#wwchat - Weekly Weight Watchers Chat

Do you love Weight Watchers? Do you want to learn more about what Weight Watchers is about?

Do you love Twitter?

Do you love chatting?

Do you love connecting with new friends?

Do you love me?

Woah! I went a little off base there. My bad. :P

***

I have been attending Weight Watchers meetings since November 2009 and couldn't imagine my life without them. The ideas and suggestions from the group are great AND they gave me a sense of belonging. Sometimes during my life I felt like I was the only person dealing with certain problems, but joining Weight Watchers showed me that I wasn't alone - people "got" my struggles.

Thanks to Weight Watchers I have shed 64 lbs (took me 2 years and 2 months to reach goal) and I have been maintaining for about a year and a half or so.

Social media enhanced my meeting room experience. I feel like I always have people in my corner or someone to turn to when I need help. Or if I need a reminder to step away from the cupcake. ;)

Twitter and Facebook have opened my eyes to so many new Weight Watchers friends. It is amazing to connect with folks from all over the world that enjoy the WW program as much as I do. It also gave me an avenue to motivate/inspire WW members that do not get the meeting room experience - the online only members.

***

In 2010, my friends Colleen and Brittany started a weekly twitter chat about Weight Watchers and I loved it. As time passed, the twitter chat disappeared and I missed it.

So I thought it was about time to resurrect it!! Who is with me?? :)

Twitter chats are fun ways to connect with other members of the Weight Watchers community and get some great support and motivation.

The game plan is to meet on Twitter each Wednesday from 8pm-9pm Eastern Time , discuss different Weight Watchers topics, pose 8 or so questions for folks to answer, hopefully find some new WW friends to follow and use the hashtag #wwchat.

Does that sound like a game plan? Are YOU in?

(Note: the first 2 #wwchat twitter chats have been a BLAST!!)

Activelink vs. Fitbit: My Two Cents

Activelink vs. Fitbit

Activelink vs. Fitbit

SUNDAY! SUNDAY! SUNDAY!

Catch Activelink vs. Fitbit in the ring!!

***

I've had quite a few Weight Watchers members asking me to weigh-in on the epic, world shattering debate to which is better: Activelink vs. Fitbit.

Okay, maybe it isn't a world shattering debate. I mean it hasn't made it to prime time TV yet ... but there is still time. ;)

For those that don't know. I am a Weight Watchers Leader in Boston after shedding 64 lbs with Weight Watchers. Luckily, Boston actually got to be the testing ground for Activelink so I have been using my little personal trainer (as I like to call it "AL") since June 2012.

My wife surprised me this past birthday (aka September 16) with a Fitbit. I hadn't really been asking for one, but I love a good toy. :P

As I started posting pictured displaying both of my little tracking gadgets, folks started asking which I liked better.

We can say I really feel that ALL of my movement is being tracked now. ;) I can tell you that BOTH devices certainly motivate me to get up and move when I really don't want to so thankfully both have the accountability factor, which we are all looking for!

To be 100% honest (not that I am ever anything less than that with all of you), but in the epic debate of Activelink vs. Fitbit I will always choose Activelink as the winner.

Why?

Not for the reason you think: Because I work for the company. Nope. My thoughts on this blog are 100% my own and are never influenced by who I work for. I will always choose the Activelink because it GIVES me the activity points. I don't have to do any work calculating them out. This is great for me since I am constantly on the move and once I got the Activelink realized I was SERIOUSLY underestimating my activity and jipping myself MAJOR activity points. And I am lazy when it comes to calculating APs.

But, let me share what I like and don't like about each device so you can make the decision for yourself.

Activelink

Pictured is my lovely little AL who has made it through mud obstacle races, triathlons, marathons, hikes, swim practices, Zumba classes, vacations ... and even the washing machine.

The Activelink is an accelerometer, which tracks all of your movement - forward, backwards, sideways, etc - to really show that all movement counts as activity. I should share how many APs (Activity Points) I earn for a good dance party in my kitchen. ;)

**You must have a WW eTools or WW online account to use the Activelink.

The Activelink can be worn 24/7 either around the neck, on your bra strap/close to chest, on your belt or in your pocket. You can adjust the position depending on your activity. You would just need to edit that information in the website.

The Activelink is $39.95 plus a $5 a month subscription for access to the Activelink website. I dropped 2 iced coffees a month from Dunkin Donuts and BAM there was $5 a month. ;)

The device itself is a USB port, which means when you plug it into your desktop or laptop, it will bring up the Activelink website where you can see your progress and other stats. BUT, it also connects right to your eTools account so you don't have to enter the APs into your tracker it does it for you.

When you first get the device, you wear it for 8 straight days during the "assessment" phase. Once that phase is over, the Activelink will be able to know your average movement, calculate your base line and create customized goals for you based on your current activity level.

What is a base line you may ask? Well Weight Watchers/Activelink defines it as:

 You need to reach a minimum activity level before you can benefit from activity. This level (the Activity Base Line) is fixed and determined only by your age, gender, weight and height. You won’t earn activity PointsPlus values until you move above and beyond this level, so it is normal that it takes you longer to earn your first activity PointsPlus value each day.

Once you complete the assessment phase, you will begin a 12-week challenge. Your goals gradually increase over time, and you might see yourself getting more active without even thinking about it.

My first 12-week challenge for example was helping me over a 12-week challenge go from hitting 10 Activity Points a day to 14 APs a day. Wow! Seemed like a HUGE feat at first, but since I was taking it over a 3-month period it seemed more doable. And it was! ;)

But during the day I want to check my progress. Don't worry you can on the Activelink.

As you can see there are slits on the device that light up. All you have to do is tap the Activelink on a hard surface and the lights will lite up. Each slit represents 25% to your goal. My current goal or my 100% is 10 APs. You can see here that I am 75% to my goal when this photo was taken. So seeing this would motivate me to get up and try to get it to 100%. Hello my OCD tendencies.

