Savannah - Day One - 11/2/12

Tearing up just thinking of last weekend... So sorry for the delay on the Rock 'n' Roll Savannah Marathon weekend recap! Emotions and life have come in the way of getting this post done sooner.

But here goes Day One!!

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We headed to the airport at 4:30am. So yes this story starts wicked early in the morning.

I think I look pretty put together for that early in the day ... and representin' the blog with my Sweatybands headband!

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And of course I was giving my wife the "Oh really" face that she loves so much. :P

After getting my final Dunkin Donuts Iced Coffee of the weekend, it was time to chillax at the gate.

How cruel putting us right next to Harpoon IPA when it was closed.

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RUDE!

We had two flights to get to Savannah - layover in Atlanta. In a truly "small world" moment, I spotted a Weight Watchers Leader I knew on each flight. One sitting across the aisle from me as she headed to the Dominican Republic.

I want to thank the second flight's Flight Attendants and Pilots for giving a special shout-out to all the runners on the plane!

We landed in Savannah and headed straight to the hotel. After immediately unpacking my clothes for the next day's marathon

clothes

It was time to hit the hotel gym for a quick 2-mile run (to shake out the legs after the long morning flights)!

2-mile run

Boy was it weird running on a treadmill - I hadn't done it in AGES.

Finally, it was time to check out the local cuisine (we hit up Wild Wing Cafe - delicious) and then headed to the John P. Rousakis Riverfront to catch the ferry to the Expo.

It was the first Rock 'n' Roll expo where there was a Half Marathon and a Marathon happening so the wife and I headed to separate areas to collect our numbers.

Of course, I made her take my standard "Countdown" pic!

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I had read that KT Tape was going to be at the Expo and since I missed them at the RnR Chicago Expo I was determined to finally try them out at this time.

After picking up some Sport Jelly Beans since I of course forgot mine at home, we headed to the KT Tape booth.

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I had to choose blue. I was really hoping it would help my knee, which had been sore for the previous two weeks. Thankfully nothing sharp, but a more dull constant pain.

After checking out the locations/dates for the RnR races in 2013, we think we are going to try and hit up the Rock 'n' Roll Los Angeles Half around Halloween. It is time to check out some new cities. :)

We got back in what seemed like the never-ending line to reboard the ferry and head back to downtown Savannah.

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I will say RnR did a great job keeping the ferries moving so people didn't lose too much time standing in lines to board.

We arrived back to Savannah's famous River Street and did a little carboloading with a local brew from The Warehouse...

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... and enjoyed Savannah's lack of an open container law.

Can I just say how odd yet awesome it was walking around with my beer? You don't want to chug or leave your beer behind - restaurants/bars give you a To-Go cup. My kind of city!

As we wandered back to our hotel, we set out to find the Start Line for the following morning and check out the historic Bay St.

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We made it back to the hotel to settle in before our friend Michelle and my dad both landed/met us for dinner.

We went to Molly Macpherson's Scottish Pub & Grill for dinner. Why you may ask? They had a nice spaghetti dinner going on for runners.

It was great having everyone in one place the night before the race so we could come up with a game plan for the next morning: pre and post race meetups.

I also loved how almost every bar and restaurant in Savannah were so welcoming and supportive of the runners in town.

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After getting back to the hotel, it was time for a little compression time with Zensah...

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... before doing my #plankaday and setting the alarms for the morning!

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Three-Year WW-versary - 11/2/12

Wow! It seems like just yesterday I was walking into my first Weight Watchers meeting ... and now I lead 13 of them a week. What a difference three years makes, huh?

Here is my recap from the two year anniversary: check it out!

I reread that post and still carry a lot of those feeling with me today: Pride, Determination and most importantly Happiness.

Since that last post, I hit my Weight Goal, became a Lifetime Weight Watchers member and joined the Weight Watchers family as an employee!

Wow! How things can change!

But I cannot thank Weight Watchers and the online community (Twitter/Facebook/Blogging) enough for helping me get to the point where I am now.

Now comes the hardest part in my opinion: maintenance.

Many people think once you hit your weight goal that everything is rainbows and unicorns ... not the case ... at least for me!

With the career change, I now have much more time to be social with friends so in that regards I feel like a New Member learning to balance a more social life and my healthy lifestyle. Thankfully many of my friends are health conscious and many are Weight Watchers members themselves, which make it a lot easier.

But for me, I am still working on not reverting back to old habits when getting busy or stressed and continuing to work on the mental part of weight loss - nixing the negative.

