Hi!!! I am back from the most amazing weekend of running that I have ever experienced. It will take me at least a week to recap all of my wonderful memories of team NUUNsense at Ragnar Northwest Passage. In the meantime...here is my first post on my girl's weekend to Missoula for the Missoula Half Marathon last weekend. I hope that everyone had a great weekend!
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Missoula. I don’t even know where to begin. It was truly one of the best race weekends I have experienced to date. If you ever have the chance to run Missoula- DO IT! Make a vacation out of it because there are so many things to do in Missoula and the surrounding area. Missoula is very eclectic and “outdoorsy”. There are great breweries, restaurants and outdoor activities. I like to say that Missoula is very "REI" if you know what I mean?
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Missoula. I don’t even know where to begin. It was truly one of the best race weekends I have experienced to date. If you ever have the chance to run Missoula- DO IT! Make a vacation out of it because there are so many things to do in Missoula and the surrounding area. Missoula is very eclectic and “outdoorsy”. There are great breweries, restaurants and outdoor activities. I like to say that Missoula is very "REI" if you know what I mean?
Pre Missoula "shenanigans" in Spokane
To start off the weekend we left Spokane around 9 am and made a quick pit stop in CDA. The drive itself wasn’t bad at all- only about 3 hours. Once we got into town we headed straight for packet pick up because it was only open until 4 pm. Packet pick up was pretty easy and quick. I was surprised at how many vendors they had at the expo. I wasn’t expecting very many, but there was actually quite a few. I was pretty disappointed in the race shirt, but it was unique to Montana.
After spending time at the expo we used our cell phone GPS to find our first brewery stop- Tamarack. We were hungry and knew that they served food. Their beer was honestly subpar (yes, I am a beer snob), but their food was amazing. I had the hugest buffalo burger I have ever seen. It kept me full for the remainder of the day. I should have taken the facebook warning about how big their portions were. After we were stuffed we went and located our hotel so that we could check in before heading out to our next brewery stop- Kettlehouse.
Top left: Buffalo Burger with onions & BBQ sauce- it was HUGE and AMAZING. Came w/pasta salad that was delish.
Top right: Bleu cheese garlic fries for an app- AMAZING!
Bottom left: Beer sampler- beer was just okay. I was sorta bummed...
Bottom right: Just me being a dork....
Kettlehouse was highly recommended by my neighbor and a college friend. Their beer was phenomenal and the brewery itself was in a really cool building. Just don’t ask me how long it took us to find the right street to get to it. It was located on an overpass and Allie’s navigation was a little confused. No, Allie the Acura, Kettlehouse IS NOT located in the tunnel.
Top: Allie the Acura trying to convince us that KettleHouse was in the tunnel
Bottom left: Kettle House, once we finally located it
Bottom right: Our beer sampler, including the famous "Cold Smoke" which is an amazing Scotch Ale
After hanging out at Kettlehouse we started to realize that we probably should rest up and think about going to bed. Missoula is on MST so they were an hour ahead. We went back to the hotel and hung out for a couple of hours before heading out for a frozen yogurt treat. I was thoroughly exhausted at this point and was ready for bed by 8 pm. I knew that our 3:15 am wakeup call was going to be early! Especially since it would technically feel like 2:15 am for the three of us. There must have been a reason why downtown Missoula was DEAD on a Saturday night. Nobody was out- it looked like a ghost town when we got frozen yogurt at 7:30 pm.
We got back to the hotel to get our race stuff ready and head for bed. This is when I realized I LEFT MY GARMIN AT HOME!!!! OMG. Insert mini HUGE PANIC ATTACK. I would have been screwed if I were at this race by myself. Luckily for me, Cassie and Jen run together and they each had a garmin so Cassie said I could use hers. Thank you for saving my life (literally) Cass!
Missoula ½ Marathon weekend to be continued…..
Lets chat:
What is one thing you have left behind that you needed for a race?
