Articles
Big 5 Marathon: How The RunnerBox Founder Wrapped up a Marathon on Every Continent
Big Five Marathon Race Recap by: Staci Dietzel The Big Five Marathon took place on June 24, 2017. This was the final of the 7 marathons in my goal to complete a marathon on each continent. Big Five is named for the game reserve its held on in Entabeni. The race is run among the habitat of the African game which includes elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, and rhino. Nothing separates the runners from the wildlife- rangers patrol the area by air, jeep and foot with rifles. They steer the most dangerous of animals away from the runners. Race entries are limited, and time cut offs are strict due the nature of the course. (Spectators are also limited to a specific area, and the start/finish line for safety purposes). I brought my 15 year old son along, and we chose to stay at the Legends Golf Resort which was around a 45 minute drive to the start. He loves to golf as much as I love to run, and was excited to check out the Extreme 19 and the 2 courses on site. He brought his clubs along, and got plenty of use out of them here. We flew into Johannesburg, arriving on Wednesday night. The transfer to Entabeni was set for Thursday morning, another 4 hour bus ride south. The trip included several beautiful game drives and a tour of the course. This was daunting. There's a hill spanning miles 7-9 at 43 degrees that is difficult for the jeeps to navigate it is so steep. The hill runs out and back so you get to run both down and up, with 6 miles of deep sand between. We went on 4 game drives. We saw a lot of wildebeests, zebras, giraffes, monkeys, ostrich, rhinos, leopards, lions, and more. Our living area was protected from dangerous animals, but the other 2 runners' areas were not, and they couldn't leave the sleeping area without an armed guard. The race was Saturday morning. We were lucky to meet some great people on this trip right away. My biggest concern heading over was what my son would do while I was running- but we met such nice people so quickly I had no worries knowing who he was with. I was able to see him out on the course at the spectator area twice and he was at the finish when I was done. The start was 9 am from one of the other lodges. The first few miles had me worried as I was feeling fatigued early and had to walk a hill by around the 3rd mile! I'm not sure if it was the elevation or the fact that there was a long incline, but it was tough right from the start. There was a lot of rock, boulders, and tricky footing all the way through. Going down the hill was difficult. I found I couldn't run straight down, and eventually alternated zig zagging and running sideways shuffling (as in a basketball drill). The water stations were awesome. Many had locals singing and dancing- stocked with cola, electrolyte drinks, and fruit. Great energy and fun on an otherwise quiet, peaceful course. I didn't see any wildlife other than a herd of zebras that snuck up behind me and scared me enough that I shouted out a string of profanity. I was happy to see that they were only zebras. The sand. If I never run on another grain of sand again I will be happy. 6 miles of ankle deep sand that caused me to stumble so many times 2 toenails had loosened by the end of it. Then back up the enormous hill where I just walked and some people were actually crawling. Crawling. A couple miles after the hill I split off from a few people that I had been running and chatting with. It was beginning to get painful and I wanted to keep running and get to the finish line as quickly as possible. So I kept moving forward as fast as I could without stopping. The last 3K or so was really rocky and difficult to navigate. My feet were a disaster at this point, making it more difficult. I checked my watch a mile out and saw I might be able to bring it in under 5:00 if I pushed- so gave it a go but missed at 5:00:26. Was great to see Parker and friends at the finish line. I would definitely recommend this marathon if you're looking for a challenge and would like to do a South African safari. It's definitely the most difficult marathon I've done, but still was a lot of fun.
