2015 Kelly St. Patrick's Day 5k

from Charm City Run

This past Sunday, hubby and I drove to Baltimore, MD to run the 2015 Kelly St. Patrick's Day Shamrock 5k. This was our 5th year running it. It is one of my favorite races of the  year and I look forward to it each year.

Why? Mostly because you start the first half mile on a downhill and because I'm a back 'o the packer, you just see a sea of green laid out before you on Charles St. It's such an incredible sight to see. The downhill doesn't hurt either. ;-)

from Baltimore Magazine

This year hubby ran with me as he hasn't gotten out as much as he wanted this winter. We ran a pretty good race...well at least I ran a pretty good race for where I am training wise. LOL! We did the half mile run/1 minute walk and it went well.

We hit the 3 mile marker at 39:17 and I was so close to a sub-40, but I knew I couldn't swing .1 miles in less than a minute. We hit the finish line and my Garmin said 40:37. Darn it! Sooooo close! LOL! I should be happy though. Last year I ran this same race in 41:20, though it's a far cry from my best time of 36:43 in 2012.

Afterwards we tried to get into the post-race party at Power Point Live! Sadly, it is way too crowded for us back 'o the pack runners and we decided it wasn't worth the effort. That is the one thing I would say sucks about this race. The area for the post-race party is so small and with 4,300+ runners it's impossible to get anything. I wish they would change the party location so it was more open. Usually we would go to the James Joyce, but our friend Ada wasn't running this year. :-(

Did you run a St. Patrick's Day themed race this year? Will you? Did you run this one? What did you think?

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Baltimore Runinng Festival 5k

On Saturday, October 18 I ran the Baltimore Running Festival 5k. In 2010 I ran the Marathon Relay with friends and had a great time. I had been wanting to get back to the race, but the last few years we had conflicts. But this year? Signed up!

It started Thursday night at packet pick-up. We headed to Baltimore right after work to grab my bib and shirt. We arrived at the convention center and it was a big hectic. We entered the convention center from the front and there were no signs for registration. We headed upstairs and found where we needed to go. And it was crowded! There were two rows of registration tables facing each other with only about 20 feet between them. I got my bib and pins, then headed downstairs for my shirt. We went down the stairs and into the expo area and wow, the amount of space just opened up! This is where registration should have been. Got my clear plastic bag and t-shirt, then moved into the race swag area.

And became instantly jealous of those running the half and full! The BRF did a fantastic job of making available cool shirts/tech tees/pants/jackets for those two races. For those running the relay or the 5k {both of which sold out, unlike the marathon and half marathon} there were no generic options. I was disappointed. With 4,500 people in the 5k I'll bet a few generic BRF with a crab would have sold.

We wandered the expo for a little bit. It was a nice one with lots of options. Hubby picked up a pair of running sunglasses that he needed. Other than that, it was nice to wander around. I did stop off at the J&A Racing table and pick up my free 13.1 sticker, a free Shamrock koozie, and Shamrock magnet {I'll be running the 2015 Shamrock 8k and half marathon}. Then it was off to dinner and home.

Friday, we headed back to Baltimore to stay overnight. Because of the ALCS and the Orioles being involved, the BRF moved all races back an hour, so we stayed overnight. The 5k was moved to 7:20 a.m. I think that's the earliest 5k I've ever run! LOL! We arrived at the start area and milled around.

It was a tad chilly and dark, but not bad. Ravens stadium looked pretty cool with the purple lights going around the top. But, it was a little chaotic with so many people and three races all waiting to get going.

Eventually they got the marathon and relay off and invited the 5k runners to the starting corral. We waited for what seemed like forever, but finally did get started with the same fanfare as the marathon/relay runners.

The thing I remember most about the first part of this race was the quarter mile uphill start! It was insane! And that is how the race went the whole time - uphill, straighten out a little, uphill, downhill, oh look more uphill... Until we reached the turn around point, then it was basically all downhill.

As I was coming back, I could see the clock tower outside Camden Yards and got excited. Yea! It's almost over. Until the clock tower never seemed to get any closer. LOL! It was a much further away than it seemed.

