Run Diva

New Night Race at Disney World

2011-12-21T11:12:25-05:00

PRESS RELEASE

If you’re a runner, Christmas is coming a little early for you thanks to our runDisney team, which thinks it’s found the perfect gift for you. Open it up by clicking on this video.

Yep, we’re reviving the popular The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror theme and creating The Twilight Tower of Terror 10-Miler Weekend at Walt Disney World Resort in 2012. If you like to have a scary good time when you run, this race will be the perfect weekend much like The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 13K race we last staged at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2009.

This new race, scheduled for Sept. 29, will follow a similar course – through the set of “Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show’’ and past Mickey’s Sorcerer’s Hat – but features runDisney’s first-ever 10-mile distance that finishes, appropriately enough, near The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror attraction. If you “survive’’ the experience, you’ll be treated to a shiny new medal and a rocking post-race party with your family and friends that features live music, Disney characters and exclusive access to attractions such as Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, Star Tours, Toy Story Mania! and, of course, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

The new The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror race is our sixth signature runDisney event and the second nighttime race at Walt Disney World Resort. To make room for it, though, we’re shifting our other nighttime event, the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend, to Nov. 9-10 during the final weekend of the popular Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.

Like all runDisney events, the race weekend will feature a variety of events, including a 5K, kid’s races and a Health & Fitness Expo all at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort.

Mark your calendars now for Feb. 14. That’s the day you can start registering for the new race at runDisney.com. Should be a “terror-ably’’ good time.

10th Annual Butterfly Run

2011-12-14T17:04:40-05:00

Run With the Butterflies

Well, you're not actually running with the butterflies, but the Butterfly Run benefits the National Wildlife Federation. My husband and I both did this run back in 2010. I just signed up for the 10th Annual Butterfly Run which takes place on Sunday, February 5, 2012. If you sign up ahead of time, registration is only $25. If you wait until the day of the race to sign up, the fee goes up to $50.

WHEN :	Sunday, February 5, 2012 7:30 a.m. start
WHERE :	Sabal Pines Park 5005 N.W. 39th Ave. Coconut Creek, FL 33063 [general map] [Yahoo! Map]
ENTRY :	Early Registration through Feb. 2nd - $25.00 Student Fee - $15 (17 yrs. and under) Race Day - $50.00 (includes students)

DIVISIONS :	10 & Under 11-13 14-16 17-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70-74 75 and above
T-SHIRTS :	Commemorative T-Shirts guaranteed for the first 800 entrants. Late registrants are not guaranteed correct sizes on race day. Race day registrants are on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last.
COURSE :	USA Track & Field Sanctioned. Course number FL 0803IEBM
PROCEEDS :	Partial proceeds from this event will benefit the National Wildlife Federation.

Above: official course map. Click on the map to see a larger version.

Additional Information

Website: http://www.butterflyrun.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events/276151062426419/

Active.com registration page: http://www.active.com/running/coconut-creek-fl/10th-annual-coconut-creek-5k-butterfly-run-2012?int=29-6

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Run Diva

Run Diva 2012 Brooks ID Member

2011-12-09T14:19:37-05:00

Athletic Sponsorship

I've been racing since 2008 and have a few companies that sponsor me each year. I am 48 years old and an enthusiastic age group amateur athlete. I try to look for companies to sponsor me in a few key areas each year:

running gear and accessories - running shoes and run clothing
bike gear and accessories - helmets, sunglasses, wheels, clothing
sports nutrition - gels, blocks, recovery drinks, etc...
personal care products - sun screen, lip gloss, anti-chafe cream, etc...

Above: my new Brooks T7 racing flats and the awesome Brooks Green Silence in the purple/yellow color scheme.

What is Brooks ID?

According to the Brooks website; "Brooks I.D. stands for Inspire Daily. The 800+ members are active in their running communities and share a passion for the Brooks brand. They are runners who are winners in their own right: Winning their age divisions, accomplishing their personal goals, pushing their limits, and encouraging others to do the same."

Brooks has been my run shoe sponsor for the past few years. Here is my history of sponsorship with Brooks.

2009 - Brooks ID member - monetary allowance plus deep discount on additional purchases
2010 - Brooks ID member - deep discount on purchases
2011 - Brooks Fanatics member - smaller discount on purchases
2012 - Brooks ID member - generous monetary allowance for free gear plus deep discount on additional purchases

For the 2011 race season, Brooks had stricter requirements to become a member of the Brooks ID program. Many former Brooks ID members were switched out to the Brooks Fanatics program. My pet peeve with the Brooks ID sponsorship was that they never had a good way to report race results for anyone that wasn't a pure runner. So for someone like myself that raced mainly duathlons, and now triathlons, I couldn't report the results of those races. I participate in 15-20+ events per year, but only only a few of them are running only events.

In the fall of this year I decided to send Brooks a copy of my 8 page sponsorship proposal. A few weeks later I received an email inviting me to apply to the Brooks ID program for the 2012 race season. I filled out their on-line application and heard back from them a few days ago saying I was accepted back into the Brooks ID program for the 2012 race season, SWEET!

Above: some of my awesome Brooks running gear.

Social Media Rules

I got back into the Brooks ID program as influential member of the media, not because of my spectacular race results. I have 3 sports blogs, I'm very active on both Twitter and Facebook, and I participate in close to 20 races per year. My husband and I have volunteered since 2006 with Team in Training to help raise $$ for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, he is the cycle coach for our local Team in Training chapter and I have mentored two cycle teams. I am also active in a couple of running, cycling and triathlon clubs where the members see all the gear I train and race in.

