Category Archives: nuunHTC

Hood to Coast with Nuun, Part II: Race Recap

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Awesome. Incredible. Perfect. Fantastic. Beautiful. Unforgettable.

These are just some of the words that come to mind when I think about my Hood to Coast experience. I wouldn’t change a thing about how it all went.

My teammates: Lauren, Leslie, Lisa, Jolene, and Dre were such great teammates.We were always there to cheer each other on, and to share stories. Thank you for motivating me and showing so much caring and heart, and providing countless hours of smiles and laughter. You all have such positive attitudes, which I LOVE. I feel like we all clicked right away. I am so glad that I have you all as new friends! xoxo.

And Jay — we couldn’t have done it without you! Thanks for putting up with all of us, driving 200 miles, keeping track of our times, cheering us on, and helping us get whatever we needed… like lots of chocolate milk!

The running: Each of time I ran was just so much fun. I nearly exactly hit my predicted paces! It was hard to wait to be the last runner to go in my van, but cheering for them kept me busy and helped quiet my pre-race nerves

Leg #6 — 6.7 miles 52:44 (7:53/mi) starting at 5:10pm
For this run, I really just wanted to focus on having fun, not pushing it too hard, but finish strong. My awesome teammates cheered me up the one big hill I had (they are awesome!) with a power arch. Seriously, that dropped my pace a ton and really revved me up! I powered into the exchange and handed off to Kim.

{Dre gave me water but had to chase after me to get it back! Also, I officially LOVE power arches!}

At the end of this leg, my Mom was there to cheer me in to the exchange!! She had never seen me running a race before, so this was very exciting! I don’t get to see her very often since we live across the country from each other. I was so happy to give her a big hug!

{Love you Mom! So exited you were there!}

Leg #18 — 5.25 miles. 44:14 (8:30/mi) starting at 3:15am
I’m not much of a stay up all night kind of girl, so I wasn’t sure what to expect with my energy level at this time of night. But I think I was just still so excited and having fun with my teammates, that the adrenaline was keeping me going. This run was 5.25 miles of gradual up hill. It was partially on a highway, and partially through a neighborhood. It was hard to decide if I should run in the road or on the sidewalk in the neighborhood. The sidewalk had lots of little juts up and down, but the road wasn’t very good either, so I kept changing it up. This leg was pretty quiet — I only saw and passed 4 people! There was a little bit of light mist happening during this leg, which I thought was kind of awesome. It was the perfect temperature for running!

Also, the start of this run was at a high school, where they had a pancake breakfast as a fundraiser. Jolene, Lauren and Leslie got a breakfast. I had to make myself stay outside because the smell of the breakfast at that moment was so incredibly tempting, but I knew there would be some bad things happening to my GI system if I ate any of that stuff right before running.  Luckily for me, I didn’t have any issues during my middle of the night run!

Leg #30 –5.35 miles. 42:00 (7:52/mi) starting at 12:45pm
This was probably my favorite run of the relay as far as scenery — I was running through winding back country roads surrounded by big beautiful trees. It was getting cooler as we neared the ocean, but the sun was shining. Gorgeous!

My legs were starting to feel the accumulating mileage, but I was so excited to say that I finished running my first relay and Hood to Coast! I wanted to really put out there everything I had left! I expected this run to be almost entirely downhill, with some of it being pretty steep. While this was true, it also had many short and steep uphill sections, gradual climbs, and sharp banked curves that made it a fairly difficult run. My team stopped one more time to give me a power arch as I was flying during one of the downhills. I was seriously just so happy! Thanks again for keeping me going ladies!

Finish line fun: After I finished running, we drove to Seaside to await van 2! When they arrived around 6pm, we all got to walk through the finish line together! We celebrated our accomplishments with drinks and ice cream along with enjoying the post-race concert and fireworks. Perfect ending to an amazing relay experience.

