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Sep 30, 2011

4 miles on the schedule today....Wow...it's been a long time since I ran that short of distance.  Felt good.  I decided last night to run this 4 miles at about 8:30pm last night.  I have not done a night run in a really long time.  I ran last night because they said it was going to be rainy/cold/windy out this morning.  Instead?  It's no rain, 55 and no wind.  I need to be a weatherman so I can be wrong all the time.  Instead, I ran in the rain and wind in the high 50's.  Oh well, I always say that it's good to run in the rain since it's help you mentally prepare for it in case it rains at a marathon(which I hope it doesn't)

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I'm planning on stopping at the Brooksie Way expo tonight after work.  While it's a smaller expo, sometimes they have last year's shirt on sale for $5.  I did that last year.  Can't beat the price for a great training shirt.  I'm also in the market for a new pair of Saucony's and hoping they have them on sale at the expo.  If not, I'll wait and see what the Detroit expo has since that one is so big.  I saw a pair of Ride 4's at the Crim expo in August on sale for $75.  I'd rather spend $50-60 but I suppose that's not too bad for the current year model.  I tend to run in last year's model when I can find them online cheap.  Yes, I'm cheap but with the number of pairs I have to buy a year, it adds up!

I'm also still planning on being there on Sunday with my Cowbell to cheer on the runners.  The plan is to be right around the 8 mile marker.  This is just when it's starting to get hard.  See the map below.


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Speaking of running, I looked at my Dailymile log and I'm at 1524 miles for this year!  Wow, I didn't think I'd be that high but I suppose running two marathons in the same year will do that.  That's like running from Detroit to Yellowstone Park.  Yikes!  I would guess I only ran 1200 miles all of last year(I didn't track the entire year)  I can't imagine some of you out there who run a marathon a month.  Your miles must be unbelievable!


Question of the day?  How many miles have you run this year?




Have a great day and....Keep Running!!!!

Sep 29, 2011

47 miles....

5 miles on the schedule today.....done!

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47 miles - that's the number of miles I have to run in training until I run the Detroit Marathon.  No I didn't run 47 miles - are you nuts?

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Don't forget, the contest ends Sunday for the Sport Hook medal hanger.  If you haven't signed up, click HERE.

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Have a great day and......Keep Running!!!!!

Sep 28, 2011

I lied.....

6 miles on the schedule today.....done and not in the rain either!

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I have a confession to make.  I lied.  I said that the Detroit Marathon was going to be my last race for the year.  I changed my mind.  I signed up for my final(really) race of the year - The Wicked Halloween Run!

This is an inaugural race and I could not resist it and it's organized by the same people that also organized the Solstice Run 10 mile which I have run twice.  While I have heard complaints of the Solstice Run, I have never experienced any problems when I have attended the race - very well organized.

This is the last race of the season for me and it is a 10k race.  I decided to do this since I am not going to do the Turkey Trot 10k in Detroit on Thanksgiving morning.  I'm actually looking forward to sleeping in on Thanksgiving day.

So here's the details:

October 30th - Devil's day(night would be fun though)
Wicked Halloween Run - Plymouth, Michigan
Limited to first 950 runners(that tells you how popular this one will be)
10k'er get a medal - sweet!  A medal for a 10k?

Great run in Downtown Plymouth - kind of far from my home but should be worth it.
Awesome long sleeve shirt!

Candy Aid Stations - gotta love that!
Food and Beverage Buffet at the finish
"Thriller" song performance by dance group prior to race; haha!
Costume contest(although I probably will not participate)

Two weeks after my marathon so I should be just fine to run this race.  If you are in Michigan, I hope you can join me for this great event.

Question of the day?  Have you run in Costume before?




Have a great day and.....Keep Running!!!!!

Sep 27, 2011

Running in fog....

5 miles on the schedule today....done.

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The contest for a Sport Hook medal hanger is almost over.  Click HERE if you have not entered!
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Today's run was my typical 5 miler.  Don't you just love those runs.  You know, the ones where you just do it and don't think about where you're going.  I know I love them.

Today's run was a unique run for me.  Believe it or not but in the couple years I've been running, I've never run in foggy weather.  As I was running, I was thinking I don't know how I could not have ever run in fog before.  All my runs are in the morning and 98% outside.  Is it me or does it seem that when you go through a thick part of fog when running it feels like you are trying harder to suck air into your lungs?  At some parts of the run, it felt like I could cut the air.

