my daily breakfast in Paris (thinking about Notre Dame 😦 )
to join up with Coco & Deborah for their ultimate coffee date.
1.Over coffee…
I’d tell you that May is about as busy as April. 2 5ks and a 3.5 miler
The same ones that I did last year and the year before:
2018
5-12-18 – Summer Smith Memorial 5K
5-17-18 – Workforce Challenge 3.5 m
Racing season continues in the NE.
Does your racing pick up this time of year?
2.Over coffee…
I’d tell you that I have my 4th half marathon of the year scheduled for this month.
With a 8 day Florida vacation in the middle and the short races above, it will be another…just get me through the finish line kind of race.
It’s an inaugural race…so no reviews but I think it will be HILLY!!
And the cut-off is 500 racers.
Do you train seriously for your big races? Do you like to run inaugural races? How have they been? Hilly, flat or downhill? What is your preference? Small or big races?
3.Over coffee…
I’d tell you that we our new kitten, Chap (short for Champion) has made himself at home in our house. He is very active and has even caught his first mouse (in our basement eek). Unfortunately, our older cat is not a fan.
Do your pets get along? Any advice to make my older cat hate the kitten less?
4.Over coffee…
I’d tell you that I always say that I am ONE and done when I run a half marathon. But I enjoyed my recent local half marathon so much, I think I will run it again in 2020. And even train for it LOL.
Do you repeat big races?
5.Over coffee…
I’d tell you that as we speak, I am in Naples, Florida on my annual tennis vacation – (with 9 other women that I used to play tennis with). We have gone here this week every year since 2005.
Yes, a tennis vacation and I no longer really play.
These women are my closest friends and we will do a lot more things than play tennis.
Do you like to go on girls vacations? Do they always involve running?
It’s also Friday so I’m also linking up with Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday Five linkup! Join in! Don’t forget to link back to your hostess and visit some other bloggers.
Happy Running! Got anything to spill? Share it here!
It seems like I’ve been planning this race forever. After our girls weekend in Montreal, we were anxious to plan another.
Plus, there some others who couldn’t go to Montreal and wanted to join us – Barbara, Deidre and Jan.
I stumbled upon this NEW race and everyone agreed that it would be fun. This racing series is popular around the country and this would be the first time it was offered near us.
Well at least a train and hotel away.
So I signed up for the Hot Chocolate 15k because:
Duh…Chocolate!!
NYC!!!
A weekend away with my running tribe.
Enough pts for free hotel room for 2 nights.
It would be close after my previous half 2 weeks ago so I would be sorta already trained for it.
Training:
If you follow my posts, you also know that I am not strict about following a training plan. But I did run 13.1 miles two weeks prior to this race.
After my February Half in Florida, due to possibly walking on the beach, I experienced leg discomfort.
So, I skipped many runs and sought the help of a chiro who did ART on my leg. I completed about 8 ART sessions (with minimal relief.)
However, on race day, the pain disappeared and I was able to run 13.1 miles!!
even 5 minutes faster than before the injury
Whether or not, my calf injury was cured or it was just adrenaline, we’ll never know.
I still felt discomfort from time to time after that race and cautiously trained for my April 13 half marathon. None of the usual 10, 11, 12 mile runs 😦 but again I completed this race PAIN-FREE!!
took another 5 minutes off my finish time
That was a downhill course and this course would be HILLY!!!!!!!!!
So, again my goal for this race was just finishing, not re-injuring my leg and having FUN!!!!!
Pre-Race Activities and Preparations:
Since I travel to NYC for work often and I have done numerous races in Brooklyn, I took the lead and picked the hotel, train times, made reservations for all our fun activities and meals.
In other words, we were all set with the logistics.
Unfortunately, the info for the race start and finish was not provided until only a few weeks before the race. Our hotel was near where the RnR Brooklyn, Brooklyn Half and NYC Half began (Grand Army Plaza in Prospect Park) not near where this race began.
However, it did begin near where all the 5ks that I have run in Brooklyn began the Lefrak Center.
Since I wasn’t sure about my work schedule, I paid the extra bucks and had my bib and swag mailed to me.
cool sweatshirt (hoped to not need to wear it at the end of April) – spoiler alert: I did wear it
One runner, Barbara, got injured and dropped out of our group and then 2 days before the race, another runner Jeri (who had paid for all our activities) got injured and cancelled. We were now down to five of us. (You’ll see in the photos than there is one guy. I mentioned the race to Stan on Monday and he signed up. Since I had paid tickets and restaurant reservations, he agreed to participate in all our shenanigans.)
look out – upstate girls invade the city!
