Runner's World Half & Festival Weekend Recap: Part 3 and Giveaway!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary entry to the Runner's World Half & Festival Weekend. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own. 

Part 1 Recap
Part 2 Recap

Last Sunday morning, I woke up early, stiff and sore from running 15+ miles in the two days prior. But, I had one more race to complete in the "Grand Slam" at the Runner's World Half & Festival Weekend: the 13.1 mile tour-by-foot of Bethlehem, PA. 

As I got ready for the half marathon, I used my Trigger Wheel (from the makers of "The Stick") to roll out some of the tightness in my calves. All the hills in the previous days had caught up to me and I was desperately wishing I'd brought my foam roller with me for the weekend. However, I picked up the Trigger Wheel (as one of the perks of the influencer program) at the expo on Saturday and it helped to ease some of the soreness and muscle pain I had in my calves. You can read more about how "The Stick" is beneficial to runners here. 

I got dressed for the marathon, choosing a SparkeSkirt and tank top- the temps were going to be a little chilly in the morning but creeping up near 70 degrees by mid-day. I also chose to wear a brand new pair of compression socks I received from Mojo Socks, also as part of the blogger/influencer program. Now, the rule is "nothing new on race day," but I felt like these socks were going to be super comfortable for the race. Spoiler alert: they were!

After Zoe and I got ready and packed our gear bags, we went downstairs to meet our blogger friends for the last morning of this race weekend. We each grabbed some continental breakfast and made our way towards the start line around 7:15- the race start time was 8 am. 

Lauren, Me, Rylee, Zoe.

Since we all run at different paces, and weren't sure if we'd see each other after the race, we grabbed a few more pictures, hugged it out, and said our goodbyes. I met up with Matthew and just like the days before, we lined up at the start near the 12:00/mile pace sign. 

We decided that we'd run this race separately; Matthew runs faster than me and he wanted to see what he could do on this challenging course. He stayed with me as we moved up towards the start, again doing the wave release like we had in the previous races. Right before it was our turn, we said good luck to each other and then Matthew took off ahead of me. 

Start lines always have more energy when they're next to Steel Stacks. It's a fact.

I had cued up my headphones- like I always do when I run alone- but for some reason I didn't put them on right away. Since this was a new-to-me race, I kinda wanted to experience every bit of the course, the spectators, just the entire atmosphere. I ended up running the entire race without my headphones; a first for me. It was actually super cool and I enjoyed music-free running so much more than I thought I would.

The first few miles of this course felt similar to the other races as they followed a similar route. As I was running along, sans music, I saw the 2:45 pace group come up behind me. I decided that I'd try to stay with them as long as possible- knowing how hilly this course would be, I figured that 2:45 would be a good goal for me.

Just after the start- check out those gorgeous fall colors on the trees!

Those blurry folks behind me are the 2:45 pace group.

This was a really pretty course...even if it was insanely hilly.

By about mile 4, I noticed that I was consistently ahead of the pace group and I thought if I pushed it, I could finish this race under 2:45. So that's what I tried to do... while stopping for beer, high-5's from kids, and petting dogs, obviously. I even got to see Matthew on a little out and back section and took a potty break! So, while I was trying to be consistent and beat 2:45, I still was enjoying myself on the race course and honestly, just soaking it all in.

I loved almost every minute of this race. The residents of Bethlehem drinking their coffee and cheering from their front porches were super sweet, the other folks running were encouraging and uplifting, and there were some really incredible cheer stations set up with bands, loud speakers with music, and full-on barbecues/parties. Since much of the race was through residential areas, there were folks camped out on their lawns, watching and cheering us on. It was cool.

The only part of this race I didn't love was around mile 6- there was an insane hill that went on forever.  I mean, right in the middle of the half?! UGH. But, I made the climb and continued on, somehow feeling stronger and stronger as the race went on.

It was a beautiful, beautiful day for a race.

I finished out the last few miles of the course pretty strong: 12:13/11:22/11:55 splits in the last three miles. I reached my goal of sub-2:45 and finished a course with 547 feet of elevation in 2:41:57. I was pretty damn proud of myself.

