Race Report: Rose Bowl Half

It was my first time running the Rose Bowl Half, which I had registered for as part of a series of races leading up to the Los Angeles Marathon. This was their 9th annual event. 

The event itself: Where? How long? When? Weather?

Start and finish at Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, CA, with some portion along historic Route 66. Loved running along Green St and Wilson Ave along the campus of Caltech. We woke up at 3:30am, left at 4am, parked by 4:30am, and snuggled up in the car until 5:15am. Parked in lot K for free. Easy in and easy out.

The weather was ideal, low 48 and high 60 with cloudy skies. Cool breeze for most of the race. No precipitation. We had a flash flood the day before, so the air was super clean and there was only 1 major puddle left that I saw near the stadium.

Course description and logistics

The hardest miles were the first 3 and the last 3. The middle was good. Because I am a member of the LA Roadrunners, we got to warm up and stretch in the same locker room used by UCLA football players 🏈. I felt like a real athlete. The Pasadena Pacers were in the other locker room. I don't know who got the home team and who got the away team. It was nice to have flush toilets. I didn't have to use gear check because we left our stuff in the locker room. The security was strict about checking wristbands.

I'm glad we walked a 5k with bib pickup on Saturday (no race-day bib pickup without paying extra $) because we ended up walking the last 3 miles of the half marathon course in the same direction as we ran in the race. It was good mentally to know the terrain, and I was running faster on race day compared to the day before when we were walking it.

Training

Coach David made us a schedule for the half after the marathon. Normally, the marathon is the end of the season, but due to the wildfires, April was the soonest the half could be rescheduled. It was a 6-week schedule, but the first two weeks were resting and active recovery. Then there were two build weeks and two weeks of taper. Honestly, it was rough. I felt sore the entire time! I ended up with an unintentional 18-day run streak leading up to and including the race.

Gear and nutrition

I wore the race shirt, but I tailored it with my sewing machine. I'm not too impressed with races that offer unisex shirts and also don't allow people to exchange their shirts for a different size. I laid the 2XL on top of another shirt that fits well and pinned it. Probably removed 2 inches of fabric from each side. Got lots of compliments on the ensemble. I wore my wildflowers sparkle skirt for the first time, as it coordinated well with the color of the race shirt and the race theme. I mainly wore light-colored calf and arm sleeves since the skirt and shirt were so busy. And my sparkle Tinkerbell visor, of course. Haha, I had to stop after mile 11 and take off my Crowned Athletics sports bra. Felt like I couldn't breathe. Much enjoyed the last two miles without it. Wearing two bras is a good idea for a few hours, but usually I don't finish the run with both on.

I ate a trail mix containing almonds, pistachios, pecans, dark chocolate chips, and Cheerios 1.5 hours before the race. I ate a banana on the way from the locker rooms to the corrals 30 minutes before the race start. I took 3 Gu, 6 x 2 Clif bloks, 8 salt stick electrolyte fast chews during the race. My training really kicked in, and the fueling strategy I had practiced was automatic. The race organizers told us to dispose of trash in the containers provided, but trash cans were few and far between. I stashed my trash and noticed it while unpacking my vest. Nobody likes running with sticky wrappers.

Specific experiences

I took a tumble around mile 4, taking a photo while walking backwards. I did a slow-motion fall because I walked into a traffic cone. Not my proudest moment. But I didn't plan to take many photos. And that made me keep my phone stowed a lot more during the race. Also, I wanted to keep my pace up and minimize the use of technology. I wore a regular watch instead of a smartwatch because I no longer look closely at my heart rate data.

After getting dropped by the 3-hour pace group before mile 8, I found my groove with a few other runners. Due to the London Marathon, the availability of pace leaders was limited. There was no pace group between 3 hours and 3:30. That was the most fun because I wasn't in a crowd. I was going at my own pace, but I wasn't alone. I didn't realize that if I were in the middle of a big group, I probably wouldn't get any photos from the race photographers because my bib was hidden among the crowd. I was glad I brought my GymBoss and headphones so I could continue with the run/walk intervals even without the pacer. We ran 2 minutes, walked 1 minute. It took me about 3 miles to synchronize my timer with the pacer. But that was okay because the first 3 miles were the hilly ones with more walking.

