Race Recap #1: Expo Day

We officially completed our first half-marathon yesterday! It's hard to believe that after only about 9-10 months of running, that we did 13.1. I still can't believe that we accomplished it, but more on that in my next post.

First, I'd like to share our experience at the race expo, which we attended on Saturday. What an overwhelming experience! For two people who still don't consider themselves runners, being surrounded by that many products, tips and people, was almost too much. We got there right around 9:30, so the expo had only opened about 30 minutes before. Once we checked in, picked up our race bibs and swag bags, we didn't really know which direction to head. So we started wandering around, kind of setting out on a zig-zagging path for ourselves to check out the booths. Now I don't know about the rest of you, but there is something so uncomfortable about being one of the only people wandering around an expo! The poor vendors either look sad that no one's at their booth, or they're jumping out at you because you're the only ones in sight! In these situations I either feel really guilty that no one's at a booth and feel obligated to go over, or I feel obligated to talk to the person who's leaping on me to show me their product. Either way, it's not my favorite experience. After wandering around for about half an hour, Will and I had done our best to avoid talking to people and more people were starting to show up--phew!

Once more people were around and it got crowded, we felt a little safer checking out things we were interested in. Since we didn't have any other plans for the day, I figured we might as well loop around and take advantage of reading about/talking to vendors about products that we may want to research further in the future, try on shoes, and get a few little things. We only had about $20 to spend at the expo--in a way, that was nice because it helped prevent any impulse buys. So what did we get/explore?

Well, for the most part, I did all of the getting and exploring, since Will is mostly along for the ride. But I got:

2 Hippie Runner headbands
1 new Bondiband for yoga
1 13.1 bumper sticker (the whole reason I wanted to run a half was to get one of these!)

What did I explore? Now that my friends, is a different question. I so badly wanted to check out the kineso tape for my ankles and Will's knees, but that was an opportunity we didn't jump on early enough, because the line got really long. However, Will made the excellent point that we didn't want to get all taped up before race day and to have to deal with that new aspect. But I still wish we had gotten samples or at least gotten to talk to someone about the aches and pains we experience, just to get a little advice. C'est la vie! Instead, I checked out some compression socks that are specific to ankle issues, which is something I definitely want to explore in the future, particularly since my most sore body part today is my left ankle. I also poked around through some gear, but for the most part wasn't super interested. And then I figured, since there were a ton of shoes around from all the major brands, plus some local stores trying to sell some stock, I might as well try some on. My shoes are still good to go for many more miles, but as they're starting to wear down, they're not offering the same support they used to, especially in the arches which is really starting to bother my right foot.

So I tried on some shoes. One of the most dangerous things a female, especially a runner, can say! Needless to say, I think I found the next pair I would like to purchase. I tried on a bunch of different brands (some other Brooks, Saucony, Asics, and some natural running shoes, just for fun) and finally settled on a pair of Asics that I was not anticipating liking! I mean, I knew I'd love the crazy colors, but I had tried on a similar pair of Asics before and thought it was pretty stiff and narrow. But this pair that I tried on at the expo, slid right on, felt completely cushy, and seemed to support my arch in just the right way (not too much, not too little). It also helped that I tried them on with some really nice Asic socks (that I definitely need to get ASAP and didn't get at the expo because the line was really long), that offered more cushion than the New Balance socks I use now. But I kept them on for awhile, walked around, jogged in place, etc. and really felt 100% wonderfully comfortable. I was a good girl and didn't buy them at the expo, but did write down the shoe and have already researched it online to see what people think of it.

What shoe, you may ask? The Asics Gel-Noosa Tri 8. I've read conflicting reviews that they aren't good for training, or on the flip side, that they're the most amazing running shoe ever. Amazon has mostly positive reviews (over 500), while other sites have more of a mixed bag. So if you or anyone you know has these shoes, can you share some thoughts with me? I am a neutral plus (neutral on my left, teeniest hint of overpronation in my right) and need a tad bit of arch support in my right foot (flat shoes don't work, but I don't like something with a pronounced arch). These felt great on, but I'd like to know about their longevity!

Anyways, the expo was fun and the next time we go to an expo, I'd like to have a little bit more $$ in my pocket. However, it prevented us from getting anything we don't need, so that was good! My wish list of running gear just got significantly longer though :)

There will be a separate post for the actual race day experience, later!