Running Happy (even while injured)

Disclaimer: I received free pair of Brooks’ Ghost 14s 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!

Hello folks! It’s been awhile and if you follow me on social media, you’ll have noticed that I’ve been a bit quiet on the running front. I’m still running, but my miles have decreased by over 50-60%.

Why is that?

Well, it’s because I’m injured. It seems that I’m destined to be forever injured these days, but I’m still optimistic that I will get better. I was diagnosed with proximal hamstring tendinopathy back in January and raced the Big Sur marathon with it. I know. I know. It wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but Big Sur was a bucket list race and I had to. Fast forward to almost 3 months later and I’m still plagued with the injury.

For the past month or so, I’ve decided to reduce my miles significantly and focus on strengthening my hamstring. It’s been hard to not run as much as I used to, but I’m grateful that this injury doesn’t prevent me from running some miles.

Luckily, I received a free pair of Ghost 14s from Brooks Running. I’ve run in the Ghost line for almost 8 years and I’ve got to say that they are absolutely my favorite shoe. Whenever people ask me what kind of shoes to recommend, I always tell them to of course, go to a running shoe store and get fitted to see what fits, but also let them know that I wear the Ghosts and that they’ve served me well. The fact that I’ve owned over 10 pairs of the Ghost line is proof that I love them!

The Ghost 14s are actually Brooks’ first pair of shoes that are carbon neutral. Their goal is to minimize the emissions they produce in manufacturing their shoes and I’m all for it. We need to be kind to our planet and Brooks has committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2040. If you want to learn more about that commitment, head over to their blog post on it.

Theses shoes are actually my second pair (I have a problem, I know) and I just love how cushioned they are! I’m a gal who does not like feeling the ground beneath me. No thank you. Haha. The cushioned underfoot allows for a more seamless transition from heel to toe, which makes my run feel a little bit easier and as an injured runner right now, an easier run is exactly what I need. Yay!

Despite my tendinopathy, I’m still happy I get to run a few miles here and there and I can’t wait to get out there and put more miles in in the years to come.

Let me know if you have questions about the Brooks Ghost 14s. I’d be happy to answer them. 🙂

Goodbye Ziplock Bags and Hello CAMA

Disclaimer: I received the CAMA Bag 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!

About a month ago, I got the opportunity to test out the CAMA Bag from CAMA and if you’ve never heard of CAMA before, the details are below along with my review of the bag.

What is it?

The CAMA Bag is a reusable bag that is made of moisture-wicking and odor- absorbing fabrics. It comes in two sizes: The Bigger One [15″ x 19″ (h)] and The Smaller One [12.5″ x 15″(h)] . It’s machine washable allowing you to reuse it again and again.

Why use it?

The CAMA Bag is designed to be portable and to be used when you’re on the go and need a place to stash your sweaty clothes/gear/equipment. It’s constructed of 3 layers of fabrics that helps with keeping your clothes from getting stale and smelly.

Cost?

$55 for The Bigger One and $45 for The Smaller One.

Review?

If you love to travel and/or lead an active lifestyle, I think this bag would fit right in with that lifestyle. I first got the CAMA Bag right before my travels to Sacramento for the California International Marathon and decided to bring it along with me as a way to stash away my race clothes post-race. Normally, I would have had to bring a zip lock bag with me, but gone are the days where I need to do that. 🙂 I was able to change out of my sweaty race clothes and throw them into the CAMA Bag and zip it up. This allowed me to keep my race clothes and my regular clothes separately in my luggage.

Carrying my dirty race clothes in my CAMA bag waiting for my flight

Even if you aren’t leading an active lifestyle and are just like to travel, this bag is still really useful especially if you aren’t able to do laundry while you’re traveling. I store my used undergarments in the CAMA Bag to keep them separate from my clean clothes and it works like a charm. I’ve also thrown clothes that have gotten drenched from the rain into my CAMA Bag. Just wrung the water out of the shirt and threw it in there because I didn’t want to make my other clothes in my luggage wet before I got home.

Best part of the bag is that it’s reusable. You can machine wash it, line dry it, and use it again and again. When I was traveling abroad, I used up so many zip lock bags to store my used clothes since I didn’t stay anywhere with a washing machine. Now, I can just bring my CAMA Bag along.

Washing my race clothes and my CAMA bag at the same time

If you have questions about the CAMA Bag, let me know.

