It’s Electric! The Electric Run DC

September 12, 2013 by Meridith

There’s no greater compliment that I can receive than “you inspired me to run”. Sometimes I hear feedback like, “Well, I was going to bail on this run but then I heard a voice in my head that sounded very much like you telling me I can and I will and I kept going!” And other times apparently people are cursing me in their heads. Either which way, I’ll take what I can get!

My high school bestie, Keri and I were chatting a couple of months ago while she was doing the Couch to 5k program and I told her that she should pick a race and we’d do it together.

Meet my friend of 21 years, Keri! We don’t see each other nearly enough but when we do, it’s like no time has passed.

Keri picked the DC Electric Run, we signed up as soon as registration opened (in April) and began planning! In July I happened to be in Philadelphia, where I run many of my races, when their Electric Run got shut down because of a particularly bad thunder and lightning storm. It was the same weekend as the Philadelphia Zoo Summer Ale fest and Jog ‘n Hog and I saw many disappointed runners throughout the city. Thankfully we didn’t have the same fate but I definitely felt for those people (as we all ran through the rain together in search of taxis!).

We paid the extra $5 for race day pick up since neither of us are particularly close to the packet pickup locations – National Harbor is about forty minutes from Keri’s abode – and arrived super duper early to claim a good parking spot in one of the garages. Our first stop was packet pickup and since we arrived right at the beginning of the time window, we waltzed right up and got hooked up with shirts, bibs, glow bracelets and glow glasses. It’s worth noting that the women’s shirts run fairly small (I got a XL, for reference).

For the love of Pete, somebody help this giant! The Awakening.

Since we had plenty of time, we wandered around National Harbor before settling at McLoone’s for dinner. Perfect weather lead to eating outside where we got to see other Electric Run participants, a wedding party, boats, and all around general awesomeness. We saw a couple of the Electric Run’s “Worlds” set up and ready to go!

After our dinner we ditched our race packets in the car and readied ourselves for the run. We came prepared with at least 60 glow bracelets which adorned not only our wrists but our necks (two hooked together), shoes (pretty sure this isn’t what SKORA had in mind), and hair.

We headed into the corral area a little after 7pm where they were checking bracelets to make sure that everyone was on the up and up. Finding ourselves close to the starting line, we knew that we’d be going out in the first wave.

Now… it was time for the sun to get the heck off our lawn so we could Electric Run! GO ON, sun. Shoo!

There was a really, really tall dude standing right next to us. Keri isn’t shy (*I’m so demure*) so she asked if he’d take a picture for us. I love this picture because it really gives you an idea of the sheer magnitude of the crowd. And what an awesomely diverse crowd it was!

Getting darker! We were antsy at this point – time was creeping along but the Electric Run’s DJ, MC, and staff did a great job keeping the interest going with giveaways of glow sticks, glow rings, hats, and other fun stuff.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwDNvKNiE5k&w=640&h=480]

The race started around 10 minutes after 8pm and we were off into the Electric Run experience!

Something I’ve noticed during “fun runs” like the Electric Run and The Color Run is that there are a lot of people who plan to walk the entire course, which is GREAT, because they are out and moving. However, I think that as walkers, many don’t realize the etiquette that runners have come to expect during events (walkers to the right, runners to the left). It would be pretty rad if the event coordinators could make mention of this, perhaps in both race documents and while the participants are lining up and they’re hyping the crowd.

Once the crowd thinned a bit, we were able to find a really nice, comfortable pace and take pictures along the way.

Each of the “worlds” had speakers with music pumping! I think the phrases “HOW FREAKING COOL IS THIS?” “SO FREAKING COOL!” were the only ones that Keri and I uttered for awhile. It was very “Dude!” “Sweet!” of us.

BECAUSE… IT WAS SO FREAKING COOL.

Once we went through a couple of tunnels, we found ourselves on gravel, right along the water. I have to say that this course ranks in the top three favorites. (And there were hills, so I think that really says a lot.) It was absolutely gorgeous! There were volunteers along the course, pointing us in the right direction. I suppose the “wrong” direction would have been swimming and since none of us had signed up for an aquathon, we continued along on the path.

The first hydration station we reached had Rockstar Energy Drink but we were in search of plain old water. Thankfully, there was a lovely table of water cups just ahead!

Soon after we hit the water station, we got to a really gravelly portion of the course. Not to mention, it wasn’t too well lit. And oh, there was a hill. We took this part slow and tried to see where we were going based on the glowing luminaries ahead. It might have been helpful to have little luminaries along the path in the particularly dark areas. Oh, if only I were in charge of the world!

I think that Umbrella Land was one of my favorite parts of the course. Just as we arrived Coldplay’s “Paradise” started playing and it was just so perfect. It was dark, the night bugs were talking, the umbrellas were floating in the trees (that’s not something you see every day) and we were running. Honestly, it reminded me a bit of when we used to dance in the headlights of our cars at night. Yes, we really used to do that. I blame Footloose and being theater geeks.

Keri and I were talking after the run and she said she couldn’t stop smiling (like the first day she rode a bike as an adult) and I agree. IT WAS REALLY FREAKING COOL. Ahem.

See how cool I am?

Just after we ran under the glowing arches, we came to light-up walls with projections on them. Ran through that and wound up right near a father and son duo. The son was probably around eight (my older son’s age) and the dad was giving the pep talk that I’ve given so many times. “Just a half mile to go! You’ve got this! You’re looking strong, buddy!”

Keri wasn’t sure the significance of the mouse – but we rolled with it! When the dad said we were only a half mile out, it made both of us kind of sad. We wanted it to go on forever!

Just after we went through these lit up trees, we hit a steep uphill. But there were actually spectators at this point in the course and we knew that we were nearly done so naturally we tapped into their energy and RAN up that hill. I think Keri might have actually said “WEE!” at one point.

And thankfully, where there’s an uphill, it’s usually followed by the downhill! We flew through the streets of National Harbor, lined with spectators and picked up steam as we went. Faster and faster, we ran through an area of fog (thanks to the fog machine) and then saw the FINISH arch! Keri was so happy speeding along, she nearly missed the fact that we were AT the finish!

We grabbed the post race water and granola bars, took a very glow-y picture, and made our way to the post race par-tay!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un1hGbqIC6I&w=640&h=480]

Thanks to Keri for this video – I was dancing. Naturally!

I’m so very grateful that not only did I get to experience this race but that I got to run it with Keri. I think I’ve said this before; I was the girl who walked the mile in gym class. Keri was the girl who walked right next to me. For us to do this and enjoy it all these years later? Ah-maz-ing.

