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! 

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

Up the Mountain: King Mountain Half

On May 5th I ran the Kings Mountain Half Marathon. This was my second time running this race, so I knew going in a bit of what I was in for, however, the course was rerouted for 2018, so it was pretty much all new to me again. And let me just say, the 2018 course was crazy harder than the 2017 one! But like the race registration page says, this Half Marathon isn't so much a race as a historic battle! And the course certainly live up to that.

The weather was pretty nice this year, which was a blessing, since it was super hot the previous year. When I arrived to the Park, the temps were in the mid-60s and the sun was hiding behind the clouds. I am super cold natured, so I knew I was going to need something to keep me warm both before and early into the race. That's where I knew my Buff UV Arm Sleeves would come in perfect. 

I love arm sleeves. Nice and cozy warm when you need them, and easy to slide off and tie on to your fuel belt when you don't. They kept me nice and warm pre-race and were actually so light and breathable, I wore them for the first 4 or so miles of the course. When I started to heat up, I was able to slip them right off and tie onto my belt without even breaking my stride. Additionally, I am sorting my new favorite running hat, the Buff Pro Run Cap, which also offers UV Protection in addition to being super light, comfortable and moisture wicking. 

Not much to say about the actual running part of the race except that it was a beast. Lots of hills, of course, but the route also was on a pretty gravelly road for a good portion (about 8 miles or so of the 13) with some pretty decent rocks to avoid. I was a bit nervous on a few of the more sloped down-hills about hitting a rock and losing my footing, but overall, I ended up navigating the course with no real issue. I will say the last mile or so was pretty up hill, which seems cruel, including the very final stretch being a pretty steep climb. I pushed through for a running finish, but I did see several people walking the finish line. I always say that this race is more than just a race, it is an adventure. It's a challenge I love to conquer.

After the race for Kings Mountain is always a great time. I knew several of the runners and stuck around to cheer them on. A Boy Scout Troop does a cookout for the race participants of burgers, chicken, or hot dogs with chips, drink and dessert. While hanging around to wait for award presentations, I started to cool down again, so back on went the arm sleeves. Not only did they warm me back up, they totally kept my bare arms protected from UV rays. 

When all the numbers were crunched, I ended up placing again this year, 2nd place in my division! Plus, despite the tougher course, I managed to knock 6 minutes off my finishing time! 

Dorking it up Post-Race!

Overall, it was a tough race, but again, a challenge I look forward to each year. I will for sure be back to conquer the mountain again in 2019. Who knows, last year I was 3rd, this year 2nd, maybe I can pull off a 1st placing then! 

(Disclaimer: I received several Buff products to use and 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!)

Race Week: The Road to Tobacco Road

This weekend will be my first Half Marathon of the year, the Tobacco Road Half. And, if you are interested in running it as well, let me go ahead and give you the link and info right off the bat because you are not going to want to even wait long enough to finish this blog, seriously, REGISTER NOW as last I heard, there were only 25 spots left open.

Register at http://www.tobaccoroadmarathon.com/participate/fees-registration and use code “bibrave1” to save $20 on race registration!

There, now that's taken care of, let me tell you a bit about my goals for the Tobacco Road Half. If you had asked me a week ago, I would have said my goal was to run a new Half PR. I've never run Tobacco Road before and hear that it is a wonderfully flat course with parts of it on soft surfaces and is great for hitting PRs. I've been training really steady for it and was in a great place for this race. First glance at the weather 10 days out was looking like perfect conditions. Everything was coming up ME! 

I'm coming for you awesome medal!

Then Saturday morning I woke up unable to breathe out of my nose and with the worst sore throat. NOOOOOOOOOOOO! I ended up taking the weekend off from training to rest, skipping my last long run (9 miles) and figuring that since it was a taper week anyway, I could still pull this off.

PR Bell, I could still ring you!

And that is where I am now. Hoping to purge myself of this blasted cold quick enough to have a good showing. Either way, I am still looking forward to a great race. I am still holding on to the possibility of being able to ring the PR bell at the finish, but both my health and the weather forecast since are not being quite as promising as previous to this weekend. 

