Cherry Blossom Training Kickoff Party

Last night we kicked off PR Reston's Cherry Blossom Training Program with a happy hour/gear up party. It was a fun and informal way for participants to:

• Meet the coaches & other runners
• Ask questions about the program
• Receive a generous discount on gear and apparel
• Enjoy cherry blossom cupcakes 
• Register for the race using PR premium promo codes
• Preview the official race shirt
• Opt for a New Balance/PR Training shirt/hoodie/jacket from a previous year's program

It was an especially timely event since the impending "snowzilla" means we are almost surely going to miss our informal kickoff run this Sunday. We were able to assure everyone that missing this run would not impact the training plan (which doesn't officially start until Monday), and that we would alert them by email about Sunday's status. 

Cherry Blossom cupcakes and tasty beverages

A little socializing before the main event

PR Owner Ray Pugsley discusses the right gear for cold weather training
(photo courtesy of Laurentina Photography)

Race Registration

Almost all of the participants are in the "premium" program, which comes with a 2016 Cherry Blossom race bib. PR gives them a race code, and they use that race code to register for the race. We still have a limited number of registration codes available as of 1/22/16.

• To make it as easy as possible, we provided codes onsite and access to laptops and iPads
• We also had "visual aids" to show how the "upgrade" race shirt compared to the standard shirt and what the medal is like
• This helped with the registration process, when runners need to decide whether to opt for add-ons like the tech shirt and the medal

The blue shirt is the 2016 "standard" shirt;
The upgrade shirt is red and made of technical fabric;
The medal is from last year, but gives an idea of the size & style

New Balance/PR Training Gear

Each year participants receive a long-sleeve training premium from New Balance. It could be a shirt, hoodie, half zip, or jacket. We don't know what they will look like until they come in! 

This year's training premium won't come in for a couple more weeks, and participants were given the option of selecting a past year's premium if they preferred. For some, it was like "Let's Make a Deal" as they tried to decide between the jacket or shirt they held in their hands and holding out to see what will be behind door #2. 

Past year's training premiums presented some tempting options
(photo courtesy of Laurentina Photography)

Marti opted for a blue half zip with coral accents
(photo courtesy of Laurentina Photography)

Ready to Run!

We aren't going to let a little snow dampen our enthusiasm for starting our training. We may miss our informal run this Sunday, and we could be doing speedwork in a parking garage on Tuesday rather than the high school track, but we are ready to run and start our path towards making our Cherry Blossom race goals a reality!

2016 PR Reston Cherry Blossom Coaches, clockwise from left:
Jeff, Traci, Stacy, Kristen, me, Laura
(photo courtesy of Laurentina Photography)

New Balance for the Race!

The =PR= Reston Cherry Blossom Training Group members had great races on Sunday, April 12th! Our New Balance representative, Samia, sponsored a final contest for them since we had such fun with our February and March contests. The winner (selected by random draw) will receive something "springy" like a New Balance tank, selected especially for them by Samia. Read on for the latest entries and the announcement of the winner...

Ranju, Shreya, and Manish ran the race as a family.
Shreya (in her NB training shirt)
was one of the youngest girls to finish the race!
This was her longest run ever!

Caroline says: Being part of a team means
wearing a uniform that helps everyone connect.
 Nota Bene (NB): I sported the uniform!
New Balance is more than just a name.
It is the concept of always, every day,
keeping yourself equalizing in every
thermocline the day throws at you, and
creating the next moment afresh for yourself.
 For all 9.55 Garmin miles of the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler,
I found new ways to "balance forward."

Here are Eric and Lisa just before the Cherry Blossom race.
They said their NB shirts were perfect for the race weather!
Eric was on track for a PR if the course hadn't been shortened.

Jen tested her New Balance Impact Capris
one last time before race day during
her shakeout run on Saturday.
Isn't the pop of color on the back fun?

Lynn loved her NB training shirt so much
that she bought it in coral from the NB
expo booth. She said the fact that it matched
her NB 1260 V4 shoes made it an easy decision
 to make it her race shirt. It was perfect!
 Long sleeves for when it was cool before
 and after the race, but thin enough with the
sleeves pushed up to be completely
comfortable during the race. 

Here are Paul and Patti after the race.
Paul took 8 minutes off his previous 10-mile record!
Patti looks great in her official New Balance
Cherry Blossom long-sleeve shirt!

Susan's New Balance shoes carried her through
training and race day beautifully!

Tracy's New Balance Heat Half Zip helped her complete
the Loudoun 8K four minutes faster than her goal!
We wish Tracy luck on the Pittsburgh Half on May 3rd!

Treasa's New Balance shoes and capris kept
her on track for a consistent, steady race.

Kris wants to thank New Balance for helping
her have her best run and time ever!

And the winner is...Caroline! Congratulations, Caroline. Thanks to everyone who participated - we hope to see you back in June for the =PR= Distance Training Program!

Show Us Your New Balance!

The =PR= Reston Cherry Blossom training group has stepped it up a notch as they continue to train for the Cherry Blossom 10-Mile Run on April 12.

We had so much fun with our last contest that our awesome New Balance representative, Samia, offered to sponsor another contest for them! Runners submitted a picture with their favorite New Balance gear and told us what they like about it. The winner (selected by random draw) will receive a New Balance half zip especially chosen for them by Samia! Read on for our latest entries and the announcement of the winner...

Kris says, "The luck of the Irish was with me
in my new green New Balance shirt!
I ran 9.5 miles in the rain!"

Christina caught her little Z-man in her
New Balance jacket..."Mommy said this jacket
is awesome. I wish this jacket fit me!"

Lisa wore her New Balance training shirt on the first nice day
after the giant snow storm. She likes that it is lightweight,
vented up the back, fits great, and coordinated well with her vest.

Here is Robert and his one-week old(!)
Her cuteness & cherry blossoms are distracting dad from his run.
He is wearing the men's New Balance training shirt,
which he says keeps his temperature perfectly regulated.

Tracy is wearing the New Balance Heat Half Zip.
It has been great for the chilly evenings as it is lined with
a thin fleece and has reflective markings.

Karen (center) said her green New Balance shirt is perfect for
having the Irish spirit. She test drove it on our Shamrock training run
before rocking it the next week at the Shamrock Half!

Bonus photo of Karen's Shamrock Half outfit -
it helped her score a PR in the race.Way to go, Karen!

I'm technically not eligible for the contest,
but I couldn't resist a shout-out to my 860v5 shoes.
New Balance gave me these as a thank you
for being part of the Cherry Blossom Blog Team.
They are fashionable and a great stability shoe!

And the winner is...Christina! Congratulations, Christina. Thanks to everyone who participated. Keep up the hard work - the cherry blossoms are right around the corner!