So I’m linking up today with Amanda for Thinking Out Loud Thursday.

Here’s what I’m thinking today…

About my last race.  Don’t you always do that after a race that didn’t go well?

So it wasn’t just me!

Wow if you read FB, you’ll see what I mean:

• Worst and most unorganized 1/2 marathon I have ever participated in Rock N Roll or otherwise.
• the race started 30 minutes late. which was great. ONLY because it gave me 30 extra minutes to stand in line for one of the 20 bathrooms available in the corrals. seriously. 20. for 20,000 people? waited in line for the toilets for well over an hour. and for a race that calls itself rock and roll – the amount of music on the course was disappointing. because there was NO music on the course. the route itself was okay, but not nearly as much fun as the brooklyn half.
  all in all. poor organization, lack of toilets and the absence of music will more than likely keep me away. for $100 i was expecting better.
• Sucked
• I also felt it was badly organized and very uneventful. Not enough bathrooms, boring route, a mess at the corrals.
• The race seemed badly organized. The expo was extremely disappointing. My timing was very off I waited almost 40 minutes to start and my time reflects it??  Our parking was cancelled the day before despite the fact that we had purchased it weeks in advance.
• This race started off on a bad foot when Thursday night my parking was cancelled even though it was booked weeks ago. I was told they oversold spots by 250. How does that even happen!? This race started off late and was so over crowded with little direction, next to no signage and what 20 potties at the start?!  For the money, I highly doubt I will ever do another RNR race.
• Don’t judge all RnRs by this one. I have done dozens and this one was by far THE worst and most unorganized race I have attended. This race series has been around long enough, and in so many places there is no excuse for the chaos and lack of a good race that happened today.
• I can say without a doubt that from expo to finish, this race had more problems and the poorest runner support that I ever hope to encounter…

• Before and after the race (I got to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge and spend time in Coney Island)
• Had a successful AirBnB experience
• Got to practice my French
• No transportation problems (subways, buses and cabs, all on time)
• Never got lost (and my first time in Brooklyn)
• GREAT WEATHER
• Packed appropriately and light enough to carry my bag
• Met lots of nice and interesting people
• There was a lot of crowd support and saw lots of funny signs.
• I didn’t need the restroom before or during the race.
• The park was nice to run through at the end.
• It was pretty flat (until the end)
• lots of water on the course
• GU at 2 or 3 water stops
• No blisters!
• No injuries (back pain went away)
• Finished strong after almost quitting (due to pain)
• I completed my 15th half marathon
• It wasn’t my slowest (#8 out of 15)
• met a former student after the race

The Bad:

• disappointing expo
• not enough porta potties before the race
• too much walking before I even started the race
• the race started late
• LOWER BACK PAIN
• mentally giving up once I couldn’t finish at goal time.
• No music on the course (It is a Roll N Roll event, right?)
• mile markers were off (sometimes my Garmin beeped very early and sometimes very late)
• long hill at mile 12
• Not enough photographers (Not that I would but the photos but I only had 2 taken in the same stop and none crossing the finish line)
• Pathetic refreshments (not even bagels – it’s NYC!)
• would have been more fun sharing this race experience with someone else (first race not staying with a friend or meeting a friend at the race)

What wouldn’t I do differently:

• long training runs – I think I completed the distances (6 through 12 miles) and prepared as well as I did for my 2:09 finish
• 5k & 10k races during training – I enjoy racing too much to give it up
• staying in an AirBnB – it worked out and I didn’t spend a lot of money on a hotel room where I would have spent little time
• lots of walking the day before – it may have been dumb but I wanted to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge (no one wants to do that with potentially blistered feet)
• racing attire – just perfect – I wasn’t hot or cold during the race

What maybe I should have done differently:

• take a train rather than a bus to NYC  – it bothered my back but the cost was $80 vs $10 (Nah, I would take the bus again!)
• get rid of my bag rather than carrying it  – this may have hurt my back but the logistics didn’t work out to do so
• eat more the day before – I wasn’t hungry and it wasn’t convenient but I usually have pasta or pizza and I had neither.
• run at a faster pace the first half of the race  – It has worked for me in the past
• not walk every mile – usually water stops are spaced out more and it wasn’t warm so I didn’t really need to walk
• not wear Hokas  – I have never raced in them though I have worn them to train which isn’t the same
• run with the pacer  – I didn’t want to start that far back but I think it would have helped.
• have a more realistic goal- maybe I can’t run any faster (at my age)

There you have it.

One never knows what will happen on race day.  I don’t regret running this race (though maybe I should have waited until next year to run this particular race?)

I did go to my Turkey Trot training group run on Monday night.  No back pain.  My legs were fine.  No residual effects at all.

I have another race this Saturday – a 10K. I ran it last year (when I was speedier) and finished this hilly course in the rain at  58:28 (But I think they changed the course again.)

last year

I would feel good if I had a strong race (maybe under 60 minutes!!)

Happy Running! Do you over analyze each race, especially when you don’t meet your goal? Do you hesitate to run inaugural races? What are you thinking about today?