Race Recap & Review: 2018 Harrisburg Half Marathon

Earlier this month, I ran the Harrisburg Half Marathon for the third time. I'd previously run this race in 2014 and 2017 but this year was a totally different experience because of the weather. It poured down rain before, during, and after this 13.1 mile journey through Pennsylvania's capital city. Not sprinkled, not lightly rained, it POURED.

Let's rewind and start at the beginning, shall we?

Some of our running ohana were in town to run this race. Nathan missed running this last year because of hurricane Irma (he lives in Orlando, FL) so he was able to defer to 2018. Steff and Joe (and their 12 week old golden retriever puppy, Thorsten!) drove in from Pittsburgh so Steff could run the half. Since this race was on a Sunday, we were able to spend a rainy Saturday going to local breweries and showing off some of the excellent beers in our hometown.

Cheers!

I mean, really? This face!

Saturday night, we all started obsessively checking the weather. It had been in the 90's earlier that week but the forecast for race morning was rainy and cold- in the 50's. We all talked about what we were going to wear for the race and then I remembered my father-in-law gave us construction grade garbage bags the last time they visited- perfect for a rainy run! (thanks, Les!) With the garbage bags packed and our race-day outfits laid out, we did our best to rest and not think too much about the impending cold rain that we were going to spend hours in the next day.

Altra Timps to the rescue for a rainy run!

Sunday morning greeted us with windy, cold temperatures, and pouring rain. UGH. For only the second time in my running career, I considered not running this race and just getting brunch somewhere indoors and warm. But, I got dressed anyway and piled into the car with my running ohana to make the 45 minute drive to downtown Harrisburg.

The last time I was dry all day.

When we got to the race, we had about 30 minutes to kill before the start. We all grabbed an umbrella and stood in the port-o-potty line (which wasn't too long, thankfully) so we could take care of all our pre-race business. 😏

Can you tell who's the most excited for this race?

As we made our way back to the car, we talked about our post-race meet-up plans. Since none of us were carrying phones because of the rain- and because we knew we'd want to warm up immediately after we finished- we decided that we would meet back at the car. After putting the umbrellas away, we donned our garbage bags and walked the short distance from the car to the start line...which had actually been blown down by the wind (they got it back up and standing before the race start). Fabulous!

Since I have no pictures of the race to help me remember the mile-by-mile recap, here's the short list of everything I experienced/thought about during the race:

• Holy crap, it's cold. The wind is blowing rain into my face. Awesome.
• Ok, someone has drinks... oh, it's Fireball! Yay, shots!
• Wow, that warmed me up. Coming up on mile three and feeling ok.
• Oh yeah, I remember this part, we are headed to the trail.
• Wow, there are tons of puddles on the trail! It's like a damn mud run out here!
• I'm so glad I wore the Timps. Altra trail shoes are awesome in the mud. 
• Ok people, it's just a puddle! We're already wet- just run through it!
• Thank god we're off the trail... oh shit, the road is full of puddles too.
• First runners coming through- they're at mile 11 and I'm at 7. Damn, I've still got a ways to go.
• Oooooh, more Fireball! Thank you!
• I've worn this bag for nine miles and it's getting hot. Time to make a garbage bag cape. 
• There's Matthew! Hello, love! Mid-race kisses are the best!
• Ok, mile 10, time to ditch the garbage bag.
• And we've got one more Fireball station- awesome!
• Holy crap, I think that puddle went up to my knee. I can either laugh or cry at this point, ha!
• Inching closer to the finish line... damn, my hips hurt. I've got to train better. 
• There it is! Almost done! Thank God! Only a few minutes off my goal time, awesome!!

Initially, I was hoping for a sub-2:30 at this race. After just missing it in May at Pittsburgh, I had been hopeful (earlier in the summer) that I could reach that goal. But after a lackluster few months of training, I was ecstatic that I was able to bust out a 2:34:08 in those horrible weather conditions.

If you want to see just how awful the weather was, here's a great gallery of pictures from PennLive, one of the local newspapers. Luckily, I have just one image from the race (courtesy of PennLive), and I think it's pretty rad. 😜

Living my best life.

