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“What?” you may ask, “Is that an antique fire truck that serves beer?” Oh heck yeah!!

Disclosure: I received a free entry to the Blooms to Brews Half Marathon because I am a BibRave Pro. (Per usual, all opinions are my own–you should know by now I don’t need any help with that, I’ve got plenty of ’em!) Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro here. Read and write race reviews at BibRave.com! It’s a great way to choose between conflicting races, to help runners find the best races, and the help race directors improve each year.

Not all races end with beer. But when Blooms to Brews ends with beer, they do it up right. I’m not a beer fan myself, but just count the number of taps on that truck! If you want to read more about Blooms to Brews and the race website just isn’t enough, try Sarah’s blog, A Sweet Blonde & Her Fit Life. (If it isn’t up yet, it’s coming–patience!)

Flat Bain for the Blooms to Brews half marathon (how did this tradition get started, anyway??)
Flat Bain for the Blooms to Brews half marathon (how did this tradition get started, anyway??)

This race is amazing! Go put it on your calendar for 2017, right now. As word about this event “gets out,” you’re going to be left behind. I don’t know what the capacity limit for this course is, but you want to run it now so that when it is a regular sell-out and everyone is raving about it YOU can say, “I ran that race back in the day before it was ‘discovered.'”

Obligatory PDX carpeting shot
Obligatory PDX carpeting shot

Blooms to Brews takes place in Woodland, WA. Woodland is about 45 minutes north of Portland (depending on where you start and when you drive) and 2 to 2.5 hours from Seattle. While Woodland itself doesn’t have a ton of hotels, I had no problems securing a reservation the week before the race. You could probably drive from Seattle on race day morning, but it costs $20 for day-of-race packet pickup and you’d miss the entire expo. Portland is a better bet, and Vancouver, WA is filled with hotels of all stripes. (You could, of course, also try a bed and breakfast, or use Air BnB. Lots of options.) If you’re flying in, PDX is the closest airport. If you’re road-tripping, I’d make a long weekend of it since there is so much to do nearby.

The brand-new Woodland High School hosted the Blooms to Brews expo. There was plenty of parking, as well as two days to pick up your packet. I took a ton of photos, but in my brilliant attempt to organize them I deleted EVERY expo photo I took. (Awesome, right?) The expo was small but mighty. Packet pickup had no line on Saturday afternoon, and it was still possible to register for the 10k, half marathon, marathon, or marathon relay. In addition to Blooms to Brews logo merchandise, there were about 8-10 vendors, including a cool wraparound sports skirt company, Sweet Spot Skirts (neat design fits a variety of sizes, stays put, and covers what you might want to cover–made in USA!). A few race companies were there, including the Portland Marathon. The Woodland Rotary was selling some delicious coffee as a fundraiser to support building a local sport park for the youth and teens of Woodland, and at the end of this post YOU can win a bag!

A jacket from the race-logo merch
A jacket from the race-logo merch

One thing I really liked about the expo is that each of the tables was manned by a person who really cared about that table’s goods/services. There were no hired guns. Everyone was really friendly. I was particularly lazy for the remainder of the day. After a quick trip to  Burgerville for the handmade, in-season, strawberry milkshake, I checked into my hotel and took a nap. I emerged to buy a few groceries, eat dinner, and head back to bed.

Morning came all too soon as it tends to do on race days, and I dragged myself out of bed and suited up. While my hotel was technically within walking distance of the start at Horseshoe Lake (about 17 minutes) I opted to be pre-race lazy and drive. Added bonus, there is a drive-through coffee shop right before you turn into the parking area. (I’m not going to lie, one of the things I really, really miss about living in the Pacific NW: drive-through coffee.) Parking was plentiful–there could have been many more cars there–and despite my mocha detour I was able to leave my hotel at 7ish and still make it to the starting line with plenty of time to spare.

This is one short bus you WANT to be on--it's full of pizza!
This is one short bus you WANT to be on–it’s full of pizza!

Starting line amenities included a bag check, water, snacks, music, and a post-race party that was ready to start. I took a few minutes to walk around and look at the amenities, since I still had plenty of time to spare. There was a school bus food truck that sold pizzas and other tasty food, right next to the BBQ. While I’m on the subject, part of the race instructions (and the promos, now that I think about it) said there would be a BBQ sandwich for each runner, with a vegetarian alternative for those of us who are not meat-eaters. As a vegetarian, I don’t expect special treatment–but at the end of the race I do expect some food! I once read a statistic that said on average, 10% of the U.S. population eats vegetarian when they eat out–some choose vegetarian or vegan, others are keeping Kosher, observing Halal dietary laws, or only eating organic or free-range–plus there are several well-known plant-based running groups, so it isn’t insane to think there will be other vegetarians. Anyway, when I went to ask for my sandwich, AS PROMISED there was tofurky on a bun, warmed with vegetarian baked beans. Score!

It was an overcast marathon start with a fluffy blanket of clouds
It was an overcast marathon start with a fluffy blanket of clouds

But I’m getting ahead of myself. The starting line had the usual platformed trusses and a banner. When I read that the marathon started at 7:30 and the half at 7:40 I was like, “um, corrals? Is that enough time?” No, no corrals. Just as they should, runners self-seeded (with a little help from the well-spaced pacers) and the entire marathon group took off without any incident. In addition to various Marathon Maniacs (and Double Agents), I saw a man dressed up like…bacon?? He must have been with one of the four-person relay teams. One of the cool things about Blooms to Brews Marathon was the option for a FOUR person relay team. That means you only needed to be able to run about 6.5 miles to join in the marathon–a very cool opportunity, as many marathons don’t offer a relay, and others only offer a 2-person relay. Several of the spunky folks running the second and third legs whizzed right past me on my run, too! (Fresh legs, they had fresh legs. Or at least that is what I kept telling myself.) The relay medal was very cool–four magnetic pieces that fit together to form a key with tulips on top!

Pre-race not quite twinsies: BibRave singlet, Orange Mud hydraquiver, BibRave custom Buff...#orangeisthenewfast
Pre-race not quite twinsies: BibRave singlet, Orange Mud hydraquiver, BibRave custom Buff… orangeisthenewfast
Still cloudy at mile...whatever this is, but very green
Still cloudy at mile…whatever this is, but very green

As promised, the course is FLAT (just as promised!). The entire thing, all the way. There were three almost insignificant not-flat parts: one, leading up to a railroad crossing; two, leading down from the road to the beginning of the unpaved section (not sure if that was technically a dike, since the Horseshoe isn’t connected to a river?); three, coming off of the unpaved section and returning to paved road. Each of these was extremely brief–measured in feet, not yards. The marathon follows a separate course from the half marathon, but starts in the same manner and re-joins for the last few miles. As a marathoner, I love it when I’m not “just” running two loops of the half marathon course. (Personally, I hate passing the finish line before I get to cross it!) The relay teams all seemed to be having a great time–some dressed in matching costumes, others had a theme going, still others dressed like I do for a run (if it passed the sniff test, it’s good to go).

MIlestones, er, cardboards?, had fun messages on them
Milestones, er, cardboards?, had fun messages on them
No, not beer--just water and Gatorade
No, not beer–just water and Gatorade

It’s fairly rare, in my experience, that a course that says it is flat is really, really flat. This one is, I promise. (Well, I can’t opine as to the looped portions of the marathon since I didn’t run them, but the half is like a pancake baby.) Since the vast majority of the race was rural, there were no “unofficial aid stations” or sponsored cheering stations. There were, however, plenty of well-stocked and cheerfully staffed aid stations! At least two of the aid stations had gummy bears–they were hiding in Dixie Cups–but there were no other foodstuffs served on course. (But again, that was NOT in the promises the race made, so I had packed some Glukos chews and Honey Stinger chews, and I was just fine. Yet another reason why you should actually read the race website and the emails from the race director, even if you run races all the time and figure you know everything there is to know.)

Truly pastoral, though I knew I was in trouble when one of the calf babies started running faster than me!
Truly pastoral, though I knew I was in trouble when one of the calf babies started running faster than me!

This was NOT my best race, sad to say. After the icky hills of Rock ‘n’ Roll San Francisco and the Livermore Half Marathon, I was really excited to be on an actually flat course. Up until about mile 7 I was on pace to PR (not that I’m that fast, but a PR is a PR, right?) and was thinking about what corral that might put me in for the Dopey Challenge next year. Right around that point, that glute-hamstring tie-in on my left leg tweaked HARD and started to whine at me. Whiiiiiine, ow, whiiiine. UGH. This is a new one for me, and I thought it was a hill issue (since I had experienced it in San Francisco). So bummed, since I spent a good deal of my cross-training on the posterior chain last year (e.g. Lagree method). Around mile 9 I gave in to reality: this course would not be close to a PR. (Sad trombone noise! Whomp whomp!) Every time I tried to run–oh right, I was using 1-1 run and walk intervals–my left leg complained. ARGH.

A band of tulips!
A band of tulips!

Still, the course was flat (hooray!), green (hooray!), and reminded me of all the reasons why I love the Pacific NW. It wasn’t until after I had passed the Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens that I realized I had been to Woodland before the race–twice! The first time I was there for the festival at the lilac gardens. Maybe it wasn’t a festival, but it was some big event, and it had a Volkswalk associated with it. I was in Woodland again later for the tulip festival at Holland America Bulb Farms–going on during this race!–and another Volkswalk. Of course that was in my pre-running days, so I doubt I would have noticed a race going on.

None of my photos do the tulips justice, so you’ll have to go run this race yourself and check them out. The fields were set back from the road, and as we passed I could see stripes of red, yellow, white, and other colors in addition to the non-blooming fields closer to the road.

At any rate, after grabbing some gummy bears at the last aid station I started to pass runners with medals on, which confirmed what I knew: the end was really close! The runners headed home with their bling all cheered and high-fived, which was cool. As I rounded the corner to the very last piece, the home stretch, I noticed the final not-flat piece of the course: a very slight downhill to the finish line! Hey, I’ll take ANY downhill to the finish line, no matter how slight.

Once again I do *not* win best dressed
Once again I do *not* win best dressed

The finish line was very organized! Race director Elba Benzler  was on the ground, handing out high-fives and congratulating runners. (After having him as a guest on the Runner of a Certain Age podcast before the race, it was nice to finally meet in person!) Traffic cones at the end of the chute subdivided runners–at that point it was really just me!–based on which race they finished, so they could receive the appropriate medal. What’s that? Why YES, there were completely different medals for the half, full, 10k, and marathon relay! You know how most races have one design, and the half gets a smaller version while the full gets a bigger one? Not here!

