Gear review: polar M400

I was so blessed to have won a polar giveaway contest this week. It seems a dream come true as a running watch is something I've always wanted but they are all so pricey and there are so many options. How do you choose? Easily. Win one! 

So it was announced Tuesday and I passed along my mailing address in anticipation. 

To say this week was crazy is an understatement. The last 2 weeks before Christmas the kids are crazy, filling in for missing staff, a crazy snowstorm Thursday which led to running kids out to the road to their parents as cars were in ditches and across the road, add in finding out my pregnant best friend was having an emergency c section in Waterloo as baby girl's heart rate dropped, to having to push my car out of the snow...yeah. It was a week. So getting home Friday from work and seeing a package at the door was so exciting. 

First, before all else, I had to take a selfie 

I knew I wanted to get in a run (treadmill as it was 6 by then and pitch black) before I got too hungry. 

Post run I opened my watch and started playing. 

It's so simple and easy to use. I'd read a few reviews online once I found out id won it and I mirror a lot of what I'd read. 

It's light. A little large on a slim female wrist such as mine but I like big watches. 

It's comfortable, I could easily wear it 24/7 as intended. Not certain about during showers, but I slept in it last night and that was fine. Though I may not do so regularly. 

It's more than just a running watch. It tracks your activity levels and syncs with an app on the iPhone with just the press of one button on the watch. 

It is neat to see just really how often you are sitting and standing. 

Disclaimer: Before you judge my amount of time sitting I have to let you know today I drove the 2 hours to Waterloo to see Ashley and baby Harper for the 12-2 visiting hours and drove the 2 hours back. I am so in love with my neice. 

I had originally planned on taking my watch for its first run this morn but when I got the text from Ashley to come at 12 that took priority. So we got back around 4:30 and with minimal daylight left I quickly suited up to run my subdivision 5k. 

It was about -1 so decent weather but for some reason the roads hadn't been properly plowed since our Thursday snowstorm and that snow has turned to slop on the road so my run wasn't overly speedy or straight or dry...but a run is a run! I love how big the screen is and so easy to read. It also beeps every "lap" which I've set to 1km to let me know my splits. 

It's nice to have the freedom to run without my iPhone if I want. I used to use mapmyrun and hear I can sync my watch with my mapmyrun so I can keep tracking with the app. The downfall to that is I will miss my music and the safety of find a friend when I'm lost and so my parents can track me in a race. But be read the polar M400 has a "return to start" feature when you're running and lost it helps you get back to where you started. I also know I can still bring my iPhone if I wish but I don't have to. Come winter I try to run headphone free anyway for safety. 

My watch won't freeze like my iPhone or take on water (water resistance to 30m). Consistent, visible feedback, much more accurate Gps than mapmyrun. 

Workout summary 

I like the reminder of my daily activity and how to reach it with suggestions such as walking or jogging for a set time. 

I love how personalized I can make it with 4 different options for main watch face, personalized sport profiles for what I normally partake in. Personalized goals. 

I mean, it's the first and only watch of this  type I've ever had but I have no complaints, I love it. 

It also came with a heart rate monitor that I'm excited to try out. It came with a usb cable to connect to my computer to sync workouts, set goals, track activity, personalize sports and favourites. And that's just what I've learned so far in less than 24 hours. 

It's so simple yet smart, user friendly yet complex, big and easy to read yet light. I can't wait to learn more and play more. 

Plank a day: week 1

So I've officially been plank a day-ing for one week now, 7 days. 

Planks are a weak spot for me. Okay, core is a weakness in general so I figure planking every day will do nothing but help me. I've also decided that the minimum I will allow myself is 1min. I've been tracking my progress in my notes:

As you can see I started off pretty good and was showing progress daily. Then Sunday hit. I don't know what happened but for the next 3 days my planks were brutal. It was all I could do to make it to that minute. 

Fast forward to today. I've learned that if I'm feeling good to ride it out until I no longer can hold on, and then give it ten more seconds. I can usually tell whether it's going to be a good one or not by the first 10 seconds. I could tell today it would be good. I like to watch my progress and can't wait to see my planks go beyond 2 minutes and then...who knows! 

Hydration review: reload

I chose to try this one as the package was small and the flavour said watermelon. Mmm 

It says to mix with 10oz but I put it in a bottle that's likely just over 20oz and even then the product likely could have been watered down more. 

It needed to be well mixed for a little while and came out looking like this.

