Del Dios Trail Half Marathon Recap

In October, I volunteered at a race put on by the Endurance Race Series.  Not only did I have a blast seeing what happens on the other side of the start line, I also received an entry into one of their future races.  I quickly signed up for the Del Dios Trail Half Marathon—I had heard great things about the race and thought it would a great way to end my race year.

The week before this race, I ran the Ray Miller 50K and I can’t lie—the elevation of that race impacted my running more than I anticipated.  Though I am still streaking, I was also actively resting and had a low mileage week.  The Del Dios event offers a half marathon, a 10K and the 5K distance.  The week leading up to the race, I kept telling myself I would make a race day decision about what distance I would run.

I woke up the morning of the race and felt pretty good.  I had run ten miles the day prior and it didn’t feel awful.  I quickly got ready but made a rookie mistake—I didn’t eat breakfast.  I don’t usually eat a lot before a race but I always have some type of protein drink and a banana.  I definitely know better and I definitely paid for it during the race.

 

#TwoPairDontCare Ugly Sweater Socks

I knew within the first mile of the race that I really had no business running it.  My body is still in recovery mode and I could never find my groove.  I struggled from the beginning and that struggle lasted most of the race.  At one point, I even texted a friend and said I was going to DNF.  I contemplated turning at the 10K turnoff and finishing that race (the first part of the half and 10K were run on the same course)  After a pep talk and a reminder not to be so hard on myself, I decided that I would finish the half.  I knew it would not be my best race.  I was even prepared to be the last finisher.  But I kept pushing along, running when I could, walking when I needed to and taking it one step at a time. Shortly after mile ten, I caught up with two runners in front of me. We chatted a bit and I asked if they had done the race before.  One told me it was her first half marathon—how awesome is that! What she doesn’t know is that was just the little push of encouragement I needed—her accomplishment was a great reminder of how far I’ve come in my own journey and why I love the running community so much.  So thank you random runner! 

The views!

Aside from my performance, there are some awesome things about this race.  There were wild fires in Southern California the days leading up the race and the pre-race communication was on point, with updates letting us know what was going on with the race.  The course, though a bit rocky, is scenic and was well marked.  The volunteers at the aide stations were great, cheering for every runner as they came through.  ERS also does finish line areas right—not only do they have the standard fruits and waters, there were chips, pastries, grilled goodies and beer.   The swag is also pretty sweet—I love that they offer a fitted tee.  

As my race year came to an end with this race, I’m looking forward to what 2018 brings.  And I’m excited to announce that I will be joining the Endurance Race Series Ambassador team.   With five races in the Sunshine Series, I look forward to seeing you there.   The next one is the San Pasqual Valley Half Marathon/10K on February 17, 2018. 

How did your 2017 race year go?

Until next time, happy running.

Jenn13.1

Inaugural San Diego Beach & Bay Half Marathon

Living in San Diego, I frequently run on the coast exploring the beaches and bays.  When I heard about the Inaugural San Diego Beach & Bay Half Marathon and 5K, I knew I wanted to check it out.  Run somewhere I do a lot of my training runs at and get a medal for it? Sign me up!  I went into the race knowing there might be a few glitches since it was in its first year, but also knew the views would make up for any of those.  With two distance options, I decided to run the half marathon.    

Like all races, I knew there were going to be things I loved and things that I feel can be improved for the next year’s race.  The things I loved about this race were:

Bib Pick-Up
You had two options for bib pick-up, either picking it up the day prior or race day (with no additional charge).  I like to have my bib before going to a race so opted for the day before.  It was scheduled to start at 2:30pm and I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived at 2:00pm and it was already in full swing.  It was quick and easy- organized with friendly volunteers and people ready to answer any questions you had.  It had a mini-expo feel to it as there were also vendor booths, free beer samples and discounts available for the running store it was at.   

Race Start Time
The Half Marathon started at 6:30am and as an early runner, I loved it!  It meant waking up super early, especially since I was car pooling with Smitha and we were getting there early.  But it also meant that I had a fantastic nap that afternoon and I never miss an opportunity for a good nap.  

