A Rocking Weekend in Savannah - RnR Savannah Recap

Disclaimer: I received a free entry into the Rock 'n' Roll Savannah Half Marathon to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews! 

So let me get this out of the first and foremost... I LOVE THE ROCK N ROLL SAVANNAH RACES! Seriously, this is my favorite race weekend of the year. A big group of my running buddies (27 of us this year!!) all load up and head down to the Hospitality City of the South, Savannah, GA. If you've never been to Savannah before, you should totally put it on your bucket list. It's a beautiful city, very old South, with so many amazing things to do. Heck, I could hang out on River St. for days and days and never get bored (and I practically did). 

I arrived on Friday in order to hit up the Health & Fitness Expo held in the Savannah Convention Center. Since our hotel was on Bay St. we only had to make a short walk down to the river and then take the free ferry across. FREE! Super convenient! The Expo is super well organized. You receive a link to your Bib number a few days before the event so you can walk right over to the correct area to get your bib. Or, there is also an app that you can get your information from. After getting your bib, you head over to get your shirt/shirts. You can switch out sizing if necessary, but mine were true to size. After you get your gear, you then enter the shopping/display section of the Expo. Lots of cool booths and displays to check out and the race merchandise is amazing. You also can get your wrist bands for beer so you don't have to mess around with them on race day and also check in for your VIP experience if you opted for it, or Run Club if you signed up as one like we did. Run the Rock ended up being the 3rd largest club in attendance which scored us some cool perks, extra beer tickets, 2 VIP passes and a free entry into a 2020 race for a member the group - we'll be doing a drawing for it, fingers crossed I score it!!

Saturday morning was race day for the Marathon and the Half Marathon. Since we were able to walk to the start this year, I got to sleep in a bit. Once we made it down the .25 miles to the start, everything was really well organized. The Waves were clearly marked and there was music playing to pump us up. Lots of port-a-potties on site, or several of the hotels had their lobbies open. The national anthem was sung a few minutes before the race start and then we headed into the corrals to take position. 

You may recall, I had a HUGE goal of shaving at least 5 minutes off my last year finishing time to run my first sub-2 Hour Half. The plan was to find the 2 hour pacer and become their BFF. Well, right before the start... PANIC! I couldn't find the pacer! So I made a rash decision to fall in with the 4 Hour Marathon Pace Group, who was clearly visible. BEST DECISION EVER!! They were the Party Pace Group for sure! We had a freaking BLAST. The miles seemed to just disappear with hardly any effort with this group. The pacer, Emmy, was a local and kept us entertained the whole way and right on pace. I met this awesome guy from Russia that we ended up exchanging info later to keep in touch. One guy was running his first marathon. Another was from near me. I'll be honest, I was kind of sad to leave them at the split at 11.5 miles as the marathon turned left and the half kept on to the finish. I ended us sticking around after my finish in order to cheer them as they crossed the finish line. Nothing like running 11.5 miles together to turn strangers into besties! Just one of the reasons I love running. 

Okay, let me back up just a sec to mention the course. It's awesome. You run through some really nice areas of Savannah including the beautiful historic district. The course is super flat with really only 2 hills that I can remember, near the start and finish, but they were super tame compared to what I am used to running. Spectators line the course and every 2 miles or so there is a band to keep you going. There are lots of aid stations with water and Gatorade Endurance and a few have SiS gels even, so if you don't want to carry at all during the race you don't have to. Especially near the end of race, there are spectators that give out beer, water and other beverages to help motivate. For example, my Russian friend had a Tequila shot at mile 11. And one of my friends thought he was grabbing a water and nope, it was Vodka! It was a surprise, but he did hit a new Half PR so...

So, how did I do? Did I meet me goal? YES!!!! I am crazy excited to say that I shaved almost 9 whole minutes off my time for a 1:56:50 finish!!! I was pretty stunned actually when I crossed the finish! Months of hard work had paid off in a big way. It was so amazing. The whole walk down the finisher chute, I just kinda zoned out as people gave me a medal, took my picture and handed me drinks (water, Gatorade, chocolate milk and pineapple juice) and snacks (pretzels, trail mix and fruit cups). By the time I got out of the chute, I snapped back to reality and started looking for my friends to celebrate! 

Since we were a part of a Run Club, we got an extra beer ticket and a tent in an area near the stage to set up plus access to the foam rolling area. It was pretty awesome. We hung out, laughed, drank and stretched. Then I took a quick stroll around Foresyth park, which is so beautiful and headed back to the finisher area to cheer on my Marathon friends. After, it was a short walk back to the hotel (just over a mile) and we stopped for coffee on the way. It was an AMAZING race day. 

