This was my 3rd time running this 10K and my third time being part of the Turkey Trot Challenge training group.

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

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

Then last year, 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 great.

post 10k and before the 5k

The course was the same again this year.

I picked up my bib on Sunday so I didn’t have to rush on race morning.

short sleeve tech shirt but unisex so even S is too big

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

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

At least this year, it hadn’t snowed the night before. Plus the predicted rain/sleet didn’t happen :). It was cold and cloudy in the 30’s but no wind. And of course, you had to be careful not to overdress because you will get too warm.

long sleeve shirt under my jacket and yes, I was too warm.

I chatted with members of my training group and some other friends until it was time to brave the cold.

inside the Atrium – photo from the TU

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

Last year, I had problems with my Garmin so I made sure to turn it on early. I squeezed into the crowd at the 9 minute pace group with Susan and Joan from my training group. I knew Susan from way back.  I used to play tennis with her and her husband on Sunday mornings.  It turns out that her daughter sang the national anthem and her husband was the race announcer.

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. (You’ll see that I didn’t keep to that plan…)

For some reason, this race seemed a lot more crowded than last year. For my pace, it never thinned out. I was running in a crowd the whole race. My legs never seemed to get going. I just couldn’t run fast today.

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.

There was a some crowd support. (More for the 5k.) There were even guys handing out bottles of beer.

I saw an old tennis friend who was volunteering and I high fived her twice.  A former student (and runner/blogger) passed me by. That was cool since we have never run the same race before.

There were quite a few water stops. I skipped the first one and even the second but I questioned my judgment because I was dying for a drink by the 3rd one.

Timing clocks were placed at every mile. I didn’t have to look at my watch to know that I was slow and had NO chance of a PR. I wasn’t sure that I could even finish under 1 hour.

Finally, I stopped to walk at the last water stop. It was a little after mile 4. I walked for a while. I thought about taking a GU to give me some energy but since my stomach felt off the whole race, as well, I changed my mind.

This walk gave me a second wind but it didn’t last.  As soon as I passed the photographers, I started to walk.  I wanted to at least sprint through the finish line. Unfortunately some of my friends were watching and yelled at me to stop walking and run.

As usual, it seemed to take forever to run the last .2 miles….

But as soon as I saw the finish line, I gave it everything I had (which wasn’t much at this point) & I crossed under 58 minutes!! (My chip time was 57:51.)

Not a PR but really a decent time and faster than last year so I tried not to get too bummed about it.

10K Splits:

mile 1 –  8:54
mile 2 –  9:15
mile 3 –  9:14
mile 4 –  9:41
mile 5 – 9:17
mile 6 – 9:17
.22 –  8:30

57:51

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

doing a power pose for our friend Dr. Tom

So I got some food (and some chocolate milk) though I wasn’t really hungry and then checked out the results.

Nope. No age group award.  Those old ladies are still speedy.

So I walked back to the Atrium. Boy, was it crowded… 5 thousand or more runners squeezed into a small building.

I just wanted to find my friends and rest my weary legs.

I had already picked up my bib but I needed to get it from my checked bag. And I was so sweaty that I wanted to change my clothes. (However, I decided just to ditch my gloves and my jacket and add a another shirt.)

I did find my tennis friend and we hung out until it was time to line up.

This was the second time that I had run the 5k race.  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 we just squeezed in anywhere we fit.

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.  I was hoping to come in under 30 minutes but I wasn’t sure that was possible. I didn’t want to push it since I had a half marathon to run in a little over a week.

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.  I was regretting leaving my gloves behind and taking off my jacket.

Before I knew it, the race was over. I actually stopped to walk at the same point as in the 10K.  I wanted to pass the photographers yet have enough energy to run across the finish line.

I crossed around 32 minutes which was 30:57 chip time. (Faster than last year so a course PR!)

I got some more chocolate milk and then went back to the Atrium to get my bag and meet my tennis friend.  We had planned to go out for coffee after the race.

