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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!

 

After the race, I decided to camp out in Starbucks and write my recap. (Yes, I know I still haven’t written about Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego. Patience, grasshopper.) As I started to type, I could see marathoners still plugging away (first start for elites was at 7:00; last corral started about 8:00). This meant those folks had been out there for 5.5 hours and were just passing by mile 24. If you’ve never tried to walk for 5.5 hours (at any speed) you have no idea how much dedication that takes! About 15 minutes later I saw the very last marathon runner go by, a Team in Training coach by her side, and the official police escort and course sweeper vehicles right behind her. I’m thankful that Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series leaves the course open long enough to make the marathon distance less intimidating for those who are new to marathons, or slower runners/walkers. I don’t know who that last finisher is, but if you know her, please tell her she is a Rock Star in my book and I am very proud of her.

Hey, I'm in Seattle. Don't judge!
Hey, I’m in Seattle. Don’t judge!

Sometimes, the chaos produces awesome. I was very lucky to experience that this weekend!

My planning for this race was an epic FAIL. First, I originally bought tickets to fly into Sea-Tac Saturday morning, landing at 7:20. Thankfully another blogger pointed out that the race was on Saturday, starting at 7:00 a.m.! Southwest doesn’t charge a change fee (and they have my undying LUV), so I just had to pay the difference between my old ticket and the new one. (Let’s think of that as a stupid-tax, shall we?)  Second, I’d planned to stay at the Seattle HI, since staying there for Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego worked out so well. But I got distracted and didn’t make a reservation on Tuesday when there were many spots, and when I got back to it on Thursday it was booked solid. Thankfully all the crazy travel I did for work helped me accumulate a load of Marriott points, and I was able to score a room with them at the Courtyard, one of the host hotels. Third, the various running groups I’m involved in didn’t make solid plans for Friday so I thought I’d be wandering Seattle alone, but then Briana of Mat Miles Medals let me know she was coming in early Friday, and things worked out perfectly.

Friday’s flight in was uneventful. (Other than the flight attendant singing an awesome song about Seattle, which was fun!). It was easy to hop on the Link light rail from the airport to Pioneer Square, and walk the few blocks to the Courtyard. My double-queen room was enormous and gorgeous, and I was a wee bit sad when I arrived because it would have been fun to stay more than one night.  (I’ve got plans to stay with a friend from…sixth grade? No, fifth grade!) Briana met me at the hotel and kept her luggage in the room during the day, so she wouldn’t have to tote it around until she met up with her h0st for the weekend. We hit up The Pike Brewing Company for lunch, which is what I did when I ran this race in 2013. It’s hard to go wrong with any of the vegetarian options there, and they had a delicious apricot cider on tap!

Then it was time to hit the Expo. Briana introduced me to the proper, non-annoying (or at least not in anyone’s way, and in zero danger of hitting a person, a thing, or a Disney ride) use of the selfie-stick.

Train With Bain and Mat Miles Medals converge!
Train With Bain and Mat Miles Medals converge!
I'm not sure that's actually a salmon...
I’m not sure that’s actually a salmon…

 

I intended to take a bunch of pictures like I usually do, but wasn’t really inspired. So here’s a picture of me with a big fish. (I had other plans for this photo, until I realize the fish was safety-pinned to the mannequin. While I understand why, I think it’s sad to think anyone would steal the fish!) Per usual there was a ton of cute Brooks stuff that I petted but did not buy. To be fair, I think half my running shirts and jackets and pullovers are from Brooks, and my main running shoes are Brooks Pure Cadence (and yes I currently own three pair), so they probably were not too upset.

Once again Toyota kinda stole the expo with their display. This time it included the interactive vehicles, the SpongeBob car (which I think had the cameras installed to take groupies), and SpongeBob-themed swag for the kiddos to win (including one of those crane machines).

Why yes, that is a giant, spinning disco ball. Didn't you see one at your last race expo?
Why yes, that is a giant, spinning disco ball. Didn’t you see one at your last race expo?

 

 

We each had a few errands to run at the expo, and also wanted to see what was new.  Briana had just been named an ambassador for Sparkly Soul headbands (congratulations!), so we headed there first. The Rock ‘n’ Roll expos do tend to have the same race sponsor spaces and some of the same vendors, but each also features some regional flavors. Speaking of regional, Nuun is headquartered in Seattle so they were at the expo with a great special (two tubes and a bottle for $10). Since I’m a Nuunbassador, and totally in love with the tropical flavor for workplace hydration, I had to stock up. There’s definitely a Nuun giveaway in this blog’s near future. Anyway, after romping around the Expo (and wondering where PowerBar was??) we headed over to Pyramid Alehouse so one of my Seattlite friends could pick me up for dinner.

I carb-loaded with Indian Food. Oh yummy, delicious, vegetarian, Indian food. Specifically, we went to Maharaja, which is at 105 1st Avenue S, Seattle. I’m not sure why it wasn’t packed, because the food was good and so was the price–the vegetarian feast for one was $20 and came with a samosa, rice, choice of two vegetarian dishes (I picked chana masala and malai kofta), a side of dal, raita, and rice pudding for dessert. Delicious!

After dinner I took a soothing bubble bath and then went to bed. Early. But before I went to bed, I had to take the obligatory “flat me” picture. I’m not sure who started this, but every time I see one I think of the book Flat Stanley. (In the original, the bulletin board over Stanley’s bed falls on him and flattens him out. He has various adventures, and gets mailed to visit relatives, etc.) Anyway, here’s Flat Bain in all her glory.

