Spring 2020: The Season of the Virtual Race

Disclaimer: I received an entry to the Virtual Lincoln Park Run for the Zoo 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 assume that you all had a march that was similar to mine - the month started with business as usual (heck, I went to Tijuana for my job, and then to California for the Napa valley half marathon at the beginning of the month), and then over the coming weeks, the world became a really weird place. Covid-19 started as something that we heard about happening in other countries, but that quickly spread to the United States, and then in what felt like a blink of an eye I transitioned from being in an office everyday to working from home, and staying put as much as possible. While I am so thankful that I have the ability to work from home, I would be lying if I said I was not bummed when suddenly all of my spring races started to get cancelled - first the NYC half, then the Long Island half, and finally the Delaware half - not to mention the shorter races that I had on the calendar.

When the NYC half was cancelled, I headed out locally with Mike and Michal to get in our 13.1 miles, bummed that it wasn’t through the city, but glad I was still able to get out with friends… but shortly after that, even running with friends was cancelled, as recommendations to social distance grew stronger, to help flatten the curve, so that hospitals would not become overloaded with patients as Covid-19 continued to spread.

So, whats a runner to do when her spring races get cancelled? Well, first I scaled back my training - my knee still isn’t 100%, and with no spring races to worry about, it made sense to scale things back, and focus on strength training a little more. The runs that I did head out on changed too, as my running partners changed from people with two legs, or Dad on his bike, to a four-legged pal - my mother-in-law’s dog, Riley. We even got a great running leash that I can wear around my waist when I head out with him, and I am thankful to get a little companionship at least. My husband and I are living with my in-laws currently, and with everyone home we have a five person, three dog, and two cat house hold - so it can be a little bit of a zoo at times!

Through BibRave, I heard about the Lincoln Park run for the zoo event - the Lincoln Park Zoo is free and open every day of the year, and their annual “Run for the Zoo” helps keep them running! While it was not in the cards for me to travel to the race, like many races this season, it has become virtual - which allows runners near and far to help keep the Zoo going. I am hoping I will even get to take a visit to the zoo when I visit Chicago in September!

This virtual race includes a race packet, that will be mailed to each participant, with a bib and a tech shirt. Plus, if you are someone who is highly motivated by bling, a $25 donation to the zoo adds a medal to your swag! The proceeds from this run help to support the more than 800 animals - including 50 endangered species - that are cared for at the zoo.

After each runner completes their virtual race, they just need to upload their results to the Race for the Zoo website to make it official, and the “winners” with the fastest GPS verified time will win a special plush animal from the zoo’s gift shop. The virtual race runs from June 7-21, and runners and walkers of all levels can participate - so if you are looking for some motivation to get moving, use the coupon code “BIBRAVE10” to save 10% off the cost of registration.

So wether it is your first race or your hundredth, I hope you will consider joining me in the Virtual Run for the Zoo!

Video Recap: The Napa Valley Marathon Expo

Hi Guys!

Today I am sharing a video recap of my experience at the Napa Valley Marathon Expo. This was one of the most fun expos I have been too, with a laid back feel and plenty of space for runners to relax before race day.

Which race expo has been your favorite? Leave a comment to let me know which ones I need to check out in the future!

Swag alert: the Napa valley half marathon

Disclaimer: I received an entry to the 2020 Napa Valley Half Marathon 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 shirts and medals have been released for the Napa Valley Half marathon, and I am really enjoying the design of both. The shirts are long sleeve green tech shirts, and coordinate with the medals, both of which show the hills and fields of Napa Valley. My favorite part of the medals has got to be the grapes that flank both sides of the design.

I have read online that in previous years participants have also received bags at bib pickup, so I am hopeful that the trend will continue in 2020.

There are three different race options - a 5k, a half-marathon, and a marathon. Personally, I will be taking on the half marathon, since I want to be able to explore the area after the race, and I would just be too wiped out to do that after a full.

The expo takes place on March 1, 2020, and in addition to bib pickup, there are beer and wine tastings, cooking seminars, and a speaker series - which include Olympian Emma Coburn! For the full expo schedule, visit the event’s website HERE.

Race day is less than a month away, but there is still time to register - and if you use the coupon code “BIBRAVE10” you will save $10 on your race registration.

Visit the official Napa Valley Marathon website by clicking HERE, and you can register today!

What about the SWAG? Goodies from the hot chocolate 15k race Series

Disclaimer: I received an entry to the 2020 Atlanta Hot Chocolate 15k 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!

Since 2018, I have completed a total three races within the hot chocolate race series, which are put on by RAM racing across the United States. Before I took the dive and completed my first event, there were two things I knew about the races: the chocolate, and the awesome race giveaways!

Each year the events giveaway is some sort of long sleeve sweatshirt or pullover, that always becomes a staple in my running wardrobe.

In 2018, runners got a purple or blue half zip pullover, depending on if the opted for a women’s size or a men’s size. The pull over featured thumb holes at the end of the sleeves, and a breast pocket, that is big enough to fit my cell phone, or my keys when I drive somewhere to run. The medals for the 15k that year came with a key chain attachment that specified the city you ran in, so my medal came with a small Atlanta peach keychain. If you’d like to read about that race, you can find my recap HERE.

In 2019 the race series came a little closer to home for me, when they put on a Brooklyn edition of the event. They were giving runners zip up sweatshirts - maroon for the women’s jackets, and black for the men’s cut. My uncle was nice enough to go to the expo for me, as I wasn’t able to get there because of work, so I wasn’t able to try on my sweatshirt at race pickup - which resulted in it being slightly oversized, but I love it nonetheless. It has thumb holes at the end of the sleeves and inside pockets, both of which are a win in my books. Instead of a keychain to show the race city, the bottom of the medal featured the Brooklyn bridge. For a recap about the Brooklyn 2019 race, click HERE.

This year I headed to Atlanta again for the 2020 race, since the Brooklyn edition of the race was cancelled after the first year. They had zip up sweatshirts once again, and I was really pleased with the quality of this one- it’s a solid, heavy jacket! I made sure to try it on before leaving the expo, and was happy to find that it once again has some good interior pockets. The 2020 jacket is a dark blue, featuring coral zippers on the women’s cuts, and blue zippers for the men’s. As for medals, this year they began offering one for 5k finishers, where as in the past only the 15k finishers were awarded a medal. The 5k medal looks like a cup of hot chocolate, while the 15k metal retained its classic chocolate bar shape, and the lanyard was marked up with Atlanta to represent the city. For my most recent Hot Chocolate race recap, the 2020 Atlanta edition, clock HERE.

On top of all of this sweet swag, there are also some sweet treats! Once you’re done running, every runner receives a cup of hot chocolate, surrounded by goodies - my favorite part is the dark chocolate fondue, paired with the banana and marshmallows that can be dipped into it,

So what I’m trying to say here is that if you’re into great race giveaways and sweet treats, you may want to find a Hot Chocolate race that is coming to a city near you! Head to www.hotchocolate15k.com to see a complete list of cities that are hosting an event.