Another thing is that when it's dark AND foggy, it feels like your running when you're dreaming.  I was thinking I might end up waking up in my bed and realize that I shut off my alarm clock and went back to sleep.  But I'm awake now....and know that it wasn't a dream.  As I ran, I also kept thinking about that horror movie, The Fog.

It's funny because I've never even seen the movie!  It's probably not the best thing to be thinking about as you run in a dark and foggy place.  Haha!  Not that I was scared.


Question of the day?  What's a scary run you have gone on?




Have a great day and....Keep Running!!!!!

Sep 26, 2011

Taper time....

Rest day on the schedule; I'm happy to take it as my legs a still sore from yesterday's run.

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Now it's taper time.....

1) Less running
2) Slower running
3) Time to repair my legs before the big event
4) Time to get me mentally ready to run the marathon

I know that some of you go crazy during your taper but that's not me.  I embrace the time to allow my legs the rest they need so they grow strong and are ready for that kind of mileage.  Frankly, I'm looking forward to after the marathon when I can rest my legs further and really get them feeling strong.  It will be nice to go out and do a run just because I feel like it and not because it's on a schedule.  So if you are in your taper period, like many of us now, enjoy it because before you know it, you'll be back to training for something again soon.

Have a great day and.....Keep Running!!!!!!

Sep 25, 2011

Donuts for 20 miles...yes please!

20 miles on the schedule today.....done!  20 miles with 20 days left until the marathon!

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I had an early start to the day.  I started at 6am this morning and drove to Rochester to run on the Paint Creek Trail.  Even though I had my headlamp, it was really dark there so I decided to run in Downtown Rochester until it got a little bit lighter out.  I pulled up to the duck pond and there must have been several hundred ducks just sitting in the pond sleeping.  It freaked me out!

I did about 3.5 miles around town and then headed off to the trails.  I love the trails since they are so nice on your legs.  Of course, no matter what you're running on, when you are doing 20 miles, it's much harder at the end.  I was also able to see several families of deer on the trail.  It's great because you feel like your up north.  I ran almost 11 miles when I met up with my running buddy, T.  He's got his second marathon next weekend in Milwaukee with his brother.  He said he's not as well trained but we'll see.  He's a great runner.

We ran all on the Paint Creek Trail.  It did not seem like there was as many people out as in weeks past.  People probably getting ready for their marathons.  Since Chicago is in two weeks, most people running that are in their taper now.  My running buddy is usually one to help keep me going and while I kept going, I was much slower by about 14 miles.  For me, even though I've done 20 miles three other times, it just felt hard today.  I mean, how can I see such a great job on the half marathon last weekend and then feel so crummy on this run.  The half still remains my favorite distance!

Fortunately, my IT Band did not act up so it looks like I'll be getting rid of another pair of shoes.  I actually have about 380 miles on them and 400 is my maximum so I guess that's not too bad.  After my running buddy was done with his 8, I still needed to do 1.5 more miles so I ran again in downtown Rochester.

Here's the splits:

As you can see, the last two miles I really struggled.  I'm not even going to over analyze the miles too much since, as you know, I'm trying to get under that 4 hour mark in the marathon.  I'll have the pacer to help keep me going so I will depend less on my Garmin at the race.  I usually get super charged at races and hope to be at this one as well.

After the run, I really felt like a donut.  Really?  If you know me, I'm not one to eat donuts but I had the urge so I stopped at the local donut shop in Rochester, Knapps Donuts.

Here they are:

In our house, we have to take pictures of these things as we don't see them too much.  I had an Apple Fritter and also a half a pumpkin - yummy.  And I'm not going to feel guilty about it - I more than worked for this treat!

Question of the day?  Do you treat yourself after a long run?




Have a great day and....Keep Running!!!!!!

Sep 24, 2011

Tommie Copper compression review

Rest day on the schedule today.  Leg is feeling better - hopefully enough to do 20 tomorrow.  I'll play it by ear.

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Jordan over at TommieCopper was nice enough to sent me a sample of their compression wear for the calves and also for the knees to do a review.  I was really interested in trying these since I have heard all the benefits of compression.  The unique thing about Tommie Copper is that there is actually copper in the material that is supposed to help with healing.  Here a picture of me wearing their product:
Calf sleeves

Knee Sleeves

And what they look like when not actually on me:

I wore these before running, during running, and after running.  I actually wore them most after my running.  I do like the calf sleeves.  They don't feel too tight but you can feel the benefits of the compression.  According to their website, they were made so that the compression would be comfortable so that you could wear their products all day.  I did wear the calf sleeves for several hours.  They do stay in place when running and they do stay in place when wearing them all day(at least the hours I wore them).  I'm not sure I can "feel" the benefits of the copper in the material, although they were comfortable and did make my legs feel better.

