We were planning a winter trip to visist Arizona national parks. I live in Northern California. As we were planning, I started looking for races that might fit in our schedule. Lucky for me I found She Power in Chandler.

We arrived Friday night at the host hotel. Friday night we walked around exploring the shops and restaurants. There is definitely something for everyone.

Saturday morning I picked up my bib checked out the expo. Most of the vendors were local to Chandler. There were some good deals if you live in the area. I picked up some dragonfly jewelry to keep as a reminder of the weekend.

Sunday morning was a short walk from the hotel to the start line. There was a race announcer keeping the energy high. There were amble pacers all the way to 3:00.

The race started on time. The course was clearly marked and ran mostly along the canal on the Paseo trail. The plentiful aid stations were stocked with water and gaterade and several portables were available.

Upon reaching the finish line you are awarded a beautiful, huge dragonfly themed medal and a long stemmed rose. The after race party included photo ops, the vendors from the expo, and CAKE!

Overall a great experience.

If you love holiday themed events this one's for you. Offering a 5k and a half marathon, this one has lots of holiday cheer. There is ample parking in the garage adjacent to the town square. The town square is festively decorated with Christmas blow ups and photo stands. The 5k runs around old Roseville with aid stations offering water, m & ms and cookies. The 5k is family friendly. Dogs and strollers are allowed.
The half marathon leaves the square at mile three and heads out onto the miners ravine trail. Due to recent rains we were treated to a fast and full flowing creek trail side. There is an out and back section within this out and back. Aid stations were plenty and stocked with water and gatorade. There were no holiday treats on this portion, although we thought there was supposed to be some. There is some mild elevation gain on the outbound portion, but that means a nice downhill on the way back in.
I scored this a 4 overall because the holiday decorations were all being taken down when we finished. We finished under three hours which I don't consider unreasonable for a half. It would be great if the party decorations stayed up until the last runner comes in.

The Urban Cow weekend is a Sacramento staple. The weekend coincides approximately with the half way training point for the California International Marathon. I have run the half several times for that very reason. This year I trained for an early October marathon so I opted for the 5K as my last training run.
Bib and shirt pick up took place Friday afternoon at William Land Park. It was a well organized event moving between bib pickup, shirt pickup, and a special medal pickup for those who were finishing the third race in the Barnyard series. A few local vendors and upcoming local races had booths set up to peruse.
Race morning there is lots of parking at the local community college. Gear check and portables are available. The park is beautifully maintained and the course is mostly shaded by the many trees in the park.
The 5K started on time and is flat and fast. One water stop is located at the mid point. The finish line sports photographers, cow bell medals and cold water bottles. A post race snack table is provided to runners as they exit the finish area.
This is a great run for families, walkers and runners alike.
Come on out and get moovin!

We arrived midday on Friday and checked in the host hotel, the Hilton. The Hilton is located mere steps away from the start line. The lobby was buzzing with runners, so the energy was palpable. Our first stop was to make our way to the expo. After passing through security you were directed to check in. Upon scanning your barcode, you were directed to a specific booth to pick up your bib. From there we were directed to shirt pick up at the back of the expo. The Nike shirt fits a roomy true to size and was black with a neon green design. Definitely a shirt you will wear for years to come. Expo had lots of merchandise vendors, up coming race booths and lots of photo ops.
Saturday morning they offered a 5k run to warm up your legs. A check of the weather report showed 39 degrees, feels like 35. Very cold for this California girl. Fortunately, 5k runners were given lovely blue ski hats instead of a shirt. I would say about 90 percent of the runners were wearing their hats. The 5k course was a flat and fast sprint through a valley of tall buildings. It was a really fun way to get acquainted with running Chicago. After the run we headed to Stan's Donuts, a local favorite. We then went to the Nike store as race information advised marathon finisher jackets would drop at the store Saturday morning. In fact, they dropped on Friday morning and had already sold out by Saturday morning. That is the only reason I gave swag a rating of 4. It was very frustrating to not be able to pick up a jacket at the pre-advertised time. We then took an architectural tour via boat. Very relaxing way to spend the afternoon before a big race and also learned a lot about the city.
Sunday morning was soon upon us. Our back of the pack Coral N was advised to arrive at 6:30 a.m. to clear security. Security was a breeze. Since I was so early I snagged a spot at the very front of the corral. It was so fun leading the corral to the start line. Our corral had easy access to portables and a gear check area. I opted for a toss away foil blanket and sweatshirt that I tossed at mile 5.
I crossed the start line at 8:52. The race starts out running downtown but quickly heads into the outer neighborhoods with tree lined streets, brownstones and shopping districts. There were a few areas where runners were jammed up and/or where spectators impeded runners by standing on course. But they were cheering so you could forgive them their enthusiasm. My favorited was the latin neighborhood around mile 20. Considering the lateness of the day, it was great that they were still out cheering and dancing as the back of the packers came through. Mile 21 was the biofreeze station -- yes please.. Just what my legs needed as we headed into the last 5 miles. We again encountered spectator interference as many of them were crossing back and forth in front of runners. Granted it was towards the end of the official time allowed, but it was still frustrating to have to slow up for them.
Finally crossed the finish line to earn the beautiful medal and an Abbot star! Water and snacks were plentiful at the end as well as photographers to capture the moment. There is an after race party, however, I did not attend so I cannot comment on what was provided. We headed out for deep dish pizza instead and an evening with The Second City players.
All in all, Chicago didn't disappoint. Definitely worth putting on your bucket list.

