So far in 2018 I was able to run (more like walk) half marathons in two new states. This is major progress for me since I have not run a race in a new state since the Dumbo Double Dare at Disneyland back in 2014. The ease of finding a half marathon within driving distance of St. Louis has just out-weighed the desire to conquer a new state for several years now. And so my quest to run a half marathon in all 50 states may literally take me 50 years at this pace.
On the drive down to Nashville last month, I began to think about all of the other states adjacent to Missouri that I had yet to run in. Fun Fact: Did you know that Missouri and Tennessee both share borders with eight different states and no other state in the U.S. touches more than eight states? I have only run in two out of eight of Missouri's bordering states. That's kind of pathetic considering there are races in every one of those states that are easily drive-able for a nice weekend runcation.
Question: But when you aren't familiar with those states or their half marathons, where do you turn when trying to decide which races to run?
Answer: BibRave!!!!
If you haven't heard of BibRave, it is like a Yelp or Google review for races of all distances and terrains. I created an account back in 2014 when there weren't many races added yet. Now races like Rock 'n' Roll Nashville, have 20-something reviews that have been added throughout the years. As races are constantly being added, renamed or having their courses changed, BibRave continues to need runners like you to give honest post-race reviews to help next year's runners.
We are purchasing a product when we sign up for a race and we have expectations when we make that purchase. Sometimes expectations aren't met and then other times reality exceeds any expectations we had. Some people run for medals or shirts so they better be great quality when the entry fee is high, while others want a scenic course or amazing post-race food.
In any case, runners like you help us find out what the race was really like, not just what the race director is trying to sell us. Runners like you help make the BibRave website so great! So go on.....create your profile and start leaving your race reviews!
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Thursday, May 3, 2018
An Amazing Recovery System
Because my recovery plan has now worked for the 2nd time, I decided that I just had to share it with you!
A little background. Due to my recent obsession with Orangetheory classes, I have been running more frequently and consistently during the week but because I love the classes so much, I end up taking classes on the weekends rather than fitting in a long run. As a result, I have been under-prepared for the half marathons I have run this spring and my body makes sure to tell me that from about mile nine onward.
We walked most of the Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Half Marathon due to my bronchitis, but I could still feel blisters starting to form and my feet were just unhappy the latter part of the race and also post-race up until I had completed my post-race recovery appointment. After the appointment, I was good to go with no pain and I never actually developed any blisters.
Next up was the Rock 'n' Roll DC Half Marathon and although this same recovery activity was in my original itinerary, I decided not to make an appointment thinking I was better trained this time and didn't need it. I was wrong and as a result, I was pretty sore for the rest of my annual trip to DC. I used a lot of Tiger Balm that week.
In April, I ran the GO! St. Louis Half Marathon here in St. Louis and although my recover activity is also available here, I unwisely chose NOT to schedule an appointment. Bad choice! Again, I was sore for several days post-race. Even getting out of my chair at work was painful and it took me several days to get back to normal and back into an Orangetheory class.
Last weekend was the Rock 'n' Roll Nashville Half Marathon and I wanted the post-race portion of my weekend trip to be as pain-free as my pre-race portion. I also did not want to be in pain for the 5-hour drive back to St. Louis, so I wisely chose to schedule the recovery activity and luckily there was a location that offered these services just down the street from our hotel.
What am I talking about? My half marathon recovery activity is a combination of a three-minute whole body cryotherapy session and a 30-minute NormaTec session. The order does not seem to be relevant since I did the NormaTec session first in Arizona and then last in Nashville, but the amazing result was the same. No post-race pain whatsoever!
I had done cryotherapy sessions in St. Louis at both Berman Chiropractic and Wellness and Celsius Cryotherapy, both through Groupon packages. Celsius also offers NormaTec sessions and although I had read a lot about the product and the benefits, I did not actually try it until I visited Chillfit Cryo in Arizona.
The best way I can explain cryotherapy is to describe it as a quicker and less painful and less annoying post-run ice bath. I also notice that I sleep very well the night after I have had a cryotherapy session, which is listed as one of the many benefits below.
The woman working at Cool Spot Cryotherapy last weekend told us that several of the Tennessee Titans players come to their location for cryotherapy because the team does not have their own booths. While we there, a group of lacrosse players came in to use the NormaTec and a couple Canadians in town for the Predators - Jets playoff games did both cryotherapy and NormaTec sessions. It was a very busy place during the hour we were there!
