The inaugural Shenandoah half marathon took place this past weekend in Luray, Virginia. Despite it being an inaugural race, it is hosted by Vacation Races and they're experienced in putting on races in national parks.

While the Shenandoah half marathon doesn't actually take place IN the national park, its a point to point challenging road course that includes many farms, hills, a variety of animals, and ends by Lake Arrowhead.

There was rain in the forecast for the weekend, which wasn't ideal, especially for those who chose to camp at the Vacation Races Campground (near the finish line). A friend and I opted for the Budget Inn instead (note to readers: camping might have been more preferable).

The expo was small but fun. The shirts are green and honestly, I don't love the color but that's more of a personal preference. At the expo they had a tutorial on how to turn t-shirt into a bag and other activities. We made s'mores and found our names on the inaugural Shenandoah design.

We also took some time to ask a few questions to announcer/race coordinator, Kaelee. She'd run the course in the morning so she was able to give us some pointers and let us know what to look forward to the next day.

The race began at 7am and was a point to point race and almost entirely on road, save the first and last 10th of a mile. You could park at either the start or finish and they had school buses to shuttle runners from one point to the other. We decided we’d rather shuttle before the race than after; we parked at the finish and shuttled to the start.

At the start, there was coffee and hot chocolate. They also offered bananas and things like Vaseline and thoughtful touches that runners might find useful. It was a rainy day and there were a few pockets of storms that rolled through - the worst one about a half hour before we were to begin the race. Thankfully there was a pavilion and other places to stay dry and we came prepared with ponchos.

The rain tapered off just in time for the National Anthem. We self seeded in corrals that were broken into paces/estimated finish times and soon were on our way.

Virginia was lovely, with lots of local flair that we northerns aren’t accustom to seeing on a daily basis. We saw llamas (or were they alpaca?), plenty of cows, and were graced with the presence of a kitten in the middle of the road (right outside its house - no worries!). Our goal for this race was to enjoy it and we did. There were many hills, but we expected them and we took advantage of the downhills.

The aid stations were perfectly placed. Vacation Races is a cup free race, so they offer hydropouches or you can bring your own hydration system. I opted to get a pack (I’ve been considering it for awhile and this was the perfect reason) and ended up not needing to fill the bladder of it at all – it was the perfect amount for the half distance. They had Honey Stingers available at every aid station, as well as cut up bananas and orange slices at the later stations.

At the mile 3 aid station they even had a bin where runners could drop clothes that they’d then drive to the finish line of the race! I didn’t need to take advantage of that but they really seemed to think of everything.

The course was quiet, although it was on an open road so cars were allowed to drive along the course. In the early morning, there was not much traffic. We all looked out for each other, calling “CAR!” when there was a car either behind or coming toward us.

Mile 10 onward felt like a continuous uphill. I know that there was some downhill too but I don’t really remember much of that. It just felt like we were constantly climbing. Having looked at the elevation map ahead of time, we knew that it was coming but, whew, my hamstrings and glutes acted like they weren’t made aware of the situation!

We veered into Lake Arrowhead Park for the last stretch of the race. The support here was incredible with lots of finishers cheering us. Volunteers pointed us in the right direction since it was along grass and gravel. We turned for the last 10th of a mile and crossed the finish line with huge smiles on our faces! There was an announcer (Kaelee) standing at the finish, welcoming everyone by name.

Immediately after crossing the finish line, we were able to get our medals and our snack boxes that were filled with lots of delicious treats.

From start to finish, this getaway was an awesome!

More words and pictures can be found here: http://www.scootadoot.org/2017/09/05/race-recap-vacation-races-inaugural-shenandoah-half-2017/

When looking for a local race for the 4th of July, the Woodstown Firecracker 5k fit the bill. My son, who is mostly a non-runner, was joining me and I needed something that wasn't too challenging and that he'd enjoy. I'd heard good things from others who have participated in years past so we chose this one.

The registration fee was very affordable, $15 for me and $10 for my son (anyone under 18). Even with the couple of dollars tacked on for the transaction fee, it was less than $30.

The t-shirt is cotton (and white), so while I won't be wearing it for any running events, it's a good sleep shirt. The artwork on the front of the shirt was designed by a Woodstown High School student, which I thought was a nice touch.

It was race day bib and shirt pick up. The race started at 8am (pickup beginning at 6:30am) giving us more than enough time to get everything and put the shirts in the car. There were a few portapotties available and we also saw an ambulance near the start of the race, which I'm assuming was a "just in case" situation.

The course began at the Marlton Recreation Park in Pilesgrove/Woodstown. It was a loop around the park, then through a neighborhood, and then back in reverse through the park. Very well marked and the roads were mostly quiet with only residential traffic.

