Race Recap: Revel Marathon | Big Bear

On October 14th I ran my 2nd marathon. I said I would never run another marathon after the LA Marathon in 2016 because it was one of the hardest things I’d ever done. But, I don’t think anyone believed me. So, this summer while training with my son for his first half marathon, Cedar City Half Marathon, I caught the bug to run another marathon. Mostly, because I felt that my time was so slow, I had to beat it. I decided I’d sign up for a fast downhill marathon and I would be almost guaranteed to finish faster than LA! The good news, I did! I beat my time by almost a full hour! The bad news, marathons are still hard.

Look at all these goodies that came in my swag bag!!

Big Bear was my first Revel Race Series race and I gotta tell you, they put on a great event! I had volunteered at packet pickup last year for the Mount Charleston race here in Las Vegas and felt they did a great job with the expo here and I think the expo for Big Bear was also excellent. Everything went smoothly, the volunteers were friendly, and I loved their free photo booth and photo ops! When we got to our hotel room, I went through my bag and I was super impressed with the swag. I really liked that they provided a space blanket and even some gloves since the start line was going to be cold! They also had all kinds of other goodies and coupons!

I had listened to Coach Paul’s videos on their facebook page and those videos were awesome. Coach Paul is the online training coach for Revel Races and he gave a lot of really good and useful information about downhill running, what to expect from the course, nutrition, etc. I highly recommend checking out those videos!

On race morning the weather was perfect for running! Cool and overcast most of the way. The course was as expected, thanks again to Coach Paul’s video! At the expo, I grabbed a pace band and was really impressed that it wasn’t a generic bracelet, but rather the pace was calculated by the actual course. So, the sections towards the beginning of the race that were uphill and had rolling hills were accounted for and the downhill parts too. Now, this is the first time I had used one of these bracelets, so I honestly don’t know if that’s the norm or not, but like I said, I was impressed! I can also say that it was really helpful to me! Thanks to the hubs for insisting I check them out!

Most of the course was beautiful and although I was nervous about there being no spectators cheering us on from the sidelines, I don’t think it affected me too much. I had my curated playlist to help me along and the volunteers at the aid stations were all cheerful and friendly, so that helped too! The first 9 miles were pretty hilly (as expected) and not the fast downhill start I was used to from my training. I stuck to my pace band times and was pretty on track until I had to use the lovely port-a-potty so that was 3 minutes I lost. I tried to make them up and by mile 13 I was back on track. This was also when the course started to get “faster” and downhill! I don’t know if I pushed too hard trying to regain those 3 minutes or what but by mile 18, I started to lose my momentum. By mile 22 I was really struggling! I tried to pull it together and find some inner strength but there just wasn’t much there! I was grateful to my playlist for keeping me going, but it didn’t stop the tears from coming! What is it with me and crying during a marathon!?! Tell me I’m not alone! I managed to pull myself together and thanks to a few friendly runners who cheered me on and the spectators once I reached the finish line area, I finished strong. Or as strong as possible and I even managed to not cry again when I got my medal and saw Jason at the finish line! I came close, though!

One thing I didn’t like about the race was that once we got into the town, the drivers were not too careful of us runners! Although we kept to the right of the cones on the street, some cars still drove on the side that was for us and came super close! We mostly ended up running behind each other on the shoulder to not risk getting run over! No pun intended! I know the race directors can’t control the drivers, so I can’t fault the race itself for that. The town was not scenic either and this is is the end of the race so I could have really used some nice distractions, since I was beat!

All in all, I would recommend this race or any of the Revel Races to anyone looking for a downhill marathon or half marathon course. It’s not a huge race event, like the Rock n Roll events, but it’s not a small bare bones event either. Personally, I think it’s just the right size! You get great support on course, have a fun finish line festival area with music, beer, pizza, and donuts, FREE race photos, and even a video slideshow for you to share on social media!! I’m looking forward to adding another Revel Race to my calendar for 2019, but most likely it will be a half marathon 🙂

Race Recap: Cedar City Half Marathon

Oh hey! It’s only taken me a month to jump back on the blog and share how our race actually went! My bad! It took me a while to figure out how I would approach this one. Since I was super open and honest in my last post about what it was like running and training my 13 year old son, I figured I’d keep it open and honest here too.