Sunday was the 5K, which took place at Daffin Park a bit later in the day, 12:30, which was to get to sleep in. Since it was a bit further from our hotel (3 miles) we had to drive over, but there was plenty of parking. Just like the Saturday races, the event was super well organized. Since it was at a Baseball Stadium (Go, Savannah Bananas), there was plenty of clean bathrooms. Waves were clearly marked and there was an organized stretching session to get everyone ready to race. The course was BEAUTIFUL, the whole thing lined with trees covered in Spanish Moss in a residential neighborhood. Again it was very flat and a fast course, and easy one to PR on, which, I didn't push due to my big PR the day before, but instead ran it with a friend who did PR it! There was a water station around the halfway point and the course was very clearly marked. The finish was in the baseball stadium which was fun to do the final bit on the baseline to the cheering spectators in the stands. Like the Saturday races, there was a band playing at the finish and lots of beverage/snack options in the finisher chute. You also got a beer ticket with your bib. And because we ran both a Saturday and Sunday race, we got a 3rd medal for completing the Remix Challenge!! 

We decided to stick around for an extra day this year in order to not have to rush back and drive in the dark and it was an awesome decision. After grabbing our beer, and cheering on the ones who ran the 5K, we hung out in the stands to cheer on the 1 Miler finishers and also to watch the Kids Rock races that were a part of the weekend of events this year. It was so much fun and a beautiful day. And the kids were so much fun to watch! 

All in all, a truly amazing weekend. I left with a new Half Marathon PR, 3 awesome medals and some AMAZING memories! 

Full disclosure - I have actually already registered for 2 of the races for next year already! 

RnR Savannah 2019 RACE WEEK is HERE!

IT'S ROCK n ROLL SAVANNAH RACE WEEK!!!!

And that means two things. 

1. Time for last minute preparations. 
2. Time for last minute PANIC!! 

See, you may recall that I have set myself a goal of a sub 2 hour Half on Saturday at the Rock n Roll Savannah Half Marathon. This will have me cutting about 5 minutes off last year's time. I've been training like crazy and hopefully, all my hard work will pay off.

Last long run before Savannah completed, all is left to do is taper 

I am tentatively optimistic. I know I have gotten faster since last year. Just this weekend, I ran a 5K that I had done last year and cut 3 minutes off that time. 3 minutes off just 3.1 miles so for sure I can cut 5 minutes off of 13.1! The hardest part will be to not go out too fast. The plan here is to find the 2:00 pacer and basically stalk them for about 10 miles of the race and then see how I feel. A friend of mine has also offered to pace me, and I haven't decided if I will take her up on that or not. I'm pretty solitary during a race, but the extra support may be good. IDK. 

Last Minute Prep made easy with the
RnR Marathon App

So yeah, right now it is all about packing to make sure that I have everything that I need - clothes, shoes, gels, hat, sunglasses, gear, KT Tape, all the race day essentials. I already have downloaded the Rock n Roll Marathon Series app and have my Bib numbers (I am also doing the 5K on Sunday afternoon). I've been obsessively weather stalking (temps are going down, booooo! And I've already started laying out stuff to pack. Finally, I am putting in my last few easy runs before the BIG EVENT! 

I will be leaving Friday morning and riding down with some friends to Savannah. We have a pretty huge group going (26!!) and are going to have a great time. If you follow me on Twitter and/or Instagram, you will for sure be getting lots of updates for the weekend. 

If you are going to be at the Rock n Roll Savannah also, we plan to hit up the Expo on Friday around 4 pm. Look for me, I'll be in BibRave Orange! 

Well, I guess that is about it. I'm sure I am forgetting something and if you've spotted it, please let me know in the comments. Or, if you just want to wish me luck, you can do that as well. 

Making Adjustments

So a few weeks ago I wrote a post about my upcoming goals here: Setting the Bar High and how I was chasing some pretty loft goals, mainly a sub-2 hour Half Marathon plus some pretty aggressive training to get there. Well, thought I'd post a quick update on how things went. 

I'm smiling, but I don't mean it

Let me get this out of the way first. I spectacularly failed my 9:00 min pace 10K on Aug. 17th. Like, It was pretty terrible. It was hot, humid  and hilly, like I expected and like an idiot I went out way too fast hoping to bank some time. And you know what happened instead? I got to mile 4 and felt like I would die from a side stitch. It was so terrible I had to come to a complete stop. I ended up losing a ton of time and basically hobbling the last 2 miles, clutching my side feeling like I was tearing apart. So yeah, not spectacular. 

