I signed up for the 2nd time to be a Running Buddy for our local GOTR program.

Girls on the Run Capital Region is a 10-week after-school program for girls in grades 3-8 that uses running and physical activities to teach life skills and help girls develop a lifetime appreciation of health and fitness.

Here’s what it involved for me:

The Running Buddy provides encouragement and support to their buddy throughout the course of the season by sharing weekly notes of encouragement. These notes can be emailed or delivered to their buddy’s Head Coach.

The Running Buddy acts as a personal cheerleader for their buddy by attending the practice 5k and the end of season 5k.

The Running Buddy completes the 5k with their buddy and expresses support and enthusiasm for her accomplishment!

Last year, I didn’t particularly enjoy my experience.  I met my girl for the first time at the practice 5k. At that race, she took off with a friend and the coach like a “bat out of hell.” I caught up with her to chat and found out that she was a runner and she had already completed the program before. That meant that she already had run a 5k and besides that, she was super FAST. (She obviously didn’t need my weekly motivational messages.)  The same thing happened at the real 5K.  She just took off with her friend & coach even though she was supposed to be running with me.  So I ran by myself and eventually passed her as she tired (and got her photo as she finished the race after me.)

Nevertheless, I decided to give the program a second shot.

This year, I volunteered at Eagle, another elementary school near my home. I was paired up with Jayme who was 10 years old and in 5th grade.  I met her once at an Orientation meeting (this was a new idea) and then again at the Practice 5K last Tuesday. She is super sweet. We had a great time chatting and running ALL 12 laps together.

As a result, I was very excited to be part of her first 5K race and help her along the way.

The Final 5K was held on May 8th in Central Park, Schenectady. This was the Mother’s Day 5K that I have run in past years.

in 2013 and I even won my age group

I signed up for a 15k race the day before because I knew that I would be running this race just for fun and as a running buddy along side Jayme. It wouldn’t matter if my legs were tired from those 9.3 hilly miles.

The weather was not as nice as the previous day.  In fact, I woke up to POURING rain. UGH!!!

short sleeved women’s tech shirt

I had to arrive early to meet up with 80 or so GOTR participants, their coaches & running buddies for a group photo.

By the time, I got there, it was still raining but not hard. I was immediately informed that Jayme was not coming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WTH? What bugged me the most is that I texted her mom photos so she would have my phone number.  And she didn’t contact me.  With this weather and the fact that I ran a 15k race the day before, I might have stayed home.  Or at least run another 5k.  There were several that were closer to my house.

So I sulked by the fireplaces trying to stay warm and keep my cool.

One of the other running buddies heard about my situation and then asked me if I would  pace her daughter.  Her daughter was in junior high and was running her second 5k.

I guess this would have to do. However, I wasn’t planning on a real race.  So I told her yes but that I wasn’t in shape to run fast.

She was fine with that. (Of course, in chatting with her, I learned that she ran her 1st one in 29:xx and wasn’t trying…uh oh!)

Finally it was time to line up in the rain for our group photo.

Then we headed out to start the race.

The course was pretty varied – around the pond, through the woods, around the lake, etc. I have run it many times before.

I started with my new running buddy.  It was difficult to go fast at first because of all the kids in front of us.  They didn’t realize that slower runners and walkers start in the back.

the starting line

Eventually we got moving and of course, my buddy wanted to run fast.  I could not and I kept telling her to go on ahead.  This kept happening until the first water stop around mile 1.  Then she seemed to tire so I could keep up with her.

Mile 2 was through the woods. I was very careful of the roots and uneven turf. But at some point, I lost my running buddy.  I wasn’t sure if I was ahead or she was ahead of me.  Somehow I thought I may be ahead so I waited for her at the 2nd water stop.  I didn’t see her so I continued on.

Then for mile 3, we ran back into the park. The rain had stopped but the wind picked up and it started to get very cold.

Finally I saw the finish line and sped up so I didn’t cross over 30 minutes.  There was no chip timing.  They just collected your bib and gave your a flower.

I waited and then I saw my buddy cross.  She said that she had lost her earbud and doubled back to find it.

I waited some more watching all the young kids finish their first 5k.  They were so excited and happy. This is what what running is all about.

But I was freezing and eventually went inside to get warm and eat.

There was an awesome food display. In addition to cookies, bagels, bars, pastries, bananas, chocolate milk, etc.

mimosas (minus the champagne)

chocolate fountain with pretzels, cake and fruit for dipping

I didn’t want to eat too much since I was planning to go to my MIL’s for lunch at 3 pm.

I put on my winter coat and gloves (brrr) and waited around by the fire for the awards.  Surprisingly, I came in third and actually won something this time.

That made me feel a little better about my  weekend racing.

Believe it or not, the lady who beat me by 6 min in the 15k finished after me??

My only goal for this race was to help Jayme finish her first 5k race.

