Rock N Roll San Diego Remix Challenge | Race Recap

During the first weekend of June I completed my first Rock N Roll Marathon Series Remix Challenge in San Diego! The Remix Challenge medal is earned when you complete two days of running during a Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series event. Any combination of distances qualifies for the Remix Challenge Medal. You need to complete one event on Saturday and one event on Sunday during the same Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series event weekend. I chose to run the 5K distance on Saturday and the half marathon distance on Sunday.

This is my first year as a member of the Rock ‘n’ Blog team and I am loving it so far! As part of the team I received a Global Tour Pass, which allows me to run any of their races worldwide (travel costs not included). My next tour stops will be Seattle, June 18th for the Half Marathon and Las Vegas on November 11-12 for another Remix (5K and Half Marathon).

We left a little later than we wanted to on Friday afternoon from Vegas, so we arrived for packet pickup with just under one hour before the expo closed. The good thing about cutting it so close was that there was no line to get my packets 🙂 I was given a specific wrist tag with my bibs and was explained that I was to wear it on Sunday’s race to pick up my Remix Challenge medal after the race (woohoo!). Afterwards we walked around the Gaslamp Quarter and grabbed some sushi for dinner before checking in to our room and crashing!

This was my first really big 5K event and it was a great experience. The atmosphere was relaxed and everyone was ready to have a good time. Although, I told myself I would take it slow, I couldn’t help but get carried away by all the excitement and I took off a little faster than I wanted to. But after the first mile or so I slowed myself down and started to enjoy the sights of Balboa Park. Jason was right there cheering me on at the finish line and then we made our way to the beer tent. As ya’ll know, I am much more of a wine girl myself, but after a race there’s nothing better than a cold beer. Trust me on that one!

The rest of the day was spent doing a little shopping and catching a movie, which is a rare treat for us to do without the kiddos. We then made our way to Ocean Beach for burgers and beers at Hodad’s and to catch a glimpse of the ocean! Do yourself a favor and check it out next time you’re in the San Diego area. It’s got a great vibe and the burgers are delicious!

The next day, was a little less relaxed, as thousands of half marathon and marathon runners made their way to the starting line. But, it was still a Rock N Roll event and the atmosphere was one of fun, if not a little more focused on the longer distances to be conquered that day. I know I was feeling nervous and excited too! The half marathon course was a blast and although my legs felt a little sluggish the first few miles, I found my groove and had a strong finish! The best part of the race was running through the Normal Heights neighborhood, where the neighbors were out supporting the runners with everything from jolly ranchers to alcohol. Loved the makeshift bars they set up serving beer, mimosas, and even shots of liquor! I chose to pass on the libations, but it was super entertaining to run by and see other brave runners take their shots! Another favorite was when we finally got the the nice downhill area along the park! Running downhill is my favorite, so a downhill finish was a great relief from an otherwise kinda hilly course.

As with all big races, the finish line area was crowded and busy. Jason was looking out for me so we met up soon after. We made our way to the festival area and to the Heavy Medal tent for my Remix Medal! And then of course, it was another race so another beer at the finish! It was also great to see some friends at the festival who had ran the relay race. We chatted a bit with them before we had to get going to check out of our room and make our way back to Vegas!

But, first we had to stop at our favorite Temecula winery, Wiens Family Cellars, for some wine tasting. We brought a few bottles home with us too and way may have also signed up for their wine club (again!)

If you’ve never ran the Remix Challenge, I definitely suggest you try it at least once. Not only do you leave the weekend with 3 awesome medals, it really makes it for a fun-filled running weekend. Plus, you get to doubly enjoy what the Rock N Roll Marathon races are all about: fun, community, bling, music, and just an all-around good time!

Even though it was a weekend with 2 back to back races, the hubs and I still got to spend a much needed weekend away without the kiddos. It was the perfect start to summer break and I think we may have to turn it into a yearly tradition, with or without a race 😉

Zion Half Marathon | Race Recap

April 1st was my first half marathon of the year, the Zion Half Marathon! I would love to say it started off amazingly, but when your first mile is 18+ minutes, you kinda know it’s gonna be a doozy!