My finish time was 57:06. That's a 9:12 pace finish, and I think my worst 10K finish in the last 2 years or so. I was gutted. Savannah Rock n Roll Half sub-2 seemed like a pipe dream. 

So what did I do? I grabbed a beer (or 2). Commiserated with my friends and got brunch.

And then I hit cranked up the Speed Work. I also started really working harder at the gym during my cross training at Burn Boot Camp. This failure just showed me that I had been resting on my laurels a bit and need to kick it into gear. I also looked to the future. 

I had another 10K coming up two weeks later. The Around the Crown 10K. This was a brand new race, and a seemingly awesome one at that. They were closing down the I-277 loop around Charlotte, NC and letting runners race on it. I was 100% in the moment I heard about the race. I have been totally looking forward to it. And now I was looking at it for redemption as well. 

First thing, despite only being 2 weeks later, the weather was much more agreeable. It was a bit cooler, and a bit less humid. I had been training in the extreme heat all summer, so already it felt like I would be faster. Second, the course was less extreme. Sure there were hills, it is Charlotte after all. One in particular was an almost 100 ft climb, but overall, the course was much flatter, another good sign. Also, I had been focusing on how fun this race would be for months now. Attitude can make a huge difference. And lastly, this race had pacers, so I had a solid strategy to keep myself from going out too fast - become BFF with the 55 min pacer stick with them. 

So how did it go? I KILLED IT!

Now THIS smile is a real one!!

Plus, it was SUPER COOL to run on the Interstate!

I literally had the best race of my life! It was fun, I felt great and I finished with an amazing time. Full disclosure, the course was .2 mile short, so my official time (50:37) reflects a 6 mile race, but when I crossed the finish line, I knew I had killed it and wanted a full 10K finish time so I kept running until my watch said 6.2, which was at 52:28 or a 8:28 pace!! HOLY BUTTS! I was ecstatic (still am)!! I got their by introducing my self to Eric, the amazing 55 min pacer and basically hanging out with him for 4 miles. He was awesome. He had studied the course and gave great advice and kept just a bit under pace and completely steady. Once we got past the big hill just before mile 4, I knew I was feeling pretty amazing still. I decided to push it and bid Eric goodbye and took off reducing my pace to just under 8:15 per mile for the last 2 miles. Heck, I felt so good, I could have kept going at that pace a few more miles no problem I think even. 

So what is the point of all of this? Well. I've got my Savannah strategy is one thing. RnR races have pacers so I plan to stalk the 2 hour pacer for at least the first 10 miles, much like I did at AtC. If at mile 10 I am feeling great, then off I shall take. And again, attitude is key and I am totally looking forward to Savannah. Like really really looking forward to it. Plus, I am going to keep pushing the Speed Work. It is starting to cool down a bit (just a bit) here in the South so I am thinking that will automatically help my pace. 

So what do you think? Any other advice you'd give me? You ever fall flat on a goal only to readjust and kill it shortly after/ How did you do it? Tell  me all about it in the comments.

And if you want to be a part of my epic Savannah Rock n Roll weekend of racing, you can register with discount codes “19RNRBRP16” for $16 off half/marathon or “19RNRBRP6” for $6 off shorter distances. I will also be running the 5K on Sunday as well. Here's the link to register - https://www.runrocknroll.com/savannah/

Let me know if you'll be there! 

Setting the Bar High

Last year I had no goals, look how relaxed I was, lol

This week officially marks 12 weeks before Rock n Roll Savannah and my attempt at breaking a 2 hour Half Marathon time. I keep joking with people that I am planning to break 2, or die trying. Here, as my 12 week training plan looms in front of me, I am leaning more towards the will die trying version of the story. 

In order to prepare for my sub-2, and ultimately shave 4 minutes off of my time from last November, I've scoured the internet on the best ways to accomplish this. I settled on 2 training plans, 1 that was 16 weeks from Garmin and another that is 12 weeks from Runners World. I can only see a week at a time of the Garmin plan, but so far, it's been fairly doable with the exception of one track workout that I only hit 3/6 of the sprint times (2 of which I just missed). 

Missed a few pace goals, still almost died... 

