September 25, 2021 – 9:00 am

This is the only race that I’ve run every year! This was my 14th time!!!!! (In 2020, it went virtual so actually my 13th in-person FRW race.)

It is always held the Saturday after Memorial Day but due to COVID, the race was moved to the Fall.

on their webpage…can you spot me in the pink cap?

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

Due to construction, they changed the course six years ago.

They say that this course is faster…less congested and has a less steep hill at the start and finish.

course map

elevation according to my Garmin

I did run the new course the past six years and I liked it better than the original..

heading downhill to the finish line

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.

And this was also my sixth Freihofer Training Challenge.

did my green hat stand out much in 2018?!

Training is a loose term. I kinda just showed up on most Monday runs. But each Monday seemed to follow either a half marathon or a long run. As a result, although I registered for the Advanced group, I never participated in any of their speed drills. Instead I ran with the Intermediate group (since there was no Advanced group at the location I signed up for.)

But I was excited to be part of it and support all the runners who would be finishing their FIRST 5k. And see my “current and past FTC” buddies who would hopefully PR.

In past years, the day before I walked to 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. I was able to stop by after work and some things I needed or didn’t (like another pair of Goodrs!)

Due to COVID, the expo was cancelled and there was only packet pick-up at the same location.

I ran nearby on Thursday after work so I got my stuff at that time.

cookies and bread are always a nice perk.

On Friday evening I volunteered at packet pick-up and then skipped playing mah jongg in favor of a pizza dinner and time to organize my #flatme.

last year’s race tank and the usual Skirt Skirt skirt, Zensah calf sleeves, Goodrs and Topos shoes.

Race Day:

I hate parking garages and traffic so I parked at a yoga place and walked to the start. I used to do this every year. However, with the new course, it was an even longer hike. Like almost 2 miles!

It was still strange to run down Madison Avenue and not see the race banners and not see the giant poster on the bridge.

pics from 6 years ago…

The start was near a park across from the Capitol Building. I ran most of the way on the foggy paths. Though the temps were pretty cool, it still seemed humid.

Soon the start line as in sight.

I ran past it and entered the City Hall park..

in search of the Training Challenge tent.

I was quite early so I continued to run around until more runners arrived.

I chatted with many of my running friends and took quite a few pics.

Carolyn and I are exactly the same age – she’s faster!!

Catching up with everyone made the time go by quickly and soon it was time to line up for our Training Challenge photo.

The fog had burned off along with the humidity… but the sun did come out.  I’m not complaining. This was the best weather we’ve ever had for this race.

I was scheduled to start in corral 2 so I headed that way and bumped into a few friends there.

me & Nancy, both in RED

They were all faster than me but said that this would be a slow race for them.  Ha Ha.

Mile 1:

It is usually very crowded during the first mile but this year were fewer runners than in previous year (about 1000 vs 3500).

Times Union photo 2016

I actually made sure this time to start my Garmin.

runners were definitely more spread out this year

The race began with a long steep uphill.  It’s a good thing since it kept you at a slower pace.

how did I get ahead of Nancy…well, that’s didn’t last long!

Remember those runner friends who said this would be as slow one for them today. Nope. They easily surged ahead and I never caught up to them.

But I did run the whole uphill… it was slow but I did not have to walk.

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.

The worst part were all the potholes and cracks in the roads…the worst that it’s ever been. 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.

I took this pic after the race a few years ago

Mile 2:

There was a water stop around mile 1.25.  Yes with cups, too. But I didn’t feel the need to stop.

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 thirsty so I did stop and get a drink. It was nice for a change not to have to carry your own water.

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.

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.

getting serious as the end is near…

must be slowing down because that runner in yellow has passed me by

trying to catch her…

nope…just finish strong…

I did see that the timing clock read 28:XX…. No course PR for this girl today!

Post Race Activities:

I knew with a walk and zero speed work, I couldn’t come close to a PR (and I was not expecting one). It was a decent time (even if it was slower than my last 5k and my last two Freihofer 5ks) and I was happy!!

