Race Review: National Sweetest Day Run

So after running my first trail race in 3+ years in September, I thought why wait to do another one? I knew a friend who had signed up for this race, which had 5K and 10K options as well, and was doing the half marathon, so I was excited to sign up and run a race with her. This trail race, like the one I ran in September, did not disappoint. No Killer Hill’s this time but everything about it was pretty good. I’ll outline it all right here.

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Course Scenery: The trails were beautiful to run on. This course was more dirt trail than grass field running, which I prefer. Many trees were in full fall foliage colors while the several pines had dropped needles throughout the trail making feel softer, if only to the imagination. There was some water that we ran around but it wasn’t easy to see much of through the trees. I also liked that this course stayed on trails and never crossed over any park roads. There were also some rustic old barns and sheds (probably used as county park facilities now) scattered along the course. Just gave it a nice feel.

Elevation Difficulty: Like I said above, no Killer Hill’s but, whoa, there were many ups and downs, several that were sharp inclines and steep declines where you had to be careful with your gait going down. And the one killer that did come, of course, was at the end of the half marathon portion of the course. No lie, it was a brutal, steep incline that led up to the final half mile remaining. My calves still remember it well, haha.

Aid Stations: Due to the COVID-19 virus and safety precautions, there were no water stations on the course and you were encouraged to bring your own water.

Expo Quality: No expo for the same safety reasons. Bib and packet pickup were accomplished one hour prior to the race at the race location itself.

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Parking Access: Easy to find and right next to the starting point of the race. My only beef was that it was a county park but charged $5 for the parking. Not a fan of having to pay to park for a race.

T-Shirts/Swag: Nice long sleeve tech shirt and a cool looking medal for finishing. I COULD have gotten an age group medal too but I came up just short by one place. Boo!

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Race Management: Another great job by Silver Circle Sports with organizing this race and keeping everyone safe with social distancing prior to the race. The packet pickup was quick and efficient. The race announcer had a lot of energy (and we needed it, so damp and chilly that morning) and made people laugh before their waves took off on the course. Great volunteers offering support and guidance on throughout the course as well. This group knows what they’re doing. I would recommend running any of the races they sponsor; they truly do a good job.

Any questions or comments, feel free to drop me a line!

Happy running!

Sponsor Review: Raley’s Supermarkets – SPONSOR of the Napa Valley Marathon

Disclaimer: I received a $25 gift card to review Raley’s Supermarkets role as a sponsor for the Napa Valley Marathon 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!

OK, raise your hand if you like grocery shopping. There’s never a “good” time to go and do it. There are always so many distractions of foods you need not be buying and then there’s the challenge of finding the right food for you. Throw in that you’re training for a race and need the right nutrition to supplement your hard work and it can be a nightmare! And that’s where a business like Raley’s comes into play. They sponsor the Napa Valley Marathon so they can better help their runners get associated with a healthy diet and the right foods to provide the energy they’ll need to have a successful race experience. So, how do they do it?

One of the best features the within the store itself offers is what it calls “Shelf Guide Icons” that are located throughout the store. Each of these icons makes it easier (and more time efficient) for you, the shopper, to get in and get out and get what you need. Some of the icons used include: Plant-Based, Organic, Keto Friendly, Clean Label, No Sugar Added, Carb Friendly, High in Protein and Gluten Free. Obviously, this make it easier for you to navigate quickly through the store and acquire the foods you need/want that will assist you in your race preparation.

Another amazing option provided by Raley’s is their Run Smart! nutritional campaign. They GIVE you the tips and suggestions to have a great race experience and how to properly train for the race, what to do to take care of yourself during the race and, finally, what you need to do at the completion of your race.

This is how you sponsor a race! Raley’s has it down pat and has your back for the Napa Valley Marathon. And, more importantly, they have your health on their mind. They are there to suggest, to help or just to assist in any way.

