Whooha Gear Giveaway & Discount Code ….

Posted on June 8, 2016 by tootallfritz

Whooha Gear is my go to favorite for lifestyle tees & tanks. I’ve long been a fan of their clothing line, optimistic attitudes and their “Believe, Achieve, Inspire” type quotes. Each piece is branded “Play Hard, Take Chances & Keep Smilin’”. Why, yes, I will! Factor in the low prices & great selection and now you know why I’m hooked. Smile

Some of my Whooha Gear collection is below. I pulled these from the archives so you won’t see all of them in the current lineup. I’ve added a link to the ones that are still available. I wear these pieces nonstop. If you travel with me, you may be tired of looking at them but no worries, I got a few new ones for our future trips!!!

I Run Long Sleeve Burnout Hoodie

Heartbeat Slub Tee I Run Long Sleeve Thermal

Regret Nothing Slub Tee

As you can tell, I’ve been collecting for a while and I’ve just added two new ones this week. The Chase Your Dreams Slub Tee and the Be Yourself Slub Tee. Michael loves the “don’t follow your dreams, chase them” tee. He insisted on taking a pic. So “Hello” from Mr. Michael!! I’m a huge fan too. Wore that one yesterday & today I’m wearing the Be Yourself. BE strong, humble, true, happy, inspired, fearless, kind, bold, selfless, hopeful, courageous, love, consistent, graceful, disciplined, bright, brave and wise. Just BE yourself. I couldn’t say it better myself. We are all different. That’s the great thing about everyone. Don’t be afraid to BE you!

Whooha Gear has graciously offered a giveaway of one tee to one lucky reader! And since they are all about you BEing yourself, they want you to pick the shirt you like best. So the winner will get to pick either the Chase Dreams or the BE shirt.

To enter the giveaway, please comment below as to which shirt you would pick upon winning this amazing giveaway! You can get a bonus entry by sharing this giveaway via any social media outlet of your choosing. Just make sure to let me know in your comment (below) WHERE you shared it. In fact, tag me if you can, cuz I’ll need to verify the share if you win via the bonus entry.

If you are so excited about Whooha Gear that you can’t wait for the win, then feel free to use the discount code: INSPIRE for 10% of your purchase! Whooooohaaaaaa!

Giveaway starts now & a winner will be drawn on Wednesday, June 15th, around noon EST. Good luck!

** Be Inspired, Inspire & Chase YOUR Dreams ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Spartan Race FREE ENTRY Giveaway & Discount Code

Posted on May 20, 2016 by tootallfritz

Nothing says badass like the Spartan Races. The Spartan Races are a spectacular series of events which will bring out the beast in all of us whether you’re looking to invoke your inner toughie or prove once again that you are strong, fit & brave.

The Spartan is an obstacle course race that combines running & strength work to tackle obstacles in route. Depending on what distance you choose, the event can be as short as 3+ miles or as long as 12+. Lots of options, info on the various race distances from the Spartan website below:

There are three main types of Spartan Races.

For beginners we recommend the Sprint. Spartan’s shortest courses are 3+ miles and 20+ obstacles. Complete the race at your own pace. If you fail an obstacle along the way, you owe us 30 burpees before continuing on.

Ready for more? The Super is 8+ miles, 24+ obstacles, and often hosted on a tougher terrain.

The hardest of the three races is the Beast: 12+ miles and 30+ obstacles. We’ll leave the challenges of the course to your imagination.

For those who dare: check out our Ultra Beast, Hurricane Heat, Hurricane Heat 12 Hour and Agoge endurance races.

They also offer kids races and various events across the country. No matter where you live, there is most likely a Spartan Race near you! Put in your zip code on the race finder & a map with pop up with your recommended location.

The closest races to me are the Chicago Super & Sprint weekend on June 11th and the Indiana Sprint on July 9th. Which race is in your backyard? Look HERE.

I have one free entry to give away to the Spartan Race of your choosing. In order to be entered in the giveaway, please make a comment below and tell me which race you would choose if you win the free entry. Easy right? Giveaway runs from now until next Friday, May 27th at 11am EST. I want to send someone into the upcoming Memorial Day weekend with a FREE ENTRY to a Spartan Race. Good luck!

For those of us who can’t wait and want to register now, I have a 10% off discount code: SPARTANBLOGGER. Feel free to use that code any time and register HERE by finding the race of your choosing.

** AROO – Amanda – TooTallFritz **

Favorite Things …. New Edition

Posted on May 10, 2016 by tootallfritz

I haven’t done a favorite things post in a while! That’s because I’ve been busying using what I Iove and not deviating from the box. I’ve dropped a few brands because some of my preferences have changed but if you must know I’m still wearing Athleta & Saucony EVERYTHING, I’ve tossed in a couple pair of 7” Nike Pros, some Gypsy Runner & I don’t run without my Injinji Socks. Enough said on the “normal”. Let’s talk about what’s NEW! And for the record, I’m not an ambassador or affiliate for any of these brands, I don’t have a discount code ~~but if you find one send it to me~~, and I don’t have free product to give you. Lame, huh? Sorry, I’ll try to do better next time.

Tailwind Nutrition – How many of you have this sitting in your fuel drawer but haven’t yet tried it? I had a few packets sitting for months, like 6+ months. I didn’t try it til I had enough with my tummy issues. Tailwind politely calls our tummy issues “gut bombs”. So appropriate.

