine for a while now, but I honestly haven't been doing the training to back it up. I need to be better about consistent running to make it happen! It's totally acheiveable, I just have to put the work in. I'd love to come across the finish line during one of my 2019 races with a 4 still being the first number on the clock!
It's been a while since I've done a proper life update post! With the Richmond Marathon and Thanksgiving taking my full attention over the last two weeks, I've been too busy to sit down with a cup of coffee and update y'all on how things are going. Time to get all caught up!
{source} I loved this comic because the dog's name is Poppy and this is exactly what our Poppy does!
The week after the marathon was so insane at work. It happens every year - the two weeks before Thanksgiving Break and the two weeks before Spring Break just seem like EVERYTHING IS HAPPENING AND EVERYTHING IS 10X MORE IMPORTANT, when in reality, people are just stressed and need a break. :P That being said, I did have to deal with quite a bit more ~drama~ at work that week which is never fun, but something I've dealt with many times in the past so not something I'm not prepared to handle. It did make the week fly by, though, and I honestly can't remember much that happened that week (aside from it SNOWING OMG), so let's fast forward to the weekend! 😂
Snow + sitting in Boston traffic = my idea of a good time! #not
The 17th & 18th was a #ReadYourFaceOff weekend (if you're unfamiliar, the book club I host on GoodReads does a 24 hour readathon every month) and I was so excited to just sit and read and not deal with the stress of travel! I read (and finally finished!) The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin which I'm super happy about because it had been on my currently reading shelf since JULY. I also started in on Nice Try, Jane Sinner (which I finished early on the following week) which was a super fun YA contemporary about reality television. So, you know, right up my alley. :P Brett and I also went on a little birthday shopping spree that weekend. He had a bunch of gift cards from his birthday that he wanted to spend so we made several stops around the area to get him good and spoiled. You're supposed to be spoiled on your birthday!
Last week was, of course, Thanksgiving week, and luckily I only had to be at work on Monday. Our Director decided to let everyone choose either Monday or Tuesday as a comp day, and the university was closed on Wednesday, so I chose to take Tuesday off and get my vacation started a day early. Tuesday wasn't super relaxed as I had to take my car into the shop. It had been making beautiful scraping sounds any time I hit the brakes. Lovely! New brake pads, tires, a new ball joint, and $1,000+ later, Dory was good as new and we were on our way. I say it all the time - cars are sadly a necessary evil in my part of the world. Yikes!
Wednesday was very low key. We spent most of it at home relaxing and headed over to Millis to spend the night before Thanksgiving. We hung with Brett's Mom, sister, niece, and nephew and enjoyed some pizza while relaxing for the evening. Yum! Because of my weird AF work schedule, and because I had to be up for a Turkey Trot the next morning, I was passed out by 9:30pm. #grandma
Despite the 12° degree weather, I dragged myself out of bed early Thursday morning for the Holliston Turkey Trot. Brett was a trooper and drove me to the high school where the 5K was happening. We froze a bit before the race but I think that worked to my advantage - I ran FAST to get out of the cold and I managed to run a sub-30 5K which is something I haven't done in YEARS!!! I realized around mile 2 that I could run under 30 minutes so I really pushed my pace to the finish line and came across at 29:43!!! SO PUMPED!!! They had bananas, donuts, and water (albiet some of the cups of water were frozen solid 😂) at the finish which was so nice to reward myself with, and on top of that, Brett and I made a stop at Muffin House, one of our favorite local bakeries, on the way home after the race.
Brett deserves the Supportive Boyfriend of the Year Award for coming out in the cold this early!
Thanksgiving was great as always, packed with tons of people, tons of food, and tons of cheer. Thanksgiving (and the holidays in general) can be very overwhelming for me as an introvert, and this year was no different, but it's always nice to spend the holidays with others. :) I hope everyone else had a great Turkey Day as well!
Friday we headed home to relax for the rest of the weekend. I spent most of the weekend laying in bed, reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and playing Hearthstone which is my new obsession. We also squeezed in two trips to the gym, so I'd call that a successful weekend! It's honestly all I ever want out of my time off, tbh.