Now the Runners World plan on the other hand - the one that I set as my primary training plan, well that is starting to look darn near impossible. It is just Week 1 and I am already pretty sure I am going to fail my target Fartlek tonight. Seriously, I cannot run 20 min at an 8 pace, which I personally think is a bit aggressive for Week 1. And I know this, and I know that missing it will not mean that I am going to fail overall, but still there's a part of me that feels that I am doomed from the start. Here's the plan for reference: The half-marathon training plan for runners looking to finish in sub-2-hours

This weekend the plan calls for a "Time Trial". A 10K race done at an overal 9:00 pace. This is another one that is going to be a bit of a stretch for me to hit. I can do it, I have done it, but not in the conditions that this weekend is offering. Basically, it is August in the South and going to be hot, humid, plus a really hilly course. I've recruited a crew to race with me and there is a Craft Beef Festival at the finish, so trying to focus on those things and not the 55:48 clock time I have to beat. But it's hard.

The bottom line is, I am starting to kick my freak out into high gear that this goal is going to be a big ol' failure for me. And in the best case scenarios, I feel a certain looming sense of imminent failure. 

Pretty fearless looking, eh? NOT

A coworker of mine said to me just today that she could never imagine me being stressed out about anything. To that, I laughed. Then I laughed harder (probably to the point that it was a bit uncomfortable, but hey, it was the funniest thing I've heard in a long time). I then explained to her that maybe she thinks that because she just sees me how I am right now, a CONSTANT ball of anxiety, ready to explode at any moment. Seriously, I am never not stressed out. Her logic is that I do so much stuff, races, riding motorcycles, ropes courses, Boot Camp, roller coasters and pretty much any adventure or challenge that I can get my hands on.

Sure, I do all that. But I am literally terrified about 99% of the time. Terrified of failure or terrified of consequences or just a general sense of random terror. I just don't let it stop me. There's a quote from Carrie Fisher that I love - "Stay afraid, but do it anyway." Every race I do, no matter the distance, I am terrified at the Start. Every new adventure I try, same. I've just learned to push past it and to make the most out of life anyway. I think more people do this than they admit. 

Cross training like a badass

Long story short, I may be heading back to the drawing table on this whole training plan thing. I keep telling myself that I've got a few other things going for me that the plan doesn't address. For example, there is no cross training in my training plans and I cross train like a beast with Burn Boot Camp at least 4 days per week in addition to my 5 running days (yes, I am very tired). I've also searched a few other plans and they seem more doable. I may need to switch. 

But no matter what I choose, you can for sure, I will be totally freaking out about it, right up to the finish line. 

What strategy do you recommend for hitting a specific race goal? Do you go with make your own plan like me? Do you go with a coach? Train with a group? I'd love to hear about what you do in the comments. 

And stay tuned for updates on my Rock n Roll Savannah. Heck, are you interested in joining me in Savannah? You can register with discount codes “19RNRBRP16” for $16 off half/marathon or “19RNRBRP6” for $6 off shorter distances. I will also be running the 5K on Sunday as well. 

Thank you, Next

Okay, so I think I have finally recovered both physically and mentally from my Marathon. Physically, was actually not as bad as I thought it might be. Overall, I was good, with the exception of a minor muscle strain that had developed tibialis anterior well before I ran. I've been to a doctor a few times now for recovery treatment - electroshock, icing and rehab exercises - and that is going nicely. I've been give the go ahead to workout/run as I want to as long as I am smart about it (plus no plyo, which, I am 100% cool with). 

Maybe I'll now finally stop mentioning my Marathon constantly
Probably not though...

The mental has been okayish as well. When you have such a big goal for so long, you can kind of feel a bit let down when it finally has come and gone. Especially when, like me, you were not terribly happy with the end result. I am trying to focus on the positive aspect - I FINISHED A FREAKING MARATHON, and less on the negative - I didn't finish it as well as I though I could have. When it comes down to it, it is what it is, I cannot change the past so I am choosing to focus on the fact that I am a Marathoner. 

But now, it is time to look forward. More specifically, it is time to set new goals and start to work on those. 

In 2018 I set a metric butt-ton of goals. Those kept me hyper focused throughout the year and dare I say, a bit more stressed than I probably should have been, esp towards the end of the year (8 races in 2 month, yo). Then, I immediately rolled into Marathon Training with nary a moment to breathe. Needless to say, that was the only thing I could focus on, so I never really set any 2019 goals (other than, you know, the obvious Marathon). 

Now that those 26.2 miles are in there rear-view, it is finally time to set my (much more mild) 2019 Goals. 