NOW I am currently in training with long runs and rest days so for me personally I try to average at least 10 APs a day over a week. Thankfully the Activelink website records all this information for me.

Once I plug the Activelink into the computer, a screen will show my results from the previous and current day.

But sometimes I like a little more information. You can see to the left of the circle a "My Activity" tab. If I click on that (or the My Activity tab at the top of the screen) I can see the week as a whole.

(Disclaimer: I have been sick so my results aren't as great as they usually are. Don't judge! :P)

If I want to get more specific, I can break a week down to individual days.

And even down to the hour.

You can see the different colors, the higher the spike the more movement and the darker the green the higher intensity. It is a great thing to look at. You can also see at what point in the day you hit your Base Line (noted at the top of the graph).

I also have the feature to name activities. Some activities aren't picked up as well on the Activelink - say weightlifting, swimming or biking - so I will come home from one of those activities and go in, name that activity and see the APs adjust accordingly. A great little thing to know. You can also go in and adjust the position of the device at the same time.

For example, I wear my Activelink on my shoe during Spin. I find it gives a more accurate reading. (Personal choice) So I come home. Highlight the time the class started, enter the duration and adjust position to "in my pocket." And BAM APs adjust accordingly.

Additionally, it stores all your back data so you can go back and see which days you hit the most APs, how many APs you have since you started wearing the Activelink. It is just fun to see "STATS"

So Activelink...

PROS

*It takes the guess-work out of APs and really shows that ALL movement counts.

*It is waterproof

*Has a FAQ section as well as search function when questions arise

*It does show you progress throughout the day if you tap it on a hard surface

*Great data on the website

*Offers challenges to help get you moving in a doable timeframe

*Acts like a personal trainer on days you just want to sit on the couch and veg out

*Lower cost for device

CONS

*Show you individual steps or calories burned

*Have an app for your smart phone since it is a USB port it has to be plugged in an actual computer so you miss that data while out and about

*Has a monthly fee

*Requires a WW eTools or Online membership

***

FITBIT

I personally own the Fitbit One, which is NOT waterproof. The biggest drawback to the device besides it not figuring out APs for me. ;)

As you can see this has a little clip. I wear mine on my bra strap, but you can also wear it on your belt or in your pocket.

Fitbit gives this little snipped about the One:

If you want to turn fitness into a lifestyle, the One™ is for you. For starters, it never rests. During the day, it tracks your steps, distance, calories burned, and stairs climbed. Come nightfall, it measures your sleep quality, helps you learn how to sleep better, and wakes you in the morning. The One™ motivates you to reach your goals by bringing greater fitness into your life – seamlessly, socially, 24 hours a day.

The Fitbit One was $99.95 with a free website and a free smartphone app. The device syncs wirelessly as well.

I do love that with a touch of that tiny button I can see how many steps I've taken, stairs climbed and distance (in miles) traveled.

You can tweak the displays to fit the information YOU want, which I like. You can also look at calories burned if you want. As well as a little flower. The flower goes as you hit your daily goals (which you set for yourself).

Like for me, I am trying to get at least 10k steps per day. Maybe some time down the road I will up that. Only time will tell.

Additionally you can wear it while you sleep and track your sleep patterns. I haven't really delved into this option too much yet, but I definitely plan on it.

The One™ doesn’t nap, even when you do. Slip it into your wrist band at night, and it’ll measure your sleep quality. Once the data syncs, graphs on your dashboard will reveal how long you slept and the number of times you woke up, giving you a sleep quality score. Over time, you can apply what you learn to help you sleep more soundly. The One™ also has a silent wake alarm that gently vibrates to wake you at your desired time, without disturbing your partner.

Besides having a free website you can access on your computer there is also a Fitbit app for your smart phone. Here is some of the data I pulled off my iPhone.

You can customize the dashboard to fit that stats you want to see. Again I love the personalization.

But the thing I love the most about the Fitbit? The competition with friends. Okay the support - and competition - with friends. ;)

You can friend people on the site - other people you know with a Fitbit - and compare your stats. Now I am a competitive person by nature (a shock to all of you I know ;)) so this really motivates me to move. I was kicking some serious booty until I got sick. As you can see I have slipped to ninth place out of my friends. Boy I can't wait to be healthy again. :P

But you can also cheer on your friends when they hit milestones, etc. It is a great community on there. The site also offers "badges" when you hit certain milestones as well.

You can also set reminders on the Fitbit as well. If you want to use it as an alarm clock in the morning you can do that. There are certain Fitbits that will also allow you to set hourly reminders, which could help you remember to get up and move during the day at work/drink water or whatever you need help remembering.

Additionally, you can log your food, water, workouts and weight using the online tools. Obviously since I do Weight Watchers I haven't tracked my food in the app since I am already doing that in my paper tracker. But I like that it tracks water since many folks need help in that area.

You can also sync your Fitbit up to such apps as Runkeeper, MyFitnessPal, Lose It and more.

So Fitbit...

PROS

*Displays step count, distance traveled, other pertinent information right on the device

*Great community on the site

*Promotes fun competition/support with friends

*Device syncs wirelessly

*Offers a smartphone app

*More robust online toolset

*No monthly fee

CONS

*Not waterproof

*Does not calculate APs for you (you would have to enter activities or daily step count into eTools)

*More expensive upfront

***

So there you have it folks!! My two cents on these devices.

Now you can decide: Active? Fitbit? Both? ;)

I just ask that you keep moving!!

In The Reflection...

"Avoid mirrors at all cost" My old mantra.

For years, I tried to avoid catching my profile in a storefront or in a mirror at a friend's house.

I didn't need to see what I already knew.

I was overweight. No no I was obese.

