Color Me Rad Tampa Recap

I did it! I ran my first color run!

Yesterday I had the opportunity to run Color Me Rad at the Florida State Fairgrounds. If you don't know anything about CMR, it's a 5k where you're pelted with various dye (colored cornstarch) at different parts of the course.

You're advised to wear white so the color shows up well because you WILL leave a rainbow mess at the end of the race.

I headed to the Fairgrounds pretty early since I figured this race would be packed, and it was. My wave didn't get started until 9:10 so I waited around for a little while. There was a stage at the race and the organizers were playing music and dancing around, all while throwing "color bombs" to get everyone pre-dyed before the race.

Check out what I looked like BEFORE the race...

And another photo of me in front of the massive hashtag (I am a huge Twitter user so this was perfect for me!)

I headed to the start line and got ready for the race. Oooh, it was so hot...

Eventually we were off! Did I mention it was REALLY hot outside? Don't be fooled by the 9 a.m. start time. As soon as the calendar flips to May in Florida, 9 a.m. might as well be like stepping in the fires of you-know-where.

So, with the heat, I honestly wanted to get the race over with. So I ran the whole time.

Running was sort of frustrating actually since there were SO many people here and they were walking all over the course. Usually walkers stay to the right, but I guess since this was a "fun run" that didn't really apply.

Running through the stations was pretty intense. I ran through yellow, orange, and finally got some relief when I hit blue since it was colored water. I'm not kidding when I say I was drenched in sweat. The course felt like it went on for forever. It felt like it was 5 miles vs. 3.1.

Eventually I crossed the finish line. Whew! That was a toughie.

Aftermath:

I think this race would have been way more fun if I hadn't have gone solo. I didn't know anybody there and usually do races alone, but this seemed like one that was not nearly as much fun alone as it would be with some friends.

The race entry for CMR is steep ($40-$50) but something I think runners should get into if they're looking to add some color (pun intended) to their runs!

Have you ever done a color run? What'd you think?

Best Damn Race registration blitz!

Happy Thursday (wish I could say Friday) everyone!

I'm writing this post because I'm super happy right now. 

Yesterday I found out about the registration blitz going on for the Best Damn Race in Safety Harbor. Safety Harbor isn't too far away from where I live and I've been looking to do some more local races in the future. I loved the Sarastota Half Marathon but the drive was really boring going all by myself.

I found out there would be registration blitz at 12 p.m. Basically, you refresh the registration page at that time and your price is decided by which number in line you are. I was #26, which means I only had to pay TEN DOLLARS to register for a half marathon. 

Well, I wasn't really planning on running this race in particular but for $10, why not? 

So this medal will be mine on February 7, 2015! 

Have you ever done registration blitz? 

Bucket List

I used to think having a bucket list was weird. Why couldn't people just "do things" without making a long list for it? Then I got older and realized maybe I had a bucket list of things I wanted to do, too.

So, here it is, my bucket list of things I want to do, see, and experience in my lifetime.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter, everyone!

Today my boyfriend and I headed to a new spot for brunch, the Rusty Pelican. Boasting gorgeous views as well as an awesome Sunday brunch, I knew we had to go. This place has been on my list of "must visits" in the Tampa Bay area, so I'm glad we were able to try it out.

Pretty nice, right? The Rusty Pelican offered a large breakfast buffet (two rooms) that was chock-full of seafood, a carving station, cheese, omelets, and tons of desserts.

I know I wrote about my sweet tooth getting smaller in my last post, but I had to sample the desserts since they looked super tasty.

A lot of the desserts were just okay, but the carrot cake and the apple cobbler were divine. The good thing about buffets is that you can try just a little bit of each item! 

Overall it was a really nice, relaxing brunch experience and I'd definitely go back. Wish they had some Cadbury eggs though...

How did you spend your Easter?

Taste of South Tampa

Hi everybody!

Today I had the amazing opportunity to attend the ninth annual Taste of South Tampa event in Hyde Park Village! My boyfriend won tickets on Twitter so we were super excited to check this food festival out.

Hyde Park Village was swarmed with people and tons of different food and drink options all over. We started at the entrance and made our way to pretty much every area. The tickets included all-you-can-eat food and drink, which was excellent!

Lots of local restaurants I've been to were serving up food as well as restaurants I haven't tried before, which made this event a real treat since I got to "try before I buy," so to speak.

