Running – imperfectly courtney

JD Sports Review

August 19, 2014 Courtney

I was provided a pair of shoes in exchange for my honest opinions about the site and ordering process. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It is no secret that I love shoes. I mean, c’mon, what girl doesn’t love shoes?! When it comes to the type of shoes I have in my closet… or strewn about my floor… there are 2 kinds: athletic shoes and flip flops. I’m not too much of a fancy shoe lover, I’m far more practical. While comfort and function come in ahead of fashion when choosing shoes that doesn’t mean my shoes are all drab. Recently the people at JD Sports offered to send me a pair of shoes. Who turns down a pair of shoes? Not this girl! I chose the Nike Free 5.0. They shipped quickly and arrived at my door in a bright yellow bag

It is actually a reusable drawstring bag, which I thought was pretty cool. With JD Sports being a UK based company I thought shipping would take forever, but it actually didn’t take much longer than a normal online purchase!

It has been quite some time since I wore a dedicated running shoe, but I knew with my surgery that my recovery would likely include a lot of walking before I’m able to get back to weight lifting so these beauties will be perfect for that.

They are light weight and comfortable. I chose to go with black because they will go with so many more outfits that way! They aren’t as wide in the toe box as I’ve had previously but for walking for recovery into jogging/running as I get back to normal workouts they will be perfect!

New running shoes always make it more exciting to hit the pavement. I got clearance from the doctor today to walk as much as I want to so these little guys will see a little more than just my inside flooring! If you are looking for a new pair of shoes be sure to check out JD Sports, they have a wide variety of styles and sizes to meet your needs.

Do you pick bold or neutral shoe colors?

Running, STL

Dirty Girl Mud Run St Louis 2013

September 16, 2013 Courtney

Oh hey, world. I’m just a week late on my recap… no big deal. Last week I participated in the Dirty Girl Mud Run with some of my favorite girls, and it was a BLAST! We met up at CrossFit 70 to carpool over since parking was $10 a car. We were registered for the 9:30am wave and we got there a little after 8am. When we arrived there was seriously like NO line at all and we were through registration in less than 10 minutes. One of our girls was meeting us there and got there a little before 9am and the line was crrrraaazy. The lesson? Get there early!!

Paul Mitchell Schools is one of the National Sponsors of the Dirty Girl Mud Run, so they had an awesome booth set up where you could get your hair braided for free and get pink put in for just $5 with proceeds going to charity. Since I have purple in my hair already I was allll about the pink!

We checked our bags pretty easily and were all set up and ready to go. We ended up going in the 9:45 wave since one of our girls got held up in check in (can I say it again… get there EARLY!) We lined up at the start and had some fun warming up

Ooooh yea, that’s how I warm up. haha. Before we knew it the count down was on and we were off! Just a little bit of running before we encountered our first obstacle…. I tried to get pictures of all of them but my camera lens got mud on it and I had no where clean to wipe it on so I was taking pictures blind… whoops.

We ran through those foot hole things, crawled through tubes of mud, went over and under lots of things, through mazes, and over walls. I have done several other mud runs but I think this one goes down as the most fun because I did it with a group of girls I absolutely love! I seriously laughed SO much.

We were on to the cargo net climb, one of my favorites!

The mudslide was SO fun. You really caught some speed!

and if you were laughing on the way down you got a mouth full of mud… whoops.

Overall this was an awesome event, very well organized and put together. It was done at a permanent mud run course here so the facilities were amazing. The shower rooms were awesome and the lines went fast to get cleaned up. My 2 major problems was that there didn’t seem to be a lot of water stops, 2 or 3 I think? So we were always thirsty. Also the food/beer station at the end was SO backed up. We ended up leaving to find food instead of waiting in line forever. We still had a blast though! We will for sure do it again next year, and be better planned with our costumes too!

Sidenote: It was almost exactly a year ago I ran my first mud run… What a difference a year makes!

Have you done a mud run? Would you?

