My thoughts on Zooma Annapolis Half Marathon

Alright, so here's where we get honest. You already know how my Saturday went, how awful an experience Zooma Annapolis was for me. This is the post where I tell you what I thought went well, what went wrong, and whether I would ever do this race again.

The Good
* While I wasn't thrilled we had to pay for parking for the expo, it was only $5.00. I am pretty sure a parking garage would have cost us more. So, this goes in the good category.

* The expo was pretty nice, if a bit small. I liked that it really did focus on women's items. It was fun seeing the cute shirts and such around the room. I also liked that they had the typical expo stuff too for people who might need a last minute gu, gel, sock, or what have you. I grabbed a few shirts, a flower, and a card. 

* Parking at the race itself. The parking lot was huge and we were lucky enough to get a spot really close to the start/finish. After the race, it felt like it took forever to get there, but we were really close. 

* Pre-race bathrooms. Tons of port-a-potties. As much as I hate the port-a-potty, there was a nice long line of them waiting for us when we got to the start/finish area. I waited maybe 2-3 minutes to use it. Not too bad for a race of about 4,200, where I would bet 95% of the runners were women.

* I felt like there were enough water stops. I know many people didn't (and if you ran the 10k, I will agree with you that there weren't enough - they only had 2), but other than missing one from miles 4-7, I felt that they were pretty good. I did say I would have wanted a water stop around mile 5ish and if there hadn't been a screw up in directing runners, there would have been one. I still think there were enough overall (in the half course).

* Swag. In terms of items given out, it is probably only second to Yuengling Shamrock weekend. I received a bag and a t-shirt when I picked up my bib. When I finished the race, I received a necklace, yoga mat, and water bottle. Not too bad. 

* Black Girls Run. Hands down, THE BEST part of the race. These ladies rocked it! They were on the course running, they were on the course cheering, they were on the course volunteering. Was there nothing they couldn't do? I first saw this group last year at the Baltimore Women's Classic and loved the idea. This Saturday, I have a new found respect for these ladies. They cheered me on when I was dying. They spritzed me with water and gave me M&M's when I was dying. They gave me high fives. The lady with the spritzer remembered me from the course at the finish line and spritzed me again. She rocked. Can this white lady join? Because I would be honored to join such a fabulous group of women!

The Bad
* One of the reasons I signed up for this race was the amount of stuff you got. When I went to packet pick-up, I received a bag and t-shirt. Where was my water bottle and yoga mat? At the time, I didn't know this was a finisher item and not just a swag item. I was kinda upset at packet pick-up because of this.

* The Mocktail Party. We got to the expo originally at 2:20 p.m. and headed to our hotel about 4:30 p.m. We checked in, prepped, watched tv, and turned around back to the Lowe's. After paying a second time to park, we headed into the party. Which was nothing. It was in the same area as packet pick-up, but they didn't do anything to make it stand out. I RSVPed for me and hubby, but no one checked that. I don't care that everyone can go, they should. What I didn't like was the idea that you had to RSVP, then there was nothing special about it. We grabbed one drink, which was tasty, then decided to go to dinner. I really didn't think it was worth the drive back to downtown Annapolis for.

* The lack of communication at the start. I had no idea where to go, there were no corrals, and the only way I knew where to go was when the pace runners showed up. I am a slow runner (fact, not putting myself down), so I try to stay towards the back so those who are faster don't have to weave around me. Without any help, I could easily mess with someone's race. I try hard not to. But, more direction would have been nice at the start.

* During the race, my Garmin was always a bit off from the mile markers. Ok, I wasn't running the tengents, I get it. Then, it went to 1/4 mile off. That's when I stopped paying attention to distance on my Garmin and just used it for time. I thought I lost signal. I have a fairly old Garmin and that happens, especially with trees. Turns out, the race that was USATF certified was 1/4 mile too short. A goof-up with one of the police officers and where he was to be. OK. I am slightly annoyed by this. Not because I didn't run a full 13.1, but because the whole time I felt like I didn't know the true distance. It kinda messed with me mentally. 