I grabbed some food and some chocolate milk. There was much less congestion than in past years.

there were also bananas, oranges, apples, yogurt, bagels, orange juice, bars…

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.

You may recognize Mary Pat (on the right) from the 2008 pic.

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.

I hung around for awhile and then we all went to cheer on the last runners to finish… It was two older ladies who flew in from Ireland!!

I knew that I needed to get going because I wanted to run more miles.  On my way out, I caught some of the awards ceremony.  Such amazing finish times. There was a runner, aged 58, who finished in 18 minutes!

Additional Race Reflections:

Many runners were excited about their PRs. I may not have run my fastest time but I still enjoyed myself.

You get what you put in. I did not do all the speed workouts so I can’t be disappointed. I also recently ran a half marathon (and am training for one next weekend) and I am no spring chicken. My time may not have been as fast as 2018 (a course PR of 27:37) but faster than many of my 5ks this year.

So I was very pleased with that.

Positives:

• Safety restrictions in place (outdoors, staggered starts).
• Ample parking.
• Well marked course.
• Lots of familiar faces.
• Interesting course (through a  beautiful park).
• Downhill finish.
• Friendly and abundant number of volunteers.
• Chocolate Milk.
• Decent post-race refreshments.
• Two real water stops (with cups).
• The electric atmosphere.
• Virtual option.
• Free finish and start photos
• Nice Swag for a 5k (mask, t-shirt, medal, cookies, bread)
• All women – all ages, all paces…
• A real race.

Negatives:

• Uphill first mile.
• Fewer runners.
• Uneven pavement in the park.
• No expo.

Would I recommend this race?

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

this pic says it all!! (from FB)

Final Stats:

Splits:

Negative splits!!!! Woo Hoo!

There was computer set up so you could check your time and to see if you won an age group award.

And 5th again…

Eventually I ran/walked back to my car. (It was uphill for about 2 miles).

I have a Half Marathon in a ONE week so I wanted to run another few miles.  So I went back and ran around the park.  This time I had more time to admire the fall flower arrangements.

2 +1+2 = 5 🙂

So FRW #13 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 on the REAL date (and without any restrictions.)

Next Up:

Half marathon #52.

It is a race-cation in NH and will also be half marathon #4 for 2021:

The course is not supposed to be hilly and mostly along the ocean. My group of running friends will be either running the race or cheering.  Can’t wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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

September 11, 2021

This race used to be one of my favorites. Not because the director, Paul Loomis, reads my blog or that my stepson works at Global Foundaries, one of the sponsors of the race. But because of the easy parking, indoor restrooms, post race chocolate milk, generous age group awards, lots of familiar faces to run with and its flawless organization.  For these reasons and more, I kept coming back.

This was my 6th time running this 5k. So you can say that I was familiar with this course. However, I haven’t run the race since 2016. And now they also added a 10k.

The course itself is not very exciting…you are running around chip plants but the loops let you see the fast runners and all those runners that are behind you twice during the race. And though there are a few uphills and downhills, it’s basically flat so no complaints.

For my first two years of running this race, I was recovering from injuries (a broken ankle and then a broken foot.) I finished in 29:53 and 29:49 and was thrilled with a sub-30 minute time.  In 2014 and 2015, I was healthy and so I improved my time to 28:47 and 28:56. Finally I got a course PR in 2016 and finished in 27:30.

However, my hope for the race this year was to finish uninjured and have enough in the tank to run more miles after the race. (My next half marathon is 3 weeks away!!!)

After 5 years off, I had no PR dreams as old age has set in. lol. But if the other old ladies didn’t show up, I could maybe win an AG award.

Pre-Race Activities and Preparations:

Due to work and other stuff, I did not have time to run at all on Thursday or Friday.  But at least I did a run on Monday and Wednesday.

My legs felt pretty good in spite of being only a week after running 13.1 miles. (Maybe those FOUR rest days helped.)

Packet pick-up was on Thursday and Friday at the local Fleet feet store but it wasn’t worth the long drive so I decided to arrive early and pick it up on race day.

Race Day:

The forecast was for cooler weather and sunshine.  Perfect running weather for the second weekend in a row. Hope this is a trend.

