Boston's Jolly Jaunt 5k 2013

It's the FINAL countdown... da da da daaaaa! After finishing Yulefest 5k on December 1st, I knew I needed to add one more race to my race calendar for 2013. Why? Well Yulefest marked my 30th race of the year and seeing as how I turned 31 in September I thought it would be fitting to complete 31 races the year I turned 31.

Was I really just finding an excuse to sign up for one more race? Maybe.

But let me live in my own little world here. Okay? Thanks.

I turned to Twitter, Facebook and the rest of the interwebs to find one more race supporting a great cause.

And there was the Jolly Jaunt 5k on Saturday, December 7th in Boston Common in support of the Special Olympics of Massachusetts.

BINGO!

On Friday, December 6th, I got a ride in town to pick up my bib at New Balance on Boylston Street. As we drove down Boylston, we drove over the Boston Marathon Finish Line. I tried to act cool, but like usual I started tearing up. Someday I am sure I won't start crying when I am in that area of Boston but for now I let my body and heart feel whatever emotions it needs to.

The bib pick-up was easy peasy and I was in out and in about 3 minutes. Score!

I love the long-sleeved t-shirt - a nice benefit of running winter races in New England.

The race kicked off at 10am on Saturday, which meant I could sleep in a little. It would be my last Saturday to sleep in since Boston Marathon training with Tedy's Team starts December 14th.

My wife dropped me off at 9:30am. I wandered around Boston Common looking for the two people I knew running, but unfortunately never connected with them. I did, however, find the awesome folks of ENERGYBits so I was able to catch up with them.

(Note: If you are looking to try ENERGYBits, you can use discount code WeightOffMyShoulders for 25% off your order!)

Before I knew it it was time to line up. Yes recently at races I have gotten so caught up in chatting with folks that the whole "race" thing sneaks up on me. ;)

The race had just under 1,000 participants on hand - running and walking - and most of the field were rocking some amazingly festive outfits. I loved the buzz before the Start. There were so many families participating and lots of kids getting ready to beat me run fast. ;)

After the police gave the A-okay, the race was on. Pretty much right on time - I love a prompt Start.

I decided to leave my music at home and just take in the atmosphere. I also went into the race without any expectations. I just wanted to go out feeling happy and healthy.

My right foot felt better than it had at Yulefest and I noticed a slightly quicker pace on my Garmin. I knew I wouldn't PR, but I made sure to give the race my 100%.

The number of spectators were small since it was supposed to be very cold temps, but the ones along the course were sure vocal! :) I got distracted by all the costumes around me that I didn't realize we were already at the half way mark.

As we made the turn at the half way mark to head back to Boston Commons, we actually merged on to a portion of the Boston Marathon course. I got lost in my thoughts and transported back to Marathon Monday - the last time I had run this part of the city. I allowed only the happy memories to flood into my brain.

It gave me the little boost in my step that I needed.

I checked in on the Garmin and saw I had just 1/2 a mile to go. My Santa socks were slipping down and my headband was starting to slip back on my head, but I was tuning that stuff out.

I looked to my right as we turned on to Arlington St and there was my stoop. It was the stoop I sat on with my friend Robin after the Boston Marathon where I waited for my family. Every time I pass that stoop I start to tear up and I could feel myself doing it again. So I turned back in front of me and focused on getting to the Finish.

I needed a distraction.

So I found a person in front of me and made it my goal to beat them. I got a little deeper into my form and pulled any extra speed I had from inside.

The Finish Line was buzzing with supporters, families and racers who had already finished.

Race #31 was in the books. It turned out to be a beautiful sunny day, a fun race and great awareness raised for one amazing organization.

Despite my bum right foot (damn that metatarsalgia), I posted a 23:56 finish time. Wow! I was definitely happy with those results.

I am missing my speed from earlier in the year, but I know that it is out of my control right now. I know I will get in back in due time.

But I need to thank New Balance and the Special Olympics of Massachusetts for a great race. I will be back next year for sure!

For now, I will continue planning my 2014 racing schedule as 2013 has officially come to a close.

I think. ;)

***

Do you have any more races in 2013?

4th Annual Local Craft Brewfest

Beer. Local Beer. Drinking In A Courthouse. Free. Well if that doesn't sum up a perfect event for me I don't know what is. ;)

On a whim I retweeted Eventbrite Boston's tweet about winning a free pair of tickets (value $85) to a local brewfest...

...and I won! Woo!

I invited my dad to join me and he happily accepted. I don't think he could pass up spending a night out with me ... or it was the free beer. Either way he was excited.

We scored a free ride from my mom - can we pretend it was a stretch limo? Does that sound better?

We arrived at the Moakley Courthouse, which I hadn't actually been inside before, just after 6:30 (fashionably late) and headed through security. Nothing like going through some medal detectors to set the tone for the night. :P

We received a pamphlet, a golf pencil and a plastic cup at the entrance. The pamphlet listed all of the breweries, distilleries, cider/meads, artisan beverages and local foods that would be at the Fest.

I am not a huge distillery, cider or mead fan so I knew I would be sticking with just the breweries, which was okay with 16 breweries in attendance. I would be a-ok! :) My goal was to have at least one sample from each brewery.

Thankfully I used my Untappd app and the pamphlet to record which beers I tried and whether we liked them or not. I take my beer tasting seriously. ;)

We walked into the main area of the Courthouse/event and it was packed. It was a great crowd in attendance.

Then the big decision had to be made: where to start?????

We headed to the Blue Hills Brewery (Canton, MA) table and sampled the OktoBrau - their Oktoberfest brew.

As we sipped the OktoBrau we headed over to score some of the American Flatbread pizza. I could smell the Tomato Sauce & Three Cheese Pizza and I needed some ASAP. Thankfully they had one coming out of the oven right as we walked over. Thanks perfect timing.

This natural frozen pizza was pretty tasty and I will definitely be looking for it in my grocery store.

