Do you remember this photo?

Just look at all of those beautiful red faces! Those are some of the dedicated, motivated runners who joined us on the first challenge.

Now it’s time to lace up for the next Red Faced Runners Challenge. Whether you joined us on the last challenge, or you’re someone who hasn’t run a step since junior high gym class, we want you to join us on this next challenge. This has grown to be an amazing group of people who support each other through every walk or run, celebrating our accomplishments or commiserating with each other on the difficult days.

If you’re convinced that you could never run a 5k, or you’re certain that you couldn’t run one second faster, then I beg you to hop over and read Cindy’s (our coach and fellow red-faced runner) motivating and informative post that she wrote for my blog at the kick-off to the first challenge.

Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of the second challenge.

How to be a part of the challenge:

Step 1

Buy yourself some good shoes (see Cindy’s tips in this post) and print out Cindy’s training plan.

Step 2

Choose a 5k in your area on the weekend of June 16th and sign up. Sign up now…don’t wait. Commit to yourself that you can do this!

Here are a few sites that are helpful for finding local runs:
Running in the U.S.A.
Running Room (U.S. and Canada)
Running Races in Canada
Active.com

Step 3

Get out there and start walking and running with us.

Step 4

Keep us updated on your progress. We want to hear how you’re doing, the good and the challenging.

For those of you on Twitter and/or Instagram, we will be using the hashtag #RFR5k to chat about the challenge. Also, we just set up a Red Faced Runners Challenge Facebook page. Please join us there for updates and support.

We can’t wait to do this with you. Go beyond your comfort level..I think you’ll surprise yourself.

If you haven’t ever trained for a 5k, be sure to check out Cindy’s 5k Training Plan. It takes you from walking to running in 9 weeks. Click here for a printable version.

Let’s do this thing!

First up, meet Amy from The Nifty Foodie. I have been proudly watching Amy over the past year as she’s worked to lose weight and become the healthiest version of herself she can be. She is one of my biggest inspirations as a runner… I think you’ll find her to be pretty incredible as well!

RFR: Hi Amy! Let’s start off with an easy question… can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Amy: My name is Amy, and I have a food & life blog called The Nifty Foodie. By day, I make maps for a living and at night, I’m basically a Martha Stewart wannabe. I’m currently on a journey to live a healthier lifestyle and lose about 120 lbs.

RFR: How long have you been running?

Amy: I started running in June of 2012 with the Couch to 5K program, and I have been hooked ever since!

RFR: How would you say running has changed your life?

Amy: Oh gosh. Running has impacted my life so much. It has definitely helped me with weight loss, mainly. It has also helped me realize how strong my body could be with some hard work and determination. If you told me last year that I would be participating in 5K races, along with now being registered for a half marathon, I probably would have laughed at you.

RFR: That’s so incredible that you’ve made that much progress in less than a year! What would you say some of your running goals are?

Amy: My biggest running goal is to run a half marathon (which I’ve signed up for in 2014), and to one day, run Walt Disney World’s Princess Half Marathon!

RFR:  Wow – I can’t wait to see you run your first half! That’s exciting! What are some of your favorite tools/apps for health/weigth loss / running?

Amy: I absolutely love MyFitnessPal (for calorie counting), Get Running (a great C25K app, which tells you when to run/walk while you have music playing on your phone), and RunKeeper (a running app that tells you your pace and distance).

RFR: I believe those are all free or very close to free too. Great app choices! Do you have any favorite running gear?

Amy: I’m a big fan of Old Navy’s compression pants. When I was in plus sizes, I found it hard to find good work-out clothes, and these pants are perfect. They fit well, and they’re quite slimming too! I also love my Bondi Band headband. Since the summers here in Louisiana are pretty brutal, this headband is a necessity for keeping the sweat away from my face. I love it!

RFR: I can’t wait to try out those headbands and the pants! What are some of the songs on your running playlist?

Amy: I really enjoy listening to Pitbull’s music. Every time I run, I just keep my Pitbull Pandora station on. It’s so upbeat and fun to run to! It really helps the time fly by.