My friend and I took off from Las Vegas early Friday afternoon and the drive took us about 4 hrs. Yay for the S-Town Podcastfor the in-car entertainment! Packet pickup was at Zion Ponderosa Ranch which was north of Zion National Park from the direction we came in. So, we had to pay the $35 admission to the park to drive across. Seriously wish there would have been some mention of this on the website. Anyhow, we made it just in time for packet pickup and our spaghetti dinner. The weather was very cold and it was super muddy. The race directors had communicated this to us via emails, updates on facebook, and even text messages, so we knew what to expect when we arrived. As a matter of fact, their communication throughout the evening and race morning was very good.

We stayed in Kanab, UT which was another 30 minutes north of the start line at the same Zion Ponderosa Ranch. Traffic was expected for race morning and we were told to plan at least an additional 30 minutes to our drive. However, the night before the race, we were given notice that the parking area was being moved to their Plan B location due to the muddy conditions at the original parking lot. This created even more traffic and congestion as there was only one entrance to Zion Mountain Ranch and cars were simply parking alongside of the road. We then had to walk back towards the main road to where the buses were picking up runners. This ended up being about a mile away from our car. We finally arrived to the buses, waited in line, and boarded the lovely warmth of the bus! Kudos to the volunteers for being out there in the dark and cold morning in such good spirits! They rocked!

Once we arrived to the start line area we found out the race was being delayed due to the traffic congestion caused by the parking lot change. Once the race finally started it was pretty confusing and rushed so we ended up way in the back of the pack. I thought we’d be ok once we started running and we found our groove but that never happened for me. Unfortunately, all the melted snow created some pretty muddy trails that were nearly impossible to run through. Runners ended up just walking along the edges of the trail or completely around the trail so we just all walked in a row behind each other. Yup, more congestion. By the time we were out of the 1st muddy mile, it’d been 18 minutes and I was feeling pretty defeated. The downhill course that was promised was not really downhill. It was way more hilly and more of an up and down course. Add to that the super muddy trails where we were forced to walk most of them and we had ourselves a PR for slowest half marathon! It was definitely not the race I was expecting. Having to run past our cars around mile 7 was especially cruel!

This was right before the finish line! Hardly a downhill run....Ugghhh Thanks @penguincity for capturing this shot! — This was right before the finish line! Hardly a downhill run….Ugghhh Thanks @penguincity for capturing this shot!

Clearly, I was not the only one who was a bit disappointed. @gimmeapaw was spot on with her post!

It hurts me to write this recap because I’ve seriously loved all the half marathons I’ve ran. I understand no one can predict the weather and the havoc it can cause on race day and the race directors did a good job handling it. I think they did the best they could with the weather conditions. They also gave all this year’s runners a discount for next year’s race and sent a very well written email afterwards. However, it wasn’t just the weather that did it for me. I wish I could say it was just the wet, cold, muddy conditions that made it difficult for me to enjoy the race, but it wasn’t just that for me. I was also expecting a much more scenic race and the locations we ran through just didn’t have spectacular views. For this year only, the race was east of Zion National Park, so maybe the regular location is much more scenic, but I’m not sure. Ultimately, I know a race is what you make of it and I am glad I experienced this race. It taught me that I need be prepared for everything and sometimes races just don’t go as expected. I need to learn to go with the flow. This race was definitely a mental game for me and I gave up quickly. I did not give it my all and I let unrealized expectations, bad weather, and muddy conditions defeat me. Lesson learned.

I gotta say, I do love that big wooden medal and now I can mark off running while it snows from the bucket list! Ok, it was just flurries but still…

Did you run the Zion Half Marathon? I’d love to know what are your thoughts of the race.

Ventura Half Marathon | Race Recap

You guys I PRed!!! Woohooo!! I am so excited to give you all the details from the Ventura Marathon & Half Marathon event earlier this month. I got to participate in this awesome race thanks to RacePlace. As an ambassador for RacePlace, I was offered this race entry at no cost, but this review and recap are my own thoughts and opinions.

