Disclaimer: I received an entry to Oakland Running Festival 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!
Wait, it’s February? How did that happen?
That means 2 things- Super Bowl and Surf City. Now I could care less about the Super Bowl but Surf City is always the same day so I just pretend the excitement is for the race not the game.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I am no where near race ready. When I toe the line on Sunday I will be fully prepared to take it easy and take my time. I have run/walk intervals set on my watch and ready to go. But I am looking forward to revisiting the race that started me down the path of (longer) distance running. The crowds are awesome, the beach view is great, I get to (hopefully) see a bunch of other BibRave Pros.
I posted this 3 years ago at my second Surf City
Now if the weather will cooperate. Granted, it is absolutely nothing compared to what is happening in most of the country but a rain filled Saturday and Sunday wasn’t exactly what I was looking forward to. I can roll with it though and have just changed most of everything I was going to pack and wear.
So, fingers crossed for a fun filled weekend that’s only slightly wet.
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
Traveling to more races farther away means carrying more stuff. I have a tendency to over pack. I like to be prepared for all contingencies you know? 😛 However that would usually leave me with a few bags. I would try to fit it all in one but would generally fail. I had no idea how I was going to handle packing for my trip to Las Vegas.
Then I found the Cargo Hauler Duffel from Eagle Creek and I had a solution to most of my problems. I don’t think I’ll ever stop over packing. 😛
I admit I was a little confused when it first arrived. It was so small! I had somehow missed the part where it zips into itself for convenient storage. Then I opened it up. It was like a TARDIS moment- it’s bigger on the inside!!!
Some technical specs from the website-
ULTRA-LIGHT (the 60L weighs only 1 lb 12 oz)
Made with an extra-durable, water-repellent coated Bi-Tech™ Armor Lite fabric: a fusion of technology that merges max abrasion-resistance with ultra-light carry
Bartack reinforcement on all high stress points for maximum schlepping
Carry by its removable backpack straps, padded top haul handles, or side grab handle
U-shaped lid for easy access to main compartment
Sizeable easy-access zippered end pockets for gear organization
Six heavy-duty lash points for attaching this bag to a roof rack
#10 lockable zippers with storm flap shield zipper from rain
Bottom is foam padded to help protect contents against impact
So how has it held up? I used it for local races where I was finally able to take a change of clothes, toiletry bag, and ALL the water in the same bag. No, seriously, prior to that I would be lugging around my gym bag, a large lunch bag, and a reusable bag. I mentioned over packing right? I love that I can keep my toiletries and shoes separate from the main compartment by using the end compartments. The back pack straps are actually super comfortable.
Beyond that, I lugged it all over airports and planes and taxis to Las Vegas and back. And it performed beautifully. At full capacity it is actually slightly too big to be a carry on which is why I was concerned about leaving extra space when I packed for my flight to Vegas. Only to find out that my flight back had even tighter carry on restrictions. Why? The plane was TINY! Like they were force checking baggage at the gate for free because it wouldn’t fit in the overhead compartments. What airline checks baggage for free?? I was scared mine wouldn’t pass, I had bought a few things in Vegas and did not pack things anywhere near as tightly but I passed!!! Whew.
Even better- for a germophobe like me, I was able to literally hose it off before I packed it up to store it for my next trip. Now I want to take that trip. But where to????
The only thing I wish the duffel had was some way to cinch tight the parts you weren’t using. So if you weren’t using one of the end compartments it wouldn’t even have to be opened.
So now really, where’s my next trip?
How do you travel?
For more thoughts on the Cargo Hauler Duffel, check out other BibRave Pros-
Disclaimer: I received an entry into Rock n Roll Las Vegas as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!
I’m going to Las Vegas!!!
Seriously, I still can’t believe it’s happening. I also still don’t know how but that’s beside the point. 😛 I have wanted to run this race ever since I flipped a page in Runner’s World a few years ago and realized there was a race on the Vegas Strip. And it was at night. I want to do that!!! As amazing as it looked, I could never make it work. So when the chance to run it came up this year, I leapt without looking.
I’m going to Vegas!
Sorry had to say it again. 😛 I haven’t been to Las Vegas since I was a child- seriously the only thing I remember is colorful carpeting and even that might be confused with another memory. Ha! Due to scheduling conflicts, my mother is busy so I’m also flying solo this race trip. Who wants to join me?!? Slacker’s first real trip to Vegas? 😁
This is also an afternoon- evening race so I don’t even have to worry about an early wake up call! I can sleep in and look forward to an afternoon run with thousands of other crazy runners like me under the Vegas lights! Is it November yet?
Now I just have to figure out how I am getting there. This could be my first plane ride since my senior trip in high school! Ok, now this post is making me feel nostalgic and old. 😛
I will have a discount code soon that I will share with everyone.
Disclaimer: I received an entry into Livermore Half 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!
All right, if you’ve been reading me whine for the past week you know I went into this race sick. I was questioning my sanity for running it and my ability to finish it. As was my mother. 😛
Race morning dawned after a less then stellar night of sleep but isn’t that to be expected before races? The forecast had changed to just overcast and low 40’s and while I was thankful for the lack of rain I knew that was going to feel cold to me. So I layered up. Seriously. Capri’s over compression socks, a tank with a long sleeve shirt over it, then my rain jacket. A Buff around my neck and another Buff around my head to cover my ears with my hat over that. My mom drove me to the start and dropped me off.
