Several months ago, I was listening to a podcast, We Run the Desert podcast.  The topic that day was a brand new trail running format that was coming to the valley.  The company was called Double Black Events and they were bringing a race called the Onyx Race to town.

For background, I’m only a casual trail runner. I basically just run Ragnar trail and maybe a few others here and there. I like them, but after falling and getting hurt, I became very scared of trails.

So I’m listening to them describe the new format and something made me listen more closely. This was different. It wasn’t just about being fast.  It also had another challenge built in – the OPTION of carrying a sandbag to earn more points.  This race is on a points system. You earn more points based on the distance or difficulty of the route you take, and then you have the option of doubling your points if you choose to carry a sandbag on the 2nd half of the loop.  It’s all strategy on making the most of your time (2 hours or 4 hours) and playing to your strengths.  I’ve never picked up a sandbag in my life.  I have never done an obstacle course race.  But, I am an avid weight lifter and at the very least consider myself strong.  So, challenge accepted!
​
A week prior to the race, the course program was announced so you could start strategizing. I was considering backing out, I was so nervous!  I started doubting my abilities and really wished I had a partner in crime joining me for this challenge.

​After looking at the program, I initially decided I’d try the red route and then the white for my 2 hour time frame.  This uses many of the same trails as Ragnar AZ.  I was trying to equate it in my head and started to freak out that the red loop would be part of the same as the red loop from Ragnar, with 1000 ft elevation gain. There are so many loose rocks on that course that I couldn’t imagine trying to carry back a 25 lb sandbag on that type of terrain.  So I revised my plan and decided on blue first, then 2 loops of white, time permitting.

​Since this was a brand new race, it was not a large turnout (which was fine with me).  The race was very well organized. The 4 hour group was larger and started at 7am.  

​My anxiety continued to grow as more people arrived.  Definitely a smaller group for the 2 hour Onyx Half. Like 25 or so. One nice girl from Tucson started chatting me up and that helped calm me down a bit. The race kicked off at 8 and all but 2 of us headed for the yellow or red loop. Just me and another guy went for the blue.  This trail was very nice. Not technical. It has 500 ft elevation gain, but it is all at a hill at the turn around point.   I get to the aid station and he tells me I need to go up this hill once and then come back and either choose the sandbag (35 lbs for women) or a small flag and then run the route again. Ugh!  He was really funny and  just doing the hill without the sandbag was tough enough.  So then he says what’s it going to be? I said the sandbag, that’s what I’m here for.  So I managed to carry that up the hill and back down , then another 2 miles back to the start.  There aren’t any handles on the sandbags, so they are super awkward. But overall not as bad as I expected.  I tried to run a little with the sandbag in little spurts, but for the most part just ended up hiking.

​I came into the exchange, dropped my sandbag, gave them my runner number and headed out for the white loop.  White loop is only 1.3 miles, and pretty flat through a wash.  BUT, the sandbag weighs 40 pounds on this loop (50 for men!).  I felt light as a feather when I dropped the sandbag and was just running again.   I decided to go for it and it and bring the sandbag back.  Didn’t really feel worse than the 35, but running with it in the wash felt pretty impossible.

I finished 2 rounds of that and crossed the finish line in 1:56.    Really was amazed at how good I felt in general. Just for fun I checked the leaderboard and about fell over when I saw that I was in 2nd place for females.   Shortly after the 2 hour window was over, the final numbers were in and I dropped to 3rd, out of 8 that participated.  Low and behold they had awards for top 3!  I received a unique flag commemorating my achievement.

​2 days later, I’m still sore but glad I tried this unique race. I’d totally do it again.  What would I do differently next time? Train with sandbags!  I fully intended to, but I never did.
Keep pushing past your comfort zone!

​This trip came about after my friend Renee and I got rejected for the London Marathon lottery.  We decided we still wanted to have a European racecation, so we just needed to pick a new race. We picked the Richmond Runfest in Richmond UK and started planning our adventure. ​We went back and forth on what countries to add on besides England, but settled on adding in France and Belgium over 8 days. Renee & I split up the booking responsibilities and researching so that up front costs were shared.