So we took the train to Manhattan, hopped the subway (not exactly a hop – 14 stops) to Brooklyn and checked into our hotel.
we are loving being here at peak cherry blossom time
Then we walked from our hotel through Prospect Park (and got kinda lost) to find the expo.
oops – wrong path
just a little wet but we found it!
We picked up race packets, sampled all the goodies (Chris & I won a $25 gift card for race apparel) and headed off (by subway) to carb load on Brooklyn’s best pizza.
yup – the best pizza ever – I had 3 huge slices myself – if you are ever in Brooklyn, go to Baroncinos
I set out my race outfit and went to bed early (not that I slept well but the intent was there.)
pretty optimistic about the weather – also packed a rain poncho, sweats, jacket and more…
Race Day:
As I always do, I brought my race day breakfast from home – Starbucks k-cup and oatmeal w/raisins. Up at 4:30 am and ready to leave the hotel at 5:30 am.
Though, it was not a long walk and we also could have taken the subway, we cautiously decided to take an Uber.
So we called one at 6 am and he appeared minutes later. After a slight detour, we managed to show him where to drop us off outside the park so we could walk to the start.
Thanks to signs and other runners, we found our way. A chilly morning but no rain and less wind than predicted.
I was glad to be wearing my throw away shirt and also kept on my hoodie until I checked it (as did the others).
As we headed toward the corrals, we bumped into my friend Stan. Sherry, Stan and I were in Corral A. The others were farther back.
There were 2000-2500 runners registered (small by NYC standards). Everything was so well organized with plenty of pre-race communication and signs.
Anyway, here’s how the race went:
yes the animated version above – 2 1/2 times around
Miles 1-3:
9:45, 9:25, 9:02
After the national anthem, our corral started. It was very crowded and hard to run fast (which was good). I lost Sherry and Stan right away but luckily Stan caught up to me. He was my savior and the reason that the race went as well as it did.
As I mentioned above, we ran 2 1/2 loops. We started with an uphill which I actually ran…slowly. But I ran it. I remember running in this park and the hill did not feel as bad as I remember for some reason (at least the first time up it).
There were some rolling hills and downhills. It all blended together after awhile. There were mile markers though hard to figure out since we were repeating the loop. It kept you focused on just running, looking at the scenery (lakes, etc).
Each loop had two water stops, I believe. I stopped at each one and walked. There was always Nuun, water and a cup of chocolate (tempting, but no).
Stan is the guy in the back in orange. I am to his right.
Stan and I ran together surprisingly since he is so much faster than me. I often lost him at a water stop but he always waited for me to catch up. We chatted and that made the miles go by so painlessly. But the best part was that talking while running made me slow down!!!
The weather was perfect for running. A little windy but not too bad – the trees blocked things probably. I was cool at times but warm enough to roll down my arm sleeves during the race.
Miles 4-6:
9:52, 9:56, 9:44
So Stan and I continued chatting. I never looked at my watch and was surprised to be able to run at Stan’s pace. Around 5 miles, I ate my first and only Gu.
Since this was our 2nd loop, we had to conquer that same big hill and some minor hills. Again since I was not running as fast as I may have been if I was running alone, I was able to run up the hill (at a slightly slower pace.)
I usually hate races that loop but it didn’t bother me at all during this race. The scenery didn’t seem repetitious and you couldn’t see the finish line from the course.
Miles 7-9.41
9:30, 10:30, 9:48, 8:22
Finally the last time up the big hill. At around mile 7 or so, I told Stan to run ahead and I am sure he was relieved to be able to run at his own faster pace.
My legs finally gave out up the last hill. I ran/walked it so that I would be able to finish the last few miles strong.
The happiest moment of the race was not having to run another loop and turn left toward the finish line. Lots of crowd support at this point made up for the fact that the end seemed a long way away from the course (and a little rutty/muddy).
Finally I crossed just over 1:31:00 and happy!!
Stan was waiting. He had finished 3-4 minutes ahead of me.
We quickly retrieved our refreshments and hoodies and waited for the others to finish.
banana, rice crispy treats, marshmallow, pretzels to dip om melted chocolate
and soon they were all done… Everyone was happy and met their goals for the race.
Stan won first in his age group (Thank God I didn’t wreck it for him) and I even won 2nd!! (Awards will be mailed.)
