How does the popular saying go, “Third time’s the
charm”? I won’t dispute that about the
Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona race weekend.
The first time I participated in the RnR Arizona races was to run the 2014 Marathon: I had a great time with friends and family and had a fantastic Boston Qualifying run. The second time was last year’s (2015) inaugural 5k and the Marathon: I got to run the 5k alongside Olympian Ryan Hall, I ran my first (and only – to date) sub-3 hour marathon, won my Age Group for the marathon distance (and first ever award from any Rock ‘n’ Roll event), and got to celebrate my sister establishing a new Personal Record for herself in the marathon distance. It was a weekend filled with personal and family glory. This year’s event topped them all; not because of any personal or family glory but because I got to experience the entire race weekend in new and stimulating ways and because I’m coming back from hip/labrum surgery over the summer and this was the final proof to myself that I'd be able to return to long distance running and racing. I’m going to tell you all about it (from my perspective), please pull up a chair and enjoy:
The first time I participated in the RnR Arizona races was to run the 2014 Marathon: I had a great time with friends and family and had a fantastic Boston Qualifying run. The second time was last year’s (2015) inaugural 5k and the Marathon: I got to run the 5k alongside Olympian Ryan Hall, I ran my first (and only – to date) sub-3 hour marathon, won my Age Group for the marathon distance (and first ever award from any Rock ‘n’ Roll event), and got to celebrate my sister establishing a new Personal Record for herself in the marathon distance. It was a weekend filled with personal and family glory. This year’s event topped them all; not because of any personal or family glory but because I got to experience the entire race weekend in new and stimulating ways and because I’m coming back from hip/labrum surgery over the summer and this was the final proof to myself that I'd be able to return to long distance running and racing. I’m going to tell you all about it (from my perspective), please pull up a chair and enjoy:
My sister and I were offered the opportunity to run the 2015
Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona 5k and Half Marathon in exchange for telling everyone we
knew (and everyone who’d listen) about the entire race weekend. That by itself is an incredible honor; to
have someone (especially a company so important to the world wide racing
community) believe we would have something to contribute, believing we could
say or do things that would inspire others to join this running journey. That is something very important to the both of us: Inspiring others to take up this sport and strive to achieve reach new
heights mentally and physically. Charlene and I began trying to inspire others to join us long before the race weekend by
telling people (via online social media outlets) about our personal experiences
at previous RnR Arizona races, about our experiences with Rock ‘n’ Roll races
in other locations, and about things that are important to us personally in
regards to running the current RnR Arizona courses.
Charlene and I kicked off the weekend of fun by driving from
Las Vegas to Phoenix. We hit the road at
first light Friday morning, intending to enjoy the drive itself and arrive at
the first day of the Expo early enough to devote time to meeting and speaking
with the event sponsors as well as search out some race gear which we needed to
replace. We talked the whole way; about
the 2015 race weekend, about what we hoped to accomplish this weekend, about
who we’d like to talk to at the expo, and naturally about what we’d gone
through during the past 12 months since we’d made that particular drive before
(you know, runner and sibling stuff).
Sis also told me about a new app she intended on using over the weekend, called Periscope: I’d never heard of it before she brought it up but it sounded like fun (well, for her). Charlene is very good at the social communication thing; she’s a natural choice to be in front of a camera talking about things that are important to her. For me, I didn’t want to be on camera but I did want to help, to contribute. I felt Periscope would be interesting and that’s a great place to start from.
Sis also told me about a new app she intended on using over the weekend, called Periscope: I’d never heard of it before she brought it up but it sounded like fun (well, for her). Charlene is very good at the social communication thing; she’s a natural choice to be in front of a camera talking about things that are important to her. For me, I didn’t want to be on camera but I did want to help, to contribute. I felt Periscope would be interesting and that’s a great place to start from.
This Rock ‘n’ Roll Expo was pretty big (as they typically
are) and it was really jumping with activity.
Normally, Sis and I would go in to an expo with the mentality of getting
our bibs, shirts, and swag and then making quick work of the sales areas
(stopping long enough to purchase necessities or to find some information of
personal importance). This time we went
in the mentality of learning about the sponsors behind the races and sharing it
with others (you) as well as take care of a couple necessities. It actually added a level of excitement to
the expo in my opinion; gave me a purpose beyond myself and a new perspective
on something I often take for granted.