Yeah, not even close... and I jumped to get up there

Goal #1 - Do a Pull Up
Despite my best efforts and 3 days a week of strength training (at least 1 of which upper body) I still have a pretty weak upper body. This year, I am determined to master doing a pull up. Just 1 is all I want to be able to do. Is that too much to ask for? To do this, I plan on never missing (if possible) Arm days and Back/Chest days at Burn. I will also attempt the bar every time I am at Burn, no matter what the training focus is. I have also added a pull up bar to my Amazon wish list. 



Goal #2 - 1000 miles -  Making the Miles Challenge
This one I've been working on and am confident I can reach. My local Fleet Feet Sports is hosting a 1000 mile challenge on the Garmin Connect app where at certain check ins you earn rewards: 50 miles ($7 in nutrition), 150 miles (socks), 250 miles ($20 gift card), 500 miles (sunglasses), 750 miles ($30 gift card) and 1000 miles (medal). The early marathon training really helped to boost my numbers and as of today (3/28) I am already at 364 miles. I am not going to say that this goal will be easy (still have 636 miles to go) but I'm well on my way. 

Goal #3 - Run a 2 hour Half

Heading back for 2019 to hit that 2 hour Half

This one is the real challenge for me. In 2018 I set 2 new Half PRs 2:07 and 2:05. For the latter, I didn't go into the race looking for the PR, but saw at around mile 10 that it would be possible. That late in the game, it was too late to bring it down much further, but I think if I train hard, and go in with PR mentality, I think I can drop my time for RnR Savannah. I have until Nov. to work on this one and this will be the main goal for the remainder of 2019. Heck, I will settle for anything below 2:00:59. There are a lot of things that will have to come together for this goal including more strength work (core especially), better nutrition (still a struggle for me) and maybe even enlisting a friend of my as a coach. I'll see where I am 20 weeks out for final prep. 5 minutes doesn't seem like a big difference, but it is!

Interested in joining me in Savannah? It was my very favorite race of 2018 - read more about my experience here: https://runnerdgirl.blogspot.com/2018/11/rocking-n-rolling-in-savannah-part-1.html You can register with discount codes “19RNRBRP16” for $16 off half/marathon or “19RNRBRP6” for $6 off shorter distances. I will also be running the 5K on Sunday as well. 

Well, I think that is all that I am going to officially declare currently. I always have a few goals here and these on my mind, but I am trying to be more flexible and rediscover fun in my running instead of taking things so seriously. The last 6 months or so of running for me were more stress causing than stress reducing as it should be. I'm planning to race less and put less pressure on myself and see how that goes. It's pretty outside my character, but something's got to change or I will burn out to either stress or injury. 

So what are your 2019 goals? I'm sure you've set yours way earlier than mine, so let me know how it is going so far in the comments below. 

Rocking n Rolling in Savannah: Part 2

And now for Part 2 of my EPIC ROCK N ROLL SAVANNAH ADVENTURE!! Did you miss Part 1? Find it here - https://runnerdgirl.blogspot.com/2018/11/rocking-n-rolling-in-savannah-part-1.html

Just a reminder - Disclaimer: I received a free entry into the Rock 'n' Roll Savannah half marathon to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

So Day 2 of Rock n Roll Savannah would have the 5K and the 1 Mile race. The races didn't start until 1 pm, so there was no reason to set an early alarm (YAY!) plus, it was actually the start of Daylight Savings which means I get even MORE sleep. It was AWESOME and much needed. I think it was the first time I've ever started a race, especially and out of town race, so well rested. 

With that said, I had never spent time in Savannah before, so my friends insisted that we head down to the Waterfront area and tourist it up a bit. It was beautiful. We leisurely strolled around on the cobblestone streets and checked out cute shops. It was just like I stepped into a Southern Living Magazine. After shopping and snacking our way along River Street, we headed back to our car to head over to the Savannah Banana Stadium.

I'll say that again. Savannah Banana. That is seriously the name of their baseball team. I love it! Okay, so it is actually called William Grayson Stadium, but yeah, it will be known in my heart as the Savannah Banana Stadium. Sorry Mr. Grayson.  

Parking was a breeze. Since it was held at a baseball stadium, there was parking a plenty. Plus, there were a lot less people running the Day 2 races. There was a small festival area set up around the stadium and pre-race the bathrooms and the stadium were open. The finish line was inside the stadium, so spectators could sit in the stands and cheer on the finishers. 