I suggest you take a look at some of my Bib Rave Pro friends who have also contributed blogs discussing the benefits of Raley’s Supermarkets and how they work hard to make your race day experience a great one.

https://theswagmama.com/2020/02/01/grocery-shopping-love-it-or-loathe-it/

http://ampdwellness.crazyhamster.run/grocery-shopping-yay-or-nay/?preview=true&_thumbnail_id=6604

http://www.thisoldrunner.com/blog/need-help-eating-right-before-during-and-after-a-race-try-raleys-nutrition-guide

Hope you enjoy their viewpoints and notes!

And, as always, happy running!

 

 

The Journey to the 2020 Milwaukee Marathon

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

So, let’s start at where I’ve been and then move onto where I’m headed in my running life. Below you’ll see a pic of me just before entering double sports hernia surgery (with a faux fear face) and then a pic of me when it was all finished and I had awoken from the anesthesia. This all came about from over training throughout most of 2019 for various races, the final one taking place in November. Three days after that race, I was under the knife and being repaired.

 

The recovery stage was and has been difficult. I am not a patient man and the main restriction of no running was brutal. All I was allowed to do for the first two weeks was walk on a treadmill with zero incline. After the two weeks, I was allowed to lift weight restrictions (which were to stay under 25 lbs. total, so I didn’t lift at all) and do what was comfortable except when it came to legs. The remaining restrictions included no squats, no lunges, no core work at all and no planking. So I did a lot of upper body work and kept up with the walking on the treadmill and added slow bike riding at the gym.

 

Then after a month and half, I was allowed to run finally. No speed work but at least it was something other than walking. My goodness, was it ever a breath of fresh air to be able to run again. I started simple, on the treadmill and then slowly stretched it to the outdoors where the terrain obviously is less predictable. It was just nice to move the legs again and begin to think about training for specific goals as long as there were no setbacks with this new lifted restriction.

Now here we are, two plus months from surgery. All restrictions have been lifted for both running and lifting. Yoga is back in my practice as is leg presses, etc. for leg day at the gym. Happiness is not enough of a word to express my feelings towards being back in the groove. It hasn’t been forever, but, I also know that this is just the beginning of a new runner version of me. I need to change my running gait to prevent this from occurring again. I need to build back up my endurance and stamina. The challenge has been presented and I am not ready to tackle it.

So, how does that relate to the Milwaukee Marathon being held on April 11 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin? I wasn’t sure where I’d be at this point in time but I said if I was ready, I would at least make a go at a half marathon knowing I wouldn’t be ready for a full. So Milwaukee it is! Training has been going well so far as I’ve started to extend my distances in runs from 6 miles to 8 miles to 11 as a high so far. Nothing too strenuous and I haven’t pushed myself too far at this point. I can say I’m excited to be training for this half. I ran the same race last year but did the full marathon and set a personal PR by over twelve minutes! I’m really hoping to improve my half PR this time! I’m excited to race the streets of Milwaukee again at an event that was really topnotch last year. The improvements that the new group running the race implemented were huge in making it a success. Everything from packet pickup to the race to the post race party were ideal. A really great time so I’m looking for round two of fun. And you should join me if you’re looking for a half marathon or a full where you too could PR your time. If I can do it, so can you! Visit the site, pick a distance (they also offer a 5K) and sign up! Use code “RUN15” to save 15% off your entry fee! And you have time because the next price increase isn’t until March 7, 2020. Need another reason to sign up. If you do the half or full distances, here is what you will get:

A tech t-shirt, an awesome medal, a quarter zip fleece and a beer following the race. Not to mention a great post race party atmosphere that takes place right at the Fiserv Forum, the Milwaukee Bucks new arena. I hope to see you there!

Happy running!

