Tag Archives: virtual race

Virtual Race Recap: Inspiration 4 Miler Benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®

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Disclaimer: I received an entry to Inspiration4 Miler which benefits St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® 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!

BibRave Pro, Meridith, preparing to run 4 miles at Elephant Swamp Trail.

Last month I shared that I was going to run the Inspiration 4 Miler in honor of the first ever all civilian space mission. A fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the goal of the run was to raise funds for St. Jude and awareness of the mission.

I’ll admit that I didn’t know exactly what I was signing up for but I have to tell you, this is one of the best virtual events I’ve taken part it!

Leading up to blast off, I followed along with the Netflix series about the mission. I felt connected with the four civilians on the trip (one being a medical professional who was a patient at St. Jude as a child) and I carried that feeling of connection with me when I ran this past Sunday on my favorite trail.

Trees lining trail.

Just days before, I tuned into the live stream on the internet to watch the Inspiration 4 team’s take off. It felt bigger than just a regular virtual race and I was glad to be a part of it.

My mission wasn’t nearly as grand as theirs was but when I returned home, I proudly donned my swag for the first time. I’m always a sucker for good swag and while the shirt ended up being a little to large for me, the hat and medal are just right.

This week I’m continuing with the good vibes as I’ve turned my focus to the Women Run the Vote which is a 907 mile virtual relay, focused on Indigenous Sovereignty and Environmental Justice. We are on day 2 and already learning so much. Good stuff!

Inspiration4 Miler to Benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®

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Disclaimer: I received an entry to Inspiration4 Miler which benefits St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® 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!

Hello friends! Summer is flying by here in New Jersey and while the kids aren’t back to school yet (like some of the country), it’s only three weeks away before mine will be headed into their 7th and 11th grade years. We’ve been enjoying every ounce of summer that we can with family and friends!

I finally got to a point where I was comfortable with the idea of running races in person so I started registering for them. Not one or two but four. And now with the delta variant, I’m slightly anxious as to whether or not they will happen. Time will tell and of course I’ll keep you posted here!

When BibRave reached out to the Pros looking for people to participate in the Inspiration4 Miler, I thought it would be a great motivational experience to push me on training runs through September. After all, the event supports the Inspiration4 Mission and their goal to raise awareness and funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®.

Want to get involved? There are a few ways to join in this fundraising and moral boosting effort!

REGISTER TO RUN – if you’re a runner, sign up for this virtual event! It can happen on the day and time of your choosing in September. All runners get the sweet swag kit above. Additionally, all participants have the option to fundraise for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® and can win a sweet trip for two to the St. Jude launch party in Florida.

SUPPORT MY FUNDRAISING EFFORTS – not a runner but what to donate? Help me reach my fundraising goals for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®.

To infinity and beyond! Let’s do this!

Virtually Perfect: The Philadelphia Allstate Hot Chocolate 5k

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Disclaimer: I received free entry to the virtual Philadelphia Allstate Hot Chocolate 15k/5k race by RAM Racing 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!

Picture it: New Jersey, March 2020. I was sitting on the couch, stuffing my face with an assortment of cakes and drinking wine as I received emails about the spring races I signed up for going virtual due to a virus called COVID-19.

Last year one of my first races to go virtual was the Philadelphia Hot Chocolate 15k/5k. It feels like a lifetime ago! We were so early in the pandemic, I wasn’t sure if running outside was “safe”. (Does anyone else remember those times?)

I ran the distance on my treadmill and that, as they say, was that. Even though we live less than a half hour away, I never felt further from Philly. Looking back I realize that I didn’t write a blog about it because what was there to say?

I took a picture with the medal so that’s something!

The past year has brought many virtual races and speaking with other runners I know that there’s an overall feeling of virtual race fatigue. I feel it too.

Some smaller races are back in person, but many of the larger races are still only safely able to function virtually. 2021 is my 5th straight year participating in the Allstate Hot Chocolate series and you know I couldn’t give up that legacy streak so I opted in through BibRave to run the virtual event.

Hope to see you next year, friends!

Leading up to race weekend, the communication from RAM Racing was a quiet, which surprised me. In past years, the series sent out a weekly training plan email so I thought that they might incorporate that into their planned virtual event. Alas, other than a few sporadic emails, there was nothing noteworthy. A missed opportunity!