RFR: His music has the perfect beat for getting you pumped, I agree! Who would you say inspires you?

Amy:  My biggest sources of inspiration are within my family. My husband has lost 110 lbs. and my younger sister has lost 40 lbs. I find that weight loss has been so much easier since we have each other to keep each other going in our personal journeys.

RFR: Having that kind of support and accountability is definitely key! Do you have any words of encouragement you’d like to share?

Amy:  This is advice for running and/or weight loss. Take it one day at a time. My before weight was super close to 300 lbs. My frist run was 16:40 minutes/mile. It was so overwhelming in the beginning, but taking it just one day at a time makes things much more manageable. Also, if you have a bad day (I have them all the time!), one of my favorite quotes (which I heard in a Weight Watchers meeting years ago) is “A setback is only a set-up for a comeback!” I have that written on a post-it note which I keep with me, and it’s really true. If you feel like your run wasn’t that great or you ate a meal that was 1500 calories, shake it off. You will rock it next time!

RFR: Thank you so much Amy! I can’t even begin to tell you how much I admire you. Keep up the hard work!

Make sure to follow along with Amy on her inspirational journey. You can follow along on her blog, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!

And as always, follow the #RFR5K hashtag on Twitter and Instagram and join our community on Facebook to keep up to date!

If you’d like to be featured or know someone who should be featured in an upcoming Red Faced Runner spotlight, send an email to kristen <at> dineanddish.net. 

We all run for different reasons. Some of us run for fun, others because we have to in order to fit into that favorite pair of jeans. Maybe the doctor has prescribed it for health reasons? Or you’ve found it is the best stress reliever of all time? I have many reasons, but mostly, I complain about needing to, and am very skilled at finding an excuse at every turn to delay or skip a very much needed run. And with crazy schedules this time of the year, it’s even easier to find reasons to skip a run.

As I struggled through a late, procrastinated run yesterday evening, I remembered an email I received earlier this year from a lady who replied to a post I wrote about running:

“I just read your blog entry about running. Just wanted to tell you that it touched me very deeply. I loved to run. Love Love Loved it. I ran track and cross country in high school and it was my passion. The end of my sophomore year of high school I was in a car accident that left me paralyzed and requiring the use of a wheelchair. I cried. A lot. Not because I wasn’t going to walk again. But because I would never run again. I just wanted you to know from one runner to another … I loved the post! And kick some serious butt in that 5K this week!”

Before I didn’t think much about running because I could. I thought about how I ran because I needed to, and I thought about every reason under the sun to avoid it, to be lazy, to whine, and grumble.

With Thanksgiving this week, I’m reminded again of the lady who contacted me, and others like her, who would be ecstatic to have the chance to run. Something I have easily taken for granted. We have so many things to be thankful for, and yes, for most of us, running can be one of those too.

So this week while remembering those things I’m thankful for, I’m challenging myself to change my mindset toward running and exercise in general, from one of “I have to,”  to one of “I get to.” I know I’ll be trying to squeeze in activity in the middle of the hurried fray of the next few months, but I’ll also be trying to remember to smile more and whine less as I run, and to be thankful for each step I get to take.

Will you join me?

Happy running, y’all!

This week, nothing gets me moving like “Lady Marmalade” by Miss Patti LaBelle.  I’m pretty sure when she sings, “Hello. Hey Joe. You wanna give it go,” that she’s referring to running.

What’s song has YOU moving this week?

But at the moment, that’s neither here nor there.  As many of you are new runners, I don’t want to overwhelm you with thoughts of ultra-marathons and minimalist running shoes.  I want to address another point altogether, a point much more suitable for beginning runners.  It’s a question of motivation, and really, it’s one that applies to all of us, no matter how new or how seasoned we are.  And it comes at a point in the book where the author has successfully illustrated that humans are actually evolved for long distance running.  We may be much slower than our four-legged counterparts, but we can outrun them in the end.  We can, quite literally, run our prey to death.  Then the author asks “Then why do so many people hate it?…If we’re all born to run, shouldn’t all of us enjoy it?”.

