There has been minimal running talk here lately, but that does not mean it hasn’t been happening. I have been running twice a week, cycling twice a week, and whatever else helps to fuel my cookie addiction. Sunday I ran another race. This race counts as the May race for my, “one race a month” goal. This race was hands down the best race I have yet to run. Let me tell you why.
Reason Number One: SWAG BAG!
Now before you get your pants into an excited bunch, I did NOT run a marathon. I ran a 5 miler. The capital city marathon had three races: a marathon, a half-marathon, and a 5 miler. Due to the fact that there was a marathon and a half going on, this meant a real swag bag. None of those paper envelopes filled with a running chip and a race number. The shirt was a tech shirt, not cotton. I was in running heaven.
Reason Number Two: Spectators, Water Stations, and Course.
This was my sixth race this year, and this was the first time I really felt like a runner. There were people around every corner cheering us on, watching us, and giving us that extra boost of energy. Water stations were at every two mile mark, and I was able to snag some electrolyte SUGAR crack water each time. I didn’t get tired once. I wanted to keep running. The course was awesome. Through neighborhoods, and main roads..it kept winding so I never felt like I was running a straight away towards my death.
Reason Number Three: My new 5mile PR.
I’ve run 5 miles multiple times, always somewhere in the 10:00 min mile range. I never want to get too run happy and tire myself out. I tried to hold back in the beginning because the first half was almost all uphill. I held a comfortable pace and enjoyed every step. I ran a 9:38 min mile pace, and I finished 5.11miles in under 50 minutes which was my goal (and a new 5mile PR). Yay. I don’t have a picture of the PR, but it looked something like this.
Everything about this race has kept me on a constant runners high. I had such an amazing time, and I didn’t even get food after the race (aside from some PB pretzels I stole from MF.) Normally I am more excited about the food than the run, but this time it was ALL about the run. For all you foodies that don’t get excited reading posts like this, I will leave you with this valuable food information. I polished off an entire box of cookies, two chocolate bars, enough spaghetti to feed all of Italy, PB sandwiches fit for Shrek, more chocolate, more cookies, and lots of gas worthy veggies– anything to get that extra push over the finish line.
Q: What is the best swag bag you have received from a race, or from another event? For running, this was the best one. I have a new lunch bag and a comfortable new running shirt. From a different event, I once got a bag of womanly items like makeup and candy from a women’s expo. In that swag bag was a tongue scraper, to scrape your tongue and get rid of the nasty bacteria. I can’t live without my tongue scraper, toothbrushes will never do the job of the scraper.
Blissfulbritt 
38 thoughts on “The Best Race I Ever Did Run”
Lora @ Crazy Running Girl
Congrats on the PR!! I loved the swag from the Houston Marathon. We got a GLASS BEER STEIN at the finish in addition to a shirt, medal and tons of food!! I’m still super pumped about this.
Brittany
A beer stein sounds AWESOME! I’m glad to know I am not the only one that holds onto the excitement dayssss (maybe months) after a good race!
Manfriend
What an awesome weekend!!!! We are official RR’s. Time to start focusing on September!
freefrombakeathon
I’m feeling super jealous of your race. My 5km race isn’t until July! I guess I have to scout around for some others. It looks like you had a great time!
An Unrefined Vegan
You are SO damn cute!! You totally make me want to lace up and GO! Isn’t that the best feeling – when you want to keep running? So glad you had a fun, fast race! Woohoo for you and Manfriend!
Alexandra
Oh man oh man what a rockin race! So much awesomeness, especially you getting a PR! Congrats!!!! 🙂
GOtheXtraMile
Wooo congrats!!! I am in love with your shirt. Perfect for you! 😀
Vanessa
Nice job! I love the swag t-shirt you got! (Plus… now people will think you ran the marathon when you wear it so that’s a huge bonus!) Also your goal of one race a month is a fab idea. I want to start doing that too!
Life After Swimming
Ahhh that’s freaking awesome…. love that you both had the sweat pink laces 🙂 fabulous! and concrats on a PR!
Just A Smidgen
Wow.. this is such an accomplishment.. and besting your time must be an awesome feeling! Love the pink shoelaces on your “team” too!!
Tessa @ Amazing Asset
You are a beast girl, congrats on the PR! That is just a wonderful and accomplished feeling Britt 🙂 Love any race with good swag, if anything, that alone makes it worth it!
Sarah @ Feeeding the Brain and Body
Congrats on a great race, and the PR! I love the finish line picture! 🙂
DSTPRL
This is hilarious. I am planning to run a race or 2. Guess I need to set a REAL goal! How do you like the Garmin? I have a Sportline.
Brittany
I am obsessed with my Garmin. I bought the 110, so it could be used daily as a watch and also as to run with. The transition between the time and the tracker is smooth. Yay for running a race!!
kbwood
AHHHHHHH I miss you! HOW ARE YOU GIRL!? you and your man are SO FREAKING CUTE!!! you havent changed one bit.. still as precious and hilarious as EVER
Shira
Great post Brittany and CONGRATS on your new PR! That sounds like a great time….man I love running, and I can tell you do too…well done!! 🙂
Health Freak College Girl
YAYYY for the PR! That’s so awesome 😀 And congrats to the man friend too. No training?!? You definitely have a wild Kenyan on your hands.