The marathon and half marathon took place on Sunday, September 11 but they had fun events on Saturday too. There were also various bike race distances, an adventure race, 5K, kids races, and K9 Shuffle! Packet pickup and expo were held outside right next to the pier and there was a live band and some food trucks too. It was definitely a beach party atmosphere!

We left Vegas Friday morning. Totally let the kids skip school for this trip! Every year we take a 3 day weekend getaway to the beach right before school starts and this year we just didn’t make it. So, this became a fun little race-cation! More on that part of our trip in another post 😉

We kept to our plan and got to the beach right around 11am or so after our huge brunch at Cajun Kitchen Cafe right on Main St. in downtown Ventura. First stop was packet pickup. Like I mentioned, the expo was held outside right next to the pier. It was super easy and quick to get my bib and swag bag. I loved the goodies we got! Just look at all the stuff I got! I really like that hat and the bag is great too. Roomy and useful. I gotta say I was getting tired of the drawstring bags mot races are giving. Plus, race photos were free!

The expo itself wasn’t super big but that was fine with me. I don’t particularly enjoy those big expos where it’s inside and stuffy and there’s a ton of people all around you! Anyhow, once we were done looking around and getting the kids some ice cream we spent a relaxing day on the beach. Dinner was my usual carb-loading pizza with some protein and lots of veggies 😉

Race morning was smooth and easy. Jason was just dropping me off, so parking was not an issue for us, although it seems there was plenty of parking options. The folks that were directing traffic were friendly and showed us where he could park to drop me off. I had forgotten my Garmin in the room, so we had turn around and grab that for sure! I got to the race, which started right in front o f the pier, with just enough time to get my headphones on and line up near the 2:30 pacer before we took off. Everything seemed organized and relaxed.

I went into this race with zero expectations and just happy there were no hills and it was a flat course. My training had not been as regular as it should have been. I did get my long runs in each week, but only running 2-4 miles once or twice during the week. So you can imagine my surprise when I ended up passing the 2:30 pacer and felt great around mile 5. I was so sad when around mile 6 I had to stop and pee in the port a potty. I considered not stopping, but of course, that just made me have to go more! LOL I sped up a little bit to try to catch up to the pacer again but I reached the turn around point (it was an out and back race) and still didn’t see them. I slowed down a bit and maintained a steady pace until about mile 10. At this point in a half marathon I always feel anxious and ready for it to be over. I found a really nice groove and kicked it up a notch. Once I spotted the 2:30 pacers I took off. I was a woman on on a mission! I came up to them and they told me I was doing a good job. I replied back with a thanks and told them I had been trying to catch up with them the whole race! It was great to hear them cheer me on as I kept going and passed them. I knew I was going faster than usual, but I was still feeling great. I didn’t want to look down at my garmin and see my pace out of fear of slowing down once I saw it! Crazy, I know. I just ran for myself and only when I crossed the finish line and stopped my watch did I see I had a new record! I finished in 2:24:26 beating my previous record of 2:25:27. I don’t know how it happened, but I’m so happy it did! Maybe I can finish my next half in 2:20 😉

Thanks agin to Raceplace for the race entry and to the race directors and volunteers who made this my best half marathon to date! And of course, thanks to my ever supportive family for coming along and cheering me on! They’re the best! XO

2015 A Year in Review: Travels, Races, and Family Fun

With just a couple of days left in the year, I thought it would be fun to revisit 2015 today. The year started off rough and we had lots to deal with as it went on with Jason’s injury and following surgeries. There were days that we just could not see the light. But, we aren’t the type to let our lives be dictated by our circumstance. Sure, things were not ideal, but we knew they could be much worse. So, we made the best with what we had. We kept positive and moving forward with our lives.

