“Disclaimer: I received a free entry to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon San Diego as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!”
I can’t believe the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series in San Diego is finally here! I have been waiting patiently (or not so patiently) for this awesome weekend! So before I get into the Expo highlights (there was a parade involved), I’ll fill you in on what’s happened since my last Rock ‘n’ Roll post. Here are a few highlights!
I met MEB (again)! Road Runner Sports held a “Rock ‘n’ Roll hype night” last month to get us all stoked for #RNRSanDiego. Meb spoke some runspiration into all of us, we got to check out the RNR medals, and we had the chance to win some prizes! Sadly I didn’t win anything, but I did get another photo op with my old pal, Meb Keflezighi. 😉
I took to the lake! I really enjoy doing training runs around the lakes in San Diego because I don’t have to worry about getting hit by a car and they include stroller friendly paths. Also, ducks. 🙂
I scored FREE Lululemon! The #morethanmilestour made its way to San Diego and I took advantage! Basically you wait in line (length of time depends on location), pick out some shorts, pants, or a shirt to wear. Try it on in their pop-up fitting room and run on a treadmill for 2 minutes – yep, exactly 2 minutes – you watch a video while you run. You also may receive some free healthy samples while you’re waiting in line and might even do a sample strength routine led by an instructor. And that’s it! You get to keep the gear you try! I scored a free pair of running shorts and they are sweet! Check out #morethanmilestour and #thetesttruck on social media or visit the Lululemon website to find out if #thetesttruck is coming to a city near you. The employees were super nice and the treadmill is glorious!
Then, disaster struck 😦 During one of my surge runs, I rolled my ankle on a slanted driveway in my neighborhood (should’ve stuck to the lakes that I’m used to). I hope you sung that TLC style. Anywho, I had to R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate); however, I did rack up some miles on the stationary bike to keep up my cardio.
Processed with MOLDIV
And as far as nutrition goes, I’ve been fueling up on oatmeal, sweet potatoes, bananas, peanut butter, veggies, eggs, and chicken breasts! Love this gluten-free spicy coating from Aleia’s!
So that brings us to Rock ‘n’ Roll weekend! The expo was held yesterday and today. I went yesterday because I participated in the 5k this morning. The expo is held at the San Diego Convention Center. The good thing about this is that it’s a HUGE space so lots of room for plenty of vendors. The bad thing about this is that it’s downtown, which means – parking $$$$ boooo. Parking at the Convention Center is convenient, but will cost you $15. You’re good for the whole day though so essentially you could park here, hit the expo, and then go sightsee around downtown. I had my daughter with me so I was just going to hit the expo and leave. I parked at the Convention Center, but the parking meter thing was broke sooooo I parked for free. There’s also some handy public transportation options available.
I arrived around 3pm which meant I just missed an appearance from Meb – good think I saw him last month! It wasn’t overly crowded and there were tons of volunteers directing traffic and keeping things orderly.
First, I grabbed my bibs, shirts, and gear check bag. Then I let my daughter take some pics with overly sized props and we headed into the merchandise section. They have a HUGE area dedicated to Brooks running shoes and then a big area of Rock ‘n’ Roll merchandise. Then we headed into the vendor area to score some samples and SWAG!
This place was happenin’ to say the least. It felt like a big party! There was a DJ, photo booths, and even a parade with confetti, balloons, and glitter! My daughter and I actually made it into the parade video. Blink and you’ll miss us, but we were there livin’ it up!
I also liked that the café was open so you could snag lunch and drinks while you’re checking out all of the vendors! And my favorite thing about the expo was that they had a gaming area complete with a giant Jenga set and Connect Four game! This is a great idea especially for parents who have to bring along the littles. Also, I’m sure adults enjoyed this, too. 😉
Overall, I felt like the expo really delivered! Everyone was super nice and generous with samples and coupons. I wished I had time to get taped from one of the tape booths, but maybe next time! The only negative I will say is that there was only one way into the expo and one way out. And they were pretty strict about this. I’m sure it’s to keep everything orderly and safe. I was just annoyed that I had to walk all the way across the expo hall to get to the exit. It also looked like everyone really enjoyed themselves as well!
Stay tuned next week for my review on the 5k, the half marathon, and of course, the SWAG! And if you aren’t running in the event tomorrow, come out and party with the bands and cheer on the racers!
See you! 😉
~SM
The Swag Mama 
OMG! I didn’t realize there were all of those things at the expo! I’m so sad I missed most of it. I was running late and had volunteered at the HoneyStinger booth for 2 hours. I then had to head over to Seaport Village to meet up with the other BibRave Pros. Grrr. Hopefully I’ll have more time to explore the expos in LA and Vegas when I run those races. I love RnR. They always bring their A game. 🙂
Yeah they had so much going on! Lots of interesting stuff! I hope you get to check out the other expos! At least you made it to the Bibrave Pro meeting!