Ready for the 5K

Four of our group ran the 5K and 2 of us also ran the 1 Mile afterward. We put on our wristbands, which we received at the Expo, to pick up our Remix Medals after we finished. These medals went to anyone running a Saturday race (either Full, Half or Relay) and a Sunday race (either 5K or 1 Mile). Additionally, if you ran both the 5K and 1 Mile like I did, you completed the Sweet Georgia Pie Challenge which scored you a Pie! (I was very excited about this). 

Okay, so race time. Much like the Half, the start line of the 5K was very well organized with well marked Waves. It was a rolling start where the first wave was released and then whenever you made it to the start, you went, not official other Wave starts. I hit the timing mat and was off. Unlike the Half, I did have a goal of hitting a PR on the 5K. I had a bit of trouble getting out of the crowd at first, but it cleared fairly quickly.

Along the 5K and 1 Mile Course

The route was again beautiful. You ran through a beautiful residential area with huge oak trees draped in Spanish Moss and cute little gardens all over. The course had several turns and I have a terrible sense of direction, so quickly lost track of where I was, but had no issue following the course. There was a water stop halfway through which I passed. They were handing out full water bottles instead of cups which I thought was a bit clunky, especially for a 5K. 

The 5K finished in the baseball stadium which was a bit awkward because you had to run into the stadium and through a side gate with a bit of a step down in to sand, but there were race volunteers warning about the step down, so it wasn't really an issue. 

I checked my watch as I crossed the finish line and I knew it would be a squeaker whether or not I hit my goal But alas, I missed it by 3 seconds with a 26:53 finish. Much like the Half, there were plenty of volunteers handing out the cute medals (the 5K was a Trolley, keeping with the transpiration theme) and again there were pretzels, trail mix and water bottles given out.  I waited for my friends to finish, got my free finisher beer, picked up my Remix Medal and refocused for the 1 Mile which started at 2:30 pm. I had about an hour in between. 

And then there were 2

There were even less people running the 1 Mile, so there were no waves, just one big start. Timing started when you hit the mat. Even though over the last 2 days I had already put in 16 miles, I gave that last mile my all. It followed basically the same course of the 5K leaving the stadium/park area and then doing a hairpin turn back into the area and finishing the same as the 5K, inside the stadium. I think frustration fueled a bit of that final mile and finished under 8 minutes with a 7:58 mile. The 1 Mile medals were Riverboats. Volunteers again gave me trail mix and pretzels. My friends who didn't race the 1 Mile were cheering in the stands and we found them quickly. 

With my 5K and 1 Mile bib in hand, I headed over to the Pie Society booth to claim my hard earned pie. You could choose either Peach or Apple and, since we were in Georgia, I of course picked Peach. 

PIE PIE PIE PIE PIE PIE PIE PIE PIE PIE PIE PIE PIE PIE PIE

All in all, it was an absolute amazing weekend with amazing friends and amazing races. I highly recommend this race to anyone wanting a fun and well organized race experience. We are already  making plans to return in 2019. I have unfinished 5K PR business... 

Rocking n Rolling in Savannah: Part 1

Wow! What a weekend I had last weekend. Is there anything better than combining a Girls Weekend and a Race Weekend? Can't think of many things. Last weekend, a few of my running besties and I tacked Rock n Roll Savannah. Here's how it all went down:

First off, this was my first, not only Rock n Roll Savannah race, but my first Rock n Roll race in general. A few of my crew had run this race before and highly recommended it, so when I had the opportunity as a BibRave Pro to run it (Disclaimer: I received a free entry into the Rock 'n' Roll Savannah half marathon to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!) I jumped at the chance. As a BibRave Pro, I signed up for the Half Marathon. I then decided to sign up for the 5K (to earn the Remix Medal) and also the 1 Miler (cause the Sweet Georgia Pie Challenge). The other members of my group signed up for the following - 1 the Half Marathon, 1 the Half Marathon and 5K, 1 the Relay and the 5K and 1 the Relay, 5K and 1 Mile. 

The Crew!

Signing up for the race was a breeze. Like most races, the earlier you registered, the less expensive and there were ample discount codes, including a $15 off one from BibRave. Emails were aplenty from the Rock n Roll team and I always felt like I knew what was going on. One of our group's MIL lived in the Savannah area (right off Tybee Island) and she was gracious enough to offer us a place to stay, so that was super lucky. 

The 5 of us road tripped down to Savannah a bit after noon on Friday to make the 3.5 hour drive to the Expo, held at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center. It was super easy to get to (the previous year there had been some construction that caused issues) and we arrived around 4:00. There were attendants to help with parking, but there were ample spaces. 

