Shamrock 5K
Green Day Gallop 5K
Chip time: 40:35
Well, I wish...but the temperature is finally warming back up and so I've been able to get outside again without my fingers turning black or white. Skiing was my primary fitness this winter but I don't think I did enough to make a difference so we are back to square one and starting to run again. I also spent a considerable amount of time on the ground! Spring Break was as good a time to start as any, and actually the first time I saw the roads again or could pick my way through the bare spots. It's also now light way into the evenings so the excuses need to start going down. Shamrock 5K I really hate driving in to Anchorage on the Glenn in the winter, so winter races are always a big question mark for me. I didn't make it in for the Love Run as I didn't want to risk the road and ice. The weather is improving this week and starting to thaw on the roads, in between the snow storms that is. It was very foggy and it took a lot of mental debate to do the hour long drive. I saw more moose than normal along the hay flat corridor. I had promised a friend that I would run this race since they couldn't make it. Another friend, had said she would meet me there. I drove in, parked, and braved the icey road to the race start. I did remember to wear my Kahtoola spikes over my shoes and I was certainly glad that I did. There was time to navigate and do packet pick up. I didn't go to the car after packet pick up because the race swag was a beanie which I wore during the race. I probably needed to take it off about half way through as it was "warm" for this time of year. The race started on pavement with a few icey parts and promptly ran by the Franz bread company who was handing out cookies. (I didn't stop as this was only about a 1/2 mile into the race). The race then descends down a street to the Westchester Lagoon trail. Here the day's fog was blatantly obvious and so was the snow pack. I ran consistent until I hit the snowpack. It quickly fatigued my legs. If you went off the path at all, you were up to your calf or knee in snow. After the loop around the lagoon the trail ascends up a pretty descent snow packed hill before returning to the icey road, and looping back by the cookie station. Upon finishing you receive a chocolate gold coin and a pint glass. There's a leprechaun that starts the race five minutes behind everyone One dollar is donated for charity for every person that the leprechaun catches. Chip time: Green Day Gallop 5K Because when I start things, I can't stop. I also signed up for the Green Day Gallop....much closer to home and in the middle of the day so no excuses here! I was also meeting a teacher friend who was running her first 5K. This race has three distance options 5K, 10K, and Half Marathon. Knowing that I am out of shape and just starting to run again I opted for the 5K. I took four minutes off of yesterday's time, mostly because the road conditions were much nicer. This is a very flat course, with scattered ice and puddles on the road. I didn't wear my cleats, however, there was one segment that they had us all run on the bike path. This segment was ice and slush and I slowed way down. I am scared of falling! Oddly enough that was still my fasted mile of the course. I had to encourage myself to keep running and ended up running the last bit with intervals of about 1:00 to 0:30. Even so, I was about 4 minutes faster than yesterday. #beatyesterday Swag was another glass mug with cookies and beer available. Chip time: 40:35 Next Up: Either Superhero Run 5K on April 7th or the Who Let the Girls Out 5K on April 20th. Weather dependent of course! Here's to warmer temps and clearing roads!
