Rambling On 44

Coming to you from sunny San Diego.

I’m still here. I can’t remember what my bed feels like. I miss my pillows. While I type this it sounds like elephants have moved in across the hall.

Did I tell you all I got stuck in the elevator on my first night here? 🤣

Ok, mini rant- why can’t San Diego drivers drive????? Or park?? I’ve never seen so many red lights run before… even by buses. And parking? Lines mean nothing apparently. I come from the land of F-350’s and Super Duty trucks and they park better than these Beamers and sports cars.

In shiny news, I registered for my first races of 2019! More on those later but I am looking forward to them. And I have a big hope for 2019, so hopefully they all lead into that.

It’s Fall Back weekend and I so need that extra hour of sleep on Sunday. Then I will hate it again on Monday when I am running in total darkness after work. Where are my lights??

Any podcast suggestions to get me through my 6-7 hour drive home on Saturday? I still have a few BibRave ones saved up but I am going to need more.

What are you up to this weekend?

Rock N Roll Los Angeles 13.1

Disclaimer: I received an entry into Rock n Roll Los Angeles as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

Going into LA, I knew it was going to be less race and morning training run. With the last few weeks of work kicking my tush, I knew it might turn into a stroll around LA instead.

The parking situation from the day before had me super stressed and then I realized that my hotel was further away then I thought so I set a very early alarm for Sunday. I used Siri and Waze and still ran into road closures but found a spot in a parking garage near the start before 5AM. I hung out in my car for a bit then headed out to find the start. There was a short line at the potties so I took advantage, I then headed off to the #werunsocial meetup.

I jumped in corral 9 after the National Anthem and just stayed there. I didn’t feel like shoving my way up to my corral and I knew I wasn’t going to be fast.

Miles 1-4 9:47, 10:31, 11:11, 11:27
We were off and headed out on the first out and back. I was actually feeling pretty good which was surprising considering the dense fog and poor air quality warning I had woken up to. I took a walk break in mile 3 for water and the pavement seemed more slippery than usual at the water stations. Mile 4 I felt a little fatigued so I went to my run/ walk intervals, it also had the biggest climb on the course. I like hills but after a week of crap sleep in a hotel- yeah I walked.

Miles 5-6 10:55, 14:19
My little reset mile helped so I picked up the pace for mile 5. I was feeling good, we were running down Wilshire (?) BLVD and things were going my way. Then they weren’t. At 4.8- 1/2 mile past an aid station, my stomach cramped- hard. I came to a complete stop. What the hell?? I walked until about 5.4 trying to calm my stomach. Then it was a slow jog while I prayed for an aid station and a port-a-pottie. Just before mile 6 there was and thankfully there was no line.

Miles 7-10 10:51, 12:03, 12:10, 11:48
My stomach was ok but not great. From then on, it was run/ walk. I was actually running a decent pace but when I walked I was so slow. Normally I power walk pretty well but my stomach was either run or crawl. I tried to just enjoy some of the buildings around me, the other runners in costume and major shout out to the Korea Town Running club- their cheering section was awesome. Oh and zombies on stilts?

Miles 11-13 12:13, 13:07, 11:39
We were on our way back of the biggest out and back. My stomach was starting to really act up again and trying to ignore it was making me tired. This was also the first time I’ve seen a sweeper car on a race damn near on top of the last runners. Kind of a drawback to courses with such long out and backs. I walked most of mile 12 and 13 before I finally told my stomach it just had to shut up for 1/2 mile and I ran it in.

Finish-2:34:43

Considering I walked 45% and spent 3 minutes in a bathroom mid run- that ain’t bad. In fact, if my stomach had not been an asshat, this probably would have ended up being my fastest half of the year, instead it was my slowest, haha. And that is perfectly fine considering how the last 2 weeks went. Not my best, not my worst, either way I have no problem entering my time into Athlinks while I wait for the official results.

While I did like the course- good hills and buildings- and Rock N Roll always puts on a great race, the parking and the traffic were nuts. Too many things going on in a small area and I just don’t deal well.

Week 43: Monterey Bay Half Prep

Upcoming Races-

Rock n Roll Los Angeles 13.1 (Thank you BibRave!)- 10/29
Monterey Bay Half Marathon (Thank you BibRave!)- 11/12
Oakland Turkey Trot- (Thank you BibRave!) 11/22

Haha, I think I underestimated just how this week was going to go.

