Just take a look at these Heartbreakers ;)

Date: Sunday, February 15th, 2015

Events and price:
Half-Marathon Run/Walk: 8:00am, $55
10K Run/Walk: 8:15am, $40
5K Run/Walk: 8:20am, $30
Kids’ 1-mile Dash: 10:30am, $12
**Medals, $6 (not included with registration)

Location: The race started and ended at Liberty High School in Hillsboro, OR. I liked that there was plenty of room inside the school cafeteria for runners to hang out, as well as actual toilets.

Number of runners:  ~1200. I thought it was a good number of participants for the course and venue!

Beneficiaries: Various local high school sports programs. 

Swag: A long sleeve unisex tech shirt and post race food and drink were included in the registration fee. Medals were an additional $6.00. Personally, I would prefer to have the medals included in the race entry, or to have the medal instead of the shirt (most of my runner friends agreed). Additionally, The Heart Breaker Half-Marathon includes the Heart Breaker Hill 1-Mile Challenge – a 1-mile, timed section in the middle of Heart Breaker Hill. A prize went to the top challenger.


Course: The half marathon consisted of two loops. The course is challenging, with constant small rolling hills and of course, the infamous "Heartbreak Hill." Click here for a course map with elevation chart. While the race website uses the word "flat" several times to describe the course, I personally feel that the course is fairly hilly. If you've run out in Hillsboro-area before, you'll know what I mean. 

The morning of the race was cool and mostly sunny! Although I'm not in my best racing shape, I was eager to do the Heartbreaker Half Marathon, especially on such a gorgeous day. I had made my own Valentine's Day arm sleeves and tutu that weekend, and was excited to wear them at the event. My friend Amy and I arrived plenty early and parked fairly close to the half marathon starting line and the cafeteria. We meandered around inside for a bit and used the indoor restrooms before heading outside to drop off our stuff at the car on our way to the starting line, where we met up with a few friendly Half Fanatics (I'm #8501!) and other running friends. There weren't corrals, and there were just over 400 half marathoners, so while it was a little slow starting at the beginning with the crowd, it thinned out fairly quickly. 

While I've been frustrated with my lack of speed lately (too many long days at work, not enough miles!), I was determined to just go out and enjoy my run. There were plenty of great aspects of the race: the friendly volunteers definitely helped, and there were plenty of them along the entire course; the weather was about as perfect as it could get for February; and the course was challenging without being demoralizing. The beautiful views definitely helped distract me :)

There was a little confusion where the 10k/half finishers branched off from the half marathoners who needed to start their second loop. Providing the volunteers doing traffic control with more clear verbal cues to give to the runners might help here, but not a big deal, as most runners and walkers seemed to figure out.

While I tend to get bored on multiple-loop courses, the beauty of the course and the slight changes in elevation kept it from being dull. I was definitely getting tired near the end, but as I am into the stadium, it was so fun and energizing to have my friends cheering for me as I came around the track and into the finish chute. The announcer called out my name as I crossed the finish line, and there was plenty of water and Golazo immediately available. We hung outside for a bit before heading inside.

Inside the high school, there was a mini expo. It was a great area for runners and their friends and families to hang out! There were tons of snacks, including oatmeal, strawberry shortcake, chex mix, peanut butter, bread, and oranges. And there was lots to do--I had a lot of fun checking out all of the vendor booths, including Run Pretty Far, Energy Events, Sweet Spot Skirts, Why Racing, and Road Noise. I also really enjoyed listening to the live music and being able to sit (my legs were tired!)

The price is fairly affordable for a half marathon, and the event was a lot of fun! And I definitely feel like I earned my medal at this race. I would love to run it again next year :) 

Be sure to check out the awesome race recaps of the 2015 Heartbreaker Half on Run Oregon: Brian's recap and Robin's recap.

Date: Sunday, March 1st, 2015

Events and price:
12k Run   8:00am
5K Walk/Run   8:20am
Kids Races   10:00am
***Registration for young adults ages 8-18 is only $18 for any 5k or 10k Energy Events race.

Location: Fort Vancouver National Park; Vancouver, WA **new for 2015!!!**

Number of runners: approximately 1000

Beneficiary: Fort Vancouver National Trust will receive a portion of the proceeds, and Energy Events will match every nonperishable food item you bring on race day and donate it to the Clark Country Food Bank.

Swag: Long sleeve shirt (the design on the charcoal grey looks awesome!), bottle opener medal shaped like Fort Vancouver for 12k finishers, snacks and drinks. Skora will provide the winners of each division with a pair of Skora running shoes (5k & 12k, male & female, open & masters)!

Course: **new for 2015!!!** There will still be a 5k, but due to the change of venue, there will be a 12k instead of the 15k. Check out the course maps and elevation charts here.

Past recaps: 2014 recap

Although it was cold and windy and rainy at last year's 2014 Fort Vancouver Run, the runners and walkers who did brave the elements certainly earned their post race beverage! Thankfully, the forecast for this year's race is looking much better--I 'm hoping to be sipping on my Jamba Juice with my sunglasses on ;) As always, it's a fantastic race from Energy Events.

