Ragnar Relay Miami to Key West Recap

The idea for running Ragnar Relay's Miami to Key West run started almost six months ago. My friend did it last year and loved it so much that she wanted to do it again this year. I was one of the first people to say yes and immediately claimed Runner 2 as my position. This runner had about 18 miles of running spread over three runs and one of those runs included running the 7-mile bridge down in the Keys. Now, if you know me, you know that bridges like this one freak me out. I figured that the best way to to conquer my fear was to tackle it head on by running the bridge. Running, after all, has become something that has helped me push my limits and discover new parts of myself.

The run was last weekend from Friday, February 7th to Saturday, February 8th. Because I was part of Van 1, my Friday started off with a 5:30am wake up call and getting the girls ready to spend the weekend at their grandparents' house. I was picked up by my teammates at 6:45am and we made it to Key Biscayne close to 8:00am. The nerves started setting in on the drive over and we were all afraid of getting lost and going off course. At this point, our first legs were running parts of Miami we knew, but we were still afraid of getting lost.

Runner 1 started at 9:00am with a 5.5 mile run. As soon as he took off, we hopped in the car and went to the first exchange point to wait for him. As soon as I heard them yell out "303" (our team number) my nervousness subsided and I was ready to run. My first run was 4.4 miles through Coconut Grove and Coral Gables. Because I was still afraid of getting lost, I followed the runner who started a few seconds before me very closely. I ran faster than I would have wanted to run, but it was extremely hot out and I knew this would be the only run I had to run fast.

I switched off with the next runner at the next exchange point and, again, we all hopped in the car and headed over to the next exchange location to wait for the next switch of runners. This happened all through Runner 6 when she switched off with the first runner from Van 2, Runner 7. It took us 3.5 hours to cover the first 22.8 miles of the trip to Key West. While Van 2 runners ran, we went to La Carreta for lunch and then drove down to Homestead to wait for our next legs of runs to start.

My second run was supposed to be 4.7 miles but ended up being closer to 5.25 miles. Normally, this isn't a problem, but it was uncomfortable in this situation because it was nighttime and I was running on gravel roads. This run was probably the most humbling run of all of my runs. I was running at night with nothing but the light on my head and the light of the moon and the stars. I was running through a place I never thought I would run through; I had a canal on one side and a ditch and grasslands on the other. I ran without music and felt so connected to myself and my surroundings.

It took my team about 8.5 hours to run the 48.3 miles we had to run that night. By the time we passed off to Van 2, we were all exhausted. It had never felt so good to shower and lay down. I slept hard and woke up surprisingly rested the next day even with only 4 hours of sleep. That sleep was much needed because the last set of runs were going to be the hardest. Those runs, totally 32.5 miles, were all going to be done during the day. Our van started running at 10:00am and I started running the 7-mile bridge (which actually ended up being a 9.5 mile run because I run the roads before and after the actual bridge) at 10:10am. It took me a close to 1:40 to complete the run and, fortunately for me, there was a great sea breeze and wind from the passing cars to offset the heat of the day. I felt bad for the runners after me because I knew they would be running a flat course with little to no breeze. It took my van about 5 hours to finish our legs.

Once my van finished, we headed straight to the best little restaurant and ate everything on the menu. I think this was our celebration dinner. We were so happy to be done and excited to be so close to the finish. Team 303 finished around 7:00pm and we had enough time to take one picture with the whole group. While the Van 2 people went out that night, us Van 1 people stayed in and slept. Again, I was tired!

The weird part of the run, however, was the sense of disconnect. Because we were Van 1 and finished early in the day, it felt weird crossing the finish line at night. At that point, I felt like I hadn't done anything to deserve my medal at the end of the day.

The next day, Sunday, February 9th, we drove home. Of course, we caught a lot of traffic and ended up stopping to kayak and have dinner together.