Disclaimer: I received Free Entry in exchange for my honest thoughts on the course. Of course, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Running

Dirty Girl Mud Run St Louis (Discount Code)

August 13, 2013 Courtney

I love mud runs. They are so fun! When I found out that Dirty Girl Mud Run was coming to the St Louis area I knew I wanted to get in on it. They will be in town Saturday September 7th and they have waves going all throughout the day. It is going to be at The Battlegrounds in Wright City, MO.

I traveled to a few events last year (Remember how much fun I had in Chicago? Check out the Video!) but this one is like literally right in my back yard! The thing that I love about mud runs is that it is just so much fun. There is a “No pressure” kind of vibe, totally opposite of the way I get about a road race. Dirty Girl is all about getting a group of friends (or making new friends there!) and having a good time together. It is a 5k, so 3.1 miles. This course will have 12 obstacles spread out over the 3.1 miles.

The obstacles have fun names like “Utopian Tubes” and “PMS (Pretty Muddy Stuff)” – None of the obstacles seem too overwhelming, but if they are you can pass by them, no problem.

It really is a fun way to get active and use that general physical preparedness that we talk about in CrossFit lol. Plus, who doesn’t love playing in mud? For those of you who are looking to do your first mud run and are unsure about it, check out this post about some tips for mud runs!

If you are in the STL area and want to join us use the code DGSTLBLOGGUEST for 20% off! You can register here.

Have you done a mud run? Any tips to share?

Running

#IMARUNNER – National Runners Day

June 5, 2013 Courtney

Running was how I first started on my journey to health. I remember strapping Little Dreamer into the regular stroller we had at the time and attempting to run. It was more of a “wog” (walk-jog) at first. But I felt good getting out and doing something. I started to time myself and try to improve each time. When I started running my miles were 17-18 minutes. But I did it.

I’ve come a long way since those days. Back then I struggled to call myself a runner. I thought that maybe I had to run a certain pace or distance before I could call myself a runner. But since then I’ve learned that is far from the truth. I was a runner then and I’m a runner now.

I’ve run 3 half marathons, 1 full marathon (can we just ignore that DNF? It was mile 21, thats practically the whole race…), and countless 5ks. I still love running for the love of the run. Something about hitting the pavement is just so refreshing. It makes me feel strong. I see now how far I’ve come. You know what my biggest challenge was? My mind. I had to get comfortable being uncomfortable and push myself beyond what I thought I could do.

Timex is celebrating National Running Day on Wednesday, June 5 (TODAY!) by asking consumers to tweet or post to Instagram with #IMARUNNER. In return for each eligible submission, Timex will donate $5, up to $15,000, toward One Fund Boston which helps those individuals most affected by the tragic events of April 15, 2013. Timex will also be giving away 60 Timex Ironman watches to runners who use the hashtag.

For a chance to win a Timex Ironman watch simply submit your unique running story on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #IMARUNNER on June 5^th by 11:59pm EST. Users can also enter by submitting a photo or story directly on the Timex Sports Facebook page “#IMARUNNER Tab” (http://bit.ly/12qH3Xb). Winners will be selected at random and official rules are located here: http://bit.ly/147ilKy.

How are you celebrating National Runners Day?

I am participating in this campaign on behalf of Timex Sports and Catalyst Public Relations. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Reviews, Running, workouts

Skora Running Shoes Review & Giveaway

May 23, 2013 Courtney

Isn’t this such a fun week?! Seriously, I LOVE organizing giveaways for you guys. When I find products that I like I love to share them with you guys. Because what fun is it to just read about something I try… don’t you want to try it for yourself? So to recap this week we have giveaways for Inner Strength Apparel, Bestowed Box, & EcoJarz. All will be open until Monday! Today we have another fun one, one that I’ve been excited to share with ya’ll for awhile now…

Oh yea, we’re talking shoes today. In full disclosure- Skora Running Shoes offered me a discount in exchange for a blog review. Just so you know I still spent some of my own money to buy these. And I don’t regret it for a second.

