So Yeah, I'm a Marathoner Now

"Disclaimer: I received entry to the Tobacco Road 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!"

HOLY BUTTS! I RAN A MARATHON!!!

It wasn't pretty. I had a pretty rough last few miles, but I did it. Here's the breakdown -

This was my 2nd time running Tobacco Road, but my first time on the Marathon Course (I ran the Half last year). Man, what a great race. It is small enough to make you feel like you are getting individual attention with small touches like the RD shaking everyone's hand at the finish line, but large enough to be exciting.

On the Road to Tobacco Road

I drove in about 2.5 hours to Cary with the family and stayed at the host hotel for the Expo, which was super nice and had a few perks for runners like free reception the night before and free late check out for runners. The Expo was small, but well organized and a few cool things this year like a visit from Jeff Galloway who gave a talk and was gracious enough to chat with and take photos with anyone who wanted to. I'm always too self conscience for that, but two of my friends got their bibs signed and he greeted them like old friends. We got race specific tech shirts, which were an upgrade from the previous year. The Half shirts were lime green and the Marathon were a pretty teal. 

Perhaps my least favorite, and only real issue with Tobacco Road is the parking situation. There are really 2 parking options (3 if you count getting dropped off) 1 - purchase 1 of a limited number of parking passes and 2 - parking at a remote lot and taking the shuttle in. Pretty straight forward, but both require you to arrive by 5:30 am for a 7:00 am start, which I feel is a bit too early. I rode with a friend with a parking pass and arrived right at 5:30 where we sat in the warm car for 45 min before getting out to use the ample port-a-potties and looking for other friends. The BibRave team met up and took a quick picture. 3 of us were doing the Marathon (2 of us our first) and 3 the Half. We wished each other good luck and then split off. I lined up at the start about 15 min before the race and pacers were well positioned for both the Half and the Full distances. I found the 4:35 pacer and positioned myself well back, but ahead of the 4:50 pacer. Was hoping for an under 5 hour finish. 

Team BibRave  in the HOUSE (err... ROAD)

The first 2.5 miles of the course was on road and had a few hills. Nothing I hadn't trained for, but a bit hilly nonetheless. Both the Half and Full start at the same time and cover this distance together. I ended up catching up with a friend who was running the Half and ran with her until the split. When you arrived the trail, the Marathoners turned right, while the Halfers tuned left. The right trail was hard packed dirt for the first few miles, then half hard packed/half asphalt so you could choose which surface to run on. There were a few road crossings that we well managed by police and support stations heavily manned with cheering people and water, Gatorade, gels, and Stroop waffles. At mile 7 (and 11) there was a Mimosa station that had bacon too. You ran to about mile 9, then turned back to where you started, where you were at just around mile 14. Then you crossed the main road (well manned with police) and started on the Half course. This side was all hard packed. You ran to about mile 19, then turned back to where you came onto the trail. Just past the turn around point, there was a huge spread of all kinds of goodies - cookies, snacks a ton of stuff that I didn't stop to check out, but was super nice. There were several port-a-potty stations also along the course. Once you came off the trail, you made you way back to Thomas Brooks Park down the same 2.5 miles you came in on. I felt the hills a bit more the way back, but nothing terrible, just gently rolling.

Not my picture, nor the time of year of the race - photo credit: TrailLink.
But wanted to show the Marathon Course trail.

Not gonna lie, I am STRUGGLING here!

I am not going to lie, the course is a bit on the boring side. It is pretty much the same exact view for 22 of the 26 miles - bare trees on a straight path. I don't mind out and back courses with limited crowd support much, but if you do, this is not the race for you. The crowds that were there we at road crossings and were very friendly and super supportive. In fact, around mile 21.5, I was feeling rough. That wall is real people, and this really nice lady came over to me and gave me a hug and some encouraging words. It was super kind. By then I was had switched to intervals and was pretty sure that my goal of under 5 hours was not going to happen. I ran to the mile marker, walked a tenth, then started up running again. Those last few miles all I could think was get to the next mile marker. 

Lots of excitement at the finish that was a bit of a blur to me to be honest, but there was a beer garden, free pizza, water stations, chocolate milk and I'm sure lots of other things I missed. Tons of volunteers were on hand for anything you needed. And the huge medal was gorgeous! I plan on wearing it for quite awhile! At a very minimum, I am carrying it around in my purse and showing it to anyone who will stand still long enough. Seriously, look at this beauty! 