The Course
The beach is one of my favorite places to run and this course did not disappoint. The views were pretty and even the “ugly” parts of the course were pretty.  It even took me through some parts of the bay/beach that I’ve never explored by foot.  It was also clearly marked and there were volunteers to direct us at all the important turns. 

The Volunteers
I know that a big part of races being successful is the volunteers and they were awesome for this event, from bib pick-up to the finish line.  And the big shout out to the volunteer just after mile 3—spirit fingers and high kicks with shouts of encouragement definitely added a little pep to my step.  

The Swag
From the medal to the post race snacks, they took care of us for the half. I also loved that they have a v-neck shirt for the women's shirt-- I appreciate when races have the different shirts as I am not a fan of the any unisex shirts fit me. (You were able to pick your shirt fit/size in case you do prefer a different fit)

Race Guards
I have said it in previous recaps, but it’s worth repeating.  I love races that use Race Guards.  I feel safer on my run knowing that first aid is readily available should I need it.  During the race, I did see a few injured runners and the response from Race Guards was on point.  A big kudos to all the Race Guards who volunteer their time to make sure the runners have a safe race.  

The Post Race Experience
I don’t often hang out after races, but this way too fun to miss.  There were booths with samples, fun picture opportunities, live music, food trucks and a beer garden.  Fun for the whole family!   

The Brew Dr. Kombucha Samples were so good! 

With so many good things about this race, there were just a few things that I think can be improved upon for next year.  

Aide Stations
The weather in San Diego during May is a little unpredictable and when I saw earlier in the week the expected highs for the coast on race day was 80 degrees, I knew it was going to be a hot race.  I kept my fingers crossed for an overcast morning, but that didn’t happen—there wasn't a cloud in sight.  I know the heat is not a controllable factor, but I definitely felt it.  I do carry my own hydration, but also use the hydration on the course to make sure I will have enough for the entire race.  If I didn’t have my own hydration with me, I wouldn’t have had enough with just relying on the race’s aide stations.  In my opinion, there could have been at least one or two more stations on the course.  There were also a couple stations that were set far back off the course and it was a bit congested as people had to walk off the course to get the water and walk back on after getting their water.  I don’t know if I would feel this way if the weather wasn’t as warm as it was, however I would rather err on the side of having too much hydration than not enough.  

The Course
Yes, above I said that I loved the course, but there were a couple things I didn’t love about it.  Other than the portions run on the road, the course was not closed to the public.  This meant that we were sharing the course with other people out running, walking,  or riding their bikes. This caused quite a bit of congestion at the parts where the course narrowed and it was a safety issue a few times when I saw runners almost hit by people on bikes or have to come to a sudden stop when the walkers in front of them suddenly stopped.  There were a few times I saw people cutting the course and I think this might have been in reaction to getting around the other people out there. I’m glad that people are out enjoying the sites of San Diego and quite frequently I am one of those people so I don’t know what the solution is to this.  I imagine it would be hard to get permits to close an entire beach boardwalk or path.  Maybe next year, they can have a few more volunteers dispersed to help with “traffic control.”  

Race Photographers
This is the first half marathon I've run that hasn't had race photographers. At the very least, I thought I'd see one at the finish line- if this was my first half, I'd definitely want a finish line photo.  With so many pretty views, there was definitely great scenery for awesome running shots.    

UPDATE: The race organizers sent out an e-mail to all the runners and the lack of photographers was not due to the race organizers- the contracted photographers did no show up for the event.  I'm looking forward to seeing if there are any photos of me in the ones that will be made available to us and I appreciate the race's candidness about the situation.  

From the email sent out

With this being the Inaugural year of this event, I wasn’t sure what to expect so I went to into with a very open mind.  Overall I had a lot of fun (even if it didn’t feel like it at the time—I am not a fan of hot weather running and my time definitely showed that) Despite the few things that I feel can be improved upon, I would love to run this race again.  It will be fun to see if they do any type of legacy status for the upcoming years of this event.  

Have you ever run an Inaugural race?  Did you run it again?

Until next time, happy running.
Jenn13.1

Disclaimer: I received my race entry in exchange for promotion of the event, however all thoughts and opinions are my own.  