There was one water stop about halfway through. Residents of the neighborhood came out of their houses to cheer, or stood in their doorways/windows, and one even stood outside with a hose to sprinkle anyone who needed it. And on a day like the 4th of July, it's usually needed!

There's a lot of trees giving shade and coverage along the course - which is wonderful. There was a woman on a bike toward the back of the pack (which is where we were with only 186 participants) and I think she was just keeping tabs on everyone as we came around the home stretch.

No timing mats on this course, they collected the tabs at the bottom of the Road ID bibs as we crossed the finish line. Each participant was given a bottle of water as we finished. It was a quiet little 5k and a fun way to start the day!

More pictures and words can be found here: http://www.scootadoot.org/2017/07/05/woodstown-nj-firecracker-5k/

Heritage Vineyards is located 2.4 miles from my house and hosts festivals and other events throughout the year. Run the Vineyards is a series put on by Good Day for a Run and has events at over 20 vineyards in New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.

Last year I registered for the race at the coaxing of friends and quickly fell in love with everything about the race. It’s a challenging course but also familiar as it’s right near my home. The packet pickup is at the local Running Co. AND if you pick up your packet there (rather than race morning) you can save 20% on anything in the store.

The t-shirt is unisex and this year it was a nice red color. The logo changes every year and that is reflected on both the t-shirt and wine tumbler.

My time from last year was 1:01:48 and I was pretty pleased with that once I saw the course and the terrian. It’s got grass, it’s got sand, it’s got a bit of road, and it’s got tons of rolling hills. The goal for this year was to beat last year’s time and if I managed to get under an hour, even better!

This event sells out every year so I made sure to register early, back in the fall of 2016. My bro in law and sis in law made the trek down from Central Jersey to watch my younger son while I ran; we planned to picnic and hang out at the race after party, filled with music and fun running themed booths.

The race began at 9am and due to a rough start, my fam rolled into my driveway at 8:48. Normally I would have been freaking out but I knew that we would still get there with time to spare. I jumped out of the car as we arrived (8:52), found my friends (8:55), and was ready to run at 9am. How’s that for timing?!

There was no official corrals, so the 655 runners had to place themselves in the spot where they thought they’d fair best.

It’s difficult because the first stretch of the race is narrow and if you don’t put yourself in the right area, you risk either going out too fast or holding up people around you. I think I did pretty well placing myself this year and tried to be mindful of the people around me.

Free race photos rank high up there on my list of things I love to see at races and the Run the Vineyards races not only has them but they’re ready for download the day of the race.

My Garmin was a little off from the mile markers, reading about .06 behind. Interestingly, my first two miles were the exact same pace (11:45) but my legs were feeling tired, which didn’t bode well for the next 3 miles. The hills seemed to be non-stop and while the day was perfect in terms of weather (gray skies and 66 degrees), the pollen count must have been high and I was feeling it.

There were three water stops so I grabbed a cup of water at the second and third ones in an attempt to ease my throat (no dice).

Miles 3 and 4, I clocked in at exactly 12:27. Way to be consistent, huh?

The last mile consisted of one last hill, a nice downhill, and then a few more turns around the trail. I heard the announcer say “these runners are going to come in at just under an hour” and that was all it took for me to hit the gas!

I crossed the line at 59:36, which means that I got a PR of over a minute! Woohoo!

At the finish line there were bottles of water, bananas, and wine tumblers. The bib had a wine ticket and there was also wine available to purchase. My family and I spent the rest of the morning picnicking and enjoying the day.

For more pictures, feel free to swing by http://www.scootadoot.org/2017/05/02/mary-poppin-bottles-run-the-vineyards-heritage-5-miler/

First things first, the communication from RAM Racing Series’ Hot Chocolate race was above and beyond expectations. They provided a race plan at the beginning of the year with weekly emails updates. They’re quick to respond and engaging on Twitter. Post race they followed up immediately with free pictures (my favorite!) and results. All around great communication!

There’s an option to have your race bib and swag mailed to you for a fee ($15) but since my days are fairly flexible, I decided that I would travel into Center City, Philadelphia and visit the expo at the Convention Center. Unfortunately for me, the day I chose to travel, we got 3 inches of rain. Fortunately for me, I have a good pair of rain boots, an umbrella, and a positive attitude!

That said, next time I might just opt for the packet to be mailed. The expo was nothing fancy and getting to the location at the Convention Center was a bit of a hike from where things are usually located (and where I went first because I didn't realize exactly where it was located). I do like that they are very easy-going about changing out the size of the hoodie. RAM Race Series want their runners to be happy and providing options like that proves it!

It was overcast and gray skies for most of the race, lingering from the previous day’s rain. The sun was trying really hard to come through but it was mostly gloomy and on the cold side. I knew once we started moving we’d be comfortable.

