I know exactly how you feel about showering. However, I was pleasantly surprised last year we had great weather and given that it was a night race I didn't feel quite as gross as usual!
Yeah, I'm hoping it'll be cool-ish! The fact that the sun won't be out is a plus!
I saw the website for the sparkle skirts, they have some really cute ones! May have to make the investment. Do they ever go on sale?
Like a PP said, pretty much never. And if they do it's normally $5 off or something.

I have 3 and I love them...looking to get a 4th sometime in the next year. They're addicting!
That's a great point. I think I'm going to take this advice.
I'm hoping to really focus on getting on a training schedule in the coming weeks. Since my surgery, it's been a bit of a mental struggle for me, but isn't that so often the case? I managed to finish a 5K on my one and only recent run, so I'm confident that it's more of a mind over matter thing at this point. Positive energy!
Can I reach out for some pointers on everyone's stretching routines? What does a typical stretching routine look like for you? Any good recommendations on what I should include in my own?
Hope everyone is doing well on their own journeys!
Coming back from a medical issue is tough. Hang in there

I don't stretch as often as I should, but I do know that it's generally not good to do it BEFORE a run when your muscles aren't warmed up. Afterward is probably best. #4 and #6 on
this page are ones that I use a lot...basically hamstring/butt stretches. That's where I need it the most.
When we first decided to do this race, I was really worried about this too. But the more I run, the less I really care. We did a race a few weeks ago and stuck around after to eat BBQ and drink beer and I honestly felt fine. Just remember that everyone else there is as smelly as you!
Still thinking about checking a small bag with some sundry items. We'll see.
I'm not concerned about what other people think about my stench...I'm more concerned about my own comfort. I've been running for 5 years now and have figured out that 1. I sweat a lot when I run

, and 2. If I keep my sweaty running clothes on my sensitive skin will not be happy. I know I won't enjoy the after-party if I don't clean up a bit beforehand. So I'm just looking to probably clean up with Wet Ones or something and change into fresh clothes...and OOH...use some baby powder. That'll help too.
I did the 5k yesterday and managed to beat my PB by more than two full minutes, even with my sore hip that felt every step my left foot took! I was so excited to be under 40 minutes, when I saw the clock at the finish I RACED to the line and got 38:04!!! Slow by some standards, amazing by mine!!! Lol!
GREAT JOB!!

Keep up the good work!
Never. But totally worth it!
AGREED!

They have really wonderful customer service too...that definitely counts for something.
So I sat down with my chiro last week and we came up with a "Beat the ITBS" tx plan. We're going to start with four adjustments/massages and see where we're at in August. I also ordered a home TENS unit as well, so hopefully between the three, I'll be back to pain-free (or at leat minimal) in about a month.
Has anyone ever heard of biofeedback therapy? My friend's mother has had two sessions with the most amazing results. It sounds pretty sci-fi, but now she's off most of the 20 (yes, 20!) medications she was taking and feels great! May be a consideration if the tx plan doesn't work. But I have high hopes!
Haven't tried that therapy...I hope it helps you! ITBS is the worst. For me, foam rolling and strength training (specifically doing squats) help a lot.
Does anyone have a recommendation for a foam roller? There are so many choices I'm confused.
The Stick is nice because it's really portable and you can control how much pressure you use. I have
this one (got it at the WDW Marathon expo last year!)
I also have one similar to
this one from my local running store...it's good but I've found that the foam has sort of lost shape/resistance as I've used it more, so for me it wasn't the best long-term investment.
I recently got
this one to replace the foam one, and while it's pricey, I feel like it'll last a good long time.
So right now I'm mostly using The Stick, but if I need it to be more intense I use the Grid. Good exercises for the foam roller
here.
Glad you posted this. I need to use mine more!