What I liked:

• It was a running vacation!
• The people in my van were freaking awesome. They were so awesome that we were talking about doing more races together. 
• The 7-mile bridge was an incredible experience. 
• I loved the Ragnar shirt and medal. 
• The course was well-marked for the most part. 
• All the van decorations. 
• The support from other runners and vans.

What I didn't like:

• The weaving throughout Miami to get the mileage. There were so many turns and getting stuck at traffic lights that the runs were more stressful than enjoyable. 
• Most of the runs for Van 1 were without support so our van couldn't stop to help or cheer on the runners. 
• The heat. 
• I didn't really feel connected to the runners of Van 2. 

Next Race Recap will be Disney's Enchanted 10K!

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Lifetime Miami Half Marathon Recap

Sunday, February 2nd marked the date of seventh half marathon and the anniversary of my first ever half marathon. This half, Lifetime Miami Half Marathon, was the same course of my first so I felt a sense of familiarity. Even so, I was so anxious right before the race. I was a jittery ball of energy that morning and I was just a tad bit nervous about hitting the 7.5 mile point of this race because that's where I mentally stumbled last year. Luckily, there were no stumbles and I can honestly say I enjoyed this race, especially the last three miles.

I went into the race with the mentality that I would run how I felt and not push myself. The first 2.5 miles of the race were very hard for me because I really, really, really had to pee. I couldn't think about anything other than peeing. It was so distracting for me and made it hard for me to really enjoy running along the water at sunrise. After I found the bathroom the race was infinitely better. I was listening to my music and found a great rhythm. I ended up getting my second best time of 2:15 and, once again, found myself thanking my legs for carrying me the distance.

What I liked:

• The beginning of the course is great and takes you along the water and the cruise ships. 
• My team had a tent so we were able to enjoy hanging out after the race. 
• The medal was so cool and rotated along three different points. 
• Expo was a lot of fun and it was a runner's paradise. I am proud to say that I only left with one pair of compression socks. 
• Signage was good along the course. 
• The last three miles are the best with all the people on the streets and the bands playing music. 
• They handed out energy chews and fruit and had water and gatorade at every water station. 
• The signs after the halfway point were hilarious. 
• The race bib was gorgeous and very Miami Vice. 
• Lots of photographers on the course. 
• Plenty of water and food for the runners once they finished. 
• Free beer. 

What I didn't like:

• There were so many people! I had to skip a few of my intervals just to make it out of the crowd. 
• There were some parts of the course that were narrow that resulted in a bit of bottlenecking. 
• It didn't affect me, but some people got stuck at one of the bridges for 20 minutes. 
• Again, it didn't affect me but they ran out of medals for the half marathoners. 
• The last quarter mile of the race is the worst because of all the turns that make you feel like you will never reach the end. 
• The line at the beer garden was long. 

Next race recap will be for Ragnar Relay Miami to Key West!

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Fun & Fit: January

Halfway through February. What?! I feel as if this year is going by too fast. I spent most of January focused on fundraising that after the deadline passed, I completely checked out of life. Thankfully I was able to meet my fundraising goal thanks to the Cupcake Camp Miami event and support from my fellow Run GKTW teammates, but I was exhausted from all the effort of raising $3,000. Raising that money has been one of the hardest, most humbling, and amazing things I could have ever done. I will do it again, I just won't do it in a way that ties my participation in a race to raising a certain amount. All in all, I have raised $3,117 for Give Kids The World and will be running with them next weekend!

The only event I participated in January was the Superhero Scramble. This was my first obstacle course race last year and I was really excited about going back because my experience was so positive. This time around, however, my experience wasn't as positive. I did the run with two of my friends, but the race wasn't well organized. I felt like there was too much running and not enough obstacles, I was shocked that the volunteers on the course did not have means to communicate with each other when accidents or injuries arose, couldn't believe they didn't offer more water stations along the 9.5 mile course, and was disappointed there weren't any medals when we finished. I actually felt bad that this was my friends' first experience with obstacle course racing. Thankfully, they were good sports about it and we were able to find things to laugh about. It wasn't the best race, but it was the best company.