I could FEEL that in my bones. I didn't need a mirror to confirm that for me.

So for awhile I tried to just use a tiny mirror to put on makeup and that was about it.

I didn't even like catching my reflection in the doors of the Subway.

Ugh.

As I embarked on my weight loss journey of 2005/2006, I did so in an unhealthy way - eating disorders. But, as the compliments came in: "Oh keep doing whatever you are doing. You look great." The inner confidence rose and I started looking into the mirror a little more. The outside had changed, but the inside was still the same.

I still looked into the mirror and saw the 230 lb me. Even though I was 180 at the time.

As I got healthier and the weight crept back on - out went the mirrors.

Again I hid in my own self-hatred and self-abuse.

But when I joined Weight Watchers in November 2009, I wanted to lose the weight in a healthy way and really start to feel the changes on the inside as well.

As the weight came off, slow and steady, I again broke out the mirrors and started looking. Again the cycle started, ugh you need to lose weight, too many rolls, you have more to lose, etc.

But, then I started reflecting more. Someone told me once to really inspect what you saw in the mirror. So instead of glancing head to toe on my body, I would just stare back into my own eyes. THAT was the true way to see my soul. To see what was on the inside.

Once I started looking past the physical and into the mental, I started changing my habits. If the old knee jerk reaction kicked in of negativity talking about my body. I immediately changed the focus back to looking in my own eyes and I had to follow it up with a compliment.

For example:

"Oh those thighs are so fat" ... "Those thighs have taken you through x half marathons and y marathons"

"You are so wide" ... "I have excess skin from weight loss and I am working on toning it up"

"You still look like you weigh 235 lbs" ... ???

And that's the one. The comment that creeps back into my head on a regular basis.

When I have a bad food week, when I look at race photos or when I am just feeling down, I can look in the mirror and still see the "before" me. So how does one banish those images?

That is the magic question. Here is what helps me:

1) It begins with an internal conversation (like above) that has to happen.

I remind myself that: I am no longer that person. I have come too far to discredit myself. I am WORTHY of the happiness I feel at my current weight. 

2) I try to figure out what is really wrong. I am clearly manifesting something other issue/emotion/problem into thinking I am back to my before weight.

Maybe I overate the night before. Maybe I am upset that I didn't get a job I applied for. Maybe I am just sad.

(Remember it is okay to just feel emotions)

3) Reach out to a close personal friend/confidant. Someone that has been through the journey with me.

4) When all else fails take out that before picture. I always keep one on my phone or in my WW tracker.

And if all that fails ... reach out to me! I'll set that mind right for you! :)

Occasionally you need to hear it from someone else ... and that is okay!

Why does it take the brain so long to catch up with the physical weight loss?

Who knows?

But we just need to keep snapping it back to the present ... aka Reality!!

***

Do you experience this same problem? How do you bring yourself back to the real image in the mirror?

Rock 'n' Roll Brooklyn 10k Recap

No. Sleep. Til. Brooklyn!!! What? You really didn't think I would pass up using that as my opener? C'mon now. :P

I was REALLY looking forward to this little trip to NY last weekend (October 11-13) as I have a lot of great Weight Watchers/blogging friends that I was going to meet up with as well.

After leading my final Weight Watchers meeting of the week on Friday (October 11), I hustled home to change, pick up my bags, and head out to the train station. I was annoyed by all the security/waiting when I flew to NY in June that I went with Amtrak this time around.

I got to South Station with plenty of time to spare, bought my second Dunkin Iced Coffee of the day (hey! I was up at 5am! Don't judge) and settled in to wait for the train.

I knew I'd be on the train for a good 4-ish hours so I made sure to get in as many steps as possible before boarding. My train departed at 11am and I was over 6500 steps by then. Yay!

I settled in to a nice window seat. Hello plugs to charge my phone. And got comfy. I did try to get up and walk at least once every hour while on the train, which was easy for me since I drink so much water. :P

It took me awhile to realize that we were in fact behind schedule. Ahh! I was going to be cutting it close enough to packet pick-up. I was landing in Penn Station at 3:15pm and packet pick-up ended at 5pm in Brooklyn. I didn't need a delay to kick this off.

Thankfully I was tweeting with RnR while on the train letting them know about my hold up. I just kept trying to put good juju out into the world that it would all work out.

After arriving 30 min late (curse you Amtrak), my friend Kitty was on hand to meet me and help shuttle me through the public transit system to get to Brooklyn in tact. ;)

AND...

WE MADE IT!!

Yes! We made it with time to spare. Phew!

Ummm Corral 1, how did that happen??

After picking up my bib, we needed to celebrate with a beer of course. Kitty and I met her brother's roommate for dinner and to unload my bag so I could save time storing it in the morning before the race.

I met up with my girl Sheryl (aka Bitchcakes) for a nightcap and to crash on her couch. I am so thankful that Sheryl opened up her apartment to me. I was able to crash on her couch and use a car service to head to the race the next morning. Sheryl lives in Brooklyn so I thought she would be close to the start. Yeah Brooklyn is bigger than I thought.

Thankfully it all worked out and the $22 car ride was totally worth it in the morning to make it to the race safely and on time.

I met up with my Team Refuel teammates - Anthony and Lisa - to chat before the race.

I love racing and meeting all these amazing teammates from around the country!! Plus the VIP tent was crucial, private bag check and private port-o-potties. Thanks Got Chocolate Milk for the hook up.

As we were chatting, I realized we had just 40 or so minutes until Game Time AND I hadn't eaten. Dammit! So I got my KIND Bar out and scarfed it down.

I headed over to the Start Line and set myself up in Corral 1. Feeling out of place is an understatement. I had no idea how I ended up there, but I enjoyed the experience of being so close to the elite athletes.

