The Rock-n-Roll NOLA Expo

Last Saturday was an extremely long day. We had a super early flight WITH a layover. I've been extremely spoiled with scoring direct flights in the past, but not this time (anyone else noticing flights are terribly priced lately?!) Layovers are always so draining and doubles my chances of getting motion sick. But I digress. We made it to New Orleans in one piece and headed straight downtown to The Convention Center to meet up with Fred for the expo. 

Brooks had their Run Happy Island set up which is always a good time. 

I really wanted to get my sister fitted for running shoes via the treadmill (apparently that's not a thing in New Orleans running stores) but the line was wayyyy too long. So instead, we got our passports, ran up the mountain and I finally got the coveted foam finger I've been wanting since RNR Philly. YaY! That will come in handy the next time I spectate a race. 

I was also impressed with their merch selection. But then again, I'm a sucker for anything that says NOLA (or Brooklyn). My sister bought me the teal race jacket and B got me the grey pullover hoodie (I wish they offered that one in women's cut, but it's cute either way) as early birthday presents. I also had to have the medal replica pin and magnet because that medal is definitely in my top 5 favorite medals of all time. 

I did get to stop by The Sweaty Bands booth for a race specific headband, which they did not have but they did have a black and gold one that said "Run New Orleans"; good enough for me! My sister did admit this booth was also one of the main reasons she wanted to come to the expo. I  got her a sweaty band for Christmas and now I think I've created a monster!

The new Heavy medals were also on display, further confirming my need to have them in my life. I'm so glad they've finally upgraded their medal ribbons, including on the heavy medals. 

It was also really great getting to finally meet Karen! 

We've run so many of the same races but our paths never crossed. Hopefully I get to see her again in Florida for Princess weekend.

They were also offering taste tests for the Gumocracy promotion. I voted for the Salted Watermelon. Apple Cinnamon was the runner up because I just couldn't stomach the taste of coffee in a gel, even if I'm slightly obsessed with the salted caramel.

On top of that, Rock-n-Roll introduced their new social app for this race weekend. I was a little confused as to where things were being shared, but it seems to be only within the app itself, unless you specifically chose either twitter or facebook, which is nice. The more hashtags you shared, the more badges you could earn. I know I'm a fan of searching race hashtags, whether participating live or virtual, and I like that this app collects those posts in one place. There seems to be some glitches (the app crashing when you try to upload photos) but I think it will be really great when they're cleared up.

Another new to me was the race information guide only being available digitally. I'm not a fan, specifically for this race. My family and I liked the convenience of the printed guide. Trying to explain to them where on the website to find the information they'd like to know is hard enough for me to find, much less for someone not familiar with race websites and/or The Rock-n-Roll brand. The last time I ran this race, my family really enjoyed reading up on it and I liked that they liked being involved, so not having it was kind of a bummer. If I'm on a regular race-cation, I like not having to use my data or phone's battery life to read the race information as well. Hopefully they bring them back.

Once we made our rounds through the expo, it was time to meet my parents for lunch; I was starving! We got to check roast beef po-boy and shrimp po-boy off the must-eat while I'm in town list. 

After the delicious lunch, we took a quick ride on the streetcar. Normally, I'd prefer to keep the sightseeing/ time on my feet until after the race, but it was B's first time visiting and we had a limited amount of time to pack in a ton of things!

On the way back to my sister's we made our first of many stops for beignets. Then it was time to get ready for my brother's surprise 30th birthday party (he's birthday is a week after mine, but we wanted to have the party while B and I were in town). 

No rest for the wicked! 

Are you a fan of a printed race guide? Which Gu flavor would you choose?

So you wanna runDisney: Part 2

Last year before marathon weekend, I complied a list of some tips for running a runDisney race. Here's a few more to add to the list!

PACKING:

Gallon Ziplock bags are your best friend. I learned this from many people's Ragnar packing tips. Each race outfit gets it's own ziploc bag. Makes packing easy, makes unpacking easier (everything is in one place!) and repacking smelly clothes? EASIEST!

Powerstrips are amazing. 3+ runners in a room + 3+ electronics each? There won't be enough outlets. Who am I kidding? There are never enough outlets without the running electronics. Invest in a powerstrip. They've saved me on many occasions.

