Canton Road Race was great - but that incline was nuts!

So, this morning, Emily and I ran the Canton Road Race with our friend (and giveaway winner!) Ally. It was a little chilly this morning (45 degrees when we arrived) and we were SO glad that we went on Friday afternoon to pick up our race bibs.

The Canton Road Race, in its 12th year, starts and finishes at the Reebok World Headquarters which is a pretty neat place. I had the pleasure of checking out the campus on Friday afternoon when I picked up our race bibs from the friendly volunteers. It couldn't have been easier!

The 5k started at 9 am and we arrived around 8 am to get ready. I had a banana as my pre-race meal and Emily had toast with PB and cheese. Just enough fuel to get going. I was wearing new running pants along with KTTape underneath to support my knees and leg sleeves to support my calves. Crazy what you have to do to take care of your body...

We warmed up and chatted with our friends before getting in the back of the pack for the start. Once the race started we casually drifted back since we knew that we were just in it to finish it. I cannot believe how strong and dedicated my wife Emily is for training for and completing a 5k just 6 weeks after giving birth to our second child.

The race was a beautiful 3.1 mile run through Canton and nearby Milton on 138 and we were able to go at our own pace. There was a 10k that started 5 minutes after our race and soon the 10k runners had caught up with us and passed us. We just enjoyed going at our own speed. We found the first few inclines to be fine but then were met with quite the steep incline through the Blue Hills area and had to walk quite a ways.

Over the past few months as you know if you've read this blog, I'll admit, I've gotten lazy when it comes to food choices, exercise and taking care of myself so I've put on quite a few points. Now I am energized to start losing weight and hopefully keeping it off. I've found it is increasingly difficult as a parent since you're taking care of the kid/s. But it is certainly important to care for yourself first so you can model good behavior and practice.

As the race finished, we were greeting to the sounds of cheering and the race DJ even announced my name on the speaker as I finished which was pretty cool. I was wearing a GoPro camera to be able to make a video and also capturing it on my iPhone in case the video didn't come out and wouldn't you know it - the DJ saw this and even joked about it. We laughed!

After the race, we went to visit the many sponsors. Some of the highlights were some fresh fruits from Wegmans, Jerky from KRAVEJerky (who even gave you a sample pack if you tweeted a hashtag for them) and TreeTop adventures which is a local obstacle course located in Canton. We hope to be able to try that soon! There were some physical therapy places, norwood hospital and a bank along with Reebok. The coolest part of the event was that you could shop in the Reebok Corporate Store after the race and you would get 50% off the listed price. You can't normally get in there unless you work for the company, so that was pretty cool.

Overall, we had an amazing time and hope to come back next year and get a better time!

I made a quick video of the run... Hope you enjoy it!

Here are some pictures from the day:

NOTE: We were provided with complimentary bibs to run the 5k and gave one additional bib away through a giveaway Congrats to the winner, Ally. No other compensation was provided. We had an amazing time and as always, all opinions are our own.

Flash Giveaway! You can win an entry to the Canton Road Race on Sunday!

So, I'm back to trying to eat healthier and live a better life. What better way to do it than train for a 5k? When did I decide to start training for said 5k? A week ago...

In any event, I've done a few 5k's in my life and a very wise person once told me "finish times over finish lines" which is a mantra I tell myself when I'm ready to turn around and head towards the car.

So, I'm super excited about doing a 5k along with a kids fun run with my daughter this coming Sunday 9/25 at Reebok's world HQ in Canton, MA. You can join us in the fun for the 12th annual Canton Road Race, benefitting the Canton Association of Business and Industry Charitable Fund, Inc (CABI), a nonprofit organization. CABI distributes 100% of the proceeds to local beneficiaries such as the Canton Food Pantry and Massachusetts Hospital School, and also toward scholarships awarded to students at Canton High and Blue Hills Regional Schools. It's really a great way to support the local community.

This year, race options include a 5k, a new 10k course and a Kid's One-Mile Fun Run or Wheelchair Race. Since the course begins and ends at the Reebok HQ, you'll be able to shop the Reebok Corporate Store on race day and receive a 50% discount on your entire purchase!