Another Missed Sub Two Attempt at the San Diego Craft Classic Half Marathon

Disclaimer: I received free entry to the San Diego Craft Classic 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!

The Craft Classic Half marathon in San Diego occurred this past weekend and I could not be happier by my performance. Here’s how it all went down.

Friday

I headed down to San Diego to go to PT (more on that in a later post) and I kid you not, an hour before my PT appointment, I roll my ankle WALKING on the SIDEWALK. Yes, read that again. I ROLL my ankle TWO days before race day while walking on a FLAT sidewalk. I quickly text my PT, let m know what happened, and I came in and he checked my ligaments to make sure nothing was damaged. He ended up massaging my very tight calf, taped me up, and send me on my way. He was confident I could race. I was not. LOL. I legitimately almost cried after rolling my ankle. I’ve been dealing with so many injuries the past year that I thought I wouldn’t be able to race.

Leaving my PT’s office, I hoped for the best and headed off to packet pick up at Road Runner Sports, met up with another Bibrave Pro, and caught up with fellow runners at the store. That night, I end up dunking my ankle in an ice bath and HOLY MOLY, how does anyone do this? I could not keep my ankle in the ice water for more than 5 seconds without screaming.

Saturday

My ankle was still a bit tender. Walking around felt okay, but I wasn’t sure if I could run and I didn’t want to risk injuring it further by trying to run Saturday so I held off and hoped it’d be okay for race day. Laid out my flatrunner and dropped all of my essential race gear in a bag that night and passed out.

Sunday – Race Day

The race started at 6:30 and this year, we were parking near the start line so I was able to sleep in until 5 am. LOL. I was out the door by 5:30 am. Parking was at a high school and we all walked to the start line. The race was a bit smaller this year, but as we are still in a pandemic, I was pretty happy with how many people came out. The weather was also much better this year than in other years. It was much cooler and had a lot of cloud cover. Runners were released in waves and I headed out with a friend of mine and as soon as I took that first step, I felt stiffness in the front of my ankle. I honestly wasn’t sure if it’d be smart to continue, but when do runners ever listen to reason. I told my friend I’d try to run a bit more and see where it went. Luckily, she doesn’t like to run fast so we took our time and ran together for about 3 miles.

At the finish line

At that point, she and I parted ways and my ankle was feeling a lot better and I decided to continue forward. As I wasn’t chatting with anyone, I was able to pick up my pace and realized that I might make a sub 2 cutoff if I pushed. I’ve run this course 2 other times and both times, I’ve missed the sub 2 cutoff. I have raced a sub 2 before, but it would have been nice to have a sub 2 for this course. In the back of my head though, I was also absolutely fine with missing it because I’d rather finish and not be injured than try and race faster and be injured before my fall marathon. I conservatively ran an 8:30 to 9 min/mile up until mile 10. Most of the course at that point is downhill. (YAY). Then came the king of the hill that crushed my dreams. It’s about a 300 ft elevation gain across maybe a half mile or 3/4 mile and my legs were not having it. I managed a jog/walk up it, but by the time I got to the top, I knew I’d miss the cutoff. Funnily enough, that’s when I felt a weight lift off my shoulder. With that pressure removed, I was able to take more walk breaks and enjoy the last bit of the course. Don’t get me wrong, the course through the back part of the city was pretty with the trees on either side of the course, but the pressure of running faster was always in the back of my head. The last bit of the course is a bit deceiving. Once you reach the top of the biggest hill, you head back down and you turn the corner and there’s one more hill and then you turn the corner again and there’s another hill. LOL. You just silently or not silently curse to yourself as you’re running it. At least, I did.

My crazy friends

I had a really strong finish though where I clocked in at about a 7:30 min/mile meaning I could have pushed if I had wanted to. I finished in at 2:03 and some change and didn’t roll my ankle again and it was my 31st half marathon! I also got to see a lot of friends I hadn’t seen in over a year and a half and it felt fantastic. I gave my friend my free beer ticket and they cashed it in for a Green Flash Beer since that’s where the race ended. 🙂 After dawdling a bit, I headed back to the shuttle that took me back to the start line parking lot.

My 31st half marathon medal

TLDR? I started out with a rolled ankle and finished my 31st half marathon with a time of 2:03.

Have you raced in person since the pandemic started yet? How did it go?

