Rock & Roll Arizona Marathon

State 17 was possibly my most proud marathon. I ran the Rock & Roll Arizona Marathon as a St. Jude Hero and raised close to $2000 for St. Jude Research Hospital. Running for kids with cancer made running feel even more important.

This race fell on MLK weekend so it worked out perfectly for a quick weekend trip. We escaped the "Icepocaplypse" happening (or not happening) in KC and spent the weekend in sunny (or not so sunny) Scottsdale.

We arrived on Friday and spent the day familiarizing ourselves with Old Town Scottsdale... which means we ate. all. the. things. We decided we really like Scottsdale. That evening we drove out to Carefree to have dinner with my aunt and uncle. 

Saturday morning had us out in search of carbs. We received so many recommendations for where to eat in Scottsdale, but my favorite by far was the Daily Dose Diner. The breakfast was amazing and I had what was seriously the best pancake of my life. Every pancake I have will try to live up to that pancake and probably fail. Sorry pancakes.

Off to the expo:

Let's rock this!

This was my first R&R marathon. I've heard mixed reviews but they are supposed to be well-planned and very efficient when it comes to the expo, start, finish... yada yada. It was fine. I didn't have any complaints, but it wasn't as flashy as I thought it would be. It was pretty similar to other bigger races I've done. 

After the expo we headed to Tempe to check out the ASU campus and find a spot to watch the KSU basketball game. ASU has a fun bar-district right off campus where we made ourselves at home. The best part was climbing "A" Mountain! It's a tiny little hike but such a cool thing to find right in the middle of civilization. My favorite part of visiting different states is seeing all of the unique parts of each city/town/state. An on-campus mountain seems pretty crazy when you come from Kansas.

Everyday an adventure.

Race Day: Let's do this.

Racing was not actually in the plan for this race. Checking off a state and getting in a good long training run was. I'm training for my first ultra-marathon and this race fit perfectly into my training schedule. 

Drew dropped me off at the start an hour early so I could warm up and get in a few extra miles before the actual race started. It sounds a little crazy, but doing a 30 mile training run is so much easier if you have a crowd and aid stations for 26 of it!

The race started in downtown Pheonix and ran through Scottsdale and then ended in Tempe. The weather could not have been more perfect. It was cool and overcast and excellent for running. 

Run Run Run.

The views made this race. Everywhere we ran, we were running toward mountains. Even though we never left the city, we were surrounded by the beauty of nature. I felt such a sense of calm just gazing at those mountains as I ran. 

My goal was to stick with the 3:45 pace group, but I started to feel a bit claustrophobic in the crowd. I pulled ahead and seriously enjoyed running my own race. I was in the zone.

The only mishap came around mile 8 when I started to feel some serious chaffing in my left underarm. I've never experienced this but I guess it came from wearing a tank top in the middle of January. My armpits were not ready for it! I pulled into an aid station where they saved me with copious amounts of vaseline and I was off on my merry way.

Around mile 16 I stopped for a potty break. When I returned to running I could feel my pace slow. I wasn't upset about it though. I just kept moving forward, enjoying every moment of the run. We hit an out-and-back portion and it was fun to pass others in their St. Jude shirts. We shared cheers and high-fives.

Feeling amazing!

The final miles flew by, even at my slower pace. Around mile 24 I realized the race was almost over and I literally became sad about it. I have never in all of my marathons felt like I didn't want the race to end! I was having such a great time and even though my body was ridiculously tired, I wanted it to keep going! 

I finished strong and happy. I felt accomplished, and most importantly I felt like my body was capable of more! 

I collected my medal and my banana and then picked up my sweet finishers jacket! It was by far the best perk of the race. Drew waited paitiently while I had my legs massaged and then found me an almond-milk latte to warm me up. Have I mentioned what a great support he is???

30 miles total! Earned that medal!!!

After a quick shower and re-fueling, Drew and I set off to experience more of the famous in-town hiking. Driving 10 minutes to a mountain seems like a dream. We Kansans are easily impressed!  We arrived at Piestewa Peak late in the afternoon. We chose a relatively easy hike that didn't seem too populated. The climbing felt so good as it stretched my legs!

Feeling on top of the world.

Monday morning had us up early to make the most of our last morning in Arizona. We had one goal: Camelback Mountain. After pulling into the parking lot on one side of the mountain and reading multiple signs warning us of the difficulty of this climb and the need for mountain-climbing experience, we made the decision to drive to the other side of the mountain. Good idea.

We beat the crowds and had a really great time climbing up the mountain. The hike was a great workout, but we felt safe and only slightly out of our element. The views were spectacular and the weather was perfect.

This guy...

My motto for the year has been "Be Brave". I've been trying to override my initial "no" response to things that are out of my comfort zone. As we ascended the mountain I realized it was much higher than I first thought. We kept getting higher and higher and I kept trying to turn off my fear of heights. Once we came to a spot where the trail stopped and rock climbing began we took a time-out to evaluate. We had to catch our plane and continuing the rest of the way up the mountain would put us in a realy time-crunch. Plus I was really f-ing scared of going and further.

I'd like to think if we'd had more time I would have made it to the top, but who can say? We took some pics and then headed back down the mountain. I hope that someday I can make it back to Camelback and get all the way to the top. For now, these views were the best part of this trip for me.

Always reppin' KC.

Trips like these are the reason I set a goal of running a marathon in every state. Exploring this country and experiencing all that each state has to offer (especially with Drew!) is the best part of this journey. 

Now we just have to figure out where to go for state 18...

Hey Bear!

I own a pint glass that says something to the effect of, "I'm outdoorsy in the fact that I like to drink on patios". I think that gives you a clue as to my experience and enthusiasm for the outdoors.

But I read Wild and I saw the movie.  And if anyone can make hiking through the mountains with all of your belongings on your back look like a good time, it's Reese Witherspoon.

So back in October a group of gals from work was talking about going on a backpacking trip.  Never wanting to be left out of anything, I volunteered to tag along. Fast forward to the actual trip, and somehow there were just 3 of us left.

So Rachelle, Sue, and I set off for the Ozark Highlands Trail in Arkansas to do some backpacking.

Rather than tell the whole ridiculous story, I will leave the photos as evidence that I actually did this. I hiked many many miles. I slept in a tent. I narrowly avoided a rattlesnake and a bear. I bathed in a creek. I filtered water from a creek. I ate food from a bag, cooked on a tiny portable stove. I hitchhiked home when the trail was too much to take. I was brave.

Rachelle, our fearless leader.

Waterfall.

Trail register, in case you disappear.

My partner in crime!

Creek-crossing.

I credit Rachelle with teaching me how real selfies are taken.

Off we go!

Me & Sue, loving life.

Someone should have checked Sue's bag. She packed it all.

Bath tub, drinking water, cooking water, place I fell into.

Which way do we go???

Wilderness Women!

Expertly crossing a creek.

Googling "what to do if a rattlesnake is in your path".

Post hike beers!

Camping is cool.

Waterfall / Shower

Keep on going!

Filtering Water.

We lost Sue after day 1, and Rachell and I hiked on together. At one point when we were setting up our tent at night, she looked at me and said, "You've never pitched a tent before, have you?" And I said, "Aren't you lucky that out of all the people who signed up for this trip, you get stuck with me?" This was the most out-of-my-comfort-zone I have really ever been. Ever. And I loved every minute of it. 

Maybe not the ticks...