0 Comments
Time to get caught up on my posts from this year. Not as many as in years past but lots of scenery and spent New Year's Eve running under the lights. So here's a recap of the races that rounded out my not-so-fast year. 29 July - Running Free 4Miler 12 Aug - Derby Dolls Dash 20 August - Skinny Raven 1/2 Marathon and Anchorage Mile (19 Aug) 23 Nov - Turkey Trot 9 Dec - Colony 5Kish 31 Dec - Resolution Run Running Free 4 Miler....Hills and a Little Off Roading
Derby Doll Dash 5KThis was an unplanned spur of the moment race. I think I am just seeing if I can push through the plantar fasciitis, even though I limped back to the car after last weeks race. I am glad I did this one. It was a really small races, and I even won an award for the craziest outfit (and sadly wasn't even trying). I learned a lot during this race: 1) 5K in Alaska, doesn't mean it's all a road race. 2) Derby girls know how to have fun 3) There's an exercise group called kangaroo ing? Impressed by these ladies running in their roo shoes, I don't think I could even stand in them! They were a great group and this was a small race that I will support again if timing works for it. Free race photos on their FB page. Skinny Raven 1/2 Marathon and One Miler Day 1 - Packet Pick up and Anchorage Mile This day just seemed a little off. Packet pick up was nearly empty and I got there way earlier than I needed, but 1 mile around Delaney Park....yes! I ran in the slow heat, which felt like the right placement for me. It was great to meet and reassure other runners who were running their first long races the next day. I ran one of my fastest miles, probably something to do with people watching you run the whole way and/or just being relaxed. By the time I got home my foot was seething in pain from the plantar fasciitis. I could barely walk, but made the decision to go back and run the half the next day. I added new orthotics to my shoes to see if it would help. This was also my first race to start to get plugged in with the RWB chapter. I met Tina at packet pick up and she saw my RWB headband and introduced herself. Day 2 - Skinny Raven 1/2 Marathon Best port-o-potty line EVER. After years of DC area races and never knowing if you are going to make it through the line before the race starts. The lack of line for this port-of-potty caused me to fall in love with Alaska races all over again. I have been stuck in that line or in the potty when the National Anthem started on multiple occasions so this is a much welcomed difference. The National Anthem was sung by an RWB member and then we started off on this chilly rainy day. Race conditions had been near perfect for the miles, for the half, not so much and my motivation quickly weaned. My foot, however, felt better after some icing and the half than it did from the mile...so that's a promising sign. I ran a while with a fellow Back of the Packer and then met another Back of the Packer (FB group) at the finish, who wouldn't let me give up and pushed me through.
Turkey Trot - Alaska StyleIcy streets and chilly weather dominated this race. The coldest conditions that I have every run in. Even so, I was slightly over dressed with tights, hiking pants, a long sleeve t, my cold weather UA jacket, and an UA swacket. Gloves, hat and ear warmer finished off my ensemble. My fingers and toes were the only things that over chilled and wool socks were purchased after this race as well as running gloves. I started the race with one of my teaching pals who was home for the holiday. I knew he would leave me in the dust and I struggled to stay up right for most of this race. About every five steps I'd slide. My biggest oops happened right in the home stretch as I entered the convention center to finish the race, about five steps before the carpet I went sliding pretty good but was able to catch myself. Otherwise this would have been a catastrophe. My plantar fasciitis is still bothering and I struggle to walk after the run, but was happy to not break my tradition of running a Turkey trot. I do miss running with my family back home though! Colony Christmas 5kish
Northern Lights Resolution RunPlease excuse the abundance of pictures. G-man decided that he wanted to run this race with me, and I was able to sign him up at packet picket on Friday. I am thankful that I signed him up early as the race start ended up being delayed by 10 minutes due to late registrations and packet pick up. Parking for this race was about a half mile or so from the start. There are port-o-potties available and propane heaters positioned around the Atwood Center court yard. The light stations were really cool to run through. This was the slowest 5K that I have ever run. Partly due to the abundance of pictures and partly because a lot of this race takes place on snow pack which is difficult to run on. We were fortunate though that the weather warmed up to the upper 20s for this race. Poor G was slightly over dressed and his cleats wouldn't stay on his shoes. I thought he was ahead of me, but when he caught up with me I had one little frustrated kiddo. We talked about how this race was for fun and not the conditions to push a PR. I ended up carrying his cleats, and then my head lamp which kept bouncing off my head. We did a