Race Review: Spirit of the Shore Half Marathon

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A week ago I ran the Blue Shore Financial Spirit of the Shore Half Marathon. I didn't really tell anyone I was doing it because I was definitely nervous, this being the 1st half marathon since I'd had Violet, but I felt like I was ready.

I got up bright and early and headed to the North Shore. I opted to pickup up my packet on race day, so I wanted to make sure I had lots of time. I arrived around 6:45am and the sunrise was just beautiful.

Package pickup was super quick and easy. I took a look at the course map they had on display and headed back to my car to stay warm. Although, you could have stayed inside at Blue Shore Financial. They had lots of seating available.

I didn't really have that long to wait before it was time to start. I had been debating all morning whether or not I needed a long sleeve, I didn't, but I wore one because it was a chilly morning. Unfortunately, I had a bit of wardrobe mishap when I realized that I had torn my pants at Mudderella the week prior, but because it was such a tight material, I did not notice until I had them on in the car.

Fortunately, it was only on my knee so I could run in them. Still, I was a little bit choked since they are my favorite racing compression crops from CW-X and they're over $100. I knew I shouldn't have worn them at Mudderella but I was nervous and I wanted my favorite gear. Alas, it is nothing like the incident back in 2012 when I ran with a pin holding together a hole in the groin region of my pants :O... It ended up being fine but it wasn't exactly how I wanted to start my morning.

I made sure to position myself at the very back of the crowd lining up for the start. I knew I was going to be slow. Before I knew it, we were off and going. I had to keep reminding myself to stay back and not pass people. I knew that if I went fast in the beginning I would be dead around 15k since that's the farthest I had ran at this point post-pregnancy. I eased into a steady pace, around 7 min/km.

If you know Park Royal, the race starts in the village parking lot, right in front of Blue Shore Financial. We then headed up over the parking structure to the North side of Marine Drive at which point I knew we were right around the corner from the BIG hill.

It's literally the only hill in the entire race, but it's no joke. It was steep and I wasn't trained for it. I've been dealing with a bit of a back injury for the last few months, and the chiropractor advised me to run on flat surfaces as much as possible, as you can imagine, I was totally OK with that, LOL. Anyways, I could definitely tell some hill training would have come in handy here.

Once I made it to the top of the hill, I felt a lot better, knowing that the toughest part of the course was behind me. I continued on back down towards Marine Drive, at which point the course headed East towards North Vancouver, and then under the Lions Gate, along a nice and peaceful running path.

At this point, the race was very spread out and I had lots of space, it felt like I was out for my usual Sunday long run, which was nice, definitely what I needed that day. You could tell it was going to be a spectacular weather day. The air was cool and the sun was warm.

I kept my pace and kept to my 10/1s, and once I was warmed up, I was feeling pretty good. At about 10km, we headed up over a pedestrian overpass and onto the Spirit Trail. I'd never run this part of the North Shore and I really enjoyed it. There was a turnaround here where we headed back on the route we came, towards West Van.

Over halfway through the race and I was feeling pretty good. I stuck to my rhythm until about 15km when we were on the seawall near Ambleside. My knees started to ache and not surprisingly, I was struggling. I was now beyond my training since having the baby 7 months ago. Even after 26 half marathons, training is what matters. I knew I could do it though. My heart took over and I did my best to ignore the pain in my legs. It had been such a trying week personally, I hadn't realized how much I needed to just get out there and run, it may not have been my fastest, but it was the perfect race in every other way.

Coming into the finish I pushed, but my legs weren't moving very fast. It didn't matter, I felt good, and I knew I that I had made it.

Despite my time (2:36:43), a half hour slower than my half marathon PR, I'm so proud of this race. After having a baby a short 7 months ago and a really trying week for me personally, I came out and ran 21.1 km. Yes I've done it 26 other times, but this one was a big one for my confidence. I look forward to returning again in 2016!

Race Review Summary 

Package Pickup/Expo:
I picked up my package right before the start and I had no issues.

