Race Review: 🎶 2020 Virtual Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon 🍺

Disclaimer: I received an entry to the Smuttynose Rockfest Half 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!

 

This weekend I had the opportunity to run the Virtual Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon! It had been a loooong time since the last time I ran 13.1 miles (since MARCH!) so I went into this race with the plan to take it nice and slooooooow and to enjoy each mile as much as possible. I was bummed that I couldn't be running on the coast of New Hampshire for this run, but I wanted to make the most of it! I had a great time enjoying the crisp fall air, and even vlogged my experience on my Instragram story which you can find in my BibRave Pro highlight on my profile!

I tried to keep my run right around an 11 minute pace, and it looks like I was right on the money! I'm really happy with how the run went. I will say that my legs started to feel the impact of the run around miles 9 and 10, but for the most part I was feeling really great for not having captured this distance in MONTHS! I was so happy to finally finish up my run and have it go as smoothly as it did. Because my race goody bag hasn't come in the mail yet, I decided to pose with a pumpkin as my finish line ~bling~ because my race outfit made me look eerily similar to a pumpkin. 🎃😂 I am excited to get my race swag in the mail to officially celebrate. Check out some photos of what I'll be getting below!

Race bib & sticker!

Quarter-zip sweatshirt!

Race medal!

I'll definitely be posting my swag over on Instagram once it arrives, so stay tuned for that!

After arriving home, I indulged in some puppy kisses, a nice hot shower, and a breakfast sandwich before logging on to the virtual finish line celebration on Facebook Live. Fellow BibRave Pro Ryan from IRunonBeer hosted the event which was so cool! One of the big draws of the live Rockfest event in Hampton, NH is the finish line party where you get to indulge in craft beer, lobster rolls, and live music. During the Facebook Live event, there was live musical performances, recipes to DIY your own lobster rolls at home, and Ryan even taught us how to create an at-home beer tasting! There was also plenty of opportunities to enter into giveaways for future race entries into some of Loco Running's upcoming events.

It was so much fun to chat along with my fellow Rockfest runners and enjoy some comradery even though we were all just hanging out in our own homes. One of the hard things about virtual racing is that it's tough to create that finish line feeling of joy and accomplishment when you're running by yourself in your own neighborhood. I think Loco Running did a fantastic job of recreating the finish line festival, and it felt great to have a commemorative moment after achieving another 13.1!

The rest of the day was spent lounging with Snowy and watching football. I also picked out a Smuttynose beer to enjoy as I lazed around for the rest of the afternoon - the Smuttynose Mysterious Haze Double Dry-Hopped New England IPA! I actually really enjoyed this beer and it's exactly what I look for in an IPA: juicy-yet-hoppy with a citrusy taste. 10/10 would recommend.

Overall, I really enjoyed my experience with the Smuttynose Rockfest Virtual Half Marathon. Race directors are having to make some seriously difficult decisions this year in order to make their races as safe as possible, but I know that they're trying their hardest to recreate the racing experience to the best of their ability. I really feel like Loco Running did a great job with Rockfest, and I would absolutely love to run the in-person event in future years. I definitely recommend that you do the same, and hopefully we can run together in person in the future! 🧡🍻

Chicago is CANCELLED 😭

Disclaimer: I received entry to Smuttynose Rockfest Half 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 2020 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, scheduled for Sunday, October 11, and race weekend activities have been canceled by event organizers and the City of Chicago in response to the ongoing public health concerns brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. pic.twitter.com/ASTBlFbIEX

— Chicago Marathon (@ChiMarathon) July 13, 2020

I got this notification on my phone in the middle of a meeting this afternoon. I know I was expecting it but I'm still just so BUMMED to see it in writing! The 2020 Chicago Marathon has been cancelled and will not be running as scheduled this October. 😭 If you remember from my last post, Brett and I were making bets on how far into my training I would be when we officially got the news. He said 8 weeks, I said 5. Turns out we were both wrong, as today would have begun my fourth week of training (if you could call it that lol)! As disappointed as I might be, I am already thinking of the positives:

1. I no longer have to wonder about when the announcement will finally come. Being on the hook about this race has really messed with my mental game and I've found it really hard to focus or stay motivated to go out on runs.