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Now that I am living a much more active lifestyle, I am also learning how to handle the hungry horrors that can come when putting in 100 miles of running a month, Spinning multiple times a week and starting weight training classes.

But I am happy to have these problems.

I am so thankful for the active lifestyle I now live. I can't imagine going back to the days when I would just sit around for hours on end for days on end. Activity and exercise are a big part of my life now.

In particular - running! I know you guys had no idea, right? :P

Well, what you may not know remember is that when I hit Goal with Weight Watchers to celebrate - instead of buying myself a cut pocketbook or something like that - I signed up for a marathon.

Yup, I was THAT person ... and proud of it!

So now, on the three year anniversary of joining Weight Watchers, I am boarding a plane and heading to Savannah to run that marathon I signed up for that joyous day in January 2012.

And I am scared and nervous, but most of all I am PSYCHED! I'm ready to once again prove to myself that I Am Stronger Than I Think I Am.

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**WINNER ANNOUNCED** Popchips Tortilla Chips Giveaway...

**WINNER ANNOUNCED**

Thanks to Random.org, the winner of the giveaway is #55:

Congrats to Pam Gordon!!

Thanks to everyone who participated and keep your eyes out for the next giveaway… 

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A-D-D-I-C-T-E-D!

Is all I have to say about my relationship with these delicious chips. ;)

Ever since I got the first taste of Pochips Tortilla Chips on September 11 ... I've been HOOKED! :) :)

But, after finishing the samples I received in the mail, the news hit - they weren't available in Boston until January.

Nooooo ... I got the itch and I wanted more! :P

And then it happened.

I got to Fitbloggin on September  20 and there it was - a Popchips Tortilla Chips booth.

Oh were my eyes playing tricks on me?

Nope.

There for our sampling pleasure for the entire weekend were Popchips Tortilla Chips.

To say I frequented the booth often would be an understatement.

I mean I had to get my fill right?

Then the lovely Popchips ambassadors surprised me with the bigger bag for the ride home to Boston from Baltimore.

YAY!

Can you tell that Ranch is my favorite flavor? ;)

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And now the fun part … the giveaway! Popchips has agreed to give one lucky reader of my blog a free Popchips Tortilla Chips prize of their own.

Here is how to enter:

*Follow @IrishEyes1982 and @popchips on Twitter (if you have an account)

*Like Weight Off My Shoulders Blog and Popchips on Facebook (if you have an account)

and

*Comment on the blog below to the following question: “What is your favorite flavor to pop?” 

… I will take responses until 3pm ET Wednesday (October 24). The winner will be picked at random … Good luck! 

I'm running the 2013 Boston Marathon with...

... Tedy's Team!! Ahh I cannot tell you all how excited I am to have the chance to be a part of such an amazing group. This amazing organization has a limited number of race bibs for the 2013 Boston Marathon and I am honored enough to have one!

As stated on their website, Tedy's Team is raising money and awareness on behalf of the American Stroke Association:

Tedy asked the American Stroke Association to work with him to create “Tedy’s Team,” a group of runners raising money for the American Stroke Association and training to complete the Boston Marathon® and the Falmouth Road Race.  Their participation supports Tedy Bruschi’s fight against stroke and honors both the survivors and the loved ones lost to America’s No. 4 leading cause of death.

In addition to the dollars being raised, an equally important issue for Tedy's Team is the increase in awareness of stroke and recognition of its warning signs. Tedy’s Team is striving to reach as many people as possible in its message of recognizing the warning signs and acting appropriate when seeing them -- calling 9-1-1 immediately.

I have a strong personal connection to strokes as both of my grandparents are stroke survivors as well as my wife's father.

So I am looking forward to doing anything I can to help with this fight.

Tedy's Team requires each participant raise $5,000 in order to take part in the 2013 Boston Marathon.

I already have $1,000 raised through The Dani Holmes-Kirk 1st Annual 30th Birthday Run-Walk Ramble and will start additional fundraising next week ... so be ready for that! ;)

I cannot wait to meet the team in mid-November and begin training runs shortly after that!

We are 180 days away from the Boston Marathon...

As a born and raised Bostonian, I am truly looking forward to taking part in this historical run. My dad ran the 100th Boston Marathon and now I am continuing the tradition.

That means a lot to me, but more than that - I am helping a worthy cause that holds a dear place in my heart.

Despite being just 17 days out from the Rock 'n' Roll Savannah Full Marathon, I am already thinking about the fun I will have working with and training with Tedy's Team over the next 5-plus months.

I'm ready for one wild ride... :)

Dear Social Media...