Price/Value: $79-99 (depending on when you register)
I thought that this was fair. There was tons of support on course and the swag & medal were worthy of the price. The photos are great and as an added perk Blue Shore Financial had a cool finish line photo booth after the race and they posted the photos the next day on their Facebook page.
 
Aid Stations: 
There were 5 water stations, all with water and Gatorade. I don't think I even touched my hydration pack. It was great.

Course Difficulty: 
Easy. Other than the 1 hill, it is almost entirely flat. In my opinion, it would be a good course to challenge a PR.

Medals:
Huge medal for a smaller local race, I LOVE IT. We also received an Icebreaker toque with the event name in lieu of a shirt.

Please note: Spirit of the Shore Half Marathon offered me registration in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own. 

Race Review: Mudderella Whistler 2015

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This was a relatively last minute decision. Some family members signed up last winter, but after just having a baby, I wasn't ready to commit. I finally decided to do this less than 2 weeks before the event. Spoiler alert: I'm so glad I did!

On Friday, I did my typical pre-race routine of laying everything out and making the always-difficult decision of what to wear (perhaps a bit more complicated for a mud run). Cody saw my pile and immediately said "why do you need all that warm gear? It's supposed to be sunny." Regrettably, I put away my arm warmers and long sleeve shirt.

We decided to go up Saturday morning instead of stay overnight in Whistler so we had to get up fairly early in the morning. I barely slept. It had been so long since I'd done a race, there were definitely a few butterflies.

I had access to the premium parking which was $30. Personally, I would pay for it especially if there are more than one participant/spectator in the car. Between what you would have to pay for gondola tickets and parking somewhere in the village, it's totally worth it. We got out and were literally right next to the check-in area, and then it was a short walk up the hill into Mudderella village.

This was our first glimpse of the start line... little did we know (I sort of knew) that hill kept going... and going...

There were "preferred" wave times, mainly I think, to prevent all 6500 participants from showing up at the same time, but they were basically letting people start every 15 minutes or so no matter your pre-selected wave time, which was great because when we were up there, it was COLD. I didn't find it crowded at all. In a matter of minutes, the clouds turned to rain, torrential pouring rain! Cindy (my teammate and mother-in-law) and I were fairly early (8:45am) and had to wait around a bit for the rest of our team. You bet I wished I had brought that long sleeve or those arm warmers. There was a heated tent, but of course we didn't tell the rest of the team that's where we'd meet them, and we didn't have our phones to tell them because we left them in the truck. Here's where taking advantage of the bag check would have been useful, it was $10.

We got our obligatory "before" picture before my hubby left to go stay warm until it was time to meet us at the finish.

The team arrived shortly before 10:00 and we headed up to get started. I knew we were starting on a killer of a hill and there's no way I'd be able to run the whole thing but I started out in a run just to get warm, my toes were frozen. Thankfully the rain eased off and the skies were starting to clear.

Excuse the image quality.

So I knew from the course map, half of the course was literally straight uphill, so the best we could do for this part was power through it. The first obstacle (Surprise Party) was maybe 5 minutes in. It was basically a pit of a mud that you had to wade through, a little chilly, but not difficult. The hill got pretty tough from here, it was nice though to turn around every once and a while and check out the view. Once we made it to the first water station, part of the team went on ahead and we decided to wait for the rest of the team to see how everyone was doing. Once they arrived and we made sure everyone was doing alright, Cindy and I decided to proceed on our own. In a group of 12 women, we knew that there was no way we'd all be able to stay together. It wasn't quite as steep, but there was still more incline to get to the second obstacle, Balancing Act. This was basically just balancing on wooden beams. The trickiest part of this is that the beams were going uphill. Next up was New Heights, which was a wall we had to climb over, again not very tricky and we knew that we were now at the TOP of the course and it was all downhill from here, well mostly. I really wish I had had my phone or camera because the sun had just come out and it was just the most beautiful view. For anybody who knows Whistler, we were at the top of the Excalibur gondola.