No chance of an award in this 5k!!!

5K Splits:

mile 1 – 10:03
mile 2 – 10:02
mile 3 – 9:49
.14 –  8:02

30:58

Gee…look at that…negative splits!!

So not to be a Debbie Downer…

The Good:

• The weather – not too hot or too cold. If the sun came out, it would have been too warm. It was perfect running weather.
• 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
• Chocolate Milk at the finish
• Medals for both the 10k and the 5k
• 15K PR – each of my race times were disappointing but if you add them together, it was 1:28:46 which is a PR.
• Good preparation for my half marathon in 10 days
• Running 9.3 miles lets me eat more Thanksgiving food
• Knowing lots of runners.  Racing is fun with friends.
• NO PAIN…no blisters…lower back and feet felt great. Thumbs up to my Nikes! (and I didn’t wear compression socks.)

The Bad:

• my 10K time – considering I was in a training group for this race and I ran this course the past two years, I wanted to have finished faster!!
• post race refreshments – I would have liked pizza or soup or cookies but at least they had bagels this year
• same medal for both the 5k and the 10k (if you run both, you have 2 of the same medals)
• unisex tee shirts (in my case, 2 shirts that don’t fit)
• my 5k time – the last 5k at the Stockeadathon 15k was faster and there were huge hills
• I ran the first 5k of the 10k too fast and I should have known better.

Overall, I enjoyed the races. I am glad that I ran them. I think I will do both next year too.

Starbucks, what else?

After the race(s), we went out for coffee and we debriefed about our races.

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

Today I am linking up with a Sunday Fitness and Food Linkup hosted by Ilka from Ilka’s Blog and Angela from Marathons & Motivation

Happy Running! Did you run off that turkey?

Last Week:

• Monday – I was so tired after my weekend but I dragged myself planning to go to my Troy Turkey Trot training group run after work (We are now at a new location – RPI campus). We did 8 X 1 min at race pace.  It was tough but as usual, I am glad I went.

I think we only did 3 miles this week.

• Tuesday – After work I voted and then played tennis and went out to dinner. I hate that it gets dark so early!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Wednesday – With Barbara injured, Alyssa away and STEM cancelled, I had to run solo. It was cold and raining so I could only motivate myself to do one loop of the campus.

• Thursday – A scheduled rest day so I walked at lunch and then in the mall after work with my BFF.

my first holiday cup of the season

• Friday – I had the day off from work so why not a 5k. It wasn’t that cold but the nasty wind made it feel that way.  Still had fun running with friends and winning my age group (a glass & $15 gift card to Fleet Feet.)

27:51 finish time with an untied shoe and wind in my face 🙂

• Saturday – Another rest day and time to catch up on the household chores that got ignored last weekend. I also picked up my bib for the race the next day and spent all my race winning gift cards ($25 at LL Bean, $10 at Fleet Feet & $50 at Recovery Room restaurant.)
• Sunday – My favorite 15k race – the Stockade-athon.  I ran it for 5th time. Stomach issues during mile 3-4 prevented me from a PR, but still enjoyed the race. I met so many friends as well as, Ed Whitlock!!!

1:32:49 ( I plan to stick to pizza for my pre-race meal)

18 miles done with 4 runs and 3 rest days.

This Week:

• Monday – train to NYC, run when I get there?
• Tuesday – work in NYC (rain predicted)
• Wednesday – work in NYC, run before work?
• Thursday – work in NYC, run during lunch?
• Friday – work in NYC, train home
• Saturday – 5k race with STEM + more miles
• Sunday – Turkey RaffAl Run?, mah jongg anniversary dinner

Happy Running! How is your running going?

This is my fifth time running this 15k race. In 2011, my first time, I finished in 1:36:08. I was injured in 2012 and then I ran it in 2013 and finished with a disappointing 142:22.

“fake” happy

With over 2000 runners in this race, they were forced to make some changes to the course two years ago.