Although I walked a lot of last weekend's half marathon, I could feel blisters starting to form towards the end of the race which led to some limping. I especially felt like I was limping on the walk between the finish line and my car. I was hurting! But after the cryotherapy and NormaTec session at Cool Spot, I felt like I hadn't even run a race (but still had the medal to prove it) and I felt great! Most major cities now have at least one cryotherapy business and some even have mobile trailers that they take to races and triathlons for both pre and post-race recovery. A system similar to NormaTec had a booth at the expo in Nashville, and you often find them at universities and physical therapy centers. The NormaTec website lists locations and events throughout the country where you can try their products, but I have had better luck just Googling it or checking to see if the cryotherapy business also offers NormaTec sessions since they seem to go hand-in-hand. For both sessions in Nashville, I paid $55 and it was worth EVERY penny. Give cryotherapy and NormaTec a try and see what you think!
A little background. Due to my recent obsession with Orangetheory classes, I have been running more frequently and consistently during the week but because I love the classes so much, I end up taking classes on the weekends rather than fitting in a long run. As a result, I have been under-prepared for the half marathons I have run this spring and my body makes sure to tell me that from about mile nine onward.
We walked most of the Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Half Marathon due to my bronchitis, but I could still feel blisters starting to form and my feet were just unhappy the latter part of the race and also post-race up until I had completed my post-race recovery appointment. After the appointment, I was good to go with no pain and I never actually developed any blisters.
Next up was the Rock 'n' Roll DC Half Marathon and although this same recovery activity was in my original itinerary, I decided not to make an appointment thinking I was better trained this time and didn't need it. I was wrong and as a result, I was pretty sore for the rest of my annual trip to DC. I used a lot of Tiger Balm that week.
In April, I ran the GO! St. Louis Half Marathon here in St. Louis and although my recover activity is also available here, I unwisely chose NOT to schedule an appointment. Bad choice! Again, I was sore for several days post-race. Even getting out of my chair at work was painful and it took me several days to get back to normal and back into an Orangetheory class.
Last weekend was the Rock 'n' Roll Nashville Half Marathon and I wanted the post-race portion of my weekend trip to be as pain-free as my pre-race portion. I also did not want to be in pain for the 5-hour drive back to St. Louis, so I wisely chose to schedule the recovery activity and luckily there was a location that offered these services just down the street from our hotel.
What am I talking about? My half marathon recovery activity is a combination of a three-minute whole body cryotherapy session and a 30-minute NormaTec session. The order does not seem to be relevant since I did the NormaTec session first in Arizona and then last in Nashville, but the amazing result was the same. No post-race pain whatsoever!
I had done cryotherapy sessions in St. Louis at both Berman Chiropractic and Wellness and Celsius Cryotherapy, both through Groupon packages. Celsius also offers NormaTec sessions and although I had read a lot about the product and the benefits, I did not actually try it until I visited Chillfit Cryo in Arizona.
The best way I can explain cryotherapy is to describe it as a quicker and less painful and less annoying post-run ice bath. I also notice that I sleep very well the night after I have had a cryotherapy session, which is listed as one of the many benefits below.
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| Cryotherapy booth in Nashville |
The cryotherapy booths have looked different everywhere I've gone. Some have risers built into the booth while others add or remove pads depending on your height. Some staff have you turn every so often, while others just have you stand in place the entire three minutes. Pricing also varies by location, but you typically get the best deal as a first time customer or via a Groupon package.
The NormaTec system is a compression system designed to enhance blood flow and speed up the recovery time. I have only used the system for legs, but they also have attachments for hips and upper body.
The NormaTec boots have been the same at both locations, but in Arizona I was laying down on a stretching table and in Nashville they had recliners. Both locations had the 15 minute or 30 minute option, but I went with 30-minute sessions both times.
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| NormaTec in Nashville |
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| NormaTec in Arizona |
The woman working at Cool Spot Cryotherapy last weekend told us that several of the Tennessee Titans players come to their location for cryotherapy because the team does not have their own booths. While we there, a group of lacrosse players came in to use the NormaTec and a couple Canadians in town for the Predators - Jets playoff games did both cryotherapy and NormaTec sessions. It was a very busy place during the hour we were there!
Although I walked a lot of last weekend's half marathon, I could feel blisters starting to form towards the end of the race which led to some limping. I especially felt like I was limping on the walk between the finish line and my car. I was hurting! But after the cryotherapy and NormaTec session at Cool Spot, I felt like I hadn't even run a race (but still had the medal to prove it) and I felt great! Most major cities now have at least one cryotherapy business and some even have mobile trailers that they take to races and triathlons for both pre and post-race recovery. A system similar to NormaTec had a booth at the expo in Nashville, and you often find them at universities and physical therapy centers. The NormaTec website lists locations and events throughout the country where you can try their products, but I have had better luck just Googling it or checking to see if the cryotherapy business also offers NormaTec sessions since they seem to go hand-in-hand. For both sessions in Nashville, I paid $55 and it was worth EVERY penny. Give cryotherapy and NormaTec a try and see what you think!