These beauties were another amazing find thanks to Social Media. I saw some friends posting about them and was intrigued. Then when I saw Courtney from Treadmill Runway start raving about them I knew I had to try them. See, Courtney and I seem to be alike in a lot of ways (besides our awesome name!) So I figured if they were amazing for her I would love them. Which was absolutely true. When my ordered came I had to try on both, of course.

I ordered the White & Teal Phase and the Charcoal Base. All of Skora’s shoes are more of a minimalist design.The Phase is super light and flexible, which is perfect for CrossFit/Weight Training. It is their most minimal and lightest design with a single mesh upper layer. It is super breathable and has plenty of reflective material to make you visible if you’re running in the dark.

I had to take advice from Courtney and match my outfit to my shoes. Cause it is about function AND fashion, isn’t it ladies? LOL. So I took these out on several short runs and really loved how light they were! Obviously you don’t want to go from a normal running shoe to a minimal running shoe too fast as you have to adjust to a different type of stride (no heel striking!) Don’t you love how I got my 3 year old to take my picture for you?

I took the Skora Base’s out on a few test runs also. Let’s be real, I totally loved having velcro shoes. The Base are a more suitable option for those transitioning from a thicker cushioned shoe to a lower profile shoe. It has a comfortable stretch mesh upper and is easy to slip on and off.

While these shoes are great for running, these are also GREAT CrossFit shoes. I personally prefer the phase, as it is a lighter and thinner option. When you are looking for shoes for CrossFit you want a shoe with a low profile/heel drop. When you are lifting you want your feet glued flat to the ground. Regular running shoes have somewhat of a curve to help you roll from your heel to your toe when running… you do NOT what to roll from your heel to your toe when you are lifting! Keeping the posterior chair engaged as you drive your heels into the ground is going to help you with your form and execution. These shoes are SO versatile. If a WOD calls for 200m repeats, cleans, and box jumps – I feel confident that my Skora Phase can handle all of that.

They have been my go to casual shoe as well. I wore them walking around Pittsburgh, to Six Flags, and just running more normal every day errands and they keep my feet happy. I have had problems with other shoes having too tight of a toe box, but these shoes give my toes lots of breathing room and they don’t feel tight on my wide feet.

I love my Skora Shoes. and I want YOU to try them. So the folks at Skora have been kind enough to offer one of you a pair of your choice! (winner must be in the continental US)

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Visit SkoraRunning.com and tell me which pair you’d pick!

Running, Travel

Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Half Marathon Race Recap

May 9, 2013 Courtney

After a jam packed Friday and Saturday in Pittsburgh, it was finally time for race day! I kept waking up thinking I was going to be late for the race, so my sleep wasn’t exactly sound. I finally decided to get up a few minutes before my 5:30am alarm. I stumbled around the hotel room getting ready.

I made sure I had my watch, my Honey Stingers, my fuel belt, my Nuun, and of course, my pace tattoo!

We headed down to the lobby around 6 and met up with the rest of the #runfor crew. I ate half a blueberry bagel with butter and drank some Cherry Limeade Nuun. Corrals were closing at 6:45 and I had a bit further of a walk than some of the other runners because I was in a later corral so we set off around 6:20 or so.

Sidenote- I’m pretty sure staying at a hotel near the start line of the race is a must do for me from now on. I loved not having to worry about driving/traffic/parking on race morning! Especially with nearly 30,000 runners in this race, I can’t even imagine the madness.

A last minute stop at the portapotty and it was time to enter the corrals. Security was obviously heightened. Some people asked me if I was nervous to run a race after everything that happened at Boston. I can honestly say I wasn’t. Meeting with some of the PR people that work with Dick’s and the race I knew they had it under control. They took a lot of precautions like No spectators allowed near the corrals and they had these signs up:

They actually checked our bibs as we went into our corrals. I was in the last corral, which was crazy full. We heard the star spangled banner off in the distance and sat there for awhile before we started moving. We had to have walked nearly a mile just to get to the start. It took close to 25 minutes for us to even get up to the starting line… see it up there?