little running, a little shuffling, and some photo ops but made it through and there were still plenty of people behind us. We stuck around for the after party (or what was left of it when we finished). G had a lot of fun trying to catch a prize, but we were a little disappointed by the fact that the hot chocolate was all gone by the time we finished. We were able to download race finish photos for free today so that sort of makes up for it. Oh and today I am so sore, running through snow at the back of the pack is tough. I missed my New Year's Day work out. Well...it's been a while since I've posted but I ran one of my bucket list races this weekend and it did not disappoint. I only wish I had some one here to share it with! We recently moved back to Alaska and I signed up for the Her Tern Half last week. I really only wanted to run the 1/4 marathon but decided that since there are rumors floating around that Her Tern (a store) is closing I had better run the 1/2 just in case it goes away next year. I hope not!!! This race (my 26th half) was just my style. They day before the race, I was able to make it to the Expotique, even though they do have race day packet pick up. I am glad that I went, but I wish I'd gotten there sooner. (I was a late day arrival because of the Bear Paw parade and a job expo---no new job yet, prayers appreciated) Lines at the Expotique when I was there were short for bib pick up and a little longer for check out. Quick easy and efficient. Oh and parking is free at meters on Saturday (I learned this only after I fed the meter a nonrefundable $1.50). Your race entry fee includes coupons that you can use at the Skinny Raven running store or the Her Tern Boutique. Armed with these coupons for $10 off Nathan Hydration, $25 off Brooks shoes or apparel, and $50 off a bag or shoes at Her Tern. Since our household goods have not arrived yet in Alaska I splurged on a new water bottle (ok not a splurge b/c reg price $15 take away the coupon and it was $5) and a lightweight race t-shirt because it's been "hot" here in Alaska (meaning 70s). The coupons were neatly tucked into a BAGGU reusable shopping bag. The race shirt was a nice wicking Brooks shirt that seemed to be true to sizing. This is a ladies only races so women's sizes only for the shirt....ok well there is one guy who gets selected to run with the women. His race number is 1...and he was outstanding at cheering us ladies on throughout the race! Race day morning proved to be typical Alaska summer weather (low 50s and overcast). I was a bit chilly while I waited on the race to start. I got there early and took the first photo of the inlet, which we didn't run by on the course. I did the early start and at my pace I'm glad I did. If you run a half in 2:30 or less you are encouraged to compete in the normal start, otherwise the aid stations aren't necessarily open for you. If you are like me (around the 3:00 mark +/- 10 min~or more or less that's just me), then the early start is for you. I hung out near the back of the start as I gave myself a low goal of 3:15 and a high goal of 3:00, this was due to an insane amount to calories and yummy camp food as well as little sleep and no recent training due to Midnight Sun Bible Camp, the week before, fishing on the Kenai, the week before that and the move in the preceding weeks. The early start began with a fancy schmancy Chevy vehicle leading the way (I'd say what it was but I'd get it wrong). You follow the vehicle for a lap around Delaney Park before heading down Happy Hill. The hill is a nice glide to start the race, until you remember you have to run back UP the hill at the very end. Once down the hill you run to a park and onto the Campbell Creek Trail. Since I don't live in Anchorage, I didn't know what to expect but was very pleasantly surprised. The trail is paved with a few small hills here and there where the route crosses a road. Gravel strips about two feet wide line the trail on both sides so if you want to get off the pavement you can. The trail is well marked and race organizers also put motivation signs along the road that were just my style, of course there were the cute spectator signs. Water and refueling stops were well run with two gel locations. Water stops were also marked by arches and banners. The organizers and fans used chalk to write additional messages on the trail. The course itself is beautiful and a reminder that in Anchorage, wildlife cautions are always needed. I was really impressed with this kind of race support. We spotted two more moose later on the trail. One on the way out, which I watched as the runners ahead of me veered to the left, and followed suit as another lone cow moose was eating. The second moose was the young bull pictured above which I actually stopped and took a picture of. Racers worked well together to alert each other to the wildlife. This is how I find that Alaskans take care of each other. While running in the valley, I often have motorists stop and tell me if there are moose ahead, especially if it's a mother and calf. Luckily, we did not see any bear on the course! This race was so different than crossing road, after road, in the DC/Baltimore races that I am use to. It was so peaceful I just let myself relax and