Aaaand I think that just about catches you all up to where I am now! Unfortunately I've been battling a cold for the last few days. 😩 It's right on that level of being annoying enough to distract you throughout the day, but not bad enough where you need to take time off to rest in bed. THE WORST KIND OF COLD. (JK, I'd probably hate it more if I couldn't get out of bed. I'm just whining. But what is a blog for if not to have a place to whine? 😂) Hopefully I can shake it off ASAP because Saturday starts December and the busiest month and a half EVER! No seriously, I'll be traveling every weekend in December (as most folks are), including a 3 week period where I won't be home at all. I'm excited and dreading it all at the same time. 😂 Anywho, this weekend Brett and I are planning to decorate the apartment for Christmas. I asked Twitter if they would be interested in watching a live stream of Christmas tree decorating on Saturday and I got a unanimous YES, so that's a thing that will be happening. I'm not sure what time on Saturday I'll be streaming, but I'm guessing sometime in the afternoon, so keep an eye on my Twitter/channel! I'll also be running a half marathon (the Half MerryThon, to be exact) on Sunday, so we'll see how that goes. 😂 With the way I'm currently feeling with my cold I'm really not looking forward to it right now, but hopefully I feel better before race day. ALSO - I will be doing Happy Vlogidays again this year! I will be aiming to post weekly vlogs through Christmas & New Year's, hopefully on Saturdays, so keep an eye on my channel for those. I will post a playlist of all of this year's vlogs on the blog once it's all said and done, but if you'd like to see vlogs as they go live, check out my channel!
Blog Ahead #14 Originally written on October 18, 2018
I debated whether or not I wanted to include this post in my Blog Ahead line up because most of the time I'm not entirely sure where I'm going to be at in terms of my reading priorities nearly 2 months in advance, but I figured, these plans tend to be a bit loosey-goosey anyway, so why not figure out what books I want to prioritize in December a little on the early side? ;) Here are the books that I'm hoping to read in the month of December:
A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin
The Oracle Year by Charles Soule
The Vacationers by Emma Straub
Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd edited by Holly Black & Cecil Castellucci
Orange, vol. 1 & 2 by Ichigo Takano
This One Is Mine by Maria Semple
Landline by Rainbow Rowell
Warcross by Marie Lu
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
Blog Ahead #13 Originally written on October 22, 2018
For the last several years, I've been putting seasonal playlists together. These are mostly playlists of songs that I'm really into during any given season. They can be songs that I've heard a million times (as reflected by the Fleetwood Mac & Hootie and the Blowfish songs on this list), or new favorites that I don't want to get lost in the shuffle of the floods of new music that comes out every day. For today's Blog Ahead post, I wanted to share my Fall 2018 playlist with you all to give you a taste of what I've been jamming out to this season!
Blog Ahead #12 Originally written on October 23, 2018
The day this post will go live is Thanksgiving! It's good to be grateful every day, but it's nice that we have a day in our holiday calendar that reminds us to pause and appreciate the things we have and spend time with the people we love. I thought I'd write out a list of things I'm thankful for to share with everyone because it has been a while since I dedicated a post to the things I'm grateful for!
Blog Ahead #11 Originally written on October 23, 2018
One of my favorite things to do when I travel is to find a cool local bookstore to check out! I thought it'd be fun to make a list of some of the stores I'd like to visit sometime in my life and *hopefully* they will come to fruition. And let's be real, the biggest appeal is to just picture yourself dancing around the aisles of these shops like you're Belle in Beauty and the Beast, amirite?
The Last Bookstore - Los Angeles, CA: This bookstore is so cool and aesthetically pleasing! Not only does it have thousands of titles to choose from, there are so many cool archetecture pieces in this store, some of which are constructed from books (e.g. the book tunnel shown above)! It would be so much fun to spend an afternoon getting lost in this store and seeing it all in person.