Finally, I reached Camden Yards {and the clock tower}. As I started through the statue area out front, I saw hubby! I missed him on the way out so it was good to see him at the finish. I ran down Eutaw Street {a place I have walked many a time during O's games} and headed to the finish line...which seemed a bit further away than I would have thought!

Crossed the line and checked my watch for finish time. Am I alone in this? My goal was to finish faster than my last 5k and woot! I managed that by over a minute! It's not my fastest time by far, but it's an improvement.

It took a bit to get through the finisher's area and find hubby, but we managed. We walked around the village and I tried to get my free adult beverage, but apparently there were tickets and I never received one {well, I should have had two}. I was slightly annoyed by this. I have no idea where people got these because when I checked my bag when I got home, I didn't have them in my bag either.

We headed out shortly after this and grabbed breakfast. That course was hilly and I was hungry!
Enjoyed breakfast at one of my fav places in Baltimore - The B&O Brassiere. After breakfast, it was back to the hotel to shower, then home. We had plans for later in the day and I had to prep for my 10k on Sunday.


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A test of endurance

This coming weekend I have a race....well I have two races. On Saturday I'm going to run the Baltimore Running Festival's 5k and on Sunday I'm running the Kid's Chance 10k. I ran the BRF Marathon Relay in 2010 and had a blast! I had some fun running friends with me and I ran the farthest I've ever run at 7 miles. It was what got me to run my first half marathon that following February.

Sunday I'm running the Kids Chance 10k in Harrisburg. My co-worker had been looking for a 10k to run as she had mastered the 5k {meaning she wanted a challenge} and I asked if I might run with her. I didn't want to take away her first 10k thunder. She said no, she should love for someone to run with her, so come Sunday afternoon {yes, it's a 2:00 p.m. start...thank heavens!} I'll lace up and run 6.1 miles.

This is a good thing because I need the challenge. I have a double race weekend in March that's really important to me - Shamrock 8k and Shamrock Half Marathon. My goal is to set PR's at both distances. So, getting in a double run weekend, even when I'm not running well, is good practice.

I have a feeling I'm gonna be a bit tired come Sunday afternoon. LOL!
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Chickie's and Pete's Boardwalk 5k Race Recap

This past weekend hubby and I headed to Atlantic City for the inaugural Chickie's and Pete's Boardwalk 5k. Honestly, it was really an excuse to spend the weekend in Atlantic City. LOL!

We headed down on Friday for packet pick-up. For months they stated no day-of packet pick-up so since we live 4 hours away {without rush hour/shore traffic} we decided to take the day and head down early hoping to miss all the above. We arrived about 12:30 p.m. and made it to packet pick-up about 1:00 p.m. which was held on the second floor of Chickie's and Pete's restaurant. It was very organized and you went from station to station to pick up each of your items - bib number {which we already had via email}; plastic bag to hold items; bib and cup; ID check for the beer garden; and t-shirt. It went very smoothly. We then decided to grab lunch there as we were hungry. Lunch was yummy and because we were running the 5k, one of the perks were free Crab Fries - their specialty.

Saturday morning we were up bright and early, around 6:30 a.m. to get ready. Our hotel was booked through Groupon and was a bit further away than we thought. Not a big deal, we just needed about 30 minutes to walk to the start line. We arrived on-time...with enough time to get a photo!

It was a beautiful morning! I can't even explain how gorgeous! The temperatures were in the 60s and there was a nice, cool breeze. How do you get that in August??? I can't believe how lucky we were. I had been nervous about this race honestly all because of temperature. I hate running in the heat. So lucky!

We saw the Crab Fry Guy, but he was so popular we couldn't get a photo with him. He did pose for me though.

Knowing we weren't going to win any awards for speed, we lined up towards the back. This was hubby's first post-surgery 5k! No matter what our time was, it would be a win!

The race had a wave start and we didn't start off for about 8 minutes. It was fine. As long as there were crab fries and beer when we arrived back! The course was an out and back along the boardwalk which we knew. That is not my favorite type of course, but eh. It's only 3.1 miles. The only problem I have with the AC races is they do not close off the boardwalk for them, which means people out for a stroll, other runners, bicyclists, etc. are all out there trying to do their thing while you're trying to run a race. They had one water stop which was set up in the middle of the boardwalk so you had a chance at water on the way out and the way back. That was good.