I really wasn’t sure what to expect on race day. I didn’t want to have high expectations of what running a half marathon with my son would be like. I didn’t want to dream of bonding while on the course and such! I just wanted him to finish and most importantly, to enjoy the race. I’ve been running races, mostly half marathons for about 5 years now and my family travels with me pretty often, so they know about packet pick up, early morning start times, banana for breakfast, long lines for port-a-potties, etc. But it was still pretty cool to actually be experiencing these routine and normal pre-race activities with my son and seeing his reaction to them for the first time as a runner. EEK! I just called him a runner 🙂

We’d been training together all summer, so running alongside him was nothing new, yet it still felt like a completely new experience anyhow. I couldn’t help but smile when I thought that we were finally doing it. After all those months of training together and the ups and downs, we were finally running Cedar City Half Marathon together. It was pretty cool to think about and really made it a special race for me!

I could not have been happier with our experience. Diego pushed hard and enjoyed most of the race. Unfortunately, his phone battery died at about mile 10, so he was pretty bummed out about that since that meant he’d have to run the last 3 miles without his music. When we realized it happened, I braced for impact. I was pretty sure he’d be super upset since he depends on his music so much for running and honestly so do I! So, I was really proud of him for not overreacting and just going with the flow. He was upset, sure, but he took it in stride and moved forward. I took my headphones off too in solidarity and we finished together with big smiles on our faces!

The actual course was great! It was a nice downhill run. The scenery was pretty, the weather was cool, and the aid stations were plenty. Even when we ran outside the canyon and into the town itself, we ran through trails and sidewalks in parks that were nice and even provided some shade as it started to warm up towards the end of the race for us. The race medals and shirts were also excellent and the post-run snacks were great! We especially liked the ice pops they were handing out! I would highly recommend this race to anyone who is looking for a fast downhill half marathon in the fall!

An Open Letter to My Son : Running Your First Half Marathon

At 13 years old, you’re just one day away from running your first half marathon. You’ve always been an overachiever. Potty trained before you were 2, skipping the baby babble and going straight to complete sentences. You can’t just solve a rubix’s cube, you can solve it in under 30 seconds. Kendama, guitar, card tricks, algebra, reading, drawing, the list goes on and on. You’ve excelled in all you set your mind to do.

Except running. Because all those other things have come easy to you, but not running. Running has been hard. It’s been slow. It’s been chock full of complaints, struggles, and failures. Running has beaten you down. It has irritated you. Running has made you hurt. It’s frustrated you. Running has made you feel less than. It’s humbled you. And for this I say, thank you, to running. I thank running for teaching you that it’s not always easy to reach your goals. Running requires discipline and endurance and grit. These are all things I hope you’ve learned through running.

You complained about waking up early during summer break to run, but you did it anyways. We argued along the road many mornings, but it never stopped you. During moments of frustration, you still endured. So many times you wanted to give up, to turn around, but you never did. You kept going. May this be a lesson you take with you always.

I hope that running will always stay with you. I hope you find a love for running, as I have. But, if you don’t, that’s ok too. But I do hope you never forget the lessons learned during your training. Because, whether you realize it or not, running has taught you so much about life. It’s taught you to never give up. Wether you go fast or slow, what matters is that you are moving forward. Never forget that. Never forget that although there may be pain and it may be difficult, chasing your dreams is always worth it. Life won’t always be easy, but sticking to your goals and being true to yourself will always be worth it. Never forget that feeling of accomplishment you get after a long or difficult run. Let that stay with you and let that guide you. There is power in perseverance.

Running alongside you all these weeks has not always been easy, but neither has being your mom and I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world. I am so proud to be running with you tomorrow and sharing 13.1 miles with you. Crossing that finish line together will be a moment I never forget. I love you beyond words.

