2011 Races in Review

Well, I guess it's that time to look back at how things went this year.  After studious calculations (thanks DailyMile!), I can say I ran at least 307 miles this year.  :-)  Not bad.  Not great, but not bad.  My best month was January 2011 when training for Disney's Princess Half Marathon really kicked into gear (57 miles).  My worst months were March and April (5 miles each).  LOL!  At least I did something those months!

The big accomplishment was running my first and second half marathons!  I never thought I could do it!  I didn't think I could run a 5k, let alone a half marathon.  Who knew I was capable of it?  Besides my friends?  ;-)

I finished in 3:21:11.  Honestly, my goal was to finish.  I had no aspirations of a fast time or anything.  I just wanted to finish.  And I did!  Though I will tell you, anything after mile 10 was torture!  All I could think of was "isn't this OVER yet???"  But, I ran the whole thing and I crossed the finish line!  There isn't much better than that!

March found us in Baltimore for the Kelly St. Patrick's Day 5k.  I love this race!  Maybe because I start at the back and the two coolest things happen at the very beginning of the race: the race actually kicks off the St. Patrick's Day parade so there are TONS of people there cheering you on as you start.  It's a fabulous feeling! The second is the race starts on the top of a hill and as you descend the hill you see all the people in front of you...all wearing green.  It is truly an amazing sight!  I did well on this one this year.  A sub-40 minute 5k!!!  I was very pleased with a 39:36 time.  Woohoo!

Afterwards, we went to the James Joyce Tavern with our friend Ada who also ran and her friends from the Baltimore Dragon Boat Club.  They are such great people!  We all had a fabulous afternoon and tons of people from the race were there, so it was almost like a post-race party!

May saw us try a new race, the Preakness 5k in Maryland.  It looked like such a great idea - run around the track the horses run.  It was a great idea until you actually ran on the sand.  Then it was one of the dumbest things I've ever done.  LOL!  But, I will say, they did a fabulous job of keeping the theme.  Each runner received a bib with a racing horse name:

We started the race running through the gates the horses like up in and start.  I thought that was cool.  It was a bit congested, but it was cool.

We ran the course, which they said they made easier to run on.  Bah!  It was like running at the beach in the sand before the wet sand.  Not fun at all!

But, overall, one of those races that you say that was a neat experience.  I'm not sure I would do it again.  The sand really messed with me.  It was a flat course, I will give it that.  And the shirts were spiffy, plus you had the option of a shirt or a fleece blanket.  We went shirts each, but decided to buy a blanket because they were pretty cool.  :-)

June found me trying a duathlon and failing miserably.  I tried, but I just wasn't prepared for it.  I am slightly disappointed and may try another to redeem myself, but I'm not sure.  It was an interesting experience, but one that has left some scars.

The second half of June found me back in Baltimore for my third Baltimore Women's Classic.  This was my very first 5k ever and I like coming back to this race.  They have a nice shirt, a great goody bag, and is the 2nd largest women's only race in the country.  If you are in the area, I highly recommend this race to any women of any athletic ability.  It's just an all-around great race.

July found us up in Harrisburg for the Harrisburg Mile.  It's a one mile run down Front Street that we've done several times and enjoyed.  This year I was not happy.  I hadn't run since the Women's Classic and didn't have the best run, but they had switched the clock over before I finished for the next heat and I had no idea how long it took me.  This is the first time in all the year's I've run it that that's happened.  I was not happy at all.  Actually, I was pretty ticked.  I'm not sure if I will do it again unless I can come in under 10 minutes and the chances of that happening....

Hubby, myself, and our friend Jim

And then there is a race drought until November.  LOL!  I was so concerned with getting my long runs in that I didn't want to run any short runs and mess that up.  So, from July to November was a barren waste land of races.

Then we come to November!  Time for my second half marathon - the Philadelphia Half Marathon.  I was rocking this race from miles 1 through 9.  The time was flying by and each mile marker was a shock at how fast they were coming.  Then I hit mile 9 and the awful, awful hill that existed between mile 9 and 10.  I got myself back at it for miles 10 and 11, but I hit the wall HARD at mile 12.  I just wanted it to be over.  And of course it wasn't.  Bah!  But, I got through it and finished the entire race!  And I PRed, which isn't half bad - 3:16:43.  :-) 

And my last run of 2011 happened last weekend at the Celtic Solstice 5 Miler in Baltimore.  It was a rough course, a good portion of it uphill, but it made for a feeling of accomplishment at the end.  Hubby told me it was part of the Dreaded Druid Hills course and when he said that I decided I didn't need to do that race.  LOL!  I PRed on this race, which made me very happy - 1:05:45.  They had a great post-race party with mulled wassail wine and amazing cookies!  What a way to wrap up a race.  :-)  

So, not a bad 2011 on the racing front - ran my first two half marathons and set a 5 mile PR.  I enjoyed the new races we threw in there this year and going back to some races because they are just darn good!  I'm working on what to focus on in 2012.  There's so much I could throw out there as goals, but I want to make sure they are reasonable and attainable.  Nothing like setting yourself up for failure.  ;-)

I won't be able to do any New Year's races this year (though I would love to!), so if you are doing one, let me know how it goes! 

