April 19, 2014 by Darlene

Rabbit Ramble 4 Mile Race Report

April 19, 2014 10 am Guilderland, NY

Another weekend, another race. I did 13.1 miles, then 5 miles, then 3.1 miles. This weekend, it was a 4 mile race. And a new one. So no idea if it would be a fun one or a hard one.

It was advertised as an out and back course on country roads and because this was the 20th year they would be giving out Special 20th anniversary t-shirts, along with live music, door prizes, special 20th year medals and awards to all overall and age group winners. In addition to all this, if you registered early, you would receive a pair of Rabbit Ramble running gloves. Sounded like a fun race to me.

(After I registered, I found out about a closer and flatter new race. Oh well, next year.)

at the Corning Preserve

After a warm weekend, the weather cooled off this past week. It was almost 80 degrees on Monday and it snowed Tuesday night and went down to 30 degrees. Today it was back to normal – that is, in between weather – 40s to start and then a little warmer (but with lots of WIND.)

I decided to wear similar clothes to my last race — long sleeve shirt, skirt, compression socks & bring a jacket.

The race started at 10 am so I could sleep in and it was only about 30 minute drive.

This race was so close to a DNS. I spent the morning in the bathroom. I had eaten the same foods yesterday as I did Thursday but at mah jongg I ate several gluten-free pastries. Maybe that was it. Who knows??

But I had severe cramps and I wasn’t sure I could stay after from the bathroom long enough to run. But I left and figured that I could just get my shirt & gloves and come home.

It was chilly and very WINDY. I immediately regretted not wearing an extra layer.

I was starting to feel better and decided to run the race. (If I felt bad I could walk.) At the last minute, I wore my race shirt over my long sleeve tech shirt and in the wind, I was still cold.

The race was a little informal with no starting line and no chips. There was also a 2 mile walk that started at the same time but just turned back after one mile.

Since I felt crummy, I just wanted to finish. The route was out and back along a country road. It was not flat!! Rolling hills which somehow always felt to be uphill.

But it was pretty out there:

Running into the wind was very tough. I vowed to muscle through it and not walk!! I was tempted many many times. There weren’t any mile markers or any water (a table with cups but no water.) I just ran and every now and then glanced at my Garmin to make sure I was still running under a 10 minute mile.

Amazingly I was keeping a steady pace. It was better without the wind gusts but they kept coming.

Of course, since I was feeling better, I looked around for older women. I spotted two. One was way ahead and one was within my view but I couldn’t catch her.

Finally the finish line was in sight. I started to feel very nauseous but I didn’t care. And believe it or not, my nose was running too. Blood, ew!! I had a bloody nose but gross or not, I just wiped it with my hands.

I wanted to pass the gray-haired lady. I got closer and closer and at the last second I did!! And the clock said 37:XX. (I’ve never run a 4 mile race under 38 minutes!)

However, without a chip, you just handed in the tag from your bib.

rr4

My official finish time was recorded as 38:06. Not a PR!! (4 seconds too slow.) But my Garmin read: 37:53.

So I’ll call it an unofficial PR. But considering how I felt before and after race, I am happy!

I stuck around chatting with old friends and new. They had raffle prizes. I wound up winning a Road ID. This was great since I recently lost mine.

It took quite awhile for the results to be posted and all they had for refreshments were cookies and water.

Eventually they did post them and it seemed that there were quite a few (more than 3) women in my age group who finished ahead of me. I was going to leave but someone said that the walkers’ results were mixed in the the runners.

Glad I did stay. I won 2nd in my Age Group! WooHoo!

silver medal

Definitely turned out much better than I expected.

Splits:

mile 1- 9:23
mile 2 – 9:43
mile 3- 9:30
mile 4 – 9:15

(YAY! negative splits!)

My goals for this race were:

run the whole thing without stopping – YES!
finish under 40 minutes – YES!
keep each mile’s pace under 10 minutes – YES!
win an AG award – YES!
have fun! – YES!
stay healthy! – YES!