Finish and associated emotions

I was looking forward to lying in the grass on the 50-yard line of the stadium, and I did it. It was everything I had hoped for. The clouds were beautiful. It was a comfortable temperature. I was relieved to have crossed the finish line without any serious incidents or injury. It felt like my body was cramping up the whole race, one muscle group at a time. Stretching was vital and comfortable in the grass. I loved watching the kids race and seeing my friend Yahaira crossing the finish line.

I had a bittersweet feeling because my son had a friend's birthday party at 11:00 a.m. Initially, I thought I could finish the race and then hurry home and make it to the party. When I realized that would be way too stressful, I canceled my RSVP for the party. So after I crossed the finish line, I called my husband and told him where the gift was. The most remarkable thing was that some of the other parents at the party said to my husband, "Your wife is in really good shape!" I had walked 6 miles at the zoo with my son and 21 of his classmates on the Friday before the race. This is part of the reason I run, to be in good shape so I can go on field trips and keep up with the 4 and 5-year-old kiddos. I'm not going to let them outrun me. They might be faster in a sprint, but I'll catch up and be able to keep going, leading the expedition.

Overall evaluation of the event

Seeing Coach David at mile 3 after climbing out of the Arroyo and turning onto Colorado Blvd was awesome. I heard his voice in my head saying, "And now the race begins!" I thought all the out-and-backs were going to be torture, but it was actually a fun way to say hello to other runners who run at different paces. So many runners cheering for each other and saying Hi! across the medians.

Overall, great route. Good vibes. Pasadena is such a pretty place. Super neat finish line. I had such feels running into the stadium and through the finishing chute. The hills didn't kill me as much as I thought they would, so I guess all my hill training was adequate. I usually plan on running alone, so it was a new experience trying to stay with a pace group for the majority of the race. I didn't train at that pace, so I didn't expect to be able to finish with them, and I knew it would be a stretch. I might do this race again. Or I might run the 5k and sign my kiddo up for the kids' race. I really wanted to finish the half in time to see the kids race, and I did!

Race Budget

Registration    $109.40 (paid on June 10th)

Crowned Athletic $139 for Luisa (Powerful Hermana), $146 for Merida (Changed Fate), $162.75 for Poisoned Heart Villan skort and Red Arabian Nights Princess bra.

Sparkle Athletic Rainbow calf sleeves $18.93

New watch $14.98

New shoes $175.55

Reward for participating in a research study $50.00

Race day transportation (gas) less than $10.

$724.11

I took all the race shirts from this season out of my leggings organizer; it really feels like the season is over now. I'm looking forward to participating in the Run Riverside Challenge, which involves three consecutive races. We've already booked our hotel for the Mission Inn Run. We're looking for hotels for the Citrus Heritage Run and the Palm Desert Half. That would be the extent of my preparation for the 2026 LA Marathon. I'd like to scale back the number of races per year so that we can allocate adequate money for each race weekend and make it a racecation. Disneyland has announced that the Half Marathon weekend 2026 will be their last event for a while, yet I still think I will skip it.

$1466 2024 Disneyland 5k (with two park days)
$284 LA Big 5k (no hotel)
$522 OC Marathon (without running the race)
$640 CdM Scenic 5k
$1063 SMC Classic 10k/5k (with no hotel)
$1075 Mission Inn Run
$1499 Holiday Half Marathon
$1366 LA Marathon and Marathon Spending
$724 Rose Bowl Half (no hotel)

$8639 for the entire "race season," wow, definitely more expensive than Disneyland Magic Keys 🤣. Hence why I am trying to cut back to only 4 races next season. And I have to cut back on my habit of collecting sparkle skirts and crowned athletic. #crownedbroke #sparklesquad

InBody Scan Progress Tracker

I will close with this. I went for an InBody scan at Nutrishop, and these metrics are still trending in a desirable direction. One of my goals for the LA Marathon was to reduce my body fat, which I have done. It's been painfully slow progress, but considering my age and hormone situation, it's remarkable. Running in graduate school and beyond helped me balance my mental health, and changes to my body composition were an unexpected benefit. Now it's the opposite. I'm running to change my body composition, and the mental health benefits are a glorious side-effect.