Chances are, you’ve asked yourself the same question.  You’ve just managed to complete your first 5k, and you know how much work that took.  You’re wondering how anybody runs more than that, because those 3.1 miles took everything you had.  How does anyone ever run a 10k, let alone a half-marathon, a marathon or an ultra-marathon?  Those people are crazy.  Born to run…whatever!

But the problem isn’t our bodies.  Those are, in fact, perfectly designed for running (I see you shaking your head…but I will convince you in the end!).  The problem is our heads.  Or rather, our brains.  Along with our talent for long distance running, we evolved these enormous brains that consume vast amounts of energy.  They are only 2% of our total body weight, and yet they consume 20% of our energy when we are at rest.

But our brains also happen to be conservationists.  They are always trying to find ways to conserve the energy we have, because back in the day, our survival depended on it.  Now it’s no longer a matter of survival, but our brain doesn’t really know that.  It’s still constantly scheming to keep us low key and resting, keeping any extra energy on hand for a time when we need to chase our prey or to avoid being eaten by lions.  One expert in the book described it thus:  “You’ve got this fancy machine, and it’s controlled by a pilot who’s thinking ‘Okay, how can I run this baby without using any fuel?’”.

Now that we live in such a sedentary society, we (the collective we) have gotten out of the habit of running.  We don’t need to run to catch our food and we don’t need to run away from becoming food for other predators, so the brain’s insistence on conserving energy takes precedence.  When you start a running program, you are retraining your body to ignore your brain.  All of those whispers in your head about how hard running is, how tired you are, how you just want to stop?  That’s your brain faking you out.  Tell it to shut up.  Tell it that you are born to run.

Because you are.  After you stick with it, and you get back in the habit of running, you will find that your brain does shut up…at least some of the time.  And in the end, both your body and your brain will thank you.

It’s time for the next Red Faced Runners Challenge. Whether you joined us on the last challenge, or you’re someone who hasn’t run a step since junior high gym class, we want you to join us on this next challenge. This has grown to be an amazing group of people who support each other through every walk or run, celebrating our accomplishments or commiserating with each other on the difficult days.

And now we want to bring even more people into the group.

If you’re convinced that you could never run a 5k, or you’re certain that you couldn’t run one second faster or longer, then I beg you to hop over and read Cindy’s (our coach and fellow red-faced runner) motivating and informative post that she wrote for my blog at the kick-off to the first challenge.

Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of the second challenge. It’s a two-parter!

The 5k:
Do you find yourself telling the same story every year when the holidays roll around? You eat too many sweets, you stop exercising and everyone but you is on your priority list. Not this year, my friends!

This year, we want each of you to take a few minutes several times each week to take care of YOU! Embrace the cooler air, pull on some of those cute fall and winter running clothes available at your local running store, and start training for the next 5k.

Local running calendars are filled with turkey trots and fall harvest runs. On the weekend of November 17th, we will all join together once more to run a 5k race in our towns and cities (or around your own neighborhoods).

If you haven’t ever trained for a 5k, be sure to check out Cindy’s printable 5k Training Plan (it’s a walk/run program).

Here are a couple of sites that are helpful for finding local runs:
Running in the U.S.A.
Running Room (U.S. and Canada)
Running Races in Canada
Active.com

Share the love:
Of course, this is optional, but could be more fun than you think!

As Cindy said the other day, this is the season to “share the love, sweat and (happy) tears…bring a friend into running”. You might be surprised by how many people are inspired by your new running lifestyle. And I’ll bet you anything that one or two of them would jump at the chance to join you, but may not have the courage to do it without some encouragement.

It doesn’t mean that you have to physically run together (though that’s pretty great, too). Maybe you decide to send each other daily text messages to keep each other motivated, or you may want to meet for one of your weekly workouts. However you decide to work it, staying accountable to each other can help both of you reach your goals.