Ever do an Electric Run or night race? My next night race will be runDisney’s Wine and Dine! And I’ll be cheering at the Philly Rock ‘n Roll half marathon this weekend – look for me with my bright yellow sign, hopefully with a Scoot a Doot shoe logo if I’m able to get crafty. 😉

Running with the Amish, again.

September 11, 2013 by vfreile

Last weekend, I headed back to my hometown in Pennsylvania to visit family and friends and run a half marathon through rural Amish Country.

Does this sound familiar? It might, because last spring I ran a half marathon through Amish Country with a childhood friend Wendy, and we had a blast. Shortly after running that race, the Garden Spot half marathon, I decided to register for its fall counterpart, the Bird-in-Hand half marathon.

What a great call!

Lancaster, Pennsylvania is Amish country. Home to many in the Pennsylvania Dutch Amish and Mennonite community. Many in the county’s Amish community love to run and are quite fast.

Saturday’s race was FILLED with Amish men and women, most of whom run in Amish clothing. That means men run in black pants and suspenders and women wear long dresses and aprons. (and of course, sneakers)

An Amish man and woman fly by. Yep, they are running.

My friend Kyle came in for the race. As we headed to the race site Saturday morning we were treated to a pretty spectacular sunrise. And thank you mom, for driving us in and cheering us on!

Lancaster County sunrise

We arrived early. We wanted plenty of time to park and use one of the slew of portajohns waiting for runners. (There were more than 60 and lines were short. Thank you, race organizers! You understand!)

Hot air balloons inflating at the start

I also had the chance to meet my Oiselle teammate, Michelle, who was making her race debut as a member of the brand’s running team. (I made mine last week at an 18-miler in Watertown, NY, where I PRed!)

Oiselle, pronounced “wa-zell” and means “bird” in French, is a women’s running apparel company that encourages women athletes to push their limits, take chances and just be your amazing self. Michelle and I last month were both named to Oiselle’s Volèe team (That’s “flier” in French) and represent the brand. Side note: I love everything about this company. The gear, the women behind it and the women representing it.

Birds in Bird-in-Hand!

We were both excited to meet, and to race in our singlets for the first time! Can’t wait to run with you again, Birdie!

The race itself was a stunning, but hilly course. Kyle and I used the event as a training run for our fall marathons. Since I really pushed myself last weekend in Watertown, I knew I have to take it easy this weekend.

Kyle and I chatted as we ran, and ran. We spotted quite a few Amish men and women passing us by. Here’s my fave pic, snapped mid-stride.

Run!

Here are a few highlights from the race:

– About a dozen hot air balloon launched just before the race began. This was incredibly beautiful and the balloons entertained us for the first few miles of the hilly, rural course.

Hands down, my fave pic of the race

– Running with Kyle, because hello, she’s awesome! And we can comfortably chat while enjoying the scenery.

– All the water stations were manned by Amish children. Boys and girls cheered as they handed out water and Gatorade to thirsty runners.

– A mid-race cheer and high-five from my teammate Michelle! We spotted each other near the mile 5 turnaround. In our matching singlets, we each cheered for each other. “Fly birdie!” As Kyle said, it was “absolutely stinkin’ adorable.”

There were many fans along the route, both human and animals. We thanked many children and volunteers as we ran. Those lovely Amish girls cheering at mile 11 on the one-lane bridge will also forever hold a place in my heart. Kyle and I cheered back. How often do you have the chance to interact with such simplicity and joy?

As we rounded the bend to the finish, I spotted my mother, then high-tailed it across the finish line where family friend Carole was cheering!

Post-race with Kyle, who PRed by 12 minutes! Rock on lady!

Yes, those medals are real horseshoes. Yes, they are insanely heavy. Yes, I nearly toppled over when it was placed around my neck by little Amish girl. Yes, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Bird-in-hand half: Beautiful course! Loved meeting @SeenontheRun & our mid-race high-5! #oiselleteam @kylepjennings pic.twitter.com/fNlyUxx6kc

— Victoria Freile (@vfreile) September 7, 2013

I can’t wait to run this course again next fall… and I’ll plan ahead this time so I can really fly! (are you in, Kyle? Michelle?)

Have you run a rural race? Have you ever run with the Amish? Is this event now on your bucket list? (and they have a 5K too!)

Guest Post: Anya takes on the Dumbo Double Dare

September 5, 2013 by scootadoot

When my girls at Scoot A Doot asked me months ago if I would write a guest post for the Disneyland Half Marathon and the Dumbo Double Dare I, of course, said “yes!” I thought it would be an easy-to-write recap of an epic day. Little did I know how epic my day would end up (and how difficult it would be to put into words).

The Dumbo Double Dare was a challenge presented this year by runDisney where if you ran the Inaugural Disneyland 10K and then the following day ran the Disneyland Half Marathon you would receive an extra medal (and some extra pride).

Two weeks prior to Dumbo I was playing soccer in an over 30’s Women’s tournament and was tackled HARD. I flipped and the first thing to hit the ground was my left shoulder. Immediately I knew something was wrong. I couldn’t lift my arm and the pain, oh the pain! Later, as we sat in the ER, it dawned on me that I would not be running the races that I had so diligently trained for.

Before my shoulder injury, I was feeling so good and prepared for the Dumbo Double Dare! Based on my training runs, I truly felt I could PR both the 10K and the Half Marathon.

In my over 28 years of playing soccer this would be my worst injury. My Orthopedic Surgeon informed me that I had separated my shoulder, torn some ligaments and had some nerve damage. He followed that with the best news I could have heard: I could probably run the half marathon, it may hurt but I would not do any further damage! Since I had already come to terms with the fact that I would NOT be running Dumbo this was all amazing news for me! I was cleared to use a stationary bicycle, so I hopped on and cycled my heart out. The Thursday before the race I was finally cleared to run both events. I did a short run and it was awful. My shoulder hurt so bad that I got nauseous during the run (it probably didn’t help that it was 90 degrees that day). The good news is that every day my shoulder was better than the day before, so I had hope that it would feel better by Saturday morning.

We packed the car and drove up to the Expo on Friday morning.

Me at the expo in my awesome Scoot A Doot t-shirt

How cute are the bibs for the Dumbo Double Dare?!

Fast forward to the morning of the Disneyland 10K. As I stood in my corral I was so nervous to take those first few steps! I had an amazing cheering section (my wife and dog) and a ton of support from family and friends so I knew that no matter what happened that day I would be okay.

I ran the first mile very carefully and quickly realized that my shoulder felt good, my legs felt good, my lungs felt good and it felt so good to be running again! When I crossed that finish line- I crossed it with the biggest smile ever! I checked my time and I PR’d the race by 6 minutes! I don’t run too many 10K races so it was a PR that was long overdue, but it still felt so good to get it!