​* We wanted a way to collaborate on the trip planning and I found an app called Wanderlog. With Renee being on an android and me on an iphone, we were both able to add in itinerary suggestions, trip confirmations and so much more. It even has the capability to keep track of your budget and split costs between multiple people.

Day one – London
​​On our first day, we made our way to our hotel, the Beverly Hotel. It was located off of the Pimlico tube station.  Naturally we got off and had a little trouble finding our hotel. It turned out to be about 6 blocks away.  It was a drag (pun intended) lugging our suitcases over the unforgiving bumpy sidewalks. Our room was the smallest we had the whole trip, barely room to walk around the twin beds.  Also they put us on the 3rd floor with no elevators.  

Pick a hotel that has more than one tube line stopping there. We only had the Victoria line servicing Pimlico, so it made it a challenge to get back to that line on the return.

​We dropped our luggage and headed out for lunch. Decided to try the cable cars over the Thames River.  I thought it was a nice alternative to the London Eye.  It’s a short ride but still great views and just a fraction of the price of the Eye.

Pay cash for your ride and save 1 GBP each way!

​Day two – London
We wanted to check out one of the local markets, so Borough Market was super easy from Tower Bridge area. It sure was cute. The vendors were so friendly and there were endless options of treats. I felt bad that we had already eaten brunch before we came and didn’t have room for much.  I had a yummy cappuccino and bought chocolate and a mini cannoli for later but was also mesmerized by all the cheeses.

​Stopped for cocktails at Coppa Club and had really crappy service.  From an unnecessary wait to be seated to no server coming over, it was overall disappointing. But the drinks were refreshing, and they had a cute photo spot outside.  

​It was a nice way to kick off before our afternoon tea cruise on the Thames River. I bought this tour from Viator.  We were looking forward to afternoon tea but were unimpressed once we sat down. There is no choice of tea, it’s the same for everyone.  Super generic. And the quality of the food was just not there.  However, once we finished, we went up on the top of the deck of the boat and they started giving a guided tour of the landmarks along the Thames. Now that part, I enjoyed!

​Skip this tea cruise and go for a true authentic afternoon tea somewhere local.  Then if you want a sightseeing cruise, do that separately.

Stopped at Harrods to check it out.  What a waste of time.  It is way too high end and took up like 3 city blocks. We were so tired from walking that day, that walking around this immense store required too much effort. If you do go, I recommend hitting up the food floor - lots of great gifts and souvenirs here. I bought a tin of Harrods tea.

​​Finished out this day with a visit to a “secret” underground bar hidden within a restaurant. You enter through a refrigerator door.  They served up amazing cocktails in a speakeasy type vibe.

​Day three – Paris
We took the Eurostar train from St. Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord. Easy and just two hours. I don’t like the big cattle call once the gate opens to start boarding, but oh well. We arrived at the train station in Paris and were immediately struck with the fact that we had no idea where we were going on how we were going to get there.  There were so many different types of tickets you could buy – and different trains you could take. 2 different types of metro tickets and an RER train which apparently goes outside of the city.  We panicked because we hadn’t prepared for this and had no idea which train to take. We asked for help but ended up just winging it and buying metro tickets and found the route suggestions on some app.

​Do your research ahead of time on which trains to take to your hotel in the event you don’t have wifi when you arrive.

​So, with 10 metro tickets in hand, and a tentative plan on which stops to get off on, off we went.  Cut to 5 minutes later when I’m being continually bumped into by some random dude at the door of the train. He’s mumbling to me in French and looking down at my purse.  So I looked down only to see that my purse was unzipped with my wallet clearly visible and not too difficult for grabbing.  Oy. I quickly zipped it up and he got off on the next stop.

​Always be alert.  It’s hard not to get mesmerized by the sights and by the thrill of the experience. Don’t be careless like me and set yourself up to be pickpocketed.