A Week Out from the San Diego Craft Classic Half Marathon

Disclaimer: I received free entry to the San Diego Craft Classic 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!

From the title, you can see that I’m exactly one week away from my return to an in person road race and in all honesty, I am a bit nervous about it all. It will be my first in person road race since the pandemic and I haven’t been in such a large crowd in some time. It will definitely be an interesting experience.

I’ve also just been having a few more injuries than I’d like this year. I won’t bore you with the details, but I have Posterior Tibial Tendonitis. The tendon that’s affected is the one on the inner side of the ankle. It also happens to be the same ankle that I’ve rolled over and over again in the past 6 months. Coincidence? Probably not. Since being diagnosed with it a few weeks ago, I have been working with my PT to try and find the root cause and nip it in the bud. After all, (spoiler alert) I am also in full swing of marathon training and I can’t get more injured or else I won’t be able to make it to the starting line.

I have been feeling a bit better about the training though and although my tendon is sometimes angry with me, I think this will be a good race. I’ve been training on a lot on hills (this race has one major hill) and my PT has helped me improve my running form.

We are however, experiencing a bit of a heat wave at the moment, but I do see the weather trending towards being colder in a week so fingers crossed it’ll be colder or at least we’ll have some cloud cover before it gets too warm. Luckily, there are 7 aid stations throughout the half course so all I have to do is make sure I drink water at all of them if it gets too warm. Heh. Wish me luck!

Discount Alert: Also, if you want to plan a last minute trip to San Diego and run this half, you can use the code “BIBRAVE20” for $20 off the half registration. They also do have a 5k if you just want to run much less and still earn a free beer. You can use code “BIBRAVE10” for 10% off the 5k registration.

Escape Room x Running = A Run to Escape Experience

Disclaimer: I received registration to the Run to Escape Experience 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!

As you may or may not know, I have been a BibRave Pro for over 4 years and over the years, I’ve been able to test out interesting running products and race in really amazing cities for BibRave. Recently, they came out with this awesome concept of launching their own running/racing experience. As most things are virtual these days due to the pandemic, we needed a way to make running more interesting and motivate us to run. (Some people like myself have not run with anyone in over a year. Yikes.) The Run to Escape Experience is BibRave’s way of doing that. Even with some races starting to come back, I thought this would be a great way of motivating myself to get back into it all.

Check out my IG reel that is a brief overview of the experience. I don’t give out any actual puzzles from it as that would be spoilers, but if you enjoy solving puzzles like the one in the reel, this might be of interest.

IG Reel – Run to Escape

The Run to Escape experience obviously running and puzzles/riddles. Think of it as a cross between an escape room and running. The experience consists of 6 separate runs that will test your wits and make you laugh along the way if you’re into Greek mythology like I was in high school. In each run, you are given more and more of the storyline in an audio format. In addition to the storyline, you are given clues to solve a puzzle and after each run, you are given the puzzle. Don’t worry if you miss the audio clues. They’ll be provided to you so you can listen again and again to solve the puzzle. I say again and again because I definitely had to listen to a few clues on repeat to solve a puzzle or two. Haha. Once you solve the puzzle, you enter the code to unlock the next run/part of the story line.

Head over to the RTESeries IG page and try to solve their clever puzzles like this one!

As someone who was addicted to escape rooms a few years ago, this was right up my alley. I was dead tired after work some days, but because I wanted to progress along the challenge, I muscled up and ran so I could hear more clues. I would then spend the evenings in bed piecing together the clue to unlock the next run. I had a blast doing this since it was so unique. I can’t spoil the end, but I was so pleasantly surprised at how well they wrapped everything up.

Can you solve the What Am I puzzle? Let me know!

Right now, the Run to Escape Experience has a flexible refund policy so I highly recommend giving it a shot. If you don’t like it, there’s always that refund. If you do sign up, use code BibRave10 for 10% off the registration.

Oh! I forgot to mention this, but if you are worried you won’t be able to solve the clues, there are hints, just like a real escape room. Every run has 3 hints and you will definitely be able to solve them if you use all 3, but if you’re just like me, you’ll just be agonizing over the clues until you can solve it without any hints. Haha. Good luck and let me know if you have questions!

I’ve also included some reviews from other BibRave Pros if you’re unsure if you want to sign up.