Garbage Bags save your compression shorts. I bring them every racecation- in case it's raining or cold. I'm pretty sure I've read this over and over but it just recently hit me- bring one to sit on, silly! RunDisney gets you to races SUPER early (especially the night ones), I stressed my first TOT because we got to the start 3 hours early and I wanted to save my legs. For Everest and my 2nd TOT, I just sat on the concrete; that doesn't mix well with my running shorts, trust me. Bring the bag. It's a smart plan.

BREAKFAST:

These work for me and they're completely travel friendly!

Most on property hotels were offering breakfast boxes, but you have to buy them the night before. They most likely won't be open early enough for you to get one before you have to get on a bus.

In case your room doesn't have a coffeemaker, the 5ks usually have coffee by the start line (but of course, this is all subject to change). I don't recall from any of the other races.

RACE MORNING:

Credit: FruitFly

GET THERE EARLY! I cannot stress that enough for Disney races. Every race, I hear horror stories. I was almost one myself for Princess this year- and I was on one of the 1st buses! Also, for you multiple morning people- just because there was a surplus of buses one morning, does not mean they'll be there the next (that's a true story from The Art of Animation hotel last year). Remember that garbage bag? Curl up on the concrete and get a few extra winks in, but at least you'll be there.

If you're doing a challenge: Stop for characters in the earlier races, that way you can save the time you're on the course during the marathon and skip the ones you got previously. (Except for the 10k, don't stop for characters during the 10k. It's the only race I'm running and I don't want to wait in long lines ;)

POST-RACE/MARATHON:

Schedule a dinner in one of the parks that's having magical hours or Downtown Disney. It will force you to walk around and that really helped in recovery. It was one of the best decisions we made last year (plus, it was Be Our Guest. win win!)

UPDATE:

DURING THE RACE:

Chapstick doubles as Vaseline if you feel a hot spot coming on and not near a medical tent. And vice versa- Vaseline works if you forget your chapstick!

Can you think of anything I'm missing?

WoW: running errands, literally.

I jumped to Friday in the calendar, because this was totally me yesterday. There doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day lately, so why not take a stretch stop at the bodega and grab some EmergenC?

My amazing hair stylist told about the new sports mix EmergenC makes ( on the right. ps- there are no additives, including sugar aka it's a tad tart), but you can only find it at one store, that happened to be on my running route last night.

Seeing as how I get sick when I'm stressed or when I travel (and what a coinkie dink! Both are happening right now), I can't be too safe. Running home with the improptu bag wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, either!

How do you squeeze in everything you need to get done with only 24 hours in the day?

Last weekend of Summer Streets 2013

Like the previous week, I only had 5 miles to do, so this time I decided to run from 14th street uptown and then back. 

The route was definitely less crowded going downtown. The higher I went, the less people there seemed to be. It was awesome! The only time I really experienced any kind of congestion was on the bridge at Grand Central Station and completely understandable. How many times can you walk up Park Avenue Viaduct and through the Helmsley Building?! 

The uptown rest stop even had a mini-golf course! 

Since I was doing a "short" long run, I decided to stop by the helmet rest stop to see how long the line was (I have been talking about wanting one for the past 2 years after all!), but they moved it this year to 24th street. Boo! When I got there, the line was as far as I could see- at least an Avenue long. I don't know how long the wait was, but I really needed to get home. Another Boo. I guess it's not meant to happen. 

I love the water fountains, but my only complaint is there are no bathrooms!

Every year the streets seem to have more and more fun stuff to do. If you're in the area, I highly suggest waking up early one Saturday to experience it- especially if you want to do any of the activities! 

Dumbo Training week 16

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Chick Boxing and 2.5M Speed work

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: Zumba and 2.5M

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 5M

Sunday: 12M

Remember when training first started and I was on a roll with a schedule like this? 

Whoah. I'm tired now. 

I was cranky allllllll day Saturday after the 5M. My body didn't feel right no matter how much I rolled or stretched. Do you ever feel like you want to crawl out of your skin after a long run? That's the best way I can describe it. It's not fun. Previously, I've only experienced if after 13M+ runs and it's usually when I don't stretch or roll as much as I should, but I was trying my best. 

