Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Chilly Challenge: Prizes Preview

Today I'm giving you a sneak peak at some of the prizes that are up for grabs from our amazing sponsors for the winning team of the Chilly Challenge


Sweaty Bands - 4 winners will each receive 2 headbands

Simple Hydration - 1 winner of a water bottle

Mizuno Breath Thermo Gloves - 5 winners will receive 1 pair 

Gold Bond Friction Defense - 5 winners each receive tube & socks

Whole Foods - 1 winner of a $25 gift card

ShowerPill - 3 winners each receive 4 packs

Pro Compression - 3 winners will receive one pair of socks

Aspaeris - 1 winner of a pair compression shorts

Bia Sport - 3 winners get technical shirts

My Race Rags - 2 winners receive custom race shirts

Bic Bands - 5 winners receive one headband 


RockMyRun - 1 winner will receive a free 3 month gold subscription


Are you excited yet? If you haven't already joined the challenge...what are you waiting for? 


Sign up here and don't forget to choose #TeamEscapades!


Chilly Challenge tees are available for purchase. Check out the men's and women's options here.


Tell me, what prize would you most like to win?




Monday, December 10, 2012

TrainingTruths: Intervals + Hills

From my PT, Trainer Brian, to blog reading and then my own running, the recurring theme for last week's workouts was definitely intervals and hills

#TrainingTruth: Planks are more effective when done in short bursts.

On Monday my PT prescribed planks to strengthen my core muscles, but insisted that I do 10 seconds on, 5 second off to maintain proper form and get the true benefit of the workout. Coincidentally, later that night, I read about activating abs with interval planks on Fun and Fit reinforcing the message I received from Trainer Brian.



#TrainingTruth: An interval workout beats the treadmill boredom.

A few months ago I printed out a 30 minute treadmill workout for my step-son and on Tuesday I found myself using it. Treadmill runs are a last resort for me, and Tuesday, with the freezing temps, gray skies, and no running partner, was one of those days. Using the interval workout on incline 2 kept me challenged and left me feeling like I had a good run.



#TrainingTruth: To run hills better, you must attack on the way up.

I wish I could say that I attack all hills at race pace, but the truth is I slow my pace to make it to the top. Even then, there are times that I have to take a walking rest before I can continue. 


#TrainingTruth: Rolling hill routes are really interval workouts in disguise.

Gary's Fun Run route on Sunday included no less than four good hills over the span of 7.5 miles. Whether I like it or not, my speed decreases on the way up and increases on the way down. 


#TrainingTruth: There's not much better than a nice walk after a short break on a beautiful day.

Even though I might just want to sit around and do nothing after a long challenging hill run, getting outside and taking a relaxing walk is much better for my muscles. So, Sunday after my run, I let my husband take me and the dog on a short walk on our local trail.



#TrainingTruths is not just about me. We all like to see what everyone else is doing and use that information to assess ourselves. It's not judgement. It's a way to share and learn and make changes when necessary.

To participate all you have to do is share your #TrainingTruths:
  1. Tag a Twitter post with the hashtag #TrainingTruths
  2. Comment on the Running Escapades Facebook page 
  3. Leave a link to your own blog post in the comments
I look forward to reading your #TrainingTruths!




Have you joined the Chilly Challenge yet? Check out all the details here or skip right to the sign-up part and be sure to choose #TeamEscapades! Then be sure to invite all your friends: more people = more miles!



Friday, December 7, 2012

Santa Claus Shuffle

The Santa Claus Shuffle is a 3 mile fun run in Manchester that debuted last year with thousands of people coming downtown to run Elm Street wearing a Santa suit. This year was no different. Participants received a free suit with their registration. Those who opted not to wear the suits were encouraged to dress in a holiday costume or wear red. 


I was looking forward to running this event again because the girls were planning a meet up. It got even better when we started coordinating our outfits. Katherine ordered Peppermint Swirl Sweaty Bands and I picked up some matching holiday socks to go with our red shirts and black pants. 