Dear Social Media, I don't know how to say this so I thought I would write you a quick note. I've been trying to gather my feelings for you, but didn't quite know how to really approach you on the subject. So I figured I might as well just put myself out there.

So here goes nothing.

Social Media ... I Love You.

Okay, there I said it!

I 100% with my whole heart love you and all that you offer:

I love OkCupid.com.

I love Wordpress.

I love Twitter.

I love Facebook.

I love Tumblr.

I love Pinterest.

I love Instagram.

I like Google+.

I even have a small place in my heart that still likes MySpace. (not sure why, but it does)

So this isn't getting awkward is it?

Good.

I want to simply Thank You for all you have done for me through all of these avenues.

You want examples? Sure, I have plenty.

**OkCupid.com gave me my wife for who I would be lost without!

**Wordpress.com, you have bestowed on me a tiny piece of the internet here at Weight Off My Shoulders where I can share my inner thoughts with anyone that wants to read them. Even if no one wants to read them, you allow me the chance to bare my soul and release the negative in a new and more therapeutic way!

**Oh Twitter, where do I begin. I thank you for the endless 24/7 support I have found...

-For opening my world to such awesome groups as #runchat (@therunchat), #Fitfluential (@FitFluential), #SweatPink (@fitapproach), #GirlsGoneSporty (@GirlsGoneSporty), #wwchat/#weightwatchers (@WeightWatchers) and #Fitbloggin (@Fitbloggin).

-For helping me share my life, my ups, my downs, my accomplishments and my faults with people who accept me no matter what and are always there to offer advice, a shoulder to cry on or a new perspective for the situation.

-For connecting me to other Weight Watchers members and Leaders all over the state, the country and the world overall. It is great to share recipes, success stories, scale and non-scale victories and struggles with people reaching for the same goal you are.

-For numerous motivating challenges, especially Brad Gansberg's #7daychip and Dr. Sherry Pagoto's #PlankADay, and allowing me to even start my own: #100ozChallenge.

-And finally, for motivating me to get out of my comfort zone by sharing wicked personal stories, for reminding me that I am worthy of what my life is giving me and that I can put myself out there and survive.

**Dear Facebook, you have taken hours of my day away and I thank you for that. Love, Dani ;) But really, Facebook allows me to share my blog to another group of people who I might not be on Twitter. Also, I know now that if I don't post my workout on the blog's Facebook page, it didn't happen ... right?

**While I still don't know how to totally use you Tumblr, you provide me endless laughs with such things as Dog Shaming and Texts From Dog.

**Pinterest - oh Pinterest - you make me want to eat everything in sight, work out 24/7 and snuggle a bunch of adorable animals all at once. No one has done that to be before. ;)

**Instagram - you allow me to know EXACTLY what my friends are eating at any point in the day. Now I know whose house to go to because I can preview what they would cook me ;) Also, you inspire me to try new workouts, but new work out clothes and attempt all different types of planks! Additionally, you have helped ME perfect the art of the self-portrait either using my phone or the bathroom mirror. I will never look at the bathroom mirror the same way again. Oh and thanks for offering so many glorious filters to choose from - I shall never look pale again! :)

**I got nothin', but love for ya MySpace... you still exist right?

So there it is Social Media, you truly reach every aspect of my life like no one else has before so in one word: Thanks!

Love,

Dani

PS What site will you come up with next for me to get addicted to?

Marathon Training - 20.2 Miles :)

3 Weeks. 21 Days. 500+ Hours. 30,240+ Minutes ... until the Rock 'n' Roll Savannah Marathon. Exactly.

With just three weeks to go, it brought my final 20 mile training run.

I started gearing myself up for it when setting my alarm last night...

That easily pushed me to get outta bed.

Well that and knowing that Sarah was meeting me at the Charles River to run at 7am no matter what.

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But this morning I was ready this morning for redemption!

Two weeks ago, I ventured out for my first 20-mile training run with Sarah - she was going to run the first 10 miles with me then I would knock out the final 10 alone.

Our 10 went off without a hitch, but then technology glitches started messing with my head. My iPhone/Runkeeper/Music DIED 15.19 miles into the 20 mile run.

That took me right out of the running mindset ... it was a total mind F^&k!

I ended up run/walking the final 3ish miles of the 20 mile run and I was wicked disappointed.

I also had to estimate my final time based on the last overall pace my phone caught.

I was happy to complete the task I had set out to do, but I was disappointed with how it ended.

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So today's run would be different. The wife & I worked on my phone to hopefully lengthen its battery length.