Here I am with my 10k medal – loving life!

I woke up the next morning with my shoulder aching a bit and my legs feeling a little sore from the day before otherwise I felt good and I was so excited to be running the half! My wife, Laurie, and I left the hotel and walked to the starting line – with our little dog in the basket of Laurie’s bike.

People loved seeing him and kept calling him “Toto”

Once we got closer we parted ways and I headed over to Corral C to get ready to get going. This was my first runDisney race that I would be completing without Laurie next to me (along with the 10k).

It was very dark and crowded, but everyone was so friendly!

The energy at runDisney races is incredible and contagious. I was once again very nervous but all the excited people around me helped to clear my mind. It was an abnormally hot and humid day in Anaheim and my legs were already a little sore, how would I do in this race? I knew I would finish, but how bad would it hurt?

They did a countdown and sent us off with some fanfare and Mickey and Minnie waving to everyone. I tried to take photos but my water bottle was very full and I could not hold it in my left (injured) arm for very long. I tried to take photos with my left hand but that was a total failure! I did manage a few photos through Disneyland and CA Adventure- but they were very blurry.

World of Color and Mickey’s Fun Wheel! If you squint your eyes, it looks normal.

Running down route 66 at Cars Land

My favorite part- running down Main Street Disneyland!

At this point I was moving at a very cautious pace. My legs were feeling a little sore, but my shoulder was feeling good (unless I held the water bottle with my left arm to take pictures). I decided that I would just keep going and tuck my camera away. But not before getting the one picture I really wanted:

Me with the Dumbo ride, while completing the Dumbo Double Dare! Bonus: sunrise over the Matterhorn.

At around the 4 mile mark you are out of the parks and you embark on your journey through Anaheim. If it wasn’t for some amazing High School Bands, Cheerleaders, Dance Groups, and friends and family of the runners, this section would have been a very boring run on the streets.

I had last seen Laurie in between California Adventure and Disneyland and as I approached mile 6 I spotted her again! It was so great to see her, as I needed a morale boost. Every step was hurting and it was so hot out, but seeing her (and our dog) helped me forget that. She rode next to me for a ways and then left to meet me somewhere else (I never knew where she would be). As she rode next to me she snapped this shot with the GoPro camera (which subsequently ran out of battery):

One foot in front of the other!

And I took this picture of her:

Why oh why didn’t we have her dress as Dorothy from the Wizard of OZ?!

I started having to dig down deep in order to keep myself going. My doubts were setting in, could I go another 7 miles?! I just kept telling myself that I could do it, and it worked as I kept going.

At the mile 8 mark something amazing happened. I saw this guy and took my last picture on the course:

The 2:15 pacer!

I knew that the 2:15 pacer started a ways in front of me in my corral. This meant I was going a little faster than a 2:15 half marathon! My PR was 2:16. Was I REALLY going PR pace?! Right then I heard Laurie yelling for me. I ran over to her and said “did you see the pacer?!” she immediately knew what I meant. She had been doing runner tracking so she knew what my pace was but I did not (until I saw the pacer). I forgot to look at the clock when I started so I didn’t know how many minutes to subtract and I made a few guesses but nothing was official. It’s always best when I don’t focus too hard on my pace (you’ll see why). Laurie took this picture of us before I took off again:

I’m smiling! Could I actually PR?!

This was around the area where there was about a mile of classic cars. This part was so awesome! So many people there with their extremely cool cars (eye candy) cheering for total strangers very early in the morning!

Mile 9 was just before Angels Stadium. Right around here I lost the pacer as he was in front of me and I could no longer see him. I was feeling pretty deflated. I had tasted a PR, I had it in my grasps and I felt like I had let it go. I felt like maybe I should just walk, but I quickly talked myself out of that and just kept moving.

As we entered Angels stadium I got chills! I had done this race twice before (2009 and 2010) so I knew this part would be incredible. The stands are packed with cheering Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and many screaming families and spectators. The noise is deafening yet uplifting. Not all of us are professional athletes (clearly) so having a stadium filled with people yelling for you and everyone around you feels pretty amazing.

Shortly after we left the stadium we hit mile 10. Mile 10 for me, usually (I have run 10 other half marathons), is where I get the most excited. It is the point in the race where I know I have made it. The point where I feel I am done with the hardest part of the race. This day, alas, I did not feel this way at mile 10. It was tough and I was really pushing myself to keep moving.

I don’t know how I made it to mile 11. It wasn’t pretty but I just kept repeating my mantra “I am alive” reminding myself I was okay, I was breathing, I was going to do this. I hunkered down and pushed myself harder than I have ever pushed myself. I wasn’t going to stop. Right around here I saw Laurie once again. She saw I was struggling and she asked me if I was hurting, I told her I was (but she knew this already). She told me to keep going because I was going to finish! I could do it! I honestly would have stopped and walked if I didn’t have her voice in my head over and over telling me I could do it. Let me be clear, there is nothing at all wrong with walking during a race. We walked almost all of the Princess Half Marathon, but this race was just different for me. I was so thankful to be able to run! Laurie also knows me so well if I really looked like I needed to slow down or stop she surely would have stepped in and said so. I trusted her and I just kept going.

At mile 12 I was absolutely shocked. I caught up with the 2:15 pacer! He was stopped and waiting for people to catch up. My guess is that he was ahead of schedule. That was my cue to stop doubting and start pushing. I ran. I ran HARD. He would NOT catch me again! I would get far enough away from him that if I needed to slow down I would still be in front of him. I have never pushed myself so hard. When I took the last turn to the straightaway to finish, I knew I was close and I sprinted.

I sprinted past the screaming/cheering spectators that lined the course near the Disneyland Hotel. I sprinted past the mile 13 sign. I only slowed down to high five Minnie Mouse before I crossed the finish line. I couldn’t believe how hard I pushed- and what was my time?? I immediately checked my email because I was having my official times tracked and sent there. There it was: 2:10:32. I had PR’d by 6 minutes!! I was in shock!! I made it to where they put the medal around your neck and I was such an emotional mess. I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that I had actually finished this race after thinking that after months of training hard I wasn’t going to be able to run it- and on top of that I finished with a new PR!

Right after I got my half medal, I burst into tears. Tears of joy. Tears of exhaustion. Tears because I did it! I tried to compose myself while they gave me my Dumbo Double Dare medal.

Wearing both medals felt great!

