Hydraquiver Double Barrel Product Review

 I tried out this gem initially at the Hypnosis Night Run a couple of weeks ago, but wanted to test it out on a self-supported long run before writing up my "official" review.  First, I will go over the specs because the hydration pack is structured a lot different than any other hydration pack on the market.

The shoulders have two stretchy pockets that are able to hold nutrition, your phone and any other things that you might need quick access to without taking your pack off.  Last night, I had my iPhone 5 and chapstick in the left pocket and three Gu packets and some toilet paper in the right pocket.  After the sun came out and I could put my headlamp away, that fit as well in the right pocket with everything else.

 There is a larger pocket sandwiched between the bottles and your back where I stuffed my wallet and a couple of Picky Bars (see left.)
















The cushioning on the back and shoulders is amazing (see right).  It helped absorb a lot of the potential movement and friction and made for an extremely comfortable fit.



For this particular run, since six hours of it was in the dark, I needed to strap a blinky light on the back.  This was completely doable and I was also able to strap in a third bottle for additional water thanks to the bungee cord in the middle of the pack (see below.)

The pack does sit higher on the shoulders, but this prevents the moving/friction that occurs with standard hydration packs that have bladders instead of bottles (see below.)  It takes a lot of pressure off the lower back as well.  Surprisingly, I adapted to the removing and replacing bottles pretty easily-it took only a minute or two of practice.  Once you get passed that, the innovation in this pack allows for so much more versatility.  On the thirty mile run this morning, I only had to refill once-fifteen miles into the run.

Best of all-zero chafing from the hydration pack.  I've owned two Nathans and two Camelbaks and always was running into the same problem-severe chafing.  To the right, you see a comparison of my chafing from the Vaporshadow and my back right after the thirty miles this morning.





Cleaning is a gazillion times easier, because you can just throw the bottles in the dishwasher instead of having to soak and scrub the bladders with special cleaning kits.  Another plus-you can put electrolytes in one bottle and plain water in the other and alternate on your run.  Most endurance athletes I've talked to prefer to have both, but bladders like this are in minimal supply and add to the complications of cleaning and maintenance.

In summation, I am THRILLED to finally find a pack that doesn't chafe, allows me to mix up the electrolytes and water, has plenty of storage and is easily cleanable  :-)  So ecstatic, that I am now an ambassador for the company!  Visit the link on my blog to browse their products!

Seawheeze Half Marathon Race Report

I was excited about this race for MONTHS-billed as the big Lululemon race of the year, complete with yoga and zen like activities all weekend long.  Add in the fact that I was meeting one of my dearest running friends from Texas and I was PUMPED!

Seawheeze weekend started out on Friday with a two hour wait in line to get into the special store that had exclusive Seawheeze Lulu clothes.  Being an ambassador for INKnBURN, I was mainly interested in the clothes that my favorite company doesn't offer, like dresses and everyday wear.  When we finally got into the store, the first thing we noticed was all of the sixes and eights had been picked over rather extensively.  I was still able to score a couple of shirts, a dress, a jacket and a skirt for one of my Cholla Chicks, so overall, I was content with my purchases.  The line for checking out wasn't as bad as the line to get in, but it still took us half an hour to get through it.

After the store experience, we headed to packet pickup.  This line was probably shortest-only taking half an hour or so to get through.  We got our packets and did the "Chip check" on the way out the door to verify our chips were tied to our correct names and residences.  I went back later in the day to get one of the spray on tattoos and had to wait in line another hour and a half.

Race day was the next day.  On my way to meet Kelly and walk to the start, I realized I had accidentally lost my chip.  Thinking to myself that this race has 11,000+ runners and I certainly can't be the only person that misplaced my chip, I went to the "Solutions" desk and they issued me a new chip.  The caviat...?  It would not be tied to my name, so my time would not count.  Greeeeaaaaaat.  $128 CAD race entry, trip to Vancouver and my time won't count.  I tried to shake off my pessimism and focus on the fact that I would be running in fabulous sixty degree weather with amazing scenery.  Kelly and I placed ourselves in the two hour corral, knowing we would hit somewhere around that time.  It took about half an hour for this corral to make it to the starting line.  In the meantime, we had fun people watching.  Turns out several people were standing on their hotel balconies in their skivvies watching the festivities-AWKWARD!

