Carlsbad 5000 Recap

I received an e-mail a few months ago about the Carlsbad 5000 and thought to myself at the time, "I should run that." It's a Rock N Roll event and I know those are always fun! Then I forgot about it, put off registering but the week before, after learning several of my friends were running it and a serious case of FOMO, I signed up.  The Carlsbad 5000 also offers a All Day 20K option, but since I had waited to register, it was sold out.  I will be adding the 20K to my race schedule next year.

The Carlsbad 5000 has race day packet pickup, which I love.  I love running up in Carlsbad, but it is a little but of a drive for me, so this saves me from making the drive twice.  I headed up there early and found parking right away.  I met up with Smitha and we headed over to get our bibs.

But first, let's talk a selfie.

There are 4 waves to the Carlsbad 5000-- the first one starts at 7:00am and the rest are staggered by time. My wave wasn't starting until 8:45am, so we had some time to spare.  Smitha and I met up with friends, took pictures and all the pre-race fun was had.  As the time neared, we headed over to the corral for our start.  They had the National Anthem before every wave, which I thought was nice.  I didn't have a plan going into this race-- it's called "the world's fastest 5K" so I secretly hoped I might PR, but I just went into it with the plan to run.  

ProCompression Ambassadors Keeping it Tight

When it started, I made my way through the crowd, starting off a little faster than I intended to, which would come back at me during the third mile.  Carlsbad is a pretty city and this race didn't disappoint, especially during the miles with the beach views.  I was surprised by the crowd support for this event-- it's a 5K, but there were more crowd support than usual at 5Ks.  (although they may have also been there for the All Day 20K event)  The 5K seemed to go pretty quickly-- it's an out and back circle type of course and before I could figure out where I was on the course, I was entering the finishing line.  When I checked my Garmin, I had finished in 28 minutes, which I thought was a race PR for me, so I was excited!  (I checked later and discovered I missed my race PR by 20 seconds, which means I'm be aiming to PR my next 5K) I met up with the crew again and we headed over to the finish line festivities to get our race shirts and other post-race shenanigans. 

I generally don't partake in the post-race beer garden, but when local restaurant Pizza Port has a special race brew, you know I had to try it.  (They had an IPA and Mexican lager-- both were good, but I definitely preferred the IPA)  After hanging out for a bit, we all decided it was to head our separate ways and go home.  Overall, it was definitely a fun morning.  Running is always more fun when you get to see friends and run on beautiful courses.  And the medal!  

I would be remiss in my recap if I didn't give huge shoutouts to the rockstars that are Smitha, Linzie and Carlee.  Smitha volunteered overnight for SoCal Ragnar and Linzie & Carlee both ran it!  How awesome are they?!?!  I am so inspired by all three of them!

What's your favorite post-race activity?

Until next time, happy running!
Jenn13.1

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

Avengers Half Marathon Weekend Recap

Last weekend I was excited to head up to Anaheim for my second RunDisney race event.  I had a blast at the Disneyland Half Marathon and I couldn't wait to do it again with the Avengers Half Marathon Weekend.  I have to admit, I've never seen the Avengers movies-- I wasn't really sure what I signed up for, but after googling costume ideas, I was ready to have some fun!

The Expo

The race expo was very similar to the Disneyland Half Marathon weekend.  I was a little disappointed that some of the official RunDisney merchandise had sold out by the time I got there, but overall it was a good experience.  (If anyone had any extra race pins, let me know! :) )  I didn't need anything at the expo, but I still managed to find a few goodies.   They also had an area to make little care packages for our troops overseas-- I loved this.  You completed a post card and filled a bag with some treats and toiletries.  I love when races give back!

Jeff Galloway

Pamela at Sparkly Soul Inc!

When I picked up my packet, I noticed that my corral was further pack than I had anticipated.  I'm pretty sure I had submitted my time verification, but their records indicated that I hadn't. Fortunately I was able to pull up a race time from another event and they changed my corral for me.  

We Run Social Meet-Up

Friday night, there was a We Run Social meet-up at the Starbucks in Downtown Disney hosted by Ivie (@ivieanne), AJ (@a2thej44) and Jen (@pinkcupcakegirl).  All the fun was had and I enjoyed making some new friends!  It's fun when the social media worlds and the real worlds collide.  There was conversation, coffee and treats.  I even won a pair of ProCompression socks. This was definitely a great start to the race weekend.

"Do the Pavey!"

Captain America 10K

Saturday morning I woke up bright and early for the Captain America 10K.  RunDisney had suggested we arrive at 4am to get through security and make it to the corrals in a timely fashion.  Everything pre-race was well organized.  I was the one who wasn't organized-- I was not prepared for how cold it was.  By the time my corral started, I was frozen.  I started running with a group of friends I had met at the meet-up, but eventually separated from the group in an effort to speed up and get myself warm.  It took a few miles before I lost the chill.  It was a hard lesson to learn-- I am weather spoiled in Southern California and don't usually run in temperatures that cold. (And yes, because I am weather spoiled, the 50 degrees was cold for me :)  )

Flat Jenn for the Captain America 10K

The 10K course was the same of the Disneyland 10K course, which I enjoyed.  I loved the areas of the parks we ran through and the crowd support.  I hadn't intended on doing any character stops, but decided that since this was in the inaugural Captain America 10K, I had to take a picture with Captain America.  Overall, the 10K was another fun RunDisney event and I look forward to doing it again next year.  

