Athlinks: the online race results social platform

May 26, 2018 / Amanda @fueling.veggie.athletes / Leave a comment

Disclaimer: I am reviewing Athlinks as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

Just when I think that the social media around running can’t get any better: Hello, Strava, Bibrave, Garmin…it does! The latest and greatest in running social media is the relatively new (to me) website called Athlinks!

So, what is Athlinks? It is an online platform that let’s you claim your race results, compare yourself to others, and add yourself to the start list of most races. All you need to sign up is a Facebook account or you can use your e-mail address. Once you sign up you do have to use your name, location, and birthday, though.

The reason for needing all this information is simple: it will be easy to determine if it is you or not when claiming your race results. Plus, if the results you claim are determined to be yours, then they will be added to your profile! Your profile will show your personal records, stats, location, and rank. For this reason, you can use Athlinks to scope out your competition and follow them similar to Twitter. If you love data like me you will find it all very interesting! 😉

The only thing I do not like about my profile is that my 5k PR is wrong. A lot of my college race times are not on Athlinks, but generally Athlinks will have most, if not all of your race times, so I am probably in the minority with this issue. That 5k time is from a Turkey Trot I did during during Thanksgiving break my freshmen year of college. It is a decent time, but my actual PR is faster! I have not done many road races, post college, due to years of injury, so I guess that means I need to run (and PR) another road 5k to replace that time 😉 I’m not competitive or anything…😂

(I only have 15 races on my profile and only 3 in the last year- but if I can manage to stay healthy for a reasonable stretch of time I plan to add many, many more! I love competing!)

How to claim: When I got married last year I went from having an uncommon name to a very common one. Thankfully, Athlinks lets you claim race results under more than one name, which I was grateful for because a majority of my race results were under my maiden name! It was a little tricky to find race results under my married name initially, but if you use the advanced search mode (pictured below) it is pretty easy! Once you search your name, you can apply additional filters by birth date and location.

(None of those results above are mine, but I find it fascinating that my name has so many unclaimed results. I’m waiting for the day I run the same race as someone else who has my name. I’m sure it will happen soon :P)

Rivals: Once you start following other people, you will notice that if you have at least one race in common with them they will be added to your “rival” list. My current rival list is small and I’m looking for more, so please add me if you have run any of the same races that I have!

(Of course my husband is kicking my 🍑! Fun fact: his one loss is a Turkey Trot in 2012 that we ran together with some family and friends where we all crossed the finish line at the same time. I guess they opted to give me the place ahead of him just to be nice in the official results. 😛 )

Adding yourself to the start list: Another fun feature (and way to scope out the competition) is to add yourself to the start list of upcoming races. You can also indicate a goal time and change your goal time at any time. As a competitive person, I naturally like this feature 😉 The races you add to your start list will also be added to your profile.

(My next three races with goal times subject to change. I have a faster, scarier time in mind for my first marathon, but I’m not sure I will update that anytime soon. 🙈 We will see what happens as I start training!)

Do you have an Athlinks account? If so, please request me or comment below with the link to your Athlinks profile. I’ll follow you back and if we have any races in common we can be rivals 😉 If you do not have an account, what are you waiting for?! Make one! 😛

Knockaround Polarized Premiums Sunglasses Review: A Deal You Can’t Beat

May 8, 2018 / Amanda @fueling.veggie.athletes / 6 Comments

Disclaimer: I received two pairs of Knockaround Polarized Premiums sunglasses to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. I received the black sunset Premiums and the white monochrome Premiums. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check outBibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

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I want to start my review by saying running with sunglasses is not optional for me (unless it’a really cloudy or I want to be in pain). I had a corneal abrasion in 2013 (super fun with contacts let me tell ya 🙄) and since then my eyes have been very sensitive to sunlight. Even before the corneal abrasion, I noticed my eyes feel better the rest of the day if I wear sunglasses when I run. Plus, it’s just a good practice to protect your eyes when you run. 😛

My only issue is that I tend to misplace my sunglasses (usually they are found months later in a random bag, drawer, or the car glovebox). This means I do not like to spend a lot on sunglasses, because there is a chance I’m going to loose them. 🤦🏼‍♀️ I get way too attached to my sunglasses, though, so it’s always sad when I do. 🙁 Another thing that is important to me is quality- I need sunglasses that actually protect my eyes from the sun and stay put on my tiny face. So basically I need high quality sunglasses, that are also reasonably priced. I’m not high maintenance or anything… 😛