Race Review: Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon

What a race, what an event and what a city! OK, I knew the city was badass already before the race but this was my first visit to Las Vegas that wasn’t just for gambling and drinking. This had purpose and, therefore, I needed to behave and not get too involved with the excess that is Vegas. This is a race I’ve been excited to do for a while; a destination race that had been on my bucket list. And it did not disappoint! Running down the Strip with various bands playing all types of music from rock n roll to old Vegas crooners to Elvis classics, all with the bright neon lights brightening up the course was simply magical. The crowds on the Strip were lively with their cheers and the starting line was electric as each wave was released onto the course with a giant fire display pulsing up from the start line overhang.

EXPO QUALITY: The expo was easy to get to; just had to jump on the monorail and it dropped you off right by the Las Vegas Convention Center. I went on Friday afternoon and there was no line to get my bib so that was really quick. After that, I perused several rows of race merchandise and Brooks shoes too. Bought the special race designed Brooks Launch and a pair of the new Adrenaline GTS 20s since they were 15% off; couldn’t pass that up! I also grabbed a couple of other items in the merchandise area before heading out to the vendors. I need to make a racing list from this point forward as I realized at the expo I had forgotten a couple of items at home, so a new running belt for storage was needed as well as some fuel for the race. The forgetting of the fuel was more frustrating than anything since I had just restocked at home, but, oh well. Lots of vendors to go through, from Honey Stinger to Geico to Knockaround to many others. Lots of photo options as well in front of signs such as #StripatNight and Vegas Strong.

T-shirts/SWAG: A fun race shirt that was made to match whatever distance you were running for the race. The medal for the race was also pretty cool with a Strip design and at the top a spinning wheel that has the date of the race and the distance you competed at.

Parking Access: No parking really. But most people stayed on the Strip or nearby. And if you lived in the area, Uber/Lyft/taxis were suggested to use to get to the start line.

Aid Stations: The volunteers at the aid stations were 1005 awesome! Shouting out cheers and support at every one. Full of enthusiasm. They were one of the best parts of the entire race. Loud enough to know where water was, where Gatorade was, when there were gels or bananas., just so helpful.

Course Scenery: The Strip was awesome to run down and through, and even heading towards downtown Las Vegas was pretty nice, going past wedding chapels and some smaller casinos. There were some quiet parts on the course as well, not well-lit and more residential, but, where they could, the organizers put bands out in those places as well to keep you grooving.

Elevation Difficulty: Moderate if you did ran the marathon, none at all if you ran shorter distances. The marathon was the only distance that had elevation. When you headed away from the Strip the course had you run over the freeway system and circle back a few times so there were a couple of going uphill, but nothing too strenuous.

Race Management: Plenty of communication in the months leading up to the race. A lot of help at the expo answering questions. As I previously stated, the volunteers were amazing and prepped excellently. The starting line was smooth as was the Start Village, where all runners congregated prior to going into the corrals. The finish line was perfect with not every handout right next to one another; they provided space for you to collect yourself and your free items as you walked along to the exit point.

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon was a great race, plain and simple. I had a blast and I would highly suggest that this be the race you aim to run in this series if only for the opportunity to run the Strip at night.

Madison Mini Marathon Training Update

Disclaimer: I received free entry to the Madison Mini Marathon race 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!

Well, this is going to be the most boring update you could ever possibly read. Ever since the wondrous month of April where I set personal bests in my marathon finish time and in my 5K finish time, I have done almost nothing in the last six weeks. I ran twice in the  month of May, accumulating just over 13 miles for the month and so far zero miles for the month of June. Why? Because of what is likely a sports hernia.

No, I am not making a self-diagnosis here. I waited those first couple of weeks in May doing nothing and then attempted to run. After having pain and discomfort return almost immediately, I shelved myself again and made a doctor’s appointment. The doc did some tests and said it wasn’t a hernia as far as he could tell but that it was likely a sports hernia. I was also given the card of a hernia specialist if I wanted to be absolutely positive of the diagnosis. So, what have I been doing instead? Well, a lot more lifting with upper body (carefully) and some lower body (even more carefully), some bike riding at the gym and, finally, walking. Lots of walking.

