If you are looking for a fun July race, check out the Metro Run Walk Sweatfest! They always put on a good race.
Sunday morning Maestro and I headed out to scenic Burke Lake Park for a Father's Day 5k. I love this park and enjoy when I have races here. It was a good sized small race, with lots of families running with their dads. Along the way Maestro and I saw a turtle in the stream. It was a big one and I had to, of course, stop to take a few pictures. This also reminded me of why I am unlikely to ever win a place for being fast...I like to run and enjoy the scenery and take pictures when I want to! I met some ladies from MRTT and got a photo after the race :) It was a beautiful and gorgeous day. Not too hot (yet) and a lot of the race was in the shade. Half the course was trail and half was paved. Here I am about to cross the finish line. I felt good! I used an easy 2:1 interval pace and Maestro was able to do most of the run intervals. Maestro did pretty well too, though he looks tired in the picture. At the end is an uphill and then downhill and he wanted to run both.
If you are looking for a fun July race, check out the Metro Run Walk Sweatfest! They always put on a good race.
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**Disclaimer** runninGluv provided me with free product in exchange for my honest opinions in this review. These opinions are my own, and I was in no way financially compensated for this review. Have you heard of this great, new product? When I discovered it, I knew I had to try it because it is just what I needed! How many times have you need a towel while you were running or working out and didn't have one? I know, for me, wiping off sweat with the back of my hand is NOT very effective! That's where runningluv comes in. Fashionable and functional, the runningluv wraps nicely around your hand or wrist when not needed. It then fully opens up into the softest towel ever! It is great for wiping off the sweat from your face and wiping your nose when it is running (let's leave job that for the feet!) I have taken my runningluv on two runs so far: a 3-mile short run and a half marathon race. It has been awesome both times. It is great to have a towel available to me with easy access to wipe my face off. It is much more absorbent than the back of my hand! My favorite part of the runningluv was getting it wet. During the half marathon I poured water on the towel at each water stop. This was awesome because it was hot outside and I liked being able to wipe my face and arms to cool off while running. This helped me feel more refreshed and kept me moving forward! The towel was also very handy at swatting away the gnats and flies that were sometimes coming at me. I think the runningluv is a great product. It is very useful while running and is comfortable to wear and use. It also comes in a lot of different color combinations, so you can match it to your personal style! Enter in for a chance to win your very own runningluv!!
A winner will be chosen on June 23. On Friday I attended an event at the Well & Good Studio in Leesburg, VA. I got to Leesburg super early because I left from work, and was happy to find this lovely park nearby. I had about an hour to spare, so I decided to take a walk down the W&OD path. It was a pretty tree-lined walk, and I enjoyed being out in the sun after being inside all day. I'm was pondering who I could convince to go on a bike ride with me on the W&OD path....Any takers????
Friday night I had the opportunity to go check out the Well & Good Studio in Leesburg, VA. It was a festive night of trying out natural products for skin and face, eating some delicious food, and networking! Well & Good is housed in a traditional log cabin that was reassembled in its current location. It was such a quaint little shop in the middle of a busy restaurant and boutique-type shopping center. There was a delicious spread of food for us to eat. Appetizers were provided by Blue Crab Martini, Cupcakes from Belladi Treats, and delicious juice and raw brownies from Puree Juice Bar. The beautiful flowers were provided by J. Morris Flowers. I had the opportunity to get a mini-makeover and try out the RMS Beauty line. I really liked the vegan miracle cream from Skincando and purchased a jar to take home. Well & Good has skin products, hair care products, nail polish, and more. It also offers customizable wellness packages that can include cleanses, workshops, Reiki, and professional makeup application. I was sent home with a lot of swag and I can't wait to try out all of these products! If you are in the Loudoun County/Leesburg area, think about stopping by and visiting the Well & Good Studio!
This is the second to last week of school! Hurray! Hurrah! It's been a pretty low key week.... I mowed the grass so Maestro and Bella would have some place to play and run around... I had some free time at the gift shop on Saturday, so I did some drawing. Here is Orange Bird. I need to work a bit on circles because his head is a bit awkward, but I think everything else turned out pretty well. I am watching Bella this week. Her and Maestro have had a fun time playing outside in the nice weather. Maestro is so good at giving kisses. Nathan ran his first Half Marathon (and my 7th!) on Sunday. You can read about it here!!!
