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.

 

To Streak or Not to Streak…with BibRave

Disclaimer: I received an annual Strava Subscription and Strava merchandise 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!

To streak or not to streak, that is the question. 🙂

Now what am I talking about, right? If you thought I was talking about anything other than a run/walk streak, get your mind out of the gutter. 🙂

For 31 days, the BibRave group is run/walk streaking and we want you to join us on Strava. A run/walk streak consists of someone running or walking 1 mile a day for however many days. If you miss a day though, the streak starts over.

Back in 2016, I participated in a run streak held by Runner’s World. From Thanksgiving to New Years day, I had to run/walk 1 mile a day. I had so much fun with it that I kept it going for 120 days until I got too busy and too tired to run every day. LOL That being said, I’m pretty excited to try another run streak and lucky for me, it’s only for 31 days. I still have plantar fasciitis, but I’m still determined to try.

I think it’ll a great way for me to start increasing my miles again. Even though it’s 1 mile a day, it’s still 1 more mile than I’d normally do during my rest days and that adds up.

If anyone is looking to start running or just get back into it, this is a great opportunity. There is no cost to it. Just sign up to Strava, join our group, and start logging those miles in. 🙂

And I promise to give as many kudos as possible to get you all motivated. So how about it? Will you be joining me? Feel free to add me on Strava and I’ll add you back. 🙂

Racing in the Rain – My Irvine Half Recap

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.

Hooray! Half marathon #23 is in the books and boy was it an interesting one. It was my first time racing in pouring rain and woo, was it fun! The aftermath was not. LOL

Going into the race, I had no idea there was a chance of rain. I mean, I live in Southern California. We get rain maybe 5-6 days out of the year. Apparently, this last weekend was one of those weeks.

Bib Pick-up: Bib pick up was easy peasy. The location was at a community park and was extremely easy to find. I picked up the bib, race shirt, checked out the Nuun booth, and was off to get some dinner and sleep for a 6 am wake up time. 🙂

The Race: The weather forecast mentioned 70% chance of rain at 8 am, but when I drove to the start line, there were no rain clouds in sight. In fact, it was just a beautiful morning by the lake…surrounded by lots and lots of high school kids.

A portion of the race proceeds goes back to the local high schools so it made sense that a lot of the participants would have been the high school students. Unfortunately, having so many high school kids surrounding me completely threw me off my game. LOL. My friend and I joked that we’d get smoked by these kids and I of course, being the competitive person that I am, didn’t want that. So I, stupidly started out too fast at the start.

Below are my thoughts throughout the race. Feel free to laugh at them:

#1: Oh, what a beautiful morning. Man, this race is efficient. It’s 8 am and we’re off.

#2: Hmm, there’s the 2 hour pacer. They’re going awfully fast, but I think I can swing that pace.

#3: Woohoo! I reached the 2 hour pacer. I wonder if I can catch the 1:50 pacer. Oo, I see the 1:50 pacer. Yoohoo!

#4: Wait! SLOW DOWN GIRL! A 8 min mile this early in the race is too fast.

#5: Oh crap, my legs feel heavy. WHYYYYYY? Stupid me. Why did I think I could PR? I’m gassing out. Okay. The goal was to enjoy the process and try not to die. I guess I’ll try and do that. Oo, pretty course.

#6: Ack. I hate my allergies. I can’t breathe. I hope no one thinks it’s gross I spit on the course. I’m trying to not hit anyone.

#7: Wow, this race is really well organized. There are a bajillion turns, but there’s someone at every turn directing. Go race course organizers!

#8: UGH, don’t walk Mai. Don’t you do it. You know the moment you walk, you’re going to keep run walking and that slows you down a lot. Don’t do it.

#9: Okay, you’re almost at 6 miles. At 6 miles, take a little walk break.

#10: Hmm, I’m at 6 miles, but that’s not even at the halfway mark. God, I’m such a wimp. Let’s just hit the halfway mark and then you can walk.

#11: Okay, I’m at the half way mark now and I think I can keep running without walking. Maybe let’s try and get to 8 miles. oO, pretty river.

#12: Well, I’m at 8 miles and I only have 5 miles left. Maybe I can run to 10 and then take a break?

#12: I guess if I only have a 5k left, I should just keep running.

#13: Oh what? It’s RAINING? Oh well, it’s just a light sprinkle. I’ll be fine.

#14: OH SHIT. IT’S RAINING HARD. I can’t see. So much water on my face. Is that sweat or rain? I can’t tell anymore. Wait, can I feel my fingers? Nope. Can’t feel my fingers. LOL. Wait, I see a photographer! Smile girl smile through the rain! There are free race photos! Smile til you can’t no more.

#15: OMG, I SEE THE FINISH LINE. PUSHHHHHH!

Post Race

#16: THAT WAS AMAZING. I got my pretty medal and OH HEY FRIENDS! OH AND FOOD! YASS!!! POTATO CHIPS? HOORAY!

#17: Crap, I am freezing. Oh, you’re going to give me a free shirt to keep me warm? Thanks Kona Brewing Co. You’re the best. Okay, get to the car. OH WHY WON’T IT STOP RAINING? LOL

Too long didn’t read? I started out too fast in the race, gassed out, then played mind games with myself to prevent myself from walking, and then froze to death when it started pouring. LOL

Truthfully, the race was extremely well organized and I really appreciated the atmosphere of a smaller race. And the rain was an interesting way to end the race. Too bad, it took me a few hours to actually warm back up and regain feeling in my toes and fingers.

Question for you: Have you ever raced in the rain before? How was it? 

 

Marathon Mondays – Only Two Week Left until the Honolulu Marathon

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

Performance Hemp CBD Product Review

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.

Ben   Corey   Nicole   Logan   Bill   Kim   Brenda   Bridget   Erica   Shannon   Henry   Ryan   Jen   Lindsey   Maria   Melissa   Jessica   Chris   Whitney

Question for you: What have you tried that has increased your recovery time or bettered your running performance? 

A Great Way to Start 2019 – The Irvine Half Marathon

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.

Here are the details:

Date: Saturday, January 12th, 2019

Time: 8 AM

Location: Irvine, CA

Distances: Half marathon and 5k

Price (until Nov 22nd): Half marathon – $85, 5k – $40

Discount code: BRSCVIP for 10% off

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. 

Give Good Vibes – An Amazing Aftershokz deal

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. 🙂

Running on Tired Legs – The Secret to a Course PR at the RNR Vegas Half

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?

Marathon Mondays – Another 18 miler is in the books!

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!