After gathering all our chocolate rewards, Stan led us out of the park to the subway so we could get back to the hotel for hot showers.
We had big plans ahead for the day: bagels for lunch, subway back to Manhattan to see a Broadway show and then dinner near Times Square.
Stan replaced Jeri and joined us for all our post race shenanigans
But all we talked about was how much fun the race was and how glad we were that we did it.
Brooklyn bagels …YUM!
Additional Race Reflections:
The race was fun. It was even better running it with friends and with good weather. This race company has organized races all over the country and they have thought of every detail – bags to carry your uneaten refreshments, water fountains to rinse your hands, etc.
The Good:
Easy packet pick-up. Organized expo. Not very large but had samples of the sponsors’ goods – Honey Stinger, Nuun, etc. Located indoors (in case of rain)
Pre-race emails with instructions and maps.
Many porta potties at the start/finish area.
Bag Check. Well organized before and easy pick up at the end.
Water, Nuun and chocolate stops along the course.
Well marked course.
Pacers for all paces up to 15 m/m.
Very cool medal.
Gender specific hoodies.
No lines for post race refreshments.
Plastic bags available for carry uneaten refreshments.
Hot chocolate refills.
Water fountains to wash your hands (from the messy chocolate).
Free photos.
Awards announced for top 3 but age group awards mailed.
5k option in addition to the 15k.
Great weather.
The Bad:
Looped course.
Course a little long (aren’t they all?)
The Ugly:
Nothing 🙂
Would I recommend this race?
Yes. Yes. Yes.
Do it if you can. So fun.
Final Stats:
Super thrilled.
Not sure I have ever negative split a race especially not a long one. My 15k time was about the same as in my recent downhill half marathon and this race had HILLS.
We walked a 15k the next day and my legs did not feel like I had run a race the day before.
to the Botanical Gardens (and back) and around the Cherry Blossom Festival
to Hudson Yards from Macys and climbed all the stairs to the top of the Vessel
This was planned forever ago but our girls weekend to NYC happened and it was a blast. And then next week, I’m off to Florida for a 8 day vacation with my tennis friends.
Last week –
Monday – So today was week 6 of the Freihofer Challenge Training (FTC) group. I had planned on doing my long run on Saturday so I could tackle the “advanced” drills today. Well, the weather did not cooperate and I ran 4 on Saturday and 8 on Sunday. That meant, my legs would protest if I encouraged them to run fast. Once more, I wimped out and ran with the “Beginner” group – Better safe than sorry is my philosophy (esp. with a 15k and a half marathon coming up.)
twinning
Tuesday – Rest day finally. I hadn’t played tennis in forever so I decided to sub in my old group. It was fun playing and catching up over dinner. I have resumed my short lunch time walks too.
greenery = flowers & Starbucks
Wednesday – I had planned to run with the FTC group at 6 pm near where I live. Then, there was this fun event:
But after standing for 8 hours in uncomfortable shoes, I was too pooped to do either. Instead, I stopped off on my way home at the Corning Bike Path. The run sucked but the scenery was good.
Thursday – One more run before the race. I decided on a quick one at UAlbany and then home to pack. A little bit more energy than the day before but not much.
jumping in excitement for my weekend away
Friday – Off to my girls weekend away. After checking into our hotel in Brooklyn, we headed to the expo and then to carb load with pizza to prepare for the next morning’s race.
Saturday – Today a group of the Sole Sisters ran the Hot Chocolate 15k in Brooklyn. Not an easy race but a fun one. We all met our goals and ate lots of chocolate.
not a PR but negative splits, 2nd in my AG and NO PAIN!!
After the race, we spent the rest of the day in Manhattan. This included a Broadway show (Avenue Q), and dinner near Times Square.
If you are wondering who is that guy. One runner in our group got injured so my friend Stan subbed for her (in the ALL of our planned activities).
Sunday – Another full day planned for our group. Lunch in the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, visit to the Cherry Blossom Festival there, then back to Manhattan.
We checked our luggage in Macys (for free) and then climbed to the top of the Vessel at Hudson Yards before heading home that night.
Such a fun weekend away. We are already trying to figure out what to do for our next one.