Shortly after I crossed the finish line my phone died. When I plugged it back in a little later I got this text from my mom “Anya, you are my hero”. She had apparently been tracking me and she sent me that text right as I crossed the finish line. Cue the waterworks again. Boy, was I emotional!

The breakdown of my race (from the tracking emails):

Just as I had trained! Negative splits!

There’s something magical about the runDisney races. I have always had such an amazing time when I run them, and despite this one being such a difficult race for me I finished with a huge smile on my face! I don’t think I could have PR’d so close to my injury at any other race. I am so thankful for every single stranger that cheered for me. Thankful for all the volunteers who worked! Thankful for the volunteers helping me fill my water bottle again. Side note- I drank 2 full water bottles during this race (that was a first for me as well) on top of Powerade at most of the later stations and 2.5 GU’s. I am also thankful for all of the Anaheim police who were out controlling traffic on the course. I am even more thankful that I had Laurie racing around on her bike to cheer me on. She truly is the reason that I was able to finish. I love the Disneyland Half Marathon and I am so excited to have a shiny new PR as well as 3 shiny new medals from running the Dumbo Double Dare (that’s a lot of shine!).

How amazing are these medals?!

Of course I had to wear my Dumbo medal for this picture!

Oh and our dog? Apparently it’s exhausting riding around in a basket!

Good night, little man.

This race really showed me that I have the strength to reach my goals if I get out of my head and just go for it. I will never give up on myself again. This race was such an emotional victory for me. I feel like I really became a runner (like, a runner) this weekend. I have so much support from the people that love me it’s overwhelming. My friends and family were so awesome cheering me on and congratulating me. They are my inspiration. I am also proud of the training I have done this year. It is a true testament to my training that I was able to take 2 weeks off from running (and basically all exercise/movement) and still complete 19.3 miles in 2 days. I still feel
so good!

Oh, runDisney you got me again. What a wonderful time I had! I will be back!

Anya is an avid sports fan, career soccer coach, terrible chef, and an occasional blogger at http://runningisakick.wordpress.com/ You can also find her on twitter at @AnyaBC18

We Might Be Giants

August 26, 2013 by writeitdownjess

Or at least we were for one day when Mister Jess and I (and Bug, too, by default) ran The Giant Race 5K.

Somehow, despite the fact that the city of San Francisco is obsessed with their baseball team, I’d never heard of this event. But when my darling friend Val mentioned on Facebook that she’d signed up for it, I looked it up, decided it would be the perfect inaugural post-baby race to run, and signed right up!

It’ll be such great motivation to train! I thought. I’m going to be SO READY to run! I told myself.

Fast forward to August 4th and yeah, I hadn’t trained at all. Whoops! Needless to say, I was a little nervous about running 3.1 miles when I hadn’t run even one mile in well over a year. Add on to that the fact that Mister Jess was determined to run the whole thing without stopping and I was getting a little dewy underneath my Scoot A Doot t-shirt.

Sorry, you want me to RUN?

Ain’t no thing, says Mister Jess.

We got to the start line in front of AT&T Park (where the Giants play, of course) about ten minutes to 11am when the race was expected to start. Knowing nothing about this race previously, I was wholly unprepared for just how many people were there.

There were thousands upon thousands of racers dressed up in orange and black, sporting Giants gear, ready to run on behalf of their beloved baseball team and Project Open Hand, a very worthy cause the race was raising money for. We ended up at the back of the crowd. The early bird gets the better spot and all that, which was fine by me due to the whole not training for the race thing. I was happy to start in the caboose.

Nervous smile! BOB cameo!

Because there were so many people, it took us forever to get to the actual start line and once we officially began racing we were barely walking, never mind running.

This is easy! I thought. For about two minutes.

But then people started dispersing and spreading out and, you know, running. Mister Jess looked at me and said, “Ready?”

Apparently it was not a rhetorical question, so run we did.

The course went from AT&T Park down the Embarcadero toward Pier 39 and then looped back to finish at AT&T Park. It’s certainly one of the prettier courses I’ve run, although I think you’d be challenged to find a course in San Francisco that doesn’t have some kind of scenic eye candy. We ran along the bay, past the Bay Bridge and the various piers, bobbing and weaving through the crowd with our BOB and a straight passed out Bug.

I was already feeling pretty fatigued less than a mile in, but Mister Jess was a great running partner, encouraging me to keep running even if I needed to slow my pace. Despite the fact that he hadn’t trained for the race at all, he was running next to me like we were on a walk in the park. Annoying, but forgivable since he was keeping me motivated.

By the time we reached the halfway point, though, I was really feeling it and had to slow to a walk. Disappointing and probably completely in my head, but I was tired, sore and parched. We turned back toward AT&T Park and walked until I got my bearings and breath back. After a few minutes, I was ready to pick up the pace again. The natural competitor in me (buried deep down, but it’s there!) didn’t want my finish time to be too skewed.

Yep, loving life.

It had been so long since I’d run a race that I completely forgot about the rush. You know the rush: when you’re less than a mile from the finish and you’ve got spectators cheering you on, saying things like, “you’re almost there!” The endorphins kick in and suddenly there’s that burst of energy and you’re like, “I’M ALMOST THERE!”

Add on to that the fact that we could hear cheers coming from AT&T Park where people were waiting to welcome us across the finish line and I had a renewed sense of what I like to call Hell Yeah.

Experiencing the rush!

Hell Yeah!

What’s around the river – er, stadium bend?

If you ever want to cross a race finish line on the hallowed ground of a major league baseball field, then The Giant Race is for you. Mister Jess is a big sports buff, so when we got here:

And here:

He was pretty geeked out. And even though I barely know the difference between a touchdown and a home run, I have to admit that it was awesome running onto that field and seeing people cheering for us from the stands. It gave me a tiny taste of what it must be like for the Giants to play there. It was a truly unique experience that I wouldn’t have been able to get anywhere else, and definitely a race moment I will remember forever.

Another thing I’ll remember forever? Getting my first medal!

I’m done!

And I’ve got a medal!

My boys!

After we’d crossed the finish line, grabbed our medals, and took off our time chips, we went to hang out in the grass for a few minutes. Bug was less than impressed with his first experience with grass (pssh, city kid).

Two eyebrows are worth a thousand words.

Hmm. Can I eat this?

After soaking up the atmosphere we packed it up, packed it in, and left the park to feed our hungry bellies. I was nowhere close to PRing, but I finished the race and ran the majority of it, so I had to pat myself on the back for a job well done.

Overall, this was a very well organized, super fun race with a unique finish line experience. As soon as we were done, I turned to Mister Jess and said, “we’re doing this again next year.” If I can’t be a Giant all the time, at least I can every August!

