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.  

What I Do When I'm Not Running on a runDisney Weekend

I’ve lived in Southern California most of my life and going to Disneyland was something I grew up with.  I’m always a little surprised when someone tells me, “I’ve never been to Disneyland.”  Because of where I live, I have an annual pass and I try to get there as often as I can.  Some of my visits correspond with runDisney race weekends and I always try to get some of my favorite things in while I’m there.

Everyone’s approach to Disneyland is different and I will admit I am not of those people who needs to “ride all the rides.”  As much as I love the rides, I am equally as happy just walking around enjoying all the little things that Disneyland has to offer.  On my recent runDisney weekend, I experienced a few things I don’t normally for and took some time to do a couple of my favorites.  So whether you’re headed to Disneyland for a day or a week, here’s a few things I would recommend doing.  

Character Breakfast

There are a couple Disneyland hotel properties that offer a character breakfast, one of them being Paradise Pier.  When my friends and I decided to stay there during our race weekend, we decided we wanted to do the character breakfast.  Although it is a bit pricey for breakfast, the experience is fun.  Breakfast is buffet style and includes things such as fresh fruit, the famous Mickey waffles and an omelette bar. (My omelette was delicious!)  As you’re enjoying breakfast, characters walk around interacting with the guests.  We were probably the only table without children, but we still had a blast.  Your visit includes a guaranteed picture with Mickey, which they try to sell you, but they also allow you to take pictures with your own camera.  

“Walk in Walt’s Disneyland Footsteps” Tour

As part of our girls weekend, we wanted to do something extra special.  After looking at the various tours they offer, we decided to do “Walk In Walt’s Disneyland Footsteps” tour and it was amazing!  You take a three hour tour of the park, learning the history of the parks and seeing Walt Disney’s vision.  The tour includes a few rides, lunch and a trip to Walt’s Dream Suite.  We were only allowed one picture in the Dream Suite, but I must say it is beautiful!!!  My favorite part of the tour?  They were able to have ASL interpreters for me, as well as a captioning device for the rides—this made sure I didn’t miss anything on the tour and I was beyond impressed that Disneyland offered this service for its guests. 

All The Snacks!

Disneyland has some great treats and the holiday season is no exception.  Some people go for the churros or Dole Whip, but my favorite treat is their gingerbread Mickey cookies.  No holiday Disney trip is complete without it.  I had the Dole Whip too, but there is something special about the cookie.  California Adventure has a new festival for the holidays and there were some tasty treats there as well.  As much as I love the Disneyland snacks, I do try to keep my meals a little healthy when I’m there and I find there are better options in California Adventure or Downtown Disney.

The Entertainment

Sometimes I just walk around Disneyland and enjoy the sights, which includes the various entertainers.  One this trip, we saw a holiday drum line, the dapper dans and a few bands.  Everyone seems in such a hurry to get to the next ride, but I love stopping to take some time to enjoy it all.  

The Decorations

The Holiday season at Disneyland is my favorite.  There is so much attention to detail from Main Street to the rides, you can’t help but be happy.  But this isn’t just during the holiday season—year round Disneyland is a magical place and the details are always awe inspiring.

The Rides

I mentioned that I don’t need to ride all the rides, but c’mon—you can’t go to Disneyland without riding some of the rides.  I always try to take a break from technology when I am at Disneyland, but I definitely love the Disneyland app which can help you determine your wait times and plan your adventures.  

Have you ever been to Disneyland? What’s your favorite thing to do there?

Until next time, happy running.
Jenn13.1

RunDinsey Avengers Superhero Half Marathon Recap

After three days in the parks and two races, I was ready for the Avengers Superheroes Half Marathon—not only was I looking forward to all the fun but I was also looking forward to earning my second Infinity Gauntlet Challenge medal.  As I mentioned in my Dr Strange 10K recap, we had decided to mash Disney with Superheroes so I would be running the half marathon as Super Snow White, complete with shield to weild off any bad apples I encountered on the course. (See what I did there…)

Sunday Runday was off to an early start—we headed over the the start line area to meet up with everyone and get a few pre-race pictures before the race started.  Then we were off to our corrals to wait for the race to start.  After the national anthem and other announcements, the runner's were on their way.  The waves seemed to be going rather quickly and before I knew it, it was time for us to start.

Our plan going into Sunday was to have all the fun.  The course for this race was new and I was looking forward to it—this was my fourth runDisney half marathon at Disneyland and every course has been different so far. Shortly after mile one, we came up to the first photo stop and the line was short! What?!  This never happens so we took a quick picture, took a bathroom break and continued on our way.  Then we came up to the next photo stop and again, a short line! 

I’m not sure why all the lines were short, but the longest wait we had for a photo was about seven minutes.  Maybe people took all their pictures at the 5K and 10K—it’s the same characters, but we still wanted all the pictures.  

