Updates, Apologies and a little Mike Tyson Action.

     What a difference a day can make! Seriously, I posted on my blog yesterday all about my bad week yesterday and the outpouring concerns and just overall support from friends IRL and online was just overwhelming. Thank you to those who reached out to me. I'm one very lucky and blessed gal and I know that.  I'm not one to dwell on the bad times in life so I needed that major pick me up. :) 

     I woke up super early this morning and for those that know me well, you also KNOW that I am NOT a morning person. I run long miles at night. I rarely go to bed before midnight and do most of my "deep  thinking" late at night. I should go get a night job....it's when I operate the best. 

     I decided that I would hit the gym before my fam got moving. Like before 5am early. I wanted a re-do on last week and I was NOT going to start out one more day harboring any negativity.  And that's just what I did. I ran three miles like a champ, went grocery shopping before 6am, went home, woke my kiddos up, made breakfast, packed lunches, zipped them all off to school and then took care of the usual errand/Mom stuff. There was nothing particularly spectacular or out of the ordinary about my day but nothing bad either so I was #WINNING. It's just amazing what a clear head and positive attitude can do for you. 

      I mentioned a few things in my last post that may have raised an eyebrow or two. I apologize to anyone who thinks that I have directed anything negative toward them. I can assure you that I did not! Frustrations can run high and frustrations can also be manipulated.  The World Wide Web is a very large world and I'm not the only person who lives there. :) 

     Thank you again to those who reached out to me about those issues as well. I spent some time cleaning up some of my social media accounts this week unfollowing accounts belonging to people/companies who I just don't connect with. I'm not really sure why I feel the need to apologize for that but I don't want to come across as rude. I'm sure there are people who do not like to see my posts about Alabama Football, running, Disney or things that I just personally think are funny. It's OKAY. That's the beauty of social media. Unfollow if you don't like it or hang around for a bit and let's be friends. It doesn't mean that you are a horrible person if you unfollow. I don't feel that way anyways. :) 

Sorry. But this just made me laugh. 

     As far as the rest of the week, I go back for part two of my root canal tomorrow so that should be just lovely. Other than that, I plan on running a lot, getting a few workouts in and I'm a running a Half Marathon Sunday that I'm praying I'm not frozen solid at the start! #StayAwayElsa

     Happy Running and Happy Attitudes :) 

     

     

     

Letting it Go.

     Last week was by far one of the WORST weeks of my life. While most will assume that it had something to do with running or The Disney Parks Moms Panel rejection...sorry, guess again.  My family had a bomb dropped on us and when things like that happen, the Mama bear in me takes over. My kids and my family mean everything to me and I'm going to take the bull by the horns and turn this situation around.  My bad week had nothing to do with either of those things that I mentioned above, although those were two of the things that didn't make the week any better. Throw in a root canal by the end of the week and I was toast.

     As far as the Moms panel goes, I heard some very disturbing things about the whole process and how it operates and I'm truly sad if what I heard is true. I'm praying that's not the case. I'll keep applying for the panel because I love Disney Parks and runDisney and am in it for all of the right reasons. I won't bash the operation and I refuse to gossip but I will step back from some of the insanity of it. There's nothing wrong with wanting to surround yourself with things that make you happy and things that prove to be truthful.

     As far as running goes, I had to cancel my trip to Vegas at the midnight hour which was a HUGE stab right to the gut for me.   First of all, that run has been on my personal running bucketlist for at least five years so my husband had NO IDEA how to handle me when that happened. He just kept apologizing. It was a done deal and I had to dig deep to try not to be upset all weekend. I'm not gonna lie, that shook me to the core.

     I hear it all of the time that being a Mom is the hardest job in the world and once again that proves to be true for me. This weekend was NOT all about me because there's no part of me that wanted to cancel my trip to Vegas. My trip was paid for. All reservations were made. I was more than trained to run 26.2 miles under the bright lights of Vegas. UGH. But WOW, just WOW do things have a way of turning around?? One simple sentence from my little boy brought me to my knees of just how very blessed that I am. For that, I could not even entertain the thoughts that had previously filled my brain with stupid selfishness. Those things don't mean anything.