As I was enjoying my pizza, I saw some people sporting pretzel necklaces which I thought was genius and I had to have one.

Yelp Boston was giving away the necklaces to anyone that checked into the event on Yelp. So I obviously went ahead and checked in - I was going to do it anyway.

This was a HUGE help and will now be bringing my own pretzel necklace to any future Fests I attend.

Since each brewery brought 2-4 different brews there were plenty of options to choose from, which was great.

Here are some of the other beers I tried:

*Battle Road Brewing Company - 1775 Tavern Ale (Pale Ale) - Ipswich, MA

*Baxter Brewing Co. - Stowaway IPA (West Coast Style India Pale Ale) - Lewiston, ME ... It got an extra :) in my rating system - a high tech system of emoticons.

*Clown Shoes Beer - Genghis Pecan (Porter) - Ipswich, ME ... I am starting to like Porters more and more & the pecan gave it a nice kick.

*Down The Road Brewery - Patchwork Kilt (80 Schilling Scottish Ale) and Protean Torpedo (American Pale Ale) - Newton, MA ... I have never had a Scottish Ale before, but it was rich and deep and I will definitely be trying it again. Plus the two guys working the booth were a riot!

*Harpoon Brewery - Harpoon IPA (Indian Pale Ale) and Winter Warmer (Spiced Ale) - Boston, MA ... Harpoon's IPA is one of my staple IPAs so that was a given to have, but I learned I am not a Spiced Ale type beer drinker. I did not like the spice flavor at all.

*Mayflower Brewing Company - Mayflower Porter (Porter) - Plymouth, MA ... Delicious. I wish I had had time to try their Oatmeal Stout.

*Narragansett Brewing Company - Narragansett Lager (American Style Lager) - Providence, RI ... Light and fresh taste that would be good on a summer afternoon.

*Peak Organic Brewing Company - Winter Session (Winter Wheat Ale) and Pale Ale (American Pale Ale) - Portland, ME ... The Winter Session will be added in to my winter rotation.

*Portico Brewing - Sett Seven (Scottish Ale) - Cambridge, MA ... As I said earlier this was my first sampling of a scottish ale and I enjoyed this one as well. It would be perfect with some nice BBQ. Mmmmm!

*Rapscallion - Porter (Porter) - Sturbridge, MA ... I had no idea Sturbridge had a brewery, but now I can't wait to head out that way (Western Mass) and check out their brewery tour.

*Samuel Adams - Black Lager (Lager) - Boston, MA ... I've never met a Sam Adams brew I didn't like and Black Lager wasn't any different.

We even scored that little Sam Adams tasting glass on the way out! :)

*Smuttynose Brewing Co. - Finestkind IPA (Dry-hopped India Pale Ale) and Old Brown Dog (Brown Ale) - Portsmouth, NH ... I had a great time chatting with the Smuttynose guys about their yearly marathon/half marathon. I would take the drive to NH to run a half or full marathon to enjoy their IPA at the end.

*Watch City Brewing Company - Black Walnut Nut Brown Ale (Ale) - Waltham, MA ... For me, the walnut overpowered the beer and I am not a walnut fan. If I was a walnut eater, it would've been a different experience for sure.

All of the local brewers were a joy to talk to and answered any questions you had. Many offered mailing lists and have tasting rooms on site at their breweries. I am seeing a road trip in my future.

As we made our rounds through the different brewers, we made sure to stop a the local food booths as well. There were actually two Somerville shops there.

*Q's Nuts - 349 Highland Ave - We tried the Sweet and Sassy Almonds and the Rosemary Sea Salted Almonds ... Ohhh they were ah-may-zing!

*Taza Chocolate - 561 Windsor St - I've actually met the founder Alex Whitmore before and he was such a joy to talk to. Taza Chocolate crafts stone ground chocolate from bean to bar and uses many Mexican chocolate traditions. It is a unique taste that you don't find anywhere else in the States (in my opinion).

Overall, it was an amazing event that I was so happy we were able to attend. I tried so many beers that I hadn't heard of before, but will definitely have again.

Make sure you...

***

Have you attended a beer fest before? Do you love to drink local?

Hey Boston, looking for a trainer? I have one for you!

I've always been terrified of the weight area/floor/domain at the gym. So terrified that I've avoided it at all cost. The judging eyes. The guys kissing muscles (yes I have HONESTLY seen that in real life).

Now in reality this is probably all in my head, but either way I haven't been able to really break it just yet.

As a result, I usually do workout DVDs in the safety of my own living room. Well, the only judging eyes there would be the dogs and well I can laugh that off since they judge me all the time. ;)

But, I have always wanted to try a personal training session. So many of my friends are personal trainers and well, they don't scare me or make me feel unworthy of strength training.

Enter Kristen from BeFitWithKristen.com!!

Image from Be Fit With Kristen

Kristen is a fellow Fitfluential Ambassador and a member of the Slumbrew running team, which is how we met. She listened to my worries about the gym weight area and my desire to give a personal training session a try and offered to meet with me for a sample session.

Awesome! I couldn't pass up the opportunity.

Kristen works out of the Somerville and Chestnut Hill areas. With the Somerville location about a mile from my house, it was an easy choice. ;)

I arrived at Corpbasics (where she trains out of) in Union Square in Somerville with ENERGYbits in hand. I needed all the extra energy I could.

I bound up the stairs in order to cover my nerves ;) and was immediately greeted with Kristen's warm and reassuring smile. Nerves slowly started to fade ... note: slowly! :P

Kristen and I headed into a side office so I could do some paperwork and she could learn a little bit more about my fitness and injury background.

After about 10-15 minutes, it was time to get started. Many of the exercises she had planned for the session where ones that allowed her to evaluate my strength, balance and fitness level. Oh but at the end she threw in some TRX floor exercises to push me out of my comfort zone. Wasn't that sweet of her. :)

We headed over to get this party started on the treadmill. Oh hello old friend. The goal was to run for 5 minutes as a warm up and a time for her to evaluate my running form.