Lissa – Mike P. – Cynthia – Ryan – Stephanie D. – Sarah – Katie

Brand Alignment

Hi my fellow readers (if there are left at this point)! I want to again apologize that I haven’t been posting as frequently as I have in previous years. This year has been really rough and if you’re in a country where COVID19 cases still haven’t been going down (*cough*United States*cough)*, well, you know how I’m feeling.

Today I wanted to talk about a topic that I’ve been struggling with the past few months – brand alignment. It’s important to be me because as a brand ambassador for a few companies, I think it’s an issue that’s worth discussing especially with regards to the Black Lives Matter movement.

The Background

On February 23rd, Ahmed Arbery, an unarmed black man, who was running in his neighborhood was accosted and shot by Gregory and Travis McMichael, two white men. I don’t want to get too much into the details as it’s been re-hashed over and over again, but this incident along with several others (Killings of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Atatiana Jefferson, Tamir Rice, and many more) ignited the Black Lives Matter Movement.

On June 2nd, social media users were encouraged to post a black square to their social media profiles and hashtag #blackouttuesday. The concept originated from the music industry and news of the hashtag spread to any user on a social media platform, but it primarily was on Instagram. Many brands posted either a black square on that day or have since then posted some statement that they support the movement and/or are making changes to break down systemic racism.

Acceptance into a brand ambassador program and declining it

Fast forward to a few weeks later, I received news that I was accepted into an ambassador program. I had been monitoring their social media platforms in the past few months to see if they had made any statement and oddly enough, I didn’t find anything. I had reached out to their founder to ask what their stance was on the Black Lives Matter movement and although he said that he and their company do not tolerate racism and partner with groups that align with that same ideal, he also mentioned that he was at a loss on what to say on social media. I had suggested a few things such as more diversity of their audience on the social media platform or even a statement that said that they are working on having a plan in place to support the movement in one way or another. I understood that plans are not devised over night and a lot of thought go into plans and of course, plans can change. The issue I had was that there was no information on any of his social media channels (personal and company wise) that would have led me to have believed the company was pro or anti-BLM. I did look through years of posts so it wasn’t a hasty statement. I also explained that being silent on the issue also sends a message to their audience and that message to me personally was that the movement wasn’t worth posting about. After a few more email exchanges, my understanding of the situation was that he did not want to post on social media. I also understand that this is his right.

I thanked him for being open to having the conversation with me and I declined the ambassadorship. Believe me when I say that this was not an easy decision for me as I love supporting quality products and brands. However, I am also standing up for something that I believe is more important.

Alignment as a Brand Ambassador

As a brand ambassador, you are a representation of the brand, the products it sells, and the stances it does or does not take. I personally could not represent a brand that would not make any social media statement on issue that I thought was vital. Don’t get me wrong. I also see brands who have posted statements and have not taken any actions whatsoever. I also am trying to not associate myself with them as well. To be clear, I have no ill will for ambassadors of brands that I do necessarily align with. It is something to keep in mind though when applying to your next ambassadorship.

I have been very blessed to be a brand ambassador for both BibRave and Aftershokz, two companies that have been vocal about the movement and have made statements and taken actions to combat systemic racism. Bibrave created shirts like the one I’m wearing below and all of the proceeds were sent to the Equal Initiative Fund. They’re no longer available, if they ever, I will post about it on my IG. Aftershokz made an official statement on their website and have posted about it on their social media pages. I’ve linked to their official statement here.

BibRave sold these F*ck Racism shirts and all the proceeds were donated to the Equal Justice Initiative Fund

So that about sums up my thoughts for the day. I hope that everyone is having as wonderful of a time as they can be given the circumstances. If you’re in an area that has few to no cases and can give your friends hugs, can you give them an extra one? I miss hugs. 😦

Bye for now!

Big Sur Marathon 2020

“Disclaimer: I received free entry to the Big Sur 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!”

In 2018, I ran the 21 miler (read the race report here) and after crossing the finish line of the 21 miler, I knew that I had cheated myself. The full would have been an additional 5 miles and those 5 miles would have been through the beautiful Redwoods of Big Sur. So after much contemplation, I decided to opt into the full Big Sur marathon for 2020.

The marathon is unfortunately a lottery and the drawing has already happened, but there are other distances available. If the hills of Big Sur are too daunting, but you still want to try running along the scenic waters, try the 12k, 5k, or even the 3k. Unfortunately, at this time, the marathon relay, 21 miler, and 11 miler are already sold out, but if you have your heart set on these distances, make a note on your calendar for the following year to sign up early. That’s how you know this is a good race. Despite not having the crowds come out to cheer you out on course, the race still sells out almost every year because it is that beautiful.

