Sole of the City 10k

Yesterday, hubby and I ran the Sole of the City 10k in Baltimore for the third time. We really like running in Baltimore, Charm City Run does a lot of races down there and they do a fantastic job! For the first time in our running "career" we had to chose between two races - Sole of the City 10k or Yuengling Lager Jogger 5k. We went with the 10k because honestly, there are fewer of them than 5ks.

We got up early to hit McHenry Row for packet pick-up. Our weekend initially was going to be crazy with a food truck event Friday night in York, then the race Sat. morning, then two Orioles games, but our tabby isn't doing well and we chose not to go away this weekend. Which means, we did packet pick-up morning of.

Parking was a bit dicey, but we found a spot not too far away and walked to get our bibs. We walked right into the store and up to the table. We had our bib and jackets within minutes - the ladies received the black jacket, the gentlemen the gray.

We dropped our jackets off at the car and put on our bibs and timing chips. Then we made our way to the start line. We took the obligatory selfie:

For a change, I got all of hubby's head in, but I missed my chin. LOL! Right after this, our friend Ada found us (we ran the St. Patrick's Day 5k in March with Ada!) and we got to see her and her friends before the race. The announcements were done - welcome, an introduction of Erika Brannock, a short speech by Erika Brannock (a MD runner who was seriously injured at the Boston Marathon in 2013), a fantastic singing of the National Anthem, then we were off!

This race is going to be hubby's last race until the fall as he will be having surgery on his legs next month. Within the first 50 feet he said his legs were hurting him. Uh oh. We kept going and thankfully it went away. We did a run half a mile/walk one minute interval. We were slow, but it was going well.

The race course changed from last year and took us through Fells Point and back. We really liked the Fell's Point area as we ran through and since it was Pirate's weekend, there was all sorts of stuff going on there! We debated stopping and just hanging out, but we continued on.

As an aside, we were running through Fell's Point and a gentleman had a sign saying "Ladies, run fast because Luke Bryan is waiting for you at the finish line!" I looked over and said, "Sir, I believe you are lying." He was quick with his response - "No, there is a Luke and a Bryan waiting at the finish line!" Touche sir, touche!

Hubby did GREAT! He ran further than he has since the last time we ran this race in 2013. I struggled during the last mile, but we came back to McHenry Row and ran across the finish line! Our friend Ada and her friends were there and were kind enough to give us bottles of water immediately. The temperatures were in the 60s, which is beautiful walking around being outside weather, but when you've trained in 10-20 degree temps all winter it was like running in an oven!

We chatted with our friends, then made our way back for some snacks...and beer. :-) We grabbed ourselves a pint of beer, a banana, bag of pretzels, and we had our waters.

And the obligatory post-race selfie...

From here, we checked out Charm City Run (because we are suckers) for buying running stuff after a race (and there was a $10 off coupon on the back of our bibs....). I grabbed a cute purple 5k shirt, while hubby grabbed a Baltimore themed shirt.

Since I want to run more 5ks this year, this will be the perfect shirt! It's soft too. I was able to get $10 off the shirt, so while pricey, at least it was a tad bit more affordable.

We headed home after our stop at the store and made our Saturday morning stop at Dunkin Donuts. We totally Earned Our Donuts yesterday!

I have a rule that I can only have an apply fritter when I run 5 or more miles. 6.2 completely allows me an apple fritter! So yummy!

Now, just a quick pros/cons from the 2014 Sole of the City 10k

Pros

• It's a 10k (Not a common race distance around these parts)
• The promo is a jacket (rare as well)
• The course (all around Baltimore and loved the run through Fells Point!)
• Start time (9:00 a.m. is helpful for those driving over an hour to get there!)

Cons

• For this year only, the promo jacket was initially yellow but the color wasn't ready by the manufacturer in time. They replaced it was a black jacket for the women (the men's gray jacket stayed the same). My issue is in 2012 (the first year it was run) the jacket was black. Wasn't there any other colors available?
• The course. Yes, I realize I am contradicting myself here. My issue is that for slow runners (like myself) when we ran by the Inner Harbor this time around we had to run through tourists. In the past, this part of the race (which I LOVE), had been at the beginning when there weren't a lot of people around. I would have liked this part of the race to be like it was the last two years, then head up to Fell's Point. Then when we return, run along Pratt Street, which is how we returned the last two years.

