So you've been to Vegas a thousand times, but have you ever run the Strip at night?!? That's exactly what I asked myself before registering for this race. This race was going to be my 4th marathon, and close out my 2014 year of running. Truly this is an EPIC race!

http://blessedrunner.com/rnrlv-marathon-recap/

If you like Vegas, this is an absolute must for you! Make it a mini-vacation or a family reunion - that's what I did! My sister from California, my other sister from Florida, and my dad from Maryland all came out to support me. They ended up volunteering at the finish line. More on that later....

Overall this race will forever have a special place in my heart. If I could do it all over I would have run the Half-Marathon. My only CON of this race is because the second half of the full was off the strip, in the dark, and very low energy. PRO: you get to RUN THE STRIP AT NIGHT!!!!

Around Mile 6 I was hurting because of an injury I sustained a few weeks prior. Knowing that I had 20 miles to go, I checked into a Medic station to wrap my ankle/foot. They were super friendly and helpful. After that the pain subsided, but the inner conflict continued. I called my sister to let her know I may opt to run the half, that I wasn't sure if I'd finish the full. She told me they just started their volunteer shift and wouldn't be done until 10pm. With that said, I ran on and as I approached the 9 mile mark, contemplating downgrading to running the half; thinking to myself I would disappoint my family who came all this way to watch me run a marathon, I decided to press on towards the original goal.

I decided to stay straight and continue on to complete the 26.2 miles. Only the full marathoners got to run through The Freemont Street Experience. It's an incredible outdoor shopping area, with restaurants, shopping, casinos, and billions of flashing lights! However once you left that area, as I mentioned earlier it became dark, cold, and lonely. There was a DJ somewhere around mile 18-20, which is were I managed to score some glow sticks which kept me entertained the entire rest of the marathon- I even crossed the finish line with them!

You end up running through the Freemont Street Experience again to get back to the Strip, as you head towards the finish line at the MGM Grand. Apart from the cold, running in the dark, being in excruciating pain most of the marathon - running past all the hotels that I've only seen from the sidewalks before, and all of their lights twinkling, shimmering and shining, made for quite the experience; but what made this marathon SO special for me was my family being at the finish line, putting my finishers medal around my neck. Therefore, I can say with confidence that I would HIGHLY recommend running the strip at night, and I will encourage you to consider this...the HALF is where the Party is at, and the WHOLE is truly a Marathon!

The 2014 Bank of America Chicago Marathon was not my best marathon performance, but it absolutely was an incredible experience! This was my third marathon, so there was some familiarity on what the process is like from preparing for the event, arriving and packet pickup, and all things leading up to race day.

I arrived into Chicago Midway International and caught the Orange Line Subway into Downtown Chicago to check into my hotel late afternoon on Saturday, checked into the hotel, dropped my bags, then made my way to the expo. I caught a cab and cut across town towards the Convention Center which is next to Soldier Field. We got stuck in traffic about 2 miles away from the Expo, so I paid the cab and had a spontaneous shakeout run to the convention center.

Upon arriving to the health & fitness expo it was amazing to be welcomed by so many signs, people, and personalities. The energy was exciting and you could feel the anticipation from other runners smiling with their family and friends. Security was very present, but the process to pick up your bib number was super smooth, and the Nike tech-tee was incredible! Super soft material, but ran a little small for my big mass.

Pro: The expo was HUGE and there were a ton of vendors with the latest and greatest things for runners of all shapes and paces. Even arriving just a few hours before closing the energy was electric!

Con: They ran out of all the official race swag. It's not really a con as much as my own fault for arriving just before closing.

Note to self: if you do decide to run this marathon, go on Friday to get all the sweet swag and partake in all the social meetups!

I couldn't sleep the night before the race. I was filled with anticipation, mostly because I had watched "The Spirit of the Marathon" no lie like 50 times! (If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend you watch it!) So the morning of the race came. I had to catch the Subway at 4:45am I believe (It's freakin early) in order to get to the starting line corrals.

I have to say that the race management, security, and logistics of the race were amazing! It was so well organized - hey it is a World Major Marathon - so it better be!

Upon arriving at the starting line, I entered at my designated zone. There was tight security and a ton of volunteers coordinating and directing runners to where they needed to be. There was a sea of port-a-potty stalls in every zone - the lines were 5-6 deep but went super fast; which is great when there are 45,000+ runners all converging in one place early in the cold Chicago morning.

The starting line is on Miracle Mile, and once the race began the vibe was SO electric, the views absolutely beautiful! It felt as though we were running on a current of cheers and celebration, taking in the architecture and anticipation of a flat-fast course. No joke the crowd was loud and non-stop for the first 4-6 miles. Aid stations were well staffed and served both water and Gatorade. There were first aid stations (medics) every 5-6 miles or so. I stopped to get IBU at mile 18 or 19 and they documented my name and bib number, then put a mark on my bib. The medics were both friendly and helpful.

I was hoping to PR this race, but around mile 22 I got major cramps in both my calves and that went out the window. So I hobbled through the next three miles and started to see the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. As you get closer to the finish line, the crowds begin to appear and the cheers get louder and louder. You have to cross a bridge (that's uphill) just before you make the final left turn downhill towards the finish line. Once you see it, it's a flat out sprint full of pure joy! Cross the finish line- you did it! It's an absolutely incredible race experience! I highly recommend this be on your bucket list of marathons to run!

This truly is an EPIC SUMMER RUN!

The 2014 Suja Rock n Roll San Diego Marathon is up there on my list of completed marathons! Why, for several reasons. It's San Diego in the Summer, it's a race, and it's the place to be if you are runner that connects with other runners on social media: Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!

http://blessedrunner.com/suja-rnrsd-marathon-recap/

The race is well organized, the course is challenging (hills for breakfast) but there was literally a club (DJ, music, strobelights the whole nine yards at mile 7 and 25) and the swag was definitely on point!

As with all other Rock n Roll events, the course entertainment makes for a fun and memorable journey towards the finish line. When I finished the race I told my sister "IT FREAKIN HOT!"...it was 72 degrees.

Plan a trip to San Diego next summer, enjoy the race and a mini-vacation. It's guaranteed to be an amazing race! I highly recommend this race to all runners!