Either way, I am trying to look on the bright side and planning to have a fantastic race. So far everything I have seen about Tobacco Road looks amazing. First of all, when you sign up for the race, you have access to a training plan that is posted on their website. This was super helpful in planning out my long run schedule. Also, they have been steadily sending out communications both about the status of the race and some really amazing stories about some of the athletes who will be at the races and some of the challenges they are overcoming to run Tobacco Road. Check some of these stories out here: http://www.tobaccoroadmarathon.com/news-press 

I almost don't look like I'm dying

I did head out for a short 3 mile run last night where I pulled things way back as far as speed and I did hit Burn Boot Camp this morning. I'm trying to convince myself that I am not really sick. Luckily, it is mainly just a head cold which, while annoying, isn't terrible. The trick is getting enough sleep with a plugged nose waking me all night long, but as the week progresses, hopefully that will improve. The other concern is that the weather has take a bit of a turn to the worse with the temperature dropping a degree or 2 every time I check it, but luckily it looks like no rain, so there's that. Trust me, I am so OVER racing in the rain. 

I will be travelling a bit for Tobacco Road which is always fun, even more so this time since I am bringing the family along. Cary, NC is about a 3 hour drive for, so packing up the family early Sat morning and going to try to hit something fun in the Raleigh area for the afternoon. I am staying at the host hotel so it will be quick and easy to attend the expo on Saturday and sprung the extra $10 for the parking pass for the race so I have a bit more wiggle room and a bit less stress on race day. 

So that's where we are. T-minus 5 days to race day and slowly overcoming a head cold while obsessively watching the weather. But, I'm still going to enjoy it!! 

Do you have any tips for getting rid of a head cold quickly? Maybe you have an awesome rain dance just to make sure that this one is a dry race for me? Share in the comments below! 

Run Around the Park - Carowinds Run and Ride Race Series Review

This was my second year with the Carowinds Run and Ride Series running the Half Marathon. I signed up for the series back in January which allowed for a pretty big discount, so I ended up registering for 3 of the 4 possible races - the 1 miler, the 5K and the Half. The other distance (Quarter Marathon) was not an option for me as it was at the same time as the Half.

Packet pick up was available the Friday evening before the race at the race site or on race day. I opted to pick up Friday evening. I arrived right when pick up started and walked right up. Snoopy was there to greet racers and he and his handler kept my daughter entertained while the volunteers pulled my 4 packets (my daughter was also running the 1 miler). There were 3 steps to pick up. First you got your bib in an envelope, then to another line where you got your shirts and then to a 3rd line to pick up your park tickets if you chose a registration that came with tickets. We have season passes to Carowinds, so I passed on the ticket option (which made for a cheaper registration), but later found out they were giving line cut passes to the Half participants, which I missed out on as this was not clear. Those running the 1 miler and 5K got cotton yellow Charlie Brown-like shirts. Half racers got red tech Charlie Brown-like shirts plus a bag with a hat, magnet, and buff. I had to ask for the extra swag bag as the volunteer kept getting confused on who should get what, but finally got all my items, pried my daughter away from Snoopy and left.

Day  1

On race day, we arrived to the theme park where there was ample free parking. There was a bit of confusion as the race start time ended up being different than posted on the website with the 5K now starting at 8:30 instead of the posted 8:15. Luckily, the 1 miler was also pushed back 15 minutes from 9:00 to 9:15 as I was planning to run both. The on-site DJ made this announcement several times so it wasn't really a big deal, just a bit more waiting.

The race started just outside the park gate and looped around the back of the parking lot onto a maintenance road, and then into a back gate next to a large wooden roller coaster, The Hurler. From there, it wound around the park, into the water park area, under several more coaster, through the Dinosaurs area (always fun to run past life-size dinos), back out a maintenance area. The miles go by fast as there are a million things to look at, especially since Carowinds had already started putting up their creepy SCarowinds decorations. I only ran past 1 Peanuts character, Franklin,  during the race and even then, I think it was just a coincidence as he was making his way to his station for the park to open, but he high-fived me as I zoomed past, which made me smile. There was a water station at the halfway point. I didn't stop, but it was well staffed. My only route complaint comes from the condition of the roads in the maintenance areas.The roads behind the scenes were extremely broken up with loose rocks and huge cracks in many places. I had a few footing slips due to them.

The finishers area was full of cheering people and Snoopy and Charlie Brown were there cheering on the runners. Volunteers were handing out medals as you crossed and there was lots of water bottles, Powerade bottles, bagels, bananas and apples on hand. Prizes were given for the top 3 finishers in each 10 year age group (the previous year had 5 year age groups) and I just missed placing with a 28:18 time for a 4th place finish. I didn't have much time to stick around as the start line for the 1 miler was inside the park and getting ready to be escorted there (only those with bibs were allowed to go to the start) so I had to quickly switch my bib and head over. Overall, the race was fun with only a few complaints - the biggest being there was no on course photography at all, and apparently very very very limited finish line photography for the 5K.  I was kinda bummed about that cause last year's pictures were so cool (hello, Dinos in the background) but luckily, my husband was there to take some finish line photos of me otherwise I wouldn't have any. The medals were adorable (Lucy for the 5K) and link up to others in the series to form a roller coaster car. That right there was worth it to me!