What’s the most unique race course you’ve ever run? When did you get your first medal? Tell me about it in the comments!

The Color Run vs. Color Vibe

August 22, 2013 by vfreile

It’s time for the results of our good-natured color throwdown!

Remember back in the spring when we told you I would run several color-themed 5k races in western New York this summer? Ah yes, we’re going back a few months.

The Color Run and Color Vibe both graciously offered me entries to run each event. Although the color was theirs, all opinions are my own.

I enjoyed both events, but let me say its rather tricky to compare two colorful 5k races that I ran in different cities and in different weather conditions.

You may recall that when I ran the Color Vibe back in April, the sky opened up on the runners. It hailed, it snowed and it was darn windy. As a result, few stuck around for the after party. (Was there one? I don’t actually know.)

yes, that’s snow (Color Vibe)

Last weekend, I headed to Buffalo, NY with my friend and colleague Tina for The Color Run and Tina’s first-ever 5k.

I blogged specifically about Saturday’s race on my work blog. (Click HERE to read)

The blue color zone along Lake Erie (The Color Run)

So let’s try a comparison breakdown of the two races:

Participants:

Both events touted thousands of runners (8,000 or so for the Color Vibe and 10,000 for The Color Run, according to race organizers.) Both figures seemed a bit inflated, but I’d certainly agree that thousands of people took part in each event. Let’s just say both races were crowded, but it was never overwhelming. Race organizers knew how to move the crowd.

At the Color Vibe, the first group of runners didn’t begin until about 10-15 minutes after the appointed race start time, which on a normal day wasn’t a big deal. But the temps had dropped to the 30s and the skies were dark, Plus there was confusion about the start time, so we actually waited about 45 minutes for the race to begin.

Lindsay, Deb and Charlotte running through campus (Color Vibe)

In comparison, The Color Run started at its appointed start time, though it took Tina and me an extra 20 or so minutes to reach the start area after the the first runners set off. (We actually watched the first folks finish!)

A sea of white shirts. Can you spot me? (The Color Run)

Round 1 goes to The Color Run

Color Zones: At both races, we ran through four color zones.

Color Vibe participants were doused with color packets right out of the gate. I loved that idea – get runners with a burst of color right from the start! Unfortunately, I wasn’t ready for it, so I basically missed the first of four color zones. (My fault, not theirs.)

Think pink! (The Color Run)

The Color Run seemed to have more volunteers throwing powered color on participants, so it was hard for anyone to get past a zone without a hint of color.

That said, in any color race, ASK the throwers to hit you with color if you want to be covered. They will oblige.

If you want minimal color, try to zip past and dodge the throwers. Stay in the middle, where other runners act as a color buffer.

Round 2 is a draw

The course: Obviously this will vary greatly from race to race. My suggestion for all future color event participants is to pay attention to the 3.1-mile course you will be running.

The Color Vibe was entirely housed on the campus of a local community college. It’s a smart move because its self-contained and doesn’t require race organizers to close roads and divert traffic. That said, the route includes a large amount of parking lots… which also means less event parking.

The Color Run’s route was a refreshing surprise to me. You guessed it, I didn’t check out the course before the event because I knew I’d be walking much of it. The 5k course started in Buffalo’s Canalside Park, next to the First Niagara Center and followed some downtown roads and lakeside roads, into a marina along Lake Erie and back.

Along Lake Erie (The Color Run)

Because of its location, The Color Run route seemed far more picturesque.

Round 3 winner: The Color Run

Race swag: Entry to the two races are pretty much the same. $45 for the Color Vibe and $50 for The Color Run.

With the Color Vibe entry, I received a race shirt (which I wore for the run), one color packet, sunglasses and Boston bracelets, a thoughtful gesture by race organizers as we ran several days after the Boston Marathon bombings.

The Color Run entry included a race shirt (again, I wore it), a race headband, a color packet and some stickers.

Both events sold a number of other products. The Color Run organizers repeatedly threw swag such as race socks and bags into the crowd.

Round 4 winner: Color Vibe

After party: Both events hosted pre-race and post-race parties, which included music, dancing and a celebratory atmosphere.

Because of the wintry weather at the Color Vibe, most participants ran for their cars and shelter after finishing the course. Few people stuck around to sing and dance in the snow and hail. (Gee? Why?) and most volunteers apparently abandoned their post-race posts. I heard there was a photo booth, but never found it. I spotted bottles of water in a pile, though no one was handing them out.

I never saw a big-post race color throw take place by the stage. Instead, participants doused each other with packets of color at or near the finish line. We still had fun, but couldn’t help but wonder if I’d missed something.

Our own color throw (Color Vibe)

The Color Run’s after-party was a huge event. The weather was perfect, thousands of people danced to the music and we watched three separate color tosses take place in the 30 minutes after we finished our race.

A color throw at the Buffalo after-party (The Color Run)

Volunteers passed out Kind bars and offered a water bottle for thirsty runners.

Round 5 winner: The Color Run

I’m an oompaloompa (The Color Run)

Both events were a blast, though different. All of my running partners were a joy! And I love how color events are untimed races, geared toward beginners. The events aren’t about winning, but the joy of running.

But overall, the top winner was THE COLOR RUN. Congrats to the Happiest 5K on the Planet!

What Color event is your top choice? What stood out to you to make that event better than its competitors? Tell us in the comments!

Northwest Passage Ragnar Assassinated By Deadly Ninjas

July 26, 2013 by camoozle

It’s Ragnanimous! I am in love with the Pacific Northwest. I spent this past weekend running relay from Blaine to Whidbey Island and it’s safe to say, Washington state brings the pretty. As always, I ran with my ninjas. My friend Tim took on the Captaining duties this time around and it was a total relief. I packed my gigantic suitcase with the necessities: running shoes, shot blocks, orange hair dye, ninja stars, and headed to Portland, where I was greeted by my Ragnar mentor, Jana.

You’re Welcome, TSA.

We gathered two more ninjas, Mike and Amber, and headed for Seattle to meet up with the rest of our team. Many of our runners traveled from out of state and Eric was scheduled to pick up our van from the Seattle airport. The other van was being provided by one of our runners, Amy. The plan was to meet in Seattle, get our vans situated, eat a yummy dinner, then travel two hours to the start line where Dana had arranged for us to stay in a kickass timeshare. Of course, there’s always a snag.

Crisis #1…FLAT TIRE! On the way to Seattle, we stopped to get a couple bags of fortune cookies at Tsue Chong. We like to hand out the cookies on the course. Walking back to the car, Mike noticed the front tire had a screw in it. And it was quickly deflating. Luckily, we found a tire shop who patched up the tire and we were back on the road in no time.