PS. I can’t forget to give a shout of of thanks and appreciation to the hubs for all those early mornings of driving him up to meet us at the mountain so he could get his long runs in. And to Valerie for all the rides up the mountain and encouraging him and me along the way. To all our friends and family who’ve also encouraged him, it doesn’t go unnoticed! XO

Half Marathon Training with a Teenager

Last year, my then 12 year old son said he’d like to run a half marathon. I thought he was just being funny or talking in the distant future, but no. He was serious and insisted on it. We researched some races and talked some more about it. I gave him the good and the bad, but honestly, mostly the bad because I wanted to paint a truthful picture and the truth is that training for a half marathon is not easy. He acknowledged that it was going to be hard work, but that he really wanted to challenge himself and run his first half marathon at the age of 13. So, we did it. We signed up for the Cedar City Half Marathon on September 8, 2018. I explained that he would be training for a half marathon all through summer break and even into his first weeks of back to school but he was not deterred.

While he was still in school, we started with 2 mile once a week runs. Then, last month, we started the actual 14-week training plan and he’s been training pretty consistently for the past 6 weeks. We have 8 more weeks to go and I couldn’t be prouder of this kid! But please, don’t get me wrong. He is no super kid. He is after all, a 13 year old boy and oh have we had our arguments. It’s been hard being mom and coach. I feel like because it’s been me giving him running advice, it’s been hard for him to accept it and we butt heads a lot. He’s cranky at 6am and when I remind him that he signed up for this on his own, I get attitude. I then have to remember he is still just a 13 year old kid and take a deep breath.

It’s been hard, but it’s also been rewarding. I’ve been learning to be patient and let things go. I’m learning to go at his pace and enjoy our time together regardless of our pace and whether I think he could do better or go faster. I remind myself that I just ran my first half marathon 5 years ago at the age of 36! This kid is 13 and about to run his first half marathon. I am so proud of him already! I’m not too mushy or sentimental, but I did cry after my 1st half marathon and after my 1st full marathon. I’m pretty sure I will cry for the 3rd time again after I cross the finish line with my son in September. But until then, there will most definitely be more cranky early mornings and arguments, and I’ll just have to be ok with that.

What races are you training for this summer? Any tips on running with a teen? EEK!!

Global Running Day 2018

Earlier this month, on Wednesday, June 6th to be exact, was Global Running Day! What is Global Running Day? The Global Running Day website say’s “Global Running Day is a worldwide celebration of running that encourages everyone to get moving. It doesn’t matter how fast you run or how far you go—what’s important is that you take part, and how you do it is up to you. Run a lap around your block, take your dog for a long walk, or call your friends for a pick-up game in the park. The important thing is that you have fun being active—and you inspire others to join you.”

This is something I can totally get behind and this year I helped organize a fun run event in Las Vegas for the Rock N Roll Marathon series. As most of you know, I am an ambassador/Rock N Blogger for them and I was so excited when they reached out to me about putting together an event in my town. I contacted my favorite local running store, Red Rock Running Company, and they were totally on board to having us host the event in their store. YAY!!

The event was a huge success! We had a nice turnout and after everyone ran the 5K course, they came back to the store for pizza (because runners love pizza!!) and some Rock N Roll swag to make it a true celebration! I was there to answer any questions folks had about any of the Rock N Roll races, and especially the epic Las Vegas, Rock the Strip at Night race! It was nice to chat with the other runners about their past Rock N Roll marathon and half marathon races they’d ran in various cities and share our experiences! Rock n Roll was also having a great sale on all races just for Global Running Day and so of course, I talked about that and was ready to get folks registered right on site!

I gotta say, one thing I truly love about running is the awesome community! They build each other up, give advice, and never make you feel like you aren’t a true runner. If you run, you’re a runner. It’s not about how fast you are, it’s about getting out there and doing it! And hey, if you missed out on the Global Running Day Sale and still want to take the plunge and run a marathon or half marathon, here’s a little motivation for you to get started! Nothing like a little savings, you know, so you can go snag those new running shoes too 😉

Rock n Roll Half Marathon Nashville : Race Recap

I can summarize my trip to Nashville in two words: running + eating! What could be better, right?

If you read my last post, you know that I was nervous about running the Nashville Rock n Roll Half Marathon because the course promised to be hilly and I am not a fan of hills! Plus, my friend was running it too and it was her first half marathon, so I was nervous I wouldn’t be able to support her like I wanted to. Well, to make a long story short, we rocked that run! I felt strong throughout the entire race, which I was nervous about due to the hills. Plus, I paced my friend and we made it right under her goal time! I was so happy I felt good running those hills and it was proof that you have to trust the process. I made it a point to train hills and it paid off!