It tasted delicious! Very sweet which I like. Almost reminded me a bit of bubblegum floride. I understand that may not sound appealing but if you're looking for a yummy taste it's got it. I may tire of it as it was sweet but zero sugar content. 

It did the trick. I'm a satisfied customer. 

I'd potentially purchase it. 

Race review: Santa shuffle 5k

I love the santa shuffle. This is the second year I've done it. Last year I ran with my two friends, Andrea and Chris. 

This year I decided to sign up as my run club has this run as their graduation run for the 5k group. 

Some members of the run club. 

I also offered in passing to the run club my colleague and I started at school if any of the kids wanted to run it id run with them. So that brings us to today. My run club includes a colleague and a parent from school so they both joined with their kids and another student came too. 

I love the Santa shuffle for many reasons:

-it supports the Salvation Army and they do a lot of great things in the community. 

-it's so low key and accepting. Sure you have the handful of hardcores but for the most part people are dressed festively and having fun! I love wearing ridiculous things and having fun stuff on. Remembering the love of running, not just the competitive side. 

Note my children's elf costume from the dollar store. Including elf shoes with bells. My genius moment included cutting the bottom off as to not slip. They stayed on the whole time but were a little worse for wear by the end. 

-it's not chip timed. Like above mentioned, low key and laid back. 

-still a "real" race with bibs and some of the nicest bling I've seen. 

-a great race kit.

-there's a 1k "elf run" for kids. They too get a medal. 

It was such a rewarding experience running the race with two students, one in grade 3, another in grade 6. They ran the whole 5k without stopping. It's so great to share my love of running, the highs the lows, the challenges and the rewards especially the feeling of accomplishment. All of a sudden their accomplishments are so much more meaningful than mine. 

An "elfie" with my favourite elf. She went and got this costume because I did. What a sweetheart. Except that it amplified the fact that I was wearing a children's costume as it actually fit her. 

And ran with this guy,(left) his brother ran with their mother. He was in my class last year and if I picked favourites it would be him. But I don't. :)

I'm so thankful for running. And teaching. When I can make those two intersect somehow the love just overflows. I've been running for just over two years and I wish I'd found my love of running sooner. I'm thankful to have a positive influence on children in healthy ways in hopes that this is just the beginning for them as I wish I'd found it as a child too. What a blessing to be a runner teacher. :)

Plank a day challenge.

Core strength is something I lack. What better way to improve it than with something I hate: planks. So I've decided to #plankaday and see the gains I can make. I'm already proud that day 1 was one whole minute as I can't tell you when I've ever been able to do that. It's all because of my Monday sometimes Wednesday bootcamp class. 

And today was day 2. A slight gain after a treadmill 5k. 

Hydration review: Nuun tri-berry

I've been receiving stride boxes for about a year now and for the most part have just been hoarding the contents. My OCD self recently just organized them into categories so I've decided since my winter runs are mostly treadmill runs I'll try out all hydration products...it's something I struggle with. I get tummy aches from dehydration but it's so hard to stay consistently hydrated. Especially with a busy job. 

So today I tried the Nuun tri-berry. I see a lot of IG friends endorse Nuun and I'd tried the lemon lime (?) flavour at a race once and threw it out. But berry sounds yummy, right?

I mixed it with more than the recommended amount as I find they are often too strong. It was fun watching the tab dissolve. 

At first I was not a fan. The taste was similar to the lemon line. It almost has a carbonated taste too it which I don't love. Even though I watered it down, in my opinion it could have been more watered down. 

The taste grew on me as my run continued. And no tummy troubles. No weird texture. Overall I don't hate it but I don't love it. Out of 10 maybe a 6 or 7. I'll keep trying! 

So there goes that theory.

During a run the concept of time somehow becomes wildly skewed. Seconds seem like minutes; minutes seem like hours. It seems suitable too during some runs how the weather from start to finish can change wildly. 

The weather was unseasonably mild today for the last day of November. It was 11 degrees and overcast. So after we got home from church and lunch and errands I decided to break my treadmill streak and fall in love again with outdoor running. Laced up the sneakers, put on capris and a tshirt and my trusty black cap. I hummed and hawed over a light coat and since it had looked like rain all day I figured, why not.

Well the first 10 minutes into the run I was regretting the coat as I was getting hot. I run a "big block" of 6k and after about 1k out it opens up into farmers fields. Once you get out there all of a sudden the weather can seem different from the protective houses that line our street. 