Even with the ups and downs, we had such a full year. We got to travel to some fun places with our family and Jason and I even got away without the kiddos to San Francisco+Sonoma County. We took the kids camping in Utah for the first time. We spent a super fun weekend with our family in Huntington Beach, CA! The kids and I hiked to the Colorado River. We got to go boating in Lake Mead. I ran my first trail half marathon in Red Rock Canyon and my 3rd Tough Mudder. I won a free registration from Pace Per Mile to Walt Disney World’s Wine & Dine Half Marathon, so we all went to Florida for 8 days! The kiddos ran the Disney Kid 1 mile race. We visited all 4 Disney parks and visited with friends that are like family. I also ran the Disneyland Half Marathon to complete the Coast to Coast Challenge. I ran 3 Spartan races (2 with the hubs) and got my 2nd Trifecta. The kids ran the Spartan Kid race too. Lastly, I won another free registration to the Run Laughlin Half Marathon in December, which turned out to be a great race.

I’m looking forward to starting 2016 with new goals and plans. I’m looking forward to fun adventures with my family and taking on new challenges. But, for now, I’m happy to look back and reflect on all the good things that have taken place and not to dwell on what could have been or feel bad for the huge curve ball life threw our way. Today I choose to be grateful for all the wonderful things and places I’ve been. I’m grateful for my family’s constant support. I’m happy to be where I am in life. It may not be exactly where I want to be, but it is a lot closer than I was before. And for that, I am grateful.

What’s your favorite memory of 2015? Are you looking forward to 2016? What goals do you have for the new year?

Laughlin/Bullhead Half Marathon | Race Recap

Woohoo!! I’m so happy to say, I finished my last race of the year strong! Per usual, I was nervous before this race. Again, I didn’t get all my training runs in and I was not feeling too confident about how I’d do. However, I was determined to have a great race, since Disney’s Wine & Dine was such a disappointment with it being cut short and all.

I won the race entry from an instagram giveaway from Clarinda over at Enjoying the Course. This was the inaugural race, so it was a small race in Laughlin, NV. I believe there were a little over 500 runners, including the 5K. I felt the race was well organized and managed. Packet pick-up was quick and easy. The tech shirt that was included in the race swag, was really nice and fit well. I love it when they have both ladies and mens sizes for shirts!

Jason and I left the kiddos with my parents to spend the night (Thanks Mom & Dad!) and we took off Friday afternoon to Laughlin. It’s about 1.5 hr away, not too bad of a drive, just a little boring. This was our first visit to Laughlin. It’s a small town right on the Colorado River and Arizona border. There are a few hotel and casinos along the river and an outlet mall along the main street, which is all we saw. I’m sure there are some nice hiking trails too and of course, in the summer there are lots of water activities on the river.

Once we got to Laughlin, we went straight to race registration at the Colorado Belle Hotel & Casino. The Edgewater Hotel and the Colorado Belle Hotel were both race sponsors so they offered runners a really great (read: Cheap!) hotel rate for either of the two properties. I made the reservation for the Edgewater Hotel. At check-in, we were given a cute welcome gift from the race directors. I thought it was a very nice and personalized gesture 😉 After dinner, it was an early bedtime for us, as we had to be up early for my 7am race start.

The race was across the street from the hotel, so we just walked to the start line. I met up with 2 other runners I knew from a facebook running group and we took a quick photo before heading to the start line. It was a chilly morning, but I chose to run without a jacket, as I figured it would warm up as I started running. I’m glad I didn’t take the jacked, the weather temps were perfect. It was a bit windy for most of the race, but nothing too crazy. Once the race started, I was prepared for the big hill they warned us about at packet pickup. They weren’t joking, it was a steady uphill climb for the first 2 miles or so. But, what comes up must come down and that downhill felt great. I made up for the slow pace and took off. I was really enjoying the run and the view of the dam and mountains when we were directed left for the trail portion of the race. I enjoy trail running, so it was a nice change of pace. I’m assuming it was added to get the full 13.1. The trail section, was an out and back. I don’t particularly like, out and backs, but I knew it was not going to be for the entire race, so it wasn’t too bad. The trail was soft sand/gravel, so going uphill on that felt like forever! Once we were out of the desert trail, it was back to road running and another steady and steep uphill to cross the dam into Arizona. I took a quick break to stop and take a photo of the view at this point 😉

Thanks Emily for the photo! I sure was happy to be running down this trail!