Lots and lots of walking….

As you can see, I’ve tried to keep my humor up with these walks but it hasn’t been easy. It has been extremely frustrating and I am close to losing my mind. This is not how I envisioned my Madison Mini Marathon training taking place. I am not in the danger zone yet, but it is getting close to where I will not be prepared by mid-August for this half marathon (where I was greedily hoping to set another personal best.) It is Wednesday, June 12, today and I plan to run or attempt to run before the end of this week. This is mainly to see if I have healed enough. If I have not, then I plan to call the specialist to see what is going on and if I will be healed and ready to race by August. Worst case scenario then would be I could run it but it would be for fun and nothing else. Fingers will be crossed. I’m just really sick of walking at this point. And don’t let the smile fool you, haha.

If you’ve been running and training out there, maybe you’d like to race the Madison Mini Marathon this August! It isn’t too late to sign up! And if you use code BIBRAVE5 at checkout you will save $5 on your entry! Hopefully we will run this together!

If you have any thoughts or questions, feel free to ask or comment!!

Happy Running (or walking)!!

Product Review: WIN Sports Detergent

Disclaimer: I received a bottle of WIN Sports Detergent to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

Ok, we all have the same problem when it comes to workout clothes. How to get rid of the smell? A specific stain? And some of us would like to do it with a detergent that is a little more environmentally friendly than the common grocery store shelf staple. Here comes WIN Sports Detergent! My workout clothes, used for both lifting and running, other cardio, have needed some serious love from a sports specific detergent and I am glad I had the opportunity to test this out. Let me tell you how it works and what it helped with in my house. The key element to WIN is that it attacks the oils in the clothing; all that nastiness that oozes off your body during exercise and just sits and absorbs into the fabric. WIN removes those oils and the bacteria making your clothes cleaner and smell better hence you are more likely to keep those workout clothes a little bit longer than you might have in the past.

Now how much WIN Sports Detergent should you be using in a load of wash? Well, just take a look at your bottle and make that decision with their help.

So, if it’s real bad, toss in three capfuls and eliminate that vicious exercise stink and bacteria from those clothes. The key is to use the detergent in hot water with a hot water rinse as well. This was a new thing for me to do because I prefer to wash items in colder water and not bring the heat. But it certainly does help getting rid of the smell.

Three big reasons that I like this detergent (and that should make you like it as well) are this here: WIN Sports Detergent is color safe. Obviously, hugely important with the variety of athletic clothes we all have. Next, it’s a biodegradable product. So you’re being kind to the environment (not to mention it also does not contain phosphates.) Finally, and this is big to me, there is no animal testing involved with the making of this product.

Now, and this might seem obvious but maybe not, what else can you and should you use WIN Sports Detergent on? You can use it with success on gear for hockey, football, volleyball, soccer, cheer, gymnastics, dance, lacrosse, and the list goes on. And it works great on grass-stained baseball pants too!

 

 

WIN Sports Detergent, something you should look into and give a try if you’re fed up with smelly and dirty exercise clothes. And if this isn’t convincing enough for you, take a look at some fellow friends of mine who also had the chance to test out the product as well!

Scootadoot

Mindy

Thanh

Organic Girl

Becky

Ken

Corey

I hope that these reviews convince you that WIN Sports Detergent is worthy of a tryout and you won’t be disappointed when using it to eliminate odors and bacteria from all of your workout clothes.

As always, happy running!

Race Review: Lucky Leprechaun 7K

This is the fourth year I’ve run this race and this year had the best weather, by far! Sunny skies and upper 30s – low 40s temps made for a pleasant race. Afterwards though, the wind picked up a little bit and that made post race socializing last about as long as the free beer lasted, lol! And for the third straight year, I was able to lower my time, so that was pretty cool.