  
The support: None of this would have been possible without Nuun and its great employees. Everyone was so welcoming and positive, making us all feel at home and part of the family. Thanks for making everything run so smoothly, and for providing all of us with the experience of a lifetime. I am so glad to be a part of your team. I love how supportive you are of endurance athletes of every level.

Big thanks also to all the other companies who helped keep us moving including Oiselle, Naawk, Tigertail, Endorphin Warrior, Sparkle Athletic, Amphipod, and Swiftwick. Check them out — some seriously awesome products!

The incredible women I met on this trip: (Too many to name, but you can find a list of everyone from Lindsay, here) Thank you for the motivation you provided, and the brief chance to get to know you for real rather than just what we see on your blog. Thank you for showing me how unbelievably supportive the running community is, and for giving me so many memories. For showing me that hard work and dedication can lead to something magical when combined with happiness and laughter. For reminding me how much fun it is to race your heart out and love what you are doing. I am so glad to have met many of you and I can’t wait until we can have a reunion!

What has been one of your most favorite adventures?

Hood to Coast with Nuun, Part I: The Fun Before the Race

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To start describing this epic adventure of running Hood to Coast, I first want to tell you about all the fun we had in Seattle before the actual race.

I arrived on Wednesday morning with an easy direct flight from Sacramento. Meeting new people started right away, as Karen was on my flight too! After arriving in Seattle, we were whisked away straight to Nuun Headquarters to drop off our stuff, and left to explore the city on our own for a few hours.

A group of us (Meghan, Leslie, Catey, Mallory and I) headed to Pike’s Market and the waterfront. I love checking out the beautiful flowers and grabbing some fresh fruit at the market. I actually ate an almost 1 lb yellow peach as part of my lunch…. it was amaaaazing!

{no, not enough time to go on the ferris wheel}

As we were wandering around, Meghan mentioned that a friend she used to work with was now working at Brooks/Moving Comfort, and that he had invited her to come for a visit. She called Daniel to come pick us up, and he gave all of us an awesome tour! It was cool to see where the magic happens there since I wear their products — both shoes and sports bras.

{excited to be at Brooks! Mallory and I fit inside this shoe on wheels — but I just have a pic of Mal only}

After our little tour, we headed back to Nuun HQ to meet up with all the other ladies who had arrived. Nuun took us out to The Garage to play pool and bowl, eat snacks, and give us some time to get to know each other. It was really cool to meet so many other bloggers in real life that I have started to get to know online.

Thursday was another great day! In the morning, we headed to Oiselle HQ for a run and some more hang out time. It was a gorgeous day for an easy run around Green Lake. Those ladies are so lucky to have a perfect run spot right outside their doorsteps.

{The whole group post-run!}

In the afternoon we went on a Duck Boat Tour, which was an absolute blast. I think I was laughing the entire time because our driver was hilarious — Captain Chaos! Plus, how can you resist quacking at everyone when you are on a duck! We saw a lot of sights including many Starbucks, the Space Needle, Pike’s Market, and Lake Union.

{Party on a duck!}

{Great view of downtown Seattle from Lake Union}

The evening was filled with dinner and van decorating at Nuun HQ. Plus there were even cupcakes in each team flavor! Thanks Megan!

By the end of the day I was exhausted and so ready to start running the relay! Stay tuned for Part II–all about the running!

OBX Marathon Training Week 8

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OK, I know you were probably hoping to see a Hood to Coast recap already, but I’m still trying to wrap my head around everything I want to write about! But, in case you were wondering — it was amazing. From getting to know so many wonderful women from all across the country, to running my first relay, I loved every second of it. I expect I should have a more complete recap up in the next couple days. For now though, here is just a taste of the adventure….

Monday: swim 1250 yds. Kept this swim easy for recovery from last week’s long run

Tuesday: total body strength workout. Also kept this fairly light so I didn’t stress my legs too much, but I knew I would have a few day to recover so I wasn’t worried. But, I didn’t want to do a hard intervals day like my typical Tuesdays.