My demands seemed impossible to meet until I met the Knockaround Polarized Premiums sunglasses!😱 Here’s why:

-Knockarounds are super easy on the wallet: only $15 for non-polarized and $20 for polarized. So, if you end of losing a pair it is not the end of the world…but still sad nonetheless. 🙁

-They are designed for use (and can take a beating). I’ve dropped my sunglasses on the ground, the Lakeshore Path, sweated all over them, stashed them in random bags, etc. and they have come out unscathed.

-The polarized lenses really protect my eyes! As mentioned previously, I wear contacts and I had a corneal abrasion a few years ago, so this is especially important to me.

-They fit my tiny face. They are still a little big, but that’s what happens when your noggin is the size of a child’s. 😂 Yet, they stay on when I run. So I consider them a win! It’s nearly impossible for me to find perfect fitting lenses anyway (in sunglasses and eyeglasses), so good enough works for me. If you have a larger head there are still pairs that will fit you!

-Last, but not least they come in fun colors/styles! You can even design your own! 🙂

Bonus: They were super fun to wear to a SNL trivia night that I attended. Can anyone guess who my husband and I were?!

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So what do you say? Have I convinced you to get your own pair? You can receive 20% off of a SINGLE order by using the code BIBRAVEKNOCKS at checkout. Please let me know if you try them out below! 🙂 Also, tonight only, head over to the BibRave Twitter at 8 pm central to participate in #BibChat and try your hand at winning 2 pairs of Knockarounds! I hope to chat with all of you there!

Finally, don’t just take my word, see what other BibRave Pros have to say about Knockarounds below:

Amanda (not me, a different one! :P)

Illinois half marathon review

May 5, 2018 / Amanda @fueling.veggie.athletes / 7 Comments

Disclaimer: I received free entry to the Illinois half marathon as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador) and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

I had the fortune of running the Illinois half marathon on April 28th. I say fortune because with my injury history there is no guarantee that I will toe the line for the races I sign up for. :/ Luckily, I made it to this race in one piece..although I was unlucky enough to pick up a cold a few days prior to the race. 🙁

I credit making it to the starting line to my amazing coach Heather! She helped me get up my mileage after a stressful job ended, I solidified my new career path, I started two part time jobs, and I missed many runs due to illness the week of the Shamrock Shuffle. 25-30 miles per week is not ideal for half marathon training, but that is MUCH better than my mileage was while I was teaching. Heather made sure all my miles counted and provided me a good base for my further out races (like my 1st marathon in October 😉 ). Despite having a cold, I am happy to say I crossed the line in 1:34:06, good for a 6 minute PR. The highlight of the race weekend, though, was my husband’s massive 26 minute PR in the marathon. He finished in 2:42:57 good enough for a 2019 BQ!

Other race notes:

Expo/Packet pick up: My husband and I encountered wicked Friday late afternoon Chicago traffic and an hour into the trip knew we were not going to make the expo in time. Thank goodness for our friend Mikey (who ran the 10k race) and saved the day! He picked up the packets for us and then delivered them to us at dinner at Biaggi’s.

Parking: Parking was free and easy to find. We were able to leave our hotel, drive, and park in less than 20 minutes. Definitely a huge pro to have a low stress parking situation!

Waiting for the start: It was a little chilly so I wore a “throw” shirt, but everything was easily marked with signs. I made my way seamlessly to coral A. I actually run into fellow BibRave Pro Zenaida on my way to the start line, so that was pretty cool! We chatted, wished each other luck, and took a picture.

Once I was in corral A I ran into another fellow Bibrave Pro, Kim and I met fellow instagram runner Katherine in real life. It was nice to run into some familiar faces!

Last start line note: there seemed to be enough porta potties and the lines moved quickly. I didn’t use one, but that’s always a pro in my book!

Race course: The course was flat and fast! Perfect course for a PR. It went though campus, nearby neighborhoods, and a park. There were tons of spectators throughout the course, which was a nice morale boost. There were ample aid stations. I only took in water, because I don’t fuel for half marathons, but they also had Gatorade and GUs. I also remember one aid station that offered sliced oranges. I’m not sure how to eat while running (hence one of the many reasons I’m not ready for an ultra. lol), but it was a nice gesture.

