November 28, 2019 8 am and 10 am

This was my 5th time running this 10K race and my 2nd time NOT being part of the Turkey Trot Challenge training group (work work work.)

I really enjoyed this race my first time I ran it in 2014 (in spite of the snowstorm) and now I look forward to this race every year.

happy because it was and still is my 10K PR (check out all the snow!)

In 2015, I decided to run both races – the 10K and then the 5k.  Why not? I was already dressed and ready to run.

The weather was a lot better and I had a blast even though my finish times were not the greatest.

So in 2016 and 2017 again I ran BOTH Races.

Last year, it was FREEZING and I DNSed both races 😦 partly because of the weather but mostly because I was going to running a hilly Half Marathon 2 days later (which seemed more important.).

The course this year was the same as previous years.

My hubby picked up my bibs on Wednesday so I didn’t have to rush on race morning.

got 2 of these…I got them in different sizes so I could give one away

But I did want to arrive early to get parking. I parked in the bowling alley parking as I did in previous years and walked a few blocks to the Atrium where I could wait indoors for the race to begin.

I checked my jacket, change of shirt and 5K bib since I wouldn’t need them until after the race.

pic from a previous

This year it was not as cold as past years- in the low 40s and cloudy when I arrived. I was hoping that the sun would come out but still was undecided on how many layers to wear. I get hot when I run and I HATE to be overdressed. But the downside was the WIND (predicted to be up to 40 mph). Yikes!!

So at the last minute, I decided to shed my vest and just wear a long sleeved shirt with a half zip over it, a warmer hat and light gloves.

This a very popular local race as I mentioned so I always bump into so many runners that I know. I chatted until it was time to brave the temps/wind.

inside the Atrium – photo from the TU

The 10K started at 8 am followed by the kid’s one mile race and a one mile walk and then at 10 am the most popular event, the 5K.

I squeezed into the crowd at the 10 minute pace group.

My plan for the race was to not to start out too fast and to run at an even pace and to save some for the last mile.

For some reason, this race seemed a lot more crowded than past years. For my pace, it never thinned out. I was running in a crowd the whole race.  At the beginning, I would barely move.

a pic from a previous year

The course is pretty flat. You run over the Green Island bridge twice near the beginning and then run through Troy before you turn around and run back.

I had not done any speed work since …well, I can’t remember when and I “trained” for a FULL  marathon this fall, I wasn’t sure what to expect from my legs. (And then there was that mysterious foot pain last week while working in NYC.)

during mile 1

yes…my sunglasses (that I didn’t need) kept falling down

So the sun never come out and I felt perfectly dressed. I even took off my gloves and unzipped my shirt during the middle miles when I felt warm.

The wind was tough. It seemed to blowing at you the whole race. Plus my darn foot was hurting. Dr Google says Metatarsalgia. The ball of my left foot seems to be swoll enand my toes feel numb. It’s bothered me since standing and walking in uncomfortable shoes last week in NYC. Anyway I can run but my gait feels awkward and sloow.

There was a some crowd support during the 10k race (Much more for the 5k.) There were guys handing out bottles of beer and a bakery was handing out donuts.

There were quite a few water stops. I skipped the first and third one but I was dying for a drink by the second one and walked for a bit.

Timing clocks were placed at every mile. I didn’t have to look at my watch to know that I was too slow to PR. I wasn’t sure if I would even finish under one hour.

during the last mile

and I saw the photographer!

Finally I could see the finish in the distance. I wanted to at least sprint through the finish line. My friend Holly was on the side line cheering me on but I had a hard mustering up any real speed.

I tried to cross under 59 minutes but did not. There was no zip left in this girl’s step.

Not a course PW but close. Over 2 minutes slower than my course PR.

I got my medal, drank some chocolate protein milk, had a banana and then checked the results.

10K Splits:

mile 1 –  9:17
mile 2 –  9:20
mile 3 –  9:24
mile 4 –  9:38
mile 5 – 9:32
mile 6 – 9:33
.25 – 9:12

59:06

As expected I did not win an award but I was surprised than my time gave me 4th. As I’ve said before, it depends on who shows up.

This year, like the previous three years, I signed up to run a second race, the 5k about an hour later.

So I walked back to the Atrium. Boy, was it crowded… More than five thousand runners squeezed into a small building.