As soon as we got to the start line, the adrenaline kicked in and I took off like a crazy person.  The weather felt great and my muscles were screaming, "Faster!  Faster!"  I averaged 8:20s for the first half of the race-totally on target for a huge PR.  It was then, going over this long, steep bridge, that it hit me that if I PR'd, it wouldn't count.  From that point on, I slowed down and enjoyed the scenery.  They had street performers out in full force, entertaining the runners.  At one point on the Seawall, they had a fake Muscle Beach set up with people lifting weights and spinning on bikes.  There were even mermaids in the water and trendy people with encouraging signs on SUPs.  I forgot my Gu in the hotel, so I tried their energy gel Vega around mile eight and promptly spit it out.  I'm so used to either Gu or solid foods in my long runs that I was not expecting a gooey substance with chunks and it startled me (I think they might have been chia seeds.)

Even with me saying, "eff it", and slowing down dramatically, I still ended up with my third best half time (per my garmin, because my chip didn't count.)  I finished in 2:07:26 and got ushered into the medical tent.  Yes, this genius didn't think about the humidity and left her inhaler back in the States.  I waited around in the medical tent for twenty minutes or so, calming my breathing and waiting for an albuterol treatment as runners much worse off than me got IV's and oxygen masks.  Finally, I got the puffs I needed to be on my way, but they made me wait to observe me for a little while longer.  Not going to lie, it was nerve wracking with so much chaos going on around me-I had no idea that half marathons could affect people this bad!  Finally, I was released.  We went to pick up my drop bag and then headed over to the brunch area.  When we got there, we decided it wasn't worth the line (yes, another line.)  We opted for showering and eating brunch at the Four Seasons.  That was probably the best pancakes and bloody mary I have ever consumed!

I would definitely recommend this race for Lulu fans that want to get away for a cooler race in August who don't mind waiting in lines, but I don't think I will do it again.  I will definitely come back to Vancouver, but I have had my Seawheeze experience and am so glad that I got to spend some time with Kelly!

Hypnosis Night Run Race Report

Pre-race with my fellow INB ambassador, Kimberly

I signed up for the 60k with butterflies in my stomach-I knew it was going to be a tough one with the heat and distance.  Especially with my last year's race haunting me...  It took me six hours to finish because I got sick to my stomach fourteen times-I was determined not to make that mistake again.

The course consisted of two loops-a 10k loop and a 15k loop.  The 60k runners would complete the 10k loop three times and 15k loop twice, alternating between the two.  All day prior to the race, I rested and drank electrolytes in preparation.

Sunset on the Trails

The race began promptly at seven.  The first couple of miles, I felt fabulous-taking my time and stopping to take pictures of the gorgeous sunset.  My feeling was, if I was going to be out there all night, I might as well enjoy myself.  As the sun began to set, I turned on my headlamp...  only, it wouldn't turn on. I went to change the batteries, but it took three AAA and I only had two.  I figured two fresh batteries was better than none and it turned on.  From there, I took off and was feeling great for the entire 10k loop.  I figured if the rest of the trails were as easy as this, then I was golden!