My husband and daughter were waiting for me at the finish (as was my run bestie - BarkingMadRun) all of who took pictures and video of me finishing. (Speaking of photos, I did remember seeing a photographer at least 3 times on course- once on the Marathon course, once on the Half course and at the finish). I tried to cross the finish line was as much cheer as I could, glad to be done, but still knowing I missed my goal by a few minutes. It was nice to get that shot of love at the finish and cannot say how happy I was to have them all there. I didn't really stick around to partake in all that the finisher party had to offer because I really really wanted to get in a shower back at the hotel before the drive home, and that meant leaving pretty much right away.

Overall, it was an amazing race for my first Marathon. Will I run another? ... NO. Not ever. People say never say never, but I am saying NEVER. Nothing to do with the race, Tobacco Road was amazing - I'd run the Half again and again - but I HATED training and running a marathon. It took up so much of my time, it felt like I was working a second, exhausting full time job in addition to all of my other commitments. It made running a horrible chore, and it probably didn't help that this was one of the wettest Winters on record. I spent so many hours cold, wet and miserable, that even though race day was perfect weather (thank goodness), I was just so over the whole process. 

One of the reasons that we challenge ourselves with great tasks is to learn about ourselves and I learned that I really do not enjoy running these longer distances. And you know what, that's okay. Different strokes for different folks, right? When my daughter was little, we used to tell her that if everyone liked the same thing, the world would be very boring. I'm glad I did it. I'm glad I set the goal, put in the work and proved that I could. Even though I missed my timing goal, (let's be honest, the REAL goal was to just finish, which I did) even though the last 4 miles were a DISASTER, I'm proud. 

I'm a Marathoner. I am one of the 1%. I am MIGHTY!

And here's another look at that beautiful medal! 

Marathon Bound: A Quick Look Back

"Disclaimer: I received entry to the Tobacco Road Marathon and access to the AfterShokz #262squad Marathon Training Experience on Motigo 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!"

It's almost time. Just 3 more days and I will be running my first marathon. Let's take a quick look back at the journey so far.

We started with Theoden memes, might as well end with them too

Over the summer of 2018, I somehow got the brilliant idea that I wanted to run a marathon. I figured, people keep asking me if I have and I am getting older, so if I were to actually do it, it had better be sooner rather than later. So, I decided to let the fates decide. If BibRave partnered with Tobacco Road Marathon again in 2019, I would choose it for my first marathon. I had enjoyed running the Half (read about it here) and even posted a Half Marathon PR at it. It was a great, flat, well organized race, so yeah, why not. 

Me at Tobacco Road after the Half in 2018. Technically,
I ran the 2nd part of the Marathon, which is the hardest
part, so should be a piece of cake, right?

Well, as you have figured, BibRave did partner with Tobacco Road and I registered. I was even given another awesome opportunity through BibRave on a super supportive, Beginner's Marathon Training Program through BibRave and Aftershokz through the #262Squad training on Motigo (check out more info about that here). Seems like all of the stars were aligning for my Marathon Dreams. All that was left was to put in the training.

Oh boy, what a training it was!! Practically every single weekend (and most weekdays in fact) it rained. This Winter was the wettest on record. I'm not even exaggerating. There were studies done and articles written like this one:

Oh look, a picture of me running in the rain. How novel.
At least it was warm in this one... 

https://www.wfae.org/post/2018-now-wettest-year-record-washington-and-other-cities#stream/0. 

And do you know what an outdoor runner with no access to a treadmill does when it rains? They get wet. Really wet. Add in to that the fact that it was Winter, they get cold and wet. But still I logged the miles. Almost 500 of them in fact, no matter the weather. Using the #262Squad plan, I put in long run after long wrong, steadily increasing my miles over 18 long weeks. Though those weeks, I honed in my nutrition plan and hydration plan. I switched from a fuel belt (which never sat right on me) to a backpack. I practiced different outfits and ran over all the scenarios again and again. I never missed a single training run.
Along the way, I had a few local friends also sign up for Tobacco Road, which was such a help. 2 ladies from my Fleet Feet Running Club signed up for the Half and a guy for the Marathon. We'd put in our first few miles (whatever was on their plan) with the girls and then Harman and I would finish out our miles. This will be Harman's first Marathon as well. I could not have put in the long runs without them. 