Some of my favorite items of the day were the chicken and waffles from Inside the Box, the delicious meatballs and eggplant from Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza and the awesome salad and meat roll from CDB's.

Austrian Peppers also had a pretty good array of food. I loved their sauerkraut. The schnitzel was alright but the sausage was really tasty and flavorful.

My boyfriend said his #1 choice were the Cuban sandwiches from The Floridian, which has been ranked as the "best Cuban sandwich!"

There were also desserts! Unfortunately all of the desserts from Alessi were all gone by the time I got there, which made me super sad but I snagged an apple crumble and some chocolate cake from Austrian Peppers, which were actually very good.

The Sweet Tooth Cakery also had a sampling of desserts too. I loved their cookies and cream cupcake!

Surprisingly, I did not have many desserts. I have been trying to back away from desserts lately and I think my sweet tooth has gotten a lot smaller over time...

There was a ton of free swag too. I snagged a tumbler, some cups and even a Tampa Bay Bucs towel.

My favorite item I got was probably this cool mug though:

I had a super fun time at Taste of South Tampa. The only thing I wish there had been more of was the Alessi desserts and maybe more drink stations. I only drank soda during the event and had to constantly go back since only one place was giving it out.

See you next year, Taste of South Tampa!

Kate Spade Friends and Family sale

Happy Friday everyone!

This morning I woke up to the best email ever -- Kate Spade is having a friends and family sale in stores and online until Sunday at 11:59 p.m.! I have had my eyes on these adorable Kate Spade Keds for a while but was hesitant to spend $75 on them. Hinting at my boyfriend didn't work either so the friends and family sale was an answer to my prayers.

Aren't they so cute?

You can use the code S14FFUS to get 25% off of your entire order from now until 11:59 Sunday.

Here are some of my other favorite items at Kate Spade right now!

One | Two | Three | Four | Five

What are your favorite items from Kate Spade right now? 

Rainy run at the TBT 3k Beer Dash

This past weekend my boyfriend and I decided to be adventurous and sign up for a race together! I was thrilled since I love races and my boyfriend is not a runner. I was excited to run together since it is something we have never done before. :)

We signed up for the Gasparilla Criterium 3k Beer Dash -- we mostly signed up because there would be free beer at the end of the run. I am not a beer drinker but my boyfriend likes beer, so we decided to put in the 1.8 miles to grab some at the end!

After checking the weather on Friday, it seemed like it was probably going to rain ALL day Saturday, or most of it. I was bummed because I wasn't sure if we were going to be able to get the run in and I had really been looking forward to it.

The 3k was part of a larger event where a bunch of cyclists rode around downtown Tampa in a "lap" process for different amounts of distances/times. I learned THAT'S why the event was called a "criterium." Sorry, I don't know a whole lot about cycling!

What a day for a run -- it was basically a monsoon outside. The 3k was supposed to start at 4:30 but since it had been pouring outside -- and yes, there were cyclists riding around IN the rain -- there was a bit of a delay. A lot of people must have been deterred by the rain too since there was basically nobody running the race.

We walked to pick up our shirts and bib numbers and after a lot of waiting (and watching the awesome cyclists do their races) it was time to run! The weather had actually cleared up around this time too. Woohoo!

The 3k was only three laps and I ended up going a lot slower than my usual pace since my boyfriend hasn't run in a long time. I'll admit, my feet were itching to go faster sometimes but I wanted to be there to support him and have us do the race together so I kept pace with him.

The crowd really loved him, by the way. While we were on the second lap somebody gave him a beer and everybody started cheering for him as he drank it while running. Some people use Gu, some people use Sports Beans, and some people use beer, I guess!

There was a horrible headwind going to the finish line but eventually we made it!  It seemed like it was over so fast. The crowd and our fellow runners were awesome and gave us high-fives at the end. I love the running community. Everyone is always so supportive, regardless of how fast you're running. :)

We stuck around to watch some other races, including a crazy relay race which seemed super fun.

After watching that, we headed home and then got dinner at the Mermaid Tavern, which was super tasty! Overall, it was a great day and I'm glad I was able to run it! 

Have you ever done a "beer run?" 

Trader Joe's Comes to Tampa

Over the last few months I had heard a lot about this little grocery store called Trader Joe's.  My sister raved about the great prices and the awesome organic selection at this store. Over the holidays, she even let me try a peppermint flavored Oreo-style cookie from Trader Joe's. I fell in love at first bite.