Aside from that, I have officially declared myself a yoga fanatic. I love it! I feel it has helped me become a stronger runner and has also shown me that my body is so much more capable than the limits my mind sets on my body.

Moving forward, I think I am going to change things up here on the blog. I am still trying to find the right structure that will help me in posting more often, but I think I am going to start posting race recaps right after they happen instead of at the end of the month. I love my blog and all the races I do and I want to be better at sharing with all of you. I've already participated in two races this month, so expect two more posts this week!

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Cupcake Camp Miami Recap

I needed a full two days to recover from this weekend before posting the recap for my charity event, Cupcake Camp Miami. Last week was a blur with late nights, cranky children, and driving around Miami meeting with bakers. All last week I kept saying, "I just want it to be Saturday already because once it's Saturday, I have done all that I can do and it's a matter of people just showing up."

Saturday came and I was surprisingly very calm. I was at the event location, World of Beer-Midtown, at 12pm and everything was set up and ready for the bakers who started showing up at 12:30pm. My biggest concern was having enough people show up for the event. Like last time, this event was promoted through the use of social media and word-of-mouth. Unlike last time, I was invited to go on a local radio show to talk about the event and Give Kids The World. Talk about amazing!

The best part of the location was the foot traffic that the event attracted. I mean, how can you not want to spend $10 that will go to charity and eat unlimited cupcakes? The event was supposed to run from 2pm-5pm and, by 3:30pm, I was worried we would run out of cupcakes! I had asked each baker to make 100 cupcakes, which I thought would be enough for my estimated number of 125 guests. Luckily, we didn't run out of cupcakes, but some of the bakers did run out and at around 4:30pm there were only 4 or 5 bakers who still had cupcakes.

The event was a success and I was able to raise $1347 for Give Kids The World. This event was better than the last one because it was more organized, the location was better, and it was less stressful for everyone involved. I received a few compliments about the event and had people asking me when the next one was going to be held. My only regret is that I didn't get to taste any of the cupcakes! I was so busy organizing and checking people in, that I didn't get any cupcakes for myself. Next time!

If I hadn't done this event, I don't think I would be as close as I am to reaching my fundraising goal of $3,000. I still have more fundraising to go and I'm hoping I will have the last $563 raised in the next three days. To help boost donations I am dedicated a mile for every donor and yesterday I ran four miles for my four most recent donors.

I'm not good about asking for money or donations, but if you can donate, please do so! My kids will thank you! My Donation Page.

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Giveaway Winner & Consolation Cookies

A solid two days late posting the winner. Yikes! I used to be a punctual person, but lately, I am always late. Late to school. Late for internship. Late to dinner. Late to blog. Late. Late. Late. To be fair, I have a lot going on. The 31st is my fundraising deadline and to help me reach my goal, I decided to plan another Cupcake Camp Miami event. Except, instead of giving myself three months to plan the event, I only gave myself one. So I've been busy and my priorities have been a little scrambled. I am so looking forward to stuffing my face with cupcakes this weekend!

According to good old random.org, the winner of the giveaway is Jessie Emeric!

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway. Winner, make sure to email me at confessionsofacityeater@gmail.com so I can get that entry code to you.

For all my non-winners out there I bring you some chocolate chip cookies. I love trying different variations of chocolate chip cookies and couldn't resist this recipe that used sea salt. The finished cookie was a hit with Alex as it was crispy and chewy. I was just happy to have "regular" chocolate chip cookies in the house!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Source: Savory Sweet Life 
Yields 48 Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
½ cup sugar
1½ cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2¾ cups (12 oz) all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. smallish-medium coarse sea salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1½ tsp. baking powder
2¼ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 360 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar until it is nice and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour until cookie batter is fully incorporated. Finally add chocolate chips until well distributed.

Using a medium cookie scoop, drop the batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. There should be 2 inches of space between drops. Bake for 12-14 minutes until the edges are golden brown.

Remove from over and allow the cookies to stay on the cookie sheet for an additional 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and allow the cookies to cool before serving.