Books Are Magic - Brookyln, NY: I constantly see Instagram posts of this mural and I've been DYING to get a snap of my own for literal years now. I thought that this was just a random mural, but it turns out that this is an actual bookshop in Brooklyn - not so far from where I live! I could totally make this a stop on my next trip to NYC, whenever that may be. This is such a cute little store and, based on their social media posts, I definitely think I could feel right at home here!
Powell's Books - Portland, OR: This is one of the most well known independent bookstores in the country and of course I'd love to pay it a visit! According to the Powell's website, Portland has named them the city's top attraction, which is something I can 100% get behind. If I ever travel to Portland, I will definitely be bringing an extra suitcase with me in order to get all of the books I'm sure to buy home!
Shakespeare & Company - Paris, France: Shakespeare & Company has a really interesting history (which you can find a brief version of here) and I think it is many reader's goal to own a book with the coveted "Shakespeare & Company - Kilometer Zero Paris" stamp on the inside flap, myself included. Honestly, I can't think of anything more perfect to do on a trip to Paris than sitting outside at a cafe with a good book from Shakespeare & Company and a glass of wine. Sign. Me. Up!
The Open Book - Wigtown, Scotland: One of the coolest BNB concepts I've heard of! In Scotland's National Book Town, you can rent the apartment above The Open Book AND run the shop during your stay! You can create the displays, interact with customers, and live your best life as a bookseller. I am so into this idea and I feel like this would be the perfect place to travel to when I'm older! :)
What bookstores do you want to visit in your lifetime?
Blog Ahead #10 Originally written on October 22, 2018
For my 10th post for Blog Ahead, I thought it might be fun to pause and reflect for a bit. I wanted to take a moment to look back to 10 years ago and remember where I was at then and think about how far I've come. I've been struggling with my mental health over these last few months, but I know that one of the best tools that helps when you're feeling a bit stuck is to reflect and focus on all of your accomplishments instead of focusing on how much you want to accomplish in the future.
10 years ago I was...
-A freshman in college. I was living in Woodland Hall and loving being able to see my friends any time I wanted just by knocking on their door that was only a few steps away. I was a Fashion Merchandising major but was feeling a little unsure about it (I would eventually change my major to Communication/Creative Advertising at the end of my first semester) and trying to find my place in a solid friend group.
-Living with anxiety but did not have a word for how I felt. The first time I remember feeling this way was the spring of my senior year of high school (also 2008) and I honestly had no idea what was happening or how I could control it. All I knew was that I was panicking often without a reason why, and that carried itself with me into college.
-Still getting over my high school boyfriend and navigating life outside of my friend groups from home. Though I was having a lot of fun with the new friends I was making, there were things I was missing in my old life and being on my own for the first time was a tough adjustment. I was doing a lot of discovering who I was, what was important to me, and what path I wanted to go down... and this was only the beginning!
Having a dance party in my dorm room... (September 2008)
...and making new friends left, right, and center! (September 2008)
Today I am...
-Still in the college environment, but now as a professional! I am in my fourth year as an #SApro and my seventh year of working in the field after college. #WAT. When I started college, I definitely did not predict that it would be my career (mainly because I didn't realize that it could even be a career), but here I am. Thinking about my little freshman self warms my heart a bit because I know that I've connected with students throughout my career that were in very similar situations that I was in back in 2008, and I know I'll encounter more students like this in the future. It makes me realize that even though I was facing some challenges in my life, I got through them and I can get through more challenges that come my way in the future.
-Still living with and navigating anxiety on a regular basis. Mental health is a fickle thing and it's still one of my biggest challenges to this day. I am thankful that I can name it, however, and know that I have options and coping mechanisms when things get particularly hard, so that's definitely a step up from where I was 10 years ago!
-In a full-blown grown up relationship which is nearly 6 years strong, and have made some really strong friendship connections as well along the way that I've been proud to maintain through time and distance. I've definitely made some really great relationships in my adult life thus far that I know I'll bring with me for years to come.
