VIA Half Marathon

So, today was the VIA marathon, half marathon and marathon relay. It also happened to be my friend Chris' first half marathon. I really had no intentions of running this half, why, I do not know, but I signed up to run it when Chris told me she was inspired by all I do and asked me to run it with her. How do I say no to that?  Let me first admit that I was a little undertrained for this half, but I also knew that I could do it. Today wasn't about me or PR's anyway, it was about getting my friend to cross the finish line and become a half marathoner. 

So, I got up at O-dark-thirty and headed to the start. I got there at 5 am!

Anyway, I waited and headed out to the start line by 5:15. I had no idea what to expect based on people and what not so I wanted to be early so I didn't have to rush. We were even there before the port a potties! Since this was Chris' first half, I tried to remove as many stressors as I could. Then we took a photo at the intersection of the start line Main St and W Walnut.

Then, we eased our way to the start line and then at 7:02 we started. Having not run this race before, I didn't know what to expect, BUT having run the canal path before I felt like I knew what to expect. It was a beautiful day for a run. There were very energetic volunteers at the water stations and their energy definitely helped today. They had adequate water and Gatorade which was huge for me and I was happy that they even had extra. The course was mainly flat with a few hills and it felt fast. I thought the mile markers were never coming, but was still excited to see them all. Let me just tell you how awesome the final stretch was. Having everyone there cheering and then a jumbotron and announcing your name as you crossed the finished line, THAT was awesome!! I really felt like I mattered even though I know I won't ever place.

I guess my only complaint is that there isn't live entertainment, but I don't exactly know where they would put it.  And, I don't think that marathon finishers should have to wait in line for a stretch, yes, I think they should have gotten their own tent.

We finished, 3 minutes under Chris' goal time. I am so proud of her! She worked so hard and even though she said I was a drill Sargent, I think she loved every minute of it.

Half number 5 is now in the books. Would I run this again, absolutely. Maybe next year this will be my full marathon?!??

Ok, now to rest. I have another half next month so I need to continue training for that! Hope you had a great weekend!

Dunzo

With summer quickly approaching and knowing that I will be training during the hottest months (I have 3 half marathons planned in the fall) I thought it would be great to try hydration options besides water to drink during my runs. I have heard so many great things about Nuun that I was excited to try it. When I was in DC, I bought my first Nuun, Watermelon, from Georgetown Running Club. Yeah, didn't really like it as much as I thought. It tasted like a diluted air head. You know, that candy from when we were younger. So, I told my friends on Facebook about my experience and Strawberry Lemonade was suggested. I found it online, but by the boxful, and KNEW I didn't want to commit that much to this product knowing that I didn't like the first flavor that much. I continued my online search and found that the local The Vitamin Shoppe sold select flavors in the store.  I was so excited that I could get it there and try this flavor. But, now I can say my relationship with Nuun is DUNZO. I was again completely disappointed. I made it exactly as directed and even with less water. It had too much fizz and not enough flavor. Actually, I can't even describe the flavor, maybe a, nope not that either. 

So, now I am in the market for other hydration options. Gatorade, Powerade, something. Now currently accepting applicants.

How do you stay hydrated during those long runs on hot days?

Brooklyn Half Marathon

Why is wake-up so early on race days? Well, I don't think it really matters, because it isn't like you can sleep anyway. Friday, I made myself go to sleep at 10. Saturday I was up at 4am! Holy cannoli! 

(Old photo, same outfit, with the exception that I wore a different white skirt)

"Run your meatballs off" tattoo. I thought it was fun, and my friend Melissa ended up putting one on too!

I ate my usual Udi's bagel with peanut butter, and drank some Orange gatorade. I usually eat a banana with my bagel, but since I had 2.5 hours before I had to run, I wanted to wait on the banana.

We got a cab a little before 5 to meet up with her running club because they had rented a bus for transportation to the start line. At 515 sharp, we left the Bronx to head to Brooklyn for the start of the race. 