Post-20 miler in the cold, wet rain. We're smiling, but we don't mean it.

Week 15 was a particularly challenging one. It was cold, and it was wet. Really wet. I rained and rained and rained. We split the mileage into 3 parts. 7 miles with the main Fleet Feet Club. 6 more with the Tobacco Road crew. Then the final 7 just Harman and I. I would have given up for sure that day without a squad. After the first 13, I removed 3 shirt (all totally soaked through) and put on 3 more (all of which got soaked through as well). It wasn't pretty, but Harman and I figured if we could push through that day, we were unstoppable. I hope we were right, because it's almost time to prove it. 

All there is left now to do is to enjoy it (so people keep telling me). The family is coming with me again to Cary for the race. We are going to try and make it a fun weekend where I just so happen to have to stop in the middle and run for hours and hours on end. I'm excited to see some of my BibRave friends there and again, it really is a great race. The medal is adorable and I plan to wear it for a week striaght. Plus, automatic PR when I finish, right? 

At leas the weather is looking clear, so I am choosing to think as I had in the beginning, this Marathon was meant to be run. Wish me luck. And if you'd like to join me, online registration is now closed, but you can still register for the Marathon at the Expo starting tomorrow (the Half Marathon is sold out, however). 

2018 Recap

So here we are. The end of another year. Time for a final look at 2018 and see how things went as far as meeting my goals. But first up...

2018 Setbacks

I'll be honest, 2018 was a pretty great year for me overall. I didn't run into any real illness or injuries that kept me off the road. I owe a lot of that to an increase in cross training with Burn Boot Camp. Overall, going 2 or 3 times per week throughout the year I think kept me pretty healthy. If I had to pick a major area that I struggled with, it would have to be nutrition. I got what I felt was pretty lousy advice near the end of 2017 that set me on the path of some pretty unhealthy habits for weight loss (too few calories, too drastic loss). Right before the end of the year, I had lost 12 pounds in just 3 weeks while maintaining full activity. I felt like my body was shutting down. I think I kind of rebelled against that by not following any kind of plan once I realized that I could not keep going like that. Anyway, I need to be more sensible about watching what I eat and making better choices. I will be posting my goals for 2019 later this week, but you can be sure that nutrition will be a big one. I've been very lucky not to bounce back and gain a bunch of weight back, but that won't last forever, plus, esp with heavy training at the beginning of 2019, I just need to eat better to perform and feel better. Again, more on this soon. 

The most frustrating thing that I think happened to me in 2019 was missing hitting a new 5K PR by 3 seconds at Rock n Roll Savannah. 3 SECONDS! And yes, I know I had just set a new Half PR the day before, and I know I ran a good race, but missing by that little is super frustrating. And now that I've switched focus away from speed training, looks like that 5K PR will hold for a while. 

I also did not follow a regular planner like I had set out to do. This is one I am going to try as a do over goal for 2019, so I will be talking more about this in my upcoming 2019 goals. 2019 is going to have a pretty consistent theme of getting organized. I seriously cannot keep going on like a chicken with my head cut off. The chaos will be tamed in 2019! 

Otherwise... 2018 was kind of awesome! 

Let's take one last look at my goals and how I did. (Goals are listed in orange). Less than a month to get everything checked off! 

• Run 1009 miles - me and a friend are splitting 2018 miles
• BOOM! Mission accomplished a full MONTH early! I ended the year with 1,140 total miles! 

• Run 18 races
• Grand total of 21 races for 2018! Wow! I'll admit, I kind of got carried away at the end of the year. I will not be racing this much in 2019, but I do have a few important races lined up (see below). 2018 was EXHAUSTING! Here's what I ran - 

Baxter Trail NYD Gnome Run 5K, Joe Davis Run for Recovery 10K, Hot Chocolate 15K Atlanta, Hot Chocolate 15K Charlotte, Tobacco Road Half Marathon, Come See Me Road Race 5K, Kings Mountain Half Marathon, Warrior Dash 5K, Moonlight Bootlegger Trail 5K, Insane Inflatable 5K, Common Heart Firecracker 10K, Summerfest 5K, Color Me for Life 5K, Great Pumpkin Run 5K, Rock n Roll Savannah Half Marathon, 5K, and 1 Mile races, Run Hard Lexington 10K, Gobble Wobble 8K, Huntersville Half Marathon, and Santa Run 8K. Whew... 