The 1 miler started 45 minutes after the start of the 5K which I also ran. The start line for the 1 miler was a short walk from the finish of the 5K so I had plenty of time to find my husband and daughter, switch bibs and head with my daughter to the 1 miler start just inside the park entrance. Since the start was inside the Carowinds gate, only those with bibs were allowed in so the husband had to wait at the finish line, which was the same finish line for all 4 races. We started directly under the park's iconic Sky Tower, which was pretty cool and after a countdown, we were off.

The 1 mile route was entirely inside the park with the exception of an short bit down a behind the scenes maintenance road and the very end which was just outside the park gate down a finisher's chute. We ran through the Planet Snoopy portion of the park and Dinosaurs Alive area, which my daughter loved. The mile flew by with so many things to look at. Would have been nice to see a few of the Peanuts characters in the park, but Snoopy and Charlie Brown were at the finish line giving out high fives. There was no aid station for the 1 miler, but there was plenty of water, Powerade and food (bananas, apples and bagels) at the finish. There was no on-course photographers, however, there was photographer at the finish line, though only a few of the 1 miler racers seemed to have had their photo taken. My daughter had hers taken, but I had backed up and let her cross triumphantly on her own and there was no photo of me when I crossed seconds behind her.

We were given an adorable Peppermint Patty medal which had a magnet on it allowing it to link to others in the series. My daughter and I had a blast running it together and she wants to do it again next year for sure!

Day 2

The Half started at 7:00 am to a wonderfully cool morning. Prior to the race, the National Anthem was played and we had a moment of silence for remembrance for the next day's Sept. 11th. Both the Half Marathon and the Quarter Marathon had the same start time and routes with the Half Marathoners taking a second loop around. We started outside the front gate and with a big circle around the exterior of the Carowinds parking lot circling back to the gate and inside the park. The route wound under roller coasters, through the Dinosaurs Alive area, past the SCarowinds decor, into the water park, under more coasters and out a back service area to take a turn and into the hilly Campground area, came back out down a service road, back into the parking lot and around to the gate again only to start over again. The parts inside the park seemed to go quickly with lots of things to look at with the parking lot areas and campground seeming to drag a bit. I had not had the best Summer training and had run pretty hard for the 5K the day before so I was just planning to take it easy and let how I felt guide me. I started out a bit ahead of the 2:15 pacer and figured at some point she'd catch me and I'd have to decide to either be okay with that or push it. She caught up to me around mile 10 where I overhead her tell the group she was with that they were a few minutes above pace, which I thought was a bit odd, but decided I felt okay and to fall in with them. The pace group's added distraction was welcome and we chatted the last few miles away. I crossed the finish just after the pace leader for a 2:12 finish (despite the fact she was the 2:15 pacer) and a new overall and course PR for me by 4 minutes. Again, as with the 5K, the condition of the roads in the maintenance areas were extremely broken up with loose rocks and huge cracks in many places. I knew to look for this from the 5K and took these areas a bit slower.

Throughout the course there were several aid stations giving out water and Gatorade and I believe 2 were even given out gels. I don't carry water for races and there were enough stations that I passed 1 or 2 without stopping with no problems. I carry my own gels so I didn't take any, but it was a nice option for those who do not. Again, I have to complain about the lack of on-course photography (I really loved last year’s pics) but at least this time I did have a finish line photo.

We were given an adorable Snoopy medal at the finish which had a magnet on the back to link to the others in the series to form a roller coaster. Prizes were given for the top 3 finishers in each 10 year age group (the previous year had 5 year age groups). Snoopy and Charlie Brown were taking photos with finishers and there was, as with the Saturday races, plenty of water, Powerade and food (bananas, apples and bagels) at the finish.

Overall, I have to say that I enjoyed last year's race better than this year's but feel it is a still a decent race series. Management, while great at communicating prior to the races, seemed a bit disorganized, especially with the photography, which is a big issue for me, especially with such fun scenery. I will probably do this series at least 1 more time and see how it goes next year.