The Michelob Ultra Night Run
At the beginning of the summer, Michelob approached me to become an ambassador for their awesome 90 calorie beer, and with that came the opportunity to put on my running shoes and be a part of their event of the summer, The Michelob Night Run, so on September 14th, I participated in my first ever night run with Michelob Ultra. Considering I have never run a race before, let alone a race at night, I was excited and nervous all at the same time. You all know that I run regularly as a hobby, for my sanity, and to stay in shape, but running with a group of people, in a part of Montreal I don't usually run in was new to me and perhaps a little bit out of my comfort zone. But like my father would always say to live your life to the fullest, so with that philosophy, I started my race preparations. I upped my personal running game to strengthen my cardio, made sure to eat healthy foods that would give me the proper fuel I needed and visualized a safe, happy and limit pushing run.
Before I get into my run experience, let me explain a little bit about what this Michelob Night Run was all about. Michelob Ultra launched a series of night races that took place from August to September here and across Canada. Runners could either run the 5K and 10K run through the old port and end with fun-filled post-race celebration. Pretty simple and to the point so here are my thoughts.
To begin, the ambiance upon arrival was awesome and the energy not just from the runners, but from the organizers and volunteers was palpable. I received an Energizer LED Headlamp so I could see where I was running and for obvious safety purposes, an ULTRA Night Run tee, a Michelob ULTRA beer ticket and a post race snack. Then I was off! Running through the Old Port with the night views of the St. Laurence River, the Montreal skyline, and the illuminated Jaques Cartier Bridge was spectacular. The course was flat and easy to run on and the weather was amazing. There were neon lights to guide the way and live DJs to keep you moving and volunteers to keep you motivated and hydrated which I loved because when you run by yourself sometimes it's a challenge to keep going when you're tired, so the volunteers were great at keeping you on track! What also made this event special was my fellow runners. People from all walks of life gathered to run together and it was invigorating to run alongside so many different kinds of people. I ran my 5K in 29 minutes and I must say that I am pretty proud of myself for my first run.
After I crossed the finish line, I got to enjoy a post-race celebration in the Michelob Beer Garden featuring live music and an ice-cold Michelob ULTRA. The garden was super cool with good vibes and lots of satisfied runners. Celebrating our victory with nice weather and a fun band made it all worthwhile, but the best part was that we all got to enjoy a refreshing cold beer, and that is what Michelob is all about. Michelob ULTRA quickly became my drink of the summer and not only because it tastes really good, but because it is only 90 calories!!! Talk about guilt free! But not only do you feel guilt free after a workout, like the run I did, but in your everyday life in general when you are enjoying some alone time or hanging with your friends.
The whole experience brought me a sense of pride and accomplishment and definitely the motivation to race again. Thank you Michelob! Never would have done this without you!
Photography by Patricia Brochu