Latest reviews by Mai Khuong

(2022)
"Challenging, but 100% worth it"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management

I DID IT YA'LL! I completed the Big Sur Marathon on 4/25/2022 with a time of 4:44:55 and I couldn't be happier. So many thoughts flooded my brain, but the main one was OMG, I am never doing this marathon again. LOL I kept repeating it over and over again to my boyfriend as he kept telling me how proud he was of me for crushing the distance. Haha.
That being said, if anyone is considering doing this race at any of the distances (5k, 12k, 11 miler, 21 miler, marathon), I'd still recommend it for the views. If you can keep up with the time limits, I think it's 100% a race worth running at least once in your life. See below for my race weekend recap. :)

Day before the race: <We headed to the expo at the Monterey Conference center, picked up our bibs and our collapsible cups (to reduce race waste), ate brunch, and walked around to explore. There is a pier near the Monterey Coast Guard where all the sea lions and on occasion, sea otters like to hang out there and we were able to see a few sea otters frolicking in the ocean. We even saw one eat a crab. Best part was that it was free. :) Shortly after sightseeing for a bit, we went back to our AirBnB and called it at night at 7 pm.

Morning of the race: This year, the race started a bit earlier than other years with a start time around 6:40 am. This meant that our bus pick up time was 3:30 am. That's right folks. 3:30 am. It takes a little over an hour for the buses to pick you up and drop you off at the start line for the marathon and then they need to get out of the course so that the staff can set up the finish line. The course is windy and it's dark so the buses need that time to safely navigate their way to the drop off point. Thank you bus drivers for keeping all of us safe. :) Anyway, the takeaway from this section is WEAR WARM CLOTHES AND CHECK YOUR GEAR IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DISCARD THEM. I don't know where my brain was at when I decided to just wear a few layers on top with my capris and that I'd be fine. It is COLD in the morning (low 50s) and we were waiting about an hour and a half until we started. I luckily had brought those packets that warm up when exposed to air so I held those in my hands to keep them warm until the start.

The race: The start of the race is fairly quick. There were 5 corrals and each of them were dismissed within 2 minutes each. The marathoners start downhill, which is really nice, but also misleading as the rest of the course is not that downhill. LOL. Once you hit the 5 mile mark where the 21 milers start, the elevation starts to increase. At mile 10, the climb up to Hurricane point, the highest point of the course, begins. It's practically a 2 mile climb and it's intense. Part way through, there are Taiko drummers who encourage you to keep going. If that doesn't help, the views should keep you going. It's so beautiful out on the course and there are parts of the course that just open up to these views where you can't help but stop off to the side and snap a few or ten photos. I should know. I took several and I'm not usually one to stop for photos. After you reach Hurricane point, you start to head back down towards Bixby bridge and a mile out, you'll hear the lovely sounds of the piano player that's always there. It's like he's greeting you with his song. :)

After Bixby bridge, it's honestly all kind of a blur. This year's winds were grueling. We had lots of headwind and as we were making the climbs up those hills, the struggle felt never ending. Towards mile 21, I started feeling tight and I had to dramatically decrease my pace and start a run/walk method. Whatever gets you to the finish line, right? :) Despite this race being one of my most difficult races, I feel like it was the most rewarding because it was challenging.

Post race: Honestly, I was in so much pain and after whining to my boyfriend that I'd never do this again, I picked up some post race snacks that the volunteers gave us and headed out. I did really appreciate that there was a quick exit and that I could reunite with friends so soon after rather than go through a maze to get to the exit.

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(2021)
"Third time was not the charm - Another sub 2 half attempt missed"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management

You'd think that the third time was the charm, but alas, my dream of a sub 2 half at this race was dashed the moment I rolled my ankle 2 days before the race while walking on a sidewalk. LOL.

Honestly though, I had such a great race experience despite the rolled ankle. Packet pick up was on Friday and Saturday and I took the day off and picked mine up on Friday at Road Runner Sports. As usual, they had discounts for runners at the store who were picking up the bib. My bib also came with a Craft Classic tank.

