"Disclaimer: I received a complimentary entry to the Santa Barbara Wine Half Marathon 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 just came back from a short weekend in southern California, and it is totally making me excited to go back to California for the Santa Barbara Wine Half Marathon in a few weeks!

Race management recently announced that the race would now start and finish in the adorable Dutch village of Solvang. This is SUPER convenient, since that is where we are staying and now I don’t need to stress over how to get to the start.  The start, finish, and after party are now all in one scenic spot!

There are several incredible wineries participating as featured partners and they are offering special discounts if you show your bib. Check out the list here.

Oh, and have you seen the medals!?! Cute and functional! It’s a wine stopper.

And don’t forget, you can do this as a half, or bring your gal pal and run it relay-style!  Either way, you get to see some great scenery and enjoy a very festive after party. 

Prices are going up soon, Join me and save 10% with SBBR10
 
Cheers!

It’s funny how some of the things you don’t plan on doing end up being some of the most enjoyable experiences.

I did not have plans to run Ragnar So Cal this year, as it fell on a weekend my husband was working, and no one I knew was putting together a team.  A few weeks before the race, someone reached out to me on Instagram with an opening.  It came from a team that has been doing Ragnars together for about a decade and just happened to have some last minute openings. I was intrigued but not sure if I could really swing it.  I actually turned her down, and then she came back to me with a compromise that I couldn’t say no to.  It allowed me to come in late and leave earlier so that my time away from home would be minimal.  Since she had two openings, I mentioned it to my friend Connie and she was In!

This was probably one of the most, if not the most, organized teams I’ve ever participated on, and I have captained 2 teams before myself!  Detailed emails, spreadsheets, and a conference call to make sure we had all the logistics straight.  Impressive!

We flew in Friday morning, grabbed some food on the go and headed to the first major exchange since we were in van 2.   Ran into our teammate from Ragnar Del Sol, Stormie.

We took over from van 1, quick introductions, and were off.  I was runner 11 so it would still be many hours until I got to run. Weather was around 70 and sunny!

I had 4 miles on leg one, with a decent elevation gain.  There was 8 zillion stoplights, roughly every .3 mile it seemed.  Then the hills started, so my powerwalking started.  This run SUCKED.  I pulled it together to finish strong, though!

After Jeremy, our lone man in van 2, finished his leg, we took lots of beach pics since we were finally by the water.   And then ended with a nice dinner with a great view in Carlsbad.

After dinner we got a little time to stretch out before we started back up near San Marcos.  I typically dread my night runs because I’m a scaredy cat, but after my horrible afternoon run, this was blissful.  It was another 4 miler, with a little bit of nature path and then through some nice neighborhoods. I’m pretty sure I heard both coyotes and roosters while I was on the nature path. The weather was really nice, though. And it wasn’t hilly, so BONUS!

We stayed pretty on schedule during the whole race.  We went to a hotel where we got over 3 hours of sleep and then a good breakfast.  Yes!  I had a little bit of dread in the back of my mind since I knew I still had my longest run in front of me.  In all my previous ragnars, I have never had the “Ragnar Leg” which is typically the longest or hardest of the whole race.  It was fate when there were only 2 openings and one of them was the Ragnar leg.  But I had the whole day to stress over it since I wouldn’t run until 1:30 in the heat of the day.  Meanwhile, we got to start our last legs at the Torrey Pines Gliderport, which has incredible views. The vibrant wildflowers made it all the more epic.

Finally, it was go time.  I actually thought it would be a little prettier than it was.  It started out cross-crossing all over the place but ended up on a path near sea world, through pacific beach where I passed tons of breweries and taprooms and wanted to stop, then up a RIDICULOUS hill with 700 ft elevation gain. It was 9.3 miles and I just wanted it to be done.  Ocean breezes helped a lot though, for part of it.

Ta Da! Isn’t it pretty?

We headed to the finish to meet up with van 1 and await Jeremy’s arrival.  As soon as we crossed the finish and took all the obligatory pics, it was all business as they doled out shots of fireball. What?  This was a new tradition to me, but one I can work with! After hanging out for a bit, we said our goodbyes and my Ragnar friend Alex gave us a ride to the airport in his fancy Tesla.

Being a part of Team ATR (All The Ragnars) was such a blessing.  From start to finish, it was top notch! Everyone was SO friendly and easygoing. No drama!  Excited to be part of their family now, and do more races together with them in the future.  Made some good running friends, for sure!

You never know what fun lies just around the corner when you least expect it!  Until next time...

"Disclaimer: I am promoting the Zooma Run Series 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 Zooma Race Series has intrigued me for awhile. They are always in cool destinations, they are women-focused events, and the bling is AWESOME!! My friend ran one last year and I was full of FOMO.  When I got the opportunity to help promote the series, and possibly run one of the events, I jumped right in!

THE EXPERIENCE

"Imagine a powerful sea of women on the move – encouraging fellow runners, creating unforgettable moments, getting strong, and celebrating personal running triumphs in beautiful locations. Imagine a post-race party where you’ll celebrate your run with your crew, relax and be pampered with massages, yoga, and mimosas. This is ZOOMA. " - zoomarun.com

• Packet pickup/shopping
• Saturday morning yoga
• Post-race party with mimosas and live music
• Sweet swag - tech shirt, incredible bling!
  

Choose from half marathon, 12k or 5k! Custom bling for all distances! Yasss!

THE DESTINATIONS
Zooma Great Lakes (WI) 9/14
near Lake Geneva

 Zooma Cape Cod (MA) 9/24

Zooma Amelia Island (FL) 10/19

THE BLING
Ok, let’s talk about bling, shall we?  Check out the great medals for upcoming races in the series!

THE SAVINGS
Convinced yet? Here’s a discount code for you to save on your registration:
Get 15% off @ZOOMArun race events! and get FREE race pics Use code ZOOMABR15

"Disclaimer: I am promoting the Hapalua Half Marathon 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!"
 
This race is on my wish list.
I LOVE Hawaii.
There is nothing else like it, and I have traveled a lot.  I have also ran 3 full marathons there.

If you’re not ready for a full, or want to relax more, the Hapalua is a great option.  Hapalua literally means “half” in Hawaiian.  

The race starts at sunrise and runs through Waikiki, going up and around Diamondhead.  It finishes in Kapiolani park with fresh malasadas (Portuguese donuts) and shaved ice! Yes, please!

 VIt’s not just the start location, another cool thing is that your finish is shown on a giant screen, and every finisher gets a copy of their finish line video.

I have already convinced a gal pal to join me for a racecation there next year, woo-hoo!

Online registration has closed, but if you plan to be in Hawaii on April 14, you can still register at packet pickup at the convention center! Visit thehapalua.com for more info.

Aloha,
Emily