After the race, I had planned to run 4 more miles but I was beat! I stopped off at the rail trail but all I could muster was 3 slow slow miles.

Happy Running! Are you running or racing this weekend?

April 17, 2014 by Darlene

Choosing Your Next Race

Yes, I like to run races. So I run a lot of them.

But how do you decide which race to run?

Here are some things to consider:

What is the race distance and where does it fit into your training?

Obviously a marathon and half marathon are goal races. I can only speak about half marathons. I always make sure that I have 12 weeks to train whether do I sign up for a spring, summer, winter or fall race.

So if you choose a spring one, you have to train in the winter (which was awful this year.) And if you choose a fall one, you have to train through the heat of summer. You just choose your poison. The reward is worth it.

Sarasota HM – March 2013

Mohawk-Hudson HM – October 2013

Sometimes a 5K can just be a training run and you may want to run additional miles before or after. Or the 5k can be a race where you want work on your speed and try to PR. A short race can also be a way to get back into racing after an injury. A 10k or a 15k can be just a different distance to try. Each distance accomplishes a different goal.

I am fortunate that where I live, between April and October, there are many races to choose from each weekend. Most are 5ks. So when I only ran 5ks, it was easy. Then I started training for half marathons and sometimes I just had to skip a 5K if I wanted to run long. That’s when the 10K and 15k worked out well. But there aren’t as many of those. I

So if you like to race a lot, you just have to be flexible with your running schedule.

a fun 10k to get miles in while training for a half

running a 5k (for speed work) and then adding more miles on after

Do you want a big race or a small race?

Big races offer a lot of excitement and they are a lot of fun. They are also more expensive. More expensive sometimes means more perks – medals, swag, food, photos, etc.

Small races are less hectic, it is easier to find parking and there is just less hassle. You also have a better chance of winning an age group award in a small race.

I like both. In big races, you are always running with a crowd and it is very motivating. You can feel the excitement in the air. Sometimes it is lonely in a small race. You may often be running by yourself. But then again, they are more personal and I have been lucky in winning awards & raffle prizes in some small races.

racing among 5000 women

winning a medal in a small race

Are you willing to travel and how far?

I know someone who is willing to travel for hours to a race. That’s not me. Gas is expensive and if the race is far away, you have to get up at an ungodly hour. What helps is if you can carpool or go with a friend. Even better is knowing someone who lives close to the race and staying over the night before.

Then there are destination races. Those are races that are too far away to go for the day. You may make them in a vacation or just a weekend away.

As I said, I don’t like to drive more than an hour for a race. (I’ve only done it only once.) I do like destination races. I have been lucky and been able to stay with a friend (in Florida, California, Pennsylvania, etc.) which saves money. I also save up my frequent flier miles (that I get my using my credit card) for these trips. So my vacation to visit an old friend just happens to include a race. Perfect!

this was farthest drive – 2 1/2 hours to VT

visiting an old friend in CA.

What is the course elevation?

Check it out ahead of time. No one likes to be surprised by a hilly race. I don’t like hills but sometimes you can’t avoid them. Other factors about the race may be more important.

For a half marathon, I love a flat course since even then this distance whips my butt.

Florida races are usually flat (except if they go over bridges)

hilly 4 miler in Lake George

What is the course like?

Is it on trails? Is it on roads open to traffic? It is through a park? Is it in a residential neighborhood? Do you run along the ocean or a lake or a river? In other words, will the scenery be a distraction from the struggle of running.

I love to run a race along the water and through a park. The course is important to me. That’s not to say that I haven’t run on some boring courses.

these free races run around the state office campus – so boring

scenic fall 5k in the Adirondacks

Do you get good swag?

Who needs another cotton tee shirt? At least now, most races are giving gender-specific tech shirts. Some races give bags or mugs. And some short races even give medals. We love bling, right?

free windbreakers!

a medal for a 5K!