• Place in 4 races
• Y'all this is one goal that I was super excited about exceeding. I managed 7 placements in 2018!! Here's the stats - 
• 3rd Place Baxter Trail NYD Gnome Run 5K
• 1st Place Come See Me 5K
• 2nd Place Kings Mountain Half Marathon
• 2nd Place Mooonlight Bootlegger Trail 5K
• 1st Place Common Heart Firecracker 10K
• 3rd Place Summerfest 5K
• 1st Place Great Pumpkin Run 5K

Here's a quick visual of all the medals and awards I brought home. Missing is a pint glass for the NYD Gnome Run 5K because the decal washed off.

Bling for days... 

• 1200 Twitter followers
• Done and Done! I just surpassed 1500 followers! 

• 1000 Instagram followers
• Did not make my original goal, but in my last update post, I said I would be happy with 900. I hit that. Currently at 926. This will be a bigger focus in 2019.

• Run 4 Half Marathons with a new PR in at least 1
• 4 Half Marathons accomplished. And 2 new PRs! Here's what I raced:
• New PR at Tobacco Road - 2:07
• Kings Mountain Half Marathon (no PR, but improved over previous year)
• Even newer PR at Rock n Roll Savannah - 2:05
• Huntersville Half paced a friend who got a new PR for her!

• Do an Obstacle Race (Warrior Dash) 
• Done and done! This was a total blast. So much fun! I can't wait to run it again Although one of my friends is trying to convince us to upgrade to the Spartan. We'll see...

Our crazy messy crew

• Renew as BibRave Pro

• So exited to say that I have achieved this goal! I have absolutely LOVED being a BibRave Pro and am stoked about being on board for another year. I've been able to test out some really amazing items this year (my favorites probably being Aftershokz and OOFS) and run some really fun races (2 Hot Chocolate races, Tobacco Road and Rock n Roll Savannah). But more than that, I am so thankful for the community of runners that I have gotten to meet over the past year. I cannot wait for the amazing opportunities that 2019 will hold for me with BibRave. I already have my first 2 2019 BibRave races scheduled, Hot Chocolate Charlotte on Jan. 19 and Tobacco Road Marathon (my first ever) on Mar. 17. Check out the notes at the bottom of this post for details on how you can join me at these races including discount codes! 

• Blog more - 4 per month at least 
• Some month's have been better than others (I'm looking at you, May and August) but I can say that I have overall done a much better job of blogging than in 2017.  This post will bring me to 50 for the year, which averages out to 4.2 posts per month which is so I'm calling it a win. I am going to be focusing even more on Blog building in 2019.

• Keep a consistent training plan/journal (Using the Believe Training Journal) 
• As you read above. This was a big ol' fail for me. Hey, if you met all of your goals, that means you didn't aim high enough, right!? That's what I am going with at least. This year I am trying the Simple Elephant planner. I have it already set up, ready to go. 

Here a a few other 2018 Successes that I did not specifically have as goal, but wanted to mention:

• New PR in every distance I raced in 2018 - 5K, 8K, 10K, 15K and Half. Now I didn't PR every race, I did at one point in the year PR each distance
• Was consistent with Burn Boot Camp. Sure, I may call it Torture Camp, but it is all with love. I have gotten loads stronger, which has really helped my running and made some amazing friends. Love my #BurnSisters
• Also, earlier this year, my Burn Boot Camp Rock Hill location had a location shirt design contest, and I won it! In fact, that pictured to the right is me wearing the shirt that I designed! 
• Signed up for a Marathon. I may have mentioned this one or two (or a billion times). Signing up was one of my scariest moments of 2018. So far, I am on track with training. I just started Week 8 of 18 of training. 

Looking Forward - Join Me on the Road in 2019

As I mentioned above, I already have a few 2019 lined up. 