​We set off for the Eiffel Tower tour we signed up for. Kinda lame and not cheap, but it did help us jump the numerous security lines. Once we got into the tower, we left the group and just explored on our own. Our mission was to go to the top an enjoy a glass of bubbly.   I’m afraid of heights, so I honestly wasn’t wowed by this experience – but I understand that it’s a box for many to check off.  

Another fun thing to do is people watch at a sidewalk cafe. Especially one lined with little markets. The locals walk everywhere and the produce is so fresh and vibrant. Love it!

​Day four – Paris
Epic day!!
We booked a sunrise running tour in Paris, which ended up probably being our favorite tour we did. Wow! Our guide took us past all the major monuments at sunrise and took our photo! We did just over 4 miles and stopped a bunch for photos.  This tour was such a good deal and so memorable!

​After the tour we went back to get ready for our Gourmet Lunch River Cruise on the Seine. I wasn’t sure if this would be too fancy pants, but it sounded like a good experience. It was a 4 course meal with wine and champagne.  We got there and the average age had to have been at least 75! We were delighted when a younger couple got seated next to us.  This was a very classy affair, with many gourmet options.  The dark chocolate dessert was the best thing I ate on the entire trip! And the wine just kept flowing, and we befriended the couple next to us. Spectacular!
  

​Skip an Arc du Triomphe tour and just take pics in front of it.

​For our 3rd and final tour of the day, we went to a French champagne and wine tasting. It was about 15 people, mostly Americans, who wanted to learn more about French wine and champagne.  It included charcuterie and was informative.  We enjoyed this.

Day five – Brussels
Today we took the metro back to Gare du Nord and took the train to Brussels.  This was another 2 hour trip that went by pretty quickly. Upon arrival in Brussels, more confusion over how to get to the Grand Place (center of town) area.  We took a bus and missed getting off at the right stop and had to lug our luggage again over cobblestone for what seemed like a mile.  But wow, the streets of Brussels are wonderful! So many sights and smells.  The entire time we were in brussels it smelled like Belgian waffles.  Yum! 

​Our hotel, NH Carrefours , was perfectly located near Grand Place and literally behind the Central train station.  This hotel was very nice, large room, full service, and a window that opened up onto a courtyard.  But location was killer. We ended up going to a travel help desk and the staff was AMAZING. Super helpful, we could buy our tickets right inside their office.  We had some local Belgian brews (very affordable!) and I had to try the famous fries.  Basically cheese fries in a cone with your choice of a dozen sauces.  Not bad!  We toured the numerous markets and were wowed by all the chocolate options.

Choose a hotel right off of Grand Place and by the Central Train Station.   It's a win-win!

​Day six – Brugge and Ghent
We took the train to Brugges, it was our one rainy day of the whole trip.  It was less than an hour from Brussels.  Walked around the whole town, over canals and bridges.  This town was so full of charm.  Finally had Belgian waffles there and it was delicious.  Man, is it hard to find large coffee there though! LOL.  

​Did some shopping and then hopped back on the train to Ghent (which was halfway back to Brussels) The main reason we wanted to go here was because of the castles and medieval feel.  We walked over a mile to the center of town (should have been brave and taken the local bus).  They take their biking very seriously there. They bike everywhere, and fast!  Wow was this town cute, the castle is incredible and all the canals around it are so charming.  Could have spent more time there for sure.  Next time I would take the boat ride.

​Day seven – London/Richmond
We were smart this time and took the train from the central station right behind our hotel to catch the train back to London.  Our race in Richmond was cancelled due to the death of the Queen, so we were basically coming to Richmond for no real reason now.  We dropped our luggage at the Kew Gardens Inn and headed back to central London on the metro.  Had some cocktails and did more souvenir shopping along the river.  Then back to Richmond for dinner.  We stopped at the White Swan for sticky toffee pudding.   Delicious. And such a cute place.  

​Day eight – London/Richmond
We went out for a run along the Thames (part of the race course) and then stopped in the Kew Royal Gardens.  