Here are my social media links

Main Facebook page - www.facebook.com/bikediva

Twitter - twitter.com/#!/thebikediva

Bike Diva blog - www.bikediva.net

Run Diva blog - www.rundiva.net

Sports Nutrition Diva blog - www.sportsnutritiondiva.net

Above: left to right - Brooks T6 Racers, Brooks Launch, Brooks ST5

My Favorite Brooks Gear

I have a ton of Brooks running shoes in my closet. When I find a pair of shoes I like I have a tendency to start stock piling the shoes so if the shoe is going to be retired, I will have a pair or two in reserve. I wear different shoes depending on the type of training and racing I do. Except for my trail running shoes, I like very minimalist/neutral, lightweight running shoes.

Here are my current favorite Brooks shoes:

Brooks Launch - my go to shoe for longer training runs and for racing half and full marathons. This is the kind of shoe most of my running friends use. It is a bit stiffer than I like to run in now that I made the switch from being a heel striker to a mid-foot striker a couple of years ago. I still use the Launch for longer races where I'm worried about fatigue setting in for the last few miles.

Brooks T6 and T7 Racer - lightweight racing flat. I wear the T6 sock-less for races up to 5k distance and for my sprint distance triathlons. I'll usually use them with a pair of thin socks if I'm going up to 10k distance or doing an Olympic distance triathlon. I loved the T6, which Brooks no longer makes, so I have a pair of the T7 waiting in my closet for when my T6 need to be retired.

As a triathlete I am always looking for ways to shave a few seconds off my race time. I come out of the swim with wet feet, I don't wear socks with my bike shoes so I started thinking about going sock-less on the run. I've gone up to 7 miles in the T6 and T7 without socks. My advice if going sock-less, start out with short runs and use a lot of Body Glide or similar anti-chafe product all over your toes and heel.

Brooks Green Silence - I'll wear these for training and racing up to 8 or 10 miles. A cool shoe, made out of recycled products, available in lots of funky colors. Yup, I like really loud/obnoxious colored run shoes, part of the reason why I love the Green Silence.

Brooks Cascadia 5 - very stiff shoe with lots of traction. Great trail running/off road shoe. A lot more shoe than I normally like but I've had problems slipping/falling/twisting ankle every time I go for a trail run so I decided a more stable shoe is what I need when trail running.

Brooks Pure Grit - I wear tested a pair of these minimal trail running shoes in the spring of this year. I actually never wore them on the trail and only wore them for road running. I really loved these shoes, they were like wearing slippers! I wore them to death and recently wore them for the last time at the south Florida Warrior Dash. Everyone donates their shoes to Green Sneakers at the end of the race so I need to purchase another pair of Pure Grit for myself. Read my race report of the Warrior Dash - Run Diva at South Florida Warrior Dash.

Above: Brooks Green Silence in the red/yellow color scheme. I call these my Ronald McDonald shoes - LOL!

Additional Sponsorship Information

Brooks I.D. has changed to an invitation-only system. If you are interested in the program or know a qualified applicant, please send a resume to:

Brooks Sports
attn: Brooks I.D. Program
19910 N Creek Pkway, Ste 200
Bothell, WA 98011

Read my detailed articles on the Bike Diva blog regarding how to find sponsorship opportunities.

2012 Athletic Sponsorship Opportunities

How to Find Sponsorship Opportunities

Take care,
Lynn Smythe, AKA the Run Diva

Sunshine State Races

2011-12-06T15:05:00-05:00

Press Release

For immediate release: Nov. 30, 2011 Contact: Deb Weinreich, Eident Sports, 401-228-0178

Sunshine State Races Debuts in West Palm Beach in February
New running event features a half marathon and 5k
SPECIAL DISCOUNT UNTIL DECEMBER 15TH!

Providence, RI - A new running event will debut this winter in West Palm Beach, FL. The inaugural Sunshine State Races will be held on Saturday, February 25, 2012 in scenic West Palm Beach and is sponsored in part by WRMF radio 97.9 FM. The event will feature a half marathon and a 5k. The announcement was made today by Eident Sports Marketing and Forte Interactive.

“With its scenic water views and pristine neighborhoods, West Palm Beach is a beautiful venue to host the Sunshine State Races,” said John Mathews, president, Eident Sports Marketing. “By incorporating both a half marathon and a 5k, the Sunshine State Races offers something for runners of all levels.”

The Sunshine State Races half marathon and 5k will both start and finish at the Meyer Ampitheatre in West Palm Beach. The half marathon course will run on Flagler Drive past Palm Beach Atlantic University, El Cid and other waterfront neighborhoods. The course continues through SoSo and turns around just north of the Spillway. Runners continue on Flagler Drive past the Green Market before heading back to finish at the Meyer Ampitheatre.

By participating in the Sunshine State Races, runners will also be making strides for those less fortunate. Over 1,700 children in the Palm Beach County School District are homeless and over 50 percent of children are receiving free or reduced price lunches, with that number increasing to over 95 percent in the Glades area. Thus, a portion of the proceeds from the Sunshine State Races will benefit various nonprofit organizations whose mission is to end hunger in Palm Beach County.

“We are excited to be part of the Sunshine State Races because it combines three of our
company’s loves – running, online technology and helping nonprofits.” said Robert Anderson, VP and Co-Founder of Forte interactive, Inc.

