Medieval Times with Family & Baby Dragon Dinner

Hello! How’s it going? Have you ever been to Medieval Times? I went when I was a lil kid and this weekend my family went to celebrate my dad’s birthday. I’m pretty sure I’ve only been there once before when I was in 3rd grade and somehow I don’t think anything has changed about this Dinner and Tournament! (But I have a bad memory so maybe I don’t remember it either way.)

If you’re not familiar… Medieval Times is a dinner show set in the Game of Thrones time period. You don’t usually learn about GOT history in school because the government doesn’t want you to know –  but there was a lot of violence and old timey bad words and es – E – ex and the like. I guess not too different from every other time in history…

Anyway.

Medieval Times puts on a show where knights compete to win different games and battles. Each knight represents a certain color and the audience gets hats of the same color and sits in the same section to cheer on their knight.

We were the red and yellow team… or coat of arms…?

Tip: My family has very LARGE heads and the hats fit us, so they’ll fit you too for sure. (I feel like everyone says “I have a big head…” but they really don’t and then I feel bad when I can’t fit into their-supposedly-large-but-not-really hat.)

The dinner menu:

• Garlic bread
• Tomato bisque soup
• Baby Dragon
• Corn
• Potato
• Lemon cake

Thoughts on the food:

I’d never eaten Baby Dragon before! It tastes just like chicken. It was really good.

Garlic bread – usual restaurant garlic bread. Soup – I was happy this was served hot. I like soup and tea served HOT and it’s a big production to feed this huge banquet of people so I tried to keep realistic expectations on the food.

Corn – good! Potato – it was basically like a huge seasoned french fry. It’s half a small potato, seasoned and fried.

Cake – reminded me of the Starbucks lemon loaf cake

It was hard to take pictures of the other food because they turn down the lights as the show is going on. I thought everything was good. The potato was fried but nothing else seems super heavy. The chicken was seasoned well. The soup might have had oil but it didn’t seem to have cream. There aren’t any substitutions unless you’re vegetarian. (Note: I was super hungry because I had missed lunch so keep that in mind with my review.)

 

 

When you walk into the area – each place setting has a metal plate, bowl and napkin with all the locations. I was surprised there are so many of these!! I grew up in Southern California so I’ve been lucky enough to have a ton of theme parks and tourist attractions and restaurants around to enjoy. Disneyland,Universal Studios and Knott’s Berry Farm are all local options that I went to as a kid.  But I realize that’s not the case everywhere.

So I just assumed Medieval Times would be in SoCal and maybe Orlando but that’s it. Have you been to one? I went to the location in Buena Park, CA. There are 9 locations total.

– Also have you been to Hogwarts aka The Wizarding World of Harry Potter? I was thinking about going and now I’m listening to the Harry Potter books and want to get tickets and see all the magic!! Send me tips if you know any.

 

The show:

It’s a 2 hour medieval jousting tournament with 6 competing knights. They use real weapons, ride horses and battle on foot.

They start off with a few games – for example the knights ride their horses around the area and try to snag rings with their jousting poles.

The big show is when they battle. The knights are paired up to try to knock each other off their horse. Then they take it to the floor and fight with swords or other medieval weapons. One of the knights had a big ball on a chain.

It sounds so real and looks like someone could get hurt. They’re very professional and good at putting on a good show.

My niece was so into it. My mom got her a flag and she was waving it and cheering during the games. Then, when our guy came out to battle she said, “Nina can you hold this…” and proceeded to cover her mouth with her hands. She was worried! It was adorable.

 

Overall:

I think Medieval Times is probably the most fun for kids 4 years old to 12 years old and people who love game of thrones or guys with long hair.

My other niece is 1 and a half years old and clapped when other people were clapping. She wasn’t scared or anything.

My favorite part of the whole event was watching my niece’s face as she watched the show. She was soooo into it. Love it!!

Next time I’d definitely try to dress like Khaleesi to really get into the Game of Thrones theme. (Speaking of Queen Daenerys… I should note – the dinner was chicken not baby dragon.)