Highlight for today for me though was going to a traditional afternoon tea, which far surpassed our river cruise tea experience.  We went to Candella off of High Street Kensington.  Highly recommend!  Very affordable and quaint – and the food was so good!  We added a bottle of prosecco and it was just a fantastic time, a great way to end our trip!   After that just poked around for final souvenirs and then back to Richmond for dinner along the river there.

​Final tips:

• Be prepared for tons of walking on uneven sidewalks and streets
• Make sure you have gps loaded on your phone, and maybe even some directions screenshotted ahead of time.
• Download the city mapper app, it’s helpful in providing directions like which tube/metro stops to take
• Take advantage of onsite customer service desks in train stations
• Book your trains as soon as you can, prices do tend to go up the closer you get
• In London, the Oyster Card for the tube will be your best friend! Keep it topped up and save it for your next visit - your credits don't expire!

I feel so blessed to have been able to do this trip and experience these places.  We deferred our race to 2023, so we'll be back again next year, adding on a new set of countries!

The Hot Chocolate race series is always such a popular event.  I have participated many times, but this was my first time running the new downtown Phoenix course.  I actually trained for the 15k - it was my longest distance since the pandemic, and gave me something to focus on.  The expo was Friday and Saturday at the convention center downtown.  I took the light rail, which I highly recommend. I got there right when it opened and was in and out quickly.

The actual race started at Wesley Bolin Plaza, which I was not familiar with. I ended up getting together with friends and taking an uber.  It was a crisp Phoenix morning, which definitely put you in the mood for hot chocolate! The 5k started at 7:25 am and the 15k started at 8:25.  Corrals were set up very efficiently and signage was good.

The course wound around several sections of downtown Phoenix. Most water stops included chocolate and/or some honey stinger goodies as well. The course was flat and fast, only one or two inclines.

Given my numerous injuries in the past year or so, and a cutback in mileage, I'm super pleased with how it turned out.  I felt good, and finished in 1:38, top 1/3 of my age group.

The hot chocolate really hit the spot.  I brought most of the other goodies home to my son.  They handed out the finisher mugs pretty efficiently, but seating is an issue. There are signs "No sitting or standing" all over the parking lot. It's hard to enjoy these hard-earned goodies and still abide by these rules.

Let's talk swag and bling! Hot Chocolate has always given out really nice jackets that people actually want to wear again - and this year was no exception! This year we received black puffy lightweight jackets, which look really nice and fit well.  And the medals were nice, large, and distance-specific, which I always appreciate.   I also enjoyed being able to scan my bib for my results immediately.  Next year's race will take place on December 11, 2022. Until next time!

I haven't ran a trail race since 2015, and that is by design.  The last time I ran a trail relay, I fell and sprained my ankle, and had to walk over 4 miles on it back to camp.  It really freaked me out and made me feel like I just can't do this.

Fast forward to 2021, when I decided to give trails another chance.  In fact, the exact same trails that scared me last time.  Spoiler alert: I loved it! 

I became a Ragnar Relay ambassador back in May and the trail race is now our only local Ragnar Relay. So, I got some friends together and made my own team, determined to not let my previous bad experience weigh me down. I started with my local "brew crew", 3 friends who I met in a women's running group many years ago - and met for lots of virtual races during the pandemic.

Then the team got filled in from another friend (and former colleague) and her husband, plus 2 out of state friends I met at other Ragnars.  Building the team would prove to be the easiest part.  My biggest challenge  was the logistics of getting us and our stuff to the campsite. It's a long story but basically 2 people were flying in and had no gear or transportation, and another 2 of us had very small cars with little storage for all the gear we needed to bring. So I rented a SUV. Problem solved right? Wrong. I showed up to the car rental place and was told they did not have the type of car I needed, or anything similar - IN THE WHOLE STATE! Connie came to the rescue and got us a uhaul cargo van. It was ghetto, but we made it work!

While we were dealing with the van, other team members went up early and snagged us a good spot.  6 of us spent the first night before the race started 

We settled in next to good friends (who made delicious food all weekend!),  and then waited for our start time and for our remaining 2 teammates to arrive.