Tailwind is a liquid nutrition that is wheat, gluten, diary & soy free. It’s 100% natural. It was designed for people running ultra distance like 50 & 100 mile races but I’m proof that it works great for marathons too! This product hydrates, fuels & gives the electrolytes needed to race for as long as I like. Easy to mix, clear since it doesn’t have artificial additives for color & flavor, comes in 7 flavors (one of which is unflavored) and with or without caffeine. It has the consistency of water and has a light refreshing taste. Plus it has glucose/sucrose which helps fast delivery of energy to the muscles. I’ve been low on sugar before while racing and it’s not pretty. Sometimes the miles & time on our feet get away from us. Sometimes the heat & humidity take more out of the body than we can possibly understand until it’s too late. With the constant stream of tailwind going into my system, I feel good, all the time. Even when those around me are getting sick, crashing & heading for the med tent. For more info, checkout the tailwind website. They have more info that I can possibly share, I just know it has worked wonders for me and I’m confident that I’ll finally get that PR that I’ve been chasing.

FlipBelt Hydration Bottles – Have you seen these yet? You now know that I’m in love with Tailwind. The reason it took me so long to try it was because I didn’t want to CARRY IT. I despise hydration belts with all my being. I don’t even care if they are good ones that don’t move or bounce. I avoid them like the plague. I also dislike handhelds. And I haven’t had the desire to try a hydration vest. So when FlipBelt came out with their new hydration bottles, I ordered one before the ink was dry on the website.

I use my FlipBelt ALL the time. I load it up for runs & races and go, go, go. I was hoping it was be just as awesome with the hydration bottles. It worked great & did NOT bounce. I was so happy! I use the 11oz bottle & mix in my Tailwind. Tip: If I’m using the scoop out of the Tailwind bag, I also use a baby formula dispenser to get my Tailwind in the FlipBelt bottles. The opening on the bottle is small, which is good cuz its easy for drinking and carrying, not so good for adding fuel to the bottle! The bottles are curved to fit snuggly to our body. I can only carry one 11 oz bottle at a time or I’m not comfortable. But the Tailwind mixes so nicely, that I put 4 scoops into ONE 11oz bottle for marathons. That’s 400 calories and I make sure I drink that by the 20 mile mark. Then I use water on course for extra hydration. These FlipBelt bottles are a great option for hydration on the go! Tip: FlipBelt usually is running some sort of special discount code on their Facebook Page. Go find them on FB if you are looking for a discount!

Eagle Creek Pack It Sport Bags. I had never heard of Eagle Creek until a couple weeks ago when they sent the RockNBloggers some free stuff. It was right before I left for my double marathon weekend & I tweeted out a pic real quick, packed up the bags to go & I left. I had zero idea how helpful they would be for that race weekend.

They sent me a large Foot Locker that fit shoes up to size 11. I always have more than one pair of run shoes for these big weekends but the plan is to race in one shoe unless there is a problem. I was able to put my main pair of shoes in the locker, plus I added my watch, fuel, socks, calf sleeves and FlipBelt to the foot locker. Super easy. I pulled it out on race morning and had everything I needed for the run other than my clothes. VERY nice having everything in one place! Quick pics below before I stuffed the rest of the goodies into the shoe locker. Lots of room. Sealed up the shoes and the smell (if that’s an issue).

The real gem of this collection was something I didn’t use initially when I packed up. It was the large Fitness Locker. I took this with me for my dirty run clothes. It’s water proof & antimicrobial. I was thinking it would be prefect for my wet, nasty marathon clothes. Little did I know how much I would need it. There was non-stop rain at the Kentucky Derby Marathon. Upon finishing the race, I had a wet singlet, bra, shorts, compression sleeves, socks, flip belt & visor. Normally, I would have been thieving the bag in our hotel room that’s reserved for dry cleaning, but not this time. I threw ALL those clothes & the visor into the Fitness Locker and zipped it up. Done. No wetness. No smell. Then I threw the Fitness Locker in my gym bag with all my other CLEAN clothes & zipped everything up.

Then we headed over to Cincinnati, where I did it all again. Got done with the Flying Pig Marathon the next day. No rain but this time we had heat, humidity, sprinklers & water hoses. Same scenario when I got back to the hotel. I was drenched, my clothes were drenched. So I grabbed the Fitness Locker, which didn’t smell at all from the Derby race, and unzipped it to add the clothes from Flying Pig: wet singlet, bra, shorts, compression sleeves, socks, flip belt & visor. The bag was now full with 2 full sets of wet clothes but it easily zipped & I tossed it into my regular bag with the remaining clean clothes. Easiest travel I’ve ever had with wet, gross, dirty clothes. I’m very happy to add these Eagle Creek Pack It Sport bags to my travel collection. Check out their website if you need help organizing your fitness clothes & gear or need to transport wet/gross clothes to and from the gym or while traveling. Prices are very reasonable and that is the best part!

Okay, that’s the latest edition of my “Favorite Things” list. I think these are all relatively new products that are noteworthy. I hope they help you as much as they have helped me.

Do you have any new products that you’re loving? If so, let us know in the comments below!

** Happy Running & TRIing ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Back to Back Marathons, 2 Marathons in 2 Days …. Tips for a Successful Double!

Posted on May 6, 2016 by tootallfritz

I’ve ran two back to back marathons this year. Yes, that’s 2 marathons in 2 days. The first was the Mississippi Blues Marathon & First Light Marathon in January. The second, just last weekend with the Kentucky Derby Marathon and Flying Pig Marathon. Amazing or Stupid? That is the question.

Sometimes, I manage to over commit. Sometimes, its not my fault. The first time I did back to back days of big mileage was in September 2013 when Women’s Rock first came to Chicago. That race was a mess. They ended up changing the date without notifying participants. I was then faced with a 1/2 marathon on Saturday & an organized 20 miler on Sunday. I was vested & had paid lip service to both events. I was hoping I wouldn’t die. I didn’t. And to be honest it was way easier than I had anticipated. As a result, it spurred my confidence that big mileage, on consecutive days, was possible IF I did it correctly. Myself & Nicki at Women’s Rock (Sept 2013).

