Memorial Day Flag Relay Run from Mobile AL to Pensacola FL...

Did you guys have a great Memorial Day?

I participated in the Memorial Day Flag Relay Run from Mobile to Pensacola Monday morning. Myself and a little over 40 other runners ran the American Flag and Support the Troop flags the 60+miles from Mobile Alabama to Pensacola Florida. Runners were able to sign up for 2 mile stretches. Some runners signed up for multiple miles. I was planning on running the 2 miles with my friends Patti and Gwen at 7:40am. Then I drove over to Loxley AL and ran the 2 mile stretch with my bff Melanie and Hollie. It was an absolute honor to be involved in this run. It was a very emotional day full of cheers, honks, and, and salutes.  I really wanted to share some of the photos with you guys...

Hollie, Melanie, and I running on Hwy 90...



A very powerful moment when this woman driving in the opposite direction stopped her vehicle and got out to salute the runners...



Our group including my daughter running over the causeway in Baldwin County...




Running past the U.S.S. Alabama Battleship...



Melanie and Hollie smiling proud...



Handing off to the next group...



Melanie handing the flag off to me...



I was excited that me kiddos got to join us for such an amazing event....



My little runner, she was excited to run...



Thanks so much to my friend Patti for letting us run with her on the causeway. It was a really fun morning.



The relay started out around 7am and they reached Pensacola FL a little after 2pm. It was an awesome day and I am already looking forward to next year.

A HUGE thanks to Aimee Meaux for planning this relay, I have a feeling it will be even bigger next year.

What did you guys do on Monday for Memorial Day?
Did you run?

SWASH™, the 10-Minute Clothing Care System Review

Hey guys, I don't normally do non-athletic reviews however I wanted to tell you guys about the SWASH™ System from Best Buy. 

Why? Because we all know how stinky and musty our gym/running jackets and pullovers get. We don't always wash them regularly and we wear them over and over again. Now with the SWASH™ System you can refresh and sanitize your jackets and clothes daily in under 10 minutes. #boommmmmm! 

Also being a full time athlete means I don't have the need to dress up very often but when I do, I hate having to get my clothes out of the closet to iron them. Now there is no need to drag the ironing board out and wait for the iron to heat up and TRY to get all those pesky little creases out, you can let the SWASH™ System do it for you. Check it out...

The SWASH™ System is the only in-home 10-minute clothing care system designed to be convenient enough to fit your life. The SWASH System will dewrinkle, refresh, restore and preserve your clothes, so say goodbye to excessive washing, drying, steaming, ironing, and dry-cleaning, all of which can start to fade your fabrics and break them down.

Check out the features of The SWASH™ System:

• Intuitive Light System: A series of white, blue and orange lights count down cycle lengths and completions, and signals when an error has occurred.
• Adjustable Hanger:  The adjustable hanger expands and contracts, making it easy to hang items, no matter the size or clothing type.
• Smoothing Clips: Experiment using Smoothing Clips with each item of clothing to provide the right amount of tension for maximum wrinkle release.
• Fits Anywhere, Easily: Its quiet operation means the SWASH system can be placed almost anywhere in your home. Place it in close proximity to your clothes, like in a walk-in closet or bedroom. It comes in two colors, shadow and linen, to match the decor of almost any space.
• Quick and Simple Setup: Installation is as easy as plugging the unit into a 120-volt standard wall outlet. No water, plumbing, pipes, vents, professional installation or special hookups are required.
• Extra adjustable hanger so you can refresh two garments at once.
• Extra pocket smoother to use on dress shirts.

I also love the way that the SWASH™ System fits right into your room and looks like a piece of furniture and doesn't take up to much room...

SWASH™ Saves You Time by helping garments to look their best in as little as 10 minutes.¹ So say goodbye to excessive washing, drying, ironing and dry cleaning.

SWASH™ Saves You Money – People who dry clean at least once a month spend about $758. With the SWASH™ system, you can cut your dry cleaning bills by over 50%!

SWASH™ Saves Your Clothes because the system is gentle and doesn’t wash away dyes or cause pilling or fading, so you can actually extend the life of your clothes.