We got to the start area and headed to baggage check. Just like NW 20 days prior, they wanted you to use only the bag provided by NYRR. I had no problem with that. As I was walking to baggage check, the sheer number of runners that was running this race was starting to overwhelm me. Oh, and the fact that baggage check was not clearly defined. We had to walk behind a museum and into it's parking lot then all the way to the opposite end to check our bags. Since I was in wave 2 and almost if not all of my friend's running club was in wave 1, I was there an hour before my corral was supposed to start. I knew I didn't have to rush to get through baggage check, and so I just took my time to enjoy the sites and sounds. My corral was almost at the end of the race, 35000-35999. I used the port-a-potties because I was so early, and since no one was there.  

 Here is my corral before race time...

At 7:50 almost an hour after the race started, I crossed the start line. I knew that my friend would be almost finished running, and here I was just starting.

The only thing I knew about this race, was that it started in Prospect Park and ended at Coney Island. Here is the course map. My friend also warned me about the hills inside Prospect park, but since I didn't really know anything about the area, I said ok thanks. At mile 1, I noticed my pace was a little faster than where I wanted, so I did try to slow down a little. I also remembered that my friends reminded me that the second half was downhill to flat so I would be able to get some negative splits. I just wanted to stay under 12 min miles and still feel good. When we entered the Park, I kept telling myself that there will be a hill. At this point, we were already 4 miles into the race, and I had only been walking through the water stops. I felt good. I couldn't say great yet, it was too early, but I felt good. I just kept chugging along, noticing the surroundings, the Zoo, the open field with all the unleashed dogs playing, the lake, that I guess I missed the hill. Or maybe I didn't think it was a hill because of our hills. I don't know. We left the park and headed onto Ocean Parkway South, so I stopped (the only time non-waterstop based) and took this photo.

They closed an entire highway for this race! I knew that this was the longest section and the least scenic. I also knew that this was the flat to downhill part everyone was talking about. There were a lot of spectators at all of the intersections on this road, and we even began to see some of the runners who had already finished running towards us (I guess as a warm down). There was this sweet lady who I kept meeting up at water stops and then lose on the road to meet up again with at water stops who we actually ran some of the race with. She told me how she loved this race and was telling me where we were in relation to everything.  As the miles kept chugging along, we were getting closer.

As we were closing in on Coney Island, there were medical personnel outside of the hospital cheering us on. It was cool to have their support too! I knew that we would be coming up on the boardwalk and I was a little nervous. My friends had mentioned how it shakes when everyone is running on it and how my one friend even fell on it. But I couldn't wait. I also knew that my friend Angela, would be there cheering us on. I didn't get to see her :( Maybe it's just me, but I am not good at looking for people when I am running.

When we got onto the boardwalk, I somehow had managed to turn my jets on and pass a few people. I really wish we ran more of the race on the boardwalk, my feet loved the springiness of it! As I crossed the finish line, I was so relieved. I had made up for what I thought was a terrible run in DC, and to finish this one with speed, really felt great. I had some foot pain, so I went into the medical tent to get some Tylenol because I had no idea how much more walking was coming up. The doctor that took care of me was awesome and even opened my gatorade for me. Thanks doc!

We had to walk for what seems forever to the baggage claim area, but even worse than that was that they made us walk DOWN stairs to get them. I did know that I was going to be on a bus for 2 hours later, so all of this walking would be appreciated eventually. I made it to baggage claim and was able to find someone to take this picture...

I finished 1/2 marathon number 4, 20 days after half number 3!

I was disappointed that I didn't get to see my friend Angela, but later, I was even more disappointed that I missed her awesome sign...

 Later, on the subway back to Port authority, I wanted to check my finish time. That is when I saw this...

 And realized it was an 11 minute PR! 11 minutes faster than the half less than a month before. 5 minutes slower than my Best time ever, but I set my PRs yearly. All the stars were definitely aligned this day, and I was able to run my best.