When we got to our turn-around, I spotted Jason! We hadn’t planned a meeting spot along the course, so it was a very welcomed surprise! He ran along side me for a bit, then took off to meet me at the finish line. It was a quick run down the dam until it evened out at the river. It was nice running on the paved trail that went along the river. The views were a nice distraction from my aching feet. Once I crossed a bridge, it was a nice downhill run to the main street, where the end was so close! I hadn’t really been paying too much attention to my pace, but when I saw the clock at the finish, I gave it my all to barely come in under 2:30. My official time was 2:28. I was so happy with my time! I’m no speed lightning, but that course was pretty brutal and I was sure I was going to end up with a time of 2:45 or so. It had more ups and downs than I was expecting, but it kept it interesting and the downhill runs were my favorite.

I saw Jason soon after crossing the finish line and I even met Clarinda, whom I’d won the race from! YAY for meeting new runner friends 🙂 We got a free beer and a nice post-race snack tray, with a bagel, banana, orange slices, and granola bar. All and all, I really enjoyed this race. It had a little bit for everyone. Some trails, some challenging uphills, followed by fun downhills, pretty scenery, and a great atmosphere for a small grass-roots race. The race directors did a great job and I’m sure this will turn into an even more awesome race in the years to come!

So, how is your year coming to an end? Any fun races? Are you making plans for next year already? I know I am!

XO,

Jessie

Disneyland Half Marathon Recap

Well, I knew September was going to be a busy month, at least the first part of it, and boy has it kicked my butt! I have tons to share, from recent trip highlights to tips & ideas for you! I can’t wait to get back to it. I thought I’d start with the Disneyland Half Marathon recap today.

I gotta say, I went into this half marathon with mixed emotions. When I first signed up months ago, I was super excited about it, especially since it would allow me to get the Coast to Coast Medal in November after Disney World’s Wine & Dine Half Marathon. However, my training had been pretty sporadic. Although I did get most of my long runs in, I missed a lot of my weekday runs as the race got closer. Plus, I never felt strong during most of my long runs and they were all pretty slow.

I joined a facebook group for Disneyland Half Marathon participants and the folks on there were super helpful and encouraging. If I ever had a question, it was answered quickly. The group was awesome and I highly recommend joining a facebook group for your next race, especially if it’s a big one like the Disney races are. They helped me a lot with what to expect for the expo and packet pickup. I tend to get a bit anxious of the unknown and all their tips and info were super helpful. Thanks, peeps!

Friday morning, Jason and I took the 4 hr drive to Anaheim from Vegas. The kiddos didn’t come along, so the drive was quick without any stops. I’d read people were in very long lines for packet pickup but, maybe because we arrived on the last day of the expo I had no line. I walked right up to get my bib and then up to the expo floor to get my bag and shirt with no wait either.

My shirt said, “Race you to the Castle” it’s from Raw Threads . I bought it at the expo and loved how soft it is! Running skirt & shoes are Brooks .

We had to wake up crazy early, 3:30am to be exact, so we were in bed before 9pm! Getting to the parking structure that morning and to the festival area was all very easy and streamlined. After a quick photo and a potty break, it was time to say good bye to Jason and get to my corral. I wanted to be in the corral early and I’m so glad I did. I was in corral C and I was right in the front and wasn’t shoved or crowded. The announcers did their thing, yea, it was kinda cheezy, but I really liked the fireworks to start the race! At 5:30am, the first group took off and, before I knew it they opened up our corral and we walked up to the starting line for us to go. The wait time between corrals seemed to go quickly. I heard there were some issues with some of the corrals further back, but Corral C had no issues and we took off around 5:50 or even a little earlier.

During the race I never felt like we bottlenecked and it never really got so crowded that I couldn’t keep my pace. Again, I think there was some bottlenecking towards the corrals further back, but I was good the entire time. I stopped to take a photo of the ferris wheel as I entered California Adventure because it just looked so pretty and also at the entrance to Disneyland. That’s right when I saw Jason, between California Adventure and Disneyland. We hadn’t really planned on him cheering me on at any point during the race, so that was a nice surprise. It was really cool running through the theme parks. I really loved seeing CarsLand and can’t wait to take the kiddos there now! Of course, running through the castle was awesome! We also ran through a bit of the back lot or behind the scenes of the park and there were always cast members, custodians, and other Disney employees lined up cheering us on.