Learn moreAntarctica Marathon 2017
Antarctica Marathon was not originally on my schedule for this year- I was on a wait list that had me on target to run this marathon in 2019. So when the email came in January that there was a place open in 2017, I grabbed it... Then I started to panic. I was to leave on March 2 and would be gone for 2 weeks. It wasn't the training I was worried about- I had already begun training for an April marathon and could adjust my mileage without too much difficulty. It was the location, time away, gear needed, and the terrain that had me worried! Living in Michigan, I began stalking the weather forecast. I waited for the most terrible weather, then ran in it. -5° F, sleet with 25 MPH winds, perfect! My perspective on our harsh winters shifted, as I went from dreading the harsh weather to now looking forward to it as prime Antarctica training. I saved my long runs for the worst weather days and tested out my new Goretex gear. My running friends would ask me what the hell I was doing running in this sh**. My non-running friends asked why the hell I would go to Antarctica to run a marathon. I was excited as I adjusted my training, purchased some extra gear and got ready to go. Those who know me, have come to know that I can't seem to leave the state of Michigan without running into some sort of hurdle, so to speak. As I was running an easy 5 miles on Monday (leaving Thursday), I noticed a driver with her head down - possibly looking at her phone - driving towards me. I was watching her closely as she didn't seem to be paying attention when she did a quick drift in my direction causing me to stumble towards the ditch, injuring my knee/calf. To make a long story short- on Thursday morning with a flight out of Detroit at 5:00 PM, I was at my 2nd Dr. appointment of the week getting an X-Ray. I was told I "couldn't travel if I had a tibia fracture". If it was just a calf injury I could go ahead. After a short wait I was happy to hear there was no fracture, only a calf injury. It was going to hurt, but I could run. The rest of the trip there was uneventful, thankfully. Marathon Tours does an excellent job with the trip. We first spent 3 days in Buenos Aires where we had a briefing, city tour, and a group dinner before heading south. Next we flew down to Ushuaia. Ushuaia is the southernmost tip of South America, nicknamed the "end of the world". We had some time to spend in Ushuaia before boarding the ship. There were 2 ships - one which had a group running on King George Island on Friday March 10, and the other ran on Saturday the 11th. (There are only a certain number of people allowed on the island at a time, and there are strict rules and protocol that must be followed to protect the ecosystem). We spent a total of 10 days on the ship and were fortunate to have absolutely beautiful weather. The winds were not too high, we had a lot of sun, and the temperatures were usually in the upper 20s to 30s F. The staff on the Vavilov was wonderful and nearly every day they took us out to explore in small Zodiac boats where we were able to get up close to the wildlife and glaciers. Our ship ran the race on day 5 of 10 days aboard the ship. As I was filling a canceled spot I had a roommate on a floor with a shared bathroom and shower. I didn't know anyone on my ship going in, but did happen to have a friend on the other ship and we were able to catch up in Buenos Aires. There was plenty of down time so it was great meeting the other travelers. I have met some fascinating people over the years through these marathons. On the ship we went through the Drake Passage, which I googled before I left and was a bit worried about but fortunately didn't have any trouble there. It's the body of water between South America's Cape Horn and Antarctica. It connects the SW part of the Atlantic, the SE part of the Pacific, and extends into the Southern Ocean. Quite a few people were very seasick here, particularly on the way home. It was calmer on the way down but a bit rough on the way back. Going out on the Zodiacs, we'd typically head out for a couple of hours at a time. We'd either explore out on the water or head to land to hike around. It was incredible how close the whales would come when we were on the water. Seals would float by on icebergs, penguins would walk right up next to you, we saw varieties of whales and seals in the water and on land. I really enjoyed the hiking. One hike we did up a glacier was a particularly windy day. Each of the One Ocean Expedition team was outstanding and I enjoyed listening to their talks and reading their biographies. Harry Keys lead that day and happens