Outside that, this is a great race. Seriously. If you are in the Baltimore area or are looking for a racecation, this would be a great race for it. It's a 10k, which means it can be a challenging distance, but because it is a shorter distance you will be up to being a tourist afterwards. Baltimore is a great city for so many reasons and would make a great long weekend trip, especially since they do a day-of packet pick-up.

Did you race this weekend? Did you run Sole of the City 10k? What did you think? 

Follow @NeverTrade2013

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?


Follow @NeverTrade2013

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.

Follow @NeverTrade2013

Boordy Vineyards Trail 5k

Tonight, hubby and I are running our first night race at Boordy Vineyards in Maryland. I've wanted to run this race for the last several years, but every time I went to sign up it was sold out. Apparently, it's a popular race!

This year I registered us as soon as I saw it posted. It just sounds like a fun race! There will be cheese, crackers, wine, and live music at the finish and I'm sure the scenery is going to be gorgeous! I've been looking forward to this all summer.

It does mean the end of my running vacation is upon me. I could go another week after this til Labor Day weekend, but what's the point? I'll have run twice this week, so why not just ease back in with another run or two this coming week?

I'll be posting a recap of the race this week and I'll take the camera along for photos. Hopefully it will be a good race and I'll be proud of my finish.


Follow @NeverTrade2013

Sole of the City 10k - Race Recap and Review

I thought I had shared the Sole of the City 10k race last weekend. Hubby asked me yesterday if I was going to talk about it. Oops! Guess I didn't.

Last year Charm City Run in Baltimore hosted the first Sole of the City 10k - The Day Runners Get The Right Of Way. I had never run a 10k before, so we signed up. Then I ran the Hershey 10k the weekend before and that whole first 10k went out the window. LOL! It was a fun race, with some friends and a PR.

This year, we signed up again. There was a slight course change, but I didn't think anything of it. We got there early for packet pick-up because they changed the packet pick-up locations from last year and living a little over an hour away means it's more difficult for us than those who live in the Baltimore area to grab our stuff. We got there about 7:15 a.m. and very easily grabbed our bag and jackets. Yes, this race doesn't do t-shirts, they do jackets! You can register without the premium, but it's such a great jacket, why would you???

Photo taken from Sole of the City 10k Facebook page

 

It was a chilly morning, so I decided to wear my jacket for the race. The race was the Saturday following the bombings at the Boston Marathon, so they asked runners to wear blue and yellow. Hubby and I complied. 

The race was a little less organized than last year and we weren't sure where to line up. Last year we lined up on the street, but this year we lined up behind the finish arch. We waited and waited and waited for the start. They were talking, but we couldn't hear anything. The sound system did not work as far back as we were. By the time the race started, it was about 15 minutes past the designated start time.

Hubby started the race with me as he's been doing the past few races. Once he got himself into a rhythm, he headed off to run his race. I kept my pace. Nothing too crazy. I hoped to PR, but you never know.

I had good splits for me as I ran along. I skipped my first walk break as I usually do during a race. I always feel that it's silly to stop at the half mile mark during a race. Anyway... I kept going and felt like I was running a really good race. I felt good. I felt fast. 

Then we came to the alternate course from last year. We had to go through Rash Field. We came off Key Highway, through a short underground tunnel, then around American Ninja Warrior set-up to the bricks of Inner Harbor. Once off Key Highway, where I was in the crowd literally came to a slow crawl. Then once we could run again (once through the tunnel) it was too crowded due to narrowness of course to get back up to speed until we were on the path to Inner Harbor. Worse.Alternate.Course.Ever.

We got around the Inner Harbor, then around the Aquarium pier. As we came along the back of the Aquarium, there was the first water stop. I stopped for water. While it was cold, I knew I needed the water. From here, we turned onto Pratt Street and ran against traffic in one of the car lanes. Heehee! Past the warehouses, we turned back onto Key Highway to wind our way back to the finish. This stretch kinda makes me smile honestly. They stop traffic on Key Highway so runners can cross back into the neighborhoods. Drivers just get out of their cars and stare at us with a look of, "why are we stopped on a major road in Baltimore for this?" Heehee!

Back to the neighborhood area and the same course as last year. It was filled with hills. Ugh. Honestly, give me the hills at the beginning, not the end of a race thank.you.very.much. There was another water stop around mile 4, which I partook again. Then it was just running to the finish. On the last huge hill before turning to the finish, there was this adorable little boy banging his toy drum as we ran by. Too cute! Everyone I asked if they saw him said they did and how cute was he??? 