From that day, I moved onto the Inaugural Dopey Challenge in January 2014. That’s 4 straight days of running. 5K (THUR), 10K (FRI), half marathon (SAT) & full marathon on SUN. I was hoping I wouldn’t die. I didn’t. As a result, it spurred my confidence that big mileage, on consecutive days, was possible IF I did it correctly. My BFF Minnie Mouse & myself at the first ever Disney World 10K. Inaugural Dopey Challenge 2014.

From the Dopey Challenge, I moved into my 4 for 40 challenge for my 40th birthday in April 2014. My challenge. My rules. I wanted to run 4 marathons in 4 weeks for my 40th birthday. It was kinda a big deal (to me) and ended up being one 50K and 3 marathons in 21 days. I was hoping I wouldn’t die. I didn’t. As a result, it spurred my confidence that big mileage, on consecutive days/weeks, was possible IF I did it correctly.

BUT then life happened. I ended moving to Indiana. I gained 26#s, which I’ve been battling since summer 2014. My plantar fasciitis took control of my life as I left my IL home, and with it my amazing chiropractors (Landgrebe Chiro in Tinley Park, IL). Once I was settled in Indiana, I tried to get back on track with healthy eating, fitness & running. I was facing down my first double marathon weekend in January 2015. Same double as this year (Mississippi Blues & First Light) but I didn’t make it to the start line! Why? I, or should I say my new chiros & PTs, couldn’t get my PF under control. By the time January 2015 rolled around, I could barely walk, let alone run 2 marathons in 2 days. I’ve since found an amazing chiropractor at Optimum Performance in Ft Wayne, IN. My PF is gone. I’m totally pain free.

There’s the background on my build up over the last several years. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend running 2 marathons in 2 days but I did have some experience of big mileage on back to back days so it wasn’t an insane jump for me. Or not as insane as some would think. I wasn’t really nervous. I was pretty sure I wouldn’t die. And I didn’t.

If you are considering a back to back, whether it be 2 half marathons or 2 marathons, here are a few tips.

Don’t take yourself too seriously. Have fun with it.
Don’t over train. I was way too serious the first time (when I was in the throws of PF). I had a lot of high mileage days, back to back. High mileage piled atop high mileage. Let’s just say, I didn’t help anyone fix my PF. And I never had the chance to even start the first race, let alone finish the second one.
Recovery is key. Both during training and on race weekend. I roll with “the stick” and on a foam roller. I use a Recovery Drink after big runs/races. I use Nighttime Recovery caplets when my legs feel heavy or sore. I don’t shy away from an ice bath or cold pool. I use compression during and after hard runs/races. And I do try to get extra rest. That means sleep. Yes, sleep. I take rest days after big runs and leading up to race days/weekends. You can’t run a double marathon weekend if you are exhausted, hurt or hungry. Take care of yourself!
Eat real food. Part of fueling up for a double marathon weekend or recovering from one is about what you put in your body. Dieting? Wrong answer. You need to eat. Proteins. Fats (healthy fats). Carbs. Sugars. If you are on a weight loss journey, marathoning is not for you. I spend a lot of time fueling up and then feeding the machine after. As a result, my weight is high but I’m healthy. I can’t focus on losing weight and still make sure I’m fueled up and recovered. True story.
Take care of your feet!! Rotate shoes. Wear good socks. I prefer Injinji socks because they prevent blisters & the loss of toe nails. I also slather on the Aquaphor BEFORE I put on my socks. I use so much Aquaphor that you might think I get it for free. I don’t. But it works and I love it. Injinjis + Aquaphor = SUCCESS!
Fueling. This is tricky! Fueling for one marathon is hard! Now do it correctly and be ready to run again on day 2! I’ve have some stomach issues, in running and real life. I finally went to the doc and got some stronger meds. Imodium was not doing it for me. Enough said. But I’m now able to fuel properly during the first race without losing everything and being sick for hours (or more) afterward. I also make sure to use my salt tabs if its hot and/or humid. Then I go into recovery mode directly after the race (see above) to refuel & feed the machine for day 2.
Fueling for day 2. Plan on having extra fuel. The first time, we were not prepared to deal with the hunger on day 2. We took the normal amount of fuel that we would need for a marathon. We almost starved. We ate food from aid stations that we normally wouldn’t touch. We ate food from bike support people. We would have hurt someone for a cliff bar, and we almost did.
Pick your day 2 destination wisely. We tend to go where our friends go and I suggest you do the same. The more people you know racing, the better. But if you are doing this solo, make sure the 2 races are in close proximity. I’ve heard people flying from one race to another. That’s not my reality. Our first double had a 3.5 hour drive time between races. That was almost too much. This time it was under 2 hours and that was perfect. Remember, you “might” be tired. You don’t want to spend all day recovering in the car.
Forget what PR stands for and take it easy. 2 marathons in 2 days is a lot for a normal person. Run easy on day 1. Walk up the hills. High five the kids. Thank the volunteers. Do NOT run fast.
Prepare for some initial stiffness on day 2. Especially if day one is cold, wet, windy or hilly. The conditions of day one have as much of an effect on your body as what YOU do during that race. Start out slow on day 2, let your body loosen up on its own and you’ll be surprised how good you feel after 3 or 4 miles. But still take it easy on day 2. This is about endurance, not speed. You want to walk away smiling, not limping!
Schedule a massage for 2-3 days post double. You’ll need it & your body deserves it. You have one body. Respect it.
Rest post double. I go into full rest mode. I’m not a “streaker”. It’s not for me or my body. I value my rest days. If I’m feeling sassy or antsy, I’ll swim or bike. But really, it’s Thursday and my plan is to drink wine and watch tv tonight. I have one objective & that’s to be healthy so I can keep running, swimming and biking. As a result, I err on the side of caution and rest an extra day or 2 beyond what most consider normal. But really, what the heck is normal? 2 marathons in 2 days probably is NOT considered normal.
Frame of mind. Lastly, if you think you can do it, then you can. As with everything, be confident. Know you can do it.