* The heat and hills. I get it, they don't control the weather (only Pudge the fish does that), but the hills they did. It was insane. I know that this might be an irrational con, but here is where the race was lost for me (in terms of PR, not as in 1st place). I couldn't handle the heat of the day or the hills. Lack of training, very probably. But, knowing that the Mid-Atlantic in June gets hot, why didn't we start earlier? Sure, we started at 7:00 a.m., but Disney starts earlier and they know their weather. Yea...yea...the roads Disney races are run on are their own, but getting the roads open earlier in a town based on the water on a Saturday is never a bad thing. 

* There was a turn very late in the race (between miles 10 and 12) that we randomly backtracked onto streets we ran initially. By the time I got to this spot, there was no one to help direct. The two people in front of me skipped this portion altogether. I made the turn thanks to a traffic cop, but once on these side streets, there was no direction. Since I was so far back, there wasn't anyone ahead of me to watch what they did, where they turned. These two miles I felt so lost. I got discouraged. I didn't know what was going on. Another part of the race that messed with me mentally. If there had been people there who could direct us, that would have been great.

* The finish. A hot mess (pun intended). I crossed the line and apparently everyone who crossed the line had their name called out. Mine? Nope. I crossed the line solo with no one near me. I didn't see any water or post-race food. Hubby and I headed the direction a sign saying "Food" indicated. No food. No water. I was overheated. Hubby left me under a covering looking for water. Apparently, it was in a bucket of ice near the finish line - not marked, not manned. By the time I finished it was probably about 82-84 degrees. No volunteers to hand out water to those who had been on the course 3+ hours? And no food. By the time I finished, there wasn't anything in terms of food. I heard there were boxes of food, but I never saw them. I left shortly after getting my water, ignoring the vendors, the wine, the massages (which I heard were booked and if you were a later finisher you couldn't get one). The post-race was the biggest disappointment I've ever had at a race of this size.

* Shortly after the race, probably while I was still on the course, people were complaining about the race. About the shortness of the course, about how due to their incompetence people were denied their PR medals, how volunteers at the computers were rude, how people who were misdirected and ran only 11 miles rather than 13 were given a DNF and denied their swag (and wine!), how there weren't enough water stations, and the lack of food at the end. The organizers apologized and said they will take into consideration everything people had to say in their wrap-up and planning for next year. Then they announced to make up for it, all racers will get a discount on any remaining 2013 Zooma race. Ummmm...the races are in Texas, Florida, Cape Cod, and Chicago. I live in PA. Your discount to make up for my awful experience means I would need to either drive for hours or fly to a race. I can't imagine your discount is going to be enough to cover my flight. To me, this is a totally inappropriate response to a hot mess of a problem.

* Late Sunday, they put the official results. Yea! I knew I stunk it up, but I wanted to see it anyway. I plugged my race bib number into the search box and my name came up...with null next to it. I tried going through my name...null. As of Sunday night, it registered I was registered to run, but they had no time. Seriously?!? After all that, I had NO TIME???? I left a FB message with the race organizers and they said they would look into it. Monday, I got an email back from whom I emailed saying I needed to email someone else. Ugh. So, I email them. And now my results are on-line, but for 48 hours they were not. I was pretty upset for those 48 hours. I know it sounds silly, but after 3+ hours of heat, pain, and frustration I wanted proof I was out there!

* No medal. Ok, I knew this going in, so I'm not complaining per se about no finisher medal. But, I didn't realize how much a necklace does not compensate for a medal. Crossing the line and getting a silver necklace rather than a large shiny medal is anticlimactic. Sure, I can wear the necklace out in public without getting funny looks, but it's just not the same. Plus, the necklace is kinda blah. 

The back says Zooma 2013

Overall
Would I run this race again? No. No doubt in my mind. Sometimes you think, I need some space between the event and the next time. Not this time. It taught me several things:

* I don't like running in the heat
* I don't like hills
* I want a medal for 13.1 miles!

If you ran Zooma Annapolis 2013 do you agree? Am I just bitter? What was your worse race? Are there any races you would never run again?
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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!!

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PA Spartan Sprint - Race Review

Alright.  Race review time.  What did I think of the PA Spartan Sprint?  Good question.  In no particular order:

1. The race is billed as a 3+ mile race.  Ok.  I anticipated a 3 to 3.5 mile race.  Then the week before we were told it was going to be 5 miles.  Oooookayyyyyy.  And then rumors swirled that it was designed to be a mini-Beast - the second hardest obstacle course they run.  Ummm...what happened to being accessible to the uninitiated?  I wasn't thrilled about all the changes at the last minute.

