Whiskey Row Marathon Recap

 In May 2014, I ran the wonderful Whiskey Row Marathon. I know it's been a while since I've run it, so I will try my best to recall memories from the race. I do have photos, so that always helps me remember!

I had planned to run the half with my sister. I bought her a race entry (as well as one for myself) for her 32nd birthday. A few months later, she decided it was too much and decided to drop out. I was pretty bummed, but decided to make the best of it and upgrade to the marathon.

Chance and I arrived at the Hotel St. Michael in Prescott on Friday night after a long drive up from Tucson. There had been an accident just North of Phoenix and it stopped traffic for two hours on the highway. I was planning to card load in Prescott for dinner and now that was out of the question since we ended up arriving around 10pm. I grabbed some food at the grocery store and went straight to bed.

The alarm went off around 5AM but I was in no hurry because the hotel was literally a few steps away from the start line. I didn't know this when I booked the rooms. Chance and I have stayed at this hotel at least 2 times in the past. When we were both in school for archaeology, our field school surveyed in the wilderness surrounding Prescott and we would come into town for supplies once in awhile. They always chose this hotel. And since I already knew about it, I went ahead and booked it. Glad the start line was right next to it! :)

There were 2 start times. If I remember correctly, one was at 6AM and the other was at 7AM. And this is becuase the race promptly cuts off at 1pm. And I mean PROMPTLY. One of my friends finished after 1pm, and they literally left her medal in a pile on the ground where the finishline used to be. I'm not sure why they have to end so abruptly. Maybe the city is cutting them off early, but it sure is annoying. I was nervous about not being able to finish in the alotted time (there is a TON of elevation change in this race) and I was considering the early start time. But, since we got in late the night before, I just decided to sleep an extra hour and start at 7AM.

The 7AM Whiskey Row Marathon start line.

The Hot Chocolate 5k Race Recap

This was a fun run #2 for me!

My sister and I heard of this race through the grapevine (aka Facebook). We decided to do it, and take it slow, because my sister has to keep her heartbeat below 150 RPM.

Two easy weekend 5k's in a row! Love it! I'm usually not a fan of 5k's because it's usually 30 minutes of pain lol. If you read my blog periodically, you should know by now that I'm not at all fast (although that would be AWESOME). I'm more about enjoying the experience that is running. :)

The race packet told us to be at the race at 6:00AM!! WTH?

The race started at 7:30am. Joann and I were like, "no. way.".
We showed up around 6:50am-7am and even THAT was too early.

We jumped out of the car only to realize that it was freezing.

Okay, not freezing but too darn freaking cold. |
Please.We are Arizona babies. Give us 110 degree heat any day.

Okay, maybe just me. Whatever. It was too cold.

What to do? We did what pretty much everyone else was doing: got back in the car and blasted the heater! Ahh, warmth.

7:20an came around and we got out of the comfortable car, ran to the portapotties and got in our corral!

This was Joann's first race in a looooong time so she was really excited! And I got to run another race with my sister, so I was excited too!

3, 2, 1...RUN!

A little crowded in some spots.
You can see the faster runners coming down along the side. 

Plenty of water and sports drinks. No complaints here. 

We kept to a slow pace and stopped whenever her Garmin told us her pulse reached 150 BPM.

It was a great day for a run! It was definitely cold in the beginning, and thankfully it didn't warm up too much once the sun came up. I would have hated to have shed all those layers.

I don't expect much scenery-wise whenever I run a race in Phoenix. Especially when you compare it to Tucson. But it wasn't bad this time around. We were out on Indian Reservation (as far as I know) so it was really open. We only ran past a few buildings. And there were some nice hills in the distance.

I never saw that cameraman. Thankfully, we made up for it. :)

The finish line!

And then finally...we finished!

Finally, hot chocolate! What this race is all about! 

It was a great race and I may get some more people to run it with us next year!

Maybe, a little faster. ;)

Joann had some trepidations about the race in the beginning.

Apparently, the Hot Chocolate 5k in Washington, D.C. was disastrous!