Now, what I didn't like about the race...
1- Running out of poured water. Really? Again. I was hoping that DC was a fluke. This is now twice in less than a month
2- Not running long enough on the Boardwalk. But then making us walk down steps
3- That my race didn't start until almost an hour after the first wave.
What I like about the race,
1- Everything else not mentioned above. Would I do this one again, absolutely, but probably not until I run another NYRR half marathon!


I would love to here what you thought of it if you ran it. Have you ever run on a boardwalk before? Did you love it or hate it? Have you ever needed to visit the medical tent? What has been your favorite half marathon?

NYC Expo and Friends

As you know, I ran the Brooklyn Half Marathon this past weekend. If you follow my personal blog here then you know what I did on Friday when I first got to NYC.  But, I don't need to talk about that again, since this is about the expo. So, I met my friend super fast friend Melissa on the platform for the AC train and it wasn't until a mild panic that I learned that it was the Downtown train. I live in a small town that doesn't have a subway system, so this was all new to me. After we met up, we continued on the train to head to Brooklyn for the race Expo. We got off the train and started walking, although we didn't really know the way. As we were walking, randomly against a wall was this sign...

 Then, the signs started popping up everywhere. We knew we were getting close.

We got to the expo, and I got to pick up my bib...Ok, now this is real!!!!

Random sign hanging up at the expo

The local running store, JackRabbit was really the only vendor there beside New Balance. And, it was hot, and I was really thirsty, so I bought one of these bad boys...

It tasted just like frozen Gatorade, and I am thinking that I might need this for summer fueling. And, in case calories matter, it was only 30 calories. There wasn't really much at the expo, except a DJ and live music (not quite sure how that worked), and some New Balance people who talked about stride, cadence, form and posture. We walked to the adjacent food tent and there was only samples at 1 table. I was a little disappointed with the expo, especially with all of the hype they were giving it. St Luke's Half Marathon and Runner's World Expos were 1000 times better. After we walked around, I had to stop and take this picture...

I agree, this is the best expo LOCATION, although not the best expo itself.

My friend Melissa and I at the Expo.

 Did I mention she is super fast? No, well she got first in her age group for the half, I think she finished it in 1:28 and some change. 

As we were leaving the expo, we also met with another friend Angela. Angela, Melissa and I all met last summer at a SweatPink Ambassador Meetup. Angela is funny, and whitty and writes her own blog about her adventures here. And while she wasn't running this weekend, she said she couldn't pass up sympathy carb loading. We got back on the subway and headed for L' Allegria for dinner. I have to say, the food was amazing,  I ordered their gluten free penne with oil and garlic. It was delicious  and light and filling, and will probably be my new carb loading type meal. I didn't really want to get sick the day before a big race, I think I asked them 1000 times if it really was gluten free.

Here is the three of us  after dinner. 

It was the best food and the best company. After dinner we headed to get some gelato, I can't say I ever had any before. and the original place we went to was no longer in business. I wish I remember the name of the place we did find, it was really wonderful gelato. Of course, I opted safe with Strawberry. 

While we were walking around we talked all things running. We talked about form, shoes, everything. They even talked about how their local running store puts you on a treadmill and films your running to check your stride. I was so curious, so we went and of course, I HAD to make sure that my stride was correct. I haven't really had anyone look at my stride since I got my orthotics in, so I thought it was the perfect time. I am still a neutral runner, and since I am close to my 300 mile mark, I asked them to show me some new neutral shoes. I fell in love with these babies..

But, I am going to go to Aardvark's and look around there too. I feel like my shoes are too heavy, and I wonder if a lighter shoe will help me out.

 Everything about this day was perfect. It was a great pre race day. Not too much walking, not too much food, but GREAT friends and lots of smiles and laughs.  I don't know when I will see these girls again, but I hope soon.


