Baltimore Half Marathon 2016 Race Review!

Since the first time I ran the Baltimore Half Marathon in 2013, I've been curious to find out how I could do if I weren't injured.  (I had IT Band Syndrome that first time, and it was my first half marathon too!)  This year I signed up for the King Crab Challenge, which is a total of three races:  The Frederick Half Marathon (my review), the Baltimore 10 Miler (or B10, my review), and the Baltimore Half Marathon (or Full Marathon) in the same calendar year.  In addition to entry into the three races, you get an extra medal (for doing the Maryland Double) and an extra premium after you finish the Baltimore race.  This year they started giving out medals at all of the races (the medal being new for the B10) so when you finish the series you end up with 2 shirts, a jacket (the usual premium for the B10), 4 medals and the King Crab premium.

Anyways.  The Baltimore half.

So naturally it started with the expo which is at the Baltimore Convention Center.  Parking for it is free in the F, G, and H lots and they even had a free shuttle to the expo.  I thought the bus took too long and it was a gorgeous day so I opted to take the short 3/4 of a mile walk to the convention center. You start out by showing your e-card to volunteers at the bib tables in the lobby of the building.  Then after grabbing a clear plastic bag to be used for bag check you get your race shirt.

After working your way through all of the race merch sold by race organizers you are then let loose in the rest of the expo to visit the different exhibitors.  Quite a few of them have some great swag, but this year it seemed like a lot of the space was taken up by some very random companies--like one wanted to draw blood (I walked away when they said they wanted to do that), a leaf gutter company, Geico, and BGE (the main Maryland gas and electric company.)  I would've rather seen the space taken up by other running related companies that were definitely missing--Sweaty Bands and Nuun came to mind almost immediately on my way out.  (I really enjoyed seeing Sweaty Bands at the Cherry Blossom expo in the spring, and Nuun is at just about ALL the big expos.)  I didn't end up buying much, but I definitely had to get some new Bondi Bands (they've started using sublimation techniques to print some of their headbands rather than screen printing and the results are amazing!) and a new shirt from Charm City Run.

(If you don't know about the Baltimore Hon, here's a great explanation on Wikipedia!)
As far as swag goes, I came home with a little bit.

(In less than a month I'll be running the Richmond Half marathon, so when they were giving away 13.1 stickers for the race I had to grab a couple for my Dad and I!)  I ended up with the stickers for the Richmond half marathon, sunglasses from Medstar Health, a cup with race brochures from J&A Racing, a sample of Sweat-X detergent, a personalized shoe tag, a scratch and win card for the Corrigan tent sale in December and a headband from Pandora.  The first freebie I got was from the Mazda booth since they were making personalized shoe tags.  When I got to the expo the line wasn't very long at all so I took advantage of it.

Since the line was so short, I was a little under the gun to figure out how to personalize the tag.  They had some suggestions, but I looked down at my Momentum wrap bracelet that I had custom made and thought it would make a good shoe tag too.

So fast forward to Saturday morning.  A bunch of the ladies in one of my running groups decided to take the light rail into Baltimore for the race.  (After having to deal with Baltimore traffic more often than I'd like to admit, I was totally fine with paying $3.40 to avoid it.)  I got on a train a little after 8am and arrived in PLENTY of time.  In fact, I saw some of the 5k runners finish.  And I had a chance to go to a hotel bathroom that I used the last time I ran the Baltimore half marathon.  And something magical happened.  I had to get photographic evidence.

A huge empty bathroom.  All to myself.  Had to get an obligatory bathroom selfie as well.

After getting to use that bathroom all by myself I was feeling pretty psyched.   (Seriously, I almost started spinning in there because of how awesome it was and knowing that soon I would have to keep close tabs on my elbows.)

Then I trekked over to a meeting area a couple of my running groups had agreed on for pre-race pictures and so we could walk to the starting area together.  Okay, and get in one last bathroom stop.  (The hotel bathroom was just far enough away that we wouldn't be able to get to the starting line in time even if we ran.)

At this point I was feeling pretty psyched.  I couldn't believe I was doing this race again!  I was still a little nervous since this is also the race where I was injured 3 years ago.  Thankfully a pep talk from some of the ladies in my running group helped with any final pre-race jitters.

