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!  

Medal Monday - RnR: Savannah

Full post coming soon, but just wanted to get these bad boys out there! Such an amazing weekend at Rock n Roll Savannah, such amazing races. Stay tuned...

Light Up Your Runs with SPIBeams™

Disclaimer: I received SPIBeams™ Visor 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'm sure that you are all aware that Daylight Savings happened this weekend, which now means that our evenings are getting dark roughly around lunchtime (a bit of an exaggeration, but still it's getting dark way too early!). So now the challenge is to stay safe, and seen in the dark as most of my running will now take place in darkness for the next few months. Enter my newest solution - my SPIBeams™ Visor from SPIBelt. 

SPIBeams, which come in either Visor or Hat, are awesome alternatives to Headlamps offer the following:

• Multiple LEDs on Front and Back
• Easy On/Off Switch
• Replaceable Batteries – CR2032
• 128 Lumes
• 3 Color options - Black, Hot Pink, Lime

There is a red safety light built in the back that can either blink or not, and in the front are 4 super bright LED lights that really light up your path. They both simple click on by pressing a hidden button (one under the bill for the front light and one in the strap for the back). I've been able to wear for several dark runs now and not only is it super bright for lighting my way, it is really light and comfortable to wear. I don't feel like it adds any more weight than a traditional visor, and actually feels lighter than most headlamps I have tried. Plus with the lights in the back and front being built right in, you only have to wear one accessory, rather than multiple. 

Another big pro for me is that they are perfect for transiting from dark to light during your run (or vise-versa). See, I am how would you say, a bit on the careless side at times. I may or may not have misplaced at least 2 headlamps when I took them off during a run when I no longer needed them, and set them down for a picture. Ok yeah, so I have. Twice. So heads up, if you find a headlamp at the Grist Mill in Anne Springs or by the Bridge at Riverwalk, those are totally mine. Let me know. 

Took off my headlamp to take this cause I didn't want it in the pic, and I never saw it again, lol.

Anyway, with my SPIBeams™ Visor, that's not an issue. I simply just click off and keep going, because now, the Visor is protecting my face from the sun, so no reason to remove. Plus, it is comfortable, unlike a headlamp can be. Usually when I wear a headlamp, I feel like I need something between it and my head, either a Buff or a Hat. And wearing a hat with a headlamp reduces the light I feel as the bill blocks some of the light. But with the light right in the front of the bill, this is not an issue at all with SPIBeams™. 

But of course, the biggest question that everyone has is, so how well does it work? I mean comfortable and convenient are nice, but are nothing if it doesn't light up your path. Here's a quick visual - 

So as you can see, it works AWESOME! 

Want to try SPIBeams™ out for yourself? You can get 20% off with code BIBRAVE at Spibelt.com until 11/12/18! Or, for a chance to win one for free, join in BibChat on 11/6/18 at 9 pm Eastern Time on Twitter. 

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

Sleep On It! A Performance Pillow Review

"Disclaimer: I received a Bedgear Performance Pillow 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!"

So I know a lot about Performance Products, both in my personal and professional lives. Not only am I a runner, I work as the Communications Coordinator for a company that makes equipment specifically for testing Performance Textiles. Seriously, I am up to date on everything Performance. At least I thought so until I heard of Performance Pillows. 

Bedgear offers a wide selection of Performance Bedding options, everything from Pillows, to Mattresses, to sheets and blankets. Their products were developed by a father who's son suffered from allergies and had a hard time sleeping on the hot, stuffy hypoallergenic products that were available on the market. He cut up some performance fabrics to make a pillow for his son and Bedgear was born.

Bedgear's philosophy is that sleep is a personal thing and everything from the temperature to the height of your pillow can greatly affect your sleep, and for that reason, they have several different series of pillows, all with options within each series so you can find your perfect fit. To find your perfect fit, they have a Pillow ID system that asks a series of questions to determine the best pillow for you. It asks questions about your size and sleep preference. I took the quiz and was paired with the Lightening 2.0 in the Storm Series. 