reflect on all that has happened the last few weeks. Crowd support was scattered throughout the trail in little pockets of cheer....if you are someone who loves to run through the neighborhood block party you might be disappointed. If you are like me and you run to cleanse your mind and reflect on God's Holy creation you will love this race. The number of non-racers on the trail did progress as the race went on, but everyone was mindful of each other. The racers who started on-time started to catch me around mile 7.5-8. Some of these ladies were flying, but there only seemed to be a few places where the race bottlenecked with runners two abreast on both sides. I am sure it's frustrating for these ladies to have to skirt around the likes of me but I appreciate the chance to watch them run, and to finish with a group and enjoy the post race party together. I'd love one of my faster friends to run this with me and see if they could catch me with the head start. Around mile 8 my lost toe nail and the beginnings of plantar fasciitis caught up with me and I had to push through them with some slow walking. I'd never had PF before but by the time I got home, I knew that was what was happening. Therefore, the reason for the grimace in the image below. Just before the mile 13 marker, you run up Happy Hill....or in my case hobble, before a nice flat .1 mile finish. After the finish, men dressed in suits hand you the bracelet (no medal---see first picture). I don't mind not getting a medal and am happy for something different, since my medals are in ziplock bags and not hanging on the wall...yet. The post race party is just plain classy. A rose garden (don't forget your ID) with a custom champagne glass filled with a mimosa and a bag of kettle corn. Outside the rose garden, there is a stage with a band playing and socks and other prizes literally being thrown into the audience. There is also a food booth with wonderful baked goods and fruit (who catered this? I need to frequent their business). I nabbed a delicious carrot cake cupcake. There are vendors with prize wills and door prizes as well as the Kaladi Bros coffee truck. Did I mention there were free massages? Oh and baby pools filled with water to soak those tired toes in. Alaska builds a strong since of community and the local news published every racers name in the paper; including my slow 3:11:02. Thoroughly impressed with Skinny Raven's job putting on this race and I hope I can make it again next year. I can't wait to experience their other races in the months to come....now to lose that moving stress weight and prep for my next long race and the little ones in between: Anchorage RunFest - Skinny Raven 1/2 Marathon.
Why am I always so far behind? Lot's going on right now, but I need to find time to catch up on writing before I forget all the great people and great races I completed in April and into May. Greencastle Pub Run 10KActually a little bigger of a race than I expected. The question is where did spring go? Took it a little too easy this past week during spring break. Did get a hilly run in and a couple of walks but mostly took it easy. This race is just a few miles from where I grew up and consists of some rolling hills and farm fields. Not a whole lot of in town running. I really considered moving down to the 10K but I knew the longer distance would be of more use to my spring running schedule. Highlight was running into my high school cross country coach. Yes, writing all these posts about my slow runs...but I've been running for years! Probably should have taken it more seriously in my younger/thinner days but at least I'm still out there! Ok well, the second highlight might have been the amazing post race food. Plenty left when I got there, amazing strawberry granola yogurt parfaits. St. Mary's Historic HalfJust when you thought it couldn't get any hotter! Holy heat and humidity, with long slow hills followed by a nice flat finish. The weather was much different than last years rain and 50s. Right away, I decided that Frederick would be my push it race instead of this one. My goal was simply to survive and not pass out with a time of 3:15 or less. I got a little dizzy at times. Caught up with my friend Kerri who was pacing another runner through her first half. Janet had pulled a muscle early on and so we see sawed back and forth for a while. I found my stride around mile 6 but lost it again by mile 10. I finally passed someone who was out washing their car and my pleading look (even with sunglasses on) resulted in a nice much needed dousing with the hose. There was not a lot of course support as far as those out cheering, with the exception of a lady dressed as WonderWoman. At one point I passed her and she was holding a sign that said, "Forward is a Pace." I laughed and said, yep, that's me today. One foot in front of the other but we got it done!
This was 1/2 marathon number 22 for me. I expected a flat and fast course with a little scenery to boot. The course is an out and back with a small field of runners. The full marathoners run the out and back twice, the half marathoners do one out and back. Parking was easy and just a block or two from the start. Don't let the parking meters fool you, they don't collect fees on Sundays.