After greeting Elba I tried to find Sarah, who I’d heard and seen as I crossed the finish line. Of course we both had runner brain and each went to where we last saw the other, so it took us a little bit. Then I wanted to drink as many cups of delicious Opal apple cider as I could get without being silly (side note: the Opal apple was at the Walnut Creek Half Marathon two years ago, and it is the best apple ever). We posed and laughed before heading over to the VIP area, and then we posed more! All the post-race selfies!

Snacks and space heaters, aka a runner's paradise
Snacks and space heaters, aka a runner’s paradise

One nice perk of BibRave is that race directors sometimes give us VIP privileges at races. These were some really nice VIP privileges! In addition to access to the beer garden like other runners, the VIP area had a separate bar with the beers plus Washington State wine, and mimosas. In addition to the aforementioned BBQ sandwiches, VIP also had a spread of bananas, nuts, KIND bars, chips, and other assorted food. There was a complimentary massage station that I eyed but didn’t take advantage of due to having to check out of the hotel by 1 (and needing a shower, badly!). My favorite part of VIP was probably the patio heaters. It wasn’t exactly cold weather, but post-race my core temp definitely dropped, and the jacket I had packed into my bag wasn’t doing the trick, so I was happy to huddle under a heater.

"Seriously, I just got lapped by a cow!"
“Seriously, I just got lapped by a cow!”

Overall, this race rocked my socks. It delivered on everything, as advertised. As I was driving out of Woodland–post-race, post-shower, and post-Burgerville–the finish line party was still going strong. It’s reasonably priced, has a variety of distances, and is close enough to food, coffee, and other amenities that your finish line cheer squad can see you off, do something else, and then meet you at the finish. If you want to hear more, check out the latest episode of Runner of a Certain Age Podcast.

Since the race is Blooms to Brews, and you brew coffee, I’m giving away a bag of coffee beans! Not just any beans, mind you, but Rotary Club of Woodland’s premium dark roast. My purchase of these beans helps the Rotary fund the new sports complex in Woodland. This coffee was roasted just before the race (April 7th) by local coffee producer the Luckman Coffee Company.

Important! This giveaway is not sponsored by BibRave, Blooms to Brews, the Rotary, Elvis, or any other entity real or fictional. There is ONE prize, a bag of coffee beans. I’ll ship to the US and Canada for free. If you live elsewhere I’ll still ship, but I’ll ask you to make a charity donation in the amount of the cost of postage.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#runalltheraces #earnalltghebling
#runalltheraces #earnalltghebling

This past weekend I rocked Rock ‘n’ Roll Dallas for the second year in a row. While I wasn’t originally planning to return to Dallas–even though I loved the races, spring is really busy–but it quickly became a must when Rock ‘n’ Roll announced the Lone Star Legend. (Seriously, I like my running bling.) The medal prototype debuted at the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio expo and, like the Desert Double-Down, is a cross-year challenge: first run San Antonio (typically December) and then run Dallas (typically March). The reward? A Texas-shaped, glittery medal, complete with a spinning Lone Star.

The only thing Texans love more than the shape of their state? The Texas flag.
The only thing Texans love more than the shape of their state? The Texas flag.

San Antonio 2015 was the capstone to my 2015 Rock ‘n’ Roll season: Rock ‘n’ Roll #11! For my friend Briana, it was also her tenth race, earning her the Gold Record. Briana’s friend Maria and our mutual friend, and Rock ‘n’ Blogger, Andrew joined us again, and the three of us all had the luxury of the VIP experience for the half marathon. The weekend began on Friday, with a quick bib pickup at the Expo. Well, it SHOULD have been quick, but one of the brilliant runners accidentally neglected to register for San Antonio and didn’t figure that out until after arriving at the Expo. Oops. This is the one hazard of having a Rock ‘n’ Roll Tour Pass–it’s easy to plan out your race calendar and then forget to go actually sign up for the races. Fortunately the Rock ‘n’ Roll team was quick to help me out, get me registered, and issue some bibs and shirts. There is a special bonus bib for Gold Record, and Briana was excited to pick it up.

By the time I’d fixed my “I forgot to register” problem, we didn’t have much time to explore the Expo. There was just enough time to snap a few quick pics of some of my favorite gear before the Expo closed and the runners were ushered out.

Orange Mud gear on sale at the Rock n Roll San Antonio Expo
Orange Mud gear on sale at the Rock n Roll San Antonio Expo
Cute food tastes better.
Cute food tastes better.

We then headed out to dinner. San Antonio is a good place to eat. Briana had a recommendation for dinner, and everything we ate there was amazing. Naturally we celebrated with a drink (when in a Tex-Mex restaurant, a little celebration is in order). After dinner we wandered down to see the lights on the River Walk, and run a few errands. Maria has a tradition of drinking pickle juice prior to every race in order to ward off cramps. I think pickles are gross, and find this a little disgusting, but there is science behind it. Plus I needed to pick up a few things at the drugstore. Turns out it is impossible to find jars of pickles downtown. We ended up talking a local Subway out of a little cup of pickle juice, and headed back to the hotel. I’m pretty sure we crashed instantly.

Saturday morning was the San Antonio 10k. The Rock ‘n’ Roll series has been adding 10k and 5k races in some markets, both in response to demand for shorter races (not everyone wants to run a half marathon), and to create the Remix (two races, three medals–no brainer for most of us who were going to do the half already). The 10k is sort of  sweet spot for me–I hate the first 2 miles of every race, so the 5k isn’t as much fun as the 10k. We got gorgeous weather for the run, and after many races that were hot or cold or wet or windy in 2015 I felt pretty spectacular. The 10k finishes right in front of the Alamo, where there was live music for the beer garden. Since San Antonio is the last race in the Rock ‘n’ Roll season, general shenanigans ensued.

Jimbob demonstrating how to drink like a Hall of Famer
Jimbob demonstrating how to drink like a Hall of Famer

Turns out that gigantic Hall of Fame medal makes a lovely drinking cup/shot glass. At one point a line of Hall of Famers that drank their Michelob Ultras out of the backs of their medals, but I wasn’t fast enough on the draw with my iPhone. (For those who are not aware, Michelob Ultra is the official beer sponsor for the Rock ‘n’ Roll races in the United States, so that is the only beer available at the finish line. Other beers might be available in VIP at certain locations, but since I don’t like beer, I haven’t researched that for you. If you run in Vancouver, there are local microbrews instead.)

 

 

 

 

Sometimes, I toast with java!
Sometimes, I toast with java! (Coffee over breakfast tacos.)

Smart folks that we are, we then hustled off to get breakfast tacos (and coffeeyescoffee). Between the other runners with their medals, and a group of re-enactors in period garb, it was a colorful brunch. (Also a loud one–muskets don’t come with silencers, and we started before the re-enactment ended.) I’m not sure why the rest of the country has not caught on, but it seems like the only place to get a proper breakfast taco is the part of Texas encompassing Austin and San Antonio. I’ve come close, but never quite hit perfection.

After lunch there was just enough time to shower and change, and take a quick stroll through the rest of the Expo (replenish my Nuun stash, etc.) before I had to lay down and rest my legs a bit. I had every intention of going to the Hall of Fame ceremony, awarding a special framed gold record to the runner who did the most Rock ‘n’ Roll races during the year, but I was exhausted from the prior week and suddenly it was time for dinner. Initially we attempted to meet up with a group of fellow fly-to-runners, but we had a little car issue and by the time we arrived our seats had been given to people on the wait list. Regardless, it was pasta time! (Yes, I know, most of us non-professional, not-running-to-place runners don’t need to “carb load.” I respect the science, but I also like pasta.) Dinner was delicious, and more moreso by the company of Briana and Andrew, since we’d shared various Rock ‘n’ Roll adventures since the Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona in January.

 

Pre-race vegetarian eats
Pre-race vegetarian eats

All three of us had VIP for the half marathon (for me, as one of the perks from Rock ‘n’ Blog). We took a Lyft or an Uber over to the stadium early enough to enjoy some of the brunch amenities: bagels, peanut butter, toast, bananas, fruit platters, and I think some other stuff….I eat vegetarian, which was fine for breakfast since I typically don’t eat much before a race (but explains why I might not remember some of the breakfast food). Most important, COFFEE. The corrals were not that far from the VIP tent, so we didn’t have to rush out too soon. I actually walked to the corrals, reconsidered my clothing layers, and went back to bag check before heading back to the corral. I loved the smaller VIP-only bag check, as well as the VIP porta-potties (no lines, hand-washing station, extra paper towels and feminine hygiene supplies).

Each race’s VIP comes with different perks, so it’s important to read what the VIP experience offers for each market. In San Jose, for example, VIP was held inside a nearby restaurant, while in Dallas and Virginia Beach the VIP area was in a hotel. San Antonio also had VIP parking (close-in, included with each VIP) and a post-race massage area. The VIP tent offered shade (which I appreciate as a white girl who burns just thinking about the sun), and had table-seating. I didn’t take advantage of the post-race massages (they are first-come, first-served and I came in pretty late, plus I didn’t have ).

San Antonio has both a full marathon and a half marathon. I was completely done with marathons by the time December rolled around, plus I had the Dopey Challenge in front of me, so I ran the half. You don’t usually think of San Antonio as hilly–at least if you don’t live there, or haven’t been in awhile–but trust me, they are there! Fortunately also there were the students and faculty from Trinity University, who served as excellent cheerleaders and had some of the best signs I’ve seen. I didn’t take many pictures along the course, but again the weather was lovely and the course support was great!

Did I mention Trinity is atop a BIG HILL?
Did I mention Trinity is atop a BIG HILL?

 

The department-specific signs were hilarious!
The department-specific signs were hilarious!

 

Trinity isn't a huge school, I think every student and staff member was out cheering
Trinity isn’t a huge school, I think every student and staff member was out cheering

After the race, I met up with Andrew and Briana in the VIP tent. I’m not much of a complainer in general, but I have one HUGE complaint about the VIP tent’s post-race food: none of it was vegetarian! Yes, I understand I was in Texas, and Texas is the home of Team Beef (this is really a thing), but I was a vegetarian when I lived in Texas, and I’ve never had a problem finding things to eat. My choices at the post-race VIP food were extremely limited. I remember wilted lettuce leaves that appear to have been the serving platter decoration for something else (as the platter was empty). There may have been brown banana pieces (brown from sitting out for 5+ hours between pre-breakfast and when I finished the race), but the rest of the breakfast food was gone. There weren’t even Power Bars or potato chips (though I did eat the ones handed to me when I crossed the finish line). I was very, very upset about this–and remember, I got my VIP as a Rock ‘n’ Blog perk, so just imagine how I’d feel if I’d paid full price! I even asked the servers if there was any food without meat. Seriously, there were chicken enchiladas and beef enchiladas, but they couldn’t make cheese ones? Or haul out any breakfast leftovers? But the servers said, Nope! NO FOOD FOR YOU. This is really bizarre since on average, 10% of the population eats vegetarian outside of the home (whether they are vegetarian, vegan, limiting meat intake, keeping kosher, keeping halal, or for other reasons). This was a gross oversight. I’ve done everything in my power to bring this to the attention of management–I’ve tweeted and repeated, slathered it all over facebook, put it on my race feedback form, put it out there to the Rock ‘n’ Blog wranglers–and expect them to correct it for this year. (If not, they can expect me to have pizza delivered AND send them the bill.)