6 days post marathon

Monday I mostly worked from a reclining position, laying on the couch with my feet higher than my heart. It actually felt excruciating to sit in a regular chair. I wasn't very hungry.

Tuesday I was able to do school drop-off, which is a 2 mile walk. I still wasn't very hungry. I felt better and I had a wonderful brunch and recovery walk with my training buddy Yahaira.

Wednesday I did school drop-off and I started to feel hungry. I was able to do some chores around the house, but not as much as usual. I worked on programming out our next session of RunClub. I created the menus for Albert's birthday party.

Thursday I drove to school drop-off, but I also did some shopping. I was on my feet a lot. I went to Lowe's, Michael's, Smart and Final, and Von's. I was super hungry all day. I traced the logos onto the poster boards and painted the colors.

Friday I walked the school drop-off and did a bunch of errands. I went to Michael's, Target, and had a victory brunch with my husband. I finished painting the white parts of the posters and made photocopies. I felt like I was finally getting my energy back because I folded some laundry and did the dishes.

Friday night my son suggested we go swimming and I jumped at the chance. It was so relaxing and a perfect way to do some light compression and easy activity. Today, Saturday, we have my son's birthday party at our house. So we're going to have a busy day today.

Tomorrow, Sunday, I will be going to the medal walk with the LA Roadrunners at Encino golf course. There's a pot luck afterwards. And from there, I'm going to a sports massage. We also need to pick up our meal prep from Fitlicious.

It's been a big, expensive month. People are asking what my next race will be. We've got the rescheduled Rose Bowl Half coming up in a month. It's the weekend after Easter. I have not signed up for anything else yet. RunDisney just announced that sign up for the Disneyland Half Marathon weekend will be April 29th, the Tuesday after the Rose Bowl Half. I wish the race would be over winter break but it's not. It's in late January/early February after the semester has already started.

It feels like Spring. The city smells so sweet. It's green everywhere. I'm glad I planned to have avocado and tofu here at the house. I'm glad I had salads and rotisserie chicken. I'm glad I had soup and rotisserie chicken. I ate eggs, waffles, tortillas, potatoes, and salsa.

One key component of my nutrition leading up to the race was lemonade. Our neighbor gave us a bunch of lemons. It was helpful for hydration. Also I tried to give up coffee in order to respond to caffeine on race day. I drank a lot of chamomile tea and ginger tumeric tea. I almost don't want to get back into coffee. But I did notice that my fingernails became more brittle when I gave up coffee because I put collagen in my coffee. I could always put it in a smoothie.

10 things I have learned from being a Disney mom

It is rare for me to have an original thought these days. Even less likely is that I actually write it down. And further, following up on that thought is the rarest event—like seeing a unicorn. Speaking of magical, I wanted to formalize some things Disney has taught me. These lessons translate into other areas of my mom life, so I wanted to share them in a list format.

1. On time is late. Early is on time. Way early is best. 

For Disneyland, I love doing rope drop. The first hour of the day is the most efficient. You want to be there as early as possible. If there's a virtual queue, join it. This extends to registering for after school programs, summer camps, marathons, whatever. Find out when the registration opens and know exactly what you want to purchase beforehand. Have your credit card ready and check out quick!

2. Having a magical day is your responsibility. Make a plan. Do your research.

Coming to the park with your top three already decided is really helpful, like what attractions and experiences are on your bucket list. This applies generally to prioritizing your life. You can be happier if you know what your goals are and celebrate when you achieve them. I'm not saying obsess over every single thing, but you don't want to be feeling FOMO when that holiday parade you saw last year just happened yesterday because you forgot to plan this year.

3. Bundle and save, but don't sweat the spending. If you are on a budget, use gift cards to limit your spending.

Buying in bulk at Disney isn't a thing, but you can save money with an annual pass (magic key). You can also save by purchasing a promotional 3-day ticket with flexible dates. Waiting until promotions are available will save you money in the long run. I'm not into unlimited spending, but I'm more of a 50-50 strategy. Bring 50% of the calories you plan to consume and plan to buy the other 50% while in the park. Same with toys. We try to stick to a $100 budget for each park day. We've used gift cards to restrict kiddo's spending too. I'm doing reverse budgets for our runcations to see how much we spend; that way, we can make a plan for 2025.