Next up was some dodging through trails, which was nice and refreshing since they were mostly downhill. We hit a few bottlenecks, but were definitely still picking up speed. Then we came upon the "muddiest" obstacle, Down to the Wire:

Despite my interesting facial expressions, it was fun! We took the "road less traveled" and braved the deeper, wetter side that nobody else wanted to go through.

But I'm glad we did because there wasn't really anyone in front of us, so we got lots of photos!

Mud!!!

Yes I tossed my gloves after this, lol.

We had to run after this to keep warm and shake the water and mud out of our shoes! It wasn't long before we hit the next obstacle, Skinny Jeans. If you're claustrophobic, this may have been an issue for you (if this was the case, you can skip any obstacle that makes you uncomfortable). I didn't find it physically difficult, other than that I did not give myself enough of a shove and I got stuck and had to shimmy my way through the tunnel, after which you, of course, land in muddy water.

There was some serious downhill next. I got going too quickly a few times. I found myself thinking it would be awesome if we had a sled. Dirty Downward Dog was pretty simple but I'm at a loss for how to explain it.

When we hit I've Got Your Back, I knew we were close to the finish because you could hear it. We also saw some team spectators here.

Ain't No Mountain High Enough might have been the grossest obstacle but we were already so muddy at that point, I could have cared less.

You definitely needed help to complete Break the Glass Ceiling because someone else had to hold the netting up for you to climb under. It was also easier to get out if teammates held it up on the other side.

Tough Ta Tas was another wall with a robe climb on one side. Not very difficult but my heart was definitely racing climbing over the other side, trying my best not to look down!

Wheels in Motion was tougher than it looked. I really struggled with it. My hardest obstacle by far, I'm just not that balanced and it's been a long time since I touched a tire swing!

There was one more hill to the finish, the top is where we finally saw OUR spectators.

And finally it was time for the grand finale. This obstacle was called Hat Trick:

Don't I look thrilled? Lol, it was kind of scary. The lady was trying to tell me I had to cross my hands in front of my chest and I was still grappling with the fact that I had to go down the giant slide.

But I did!

It was cold!!!

I love this lady! I'm so happy we owned our strong together.

I was actually (relatively) pretty clean after that final dunk in the water, but there were some outdoor showers and tented change rooms if you needed them. We went and got our complimentary Shock Top beers and then headed to the truck to warm up!

I'm super happy that Mudderella gave me the opportunity to take part in this awesome event and I would sign up for next year in a heartbeat.

Race Review Summary 

Package Pickup/Expo:
You picked up your package right before the start and I had no issues.

Price/Value: $60-140 (depending on when you register)
It's a pretty elaborate course that required a lot of support/setup. You also get free photos, a tshirt, and a sweet Mudderella headband.
 
Aid Stations: 
There were 4, which I found to be plenty considering the length of the course. I also saw medical patrolling the course with 4x4s a few times.

Course Difficulty: 
Moderate. It wasn't so much the obstacles that were hard but the course. The hill was pretty serious, but you could definitely walk it. It's totally doable, but it's no easy walk in the park.

Medals:
No medals but awesome swag! A sweet headband, a t-shirt, and free photos.

Please note: Mudderella offered me registration in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

Race Review: The Dirty Dash

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I was nervous about this race considering how I have been feeling of late but I was also very excited. I have never done a mud run before, and I had a feeling it was going to be lots of fun, I wasn't disappointed.

We arrived early to the race on Saturday morning to hand out some Rock 'n' Roll Oasis Vancouver Half Marathon & Cunningham Seawall 10k promo t-shirts.

*limited sizes and quantities available

All you have to do to get one is find me at an upcoming event and show proof of registration into RnRVAN. If you haven't registered yet, I still have a discount code for you (valid until online registration closes the week before the race)!

So after we hung out in the parking lot (or field rather) handing out shirts, we headed towards the event.

We saw lots of clean people awaiting the start of the race which was going to start in waves. We were in the 3rd 9:00AM wave and made a last minute decision to check Cindy's bag with our phones, THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA and I highly recommend doing so.

