Hey Hey Rock n Roll

Disclaimer: I received free entry to the Rock n Roll VA Beach race 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!"

What's up everybody, Ben here and over Labor Day weekend I was in Virginia Beach running the Rock n Roll Half Marathon. This was the 19th year of the race and it was a fun race. The course starts on Pacific Ave and finishes on the boardwalk right along the beach. It also goes through Camp Pendleton and passes the Virginia Aquarium.

Of course with it being the last "un" official day of Summer the beach is crowded so lets get some tips out of the way for next year. Book your room EARLY! Places at the beach sell out fast and it's hard to find somewhere to stay.

Allow yourself plenty of time getting to the Beach. If you're coming from the North you have to go through the tunnel in Hampton and sometimes traffic can get backed up.

That being said I arrived on Saturday and went straight to the expo as it is on the main road coming into VA Beach. Parking was easy and the expo was well laid out. When you first enter you get your bib and shirt. From there you head off to the Brooks merch area.

They have my size!

They have almost anything you could need from shoes and socks, to shorts and shirts. One cool thing about the Rock n Roll Series is they make a shirt that lists everyone's names that signed up for the race.

There's my name

The rest of the expo was your usual vendors, clothes, other races in the area to sign up for. After the expo I checked into the campsite and set up my tent. After driving for 4+ hours I went kayaking in the Back Bay. Afterward I headed back to the Boardwalk for a bit of shopping and dinner. One great thing, there's no shortage of places to eat. 

Race day was clear sunny and hot. When I woke up at 5:00 it was already in the 70's and it was only getting hotter. The directors decided earlier in the Summer to move up the start time to try to beat the heat, but the Virginia Summer thought otherwise. 

The race start was well organized with corrals and pacers and of course Rock n Roll. The good thing about a race at the beach is it will be flat. When I first signed up I was planning on a PR, but once race day came up and I saw the temps, I decided finishing at least under 2 hours was a better plan. Did I blow my chance at a PR? Probably not, I think the heat would've gotten to me eventually even though I train and run 2 hours away in Richmond, VA. IT's been a hot Summer and there's always the Fall. On course they had Gatorade Endurance and water and one gel stop. 

There are some twisty and turny sections when you get on the base, but overall the course is long straights along the main roads. The police and organizers did a great job keeping the roads clear for everyone and they also had Medical staff on course on bikes for quick assistance. 

The Bling!

The finish area along the boardwalk was fun. After you cross the finish and get your medal everything is spaced out for bottled water, Gatorade Endurance and food. If you run multiple Rock n Roll event you can also get your multi race medal. After leaving the finisher corral there was a sectioned off area on the beach for racers only which was perfect. The cold Atlantic water felt great on my tired legs.

all in all I had a great time running the Rock n Roll Half. If your looking for a End of Summer race at a beach I highly recommend it.

Thanks for reading and don't forget to give me a follow on Social Media. Or check out the Rock n Roll website HERE

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2 weeks out and looking at a PR

Hey everyone, Ben here and lets talk about weather stalking and setting a PR at the Rock n Roll DC Marathon. As a Bib Rave Pro I was asked to write a blog post about Athlinks.Com so we will talk some about them also. I was also selected to run the Rock n Roll Marathon as a rep of Bib Rave for free. For more info about Bib Rave and being an ambassador go here.

So the marathon is about 2 weeks out and I have started checking the 10 day forecast twice a day. It has gone from 30's and snow/rain to 30's and partly cloudy. I'm really hoping for the latter, as I hate wet socks. Most people will tell you that you should have everything locked down as far as race day wear is concerned, but things change. I do agree with not buying anything new for race day without testing it. I will admit I do get a new pair of socks before a big race, but they are the brand and model I already wear.

You know, I dislike 2 things about running, tight socks or wet ones. I'm just that way. So back to the weather. I know I'm wearing shorts and calf sleeves. As for the top half it's either a shirt and gloves or singlet and arm warmers. I'm still not sure.

Time to check the weather again. It's warmed a few degrees and will be mostly sunny. Do I wear a hat or shades and a buff? I'll decide next week.

So on to the PR section. I've been running for 7 years now and started using Athlinks when our local RRCA chapter began posting results to the site. I signed up and started finding my races, and other people with the same name in Europe. Don't worry I didn't claim those. The funny thing about this marathon is it will be the first since 2014 that I'm not a pacer so I'm looking to PR. Looking at my Personal Records on Athlinks I see that 4:46:56 is my current PR for the marathon. I'm shooting to finish under 4 hours this time and get a new number on the board.
 My trail marathon was actually my first marathon ever. I know how to pick a tough one. I do see one thing on this. The race that is listed as my 5k PR was actually a 4k but still credited as a 5k.

Looks like I have to email Athlinks about changing that. Good thing they have great service and can help you with most anything.

Except the weather.

Lace up and go running...

Ben W

Marathon training, 4 weeks out.

My hair is Awesome!

What's happening running friends? As a Bib Rave Pro, I am sometimes able to opt in to run events and promote and write about them. So in 4 weeks I will be running the Rock n Roll Marathon in D.C. If you want to run, use code RNRBRP2018 and get $15 off.

I started adding a long run to my weekly miles about 5 week ago, so I've had nine weeks to get ready. The usual training plan is 16 weeks but with an average weekly mileage of 25 miles or more I can be comfortable in ramping up on short notice. The funny part about running another marathon was I said earlier in 2017 that Richmond would be my last marathon after the scare I had in the Spring. Well, I lied. The lure of the marathon is too strong to resist and I'm at it again but better prepared.

Training is going well, even with the weather  we have been experiencing here in Virginia. I'm running with a group more and that has really helped me improve. We run at least twice a week on different 7 mile routes and practice 'first to last' so nobody gets left behind. One day a week I set aside for track work, which is usually based on 10k or half marathon pace, so we are going much faster than I plan for the marathon.

Saturday long runs are broken up with helping to coach a local 10k training team. Seeing first time runners out going further then they ever have before is rewarding and inspires me to do better.

That's enough for today, I will see everyone next week for 3 weeks out and look at the course and my plan of action.

Lace up and get out...


Ben

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