Have you ever ran a double half or double marathon weekend? If so, share your tips for success!

** Run Happy AND Healthy ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Flying Pig Marathon …. A Pigcredible Race

Posted on May 5, 2016 by tootallfritz

The Flying Pig Marathon was my 32nd marathon. Let it suffice to say that I know a good race from a bad one and I’d put Flying Pig at the top. This was definitely one of the best races I’ve ran to date. I’d go back to run the hills of Cincinnati anytime. They did an amazing job with a lot of people, in very warm conditions. Plus I’d like to shout out kudos to the communities, all of whom embraced this race as their own and were PROUD to showcase their town, their neighborhoods and they brought fun, food, music & games curbside for the runners to enjoy. Incredible, Cincinnati, absolutely incredible. Thanks for letting me run YOUR town.

The theme this year was “Get Oinked for Life”. As I understand it, they have a different piggy theme each year. But the swag is always amazing. This year they gave a gender specific tee, poster, gym bag (with yoga mat holder) & a buff at the finish line. I’ve seen finisher hats in years previous but it was a buff this year.

Nice sized expo with lots of Flying Pig logo’d merchandise. I normally don’t buy much from the expo but I had a feeling this was going to be a great race so I grabbed a visor & an insolated water bottle, which was a fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati.

Lots of piggy photo ops too. If you didn’t get your pic with one of the many cool looking piggies, then really, can we even be friends? Get excited, people! Have some fun! WhoooHoooo! Me & Lindsay Glitter Girl on the Run leaving the expo on the right. Pigs FLY in Cincinnati! Yes, they do. And thanks, Lindsay for being excited about all the cool piggies! Smile

This race was much larger than I anticipated so getting to the start & into the corrals on Sunday morning was a bigger process than I anticipated. We had plenty of time but there were a lot of people (over 39,692 participants for the entire weekend)! I said goodbye to Lindsay as she went into our corral. Pre-race selfie with Lindsay below!

Her run plan was to crush the hills. My run plan was to 1) not let the hills crush me, 2) have fun, 3) find some bacon, & 4) run with my friends! So I went back a corral to be with friends and hope that they would walk up some of the hills with me! Found Julie B at waiting for us at the entrance to Corral F! Julie B, Tamyra & I walking up one of the bridge inclines around mile 3. All smiles.

The sun was coming up. The fog was lifting. It was turning into a glorious day and we were all happy to be in Cincinnati to Fly with the Pigs!

I found bacon immediately within the first couple miles (blurry pic but I was excited!!). Then I found Elvis. We ran in and out of Cincinnati several times. Over 3 different bridges, past a few more.

Past Horseshoe Casino & into Eden Park. The views in Eden Park were breathtaking. It was hard not to linger and enjoy the view. Most everyone was stopping for pics & I love to see that. Runners ENJOYING the race vs zooming past all the cool stuff!

We said goodbye to Eden’s park, passed under a cool footbridge & headed to the split for the half & full marathons.

The split was huge. There were 12,532 half marathoners (including walkers) and they split at an intersection with one of the most beautiful churches I’ve ever seen (pic below). Then the full marathon continued and had 3,861 finishers (including walkers). I would like to note that the full initially had 4,737 registered runners. Not sure how many bowed out or dropped to the half pre-race but the conditions got very tough and a lot of people were not able to finish. I really hope that we didn’t lose 850+ people over that last half of the race. That’s a big discrepancy in registered vs finished.

After we dropped the half runners, we started to stretch out and head toward the neighborhoods. There are a lot of races where I’d tell you to stick with the half. So many races put all the sites & fun in the first half because the number of half runners always trumps the full marathoners by a lot. They focus on those runners and then just stretch out the course for those of us who “have to” run the 26.2 distance. Cincinnati was NOT like that. There was plenty to see and fun to be had in the last half of the race. Plus, I’ve honestly never seen as better proration of volunteers to runners. Even the people who didn’t volunteer in an official capacity brought the party to the curb as we passed thru their neighborhood.

I’ve never ran a race with so much entertainment. Live music. Boom boxes. Car radios. Bubble Machines. Mini Basketball stations. Cheerleaders. Singers. Bands. Children cheering and high fiving. Mascots. Fun, fun, FUN!

I’ve never ran a road race with so many food stations. Bacon. Need I say more? Chocolate. Hershey Kisses. York Peppermint Patties (Pig Mints!!). Graham Crackers. Chocolate Graham Crackers. Twizzlers. Pretzels. Oranges. Watermelon. Fruit cups. Swedish Fish. Pringles. Trail Mix. Candy.

I’ve never ran a race with the level of community support that I saw in Cincinnati. Full on block parties. Lots of drinking in the early a.m. More piggy decorations than I knew to exist. Beer shots. Mimosas. Margaritas. Music. Cheers. Laughter. Painted streets. Encouragement galore. And dogs. If you love dogs as much as Cincinnati loves pigs, then you will be in heaven. Big dogs. Little dogs. Old dogs. Puppies!! Fat dogs. Skinny dogs. Hairy dogs. Friendly dogs. Scared dogs. LOL! I loved the Cincy dogs as much as I loved the people!!

The race stretched out. Hill after hill. Big hills. Little hills. But always hills. Hard race. Don’t let all the fun deter from the hills cuz Cincinnati is know for hills more than fun. There was over a 1000 feet of climbing and just as much descending (ironically not much more climbing than in Olathe KS for the Garmin Marathon that we thought was flat & fast!).

Our turnaround point was the Village of Mariemont. Cute community! By this time, I was soaked. It was hot. Full sun. I was dumping water on my head & I was drenched. So, no pics by me but I grabbed this from the Mariemont Inn website because I wanted you to have a small taste of Mariemont. The entire area was just this awesome.