What do you say?
So what do you say? Let’s beat those holiday exercise blues together. Let’s spread the red-faced love.

We’re excited to take on this challenge with all of you!

Remember to keep us updated on your progress on the Twitter hashtag #RFR5k and/or on the Red Faced Runners Facebook page.

You did it! After training for weeks, nursing sore muscles and pushing yourselves beyond where you thought you could ever go (ever!), you stepped out onto that 5k course and kicked some serious booty. We are already celebrated “the stronger you” in our pep rally post, but make sure you hop over there to remind yourself just how far you’ve come.

Of course, now that you’ve completed the first challenge, we’re not going to stop here. Stay tuned because we’ll be announcing the next challenge very soon and we’d love for you to join us! If you didn’t join us on the first challenge, we hope we can convince you to come along on the next one.

It was such fun to watch the red-faced photos roll in on the #RFR5k feed and Instagram as you completed your 5k races. Some people ran in organized races, others grabbed a friend and journeyed through a 5k course in their own neighborhood, and some bravely stepped out on their own and knocked off 5k before the sun had risen. Each of your stories is inspiring and we’re glad to be able to share some of your photos here.

Just look at all of these red faces. What a happy, healthy group!

                                  Amy of She Wears Many Hats and Christina of Oven Adventures (her first 5k)

                                  Christine (her first 5k) and Angie (she set a PR – personal record – in this race)

                                  Courtney (who made the Color Run a family affair) and Cara (her first 5k)

                                  Cindy of Once Upon a Loaf (our coach extraordinaire!) and Kate of Food Babbles

                                  Lori of Recipe Girl and Laura (she rocked a 5k in Vermont)

                                  Beth (who ran her first 10k), and Kim (her first 10k) and Dawn (her first 5k)

                                   Carolyn of All Day I Dream About Food (she ran barefoot!) and Lindsay (positively glowing)

                                   Katrina of In Katrina’s Kitchen (she ran in the pouring rain) and Laura (her first 5k)

                                  Shawn of I Wash, You Dry (she ran AND swam!) and Shelby (her first 5k)

             Wendy and Sally (ran a 5k together), and Heather and Sherri who came in 9th and 10th in their age group!

                                   Jennifer (she caught the running bug big time!) and Karen (wearing her red face proudly)

                                   Dorothy of Crazy for Crust (she ran to honor 9/11) and Becky of So Very Blessed (very muddy!)

                                   Jenn Marie and Sarah (rockin’ their red faces)

                     Kristen of Dine and Dish, Bridget of Bake at 350 and Dara of Cookin’ Canuck

You are all amazing! Now get out there and keep running.

The time is here. After weeks of training, puddles of sweat and many red-faced running photos later, the challenge is upon us. Tomorrow, each of us will be lacing up our shoes, pinning on our race numbers and setting our sights on our 5k races. For some, 5 kilometer (3.1 mile) races have been crossed off the bucket list several times. For others, it will be the longest distance you’ve ever run. Whichever camp you fall into, each of you is heroic in your own way.

Tonight, after you have laid out your race clothes, planned your pre-race breakfast and set your alarm, I want to you to take a few minutes to reflect on your journey. I know that it wasn’t always easy. Actually, I’m pretty sure there were days when you felt like throwing your hands in the air and quitting. But you didn’t.

For every step you’ve taken, walking or running…you are stronger.

For the first time you plucked up the nerve to step inside your local running store and asked for help in finding the right shoe…you are stronger.

For each time you made it “to just the next corner” and then the next one…you are stronger.

For each time you heard that little voice say, “Who are you kidding? You can’t do this” and then silenced it by lacing up your running shoes…you are stronger.

For each time you looked in the mirror and thought, “I’m too fat/too out of shape/too old to be doing this”, and then did it anyways…you are stronger.

For the first time you told yourself, “I am a runner”…you are stronger.

For the first time you told someone else, “I am a runner”…you are stronger.

For each time your children look at you with admiration as you come striding back into the house, sweaty and red-faced…you are stronger.