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I'm a Weekend Splurger & Vega One Review

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for free entry to any open wave at a 2014 US Spartan Race!

As part of Fit Approach and as a Sweat Pink Ambassador I was given the opportunity to review Vega One shakes, a plant-based nutritional shake. They must have known I was a vanilla girl because they sent me a 10-day supply of the shakes. I am always on the search for new shakes because I like variety and tire quickly of the same shake day after day, so I was really excited to give this shake a try. I've tried Isagenix, Shakeology, and countless protein powders before this and my mind was really open to Vega One's plant-based shake.

Before my review, let me tell you about my persona as part of the #OneChange campaign, the Weekend Splurger. I'm really good with my eating habits during the week, but there is always one really, really bad splurge meal on the weekends. You know that meal where it makes you feel like you have undone all the work you put in during the week? For me, that meal usually involves beer, burgers, fries, onion rings, and dessert. I didn't realize this was my persona until I started looking more closely at my eating habits and the pattern I get into on the weekends, especially on those long, hard days of parenthood when all I want is an easy answer for dinner.

One thing that has helped me combat the Weekend Splurger mentality is having a shake for breakfast. That, in a way, sets the tone of the day for me and reminds to me to be more mindful about what I am putting into my body throughout the day. With nutrition and eating, this is my #OneChange this year: have a shake for breakfast and get into the eating healthy mentality first thing. Whatever shake it is, whether it be a Vega One shake or Isagenix, I need to resolve to have a shake so that I am not regretting all my eating choices Sunday night.

Now, on to the Vega One shakes. First time I tried it I had it with a cup of almond milk, a tablespoon of  almond-chocolate spread, and ice. That shake did not impress me. It tasted chalky and like liquid popcorn. The next time I made a shake I made it with a cup of almond milk, a tablespoon of peanut butter, a banana, and ice. Wow! What a difference. This was a shake I could actually drink and enjoy and I found myself thinking about drinking it again. I didn't even bother making any other recipes because I was so in love with this combination. I'm happy I found this combination that I like because now I can add a new shake to my shake mix. Even better, Whole Foods sells the packets of the powder!

I have so many goals and changes this year that it feels good to have this #OneChange set. What will be your #OneChange this year?

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Fun & Fit: December

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for free entry to any open wave at a 2014 US Spartan Race!

Considering I just took down all my Christmas decorations yesterday, I don't think it's too late to look back on December and what was achieved fitness-wise.

The month started off with The Challenge Mud Run. I actually forgot I even participated in this run and had to look at my calendar to remember. Parts of the run were great and parts of it were not so great. I did this race with Alex and a group of friends so that was great but I didn't like the winding paths. I love doing the longer runs, but I don't like zig-zagging the distance. I also don't like waiting a long time for obstacles, but that is something that happens at all these races. By the time we reached the final set of obstacles I was done. I was hot, my patience was running low, and I wanted my beer. This means that when I saw the long line for the rope-wall climbing obstacle, I threw a bit of a hissy fit and refused to do it. Maybe that's why there aren't any pictures of me at the event?!

The other event I did in December was a half marathon, Live Ultimate Half Marathon. I originally signed up for the quarter marathon, but my friend convinced me to upgrade to the half. The course took you through South Beach and was definitely a challenge with two miles or so of the course being running on the sand. What I loved about the run was the location and the people. What I didn't love was that there weren't enough volunteers on the course and we kept getting confused about where we had to run. I also didn't like that we had to wait in line for 20 minutes to grab a bag of granola after the race. This race taught me the importance of running with a friend and having someone to push you when your brain starts saying, "you can't do this."

Aside from that, I focused on getting better with yoga and participated in another yoga challenge. These are my two favorite shots from December:

How cute is Elina here?

This month I only have one race planned and that was this past weekend's Superhero Scramble. Other than that, my focus is on getting stronger with yoga and meeting my $3,000 fundraising goal!
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Anniversary Celebration with a Spartan Race Giveaway!