The race was a bit of a blur, but it was fun doing the race again now that I'm more familiar with Baltimore.  There were definitely more people offering beer than I remember, but I still didn't grab any.  (I did notice that some people grabbed it thinking it was water--what an unpleasant surprise!)  I also enjoyed seeing the eye of the tiger people, and all the different creative signs.  (There were lots of political ones this year.)

After finishing, I got my awesome 13.1 medal, visited the snack tables and loaded up a space blanket with various chips, granola bars two bottles of water, and my beer tickets. After leaving the runner's village, I got my King Crab premium (a wonderful, plush blanket with the race series logo), my Maryland double medal and a free beer.  The line for the beer went surprisingly fast since they had pre-filled the cups and another person was taking the tickets and handing out the beer.

After finishing most of my beer I ran into a couple friends and then we began the journey back on the light rail.  After I got back to my car and started taking off my spibelt and putting away everything for the journey home I heard a low rumble coming from above so I looked up.  It was the Sky Typers from World War II writing "Salute Our Military" in the air!!!  Definitely cool to see and it reminded me of the old dot matrix printers that I grew up using.

Since my arms were now empty (the blanket was so big, and along with the space blanket filled with snacks it was tough to be able to get many pictures.)  I could FINALLY take a selfie in my car with my medals.

I couldn't wait to get home and get a good look at the plush blanket King Crabbers got for participating in all three races.  When I finally unfolded it and got a good look at it, I was not disappointed!  After taking a shower, I wrapped myself up in it and took a nice long nap.

My cats also approve.  Lots of biscuits have been made on this blanket already!

Did anybody else run a race in the Baltimore Running Festival?? What did you think of it?

Bondi Band Compression Socks Review!

For those of you who don't know, I'm an ambassador for Bondi Band.  (Use the code THRIFTYBONDI10 for 10% off your next order!)  They recently sent me a pair of compression socks for free to review in exchange for my honest review.

Bondi Band is essentially known for their crazy designed headbands that are wide but really do a good job wicking sweat away.  I made my first purchase of the headbands at the Baltimore Running Festival Expo when I was there for packet pickup for my first half marathon, and since then I've been hooked!

My first bondi bands!  (Yes, I still wear these.  I love wearing the trick or treat one at the MCM 10k since it's usually the weekend before Halloween, and the Marines get a kick out of it when I get my medal at the end.)

The company's compression socks are no exception to their crazy patterns.  This is the first pair I got (I'm between sizes, and they were very big on me.)

I loved them but I was heartbroken that they didn't fit.  So after emailing their customer service, I was able to get another pair that fit me perfectly!

Finally got my #bondiband compression socks!! Took them for a quick run on the treadmill and so far, so good! Love the design too 😀 Want 10% off your next Bondi band order? Use the code THRIFTYBONDI10 . . #bondibandambassador #sweatpink #sweatpinkambassador #hshive #nuunbassador

A photo posted by The Thrifty Runner (@thethriftyrunner) on Jul 5, 2016 at 5:24pm PDT

That being said, I recommend that if you are between sizes, choose the smaller size.

One thing that I noticed when first putting them on, it was super easy!  Sometimes with compression socks, they're so tight that some people will roll them up to make putting them on easier.  This one I didn't need to do that at all!  The socks still offer a good amount of compression, but for some reason they were pretty easy to put on than others I've tried.

Another thing I noticed is that the socks don't offer a lot of cushioning, which is what I usually look for in running socks.  (I normally wear balega hidden comfort or contour, or sometimes I'll wear their enduro socks.)  I took them out for a short run (a 5k on the treadmill) and they felt totally fine.  It didn't rub weird or anything.  I definitely plan on taking these out for a longer run, or at least including them in my post-race routine.  (I like wearing compression socks or sleeves after a race to help with circulation, and it might help me with any potential muscle cramps.)

These socks cost $45 ($40.50 if you use the code THRIFTYBONDI10) on Bondi Band's website.  Still not sure?  Bondi Band products are sold in a few retail stores, and they can be found at most of the larger race expos.  (You can count on them being at bigger expos like the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler, Baltimore Running Festival, and the Marine Corps Marathon.)

Jingle VoxBox

So as you've probably noticed from the lineup of badges on the right, I'm involved with a company called Influenster.  Essentially they send out boxes of various products that they think you would like in exchange for doing various tasks like visiting a company's facebook page, taking pictures of the product and posting it to instagram, creating pinterest boards and writing reviews for certain products.  My most recent box was the Jingle VoxBox.  I received all of these products for free, but the opinions are completely my own!