After mile four, we headed out of the parks and into Anaheim.  If I’m being honest, the most exciting thing in Anaheim is Disneyland, but the crowd support makes this race worth it.  At mile six, we came upon the Sparkle Athletic cheer station, complete with the Sparkle unicorns.  We then continued on and before I knew it, we were entering Angels Stadium.  In the past, the course routed you through the back entrances and you didn’t see the completed stadium.  This course brought you through the front and I saw the Angels helmets that I had never seen before.  

The crowd support near the stadium was awesome.  My favorite part of any runDisney event has been the group dressed in vintage military uniforms, complete with a dance floor and dancers.  I was excited to see them out there again.  Once we left the stadium, a cosplay group cheered us on for about half a mile.  Before I knew it, we were at mile ten with only a 5K left to go.  

I struggled the last three miles.  I don’t know if it was a combination of running two races the days before and spending time in the parks, but my legs were not happy with me.  I was getting cramps in my legs and my feet were screaming at me to stop.  I was grateful to have Stephanie, Toni and John with me to help keep me going.  

Finally we found the finish line! I’m not sure that I’ve ever been so happy to cross a finish line.  After getting our medals, snack boxes and taking a few pictures, we headed to the stage area to meet up with the rest of our friends.  I decided I needed to keep moving, so I headed back to the hotel to get ready for the rest of the day in the parks.  (I think I may have been having some shoe issues during the race because as soon as my shoes came off, my legs felt so much better!)   

After the 10K on Saturday, I was a little concerned about the hydration stops along the course, but they had so many.  The crowd support was awesome and we loved getting shout outs on our Princess Superhero costumes—we even had some people take pictures with us because they loved our shields! The new course? Amazing!  I loved this change and I hope runDisney sticks with it.  

It was another great runDisney Avengers Superheroes weekend and I can’t wait until next year!  Maybe I’ll actually watch the movies before then.

Until next time, happy running.
Jenn13.1

runDisney Dr. Strange 10K Race Recap

When registration opened for the runDisney Avengers Superheroes weekend, my first thought when I saw the theme for the 10K was Dr. Strange was, “Doctor Who?!”  Although this would be my second year running the Infinity Gauntlet Challenge, I’ve never actually seen the Avengers movies and don’t know who the characters are. 

As I mentioned in my Captain America 5K recap, this was a girls weekend with Michelle, Stephanie and Toni.  After discussing costume ideas, we decided to mash Disney and Superheroes—for the 10K we decided to be Superhero Mouseketeers.  Julian would also be joining us and I couldn’t wait to have all the fun.

Like all runDisney races, race morning came early and we headed over to the start line area to meet up with our friends for some pre-race pictures and fun. This year we stayed at a Disney hotel and I loved being that close to the start area!  After meeting up with everyone and taking pictures, we came up with a race plan.  AJ and Ivie were starting in earlier corrals, so they would run ahead to the first photo stop and wait for us. 

 It worked out perfectly—by the time we met up with them in line, we were almost to the front of the line.  As a group, we definitely follow racing etiquette and picture taking etiquette—although it may have looked like we were cutting in line, we take one group picture with one person’s phone.  We have the process down to a science to make it easy on everyone.  After the first photo stop, we were on our way for the rest of the race—I run most races alone so I always have a blast with the groups at runDisney events.  This race did not disappoint.

After all the character stops and all the fun, the race was over.  I was honestly having so much fun, that I didn’t pay that much attention to the course.  I know that I wasn’t struggling to get through the crowds like I was at the 5K and it never felt too congested to me.  

The only change I would make would have been the number of water stations—there were only two and I would have liked one more.  The weather started getting warmer the last couple of miles and one more water station would have been perfect. 

I still don’t know who Dr. Strange is but I had a blast at the Dr. Strange 10K.  And the bling is pretty awesome too! After getting our medals and snack boxes, we made our way to the race stage to meet up  with other friends, have more fun and take more pictures.  After this race, I was definitely looking forward to the next day’s Avengers Superheroes Half Marathon and earning my Infinity Gauntlet Challenge medal.

Have you ever done a multi-day race challenge?

Until next time, happy running.
Jenn13.1

runDisney Captain America 5K Recap

In 2015, I ran the runDisney Avengers Infinity Gauntlet Challenge.  As part of the weekend events, I went to a We Run Social meet-up and met Michelle, Stephanie and ToniAnn.  We became instant friends and decided we would return for a girls weekend in 2016.  After a year of planning, the weekend was finally here and I was beyond excited.  

A few weeks ago, I obtained a bib to the Captain America 5K as part of the runDisney Avengers Superheroes weekend.  It was a last minute decision and I was excited because it would be my first runDisney 5K.  

