2012 - A year in review and a resolution

As I sit here with a little more than 4 hours left in 2012, I reflect back on the year where I shared so many happy memories and goals. 2012 changed me for the better and I want to keep this short but I know that is impossible.

Somewhere in 2012, I became a runner. I am not the fastest runner, nor will I ever claim I am. I went from someone looking for Happy Hour drinks to turning down just that to get my run in. I am just a girl who completed her first New Years resolution in 33 years by running my first Half Marathon in December. In January 2012, I signed up for my first 5K, the Disney Princess Tangled. Meanwhile, my best friend, Keri ran her first half marathon. This was the beginning of my medal obsession. Thanks runDisney. In less than one year, I went from a 5K to a half with three more halfs on the horizon in 2013.

In April, Gabe turned 30 and we went to New Orleans to celebrate. I was so happy to share my favorite city on earth with him, which is now something we now equally love. In fact, we are taking a vacation to run a half marathon in NOLA next month (the Rock n Roll New Orleans half). I would have honestly laughed at you if you informed me of this fact one year ago. I am thankful everyday for my relationship with Gabe and knew I was sitting with my soulmate during our first date. We met for the first time 15 years ago, he is my friends younger brother. Fast forward to my brothers wedding where we reconnected and never separated. Gabe has given me the best three years of my life. I know we are the perfect plot for a B movie and I am eternally thankful for all the toads I had to kiss to finally meet my prince charming.

I sit here and think of what has pushed me most in 2012. Running and blogging were my two outlets. Although I have been a blogger since 2008, I truly started this blog in 2012. I attended BlogHer 12 with my friend Darlynn. I feel this was the turning point in my current day blogging and I am ever so thankful for all the support I have received this year. I thank my blog for keeping me focused on my running and vice verse. One of my top moments of 2012 was when Darlynn called me 2 weeks ago to inform me her boyfriend of nearly 8 years finally popped the question. I will be in a big wedding in a few months my friends.

When I moved to Tampa in 2011, I had a hard time meeting people. Gabe was working full time and going to school full time. I came from a city where I was literally born and raised and knew everyone and their cats/dogs.....to a city where I knew no one. Culture shock? I reconnected with a colleague from the past, Lauren who is no longer known as my ex-colleague, but as great friend. Foodspotting introduced me to my lovely friend Leslie. Twitter/BlogHer introduced me to my Birthday twin and great friend Katie. I never thought I would be sitting here thinking Social Media would have been the outlet for finding great friends yet I cannot imagine my life without these three girls. (Lauren, why don't we have any photo's together? I have known you for 8 years?!)

I became part of Fit Fluential and Sunday Supper, two amazing groups which helped me build myself as a blogger. Thank you to both of these amazing teams who make my blog a fitness & foodie place to hang out.

In November 2012, I became a first time Aunt! I would have started this post off with her but I am trying to keep this in a timeline format. Beautiful baby Madison. I love you dearly and I HATE that I live 100+ miles away, although it is better that 1,000 miles away.

In December, Gabe gradated with his Masters in Mental Health and Rehabilitation. His graduation was the day following the tragedy in Newtown. It made me realize even more how important people like Gabe are in this world and hopefully others out there now see how important the Mental Health field is.

Now it is time for my New Years resolution. As I actually kept 2012's, I must a accomplish 2013. My knee jerk reaction would be to do the Disneyland Half to get my coast to coast medal. BUT Mom is turning 60 and there is talks of a trip to Paris.....sooooo.....yeah. Paris wins. My New Years resolution is going to be a simple one this year. Stay happy, keep running, always love and be happy. Maybe 5 Half Marathons in 2013 and start training for a full? Time will only tell.

Have a very wonderful and safe New Years. Thank you again to everyone who reads this blog. Every comment and interaction means so much to me. I am grateful to have met so many of you in real life in 2012 and look forward to great relationships in 2013!

XOXO
Megan

8

Get off the couch and run!