     At the end of the weekend, there was no place I would rather have been than right here at home with my kiddos and my family. Races come and races will go. And believe me, I've got Vegas on my calendar already for next year!! I had a great talk with myself and have decided to let a few things go that make me sad or just don't really bring out the best in me. My kids and my family deserve the best of me.

     I'm finding solutions for that "big bomb" that landed on me last week and I feel GREAT about these decisions. I deserve the best of me too. :)

     On the bright side, I gained another week of training that I would normally spend resting after a marathon....all focus on Dopey Challenge now! I've got 52 days to get my butt in shape! EEEEKKK!

Happy Running and Happy Marathon Training!

CHOOSE to be BETTER not BITTER. #NoExcusesNoah

 

Hello. No caption needed.
#RESPECT

      I had the pleasure of listening to November's Cover Model of Men's Health Magazine speak last night. Meet Noah Galloway. He was voted the 2014 Men's Health Ultimate Guy. First,  let me just say....Noah is a hometown boy so I've seen him around. I'm not gonna lie and say that I haven't noticed him at a few of my local races. I'm married but geez laweez I can recognize GOD's beauty. Okay, now that all of THAT is out of the way....let's get to the rest of the post. ;)

Hanging with Mr. Cover Model. 

     Like a mentioned before, I've seen him around a few times. I stood on the field next to him at the SEC Baseball Championships this summer when he and his boy threw out the first pitch. He didn't know who I was but I knew who he was. I've heard of his story. I knew that he had kind of made it "big time" lately. He's been on all kinds of television shows, made the cover of Men's Health Magazine, he's pimping out all kinds of products and running races all over the place. You go boy!! He totally deserves it ALL and more.

     Last night he told his story. He gave his background. He told how he dealt with his problems, his battles and his victories. I loved hearing it all.

     The one thing that I REALLY loved hearing about from him was that he told the story of how after everything has been said and done. The endorsements are there. Lots of endorsements. He can pick and choose. He has hired people. He's got everything in the fitness world that he could ever want. He can run any race that he wants to. And he has. BUT.......his platform has gotten bigger.

     This is where CONFIDENCE is greater than ARROGANCE. He was not arrogant. He is confident now. He has CHOSEN to be better rather than bitter. This is the moment that I fell in love with Noah Galloway. Seriously, Don't we ALL need to choose to be better rather than bitter???

     Granted, He has had to learn this lesson in the hardest way imaginable but good grief, look at him now. He has created one of the most fabulous foundations, The #NoExcusesNoah Charity. His platform is HUGE! He makes a difference in people lives' that he may NEVER even realize that he does. He gives back. He encourages. He is ALL THAT.

     Noah receives tons of letters, emails and comments daily from people that are inspired by him and who will overcome battles because of his story.  I cannot tell you how much his story resonated within me. I want to be just like him. I want to inspire others to choose to be BETTER and not BITTER. So THANK YOU Noah Galloway. I needed to hear that last night.

Signing the November Issue

     After he spoke, I was able to chat with him. My nerdy side completely took over and I wanted to hear about all of his races. He runs those crazy Tough Mudders and hardcore challenge races. I'm a hamster runner...long distance is my thing so those races are like a foreign language to me. I could have listened to him talk running all day. He's the type that wears 50lb backpacks while he's running.  He's one of those guys that has the real superpowers to conquer anything. That superpower=Determination.  I'm the type that likes to wear cute skirts and and sport a funky pair of shorts. It's all good....I think there's room for both of our types of super powers in the world. :)

      I know that I will be making a donation to his foundation and I encourage everyone else to do the same! To read his full story, go get your copy of the November issue of Men's Health Magazine....and hurry! He told me that it will be available on the stands for only one more week!