To register or for additional information, visit www.sunshinestateraces.com

INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING?
RECEIVE THIS DISCOUNT UNTIL DECEMBER 15TH:
HALF MARATHON – 20% Off (CODE: SSR100)
5K – 10% Off (CODE: SSR50)
DON’T FORGET THAT REGISTRATION FEES GO UP ON DECEMBER 1ST!!!!

About Eident Sports Marketing
Eident Sports is a full-service event management and sports marketing company based in Providence, RI. Eident has several properties in the region, ranging from turn-key sporting events to sponsorship sales alliances with key partners. For more information on Eident’s events and offerings, please visit eidentsports.com

About Forte Interactive, Inc.
Forte Interactive, Inc., a proven leader in nonprofit web development and technology consulting, empowers organizations to implement innovative and cost-effective online website solutions through its web-based software technologies. Forte’s wide range of nonprofit web solutions includes: website design, online fundraising, custom software development, easy-to-use web content management, and charity race registration. Forte has been amplifying the impact of the nonprofit community through technology since 1999. For more information, please visit www.forteinteractive.com or call (866)-55-FORTE.

Run Diva at South Florida Warrior Dash

2011-12-06T12:41:38-05:00

Are You a Warrior?

First of all let me just say, I am not a fan of obstacles. I sold my mountain bike three years ago because I got tired of clipping in and out of my pedals all the time whenever there was a giant boulder or tree root in my way. I don't have a lot of skills and would rather just go as fast as I can go whenever I race; whether it be a bike race, running race, or triathlon.

So how did I get sucked into doing a Warrior Dash in the first place? My husband and I have been involved with the Palm Beach chapter Team in Training since 2006. Team in Training is the main fund-raising program for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. We are currently training for the Disney half marathon with Team in Training. A bunch of our Team in Training friends decided they wanted to do the central Florida Warrior Dash, which took placed in Lake Wales, in January 2011. My husband and daughter did that race together and had a blast. I was taking a brief rest from racing around that time and didn't want to put another race on my schedule.

But then a few months ago we saw the website had scheduled a race for south Florida in December. The south Florida Warrior Dash took place on Saturday, December 3 at Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield Beach. The Lake Wales race was a couple hour drive from our house, but Deerfield Beach is about a 20 minute drive from us. So of course I said sign me up when my husband and daughter said they were doing another Warrior Dash. Silly me.

Above: my daughter and husband getting psyched for the 2011 south Florida Warrior Dash

What is the Warrior Dash?

The Warrior Dash, which can be classified as an adventure race, is put on by Red Frog Events. The Warrior Dash is a 5k, that's 3.1 miles, off road race with 10-12 obstacles scattered throughout the course. Depending on the location, the Warrior Dash is either a 1 day or 2 day event. Racers go off in waves of 500-600 people every half hour. You pick the day and time you want to race. My group picked the 1 PM wave, that way we could even get my 16 year old daughter, who normally sleeps until noon, to do the race. There were over 7,000 racers participating in the south Florida Warrior Dash, awesome!

The obstacles include mud pits, water crossings, fire pit and lots of climbing. They post up a course map for each race on the website including the types and locations of each obstacle. The obstacles listed on the website didn't match up exactly what was on the course the day of the race, but at least it gave us a general idea of what to expect.

Above: some of my Warrior Dash team mates before the race. We are all so clean! I'm the one being choked, nice! Photo by Heather Smythe.

Obstacles; Friend or Foe

I'm not a fan of heights so I was pretty sure there would be a few obstacles I would skip. The funny thing is, I love climbing! It's the turn around at the top and climb down the opposite side part that I couldn't do on some of the really high obstacles. So I would climb to the top of most of the high obstacles then climb back down on the same side. My friends all laughed at me, whatever. I'm not the only one that avoided some of the obstacles. On Sunday morning I was waiting in the bathroom line before the start of the Palm Beach Marathon. The girl standing behind me did the Warrior Dash, she said she didn't like the obstacles and went around almost all of them. Must be my long lost twin sister, we should start a club; chicken shit girls that like to race - LOL!

I loved the tire, wrecked cars, water, mud and fire obstacles; they were all a piece-of-cake. I even did the highest obstacle, a climbing wall which had a fireman's pole you had to slide down at the top. There was a solid platform at the top of the climbing part which you stood on before flinging yourself down the fireman's pole. I couldn't really see the ground from the solid platform so, although I was a lot higher than I would normally be comfortable with, because I couldn't see the ground I didn't freak out. I couldn't do the cargo net climb because I could see the ground through the nets. I'm just weird.

Above: the mud pit at the end of the south Florida Warrior Dash. Photo by Jacey Biery.

Name Your Obstacle

Some of the obstacles you might run into at the Warrior Dash include:

rubber ricochet
road rage
giant cliff hanger
dead-man's drop
chaotic crossover
tipsy tightrope
storming Normandy
vertical limit
great warrior wall
cargo climb
warrior roast
muddy mayhem

Above: the after photo. Can you say mud? Photo by random Warrior Dash spectator.

Bring a Change of Clothes

The very last obstacle at the Warrior Dash was the HUGE mud pit. If you managed to stay clean on the rest of the course, well, get ready to get muddy. There are chains strung across the mud pit so you had no choice but to go through it crawling on your hands and knees. You could keep your face/head/hair out of the mud, barely, but a few wacky participants dove head first into the mud pit or belly flopped at the end of the pit, fun times!