My flight to Nashville was super early in the morning, but it gave us the opportunity to grab some yummy lunch at Husk when I arrived and still make it in time for packet pickup afterwards! As usual, the process was smooth and easy. There were all the usual, easy to follow signs and awesome volunteers. The actual expo didn’t seem as big or as busy as some other cities, though. I didn’t mind this, as we don’t stay too long at the expo. We got our beer wristbands for our free post-race beer and picked up our parking pass, that I prepaid for online. Since we were driving ourselves in the morning and this was my friend’s first experience, I didn’t want her to feel overwhelmed with having to search for parking and deal with the traffic too! It was a great option and one I think I will use again for sure if I plan to drive and park for a race and not get dropped off.

After checking-in to our hotel and relaxing for a bit, it was time for our carb loading dinner! I traditionally have pizza before a race so I looking for some Yelp suggestions and found Slim + Husky’s . The reviews were amazing and it did not disappoint! They have local, fresh, ingredients and all the pizzas are made to order. They also carry local craft beers, which is also part of my carb loading dinner 😉

Like I mentioned above, the race itself was amazing! It was fun and we enjoyed the music, the scenery, and all the folks who came out to cheer us on! Running through some of the neighborhoods and seeing the residents making a morning out of it reminded me of the vibe from the San Diego Rock n Roll Half Marathon last year. They too were out cheering us on, drinking mimosas, and even handing out drinks and snacks to us runners too!

After the race, we spent our day exploring some of the neighborhoods and of course, eating some delicious food to celebrate our race finish! I highly recommend this race for it’s fun atmosphere, challenging course, and who doesn’t want to enjoy all the Nashville has to offer both before and after the race!

Self-Doubt Before Race Day | Rock N Roll Half Marathon Nashville

So, as I type this I should really be packing for my trip to Nashville, since we’ll be out tonight. My flight leaves at 6am tomorrow, so I have an early wake up call. Anyhow, I’ll get to it before I have to get into mommy-driver duty!

I’m super excited to be running the Rock n Roll Half Marathon in Nashville this Sat. Not so much because I love country music, hilly courses, and humidity, but because I’ll be running alongside my BFF since high school! This will be her first half marathon and I’m thrilled I was the one who motivated her to sign up. I was asking if maybe she’d like to run the 5K, but she surprised me and said she’d join me in the half marathon! You can imaging my excitement!!! She’s been training for about 12 weeks and I’ve been supporting her via text messages and phone calls. This got me thinking about my own first half marathon and how my cousin, who’s an avid marathon runner, came to run alongside me for my first half marathon. I remember how happy I was to have someone with all of her experience running with me and supporting me. It really helped make my first half marathon experience such a good one! As excited as I am to now be the one paying it forward and being the “experienced” runner, I’m also nervous about my own performance. Hills aren’t my jam, I mean, let’s be honest, they aren’t anyones jam! I’m also not as fast or fit as I was a few years ago and it’s messing with my head (see what I did there?). I’ve put in the miles and ran hills in my training, but I’m afraid I’ll be seen as a fraud. Like, yea I call myself a runner, but then I’m huffing and puffing at mile 10. I’m afraid I won’t be the best support for her or worse yet, that she’ll be the one supporting me! Won’t that be embarrassing!?!

I’m working on keeping a positive mindset and trust that I won’t fail. I need to trust that it’s going to be a fun experience, no matter the outcome. I admit, this is hard to do. It’s hard to feel your best, when you know you could do better because you have done better. Ok, I know I am overreacting to a hypothetical situation and it’s silly, but it’s the truth and I can’t be anything but honest. Have you ever felt this way before? Be it running or another aspect of your life, I bet you have. I can also say from experience that things aren’t usually as bad as you think they’re gonna be. Am I right? So, I am leaving it all here on the blog. I’m typing it out here but then I’m going to think of how happy I’ll be seeing my best friend, who I haven’t seen almost 5years. I’m going to focus on how awesome it is that I’ll be running my 14th half marathon in 2 days. I’m excited to visit and explore a new city and eat some pretty good food too!! And, I’m gonna go pack…