**Online registration closes TODAY, 2/24/2015 at 6pm! Registration will be available at packet pickup (Fit Right Vancouver store, Sat 10am-2pm) and DOR (starting at 6:45am).

$39.95
Free shipping on orders $50+

I love how cute this scarf is! The "French Flag" infinity scarf by Mooncats got me tons of compliments because it's just so adorable. The chevron print is are "so hot right now" (imagine I said that in the Mugatu voice...)

$25.00 for 3 x 2oz candles on Amazon

I selected the Winter Wonderland trio to test out, which has Hot Cocoa, Fresh Snow, and Roasted Chestnut. It arrived nicely packaged in a printed cardboard box that goes well with the "old factory" type vibe. Inside, the candles are about the same size as a votive-sized candle poured into a jar. Each candle has a cute Kraft paper label, and black plastic lid. They feel like they're good quality. 

The scents are really nice as well. Hot Cocoa smells like actual hot cocoa. Fresh Snow is nice and fresh smelling. Roasted Chestnut is nicely nutty smelling. None of them are artificial smelling or overpowering--it seems like good quality fragrances were used. There wasn't anything overly sweet or fake or cloying--but they definitely give the room a nice amount of fragrance. My only qualm is that the candles themselves are a little small for the price. Twenty five dollars for three nice votive candles is a bit on the higher end, but they are nice products, and they have a good amount of burn-time (so they last awhile!). It would definitely make a very nice and attractive gift! Just throw a bow on there :) I've really enjoyed having these scrumptious candles in my condo!

If you're in the Vancouver, Portland or Seattle areas and need a last minute birthday or host/hostess gift, or even if you want a nice gift for yourself, check out these SUPER COOL handcrafted mason jar mugs and steins from Steel Leaf Designs.

$40.00 for a 22oz stein
add $15 custom leather handles

I've kind of been crushing hard on these mugs since I first saw them at the 2014 Vancouver Winter Brewfest. There are two size options, wide mouth pint jar, and wide mouth "22 oz" jar (pint and half). There are multiple handle options: industrial chain (in natural, red, pink, purple and textured black), locking carabiner, regular carabiner, metal, or leather/metal combo (with optional customization). The mugs come packaged as a complete set with canning jar, detachable handle, lid and ring.

Like any Pinterest-addict, I love repurposed Mason jars. While I have done metal welding in college, that's a bigger project than I currently want to undertake ;) I love that these Stil handled mugs help support local artists (and it saves me the trouble of making them myself!!!) They're nicely crafted, sturdy, and functional. Canning jars are made to last, and these handles compliment them nicely. They've got a certain rustic and home-made charm, with a modern element to them. The handles are quite secure on the jars, but it's not too difficult to remove them when it's time to wash them. 

I've used mine for smoothies, beer, water, hot tea, and cocktails! It's an awesome multi-purpose mug. When I'm on the go, I like to throw on one of these Ball Wide Mouth Sip and Straw Lid sets. I love the 22oz size (really 24 oz)--that's a full bomber of beer in one mug! I also like to make a BIG green smoothie for breakfast, and this jar is a good size for it. I love using it for drinking water because it fits easily in my hand, and I seem to drink more water when it's in a clear cup because I can see how much water I've already had (as opposed to my opaque Starbucks cup with straw). 

It is a little on the spendy side at $40, but it's a fairly unique product and other similar products are in a comparable price range. 

I love my Steel Leaf Designs mug <3 Be sure to check them out!

In case you didn't know, in addition to writing Lipgloss+Spandex, I'm also on the writing team for Run Oregon. It's an absolutely fantastic blog and resource for all things running in the Portland metro/PNW region. And I'm super excited to let y'all know that Run Oregon has partnered up with local apparel company Forestry to release the first batch of Run Oregon blog apparel. 

$15.00

These shirts are hot off the press! And as with all products from Forestry, for every item you purchase, a tree is planed in your name/ Whether you love Run Oregon blog, or just love running in Oregon, these awesome shirts are a must have :) Be sure to check out their other awesome apparel items and longboards--especially this SWEET Ladies Athletic Zip Up Hoodie ($56.00). OMG I'm a sucker for the leather "Forestry" patch, and the thumbholes. <3

Photos by Forestry

My blogging platform, Weebly, totally ate my original post and I just got around to rewriting it! My race recap of the 2nd Annual National Veterans Day Run 5k in Portland (not to be confused with the Veterans Day 5k Run/Walk organized by the Hood to Coast Race Series).