We had hoped to do glamping, which sold out 6 months in advance. We were on the waitlist and never got in, and it ended up working out just fine. We had an early start time, and Amanda was our first runner on deck.

It got hot really quick, so we were each treated to a some crazy hot runs in the afternoon. My first run was the yellow loop, the dreaded technical loop.  It has some tricky spots for sure, lots of ups and downs and some nice runnable sections.

I survived this run, and actually enjoyed the end section where it merged with the other trails.

Spent the rest of the day rehydrating, chilling, and cheering on our remaining runners.  

My next run would be around 11:30pm.  It was the green loop, which is a nice rolling trail on packed dirt.  It was just us and the stars and moon.  Really peaceful, maybe 55 degrees?  It was such a relief to not deal with any technical terrain or loose rocks.  I absolutely loved it and felt like I was flying.

After this run, I crawled in the tent, feeling satisfied and got a few hours of much needed sleep. My last run was around 930 am, and it would be the red loop, the longest one, and the one I fell on last time.   It has a long steep incline in the first 2 miles on loose rocks that I don't understand how anyone can run on it.  As soon as I hit the one mile mark, I fell and my watch did the one mile  chime.  Nothing was hurting, so I popped up and kept going. But it would be 2 more miles before I was able to fully run on solid ground. Once I was back running again, I  enjoyed it and was trying my best to beat the heat.

Then it was just a waiting game for our final runners!

Here they come!

All in all, a great time was had and I have discovered that I CAN do hard things, I CAN run trails! So happy to be able to have done this with my friends.

I have heard great things about Hood to Coast - literally the "mother of all relays" but have never had the chance to run the traditional course from Mt. Hood to Seaside, Oregon - until now!

This race is so popular that you can only get in through lottery , or by charity team.

I saw a FB post from a friend that they had an opening on their charity team.  My plans had changed for that weekend and I decided to jump on the opportunity.  I knew 3 people on the team, so I had a feeling it would be a good time.  And they were sooooooo organized it made it easy for me.

I got picked up at the airport on Thursday - my entire team but me arrived on Wednesday to hang out for 5 full days - they must really like each other, huh??   We stopped at the worst, weirdest  Subway on the planet in an industrial park in Portland on the way.  More than just the bread was "baked" there, LOL.  Anyhoo, we met up with the rest of the team who was having an amazing time partying in the lodge at Mt. Hood.  Such a cool setting, and everyone was relaxed, welcoming and fun to hang out with.

Ok, time to get serious. Our team had a start time of 3:10 am and I was in van 1 - YIKES! It was an odd night of sleep for sure, but we made it to the top of Mt. Hood where it was around 37 degrees, windy and drizzling. Not exactly my favorite combo!  I hit up that gear store, saw runner 1 off and hopped back under the covers in the van.  My first leg would be 4.6 miles, somewhat downhill.   I suprisingly wasn't cold, it warmed up about 10 degrees once we drove down the mountain.  But still drizzling.  Unbeknownst to me, my leg would take me in part on a trail through the woods.  At 4am.  Once I turned onto the trail, the fast people quickly went by and I was suddenly alone on the trail which was not marked along the dirt trail. Kinda freaked out a little, as I am NOT a trail runner and wasn't 100% sure I was going the right way.  It eventually merged onto a paved trail that was marked and shortly after that I was back on the highway. Whew!

Leg 2 would take our van through downtown Portland (sketchy) and the outskirts. It was heating up a bit, so most people did not enjoy their jaunt through ugly industrial areas and homeless encampments.  My run was the longest I had, which was around 7.5 miles.  Straight stretch of highway, but rolling hills which kept me entertained.

Being a charity team, we got to take advantage of a huge VIP area at exchange 24 where they had swag, recovery tools, comfy chairs, and FOOD! Made a quick sweep through there and then went off to sleep for a bit.  Where we ended up is known to not have cell reception. So when we got up at the time we had agreed on, we learned that the other van finished a good hour early and was waiting for us. Oops.  Our last legs would be in the dark (at least the first 3 runners) and it was pretty uneventful.  Legs were soooo sore from all the hills so it was more of a shuffle.