As far as the knee sleeves, I actually wore one of the sleeves all day from the time I went to work until I got home from work.  I did that because my IT Band was sore and I was hoping that these would help it.    While my leg did feel better, I'm not sure I noticed the difference from just using the foam roller like I do daily.  Also, the knee sleeves kept falling down during the day so I would have to keep pulling it up.  If I put the sleeve on and just sat in front of the TV, then they stayed in place but once you moved around they tend to bunch up on you.  I'm sure this is because the top of the sleeve is going on a large diameter of your leg and it's natural tendency is to move down.  There is material at the top and bottom to help keep them in place but they just would not stay for me.

Overall, I could see the benefits of having the calf sleeve but I think that there needs to be some kind of design change on the knee sleeves to help them in place.

If you would like to learn more about Tommie Copper, please see the links below:

Click HERE for their Website
Click HERE for their Facebook Page
Click HERE for their Twitter page

* I was sent a pair of Tommie Copper calf sleeves and knee sleeves in exchange for a review of their product.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own and I was not required to give a favorable review.

Have a great day and......Keep Running!!!!!!

Sep 23, 2011

Run for Fun vs Run for a Career...

Unscheduled rest day today.  Problem - IT Band.  As some of you know, it's not fun to run when your IT Band is bothering you.  Mine started to give me issues at the end of my run yesterday so I'm taking off today and Saturday to give it a little rest before I do my second 20 miler on Sunday.

IT Band - Illiotibial(IT) Band is the true name

What I call it.....
- The (I) can't (T)ake any more running band
- The (I) am (T)oo stressed band(my leg, not me)
- The (I) ran (T)oo much band
- The (I) (T)old you so band
- The (I) need a rest (T)oday band
- The (I) need a rest (T)omorrow too band

What do you call it?

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Running for fun versus running for a profession.  I think that many people think, oh, I want to be a professional xxx.  Be it a runner, football player, basketball player.  These jobs look glamourous and I'm sure at times they are but I can't imagine the kind of dedication that you need to have to do these things.  Plus, I'm not talking about the Tiger Woods and Ryan Halls of the world.  I'm talking about the professional athlete that is not in the top.  The ones that perhaps run and are happy to have a coach and a place to live with very little sponsor money.  They have real dedication!

Running for fun is certainly a different thing than what the pro's do.  Sure, I'm sure they have fun doing what they do - most of us enjoy parts of our job as well.  What I'm saying is they do this for a living and that puts another whole spin on things.  They HAVE to run and that's a big difference.  They have to eat, live, breath the sport from the time they get up until the time they go to bed.  They have to be great at what they do if they want to make any kind of living at it and I'm sure that put's a tremendous amount of stress on them at race time.

Not only the races though, they need to pay close attention to EVERYTHING they put in their mouth.  They must constantly hydrate, eat lots of calories(the good ones), keep away from junk food, get lots of sleep, run 2-3 times daily, run ungodly amount of miles and run that incredible speeds.  And all the time(sponsorship especially), they need to perform or they don't get paid.  I don't know anyone that is sponsored by Nike for being at the middle of the pack.  Winning = sponsorships.

I'm sure we all have local age groupers who run races in the 5:xx/mile paces.  They guys are awesome and incredibly fast.  I wish I were one of them.  Then they go home and get ready for work the next day.  Their good, there is no question about that, but not good enough.
Average mid packer-I know.
Top class
Of course, I've just touched on the subject and could get into it in much more detail.  I'm not sure you'd keep reading though, haha!

If you think about what the pro's have to do, would you want to do it?  Not for me - thanks!

Have a great day and.....Keep Running!!!!

Sep 22, 2011

Name two blogs...

5 miles on the schedule today....done!

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Check out my Sport Hook giveaway - HERE; Ends October 2!
Medals not included(sorry)
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How many blogs do you follow?  I assume most of you follow running/tri blogs like I do.  There are some awesome blogs out there.  Do you have time to read them?  I try to do my best and I don't always comment but I try to comment as much as I can.  I do a lot of lurking!  People really have some great ideas of what they talk about.  Others love doing reviews(including me) of running merchandise.  Still others give great details of race reports(myself included).  Some I read are SO detailed, I don't even know how you remember all the stuff that you write about.  I think a lot about nothing when I'm racing other than how can I run faster or checking out the scenery.  Others should probably write for a living - some of you probably do.  Who set up your blog?  Did you?  What's better - blogger or Wordpress?  I just wanted all of you to know that I do what I can to read your blogs and really enjoy hearing the perspective of others in regards to running/training, etc.  I also like seeing the creativity that you have put into your blog site.