I signed up for this race using a Living Social or Groupon coupon. A few friends talked me into it--the price was good, the cause was good, and there was a medal ;) But OMG it was SO COLD the day of the race!!! Packet (bib/commemorative pin/optional tshirt) pickup was the day of the race, and we arrived early to make sure we got parking (it's pretty limited up at Mt. Tabor). The line was fast and the volunteers were nice, but I was freezing standing around, even with all of my layers. I actually decided to run in my winter parka because I was so cold. While I did eventually warm up a mile or so into the race, I kept on all my layers the entire race. The course was hilly and challenging, especially after running another hilly 5k the day prior (Mustache Dache 5k). One part of the course was icy and slippery, and at times it was a little confusing. And since the race didn't start til 4:11, it was getting dark towards the end of the race. I definitely froze my behind off waiting for my friends to finish, and waiting for results. While I snacked on the post-race granola bars and had a bottle of water, the race org announced that they would mail age division awards home.

Results were pretty slow to be posted online, and my inquiries about when they would be available didn't get a response. Once they were up several days later, I saw that Iinitially I was listed as being 3rd in my age division, but at some point, I moved down to 4th. :(

While it was a decent event, I'd like to see the race directors improve upon some of the details.

I feel like I missed out on everything this weekend! Things have been kind of hectic and I was hoping to recharge and have some fun: I WANTED TO run, go to a party, be productive, and catch up on sleep. What actually happened was: I was sick, not sleeping well, and working from home. BOOO. 

I'm not ready for it to be Monday :( 

Date and time: Saturday, January 31, 2015 @ 10:00 am

Events and price: 5k $35.00
Chip timing is an additional $3.00
Long sleeve shirt is an additional $18.00

Location: McMenamins Edgefield - Blackberry Hall; 2126 S.W. Halsey St.; Troutdale, OR 97060

Number of runners: capped at 1500

Beneficiary: Portland Police Bureau Sunshine Division

Swag: There's so much swag!

• FREE custom Columbia Sportswear winter beanie or ear warmer (your choice of style & color)
• Hot coffee
  
• Homemade soups and fresh baked bread from McMenamins
  
• 1 free beer for wearing a costume
  
• Prizes for costume contest winners (funniest, best weather-theme, best group and most elaborate)

Course: 1.55mi loop (run twice) that has several hills is on a narrow, packed gravel trail with scenic views of the Columbia River.

I heard of the Worst Day of the Year Run a few years ago and was both intrigued and hesitant about running an event with that name. Did I really want to chance running a race that was likely to have bad weather? But how cool would it sound saying that I had run it? hahahaha (I'm totally buying an event shirt--bragging rights).

While the weather probably won't be perfect, the event sounds fantastic, and friends who have run it in the past have a lot of positive comments. In particular, I really like that there will be clearly defined wave starts (sub 8; 8-10min pace; 10+min pace; walkers), that we get a beanie/ear warmer instead of a shirt (although I appreciate that they do have the option of buying an event shirt for only $18!), that being in costume gets you a free alcoholic drink, there will be warm food, AND the after-party will be inside and heated! And I loooove Edgefield--it seems like a great spot for a post-race party! Lastly, it's awesome that the race beneficiary is the Portland Police Bureau Sunshine Division, which has provided food and clothing relief to Portland residents in need since 1923. 

Hope to see you there!

Photos by Good Sport Promotions

Train with Energy starts THIS SUNDAY, January 11th! This first kickoff session will be FREE, so if you want to check it out, be sure to stop by :) Plan on showing up around 8:00 am at Torque Coffee in Downtown Vancouver, and the run will start around 8:30-8:45 am. You can stop by to chat with Ron and the Train with Energy trainees, and/or enjoy the group run!

About Coach Ronald Homer

• Ron email
• RRCA Certified Run Coach
• 30+ years of running
• Logged nearly 100,000 miles including marathons & ultra-marathons
• 2 time Boston Qualifier
  
  

There are people who are amazing athletes, but are not very good at coaching; and there are people who are great at coaching, but not the most skilled athlete. But Coach Ron excels at both running and coaching. He's very knowledgeable, helpful and an amazing runner.

What does the Train with Energy plan include? Coach Ron will evaluate your current running routine and goals via a survey, and create a customized training plan for you--plans typically include weekly long runs for the Train with Energy group on Sundays, and track workouts with other local runners on Tuesdays. The Train with Energy package also includes a training tech t-shirt, as well as discounts on up to five Energy Events races.

It does feel like a lot of money. And to be honest, I didn't think I needed a coach when I was training for the 2014 Vancouver USA Marathon--after all, I had done three other marathons without a coach. But after working with Ron to better understand the program, I was hooked. I felt more confident about my training, I PR'd by almost 30 minutes, and I recovered much faster than I had after my other marathons! The quality of the coaching is definitely worth the price.

Just the training itself, it comes out to $23/month for the full marathon training program, and $30/month for the half marathon training program. That's just a few lattes a month! It's not that expensive considering you'll someone who will help you prepare for a marathon or a half marathon, and will hold you accountable for your training--and that's not even looking at the other perks (shirt, discounts, etc)!

Register here for Train with Energy! If you register, please mention that I referred you! It helps build my street cred ;)

Current VUM full marathon price $85.00; Current VUM half marathon price $65.00
Full marathon training = 6 months; Half marathon training = 3 months.