Read the article. It sounds like it was awful. I would definitely be upset if that happened during a race. However, I understand that races are run by people and people aren't perfect. They make mistakes too! I think we all need to remember that.

The treats afterward were delicious! I loved that part the most. Although, I wish there was some more stuff to do afterward. I don't want to go home yet! I'm thinking other races should set up booths and get the word out! Ragnar Relay already does it at some events, but more races should do this! I would sign up for a ton of races!




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This weekend I am planning on running my first 20 miler!

As you know, I'm training for my first marathon. Unfortunately, I had to take two weeks off. :(
Too much grading at the end of the school semester and the holidays got to me. Oh, and I'm pretty sure I'm sick.
I've been dizzy for the past few days. Trying to drink a lot of water and hope for the best this weekend.
*crossing my fingers*

The Color Vibe 5k Race Recap

This past Saturday, I ran my first ever color run!

Actually, it was the Color Vibe. There is a difference.

But they're all pretty much the same as far as I know. You run a 5k and get colored corn starch thrown at you.

My friend Patricia and I decided to sign up. She is just getting back into running so it would be a fun run to get her excited about running again. From what other bloggers have said about color runs, you should go slow anyways to get more color. Perfect!

 I parked at Fort Lowell park. I decided it would be a good idea to warm up since it was a mile away. Why would I walk??

I ran past other "color vibers" and heard a lot of comments. Some said "Why is she running?" while others stated the obivous: "She's definitely a runner.".

Seriously? Are we about to run a 5k or what? Why are you people here???

What I should have realized at that moment is that the Color Vibe (and any other color run for the record) is NOT for runners .

I mean, you can run. But what's the point? You paid to get covered with multicolored corn starch and if you try to run a PR, you'll miss all of the good stuff.

So, yeah, I did warm up and run that 1st mile at a good pace. And guess what? I inspired some others to do the same. As I started to pass people in the bike lane (too many people on the sidewalk), I saw groups of people jump behind me and say "let's do that too!".

Let me stop blabbing and get to the recap...

I found Patricia and her husband Adam in the crowd beforehand. We took some almost before photos (got too excited with the color):

Patricia and Adam

I consider us still clean at this point.

Right before the race started, everyone got excited and threw their color into the air. It was a beautiful dust cloud of color. :)

After a few waves started, we were finally at the start line! 

Off we went!

I was a little disappointed by the color stations. The color was everywhere and beautiful, don't get me wrong! But I thought they would have had a more creative way to get the color on the runners. The volunteers just grabbed a handful of color from a box and threw it. I thought there would be a color gun or something lol. 

COLOR RUN TIP #1: If you wanted to be COVERED in color (not just lightly dusted), run along the sides in front of the color volunteers. And then hold your arms out. They will throw handfuls in your face. Just make sure to hold your breath. 

Unfortunately, I wasn't ready for that massive amount of color and I got some in my eye. 

COLOR RUN TIP #2: Wear sunglasses! But be careful. They threw the color at me when my head was turned and it got through the side of the sunglasses. So, better yet, close your eyes AND wear sunglasses. AND hold your breath. 

I also came out coughing. 

So. Much. Color. Dust.

The run itself was not very scenic. It took place at the Tucson Medical Center. We ran around the property. Runners became cramped on the sidewalks. Too many people and not enough room at times. 

You can see how much my eye watered trying to get the color out.
Not the most attractive look...

There were only 2 color stations. We just ran a double lap so we hit the stations four times during the 5k.

Color Station #2

Patricia must have gotten the box dumped on her or something. 

At the last station, we started grabbing color out of the boxes that were on the ground. Why should the volunteers have all the fun?!?

Finally, we finished! Patricia did awesome! She had a blast. She's even looking at doing more color runs soon. I'm trying to talk her into a mud run. ;) My kind of run.

I want to dress up for my next fun race!
These gals were dancing to the music post race.
They were so energetic. 

Gotta do the jumping photos to show you how excited I am:

Failed jump. I still look excited. 