(Note: It's been draining a lot faster since the upgrade done last week)

I also made sure to bring my headphones so I wouldn't be using the speaker.

I met Sarah at 7am and we were off.

The plan was for Sarah to join me on the first larger loop of the Charles River, which I thought was about 14 miles.

Either way I would have company for longer this time, which would also help keep me in the game. :)

We were cruising at about a 8:57 min/mile pace after the first 3 miles or so so we started to reign it back in.

Our goal was to run at about a 9:15 min/mile pace since marathon training should be at least a minute per mile slower than your half marathon pace.

And Sunday I ran a 8:16 min/mile pace in the BAA Half.

But, we just kick so much butt that we kept running faster than planned.

The great thing is with Sarah is that she is a much better runner than I am so she knows when to check in and see if we need to slow it down.

Also we had to remember that she was stopping after 13/14 and I had to keep going so as we neared the end of her run (around the 11 mile mark) I could feel her pace speed up - so we made sure to bring it on back. :)

It's easy to get caught up in a run, especially when the weather is a chilly 34 degrees (real feel 24) on a Saturday morning ... in freakin' October!

As we neared Sarah's stopping point, I made the decision to keep on running instead of stopping for a break like I normally do when Sarah's part is over.

I wanted to keep my momentum going as we were at about a 9:05 min/mile pace when we parted ways.

Thankfully I had less than 7 miles to run by myself and I was prepared with a good loop.

I took off and somehow my pace quickened a little - I think I was a little excited to be nearing the end.

I also was able to turn on the music finally - again hoping my battery would make it through the run.

There were not one, but two charity walks happening along the Charles River as well today so I passed the time checking out their signage as well - Suicide Prevention and JDRF.

I finished the second loop and hit my car at 18.2 miles and at that point, I realized my iPhone was almost out of juice.

So I made the executive decision to stop at car, charge the phone enough to make it through the final 2 miles and stretch out the legs a little.

I was wicked happy with my time and pace at the time of my break.

I could feel my legs tensing up so I just prayed the phone would make i through the final 2 miles.

I also made the executive decision to can the music for the final leg as well. I ended up running into the start of the Suicide Prevention Walk, but thankfully I passed the group before they officially started the walk.

And all of a sudden the run was over...

Could you tell I was a tad bit excited?

Unlike two weeks ago, I ran every single step of the way during this run ... and I felt awesome!!

I had a little bit of hip pain that was leading to some knee and foot pain, but nothing that forced me to slow down or stop - PHEW.

I think three weeks from now in Savannah I will be able to break through those final 6 miles!

Bring it Savannah!! :)

Tufts Health Plan 10k For Women - 10/8/12 - PR 47:31 (7:39 min/mile)

I like women. I like running. I like Boston. I like road races. So running the Tufts Health Plan 10k For Women was a no-brainer.

Well... until I realized it was the day after the Boston Athletic Association Half Marathon!

But, there was no way I was going to let that stop me ... especially since I was honored to be running on behalf of Reebok and Fitfluential!!

As part of Team Reebok, we got some sweet gear to train in...

... and we got to participate in a training run on a Wednesday night out of City Sports.

 

It was great to meet some of the Reebok reps as well as some fellow women running the 10k.

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The morning of the race I woke up with happy and healthy legs - WOO!! I wasn't sure what to expect since just the day before I had set a PR in the BAA Half (1:48:16) by over 3 minutes.

I got up and figured out the best pre-race prep I could since my normal schedule was thrown off since the race didn't begin til 12.

But, I was excited to put on the Team Reebok uniform for the day! 

I didn't have expectations for the Tufts run and was going to be perfectly content to use it as a recovery run... but we know me, once I got there I was ready to compete! :)

Especially since I was meeting up with some of the wonderful Boston ladies of Fitfluential and they are a speedy bunch!

Thanks to Amy C. from Running Escapades for the pic!

It was great to meet up with this group, especially since I had yet to meet two of the ladies in person before.

We also grabbed a couple pics with the entire Team Reebok crew before heading out to start our pre-race routines...

(Photo courtesy of Reebok's Twitter)

For me, that meant the port-o-potty lines! :P

But before I even made it to the lines, I ran into more friends: 

My girl and fellow Weight Watchers Leader Melissa (aka @alifetimeloser)

and Sparkly Soul Inc headband peeps (aka @SparklySoulInc)!

