This is the only race that I’ve run every year! This was my 16th time!!!!! (In 2020, it went virtual so actually my 15th in-person FRW race.)

It has always been held the Saturday after Memorial Day except in 2021, when due to COVID, the race was moved to September. Last year, it again retuned to its regular date.

My first FRW was in 2008 (my first year of running). At the time, it was the farthest I’d ever run:

I mentored a beginning running group of moms in 2010 which was very rewarding:

In 2012, it was my first run after serious ankle surgery:

I even ran it in 2013 after breaking my foot at mile 1:

And in 2019, it was the last race for my VT friend Andrea (who died of cancer).

As you can tell, there is a lot of history attached to this race for me.

In 2020, I was named an Ambassador.  That honor continued through last year.

Believe it not, I even chose to skip my high school reunion in 2022 in order to run this race!!

This year, however, I wasn’t as excited about the race as in previous years… broken foot, missed half marathons and lots of doubts about fitness/racing. Especially shorter races since my last 5k was many moons ago…

Nevertheless, I knew that I would do this race.  I’m pretty sure I will always do this race!!

Pre-Race Preparations and Activities:

As with this race every year, I never know what will happen… I could break my foot again (as I did in 2013) or could have a course PR as I did in 2018. Most likely, it will just be a fun run with lots of women.

And this was also my eighth year participating in the Freihofer Training Challenge (FTC).

This year, however, I decided to become a Mentor.  I wanted to support all the runners who would be finishing their FIRST 5k. And connect with my “past FTC” buddies, as well.

Many years ago, the day before I would walk to the Empire State Plaza concourse at lunch to go to the expo and pick up my race packet. They used to have a really big expo with vendors and health-related exhibits. But the past few years, they have held it at a local college.

As I did last year, I signed up to volunteer on Friday evening at packet pick-up

and then skipped playing mah jongg in order to prepare my #flatme.

Race Day:

I hate parking garages and traffic so I usually parked on the street and walked to the start. However, with the new(er) course, it was an even longer hike. Like almost 2 miles!

But I used to love to run down Madison Avenue and see the race banners and see the giant poster on the bridge.

They changed the course eight years ago. This course is supposedly faster…less congested and has a less steep hill at the start and finish.

course map

I did run the newer course the past eight years and I also liked it better than the original..

This year, my running friend, Denise, offered her hubby as our chauffeur if we met at her house.  I gladly accepted.

We met at 7:30, got dropped off about 1 1/2 away and walked to the start area.  We quickly found the FTC tent

but missed the group FTC photo and took our own instead…

Though, I didn’t enjoy mentoring as much as I thought I would, I was happy to be part of this amazing group of women.

I still had time to chat with many runners whom I knew hoping that the rain would hold off until after the race.

I was scheduled to start in corral 3 so at about 8:45, I headed that way and bumped into a few friends there too. While I was waiting, of course, it started to rain. 😦

Mile 1:

It is usually very crowded during the first mile but this year were fewer runners than in previous years. I never really had to weave and had plenty of space to run comfortably.

The race began with a long steep uphill.  It’s a good thing since it kept you at a slower pace. And with the rain, it was rather slippery in spots.

But I did run the whole hill… it was slow but I did not have to walk. (Boy, do I have to work on my endurance…)

Mile 1 continued as we turned left and entered the park (and the hill ended).

There were rolling hills throughout the park.  They were not bad and even I could run them without walking (but barely).

The worst part were all the potholes and cracks in the roads…There were cones over the potholes but you had to weaving back n forth to avoid them and you had to keep your eyes pealed to ground to make sure you didn’t trip especially in the slippery spots.

Mile 2:

There was a water stop around mile 1.25.  It wasn’t warm out at all but I still was getting thirsty so I did stop and walk (and maybe a little too long).

More rolling hills during this mile as you ran around the park circling the lake.  Only one of the hills was steep but it was very short.

I tried to pick up the pace for the second mile. I told myself that I would not walk until the next water stop.

Mile 3-3.1:

That was around mile 2.5. At this point, I was starting to get very TIRED so I stopped again for a drink and walked longer than before.

Finally we left the park and headed toward the street we started on.

It was a long downhill and I had to remember not to start sprinting too soon.  I’ve made that mistake in past years.

I bumped into a friend at this point and we chatted about our lack of speed (I had broken my foot and she had had a baby.) But she soon left me in the dust.

Eventually I see the 3 mile sign and I started to run as fast as I could while posing for the photographers and running though the finish line while trying not to slip on the wet ground…

I did see that the timing clock read 29:XX….

Phew… under 30 minutes!!!

Post Race Activities:

I knew with many walks and zero speed work training, I couldn’t come close to a course PR.  I wasn’t sure if I could even break 30 minutes.

But I did and I was super happy!!

I grabbed some snacks. I was hoping as in past years to snag some chocolate milk and maybe a bagel. Nope!!

Then I went back to the finish line to cheer in some friends.

I ran into even more runners again that I knew. Every where I turned, there was someone familiar – from a job, tennis, races, etc. That’s what’s great about running a popular local race.

The first time runners were so excited. That put a smile on my face. I remembered why I love this race and it was never because of my awesome finish times.

Before we left, we checked out our finish times.  I won 3rd in my age group… my first for this race.

We were hungry and so we didn’t stay around for the awards. There were, however, some well-known runners in the field.  In past years, Sara Hall and Joan Samuelson ran this race. The only name I recognized was Allie Keiffer but she finished a disappointing 8th.

Additional Race Reflections:

Many runners were excited about their PR or their first 5k.. I may not have run my fastest time but I still really enjoyed myself.

You get what you put in. I did not do any speed workouts so I can’t be disappointed. I had to stop running for 5 weeks due to a broken foot. I also recently ran a half marathon and a 10 mile race. Plus I am no spring chicken.

I can never remember my finish times so I looked up my recent ones after the race.

• 2014 – 28:51
• 2015 – 29:22
• 2016 -28:50
• 2017 – 27:48
• 2018 – 27:37
• 2019 – 27:47
• 2021- 28:16
• 2022 – 28:24
• 2023 – 29:41

Oops – PW!?  Still no regrets… Let’s see if next year, I can better my time… (or not!)

Positives:

• Ample parking.
• Well marked course.
• Lots of familiar faces.
• Interesting course (through a beautiful park).
• Downhill finish.
• Friendly and abundant number of volunteers.
• Two water stops (for a 5k)
• The electric atmosphere.
• Virtual option.
• Free finish and start photos
• Immediate results
• Nice Swag for a 5k (tech shirt, medal, cookies, bread)
• All women – all ages, all paces…
• Many free photo stations
• Cool temps

Negatives:

• Uphill first mile.
• Uneven pavement in the park
• Rain so slippery in sections
• No chocolate milk or bagels post-race

Would I recommend this race?

Yes. Yes. It’s a great local race. And having it be ALL WOMEN makes it even more special.

Final Stats:

So FRW #16 is in the books!

The tradition is still alive! It was again a great local race with many women running it. Can’t wait to run it again next year.

Next Up:

Adirondack Race to the Lakes 7 Mile Race (in past years, it was a 15k)

Happy Running! How was your weekend? Did you race? If so, how did it go? Do you have a favorite race that you run every year? Do you prefer 5ks or longer races? Please share.

 

 

 

 

 

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It’s Tuesday so don’t forget to link up with these wonderful ladies:  Zenaida and Kim (Kooky Runner).