to be a Glaciologist. He and his wife Karen Williams both were interesting and funny. He and some other staff carved notches up the glacier to assist us getting to the top. The wind blew so strong at one point it blew me off my feet as I neared the top of the glacier, it was awesome. Another great hike was up and into a volcano. All of the One Ocean Expedition team was full of information, and interesting to speak with. You can check out their website at oneoceanexpeditions.com. The marathon! The goal I'm aiming for is to run a marathon on each continent, and am grateful for the places it has taken me and the people I have met along the way. They were predicting mid-30s and no precipitation, much warmer than I was expecting. We all headed out from the ship in the Zodiacs, and carried our own fuel and hydration to drop on the course. The course was an out and back - 6 times. We'd get our bib marked on the end and return. It was rough- very hilly, muddy and rocky. I was really concerned about my calf, I'd been careful with it all week, and done only a couple easy runs in Buenos Aires to feel it out. I wasn't sure how those rocks and hills were going to feel so I brought an extra flask of Hot Shot and was just hoping it didn't tighten up and cramp on me. This was not an easy place to get to for a do-over! We got started 15 minutes early since we were all ready and standing around the start line. Sure enough, after the first loop I was way too hot. It was in the mid 30s with no precipitation so I had to stop to switch jackets (I'd brought a lighter one just in case) and drop my outer-gloves. I kept on my Luova fingerless gloves and that's all I needed the rest of the race. I don't think I ever really looked at my watch and I liked the out and back. It kept things interesting watching all of the other runners as they changed positions. There was a section (about 3/4 mile) that was larger rocks that was really difficult to run on, and by the 5th time my calf was really hurting. I've had worse pain and was feeling so lucky to just be there I just tried to block it out and keep moving forward. There was a lot of low lying mud, alternating with steep hills and rocks. It's on a research base area winding through Chinese, Uruguayan, and Argentinean Territory. Some of the researchers from China were moving out that day and were very enthusiastic as they drove by- taking pictures and cheering through the windows. There was some nice views overlooking the water that we got to see along the way... over and over, ha. I walked a bit more of the steep hills in the last loop in attempt to monitor myself to make sure I could finish, at the very least. I managed that fair enough... 6th continent complete! We joined the other boat for the awards ceremony two days later. It was yet another beautiful sunny day with a barbecue out on the ship deck. I was so happy to see my friend Gail receive her 7th continent medal. I've known she was running Antarctica 2017 for about 2 years now, who knew I'd be there to see her get her medal! If this is a marathon you're interested in, check it out at marathontours.com. The list is long but it's worth the wait!
Learn moreSpring into Action with our Flourless-Honey Almond Cake
This super simple, ridiculously delicious, gluten-free cake is the perfect Spring dessert or excuse to run home faster. Add a sprinkle of almonds and dollop of yogurt on top (or whipped cream if you're feeling adventurous) and enjoy :) INGREDIENTS 1 3/4 Cup Ground Almonds 4 Large eggs AT ROOM TEMPERATURE - Separated 1/2 Cup Honey 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract 1 Tsp Cinnamon 1/2 Tsp Nutmeg 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda 1/2 Tsp Salt Topping 2 Tbsp Honey 1/2 Cup Sliced Almonds - Toasted Yogurt or Whipped Cream (Optional) INSTRUCTIONS Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with butter or oil and then line parchment paper on the bottom. Beat egg yolks, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and baking soda in a large mixing bowl until well combined. Add the ground almonds and beat slowly until combined Beat egg whites with an electric mixer (using whisk attachment) on medium speed until foamy, white and doubled in volume 1-2 minutes (DO NOT over mix, it should NOT be able to hold stiff peaks). Gently fold the egg whites with a spatula into the nut mixture until just combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and gently remove the side pan and let cake cool completely (if you can resist). Carefully slide the cake to a serving plate. Drizzle with honey, sprinkle with toasted almonds and serve with yogurt or whipped cream.