Have you ever been to Medieval Times? Something similar?

The post Medieval Times with Family & Baby Dragon Dinner appeared first on Run Eat Repeat.

source https://runeatrepeat.com/medieval-times-with-family-baby-dragon-dinner/

Running, Eating and More Questions from Instagram Jan part 1

Hello! I get a ton of questions in my Instagram Stories on everything from running to nutrition to why I’m so loud (or similar random questions). But Insta Stories only last 24 hours… and they’re video. So you might miss it OR some people don’t like to watch 88 videos of me way too excited to have a friend on the internet ask me a question. That’s why I’m sharing a short run down of all the questions I got each week.

The questions are a mix of everything so I can’t really organize them by category. But at least you don’t have to watch 1 hour’s worth of videos to find your question?

Run Eat Repeat Instagram Questions – Jan part 1

 

What’s your favorite pizza topping?

RER: mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, basil, garlic

Favorite Taco Tuesday Place?

RER: I was going to a place near my bf but we’re not hanging out anymore so I need to find a new one…

What’s the longest race you’ve run?

RER: I ran the Born to Run Ultra Marathon 50K – it’s about 31 miles

 

Any plans for a full marathon beginner plan? Pretty please??

RER: Yes!

How’s puppy potty and crate training going? I’m trying to decide when we want a puppy…

RER: A little rough. I had a hard time with Diego one morning – he got his mouth stuck on it. I think it mainly scared me because I had a dog get hurt on a fence before and triggered some PTSD situation. And after that I kind of quit…

 

Will you be doing another Run Bet Challenge soon?

RER: I’m working on it! I put a call out on Instagram for your feedback on it.

Do you want it just for accountability? Do you want it to be more challenging??

 

If you couldn’t run for one year, what sport would you choose to stay active?

RER: Probably tennis… or maybe soccer!

On a scale of 1 to 10… how good of a boy is Diego? 12 or 13??

RER: Sometimes he’s a super good boy! And sometimes we have communication problems (he doesn’t speak English) so we’re working on things.

 

How do you carb-load for a half marathon? I’m in Hawaii and will be doing the Hapalua in April.

RER: I keep it the same as my long runs during training.

Here’s some information on what I eat before a race or run…

What to Eat While Training for a Half Marathon podcast 71

What to Eat DURING a Run or Race podcast 72 Fuel Series

What to Eat Before a Run or Race podcast 73 Fuel Series

 

And check out my Fueling Cheat Sheet for even more info on this. (It’s a free pdf with tips)

 

How did you pick Diego’s name?

RER: I don’t know! I made a list of dog names – specifically good names for red dogs, and I asked my favorite people for their thoughts on it. And I wanted to wait until I met him to pick a name. I ended up thinking about a few names not on the list and went with a surprise addition to the list! Diego Redvera is named after the Mexican artist Diego Rivera.

You can follow Diego Redvera on Instagram 

Diego and I are looking into dancing lessons. Check out my IG stories under Diego if you want to see that.

If you want to watch the video answers to these questions – they’re saved in my highlights on Instagram under Jan Q&A

In other news…

Today is National Peanut Butter Day! Here’s a round up of a few of my favorite PB recipes…

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Easy PB Dip Recipe

Peanut Butter vs. Almond Butter with RD Kath Eats podcast

The post Running, Eating and More Questions from Instagram Jan part 1 appeared first on Run Eat Repeat.

source https://runeatrepeat.com/running-eating-and-more-questions-from-instagram-jan-part-1/

Running after the Rain and Meal Prep

Hello!! How’s it going? So I finally finished reading all the comments and feedback from the Pile on Miles Running Challenge and Mailing List survey!! THANK YOU for taking the time to do that – I really appreciate it. And thank you for following. I love ya!

I read all about your running, weight loss and health goals and what you want more of on this lil ol’ running blog and I hear you. I have a long list of post and podcast topics to cover that I hope will help you hit your goals!