Everyone in my group picked out old clothes and shoes to race in. Trust me, you probably don't want to go home in the clothes and shoes you were racing in. Bring a change of clothes and shoes to change into after the race. We also brought along beach towels, garbage bags and wet wipes. There were showers/water trucks available at the end of the race. But the lines were pretty long. The south Florida race took place at a large park with a few lakes. A group of us went down to the water and cleaned off in one of the lakes rather than wait in line to be hosed off by the water truck. As we made our way down to the lake, we saw one of the water trucks refilling from the lake. Just make sure one of your friends goes into the water first, this is south Florida and alligators love lakes. :)

Above: donate your used shoes to Green Sneakers. Photo by Jacey Biery.

Used Shoe Collection

Green Sneakers sets up a tent at the Warrior Dash and collects donations of every ones used shoes at the end of the race. They clean up the sneakers and send them to groups of people in need, both domestically and abroad. Green Sneakers asks that you tie your shoes together, so they have matching pairs of sneakers. Sneakers all look pretty much the same when covered with mud. The parking lot also had large areas of donated shoes waiting to be picked up. We didn't want to walk back to the race start after getting cleaned up, so we started a pile of shoes right next to our car.

I would also suggest bringing a cooler with you filled with cold beverages, mostly beer in ours, and snacks. Each warrior over the age of 21 gets a free beer at the end of the race but the beer tent was way too crowded and we couldn't bring our 16 year old daughter with us so we skipped the free beer and made our way back to the parking lot where a friend of ours had lots of ice cold beer and snacks waiting for everyone. We were still starving as we left the race site, so some of us ended up driving over to BurgerFi in Delray Beach to stuff our pie holes with burgers and fries, mmmmm!

Above: glamorous cleaning station, i.e. the lake, at the Warrior Dash. Photo by Leanne Welch.

To Race or Not to Race

I wasn't going to do the Warrior Dash as a hard core race for a number of reasons.

1. I participate in 15-20 events per year. The end of November through end of January is normally the time of year I am winding down my race season and even taking some time off from my usual workout schedule.

2. I was racing a 10k the next day at the Palm Beach Marathon. I had a goal to go for a 10k PR so I was using Warrior Dash as more of a warm up than an actual race.

3. The Warrior Dash took place mainly on the mountain bike trails of Quiet Waters Park, so that meant off road/trail running for the majority of the race. Trail running mixed with 12 obstacles on the course sounded like it would be too easy to twist an ankle which I didn't want to do.

4. I ran the Warrior Dash with a good friend of mine that was just getting back into running after an injury. I knew she wasn't going to be going for a land speed record so we did the race at a slow jog/brisk walk. Also, almost every obstacle had a clog of people waiting to go through the obstacle so we usually had to wait for a minute or two before we could actually get through the obstacles.

Above: we used our house for the staging area before leaving for the race. This is a photo of my VIP lounge sign I placed on the front door - HA-HA! Event parking was $10 per vehicle, so we all managed to fit into our mini van and friends SUV to car pool to the race. Meeting at our house allowed us to finalize war paint application, grab a cup of coffee and take photos.

Additional Information

The Warrior Dash website currently shows 38 races planned for 2012 with additional locations to be announced later in the year. The race is not limited to the United States, you can also participate in a Warrior Dash in Great Britain, Canada or Australia! Warrior Dash swag included a t-shirt, viking hat and finishers medal, SWEET!

Website: www.warriordash.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WarriorDash

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/warriordash

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/RedFrogEvents

Take care,
Lynn Smythe, AKA the Run Diva

Winter Workouts for Floridians Moving North

2011-11-30T13:53:15-05:00

Above: winter in the Adirondack mountains circa 1975.

Winter Sports Activities

Winter was so much more enjoyable when I was a kid. You didn't have to worry about getting up 2 hours before work in order to thaw out your car and clean all the snow and ice off of it. I was born in Rochester, New York; which is right on Lake Ontario, and not too far from the Canadian border. Rochester was famous for lake effect storms, where a ton of snow would get dumped on the city in a very short amount of time. Day and weekend trips included popping over to Niagara Falls, and hanging out in Toronto.

Above: Lynn Smythe, AKA the Run Diva with a giant icicle. Lake Placid airport circa 1975.

Adirondack Mountains

When I was 11, my mother re-married, and we relocated to Lake Placid, New York in the heart of the Adirondack mountains, again, not too far from Canada. Weekend trips included popping up to Montreal or Quebec. We even took a couple of ski week vacations to Grey Rocks Resort in the Laurentian Mountains. Pretty nifty. I just did a search on the Grey Rocks Resort and learned that the ski resort was closed back in 2009, although the golf courses continue to operate in the summer.

Above: opening ceremonies 1980 winter Olympics, Lake Placid, NY.

I graduated from Lake Placid Central High School in 1981, the year after Lake Placid hosted the 1980 winter Olympics. It was a pretty neat area to grow up in. The Adirondacks were a bit too cold for me to want to live there year round, I remember waiting for the school bus a couple of times in 30-40 below zero temperatures. One day the bus never came, it was so cold out they couldn't get any of the school buses started. An older couple saw me standing out at the bus stop freezing to death and stopped their car to let me know they just heard on the radio that school was cancelled. No one had cell phones or computers with Internet connections back then, I guess we communicated by smoke signals or something!?!

Above: south Florida is so hot and humid in the summer, our normal garden season is the end of October through the beginning of May.