Has it gotten good reviews?

The race’s advertising always makes the race look great. Try Googling the race name + “race recap” to pull up bloggers’ reviews. They are much more helpful. No one likes to pay for a race that doesn’t have enough parking or bathrooms or water on the course.

Most of my race experiences have been good just a few snafus here and there and I have honestly blogged about them. (I have had 2 bad experiences at 2 USRA races.)

USRA Lake George Half – poorly organized

CGI Love Run – well organized

So speaking of choosing a race, my next one is this Saturday – Rabbit Ramble 4 miler.

I chose it because it was nearby and supposedly not too hilly. 4 miles is a good distance since I am not training for a half right now but it is short enough to add on more miles if I feel like it. As far as swag — Special 20th anniversary t-shirts, door prizes, special 20th year medals and awards to all overall and age group winners and if you registered early, a pair of Rabbit Ramble running gloves. Some runners that I know have run it and said that it was a fun race.

My goals for this race are:

run the whole thing without stopping
finish under 40 minutes
keep each mile’s pace under 10 minutes
win an AG award
have fun!
stay healthy!

Happy Running! How do you decide which races to run?

April 14, 2014 by Darlene

Monday Running Update

Last Week:

Monday – 1 mile walk at work, rest, tennis

still indoors

Tuesday – 1 mile walk at work, ~~3 miles on the TM~~ (too tired), tennis (instead)

indoors again

Wednesday – 1 mile walk at work, 3 4 mile run

reward

so windy

Thursday – 1 mile walk at work, 4 mile run

first walk outdoors

warm but windy…on the rail trail

Friday – 1 mile walk at work, pizza party, rest, mah jongg

ate 4 slices of pizza for lunch. I don’t think 1 mile was enough to burn it off but it wasraining

Saturday – 5K race + 3.5 more miles

Sunday – rest, day with Amanda & sons

at the butterfly exhibit

at the park

This Week:

Monday – 3 miles at lunch, Passover seder
Tuesday – rest, tennis
Wednesday – 5 miles
Thursday – 4 miles
Friday – rest, mah jongg
Saturday – 4m race
Sunday – rest

Happy Running! How is your running going? Any races ?

April 12, 2014 by Darlene

2014 Bacon Hill Bonanza 5K Race Report

bacon hill

I am not sure why I registered for the 10K instead of the 5k. Maybe cuz they were both the same price or that it was more worth the drive.

10 K

Anyway, the 10K would be downhill for the first half and then uphill for the last half but the 5k was an out and back and would be mostly flat.

So I changed my mind. I switched to the 5K and then planned to run 3 miles after.

This was a new race for me. There were other closer races but first place male and female winners for each age group (5 year increments) would receive a homemade pie, second place age group winners homemade cookies, and third place homemade muffins. The finish line would also feature homemade chili and other goodies for all runners. Enough of an incentive for me.

The race started at 10 am which was good since it would be an hour minute drive.

Again the weather was tricky. What to wear? It was cool in the morning (low 40s) but scheduled to warm up to the 60s. I opted for a long sleeve shirt (the one I got from last week’s race), skirt & compression socks. I brought a jacket just in case.

I got to the race early and found a parking spot in a field next to the church. The race started at the church in the town of Bacon Hill, a small farming town with awesome scenery. (It reminded me of Vermont.)

This was the second year for this race but the first year for the 10K. There were a little over 200 for the 5k and a little over a 100 for the 10K (nice numbers for a small town race.) I bumped into a lady from my age group that I know from previous races but she was running the 10K. It seemed that the faster runners were doing that one. Good for me!!

It was chilly. First I had my jacket on, then I put my race shirt over my other shirt and then I put them both back in my car. (Right move, it got warm!)

love the pink tech shirt, men got neon green

I hung out and started chatting with a guy and his wife. They were from my town and we have done most of the same races.