Course support was great for such a small race. Aid stations were well stocked with water/Gatorade and some had standard race food (candy/chips/etc). If you use gel/blocks or other energy foods you need to bring those with you as was stated in the registration information. I brought and tried Tailwind for the first time. I can't handle the caffeinated version. Too jittery. Also the Gummy Bear I selected at the halfway point had suffered from the early morning temps and was a little on the tough side. The aid station at the end was right on the trail and by that hour you really had to be aware of other trail users. I was feeling the low sugar and scarfed down two oranges. I really liked the low key atmosphere of this race and the other races as always were great. The faster races are very encouraging on the out and backs. Based on my previous run at Cherry Blossom, I set my goal time a little on the slow side at 3:05. My ultimate goal time was to be back under 3:00. My plan was to run consistent intervals (3/1) to meet my goal and run a steady pace. The first mile was icky as it always is. I stopped shortly in to mile 2 to untangle and plug in my headphones. By this point, I had lost the bulk of the crowd (see 1st pic below-left). This is not abnormal for me as a slow runner, but the small field made this stand out even more. At this point my left calf began hurting too. I realized this was due to the almost imperceptible climb. The climb was solidified later on the course when you realize how high above the Potomac River you are when the race start was close to even with the river. There are lots to distract yourself with the river, the farm fields, remains of buildings, the canal below. There is a long stretch where the drop off is steep along one side and another area where you run through rock facing on both sides. It's very scenic with lots of time for soul searching. The course is open to other users so you need to be aware of bikers and bird watchers. After mile 3, I settled in to pace and began using other runners to pull me through. I picked out two ladies who were ahead of me that I decided I wanted to stay with. One was running nearly perfect intervals with the little variation. I decided to drop my own intervals and attempt to mimic hers. We see sawed back and forth a few times throughout the race until she pulled well ahead around mile 10. The other lady stopped for fuel and encouragement from a friend and I was able to pull ahead of her. As I dropped behind and the defeatist attitude attempted to creep in, I switched my intervals to 30/30. I ended up finishing 45 sec shy of my ultimate goal. If I had stayed with my pacer I would have made the goal! No time to beat myself up though, major chafing to repair and races to train for!
As hometown races go, I started the race with Kim who had a watch malfunction and stepped aside to fix it. We bumped into Julie shortly thereafter who was having a wardrobe malfunction. Grayson took off ahead of me and I knew I couldn't keep pace with him. I settled into the race myself, getting comfortable with my pace, and trying to remember where the first mile marker was. I tried to limit my walk breaks to 30 seconds. This was a shorter race for me and I wanted to see if I could find some speed. I didn't find much, but was ok with that because I knew I had a half marathon scheduled for the next day. I kept thinking about the last words my parent said to her daughter, "Stay on your toes!" So I concentrated on landing mid foot. Interestingly, my rpms were higher for the second half of the race and I did have a negative split for the last mile. Around the next to the last turn I spotted another former student who was taking pictures of family members running in jeans. It gave me the motivation to keep going because you can't walk in front of a student and you can't be slower than someone running in jeans--that's impressive (maybe I should have students line my running courses, lol). The relatively flat course has several out and backs which let me check on Grayson and see how Kim and Julie were doing. Everyone seemed to be managing their paces well. I am so proud of Kim who finished just a few minutes behind me! If she had not had her Garmin issue she very well might have finished ahead of me. I know that Julie can beat me on any given day too. I was happy to see her smiling face out at the race! Thank you Hospice for all these free race photos that I found on their Facebook page. I hope to update with a few more pics that were taken before crossing the street back into the government center. Pictures of myself running are always eye opening! Seriously, what's up with the t-rex claw hands? Not to mention my serious issues with body image. Keep moving, keep building that self esteem. Posting them anyway, keep it real. Oh and food! I can't forget that there is always a great spread of food available after this race. Grayson enjoyed two hot dogs before we dashed off to Quadcopters!