I made my way to the start line and suddenly panicked. I forgot my bib! Somehow I had forgotten to pin my bib on. It was still in the car. Thankfully my mother had decided that parking was a nightmare (we were in a dirt lot without specific spots which was very tricky in the dark) so she was just going to nap while I ran. I hauled butt back to the car to get my bib. Once that crisis was averted I headed back to the start line where I ended up meeting up with Laura from running4thereason.com, another Bibrave Pro. We chatted while waiting for the race to start. 10 minutes after 7 and we were off!
My plan was to run until I got tired, walk, then repeat until the finish line. I figured I would walk every hill and just do whatever my lungs wanted to do and just go from there.
Miles 1-3 10:24, 10:40, 10:22
The first 3 miles were through city streets and I was moving a hell of a lot faster than I thought I would be. Hmmm. I like low key city streets so I was enjoying the vibe and just letting my feet do what they wanted. I skipped the first aid station at mile 2 because it was just too crowded. The 5K was also running along side us for a bit so that was interesting. A couple other runners and I were cracking jokes that we were going to “get lost” and turn around with the 5K’ers. 😛 A little before mile 3 I came up behind the 2:30 pacers… um, what? I knew I was moving way faster then that so I couldn’t figure out how they had gotten that far ahead of me. Then I turned my headphones on and told myself to get over it.
The bridges moved when you ran over them! Miles 4-6 11:11, 11:29, 11:41
I loved these miles and hated them at the same time. Just past mile 4 we went from running the streets into a paved path in a park. Heaven. I want this path in my town now. Paved blacktop with nature on both sides, a little stream running thanks to all the rain? It was awesome. A downside was that the path narrowed so it was easy to get roadblocked so there was lots of bobbing and weaving going on in these miles. I ran in the dirt along the path a lot. But again, that’s one of my favorite things so this should have been my favorite part. What made it so rough was that just past mile 4 my stomach cramped, bad. Like, I need a bathroom now, bad. And of course, the next bathroom wasn’t until the aid station at mile 6ish. 😂😂 So instead of walking because I was tired, I walked when I cramped and ran when it eased, and repeat. That kind of messed with my head. Note to self- never eat Five Guys before a race ever again.
Miles- 7-9 11:31, 11:47, 13:02
Just past mile 6 and we were out of the park and back on the street. The bathroom line was like 20+ people long and the cramping had eased so I figured as long as I went slow I would probably be ok. My lungs were starting to protest and I was super congested. I admit I did something I have never done in view of others before- I spit. I did it more than once this race. I felt so bad but I had to! I also ripped off a few choice words when a police car leading a trail of cars on the other side of the road let off a single screeching chirp. I about jumped out of my skin. 2 people next to me also had some colorful words to share. Mile 9 saw the only 2 real hills of the race. I walked them. At the top of the first was a water station that also had a paramedic and a fire truck- it was a small hill! I got jammed up the water station. I went to throw my water cup in the trash and a woman put herself in front of me to eat her Gu and a woman came up right behind me to drink water. It was like a hug with random strangers and I couldn’t move. Let me out! It took me another 30’ish seconds to get myself out of the stranger sandwich and on my way. Grrr. We were leaving the road and entering another park with a paved path. Seriously, I wanted this one in my town too. My lungs were protesting as we hit the second hill, they were so not happy.
Miles 10-12 11:00, 11:51, 11:14
We were still in the park so I was running in the dirt every chance I got. I love dirt. Plus my legs appreciated the change in terrain. They were actually feeling pretty good considering how little elevation this course had. The 2:30 pacers had caught up to me and passed me, left me in the dust really. I started to feel discouraged but told myself to get over it, I was already doing better than I thought I would, there was no sense making myself sicker just to meet some arbitrary “sick” finish time. I just told myself to enjoy the scenery and try to calm my lungs down. Mile 11 brought us back into town through a smaller park before we were back on city streets for the last mile.
Mile 13 12:16
Holy asthma city. My lungs were done. Between my cold and my asthma, I was fighting an asthma attack. I walked so much of the last mile. I was wheezing and coughing and gasping and probably looked like a hot mess. Crowd support really picked up for the last mile and so many people were cheering. I heard “come on girl in orange run! You’re so close!” Don’t you see I’m trying!?!?!?! I rounded a corner and there it was- the finish line!
Finish 2:30:15
Haha, this pic makes me laugh now😂
I crossed the line and was handed my medal. I saw my mom fairly quickly outside the fence and went to say hi. She took one look at my face and said “you chose to do this”. Haha, thanks mom.😛 I then wandered down the finishers chute and collected my wine glass, chocolate milk and banana. I was also able to refill my water bottle. Once I stopped moving and was able to chill for a moment, my lungs calmed down a bit.
All in all this a great course. I liked all the scenery and the varied paths. I wish it had a few more hills. I think another hill or 2 may have helped me a bit, this course was fairly flat. So if flat is your jam, you could totally set a PR on this course. And hey I ended up hitting my arbitrary sick time anyways- who knew?!
I admit I was a little confused when it first arrived. It was so small! I had somehow missed the part where it zips into itself for convenient storage. Then I opened it up. It was like a TARDIS moment- it’s bigger on the inside!!!
Slacker Runner 