Tag Archives: beer

Keepin’ It Classy

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4

5ish Miles
Sweaty, Beer Motivated Strides
@ Road Runner Sports Adventure Run

Yesterday I was keepin’ it real class in the McD house.  Strawberry was rushing through breakfast and panicked because he didn’t have a glass.  I learned him real good that if you have less than half an inch of milk – glasses are foregone.

Going green? Don’t use glasses then recycle container.  Done and done.

After cruising through another day of successfully wearing both shirts AND pants for all work meetings, I changed into my classy pants and headed out to the Road Runner Sports Adventure Run.

People, if you live near a store that hosts these you have to go.  I went to meet more local runners and guess what – it works!  I showed up and saw a bunch of peeps whom I had seen in various local races over the summer, I even found a group I had met last month, met a woman who was a week overdue with her first baby trying to get labor kick started, met a few new people – including traffic tempting blogger a few of you may know.

Me and a few of my local running “friends” – this was only about 1/3 of the people there

Want to come and find winning tickets? Don’t look here. Look all around me. The “winningest” ticket I had was when I accidentally got a second free beer. I’ll take that!

They literally give away thousands of dollars of stuff, you get in a few free miles and get to try and make sense of a crazy map on your iPhone as you adventure off following the “check points” collecting tickets.  Fast, slow, old or young (wow, this is almost sounding like a personal ad) will have a fab time.

Nothing says super fun like leaving sweaty butt prints on the asphault with people you hardly know or just met.  No, seriously, I mean that.

Do you live near a Road Runner Sports?
If not, do you have local running events like this?

My Return: Recap of Road Runner First Thursday Adventure Run

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6

Minutes:  1 hour
Miles:  5.7
Classy Pants Strides

Alas, my triumphant return to running.  I kicked this off with the Laguna Hills Road Runner First Thursday Adventure Run.

Let’s just say that this moment was far less triumphant and more…well stumbling, bumbling and humbling.

First of all -I had two intentions of participating in this event.

1 – Meet new people.

2- Get Mama some new giveaway compression socks.

Here’s the way these work.

–>You register early to get your free beer ticket (this is of critical importance).

–>Next, you walk around, look at cool products, meet some neat people and if you’re me find a bathroom.

On a sidenote there are some…er…plumbing issues in my house right now so I’m going on 24 hours of no water.  So finding a bathroom was IMPORTANT.

–>In grand fashion, they reveal a map, you somehow record where to go and run like the wind to get tickets.

Big ol’ map

–>Next you find people to run with and go collect tickets at the various spots.

And this is where I forgot my numero uno purpose of this…RUN WITH PEOPLE.

I bolted out Lone Ranger style and got to a stop light where a group was already waiting.  They were all going one way and I was going the other to the “secret Facebook spot” for extra tickets going the other direction.  They headed my way to get the bonus tickets and we set off together.

For an hour, and 5.7 miles I got to know a great group of people, kept a nice slow, steady, I’m just coming off an injury pace and grabbed my tickets to be entered for the $3,500 of prizes they gave away at the end.

One way to go for a run with the dog…

WAIT.

Did I mention you have an hour to finish and get back to the store?   Our group was cutting it a bit close and that’s when my awkward, gangly identity reared it’s ugly head.

You see, to save time we may have sorta, kinda been jay walking.  A car came, I panicked and bounced into the bushes.  I hopped, skipped, and then my foot landed on the sprinkler cap.

It was a sad mix of awkwardness a la “Revenge of the Nerds” completed with a douse of “There Will be Blood”.  I was face down in the bushes. 

Weird angle: check….creepy looking uber small feet.: check..need for better camera skills in the self-portrait: check!

Freaking awesome.

This is why I usually don’t run with people.  Whenever I do, I seem to fall on the first meeting.  I clearly have the gift of making a fabulous first impression.

That said, everyone was really supportive and I don’t think they cared too much that my grace clearly knows no bounds and I am a fantastic klutz.  I got my free beer and never heard my numbers called. :(

This is a giant knot that will likely be hanging around for a few weeks…probably sporting all sorts of pretty shades of purple, blue, yellow and brown. My own personal rainbow.

Light at the end of the tunnel: one of the women in my group remembered me saying I was vying for some new compression socks and had won a pair herself.

And she gave the certificate to me.  If you happen to see this Linda, thanks!  They made my evening!

So yes – mission accomplished on two counts…with yet another side of humble pie.

Urban Run

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6

10.34 miles
Stylin’ Strides

So after the last crazy few weeks of work, I realized I needed to get away, unplug, recharge, whatever you want to call it for a few hours before I blew my top yesterday.  I wasn’t quite sure how to do this, but I knew I’d figure out a way.

My cousin…and me bringing sexy back with my compression sleeves.  True story, look above her head and a giant hot dog is pouring ketchup on her…

Here’s the thing – if you were to ask anyone in the entire world who knows me to use my name and the word spontaneous in the same sentence…well…

Basically you’d not get a response because they would be laying on the floor laughing too hard to respond.

So this spontaneous plan was a big stretch.

I got a call from my fabulous cousin (yes I’m talking to you) asking if I wanted to meet up at a festival.  So I spontaneously pulled over in said city and decided to park my car and run 10 miles to the festival (I’d cab it back with them later).

A few things.

A- I am NOT familiar with the ins and outs of this city.

B- Who wants to walk around with me for hours after a 10+ miler in the hot So Cal sun?

C- I was desperate – who cared?

Citrusy Hydration Station

So here’s the low down on my urban run:

  • I got lost.  Like SERIOUSLY lost.  Ended up in the worst part of town watching multiple drug deals kind of lost.  Yes, I saw 3 of them.
  • I found an awesome cheering squad from as surprising population – the homeless.  Lots of cheers, high 5′s and maybe some comments I couldn’t quite (or didn’t want to) understand.
  • I am trying to start a fashion trend by wearing compression sleeves to street festivals.  Surprisingly it didn’t catch on.
  • Running is usually my stress release, but even after 10+ miles it was all balled up.
  • After last week’s hydration mistake, I wasn’t going to let that happen again so I was sure to double hydrate:  Orange Nuun & Shocktop (to keep with the citrus theme).  They actually paired surprisingly well.

After a few hours of run, sun & fun I made my way home to finish up some reports I had waiting.  It was a much needed break…and quite the adventure.

My question to you is what post-run beers pair well with which Nuun flavors?

I’m thinking a taste test might be in order!  Any takers?