Race Review: Rock n' Roll Savannah 1-Miler 2021

This post will cover Day 2 of the 2021 Rock n' Roll Savannah weekend! 

To see my experience during Day 1, check out my previous post here!

The day after the Rock n' Roll Savannah Half Marathon was extra fun because not only was I running, but so were my parents! My parents were signed up for the 5K on this day, so I was very excited that we got to cheer them on! I know they hadn't run an in-person race in quite some time and after a hard year I was glad they got to have some running fun of their own while on this runcation 😊 Luckily, the weather cleared up for Sunday so we were smooth sailing for our midday races!

One thing that we were super pumped about was that we were going to be running at the Savannah Bananas ball park! We were so amused all weekend by the fact that the local baseball team was called the Savannah Bananas, so when we discovered that we would be running at their park we were so excited! We checked out the park and their merch store before the first race got started, and each took a little souvenir home with us! 🍌

First up was the 5K! Lindsey and I made sure that Mom & Dad were all set in their corral before staking out a spot to see them off on their run. It was so fun taking in the atmosphere of the start line together!

Once they were off, Lindsey and I staked out a spot in the park to cheer them on as they came through the finish. The coolest part of the course is that every runner got to run through the outfield to get to the finish line. I absolutely love when races incorporate unique features into their courses, so I definitely appreciate that Rock n' Roll was able to coordinate the use of the ballpark during both the 5K and 1-Miler! While we waiting for our parents, Lindsey and I made it a point to be the most obnoxious spectators for the folks coming into the finishers shoot so we could encourage folks to finish strong. We had a blast doing this! Before we knew it, Mom and Dad were coming through the park and we cheered extra loud for them! So happy that they were able to run and finish their first in-person race in a little while!

Photo of my mom that my dad took while they were running their 5K!

I didn't have too long to celebrate with them before I had to be off to warm up for the 1-Miler. I did a quick quarter-mile warm up, and got my mind right for the race. I had originally planned on just taking this race easy because I thought I would be running a full marathon the day before. However, because my race on Saturday was downgraded to a half, I thought I'd try to run the mile as fast as I could! I went into the race figuring I'd run somewhere around 9:00, as I thought that was a pretty attainable goal for me and wasn't really sure what my 1-Miler ability truly was. I lined up at the front of the pack and was off and running soon after!

I really tried to push the pace for this run just to see what I could do. When I got to the half way mark, I took a look around me and noticed that I was still fairly in the front of the pack. I thought to myself that I could probably have some kind of age group placement if I kept my pace up, so I decided to go for it and see what happened! This, of course, was not easy to accomplish. I am not used to pushing it as hard as I can when I run, since that's really not the approach to long distance running 😂 You can really see how I felt in these photos my parents snapped as I cam through the finish:

I really look like I'm having a wonderful time here 😂

My pain and suffering paid off because not only did I PR my mile time with 7:40 time, but I also PLACED FIRST IN MY AGE GROUP 😱 This is something that I have literally never done and I was so shocked! I am so crazy proud of myself for this accomplishment, and I will definitely look back on it as a highlight of my 2021 racing season!

 

I'm on a leaderboard! 😎

I also received a Remix Challenge medal for running the Half Marathon on Saturday and the 1-Miler on Sunday which was so cool! I hadn't done a Remix Challenge with Rock n' Roll before, but it's honestly so much fun and would definitely do another one in the future. Of course, we needed to do a lil post-race family photoshoot with our medals before heading out to celebrate!

With the weather finally cooperating, we capped off the weekend by doing a bit of walking around and grabbing dinner and a drink at the Six Pence Pub. Savannah seems like such a cool city and it's a shame that the weather kept us inside for most of the weekend. Good think I will be returning in November 2022 for (fingers crossed 🤞) the full marathon, so hopefully we'll be able to do some more exploring then!

Overall I had such a fantastic time during the Rock n' Roll Savannah weekend! Despite the curveballs that were thrown our way, we still made the best of the circumstances and ultimately had a really great time. I'm excited to be returning next November so I can see more of the city, and to hopefully officially check Georgia off my 50 Marathons in 50 States list!