#doodiegang in Pittsburgh, before supporting me through my 7th marathon! (June 2018)
Long distance runner! (June 2018)
Taking the leap on a solo trip to SF for a job interview! (July 2018)
Entering my 4th year as an #SApro at a new institution in a new role! (August 2018)
I'm still working on figuring myself out through the many up and downs in life. I've grown and changed so much over these last 10 years of life. I was looking back at photos from the last 10 years for this post and there were so many instances where I could honestly say that I'm a completely different person now. Not in any particular good or bad way, just different. Different priorities, goals, interests... just different. And I've grown so much in a lot of ways that I'm really proud of. I'm facing different challenges, that's very true, but I know that 10 years down the line, I'll look back on this post and know that I got through it and will feel stronger and more confident in myself... much like I'm feeling now. :)
Where were you 10 years ago? How does that compare to where you are today?
Blog Ahead #9 Originally written on October 18, 2018
I've been getting back into my blog reading groove lately and I've been absolutely loving it. Reading other people's stories every day keeps me inspired and motivated to go after my goals and to continue to document my life through one of my favorite hobbies - blogging! I thought I could dedicate at least one #BlogAhead post to 5 blogs that I've recently discovered that I absolutely love in the hopes that you'll love them as well.
This blog has been my absolute favorite recently. Janae, the author of this blog, does a great job of keeping her posts very personal (her personality shines through in every word!) as well as really sharing what she's doing in terms of running and training, down to every detail. She recently captured a sub-3 marathon at St. George and I just admire her so much. If you're a runner but need someone who you can maybe connect to on a personal level through reading her posts, highly recommend HRG!
I'm not sure what I searched in order to find this blog, but I'm a big fan. It is such a whimsical and aesthetically pleasing book blog that also touched on tips to run a successful blog. It isn't the most personal blog in the world. which is usually a big draw for me when it comes to blogs that I love, but Jenny in Neverland is just so fun to look at that this one has risen to the top as one of my new favorites!
This is my pal Andie's blog! She and I met on Twitter a few years ago. I'm unsure what first prompted our interactions, but I'm sure it was a readathon of some sort. Either way, I've been a fan of her blog for quite some time. She's so much more engaged in the blogging community than I am and I've found many fun bookish and blogish things to participate in (like Blog Ahead, for example) by reading her blog. She also does weekly wrap ups of all the media she's consuming and life updates here and there. Andie is such a sweet person and I'm happy to call her a friend!
This is another one of those blogs that does a fantastic job of combining personality and shop-talk when it comes to running. I've been finding that blogs that are just straight up information and advice are just not for me, as I'm reluctant to *always* be clicking on listacles and tips posts. I need to get to know the writer behind the posts in order to be tempted to stick around! I think this blog does a great job of balancing that and I feel like I know who Cely (the author) is as a person in addition to knowing who she is as a runner. She's also super sassy and her GIF game is on point which I am a huge fan of!
This is one of my absolute favorite crafty blogs! The photography on this blog is so breath taking and the things that are posted her really do inspire me to get a bit more crafty on a regular basis. This blog usually has a bunch of freebies like wallpapers for your phone and laptop, recipes, and step-by-step craft instructions. It's just such a fun blog to look at and they have new content daily so there's always something to read!
Blog Ahead #8 Originally written on October 15, 2018
Y'all know that I'm a veteran readathoner. I absolutely love the community aspect of reading all at the same time and the challenge of taking out more time during the week to focus on my books. I think readathons are great way to boost your reading stats (if that's what you're aiming for) and to take some "me" time to get wrapped up in a story, so I feel like I'm in a readathon almost every other week. Because of that, I have developed some tips on how to become a pro readathoner, and I thought I'd share them with you today!
1. Prepare your space
For me, I can't concentrate if my physical surroundings is crazy cluttered. Clutter always brings a sense of stress to whatever environment I'm in which makes it really hard to concentrate on reading. So in order to have the best reading environment, I make sure to clear up my reading location as much as possible ahead of time to make it easier to concentrate. I also love me a good cozy blanket or two to enhance the comfort level, so I make sure those are handy whenever possible. If I'm reading outside (which I absolutely love to do in the warmer months), I make sure I have a cool beverage, snacks, and whatever else I need outside with me so I'm not constantly running back into the house to grab things. The more prepared and comfortable my space is, the more reading I'll get done!
