Marine Corps Marathon Expo 2015!

Entryway into the MCM Health and Fitness Expo

I love this expo.  It's one of the things I look forward to every fall race season, without question.  It's such a blast looking around at all the exhibitors and getting all kinds of fun swag...

The usual sweatshirt with all the free swag I got! 
(Clockwise:  Sports beans, smartypants vitamins, Lip balm, fruit and grain and wholesum bars from Wegman's, band-aids, a first aid bag, a cup with fliers for some VA Beach races, and blue lizard sunscreen.)

This year the exhibitors outdid themselves!  I got to try lots of fuel from Clif Bars, Health Warrior's chia bars, Shot Blox, Honey Stinger waffles and chews, Nuun (I tried lemonade for the first time and it's awesome!), and even some Turkey Hill salted caramel ice cream (yum!)

I also picked up some new gear--a few new bondi bands (discount code coming soon!!) and a RooSport pocket which I can't wait to try out!  It's essentially a pocket with waterproof fabric that hangs on the waistband of your pants (the larger portion inside) and uses really strong magnets to stay there.  For such a little pocket, it has 2 zippered portions, and an open one that you have inside your pants, along with a hole for earphones!  Can't wait to take it out Sunday morning since I've heard nothing but good things about it.

Sweatshirt with my 3 new bondi bands and RooSport pocket!

Something else exciting happened at the expo too--I got to meet Sid Busch!  

Me and Sid Busch!

So.  Who is this guy?  He is a retired Navy Senior Chef that has run 200 marathons in honor of fallen soldiers whose pictures he wears on his back and he carries an American flag the whole way.  He's run the Baltimore marathon eight times now (he said it was one of his favorites) and he's kind of a local legend (even though he's from South Carolina.)  His 200th was most recently the Baltimore marathon just last weekend.  When he was talking with my Dad and I, he told us how overwhelming it was to get the kind of attention he got for his accomplishment.  (Let's be honest though, for doing something SO selfless, he totally deserves it!)  He had so much support trying to finish his last race--police escorts on motorcycle AND in a helicopter (who he says cheered him on from up in the air), and people keeping him company along the way too.  It was great to get to meet him, and to get to tell him thank you for giving us Marylanders and especially Baltimoreans something happy to rally around after everything that's happened this year.