Month: March 2019

Why All Runners Should Try An Obstacle Course Race

I’ve actually been meaning to write this post for awhile now.. Like since I ran the Spartan Beast at Killington last year 😅.. But I figure since I currently have discount codes for two locations of my favorite brand of OCR there’s no better time than now!

  1. They are INSANELY FUN – OCR have all the positives of a rainy run without any of the negatives, mud and puddles but no wind and rain, heck yes! And the obstacles are just playground equipment for adults! The whole race is basically letting out your inner child!
  2. It’s Easy to Take Easy – If you have never run one you don’t have a PR to stress about beating (and you’ll get one automatically 😉), but even if you have, they are similar to trail races where the course is always different so you can’t really compare times and can take it easy instead. Also they are pretty much always on dirt so they’re easier on your legs!
  3. Branching Out is Fun – It’s really fun to be good at more things than just running. But OCRs do involve running so you’re already halfway to being good at it from the start!
  4. It’s a Gateway Exercise to Running – I’ve found most people don’t start these for the running, they just tolerate running between the obstacles at first. Once they’re hooked though and looking to get better, guess what they have to do? It’s start running! So many of my non-runner friends have been converted to at least part-time runners because of OCRs 😈
  5. The Adrenaline of Running will Make You a BEAST – While the running parts tire out non-runners, I find it pumps me up CRAZY amounts. During the Spartan Super, and especially the Beast (since there were more runnable bits and it was UP A MOUNTAIN) I was able to complete obstacles I wouldn’t normally dream of completing in ninja class. ‘The Bend’ obstacle was at the top of a big incline and I literally climbed the obstacle only using my arms like instantly, when I’m not sure I could normally make it even with the help of my legs. After I got down multiple strangers came up to me like, “THAT WAS INSANE!!”.

So have I convinced you yet? And for the record I was no way inclined toward OCR besides the running parts beforehand. Before I started ninja classes (years after I ran my first and many other OCRs) I literally could never even open a pickle jar on my own 😂 but still had a blast at the races!!

Anyway, soon I’ll be writing another extremely overdue post up on The Rugged Maniac and why it’s my favorite OCR but for now, just know it is and if you want to give the Phoenix, AZ (I’ll be there!!) or Dade City, FL race a try use the code RUN10 for 10% off!

Disclaimer: I received entry to The Rugged Maniac Phoenix 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!

Hyannis Half Race Recap/Review

A few weekends ago I ran the Hyannis Half Marathon for the first time! It was also my first race in bad weather (at least since track)! One of my goals for the year is to run at least 1 race a month so when an old track bud mentioned this race I signed right up! I’m really lax on preparation so I didn’t even know the weather was supposed to be bad until she mentioned it but I was kind of excited since I tend to like running in the rain and weather (it makes me feel BA 😂).

Race morning did not disappoint. It was down-pouring! At home (like an hour away) it wasn’t too cold, but I also knew the race was right by the water.. but I also hate clothes.. so I ended up wearing a kind of mismatch of warm and cold gear.

My gear: mismatched and neon enough to have an aura 😂

Again, not the best at preparation, so I ended up making it there pretty close to the race. Luckily, they didn’t shut down any roads I needed to get to the lot, the lot still had plenty of room, and it was super close to packet pickup. Also packet pickup was really speedy! My friend even found me by accident! The expo is hosted in the hallway leading up to and in a hotel event room so everyone was able to hangout inside and keep warm up until the race start.

It was a noticeably short wait at the start (they must have done the anthem during the marathon/early half start) and then we were off! I don’t really remember much for the first 6 miles. There was some nice beach front stretches and I was feeling GOOD. It felt pretty flat (just a few gentle ups and downs here and there) and we got a whole lane to ourselves I believe the entire time!

Absolutely drenched, but feeling good!

At around mile 7.5 it started having some noticeable incline. I’m a fan of some hills though so it wasn’t terrible. But then somewhere between mile 9 and 10 my legs started going numb from the cold. Afraid over what my form was looking like since I couldn’t feel it, I slowed down a lot. The rest of the course seemed to be the world’s most gradual, but steady incline and what little of my legs I could feel felt like they weighed 200 lbs so I just kept slowing down. It was the most painful 5k (that I didn’t stop to walk) of my life.

I made it to the finish line and received my medal and water. I have this weird thing where I HATE bananas all other times, but after a race all I want in life is a banana so when I wasn’t handed my usual finish line banana I was pretty discouraged. (Like that post-race unreasonably emotional about things level sad.) I mulled sadly around the finish line for awhile until my race-brain faded and I realized I am just completely useless at thinking after a race. THE EXPO WAS INSIDE! I went in to find my friend had already beaten me there, a live band, donuts, soup, and fruits including all the bananas a girl could want!

Overall it was a fun race that I would run again and recommend! I’d just warn to be prepared for the weather (as multiple people said it was like that most years) but that may have just been me being me and normal people would know to wear clothes 😂 (I’d also recommend Turtle Gloves as my hands were the only thing that didn’t feel the weather at all!) They took A TON of awesome photos (which is a super win in my book) but they weren’t free (bummer). They had instant printable finish results, which was neat! Also the indoor expo, so you could actually hangout comfortably, was really nice! The last thing I took mental note of was they had vegetable soup for vegans (the other choice was chicken noodle), but they added barley so it was no longer gluten free which was a bummer 🤷‍♀️

Overall two thumbs up! 👍👍

Addaday Roller Product Review

Disclaimer: I received an Addaday Roller 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!

I recently was able to up my recovery game with the Addaday Pro roller. My old stick roller just didn’t seem to be doing anything anymore and I tried the R8 but it was too harsh and couldn’t get the spots I needed. I am happy to say that Addaday’s Pro roller seems to be the perfect solution!

