Run Stronger with Strength Training: aka Training Hard doesn't have to be Hard

This past week I talked to 3 different runners at different places, who all said basically the same thing - I know I should be doing Strength Training, but just don't quite know where to start. 

I get it. I've been there. When I started running just over a decade ago, I only ran. I was just starting out, and that in itself was overwhelming. The thought of adding in other exercises when I could barely jog for 60 seconds without stopping was not something I could think of at the time. But when you only run, you are using the same set of muscles and only those on repeat. Eventually, you either get to a place where you are not making any improvement, or worse, injuring yourself. 

So eventually, when I was finally able to get the running thing into a place where I felt more  confident, I was ready to add on. Especially because I found myself plateauing. Running alone can only take you so far. 

It can be confusing what to do, especially when starting out. Before I get to that, let's look at some of the benefits of Strength Training in case you are still on the fence yourself:

Injury Prevention: One of the primary benefits of incorporating strength training into a running regimen is injury prevention. Running, especially over long distances, puts a significant amount of stress on joints, muscles, and ligaments. Strength training helps fortify these structures, reducing the risk of common running injuries such as shin splints, stress fractures, and tendonitis.

Muscle Endurance: Running requires more than just cardiovascular endurance; it demands muscle endurance as well. Strength training targets specific muscle groups, improving their stamina and resistance to fatigue. This, in turn, allows runners to maintain good form and sustain their pace over extended distances.

Power and Speed Boost: Contrary to popular belief, strength training doesn't necessarily equate to bulk. Instead, it enhances power and speed by improving muscle coordination and recruitment. A well-rounded strength training routine can help runners generate more force with each stride, translating to increased speed and efficiency.

Core Stability: A strong core is the linchpin of effective running. It stabilizes the body, ensuring proper posture and balance. Strength training exercises targeting the core muscles, such as planks and Russian twists, contribute significantly to better running form and reduced energy wastage.

Improved Running Economy: Running economy refers to the energy cost of running at a particular pace. Studies have shown that incorporating strength training into a running routine can enhance running economy by promoting better biomechanics and reducing excessive energy expenditure. This means that runners can cover more distance with the same amount of energy.

Enhanced Mental Toughness: Endurance athletes often face mental challenges during races or long runs. Strength training, with its focus on discipline and perseverance, can contribute to mental toughness. The resilience built through strength training can be a valuable asset when facing the mental hurdles that often accompany distance running.

 

Ok, so now you know WHY you need to Strength Train, here's a place to start. 

Full disclosure, while I am a certified RCAA Running Coach, I am NOT a trained PT or Personal Training. I have consulted tons and tons of both live and online resources and these are my recommendations on 10 very basic moves that pretty much will serve you well for a solid, full body strength routine. 

1. Squats
2. Deadlifts
3. Push Ups
4. Lunge (forward and rear)
5. Plank
6. Elevated Split Squat
7. Glute Bridge
8. Lateral Lunge
9. Rows
10. Shoulder Press
11. Supermans
12. Calf Raises

I do this circuit 2 days a week, each exercise for 60 seconds with 15 seconds rest in between, for 3 rounds. You can do them either a true circuit (each exercise once and then repeat them 3 times) or a super circuit (each exercise 3 times before moving to the next). The order does not matter. Feel 

Don't like the looks of this routine? That is ok, do you own research and find what works for you. There are numerous resources out there. Try out some things, see what you like. My biggest recommendation would be to not over complicate things. Basic is good. 

PS: Stretching is also important, but that is a topic for another day... 

I Run 24 (ummm... Make that 16)

The last weekend in September, I went for a run. When I finished, I had put in a total of 54 miles, which while a lot, it was 9 miles less than my goal. This is the epic tale of my failed attempt at 100K at The Hinson Lake 24 Hour Classic. 

Have you ever had a race where you had so much FOMO every year, that even though everything about it seemed crazy, you just HAD to do it. That was Hinson Lake for me. As long as I have been a runner, I have had friends that ran and loved Hinson Lake. And this year, things finally lined up for me to participate. 

The race consists of a 1.5 mile loop around a beautiful lake in the Rockingham, NC woods. It starts at 8:00 am Saturday morning and ends 8:00 am Sunday morning. You run as much as you could/wanted to in that 24 hour period. Your distance was totally up to you. All you had to do was not stop. 

Spoiler alert: I stopped.

On the Friday before the race, my fellow Fleet Feet Fort Mill runners Robin, Katie, Bonnie, Nicole, Gail and Pat arrived to Hinson Lake and set up camp. We had a camp area a bit away from the loop so we could get some sleep on Friday overnight while others set up and if we so desired during the race. For dinner we ate wood fired personal pizzas from a food truck on site and hung out at camp with a shot of peanut butter whiskey and all went to bed fairly early. We had a big day ahead of us. Everyone in our group had a goal to finish 50K. 2 of us were shooting for 100K (Katie and me). 