By the time we got to Mariemont and were headed back to the City, the temps were soring and the runners were starting to suffer. Some had been suffering for quite some time. I was hearing a lot of ambulance sirens. I was worried about those around me. I was doing okay but going at a very pedestrian pace. Lots of walking. Lots of water intake. Lots of electrolyte intake. I hit every sprinkler and loved the Cintas station that set up with icy cold towels, dry towels and full water hoses with shower heads! About the time things started to get really bad, race officials had gotten ice and were bringing it back to runners. They had gators loaded with cases of water, huge bags of ice and were proactively headed from the finish back toward the runners still on course. I was very impressed that although they had not planned for the higher temps, they were proactive and did what they could to help the suffering runners. That’s a great race organization that is able to react quickly to a less than ideal situation.

There were also about 30 bike support people on course who were watching the runners very closely. They had supplies on their bike and would go get something a runner needed. Med & aid stations toward the end were stocked with margarita shot blocks with extra salt, Coca Cola and things that we normally don’t see at road races. I was very, VERY impressed with the Flying Pig Marathon. I will definitely go back and run it again.

Registration for 2017 is now open. You can register HERE for the May 7, 2017 marathon for $70 (or the half for $60) thru May 15, 2016. Get Oinked for Life!

I’m headed into triathlon season now. My next marathon will be on October 1st in Fort Wayne, IN. The Fort4Fitness event that I’ve loved since its inception in 2008 is offering its first ever marathon and I can’t wait to run in my back yard and rock the run in Ft Wayne. Flying Pig reminded me a lot of Fort4Ftiness in the way the communities come out to support the runners and that made me even more excited about the upcoming Fort4Ftiness Marathon. I hope to see YOU in Ft Wayne on October 1st!

** Run Happy, All. Have Fun & Enjoy ALL the Races. ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Kentucky Derby Marathon – 2016

Posted on May 4, 2016 by tootallfritz

I headed to Louisville last weekend to run my 2nd Kentucky Derby Marathon. I love this race and it wasn’t difficult to talk me into a repeat visit. I’m a huge fan of races in small towns where we can park the car at the hotel, then walk to packet pickup, dinner & the race itself. Its good for the runners AND spectators.

The expo is a nice size. Not huge but a decent size compared to some of the smaller ones we have been to as of late. Quite a few vendors to cover whatever you may have forgotten or to grab something special to remember your trip. Packet pickup was quick and painless. The full marathoners walked away with a gender specific tee & a hat for race swag.

Race day was just as painless. The race started on Main Street about a block or two from our hotel. No gear check for us, so we just made our way to the corral and got in line. Race started at 7:30a and we left the hotel at 7:00a. Rain was on the forecast so we grabbed a selfie before we got wet. Smile Me, Katie & Julie M. We tried about 4 selfies. I look equally as goofy in each one. Yes, this is the best one. No, I have no idea what’s going on with my hair.

There are so many things I love about this race and I talked about a lot of them when I ran in 2014. See that post HERE. Race starts on Main Street and you run past all the local businesses, bars, restaurants, the huge YUM Stadium, the Louisville Slugger Museum and so much more. The first miles of the race really showcase a lot of what Louisville has to offer, including the University of Louisville. It weaves in and out of downtown. Constant crowd support. Neighborhood children out to cheer on the runners. Good community support.

But honestly, everyone is just waiting for mile 8 and to enter Churchill Downs. This was definitely a highlight for me last time and I was anxiously awaiting it once again. By the time we got to this point, it was steadily raining on us and had been for a while. So no pics from this round but I have some from 2014!

We run into the entrance of Churchill Downs, thru the area where all the tents are located and I envision various vendors for race weekend, then thru the tunnels, under the track and into the back lots. Pic below from 2014.

Even though it was raining, there were still several horses out practicing when we ran thru. It’s very cool. I’ve always wanted to go to the Derby and this renewed my interest to make that happen. Cool venue and I love running it.

Once we are out of the Downs, around mile 9, the half and full marathons split. Although, I always enjoy the company of the half runners, and find it way easier to keep a slow steady pace when all of them are around, I was ready for a bit of solitude and for the road to open up. The Derby Festival Marathon weekend is best known for it’s “mini” marathon (half marathon to anyone how doesn’t live in Indianapolis IN or Louisville KY). There were 10,434 half marathoners and a mere 1,811 full runners. So the road did in fact open up quite a bit as we said goodbye to the “mini” runners. But we weren’t alone. There were always people around and still a good number of spectators out, even for a rainy day.

Now we were headed for Iroquois Park. This is the hardest part of the race with lots of up & downhill sections but the scenery is spectacular. I must say, I found this section particularly hard last time (2014) but it really wasn’t that bad this year, thanks to all the ridiculously hilly races I’ve managed to run over the last couple years. There were some tough ups but I walked them. And I found a surprising number of downhill sections which I don’t remember from last time! The gentle rain made everything that much more beautiful and the road was wide open so that we could easily run the tangents up and down the hills and around the winding roads. Very nice.

After Iroquois Park, it was all downhill. Like seriously. I think we may have had 1 or 2 inclines after that but it was otherwise flat terrain. We ran past so many amazing churches and historical homes, back thru the University of Louisville campus and we were headed back to the downtown area.

The aid stations were fully stocked and staffed, even with the rain. They offered water, Gatorade & Cliff Shots in several spots. Lots of potties and medical stations, if you needed them. Plus spectators who came out even with the weather. By the time we hit mile 23, it was a full on downpour. I was happy to have a visor and just kept my head down and ran. It was then that the rain finally penetrated my shoes as we could no longer see dips in the pavement but rather just splashed thru. It didn’t dampen anyone spirits but there did seem to be a lot of people cramping and hurting in those last miles and I think it was a lot about the weather and the cool rain on their warm muscles. Julie & I stopped 2-3 times to dig Biofreeze out of our bags for people who needed some assistance. But alas the finish became visible and we put another marathon in the DONE column. We even saw our friend Erica at the finish. She killed her race and beat us by a few minutes (or more). Smile Julie, Random Dude, Erica & me.