PHEW! Christmas went by just as fast as it came up upon us! I am still visiting my parents in Daytona Beach and had to drag myself off the couch to get my runs in over the holiday break. It was very hard to leave my mimosa drinking family on Christmas morning to get my run in. No need to worry, I made up for the lack of mimosa's later in the day.

One great thing about my parents location is that they live in a large golf course community. It isn't hard to get the mileage in. On Christmas morning, Gabe ran nearly 16 miles without having to leave the gate (I only got a 4 in on Christmas morning since I had a million things to do including cooking for 12 people):

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Gabe's 15.61

I did get 6 miles in yesterday morning. Let me tell you, running in 40 degree weather is not this FL girls kind of fun. I was asked by a polite couple who was walking where my sleeves were. When I tried to explain that my arm sleeves were in fact sleeves, they got confused. In positive news, this was the happiest I have felt since my half marathon 3 weekends ago.

I cannot believe that we will be running three half marathons in less than two months! We booked our hotel room today for the Disney World Marathon weekend. I also booked half of our flight for the Rock N Roll Half Marathon New Orleans, which I was able to use my reward points for, it cost me a total of $5 for both Gabe and my tickets.

Here is what I am currently working on with my running routine.

Extending my stride: I am 5'10" which is mostly legs, yet I have a super short stride. I wish I would have focused on this when I first started running. My first run where I did nothing but worked on my stride gave me a 7 minute mile, which I could only manage to do two. Still, someone with a 10:30 average on a good day took 3 minutes off but I was super sore. After some research, I learned I was going about it the wrong way and now I am following directions. Here is an article from Livestrong with some great tips. Right now I am incorporating yoga and going back to the gym next week to do some strength training (WAH).

No more negative thoughts: Ever since my half marathon, I lost all of my positive thoughts while out there hitting the pavement. I truly hit a mental wall. Yet with the three upcoming half's, I cannot even consider quitting, nor do I want to. Every time I get out there, I  turn my music on and bam here is my negative friend. My Mother came up with a brilliant idea: Audio books. I am an avid reader so I thought I would give this a try. I did some web research, learned about Audible, an app that syncs with your kindle device and bought a new book. My 6 mile run was the most mentally sane run I have had in 3 weeks. I loved it and I am so happy my Mom suggested this to me.

Stretch more and ice baths: This is two things I always give advice on but never take myself. I am no longer going to be the pot calling the kettle black. I have to start stretching, using my marathon stick and taking ice baths. My ankle is not happy with me and I know it is due to negligence.

What are your struggles when it comes to running? Do you have negative thoughts? What is one thing you would like to change?

Also, I have $10 off coupon codes for both the Rock and Roll Half Marathon in St. Petersburg and New Orleans:
Rock n Roll St. Petersburg: RockSTP2
Rock n Roll New Orleans: RockNola2

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Rock n Roll St. Petersburg Half Marathon Medal Revealed abd a Mini Marathon

Discount Code for Rock n Roll Savannah - WINESAV

With my love of medals, I was super excited to see the reveal of the Rock n Roll St. Pete 1/2 Marathon  medal. It is perfect and I cannot wait to add it to my collection!!

It is hard to believe that this race is 6 weekends away. With that said, Monday is the last day to register before prices go up. Right now the entry fee for the 1/2 marathon is $95. On January 1st, the prices will go up to $105. Register today to use the Rock n Roll St. Pete coupon code ROCKSTP2 and you can get the race for $85.

Rock n Roll St. Pete also added a mini run to the line up! It's a 5K distance, with a finisher medal and certificate, an official event tee, One FREE Michelob Ultra at the finish line, festival live bands and cheer teams along the course finish line festival. Use the discount code ROCKMINI to save $5 at checkout. Click here for more details.

Here is the updated Rock n Roll St. Pete course map with the half marathon course (red) and the mini marathon course (purple)

Click here to register for the St. Pete Half Marathon and save $10 off using coupon code ROCKSTP2!

