And just like that, there are 2 weeks left until the Honolulu marathon. TWO WEEKS. OMG, I am FREAKING OUT right now. LOL.
With the Thanksgiving weekend giving me some time off work, I was finally able to complete the designated mileage listed in my training plan indicated below. I actually exceeded the planned mileage by 1 mile so go me. 🙂
(Planned mileage)Actual mileage
Monday (4 miles) 5 miles
Tuesday (Rest)4.6 miles
Wednesday (10 miles)Rest
Thursday (5 miles)3.1 (Turkey Trot) + 7 miles
Friday (Rest)Rest
Saturday (18 miles)18 miles
Sunday (Rest)Swim
So let’s talk about why I’m freaking out. I have been keeping up with my long runs so I know I can do the distance. The thing I can’t account for is the heat and humidity in Honolulu. I’ve been checking the weather in Honolulu this week and the low is 70F at 5 am with humidity at 90%. The race starts at 5 am soooo if this week’s weather is any indication of the weather in 2 weeks, I am doomed!
My last 18 mile long run
I don’t do very well in humid weather so I am a bit concerned at how this marathon will go. You can bet that I will be hydrating a ton while in Hawaii and will also be using A LOT OF BODY GLIDE. No chafing thank you very much. LOL.
With regards to my race goals, I think that my mail goal will be to complete the full. It would be nice to finish faster than my Walt Disney World time of 5:28:42 or even a sub 5, but I’m also okay completing it without an injury.
To say that I’m looking forward to the following two weeks of training is an understatement. During my 18 miler this past Saturday, my knee was acting up at mile 15 and was telling me to stop. Since I was only 3 miles away from being done, I just put one foot in front of the other until I finished. It was grueling and there were some tears being shed near the end of that 18 miler, not because of the pain, but because I had reached the peak of my training. LOL. I am over the moon to not be running 18+ miles every other week. LOL. Now, only to finish that pesky 26.2 miler. 😛
My Fleet Feet San Diego Family on Turkey Trot Day
This weekend, I have a much more manageable 12 miler. Hooray! I will also be in Austin for TRE Influencer Day so I’ll be able to run in a new environment making for a much more exciting run. More details about my experience at TRE influencer day next month so stay tuned. 🙂
Questions for you: Have any of you been to Honolulu? I’m still looking up things to do and eat. Any must try food items? 🙂 Nothing too questionable as I don’t want to repeat my Chicago marathon experience. LOL
Disclaimer: I received Hemp CBD from Ikor Labs 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! All opinions are my own.
Cannabidiol (aka CBD) has been the hot new rage the past year or so. Seriously. I’ve seen it being sold in a lot of places.
CBD, if you were unaware, is the non-psychoactive component of cannabis. It does not make you stoned/high and CBD derived from the Hemp plant is 100% legal in the United States. I was even able to take it onto my flight to Vegas with no issues at all. CBD oil has been shown to alleviate pain, have anti-seizure properties, and reduce anxiety.
For active people, hemp extract has been shown to be an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant. It also is again supposed to reduce anxiety and improve sleep quality.
Below is my review of the product.
For the past month, I have been taking 10 pumps a day for 10 days, then going off of it for 3 days, and then repeating the cycle. Per day, I was taking 10 mg of CBD. I would take 5 mg after waking up and another 5 mg before going to bed.
Personally, I didn’t observe a huge performance or recovery difference when I was using it. I did feel that my body was able to manage the mileage a bit better, but when I started increasing my mileage, my body still felt extremely fatigued. I blame my marathon training and not sleeping enough. LOL. My anxiety levels were about the same regardless of when I was on it or off it, but it did improve my sleep quality. I will note though that I had the most intense dreams while on it.
Brought it with me on a plane
I really wish the CBD had a better effect on me, but everyone’s body is different and I guess mine doesn’t get as many of the positive effects that others have had with it. Some of the BibRave Pros that have also tested it swear that it’s alleviated their chronic pain so I’m sure that it works for some people.
If you know that you benefit from CBD, I would most definitely recommend this product. I have actually tried other CBD products in the past and my body just doesn’t reap the benefits like others have. 😦 They also have a money back guarantee if you find that the product doesn’t work for you so really, there’s not much to lose. 🙂
Use code BIBRAVE20 for 20% off 300 mg of Hemp Extract. Discount expires 12/31/2018.
Also, if you’re interested in what the other BibRave Pros had to say, their reviews are below. Reviews will be added as more Pros post.