Of course, I needed to pick up a purple Sparkly Soul headband to match my Reebok shirt :)

Once I made it through the port-o-potty line it was time to make my way to the Start Line area. They had corrals set up, but then they kept encouraging us to move closer so I ended up about 10-12 rows back from the Start Line itself. So I could see my fast friend Robin right up near the elite runners, where she belongs.

Thanks for the sweet outfit Reebok ... please ignore my cameltoe going on here! :P

I love when I actually am close enough to see the Start Line - it doesn't happen in too many races. ;)

Once the gun went off, we were gone!! It was amazing to see the flashes ahead of me of the elite runners taking off. They were wicked inspiring.

Now, the rules had stated not to bring headphones for runners safety and guess who was the knucklehead that paid attention to the rules ... yup! Me! So for the second-straight day/race I was running sans music/headphones. Thankfully there was - again - such an energy on the course that I didn't really miss my music.

BUT, from here on out I will always bring my headphones with me no matter what! :)

Thankfully the course was familiar as it is where I do all of my long runs for marathon training, but it is always a little different when you are racing. :)

The weather was accommodating and it was a great day to be on the pavement.

As my Runkeeper rang out during Mile One, I realized that I was actually running at a sub-8 minute per mile pace.

Now, I did look at my 10k PR before leaving the house and realized it was 49:28 (7:59 min/mile pace) set in June 2012.

So if I kept the pace up I was at, I would easily set a new PR.

Sweet!

There were two big turnaround points in the race - both before the 4 mile mark - and they were a great way to see how freakin' fast those elite ladies are! The winner - Hellen Jemutai from Kenya - seemed to just be blowing the rest of the runners out of the water. It was amazing to see.

As I neared the 4-mile mark, I noticed my friends from Racemenu and thankfully Alain was snapping pics once again...

Can we tell I was having a blast? ;)

As we headed to the final 1.5 miles, I noticed my friend Erin among the fans cheering along the sideline. It was great to see another familiar face since I originally didn't think I would know anyone along the course. :)

Additionally, there were a bunch of families on the sides cheering for their moms or dads, who were running. The little kids had noisemakers, posters and were looking for high fives. I was happy to high-five them back.

That is one thing I love about road races - no matter your fitness level or speed - you feel like a rock star as people - some you have no idea who they are - cheer you on and want you to finish.

Absolutely amazing feeling!!

Then as I took one of the final turns and as I saw Mile 6 in the distance, there was my dad! :) He had made it to see me by the Finish!

And he even caught me on video ... it was around this point that I KNEW I had a new shiny PR!

[embedplusvideo height="281" width="450" standard="http://www.youtube.com/v/AmWq7ww7nzc?fs=1" vars="ytid=AmWq7ww7nzc&width=450&height=281&start=&stop=&rs=w&hd=0&autoplay=0&react=0&chapters=&notes=" id="ep8881" /]

Isn't he a great cheerleader? :)

As I passed my dad, I saw the Finish Line. I gave it all I had. There was a girl I was battling with (in my head) since the beginning of the run and all I wanted to do was Finish before her. So I dug deep ... and did it!

I finished the 10k in 47:31 (7:39 min/mile pace) ... it was 1:57 faster than my previous PR at June's BAA 10k!

I finished 275th out of 5,431 overall and 109 out of 1,669 in my division.

Wow!

I couldn't believe it.

Back-to-back races and back-to-back PRs!

You couldn't wipe the smile off my face. :) :)

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Overall, the race was a great experience. The course was pretty flat, clearly marked and riddled with water stations, which runners love!

I owe HUGE thank yous to:

*Reebok for having me on their awesome Team Reebok (#getafterit) gear - the capri pants may be one of my new favorite pieces of clothing!

*Fitfluential for the opportunity to join Team Reebok

*My dad for driving me in to the race, making it back in time to cheer me on and for driving me home afterwards

*All of you for cheering me on in my crazy attempt to race on back-to-back days :P

Boston Athletic Association Half Marathon - 10/7/12 - 1:48:16 (8:16 min/mile)

Stoked is an understatement for how I was feeling about the BAA Half Marathon on Sunday! I was ready to run for fun... This was the third and final race in the BAA's inaugural Distance Medley, which consisted of a 5k in April, a 10k in June and the Half in October.

I was heading into Sunday after having a wonderful relaxing rest day with the wife and carboloaded that night with friend Sarah, her husband and their daughter, Joanna. We had some delicious food and played a lil Scrabble ... yes folks that is one awesome runner's Saturday night! :)

I've never run the BAA Half before so I wasn't totally sure what to expect. Many of my friends had run before and warned me that the beginning was pretty much downhill, while the end was pretty much uphill. So I was immediately wishing that would magically reverse, but it didn't. :P

I woke up at 6am on Sunday and was out the door by 7 since we really had no idea what to expect traffic-wise or how the drop off situation would work.

