Yesterday, I did my first half marathon of the season – the Great Bay Half Marathon in Newmarket, New Hampshire.  I was lucky enough to score a deal on Active Schwaggle, so I ended up only paying half price for this half!  By the way, if you love road racing and don’t check Schwaggle – do it!  It’s like a Groupon, but for athletic products and races.  I’ve gotten several great deals on here for races.

Anyway – I was really excited to try this race as the website boasts the “roller coaster like hills.”  I knew it’d be a challenging course, but that’s part of the fun!  I convinced my friend Katie to sign up with me – it was her first half marathon, so kudos to her on tackling this challenge! 

I was happy the race start time was later at 11AM, since this gave us time to make the 2 hour drive up to New Hampshire without having to wake up super early.  We got up there around 10:15, and I was happy that Terry (my fiancé) was with me so he could drop me off to get my race number and then take care of figuring out the parking.  

The weather at the start time was great.  It was around 50 degrees and sunny.  The clouds took over midway through the race, so it got a little chilly but still comfortable.   

The course was really cool – from miles 4 to 5.5ish, we ran along a dirt road through the woods which was very scenic.  Later in the course, we ran around the coastline with more pretty views.  There were some local people along the course playing music, and at the loop around mile 11 there were bellydancers!  The race finished in downtown Newmarket, with lots of spectators at the finish line.

I finished the race in 2:42 – one of my slower half marathon times, and nowhere near my PR, but I was pretty happy with it considering the crazy hills!  Plus, I felt really great throughout the race.  Just enjoyed the scenery and ran comfortably.  And Katie finished in 2:15 – a great time for her first race! 

After the race, Terry and I went across the street for the free post-race Smuttynose beers!  I enjoyed my drink and we hung out for a while before heading home.

An awesome day and race – makes me look forward to all the other races we have this season! 

I had planned on sharing photos and stories from the Milton Monster Dash today – a 5K supporting the Milton Foundation for Education.  I would’ve never expected this Halloween themed race to be cancelled due to a snowstorm!  Living in Massachusetts, we are used to snowy winters.  But a major snowstorm before Halloween?  

The storm hit the Northeast yesterday through this morning, leaving some regions with 1 to 2 feet of snow.  In Mansfield (shown below), we ended up with several inches – but drive a little further west or north, and they have a solid 10 or 11 inches.

Did you know snow shoveling burns major calories?!  A 155 pound person shoveling snow for a half hour burns around 200 calories.  While shoveling, remember to use your legs to help power the shoveling.  Bending directly from the back can cause pain and injuries – instead, bend your legs in a squat position and avoid stressing your back too much.  A good workout and knocking out a chore in one shot?  Sounds good to me! 

And of course, don’t forget the other fun ways to burn calories in the snow – building a snowman, an old-fashioned snowball fight, and sledding!

How much snow did you get this weekend?  Did you burn any calories shoveling or playing?

Are you ready for Food Day?  I was just able to write an article over at Examiner on this topic, and it got me really excited about all the upcoming local events! 

After a long hiatus, the country is getting ready to celebrate Food Day on this Monday, October 24.  According to the Food Day website, the day was created to “push for healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way.” 

Here are a few local events that I wanted to highlight:

Best variety of cultures, flavors and a chance at prizes:  Dorchester $5 Meal Challenge

On Food Day Eve, the Dorchester Food Co-Op is holding a $5 meal challenge!  If you have a nutritious and delicious meal that you can make for 2 to 4 people on a $5 budget, you can bring it to this event in Dorchester and enter for a chance to win great prizes.  Plus, what a great way to get healthy, inexpensive recipes from other talented cooks!

Best Boston get-together:  Boston Community Sourced Potluck

The Boston Food Day Community Sourced Potluck invites you to attend a dinner celebrating healthy, sustainable choices on October 24th from 7-10.  If you bring a dish to share, you get a discounted admission ticket!

Best chance to learn more about the Food Day mission and concepts: Rhode Island Food Council Events

In Providence, the state house will kick off Food Day with the launch of the new Rhode Island Food Council, a group dedicated to expanding access to healthy, locally-grown food.  This even takes place from 10-11am.  Later that day, visit URI to hear a review of a comprehensive state food assessment.

Wherever you are located, check out the Food Day website to search for events by zip code.  You should be able to find a variety of events, from supporting policy initiatives to tasting local, healthy foods!