One common race day tradition is to present all who participate in a marathon with a special pendant or metal. It is a pendant that honors them for their participation. They are generally customized to somehow tie in with that particular event. They may show the date, location, and name of the event if it is a metal for participation. Pendants may be smaller, with just some beautiful colors or trinket inside. This is where crafting custom, colorful race pendants using epoxy resin is the best!

Why Epoxy Pendants?

Epoxy allows pendants to be created in a way that sets them apart from all others. There are many crafters that use epoxy to encapsulate tiny flowers, little pieces of foilage, and so much more. However, there are just as many more that use glitter and resin or pigments to create unique, one of a kind pendants. Even when using the exact same material, no two will ever turn out identical in every way.

Creating Your Own Keepsakes

You can create a special race day pendant for yourself or your group of friends. If you are running the St. Augustine “Escape” you could add a tiny shell to the pendant, a little beach sand, or anything else that makes you think of St. Augustine. We created colored epoxy using pigments to remind us of the ocean that we saw while running there and glitter for the sparkle of the water on a sunny day. We have also taken a tiny piece of our race BIB and put our number inside of the pendant. It works best if you use a very fine-tipped permanent marker and seal it before adding it to the pendant and pouring epoxy.

After you have your trinkets, the epoxy, and pendant molds, the rest of your project will be easy. Get your pendant set up and place your trinkets inside. If you are skipping the trinket, then you will start with mixing your epoxy. You only mix up a little epoxy (you won’t need much for a small pendant unless you are making several), add drops of pigment to get the color you want, and pour. Your pendant will need to sit several hours to cure completely, but at the end of it all, you will have a unique race day pendant that you actually want to wear around!

Show It Off

You can wear your pendant after the race as you are celebrating the successful race. You can wear your pendant to show others that you were there in years past. You and your group of friends can wear the same pendant to show that each of you is there to support the other. These beautiful creations will never get lost in a box somewhere. They can be proudly worn and enjoyed. The best part of it is, you can create pendants for any occasion. Not just race day!

In today’s world, there are escape rooms, escape marathons, and escaping bad situations. Regardless of what you are trying to plan your escape from, it is always important to be prepared. For a marathon, you need the right clothing, the right shoes, and the right health. When escaping from rooms, you need the skills of trying to solve different challenges. When escaping other situations, such as a doomsday event, scoping out tools for the escape can be life-saving.

Why Prepare for Doomsday?

There are many reasons to prepare for doomsday and not just the end of the world type of doom. What would you fall back on if you lost your job or experienced serious illness in the family? This is a doomsday type event that does require some preparations. Otherwise, you will be caught off guard, which can put you in a very bad situation. How you handle it, and how you prepare for it, can make a world of difference. Knowing that you are prepared for the “what if” can give you a lot of confidence.

The same is true for those people who prepare for the end of the world situations. They gain self-confidence by knowing that they are ready for whatever may come their way.

Gathering the Right Tools

When it comes to being prepared for whatever comes your way, you need several things to help you through the tough stuff. Ask any doomsday prepper and they will tell you that you need first aid kits with prescription medications, cooking equipment (pans and pots, a grill, etc.) and fire-starting tools.

In the event GPS does not work, you will want to have maps that you can use. Money is always a good idea. Knives, ropes, twines, and of course, plenty of water and food for every member of your family.

If you have to hunt for food and water, are you prepared to do it? There are water filtration straws that can help you find drinkable water if you need it. You would need a rifle for hunting meat. This rifle should be equipped with a scope that can help you zero in on your target. According to our Mueller scope review, there is none more reliable than it.

Everything is Easier if You are Prepared

No one knows what you or your family will need the most when bad things happen in your little piece of this world. You know what it will take for you to prepared. You know more than anyone what you need to do to be prepared for anything and everything that may come in the future. Are you as prepared for the “what ifs” that you need to be ready for? If not, there has never been a better time for it.

One of the downsides to running long distances or in secluded areas is the fear that can come along with running along. Women are most susceptible to finding trouble along the route, but there are things you can do to protect yourself. You should do your best to practice safety while on the run. It will keep the workout more enjoyable if you feel confident that you are protecting yourself.

Be Alert and Proactive

Runners everywhere tend to enjoy running with earbuds in their ears. However, this can be one of the worst things you can do for yourself and your personal safety. While wearing earbuds, you are blocking sounds that may alert you to hidden dangers. Would you hear a bicyclist coming up behind you? A vehicle? Instead of wearing both earbuds, and if you simply want to listen to music, you should leave one out so that you remain aware of everything around yourself.

Brighter is better in the words of many runners. Ideally, you should run during daylight hours where people are nearby. Running during the darker hours, although unavoidable at times, definitely increases your risk. To help yourself stay safer, you can run with bright or reflective clothing, a headlamp, etc. Anything that will allow you to stand out. Also, at night, you should avoid the secluded areas of your favorite park. Instead, stay close to your neighborhood, even if you have to stick to the sidewalks.

Carry Alongs You Should Consider

If you feel that you are in a potentially bad situation, make some noise. The best way to do this is to have a personal safety device, like a wristwatch, that can send out a call for help when activated. Loud siren safety devices can be the size of a keychain and easy to tuck in a pocket or the waistband of your pants. When considering personal safety devices, pepper spray should also never be overlooked.

