Napa to Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon Official Website

The "Nitty Gritty" Details (User Opinions)

MsV 1.
ripon, CA

  (08-14-2009)

"Run Your Own Race: Fresh Legs
Posted on July 19, 2009 by Ms V. | Edit
*Napa 2 Sonoma Half Marathon race report*

This was my mantra for today. I’m not 25 anymore, I’m 50. I can only do what my body can do. It was on the spur of a moment last week, that I was able to buy a bib from Craigslist for today’s race. Someone asked on Twitter, and I said, Me!

Finally, locked down the details, and called CB, which I mentioned in my last post. He knew I would get a new PR, which I did not…but that’s not the point. He wanted me to do the dreaded 2 mile run, 2 min. walk…in which I panic because for craps sake, I’m already slow…But the goal was to have fresh legs today.

I made that my personal goal, as I set out to run this race today…that no matter what, my legs would hold up until the end…which they did. The rest of my body? Not so much.

The Expo: Literally, I never been to such a small expo. I mean really, this is a $75 bib I purchased. I finally was directed to the right person who could transfer my bib for me, at another $20. And, they seemed sort of put out that they had to do this. I got the Tshirt, and the logo is pretty weird. It’s a lamb…on a back of a runner? Is it jumping? You tell me: The Poster is here. I’m in a hotel lobby, so that will have to do. They were charging people 10 bucks to park for, what, 15 minutes…if that.

Lunch: This was at Big 3 in Sonoma, and I wanted something really bland…so why did I get Aoli? Who knows. Typically, waitresses don’t like singles, and you could tell this girl was bored to death…and I tipped her as such. She gave my food to me, and never came back. I’m a pretty good tipper…so that’s different for me. During the lunch, my ex husband called, and asked to switch a day with me, because he was going out this week. Apparently with a woman. It sort of sent me over the edge a bit…I mean, it’s been 2.5 years. I think it’s time, and someone had to go first, so it’s all good now, but I literally set the phone down and shed a tear.

AA mtg: I am not a drinker, and haven’t been for 30 years. That doesn’t mean I don’t get temporarily thrown off balance. As I’m driving, it’s winery after winery. I was the type of drinker that would have never left the first one, so wine tasting would never have been my thing…but as usual, I judge my insides by your outsides, and you are having a great time, and I think I’m missing something.

Dinner: At the meeting, I meet a man who’s a mountain biker. I am going to buy my pre-race dinner of chicken, brown rice & banana, and he offers to fix it at his house. He was sober a long time, and I was fairly sure I was dealing with an athlete by the looks of him, so I went. And, it was weird. It was not a date…but it bordered on one.

RACE DAY!!!
3:50 AM: I’m awakened by 3 alarms. I dress, pack and change rooms (kids were joining me today), and leave by 4:15. It’s completely dark on the drive to Sonoma from Novato. I arrive at the bus dropoff, and am on the first bus in the front row, at 5am. We were brought to a winery in Napa, and dropped off. It was cool and lovely, and I talked with some awesome people that I had never met…they made me feel included and helped me in some pre-race decision making on the Gels, etc. It’s funny, how the people you share a bus with, or drinks or porta-potty lines with you NEVER see again the rest of the day…

Mile 1-2: Felt strong, at my usual 11 minute pace. Yes, I’ll say it. 11. I took my first drink and Jolly Rancher there.

Mile 3-4: After walking 2 minutes, I picked up and did the next 2. Our first hill was hard and steep, but these miles were rolling hills. My favorite part was seeing the line of runners ahead of me. I literally enjoyed being a part of this. And, I had to remember that the goal was fresh legs, not faster.

Mile 5-6: Here’s where it get’s a bit dodgy. At mile 5, I had my second JR, and it was a mess…Sticky, etc. Lost my chapstick, etc. Took a long time to get in my mouth. I was serene, because I knew I could get water at 6.

They were out of water at Mile 6. This wasn’t the only problem: The volunteers were yelling at the runners that it wasn’t their fault, but the runners before us. Which seriously didn’t help. I paid $75, and purposely did not take a fuel belt because of the numerous stations.