This Coming Week and Next –
Monday – FRW Training Challenge Run (3 miles)
Tuesday – rest day, hair appt
Wednesday – 3 miles (S.O.A.R – Sisterhood Of Athletes and Runners)
Thursday – rest day, fly to Florida
Friday – 3 miles, tennis, beach and fun in the sun
Saturday – rest day, tennis, beach, theatre in town
Sunday – 5K race, beach
Monday – 3 miles, tennis, beach
Tuesday – 3 miles, tennis, beach, book club night
Wednesday – rest day, road trip
Thursday – 6.6km, fly home *MY BIRTHDAY*
Friday – rest day, chiro, mah jongg
Saturday – Summer Smith 5k race, Tulip Fest, birthday dinner
Sunday – Long Run (8-10 m) – ONE WEEK UNTIL HALF #37, Mother’s Day family celebration
I encourage you to do the same. Grab the graphic, drop your link on the host blogs and play along! Please be sure to always comment on the HOST’s blogs, as well as visit and comment on as many other blogs as you can.
Happy Running! How is your running going? What’s new with you? Any big races on the horizon? Any spring races coming up? Are you enjoying spring temps where you live? Please share.
Thanks to Laurie from Meditations in Motion, I discovered a new link up started by blogger Heather Gerwing. The fourth Saturday of each month, Heather invites other bloggers to share their “Four Somethings”: Something Loved, Something Said, Something Learned, Something Read. If you are a blogger, you may post your Four Somethings too!
Something Loved.
It may be a repeat but I couldn’t help myself. It is spending time in NYC. It never gets old. The day above, I didn’t even run. But there was lots of eating and lots of walking.
This past weekend, I spent time there with friends for a 15k race plus many other fun activities that we squeezed in – Brooklyn pizza, a Broadway show, dinner in Times Square, brunch in Prospect Park, Cherry Blossom Festival, trip to the top of the Vessel…
Then next month, I’ll be back for 5 days working there. You’ll see pix, I hope, of me running in Central Park and along the East and Hudson Rivers.
NYC – Central Park
Something Said.
This is quite simple but so true. We get down on ourselves if our pace is too slow or we walked too much or we cut short the run.
But we did RUN!
What was good about it? The scenery, the negative splits, the company, conversation, the music, the time alone, the podcast, or just the fact that we didn’t stay home.
Something Learned.
Intervals make long runs more bearable. I know that I’m late to the party. I definitely need to re-think this as I train for a full marathon next fall.
Something Read.
Every year during our May tennis vacation in Florida, we have book club night. This book was this year’s choice.
I do like mysteries and I have already read a few of Lisa Gardner’s books.
I won’t give the mystery away but basically this is the gist of this one:
A man was shot three times in his home office. His computer had been shot twelve times. When the cops arrive, his wife (Evie), is holding the gun. A detective (DD) arrives on the scene and recognizes the pregnant wife from a case sixteen years earlier. And a woman (Flora) who had been abused and held hostage sees the news of this murder on TV and immediately remembers that her kidnapper knew this man.
Of course, there are a lot of twists and turns, secrets and deceptions. The story really did hold my interest.
I did like that it was told from the perspective of three incredibly strong women – Evie, Flora and D.D – and with each chapter labelled with the characters name.
I found them all likeable and engaging. I felt sympathetic toward the characters which helped me become invested in their outcomes.
This is the first book of the series that I have read. Some of the characters have appeared in previous books – Find Her (2017) and Look For Me (2018).
Now I want to read the rest of the series.
Happy Running! What are your FOUR somethings? Share at least ONE.
It’s that time again. Time to get things off my chest with Marcia’s Runfessions at Marcia’s Healthy Slice…
a day late…
I runfess…
After I had pain in my calf, I decided to switch from Neutral shoes to Stability shoes.
Mizuno Wave Inspires for long runs
I bought both Mizunos and Brooks.
Brooks Ravenna for short runs
I planned on returning one pair (because I have a dozen Nikes…)
it was going to be the Brooks pair but Champ said “No, keep them.”
Do you have a running shoe obsession?
I runfess…
I signed up for the Freihofer Training Challenge “Advanced” group because I always run with the “advanced” group. I like the coach and I wanted someone to make me do the drills so I could run my 5ks faster.
However, I have not run with them once on Monday nights. That means I have not done any of the speed drills.
I have either done a short easy run with the Beginner group or with the Intermediate group.
Because…
either I was recovering from my leg injury or I had raced the weekend before.
Would you have done those drills since that was why you paid for the training?
I runfess…
I had long runs on my schedule to prepare for my April and May Half Marathons. But you know me. I’m racing obsessed.
My April consisted of two 5 mile races, a half marathon and a 15k race (today.)
2019 – First H2H HM
Would you have chosen to race or go for your long run?