Splits:

mile 1 – 9:26
mile 2- 9:49
mile 3 – 9:21
.14 –  8:24

Garmin time – 29:32
Official time – 29:53

So things didn’t work out as planned – GOTR and the weather.  I love the GOTR program.  I think it is great for young girls.

Below are some photos posted on the Times Union website.

I will definitely support GOTR in some way but I doubt that I will become a running buddy again.

After I grabbed my plant, I rushed home to get ready to go out for Mother’s Day.

My sister-in-law and her hubby drove up from Florida and we had dinner at my mother-in-law’s.  My stepson & his girlfriend and my brother-in-law (not pictured) also came.  My other stepson had to work (he is pictured with my mil above.)  We all had a nice time together.

Since it is Thursday,  I’m also linking up today with Amanda for Thinking Out Loud Thursday.

So in addition to last weekend’s race, this is what I am thinking about:

Upcoming Races –

May 12 – 6:30 pm

Yes, today after work.  I’m not a fan of evening races but this one is for a great cause.  There will be many lawyers there than I know as well as STEM volunteers.  I was in charge of getting a team together but it didn’t go so well.  Everyone at work said yes until it was time to commit.

May 14

This is a new race and is organized by the mother of one of the STEM runners who died of an overdose after completing her first 5k. This is her story – https://www.gofundme.com/Summer5k4addiction  There will be many other runners and volunteers from the program.  I am honored to support this cause and to have known and run with Summer.

May 29

I ran this race last year with AJH. I ran the first leg so this year I’m looking forward to running the 2nd 13.1 miles (and crossing the marathon finish line.)

June 4

And of course, I have to run this race – my race streak race. This will be my 9th time running it.

last year’s photo but we’re wearing pink again this year

Upcoming Vacation – 

12th trip to Naples, Florida but tennis vacation #20 for me!!! (We started traveling together in 2002 and only 2 of us haven’t missed one.)

I leave on May 18 and return on May 25 (4 days before my next half marathon).  Can’t wait!!

Fitting it all in – 

When you live in the Northeast, you just live for summer.  Winter here sucks (unless you ski.)

It’s a time for running, boating, hiking, picniking and all kinds of outdoor activities.

You know where I’m going with this.

I want to do it all.  Help??

Happy Running! How was your weekend? Any races or runs? Any races coming up?  What are you thinking about today? How you fit in your running when things get hectic? Please share.

Spoiler alert: This was the first race EVER that I said I wouldn’t race (but just run for fun) and I DID!!

What made me do it?

• I didn’t know the course.
• It was hilly and you know I love hills. (just kidding!)
• They only gave awards in 10 year age groups and only for first place (I could maybe win 2nd or 3rd but that’s it.)
• I had a 5k scheduled for the next day.
• Lots of uneven pavement (Remember how I fell last year.)
• I bumped into a former student’s sister and we ran together.
• I was down about not winning any awards for my last 2 races so I decided to enjoy this race.
• Scenery watching – the Hudson River, old buildings and neighborhoods, parks, bike paths…

All good reasons, right?

I have had these intentions so many times in the past.  Each time, as soon as the gun goes off (or race starts), I forget about having fun and run as fast as I can.  It happens time and time again.  Sometimes, it pays off but more than not, it does not.

So for the second year in a row, I signed up for this race.

Last year, I chickened out and changed my mind the day of and ran only the 5k.

last year – check out the bloody legs!!

This was the course map and you can tell that you never repeat any part of the route which keeps it interesting.

Here’s what the website has to say about the course:

We start both races by the Cohoes Falls in a park named after a heroic Vietnam War Veteran – Colonel Robert Craner – Craner Park. 

After that we take you:

• Past the Historic Harmony Mills – now luxury loft apartments,
• By the Restored Cohoes Music Hall which produces some of the best entertainment this side of Broadway!By the business district, with great architecture
• Past a historic Armory soon to be turned into a Brewery/Restaurant.
• Next, you run through a park and on the old Erie Canal Towpath which brings you up to
• The Mohawk Bike Trail (where the whole thing started!). The path is shaded this time of year, but don’t get comfortable because the hill that brought you to it is just the beginning.
• Once you are off the path, you pass by wonderful schools, parks and neighborhoods but they come at a cost.
• From there you run up 4 hills that hurt and lots of inclines along the way….don’t worry – we have 8 water stops and entertainment along the route to keep you going. From church groups to Boy Scouts and schoolchildren, to the High School Band… we are here to welcome you and make this as painless as possible. Our volunteers are at every corner and they are so excited you can’t help but appreciate their enthusiasm. Watch out for paper maiche mastodons on the sidewalks!
• Once you hit mile 7 and 8 you are golden! We take you back to the shade of the Bike Path and down a couple of hills with the mist from the Beautiful Cohoes Falls ahead of you.

But look at the elevation!!! Downhill during the first mile and the last mile and the rest are uphills and rolling hills. Fun, fun, fun.