What did the VIP tent have for me post-race at San Antonio? Champagne. Let’s just say it is a bad idea to refuse to feed me but then give me champagne.

One Hall of Fame plus Three Gold Records
One Hall of Fame plus Three Gold Records

Naturally there was also an obligatory Gold Record shot. I tried to wrangle more people for a Gold Record and Hall of Fame photo, but it turns out many of those folks are gluttons for punishment and were running the full marathon. Many of them met up at the Expo for the Hall of Fame ceremony, but I was trying to pick a time when those getting their Gold Record at San Antonio could also join the photo. So I only managed to snag one Hall of Famer.

In between champagne, Nuun-tinis, and orange juice, we got to meet the third place men’s overall finisher for the marathon, Jose Roberto Zavala Calderon. Race officials were trying to explain that they were going to go get his award, but they didn’t speak any Spanish and the message was getting mangled. By that time I’d had sufficient champagne to jump in with my espanola semi-gringa and fix the situation. Jose turned out to be a super nice guy who didn’t mind my mangled Spanglish.

Check out that overall award!
Check out that overall award!

 

Would I do San Antonio again? Well, if I play my calendar correctly, San Antonio could be half marathon #100 for me…stay tuned for more!

 

P.S. I’m definitely ordering a pizza sent to VIP post-race!

 

Imagine a building that is about the size of a medium-sized airport, with at least as many people as you’d find in a medium-sized airport. Spread out as far as you can see (and then some) inside are more than 6,000 exhibitors, some of whom have more than one booth space. The path to the front door is backed by a stage, flanked by sampling stands, and swarmed with perky teens and twenty-something offering samples–breakfast bars, gluten-free snacks, yogurt, ice cream, fizzy fruit drinks, and more. Everyone wants to hand you something!

If you can picture that, you might come somewhere near picturing Natural Products Expo West. It filled every big ballroom in the Anaheim convention center (including the lower level and third floor), plus two giant rooms in one of the adjoining hotels–and that’s just the product and ingredient exhibitors! There were also educational sessions, meet-ups, morning yoga, and various other activities filling the area. 2016 was my first year at ExpoWest, and it gave me enough food for thought (figuratively and literally) to blog about for weeks. Lucky for you, it also gave me more than enough snacks, samples, and coupons, so I’m going to share them with you! But first, a quick word on a very important topic:

What does “natural” mean?

Even gluten-free products can rock your taste buds these days
Even gluten-free products can rock your taste buds these days

First, “natural” does not mean “organic.” Organic has a very specific meaning, and there are loads of rules about what can be labeled organic, and who can certify that something is organic. (To read more about what organic means, check out Organic.org) Organic things are arguably natural, but things bearing the natural label are not necessarily organic.

Second, “natural” does not automatically mean “good for you to eat.” Many, many things that you and I would both agree are natural products are also things we would both agree we do NOT want to eat! Need a few examples? Here they are: arsenic, mercury, moose feces…oh wait? You want me to limit the list to plants and animals? How about hemlock, poison ivy leaves, cyanide, dart frogs, black widow spider venom…I could go on for quite a few pages. As several comics have noted, nature is always trying to kill you. (See also, lightning, earthquakes, sunburn, poisoning from naturally occurring radiation, and food allergies.)

Third, “natural” does not mean “unprocessed.” Let’s take a peanut butter made from only peanuts (zero other ingredients). Wouldn’t you agree that is natural? How about raspberries that are picked, washed, and frozen–aren’t those natural too? Is cider made from pressed apples (and nothing else) natural? What about flour made only from ground rice? ALL of these examples are processed food. Since the term “processed” has gotten a bad rap lately and many bloggers are quick to condemn anything that comes in a package (as all of my examples do), I’d be straying from my mission if I didn’t point this out.

So…wait, what does “natural” mean? As I write this, if you see the word “natural” on a package, it means anything the product manufacturer wants it to mean. You read that right. “Natural” currently has no legal definition. If I want to make a product using meat I grew in a petri dish seasoned with chemicals cooked up in the lab next door,and add some high-fructose corn syrup, I can legally label that product “natural.” (You might find this surprising, given the level of detail given to the Code of Federal Regulations–think of it as the federal food rules–gives to the definition of “cheese” versus “cheese product” versus “cheese food.” I am not making this up–go check out Part 133, Cheeses and Related Cheese Products.)

BUT WAIT! In response to confusion from the public, the FDA (federal Food and Drug Administration) is currently considering new rules to limit the use of the term “natural” on food. You can read more about the proposed definition and limits and–much more important–provide YOUR input to the FDA, by clicking over to the “Natural” on Food Labeling page of the FDA. Seriously, this is your chance to help shape food policy in this country. Please, let your voice be heard!

So, on to Expo West!

Next, a little overview of things to come… Expo West is a trade show for the natural products industry, and covered everything from sourcing ingredients, manufacturing, and packaging through finished products to eat, wear, and use. The ingredients-focused section is known as Engredea. Since I’m not in the market for organic cane sugar syrup or hypoallergenic pouches, I took a fairly brisk walk up and down the aisles of this section without doing more than looking. I think you might be shocked at the variety of ingredients available to use in natural products. Anyway, my goal was to check out the natural foods exhibitors, and seek out the top trends in the natural food industry. Here’s what I observed:

Snackification. Holy cow, everything is a snack. New Hope Network natural media had been documenting this trend prior to the show, but I had NO idea. Whether you’re on a six mini-meals per day plan or just get hungry between meals, it turns out that Americans now get a significant number of daily calories from snacks. Apples and celery are not always at the ready, right? Expo West contained more snack bars—paleo, protein, meat-based, vegan…so many options there!—than I had ever dreamed of, plus other ways to snack: Mamma Chia squeeze pouches, cooked fruit in pouches, Cracked nut butters, Hope hummus dips in individual servings, Dr. McDougall’s Right Foods heat and eat soups, chips made from fruit or veggies or both or beans…

Who doesn't love popcorn?
Who doesn’t love popcorn?

Popcorn. It’s everywhere. There are snacks based on popcorn, like PopCorners. There are bagged popcorn snacks, like Gaslamp Popcorn in flavors from white cheddar to birthday cake, and Beer Kissed popcorn; Boulder Canyon, POP! Gourmet, Kettle Foods, and Angie’s Boomchickapop. I was happy to see Halfpops, a snack for those of us that dig the not-quite-popped kernals from the bottom of the bag—I know them from many race expos. New to me was Black Jewell Popcorn, a popcorn with almost no hull (outer shell); if you shy away from popcorn because it gets stuck in your teeth, THIS is your solution. (I tasted it myself—no joke, there is almost nothing to stick in your teeth.) Popcorn is gluten-free, FODMAPS friendly, and one of my personal favorites. Several companies were also popping popcorn in coconut oil, which reminds me how the thought on this has come full circle: first we ate popcorn at the movies popped in a butter that was mostly solid at room temperature, then we decided those fats solid at room temperature were bad so all the cinemas switched to oil, and then we discovered that hm, maybe those medium-chain triglycerides were okay after all and here we are back at popping in coconut oil. It made the expo smell delicious, and the popcorn popped in coconut oil rich in MCT (medium chain triglycerides) tasted amazing with just a tiny bit of salt. I’ll be trying this at home…

This is my jam
This is my jam

Nut butters. As a kid I was a picky eater, so I ate A LOT of peanut butter and jelly. I thought I was in heaven when I discovered macadamia nut butter as an adult (at like $12/jar!) but I have since been blown away by the amazing, nutritious, tasty goodness in today’s nut butters. I finally got to meet two of my heroines (and Shark Tank favorites), the Wild Friends nut butter founders (try the cinnamon raisin peanut butter, and you’ll understand why jam is optional). My friends from Crazy Richard’s Peanut Butter were there with their simple-ingredient, super tasty, family-owned peanut butters. Expo West gave me the opportunity to meet Bliss Nut-Butters (cinnamon chia seed peanut butter for the win!), and Cracked Nut Butter (the pouched chocolate chip cookie dough is SO going with me on my next run!) Peanut Butter & Co., Justin’s, and Once Again were also there with their tasty nut butters. Allergic to peanuts? How about a creation from San Diego-based Nuttzo, which has non-peanut options. Many of these delicious nut butters also come in individual-serving-sized pouches, perfect for hitting the trail or the road.

Tastes like butter!
Tastes like butter!

Vegan food that does not suck. If you’ve ever met me in person and talked food, you know I always say maybe I could be vegan, but I’d miss the butter and cheese. I can’t say that anymore! Expo West introduced me to Miyoko’s Kitchen, which is just up the peninsula from my home in Alameda. Miyoko’s makes a vegan butter that tastes buttery! I don’t mean “tastes like butter flavored margarine” I mean tastes just like butter! (What’s in it? Organic coconut oil, water, organic safflower oil or organic sunflower oil organic cashews, soy lechitin, sea salt, and cultures. Nothing weird.) I also tried Miyoko’s Fresh VeganMozz, Aged English Sharp Farmhouse, and a vegan pizza featuring their products. HEAVEN! I also tried some frozen pizza from Oh Yes! (vegan and non-vegan, gluten-free and non-gluten free varieties), which as a bonus also “hides” a serving of vegetables. Those were just two of the brands of vegan food you could easily slip to a meat-eater to change their opinion of vegan food.

Honestly, made from vegetables!
Honestly, made from vegetables!

Non-dairy milk. Speaking of vegan, the world of milk has gotten so much better since you first tried soy milk. While I was thrilled to meet the family behind Califia Farms—the almost milk I “discovered” at my corner grocery the week before Expo West—there are now so many more options than you imagined in the non-dairy milk section. Want a coffee creamer that tastes creamy? Califia makes that too—and a whole line of packaged coffee drinks. Milkadamia is made from macadamia nuts. Rebel Kitchen makes Mylk, a coconut milk with no refined sugar. My favorite discovery is, sadly, not-quite-yet available in the United States: Veggemo is a milk made from actual vegetables, yet it has the consistency and texture of 2% dairy milk. It even tastes milky, not vegetable-y. Trust me, you want this as soon as the nice folks in Canada let us have some!