First there was the kids race – one mile. They were so cute. I told the organizers about my running buddy and they gave me this medal (I usually mail him my race shirts but I doubt he would want a pink women’s shirt.)

Soon it was time for the race to start. The pastor read a prayer and the church bells rang and we were off.

The 5k was an out and back. The 10k veered to the right and supposed had hills and breath taking views.

I decided to go out fast. I have have negative splits so why try. It wasn’t as flat as I thought. The hills were bad but I felt like I was running up. I didn’t walk up any!!

There were volunteers on the course calling out times. I occasionally glanced down at my Garmin to make sure I was running in the 9’s. Eventually we turned around and head back….INTO THE WIND!!! Tough running into the wind for 1.5 miles but again I didn’t stop for water and I didn’t walk up any hills. I just pushed myself. I even found myself passing people.

As I approached the finish line, I realized that not only was I under 30 minutes, I could finish under 29 minutes. Unfortunately I had no gas left and I barely made it. Not sure what my official finish time was but my Gamin says: 28:53!! I was pleased. First 5k under 30 minutes since last November.

I immediately made a bee line for the chocolate milk. Boy was it good. I think I had 5 cups.

They had great food – the usual food but also chili and homemade muffins & cookies (including gluten free ones).

Someone that I met at the Malta 5k last September recognized me. We had chatted a lot after that race. Holly is just a year younger than (different age group – YAY!). We talked while waiting for the results.

results for me and my new friends (I beat the “guy”)

I looked and saw that they had my age wrong: 59 not 60. I told them and they changed it but they had a lot of ages wrong. This meant that we had to wait a really long time for the awards. It was nice to have someone to wait with. They were giving out homemade pie & cookies so everyone was waiting. And I won a pie!!! (Love my age group!) Holly won 3rd and cookies.

I put the pie in my car and changed into my race shirt. I really didn’t feel like running more but I promised myself that I would.

I had planned to head home and stop at one of the bike paths on the way. But this area was so nice, I decided to stay and run. (More about it in my next post.)

All in all, I loved this race. I will definitely do it again…maybe even the 10K.

Splits:

mile 1- 9:00
mile 2 – 9:32
mile 3 – 9:33
.1 – 8:09

(yup, positive splits – can I blame it on the wind?)

Goals:

run the whole thing without stopping – YES!
finish under 30 minutes – YES!
keep each mile’s pace under 10 minutes – YES!
win an AG award (they’re giving out baked goods!) – YES! 1st!
have fun! – YES!
stay healthy! – YES!

Happy Running! Are you running or racing this weekend?

April 8, 2014 by Darlene

Demystifying the Destination Race

Guest post by Arianna at http://ariannaknowsbest.blogspot.com

We’ve all seen the ads for fun races in exotic locations. Want to run a marathon in Hawaii? You can do that. Want to do a triathlon in Cozumel? You can do that too! Combining racing with travel is a perfect way to kill two birds with one stone and make your big race an even more memorable experience.

If the logistics of a destination race seem daunting, fear not! I’m here to help. Last year, I traveled to Philadelphia for the Feel the Love 5k and learned a few things. Here are some tips to help make your next race in a far off locale a big success!

Choose the right race: Picking the perfect local race can be hard enough but when you start looking at out of town events, there is even more to consider. How far can you realistically travel? Is the location difficult to reach by your preferred method of transportation? Are there activities for your family to do during your race? If you pick a place with lots of options for entertainment, a destination race can actually turn into a mini vacation for the whole family!

Make your travel arrangements: Decide if you are driving or flying and if you will need a rental car. When choosing your lodging, consider staying as close to the race site as possible. It might cost a little more but it can make life a whole lot easier! If cooking your own food is important, you may want to consider renting a house through a home rental site such as VRBO. Accommodations during big races can fill up quickly so it’s best to book your lodging as soon as possible.

