Hot Chocolate 15K, Chicago. So awesome!!

Hello Chicago!!

Wow. Just wow. I just got back from a trip to Chicago to participate in the Hot Chocolate 15K. On November 5th, 2011, myself and a few THOUSAND other runners OWNED the streets of downtown Chicago. I can't even put into words how magical it was...

I arrived in Chicago two days before the race so I could get situated and adjusted to the time change. On the day before the race, I picked up my bib and my racing packet at the Expo that is held for the Hot Chocolate 5/15K at Union Station. It was pretty cool just to be at Union Station, let alone the fact that I was here with so many others that were all set to run the race the next day.

Everything was so well organized at packet pickup.

Below is the volunteer area.

Below is the merchandise area. I could have gone a little crazy buying shirts/hats/sweatshirts in this area. It was a pretty neat little marketplace.

Below is another shot of the expo. There were shoe manufacturers and other running-centric companies that participated in the expo.

If you look closely, you can see my name and bib number in the middle of the screen. This was also taken at the expo when I picked up my bib. We all walked past an electronic device that validated our bibs. This was one of the most technologically advanced races I have been involved in. The timer was actually embedded in our bib numbers!!

So, at the end of it all.... I am so proud of myself. Running outside for 9.3 miles at under 9 minute pace is a huge accomplishment for me. I consider myself to be an actual runner now. I was thrilled to even be able to finish the race, let alone in such a decent amount of time. If you are interested in my entire race stats, you can click here.

Here are pics of me with some other runners I met at the race, as well as a picture of me after I crossed the finish line. I was ecstatic!!

Do you want to run the Hot Chocolate 5K or 15K? Or maybe want to just walk? Then go here for more information. This race has now gone national, so you could have the chance to participate very soon. Next city? Dallas, Texas on February 11th. Then San Diego, CA on March 25th. For more dates and information, please visit the Hot Chocolate 5 & 15K's website here.

You can like the Hot Chocolate 15K on Facebook here and follow all the latest news on twitter here!

2011 Folsom Great Pumpkin 5K Run & Walk is October 30th

The 2011 Folsom Great Pumpkin 5K Run and Walk is Sunday, October 30th at 9:00 am.

The course is run on the paths of Humbug Willow Creek Trail through marshes, along creeks, through oak woodlands.

Late/Race Day Registrants not guaranteed shirts.
Awards will be given to the top three athletes in 1-11, 12-14, 15-17, 18-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+.

Award Ceremony following race. All winners must be present. No awards available for pickup or mailing after event.

Post Race refreshments included for all runners/walkers
Adult: 5K Run Walk- $26 on or before 10/1; $31 to 10/27; $36 Race Day. Child(15 & under):5K - $16

Race will feature Champion Chip timing by River City Race Management.
Jogging Strollers allowed but you must start at the back of the start and stay to the right side of path.

Packet Pickup: Race morning at Maximus Parking Lot(Race Venue) from 7:30am.
Questions? Call (775) 232-7933

You can find the Folsom Great Pumpkin 5K Run & Walk on Facebook here.

Grape Stomp Half Marathon, 10K & 5K is Sunday, October 23rd, in Livermore

The Grape Stomp Half Marathon, 10K, and 5K presented by Palo Alto Medical Foundation will be held on the morning of October 23rd.

The Grape Stomp Half Marathon is a flat, fast out-and-back USAT&F certified course starting at Robertson Park in Livermore, California. This 13.1-mile run takes place on the Arroyo Mocho Trail, a paved pedestrian and bike path beside a stream that winds its way to a scenic loop around the Heron Pond at Shadow Cliffs Regional Park in Pleasanton. Runners then retrace their steps eastward to the amazing finish line festivities in Robertson Park with great food, music, awards and wine tasting!

 

Half Marathon - $45, 10K - $35, 5K - $25, For Race Day Registration Add $5

Friday
Packet Pick-Up will be available on Friday afternoon from 3:00 to 7:00 pm at Fleet Feet, 234 Main Street, #A, Pleasanton, CA 94566.

Saturday
Packet Pick-Up will be available on Saturday afternoon from 1:00 to 4:00 pm at the Concannon Vineyard and Winery located at 4590 Tesla Road in Livermore.

Sunday
Expo Festival - From 8am-12pm returning runners and walkers will be treated to fresh fruit, water and snacks. Then, just sit back and enjoy the KKIQ DJ, the awards ceremonies, local exhibitors, and live music.