My stomach was feeling off. Gah! Not a good sign. I shook it off to nerves. No matter the distance I ALWAYS get nervous before a race.

After the National Anthem, the horn sounded and we were off.

Enter more intense stomach cramps. Dammit! I knew it. I ate too close to the race. I try to NEVER eat closer than one hour to Start time and I failed at that. I was hoping I would still be okay, but apparently not.

From the onset, I felt like I was going to throw up. Yup, this was going to be a looong 6.2 miles. Thank goodness it wasn't a Half or a Full.

I just tried to focus on seeing friends and enjoying the scenery than the pain.

But as the race went on the pain got more intense. It was fun to run through Prospect Park in Brooklyn. The bands and fans helped take my mind off the pain until I crossed the 5k mark. I thought to myself how am I going to make it through the last half of this race.

I looked down and my pace was getting slower and slower. Ugh! Well clearly I wasn't PRing that race so the best I could do was focus on finishing.

The race was pretty flat as we can along the outside of the Park. Shortly after the 5k check point, we took a right and headed back into the Park.

As we approached Mile 4, we started going up an incline. Oh that was that hill that Sheryl told me about. The pain increased. It got so bad that at Mile 5, I stopped and tried to make myself throw up. I thought it would help. Well it didn't work so I just started running again and just get to the Finish.

The race ended on a downhill, which was nice so I just tried to pick it up and Finish strong.

I even managed one of the best action shots ever during a race.

I look like I know what I'm doing. :0)

I crossed the Finish Line and almost kissed the ground. I was so happy to be done, but proud of myself for pushing through and finishing. I actually felt zero pain in the rest of my body besides my stomach which I took as a good sign since I had been battling a foot pain the couple weeks prior.

I was pretty impressed with finishing on such a precise time and overall I did well compared to when I started racing. But, in the moment I was upset. I had the right to be. I accepted my thoughts and moved on. Plus, I had chocolate milk to drink!!

AND I even got to take a pic with a celebrity!

Hello Nesquick Bunny! :P

I waited in the very long line to get my medal engraved. It's worth the $20 to me to get it done onsite because if they mess up they have a box of medals right there to fix it. Wouldn't be the case if I got it done at home.

After meeting up with Kitty, who kicked race butt, I headed back to the VIP tent for some post-race food and refreshments. Again, thank you Got Chocolate Milk for the hook up. This was definitely better than the free Michelob Ultra you usually get (which I always pass on).

Yay wine!

Before heading out with Kitty, I was able to FINALLY meet up with a social media friend and inspiration to me, Amy (aka The Awesome Mom) and it was magical. :)

She was as pleasant and sparkly in person as I imagined.

Kitty and I headed out to grab my bag from her brother's place and meet with the rest of the crew for lunch. Now there was some train issues going on in NY due to construction or something. So our trek from Brooklyn to Melanie's hood seemed to take forever. Especially lugging my bags around. We ended up on 2 trains and a shuttle bus, but we finally made it safely to Melanie's.

We cleaned up a little and headed to brunch with other friends I had wanted to see while in town.

This group shed 330+ lbs through Weight Watchers!

I was glad that everyone got along since not everyone knew each other beforehand. :)

We then celebrated with a little pub crawl before turning in early. It had been one long day and I would be spending the next day traveling back to Boston on a not so comfy Bolt Bus.

Overall, it was a quick, but jampacked weekend in NY. It was great running a rare 10k. I wonder how long Rock 'n' Roll will keep this race around before changing it to a Half or Full. It seems inevitable in my opinion since the 10k is so rare these days.

I loved the down and back during the race since I was able to see Janine and her mom racing as well as Amy and my Got Chocolate Milk teammates.

And now I know - no eating less than 1 hour before Game Time. It will just end ugly!

*The More You Know*

Oh and RnR Brooklyn was my third of 4 RnR races on the year. I have RnR LA left on October 27.

***

Have you run Rock 'n' Roll Brooklyn? Do you love the 10k distance?

Dealing with your "Before" when you hit your "After"

Butterflies and unicorns and rainbows

Exactly how I envisioned life after hitting my "goal weight"!!

But that wasn't reality.

Shocking I know. ;)

I've written on my blog (Weight Off My Shoulders) how the day after hitting goal the inner demons I fought for so long were still there. Except now they weren't buried under all the weight. They were right in front of me, raw and ready to be dealt with.

***

For years, I told myself: "If you just lost 50 lbs you would be so happy and life would be okay." And I remember having that EXACT same discussion with my aunt when I was 12. I remember riding in her car after we left the mall and saying to her: "I need to lose 50 lbs." Okay so apparently the number 50 was relevant or I just pulled it out of my ass - I'm not sure which.

But over and over I said once I lost the weight I would like myself. I would be happy. I would be able to release the thoughts of hurting myself and the depression would go away.

In 2006, I hit the bottom of dealing with two eating disorders and cutting. I had found a way to "control" my weight and my emotions. I got to my lowest weight in the beginning of 2007 (at the time around 180) and thought everything was okay!

EEEHHHHHHHH!

Nope.

But after an intervention of sorts with friends, I stopped the cutting and tried to take a handle on the eating disorders, which led me to regain almost all the weight I had lost.

Reenter depression.

So I joined Weight Watchers in November 2009 and was ready to lose the weight in a healthy way.

And damn those WW people for not only helping me get a handle on the healthy eating aspect of weight loss, but for showing me that it is more of a mental game than anything. You have the change your thinking in order to make the weight stay off.

Sneaky WW very sneaky.

So through the journey, the confidence rose, the happiness level with myself increased, but at the core of it all I still OWNED negative self talk.

I will say that thankfully the suicidal thoughts deteriorated over the course of time. THAT in itself is a huge F-in win!! I had those thoughts since high school.

But as I hit goal on January 2012 and Lifetime in February 2012. The little voice in my head was still there. You aren't worthy of this new life - this new you. You still suck.