All of a sudden the wind picked up. And I could see the dark clouds roll in. At this point I was 3.5k in and knew I had no choice but to endure. The rain. The wind. The cold. 11 degrees became a thing of the past. But at 5k I returned to the protection of houses and by 6k got home, peeled my soaking wet jacket from my skin and quickly changed. The life of a runner. 

Also as I was running I thought of this ecard and laughed. 

No excuses.

Since starting this running journey the longest consecutive days I've missed running is 11 during July 2013 when I had to have an appendectomy. Since then I've faithfully stuck to no more than 3 consecutive days off. 

Except this week. 

It was a busy week. Though busy is no excuse. Truthfully I have minimal commitments in terms of family. Many of the runners I follow on social media are mothers and they make it work. As a teacher it was a busy week as I had parent/teacher interviews Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Plus Monday and Wednesday nights I have a bootcamp class and Tuesday my women's bible study. So it's not like I wasn't active. But at the same time I feel guilty. Now that it's darker earlier (way earlier) and colder (way colder) it's hard to find the same motivation. 

But I've also made the decision to largely scale back on running over the winter to let those little twinges and tight spots heal (hopefully).

All that being said I'm so thankful for my treadmill. And iPad. And Netflix. 

The ugly side of running

Runners know that running can be ugly. This especially applies to runners feet. I've got to say I'm fortunate I've never lost a toenail to running. In fact, my problem is the opposite. I've had issues with corns on the bottom of my feet since I love being barefoot. Now, for the past few months I've noticed my baby toenail on my left foot growing outward onto the side of the toe. As I run the toe swells and is so sensitive I wake up in the night from the pain of the sheets touching it. So finally I bit the no benefits bullet and booked an appointment with my foot doctor. The good news is it's not an ingrown toenail. The bad news is it's a corn that has developed from a combination of a baby toe that turn outward and repeated stress from...you guessed it: running! So she dug it out and put something in it to kill it. And I got a cute little toe-sleeve to wear to protect it. Let's hope this helps because right now it hurts. 

Thanks, Sport Chek!

I like doing new things, gaining new experiences. And I love running clothes and accessories. When I heard collingwood was getting a sport Chek I was over joyed! Until this point all we have locally is one over priced faddy "sports" store that rarely has real sales.

I read that though the opening was Thursday the grand opening was Saturday and the first 75 in line get a gift card ranging from 25-1000 dollars. Free running stuff? I'm there. Well I've never in my life done this...this stand in line and wait hours before a place opens to get a deal thing. It was a new experience. 

I wasn't sure when to arrive. The store was set to open for 9am so I set my alarm for 6:30. Turns out I woke up on my own at 5:30 and wondered why. I left home at 7 in a thick sweater, coat, hat, mitts and boots. The temperature read -2. As a good Canadian I picked up a Tim Hortons coffee on my way. I arrived to about 30 some odd people in line at 7:15. I was safe. Now, the waiting game. -2 isn't really that cold. But, in November when it's the first you've experienced below zero temperatures, and standing still, in the shade, on concrete...it gets to you. I'm thankful for my coffee and that I brought a book! Reading it was a challenge with gloves on...and it was difficult to focus on the words with my cold body (fingers, toes, legs) and my mind trying to ease drop on the surrounding conversations. 

Slowly people accumulated and mentally calculated the number in line to ensure their frigid wait was worth their while. 

Waiting has its benefits. An opportunity to pause and focus is much needed in our busy culture. Plus the opportunity to study people is always enjoyable. I wondered at their stories. And also why there were very few recognizable faces when I've lived in this area nearly my entire life. 

At about 8:45 a few men came out and explained the deal. They'd be coming down the line having you sign a waiver and receive a numbered card. The rules were you had to be over 16 (they said they'd check ID but they didn't. The girl in front of me was 15 but she got a card) and that though the flyer stated one per household they were going to give cards to the first 75 people over 16. This of course infuriated the back of the liners who now had a jeopardized chance of getting a card. I thought I may see a fight. I have to agree it's unfair they don't follow through with their advertised promise. But, I also agree with the shouts from front of liners of "you should have come earlier". She claimed she'd been in line for 2 hours and I hadn't even been in line that long, so she was stretching the truth out of frustration. 

