Hey everyone! I’m going to take a moment to vent about one tiny, little thing that is bothering me about Seward. Sure, Seward is amazing and I am loving every second that I’m here. But you know what this town is missing? Races. There are a few, but they’re either way above my level (Mt. Marathon and Lost Lake, both of which involve serious mountains) or they are on the weekends when I have to work. I literally think there are only 4 races here all year, and I can’t do any of them. But then I found out about Jost Running through Cynthia, one of my fellow Sweat Pink Ambassadors! Jost Running is a company that specializes in virtual races. I was intrigued by the concept behind Jost Running and decided to email the creator, Cynthia, to learn more about her company.
If you remember my post about my first (and only) virtual race back in February, you’ll remember that I had mixed feelings about virtual racing. Sure, I PRed that day and got a medal. But was it actually racing? I felt that my usual competitive spirit was lacking and I missed that nervous race day atmosphere. But this is where Jost Running is different. Under their FAQs section on their website, they explain how their race process works:
- First you set up, or login into, your Jost Running account and register for your selected race. Once you are registered, your custom race bib will be automatically generated and available to print from the “My Races” section of the website. During your designated “Race Week,” complete your distance, submit your finishing time, and receive your medal in the mail.
This got me excited because instead of just running a virtual race and being like “Oh yay I got a PR”, in a Jost Running virtual race I will be able to submit my time to Jost Running and will see how I rank among hundreds of other runners! That is definite motivation to run as fast as I can! Knowing that my virtual race will still have an official time is the first thing that really drew me to Jost Running.
The second thing is learning that these races are not just about running – you can finish these races however you want! Once again, their website explains why Jost Running stands out from other virtual races:
- DO I HAVE TO RUN MY RACE? No. As long as you complete your distance within the month, you can do it however you want/need to. This means you can run, walk, run/walk, swim, hopscotch, use an elliptical machine, or any other way you choose to compete in your race. What matters most is that you move.
I would seriously love to hopscotch an entire half marathon 🙂 But on a serious note, it’s pretty awesome that Jost Running is opening up doors for non-runners to complete races. 26.2 miles on an elliptical or in a pool is a lot of work and should be celebrated just as much as running! It’s also great that you get an entire month to complete the race. Is it raining on the day you planned on racing? Just move it to another day, as long as it’s within the one month time frame. Are you interested in racing at 4:00 am? No problem! Pressed for time? You can split your race up into smaller chunks. This makes it super easy for anyone, no matter how busy, to complete a virtual race. Plus you can run it on your own without any of the usual race day distractions.
Jost Running does make a good point with that one!
I immediately loved Jost Running’s philosophy and the fact that they appealed to my competitive side. But as soon as I took a look at their race medals I was seriously ready to sign up! Each month fits a theme and the medals are really cute. Plus, each month supports a different charity as well. Knowing my money is going towards a great cause always helps make my races better. The charity in July is Girls On The Run – I’ve always wanted to get involved with them and now is my chance to help them out!
Are you interested in signing up? Check out their upcoming races here and choose whichever distance works for you! I’m signed up for the Brave New Route 5k – and possibly the half marathon as well! You all know that I’m trying to run my second 5k ever under 30 minutes, and this might be the one! I’m so excited to run my race here in Seward on one of my Mondays, Tuesdays, or Wednesdays off work – the hard part is going to be picking a brave new route to run because everything here is so pretty and I don’t know how I’m going to choose! I can’t wait to start racing with Jost Running!
I guess my trusty waterfront running trail won’t be part of my Brave New Route 5k, but that’s okay! I like trying new things 🙂
Have you ever run a virtual race? Have you ever run with Jost Running? I want to hear all about it!
Mom in the Mtns 
I might give it a try mainly in preparation for a “real” race. I also live in a small town (in a small country) and I can only recall one race here and another in a neighbor city.
I will surely check Jost out! Thanks for the tip!
Awesome! I’m pretty excited about it. I love running races so I’m glad I can still do it in my new town!
This is really cool! I’ve never done a virtual race before, but this actually sounds like fun!
I know right? The medals are super cute and make it fun for me 🙂 Also, I kind of want to do a 5k with them in some kind of crazy way (like skipping, hop scotching, etc.) just because I can!
I did a 5k race recently where a lady hula hooped the whole way!
Okay that is seriously awesome!
I have seen virtual races before but haven’t ever joined one. I love that they encourage you to finish the miles however you please! I’m checking out the site now, thanks for the tip!
Awesome! Yeah I love that they basically encourage all people to do these races no matter what your fitness level is.
this sounds awesome!! thanks for sharing. On a side note.. Alaska has been in the news way to often this week! Did you see this article? Be careful out there! Running buddy= must. http://news.msn.com/us/woman-walks-for-help-after-bear-attack-in-alaska
Um so your article scared the crap out of me and I’ve even added it to my newest post! Ahhh why do bears need to be so scary and all over the place up here!?!?
lol I just saw that! I’m so sorry lol but better prepared than sorry, eh? Also, dont freak yourself out too much now the chances of this happening are so slim! (Still scary tho, I feel ya)
My bf did the Jost Running virtual race this month with his two boys and it was a big hit with them! The medals are amazing! I am not a fan of virtual races myself but I can understand why others would be interested!
That is awesome! I can see this being a really great thing for kids or for other people who are not interested in a race atmosphere but want to train for something!
I’ve never done a Jost virtual, but I’m going to check it out! I’ve done a couple other virtual races and love the freedom of them. Plus the medals can be super cute too. HEY we can run the same races now!!! 🙂
Oh my god can we seriously do that?!?! Let’s get a big group of us together and run a race together!!! Maybe later in the day for you guys so we can all run it at the same time?
Sounds like a neat concept. I like that they donate to different charities. Can’t wait to hear about your first one!
I liked that too! I never know how much money actually goes to charities when I run a big race because they have to close down streets, pay police officers/security, pay for food, etc. At least with Jost Running the only thing I’m really paying for is the medal so I’m hoping more money goes towards the charity I’m running for!
i just checked out their website and i’m in love with the brave new route medal! if i wasn’t juuust starting training for my first half, i might consider it haha. i’ll definitely keep an eye on their website for another race when my mileage is up there; thanks for sharing!
I know, how cute is that medal! I’m in love! I like that the Brave New Route race challenges me to run in a new place. I like races that have unique challenges like that. Did you see the medal for next month, Crank It Up? Super cute as well!