Since the race kicked off at 8:30am, I was hoping to get there at least an hour beforehand so I could meet up with the handful of people I knew were running.

Thankfully there were a ton of shuttle busses running back-and-forth from the additional parking lot to the race so we just followed them to get as close to the drop-off point as the cops would allow.

I, as always, owe the wife a big thanks for dropping me off so I could avoid the at least three times as long train ride to the race.

We found a place to pull over and started what turned out to be a lengthy trek to the Start area.

I finally made it and quickly met up with my "Team Big Man" friends - the group I have run the whole Distance Medley with as well as the Harpoon 5-Miler.

It was great to stretch and catch up before we headed to the normal pre-race routine of standing in the port-o-potties line.

I had been in constant contact with Sarah, who I had planned to run the entire thing with, but with so many runners we never connected before the race started. :/

Besides being bummed that I couldn't run with my BFF, I also realized I would be running sans music/headphones. Since I assumed we would run together and chat, I left the headphones at home. Ugh! Idiot!

I was standing in the coral area hoping I still ran into Sarah so I waited a few minutes before I gave up and started the run. I did get to run into iRunNewEngland, who I met at a previous race.

Thankfully I could still hear my Runkeeper's 5 minute updates so I was still able to keep some sort of eye on my pace.

I didn't have any expectations for this race since I didn't know the course, but hoped to do well since the weather conditions were perfect.

I ended up running the first 5k of the race faster than I expected since I spent the whole time trying to find Sarah to see if we could connect and run the rest of the way together.

Well, by Mile Four I gave up the hope and tried to get into a good groove.

My Runkeeper kept telling me my pace was about 8:05-8:09 min/mile, which I couldn't believe. I know that my GPS was slightly off the course markers, but I still kept hope that it was accurate enough to warrant me a new shiny PR. :)

So despite not having music, I distracted myself by trying to do pace calculations in my head ... hello math nerd!

What I REALLY enjoyed about the run was all the turnarounds. Normally they can get rather annoying, but at this run you were able to see some of the most elite runners in the world running on the same pavement you were -- wwaaayyy ahead and wwayyy faster, but our feet still hit the same ground. ;)

Scanning the crowds looking for my friends running either in front or behind me was a HUGE way to pass the time. :) I was able to spot 2 out of the 6 people prior to the halfway mark. Woo! Everyone was dominating.

The weather was perfect and the course was decently flat ... until Mile 9. Hello hill that lasted from about Mile 9-11/12. It was a deceptively gradual incline, but you could feel the hill by the time you hit Mile 12.

During Mile 12, I FINALLY spotted Sarah!! I guess I bobbed and weaved enough to catch up to her. She was kicking serious booty for her first post-baby race.I really wish she had made the sign she wanted to about having a baby about 3 months ago. :)

Just after passing Sarah, we entered the zoo. I will love any race that runs - at least partly - through a zoo. I didn't see any animals, but I could sure hear them.

When we left the zoo, it was time to buckle down as I had just about 1/2 a mile to go.

As I rounded the corner to enter the Finishing Stadium and Mile 13, I spotted Team Racemenu and they snapped this great photo of me!

Can you tell I was having fun?

I entered the stadium and felt like it was the final lap of the Olympics (which I understand is what they were going for). There was a big group of spectators and the Finish Line was about halfway around the track.

I buckled down and tried to pull myself into the next gear as I could see that I was closing in on a PR.

The cheers from the crowd were motivating and the perfect soundtrack to crossing the Finish Line.

And then I saw it...

z PR time of 1:48:16 (8:16 min/mile pace)!!! :) :) :)

I took 3:27 off my former PR from July 2012 and 32:02 since my first-ever half marathon in 2006.

Hell-to-the-freakin-yeah!

I was PUMPED!

Nothin' was taking the smile off my face.

I got my medal and headed over to the post-race picture area.

As I was standing there thankfully Sarah found me. Her goal was to finish in 1:50 and you know what? She beat it ... her official time was 1:49:59! :)

I was wicked proud of both of us ... I just wish we could've run together!

Since it was the final run of the Distance Medley, I also got to pick up my medal for completing that.

Hello Bling Heaven! :)

I'm thankful that all - okay most - spectators at a race are able to take a photo when needed.

Don't we look rockin'!! I'm so proud of us...