Rather than relegating myself to another treadmill run, I felt comfortable and safe taking my run to a favorite running locale of mine, the Ben Franklin Bridge. It stretches between New Jersey and Pennsylvania, with the base directly in the city of Philadelphia.

In December, when I registered, my training was going well and I confidently signed up for the 15k distance. A lot can change in a short amount of time and this past weekend, I knew that I wasn’t prepared for that distance. Thankfully, there’s a 5k distance option and the path that goes over the bridge and back again is exactly that mileage.

Along with my kid runner, Lucas, we drove twenty minutes to the base of the bridge in Camden, NJ. The view of the Philly skyline is impressive and always makes me happy.

We took our time, took a ton of pictures, and enjoyed the beautiful day. We haven’t run the Ben since early March 2020, so this was welcome change for the both of us.

Back to NJ

Due to a manufacturing delay, I have not yet received my race packet in the mail – I know that this was an issue for some of my local friends who signed up for the race as well.

It stinks not to have the swag now that I’ve run the distance… after all we live in a world of instant gratification! However, I know that the swag is 100% worth the wait and I’m looking forward to it arriving soon.

My next race isn’t until June and that feels so weird to say! I’m focusing on returning to running, listening to my body, and getting through the continuation of this crazy time. Be safe and be well!

Virtual Race Recap: America Runs 5k

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Disclaimer: I received an entry for the America Runs 5k 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!

2020 has been the year of the virtual race! Self motivation for training runs during the summer are always a challenge but after a knee injury, I was looking forward to getting back on track with running.

Through the month of August, I worked my way up in distance while being cognizant of how my knee was feeling both during and after a run. The Galloway method (interval running) has always been a go-to for me and I continued to use the one minute run, one minute walk for my training runs.

My son hasn’t been injured and usually leaves me in the dust.

Back in July I wrote about the America Runs 5k Virtual Race and after I slowly worked up my training, I felt confident that I could run the 5k at the beginning of September. I met up with a few of my amazing running group friends at our favorite local bike path and set on the course.

They had 6 miles on their agenda but said that they’d do a couple of out and backs so that I could finish up at 3.1 miles. The majority of the bike path is nice and shady and it was great to have friends to chat with the entire way.

Amy and Keri – two amazing friends in my run group bubble.

This was a great distance to get done and I have a few more longer virtual races on my agenda for this fall so I’ve continued upping my miles and training.

I’ve been waiting to write this until my America Runs swag arrived and yesterday was my lucky day!

Pretty awesome, right?

There wasn’t too much in the way of email communication from the promoters of this race; since it can happen on any day and at any time, there was no big “race day” announcements or getting hyped with a large online community. It’s something that I’m missing from in-person events so that might be something to consider for those hosting future virtual runs.

America Runs benefits local COVID-19 recovery funds and registration is open until the end of September 2020. If you’re looking for some sweet swag, this might be the virtual race for you!

What’s up next for me? Well, I have a whole slew of virtual races that I’m apparently supposed to get done this weekend. That wasn’t the case when I originally signed up for them but um, here we are. I’ve got the Gritty 5k, Broad Street 10 miler, and Atlantic City Bungalow Beach 5 miler. We’ll see how everything shakes out! I’m happy to keep moving any way I can.

Have you done any in-person races? The one that I had on my schedule, I decided to defer until 2021. 

Life Update and America Runs 5k Virtual Race

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Disclaimer: I received an entry to the America Runs 5k Virtual 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!

First things first, I wanted to check in and let you know that my knee is substantially better since my last post! After a few visits to my doctor,  the pain that lasted nearly a month has finally subsided.

What was wrong? Well, apparently the cartilage under my kneecap has worn away. It got irritated from overuse (who me?) which caused there to be fluid. Long story short, I’m taking joint supplements and anti-inflammatory. And as long as things are feeling good, I won’t have to get a shot in my knee.

The thought alone of having a shot in my knee gives me the heebie-jeebies so let’s all keep our fingers crossed that it won’t come to that.