Alright for starting off with a strength of mine. Sweet!

Of course that 5 minutes seemed to fly by as we were just chatting away. And then it was time to get it going.

Kristen set up the TRX, which is something I have always wanted to try, but never had access to. As Kristen set up the straps, I looked around the studio to realize we were the only people in the studio. Woo! Talk about privacy and putting me at ease.

We did 8 strength exercises (3 sets of each, 10-15 reps per set).

*Squats (with jump squats during the final set to add in some cardio)

*Chest Press

*Lunges

*Low Row

*Single Arm Power Pull

*Bicep Curls

*Tricep Press

And I was already feeling it after that ... and we were only 1/3 of the way through. But thankfully I had been able to complete all of the exercises with the TRX so I was happy. Also, Kristen did a great job gently correcting my form and encouraging me as we went along.

Next up was balance. Now since my back surgery in January 2011, my balance has never been 100%. It is something the doctors told me would happen with a herniated disc and how severe mine was. But, I still try to improve my balance as best I can.

She had me do a single leg dead lift with a sandbell grab. Translated to: you stand on one leg, you drop the 10 lb sandbell to the floor, you bend over still on that one leg, pick it up and stand back up.

I didn't fall completely over - WIN! I had to reset my footing a couple times, but overall I was really happy with how well I did.

I was pretty proud of myself. 2/3 of the way through and I was able to complete all the tasks she had asked and didn't feel uncomfortable.

I was also very open about asking questions about form and how certain moves would affect my back. She was open to answering anything I threw at her, which was comforting.

And then she pulled out the big guns - the TRX floor exercises. Hello core work!! The TRX floor exercises work full body strength, core and cardio. You put your feet in the TRX straps and your body dangles. It seriously was an entire body workout in a short period of time.

We did 4 different exercises for 20 seconds at a time with a 10 second rest in between. We then repeated the circuit twice.

*Mountain Climbers

*Hip Abduction

*Pike

*Pendulum Swing

This was a true test for me as it was out of my comfort zone. I gave it my 100% in all of the exercises and know that if I did it more regularly I would be more comfortable with the straps. I wish we had the pendulum swings on video as I definitely had myself cracking up over how I looked.

I untangled myself from the TRX straps, did a little cool down and it was time to wrap up the session.

Kristen went through her assessment afterwards and gave me some great feedback. Always a good feeling when someone tells you you aren't as weak as you think you are. :P

Sooo Somerville, Boston, Cambridge, Medford or any other area in Greater Boston, if you are looking to give a one-on-one personal training session a try or looking to try a small group training (4 participants) atmosphere, check my girl Kristen out. You can contact her through her website.

Oh and tell her I sent ya! ;)

It's Electric! Boogie Woogie Woo!

Why yes I am currently doing the Electric Slide? But that is not what this post is about.

There is a new race on the market: The Electric Run.

I'm always up for trying a new race series, especially when they offer me a free entry and a discount code to offer to friends/blog readers.

Well Electric Run was coming to "Boston" on October 4 so I was in.

NOW, we are using the term "Boston" loosely for this race. The race was actually taking part at Gillette Stadium, which is the home of the Patriots, which is located in Foxboro. Foxboro for those that don't know is about 45 minutes south of Boston.

I am all for races using the closest city as a marker, but please do not call this race Boston when it is located over 30 miles from the city.

But I digress...

Here is what Electric Run has to say about themselves:

Come have fun with us in a different world!! Along the 5k route music will pump and lights will dance creating an electric wonderland that will keep you energized and moving to the beat. You’ll run, walk, and dance through distinct lands with lights and music custom mixed to match the mood of the lighting elements.

Well I liked the sound of it so I accepted the entry and my cousin used my discount code to sign up. The price was $45 and exponentially rose as you got closer to the event. $45 to $50 t0 $55 to $65 to $70. So if you were enticed at the beginning you caught a good price for what you got.

In addition to entry (the race was untimed), you received cotton shirt, LED bracelet, glow necklace and glow sunglasses.

As you can see my packet (nor my cousin's) did not receive a glow necklace, but did have everything else.  After speaking with other friends that ran the Boston race, no one received the glow necklace.

Thankfully Electric Run offered a packet pickup right across from the street from my house on the Wednesday before the race before moving the rest of packet pick-up closer to the location. YAY ME! :P

Well the race was taking place at 7:15pm and one pair of glow sunglasses would not be enough glow for us. So I stopped by Party City and stocked up.

Now THAT is glow! :)

Here was their suggestions for attire:

We invite you to bring your creativity, smile, laugh, and leave dull at home. It is the collective light and creativity of the thousands of participants that brings this event to life! You are coming to have fun and experience something magical and different. Look the part! If it is bright-colored, blinks, shines, glows, or looks like something from another planet, it’s perfect! Put it on and come celebrate with us!

I had no idea what to wear so I tried to put together the flashiest outfit I could.

I was pretty happy and thankful that Spandits pants, Sparkle Athletic skirts and Sparkly Soul headbands were able to help.

I headed out about 3:30pm to take the ride to meet my cousin at her work. Thankfully parking would be free at the race, but no need to drive two cars all that way so we carpooled. Plus great way to catch up.

We actually made it to Foxboro in good time and were parked by 5:45pm.

Now there was a nip in the air since the sun was setting, but we both opted to forego the long sleeve shirts/jacket and brave it. We grabbed our bibs and glow sticks and headed over to the pre-race party.

There were people EVERYWHERE!!

It looked to be hundreds of people waiting in line to pick up their bibs onsite. There was even a line at the tent/store for people to buy Electric Run swag/more glow sticks.

We thankfully had everything we needed and were able to sidestep all that mess.

We ran into one of my Weight Watchers members Audrey, chatted for a minute and kept moving toward the Start area.

We actually saw a group of people already forming to get into the Start corral at 6pm so we headed that way.