So it was at that point. As I become the "after" that it was time to dig through all the emotional gunk to truly find out how I let myself get to that miserable 230 lb person.

And that is the journey I am on now. There is no quick fix to find out what was at the core of the pain, but as long as I keep searching I will find answers.

For many of us, the true work of reaching goal is when the mental game catches up with the physical.

That is why I put more stock into the non-scale victories than the number on the scale itself. Because when I read 15X on the scale, I am thrilled, but now I know I didn't solve all my life's problems by losing XX lbs. I will solve life problems by looking inward and truly facing what is going on.

Depression ... cutting ... self-loathing. None of that is fun, but I need to face it if I want to beat it.

Many people can go to therapy and work through these issues with a third party. It isn't for me. I tried it and hated it. But for some reason sharing those same inner demons on this blog, I find that release. I find that the weight gets lifted off my shoulders.

So I continue to journey.

I continue to tackle with my "before" as I live in my "after"!

Weekly Workout Wind Up (10/10-16/13)

And just when the back stops hurting, I come back from NYC and immediately get sick. Thank you fever/cold/virus for putting me right back on myu booty! :( I'm embarrassed by this. It doesn't even deserve a recap...  

Thursday, October 3: Mandatory REST

Friday, October 4: Mandatory REST

Saturday, October 5: Rock 'n' Roll Brooklyn 10k

Sunday, October 6: Mandatory REST

Monday, October 7: Mandatory REST

Tuesday, October 8: Mandatory REST

Wednesday, October 9: Mandatory REST

What will next week have to throw in my way???

Oktoberfest 5k

I have a confession to make. I, Dani Holmes-Kirk, am a Cambridge 5k race series addict.

That's right. I feel safe to admit that here to all of you.

The race director, Eddie O, is one of the nicest and most-dedicated folks I have met. When he asks for race feedback, he actually wants to know and you know what implements change. I tip my hat to him for that.

Eddie is persuasive. He is the man who got me to participate in the Freedom Run 5k less than an hour after finishing the Boston's Run To Remember Half Marathon.

So when Eddie invited me to participate in his Oktoberfest 5k on Sunday, October 6th of course I had to say yes. Twist my arm sir! Twist my arm! ;)

I headed to Jacob Wirth in Boston on Thursday (October 3) to pick up my bib/shirt...

... and get photo bombed apparently! :P

On Sunday morning I woke up for the race and it was raining. Oh yay! Well rain or shine I run so I got into my usual Slumbrew gear, which I wear to all Cambridge 5k races, and the wife set off to drop me at the run.

Since Slumbrew wasn't actually pouring at this race's post-race party, we didn't have an official team. What was this Slumbrew captain to do pre-race without a team to organize? Well, wander around and run into friends of course. Even with over 1800 runners registered, I still managed to run into my girl Kim pre-race. :)

Thankfully I travel light (when my wife isn't there to hold things for me :P) so I was able to skip the baggage claim. Buutt the wristband line was a different story. Unfortunately there was a line down the block for people to get the necessary wristband to access the post-race party and more importantly the beer. I am not one to wait in long lines so I bagged it and said if necessary I would just skip the post-race party rather than stand in line for one guy to check my ID. Hopefully they can figure out a better method for next year's race.

It was sprinkling before the race, but thankfully I had actually brought a throw-away long-sleeved tee so I actually felt decently warm. After running into other friends and Slumbrew running mates, we headed to the Start Corral. I didn't know what my legs would produce after the 8.7 mile run the day before to hit 900 miles run for the year. But I set myself up closer to the front since the Corral was looking mighty tight.

Eddie is one thing if not prompt and we were off right around 9:30am.

It was great seeing so many costumes out on the course. People really get into the themes when it comes to the Cambridge 5k series and I love it.

I also love seeing how large yet small the running community is. Without fail, I show up to a race and see many familiar faces! I love the love of running in this area of the country.

There were a good number of volunteers and police officers lining the course since we were running around Kendall Square in Cambridge and the streets were open to cars. Thankfully I didn't experience any cars getting in my way, but I know some of my fellow runners did.

The course was pretty flat, which was nice. It was a tad slippery due to the rain, but overall not too treacherous.

I was happy to look down at my Garmin at the halfway mark and see I was keeping about a 7:30ish min/mile pace on tired legs. I wasn't going to PR, but I wasn't looking to. I just wanted to get out there and enjoy the run, the costumes and the energy. Deep right? :P

But, as I rounded the last corner to enter the Finish shoot, I tried to step it up a notch. Mainly because there was a guy next to me trying to out run me at the end. Well, I would've passed him, but I was blocked just before the Finish by someone trying to avoid a puddle. Really sir? You are like 2 feet from the Finish - just step in the puddle. ;)

Anyway, I was happy with my Finish. I ended up with a 23:20 (7:31 min/mile pace) and a 273 finish out of 1,679 overall.

My girl Kim set a blazing PR with a 23:40 race. Go Kim!! We grabbed a water and headed over to the post-race party.

It was at that time I battled to get my ID out of my armband so I could get the appropriate wristband. Thankfully we finished early enough that the line to get into the party was light and I could get the wristband I needed then from the 2 people checking IDs/wristbands.

Kim and I immediately headed to the Cambridge Brewing Company pouring station to grab a beer - me a pale ale & Kim the pumpkin - and then to pick up a free pretzel from Swiss Bakers.

Mmmm beer and pretzels!

We chatted with Lauren B from KIND Snacks - who is super sweet and helped me do that giveaway on my blog earlier this summer - and grabbed a free bar of course. :)

As we headed back towards the Beer tent, the post-race party area was getting crowded as more and more finishers joined in. I am not one that likes being cramped in with people so I decided to bid Kim farewell and head home.