We knew we were at the end of the racers, not the last people, but right up there. On the way back though, I decided to pick people off and try to speed up a bit. I believe on the return we picked off six groups of racers. Sadly, one group we passed turned around and passed us just before the finish line. LOL! But, that's ok. I felt better about myself after that. I at least could catch up with people who had passed me.

We finished the race in 45:27 {2 seconds slower than my slowest 5k}, but we finished! We did my half mile run/1 minute walk, which is way more running than hubby has been doing with his C25k plan, but he did great! He ran all six intervals!! We grabbed a bottle of water, then got in line for our free small crab fries. I'll be honest, the stomach did some flips about the idea of crab fries at nine in the morning, but hubby was excited. We stood in line and picked our free fries. Ate my first fry and it was the best post-race food evah. LOL!

Once we finished our fries, we hit the beer garden on the beach. We received one free beer with our registration, so we grabbed our light lager and enjoyed the gorgeous weather!

Once we finished our lager, we headed back to the hotel. The boardwalk was lovely at this hour.

Did you race this weekend? How did you do?







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Race Day

Running the inaugural Chickie and Pete's Boardwalk 5k in Atlantic City this morning with hubby. It's his first post-surgery race! Woot! Run strong Brian!


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Glow Run 5k ~ Harrisburg, PA

Saturday night I ran my first ever night run - the Glow Run 5k in Harrisburg. This was a first year event benefiting a fund through Historic Harrisburg that replaces lights throughout the city. To me a good cause since I work in Harrisburg.

I had the great pleasure of running with my co-worker. We always say we should run together, but we live in opposite directions from Harrisburg and it's hard to find a race that works for both of us. So, this was perfect.

The race started at 8:30 p.m., so we met in front of the office at 7:45 p.m. This gave us plenty of time to find the race start and just chill out. We found the start and the sun was just beginning to set. It was gorgeous!

It was beautiful as we ran across the bridge, as you saw the sun setting over the Susquehanna River. I didn't take any photos during the race because at the beginning it was crowded and during the race I was just chatting the whole time.

But, we started off over the Walnut Street bridge to City Island. The sunset was beautiful! Perfect time of night to set off. We then wound our way around City Island. As we went past the baseball stadium we heard a "Go Mom!" We ignored it at first, then we realized it was my co-worker's son who was at the game! How fun!!

We made our way around City Island and back to the bridge. We crossed the bridge, then headed off to Shipoke. It was a fine run. We did a bit of walking mixed into our running as we both are coming back from injury. All in all we ran 2 of the 3.1 miles. Not bad.

We headed back to the finish line and got held up by traffic. The course wasn't closed and just our luck, the baseball game was ending. We lost a few minutes here before we could cross and finish. But we finished and grabbed our water.

We crossed this bridge when there was light. 

A bit dark after the race.

After the race, we all headed over to a bar on 2nd Street. We received one free beer post-race as part of our registration fees. We were a little nervous when we were handed this...

I have to say though, it was really good! I was shocked. I'm not a fan of Coors Light, then again, I'm not a big fan of any of those beers {Bud, Coors, Michelob, etc.}. My co-worker/friend sipped first, held her opinion. I tried it. Looking at her we both shared our shock at how tasty it was. There is a nice lemon/lime/citrus taste to it. Very easy to drink. A pretty good summer beer honestly.

We spent about an hour and a half drinking our beer, chatting, people watching, and just enjoying ourselves. We had a nice show from a woman who decided no matter what the song, she was dancing! Her significant other wasn't as into it, which made it oh so much more fun to watch!

I had a great time at this race. There are only a couple things I would say to improve it:

1. Schedule it on a night when the Senators are not at home. It was a bit crowded on City Island with fans/cars/runners/etc. and having to stop for traffic was frustrating.

2. Post-race snack. There were just a couple coolers with water. Before sending people to a bar for alcohol, add in some pretzels/bagels/bananas/etc. Better safe than sorry.

Other than that, the race was fun! We weren't even at mile 1 when we said we should do this race again! They did that great a job. If you're in the Harrisburg area next June, check it out. I think you will enjoy yourself. Plus it's very kid friendly. There were lots of kids and people with strollers running.