The Kentucky Derby Marathon is an awesome race. Great spectator support. Great community support. Great course. Great police/safety. Great aid stations. And its fun without too many crazy hills. Put this one on your list if you haven’t already, it’s worth the trip to Louisville to run the Derby.

The Derby Marathon was the first marathon of the weekend. Yes, the second double marathon weekend of 2016. We finished, showered, and drove to Cincinnati OH for the Flying Pig Marathon. Come back tomorrow for that recap.

** Run the Derby Marathon ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Garmin Marathon, Olathe KS

Posted on April 22, 2016 by tootallfritz

The Garmin Marathon in Kansas is in the DONE column. I’m slowly working my way thru the states. I have an ongoing, long term goal to run a marathon in every state. Slowly cuz well, I have a budget and a family. I have basically given up all other racing, other than marathons (and 70.3 triathlons), in order to put all my $$ toward this goal. As a result, I try to pick marathons in new states whenever possible. I’ve also become a frugal traveler to save money and make the quest a bit more manageable. We pile 3-4 people in the car/hotel room and don’t do much other than eat and run. Kansas was state #19 and Garmin was my 30th marathon. To be honest, this feels more like an adventure than a goal and each new state brings new friends and more stories for my golden years.

Kansas. What do you know about Kansas? I apparently knew nothing. I imagined vast areas of grasslands, farm fields and flat terrain. Like very flat where the wind would blow for days with nothing to stop it. I was wrong. As I was driving thru Missouri bound for the border town of Olathe, KS, all I could see were hills. Lots and lots of rolling hills. I must admit I was slightly distressed. I normally don’t have a predetermined goal time for marathons. I normally just run what we can manage. If we are all having a good day, we run comfortable. If not, we run, walk, jog at whatever pace we can manage. No big deal. We just roll with the punches. But this time, for the first time in a very long time, I had a goal in mind. One which honestly, should have been quite manageable. I was healthy (thanks to Dr. Goins at Optimum Performance in Ft Wayne IN). I was strong. I have shed some of the weight I gained almost 2 years ago with our massive move. Most of all, I was confident that I could hit the numbers. But the numbers would only compute if the terrain were flat. I am a poor hill runner. My body just struggles with the uphill & we have very few inclines in this area on which I can try to improve this weakness. In fact my Saturday run group has gone out of their way all winter to run up each and every incline we could find, sometimes twice. But it wasn’t enough. No PR for me in Kansas. But I tried and I walked away proud, knowing I didn’t give up before we even got started. I rolled with the plan, hit the numbers until I could not physically hit the numbers any more. So there you have it. No PR in Kansas.

The expo was easy and fast. A few cutouts of Wizard of Oz characters (See Tamyra, myself & Cindy with the Wicked Witch below). Several booths but mostly local businesses & events. The Gypsy Runner booth was definitely the busiest booth at the expo. I love her normal stuff but she printed a shirt specific to this Wizard of Oz themed race and it was awesome! The “Don’t Make me Drop a House on You” burnout tank was quite popular and I was lucky to snag one before they sold out. Me, Cindy & Julie in our tanks on race morning. (Available here at GypsyRunner.com).

The race shirt was also very popular. The shirt was gender specific and featured the image of the Wicked Witch with a quote saying “Never Surrender”. So appropriate, although I didn’t know it at the time.

The Embassy Suites was the host hotel and actually connected to the Olathe Convention Center where the expo was located. Super easy expo, hotel stay & race start/finish. In fact we didn’t even move our car to go to dinner but rather walked across the street to a nearby venue. It was a great decision because when we returned, we found that the finish line was already set up. Had to get a pic all together at the finish! Erica, Me, Tamyra, Judy, Elina, Cindy, Julie & Eric. So fun!!

Race morning came and the weather was comfortable, in the mid 50s at the start. Unlike most race mornings, this one was particularly easy because the start was about 50 feet out the front door of the host hotel. Nice. Now, let’s run! Tamyra, Judy, Me, Cindy, Random Dude & Julie waiting for the start.

The start was right on time. The hotel was a top a hill. Shocker. As we crossed the start line, the view was a sea of people and a hill in the distance. Photo credit: Gypsy Runner. She was probably shooting the hill ahead but she caught a glimpse of Judy (center in the black maniac tank/yellow visor), Julie is front right of Judy in the black tank & you can barely see my head in front of & above Judy & Julie’s head, I’m in a black tank too. Love it!

We were hoping to leave the hills behind as we ran away from the hotel but that wasn’t the case. There wasn’t the usual chatter. Some talk, but mostly just running. It was a head down kind of race for me. I tried to not look at the hills, which resulted in my head being low and on the ground in front of me most of the time. I was hoping if I didn’t “see” them, then I wouldn’t really process them. I was also hoping that if I didn’t acknowledge how quickly it was heating up, then that wouldn’t be happening either. I was in denial, right?

The aid stations were well stocked and spaced about 2 miles apart. Lots of water, Gatorade, GU & potties. I also saw several medial tents. The race was very well ran, lots of volunteers, police and even a lady riding a bike dressed as the Wicked Witch. Photo credit: Gypsy Runner.

The first half of the marathon course was on the streets of Olathe. The last half was an out and back on the Mill Creek Trail. Garmin boasted a new course this year due to the start/finish being moved to the hotel & convention center. See map below.

I had high hopes that once we hit the trial, the course would flatten out and cool off as we entered the woods. It didn’t. I was getting pretty close to hitting the wall at this point. I had ignored everything and was able to average between 9:18-9:41 thru the first 14 miles. Then I hit the wall. I wasn’t hurting, just didn’t have that pace left in my legs. I needed to start walking some of the hills. The Mill Creek Trail was pretty. We crossed several bridges & creeks and it was a nice area to run. I would have loved it and ran it frequently if I were a local. Photo credit: Gypsy Runner (pic 1) & Tamyra (pic 2).