I runfess…
I really do think I can have faster finish times. But somehow, I can’t get motivated to do anything to get faster.
Work..time..laziness…family and friends events. I have all the excuses.
I did ALL my long runs for the first time ever before my Florida half marathon.
11.11 pace
My NYC Half finish time was more than 4 minutes faster (and I had not done the long runs) and my recent half marathon was more than 9 minutes faster (also with no long runs).
10:02 pace
Yes, I know that there are a lot of factors that influence whether or not your finish times improve.
But this is not motivating me to train harder.
Do you follow a plan? Are you serious about improving your finish times? When you put the work in, do your times show it?
5. I runfess…
Due to my injury and lack of training, my so-called goal for this last half marathon was just to finish pain-free.
Secretly, I was hoping to finish under 2:12…
Yup…I could now qualify for the 2020 NYC Half Marathon & NYC Marathon
Do you set time goals for your big races?
Happy Running! Anything to runfess this month? Please share.
It’s Friday so I’m linking up with Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday Five linkup! Join in! Don’t forget to link back to your hostess and visit some other bloggers.
If you follow me, you probably know at least once a year, I go away to run a race with the “girls.”
It just wouldn’t be as much fun with the hubby. I am sure you know what I mean.
Well, I am so excited because my next one is THIS WEEKEND!
April 27, 2019
My topic for today is: The Benefits of a Girls Weekend for Racing
1. Training Support.
When you are training for the same race, you get support for your runs and race goals either in person or virtually.
2. Cost Savings
It is definitely cheaper to share a room with friends than staying in a hotel solo or with your hubby.
in Montreal
In Panama City, Holly had graciously offered her home to 7 running bloggers – most of whom she has never met in person.
Panama City Beach
3. Visiting New Places
I love to travel and explore new cities. I had never been to Philly or Panama City Beach or Corning, NY or Montreal (without my French students). I had stayed in Las Vegas before (but not in many years and not to run a race.)
Cooperstown, NY
LV
4. Sharing Your Race Experience
I have raced most of my half marathons alone. I have enjoyed each one but not nearly as much as the ones in Philly, Panama City, Corning, Las Vegas or Montreal. We went to the expo together, carb loaded the night before, lined up at the start and met after the race to debrief.
Philly
I am sure the same will be true this weekend and I expect it to be totally awesome!!
5. Forging New Friendships
The Philly group has kept in touch on Facebook. I have bumped into Andrea at several races. We had planned another race-cation with Lisa but ZOOMA Cape Cod got cancelled. We still hope that another will happen in the future.
Andrea from Philly race
I only knew my housemates in Panama City Beach virtually but after that weekend, we definitely became friends. Many of us even repeated that experience in Vegas.
My current group of local running friends (Sole Sisters) will be embarking on our third girls weekend. First there was Corning, NY, then Montreal and now Brooklyn…
we do local races together as well
I can’t wait to share everything that happens next weekend in NYC!!!
(Maybe not everything – What happens in NYC stays in NYC, right?)
Happy Running! Do you go on Girls Weekends? Do you race during them?
Grete Waitz is a legend and I always think of her when I hear people complain that they are running a race but they didn’t train well. (Often it is me LOL)
She had never run farther than 12 miles before her first marathon in New York in 1978. Not only did she finish the race, but she won it – and set a course record. At age 25.
Most unprepared runners aren’t so lucky.
So if you are signed up to run a big race and have not adequately trained for it, here are some things you can do:
Consider your alternatives.
Some races allow runners to switch from a marathon to a half-marathon, a half to a 5K, or to enter a relay with friends rather than completing the entire distance alone. You can also try contacting the race director to see if you can transfer your bib to next year’s race. Volunteering to give out water or simply cheering are also good ways to be part of the race without risking injury.
my friend Tina downgraded to the 5k in Montreal from the Half.
But if you’re committed to running the entire race. All hope is not lost. You just have to approach the race with the strategy and mindset of a champion – even if your training was anything but.
Prepare Your Body
Sometimes life or your body gets in the way of your training.
So two weeks prior to the race, do not do anything crazy. The last thing you want to do in the final two weeks is squeeze in those long runs because you think that you will be better prepared for the race.
The best thing you can do is just get a few short runs in to keep your legs fresh.
Calf injury curtailed my Half training – had to cut back rather than doing my long double digit runs.
In other words, don’t cram in those miles.
Prepare Your Mind
It’s even more important to manage your expectations when entering a race with little training.