Have you run a night race before? Ever run a Glow Run?
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So many races...

There are so many races I want to run in the next 6-7 weeks {end of June}. Problem? Sprained ankle and finances. Why???

Freedom 5k - Harrisburg

Run for Bullies 5k - York {same date as below}

Glow in the Park 5k - Harrisburg {same date as above}

Baltimore Women's Classic 5k - Baltimore

Summer Luau 5k/10k - York {same weekend as below - Sat.}

Freedom 5k - Philadelphia {same weekend as above - Sun.}

Oh and I think I want to run this one - The Philly 10k. The problem is I hate running over the summer. But, maybe my three times a week on the treadmill could be extended past the end of June?

Are you having trouble deciding which races you want to run this spring? What fun races are near you?

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Baltimore St. Patrick's Day 5k ~ March 16, 2014

Happy St. Patrick's Day (late)! Sunday the hubby and I ran our first race of 2014 at the Kelly St. Patrick's Day 5k in Baltimore. It's my favorite race, though not his. LOL!

I started off my day with a long run. I stayed out too late on Friday night and just could not do my 7-10 mile run Saturday morning. I decided to do a split run on Sunday rather than go out Saturday and get sick. So, I got up and ran for an hour thirty. I would have gone with distance, but Garmin wasn't charged. Good thing the Nano gives me options, so I chose the time function. I did my time and the Nano said 7.15 mile but it's not accurate. I am giving myself somewhere between 6.25 and 6.50.

I came home, toasted a bagel, changed into race gear, and we headed out the door to Baltimore. We got there on time, hit the bathroom at the food court of the shops, then off to Charles Street to wait for our friend who was running too. We got there on time, but due to traffic, our friend got caught parking in a different garage further away and would be late. We kept an eye out for her, but we didn't think we would catch up with her until the finish line.

As we started walking to the start, we saw her! For the first time since we started running this race, the three of us started together. The idea was we would all run together since hubby is still injured and our friend hasn't run since October. We barreled our way down Charles St., but I could tell they both would be faster than me even with their issues. I sent them on their way because I didn't want to hold them back.

Off they went and I ran on alone. I'll admit, I think I took the downhill on Charles St. too fast. It's so easy to do though since it's such a fantastic downhill. It's the reason I really love this race!

Due to my too fast start, I had to walk a bit on the uphills that follow that fabulous downhill. They aren't awful uphills, but enough that I needed to walk for about 30 seconds (I counted). I felt like I was booking it, but having run earlier in the day, I probably wasn't. LOL!

I saw hubby and friend right around the water station. I was on the other side of the median, but I saw them. They didn't see me, but that's ok. I knew they weren't that far ahead of me. When I hit the water station, I stepped off the course to drink my water. I tried walking and drinking, but it wasn't going well. After my water, I went back to running. I did take a 60 second walk break in front of Federal Hill due to the uphill. It was rough. Then I ran around the Science Center, took a quick walk break before Pratt Street, then ran again.

Usually when I hit Pratt Street, I start to really want the finish line. This time around I realized if I focused on the Marshall's ahead of me, the finish line would be right there. So that's what I did. I turned the corner to the finish line and sprinted. No real reason, just wanted to see if I could. I could. LOL!

I finished, had my chip taken off my shoe, and found my runner companions. Since the race party area is way too small to handle the number of people in the race, we headed to the James Joyce. We've been going there every year except the first and always have a great time.

We got there, had to wait a tiny bit (it was seriously packed), then got a table in the back. First things first,

a delicious half and half. Guinness is too much for me, so a half and half is perfect. So yummy! Beer is perfect after a long run and by the end of the race, I ran between 9.25 and 9.5 miles that day. Totally deserved!

While sitting there we ordered yummy fish and chips.

It was fish and chips all around! While we had our yummy meal, there was an authentic band from Dublin playing. They were great! Good Irish music and fun covers. They did a cover of Dolly Parton's Jolene, so I sang along. At the end, a woman came over and complemented me on being the only person in the bar who knew all the words. Yea... some, but not all. It was really funny as she was all excited I ran the race, that I had run before the race, that I was training for a half marathon.