Mile 7-8: My resentment carried me through mile 7. I asked someone for water, and this lady says, “Yes I’m dehydrated!” This orange guy *more on that later* pops out a drink bottle for me, and she comes out of nowhere and takes it from him. (I beat her in the chute by about 10 seconds.) I was not happy. Finally at Mile 8, I drank and drank and drank…and maybe that’s where my problem came up. I took my Endurolyte and Power Gel, and I was on my way.

Mile 9-10-11: All a blur, some walking…lots of turns…and you know how they say never to do anything new on race day? My running bra, which I love was new…but starting cutting in to me. I was soaked, having never worn the pink/brown…and had a stitch in my side, etc. My legs were screaming at me, and I couldn’t wait for it to be over.

Mile 11-13: Home owners, trying to be supportive, yelling “You’re almost there”, my biggest pet peeve. Um, no. We’re not there. We’re nowhere close to there. I had walked so much, that I simply was determined to walk no more. The last aid station, I didn’t stop. We ran through a park or school…I have no idea. One of the volunteers yells…You stop at the palm tree!!!! That palm tree was what I set my sights on the whole rest of the race.

Finish Chute: This was where I hit the wall. I had been holding my side much of the last 2 miles, and I came in and saw water…then had to doublecheck to make sure that was not wine. I drank 4 glasses, grabbed a watermelon slice, and laid down. This screamer *WHOOHOOO* was yelling to her friend, and the band was playing LOUDLY, and I just wanted to Zen. I felt like crap, wanted to puke.

But, I had fresh legs.

Good stuff: Great volunteers at the roadside cheering us on. Great folks handing out water. Good food, nice venue and park afterward. The coach who shared his drink with me. The cop who asked if I was okay. The elderly volunteer who brought me water. The elderly woman I saw with at the bakery…and who gave me a ride to my car.

Bad stuff: Mile 6, The Orange team…LOTS of orange, and lots of support for the orange…and a separate bbq for the orange…the team thing…which I am now a part of with TNT…but seriously, do you have to scream…all the MFing time? How about the girls who are chatting about the BMWs and their office gossip. Didn’t like that so much. No bus shuttle to the cars at the end. They say: It’s only 2 miles down there…you could walk! I almost slapped the guy…really?

All in all, I met my goal. I’m disappointed I actually went slower, but I listened.


Tomorrow: Six Flags. If I can walk!

"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Crystal B.
San Francisco, CA

  (08-11-2009)

"This was my first time running this race and my second half-marathon overall. I really enjoyed it, here's my breakdown:
Pluses:
-Not too crowded
-Early enough in the morning where it was pre-heat wave
-Fabulous snacks and re-charge beverages at the end
-LOVED the wine tasting option, it was so nice to just sit under a tree with friends after the race and enjoy a cool glass of white wine (and water)
-Gorgeous course!
-Solid (not cheap) medal awaits those who complete the course!
-Transportation to and from the event

Cons:
-My group started towards the end of the pack since there was a group of us running (nothing organized, just a group of friends), by the time we reached the second water station they were completely OUT of water!
- I don't know that it can be helped, but boy howdy is it frustrating to be stopped in the middle of a race so traffic can cross. Totally throws your whole momentum off when it happens at mile 8/9
-The course while indeed beautiful, runs through back country roads. Don't expect a smooth run but do expect that you'll be running large portions of the race on inclines, for those of you who have a tough time with ankles like myself, it can be a bit rough and painful after the first 10 miles!
-Transportation was great, however the bus back to our cars smelled like the toilets hadn't been cleaned in DAYS.
-Really awful t-shirt design...still scratching my head at that one!

Overall this was a great race to run! Running out of water is the only thing I would consider to be completely unacceptable and the cuts for traffic are more than slightly annoying but may just be part of what you get with the race. We'll be there again next year!"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Jane W.
San Jose, CA

  (08-07-2009)

"The course through Napa into Sonoma is beautiful! On race day, the weather was perfect, especially since there are very few trees or buildings to provide shade along the way.