Also love the swag bag. WANT THE SHIRT. NOW!
Corrie Anne
congrats!! that’s so exciting. i’ve gotten a lot of GOOD cheese from races in wisconsin and minnesota lol
Khushboo Thadani
Soooo I take it you had a good race? Haha WELL DONE on that PR, Britt…you are a rockstar! And a big congratulations to your “Kenyan” manfriend….quite the speedy duo you 2 make :)! I haven’t run an official race yet but I definitely want to soon…if anything, I just want a swag bag!
Love Live & Learn
Woo congratulations on the PR!! It sounds like an absolutely brilliant race, I’m really glad you had such a fantastic time 🙂 And a massive well done to Manfriend too! You two are so cute, I absolutely love the matching pink laces 🙂
Lisa
Yay for swag bags! Great job, and great reflection….and woohoo manfriend! 1:45 is no joke!
I usually raid Joe’s swag bags since I can’t run right now—he doesn’t want most of the junk in them. Lots of it really is junk, but after the marine corps marathon last year he ended up with approximately 30 clif bars. I ate most of them!
thoughtsappear
Ah-ha! So I’m not the only one who holds her keys. I always feel like it’s just me. Congrats!
GiGi Eats Celebrities
I don’t run races… unless there is a race where each competitor gets on an elliptical next to the other and pedals away to their hearts content… Now if there were such a RACE I would WHOOOOOOOPPPPPP ASSS!!!!! And my swag bag would probably consist of… the elliptical I BROKE from pedaling so hard and fast… Oh snap, sounds sexy! LOL!
Coley
Congrats on the PR! Sounds like a fun race! I love free swag and a good race packet. This past weekend I ran and the race packet included a tech long sleeve shirt, shock blocks, tissues, postcards and a trail running magazine! Love it!
Em ... Living & Learning
hahahah LOVE your drawing illustration – congrats on the PR !!
sunnykimby413
Congrats on your PR girl! I love swag bags and race T-shirts! However, the best swag bag that I received was at the Healthy Living Summit in Philly – it was ridiculous the amount of food and goodies they squeezed into that bag 🙂
Kimberly
Congrats on the PR girl! I love swag bags and race T-shirts! However, my favorite swag bag came from the Healthy Living Summit in Philly last year – the amount of goodies they squeezed into that bag was ridiculous! 🙂 Cheers!
Rach @ This Italian Family
Congrats on your PR, girl!!! That’s amazing! And how cool that manfriend rocked his half! That’s amazing! Especially with no training. I am super impressed! And I love that you got such a great swag bag and that you guys have matching pink shoelaces! Christopher and I have matching neon green shoelaces from a 5k last year. 🙂
nicole marie story
Shut the hell up! Did you seriously just write “swag bag?” Hahahahaha! 😀 My event on Saturday featured a “swag bag” into which my company, Canine Sophisticate, inserted the most gorgeous of swag… totally beating out the other insertions (I think you’ve already commented upon the photograph of my swag!). But otherwise, to this post, I must tell you that if you and Manfriend get engaged, I expect an invitation to your bridal shower – because you will get a very expensive gift from me and the puggle. J’adore you! 😀
imakeeper
AMAAAAZING! New life goal: Run some sort of race with YOU! I love that manfriend matched his shoelaces to yours. And both your times were super duper wonderful. You two are going to have extremely healthy happy children.
The best swag bag I have ever recieved is my Mr. Speedy. I realize he is a not a bag but we met after a race, through a running buddy, and he was able to see through my atrocious sweaty appearence and bogger-incrusted nostrils and realize there was a beauty underneath it all. Two races that I came in 1st, I got sweet gift certificates to run shops. That is a pretty awesome item.
Once again, not in the bag. I’m bad at this. I’ll stop. CONGRATSSSSSSxoxo
Brittany
Oh my goodness, if I were able to run a race with you by my side..I would be ready to die. My life would be complete. This will happen, so long as you can accept my snail like pace!!
katalysthealth
Awesome swag lady!! Ive never run a race before, but I did the revlon cancer walk when I was younger and got an entire bag FILLED with new revlon products, which was fun for me to play with as a pre teen! lol
kale
The facial expression on your sketched self is hilarious. And I love the arrow indicating those pink laces. The matching is fantastic. You have got one confident manfriend!
Christina Does It All
love the artwork! hehe.
and the swag bag!
and you!
go girl!
Simply Life (@SimplyLifeBlog)
CONGRATS on the run! You’re inspiring me to sign up for another one!
Lucie Elizabeth
Congrats on the PR! What a fab race!!
Luv What You Do
I was thinking this morning while I was waiting for my race to start that I want a tshirt that says…will run for swag : )
I have some awesome hoodies and pullovers from races and a bike top that I wear all the time from my first triathlon.
Congrast on the awesome race!
Pingback: Car Talk | BlissfulBritt