I decided to only do 12 miles this morning, since I over did a couple of weeks ago. At 3:30AM this morning, I should've known it wasn't going to be good when I spilled my entire mug of coffee all over the kitchen. Talk about a way to wakeup. Luckily, I didn't have anywhere to be at a specific time. Normally, I give myself a ton of time to get ready slowly, so thank goodness for that! Could you imagine doing something like that on race day? Let's hope I'm getting all the negative out now. 

Since it was still dark when I finally got out there, I decided to run up 9th Ave instead of going all the way over to the West Side Highway. In the dark, that early, that isolated and by myself didn't make me feel super safe. I decided I'd turn to run there as soon as the sun came up, but it was still overcast and the sidewalks were empty, so I stayed. I checked the weather so I knew this, but for some reason I wasn't prepared to feel like I was swimming (flashback from The Princess Half!). 

Even though, I was feeling nauseated and unmotivated (not gonna lie, I walked the first 2 miles), it was quite amazing to see the transition of the city at that moment. This morning I was blessed with getting to see the city go to sleep and then wake up and it was beautiful. Whoever coined the term "The City that never sleeps" had no idea what they were talking about. The city most definitely sleeps. It's usually a slight moment and you'll miss it if you're not paying attention. I was definitely paying attention this morning. I think it's definitely an amazing moment every New Yorker needs to see- either going to sleep with the city or waking up with it.

Then I got to Central Park around the same time the NYRR 2nd training run was starting and the quiet peaceful time was gone. Boo. 

Could you imagine this coming at you? 

I tried to stay clear but I definitely got swallowed by a few pace groups. Thank goodness I was only in the park for a couple of miles, then I head back downtown.

New York, even your piers are eclectic.

A cruise ship, a battle ship and a pirate ship. . . 

sounds like the beginning of a bad joke.

I'm kind of bummed my training started out amazing and just went downhill from there, but I'm glad I'm getting some bad running times in, so they don't happen during the race. And speaking of, now it's officially TAPER TIME and I can start packing!

What's the most random thing you've ever seen on a run?

WoW: Staying hydrated on flights

 

Perfect timing on this one, Runner's World. 

It's like they know I have a race-cation coming up or something :)

I don't know about an "energy" drink (wouldn't that dehydrate you more?), but (in case you don't know me at all) I'm a huge fan of bringing a refillable water bottle wherever I go. Leave it empty until you get through security and fill it up at one of the water fountains in the terminal. I've noticed a ton of water fountains making a comeback and it makes my heart happy.

These are my favorite! 

(courtesy of the Delta terminal at LGA for WDW Marathon weekend.
 Since then, I see them everywhere- including my office!)

I'm also a fan of the aisle seat because not only can I stretch my legs, I get to manage when and how many times I get up- which I suggest often if you're on a race-cation trip! I have been known to rock the compression socks (another must for flights!), stretch in the aisle and frequent the bathroom after a couple of bottles of water. And seeing as this flight will be a cross-country one, all of those things are going to be vital.

What are some tips you have about flying for race-cations?

WoW: heat acclimation

I hate to agree with this, but it does help to think like that. Especially since NYC is up to it's second official heatwave of the season (3 if you count the one in May!) and it won't be letting up until Friday according to the weathermen. I still have another month and a half of summer training; gotta think positively!

Would you rather train in the summer or winter?

Summer Training: Hydration Vest?

Summer training is coming faster than I'd hoped here and if last year taught me anything, it's I need to have access to lots and lots of water and shade. Luckily, I've gotten the water fountain locations down in Central Park and even on the part of the West and East highway paths, but it's all the places in the middle that can get tricky! Sadly, I can't drive around and leave water along my route and I will only buy bottled water in desperate situations. What's a girl to do?!

So, this has lead me to think I want to venture out and get a hydration pack (and the fact that The Clymb has some of the Nathan brand on sale last week), but I have no idea where to start! I don't want to spend too much money on one because I know I won't be using it that often, but I want something with storage so I can get rid of my race belt and my handheld water bottle. I've been doing some research but I think it's going to have to be a personal preference and ultimately need to see in person. 

Jaime helped me narrow it down to one with storage but with zippers like the Camelbak's MULE.

(source)

(source)

Isn't is cute?! I'm pretty sure, just like anything having to do with long distance running, it doesn't matter what it looks like but how well it does it's job. Plus we found out, this is the youth sized and nothing about me is youth sized, but the adult sized looks a little big for running.

Help! Recommendations? Thoughts?