The race opened the Start Corral early and we hoarded ourselves in there so we could get a good spot.

Now the race didn't start until 7:15 so we had a good 45 minutes or so til the gun would go off, but I wasn't able to risk a good spot in line to wander around the pre-party.

Plus, we were entertaining ourselves pretty well.

Why hello Gillette - you pretty thing you!

The Electric Run crew started bringing the party to the Start Corral as they noticed more and more people lining up. They were doing a great job of throwing out glow sticks to the crowd, shouting out Red Sox scores (well since they were winning) and blasting some great dancing music. It was like a party before the party.

As I looked around the Corral I noticed folks of all ages even parents with kids. I think the youngest participant was a 10 month old baby. Wow! I thought it was a little loud for kids, but I'm not a parent so what do I know. :P

FINALLY it was 7:15 and time to kick off the first corral.

As you all know I never look at course maps before races (oops!) so I had NO idea what to expect. It seemed that corrals would be let off evert 2-3 minutes or so.

Once the first corral started, we realized we were at the beginning of Corral 2. Yay!

After a little more music and free stuff being tossed to the crowd, it was our time.

Now this race was not timed, but since I am on my 1000 Miles in 2013 crusade, I had to bring my Garmin so I could mark the miles. So as I crossed under the Start tress I hit start on my Garmin.

We weaved through the parking lot of Gillette Stadium and then around the grounds of Gillette, which incorporated the Electric Run's sights of:

*Rainbow Road - big air-filled arches that flashed different colors

*Neffmau5 land - different color lights cast upon the trees with music playing

*Pillar Party - giant pillars (like the Start one above) lighting up in a pattern to the music playing

*Electric Avenue - an area of screens with different colors/images portrayed on them

*Electro Rainforest - umbrella displays lit up with neon colors

When you weren't near a "land" it was pretty dark so I kept trying to shake my big foam glow thing that I caught from the MC near the ground to make it easier for my cousin and I to run. Thankfully we were moving at a safe speed, but still having to bob and weave around the groups that were walking. It is a little scary to run in the dark I can admit that.

The Electric Avenue portion was just prior to the water stop.

After the water stop, we finally entered Gillette Stadium itself - YAY!! Only to immediately turn up and run up the ramps to go from the bottom of the stadium to the top (300 level).

The Electro Rainforest was actually on the ramps. My cousin was having trouble heading up the ramps so I tried to entertain her by poorly dancing next to her. Hey! Anything to keep both of us moving forward. :)

After making it up to the 300 level we ran across the stadium to the other set of ramps.

I actually ran into a friend and fellow Weight Watchers Leader, Heather, while heading down the ramps on the other side.

Once we were back on the ground (ie the 100 level), we continued our run to the Finish.

As soon as I crossed the "Finish Line" - there wasn't anything to indicate the Finish really besides the volunteers telling you and the fact that there was another table of water. :P

And my Garmin told it was well under a 5k.

Now many people probably didn't notice or care as this was a total fun run. But, I am trying for those 1000 miles so I like to be precise. As a result, I took a few laps around the concourse to make sure my mileage was accurate. :P

Ahh I felt better after that. Even with the odd looks from other participants and the "you are going the wrong way" from a security guard. ;)

My cousin and I had a fun time together. It was nice to just get out and dance a race. Yes I would say I was dancing to the music more than running, which was fine by me.

The only thing was at the Finish Line there was water and that energy drink Rockstar. I didn't see any food. You could purchase beer and food from the Gillette concessions, but none provided to the racers. With many folks having this as their first time walking/running experience, I would've thought they would've provided more. Maybe there was and I missed it, but I usually don't miss food.

The DJ was going strong and people were starting to get their dance on.

It had been a long day for both of us so we decided to skip out on the post-race party. Plus I didn't want to spend money on food/beer. :P

As we headed back to Jen's car around 8:15pm, we saw people asking volunteers where the Start was and a long line of people still waiting to pick up their packets. Waahhh??

Well, it was announced that there were 15,000 people at the event that night and that corrals would be going off from 7:15pm through 8:30pm. Hmmm with the amount of people we saw still in line, I'm sure people got started even later than that.

Thank goodness we got there when we did. I wouldn't have been a happy camper if I didn't even get to start the race until after 8:30pm. But, those people may have planned it that way so they glowed more. Who knows.

I really liked that the race had a charity aspect. They paired up with the Special Olympics of Massachusetts.

Overall it was a fun experience. I think events like the Electric Run are great at getting people out walking/running/wogging that might not otherwise. And who knows? Maybe someone who walked the Electric Run at Gillette is now home plotting their first local 5k.

Welcome to the racing bug folks! ;)

***

Have you done an Electric Run? Were you one of the 15,000 who raced at Gillette?

Urban RAID Boston

An obstacle course race without mud, color, electric or any of the other messy stuff. :P Nope. Urban RAID Boston used history as its backdrop - it's WOW factor.

That's right.

On Saturday, I participated in RAID Series inaugural Urban RAID race in Boston.

Not gonna lie - I LOVE being a part of a race during the first year. I like to see the highs and lows and offer the race committee my personal thoughts on how it went. Not that many care, but I like to offer them anyway. ;)

Let's back up.

In May, through social media channels, I got ahold of someone at RAID Series who after some emails back and forth offered me the chance to run the event in Boston for free ($65 value) AND create my own team (3 other folks).

OH HECK YES!!

All I had to do was share my thoughts on the race - good or bad.

Well that sounds like a deal I could go for.

So in June, I worked on building my team. The goal of participating in the run and having a team was to 1) relay the joy or running this type of race with friends and 2) to prove that people of all fitness levels could participate.

On to picking a team I went. I was able to wrangle up: Becki from FightingForWellness.com, Erin from CreativeSoulInMotion.com and my friend Mark who is a member of Team Slumbrew with me.

Our team was set and we were looking forward to it - as you can tell in my post a month before the run.