And a lot of you said you still miss my old life updates posts. I thought everyone just spent all day on Instagram and listening to podcasts – but maybe that’s just me… or maybe you do some of that but also want more blog posts!

Also… at first Instagram crowded out the blog because it just seemed so much easier to post my running and eating over there. But now IG is super fancy and you can only post perfect pics and styled food photos or the President of IG builds a firewall to keep you out of his app. (This has not been confirmed by any reliable sources.)

My point is… I used to post more running and eating in ‘real time’ on social media so it was kinda like the old RER for a minute. But yeah… I’ve gotten away from that too so I need to track all those things here! (Which is the reason I started this site in the first place! Full circle!! Boom.)

So… I’m going to set a goal of posting X times a week for the rest of the year. I don’t know what the x is yet… I’m going to figure out a realistic schedule and let you know by Monday.

Even though I’ll be posting more here…

I’ll still post daily check-ins on Instagram! It’s great place to connect with other runners and eaters in real time – so please follow @RunEatRepeat on IG and chime in with your updates in the comments, make friends, get inspired, motivate others and support the cause!

Let’s talk running and eating!

It was National Popcorn Day yesterday! Did you celebrate? Popcorn is one of my top 10 favorite foods.

Check out my DIY Microwave Popcorn in a paper bag hack here!

My IT band and/or piriformis area has been super tight. So, I’ve been trying to foam roll, stretch and roll with a tennis ball or a softball a few times a week.

Those recovery efforts in combination with running less as I try to train Diego (and he tries to train me) has helped it feel a little better. But it’s definitely not completely gone – so I have to keep it up!

Rolling Notes:

This is the foam roller I have.

This is the bumpy foam roller I have that I’m using in the picture above. Sometimes the colors represent different densities so check that when buying one. You don’t want to get a foam roller just because of the color – choose based on the size / shape / density / etc.

For my butt / hamstrings – I’ve been using a softball lately.  I think a softball helps a lot more than a tennis ball because it’s bigger and harder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I tried the Trader Joe’s Rainbow wrap the other day. I definitely got it because of the super colorful wrap outside! And I’m trying to get myself to like eating beets. But I ended up picking them out of this…

I think this is the funniest thing I saw on IG this week:

Diego doesn’t get it tho…

I did some meal prep! Because I’m responsible and such.

I baked chicken and sweet potatoes. And I made a batch of overnight oats for the next morning. Meal prep can be easy and fast!

Holiday of the Day:

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

And on a less important but food related level…

it’s also National Granola Bar Day and National Clam Chowder Day.
I like saying CHOW-DAAA… the way I imagine someone with a Boston accent to say it. Now that’ going to be in my head all day!

Have a good one!

Question: When was the last time you had Clam Chowder?

I had it at Berth 55 recently!! Sooo good!

The post Running after the Rain and Meal Prep appeared first on Run Eat Repeat.

source https://runeatrepeat.com/running-after-the-rain-and-meal-prep/

3 Big Announcements for the New Year

Hello! Welcome back to the Run Eat Repeat podcast! I have a lot of exciting announcements!! One is about my new roommate, we’re going to make some changes to the show – which may involve you… and I’m going to run a race very far away from home. I’m very happy you’re here and we finally can catch up!

In case you’re new here…

I’m Monica, founder of RunEatRepeat.com – a site I started to document my running and weight loss journey. After being overweight most of my life I started walking for exercise and eventually took up running. Now I’ve run over 50 half marathons, 30 marathons, lost weight and have become a holistic health coach. 

I love talking about running, eating and how I can help you!

Now let’s start with a warm up before we get into the announcements…

Warm Up – Podcast Updates and New Segments

New segments are coming to the podcast and I need your questions, ideas and maybe voice.

1. Questions on Running, Nutrition, Lifestyle and Monicans

Ask the expert – I’m going to talk with runners, coaches and nutrition experts more in the coming year.

If you have a question… ask!

a.) You can leave it in the show notes at Run Eat Repeat.com

b.) email RunEatRepeat@gmail.com

c.) call and leave a message: (562) 888-1644

d.) DM on instagram – @RunEatRepeat 

If you have any questions for a Running Coach or Nutritionist – send them to me.