Relocate to the South

About 20 years ago I had enough of cold weather, snow, ice, etc... and went to the opposite weather extreme by moving to south east Florida. My grandparents, who are no longer with us, relocated from East Rochester, New York to Boynton Beach, Florida when I was 8 years old. So I had been coming down to south Florida on vacation for many years before deciding to move down here permanently.

My husband, who is originally from Surf City, New Jersey, and I would like to eventually semi-retire/retire somewhere in western North Carolina. I guess that would make us half backs; people from the north, that moved down south, then moved part of the way back north. Neither of us want to go back to the bitter-bitter cold, we've visited family up north a couple of times during the holidays and nearly froze to death!

I did a bead and craft show in Asheville, North Carolina around 12 years ago and fell in love with the area. Western North Carolina, with all the forests, mountains and lakes, reminds me of Lake Placid without the bitter cold. Also, there are a lot more people living in western NC; Asheville alone had a population of around 80,000. Lake Placid has a year round population of 5,000.

Above: Asheville, North Carolina in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Pick a Town

We want to be in an area in the mountains that is within a 30 minute to 1 hour drive to Asheville, so we have been looking at towns such as Black Mountain, Maggie Valley, Hendersonville, and our number one favorite, Waynesville. We even owned property in Waynesville for a couple of years, but when the economy bellied-up we had to get rid of the property. I guess we thought we would clear the land and build a vacation home on it while still living in Florida, then eventually sell our home in Florida and retire to NC. I have a bunch of relatives living in Aiken, South Carolina which is not too far from the towns we are looking at in western North Carolina. So that would be one of the benefits of moving to NC. We don't have any relatives living near us in Florida.

I am a glass, bead, fiber and jewelry artist and really want to get back into crafting on a full time basis now that our children are all grown up. A property with a separate workshop, where I could set up my craft studio away from the house, would be ideal. I want to get back into teaching classes and selling supplies along with having an area to permanently sell my finished pieces of fused glass gifts and fused glass/beaded jewelry.

Above: snow shoe racing anyone?

Find a Winter Workout

My husband and I do a lot of swim-bike-running year round in Florida, so I started getting worried as to what we would do to stay in shape during the winter months if we move to a more northern climate. I was looking through the fall/winter Athleta catalog, one of my favorite women's work out clothing companies. There were many photos showing models engaged in outdoor activities while modeling the various clothing. There are certain fall/winter sports activities that I could see myself participating in. Some of these activities can only be done in the winter while others are modified versions of activities that can also be done in the spring/summer.

day hiking - I used to do a lot of hiking when I lived up north. You could even climb some of the smaller Adirondack mountains during a day hike. South Florida is pretty flat, and there aren't a lot of woods, and it's usually too hot and humid for my comfort level. Day hiking up north can be tricky because the higher the elevation becomes, the colder it gets. The solution is to wear layers of clothes and carry a small back pack so you can add/subtract clothing as needed throughout the day.
camping - Wait, does camping count as an athletic event? It does if you hike to your camping spot, or drive to a camp site which is located near the trail head of a hiking trail or mountain. I've only gone camping a couple of times since moving to Florida, it's just too hot and humid out most of the time. I can see myself getting back into camping, especially in the early summer and early fall, if we relocate to North Carolina. A camp fire would actually be a welcome addition to the camp site. Note; western North Carolina has had problems with droughts the past few years so we would have to check if there are any restrictions regarding camp fires.
running - I always enjoy running in cooler weather. Fall running can be done wearing warmer clothing than normal. Running in the snow/ice would require adding running cleats to the bottom of your shoes. Yaktrax make cleats that slip over your regular running shoes and enable you to run in the snow and ice without slipping all over the place. Also, I am hoping to find a lot more trail running locations than what's available in south Florida. Trail running is pretty much any trail that is off road/unpaved.
snow shoe running - there are lightweight aluminum snow shoes which are specifically designed for fast running and racing. I have seen a few snow shoe companies advertise in the winter issues of running magazines, and there are even snow shoe running races you can compete in.
cross country skiing - I used to love cross country skiing when I lived in Lake Placid. Cross country skiing, compared to down hill skiing, is a lot less dangerous and less expensive. As long as there is enough snow on the ground you can pretty much slap your skis on and start skiing from your front door.
sledding/inner tubing - Maggie Valley, North Carolina has a small inner tube sledding hill that is open during the winter. I think sledding on a groomed trail would be a lot of fun that everyone would enjoy. Maggie Valley is about a 10 minute drive from Waynesville, my favorite western North Carolina town.
ice skating - I was never any good at ice skating but I think if I invested in a good pair of skates, or even a pair of hockey skates, I would have much better ankle support and actually be able to skate. I used to love roller blading in Florida, before I got into cycling.
snow mobiling - well, not really a sport, since you're using a motorized vehicle, but I'm putting it on the list anyways. Back in the days when I lived in Saranac Lake, NY I remember taking the snowmobile to a snow covered frozen lake and taking turns being pulled behind the snow mobile while on our downhill skis, I'm guessing cross country skis would work also - YEE HAW!!!!

Above: the glamourous life of ice fishing, not an activity that appeals to me.

Winter Activities That Don't Appeal to Me

Down hill skiing - I used to do a lot of downhill skiing when I lived up north. I was much younger then. It's been over 20 years since I've done any downhill skiing and it just doesn't seem appealing to me anymore. Downhill skiing is really expensive, with all the gear and equipment you need, and the cost of lift tickets is absurd these days. And at 48 years old, I am no longer the fearless person I once was.