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Merry Christmas to all

I am taking the next two days off to spend time with my family and friends. I hope everyone out there has a wonderful Christmas.

Cheers!
xoxo, Megan

Santa Girl Martini by Halftime Designs

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Creme De Menthe Cake for #SundaySupper Home for the Holidays

This week’s Sunday Supper Event is all about family, heritage and traditions, hosted by Galactopdx. I've recently shared a few of my families recipes during #SundaySupper and today I am featuring my Nanny Wood's Creme De Menthe bunt cake. This cake was made for every holiday and smelling it bake will always remind me of my childhood.  This is a simple cake, made with yellow cake mix, pistachio pudding, chocolate syrup and creme de menthe.

Ingredients 
1 pkg yellow cake mix
1 pkg (4 serving) instant pistachio pudding
1/2 c orange juice
1/2 c creme de menthe
4 eggs
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c hershey chocolate syrup (if you can find the one in a can, get that!)

Directions
1 Preheat Oven to 350
2 Combine cake and pudding mix. Add eggs, beating one at a time. Add all other ingredients (except choc syrup). Beat well.
3 Pour 2/3 batter in greased bundt pan.
4 Mix remaining batter with chocolate syrup and add to the top DO NOT MIX, JUST LAY ON TOP.
5 Bake at 350 for 55 min.
Cool for 30 min then remove from pan.

What are you family traditions? Come share them with us this week during our #SundaySupper chat at 7 pm Eastern Time. Check out these fabulous Home for the Holidays recipes from the #SundaySupper family!

Sunday Supper Recipes: 

Breakfast
- Orange Refrigerator Rolls by The Wimpy Vegetarian
- Eggs Benedict by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Holiday Cream Cheese Tea Ring by That Skinny Chick can Bake
- Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake by Small Wallet Big Appetite

Appetizers & Snacks
- Chicken Liver Pate by Tora’s Real Food
- Bindaetteok {Mung Bean Pancakes}by Kimchi Mom
- Crab and Asparagus Soup by The Urban Mrs.

Sides
- Potato Salad {Schwaebischer Kartoffelsalat} by Galactopdx
- Italian Orange Salad by Shockingly Delicious
- Sweet Potato Casserole by Magnolia Days
- Carrots au gratin by Juanitas Cocina 

Main Dishes
- Char Siu Bao – Chinese Roast Pork Buns by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
- Savory Crepe Cake by Vintage Kitchen Notes 
- West Indian Curried Goat by The ROXX Box
- Pot Cheese and Potato Cheese Pierogies by Cupcakes and Kale chips
- Seafood Gumbo and Grilled Oysters: A Louisiana Christmas Tradition by the Catholic Foodie
- Mom’s Paella by What Smells So Good?
- Portuguese Chorizo Crown Pork Roast by Family Foodie
- Dorie’s Chicken in a Pot by Gotta Get Baked
- New Year’s Eve Buckwheat Noodles with Mochi by The Ninja Baker
- Crab Cakes for Christmas Eve by Daddy Knows Less 
- Mile High Lasagna by Cravings of a Lunatic 

Desserts
- Pizzelles {Italian Wafer Cookies} by Chocolate Moosey 
- Fudge by Dinner Dishes and Desserts 
- Crescent Cookies by Cookistry
- Christmas Stollen by Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks 
- Pfeffernusse by The Foodie Army Wife
- Creme De Menthe Cake by I Run for Wine
- Panettone Bread Pudding by the Country Girl in the Village
- Spiced Gingerbread Gooey Butter Cake | A twist on a St. Louis Favorite by Daily Dish Recipes 
- Chocolate Gingerbread Layer Cake with Eggnog Cream Cheese by Crispy Bits and Burnt Ends
- Jamaican Christmas Pudding by Lovely Pantry
- White Chocolate Cranberry Santa Cookies by Mooshu Jenne
- Christmas Tree Cookies by Damn Delicious 
- Old Fashioned Lady Fingers {Creamhorns} by The Meltaways
- Rose Milk Almond Falooda {Indian Dessert Drink} by Sue’s  Nutrition Buzz

Drinks
- Wine Pairings by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
- Cinnamon Infused Hot Chocolate with Southern Comfort WhippedCream by Mama Mommy Mom 

What does it mean for you to be Home for the Holidays?  Please join on us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper on December 23rd.  In the evening we will meet at 7pm EST for our #SundaySupper to talk about our Holiday Traditions.  We are so excited to have you join us.  All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag or you can follow us through TweetChat.