As we approached the start the energy was electric! The crowd was loud and strong – there were SO many people there cheering us on. I mean, by the time we had got to the start people had been crossing the line for over 20 minutes! And the crowd was still going strong!

And just like that… we were off! I saw the hubs just a little ways down from the start. He was such a great spectator! Barely a half mile into the race they already had a band set up and playing. There was a cheering banana just after mile 2. SO many people were out everywhere cheering us on. I thought surely the crowd would die down after a while – especially being one of the slower runners- but they didn’t! The first few miles went quick. I was holding a decent pace and on track to PR big time. Mile 3 brought the first of 5 bridges we would cross.

I can honestly tell you that eating carbs pre-race made a HUGE difference for me. During the GO half in April I was already gassed by mile 4. This time around I was feeling strong. We crossed another bridge around mile 4 reminding us we were earning the title “Runner of Steel”

Just after this bridge I saw the hubs again. He walked briskly next to me while I pounded my feet out trying to run faster… haha. We then turned around and crossed another bridge… yay for bridges! Oh yea- this is also where I spotted the guy who was juggling his way through the whole race. Seriously!

Miles 5 & 6 were good, nothing exciting to report. I remember crossing the 10k mark and heading for yet another bridge. It truly was gorgeous out. The perfect race conditions, cool with clear skys. And honestly, I was surprised at how beautiful the city was!

At this point we were heading outside of the downtown area and I was certain the course would be empty about this time. Man, was I wrong. There were SO many people out cheering us on! At this point I was still pretty close to being on target for my 3 hour finish. I felt energized by the crowd and tried to pick it up a bit. Mile 8 had another water station… which, this course was absolutely amazing with! I never felt myself wishing for another water station. They were perfectly spaced out and well manned. Even being one of the “slower” runners I found that they still had plenty left and ready to hand out when I got to each one. As we passed through the water station there was a huge crowd of what looked to be Military. Turns out it was a local JROTC program cheering us on! This, of course, made me pick up my pace. I remember being in JROTC in high school and not being able to pass the Physical Fitness Test (PFT) and how far I’d come since then. So I ran harder.

At this point my legs/hips were getting pretty tired. I was a few minutes behind my pace schedule but kept trying to catch back up. Miles 9 & 10 passed as we were nearing the split off from the Full Marathon. Mile 11 came as we crossed a bridge back into the downtown area. At this point I was pretty certain I could shave off those few minutes and still come in sub-3. Then I turned the corner near mile 12 and saw the hill. It wasn’t as bad as I’d imagined… but it really killed me. Then started the downhill… I was thankful for the extra momentum but it was not feeling good on my hips/legs that were already hurting. I just tried to keep a steady pace. I was going to go for it as soon as I saw the finish line. Right around mile 13 the full marathon rejoined our course. People were going crazy as the marathoners came in. I was imagining it was all for me. ha. I tried my best to sprint it out and then got a charlie horse in my right calf… and in my right hip (how does that even happen?)… and then in my left calf… so I did the ugliest sprint/waddle to finish.

It felt so good to cross that finish line and know I was done. I was hurting far more than I did on my last race because I know I pushed myself way harder. I was proud of myself. Even if I didn’t get my sub-3… I was close!

My previous PR was 3:23, so a nearly 20 minute PR! I’ll take it! I snagged my bag of goodies at the finish and my Runner of Steel Medal and hobbled toward the Dick’s Sporting Goods tent where I met up with the rest of the #runfor crew…. ate some snacks and got a massage. Man, VIP tents rock.

Overall I was seriously impressed with this race. The course is beautiful, the aid stations were well executed… but the thing that stuck out to me the most was how excited the people of Pittsburgh were to support the race. It is a BIG deal in this city. Some places can make you feel like the races they put are a hassle – but Pittsburgh honestly LOVED this race. And it showed. The crowd support on this course was unlike any I had experienced before. It was so motivating. I was brought to tears a few times as I struggled through my own pain/thought process and needed that encouragement to keep going. So, hats off to Pittsburgh. You rock.