Wednesday: rest.
I traveled to Seattle, and did lots of walking. Checked out the Public Market for lunch. In the evening, we all went to a bar/bowling alley called the Garage for some time to get to know each other, and have some food and drinks.

Thursday: 3 mi run, easy
We visiting Oiselle in the morning and went for a run around Greenlake. It was an absolutely gorgeous day! In the afternoon we went on a duck boat tour. Then there was dinner and van decorating at Nuun!

Friday: Run HTC!!!
We started at 1:15pm, so I had one run on Friday afternoon, one overnight, and one Saturday morning. Like you saw in my previous post, this run was 6.7 miles with some rolling hills and a long downhill.

Saturday: Run HTC!!
My second run was at about 3:15am — 5.25 miles mostly uphill. And the third run was about 12:30pm for another 5.35 miles of rolling hills and some winding downhill. We had really great weather the whole time (a few sprinkles over night, but the temperatures were awesome). Post race festivities were also fun including pizza, a beach concert, and ice cream. And never wanting the weekend to end!

Sunday: Hang in Oregon.
My Mom made it out to Oregon to visit her friend, so they picked me up and we toured around the Oregon shore before heading back to Portland to relax. Somehow with dead legs I climbed up this huge tower (164 steps of a spiral staircase) in Astoria, OR (home of the Goonies) — but at least I was greeted with an incredible view.

I’m now back in Sacramento — looking through as many photos as I can. I had an amazing time and I look forward to sharing more about it with you this week!

What were you up to this weekend?

Also, reminder that there is still time to save 15% on your Nuun Hydration order using code hydrateHTC at checkout through the end of September!

From Hood to Coast

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First thing Wednesday morning, I will be traveling North for Hood to Coast thanks to Nuun Hydration!

First, I will be flying to Seattle to prep with all my teammates and visit Nuun headquarters. I’m pretty excited to meet these incredible women I have been getting to know virtually over the past few months.

The actual hood to coast race is Friday to Saturday.I am in the lineup as runner number 6 on team lemonade. Here’s a little more info on each of my three runs.

1. 6.75 miles. Classified as difficult. This run is estimated to start around 5:15pm

2. 5.23 miles. Classified as difficult. This will take place overnight, around 3:30am.

3. 5.35 miles. Classified as moderate. My last run will be at approximately 12:30pm.

I am both nervous and excited, just like before any race. I love that a relay comes with a team — something I have missed a bit since running and triathlon are usually individual events.

I think I have everything I need packed in my bags, but I always feel like I’m forgetting something when I travel, so this is no different. I guess we will just have to see what happens! I’m guessing that no matter what, I will have an amazing time! I’ll be sure to tell you all the details when I get back!!

If you are interested in following along on my Hood to Coast adventures, follow me:
On twitter: @KristenL_DYL (#nuunhtc #teamlemonade)
On Instagram: kmelli

Hydration Tips & Nuun For You!

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In one month, I will be running Hood to Coast with Nuun! I can’t believe how quickly it is coming up!

 

If you haven’t heard of Nuun (pronounced “noon”) before, it is an electrolyte tablet that you can add to your water to help with hydration, without the need for excess carbohydrates and calories that are often in other products. Nuun Active Hydration is perfect for during and after exercise to replace the electrolytes lost due to sweating. I don’t know about where you are, but this summer’s hot temperatures are surely causing hot, sweaty runs here in California.

Besides being good just for runners, I learned from Nuun that nearly 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated, so maybe others could use it too!