Sadly, we finished our meal and decided we should head off. There was a call for snow Sunday night and none of us wanted to get caught in anything.

When I checked my time at home, it was the worse time I've had at this race. My times over the last four years:

2011 ~ 39:36
2012 ~ 36:43
2013 ~ 38:05
2014 ~ 41:20

This honestly doesn't make me all that happy. But, you know what? It could be worse - I might not be able to run; I might not be able to afford to run; I might not have supportive friends; I might be unable to travel. So, what does this mean? It means all the months I kind lost my mojo for running took their toll. It doesn't mean I can't get it back.

Did you run the Baltimore St. Patrick's Day 5k? What do you think of it? How did you do?


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Jingle Bell 5k

This morning hubby and I got up to run the US Road Running Jingle Bell 5k here in town. I love US Road Running because the organizer lives one town over from me and plans races that are 5 minutes away! Being I live in the middle of nowhere, that to me rocks!

We got to the race about 8:20 a.m. so hubby could register, then chilled out in the car a bit. When we got hubby registered we found out the course was a loop. Uh oh. In the 5.5 years I've been running, I've determined I do not like loop courses. It just seems mean to go past the finish line, but not be finished. But we lined up at the back of the pack and headed off. Of course, hubby almost knocked Santa down as we started! LOL!

This course was different from the last time we ran a US Road Running race. This time we started at the opposite end of the school complex, around the HS track, then down along the tree line, then over to the one neighborhood, and back to the starting area to run it again. I am in no shape to be running a race. I admit it. But, what killed me was the trail portion. It was all snow, mud, and slush. Once you were off the cement it was killer (at least to me!).

As we got back to the sidewalks on our way back to the start for the second loop, we were lapped by the first four finishers. Grrr... I had hoped we would have been near the finish area before that happened. Though, we may be in the photos they took of the top three finishers because we were behind them when the photo was taken. Heehee!

We ended up walking most the second loop. Eh. We knew we weren't prepped for a trail run and I didn't realize how bad the course would be in the snow. We finished in an awful showing, but again not last. Odd...

It's ok. I'm happy we went and ran it. I wanted to run a Jingle Bell race this season and I got to. I have let myself go and knew it wouldn't be a good race time. It's been a rough week and my mind isn't 100% on anything right now, but I still went, I still ran it the best I could, I still got my medal, and I still had fun with hubby. Overall, a nice way to spend a Saturday morning.

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KidsPeace Trick-or-Trot 5k, Baltimore MD

Yesterday, hubby and I ran the KidsPeace and Orioles Trick-or-Trot 5k in Baltimore, MD. We signed up for this race back in August because we wanted to race it, but also because they provided us with Orioles tickets to a game in September.

We prepped ourselves Friday night - laid out our clothes, got our accessories ready, set the alarm. You know, all the normal stuff. I was up about 5:45 a.m. so we could hit the road at 6:30 a.m. to arrive at the park about 8:00 a.m. for packet pick-up. We were completely on time for a change and off we went! We hit no traffic and we arrived at the parking lot about 7:50 a.m.

We walked over and there were tons of people there already and there were announcements being made. Uh. Odd. We walked up to the registration table for our bibs and asked the time. We were told 7:55 a.m., in 5 minutes they would lead runners to the start. Wha???? The race starts at 9:00 a.m.! No, the race starts at 8:00 a.m. Crap!

We quickly put our bibs on and tied the long-sleeve tech shirt around our waists and literally walked to the start line moments later. We had a fun time checking out people's costumes - a headless horseman, a few Wonder Women, pirates, a little Wolverine, nerds, 80s Ladies, and a cute mouse in a mousetrap. Some people went all out. Of course, there were tons of people in Orioles shirts...us included!

We started the race with an air horn and we were off. We ran from Orioles Park down to Inner Harbor and the obligatory run up Key Highway. We didn't run as far on Key Highway, which was nice. We turned around, came back to the Inner Harbor, then turned left into the neighborhoods. At this point, I had a shooting pain in my knee and had to walk the hill. Hubby was cool and we walked upwards. I started to run and it was ok. Apparently, it was the hill.