I'm so excited about running my 3rd Hot Chocolate 15K (2nd Charlotte one) on January 19th. Not only do I think that 15K is the perfect distance (right around the 10 mile mark, I start to think to myself - Why am I still running? - but there is CHOCOLATE at the finish. Not just Hot Chocolate mind you, but all manner of yummies! Plus, their swag is legit some of the best race swag ever (see the pic to the right) Join me and register with discount code BRHCCharlotte and you get not only the medal, the jacket (so worth the registration fee alone) the chocolate and goodies (YUM), but also a really cool branded arm band for holding your phone while running. There is also a 5K option, but heads up that you do not get a medal for this. You still get the jacket, goodies and the arm band (with the discount code). 

Tobacco Road Marathon on March 17th will be MY EVER FIRST MARATHON at Tobacco Road!! I have already started training with the BibRave and Aftershokz #262Squad and am on Week 4 of training. You can join me at Tobacco Road, register with discount code trmrave19 for $20 off either the Half or the Full - https://tobaccoroadmarathon.com 

You can also join the #262Squad Marathon Training Program here: 262squad.aftershokz.com/
Download the plan on the Motigo App and join in anytime. You will receive a full 18 week training plan that consists of 4 running days per week, many of which have helpful audio cues that play throughout your run. I'm loving it so far!. 

How about you? Tell me how your 2018 went. What were your major accomplishments? Feel free to follow me on Twitter or Instagram if you haven't already.

Are you looking at 2019 yet? If so, what do you have planned?

** Do note that I am right on schedule for the 2018 recap, unlike last year when was 3 days late 😊 See, already getting the jump on that getting organized thing for 2019. 

Marathon Training Update: Week 6 with the #262Squad

"Disclaimer: I received access to the AfterShokz #262squad Marathon Training Experience on Motigo 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!"

Well, I am officially on Week 6 of my Tobacco Road Marathon Training using the Aftershokz and BibRave #262Squad Marathon Training Plan powered by Motigo. And so far, so good. I haven't actually gotten into unfamiliar distances as I am still in the base building portion of the program, but so far, everything has been going quite smoothly. 

The first few weeks saw me putting in very familiar distances. So far my longest run on this plan has been 10 miles while my longest run ever is 15. Well technically, I did a Half Marathon one week, so that was really my longest run in the training thus far, but that was me overachieving a bit, not the plan. What I love about this plan is that I have been able to modify it to fit my needs, so when the random race does pop up (like it did last weekend) I feel like I can easily swap out workouts.  

Successful Half, with a new PR for my friend of the right!

For example, last week, when I ran the Huntersville Half, was supposed to be my cut-back week where I drop down from 10 miles to just 6 for my long run. Instead, I switched it up a week and used last weekend as my cut-back week. I also didn't race the Half, but instead paced a friend, so as not to overexert during training. This week I will jump back into 12 miles, which again for me is not a new distance, so I feel pretty confident playing around with the schedule a bit. 

Here's what the actual workout looks like -
Each entry includes distance, tips and # of messages

As for the actual audio recordings that I get to experience during the run, I've been loving them. The recordings come every few miles, at least once per week, during the long run, but on occasion I have had a recording during my Thursday training as well. These recordings have been everything from tips about practicing nutrition during the run, to fun stories that the trainers share to keep the mood light and fun. Some even give me tips while in the moment, like urging me to sprinkle in some strides throughout the run. Each message is preceded by a tone that allows me to turn up the volume if need be so I can hear more clearly if I have my Aftershokz turned down for whatever reason, like when I'm chatting while running. 

All in all, I have been very thankful that I have gotten to experience this training plan. Marathon training can be pretty lonely if you are on your own. For some reason, unless they are in training as well, no one else really jumps at the opportunity to join you for a 20 mile run, lol. But sharing my training on socials and being a part of the #262Squad I am able to connect with others going through the same challenges, even if they are not physically with me. Also, seeing the success that Kim Fassetta recently had completing the same program for her first ever marathon - the Honolulu Marathon 2 weeks ago has given me a huge boost of confidence. You can read more about her journey here - https://aftershokz.com/blogs/news/join-me-in-hawaii-for-my-first-marathon 

If your are considering your first marathon, and are interested in checking out the AfterShokz #262squad Marathon Training Experience, you can find out more by heading over to their website here - https://262squad.aftershokz.com/. The plan only costs $34.99 but the #262squad Marathon Training Experience is FREE with the purchase of Trekz Air or Trekz Titanium headphones!! It is perfect for training for your first Marathon, or any Marathon.