Turned the corner and headed to the finish. Literally steps before the finish line is a fire station and a good number of the guys were out on the sidewalk cheering us in. I thanked them for being there and they thanked me. Silly boys. Turned to the finish and saw my time. Sadness. I know it was gun time, but still...

Hubby and I found each other and headed to the beer/food area. It was not set up the same as last year. Not happy about that. We got in line for food - granola bar (S'Mores), banana, chips/pretzels, sandwich (ham or veggie). Then got in the beer line. It wasn't too bad, but it was Bud Light. 

Once we stopped running, we were cold again. LOL! It was windy! We drank our beer quickly, put our stuff in the car (did I mention the parking garage behind McHenry Row was free?? Nice!), and headed to Dunkin Donuts. We always get DD after a long run on Sat. so it was perfect! When we got to the front of the line, the gentleman behind the counter said, "Medium iced coffee..." LOL! Apparently, every runner had come in and ordered the same thing. Guess all runners are alike. :)

So, what did I think of this year's race? 

1. I love the giveaway! It's comfy, soft, and stretchy. On Sunday, I saw a gentleman in his jacket and had a really nice conversation with him at the Orioles game. :) Ahhhh...runners...

 

2. The late start and not being able to hear the announcements at the beginning of the race. I've noticed this at several races lately, that the announcements are garbled towards the back of the line of runners. Maybe adding in additional speakers along the starting area so those announcements can be heard. We had no idea what was going on. It was like listening to Charlie Brown's teacher. 

3. The alternate route cost me a PR. I needed to run a sub 1:17:52. This year? I ran 1:18:38. I'm pretty sure if I didn't have to walk through the tunnel and slow down around Rash Field I would have PRed. Argh...

4. The course is challenging. I personally think it's mean when race directors put a crazy steep hill at the very end of a race. I know the fast people don't care, but us back of the packers struggle on those. I'm not saying yea or nay, it just hurts at the end.

5. Did not like the post-race area. There was no direction, it was confusing. I will give them props for adding the veggie sandwich option this year because last year it was chicken and ham, neither of which I eat. But, last year, the post-race food was in a nice box that you grabbed from the table near The Greene Turtle. This year, the food was on long tables in the middle of the street. You went down and grabbed what you wanted. I did not like this. Normally I don't care, but last year was just so much better. It was impressive. This year? Eh. I also heard the sandwiches weren't that good. I ended up not eating my veggie one so I can't speak to it.

6. For us slow runners, by the time we finished a lot of the faster runners were leaving. Ok. No problem. The problem for me is that people were leaving the parking garage and having to go on the road where runners were walking after finishing the race, where they were grabbing food, and where they were congregating with friends. It was not that safe considering the line for food was so long when I got there that we had to continuously move out of the way of cars trying to leave. Having parking literally three feet from the start is amazing, but they really needed to direct people out a different way.

7. I liked they honored their $10 off a purchase of $10+ that day in the store. I did not use mine because they took the bib when you used it, but I saw tons of people using it in the store picking up stuff. The girl at the register got a bunch of energy items and paid like 12 cents. It was a great added giveaway. I wish they would have just make a big X through the coupon and let you keep the bib though. Not complaining too much honestly. I just think this would have been nicer. 

Overall, I like this race. It's a fun race, a distance that isn't too common, and a great run around Baltimore. The only thing that would make the course better is if they got the stadiums in somehow, but I have no idea how they would do that. The give away really is the best and unless there's some weird thing going on, I look forward to running it next year...and PRing!!

Follow @NeverTrade2013

Kelly St. Patrick's Day 5k - Race Recap

Today, hubby and I hit Baltimore to run our first live race of the year - Kelly's St. Patrick's Day 5k. I love this race. Hubby not so much. There is one reason I love this race. This is a pretty good photo of why I love this race:

Before I get ahead of myself, I'm going to back things up. We got up this morning and had a small breakfast. The race starts at 1:15 p.m. and it's hard to know how much to eat before the race since there's time between getting up and running. I went with two slices of toast with peanut butter and cinnamon, plus a cup of coffee with soy milk. Before we left I meant to have some dried cherries, but I forgot. Oops!