If you'd like to see our weekend in action, check out my vlog below!

Race Review: Rock n' Roll Savannah Half Marathon 2021

In early November I traveled down to Savannah, Georgia for the Rock n' Roll Savannah Marathon weekend! This was intended to be my 18th marathon in my 18th state, and I even planned on meeting up with my parents and sister to make it a fun lil vacation (they all live fairly close to Savannah!). Little did I know that this weekend was about to be full of surprises!

The arrival terminal in Savannah was all decorated to welcome runners!

I arrived in Savannah around 11AM on Friday morning, where I met up with my parents at the airport! They scooped me up and we made arrangements to meet up with my sister in the city. Once the four of us were finally together we headed over to the riverfront where we grabbed a bite to eat and some drinks at The Warehouse. Time to celebrate being together for the first time since Christmas!

After lunch we hopped over to the expo by way of the ferry! It was so cool getting to take the ferry across the river to get over to the expo. We picked up our bibs and race packets (I had to pick up two!), took photos, and had an overall great time checking out all of the vendors and merch!

It was a cold and rainy day, so after the expo we ducked into a coffee shop to warm up a bit and caffeinate after a long day of travel.

And then we were finally able to check into our little Air BnB and relax! I gathered my gear for my flat runner (below) and we ate some dinner - home made meals made by my parents and transported up from their homes in Florida! Nothing better than a homecooked meal the night before a big race, right? We were all pretty wiped so we had a fairly early bed time. I had to mentally prepare myself to run in what was looking to be pretty rough conditions the next morning, so I wanted to get as much rest as possible so I could go into race day with the right mindset!

I woke up before everyone else to start getting myself ready. The winds and rains were BRUTAL outside and to be honest I was not looking forward to getting outside in the rain for 26.2 miles, but I had to remember that through this 50 state journey I was going to have to deal with all sorts of weather! I tried my best to get mentally prepared. And then about an hour and a half before the originally scheduled race time, we received this text message:

TEXT: "Good morning. Due to deteriorating weather conditions we have determined we cannot host the full marathon. We will host the half marathon and relay. All marathon participants have the option to participate in the half marathon.

Savannah is unusually COLD and WET this year. To help prevent hypothermia [low body temperature] you should dress in layers. Your outer garment should be waterproof, and under that wear something warm, like a sweatshirt over T-shirt. IF it dries out and warms up at all, these can be tied around your waist. If you feel you are getting too cold, stop into one of Medical Tents along the course for help."

I was a mixture of disappointed and relieved to receive this news. Disappointed because obviously I wanted to run my 18th marathon in my 18th state surrounded by my family, but relieved because the conditions were AWFUL and while it would be great to check off another state, it would have been a really terrible experience solely based on the weather conditions. I had to reframe my mindset at that point from running a full marathon to running a half instead, and after readjusting I felt a lot of pressure lift off of my shoulders!

I will say that there were SO MANY people who were PISSED by this decision, and they made their opinions heard on social media. While there are occasions where maybe frustrations are justified when events get canceled or changed, I don't think that this was one of those situations. The weather that weekend in Savannah was terrible and definitely not anywhere near acceptable to keep a race course open for 7+ hours where there would be thousands of freezing runners, volunteers, and spectators. It wad pouring rain, 40 degrees, and wind gusts of up to 30+ mph, so I personally canceling the full marathon for health and safety reasons was totally warranted. I wish folks could try to be understanding of everything that gets taken into consideration when making these decisions. I feel like I have a much different perspective on these types of situations because I plan events for a living and that probably makes me a bit more understanding, but you can't control the weather, y'all!

Because it was offered to the marathon runners, I opted to run the half marathon. I had traveled all that way, so I may as well at least run something! So we all headed out into the deluge and down to the start line. 