Flat Bain
Flat Bain

 

I slept like a rock. Except for waking up once because I’d thrown both of the duvets on top of me (I like a lot of covers) because that was too hot. Then when I woke up I didn’t want to get out of bed because I thought the room felt too cold (it was 67). When I checked the weather app on my phone it told me that it was in the 50s outside, and predicted 50s until after I thought I’d finish running. That led to a slight panic–and no further motivation to get out of bed–as I didn’t pack any toss clothing and didn’t have a garbage bag. The hotel’s laundry bags were too tiny. Eventually I managed to convince myself that I HAD TO GET OUT OF BED and just put on some clothes and go. I made a cup of coffee to console myself, and then swallowed some EnergyBits (with water, not coffee!).

The hotel was a fair walk from the start. It took me about 30 minutes to schlep over there, during which time I started to feel a little warmer. The sun was already out and there were zero clouds, which made me glad I’d slathered on some sunscreen. In case you’re wondering, your glow-in-the-dark-white runner started with a thick coat of the Hawaiian Tropic SPF 30 lotion, which sinks right in and has a dry sort of finish, and then added a layer of Neutrogena sunblock stick in SPF 70. (Why yes, I did get sunburned the last time I did Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle. How did you know?) I tried to stay in the sun, lest I start to freeze over again.

Non-elites wait to take the field, er road
Non-elites wait to take the field, er road

Of course I was too slow on the draw with my camera as the fireworks went off to start the elite corral. This year they had fireworks launch from the Space Needle, which was kind of cool. I did manage to snap a shot of the elites running.

Elite athletes off to a running start
Elite athletes off to a running start
The Brooks Guy
The Brooks Guy

 

I didn’t take nearly as many pictures along this course as I usually do, because (surprise!) I was actually really focused on the running. I started out with a mile run, then switched to 1:1 intervals, which I kept until I hit the nasty hill up to the highway at mile nine.  Brooks had the usual Brooks guy inflatable, but also a boat-float on the lake!

 

Run Happy boat
Run Happy boat!

Seattle is really green and gorgeous this time of year, reminding me of just how much I miss the verdant Pacific Northwest. The course along the lake and the park were really incredible.

Military Mile
Military Mile

One of the unique features of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle course is a mile staffed by, and dedicated to, U.S. military servicemen and women. The first section had photos of those who gave their lives, with their names and ranks and dates. The aid stations? This section of flags? Held by military, former military, and members of Wear Blue Run to Remember. (There is a great video up on the website right now for Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle.) The first year I saw this mile, I cried. To me, it is one more testament to the power of how running can change a life, create community, and change the world. It came on a lovely piece of the course, just before the marathon and half marathon split.

The last few miles of the half course are both interesting and annoying. On the one hand, I find it really fun to run through tunnels usually reserved for the highway. Maybe I’m too much of a goody-two-shoes, but it feels like I’m doing something wrong! On the other hand, running on sloped concrete is tough. Aside from the tunnel, the last few miles also run the road (highway?) right across/above the water’s edge. There are people cheering from the road above on the right, and the open water and the ferris wheel on the other side. I love running with the water at my side.

My favorite sign
My favorite sign

Every race has creative signs held by the cheering squads. Currently in the popular rotation are:

  • Run Like You Stole Something
  • I trained for months to hold this sign
  • If Brittany can survive 2002, you can survive this
  • Never trust a fart

Run now, beer lateAs I rounded one of the final corners, I saw my new favorite sign. Simple message, easy to read, colorful, and held up by a person high-fiving and actively cheering every runner that went by. I don’t think the spectators understand just how important they are to the race.

After crossing the finish line and collecting my medal, I slowly walked through the runner-food. While carrying three bottles (water, gatorade, chocolate milk) proved cumbersome, I was happy my skirt had pockets to hold most of the other snacks. The sun was out and it was a gorgeous day, so I laid down on the grass to collapse for a short period of time before collecting my Six String and starting the walk back to the hotel.

Active Recovery
Active Recovery

I was pleased to see an active recovery area sponsored by Gaiam. When I travel for a race, I can only bring one recovery tool since I try to stick to a carry-on. It’s either The Grid roller or The Roll8. Maybe if I don’t have to pack warm clothes I can also fit in a yoga mat. It’s tough, because all runners know you’re supposed to do some self-maintenance after a long run–maybe stretching, or yoga, some foam rolling, work with Yoga Tune Up balls, or something else. Also, with a concert going on and a city to explore, it can be hard to make time to recover properly. But when you cross the finish line and find an area complete with tools, yoga mats, and people to help, you’re more likely to jump in and do at least a little.

Space, mats, tools, and more
Space, mats, tools, and more

Gaiam was also giving away DVDs (yoga for runners, and a foam roller instructional DVD) to those who entered a raffle. Hopefully a bunch of those runners used those DVDs at home. Seriously, running is SO MUCH BETTER who you do a little self-care and body maintenance.

After a shower, I settled in at Starbucks to start writing this blog entry and caffeinate. From there I meandered over to the Sounders shop–can’t go to a game without a scarf!–then settled into the pub for a cider or two before meeting up with a friend for the game.

Naturally I have a picture of the Sounders band, but not the actual team
Naturally I have a picture of the Sounders band, but not the actual team

I got to see my first Sounders game and they won! Great way to wind up the day.

I wrapped up the weekend by spending Saturday night and Sunday with a friend I’ve known since 5th grade. Her cats were relatively indifferent, but her son (he’s 4) decided I’m the coolest and was not happy when I left Sunday night. Apparently I must go back to Seattle immediately so we can play more.

Want to read more about this year’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle? Here’s the link to another Rock ‘n’ Blog team review: Pretty Little Grub. Here’s a photo essay by another team member: photos by Andrew Rich.

Did you run Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle? (What was the marathon course like?)