The rest of the day was spent napping and relaxing with the hubs. Where I looked like this:

Post nap hair and compression sleeves. Oh yea.

and this happened too…

Apparently Primanti Bros is a Pittsburgh must-do… so we did.

What do you do after a big race? Nap? Eat?
What’s your latest PR?

I was compensated for this campaign with Dicks Sporting Goods. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Running, Travel

Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon Weekend – Part 2

May 8, 2013 Courtney

Forgive me for not having this up yesterday! I came home to a whirlwind of “real life” demanding my attention and didn’t have the time to finish writing it up! The good news is right after landing in STL and picking up my daughter I went grocery shopping and prepped breakfast casserole and portioned out meat for our meals for the week – so no excuses for not eating right this week!

Our first full day in Pittsburgh was filled with all kinds fun… Press Releases, Ribbon Cutting, Getting all dressed up for a cocktail dinner… It was awesome! Saturday we were scheduled to drive out of downtown to Dick’s Sporting Goods Store Support Center. We eventually made it there and let me say, I was immediately impressed! They call it the “Castle on the Hill” because it is such a big building with one of those long winding hills leading up to it.

So basically, we learned that you could totally live at the offices and never have to leave. They have a cafeteria, a sit down restaurant, dry cleaners, post office, Starbucks, a gym (including full basketball court!)… We joked all you needed was a place to sleep… until we happened upon a bunch of tents set up. Of course, you can sleep in the tents! The Gym has showers. Seriously, you don’t ever need to leave!

I learned that Dick’s Sporting Goods was actually started because Dick was working at an Army/Navy store and the owner asked him to set up a fishing supply area and then told him it was horrible and he didn’t know how to run a store. He went and borrowed $300 from his grandmother and started his own store. Never let anyone tell you that you can’t!

We got to see some super secret Product Development areas that we weren’t allowed to take pictures of… one of which was the Reebok design room (apparently Dick’s owns some part of Reebok’s clothing line? Not sure how that all works) But I can tell you that there are some FUN things coming… in Spring of 2014! Ha. Those guys plan ahead! They also have a “lab store” which is an actual store layout where they can try new marketing set ups and product placements. So neat!

Before we left we had to get a picture in front of the sign! (By the way- it was kinda chilly, so if we look weird thats why)

From here we headed back to downtown for lunch and another stop at the Expo. We had more time to walk around/shop around and had to exchange some of our gear. Mr Dreamer got in on the expo fun… Since this whole weekend was centered around the #runfor campaign he made a sign with the (only) reason he’d ever run…

haha. I love that guy. We then got to head out to an actual Dick’s Sporting Goods store with a generous gift card in hand. I walked out with a new pair of Reebok Nanos for both me and the Mr and some Under Armour shorts and sports bra. I had plans to use the gift card on some of the Reebok CrossFit line they sell online at DicksSportingGoods.com… I’ll show you more when it arrives!

After shopping we headed back to the hotel to chill out for a bit before dinner. I wanted to get my race gear together so I didn’t forget anything… like when I forgot my Garmin when we left for my last Half and made Mr Dreamer turn around 10 minutes after leaving…. haha, oops.

I also made sure I was hydrating for the race. I’m loving this new water bottle!

We walked to dinner with the rest of the #runfor crew, including Steve Bell (check out his new blog!) who was featured in the first video of the #runfor Series. Of course there was carb loading…. in the form of this amazing pizza.

I may or may not have ended up in Market Square with the hubs hanging out and indulging in some not so pre-race friendly beverages… we ended up back at the hotel and in bed by a semi-decent hour… and the pre-race jitters were kicking in!

Full race recap to come tomorrow!

What are your pre-race rituals?