Question of the day?  Name two blogs that you check out daily.  I'm always looking for new ones to follow!



If you follow me, thanks!  If you don't, get on board and add yourself as a follower or follow me on Facebook or Twitter - my posts go there daily.  If I don't follow you, let me know!

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24 days until my next Marathon!  Can't wait!  There are less than 100 spots open for the full marathon in Detroit and the half is already sold out.

Relatively speaking, 4,400 marathoners is not that large a marathon but there will also be 10,300 half marathoners and right now another 1,900 relayers out there so it will start out kind of crowded and then really drop off at the half way point.

There is some satisfaction in knowing that I CAN and WILL(hopeful) finish.  It really helps me mentally knowing what to expect.  I will embrace the pain.  I will conquer the voices telling me to just walk a little.  I know that if I start walking, I will have too hard a time starting to run again so my goal is to run and keep running!  This I have on my side!

I have also been working on my nutrition and have at least been able to eat a little more before my long runs and races.  I have also taken in more calories during the races itself to hopefully not hit "the wall" or have this happen:

All the training will hopefully payoff on race day but as many of you know, it doesn't always go the way you want it, so I'm also preparing mentally for that as well.  Even though this is my second marathon, Finish is still the #1 goal.  Time is a true goal this time though and I long for under 4 hours.  One thing is for sure, I'll always have more chances - I'm already thinking about my third marathon next year(seriously)
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Have a great day and......Keep Running!!!!

Sep 21, 2011

9/11 memorial at Race

8 miles on the schedule today......done!  This was my last 8 miler during midweek before the marathon - yeah!  I hate the eight!  Happy to get back to a little bit shorter runs mid week.

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At the Capital City River Run Half Marathon on Sundat, we were walking to the start of the race when we  passed this 9/11 memorial.  I have not been to NY to see Ground Zero so this is the closest I have come to it.  This was a piece of the tower that fell.  I assume parts of the towers were distributed over the country for memorials like this.  Kind of freaky to see this before a race but puts things in perspective - it's only a race!  No professional race pictures yet.

Also got a picture by the capital building as well prior to the race:
Just me

Me and T

Question of the day?  Have you seen a 9/11 memorial in your state?




Have a great day and.....Keep Running!!!!!

Sep 20, 2011

Capital City River Run Half Marathon race review

5 miles on the schedule - done!  Still a little sore from Sunday's race but feeling good overall.

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Hey - check out this link!  I did a review yesterday for MyRaceRagz and they put a link to my site and pictures of me in their custom shirt!  Click HERE to see it!  I thought that was pretty cool of them!  I'm famous again!  And you never thought you would know someone who's famous!  Haha!

Also, don't forget to sign up for the SportHook giveaway if you have not done so already - click HERE

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Capital City River Run Half Marathon Race Review ----

Short Version 
Official time:  1:39:18(7:35/mile pace)
Garmin time:  1:39:18
Place:  158 out of 1621 overall(top 10%)
Gender place:  121 out of 732
AG M40-44 place:  22 out of 106
New PR by 4 minutes, 48 seconds!!!!

Long Version
It was an early Sunday morning.  I had to get up at 4:15am to get to the Capital City River Run Half Marathon in Lansing, Michigan.  This race takes place in our State's capital.  Believe it or not but I have not been to Downtown Lansing in all the time I have lived here - my whole life!

I had to get up that early in order to be at my running buddy T's home at 5:15am.  From his house, it takes about an hour and a half to get there.  We got there at about 6:50am, found a parking spot which was in a free parking structure on Lansing Community College Campus right across the street from the finish line.  They were setting up the finish line when we got there.  Oops - maybe we got there a tad early.  It was about a 5 block walk to the start line and packet pick up.  Packet pick up opened at 7am.

It was really nice because packet pick up was at the Lansing Center which is a huge building.  It was a little chilly(around 45 degrees) to start the morning so it was nice to sit inside the building where it was warm.  We picked up our packet and got our shirts and took them back to the car.  We also got a couple pictures by the capital building and also by a 9/11 monument.  It had a piece of the medal from one of the towers(pictures to follow)  Here's the shirt:
Back
Front
I got a medium and it's a New Balance tech shirt.  I tried it on this morning and it's actually a little small which is unusual since I have a NB tech shirt already that fits fine.