We kept going and ran steady. The pace was slow, but we kept it pretty steady overall. Unlike the Boordy Vineyards 5k in August we stayed to my half mile run/1 minute walk routine. The only time we didn't was when I had to walk up the two hills because of my knee. Shooting pain is not my idea of fun. But, other than that, we were happy to run to plan.

At the end of the race, we ran across the Baltimore Marathon finish line which we both had to smile at. Sadly, it was the wrong direction to pretend we were finishing a marathon. LOL! We ran towards Orioles Park and made a left to run around the stadium. We came up along side, then into the tunnel. At this point, I'm thinking, this is a weird place to end the race - it's dark, how do we get to the concourse for post-race snacks, etc. Then I realize, the race ENDS on the field! I really didn't know this. We were both pretty excited about that. We came onto the warning track and ran to the finish. Hubby was happy as he's a big O's fan. We walked the warning track to the 3rd base, then up to the concourse.

We walked to the food, of course. The selection was great! We got in line for the table food - cinnamon buns, apples, bananas, oranges, potato chips & water bottles. They also had open one of the concession stands and were giving out hot dogs! Totally awesome! I will say, I did not partake of the hot dogs because they did not seem all that appetizing at 9 in the morning. LOL!

We chose to stay through the awards ceremony. We rarely do, but since the Orioles manager was there, hubby wanted to. There were some fast runners there! Wow. Even the over 70 winner beat us! :-) There was an amazing video on the big screen about being a foster parent/family which caused me to tear up. Damn them!

Overall, it was a great race. Slow, but better than anticipated and better than Boordy. I am out of shape and carrying too much weight, but I had fun running yesterday. It's been a while since that's been the case. Which I think it just what I needed to get my butt back out there!

Positives
* Great race support! There was not a single turn on the course where there were less than two people indicating where to go. I never felt like I might be going the wrong direction. I was super impressed the entire time.
* While I didn't dress up, I liked how others did! It was fun watching people run by in costumes rather than just running gear. It made me smile. :-)
* Race shirt! Long sleeve tech shirt. Yes, the back had all the sponsors, but the front just had the above logo on the right top chest area. Very clean and neat. Also, very soft. I liked it.
* Finishing on the field. How can you not love a run where you finish on the field?? 
* Post-race snacks! Loved the idea of hot dogs, though I didn't partake. The cinnamon buns were amazing! I have no idea who donated them, but O.M.G. they were awesome!

Negatives
* None. Seriously. I walked away completely happy with the race, every aspect. There are few races I say that about. I 100% recommend running this race to everyone. Not only is it a great cause, but it's just a really great, well-organized race. It will go on next year's running schedule when the date is announced. Hope you'll join us!


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Boordy Vineyards Trail 5k Race Recap

This

Sunday night hubby and I ran the Boordy Vineyards Trail Run 5k. It was our first night race (yes, we've run the Harrisburg Mile, but this was a distance race). We chose to pick up our packets at the race rather than drive into MD early to get them. So, we headed to Hydes, MD about 3:45 p.m. to make sure we got there before the 5:30 p.m. arrival requirement and with plenty of time to park the car, get our bibs, and make it back to the start line.

We arrived with plenty of time, probably about an hour. LOL! We parked and headed over the main buildings to pick up our packet. It was a little chaotic, but we found our numbers (700 & 701), grabbed our bags which included a shirt and a Boordy Vineyards glass, then headed back to the car to get ready.

This is what our car faced. How pretty is that? We got our bibs on and took our obligatory self-portrait.

We had to wait a bit for the start, which totally not their fault, it was ours for overestimating how long it would take for us to get there. LOL! We did line up about 10 minutes before the race and went towards the back. I needed that but, hubby decided to stick with me due to his lack of running this summer and his injuries.

Just as we were wondering what time we were going to get started (6:00 p.m. start time), we actually started. It may have been 6:01 p.m. according to our watch, but really not bad for getting started on time. We ran through the start and onto the winery grounds.

We ran around this area of grapes, then hit the road. I was a little surprised as I thought it was a trail run, but in reality we ran less than a mile on the winery grounds total (about .4 miles at the start, then the same .4 miles on the way back). We hit the road in front of the winery and hit the hills. Ugh. So not a hill girl.