The Addaday Pro is listed as the “Swiss army knife” of massage rollers and it seems to be just that! It has 3 different types of roller balls with different firmness allowing you to get the exact amount of massage you want. You can also simply unscrew the handle to swap any of the different massage balls’ positions.

My recovery kit ❤

I found out I much preferred these ball massagers to plain sticks with different sized ridges. They feel like they fit the shape of your leg much better and can still really get in there with some pressure.

After the cold of the Hyannis Half my legs locked up and were INSANELY sore and tight. I was a big baby for a few hours and didn’t want to deal with the pain of rolling, afraid it wouldn’t be worth it. When I finally decided I hurt too much and needed to give it a try I used my Addaday and my legs felt completely brand new. It was honestly AMAZING!

I would 100% recommend giving rolling overall a try if you’ve never done it, but I’d also recommend giving the Addaday Pro a try if you want to upgrade your rolling experience!

Check it out for yourself:
Addaday Website

Turtle Gloves Product Review

Disclaimer: I received Turtle Gloves 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!

While the rest of me is almost never gets cold, my hands are terrible and constantly switch between too cold and too warm. Winter (and some of Spring and Fall) running used to be the biggest pain as I had to take my gloves off and put them back on every few minutes. I hated having to carry them when I wasn’t wearing them so some days I would opt out of bringing them when I really should have.

Now that I have Turtle Gloves though, I never have to debate it! Turtle Gloves are extremely versatile so they can be used in any amount of cold! I have now used them to keep warm in cold from pouring freezing rain for an entire half marathon to windy canyon side otherwise in the desert, and they were perfect for both situations. I want to say it’s partially because of their soft, stretchy, moisture wicking fabric (that keeps you warm, while also letting your hands breathe) and partially because of the flip design.

Turtle Gloves are actually mittens that you can flip the top of to turn into “fingerless” gloves. I put fingerless in quotes because there is still a tube of fabric that covers your fingers until you roll it down. I really like that they left this tube long so you can choose exactly how much to roll it, therefore exactly how much of your fingers are still covered. A few cold days, just flipping the top off for some extra ventilation (not actually exposing any of my fingers) was all they needed to be comfy. The fabric tube also means you can store items like keys and things in the gloves without them actually touching your skin and rubbing. I also found out I would much rather be able to quickly expose a finger to use my phone than mess around with “touch screen” gloves 🙄

These gloves keep your hands warm like no other! My first half of the year was in freezing downpour the entire time. So much that my legs went numb (that was a first!). It didn’t even hit me until after the race when everyone else was complaining, that my hands hadn’t felt cold AT ALL during the race. I also didn’t get that stiff, “can’t move your hands fast” feeling, which I usually do after even slightly chilly races. The gloves are not waterproof (they were soaked with all the rain that day), but kept my wet hands perfectly warm through the windy race.

Two thumbs up in the freezing rain 👍👍

An almost opposite situation where Turtle Gloves saved me was during the Antelope Canyon Half. This half was in the desert, but had a ton of cooler sections along the rim of the canyon. It was too hot for a shirt, but my arms were cold. I also forgot any of the pouches I brought in order to carry my fuel and things. Turtle Gloves saved me by functioning as arm warmers with pockets!

On the canyon’s edge!

Turtle Gloves have now become a staple piece of Winter running gear for me. If you want to check them out for yourself:

Use the code TurtleBibRave for 15% off
Turtle Gloves Website

Upcoming Race: Antelope Canyon Half!

So now that there’s only a little over a week left, I’m officially starting to plan my trip for the Antelope Canyon Half by Vacation Races! 😂😅

The plan so far is to arrive in Las Vegas 🤩 at night on Thursday, March 7th, grab our rental car (my boyfriend is joining me!) and head straight out on the 4 hour drive to Page, Arizona. We are staying at a hotel within 2 miles of the start line at the Page Shores Amphitheater to make race morning super easy.

We then have all of Friday to check out the area! Right now all I have planned is a tour of Lower Antelope Canyon, but I also plan to attempt to get a walk-in permit to The Wave, though that’s a long shot.

Some other activity suggestions the race provided were The Ropes Trail (sounds like a CRAZY adventure), Buckskin Gulch, the Paria River, and Cathedral Wash, Jackass Canyon, or Soap Creek. I’m still trying to look more into those options and would love any suggestions or advice! Or on other areas not listed as well!

The actual race is Saturday and I’m glad I ended up signing up for “only” the half. (Originally I was thinking of going for an ultra, but waited too long to register.) I don’t like stopping while running and this way I can take in the race without stopping AND THEN get shuttled to the aid stations to cheer on the ultra runners, take in the views while standing still, and take photos! The aid stations we are allowed to spectate at are at Lake Powell, Page Rim, and Horseshoe Bend.

Race Course! For aid station reference

I’ve seen way too many amazing photos of Horseshoe Bend and have wanted to go there forever now so I’m especially excited for that one! Also, from my research it seems more of just a view point than a hike/attraction that will be a lot of exploring and time. Please correct me if you’ve been there and I’m wrong! 🙈

After hopefully having time to check out the Antelope Canyon area to our hearts’ content, we plan to head to Zion (!!!!!!) at some point Saturday evening and will be staying at a hotel nearby the park.

We’ll then have Sunday and most of Monday to explore Zion 😍 I’m sure it won’t be nearly enough time, but I noticed it was practically on the way between Antelope Canyon and Las Vegas so I couldn’t not! While they have a nice trail guide showing the different trails by difficulty, if anyone has any suggestions on must do trails in Zion they would definitely be welcome!

Anyway, those are the plans so far! I’m stupidly excited and hope to get any guidance you guys have because I don’t want to miss anything!!