      Now as for the hometown boy....please keep running those local races. This old lady doesn't mind the eyecandy motivation. ;)

**For more information on Noah Galloway and information on how to donate to #NoExcusesNoah, please visit NoahGalloway.com.

Happy Running and Happy Donating!

A Whole lot of Squeezing, Tucking, Lifting & Stretching Going On!

I'm looking down and I'm nervous!
Here's to New adventures!

      Lately, I've been stepping up my game just a bit when it comes to my workouts. You see, I've been a runner for 7 years now and before then, I had always done some sort of workout. In my college years, I took a class almost every afternoon and really liked it. But since I have become a mom, and a runner, running is all that I've done. I'm not complaining AT ALL. I love running. I will always love running BUT........oops, I mean BIG BUTT. That's right, BIG BUTT. Seriously, I'm not a spring chicken anymore and things are starting to move around and get a little flabbier. Is that a word??

Hamster Running...My Current Typical Workout.
3 Miles on the Treadmill

     I was blessed with a southern girl bootay....not that that's really a bad thing but it's a bad thing when you're in your 40's and don't work on it! So, my solution? I've joined a gym, I've started taking classes and I'm still running!

     And as luck would have it, I was invited to a Pure Barre Birmingham Blogger event last week and decided to go for it. I was REALLY nervous to go to this class. I had NO idea what I was in store for! It was absolutely AMAZING AND HARD all at the same time. Seriously, I've heard nothing but good things about Pure Barre classes but WOW. I was squeezing, tucking, lifting, stretching. Just WOW. Where have those muscles been for the last 7 years??

Pure Barre Studio
Homewood, Al. 

     Here is a breakdown of the classes that I've tried over the last two weeks so far.....

     Strength Training: LOVED IT! We used 8-10lb. weights, did lots of squats, ab work etc. I will definitely keep taking this one.

     Pure Barre: OMG. This class is not a joke. It's tough but it's really good! Every muscle in my body was shaking. Okay, this works and I'm a fan!

     Step Class: Hello. I've been running on a treadmill and on the road for 7 years. I am used to mindless activity exercising. THIS WAS NOT PRETTY. I needed a re-intro to Step 101 class first! I was a goof. I was a clutz. I was out of control frustrated. I left after 20 minutes and went and got on the treadmill. I needed to go back to my comfy spot. Clearly I've lost all of my exercising coordination over the last few years...however, I can still break it down on the dance floor though. ;)

     Insanity: Three Words: Hot Boy Teacher ;)))
The workout was good and I've got the endurance for this. I need to work on my sit-ups though. I have ZERO upper body strength so this was a great match for me. But that teacher...umm yeah. Bring on the muscle shirts and abs!

     This week I will tackling a Cross-Fit type class and taking on more of the Pure Barre classes....my buns have been pretty dang sore over the last two weeks but it's a good sore. Knowing that I will most likely NEVER be a hardbody supermodel, I just want to tone up and one day have visible abs! Is that too much to ask for?!?

      I'm going to start posting my progress....if I post it, I WILL work harder. My goal is to run in a sports bra IN PUBLIC next summer with confidence. Yiiiiiikes. I have Kara Goucher's runway appearance in her running clothes to thank for this bit of inspiration. So here goes....eeeeeeeeeekkkk!!!!

     This is my "oh my gosh. Am I really posting my flab on my blog look?". What's happening here?? If that's not motivation for me to get my butt to the gym, nothing is! The BEST part about this picture? My 11 year old son walking in when this was going down and he said..."Mom No. Just No". So there ya go. Reality Check. Thanks Kids. :/

     Stay tuned for more Pure Barre and workout updates...this is going to be fun. (At least for me anyways :)

Happy Running and Happy Working Out!

All Runners Need More Sleep! My Food For Sleep Review

Welcome to my Food for Sleep Review!

     A few months ago, I attended the TypeA Bootcamp Bloggers Conference at Walt Disney World. I had a great time at the conference, met up with lots of friends, played in the parks and of course met some new friends. I will be honest and tell you that I didn't really receive too much love from the sponsors that were there. Several of them were geared more towards little kids and mommy-type stuff, but still overall, a great conference.

