BibRave Pro – Zenaida Arroyo

25
Aug
2020

Tuesday Topics: California Coast 500 Virtual Challenge Part 2

categories: Ambassador, BibRave Pro, Tuesday Topics

Disclaimer: I received a free entry to the California Coast 500 Virtual Challenge as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find and write race reviews!

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This week’s Tuesday Topic is a FREE topic. Feel free to post any running related blog post. Remember to link up with Kim and Zenaida! Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier! Remember to come back for later linkers!

Back in June I wrote about the California Coast 500 Virtual Challenge. It was 3 months into the quarantine life. I was looking for something motivating and exciting to do while in quarantine and this looked like the perfect challenge!

This challenge was to run 100, 250, 400 or 500 virtual miles from LA’s Santa Monica Pier to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge along California’s idyllic Highway One. It began June 8th and ends September 7th. I signed up for 250 miles which is about 84 miles each month.

California Coast 500 Virtual Race-2

So, as you know from Sunday’s post, I am not running. Since I began this challenge, I was on track to complete it last week. My last run was August 15 in which I had run 223.6 miles. Most likely I won’t complete the challenge. I have a doctor appointment on Friday (for my yearly exam) and I will double check with her (she told me it was OK to see her). I want to do the right thing but I am also itching to run outside.

The California Coast 500 Virtual Challenge is a fun and great virtual race. Let me tell you why:

✅ Weekly email from the race organizers. Each email came with digital badges and mini challenges to win prizes (i.e. log 24 total miles from Monday 6/29 to Sunday 7/5 or log 50 miles during Week 9 of the California Coast 500). I didn’t win but it was still fun to enter to win a prize.

✅ Motivation from my BibRave Pro friends! I am in awe of those that selected to run 500 miles and finished weeks ago. There are 6 of us on the team and my coach, Juan, and I are the only ones that close the 250 mile challenge. I am close to San Luis Obispo.

✅ Thanks to the team at PWR Lab, there was an interactive map to keep track of the mileage. It was fun seeing how far along everyone was on the route.

✅ Support from Run Local.

California Coast 500 Virtual Race-10 This was from an email I received on June 24. KK Fischer finished in about 2 weeks. Wow!

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While I am sad that I won’t complete it, I am glad I signed up for it. I was motivated to get out there and run. On the days I did not want to run, I reminded myself of this challenge and knew that every mile helped (or .10, .18, etc). I am not sure what I will do once this is over. I’m having a great training session with my coach and hope to continue, but don’t think I will sign up for virtual races or challenges.

09
Jun
2020

Tuesday Topics: California Coast 500 Virtual Challenge

categories: Ambassador, BibRave Pro, Tuesday Topics

Disclaimer: I received a free entry to the California Coast 500 Virtual Challenge as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find and write race reviews!

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This week’s Tuesday Topic: Working out on vacation tips. You can write about this topic or feel free to post any running related blog post. Remember to link up with Kim and Zenaida! Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier! Remember to come back for later linkers!

I’m deviating from this week’s topic to write about a new challenge I am doing now. The future of races is up in the air. Who knows when we’ll race again. Right now virtual races is really all that we can do right now. I like them now. They have kept me motivated and accountable so I make sure to get out there and run!

With the California Coast 500 Virtual Challenge you challenge yourself to run 100, 250, 400 or 500 virtual miles this summer from LA’s Santa Monica Pier to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge along California’s idyllic Highway One. You get 3 months (June 8 to September 7) to complete the challenge. I signed up for 250 miles which is about 84 miles each month.

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Along the way you can maintain your motivation with custom content, mini-challenges, digital badge awards, and bespoke California swag. All participants will also receive:

√ an official California Coast 500 Race Shirt
√ one of four finisher’s medals at 100, 250, 400 and 500 miles
√ awesome content and opportunities to share where you #runlocal

Check out the medal you get after completing the challenge.

California Coast 500 Virtual Race-1

Thanks to the team at PWR Lab, there is an interactive map for you to keep track of your goal. On a team? You’re covered as well. You’ll be able to filter the leaderboard to see those closest to you, so you can encourage each other up Highway 1. I am on the BibRave Pros Team so you can see me along with my team members.