Overall, this was a great run! It would be great to do with a group! I definitely recommend doing this kind of race at least once. There are so many of these runs popping up now (The Color Vibe, The Color Run, Color Me Rad, etc). you have to do one! 

Next time, I will wear some fun clothes (like a tutu or cape in white of course...) and close my eyes while in the color stations. Lesson learned! :)

The Tinfoilman Triathlon

I'm a Tinfoilman! 

Racing my first triathlon was crazy. 

I had such a good time! It was so awesome that I can't want until my next one! I haven't registered for one yet, but I'm keeping my eyes open for a good one. 

I woke up at 4:30am, jumped out of bed and started to get excited for the fun to come. I have never done a  triathlon before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I ate a breakfast of oatmeal with strawberries and raisins and downed a glass of lemon-lime Gatorade. Chance woke up with me (although reluctantly) and came along to support me (so sweet).  :)

It was so cold out! I keep forgetting Tucson actually gets cold in October. I was wearing my tri-suit, a sweater and flip flops. My little toes were stone cold! Next time, I will wear some cozy boots and sweats.

I picked a spot in the transition area to set up my bike. I wasn't sure what to do so I glanced around at the other athletes and eventually figured it out. Chance was standing with me, helping me put things away.

The transition area. 

My set-up. 

Apparently, some women in a local triathlon group, Tucson Tri Girls, were making fun of some of the stuff I brought along. How childish!! They were making fun of my mirror. I only brought it because my contacts were feeling especially dry this morning and if I had to take them out and clean them, then I would need my mirror. I'm considering contacting the Tri Girls and letting them know they have some childish members  What a shame. I was thinking of joining that group.

Freezing before the start. 

The start of Wave 1.    I was in Wave 3.

Other than that, everything else went very smoothly! I started my swim wave at 7:30 and swam 33 laps. I was a few minutes faster than my training time (woo!). I even lapped the guy in my lane a few times. We were talking beforehand and he said it was his 4th triathlon. I guess the swim portion is not his strongest. 

I was so happy to be on my last lap! I jumped out of the pool saw my parents and Chance in the bleachers above and ran to the transition area. My legs were a little stiff and my feet hurt on the cold concrete but I was excited to jump on the bike and sit down for a while.

Starting the bike portion. I think I'm trying to get comfortable on my bike here.
 

I exited the transition area and flew down the street. Passed a few people on the way. Around mile 1.7, the road gets very bumpy and it was hell. I couldn't stand it. It lasted for a whole mile and I had to ride on it 3 times. Every loop, I dreaded it. My number 1 fear coming into this race was the bike portion. I don't really get bikes and I was worried that I would get a flat (which I didn't!). I also was worried about the back pain that I get after 6 miles (we're racing 12). At about mile 7, I wished I had got my bike fitted.

Finishing the bike portion, coming into the transition area. 

I was so excited to come back into the transition area! Running is my strongest (although swimming might be too) so I was ready to speed up a little. However, as soon as I got off my bike, I couldn't feel my legs. Uh Oh. I took off my helmet, and hydration pack and put on my running gear and number. I took off out of the transition area, feeling as if I was running as fast as a turtle.

Just before I take off for the run portion. He got a photo of me fixing my hair after taking off my helmet. I'm not trying to make this pose.  :)

I felt so slow!!! I looked down at the my Garmin and it said I was going 9:00 minutes per mile. Pretty good. So why did I feel so tight? I didn't really do block workouts so I should have expected the surprise. After a mile, I felt a little better and finished the 3 miles in about 30 minutes. I really liked the fact that your age is on the back of your calf. If I was coming up behind someone, I could spot their age pretty quickly. If they happened to be in my age group (21-24) I was book it and try to pass them. I would love to get first in my age group one day! 

Running into the finish. 

Soon, I saw the finish line and sped up. I was so happy to see it!!!  I crossed the line, and I started crying as soon as I saw Chance. I felt like I was having a mini asthma attack too. Just so much emotion for finally finishing my first triathlon! 