Rock climbing - Chimney Rock in western North Carolina offers various rock climbing courses throughout the year, including climbing over the ice covered rocks/mountains in the winter. I'm not a fan of heights so rock climbing just seems really scary to me.

Mountain biking - winter triathlons include mountain biking with spikes installed on the tires so you can ride the bikes in the snow/ice. I sold my mountain bike 3 years ago, so since I don't mountain bike in Florida, where it's hot year round, I certainly am not interested in mountain biking in the winter up north. My husband however, is a huge mountain bike fan, so I'm sure he'll mountain bike year round. That being said, I do own a single speed cyclocross bike with slightly knobby tires. I'm sure I could ride that bike in light snow on the roads and easy trails in the woods. The cyclocross bike doesn't have any suspension so I can't ride it on mountain bike trails.

Ice fishing - doesn't really seem like a sport to me, and I think I would just be bored to tears within a very short time. And I'm a bit squirmy when it comes to live creatures. I would much rather pick my fish out at the grocery store or have it served to me ready to eat at a restaurant.

Dog sleding - the dogs seem to be doing most of the work, so unless you are training to race the Iditarod, dog sleding doesn't really seem like a sport to me.. I would probably go on a dog sled ride one time if the opportunity presented itself. But I would probably wind up felling guility about the dogs having to pull the humans and would get off the sled to run alongside it.

What are your favorite fall and winter sporting activities? Leave a reply to this blog post or send an email to lynn@rundiva.net.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe, AKA the Run Diva

Run Diva Races Turkey Trots

2011-11-28T16:25:20-05:00

Above: Lynn Smythe, AKA Run Diva, at the 2011 Delray Beach Turkey Trot

Race a Turkey Trot

I participate in 15-20+ races per year. Although I mostly race in triathlons, I also participate in a few running only events every year. With Thanksgiving taking place towards the end of November, it means it's time to run a turkey trot or two. I like turkey trots for a number of reasons; they take place in almost every town, so I am able to race locally, and they are only 5k (3.1 mile) in length.

Turkey trots are usually very casual events. You will see many people running with strollers and wearing their MP3 players/iPods. Most running events prohibit participants from using strollers and music devices during the race, but the turkey trots I've participated in don't seem to enforce those rules.

Delray Beach Turkey Trot

25th Annual Delray Beach Turkey Trot
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Anchor Park
340 South Ocean Blvd.
Delray Beach, Florida

Official race results and link to photos can be viewed on the Wild Side Online website: http://www.wildsideonline.net/results/2011/delrayturkrun5k.php. My official results; I placed 7th out of 23 women 45-49 years old, 44 out of 199 women and 116 out of 363 overall in a time of 27:24. My 5k PR is 27:01, so I was a bit off my desired time, but did okay considering this was my 15th race of the year. My complete race schedule can be viewed on my Bike Diva and Run Diva blogs: http://www.bikediva.net/bike-divas-races.html.

The Delray Beach turkey trot is one of the few events that takes place the weekend before Thanksgiving. This year I participated in the Delray turkey trot on Saturday, November 19, which just happened to be my 48th birthday. This was the 3rd year in a row that I ran the Delray turkey trot. My husband would normally be interested in doing a local 5k with me, but he was out of town coaching the Palm Beach Team in Training cycle team at El Tour de Tucson. El Tour de Tucson is a 109 mile road bike ride which takes place in Tucson, Arizona.

Boca Raton Turkey Trot

3rd Annual Adolph & Rose Levis Turkey Trot
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Adolph & Rose Levis Jewish Community Center
9801 Donna Klein Blvd.
Boca Raton, FL

The Boca turkey trot took place on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday November 24. My husband was back in town so we did the race together. We also saw a couple of our friends that weren't able to get into the Palm Beach turkey trot, since it was sold out, so they travelled down south to do the Boca turkey trot.

Official results from Boca turkey trot can be found on the Accuchip Timing website: http://www.accuchiptiming.com/images/race_results/2011/Levis%20JCC%20Turkey%20Trot%202011%20-%20Age%20Group%20Results.htm. Rob finished 21 out of 55 in the men's 50-59 age group and 195 out of 730 overall in a time of 27:21. I finished 21 out of 103 in the women's 40-49 age group and 203 out of 730 overall in a time of 27:29.

Above: Left to right - Essie Faria, George McCuen, Lynn Smythe at the Delray Beach Turkey Trot.

Never too Old to Race

At 48 years old, I am still pretty young, compared to a lot of the people I encounter participating in races. At the Delray Turkey Trot I saw my friend George McCuen and his friend Essie Faria. George is a local legend and competes in many running and duathlon events throughout south Florida. George was telling me that most weekends he races, he likes to find a race on both Saturday and Sunday. This weekend was special in that he was doing 3 races. He was running the turkey trot in the morning, the holiday light 5k run that night at Tradewinds Park, and on Sunday he would be racing in another 5k in Boca. Not bad for a 77 year old.

George finished the turkey trot in a time of 26:42 and took 2nd out of 8th place in the mens 75-99 age group. And yes, he beat my time by 42 seconds! Essie is 76 years young, and finished the turkey trot in a time of 32:39 and placed first in the women 75-99 age group. Never mind that she was the only one competing in this age group, she is 76 years old and still racing, that is amazing!