So, I recieved my laminated number 37 and read the terms and conditions on that back. Some of those terms and conditions did not prove true but I kept my mouth shut, thankful for the promise of a gift card and a warm place to escape into. As we came through the doors we handed our numbered card to the man who had a black bag. We stuck our hands inside and pulled out a gift card with a sticker saying "peel here". Of course my hands were frozen so I asked an employee to help peel it off. I was very excited to see this:

I knew I'd get at least 25 but 50 is bonus. The card expired in two days so I knew I had to spend it. Then the real challenge started. On what?? On myself? On others for Christmas gifts? The whole store was still on 25% off so the possibilities were numerous. After looking around for about half an hour I picked up the following:

A grid foam roller and some awesome ski socks. With discounts and gift cards and taxes I paid just under ten dollars. The line up to the til was super long but it was to be expected on opening day, with sales and 75 people wandering around with "free" money that had an expiry date attached. Also in line I spoke to a nice couple who mentioned they'd stood next to the lady who ended up getting the 1000 dollar gift card. They said she was very kind, had 3 kids and needed to get them all new snowsuits so I'm thankful she got the card. Those kids will have a great Christmas! Plus I was thinking...what stress to spend 1000 in less than 2 days! Eek. I wouldn't want it :)

Overall it was a good experience. Would I stand in line again nearly two hours for a deal? Undecided. But I'm glad I did it. And I'm glad our town now has a Sport Chek. 

It's the first snow of the year!

The first real snowy run I've yet to take. Also my first run in my new shoes. I was pleased the snow didn't soak through and it was so much fun kicking up powder.

However I learned the hard way that even though it's snowy it's still just -2 and that didn't quite warrant a long sleeve and a sweater and my winter mitts, hat, and neck warmer. You live, you learn. 

Breaking up is hard to do (with shoes).

Finally, after 672.5km on my runners I got myself a new pair. I'm very particular about running shoes. In my 2 years running I've learned I like Asics and New Balance. Mainly because I need the wide toe box and they are both reputable brands.

Usually I make 2-3 trips to different stores that sell running shoes and do my research online. My criteria usually includes: a New Balance or Asics, a wide toe box, midline stability and of course, something pretty. I usually go for middle of the line price point as well because I'm not made of money but I don't want to wreck myself. 

But, as I opened and admired my new shoes I got a little sad about saying goodbye to my old shoes. You may find this silly but I've been through a lot with my old purple and teal asics. 

I got these shoes in the spring of 2014 in April because of a sale. I knew I wouldn't need them until June though. 

Running lots is a doubled edged sword. Running more is doing more of what you love but things wear out so much quicker. Though I feel like these shoes had a full and fulfilling life it went by too fast. 

In these shoes I: 

-came in 1st for my age category for the barrie waterfront 10k June 2014

-walked the scleroderma 5k with my family to support the research of a disease near and dear to my heart 

- ran my first 8k- a local canada day race that's been around for 46 years. 

- flew to Alberta and ran some of the most breath taking trails I've ever seen. 

-ran a 10k in BC!

-climbed a mountain. A real mountain. I now know why hiking gear exists and I wouldn't suggest ever climbing a mountain in running shoes but regardless, climbing a mountain changes you. 

-ran my third half marathon less than 12 hours after getting back to Ontario on limited sleep and fuel.

- ran my 4th half marathon, a local race, and got myself a PB on a challenging quad. 

- ran a 10k on my 26th birthday with a sub 50 that I've been gunning to break since doing it once in April. Also got 1st in my age category, won a pie and was sung to on the podium. 

-ran a Remembrance Day 5k alongside my running hero, Krista Duchene. 

And of course, all the hundreds of "training" runs in between. 

Needless to say these shoes have become a part of me. They hold so many great memories and it's hard to put them aside and start a relationship with someone new. My heart breaks at the thought. 

Then of course I catch sight of these beautiful girls and don't feel so bad. 

Because I know that they too will hold many beautiful memories I've yet to make. 

The power of the run

Every Wednesdays night is run group. My friend Lisa and I meet with The Beach Chiropractic running group, a group in Wasaga Beach, at 7pm to run and then learn something. Tonight I didn't want to go. But, tonight also happens to be the last night of a 16 week session which means potluck night. Regardless, it's about 1 degree and snowy and dark and cold tonight. I've got a million things to do (report cards) and my legs are super sore from Monday's killer bootcamp. When we run we do a 5min warm up, then some stretching then 4 sets of 10 and 1s (run ten minutes, walk one) works out to about 45-50 minutes.