Please feel free to share with us and our followers your favorite Holiday recipe on our #SundaySupper Pinterest Board.  We are excited have you Around the Family Table for this special Holiday Meal.

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Joel Stein's Book Tour and Tampa Food Truck Competition

Last Wednesday night was unexpected times 1,000. Times columnist Joel Stein is currently on tour promoting his book, Man Made: A Stupid Quest for Masculinity. He decided to make a stop in Hyde Park, Tampa for a Food Truck and Wine Tasting benefiting Meals on Wheels while telling us a little about his book.

This event was incredible, unlike any other I have been to. There were four food trucks in attendance competing in a food truck challenge, Wicked Wiches, Two Asians and a Grill, Tasty Stacy and Maggie on the Move. Each truck was cook a dish using wine provided by Stark Raving, which was also the wine paired with each dish. Sounds awesome right? How much? Completely free. Each attendee received 2 tokens which would give them two full plates from the four food trucks. All they asked was for a donation benefiting Meals on Wheels.

Oh and Little old me was asked to be a judge for the event, along with two other Tampa Food Bloggers, Leslie (Dash of Les) and Blaire (Dreaming Ingredients)!

As we were getting ready to go on stage to drink and eat our lives away, I see my phone ringing and it is one of my best friends from home, Darlynn (Little Blog Dress). I almost sent her to voicemail but I felt the need to brag that I was about to go on stage with Joel Stein. I didn't get the words out of my mouth as I hear "I AM ENGAGED!!!". So of course I promptly start crying like a baboon. Dar and her and her fiance have been dating for nearly 8 years and I have waited a long time to hear those words come out of her mouth.

Time to dry my tears of happiness and go on stage with Joel Stein. As happy as I was to be here at this moment, I really wish I had a jet to take me to Daytona so I could celebrate with my friends.

Check out all of this food! Full size portions at that!

Thank god I wore a loose shirt. We started at the far end of the table and went down course by course.

Course 1 was by Maggie on the Move. Stark Raving Lamb-Marinated Lamb kabobs over grilled asparagus and toasted almond couscous, village salad and baklava. It was amazing and I love this new food truck.

Course 2 was by Tasty Stacy. I am familiar with Stacy as she has parked at my office a few times over the past year. Her food was always delicious and I couldn't wait to see what she had for us:  Homemade manicotti with Stacy's tomato sauce made with Stark Raving Cab, a tarralle made with Stark Raving Red, and a showstopping caprese stack with a balsamic and a Stark Raving Malbec glaze.

As if that wasn't enough, Tasty Stacy also presented us with a jaw dropping intense cookie. If you ever see Tasty Stacy's food truck, stop whatever you are doing and get yourself one of these cookies. 

Course 3 was from Two Asians and a Grill who made us a traditional Korean beef dish called Bul-gogi, with a CAB wine paring twist. This was a very nice dish with great flavor. I was very impressed with this food truck. I look forward to trying more of their dishes!

Finally Course 4 by Wicked Wiches who happened to be the very first food truck I ever ate from in my life. They were at my office twice a week for a long duration of time. I became very familiar with their food and was always impressed with their creative take on food. Of course they came with their guns: Stark Raving 'Red' Mango Pulled Pork, A Cuban Philly Cheese (OMG), a Stark Raving 'White' Lobster Poutine (Double OMG), and a Blackberry 'Malbec' Hibiscus Gourmet Popsicle.

And the winner goes to....drum roll please.....