I was very dismayed by the 2 traffic stops at Hwy 121/Burndale and Napa Rd/Denmark St. Each stop was at least 30 seconds. Since each was in the middle of the race, restarting and getting back on pace was not pleasant. While I understand these roads are the only two thoroughfares into Sonoma from Napa, one would think they could figure out a better system than suddenly stopping runners in their tracks.

I was also a bit disgruntled towards the end by all the hoopla surrouding Team Challenge. From what I understood, this was a Napa to Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon not the Napa to Sonoma Crohns and Colitis Challenge. The least their supporters could have done along the way is through out some support for everybody making the effort, not just their runners (esp. since the non-Team runners weren't allowed any spectator supporters). Maybe I misunderstood.

In all, I will run this race again mostly because it's a very nice course and it makes for a good excuse to visit the in-laws for the weekend (they reside in Napa). "

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Tara M.
Walnut Creek, CA

  (07-28-2009)

"Living in the bay area it was an easy commute race day morning. There was no traffic, however you need to be prepared to wake up early since you are shuttled out to the start between 5:30 and 6:15. The start line had water, bananas, Clif shot blox, and electrolyte drink available. There were also plenty of port-o-potties available. This is a small race (approximately 3,000) and typically sells out every year, so I would recommend registering early.

The start of the course is extremely beautiful and you climb a somewhat steep hill from the get go, but you're rewarded with a great view of Napa and all the surrounding vineyards. This year it was rather warm and the sky was clear, so it heated up pretty quickly. The course is full of rolling hills. The end of the course you go through some residential areas and end up in Sonoma at a park. There was a decent amount of crowd support, as you got closer to then end. Once you cross the finish there are lots of refreshments and snacks to fuel up on. There was also the option to buy a glass for wine tasting post race, which was very nice and a great way to relax post race.

Overall, I would highly recommend this race. Just be cautious that it might be hot and the course is not exactly fast or flat.
"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Denice S.
Irvine, CA

  (07-24-2009)

"I replied that I probably would not do this race again except for the part about the race being in Napa Valley. The course is okay and I agree with the previous reviewer that noted there was not a place for bystanders. Also you were encouraged to take the bus to the start location which makes it difficult for your friends and family to see you off.

The biggest reason that I would not do this race is the disorganization of Destination Races. They are incredibly unorganized and it ends up either inconveniencing you or down right wasting your time. The main person from Destination Races held a session to talk about the course and then when we sat down for the presentation he exclaimed that he was too busy this week and did not make up a presentation. (Isn't that his job?)Instead they handed out an unmarked course map that looked like a 5 year old drew it. Twice during their hosted events they gave the microphone to a guy who sets up races for the troops in Iraq. This sounds like a great presentation except that the whole speech was about his past and the accomplishments he has. It was almost as if he was trying to sell us on what a great guy he is. I did not feel bad getting up and leaving along with most of the group. It was horrible.

If you are planning to participate in this race do not rely on Destination Races for anything. The hotels that are "race hotels" typically do not know about the race and the one that is the main hotel, the Fairmont, is so far away from everything that it is a horrible place to stay. Make sure you coordinate all of your own transportation and do not attend their pre-race pasta dinner. It too was disorganized and a waste of time as well as money.

The biggest draw to this race is the views- AWESOME!!"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Michaela B.
Petaluma, CA

  (07-23-2009)

"This is an absolutely gorgeous course -- gently rolling hills (by the way, that first hill really isn't as bad as people make it sound) weave through vineyards, pastures, open space. At one point, there were actually two horses running alongside us in a neighboring field -- AMAZING.

But because this race takes place in a rural area, there aren't many spectators/people cheering you on (unless you're part of Team Challenge -- then you have your own cheering squad). You don't see spectators until the finish along Broadway. I would've liked to have more encouragement.

Also, the course crosses over major highways/roads (first at Hwy 121 and then at Napa Road) in a couple of spots. CHP is there to control traffic, but there's a chance that you may get stopped at one of these crossings if it's the cars' turn to go.

Aid stations are numerous and well-staffed. Just make sure you know what you're drinking -- the water and the HEED look exactly the same -- same cups and everything. Be sure to yell "Water!" so you don't accidentally get electrolyte drink.

Finally: Weather can get hot pretty quickly. Make sure you hydrate."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009