Celtic Solstice 5 Miler

Last Saturday we ran the Celtic Solstice 5 Miler in Baltimore.  It's a race I've wanted to run since May when we ran the Preakness 5k.  I saw a woman ahead of me in this kick-a** jacket that had an amazing logo on it.  And at that moment I decided I wanted it.

So, we signed up for the Celtic Solstice 5 Miler as our December race.  We had been doing the Jingle Bell 5k the last couple of years, and I will admit, I kinda missed running with bells on.  But, sometimes you have to sacrifice...

We got up really early...5:30 am....to get to the race area in time to pick up our shirts, bibs, and tags.  With it being about an hour from home, it was an early start.

We got there and I was nervous because it seemed like we parked soooooo far away from the start.  But, we got there, grabbed our stuff, and realized there was a bag check.  Doh!  Since we didn't have time to drop our stuff off at the car, I tied my beautiful new shirt around my waist.  It worked especially since I could push it up under my jacket.  LOL!

We hit the port-a-potties, then got in line.  It wasn't a bad wait.  A bit chilly, but really not all that bad.  The start of the race is pretty cool.  As I was standing in my spot at the back of the pack, I heard bagpipers and people parting to form an open path.  And next thing I see is two gentlemen with bagpipes leading the way.

Following the bagpipers were two massive dogs, Wolf Hounds I believe.  They were taller than my hip!  They seemed friendly enough though.  They were in the finishers tent afterwards and seemed very happy.  I'm thinking it's from all the attention they were getting!

Shortly after they went past, we got ourselves back together and the race started!  Took a couple minutes to get to the start, then it was up the hill. 

I did not realize how hilly this race would be.  It is part of the course for the Dreaded Druid Hill 10k, which is promoted as the hilliest race you will run.  Hubby ran that back in May and did great!  But, after running this race, I realize the Dreaded Druid Hill 10k is not for me.  LOL!  This is just one of the hills involved.

I walked more of this race than I wanted to.  The hills got me.  At one point I had to stop and get to the side because I had a post-nasal drip issue that kept me from breathing.  I thought how embarrassing would it be to die from post-nasal drip at the race than from a race-related issue?  Yea, I think these things when I'm all by myself.

After all the hills, you run around this nice little lake.  We had about a mile to go and I thought there is no way this race is really 5 miles.  The lake looked way too big! 

But, turns out it was about right.  After going around the lake, you run down the hill you ran up at the beginning.  Ahhhh....so nice....  Our friend Ada came to cheer us on at the end and got this great action shot as I came to the finish line.  Brian and Ada say I was booking it.  I felt like I was running in molasses...or maybe egg nog (in honor of the season).

Afterwards, we all headed into the tent for post-race festivities.  We had yummy hot wassail wine from Boordy Vineyards, delicious cookies from I have no idea who, and a glazed donut from Ada!

I was very happy with my race.  I felt like I was slow the whole time, but Garmin said I was at 1:05:45 for 5 miles (best 5 mile time EVER!) and the final race chip time was 1:06:24 (2 seconds slower than my previous 5 mile time).  So, either way you look at it, a good run.  :-)

Afterwards we headed to IHOP for breakfast.  Had a great breakfast with Brian and Ada and yummy food! 

For anyone who wants a challenge and a great shirt with post-race festivities, go for this race.  I may even do it again next year!  LOL!

La la la...

So...yea...it's been a few days (o.k. maybe more like two weeks) since I last posted.  It's not you, it's me.  LOL!  I apparently cannot keep my hands off the darn Kindle Fire I got early for Christmas.  It's is evil.  It is a time waster.  It has made me addicted. 

Anyway...tomorrow is the Celtic Solstice 5 Miler in Baltimore.  Yea!  I've been looking forward to this race for a while now. It's capped at 3,000 people and has pretty nice swag:

How sweet is that?  Last year the design was on a jacket and I wanted one!  Slightly disappointed it's not a jacket this year, be eh.  Nice long-sleeve technical shirt with a kick-ass logo?  Yes, please. 

And I read today there is wine at the end.  Wine.  No one told me about this before.  I am still a little leery about it, but bring it!  I'm all for wine at the end of my race.  I've had beer at multiple 5ks, but wine???  Hells yea!  This will be fun!  Especially at 9:45 a.m.  LOL!

I'll be back to share how the race went.  I'm not looking to PR or anything, but if I do I sure won't be complaining!