2. Runners say that good runners, people who love running are open to all levels of runners and encourage them to go out there and try.  I have never felt a more encouraging group of people than I did at this race.  I'm dead serious.  As you saw in my race report, the volunteers on the course were really helpful in giving you hints on the obstacles or helping you do them.  For me, it was the walls. 

And fellow participants were just as open to helping and encouraging you!  I had help at the second set of walls by a gentleman who just came up out of nowhere to help the volunteer get me over the wall.  As soon as I was over, so was he and off he went.  I never got to thank him.  And then, when we got to the rope wall, everyone helped everyone else by holding the rope wall taught so it was easier to climb.  The lady and gentleman that held it for me didn't complain when I freaked out at the top and stopped for a full 2ish minutes.  Thank you to you as well!

3. As much as I hated several obstacles, there were many I thought were fun.  I loved a lot of the rope ones - rope up the mountain, rope wall, cement pulley, cement block pull, rock carry, barbed wire crawl, slip and slide (sorry hubby!), tire flip.  These were great!  I even liked the walls, though I needed help.  I didn't even think I could get over them with help!  It really did give me a sense of accomplishment when I crossed the line knowing I conquered quite a few of the obstacles along the way.

4. This is going to sound odd and maybe it's from my years of regular ole road races, but there was only 1 bathroom on this 5 mile course.  There was one port-a-pottie that I saw and I believe it was somewhere around mile 3.5.  Ummm...really?  I'll admit right here I started this race out totally dehydrated.  I did that on purpose.  I had no idea the bathroom situation.  And in one sense, I'm glad I did that.  As a woman it's not as easy to just quickly go to the bathroom.  Sure the race tips strongly in favor of the boys, but come on!  There are women in the race!

5. The finish area.  This is a HUGE pet peeve of mine.  I am a slow runner in general and I'm ok with that.  I'm used to finishing off a race and not having many spectators around, but the end of the Spartan Sprint was horrendous.  We crossed the finish line and while I didn't care that there weren't many people around, I was upset that all the food areas had closed, the merchandise tent had closed, it was dark (very little lighting in the festival area), and no beer for purchase (I didn't want more than my free one, but it's the principle).  I paid my registration fee.  I completed the race.  It took me 5+ hours to do it, meaning A MILE AN HOUR.  I think I deserve to have the same finish line experience as those who finished earlier in the day. 

6. And speaking of finishing...turns out I have no official race time.  I checked the results page and I'm not listed...and neither is hubby.  So, it's like we went through hell and it's not even recorded.  Sure, I have my medal and t-shirt (which you do not receive until you finish the race), but I would have liked to know how long it took me to go through the course.  I'm pretty ticked about that.

Overall, I'm a little more dissatisfied with the experience than I thought I would be.  They say the last thing you experience will color your opinion of something and that is definitely true in this case.  Having no chip time recorded and the festival village basically closed when we finally finished really puts a bad taste in your mouth.  I'm not sure I would do another one.  I'm proud of what I accomplished, but it might be a bucket list type thing.  Don't hold me to that...I'm a girl and prone to changing my mind.  But, right now, I'll admit I'm glad that the only races I have on the radar are road races...a possible 5k at the end of the month, one in August, the anticipated Sasquatch race in September, and then the Atlantic City Half Marathon in October.

Reflections on the Philly Half Marathon

Pro

1. It was my second half marathon!  Woohoo!  Very exciting to know I trained and completed two half marathons in one year!!

 2. This half marathon was in one of my favorite cities, Philadelphia.  I was so looking forward to running the streets and seeing all the cool sites. Philly has such a rich history and it was fabulous to see it while running.

3.  The first 9 miles flew by.  It was amazing.  I couldn't believe how quickly they went and how little effort it seemed to take.  I was shocked.  I was happy, but shocked.  Even the hills between miles 7 and 9 were fine.  I'm not a huge hill person, but they didn't seem impossible.

4. I PRed.  I ran basically the race time-wise I expected to run and PRed by 5 minutes.  I will say slight disappointment that my 10k estimated my finished to be 16 minutes faster than I actually ran, but eh.  It is what it is and I have a new PR.