The weather started out cool and cloudy but it was the nicest it had been all week. (Eventually even the sun came out 🙂 )

I got to Cohoes early (around 8 am) and found a spot in one of the parking lots. Then I walked about .25 mile to the park where you picked up your race packet. (It was a good thing that I got there early because they closed the street and many had to park over a mile away.)

cute gender-specific tech shirt

I had time so I walked across the street to look at the Cohoes Falls.

It was so beautiful. I sat for awhile and relaxed.

And then walked around a little exploring the area.

In September of 1866, while breaking ground for construction of Harmony Mill No. 3, the bones of a mastodon were discovered, deeply buried in two potholes that had been worn into the bedrock at the end of the last Ice Age. Who knew?

Finally I headed back to the park.  I wound up chatting with a few runners.

workouts at the finish line before the race

I was wearing my Lake George Half shirt and many people came up to me to ask about the race.

I hadn’t run long in weeks (only 2 but felt like more.)  Last weekend, I ran a 10k and it was really tough.

But I stuck with the expectation of finishing upright. (My 15k times vary between 1:42:40 and 1:31:35.)

The 15k started 15 minutes before the 5k so off we went. I was with a bunch of runners and we walked up the hill and passed by the 15k start and ended up at the 5k start so had to double back.

Since there was no starting line, I started close to the front and just let everyone fast pass me by.

Neil Sergott photo

Neil Sergott photo

The first mile was mostly downhill but my legs after 2 days off felt like I hadn’t run in ages.  (I guess I should have warmed up a  bit.)

Eventually my legs limbered up but then the hills came. First not too bad but then steeper and steeper.  I am not proud to admit that I walked up the first the big hill and ran the minor ones.  That is a big deal for me because very often, I walk up ALL the hills.

What helped me take it slow was the fact that there were water stop at EVERY mile. I didn’t know when the next one was so I kept stopping and walking to drink water.

There were lots of twists and turns and so many volunteers on the course directing runners and making sure that the traffic was stopped.

Of course, there were several more steep hills (which I walked up) and rolling hills (which I ran) but by mile 4.5, the big hills ended and we were just left with the rolling ones.

I loved the fact that the course had such variety.  You were running in the city past factories and through a brick path in a park, and in old neighborhoods and on the bike path. Through much of the course, you were high enough to look down at the Hudson River.

Having so many cups of water was keeping me hydrated and full that I only ate one Gu during the whole race (which is odd for me.)

As I took my time on the course, most runners seemed to be passing me by but I was behind one runner for quite some time. Eventually I caught up to her around mile 5 or 6 and realized that I knew her.  Her twin sisters were students of mine years old and I have met her at several races in the past.

We started to chat about past races, future races, Lake George and what ever.  This is the first time that I have run at someone else’s pace.  I’m not sure if our conversation was slowing me down or running with her was discouraging me from walking and helping my pace.

Either way, the last miles were pretty enjoyable.

Neil Sergott photo

I kept waiting and waiting for the downhill to come and finally it did near the end.

As soon as I saw the finish line, I started to sprint and crossed around 1:36:XX

Neil Sergott photo

Neil Sergott photo

So I did finish the race upright and my time wasn’t great but it could have been worse.

me & Chrissy, my partner in crime

For the first time after a race, I wasn’t hungry even though they had bagels, donuts, yogurt, fruit but I did drink some chocolate milk while waiting for the results.

Like last year,  I came in 2nd in my age group.  Unfortunately, they only gave out awards for first.

not even close (even if I had a PR)

Splits:

mile 1 – 9:06
mile 2 – 9:53
mile 3 – 11:02
mile 4 – 11:17
mile 5 – 10:40
mile 6 – 10:52
mile 7 – 10:21
mile 8 – 10:38
mile 9 – 9:48
.3 – 8:03

Garmin time – 1:36:07
Official time – 1:36:10

The course was actually awesome if you could ignore the hills (which I did) and if they gave out more awards, it would have been even better.

The most important point was that I didn’t run fast and had a really enjoyable race. My legs felt great (which was good since I planned to do a lot of walking later.)

I rushed home to shower & change.

I spent the rest of the day with my mentee, Amanda and her 2 sons at the annual Tulip Fest. We walked around the park for 4 hours.  The kids went on the rides, made musical instruments, rode ponies, pet animals. and of course, we had ice cream and fried dough. They had fun & I enjoyed spending time with them.

I decided to postpone my dinner out with my hubby. I was pooped.

Besides, I had another 5k race the next morning. and then a Mother’s Day dinner. Oy…

Since it’s Tuesday, I’m linking also with

with Erika @ MCM Mama Runs,
Marcia @ Marcia’s Healthy Slice
and Patty @ My no-guilt life! 

How do I make Destination Races affordable:

• Register early – Take advantage of cheaper race fees
• Use frequent flyer miles when you fly (or drive, take a bus or train, if possible)
• Stay with friends (or a cheap hotel or rent a AirBNB)
• Travel without your spouse

Happy Running! Any races lately?  How do you afford destination races?