Wicked Wiches!! $2,000 was donated to Meals on Wheels and overall this was an amazing night (I know I already said that). I left very full and a little tipsy with a giant smile on my face. Good times!

3

runDisney announces Dumbo Double Dare at Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend

On December 19, runDisney announced an addition to their Disneyland Half Marathon weekend. They have added a 10K to their lineup. I saw the announcement but didn't give it much thought. I ran into Rachel from Runners Tales at dinner the night of the announcement. Rachel asked if I heard the big news, then told me one thing I didn't pay attention to.

Dumbo Double Dare: Those who run the 10K on Saturday and the Half Marathon on Sunday will be part of Dumbo Double Dare! This is amazing news to someone like me. I admire those who are able to complete the Goofy Challenge but I know even at my best, I will never be able to complete that. But 19.3 miles over two days I can surely do.

Dumbo Double Dare will feature: Two courses through Disneyland® Resort and the City of Anaheim, California totaling 19.3 miles of Disney Characters and on-course Entertainment. Dumbo Double Dare will receive: Champion® Unisex Short-Sleeved Tech Shirts for the Half Marathon, 10K and Dumbo Double Dare, Special Dumbo Double Dare finisher medal, along with Disneyland Half Marathon and Disneyland 10K finisher medals for completing the Half Marathon and 10K.

Not only would we receive three medals for completing the Dumbo Double Dare, we would also receive the Coast to Coast medal! Rachel and Gabe are both running the full marathon during Disney World Marathon weekend and I am running the Half Marathon. We would be covered in bling! I got "permission" last night that we could sign up for this race when registration opens on January 22nd. I hope Santa brings me a medal holder because the gator is starting to run out of room.

Cheers to another vacation planned around a race!

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Love with Food December Box and coupon code

I cannot express how much I love my monthly subscription box, Love with Food. I was super excited to hear that Love with Food was featured by one of my favorite celebrity chef's Andrew Zimmern. I have never been disappointed with anything I have received in my previous boxes plus it feels good to give back to the community. I have been introduced to new foods and I have a lot of fun making Gabe's lunches with the different snacks we receive.

This month's box was the Holiday themed Love with Food box!!

The first thing that caught my eye in this box was the Fleur de Sel Caramel Popcorn from 479 Popcorn. That's right....salted caramel popcorn. I could eat bags and bags of this stuff. It was so delicious. 

Next up was the Belgian Milk Chocolate dipped nutter butter from the big chocolate dipper. I literally hid this from Gabe. This one time, I hope he doesn't read my blog on a daily basis because I don't want to hurt his feelings. The Honey Cinnamon Almonds from Nunes Farm were excellent. I used them in a spinach, egg and chicken salad for dinner the other night. The have the perfect amount of sweet and spice for salads.

I loved that this box had an assortment of different holiday candies. Both the Candy Cane Truffles by Kara Chocolates and the Chocolate Tasting Squares from Madecasse lasted all about 5 seconds after opening the box. I swear, Gabe is like a puppy when I open my subscription boxes. The Holiday salt water taffy from Taffy Town was a shocker. I didn't read the description, so when I thought I was eating a banana flavored taffy, it was actually eggnog. Delicious but was not expecting that. The other flavors I received were cinnamon rolls and spearmint snowman.

Finally, a Gingerbread boy with white chocolate from Nikki's cookies, which Gabe had in his lunch today along with Mocha Mint Cappuccino from Hills Brothers. Love love love!

Another successful box from Love with Food. For November and December, Love with Food donated two boxes of food for Hurricane Sandy survivors for every subscription box sent out.  You can sign up for January's box by clicking here. Also, Andrew Zimmern has a coupon code for $5 off by using AZVIP at checkout.

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New Orleans Rock n Roll Half Marathon Coupon Code

New Orleans is our happy place. I will even state it is my favorite city to visit in the US. A short one hour direct flight from home and we are in the Big Easy, sipping on Hurricanes, eating crawfish and being blissfully happy. I am excited to state I have a discount code for my readers for the 2013 Rock and Roll Half Marathon in New Orleans, ROCKNOLA2.

