Review: WIN Detergent + Giveaway!

Disclaimer: I was sent two bottles of WIN Detergent in exchange for this post through a partnership with Sweat Pink. As always, the opinions are my own. I received no compensation other than these two free bottles! 

Especially as we (hopefully) wrap up these 95+ degree days in Southern California, my runs are early in the morning but live little to be desired in terms of how much I'm still sweating. And therefore, stinking. I want to do laundry like every day just to keep things smelling clean but in this drought, that's probably not smart. I digress...

WIN Detergent is designed and made for athletes and lovers of all things sweaty who are looking for great products to keep their athletic apparel fit and clean, all while removing that stank. There are two formulas: the original, scented (fresh!) formula and WIN Green -  its dye-free, fragrance free GREEN counterpart. WIN GREEN is hypoallergenic and designed for users with sensitive skin and noses. After using both the last few weeks, I definitely prefer the scented version (blue), but love knowing that both are friendly to my tech gear and remove the stinkyness regardless. 

Not afraid to air my dirty laundry!  ;) 

Especially after the Long Beach Half, where it got nice and toasty outside, I quite literally couldn't wait to get my stuff home and in the wash so it could smell pretty again. 

Are you loading up on stinky clothes lately too after races? Now's your chance to earn two free bottles of your own, too! The winner of the giveaway will receive one each of the original WIN and WIN Green to use at home on their gear too. Detergent isn't super cheap, so why not jump on the chance to win some good-smelling stuff?! Giveaway ends Monday, October 20. Good luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Race Report: Long Beach Half Marathon {30th Anniversary}

Long Beach ICB Half Marathon

October 12, 2014 | Long Beach, CA

Just two weeks ago, I was gifted a half registration to the LB Half for my birthday from one of my dearest friends in Texas - I was beyond shocked and so so so excited, and can't ever think Sarah enough for getting me in for this opportunity! Even then, on Wednesday my NYR ambassador + running friend Monica asked what pace I was planning on running at the half. I was gearing up for a sub-2, because I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it and not just on a huge downhill at Fontana. So then this happened:

Monica was aiming for a 2:05 finish, which would be just about a 6-minute PR for her. That sounded pretty comfortable to me, so I quickly jumped on board. Needless to say, if you read the above, I was pretty excited!

Race morning was a little chaotic. Long Beach isn't all that super easy to in/out of anyway, but with the 405/22/605 closing, it was sure to be a cluster. Lucky for me, I don't normally go that way anyway, but the closures seemed to cause major chaos for tons of folks. (Bear in mind there are 15,000 for the half marathon alone, plus the full, 5K and bike tour folks = TONS of people in LB). The expo gives you the opportunity to pre-pay parking and guarantee yourself a spot in one of two garages or a handful of city lots for $10. Mentally, I thought this was a great idea, given that I didn't know what race morning looks like here, so just before I left the expo on Saturday I bought myself a spot. Despite arriving in LB at 6:12 on race morning, I didn't actually park until nearly 6:50 because of all the bottlenecks. Shenanigans.

This girl's gonna PR today!

Despite all that, I had time to get into a pre-race routine, meet with Jessica her bib and shirt, and get down to the start to find Monica + other new friends as we waited. Monica said she'd run what she could with me, but if she started to get too tired, I could go. I told her no way, that I had made myself a 2:05 bracelet and everything and she would PR today. She said if she could hold on until mile 8 or so, she'd be happy.

The waves are a little messy - the first wave is for finishers in times of 1:16-2:09, and the following  waves are in only 20 minute increments. Needless to say, the first wave was HUGE and looked like it kept on going. Lucky for us, we were able to jump in in an opening in the gates and got started. Monica and I talked other races for the years, previous PRs, where she needed to take her Blox, and did she want to push it now or at the end? Talked Avengers registration with two other ladies, scoffed at the bicyclist on the beach path who thought it would be okay to play his bell so WE (yes, 15,000 runners) would get out of his way.

Endless runners. 

The beach path is gorgeous and flat and easy, but it drags on forever. I swear that part would never end, despite telling the guy running next to us that it turned around at the dog beach, which was "just behind that building!"... or three buildings later. Mile 10 brought a cheering station with donut holes (which they're apparently known for), and the last two miles are nearly flooded with people cheering and yelling and cowbelling non stop. It sure makes up for the mostly quietness of the 3-4 miles down the beach path!

Just before mile 1l, Monica said she was over it and she was starting to hurt. At about this point, she had exactly 24 minutes to run just over 2.4 miles, so I knew as long as we'd keep shufflin', she'd be close. She said (somewhere along the course) that 2:05 would be perfect, but she just wanted a PR. I kept pushing, yelling encouraging her from just steps ahead, and got smiles and nods from other runners nearby to push her along as well. I told her I'd drag her if I had to! About a quarter of a mile out, I grabbed her hand and pulled in her for a strong last burst.

"There's the finish!"
"Where?"
"There, around the bend. Follow the fence."
"THAT's the finish?!"
"YES!"
"*screams*" and bolts.
Hands up, locked together, for an epic photo finish. I wish Marathon Foto would get on that already.