Directly after finishing the race, I snapped a couple of pictures and headed to the warm car. From previous years, I knew there would be tons of food at the finish line but honestly, I just wanted to be warm and dry so I bee-lined it for the car. We decided to celebrate our race finishes with a trip to Troeg's Brewery for lunch and beers and then stopped at Hershey's Chocolate World for post-race chocolate snacks. All in all, it was a good day. 

While I can't say that I prefer to run in the rain, I can say that it's not terrible. I kinda feel this way about rain: there's nothing you can do about it so you might as well try to enjoy it. After all, we humans are wash and wear; we will dry out... eventually. 😜

Have you ever run a race in less than desirable conditions? How did you cope?

Sparkly Runner is FIVE! {Giveaway Details Below!}

Yesterday, this blog turned five. As in five years old. As in HALF A DECADE!

What?!?

Way back when I first had the inclination to start a blog, I don't think I ever imagined how positively my life would be impacted by sharing my running adventures with the internet.

When I started writing in 2013, I was a relatively new runner on the verge of a huge life change. I had just moved two hours away from the only home I'd ever known to live with my boyfriend (now husband) and start a new job that was completely out of my comfort zone.

I was 100+ miles from home in a small town that didn't have a lot of folks my age. Besides Matthew and a few co-workers, I really didn't know anyone, let alone anyone in the running community.

So I started writing about running on this blog. Then I started some social media channels to connect with other runners. Pretty soon I was meeting up with strangers from the internet and agreeing to run races with them. I was making friends and meeting people and traveling and experiencing new races... because of this blog.

Suddenly, Matthew and I had an extended family of runners all over the world- all from this corner of the internet.

As I stand on the verge of another series of big life changes- home ownership, graduate school, new job- I can't help but reflect on how much this blog helped me five years ago and how I can't wait to see what the next five years as the "Sparkly Runner" holds.

Thank YOU for reading and running with me these last five years. I've loved every minute of sharing the road with you. Thank you for your support, comments, and community. You ROCK!

To celebrate Sparkly Runner's Fifth Blogiversary, I've teamed up with Altra Running who has generously donated a free pair of Altra Running Shoes to give away to one lucky reader!

That's right, ANY pair of Altra Running Shoes! Huge thank you to Altra for helping me celebrate!

To enter this awesome giveaway, comment on any/all of the following with which pair of Altras you'd want to try:

• Comment on this blog post
• Tweet about the giveaway (make sure you tag me @sparklyrunner and @AltraRunning!)
• Leave an instagram comment on the giveaway post on the @sparklyrunner account
• Comment on the Sparkly Runner facebook page on the giveaway post

One winner will be chosen at random- the more times you enter, the more chances you have to win. You can tweet every day for more entries!

The fine print:
This giveaway starts today and ends at 11:59 PM on Thursday, July 26th. The winner will be notified Friday, July 27th by direct message or email and will have 48 hours to respond with requested information (name, address, shoe style, color, and size). If the winner does not respond within 48 hours a new winner will be chosen. Winner will be selected at random from the comments/entries on the blog, instagram, facebook, and twitter.


Good luck! And again, thank you for reading!

Accountability Monday: 7/9/2018

Good evening!

Today I'm writing you from beautiful Indianapolis, Indiana where I am spending the next week at a conference for work.

While I'm enjoying the conference, it has been so hard to stay on track while away from home! I have very little control over what I'm eating (the conference provides meals) and the schedule is demanding so there isn't much time to work out. But I'm trying to make it work as much as humanly possible. I'm really looking forward to being back and home and in my regular routine.

Training
Monday: 2.26 mile run, 13:17 pace
Wednesday: 3.1 mile run, 12:37 pace
Saturday: 2.37 mile run, 12:41 pace
Sunday: 2.35 mile run, 12:46 pace

Total: 10.08 miles

Man, this summer heat and humidity is killing my pace! I've had to slow down considerably because of the summer weather. Sunday's run was HORRIBLE- the heat was so bad I ended up walking much of the last .75 mile. I am really not built for summer running. 😓

Y'all. This 👏 heat 👏 is 👏 no 👏 joke. In Indianapolis all week for work so I brilliantly decide to run at 4 PM today when it's like 90 effing degrees out. Swipe left to see what it looks like when you have to sit down mid-run because you can't hang in this heat. And then a beautiful picture of what was a beautiful day... just not for running. Anyone else minding this sweltering weather?! 🙋‍♀️😥🔥