The start was scheduled for 7:30am, but unfortunately there was a massive hold up and we were standing and waiting in our start corals for about 20-25 minutes just getting absolutely soaked. 😭 Apparently there were some issues with the course that they needed to secure before letting the runners go, but again, folks were pissed. We were all standing there freezing to death and just wanted to get the race underway, so it's understandable why folks were frustrated about this! Eventually they finally let us loose on the course and for that I was so thankful. I just wanted to get warm! 😂

Aside from the horrible weather, I actually had a great time on this run! Rock n' Roll does such a fantastic job with on-course entertainment, and even though it was pouring rain, they did not disappoint. Despite the weather, there was a band or DJ playing every mile and a half or so which I really appreciated. I was also so impressed with the energy of the on-course volunteers and the crowds throughout the entire course. I honestly went into the race thinking it was going to be crickets and I wouldn't have blamed anyone if it was because the weather was just that awful, but Savannah came out in droves to cheer on their runners. I had such a great time!

My favorite mile by far was mile 11. This mile was decorated with so many unicorns and rainbows everywhere which was so much fun to run through towards the end of the race. 🌈🦄 At this point I was cold and soaked to the bone, so having a bit of cheer at this point in the run was just what we all needed! If this was mile 11 during a torrential downpour, I am so curious what the course would be like during some good weather!

I came across the finish in 2:16:17 which is not too shabby considering how stinkin' cold and soggy I was! 😂 I did receive the medal for the full marathon at the finish line. A lot of folks with marathon bibs were not accepting those medals, which I totally get. I decided to accept the full marathon medal, although it will hang on my half marathon medal rack. I think this medal has a great story behind it, and I will always remember this race weekend whenever I look it!

Note the quick post-race wardrobe change 😂

After the race (and after having the opportunity to shower and warm up!) the family and I went out to grab lunch. While we were out I did receive an email that said all runners who were registered for the full marathon were able to register for a future Rock n' Roll marathon for free, which I really appreciated. I signed up for the 2022 Savannah marathon, with the hope that the third time I have registered for this race will be the charm! 😂 Big thank you to Rock n' Roll for giving this offer to your runners who had worked hard for 26.2 and making the best of a tough situation! Despite what other folks may think, I feel that Rock n' Roll did the best they could with the hand they were dealt.

Day 2 of the Rock n' Roll Savannah weekend was even more surprising than Day 1! 

I'll be posting my review of the Rock n' Roll 1-Miler very soon, so stay tuned!

2021 Race Plans, Including My First Ultra??? | Blogmas Day 30

Disclaimer: I received an entry into the Milwaukee Marathon to review 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 new year is right around the corner, which means it's time to talk about race plans for 2021! Obviously COVID is making things pretty unpredictable at the moment, but I have some exciting virtual events on my calendar for next year in addition to some in-person races, so regardless of what happens with the live events I'll be earning some virtual race bling! 😊 Here are my plans heading into 2021:

Virtual Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend
February 19-21, 2021

I had such a blast at Princess Weekend in 2020 that when it went virtual for 2021 I knew I had to participate! Obviously running around my neighborhood will not be the same as running around Walt Disney World, but I am so excited to dress up and earn my medals! I'll be participating in all 3 races this time around - the 5K, the 10K, and the half marathon - which means I'll be getting 4 medals - one for each race + one for the Fairy Tale Challenge (10K + half marathon)! As a bonus, my mom will be virtually running the 5K with me, so I'm sure we'll try to coordinate and run it at the same time!

Yeti Ultra 24 Hour Challenge
March 13-14, 2021

5 miles every 4 hours for 24 hours. You can't complete the miles all at once and you have to complete the miles within 24 hours. I saw so many of the runners I follow on Instagram take this challenge on back in May and I am so intrigued by it! When I saw folks signing up again for the 2021 challenge, I knew I had to hop on board. This will be my first ultra (!!!) and because it's virtual, I have anywhere from January 1st to April 1st to complete the challenge. I'm thinking I'm going to shoot to run it the weekend of March 13 & 14 because that it the weekend I have to complete my longest run for Milwaukee training anyway. May as well do 30 miles in 24 hours instead of 20 miles all at once, I guess? 😅

Milwaukee Marathon
April 10, 2021

As y'all know, I'm signed up to run the 2021 Milwaukee Marathon with Team BibRave! It sounds like the race organizers feel fairly confident that the race will be in-person for this year and that the City of Milwaukee has been supportive in letting it remain that way. Of course, anything can change at any moment, but I'm hopeful that I'll be heading to Wisconsin this April for marathon & state #15! (If you'd like to join me, head over to runmilwaukee.com and use code "BR10" for 10% off your registration!)