The intrepid Fleet Feet Fort Mill Team

At 8:00 am sharp Saturday September 30th, the race started. There were around 450 runners, which you can image made for tight squeeze for a 1.5 mile loop, so the first half mile or so, I kind of fast walked/jogged until it thinned out enough to get a run going. After than, for the first Half Marathon (or 9 loops) I kept a steady run. After that, I took a short break. The muscles along my right knee were starting to bother me already which kind of freaked me out a bit, so I stopped in to see the onsite massage therapist to stretch it out for me. Luckily for me, after a quick session, it didn't bother me again, and I set out for another Half Marathon distance, this time run/walking. 

My strategy was this: For the 1.5 mile loop, after crossing the timing mat, I walked .25 mile. This area contained the "Hinson Buffet" 2 table flanking the course that had tons of food, glorious food and every manner of beverage. The left side was many processed foods (cookies, candy, crackers, chips and sodas) and the right side freshly cooked foods that rotated throughout the day like sandwiches, quesadillas, burgers, pizza, pancakes and more and your Gatorades and water. I tried to grab a bit of something plus a drink every time I walked through. After the food were the team tents. My team's tent was overlooking the lake and had a few chairs, our drop bags (mine had sunscreen, some snack and Vaseline) plus a white board for us to mark off our loops. There was a big dip right before the first turn in this section and at the top was my friend Shannon's tent. I stashed some water there as well in case I forgot to grab some in the excitement of the Start Area (which I did more than I should have). 

I would then run the next just over a half mile until I crossed the long bridge over the lake. Right after the bridge was the longest hill which at the top was a rather sandy area. I walked this .25 mile stretch. Then, I ran the next half mile back to the timing mat. So for the next 9 loops it became, walk .25, run .5, walk .25, run .5. At 18 loops total, I had surpassed a Marathon distance and it was time to take a bit of a longer break. I walked 1 full loop with no running and then set out back to camp.

The Bridge at the halfway point of the loop

By then is was almost 2:00 and my strategy had been to break the run into four 6 hour segments. I made my way back to our campsite area, and into my tent to get undressed. I did my best to dry out, not to be gross or overshare, but I was hella sweaty as I was 6 hours and 27+ miles in and the day was heating up. I laid on my air mattress for about 30 minutes sipping water. I had grabbed a half a burger when I went through the buffet as well. I didn't want to stay out of it too long so, begrudgingly, I got dressed in fresh everything and set back out. I was back on course around 3:00. 

Post Wardrobe Change, ready for 6 more hours

I kept to the strategy that I had planned before, walk .25, walk .25, run .5, walk .25, run .5. Every few loops, I took a 5-10 minute break at the team tent on the lake. No real rhyme or reason to when, just when I felt like it. The hours kind of blended together during this part and soon it was 8:00 pm, time for me to take another trip to the campsite to change clothes and grab my lights as the sun was setting. 

I didn't say in camp long as by then I was coming to terms with just how tough this race was. And if I am being 100% honest, I wasn't doing so well as far as keeping myself fed and hydrated. I was forgetting to grab food. I was eating a few bites, a couple of gummy bears, a sip of Coke. By then my plan was to keep moving as best I could until Midnight. I was still run/walking but not as strict as my previous strategy. For example, some laps I'd just run as much as I could. Or I would run the bridges, as they were solid footing. I never walked a full lap until the last one before midnight, managing to run a bit here and there. But it became a blurry slog of just keep moving around in the dark, illuminated by my chest light. The number of people on the course had greatly thinned and most were walking. 

I did some quick math and figured that I could get in 36 loops, which totaled 54 miles by Midnight. And if I could start loop 36 by 11:30, I would let myself walk it completely. At 11:29 I crossed the timing mat. I walked a final 1.5 mile loop and at 11:58 I crossed the mat and walked over to my team tent and promptly sat down. Shortly after, one of my friends, Katie, arrived, also with 36 loops completed. "Let's go get some sleep," she said. "Gladly," I weakly replied.

This is where, dear readers, our hero is defeated. Around 12:30 I had made my way back to my tent. The camp was quiet except for Katie and I. The rest of our group had tapped out earlier for the night and were already sleeping. I again undressed in my tent, but rather than changing into running gear, I put on some cozy leggings and a t-shirt, intending to sleep for a few hours. I figured I had 9 miles left, if I got back on the course by 4:30 - 5:00 am I would be golden. But alas, it was not to be. 

Full Moon over Hinson Lake

After laying there for an hour trying to calm myself down enough to relax, I realized that sleep was not going to come easy. I couldn't get warm. I couldn't stop shaking. I kept randomly cramping different places in my legs. My mind was frantically racing about everything and I felt like a panic attack was just on the horizon. And most importantly, I WAS NOT SLEEPING!

I laid there for 3.5 hours like that. I heard Katie get up and go to the bathroom and realized that she was getting ready to head back out at 4:30 like she planned. I tried to get up. I fell back down. I tried again. Fell again. I texted her saying that I was going to try to get some rest still and go out in an hour. I thought if only I could get ANY sleep, I could knock out those 9 more if I was out at 5:30 am. Just let me get a SINGLE HOUR of sleep. 