This is the third year in a row I've gotten to run the DC Cherry Blossom 10 Miler. I feel fortunate that I've been able to get into this race and have had three totally different experiences. Year 1 - There was an incident along the race course and the race course was shortened so it was not a complete 10 miler. However, the blossoms were in full glory and it was simply an amazing run, albeit the lack the banana at the end of the course. Year 2 - Crazy wind storm came into town and the race officials were forced to take down all signage for the course. No blossoms were left on the course. Volunteers stood in place of the mile markers yellowing out times and encouragement. It was disheartening to watch so many cups blow into the Potomac River...which brings us to year 3: the switch from New Balance to Under Armor as t-shirt vendor and Metro SafeTrack---ie. no metro pre-race services. Pre-Race: Due to the lack of Metro Services we decided to stay a little closer in this year in Crystal City. Upon hotel arrival, we quickly hopped on the Metro to go to packet pick up. Our past experience, taught us that it is easier to use the Yellow Line to the Gallery Place-Chinatown and walk the remaining blocks rather than try to switch to the Red Line. Packet pick up was organized as always. However, I was very disappointed that they did not have any premiums left in my size. I paid extra for the upgraded shirt (although this year I think I liked the cotton version better) and we ordered these shirts upon registration in December. It doesn't make sense to me when this is a lottery race with registration completed so early that they would run out of shirts in your size. They also did not have any baggage check bags available, pins, or key chains that were suppose to be available at packet pick up. The purple wave runners picked up their bags in the back room so it kind of made you feel unwanted, especially when they didn't have any of the said items left. The expo itself was great and I scored a discount on the Baltimore 10 Miler (my last Maryland race for awhile), a Maryland Sweaty Band, and a Charm City Run Cherry Blossom Shirt. So I did my share of retail shopping this year! Update: To their credit, they have now offered the opportunity to request a key chain or pick up a shirt if you did not receive yours. I unfortunately, picked up a man's t-shirt on race day as an alternative, with an upcoming move, I didn't want to miss the opportunity to have a shirt. I did request a key chain. We then took the Metro back to Crystal City and made plans to meet up with other Sole Sisters in Arlington for dinner. The company was great, but again the restaurant service was questionable. We called ahead for a table as we had a large party, only to find out they gave our table away to another large party right before we arrived. The waitress was almost non-existent and one of our groups car got towed within 25 minutes of her arrival. We took the time to make sure that she got her car back and she generously drove us back to our respective hotels...so not a great start to race weekend. Race Day: One of our Sole Sisters who couldn't run generously offered to get up early Sunday morning to take us to the race. She ended up with a mini-van full and dropped us off much closer to the race than the Metro stop. Lines seemed extra long this year, but this may have been because so many people didn't run last year because of the weather. As I am a last coral runner, I said adieu to my friends and stood in the port-o-john line until race start. The port-of potty's were actually two deep and it would have been quicker if I joined the middle row. I was able to find my friend Julie and after maneuvering through the tight crowd I got to spend the coral time and first mile or two running back and forth with her. It's a wave start with just a few minutes between waves. This race is very tight as far as running space for about the first mile and a half. Once we cleared Memorial Bridge it started to thin out and I lost sight of Julie who zoomed ahead. I love the run run across Memorial Bridge to Arlington and back. I don't know why, but this is one of my favorite spots on so many of the major DC races. From there, the course heads up Rock Creek Parkway and turns around under the Kennedy Center. My friend, Beth, who took the Metro was able to catch up with me just as we turned onto Rock Creek. She reminded me that I was probably hot and should remove a layer so I stopped at the water stop and did so. I also used this opportunity to turn my headphones on. It worked and the next mile was one of my fastest of the day. Between miles 3-4, I really felt calm and relaxed and was enjoying myself. Here I also pumped into the RWB runners supporting their "The End is Far" race sign and I really wished I'd worn my #wearblue or #rwb shirt as I could have used the support. I pushed to mile 5 and realized that I only had five minutes of play-time or I wouldn't make the course time limit. I was tired but pushed on. Haine's Point (miles 7-9) did not disappoint. The blossoms were just past peak bloom and I was thankful for that one cool week that slowed the blossoms down. I pushed myself from Cherry Tree to Cherry Tree and tried to concentrate on the funny costumes: Mr. Incredible (thank you for always supporting), a penguin, a lemur, and a t-rex all were out to cheer the runners on. There are always a number of brides and individuals getting photos done under the cherry trees as well. I didn't stop to take pictures as I was worried about the time limit. (Thanks Melissa for lending me yours).