Once we left Disneyland property, I honestly didn’t think there would be much to see or that it would exciting. Well, I was so wrong! In my opinion, some of the best parts of the race were through the city of Anaheim. There were high school bands, cheerleaders, and dance groups about every couple of miles it seemed. There were tons of water stations with friendly volunteers too! My favorites were the almost 500 cars that lined up both sides of the streets as we ran up to Angel’s Stadium. There were all kinds of car clubs from antique cars to muscle cars and everything in between. There were VW Bugs, low riders, Mustangs, Camaros, just every kind of car. The car owners were also there cheering us on! It was so entertaining! I loved how it distracted me from the miles I was running and kept me motivated. The car show finally ended as we came up to Angel’s Stadium. I was feeling so great from seeing all the cars and the energy from the crowd, that when I saw the 2:30 pacer just a little bit ahead of me, I pushed a little harder and ran right past them! At this point we were entering the stadium and I could hear all the cheering as we ran through the tunnel to enter the field. I came out to see half the stadium filled with tons of kids and their parents. I think every girl scout and boy scout troop from Orange County were there! It was so awesome giving all the kiddos high fives as I ran past them. Their energy was contagious and it kept me going all the way to about mile 11! As always, that last mile was tough, but just knowing that I was going to sub 2:30 kept me going at a steady pace. I finished in 2:27:04 and felt great.

I got my medal and called Jason right away to come meet me. He was waiting for me at the family reunion area, so we saw each other right away! We didn’t stay too long because I was hungry and ready to freshen up and stretch. It was getting hot and I was super sweaty and gross after running 13.1! I had some of the snacks that came in our goodie box in the car and we grabbed a coffee at Starbucks. Went over to our friend’s place to shower and freshen up before brunch. You better believe I celebrated with a mimosa and some bloody mary’s! I also had the most delicious corned beef eggs benedict ever!!! Soon after brunch it was time to go back home to the kiddos 🙂 Big thanks to our friends, Linda & Sean, for letting us crash at their house for the night & for being so hospitable! XO

I couldn’t believe how well the race went! It was really so much better than I had anticipated it would be. I had prepped myself to expect massive crowds, delays, bottlenecking, and a boring course through Anaheim. This was all far from the truth! Yes, there were close to 18,000 runners but I never felt overcrowded and I absolutely loved the course! I really enjoyed the crowd support and I’m still in awe of how many residents of Anaheim were out there supporting us runners along the way! I really appreciated it so much and I know it was the reason I was able to push along and feel so good throughout the entire race. Now, I’m really excited about my next Disney race, the WDW Wine and Dine in November!!

Have you ever ran a runDisney race? Which one? Did you love it or hate it? Let me know in the comments below, especially if you’ve ran the Wine & Dine Half 😉

Let the Running Begin | Half Marathon Training

Back in September I entered a facebook contest to win a free race on Pace Per Mile‘s page. All you had to do was leave a comment on which race you’d like to win and one random person would be chosen. The only stipulation was that it had to be a race in 2014 or 2015 that was not sold out or was not a lottery. On a whim, because whoever really wins these things right, I wrote I’d love to win an entry for Walt Disney World’s Wine & Dine Half Marathon in November 2015. Jason and I had been talking about taking the kids to WDW in Florida in either 2015 or 2016, so Florida was on the brain.

Later that week, I got a message from Pace Per Mile, saying I’d won! WooHoo!! Once the initial excitement wore off, it was time to start planning our trip to Florida. This free race did not come with plane tickets for a family of 4 to fly cross country! Nor did it come with hotel stay, car rental, or park admission. We did have over a year to plan for it and well, now we are getting close – it’s just 4 months away!