Learn morePain Free in 2017 - Hyperice and HOTSHOT Giveaway
2017 is here and with it comes all of our New Year's Resolutions. I'm sure we all want to get faster, stronger and fitter, but the one thing we often overlook is that to achieve all those things we have to stay on top of our recovery and as far away from injuries as possible. So, we're kicking off the New Year with our Pain Free in 2017 Giveaway brought to you by the fine folks at Hyperice and Team HOTSHOT. They'll be stocking you up with awesome gear to take care of all those pains and niggles that can keep you off the road and slow you down. What Exactly are we giving away??? A Hyperice Vyper ($199 value) - it's a cutting-edge fitness and recovery device/roller that uses pressure and vibration to improve the body's overall performance. AKA a vibrating foam roller. Yep, that's right. Half the work, twice the bang for your buck. It's excellent for myofascial release, warm up, and reducing muscle soreness and stiffness for a better recovery. A Hyperice Hypersphere ($149 value) - The Hypersphere uses Localized Vibration Therapy which increases range of motion and flexibility + circulation. Keeping the body's soft tissue loose is essential for maintaining flexibility and range of motion. While soft tissue balls can help the body stay loose, adding vibration with the intensity and frequency of The Hypersphere takes the whole experience to another level. Need we say more? HOTSHOT 12 Pack and SWAG Pack ($100 value) - HOTSHOT IS the first and only scientifically proven solution to prevent and treat muscle cramps where they start, at the nerve. You'll land a 12 pack of this cramp busting solution along with some training gear
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Buenos Aires Marathon
The RunnerBox founder and co-owner, Staci Dietzel is on her way to running a marathon on each of the seven continents. She's completed North America, Europe, Asia and now South America. Learn more about how to checked her latest continent off the list with her Buenos Aires race report. I chose Buenos Aires, Argentina as my marathon for the continent of South America in my quest to complete a marathon on each of the 7 continents. With Hurricane Matthew headed up the coast, there were several times I did not think I was going to make the trip. I packed and unpacked my bags more than once. Eventually I did make the long trip down and found my way to my hotel Friday in Belgrado, a quiet neighborhood on the edge of Buenos Aires. I was traveling alone for this one. I went to the expo on Friday afternoon shortly after I arrived. It was relatively small and I took about an hour to pick up my packet and look through all the vendors. It was a nice 1.5 mile walk back to Belgrano. October is spring in Argentina, and the weather was pleasant in the 60-70s. Saturday I took a city tour, which gave me a nice overview of the area. We toured sections of the marathon route, learned history of the city, and I chose a few places I knew I'd like to re-visit after the race. I grabbed dinner at a local cafe and headed back to my hotel. I really wished I took that extra year of Spanish as my comprehension was not too bad but my Spanish speaking was embarrassing. Race morning came quickly. I decided to cab to the start as I wasn't certain on directions. As I was getting ready I realized I was missing a few things. My breakfast that I usually bring, and my sports bra. Too late to do anything about it now. My stomach already was feeling off, but was glad I at least had my MedZone chafe cream as this was going to be interesting. It was a beautiful morning, cool in the low 60s, with a high in the mid 70s that day. The race had a very organized start, and it was spectacular to see the sun rising over the trees as we began to run. The start and finish was at Pres Av Figueroa Alcorta, a wooded area on the edge of the city with plenty of space to spread out. The course was said to be fast and flat, and I was looking forward to seeing the sites along the way. It runs along the tourist district of San Telmo, historic and financial districts, cathedrals, the Government House, the neighborhood of Palermo, the soccer stadium, lakes and forest, and more. I felt quite good for the first half. The race took us through some beautiful areas of Buenos Aires. The second half was a bit more painful as my stomach was starting to rebel. The on course hydration wasn't sitting right with me, and I was having trouble keeping it down. The stomach pain did detract from the irritation of the not-made-for-running bra I was wearing, though, so that's a plus. Although not a particularly pleasant second half, and a very positive split, I finished with a respectable time. I felt a lot better after some water and an Alfajor, my new favorite Argentinian food. After the walk back to the hotel and a shower, I spent the rest of the day wandering through Recoleta, where they had a huge local fair, their famous beautiful cemetery, and cathedrals. By the time I got back it was dark and I had 40 miles on my tracker. A good day. I had the next 2 days to wander different neighborhoods before heading home. Wonderful, warm people and an interesting history and culture. Great marathon too.
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Chicago, Here We Come!