The weather was a factor that day as many runners tried to cram under the beer tent to try and stay dry, which gave off the cramped feeling.

I hear the post-race party and dance off were epic as always, but this time I was okay being in the warmth of my house while it happened. I'm sure I would've stayed had Slumbrew been in attendance. I love hanging with my team.

Thankfully Team Slumbrew will be reunited for the next Cambridge 5k race - Yulefest 5k in Harvard Square on December 1.

***

Did you run in the Oktoberfest 5k? Did you dance your pants off?

Weekly Workout Wind Up (10/3-9/13)

This can be titled - that time I flared up my back and couldn't really do anything. :( Thursday, October 3: Mandatory REST

Friday, October 4: Electric Run 5k

 

Saturday, October 5: 8.7-Mile Run

Sunday, October 6: Oktoberfest 5k

Monday, October 7: Mandatory REST

Tuesday, October 8: Mandatory REST

Wednesday, October 9: Mandatory REST

Hopefully the back stops hurting in time for my weekend in NYC!!

It's Electric! Boogie Woogie Woo!

Why yes I am currently doing the Electric Slide? But that is not what this post is about.

There is a new race on the market: The Electric Run.

I'm always up for trying a new race series, especially when they offer me a free entry and a discount code to offer to friends/blog readers.

Well Electric Run was coming to "Boston" on October 4 so I was in.

NOW, we are using the term "Boston" loosely for this race. The race was actually taking part at Gillette Stadium, which is the home of the Patriots, which is located in Foxboro. Foxboro for those that don't know is about 45 minutes south of Boston.

I am all for races using the closest city as a marker, but please do not call this race Boston when it is located over 30 miles from the city.

But I digress...

Here is what Electric Run has to say about themselves:

Come have fun with us in a different world!! Along the 5k route music will pump and lights will dance creating an electric wonderland that will keep you energized and moving to the beat. You’ll run, walk, and dance through distinct lands with lights and music custom mixed to match the mood of the lighting elements.

Well I liked the sound of it so I accepted the entry and my cousin used my discount code to sign up. The price was $45 and exponentially rose as you got closer to the event. $45 to $50 t0 $55 to $65 to $70. So if you were enticed at the beginning you caught a good price for what you got.

In addition to entry (the race was untimed), you received cotton shirt, LED bracelet, glow necklace and glow sunglasses.

As you can see my packet (nor my cousin's) did not receive a glow necklace, but did have everything else.  After speaking with other friends that ran the Boston race, no one received the glow necklace.

Thankfully Electric Run offered a packet pickup right across from the street from my house on the Wednesday before the race before moving the rest of packet pick-up closer to the location. YAY ME! :P

Well the race was taking place at 7:15pm and one pair of glow sunglasses would not be enough glow for us. So I stopped by Party City and stocked up.

Now THAT is glow! :)

Here was their suggestions for attire:

We invite you to bring your creativity, smile, laugh, and leave dull at home. It is the collective light and creativity of the thousands of participants that brings this event to life! You are coming to have fun and experience something magical and different. Look the part! If it is bright-colored, blinks, shines, glows, or looks like something from another planet, it’s perfect! Put it on and come celebrate with us!

I had no idea what to wear so I tried to put together the flashiest outfit I could.

I was pretty happy and thankful that Spandits pants, Sparkle Athletic skirts and Sparkly Soul headbands were able to help.

I headed out about 3:30pm to take the ride to meet my cousin at her work. Thankfully parking would be free at the race, but no need to drive two cars all that way so we carpooled. Plus great way to catch up.

We actually made it to Foxboro in good time and were parked by 5:45pm.

Now there was a nip in the air since the sun was setting, but we both opted to forego the long sleeve shirts/jacket and brave it. We grabbed our bibs and glow sticks and headed over to the pre-race party.

There were people EVERYWHERE!!

It looked to be hundreds of people waiting in line to pick up their bibs onsite. There was even a line at the tent/store for people to buy Electric Run swag/more glow sticks.

We thankfully had everything we needed and were able to sidestep all that mess.

We ran into one of my Weight Watchers members Audrey, chatted for a minute and kept moving toward the Start area.

We actually saw a group of people already forming to get into the Start corral at 6pm so we headed that way.

The race opened the Start Corral early and we hoarded ourselves in there so we could get a good spot.

Now the race didn't start until 7:15 so we had a good 45 minutes or so til the gun would go off, but I wasn't able to risk a good spot in line to wander around the pre-party.

Plus, we were entertaining ourselves pretty well.

Why hello Gillette - you pretty thing you!

The Electric Run crew started bringing the party to the Start Corral as they noticed more and more people lining up. They were doing a great job of throwing out glow sticks to the crowd, shouting out Red Sox scores (well since they were winning) and blasting some great dancing music. It was like a party before the party.

As I looked around the Corral I noticed folks of all ages even parents with kids. I think the youngest participant was a 10 month old baby. Wow! I thought it was a little loud for kids, but I'm not a parent so what do I know. :P

FINALLY it was 7:15 and time to kick off the first corral.

As you all know I never look at course maps before races (oops!) so I had NO idea what to expect. It seemed that corrals would be let off evert 2-3 minutes or so.

Once the first corral started, we realized we were at the beginning of Corral 2. Yay!

After a little more music and free stuff being tossed to the crowd, it was our time.

Now this race was not timed, but since I am on my 1000 Miles in 2013 crusade, I had to bring my Garmin so I could mark the miles. So as I crossed under the Start tress I hit start on my Garmin.