Make plans for your pets: Traveling with your pets can be a lot of fun but if you are planning on bringing them along, there are a few things to consider. Do your accommodations allow animals? Is your family willing to wrangle them while you are busy with the race? If you decide to bring them with you may want to find local dog boarding to care for them on race day. We were able to find a last minute sitter who was willing to take Brodie, our lab, that night and for the majority of race day. Remember that most races start early so you should arrange your plans for your pet at least a day before to avoid a crazy morning before the race.

Plan your pre-race meals: Think about what you will eat in the days leading up to the race. Pre-race food is unique for every runner and by this point you should have figured out what works best for you. Make sure you have access to that food! If you are relying on the hotel for breakfast, be sure that the food will be available early enough for you to eat and digest it before your race. Some runners prefer to carb load and others rely on just a protein bar to hold them over. Before a shorter run, I will do a bit of fresh fruit and a protein bar, as I don’t want a heavy stomach during my run.

Pack wisely: Make a list and check it twice, three times if need be! When making your packing list it may be helpful to mentally go through every part of your race day. Start first thing in the morning: What will you eat for breakfast? What will you wear? Visualizing your day can help ensure that you don’t forget anything important. Check the forecast but be prepared for any type of weather- light clothing that layers easily usually work best in any uncertain situation.

Don’t overdo the pre-race sightseeing: You’ve worked hard to get here and you’ve probably spent the last few weeks training. Don’t over exert yourself with too much walking! A little walking is a great way to loosen up after a long travel day but don’t overdo it. Save the bulk of your sightseeing for after the race. For our race, we booked a hotel for 3 days: the day before, race day, and the day after, that way I had enough time to prepare and enough time to relax after.

Arianna is a full-time mom and a fashion-lover, world traveler, animal lover, and family woman extraordinaire. She loves to cook and bake, travel to new places, share great fashion finds, and spend time doing crafts and projects at home with her kids. She’s got a crazy busy life, but she wouldn’t have it any other way! Follow her blog at http://ariannaknowsbest.blogspot.com/ !

Thanks Arianna. This advice will be very helpful to me (who loves to plan race-cations) and to my other readers.

Happy Running! Anything that you would add to this list?

April 7, 2014 by Darlene

Monday Running Update

Last Week:

Monday – rest, 1 mile walk at work, mall walk after work with BFF

Tuesday – rest, 1 mile walk at work, tennis

our fastest so far

Wednesday – 1 mile walk inside at work, 2 mile walk during lunch outside, 4 mile run

Washington park (lake is still frozen)

Spring at last!

Thursday – 1 mile walk at work, 3 mile run on the track

getting faster indoors…

on the track

Friday – 1 mile walk at work, 4 3 mile run on the tm, mah jongg

thought it was going to rain…ran out of time so couldn’t get in 4

Saturday – rest, dinner out with my hubby

Sunday – 5 m race + 2 more miles later

on the rail trail

Must be my lucky week. I won a blog giveaway:

and I won the door prize at my race:

Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket?

This Week:

Monday – rest, tennis
Tuesday – 3 miles on the tm at lunch, tennis
Wednesday – 4 miles
Thursday – 4 miles
Friday – rest, mah jongg
Saturday – 5K race + 3 miles
Sunday – rest, day with Amanda & sons

Happy Running! How is your running going? Any races ?

April 6, 2014 by Darlene

Delmar Dash Race Report

dd14

It is nice to run a race that is only 10 minutes from your house.

course map

It’s always hard at this time of year to decide what to wear. Too cool for spring clothes but with the sun, you get warm with winter clothes.

decided to wear purple

Believe it or not, it was sunny. I was so happy not to deal with rain.

But it was much colder than I had hoped. It was in the 30s and very windy so in the 20s with the wind chill. I am really tired of my winter running clothes so I decided to go with the original outfit but add a black long sleeved half zip under my purple shirt and a windbreaker over it plus I wore gloves.