So as we start the warmup my inner thighs scream at me "we hurt!!!!" those darn squats...every time. And I'm cold. My fingers are cold (despite the mitts) and my neck and chin are exposed and cold. But somehow as the run went on it got better. Our first walk break was worse than running somehow (my legs...the pain). But our second walk break happened to be at the main end...beach area 1 that can be quite hectic in the summer but come fall it's a ghost town. It was dark and windy. The water was an inky black with beautiful white caps. The beauty of it was incredible. By then I also realized I was no longer cold, in fact I was starting to get too warm and regretting wearing a long sleeved shirt and a sweater and a jacket.

On the way back we had to take a few more walk breaks than planned as a friend was having some tummy troubles (don't we all know what this is like!) but in those quiet moments of walking I saw. I saw the quiet residential areas, the street lamps all in a row, the quiet snowflakes dancing about and it was so beautiful. 

It's crazy how a run can change your perspective so much.  My legs no longer hurt by the end, I wasn't cold, I wasn't miserable. I was thankful, I felt blessed, I felt happy and I felt strong. 

The power of the run. Why this is a lesson I must continually re learn each run. Why, I'm not sure. But a lesson I'm willing to learn.

It's serious now

A dear friend of mine gave me this car decal. I hesitated in putting it on my car. Partially because it seemed to be rainy or snowy whenever I thought of it but also due to uncertainty. Can I really slap that label on myself. Do I really count as a "real runner"? I think that's a struggle we all endure, one I constantly dismantle by telling others that there is no such thing as a fake runner yet I myself can't accept it. 

So as you can see it's on, it's a label I've given myself. And I like it. 

Tshirt in November!

It's the little things in life that matter. For example today, November 11th, it was 16 degrees! So even though Tuesdays are generally rest days and the sun sets at 5 (usually when I'm getting out of work). I left before then and got in a glorious run...in a tshirt and capris. Can't help but smile. Also every muscle hurt from a killer bootcamp class last night. None of that mattered.

Rememberrun 5k/8k Race Review

Background:
Saturday November 8th was the 6th Annual Remember Run. This race is a part of the Waterloo Run Series  and has a Remembrance Day theme. I had wanted to run one of the races in the Waterloo Run series since hearing about it as I love the Kitchener/Waterloo area and miss it all the time. I spent 5 years in Waterloo while attending Wilfrid Laurier University for my B.A. and even did my practicums for Teacher's College in the Waterloo region despite going to Western University for my B.Ed.

Signing Up: 
When toying with ideas for a November girls weekend in Waterloo to visit my pregnant friend for the last time before baby (eeeee!!) I (selfishly) suggested November 8-9 so I could run the Remember Run and since my three best friends are awesome, they agreed.
I didn't know what the expect even though I've been running for about 2 years now and have completed over 30 races. Each race is different and can surprise you in good and bad ways.

Packet Pick up:
I always want to do packet pick up in advance of race day, when possible. It was easy to do as the pick up Friday night was at the local running store in a central location. Pick up was easy, I mentioned my name, got my shirt and my bib with a chip timer. The bib was very pretty! The bib # was quite small which I loved as the focus is clearly on the theme of the run, Remembrance Day. Also love the opportunity to personalize the bib. War has affected us all and I am so thankful for the sacrifice my great uncle Duncan made on D-Day. I am also incredibly thankful my Papa did not go to war. Though he was of eligible age, his father had been injured in a farming accident and as a result my Papa had to stay home to take care of the family and the farm. Til the day he died he was angry about being unable to attend. War affects us all.

The technical shirt was a great size! I never know to pick small or medium as some smalls I've got have been super tiny (and who wants to run in a shirt that shows all jiggles- eek!) and I've got some mediums that are giant. So long story short I chose a small and it fits beautifully! I love it. It is a beautiful shirt with fantastic details.
There wasn't any special additional goodies in the bag but pick up was easy and painless which was great because then I got to start my girls weekend with the besties.

Race Day:
a 10:02 start time was glorious as I'm sure you can imagine catching up with my girls took awhile :) We got to "sleep in" until 7:30 and had a leisure morning with a great breakfast. We took the 20 minute drive to the race location which was the Preston legion. It was a busy place! So many runners in a sea of red everywhere. I started to get quite nervous, to which my friends made fun of me and assured me I had no reason to be nervous.