For each person who sees you running and then think to themselves, “Maybe I could do that, too”…you are stronger.

As you are running or walking tomorrow, mentally ticking off the miles, think of your fellow red-faced runners. We inspire and motivate each other. Good luck tomorrow…we can’t wait to hear how it goes and we’re so excited to take on future challenges with you!

Get after it!

Well, that was somewhat anticlamactic of me. This is not just any hump day. It’s THE Wednesday before we brave RFRs take to the roads and test our wills – some for the first time, some to return to glory, some as a stop on the training journey to other races coming up this fall.

So, let’s get ready. Game face? Check. Race plan? Yes. Mantras to keep you motivated and clicking off the miles? Got ‘em. Road-tested race outfit picked out, assembled in a corner of your closet or bedroom and ready to roll? Done.

Looking good so far, but now it’s time for my number one tip for race-day prep: getting yourself proactively organized so that you can focus on the most important part of this whole shebang – gettin’ after it and making your running dreams come true.

To run your best (and most stress-free) this weekend, you need to pack a bag. Right now.

A well thought-out and carefully packed raceday bag you take is your best friend. Everything about this bag needs the most careful consideration and planning – from the form and function of the bag, itself, to every item it contains – it’s as valuable to you as you head to the starting line as every mile you’ve put in in training.

Case in point: I’m not new to racing, and have in fact dealt with a myriad of different race-morning-hurry-up-let’s-get-to-the-start logistics. I’ve taken tote bags, gym bags, what my son refers to as “spike bags” (the cute, little drawstring backpacks devoid of pockets) and the like, and I’ve never been entirely satisfied with features or convenience of any.

This year and next, I’m training for some pretty big races (the New York City Marathon this fall, and the Boston marathon next spring, to name two), races I’ve never run, and a few I have. So I decided it was time for a new raceday sherpa, one that has everything I need organizationally and has room to spare, but looks killer-sleek, is absolutely indescructible, and, oh, morphs into a work-to-workout bag for when I’m  traveling or have a full day of meetings and coaching sessions.

After waiting months for what I thought might be my dream bag line to launch itself into the fitness consumer world, I pounced on Fitmark™ and begged them to send me a bag whose pictures and description I’d been salivating over, the Formula One backpack in RED-hot, satiny velocity nylon, so that I could put it through my own set of running and racing tests. What could be more appropriate? And I was not disappointed. In fact, this bag is, indeed, my dream training and raceday gear bag.

Here’s why: storage galore – and intelligent storage, at that: a dedicated, soft-lined pocket up top for sunglasses or your phone, a side-zip pocket that’s actually insulated to keep your water bottle cool (how cool is that?) with matching accessory pocket on the opposite side. It’s also got room for an entire change of clothes, and racing flats (or street kicks) on the bottom (score!). It’s even got a separate zip pocket, running the top length of the bag, that perfectly holds my iPad, and get this – it holds up to a 17″ laptop in its long, cushioned back zip pocket. I AM serious. How they did this while designing this pack completely without bulk, making it functional as both a backpack and carry bag, plus, frankly, making it sleek and powerful to behold, is beyond me. It’s an investment purchase, for sure, but well worth it for the quality of the zippers, alone – and that’s just the beginning.

Once you have your preferred ultimate workhorse bag in hand, it’s time to think through everything you need on race morning. I prefer to “prevent the preventable” and not make assumptions about what’s going to be there for me at the race – from food to hydration to clothing, I pack thoroughly but efficiently. Doing so eases my mind 100%, not an easy task on race morning. I pack my bag on – you guessed it – the Wednesday before a weekend race, that way, I can add/remove as the forecast or travel plan changes.

Different races will have different requirements, of course, depending on distance, location and climate, but here’s a basic go-to list that will get you thoroughly ready for this weekend with as little left to chance as possible.

Shoes: either carry your racing shoes in your bag and warm up in another pair of trainers, or bring along a supportive pair to change into post-race.