I didn't take many night pics, so here's a daytime shot of our campsite

Another hour passed and whelp, more of the same. It was then, at 5:30 am I made the decision that I was done. And you know what, I was strangely ok with it. It was over and I knew it. And that acceptance, is what I think finally let me fall asleep. HARD. As in the rest of my camp got up and ready and headed out for some final laps and I heard NOTHING. I had finally just completely shut down. 

I slept for about an hour and a half, waking around 7:00 am. At this point, I made my second major decision concerning the race - I had an hour left still, I could have gotten dressed and back on course and knocked out 2-3 more laps. Nope, I decided. I'd come to terms with being done so that was it. I'd rather my results say I competed 54 miles in 16 hours than 56 or 57 in 24 hours. I slipped on my sandals and made my way to the team tent so I could watch my friends finish (and hopefully find some coffee). I sat down at the team tent, took a deep breath and the promptly broke out hysterically sobbing. 

Sitting in the Team Tent, just finished a nice long cry

Apparently all of me was not 100% on board with the "I am ok with this" mentality. Mostly I think it was the exhaustion finding the only outlet that it had. I was, and I still am okay with the decision I made to not go back out. I honestly do not think I could have made it back on course without incident. I had made too many mistakes in my preparation and execution of the race. And you know, 54 miles really was a lot of miles. Like a lot. Was I happy, no, I can't say that, but I was okay. I do not think I honestly could have done more than I did. 

Final Results

I will be going back to Hinson Lake in 2024 and next time, next time I bring home a medal (only 100K finishers get a medal). I learned a lot from this first experience that  I will use to make some changes that will better prepare me for success. This post is long enough already, so I will do another about what I plan to do differently next time.

Peace Out til next year, Hinson Lake

The Ultra that WAS

Once upon a time ago in early 2020, back before the world came to a halt due to Covid, I trained for an Ultra that I never got the chance to run. The story of that adventure is here: https://runnerdgirl.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-ultra-that-wasnt.html. Well just over 3 years later, I can now finally say that I am an Ultra runner as last weekend, I ran the Landsford Canal 50K.

Much like the previous Ultra I trained for, I did not speak or write much about doing this. I tend to do that when I am going to attempt something scary. Enough people already think I am crazy. So other than the couple of friends I was running the race with, I didn't talk about it much. I mean, I was planning to run 50K (31.5 miles) in August, in South Carolina, with nowhere near adequate training. Even I knew this was all a bad idea! 

THE IDEA

It all started in the most unlikely place, one of my saner friends, Marlene. I was included in group text saying she heard about a free 50K that was coming up soon and would any of us be interested in doing it with her. Of those in the group text, I was the only one crazy enough to take her up on it. I then of course contacted some others to see if they wanted in, because of course misery loves company. A few of my Fleet Feet friends were also in. Honestly a few more than I actually expected! All in all, there were about 12 people I knew that said yes to this adventure, though a few went in knowing for sure that they would not do the entire 50K.

For timing reference, I received the original text message on June 25th. Race day was August 12th. And I was planning to be out of town about half of the days in between me registering for an running the race. So yeah, extra bad idea. But we were all taking the attitude of we plan to do what we could and if we didn't finish the full 50K, then so be it. But deep down I knew that if I started, I wouldn't let myself not finish. 

THE TRAINING

I was not a fan of these stairs
on the trail portion

I wish I could tell you all about how I jumped into an intensive training program like last time where I put in lots of hours and miles preparing. I did not. I traveled a bunch and ran very little. A couple of long runs here and there, but nothing really over 9 miles during that time frame. The closest to any kind of preparation whatsoever were two runs a the site of the race. 

The week of July 4th, the company I work for closed for the full week. I took advantage of that and planned a mid-week visit to Landsford Canal State Park, the site of the race. I had never been there before so I decided to check out the terrain. Armed with a Garmin Course map that I found that claimed to be the Landsford Canal 50K route from several years ago, I did my best to follow the course and document for the others what we were in for. I knew the course was a just over 4 mile loop and that the beginning had a weird out and back portion in order to get the correct milage, but I wasn't sure on the correct direction of the loop. 

You can see just how UP the Up was! 

Turns out, I chose wrong that first time. I ran the loop clockwise, first running the trail portion along the canal, then up a hill to the main road, down the main road to the park entrance and down the hill back to the canal. My watch kept telling me I was off course, but according to the map I wasn't. That's how I kind of figured out that I was running the incorrect direction. Plus, after running the loop and ending at around 4 miles, I started to figure out about the out and back portion, which was UP the steep hill leading from the park entrance to the main road, not down it, twice before running the loop counterclockwise. So I ran that up and back plus a bit more to get the lay of the area. Overall I ran about 8 miles and took a ton of photos. 

The only other run that I would consider a purposeful Landsford Canal training run would be 2 weeks before the race, I met another runner at Landsford Canal to run the course. The plan was to run 2 loops - the up, down up and up again followed by 2 loops. It did not go that way. We didn't start until almost Noon and it was HOT. I managed 1 loop and it was rough going. I was not feeling so awesome about this race. But I wasn't backing out. 