It no longer starts and ends in Central Park. It also starts earlier – 8:30 am

This is a description of the new course:

It starts near Veterans Park in downtown Schenectady. The course travels west on State Street for 1K before entering the historic Stockade District and proceeding on a scenic bike path in Riverside Park along the Mohawk River. The course exits the Stockade District via Front Street after crossing Erie Blvd. The course then proceeds east on Nott Street past Union College before entering the historic GE Plot residential neighborhood via Lenox Ave, Douglas Rd and Rugby Rd. The course exits Rugby Road and proceeds north on Waverly Place near the 5K mark. The course turns east off Waverly and follows Grand Blvd to the city boundary with Niskayuna, then proceeds south on Dean Street to Central Parkway past 8k. After a 1K residential loop on Central Parkway, the course enters beautiful Central Park and follows a bike path around Iroquois Lake and Duck Pond before reaching its highest elevation near 12K. The final 3k is mostly downhill or flat as the course exits Central Park and proceeds west through historic Vale Cemetery and Vale Park before a final downhill section on Franklin Street to the finish at City Hall.

Well, I loved the new course and finished the race in 2014 with a new PR – 1:33:23

Last year, they decided to stay with the same course. Yay!! But I was training for an early December half marathon (like this year) and was shocked that I finished at 1:31:35!! Yes, a PR by almost 2 minutes …without even trying!

“real” happy

This year whose knows?  Life and work have gotten in the way of my running.  That means that anything could happen!!

So I didn’t expect to PR but just wanted a decent long run (and not get INJURED!!)

it’s a sleeveless cotton tank that is too big

To save time, I picked up my race packet on Saturday at Fleet Feet in Albany. I did a lot of errands and then went out to dinner with my hubby. I normally have pizza as my pre-race meal but there was none on the menu and I was starved.  I had clam chowder, steak and a cronut with vanilla ice cream & salted caramel sauce for dessert – BIG MISTAKE!!

As usual, I didn’t sleep much the night before the race. I had decided what to wear but still wasn’t sure about how cold it would be. It was in the 30s when I got up but it was forecast to warm up to the high 40s. I hate this time of year. But at least there was a bag check and I could bring extra clothes for after and in case I change my mind.

My stomach was already telling me that my dinner choices were a bad idea.  I was hoping that it wouldn’t affect my race.

Even though, I went to this race before, I still left extra early. I got there around 7:15 am and found a spot on the street a few blocks from the start of the race.

I walked to the YMCA to use the restroom and check my extra clothes. There I bumped into a few familiar faces. I also met someone new – a fellow Skirt Sports Ambassador and we spent a lot of time chatting.

yes, still wearing a skirt.

I used the restroom right away and was glad that I did since the line got very very long later on. It was so nice to have some place to stay warm before the race. They even had water, coffee, donuts, fruit, etc. I didn’t eat anything since I ate breakfast before I left but did take a GU.

I decided not to wear my capris nor my jacket.  I kept on my gloves and throw-away shirt.

On my way out, I bumped into Judy and we walked a few blocks to the starting line. We didn’t start together but planned to meet afterwards.

during the National Anthem

The weather was actually perfect.  I tossed my throw-away shirt before starting.  I kept on my gloves (but they didn’t last long.)

waiting to start.

The course map:

As with any big race, it was very slow going at first.

from Daily Gazette (2015)

As the map above shows, we headed west along the Mohawk River into the Stockade section of town.

photo by David Giacalone (2015)

After the bike path and the Stockade area, we ran past Union College and around various residential neighborhoods.

photo by David Giacalone (2015)

I knew a lot a runners in this race. They kept catching up to me, we’d chat and then they would go on ahead. That was ok with me. I was determined to run at my own pace and have a pain-free race.

happy at he beginning

I was trying to keep my pace under 10 but at this point I was starting to slow down. My legs were tired. Who thought running a fast 5k two days before a big race was a good idea??!! Besides, the hills were relentless. I remember last year being able to run up them. Not this year but I gave myself permission to walk if I needed to.

still early and smiling

The worst part was my stomach.  Between mile 3 and 4, I got really bad stomach cramps.  I could not even run.  Plus, I knew that there would not be a port-a-potty until the park around mile 7.  So I walked…. and walked. (I was afraid that I would have to walk the rest of the race.)

things are starting to go south

Eventually, the pains minimized so I was able to run.   I knew there would be no PR today so I just enjoyed the scenery and chatted with many runners as they went by.