We’re all super excited to be going to Florida. Not only will I be running the Wine and Dine Half Marathon, we also signed up the kids to run the 1 mile kid’s race earlier that day. Plus, Jason purchased a ticket to join me for the Finish Line Party! We’re really looking forward to some yummy food from Epcot’s Food & Wine festival and some of the attractions will also be open for the after party. I just hope I have the energy for it all. I’m pretty sure I’ll have the appetite for the food & wine, though 😉

Before I run the Wine & Dine Half in Walt Disney World, I’ll be running the Disneyland Half Marathon in September! While reading about RunDisney, I came across an article that talked about all the fun challenges they offered during their race weekends. The Coast to Coast challenge quickly caught my attention. Basically, you get the Coast to Coast medal when you run 2 Disney half marathons, one in Disneyland and one in Walt Disney World, in one calendar year. I knew that it was now or never, so I quickly figured out a way to get an entry for the Disneyland Half thanks to a friend!

Now guess what? In May, I ended up winning another half marathon registration via Enjoying the Course‘s blog giveaway. So now I’ll be running the Laughlin/Bullhead Half Marathon here in Nevada this December. Talk about a winning streak!

So, like the title of this post says, “Let the running begin!” I’ll be starting my half marathon training this week using one of the trusty Hal Higdon Training Programs. I’ve only used the Novice I and II programs, but I’m tempted to try out the Intermediate Training Program this time around. I ‘ll be running 3 half marathons in 4 months, with a Tough Mudder in between in October, so I’ll really be focusing on running! Who knows, maybe all this running will make me want to finally sign up for a marathon, maybe….

What races do you have planned for the fall? Have you ever ran a Disney race? I’d love some tips if you have them!

Wild Land Fire Awareness Trail Half Marathon | Red Rock Canyon

I ran the Wild Land Fire Awareness Trail 5K last year and although it was not a great race for me, I kinda left wanting to do the half marathon. So, when registration opened up for this year’s race, I signed up right away! I have done 5K, 10K, and 12K trail races before but this would be my first trail half marathon. I was both nervous and scared. My training was pretty sporadic and I didn’t really stick to my running schedule like I should have. Also, I really wanted to do more specific hill training, but yea, that didn’t happen either. I did get some good runs in and had quite a few long trail runs beforehand, so I knew I would finish, just wasn’t too sure of my time. I ended up giving myself the goal of 3 hours.

Of course, I hardly slept the night before the race. This happens to me all the time and I wish I had better sleeping techniques I could use. Any suggestions? Fortunately, I didn’t feel terribly tired in the morning and we were able to get everyone ready and gather our stuff (that we’d set up the day before) and head out the door with little drama.

Just like last year, everything seemed to go smoothly at the start line. I chatted with a few running friends, took photos with my family, and then it was time to go! The first half of the course was pretty brutal. The inclines were no joke and there were some pretty technical parts with huge rocks we had to get up. I walked up most of the inclines and was wishing I hadn’t skipped that hill training! About halfway through the race, my family found me right before an aid station. It was so nice to see the kiddos running towards me and having Jason help me refill my hydration pack with ice and water. It definitely gave me a nice boost, plus I knew I was getting close to some downhill trails after seeing them 🙂 The rest of the race went well. I picked up speed on the downhill and walked a bit more of the uphill. I started to feel my calf cramping and I was happy I had put some mustard packets in my pack. I took them and it helped to not get a full-on cramp. I’m not sure why I started cramping, but I’m thinking it was a few factors. Primarily all the uphill climbing, but I also didn’t wear my compression socks and I always wear them for long runs, especially half marathons. Plus, it was really hot out there that morning!

Again, it was so awesome seeing my kiddos cheering me on as I approached the finish line. My son came up and ran alongside me for a bit, which really helped me push the pain aside and finish strong! I didn’t meet my goal of 3 hours, but I was still happy with my time of 3 hours 12 minutes. Just gives me something to aim towards for the next one 😉

This was my last race until the fall. I’m kinda sad not to have something coming up soon, but I’ll use these summer months to continue training and focusing on my goals. How about you? Any races scheduled for the summer? What’s your next event?