Lets chat:
What is one thing you have left behind that you needed for a race?
--Tasha
I can't recall leaving anything behind for a race, but when I had a 9 mile training run in the heat, I forgot my camelback and there were no water fountains along the way. Huge fail especially in the heat.
ReplyDeleteGlad your friend was able to give you hers to borrow and that everything worked out! Can't wait to hear about the race!
Oh no! I have left water at home on a long run as well. That is never fun!
DeleteI HATE it when I forget my Garmin or it has a dead battery. I have done it twice, but never on a big race, only 5ks.
ReplyDeleteHopefully I will be able to do Missoula next year!
I haven't experienced the dead battery...yet. Knock on wood!
DeleteI hope that we can both meet up in Missoula next year.
love that mustache picture! Too cute. And those fries! YUM. Sounds like a great time, minus the missing garmin!
ReplyDeleteI think it was supposed to be a tree for Tamarack, but it totally looked like a mustache to me!:-)
DeleteAmazing weekend indeed! Looks like so much fun!!
ReplyDeleteLove the mustache pic :D I mustache you a question?
Ekk, for forgetting your Garmin. I would freak if I forgot my Polar. Thank God for sharing and friends!
xo
I know I was so lucky I had I a garmin to borrow. I am the type of person that I would have gone out and bought some type of watch just to get me through the race. I have to have watch!
DeleteThis sounds like such a fun weekend! How stressful about the Garmin though - and how kind of your friend to lend you hers! I'd have been freaking out too :P
ReplyDeleteI know, I got lucky. I would have been on a mess on race day without some type of watch.
DeleteI want to eat ALL THAT FOOD!!!!
ReplyDeleteSucks about the Garmin. I always worry I'll forget SOMETHING when I travel. Looks like it all worked out though! :)
The food WAS AMAZING!!!! I totally want to go back.
DeleteSo funny--I hate racing with my Garmin so I'd probably be mad if I brought it instead of my old simple watch! Glad you had a great weekend--two weekends, now!
ReplyDeleteTwo of the best weekends ever. I do have to say that Ragnar renewed my love affair with running. It was an epic weekend. So many great memories.
DeleteI have been running without my garmin and going more by feel, but for a race I have to have some type of watch.
AH! I cannot wait to hear about your NUUNsense! ;)
ReplyDeleteI used to be a HUGE pedometer obsessed wearer! When I didn't wear it, I would feel as though I was walking around NAKED and I wouldn't feel complete without it. Yeah, I had times where I cried when I forgot it, yep... That's when I realized I had a problem so I had to ditch it completely! LOL!
The NUUNsense weekend was beyond amazing!!! First recap will be up tomorrow. I am so excited about it and keep going back and adding things to it. I don't wanna forget anything.
DeleteI have never worn a pedometer, but I have always wanted to. I have a feeling I would get obsessed with it too!
I really want to run this race!! Everyone talks about how awesome it is.
ReplyDeleteFor M2B I forgot part of my garmin charger (because you know it has 18 billion pieces), so it went un-charged for 3 days before the race. Thankfully it hung in there!
You have to add Missoula to your races for next year. It really was a well organized and great race. You would love it and you would have a chance to visit Don's family too!
DeleteYou are so lucky that your garmin stayed charged. If it had been mine it wouldn't have stayed charged for me. I have bad luck with garmins! GRRRR.
Ok. I'm sold on running this race! All the delicious foods and especially craft beers are calling my name now :) oh goodness I would freak out if I left my garmin behind. Good thing your friend let you borrow hers!
ReplyDeleteBest half ever. Seriously. I am allowed to say that since I have run 19 halfs. It was so well organized. It will be a race I do every year now. They have an airport in Missoula too so you could probably fly from CHI!!!
DeleteReally need to find a way to get this into my schedule!
ReplyDeletecan't wait to read the rest-this race has been on my list! and no, i don't think i've ever left anything from a race...
ReplyDelete