"Disclaimer: I received Sawyer Stay - Put Sunscreen to review 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!"
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In case the name “ Azsungoddess “ doesn’t already give you the impression that I like the sun, let me make it clear – I love it!  I spend plenty of time every day either running, walking or both outdoors.  Add in pool time, and it’s fair to say that sunscreen is a staple in my life.
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I had never heard of Sawyer Products until recently.  I have not been super picky with my my sunscreen – but in general I don’t like it when it’s too thick, greasy, or has an overpowering scent.  I use SPF 30 pretty religiously, and I think I still get a nice tan with that.

The first time I tried it, I slathered it on myself and my son prior to hitting the pool. I was immediately impressed with the way it absorbed into my skin and didn’t sit on top.  Turns out, there is an actual reason for this!

Instead of  holding lotion in the top two layers of skin, Sawyer’s” Stay-Put” SPF 30 sunscreen uses a special technology to bond the sunray absorbing agents deeper into the skin, penetrating where other sunblocks simply can’t reach. This formula was engineered to spread the same volume of lotion over a larger cubic area of skin, requiring less lotion per area of skin and producing a more comfortable, breathable feel.  Also, with new FDA regulations in place, this sunscreen also does not contain Avobenzone .  Using this compound can make the product less effective in preventing sunburn and compromises its quality.  
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Sawyer comes in both SPF 30 and SPF 50.  In several sizes, all the way up to a gallon pump!

​The final test was going out for a longer run in the crazy hot Arizona sun.  I was out there for over an hour in somewhat humid temps. Even with a ton of sweat, it didn’t come off until I took a shower.  If you want something different, give this one a try!

You can order thru Amazon using this link. 
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I did not have plans to run Ragnar Minnesota this year, but left it open just in case the opportunity presented itself.  I ran the race last year last minute with a fun group, but the course is different this year and I was curious to see the new route to Duluth.  I lucked out and found a team that needed a runner. The captain sent me a link to photos of the team from previous ragnars, just so I could get a sense of what I was getting myself into LOL.

I arrived to Minnesota late Thursday night and the captain graciously picked me up, one of 3 trips to the airport to pick up teammates at all hours of the night.  We had an air bnb nearby.  I met some of the crew and then hit the hay. I was assigned runner 10, so I was in van 2.  After a hearty breakfast, we were off to get started!

Our team name was "I can't feel my legs, can I feel yours?

Here was our lineup for van 2:
Runner 7 - Carlos (newbie) from SFO
Runner 8 - Tyler from Boston
Runner 9 - Sara from SFO
Runner 10 - Me
Runner 11 - Alec (newbie) from upstate NY
Runner 12- Jess (captain) from upstate NY

It was nice and sunny, but getting hotter as the day went on. One of the two newbies, Carlos,  ended up having a horrific hard hilly long run in the heat, I felt bad for him. Poor guy did not know what he was getting himself into!  My first leg would be my longest at 8.9 miles.  The first half was in direct sun, but actually went surprisingly well.  Then it got more shaded and wound past a lake.  I slowed down and took lots of pics.  Our exchange was at Big Marine forest park and there was a refreshing lake there.  My  team ended up enjoying the lake while I was out sweating my butt off!

After our last runner finished we headed near the next exchange for dinner.  Chubbys bar and grill to the rescue.  The restaurants in town had no idea the race would be in town and were completely overwhelmed with the crowds.  My next run wouldn’t be until 330 am or so, but I decided I wouldn’t try to sleep until after it was over.  We had a large suv but couldn’t stretch out.  This run would be 6.1 miles on a forest trail. I was filled with anxiety, worrying about scary forest animals jumping out.  We heard reports of bats swooping at people, but it ended up being really pretty, and my fastest run, because I was motivated to not get eaten by a bear!  Loved the cool temperatures (around 56)

I took a little catnap and then perked right up when someone mentioned breakfast.  Went to a tiny small town diner. It was interesting, and I’ll leave it at that.  Got another nap after that.  Luckily I just had my shortest run left. While we were getting ready for our last set of runs, I heard from my buddy Matt M that he was here running the race, and was able to find him and my insta beer loving friend Matt B, who I had never met in real life.

A good chunk of the race was run on the William Munger Trail.  I think all of us had at least one of our legs on this trail.  Pretty nice, right?

During my last leg, the Matts were already done since they were in van 1, so they were at a local watering hole on the course.  They were sweet enough to interrupt their celebratory drinking to check on where I was so that they could come out and cheer me on.  All of a sudden I looked up and they were all lined up with their bright pink Beer Runner t-shirts, clapping and high fiving me. A highlight, for sure!

Then our other new teammate Alec had a crazy 8 or 9 miler with ridiculous inclines in Duluth.  The hills there are insane!  After that we were off to the finish. I found another insta friend Belinda, 2 of my teammates from team last year, and then the Matts again.  Our team enjoyed hanging out at the finish for a bit before cleaning up and heading out for dinner in Duluth.

Oh and we actually did pretty well! Check out these results!

Overally, I’m so grateful to have found this team. I had a great experience for my 20th Ragnar Relay. Our captain, Jessica, definitely has a no-runner-left -behind mentality.  She was great and we had a drama-free weekend.   The team has a Tumblr page (yes you read that right!).  Check that out if you want to see more pics from this adventure.

I’m not sure if I have a preference of the two courses.  It was nice to see Duluth – but a 2.5 hour drive back to the airport is a bit of a drag. Maybe if it started in Duluth and ran to Minneapolis it would be better?   I'm excited at the prospect of doing another race with this team in the future, and hopefully on the "Beer Runner" team with the Matts for Michigan next year!

Until my next adventure,
E

"Disclaimer: I received a Stunt Puppy Go Dog Glo Harness to review 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’ve never given any thought before to using a harness vs. a traditional collar when walking my dog. I’ve always had used collars.  When the opportunity came up to try a harness for my dog, I thought I’d like to see if it changes our walks at all.
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When I got the package, I had to play with the fit a bit.  The initial fit was a little loose, then my cocker spaniel got a haircut (shaved) and all of a sudden it was swimming on him. The harness is easy to adjust to make looser or tighter.
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My dog needed a little time to adjust to it, he didn’t quite know what to think about it.  Just walking around with it on before adding the leash, he seemed a little awkward.  I do feel like I had better control of him. He’s only a puller when he sees other dogs or people he wants to greet.  The special “martingale – style” leash attachment is what makes this harness unique. This was designed to help with dogs who pull. It sits in between their shoulders for greater control.  I’ve actually had a collar slip off before, which is not what you want to happen with other people or dogs around. I had absolutely no worries with this harness. We will continue to practice with this harness, especially when the nicer weather comes around here in AZ!
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The harness has reflective features, which is super helpful – especially if you walk your dog early in the morning or late at night. In the summers here in Arizona, that is pretty much the only choice we have if we want to not melt. 

Stunt Puppy makes collars, leashes, harnesses and ID collars – all Made in the USA! The harness comes in 3 sizes (S, M, L) and 2 colors (blue or black) and retails for $45.  You can shop for Stunt Puppy gear here. 
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