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
Rock 'n' Roll Nashville - The Race
I picked an amazing race for my 50th half marathon. I wasn't nearly as well-trained as I wanted to be, but the gracious course time limits left me at ease and I ended up walking the latter half not only because my feet were killing me, but also because the weather was perfect and I was just enjoying being on the course and talking to other runners. This race had so many runners that you NEVER feel alone and the community support was present throughout the course.
The Expo:
The expo was held at the Nashville Music City Center in downtown Nashville. The race information mentioned that there was parking available for $15 at the Center but due to traffic congestion downtown, we just parked in the first available lot we could find. We ended up paying $11 for four hours and were right across the street from the expo.
The Nashville Music City Center is probably the most beautiful building I have attended an expo in. Wow, was it beautiful both inside and out! The hallways were wide and the exterior windows offered amazing views of Nashville.
Inside the exhibit hall, there was more than ample space for bib and shirt pick-up, merchandise, and vendor booths. Neither Rock 'n' Roll Arizona nor Rock 'n' Roll DC had this much space for runners and their supporters to move through the expo.
Marathon, half marathon, and 5k banners throughout the merchandise area listed the names of the participants.
The merchandise check-out area also took no time at all, despite the long line and they had tons of great merchandise to choose from!
Why you should run this race:
The Expo:
The expo was held at the Nashville Music City Center in downtown Nashville. The race information mentioned that there was parking available for $15 at the Center but due to traffic congestion downtown, we just parked in the first available lot we could find. We ended up paying $11 for four hours and were right across the street from the expo.
The Nashville Music City Center is probably the most beautiful building I have attended an expo in. Wow, was it beautiful both inside and out! The hallways were wide and the exterior windows offered amazing views of Nashville.
Inside the exhibit hall, there was more than ample space for bib and shirt pick-up, merchandise, and vendor booths. Neither Rock 'n' Roll Arizona nor Rock 'n' Roll DC had this much space for runners and their supporters to move through the expo.
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| Lots of space!!! |
Marathon, half marathon, and 5k banners throughout the merchandise area listed the names of the participants.
The merchandise check-out area also took no time at all, despite the long line and they had tons of great merchandise to choose from!
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| Shirts and more shirts |
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| Great volunteers and staff |
Why you should run this race:
- Distances include the marathon, half marathon, 5k, and Kids Rock race.
- Medals and shirts for all distances.
- Emergency contact information pre-printed on the back of your bib.
- Start line in downtown Nashville and the full and half marathon course immediately takes you down Broadway by all of the hip and trendy bars, then circles back by the Country Music Hall of Fame, down Music Row, by Belmont University, through The Gulch neighborhood, around Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, then across the bridge to the finish outside Nissan Stadium.
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| Party at Mile 5 |
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| You are never alone on this course! |
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| Entering The Gulch |
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| https://kelseymontagueart.com/ |
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| Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum |
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| Approaching the finish |
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| Finish Line Festival |
- Nashville First Baptist Church opens their doors and bathrooms to runners on race day AND they offer free coffee and a stretching area!
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| Stretching area |
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| Free coffee!!! |
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| Encouragement was even found in the restroom stalls! |
- Plenty of porta potties on the course.
- Plenty of water and Gatorade stops along the course.
- Gracious course time limits.
- The best community support of any half marathon I have run. Wow, does this city get involved on race day! The community made this race so much fun.
- Post-race snacks included bottled water, Gatorade, chocolate milk, fruit cups, bananas, cookies, pretzels, muffins, bagels, and granola bars.
- And finally, the real reason I run.....the medal!
Suggestions for future runners of this race:
- Train for rolling hills. Seriously! This course was hilly.
- Stay downtown and walk to the start and from the finish if at all possible and especially if you are not local. I got lost twice and then thought I had found a way around the road closures only to have to turn around multiple times before finally making it to my lot. Leaving the parking lot after the race was also very time consuming, so just stay downtown and walk it!
- Whether you walk or drive, train to walk at least a mile after you cross the finish line.
- This race gets VERY expensive if you wait too long to register. If you register now for the 2019 race, you will get the best deal.
- You will be overwhelmed by restaurant options in Nashville. I started following Nashville Eats on Instagram 6 months prior to race day, just to help me see what was available and popular in the area.
Leaving Nashville on Sunday was sad, but we were already discussing reasons why we should come back to Nashville and when we should run this race again. So one thing is certain - I will be back Nashville!!!
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