Half Marathon Training | Wild Land Fire Awareness Trail Half

Here I go again! Last week I registered for my 3rd half marathon and 1st trail half marathon, the Wild Land Fire Awareness Trail Half Marathon. I love that 100% proceeds go to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation. I really enjoy trail running, but have not ran more than a 12K trail race before, so I’m a little nervous about this one. I’ll be training hard for this half marathon and the Spartan Super simultaneously, since the Spartan race is April 18th. What’s made me even more nervous is my friend who runs ultra trail races said it was a tough one! Yikes!! What did I get myself into?!? Well, there is no turning back now. It’s time to train. The race is on May 30th, so I have just about 12 weeks to prepare to run 13.1 miles of trails through beautiful Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area.

I ran the Wild Land Fire Awareness 5K trail race last year and it wasn’t my best run. But I love running around Red Rock and I ran some of the half marathon trails last year they seemed way more fun than the 5K course, so I’m looking forward to running the entire course this year.

I plan on sharing updates on my training, as well as tips for keeping motivated while training for a half marathon, and some of my must-have training essentials.

Are you training for an upcoming race? Are you nervous? Excited? I’d love to hear about it!

Highlights From My 14 in 2014 Race Challenge

Last year I accepted the challenge of running 14 races in 2014 and I’ve been chronicling each race here on the blog. Feel free to go back and check them all out, HERE! I’ve gotta say, I’m really proud for achieving this goal, but I’m kinda glad it’s over. I really enjoy running races, but ensuring I had 14 throughout the year was tough at times. I was literally scheduling my life around races, not that I minded that too much (wink wink)! We got to travel a bit for races too, which I loved, except when Jason forgot to pack our bag with my race sneakers for the Bryce Canyon Half Marathon. Yea, that wasn’t too fun. Thankfully, it all worked and I ran the race in new shoes thank to my sister! We also traveled to Temecula, CA for what should have been my Spartan Trifecta weekend. I’d ran the Spartan Super in April here in Vegas and was all set to run the Spartan Beast & Sprint SoCal but the weather had other plans. There was a major heat wave and although I did finish the Beast with my girl, NinjaEve, the Sprint was canceled the following day. I really enjoyed running the Spartan Beast, even though it was a pretty brutal course, and I’m looking forward to going back and trying for my trifecta again next weekend! AROO!!!!

A few other favorite races were the Bubble Run 5K because I got to run it with my 5 year old daughter and that was just a blast! I also had fun running the Komen Race for the Cure 5K with my sister. Of course, I can’t forget Tough Mudder and facing my fear of heights. Different than Spartan in so many ways, Tough Mudder has a way of changing me for the better each time I run it. I can’t wait to see what Tough Mudder X3 has in store for me in 2015.

Running 14 races in 2014 ranging from fun 5Ks to a half marathon and physically grueling OCRs, taught me that I am capable of so much more I give myself credit for. We are all capable of so much more. Our bodies are strong and can get us through anything, it’s our minds we have to convince otherwise. I see that now. But, most importantly, this year has shown me how much support I have from my family and friends. I could not ask for better people in my life and I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve it. I just know I couldn’t get along without them. I couldn’t get along without friends willing to french braid my hair at 10pm so I don’t have frizzy hair for a race, for a sister who is willing to drive over 3 hours to watch the kiddos while we run a half marathon, for friends & parents who don’t complain when I ask them to watch my kiddos so I can run and train for races, for racing OCR peeps who run & encourage me even though I’m slower than they are! Thank you!

Yes, 2014 has shown me so much love and support. It’s made me appreciate those in my life so much and I hope to always be there for them like they are for me. I’m ready to take on 2015 running some fun and challenging races. I know I won’t ever be alone. This journey is not mine alone, it’s a journey I started for myself, but has become so much more than that. It is about finding inspiration where there was none before, it’s about motivating not just myself but those I love. No, I won’t be running 15 in 2015, but every race I run this year I will run with purpose. I will give it my best because it’s the least I can do for everyone who is helping me get to where I am going. Where that is exactly, I’m not sure, but wherever this journey takes me has got to be way better than where I was before. It’s already been a fun ride so far!

Where will 2015 take you?