2. Carve out specific times that you can read
We're all busy people. It's hard to find the time in our daily lives to prioritize reading when we have work and families and dinner and household chores to worry about. That's why, during readathons, it's super helpful to find specific time in your schedule that you could realistically sit down with your book for a period of time and make sure you're allowing yourself to stick to that commitment you're making for yourself. Even if it's waking up 30 minutes earlier throughout the week to read with your coffee, or letting the DVR record the latest episode of your favorite show so you can get some pages in. Making the time is the key to having a successful readathon!
3. Plan ahead for interruptions
Life happens, and sometimes you need to adjust! I don't think I've had one readathon where something unexpected has come up in my schedule when I was planning to read that night *flips table*. But somehow I still get reading done! Planning ahead for interruptions is a great way to get pages in throughout the week despite unexpected schedule changes. You can do this by always having a book with you (reading here and there while you're waiting for something adds up!), getting out of interruption-prone spaces (sometimes I like to just go park my car somewhere and read for an hour or so), or making your TBR super flexible (can't fit in that 3rd 300 page book? Pick up a graphic novel instead!). No matter what the situation is, the less rigid you are during readathons, the easier it will be to ~go with the flow~ when life throws you curve balls.
I know not everyone is a fan of eating while reading, but since this is my list of tips, I recommend having LOTS OF SNACKS! :P But seriously, having easy to eat foods, whether or not you eat them while you're reading, is so helpful for readathons. Cooking a meal takes up a lot of precious reading time, so if you're able to have food that's easy to make and eat, or if you're able to prep a big batch of something before the readathon that you can eat throughout the day/week, you'll be able to fit in so many more pages! Having nothing to eat in the house when you're just trying to get your read on is rough, so make sure you plan in advance to save time. 5. Don't burn out!
It can be tempting to read during EVERY HOUR YOU'RE FREE throughout the readathon, buy that's a really good way to burn out and put yourself into a reading slump which no one wants to do.
It's important throughout the week to keep tabs on knowing if you're reading because you *want* to or reading because you're feeling like you *have* to. If you're feeling like you *have* to read but you don't really *want* to read, maybe take an hour or two away from your book to watch TV or go for a walk. You'll come back feeling re-energized to read and you'll avoid the burn out!
6. Engage with the community
This is the absolutely best part of taking part in a readathon - there are dozens of other people joining in with you and ready to talk about what they're reading! The bookish community is a wonderful place online and a lot of us turn to the online community to talk about books because not a lot of our people IRL read as ravenously as we do, so we get excited when other folks are talking to us about books! So get involved, make a Twitter, Instagram, blog, or channel, and engage with the community. It will help you to stay excited and motivated to read read read during the next readathon you take part in!
What are your readathon tips? Leave them in the comments!
Over the weekend I flew down to Virginia for my eighth marathon: the Anthem Richmond Marathon! (Also known as America's Friendliest Marathon!) I was super nervous to run this race because my training for a fall marathon was pretty bad, but it actually turned out to be a really excellent race and experience! I would highly recommend Richmond for anyone who is looking for a Virginia race because I had a great time!
I left for Richmond early in the morning on Friday. My flight out out of Boston was at 7AM so I was on the road by 4 to make my trek to Logan. I'm glad I left as early as I did because the security lines were insane and TSA seemed to be holding up folks for every possible reason. I did make it through security with about an hour before I boarded, though, which was great because time is always a huge stress factor for me! I waited in a mile-long Dunkies line for a bagel and a coffee and settled in for my long journey south.
I did have about a 2 hour layover at Laguardia on the way down, which I honestly don't mind. I really enjoy the process of traveling most of the time and I often see layovers as forced chill time XD. I spent time reading my book and relaxing a bit before grabbing my next flight to Richmond. The plane down to VA was SO TINY that we had to walk out onto the tarmac and climb up some stairs into the plan itself. I did get the exit row, though, so I was pretty pumped about my extra leg room!