Every Sunday for the past few months, I wake up to posts of racing photos and every time, I experience major FOMO. LOL. Luckily, I’ve had two races recently so the FOMO has kind of settled down a bit, but if you were to ask how I was doing a few weeks prior, oh man would that have been a different story. LOL.
But what am I going to do after the Honolulu marathon? Well, I’m glad you asked. I am and will most DEFINITELY rest for at least a week. Then, it’s back up and running I go. Why you ask?
Because I have finally decided on my first half of 2019 and drumroll please….
It’s going to be the Irvine Half Marathon!
Disclaimer: I received an entry into the Irvine 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! All opinions are my own.
This half used to be called the SoCal Half Marathon and 5k, but after 27 years, it got rebranded to give the city of Irvine a bit more credit for the race. 🙂 The race has a beautiful course that goes through community parks, along the San Diego Creek, and will make you feel like you never want to leave. 🙂
Near the start at Mike Ward Community Park
With registration, you’ll get free admission to the Kona Brewing Finish Line Festival, get a free beer from Kona Brewing, FREE PHOTOS (AGAIN, I LOVE FREE PHOTOS LOL), a technical tee, free pace groups, and obviously a medal when you cross that finish line. 🙂
I’m pretty excited to kick off the new year with a half marathon. I always love starting new years with races. It gives me a sense of accomplishment that I’m caring for my health. 🙂 If you’re looking for a nice, fairly inexpensive half to kick start the new year, I’d recommend this one. Also, it’s in Southern California so you’ll know the weather will be nice and moderate. 🙂
Question for you: Have you signed up for any 2019 races yet? If so, which ones? I’m still looking to plan out the rest of 2019 and need a lot of ideas.
Disclaimer: I received an entry into the DC Wonder Woman Race Series 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 opinions are my own.
Marathon training has taken a toll on my body, which is expected. I typically get fatigued after multiple 16+ mile long runs and this was right around the same time I got fatigued while training for the Chicago marathon.
Last week, I logged 27.5 miles out of my expected 38 miles. I logged 15 miles Tuesday through Thursday and rested Friday and Saturday, hoping my legs would be rested enough for the 10k. Spoiler alert: They weren’t. My PR attempt was simply just that. An attempt. Mentally, I set out to PR, but physically, my body had called it quits.
Below is my race report.
Packet Pick up – Easy peasy. Drove down to SDCCU stadium, parked for free, and grabbed my bib with no wait. In addition to the race entry, the registration also came with a Wonder Woman racing tee, two Wonder Woman sweat cuffs, and a tote bag. The expo was small, but it was also packed with photo opportunities. If you love taking selfies, this is probably the race to do it at. 🙂 Side note: They also have FREE RACE PHOTOS.
Race day – Since this race was more of a fun run, this race started at 9 am. This was very bad for me as I run very warm. I do well in very cold weather and just get destroyed when the sun comes out. 😦 I got to the race about an hour early and was able to park very easily for free at the stadium. Almost everyone was dressed up as Wonder Woman and there was even an occasional Batman or two.
I even saw a mom who dressed up her four kids as various super heroes. Her cape read Super “Exhausted” Mom. 🙂
The course itself is not a very scenic route as it’s only a 5k/10k. We ran around the stadium and out for a bit and there were two out and backs for the 10k. The course is not flat and actually had a surprising amount of hills considering how short the course was. My biggest mistake, as always, was starting out too fast. I was ready to PR and starting running too fast and gassed out a mile in. My calves started cramping, the bottom of my feet started tingling, and I started getting shin splints. I started run walking about 1.5 mile in and the experience was all very humbling. I have run marathons and yet, even a 10k can still destroy my self confidence. At mile 3 and 4, I had to stop to stretch because my calves wouldn’t loosen up. At mile 4, I ended up needing Race Guards to spray BioFreeze and thankfully that helped and I was able to speed up a bit at mile 5 and 6. Both the 5kers and 10ker finish inside the stadium where you take a lap around stadium before crossing the finish line. Honestly, this would have been much more awesome had they differentiated the two distances. I had to weave in and out to avoid running into the 5kers who were walking towards the finish line.
Post – race party: I do have to give it to the organizers of the race. They definitely know how to throw a fun run post race party. They gave out donuts, ice cream, and bananas and of course, had a really fun band playing in the festival. And of course, everyone had to retake their photos with their medals. 🙂
I finished the race in 57:01, which I of course added it to my Athlinks profile. It is not one of my best times, but I’m still happy with it. I finished and got myself a nice shiny medal and some really nice race photos. 🙂 Next up will be Honolulu on Dec 9th. OMG, I can’t believe it’s in 3 weeks!