A post shared by Sarah (@sparklyrunner) on Jul 8, 2018 at 7:43pm PDT

Best Run

Running on fourth of July is always a good time- even if it's not part of an official holiday race! While it was hot and humid and not the greatest running conditions, I still got to sparkle in my patriotic Sparkle Skirt so that's got to count for something. 😍

Bravo Moment

This morning at the hotel gym, I conquered one of my fears- working out in public in front of a mirror!  I don't always know what I'm doing when working out (besides running) so the fact that I grabbed some weights and made up a little cross-training/strength workout AND did it in front of other people is a huge accomplishment for me! And my muscles are sore tonight so I must have done ok for myself, right?

Quote of the Week

In the immortal words of my friend Dory, "just keep swimming!" Applicable to so many situations in life.

That's all for this week! Look for a recap of the Pittsburgh half soon!

Race Recap & Review: 2017 Harrisburg Half Marathon

Two weeks ago, on an almost perfect Sunday morning, Matthew and I ran the 2017 Harrisburg Half Marathon.

We're always smiling at the end of a race.

Since first running this race three years ago, a new course route was adopted and I loved about 85% of it. What didn't change was the easy packet pick-up, the small, not-at-all crowded field, and the awesome food/swag at the end of the race. 

On race morning, Matthew and I arrived on City Island around 6:45 am. With an 8 am start time, we wanted to make sure we got a good parking spot and were able to get our bibs without feeling rushed. Packet pick-up was a breeze and we got a primo spot in the lot- mission one accomplished. 

After hanging out in the car keeping warm for a bit (it was a little breezy and cool), we walked to the start at 7:45 am. Because this is a small field (less than 800 runners), there weren't any corrals- we just lined up towards the back. There were pacers available for several finish times up until 2:30.

View from the back of the pack.

Before the race, I had connected with Matt (on instagram as @tallguyruns) as he was training for the Harrisburg Half as his first-ever half marathon. Because this is such a small race- and because Matt is like seven feet tall- I spotted him waiting for the start and we were able to wish each other luck before the race. 

Matthew and I decided to run this race separately so we could use the results as proof of time for our upcoming races in Walt Disney World. My race strategy was pretty simple- finish under 2:40. As pneumonia had kicked my ass all summer, my thoughts/plans for a sub-2:30 went out the window months ago. I hoped to keep my pace hovering between 11:30-12:00 minute miles and finish feeling strong and under 2:40. 

With the new course, we started out on the market street bridge and actually ran on the other side of the Susquehanna River for about a mile. Coming back across another bridge (no clue of the name) into downtown, we had a stunning view of the Harrisburg skyline for at least another mile. It was one of my favorite parts of the race. 

❤

The course took us along Front Street and into the Greenbelt- a trail that runs through part of the city. I was thankful for the shade- as the morning went on it started to heat up quite a bit. Just before we entered the trail, I got to see my friend Scott handing out beer at mile 4. Of course I stopped and had some. 😄

Friends with beer are the best.

This was a nice change of pace from the city streets.

After the greenbelt, we headed back downtown along the river to my least favorite part of the course. Basically, this was an out and back that felt like it went on forever. I hate courses like this because they really mess with your head. You watch all the runners going in the opposite direction for miles knowing that you have to eventually reach the turn-around point and then come alllllll the way back. 

My lack of training also showed up around this point in the race- my legs and hips were just screaming at me to stop. That's what a summer of barely-running and battling lung issues will get you. 

But there was one cool aspect of this part of the race- I got to see Matthew flying down the road! He was in between the 2:10 and 2:20 pacer and I knew he was going to be close to reaching his goal of 2:15 (he finished in 2:17). 

Heading towards the long stretch of the out and back section of the course.

Hi, Matthew!

Eventually, I made it to the turn-around and finished those last few miles along the river. Scott showed up again around mile 12 with more beer. Obviously I drank some more. 😄

Is there really anything better than mile 12 beer?

With my sore legs and aching hips, I was ready to be done with this race. I had been watching my time and knew that I would be able to finish well under 2:40 as long as I didn't give up and kept pushing.

Another back of the pack benefit? No crowded race pictures! Photo: Penn Images

I rounded the last corner and headed onto the Walnut Street Bridge back to City Island and the to the finish- my official time was 2:35:53 with an overall pace of 11:54/mile. 