I see an unlikely stop in your future.

Crisis #2…THEY GAVE AWAY OUR VAN!! That’s right, Budget gave away the roomy minivan that was to be our home for the next 30 hours. Instead they gave us a Ford Explorer. Which is not as roomy, nor as user friendly for getting in and out of. So we crammed all our stuff into the back of the SUV and I crawled into the cubby space in the way far back and claimed it as my own.

FINALLY, we were ready to eat. It had gotten pretty late with all our setbacks and for some reason, everything had closed at 8pm. We were running out of dining options. Plan one was to get pizza and take it to the timeshare. Plan two…find the nearest Olive Garden. Which is what we did. The other van opted for pizza, but we made a beeline for the breadsticks. Our bellies full, we headed up to the timeshare to get some much needed rest before our 8 am start time.

Van 1: Eldon, Tim, Armando, Amy, DenaLee, Dana

Van 2: Eric, Dustin, Amber, Cam, Mike, Jana

Race Day! We were awakened by the sounds of 1997 blasting from Jana’s ipod. We donned our ninja gear and drank our hotel coffee. We said goodbye to the toilet and its running water. We wouldn’t be seeing one of those for awhile. It would be Honey Buckets from here on out. We piled into our vehicles and headed off to the start. My van wouldn’t begin running until around 1pm but we wanted to support our team as we headed out on this great adventure. And wouldn’t you know it, we hit another snag.

Crisis #3…WE GOT PULLED OVER!!! That’s right, boys and girls, we were going 40 mph in a 25 mph zone. And even though there were tons of decorated vans careening through the small town of Blaine, Washington, Highway Patrol decided to stop us. He let us off with a warning but the time wasted was enough to make us stress. Then there was the task of actually getting to the start line. Last year, we accidentally went to Canada. This time, an emergency u-turn averted that crisis but it still took some time to find the start.

But we made it. Just in time to snap this picture.

There goes our ninja!

We hung around the start for a while, then grabbed some breakfast at a snazzy little cafe close by. Then we headed to Exchange 6, where we would meet the other van and begin our runs. We got to the exchange super early. What’s a ninja to do with all that free time? Why, prepare the arsenal and tag vans, of course! And make some friends in the process.

We got word that Runner 6, DenaLee, was about a mile out and Eric took his post at the exchange. He would be handing off to me. His first leg was relatively short and he’s inhumanly fast, so we quickly made our way to Exchange 7. My first run would be 5.7 miles with about about a 600 ft. elevation gain. This was the leg I was dreading the most. I took a FrogFuel, packed some Shot Blocks in my belt, and put my Ragnar NWP mix on shuffle. I was ready to get this out of the way so I could enjoy the rest of the race in peace! As predicted, Eric came flying into the exchange and I was off!

The first two miles of the leg were through a residential area, with a nice steep climb. At the end of the climb, though, I was rewarded with a mile of the most beautiful scenery imaginable. The course turned onto a trail through the forest, complete with green, mossy trees and ferns. The trail opened to Lake Padden and I ran along the lake until I exited the park. My team was waiting for me with water and I was really glad to see them. While the trail was cool and shady, the street was hot!

With that first leg out of the way, I was able to relax and support my team while the rest of the van ran their legs. Being second in our van to run had it’s advantages! I was feeling good and loving my van and I didn’t even care that I was smushed into a cubby hole. This race was shaping up to be the best Ragnar ever!

Then…tragedy struck.

I was waiting to cross the street so I could hand water to our runner, Mike. It was a pretty busy street and I kept hesitating to cross. I wouldn’t be in position to get his water to him before he passed. I finally just bit the bullet and ran to cross the street. And I tripped. And fell flat on my face. In the street. With traffic. I quickly backed out of the street and Mike ran over to help me up. His water had been flung in the process. The safety flag was thrown to the wayside. And I was left with skinned palms and bruised knees and a little damage to my ego. Once I realized I was safe and not seriously injured…I laughed.

And laughed.

Then Jana made this…

And we all laughed. Hysterically. And every time someone in our van was looking at there phone and laughing, I knew exactly what they were laughing at.

Dustin was our last runner and he handed off to Dana about 10 minutes ahead of our projected pace. It was time for us to rest and eat and ready ourselves for our long night runs. We feasted on salads and burgers at Red Robin then drove to Exchange 18 at La Conner Middle School. They had showers and sleeping spaces in the gym and we attempted to get some sleep. I was in my cubby hole in the way far back, fading in and out of consciousness, when I heard a burst of foul language from the front seat. The next thing I knew, I was being roused into action. We had missed our runner! There was a severe lack of phone service and we had predicted Dana to be coming into the exchange at midnight. What we didn’t know was that Van 1 was kicking ass and they were now 30 minutes ahead of schedule. They sent a text to us to get ready…but we never received it. Thus, Dana ran into the exchange and was met with nobody to hand off to! Instead of waiting, she just kept running. She had ran about 2 of Eric’s 8.7 mile leg by the time we caught up with her to make the switch.

Keep your phones on, people!

Eric jumped out of the van and took off. We waited for Van 1 by the side of the road to come pick up Dana. Once we made the switch, we did some quick math to determine where Eric would be on the course and where we should go to support him. Now, it should be noted here that Eric is a beast. He’s fast. Like 7.5 minute miles fast. And everyone always runs faster on their night runs. It’s a well-known Ragnar-phenomenon. We should have known he’d be tearing up the course. We drove up the course a bit and we waited for Eric to pass. We waited and waited and soon, our clocks were telling us we had waited too long. We had missed him. We quickly drove on to the exchange in the hope we’d catch him, but nope. He had gone through the exchange and just kept running! By the time we were able to catch him, he had ran 4.5 of my 7.7 mile leg. I wasn’t complaining, but sheesh, that’s a lot of miles for a Ragnar leg! I jumped out of the van to switch places with him and finish the last 3 miles of the leg.

Which turned out to be another magnificent run. I ran along the edge of Fidalgo Bay, then turned onto a bridge that spanned the entire bay. The moon was reflecting off the water and the air was cool and still, and I felt so incredibly grateful in that moment. I wanted the bridge to go on forever but after a mile, the trail turned through a wooded area. It was very dark and there was forest on both sides of the trail. All I could see was the path leading into a very dark hole in the slightly less dark trees. As the runners in front of me turned the corner, their back LED light would disappear, making the whole experience very “rabbit hole” like. It was spine tingling and exciting and a little scary but before I knew it, I had turned a corner and there was Jana at the exchange.

