My fantastic weekend recap...

I had a fantastic weekend to say the least! Starting Saturday my wonderful friend Ray, who is Mobile's The Man About Town (anything going on around town this man knows about it, check him out on Facebook HERE) had invited me to a wonderful event called the Brooks Calvacade Run for Relief 5k in Gulfport MS. it was a 5k run that was put on by Run-n-Tri Company in Gulfport. See this is us...

and this is the Brooks Calvacade

My BFF and her boyfriend Lee came over for the run, lets just say they had too much fun with the free swag from Brooks, hmmmm

but let me back up about 4 hours, Ray had mentioned that there was this great running track on the new Ocean Springs bridge and that it was 3.4 mile long back and forth, and suggested we run it. Of course I was totally in for this, since I am in love with bridge running since my double bridge 15k race last month. So we parked at the lovely Isle of Capri casino, where the monthly giveaway is fantastic...

A Cuisinart Muffin pan, who doesnt need that? Yeah, I know, this is Mississippi, I guess we like to cook muffins? Ray does, can't you tell?

Back to the bridge:) the Ocean Springs bridge had been taken out by a hurricane.

This was the bridge after the Hurricane in 2006

And this the new bridge with the fantastic walking/running track

How great is that? This would be my training place if I lived in Gulfport. If you live anywhere close, go do it! Well Ray had a fantastic run. He has ran a ton of 5ks and a couple of halfs, however he is a self proclaimed "shuffler", meaning he run/walks the whole race. I am all for run/walking, I do it myself sometimes. But I wanted to show him that if he paced himself he was a better runner than he thought. So I paced him at about a 12/13 min/mile pace and he ran the whole 3.4 miles nonstop, including a sprint in the end. Before this he hadnt run more that a little over a mile without stopping and walking. I was so proud of him, he rocked it.

1.7 miles times 2 baby! Way to go Ray.

They have also placed these awesome plaques along the run as mile markers and even at the half way point they have a bench you can sit on and take in the great scenery in the pass. Its fantastic.

So on to the race and the reason we came.

We got to the Run-N-Tri store around 1:00, I had only been in the Mobile store one time. Let me tell you, it is a fantastic store for everything running, swimming, and biking. They have a great selection of energy bars and gus. And ther shoe selection is to die for. Yes, I will be back there next month or whenever I can justify buying my 100th pair of running shoes by my husband;). I was so grateful to be with Ray who does some marketing with them, because they gave me this fabulous Run-N-Tri tech shirt

Its hot pink and blue and I LOVE it! Thanks Run-N-Tri!

After that we visited the Brooks Run Happy Calvacade of Curiosity double decker bus. this thing is huge and fantastic.

If you look closely you can see Mandy and I upstairs getting our gait checked. If you dont know what that means, they basically have you run on a treadmill, barefooted for about 30 seconds, and they record it. Then play it back in slow motion and watch how your feet and ankles hit when you run. Then they determine the correct shoe for your foot. Its really cool and if you have never had it done, go to your local Run-N-Tri store in Mobile or Gulfport and they will do it for free.

Here is the shoe that I had checked there and I LOVE them

Saucony Progrid Kinvara.

This will be my next shoe however

Brooks Pure Connect.

This was a smiliar shoe to my Saucony, but it did hug my foot a little better, so I will be trying these next. Maybe next month, I love you honey:)!

So after all the fun and festivities

See, fun=size 42 Brooks running shoe! AMAZING! HA!

It was almost Run for Hope 5k race time.

$15 entry fee amd a great tech shirt, well worth it! oh and also free massages from Blue Cliff, right Ray?

He didnt want to get up, trust me! However we were called to the start line.

I was a very organized race by Run-N-Tri and I was so impressed with their marketing manager Lisa McCombs, she was fantastic and so motivating. She headed up a couch 2 5K group that I got to meet and run with and it was so motivating to be with these first time race runners and they did fantastic. here is the pic of the group

Awesome job, you guys!

I ran with Ray the whole time and we made it to the finish line in perfect fashion

And so did Mandy, our watergirl!

They had great red beans and rice, oranges, apples, and granola bars, and of course BEER, Michelob Ultra! Then they had a wonderful awards presentation outside of Run-n-Tri. My friends Rebecca and Keith, won in their age groups. They got great trophys. Overall it was a great race, day, run, everything...thanks to Ray with The Man About Town , Run-N-Tri , Brooks Run Happy® Cavalcade of Curiosities Tour, and my super cool BFF Mandy and her boyfriend for hanging with me!

One last thing, this morning when my husband and I went to the flea market we were listening to Ray, The Man About Town , cohost a radio show on Sunday mornings called The Epicurious Hour - FM TALK channel 106.5 , where he recapped our day and let me tell you if you want to know what great things are happening around Mobile, listen to this show. It starts at 9am.

Until next race moment, heres a hint