Thursday, March 5, 2015

#ItWentDownAtPHX - My First Marathon - Part 1

When I started writing this blog post, I wasn't sure how many parts there would be.  At least 2, maybe 3.  I am sorry.  But there is so much I want to say and so much I feel that I can't stop at just one!

So we all know I decided to run a marathon.  And that Marathon was the Phoenix Marathon.  For many reasons including the fact that it promised to be a downhill course great for first timers.


Not so downhill but we will get to that later.  Okay, Julie and I left San Diego at 5:20 p.m. on Thursday night.


Julie is the sweetest!  We took her Prius AND she drove the whole way!  She is AWESOME!  I paid for gas during the trip and it cost me a total of $40!  Gotta love AZ gas prices and fuel efficiency!  We made it to Hawthorne Suites in Tempe shortly after midnight thanks to a couple of stops.  The hotel was NOT luxury but it was CONVENIENT!


It had a kitchenette, a pull out couch and a separate room with two double beds.


The next morning, we had the complimentary breakfast at the hotel and headed to the Expo - Round 1!  I immediately saw lovely Nina from RunningSkirts!  Love those new tanks!


Had a chance to hang out with Scott from HoneyStinger since I am part of the Hive and all.  (insert happy face here!)  I got to try the Ginger Snap waffle.  YUM!


We then headed into Sports Authority to pick up our t-shirts.  They gave us a sweet discount too!


I could write a whole blog post just about the tank!  This tank is by Albion and it fits PERFECTLY!  Best race shirt ever!  It is so tasteful.  I LOVE it!  And I will definitely wear it again unlike SOME shirts!


We headed out for some Thai food (super mild) and she dropped me off at the hotel.  Smart Julie decided she didn't want to share a bathroom with 4 others on race morning and got a different room.  Then Team Mamaste arrived and we too headed to the Expo - Round 2!  (I was SO freaking excited to see them!)

Jamye, Thia, Jenn & Me

I saw the always sweet and always supportive Shane at the ProCompression booth.  Thank you for hiding the Jailbreak socks for me and Jamye!  (P.S. It was Shane's idea that I do Phoenix as my first!)


Me and my BRF Jamye had to stop and take a "More Cowbell" picture!


Good thing we paused for breath because guess who we ran into in the outside portion of the Expo?  None other than...


My idea of celebrity sightings!  Speaking of which...when we headed into the Sports Authority this time, there was a collection of awesome runner friends for me to visit with and of course, take a picture with!

Social Media Meetup GALORE!

We didn't end up making it to the giant meet up.  We were just too tired and it was just too far from the hotel.  So we went to a super cute place near ASU called Original Chop House.  If you get a chance to grub there, DO IT!  And of course, we had to take a picture in front of this awesome bicycle wall!


We went back to the hotel, laid out our flat mamas for the next morning and set our alarms for 3:00 a.m.  But we just couldn't fall asleep.  For a long time.  We giggled for about 4 hours straight about NOTHING!  So glad these women were there to calm me down and rile me up!  And to match with me!  Haha


Eventually we fell asleep.  To Be Continued...

As always, I wish you Happy Feet,
SD Mom

12 comments:

  1. Well, we know the highlight of your trip (meeting me) is too come :D

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  2. I totally saw you but didn't know it was you! I'm excited for part 2 to hear about your full experience. The race tshirts were awesome. Probably the best one I've ever got.

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  3. Love part one! And I totally agree about the shirts! Haha Can't wait to read part two and maybe even a part three! :-)

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  4. Sounds like a busy and fun trip! Can't wait to read more!

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  5. I love it! Sounds like such a fun time. Can't wait to read all the other parts to your recap. And do it again next year so I can join, mmkay? :)~

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  6. Congratulations on your first marathon! What an accomplishment! I'm looking forward to hearing more about your experience. I struggle with running so I find runners like you very inspiring. :)

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  7. So exciting. Isn't great when the race shirt fits so well? I got two race shirts for Dallas in '12 and ended up using one as a throwaway at the next race because the cut and fabric were awful.

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  8. GingerSnap Honey Stinger waffles are my all time favorite! I could eat those every morning! Can't wait for part 2! :)

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  9. Yay for fuel efficiency and cheap gas prices! That tank looks super comfy! <3

    P.S. I miss Thai food. <3

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  10. Congrats Smitha!! I enjoyed following your marathon weekend on IG. Good thing about catching up on blog posts for the week.. I don't have to wait for Part 2 :) On to the next...

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