How the Rock ‘n Roll Marathon Series combined my love for fitness and travel
In 2016 I was looking for a way to get back on my fitness track. I was in school and working full time and needed to find way back into a workout routine. I had always been a part of a team and had a goal to work towards. I knew these were things that were important to me. I ran in three cities in 2015: Dallas, Chicago and Las Vegas for the Rock ‘n Roll Marathon Series. I knew they gave out different medals for running so many cities in a row so I set a goal to run 10 half marathons in 2016.
I had been running for a long time and knew to accomplish a goal this big I needed to get back into the gym. I wanted to add weights and build up my strength again. This is when I found Orangetheory Fitness. It came into my life at the most perfect time. It combined running, weights and rowing (something that always interested me in other gyms, but I never knew if I was doing it right). I found a community of friends and coaches that pushed me and supported the goals I had set for myself. I started at a studio in New Albany, OH and it felt so great to be a part of a team again. I would show up and get coached through the whole hour, always feeling great when I was done. I was sold. This was it. This was the gym that was going to help me run through 10 cities in the U.S. that year.
Here are the 10 cities I completed that year with the things I liked or didn’t like about each course:
New Orleans, LA
What a fun city! I had convinced my good friends Sam, Meghan and Stephen to fly down and we were visiting out friend Conor who was in law school. My friend Ellie was also there for work. Ellie and Stephen signed up to run the race too. I got there a day early and Conor and I went out to tour a beautiful plantation. We spent the weekend exploring (and drinking our way) through Bourbon Street. The café au lait and beignets at Café du Monde lived up to everything that I had heard and I went there twice. The course was, as expected, so flat which was a great first course for the year and we ran right after Mardi Gras so there were beads strewn throughout the whole course with local jazz bands and DJs placed throughout too. At mile 12 there was a couple handing out Jell-O Shots which gave me just the right amount of sugar (and vodka J) to breeze through the last mile. We did it and it was such a fun weekend!
Dallas, TX
Dallas is always a fun place for me to visit because my good friend Victoria typically drives up from Austin and we have a girls weekend full of two step, mimosas and Kendra Scott. This was exactly like that. We got the biggest mimosas I had ever seen at the Anvil in Deep Ellum, went to (Ask Victoria name of country bar), grabbed some new Kendra Scott, ran the half marathon and found out that she was expecting her sweet baby boy due later that fall. It was a perfect weekend because March Madness was also going on and I got to watch tons of basketball in the sunshine (something we don’t get a lot of in Ohio in March).
Raleigh, NC
Raleigh was such an interesting experience, let me tell you. I grabbed my friend Joey because I know how much he likes North Carolina and thought it was April, driving ten hours south it must be warmer than Ohio. WRONG! It was the coldest race I have ever participated in (and I have ran in December in Cleveland). The weekend was off to a shaky start when I got my first speeding ticket, unfamiliar with the changing speeds along the highway. Then we got up and did a mini scavenger hunt around downtown Raleigh, which is very businessy so everything appeared to be closed. Then I got up to run and it was less than 32 degrees. My body never did warm up and I had was definitely in shape for this race. I remember getting to mile 10 thinking that my knees hurt so badly I didn’t know if I could run the last 5k. I took a minute to walk and stretch and I got through it. Grabbed my medals and just thought thank goodness Joey is with me to drive home J.One step closer to my goal.
Nashville, TN
The city of music and HILLS! Be sure to throw incline or hills into your workout before you run in this city. The course was so beautiful and so fun. I loved the people and the energy that was present on race day. The morning started off with a huge storm that rolled through. Everyone left their corrals to take cover anywhere they could. It was so eerie when it stopped and everyone came out from their cover- it was almost like an episode of The Walking Dead where the streets just started to fill up with people. I shotgunned a beer with another woman at mile 5 from a cooler in a spectator’s front yard. I saw a man (at a Bachelor party) pay $200 to see the band play Devil Went Down to Georgia at Honky Tonk. Nashville was such a great mix of running, live music and brunches (I recommend the charred pineapple mule at Tavern).
San Diego, CA
This was my first trip ever to California and I can see why people love it so much. The quick access to desert, beaches and mountains will make anyone fall in love. I met up with my friend Nick for the few days I spent out there. We bought Groupon tickets for an ocean kayak trip ($20 each) at Everyday California in La Jolla. Easily the best thing we did. The moment my kayak was pushed out into the water a dolphin swam right under it. The guide told us lots of stories about Dr. Seuss inspirations and we paddled over to see the sea lions and caves. I love being on the water and this experience was the best. We also went to dinner and a piano bar in Gaslamp Quarter which I thought was such a cool part of town. It was so lively and lit up at night. I got up SUPER early to run the course which was medium I would say. There were some hills here and there but it looped around the zoo which I really enjoyed. After the race my friends took me out to see Coronado Island which is a must see if you are stopping out in San Diego. It has an amazing view of downtown San Diego (pictured below) and lots of good restaurants.
Chicago, IL
I have ran this course three times now and it remains one of my favorites. I love the flatness of it and the city views are incomparable to another city in this series. The last 3 miles are all along Lake Michigan which is gorgeous and the breeze is a lifesaver after 10 miles throughout downtown in the July heat. The course ends in Grant Park where there is a concert waiting to soak up the sunshine and drink a very much deserved beer. My favorite concert I saw for free (thanks for Rock ‘n Roll) was Andy Grammer. He is awesome and has such a fun stage presence. The food in Chicago can’t be beat either. I got to spend the weekend with my friend Anna and we celebrated my friend Sam’s birthday, which has become a summer tradition for us. I was over half way to my goal and more motivated than ever.