Splits (9:34 average)
9:22
9:40
9:42
9:19
9:24
9:54
9:15
9:31
9:17
9:36
10:18 (that blasted Mile 11!)
9:39
9:52
7:26 for .21 miles on my Garmin

2:06:26 and a 4:50 PR for miss Monica! While it wasn't her 2:05 dream, she is beyond stoked with her PR and knows that sub-2 is near in her future (wink).

Stupid humidity and sweat made all these photos blurry. :(

Afterwards, we found Jessica, Michelle and other friends at the IERC table, played around with our new shiny bling (side note: these medals are gorgeous) and wandered around for awhile. Such a great race morning with friends and reminds me how lucky I am to have some really awesome communities out here in LA. Grateful.

Me, Monica, Jessica, Michelle. 

I am so stoked for Monica and her PR and am glad I got to be a part of her LB journey! I am also really excited because despite some tightness after, a 2:06 was super comfortable for me, which tells me a lot about my conditioning lately and that I can totally aim for my sub-2 again at RnR LA in two weeks! Here we go!

Happy race day indeed!

Did you race this weekend? Brag about it here!

Ragnar Napa Valley: Part 2

Ragnar Napa Valley

September 19 - 20, 2014

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Somewhere about 2 in the afternoon, it was my finally my turn to run. I was excited and antsy and for whatever reason, nervous - not like I've done this before or anything - and needed to get myself together! My first leg was 6.6 miles, and I knew there was one beastly hill but the rest flattened out and should be bearable (hint: not true). 

Tina and Kate had both killed their first legs and it was finally Kim's turn to go! She had about 4.5 miles and was ready to rock. Finally, we heard our number and got ready to roll. Kim came flying in from her leg (she killed it!), and we were off. I had run into a friend from grad school in the store at Exchange 6, and her teammate (who I met at So Cal while trying to find said friend) recognized me and was also their runner 10. We said we'd try to pair up for our late-night run, but sadly she took off for her first run about 15 minutes before me. Oh well. 

Ha. That word, bearable. Never mind the fact that it was about 90 degrees out, but hit a heat index of almost 100, and it was brutal. I got not even to mile 2 before pausing to walk, doused myself at the water station and just hoped I'd make it through. I hadn't brought a handheld waterbottle at all (total fail), nor my phone, so just hoped for the best and that I'd make it through these 6.6 miles. My leg consisted of a zoo of roadkill - frogs, birds, opossum, deer - and unfortunately, not tons of scenery! 

At the start of my leg, just across from the exchange. 

Have I noted that ALL THREE of my legs were no van support? Not even partial. For you newbies, this means that my van wasn't allow to pull over anywhere to get me water, food, whatever, mostly due to the lack of shoulder space on the road or a runner being on a trail and not on the road. However, I think given with the heat index, there were tons of vans pulling over, I guess risking being disqualified?, and supporting their runner. 

Admittedly, I turned a few teams in while we were driving previously (on some really stupid places they were pulled over), but I was grateful when a van person ran across the road and handed me a bottle of ice water. No way I was gonna turn those kids in! About two miles later (just about 4.5, 5 maybe), I stopped to talk to a van across the road (who also refreshed me with a new bottle of water). Thankfully, I have Tina's phone number memorized (from college, no less), so I had this girl text her to tell her I was fine, but it was hot and I would be longer than anticipated. 

Finally, the one more mile marker showed its ugly face and I just wanted to fly - I zipped past the girl that I had leap-frogged with the whole time, and apparently made it so fast, my team wasn't ready for those coveted exchange photos! Bummer. 

I said at the end of my leg I wanted chocolate milk and cookies. My awesome vanmates even fed me the cookies! <3

It was finally over. Holy crap. I had never felt so horrible or defeated after a first Ragnar leg. I think there was a steady stream of obscenities that came out of my mouth and I was not happy with how that had gone at all. Well, it could only go up from here, right?

Alright, Leg 1, done!

How do you survive runs in 100+ degree heat indexes? 

September Recap

Total run mileage: 100.7. Just .3 more than August, but heck yes... movin' on up! 
Highest weekly run mileage:  36 (whew)
# Runs: 25 (4 less than August!)
# Rest days: 9 

# Cross-training workouts:  Just walks with Molly... I really need to get back into some sort of true cross-training, especially if I'm going full-blown with plans for the LA Marathon! 

# Races: 

     - Ragnar Napa Valley (Part 1 here, the rest to come next week!)
     - St Paul Harvest Festival 5K

Favorite run: PRing in that 5K - I've never raced a 5K quite like that, nor ever felt so tired after a 5K, so I know I did it right and raced with what I had in me. A 1:02 in a 5K is pretty huge, so I'm feeling pretty good, strong, and confident with that kind of progress!

Most hardcore run: I mean, Ragnar in total was pretty hardcore this time around. 26.3 miles in less than two days, let alone at heat indexes of 100+. But that 11 mile Ragnar leg was probably the most beastly of them all. More to come in my recaps next week, but having an 11-miler as your last leg, let alone at 4 in the afternoon in 90+ degree weather on a long, straight, asphalt road is tough. To say the least. 