As with most of the downtown weekend events, we parked in the comfortable garage right near Stanton Plaza and then made our way to bib pick up by cutting through the Radisson Hotel lobby. Thanks to modern technology, I easily found all of the girls before the start of the race. After watching the kids run their 50 yard dashes, we made our way into the start corrals. There were so many people lining up for this event that we completely ignored the designated pace signs and just found an open spot and tried to keep warm.


Once we were actually moving, my body temperature stayed comfortable in my new Nike Pro Thermal Training Shirt and I think I made the right call by wearing my Aspaeris compression shorts under my Nike capris. My toes, even with my Zensah compression socks under my cute holiday knee highs from Target, were painfully cold in my Mizuno Wave Rider 15s, but warmed up before the halfway point. On the other hand, my ears stayed nice and toasty the whole time since I was wearing my Sprigs Earbags. It didn't hurt to be surrounded by thousands of runners in Santa suits either!


Saturday's weather was perfectly suited for the Queen City event with temperatures in the low 30s and light snow covering the streets. A winter weather advisory did not interfere with the line up of events: Kid's Elf Runs, the Shuffle, post-race pizza and beer, and the Manchester Holiday Parade. The cold weather also didn't keep the spectators from lining the streets again this year with their cheers and bells.


The Millennium Running Company produced another fun event that certainly captured the spirit of the holidays and had me humming Here Comes Santa Claus on the way home. 



How do you combine exercise with your holiday?



Combine exercise with the NEW YEAR by joining the first ever Chilly Challenge and logging as many miles as you can for a chance to win some fabulous prizes. Check out all the details here or skip right to the sign-up part and be sure to choose #TeamEscapades! Then be sure to invite all your friends - more people = more miles!


Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Chilly Challenge 2013

Are you already struggling to keep up with your exercise routine due to the cold weather? Would you like a fun way to stay motivated through the cold month of January? Whether you run, walk, or elliptical, Janine at The Purple Giraffe and I have the answer to keep you moving through your winter blues.


What is it? The Chilly Challenge is a friendly team competition to see how many miles you can log in a month. The team that completes the most miles during the month of January wins the competition. All members of the winning team will be automatically entered to win prizes from some of our favorite companies!

So, what do you do?
  1. Pick a Team: It’s a competition. Are you Team Running Escapades or Team Purple Giraffe? (You can read our bios at the end of this post) To pick your team, visit the Chilly Challenge spreadsheet and sign up. Then get ready to log as many miles as you can! 
  2. Run: On January 1, start logging those miles: run, walk, or elliptical. 
  3. Report: After you get nice and sweaty, log your miles on the Chilly Challenge spreadsheet. If you are on Facebook, join the Chilly Challenge 2013 group to find motivation. If you use Twitter, encourage your teammates by using hashtag #ChillyChallenge #TeamEscapades or #TeamGiraffe 
  4. Tell Your Friends: The more peeps you get to join your team, the better chance you have of winning! Recruit, recruit, recruit! Tweet it, Facebook it, blog it, stand on the corner holding a sign! Be sure to tell your friends which team to join, ehem ;)
What do you get for all this hard work?
  1. Moving: What can be better than that? Oh, maybe the waves of happy endorphins cruising through your body.
  2. Motivation: When it's cold and dark, it's hard to stay on track. That's where we come in. Your team will help keep you going because they really, really want to win!
  3. Your Best Happy Self: At then end of the competition, you will be fitter, stronger, and healthier. How can that not make you happy? And you might score a shiny new PR too!
  4. SWAG: Everyone loves prizes and the team with the most miles is eligible to win. We are lucky enough to be sponsored by some of our favorite companies, which means you have the chance to win some great gear just for doing what you always do! Winners will be chosen randomly from the winning team.
Prizes: Here is a list of what our fabulous sponsors have donated to help motivate you through the month of January. BIG thank yous to our awesome sponsors:


(3) Pairs of ProCompression Socks
(5) BIC Bands of varying colors/styles
(3) BIA Technical Shirts
(2) Custom MyRaceRagz Technical Shirts
(1) Aspaeris Pivot Shorts
(4) packs of (2) Sweaty Bands
(1) Whole Foods $25 gift card
(1) Simple Hydration Water Bottle
(1) RockMyRun Three month gold subscription
(3) Sprigs assorted prize packs
(3) hats from Sauce Headwear


So, are you wondering which team you should join?


Meet the Captains:

Team Running Escapades - (aka Amy)
Favorite distance: half marathon
Favorite pre-race meal: pepperoni calzone
Favorite running shoe: Mizunos
Mantra: Keep running! 
What I do when I'm not running: High school teacher
Why you should be on my team: I might not be the fastest or the youngest captain ;) but I have lots of enthusiasm and passion. I promise to keep you motivated and entertained!


Team Purple Giraffe - (aka Janine)
Favorite distance: 5 miler at the moment - training for my first half marathon!
Favorite pre-race meal: bacon pizza
Favorite running shoe: Saucony for the win!
Mantra: Workin' off my ass & toppin' off my glass - everything in moderation...including moderation! 
What I do when I'm not running: For my day job, I'm a Process Expert at a health care company...and I blog at TPG, of course!
Why you should be on my team: I may never win any land speed records while running, but I sure do have fun - running in costumes, running for beer, being a complete goofball- why WOULDN'T you want to be on my team?!

Will you be joining us for #ChillyChallenge 2013?


    Monday, December 3, 2012

    TrainingTruths: Spontaneous Running

    I'm waiting to find out when my next big race will be. If I don't get into the NYC Half Marathon in March, then I will probably run the Half at the Hamptons at the end of February. In the mean time, my weekly runs have been unplanned and spontaneous. We run whatever sounds good. 

    #TrainingTruth: "Running made me feel like a bird let out of a cage, I loved it that much" - Priscilla Welch

    Monday runs have never been a favorite of mine. Maybe it was coming back to work after a weekend that made my runs feel crappy. This was my first Monday run in a loonnngg time and it was MARVELOUS! I really felt like I could fly.


    #TrainingTruth: Hamstrings can be a real pain in the rear.

    I took Anatomy in high school (like a billion years ago), but I had no idea that the knot in my a$$ was actually inflammation of my hamstring muscles, commonly known as high hamstring tendinitis. Luckily Trainer Brian thinks Active Release Therapy combined with daily foam rolling and stretching after runs will put me on the mend.


    #TrainingTruth: A short hill run is just as good as a long hill run.

    Unexpected kid duty changed this run from a long run on a hilly course to a long hill on a short course. I'm not a fan of any kind of hill work, but it does feel good when you get to the top. 


    #TrainingTruth: Maintenance running should include something fun.

    Instead of meeting up for a long run on Saturday, the girls and our families got together for the local Santa Shuffle downtown. This 3 mile run amongst thousands of Santas in the frigid temperatures and snow flurries was a perfect way to kick off the holiday season and have fun with running friends.


    Guess what wasn't cold during that fun run? You got it, my ears! And thanks to Sprigs, Tracey, Jill, and Nancy will also have warm ears this winter! Ladies, I've already sent you an email. Congratulations!


    What does your training look like right now?
    Scheduled or impromptu?



    #TrainingTruths is not just about me. We all like to see what everyone else is doing and use that information to assess ourselves. It's not judgement. It's a way to share and learn and make changes when necessary.

    To participate all you have to do is share your #TrainingTruths:
    1. Tag a Twitter post with the hashtag #TrainingTruths
    2. Comment on the Running Escapades Facebook page 
    3. Leave a link to your own blog post in the comments
    I look forward to reading your #TrainingTruths!







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