BOSTON UPDATE:  I should know by today or tomorrow if I’m in (or out, but I’m trying to think positive, so let’s just focus on the “in”).  My stomach is in knots and I’m terrified.  My BlackBerry will not leave my side today or tomorrow and every time it blinks, I’m going to say a little prayer that it’s the B.A.A. giving me good news.  Fingers crossed…

RANT
Back in July, me and my friend Sara decided to sign up for the Great Urban Race – Philly.  Think Amazing Race but on a much smaller scale.  We both have wanted to do this type of race for awhile and were excited.  We even came up with a great team name – Rally Girls, after Friday Night Lights (we are huge fans).  Loooong story short, the Great Urban Race sucks.  I successfully registered but Sara could not (it kept charging her for 2 participants).  Sara called and emailed the GUR staff numerous times and, essentially, they could not fix their registration issue.  Sara even asked if they could do something manually if she provided her credit card numbers.  Nope.  GUR’s solution?  Come down on race day and we can register you for $60 (the late registration fee, because it was our fault we weren’t registered on time).  Hell no.

Since I was the only Rally Girl registered and the rules are you need 2 team members to race, I asked for a refund.  They refused.  So, for what it’s worth, I’m blasting them on my blog.  Consider yourself warned if you sign up for a Great Urban Race event.

RAVE
Back in June, Molly and Al from races2remember sent me a pace band for the Lehigh Valley Marathon.  I love myself a pace band and fully intended to use a 3:45 band for the LVM.  These aren’t ordinary pace bands though.  Split times are based on the elevation profile of the marathon you are running.  Races2remember staffers run marathons all across the country to “test out” the course (by the way, this would be my dream job).  So you get a pace band with realistic split times based on downhills and uphills.  Their list of marathons (and half marathons) is extremely comprehensive.  The LVM is a very small race, and it was listed.

You can get a set of 3 pace bands for $7.50, so you can mix and match finish times.  I would highly recommend them if you are into using pace bands.

Got any rant or raves to share on this Monday?  

*I was sent a pace band at no cost in exchange for my review; however, my opinions are my own.