2. If you’re a running coach, nutritionist, doctor, experienced runner and would like to be on the show…

Fill out this form – Run Eat Repeat Podcast interview form

3. Running Buddy chat:

I’m also starting a series talking to runners, walkers, joggers like YOU. I want to talk with you about your BEST race ever and current running and eating habits and goals. If you’re interested in being on the show fill out this form and I’ll send you more information!

If you’re a runner, eater, listener, friend and want to be on the show…

Fill out this form – Run Eat Repeat Podcast interview form

I want to talk with runners of all levels on their current training, best race ever, how you PR’d, tips, random thoughts, etc.

4. Podcast Episode Ideas

Also – if you have any topic ideas please let me know!

Main Event:

Big Announcements…

1. Diego!! I got a dog!

Diego Redvera is my new golden retriever puppy. He’s the best. And sometimes he’s not the best – like when he pees while walking around.

And I have had a few mini-melt downs after different failures in puppy training.

And yeah, everyone that warned me about how much work it was going to be was right.

But it’s also been very eye-opening and I’m rethinking everything.

2. Edinburgh!!

I’m going to be running the Edinburgh Marathon in May!

Where are there the MOST redheads?? Scotland! At least I’ve read that – I haven’t confirmed it yet. So I keep saying I’m going to see the land of my ginger family. I want to wear a kilt and talk with a Scottish accent and walk a Scottie dog…

 

3. Running Challenge coming soon!!

I’ve been getting a lot of requests for another half marathon training plan and Pile on the Miles Challenge. It seems like I get a lot of the same questions over and over and there’s a focus on what to eat, getting faster and half marathons.

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More info coming soon on that!

Make sure you’re subscribed to the email list to get a note when it’s coming.

1. Favorite Running Posts of the Year.

I have a round up of my favorite running posts from last year up now!!

Check out my favorite running posts here.

2. Favorite Podcast Episodes of Last Year:

#72 What to eat during a long run or race podcast

#102 How to Make All Runners Feel Welcome with 300 Pounds and Running’s Martinus Evans

#87 The Mt. Everest Marathon with Holly Zimmerman

Into Thin Air – book on climbing Mt. Everest 

#94 How Runners Can Protect and Defend Themselves

#97 Crisis Text Line free help for anyone that needs help 

Homework – if you aren’t sure what races you’re running this year… check out my How to Plan Your Race Calendar video!

Thank you for listening! Remember to fill out the form to be my Running Buddy in an upcoming episode!

And tag @RunEatRepeat on Instagram and let me know what you’re doing right now!

 

The post 3 Big Announcements for the New Year appeared first on Run Eat Repeat.

source https://runeatrepeat.com/3-big-announcements-for-the-new-year/

Run Eat Repeat Podcast Interview Form

Hello! If you’re a running coach, nutritionist, doctor, experienced runner, new runner interested in a coaching call or expert in your field and would like to be a guest on the Run Eat Repeat Podcast – please complete the form below. Feel free to highlight your area of expertise and share links to your website and/or social media.

If you’re interested in being on the show as a running buddy … please complete this form and note “running buddy’. Note any relevant topics you’d like to chat about.

Thank you for your interest!

Due to the number of requests and interest – we are not able to invite every runner, eater or expert on the podcast. But we try to respond to every complete form within 10 business days. We really appreciate your time and interest. Have a great one!

Thank you!

Monica @RunEatRepeat 

The post Run Eat Repeat Podcast Interview Form appeared first on Run Eat Repeat.

source https://runeatrepeat.com/run-eat-repeat-podcast-interview-form/

Irvine Half Marathon Results and Mud Run?

Hello! I ran the Irvine Half Marathon this weekend and it was packed with a few surprises! These are my results and recap – if you ran the race feel free to link your recap in the comments.