Last bridge!

Beer me.

Directly after getting my medal, I was able to stop at a computer/printing station and get a little print-out of my results from the timing company- that was pretty cool. After catching my breath and finding Matthew in the crowd, we headed back to the pavilion (where we'd picked up our packets) for a full-spread of Panera sandwiches, cookies, and other snacks. We also bumped into my blogger friend Lindsay who I've known for about four years but never officially met in real life which was pretty neat. 

Delish.

Check out that bling. And those shoes! 😍

After hanging around for a bit, Matthew and I left the race for a visit to Troegs Brewery for a celebratory beer and ridiculously large soft pretzel.

Because running. 🍻

A post shared by Sarah (@sparklyrunner) on Sep 10, 2017 at 9:20am PDT

All in all, this was a really well-organized, fun race. I love the small field, the ease of parking and packet pick-up, and the relatively flat course. While the out and back section isn't my favorite, it was still pretty cool to see the runners in front of you. And of course, when you've got friends on the course with beer, that makes it a good race all around. 😉

This is a great, small, simple half marathon so if you ever find yourself in south central PA in September, you should definitely check this one out.


Do you have a favorite local race? What do you love about it?

RW Half & Festival: Come Run With Me!

The Runner's World Half & Festival holds a very, very special place in my heart. The beautiful city of Bethlehem, the changing leaves and perfect running weather in October, the super cool expo speakers, the opportunity to meet and run with editors from Runner's World...  it all adds up to one awesome running weekend.

Photo credit: Runner's World

But I've actually never even run any of the races during the RW Half & Festival Weekend! So, how can I love a race so much when I've never crossed the starting line? Let's rewind to October 2014....

If you've been a long-time reader of this blog, then you know I suffered a second metatarsal stress fracture in September 2014 and was on a knee scooter/non-weight bearing for seven long, torturous weeks. I missed several races that fall and winter- one of which was the "Hat Trick" at RW Half & Festival. I was supposed to run the 5k and 10k on Saturday and then the half on Sunday. Instead, I found myself cheering on lots of friends, volunteering at the expo, and stalking Bart Yasso all weekend 😊

And I had an AWESOME time! Even though I couldn't run, I still got to chat with Runner's World editors/staff, hang out in between races with friends, and just enjoy the atmosphere of a weekend catered to runners of all levels.

We met Mandy for the first time this weekend!

Then in 2015, I returned to Bethlehem, not to run, but to cheer on several runners/friends that were in town to run the race. The steel stacks are only two hours from my home so I couldn't not make the trip to see Dani (Weight Off My Shoulders), Linzie (Sharp Endurance), Jenna (This Princess Runs For Sparkle) and Kristin (Bama Girl Runs) who had traveled from all over the country/state for the races!

❤❤❤

So, is it any surprise that I am SO EXCITED to head back to Bethlehem this fall and actually get to run the "Grand Slam" as part of the RW Half & Festival Run Crew?! I literally cannot wait!

I'll be running all the races during the weekend (minus the Kids Race and the Dog Run): a 3.8 mile trail race on Friday, 5k and 10k on Saturday, and the half marathon on Sunday.

Want to join me for one of the best race weekends on the east coast??

The awesomely generous folks at Runner's World have given me one FREE RACE ENTRY for any of the weekend's events to giveaway to one lucky blog reader! See details below for your chance to win!

Giveaway Rules: This giveaway will run until 8/23/17 at midnight. At that time, rafflecopter randomly selects a winner from all the entries. The more points you accumulate, the more entries you can get- make sure to tweet about the giveaway every day to get more chances to win!

I will contact the winner on 8/23/17 by email and will give a two day window to respond/claim the prize. If I have not heard from the winner by midnight on 8/25/17, I will draw another name/winner from the rafflecopter list.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


If you don't happen to win the free entry, you can still get a 10% discount on any of the weekend's races by using the code "SPARKLYRUNNER" at checkout. 



Good luck and see you in Bethlehem!

Vacation Recap & Review: All Aboard the Disney Wonder!

Last month, Matthew and I took a spontaneous cruise on the Disney Wonder- the only Disney Cruise Line ship we hadn't been on. We first sailed on the Dream, got engaged on the Magic, and honeymooned on the Fantasy.