The Expo was super well organized. The packet pick up area was large and had great signage. The race had sent out your bib numbers the week before so as long as you had those (which we did) you walked straight up to the correctly numbered table and got your bib. Those of us who were running multiple races were also given a wrist band to collect our Remix Medal after the 5K on Sunday. After bibs, you took your bib to the area for shirts and they tore the tab off your bib and gave you your shirt. There was an exchange area for you to change out your size if necessary. The shirts were a bit snug, so I'm glad I traded up. It was super easy, barely and inconvenience. 

Look, it's ME!!

After we had all our race items, it was time to make your way through the shopping portion of the Expo. The largest part of the Expo, at least half of the space, was occupied by Brooks, who was the official merchandise partner. There were all kinds of cool shirts, gear, and souvenirs specific to the race. The one cool thing my friends and I flocked to was the walls where all the participants names were listed. That was fun to see. On the other half of the Expo were smaller booths from other sponsors and vendors. We all got temporary tattoos from the Toyota booth. One of my friends bought some sunglasses and socks and I purchased a pair of CEP compression socks (they had orange ones!!). It was neat to check out the Rock n Roll area that displayed all the medals for Heavy Medal participants (multiple races per year) and overall, it was a decent Expo. My only complaint would be that there were no food vendor and no food samples. Otherwise, easy peasy to get in, get our stuff and get out. 

We headed to our home for the weekend, had dinner and tucked in early for our Half Marathon in the morning. Of course I had to lay out my gear before hand.

Ready to Race!

First thing we tried to do the next morning was book and Uber to take us to the race. We didn't want to bother with navigating the closed downtown streets and parking. It must have been that many had this same idea as no drivers were available! After a brief panic, our kind host offered to drive and drop us off at the race. She was able to get pretty close even with lots of the streets closed and we only had to walk about 3 blocks to the start area. The area was really well organized with lots of PortaPotties and the Waves were well marked. We were all in either 5 or 6, so we decided to line up at the back of Wave 5. It was a bit chilly (about 50) so we waited for race time inside a parking deck just around the corner to keep out of the wind. I knew I'd warm up as soon as I started running so I opted for short sleeves with easily to remove Buff arm sleeves. 

The race started right on time, immediately after the singing of the National Anthem, the first Wave was released and each Wave made their way continuously to the start. When I arrived to the start, I took off as I hit the start mat and didn't have too much trouble getting out of the crowd as the waves were broken up nicely (I think I heard someone say there were 16 waves. My friends and I kinda scattered at this point to run our own races, but I knew I would be seeing one of my girls at the 7 mile mark as she was the second leg of the Relay, so that was nice to look forward to. 

So pretty! And look at all the spectators!!

I really enjoyed the course. Savannah is literally what you would expect a city in the deep south to be. Charming, beautiful, draped in Spanish Moss and pretty darn flat. And the people of Savannah were super kind and gracious to the runners. It truly lived up to it's nickname of Hostess City of the South. There were people on the side of the course cheering THE ENTIRE ROUTE. I have never run a race where that has happened before. And not only cheering (which let me say just how many sweet older ladies I saw ringing bells and waving, so cute), but offering things as well. Impromptu aid stations, with things like boxes of tissues (which, by the way AMAZING thing to offer, had never thought about it or seen it on course before, but OMG, tissues!!), water, food, and I swear I ran past 4 or 5 groups offering beers in the last 2 miles alone. If you feed off crowd energy, HIGHLY recommend Savannah Rock n Roll. The parts through the downtown area were absolutely beautiful. The only part I wasn't a fan of was the conditions of some of the older roads, running on brick and large cracks in some areas were not my favorite, but it was only an issue briefly. 

On course aid stations were plentiful and had Water and Gatorade Endurance. I don't carry during a race, so I took advantage of each station (except the last) and alternated Water an Gatorade. There were also a couple stations that handed out gels, but I bring my own, so I did not take any of these, but it was nice that they did. 

As far as my race strategy, I had planned to take it conservatively. I wasn't aiming for a PR because I had just set a new one in the Spring, and a few times, I purposely slowed my pace, esp early on. But by mile 10, I realized that if I had a good last push, I would PR. I felt good, so I picked up speed. I ended up crossing the finish at 2:05:26 - an almost 2 minute PR. Made me wonder if I had run more aggressively earlier, could I have hit a sub-2? Maybe next year... 