I arrived in Richmond around noon and caught a Lyft to the marathon expo! My Lyft driver was super friendly and we had a great chat. He had apparently been driving a lot of runners around and we had a good chat about running as we made our way to the expo. Such a great welcome to Richmond! When I got to the expo I picked up my bib and wandered around a bit. I picked up the gels and the blocks I would be using for the race from one of the vendors, my t-shirt from the expo volunteers, and a cowbell for Erin and Estee who would be cheering me on during the race!
I was fairly hungry at that point so I walked to a restaurant called Lunch and Supper (ha!) for lunch. It was a cute little place that had a lot of sandwich options. I could tell I was in the South because EVERYTHING had bacon on it. XD I opted for a sandwich called the Jimmy K which was basically a turkey club sandwich with avocado, which I had with no bacon. It was really yummy and hit the spot!
After lunch I ventured to a nearby grocery story to pick up some snacks (even though it was POURING out) and then I took a Lyft to my AirBNB to finally relax. I took a nice hot shower which was so needed after being completely soaked through in the rain, made my flat runner, and relaxed on the couch with some Friends on Netflix. It was fairly relaxing for the rest of the day. I ordered in a pasta dinner with steamed broccoli, and accidentally passed out on the couch and stranded poor Erin outside for a couple minutes (sorry, girl!). She arrived around 10:15pm and chatted for a bit before PASSING OUT. It was a long day and we had things to do in the morning. ;)
After a fitful night's sleep for both of us, we got up to get ready for the big race! I shoved a peanut butter bagel and a ton of water down my throat for breakfast and we made our way to the starting line. We were supposed to meet up with Estee at the start, but as the entire city was shut down for the race, it was really hard for her to make her way to us, so Erin and I just decided to park and then make our way to the start!
Courtesy of Erin's InstaStory
The morning seemed to be flying by and before I knew it the race had begun! Erin walked with me for a bit in the corral as we made our way to the starting line. Unfortunately I couldn't convince her to run with me :P but it was so great to have a friendly face there with me to calm the nerves! I was underway around 7:55am and was excited to get moving because it was COLD!
For this race, I was doing the run/walk interval method. I would run for 5 minutes and walk for 1. I had my Garmin set to alert me of every interval so I really didn't have to think about it that much which was nice! A lot of folks around me in my corral were doing the same thing so I felt comforted that I wasn't the only runner taking this route. It was my first race using this method so i was little nervous about how I'd feel, but it honestly helped my race so much!
Crossing the first bridge over the James River around mile 7
The course itself was so great. There were a few rolling hills but it was fairly flat for the most part but the hills here and there really kept things interesting. There was a lot of different scenery to take in, including the James River (above), a stretch of wooded back road along the river, city portions, neighborhoods - pretty much everything! I will say that I definitely wasn't bored while running this race because there was just so much to look at.
This was along the back road that wound next to the river. So beautiful!
The crowds on this course were so great! There were a few stretches where there weren't a lot of folks around, but when there were people cheering on the course they were SO INTO IT! I saw people dressed up as T-Rexes, flamingos, and event Santa Claus was there cheering the runners on. So many folks from the community (beyond the race volunteers) came out to hand out water, snacks, candy, and even booze to the runners. I know that running + booze doesn't tend to mix well for me, but there was a house that had a mimosa station and ya girl was TEMPTED. XD I also really loved the party zones and the junk food stops along the course. The crowd's energy really helped me through the tough miles and kept a smile plastered on my face!