I had already picked up my bib but I needed to get it from my checked bag and maybe change into a dry shirt.

If you look at the pictures above, you may notice that I always run the 5k with my tennis friend. I thought that she would run it when I signed up. Unfortunately, she did not (health/family stuff) and so I hung out with some other running friends until it was time to line up.

To be honest, I really did not feel motivated to run this race. I considered a DNS but in the end, I decided just to “do it.”

This was the 4th time that I had run the 5k race (and always for just “fun.”) It was just an out and back course and you didn’t run over the bridge at all.

Finally it was time to get into the starting area. You were supposed to line up by color but I just squeezed in. And I happened on my friend Holly. She had not run the 10k so had fresh legs. She quickly left me in the dust

pic from a previous year

Of course, my legs were tired from having already run 6.2 miles (at race pace) so all I wanted to do was finish.  My  stomach was also queasy from the milk and the banana. I was hoping to come in under 30 minutes but with the pain in my foot, I was sure that was impossible.

The 5k is the fun race.  Many runners are dressed in costume.  Many families were running together.  There were walkers, etc. Everyone was there to have a good time.

photo from the TU

It was so crowded that I had no problem slowing down in the beginning. Like the previous race, it was crowded the whole race.

And my legs were not cooperating. They wanted to run slow. And so I did. And it seemed to be colder.  The wind had picked up. My foot was even more sore. (Yes, I was wondering why I ran this 2nd race!!!)

he ran the whole 5k dressed like that

It was NOT warm out but they were obviously having fun

Before I knew it, the race was over. (After a 10k, 5k seems so short.)

I’m really enjoying this 5k…LOL

I crossed around just under 34 minutes which was 32:57 chip time.

(This time it was a big course PW!!

2 out of 28???

I got my medal (the same as for the 10K), some more chocolate milk and then went back to the Atrium to get my bag.

I figured that there was no chance of an award in this race either so I left without checking the results.

5K Splits:

mile 1 – 10:43
mile 2 – 10:47
mile 3 – 10:12
.14 –  9:21

32:57

Gee…look at that..my last mile was the fastest. Go figure!

But they were way slower than my 10k splits!!!

Anyway, back to these races:

The Good:

• The weather – much warmer than previous years.
• Race organization – considering the number of runners, it was very well organized.
• Race location – place to stay warm indoors with indoor bathroom and bag check
• Mostly flat course
• Chocolate Milk at the finish
• Medals for both the 10k and the 5k
• Gender specific shirts (for the first time)
• 15K faster than the recent Stockadeathon. Each of my race times was disappointing but if you add them together, it was 1:32:03
• I got my long run for the week done and I don’t have to do it on the weekend.
• Running 9.3 miles lets me eat more Thanksgiving food
• Knowing lots of runners.  Racing is fun with friends.

The Bad:

• my 10K time – Besides the crowd, it’s a flat enough course to PR on.  It is my 10k PR (from 2014).
• post race refreshments – I would have liked pizza or soup or cookies or even bagels like last year
• same medal for both the 5k and the 10k (if you run both, you have 2 of the same medals)
• Course PW in the %k and almost PW in the 10K
• The wind
• My painful foot

Overall, I enjoyed the races. I am glad that I ran them. Racing is not only about fast finish times. I think I will run one or both Turkey Trots next year too.

After the race(s), I always go out for coffee with my tennis friend to debrief about our races. Instead I headed home to finish the soup that I was bringing to dinner.

a successful pear, apple, butternut squash soup

Then later that afternoon, I ate back all the calories that I had burned off.

There is a link-up organized by Zenaida and Kim (Kooky Runner).

Since today is Tuesday, I’m also linking up with these ladies and you should too.

I’m linking also up with Coaches Corner–Debbie and Marc.

and Wild Workout Wednesday with Nicole, Annmarie, Jen, and Michelle.

Happy Running! Did you run off that turkey?

August 14, 2109 – 7:10 pm

If you follow my blog, you know that I often get sent to NYC for work.
Usually, I just try to squeeze in a run on the East River, Hudson River or in Central Park.

Well two years ago, I found a race!!!!

Apparently during the summer months on alternating Wednesdays at 7:10 pm, there is a cheap ($7.50 – if you sign up for the whole series, each race costs only $5) 5k in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. These races are organized by the Prospect Park Track Club. I ran one that July and had a great time.