Have you ever been to an expo that didn't live up to your expectations? What do you like about expos? Do you have a pre-race carb-loading meal?

What have I learned after 1 day of CrossFit

Besides being super nervous and scared about CrossFit, I am also excited to see what mentally it will do to me. See, I have always been competitive, and I will probably ALWAYS will. I blame childhood, or being the youngest of 3, either way, it isn't necessarily a bad thing. I know I am not up to the caliber of all the other CrossFitters at least not yet, but I am in awe at how strong they are. While CrossFit is about competing against others, it is really about competing with yourself. With, against, for, however you want to view it. It is about you pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. About doing more than you thought you were and are capable of. One thing that KC the trainer told me was that CrossFit is about movement. Keeping yourself moving. I could have easily stopped to take a rest when I was doing my 8min AMRAP, it was my first day, no one would have said anything, but I couldn't. I COULD NOT do it! My body wouldn't let me take the break. Did it kill me, no, it proved to me that I can do it. I jokingly said that KC had kicked my ass, when in actuality, I kicked my own ass. In the 8 minute workout, I sweated more than I do when I run miles in the middle of the day in the middle of the summer. Holy cow!
Will I go again, you BETCHA! I can't wait until Sunday to come again for Fundamentals II. I am looking forward to seeing what I can do, what I am capable of. As I talked about in my last post, I jumped on a 16" box. I also dropped on a 20" box, but I was petrified of it, but I did it. I am hoping to do it again, so I can become more comfortable with jumping on it, because I KNOW I can do it, and I need to prove it to myself.
Well, I better get moving. It's almost time to leave to take the mini-me to school and for me to head to work. I woke up yesterday and my legs were sore. It was an awesome feeling. A feeling I am looking forward to again and again. Today is a rest day, and I will enjoy every minute of resting. I am heading to the airport tonight to pick up my sister and her family for a weekend visit here. There will be A LOT of photos. I cannot wait. Have a great day!
 

Holy Week

If you are Catholic, yesterday started off Holy Week with Palm Sunday. Yes, I know this is my fitness blog, but you can't be physically fit without having some spirituality in your life. IMHO whether you practice a religion or not, I do believe you have to believe in something larger than yourself in order to compete your best. Ok, anyway, my Holy Week started with attending mass at a beautiful church on Lehigh University's campus. It was called the Incarnation of Our Lord. The Church was beautiful and while it was a small congregation the mass itself was so welcoming. I will most likely return there again.
Another Easter tradition is egg dying. Last year the wee one wasn't interested. This year, COMPLETELY different. She loved every minute of it, but I think she enjoyed her assistants more. Nothing like capturing the joy of little children to make the week/holiday even more enjoyable.

Today, as you know was a "snow" day. It is also the last Monday of the month. In training it was a swim day, and it was also my last less than a mile swim. Starting next Monday, I am up to 1 mile (at least for the month of April). I enjoyed every moment of my swim, and I can definitely tell I am getting stronger. I am really hoping this will help with my half marathons. Since it was also a snow day, and I wanted to boycott the snow, I spent some of the morning (between house work) baking. I just love how the smell of baked goods can change your mood. Anyway, I made Chocolate Coconut Raisin Muffins, a recipe from Glutino.com. If I do say so myself, they are yummy! I will have to limit myself or they will be gone in one day!! (since I am blogging from my phone, I don't know how to put the photos into the blog here, I think they will just appear at the end)

Tuesday, Wed and Thursday are supposed to be run days. I get off of work early on Thursday, so I may go for a ride instead and run on Friday instead. This weekend is a long run, most likely on Sat with Easter being on Sunday. I am also hoping that I get up early on Sunday to ride before the Easter festivities.
I have so much to be thankful for, I want to make sure I am training my best for the half, I want to make myself proud, but more importantly I want to make those that believe in me just as proud.
I am thankful that I sweated it out today. Did you?!?