     At heart, I'm still a "mommy" to my three big kids. They need me now more than ever. And I LOVE that. I love that I have quit my job, decided to be home and be "present" for them at 3:00 everyday. There's NO dollar amount or salary that can compare. None. So when I attend social media/blogger conferences and to the mommy-type sponsors....I get it. However, I'm just a little bit past diapers. That's all.

     Back to the conference. There was one sponsor that REALLY got my attention. Let me introduce you to this fella, Bob Jones--founder and CEO of FOOD FOR SLEEP.

Meeting with Bob Jones, CEO of Food For Sleep
Walt Disney World, TypeA Bootcamp

     I met Bob Jones at the conference and we instantly hit it off! We talked for a very long time and in detail about his product. I'm a Super Nerd when it comes to all things related to running and fitness, especially products that enhance your performance. Now this product does not help you run faster or anything like that but what it does do is that it provides a HEALTHY way to promote sleep while providing nutrients and natural ingredients. His company is gearing this products towards athletes and individuals that lead a very active lifestyle and just have a hard time receiving proper amounts of sleep. I totally fit that mold. I'm sold!

What exactly IS Food For Sleep??

2 1/2 oz shot of Food for Sleep

Via FoodForSleep.com:
"Welcome! You’ve probably found us because you were looking for something that would help you sleep. Maybe you’re looking for something that isn’t a prescription drug, isn’t a pill, and won’t leave you feeling groggy and “hung over” when you wake. Our product – Food for Sleep – might be the answer. Food for Sleep is a 2 ½ ounce drink made from foods clinically demonstrated to promote healthy sleep.

The active ingredients are tart cherry juice and a special form of whey protein that’s rich in tryptophan. That’s appealingly simple, but the science is quite sound."


The Results are in!
     I was worried about taking this product for the first time but I spoke on the phone for a very long time after the conference with Bob and he re-assured me that I would not have any grogginess, sluggishness, or weird side effects from Food For Sleep. I'm the type of person that can't take a Tylenol PM or I'm OUT LIKE A LIGHT for days! He was totally right! I felt GREAT the next morning and got a full 8 hours of sleep!

     The one thing that I told Bob is that I was training for a few night races and that I really wanted to train and use this product pertaining to those specific races. I wanted to fit this product into my training and schedule and not just drink it for the sake of drinking and trying a product. So I did just that. I have a hard time shutting down at night and since I'm a night-runner, this was going to be perfect for my training.

     I used a 6-day trial and tried to mix it up just a little bit. I used some on regular training days, one after a really long run, I used one the night before I ran Tower of Terror 10-miler and I just used my last one after a day when I had just had enough of the day, had a really intense workout at the gym and wanted to just get to sleep! Honestly, I will say that some of the days I slept longer than others, depending on the times that I had to wake up but overall I slept like a rock and I believe in this product.

     Now when the bottle says that it is made from Tart Cherry Juice....let's be clear on that. It is made from TART CHERRY JUICE!!!! It's super sour and I was not prepared for that! I wouldn't say that it's bad though. Afterall, it is a 2 1/2 oz shot so just about the time that I really tasted it, I was done with it!

     There is nothing worse than being a runner, exhausting yourself with your workouts and then not being able to sleep. NOTHING. I would suggest that everyone try this product and test it out for yourself. I loved it and will continue to use it!

     The one complaint that I read constantly from other runners, moms and people in general is that they just don't get enough sleep. It's time to change that! Try out Food for Sleep and get some zzzz's. I promise that getting enough sleep at night will change the way that your runs go! :)

**For more details and information on how to purchase this product, please visit FoodForSleep.com.  There you will find Sleep tips, information on how and why you should keep a sleep journal and be able to read reviews from other happy customers.