There’s a piano player on Bixby bridge and you can hear the music miles away. There are Taiko drummers at the top of the highest hill pounding away. It’s honestly a once in a lifetime experience. The Big Sur route only closes for this race so you only really get this experience during this course. Sure, you’ll be able to drive up and down it, but to really take it all in, you’ll need to go at a slower pace. I don’t want to be redundant so if you want to know more, head on over to my race report where I recap my 21 miler experience.

 

My BibRave Exuma Getaway Experience

Disclaimer: I received an entry into the Run for Pompey Half Marathon and received an amazing resort package as part of the BibRave Bahamas Getaway package and for 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.

Hello all! I’ve been having quite an adventure since the last time I blogged. If you’ve been following me on social media, you’ll know that 4ish weeks ago, I visited Taiwan for all of the food adventures. I then came back to the states for 5 days and then jetsetted to the Bahamas for 5 days for an amazing and relaxing adventure.

I swear I’ll get to my Taiwan adventures, but since the Bahamas are fresh in my memory, let’s start with that. 🙂 Disclaimer: This will be LONG and I am sorry, but there was just too much to talk about that it would not be genuine to leave things out. I broke it down by subject and included pictures to make it easier to read.

For those of you who may not remember, I was going to Exuma in the Bahamas as part of the Exuma Getaway package that BibRave helped host. That package is described in my earlier post.

Flight

Let’s start with the flight. It’s not an easy flight out of the West Coast. I caught a red eye and had a 4.5 hour flight out of LA to Ft. Lauderdale, a 5.5 hour layover, and a 1.5 hour flight finally to Georgetown in the Bahamas (Georgetown is a city on the island of Exuma). After landing in Ft. Lauderdale, I was delirious. I had some flight schedule changes and I pulled up the wrong itinerary and thought I was going to miss my connecting flight. Well, a panic attack and a sprint down two terminals later, I realized my flight was 4 hours later. Oops. LOL.

My first impression

That frown turned upside down the moment I started seeing glimpses of the Bahamas from the air. The water was gorgeous and I was beyond excited to finally land. LOL Once I landed, I quickly got through customs and the Grand Isle resort ambassador was there to help me arrange a taxi to get to the resort. Once at the resort, fellow BibRave Pro Chris and I checked in and was given the tour of our villa and oh my goodness, it was beautiful.

Grand Isle Resort and its many amenities

The Grand Isle resort consisted of villas, two pools, a spa, fitness center, and various restaurants (La Palapa Grill, 23 North, and one other location I cannot remember the name of). All villas are two stories and have a maximum of 3 bedrooms. The villas all come equipped with a kitchen, some kitchenware (pots, pans, eating utensils, fridge, freezer), a laundry machine, air conditioning, and amazing views from the 2^nd floor patio. I could have honestly just stayed in the villa for the entire stay, but the beach and pools were calling my name. Also, I had to run a half marathon so there was that. 😛

The resort is right next to Emerald Bay and oh my goodness, I didn’t know salt water could be so beautiful. I had a blast swimming in the waters. Beware of sand fleas (aka noseeums) though. They will nip at you and you will be itching for weeks. I didn’t think to put on water proof insect repellant and am paying the price. I have about 15 bites and it is not pleasant. So if you go, make sure to wear insect repellant. That is an absolute must.

I stayed at the resort for most of my stay, with a trip to the convenience store to grab snacks. The receptionist at the resort can arrange either taxis or a day long car rental ($75/day). You could even arrange to swim with the pigs from the receptionist and I was even scheduled to, but due to unfortunate weather and my schedule, I couldn’t make it work. The tour groups will pick you up from the resort as part of the package, which is super nice. So instead, I took advantage of their spa services and got a super relaxing sports massage with my first ever manicure.

The Bibrave Perk of the Exuma Getaway

As part of the Exuma Getaway, BibRave gifted those who signed up with an awesome pair of Aftershokz Aeropex. (Note: If you haven’t tried them, I’d highly recommend them. They use bone conduction technology so even the hard of hearing can experience music/audiobooks with ease). As part of being a BibRave Pro, I was also gifted things that really helped me get through the Bahamian weather.