Irvine Half Marathon Race Recap

Packet Pick-Up: There was NO race day packet pick-up. Boo. One of my favorite things is when races let you get your race bib (number) the morning of the race. It can be a big hassle to have to drive to the race location the night before a race…. go home… wake up at the crack of dawn to go back to that same place you were yesterday. There are a lot of races around Southern California and there are also a lot of people in here – this means there’s a lot of traffic. Since this was a Saturday race – runners had to get their stuff Thursday or Friday night. Luckily I live super close to the race starting line – but if I lived in Long Beach or near my parents… nope. I would have had to drive for hours out and back – only to have to do that again the next day.

Related: One time Skinny Runner and I were supposed to run a race in San Diego and had to pick up our stuff the day before. The traffic was soooooo bad – dead stop, going no where on the 405 bad – that we decided to turn around and not do the race.

Race Tee: Short sleeve tech tee. I liked it.

Logistics: I live close by so it should have been no problem to get to the start line – but I didn’t know what streets were closed and ended up having to detour and find a new route. I think there were directions from the freeway but not street directions. I didn’t need to get on the freeway so that didn’t really get me the info I needed.

Parking: Free. Boom!

Race Morning: I was late. (See: logistics) But there wasn’t a lot of traffic and the race started on time! The late arrival was on me.

 

I was walking to the starting line when the gun went off. So on the bright side – I got some good photos of the race start! And these were the only good pictures from the race because it started to rain when I had about 1 mile left. After the race it was raining pretty hard and I didn’t want to have my phone out in it so I asked someone to snap a quick post-race pic and then made a bee line to my car. Or maybe I made a ladybug line because I’m not a bee. But I don’t know if I’m really a lady either so… Basically I rushed to the car because I was freezing.

Race Course: This is similar to the Lexus Lace Up Irvine half course… but there are a few small differences. It’s a fairly flat course around Irvine, CA neighborhoods and bike paths.

There was one big challenge on race day in the form of a … mud pit / puddle / lake situation. The rain from the night before flooded the path and there was a section covered in muddy water that went past your ankles. When I got to this part I stopped for a second because everyone in front of me was trying to navigate this area by going to the right or left of it. There was a guy coming back on the right side so I assumed he didn’t think that was the way to go… so I went left.

Well, there was no way around it (literally). Runners just had to carefully walk through the mud water and trying to go to the side helped keep it from being too deep.

But another runner showed me a picture of their attempt to go around it to the right and it turns out – if you stayed up against the wall you could mostly get around it without having to step in the water completely.

I probably would have fallen in so I’m okay with my choice – it looked like they were completely against the wall and one lil lean the wrong way would mean stepping into it.

 

Finish Line: I didn’t stay for any post race party, food, free beer, etc. At that point it was raining and I was freezing and just wanted to get home and into the shower. Plus – Diego was waiting for me at home!

Overall: I would do this race again. It’s so close! And the weather was the main drawback, but it’s rare to deal with super challenging weather around here. Maybe I should call it an inconvenience instead?

Race Grade: On a scale of 1 to 5… um, I’m going to say a 3.4.

But this is the first time I’ve used this scale so… maybe I’ll have to edit this when I start to grade more races.

Results: My finish time was 1:52:46

The good thing about Saturday races is Sunday rest day feels sooooo good.

And 1st place for the cutest half marathon medal wearing Golden Retriever is…

 

Diego Redvera!!

And in other race news… I have new discounts for you!

New Race Discount Codes

 

OC Marathon and Half Marathon Discount Code

Get 10% off of the Orange County Marathon or Half Marathon May 5th

Discount code: RUNEATREPEAT10

 

Elite Sports Races – full, half marathon, 10k and 5k races in Southern California

Get 20% off all races with Discount Code: RER20

Check out their events page for all the upcoming races! There’s one in Jan, one in Feb… there’s a lot!

 

Check out the Race Discounts Page for more!

 

Question: Did you run this weekend?

 

The post Irvine Half Marathon Results and Mud Run? appeared first on Run Eat Repeat.

source https://runeatrepeat.com/irvine-half-marathon-results-and-mud-run/