Hey there! I can’t believe just a few weeks ago I ran SeaWheeze in Vancouver. I signed up for the race nearly a year ago so the fact that it has already come and gone seems totally surreal. Not to mention, so much in my life has changed since I registered for the race last fall. (For those not aware, I moved from Kansas to Portland!)
I can’t believe my last race of the season is over. Fall race season was quick this year. It’s funny, I said Lexus Laceup would be my last so that I could focus on the wedding but last night, I sat in bed Googling races and contemplating if I had one more left in me (typical).
I’m super excited to announce that I’m the 2016 Go Girl Run Race Ambassador alongside Chasing Davies.
Just one week after Portland I snagged a spot and registered for the Nike Women’s Half Marathon in San Fransisco. This was a last minute addition that I could not pass up. Any Nike race would have gotten me excited but #WeRunSF is total bucket list status. Running this race was extra specials because after Portland, I decided my new goal was to complete half marathons in 10 different cities. San Fran is city number 5 and half number 11 for me, which is so crazy considering I ran my first half fall 2013.
1:45. I’ve been chasing that time for over a year now. I ran Go Girl KC fall 2014 in 1:48 and I’ve been racing after 1:45 ever since. I thought shaving off 3 minutes would be easy but it took me five races, over 12 months and just the right course/day. Today I am here to tell the World Wide Web that I finally freaking did it!
I did this race last year and let me tell ya, they have the best post race #eeeats! RWTC is the major fundraiser for Queen of the Holy Rosary School. The race is part of the Heartland 39.3 series so 500+ usually run the half. The majority run the 5k. This race also has the cutest swag: tech shirt + medal. @QueenietheCow is the official race mascot. The race weekend forecast was nutty. At one point it said 100% severe weather. I prepared for the worst and had all my rain gear lined up and crossed my fingers it wouldn’t be rained out. Long story short, my “no rain” dance worked and we had a dry race.
So the bae is recovering from a super serial injury. Last season (spring 2014) he ruptured his Achilles during a match and has been working his a$$ off ever since to get back to his passion of playing soccer. I’m over ambitious and figured he’d be back on the pitch by now so I booked a flight to L.A. for the Galaxy game and figured I’d check off my first destination race in sunny CA while I was there. Long story short, he’s not 100% (but don’t worry, he’s oh-so-close). He wasn’t able to travel but that didn’t stop me from running 13.1.
More than anything, people have been asking me about hydration and fueling, which is always a hard question for me to answer. Although there are plenty of scientific examinations of fueling and hydration strategies, there is no universal practice or formula. What works for one person might not work best for you. Every runner is unique.
Rock the Parkway is a little over two months away so I figured I’d mention this race first. A lot of runners will tell you that this half marathon (or 5k) is a must. I participated in 2014 and ran for a friend that could no longer run. Race week for me was tough. We had just closed and moved into our new home only to discover that the floors had to be refinished, which meant we had to move out and live in a hotel for a week. It was one of the most stressful weeks of my life (long story). Unfortunately, race day was not easy for me either – I struggled almost the entire race. I was tired and most certainly had shin splints. I got almost the exact same time as my first half marathon and I was dissapointed. (I’m super competitive with myself.) My current PR is 1:45 but my time that day was a lot slower. Some days just aren’t your day!
Sweat Adventures 