1) Incorporate a strong hill training plan: I recommend this one: http://www.andreaheser.com/blog/2017/11/19/my-two-tried-and-true-training-plans. Runner's World magazine had a hill training plan and I made sure to follow it. My legs & lungs thanked me on race day.

2) Look at other runners data: I planned ahead and searched course data from other runners on Strava so I was 100% aware of the hills at the last 3 miles and I was thankful they didn't beat me down.

3) Preview the course: Two weeks prior to race day, I previewed the course with my friend and ran 6 miles of the toughest hills in the middle of the race. I was thankful I did because I knew what to expect. We also drove the entire course to see how the ending was.

4) Arrive early: Parking is kinda sparse in Fountain Hills. It will be dark out so arrive early so you can snag a good spot. Since the streets are so dark, I made a wrong turn that wasted 10 minutes of my time. Use GPS or a map and you'll be fine.

I put a 2-star rating for expo because the staff at Road Runner were not the most friendliest. That was a bummer.

Disclaimer: I ran this race for free through Beast Pacing. My pace group was for the 2:45 half finishers and it was important that I had a dedicated training plan for this race so I wouldn't let my group down.

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