Who’s been to Nashville? Any recommendations on must-see or must-eats? I’ll be back next week to let you know how it went and if you are struggling with feelings of self-doubt too, stay strong and know you aren’t alone. XO

Rock n Roll Arizona Half Marathon | Race Recap

Earlier this month, I ran the Rock n Roll Arizona half marathon for the first time! I chose to run Arizona because it was close enough to drive there from home plus it advertised a flat course. My training was not great for this race. I missed most of my long runs and just managed a few short runs in the weeks leading to the race. There was no real excuse for missing them other than I was feeling lazy and made up all kinds of reasons why I couldn’t run. So yea, going into this race I was not feeling too confident and was just hoping I would finish.

With a race start time of 7:50 am, I didn’t have to wake up too early in comparison to other half marathon start times, so that was a really nice perk! The weather in the morning was brisk but I knew that it would warm up quickly so I wore a running skirt and t-shirt, plus my new favorite Rock n Roll trucker hat that I picked up at the expo on Saturday!

The first 8 miles of the course are not very scenic. You’re running through industrial and business roads and such so there aren’t many spectators either. I was also going really slow, which didn’t help and I never really found my groove. Since it’s a Rock n Roll event, they did have bands and DJs at about every mile and of course the aide stations and port-a-potties were plentiful. It did hold true to it’s advertised flat course, though, and there were no major inclines. Once we got to Papago Park, the scenery changed and it felt so good to run through some nice desert scenery and see the iconic Arizona saguaro cacti. This was also the only part of the course that had a slight incline. But, it was a short out and back section so getting to run a little decline was nice too. It was right around mile 10 that I started having some major discomfort on my left heel and then also on the outer right side of my foot, from heel to pinky toe. I pushed along and tried to ignore it since I still had 3 miles to go and figured it was probably time for new running shoes.

I enjoyed running across Mill Ave. Bridge. Not only is it a pretty view, but it’s also close the finish line and by then, my right foot was really hurting!! Once we crossed the river, spectators were lined up all along the finish line area and cheering us on for the last stretch! That’s always my favorite part of running a race!! I also really liked that they had big screens at the finish line to view the runners coming in.

The finish line festival at Tempe Beach park was really nice too! There was plenty of grassy areas (albeit the grass was dry since it was winter) to sit and stretch. The gear check trucks were clearly visible for those picking up their bags. There were food trucks lined up to for hungry runners! I sat and stretched for a bit, then went over to get my free beer!! I listened to the headliner, Everclear, for a bit. I was happy it was a band I knew and listened to from the 90s!

We couldn’t stay too long since I had to make it back to the hotel to shower and check out! By the time we got to the hotel, my foot was really hurting and I was having a hard time putting any pressure on it. The next day was the same, a significant amount of pain and not able to walk on it. I was concerned, so I went to an urgent care, where they did an X-ray. The x-ray did not show a hairline fracture but the Dr. on staff still thought it was this since hairline fractures don’t usually show up in x-rays and based on my symptoms. He gave me an ugly ortho shoe to wear to keep my foot from moving too much when I walked and said to wear it for 1-2 wks and no running for 4 weeks. It’s been a week since my visit and my foot feels great. No pain at all! I’ve ordered new running shoes, but I’ll stick to Dr’s orders and won’t run just yet. It’s going to be hard but I want to make sure that I don’t injure myself again. I’m doing Pilates and upper body workouts that are non-weight bearing on my leg, but I can’t wait to get out there and run!!!! Have you ever been sidelined from running? How did you cope?

Rock n Blog Team 2018 | Rock n Roll Marathon Series

In case you hadn’t seen it on my Instagram page, I’m so happy to announce that I am part of the Rock n Blog Team for the 2nd year in a row! The Rock n Blog Team is a group of likeminded peeps who love to run races and have fun doing it! Plus, we get to earn some awesome bling along the way!