Because the race is not crazy crowded(1621 in the half), we were able to literally wait inside until 5 minutes before the race started.  Also, bathrooms were inside as well!  It really was a nice day -- sunny and perfect temperature to run in.  We decided to line up right next to the 8 minute/mile pacer.  Each of the pacers were dressed in costumes which was kind of cool and they were holding pacer signs so they were easy to find.  Actually, the 7:30 minute pacer was not too far in front of us either.

It was kind of a crowded start because they had us starting the opposite way of the 5k so we were all pushed to one side of the road.  It did not effect the timing and seemed most people were placed in the proper pace area to run.  It was literally an announcer saying, 3,2,1 and we were off!

Here's the course:

Mile 1-3 - we started off on Michigan Avenue in Downtown Lansing.  We were actually on the same road as the capital building and heading away from it and towards MSU.  This was a straight road which actually allowed for a really quick start.  Not too scenic of a road though.  I started out pretty fast - really fast actually.  I was feeling pretty good.  I passed the 8 minute/mile crowd pretty quickly.

Mile 3-4 - A quick jaunt through MSU campus.  I would have liked to see more of the campus but it was nice to see some of the buildings on campus.  I could easily see how they could change this course to a full marathon if they took you through the MSU campus more.  We actually had to run up three wide steps which was unusual but there was a volunteer there yelling to watch your step.  After I got through the first 4 miles, I was still going pretty strong so I figured I would see how much I could push myself.  I had not really planned anything before the start.

Mile 4-9 - this is a great part of the run through the paved trails.  We were along the river or in the park much of the run and it was great to take your mind off things.  There were several wooden bridges on the trails as well which was really nice for running.  By about mile 4, I saw the 7:30/minute pacer and thought, oh, maybe I can catch up to them and try to keep up.  At mile 7, you did get to see some of the people that were in front of you since there was a circle in the park.  Boy, they looked like strong runners!(probably around the 6:30 pace)

Mile 9-10 - this was through the neighborhood near the park.  I was still with the 7:30 pacer - I could not believe it!!!!  I told him I was trying to stay in front of him.  He thought I looked pretty good and asked how many half marathon's I've done(this was my fourth)

Mile 10-11 - much of this was in Potter Park Zoo.  We didn't get too far into it so we did not see any animals.   I was still with the pacer and thought, I can't believe I am keep up this pace!

Mile 11-13.1 - this was heading back to the finish.  Much of this part was run on the river with boardwalks so it was a really nice way to finish.  Unfortunately, I started to slow down and watched as the 7:30 pacer started to get farther and farther away.  He really helped keep me going all those miles.  My achilles heal has always been mile 12 in a half marathon - I don't know what it is but I always am slower that mile.  Now, my goal was to finish under 1:40:00!  I wanted this more than anything and really pushed myself to get in under that time. Oh, how I wanted to brag about being under 1:40!!!!  Of course, according to Muhammad Ali, "It's not bragging if you can back it up."

I finished with a time of 1:39:18.  Yahoo!!!!  And I didn't even feel like throwing up.  Haha!  I guess I had more gas in the tank - NOT!  How the hell did I come in almost 5 minutes faster than my last half marathon?????  I guess all this running has paid off.  We finished in downtown and crossed a large bridge and then through a park to the finish.  I thought it was a great place to finish the race.
Half Marathon Course
My fastest splits to date!!!!

I crossed just before the finish line and the announcer called out my name and where I was from.  It was kind of nice because they set up a timing mat just to announce your name.  The announcer was doing everything he could to announce everyone that crossed the finish line so you could hear your name.  There were two volunteers at the finish handing out the medals.  Here's the bling.  A very nice medal in my opinion - a nice touch with the capital building on it.



My traditional finish picture at home with medal.
Shirt courtesy of MyRaceRagz.com(see my review)
The race finished in Adado Riverfront Park which was a large park that had more than enough room to fit everyone comfortably.  They had bananas, apples, gatorade, water, apple cider(a nice touch!), bagels, rolls and Pizza.  Plenty of food to eat.  If you wanted, when you picked up your race packet, you could show your ID and get a free beer from a local brewery as well.  I opted to not drink beer at 10:30am on Sunday morning - haha!  My running buddy, T, would have gotten it but he forgot his ID at home so they would not give it to him even though his age was on the bib and he certainly can pass for over 21.  I'm sure there were strict rules they had to go by.  All we had to do was walk across the street and we were at our car.  Awesome placement of the finish line!