The energy toward the finish was unreal! The last mile of the race you made your way toward to finish in the stadium and it was so cool! I was in awe of how beautiful the campus was and excited to be close to the finish. 😛 I can imagine that people who attend/attended University of Illinois for college felt emotional at the finish! I know if I ever return to my alma mater to run the race that finishes on our track that I will get emotional. The stadium finish was hands down my favorite part of the race! 🙂

Post race/after party: At the finish, in the stadium, I was wrapped in a heat sheet, offered water, offered a sports drink, and offered a stretch from the Athletico station. There were also ample opportunities for photos, which I took as I waited anxiously for my husband to finish the marathon. I took some photos with Mikey after his 10k, Kim, Katherine, and alone while I waited. I also got stretched out at the Athletico station which felt awesome on my tight hips and IT band.

Once my husband finished in an astonishing 2:42:57, we took a few more photos with and without the PR bell. The PR bell had received a lot of love at this point and was broken…we took photos anyway, but that is why we are laughing 😛

After the photos we made our way to the post race party to check out the beers and snacks. My husband got a beer and there were a lot of snack options! None of us were hungry at that point yet or we would have eaten something. Mikey and I cooled down and then we all headed back to the hotel so we could all shower before check out and the long drive home.

Swag: Every finisher got a sweet medal (regardless of race) and free finisher photos. For running the half I got a dri-fit long sleeve shirt and my husband got a quarter zip for running the full. Our hotel was super cute and made us little good luck goodie bags as well, but I forgot to snap a picture 🙁

Athlinks: At the Illinois Half Marathon race, I was able to run a new half marathon PR, even with a cold! 🙂 So of course I claimed my shiny new PR on Athlinks. I’ll be sharing a post about what Athlinks is later this month. You can see my claimed results here! Athlinks is an awesome way to track all results for your races. I also use it to figure out what goals I should shoot for my next race by adding myself to the start list. I definitely suggest creating an account and claiming your results too. Share your Athlinks profile link in the comments below and I’ll follow you! 🙂

Overall, it was fun and well organized race! It’s flat and fast which is perfect for obtaining a PR or BQ. I definitely want to return!

Did you run the Illinois half marathon (or a different race distance) this year? If not you really should register for next year! I’m already thinking about it 😉

P.S. check out my Illinois half review on Bibrave. It is a great place to go when you are looking for races to run because you can read about the experiences that other runners had at that race in the past! 🙂

Why I’m not running the Cinco de Miler tomorrow

May 4, 2018 / Amanda @fueling.veggie.athletes / 2 Comments

Disclaimer: I received a free entry to Cinco de Miler as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

As someone who lives for running, the running community, and racing it saddens me to write the following words: I am not running Cinco de Miler tomorrow 🙁 I am sad because as I discussed in my “top 5 reasons to run” post, it is a really cool race with a fun atmosphere, sweet swag, and an awesome post-race party. I’m having some serious FOMO right now 🙁

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So why am I sitting on the sidelines?!

Well…I ran a half marathon last weekend and my body still has not recovered on multiple accounts :/ I ran with a cold and it has lingered a bit, but that certainly is not stopping me from running tomorrow 😛 For those of you that know me IRL I tend to be a bit stubborn… The real reason is that my right IT band and both hips are very tight and generally unhappy. Welp!😭 My coach Heather and I decided that with my extensive injury history I need to take a little time off of running to recover from the half, cross train, and work on strengthening the ‘ol hips, glutes, and core. Plus some yoga…you all know how much I love yoga 🙄 I know that being able to touch my toes, having looser muscles, and a stronger body/core will make me a better runner in the long run. Regardless, this was not an easy decision and I am sad.😔

Cinco de Miler is such a cool race! This just means I will have to run it next year 😉 I am looking forward to rooting for all of you running tomorrow and will be following the race. I can’t wait to see all of you crush it! And please, drink a few post-race beers with your sweet bottle opener medal for me!🍻

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Are you running the Cinco de Miler tomorrow or have you run it before? If you are, make sure to write a race review on Bibrave. It is a great place to go when you are looking for races to run because you can read about the experiences that other runners had at that race in the past! 🙂