I got there early to get parking and did get a spot in the parking lot right near the exit.

As I mentioned, it is very well-organized – signs for the race, indoor and outdoor bathrooms  (Masks were required if you entered the indoor facility.)

Race day packet pick-up was between 7-8 am. You received a State Farm bag with shirt (if you paid an extra $10), running cap, & Hannaford water bottle.  I opted not to buy a shirt.

PPU was normally set up inside but today it was outside due to COVID restrictions.

The 5k race started at 8:30 am (15 minutes after the 10k.)

I walked around to shake out the legs. There was food, drinks and freebies set up.

This was a welcome sight:

There were many more runners than I had expected. I bumped into many that I knew.

three frequent 5k racers (Holly, Nancy & Alice)

Finally we headed to the start line.

I left my friends and moved up.  Not to the front with the speedsters but not far back either.

Mile 1:

There were no corrals but social distancing (and masks) were encouraged.

As usual, I tried to start out slow but probably didn’t.

The course goes straight for about 1.5 miles and then loops back.

Mile 2:

After we passed the mile 1 marker, I looked down at my Garmin and realized that it never started,  I debated whether or not to run without it but in the end I started it (about 1.1 miles)

Halfway through this mile we turned right and ran uphill. Not a steep hill but they always feel hard to me.

This part of the course is nice because you get to see the faster runners and then you loop back and see the slower runners.

the other pix were after the race… you can see me on the right in this one during the race

It was downhill for a bit until we turned.

Mile 3-3.1:

As usual, I was petering out. Since I had no idea what my time was, I wasn’t motivated to run hard. So I walked.  Then I got back my energy for a while until I neared the finish line. Ugh! I walked again.

That gave me the ability to at least to sprint through the finish line.

I was surprised to see 28:XX.

The 10k runners got a medal. The 5k runners only got one if they were under 12.

Post Race:

The refreshments were outside this year. I grabbed some milk and fruit and chatted while waiting for the results.

Heidi whom I ran with at the Run for the Roses 5k

The last time I ran this race (in 2016), everyone got a small bottle of champagne and a gift card to a restaurant.  For 2nd place, it was to the Recovery Room and for $50.

This year there was no awards ceremony and if you won an award, you had to pick it up at the local Fleet Feet store.

I came in 3rd in 10 year age groups.

one second behind 2nd (but this is why I love 5 year age groups)

It was getting warm but I decided to change shoes and shirt and check out the 10K course.  Boy am I glad I didn’t run it. The last few miles of the 10k were uphill the whole way.

After about 4 miles, I had had enough.

I drove one exit south to the Zim Smith Bike Path and parked at Leah’s Cakery.

But instead of running on the bike path, I ran in the town. So cute. The best idea!!

only 2 of those miles were here but it was 9 miles for the day.

Though there was a a lot of walking during those last 6 miles, I still rewarded myself with quiche and a brownie.

Additional Race Reflections:

I was pleasantly surprised with the turn out and also with my time.

I’m pretty sure I would have done better if I had started my watch. I most likely would not have walked twice during the last mile if I knew how well was doing. I’m also pretty sure that my faster finish time was weather-related.

Oh well, there will be more races.  Just happy to be to out there.

Positives:

• Ample parking.
• Well marked course.
• Varied park scenery.
• Virtual option available.
• Both 5k and 10 options.
• A no shirt option (at a lower cost) but you still got a cap.
• Discount provided if you ran the virtual 2020 race.
• Participant manual provided several days before the race.
• Indoor restrooms
• A real race.
• Flatish course.
• Immediate results.
• Medals (and cold brew coffee) to 10K finishers.
• Medals to 5k finishers 12 and under.
• Chocolate milk.
• Many familiar faces.

Negatives:

• No water stops (COVID restrictions)
• No awards ceremony (COVID restrictions)
• 10 year age groups
• No medals to 5k finishers over 12.
• Lack of speed work (my fault).
• No pace recorded for miles 1.1 (my fault)

Would I recommend this race?