Disney Princess weekend does not disappoint. I ran all three distances: 5K, 10k and Half. So much fun running with thousands of your Princess (and Prince) friends.
Our first stop on Thursday was the expo. Expo is held in two buildings. One for bib and race shirt pick up as well as running gear vendors. If you didn't have any Princess gear when you arrived, you certainly will by the time you leave. The second building is exclusively for Disney merchandise. Sine we arrived on the first day we had a pick of all the merchandise -- shirts, jackets, pins, tumblers all Disney Princess or Run Disney branded. Be aware that if you arrive later in the weekend, many things do sell out quickly. After Expo we headed to Epcot for the afternoon and evening.
Friday morning we were up and on the bus transport at 3:00 a.m. Yes you read that correctly, 3 a.m.
We were lucky, the bus stop was just steps from our room. I have never had an issue with race transport, it does happen, but is rare. When you arrive in the corral there is so much going on. In true Disney style you are entertained with live race hosts and videos. Fairy Godmother may even come on screen to wish you luck. My favorite part was the daily singing of "We don't talk about Bruno". Hundreds of people singing along will surely put a smile on your face, even though the sun isn't even up yet. The 5K is untimed so it is no pressure as you wind your way through Epcot. Plenty of character stops and sunrise views for photo ops. We spent the afternoon at Animal Kindgom. Got in Avitar and the safari with not much trouble.

Saturday morning, on the bus again at 3 a.m. for the 10k. The 10k runs through Epcot and Hollywood Studios. I stopped for photos with the Incredibles! The great thing about race photo ops is they will highlight characters that you don't see regularly in the park. The 10K is timed and the balloon ladies follow the last runner out of the start line. You must maintain a 16 mm mile or run the risk of being swept. Always keep that in mind before stopping for photos. We spent that afternoon at Hollywood studios with plenty of time to visit Galaxy Edge.

Sunday -- the big day -- the half marathon. You will be placed in a corral based on your anticipated finish time. If you can provide a proof of time of 2:15 or less you will be placed in an early corral.
The time limit is again enforced at a 16 mm pace. Be aware of this when stopping for photos. I will pass on early photo stops in favor of putting distance between me and the balloon ladies. Our last afternoon was spent at the Magic Kingdom so we could get our iconic medal pictures in front of Cinderella's castle.

This year February was quite warm. Remember to pack layers since you never know. I've also been there in February when it was quite cold.

I recommend running Disney for fun. Don't dilly dally, but save your PR for another day.

Beautifully themed Princess medals are awarded at each distance, Running both the 10k and the Half is called The Fairy Tale Challenge for which you earn an extra medal. So for three races you bring home four medals. It is customary to wear your medals in the park and you spend the day congratulating everyone wearing a medal. You will also get a separate quality, Princess branded shirt for each distance and the challenge that you registered for.

Hope you have a magical day!