The overall feeling I have about this race is that it is pretty good with great management, but it could be better. One of the biggest reason I run it (and best reason, really) is that it supports the MACC Fund, an organization that benefits children fighting cancer. Great cause to run for! Now I’ll get into the rest of my review which will give the explanation why I give this race 4 stars and not five.

T-shirts/Swag: You get a free cotton t-shirt which has looked the same for every year of the race. Ot needs a change; something, I don’t know. But something to mix it up. The end of the race provides you with free coffee/hot chocolate, a local company’s chips, water, banana and two free beer from Miller Lite (and, yes, you can choose green beer if you like), but that’s all. And I consider post race food items to not really be swag. There’s no medal. No glasses. They do hand out green beads as well as chocolate coins, but come on. This race needs a medal. It could be great!

Aid stations: There is one water aid station on the course approximately in the middle of the course and that’s appropriate for this distance.

Course Scenery: I like it. Some of it takes place in a park; some of it on a main street in the city’s village area; and the rest of it takes place through residential neighborhoods. The trees aren’t in bloom yet obviously, but I still enjoy where we run.

Expo Quality: Not much to write about here. I give it some stars because you pick up your packet at a local running store so there is opportunity to shop if you like, but otherwise that’s it.

Elevation Difficulty: This course has some slight inclines and declines throughout it and then one major incline you have to run up before circling around a bit and then heading down the same path on the way back, so that’s nice.

Parking/Access: Parking is easy as long as you know what you’re doing, get there early and know the side streets where parking is simple and allowed.

Race Management: They are great. Yes, they send a ton of reminders to sign up even after you have already signed up but they include plenty of updates to any possible changes in course or weather as well. They keep you up to date with the packet pickup and provide a cool countdown to race day.

One last thing that I most assuredly should mention is the post race party. There is a DJ at the finish line blasting away and the emcee is full of energy as he yells out cheers for the finishers. Then, across the street is the main sponsor of the race, Leff’s Lucky Town, a local restaurant/bar that invites all to come over and eat, drink and listen to a band set up in an outdoor tent. The after party is pretty fun to chill out and hang with friends.

If you should be in the Milwaukee area around St. Patrick’s Day I would suggest signing up for this fun run with a festive atmosphere. It is a good time!

Milwaukee Marathon Training: Weeks 9-12

Disclaimer: I received free entry to the Milwaukee Marathon 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!

This was the stretch of training where I was supposed to make big gains in strength, pace and mileage. And I don’t feel like that really happened in this time frame. The training for this  marathon has been difficult and I can’t place why. I’m not suffering from any injury (at least nothing in the lower body) but my long runs have been pathetic and weak. There was a stretch of three weeks where my long runs had slowdowns in them from tired legs to ill-timed bathroom breaks. Very frustrating to say the least. I’ll let you think about my training and feel free to comment and tell me I’m paranoid. Or tell me I have reason to panic. Whichever, haha.

Week 9 – February 11 – February 17

MONDAY – Chest workout 31 minutes, treadmill 23 minutes  2.68 miles

TUESDAY – Shoveling snow 62 min, Yoga 30 min, treadmill 33 minutes  3.95 miles

WEDNESDAY – Shoveling snow 18 min, Bis/Tris 50 min, Bike 27 min, Elliptical 22 min

THURSDAY – Back workout 45 min, treadmill 41 min  5 miles

FRIDAY – Elliptical 6 min, Abs 40 min, treadmill 20 min    2.40 miles

SATURDAY – Long run 163 minutes   16.08 miles

SUNDAY – Shoveling snow 30 minutes/REST DAY

TOTAL MILES: 30.11

WEEK 10 – February 18 – February 24

MONDAY – Chest workout 40 min, Treadmill 30 min  3.64 miles

TUESDAY – Yoga 41 min, Treadmill 34 min  4.35 miles

WEDNESDAY – Bike 21 min, Shoulders 45 min, Elliptical 11 min

THURSDAY – Arm workout 45 min, Treadmill 36 min  4.38 miles

FRIDAY – Long run 160 min  16.25 miles

SATURDAY – Rest Day

SUNDAY – Rest Day

TOTAL MILES: 28.62 MILES

WEEK 11 – February 25 – March 3

MONDAY – Leg workout 42 min, Treadmill 31 min  3.60 miles

TUESDAY – Yoga 46 min, Abs workout 43 min, Bike 19 min, Treadmill 25 min  3.15 miles