Don’t get me wrong, things are going well at work but we are so much busier and a little more stressed than I figured we would be. Running and working out fell by the wayside as I was often so tired I was falling asleep on the couch way earlier than normal. Also, I won’t lie, it’s very hard to motivate myself to run on a treadmill.

Monday/ Tuesday– Nada
Didn’t get off work until almost 7 and then it was getting back to the hotel. Sometimes I’d pickup food on the way, other times it was EZ Mac.

Wednesday–Dizzy
This was the latest night all week but I was still going to try and run when I got back to the hotel. However, I was starting to have a little vertigo issue. It actually stayed around the rest of the week but that day was the worst.

Thursday– 2.3 miles
I squeezed in a few treadmill miles while I was doing a load of laundry in the hotel washing machine. I had learned that I was staying in San Diego for another week and I did not pack for that. Laundry time it is!

Friday– Nada
I worked. Then I spent my time getting organized for the drive up to LA for the race on Sunday.

Saturday– Drive
I lost my shit. So the race expo is at the LA Convention Center. Sounded easy enough. Except nowhere in the race information did it say that it was also the weekend of LA Comic Con. The traffic was nuts and I circled for 30-40 minutes trying to find a place to park. The stress of the week caught up to me and I was the emotional crying driver and I may have punched my steering wheel every time a convention center employee gave me wrong information again. I finally found a spot in a garage and made my way down to the expo for my bib. Then I went and hid at the hotel for the rest of night. I also possibly made a poor choice for dinner.

Sunday- Rock n Roll Los Angeles 13.1
Such an early morning! Race recap to come soon

15.5 miles for the week.

How was your week?

Say What, LA???

Oh, LA, will we forever have mixed signals?I

Rock N Roll Los Angeles is Sunday and I think this may be the most unprepared and tired I arrived at a start line. I was hoping to bank on the residual training from San Jose but I think I underestimated what this work trip was going to really be. I need a days nap.

That being said, I am looking forward to turning off my brain and running out the week while taking in all the sights and sounds that Rock n Roll LA has to offer. LA has always been a city I’ve driven around not through so I am interested to see what I am missing. I’m guessing a lot. 😛

I know Rock n Roll will have my back with 8 aid stations so I have plenty of reasons to walk. Not that I needed them because trust me I will be. I have a feeling this will be more of photo opp race than the opposite. I didn’t get many in San Jose and I regret that. I better make sure I have a fully charged phone.

Right now I am just trying to figure out parking. Do I want to drive in and park in the garages myself or do I want to Uber there and back? The race starts at 6:15 so thats super early and roads closed even earlier. Decisions decisions.

Anyone else running Rock N Roll LA? You can still join me and register at the expo! I could use a running buddy!

Wobble before you Gobble

Disclaimer: I received an entry into the Oakland Turkey Trot as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

How is it almost Thanksgiving???

If you’re anything like me, you love chilling out, relaxing with the family and eating some really good food. Possibly too much food. Yes, please!

However, I love the idea of getting in some #turkeytrot miles before hand. Make some room for some of the calories I am about to consume? Sign me up!
Except the options in my area are rather limited. There’s one 45 minutes away that I know I won’t drive to. The one I have done is so sneaky it never advertises online nor is registration available online so I never really know if it’s even happening. So now what?

Oakland Turkey Trot!

The Oakland Turkey Trot is a party for the whole family. They offer a 5K, 5K VIP and a variety of options for kids in a Stomper’s Stomp. They offer you a fun, healthy way to start your day and to give back to the Oakland community. All proceeds from the race will benefit the Oakland community. Oakland Turkey Trot partners with the Alameda County Community Food Bank, Oakland’s Public Schools, the City of Oakland, the local mayor and other local charities to help benefit the community.

Plus it looks like a blast.

I know what you’re thinking. Wait, Fallon, you won’t drive 45 minutes but you’re driving to Oakland? Sadly, I am not.

But they have a virtual option! Sign up for the virtual race, run the miles on your own on Turkey Day and they send you all the same amazing race swag. And the medal is pretty sweet. Check out their Insta.

I may be missing out on the party on Thanksgiving morning but you don’t have to! Use code BROTTVIP to save 10% on registration. Or use it to register for the virtual option like me.

How do you Turkey Trot?