Latest reviews by Katrina Plyler

(2020)
"Allstate Hot Chocolate Nashville"
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The Allstate Hot Chocolate 15k/5k in Nashville was such a great race! This was my first event in the Hot Chocolate series and I will definitely be back for more.

Since I was driving up the morning of the race, I opted to have my race bag with the FANTASTIC layered jacket mailed to me the week before the race. This jacket the best thing I’ve ever found in a race goodie bag. I have tons of race shirts, but this jacket beats them all.

Race morning was REALLY cold, for us folks in the south. Nashville temps at race time was 23*. We were all bundled in all the layers. The staggered start took a few minutes, but I greatly appreciated this for a larger race.

The course was very clearly marked. There was a split for the 5K and the 15K and there were signs and plenty of people to direct us to the right path. Both distances were out-and-back so the finish line was close to the starting line.

Aid stations with chocolate? Yes, please. We had water, Nuun electrolyte drink, and cups of mini chocolate wafers.
After the finish, we were directed to the field in Bicentennial Park. There was some confusion because there was a line of people for the finish time photos.

Many people thought that was the line for the finisher mugs with the hot chocolate. The clearly-marked “finisher mugs” tent was at the very end of the field.

Continuing with the great race theme, we received a bowl of chocolate goodness. It includes hot chocolate, dipping chocolate sauce, marshmallow, banana, pretzels, rice krispy treat, Honey Stinger waffle, and small rolled wafer cookie.

The hot chocolate was thick and very creamy. I was prepared for some watery, powderish stuff that tastes like a melted brown crayon. This was so rich and decadent.

I was very pleasantly surprised to see a Gluten Free Honey Stinger waffle. I checked and double-checked the ingredient list and it included a gluten-free flour blend. Just last September at a different race, I had to give away the Honey Stinger waffle because it had wheat flour.

On a frigid morning after this race, the hot chocolate was a great post-race treat.

Overall, this was such a great race. I greatly appreciated the Participant guide that we received before the race. I liked that the parking spaces were clearly detailed with driving maps. The website has plenty of information, FAQ’s, and resources to make for a great race day.

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(2019)
"I Love the 90's Nashville"
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The I Love the 90’s 5K in Nashville was a fantastic race! If you have a chance to race in any of the cities of Chicago, Nashville, or Oklahoma City I would highly recommend it.

The registration process was quick and easy. I didn’t have to go through pages of “promotional” magazine offers or donation pages to random things. I entered my information and shirt size. Easy.

Because I drove directly to the race, I used race-day pickup. This was very well-organized. The race event emailed a QR code a few days before the race. They scanned my code and I got my shirt and bib.
Head of the line was easy to find, thanks to the inflatable starting line. We had a big crowd of runners ready to go. The speakers were blasting the best of the party music from the 90’s.

The course was mostly shaded and easy to follow. We ran around Shelby Park on a wide foot path. Markers and cones kept the traffic going. I greatly appreciated the many trees to help with the temps. This part of the country is often overly warm in late September.

Two water stations had Nuun and water. Both stations had plenty of both choices and volunteers.
The finish line had water, Nuun, Honey stinger waffle, and a GameBoy MEDAL! This has to be one of the top 5 medals in my collection.

The post-race area was hopping with people getting their selfies and beer. There was plenty of space for people to walk around and enjoy the post-race fun.

Overall, this was a fantastic return to 5K racing. I loved the location, event course, and racer perks. If you have room on your 2020 race calendar, try to get to an I Love the 90’s Run.

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(2018)
"Rock 'n' Roll Savannah 2018"
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Without a doubt, Savannah is one of the most beautiful cities to enjoy racing. That’s why I came back to run Savannah again. After the expo the day before, I drove back to Hilton Head where we are vacationing and got in some beach time and then got some rest. I had an hour long drive to the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center. I love the free parking and ferry ride to the Historic district and start line. The starting line is right up a flight of rocky stairs from the docking area.
The crowd support was awesome! Plenty of people came out to cheer on the racers and at key times when we needed it the most.
After you cross the line, grab the medal first. Then, take all the Gatorade, granola bars, chocolate milk, bananas, trail mix, etc that is waiting for you. These are full-sized bottles and packages of serious post-race goodness.
After eating, I started the walk back to the river front to catch the ferry to the Convention center. It was gorgeous day and I loved this part of it. The race was finished, I had my medal, and I had a beach and my family waiting for me in Hilton Head. Thank you, Savannah. I’ll see you in a couple of years!

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(2016)
"Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans"
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I have so many emotions going that I’m having trouble with the words. I’m absolutely ecstatic to have this medal in my hand. It means 2 years of doubt are over. Those lingering questions about whether or not I could return to running are over. The answer is definitely YES!