I'll be honest, the hills did me in. I did more walking than I wanted to. I'm not going to complain too much, I haven't run more than 2 miles in 2 months. How can I bitch that I should have run more of the race? I was really glad hubby decided to run with me. It was nice to have someone to be with. We were at the end of the pack, but we did have a good time chatting and running.

Here are some photos from along the course:

Hello hills

Look! A good race photo!

Yea...we would have been arrested for not coming CLOSE to the speed limit!

Oh look, more hills

Up hill to the end. Why are all races this way?

The finish line is within sight!

We crossed the finish line and headed to get our timing chips removed when hubby realized he never put his on. It was not intentional. He made fun of me putting mine on, somehow he just forgot to do the same. Oops! It's ok. We finished so slow that it wasn't worth the timing chip. LOL! Both of our Garmins said 42:29, but officially I came in (and unofficially so did he) at 42:27.

We grabbed a water each, then back to the car to grab our wine glasses and hubby changed shirts. We grabbed his unused timing chip so he didn't get charged for losing it. Once that was returned we headed off for after run food and wine. We arrived back to the winery buildings and had no idea where to go or what to do. There were no signs or volunteers. You couldn't see where post-race food was or where the wine would be. We got in a line that led into the barn, but had no idea what the line was for - food, wine, unrelated? The line was so slow too! Too many people in too small a space. Once we were inside, it turned out to be food. There were vegetables, crackers, bread rounds, red and green grapes, and cheese. The problem was that the runners who finished first took huge amounts of cheese and there was very little left by the time the slow runners got to the end. By the time we got there, we were told we could only have 2 pieces of cheese so everyone could get some. Ugh.

Once we got our food, we moved onto wine. We had no idea what we were to do, but went over to the sign that said wine tasting. Hubby changed his shirt after the race, but didn't bring is bib. When we got to the tasting, they said he couldn't do one without the bib. Huh? So, he went back to get it. That was a bit frustrating, especially when someone asked if their friend could get a sample and the same guy who refused my husband said he could get a small plastic cup for free. We eventually tasted about 6 wines, but if we wanted a glass, we had to buy a bottle. So, we bought a bottle of their blush wine to have with our snacks. We found a spot on the stone wall and sat.

The wine was tasty and one we could agree on. The food was yummy and now makes me want a meal of cheese, crackers, and grapes. LOL! We listened to the band, which was pretty good. They did offer a larger BBQ meal we could purchase, but by the time we finished, got through the food line and did the wine thing, we were ready to head back.

On the way home, we saw the most beautiful sunset. Honestly. It was the best one we have seen since the ones we saw in Negril, Jamaica, which has some of the most incredible sunsets in the world.

Straight out of camera from my point and shoot. Seriously. Did NOTHING to enhance it.

So, while I had a good time with the race because I got to share it with hubby I'm not sure this the overall experience was that great. It was a tad frustrating at times. But, it really was a fun time with Brian.

What did I learn from this race? A couple things actually.

1. I learned I need to lose weight. This was the first race that I really felt the pounds I've gained. Maybe it was the hills, maybe it's because I haven't run in ages. I don't know, but whatever it was, I knew I would have felt better, maybe even run faster if I weighed less. I'm not saying this as a pity thing. I'm saying this as a fact thing. Just a strong realization.

2. I hate hills. Seriously. What did the race teach me? I need to incorporate hills into my training. Now, sure, I haven't run in two months, so I'm sure that had something to do with it, but the last few races with hills have messed with me. I know as much as I don't like them, I need them. So, this running season, I will actually focus a bit more on hills.

I will say I want to know what's up with the shirts this year at races? I haven't gained or lost that much this year, I gained it all last year. The first races of the year, the shirts fit fine. Since June, every shirt I have picked up is WAY too small. I even upped the size the BWC shirt and it's still too tight. I know that girl shirts are fitted, but what the heck is going on with them being cut 2 sizes smaller than what the size should be? I know as I lose weight the shirts will fit better, but the fact that I can't wear them NOW when I ran the race is disappointing.

Overall, there were really good things about this race, things I loved. On the other hand, there were things that I really didn't like. It's kinda strange at how there was no middle ground - I either loved aspects or hated aspects. I'm not sure I would do this one again, but I'm glad I did get the chance to run it this time around.

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