Despite what it looks like here, I'm actually convinced I was dying at some points of that leg. Fact.
Side note: I have no idea how it combined all my images and made a clip. Awesome. 

Current obsession: Dreaming of ALL the races. :)

Current song: I mean, duh, September just ended. 

Current need: I'm tired of whining about my job hunt to you all, so my current need/desire is to find some extra motivation for a little cross-training and strength-training efforts. I'm feeling all kinds of in shape, but wish I had access to a gym right now to ensure that I'm working all of me and not just my legs and lungs. Suggestions?

Also, saving some extra cash this month so I can register for the LA Marathon! Yep, you read that right, I'm looking forward to tackling marathon #2 and making it a hometown one. LAM is also celebrating their 30th Anniversary, so what better than the year I turn 30, even if my birthday is like six months later? Excited! 

Current triumph: Another 100 mile month. A stellar 5K PR. Making progress, kids. Making progress! 

Current goal: #October100miles, so that'd be 3 100-mile months in a row. I'd like to aim for 110 this month. 

I'm also looking forward to doing both the Long Beach Half and Rock 'n Roll LA this month, and hoping that I can gun for at least two sub-2 races on flat courses. Looking forward to seeing what I'm made of and what I can push for! 

What are your biggest accomplishments from this month? Goals for October?

Ragnar Napa Valley: Part 1

Ragnar Napa Valley

September 19 - 20, 2014

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

It's hard to believe that Ragnar ended almost two weeks ago - last week was a little bit of a blur, but I'm finally sitting down to blab for awhile about the latest epic running adventure... Ragnar Napa Valley. After completing So Cal in April, we knew we wanted to do Napa for the double-bling, the Gold Rush medal. Because, I mean, look at that thing!

I digress. After flying up to the Bay on Wednesday  night, Heather and I spent Thursday morning running from Target to Costco to Dick's to Fresh & Easy to get our last minute supplies together. Lord knows we've done this before, and after all the leftovers from So Cal, we definitely cut back on the snackage that we bought for Napa - and we still had plenty left! Thursday afternoon was also arts and crafts time, because you know the bells had to make a comeback, in addition to some really epic poster-making by yours truly.

Thursday afternoon began the onslaught of flights, delays, arrivals, BART stations, pick ups, and the shenanigans began.

People always ask how I convinced a bunch of crazies to do this, so I always think it's super fun to talk about our teams come together. For this trip, 6 of the 12 that did So Cal were back, with some additions:

- Heather, Tina, Trista and I are sorority sisters
- Jill, Kim and Vanessa did So Cal with Trista, Heather, and I
- Jill brought along Kate
- Kim brought along Tricia
- Erica brought along Aileen
- Tina brought along Erica (who I also know)
- Tina and Erica brought along Kristin (who I've met a handful of times)
- Tina, Erica, Kristin, Jill, Kate, and I are all alumnae of NAU (Go Jacks!)

So fun right? This time around we had a lot more actual connections, whereas So Cal was a little bit more jumbled and from all over the place.

When everyone got to town Thursday night, we had dinner, van decorating time and our team meeting (because that's how Heather and I roll) to ensure van set ups, vests, blinkies, and headlamps were all in order. We intended for a Mean Girls movie night, but everyone was well past exhausted at that point, and with a 2:30 am wake-up call, why stay up later that necessary, amiright?

Our start time was 5 am at Golden Gate Park, about 45 minutes from Heather's. Each van made a stop to pick up a rider or two so we could all re-assemble and get organized at the park before the start. Up at 2:30 am, on the road at 3:05 am, and to the park just about 4 am, in time to get settled, grab posters and cowbells and get Van 1 into the safety briefing before we could goof around at the start line.

Start line! Let's go Napa Valley!

Despite being in Van 2 for DC, I still had the set up of So Cal (Van 1) in my head, so being back in Van 2 was a little disorienting, realizing that I don't actually start the race right away, but get to go start with some downtime. How very odd!

After seeing Aileen off at the start, Van 2 headed up across the Golden Gate towards our first major exchange and to stop for breakfast. We found our way to an IHOP, only to discover it didn't open until 7 am (it was barely 6 at this point). So we slept for an hour in the van, got out of the van at 7:05, only to see another Van 2 and random other patrons waiting for the doors to open. Apparently IHOP only schedules one cook and one waitress on a Friday morning, so we sat for 20 minutes without even being seated. I was worried about time, the exchange, safety briefings, and the like, so we ordered our food to go and still left IHOP at 8 am. Geezo.

Van 2! Tina, Kristin, Kate, Jill, Kim and me.

Finally at the exchange, only to discover not only were we there with enough time, but also plenty early enough that not all the vendors were set up yet, and we went through safety briefing #2 of the day - so, hindsight, plenty early to get through it all! Oh well.

We played at the Sierra Nevada tent, Jill and I were the first two KT customers of the day, and hung out in the Ragnar store. Tagged some vans, made some new friends, and got ready to send Tina off as runner 7 for her first leg...

I was runner 10, so despite sending Tina off, I still had a little ways to wait. And wait... it was so hard waiting!

Did you run Ragnar Napa, this year or ever?