I also wanted to share with you some other facts and tips about about getting and staying hydrated:

– During endurance events, athletes can get to 1-2% dehydration. Even at this small amount, the body’s temperature regulating mechanisms can be affected. (For a 130 pound person, this would mean losing less than 2.6 pounds during a workout.)
– Dehydration is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue. It can also result in muscle fatigue, cramps, dizziness, nausea, and rapid heart rate.
– Water helps you regulate body temperature, transport nutrients and oxygen, and remove waste from cells.
– Determining your sweat rate can tell you exactly how much liquid you should intake during athletic activities. See how to calculate this here, or use Runner’s World’s new tool to estimate based on weight, air temperature, and pace.
– Your urine does not need to be clear for you to be hydrated. In fact, as long as it is light yellow, like lemonade you are doing pretty well. You want to avoid it being the color of apple juice or darker.
– Overhydrating can also be very dangerous. This is called hyponatremia, and is caused by too much fluid intake, leading to low sodium levels in the blood. A study done at the US Army Research Institute in Environmental Medicine found that drinks with electrolytes (like Nuun) can delay hyponatremia. The sodium in these drinks can help maintain healthy blood sodium levels.

In honor of this awesome opportunity to run HTC, Nuun is letting me giveaway a four pack of their choice to one lucky DYL reader! Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And if you just can’t wait for the giveaway, I have a coupon code for 15% off for all Defy Your Limitations readers. Enter the code hydrateHTC at checkout! The code is good through September.
Stay hydrated!
What are my favorite flavors?? Currently, strawberry lemonade, and lemon tea. mmmm!

Summer Marathon Training

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This weekend was one of the first we have had to relax at home in 6 weeks! It was wonderful to be able to get some things done around the house, and get out on the trail for a run and to the pool for a swim. We also celebrated Ryan’s birthday on Friday night. We were able to stay cool during the 100+ degree heat wave we had Friday and Saturday! Overall, great weekend.

{after my hot Saturday AM run.}

So now that my spring racing season is over, it’s almost time to get going on training for my fall marathon! Over the next week or two, I’m hoping to put together a training plan for OBX. Exciting!! My plan is to officially start training the first week in July. I know it probably sounds crazy, but I am actually looking forward to the 18-20 mile long runs.

When training for my first marathon in December, my plan was just about putting in the miles to make sure I could complete the distance. Before this spring I had never done track workouts during my training programs, but completing them really improved my speed and also my running confidence. During this marathon training cycle, I will be incorporating speedwork and tempo runs. I also will be working on hills some to be prepped for Hood to Coast!

Until then, I will be filling in my days with strength training, keeping my running base up, and getting to the pool for some cross training. There’s a chance I will squeeze in another triathlon or two later in the summer.

What are your summer training goals? 

Don’t Stop: Nuun HTC Application

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Since I started running two years ago, I have really surprised myself with how far I could go (a marathon!) or how fast I could run (a 1:50 half?!). Plus, I think things are only getting better! I’m feeling so much more confident in my running ability, and I have joined an amazing community of people by starting a blog about my experiences with training, racing, and staying fit.

Last August I loved reading so many bloggers’ recaps about running Hood-to-Coast with Nuun. It seemed like an unbelievable experience! Making new friends, and simply having the time of their life. This year, Nuun is looking for 20 new female bloggers to take on the 199 mile relay from the top of Mt. Hood to the Coast in Seaside, OR. Because of this, I decided to take a leap and put together an application. Can’t get in if you don’t apply, right?

I have seen a bunch of application videos from other women applying, and I have to say they are amazing and so creative! It would be amazing to run a relay (which I’ve never done before!) with a group of incredible female runners/bloggers for an awesome company that can truly keep us moving (through their power of hydration)!

With that, I invite you to enjoy my application video about why I would be the perfect addition to the Nuun Hood-to-Coast relay team.

Okay, okay… I know I’m not the best dancer (Slumbee and Waddles have me beat, as you can clearly see), but you probably can’t help but laugh at my moves, and I still love a good dance party — especially on a road trip or in a big van with a bunch of other sweaty runners.

Nuun, I hope you like my moves and silliness enough to invite me to join you on this awesome adventure!

Have you ever run Hood to Coast, or another relay? Ryan and I have been thinking about relays for a while now, but need some more running friends!

PS. You still have time to put in an application if you are interested. The deadline was extended to Sunday 4/7 at Midnight! You can check out more of chatter on twitter by following #nuunHTC