Shortly before race day, Mark had to back out due to a prior commitment so I went to my blog and thankfully a reader - Jacqueline - was happy enough to sub in.

Now as we have all learned by reading this blog - I love a good running outfit. Well an obstacle course gives me even more reason for a fun outfit. Why? Because I have very poor upper body strength (working on it) so I can distract the crowd with sparkles or good socks. :)

I had to come up with a team name for us quickly to get us registered so I panicked and called us: "Blog-bastic." Like Boombastic, but with Blog (since 3 of us were bloggers). Yes I told you it was bad.

Thankfully Erin decided to rename us Team Peanut Butter ... and we went with it! :)

Photo Courtesy FightingForWellness.com

I was lucky enough to pick up all of our bibs the afternoon before so we coordinated to meet in front of Anthem in Faneuil Hall at 8:30am on Saturday.

Oh did I not mention that the race was taking place in Boston's historic Faneuil Hall. Yeah, pretty badass if you ask me. Running, jumping and climbing through one of the most historic parts of the country is pretty sweet.

The first wave went off at 9am. When we arrived at the race, we had no idea what wave we would be in. They weren't pre-announced. Instead the DJ/MC announced who was eligible for each corral as they were decided. They ended up being broken up by sex then age. So all males from 16-29 say went in Wave 1 then Wave 2 was females from 16-19, etc. Well our team had a mix of ages so we had no idea which wave to join. It seemed as if most people felt the confusion - especially co-ed teams - so most people just seemed to go whenever they wanted to. So that was a little confusing at the beginning.

We decided to go in one of the last corrals for no particular reason besides allowing us to really stick to our own pace.

I let the group know before we started that our goal was to start together, make it through all the obstacles as a group and finish strong as one. This 5k race was about pushing each other, finding each other's strengths and completing the course.

As I said over and over - we didn't need any heroes that day.

If someone was unable to complete an obstacle, it was stated on the website that the person would do 5 burpees in place of the obstacle.

Once we crossed the Start Line, we were in the zone and all nerves were gone. We kept a nice even pace and really got into a nice rhythm and conversation - since we were basically all meeting for the first time that morning.

Thankfully chemistry was instant.

There was a preview of obstacles online, which you can check out here.

But the course had to be changed at the last minute due to a conflicting event happening in Downtown Boston as well.

I give the RAID group credit for thinking on their feet and really using the best of the space they were given.

Water Barriers

Marine Hurdles (twice)

Saddlebags (20 or 40 lbs)

Monkey Bars (which Jacqueline is OWNING in the front & Erin in the back)

And the final obstacles heading to the Finish were: rope/ladder, climbing down the wall backwards and heading over the wall.

That was a glimpse of about 90% of the obstacles.

I am proud of myself for completing each obstacle on the course, but walking down the wall backwards gave me the biggest shock. I felt like I would just tumble down to the cobblestone. Thankfully a fellow runner took pity on me and walked down the wall slowly next to me, encouraging me the whole way and offering a huge high five when we hit ground! I owe that man a lot.

In the end, we finished in about 36 minutes ...

... and looked AWESOME doing it! :)

The race was well-organized (whereas good number of volunteers, course was well laid out, etc). The wave situation was confusing at the Start, but that is easily fixed. 

There was also a course issue where you had to cross two streets which were open to traffic twice during the run. An odd layout, but understandable given their lack of space situation. RAID did handle this little hiccup well. They had timing mats on both sides of the street so if you were stuck at a red light - it wouldn't compromise your overall time. Additionally, they put the water stop in the median between the streets so you could walk and drink water/dump it on your head without worrying about your time. Brilliant use of technology folks. I found it a great break as it was hot on the course.

It was super cool to be running and doing obstacles while tourists were just going about their business enjoying Boston. I'm sure we ended up in a lot of their vacation albums.

There was a sweet tech shirt, which we were lucky enough to get with our entry, but most people had to pay $20 for it.

The only other confusion came at the post-race party. RAID was nice enough to partner with Ned Devine's to offer the runners an air-conditioned space to meet up with family and friends after the run. Now we were under the impression that each racer would receive 3 complimentary beers courtesy of Shipyard Brewing since there were 3 BEER tear-off tabs on our bib. 

But, when we got to Ned Devine's, they informed us it was one beer per person then $3.50 a beer after that.

Hmmm...

So I went in search of my contact to inquire about what was actually owed to racers. She said she was working with her managers to figure that out and to check back.

Well, I had to get back to my patient so we decided to head out after our one brew. I did not have a chance to follow-up to see what ended up happening with the beer situation, but would be interested to see what did occur.

(Note: when I went home after the race to search through race emails - the emails from RAID did have one beer per person from the get go.)

Would I do this race again? For sure -- if either price was reduced, a Finisher's Medal was included and more than one beer. It was challenging enough, but was still doable by each member of Team Peanut Butter. Plus, having the burpee option put many people's minds at ease.

***

Have you ever done a RAID Series event?

Dani Dishes 7-22-13

On this episode of Dani Dishes, I talk about the heatwave breaking, thanking you for your well wishes for my partner and joining my first DietBet. You can join me too at https://www.dietbet.com/games/19977. Product Of The Week - Yoplait 100 Calorie Greek Yogurt

Will I see you at Urban RAID Boston?

Do you reside in the Boston area? Do you want to take part in a wicked cool obstacle course?

Do you want to challenge your comfort zone?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, YOU should join me for the RAID Series Urban obstacle race in Boston on July 27th!

ONE MONTH FROM TODAY I will be tackling my 3rd obstacle course race. In September 2012, I completed my first Warrior Dash and in June 2013 I had a blast at Ruckus Boston.