5. The crowd support.  I'm not one for being excited about people cheering me on.  I run by myself in my training runs and crowds yelling for me usually turn me off, but the crowds in Philly were different.  They called my name, they cheered loudly, they had fun signs.  I even joked with some people and high-fived others.

Cons

1. The hill between miles 9 and 10.  Seriously.  The worst hill I've ever dealt with.  Worse than the hill between Mount Wolf and Manchester.  Without that hill this race would have been 100 times better!  And I would have had a better finish time!

2. The lack of directions at the start for the corrals.  It was chaotic and hard to find where I was supposed to line up.  Good thing I'm slow and I knew to just walk to the back.  The signs for the corrals were not as well marked as they could have been.

3. Lack of port-a-potties on the course itself.  The start and finish areas were packed with them, but once out on the course, it was hard to find.  I stopped about mile 5 to use one because I didn't know when the next one would be available.  Not good when you have 25,000 people running at the same time.

4. Post-finish line had several issues:

1. By the time I finished I was given a Marathon medal.  While sweet, I ran the half.  There should have been separate finish lines for the full and half so each race received the right medal.  And when I finished there were only three half medals left.  There were some pretty darn upset people I'm sure after me because there were more than 3 people on the course when I finished.
2. It was crowded with too many volunteers at the same spot - handing out water, handing out medals, directing traffic.  The water people should have been further along.  The congestion was incredible and I've never seen the like.  It was impossible to understand/see/know where to go.
3. With all the people handing out water, there were only two people handing out the blankets.  The ratio was a bit skewed.  It was almost impossible to get a blanket.
4. Food. Big fail.  I got in line, waited close to 5 minutes without getting close to the food, then got out of line because I felt sick.  The set up was completely wrong.  I just ran 13.1 miles (others ran 26.2) and we have to wait 10 or more minutes for a granola bar or banana?  Come on!  More areas where food is located, more space, and quicker lines.  
5. The photo station should be before the water, blankets, etc.  I got my photo taken and had to dump everything I had to get it shot.  
6. Overall, it seemed like once you crossed the finish line everything was just one big cluster you-know-what.  Too crowded, no organization, and too many people.

 Overall Impression

Overall, I really enjoyed the race.  I loved the first 9 miles and I think miles 11 through 13.1 would have been more enjoyable had there not been a 90 degree angle hill I had to go up from miles 9 to 10.  I felt as I ran through Old City, along Delaware Avenue, and up Chestnut Street that this really was an amazing race.  One I would recommend to anyone.  Now, I would recommend it, with the caveat that you have to do hill training.  They say this course is flat and for the most part it is, but miles 7 through 10 have elevation and that mile between 9 and 10 is just killer.

But, if you want to see the best of Philadelphia, go for it!  It's a wonderful way to see the city, get your run on, and have a fun Sunday morning.  

And as much as I am complaining about mile 9 to 10, I'm still happy I PRed.  I'm still happy I ran it.  I'm still happy I felt practically normal come Monday.  I obviously trained better this time around than last.  
 So thank you to everyone who organized and volunteered.  Thank you to the police, fire fighters, and EMTs at the race.  Thank you to all the friends and family who cheered not only their loved ones, but everyone who ran by them.  Thank you to all those who hung signs on the side of the road and those who carried them as they cheered.  And thank you to all my friends and family who believed I could run a half marathon even when I didn't!

Philadelphia Marathon - Part 2

Race morning!  Hubby got up much earlier than I, about 4:15 a.m.  I on the other hand managed to get up about 5:15 a.m. and get ready in time to meet our lovely friend Maryrose in the lobby.  She decided to come cheer us on, which is beyond amazing!  She was up at 4:30 a.m., drove into Philly from New Jersey, parked her car, and in the cold waited for us to finish our really long races.  There are very few friends who are that cool.

About 6:00 a.m. the three of us headed off in the dark to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and the Art Museum - the start area of the race.  It's always interesting walking in the dark through Philadelphia so early in the morning to the race.  The streets are quiet until you get close to the Parkway, then you hear footsteps and laughing and chattering.  It's thousands of people coming together for the same purpose, all with their own goals, ambitions, stories, fears, and hopes.  It is pretty amazing.