Last year, I had so much fun running in new cities and experiencing the awesome races put on by the Rock n Roll Marathon series. My favorite was running the Remix Challenge in San Diego. I ran the 5K on Saturday, then ran the half marathon on Sunday. The courses were so much fun, especially the half marathon. You can read my recap of that race HERE!

The Rock n Roll Marathon series put on a great race! There is always a nice crowd of spectators cheering for you along the way and the DJs, cheer & dance teams, and bands really keep you pumped up throughout the race. The series offers the full marathon distance and depending on the city, they also offer relays, 10Ks, 5Ks, and kid races. There is definitely something for everyone!

Here’s what I have planned for the Rock ‘n’ Roll series this year:

Arizona Half Marathon | January 14
Nashville Half Marathon | April 28
Las Vegas Half Marathon | November 11
San Antonio 5K + Half Marathon | December 2 & 3
(tentative) Denver 5K + Half Marathon | October 20 & 21

Who’s ready to join me? How about a discount code to help convince you? Use code RNB15 to get $15 off your half or full marathon registration! Some restrictions apply.

Have you ran a Rock N Roll Marathon race before? What’s your favorite? Let me know!!

2018: The Year of Consistency

The start of a new year is always a good time for change. It’s a time to set goals and make plans on how to achieve them. Don’t let the haters bring you down before you even get started. We all have to start somewhere and for a lot of us, January 1 just feels like an ideal time for a fresh new start.

I feel that in 2017 I was not just treading water, but actually taking some steps in reverse. Life has it’s ups and downs but if we don’t get a hold of ourselves, we can continue on a downward spiral that is even harder to get out of. I know I’ve been inconsistent with just about everything in my life lately and it’s time to make a conscious effort to be consistent with my actions. From what I eat, drink, how I work, use of my time, etc. It’s time to stick to the plan. So, I’m here today to share my goals and plans and hopes for this new year.

Fitness + Health Goals

Consistent Meal Planning/Prep – Working from home, I always felt that meal prep was something I didn’t need to do. I could always take a break from my work and make my meals. But the truth is, I don’t always feel like taking the time to cook just for myself so I end up winging it and it’s not always balanced or the healthiest options. I have been pretty good about meal planning for dinners, so I want to keep that up and add meal plans for breakfast and lunch too. I also plan to use Sundays as a day to prep some meals or have semi-prepared options that I can easily and quickly turn into a complete meal. For example, making a batch of paleo egg muffins, having boiled eggs on hand, and making enough dinner for lunch leftovers the next day.
Run 3 days/week + Gym 2 days/week – Getting consistent and back to a routine with my workouts is a must. Although I always have a monthly plan on my calendar for my workouts, I do not always follow through. I am determined to make this a priority in my life again!
Weight Loss – Without having consistent workouts and meals planned, I have let the weight creep back up. This is the year to get back on track and not let all the hard work I’ve done go to waste.
Post Monthly Goals – When I first started my weight loss journey, I shared a lot. Maybe even over shared! But, it helped me stay consistent and accountable to myself. Somewhere along the line I started thinking that maybe I was sharing too much, that people didn’t want to see/read about what I was doing and I stopped sharing and eventually that led me to taking it easy. I started relaxing too much and without that accountability on social media and my blog, I started to overindulge too much and workout less and less. That stops now! Hope you’re ready for a maybe a little over sharing but just know, I’m doing it for myself! Not to brag or make anyone feel bad, but rather to put myself on blast in the hopes that it will keep me accountable and maybe give someone else ideas on how to do it for themselves too 😉
Blog a min. of 2 times a week – You’ll be seeing a lot more of me this year! I really enjoy blogging so I want to make sure I’m on here a few times a week sharing my thoughts, ideas, frustrations, travels, race recaps, family life, and everything/anything else of this messy life!

I’m also working on my race schedule for 2018, so be sure to check those out HERE! If you have any suggestions for races I should put on my radar, please let me know in the comments. Or, if you’ll be running one of the races I’m doing this year, let me know so we can meet up! I’m debating if I want to run a marathon for 2018. What do you think?

These are the main goals and objectives to get back on track and feeling better about myself. I don’t want to feel sluggish and tired all the time like I used to, so it’s time for consistency! Do you have a word for 2018?