Around mile 6, we entered Central Park with its rolling hills, lake, and pretty foliage.

photo by David Giacalone

still foliage in the park – so pretty

I wasn’t concerned about my time and made sure that I stopped at all the water stops and smiled for all the photographers.

leaving the park – you can see me if you look closely

Between mile 7 and 8 is where the BIG hills were. I ran/walked up the first one. Then I decided to run up the second because it was the last one. It was so steep that when I got to the top, my legs were jelly and I could hardly run.

At least the hills were over and I got a second wind. We proceeded to run through the cemetery and then through a park before heading DOWNHILL to the finish line at city hall.

Of course, the wind picked up and we were running INTO the wind!! But I was passing runners, even men. Pysched!

trying to pass the lady in front of me – I did not!

And when I saw the clock in the distance, I ran as fast as I could.

I finished at 1:32:49!!  (over a minute slower than last year but faster than the year before)

I was happy with the results. I ran the 1st and last 5k in around 30 minutes and the middle one in around 32 minutes.  That means that I was able to pick up the pace at the end.

I bumped to another Skirt Sports ambassador while waiting for Judy to finish.

two weekends in a row finding Eleonora at the finish line 🙂

I also checked the results. There was no chance of an age group award. All the speedy old ladies run this race. I think that I was 10th.

I got to see Judy finish and she PR’ed!!

another Skirt Sports photo op

Then Judy & I walked to Proctors to get something to eat. There were vegetable soup, pizza, bagels, cider donuts, fruit, chocolate milk, yogurt, and lots more.

While I was stuffing my face, I saw Ed Whitlock.  At 84, he finished about 20 minutes faster than I did. (In case, you don’t know who he is – On October 16, 2016, Whitlock, aged 85, ran the Toronto Marathon in 3:56:38, setting a new world record.)

I had to pose with my idol for a pic

Before leaving, I bumped into a bunch of Strong Running Mamas and of course, we had to take another pic with Ed.

My Splits: (2014 – 2015 – 2016)

mile 1 – 8:49 – 8:57 – 9:04
mile 2 – 9:29 – 9:36 – 9:56
mile 3 – 10:03 – 10:02 – 10:16
mile 4 – 10:04 – 9:59 – 10:21
mile 5 – 9:49 – 9:33 – 9:57
mile 6 – 10:30 – 10:16 – 10:30
mile 7 – 10:35 – 10:04 – 10:19
mile 8 – 10:58 – 10:21 – 10:05
mile 9 – 10:02 – 9:38 – 9:30
.4 – 8:26 – 8:14 – 7:23

my last 5k was faster than my first 30:41 – 30:02

I really enjoyed this race (despite my wretched stomach.). The course was so varied that it also took your mind off the hills. With the large number of runners (1500), I felt like I was always running with others and it kept me going.

Yes, it was hilly. The first half had a lot more hills but they were manageable. The second half had fewer hills but they were steeper.

The best part of the race was that NOTHING HURT!! Not my feet, not my back…nada. I didn’t put it all out there (thanks to my stomach cramps) and I just enjoyed myself.

This race is definitely on my must-do list. It was very well organized. Maybe all the stars will be aligned next year and I’ll gun for that sub 1:30 finish.

Today I am linking up with a Sunday Fitness and Food Linkup hosted by Ilka from Ilka’s Blog and Angela from Marathons & Motivation

Happy Running! Did you run or race this past weekend? If so, how did it go?