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There are 5 in the team. Juan and I ran 3 miles yesterday so we are close together at the end.

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There is also a relay team option so you can team up with family & friends and work towards 500 miles together!

To sign up, go to https://runlocalevents.com/california/. Make sure to use “BIBRAVE10” good for 10% off.

Source: https://runlocalevents.com/california/

19
May
2020

Tuesday Topics: Some of my best races

categories: BibRave Pro, Chicago Marathon, Oiselle, Race all 50 states, Race Recap, Rock 'n' Roll Race, RunDisney, Running, Travel, Tuesday Topics

Happy Tuesday and welcome to another edition of Tuesday Topics! Last week I wrote about some not-so-great things that have happened to me at races. So today let’s discuss some of my best races whether it is because of a PR, the course, or some other reason.

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This week’s Tuesday Topic: What was your best or worst race? You can write about this topic or feel free to post any running related blog post. Remember to link up with Kim and Zenaida! Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier! Remember to come back for later linkers!

♥ 2016 Chicago Marathon – It it my marathon PR. I simply love everything about this race. I’ve run it a few times and also love spectating it.

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♥ 2015 Live Grit 10 Miler – I met Wendy and Marcia at this race. It was warm in the beginning of the race but then the temperature dropped about 20 degrees. I did not have a jacket and was COLD.

♥ 2019 Detroit Free Press/TCF Bank Half Marathon – I was undertrained but loved this race. I was also dealing with plantar fasciitis but I made the best of it. It is an incredible experience running the bridge to Canada, in Canada, and then back to the U.S.

♥ 2019 Delaware Marathon Running Festival – Hilly course but I met Kim! What’s not to like about it? Running in Brandywine Park felt peaceful and very relaxing. It was just what I needed to deal with all of the hills.

♥ 2013 Community Bank of Elmhurst 4 on the 4th – I don’t remember how I heard about this race but am so happy I did. I love everything about it (distance, price, location, to name a few things) and continue to run it each year. I am sad it is cancelled this year but understand the reason.

Elmhurst 4 on the 4th 2013-1

♥ 2020 Publix Atlanta Half Marathon – So the race itself was not that great. It was a VERY hilly course and I was undertrained. What I loved about it was the Olympic Marathon Trials that took place the day before. I got excited and goosebumps being so close to many elite runners – LOVED seeing Desi on the course!!

♥ Utah Valley Half Marathon 2017 – A race meeting up with blogger friends! The views were incredible. It was the first time dealing with altitude and running a downhill race. Not easy but I finished in 2:34:59 which is a whole lot better than I expected!!

♥ Walt Disney World Half Marathon and Walt Disney World Marathon – Did this as part of the Goofy Challenge. Seriously, I have no idea what I was thinking when I signed up. I don’t think I was thinking AT ALL! 🙂 It was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done. No regrets at all.

♥ The Great Alaskan Running Cruise 2017 – It was a fun week exploring and running in Alaska. There were a total of 4 races:

√ 5K Kick Off Run/Walk in Anchorage and Welcome Party
√ Glacier Half Marathon in Juneau
√ 4-Mile Amazing Race in Skagway
√ 5K on the trails in the Tongass National Forest in Ketchikan

♥ Chicago Lakefront 50K 2012 and 2014 – I don’t have a recap from my first race in 2012 but HERE is the second one I did in 2014. As if running a marathon isn’t hard enough, I decided to run a race even longer than 26.2 miles. I ran the RnR New Orleans Marathon early in March and then ran the 50k a few weeks later. Why not, right? 🙂

I enjoyed writing about this topic. It was fun reading older posts (sometimes cringing because of what I wrote – Yikes!!), but overall remembering each one which made me smile.

31
Dec
2019

Tuesday Topics: End of the Year Review

categories: BibRave Pro, Brooks Running, DWTraining, Tuesday Topics

Hard to believe that it is the last day in December! Oh and it is the last day of this decade. The plan was to stay home today, go to bed early, and wake up to 2020. However, my cousin invited us over to her house to celebrate. It is supposed to be cold and it snowed this morning so I am not sure if my mother would want to go. We’ll see.