We weaved through the parking lot of Gillette Stadium and then around the grounds of Gillette, which incorporated the Electric Run's sights of:

*Rainbow Road - big air-filled arches that flashed different colors

*Neffmau5 land - different color lights cast upon the trees with music playing

*Pillar Party - giant pillars (like the Start one above) lighting up in a pattern to the music playing

*Electric Avenue - an area of screens with different colors/images portrayed on them

*Electro Rainforest - umbrella displays lit up with neon colors

When you weren't near a "land" it was pretty dark so I kept trying to shake my big foam glow thing that I caught from the MC near the ground to make it easier for my cousin and I to run. Thankfully we were moving at a safe speed, but still having to bob and weave around the groups that were walking. It is a little scary to run in the dark I can admit that.

The Electric Avenue portion was just prior to the water stop.

After the water stop, we finally entered Gillette Stadium itself - YAY!! Only to immediately turn up and run up the ramps to go from the bottom of the stadium to the top (300 level).

The Electro Rainforest was actually on the ramps. My cousin was having trouble heading up the ramps so I tried to entertain her by poorly dancing next to her. Hey! Anything to keep both of us moving forward. :)

After making it up to the 300 level we ran across the stadium to the other set of ramps.

I actually ran into a friend and fellow Weight Watchers Leader, Heather, while heading down the ramps on the other side.

Once we were back on the ground (ie the 100 level), we continued our run to the Finish.

As soon as I crossed the "Finish Line" - there wasn't anything to indicate the Finish really besides the volunteers telling you and the fact that there was another table of water. :P

And my Garmin told it was well under a 5k.

Now many people probably didn't notice or care as this was a total fun run. But, I am trying for those 1000 miles so I like to be precise. As a result, I took a few laps around the concourse to make sure my mileage was accurate. :P

Ahh I felt better after that. Even with the odd looks from other participants and the "you are going the wrong way" from a security guard. ;)

My cousin and I had a fun time together. It was nice to just get out and dance a race. Yes I would say I was dancing to the music more than running, which was fine by me.

The only thing was at the Finish Line there was water and that energy drink Rockstar. I didn't see any food. You could purchase beer and food from the Gillette concessions, but none provided to the racers. With many folks having this as their first time walking/running experience, I would've thought they would've provided more. Maybe there was and I missed it, but I usually don't miss food.

The DJ was going strong and people were starting to get their dance on.

It had been a long day for both of us so we decided to skip out on the post-race party. Plus I didn't want to spend money on food/beer. :P

As we headed back to Jen's car around 8:15pm, we saw people asking volunteers where the Start was and a long line of people still waiting to pick up their packets. Waahhh??

Well, it was announced that there were 15,000 people at the event that night and that corrals would be going off from 7:15pm through 8:30pm. Hmmm with the amount of people we saw still in line, I'm sure people got started even later than that.

Thank goodness we got there when we did. I wouldn't have been a happy camper if I didn't even get to start the race until after 8:30pm. But, those people may have planned it that way so they glowed more. Who knows.

I really liked that the race had a charity aspect. They paired up with the Special Olympics of Massachusetts.

Overall it was a fun experience. I think events like the Electric Run are great at getting people out walking/running/wogging that might not otherwise. And who knows? Maybe someone who walked the Electric Run at Gillette is now home plotting their first local 5k.

Welcome to the racing bug folks! ;)

***

Have you done an Electric Run? Were you one of the 15,000 who raced at Gillette?

I rocked & rolled through Providence...

Redemption. I was looking to redeem myself at this year's Rock 'n' Roll Providence Half Marathon.

Why?

Well last year I ran this race and narrowly missed a PR by a minute or so. But I was beat. I lost steam. I didn't know the course. I wasn't ready for the hills. I wasn't ready.

But, 2013 would be different.

I am a stronger now. I am wiser. I know the course.

So I was ready to enjoy the day.

Pressure?

Nope.

Why?

Well, I was going to be running the ZOOMA Women's Half Marathon the day before on the Cape so I knew I wasn't going to PR in Providence.

But, I wanted to come out on the other end feeling STRONG since I felt the complete opposite at the end of last year's run.

On Saturday, September 28 after finishing the ZOOMA Half and grabbing a quick shower at Nancy's, it was time to hit the road ... after a quick stop at Dunkin' Donuts of course.

Mmmm caffeine!

The drive from Falmouth to Providence would take about 80 minutes. I cranked up the tunes and set off.

The weather was glorious and I got to Providence early enough to grab lunch before meeting up with my friend Samantha, who I was crashing with that night.

On hear advice, I dined at PJ's Pub which was close to her apartment. Funny thing was I asked them to recommend a local brew and they said: "Harpoon IPA." Sorry miss. That is local to where I live ... not you. I was looking for a RI beer, but they didn't have any on tap. Sam Octoberfest it was to celebrate my race earlier that morning.

After my GPS somehow sent me to the wrong address for Samantha's, I got myself squared away and finally found her place. She met me in the parking lot and we jetted off to the Expo to meet our friend Robin. Yay seeing blogging/Twitter friends turned real-life friends! :)

We picked up our bibs...

... must be a small crowd if this girl - yes me - somehow ended up in Corral 2.

Speaking of small crowds, the expo this year was TINY. It took us no time to do a loop - or rather a couple loops - around the Expo. I wanted to take advantage of the free KT Tape booth, but some girl was getting most of her body covered in KT Tape so I bagged it.

We then headed over to the Got Chocolate Milk booth so I could take a couple pics and meet the other Team Refuel runners.

It was awesome meeting Jill and John - two amazing athletes!

And of course we needed a pic with the chocolate mustaches!

I had missed this at the last RnR Expo so I wasn't missing my chance this time around. :P

Samantha, Robin and I headed back to Samantha's apartment to unwind, watch some youtube videos on her Apple TV and enjoy a couple glasses of wine. My kind of night.

We enjoyed a nice dinner at Chili's since both Samantha and Robin are Gluten-Free so it worked for all of us then called it an early night.

Hey Flat Dani

Why such an early night?

Because the alarm was going off at 4:30am. Again, damn these early race times.