THE RACE

Team Fleet Feet

The Landsford Canal 50K started at 7:00 am on August 12th. It was 70 degrees out, but the sun was hiding in a thick fog that morning, making it not super hot, but super humid. The race capped at 50 runners, and I believe 45 runners actually started the race including me and 8 of my friends. I came to the race armed with a bag of clothes to change into as needed, an extra pair of shoes, my Drankful Adventure Pack full of water plus an extra gallon to refill and a bag full of snacks (pretzels, peanut butter crackers, krispie treats and 4 UCAN Edge gels. Oh, and a mild panic attack. I had that as well. Just kidding - a little. There may have been a few tears before the start. I knew I wasn't really ready, but it was now or never. My Fleet Feet crew snapped a quick picture (you can see how happy I am in it on the end) and we made our way to the start. 

The 5 members of Team Fleet Feet headed out together, planning to hang together the best we could. We started out going up for a mile. Then back down a mile. Up again and then embarking on the loop. Most of the run was on road so it was faster going than your typical trail 50K but we tried hard not to go out too fast knowing it was going to be a long day. We walked the steepest parts of the mile up even on this first loop. After 6 miles, 2 of which were very much uphill and 1.5 on trail, we were finished with our first loop with 6 more to go. 2 of the group hit the bathroom and 3 continued for loop 2. On loop 2 I started to fall back on the trail portion so when Katie and Robin stopped to use the bathroom, I kept going knowing that they would catch up to me, which they did. I'll spare you the complete play by play, but the 5 of us ended up being 3 groups the majority of the race - Katie and Robin leading, me in the middle, and Nicole and Gail behind. 

One of the few pics I took during the race
My phone was too wet most of the time

After 3 loops I had to stop and change my socks and shoes. I was sweating so much due to the heat (the sun fully out by now and nearing 85 degrees) that my socks and shoes were soaked through and squishing. I changed my shirt also but didn't bother with anything else. By this time I was mostly running on my own but saw a few others on the course. I ran as much as I could and walked when I had to. I tried to eat a little bit each time I went through the aid station/loop check point, but eventually settled on mostly drinking Coke for calories and caffeine. Another friend had set up a cheering station at the top of the big hill and I checked in with him after loops 5 and 6 for some fruit snacks and peanuts. On loop 6 a friend who came to check in on my met me on the trail portion of the loop and kept me company (very much appreciated) for about a mile before making it back to the checkpoint where I finally embarked on loop 7, the final loop. 

By loop 7, I was walking a lot, but still did my best to run when I felt I could. It was hot, I was exhausted, I was soaking wet, my shoes and socks were squishing again (I didn't have another pair) but I knew this was it. One more time around and I would be finished. I would be an Ultra Marathon runner. All my brain could think at this point was Run 20 steps, Walk 10 steps. Just keep moving forward. 

THE AFTER

I was deliriously happy to finally see the finish line and a couple of my friends there, one who had volunteered at the race and another who had finished before me (Katie) and her husband and kids. I gulped down a huge cup of Coke but couldn't bring myself to eat anything quite yet. I knew I shouldn't sit down but did anyway. My main thought was I HAD to get my wet shoes and socks off. Even if that meant walking around barefoot, I didn't care. I was halfway through pulling off my 2nd shoe when the RD came over and handed me my finisher plaque. I tried to text my mom to tell her I had finished but the cell signal was spotty and my phone and fingers both too wet to make the touchscreen work. My quads started cramping terrible. But, despite all of that, I had done it. I was an Ultra Marathoner!! 

I AM AN ULTRA MARATHONER!! 

So did I learn anything? I learned I am really stubborn, though I pretty much knew that already. I learned that I should have better prepared, which I also knew as well. I learned that in the would of Ultra running, endurance is vastly favored over speed. Finishing was way more mental than physical. Of the 45 that started, only 24 finished. I was one of them. And I wasn't the last one even, though I would have been proud of myself even if I had been. 

I was asked after if would do another. I am actually registered for another Ultra event next month, though it is a different sort of race - a 24-hour event where you put in as many miles as you can - The Hinson Lake 24 Hour Classic. It is a sort of choose your own adventure style race. Want to run 5K, go for it. Want to run 100 miles, best of luck to you. I've not decided my goal yet, but I am toying with the idea of 100K. Many of the same runners from this past week will be there. Plus tents for potential napping. And hopefully, some more training before.

But after Hinson Lake, I may retire from these long distance style races. After the race, I felt great. But during, during I felt pretty garbage. And 7+ hours is a long to time feel bad like that. I am just not sure if the after is worth the during. Maybe for others, but I don't think it is for me. So while I am looking forward to Hinson, I've watched other do it for several years and always wanted to, I think that might be the end of my Utra Marathoning career. I may change my mind at some point, but currently, my head space is not where it needs to be to be an Ultra runner. 

Werking it in FitWerk Fit Diva Retro Tights

 I received a pair of FitWerk Fit Diva Retro Tights as a part of being a BibRave Pro. Check out BibRave.com to read and write race reviews.