Or, if you'd like to join me specifically at the Tobacco Road Marathon, you can register here: http://www.tobaccoroadmarathon.com/ and use discount code:  trmrave19 for $20 off your marathon or half marathon registration.

The End is Nigh - The End of the Year That Is!

Here's a quick update on my 2018 goals along with the current status (Goals are listed in orange). Less than a month to get everything checked off! 

• Run 1009 miles - me and a friend are splitting 2018 miles
• BOOM! Mission accomplished a full MONTH early!

Accomplished on Nov. 29!

• Run 18 races
• Well, even if I just count the Savannah Rock n Roll races as 1 race (when I actually ran 3) I would be at 18 races as of right now and I still have 2 more this year. I will be running the Huntersville Half Marathon this coming weekend and The Santa Dash 8K the following weekend. So I'm calling it 20 races for the year.  

• Place in 4 races
• Y'all this is one goal that I was super excited about exceeding. So as of last check in, I had hit 6 placings. And guess what?! I managed one more since then! I placed 1st AG in the Great Pumpkin 5K!!  I went in with the goal to bring home a pumpkin and I DID! Total of 7 placements for 2018. Not too shabby! 

I came, I ran, I achieved pumpkin

• 1200 Twitter followers
• Done and Done! I just surpassed 1400 followers! 

• 1000 Instagram followers
• Not sure if I am gonna make this one. Currently at 879. I've upped my Instagram game a bit, but it is still slow going. Will be happy if I can get to 900. If you have any Insta tips, please post in the comments. This will be a bigger focus in 2019.

• Run 4 Half Marathons with a new PR in at least 1
• 3 down, with 1 more registered for: 
• New PR at Tobacco Road - 2:07
• Even newer PR at Rock n Roll Savannah - 2:05
• Running Huntersville Half on Dec. 8th, but not racing it. Gonna pace a friend.

• Do an Obstacle Race (Warrior Dash) 
• Done and done! This was a total blast. So much fun! I can't wait to run it again Although one of my friends is trying to convince us to upgrade to the Spartan. We'll see...

Our crazy messy crew

• Renew as BibRave Pro

• So exited to say that I have achieved this goal! I have absolutely LOVED being a BibRave Pro and am stoked about being on board for another year. I've been able to test out some really amazing items this year (my favorites probably being Aftershokz and OOFS) and run some really fun races (2 Hot Chocolate races, Tobacco Road and Rock n Roll Savannah). But more than that, I am so thankful for the community of runners that I have gotten to meet over the past year. I cannot wait for the amazing opportunities that 2019 will hold for me with BibRave. I already have my first 2 2019 BibRave races scheduled, Hot Chocolate Charlotte on Jan. 19 and Tobacco Road Marathon (my first ever) on Mar. 17. Check out the notes at the bottom of this post for details on how you can join me at these races including discount codes! 

• Blog more - 4 per month at least 
• Some month's have been better than others (I'm looking at you, May and August) but I can say that I have overall done a much better job of blogging than in 2017.  So far I am at 46 (including this post) for the year, which averages out to 4.1 posts per month which is so I'm calling it a win. I am going to be focusing even more on Blog building in 2019.

• Keep a consistent training plan/journal (Using the Believe Training Journal) 
• Ummmm... pass. Yeah, I suck. Said amazing training journal has sat in my desk drawer, cold and unloved. I am having a bit more luck with the pocket calendar, but mostly for scheduling BibRave stuff, not training. Training is mainly on an Excel spreadsheet. Recommend a system that you love for me to try in the comments below to help a girl out. 

Looking Foward - Join Me on the Road in 2019

As I mentioned above, I already have a few 2019 lined up. 

I'm so excited about running my 3rd Hot Chocolate 15K (2nd Charlotte one) on January 19th. Not only do I think that 15K is the perfect distance (right around the 10 mile mark, I start to think to myself - Why am I still running? - but there is CHOCOLATE at the finish. Not just Hot Chocolate mind you, but all manner of yummies! Plus, their swag is legit some of the best race swag ever (see the pic to the right) Join me and register with discount code BRHCCharlotte and you get not only the medal, the jacket (so worth the registration fee alone) the chocolate and goodies (YUM), but also a really cool branded arm band for holding your phone while running. There is also a 5K option, but heads up that you do not get a medal for this. You still get the jacket, goodies and the arm band (with the discount code). 