Matthew was waiting for me near the finisher chute. We grabbed our bags from bag check, collected our bananas, bagels, and pretzels, and then headed to the beer tent. This year, we got Dogfish Head's SeaQuench Ale, an absolutely delicious sour beer made with lime, coriander, and sea salt. Yum! Also, the band playing at the finisher's area was really, really good and there was a great deal of wobbling on sore legs dancing going on near the beer tent :-)

Now it's a party :-)

FINAL THOUGHTS ON RW HALF & FESTIVAL
I've run a lot of races. 24 half marathons, 3 full marathons, and probably close to 100 other smaller distance races. Trust me when I say that this race weekend was one of the best race weekends I've ever been part of. The courses were challenging but beautiful, the start/finish lines were easy and convenient, the expo is full of high-quality vendors, there are ample opportunities to meet and run with Runner's World and Altra staff, and free race photos! And amazing, unique medals. The half marathon medal is not only a bottle opener, but it also had three hooks on it so you could attach the trail, 5k, and 10k medals to it. It is the most unique medal I have ever earned.

Will I be back for 2018? Absolutely!

Who doesn't love free race photos?!

Look at the size of this thing!

THE GIVEAWAY
The awesome folks at Runner's World, Altra, Mojo Socks, and The Stick have all generously partnered with me to bring you one heck of a giveaway!

One lucky reader will get:

• (1) Runner's World Swag Bag filled with runner goodies
• (1) Pair of Mojo Compression Socks
• (1) Pair of Altra HIIT XT cross training shoes
• (1) The Stick - intracell stick for muscle relief/self-massage

How cool is that?! To enter, fill out the rafflecopter below. A winner will be chosen at random next Friday- you can tweet once a day to increase your chances of winning! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway Rules:

• Contest will run from 10/27/17 at midnight until midnight on 11/3/17
• One winner will be picked at random on 11/3/17 and will be notified via email on 11/3/17
• Winner will need to reply to email with requested details by 11/5/17 or another winner will be chosen on 11/6/17
• Giveaway open to residents in the continental US only

I owe a HUGE thank you to Runner's World and Altra for the invitation to be part of the blogger/influencer program. Yes, being part of exclusive meet-and-greets and getting free stuff is always cool, but the best part of this weekend was all the people I got to meet and get to know. My running family grew larger last weekend and I can't wait to see my new friends out on the road again someday. Thanks, Runner's World, Altra, and Lauren (RW staff who put the whole blogger/influencer program together), for making this an unforgettable weekend full of beautiful memories!

Before memories of #rwhalf disappear in the rearview mirror, and we all focus on the next goal, the next race, etc., I want to reflect on how absolutely awesome my experience was this past weekend (more to come this week on the blog 😍). I've said it before and I'll say it again: the best part of race weekends are the people you get to share them with. All the bloggers/influencers, @runnersworldevents staff, @altrarunning folks, volunteers and other runners I met this weekend filled my heart with so much joy. Running might be considered a solo activity by some, but for me, it will always be the activity that's brought so many good people into my life. Thank you for being part of my running family. ❤✨🏃

A post shared by Sarah (@sparklyrunner) on Oct 23, 2017 at 9:33am PDT

Runner's World Half & Festival Weekend Recap: Part 2

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary entry to the Runner's World Half & Festival Weekend. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own. 

Part 1 Recap (start here)

When we last left our weekend story, Zoe and I were headed to bed early Friday night. I woke up early Saturday morning, a bit sore but ready for the double-header of races: 5k at 8 am and 10k at 9:30 am. Zoe and I got ready and walked downstairs to meet up with the rest of the crew from yesterday including Kiera and Takia from City Fit Girls and Laura from Mommy Run Fast. Eric, from Dirty Old Sneakers, had to return home to a work emergency and we defintely missed him Saturday morning!

We were staying about three quarters of a mile from the race start so we left the hotel around 7:15 am. Matthew's parents and family friends, Mr. and Mrs. C., were also en route to the race start as they were driving in for the day to see me and Matthew in between the 5k and 10k. Matthew's hotel was a few miles outside of Bethlehem, so on race morning he drove into the Steel Stacks parking lot and hung out there until I joined him at the start. 