According to their website:

Introducing a new, cutting-edge race series designed for a new breed of cross training athlete – The RAID. Come experience the next generation of obstacle racing; one that features varied terrain, large-scale customized infrastructure, and extraordinary venues that range from picturesque beaches, to energized downtown metros, to breath-taking mountain sides. The RAID offers you the chance to choose one or conquer all three races in distinct environments – a unique challenge that no other series can provide. For just under five miles in distance at each race course, you’ll be challenged to run, crawl, jump, climb, and scramble on sand, city streets and steep slopes. Our immense constructed obstacles are designed to test your strength, agility and fortitude, while keeping you safe and injury free. We want you to cross that finish line exhausted and ecstatic, with your friends and family cheering you on. And we want you to celebrate your accomplishment by joining your fellow athletes and fans at the post-race party, complete with recovery stations, sponsor booths, music, food, and beer!

They have a beach raid, a mountain raid and an urban raid ... so what will Boston's URBAN RAID entail?

Anyone who has run on busy city streets knows that it’s a challenge in itself. Urban RAID takes it to the next level by capturing the best of city landscapes and urban elements and incorporating them into an innovative and challenging course. The city is your course in Urban RAID.

Boston's URBAN RAID will take place at City Hall Plaza in downtown Boston on July 27 at 9am. The course is 3.1 miles (5k) with what looks like nine obstacles.

Now, this race is GEARED to people of ALL fitness levels and anyone over the age of 16! So if you are worried about participating in your first obstacle course race ... this seems to be on for you!!

If you are nervous about being able to participate in an obstacle, don't worry there are volunteers on hand to help!

Racers are required to complete all obstacles before continuing on in the race. Staff will be stationed at each obstacle to ensure no racers are skipping obstacles and are able to complete it. In the event that racer cannot complete, they will be assessed a penalty in the form of an alternate obstacle or 10 burpees.

Now this is the first time they are hold a Urban Raid race in downtown Boston, so there aren't actual photos of the obstacles yet ... but here are some drawings.

How cool would it be to cargo net up towards City Hall?

How exciting would it be to do some Marine Hurdles with the historic Faneuil Hall in the background?

Seems pretty cool right? A new way to check out downtown Boston.

If you want to join my team and I at Urban RAID Boston then head over to their site and register!

REGULAR ($65): JUNE 12 – JULY 25 ON-SITE ($75): JULY 26 – JULY 27

Oh yeah that's right - you can sign up as a team. How fun would it be to jump our of your comfort zone with some of your closest friends???

Your friends aren't "racing" type people? Okay, tell them there is an after-party!! :) That's right. RAID will be hosting a post-race party at a local bar, which will be revealed closer to race day.

So if you are looking for a new adventure and you love downtown Boston then this race is for you!

So again ... will I see you there with me on July 27?

Running The Freedom Trail & Giveaway!

Annddddd the winner IS:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CONGRATS!!!!

Thank you to everyone that participated and big thanks to our Sponsor!!!

***

For kids that grew up in the Boston area, the historic Freedom Trail was a given field trip multiple times throughout school. For those that don't know, the Freedom Trail:

The Trail takes the visitor to 16 historical sites in the course of two or three hours and covers two and a half centuries of America's most significant past. A red brick or painted line connects the sites on the Trail and serves as a guide.

Sometimes history can be boring ... I don't think I am alone in that. Soooo once you elevated to the age of 21, some people would do a Freedom Trail Pub Crawl ... similar results, right? ;) Well, a few weeks back I noticed that you could actually run the Freedom Trail. Aptly titled: Freedom Trail Run.

Freedom Trail Run is the active way to tour Boston's historic Freedom Trail! Our unique running tour will show you the sites in an up-close and detailed way that's unlike any other tour!

With a description like that, I had to give it a try! :) The Freedom Trail Run is offered on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings at 8:30am ... ALL YEAR ROUND! You heard that right folks. It is a great experience for tourists AND locals alike. The whole experience takes about 2 hours and in the end you run just about 3 miles.

We meet on Boston Common (at the corner of Park & Tremont St.) and run a 5K course that passes some of America's most important historical landmarks. We don't just "run-by" the sites, we stop and explore them! And since we stop so often (16 times), even beginners can participate!

The organizer, Eddie, who also runs the amazing Cambridge 5k series, offered me a chance to check out the Freedom Trail Run for free ... and even bring a friend along. :) I asked Becki from Fighting For Wellness, a fellow Boston healthy-living blogger, to join me and thankfully she said yes. This was going to be the first time we would really get to hang out - outside of social media - so I was excited. We met the group just before 8:30am on one corner of Boston Common (Park St & Tremont St). The group has four guides: Eddie, Shelly, Ginger and Sean!

Eddie gave the group the overview of what to expect during the morning and a little history about Boston. And I must admit I grew up and have lived here most of my life and I learned things within the first 5 minutes of him talking!

1-2-3 FREEDOM and we were off...

The first stop was just about 0.2 miles from where we started so it was a good test of what we would expect along the run. Short runs in between the 16 historical stops.

Our Group

(Photo Courtesy Freedom Trail Run)

Isn't the State House beautiful? From there, we headed to the first of three burying grounds. Oohhh...

Paul Revere has 2 headstones

How funky is the last headstone? No one knows who it's for, but it has a funky design and has withstood years of Boston weather. When we stopped at the Old South Church...

...we turned to our right and found the place where Benjamin Franklin was born. (Again, I forgot that from school!)

Obviously, the street has changed since he was born, but Boston had to claim some ties to being his hometown and the above was created.

Did you know that there was just one spring that gave the city of Boston its water? Since it was the only source of clean water, it drew people to it to live ... and hello downtown Boston!

We stopped at the memorial for the Boston Massacre and the old State House:

Before heading to the North End to see some great Paul Revere spots.

Paul Revere's House

We are #BostonStrong!

After visiting the final burying ground of the tour, we were able to see the thinnest house on the East Coast. This little house is just 10.5 feet wide. Can you believe that?

So far this had been the most fun I'd had on the Freedom Trail ... and we weren't even done yet.