In case you didn't know, in addition to delivering our subscription and gift boxes straight to athletes, we also partner with races in several different ways to offer a special boost to participants. Our most recent collaboration is with the 2016 Transamerica Chicago Triathlon. We will be delivering custom race kits to each of its participants and are thrilled to be able to be a part of such of an amazing event! We've hand picked items for both the adult and children athletes who will toe the line next weekend and packaged them all together in a killer race kit. Events start on August 26th and go through the 28th so if you're town, come stop by and see us. We'll be at the pre-race expo, finish line festival and swim start. Hope to see you there! To learn more about our involvement with the Chicago Triathlon check out the press release!
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Stafford's Top of Michigan Community Marathon
When I heard about this new marathon in Northern Michigan, I just couldn't resist. Not only do I love this area, but it starts just footsteps from our little place in Charlevoix. I fell in love with Charlevoix after running the Charlevoix Marathon in 2012, and have returned every year since to run their half marathon. I was happy to hear about this new May race, Stafford's Top of Michigan Community Marathon. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone looking for a fast, scenic, smaller sized marathon (or 10K) that is USATF Certified. Also a great place to visit after the race! The route is beautiful. Its a point to point running north from Charlevoix to Harbor Springs, along the west side of Northern Michigan. Much of it runs on the Little Traverse Wheelway which is a mostly paved trail that weaves in and out of wooded areas, waterfront along the Bay, parks, through the quaint towns, and along some quiet wooded back roads. The course was open, but it was never an issue as there was plenty of volunteers holding traffic for us. There was about 75 marathoners, and 55 10K participants. The race was the day before Memorial Day and the same morning as a popular race nearby, Bayshore Marathon. Not a bad turnout for an inaugural race. Initially at signup I thought I'd attempt to better my BQ here for 2017. But race day brought temps similar to this year's Boston. It was 70, humid, and partly sunny at the start. I decided it was not the day to go for it. I also had a flight out to visit my son in New York City the next day. I needed to be sure I wasn't hurting too much afterwards as he had big plans for us that included lots of miles walking around the city. While I did consider not starting, I figured if I took my time and enjoyed the views I'd be good to go the next day. I really wanted to run and see this course! I had a great time running despite the heat. There was water, gatorade and food/Gel at every 2nd mile, but I still wished I had carried water that day. The course was fantastic. It is mostly flat with the exception of a longer hill around mile 9. There is one area of turf that is maybe a 1/4 mile. One of the best parts of the day was with 2 of ladies I met around mile 5. We ended up running together until around mile 16 or so when I dropped back. They were interesting, hilarious, and the miles flew by as we chatted. The finish is a stretch along Lake Michigan into downtown Harbor Springs. I talked with some runners at the finish line, exchanged info with the women I met, then I caught a ride back to Charlevoix with some friends from where I live. They also offer a bus that runs back and forth, as well as bag drop. The big races are fun, but there's something special about a small hometown race where you meet some new people. I was doing pretty well in New York City with my son. You would never have known I ran a marathon the day before. Until I had to go DOWN the stairs of his top floor walkup apartment. Ouch. *Pictures and images courtesy of Stafford's Top Of Michigan Community Marathon
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Race Report: Boston 2016
Boston Recap By: Staci Dietzel This was my 5th consecutive Boston Marathon. Despite a training season peppered with injury, and one week post-flu, I was excited to be in Boston and felt ready to run. The celebration of the 50th Anniversary of women in the Boston Marathon along with the 120th Anniversary year made this year feel extra special. I was traveling alone, my family came along in 2012 but I typically travel on my own to destination races due to their busy schedules. I had plans to meet up with a friend I had met at the Tokyo Marathon, and a Sunday dinner with Katharine Switzer and Roger Robinson speaking. Other than that I had plenty of time to explore Boston and the Expo. The expo was packed- you could practically feel the energy bouncing off the walls. I literally bumped into