This weekend marks the one-year anniversary of my first obstacle course race. I don't think I will ever forget the jitters I felt right before that race. I don't think I will ever forget how much I doubted myself. And I will definitely never forget the pep talk I got from my friend that convinced me I could do the race. I hope you all have a friend out there who helps you get past the speed bumps and road blocks in your mind. Looking back, I laugh at my apprehension. My friend told me there would be people on the course who would help me with the obstacles and he told me that the worst thing that could happen would be burpees.

I was so nervous the day of that race. I had Alex and the girls waiting for me to finish so I knew I had to finish. I started running because of the girls after all, so they needed to see me smiling as I crossed that finish line. The very first thing I did was make friends with two other girls and ask them if I could join them during the race. Just like my friend said they would, they said yes and getting to run with them helped me overcome the obstacle of running. After finishing that race I felt so empowered and like a complete badass. I completed six obstacle course races last year. For some that may not seem like a lot, but considering I also ran six half marathons, I'm impressed with myself. A year ago, right before that race, I wouldn't have thought I'd be as in love with these types of races as I am today.

To celebrate my one-year anniversary I am going back to where the romance began: Superhero Scramble. This time, however, I'm bringing along two of my own friends and I hope to meet someone like the person I was last year. If you see The Powerpuff Girls in the 11:30am wave make sure to say "Hi!"

The celebration isn't just for me though. You get to celebrate too by entering a giveaway for a free race entry to any open heat in any 2014 Spartan Race in the US. It doesn't get any better than that and, if you haven't heard of Spartan Race, you need to watch this:

Spartan Race is on my bucket list of races (except I'm crazy and would want to do a Spartan Beast) so I'm really happy to be able to host this giveaway. For my Florida people and those looking for a different kind of Spartan challenge, the next Spartan Race is the Tampa Special Ops Spartan Sprint on February 15th. The race will have all that you want out of an obstacle course race with running, mud, and crazy obstacles, but with the added touch of Special Ops Forces. If you're curious and want a killer workout there's even a Spartan Workout with Johny Hendricks this Saturday, January 11th in Tampa. 

Here are the giveaway rules:

• Go to the Spartan Race website. 
• Come back and tell me why you'd want to race Spartan and which race you would do (make sure to leave your email address). 
• For an added entry, like my Facebook page and come back and tell me you liked the page.
• Giveaway is only applicable to 2014 US races. 
• Giveaway ends January 20th, 2014 at 5pm eastern time. 
• Winner will be announced by 10:00pm eastern using random.org. 

If you can't wait until the 20th and want to register right now, use this LINK for 15% off any Spartan Race. 

This giveaway is brought to you by the good people over at Spartan Race. All the opinions are my own. Happy running and racing everyone!

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Whiskey-Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don't let bacon go to waste so you know I saved the bacon used in my whiskey infusion. I also don't like to let bacon fat go to waste either so I had a container in the fridge just begging to be used. Enter this recipe and we have a match made in bacon heaven. I had always been curious about bacon chocolate chips and really didn't know what to expect out of these cookies, especially since the bacon wasn't regular bacon but whiskey tasting bacon. The cookies are definitely a novelty and not anything I would be able to eat a ton of in one sitting, but they sure were good. Alex didn't like the cookies but everyone else who tried them did like the cookies. If you want to start a conversation, definitely give someone one of these cookies!

Whiskey-Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies
Source: Slightly adapted from Recipe Girl
Yields 2 dozen cookies

Half of leftover whiskey-infused bacon
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup bacon fat, chilled
6 Tbsp granulated white sugar
6 Tbsp packed brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp whiskey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large eggs
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder.

In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the butter, bacon fat, sugars, whiskey and vanilla. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Beat in the flour mixture. Then stir in the bacon and chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto parchment or silpat-lined baking sheets- about 2 inches apart. Bake 9 to 11 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned.

Remove from oven and let stand on the cookie sheets for about 5 minutes, then remove the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely

Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or store in a covered container or zip bag in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.
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