Go Sili’s Straw Cup and straws– It’s a silicone cup with a lid where you can store your liquids in and it’s light and durable. Pretty nice for traveling and it won’t break during the shuffle.

Nuun Rest – Nuun’s newest line of hydration specifically designed for resting after a hard day of work or running.

BUFF’s Running Cap – Super lightweight and easily packable. The brim is crushable and the upper panel has UPF protection. Really nice to run with.

KnockAround Sunglasses – I’m a San Diego girl and love this local sunglasses brand. It also really helped shield the sun when I ran.

Vooray’s Pulse Active Backpack – A lot of nice pockets and straps that you can clip things to. I clipped a small sunscreen bottle to it, some hand sanitizer, and chapstick. There are two spots for bottles on the sides and held all the things I needed for a day of sightseeing.

The Entire Race Experience

With the getaway package, there was a pre-race pasta dinner and boy was that a carb loading experience. I wish I had run the marathon so I could have eaten even more pasta. It was sooo good. It was a choose your own type of pasta ordeal. They had pesto, alfredo, and marinara sauce along with several different types of pasta and protein (Grouper or chicken).  After eating my fill, speeches were made and the race directors let us know that the race was able to provide scholarships for students to attend college and due to the hurricane this year, they also donated to those affected. It was definitely a nice way to end the night.

Getting to the race was a breeze. We took the race day shuttle at 5:15 am and arrived shortly before the race at 6 am for the half marathon. The marathoners had already begun at 4 am. In its 5^th year, there were 3 ultra marathoners (50k), 3 marathoners, 11 half marathoners, and a LOT of 10k, 5k, and 2kers. There were also cash prizes for the longer distances – $500 for the first female and male finishers. So if you were a marathoner or an ultra marathoner, you had a really good chance of winning. In fact, my fellow Pro Chris won the marathon and smashed the course record by an hour at 4 hours and 35 min.

I do not do so well in humid and warm weather so I ran a moderate 2:28:04, which actually put me in 10^th place. The temperature when I finished? 83F. The course starts out around a lake and with the sunrise, it’s a beautiful sight. You’re running along the streets and it is not blocked off from traffic so staying to the sides is important. There were also some wildlife (ie stray dogs) that made the course a bit more interesting and definitely kept me on my toes. For the half marathon, there were 7 aid stations, which were greatly appreciated. I grabbed an ice cold water bottle at every station and kept it until I got to the next one. We had great cloud cover for the first half of the race, but on the second half, the sun came out and I more strategically did a run/walk to get me to the finish.

In all honesty, I didn’t think I could finish this half. I had done a 3 mile shake out run around the resort the day before and melted. Running 4x that amount in the weather was beyond what I thought I could do. But I did it. I ran it and I completed my 30^th half marathon. At the finish line, they called random bib numbers for giveaways and their grand prize was actually a week long stay at the Grand Isle Resort. That’s a $7000 value. Sadly, I did not win, but I did get a really cute swimming pig medal from the race along with a cute pig plush pictured below.

Post Race

Another perk of the package was a post-race celebration dinner and boy did I get my grub on at 23 North. Their tempura was amazing and I’ve never had tempura as good as I had it here. 23 North is an Asian fusion restaurant at their resort and their food is delicious. After dinner, I called it an early night. As my swimming pig tour was cancelled, I ended up treating myself to a nice sports massage the next day. The masseuse knew exactly how to get my knots out. I finished the massage feeling extremely relaxed and my hands looked real cute after the manicure. I spent the rest of the day swinging on the beach because why not have swings on a beach? LOL

Leaving Exuma

After 4 amazing nights, I left Exuma with great memories (and some bug bites LOL). The resort staff was super top notch and very sweet and accommodating. The race was one I never thought I could finish, but mind over matter, right? It was a one in a lifetime trip and I’m glad I got to experience it.

TLDR?

The resort was amazing from its staff to its food and its accommodations. Bring bug repellent. Emerald Bay is BEAUTIFUL. The race was challenging, but definitely teaches you to run in hot weather. 10/10 would do again. 🙂

Orange Mud Transition Wrap 2.0 – The Best Seat Saver Around

Disclaimer: I received an Orange Mud Transition Wrap 2.0 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!

Hello hello again! I just came back from a trip to Taiwan and boy am I exhausted! I can’t wait to tell you all about the trip, but today, I’d like to talk to you about the best seat saver around – the Orange Mud Transition Wrap 2.0.