I am so proud of my myself. :)  I did it! And I was so worried about it. How silly. 

Time- 1:41:09

Swim-  18:38
Bike-  52:03
Run-  30:27

Age Group Place- 8th
Overall Place- 274th

I loved this race!   The morning was a little cold, but it was better to have perfect temperatures when I was biking and running instead of temps in the 100's. This race is part of the Tucson Tri Series. They have 3 races throughout the year. There is one in March, July and October. I'm thinking about the March one, but I'm not too sure about the July one. Way too freaking hot that time of the year.

I will post my official photos when I get them!

I would definitely recommend this race (or at least this distance). I have so much more respect for those who race Ironman's. You guys are awesome. This sprint triathlon hurt so much, I couldn't imagine an Ironman. 

I can't wait for this race next year! Maybe I'll convince someone to race with me. :)

Happy Running! 

“Most people run a race to see who is fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts.” -Steve Prefontaine

Catalina State Park 5.2 Mile Trail Race

I woke up at 5am to a gray and sleepy morning. It was pretty chilly outside, but I assumed it would get warmer (more like desperately wanted it to get warmer) so I dressed in shorts and a tee. Only sort of regretted that later. 

Chance and I drive up to the State Park. I was bugging Chance the night before about getting there early because when I was helping out with packet pick-up the day before, everyone was telling me to get there early or I’ll have to park down the road. And since I have never been there before, I had no idea how far that would be. So, we ended up getting there at around 6:30am and the parking lot was pretty much empty. Oh well. Better safe than sorry!

Since the race didn’t start until 7:40am, Chance decided to take me for a little hike. We walked up the road, down a wash and then walked along a trail to Romero Ruins.
But I forgot to take photos of it. Maybe next time. 

During our hike, the sky seemed to be getting a little darker, making me nervous, but I thought, “hey, it’s Tucson, it won’t actually rain.”  

We got back in time to see some of my Ragnar teammates, Dave and Kendra, who were running the 10-miler. Basically, the 5 miler is one loop of the trail and the 10 miler is two. It was no easy loop. I definitely have respect for those 10 milers now.
The 10 miler started 10 minutes before the 5 miler. So, as it was starting we headed over to the start line to watch everyone.

Right after the race started, I started to take off my warm clothes.  I striped down to my shorts and t-shirt. Super cold!

 I headed over to the start line with minutes to spare and did some warm up stretches to get me ready. I saw a few people with gloves on. I remember wondering if I should have brought some but kept talking myself out of it because I heat up so fast. Then we were off!!

We ran down the paved road for about 30 seconds and then hit dirt. Yay! My first trail race. It was all very exciting. But then we took a left and suddenly had to asend a HUGE hill. We were in single file and shuffling for a little while because the 10 milers were coming down the other side. We were really packed together at this point. Finally, we go to the top of the hill and ran along the top of a ridge. It was so gorgeous! The clouds had moved in through the ranges in the mountains. The air was so fresh and crisp and cold and almost prefect running weather. Soon we made a turn around and headed back the way we came. Finally, the rain came.  It wasn’t hail or anything, just a light sprinkle. It felt great! After all that hard work up the hill, a little bit of rain was just what I needed. :)  It didn’t last long though and only got me partially wet.

I flew down the hill and took a left down another trail. Actually, it more like a wash. It was very sandy and extremely hard to get a good footing. A bunch of sand got in my shoe because I don’t have gaiters yet. Lame. It’s on my to-buy list. I saw the photographer up ahead so I tried to look like I was having fun. 

Ran down this trail for a bit. Then the rain started to pick up again. My shirt and shorts were starting to get soaked. I could feel the water in my shoes building up. Every time I took a step I felt the squishiness.

Dislike this photo. I look old. And tired. And pale. I definitely need to work on my trail race photo face.