We headed off to Baltimore about 11:20 a.m. and we hit no traffic. That was nice. Parked our car at Harbor Place and hit up the bathrooms. The best reason in parking at that garage are the bathrooms in the food court! Afterwards, we walked over to Charles Street. We got outside and kinda freaked a bit because there was such a wind...a cold wind. We worried it would be a bad mistake wearing short sleeves, but we did survive the walk to the start.

Once there we texted our friend Ada since we meet up with her and her dragon boat friends for this race. We actually found her two dragon boat friends before her! We all hung around together chatting and taking photos. One of the group could not run because of a knee injury so he was taking photos. Here's a group shot:

Shortly after the photo was taken, the horn sounded and we didn't do anything. There were 5,000 people signed up for the race and wow. Insane! We really didn't move for a while. At the end of the race, there was a 4:40 difference between gun time and chip time. Yea. Crazy.

We finally got passed the timing mat and got to run...sorta. It was still pretty conjested, so I took to doing what my hubby refers to as pulling a Brian Westbrook - dodging in and out around other runners as you try to find open space to run. We hung together almost the whole way down Charles St., but I could tell he was holding back. He asked if I was ok at one point and I told him to run his race. Don't worry about me. So, off he went and I was alone.

I kept going and lost sight of him eventually. There were 5,000 runners and he is much faster than me even when injured. Once we turned off Charles Street, there was the 1 mile marker and they were yelling out times: 16:05. I knew I ran faster than that, but I had no idea what I was doing because I had no Garmin with me. I didn't bother since I know it doesn't pick up GPS well. As I turned onto Key Highway I just saw the first runner coming back towards Inner Harbor. He finished with a time of 15:13. Wow.

Up Key Highway we went and the up hill got me. I took my first 30 second walk. I usually stop every half mile, but without my Garmin I didn't know when that was. Oops! Maybe I should have taken it. I started up again, then took another quick walk break near Federal Hill. I just was dying on the continual uphill. After that I was good until the water stop. I ran well along Key Highway, better than I thought I would. I was pleasantly surprised when the turn around came up. Usually I am dying and wondering when it's going to show.

Made the turn and waited for the water. I needed it. My throat was so dry and I was fighting a side stitch. I knew I should have hydrated more, but there wasn't much I could do about it on the course. I grabbed a full cup of water and tried to drink and walk. Fail. Pulled myself off the course and drank my water. LOL! Then, back at it!

Kept going and it wasn't too long til I hit the 2 mile mark. They had people calling out times and when I hit the sign they called out 29:05. So...mile 1: 16:05; mile 2: 29:05. Interesting. I took a 30 second break, then kept going past Federal Hill and back towards Inner Harbor. I passed a few people, had a few people pass me. It was all good. I felt good. I was breathing a bit heavy, but not scary heavy. I took a quick 20 second break as I came up to Pratt Street, because I wanted to run to the finish from there.

I got past the first warehouse at Inner Harbor and turned onto Pratt Street. There was a nice guy cheering us all on, which was really sweet. He was all by himself and just stood there yelling and chanting for us all. I turned onto Pratt and felt good, not tired at all honestly. Which is weird. I saw this guy as I was running and he made me laugh:

How could you NOT laugh seeing him on the side of the street? I kept going. At this point I usually pull up and just coast. Today, I didn't want to do that. I didn't think I had much for a sprint though. The temps were in the 60s, which is about 25 degrees hotter than I've been running in. Spring is coming to the Mid-Atlantic and today was one of those early Spring days. I did say to myself, "be consistent. Don't worry about sprinting, just be consistent." So I did. I kept going. I passed a bunch of people. I was proud of myself. I turned the corner to the finish line and kept up my pace.

I crossed the line and saw 42:45 on the clock. Damn! I knew that wasn't right, but I had no idea what to subtract. After crossing the line, I heard hubby yell my name. I waved and kept going (I had to, they were funneling us through to get our timing chips off) and then he handed me a bottle of water. Bless him! I felt like I was going to throw up. The water helped. I downed that bottle of water faster than any I've ever had. LOL! My time? 38:05. Yes, my splits, while obviously the first two are gun time and the last chip, still kind funny:

Mile 1: 16:05
Mile 2: 29:05
Finish: 38:05

We waited for everyone to finish. We all had a good time and then headed over to the James Joyce for post-run food. :) It's getting to be a tradition. Post-race photo of hubby and I!

