July 20th-30th, 2013
The Gulf Beach Half Marathon (September 14th, 2013) - This half marathon, originally, was not on my radar. But my best friend from home, Stel, decided to sign up so I of course had to run to support her. It was a plus plus plus that my friend Nicole and five other sisters were running too! And it was close to home - you could not beat that. I was familair with running Milford because Carolyn, Leilannie, and I did a 12 mile training run with Team in Training for the Fairfield Half Marathon back in June. I felt so strong during this training run, and the half course was almost identical to the training run. So I was feeling very confident. The morning of the race was so cold! I originally planned on wearing one of my new Under Armor running skirts, but that idea went out the window the second I woke up and felt how chilly it was outside, I opted to wear my Lulu Lemon pants instead. Stel, Leilannie, and I drove to milford together and met up with everyone else. Carolyn even came to support cheer us on! It was Pirate themed, so I was pretending to be a Pirate. The starting line was right next to the beach. So beautiful but so windy! Due to this, I opted to keep my jacket on. Would I regret this decision later? Maybe. But I was happy at the start line. That mattered most. The race started, and in true fashion, most of us were separated within the first few minutes. Leilannie, Brandie, and I stuck together though for most of the race. The beginning of the race was hilly, but I like hills! So I did not mind. With that said, most of the race was very very flat. About 30 minutes into the race the temperature went from cold to very hot! There were water stops every 2.5 miles which I felt was not enough. For the first time I understood why some choose to run with water belts. The course was a big loop. We ran down 6.55 miles and then turned around and ran the same 6.55 miles back. I loved this course because I knew where I was at all times. The last .1 of the race was in the sand! They aren't kidding when they say a sand run is a good workout (note to self: run in the sand more). My wonderful friends Alyssa and Lauren were cheering at the finish line! Matt was also with them! Such a good way to end this race. Stel and Nicole had incredible times! Nicole finished in 1:53:35 and Stel finished in 2:01:04!!!!!! I have never been close to either of those times! I was so happy for them ! They are such running inspirations. My goal is to be as close to 2:00 as I could possibly get. As of today I am still trying to break 2:25. It's okay. One day! 18 Mile Tune Up (September 15th, 2013) - This 18 mile run would be the longest run I would do before the marathon. The second I saw that the New York Road Runners was hosting this run I knew it was extremely important that I run it!! The timing was amazing. The Gulf Half Marathon was the day before -- PERFECT training for The Dopey Challenge! The morning of this race was a busy one for me! I was leaving that afternoon for Budapest so I had to make sure I was ready for the run AND ready to spend nine days in Europe. The run was in Central Park and started at 7:00 am. This meant I had to leave my house around 5:00 am. Thank you to my amazing Dad, who woke up at the crack of dawn to bring me to New York, We arrived at Central Park around 6:40. There were so many people doing this "training run!" I was in awe. Again, this morning was a chilly one. So I wore a long sleeve tech shirt and my purple Lulu Lemon capris. Leilannie and I lined up with our corral and at exactly 7:00 am the race started. My legs were a little sore from the day before, but I was mentally prepared for this long run. 18 miles. 18 miles in Central Park. 3 laps. I could do this. The first part of the lap was downhill. A nice steady decline. Shortly after the downhill was a huge uphill. .5 of a mile downhill, .5 of a mile uphill. What a first mile. Like the Gulf Beach Half Marathon, this race had a water stop every 2.5 miles and we looped so I knew where I was at all times. Both major pluses. For some reason, the water stops didn't seem as far apart as they did the day before. One thing I love about New York Road Runner races is that all of the volunteers are a part of the NYRR! Most of them are volunteering for guaranteed entry into next years New York City Marathon. It's just so nice to see runners supporting runners. During this run, at a stretch stop, I met this great guy (he was a volunteer) who was giving me marathon advice. His best tip? Pace yourself! Most people start off too fast and get tired way too early in. I wish I could remember his name. The first loop around the park was great. Six miles flew by. The second loop around the park became a little more difficult. My sore legs began to cramp and just like the day before, it went from a chilly morning to a hot day. The second loop I stopped to stretch multiple times. My calves and my butt where the tightest they have ever been!! Great and awful feeling all at the same time. I am unsure how my body made it through the last lap. It is so true what they say - our minds are stronger then we could ever imagine. At the finish line my knees were barely working and my legs were so tight but I had just run 18 MILES! 18 miles was such an accomplishment for me! I was happy as can be! We are coming for you Hartford! Not many things compare to running in Central Park. Everything is just so beautiful !! This was a great run. I will definitely do it again in the future.