Schedule of Events
7:00am Packet Pick-Up and Late Registration Begins
8:00 am Half Marathon Start
8:30 am 10K Run Starts
8:45 am 5K Run/Walk Starts
10:00 am 5K Awards Begin (time is approximate)
10:30 am 10K Awards Begin (time is approximate)
11:00 am Half Marathon Awards Begin (time is approximate)
12 pm Event Concludes

T-Shirts - T-shirts will be available at registration when you pick up your race number and timing chip before the event, and are only guaranteed to pre-registered participants.

The host hotel for the event is Hawthorne Suites.

For more information about the race, you can contact the organizers here.

Pink October! Lodi Pink October Race for Awareness is this Saturday, October 15th

Online registration is closed now, but I want to tell you about the Pink October Race for Awareness this Saturday in Lodi!!

The race begins at 8:00 AM, so get there at 7:00am to complete your registration! I know I have some Stockton and Lodi readers, too, so let's get moving, ladies!!

Meet me at the Geweke Toyota/Scion Dealership: 1020 S. Beckman Rd Lodi, CA

The registration is $30 on race day, or you can do a team registration for $100 for up to 8 people.

All proceeds from Pink October events benefit the Geweke's Caring for Women Foundation. The Foundation helps local women who are struggling financially due to breast cancer by helping to pay their bills.

 

Parking on race day is available at Geweke Toyota Scion and nearby areas. The race route is flat and goes through East Lodi. The run is competitive, walk non-competitive. Awards will be given out at the pancake breakfast after the race. Please visit www.pink-october.org for more information. 

 

 

The Lodi Kiwanis Club of Greater Lodi and F & M Bank help to make this event for Pink October great fun each year. Each participant receives a t-shirt, goodie bag from local merchant donations and our signature "Pink Pancake" breakfast provided by Lodi Kiwanis Club of Greater Lodi. 

 

Pink pancakes!?!? OMG! :)

 

The GEWEKE CARING FOR WOMEN FOUNDATION focuses on creating awareness for the need of early detection for breast cancer. The foundation directly helps women who are in the fight for their life and struggling financially to stay afloat. 

 

All money raised through Pink October events will go towards helping Breast Cancer Survivors who are struggling with financial needs. 

The Geweke's Caring for Women Foundation began in 2006 in Yuba City. The foundation has helped breast cancer patients buy firewood to heat their home, pay rent, funeral expenses, car repairs, mortgage payments, PG & E bills, medication and so much more.

This year the foundation will be working closely with our partners, the Ben Schaffer Cancer Institute, Delta Sierra Hematology and Oncology, St. Joseph's Medical Center, Hospice of San Joaquin, Community Medical Centers, Woodbridge Medical Group, and American Cancer Society to help identify patients that have financial needs. The assistance will be immediate and support will be more important than ever this year. 

The Geweke's Caring for Women Foundation's Facebook page is located here.

I hope you will join me for the race this Saturday!

Hot Pink 5K Fun Run to Benefit the Placer Breast Cancer Endowment is this Saturday, October 8th!

The Hot Pink 5K Fun Run will be on Saturday, October 8, 2011 at 9am. Click here for the race route.

The race takes place at Fountains at Roseville located at 1013 Galleria Blvd, at the intersection of Galleria Blvd and East Roseville Parkway Roseville, CA .

Race fees range from $18-$35.

Schedule
8-9 a.m.  Check-in (race day registration ends at 8:45 a.m.)
9 a.m.  5K Run/Walk Starts (timed)
9:05 a.m. 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk (untimed)
10 a.m.  Awards Ceremony

Registration Fees
$28  Pre-registration (through October 5)
$35  Onsite and Oct. 7 Pre-party registration
$18  Youth registration (age 17 and under)
Children 5 and under FREE

To register, follow the pink to this link!You have until tomorrow, Thursday, October 6th at 11:59am to register online!

The event is proudly sponsored by the Fountains at Roseville, Surewest, Style Magazine, and Union Bank. Other sponsors include: Promote Me, Inc. Laborers Local 185, UC Davis Cancer Center, Tim Lewis Communities, Gold Country Media, SureWest Foundation, Hyatt Place Dave and Busters JMS Industries Roseville Auto Mall California Pizza Kitchen Sierra College Foundation AnyTime Fitness Roseville Optometry Association Keller Williams Realty- Zac Bacon


Pre-Party & Race Packet/T-shirt Pickup
Join us on Friday, October 7th from 4pm-8pm at Dave and Busters, 1174 Roseville Parkway, where you can meet the other participants and pick up your race packet, bib, timing chip, t-shirt and goodie bag. Dave and Busters will be providing drink specials and other fun entertainment!