We started off in the mud right away, up to our knees and a mini hill to climb over. Soon after, a lake, yes a lake, appeared before us. If you were really tall, you could likely walk all the way through. I was not tall enough and had to swim and with all the people in there at the same time and the weeds in the water, it was pretty gross!

The next section was some wooden walls that we had to climb over. We had to wait a little bit at a bottle neck of people here and everyone was feeling exhilarated (umm I mean gross) after swimming through the lake. There were more obstacles including a blow up castle type thing that you had to climb through but it would deflate without warning so you would get stuck. Following that, a tube which we had to crawl over, presumably without falling off.

There was a bit more running at this point and then we crawled through some more mud and some tunnels and into another water crossing (swim). That one was rather stinky though... We had to climb over some big rope walls and then...

I think at this point we hit the "slop 'n' slide"!
A HUGE slip 'n' slide which was tons of fun!

After this, there was a beer stop! Yes, a beer stop :) Root beer for those who couldn't drink beer. I firmly believe all races should have this now.

Next, there was another wooden wall to climb over. At this point, we ran through some barns and I ran into my sister's friend who I knew was going to be there but didn't know if I'd be able to find her in all the muddy chaos! She decided to join Cindy, Jacki, and I for the rest of the race!

There was couple more mud pits, one of which was called the "Mud Mines" where blasts of mud exploded as you ran through!

We were nearing the finish where there was a huge yellow pyramid blow up slide, when you reached the bottom, you landed in none other than a huge pit of mud!

Next time I think I'll where goggles.

I had such a surprisingly great time at this race! I really did enjoy all the obstacles and didn't so much mind all the mud either.

There were some showers at the finish line which was awesome and very necessary. All in all, a great day had by all.


Race Review Summary 

Package Pickup/Expo:
Package pickup was really busy even before it opened but the line moved along at a decent pace.

Price/Value: $60 (depending on when you register)
But there were lots of discount codes along the way.
 
Aid Stations: 
The only aid station was the beer/root beer one. That was enough as far as I'm concerned for 5k.

Course Difficulty: 
Moderate. The obstacles aren't all easy. One of the rope walls we had to climb over was quite high. There were a few points we had to help some young kids too. I wouldn't recommend it for kids under 7 and definitely be there to provide assistance. Although, if you had difficulty you could skip some of the obstacles, except for the water crossings.

Medals:
No medals but awesome swag! We got a cute v-neck t-shirt, a bandana, and lots of temporary tattoos. I even bought a tshirt at the race for only $15. Because it is the same organization as Color Me Rad you can expect similar quality and prices.

Race Review: Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Half Marathon

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It has taken me a while to figure out how to write this post. It was a strange race for me. I haven't been feeling well for over a month and it has really made running very difficult and almost non-existent. Anyways, I went into this race thinking that I would just go and have fun with no expectations.

We headed down to Seattle on Friday morning and went straight to the expo!

Outside CenturyLink field.

I was excited to see that Run Happy Island was there and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to ride the mechanical shoe even in a skirt LOL...

We did some shopping and took some photos with our bibs and then headed to our hotel to check in.

We had the usual pre-race dinner at the Cheesecake Factory with Nikki, Sarah, and Jacki. It was nice to continue the girls night tradition! After that it was time to head back and get ready for the race. I knew I wasn't feeling 100% and my nerves about the lack of running I'd done leading up to this race were starting to creep up.

The morning went pretty smoothly. After getting ready we headed to the monorail station and met up with the girls.

It was a pretty beautiful morning but it was clear that by the end of the race it was going to get pretty warm. As we got started I was already hoping for my walk break. I knew that it wasn't going to go perfectly but I thought I'd be feeling good for at least the first half. Unfortunately that was not the case. For such a beautiful course, one of my favorites in fact, it was so disheartening. We pushed on regardless. My plan was to strictly do my 10/1s for at least the first 10km and then reassess. Not surprisingly once we passed the 10km mark, things began to fell apart. We hit the really steep hill leading up to a long tunnel which also has an incline and that I remembered from last year and I had to walk most of that. I told Cindy to push on without me but she was determined that we stick this one out together.