After fun  at the expo and spending time in the parks with my friends, I was ready for bed and the early wake-up.  If you have ever run a runDisney race, you know they start at 5:30am and as early as you need to wake-up, I love that an early race means you’re finished early and have plenty of time to enjoy the parks.  

I headed to the start line with Michelle and we met up with Julian.  After catching up and taking some pictures, we headed to our corrals.  I’m not sure if it’s because I registered so late, but I was placed in the last coral.  Frankly, I wasn’t happy about this—I wanted to run with my friends who were in other corrals. (I did go to runner relations at the expo, however they were unable to change my corral placement) 

Pre-Race show- how awesome that they have interpreters?!

We made a plan—I would race to the first photoshop, meet up with them and run with them the rest of the race.  Unfortunately starting in the last corral made it a little hard to race—I’ve never had to weave in between so many people during a run.  I won’t lie—I was frustrated as people abruptly went from running to walking or were in groups 4-5 people wide. I ended up skipping the first photo stop (Hawkeye) and met up with Michelle and Julian at the second stop. We continued on our way, saying hi to other runners we knew, having all the fun and taking all the pictures.

While we were in the photo stop line for Captain America, Stephanie and Toni text us to see if we wanted Starbucks at the finish line.  Yes!  We ran into them just before mile 3 and actually took our coffee then and ran the rest of the race with it.  Yes, we crossed the finish line holding Starbucks and it might be my favorite finish line picture ever! 

I love that 95% of the 5K in run through the parks. Running through Cars Land and the Disneyland castle are my favorite. Like all runDisney races the energy is great—the cast members who are out cheering for us and the volunteers are awesome!  Would I run the 5K again?  Without question, yes!    

Race Shirt and bling!

What’s your favorite finish line picture?

Until next time, happy running.
Jenn13.1

Crown City Classic Recap

The 4th of July has always been one of my favorite holidays so when I had the opportunity to run the Crown City Classic on the 4th, I was excited. (I received the race entry in exchange for volunteering at the packet pick-up) 

After Flat Jenn was put together, I attempted to go to bed early. The race didn't start until 7:00am, but it was suggested we get there early for parking. The race takes place in the beautiful city of Coronado, which happens to be a beach city. Beaches and the 4th of July means a lot of people, so my plan was to be there by 5:00am. I did end up arriving around 5:00am and found parking right away. (However by 5:20am, the lot was full so I was glad I arrived early) 

Time passed quickly and at 6:30am, I headed over to the start line area for the pre-race warmup. It was an exercise routine with a fun host and great music. After that was done, we headed to the corral area. The corrals were self placement and were labeled "Fast, Fit or Fun." I tend to be a mid pack runner so I placed myself in the middle of the "Fit" group. The race had two distances- a 12K starting at 7:00am which had approximately 1,000 runners 
and a 5K starting at 7:10am which had approximately 1,200 runners.  I opted for the 12K- it would be my first 12K race so automatic PR and how fun to run 7.4 miles on July 4th! 

At the start line, they had a large flag on display. Before the start, volunteers held up the flag and a moment of silence was had as the names of all the fallen soldiers since last 4th of July were read. Truth be told, I had goosebumps and tears. After this, a beautiful redention of the national anthem was sung. After a quick motivational speech from the race director, we were off and running. You run under the flag at the start, which was another neat experience in this race. 

The race website stated that this year's course was new. It was my first time doing this race, so I have nothing to compare it to, but overall I enjoyed the course. It's an out and back course which I enjoy more than point A to point B coursees.  There were a few areas that ran past parks/beaches and because the crowds were already out for the holiday, the extra crowd support was fun. You also run thought residential areas and I loved seeing the houses decorated for the holiday. It's a flat course and definitely a PR course. There was one portion of a course that was narrow which made it hard to pass other runners, but overall the course had ample room. I didn't have a goal going into the run, so I put myself near the 10 minute mile pacers.  I felt strong and at one point, I passed the pacers. When I looked at my Garmin at mile 4, I realized I was on target to PR my 10K time, so I kept pushing. (I ending up PRIng my 10K time by 1 minute and 20 seconds). Before I knew it, I was crossing the finish line and getting my medal.  I finished with a 9:32 average mile which is a big deal for me- it's my first race over a 5K where every mile was under 10 minutes. Thought there were no negative splits, I'll take it! 

This race was well organized. The packet pick-up was easy, both pre-race and race day. Everything was setup and ready to go early (how many times have you shown up for z race and they're still setting up?!) The course was beautiful. The volunteers were awesome! There were plenty of water stations in the course (2 for the 5K and 4 for the 12K) The post race nutrition was on point and we even got a reusable bag for our goodies.  

Overall, I really enjoyed this race. I've already convinced a few of my friends to run it with me next year. 

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