Quite literally, as we finished our legs and were driving on towards the coast for breakfast, we were stopped in the road by a pig offering us bloody marys. Naturally, we had to stop and check this out.  After breakfast we headed for the finish at the beach.  This was such a cute area. Seaside is super touristy. There were a bunch of tents set up on the beach, it was quite a sight.

All in all, we did pretty well! Our captain David brought us over the finish line where he proceeded to formally medal us, which was kind of cool.

We did all the obligatory putting our feet in the water, taking goofy pics and then it was time for a ceremonial finisher beer.

After lunch, I left the crew to meet up with 2 girlfriends who flew in for the weekend. The team ended up spending another day and a half sightseeing, going to waterfalls, goonies house and Nike store.

This was a perfect way to cap off an epic Oregon adventure.  I absolutely loved it here and will definitely come back.  Feeling blessed to have been with such a great group that I'm sure in one capacity or another will race with again!

A few takeaways in terms of differences between Hood to Coast and Ragnar:

• overall structure is exactly the same
• van magnets are not a thing here
• signage is generally not as good as at Ragnar, and very few "one mile to go" signs.  Most signage was stenciled on the ground.
• Start times start crazy early and go for a heck of a long time.
• Higher quality participant tees (tech tees)
• Gear tent available at more than just exchange 6 and finish
• Handcyclists are allowed at HTC
• Post race photography is a little more organized and professional at HTC (but has a fee associated with it)

​It’s been a minute since I wrote a blog post.  Time sure flies. Busy with a new job and life in general. I’m so happy that things are starting to return to normal, including travel and racing – 2 of my favorite things!

One new thing that is taking up some of my time is that I became a Ragnar ambassador!!!! What does that mean? I’m helping to share the good word about Ragnar, and have my own discount code to share, which I will include at the end of this post. The ambassador community has been really great so far. These are my people!
​
So, 2021 is almost half over, I have a lot of lost time to make up for!  I’ve got plans, let me tell ya!

• Ragnar Northwest Passage (July)
• Ragnar Minnesota (August)
• Hood to Coast relay (August)
• Ragnar Michigan (September)
• Ragnar Cape Cod (October)
• Ragnar Trail AZ (November)

​I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am that ragnars are back, and it’s safe to travel!  I am even captaining my own team for the trail race in AZ this November. The Brew Crew ladies are going to have a blast!  If you want to build your own team for any Ragnar Relay, use code EWAMB21 for 10% off your team registration!

I was recently a guest on the Michigan Runner Girl podcast (how cool is that?!). I met Heather in real life when I was on her Ragnar team back in 2018.  She’s pretty great. We talked about running, injuries, adapting our goals, and of course, RAGNAR!  You can listen here.
​
So, the countdown is on! A month from now I will finally get back to what I love – travelling for Ragnar races! I’m back training and couldn’t be happier. I hope to see some of you at a Ragnar this year!

Ah 2020, the year of virtual races. It seems like just yesterday I was sitting at the Rock n Roll AZ expo in Phoenix, representing the Hot Chocolate race and helping them promote race registrations.  I would never have predicted that the race would not be taking place in person, and everyone would be running it on their own virtually.

When I registered, I had full intentions of running the 15k, as it would be perfect training for Rock n Roll AZ the following month. Well,  you know how that played out.  Then,over the summer and fall I had a string of various injuries that had me take an entire month off from running.  My 15k hopes were dashed.  But, there's no shame in a 5k, right?

So,  registered for the virtual race, and got some pretty nice swag. High quality hoodie, medal, bib and a treat bag of hot chocolate and honey stinger waffles!  Then I talked to my girlfriends and got them to sign up, too. The 15k ladies started about an hour before, then we met up with them for the last 5k. And of course celebratory drinks after LOL.

Once I got home, I made the hot chocolate for myself and my son.  It was so unbelievably rich and decadent, we loved it!  Just missing that delicious chocolate fondue. I'll make up for it next year!