There was SO much good stuff in this little box.  Going clockwise, I got:  A coupon for free tater tots, Cetaphil moisturizing cream, a Spiderman IttyBitty, Biscoff Cookies (YUM!), NYC City Proof Eye Liner, KISS Last Adhesive, and KISS True Volume lashes and Pure Ice nail polish in Home Run.

Interested in trying Influenster?  Click here to join and start reviewing products to get to your first sample box!!

With the tater tots they wanted us to make "totchos" and share the recipe.  I went super simple with this and cooked them according to the package instructions and just sprinkled some Old Bay on them and they were fantastic!!  (But then again as somebody who was born and raised in the mid-Atlantic, Old Bay is good on pretty much anything.)  They were super quick to cook--just 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven.  They weren't very greasy at all and were nicely browned and crispy.  For more totchos recipes check out the Kraft Recipes Totchos Hub!

Cetaphil is one of those brands that is well known for those with sensitive skin.  It's super gentle, non fragranced, and pretty much anyone with skin problems can use it.  (I've had dermatologists recommend using it along with whatever latest skin creme they've prescribed.)  This time of year the skin on the back of my hands is super dry.  (Shoveling three days in a row for almost 3 hours in total did NOT help!)  Here are before and after pictures of the lotion's effects after just ONE use.
(lotion before and after picture)
This cream I sampled in particular is meant for those prone to eczema or just very dry skin.  The lotion is not at all greasy and my dry knuckles absorbed it very quickly.  Definitely a winner. 

IttyBittys are basically Hallmark's line small stuffed animals.  There are all kinds--Scooby Doo, Disney, Marvel Comics, Snoopy and the Peanuts gang, Star Wars, and (my personal favorite) Rainbow Brite just to name a few.

If you enjoy cookies, you have to try these.  Seriously.  If you like Trader Joe's legendary Cookie Butter, you will LOVE these cookies.  They are very simply flavored (brown sugar and cinnamon) but sometimes simplicity is perfection.  One time my husband and I got them on a plane instead of pretzels and I was in heaven.  I ate my packet on the plane, then my husband's for a snack later since he's allergic to one of the ingredients.  It was such a simple way to make the plane ride a little more enjoyable.  

I'm not very big on makeup.  I only really wear it for special occasions like job interviews and weddings.  So needless to say, I'm still pretty much a novice when it comes to eyeliner.  (I'm good with foundation and concealer though!)  But this eyeliner--seriously, wow.  It was perfect for a beginner like me since I could quickly smudge away any stray marks to make the eyeliner look flawless.  I was able to put it on quickly and it cleaned off easily too!

Okay.  So remember that thing I said about being a novice when it comes to makeup?  Yeah.  The false lashes didn't work out quite so well.  (Possibly because I only had the patience to put ONE lash on because of how ridiculous I thought it looked.)  What I did was I dotted the adhesive along the lash then used the tip to spread it around so there was just enough adhesive.  Then I just tried to lay it on top of my eyelashes.  Part of my problem with false lashes is I just don't like the look of excess eyelashes, and I'm happy with the length of my own lashes.  (I get compliments fairly often on how long they are!)  If I'm putting on makeup, I'm fine with just putting on some mascara and moving on.

A photo posted by The Thrifty Runner (@thethriftyrunner) on Feb 6, 2016 at 11:53am PST

So the top of the picture is me without any eye makeup on.  The lower left corner is with the NYC City Proof Eyeliner, the lower right corner is with the false lash on just my right eye.  (A tip to getting off all that gunk:  Slather on eye makeup remover with a q-tip, then a cotton round to wipe it off!)

I may not be a fan of makeup, but I'm a sucker for a good nail polish.  This one from Pure Ice is fairly inexpensive, and the color (home run) is a lovely minty green.  I found that two coats was enough for my taste, but could probably use a third coat.  

Moda VoxBox

So I got my latest VoxBox from Influenster!  This one is called "Moda" and I was really impressed by this one in comparison to the last one.  Starting with the box, it was MUCH bigger and heavier than the last one.  (And good job on packing this one--you'll see why in a moment!)  Please note:  I received this box of goodies for free in exchange for my honest opinions on the products.