April Fools! This race wasn't timed and was an official fun run. It also corresponded with RWBs #RunAsOne campaign. The race itself benefited the local Patuxent River Habitat for Humanity in support of their Veteran's Critical Home Repair Program. Click on the green links if you would like to donate to either cause! Ran this one with the boys, or rather behind the boys. They both wore red to support RWB. I opted for my #wearblue shirt as the post-marathon weight gain makes the RWB one a little snug. I am looking forward to their new website opening in mid-May so I can find a better fitting top (or maybe be back down to marathon weight!). Please excuse the crazy hair too, this is why I normally shower and braid my hair before races, wild woman curly frizz! I wasn't in a hurry to push this race knowing that I needed to push myself to make the Cherry Blossom time limit the next day. The RWB group decided that they wanted to stick together as much as possible and I went with that plan. It gave me the opportunity to meet some RWB members and enjoy a leisurely pace along the Three Notch rail trail from John Bagget Park north to the turn around point and back. It was a lovely spring day and a little on the warm side for the 1st of April. I definitely worked up a sweat by the runs end. Kerri ran with the flag, a feat that I will have to try once I get a little stronger. Boys were happy with wonderful finish line food and medals for all. Biscuits and sausage, donuts, coffee, and samples of foot cream that I grabbed for post race tomorrow. This fun run gave me the confidence to face the challenge of the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler the next day and I am thankful for the casual atmosphere and the support of the RWB team members. Joining the group has been one of the best things that I have done. I was glad to get out and support these Veteran's organization. Help those who have sacrificed so much!
Marine Corps Marathon 17.75KA friend of mine (thanks Kerri) transferred her bib to me for the Marine Corps 17.75K and I jumped at the chance to run this race. I had forgotten to register and the registration sales out in 7 minutes so odds of getting in are not high! This race ensures guaranteed entry code stop the Marine Corps Marathon, unfortunately due to my husband's PCS back to the GreatLand in the north I knew I wouldn't be able to run the Marine Corps Marathon. It's been a rough week and it took me longer than normal to recover from the 8K last week. I actually took the day off work on Tuesday for stomach issues and have been feeling weak every time I climb a flight of stairs. I also did one of the heart wrenching struggles of being a military spouse and told my employer that I had to resign at the end of the year because of PCS orders out of state. It was a bit of a leap of faith as things aren't yet settled at our new location and I have no clue if I will even have a job next year. I was worried about this race too as I had read reviews talking about hills and single track trail. I knew I could finish it as it has a generous 20 min/mile time limit but I didn't want to get injured or overstressed because the Cherry Blossom 10 miler is next weekend. Then this weekend's blessings began. I had splurged and ordered a Good Luck Box when I registered for Cherry Blossom. It happened to arrive yesterday and I put the contents to work right away. The Honey Stingers Cherry Blossom flavored chews were stashed to be my race fuel. The bedtime tea, my beverage to try to get to sleep early for the drive to the race. Which brings me to the biggest blessing, Kerri (thanks again) alerted me to a post on the RWB team page that another member was looking to carpool to the race. I took a leap of faith again and jumped on the opportunity to save the hotel fees and not have to drive. It meant a 2:45am wake up but was well with it. Julie was amazing. We run relatively close to the same pace and she is easy to talk to and was able to ease my fears about this race. If you haven't joined your local chapter of RWB I highly recommend it. There are no membership fees and so much to gain from this group that supports Veteran's and Active Duty members by providing social and physical activities. The group is open to all, you do not need to be affiliated with the military to join. The group is fun and friendly and sure to increase your mental and physical wellbeing. Julie navigated us to the race parking in an extremely efficient manner. They is no parking at the race site so you have to catch a shuttle on a very nice commuter bus (not a school bus) to the site. The satellite parking is not very far off site and the bus was waiting to be filled when we arrived. Return to the satellite site was also easy. We parked at the high school and their was no line for our bus. The line was very long for the Quantico Center bus though. Bib pick