Your phone, with GPS tracking that links to a friend or family member, is also a good idea, especially since you will likely have it with you anyway. In cases of extreme or immediate danger when you cannot seem to scare away a bad animal or person, you may also want to have easy access to a scout carry knife. These fixed blade knives are horizontal carry so that you do not have to waste time when trying to protect yourself.

Knowledge is Power and Safety!

Running is a healthy way to stay active. No one ever plans on the potential risk to personal safety, unless you have already had a bad experience. Arm yourself with knowledge. Know the type of people who live near the area you like to run and learn defensive techniques that can save your life. If you prefer to run in secluded areas or for a long-distance, tell family members the route that you typically take. Let them know about how long you expect to be out, install apps that can help them locate your phone, etc. Knowledge may not save you from all dangers, but it can go a long way to ensuring you get help when you need it the most.

In life, we are all running a rat race. But there are some who actually enjoy it. They travel from marathon to marathon, traveling all over the United States to get the satisfaction of taking part in the largest events around. The problem is, all these travels can mean big money to spend. You have travel expenses, you have motel costs, event costs, food, and supplies. The easiest way to lessen the cost and enjoy the race is to go camping. As a bonus, camping out for a big race can be a lot of fun.

The Beauty of Travel

If you think about some of the largest marathons around, like the Boston Marathon the numbers are impressive. More than 38,708 people have entered to participate in it and that does not include people who were there to watch. With all of those people, hotel costs can be expensive, if you are even able to find a room to stay in. Although it is a smaller area, Escape from St. Augustine is also another large event that draws people from all over. There are many motels around the area, but they can still get filled up with tourists, racers, and families who may be passing through.

Marathon runners can cut costs and enjoy spending time with fellow participants by camping out for the event. It gives more fuel to the whole idea of building friends and having fun during a marathon. The key is to make sure you are prepared for anything.

Preparing for Camping Marathon

For some, camping out means leaving civilization behind for a while. For others, it is simply relaxing in a space that is yours while out of town. For the runner, it is the best of all things. Most have a home base somewhere, but choose to take a few days to hang out when preparing for a big run. They can meet people that they have attended other events with and practice together so that they are all ready when the big day rolls around.

I personally do not choose to “rough it”, but I love living off the grid in my RV at these events. I found a sweet deal on it and it has everything I could possibly need, including a comfortable bed for the night before the race when I need the extra rest. Some of my friends pack up tents and other RVs. It is the easiest and most affordable way to go.

Saving for Race Day

Even with an RV that is used, like mine, you do still have expenses. Luckily, I found a way to cut the cost of owning, restoring, and maintaining it. There are a lot of tips and tricks online and a lot of amazing deals to discover on the supplies that you may need.

Running is great, but there is no reason to waste money for an event that does not always come with a cash price. Look for your money-saving ideas and take advantage of what you can.

We live in a world where everything is rushed. We hurry up and wait. We spend our days running around, doing errands, chasing kids, dealing with deadlines, and pretending stress is not something that kicks our butt. The problem is, eventually it can get the best of us all. When this happens, we find ourselves looking for a way to escape our reality. For some, it may be a long hot steamy shower or bath, but for others, they need the perfect escape!

The Life We Live

Every single person faces their own daily struggles. A mom may feel overwhelmed by the fact that she has a job, a home, one child in school and another in diapers. Dad may feel overwhelmed by money issues and feeling as though he works long hours to get nowhere fast. Kids deal with unreal amounts of schoolwork, chores at home, and endless bullying. Grandparents who may be enjoying the retirement years feel stressed because not many come to see them or health issues weigh them down. There are millions of stories out there. A lot of them are joyous because they prove that your life is full, but at times; it may seem nice to take a step back. Escape from the rush, the problems, the sadness, or even the joys of it all. We escape in a variety of different ways, and each one can revive us for the day ahead when we come back to the “real world”.

A Perfect Escape

Whether it is dinner out one night or taking an hour-long dip in a hot tub, we all have our “go-to” moves when it comes to relaxing the worry away. What if you could do something bigger? Getaway for a weekend of no phone, no internet? No job. No errands to run. A time when you can simply just be you, with the people that you want to be you in front of? It may seem like a paradise in your mind. Perhaps it is time that you bring it to real life!
A lot of people who want a true escape from reality may choose to go to the beach for a day of fun in the sun, relaxation, and more. There is just something to be said for the sound of the waves crashing while you search the shoreline for shells of all colors.
Hiking and camping are also great for some people. Nature lovers feel that it is their perfect escape to be away from all the big city lights and traffic noise. Even people who do not enjoy sleeping in a tent can relax if they have a Jeep roof camper, where they can go to escape the bugs during the evening hours. Hiking with a Jeep is also rewarding since you can get out into the deepest nature trails before you start hiking to your favorite spots.
What relaxes you? Where do you go to be “Just You”? How do you leave the real world behind? Do you escape? If you are not sure, it is time you figure it out. It is the key to happiness in this life.

The Key to Happiness is Escape

No one should spend their entire life stressed. To do so could cause you to experience many different health issues. It could lead to cardiovascular issues or being unable to cope with some situations. You will sleep less peacefully, which is also bad for you. The list goes on and on. You have to take time for yourself sometimes. It is the key to all happiness.