I was compensated for this campaign with Dick’s Sporting Goods. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Running, Travel

Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon Weekend- Part 1

May 6, 2013 Courtney

Holy Moly. What a weekend! Thursday afternoon Chris and I flew out of STL for Pittsburgh to spend the weekend hanging out with the Dicks Sporting Goods #RunFor Campaign Social Media Influencers. I was so incredibly blessed and humbled to be a part of this amazing group of people! The weekend was jam packed with so much that I’m going to break up my recap into a few parts.

Me, Ryan, Danica, Calvy, Linzay

They flew us in on Thursday, we met up and had a nice dinner. Friday we got to go to the expo VIP style, an hour before it opened to the public.

We were able to walk around to some of the vendors, and we found the huge Dick’s Sporting Good area at the expo. They had a photo shoot area set up, so of course I took advantage of that…

They also had a huge wall set up with the names of all the runners, they were going to have it at the starting line also. I took about 10 minutes to find my name.

I love that the mini store area that they had set up had the #RunFor posters up everywhere, and even had the videos playing as well.

After looking around the expo for a bit we got to attend the press conference, where we learned that Dick’s had paid to fly out 37 Boston Runners who didn’t have the opportunity to finish the race in Boston. We also learned that Pittsburgh has a sister city in Mexico. Then it was time for the ribbon cutting and opening the expo to the public. The line for the expo was literally out around the building! It was craaaazy!

From there we went down to Market Square. Dick’s had set up a mock finish line festival to get the city in the celebrating spirit. You could run down a “finish line” and get a medal. They had the drum line that plays at the steelers game and it was just a fun event.

The kids were the cutest. They danced their little hearts out. Loved it!

We headed to Sonoma Grill for lunch, I ordered a Cuban. It had pulled pork instead of the usual roasted pork. It was really good. I’m usually not a huge fan of different takes on the Cuban sandwich since I grew up on the “real deal” but I was impressed.

While we were sitting outside eating one of my twitter followers came up and introduced herself to me. I love meeting readers and followers! That was one of my favorite moments of the weekend for sure. After lunch we had some down time and I was able to get some work done, and start getting ready for our cocktail dinner!

I don’t get to dress up often, so I was kinda excited. I found a dress on clearance at Target for $8 months ago. I didn’t know when I’d ever wear it, but it had pockets so I couldn’t pass it up. My shoes were also a target find, $15!

I loved getting to dress up and feel super girly… even though I was covered in bruises from CrossFit!

The VIP Cocktail Dinner was hosted by Fantasy Health & Fitness – an organization started by Coach Mike Tomlin from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Coach Tomlin was one of the speakers for the evening.

Along with Coach Tomlin, we got to hear from Ryan Clark, one of the players from the Pittsburgh Steelers. We also got to hear from Steve Bell, who was featured in the very first #RunFor video.

It was a great time and the view from Le Mont was stunning. I’ll be totally honest, I did NOT expect Pittsburgh to be that “pretty” to look at. I mean, its the city of Steel… but the view did not disappoint!

All that was just Friday! I’ll be back throughout the week with recaps of our tour of the Dick’s Sporting Goods Headquarters, dinner with Steve Bell, and of course the Race Recap (Spoiler: I set a nearly 20 minute PR!!!)

Have you ever been to Pittsburgh? Do you ever travel for races?

I was compensated for this campaign with Dick’s Sporting Goods. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Running

Joggermom Virtual Marathon & New #RunFor video

April 25, 2013 Courtney

Hey Friends – Happy Thursday! How is your week going? Are you just dying for the weekend? Because I kinda am. Things have been kinda crazy lately, working from home full time, plus coaching CrossFit classes, keeping up with school, trying to run a semi organized household… it can be a lot. Then there is this whole running thing. You see, I love running. It makes me feel strong. But finding time to run in between all that I have going on is tough! I love signing up for races to help keep me motivated, but sometimes even the logistics of that can get hairy (especially with a kiddo!) That’s why I’m glad I found the Joggermom Virtual Marathon!

You have the entire month of May to run (or walk!) 26.2 miles. Totally doable, right?