Sea Legs Shuffle 10 Miler (August 4th, 2013) - There are no words to describe this race, When you are mentally unprepared for a long run, it is harder than you could ever imagine. HUGE thank you to my sister Leilannie, who helped me push through! Great things about this race: The scenary was incredible. The fact that Carolyn, Leilannie, and I decided to go with an America theme for our outfits. Bad thing about this race: Leilannie and I were at the back of the pack (my fault entirely! My head was somewhere else) and we were unsure of where to go because there were no signs or volunteers to guide us!! Needless to say, we spent a good amount of time confused hoping we were going the right way. Alone and confused. Great opportunity for a picture. The Electric Run (August 10, 2013) - Had the best after party of any race I have ever participated in. The music at the end with the props they provided was just amazing. With that said, running in the dark with thousands + thousands of people, plus the flashing lights every quarter of a mile seemed like a hazard to me.! I found myself tripping on rocks or little kids every other minute. I would definitely do this race again, I just wish it wasn't so expensive! If you catch the race early enough you can sign up for $40.00. Wait to long and it might cost you $65.00 to run an untimed race! This is crazy to me. And for those of you who know me, you know I am not the most frugal person. So if I say I think it's expensive -- then it must be expensive! New Haven Road Race (September 2nd, 2013) - This exact race, 366 days prior, I ran my first road race ever. The New Haven 5K. Now I was back, this time to run the 20K. It is safe to say that The New Haven Road Race has a very special place in my heart. Two days before the 20K I tried to do a four mile run with Carolyn, and it went very very bad. I ended up leaving after two miles due to hunger pains. That is what I get for running on an empty stomach. Actually to be honest, a few weeks earlier Sea Leg Shuffle went AWFUL too … and there was no excuse for that (the only good thing about that race was our red, white, and blue theme. GO USA!) With my past few runs ending terribly, I was almost positive that the 20K would not end well for me. I actually asked people to send good vibes my way. That is how nervous I was! I had to get there a little early (a little ended up being 90 minutes early) because I was running with Team in Training, my new favorite way to run, and I needed to pick up my bib. Getting there early was the best thing I could have ever done. I was able to KT tape my knees, calves, and back. I ate my breakfast peacefully and hydrated. I was even able to wrap my toes – which I don’t think was successful, but it was worth a try. Before the race I gave my usual “Don’t worry about me if I cannot keep up. Run a head – I will see you at the finish line.” The race began and we were off. It felt so good to run in New Haven. We ran passed Southern, up Ella T. Grosso, we passed the New Haven Green again and ran into parts of New Haven I did not even know existed! We ran 12 miles, and those miles flew by. Who would guess that 12 miles could seem like nothing? My body felt great. My mind felt amazing. For the first time in a while, I felt very confident about my running again.
I passed mile ten at 1:53. Nine minutes earlier then I had during the Sea Legs Shuffle 10 miler. This made me so happy! I was feeling great! The course was amazing and the crowd was unbelievable! 9:00 AM turned into 10:00 AM and the crowd never died down. New Haven can really appreciate a good road race and they stay outside cheering until the last runner comes in, There were so many water stations which was amazing, especially because it was a humid rainy day (I love running in this weather). I absolutely love. love. love the New Haven Road Race and would reccomend this to any runner. They even supply a beer at the end! A good crowd, great course, a lot of water, and a beer at the end? What more could one runner want? :) |