Water: don’t assume that all the water you’ll need pre-and post-race will be waiting for you at the start/finish line. It’s just good planning. Slip a bottle or two into your bag just in case.

Anti-chafe product: Do I really need to say it? Better safe than sorry. Feet, too – even if you’ve never experienced chafing, a race can definitely become your initiation. Two I like are BodyGlide and Asics Chafe-Free Endurance.

Lip balm: Wind and concentration while working hard are not kind to your lips. Take care of them, too.

Sunscreeen: If temps call for short sleeves or tanks, lather up with a waterproof sports-specific sunscreen. I personally avoid my forehead in shorter races in warmer temps to lessen the chance of it stinging my eyes, but use your best judgement.

Safety pins: Chances are, there will be pins a-flying on the registration tables at the race, but just in case, invest in a pack and always take four with you to your race. Even if you’re covered and have your race bib securely fastened to your top already,  you might be the saving grace for someone who’s pinless and stressing over it.

Shades: If the sun is shining, you can count on it bouncing off the pavement and into your eyes. Don’t miss a turn or misjudge  the distance between you and another runner because you’re squinting.

Ziploc bag(s): Sweat equity is sweet and a fact of racing – but don’t let it ruin the post-race party. Ziplocs can keep your sweaty stuff contained after you’ve changed into your…

Post-race change of clothes: drier is better. Grab your bag and head to the rest room (or creatively change in your car!) and you’re ready to hang comfortably with fellow runners and bask in your achievement. I always have a shirt, warm-up pants and a jacket (that I usually have on pre-race) in my bag. Socks, too.

Snack: not every race has miles of chocolate chip bagels and bananas handy, and even if they do, sometimes food can disappear fast. You have to be able to refuel, so stash your fave portable post-run snack.

Race packet: your bib (race number), directions to the race and a course map should all be in your bag (note: you may not get your race number until race morning, but other items can be printed off ahead of time).

Camera: get pics of yourself with family and friends. If using your phone, don’t leave it behind! You’re going to want these memories, even if upon crossing the finish line you swear you’ll never do this again! (Trust me, that feeling will last 10 minutes, tops.)

What will you be stashing in your raceday bag for the big day? Whatever your place in this red-faced running world we’ve created, it’s time to get after it, then reward yourself for all your hard work. Race strong, finish even stronger, then celebrate

All.

Weekend.

Long!

(FTC: Fitmark™ provided me with the Formula-One Velocity bag for review purposes. I was not otherwise compensated for this review, and as always, all opinions are my own.)

Well, I am no expert, but I have competed in several races, and what I eat before each and every race is simple.

I always start off the morning of race day with a Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich and a banana.

I know that might sound weird, but there is logic behind my madness. Let me explain…

You are not wanting something heavy to sit in your stomach, otherwise you’ll feel like you have a giant rock sloshing around in your belly while you run. You don’t want to eat something too light either, otherwise you’ll run out of energy and feel extremely fatigued. A sandwich is light enough, yet filling at the same time. Every part to the sandwich has a key role in helping you to power through your race.

The Peanut Butter: packed with protein will give you sustained energy for your run.

The Jelly: it’s sweet and has the sugar you need to get you going, but not too much to drag you down.

The Bread: full of carbohydrates, which will produce energy when your body needs it the most. (Choose a hearty whole wheat bread if you can)

The Banana: a great source of potassium, which will help reduce the risk of cramping in your legs.

Eat at least 30 minutes before your run so your body has enough time to start digesting your fuel. Drink lots of water the night before, and a big glass the morning of your race.

Be prepared to have to go pee…. a lot.

If this is your first race, also be prepared for those giant butterflies in your stomach. {heck, I have raced several times and still get butterflies} It’s ok, just turn the nerves into excitement and let it power your race.

The night before the big race, I like to carb-load for dinner. I make a big bowl of pasta with bread sticks. Those extra carbohydrates will again help your body to produce energy the day of the run.

{Carolyn also did a great post about how to fuel your race which is full of awesome tips as well.}

Good luck out there ladies {and gentlemen}!