The temps heated up to the mid 70s during the race but we did have some cloud cover and a breeze toward the end. Speaking of the end, I was kinda dreading the hill at mile 25. I knew it was coming because we had to run down it around mile 13. But I also knew as soon as I could get myself up that hill, I was in the home stretch. Photo credit: Gypsy Runner

Ah, the finish! Just follow the Yellow Brick Road! I’m on the left. The two other gentlemen, I had met the day before at the original Kansas City Joes while we waited in line for BBQ. They were on pace to pass me up before the finish but then took pity on me and ran me in since they were “in no hurry”. LOL! Photo credit: SeeKCRun who in conjunction with the Garmin Marathon allowed free photo downloads! Nice touch!

I was shooting for a 4:10. Ran a 4:33. I’m not sad. I did what I could. I didn’t give up until I didn’t have a choice. And I know that 4:10 will soon be mine. I’ll just have to wait til fall for it because the Garmin Marathon was my last chance for now.

Elevation chart showed 940 feet of climb. 930 of decent. Not crazy climbing for some but a lot for this Midwesterner.

Very cool medal. It’s huge and I love the Wicked Witch theme. There were 588 marathoners who earned this medal!

2037 half marathoners earned a Glenda, the Good Witch medal. 653 runners earned the Hot Air Balloon 10K medal. Overall, the Garmin Marathon did a great job. Stayed on theme. Great support and even a great course. There was an after party with free beer and several booths, lots of massage & chiro people to help stretch out the runners. And the best part, upon completion, I walked straight into the hotel for a hot shower and my recovery drink. Nice!

That’s a wrap for Kansas! Next up is a double marathon weekend with the Kentucky Derby Marathon on 4/30, then the Flying Pig Marathon on 5/1. THEN I move into a fun filled summer of Triathlon. I can’t wait!

Happy Running, whether its up hill or down, just keep smiling!

Amanda – TooTallFritz

Rock N Roll Marathon Series – New Orleans, LA – Race Review

Posted on March 1, 2016 by tootallfritz

Marathon #29, State #18 – Rock N Roll Marathon New Orleans – LA

I recently received word that I was accepted to the 2016 Rock N Blog team. I should have discount codes for all the Rock N Roll Marathon Series races for YOU sometime this week!! As a result, I hustled to get some RnR races on my calendar! RnR New Orleans has been on my “list” for years and it just so happened to fall on Leap Year weekend this year. Mom and I always travel Leap Year weekend (every 4 years). I didn’t know if she would be interested in a whirlwind trip to New Orleans but she was totally up for it, so away we went!!

The expo was at the New Orleans Convention Center which is centrally located to the Riverwalk, close to Harrah’s Casino & a short jaunt to the French Quarter. As with all Rock N Roll races, each participant is required to pick up their own packet. We zoomed thru the expo, which was a decent size. Grabbed my bib, the race tee & I bought a couple RnR items to rep my new team. Race tee below. Black. Gender specific. Brooks Running.

This was a fun trip for mom & I, not a run specific trip, so I wanted to spend as little time doing run things as possible. We stayed at the Hotel St Marie in the French Quarter. I fell in love with the photos of the hotel on the internet and felt like it was a great place to give Mom a feel of the real New Orleans. We loved it & the ladies at the front desk really took care of us and helped us with finding cool, local places for food and entertainment! It’s an older, historic New Orleans hotel. A mere half block away from the craziness of Bourbon Street but removed enough that we didn’t hear much of the hoopla. See my pic below, isn’t it a cute hotel?

I have to give mom credit. She was so adventurous. She walked and walked and walked. We ate EVERYTHING “New Orleans” that we could possibly consume: Fried & blackened alligator, seafood gumbo, crawfish po’boy, crab stuffed jalapeno poppers, beignets, café au lait, catfish, redfish, shrimp, fried green tomatoes, chicken tchoupitoulas, creole green beans, creole jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, and shrimp & grits….. to name a few. Smile See pic below from the Royal House Oyster Bar of my pre-marathon meal of shrimp & grits. So amazing. Light. Tasty. Tiny bit of spice but nothing overpowering.

We also toured the city. Cemeteries. Ghost tours. Parks.

And we had a few drinks: café au lait & cocktails …. including Mom’s very first hurricane (we could only drink one cuz they were so strong). I even tried a concoction called a “grenade”. Just one of those too. Gotta be careful with the cocktails in the Big Easy!!!

Then as icing on the cake, I got to run the Rock N Roll NOLA Marathon. Race started at 7:30 am but there were approximately 34 corrals. I believe there were just shy of 35,000 bibs sold/registered between the 10K, Half & Marathon. Approximately 2 minutes between corrals. No policing of corrals so some just started where they wanted verses where they were assigned. Then I heard complaints of a crowded course. I did NOT have an issue with the course being too crowded but I DID pass runners the entire way, right up to the finish. So I know that everyone wasn’t where they were supposed to be but I think it bothers me less than some because I just run my race and really don’t worry about what anyone else is doing. I wasn’t going for a specific time. I had my sore hamstring that I was babying, plus I knew the weather was going to heat up to 70+ degrees before the finish. Kinda warm for those of us who left a frozen tundra to head south for the weekend. Those 2 things made me acutely aware that I should neither run too fast nor stress too much about the race. I just tried to run relaxed but at a decent clip while my hamstring held and the temps were cool. I never pushed the pace. I had to stop a couple times to take motrin and add biofreeze to “hard to reach” muscles. I just ran. Happy to be running. Pleased with the amazing course that toured the Garden District, French Quarter, Decatur Street, Jackson Square, the French Market, City Park and looped over the levies for a rolling out and back next to Lake Pontchartrain. Most of the route was flat. A few rollers by the lake. Mostly shaded course. And I thought it was AMAZING. Every step. I was told it was “boring” the last 10 miles, but I didn’t think that was the case. I loved the breeze off the water by the lake after we left all those amazing shade trees behind. Honestly, I really loved it. And I think you would too. I finished. My fastest marathon of the year so far, 4 hrs 19 minutes. Hoping to improve on that in April but honestly, any day I get under 4:30 is a good day by me! Awesome medal & finisher jacket. I’ve never gotten a jacket as FREE finisher SWAG! So cool!!!