BibRave Pros were able to try the v1.0 awhile back and I missed the opportunity to try it then so when the opportunity came to try the 2.0 version, I was all in. This wrap is hands down a game changer for anyone with an active lifestyle and I’m never going back to not having this.

As a runner, I sweat…a lot and unfortunately, I’ve begun to notice that my sweat is not the nicest smelling anymore. 😦 I’m not in the habit of changing after I run since I go home anyway to change so most often than not, I sit in my car immediately after my run and sweat in the seat. I used to keep a towel on my car seat so I could sweat on that, but the towel didn’t stay on the seat for very long and after a lot of fussing around, I just gave up and stopped using it. The transition wrap is PERFECT to protect my car seat. It has this zipper to create a little hoodie and I just slip the hoodie on the headrest of the seat and it hangs there perfectly on my seat without any fuss. And after a week or two of using, I just throw it in the laundry to wash and re-use. I’ve also used it to protect my boyfriend’s car seat when I am a passenger and he loves it. LOL.

It has also been super useful for swimming too. After I swim, I don’t have to worry about any residual chlorine affecting my car seats. 🙂

The transition wrap, as the name implies, is also great for transitioning into other clothes. 🙂 The wrap has an adjustable belt with a secure clip that allows you to easily slip out of your running shorts/swimsuit and into your non-sweaty clothes. 🙂 Gone are the days where you’re juggling your towel and your shorts and trying not to accidentally flash someone. 

You can also use this microfiber wrap to towel off and keep yourself warm after a run like I did. LOL.

To say that I enjoy using this is an understatement. I absolutely LOVE using this and honestly, it’s way better than any old towel I had been using previously. 🙂 I highly recommend it to anyone looking to prevent their seats from being smelly or just has trouble transitioning out of sweaty clothes. 🙂

If you want your own or are just a fan of Orange Mud products, use code BIBRAVEWRAP for 15% off your order. Other BibRave Pros have also reviewed this so if you’re interested, their reviews are below.

Kelli – Karen – Corey – Ryan – Renee – Charline

Running Around with KnockArounds

Disclaimer: I received a pair of Knockaround Sport Premium Sunglasses 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!

Hey there! It’s been almost a month since my last post and I’m oh so sorry about that. I’ve been going through some personal and professional things and I just lost the motivation to blog. But, I’m back now and this time, it’s to tell you about KnockAround’s Sport Sunglasses that have come out recently.

KnockAround, as you may have already guessed, makes sunglasses and they’re based in San Diego. It was founded by Adam “Ace” Moyer, a graduate student of UCSD and as a San Diego native and UCSD alum, this brings me great joy. 🙂 What’s even better is that these sunglasses are awesome.

Their newest collection is their Sport sunglasses, which have a nice little rubber nosepad that prevents the sunglasses from slipping down your nose when you’re living your active lifestyle. I’ve worn them for several weeks now and they’re as comfy as be. The nose pad doesn’t leave any indentation on my nose even after several hours of wearing them and they prevent the sunglasses from bouncing up and down when I run.

The most common issue I’ve had with sunglasses over the years is that the tint of the lenses will start to peel off shortly after a few weeks. Even though I’ve only been testing this pair for only 4 weeks, I’ve had other KnockAround pairs for much longer and the tint has never peeled off. Hallelujah. Having a tint peel affects my visuals and is really annoying.

One other issue that I have is keeping the sunglasses on my head. I’m not usually aware of what’s on my head and I flail a lot, which results in a lot of dropped sunglasses. I’ve dropped these a few times and they’re still in perfect condition. 🙂

The Knockaround sunglasses start at $10 and come in a bunch of different colors with both standard UV400 protection and polarized lenses. If they don’t have the combination you want, they can also customize it for you. My particular sunglasses are the Premium Sports in Aquamarine/Fuscia and honestly, I love this color combination. I’ve always been worried about matching in clothes, but these color combinations are so vibrant that I just don’t care anymore. Match or don’t match with my clothes, I’m still going to wear them. LOL.

If you want your own pair or any of their other sunglasses, use code BIBRAVEKNOCKS3 for 20% off your entire order. 🙂 And if you don’t believe me when I say how great they are, please feel free to read any of my other BibRave Pros’ reviews linked below.

Ben – Renee – Brandy – Tim