Tobacco Road Marathon on March 17th will be MY EVER FIRST MARATHON at Tobacco Road!! I have already started training with the BibRave and Aftershokz #262Squad and am on Week 4 of training. You can join me at Tobacco Road, register with discount code trmrave19 for $20 off either the Half or the Full - https://tobaccoroadmarathon.com 

You can also join the #262Squad Marathon Training Program here: 262squad.aftershokz.com/
Download the plan on the Motigo App and join in anytime. You will receive a full 18 week training plan that consists of 4 running days per week, many of which have helpful audio cues that play throughout your run. I'm loving it so far!. 

How about you? Tell me how your 2018 is going so far. Feel free to follow me on Twitter or Instagram if you haven't already to help me meet those 2018 number too. 

Are you looking at 2019 yet? If so, what do you have planned?

So It Begins: Week 1 of Marathon Training

"Disclaimer: I received access to the AfterShokz #262squad Marathon Training Experience on Motigo 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, I am officially in training for my first ever Marathon, the Tobacco Road Marathon on March 17th, 2019. 
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHGHGHHGHGHGH!!!!!!!

Perhaps the hardest part so far of training for a marathon has been selecting a training plan. I am SUPER Type A, especially when it comes to planning my runs. Since I started racing almost 5 years ago now (WOW) I have been on some sort of plan or another. I started out using the Couch to 5K plan. After that, I used Runkeeper plans, plans found online, plans though local training groups, and finally, I've started making up my own plans based on what has and hasn't worked for me in the past. But marathon training was a whole new level of insanity that I've not experienced before, and I'm pretty much doing it alone which in itself is scaring me a bit. 

Lucky for me, as I was agonizing over this, I was given an amazing opportunity though BibRave to check out the Aftershokz #262 Marathon Training Experience through the Motigo App. Basically, it is a fully realized 18 week marathon training plan that consists of 4 run days per week. Also, for each week, 1 or 2 of the runs will have Audio that provides motivation and tips that pop up as you run so even though I am training alone, I'm not really alone. 

So I had a wee bit of a rocky start (mainly because I thought this week - Nov. 19 - 25th was Week 1, instead of last week - Nov. 12 - 19th). Oops! Luckily, I figured it out half way though the week and really only missed 1 running day (but actually put in the correct number of total miles, so in the end, it all worked out anyway. 

For the first week, I had 2 days with Audio cues. Since I am early in the program, the audio mainly was motivational, a preview of what was to come. I liked how I got a little chime right before the audio cue came on because sometimes I have a tendency to zone out a bit while running, so when I heard the chime, I had a moment to turn up the volume on my Aftershokz so I could make sure I could really hear Jessica or Tim talking. I'll be honest, during my first run with Audio, when I heard Jessica encouraging me to increase my pace near the end of my 5 mile run, at first I was like, nah, but then I did and I am glad that I did. It was nice to have that bit of an extra push and I look forward to more of this in the future. 

Overall, the plan looks gradual and pretty straight forward, and not quite as intimidating now that I have it all set out before me. My biggest concerns are being able to fit in the longer mid-week runs. Any thing above 5 miles on a week day is a bit of a challenge to schedule in, so I may have to get creative for a few weeks, especially seeing that the bulk of the plan is squarely in the winter months, which can be pretty unpredictable here in SC. Mainly, I am trying to think positive and not let it overwhelm me. It helps that a few other of my fellow BibRave Pros are also training with this program, so even though I am technically alone, I do have a squad out there who know what I am going through. 

Let's just hope it doesn't end the same for me as it did Theoden... 

Would you like to join me on this epic adventure? There is always room on the #262squad. To join in on the Aftershokz #262 Marathon Training Experience visit: https://262squad.aftershokz.com/ for instructions on how to access the program. 

And if you'd like to join me specifically at the Tobacco Road Marathon, you can register here: http://www.tobaccoroadmarathon.com/ and use discount code:  trmrave19 for $20 off your marathon or half marathon registration.

3rd Quarter Check In

First of all here are my 2018 goals along with the current status (Goals are listed in orange). 

