MRTT/SRTT Louisville 2016 Year in Review

2016 Year in Review 

In case you were curious about this running group, here is a great recap of 2016 we made just for y'all! With over 400 women, we are the largest running group for women in the area.  Our ladies represent a variety of running journeys-some are just starting their journey, some are running their first races and others are seasoned runners.  Wherever you are in your journey, we hope you will find time to join this group and participate in monthly challenges, group runs and more! We guarantee if you do, you will learn more about running and yourself than you could imagine.

Tales from the Trails: My First Ultra Marathon - Land Between the Lakes 6...

Check out one of our ultra-momma's lastest blog! You will be inspired! -> Tales from the Trails: My First Ultra Marathon - Land Between the Lakes 6...: After getting pneumonia in October 2016, I had to sit out the race I had spent the last 6+ months training for. It was a 50k in the Red Rive...

Queen Bee Half Marathon 2016 - Race Review by MRTT/SRTT Louisville

The Queen Bee Half Marathon is held in Cincinnati, Ohio and is presented by Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon. The race is created for women in mind and promotes the fun of fitness while raising support and funds for local charities that focus on women. There is a 4 mile race option as well.  MRTT Members Bekah, Jillian, Rachel, Stephanie B. and Stephanie S. put their heads together in this blog post to tell you about their adventure to the 2016 Queen Bee Finish Line!

Entering the Expo at the 2016 Queen Bee Half Marathon!

Travel/Location - This race is held in Cincinnati, Ohio about 100 miles north of Louisville. We decided to stay at the Millineum, which was one of two hotel partners for this race. The location is across the street from the expo and 0.9 miles from the start line.  The hotel is older and is about in line with the price for the weekend ($99 - $105/night). There is no shuttle service, but there is a trolley stop nearby. We could walk to everything downtown from this location easily. Several of us carpooled together and we shared a hotel room, making travel/lodging for this race very affordable!

Bee-U-Tique Expo/Swag  - You know it's going to be a good expo when the entryway has a balloon arch! The vibe of the expo is palpable from the time you enter the building. As soon as you walk in you can hear the excitement and go straight to pick up your bib. Then you are free to roam the expo, starting with the Queen Bee merchandise, which the most fabulous with so much purple and gold!! Everything from shorts, tanks, and jackets to wine glasses and tumblers. After that you wander into the vendor area. The Kroger booth is a must-visit, as they have free hair braiding and samples of beauty products. Then go see all the other great races from all around the country. There was a t-shirt making booth, a runway show, free desserts, a scavenger hunt, a 360 degree movie booth, and plenty of places to buy any last minute items. At the end of the expo you go pick up your shirt (long sleeved tech) and the surprises keep coming: a duffel bag, a race poster and a Sweaty band with the race logo on it! This expo really catered to women and made you feel truly special and appreciated. And!!! At the race finish line we got a travel first aid kit with the logo on it. They thought of everything and I'm sure each year it just gets better and better!

Enjoying desserts and a fashion show at the expo.

Ladies get their hair braided for race day!

Course Description/Information -This Half Marathon loop course was a lot of fun! It starts out pretty hilly, climbing your way to about mile 3 but then you are rewarded with lots of down hills. There is one more hill at mile 6.5 but then you are headed down and then flat for the rest of the race! The best feature of the Queen Bee really are the aid stations or as they like to call them “Fun Stations”. They are staffed with “Busy Bee” volunteers and they start early in the race and carry you all the way to the end. Starting at mile 1.5 they hand out tissues for runny noses, which is brilliant! At least every half mile from then on there are groups handing out everything from Twizzlers, Hershey kisses, jelly beans, water and gatorade. I could not consume half of what they handed me but luckily had a belt with a pocket so I started stashing for later! The crowd support for this race was the best I have experienced; they were so happy to be there. They had matching shirts, themes, costumes and music.  They have a contest for the best Fun Station that runners can vote on in the finishers area. The biggest and loudest aid station is at mile 8.5 where they have Honey Stinger gels in every flavor (I ended up with 3 extra in my pocket!) followed by water and gatorade. The finish line was a lot of fun too, with a big crowd, a great medal and so much recovery food and gifts my only complaint is that I would of liked a bag to carry it all!

Michelob Ultra Victory Party -The after party was a great hit with everyone!  It is directly by the finish line, making easy access and you move down the finisher’s chute.  The first thing we did was cash in our ticket for our FREE Gold Star Chili dog. And, of course, you can’t forget your complimentary Barefoot Bubbly mimosa!  There were additional food vendors, beer trucks and massage stations as well.  We danced to live music and in general had some great people watching before heading back to our rooms to rest and recover.

Victory Party smiles for everyone!

Fun Things to Do Before/After Race Day - Cincinnati has lots of fun and free things to do, especially outside when the weather is good. After the race was over and we had time to rest, we walked to the Over the Rhine (OTR) district for dinner at The Eagle, stopped for handmade pretzels at Brezel, visited The Brew House for a drink and even stopped in at Jack’s Casino (you get a free $10 credit if you are a first-timer)!   The race website has a things to do page as well.  No matter your budget or interests, you will most likely find something fun to do during the weekend.

*Pro Tip - If you are ready to run this race, don't forget to use the code 17QBMRTTL to get $10 off your registration!

Lucky in Kentucky: Our March Challenge!

March Monthly Challenge

Every month we focus on a few key things to keep us motivated throughout the month. This month we are looking for LUCK! We will post a mini scavenger hunt list in our private, members-only event page on Facebook every Wednesday with three items to find. Post a picture on the event page when you find any of the items! There will be a few prizes along the way so check back. March will feature for the first time ever MRTT SPIRIT WEEK!! Stay tuned for more details on all the fun.

SET A GOAL, PROCLAIM IT!!

Mileage- look at your training plan or calendar and estimate your miles for the month and set a stretch goal. Post your workouts for accountability and we will cheer you on. Use the format “goal miles/miles run” in order to keep track. 

Cross Training- what is your jam? Cycling, swimming, white water rafting, strength training, power yoga?? Let’s see those cross training selfies! 

**Nice mom disclaimer** These goals are for encouragement and accountability, please don’t worry about comparing yourself to another runner who is at a different place in her journey! We are all here to support each other, your goal is relevant to you and we want to help you reach for it!