The next stretch of the run was the longest straight running section, which was about 1/2 a mile. We were heading from the North End to Charlestown.

As we neared the Bunker Hill monument, we came to the largest hill of the morning. The group did a race up the hill. Before the "race" began, it was announced that 2 guides had never lost. *Challenge accepted* Thankfully our group had a high school cross country kid in it (YES!), so Anthony was able to defeat the guides and take reign as fastest up the hill. :P

And as we hit the top there it was ... the Bunker Hill Monument!

All of a sudden, it was time to head to the final stop ... the U.S.S. Constitution!

Wow! That time flew by.

We ran to a nearby convenience store to collect our t-shirts and free drink! Of course, I had to refuel with #myafter of Chocolate Milk! :)

In total, it was a 3-mile run. I stopped the Garmin whenever we stopped at a location so you can see in total it was about 30-or so minutes of running.

After everyone in the group had their awesome shirt and drink, we headed over to the Ferry to head back to the Faneuil Hall/Start area.

As we toured back to where we started, we got some beautiful views of the city!

Photo Courtesy of Freedom Trail Run

The entire Freedom Trail Run was 2 hours start to finish. Thank you Eddie for being right on time.

The group included people of all ages and athletic abilities. There were even a set of girls there on a bachelorette weekend. It was a mix of locals and tourists.

The Freedom Trail Run is $40 a person and includes the guided tour, a t-shirt, your drink of choice from the convenience store and the ferry ride back to the Start/Faneuil Hall area.

But what is that? You want to try the Freedom Trail Run for free?

Well ... OKAY!! :)

Eddie is giving me the task of giving away a tour to one lucky winner and a guest of their choice (this can be used anytime this year so you can be an out of towner and win!!!).

Here’s how to enter the giveaway: Giveaway is open from June 11 (Tuesday) to 10am June 14 (Friday)!

The winner will be announced on Friday!

Boston, Are YOU Ready For H.Bloom?

What? It's Sally's Birthday at the end of the week... How could I forget Mother's Day ... again?

Where do I even start planning flower arrangements for the wedding?

It's our anniversary tomorrow? Are you sure?

Well, everyone will send flowers to congratulate her. I need a new option!

I'm tired of fake flowers in the waiting room.

***

Have YOU uttered one - or all - of the above phrases before?

C'mon - show of hands!!

I won't tell anyone, but what I will share is a new company I just heard about coming to Boston on June 11th.

H.Bloom is a floral and gift delivery service that is known for arranging the world's most luxurious flowers for both business and residents.

And did I mention COMPLIMENTARY HAND DELIVERY for subsriptions?!?!

In Boston, H.Bloom will be working with high-end chocolatier L.A. Burdick and cookies from Tatte. 

They are known for such clients as Ivanka Trump and the Four Seasons to name a couple.

I mean how cool would it be to tell your significant other or your boss that you bought only the best by going through Ivanka Trump's favorite flower company.

I'm thinking major bonus points here.

But, you are thinking: "Dani, I don't have Ivanka Trump's budget?"

Don't you worry, I'll lend you some.

I kid. :)

H.Bloom is affordable. How? Well the company figured out a way to reduce their spoilage rate to less than 2%. Most florists have to throw away 30-50% of their flowers (WOW!), and because H.Bloom avoids this, they can pass on big savings to customers.

Score!

***

(Note: when you click on one of the options at the top of the website, they ask for your zip code to confirm that they deliver to your area. Since they do not deliver to Boston/Cambridge/Brookline - until Tuesday - I used one of the pre-approved zip codes just to check the site out!)

After scoping out the website, which was easy to navigate, they have a handful of different services:

1) Gifts & One-Time Deliveries include:

*Flowers & Plants (Freshly-cut seasonal bouquets and unique potted gifts) starting at $40

*Chocolates (Delicately crafted artisanal chocolates made from the finest ingredients) starting at $24

How cute are the little mice?

*French Macarons (Delicate and airy confections that are just as chic as they are delicious) starting at $34

*Candles & Soaps (Beautifully packaged, luxuriously scented candles and soaps) starting at $32

2) Subscriptions - The nice thing about a floral subscription service is that you can set it and then forget it, by selecting how frequent they want flowers delivered to their door (weekly, bi-weekly or monthly). H.Bloom offers four types: Classic, Contemporary, Exotic and Orchid, which seems to offer something for everyone!

This also seems like a great options for businesses so your clients always see and smell beautiful arrangements in the waiting room or conference rooms.

3) Hero - This option has two offers: a one-time delivery (Hero For A Day) or three separate scheduled deliveries (Superhero).

I want to be a superhero ... that is why I wear Superman socks when I run. ;)

4) Weddings

We look forward to working with you to design the perfect floral for your wedding celebration, from sophisticated bridal bouquets to elegant centerpieces.

Schedule a complimentary design consultation by filling out the form [on the site] or emailing us at weddings@hbloom.com.

***

Don't those options sound great?

But, wait there's more ...

H.Bloom has an app for that!

That's right. If you have an iPhone, you can download the mobile app.

***

While H.Bloom currently has studios in New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Washington, D.C, they WILL be coming to Boston/Cambridge/Brookline starting Tuesday, June 11th.

Are you ready to be a Hero to your loved one? :)

Boston's Run To Remember - 5/26/13 - 1:53:00 (8:38 min/mile)

This was an emotion race. No if ands o buts about it. Last year I ran the Boston's Run To Remember 5-Miler.

The medal alone would've made me sign back up. BUT, it was the cause - money going to fallen police officers - and the overall awesomeoness of the race that had me signing back up.

But for 2013, I upped it from the 5-miler to the Half Marathon option.

I just wanted to see more of this amazing town. :)

So after signing up just when registration opened, I was set for my Memorial Day weekend race.

That is until Ed from Cambridge 5k contacted me letting me know he was starting a new Memorial Day 5k - Freedom Run - on May 26. Ahhh same day as the Run To Remember.