Disclaimer: I was provided a trial pack of Food for Sleep to review in return for my honest opinion. I am thoroughly impressed with this company and product so I give it an extra dose of Bamagirlruns love!

My Chicago Marathon Race Experience. Episode 1.

Welcome to my Chicago Marathon Race/Vacation/Experience!
Episode 1. 

     I honestly have no idea how to start this blog post regarding my recap experience of Chicago Marathon. I know there are LOTS of people who have ran this race before and LOTS of people that have ran races much bigger than this one. This was the largest race to date for me and I was just a wee bit overwhelmed.  I could really end it right here with...I LOVED EVERY MINUTE and be done with it.

     But I won't. I will attempt to humor you with the story of my race experience with Coach Plaid Shorts aka my very crazy husband and his first marathon, the never ending pics of the #BubbleGumMoose and the ridiculous amount of Selfies that I took during the race.

So here goes....Episode 1.

     We headed to the airport bright and early to catch the first flight out, and of course, it was delayed but luckily I ran into one of my dearest friends, Leigh who was not running the Chicago Marathon but was instead going as a spectator to cheer on #TeamPlaidShorts and some of our other closest running pals. This girl kept me laughing in the airport for the first couple of hours of my day.  Out loud belly laughing. Seriously, Leigh is my roomie for Dopey Challenge in a few months. I don't think we could ever have a bad time! I knew that we were about to have a fun weekend.

Airport fun with Leigh!

     About our flight...when my hubby suprised me with a surprise trip to NYC a few months ago, he booked our trip on Priceline.com. Overall, he did a FABULOUS job with our hotel and travel arrangements. He's definitely not a travel agent, but he tried and that's all that counts.  You can read my review of my NYC trip here.  The trip was great but the flight was just AWFUL. We were booked on United Airlines and I swore then that I would never fly anything but Southwest Airlines again for a very long time. Southwest Airlines is definitely not the most luxurious airline out there but really, it's quick. And It's easy. I can almost always book a direct, hassle-free flight. And NO, Southwest Airlines is not paying me to say this.  I'm just a total fan and I've not had any major issues with them. EVER. I can check 2 FREE bags per me. Do you hear me?? I'm an overpacker. That $25 per bag with United Airlines....yeah, you can keep that. I can even deal with my little bit of a flight delay on this trip. So needless to say, I made all of the travel arrangements on this trip and I wasn't in a hurry.

     So we made it onto our flight, I snoozed hard for a couple of hours and then we landed in beautiful Chicago. Oh hey cold weather. #WhereDidYouComeFrom?

     I had told my husband that on my previous trips to Chicago, my sister and I had learned how to navigate the train system resulting in saving money on the cab fares and that was the way that we were going to get to our hotel this time also. He was pretty skeptical. He's not a fan of my shenanigans but I'm usually in the know and he just deals with it. ;)

     So hubs is on a mad mission to get to the baggage claim. Typical Male...Always on a mission. Problem--we don't have our luggage. Solution--go immediately to baggage claim. Gotta make good time. No stopping. Freak in the airport. But before we make it to the baggage claim, I spotted Jesse Jackson on the escalator. Hold up.....Let the shenanigans begin. Now, am I really a fan of everything Jesse Jackson believes in and talks about? No. But have I prayed with Jesse Jackson before in downtown Birmingham. Yep. Am I about to get a selfie with him with the I've-Been-Sleeping-So-Hard-With-My-Mousth-Open-On-A-Plane-Look?? Absolutely. My Husband is not amused. LOL. And I made him get a picture with Jesse Jackson too. Even Better. Christmas Card Material!

Jesse Jackson in the house!