WEDNESDAY – Bike 30 min, Elliptical 35 min, shoveling snow 18 min

THURSDAY – Bike 26 min, Treadmill 42 min  4.87 miles

FRIDAY – Long run 127 min  13.63 miles

SATURDAY – Shoveling snow 20 min

SUNDAY – Rest Day

TOTAL MILES: 25.25 MILES

WEEK 12 – March 4 – March 10

MONDAY – Bike 22 min, Treadmill 38 min  4.76 miles

TUESDAY – Yoga 43 min, Leg workout 45 min, Treadmill 30 min  3.81 miles

WEDNESDAY – Abs workout 41 min, Elliptical 33 min

THURSDAY – Bike 23 min, Treadmill 32 min  4.06 miles

FRIDAY – Long run 141 min  15.04 miles

SATURDAY – Bike 22 min, Great Milwaukee Pi Run 5K  3.11 miles

SUNDAY – Rest Day

TOTAL MILES: 30.78 MILES

This was an interesting stretch for a couple of reasons. I missed upping my miles the way I wanted to in two out of the four weeks, therefore, week 12 ended up being lower than it probably should be in the total category. And the second item to notice is that I had to stop all upper body workouts at the gym due to left shoulder/elbow pain which has been a problem leading up to me making the decision to simply put down the weights and rest. Time will tell if this is the right solution or not.

I hope you’v enjoyed checking in with my training for the Milwaukee Marathon. You can still join me, if not the marathon, in the half marathon or 5K! Use code “RUN15” to save 15% off your entry! It isn’t too late!

If you have any thoughts, comments or suggestions, please send them my way!

Happy Running!

 

Urban Bourbon Half Marathon is Coming!

Disclaimer: I received free entry to the Urban Bourbon Half Marathon 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!

Let me just tell you one thing first: I could not be more excited to be running this race on October 20 this year! Rated the top half marathon course on the BibRave 100 race list, this became a bucket list race for me real quick after hearing how much fun everyone has at it. The lively city of Louisville is the backdrop for this race so you know it’s gonna rock out.

Of course, bourbon plays a big role from the start to the finish. There are parties. There are tastings. There is a delicious amount of local cuisine! There will be music and beer! And then there is the kickass medal you receive when crossing that finish line!

I mean, seriously, how freaking awesome is that medal? It will easily become one of the coolest medals I own once it is in my collection, if not the coolest! I just love the barrel design with the bottle in the medal that spins. It’s lively, just like the race itself!

Another awesome feature about this race, and specifically the race website, is all the great activities you can do while making the trek to Louisville. Personally, I am planning to spend a few days in Louisville to really take in and enjoy the whole experience that the Urban Bourbon Half Marathon has to offer. Should you decide to join me in this race in this party town, definitely find the page below on their website.

This particular page is under the “Race Weekend” tab on the homepage. Clicking on the “here” you see above will take you to an awesome what-to-do-in-Louisville page. I’ve already been making a list of things I would like to attempt to check out while there and before/after race day action.

Tell me you aren’t thinking about this race! It screams fun! Who cares what time you finish with, this race experience is all about the ambiance and party! And if you DO think you want to come join me, make sure to use the special discount code I have for you. Simply go through the registration process and where it asks you for a promo code, put in “BourbonRave18” to save 10% off of your registration. Do not wait to sign up, just do it so you too can have a kickass time in Kentucky!

If you have any questions, feel free to comment and I’ll make sure to get back to you!