Doc also said that I can get back to low-impact exercise and slowly amp things back up. I’ve done a few short workouts this week and I’m still feeling good, which is promising!

Also promising is that I registered for the America Runs 5k Virtual Race! While I’m not expecting myself to look quite as strong as the ladies up there in their promo picture, I’m hoping that this can be a comeback race for me, as I work my way up to the 5k distance.

The America Runs 5k is hosted by the Gannett Foundation and in partnership with EnMotive, the same folks who host the Hot Chocolate 15k/5k. They’re fantastic at putting on virtual events and are known for quality swag!

What has really caught my attention about this race is the charity it supports:

In partnership with America Runs 5k we are raising money to support statewide COVID-19 recovery efforts. All funds raised will be donated across the United States by state, apportioned based on the number of registrations per state.

Join me in running! Registration is open from now until the end of September. Swag packets will begin shipping the week of August 17th.

If you’d like to learn more about it, check out their social media.

America Runs – Twitter
America Runs Together – Instagram
America Runs – Facebook
America Runs – Website

Oh! One more thing before I go. Nominations for The BibRave 100 close today! Be sure to share your favorites of the past decade by clicking on the link and sharing your thoughts!

Global Running Day 24 Hour Virtual Relay

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Disclaimer: I received an entry to the Global Running Day 24 Hour Virtual Relay 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!

Hello friends! It’s been more than a minute since any of us have blogged here. I’d apologize for that, except for that fact that it’s been pure survival mode around these parts. I’m sure many of you are feeling the same so rather than apologize I’ll just say that I missed you and I hope you’re doing well.

The days, weeks, and months have run together recently and it’s hard to keep track at this point. But make no mistake, June is coming. Not only that but the first Wednesday of June is Global Running Day. A day to celebrate running and all it has done for us in striving for an active and healthy lifestyle. And while this year has certainly been the weirdest ever… I’m here for it.

There are many different organized events to celebrate Global Running Day. Personally, I’ll be taking part in the Global 24 Hour Relay. On June 3rd, we’ll be banding together to run 30 minute increments and pass the virtual baton from runner to runner. I’m on the Philadelphia, PA team and there are teams from all over the country that you can join.

Furthermore, if you’d like to start your own team, you’re able to do that too! Since it’s virtual, it doesn’t matter where you are located because you’re running on behalf of your team wherever you may be.

The last time I was part of a running relay team with more than 2 runners was back in 2017 when I ran Ragnar PA.

If only we knew that we’d be wearing masks in every day life just a few years later…

I’m signed up to run the 9-9:30am leg for our team. I really appreciated that this is time based, rather than mileage based. Everyone is encouraged to get out there and do the best they can within the given time frame. After running your allotted half hour, you virtually “pass the baton” to your teammate via text, email, or call. What’s important during Global Running Day is the fact that you’re doing it, nothing more!

As incentive, those who register for the early morning time slots are given a $5 discount. Personally, I can’t function at 2:30am but if you can, I’ve spied some open times on Team Philly (hint, hint).

And what do you get for participating in this Global 24 Hour Relay? Well, beside the obvious pride that comes along with it, you’ll receive this shirt and medal at the end of June and be entered into a few raffles from Garmin, Maurten, Goodr, and Trigger Point.

 

There are so many virtual races happening right now and I’ve been very choosy with what I’ve signed up for so I don’t experience VRF (Virtual Race Fatigue). The community aspect of this relay is what cinched it for me!

Want to join us? You should! Let’s make this #Global24Relay happen!

Yuengling Shamrock 1/2 Marathon Goes Virtual… On a Treadmill

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Disclaimer: I received free entry to the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon race weekend 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!

This past weekend was supposed to include a road trip with Rachel to Virginia Beach, a gathering of BibRave Pros, and a Personal Record at the Shamrock 1/2 Marathon.

It actually included two of the three things listed.

10 days ago I received word that both this race and the upcoming Allstate Hot Chocolate Philly race were cancelled due to the COVID-19 virus. 10 days feels like forever ago at this point.

Both races quickly offered virtual options. At first, my local friends and I planned to run on, we’d meet up as a group and do a half marathon. However as the week continued and our Governor stated we needed to maintain social distance/stay home, we scratched those plans.