Once at the race start, we grabbed a few pictures and then got ourselves lined up for the 5k. There aren't corrals for this race, rather there is signage for pace and everyone was expected to line up where they belonged.

Zoe, Theodora, Lauren, me and Rylee

Who's ready for a 5k?!

Matthew and I lined up at the 12:00 minute/mile pace sign and talked a bit about our race strategy... basically, take it nice and slow and enjoy running with each other. The race started in staggered waves based on pace; we were in wave 3, aka the last wave and the party wave! 

The 5k course was pretty scenic with a few rolling hills. Compared to the trail race, which had an elevation gain of 579 feet (!), this 5k's elevation gain of only 77 feet felt flat and fast. We chatted our way through 3.1 miles and finished with an overall pace of 12:22. One of the things I loved about this race was that we were able to see our speedier friends on an out-and-back section of the course. It's always fun to be able to cheer on other runners during a race! :-)

Matthew's family met us at the finish line and we had about a half hour to catch up with them before we had to get back out to the start for the 10k. 

Speedy Lauren headed towards the finish... 

... with Laura right behind her!

Best sign on the course. 

2/4; 6.9 miles complete. Now we 10k. #rwhalf #grandslam

A post shared by Sarah (@sparklyrunner) on Oct 21, 2017 at 6:32am PDT

After hanging with Matthew's family for a bit, we left them in the ArtsQuest building and went back to the start to toe the line for the 10k. The weather was warming up quite a bit so I took off my long sleeved shirt and left it in my bag and with bag check before the second race. 

Again, we lined up at the 12:00 pace sign and again we started in wave 3. The 10k course follows part of the 5k course in reverse and was much hillier- there was an overall gain of 176 feet. We ran through several downtown streets and the course was truly beautiful. And it ended up being near-perfect weather for running, if not a bit warm. 

Around mile 5, Matthew's mom texted him to let him know she had a surprise waiting for us at the finish. We speculated on what it could be but for some reason we never guessed what it actually was... beer! They actually bought us two beers and passed them to us right after we finished- even before we got our medals! Another benefit to having the ArtsQuest building so close to the start and finish lines; access to beer! 

They know the way to our hearts.

Thanks for watching us race, fam!

Everything about this race weekend was easy; bag check, start lines, lots of port-a-potties, an option for a "real" bathroom in the ArtsQuest building, etc. It was convenient to have all the races start and finish in the same place and convenient to have the ArtsQuest building/expo directly next to the races. The whole process was uncomplicated- which I appreciated immensely as there was so much going on during the weekend.

After the race, I shopped in the expo a bit and then headed back to my hotel to shower and then drove out to Matthew's hotel to pick up our sweet pup, Koda, for his first-ever race!

Koda and I made our way back to the Steel Stacks- the 5k/10k finish line was the start of the dog run, I pinned his bib to his harness, and we got ready to line up with all the other dogs.

"Mom, I'm ready." #rwhalf #dogrun

A post shared by Sarah (@sparklyrunner) on Oct 21, 2017 at 11:01am PDT

I can only describe the dog run in two ways: controlled chaos and pure, unadulterated joy. I giggled the entire time I walked Koda in the race- it was so absurdly funny to me to see all the dogs (there were probably close to 100) with bibs and costumes on trying to run a race. The official dog run was two, half-mile laps but since it was getting pretty warm out and Koda has some struggles breathing in hot weather, we only did one half-mile lap and called it a day. And just like a real runner, Koda had to stop and poop halfway through the first lap, ha!

You can see more of the dog run in this Runner's World article; you might even recognize a few familiar faces about halfway down the page. :-) 

After the dog run, Matthew took Koda back to his hotel and I headed back to my hotel to get ready for drinks with the Runner's World Editor-in-Chief, Betty Wong Ortiz (!), and the pasta party. 

Bart marveling at his own face on the cake :-)

Drinks with Betty (and the rest of the RW crew and bloggers) were awesome and the pasta party had some delicious food- it was definitely the tastiest pasta party I've ever been to! The dinner also was a sort-of tribute to Bart Yasso as he is retiring from Runner's World this year. There was a slideshow of pictures of Bart through the year and there was even a cake with his face on it :-)

After the pasta party, we walked back to the hotel, said our goodbyes/good nights, and tried to get a good night's sleep- a 13.1 mile tour of Bethlehem waited for us in the morning!