For starters, the thing that made it so heavy?

The Resource bottle of water on the left of the box!!  (It was packed in a zip top bag in case of leakage.)  It was a huge, 23.7 fl. oz. bottle of water.  It's gimmick is that it has electrolytes from the spring source that's supposed to make it have a "crisp, clean taste."  This is made by Nestle, and I'm not convinced it's any different from any other bottle of water.  I refilled it with water from my refrigerator, and it really didn't taste any different.

I'm always in the market for a new conditioner, so I was excited to see the gold bottle of Clairol's Hair Food Moisture Hair Mask in Honey Apricot (taped shut to prevent leakage.  Seriously, subscription boxes should take note--these people know how to pack their boxes perfectly!)  

Next the little white bottle towards the top of the box--Jergens Ultra Healting Extra Dry Skin Moisturizer.  It's the same great lotion you've always used, with a redesign of the bottle.  I used to use this all the time, but stopped to change things up a little bit.  I don't know if it'll be a permanent change for me, but it's definitely making my chapped hands feel better.  (We had our first freeze this week, and I had lots of dishes to wash at my volunteer job the same day.  Just those two things alone made my hands start hurting!)

I don't wear much makeup, but sometimes I enjoy wearing it to surprise my husband or when we have a big date night.  So I'm curious about the Rimmel London products included in the box--Scandaleyes Rockin' Curves Mascara, Moisture Renew Lipstick in Red Alert, and Moisture Renew Lip Liner.  (The lip liner isn't even available in the states, and seems to be new in England.)  I'll definitely give these a try.

Puffs has a new redesigned box, if you can call it that!  They now sell their basic tissues in a soft package, which is essentially a soft plastic box.  This for me is perfect for in the car, since I manage to destroy every tissue box I put in there without even trying.  The tissues themselves are basic--a nice weight, but no lotion so its good for cleaning up small messes, or a mild cold or allergies.  (These are ones I normally buy.  I'm not a fan of tissues with a lot of frills, but if a cold is bad enough I'll spring for the tissues with lotion.)  

It's also getting to that time of year when a mug of hot chocolate sounds wonderful on a cold, rainy day.  So I was excited to get a packet of Swiss Miss Simply Cocoa in my VoxBox.  I usually buy the lower sugar variety, but on occasion I appreciate a nutritional splurge.  And it's Swiss Miss.  I'm sure there are very few people out there who enjoy hot chocolate who haven't tried it at some point.  

Finally they threw in coupons--woo hoo!  They gave me 2 $3 hair food coupons, and 40 cents off a box of Swiss Miss Simply Cocoa.  

Influenster

One other way I love to save money and try new products is to sign up for companies that send you products in exchange for your feedback.  A great one that I signed up for earlier this year is Influenster.  A few times a month they send out a "VoxBox" with various themes.  I got one shortly after joining that had a beach theme and came with samples of "Not Your Mother's Beach Babe" Shampoo and Conditioner, a coupon for a free Jamba Juice smoothie kit,  Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration After Sun Lotion, nail polish, and a pain reliever shot (like 5 hour energy, but with pain reliever).  I loved everything I received in my box (minus the pain reliever shot, since I can't take OTC pain relievers due to an allergy.)

A word of caution though:  It can take awhile to get a box.  (I think my situation was a fluke since I got in just before they sent out over 5,000 of these boxes!)  How can you get a box faster?  Give feedback on products you love, and answer other people's questions about products you've tried to earn badges.  Answer their "Snap" questions and take part in ANY campaign they offer.  For example, there was one campaign where they wanted you to write eBay guides.  If you wrote 3 of them on needed topics (which they gave everyone a list of), and boom:  You got $20 to spend on eBay and a guaranteed spot in an upcoming VoxBox. I used my gift card towards my most recent Coach rehab... (It was more than $20, but the gift card definitely took out some of the sting!)

Before

After--stains totally gone, and the leather looks amazing!
I also used a brass cleaner on the zipper and the handles.

 Currently there's a campaign where you have to create 3 eBay collections, and if you create all three to their specifications (which really aren't that hard) you'll get $10 to spend on eBay!  

To join, click the link below!!  I am apart of the Influenster Blogger Network, which means that I will be reviewing future boxes I receive.  It costs nothing to join and is a great way to get free products to try out!