Lessons:

1. Start a bit further up next year. With the increase in participants it was insane at the start. Lots of people who started too far up and walked, slowing the rest of us down.

2. I need to lose weight. I knew I needed to, but I looked awful today. I don't care what you all think, I look bad. I looked better last year and I'm mad I let myself get this way.

3. Not be upset that I ran this race about 1:15 faster last year. I honestly thought I ran it about the same this year to last and when I saw my time this afternoon, I was really sad. I have to remember that this is the first time I felt really good running this the whole time. I ran strong the whole race and enjoyed it. The race just seemed to fly by (even if I didn't!).

4. Shamrock isn't going to go as well as I was hoping. I have a week to adjust my expectations. I'm not upset over this. I just have to prepare for it. I can take my mistakes from training for Shamrock and improve for Zooma Annapolis.

Did you race this weekend? How did you do? Do you have a race coming up?

Follow @NeverTrade2013

Baltimore Women's Classic 5k

I just signed up for the Baltimore Women's Classic 5k on June 24th.  I didn't think I'd get to run it this year as I had tentative plans to be out of town, so when that didn't pan out I realized I could run it.

I'm pretty excited about it.  This race was the very first 5k race I ever ran way back in 2009.  I trained literally 6 months to run it.  LOL!  I started the year running 1 mile and then slowly adding in quarter mile increments until I could run 3.1 miles.  And I made sure I could run 3.1 miles before I ever toed the line.

In 2009, the temperature was gorgeous.  I couldn't believe how cool it was out.  Baltimore is just over an hour south of me, but it is consistently 10 degrees hotter there than here.  But, for whatever reason, there was a beautiful breeze and I knew the temperature was going to be perfect for me.

I headed to the back of the pack, because I knew I was going to be slow.  I had absolutely no goal except to finish.  I didn't care how long it took me, I just wanted to cross the finish line.  I had on a Jersey Girl t-shirt and had a lovely conversation with some women who ran a race down the Jersey shore.

When the race started, it took quite a bit to get to the start.  There were about 1,700 women running that morning.  And only women.  The BWC is the country's 2nd oldest women-only race and is Maryland's first women's-only race.

I ran slowly, but I ran.  I trained six months for this and I didn't try going out too fast.  I remember we needed to run over the bridge that takes you to Fort McHenry, but you didn't get to run at Fort McHenry.  Just over the bridge and back.  What I remember about that bridge is many of the people who were around me couldn't run up it.  The small hills I had trained on helped me get over it twice - once on the way towards the Fort and once away from it.

Once past that part of the race, it was onward to the finish line.  There was a woman I passed and was passed by for the next mile and a half.  As we headed to the home stretch, she passed me...walking.  Oh heck no!  No one walking was going to beat me to the finish line!  As much as I didn't have much left to give, I started running faster.  I passed her just before the finish line and made it in before her.

When I crossed the line, I was handed a cold bottle of water and a beautiful rose.  I had no idea about the rose.  It was such an amazing touch in my opinion.  I finished in 45:25.  Oh yes, 15+ minute miles.  But I didn't care.  I finished.  I ran the whole thing and I crossed the finish line!

After the race, I decided that every year I could I would run this race.  And I have.  I ran it in 2010 and 2011 and I'll run it in 2012.  It is one of my favorite races and I am excited to be able to run it again.

Sole of the City 10k Race Review

Yesterday hubby and I ran the inaugural Sole of the City 10k in Baltimore, MD.  We run a lot of races in Baltimore, but I'd never run a 10k in Baltimore before.  When we signed up for this race it was going to be my first ever 10k, but then we signed up for the Hershey 10k the weekend before and this became my second 10k.  LOL!  Which is fine.  I was still looking forward to it.

I'll be honest.  I really wanted to run this race because of the swag.  Most races give a shirt away, either short or long sleeve.  But, this race upped the ante with a Under Armour jacket.  :-)  Since it was different I kinda wanted it.  Here's what it is and you tell me if you would run this race because of it.

 Full front

Front left logo - my apologies for it not being horizontal.  The photo was taken horizontally and saved horizontally, but it's not loading horizontally.

 Full back

 Higgy approves the jacket

 Close up of the back logo - apologies again...

So, now that we all agree that the jacket is well worth signing up for this race, let's move onto a race review.  The race started at 9:00 a.m., which is lovely for the non-morning person that I am.  I will admit though that with the mild winter we had and the early summerish temperatures we've been having that the temperature at the start worried me - 70 degrees.  This one might have been a bit better earlier in the morning just to have the cooler temperatures.  But, it was what it was and overall it wasn't too bad.