Coffee, oh yes, please, coffee
Coffee, oh yes, please, coffee

Coffee. Oh #coffeeyescoffee and #butfirstcoffee because there were some amazing coffees at Expo West! I got to see and handle the recyclable k-cup style coffee pods by Marley Coffee (and more important, drink the coffee!). I met the folks behind Steamm, which I’ve stalked during its crowd-funding phase. Café Kreyol introduced me to the boots-on-the-ground work they are doing in Haiti and how coffee can be a force for economic growth in developing nations while still being amazing (I didn’t even put cream in that coffee). Intelligensia Coffee, another staple from my corner store, was there, along with innovative and amazing non-dairy creamers and milk-based creamers, and creamers with functional benefits. Trust me, I’m going to be writing about coffee…

But this is getting long.

So how about a giveaway? I was only able to hit Expo West for two days—the beloved day job expects me to attend—but I still want to share the love and the swag! On Saturday as I was driving to parking, a guy at the intersection gave me two sealed packs of Expo West-related goodness, and I’m giving one to you! This prize pack consists of Naturally Healthy, a special issue of Gourmet News issued just for Expo West, so you can read about innovations in the natural food space; Modern Oats 5 berry all natural oatmeal; Fig Bar in raspberry; Cosmos Creations Coconut Crunch premium puffed corn; fruit bliss organic Turkish mini figs; and a few surprises! You’ve got two weeks to enter, so don’t delay!

Some of the goodies in this giveaway
Some of the goodies in this giveaway

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a free entry to the Sedona Marathon because I am a BibRave Pro. (Per usual, all opinions are my own–you should know by now I don’t need any help with that, I’ve got plenty of ’em!) Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro here. Read and write race reviews at BibRave.com! It’s a great way to choose between conflicting races, to help runners find the best races, and the help race directors improve each year.

The Sedona Marathon taught me this: if you live on an island that is 6’ above sea level, running a marathon at 4500+’ just might not be the best idea.

I worked Friday, and missed the expo. Sedona offered race-day pickup with almost no lines, so it took about five minutes to get my bib. My friend Jackie had come along to be my race crew, so I put what would have been my checked bag, as well as my race shirt, in her Jeep. (The shirt is great—a royal blue Greenlayer brand tech shirt—a classic run shirt design with a line drawing of the scenery, sunrise, and some runners. During the pre-race, there were also various vendors of running gear, natural foods, and Sedona-themed merchandise. Race staff announced interesting facts about the race, including that there were 47 states represented (note to South Dakota: time to represent!) and 80 runners from Japan!

After posing for a quick selfie with Emily (running the 10k), I hopped into the corral for the final announcements, a few dynamic movement warmups, and the national anthem. (Does anyone else want to yell “Play Ball!” at the end?) Then we were off!

BibRave Pro Emily pre-race
BibRave Pro Emily pre-race (thanks to Emily for the pic!)

I spent the week before the race waffling about whether to drop back to the half marathon. This was in large part due to my late realization at the elevation of the race (hey, I’d never been to Sedona!) and the fact that a hectic work schedule to got in the way of training. After weighing the merits of both options, and of course taking a poll on facebook, I decided to stick to the marathon. First, I’d accepted a bib to the race on the premise that I’d run the marathon. Second, I’ve only ever technically DNF’d one other race (The New Year’s Double marathon on New Year’s Day) and I still finished, which is more important to me than pretty much anything else. Finally, I figured if I got swept it would just give me more to blog about, right?

So I took off with the marathon start, with very good intentions and the knowledge that I was probably about to get my butt handed to me. The first little piece was downhill and I tried to pace myself. I once ran the fastest mile of my life at the beginning of a race—caught up in the excitement!—and regretted it about eight miles later. The course turned a few times, spent a block on the main road through Sedona, and then turned towards the hills. Uphill, naturally.

The starting line (see the lady dressed like a cactus)
The starting line (see the lady dressed like a cactus)

I am not a fan of running uphill. I am REALLY not a fan of running uphill at elevation. It quickly became apparent that sticking to a 1 minute run/1 minute walk interval was not happening, so I adjusted to a terrain-based interval: run downhill, walk uphill, do intervals on the flat pieces. By the first aid station, I was almost the last marathoner.

We passed the 10k turnaround, and I wondered if Emily wasn’t the smartest person I knew running this race. The half marathon runners caught up with me around mile 3 or 4 or so and I got another burst of energy from being in a crowd again. Jeremy came up from behind me, and then snapped an epic selfie.

Faux-to Bomb!
Faux-to Bomb! (thanks to Jeremy for the pic)

Despite my newly-made terrain-based plan, my lungs were really unhappy with me. My legs were fresh and eager to run, but my lungs were on fire. I shortened my flat intervals from 1/1 to “until my lungs start to smokle”/the remainder of that 1 + 1. I attempted to distract my lungs by looking at the gorgeous scene unfolding before me. Scenically, you could not ask for a prettier desert-mountain course. The “urban” portion was less than a mile of the course, and even then it was set against the majestic backdrop that is Sedona. I’d never been to Sedona before, so I spent a lot of time gawking at the red and white striations in the rock formations. The greenery was pretty much all foreign-to-me desert-y stuff, so also fun to look at.

Scenery and runners
Scenery and runners

As I approached the half marathon turnaround, I looked for Jackie. The plan had been for her to camp out near that aid station. I didn’t see her, which turned out to be a good thing—I had planned to shed my long-sleeved base later at that point (the sun had come out and unlike the Arizona natives I was no longer cold). Later on as the chilly breezes came through I was glad to have the sleeves!

At half marathon turnaround the course shifted from paved to dirt roads. The paved section was the nicest pot-hole-free blacktop I’ve run on in quite some time. The dirt road entrance was flanked by U.S. Park Service (or was it U.S. Forest Service?) signs warning “primitive road” that is “not regularly maintained.” They totally overstated it—I’ve run on paved roads in California that aren’t as nice. The road was open to traffic, and multiple ATVs, Jeeps, and other vehicles passed while I was running. (Jeep tours are A Thing in Sedona.) For the most part this was no big deal, as most drivers were courteous and went rather slow. I was glad I had a Buff with me, as I used it over my nose/mouth when drivers kicked up a little too much dust.

The crowd had thinned out completely by mile 7. I had two runners in sight ahead of me, and one close behind. As I ran-walked-woggled I heard the sound of ice cracking where the sun hit the frozen water drainage at the side of the road. Sedona rocked my concept of Arizona; first it was “cold” (the Arizona runners all had on winter gear!), and then I saw cactus surrounded by snow!

Believe it: snow on the cactus!
Believe it: snow on the cactus!

As I passed the spotter at mile 8, I overheard his radio: the lead marathoner had just passed mile 17! We exchanged pleasantries and he clapped and said, “I’m proud of you!” as I passed. That reminded me of Mom, and I powered on to the next aid station. The aid stations were the best! All of them were staffed by themed-groups, including “run from the zombies” and a group with big flowers on their heads.

The majority of the marathoners passed me on their way back as I hit miles 10 and 11. Everyone with breath to spare told me to keep it up and encouraged me onward. One of the last inbound marathoners passed me at mile 12.5—in a particularly hilly section of the course—and I’d bet she was old enough to be my grandmother. Inspired, I ran down the hill to the marathon turnaround and did a funny little dance as I went around the cone. There was a runner there awaiting transport back to the start, which I wished I’d noticed before I danced around the cone. Then it was back uphill towards the start.

A few miles in, I found Jackie! Or rather she found me. If you’re running a marathon and suspect you’re doing to DNF or otherwise come in close to the end, I cannot recommend this highly enough: bring a chaser! First, it was great to see a friend encouraging you on. Second, Jackie had gone absolutely nuts and brought enough snacks, drinks, and treats for pretty much the entire field of runners. She said the Japanese runners were confused by red vines (I guess those don’t exist there) and she had to explain that they were food. “Sugar?” one asked. Anyway, from that point forward, Jackie met me every mile or two. In addition to providing moral support, she also refilled my water bottles, mixed Nuun for me, and had every snack imaginable on hand. While I had put snacks in my Orange Mud vest, knowing I’d be out on the course all day, the Honey Stinger gingerbread waffle was the perfect treat when she offered.

"sedrona"? Completely blue skies made for good photo drone weather at the start
“sedrona”? Completely blue skies made for good photo drone weather at the start

By that time there were only two runners behind me. The famous Pink Jeeps that I’d recently seen on an episode of the Food Network’s “The Great Food Truck Race” drove up and down the course checking on us back-of-the-packers. At several points the Pink Jeep crew or their leader pulled up and offered me bottled water or Clif Shots. Around mile 22 or so, the crew leader tol me the crew was starting to close down the course. I said if course policy was to sag-wagon/sweep the last runners, I would completely understand, but I did have my own race crew to watch over me (and sweep me if necessary) and would prefer to finish. The Pink Jeep crew leader obtained the “a-okay” to carry on, once all were assured that I knew what I was doing and would be safe. The U-Hauls taking down the course also offered me water and provisions. Part of their job was also to sweep any trash that had landed on the side of the road. (Aid stations had garbage bags, but some runners forgot that when running through a National Park, you don’t drop your snack wrappers on the ground.) I let them know I had talked to the Pink Jeep crew leader and that I had my own crew, and was going to carry on.

Which I did, meeting Jackie every mile or so for more water, Nuun, and at times a snack. My pace was somewhat erratic, with little bursts of run until my lungs got fiery again. The Pink Jeep leader vacillated between thinking I’d hit the finish line before it closed at 4:00 and assuming I wouldn’t. At mile 24 I must have been looking somewhat pathetic. Jackie asked, “do you want to go another mile?” I said OH HELL NO, I’m going to finish this race.

The last 1/4 of the course returned to pavement
The last 1/4 of the course returned to pavement

Less than a mile before the finish line, I hit the intersection of the highway that is the main road through town. I sent Jackie a text to try to figure out whether to turn right or go straight and then realized that DUH I had the course map on my phone. As I turned, a woman in a Sedona Marathon shirt came running up. “Finish line is this way!” Sadly, I have forgotten her name, but she is definitely The Spirit of Running embodied. Having finished the half marathon, she had showered, changed clothes, and come back to first cheer, and then help the last marathoners find their way to the finish line! As we walked/ran small spurts toward the finish line I learned that she had flown in earlier in the week (a smart thing to do, as it gave her time to adjust to the elevation). Jackie met us a few hundred feet from the finish line.

Just before the finish line there is a little hill, and most runners take off from the top and run to the finish. I gave it a shot, my legs willingly and my lungs grudgingly, and crossed under the finish line truss as the race director and his crew were removing the signage. Everyone cheered, which was pretty cool. Even though the timing mat was gone—as were all the non-race-personnel, the finish line festival, and pretty much any other trace of evidence that a race had happened—The Spirit of Running made sure to present me with a finisher’s medal and some cookies.