From the website: Why a Virtual Marathon you may ask? Two reasons: 1) We are all Moms and finding time on the weekend to run in a race does not always happen. This way you can run with or without your children at your own leisure. It is a race but, it is not about who finished first or fastest. All who complete the race are winners. 2) I wanted to put on the Joggermom Marathon is to give back to other Moms. May is the month all of us Mothers are recognized, why not do something for ourselves this month with a promise to become more fit? This year 10% of your entry will go to the American Heart Association. Heart disease is the #1 killer in women.

I love love love that they work with the American Heart Association as I have a long family history of heart disease. I’ll have to do a whole post, or maybe even a series, on that one. This is just a fun way to encourage you get out and get moving! Use it as time for yourself or as family time with the kiddos. Whatever you do – just get out there and do it! You can find all the details on how to sign up here. It is just $10 until May 1st and $15 if you join after that. The prizes are pretty amazing too. Check these out:

Diamond Prize:

Bumbleride Indie Stroller- All new for 2013

Ruby Prize:

B.O.B. Revolution SE Single Stroller

Saphire Prize:

Baby Jogger Summit X3- All new for 2013

Emerald Prize:

Garmin Forerunner 10- GPS running watch ($130 value)
$100 Amazon gift card
Another Mother Runner book and accessories ($30 value)
2 Handful fitness bras ($50 value)

They are also hosting a photo contest with prizes as well! So what are you waiting for? Go sign up! And let me know if you’re doing it so I can cheer you on!

Need some inspiration to get out there and run? Need something to #runfor – Check out this video about Julia Chase. She is one of the reasons all us ladies can actually enter races like this!

Be sure to check out the other videos in the #runfor series as well. So inspirational!

Have you done a virtual race? Are you in for this one? What do you #runfor ?

Disclosure: I was provided a race entry free of charge for the Joggermom Virtual Marathon. The #runfor video is a part of an ongoing campaign with Dicks Sporting Goods. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Running

Thoughts on Boston

April 16, 2013 Courtney

I had a different post scheduled for today but I just couldn’t bring myself to go on with business as normal considering the events in Boston yesterday. I watched in shock yesterday as the news kept on coming of more devastation. Of all the horrors that have happened in our world recently this one hit so close to my heart. I’ve crossed the finish line of many races. That area is filled with so much hope, celebration, and encouragement. A place that is usually overflowing with tears of joy, pride, and accomplishment was defiled. After running 26.2 miles the finish line is supposed to be a place of safety. That was stolen from the runners at Boston yesterday, and that makes me angry. I don’t whoever was behind this horrid tragedy to win. My heart is sad for those lost, I pray for the recovery of those injured, but I will not live in fear. I will keep running. And I will remember why we run. The countless hours spent dreaming, planning, and training is unimaginable. The family that stands behind the runner is not to be forgotten either. They give up a lot so that their loved ones can achieve those dreams. Even if you aren’t a runner, it’s hard not to be caught up in the excitement of watching someone work so hard to reach those goals. I can’t even begin to fathom standing there at the finish line, waiting for your loved one to cross that finish line… and then be hurt or killed only because of your selfless desire to be there to support someone you love. Those people are to be honored for that.

Boston is such a prestigious race. Some people, like Roger Wright, spend a lifetime Dreaming about running in the Boston Marathon. It is literally live changing for so many people around the world. Let us not remember Boston because of terrorists. Let us remember Boston for the Runners who have made it the race it is today. We aren’t stopped by blisters, lost toenails, countless injuries and setbacks and we will not be stopped by this. Runners are strong. We are resilient When faced with a setback we typically come back with a stronger desire to conquer. And this is no different.

And so I will run. I will train. I will compete.

and when I toe the starting line of the Pittsburgh Half Marathon I will do it with a fervor in my heart to finish for all those who had that stolen from them. And I will show you, we are strong. Who knows why you did this or what you were trying to accomplish, but you picked the wrong group of people. Runners never stop.