Stay tuned for part 3- you don't want to miss it!

Runner's World Half & Festival Weekend Recap: Part 1

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary entry to the Runner's World Half & Festival Weekend. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own. 

Y'all, I am struggling to put into words just how awesome this past weekend at the Runner's World Half & Festival truly was! As you might know from previous posts or if you were following along on twitter or instagram this weekend, then you know I was selected as one of ten bloggers chosen to be part of the Runner's World Half Run Crew. This blogger/influencer program had us learning, running, laughing, and networking with each other - and RW Editors and Altra staff- all weekend long.

To be honest, I was a little anxious heading into the weekend- meeting nine other bloggers/runners who were all faster than me (not like I stalked researched them on social media or anything)- would we all get along? Would they be friendly? I felt like I was back in elementary school, nervously heading into a new classroom for the year. But really, I shouldn't have worried at all. I left this weekend with a heart full of joy and a whole new crew of friends in my running family. 💖

❤

This post will recap Thursday and Friday (hang in there, it's a long one!); subsequent posts will recap Saturday and Sunday. Make sure you come back here for Parts 2 and 3 because the folks at Runner's World and Altra (and some others!) are awfully generous- just make sure you visit again this week! 😁

THURSDAY
Late Thursday afternoon, I arrived in Bethlehem, PA to the Comfort Inn and Suites, my home for the weekend. I met my super sweet roommate, Zoe from Miles Fitter, and we chatted a bit before our first event of the weekend- a private tour of Runner's World HQ, aka Rodale, Inc., with the legend himself, Bart Yasso. I also met the other bloggers and we all got to know each other as we rode over to Rodale on our super exclusive 15-passenger van. :-)

After getting a behind-the-scenes peek of how the magazine gets put together (and some other neat spaces at Rodale), we were treated to a fantastic dinner with Altra and Runner's World staff. I might have had a super fangirl moment when I got to meet Golden Harper, founder and creator of Altra, aka, the only shoes that my busted up feet can run in.

Sweet swag bag we got full of runner goodies!

Official.

I can get behind this mission statement. 

These roasted veggies were so good.

After dinner, we were split into teams and played trivia. Hollie from Fueled By Lolz and I were partnered together and we may have gotten two (?) answers correct? Either way, it was fun getting to know some of the RW Editors and other bloggers while failing miserably at running trivia.

Once back at the hotel, Theodora (Preppy Runner) and Lauren (Breathe Deeply and Smile) and I went out into town in search of some craft beer. We found a buzzing little place, Bonn Place Brewing Company, and enjoyed some beers and bonding.

If ever you find yourself in Bethlehem, try "Nemo" here :-)

We didn't stay out too late- we had an early wake-up call the next day for a shakeout run with Golden Harper (founder of Altra) and Ryan Hall, Olympian and current U.S. record holder for fastest half marathon (59:43)!

FRIDAY
Early Friday morning, 6:45 to be exact, we all met Suzanne (RW Editor), Golden, Ryan, and some other Altra folks for a nice and easy shakeout run around Bethlehem. I might have freaked out again because we were running with the founder of Altra and a former Olympian! What?!

As it turns out, everyone we were running with was super chill and super nice. I ended up spending the last half of the run with Ryan and talking about everything from adoption, to working for a college, to running, to life after competitive sports, etc. It was pretty damn cool.

We also ran into a professional photographer on one of the bridges and he grabbed this awesome shot. Thanks, Marty!

Me and Ryan. And Golden in the background :-)

We ended our run at the Arts Quest building/Steel Stacks- where the races would start and finish and where the expo was held. We had breakfast and then were treated to listening to Golden tell the story about how- and why- Altra was created. I learned so much about how Altra's foot-shaped and zero-drop technologies help runners achieve pain and injury free running. I mean, I thought I knew a lot about the shoes and the story, but Golden really explained the science and the reasoning behind why Altra shoes are good for your feet. Hearing him speak confirmed for me that I will always be an Altra runner.