I'm also excited to say that I've been given a complimentary entry to give away to one of my lucky readers. This one is going to have to go fast since the race is on Sunday, so the deadline to enter is 12:00 AM on 9/21 - a quick day turnaround! Tell your friends!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I'm also excited to be running wearing KT Tape as an official KTTape Ambassador, which will keep my muscles in shape ;) You can get 15% off your KTTape order with my special code at https://www.kttape.com/store/: PARENTALIDEAS15

NOTE: I was provided with a free entry to the 5k for myself and a lucky reader as well as an entry to the Kids Fun Run for my daughter. No other compensation was provided. All opinions are my own.

Finish at the 50 5k 2016 Recap

Last Sunday, July 3rd, I had the opportunity to run in the Patriot Place/Harvard Pilgrim Finish at the 50 5k for the second year in a row. The cool part about doing this run two years in a row is that you can compare the two. If you're interested, you can read the last year's race recap here.

The Race Weekend Expo was three days and spread out the various activities. We went early Saturday to pick up my race bib while we were running other activities and I got my race shirt, some Muscle Milk, Krave Jerky and Power Crunch Bars since they all had tents set up for you to get samples and get special deals. It was great to load up!

We had gone to a pool party mid-week and I think we all caught some kind of stomach bug since Emily wasn't feeling so great and ended up throwing up. We got concerned Saturday night when she couldn't keep any liquids down so we went to the hospital where she is going to deliver just to ensure mom and baby are okay. Luckily, they were so we headed home late Saturday night.

Sunday morning, Emily and Lily started to feel better but still weren't 100%. Emily knew I had been working towards this 5k so she didn't want to see me miss it. I told her it's ok and I can always run next year but she insisted that I complete it, so I decided to go.

I went to Gillette and ran the race and it was great to go all around the stadium. The folks over at DMSE sports who put on the event were great and really did an amazing job! There were 3 water breaks (1 mile, 1.5 mile and 2 mile) and it was so cool to run through the stadium once again. The race course was the same as last year and provided excellent views. The weather was just outstanding as it was perfect running conditions for a 6 pm start.

My favorite part was running through the Patriots helmet tunnel onto the field of Gillette and then finishing at the 50 yard line. It was neat to be on a freshly made turf field since it was just put down for the season. It had a lot of spring and bounce in the step. I also hung around and even got the chance to meet former Patriot Jerod Mayo. He was such a nice guy!

NOTE: I was provided with a complimentary bib to run the Finish at the 50 5k. No other compensation was provided. As always, all opinions are my own.

Dedham Trails 5k and some practice for the Finish at the 50 5k this weekend

So I know you all haven't heard from me the past few weeks but we've had some interesting things going on...

We started the first 5k of the season running in the Dedham Trails 5k. It was a great trail run on a gorgeous day! The best part of it was that it was a free run and had some great company.

I'll admit, I haven't been on top of my nutrition or athletic preparation game this year, so I haven't been training as much as I did last year. I did a combination of walking/jogging for the trail run and had a great time.

Tonight, we took advantage of the Fit by the Field free fitness series offered by the great folks at Patriot Place. Luckily, it's only about 10 minutes from our house so really easy to get to! Monday nights start out with Yoga and then is followed up by a great Zumba class. We arrived right in time for Zumba and the weather was just amazing with a cool breeze too!

Can't wait for the Finish at the 50 5k this Sunday!

Finish at the 50 and save $5 before 6/3.

I'm going to be participating in the Finish at the 50 again this year and am really looking forward to it! This annual 5 and 10k race and kids fun run is held at Gillette Stadium at Patriot Place in Foxboro, MA on July 3rd in the afternoon/evening with fireworks to follow. The keystone of the race is that you get to finish at the 50 yard line of Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots and New England Revolution.

If you're interested in running, the great folks at Patriot Place have given us a code PARENTALRUNNER that you can use for $5 off an adult entry to either the 5k or 10k race. Act quick because this code expires on Friday 6/3.

NOTE: I was provided with a comp bib for the race in exchange for the pre-publicity as well as a post-race followup post. All opinions are my own.