First thing I noticed when I unboxed my new pillow was how heavy it was. Seriously, if I decided to have a pillow fight with this bad boy, I would easily take down any opponent. This wasn't some dainty pillow that would be losing it's shape. Next thing I noticed was that it was really cool to the touch. The exterior fabric was silky and smooth and actually felt a bit chilly. This is due to the Ver-Tex® fabric which draws heat away from the body and stays cool to the touch. The heft comes from being made of several layers, all that offer cooling, ventilation, support and comfort.

I was seriously excited about using my new Bedgear pillow as soon as I received it. I am a notorious light sleeper coupled with a super early wake-up call - 4:30 am most days so I can put in a run or gym workout before having to be at work at 6:30 am. Anything that helped me to get better sleep would be greatly appreciated! 

Did I also mention it's super pretty? Look at that cool pattern!

So how did it work for me? Pretty darn great! The pillow was super comfy, soft, yet firm and amazingly cool. I use a ResMed S+ system to monitor my sleep each night and before getting my Bedgear Performance Pillow, my average sleep score was in the 70s-80s. My first night with my new pillow, I scored a 94! And I've consistently seen more and more 90s since. I feel like I've slept much better and more deeply. I've even slept right through my alarm a few times in the last month, which, while not optimal, was something I've never really done before. 

Can't argue with the numbers

All and all, I am fully convinced by my Bedgear Performance Pillow and highly recommend it for anyone wanting to get the most out of their sleep-time.

Interested in trying it out for yourself? You can order online at www.bedgear.com and use discount code BIBRAVE15 good for 15% off your order, (excluding WOW Deals), valid through 11/30/18, online only.

I'm a Buff Girl: A Product Review

"Disclaimer: I received a Buff Original Multifunctional Headwear 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!"

Yup, I'm a Buff Girl. Unfortunately when I say that, I don't mean buff as in the super strong (though I am working on it with my Burn Boot Camp membership) what I actually mean is I am a big fan of the brand, Buff, USA.

I have always loved their super practical, super comfortable headwear. And, if you are a regular reader of my blog, you may recall that this summer I got to try out a lot of their cool lifestyle products like Run Cap, Arm Sleeves and Insect Guard (check it out here if you missed it: Live More This Summer. And while I really loved each of these, I always seem to gravitate back to the Original Multifunctional Headwear as my go-to running accessory. They are just so versatile and so comfortable! 

Anyway, when I recently learned that Buff had redesigned their Original Multifunctional Headwear and at first I got nervous. I mean, this is my go-to item and it was perfect, why change it? Well, I'm pleased to say that I'm happy they did because it's even better than before! 

One of these items is way
more stylish than the other

So what did they change? First up, they are now made with 100% recycled REPEVE® Performance Microfiber. Basically, 2 plastic bottles that were retrieved from beaches and/or streams were recycled and made into performance fabric, which was in turned made into my Buff. How cool is that? Also, now they offer UPF 50 Sun Protection instead of UPF 25. So they block way more harmful UV radiation. They are also more comfortable with a new 4-Way Seamless Ultra Stretch design. 

Oh, and they released a bunch of really cool, really cute designs. I had a really hard time choosing one, but ultimately went with the Groove. It's bright, colorful and literally matches everything since it is rainbow colored. I LOVE IT! Especially on cloudy, dreary days. It really brightens up my run and make me feel warm and sunny inside.

No really, I even wore it when I did and 8 mile training run during a hurricane earlier this month!

So yeah, a truly awesome product, made much more so. What's not to love about that? You can pick up your own redesigned Original Buff online here: https://www.buffusa.com/ 

You can follow Buff on Twitter here:  Buff_USA
and on Instagram here: Buff_USA

And if you haven't followed me yet on either of those, you can find me here on Twitter: RunNerdGirl
and here on Instagram: runnerdgirl