This week’s Tuesday Topic: End of the Year Review. You can write about this topic or feel free to post any running related blog post. Remember to Link-up with Kim and Zenaida! Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier! Remember to come back for later linkers!

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I like to look back and write about my running stats. I like seeing how I did and think about what I want to change or do different next year. In late November I started working with a new coach and am excited to see how I do next year. I have a lot of old PRs and I would like to set some new ones in 2020.

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For now let’s check out my stats:

146:27:24 hours

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⇒ Worst race: Delaware Marathon Running Festival and Missoula Half Marathon. Well, they weren’t exactly horrible but I did struggle a lot. The course was pretty in Delaware but it was hilly and I was frustrated towards the end. In Missoula it is mostly downhill and a nice course but my left foot bothered me and made running painful. Plus, the logistics to get there wasn’t easy and it is so darn expensive.

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June 2019 Mileage

12:02. Last year it was 12:06

Shoes: I am still a Brooks fan and buy them from Zappos or Running Warehouse. Early this year Brooks banned me from ordering shoes from their website. At first I was upset about it but now I don’t care anymore because there are other places that now get my business. 🙂 This year I ran in the Levitate 1, Launch 5, Launch 6, Revel 3, and Ghost 11. I have a few new pairs in boxes and cannot wait to run in them in 2020!

Thank you to everyone that has joined us every Tuesday for this linkup. We’ve had some great topics and interesting discussion. We look forward to many more years (hopefully) of more fun topics and to encourage and support one another. Have a Safe and Happy New Year!

17
Dec
2019

Tuesday Topics: Turtle Gloves Lightweight Turtle-Flip Convertible Running Mittens Review

categories: Ambassador, BibRave Pro, Product Review, Tuesday Topics

Disclaimer: I received a pair of Turtle Gloves Lightweight Turtle-Flip Convertible Running Mittens 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!

Tuesday Topics-22.jpg This week’s Tuesday Topic: How do you cool down after a run? You can write about this topic or feel free to post any running related blog post. Remember to Link-up with Kim and Zenaida! Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier! Remember to come back for later linkers!

I’m deviating from this week’s topic to write a review about the Turtle Gloves Lightweight Turtle-Flip Convertible Running Mittens. I am always looking for new running gear to stay warm during the Winter. When the opportunity came to try out these gloves, I immediately signed up.

I was sent a prototype of the new running mittens. When I received them, I was a bit disappointed because I was expecting them to be thicker. I mean, running mittens have to be thick to keep your hands warm, right? Never judge a book by its cover. After my first run I knew these gloves were perfect for those cold days of running.

Turtles Gloves-1

The mittens are made of polartec material. They’re also wind and water resistant. My hands never felt cold on my runs. As a matter of fact, my hands were a bit sweaty! Not a problem. I didn’t have to take my gloves off but instead just convert them to a fingerless glove. See the video below.

Two things I was not crazy about:

⇒ 1) The color. They’re an ugly and boring gray. I made a face when I saw them. Then I remembered that were a prototype and were made specifically for us to review. Definitely cannot get picky about the colors. 🙂

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⇒ They were too big. I ordered a medium and should have asked for a small. Obviously that was my fault. I used my watch on my left hand to tie the glove. The gloves need an elastic around the wrist for a more comfortable fit.

Overall, they’re great gloves. They’re thin but also wind and water resistant. They keep my hands warm which is all I ever want from a pair of running gloves.

These have not yet been released. You can still go to the website to check out the other styles that they offer. Remember, use promo code TURTLEGLOVESBR to save 15% on your order!

Category: BibRave Pro

I enjoyed writing about this topic. It was fun reading older posts (sometimes cringing because of what I wrote – Yikes!!), but overall remembering each one which made me smile.

Thank you to everyone that has joined us every Tuesday for this linkup. We’ve had some great topics and interesting discussion. We look forward to many more years (hopefully) of more fun topics and to encourage and support one another. Have a Safe and Happy New Year!