The three of us wandered around, then decided on a meeting place.  So while Brian and I went off to find our corrals, Maryrose set up her chair under the Morocco flag and settled in.  We walked towards the Art Museum knowing that somewhere up ahead would be our start areas.  We took one quick photo before the race and then Brian walked me to my corral.  :-)

The Blue Corral was alllllll the way in the back so B walked me there, then made his way up to the Orange corral.  It worked out fine.  I had the chance to chat with a couple of lovely ladies from New York who were down for the race.  They decided to make it fun and stayed at the Four Seasons.  We chatted about races and stuff we had heard about this race as it was the first time we all had done it.

Then we started moving forward towards the start line.  It took us a while to make it to the start line and on the way there I met a nice older gentleman, also from NY.  We had a nice conversation about running the race and enjoying it.  Not stressing about time.  Not stressing about meeting expectations or not meeting expectations.  He was a really nice guy and we had a couple nice laughs as we walked to the start.

Now, the last two years the runners were sent off to Rocky and I anticipated that again this year.  I was wrong.  This year when the Corrals were sent off the music was the Olympic theme song played by a marching band.  I must admit, it was pretty cool.  :-)

And we're off!

I will admit, I love Philly.  It is one of my favorite cities.  I had a feeling I would like this race just because I like this particular city.  And I wasn't wrong.  Running through a city I really love and being able to understand what B talked about was exciting. 

The rest of this will not be a mile by mile description of the race because I had a hard time realizing the miles were going by.  My Garmin is set to beep every half a mile and when it would go off I was shocked every time.  I honestly couldn't believe every half mile was going by so fast!  My first half mile was 6:06.  WHAT?!?  My first mile was about 12:28.  Huh???  At Princess my first mile was about 15 minutes.  (Basically because Princess is a bottleneck at the beginning, it's too tight.  Hard to get moving around so many people.) Which shocked me no end.  My 1.5 mile time was about 19:36 and my two mile time was 26:44.  These are not race times for me.  These are me busting my butt around the neighborhood times for me.  But, I was running with no problems. No issues. No pain. I was floored.  And I was enjoying it.  Here are some photos!

This is as close as I got to Independence Hall.  I thought we ran directly in front of it. Nope. Across the BIIIIGGG lawn.  At least I saw it.  To my left was the National Constitution Center, which is also a cool place to go.

 Juggling guy.  I really dislike him.  And he kept dropping the balls!  Way to put other runners in jeopardy all so you can do something stupid.

Leaving Old City and moving onto Delaware Avenue, along the Delaware River.  The bridge up ahead is the Benjamin Franklin Bridge linking Philadelphia and Camden, NJ.

 

 Eagles drum line!  At the corner onto Delaware Avenue was the Philadelphia Eagles drum line.  We could hear them all the way up the street and I thought they were a local high school or college's band. Nope.  It was pretty awesome. :-)

 

It's hard to tell, but in the background is the restaurant Moshulu.  One day I will eat there.  

 

One of the two signs I really liked.  The other one was on the next post, but I didn't have the camera ready to go.  It said, "How many beers did we drink before we thought this was a good idea?"  LOL!

 

 Another famous area of Philly, South Street.  I haven't been here in years!  It was neat to see it without the hoardes of people.

Pancakes!  The woman with the pancake was not happy.  I ran past wondering why she was standing there holding brochures.  It's not like I was going to take an IHOP brochure and keep going.  But, he did make me smile as I ran past City Hall.

 

 The elevation for the race said there were hills from miles 7 through 10.  The hills weren't that bad from miles 7 through 9.  I'm not a huge fan of hills, but I really wasn't all that thrown by these.  I was feeling good, running strong, and almost laughing at them.  This hill lead us to the Philadelphia Zoo.

 

And then this happened...

Just past the Zoo was this hill.  It was the worst hill ever.  Remember the hill from my 12.5 mile run a couple weeks ago?  HA!  Child's play. This was monsterous.  It was about a mile long, all uphill, and steep.  Every time it curved and we thought we were done, nope.  Upwards some more.  I met two new friends on the hill and we discussed how awful it was.  Who said Philly was flat???