One of the most important stops in the expo (well, after
getting our bibs) was to visit with our new on-course fuel provider, Glukos
Energy. This visit is particularly
important because they are new to the series and because I personally needed a
new fueling product which could help me reach and even exceed my running
goals. My sister smartly identified a very
important person within Glukos Energy, the CEO Mike McCormick. We identified ourselves and told him why we
stopped by and then asked point blank:
“Why should we use Glukos Energy, what makes your product special and/or
better than the others”? The short and
sweet of his answer was; the fuel is designed to get into our systems quickly
by providing exactly the type of fuel our bodies are designed to burn, Glucose;
it contains incredibly important electrolytes; specifically with the gels, they
are water based so you do not need to wash it down at an aid station; most
importantly (to me) is that their products aren’t super sweet which can so
often bother a runner’s stomach. We also
had the privilege of talking with Mark Jensen, the inventor of Glukos, about
using the tablets and how easily the gels were to take. I took the opportunity to ask him for fueling
advice on my return to marathon running and about how I can best use Glukos
Energy during race situations. Mark’s
advice was invaluable as the creator of this particular fuel and especially because he’s an accomplished athlete himself.
He asked us to try a sample of the gel to see if it fit with his and
Mike’s descriptions and to see how our palates and stomachs would react: The simple half ounce sample spoke volumes
about how easy it would be for us to use these on course. I know that it will be the fuel I train with
for my first marathon post-surgery. You
can visit their website here for more information and for purchasing: Glukos Energy
Maui Jim Sunglasses was an important visit at the expo for
reasons that stretch all the way back to Las Vegas and the streets around my
home: Eye protection from glare, UV
Rays, and blowing dust can’t be understated when you live and train in the desert. I’ve seen and tried on Maui Jim’s sunglasses
many times over the years but I’ve never approached them on the subject of wind
protection as well as the standard vision protection options; this time it was
my focus. I explained to the nice young
lady who greeted us that we were there to talk to them because of their
connection to the Rock ‘n’ Roll races and because of my interest in checking out which styles they offered to shield the side of a runner’s
eyes (for protection from blowing dust and debris). She selected, and I tried on, the Waterman,
Switchback, Kanaha, and the Night Dive model glasses as she believed they could
fit my description and desires. I
quickly formed a personal favorite because the frame and lens style did indeed
fit my need; they also passed my sister’s fashion critique - a familial
requirement. I wasn’t surprised with
the viewing quality and clarity, they have always been high end in those
regards, but they are a pleasure to watch the world through. Here is a link to their website if you’d like
to look into a pair of sunglasses that will fit your needs: Maui Jim
Toyota had a huge presence at the expo and at the race. I though their expo set up was a blast
really. Typically the vehicle
manufacturers that show up for these types of events just park a car/truck or
two where they can’t be missed and have their employees hang around to answer
questions. Toyota seemed to be much more
interested in being interactive and personable.
They did have a few vehicles parked on the expo floor but each vehicle
was open and interactive: one had rear liftgate open for us to play a game of Skee
ball; another was set up as a photo booth inside the cabin with a souvenir
picture to laugh at later. They also had
a test drive station set up in front of the expo/convention center which was
cool. Check out their website, you can
even put together your dream Toyota car on there: Toyota USA
We had a very interesting time wandering around the expo
doing the live Periscope app interviewing RnR volunteers and staff, we were
also lucky enough to bump into a Legacy runner who’d run the event even before
Rock ‘n’ Roll put it’s stamp upon the race series. A major highlight of the video, and of the
expo, was spending some time in the Rock ‘n’ Roll station with all of the
wickedly cool Heavy Medals and the various challenge medals that are being
offered. Charlene and I were both
stunned at how creative and appropriate this series of the RnR Heavy Medals
are; each one has something which loudly represents the world and history of
Rock and Roll music and they got progressively bigger and more impressive with
each count of a completed Marathon or Half Marathon. My sister still talks about how much she
loves the 8 Track tape medal (8 races in the calendar year), my favorite is the
Stairway to Heaven medal (in the shape of a 7 for seven races).
Next up - The Rock 'n' Roll Arizona 5k
*Disclaimer: I was an invited guest to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon weekend. The views, reviews and opinions expressed are my own and not influenced by the organizers nor sponsors or any other company/individual affiliated with the event.
- Next - The 2016 RnR AZ 5k