Question for you: Have you ever had a humbling race? If so, which one and why?
If you’re interested in running the Wonder Woman race series, there is still a virtual run going on from now until the end of November. Use code “WWBIBRAVE” for 10% off. You’ll get the swag and the medal sent to you so you and friends can run and complete it on your own time.
Disclaimer: I received a pair of Aftershokz headphones as an AfterShokz ShokzStar ambassador. However, all opinions are my own.
With Thanksgiving happening in 7 days and Black Friday in 8 days, I figured it’d be informative to let you know of an AMAZING sale that Aftershokz will be having.
For those of you who might not know, Aftershokz is a company that sells both wired and wireless bone conduction headphones. If you’ve been following this blog awhile, you will know that I ADORE these headphones. I have written many reviews on them (Trekz Titanium Mini, Trekz Air, and Trekz Titanium Regular) and I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but they are really freaking amazing with their open ear design and their bone conduction technology.
Also, for full disclosure, I have been an Aftershokz Brand Ambassador since October of this year, but have loved this headphones for a lot longer. 🙂
Anyway, Aftershokz’s newest campaign is #GivingGoodVibes. With the holidays coming up, they are encouraging others to give back. Whether it’s to a community that’s struggling, a family member down on their luck, or just a friend who needs some cheering up. And as someone who typically struggles around the holiday season, I love this idea of giving back.
Just a few days ago, Aftershokz actually surprised an entire flight with free wireless headphones as part of this campaign (seen here). ❤
And starting on Thanksgiving until Sunday or whenever they sell out, Aftershokz will be having a buy one, get one free sale to promote this campaign. If you’re looking to surprise someone with a great set of headphones while also getting yourself a pair, this may be a great deal for you.
For every purchase of a Trekz Air or Trekz Titanium, you will receive a grey pair of Trekz Titanium for free. This is probably their biggest sale of the year so I would definitely recommend signing up at Goodvibes.aftershokz.com to get their notifications of when this sale goes live. This deal is only applicable for the first 2000 purchases.
Once the deal goes live, you can click on the link here: share.aftershokz.com/MAIK to get that deal. 🙂 Currently, that link goes towards a deal for a Trekz Air or Trekz Titanium bundle, but on Thanksgiving, that link will direct you to the BOGO sale.
If you forget or are unable to purchase one through their BOGO sale, you will also have another chance to win one from me. 🙂 I will be announcing that giveaway on my instagram within a week or so so stay tuned. 🙂
If you have any questions at all about any of their headphones, please comment and I’d be happy to help answer your questions. 🙂
Disclaimer: I received an entry into the DC Wonder Woman Race Series 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 opinions are my own.
With the Rock N Roll Las Vegas Half out of the way, my eyes are set on possibly PRing at the Wonder Woman 10k this weekend in San Diego. And I say possibly because I don’t want to get too cocky. I’m super guilty of trash talking during board games and I’ve definitely been burned. LOL.
Details for the WonderWoman Race
Date: Sunday, November 18th, 2018
Distances: 5k/10k
Time: 9 am
Location: SDCCU
Price:
$59 for 5K
$79 for 10K
Discount code: WWBIBRAVE for 10% off any DC Wonder Woman Race (including the virtual run)
What you get: AWESOME Wonder Woman Swag. No joke. You get a Wonder Woman race tank (for women) or race tee (for men), some wrist cuffs (because you have to have those Wonder Woman bracelets),a tote bag, a medal, and FREE RACE PHOTOS. Yes, you read that right. You get free race photos. Hooray!
Throwback photo to when I ran the Dopey in a Wonder Woman costume. LOL
The nice thing about this race is that they also have a virtual run option (from now until Nov 30th) if you are unable to make it down to one of their races. So you could grab a couple of pals and virtually run the race and still receive all of the swag.
I would have liked my legs to get a little more rest in between races, but since I took a bit of a hiatus for racing, I’m just happy to be racing again. My legs took a rest on Monday and on Tuesday, I was back at it logging in the miles for Honolulu. Can’t stop. Won’t stop, right?
I am going to try and PR the 10k since it’s been years since I actually raced one so hopefully I’ve improved since then. LOL. Wish me luck!
Question for you: Have you ever participated in a themed race? Or a virtual run? And if so, what race?
Disclaimer: I received an entry into the RockNRoll Vegas 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 opinions are my own.
I don’t want to bore you with another Marathon Monday training post so today, I will be forgoing it and just share with you all my Rock N Roll Vegas half experience.