RnR races are known for the after party, band and beer garden but to be honest, I always hoof it back to my family. Everyone seemed to be having an awesome time. The beer was flowing and the finish area was set up well to take care of runners. Class act. I was very impressed with what New Orleans had to offer both to local tourists and to the RnR runners. New Orleans, you got an “A” for how much you have grown post Katrina. I’m so impressed that I can’t possibly put it into words. You have rebuilt. You are bigger and better. You are now, once again, an amazing city. I hope to be able to revisit soon & run your lovely streets again and again.

** Til We Meet Again, New Orleans ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

A Personal Investment ….

Posted on February 19, 2016 by tootallfritz

Bet on yourself. For life. And don’t be afraid to throw down a little cash to protect that investment. Buy new running tights. Keep your run shoes fresh. Pay for a gym membership. Register for a race. Get a nice juicer. Buy organic and locally grown produce. Spending money on your health, wellness, and making goals is not throwing away money, it’s investing in your personal wellbeing.

If you think you can’t afford to workout, run, or race, then think again. Can you afford Starbuck$? Can you afford to order out? Can you afford that fancy handbag that you’ve been eyeing? How about designer pumps, that you can’t even wear to the office because they hurt your feet so badly?

The excuses are endless. Stop. If you don’t take care of yourself, nobody else will either. Taking care of yourself is a sign of respect. A sign of intelligence. A sign that there is more to life than all the material things that so many focus upon. At the end, nobody is really going to care what kind of car you drove, whether you had an amazing designer wardrobe, or how much money you had in the bank. It’s time to really be honest with yourself and figure out what is important.

Too harsh? Maybe. Maybe not. So many people are struggling each and every day and just can’t commit to investing in the single most important thing, themselves. It’s time to educate ourselves. Exercise. Health. Nutrition. What different fruits & veggies can do for the body. How exercise effects not only your body but your life, and those around you. How can we feel good, each and every day? Everyone wants to feel good, right? Why don’t you feel good? Too much bad food making your feel bloated & sick? Too much stress leaving you an emotional mess? Too much alcohol to combat the stress? Too much sugar making you tired? How do you feel? I mean, how do you REALLY feel?

Now go grab a glass of water and figure out a plan. I want you to feel good, tomorrow. I want you to feel GREAT, next week. If you don’t feel great, and I mean REALLY great, then figure out why. Invest in yourself before its too late. Exercise and get the blood flowing. Eat foods that nourish the body and fight sickness and disease. You get to choose where to spend your money. Bet on YOU.

** I’m Betting & Investing on ME ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Feeling Flat ….. How Stress Effects the Body

Posted on February 18, 2016 by tootallfritz

There are so many ups and downs of a typical training cycle. Two weeks ago, I was flying high, hitting my numbers and ran the “easiest” 20 miler I’ve ever run. This week, I’m quite literally sinking in the pool. My butt is dragging.

I swam this morning and should currently be on the treadmill knocking out my tempo run. But I’m stalling. Trying to figure out if I should run or not. Of course, I’m going to run but should I try for the tempo pace? That is the question. I’m tired and well, I have an angry hamstring that popped up out of nowhere. Sad smile

To be honest, I expected to be fresh this week. I had 3 forced rest days (SAT, SUN & MON) because the little guy was in the hospital with pneumonia. He is doing much better now. Still weak but improving every day. His biggest complaint at this point is that his back hurts (from the hospital bed, or maybe the pneumonia?) and that he can’t run as fast as he used to before he got sick. Give it some time, Buddy. Just a little time. As for myself, I’m guessing that hanging out with the little guy in the hospital and being stressed/worried about him was probably more daunting on my mind and body than I realized. I’m back on schedule & trying to follow my plan. I expected to knock out one more killer week before pulling back next week to recharge for the Rock N Roll New Orleans Marathon on 2/28. But alas, I’m just tired. And my back hurts too! And one of my hamstrings is on strike. So I’m just slogging thru the week. Not pushing at all. I’m trying to focus on getting some extra rest, making sure I get extra nutrients, and hoping that I’ll bounce back next week while I’m “tapering” for RNRNOLA.

It’s important to realize that events in our lives effect our bodies. A stress reaction is real. Stress takes a toll on the mind and body. You might feel fatigued, get sick, have stomach issues or stress eat (that’s me!). Long term stress can do some serious damage if we are unable to manage it properly. Please see the awesome graphic below from Life Advantage. Go HERE to see the full article on how stress can effect the body.

Bottom line, give yourself a break when your body is rebelling. Look at what’s happened in life for the last couple weeks if something “new” has popped up. Don’t stress about not feeling great. Just focus on what you can do to improve the situation. Sleep and making sure you get lots of fruits & veggies to up the nutrients in your body is so important. Drink lots of water to flush all the toxins. Avoid caffeine & alcohol. Exercise. Don’t push hard on the workouts but get the blood flowing and you’ll be back to normal before you know it.

** Cheers – Amanda – TooTallFritz **

TooTallFritz

Running Toward: Health, Wellness & PEACE …………………………………….. Running From: Insanity, Screaming Children, Housework & a Big Ass

Category Archives: Running

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Garmin Marathon, Olathe KS

Rock N Roll Marathon Series – New Orleans, LA – Race Review

A Personal Investment ….

Feeling Flat ….. How Stress Effects the Body

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