This is when the crazy part of my race schedule starts! Over the next four weeks I will be traveling to New Orleans, Birmingham, Fort Lauderdale, and Walt Disney World. I will totally being living out of a suitcase basically, but it will be worth it. First up is Rock n Roll New Orleans! I have never been to New Orleans, so even though this was a crazy fast trip there (about 26 hours total), I was pretty pumped to check out some of the city. My flight landed in New Orleans around 10:30am and I arrived to my hotel just after 11am. Even though I arrived way before check-in, my room was available, so I was able to check-in early. This was awesome because I was able to drop of my belongings and get settled in before heading out and about for the day. Since my hotel was only about a mile from the expo hall (even though the convention center was right across the street), I walked on over and got myself some extra steps in for the day. 2017 is a big year for the Rock n Roll Marathon Series - it is their 20th Anniversary! THAT'S HUGE! Yes, there are some races that have been around for much longer. However, think about a lot of other race series or other local races - how many of them are ran for a few years then disappear? Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series has been going and growing for 20 years strong and that is a pretty big deal if you ask me! We all know that runners are pretty crazy folks. Well, meet 163 of the absolute craziest folks around! These runners completed 15 (or MORE) Rock 'n' Roll Marathons or Half Marathons in the 2016 calendar year earning the Hall of Fame status. DUDE! I am proud to be a friend of one of these crazies - Briana at Mat. Miles. Medals. The first step of the expo was going through and collecting your bib and shirt. There was an area to print your waiver in case you didn't have it with you. Next you proceeded to the bib pickup area where there were sections for the 10K, Half Marathon, and Marathon which were each broken up by corral. The process was crazy quick and I moved on to get my race shirt in the next area which was also very well organized and moved very quickly. From 20th anniversary Brooks shoes, to tanks to jackets, to magnet, and more, there was a wide variety of official race merchandise to choose from. I must say, Brooks and Rock 'n' Roll really did an amazing job with the merchandise. Next it was time to head into the main expo area. Here you find various booths from sponsors, running companies, races, and other brands. I always love checking out these booths! Just remember - no new gear/fuel on race day, so please don't go buy a new brand of socks and rock them for your 26.2 miles or get some new fuel to try at mile 8 tomorrow. One thing I am ALWAYS a sucker for at Rock n Roll race expos is the Geico contest to win a free post race massage. I try every single expo and I still have not won, but Momma K has (yes, I am totally bitter). One day I might win, but in the mean time, I will at least take the adorable free tote bag just for trying to win. Who doesn't love bling!?!? If you aren't familiar with the Rock 'n' Roll Heavy Medal program, I highly recommend that you check it out. Basically, you get rewarded with a bonus medal for each extra Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 Marathon or Marathon you complete in the calendar year. They redesigned the Heavy Medal bling for 2017 and man is it SWEET! The bling is so crazy popular this year that I could hardly get close to the medals to take a picture of them. Trust me, there is a TON of bling to earn! Even though it is was a smaller expo for Rock n Roll races, the expo was a success for sure. There were some cool vendors, checked out some fun products, bought a few things, and met up with a few friends along the way. Now it is off to explore the city of New Orleans for a bit before heading back to the hotel to rest up for tomorrow's 13.1 mile tour of New Orleans!
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
BrandiI love to run and most importantly I love to have FUN while I run....I am the "Funner Runner" Feedspot's Top 100 Running Blogs
Archives
February 2020
|