up and baggage check was smooth and easy, although they did run out of medium shirts, which was not a problem for someone of my stature (lol). We then took advantage of indoor potties and warmth at the church on site. The church members were very generous and kept the bathrooms clean and well stocked. It was worth the 30 minute wait to use the facilities (first world problems). Thank you for opening your doors, Montclair Tabernacle Church, you were a blessing to the runners today. After leaving the church we literally walked right into the race line and ran into RWB members Julie and Massie. I had the opportunity to meet and work with these two while volunteering for the famous AidStation 2 at the Frozen Heart 50K. I had such a blast with them that day that I was thrilled to run into them at a race. They both are very encouraging. BOTH carried a flag through this entire race. Not a feat for the weak of heart or arm for that matter. Kudos to you both! Now for the fun....the course. The first three miles are on a service road of varying quality. It's up and down and over the rocks. It's definitely not single track but I could see the faster races not being able to break out of the crowd. One perk of being slow, after the first mile, you can usually find your own spot. Not used to trail, and my ankles were definitely feeling it. One of my goals was to keep smiling through the race and with Julie's help I was able to accomplish that, although some of the smiles might better be explained as grimaces. Before I forget, note the Maryland head band...it's Maryland Day! After mile 3 pavement finally appears, but campground do too and there was some definitely bbqing going on. Smoke, running, and I are not a good mix. That fourth mile is great, you get pavement and a great downhill glide but then look out for that hill to start mile 5. The picture above with the close up of Julie and me in the background gives you an idea o the hill. We were only half way up when she took this. After the initial steep ascent it continues to gradually climb for a bit before leveling out or being less noticeable. The man with the flag, Sid Busch! I love seeing him at races and trying to catch up with him! Follow that flag and give honor to those service members who lost their lives for this country. Around mile 9 you turn back in to the woods and are back on the rocky service road. Just past mile 10 there's a weird little out and back segment before finishing the trail and heading back to the church on pavement. This is a pretty quiet race without a lot of crowds, except around the start and the finish. This year's weather was a little weird in that it was warm for March (53 at race start and pushing 70 by the finish). I was thankful that it was dry too!
Finally back in the running game. I should finish recapping my races from last year. I ran my first full marathon - Richmond in November and turned around and ran my last 1/2 marathon of the year in Annapolis. It's been a mild winter but I got kind of burnt out and overwhelmed with work and having been running as much as I like. Today I ran my first race of the year - St. Patty's Day 8K in Hagerstown, MD. My pace was SLOW as expected, about 4 minutes slower than the 8K I ran last year. Fortunately, there was no nor'easter to contend with but there were lots of hills! (After uploading my Garmin, I probably need to say that the total elevation gain was only 118 feet...really not as hilly as it seemed). I am sure that slowed me down a bit. I ran the first mile strong and then tuckered out pretty quickly in the small hills in the cemetery. I thought I was underdressed but it turned out that I was a bit overdressed and probably should have lost the layer before the halfway point. There was only one water stop on the course and one or two places (cemetery and just after leaving the City Park) that could have been marked better as multiple distances were available. There was a nor'easter earlier in the week and so it was neat to run next to piles of snow. I need to do better at taking pictures along the course. I got to run with my sister and a group of her high school friends. It's so nice to cross the finish and have someone there to cheer for you and to be able to turn around and cheer others in. I also ran in to some old family friends and a girl I ran with in high school. Jennifer was finishing her half, just after I finished my 8K. Nothing like your hometown. I intend to run a few more races up that way before I head north.
Pace was slow today, I'm a little worried because Cherry Blossom is in two weeks and my run times are a little slow right now. Why does it look like I have eye liner on in this picture? I don't wear make up. It must be the Rodan and Fields Lash Boost! |
JK McDowellLong time back of the pack runner, science lover, Christian, educator, and mom. Archives
July 2019
Categories
All
|