It was well into the wee morning hours by the time I finished and I tried to stay awake through the other runs. But eventually, exhaustion took over and I passed out in my cubby hole. I didn’t wake up until around 8 am. I was cramped and sore, my knees aching because they’d been curled into my chest all night. I stretched and changed and Jana and I ate breakfast while the rest of our van slept. This may have been the most sleep I’ve ever gotten at a Ragnar.

Thanks mostly to Eric running my miles, we were ahead of pace by a whole hour. We were well-fed and well-rested and ready for our final legs. Eric took over running around noon and then I had 4.2 miles of downhill fun. This run wasn’t as pretty as the other two, but it was fast and easy. I handed off to Jana and that was it! My running was done!

Now it was time to play! I spent the rest of the race supporting my van, tagging vans, and handing fortune cookies out my window. And my team was kicking ass on pace. By the time we dropped our last runner, Dustin, off for his last leg, we were an hour and a half ahead of pace. We notified the other van then sped to the finish line so we could all cross together in our ninja gear. Dustin finished up strong and quick and we crossed together to the Mortal Kombat theme song. A perfect ending to a perfect race.

This was my favorite Ragnar thus far. Everything just seemed to be at its best. Best team. Best weather. Best scenery. Best pace. It’s going to be hard to beat NWP, Napa. You better get your game face on!

Are you running a Ragnar this year? Did you see any ninjas at Northwest Passage? (That’s a trick question, you can’t see ninjas.) Do you want a pair of snazzy Ragnar compression socks to sport a your next relay? We have the hook-up! Recently we were able to score a pair of S/M Orange Ragnar PRO Compression socks.

Click the pic to enter! Now through 7/29/13

Middle of the pack

June 20, 2013 by vfreile

Apparently, I’m pretty consistent.

I never would’ve predicted it, but at my last two 5k races I placed fourth in my age group, with an 8:26 pace. Both events were small, local fundraisers in Rochester, NY.

Teenage me would scoff at this pace. But adult me is pretty damn proud.

For years, I couldn’t drop under 27 minutes for a 5K race. I hovered just above, as the elusive 26 taunted me. I’m not a sprinter, but tend to hold my own as a distance runner, swimmer or rower.

So to find myself flirting with the edges of the winner’s circle is a bit exciting, and unexpected, especially for a self-proclaimed middle-of-the-pack runner like me.

My goal at the start of the summer was to beat my best previous 5K PR, 26:56, set last June at an evening 5k race that took us through random and unmarked athletic fields for the last mile. It was hot. And I know from experience that I don’t run my best in heat or humidity.

My best-ever 5K time is in the low 24s. But its been years – 18 years since that day. If my PR was a person, it could vote this fall.

My first summer race was on May 25 and produced perfect running weather. Temps were in the 40s when we set off and my legs felts great. With just 80 people running the course that morning, I finished with a sprint up a hill and smile on my face knowing I did my best.

I finished 26:10, fourth place in my age group. I was freezing, but thrilled. I reached my goal straight out of the gate.

On Sunday, I ran the 5K to Cure ALS, which started and ended at Frontier Field, home to Rochester’s minor league baseball team, The Rochester Red Wings.

Zipping by at mile 2

I wrote a detailed race recap on my work blog – But my race highlights included running my first mile under 8 minutes and rounding the bases on the baseball field before crossing the finish line, right behind home plate.

That’s me in the bright green skirt, about to round the last turn into the finish at Sunday’s 5k. (I passed the dude in the blue shirt, by the way!)

Of 650 runners, I again finished fourth in my age group, with a time of 26:11. This was extra special since the race was one day after I ran a 6-mile loop through suburban Rochester with the local women’s group, Rochester Moms in Motion.

I actually learned my place I went to check my time on the race website Monday morning. I had hoped to get my chip time, but one wasn’t listed. Instead I got a better surprise!

I’ve got one more 5K race planned for the summer before I move into marathon training mode. So who wants to guess how I’ll fare at my next 5k race on July 4? Will it be a hat trick?

Who else plans to run a race on July 4? Have your ever surprised yourself by running faster than expected at a race? Tell me in the comments!

Guest Post: Jessica’s first TRI is in the books

June 7, 2013 by scootadoot

We run because we love it.

You’re lucky if you never reach that day where that Wednesday tempo run on your training schedule starts sounding about as fun as scrubbing mold out of that water bottle you forgot to rinse, but it happened to me last summer.

Three marathons in, running stopped being fun, but quitting wasn’t an option. I was starting the process toward my fourth 26.2, and my heart wasn’t in it.

So as my job was bringing me to Rochester, New York, I changed things up, and Sunday evening I typed the words into my blog: I am a TRIATHLETE. (Related: I am a duathlete and I am a marathoner).

If all goes as planned, on July 14, I will be a half-iron lady.

I’m thrilled not only by my results but by the fact that I felt SO prepared, thanks to a great group of friends who advised me

The deets: Overall time – 1:47:21; 820 yard swim – 24:00; T1 – 3:12; 13.6 mile bike – 50:00; T2 – 2:00; 3.1 mile run- 27:40. I finished 168 of 260 overall, and 12 of 20 in my age group.

(Note: This is the cleaned up and shortened version of this blog. Click here for the exhausted, rambling, Keuka Lake Riesling-induced version.)

(Another note: Thinking about a tri? Read all the way toward the bottom, where I offer some tips.)

PREPARING

When I started this madness I thought I could get away with a one piece and a hybrid. By the time I got done loading my road bike, my wetsuit, clips and the other goodies into my car, my trunk looked like this. Remind me never to call running expensive and equipment intensive again.

I stayed in the dorms at Keuka College. Saturday night I sat on the same dock I’d be spotting the next morning from the distance. Could I actually do this? I was out of bed before 6 the next morning, set up my transition using tips from the wonderful coach Mary Eggers. I made my first rookie mistake, I left to stretch, forgot transition closed an hour before my wave, and had to ask the transition crew to hand me my swim stuff, giving them the “it’s my first time” smile.

SWIM

At Mary’s clinic the previous day, she told us horror stories of open water competition that left me wondering if I should have done less lap-swimming and more aqua kickboxing.

With the joke, “ok ladies, if you end up passing a slower guy, remember this is a non-contact sport,” the last wave of Olympic athletes were off, and they let the mere sprinters into the lake to warm up. As others took the dive, I put my big toe in, and it took all my willpower to not be That-Person-Who-Jumps-Back-With-Her-Tail-Between-Her-Legs.

62 degrees is a lot warmer on dry land.

So I inched in, first to my ankles, then my knees, then my waist, then I finally took the plunge and almost came up in shock. You get used to it, the people around me said. I might as well had “first-timer” written on my forehead. I stayed in until they cleared the water. I caught up with two other first-timers, and for a half hour we waited.