Ville to Ville Relay Recap

Earlier this month, I got to run one of my bucket list races, the Ville to Ville Craft Beer Relay. Every year I had suffered from a serious case of FOMO seeing all the pictures from teams that friends of mine were on and I vowed I would do this race one day. Well, last Fall, I was approached by one of my fellow Fleet Feet runners, Nicole, had a few spots open on a team she had registered. I immediately claimed one!

So here are the basics. The races is a 72 mile relay from AsheVille, NC to GreenVille, SC. A team of up to 6 runners take turns running a total of 12 legs that vary from the shortest being 4.16 miles (Leg 12) to the longest being 9.64 miles (Leg 9). Most were around 6-7 miles. And if you are not familiar with this area, you are running over some pretty severe elevation. 

The elevation profile for my first Leg - Fletcher to Hendersonville

Before the race, you submit your anticipated team average pace and based on that, your team is given a start time around two weeks before race day. These waves start at 5:00 am and go through at least 8:30 am (that was the latest time I heard at least). My team submitted a 9:45 average pace and were given a 7 am start time. 

Gail, Christine, Victoria, Me, Jeramy and Nicole

The website has a TON of information on it, super useful when preparing. There are detailed breakdowns of each leg including directions for both runners and drivers for you print out and carry with you. Each of the 12 legs were rated by difficulty: Easy, Moderate, Hard and Super Hard. Our team was extremely thoughtful when assigning legs attempting to fairly distribute the mileage and the difficulty. For example, I was assigned Leg 4 and Leg 11 which gave me 12 miles with one leg rated Super Hard (the 2nd hardest leg) and one leg rated Easy (the 2nd easiest). My teammates legs all looked pretty similar, 12-ish miles give or take and fairly distributed difficulty. One of our teammates was a WIZ at creating complicated Excel spreadsheets. Seriously, I think she might be a math witch. 

The theme of the 2023 Ville to Ville race was Hollywood. It is strongly encouraged for your team to dress up to theme and there are awards for things like Best Costumes, Best Team Name and Best Social Media Postings. So once we noticed we had a team of 1 guy and 5 girls, we leaned into the Hollywood theme and named ourselves Jeramy's Angels. This worked doubly well in that our Charlie (or Jeramy) had to leave the team before the finish line so he would be crossing "virtually" as a voice in a box, much like Charlie would on Charlie's Angels. We decided on color coordinated outfits with tutus for the ladies and a running tux shirt for our fella. These were for photo purposes only as the tutus were a bit much to run in and according to Jeramy, running in the tux shirt was like "being under a wool blanket with 2 cats". We looked amazing though. 

One of the rules is that you can only have one vehicle on the course for transporting your team from exchange point to exchange point. Our team rented a minivan to act as our transport vehicle for the weekend. We packed her up with all our gear (Chistine was our baggage check to make sure that we did not overpack) and food (we totally packed way too much - Victoria made SO many PB&Js and PB Bagels, we were never hungry), gathered the crew and drove to Asheville.

Packet pick up for the race was at New Belgium Brewing in Asheville the evening before the race (no day of pick up). We drove straight there and arrived around 4:30 after a bit of yucky traffic from it raining. In addition to our team tracking bracelet, shirts, bibs, and medals, we were given a pint glass, beer koozie and drink ticket each. You had a choice of 4 different beers, I chose the Voodoo Ranger Juicy Hazy IPA, a really great beer I have had before. 

We met up with 3 other groups of runners (our sister Fleet Feet team plus 2 other local groups from Rock Hill/Fort Mill). We got to meet the race director as well, who was dressed in a tuxedo, leaning into the Hollywood theme. There was music, vendors plus the bar had drinks specials for those who wanted more than their initial free beer. The rain stopped while we hung out and we took some pics and had a great time. 

Teams: Jeramy's Angels and CeCe's Friends

Afterwards, my team, and the other team of Fleet Feet runners (CeCe's Friends) went out to dinner then off to the hotel to get some sleep before the big day. I roomed with a girl on the other team, and they had an hour earlier wave time (they started at 6:00 am), so it was a 4:15 am wake up call for me! 

Out hotel was very close to the start, so we met in the lobby at 6:00 am for our 7:00 am start time. We dressed in our Jeramy's Angels shirts and headed off to the race site with a quick stop to fill the gas tank so we wouldn't have to during the race. 

There were about 40-50 other teams starting with us, each with their own van, so parking was a bit of a struggle to maneuver the parking area, but we found a space that we thought would be easy to get out of (spoiler alert: it was not). We took some fun pics and then walked our first runner, Jeramy, to the start area. Right at 7:00 am, Jeramy's Angels had officially begun! 

Nicole handing off the tracker to me

This post is starting to get super long, so I am not going to go into the minutia of the race here. Our team had a runner on course at all times with a timing bracelet that we would exchange to the next runner in a marked transition zone. We tracked the runners via the RaceJoy App which I will most likely do a post about just that. Overall, it was a solid way to track with just a few minor issues. We mostly knew where our runner was at all times. The legs were on roads (with the exception of the first leg had some trail sections and the last 3 legs had sections on the Swamp Rabbit trail (which was paved and ran parallel to the main roads. The course was straight up HARD in some places, but it was an enjoyable hard. I enjoyed the parts, even though there was a lot of UPHILL. Like A LOT!