About the Placer Breast Cancer Endowment
The Placer Breast Cancer Endowment, formed in July 2005, includes breast cancer survivors and community activists committed to fully funding the Breast Cancer Endowed Chair at the UC Davis Cancer Center. The members have pledged to raise $1.5 million during a five-year campaign. The endowed chair will allow UC Davis to recruit established researchers, build laboratory space, and continue clinical trials programs offering patients access to the latest treatments with the ultimate goal, as set by the National Cancer Institute Director John E. Niederhuber, M.D. - to eliminate the suffering and death due to cancer by 2015.

The group was also formed to raise awareness about breast health issues including early detection and resource availability in the South Placer area. “The Placer Breast Cancer Endowment Fund is a 501-C-3 nonprofit organization, and contributions to the fund are tax deductible to the extent allowable by law”.

For more information about this and other fundraising efforts, visit www.wethinkpink.org.

The Hot Pink 5K is presented by Placer Ignite. You can like the Hot Pink 5K on Facebook here and follow Placer Ignite on twitter here.

Hot Chocolate 15K Set to Warm Up Chicago on November 5th, 2011!

I am so STOKED to be running the Hot Chocolate 15K. this year in Chicago on November 5th, 2011.

I have begun "training", (even though I know I could already go the distance of 9.6 miles). The point for me is to be able to finish in a "decent" time. (Just under 80 minutes is my goal).

If you haven't heard of the race, it is put on every year by RAM Racing who hosts several different races in the Illinois area throughout the year. I plan on reading their training and nutrition info posted here.

The race (a 5K and a 15K will be held in the Grant Park area of downtown Chicago. Here's a little video on it:


2010 Hot Chocolate 15K/5K from RAM Racing on Vimeo.

After the race there is a fondue and chocolate party featuring Ghirardelli chocolate!

General Race Info:
Hot Chocolate 15k/5k
November 5th, 2011 Grant Park, Chicago, IL
5K start time — 7:40am* 15K start time — 8:10am*
(*start times subject to change)

For more race information go here.

To join me in the fun and cover yourself in delicious chocolate post race, REGISTER HERE! Seriously, register now if you want to secure a goodie bag/race jacket!

Proceeds will be going to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana, Cellmates on the Run, the American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, and SuperSibs.

You can follow the Hot Chocolate 15K on twitter here and like them on Facebook here.

Donut Dash Sutter Child Life Program Benefit, March 19th

It's time once again for Donut Dash... the event that brings two of my favorite things together! Running and Marie's Donuts!

The Donut Dash is 4 miles & 4 donuts to benefit the Child Life Program at Sutter Children's Center, Sacramento. It will be held on March 19th at 8:30am.

Run starts at the corner of Freeport Blvd., and Sutterville Rd. You can run, jog or walk 2 miles through Land Park to Marie’s Donuts, eat 4 donuts (or 6 donut holes or nothing at all) and then 2 miles back.

Does this sound like it will make you sick?!? It probably will!! Let's do it!!

All proceeds go to support the Child Life Program at Sutter Memorial Hospital to help pay for art supplies, toys, movies, video games, etc to benefit the children during their hospital stay.

Click here to join the facebook group!!

The race is organized by Zack Wandell, a volunteer (in the Child Life Program) since 2004 at Sutter Memorial Hospital.

He had seen a story on ESPN about a Krispy Kreme Challenge race involving a running 2 miles, eating a dozen Krispy Kreme Donuts, then running 2 miles back, with the proceeds being donated to the local Children's Hospital.

Zack wanted to help out the children at Sutter, so he organized a similar race here three years ago and chose Marie's Donuts and William Land Park for the event.

In 2009, the race had 25 runners and were able to raise over $1500. In 2010, they had approx 80 race participants and donated $3000! The winner, Chikara Omine completed the 4 miles and ate all 4 donuts in 23:09! The women's winner was Erica Woodson in 35:06!

Proceeds from the race are donated to the Child Life Program at Children’s Center, Sutter Medical Center. Funds are used for programs and activities designed to help children and families cope with their medical experiences. These programs and activities include educating children about their illnesses, preparing them for procedures and surgeries, offering normal childhood play experiences (toys, games, arts and crafts, movies, etc), celebrating holidays and special events, etc.

Sutter Children's Center, Sacramento
Children’s Center at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento is a comprehensive children’s “hospital-within-a-hospital” that offers on-site 24-hour pediatric and neonatal critical care physicians. Over 7000 children a year, aged 0-18, are seen by the various units including pediatric inpatient, pediatric ICU, surgery, neonatal ICU, and outpatient services. The specialties include, but are not limited to; oncology/hematology, cardiology, general surgery, neurology, and critical care.