Just know that I have been struggling with keeping up with the mileage as it’s been increasing. My legs have been a bit fatigued with 10+ mile long runs, but I know this fatigue is pretty normal and it’ll better prepare me for the full in a few short weeks. The target this past week was 20 miles during the week with a 20 mile long run totaling 40 miles. I was able to get in 16 miles during the week and a 19.3 mile long run totaling 35.3 miles. I was short 4.7 miles, but considering that *SPOILER ALERT* I beat my course PR on the Rock N Roll Vegas Half, I’ll still call it a win.
And with that, my race report of the Rock N Roll Vegas Half.
Health and Fitness Expo – Rock N Roll expos are large. If you’ve never been to one, be prepared. There a TON of vendors so choose wisely when deciding what to purchase or else you’ll rock around having dropped $100+. Bib pick up was extremely easy. I took a Lyft from the airport and was at the Convention Center in 15 minutes and then picked up my bib with no wait time.
I had a lot of fun talking to vendor reps that I had met at other running events. I’d like to give a shout out to the reps at the Oofos, HoneyStinger, and ProCompression booths for keeping me company as I waited 4 hours for my friend to arrive so I could check into my hotel. LOL.
Race Day (Pre-race) – Preparing for a night race is always tricky. Things to take into consideration:
Meals: Last year, I made the mistake of eating too early (10 am) and by the time I finished the race, I was starving and was grabbing anything the volunteers would give me to stuff my face with. This year, I tried to eat lunch a little later (12:30 pm) and hoped that whatever I ate would digest quick enough and not give me GI distress during the course (like during my Chicago marathon. Sigh). Fortunately, it worked, but I might have also upchucked a LITTLE bit of food during the course so I guess I will need to refine this a bit more. LOL.
Time on your feet: Time on your feet should be minimized for a night race. Knowing that, I still went out and ran 6 miles in the morning because I had a scheduled 20 mile long run for marathon training. LOL. In my defense, I did run much slower and tried to take it as easy as I could. After the run, I went back to the hotel and rested until it was time to get lunch and get to the start line. Even at the start line, I sat down and tried to rest and since I beat my course PR, I’d say it paid off.
If you must go for a run on the Vegas strip, go at 7:30 am. Very few people are out.
Hydration: Holy moly is Vegas dry. I come from a fairly humid city so being in Vegas completely shriveled me up no matter how much water I drank (and I only drank water; no alcohol was involved). If you are going to run in the desert, drink up. It may be cool, but your body will thank you.
Gear Check: It’s a night race. It’s going to be COLD when you finish. You won’t feel it when you cross the finish line, but give it 10-15 minutes. You will feel it. So packing a jacket is a must.
Race Day (Actual race) – All day, I had been debating whether to race it or treat it like a training run. Since I ran 6 miles in the morning, I was worried that I’d hit a wall at mile 7. So I told myself to take it easy and run by feel. And crazily enough, I actually felt fine. I hadn’t raced a half since June so I was stoked be around other runners and was ready to cross that start line.
At the start line
As soon as they sent off my corral, I took off. The course itself is fairly flat with a few minor ups and downs and you hardly notice them as the Vegas strip lights are pretty mesmerizing. I had seen them the night before, but running through the strip was another type of experience and you can bet I took it all in. The air was also cool and refreshing as I started to heat up. I hit my groove at mile 4 and at mile 5, I saw some BibRave peeps, which fueled me for another few miles.
Before heading into our corrals
The bands and DJs that were set up along the course also really helped my energy levels. I would hear a Bruno Mars song and I’d just start dancing, which gave me more energy to run faster. LOL I also really like Bruno Mars. LOL. At mile 12, I was losing momentum. The dry winds combined with the sweat stung my face and I was struggling. Then, I ran into fellow blogger, Jim, and with some encouraging words, we pushed each other towards the finish line. (Hi Jim!!!).
Immediately after crossing the finish – holy smokes, we’re sweaty
Honestly, I crossed that finish line feeling like a million bucks. I finished strong despite having run a total of 19.3 miles that day AND I beat my course PR. So maybe the secret is constantly running on tired legs?!?!
My Shiny New Medal
Official time was 1:54:45 and now I’m just waiting impatiently to claim my results on Athlinks. LOL
Honolulu baby, I’m coming for you!
Catching up with BibRave Founders: Tim and Jessica!
Question for you: Have you ever felt like a million bucks crossing a finish line? If so, which race was it at and why?
Disclaimer: I received an entry into the RockNRoll Vegas 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 opinions are my own.