While looking for spring break vacation ideas, Matthew stumbled upon a three-night itinerary on the Wonder. We just had to book it! So, three weeks before we would set sail, we booked a trip on the Disney Wonder. With less than a month to plan, we did a lot of research on the ship's restaurants, bars, pools, etc., by reading a ton of blogs and reviews. The Wonder had just come out of dry dock in November (basically it was remodeled and upgraded) and we were so excited to explore a brand new (to us) ship!

The wondrous Disney Wonder.

Our cruise left Port Canaveral on a Thursday. We took a 6 am flight to Orlando so we could be in the airport, and thus on the bus to Port Canaveral, super early. We got to the port around 10 am and they started letting folks on around 11:30. Unfortunately, we were in boarding group 21 so we had a while to wait before we could board the ship- about another half hour after boarding started.

When we boarded the ship, we were immediately impressed with the new chandelier, designed to mimic the flower in Ariel's hair. We also were struck with how "small" the atrium was. I think because we'd just gotten off the Dream in January, the atrium seemed smaller than it really was. However, it was still incredibly beautiful and the Ariel statue was simply perfect!

This trip, we had planned on getting a drink at every bar on the ship- seven in all. We made a beeline for Promenade Lounge, grabbed a few mojitos, and took an unofficial tour of the third and fourth decks- all the restaurants, shops, info desks, etc. Then we decided to skip our traditional embarkation day lunch at Cabanas, the buffet on deck nine, and opted for a sit-down meal in Triton's.

Check out that gorgeous Little Mermaid mural!

The rest of the afternoon was spent enjoying our room, lounging at the pool, and touring the ship. We were so impressed with so many things on this ship, including the adult-only area, "After Hours." Featuring a gorgeous nightclub, "Azure," a meticulously-themed bar, "Cadillac Lounge," and a proper English pub, "Crown & Fin." To say these spaces were gorgeous is an understatement.

We dominated 90's music trivia in Crown & Fin. 

Check out the details in this lounge- so neat!

Definitely one of our favorite areas on the ship.

This trip, we chose a different type of room to stay in- a Navigator's Veranda. Typically, we get a room with a traditional veranda/balcony. The Navigator's Veranda is a little different in that it's almost like a screened-in porch without the screen. It's hard to describe but hopefully the pictures below will help illustrate it. We really liked this style of room and will probably book this again- especially since it saved us some money as it is less expensive than a traditional veranda.

View of the ocean from the veranda. There were also some navigation tools built into the ledge of the veranda.

There was a bench on the right-hand side, a chair on the left-hand side, and a table in the middle.

View from inside the stateroom looking out.

Our first night on the ship included meeting our table mates for dinner in Triton's (three other childless couples) and checking out a fantastic singer in Cadillac Lounge. We really loved the options for adult-only entertainment on the ship- there was trivia, singers/piano players, game shows, and so much more. Anyone that thinks Disney cruises are just for kids needs to come on vacation with us 😄

The itinerary for this trip was embarkation day, day at sea, Castaway Cay, then back to Port Canaveral for debarkation. 

Our sea day started with complimentary room service: coffee, fruit, yogurt. Then we went for a run on the "jogging track" on deck four. I got to try out my new Altra Torins (which I LOVE!) while getting in about 2.5 miles. 

Sunrise at sea.

Altra Torins- awesome on land and sea.

I'd like to dine like this every day, please.

After our workout, we headed back to Triton's for a sit-down breakfast. On Disney ships, there are always two options for each meal; Cabanas buffet and a traditional restaurant. This trip we definitely took advantage of the sit-down meals more often than we usually do.  

Spending much of our day at sea at the adult-only pool was incredibly relaxing. We grabbed another set of drinks from Signals, the pool bar, and explored the upper decks of the ship. One of the cool things about the Wonder is that Cove Cafe (coffee shop near the pool) is actually on two levels and features some beautiful panoramic views of the ocean. 

18+ pool and hot tubs. Cove Cafe's second floor is in the upper-left corner of this picture. 

We booked a Mixology class for the afternoon and got to enjoy five hand-crafted drinks with Ivan, the Cadillac Lounge head bartender. We absolutely love the tastings and mixology classes offered on Disney cruises. Not only do we learn a ton about the history of the drinks we're making, but we also typically meet some cool people. 