Yes. Great organization. You may be able to PR for the 5k but the 10k would be a challenge.

Final Stats:

Splits:

for the last 2:04 miles of the 5k

Next Up:

Another 5k on Sept 25

and then a half marathon.

Happy Running! Did you run or race this past weekend? Any in-person races on your schedule yet? Please share.

After running three 5k races in 2021,

Bacon Hill Bonanza- 28:30 & AG winner

FASNY 5k – 29:29 (smiling because the torrential rain had stopped before the race)

Run for the Roses 5k – 29:21 – 2nd in AG – fun running with old friends (in spite of the HILLS)

I decided to tackle my first 10k of the year. This race was just an opportunity to run a longer race distance since I needed to be training for my Sept. 4 half marathon.

I had run this race as 5k with two friends 4 years ago.

27:30 – I was speedier back then

My goal that day was to keep up with my friend Holly and as you can see from the pic, she beat me!!

Pre-Race Activities and Preparations:

There was a long hilly 10 miler, then a hilly 5k race followed by some short runs.

Race Day:

I’ve given up checking the weather before the race but I’m sure it probably said chance of rain.

I ignored it and wore the usual summer outfit of a tank and skirt:

new outfit always gives me a boost – added of course, other shoes and rain gear just in case

I probably wasn’t thinking clearly because going to this race, which started at 8:00 am, meant that I had to leave my house at no later than 6:30 am.  According to Google, it was going to take 1h 9min.  There was another local race that started later and was only 20 minutes away. (Crazy lady I am!)

So I got up earlier on a Saturday than I do on a normal work day (Oh, the things we runners do…) and found the location with no problem.

It had rained all night and lightly on my drive but it stopped. The temps were already in the 70s and the sun was peaking out.  But the humidity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yikes!

Bib pick up was inside the school and there were real restrooms there, as well.

gender-specific tech shirt

I was hoping that my friends would be here and I happily found them immediately. They chose to run the 5k (Smart ladies!)

I also bumped into someone from where I work who was running the 10K.  She lives in this area and I wished her luck since I thought that she would win it (and she was 1st female.)

I didn’t remember much about the race course but according the website: “The 5k race is a gentle upslope out and a quick downslope back, starting and ending in front of the Greenwich Central Middle School.  The 10k, which starts a short distance from the 5k start, follows the 5k course and then continues through the beautiful countryside over rolling hills.” 

According the chart below, mile 2 does not look fun!!

I had hoped to have a decent race. No goals since I hadn’t run a 10k in ages. I had also wanted to run 5 more miles after the race (per my training plan for my next half marathon.)

Most of runners were doing the 5k. I was hoping that the 10k was clearly marked since there were not many of us.

The 5k started near the school but for the 10k, we had to walk about 1/2 mile.

to the end of the street and then turn

I was sweaty by the time I got to the start. lol

Obviously it was a remote start…however that works.  They announced that it was hilly and that runners should pace themselves. They also apologized that the course was long. How encouraging….

Mile 1:

So off we went at 8 am (15 minutes before the 5k start back at the school.)

I tried to remember than this was NOT a 5k so I needed to start slower and conserve energy.

Running uphill certainly did the trick. I ran much slower than last week. It was a gradual hill so I was even able to run the whole mile.

Mile 2:

Well that running ended.  Mile 2 was very very long and steep. To make matters worse, the lead 5kers that started 15 minutes later sped by us and the water stop during this mile was empty.

The good news was that when we turned slight left and kept heading up, the view was amazing. And I didn’t care how often I walked because it was important in this humidity to just finish uptight.

Mile 3:

Phew. Finally some downhill. Of course that mean that eventually we will go uphill again. I enjoyed nevertheless. I tried to pick up the pace and make up time.

And there was a water stop and it was manned. I took advantage to have some water and even take a GU (It had been hours since my breakfast.)

I realized that I was wearing my newish Topos.  I had raced in them twice before but not a race this long. And I am prone to blisters when my feet sweat.  Blisters started forming around this time. Ouch!  (I normally wrap my feet for half marathons but I did not think to today…lesson learned.)