As Captain of Team Slumbrew, I would HAVE to be at the Freedom Run. I nervously asked Eddie what time his race would be at. He answered: 10am.

Okay okay. I could make that work. Run To Remember Half at 7am and Cambridge 5k Freedom Run at 10am.

I was just crazy enough to try and pull it off.

Thankfully my wife was on board to be the driver and my friend Kim was also signed up for the back-to-back races. Well, the support was there so I was in.

On Sunday (May 26), the alarm went off at 5:30 and it was high 30s/low 40s and drizzling. What AWESOME weather to go run 16.2 total miles in.

How amazing are the socks?

I am obsessed with those socks!! :)

We hit the road just after 6, hit some traffic coming off the exit for the race, but I was able to meet Kim at our designated meeting spot at 6:30 just as planned.

The Run To Remember had banned spectators and backpacks at the Finish Line after what happened at the marathon so we had to go through a security stop on our way to the Start Line. Thankfully I was bag free so I scooted through quickly.

Unfortunately, there were few port-a-potties so I had to hold it - a risk in itself. :P

But, I brought a disposable water bottle so I could at least take my ENERGYBits before we started. Phew!

At 7am, they started the pre-race ceremony for the victims of the Marathon bombing especially Officer Sean Collier, who the race was partially dedicated to.

With extra pre-race speakers, I was getting worried with timing to get from Race #1 to Race #2, but I tried to block that out byt really being in the moment.

Kim had been shooting for a 1:50-1:55 finish time and I was sticking with her this race so that was my plan to. :)

The bullhorn sounded and we were off.  We started from the Seaport and headed to the Financial District of Boston.

Running towards the Old State House

Once past the State House, we  made our way past Mass General Hospital and out to Memorial Drive (where a good portion of the race is in an out and back portion).

After running over the Longfellow Bridge, we hit Memorial Drive just as we hit Mile 3.

Then the scene appeared.

All along Memorial Drive and in front of MIT, there were police car after police car from all over Massachusetts. In front of the cars, stood police officers from all over the State. Cheering on the runners, probably dealing through their own emotions from Marathon Monday and many were crying.

As I saw a couple police officers wipe tears from their eyes, I started clapping and crying myself. I was immediately drawn back to that exact moment on Marathon Monday when everything changed.

At that moment in the race, I realized this race would be more than a race. This would be MY closure for what happened on Marathon Monday. This race would be more than miles or time.

We continued down Memorial Drive, running along the Charles River, past the gas station where Officer Sean Collier was killed on that fateful Thursday night in April and back towards the Longfellow Bridge.

I love the out and back in a race because I am inspired by the elite runners most likely lapping me in front of me and then once I make the turn, I love seeing all the smiling faces of the people behind me enjoying running as much as me.

I'm not the best in-race photog! :P

Plus, this time around, I actually knew a bunch of people running so it was great to spot a familiar face in the crowd.

As we passed Mile 8, I could see Kim's face change from a smile to one of pain. Damn hamstring.

Something was going on with her. She wanted to stop. She wanted me to keep going with her. But, I told her we started this thing together - we would be finishing it together no matter what.

So off we went, walking when she needed to, jogging slowly or running fast to just get it over.

While back on the Longfellow Bridge, Kim exclaimed how she couldn't believe we weren't even at Mile 10 yet. Hey, at that rate, we could've walked the rest of the way and still finished under 2 hours - like she had wanted. I also let her know we were at 9.88 miles so basically at 10. :0)

But, I told her no matter what we would get across that Finish Line.

And Kim did it. She gritted down and was a rock star! The tears were rolling down her face. She said she couldn't make it. She just wanted to sit on that bridge and stop.

But did she? NO!

She just kept moving one leg in front of the other.

There was no stopping her.

I offered as much encouragement as I could. I didn't know if it was helping or not, but I just tried to let her know I was there for her. I was even singing New Kids On The Block ... badly! The people around us DEFINITELY didn't appreciate it. :P

But, I didn't care. I was going to do anything I had to to get Kim across the Finish Line.

Then before I knew it, we were passed Mile 11. We were back on Arlington St. We were near Boylston Street (Finish Line of the Marathon). Boston Commons was on my left and before I knew it - there it was.

On my right, was the exact stoop I sat on with Robin, Steph and Eric as I waited to be reunited with my family on Marathon Monday. That stoop where I ate all the food Robin had with her and just sat there in shock in my space blanket.

I was transported back to that moment and I started crying. I was trying to release all the feelings that were still pent up inside me.

So we had Kim crying from her leg and me crying from the Marathon memories.

Again, I'm sure the crowd was like what is wrong with these girls. :P

We hit Mile 11.5 and I knew Kim would need provisions after we finished so I texted the wife to bring her an ice pack and some ibuprofen. Thank you technology!

We passed Mile 12 and were in the home stretch. Kim was bearing down and we were turning onto the final stretch of the race.

We had the Finish Line in our sights and Kim kept saying "I can't do it!" Oh hell no, I was in full cheerleader mode at this point. I was trying to get the crowd to clap. I was telling her she ate miles for breakfast (thanks Alan ;)) I was doing anything I could to just get her to cross the line - even if she had to crawl.

But she didn't, we ran over that Finish Line together hand in hand.

And the Run To Remember photogs caught on post Finish hug on camera ... and I am so glad they did!!

We finished in 1:53:00 (8:38 min/mile pace) and I couldn't be prouder.

But, since we didn't kick off right at 7 - we had to haul booty to get to the next race.

I texted the wife as soon as we had our awesome medals and Kim's bag in hand.

We made it to the car at 9:20am and headed towards the Freedom Run in Cambridge.

While swapping out bibs, I did take a moment to take a pic of my sweet medal.

Isn't it pretty?

I told Kim that next year we will run the Run To Remember Half again and it will be her redemption run!

***

Will you join Kim & I at the Boston's Run To Remember next year? Have you had a race that became about more than the race itself?