One of my absolute favorite things about this races were the "coaches" they had out on the course. There was a whole slew of runners in bright orange singlets whose sole purpose it seemed was to keep runners amped up and excited to be running the race. So many of them were wearing silly hats and costumes, were cheering the whole 26.2 miles, were giving high fives, and running with people to keep them motivated through the tough miles. I honestly think this is the reason the race has earned the title of "America's Friendliest Marathon". It seemed like their main priorities was to see you smile and to see you cross the finish line and I absolutely love that. I wish they were at every marathon! :D
Crossing the second bridge with the view of the Richmond skyline around mile 16
The only issue that I had this race is a big bout of nausea that hit me from mile 16 to mile 21. The above photo is right before it really hit me. That was not fun. Running on a wonky stomach is never fun because you can't really do anything about it except hope for it to pass. Luckily it did around mile 21 so I cranked up my tunes and kept pushing! Originally Erin and Estee were going to try to meet me at mile 17 but I ended up seeing their text too late too let them know where I was at in the race, but I was ultimately happy that they missed me then because I felt AWFUL! D:
We did manage to arrange to meet at mile 24, though, and it was so great to see them! They were hanging out with a large group of people who were blasting music and dancing and it was just such a fun corner to finally see them and especially at that point of the race, that boost of energy was exactly what I wanted to push through the final two miles! I saw them again at mile 26 which was also so great! I'm honestly so impressed that they were able to get there so quickly XD but it was great to see them at the very end of the race.
Crossing the finish at top speed!
Mile 26 to the finish is 100% DOWN HILL and the hill is honestly no joke. I honestly think I probably would have slipped and fallen if it had been raining XD But it was a welcome end to the race. I'm pretty sure I just let my body go as fast as it wanted all the way across the finish line. You know, solid running technique. XD
Finish line selfie!
After snagging my medal, finisher's hat, and finisher's blanket (this race has SWAGSWAGSWAG), Erin and Estee were able to find me in the crowd. We found a place for me to sit and take my sneakers off (order of business #1 for post-marathon Riley!) and we just hung out in the finisher's area which was so nice. It's always nice to have friendly faces to greet you at the end of a race and to have two pals that came all the way down to Richmond just to cheer me on honestly meant so much.
Rocking all my finisher swag!
I was honestly so surprised that I did not have any leg pain this entire race. Usually my legs cramp up in the later miles or my hips or ankles give me serious grief. That wasn't the case this time around, which I really attribute to the run/walk method. I was super happy with how good my body felt through the whole race (minus the nausea) and I will definitely continue doing the run/walk method for future races! It wasn't until I stopped running and was walking to our grassy area to sit that all the pain and cramping came crashing down on me. XD
The only downfall of a downhill finish is that you have to walk all the way back up the hill to get back to your cars! D: So after about 15-20 minutes of hanging out on the grass/getting food from the finishers tent (pizzaaaaa) we made our way (verrrryyyy slowly) up the hill to head to Secret Sandwich Society for lunch! My stomach was still feeling kind of blah so I just ordered the butternut squash soup and some french fries and honestly it hit the spot! It's always good to have a nice warm meal after spending the majority of the day in some cool, breezy weather.
We headed back to our AirBNB to relax for a couple hours post-marathon before venturing out for ice cream and to meet up with Estee's sister. We also made a stop at a local brewery for Erin to pick up a couple bottles for Cullen (she's such a great wife!). We were all so pooped by the end of the day, though, and had to be out the door by 4AM to catch flights and head home, so we decided to call it a night fairly early. It was honestly so much fun wandering around Richmond with them, even if it was only for a little while!
Overall I had a really wonderful experience running Richmond for my Virginia Marathon. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I was really nervous about toeing the line at another 26.2 but I think this was the perfect marathon to take on this goal once again. I felt so welcomed and encouraged by the community and the runners of this race and I loved that I was able to run with a smile on my face for the majority of the race! I would highly recommend choosing this race if you're looking to run in Virginia. The event was incredible, the people of Richmond were amazing to the runners, the weather was gorgeous, and I honestly have no complaints! :)
OH, and for those curious about my times:
I did vlog my experience running the Richmond Marathon! If you'd like to see me traveling to Richmond, me out on the course, as well as some shots from Erin and Estee's perspective, click play on the video below. I hope you enjoy! :)
When seeking inspiration for blog posts for #BlogAhead, I saw a lot of suggestions on doing an A-Z list! I thought this was a great idea, and I thought I'd try my hand at it with a list of random favorite things of mine. These might be things you know about me, or they might be totally new to you, but either way I hope you enjoy reading through my faves! Let me know if we have any favorite things in common. ;)
A is for ALASKA ROLLS
Literally my favorite sushi roll to order - salmon, avocado, and cucumber. Delicious!