A foot-shaped toe box is important, y'all!

After learning more about Altra, we headed outside for a "run better" clinic using these four principles: Proud Posture, Compact Arms, Low-Impact Landing, and High Cadence. I highly recommend you check out more about these running form best practices here. This clinic was incredibly helpful and I used several of these techniques to help me keep proper form over the weekend of races.

If you're wondering, yes, Golden did run up to the top of that arch. He's insane...ly awesome!

Listening intently to the "run better" master.

Ok, so here's where the whining comes in, ha! After the clinic, we got a surprise- a pair of Altra HIIT XT shoes! Yay! Right?! We got the new shoes, which are basically designed for cross-training, and then we got to try them out with a 16 minute, High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workout led by Altra Trainer Emily. Holy. Sh!t. This workout was intense. There was a group of us that were definitely whining a little louder than the rest of the group, ha! Someone from Altra was taking pictures- I hope those never see the light of day. There's a reason I'm a runner and not a cross-fitter or really anything else that requires upper body strength- there might have been some rolling around on the ground when I was supposed to be doing push-ups. :-) The one positive of this workout? The Altra HIIT XT's were awesome! They have a lot of support on the sides of your feet/shoes so moving in any direction is not a problem with these. I can't wait to try them out the next time I'm doing any sort of cross-training.

After our second workout of the day, we were treated to lunch and an inspirational talk from Bart Yasso. He spoke to us about what it means to be an influencer and shared with us some of the stories of folks he's met over the years and the impact they've had on his life. Trust me, there was not a dry eye in the room when he was finished speaking. We also each got a signed copy of his latest book, Race Everything, and had some more time with the folks from Altra and Runner's World.

This guy. ❤

From there, we made a mad dash to the expo to pick up bibs for the weekend and then get ready for the 3.8 mile trail race that afternoon. I grabbed my bib from an incredibly handsome volunteer, shopped the expo a bit, and then walked back to the hotel to change and get ready for the race. I should probably mention that Matthew came up to Bethlehem for the weekend but stayed in another hotel so I could have the full blogger experience- he's the sweetest.

Volunteer Extraordinaire. 

To get to the trail race, we had to board shuttles at Arts Quest to get up to the section of the trail where we would start and end the race. Once there, we had about an hour to kill while we waited for the race to begin. I was able to spot another blogger in the crowd, Rylee from Man Bun Run, and we chatted for a bit about what was to come. I'd heard this race was pretty brutal and let me tell you- it totally was.

About 15 minutes before the start, they walked us all up a hill to get roughly corraled into a starting line based on pace. Matthew and I grabbed a space where we could and hoped we were seeded correctly.

Somewhere up there is the starting line.

I can't really say that we "ran" this race for a few reasons- the course was narrow and single-file at some points, the hills were really effing steep, and there were rocks and roots everywhere. Trail running demands so much of your attention- you have to watch every single step.

Matthew and I struggled with this course- it definitely showed me some gaps in my training; mainly, I need to incorporate more hill and trail work into my regular running routine. In short, I was not ready for this race.

But- we finished! It may have taken over 58 minutes, but Matthew and I completed the first race of the Grand Slam: 3.8 mile trail race, 5k, 10k, half marathon.

This blurry picture doesn't even capture how vertical this course was.

So. Glad. To. Be. Done.

Luckily for us, there was plenty of pizza and water out for runners at the finish. We got to see Lauren, Zoe, Theodora, and Rylee at the finish and I think we all were a little winded at the end of this one. I'm looking forward to coming back next year and crushing this race now that I know what I'm in for!

After the race, we had some downtime, so Matthew and I had dinner before he dropped me off at my hotel. The next day held back-to-back races, the dog run, and more events with the blogging crew. Zoe and I chatted for a bit, compared notes from the trail race, and laid out our things for the next morning before getting in bed- I'm pretty sure we were asleep by 10!


Stay tuned for Recaps Part 2 and 3! 

It's Race Weekend!

Y'all! It's finally Runner's World Half & Festival Weekend!