And then I saw the stair climb. And immediately I realized I should have done some more trail training before this. I did what I could which was walk up it…slowly. I turned around to see if anyone else needed to pass me but instead what I saw was this long line of other runners…all walking up this hellacious stair climb.   I imagine it wouldn’t have been so bad if I just ran it before. I’ll learn one day. :)

I wish I took more photos but it was so wet and so cold it was almost impossible to get the camera out. My fingers were numb at this point so just taking it out for one photo was hard enough. It was even difficult to get my camelback closed! And don’t even get me started on my shoelaces. I swear, I had to bend down to tie them every few minutes once they got wet. 

A water station was at the top of the hill. I took a breather and went on my way. At this point, I was soaked though to my underwear. The rain didn’t feel like ice pellets anymore. It actually felt really good. I felt alive. The next mile felt the easiest. I was taking in the sights, the smells, the cold rain, I was loving every minute of it! My mind was no longer focused on my body, but instead everything else around me. On another section of trail I was able to see everyone in front of me and that helped to distract me as well. I really liked getting a look at everyone. It’s cool to see how many different people come together to run. LOVE IT.

Flew down another hill. I remember feeling how cold the wind was. My thighs, my fingers, my arms were so numb but I couldn’t really feel it. My shoelaces  came untied a few more times before I finished. I couldn’t even really tie them near the end, my fingers were so numb, so I shoved them into the sides of my shoe with my knuckles.

I came out from the last loop, on to pavement and saw the finish line.  I ran as fast as I could when I saw it. It hurt but I love feeling completely exhausted when I cross a finish line. It makes me feel like I accomplished the task I set out to do.  

Miles- 5.2
Time- 1:03:50
Avg Pace- 12:16.5
Overall Place- 156
Age group Place: 3RD!!! So awesome. :)

Chance brought me a towel (thank goodness I keep those in my car for the dogs) while I stood in line to get my t-shirt. Pretty cool design. As soon as I picked mine up  headed back to the car to get changed. Since I wasn’t moving as much anymore it got cold…fast. I began to shiver like crazy! Chance helped me over to the port-a-potties so I could change inside. Not as gross as you may think. It was a small race so they were fairly clean. Also helps if you have a towel to sit on. I warmed up my hands with the towel the best that I could before trying to change. It is impossible to do with numb fingers! I felt stupid and helpless. Finally, they started to warm up a little but it had already taken me about 20 minutes. Poor Chance, standing in the rain, waiting for me. I love you!

I came out and I went to go get the free Mexican breakfast and smoothie that always comes with this race. SO AWESOME. I love Steve Landaus races. They are the best. Especially since they usually have free massages. Unfortuantely I looked over at the ,massage tent and it was empty. :(   I doubt I would have stayed for one anyway. Definitely next time. I took the food back to the car and ate like I was homeless. Seriously. That food was gone in a few seconds.

6 things I learned about trail races:
1.) ALWAYS bring a change of clothes in your car. No matter if it looks like it will clear up or even if it’s a beautiful sunny day. You never know what will happen. This is something I always try to do, no matter the race. It would have been a major bummer if I had forgotten it for this race though.

2.) Bring a towel while you’re at it. So glad it was already in my car. It really made the difference, especially since I had to change in a port-a-potty.

3.) You should probably buy shoes without shoelaces.

4.) Gaiters would have been helpful.

5.) I didn’t wear headphones for this race and I LOVED it. I recommend you leave them at home for trail races. You’ll miss too much of the experience! I believe there’s enough variety in a trail such as turns, rocks, hills, animals, etc to keep you focused and not leave you feeling bored.

6.) Not sure about other races, but this one thankfully had lots of food for the runners afterwards. When I run another one, I’ll be sure to bring my own food just in case. As soon as I finished I was so hungry, I felt like I could eat a horse!!!

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That weekend, I also ran the Race for the Cure 5k. I didn't take any photos because personally, it's my least favorite race. It's for a wonderful cause and I support it entirely but the course sucks. And there's too many people for it to be a fun race. So, I concentrated on finally breaking a 30 minute 5k and guess what? 

 

I DID!

Time- 29:49

Avg Pace- 9:36

Overall Place- 431

A New PR!!!  

You can fight without ever winning, 

but never ever, win without a fight.

--Rush