Run Diva's Remaining Races

I only have 3 races left for the 2011 race season. On Saturday, December 3, I will be participating in the south Florida Warrior Dash. Warrior Dash is a 5k trail run which includes approximately 11 obstacles including mud/water pits, fire pits, cargo net crossings, barbed wire and more. My husband, 16 year old daughter and I, along with many of our Team in Training friends, will be running in the 1 PM wave. The south Florida Warrior Dash takes place at Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield Beach.

On Sunday, December 7 I will be doing the 10k run at the Palm Beach Marathon. I've run the half marathon at the Palm Beach Marathon for the past three years, and in fact it was the first ever running event I competed in back in 2008. I've done a lot of racing this year, and am a bit tired right now so I didn't feel like I had a half marathon in me this year. The Palm Beach Marathon event organizers added a 10k and 5k to this years race so I decided to sign up for the 10k, which is 6.2 miles.

On Wednesday, December 7 I signed my husband and I up for the Boca mile. The race takes place on Federal Highway in Boca Raton at 7 PM at night, immediately before the Boca holiday parade. I think it will be fun to do an evening race and it will be interesting to see how fast we can run a mile. The Boca mile benefits the Police Athletic League.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe, AKA the Run Diva

2011 Boca Holiday Mile

2011-11-20T10:36:14-05:00

Run a Holiday Mile

Here's a chance to run a race at night. The 12th annual Boca PAL Holiday Mile takes place on Wednesday, December 7 at 7 PM. The race, which benefits the Police Athletic League, occurs on Federal Highway. Participants can stick around for the Boca holiday parade which takes place immediately after the race.

I just registered my husband and I for the race. Our 16 year old daughter was interested in the race, since it takes place at night, and is never interested in getting up at O'dark-thirty when most races take place in the early morning hours. She just got her first job and is working as Santa's Helper at the Town Center Mall in Boca, and unfortunately works on Wednesday nights, so she won't be able to do the race. I think she can do a mile in around 6:30, that is super speed fast compared to my husband and I.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011, 7:00pm

Address 777 S. Federal Hwy., Boca Raton, Florida

Description: Run before Boca Raton Holiday Parade with thousands of spectators and TV coverage. Don’t miss this fun 1 mile run down Federal Hwy. (no turns) and watch the parade afterwards!! The 41st annual holiday street parade starts at 7:30 PM.

US1 will be closed. The race starts just north of Camino Real on US1 and SE 8th Street and finishes at Mizner Park (north end).

2011 13.1 Ft. Lauderdale

2011-10-13T09:00:03-04:00

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
Contact:
Gary Ferman
Specialty Sports

(954) 558-5203

SIX FIGURE BONUS TO BE OFFERED AT 13.1 FORT LAUDERDALE

US Road Sports & Entertainment Group (USRS), which produces the upcoming 13.1® Fort Lauderdale in addition to the ING Miami Marathon and Half Marathon® and the 13.1® Miami Beach, will award a $100,000 bonus if either male or female winner of the November 13 Lauderdale race is able to break the World Half Marathon Record.

The current world record holders are male Zersenay Tadese (58:23) and female Lornah Kiplagat (1:06:25). Cobi Morales, who returns to defend his crown, won last year's 13.1® Fort Lauderdale in a time of 1:14:59. Stacie Alboucrek won the women's race in 1:23:47.

The $100,000 prize is the largest single half marathon prize in U.S. history and is designed to try to lure elite runners to compete in the 13.1® series, which also has stops at Miami Beach (March 4, 2012) as well as Dallas (October 22, 2011), Los Angeles (January 15, 2012), New York (March 24, 2012), Chicago (June 9, 2012), Minneapolis (August 19, 2012), and Atlanta (October 2012).

"I challenge every runner in the world to break the World Half Marathon Record at the 13.1® Fort Lauderdale," said US Road Sports & Entertainment Group's CEO Greg Laird. "There is nothing I would enjoy more than handing a $100,000 check to the record-breaking winner on Fort Lauderdale beach. Bring on the competition."

In a separate bonus prize, USRS will award $50,000 to any U.S. citizen who wins any 13.1® Marathon Series race and whose winning time breaks the U.S. Half Marathon Record. Those marks are presently held by Ryan Hall (59:43) and Deena Kastor (1:07:34). An additional $3,500 in regular purse money will also be awarded.

The 13.1® Fort Lauderdale, a prep race for the 2012 ING Miami Marathon and Half Marathon® on January 29, 2012, is one of the most enjoyable running events of the year for local runners, who experience a scenic course that winds through downtown Fort Lauderdale and Fort Lauderdale Beach before ending with a massive beach party at the finish line.

Entertainment stations include live bands, DJ's, and cheerleaders. The Finish Line Party includes a Live Band, Beach Yoga, Sand Sculptures, Face Painting and Balloon Artists.

Runners will receive 5,000 Free Spirit Air Miles, a Spinning Finisher Medal, Craft Cool Tech shirt, Free Beer, and Pollo TropiChops.

More than 3,000 participants will start at the Broward Convention Center on 17th Street Causeway and work west to U.S. 1. They then will head north through the New River tunnel on their way to scenic Las Olas Boulevard, the famous stretch of galleries, cafes and shops that makes Downtown Ft. Lauderdale a pedestrian-friendly destination.

As the sun rises, the waves roll in and the participants head East on Las Olas toward the ocean, they then will turn north on A1A Blvd, home to Ft. Lauderdale's new 4 and 5-star resort hotels and the lively bars and restaurants that line the beach. The course continues north towards 40th Street for the turnaround and comes back down A1A where locals and hotel visitors will cheer on runners. The race will finish at South Beach Park at the south end of A1A.