It is very unlikely that if you didn’t train for the race that you will achieve a PR or BQ.
thrilled with finishing the NYC Half Marathon
Remember to celebrate FINISH LINES not FINISH TIMES.
Race Strategically
substitute RACE for RUN
Once the gun goes off, hold yourself back. Pace yourself, take walk breaks and even take time periodically to stop, stretch and massage any muscles that are getting tense.
You can also play mind games with yourself. Think about the race as smaller segments – a half marathon could be broken into about four 5Ks races, for example.
Another hint is to “Run the mile you’re in” rather than thinking about all the miles you have YET to run and how hard it will be to finish the race distance.
with no double digits runs done for this half…my legs were indeed weary at this 15k point!!
Try to maintain positivity, not panic. This is the real trick to finishing a race when you’re under-trained.
I’m certainly not an expert but something special happens on race day. You have support, you have crowds, you have water stops, and more.
You will be mentally fired up in a way that you cannot be for any training run – that’s why we do races. You have to have faith in race day magic.
Believe me, it will happen.
This was my slowest half marathon (in 2011). I walked half of it due to recovering from an Achilles injury but I had the BEST time!!
Have fun!
If you are under-trained for race, the race will most likely feel tough but it can still be enjoyable.
Often, the greatest joy comes from the toughest challenges.
As they say: “Pain is temporary. Pride lasts forever”
I say “GO FOR IT!”
so glad I did!
** None of the above applies to racing with a serious injury or against Doctor’s orders!!!
I survived Half Marathon #36 but I still have 2 15ks and another half marathon in the next few months to train for.
Last week –
Monday – So today was week 5 of the Freihofer Challenge Training (FTC) group. Finally a session where I had not run the day before. However, I did run 13.1 miles two days before and my uninjured leg seemed sore. It rained most of the day and the temps really dropped from the weekend. It was also VERY windy. (out came the winter running gear.) Hopefully next Monday, I’ll do some Advanced drills but not today.
Tuesday – My leg felt better today so I met Christina for a short after work run. We decided on the Corning Bike Path since it was close to where I was working. Even had a little sun to combat the wind.
Wednesday – Rest day after a long work day. A fun evening at my monthly tennis meet-up.
Thursday – Another after work run. With Christina again at the same location as Tuesday. No sun today but less wind.
Friday – Rest day and the first night of Passover. I celebrated it at our annual Mah Jongg seder.
Saturday – Long Run Saturday. Lots of options. FTC run or Rabbit Ramble 4m race or just a long run. But it was raining, I am a weather wimp and almost bailed on the whole thing. But I did go to FTC, even ran 4 very speedy miles with the Advanced group. Because the skies opened up, instead of continuing our miles, we went out to brunch.
Sunday – Since I only ran 4 on Saturday, this morning I did my long run. The weather was absolutely perfect. I met Deidre & Christina at the Nisky bike trail (where we have not run since fall). We did 8 miles together with varying intervals and it was almost painless.
Easter Sunday and dinner with the fam…yes, I celebrate all.the.holidays. It’s all about the food. LOL
I encourage you to do the same. Grab the graphic, drop your link on the host blogs and play along! Please be sure to always comment on the HOST’s blogs, as well as visit and comment on as many other blogs as you can.
Happy Running! How is your running going? What’s new with you? Any big races on the horizon? Any spring races? Do you run any half marathons or marathons just for FUN. Please share.
It’s Friday so I’m linking up with Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday Five linkup! Join in! Don’t forget to link back to your hostess and visit some other bloggers.
If you follow me, you probably know that I love to race and am a big proponent of signing up for lots of races. I posted about this last Friday.
My FTC coach tells me all the time that I race too much. “Just pick a goal race and train for it,” he says.
My topic for today is: The Downside of Frequent Racing
1. Money
It costs a lot money to race all the time. Money that may be better spent on other things (like a race-cation, pair of shoes, etc. even non-running related items)
2. Scheduling
You can run any time and anywhere. But when you sign up for a race, you are locked into the day and time of that race. You may have to forget that you have family and friends.
3. Weather Conditions
Yes, you wind up running in the rain or snow or sub-zero conditions.
If it weren’t for the race, you may run indoors, later in the day or on different day.
a wet 5 mile race
4. Injuries
Of course, if you are injured or feel that you may be injured, you might rest for a few days or run easy. Not if you have registered for a race. You go out there and run. And if you competitive like me, you race it.
The consequences could be making your injury worse and being forced to DNS an important race.