A few months back, Gabe and I made the decision to take his graduation trip in the months following December due to so much going on for the holiday's. We then saw that the New Orleans Rock n Roll Half & Full Marathon is scheduled for February 24th. We can go on vacation and do one race we always talked about doing. Originally we were going to do the 2 person relay but being we are doing the Rock n Roll St. Pete Half as well, we didn't want to jeopardize not receiving our heavy medals for running multiple RNR races.

So here we are, signed up for three half marathons within a month and a half span!! I am super excited about running the Rock and Roll Half Marathon in NOLA for multiple reasons: It's our favorite city so it makes sense to make this our first out of state race. We love the architecture of the city, I cannot imagine a prettier race. I cannot imagine a bigger after party. The Rock and Roll Marathon course is below, the purple line is the half and the full marathon is both the purple and red lines. I have a feeling the on course entertainment for this race is going to rock. Literally.

Both sets of our parents are coming up for the race! My Mom hasn't been to NOLA in 35 years and none of the other parents have ever been. This is going to be one crazy trip! Although Gabe has been to NOLA before, he has never seen Bourbon Street during the weekend. He has no idea what he is going to encounter.

The coupon code for the Rock and Roll Half Marathon New Orleans will save $10 off your entry fee. Again, it is ROCKNOLA2 and you can click here to register. If you are coming up for this race, send me a note. I would love to say hello before or after the race!

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An Ultimat Giveaway - The Lime wants to give you a bottle of Vodka

The Lime, who is about to unveil their new name at their New Years Eve party has given me a bottle of Ultimat Vodka which I will gift to one of my lucky Tampa readers (if you are not from Tampa or are not willing to drive to Tampa to pick up the vodka, please do not enter)!  Ultimat is from the makers of Patron and is retailed at $43! Now that's a fancy Vodka.

The Lime's New Years Eve party starts at 9pm: they will have no cover charge, $4 tequila shots, $100 bottles of 1800 tequila, free appetizers, and a DJ will be playing music. 

My friend Katie (Ruffles and Truffles) and I are both Cosmopolitan girls. As we were both selected to host this contest, we decided to run the contest together giving our Tampa readers double the chance at winning! Aren't we nice :)

Winning is simple. We are both using RaffleCopter so after you enter on my page, visit Katie to enter on her page so you have double the chance at winning a liter bottle of Ultimat Vodka. To enter, you must leave at least one comment letting me know what your favorite vodka cocktail is. You can get 10 extra entrees if you leave a SEPARATE comment telling me your favorite Cosmo recipe. There are 9 total methods of entry, the first commenting on your favorite cocktail which is the only mandatory item. The rest are just extra chances for you to win.

A few rules:

• You must be 21 years old to enter. 
• You must be a Tampa local (or willing to drive to Tampa to pick up the Vodka)
• You must leave at least one comment below letting me know what your favorite vodka cocktail is. This 52 second video provides a tutorial on how to enter a giveaway for Rafflecopter newbies!
• The winner must pick up the bottle of Ultimat from the lime, located at 915 S. Howard Ave, Tampa 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

21

Domaine Ste Michelle: #TGTaste December

When my friend Lauren (Tampa Uncorked) told me about this online virtual wine tasting group called Thirsty Girl, I was instantly intrigued. When my membership was accepted, I was ecstatic. I sat patiently for my first box of wine to arrive for the December 19th virtual tasting. On Thursday night, my UPS man called me to make sure I was home since he had an adult signature required delivery. Upon opening the box, I was a very happy girl.

YAY!! Two bottles of Domaine Ste Michelle which is one of my absolute favorite sparkling wines! Not to mention, I got a Brut and a Brut Rose. I love making Mimosa's with Brut. Sometimes I will make Bellini's as well.  The Domaine Ste Michelle Brut is a mix of 88% Chardonnay and 12% Pinot Noir. No wonder I love it....The tasting notes state that it pairs well with Sashimi. Sign me up!