Providence has been known to have massive crowds in the parking garage so our goal was to get there early to secure a spot ... and early we did.

Thankfully Samantha is a local and got us in and parked quickly.

This gave ample time to enjoy my pre-race KIND Bar, have multiple trips to mall bathroom so we didn't have to use port-o-potties, hit up bag check and hide in the warmth of the mall before the start.

Oh hello Finish, we would be seeing you in a few hours after this was taken.

Before I knew it it was time to head to our corrals. I made a last minute port-o-potty stop (damn small bladder) and Samantha and I went to Corral 2. Robin was already settled into Corral 1.

While standing in the Corral, I saw my Tedy's Team runningmate Jackie, who I had actually ran into earlier in the mall as well. Yay seeing familiar faces.

Before the race, the game plan was to run with Samantha, but she was feeling severly undertrained so we were going to play it by ear.

My foot was feeling sore so I had no idea what my body would bring for the run.

The Start was delayed, which was tough in the chilly air, but the announcer tried to keep it light.

It was finally time to begin. Robin and Corral 1 went off and a couple minutes later it was our turn.

From the get go something felt off in my right foot. I had been battling a pain in the ball of my right foot earlier in the week, but this was coming from the arch.

I tried to shake it off and keep running. Samantha and I hung together the first 1.8 miles or so before I needed another port-o-potty stop. I figured it I went around Mile 2 I would be golden the rest of the race. My nerves get to me at the beginning of races.

Hit up the port-o-potty, almost ran over some of the 3-mile racers (oops!) and I was back on the course just in time for the first hill of the day.

But this time I was prepared. I buckled down and pushed up. It was easier this year. The weather helped, but I just felt smarter.

I turned up the music on my X-1 Headphones, which I attach to my visor and tried to zone out.

As we approached Mile 4, I knew the big hill was coming. This is like a hill for what feels like forever, but is really around a Mile. But it just keeps climbing. I remembered it from last year.

After giving myself a fist pump for making it through that mile, the pain increased in my arch.

It actually got so bad that at Mile 5 - the transition point of the Half Marathon Relay - I thought about quitting. I was going to get my first DNF.

Oh hell no I wasn't.

The rest of my body felt AMAZING. I would keep soldiering on. I stopped at Mile 5 to stretch and started running again.

I had a huge debate with myself during the next 2 miles. I started crying. The pain was tough. I knew that if it became unbearable I would stop. I am not risking my Dopey Challenge training for one race or one medal.

As we came down a hill approaching the water, I looked up and saw this sight. I had to stop and take a picture.

The fog was so thick it looked like a horror movie. I expected something to come out at me. It was a cool sight though.

But the pain got worse. I actually took my phone out of my armband, clicked it off airplane mode and texted my wife through the tears. I had no idea why she wasn't responding until I realized it was 8am on a Sunday so she was probably sleeping.

I put my phone away and got back to focusing on putting one foot in front of the other.

As I approached Mile 9, I started feeling better. The foot started loosening up and the pain started to subside. Maybe it was the adrenaline. Maybe it was the tears. Maybe it was working itself out.

But I just focused on enjoying the race.

I hit the Mile 10 marker, I looked across the street (as this was the start of an out and back loop thing) and saw Robin. I totally looked like a fan girl yelling: "ROBIN! ROBIN! GO ROBIN!" She looked fast and strong.

So I pulled from the depths of my energy and gave it all I had. I pushed through and reminded myself I had just a 5k to go! I can do that in myself. (Ummm not really but it worked in the moment)

I kept ticking the miles off with each step. When I hit Mile 12, I realized I was going to get Sub 2 - even with a half the day before and a bum foot. I also knew there was the hill approaching the Finish - it got me last year - but not this.

I pushed even harder once I saw the Mile 12 marker, but made sure to keep a little in the tank for that final hill.

I took the turn towards the Finish, squated down a tad in my stance and pushed. I gave all I had on that final hill.

There was the Finish Line. There was the Capital. There was the Chocolate Milk.

I had done it.

1:54:22.

Hell to the yeah.

With all that - half the day before and a sore foot - I finished just 1 minute and 24 seconds slower than last year. Are you serious? THAT just goes to show how much can change in a year.

Amazing.

Not sure the Chocolate Milk had ever tasted so good. ;)

Jill & I post-race

I chatted with the Got Chocolate Milk folks and headed off to get my medal engraved. I ALWAYS take advantage of the on-site medal engraving at the RnR races because if they mess up they have a whole box of medals right there to fix the mistake - not if I take it home. So it is worth the $20 to me.

Once the medal was set, I headed off to get my bag out of baggage claim and wait at the Letter X for my friends. It was so odd not having my wife there at the Finish and not seeing her out on the course. It took some wind out of my sails for sure.

Robin had OWNED the course and had delayed finding me because she needed a couple more cool-down miles. An inspiration to me on so many levels - she shed 90 lbs with Weight Watchers and completed her first Ironman in July.

Lucky to call her a friend!

Samantha finished. Her main goal. She did a great job too.

We didn't even plan to all be wearing Zensah compression sleeves. :P

It was great to spend the weekend with these two ladies. We had all done the race together last year as well, but staying together the night before made it special.

The Providence race is a great time. It is the right amount of challenge yet scenic enough to get you through it.

As always, the Rock 'n' Roll experience of having the bands along the course give you a bit of energy, the volunteers are always friendly and the spectators are encouraging.

We even hung out to watch the band for a little while. We were right up on the stage. I rarely go to concerts so that was just a cool experience.

Plus there are amazing places to grab a beer/food after the race. We had some misinformation on a couple places websites, but we ended up enjoying a great meal at Bar Louie.

But after a double race weekend it was time to head back home with happy memories in tow.

***

Do you enjoy the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series? Have you ever run in Providence?