We were abe to enjoy a post-race chocolate chip bagel - YUM - before Sarah had to jet home to the baby.

After she left, I connected with the rest of Team Big Man - we missed you Vickie - and was happy to check in with everyone.

I love having friends that love being active ... then celebrate by drinking beer! :O)

As always BAA ran a well-organized race that I will recommend to anyone and will take part in again next year! Are we shocked?

5k in April ... 10 in June ... Half in October

 

Bling Baby!

 

Now with my phone dying so much easier since the iPhone upgrade the pick-up wasn't as clear as the drop-off, but thankfully my wife and I connected and were able to hit up Dunkins - a post-race tradition. Oh heck a daily tradition for me. ;)

I was (and still am) flying on Cloud Nine with my PR. Little 'ol me ran a sub 1:50 half marathon.

---

My half marathon times to date:

February 26, 2006 - 2:20:18 (10:43 min/mile pace) August 14, 2011 - 2:12:15 (10:06 min/mile pace) January 28, 2012 - 2:05:40 (9:36 min/mile pace) July 22, 2012 - 1:51:43 (8:32 min/mile pace) August 19, 2012 - 1:52:58 (8:37 min/mile pace) October 7, 2012 - 1:48:16 (8:16 min/mile pace)

Hard work and determination pays off my friends!!

Remember: ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!

Pit o' Insecurity

Being surrounded by such awesomeness this last weekend at Fitbloggin' should've made me feel stronger but it just reopened my pit of insecurities that I've been trying - failing at attempting - to fill with self love for so long. *Why did I deserve to be there?

*How could I have thought I was a good enough blogger to attend this conference?

*Self said: No one knows who you are or reads your blog any way - this will just confirm that.

*Self said: You won't be anyone's Rock Star moment.

*What was I thinking signing up for this conference?

And at one point, I even got up during a session and shared. As soon as I stepped away from the mic, I thought "What the hell was I thinking?" I didn't say what I really wanted to (forgot from nerves) and then thought what I did say was pointless.

Insecure. Fraud. Lame. Unworthy. Poser.

All thoughts that were going through my head during this past weekend.

Inside I just wondered if Roni, the organizer, would tap on my shoulder and tell me to peace on out.

Someone would just walk up to me and find some big zipper that started at my head and went to my feet on the body I have, take it off like a jacket, reveal the 217.4 lb me from 2009 and make me leave.

When someone told me I was awesome, I just wondered if they felt obligated to say that. You know, since I had spent the money to get to the conference I clearly thought I deserved to be there so let me think that to.

I am wicked good at spiraling these emotions out of control rather quickly, huh?

And with all that said, I did feel genuine love. The hugs were needed. The feeling of acceptance - being surrounded by people that have gone through similar life experiences - made me feel normal.

But, I need to continue to work on that whole self acceptance thing and know that I do deserve the opportunities I have right now in life.

I deserve to be happy.

Now if I can just get a shovel and start filling that pit of insecurities from this weekend with - the hugs ... the Love Yous ... and the Pride from stepping, no leaping, out of my own comfort zone - I will be a-okay!

The Dani Ryan Holmes-Kirk 1st Annual 30th Birthday 5k Run-Walk Ramble

For years I have hated my birthday - whatever we did just never met my expectations or something always F-ed it up - so awhile back I decided not to celebrate anymore. The hatred started lifting in 2010 when my now wife proposed to me the night before my birthday...

But this year I could feel it going to be different ... I was turning the Big 3-0 and I wanted to make it special.

Especially since I have made so many amazing changes in my life in the last three years, I wanted to start this new decade in my life in a new, fun and fit way.

So back in May I made a decision to host my own 5k ... yup! I had the thought in my head that it would be wicked cool to host my own 5k,  somehow people confirmed the idea and The Dani Ryan Holmes-Kirk 1st Annual 30th Birthday Run-Walk Ramble was born.

Thanks to my friends at Racemenu - they helped me set up a private registration page that I could share with friends and family.

Once the idea was put out to my friends on Facebook, it was time to get to work.

I started working Social Media to get the logistics in order ...

My hometown of Somerville, MA has a Twitter account so I reached out to them to find out who I contacted to see if I needed any permits/cops for the race course I had set up ... thankfully they were quick to respond and let me know I was in the clear. Phew! Saving money right there!

Next I reached out to my favorite companies to see if they would be interested in donating a raffle prize to the post-race raffle. I was shocked by the openness of the companies - then I remembered I like these companies for a reason. ;)

Raffle sponsors included: Marathon Sports, Slumbrew Brewing Company, Snuggbuds, Sparkly Soul, Vitalicious and Zensah.

