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!

Sarasota Half Marathon -- I'm going in!

Hi everyone!

The last time I posted I had just finished running the ZooZoom at the Lowry Park Zoo. I was so excited after running the race that I ran 8 miles last week and then another 8 two days later. This was inevitably a mistake because my left calf became incredibly sore, like an achilles pain.

I immediately freaked out and took a few days off. I bought some compression socks, started icing my leg and bought a rolling pin (low budget roller, you guys) to roll my calf out. I did not run for 6 days which put a damper on my running ambitions.

After three days of icing/rolling my leg/compression, my leg started to feel better which was great considering I signed up for half marathon #2 -- the First Watch Sarasota Half Marathon!

I'll be running this half on Sunday and have to admit I am somewhat nervous because I haven't trained a ton. I did run the Disney Princess half three weeks ago so I guess I am not totally lazy. I just want to finish in a decent time. Not looking to break a PR here, especially after that calf pain.

It will also help that one of these will be waiting for me at the finish line:

YES. RACE BLING!

The course is supposed to be beautiful -- running over the bridge and seeing the water will be really nice! Unfortunately the race starts at 7 a.m. which means I am going to have to wake up and drive to Sarasota early, so I am praying I arrive safely (I hate driving, a lot).

But all things aside, I'm really looking forward to this race and snagging a medal at the end. I can't believe I'll be doing another 13.1, but after about mile 10 things don't seem too bad.

I'll have a full race recap after I get back!

Running the Zoo at Tampa's ZooZoom 5k

Ever since I got back from the Disney Princess Half Marathon, I realized how much I LOVE races. The courses, the people, the after parties... and sometimes there are medals too. I am definitely a medal lover.

I felt sort of bummed out after the Princess was over since I had trained for a while for it and then it was all over before I knew it.

I found out about a 5k at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo earlier this week and decided to register to help get over my post-race sadness. A race through the zoo past a bunch of animals seemed like an awesome way to get back into the swing of things!

My alarm went off at 6:15 a.m. and WOW, was I tired. The temperature dipped here last night too and my apartment has terrible insulation so I was freezing. The only thing I wanted to do was either get in my car and blast the heat or start running.

Well, I did both! :)

I got to the zoo around 7 a.m. and waited around for half an hour before the race started. I got my chip and attached it onto my shoe for timing.

This was a walk/run 5k so I made sure I was closer to the front to avoid walkers.

The race set off and winded around the parking lot and the Hillsborough River which was really pretty with the sun just coming up! I headed into the zoo after mile 1 and the course seemed to go by pretty quickly at this point. It was well marked and there were big arrows directing me where to go.

At one point I ran into the (warm) fish/turtle/manatee viewing center which was super pretty! Not all of the animals were out while we were running which made me sort of sad because I would have loved to see the monkeys while I ran but I kept on going.

As I came around Mile 2, there was someone with a timer. She told me I was coming in around 16:56! Wow! I could PR this race, I thought. So I picked up my pace a little bit. I was closer to the front so there were not a lot of people around me, which was sort of nice.

When I hit mile 3 I blew threw the final part of the course.

Clock time: 25:21! Woo hoo!

The after party was awesome. There was a ton of free food -- bananas, apples, sandwiches, cookies, beef jerky (yay), and CHICK-FIL-A.

Yes there was Chick-Fil-A. Best 5k ever.

I got free chicken nuggets!

I stayed for the race after party since my race entry allowed me to get into the zoo for the day. This is when they started giving out medals.

Guess what? I placed! First in my division. This may never happen to me again but I was super happy. I knew I had been running a good time and it felt good walking away with a medal.

Afterwards, I headed into the zoo to check out the animals who were all pretty lively. I got to pet some sting rays which is my FAVORITE part of the zoo. It was awesome.

I saw some giraffes too. :)

Since I had registered late, I wasn't guaranteed a shirt, but they had extras at the end of the race and I picked one up. I was sooo happy because I really wanted the shirt. I mean, how could you not? Look how cute it is!

I loved this race and would run it again for sure. It felt nice walking away with a PR and the trip to the zoo was a nice little addition.

Thanks for a super fun race, Lowry Park Zoo!