Dean Karnazes, it was wall to wall people. I had the pleasure of meeting Shalane Flanagan at her cookbook promo and even saw my favorite, Meb. I also finally was able to meet one of our Ambassadors Rebecca from Running With Music, which was great! She is a talented, very fast runner who was running as a guide with a visually impaired athlete. They did terrific, and nailed their goal on Monday. Of course we were all neurotically watching the weather, and it was looking a bit warm. I had packed my Race Kit and as we were standing around Athlete’s Village it felt all too much like 2012- the “hot year”. Instead of wearing all of my warm clothes and poncho I spread them out on the ground to sit on. It was getting hot. I was thirsty and sweating before we even began. The nice people of Hopkinton were handing out handfuls of sunscreen and had Sharpies ready to write our names down our arms. I accepted both on the walk to the start. The wait was short, and we were off. The first few miles flew by as I tried to break free of the crowd. By mile 6 my legs felt kind of heavy. Way too early for this! By mile 10 I was getting dizzy. The last time I felt this dizziness was in 2013, my Boston PR and a BQ, but I passed out after the finish and landed in the medical tent. I didn’t want a repeat of that. I had a BQ from a fall marathon at Marine Corp so I decided I didn’t need to push it in this heat. (I also realized I forgot to write my info on the back of my bib. Oops). By mile 12 I was pretty sure I was dehydrated as my vision was getting a bit spotty. I took a Salt Stick, and dialed down my pace. From there on I walked through the water stations and tried to drink a water and Gatorade at each. After about mile 16 or so the temps had cooled and a headwind picked up. At this point I had already decided to forget about my time and enjoy the course and the people. The upside to dialing it down was that I was having a lot more fun. I was high fiving the kids, accepting popsicles from them (these were awesome), and just taking it all in. There is really nothing quite like Boston. This was my 16th marathon, and the only marathon that I have repeated. I hope to return! I have been training for marathons consistently over the last few years. I finished the Majors quickly with Berlin in September, Tokyo in February, Boston and London in April. Then I did Marine Corp in October and now Boston. I was convinced that after this Boston I was taking a break from the marathon...I feel so good after Boston though...the Sharpie sunburn of my name on my arm has not yet faded and I’m already scouting out my next one.
Learn more2015: Year In Review
We hope everyone is off to a great start to 2016! We are excited to share with you some changes RunnerBox is bringing in to the New Year. With the help of the unbelievable team at Inspyre Web Design, we recently launched our new website. As you can see, it is much easier to shop and navigate- we hope you love it as much as we do. We also have a new box design that we've started shipping, as well as new seasonal and holiday boxes that we're rotating. A couple of the biggest sellers are the Birthday Box (you choose male/female edition) and the Race Kit (perfect for any distance)! Keep your eyes open as our Valentine’s Day box will be launching soon. We partnered with some wonderful companies and were fortunate to be able to pass along discounts to you, our subscribers. Spoiler Alert: We have even more great things coming your way in 2016! We've kept busy outside of the office too. Laura cycled all over the world, racing with the US National Team in Europe and then coming home to race for Pepper Palace Pro Cycling in the US and Canada. Pepper Palace had a strong year full of loads of podiums and top step finishes. In general, 2015 was a big year for women’s cycling. With it came the first ever women’s edition of the US Pro Challenge and the return of women’s World Cup race in Philadelphia, both of which Laura was able to participate in. We’re hopeful 2016 will bring more forward progress! Laura has signed with Blue Bicycles p/b the Happy Tooth for the season and is looking forward to another great year. Staci had the goal of the Major Marathons to wrap up. She started with Tokyo in February, then Boston and London in April. London was the 6th and final of the Majors for her. She then went on to run Charlevoix Half Marathon in June, Chicago Half Marathon in July, and Marine Corp Marathon in October. Next up in Boston Marathon in April. We wish you a healthy and happy 2016. To help motivate you in training, check out our Fitness Starter Kit or use the code 2016GO for 50% off your first subscription box of any type. It’s the perfect bi-monthly kick in the pants and comes chock full of reasons to get out the door and #fuelyourphenomenal.
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