I knew I wanted to run the half marathon distance but then it became a matter of WHERE. At first I defaulted to where I started out running, the treadmill. However, it’s been a long time since I’ve logged serious treadmill miles.

Outside on the trail would’ve been preferable, but I didn’t want to run alone, especially with the high anxiety I’ve been feeling lately. My 15 year old actually volunteered to run it with me; he’s been doing a lot of long training runs with me lately.

But the more and more I thought about it (while I was not sleeping at night) the more I decided that I didn’t feel comfortable with that idea.

After chatting with friends on Twitter, I landed on running the majority of the 13.1 miles on the treadmill. I actually thought that I’d do 12.1 on the treadmill and do the last mile outside. Spoiler alert, that didn’t happen because it was pretty cold outside and I was extremely warm and sweaty from my inside miles.

I decided to break the half marathon down into three sections, an hour, and hour, and then the last portion. I’d been training with a goal of getting finished within 2:30-2:39. With the knowledge that I could possibly fizzle out mentally on the treadmill, I wasn’t going into this expected a PR. Actually, I thought I’d just get the miles done and call it good.

My first hour I used the Peloton Tread app and did a 60 minute Fun Run with Matty Maggiacomo.

I definitely pushed harder than I expected to during the 60 minutes and wound up finishing the hour at 5.15 miles, which means I was keeping at 11:39 pace. Knowing this, I started to think that a PR for this run was actually attainable if I kept up the positive vibes and spirit.

While I was filling my water bottle I quickly tweeted out my progress and got a whole slew of responses from our running community, which I was able to read on my Garmin as I ran.

For my second 5 mile segment I tapped into my playlist that I made specifically for the Shamrock 1/2. It’s an eclectic mix of everything from big band to Lizzo to Franz Ferdinand. I was able to accomplish that in 58:38.

Which meant I only had 3 more miles left to go! After filling my water bottle one last time, I got on the treadmill once more. My legs were getting tired and my lower back ached but I knew that unless something went terribly wrong, I’d be able to hit my goal time.

And I did! All together I ran 13.1 miles in 2:34.22. While it’s not official, it’s absolutely a PR for me in the half marathon distance. The fact that I was able to do it on the treadmill makes me believe that there is no doubt I could do it within a race setting.

My cheering squad was waiting for me when I came upstairs to celebrate. They wouldn’t hug me though… not because of social distancing but because I was very sweaty.

Today is #MedalMonday and while my medal isn’t actually physically here, it will just prolong the happiness of this particular accomplishment when it does arrive. And right now, I’ll take what I can get.

Hope you are all safe, well, and staying home.

It’s a Wrap: 465 Challenge

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Disclaimer: I received free entry to the 465 Virtual Challenge race 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!

The start of this year has been fantastic. I’ve been healthy, happy, and active.

The 465 Challenge helped immensely with that! To refresh, the 465 Virtual Challenge was a 2 month event in which the goal was to complete 53 miles via running, walking, or bike (or swim, but that wasn’t happening over here in the winter!). Those who continued on to do more than that were considered, LOOPERS.

At the end of January, I’d completed 3 loops totaling, 189.54 miles.

My miles increased even more in February. I was consistent on the Peloton bike (which I got in January) and increased speed, miles, and output.

I’ve also been upping my miles since I’ve got the Shamrock Half Marathon coming up in just a few weeks.

As the added cherry on the top, my son has joined me for the last few long training runs. He’s running his first ever 10 mile race in May and he’s already thinking, planning, and training.

I wish I had his drive when I was 15 years old!

By Leap Day, I’d reached 7 loops, totaling over 371 miles!

What was especially great about this virtual race was the community that came along with it. The directors created a Facebook group, just for those participating in the challenge and we were all able to cheer for each other.

The interaction in the group was great and because it was over a 2 month span, I really got a chance to connect with others. I’ve done a few virtual events and this quickly grabbed the number one spot in terms of community, support, and feedback from the race directors.

The shirt, medal, and sticker arrived on Friday, February 28th – just in time for a medal Monday.

Stick a fork in this challenge, it’s done. But I’m not; I’m just getting started!

Have you done a virtual event before? Which one? Why did you choose it?