For more information, click here: Sutter Children's Center, Sacramento

HERE's THE LINK TO REGISTER!! RUN!!!

Have You Heard the Buzzz??

If you’re looking for something SWEET to do this coming Sunday, September 19th, it’s right in your own backyard, Placer County!

Come out to the Placer County Honey Festival at Feist Park in Granite Bay, and sample treats from local vendors.

Here is a schedule of events, including a Honey Pancake Breakfast (put on by Troop 435, holla!), a Honey Bee Run (both 3 & 5K), Wine Tasting (shout out to my pals at Dono Dal Cielo!!) and there will also be a Honey Bear Race, and a Cornbread Baking Contest (see the Honey Festival website for more details)!!

Click here for a list of vendors...This event promises to be fun and delicious for the whole family!

The Placer County Honey Festival beneficiary is Placer Grown. PlacerGROWN is a nonprofit, membership organization formed to assist local agricultural producers market their produce and agricultural products.

Follow PlacerGROWN on twitter here.

Interview with Soil Born Farms' Shawn Harrison, Reminder: Day on the Farm Event this Sunday, May 23rd!

Soil Born Farms’ American River Ranch will host a Day on the Farm, Sunday, May 23, 2010—a delightful urban escape—to celebrate the joys of farm life, gardening and enjoying fresh, locally grown products.



A 5K run, farm tours and workshops commence on Sunday, May 23, 2010, from 8:30am–2:30 pm, American River Ranch, 2140 Chase Drive, Rancho Cordova (next to Hagan Park and between mile markers 15 and 16 on the American River Bike Trail). The celebration is sponsored by the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op.

This morning, I spoke to the Founder and Executive Director of Soil Born Farms, Shawn Harrison, about Sunday's event.

Shawn grew up in Sacramento and got involved in farming and learning about where food comes from in 1992 during an apprenticeship in San Diego led by someone from South America. They taught about the growth of food from the soil to the harvest, and then it's distribution throughout the village.

He wanted to apply this in Sacramento--for the city to have that same type of resource, and to share in the principles of 1. organic food production, 2. healthy food education, 3. food access for all.

And so Soil Born Farms is just that. It's a farm in the city, and an educational center in Sacramento. They're a non-profit organization dedicated to food production, with the main purpose of reconnecting urbanites to healthy food and its origins.

When I asked Shawn why this was important, he responded by stating that people have become disconnected from where their food comes from and what they should eat. He wanted to create a movement to not only teach people how to grow food, but to support their local growers.

Some of this sounds familiar to the message behind the film Food Inc., and the books Fast Food Nation (Eric Schlosser), and The Omnivore's Dilemma (Michael Pollan). Shawn agrees with many of Michael Pollan's food theories, and even mentioned Alice Waters and Michele Obama's food education efforts during our chat.

Sunday's "Day on the Farm" Event combines the annual Kaiser Permanente sponsored "Veggie Chase" and the Sac Food Coop sponsored Soil Born educational classes for the first time. Shawn says that Soil Born wanted to do this so it would be one event to cater to everyone and perhaps draw more interested people.

The classes will be lead by the staff of Soil Born, as well as other experts in the community. The classes are designed for people interested in connecting with farming and origins of food from seed to crop. Below is an event schedule (kicking off with the Veggie Chase run).

Event Schedule:

8:30 a.m.: Veggie Chase 5K and Kids Run (To register: )

9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 12 Noon, 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m.: American River Ranch Farm Tours

9:00-10:30 a.m.: Building a Soil Food Web

10:00 a.m.: Conserve Water—Build a Rainbarrel!

10:00 a.m., 12 Noon: Family Fun in the Garden

10:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m.: Raising Chickens in your Backyard

11:00 a.m.: Drip Irrigation for Home Gardeners

11:00 a.m., 12 Noon, 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m.: Cooking Classes

11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m.: Meet The Farm Animals (especially for kids), Composting

11:30 a.m.: Flower Gardening for Beautiful Bouquets

12 Noon: Garden Bed Preparation, Vermicomposting—The Power of Worms!, Gardening to Attract Pollinators and Native Plant Walk

12:30 p.m.: Medicinal Herbs

1:30 p.m.: Organic Gardening 101, Wildlife on the American River Parkway, Presentation/Walk, Culinary Herbs

For more information call (916) 363-9685 or go to www.sacfoodcoop.com. You can follow them on twitter here, and Soil Born Farms is here. On Facebook, Sac Food Coop is here and Soil Born Farms is here.