Post-race margarita and hard-earned bling
Post-race margarita and hard-earned bling

As I pointed out in my BibRave.com review, in addition to having no reason to complain, I have extra reasons to be thrilled with race management. First, after assuring themselves that I would be safe, they allowed me to finish even after the course officially closed. Second, as I turned the last corner off the main out-and-back portion, The Spirit of Running made sure I found my way and got me to the finish line. While I didn’t get an official time (the timing system was shut down after 7 hours, well beyond the 6.5 hour limit advertised) I was presented with a medal and allowed to raid the snacks. Finally, the race staff taking down the finish line and packing things up thanked me for coming out to run the race and were sincerely interested in what I thought of the race. It felt like pretty amazing hospitality for one of the very slowest runners out there.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary bib to run The Double Your Luck Challenge because I am a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro here. Find and write race reviews at BibRave.com All opinions in this review are my own. (There is no “sponsored content” or advertorial here!)

BibRave Pros + Bling
BibRave Pros + Bling

While I originally planned to show up Friday night so I could check out the Sin City Shootout opening night parties after I picked up my packet, my elderly cat has been refusing to eat and is now on steroids…combine that with the week I was just out of town for the Walt Disney World Dopey Challenge, and I didn’t want to leave the poor meow alone for more than a night. So I flew in Saturday evening. While the Tropicana was the official host hotel for the Sin City events, I had a friend in town who already had a room at Harrah’s, and I love me some free crash space. The main advantage of packet pickup on Friday is the ability to purchase the special Sin City Shootout mug, which comes with a slew of drink specials at the various affiliated parties over the weekend. There was no pickup Saturday, and I wasn’t about to go out drinking the night before a race, so no parties for me!

I got up early Sunday and went down to hail a cab. The one thing I disliked about this event is that there was no transportation provided, and facebook group or other way to arrange a ride share. The Sin City Shootout host hotel is the Tropicana, though I stayed at nearby Harrah’s. My taxi out to the event cost around $30, and I wasn’t the only one who took a taxi—it would have been nice to have a way to coordinate rides. Some people did drive, but since I was just staying overnight the cost of a car rental was crazy. There was ample free parking right by the start/finish, so locals scored a great deal.

Start/Finish pre-race
Start/Finish pre-race

While I had planned an hour before the race for packet pickup, I think it took more like 10 minutes. There was a line, but it moved rapidly. The Sin City Run packets were small but mighty! I really like it when a race packet has minimal paper (like flyers and stuff) and only runner-related items. Packets contained your race bib, a discount on EnergyBits, samples of gummy vitamins, Clif Bar minis, and samples of BioFreeze, in addition to safety pins. Unfortunately I didn’t get to pick up my shirt because two of the boxes of shirts were stuck on a UPS truck somewhere, so I’ll be getting mine in the mail. (They only had small, and I’m not small.) The shirts are cute, a grey basic cotton tee with the Sin City Run logo on the front. I know I’ll wear mine.

BibRave: #OrangeIsTheNewFast
BibRave: #OrangeIsTheNewFast

Initially, I was freezing cold—it was in the 40s, even though I’d checked the weather report and it said 60s!—and I really wished I’d brought a heat sheet or a long-sleeved shirt. Before the 5k, BibRave Pro Laurel (aka Running to Happiness) and I huddled in her car and had some BibRave Pro bonding time prior to the start. Both of us happened to wear our 2XU winter-weight Hyoptik compression tights, and I for one was VERY pleased for the warmth. For the 5k I pulled my Buff up like a balaclava to cover my neck and head, and give me a little extra heat-retention until the sun came out. Eventually the sun did come out, and I started to warm up quite a bit.

The course was flat and as I mentioned 100% blacktop. There was the most minor of downhills at one point in the course, but you really had to be paying attention to notice it. Both courses run through Sunset Park, a protected wildlife dune just past the airport. The 5k race course takes one loop around a portion of the blacktop-paved trails, and the 10k race takes that loop twice, plus a little mini-loop to add the mileage. (Given the layout of the trails, I suspect there were few options for adjusting the course length.)

For the 5k, I ran with Laurel. She was running 2-1 intervals at a pace of about 11 minutes/mile. (I think I remembered that right.) She was kind of kicking my butt, actually, but I wanted to try the 5k as a challenge. This seemed like a good idea for the first 2.6 miles or so, then I started lagging. Frankly, my legs were pretty leaden from last weekend’s running-of-the-Dopey. I made it anyway, of course, but my legs were very cranky.

IMG_3137
Bunna-Bunny Big Ears–desert hare or blacktailed jackrabbit?

Despite being right in the middle of Vegas, the race course seemed very nature-y and not particularly urban. I spotted at least two dozen bunnies, and during the 5k Laurel taught me that the ones I call Bunna-Bunny-Big-Ears are not bunnies, but hares. (Yes, I still make up names for cute animals I see while running. I blame the lack of oxygen to the brain.) Well, they might be blacktailed jackrabbits. But she also told me she learned that they can control their body temperatures with their ears. Very cool. I wish I could do that.

 

 

I was a little disappointed to not see any lizards while I was running, but it occurred to me that while lizards can be desert-dwellers perhaps they don’t like dunes?

Sin City Run Aid Station--yes, thats just water
Sin City Run Aid Station–yes, that’s just water

The course had one aid station with water (and music and cheering) which each runner passed twice during the 5k run and four times during the 10k run. The course was marked on the blacktop with chalk, with cones and XXX where appropriate to make sure runners didn’t stray from the path. There were volunteers at every point where the course might have been even a little bit confusing, as well as at the few places where the course crossed a road open to vehicles. The volunteers were really great, cheering for every runner who went through the course. In the beginning this might have been so they could stay warm, but they kept up their enthusiasm even after the sun came out.

Bunnies!
Bunnies!

For the 10k, I decided to switch back to my usual 1-1 intervals (which later degraded to 30 seconds and 1:30 intervals) since my legs were just not feeling it. The sun came out, and the sky was blue, so it was gorgeous out, pretty much the perfect day for a run.  I tried to photograph my new “friends” during the 10k but they wouldn’t hold still. Every time I heard a new bird I stopped to see if I could find him, since I’ve never lived in the desert. I’m not sure how to describe the landscaping, but it was a natural mix of yucca-like stuff, a few cactus, and the usual desert-like trees. I could see mountains (and snow!) in the background.

The finish line had someone to announce each finisher, which I thought was a nice touch for a smaller race. There is a single finisher medal for either 5k or 10k, though if you do both you get a bonus medal. The race medal is poker-chip-themed, and double-sided enamel. The bonus medal is also poker-chip-themed, and is a spinner. Both feature wide colorful ribbons. Overall, I thought these were executed beautifully.

Why yes, that was a rumbly from my tumbly...
Why yes, that was a rumbly from my tumbly…

A few steps beyond the finish line runners had an assortment of post-race snacks, including a beverage called rumble that I’d never tried before. (The vanilla maple is delicious.) Other offerings were water, bananas, Clif organic trail mix bars, pretzels, and tortilla strips.

Post-race snacks? Yes, please! #EatAllTheFoods
Post-race snacks? Yes, please! #EatAllTheFoods

As I wrote on BibRave.com, this is less of a “destination race” and more of a “race in a destination.” It was small but mighty! This is the complete opposite of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas runs (which are huge, urban, and at night). This would be the perfect race for someone who wants to go to a small but extremely well-managed event. This would make an ideal race for a friends’ getaway weekend; I could see combining running these events with a longer weekend in Vegas—maybe go to the opening parties Friday, see an afternoon show Saturday, run Sunday morning, and then head to a champagne brunch buffet.

After my race, I convinced Laurel to drive me back to Harrah’s. I grabbed a shower, changed clothes, and put almost everything back in the suitcase. I met my roommate down in the high-limit room, and we headed to lunch and caught up. (I had almost convinced her to run with me, but since she was in town for a poker tournament she quickly came to her senses and decided staying out late and getting up early were not a recipe for a winning poker tournament.) When we said goodbye, I stopped to get a fruity frozen drink (because hello, Vegas).

Doesn't everything in Vegas merit a fruity drink?
Doesn’t everything in Vegas merit a fruity drink?

According to Runner’s World, Thanksgiving day is the most popular day to run in the United States. I’m not surprised, since it is a holiday that tends to center around food, and the start of the holiday season (read: Season of Unlimited Feasting) for many. Personally, I think it’s nice to have an active activity that the whole family can enjoy.

This years shirt is definitely on trend, as current running styles favor neon for visibility
This years shirt is definitely on trend, as current running styles favor neon for visibility

My first turkey trot was in Austin, back in the late 1990s. I didn’t so much “run” as “walk and shuffle” it, but that’s part of the beauty of the turkey trot–most of them are relatively short distances, and welcome participants of all abilities. The largest events have multiple distances from as short as a mile to a 10k or longer.

Historically, my family has celebrated both Thanksgiving and Christmas (and usually Dad’s birthday) over Thanksgiving weekend. For me, this meant going back to my home town, leaving all my healthy eating and exercise habits at home, and laughing with my brothers while consuming mass quantities of carbs and diet coke.  Three years ago one of my brothers and his wife happened to have a membership to a tricked-out Lifetime Fitness and took me as a guest. That was the first “turkey trot” of my current running career.

Detroit Turkey Trot 2014 gear
Detroit Turkey Trot 2014 gear

Last year, I decided to convince my family to run the Detroit Turkey Trot. It was an epic failure in that regard, as every single one had an excuse not to run. I decided that even though it meant getting up before the sun and running in weather colder than what I’ve run in since moving to California in 2008, I was going to get in a run. (I may have had delusions of participating in the Runner’s World runstreak. We’ll pretend that didn’t happen.) I drove down to Cobo Hall to register, grab some selfies with The Parade Company giant heads, and hatch a race-day plan.

The Big Heads are made of paper mache; according to The Parade Company, Detroit has the largest collection in the world
The Big Heads are made of paper mache; according to The Parade Company, Detroit has the largest collection in the world

The Detroit Turkey Trot is one of the largest turkey trots in the country. Events include a 10k Turkey Trot, 5k Stuffin’ Strut, the Drumstick Double (run the 10k then the 5k), and the Mashed Potato Mile. The 10k route largely follows the Thanksgiving Day Parade route, lined with spectators (some of whom camp out in RVs all night to save their spots!) and through the gorgeous architectural reminders that Detroit was once one of the greatest cities in North America.

One of my favorite downtown Detroit buildings. Nobody builds like this anymore.
One of my favorite downtown Detroit buildings. Nobody builds like this anymore.

