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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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? 

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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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Baltimore Women's Classic 5k Race Recap

Sunday, I ran the Baltimore Women's Classic 5k for the 5th time (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012). It was the very first 5k race I ever ran. I chose it honestly because it was an all-women's race. I didn't want to deal with the whole man macho thing for my first race. I knew I wouldn't be fast. The goal was to cross the finish line. Nothing more, nothing less. Which I did! I crossed at 45:25. I rocked it!

Each year, as long as I'm able I will run this race. 2013 is my 5th year running it and it was a good year! But, that's a bit ahead of the story. Let's take a step back and start from the beginning.

We stayed in Baltimore the night before because I am fairly lazy. Actually, we did it as a celebration of my first 5k in 2009 and we now look forward to it each year. So, why not? But, it is about an hour and 15 minutes to Baltimore from our house, so it would be a really early morning if we drove down day of.

We walked over to the Inner Harbor about 7:15 a.m. When we got to Rash Field, it was about 7:30 a.m. and the pre-race warm-up was going on. I did some stretching on my own and got my pre-race pic taken.

Shortly after, they called us to head to the start. The start is next to Rash Field on Key Highway. We walked over together and I got in line at the 13+ area, while hubby hit Federal Hill to get some pics. I felt I would run the race faster than the 13+ time, but I don't want to mess anyone else's race up and not having run since June 1st I wasn't sure how fast or slow I would be. So, 13+ minute mile pace it was!

I have no idea when we started because I was messing with my stupid Nano...again! This happened at Zooma too. Frustrating. Finally got it to play when I switched to radio, then back to playlist. Whatever. It started working before the start line. This way I could concentrate on starting Garmin when my feet crossed the mat. Priorities.

As I ran along Key Highway, past Federal Hill, I saw hubby on the wall waiting. It's always nice to have your own personal photographer!

Off we went, along Key Highway, then into the neighborhoods. Now, I quickly realized that the 13+ minute mile pace was a bad decision. Not that I'm a speed demon or anything, but I was passing people left and right. I couldn't believe how much quicker than usual I was running. Before we made the turn into the neighborhoods, I ran on the sidewalks to get away from all the slower runners and walkers. I do not say this meanly. I am a slow runner, but it seems as if most runners really had no idea where they should have been.

I made the turn and hit the only real hill in the race. I ran some of it, then realized it was too steep. Whatever. I power walked it, passing many a runner on the hill. Apparently, I rock at power walking! At the top of the hill, I started running again and off I went. Other than being hot, it wasn't a bad run. A couple times my quads were hurting, but I thought to my TRX trainer and powered through.

I will say that I think the course was either short or mismarked. I had my Garmin going and while not perfect, I hit the 1 mile marker on the course at .78. Which seemed really short. Then I hit the 2 mile marker about .88. Ok, so we're picking up. Right about when Garmin said I hit 2 miles, another runner mentioned that her mileage wasn't meshing with the course markers. So, it wasn't just me. Again, it could be that the markers were not in the right spot, but it seemed weird.

I seemed to be running well. I didn't think my split times were that great, but I felt good (if hot). I stopped at both water stops for water. Totally needed it! I got an email from the race saying the start temps were 73 degrees. Seemed hotter than that... My goal had been to race PR it, I knew I didn't necessarily have a 5k PR in me.

As I came back to Key Highway, I started looking for the hubby. He said he would wait until I passed before heading to the finish. He was basically where he was earlier and again, I saw him first. Then again, I was looking for one male in an orange shirt, while he was looking for me out of tons of runners. I saw him and got another race pic!

From here, we head back up Key Highway to a condo development where we run along the water to the finish line. It really is a beautiful view of Inner Harbor. I remember last year I stopped along this area. I was tired and hot then. Well, I was hot this year, but I felt ok in terms of running, so I kept it up. I even passed some people on the way to the finish. I ran along the water enjoying the view, then turned off towards the finish line.

Hubby managed to make it and I saw him just as I came up to the last stretch. He put the camera in the air as he was a row behind people and took pics hoping to get something. This one turned out, even if you can't tell what I'm doing at all.

He got some better shots of my butt, though I'm not sure they are what I want taken. LOL!

I crossed the line, turned off Garmin, and breathed a sigh of relief. I say this because I was sweating like crazy and I knew two things were waiting for me - a bottle of cold water and a cold, wet towel. :-) How's that for post-race?? I got my water, yea! Then I got my towel, yea! Next was my rose, yea! Finally I got my gorgeous medal! Woot! It rocks. No doubt!

I found hubby quickly and I was about to die. I was still breathing heavy and needed that water! He asked how I did and Garmin said 38:18. Hmmm...did I race PR??? I think I did, but I totally forgot to check last year's time! Oh the humanity!

We headed off to the food and I grabbed an orange and a piece of watermelon. Honestly, the orange was better than the watermelon.

The juice was ah-mazing!  I loved it! Hubby thought this look was flattering. I don't know. My hair looks kinda flat...

I'm going to back up a tiny little bit. I thought this past week that the race has grown so much they should have one of those big plastic sheets with BWC on it for people to get their pic taken with. Cue the ironic music, there was one this year! So, we got in line so I could get my pic taken. Sure, it's a 5k but it's an awesome 5k.

While waiting I got a text from a Twitter friend about meeting up. Sadly, I missed it originally and by the time I checked my phone she was already at her car. :-( I'm sorry I missed you Meghan! We will meet up! I did touch base with another runner friend Amy who was at the race. We checked in to see how each other did and then parted ways as she was headed home.

Hubby and I left shortly thereafter because it was hot and I was smelly. But, before we did I got my pic with my swag at the Inner Harbor.

After this, we headed back to the hotel for a shower. Yea! We then hit B&O Brassiere for brunch. They have an all-you-can-drink Mimosa special for Sunday brunch.

I had a delicious breakfast of cheesy eggs, hash browns, toast, and really crispy bacon! I wore my medal the whole time. LOL! No one asked me about it though. I was surprised. Unless people of Baltimore are just used to people walking around wearing medals. Could be...

I have now embarked upon year 5 of my running career! And how will I celebrate? By taking off July and August. LOL! That's ok. I know the fall and winter will be good. Here's to another successful BWC!

Oh and that race PR? Yea, I got it...by 47 seconds! Woot!

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Baltimore Women's Classic 5k

In 2009, I ran my first 5k. I ran the Baltimore Women's Classic 5k in Baltimore. It was a gorgeous morning, seriously. So nice for being the end of June. I ran a speedy 45:25 and passed that darn walker who tried finishing before me. Ha!

When I crossed the line, I received a cold wet towel, a bottle of water, and a rose. It was awesome! I was thrilled I ran the whole thing and that I finished. There was a time or two I wondered about it. More because I wasn't 100% sure if I was going in the right direction! I had thoughts I might wander Baltimore for the rest of my life. Yes, I am that bad with directions.

This race has a special place in my heart. How could it not? My first actual race? Each year, I have been lucky enough to run it and improve my time. It's always a warm morning and the race gets bigger each year. This year, for the first time, they are offering a medal. A MEDAL!!!!! I am not one of those every race has to have one. I am completely content with 5ks not having them. I'm cool with that. I was totally cool doing the BWC without a medal. A race that in my opinion is awesome just got awesomer!!!

Oh hello! How can you NOT love this bling???? I'm going to proudly swagger all over the place wearing that! I'm already in love! I seriously cannot wait to get my hands on it! It totally rocks! I'll stop using exclamation points now.

Did your first race have a medal? What is your favorite race medal?


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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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