Race day was a little different this time around. Rather than shuttle to the start line, we all parked at the start line and shuttled back after crossing the finish line. That meant that I could catch a few more winks before getting to the start, which I was eternally grateful. I'm just not a morning person. Hehe. I parked at a high school and walk about 0.8 miles to the start. It was a pretty good warm up if you ask me. :)

Weather held up quite nicely. The past two times I've raced it, it would be warm and quite humid, but the race this year had nice cloud coverage for most of the race and I didn't overheat!

The course was the same as the previous 2 times I've run it (see prior reviews) and every time I race, I forget about how the king of the hill just destroys me. The first half of the course is more or less downhill so the recommendation is to try and cut off a few extra minutes at the beginning if you can. My ankle was a bit sore so I couldn't attempt this strategy. After 3 miles, my ankle started to loosen up a bit and I was able to increase my pace, but I was 3 minutes short of the 2 hour cut off. Shucks.

It was my first in person road race since the pandemic and it was just such a great time to see everyone at the start/finish line. Thanks Craft Classic for such a great return to road racing. I had so much fun!

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(2019)
"Mind over matter - Racing in 80F weather"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
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Getting to the race was a breeze. We took the race day shuttle at 5:15 am from the Grand Isle Resort and arrived shortly before the race at 6 am for the half marathon. The marathoners had already begun at 4 am. In its 5th year, there were 3 ultra marathoners (50k), 3 marathoners, 11 half marathoners, and a LOT of 10k, 5k, and 2kers. There were also cash prizes for the longer distances – $500 for the first female and male finishers. So if you were a marathoner or an ultra marathoner, you had a really good chance of winning. In fact, my fellow Pro Chris won the marathon and smashed the course record by an hour at 4 hours and 35 min.

I do not do so well in humid and warm weather so I ran a moderate 2:28:04, which actually put me in 10th place. The temperature when I finished? 83F. The course starts out around a lake and with the sunrise, it’s a beautiful sight. You’re running along the streets and it is not blocked off from traffic so staying to the sides is important. There were also some wildlife (ie stray dogs) that made the course a bit more interesting and definitely kept me on my toes. For the half marathon, there were 7 aid stations, which were greatly appreciated. I grabbed an ice cold water bottle at every station and kept it until I got to the next one. We had great cloud cover for the first half of the race, but on the second half, the sun came out and I more strategically did a run/walk to get me to the finish.

In all honesty, I didn’t think I could finish this half. I had done a 3 mile shake out run around the resort the day before and melted. Running 4x that amount in the weather was beyond what I thought I could do. But I did it. I ran it and I completed my 30th half marathon. At the finish line, they called random bib numbers for giveaways and their grand prize was actually a week long stay at the Grand Isle Resort. That’s a $7000 value. Sadly, I did not win, but I did get a really cute swimming pig medal from the race along with a cute pig plush.

Overall, it was a fun experience and pushed me past what I thought I could do. :)

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(2019)
"Long Beach Love at the Half"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management

Expo

Parking for bib pick up is tricky as the expo is held at the Long Beach Convention Center and so parking is a little difficult to find. We parked a few blocks away and walked over to avoid spending $10+ to park at the center itself. Once parked, bib pick up was easy peasy. They do have metal detectors so don't be carrying any knives with you when you enter. :) I picked up my bib, shirt, some last minute supplies, found my name on their banner and out I went. They also sell parking passes for the following day if needed. 

Race Day 

The half marathon started at 7:30 so I was dropped off around 7 and made my way to the starting area. The full started at 6 and both the half/full courses circle back towards the start around mile 6 so we all got to cheer on the marathoners as they passed us by.

The start for the half was smooth sailing. I found myself near a 1:55 pacer and ran with them knowing full well that I haven't been able to run that fast in a few years or so. LOL. I knew it was too fast a pace to keep with my training for this race, but I was being stubborn as usual and held on for as long as I could. Apparently that was 7 miles and honestly, it was a glorious 7 miles. I am a crazy person and love rolling hills and turns and for the first 7 or so miles, there are a lot of it. I had a blast running along the course and seeing all the sights for those first set of miles.