Let me interject here.  Until mile 9 I honestly felt that Philly trumped Princess.  No doubt, hands down.  For most of Princess you are running on access roads and while there are lots of characters around, it's so quiet and dare I say it, boring.  I didn't realize it until I ran Philly.  There were people all over the place - police officers helping keep us from getting run over (huge THANK YOU to all the Philly police who came out to keep us safe!), cheer leaders, family, friends, random people, and people going about their lives looking at us like we were crazy.  I'm not normally one for spectators, but man!  They sure bring it at Philly!  If someone asked me which to run while on the course between miles 1 and 9, I would not hesitate to say Philly.

Then that there hill reared it's ugly head.  Princess had a couple small hills and then one large one at the end, well basically an entrance ramp you ran up to cross the highway into Epcot parking lot.  This hill was 100 times worse.  When I reached the top, I was done.  I knew it.  The hill killed all momentum.  It sucked because I had 3 more miles to go.  Ugh.

But, I pushed on.  Running, but walking more than I wished.  I wasn't going to give up.  There wasn't that much more to go.  And I kept going.  

Pretty trees along the course.  I will say, the last few miles were pretty with the leaves changing.

 

 This sign was evil.  I saw it several times as I got closer to the finish line.  I kept thinking it meant I was closer, but there were no mile markers.  But, I reminded myself that I didn't have to abide by this sign...

 

 

The last mile involved more walking than I would have liked, but that's the way it works.  But, I kept moving forward and eventually hit the part of the course that allowed the Half Marathoners go the finish line, while the Marathoners kept going.  As I headed up the hill (evil Philly organizers, evil), a random woman yelled out, "Run strong Christina (my name is on my bib)! Hills are our friend!"  Oh hell no lady!  And I told her so.  LOL!  She kept insisting they build character.  I'm character enough thank you.  ;-)

As I came around Eakin's Oval (in front of the Art Museum) a gentleman on the side said I was already finished.  I yelled over no one had put a medal around my neck yet.  He laughed and said I had about 30 seconds to go.  He wasn't too far off.  I rounded the corner and there was the holy grail...I mean finish line.  Finally!

I crossed the finish line and felt relief.  It was a bit chaotic, but I got my water bottle (thank you Wawa though my water had a nice plastic taste to it.) and what I thought was my medal.  Turned out they gave me a Marathon medal. Uh no.  So, I had to go back and try to find my medal.  Turns out I was able to trade it for the half, but there were only three more after mine.  I'm so sorry everyone who finished the half after me!  I hope you get your medal soon!!

I turned back and got my photo in front of the Philadelphia Marathon backdrop, tried to get food but the line was WAY too long and just went to find Maryrose.  It wasn't worth fighting and to be honest, my stomach hurt.  Not as bad as run 12.5, but it wasn't happy.

And that's my tale.  My Garmin time was 3:16:48, my official time was 3:16:43.  LOL!  Not bad Garmie!

I'm not the only one who ran.  Check out hubby's tale at Earn Your Donuts.

The rest of the day?  Maryrose joined B and I at Little Pete's diner for breakfast - pancakes and a corn muffin.  Yum!  

 

 

We headed back to the hotel and took this goofy photo...

Maryrose was tired and headed home shortly after we got back to the hotel.  She was up early, braved the cold for hours, and cheered us on.  She totally deserved her nap!  We showered and took a small nap before heading back to the restaurant behind us in the above photo - the Midtown Continental.  We had our celebratory cheesesteak eggrolls

  My favorite drink, Champaign-O-Rama

And a tasty dessert of macaroons

L-R: Coconut macaroon (with lemon), Pumpkin macaroon (awesome!), chocolate macaroon (good), pistachio macaroon (oh so tasty!)

We headed back to the hotel after dinner.  We were sleepy.  We tried to stay up to watch the Eagles/Giants game, but running a big race in the morning?  Makes ya sleepy.  We ended up sleeping most of the game, but the Eagles won out, which is what matters.  :-)

Tomorrow: Reflections on the Philadelphia Half Marathon

Harrisburg Mile Race Report

On Wednesday, July 20th, the hubby and I participated the Harrisburg Mile.  This was our fourth running of it and it is exactly as it sounds, a one mile race.  And let me tell you, at this time of year, one mile is all I can take!  The temperatures yesterday hit approximately 98 degrees with a heat index of over 100.  At race time, the temps were to be 91 with heat index of 98.  I believe it.  Oddly enough, it seems that this week is always the hottest of the summer.  I'm not sure what the organizers of the Mile did to tick off the powers that be, but man, enough already!