The SWASH™ system is only available at Best Buy in two colors, Linen and Shadow. It’s available for purchase for $499.

Offers available now at Best Buy-

5/17-6/6 – Buy any Whirlpool laundry pair, get $150 off Swash clothing care system

6/7-6/20 – $75 Best Buy Gift Card when you buy a SWASH System

Check out +Best Buy and see what all the fuss is about the all new Swash System. #SwashatBestBuy

@SwashOfficial on Twitter

@BestBuy on Twitter

Disclaimer:The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free. All opinions are my own.

Crepe Myrtle Trail Bike Ride

This past Saturday was the Crepe Myrtle Trail bike ride presented by Mobile United.

Featuring:
• Historic opportunity to bike ride the east side of Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley (on the water side of the runway)
• Fun and educational talks about the Crepe Myrtle Trail and the Mobile-Tensaw Delta Estuary.
• Fun group ride with beautiful views of Mobile Bay. 

My mom and I met up with Marjorie and Anita around 8:30 on Saturday at Arlington Park.



The weather was not great that morning, but it was perfect at ride time. We lined up for the 12 mile bike ride around 9:00 with 150+ of our friends.



The ride was through parts of Brookley Field...



and along the Mobile Bay...



My mom was having a blast on the ride. (Note: It was a leisure ride on a back trail, so helmets were optional)



Around 3 miles in we stopped for a picture opportunities while we were waiting for clearance to cross the runway at Brookley...







At the 6 mile mark we stopped and they had snacks and water for everyone...







Mikos Italian Ice brought out some amazing flavors for us to try...



They also had some of the proposed projects Mobile United has planned for our community...



We headed back to Arlington Park. It was a wonderful day with amazing friends...



We ended the ride out on the pier at Arlington Park.



If you ever get the chance to just do a casual ride in your town, take advantage of it. We had the best time riding, laughing, and taking in the sights.

Thanks to Mobile United and the Delta Bike Project for putting the ride together.
Have a great day...

Big Easy, Big Heart 5k NOLA race recap (Guest Post by George Melichar)...

Another awesome race report from the amazing George Melichar...

The Big Easy Big Hearts 5k took place in New Orleans, Louisiana- USA the 2nd of May, 2015.

New Orleans Mission was the charity benefactor for this event. The New Orleans Mission provides food, shelter, clothing and spiritual guidance to the city’s homeless, hurting and hungry.

Race packet pick-up + race day entry was at the Hard Rock Cafe New Orleans.

With 518 race runners and walkers at the 5k start coral; the empowering version of the national anthem and community spirit at the Start Line was a great moment to see.

The race course went through the French Quarter, Faubourg Marigny, Frenchman Street, French Market area, past Jackson Square & the Saint Louis Cathedral(Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France), down Bourbon Street, finishing at The Hard Rock Cafe at Iberville/Bourbon Street.

The 1st New Orleans Crawfish Race took place on Bourbon Street.

Smoothie King was on hand providing samples of their smoothies and Kentwood Springs provided the finishers with water. The after party had a DJ and pastalaya(a pasta & jambalaya fusion) made by the Mission Chefs!

At the party I enjoyed meeting NOTC(New Orleans Track Club) members, Mission Chef's Shad Ellison + Hard Rock Ambassadors.

The coolest part of the event was seeing all the friends, and local runners + participants in town for Jazz Festival active in NOLA! NOTC member Jennifer Neal said "this race had one of the best courses and after parties in New Orleans"!

Look at the amazing medals they gave out...

#RunLoveRock Geo

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Thanks Geo! 

If you guys want to come and enjoy one of New Orleans great races with us. Come to the Crescent City Connection Bridge Run on June 6th. 

What better way to celebrate the start of summer than with a great evening run across the iconic Crescent City Connection!  At four miles and rising to a height of more than three-hundred feet over the river, the Allstate Sugar Bowl Crescent Connection Bridge Run gives participants a breathtaking view of the city's skyline at sunset.  

Join us to run or walk the most unique course in the South.  Participants start on New Orleans' "West Bank" and cross the Mississippi River via the Crescent City Connection Bridge.  Ending along the river in the Warehouse District on the "East Bank", the Bridge Run is a favorite among both serious runners, young professionals, and partiers alike!  Experience the skyline and enjoy an evening at a post-race party only the folks from the Crescent City Classic can throw!