Philadelphia, PA
Philly was a last minute decision to run in because I needed one more city to guarantee that I would hit 10 that year and boy was it a great decision. Philadelphia not only has great cheesesteaks and the liberty bell, but a course that winds all along a river through the most beautiful scenery ending on the “Rocky” steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I took a quick flight to Washington, D.C. and met up with my friend from college Bryan who drove us over to the Philly. We spent a day walking around and exploring getting ready for the big race. We watched The Ohio State Buckeyes at Fox & Hound. Race day was absolutely perfect weather and when I got into my corral a man in a neon green shirt was standing in front of me with the same company name as the man who gave me a business card in the San Diego airport. I thought “wow- what a sign!” so I tapped him on the shoulder and starting chatting. He gave me his email as we were jogging to the starting line. I ran a great race and enjoyed music in the park that afternoon before my flight back to Columbus.
Denver, CO
Everyone warned me that Denver would be difficult due to elevation so I tried to be smart in my preparation for this race. Six weeks out I thought I would pick up a book at the library to help me train for elevation. I checked out a book for endurance running and read the first few pages that said it takes two weeks to acclimate to the environment. I was only going out two days before the event because I had limited PTO so I immediately closed and returned the book to the library. Ok plan B, run my race, take me time, enjoy the scenery and pray that I didn’t get a bloody nose. I flew out and was visiting my friends Lauren and Sam who had moved there a couple of years prior. We went to a karaoke bar called Voicebox for a birthday party and I highly recommend anyone going out there with a group check this place out. It was so much fun and so reasonable for drinks and a karaoke booth. The course was slightly challenging but definitely not impossible. The course runs all throughout downtown with the mountain peeking through the buildings here and there, then all of a sudden you are immersed in City Park for a couple of miles. One thing I love about running is that you meet the nicest people at the right times on a course. Right when you are feeling tired or want to walk for just a second someone will come up and say “you got this” or “don’t quit now, you’ve been my pacer this whole time” and it gives you the high you need to overcome that one difficult moment that day. I am in love with the state of Colorado, as is everyone I know who visits for the amount of friendships, mountains and time spent in the outdoors that it has given me on every visit. Plus Sam and Lauren have samoyeds so who wouldn’t love to cuddle with a ball of fluff after 13.1 miles.
Las Vegas, NV
VIVA LAS VEGAS! I ran the Las Vegas course in both 2015 and 2016. Both we so exciting and the course is extremely flat. The course is straight down and back, starting out by the airport when the sun is going down and ending at Treasure Island with the sounds of canons going off. The whole strip is lit up and there is an energy on this course like nowhere else due to the fact that there are always so many people along the route. I had convinced my friends Megan and Meghan J to fly out with me for a quick weekend full of fun. We stayed at the Flamingo hotel (ballin’ on a budget) and spent the whole first night we landed in the casino (typical). The next day we pushed through on minimal sleep and I picked up my packet at the convention center, shuttled back to the hotel, put on a swimsuit and went to one of the only pools open in Las Vegas in November. The Cosmopolitan is easily one of my favorite places in Las Vegas. From the chandeliers, to the casino, dining, pool and club it truly has everything in one spot. We had a cabana at the pool party in the Cosmopolitan, where we drank overpriced drink, had a splash party and met the most interesting people. After this we had burgers and boozy milkshakes at Holsteins! It was amazing! From here we were all pretty tired so we went back to the hotel and napped, waking up a few hours later and Meghan and I went out to play video poker and ride the roller coaster at New York-New York. Travel tip: it’s important to look cute, but also make sure your shoes are comfortable enough to walk long distances in. The next day we woke up and checked out of the hotel. I had to run at 4pm so we had some time to kill. We went and rode the High Roller, a 550 foot Ferris wheel making it the largest in the world. Rock ‘n Roll courses always have a concert after the race, but since this was at night they opted to do it in the afternoon before the race. We partied with Snoop Dogg and I was so hyped up to run as the sun started to set. As I said this is a course that every runner should have on their list. You will not only see the strip, but it runs through Old Las Vegas and you will witness runners renewing their vows or even getting married at chapels on the side of the course. It is very unique and one of my favorites.
San Antonio, TX
I am here! I made it! This will be my tenth half marathon completed in the Rock ‘n Roll Marathon Series in 2016. Bring on the bling at the finish line and celebrations. Oh I also turned in my last paper to complete my MBA and accepted a job at a top consulting firm! I accomplished all the goals that I set out to that year and I was getting to visit one of my very kindest friends, Victoria, and her brand new baby boy CJ. This was such a wonderful weekend spent with those that feel like family. No matter how far apart our visits are, we are constantly keeping up to date with each other. It was a cloudy Sunday morning and I was hoping the rain would hold off. It. Did. Not. I got through the first 3 miles and then the rain started to come down. It was a drizzle that turned into a downpour very quick. Fun fact about San Antonio: It is not equipped to handle such a large amount of rain and the streets started to flood. By mile ten my shoes were so heavy and my clothes soaked that I just kept thinking it better not lightning because I made it this far into the course and I was digging deep to get that Gold Record Medal. I figured this was just an extra challenge that was going to make finishing this course even more worth it and it was. I was so excited to see the finish line because it felt like the last thing that I saw was the Alamo. My running joke (no pun intendedJ) was “Remember the Alamo? Yeah me too, it’s the last thing I saw in San Antonio until the finish line” haha. After the race I met back up with Victoria and we hit the road with her mom and baby CJ for Austin, TX where she is from. We, of course, stopped at Bucky’s half way for some food and because it is the coolest truck stop I have ever seen. Even with the rain Texas has a special piece of my heart for all the good times that I have when I am there. “The stars at night at big and bright…”