4. Bring enough hats and sunglasses for everyone. Make a packing list and stick to it.

Prepared is armed. If you forget a hat, you'll be paying extra $$ for a hat in the park that is more expensive than it has any business being. Likewise, with sunglasses, even if the day starts out grey, it will probably get sunny by the afternoon. Being outside all day leads to eye strain and fatigue. The best idea is a one-to-one ratio of sun hats and sunglasses to people in your party. This goes for any function like a beach day or a hike.

 
5. Stay ready so you don't have to stress while getting ready.

We have a corner where we keep our suitcases, park bags, toiletry bags, and diaper bags all packed. We copy and paste from previous packing lists and check off items as they are loaded into bags, which are loaded into the car. We keep track of when we leave the house, get to the parking structure, and get to the park. That way, we will know next time if it's worth leaving sooner or if we can try leaving later, and we don't stress about it. We even load up the car the night before so that in the morning we can just make coffee, get dressed, and walk out the door.

6. Comfortable over cute every time.

If you have two pairs of shoes, choose the more comfortable one. Don't even think of wearing something new that you haven't worn before for an extended period of time. Consider bringing a poncho if it's raining. It's not cute, but you'll enjoy the day more if you're not stuck in wet clothes. Make sure you have a pocket for your phone that is easily accessible because you'll need it often and quickly to capture those magical moments.

7. Cast members will move your stroller. It will not remain in the exact location where you parked it. Do not panic. Personalize it.

One of the best things we did was to get a stroller sign with our name on it. When you get enough different strollers in one place, the odds of someone else having the exact same model as you are finite. You need to be able to find your stroller when it's not where you left it, and you don't want anyone walking off with yours accidentally. This could be extended to any piece of luggage for travel. Also this can be extended to life in general, it won't always go to plan. Remain calm. 

8. Any moment is perfect for a sing-along, parade or dance party.

Leave your inhibitions at home. This is the time to make memories with your kiddo. Sing out loud if you know the words. March along with Mickey and friends. Dance in the street. Seize the day. Nobody cares if you look ridiculous. Just have fun and be in the moment. The biggest thing kiddo says is Mommy stop looking at your phone. So if you can, just be immersed in what's happening right now.

9. Calories don't count when you're walking all day.

We typically walk 7 miles or so in the parks. That's about 400 extra calories. Yes, I know Disney treats can be very caloric but as long as you stick to your budget, there shouldn't be too many extra calories involved. Enjoy what you do eat. Don't worry about it. Choose something fun and memorable that you can't get elsewhere.

10. A kiss goodnight is sweet.

I don't know how people stay all day until the nighttime events. I think I've only seen one night parade. But I think this is one of the nicest things about the parks, in concept. To say goodnight with music and fireworks. Or a dancing fountain. Or projections set to music that tells a story. I think this can be generally extended to parenting. Kind of like the saying, "don't go to bed angry." Kiss and make up. Go ahead and apologize for losing your temper at 2pm when you were dehydrated, sunburned, and exhausted. Tell a bedtime story. 

Everything we program into our little ones is stored in their amazing brains. I find it fascinating to see what pours out of my kiddo. I can see that those long days and nights of investment are already starting to pay dividends. Albert is an impressive storyteller. He remembers Disneyland and wants to go back.

Mid-session Check-in

I feel like Session 3 is flying by. It's weird because I had a race in the middle of the session, which was somewhat strange and may have influenced my training cycle. But I'm trying to carry on and integrate the training plan from the LA Roadrunners, too. We are now officially in week 2 of the marathon training cycle.

I ran with the LAM 5:45 - R/W 3 group this weekend. I debated between that group and a slower one, but I decided to challenge myself. The sign said something like 13 minute miles and I thought it would be a stretch but I figured as long as it's run/walk I should be okay. It was hard to keep up but I did it. And afterwards I felt great.

The pacer, Mariana, had a sign with a QR code. When you scanned it, it brought you to the WhatsApp for this pace group. We could immediately connect with each other and share photos. It was actually awesome. I overheard another woman struggling with all the apps. Komoot and Strava and now WhatsApp. They were saying that it was a lot of technology to begin marathon training. They were having trouble downloading all the apps and finding the right one in the play store.