About two miles from the end of the course there is a Christmas cookies and candy canes aid station, and when the weather gets cold enough there are volunteers designated at each water station to throw rock salt and gravel to prevent ice from forming! There are shirts for all participants and medals for the 5k, 10k, and Drumstick Double, as well as what might be the world’s most efficient post-race food stations. (Yes, better than Disney.)

This is the first time we'd seen each other since...like 1996.
This is the first time we’d seen each other since…like 1996.

This year, I convinced Dad to join me. (His fiancee, worried he’d repeated his “I haven’t trained, but I think I’ll go kill this race” stunt from the Detroit International Half Marathon this October, made me promise not to let him get hurt.) My master plan was to have a good time, get a little exercise, and hit some unique portals in Ingress (my latest semi-fitness-related obsession, but more on that later.) So I set my Garmin for 1 minute intervals, with the intent to stroll a minute and jog at an easy pace for a minute.

Sporting my BibRave orange at the Detroit Turkey Trot.
Sporting my BibRave orange at the Detroit Turkey Trot.

The weather was warmer than last year (no ice danger at the aid stations!), and though there were a few sprinkles in the beginning, it turned out to be a gorgeous day for a run. There were a bunch of cute costumes, from turkeys to Santa suits. At the end of the run, we had some snacks and drove home to the Thanksgiving feast in Dad’s new condo. After a shower and a quick nap (being on “west coast time,” I had stayed up WAY too late), I felt great and was ready to celebrate with my family.

Speaking of family, my less-curmudgeonly brother went for a run. He’s about to turn 40, so he’s freaking out about “not getting fat” (and not being 30!). Though he refused my invitation to the Turkey Trot, he ran 6.3 miles–just because he always has to one-up me.

IMG_2846
The 2014 finisher medal! Different colors of ribbons indicate which race you ran

If you’re interested in running a turkey trot in 2017–hey, it’s not to early to think about it!–a quick google search for “turkey trot” and the name of your town or the nearest large-ish town will likely get you a handful of results. BibRave.com, a race review website, has participant-written reviews of many turkey trots.

You probably can't register today for a 2016 turkey trot...but soon!
You probably can’t register today for a 2016 turkey trot…but soon!

Naturally a ton of my friends and fellow run-bloggers also ran this year. Here are just a few of their turkey trot reviews, for your reading pleasure. Running With Ollie chose the Cox Running Club Thanksgiving Day 5k in Fort Worth. My friend Andrew ran trails with Brazen Racing at the Nitro Turkey and Quarry Turkey (check out the bling!). Running on Happy ran the Cleveland Turkey Trot and had a different experience this year compared to last year. My First 5k and More did the Troy (NY) Turkey Trot 10k AND the 5k (check out the holiday presents, oh my!). Marcia’s Healthy Slice pointed out that races like the Mount Prospect Jaycees Turkey Trot are often at bargain prices. Chocolate Runs Judy did a turkey trot in Cohoes (NY)(see? they are everywhere!). Lauren Runs tackled the Suntree Turkey Trot. Weight Off My Shoulders did a race with a cute name, the Gobble Gobble Gobble Four Miler in Somerville (MA). The Tiny Terror ran her second turkey trot in Florence (SC). Finally, not every turkey trot is a shorter distance–Runspirations by Melissa did a full half marathon! (I love the medal for that race–what a great reminder of blessings all year.)

Mashed Potato Mile-rs get the same bling, different ribbon
Mashed Potato Mile-rs get the same bling, different ribbon

Did you run a turkey trot this year? A gobble wobble? How about a stuffin’ strut, mashed potato mile, or other holiday event?

It was a dark and foggy morning...
It was a dark and foggy morning…

If you run and have internet access, you’ve probably heard of The Oatmeal and the book, “The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances.” (If you haven’t, hie thee to the website and go read it already!) After the book was released last year Mr. Inman (that’s The Oatmeal, and the author of The Oatmeal) announced a trail race in Washington state. The 2,000 available slots sold out so quickly he added a second day. While there was also a virtual option for the inaugural Beat The Blerch, there is nothing like being there–virtual racing is not virtual reality.

Appropriately decorated starting line!
Appropriately decorated starting line!

For 2015, Beat the Blerch became a series: two days in Carnation, WA plus a race in Sacramento and another one somewhere in New Jersey. While Sacramento is closer to me in terms of travel, it happened to conflict with another event I’d already registered for, so it was off to Carnation for me! My friend Jennifer asked if I’d like to share costs on a hotel and car, and just go for one night. It might seem goofy to fly up on one day and fly back the next, but I’ve done so much travel for running and work this year that I am starting to cherish the nights I get to sleep in my own bed.

It’s just a quick hop from Oakland to Seattle (I #LUV Southwest Airlines!) and we packed in carry-ons only, so we were quickly at our destination. Jennifer introduced me to the game Ingress (another post for another day) as we grabbed a quick meal and then headed off to bed.

 

As promised, there was cake
As promised, there was actual cake on the course.

 

One of the things I love about run travel is hanging out with other runners. When sharing space to prep for a race, I often find I learn sweet new running tips, and this race was no different. Race day morning we laid out our stuff, grabbed some items from the hotel’s breakfast buffet, and headed over to Carnation. We we’re sure about parking and logistics, so we arrived super early. Like I think we were the fifth car parked in our lot. It was a quick maybe five minute walk over to the packet pickup area, where we got bibs, shirts, and other Blerch-based swag in our runner packets (packaged in a Zappos bag with an adorable Blerch right on the front).

 

 

 

Mugs, water bottles, books! Christmas in September!
Mugs, water bottles, books! Christmas in September!

 

Exploding Kittens: Kickstarter Edition
Exploding Kittens: Kickstarter Edition

Naturally we also had to check out the Blerchandise. In addition to water bottles, coffee mugs, Oatmeal graphic novels, stickers, shirts, and socks, runners could also get copies of the newly released Exploding Kittens card game. I already had mine–and the NSFW edition–since I participated in the KickStarter. These were the last of the KickStarter edition decks, so any runners who missed out had one last chance…

 

 

 

 

 

Who knew a pre-race donut could be so relaxing? (Probably my friend Angie, but that's another story)
Who knew a pre-race donut could be so relaxing? (Probably my friend Angie, but that’s another story)

After dropping our stuff in the car and putting on the bibs, it was time to loll around in the Zappos lounge. I was glad we were early enough to enjoy the pre-race festivities! In addition to the soda and junk food buffet, there were warm grilled cheese sandwiches and a DIY marshmallow treat station. After indulging we lounged on some giant airbed sofas with furry cushions while watching junk TV.  I’m not going to lie, I was a little worried about eating half a grilled cheese right before the race. (To save you the suspense: I’m now wondering whether I can hire a grilled cheese truck to follow me to races.)

 

 

 

 

Marshmallow creation station--who knew whipped cream on a marshmallow could be so good?
Marshmallow creation station–who knew whipped cream on a marshmallow could be so good?

Actually I had no desire to eat most of the things inside the Zappos lounge. The lounge staff encouraged us all to languish on the fuzzy sofas and watch just a few more episodes of Real Housewives. (“You don’t really want to RUN, do you? It’s so cozy and relaxing here!”)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buffet pants!
Buffet pants!

Over in the Zappos tent, I also learned something new: “buffet pants” (and bought a pair, of course). Buffet pants are for post-race loungewear….or lazing around the house, or perhaps on the way to a basketball game. (I’ve actually never worn mine outside the house…)

 

 

 

 

The buffet: part two, baked goods
The buffet: part two, baked goods

 

Not the "boob wizards" of the NSFW edition of Exploding Kittens, but pretty good wizards
Not the “boob wizards” of the NSFW edition of Exploding Kittens, but pretty good wizards

Prior to the race I indulged in not just the grilled cheese, but also a donut, and a marshmallow covered in chocolate sauce, and a few other carbolicious snacky items. I decided not to eat the packaged candy, passed on the chips, and left all of the soda in the cooler. Past races have taught me that carbonated beverages before a race–no matter how tasty and appealing they may be–BAD IDEA. (Save the champagne for after the race. Or practice belching. ’nuff said.) Seriously though, the grilled cheese was a great idea. The truck just kept bringing them out, and I’d watch to see if there was a plain cheese (some had bacon in them, of course). I was trying to figure out how I could make my own grilled cheese on race day mornings, but frankly I hate mornings and usually  barely get up in time to press play on the coffee pot. So until I manage to find a grilled cheese truck to follow me around, this is likely my last race with tasty gooey cheesy goodness for breakfast.

 

 

Blerchy advice
Blerchy advice

As promised, the aid stations featured cake. Nuun was a great stand-in for the magical purple fizzy beverage. (Seriously, just go read “The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances.” You might just want to buy the book, too–then you can bring it to the 2016 Beat The Blerch race to have it signed.) There were also multiple photo opps with Blerches, Sasquatch, and sofas. Shenanigans ensued. Some actual running happened as well, but I was busy taking pictures and enjoying myself, definitely not gunning for a PR or an age group award. For the most part, people seemed to be having a good time. The only drawback is that when you put cake in a Dixie cup, it sticks to the sides, and you have to either pull apart the cup or use a finger (questionable when running) to pry it out. The forks were at the finish line.

 

 

 

On-course Blerch!
On-course Blerch!

I posted a few pictures online for my friends, and the ones who are not runners were notably confused. (“I’m not judging,” wrote one, “and I’m willing to be educated, but…why does that giant marshmallow have nipples?”)

 

 

 

 

Every race should have sofas at the aid stations.
Every race should have sofas at the aid stations.
Shade on the course
Shade on the course

The trail run was pretty cool. It’s an area I’ve never run, so all new to me. There was plenty of shade, and the terrain wasn’t particularly crazy or steep. I’ve never fueled with cake, and expect most of the other runners hadn’t either. The hardest part is that the icing sticks to the inside of the dixie cups, so you have to either tear the cup open or use a clean finger to swipe the cake out. Much to my delight, I did not see piles of churdle on the trail, which means people were not over-caking themselves. (This was, by some reports, a problem last year.)

At one point I high-fived The Oatmeal himself. Naturally I had no idea who he was at the time. (“Um, why is that dude running in an inflatable green suit?) Oops. Fortunately he didn’t seem to remember when I had him sign my book after the race, or if he did he didn’t hold it against me. Probably the former, since there was a giant line of people who wanted him to sign things.

 

 

Crossing the finish line
Crossing the finish line

 

Clif Bar & Company, a little business from Emeryville, CA
Clif Bar & Company, a little business from Emeryville, CA

The start and finish area did have a few of the normal race booths, including Clif Bars, Naked juices, etc. (but that’s not really why any of us went to Beat the Blerch). Just in case some real runners showed up an expected to see race-related types of things.