I was very lucky that a 5 week calf injury did not get worse by running this half marathon
5. Training for Long Races
If you run long races, your training plan usually includes a long run each week. These runs should be at an easy pace. Running shorter races on the weekend does not allow this to happen. Yes, you can race (as I do) and add on miles before or after the race.
5k race + 7 = 10
But it probably doesn’t prepare for race day as well as if you do those LSD runs.
Happy Running! Do you race frequently? Why or why not?
It seems like I’ve been planning this race forever. As with all my big races, I impulsively sign up way in advance (and then often regret it LOL).
So I signed up for Helderberg to Hudson Half Marathon as my 36th Half Marathon for several reasons:
FOMO. Many of my running friends were doing it.
It’s local. I can sleep in my own bed.
I am familiar with the course. I run on it often.
It’s a downhill course. (470 ft elevation loss)
It is close after my previous half (20 days) so I would be sorta already trained for it.
Half Marathon Training:
If you follow my posts, you also know that I am not strict about following a training plan. I ran my last half marathon on March 17 in NYC.
But after my February Half in Florida, due to possibly walking on the beach, I experienced leg discomfort.
So, I skipped many runs and sought the help of a chiro who did ART on my leg. I completed about 8 ART sessions (with minimal relief.)
However, on race day, the pain disappeared and I was able to run 13.1 miles!!
Whether or not, my calf injury was cured or it was just adrenaline, we’ll never know.
I still felt discomfort from time to time after that race and cautiously trained for this half marathon. None of the usual 10, 11, 12 mile runs 😦
post 5m race
So unfortunately, again my goal for this race was just finishing and not re-injuring my leg!!
Pre-Race Activities and Preparations:
Well, since this was a local race and work days, not much movement the days before. I picked up my bib after work on Thursday and then had pizza for dinner on Friday.
gender-specific short sleeved tech shirt 🙂
There was no real expo but there were some race-related items to purchase. I actually bought a pint glass.
I checked the weather and it looked to be perfect – a rarity for me.
Rain was predicted for the evening before so you never know. Nevertheless, I decided that I would make it spring and wear a tank and a skirt – of course then add my DIY sleeves and compression socks for added warmth.
Race Day:
For an annual race, the logistics were tricky. There was a bus from the start but who knew when to get there so that you could find parking. 2500 were signed up.
I arrived around 5:45 am, found parking in the lot near the finish and had my oatmeal & coffee in my car. I texted Heidi and Sherry and they met me there (no one had parked in this lot and it seemed a little unsafe to venture out alone).Then we walked to the bus.
with a pause at the finish line
I wore some throwaways and planned to throw them or leave them at bag check and pick them up later at the finish. We arrived at the bus location and there were many buses. No need to get there this early. We’ll know this for next time.
So we arrived in Voorheesvile at a park where the race was to start…lots of time to spare. I checked my bag but left on my throw away shirt and DIY arm warmers since it was cloudy and pretty chilly at this early hour.
Not everyone followed instructions and the buses were delayed arriving on time. We waited and chatted with many other runners. There were so many familiar faces..from former running groups, training groups, other races, etc..
I was getting cold and wondered if I made the right decision about what to wear. (I did!!)
Sherry & Heidi
Eventually, it was time to go to our corrals. There were 4 and I was Corral 3. As soon as I entered the corral, I saw a face I hadn’t seen in years – a former co-worker’s son…
It appeared to be warming up a bit so I tossed my throw away shirt but kept on my arm sleeves.
Anyway, here’s how the race went:
Miles 1-5:
view from coral 3 – 10% were in Corral 1, 20% 2, 30% 3 and 40% 4.
I have an old Garmin (actually it’s the 3rd 205 that I’ve bought). I don’t usually have a problem but today it would NOT find the satellite. So annoying.
Thanks FB – view of the start (the Helderbergs)
I spent the first mile playing with it and then finally gave up. Of course, it did eventually find the satellite around mile 1.25
As I mentioned, the course started in the park and then we ran just over 2 miles on the roads of Voorheesville so runners could spread out before they got on the rail trail. There were some steep downhill sections and I am sure that I ran them too fast.
From there, the course headed east for about 9 miles into Albany on the rail trail. If you read my blog, you may remember that this is a trail near my home and that I run on often. It was nice to only have to run on it one way…going downhill. It was not steep and I was able to run at a comfortable pace.
The problem was that it was HUMID and the temps were rising. The sun even peeped out. I rolled down my arm sleeves, then took them off and eventually just tossed them.