Jesse Jackson is the newest member of #TeamPlaidShorts. ;)  

  Onto the Baggage Claim.....We got our luggage no prob. Moving on to the Orange Line...We found the train system, bought our $3 tickets and were off to downtown Chicago. I highly recommend taking the train. Why spend $25-$30 on a cab? It's just as quick, easy to navigate and our train stop was two blocks away from the hotel where we were staying. Easy Peasy. However, if you don't like rolling your suitcase for two blocks, riding to your hotel with strangers and having to figure things out on your own, then take the cab. I'm ridiculously low maintenance and just like to save a dollar so I go the cheap route when I can. I even talked the guy in front of me on the plane into taking the train. I hope he will read this post....he will probably think that's pretty funny. He was all set to take the cab and was telling me all about how he had no idea where to catch a cab, Yada Yada...I told him all about the train. We lost him during the Jesse Jackson extravaganza but after we boarded the train, a few minutes later my hubby looks over and says.."unbelievable. The guy from the plane is on the train. How do you do it? I swear I don't how you do it." I'm still laughing about that! And if Jesse Jackson didn't have his own car, I would have tried to make him ride the train too. Lol

     Checking In....Rewind for a moment back to the Spring when I first learned that my husband and I were accepted into the Chicago Marathon. From the moment that I got the email (I got my husbands' early that morning and mine late in the afternoon), I started researching hotels with close proximity to the Start/Finish Line of the marathon. To this day, I will say that was probably one of the smartest things that I ever did. I knew that I would be okay to walk a few blocks but I also knew that my husband would do better staying super close by.  I immediately booked the Congress Plaza Hotel which was right across the street from Millennial Park (Home of the Chicago Marathon).

The gorgeous lobby and chandy candy at Congress Plaza Hotel. 

OMG. These elevators are beautiful!

Loved all of the detail in the hotel. 

     The other option that I was leaning heavily toward was the Hilton (Downtown Chicago location). The next time that I run Chicago Marathon...and I say next time because I WILL run this race again, I will consider staying at the Hilton. Don't get me wrong, Congress Plaza was GORGEOUS. It was old. It had charm. It was very close to the race. Rooms with a race/park view were even available. However, the Hilton was Chicago Marathon Headquarters. Home base. The inside lobby was decked out for the race. Heck, even the elevator doors had scenes from previous Chicago marathons on them. At the end of the day, for financial reasons, I went with Congress Plaza. It was almost $100 cheaper per night. I loved the elevator doors but not for $100 more a night. I'm completely satisfied with my choice. I had friends who stayed at the Hilton and I even ate dinner there one night instead of going out on the town but Congress Plaza Hotel was my home away from home for the three nights that I was in Chicago for the marathon.

The lobby elevators in the Hilton Downtown Chicago.

     #BubbleGumMoose....From the lobby, to the room, to my view....everything was just perfect. I decided not to go with the marathon race view from my room. After all, it was $15 more a night for that view. No way. That's a whole lot of Chicago Pizza that I could eat instead! THANK GOODNESS I didn't. My view from room was fabulous and I would have never fallen in love with #BubbleGumMoose.  How crazy is that??  I fell in love with a moose. A moose that blows bubbles. From bubblegum. On the side of a building. What's happening here??

The view from my room at Congress Plaza Hotel.

     That's right. #BubbleGumMoose. That was the first thing that I noticed from my view when I pulled back the curtain and looked out the window. I told my husband..."Well look at that. We get to see a BubbleGumMoose every day." He said..."Ummm. you noticed that first? You didn't notice the most iconic building in all of Chicago first?" I guess I didn't. My brain is always searching for the unusual. I don't notice the things that most people see. I certainly thought that the #BubbleGumMoose was a happy fella and there was something about him that I liked. My husband just shook his head and said..."here we go". He knew. I was off in Kristin World ....he has no idea what happens there. ;)
     Another thing that I really enjoyed was that we opened the windows half-way and let the cool air in. I heard the trains, the taxis, the city. I do not hear that where I live at night. If I opened my windows, I would hear birds chirping, crickets and frogs. And quiet. I hear lots of quiet. Living in Alabama is peaceful and not near as fast-paced but I like to hear the city when I'm in the city. If I look out my window, I see trees and I see my neighbors' porch lights but I definitely don't see people walking around on the sidewalks, see cars below my window, big buildings and bright lights. The #BubbleGumMoose was slapped in the middle of the city madness. He was a treat for me and I loved him.