And I was cold!!! But I hoped that I would warm up while running. (After last weekend, I knew I could handle being a little cold.)

At least there was a school gym to wait in until the beginning of the race. My tennis friend, MaryPat is injured & decided not to run the race. But I did recognize quite a few runners. I went back to my car to get rid of my race shirt & to grab gloves…brrr!!

women’s long sleeve tech one

I even bumped into someone I met on Facebook who snapped the pic below:

We chatted for awhile about racing, of course. She is training for a half in 2 mos in Boston. It’s nice to meet a local runner.

here we are…I hate selfies!

Soon it was time to go outside and brave the wind & cold. I started near the front because I wasn’t sure if the race was chip timed.

I started at a fast pace for me but it seemed that everyone was passing me by…. Like the Runnin of the Green, this race attracts a fast crowd. (I never even thought about an AG award.)

starting off (with my pink gloves)

I was cold the whole race & I found it difficult to move forward when we were running into the wind. At least the course was mostly flat. But it seemed flatter last year. This year I felt like I was running uphill most of the time. It was probably because I felt so sluggish and tired.

I was tempted to stop at the water stop which was halfway but since I wasn’t warm, I decided to push myself past it. I knew at this point I would finish under 50 minutes but I also knew that I would not PR.

looking happy only because I saw the photographer

I was definitely running out of gas during mile 4 and wished that I had run slower at the beginning of the race.

dd2

But finally it was over and according to my Garmin, I crossed at 48:14. (My slowest Delmar Dash – more than a minute slower than my PR.)

I was disappointed!! But I did my best. There will be more races.

I went inside and got some refreshments – birthday cake, bread, fruit, bagels, etc.

dd14

I hung out with runners that I knew while waiting for the awards. None for me. I think I came in 4th. But I did win the door prize!! Woo Hoo!

It has a lot of cool stuff in it:

My splits:

mile 1: 9:11
mile 2: 9:37
mile 3: 9:48
mile 4: 9:53
mile 5: 9:36

first half: 23:43 2nd half: 24:32

Yes, mostly positive splits.

My goals were to RUN THE WHOLE THING and finish UNDER 50 MINUTES!!!

I met my goals..YAY me!

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

April 5, 2014 by Darlene

Addiction

3-30-14 – LoveRun Half Marathon
4-06-14 – Delmar Dash 5m
4-12-16 – Bacon Hill 5k
4-19-14 – Rabbit Ramble 4m
4-27-14 – Cherry Blossom 5k
5-03-14 – Spring Run Off 10K
5-11-14 – Mom’s Day 5K

7 weeks in a row… yikes. I may have a problem!

Then again, there are worse addictions.

And running is a healthy one.

But racing can get costly.

Since I love racing and it motivates me to run better, I have made choices on where I spend my money.

I didn’t join any USTA teams (so I am not paying to play any tennis matches.) I have cut way back on ordering drinks when out (I rarely do) and on visits to Starbucks (just occasionally.) I bring my lunch to work rather than buying lunch.

Instead I choose to spend my money on races. I sign up early so I pay the cheapest price.

Happy Running! Are you addicted to running or racing? Do you race a lot?

April 4, 2014 by Darlene

Next Race and Giveaway Winner

Sunday, April 6, 2014

This is my third time doing this race and my third 5 miler.

It is also the race that is the closest to where I live (2 miles away.)

Delmar Dash 2011

Delmar Dash 2013

I looked at my splits for 2011 and 2013 and they were all in the 9’s with one in the 8’s. I finished at 47:08 and 47:39!!!!!

In the 8’s!! I wonder who that runner was… It certainly isn’t me now!!

I know I should be happy that I am even able to run. So yes, I am happy!!

And besides, I just finished a HALF MARATHON last weekend!! My legs are still tired.

The course for this race is very familiar to me…it’s where I have done a lot of my runs.

course map

My goals are to RUN THE WHOLE THING, HAVE FUN and finish UNDER 50 MINUTES!!!