Run Laughlin Race Recap

In March, during a weekly #RunChat I won a race entry and weekend hotel stay for the Run Laughlin Half Marathon. (If you’ve never joined a #RunChat, get more information here—it’s always a fun time!) The race is relatively new—this was only the second year, but I was excited.  The race run in two states & in two time zones—the nerd in me was excited to add this to my race experiences.. The race wasn't until December, but suddenly it was nine months later and I was ready to go.  

The race was on a Saturday so I was driving out to Laughlin on Friday. After meeting up with the #RUN619 and Movin’ Shoes for my morning run, I was on my way.  The drive is 5-6 hours and I frankly wasn’t looking forward to it.  I had been monitoring the weather for about a week and it had been showing high winds for the drive—they weren’t lying!  The drive ended up being pretty uneventful and I arrived in Laughlin with plenty of time to hit up the expo and explore a bit.

#RUN619 before driving to Laughlin

After checking into my hotel, I headed over to the Colorado Belle for the expo.  In my opinion, this could be more accurately be called a bib pick-up.  Although there were a few tables set up, there wasn’t much about it that was expo like.  After getting my bib, I picked up my goodie bag and shirt.  I talked to a volunteer, asked a couple questions and took a picture with the race backdrop.  Although small, every volunteer I encountered was super friendly!! And how fun is getting a deck of cards in your race swag? Definitely the most random race swag ever but that makes it fun!  

And now for the sappy part—growing up, my mom would frequently travel to Laughlin with my aunt and uncle.  They called her “Wild Woman Slots” for her love of the slot machines and they always came back with a fun story to share.  I’ve missed her everyday since she passed away in 2014 and was definitely feeling sentimental when I was heading to Laughlin.  When I picked up my bib, I had a moment.  My mom’s birthday was St. Patrick's Day (March 17th) and my bib number was 317.  She was definitely there with me.  Okay—now back to the race recap.

I woke up race morning and after getting ready, headed over to the Laughlin outlet center to take the shuttle to the start line at Laughlin High School.  I knew it was going to be cold and was prepared with arm sleeves, gloves, a jacket and a Mylar blanket.  What I wasn’t prepared for was the wind, but I’ll go into more later.  

My flat runner with all of my favorite things!

When we were dropped off at the high school, we were treated to coffee and banana bread—I don’t normally drink coffee before a race, but I did have a small cup to warm me up.  They did have space heaters set up, but unfortunately the winds kept blowing them out, so they opened an area of the high school for us so we could wait in the warm hallways.  We were waiting for almost two hours before the race started so it was definitely nice.  After watching the start of the sunrise, I headed over to the start area.  They had a gear check truck set up and approximately five minutes before the start, I checked my jacket and kept my fingers crossed that my arm sleeves and gloves would be enough to keep me warm.  

After a few race announcements and the national anthem, we were off.  The first miles or so ran us through the high school and then we were off to the roads.  The scenery was gorgeous! The sun was still rising and it was breathtaking—I was in serious awe. The first 3.5 miles or so were a steady incline and though I typically don’t like hills, there views made it worth it.  After the steady incline, we turned onto another road and it was downhill as we headed towards Davis Dam.  Another fun adventure to add to my race experiences- running over a dam.  The views continued to be beautiful and I love a good downhill run.  As we ran over Davis Dam, we were running from Nevada into Arizona.  Arizona included a short out and back part and then we headed back into Nevada.  

There were six water stations on the course which had both water and Powerade.  Each station was hosted by a group and they were all competing for a prize.  In our post-race survey, we voted for our favorite one.  Each one was awesome so it was a difficult choice, but what a fun idea.  I’m sure the “competition” gave them some extra energy to share with us.

After making our way across the dam twice, we headed back down towards a nature walk to finish the run into Laughlin.  The nature walk went along the river and was so pretty!  At the end of the nature walk, we headed onto the main strip of Laughlin and it was a blast!  The crowd support wasn’t just the spectators but also the cars that were driving down the strip. It was nice to have that extra support as you were pushing to the finish.  After making my way down the strip, I crossed the finish line and was done! (My Garmin only showed 12.69 miles—I’m not sure where the extra miles went)  After getting my medal, I headed over to the after party were they had plenty of treats for us.  The food options included water, a bagel, bananas, oranges and granola bars.  They also had a beer tent featuring beers from Pints Brewery—if you’re ever in Laughlin, you definitely want to go there.  If you’re a beer drinker, you won't be disappointed.    