 

 

 

 

 

Blerch love
Blerch love

 

 

Moment of transparency, I can’t seem to get these freaking photos to behave themselves. Argh. If you happen to be reading this and are a WordPress ninja, please let me know! I need some help wrangling photos and layout, and I suspect that is going to require me to change the template (which I don’t have the mad skillz to do personally).

 

 

 

 

While we didn't eat directly from the buckets, there were Nutella sandwiches to be had at the aid stations and finish lines
While we didn’t eat directly from the buckets, there were Nutella sandwiches to be had at the aid stations and finish lines

We did stick around to take some photos with the absurdly large Nutella buckets. One nice perk of this race: free photo downloads. (You can also buy copies for a pretty reasonable price.)

Then it was off to Starbucks for some real coffee. I don’t know about you, but hotel breakfast buffet “coffee” doesn’t really do it for me. While waiting for the taste lattes to appear, we ducked into the restroom for a hobo bath. I am ever so thankful to Shower Pill for making this much easier–and I am sure those who shared the flight home with me were also thankful! (Shower Pill is like a baby wipe, only made for adults and intended to tide you over until you can take a real shower. The wipes are stronger than baby wipes, maybe the thickness of a washcloth, and one wipe is enough to do an entire adult body.) I’m a packing ninja, so it was a quick Shower Pill, face wash and rinse, quick pat down with a towel (you don’t need one with the Shower Pill, but I’d used regular face cleaner to do my face/neck), lotion, deodorant, and fresh clothes all around.

 

The sun came out, and it was a beautiful day to run
The sun came out, and it was a beautiful day to run

Did you run in one of the Beat The Blerch races this year? I’d love to hear what the California and New Jersey events were like!

Disclosure: I’m a member of the 2015 Rock ‘n’ Blog Team. In exchange for helping promote the 2015 Rock ‘n’ Roll race series, I received some swag and a discounted Tour Pass. To save $15 on any race in 2015 (other than Vegas), use code TrainWithBain. 

Gratuitous shot of me with a turtle mascot. (Seemed appropriate, since I ran with a group called the Running Turtles.)
Gratuitous shot of me with a turtle mascot. (Seemed appropriate, since I ran with a group called the Running Turtles.)

After running that mile in the sand, I was both thankful it was just a mile, and ready to run on pavement again. (By the way, if you go run the Rock ‘n’ Roll Mile in the Sand, or any sand race, a few tips for you: take a Buff to cover your nose and mouth, be prepared to rinse/wash your sunglasses due to salt water mist accumulation, and buy sand socks.) Saturday night my hostess Meghan introduced me to a crowd I’m affectionately calling “the pod people” because  John Thompson recorded part of Episode 44 of his podcast, Runner of a Certain Age, at dinner. Several of them are part of Team Shenanigans, which I’d describe as fun runners who are all about being encouraging and following good racing etiquette.

To find Runner of a Certain Age, you can go to the facebook page, the podcast blog page for this specific episode (see pictures of me and the crew at dinner, me and John before the race, and the “unofficial Fireball aid station” from Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego), or right to where you can play the podcast itself.

Dinner was great (Sirena EATalian, if you’re looking for good food; sorry but you’ll have to find your own good company). After dinner Meghan and I went over to the end of the Team RWB pre-race dinner (which was BBQ, so definitely not for this vegetarian–and I’m not sure about the wisdom of fueling a half marathon with massive quantities of meat, but hey…). I met some really cool people (re-met a few from the morning’s pre-Mile in the Sand photos) and cooed at a few cute babies. Since Virginia Beach has a big ol’ Navy installation right there, Team RWB is gigantic. If you’ve never heard of Team RWB, you should check them out–it’s all about camaraderie and integrating members of the military, who are often on the move, into community and fun. Anyway.

We got up early on race morning, to avoid traffic and make sure we got to parking and all of the pre-race photo meet-ups. There was more than ample parking at the ampitheatre, and then a free shuttle over to the race staging area. Some people didn’t read their pre-race emails and ended up driving around confused they couldn’t get into the parking lot for the convention center, which was CLEARLY explained in the pre-race emails (that was the VIP parking area). Seriously people, don’t be that runner–read all the pre-race emails. (If it turns out they are just ads or whatever, go ahead and delete them, but at least read them, there might be important information in there.) The free shuttle was easy and dropped us off right at the start.

After dousing myself in sunblock, eating a banana, and checking in my bag, we walked across the parking lot to the memorial near the convention center. Conveniently, this is where everyone plans their photos, so as long as you can move fairly quickly, it’s a simple matter to get into pictures for the Sparkle Skirts lovers, Half Fanatics/Marathon Maniacs, etc.

Rain clouds and wind at the Veteran's Memorial (aka group photo meet-up spot for every running group)
Rain clouds and wind at the Veteran’s Memorial (aka group photo meet-up spot for every running group)

Then we wandered over to the convention center near the VIP entrance for some snaps with the pod people, and I attempted to meet up with the Rock ‘n’ Blog team and local Ambassadors of Rock. Sadly, that was a Facebook fail; only three of us managed to find each other in the designated location. The only people in front of us were either in handcycles, or in race chairs, or pushing race chairs, and two of the three of us we wearing Rock ‘n’ Blog shirts, so it should have been fairly idiot-proof. Nope. Oh well. I blame the clouds.

"Hey, where is everyone?"
“Hey, where is everyone?”
Suddenly there were three of us!
Suddenly there were three of us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During this, I learned a handy safety tip: if you’re getting photos taken in a shirt you haven’t run in yet, get the pics done early enough that you can change shirts–put the photo shirt in your gear bag and check it.

Speaking of the clouds, it started to rain during the starting actions. Since I was in corral two thousand, I sat down under a tree on the grass and waited for the first dozen plus corrals to go by, while keeping my glasses dry. (I hate running with my eyeglasses, but until I get the new contact lenses, I hate colliding with inanimate objects more and so I wear glasses.) Then when it was my turn, I hopped into my assigned corral and started the run.

It was a dark and stormy morning...
It was a dark and stormy morning…

The rain actually felt quite good, and I think it kept the feeling of humidity down for the first part of the race. It was still more humid than my body likes, so I was trying to be conscious of my running pace as I did my 1 minute intervals. At the halfway point, I was on pace to be able to match my PR, but then the rain had stopped and I felt the full effects of heat and humidity. Since no race is ever worth hurting myself, I decided to back off a bit to make sure I didn’t feel horrible or get sick before the end of the race.

A view of the marina, on the way to the finish line!
A view of the marina, on the way to the finish line!

Since I had never run in Virginia Beach, every piece of the course was brand-spankin’ new to me. I understand some of the locals regularly run parts of the route, and that parts of it are used in other courses, so it might not have had the same effect on everyone. I liked getting to run through both the street-side part of the first block away from the beach, and on the boardwalk-type area next to it.

Now that I play Ingress, I am sure this is a portal.
Now that I play Ingress, I am sure this is a portal.

 

I also enjoyed running through so much lush and green! Since I live in California (and psst, in case you are living under a rock and haven’t heard, we have a mad drought going on here) I don’t see a lot of lush and green of the wet and squishy kind. Part of the course runs through Camp Pendleton, which seriously confused me because in my head, Camp Pendleton is in California. (By the way, THAT fact took my brain a while to assimilate because actual Pendleton–like Pendleton blankets–is in Oregon.) Also I was at that point in the course where the really obvious becomes profound. Example thought: “running negative splits is so simple–you just have to run faster on the second half of the course!” (No kidding. Good thing they don’t let me play with the science after a long run.)

Course support!
Course support!

One road has runners going out down one side, and back up the other (after completing a loop beyond the street). I was surprised and super happy to see No Meat Athlete, Team RWB, and others had set up unofficial aid stations. I had a tasty vegan cupcakelette from No Meat Athlete on the way out, and the squeeze ice from Team RWB I had really helped with the heat on the way back. (To find a No Meat Athlete running group near you, choose the “running groups” option in the menu. Most of the links go to group Facebook pages. To find a Team RWB chapter, choose “get involved” and then “join the team.”)

The rain did not return, though some really nice people cheering and/or brunching outside provided some sprinklers for us to run through.

Not going to lie, I DANCED through every garden hose and law sprinkler possible!
Not going to lie, I DANCED through every garden hose and law sprinkler possible!

Race sponsor Humana provided wet-down sponges and a mist tunnel to try to help keep runners from overheating. The mist tunnel faked out some runners, who saw it and thought it was the finish line (despite being tiny, inflatable, and announcer-less). I hit the finish line, collected a bunch of bling–half marathon medal, remix medal, and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Heavy Medals series “Stairway to Seven.” The finish line was well-stocked with water, Gatorade, chocolate milk, Power Bars, bananas, and chips–the usual Rock ‘n’ Roll past-race fare.

I collected my bling for the half marathon, the remix challenge, and the Stairway to Seven “Heavy Medal.”

This Stairway to Seven is brought to you by Crazy Richard's Peanut Butter Burst
This Stairway to Seven is brought to you by Crazy Richard’s Peanut Butter Burst

There was a Remix medal too, of course (otherwise why run in the sand?). Bling collecting was followed by brunching with my new running buddies. I don’t remember what I ate, but I had two of these really fantastically tasty brunch beverages. Eventually, the drive home, showers, and–to the great puzzlement of the three-year-old living in the house–voluntary napping. But first, one mug shot for posterity (because in the age of the internet, it’s all “selfies or it didn’t happen”):

Proof I went to Virginia Beach and ran with Meghan!
Proof I went to Virginia Beach and ran with Meghan!

Overall, I really enjoyed the Rock ‘n’ Roll Virginia Beach Remix experience. I swore I’d not do another mile in the sand, but I think now I would if I had the proper gear (Buff to keep sand out of nose/mouth; “sand socks” for running, so my feet didn’t get filled with sand; and pack a spare cloth/towel for wiping the glasses after rinsing them in the drinking fountain). I’d run the half marathon again for certain! The course support from neighbors/residents and local running groups definitely rivals San Diego (minus the unofficial aid stations offering some questionable hydration strategies).

Next in the Rock ‘n’ Roll series (at least for me): Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose! Not quite my home-town race, but within driving distance. The only drawback of running races is the travel costs. I was really lucky to be able to run Virginia Beach, and look forward to returning for one of the locally produced J&A races next year.

Disclosure: I’m part of the 2015 Rock ‘n’ Blog Team.  Each team member received a 3-pack TourPass (I used mine to upgrade to the TourPass Unlimited) and other perks in exchange for promoting the Rock ‘n’ Roll race series. All opinions are my own (and I’ve got plenty of them!).

Rock 'n' Roll Virginia Beach bling!