On Sunday was Nathan's first Half Marathon and my 7th! It took place at Prince William Forest Park and was super hilly. The first and last 3 miles were all hills, and miles 8-10 got pretty hilly as well. It was a nice tree lined course, one that I had run last year for my first half. It was just as hilly then as it is now. LOL. It was a pretty small race, so there wasn't any crowd support except for the water stations. But it was a nice, and pretty, run through the trees. I love running through nature, much more than road races such as my half #6 two weeks ago. After the half I felt pretty good. For a majority of the race Nathan and I followed the intervals: Run 30/walk 2:20/Run 30/Walk 3. But of course the last 3 miles were all hills, so we pretty much walked at the end. We were both pretty sore after the race from the hills. He is still having a hard time walking, but that is understandable!
**Disclaimer** RooSport provided me with free product in exchange for my honest opinions in this review. These opinions are my own, and I was in no way financially compensated for this review. Have you tried the RooSport? I first discovered them at the runDisney Marathon expo back in January and was excited to try it out. The RooSport is a fantastic 2-pocket "belt" that attaches over your waistband via a very strong magnet. There is a smaller zip pocket that is great for holding ID or credit cards, and a larger pocket that is perfect for your phone, ipod, gels, passport, or other item. My Samsung Galaxy S4 with case fit perfectly in the larger pocket, which does not happen very often with running belt type pockets. The RooSport is very convenient because it gives you an extra pocket to carry your items. Nathan very much enjoyed taking the RooSport out for a run. He does not like the typical running belt, so this was great for him. He had previously used an arm band for his phone, but liked the RooSport better. He said that it did not bounce or move around. Outside of running, I wore the RooSport to a baseball game so I did not have to carry my purse (and did not have to wait in line to have a bag checked), and I wear it while mowing the lawn to carry my phone. (Yes, I use runkeeper to track my walking while mowing the grass...every bit counts, right?!) It is also convenient to wear with a skirt when you want to have a pocket! I recommend the RooSport to those looking for an alternative to a running belt or arm band or for those who just need an extra pocket to secure your items while going about your day. Wednesday was National Running Day! I joined up with Moms Run This Town for a group run and had a Poker Run. At the beginning of the run everyone received one card. As they passed me on the 5k route, they got another card, and at the finish line they got a final card. Combined with my two cards, they had to make their best poker hand. The winner had triple 4s! This run was a lot of fun, even though it was pretty humid out, and started to rain just as we were leaving.
Thanks to US Road Running for providing the Poker Run cards and medal, and thanks to MRTT and VA Runner for prizes and goodie bags! How did you celebrate National Running Day? Comment and let me know! School is finally winding down. 2 weeks left and then it is SUMMER!!! These strawberries were planted 2 years ago and have taken over one of my flower beds, but they are giving me some good fruit, even though I have ignored the plant. Maestro was ready to have a strawberry! He was following me around the entire backyard until I finally gave him one. On Saturday I took 51 of my 8th graders to HersheyPark for a music competition. My two groups won 1st and 2nd place in their categories, as well as the Espirit de Corps award (citizenship)! Some of my kids got this stuffed animal for me for my room. They named her Shay. Nathan and I have an extra ticket, so we will get to go back this summer when we don't have to worry about children! I am officially done with all concerts for this year, and now we are just trying to keep the kids engaged and still learning until the end of the year! Here is all of us music teachers riding the log flume ride. I am the one screaming and holding on for dear life at the drop. Talkee, Lily, and Maestro are enjoying the nice weather. Frequently the cats will accidentally get locked outside because I don't notice they are out there, but they don't seem to mind. They just sunbathe! I can't wait until summer until I can spend more time enjoying my deck.
Monday night I went out for a quick run. I ended up going through Prince William Forest Park before it got too dark because I wanted a more quiet run than just along the street. It was a pretty rough run because I had just taken a week off from being busy and being sick. It's amazing how much more tired you are after coming back from a break!
By the way, the towel I have is a runningluv. I will have a full review and giveaway next week, so check back!!! |