Here are some notable observations:

• I never felt alone on the course like I did when running the previous relays I have done like the GAP and Ragnar Relays. There were many more teams and we ran on roads, so it felt more like an actual race. You had plenty of opportunity to pass and be passed.
  
  
• 

  People watching the other teams was a ton of fun. Many dressed in fun costumes. Some of the notable ones were: Will Ferral characters, Muppets, full on ball gowns, Top Gun, The Hollywood Sign, League of Their Own, The Pink Ladies, different Brittany Spears outfits and many more. I had huge admiration for the dude I saw running the hardest leg of the race dressed as Ron Burgundy (pictured to the right)!
  
  
• The exchange points were chaotic, but an organized chaos. There were plenty of port-a-potties including 2 reserved for the "Runner on Deck" at each exchange. However, do note that later in the day, you will want to bring your own toilet paper just in case. The only exchange I was at that had zero TP was the leg 9/10 hand off. 
  
  
• The course was hands down, absolutely BEAUTIFUL! I took a ton of scenic pictures. If you have never been through this area of NC/SC, you are missing out.

• You will want to bring your own food, water and other race day essentials. There are no aid stations, not even at the transitions, and most exchange stations were not near town centers with easy to get in and out of restaurant options (though we did find a cool coffee shop during leg 3). The exception was the Leg 10/11 transition which was at Swamp Rabbit Brewing. The food and beer there looked amazing and there were lots of other options close by, but Leg 11 was mine, so I had to run instead of partaking!
  
  
• You are given your medals at packet pick up so that you can "award" yourself your medal after your last leg. My team decided to hold on to ours and put them on all together at the finish line. That you have the option was nice and kept the finish line clearer. 
  
  
• There were FREE race pictures! I only saw a photographer at the finish, but there were some scattered throughout the course during the day. We just somehow seemed to miss them. See below for our Finish Line Photo!
  
  

The girls are ready to help Gail into 
her tutu for our triumphant finish

After 12 long legs of challenging running, my team changed back into our tutus for that final run as a group across the finish line (sans Jeramy as he had to leave us after Leg 10, but I did call him on my cell so he could "experience" the finish. The 4 of us left waited along the straightaway close to the finish for our final runner, Gail, to come in. We helped her quickly into her shirt and tutu and crossed the finish together in a vision of colorful tulle. 

Jeramy's Angels had a finish time of 11 hours, 38 minutes and 8 seconds. Our goal average pace was 9:45 and we hit 9:47, which I think was pretty dang awesome! (All thanks to Gail and her complicated spreadsheets).

The after party at Hampton Station was really nice. My brother lives in Greenville, but I had never been to Hampton Station before. There were lots of cool shops, bars and resturants there and they brought in a ton of food trucks for the occasion as well. Everyone got a free beer with a ticket on their bib. You could purchase others if you wanted to. There was also Ville to Ville gear for sale. I had preordered a 4-pack of the "official" Ville to Ville beer andNicole and I walked over to Birds Fly South Ale Project to pick those up. We met up with CeCe's Friends and took a ton of pictures before deciding that we needed to head out to get some dinner. It was a long day, but it was SO MUCH FUN! 

Jeramy's Angels and Jeramy's Angels and CeCe's Friends

Like I said, I didn't really do a play-by-play the day, but if you have any specific questions about the race, the course or anything, just drop me a comment below. I am happy to discuss this awesome race further. 

Would I recommend Ville to Ville: Heck Yeah! Would I do it again? Well my team has already registered for next year's race! While I am not 100% sure I will be able to run it (it is so hard to commit that far in advance) but I have first rights of refusal with my team and I will do what I can to work it in. This race is SO popular though, you pretty much have to register you team the day immediately after running it. Seriously, it sold out in 25 hours!! 

Drankful of Awesomeness!

I received a Drankful Adventure Pack as a part of being a BibRave Pro. Check out BibRave.com to read and write race reviews.

Hot Chocolate Charlotte 15K: My Top 10 Favorite Things

 I received entry into the Hot Chocolate Charlotte15K as a part of being a BibRave Pro. Check out BibRave.com to read and write race reviews.

My GAP Relay Experience: #GapTrailBR Race Recap (part 2)

 I received team entry to the GAP Relay as a part of being a BibRave Pro. Check out BibRave.com to read and write race reviews.

We Conquered the GAP Relay!! #GapTrailBR Race Recap

I received team entry to the GAP Relay as a part of being a BibRave Pro. Check out BibRave.com to read and write race reviews.

The GAP Relay is IMMINENT!!!

 I received team entry to the GAP Relay as a part of being a BibRave Pro. Check out BibRave.com to read and write race reviews.

How About 40 Wild Miles Instead? - GAP Relay 40 Mile Relay

I received team entry to the GAP Relay as a part of being a BibRave Pro. Check out BibRave.com to read and write race reviews.