I am driving to Bethelehem, PA this afternoon and the weekend officially kicks off at 5 pm tonight with dinner and tour of RW Headquarters, courtesy of the RW Half Run Crew program- somebody pinch me because this feels like a dream!

There are so many things I'm looking forward to about this race weekend- here are the top five, in no particular order:

Finishing under the steel stacks.

As you know, the last time I signed up for this race, my foot was broken and I wasn't able to run. Having cheered for this race weekend both in 2014 and 2015, I know how amazingly cool the finish line is and I cannot wait to see those steel stacks at the end of each race.

Running Koda's first race!

"Wait, what?!"

Yup- part of the race weekend is a dog walk on Saturday afternoon and I've signed up our little pug for his first one-mile race! Now, we'll have to wait and see if he cooperates enough to make this happen and if my schedule allows me enough time to get back to the hotel and get him before the 2 pm start time (we've got a lot of stuff happening as part of the RW Half Run Crew program). But we're going to try!

Hanging out with Bart Yasso.

Me and Bart, RW Half 2015

Bart is really just the most chill, down-to-earth, coolest runner dude I've probably ever met. I love talking to him at race expos and I'm pumped to be able to hang with him this weekend. And as he is officially retiring from Runner's World this year, I'm grateful for the opportunity to see him one more time at the RW Half & Festival Weekend.

Meeting the rest of the Run Crew.

For the last few months, Run Crew has known each other through social media- I'm looking forward to meeting everyone in person and getting to know them over the weekend! If you can't tell by now, I'm a pretty strong extrovert and sincerely love meeting new friends :-)

Running with this guy all weekend long.

RW Half 2014

I mean, look at how cute this dude is! :-) Seriously though, running with my husband is one of my most favorite parts of any race weekend. And with both of us doing the Grand Slam (trail race, 5k, 10k, half), we've got plenty of opportunity to race together.


There are lots of other reasons I'm excited for this weekend- make sure you're following me on instagram and twitter- I'm sure I'll be sharing a ton over the next three days!


See you in Bethlehem! 

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!

Accountability Monday: 8/14/17

Hola, friends! I am so excited to post this morning because I can finally share some awesome news that I received a few weeks ago- read on to find out how this benefits YOU!

Training
Wednesday: 3.1 miles, 12:41 pace
Saturday: 3.1 miles, 12:10 pace

This week, I finally was able to start running again with no issues from the pneumonia. It has been about seven weeks since I have been able to run consistently without any chest pain or coughing. Since there are only three weeks (!) until the Harrisburg Half Marathon, I'm going to have to really compress my training into the time I have left. I'm planning a seven miler this weekend, a nine miler the following weekend, and then a five miler the following weekend. Luckily, the Harrisburg Half is a walker-friendly race so I'll be able to run some of the race and walk when and as much as I need.

Best Run
Definitely the run on Saturday morning with Matthew. I felt really strong and even managed a sub-12 minute mile in there. Slowly I'll get back to pre-pneumonia shape. :-)

Saturday morning 5k with my love. 4 weeks until #harrisburghalf and 10 weeks until #rwhalf. Time to get to work!

A post shared by Sarah (@sparklyrunner) on Aug 12, 2017 at 8:52am PDT

Bravo Moment
Ok, so here's the news I've been waiting to share- I've been selected to be part of the Runner's World Half Marathon Run Crew!!!

So, what's the big deal? In addition to a whole host of goodies, giveaways, and exclusive opportunities during the Runner's World Half & Festival Weekend, the awesome folks at Runner's World have extended the generosity and are giving you some cool stuff as well!

More details will be coming in a post this week, but in short, I've got a 10% discount code for you to register for the event (use "SPARKLYRUNNER" at checkout), a FREE race registration for one lucky follower, and an extra RW Half & Festival Swag Bag (worth $100+) to give away!

Seriously, how cool is that?! I can't wait to tell you more about the Run Crew program and why I'm so excited to be headed back to Bethlehem this October.

Quote of the Week
Because I'm super pumped to see him again at RW's Half & Festival, here's a good one by the "Mayor of Running" himself, Bart Yasso.

Make it a good week, friends!

Who will I see in Bethlehem this fall for the Runner's World Half & Festival?