So when I heard a Trader Joe's was going to open up nearby in Tampa, I was pretty excited and also curious to see if the store really lived up to the hype. After surveying my Facebook friends, I decided to venture to Trader Joe's yesterday. 

The store opened up on Friday, March 21, so I was expecting it to be pretty busy. However, I am a huge early bird and usually get my workout done in the morning around 8 a.m., which is right around the time the store opens. On a typical rainy Florida day (Sunshine State? Yeah right!) I pulled into the Trader Joe's parking lot, found a spot, and headed in! Easy peasy. 

Welcome sign

Beautiful, inexpensive flowers (hint hint, gentlemen)

The produce here looked awesome and almost all of it was very inexpensive. Baby spinach, which runs around $3-$3.50 at Publix, was only $1.99. And it was organic! Score.

Great prices

Yummy treats! Those donuts...

I love this stuff...only $3!

The store was allowing people to sample their famous cookie butter, both the creamy kind and the crunchy kind. This was it. My first time trying cookie butter.

Cookie butter sample cups

I tried the creamy kind at first. Pretty good, interesting consistency. Then I tried the crunchy kind and was blown away. Same texture as the creamy kind (almost like peanut butter, but smoother) but with bits of crunchy gingerbread in it! Heaven.

Of course I got a jar!

Cookie butter shrine

The checkout aisles are named after big streets in South Tampa. So cute.

I loved my experience at Trader Joe's and definitely anticipate more trips in the future. Organic foods at awesome prices? Yes, please. I'm officially a Trader Joe's convert!

Have you been to a Trader Joe's before? What are your favorite things to buy from the store? 

Running for Strawberries at the 33rd Strawberry Classic

This weekend I ran for the berries at the 33rd Annual Strawberry Classic! It's hard to believe this race has been going on for SO long -- it's older than I am! But after running the 5k on Saturday, I knew why.

Originally I had signed up for the 10k, but something funky happened with my ankle at the Sarasota Half last Sunday and I have been way too afraid to push it with my running per my doctor's orders. He said I probably had an inflamed peroneal tendon, which is super depressing for someone who loves to run like I do!

Luckily, I was able to switch to the 5k which I figured would be okay. On my way to the race I was getting nervous since my foot wasn't feeling super great and I woke up feeling kind of sad for some reason.

Once I got to the race site at Temple Terrace Elementary, I stretched out my ankle and did some calf raises, hoping I'd be able to run with as little pain as possible. I moved up towards the front of the 5k starting line, praying for the best.

As you can see, I was pretty close to the start line, but it was still difficult to hear the instructions. What color arrows do I follow? I was worried I was going to end up choosing the wrong color and end up on the 10k path and bust my ankle. Thankfully, runners are awesome and I was able to get the correct color (green) for the 5k. :)

As the run began, I took it pretty easy. I felt like my right foot had to be pretty flat since it wasn't feeling totally normal. Still, I was able to pass some people and eventually got into a good groove.

The course was a little hilly which I never really expect in Florida. During the Sarasota Half I think my ankle got messed up due to the huge bridge I ran over so even these small hills were scary to me. I didn't want to hurt myself even more. Soon, I was a mile in...then a mile and a half. The miles flew by and eventually my foot stopped hurting altogether.

I was feeling good and checking my phone time, I was pacing pretty well. The course was really peaceful and quiet, winding through a cute neighborhood. The weather was perfect.

Soon enough, the race was over. I could see the clock time. 25:21 when I crossed the finish line, which was the exact same time I had during the ZooZoom a few weeks ago.

After crossing the finish line, I snagged my medal (love race bling) and some strawberries and water.

There were a ton of other race refreshments as well, including Dunkin' Donuts and tasty looking breads.

And of course, strawberries galore:

Here's my sweaty post-race self, with said strawberries.

There were lots of other race goodies, including quick massages, and FitLife foods. I got a massage and the lady said my right leg was super tight. Lol. Girl, I know. My right side is the side with the gimpy foot. She also asked if I was over 18. Yes. I am. By like, 6 years. Thanks, random sports massage lady!

Afterwards it was time for the awards. Guess what?! I got 2nd in my division. Gun time was 25:21, but my chip time was 25:14, a new PR!

I got a snazzy silver medal, which I love.