I had a dam good time at this race (see what I did there) and would definitely do this race again.  I did learn that beginning in February, American Airlines will be flying into the area so that solves my dilemma of the drive there (I’d much rather fly than drive) and I think that will make this race more inviting to other people that live in neighboring states.  Between the casinos and shows, there is plenty to do in Laughlin.  There are also river activities and other outdoor adventures you can have.  

I would be remiss in my recap if I didn’t discuss the one non-controllable thing about this race—the wind.  I will admit that I am a fair weather runner—I live in Southern California and we don't experience weather in the same ways that other places do.  So I was not prepared for the wind- 25-30mph winds the entire race.  At one point, my weather app was showing 31mph winds and I believe it!  As we were running into the wind, there were points when it didn’t feel like I was moving at all.  I thought I would be relieved when we turned and we had the wind at our side.  It wasn’t much better as it pushed me to the sides—I definitely was not running in a straight line.  There were portions of the race that the wind was at our backs and I took advantage of those times, letting the wind push me forward.  Although the course is PR worthy, I knew early on in the race that it would not be happening for me.  Due to the wind, this  was the most physically challenging half I have ever run.  I decided to enjoy the scenery around me and take it all in.  I walked some, took pictures, talked to other runners and simply enjoyed the experience.  And what an experience it was!

  

What’s been your most challenging race experience? Would you run that race again?

Until next time, happy running.
Jenn13.1

Although I won the race entry, all opinions are my own and I was in no way compensated for my recap.  I loved every everything about this race and it’s definitely a strong contender for my 2017 race schedule.  

10 Things on a Tuesday

While some people celebrate Taco Tuesday, I like to celebrate all the things.  Here are 10 things I'm loving this week.


Working Out I love to run, but sometimes you need that extra push.  I get my extra push during sessions with a personal trainer.  Jenn at Sole Health and Wellness is awesome!  We meet at a park near the beach and I love that as my gym-- it's beautiful.  She pushes me to do better and I love the improvement I'm seeing in my runs. 

  Medals Who doesn't love bling?!  It's not the only reason I run, but it can be a great ending to a race.  Check out this awesome medal from my recent 5K, the Carlsbad 5000.  (the free beer was a nice perk too!)

Burritos I sometimes tease that I run so that I can eat.  Burritos are amongst my favorite post race foods and I'm lucky to live somewhere that has them everywhere.  If you've ever in San Diego, you need to try the Mexican food!

New Skirts I recently discovered Spandits skirts and I'm in love.  I just received this cute one and I can't wait to take it on a run!

  Dancing With the Stars Deaf actor/model Nyle DiMarco is showing America that Deaf people can do anything, including dance!  As someone who signs and teaches ASL, I am loving Dancing With the Stars this season.  I can't wait to see him take home the mirrorball!

Nuun Hydration has always been an opportunity with me and I've been trying to up my hydration game.  Nuun is helping with that-- with great flavors, Nuun is great before, during and after runs.  Even on my non-run days, I add Nuun All Day to my water.  

Giveaways

I've entered a few giveaways and have won a couple fun prizes.  One of my favorite ways to check out giveaways is to visit RunningWithSDMom on Wednesdays for her weekly post of all the giveaways.


Healthy Treats

Yes, I just talked about burritos, which are not the healthiest of foods. (at least not the ones I eat!)  But I also love healthy treats.  Last week after a hike, I treated myself to a freshly squeezed juice (orange, carrot and apple cider vinegar) and a cottage cheese bowl-- cottage cheese with fresh strawberries, bananas, agave, granola and cinnamon.  It was the perfect post-hike treat!

Inspirational Quotes

I love when the people I follow on social media post inspirational quotes.  There is so much negativity in this world, that I love to see the positive vibes, especially when it's people supporting other people.  This is one of my favorites.

Runch

I usually run in the early hours or in the evening-- the past few weeks, I've been joining friends for runch (running on your lunch break).  It's the perfect midday perk that I need.  Especially with views like this!

What things are you celebrating this week?