Exploring the Greater Allegany Passage: 150 Miles of Pure Adventure

 I received team entry to the GAP Relay as a part of being a BibRave Pro. Check out BibRave.com to read and write race reviews.

Do You Like Pina Colada and Running Long in the Rain? - New UCAN Pineapple Edge Review

I received a pair of a variety of UCAN products including the new UCAN Edge Pineapple as a part of being a BibRave Pro. Check out BibRave.com to read and write race reviews.

I started using UCAN products when I was training for my first marathon back in 2018. They have no sugar which can cause spikes and crashes in energy and instead use a corn based starchy base that delivers a consistent source of energy. When I was doing super long runs, I would mix up some of the Energy Powder (Cran-Raz was my favorite) with 10 oz of water, drink before my run and be good to go for like 10-12 miles. 

When I first heard about the Edge Fuel to Go gels, I decided to try those as well since I had such good results with the Energy Powder. Not only did they also have no sugar and use the same LIVSTEADY base (though back then it was called SuperStarch) but these were gels that you didn't need to chase with a bunch of water after. They are best when consumed 30 minutes before your run (or any exercise really) and then again after about 60 minutes if your workout is longer than 90 minutes. 

When I first started using UCAN Edge gels, there were 2 flavors, Orange and Strawberry Banana with Orange being my favorite.

Well, I am sorry Orange, you are gonna have to move over because Pineapple has just been introduced and it is SO GOOD! They taste like summer. Like sipping from a Pina Colada on the beach. Seriously, they are crazy yummy. I was given an awesome opportunity to share some with my friends at the Fleet Feet Running Club Open House to kick off their Fall Training season and everyone who tried them loved them. I opened one up and gave small samples on spoons for people to try the taste and every single person who tried it took a full pack to use on their next run. A couple even opened them right up to use for that evening's workout! 

Would you like to try a sample?...

"Heck Yeah" said Hannah!

My girl Terri here busted straight into hers and then ran 3 miles

The whole team had a fun time trying out the Pineapple flavor! I know it is going to be my go to flavor going forward for sure! 

UCAN also has Energy Bars which I am a bit sad to have not known about until very recently. See in the past I have eaten random energy bars prior to a race or run so when I learned about UCAN Energy Bars it seemed like a no-brainer to have one of them instead of whatever I randomly grabbed at the store since I clearly do well with their other products. Well I am happy to report that I am just as pleased with their Energy Bars as I am their other products. Cherry Berry Almond is my favorite flavor and they also have Salted Peanut Butter and  Chocolate Almond Butter. I recently gave them the ultimate test eating one before my last 10K and yay, all was well both energy and gastrointestinal wise. They are also really good as mid-day snacks to help curb hunger cravings. They have no added sugar and are also made with the LIVSTEADY base. 

So, do you want in on this yumminess? You can order your own UCAN products on their website at https://ucan.co/ and use discount code: BIBRAVE25 - to get 25% off your order (no bundles or subscriptions) good thru 10/9/2022.

The 11 Things I Race In: My Around the Crown 10K Kit

Last weekend I ran one of my favorite local races, the Around the Crown 10K. This race is an iconic Charlotte Experience, the I-277 Loop that circles the city of Charlotte is shut down for the morning for the race. It's just a really cool thing to be able to run literally around the city like that and get views that would otherwise be impossible as a runner since pedestrians are strictly forbidden on the interstates. There's no other race quite like it here in Charlotte. 

One way that I prepare for a race is to lay out all of my gear into a Flat Runner the night before in order to make sure that I have everything I need. This keeps me from rushing around in the morning and potentially forgetting a vital piece of gear. And of course, if I am going to go to the trouble of laying it all out, I'm gonna take a picture and post it. That's just fun.

Today I thought I would go through my Flat Runner layout from Around the Crown to show you my race day gear. 

First off, I would like to mention that on occasion I receive items as BibRave Pro, Fleet Fleet employee and/or brand ambassador for no charge. Please note that items that I received at no charge previously have been marked with a *. No items in this posting were provided specifically to review for this posting and are all items that I purposefully chose to race in. With that out of the way, here's my racing kit.

Starting from the top to the bottom, here's what I personally race in. Again, these are my personal preferences and I am not specifically promoting any of these items beyond saying these are the items that work best for me. Every runner is different and what works for me may not work for you, but if you have any questions about any of these items, just ask in the comments below and I am happy to give more details. I have provided links for each item's official website as well. 

1. So my first item, I totally forgot to put into flat lay but I always race in a visor, and my brand of choice is Headsweats. This is because simply, my head sweats, a lot when I run. Wearing a Headsweats visor keeps the sweat from running down into my eyes while the lip of the visor gives my eyes a bit more shading for either the sun or rain depending on conditions. I prefer a visor to a hat because, not sure if you have noticed but I have A LOT of hair. My head gets pretty hot with all of that hair.
   
   
2. Aftershokz Bone Conduction Headphones*. Music totally helps motivate my run, but it is never a good idea to not be able to hear your surroundings for a number of reasons, so that is why I am a HUGE fan of Aftershokz! The bone conduction technology allows you to hear your pump up jams while still being about to hear things like traffic, race instructions, your fellow runners, everything basically. Mine are the Aeroplex (now called Open Run) and they are super lightweight, comfortable and waterproof.
   