Meet #BubbleGumMoose

     So as we were sitting around in our room, the hubs had to catch up on some work. He's always working. :)

     I sat around doing research on the Expo, things to do in Chicago and trying to find out the deets on this crazy moose. Not that it mattered but I wanted to know the story behind him. Here's what I found out....I'm always working too. :)

SOUTH LOOP — The South Loop's galleries, performers and artists will explode onto Wabash Avenue Friday for the annual Wabash Arts Corridor Crawl.

The free arts and culture walking tour runs from 4-9 p.m., beginning in the first floor lobby of 623 S. Wabash Ave. and leading visitors through 12 galleries down Wabash Avenue from Van Buren Street to Roosevelt Road.

Along the way, dance performances, concerts and pop-up food and drink stations serving local fare will entertain viewers to celebrate the start of Columbia College's new school year.

The showcase also celebrates the ongoing partnership between Columbia College Chicago and other South Loop organizations hoping to revitalize the Wabash Corridor as an arts destination, an initiative backed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who called for more installations in the neighborhood over the winter.

"I have seen firsthand the power the arts can have to transform a neighborhood economically and well as culturally," he said in a statement.

Highlights of this year's crawl include a nearly 50-square-foot photographic banner titled "Moose Bubblegum Bubble" that hugs the south exterior wall of Columbia's 33 E. Congress Parkway building and jazz performances at Buddy Guy’s Legends.

---So technically, his name is really "Moose Bubblegum Bubble" but I'm still going to call him #BubblegumMoose. ;)

     On to the Expo.....We took a 15 minute shuttle ride from the Hilton to the The Abbot Health & Fitness Expo. It was definitely not within walking distance from our hotel. Once we arrived, I was prepared for mass chaos. It was the total opposite. The expo was HUGE but so well organinzed. I could tell that this was not their first rodeo!  

Welcome to the Bank of America Chicago Marathon Abbot Health and Fitness Expo!

HUGE signs everywhere to point you in the right direction.

Sorry for the blurry pic but the packet pickup booths were basically empty.

No lines...and this was around 4pm. I was shocked!

Once the QR Code on our packet pickup ticket was scanned, we were informed on the iPad which number booth to go to. Once we got to that booth, the volunteer had already gotten notification and pulled our packets out and had them waiting for us. No lines. No waiting. No books to flip through to find our names....GENIUS!!

This was a feature that other races whose names shall remain anonymouse need to adopt.

Oh whoops. I didn't mean to spell anonymouse with an extra e ;)

First stop. My packet pickup QR code was scanned and I had to verify that the information was correct.
Yep. That's me. 41 year old Kristin Long...
Female from the good ole USA running the Chicago Marathon. EEEEK!

Got my bib....super proud moment for me.
I'm feeling like a BIG TIME Marathoner.

     We got our bibs from Participant Services and then headed out to have a little fun and do some shopping! The Nike booth was just one of the coolest. Lots of photo opps....The technology was super cool. We could scan our bibs and then our names and different logos would come up on the screen behind us.

I managed to get a smile out of the hubs...
he hates taking pics so this is a rare moment.

Since Nike is one of the official sponsors of this race, their logos were everywhere!
#OWNCHICAGO....I got this!

     I think we visited almost every single booth...Some of my favorites? Nike, Brooks, Runner's World. My husbands favorite?? The Mexico Marathon booth. Anytime he can make me wear a Mexican Wrestling mask....he does! Crazy man.

Stopped by the Brooks shopping area and the fitting rooms were porta potty's, clean of course.
Runners will "get" this.

It's always a good day when I get to chat with Bart Yasso.
Somehow we started talking about his marathons from 20+ years ago...and pizza.

My event shirt and Nike Shirt from the Expo...believe it or not, that was all that I bought!
There was just so much to choose from that I couldn't make any rational decisions so I didn't buy anything else. I do have severe buyers remorse about not buying a long-sleeve shirt or a jacket. #LessonLearned.