Mile three selfie before sunset

I passed through the start and took off on my first 15k loop, all smiles.  Shortly after starting into the longer loop, my light began to flicker.  I chalked it up to the two batteries having to work overtime and continued.  The fresh water in my new Orange Mud pack tasted so fabulous that I accidentally chugged it, leaving me with one 24 oz bottle to last me another four miles.  Typically, this would be fine, but it was still 100+ degrees outside and I was sweating profusely.  Right after I put my Orange Mud pack back, I noticed something scurry across my path.  It was the cutest little field mouse and I felt horrible because I was certain it would be snake food soon.  By mile ten, my headlamp was dead.  I started to panic and kept going, utilizing the flashlight on my phone.  This was slow-going because I was too afraid to run with my phone in hand on the trails-I am a klutz and knew if I ran, I would be replacing my iPhone screen for the third time.  It was right about then that Chris caught up to me and thankfully, he had an extra battery for me, so my headlamp was restored to full brightness.  This side of the trail was significantly more technical than the 10k loop and seemed like it was a constant uphill.  Not long after my headlamp was restored to full brightness, I ran out of water.  At this point, there was still three miles to go before the next water stop, so I hiked with Chris and piggybacked off his hydration pack.  I was too scared (based on last year's experience) to exert any more energy than necessary to get me to the water stop where I could refill.  This was poor hydration management on my part.  I shouldn't have chugged the water and I should have utilized the bungee cord in the middle of my pack to secure an additional bottle.  Lesson learned for next time!  It seemed like forever until we reached the water stop and in the meantime, Chris kicked up a large scorpion in my direction on accident and we saw a gigantic tarantula that moved rather quickly and freaked me out to no end.  By the time we got to that water stop (almost eight miles between the stops), we decided we were throwing in the towel.  I could do that 10k loop all night long, but there was no way I was going to attempt the 15k loop again.  I refilled, felt refreshed and took off running.  Averaged sub 10's on trails for the last couple of miles, crossed the finish line and signaled that I was done.  I grabbed a beer from the cooler and waited for my love to finish shortly behind me.  I would say that even though I dropped down to 25k, this race was a success because I finished strong and did not get sick.  Sadly, I can't say that others had the same.  We passed a couple of runners that were miserable and sick and one of our dear friends suffered that same fate.

Lesson from this race:  Don't attempt an ultra in Phoenix in August-take it easy and enjoy the sunsets, critters and your mountain playground  :-)

Rhythm Cycle Therapy

The magic happens behind this door!

As an ultrarunner, I know the importance of cross-training, but had never found an activity that stuck until I discovered RhythmCycle.

The studio was founded  by the fabulous Lisa Larson (aka Lisa Lisa) and the classes are taught based on moving to the rhythm of the music.  They incorporate lunges, squats, pushups, intervals and sometimes even weights so you end up burning more calories than your standard spin class while getting a complete body workout.  There's something about internalizing the music and using the movement on the bike as a form of expression that creates a sweaty, zen-like experience for the riders.  All of the instructors use the same approach to teaching, so once you get the hang of the moves, you can go to any class and have the same expectations met and exceeded.

My Sugar Skull tank under the black light :-)

The website is amazing as well!  You are able to register and actually pick your bike, so there is no concern of having to get there super early to make sure you aren't stuck in the front if you are attention-shy.  Granted, with the black light, everyone looks tan and fabulous anyway, so it wouldn't matter :-)


I have gone from cross training once or twice a month to a full on spin junkie thanks to my Rhythm Cycle family and that's what it is-truly a small family.  They knew my name after my first ride and by the time I get my shoes on and walk over to the desk, they've usually checked me in already.  Every member of the staff is really genuine and cares about your input and life in general.   The other day I came in and one of the riders was talking to an instructor about a particular injury she was struggling with.  The instructor was sincerely concerned, gave the rider some advice and stretches to do to try to alleviate the pain.  It's this kind of "above and beyond" treatment that keeps all of us spin-addicts coming back!  You can find me at Rhythm Cycle four to five days a week in addition to the crazy miles I log on my feet, which is a definite life change for me--it also helps that I have arm muscles thanks to the push ups for the first time in my adult life!



I want to thank Lisa-Lisa and the staff at Rhythm Cycle for making it so easy for me to step out of my comfort zone and try something new.  I've been a runner for the last eight years and an ultramarathoner for the last year and a half, but all I've ever done is run...until now :-)