AND THE WINNER OF POCKETFUEL IS:

winner

Congrats, Leah!

Happy Running! Are you racing this weekend?

April 3, 2014 by Darlene

The Love Run Half Marathon Race Report

092713-loverun1

I heard that Philly was flat but since this is a new race, who knew?

This was the course:

lr course

A post in a RW forum offered this about the course:

The course is incredibly flat and for a non-local will take you through the most scenic parts of the city, The parts along the river sometimes can be windy, but the side we are running on is a bit more protected with trees.

The water stations (7) seemed to fit in with my racing plan – walk every 2 miles (water stop) and GU every other water stop. (I hoped that they would not run out for the slower runners.)

When I signed up for this NEW race, who knew that it would be the largest half marathon in the country so far this year!!

I had never run a big race before (1500 racers was probably the largest.) There were supposed to be about 10,000 at this race.

It would have been really nice if the weather cooperated (especially for Adrienne & Heidi) and it were sunny and warm.

But it didn’t 😦 😦 😦

Anyway, we got up early & Andrea & I had what we ate yesterday for breakfast. It was really difficult to decide what to wear. It wasn’t that cold (40s) but it was windy and it was predicted to rain HARD so we would be getting wet. (The slower you are, the wetter you will be.)

I decided to wear a 3 layers: tank top, a long sleeve shirt & a wind breaker. I added capris under my skirt and also wore compression socks & a baseball cap. (I put dry clothes in my bag check bag.)

Then we all met in the lobby for a pre-race photo.

Andrea, Adrienne, Lisa, Heidi, me & Kevin

It was easy to find the race start…just followed the crowd. It was chilly & breezy but it was only raining slightly (Fingers were crossed.) I was wearing the $3 poncho that I bought at the expo trying to stay dry until the race began.

We arrived to a BIG crowd. But everything was very organized. We checked our bags, agreed on a post-race meeting spot and then it was time to line up. In the crowd, we all got separated except for me & Andrea who started around the 11 min. pace group. (I tossed my poncho in a trash can first….unfortunately others weren’t as considerate… plastic garbage bags were strewn all over the course for the few blocks.)

It took at least 6 minutes to get to the starting line. I wasn’t worried since I had my Garmin and the race was chip-timed.

1798082_684504678254632_1919006174_n

The first four miles through the city streets and the Old City area flew by. There was great crowd support, and I was feeling good. We ran past all the sites that we learned about on the trolley tour. It was really neat.

The rain was still falling lightly. I was running faster than I would have liked but decided to stay with it. I knew that I would die cuz I always do.

My informal plan to to keep my pace under 11 (preferably close to 10:30) and walk through ALL the water stops. (My pace definitely slowed the 2nd half of the race).

From miles 4-5 we started to head back out past the start to Boathouse Row and toward Fairmount Park. I thought the whole course may be flat. I was wrong here! There was some hills in the park around mile 6, and then a pretty long one. I decided to run/walk it to save my energy for the rest of the race.

But it was starting to rain harder. Running into the wind with the rain in your face was crappy, but I was glad that my baseball cap mostly kept of the water out of my face. I put up the hood to keep my neck warm.

lr2

Around mile 7, Andrea caught up with me. We ran together for a bit but I know she is faster so she went on ahead.

After looping around the park, it was an out and back. You ran in a straight line along the river and then you turned around somewhere around 9 and went in a straight line back the way you came for miles 9-11.

On the way out, you got to see the faster runners. I kept looking for Lisa or Adrienne or Heidi. I didn’t see anyone (Lisa said she saw me.)
On the way back, I was happy to see lots of runners behind me.

During these miles, it started to downpour. I was already wet so I just accepted being soaked. What can you do?? But I was getting colder and colder. My hands & feet were now numb.

I was surprised on how many spectators and volunteers were on the sidelines cheering in this awful weather. It was nice!