Ivan, making the most delicious chocolate martini.

Our second night of the cruise included seeing "Disney Dreams- An Enchanted Classic," playing a fun round of trivia in Crown & Fin, eating dinner at Animator's Palate, and watching an incredibly awkward game show in Azure. Well, the game show wasn't awkward, but there was one couple playing the game that had broken up years earlier and were trying to rekindle their relationship with a trip on the Disney Wonder. It was so uncomfortable but still funny. I bet those two had some awkward conversations afterward.

We make a pretty good team.

Fancy martinis in Azure.

Our last day on this cruise was our favorite: Castaway Cay! We started the day early with room service as we got ready for the Castaway Cay 5k. After enjoying coffee on our Navigator's Verandah (this is the classification of the stateroom we were in- basically, it's a type of balcony room), we headed down to Azure to get our bibs and get in line to disembark the ship. I decided to dress as my favorite Disney character for this race. It just so happened that she had her own statue in the atrium. 😊

Yup. I brought a dinglehopper with me and ran with it the whole time.

We got off the ship and walked the half mile to the start line of the race. The weather was perfect- we knew it would be a great beach day once we finished the race. We ran using 30:30 second intervals and finished the race in about 36 minutes, roughly 12 minute miles. 

 Tropical mid-race selfies.

Caution runners, rough road ahead.

Torins + the beach = heaven.

After the 5k, we made our way up to the adult beach where I did a yoga class and Matthew napped in a hammock. For real, can we just do this every weekend?! 

We hung around the beach until lunch. Then the clouds started rolling in... and in a matter of 20 minutes, it was pouring down rain! So much for our perfect beach day! We headed back towards the ship, stopping at the "Conched Out" bar to get a drink and wait out the rain. Eventually, the rain did stop, though it felt like the temperature dropped 20 degrees. We spent the rest of the afternoon snorkeling and relaxing in hammocks. 

Not a bad view.

That night, we got to see "Frozen,  A Musical Spectacular," which was incredible, and then ate at Tiana's Place, the newest restaurant on the ship. As you might know, I am a huge fan of Princess Tiana. She is my absolute favorite Disney Princess- I trained for my first half and first full marathons listening to "Almost There" and "Dig a Little Deeper" on repeat. You can imagine how damn excited I was to actually be eating in the legit, real-life Tiana's Place. 

It exists!

!!!

Can you tell I'm super pumped?!

Not only is the level of detail exquisite (lily-pad trivets, frogs on the dinner plates), but the food is damn good! From the sausage fritters and shrimp and grits appetizers to the cajun spiced sea bass to Tiana's "man-catching beignets," everything was amazing. I even ordered a Purple Haze beer- brewed by Abita Springs in New Orleans. I had authentic New Orleans meals and authentic New Orleans beer in Tiana's restaurant. It was like I was inside the "Princess and a Frog" movie! The desert menu even had light-up fireflies on the outside cover. Light-up fireflies!

These shrimp and grits were so, so good.

!!!

But the absolute best part of Tiana's Place is Tiana herself. She personally came around to every table during dinner and said hello/posed for pictures. I might have almost cried when she came to us. After dinner, Tiana and Louis and the Crawfish Crooners- the brass band playing throughout dinner- actually lead us on a second line/limbo line through the restaurant. It was so magical!

BFF's 4 EVA.

Magic!

Probably the best Disney restaurant we've ever experienced.

After our super-fun dinner at Tiana's, Matthew and I spent our last night on the Disney Wonder in the adult pool, just hanging out and soaking in the last few hours we had on board. 

Seriously, how beautiful is this pool?

One last selfie on the Wonder.

Overall, this was a fabulous trip and we absolutely adored the Disney Wonder. The upgrades they made are simply stunning and in some ways, this ship feels brand new. While we didn't experience them, we heard that the kid's clubs areas had also been refurbished and received significant upgrades. 

This trip came at the perfect time for both of us- we've both had extremely busy semesters at work and have been under a great deal of stress. It was awesome to get on board the ship, turn off our phones, and just hang out with each other (and Mickey!) for a few days. 

Will we sail on the Wonder again? Most definitely! I don't know when, but we'll definitely be back on this ship in the future!

See ya real soon, Disney Wonder!