Until next time, happy running!
Jenn13.1

San Diego Half Marathon Recap

My first experience with the San Diego Half Marathon series was in 2014, when I ran their 5K.  I hadn't been running for that long and I remember waiting in the starting corral thinking to myself, "I'm going to run the Half Marathon next year."  And I did.  I had so much fun in 2015 that I couldn't wait to come back in 2016.  

The expo/packet pick-up happens down by the Embarcadero in San Diego.  I love this part of the city and waited until Saturday to head down there.  (a storm hit San Diego on Friday and I wasn't going to go out in the rain if I didn't need to.)  I got down there about 15 minutes before the expo opened and got in line with all the other early birds-- once they let us into the expo, it was smooth sailing.  It seemed to be more organized this year than the past two years.  The expo itself isn't bad, but not anything that I really got excited about.  I did pick up a couple Momentum Jewelry bracelets, but didn't see anything else I just had to have.  

One race perk I took advantage of this year was the ticket for the USS Midway museum.  Even though I live in San Diego, I had never been there.  I enjoyed it and will definitely be back.  After my time at the USS Midway, I explored Sea Port Village for a bit, then headed home to get race ready.  With the time change and an early race start, I knew I need to be in bed early.

USS Midway fun!

Every race outfit needs ProCompression!

I headed downtown a little early-- I'm never quite sure what parking or the crowds will be like.  It was a breeze, so I stayed in my warm car until it was time to meet-up with some friends before the race.  Smitha and I had discussed it earlier in the week and we would be meeting-up to run together.  

After all the catching up and pictures, it was go time.  We tried to make our way back to our assigned corrals and got stuck a little closer to the start line than anticipated. Fortunately, it was a bit congested at the beginning of the race, so we were able to keep a steady pace until everyone started to disperse.  

I started out with Smitha, Tara and Jayme.  As we were running, I started to find a different grove and thought I might be able to find a PR in the race.  I was going to forge ahead of the group and Jayme decided she would come with me.  I love this course-- San Diego is a beautiful city and I never tire of seeing it on a run.  The water stations were adequately spaced apart and the crowd support was fun.  (I wasn't a big fan of the plastic cups at the aid stations, but I'm sure they had their reasons)  I was wearing a Sparkle Athletic skirt and I loved hearing "Go Team Sparkle" when I was out there running.  Jayme was my biggest supporter-- we had just met that morning before the race, but what better time to make a new friend than when you're running 13.1 miles.  She made sure I stayed on target, encouraged me when I needed it and shared stories to make the time go by faster. 

We were on a target pace to get my PR, so we had a plan.  Stay at our pace and be prepared to walk the hill if we needed to between miles 8-10.  This race is known for the hill on Washington and it did not disappoint.  But all went according to plan and once we were at the top of Washington, it was smooth sailing.

The last 2 miles or so are downhill, some parts more gradual than others.  I didn't want to fly down the hills because I know that can cause injury and could cause me to wear out before the finish line.  I was at a comfortable pace and then it happened-- I was stopped so that the trolley could go by.  Ugh!  We jokingly pleaded with the race staff to let me go so I could get my PR and his response was, "You can't out run the trolley."  I was definitely willing to try.  Haha.  (All kidding aside, a PR is never worth anyone's safety) 

Once we were on our way again, I could see the finish line ahead.  Running a race for me is often a mental sport, so I was trying not to think about my time.  But when I looked at my watch, I knew it was going to happened.  I pushed through the finish line and ended up with a 7 minute PR!!  I was beyond excited. 

With Jayme after we finished.

After the race, Jayme and I caught up with a few people we know.  After we were done, we decided to stop and have a drink.  It was much needed and very refreshing.  I was waiting for another friend to finish before I went to lunch.

7 minute PR-- I was a little excited!

When I have races that finish in the Gas Lamp area, I always reward myself with what I consider "the best burrito ever."  Lolitas by the Park has a "2 in 1 Burrito" (two rolled tacos inside a carne asada burrito) which is worth every 13.1 mile.  It was indeed delicious after this race.

Such pretty bling!

Have you ever run the San Diego Half Marathon?  How do you reward yourself after a race?

Until next time, happy running!

Jenn13.1