It was a real treat to run in such a big group, but some of us are still learning the rules of the road. Go two-by-two or single file depending on the path, so we can all share the space safely. If you spot a hazard-like a hole, step, bike, anything potentially dangerous, shout it out! If you hear someone in front of you calling out a danger, pass it on down the line, so everyone stays prepared. But don't call out every twig or leaf, we don't want to cry wolf so often that we miss real dangers.

She sent a message explaining all the notation in the training plan and specifically how that translated into our pace group, which I found really helpful.

• R-pace (repetition): zone 5, for 200 to 800 meters
• I-pace (interval): zone 4, for 800 to 1600 meters
• T-pace (threshold): zone 5, 8/10 effort, 5 to 10k pace
• HMRP (half-marathon race pace): pace expected on race day, high end of zone 3 - 12:58
• MRP (marathon race pace): pace expected on race day, zone 3 - 13:09
• easy: zone 2, 6/10 effort, 12:34 to 13:45 minutes per mile

TO WHAT EXTENT HAVE YOU MET YOUR RUNCLUB GOALS?

My goals this time are to continue building community among my runners, become more confident in my ability to lead, and keep training and building my fitness. I want to be more serious about cross-training and possibly have my sister write me a program. I am doing a good job of getting my miles in, but I could do better at cross-training and weight training.

WHICH COMPONENTS OF THE PROGRAM SUPPORTED YOUR PROGRESS? (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY)Here are some Facebook groups that I draw inspiration from:

• Team #runDis
• StreakingwiththeCOOLKIDS
• Crowned Athletics
• #RunDopey

I think some aspects of the Sparkle Squad, the LA Roadrunners, and the Rise and Run Family could translate to the Fit4Mom West SFV RunClub+. Sparkle Squad does a bracelet swap and a bunch of "getting to know you" posts right at the beginning of the year-long membership.

• share BRAND/ AMBASSADOR discounts
• share race discounts or coupon code
• ask for the Traveling Squad Unicorn Necklace
• download and share Accountability trackers in Canva
• create INSTAGRAM hashtags and @ tags#womensupportingwomen #womensrunningcommunity #womensrunning #inspiringrunners #runningmotivation #runnermotivation #motivationforrunning #runninginspiration #instarunner #instarunning #instarunclub
• tell them to like & comment each other's posts
• follow train: Comment with your INSTAGRAM handle. Please copy & paste the web address of your profile, so people can click through & follow with ease. e.g. @sparkleathletic: www.instagram.com/sparkleathletic
• Spirit Days - themes for dressing up in running attire

WHAT ABOUT RUNCLUB+ SURPRISED YOU OR DID NOT MATCH YOUR EXPECTATIONS (WHETHER POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE)? YOU CAN SHARE YOUR GENERAL REFLECTIONS HERE.

I met Juliet Ulanday from Fit4Mom SFVNELA and she is their RunClub+ coach. They also run at 8am on Sundays. She recognized me from my Instagram, so it was the first time someone recognized me from social media only because I'm unsure if we've ever met in person. We were both cooling down after the Santa Monica Classic. Her husband was forthcoming in sharing that managing the run club is challenging and that waning participation is universal. It made me feel connected to a larger running community, and it made me feel happy that I posted so many sweaty selfies on Instagram. At least they're reaching someone.

WHAT SUGGESTIONS DO YOU HAVE TO IMPROVE SESSION 4 (October, November, December)?

I tried having an after-run coffee/brunch with the gals during week 3, and it was kind of nice. We ended up staying another hour after our 3-mile run because one of our runners went to the wrong park and then had to drive across town to get to where we were. I felt it would be nice to do a little walk with her, and then we got coffee since we were already at a mall. It was something I wanted to try and I think it went well. Maybe not something we must do every time, but it was nice for a change.

Week 1 Homework
https://youtu.be/OzuF2Pym-Yg

Apps
https://youtu.be/hXFw_F1grb4

What is the magic mile?

https://youtu.be/CnvuBDT8aD0?si=qL_AZIhEOmRM2Wmj

Videos that I still want to make:

• Mission Inn Run course
• Holiday Half Marathon course
• Cycle Syncing
• How and why to keep a training journal

I also want to write a blog post about family-friendly Disneyland days and another one about budgeting and planning for races.