All the water stops had water & Gatorade and one toward the end had Hammer gel. One had gummy bears.

The last few miles were tough. I was cold, wet and running out of gas. I tried to plod along and thought that the sooner I finished, the sooner I could get dry.

Believe it or not, there was a short hill before the finish line. UGH!!

I got through the finish line with nothing. My feet were too frozen to sprint. The clock said 2:27:00.

Unindentified Female

I quickly grabbed my medal and immediately saw Heidi and Kevin. They finished seconds just after me but started about a minute after before me.

Kevin & Heidi

We grabbed desperately-needed Mylar sheets and walked through the MUD to the food tent to grab our bag of goodies. There were lakes of mud that couldn’t be avoided.

The little food bags we received were pretty nice – Philly soft pretzel, a banana, some PB&J, Snyder’s potato chips and butterscotch krimpet Tastycakes. There was a tent with hot chocolate but we were too cold and wet so we instead waded through the mud (that felt like quick sand) to get our checked bags.

Adrienne did great in her first half!

Then we found our friends (except for Adrienne who was with her hubby). We were all too wet to take photos or even put on any dry clothes. We made our way back in the pouring rain to our hotel. That mile walk seemed to take forever.

this is after the walk to the hotel….most of the mud got washed off… they were once pretty!!

Eventually we did all thaw out after a LONG HOT shower and dry clothes. It was funny how many people I saw during the day and at the airport wearing their finisher medals.

the “o” in Love spins

Here are my stats:

actually overall place was 5012, AG place was 11

Believe it or not, this was a 4 second PR!!! Woo Hoo!

Splits:

mile 1- 10:13
mile 2- 9:39
mile 3 – 10:48 (water)
mile 4 – 10:19
mile 5 – 10:22 (water/gu)
mile 6 – 11:39 – hills!!
mile 7 – 10:45 (water)
mile 8 – 10:16

mile 9 – 11:20 (water/gu)

mile 10 – 11:00

mile 11 – 10:53 (water)

mile 12 – 11:22 (water/gu)

mile 13 – 11:33 – tired
.23 – 9:42

So as you can see some of my miles (6, 9, 11, 12, 13) went over 11 min. My pace the first half was 10:36 but the second half, it was 11:10. I really need to work on my fitness level and not have positive splits.
My Goals were:

A: under 2:22:39
B: under 2:24:14
C: under 2:30:12
D: finish smiling and uninjured

I met them all except I don’t think I was smiling at the finish!

Here’s someone else even happier:

She said YES.

After the race, Andrea drove home, the couples took naps and I went out into the rain. I planned to visit the Barnes Foundation (I love Impressionist art). It was sold out so I had lunch there instead and then went to the Rodin museum.

mushroom quiche & cream of potato soup – YUM!!!

This was my first big race. And besides the weather, I was very happy. I thought the race was very well-organized. I loved that you didn’t have to stand in line for anything. They had lots of volunteers-even in the horrendous weather. Plenty of water and clocks at every mile. It was a pretty great race and course and if I lived closer, I might do it again.

Here is a portion of the email I just received from the organizers of the race:

March 30th, 1962 holds the record for the most rainfall with about 1.16″.

Until March 30th, 2014 that is… And Yes we put that record to shame with rainfall accumulation of 3″. But it’s going to take a lot more than that to dampen our spirits and our goal to put on an unforgettable Inaugural Love Run.

As many of you gathered on the start line on Sunday, we were thinking “Wow now this is strong community of runners”. It’s hard enough to run 13.1 miles in ideal conditions but to do it in a monsoon…takes a very strong, motivated person. The mental courage it took all of you to step up to that line is something you should remember for the rest of your life.

You are in a small minority of people who could ever accomplish what you did this past Sunday at the Love Run.

**Last day! Don’t forget to enter my PocketFuel giveaway!

Happy Running! Ever run in a big race? Ever run a race in the rain?

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