The friend that I ran with had the Cherry Blossom 10 miler the next day so we planned to take this very, very easy. Less of a race mindset and more training/fun run. As such, we seeded ourselves accordingly behind the 13 minute mile pacer.

I told everyone who would listen it was my birthday (because that’s what you’re supposed to do on your birthday) and I prepared myself for 9.3 miles of awesomeness.

As usual, the first couple of miles flew by. Races in Philadelphia usually include a small stint through the city and then out along the river and back again.

You could tell that this was a first time race for many of the participants and I think that’s because the lure of chocolate is very strong, as are the distances. There are very few 15k races and it seems like a logical step if you’ve done a couple of 5k/10k distances but don’t want to do a half marathon.

Also unique to the Hot Chocolate race are the fun things you find along side of the water/Nuun… like chocolate and marshmallows!

I found the placement of the water stations a little confusing and not where I would expect them. There was one that was a little past mile 2.5 which is a perfect placement but when coming back the other direction, it was right near the end of the race. Personally, I would have benefited from one more along the course, whether it be at the turn around (so that they didn’t have to double up on both sides) or somewhere more centrally located between 7-9.

The finish line was actually a little anti-climatic. There were timing mats on the ground and photographers snapping pictures (again, I say YAY for free race pictures). However, there wasn’t a banner or arch that I guess we are both used to at this point. We did get a shout out from the announcer which was a good cue to be our cutest selves for our pictures.

We took our medal selfie with the Art Museum behind us and then went in search of our chocolate treats!

The previous days' rain made all of the grass areas big messes of mud and that’s where the entertainment stage and tents that held our finisher’s mugs were located. We weren’t going to let mud keep us away from our chocolate so we went traipsing through to get our chocolate and treats.

Finding a good spot to sit and enjoy our treats was difficult because the ground was mushy and it was a little difficult to balance everything. Finally we planted ourselves on a patch of pavement and we dug in to our finisher’s mug. The hot chocolate was delicious and perfect on the cooler day. The dipping chocolate was great but we had to eat it quick because it cooled and hardened. The race planned ahead and provided rolls of plastic bags so we were able to bring everything home with us.

I’m not quite sure what I’ll do with the finisher’s mug but from start to finish, the swag for this race was pretty impressive! Hoodie, visor, chocolate on the course, medal, finisher’s mug and treats, and free race photos? SWEET!

Hooray for a fun birthday race! Here’s hoping that I will be celebrating with running for years to come!

More pics can be found here: http://www.scootadoot.org/2017/04/03/birthday-race-recap-philly-hot-chocolate-15k/

My husband and I met on the campus of Rowan University and while we were students we did many things on campus, but I can honestly say that running a 5k was never one of those things. Twenty years later, it was the highlight of our Saturday morning. Oh, how things change!

Packet pick up was easy enough - it was at the Alumni Office or race day morning, depending on when you were able to get there. Since we live very close to the campus, I went to the Alumni Office, planning to pick up both mine and my husband's shirts and bibs. However, when I got there I was told I could only get mine because we had to sign a waiver. A suggestion for next time around would be to have that (the waiver) included during online registration. Jay was able to get his shirt and bib the day of the race before the start.

Other than that little snafu, the race was easy breezy. Early bird registration was only $20, with the price only rising to $25 after that period was over. They also had day of race registration.

It was gray and rainy on Saturday morning for this 5k and I knew that I would be running the AC April Fools half the following day so I figured Jay and I could run together at his pace. He hasn't been feeling well nearly the entire month of April so he hasn't been training much (read: at all) but he was ready to do his best.

The race started in the middle of campus, however there is not a convenient parking lot near that area so we parked on the outskirts of campus. Not a big deal considering we were about to run a 5k.

We caught up with old friends and then lined up to run. I'd wager a guess there were around 200 participants. It had a later start than most races I do; it began at 10am.

The route for the 5k was through the campus, to the perimeter of the campus, and then winding back through the campus. Since it's hosted by the Rowan Alumni Association, they did a good job of highlighting all the newer buildings on the campus. There's been a lot of changes since I graduated.

It was all sidewalk running so it was a little tight for the first mile as people tried to figure out their pacing and where they landed within the pack of runners. I know it's difficult to close the roads around campus but if the race gets bigger, I can't see them not doing that.

Although the day was gray and dreary, overall the campus was a lot prettier than I remembered. It seems like there's been a lot of attention paid to beautification projects and updating sitting areas and gardens.

We finished the race in 37 minutes and change. At the finish line there were granola bars, bananas, water, and coffee for sale from a local shop. They also had games set up. I think if it were a nicer day, people would have been inclined to linger but since it wasn't fantastic - most people either headed to the local bar and grill (that was offering 10% with the race bib) or went home (like we did).

The low cost, late start time, and proximity to my house makes this one that I'll return to again!