Live for the LONG run...hehe.

Here we are in all of our Mexican Wrestling Mask glory.

     Bring on the Pizza.....After the expo, we were all starving! I must have asked 50 people before I went to Chicago, "Where is your favorite place to eat pizza in Chicago?" Probably half of my answers were "You HAVE to eat at Lou Malnati's". So of course with numbers like that, I had to. One word. DELISH.

     Lou Malnati's was only a couple of blocks away from our hotel so we walked over. We waited for about 45 minutes for our table and then our pizza came not too much longer after we sat down. We pre-ordered our pizza while we waited. Lifesaver. 

Lou Malnatti's Selfie with Leigh and blue dot on my face....
I'm sleepy, hungry and delirious at this point in the night!

     We couldn't really decide which kind to get so we ordered three different varieties of Chicago style Deep Dish Pizza. I don't think it mattered which ones we ordered either...they were all so good. I'm the veggie pizza eater, so I did a fantastic job on putting a dent in the pizza with the spinach and mushrooms. The other three people at my table did a good job on theirs too. :)

Operation: Eat All the Chicago Pizza.

     So there you have it....we had a GREAT first day with friends in Chicago. We traveled, we checked in, we expo'd, we ate pizza. Full day ahead for episode 2. Stay tuned....

Goodnight #BubbleGumMoose.....

My Protein Milkshake Bar Review

Welcome to my Protein Milkshake Bar Review!

     In my never-ending quest to find the perfect protein shake, today I tested out Protein Milkshake.  As with every other protein shake that I try, I am most interested in the Vanilla or Chocolate-y type flavors and like to mix my protein powders with straight up Vitamin D whole milk. That's what my kids drink. That's what I drink.

     The mission statement of this company?!? "We Fuel Women Who Change The World".  So far, I'm liking this.

     Please try not to be jealous of my glamorous-morning-roll-out-of-the-bed-as-I-drink-my-protein-shake-look. I know it's hard. ;) 

     I was able to choose which flavor from the Protein Milkshake Bar that I wanted to try so I chose Ice Cream Sandwich flavor, a mix of both flavors that I like. Sounded yummy to me. 

     However, I received a one-scoop sample of Cream Puff Flavor in the mail from the company. Ummm okay. I'll still try it but why let me choose if you're just going to send me what you want me to try?? As with anything, I am ALWAYS very thankful for any gift that I receive, just thought it was just a little strange. That's all. 

A little bit of info about Protein Milkshake: 

Rich in leucine, our whey protein can aid in efficiency burning fat, increasing your metabolism, reducing hunger cravings and aid nourishing your body with all 8 essential amino acids. 

Nutritional Label on the back of the sample. 

Protein Milkshake is available in 9 favorite dessert flavors:  Cupcake Batter Ice Cream Sandwich Chocolate Caramel Chocolate Cinnamon Bun Strawberry Strawberry Shortcake Cream Puff Vanilla Naked Rocky Road Vanilla Caramel Chocolate Mousse   Thick and Creamy...not clumpy.

     Overall, I really liked the Cream Puff flavor Protein Milkshake and would recommend it to my running friends. It was not chalky-tasting AT ALL and it really did taste like a milkshake! I'm also a total fan of 3g of carbs and 110 calories. I'm sure mixing it with whole milk added a few more calories but I'm okay with that....I'm a fan of whole milk. My runner bones need the Vitamin D. 

     I don't like the fact that I can only order it from Amazon...not that I don't like being an online shopper, I just like instant gratification too. I'm still old-school and like to go to the store sometimes to make a purchase. However, that would not prevent me from ordering this product.  I would like to try other flavors in the future...preferably the Ice Cream Sandwich. :) 

For more information on how to order your favorite dessert flavor, please visit ProteinMilkshakeBar.com.

Disclaimer: I received a sample of Protein Milkshake Bar in exchange for my honest product review.