   
3. Knockaround Sunglasses* Lightweight, affordable and cute as all get out, Knockarounds are my sunglasses of choice. I especially like their Sport model for running as they have rubberized nose pads to prevent slipping and bounce. I ended not wearing them during the race because it was extremally cloudy and overcast which made me a bit sad. Typically, I never run without a pair of Knockarounds (full disclosure, I have about 20 pair). I am a Knockaround Ambassador and you can read more about that here: https://runnerdgirl.blogspot.com/2022/01/from-sunglasses-hoarder-to-knocksquad.html
   
   
4. Muzino Racerback Tank Top. I am not even sure of the exact style nor if they even sell this exact item any longer as I bought this tank top from Fleet Feet Sports Fort Mill probably 5 years ago. It's super lightweight and comfy. I actually have 2 (the other is a different color). The reason I chose this tank top for this race for a rather silly one. This was my 3rd Around the Crown race (4th if you count the Virtual one in 2020) and well, I noticed in my Facebook Memories posts this past week that I apparently wore this same tank top to the last 2 live races, so why break tradition? 
   
   
5. Brooks Racer Bra and Shorts. Like the previous item, both of these Brooks items are no longer available for sale which is a shame as I love them. I have 2 pair of these shorts, they are the perfect length (5-inch tights) and have a back zipper pocket that fits my phone. I really wish they still made them. That said, I still buy Brooks apparel, they are some of my favortie things to run in. My advice for you would be to if you find something you like, buy multiple because they change out their apparel offerings frequently. Same with the Racer bra. Both items were bought at Fleet Feet Sports Fort Mill. 
   
   
6. Nathan Sports Speed Draw. Typically I do not carry water during races instead relying on the aid stations, however, Around the Crown is a race that focuses a lot on sustainability and does their water stations just a bit different from typical races (and from year to year). Not knowing exactly what to expect and with it being a pretty hot and super humid race, I carried my handheld to make sure I would have water when I wanted it. It was a good call too. The aid station was at mile 4 and I for sure needed water before then. The Speed Draw holds 18 oz and is comfortable to carry. I train with it regularly for runs over 4 miles. 
   
   
7. Another item not in the picture but clearly necessary for race day, my Garmin Forerunner. Prior to my Garmin, I used an Apple Watch and let me tell you, Garmin is by far the way to go for me. Apple Watches do lots of cool things and happen to track fitness as well. Garmin is designed to track fitness/running. There is no comparison when it comes to the GPS accuracy, stats you get and Garmin Connect Community. There is a reason that Garmin is the most popular running watch.
   
   
8. Pro-Tec Patellar Tendon Strap. If you've read this blog before, you may have seen me mention several times about my crap knees and how I've had a few surgeries to fix them up. The left knee seems to have gotten on board with being a functional limb while the right is still taking it's sweet time. Recently I started using this patellar strap to give a bit of extra support to my right knee and honestly it's helped loads. I wish I had been running with it sooner tbh. 
   
   
9. Feetures Socks*. Not only did runners get some cute Recover shirts, but we also all got a pair of Feetures socks. I love Feetures. And while these were brand new socks I got at the expo the day before and the rule is never run in something new, I have run in these exact socks for years so I wore them with no hesitation. Feetures have targeted compression, have seamless toes, are moisture wicking and are super soft.
   
   
10. Saucony Endorphin Speed 2*. These are my current go-to racing shoe. Light weight, responsive, comfortable and fast. I mean just look at the checkboard! A friend of mine referred to these as Ricky Bobby shoes and now that is just their name. They are bouncy and fast and best yet, hug my narrow feet in a way that makes them fit like a glove. These were my first pair of Saucony shoes and they will not be my last. They are used exclusively (almost) on race days. 
    
    
11. UCAN Energy Bar*. My pre-race snack to give myself a bit of an energy boost right before the race. I started using UCAN products when I was training for my first marathon back in 2018. They have no sugar which can cause spikes and crashes in energy and instead use a corn based starchy base that delivers a consistent source of energy. When I was doing super long runs, I would mix up some of the energy powder with 10 oz of water, drink before my run and be good to go for like 10-12 miles. I've used their Edge gels also mid-run and loved the results. In the past I have eaten random energy bars prior to a race or run so I figured why not try the UCAN Energy Bars since I clearly do well with their other products. Of course I tried a few before race day on longer runs, but was happy to find that these worked just as well for me as all other UCAN products. Cherry Berry Almond is my favorite flavor, but I ran out of these already (cause yum) so this one was the Salted Peanut Butter (they also have Chocolate Almond Butter). 

So there you have it. My race day kit. And here is everything in action! Taken at mile 5.5 of the 10K. 

And here you'll see one last piece of race day gear that I picked up after I finished... 

The Medal! 

Have any questions about the items I race in/with? Just ask. Do you have a go-to race day necessity that I didn't mention or might not know about? Tell me about it in the comments as well.