Anyway...enough about the heat that can kill.  Hubby and I are officially now in different age groups, so his heat went off at 7:15 p.m.  He had a goal of a sub-6 minute finish.  I would tell you how he did, but he can do it so much better.  My heat went off at 7:25 p.m.  It is a very competitive race.  People run mid-4 minute miles to finish.  Craziness.  Anyway, I headed out when the bullhorn went off and as predicted, back of the pack and fading fast.  LOL!  Honestly though, I finish last every year.  I'm ok with that.  I figure someone has to be last and since I'll never run those types of times, I'm ok with it.

I hit the quarter mile mark much faster than I thought I would....or at least it came up faster than I remember from past races.  I had Garmie on, but apparently I hit the wrong button and the time didn't start.  I did have MPH going and at one point I was at 7.8.  ROFLOL!  Yea, that could be how I came up on the 1/4 mile marker so fast.

As I came up to the half mile marker, I was pleasantly surprised to see I was at exactly 6 minutes.  I was still in last, but having not run in 6 weeks and all my running for the past year has been for distance, I was impressed with my 6 minute half mile.  I will admit though that the race was kicking my butt.  (Prefacing this with a please don't worry about the next sentence) I was having a hard time getting air in.  With the excessive heat advisory and air quality advisory in full force, I believe this is what they were talking about.  I did feel better in the second half of the mile, but I also slowed down.  Bah.

As I came up to the 3/4 mile marker, the person with the stop watch was chatting with someone.  I yelled out "Time?"  To which I was told she had already stopped the watch for the next heat.  This made me exceedingly mad.  I have done this race three years now and never once had that happened.  And she was snotty about it.  Like I was taking her away from her precious conversation.  Grrr...

But what made me even angrier was a few feet past there, some random guy came over and asked if he could run with me.  Uhhhh...ok?  He then proceeded to tell me that I was in last.  Yup. Got it.  That with my projected time, I was going to finish slower than him.  Yup. I'm a slow runner. (ass)  I then proceeded to share with him I've run a half marathon.  I run distance, not speed.  That shut him up pretty quickly. He shortly left me.

At this point I could see the beer tent and finish line.  I had nothing in me to sprint, unlike last year when I sprinted to the finish line.  I just kept going.  Had some cheers from the crowd and then it happened.  I looked to the timing clock.  And it had reset for the next heat.  It had never done that before.  I was ticked.  I finished my race, but was so upset over the clock having be reset that I never really looked at it after that.  I finished the race with only one person at the finish line congratulating me.  Which is a departure from previous years when no matter how last I was there were plenty of people there saying great job.

Hubby is always looking out for me.  He walked up to me with a nice cold bottle of water.  Oh thank heavens!  I say this because last year, when I finished (with many heats still left to run) there was no water. And when I asked about it, I was told very snottily that I should just use the water in the ice bucket.  Apparently, there must be snotty people volunteering at this event.  Ugh.

We met up with our friend Jim who introduced us to the Mile several years ago.  This was his first running in several years due to asthma issues.  He also did great! He has a 10 minute goal and smashed it coming in in the 9's.  Then it was off to the beer tent!  The best part of the race is the beer tent.  I'm not going to lie.  After running in 98ish heat, a cold beer is necessary.  :-) 

So, here's my honesty for ya.  I'm slightly annoyed with the race.  I paid my registration fee and yet when I crossed the finish line I had a vastly different experience than those who finished earlier.  I do not like feeling like a second class runner because I am not fast.  I run just as hard (for me) as they did and I deserve to be treated the same.  If this race is only for those who can run a sub-10 minute mile, then there should be something on the website stating that.  And I would be ok with that.  I can either train to run a sub-10 mile or I don't run. It then becomes MY choice.  Instead, they welcome all runners, but treat those who cannot run under 10 minutes with less courtesy.

I'll leave you with something more positive than my race opinion - the sun setting over the Susquehanna River.