Confessions of an Amateur Athlete

HOLY CRAP! I did it! I'm still so excited to finally have finished my first Ultra! It's been a long time coming, and I'm excited to share that I crushed it. I definitely have a new appreciation for ultra runners and learned so much from my first ultra experience!

The Y Race Phoenix  2017 was my second half marathon in just a week, and even though my legs paid for it, it was a fantastic event! This was my first time running the Y Race Phoenix Half Marathon, 5k, 10k & 1 mile fun run benefiting the YMCA. And I discovered this hidden gem has been around for 49 years.

My Spartan Beast & Sprint Race Weekend both went better and not as well as I planned. Regardless, I had a blast and am still keeping my goal to complete a trifecta each year! As many of you may have already read, I've been training the last few months to complete my Spartan Trifecta  by racing both the Spartan Beast and Sprint in the Colorado Rockies .

Disclaimer: I received a free entry into the La Jolla Half Marathon  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 spent my birthday weekend running the La Jolla Half Marathon in San Diego, California. There are many reasons why I LOVED this race and why I recommend you add it to your bucket list.

The Arizona Distance Classic Half Marathon, Quarter Marathon, and 5k is a true hidden gem in Oro Valley, Arizona! This was my first time running the event, and I had an absolute blast. Read on to find out why as I share the details about my awesome race weekend. credit: Oro Valley Photography

Disclaimer: I received a free entry into the Sedona Marathon  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! The Sedona Full Marathon. One of the most scenic road races I've ever done. Also one of the toughest road races I've ever done. Read on for the full Sedona Marathon 26.2 Race Review and why I call it the " Beautiful Beast "!

The North Face Endurance Challenge Series Events in San Francisco, CA was an adventure of a lifetime. And getting to share the experience with my November Project-Phoenix friends was icing on one amazing cake!

I've ran the Rock n Roll Las Vegas before ( last year's recap ) But this time I had the opportunity to see a side of Las Vegas I'd never had the chance to experience before! 

Lately I've seen a ton of negative reviews coming from the San Francisco Marathon.  Such as THIS one. However, every race is an entirely different experience for each individual runner. And I'm here to tell you that I LOVED the San Francisco Marathon!  I had bad plantar fasciitis, was in pain the last few miles, but STILL had a great time.  So that says a lot.  Pictures are worth a thousand words, so I'll keep the PROs and CONs short.  Then we'll get to ALL the awesome pics. ;-) Now, here's a quick rundown of the PROs: --The weather was PERFECT!   Overcast, foggy, slightly chilly but perfect for a full marathon.  The sun DID come out a little later but not until about mile 20.  -- The start was practically right under the Bay Bridge and since we were staring early, it was still night.   The Bridge was all lit up and made for an awesome start! --The scenery! I wasn't the only one snapping selfi...

PART TWO (CLICK HERE FOR PART ONE) The Fast and Fabulous was off!  Green was the first loop and the shortest (3.3 miles) and our first runner, Trent is super fast.  So there wasn't a lot of time to relax for me, since I was runner #2!  I took a couple of "getting geared up" pics... then headed over to the Transition tent. While waiting for your next runner, volunteers give you a slap bracelet for the loop you are running next.  There's no passing of the bracelet like in the Regular Ragnar.  Instead, you simply pass off the race belt with your bib and chip on it.  The colored slap bracelets are there to help course volunteers make sure you're on the right loop. The weather had been perfect, except for the threatening clouds that tempted rain.  Fortunately the rain stayed away and our first loops we all ran in shorts and t-shirts. Trent came in and it was on to the Yellow Loop for me! A 4.1 Mile route with a climb ove...