• Run 1009 miles - me and a friend are splitting 2018 miles
• I'm a bit ahead on this goal as I've banked a few miles here an there each month just in case something comes up. Luckily this year I have yet to run into any extended breaks (please don't have just jinxed this!!) so as of today, I am at 813 miles of the 757 I needed to be on track for 1009 for the year. My partner is training for an Ultra (it's this weekend, wish her luck!), so she's well ahead of schedule at 892 miles. Combined we are sitting pretty at 1705/2018. Each of us only need just over 150 miles each to finish out the year which will be no problem, esp with me training for 2 more Half Marathons and starting training for my first ever Marathon.

• Run 18 races
• I'm well and good on the 18 race goal. As of Sept 30th, I have run 11. Currently, I have registered for 5 more (Color Me for Life 5K, Great Pumpkin Run 5K, Rock N Roll Savannah Half Marathon and 5K, and Huntersville Half Marathon. I know for sure doing 2 others (Gobble Wobble 8K and Santa Run 8K), just have not registered for yet. I also may do another 10K in Nov but haven't fully decided. (You can join me at Savannah and save $15 on the Half or Full with discount code- RNRBRP2018).

These are the 2018 Savannah Rock n Roll medals. Pleased to say I'll be earning 3 of these beauties! 

• Place in 4 races
• This goal is already met and then some! I'm now at SIX placings! 3rd at New Years Gnome Run 5K, 2nd at Kings Mountain Half Marathon, 1st at Come See Me 5K, 2nd at Moonlight Bootlegger, 1st at Common Heart Firecracker 10K and 3rd at Summerfest 5K!!!  I'm half hoping for one more at the Great Pumpkin Run in October, but it's kind of a long shot, so we'll see... 

• 1200 Twitter followers
• Done and Done! Current follower count is 1,284

• 1000 Instagram followers
• Not sure if I am gonna make this one. Currently at 793. I've upped my Instagram game a bit, but it is still slow going. If you have any Insta tips, please post in the comments. 

• Run 4 Half Marathons (Tobacco Rd., Kings Mtn, Run & Ride, Rock n Roll Savannah) with a new PR in at least 1
• 2 down, with 2 more registered for 
• New PR at Tobacco Road.
• Running Rock n Roll Savannah Half on Nov. 3rd
• Running Huntersville Half on Dec. 9th

• Do an Obstacle Race (Warrior Dash) 
• Done and done! This was a total blast. So much fun! I can't wait to run it again Although one of my friends is trying to convince us to upgrade to the Spartan. We'll see...

Our crazy messy crew

• Renew as BibRave Pro

• This doesn't happen until late Fall, so no update on this goal, but I *think* I am doing a decent job as a Pro. I've met all my requirement and try to post quality content. And I have been LOVING some of the awesome things I've gotten to test! Some of my favorites include Aftershokz Trekz Air bone conducting headphones and my Bedgear Performance Pillow. Love getting to try out such cool things and tell others about them!  

• Blog more - 4 per month at least 
• Some month's have been better than others (I'm looking at you, May and August) but I can say that I have overall done a much better job of blogging than in 2017.  So far I am at 33 (including this post) for the year, which averages out to 3.67 posts per month which is ALMOST 4, so I'm calling it a win. 

• Keep a consistent training plan/journal (Using the Believe Training Journal) 
• Ummmm... pass. Yeah, I suck. Said amazing training journal has sat in my desk drawer, cold and unloved. I am having a bit more luck with the pocket calendar, but mostly for scheduling BibRave stuff, not training. Recommend a system that you love for me to try in the comments below to help a girl out. 

And I am not sure of you noticed me slip it in there at the top, but I already have my MAJOR 2019 Goal lined. I'M RUNNING MY FIRST MARATHON at Tobacco Road in March!! That's crazy! I'm still not ever sure why crazy me has decided to do this, probably so I can answer yes once and for all when people ask if I've run a marathon. Feeling like it will totally be a one and done kind of thing, but I have to get that one. I ran the Half at Tobacco Road this year and loved it, so I think it will be a great first Full. Training will officially start in Nov. after Savannah. You can join me at Tobacco Road, register with discoutn code trmrave19 for $20 off either the Half or the Full - https://tobaccoroadmarathon.com/

How about you? Tell me how your 2018 is going so far. Feel free to follow me on Twitter or Instagram if you haven't already to help me meet those 2018 number too.