Post-race brews were provided by Samuel Adams Brewing Company and post-race snacks were provided by Popchips.

Race bibs were provided by Go Sport ID.

I can't thank these sponsors enough for how AWESOME they made the race!!!

With all that in place, it was time to work on the Finisher's Medals. One of the main reasons I like a race is based on their race bling (aka race medals). So I know I needed something good for my birthday. Plus, it was helping draw in some virtual runners from all over the world as well.

I found the company Trophy Depot online and set to designing my own medal. I did the whole order online and it was simple and efficient. After placing my order for 55 race medals, I found that more and more people were interested in participating so I called the Customer Service number and the woman on the phone made adding 10 race medals to my order a breeze. I highly recommend this site.

Everyone in my family had jobs as well - the wife did in-race photography, my mom worked the Finish Line and my dad was in charge of the post-race BBQ. I could NOT have made this race happen without their support.

I wanted to have a charity aspect to this race. So I charged each participant - in person or virtual - a $15 fee with that money going to my yet-to-be-named 2013 Boston Marathon charity team. Each charity team for the 2013 Boston Marathon asks runners to raise $4-5k in exchange for a spot in the race - so this would be my first fundraising endeavor of the year.

Thankfully everyone jumped on board.

By Friday, September 14, morning we had all of the raffle prizes and sponsor products in hand - which meant it was time to start getting the necessities for the BBQ itself. Thankfully my mom had the day off from work so she got a lot done in advance and then the wife and I finished up the shopping on Saturday night after we got home from the Warrior Dash - including balloons. :)

But, it all came together, heading to bed Saturday night I felt in control.

On the day of the race/my 30th birthday, we woke up at 7am to start prepping for the race that was starting at 11am.

We enjoyed our Dunkin' Donuts Iced Coffee then headed out on foot to mark off the race course for the runners/walkers.

Thankfully we found cheap  yard decorations at iParty that we could use to keep the signs grounded. :)

That activity took up more time than I thought so as soon as we headed back participants had already started showing up.

We all quickly changed into our racing/working clothes and headed out to our tasks. Since it was really just friends and family attending, people that arrived early chipped in as well. :)

I headed out to the local train stop to pick up our friends traveling in on public transportation.

We got back and went straight into work mode to make sure everything was in the right place.

I wanted to make sure everyone could see the raffle prizes clearly as well as our Sam Adams Beer and Popchips.

Additionally, I needed a clear area for bib pick-up ... this had to feel like a real race as much as possible.

Next thing I knew it was 11am and it was time to kick off the run-walk.

I was psyched. There were 40 people - friends and family - standing in front of my wanting to participate in this 5k. For many of them it was their first race ever. For others, it was even the first time walking 3.1 miles. We had participants of all athletic abilities and all ages - we even had a stroller division. :) But overall, you could feel the love and excitement in the air and I was speechless.

I quickly thanked everyone, went over the course and had my friend George kick off the race.

And like that we were off.

For me, it was my fifth 5k in 5 days and I was shot ... that and my cold was coming in in full effect. Breathing was not going well. I was holding strong in third-fourth place for most of the race, but my friends are too kind and they let me finish 1st. I still think Sarah, Annie and Kim shoulda been 1-2-3. But I thank them for their generosity.

The wife caught some AWESOME in-race photos:

[slickr-flickr captions="off" items="24" id="36757855@N06" search="sets" set="72157631552770877"]

When each person finished, I personally gave them their Finisher's Medal, which meant a lot to me. We also had water and orange slices available right away.

Once everyone completed the race, we hit the BBQ. My dad  and his assistant chef Nick put out a wonderful spread of chicken, burgers, hot dogs and sausages. It was spectacular ...

... and went to well with the Sam Adams. :)

Yummy!

Everyone enjoyed the BBQ for about 20-30 minutes before it was Raffle time!

People were vying for all of the raffle prizes so it was great to feed off that energy ... how could they not, the prizes were A-freakin-MAZING!!

Once the raffle prizes were done, it was time for me to relax and enjoy the company of my friends and family. While keeping tabs on my virtual runners results of course. :)

Overall, this day was MORE than I could've EVER imagined.

An idea that I thought was wicked farfetched became a reality ... and so many of my friends, family and Social Media crew jumped right on board.

So to everyone that was a part of this special day ... THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Now it's time to start prepping for...

The Dani Ryan Holmes-Kirk 2nd Annual 30th Birthday Run-Walk Ramble!

Stay tuned!