For Brut Rose, I either drink it straight or as a Poinsettia (rose brut with cranberry juice). I was introduced to wild hibiscus edible flowers while in NYC at Chef Burke's restaurant, David Burke's Townhouse. The Domaine Ste Michelle Rose Brut is 100% Pinot Noir. It pairs well with fruit so it was a no-brainer to use the Rose Brut for poinsettia's with a hibiscus flower. They made a perfect delicious pair!

I was provided with this wine to participate in the Thirsty Girl virtual tasting which will be taking place Wednesday, December 19 at 8p.m. EST. Join me on Twitter @IRun4Wine and follow hashtag #TGTaste to talk about these wines - during the chat, we get to ask the winemaker questions @stemichelle. Here is to bringing in the holiday's with a little bubbly. Cheers!

3

The Color Run St. Petersburg - colorful happiness

I have ran my fair share of races over the past year. I've collected bibs, medals and glassware. Some were more organized than others but most were a ton of fun. After this weekend at The Color Run in St. Pete, I didn't get a medal, but I got covered in paint. It was an absolute blast and I will never be able to look at another race the same. The Color Run's claim to fame is that it is the happiest race on earth and I couldn't agree  more. It was also very organized and well put together. Saying I am impressed is putting it very lightly. Hands clapping and two thumbs up for you Color Run.

The Color Run Aftermath

We started off the race with 12,000 other Color Runners, dressed in white. A few of my friends were also at The Color Run but I was unable to meet up with them. 12,000 Color Runners is a lot of people and we should have made a dedicated meeting spot (note for those running this in other cities with others). At the start of the race, there were white shirts everywhere you looked. So many people dressed up too which you know made me very happy! I saw tutu's, white graduation gowns, colorful socks and I even saw a few wedding dresses. I knew instantly this was going to be a blast.

Before the Color Run

The first color we hit was pink. I was very unsure of what we were going to experience and didn't grab a decent action shot. I knew better when we came around to blue. Note, I had my phone in an otter box and an arm band to protect it from the paint. After the blue stop, I no longer could see anything on my screen since my otter box was covered in paint (which washed off).

Color Run Paint Stations

I didn't have my GPS, there were not mile markers and we didn't have watches. I had no sense of time and decided to take a walk break during the first water stop. Since this was a a fun run, timing devices were not involved and I would say about 80% of the 12,000 people were walking. The orange station appeared right after the water break and it was skinnier than the others. It almost felt like we were a herd of cattle getting ready to be painted orange rather than branded.

Color Run Paint Stations

Once we got through orange, we were literally in the streets of Downtown St. Pete. I am sure 12,000 people covered in paint is a site to see. Yellow was close to the finish line and by that time, everyone was covered head to toe in various colors of paint.

Color Runners

As we neared the finish line, all you could see was clouds of paint shooting into the air from a distance nearby. At package pick up,  we received a small bag of dry paint. We were encouraged to save the paint for the end. I turned to my loving boyfriend as we crossed the finish line to only find yellow paint dumped on my head. Thanks Babe. I turned around and covered him with my fuchsia paint. Then random strangers were coming up asking me to put my pretty purple paint on them.

The Color Run After Party

What we didn't know was that paint was to be used at the after party where thousands of people released their paint at one time (see bottom left photo). It was beautiful!!! After the race, we were able to get the majority of the color blown off of us. This was a good thing being Gabe graduated that night with his Masters in Mental Health. I will give a piece of advice to those running it, try your hardest not to get wet. If you get the dry paint wet, it is harder to remove. The Color Run paint is easy to remove though. We used sugar scrub for those spots that were being stubborn.

Getting Color Run Paint Off

I asked Santa for the new Lite Brite Asics Nimbus 14. My current shoes must feel a little jealous as they took on the colors of the rainbow! The next stop on the tour is Color Run Orlando on January 13th!

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