B is for BAGELS
If I could have one for breakfast every day, I would (and often do)!
C is for CHALLENGE
This has been one of my favorite TV shows for years, and it's a show that Brett and I share together which makes it even more of a favorite!
D is for DUNKIN' DONUTS (a.k.a. Dunks)
It's rare to find me in the morning without a coffee from Dunks in hand!
E is for ENERGY DRINKS
I know they're bad for you, but every now and then I love to indulge in a Monster Energy Drink, expecially the Juice flavors!
F is for FAIRS
It's been a while since I've been at a fair, but I won't lie - I get really excited when I see a sign for one! All of the delicious food, fun lights, rides and games... what's not to love?
G is for GOAT CHEESE
Omg... I don't know what it is about goat cheese, but I could eat it with any meal. There's this blueberry vanilla goat cheese I get sometimes at the store that is TO DIE FOR.
H is for HOT APPLE CIDER
My absolute favorite fall beverage. Move over, PSLs!
I is for IPAs
I'm not super picky when it comes to beers, but IPAs are hands own my favorite. The hoppier the better! Wormtown Be Hoppy is my favorite, for those wondering. :)
J is for JUGGLING
This is a ~hidden talent~ that I have - I learned to juggle when I was a kid a sleep away camp! I can only to the basic stuff, but it's still a fun party trick to bust out every now and again.
K is for KETTLE CORN
Salty + sweet popcorn... one of my fave post-work snacks!
L is for LA FESTA
Still hands down my absolute favorite pizza joint. If you're ever in Dover, NH, highly recommend making this a spot you visit!
M is for MARY LOUS
Another local favorite - this is a South Shore MA/Rhode Island coffee spot that makes AWESOME coffee treats. Favorite flavor is definitely the Twix coffee, but they have so many awesome flavors and drink!
N is for NEWFOUNDLANDS
I'm a big dog kind of gal and Newfoundlands are some of my faves! They also happen to be my patronus, so I'm an extra big fan of these balls of floof.
O is for OTTERS
Who doesn't absolutely LOVE otters? They are probably the most adorable aquatic creature!
P is for POKEMON
This has been an absolute staple favorite in my life and I still love all things Pokemon! Favorite Pokemon has always been and probably always be Squirtle! #squirtlesquad
Q is for QUEER EYE
Literally the best thing that Netflix has released to date, IMO! The rebooted Fab Five is so perfect. <3
R is for RUM & COKE
I know this is super basic, but I can't resist a good Rum & Coke. Besides Mai Tais, these are typically my go-to cocktail!
S is for SANDALS
I'm the kind of gal that if I don't have to wear anything on my feet, I'm not wearing anything on my feet. Sandals are just the next best thing if I MUST wear shoes, and I can/will wear them with every outfit if it is not below freezing outside. :P
T is for TUMBLERS
I've developed an obsession over the last few years for tumblers! I love drinking my water out of them and bringing them everywhere with me, PLUS it's a lot easier to remember to hydrate when I have a water tumbler on the go!
U is for UNDER ARMOUR
High quality stretchy athletic wear? Yes and yes. 10/10 will wear UA leggings everywhere.
V is for VANILLA LATTES
Gahhh I love me a good vanilla latte as an afternoon pick me up! Pair that with a cookie or pastry and I am in absolute heaven.
W is for WWE
Something that I've gotten more into over the years, thanks to one of my favorite reality shows, Total Divas! Brett and I are hoping to attend Smackdown at the end of December and it's going to be SO FUN AND RIDICULOUS!
X is for XL SWEATPANTS
I often purposely buy sweatpants an extra size or two bigger than my actual size because they're so much more comfy when they're loose on your body!
Y is for YANKEE CANDLE
...or really any brand scented candles, for that matter! I love to burn candles year round, and Yankee Candle, while v. expensive, has such a great collection of scents!
Z is for ZODIAC
I know a lot of people think it's silly, but I love talking about the zodiac and about the different star signs! (For those that might be wondering, I'm a Taurus!)