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Virginia Beach event celebrated a 15th birthday this weekend! It was my first time at the event, and I am very thankful to my friend Meghan (and her husband) for letting me crash at their house (thereby saving the entire cost of a hotel), and to Southwest Airlines (for having an awesome loyalty program that let me use my points for the flight to Norfolk). Even with the Tour Pass to eat the race entry fees, flights and hotels are not cheap!

Since there was a nationwide “slow down” on Friday (something about East Coast weather), my flight–like every other flight–was late. There was just enough time to drive to Meghan’s and catch a nap before we were up (before the sun!) to drive over to the Mile in the Sand. As we parked at the convention center, there was a veritable downpour.

Fortunately, it only lasted a minute or two–just enough time to wet down the sand, but not long enough to make mud. (Now that I’ve run the event, I know I should have wished for a bit more rain.) We met up with friends and walked down to the beach. Hooray! My first time in Virginia Beach! At first glance, it actually looks quite a bit like every other beach with significant tourist traffic: boardwalk lined with hotels, with the next street up covered in casual and fast food, and shops selling t-shirts and inflatable beach toys.

It was a novelty to see the sunrise over the ocean (since I now associate sunsets with oceans) as I walked over to pick up my Mile in the Sand bib. The wind was whipping through the kiosk tents so hard that the bibs were clipped together with binder clips, and it almost took two people to wrangle one. After running from 17th to 20th to 19th for various pictures–Meghan knew all but two people running the event–everyone piled onto the sand into a single, giant corral. While there were some mile times posted in a corral-like fashion, that didn’t really dictate where people ended up standing.  I’m betting this is largely due to the fact that running in the sand is an entirely different beast–making it hard for us non-sand-runners to estimate–but more on that in a moment.

The giant corral was released to the race course, a simple out-and-back, in waves. This was a great idea, as there were a ton of people on the beach, and releasing all of us at once would have given Competitor Group’s insurance underwriters all fatal heart attacks. (The potential for tripping hazards was huge.) I’d put myself in the 10 minute corral, thinking it was just a mile and I could bust it out.

Runners on the Sand

Right. So remember how I said running in the sand is an entirely different beast? Yeah… So I’d decided to run barefoot, after assurances from the locals that the beach is raked daily, and knowing in general that I hate having sand in my shoes. Tevas in one hand and the other on my head to steady the hat, I took off from the corral. I was prepared for the softness of the sand, which means you have to pick up your feet a bit more, and when you land the ground is unstable. (It had not occurred to me until I was running that the real trick is to run more on your forefoot/toes than on the midfoot and heel. Because sand.) I was not prepared for the lateral movement every time my feet landed. On the one hand I was thrilled I’d chosen not to wear running shoes–part of the structure of which is to prevent lateral movement–but on the other hand I felt like a tool for not considering movement in every plane while choosing a corral.

Another thing I failed to consider: “over-spray” sand from runners sprinting past me as the breezes came across and directed the sand into my face. This changed my breathing strategy (in through the nose, out through the nose, lips sealed tightly) which slowed me down even more. Wait, make that two other things. Since the great contact lens incident (long story) last year, I’ve been wearing glasses. (I miss running in my Oakleys so, so, so much.) Even with no rain and no perceptible ocean spray hitting me, my glasses accumulated a ton of salt. So much that at the end of the race it looked like I was wearing scratched Plexiglas-ses instead of clear ones. The boardwalk drinking fountains provided a convenient rinse.

While it was fun, definitely a novel experience, I was definitely over it by the time I hit the end of the mile and collected my medal (and water and chips). Then I turned back to the kiosk where I’d picked up my bib in order to pick up my beach towel. That’s right, beach towel–no race shirt here. From there I returned to watch the final finishers, every last one cheered in by the staff, volunteers, and a pretty big crowd. One was a member of the local running group, the Running Turtles, and other turtles ran back to help bring her to the finish and make sure she was okay. Another was Derek, a member of Team RWB who has made it his goal to complete a 5k every month this year.

 

Pretty awesome, right? After we cheered in the finishers, we headed over to the beer garden. Rock ‘n’ Roll’s beer sponsor, Michelob Ultra, always has one beer for each runner after the race. I don’t drink beer, but I was happy to retrieve mine and hand it off to one of the Running Turtles. (Hey, it’s part of my registration fee!) Dusted off my feet, put on my sandals, and we hiked back over to the Convention Center for the Expo, since I still had to pick up my bib for the half.

Per usual, pretty much no line to pick up my bib. As I wandered through the Brooks gear at the Expo, I paused to take a selfie!

Left Shark!

We were hungry after the mile on the sand (mainly because we got up super early and hadn’t eaten breakfast), so we didn’t spend too much time at the Expo. Just enough for me to stalk some shoes, snap pics for a few tweets, and buy another Buff. (I’m in love with Buff.) Then it was off to #EatAllTheFoods.

To be continued…with the Rock ‘n’ Roll Virginia Beach half marathon! In the meanwhile, see what Kathryn over at Dancing to Running thought of the Mile on the Sand!

 

 

Eeek! I wrote this post months ago and thought I had published it…must have been runner’s brain. Disclosure: I’m a member of the 2015 Rock ‘n’ Blog Team. In exchange for helping promote the 2015 Rock ‘n’ Roll race series, I received some swag and a discounted Tour Pass. To save $15 on any race in 2015 (other than Vegas), use code TrainWithBain. To bring the cost of the Las Vegas half or marathon down to $145, use code TrainWithBainLV.

This is my second year doing the Rock ‘n’ Roll Portland course. In 2013 I ran a PR on a course I swear they made by linking up every hill in the immediate downtown-to-SE area. I used to live in Portland, I know it is flatter than that course! This year it was a new course and a very different trip (I usually try to go for a long weekend, but this was strictly overnight). I flew in early Saturday, returning to my favorite airport: live music, local eats, art…and everyone’s favorite airport carpet!

The old PDX carpet
The old PDX carpet
The NEW PDX Carpet!
The NEW PDX Carpet!

At the expo, I spent a good deal of time with the super nice people of Portland Running Company talking about the Garmin Forerunner line. I’ve been trying to decide what to do about tracking my running since the Nike+ app decided to stop synching with the website and Bia closed their doors. Ultimately, I decided I really don’t want a heart rate monitor on my running watch (I already own one, and don’t need another), and they only had the 220 with HRM. After the expo I did track down a 220 without the HRM at another running store nearby (the better to buy it on sale, not pay sales tax, and get it during the rebate period).

Most brilliant display, hands down, goes to Toyota.

Toyota basically made a mini-expo right in the middle
Toyota basically made a mini-expo right in the middle

They made an interactive set-up out of multiple vehicles and assorted iPads and techie stuff. Each car had an activity with it, including one that was a photo booth! (The kid in the picture above this paragraph is looking for accessories.)

No, you don't get to see the selfies.
No, you don’t get to see the selfies.

Each vehicle also had information about the car, geared towards potential buyers. Once you completed all three activities (there was a “tour pass” you got punched at each station) you could return to the tent and collect your prize: a car charger with adapters for various phones. Brilliant, since Toyota is a car company and you’ll keep this gadget in your car and see it daily.

I also finally tried on some Altra shoes. Since I have a shoe problem, I try not to put them on my feet unless I could buy them. Most running shoes that fit my feet are over $100, and I currently have three pair in rotation (well, one is in reserve right now), but since they had “open box” shoes for $59 (and remember, Oregon has no sales tax), and they had many in 10-11 sizes, I decided to try them on. I’ve been eyeing them for awhile, wondering how much different the zero drop base would feel since I’m already running in Brooks Pure Cadence most of the time. Answer? A LOT DIFFERENT. Apparently I got a dopey grin on my face, probably because it felt like I was walking on pillows! I haven’t taken them out for a run yet (um, they look so clean and tidy…) but I will, soon.

Since I neglected to snap a pic of the shoes, here's the event shirt
Since I neglected to snap a pic of the shoes, here’s the event shirt

Also at the expo, the Church of Scientology. Ah, Portland. I guess it was to be expected, given that the currently unaccredited Delphi High School–a breeding ground for future Sea Org members–isn’t far away, that Portland is home to a pretty, renovated, historic building turned into an Ideal Org, and that Multnomah County is home to all sorts of fun suits against Scientology/ No, no thank you, I do not want to take a fake “stress test” with your non-scientific gadget that originally used Campbell’s soup cans and must carry a label stating it is not a medical device in multiple states. Thanks for keeping it weird, though. (P.S. The OTO wants the boat back, okay?)

Seem to have lost the Scientology photo. So here is me with a giant panda!
Seem to have lost the Scientology photo. So here is me with a giant panda!

The remainder of the day (and there wasn’t that much left) was a mini-nap with two cute chihuahuas, dinner, and an evening in Portland with some of my Portland peeps, doing stuff I love and miss doing.  Sunday morning came way too early. Yikes.

I’d planned to run, but then discovered my friend Holly was doing the event too. I see her once a year (or less) so I wasn’t about to run just to run–WAY better to hang out with her and walk.

Why yes, we ARE near corral 17!
Why yes, we ARE near corral 17!

Only it turns out that woman walks fast. So fast that I was actually sorer from walking than I was from the last event I did running! Very glad the weather was cool and I had my compression tights on for support. The course was not the same as the one I did in 2013, but instead spent more time in the neighborhoods.

NE Portland selfie
NE Portland selfie

We almost went by my old building, just missed it by two blocks. Spring in Portland is gorgeous, and I really enjoyed retreading my old stomping grounds. Except for the big hill.

Thought Portland was flat? You've been lied to!
Thought Portland was flat? You’ve been lied to!

We finished in a relatively un-speedy time, crossed some of the old PDX carpeting made into the finish line, and grabbed snacks and beverages. To my absolute delight, the finish line concert was still going strong! As a slower runner, I am frequently crossing the finish line within a song or two of the concert ending, sometimes after it is over. Not this time–I got to sit on the grass, refuel, and rock out!

Portugal, The Man
Portugal, The Man

Near the end of the concert, I met up with fellow BibRave Pro Allison. This was my first event after joining the Pro team, so it was great to get to meet another Pro in real life! Turns out Allison also lives in an area without a lot of Pros, so it was her first meet-up too.

#BibRave Pro team in PDX
#BibRave Pro team in PDX

Just like every trip back to my adopted home, I didn’t want my time in Portland to end. After a shower, and snacks with friends, it was time to hit the airport. Luckily there is now a Cafe Yum! so I grabbed a Yum bowl to accompany my Coffee People mocha, and headed home.

Bling and bib in airport-carpet colors
Bling and bib in airport-carpet colors

Rock ‘n’ Roll “Groupie” Bling unlocked! Stay tuned for Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego, where I run another Remix and pick up the “Roadie” bling.