The race itself was a celebration of Charm City Run's 10th anniversary of being in the Baltimore area and opening their Baltimore store on McHenry Row (near Fort McHenry, the site where Francis Scott Key became inspired to write the Star Spangled Banner).  There were 2,700 runners, which made for quite a few people crowded at the start.  Maybe a few too many.  

There were lots of announcements at the beginning, most of which those of us at the back missed.  But, what we all heard and I'll admit to being awed at was the rendition of the National Anthem.  OMG.  The group who sang it was absolutely amazing.  They should sing the National Anthem for everything.  Yes, I know this is a race review, but if I skipped giving this group (who I have NO idea who they are) props it would be an incomplete review.  Hoping at some point to know who they are.

This week we heard the horn go off.  It took a several minutes to get to the front and it made me laugh that I wasn't moving and yet I could see lots of people already running.  Gotta find humor in being a back of the pack runner.  Eventually we all got past the start and headed into Baltimore for 6.2 miles (not 6.3 miles that I always say it is.  LOL!)

The race itself was good.  I was thrilled that the big hill we had to run up at last year's Baltimore Women's Classic we got to run down to start the race. Yea!  Then down Key Highway around the Inner Harbor.  It was fun to run around the actual Inner Harbor.  The looks of tourists and Baltimorians who were out for the morning was hysterical!  We ran around piers that I didn't even know existed.  LOL!  It was neat though.  And I was impressed with the number of volunteers around this area to help us know where to go.  It's helpful when you are towards the back of the pack to know you are going.

After all the piers we headed back on Lombard Street back towards Key Highway in the bus lanes.  Which was odd.  Lombard Street is one way and we were running the wrong way.  And there was lots of traffic!  I think due to us.  LOL!  We came back towards Key Highway and yes, we caused a traffic jam.  People were getting out of their cars because they weren't going anywhere.  It was kinda weird.

Once past Key Highway we were back into neighborhood areas and away from the Harbor.  This part of the race was much hillier than the Inner Harbor which was nice and flat.  It was challenging.  But it wasn't too bad for the most part.  And I give lots of credit to the police officers who were there keeping the traffic from running us over.  Traffic was not happy.

As we got close to the end, that fun hill that we got to run down on the way out?  Yea, we had to run up that hill.  Ugh.  I'll admit I didn't run the whole hill.  I ran half the hill, then walked the second half.  I decided I wanted to run across the finish line rather than walk across it.  And I did.  From that hill, it was a straight shot to the Finish Line and hubby was standing just out front so I saw him as I came in.

Here are some random splits, that probably only I care about.  LOL!

Half mile - 5:34 (last week it was 5:45)

Mile - 11:13 (huh??)

1.5 miles - 17:00 

3 miles - 30:21 (last week 30:08)

5 miles - 1:01:41 (Shamrock 8k was 1:01:51)

10k - 1:17:52 (one second faster than the Hershey 10k)

Crazy!  I tried really hard to do 5 miles under an hour, but it was not to be.  I didn't really try until 4.5 miles and only had 4 minutes and 30 seconds to do it, so it really wasn't happening, but I tried.  Ah well.

Positives: Swag!   National Anthem singers.  The backward course (compared to all the other Baltimore races who use basically the same course).  Running around the Inner Harbor itself.  Free beer at the end.  Setting a PR on a hilly course. A free post-race lunch.  A Dunkin Donuts right there!

Cons: Hilly course.  The big hill at the end of the course.  The water stops were odd (volunteers putting their hands in big coolers, and just not where I would have thought).  Only chicken available as the post race lunch (I don't eat chicken).

We only got one photo at this one, but I love it!

Kelly St. Patrick's Day 5k - Baltimore, MD

This is my favorite race of the year.  It's such a fun race.  It starts at 1:15 p.m., which is so nice since Baltimore is about an hour twenty minutes from the house.  It starts with a fabulous downhill that's almost a full mile.  Everyone is dressed up in green or costumes...or both!  And it starts with Jaws crossed with Jingle Bells (or "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" by the Dropkick Murphys).

This is our third year running it and even though I have two races next weekend I wasn't about to skip it.  Hubby and I met up with our friend Ada and some of her Baltimore County Dragon Boat mates.