Mile 4:

The views of the countryside were still very pretty. One of the volunteers encouraged us by saying that now, there was only ONE more big hill.

I counted about 6 more and lost count. Apparently in this area, they are not considered hills.

Most of the race, I was following, an older women in black (that I knew from some previous races) and her daughter and a younger women also in black.  The older woman in black walked often as I did when there was a hill. The younger women never walked at all.

Mile 5:

In this mile, we arrived at the biggest hill yet.  Yup, more walking. And my blisters seemed to be getting bigger and more painful.

Guess what? The older woman got further and further ahead of the younger woman even though she walked the hills.

Mile 6-6.2:

We finally joined the loop that we started on. That meant that it was slightly downhill.  The same water stop that was empty before was still empty.

At this point, I wound up running with the older woman’s daughter (her mom finished ahead). We dragged each other toward the finish line.  We even passed past the younger woman who did not walk at all during the race.

I walked one more time so that I could actually sprint across the finish line.

My running friends were waiting there screaming my name.

I quickly glanced up at the clock… 1:02:XX … 5 minutes slower than my PR and maybe a PW but I was not disappointed. at. all.

Post Race Activities:

The first thing I did was go to my car and take off my shoes and put on my flip flops. Then I grabbed some refreshments. Chocolate milk= my favorite.

Finally I went over to check out the results.

Kim, her daughter and I all won our age groups.  Mine AG was 60-99!! I laughed.

I hung out for a little longer and chatted with my co-worker and ate some more.  Obviously I was dragging my feet on running for miles.

I changed shoes and socks and headed back out.

But it was even warmer, sunnier and my blisters HURT!

I decided to call it a day, head toward home and reward myself with delicious ice cream.

9 hilly miles rather than 11 flat miles will have to do for a long run. Hopefully next weekend will be cooler and I can get 12 done.

Additional Race Reflections:

Since I never train on hills, I expected to have difficulty on them.  The humidity didn’t help and then there were the blisters.  All in all, I was happy that I did the race.  I’ve  never regretted a race I’ve run. My only regret would be if I got injured or ran while injured. I didn’t even have DOMs the next day. So it’s all good.

As they say: “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

Positives:

• Small local race.
• Well organized
• Real Bathrooms
• Plenty of parking
• Easy packet pick up.
• Gender specific shirts.
• Decent post-race refreshments (bagels & cream cheese, donuts, bananas, chocolate milk and more)
• Scenic course.
• A real race.

a ribbon?? and no mention of the age group (which in this case was a good thing lol)

Negatives:

• Only one water stop rather than 3
• Hot humid weather
• HILLS
• Age Group award – a ribbon!?
• Oldest age group – 60-99!
• Blisters

this apology was emailed to me

Would I recommend this race?

Possibly. It was a nice small race but not sure I would repeat it just because it was a long drive. But maybe for the 5k if I was not training for a half marathon.

Final Stats:

The split times don’t really tell the story due to the rolling hills.

This chart does show the hills and when I walked.

Next Up:

Half marathon #3 for 2021:

I was hoping that I’d be better trained for this one…but it’s hard in the summer. I’m just happy that races are happening again and I am healthy enough to run them.

Happy Running! Did you run or race this past weekend?  Any in-person races on your schedule yet? Please share.

My first 5k of 2021 was back in May and I did fairly well. My only goal was to run a in-person race.

Bacon Hill Bonanza- 28:30

I ran my 2nd 5k two weeks ago. That race was a spur of the moment decision. I hate to do speed drills and I wanted to get back some pep in my step. So I signed up for a race. It was quite muggy and I enjoyed the race even though I definitely was NOT as peppy as I had hoped.

FASNY 5k – 29:29

This race, my 3rd 5k race has a different backstory.

I kinda thought I’d do a trail 5k because I enjoyed hiking at Landis Arborteum and there was a 5k scheduled there this weekend.

But I got a FB message about this race from a runner (Lisa) who lives in Indiana and was part of a race-cation in 2014 that I participated in (with her high school classmates.) She was going to be in town this weekend and wanted all of us to race together again.