I was excited that they were scheduled again last summer and the first two races coincided with the dates that I would be working in NYC. I ran both of them.

Unfortunately, this summer a few of my trainings got cancelled and I was only in NYC to run the last one of this 5K racing series.

Here are some of the perks of these races:

• Bag check
• Bathrooms (real ones!)
• Water before, during and after the race
• Chip Timing
• Marker at each mile
• 5 year Age group awards ceremony after the race
• Results immediately emailed to you
• Free photos

So it seemed like a no brainer to run any of these races if I could.

Here is a cool video of the course:

https://www.plotaroute.com/route/840765?units=km

Again I had to work all day in Queens (getting up at 5:30 am and being on my feet until 4 pm). I would have to rush to take the subway, then the LIRR, walk to my hotel and change my clothes and then take a LONG subway ride to Brooklyn.

At least this year, I was pretty familiar with the route and knew that I would make the race on time (unless there were snafus with the transportation.)

The problem was the weather. Very humid and it looked like rain. I brought an umbrella just in case.

I actually for the first time exited the train station at the right exit. Right near the entrance to the park nearest the race start

But it was pouring!!!

So I entered the park and followed the signs and wondered why I was crazy enough to do this race.

I was pretty early and it wasn’t crowded at all yet. They moved moved bib pick up and bag check indoors.

As I mentioned in my previous recaps for this race, it was strange to be at a race and not know a single person.

I sat outside at a picnic table under an umbrella.

I just had a banana and some water and waited til it was time to head to the start line hoping that the rain would stop.

the race was dedicated to a runner whop recently died

Eventually runners started arriving.  There were probably close to 500. And rain did stop. But it was warm still in the high 70s and incredibly humid. Felt like a sauna.

I was feeling exhausted. Sleeping in a hotel is not ideal and I had gone to bed too late the night before.

Still here I was running a 5k at 7:10 in the evening. Crazy lady, I know!

Night races are tough for me. My only goal was to run well and finish uninjured. There are not usually many older runners so I had a good chance as in previous years in winning my age group.

I noticed an older runner in a local race shirt. It was from a race that I had run several times. Yes, he was from my area and works in the city several days each week. We chatted for awhile and then headed toward the start line.

You pass the finish line on the way to the start.

We all lined up.  No corrals or pace signs.  Just everyone all together.  It didn’t matter because believe it or not, this small local race was chip-timed.

Since I had just run a similar course in June, I knew about the big LONG hill during mile 1.

As I mentioned previously, there are usually runners of all ages who all look like “runners” and the finish times are incredibly fast. A little intimidating.

I started running the first mile. My legs felt like lead. And then I got to the hill, I tried to run up it and it was tempting to walk but I managed to drag myself through it slowly.

Mile 2 was better but I was so hot. So I stopped at the water stop and walked a bit.

Every who passed me by looked they had gone swimming. Even I was dripping wet from the humidity.

By the end of mile 3, I was crashing. I tried to finish strong but I just had to walk. And walk again.

I did not have enough energy to sprint and barely finished under 29 minutes. My slowest 5k in a few years.

But under the those miserable conditions, I was not disappointed in the least.

I was a little dizzy and went directly to get water and sit down.

Then that local runner that I met before the race finished and we walked back to bag check.

They posted the results. I did win my age group (as I was the only one in my age group.)

I really didn’t want to hang around to get a medal but I did since I think it’s rude when runners don’t.

Race Splits
mile 1- 9:31
mile 2 – 9:08
mile 3 – 9:11
.14 – 7:52

28:48

I never look at my previous race times until after the current race.

2017 – 27:52
2018 – 28:24, 28:02
2019 – 28:48

As you can see, no course PR this year.

Though it was very late by the time I got back to my hotel, I did enjoy my Brooklyn 5k!! And I felt better after the race than before.

I plan to run these races again next year if my work dates match the race dates.

There is now a link-up organized by Zenaida and Kim (Kooky Runner).

Since today is Tuesday, I’m also linking up with these ladies.

I’m linking also up with Coaches Corner–Debbie and Marc.

Happy Running! Ever fun a race while you are traveling for work? Do you try to improve your times on the same course?