I ran my  first Hot Chocolate race several years back, and really enjoyed it.  This race brings out ALL the local runners and walkers, since you can choose from 15k or 5k - - and everyone LOVES chocolate, right???

Your typical Hot Chocolate race has sweet stations along the way - grab a handful of m&ms,  hershey kisses, etc. to keep you motivated along the way...and then finish with a glorious mug of hot chocolate, and chocolate fondue with various dippers.  It's typically a chilly day here in Phoenix , so the warm chocolate really hits the spot!

As everyone knows, nothing about 2020 is typical!  So, all the Hot Chocolate races since March have gone virtual. So how does that work, exactly?  Obviously you will run or walk whichever distance you choose on whichever date you want, wherever you want!  Then you'll receive a Hot Chocolate swag bag in the mail!

Swag bag includes:

• Comfy hoodie
  
• Sweet treat bag of 2 hot chocolate packs, Honey Stinger waffle, Nuun tablets
• Hot Chocolate Medal!!!
  

Hot Chocolate Phoenix takes place on December 13.  Register today and start training for that chocolate!

"Disclaimer: I received a free entry to the Resilience Challenge as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find and write race reviews!"

It seems like everyone and their mom is doing a mileage or movement challenge to keep their sanity during quarantine. I've done some virtual races, and a 50 mile challenge with Honey Stinger. I saw that Team in Training was doing one, and I decided to jump in!

I have a longstanding history with Team in Training.  I did my first 5 marathons with them. They are such a fantastic organization, and a very worthy charity (Leukemia & Lymphoma society).

So How Does It Work?
Team In Training’s Resilience Challenge is a 30-day movement & fundraising challenge dedicated to supporting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) mission to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.

1. Register here
2. Join my team!
3. Walk or Run 50 miles between Sept 1- Sept 30
4. Tell your friends! You'll have a personal fundraising page - there is a suggested goal of raising $500, but there is no fundraising commitment.
5. Have fun and log your miles!
6. Win prizes for the fundraising levels reached

What's included?

• Resilience Challenge Playlist
• Fundraising & Social Media Toolkit
• Training Resources with an Exclusive Event Facebook Group
• Badges & Achievement Milestones
• Digital Finisher Certificate
• Virtual Finisher Medal
• Virtual Post Race Celebration

LETS DO THIS! Join My Team "Movin' and Groovin' to Beat Cancer" today! Even if you aren't able to fundraise, I think raising awareness for blood cancers is super important too.

"Disclaimer: I received a free canister of Metcon START pre-training formula  as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find and write race reviews!"

I'm always on the lookout for products that make my running or weightlifting easier - whether it's energy before or recovery after. I wanted to try Metcon START because it was developed by a top athlete, for athletes.

Since I've been dealing with some injuries and running less,  I decided I would use it for the first time doing my body pump workout. 

My initial thoughts after taking the first few sips were 1) wow, that dissolved really quickly! and 2) the flavor was a bit intense for me.   The directions call for 1 scoop with 12-16 oz water, taken 15 minutes before the workout.  I knocked it down to about 2/3 scoop and I like the flavor SO much better!!

So here are some of the selling points of this product that you should know!:

• gluten free
• paleo
• zero calories! say what?
• no artificial colors, sweeteners or ingredients
• Vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K
• amino acids
• caffeine! contains the equivalent of approx 1.5 cups of coffee
  

I can't say that I noticed a huge burst of energy, but it is a sustained energy release.  So it tastes good, replaces electrolytes and adds vitamins, etc. without any artificial sweeteners (yuck!).  It runs around $50 for a 30 serving container.  This will probably last me more like 40-50 servings since I'm using a bit less. It's definitely something I will continue to keep in my arsenal, especially once I'm back actively training for half marathons (and Ragnars!) again soon.

Also, Metcon gives back! Every product purchased provides a meal to a local food bank.

And, here's a little bonus to get you started: Try it for yourself and get 20% off! Use "BibRave" for 20% off a one time purchase.