I knew my favorite part of the race was coming up, the overpass that looks onto the water and I had the phone out ready to snap some photos. Practically the only photos I took during the race.

This course is truly one of the most beautiful races and a great tour of Seattle. After the overpasses, we headed back into the city and I knew that there was another hill coming up along the water. By this point we were mostly walking. I felt winded, sore, and completely done. I did my best to push through the last bit in hopes of a sub 3-hr finish. In the end, we came it at 2:49:33. Definitely not a PR but not my worst time either.

I had a nice time in Seattle but was reminded how important training is and that a half marathon even after 26 of them, is no joke, 13.1 miles is far no matter how slice it. I'm in a much different place physically than I was last year at this time and I think I'm beginning to accept it and work on what else I can do to get stronger.

Race Review Summary 

Package Pickup/Expo:
Rock 'n' Roll always does this seamlessly. We had our bibs and packages within minutes and then had a great time wandering through the expo and looking at things. I picked up some official Brooks merchandise as well (pictured below). We received the Run Happy Island shirt for free after riding the mechanical shoe.

Price/Value: $80-110 (depending on when you register)
I think I got it even cheaper because I used the discount from when the Seahawks won the Superbowl.
 
Aid Stations: 
Rock 'n' Roll always provides plenty of aid stations and course support. This is easily a race you could run without carrying your own water.

Course Difficulty: 
Moderate. There is one rather steep hill and quite a few rolling hills but the course is just so beautiful!

Medals:
Awesome as always! I was surprised that the sasquatch on the Pacific Peaks medal was actually fuzzy, strange but also awesome!

Race Review: Color Me Rad 5k Surrey

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After all the trouble with my foot, it was really nice to step back and do a race just for fun. I convinced my friend Jenna to sign up and since she isn't a runner, we decided to walk the course together and then an old friend from high school ended up winning my giveaway for an entry so we all decided to create a team and do it together!

I brought Griffin with me to package pickup first thing on Friday and he had a great time. I think I will definitely be registering him next time!

I made a stop at Target on my way home for skittles (our team name was Chase the Rainbow!) and some white socks/shirt. I loved the shirt we got a package pickup, so I decided to save it so it wouldn't get stained with the color bombs. Parking was really smooth when we arrived. I had been nervous about it, but they had volunteers leading people in quite seamlessly. Jenna and I met up with Alisha and headed into the starting area for a few photos.

Some people were already throwing color around and covered from head to toe, but we did our best to stay white until the starting line. That didn't last long though! Right when we crossed the start line we got bombed with a serious amount of orange and yellow. It only continued from there on out.

I've walked a 5k before and since I've run that distance so many times over it can feel really long especially because I'm usually feeling guilty about not running. I was so glad that with great conversation and all the color flying around to look at, it went by really easily and I had a great time! It was just what I needed!

About every kilometer they had a different colored station. Purple was my favorite I think because you could see it for quite a distance. I also liked blue because they were using liquid color!

Just before the finish they had the pink station and Jenna and I had to stop for a selfie. Just as we did one of the volunteers threw a pink bomb right at us, thus the expressions and my pink teeth LOL. Upon crossing the finish line, volunteers handed us each a color bomb and we headed into a sea of people awaiting the cue to throw our color bombs!

When it finally happened we were literally standing in a color 'cloud', it was really cool!

We saved some color so we could take this photo:

I had so much fun with these girls and at this race, I'm stoked to be doing it again in Vancouver in August!

Race Review Summary 

Package Pickup/Expo:
Pretty quick. Great merchandise for sale.

Price/Value: $50 (Late registration with no promo code)
Not bad. Great time = good value in my eyes.
 
Aid Stations: 
There was 1 water station as well as a bottle of water and snack at the finish line.

Course Difficulty: 
Easy. We walked but it would be a fun little run.

Medals:
No medals but RAD time and great memories!

Thinking you might want to try out a Color Me Rad race? Use discount code "RADFIVE" to get $5 off ANY Color Me Rad race!