July 13, 2019 8:00 am

When I first started running, this race was one of my favorite 5ks. I ran it in 2008, 2009, 2010.

in 2008 – my first year of running

in 2010, this is where I met AJH for the first time (I was wearing shorts back then.)

It’s funny how things have changed. AJH was trying to convince me to run a longer race. Since then I have completed 37 half marathons.

My 5k time back in 2010 was 29:34.

After 5 years off (from this race), I ran it again in 2015. And my time was 28:41. So things hadn’t changed that much (but I started to wear running skirts instead of shorts).

I enjoyed this race so much that I re-added it to my summer racing list and ran it again in 2016, 2017 and 2018, lowering my finish time each year. (28:27, 27:37, 27:28)

Would I again this year???

Here is the map for the course that I ran the past 3 years:

15 turns in this course!!

The race started at 8 am. That meant that I had to get up at 5:30. (And I was out late with friends the previous evening.)

Unfortunately, I didn’t sleep well and woke up with a stiff neck, headache and nausea. I really didn’t feel like racing but I had told my friend Laurie that I would meet her there so I felt like I had to go.

I felt better after my coffee but still not great. But off I went around 6:15-30.

This being the opening weekend of the Saratoga Flat Track, believe it or not, there was already a lot of traffic at 7 am. I was glad to have left early and found parking in a nearby lot. (I was careful this year to park in the correct lot. A few years ago, I almost got towed.)

The pick-up area was behind the barn on the corner of Case & Mitchell.  I picked up my bib and shirt and then went back to my car and watched the horses work out for a bit.

There were close to 500 runners at this race (I think there had been more in previous years.). So I bumped into quite a few familiar faces.  This is one of things I enjoy most about racing…its social element.

The weather was warm … around 70 at the start but not quite as warm and humid as it has been earlier in the week. I just hung around and waited for Laurie. In the meantime, I bumped into another Skirt Sports ambassador and my neighbor.

Laurie eventually arrived and we headed to the start together.

We stood not too far back and waited.

And then we were off. Laurie took off fast. I did not.

pic from last year’s Saratogian

It seemed like everyone was passing me by…because they were. My legs felt dead. Well I had run 6 miles on Wednesday and a hilly trail run on Thursday.  Oops.  My plan was to have negative splits anyway. Besides, I really felt lousy.

But my biggest problem was the SUN. There was very little if any shade on the course.

By the second mile, I was starting to struggle with my breathing. It was warm but I have run in higher temps. It was the sun. And it was sucking the life out of me. Plus, I felt like throwing up.

nothing exciting about the course…just around the neighborhood – pic from last year’s Saratogian

I tried to run in the shade when there was shade and run the tangents (all 15 of them). I had planned to walk at the one water stop at the halfway point. And I did but for probably too long. At this point, I knew that I was not having a great race.  And it didn’t matter.

By mile 3, I was really fading. I walked one more time but only briefly.

I tried to get up enough energy to sprint through the finish line. My Freihofer and Turkey Trot coach was at the finish line (his company timed the race) and he would be expecting me to finish strong.

I crossed at 28: XX.

I felt very shaky and grabbed a bottle of water and sat down.

I was not even hungry (which is odd for me after a race).

pic from last year’s Saratogian – NO watermelon this year

They posted the results pretty quickly. I was shocked that I won in my age group (You know, it’s not speed but who shows up).

Laurie waited with me for the awards ceremony,  I got a nice medal. It always feels great when you win an award (even if you didn’t run well.)

All in all, this was a fun race. Besides all the turns, the race course is pretty flat. It is well-organized. You get a free ticket to the race track (I hope to use it later this summer). Plus it raises money for a great cause (Special Olympics). So I plan to run this race again next summer.

Splits:

mile 1- 8:46
mile 2 – 9:09
mile 3 – 9:19
.14 – 8:02

28:18

Positive splits. And almost a minute slower than last year.

After the race, I would normally have driven to Saratoga State Park and add some more miles for a long run. But as I mentioned, I had run my 6 mile long run on Wednesday so I drove to join my running friends at brunch (after their long run).

There is now a link-up organized by Zenaida and Kim (Kooky Runner).

Since today is Tuesday, I’m also linking up with these ladies.

I’m linking also up with Coaches Corner–Debbie and Marc.

Happy Running! Did you race this weekend? Do you have a big race coming up? Please share.