But I was THIRSTY…the first water stop was not until around 3 miles. Dying… I also walked for the first time (I always walk at the water stops).
Since my watch miles were off, I rarely checked it but there were clocks at each 5k. I saw when I passed the 5k mark that I was running too fast. I slowed down a little but obviously not enough.
Here are a few pictures from previous runs on this same trail:
Miles 6-9:
So the race continued on this same trail. The elevation felt a little steeper on this portion but my legs felt more and more tired. Or should I say my quads were complaining from running downhill. The sun was getting stronger. Finally around mile 6, there was the 2nd water stop. I walked even longer than before and took a GU.
at the 10 pt. My friend Stanley passed me here. I never saw him. He finished sub 2.
At the 10k clock, it was obvious that I slowed but probably not enough. The same showed on the 15K clock.
I walked (too long) at a third water stop around mile 8 and took my second GU.
Still looking happy for the cameras at the 15k mark.
What was nice about this race was that I knew so many of the runners. They kept passing me by. Some just waved, others slowed and ran with me for a while. I also had some friends along the course that cheered me on.
I ran with Tom for a while but let him run ahead to his sub 2 finish.
another cool FB pic
More pictures from previous runs:
Miles 10-13.1
The rail trail finally ended and we were heading into Albany. This was my least favorite apart of the course – not scenic at all – running through the city (and not the nice part) and then along a busy road.
My quads were toast at this point. My lower back ached and I just wanted to be done.
A few more water stops and longer walks. The clock at the 20K mark indicated that a PR was out of the question but surprisingly I was still having a decent race.
The last few miles seemed endless. It was no longer downhill. In fact going to the finish line was slightly uphill.
I walked a few more times and tried as best as I could to sprint through the finish. I saw the clock ahead and I hoped to finish under 2:12:00…and I did!!
Thumbs up! I crossed at 2:11:57 but my chip time was 2:11:15!!
I got my medal, some water and of course, took some pics.
I chatted with some other runners who had already finished and took some more pics.
I then got my bag and checked the results. Nope, no age group award. I was 4th. I wasn’t even expecting to do that well.
There was awesome food for this race – sandwiches, wraps, salads, chips, fruit, cake, etc. But I had plans to go out for brunch with friends so I didn’t partake. There was also beer.
I texted Sherry and met up with her so we could watch Heidi finish. We waited for quite awhile and I started feeling dizzy…the heat and humidity were getting to me. I had another Gu and water and felt much better.
Finally Heidi appeared.
After she was done, we headed (limped) to our cars. We were meeting the other Sole Sisters for brunch at our favorite post-running restaurant. The Coconut crusted French toast was well earned.
I topped it off at home with some chocolate milk in my new pint glass.
I have yet to figure out how to negative split a long race. Maybe I need to train better (You think??)
My finish time was faster than my previous two half marathons. (2:20:09 and 2:16:01). I am thrilled about that.
I secretly wanted a sub 2:12 finish so I would qualify for the 2020 NYC Half Marathon. And I did!!
As you can see from the stats above, I went out too fast. And my lack of training caught up to me after 10 miles. I was probably on track to PR, the first half of the race.
The best news is that my calf felt great. Never even thought about it.
I also realized that downhill races aren’t as easy as you may think.
The Good:
Lots of race info emailed and on website including runner guide and spectator guide.
Easy packet pick-up. Neat race-related items
3 Registration options – cheaper without a jacket or name on your bib.
Free bus from the finish to the start.
Many porta potties at the start. Long lines but they moved quickly (I was told – did not use).
Bag Check. Well organized before and easy pick up at the end
Downhill course (except for last 2 miles)
Water and Nuun stops.
GU available at several water stops
Decent crowd support
Well marked course for each mile
Clocks at 5k, 10k, 15k, 20k
Very cool medal.
Gender specific short sleeve tech shirts.
Great post race refreshments
Immediate electronic race results
PR bell
Free photos
Nearby – no transportation or hotel costs.
Support from friends
FB pic of the finish (Hudson R.)
The Bad:
Not enough water stops. I think they should be at least every 2 miles esp with humid temps & close to 70 degrees predicted.
The boring, unscenic last 2 miles.
Those who didn’t arrive early for bus had to wait in a long line. Race start had to be delayed.
Long line for food and beer.
The Ugly:
Nothing 🙂
Would I recommend this race?
Yes. Yes. Yes. For an inaugural race, they did a fantastic job attending to every detail. I may even do it again next year.
My First 5K and More... 