Foxboro 5k recap

On October 4, Emily and I participated in the Foxboro 5k which benefitted the Hockomock YMCA in Foxboro. This was a great run that was preceded by a kids Fun Run in the morning. Preregistration was a breeze as it was all handled online. We got a really nice tech-dry-fit shirt that was included with registration (the kids got a kids t-shirt). We received email notifications telling us the details and the folks at the Y were great to deal with! They had an inspiration station where you could decorate signs to hold up as your friends were running by.

The kids race was at 9 am and Lily had a great time. The 1 mile course was around the grounds of the Y and in the parking lot so we didn’t need to be concerned that the kids were running in the street. Additionally, Foxboro Police were stationed at the main crossroads at Mechanic Street and had closed off traffic so we didn’t need to worry about any cars zipping by.

The adult 5k started at 10 am and Emily and I actually ran for the entire first mile of the 5k. This was a personal record for us. Then we kept walking/running for the rest of the it and there were really nice volunteers at Y staff that directed us at each turn. This was SUPER helpful because for all of the other 5k’s that we have done this year, while there have been people directing runners, there have certainly been times when we have been wondering whether or not we were going in the right direction. With the Foxboro 5k these guys had thought of everything and we knew that we were going the right way. Also at each mile, they had someone with a stop watch who was telling us exactly what our time was. I thought that was also super helpful and encouraging!

When we finished we got Finishers Medals which was nice so that we could add them to our collection! The kids also got a finisher medal which Lily really enjoyed…

After the race, there were some snacks that we got and the nice people at Peapod/Stop and Shop had tons of water to give out so we stocked up! We also got a massage from the great people at Tiger Lilly spa in Foxboro. There were some bouncy houses for the kids and huge bubbles so they could play around with them. I also got some stretching technique hints from the people at Baystate Physical Therapy which was cool because I didn’t know the proper way to stretch before/after a run. They also gave some t-shirts and towels as cool swag.

Overall, the race was a huge success and we look forward to running next year!

NOTE: We were provided bibs to run the 5k and kids fun run. There was no promise made of a positive review. All opinions are our own.

Gearing up for the Foxboro 5k on Sunday!

We're gearing up and preparing for the Foxboro 5k on Sunday presented by the Hockomock YMCA in Foxboro... This will be the fourth 5k that I've done this year! It's been a little while since I've been out regularly running/walking/jogging, so I am not expecting a personal record (PR) in terms of time. One wise person once told me "finish lines over finish times" and that's what i'm going with!

Going to get back to it!

So... you may have noticed a little bit of a lull in blog posts and exercise posts as well. As it turns out after the last 5k I ran, I may have outdone myself and the recovery time of 1 week was more of an excuse than anything. I found that the 1 week time led to some additional lack of tracking foods for weight watchers, less exercise and next thing you know, when I tried to do the next exercise day in Couch to 5k, I could barely jog 5 minutes, let alone the 35 minutes that the app expected me to jog.

So another week passed and this morning I started to get back to it and went for a really nice jog/walk around Lake Massapoag. It was also the same time as the Sharon Triathlon so it was really cool to cheer on the runners and bikers as they passed by!

Here's to a better upswing in exercise!

The Harvard Pilgrim Finish at the 50 - 5 and 10k - THIS FRIDAY!

Hey everyone!

I'm happy to report that my weight loss is going well. I'm now just over 17 labs lost overall since I started this journey. It's been a while since I"ve seen the scale below 210, but it's now there! I hope I can keep going in this direction.

To that note, Emily, Lily and I are all still preparing for the Harvard Pilgrim Finish at the 50 5k this Friday at Patriot Place. Tonight, I went for a run in the misty weather and it was quite refreshing. Now, I can run for 5 minutes straight without getting winded. That wouldn't have happened just a month ago!

If you'd like to join us, you can register online through Wednesday, July 1 at http://www.finishatthe50.com

There's a great Kids Fun Run starting at 3 pm, where the kids can all run around the stadium field and finish at the 50 as well. They will get a special finisher medal, too!

There's also great deals available for runners throughout Patriot Place and you can also browse the Fitness Expo each day. There will also be some great fireworks right at dusk.

NOTE: We have been provided with complimentary entry to the Finish at the 50 5k. There was no promise made of a positive review... Can't wait to see how we do!