This really was a very nice running route and I would certainly do this race again in the future.  The biggest issue I have with it is that it's 1.5 hours from my home.  Also, there were quite a few turns in the course which slowed things down a little.  There was also not much in the way of spectators - they were very sporadic and really none on the trails but that does not bother me since I run alone so much.  Overall though, I would have to say that this is my new favorite course out of all the half marathons I have done.  A really enjoyable run - even if I hadn't got a new PR!

Have a great day and.....Keep Running!!!!!!

Sep 19, 2011

MyRaceRagz custom shirt review....

Rest day on the schedule today.

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I contacted Kevin over at MyRaceRagz and asked if I could do a review of one of their race shirts.  Not only did he say yes, but he allowed me to go through the process of making my own race shirt so I could see how they did it.  So here is how it works:

MyRaceRagz is a website that allows you to make a custom racing shirt for your races.

First, you go onto their website located at www.myraceragz.com and simply click on "Create your Shirt Now"  Once you do that, it will bring you a TON of suggestions and also allow you to pick the shirt that you want.  They have long sleeve, short sleeve, singlets, and race tanks.  And one really important thing for the women out there, they have specific sizes for woman and men so that you can get the proper fit.

I decided to order the Men's Endurance Race Tee in short sleeve.  The only choice for shirt color is white because of the special process they have to go to in order to die the shirt.  Once you have clicked on your shirt, it shows a picture of the front and the back.  For the same price you get to customize BOTH the front and the back with anything that you want.  This means you can put one of the many graphics that they have, you can send them a picture of your own, and you can also write anything you want on the shirt.

I opted to pick a couple graphics from the 700+ designs/logos to go on the front and the back and I also wrote something on each side as well.  Check it out:

As you can see, you can "add design" which allows you to look through the hundreds of designs.  It took me quite some time to decide what I wanted to add but it was fun looking at everything they offered.  In addition, you can "add text" and type something on the shirt.  You can change the size of both the graphic and the text and custom fit it where you want it on the shirt.  The site also gives you a little gage to make sure that what you are putting on the shirt will look good when printed.  Great idea because who wants a shirt that does not look good in the end.

Once you have completed both the front and back, you checkout and pay for it and that's it!  They say shipping takes 7-10 days and manufacturing of the shirt takes 4-6 days but I received my shirt in 10 days total.  A very quick turn around.  The other nice thing is that you can only order one shirt.  There are no minimums so everyone can make one.

While there are hundreds of reason why you might want to order a custom shirt, I would think running your first marathon would be a great reason.  Or...are you running in memory for someone?  This is the way to go to share with everyone why you are running.  Or perhaps you are doing a relay and want everyone to have custom shirts?

The quality of the shirt itself is of excellent quality.  It would be very similar to many of the tech race shirts you receive at a race.  The process they use to put the message/graphic on the shirt is great because you cannot even tell it's there.  There is no effect to the shirt except that your graphic is there.  What I'm saying is that you cannot feel anything on the shirt when you are running.  To me, this is especially important because I don't want to race in a shirt that is rubbing me the wrong way and causing chafing.  To determine this I tested out wearing the shirt for my half marathon yesterday.  The result?  I never even noticed it.  I also had one runner ask me about the shirt as well so people were reading it.

By the way, sizing is true to size - The medium I ordered fit perfectly!

Here a picture of the shirt I made.  I put a little humor on the front(their design) and was also able to fit my blog on the front as well.  On the back I put my own comments along with my blog and added another design(theirs) to the back too.  I think it turned out great and I felt like everyone at my race yesterday was looking at the shirt.
Front of shirt!

Back of shirt

Me with the shirt after my race

And the back!
Here's a cool little sticker that also came with my shirt.  It's about the size of one of those 26.2 stickers you see on peoples cars.

Overall, I think that all of you would really love the shirt and the excellent quality that it comes with.  What better way to run your next race than with a custom shirt from MyRaceRagz!

I can assure you the next time I want a custom shirt for a race, I will be making my order with MyRaceRags.

Interested in even more information about MyRaceRagz?

Website: Click HERE
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Twitter:  Click HERE

* I was sent a coupon to purchase a custom race shirt in exchange for a review of their product.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own and I was not required to give a favorable review.

Have a great day and....Keep Running!!!!!