Do Good, Feel Good: World Refugee Day 5k

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Disclaimer: I’m taking part in the World Refugee Day 5k as part of being a BibRave Pro in conjunction with our good friends at Soul Focus. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews!

June 20th is World Refugee Day and I’m joining with a bunch of pals for the virtual World Refugee Day 5k. The funds raised during this effort will support refugees through the American Refugees Committee.

For those who haven’t taken part in a virtual races before, the way it works is pretty simple.

Virtual Run How-To

ONE – Register! Registration for the World Refugee Day 5k has been open since May 20th and will remain open through this Thursday, June 20th. As a little something extra, code BR5 will get you $5 OFF registration.

TWO – Print out your commerative WRD5K race bib!World Refugee Day 5k race bib

THREE – Get social with it! Run the 5k distance. This can be with a group, solo, with your pup, with your cat, whomever wants to go the distance with you and raise awareness and funds for the World Refugee Day 5k.

After you run, share on your social accounts using the hashtags #WorldRefugeeDay5k #WRD5k and tagging @worldrefugeeday_5k on Instagram. I can tell you from experience that they are very interactive with their runners and love seeing what everyone’s experiences!

FOUR – Wear your swag with PRIDE! After Thursday, June 20th, World Refugee Day 5k BOCO Gears hats will be sent to all participants. BOCO Gear are my #1 hats to run in and I can’t wait to get mine!

BOCO Gear World Refugee Day 5k Hat

It’s an amazing way to take part in a global event and be a part of a movement, from home. While I would LOVE to travel to Uganda to be there in person, that’s just not in the cards for me (this year, at least).

However, I will be there in spirit and I’m very pumped to run virtually along side of everyone!

Want to join in the fun? It’s not too late, this virtual run is open for 4 more days. Hop on over to the registration page and get moving! Lots of the BibRave Pros and I will be out there and running our 5ks on June 20th but you don’t have to wait until Thursday – that’s the beauty of a virtual run!

Who else is running?

Becky
Ken
Brenda
Stephanie
Lissa
Kim
Juan

Scooby Doo Good 5k September Recap

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Disclaimer: I received free entry to the Scooby-Doo Virtual Race Series race 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!

The month of September was packed with adventures and while I accomplished a lot (Bird-in-Hand half, start of Healthy Kids Running Series, getting my children off to school, seeing my parents off to Florida) one of the things that helps to keep me motivated/grounded is getting outside with my best girl, Gemma.

Nearly five years have gone by since we adopted Gemma and one of the main things we looked for when were searching for our new family member was that we wanted an active pup. We definitely got that with her; anytime you even utter the word “walk” or she hears the jingle of her leash, she come flying.

We had mucho amounts of rain in New Jersey the month of September but then the skies finally cleared and we had some nice fall weather. The Scooby Doo Good 5k was the perfect way to welcome fall! With a portion of each registration going to Best Friends Animal Society we were ready to get out there and get moving.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn3dPG4FOK5/?taken-by=scootadoot

Rather than do the whole 5k at once, we chose to split up the miles over 3 days. And when I say “we” I mean that she did. She’s very good at being the boss.

Kisses after a Scooby Run!

Naturally, we had the best time out there together. We also do! I was rocking my BibRave shirt. I attempted to put my BibRave BUFF®️ on her but she was having none of that. I think she’s holding out for the Scooby bandanna that’s coming her way soon!

While we are done with our September Doo Good 5k, we have more on our agenda with the Scoobtober 5k/10k!

With the start of the spookiest month of the year, Gemma and I are ready to rack up the miles! The swag is looking awesome for this month and we can’t wait for it to arrive. The purple is going to look amazing on her black fur!

Dog swag for October if you choose the add on

Human swag for October

Want to join us in October? Registration is open now through the 20th! I’ll be checking back in over the next few weeks to let you know how it goes for us and maybe even a short video from our run. Oh, and if you register you can use the code “BIBRAVE” to get 10% off registration!

Lots of awesome runners heading to Chicago for the marathon this weekend, including our very own ASHLEY! So excited for you all!

What is your favorite month? Have you ever done a virtual run? Are you running Chicago? Drop your name in a comment and I’ll send you a message!