Avengers Half Marathon

Sunday morning, I woke up bright and early again.  I headed to the pre-race area, better prepared for the cold this day.  (I had a mylar blanket from the 10K)  I met up with the runners I had met at the meet-up again and we made our ways to the corral.  My plan for this race was to stay with the group-- sometimes the fun you have and the people you run with are more important than your race time.  This was going to be one of those races.  

Flat Jenn ready for the Avengers Half Marathon

This course was different than the Disneyland Half Marathon and I'm not honestly sure how I feel about it.  My biggest complaint is that during the parks portion of the run, you don't run through the castle.  How can you have a RunDisney run without the castle?!  There was also a trail portion of the run as we made our was to Angel's Stadium that was too narrow for the number of runners.  If a runner was trying to maintain a steady pace, it would have been really hard to do so at this portion of the run.  

Overall, this was probably the most fun I've had with a race.   I ran with Stephanie, Toni and Michelle-- it was awesome to have running buddies during the races.  I usually run on my own, so this was a great new experience for me.  We stopped for pictures, had great conversations and it was great to see Stephanie cross the finish line with a RunDisney PR and reaching her race goal for 2015.  We're all planning on coming back for the Tinkerbell Half Marathon in May 2016.  

Running the 10K and Half Marathon meant you completed the Gauntlet Challenge

Random Weekend Shenanigans 

A weekend of running at Disney meant a weekend of fun at Disney.  I spent Friday and Saturday in the parks, enjoying the holiday decorations and people.  Disneyland is definitely one of my happy places and I love being there.  I also love that they offer interpreting services on the weekend-- on Saturday, I was able to see several shows in ASL.  The interpreters are awesome!  

Until next time, Happy Running!
Jenn13.1

Nike Women's Half Marathon San Francisco

Since I started running, the Nike Women's Run Series was on my Running Bucket List.  It is a lottery race and since I knew it was popular, I was pleasantly surprised that I was picked.  I had heard so many good things about this race and who doesn't like the idea of getting a Tiffany & Co. necklace at the end of a race.  

I arrived to San Francisco on Friday afternoon and after checking into the hotel, I was on my way to packet pick-up.  I was staying at the packet pick-up hotel and it was awesome to be close to the all the weekend activities.  I was a little disappointed with the pick-up-- although it was quick and easy, I was expecting more.  I had also planned to do the earring scavenger hunt that afternoon, but was quickly informed that all the locations were out of the earrings. I spent the rest of the day exploring San Francisco and did a little shopping.  

Packet Pick-Up at the Westin

The Nike Store posts the names of all the runners.  There were 4 of me! :) 

I love to shop!

Saturday morning started off with the Nike Run Club Shake-Out Run.  I signed up for the 7:30am run and headed over to check-in around 6:15am.  Being located across the street from the start, I arrived in a few minutes and the line had already started forming so I quickly made my way to the line.  We waited for about 20 minutes, then they began checking us in.  We were randomly assigned corrals-- I was in volt, so I found my way to the corral and waited for the run to start.  They had a running coach making introductions and announcing some of the pacers who would be running with us.  He was using a megaphone and if he wasn't facing your corral, you couldn't hear what he was saying.

I was lucky to be in the starting corral and running in the city was definitely a new experience for me.  I usually run in areas that are closed to car traffic, so I wasn't prepared for this-- I think we stopped hit every red light.  Slowest 2 miles I've ever run, but the coach and pacers in my corral were on point and kept us motivated.  

Once we found our way back to Union Square, it was a little chaotic.  I found myself standing in a line and had no idea what I was waiting for.  I ended up with a portable Verizon phone charger.  I then went to the food line-- I had a delicious fruit smoothie, an apple and a protein bar.  

After the Shake Out Run, I decided I want to try to get some earrings.  We had been told it would start at 10:00am-- I went to my hotel, changed and still had some time before it was going to start.  I decided to go check out the Nike Store again and once I got there, around 9:30am, I found myself in another random line.  That line turned out the be the line for the earring, which had started early.  I got lucky with this line, so I decided to try for a few more earrings.  I ended up with 4 of the 7-- I went to a 5th location, but after seeing the number of people in line, decided I'd rather explore SF then wait in a line.  

4 of the 7

The morning of the race, I woke up ready to go.  When I went to get dressed for the race, I discovered my tank had a huge stain on it (How did that happen?!)  Thank goodness I had a back-up outfit, so on to plan B.  With a 6:30am race start, I headed to the start line around 5:30am.  I like to be early so I get my bearings together before the race starts. Each corral had it's own entrance, gear check and restrooms.  This was definitely a plus.  