2. As a direct result of #1, I honestly haven't been consistent with my training for Chicago. Now that I know for a fact that it is cancelled, I can focus back on other aspects of my physical health like flexibility and strength training which have definitely suffered during the quarantine. I'll add back in mileage after I've had the chance to work on these other pieces of my fitness!

3. I still (as of now) have Smuttynose to look forward to this October! I know that other races in NH have been running in the last few weeks, so I'm hopeful that I'm still able to head up to Hampton in early October to run the Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon. I'm hopeful that because it is a smaller local race it will hopefully be able to remain on as planned, but I guess we'll just have to wait to find out. If you're interested in joining me in October at the Rockfest Half, head over to hamptonrockfest.com and use code "SAVE10" for 10% off your registration!

4. Depending on how the situation in Florida develops (it's not doing great right now, y'all), I still might be able to visit my parents on the weekend Chicago was originally scheduled, and maybe even run another race while I'm down there! I'm not entirely sure what the smartest decision is for that right now, but we'll keep an eye on it and potentially take another trip in 2020.

5. Chicago's contingency plan is GREAT! They're offering either a refund or a deferral to 2021, 2022, or 2023. I'm so glad that they're being so flexible with their runners. I might defer to 2023 because I'm not entirely confident that we'll be out of the woods yet this time next year, or even the year after that, but I'm going to give myself to think about it before making a final call.

6. I still have one marathon on the 2020 race calendar - Rock n' Roll Savannah in November - so we'll see if I'll be running another 26.2 come the fall. There might still be hope, y'all! 🙃

So, at the end of the day, everything's going to be fine. I'm glad I have time to refocus on my fitness, and perhaps get my head back in the game when it comes to training. I want to find discipline and motivation again. I want to keep showing up for myself. Now that Chicago has been cancelled (or really postponed, since I'll definitely be running this race in my future!), I feel like the pressure is off a bit and I have room to grow and recenter as an athlete.

How are you feeling about the Chicago cancellation?

Do you have any races still on your 2020 calendar?

I'M IN!!!: Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon 2020

Disclaimer: I received entry to the Smuttynose Rockfest Half 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!

As I continue to build up my 2020 marathon calendar*, I'm noticing a severe lack of shorter distances lined up for myself. I tend to prefer stay local when it comes to non-marathon distances (because you know, MONEY) so I was thrilled when the opportunity to run the Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon with Team BibRave came about! I knew I had to jump at the chance and I am so excited to say that I'll be toeing the line in Hampton Beach on October 4th wearing my very best orange gear. 🧡

The Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon has been a race I've been wanting to run since I started running long distances. It's in Hampton Beach, NH during one of the best times of the year in New England, and, from what I hear, has an *unreal* after party for its runners! Being a Southern NH girl myself, I am so excited to head back to my old stomping grounds and run along the coastline of what I will always consider to be my home state. I hope you all consider running the Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon or 5K this October with me!

RUNNER PERKS

-13.1 or 3.1 miles of scenic New Hampshire coastline during one of the best times of the year in NH!

-Tired of getting a t-shirt with every race you run? Well, for this race you get a participant FLEECE! I'm so psyched about this!

-Access to the Smuttynose Rockfest after party featuring a festival including live music, beer (21+), and tons of delicious food!

It's going to be such a fun day and I cannot wait to head to Hampton Beach in the fall. I'll be sharing my training updates and more details about the race during the months leading up to October. If you're interested in registering for this race and running with me, head over to hamptonrockfest.com and use "SAVE10" for 10% off your race registration. Prices increase on Friday, January 24th so register soon for your best possible price!

*Seriously, y'all - it's getting out of hand. More on that on a later date.