race | Adventures with Ashley

Massive Medal Half Marathon and CNU Alumni 5k

November 30, 2016 Ashley Barlow Comments 1 comment

My second year running the Massive Medal Half Marathon! Last year’s race went really well and as a huge medal fanatic, I just had to come back for another massive medal! This time I signed up for the Captains Challenge which is running the Massive Medal Half Marathon and then the CNU Alumni 5k for a whopping 16.2 miles! It was very frigid out that morning. This was my first race this year that I ever ran in long sleeves and I…

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Ragnar Relay Washington D.C.

October 13, 2016 Ashley Barlow Comments 0 Comment

Oh Ragnar we meet again! This was my third Ragnar race of the year! I had the pleasure of running Ragnar Trail Richmond along with Ragnar Trail Appalachians West Virginia, but this was my first road relay race! For those of you who have not heard of this race, Ragnar is the largest relay series in the Unites States consisting of both trail and road relays. Each road relay race is around 200ish miles (320km) and is a two day and one night event. There are…

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Rock ‘n’ Roll Virginia Beach Half Marathon

September 22, 2016 Ashley Barlow Comments 0 Comment

Virginia Beach it’s good to be back! It has been a yearly tradition to have this race during Labor day weekend. I ran the Rock ‘N’ Roll Virginia Beach Half Marathon last year and was so frustrated that this race put me in crutches, so I made it a goal to come back this year injury free! (and thankfully I did just that!) I had just run the DC Spartan Sprint the weekend prior which was one of my best…

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DC Spartan Sprint

September 9, 2016 Ashley Barlow Comments 1 comment

Oh Spartan, I have fallen in love with obstacle course racing and have become quite addicted! This was my second year doing the DC Spartan Sprint and my first time ever competing in the competitive division. The DC Spartan Sprint is a 4+ miles run with 24 different obstacles. This year’s event came out for 2 days instead of just the one day compared to last year. Pictured below is a map of the course. I decided to volunteer the…

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Ragnar Trail Appalachians West Virginia

August 31, 2016 Ashley Barlow Comments 2 comments

My second time running a Ragnar Trail race! I originally was not planning on doing this race, but there were a few last minute drop outs and I was offered a spot on a team so I joined! I had a really good time running Ragnar Trail Richmond back in April so I was excited to see what West Virginia had in store for us! Let me reiterate a little from my last Ragnar post for those who have not…

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Pennsylvania Spartan Super

August 9, 2016 Ashley Barlow Comments 12 comments

Oh Spartan, one of my favorite obstacle course races around. This was probably the first race I seriously considered skipping (yes, you heard me right). Now I am not one to quit, but please believe me when I say I felt like I was dying from the plague just the week prior. I had just returned from Costa Rica and my body had completely shut down. The amount of hiking, running and waterfall chasing throughout the entire country was finally…

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Gen Chesty Puller 10k

July 12, 2016 Ashley Barlow Comments 2 comments

My second 10k of the year. Wow, has it really been a whole year already since I ran this race? Last year, the Gen Chesty Puller was my very first 10k and I was glad to be back running it again in the small town of West Point. This year I am glad the start time got moved up to 7 am (that Virginia summer heat is no joke, I tell ya!). It was an absolutely beautiful day for running. The air was clear, despite…

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Ragnar Trail Richmond

June 28, 2016 Ashley Barlow Comments 1 comment

My very first Ragnar experience! I have always wanted to do one of these races, but always struggled with trying to find a team. I went to a local RWB luncheon and someone was looking for a teammate. It was an opportunity I could not pass up, so I joined. The trails have always been my favorite place to run and I have never done a trail race before, so I was very much looking forward to this event. For those who don’t…

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PeasantMan Triathlon

June 14, 2016 Ashley Barlow Comments 0 Comment

My very first Triathlon! Wahoo! I can officially call myself a triathlete! This race was recommended to me and was definitely a good starter for my first triathlon. This race took place on Mother’s day this year and was located at Lake Anna State Park. Now I felt very unprepared for this race. When I say unprepared I mean I hadn’t swam in few months and I had just gotten my speed clips and shoes for my bike just a few days prior. Talk about waiting…

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Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon

June 6, 2016 Ashley Barlow Comments 0 Comment

Oh boy, where do I even begin… Lets start by saying that I just recently past my year anniversary for my 1st Half Marathon on May 31st. Wow has it really been a whole year already!? This race was my 7th Half Marathon and by far the most difficult of them all. I was really dreading this race. Mentally I was not ready and physically I felt very fatigued. I had just recently returned from Iceland and it took me a while to adjust to…

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