How could I refuse?

The event consists of a USATF sanctioned 5K foot race, a 2.5 mile guided nature walk, and children’s 1 Mile Fun Run, at Grafton Lakes State Park.

The 5K race was advertised as “challenging but offering runners of all skill levels a beautiful race course through scenic Grafton Lakes State Park, and the surrounding area.” All participants also received a tee-shirt,  book, and a rose. The proceeds form the race go to support the Grafton Community Library.

And so without a second thought, I signed up.

I had never heard of this race but I knew that the area was scenic and I had hiked there in the winter.

As I always do, I scoured the Internet for a review of this race and I found one from someone I actually knew.  This what she started her race recap with: The race director came over to get things going, and opened with “Welcome to the 31st Annual Run for the Roses! As you know, this is one of the toughest 5K courses in the area, so we’re really glad to have you all here today.”

Ok, then. So at least I was prepared beforehand for hills and lots of them. By prepared I mean that I knew about them a few days before.

Pre-Race Activities and Preparations:

Outside of those two races, I mentioned, I have done zero speed work.  In some ways 5ks are harder than half marathons. You feel like you should run fast and before you get warmed up, it’s over. To make things were even more challenging, I never train/run on hills.

The week going into the race had me running 3 times and once long and hilly.

The day before the race, I rested on our boat.

The weather was dry and coolish during the week and of course, started warming up by the weekend.

However, summer race dressing is fairly simple – tank, skirt.

Race Day:

I had my oatmeal and coffee and left early, as usual, for a first time for me race. I was already 70 degrees when I left at 7 am and even drizzled on my way. The rain was  short lived and the sun started peaking out.

This park has lots of trail and places to swim and kayak.

I had no problems finding the race location so I had arrived over an hour before the race start.

I picked up my shirt and bib and waited around for my friends.

Since it was sponsored by the library, you got a free book too. I chose a photography book on France (of course,)

Lisa arrived first and Heidi. We chatted and chatted and soon after Andrea arrived with her husband and father.

obligatory pre-race pic

I recognized a few runners that I knew. There were two guys dressed up as Teletubbies and some serious runners.

I think she was first female.

Soon it was time to head toward the start line.

We didn’t plan to run together. Lisa is very fast and Andrea was planning to run/walk with Heidi. So we took one last pic and separated.

As I mentioned, I only knew that it was a looped course and after the first mile, it was mostly uphill.

from my Garmin…it doesn’t look as bad as it felt.

Mile 1

The race started with a slight uphill on the main road leading into the park. Then there was a gradual downhill. The first thing I realized that when I didn’t wear my race bely and had my phone in the pocket, my skirt kept falling down. I decided to just carry my phone in my hand the whole race.

I also tried to pick up the pace since I figured this was the only mile that I would not be walking (and I was right.)  It was breezy by the lake and out on the  road, there was no shade and pretty steamy

Mile 2

There was a water stop at the beginning of this mile and a sprinkler (yay). I was not expecting water but it was welcome. I was getting warm.

The course shifted to flat and then about a quarter mile later, started heading uphill. And yes, I had to walk.

Mile 3- 3.1

There was a second water stop here so I grabbed some and walked even longer.

After turning left around mile 2.1 (yup, 1.5 to 2.1 was pure uphill), we had a short little downhill.

Then it was a pure uphill for the next 0.6, with no breaks at all.

I walked several times during the last 2 miles…not sure how many times.  But due to my walking, I was able to pass those who struggled to run up those hills…including the Teletubbies (lol).

Around mile 2.7, we turned right to get back on the main road that the race had started on.

The uphill continued until 2.9, and then we got a short little downhill (30 feet of drop) before the course flattened out to the finish.

Unfortunately, while the final loop around to the finish was flat, it felt long – we crossed under the start banner and then made a huge circle around the parking lot.

We made the two right hand turns to reverse direction and finally I saw the finish line ahead of me.

I did my best to sprint through the finish line but the hills had sapped much of my energy.

But I saw on the clock that I was finishing under 30 minutes so I was thrilled.