Overall, I had a great time at this race. I'll definitely do it again -- hopefully the 15k or the 10k next year!

Did you race this weekend? What have been the coolest races you've participated in?

Lilly Love at International Plaza

Growing up in West Palm Beach, I've always had a love for all things Lilly Pulitzer since she lived right next door in Palm Beach. Some may consider the prints too bright and somewhat obnoxious, but what can I say? I started wearing Lilly at a young age and have loved it ever since. It's just a normal thing for me.

A new Lilly Pulitzer store opened up in Tampa at International Plaza on my birthday (March 12!) so I knew I just HAD to stop in. It was a sign from above that I needed to go to the Lilly store. It was Lilly's present to ME!

What a seriously cute store. From the bright, eye-catching clothes to the intricate details of the paintings on the walls, this store has it all.

Look! Bern's made it in the dressing room!

I picked up a few things since I'm in love with all of Lilly's prints this season. My personal favorite dress had to have been the Forsyth maxi dress in Limeade Roar of the Jungle.

Unfortunately I am super short so I don't know how this dress would work on me. Lol.

Lilly is well-known for its super cute shift dresses. I ended up getting one from the girl's section since, surprise, I fit into it. LOVE the print a lot and it saved me a ton of money! The lovely ladies at the store even gave me a cute jewelry box and a bangle since I let them know it was my birthday. :)

I'm currently coveting the Janice dress since it's such an awesome, simple style and the print is beautiful. I love the intricate lace details that give this dress a little oomph.

Lilly is really upping their print game lately, so definitely be sure to check out their new store in Tampa!

Do you wear Lilly? What's your favorite print so far? I'm loving It's a Zoo and Crazy Cat Love!

Sarasota First Watch Half Marathon Relay Recap

After running the Sarasota First Watch Half Marathon, this medal officially became mine!

Ain't she a beaut?

While the medal is wonderful, the journey to obtain it was beastly.

I set my alarm for 3:30 to give myself ample time to get to Sarasota and find good parking. After making myself some oatmeal (topped with Craisins), I got dressed and headed out the door to head to my second half marathon!

The drive to Sarasota from Tampa was okay, but really dark. I kept praying I would make it to the race safely and on time. I was so happy when I made the exit to Sarasota. There was literally nobody on the road!

Since I arrived SO early -- nearly 2 hours before the start time -- I snagged a pretty awesome parking spot at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall where the race start was. I picked up my packet and waited in my car for a loooong time until it was time to head out to the start line.

By the way, it was FREEZING (Florida freezing) before the race started. I am pretty tiny and get cold very easily and the combination of the temperature and the wind had me literally shaking before the race started. I was happy to get into the corral which was totally packed because the body heat made it a lot warmer.

The start line was a bit of a mess. I couldn't get up to my pace group and ended up starting in the 12 minute/mile group. I usually average about a 9:30-10 minute mile so I was hoping I could weave my way into the appropriate area eventually.

Finally at around 7:10, we were off!

Mile 1
Mile 1 felt pretty good. I hadn't been running that much post Disney Princess (which was only three weeks ago) since I had developed a tightness in my calf/slight achilles pain and started crosstraining to help with that. But the first mile flew by.

Mile 2-4
Good Lord is all I can say. I had to run up this bridge:

(Not my photo)

The first time I ran up it, it didn't seem that bad. But once I started going down it I realized my knee was starting to hurt. I was only 3 miles in at this point so that was not good. I started to worry and changed my stride a little to land more softly on my foot. I started seeing the fastest runners around this point. Wow. They were really killing it. I kept thinking I wished that was me so I could be finished faster!

This part of the race was the prettiest part, and probably the best 20ish minutes of the whole race. We ran through St. Armand's circle which was full of cute little shops. I have never been to Sarasota so seeing this reminded me I need to make a trip there.

The 5k marker was around this area. I sped past it, happy those miles were behind me.

5k time: 28:29/9:10 min/mile

Miles 4-6
These miles were where I started to have problems. I had to pee really bad after mile 4 but told myself I could wait for a while. My knee was really starting to hurt. Mile 5ish was where it gave me trouble during the Princess so I sort of expected it, but still didn't feel totally prepared for it.