Rock n' Roll Savannah Marathon Weekend
November 6-7, 2021

This is a race that I was supposed to run in 2020 that - of course - was cancelled. I'm hoping that Rock n' Roll is able to host some of their events in 2021 because I really did enjoy my time in New Orleans in February! The Rock n' Roll Savannah race weekend also has a 1 mile race which I may sign up for in order to snag a Remix medal as well (every RnR weekend offers a Remix Challenge which is completing 2 races in one weekend).

Rock n' Roll San Antonio Marathon Weekend
December 4-5, 2021

This is currently the last race I have on my calendar for 2021, and it actually came about it a really weird way. I was singed up to run the Rock n' Roll Seattle Marathon in 2020, which of course was cancelled. We were notified a few months later that Seattle would no longer host a full marathon as part of their race weekend, so we were offered to defer to a number of other cities in 2021. Almost all of the options were either states I've already completed, or dates that I knew were incompatible with my work schedule. The Rock n' Roll San Antonio Marathon Weekend, however, was both in a state I hadn't completed yet AND on a compatible weekend, so that's what I ended up picking! I'll (hopefully) be in Texas next December running another 26.2! Like Savannah, I'll probably end up doing a Remix challenge for funsies (and extra race bling!) 🤩

Other Races I'm Considering...

It's really difficult to commit yourself to a race during a pandemic, because you're just not certain if they will be happening or not. It's kind of like gambling your money! But here are some other races that I'm looking to potentially shoot for in 2021. Hopefully I can do at least some of these!

#RunNH Challenge
Summer - EOY 2021

I've been having such a great time doing the #RunMA Challenge this year that I would love to do another one of Millenium Running's virtual distance challenges! Because I grew up in New Hampshire, I'd love to take on their signature #RunNH Challenge in 2021 (if they're offering it!). There isn't any information available on whether or not this will be happening in 2021 yet, but if it is, count me in!

Baltimore Marathon
October 9, 2021

The Baltimore Running Festival will be celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and this is a race I've been eyeing for a while. In 2019, I said if I didn't get into Chicago that I would attempt the Baltimore Marathon/Atlantic City Marathon Double in 2020. Well, I did get into Chicago which was the original plan, and then the pandemic hit and everything got cancelled. Currently I've planned to defer my Chicago entry until at least 2022 (and possibly 2023) to hopefully give me a better chance of running the race without COVID cancellations putting that in jeopardy, so now I have a free October in 2021 and now seems like the perfect time to go for the double! 😱 This would be my first double, but as it's relatively close (Baltimore is ~6 hours driving, AC ~5 hours) I think it's a great one to start with!

Atlantic City Marathon
TBA (Likely October 10, 2021)

The second half of the double! This race has not put out any information about 2021 yet, which I hope is not a bad sign for the fate of this race, but if it works out and it lands on the same Sunday that it generally lands on, then I'll probably sign up for this marathon as well and knock out 2 states in one trip. Obviously it all depends on COVID developments (as all of these races do), but I'd love to see the AC Marathon go off in 2021!

These races are probably not the only things I'll be running next year. I'll probably have a few more virtuals added to my list, as well as some things for BibRave to plan for, but for now this is what my 2021 race calendar is looking like. My hope is to have many more in-person races (as I'm sure it's the hope for runners everywhere!), but if that's not the case next year, I'll still make the best of running in 2021 the same way I have in 2020. Wishing all of you runners out there many more happy and healthy miles in 2021! 🥂