Join George, Jennifer, Leah, Charlotte, Amy, and myself will be there to bring you all of the fun and excitement that is RUNNOLA!

HAVE YOU EVER RUN A RACE IN NEW ORLEANS?
WHAT ABOUT A BRIDGE RUN?

Osprey Open Water Swim Race Recap...

This past Saturday, Melanie and I headed to Ocean Springs MS for the OSPREY open water 1 and 2 mile swim race, aquathon, and 10k. 

I was swimming the 1 mile and Melanie was running the 10k. I had never done just a swim race. I usually am the swimmer in a tri relay, so this was going to be my first actual open water swim race. I was super excited to see that we would be swimming in the beautiful Mississippi Pass in Ocean Springs, it is gorgeous.

As you can see behind us when we got there they were setting up the bouys for the 1 and 2 mile swim. the water was so calm and right at about 65 degrees. Perfect swimming weather.

We met up with my friend Chris who was doing the 2 mile swim race. He looks like he is going to slap me but I think he was blocking the sun, I think? LOL

The OSOSPREY has 4 options; the 2 mile swim, 1 mile swim, the aquathon (1mile swim and 10k), and the 10k road race. Having 4 options to choose from was hard. I had decided to just do the 1 mile swim mainly because I am still having problems with swimmers shoulder and didn't want to aggravate it anymore. Melanie was going to run the 10k because she had 6 miles on her training schedule for Saturday, so she raced it. 

The swims were starting at 8:15, so they had a mandatory athlete meeting at 8am. They went over the course and how we were supposed to enter and exit the water. 

They also made it very clear that the race should be very safe and they had a ton of water craft in the water. Kayaks, boats, and jet skis covered the entire course. I never felt unprotected in the race. When your swimming in open water,  its always comforting to have a few extra eyes to look out for animals, boats, and other water issues. 

We met up with Coach Anita and Damaris at the start, As you can tell the race was wet suit optional. I decided to wear my wetsuit pants and long sleeve tri suit. It was perfect. Anita wore a full sleeve, Chris wore a sleeveless wetsuit, and Damaris wore just her suit. The water was perfect for pretty much anything. 

They lined us up by race number for safety reasons and recorded and counted everyone that went in the water. I have never seen this done before, I thought it was great. We kind of looked like a military line entering the water. LOL!  We had to walk out to the start at the yellow cone for an in the water start.

For the 1 mile swim, we had to swim all the way down to right before the bridge and back. For the 2 mile swim, they had to swim to the bridge, go left to the other orange cone, then straight back to the yellow cone .

After swimming you had to make the long run/walk/crawl in the sandy/muddy bottom water out and run to the finish line. Damaris coming out of the 1 mile swim...

And Chris coming out of the 2 mile swim...

Celebrating our finish. the water was perfect, the weather was perfect, couldn't of asked for better conditions.

I went and checked the official times and was surprise I came in 3rd overall female. NICE! Coach Anita came in 1st with an amazing time of 24:55. She was flying. 

Melanie also got first in her age group in the 10k. It was an amazing day for everyone.

We headed up to the after party in the park. They had bbq, beer, and great music for everyone. It was just such a fun morning.

They started handing out the awards after the 10k finishers were done. It was exciting because all of us placed. Chris won 3rd in his age group for the 2 mile swim, Melanie 1st in AG in the 1ok, Anita 1st overall female in the 1 mile swim, I was 1st in my AG fro the 1 mile, and Damaris was 3rd in her AG for the 1 mile. The day couldn't have been better.

I cannot tell you how amazing this race was. It was very organized and I will def be doing this race every year form now on. If you are looking for an open water swim race or need to practice for tri season, the OSPREY race is def one that you need to add to your calender. 

And to my friends Anita, Damaris, Melanie, and Chris, you guys are amazing friends, training partners, and athletes. You guys inspire me daily. LOVE YA'LL

HAVE YOU EVER DONE AN OPEN WATER SWIM RACE?

IF NOT, WOULD YOU DO ONE?