The race started on time-- I was towards the back of my corral, so we started a little before 7:00am.  I knew there were a lot of runners, so I expected a crowded race.  And I got it.  There were times they even changed the course for crowd control and traffic, directly runners in different ways before they merged back together.  I admit that there were times I was frustrated by runners who didn't appear to know race running etiquette-- coming to sudden stops,  weaving back in forth, groups running 4-5 wide.  I always expect this, but it seemed to be in abundance in this race.  The crowds also brought an abundance of chaos at the hydration stations-- each one was a mess.  I don't know if it was poor planning, poor training for the volunteers or lack of space, but each one was congested and unorganized. Eventually I stopped stopping for water.

This race was a mental battle for me.  I had some pain in my foot and I let it get to me.  I even turned my Garmin off so I could just run and try not to think about anything.  But there were definitely some high points in the race-- I loved the choir at mile 2-3, the waterfall, the park that smelled as some runners described, like "PineSol," and the view after mile 10.  This was probably one of the most beautiful courses I've run and I was not expecting that with this race. There wasn't that much crowd support but I loved seeing We Run Social at mile 8-- the Hi-Fives definitely helped me finish the last 5 miles.  I also loved the support at mile 10, which was all uphill-- I had been warned about the hill and it honestly wasn't as bad as I was anticipating.  

@PavementRunner and the We Run Social crew holding it down at mile 8

Mile 10

After the race was over, I proceed through the exit line.  The water in a reusable bottle and the post race snacks in a reusable bag were fantastic.  This was definitely a plus, as I had juggling my snacks after a run. I loved all the yummy goodies.  After the snacks I was off to get my necklace.  I had heard we get their from firemen-- mine was from a volunteer, however I could stand in line for 30 minutes for a picture with a fireman if I wanted.  No thank you.  I wanted a "Finisher's" item so I made my way to the Finisher's Boutique-- I waited in line for 2 hours!!! Yes, I know that's crazy, but I wanted a shirt and it was all part of the race experience.  Although Nike could have definitely had more people working this. Another poor planning moment on their part. 

Overall, I had a good experience, but I think this is a "one and done" race for me.  And that disappoints me a bit-- I wanted to love this race.  I wanted to be wowed by it.  And I wasn't.  

Has anyone else down this race?  What was your experience like?

Until next time, happy running.

Jenn13.1

Disneyland Half Marathon Expo Recap

When the morning arrived for me to drive up to the Disneyland Half Marathon, I was beyond excited.  I had been waiting to run a RunDisney event since I started running and this weekend did not disappoint!  My first stop of the weekend-- the Health and Fitness Expo.

I arrived in Anaheim shortly after 8:00am and used my Annual Pass to explore the parks a bit before heading towards the Disneyland Hotel, where the Expo was located.  Once I arrived at the hotel, I had to decide what to do-- I had heard stories about the wait for the official RunDisney merchandise, so I decided to wait in line there first.  After about an hour wait, they let us in a little earlier than the official expo start time.  I picked up a few items-- I loved it all and definitely could have spent a fortune here.  I could understand why people lined up for this merchandise.  Once I was done shopping to official merchandise, I headed down to Packet Pick-Up.

Walkway to Packet Pick-Up

Packet Pick-Up was located away from the expo, under the hotel.  The lines were relatively short and everything was so organized.  Once I had my bib, I headed over to the photo area for the Dumbo Double Dare participants.  I had pre-ordered a race pin and it wasn't where it was supposed to be-- a quick trip to merchandise solutions took care of it.  I was impressed with the efficiency of the area.  Now it was back up to the expo to get my race shirts and see what other goodies I could find.  

Race shirt pick-up was super easy-- I loved how the shirts were bagged together for those of us who were doing the Dumbo Double Dare.  I've done other multi-race challenges and you usually have to go to multiple spots to get the race shirts.  Once again, the organization was on point.  

My expo goodies!

I spent some time wandering all the booths-- there were some awesome products out there.  I picked up a few of my favorite socks and headbands.  Once I was done here, it was time to head back to the parks and get some more fun in.  But not before I took some pictures with a few of my friends!

And now it's time to get personal-- I am hard-of-hearing and wear hearing aids.  In most race and expo situations, the large groups of people and excess noise make it hard for me to know what is going on or being said, especially if there are presenters using speaking/microphone systems and such.  Because of this, I rarely pay attention to who might be presenting because I know I will "miss" most of it anyway.  I have run in several races, including some bigger/popular ones and at the RunDisney event, I experienced something I have never experienced before-- they had an ASL interpreter!!!  I can't even describe how awesome this was for me-- this might be my favorite thing about the weekend and everything else was really awesome, so that's saying a lot.  For the first time in my racing experiences, I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything.  I could truly enjoy the entire race experience.  The interpreters (who were awesome by the way!) weren't only at the expo, but also at the pre-race festivities and start line.  To be able to experience the expo and race in the same way that everyone else was was truly an experience for me that I won't forget.  

Coming soon-- my recap on the Disneyland 10K and Half Marathon.  
Until next time, happy running!
Jenn13.1