Mile 5-6 were the beginning of the Tamiami trail which was not scenic whatsoever. I crossed the 10k mark and had to pull over by a water station to put Biofreeze on my knee, which was killing me at this point. I crossed my fingers and hoped the Biofreeze made a difference since the medical stations were totally unmanned and had no Tylenol whatsoever.

10k time: 1:00:03 9:40 min/mile

Miles 7-9
This was the part of the course where we ran up the Tamiami Trail. These miles were hard for me during the Princess since my knee was in excruciating pain. The story was basically the same here. This was literally the most boring part of the whole race. Of course there were lots of runners and we were all still going which was encouraging, but I was getting tired.

Around this point -- after mile 8 (I think) -- there was a water station where they were passing out Gatorade. I was so thrilled with every water stop. The Gatorade tasted like nectar from the gods. I love water but something about drinking a flavored drink while exercising (I'm looking at you, Fruit Punch Powerade) brings me unrelenting joy.

The water stop people were giving out these Gatorade fruit chews (they may be another brand, I don't know) which were really good. I had never used these before though so this was a big no-no. More on that later.

Around mile 9 we made it to the Ringling Museum. This was a neat building to look at but I thought there were going to be circus performers here for some reason since I read there would be. There were none so I was a little sad since I had just run up this boring trail and needed something to lift my spirits.

Miles 10-12
After mile 9 we headed into the residential portion of the race. This was basically the last little bit of the race and it went through a neighborhood of pretty nice houses, some on the water.

I was feeling awful at this point. I was starting to cramp up and my stomach felt weird. It was probably from the chews, which is unfortunate because they were so good.

I stopped to unzip my arm band and popped some sports beans anyway since I literally could not imagine going on any more. I felt like I was ready to hit the wall at any minute and I was losing hope fast.

The beans gave me some energy though and I figured I could do anything for half an hour. I stopped at a port-o-potty (ugh I know) after mile 10. I heard people getting sick around me and got out of there as fast as I could.

Mile 11 seemed to go on forever. I thought I was dying and that this race would never be over. What had I done to myself? I was so crazy. I realized I might actually be crazy when I saw this group of people offering Dunkin Donuts at their house out and I contemplated stopping to get one. I can only imagine how much my stomach would have hurt afterwards since I haven't eaten a donut in forever and I was pushing my body to its breaking point.

At mile 12 I had to walk. I was so tired. I saw the pacer for the 2:15 group pass me by. I wanted to get a 2:15 pace or lower coming into this race but I just let her go by. I was burnt out and exhausted. I walked for about 4-5 minutes and then picked the pace back up to get to the finish line.

Mile 12 also had a headwind which was horrendous as you're trying to go BACK to the finish line. I was being tested both mentally and physically here. I kept going though. My feet were screaming. I was pretty sure I had a blister of some sort since I could feel it and it was hurting pretty badly.

Mile 13-Home Stretch!
The crowd started to pick up here which was nice since I was about to cry I was so tired. I made the turn to the finish line. I could see it. I almost burst into tears when I saw it actually. Races make me emotional for some reason...

I crossed the finish line and saw the clock. It said 2:18 but I knew my chip time would be less than that. Could the 2:15 be within my reach?

WOO!

My chip time was 2:15:42! Not awful considering I walked for a good 5-6 minutes total at the end. You can see my pace slowed down a lot towards the end, something I'm not happy about. But it was my second half so I think I did okay. 

After finishing I headed over to my car to get out of my gross clothes and to take my socks off to assess my foot. 

Ouch. After popping this blister I put on some sandals and headed back to the post-race party to get some food. There was quite a bit of good food but no real "breakfast," at least the breakfasts I'm used to. I did get some granola and yogurt since that looked super yummy.

Although this race was very challenging, I had a good time. I will definitely register for next year. 

Speaking of next year... the 2015 Sarasota Half Marathon registration BLITZ starts Mar. 18 (tomorrow)!  

Starting March 18, registration will be 55% OFF for one day only.
March 19, registration will be 50% OFF.
March 20-23 - 45% OFF.
Blitz opens at 12 AM midnight EST on March 18th and ends March 23rd at 11:59 PM EST. Blitz pricing is effective for all registrations during the blitz period. Blitz price is determined using the final price. The relay is not included in blitz pricing. Click here to register.

Follow Sarasota Half Marathon and Relay on Facebook, Twitter, Online, and use the hashtag #runSarasota! 

Are you going to register? I think I will! See you next year, Sarasota Half!