The Karhu 5K will be a race within the race. The shorter 5K race targets families and walkers looking to join the fun in one of South Florida's most enjoyable running events.

"We continue to be thrilled with the growth of this race in South Florida and, in particular, the interest of the Ft. Lauderdale running community," said David Scott, General Manager for US Road Sports & Entertainment of Florida. "The 13.1® Marathon concept continues to be one of the more popular formats in running communities nationwide. It's a distance that is easily attainable for runners, the next step up from a 10K. The recovery time allows greater participation in other events much sooner. The training period is shorter than for a marathon. But it also is a training run for the ING Miami Marathon. We have found that it's a concept that will continue to grow."

Registration for the 13.1® Marathon Fort Lauderdale is presently open for $85 until November 9th. The registration fee is $95 on November 10th.

Registration for the Karhu 5K is $25 through November 9th and then $30 race week.

Registering online at www.131fortlauderdale.com is the quickest way to register for either race. Mail registrations along with the entry fee to US Road Sport & Entertainment of Florida, LLC, C/O 13.1® Fort Lauderdale, PO Box 56-1081, Miami, FL 33256.

Call (305) 278-8668 or visit www.131fortlauderdale.com.

About US Road Sports

US Road Sports & Entertainment Group is a health and wellness company dedicated to the production of world-class endurance events. The mission of US Road Sports is to offer an unparalleled participant sports experience that showcases host communities and endures as a deeply valued local asset through events that are a part of the city's culture, identity and brand. For each participant, US Road Sports strives to offer events that allow participants of all skill levels the opportunity to improve their physical and mental health and accomplish life-altering goals while having fun. US Road Sports provides sponsors and municipalities highly effective exposure to help maximize their presence and message in the community.

About Karhu

Born in 1916, KARHU is Finland's legendary running brand. Meaning "bear" in Finnish, KARHU has an authentic heritage in running and a deep connection to the outdoors. KARHU follows the Finnish principles of design simplicity and running purity in providing technical running and outdoor gear for nearly 100 years. KARHU running shoes have been worn on the feet of some of the greatest Finnish runners, including Boston Marathon champion Olavi Suomalainen, and Paavo Nurmi, giving rise to the Flying Finns. Engineering innovative products that collaborate with the foot to convert your body's natural energy into forward momentum through the patented Fulcrum™ technology, KARHU footwear products are sold globally by running specialty retailers. KARHU is owned by KARHU Holding B.V. and designs, markets and distributes KARHU branded products. For more information about KARHU, visit www.karhu.com

Champion Athletic Wear

2011-05-09T06:00:00-04:00

Run Diva Tests Athletic Clothing

I recently had a chance to test out some clothing by Champion Athletic Wear. I was contacted by their marketing department to inquire if I would be interested in testing out any of their clothing for one or more of my blogs.

I received a tank top with built in sports bra, a high support sports bra, and a pair of capri length running pants. I have been using these items during the past few weeks while doing strength training and core work at the gym, outdoor running workouts and even during a recent 5k race, and have been very pleased with their performance.

Above: Women's double dry 1/4 zip workout tank with built-in medium support bra in the seaport blue and white print color scheme. Although the built-in sports bra is listed as being medium support, at 150 pounds, I found the bra to have adequate support for me while running. In the past I have worn a separate sports bra underneath this type of top of with a built-in bra but that wasn't necessary with Champion's design.

Above: Double dry spot comfort high-support sports bra in the guava and black color scheme. A high support sports bra which can be worn under regular running t-shirts and tank tops which don't have a built in bra. Wide, comfortable, gel-filled straps, hook and eye back closure. Available in a variety of color schemes.

Above: Double dry sprint fitted women's knee pants in black. Comfortable yet secure drawstring waistband. Reflective trim on the sides of the legs makes for safe running in the dark for those early morning and/or evening runs.

Above: Bike Diva showing off Champion's double dry 1/4 zip workout tank with built-in medium support bra in the ocean blue and white color scheme, and the double dry sprint fitted women's knee pants in black, before heading off to the 10th annual Race for the Arts 5k. The race took place on May 7 at John Prince Park in Lake Worth, Florida. She placed 8 out of 20 women 45-49 and finished in 27:01, a new 5k PR for her.

Additional Information

Website: www.championusa.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/champion

Twitter: twitter.com/ChampionUSA

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva

Run Diva

New Night Race at Disney World

10th Annual Butterfly Run

Run Diva 2012 Brooks ID Member

Sunshine State Races

Run Diva at South Florida Warrior Dash

Winter Workouts for Floridians Moving North

Run Diva Races Turkey Trots

2011 Boca Holiday Mile

Wednesday, December 7, 2011, 7:00pm

Address 777 S. Federal Hwy., Boca Raton, Florida

Description: Run before Boca Raton Holiday Parade with thousands of spectators and TV coverage. Don’t miss this fun 1 mile run down Federal Hwy. (no turns) and watch the parade afterwards!! The 41st annual holiday street parade starts at 7:30 PM.

US1 will be closed. The race starts just north of Camino Real on US1 and SE 8th Street and finishes at Mizner Park (north end).

Sponsored by Citibank, Runner’s Edge and Boca Raton Police Athletic League. The race is chip timed and has a 15 minute time limit. Age groups (3 deep). 10 & under, 11-14, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60+. Top 3 Overall(M/F), Top 1 Masters.

2011 13.1 Ft. Lauderdale

Champion Athletic Wear