As far as the race, this one was almost perfect. The crowd support was fantastic. We had people offer us beer, King Cakes, beignets, Chips Ahoy and other stuff that I could not eat. Gluten forever! I would have paid some coin for a banana. I committed almost every racing sin, including NOT having my own fuel. It’s like I forgot how many ways things can go wrong when running with a cranky pancreas. I had no gummies, gels, money, etc. The Gatorade and the 1 Glukos station were lifesavers…literally.

Another perk was French Quarter “real” bathrooms. I can’t say enough about that. I zipped into a public restroom and got in and out quickly. I saw several churches with signs offering their restrooms. I saw a few people go in and out of local businesses. From experience, I know that if the businesses didn’t want racers in there, those people would have ran back out. The local businesses seemed VERY race-friendly with restrooms.
The course was very well-marked. The only trouble I had was dealing with the road conditions. They reminded me of some rough roads in Mississippi…ankle-breakers. I saw more than one person face plant from the loose road grit.

As far as my race, I ran some, walked some, laughed a lot, and basically had an awesome time in my own head. Life is about to get hectic quick (moving…building a house) and I used race time to get my head straight. By the time I crossed the line, I was absolutely the happiest I have been in a very long time. When I finally found Stephen, the happy was off the charts. He is such a great race spectator partner.
Will I race in New Orleans again? Absolutely. It was a quick stay so we will definitely be back to do some exploring in the Big Easy.

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(2012)
"Twisted Ankle Trail Race in Pieces and Pictures"
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Number of miles: 13.2

Number of steps: 37,000 according to my Fitbit before it gave up and cried.

Number of peanut butter/jelly sandwiches: 3 total

Number of snakes I saw: 1

Number of bugs I ate: 4…One of those WITH the PB&J.

Number of times I cursed the ground Becky walks on: countless

Number of times since I finished that I said “I love Becky!!!”: countless

Becky is the creator of Becky's Bluff which is a torture device in this Sommerville, GA trail race.

Number of times I’ve completed a TA: 3

Number of times I will return: Until they scrape my body off the earth

This my absolute favorite trail race of my very short 6 year running adventure. It’s in Summerville, GA which is a 3.5 hour drive from my front door to the incense-filled doorway of the Coach Inn. If you like camping, go ahead and try to reserve some cabins now at the James A. “Sloppy” Floyd State Park. Otherwise, embrace the incense.

This year, things got a little interesting. In previous years, all the racers (I use that term lightly. I’m not racing anything but maybe a lizard or two) went around a lake, up Becky’s Bluff and then along the trail ridge for a few miles and then we all came back down to the finish line. Half crazies ran a few miles at the top, Full crazies ran a bunch more miles at the top and claimed they enjoyed it ;-).

BUT, this year, due to F-PAW (Federal Panties in A Wad), we couldn’t run on federal land which included most of the top of the trail ridge. So Becky, in her mad genius skills, decided to try to re-route the whole darn shebang instead of cancelling. That’s how trail runners roll….we get knocked downhill and come up smiling. We also have a polite way of telling people who mess with our trails to kiss it. The new route included 2 loops: Blue and Red. Half crazies ran each loop once. Full Certifiables ran both loops TWICE and that included hauling their cookies up Becky’s Bluff TWICE. Yeah, I’m not one of those. A one-time visit with the Bluff is plenty for me.

So, I ran it. I walked it. I stumbled over the fire break which was described as “gently rolling terrain”. I got out my airplane arms and WHEEEEEEE!!! my way down and then grumbled and whined all the way up. Well, the airplane arms got to be too much of an effort after the first 2 hills of the fire break. Then I just grumbled a lot in both directions. And tripped. And had spastic fits complete with :girl-scream: when a kamikaze bug went in my ear. I bet the guy behind me got a chuckle out of that.

Then I finished the first loop and had to run RIGHT PAST MY CAR to get to loop 2. I could have reached out and touched it. It took a major gut check to keep going for another 6 miles. So, back around the lake. Asking the same question to the nice guy “Are you sure I go up?”. Talking to the same people at the campground “Yes, I’m only on my second loop” and meeting the peanut butter girls at the Marble Mine.

Then…..the Bluff. It’s every bit as bad as I remembered. No….it’s worse. You know that saying “doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is the definition of insanity”? Yep. It applies here. I imagine it’s like childbirth. If I really remembered how bad it is, I would never volunteer, much less PAY, to do it again.
I finally got to the top and there was Mullet Jesus. When you see him, you know you’re going to make it.The final 3 miles were a cake walk. I was just so glad to get down off that bluff.

For more pictures: https://www.katrina-runs.com/twisted-ankle-half-marathon-2012-in-pieces-n-pictures

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