Megan Bryan's Staging Area

Arrived at the Napa valley Marriott inn a Saturday morning which housed the expo and bib pickup. Everything was easy to find and I loved the samples of Nuun, cheese, wine, rx bars and Acai bowls by sambazon. Shirts were long sleeve tech and had a relaxed fit and the duffles were a nice touch although lightweight and small. On race morning I opted to take the bus to the start from the same hotel and got there in a breeze. Race started promptly at 7 and I loved the support located about every 2 miles. Volunteers were so friendly and motivating. Once the fog cleared, the vineyards and mountains were just beautiful! I crossed the finish line and was decently happy with my time considering the rolling hills for a good portion of the course. A volunteer handed me a water and was there to lean on, not that I needed it! 🙂 I loved that they served warm tomato soup with naan, Acai bowls, bananas and yogurt in the gym. I was also handed a Whole Foods bag with a small banana and kind bar which was underwhelming. Wait times for massages were an hour but I was fine without one. Really my only suggestion for 2019 is for more port o johns to be located on course. Lines were starting to form every few miles and I hated the idea of waiting several minutes. I saw a few runners seek the woods rather than wait. Overall the water stations were frequent and the scenery was outstanding!