Then, at mile 7, it straightens out and you're just along the beach for 3 miles before you make your way back towards the finish. That part was brutal. Since the race started at 7:30 am, by the time I got to mile 7, it was around 8:30 and the sun was out beating down on us with no shade. Luckily, I brought shades and a visor, but yeahhhh, I was pretty drained from the sun. For miles 10-12, I was on the struggle bus. I started run/walking and beating myself up for not being faster. I also forgot my flip belt and body glide, which meant that I was holding my phone the entire race AND got some unwanted chafing. No bueno. :( Luckily, my friend was stationed at mile 12 and once I saw her, I quickened my pace and headed to the finish. HOORAY! 

I didn't get to enjoy much of the post-race festivities as I was super duper tired and couldn't reach anyone due to low cell reception. I did enjoy the coconut water, which I chugged down in a minute. LOL. 

Pro tips

Bring a hat/shades for that stretch along the beach. If it's not overcast, the sun will take a toll on your body (unless you train in a hot climate). 

If you are planning on meeting anyone, make sure to have a plan before you race. That way, they know where to meet you. Due to the congestion of all the runners, cell reception is extremely poor and I didn't get reception until I left the area. 

If you are planning on getting picked up, walk a few blocks out of the convention center. Your driver will 100% appreciate it as there is quite a bit of traffic due to the road closures. 

Enjoy the course! When I wasn't beating myself up about being faster, I had a lovely time! LOL.

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(2019)
"A Humbling Half Marathon "
Overall
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If I could describe the San Diego Craft Classic in one word, it would be humbling. I had run the Craft Classic before when it was in July and I remembered it being okay. It was a bit of a challenge, but I remember doing well enough that I didn’t think about preparing much going into the race. Let’s start from the beginning, shall we?

The morning of the race, I wasn’t feeling particularly confident, but thought it’d be fine. I wasn’t planning on PRing or anything and I knew there’d be hills so there’d be no reason to race 110% just to die at the hills. The humidity was high and I vaguely remember it being similarly humid two years ago when I last ran it. Although last time, I had a hydration vest, which is what I should have done this time around.

Fast forward to the start of the race. I, of course, started out way too quickly. I was at the start of the wave and since the first part of the race is somewhat bottle necked, I took this opportunity to stay ahead of the wave. Mistake #1. I clocked my first mile in at a sub 8. Shit I thought. “I need to slow down.” Only I didn’t. I was trying to push through and tell myself that it’s only 12 more miles and that it’d be over before I knew it. Mistake #2.

It wasn’t.

The first half of the course is predominantly downhill and if you don’t pace yourself, you will burn out like I did in the second half. Did I mention that the second half is mostly uphill? Yep. I knew that going in too because my bib outlined the course elevation perfectly and I was just too dumb to ignore it. Not to mention, the humidity was destroying my body’s ability to regulate temperature. I was sweating, but because it was humid, the sweat wasn’t evaporating and I wasn’t cooling down. So I tried to take it easy the second half. I walked up most hills and struggled to run even down some. At mile 12, there is one last major hill and of course, my body freaked out. My chest had tightened and honestly, I was angry as hell. I was upset I wouldn’t finish the race. LOL. I walked up most of the hill, took deep breaths, and luckily, the tightness disappeared. I was able to jog to the finish post-hill and whew, I was exhausted. I chugged water at the aid stations and was taking in whatever electrolytes they had. I had to pass on the free beer, but was glad to see friends have their fill of it. After 30 minutes in the shade, I felt better and even took part in their free massages, which I would highly recommend post-race.

A few days before the race, I had gotten a migraine that lasted about 2 days. I thought I was dehydrate or going through caffeine withdrawal so I took some advil and drank lots of water. The migraine had lessened on Saturday so I figured I’d be okay.

Bib Pick Up was at Road Runner Sports so I quickly drove down, got my bib, my cute “One a beer run” tank, my pint glass, and was on my way. This race isn’t huge so there really isn’t an expo, but since it’s held at a running shoe store, there’s usually some type of discount given to runners at the store. In this case, it was 20% off.

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