As soon as you crossed the finish line, they handed you a rose. Very sweet.

Elisa was part of another group that I used to run with…she finished just a head of me

Lisa had already finished and we waited and cheered on Andrea and Heidi.

first came the Teletubbies

Heidi had not been running so planned to walk but she didn’t and did great.

Post Race Activities:

We grabbed some water, fruit and cookies while waiting for the awards. Both Lisa and I came in second in our 10 year age groups.

Then we reminisced about our rainy Philly half and discussed possible race-cations we could take together … maybe Arizona next year??

farewell pic with Andrea’s Dad

Everyone  had to rush off so no post-race brunch. If I was more organized I would have brought my bathing suit and stayed and gone swimming.

Instead, on my way home, I stopped at a nearby trail to check out the waterfalls.

Additional Race Reflections:

I would never have picked this race on my own. But I really enjoyed the experience. I feel fortunate to be part of these women’s “tribe.” As Andrea put it: “There are no accidents nor coincidences in life. Everything happens for a reason – so glad our universes collided!” So true.

And it was a lovely small town race with about175 runners. Yes it was challenging but maybe not so much if I trained on hills.

Positives:

• Friends Reunion
• A real race.
• Nice swag – tech shirt, book, a rose
• location- pretty park with trails and a lake
• Real bathrooms and showers

Negatives:

• the HILLS

Would I recommend this race?

Yes. It was well organized.

Final Stats:

Garmin = 29:21 (no timing mat at the start)

another positive split race

yikes… I walked 7 times

Although my finish time was about the same as my last 5k two weeks ago, this course was harder. So I was not disappointed. Obviously if I do not train, I can’t expect those faster times.  But right now, I am content just to be out there running.

Next Up:

August 14, 2021 – I signed for the 10k

Happy Running! Did you run or race this past weekend?  Any in-person races on your schedule yet? Please share.

July 25, 2021

This was a spur of the moment decision. I hate to do drills and I would like to get back some pep in my step. So I signed up for a 5k.

During the year of COVID, there wasn’t much racing going on.  I kept running and mostly ran slow long runs or half marathons.

Things have been slowly opening up but still not too many racing opportunities.

I used to just race every weekend. Now that I have friends to run with on the weekend, I’m being more selective in my races.  I passed up a few 5ks in favor of this one because I wanted to run in a different location.

I wasn’t exactly sure about the course but I have several times in the past raced in Saratoga State Park … and enjoyed it.

Voila. This 5k!

Of course, I wasn’t thinking that it was mid-July. Hello heat and humidity.

So although my last 5k was in May and I did fairly well, now I was doubtful that I would be any faster in this race.

Bacon Hill Bonanza- 28:30 & AG winner

Pre-Race Activities and Preparations:

Saturday is my normal long run day and I have a half marathon on September. Instead I went up to the lake with the hubby.

My plan to was to add more miles after the race the next day and so it could count as a “long” run.

There was a lot of relaxing going on. Since I had pizza per usual on Friday night, I ate a healthy pre-race dinner of … ice cream.

As per summer of 2021, the forecast had rain in it.  I’ve given up trying to prepare for it so just planned to wear my usual race outfit – tank & skirt.

Race Day:

I knew zilch about this race and knew no one running it. I was hoping there were be a decent crowd. (I once ran a 5k with 18 people lol)

It was an inaugural race and this company normally organizes races in NYC and LI.  So there were no reviews that I could read.

I looked up the last FASNY 5K race in June and there were only 20 runners. Yikes.

It rained on and off all night but when I woke up, it was only drizzling. I thought that I might get lucky and have a dry race. Just to be safe, I added another shirt, shoes, and rain poncho to my race gear.

I knew the start was at the Warming Hut in Saratoga State Park.  I left early because I didn’t remember exactly where that was in the huge park.

It turned out that it was really easy to find so I arrived early. Remember that drizzle? It was now a downpour.

I just sat in my car until it let up a little so I could get my bib.  Good thing I had an umbrella.

No shirt but a cooling neck thing (that I would never use). #13! Isn’t that an unlucky number?