I wore:
It was chilly, about 4 degrees with a windchill. I had no idea what to wear. I wore long pants and a long sleeved tech shirt. I would have wore the race shirt had it been long sleeved. Also I haven't worn a tshirt over a long sleeve shirt since I was in grade 9 and thought it was cool to wear name brand t-shirts over long sleeve white shirts. The embarrassment haunts me to this day so I won't do it with tech shirts. I then remembered I had nowhere to put my phone and none of my long pants have pockets (curses!!). So I also decided to wear my running jacket so I had somewhere to put my phone. (Seriously, I cannot run without music and mapmyrun. I CANNOT! Well, I can if I have to but I would rather listen to Willie Nelson than my laboured breathing.) I also wore thin red gloves because without them I'd be head to toe black and my fingers would freeze as my extremities always freeze. Always.

Pre Race:
The opening ceremonies were great, bagpipes, O Canada and a moment of silence. I am emotional to start with at races, just the nervousness leading up, the enormity of what we are doing and the group mentality of seeing all these people being active and pushing themselves gets me choked up. So add in thinking of the veterans, my relatives, my country and the recent loses...yeah. But, to lighten the mood a train came through so we had to delay the start a little longer. I was alright with that as I love trains and their symbolism- a different story for a different day).

I should also mention I was tickled pink as about a week previous to the race I read on Krista Duchene's blog that she would be running her first race to get the rust off post femur fracture and that it would be a local 8k. This made me super excited because I am so in awe of Krista's strength, dedication and love of the Lord. The fact that I got to run a race a small race with her was too exciting. She was running the 8k and I was running the 5k so I assumed we'd finish about the same time as one another :). So seeing her line up near the front in shorts and a tank top added to my excitement. I try to line up front-ish. Not front-front where the people do those crazy super fast long "warm ups" (I'd be too tired) but front enough that if the course thinned out to single file I wouldn't feel I had to weave through people, also when I come across the finish line I want my chip and gun time to be fairly similar.

The race:
Off we went and I waved to my three besties, happy to see them cheering me on. I have the best support crew at races.

We made some quick turns and ran down the "main street" of Preston past the cenotaph and the Tim Horton's. We then ran into the local park which was pretty...but the roads weren't in the best shape which made my steps a little more cautious. It was neat to have such a broad view of the runners ahead of me. Our run then weaved down a muddy, thin, grassy trail. This moment annoyed me at first as I knew it would slow my time, but then I looked around and enjoyed the beauty of the run. But, then we ran onto boardwalk which was somewhat slippery due to the weather and fallen leaves. Regardless, it was pretty as well. As we came up a slight incline on the boardwalk an awesome volunteer holding a clear sign indicated the 8k group turned left and the 5k group turned right. I secretly praised myself for choosing the 5k rather than the 8k. It was neat the see the people split into their different race distances as it's hard to tell what people are running elsewise.

I secretly was thankful it was a 5k as I hit the pain train hard at about km 1. I know in shorter races (5 and 10ks) that it's more cardiovascular than legs. I'm not sure why but the pain was real and challenging right off the hop. My splits were nowhere near where I wanted them to be, other than my first but I knew I  couldn't maintain. I'd just have to be happy whatever the outcome.
My thoughts on why I wasn't where I wanted to be split wise:
-I had McDonalds for dinner the night before (don't judge me)
-I had bacon for breakfast the morning of (I said don't judge me)
-I haven't really been running any speed work for awhile
-I wore too much. This seems to be a recurring theme
-Difficult terrain
lessons learned

Came into the finish and was happy to see my three best friends cheering me in. We hurried off for lunch and some shopping so I wasn't around for the "after show" but I hear there were lots to eat and it's nice to have an indoor facility to escape into especially in less than favourable weather.

The bling:
This is a race that doesn't have finisher medals but rather medals for top 3 in each of the 5 year span age categories. Upon researching past years' finishing times I assumed I could place for Women aged 25-29. So once I finished I scurried over to the chiptime trailer and asked my stats. She let me know I had finished second in my age category which I was pleased with. A medal, yes! The awards were at 12 and it was about 10:30 so we decided to go for lunch and shopping and then swing by again to pick up the medal.

Overall:
Free race photos! <<<< this is so exciting!
Great volunteers
Great course marshalling
Pretty course
Chip timing
Pretty Bibs
Nice bling
Great shirt
Great opening ceremonies
Not too expensive

I'd do the race again.
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