At the finish, there were tons of volunteers handing out medals, which were cute and transpiration themed (the Half was a bike and the Relay was a tandem bike, which, adorable!) and the crowds were immense. I felt like a RockStar when I finished. They were also handing out bags of pretzels and trail mix, but that was the only food there. There were also bottles of water and Gatorade Endurance. I was quickly able to find one of my friends who finished 3 min ahead of me (also a PR for her) and we went back to the Relay meet up area to find the other members of our group. Those running the Relay met up near the end and ran the last .20 together. Rock n Roll has an App which I had not downloaded previously, but it became apparent I needed to. You could track runners on it and it also posted your results immediately. The girl running the Relay had it and It was kind of fun watching the progress of her partner on it so we knew exactly where she was and when she'd be there. Needless to say, I downloaded the App too. 

I LOVE THIS SHIRT!!

After we had all crossed the finish line, we headed over to the post-race party/concert area. 3 of my friends immediately got in line for massages. Another girl and I got in line for our free beer. The lines were long, but went quick. In face, I stepped out of line to go to the merchandise tent to pick up a shirt (I got cold real quick after the race) and by the time I got it and came back, my friend had already gotten her beer, so I had to start over at the end of the line. Oh well. And, my shirt was AMAZING. Remember how I had said at the Expo they had walls with participants names? Well, they made shirts with them too, and I totally snagged one! You had to be careful, because 1 shirt was names A-K and the other L-Z, and luckily I grabbed the right one on the first try. I say luckily, because I actually grabbed the LAST one. There was also a shirt with the 5K names on it which one of my friends got, and all names were on 1 shirt for that one. 

We hung out for a bit, listened to the band and kind of wandered around the area. The finish line was near Forsyth Park which was beautiful, like picture perfect with beautiful statues and fountains. 

This was right behind the Finisher Post-Party, so PRETTY!

We then walked a few block to a cute coffee shop to warm up with some coffee and wait for an Uber (which came super quick) to take us back home.

Here's how we celebrated our accomplishment!

Aren't we a lively lot

All and all, it was an AMAZING race! But, it was only Day 1 of our Racing Adventure. Stay tuned for Day 2 - the 5K and 1 Mile!  

It's Rock n Roll Savannah Race Week!!

It's RACE WEEK!! And not just any race week, but a Racecation Race Week! Starting Friday, I am Savannah, GA bound for Rock n Roll Savannah!! 

This weekend I will be running my very first Rock n Roll race(s) and I am super excited! I've always heard amazing things about Rock n Roll races and finally, I get my chance to experience one for myself. And so far, everything I have experienced has been amazing. I love receiving frequent updates from races (I'm a bit of an obsessive over planner and tend to worry over small details) so the updates have been super welcome. In fact, yesterday, I received 3 Final Preparations Updates (one for each race that I am registered for). 

The shirt's I'll be earning! That Peach KILLS me!! 

So here's the plan. Friday, I leave Rock Hill with a group of amazing friends who have all run this race before (there will be 5 of us total) and will hit up the Expo. Then, we are spending the night with the MIL of one of my friends, so that is awesome. Saturday morning, it is up bright and early for the Half Marathon - 3 of us are running the whole thing with the other 2 doing the Relay and sharing the miles. 

I'm personally earning 3 of these beauties! 

Saturday after the race, who knows what adventures we'll embark on. I've only been to Savannah twice ever (once 15 years ago and once when I was 9) so I have no idea what to do. If you have any suggestions, let me know in the comments!

PIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then Sunday afternoon, we head back to the Race Site and 4 of us will be running the 5K and thus earning the Remix Medal. Then, 2 of us will be also doing the 1 Mile earning a pie for the Sweet Georgia Pie Challenge. You heard (read) that right, I GET A PIE!! 

Overall, I am super excited about both the race and the trip. I'm trained and ready (well as ready as I'll ever be). I'm still trying to decide my strategy for the Half, but since I scored me a pretty decent PR earlier this year and have like a billion races coming up, PLUS start Marathon training next week, I feel like I am going to run this pretty conservatively. But then again, as soon as the start sounds, my dumb self will probably run all out. But no matter my time, I know it's going to be an awesome race and an awesome weekend. 

Here's what I'll look like, be sure to say HI!

I'll be rocking out bright BibRave Orange shirts for all 3 races and a BibRave Trucker Hat for the Expo, so if you see me there, be sure to stop me and say Hi!! Also, I am sure I will be posting a ton of pictures on both my Twitter and Insta, so if you don't already follow me, make sure you do. Links below:

RunNerdGirl on Twitter
RunNerdGirl on Instagram