It’s Tuesday so today I figured I’d talk about my tapering process or lack thereof for the Rock N Roll Vegas half marathon. LOL
As you know from my previous post, my long run scheduled for this week is a 20 miler. I also happen to have my Rock N Roll Vegas half marathon this weekend sooooo what am I planning to do?
Well, I’m glad you ask. I have been thinking about it for a few weeks and I have decided that I am not going to taper for this half, but rather treat it like a normal marathon training week. This means that I will not be decreasing my mileage at all during the week and that I will be incorporating my half marathon into my 20 mile long run. I will be cheating a little bit since it won’t be 20 miles in one go. I intend to run 6.9 miles the morning of the race and run the last 13.1 in the evening during the race. I am pretty sure that my legs are going to hate me during the race, but I figured that getting in that 20 mile long run is more important to me than attempting a course PR, but who knows? Maybe the excitement from the race will increase my adrenaline and I’ll PR anyway. LOL.
The reason for not tapering is simply because I don’t think I’ve been training for speed the past few months. It is possible that I could muster the strength to beat my course PR of 2:00:30, but I don’t think the likelihood is high. I also live in a fairly humid city and racing in the desert is very different and breathing is a bit challenging for me.
From last year’s Rock N Roll Vegas
Despite not actually “racing” this race, I am still pretty excited for this upcoming weekend. It’s been a while since I last ran a half marathon and I look forward to meeting up with people I haven’t seen in over a year and catching up.
From the WeRunSocial meetup 2017
Question for you: Any recommendations as to what to do in Vegas while I’m there? I don’t gamble or drink so it rules out of a lot of things, but if there’s something you think I should see/do, please let me know. Also, if you’re running Rock N Roll Vegas and would like to meet up, let me know!
If you’re a last minute planner and want to race Rock N Roll Vegas, use code “BRPVegas10” for $10 off their half/full marathon and “BRPVegas5” for $5 off their 5k/10k. 🙂
Disclaimer: I received an entry into the Honolulu 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! All opinions are my own.
Week 13 of Honolulu marathon training is officially done. Hooray!
I would like to say that the hardest part is over, but then that would be lie because my hardest week is actually this week with an expected weekly mileage of 40 miles and a long run of 20 miles. LOL.
Despite the longer long runs, I don’t actually feel incredibly fatigued. That being said, I did sleep 12 hours the night of my 18 miler. LOL. I have been missing my weekly mileage the past couple of weeks, but not by much so I think I’m not doing too bad with training. I have also hit all of my long run miles so that’s a bonus. If there’s anything I’ve learned in marathon training, it is to NOT skip out on my long runs. I will skip the shorter ones if I have to, but I make damn sure to check off on the long runs because those runs are the ones that mentally and physically prepare me for the marathon distance.
During those long runs, I practice my fueling strategy. I test different gels (Hammer Nutrition, HoneyStinger, Gatorade Endurance) and I test when I need to hydrate. I have not yet hit the infamous “wall,” and I honestly don’t plan to. I’d rather fuel more than I need to rather than not fuel enough. I’m a wimp when it comes to pain.
Speaking of pain, my long runs are a great time to test where I typically chafe. According to a friend, she makes fire with her thighs, which is why she can’t wear shorts during her long runs. Luckily, I don’t think I’ve ever made fire with my thighs, but there have been a few close calls. LOL It’s probably a good survival skill though if I’m being honest. 😛 My lower back and my arms are also common places where I chafe. With Honolulu being pretty humid, I expect the likelihood of chafing to be an all time high and am planning on body gliding it up. Hehe.
This past 18 miler wasn’t easy (ie it was hilly), but I think I took it like a champ; Although, I think my boyfriend might beg to differ. 😛 Due to his injury from last weekend, he wasn’t in a great place to run with me so he volunteered to skateboard alongside me for 18 MILES. LOL. Fortunately, there were a lot of things to see along the run so I think he was cool hanging out with me for 3.5 hours. He even took footage of my awkward running (Check my IG for that video) and got some cool photos. 🙂
Week 13 Honolulu Marathon Training
(Planned)Actual mileage
Monday (4 miles) 6.03 miles
Tuesday (Rest) 5.02 miles
Wednesday (10 miles)5.3 miles
Thursday (5 miles)Rest
Friday (Rest)Rest
Saturday (18 miles)18 miles
Sunday (Rest)Rest
Weekly mileage: 37/34.2
So I missed my weekly mileage by 2.8 miles, but it’s not a big deal. I closed out October with 144.8 miles, which is my highest mileage of the year. Not too bad. 🙂 Another week down and another 5 more to go before Honolulu. Wheee!
A Girl on a Search for Adventure 