Brian shortly left us to start up further as he's faster than we are.  The rest of us chilled out while we waited for the start of the race.  Once the horn sounded, it took us about 4 minutes to get to the green and white arched balloon start, but we made it and off we went!

It's a crazy start because it's all downhill to start.  Really.  The first mile of the race is downhill.  Which gives you a fantastic view of all the green people are wearing to this race.  It is THE best part of the race.  If you start at the front (cough cough, elites, cough, cough) you totally miss out on it.  Sure, you finish in 15:04 (yes, the first place winner finished in 15:04!!), but you miss the coolest race view EVER!

 The sun was crazy so you can't really see how truly awesome the sight is.

Ada and I stuck together for a good portion of that first mile, but Ada's faster than me.  So no hard feelings, she headed off to run her race.  I hit the mile marker somewhere in the 15 minute range.  Thinking it took us a couple minutes to reach the start line, I figured I was really about 13 minutes.  I was ok with that.  Now, the issue I have is, I have been doing the modified run/walk method and ummm I forgot Garmie.  I had NO idea when the half miles were.  So, I decided to walk a minute at the mile markers, which meant counting to 60...out load.  LOL!

Made the turn onto Key Highway (because every race in Baltimore involves Key Highway) and up the hill I went.  Now, everyone will say this race is flat past the big hill at the start.  Maybe for the elites, but for the average runner, there are several places where there is a noticeable uphill.  They aren't mountains or anything, but they are uphills.  But, with all my running through Mt. Wolf the last few months, the uphills didn't bother me.  I was shocked.  But, I kept going.  

I hit the turn around and grabbed a water at the water station because it was HOT.  Maybe not FL hot, but hot for mid-March in the Mid-Atlantic.  It had to be over 60 degrees!  I finished my water and kept going, eventually passing the 2 mile marker somewhere in the 27 range, which I was thinking would be about 25 minutes (thinking again a 2 minute delay in reaching the start.).

Now is the other area I say is an uphill.  Well, it is an uphill and many people just stopped.  Runners just decided to walk up the hill.  I felt pretty good so I kept moving.  It was rough trying to get around all the walkers at this point, but I kept moving.  I got to the top and turned towards Pratt Street, which leads to the finish line.  As I ran under an overpass, a little boy yelled out, "You aren't running good."  After the initial laugh, people started yelling things like, "I don't see you out here running," "I know where you live," and "I know!"  

I made my right onto Pratt Street and reminded myself that Power Plant Live! (which is where the finish line is) is not as close as I think it is.  Keep moving!  People were all along cheering us on and I finally saw the 3 mile marker and knew I was almost there.

I made the left into the Power Point Live! street and could see the clock.  40:42 showed.  Disappointment ran through me.  I had such high hopes of seeing 36 on that clock when I got there.  I saw hubby on the side lines as I ran towards the finish line.  I crossed and found him quickly.  He said I looked good as I came into the home stretch, but I was kinda down about the time.  I knew the clock was gun time and not chip time, but still... 

We shortly found the rest of our party and skipped the after-party.  Free beer, but you just can't get close to it.  The race has like 3,000 people and it's just too narrow an area for that many people.  We headed to the James Joyce Irish pub like last year.  When we got there it was practically empty, so we got a table right away...on the deck!  We all celebrated our fabulous runs with Guiness, Black and Tan, rum and Coke, and Harp.  And then we ordered yummy Irish food!  Hubby and I shared some Brown Soda Bread (which I could honestly live on) and while I ordered Sheppard's Pie, hubby ordered the fish and chips.  Two thumbs up.

 Brian and I at the James Joyce post-race

Shepard's Pie - delicious!

Now the fun part.  Our friend Ada has a fancy phone that allows her to look up internet stuff.  Charm City Run does a great job of posting race results quickly and quick they were!  Ada was able to find me while we were at the table:

3261 697/968  Christina Stetler       F 36 Manchester PA    40:54 36:43 11:49 

So, yea.  Do you SEE that chip time???  Let me share with you what it says, 36:43.  I PR'ED BY TWO 

MINUTES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  INSANE!!!! I was floored!  How the heck did that happen!?!?!?!?  Honestly, I don't 

think I care.  I'm just THRILLED it happened!  What a fabulous race!  And if you read yesterday's post about my ankle,

no worries! The ankle held up just fine.  :-)