The rain continued to come down but I just waited. I drove too far to not race.

Eventually, the rain did lighten and I got out of my car to head to the start.

Thumbs up because it was no longer raining hard. Notice that I decided NOT to wear WHITE running shoes…

It was a small crowd as predicted (35 runners). I did know three runners (whom I befriended when I used to run 5ks every weekend.)

I thought that the race would probably start on grass, continue to the roads with some hills thrown in.

I was totally wrong. It was an out and back on different paths in the park

and pretty flat.

If it weren’t for the unhealthy air conditions and the oppressive humidity, it would have been a nice race.

But unfortunately, it was one of those days. And one of those races that you want to forget and move on.

Mile 1:

The race started on a muddy dirt path and then we turned left and ran on a path along a road in the park. It was quite narrow and crowded but the real problem was the puddles of mud that you had to weave around.

My feet were immediately soaked and then I had to stop to tie my shoe. It was actually a relief since my legs felt like lead from the get go. Probably due to getting out of the car and starting to run right away.

Eventually we turned left onto a wider and drier path.

The first mile felt like a marathon. I had a hard time breathing and walked again.  It was so steamy that a little rain would have been welcomed.  But as you may have guessed, it stayed dry the whole race.

Mile 2:

We continued on this path until the turn around. I tried to slow down my pace so that I was not so out of breath and to focus on the scenery more as it is such a pretty place to run.

Mile 3- 3.1:

We continued on the same path as we started. So puddles and more puddles. I’m pretty sure that I walked again at the beginning of this mile and again toward the end.

At this point, the runner had spread out. I was never running alone but there was no one that I as trying to keep up with or pass. I was just trying to get to the finish line.

The return course changed slightly as we didn’t turn onto the path we started on. We continued straight and then turned in on an even muddier path.

Finally I caught a glimpse of the end and picked up the speed.

After I crossed the finish line, I grabbed a small bottle of water and waited for my friends to finish. There was no food or age group awards.

My first thoughts were pretty negative: Why did I pay money for this?  Why did this race feel so hard? How could I possibly run a half marathon?

Luckily these thoughts quickly switched to being happy to race again and to being outside in a beautiful park while I was chatting with other runners about upcoming races that we were all planning to run.

Post Race:

it was a good thing that I brought along some Gu since there were no post-race refreshments.

After a short rest, I was feeling more energetic and decided to enjoy the scenery in this park. So I started out to re-trace the 5k route.

Somehow, I missed the turn around and then turned left to run on a path along the main road.

and then I successfully circled back to my car. My friends were still there so we chatted. Then I continued running in the opposite direction. The gardens in this park are fabulous.

I then ran past the golf course and eventually back to my car.

So I got my long run done (3 + 3 + 3) and rewarded myself with some goodies at the farmer’s market there.

Additional Race Reflections:

Positives:

• Ample parking.
• Well marked course.
• Varied park scenery.
• Virtual option available.
• A real race.
• Flat course.
• Immediate results.
• Free photos.

Negatives:

• No age group awards.
• No race shirt.
• No spectators.
• Only 35 runners.
• Poor air quality.
• Very humid temps.
• No water stop.
• No post-race refreshments (just water)
• Lack of speed work (my fault).

Would I recommend this race?

Nah.

I only chose this race because of its location and that there were no other races on the schedule. In hindsight, I should have skipped it and done my long run with my friends the day before.

Final Stats:

I wasn’t expecting a PR or a fabulous finish time. Could I have fun faster or walked less?  Maybe. But there didn’t seem to be a reason to.  No age group awards. I was just running for me and because it makes me feel good to race.

I was a little disappointed in that my pace was faster in both of my previous 4 mile races on more difficult courses.

I could blame the weather. But it doesn’t really matter. There will be other races. I may run better or I may run worse.

A friend recently wrote on FB about long runs and races: “They are like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’ll get.”

So true.

Next Up:

Another 5k on August 8.

Happy Running! Did you run or race this past weekend? Did you experience a heat wave? Any in-person races on your schedule yet? Please share.