The pre-race VIP for New Orleans was held indoors at the Hilton. The whether in the South in the winter can be kinda of crazy and this weekend was just that. For the 5K on Saturday it was pretty cold but Sunday morning brought fairly milder temps in the morning that quickly warmed up after sunrise. While I would have been ok waiting outside this morning, if it would have been a cold or rainy morning, I would have been even more thankful for an indoor place to wait for the race to begin.
Let's be honest, trying to find your family and friends after a large race can be kind of a marathon in itself. One of the perks of the VIP area is that there are a lot less people roaming around and you have a definite spot to meet up with your family & friends after the race.
Since I went to New Orleans solo, I didn't have to worry about where to meet up with anyone before hand or afterwards. However, I was able to meet up with a few friends and make some new runner friends both before an after the race while enjoying some breakfast.
No doubt that runners need to eat. Heck, some of love to eat so much that we dream of that epic post race meal mid-race. Ok, maybe that is just me. HAHA! When you are a Rock 'n' Roll VIP you are treated to a pre-race breakfast including bagels, bananas, water, coffee, etc. I am a big creature of habit when it comes to my pre-race routine (plus you don't want to try anything new on race day), so I mainly just enjoyed the beverages with my protein bar. If you are one though that enjoys a peanut butter bagel or bananas before hand, having this readily available to you before heading out to the corrals is pretty sweet - especially if you traveled to the race.
Post-race, it was GAME ON! It was awesome to get done with my race and have something more than a banana and snacks from the finisher's chute. There was a variety of different options from lighter fare to more hearty brunch foods to get your body refueled and ready to take on the rest of the day.
3. Private Gear Check I always appreciate races that offer gear check. They are great to keep a post race shirt/jacket in, phone charger, your sandals, etc. However, they can tend to annoy me personally. After a race the thought of standing in a long line to collect my bag is the last thing that I want to do. When you are a Rock 'n' Roll VIP, you get a private gear check. That's right, there are only a small number of bags and no long line to deal with afterwards. Yes, please. Now I can get moving and take some selfies, eat, or just chill a bit. |
Whether you ran a super flat course like in New Orleans or one made up of 'super-sized speed bumps', your muscles could definitely use a little TLC after your race. Since I was about to be flying back home this afternoon and had to get checked out of my room (and shower) in the next hour or so, I had to skip out on the massage today. I did take advantage of the stretching mats and rollers to help my legs get ready for the flight home.
5. Private Restrooms Face: I hate waiting in line for restrooms, especially before a race. Face it, you probably feel the same way. There is nothing that can cause more anxiety than needing to take a last minute restroom trip before heading to the corrals only to find a MASSIVE line waiting for the port-o-potty. Thanks to the Rock 'n' Roll VIP package, you have access to private restrooms. In the case of New Orleans, they were INDOORS! Real restrooms are kind of like gold on race morning for sure. Just another great perk to being a VIP. To add extra facilities for VIPs, there was also a bank of port-o-potties near the start line just for VIPs as well. Thank you Rock 'n' Roll! |
Prices of Rock 'n' Roll VIP packages very between locations and perks may also vary. To upgrade your race day experience you are looking at around $70-90/person, but if you are wanting to add a little bit of extra hospitality and feeling like a true 'rockstar' I highly recommend at least trying it once.