That was the worst part.

I only learned to swim in August, taking a few lessons at the Y then progressing on my own. This was my second time in open water – the first time, as I was coming to shore, I came up for air and ended up face to face with a dead fish. I may have screamed a little. Ok… more than a little.

The silver caps, younger females in the sprint race, were finally up. 30 seconds. 10 seconds. Horn.

I didn’t get kicked in the face. No one swam over me. Mary’s spitting-in-the-goggles-to-get-rid-of-fog strategy worked beautifully.

But I was swimming like a drunk on New Year’s Eve, all over the place. Nice blue line at the bottom of the pool, I’ll never take you for granted again.

Four buoys helped split the swim up on the way out, but getting back we were just citing an arc that was deceptively far away. Somehow, I made it. No broken nose. No bruises. No dead fish. I stripped off my cap and goggles, ran up the stairs, and into transition.

BIKE

The beautiful Flower awaited.

Flower is my lovely Cannondale Synapse, a gift from Uncle Sam who was quite kind to me at tax time. She’s named after her first race, the Flower City duathlon.

The wetsuit came off, the bike shorts, tank and clips went on, and inhaling a Honey Stinger I ran my bike out. I’m still getting used to the new clips, so I avoided embarrassment by the mount sign. Narrowly.

It was an easy 14-mile course with a few hills. And that’s where I learned the beauty of all the indoor cycling I did this winter – I crushed it on those hills, passing people left and right.

Less than an hour later I was back in transition. I re-racked Flower, and put on the Asics, knee straps and compression sleeves.

Money can buy speed on the bike. I didn’t have the advantage the people with fancy tri bikes had, but at least I was off the hybrid.

But running? It’s all you.

It’s only a half hour of your life.

RUN

I’m assuming this is a family-friendly blog, so I’ll keep what I was saying as I took those first few steps of the run to myself.

It was not pretty.

My legs didn’t know what to think at the sudden change of movement, so they just went numb. I sucked down a mint chocolate GU, saw my legs beneath me and trusted they knew what to do, since I couldn’t feel them.

The pain eased up after the first half mile, but as much as I told my body to slow down, I couldn’t control my speed. It was a weird autopilot kind of thing.

I had used my phone app for the bike, but as I came through transition, my hands were sweaty and shaking so I left it behind and ran without GPS. We were running along a back road by the lake, and even though everything hurt, I just wanted to be done.

I thought about my old friends in Ohio, I thought about my new friends in Rochester, I thought about my pups Lizzie and Brandy. At the moment it seemed like an eternity, but in retrospect, the last 27 minutes went quickly.

Mary was announcing. Shaky and dizzy, I crossed the finish line with that weird exhausted kind of grin. “Everything hurts but I feel great.”

I did it.

I got some ice cream. And a delicious bottle of Yates Cellars semi-sweet Riesling, which would be gone later that evening.

THINKING ABOUT A TRIATHLON?

From one newbie to another, here are a few things I was glad I did:

1) Swimming lessons: I signed up for basic lessons at the Y, but lucked out, with two triathletes guiding me, I learned things like spotting and working with your arms to save the legs.

2) Equipment: You don’t need top of the line, but without my road bike and wetsuit I would have been at a serious disadvantage. Shop in the winter for a wetsuit, I got mine at half off.

3) Seek out all the advice you can. Don’t be afraid to ask silly questions.

4) Practice, practice, practice! Nothing can prepare you from that horrible feeling going from bike to run. But you can learn how to deal with it!

5) Get in open water. Even though I only swam in a lake once, this one time practicing helped me out so much on race day.

6) Learn the transition rules! All my stuff had to fit into a space about one foot by three feet. Plan it out ahead of time! What will you need when?

WHAT’S NEXT

So what went right? I was prepared, had quick transition times, was ready for the hills and finished strong.

Where can I do better? More open water practice, if I can quit the zigzagging I can shave some serious minutes off the swim time. I should also practice mounting and unmounting on the bike with the new clips. Oh, and I should learn flip turns in the pool, no more being spoiled by that wall every 25 yards.

June 16, I’ll be doing double the distance at the Quakerman triathlon at Orchard Park. Then one month later I’ll be at the Musselman half iron in Geneva. I’ll finish the season with the Highlander Cycle Tour (Corkscrew Century) in September and the Wine Glass Full Marathon in October.

“But Jessica, I thought you were sick of marathons?”

Perhaps I needed a break, because tomorrow is my nine-mile training run, and I can’t wait for it!

Bring it!!

Follow my blog for more random musings as the big race day approaches. Hugs to the lovely Scootadoot ladies for letting me guest post, and happy miles!

Jessica Alaimo is a journalist and a three-time marathoner living in Rochester, New York. She completed her first triathlon June 2, and is training for her first half Ironman July 14. Outside of training she teaches indoor cycling, enjoys gluten-free cooking and competing for a spot on the couch with her two retired racing greyhounds, Lizzie and Brandy.

Like her shiny brand new Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/jessicatris703 and follow her on Twitter, https://twitter.com/jessicatris703

Running naked

May 20, 2013 by vfreile

I ran naked this weekend and it felt great.

Now don’t get the wrong idea. I wasn’t in my birthday suit!! Inspired in part by blooming, aromatic flowers in my community and my friend Cori, I decided to run watch-free this weekend.

Let me explain.

Spring finally arrived here in Rochester, NY, which means the lilacs are in bloom. Rochester’s climate is ideal for lilacs, and my county’s oldest park has more than 500 varieties and 1,200 lilac bushes on the slope in Highland Park. They smell amazing!

Lilacs in bloom! Pic by Chick Vic

When I headed out the door for a run this week, I found myself stopping repeatedly to smell the flowers. That’s right. I literally paused at each and every lilac bush along my route and shoved my nose into the buds.

After several 3-ish-mile loops on my road this week, I realized:
1. I really do love the scent of lilacs
2. I enjoyed pausing mid-run for a fun reason
3. I often out too much pressure on myself mid-run, to run on pace and not stop.

So. I decided Saturday morning to add another fun factor. I left my Garmin on the nightstand and went for a run.

Ahhh! I felt free! I ran until I felt like walking. Then I walked a for about a minute and continued on my way. I turned off on a side street I had never ventured down before. Then I stopped at another lilac bush and drank in the scent. By the time I got home, thoughts were whirling in my head.

What if I run my Sunday morning 10k race without my Garmin? How nice would that be? Heck – I could stop and smell the lilacs for the Lilac 10k!

So I did. When I headed out the door Sunday, I left my Garmin behind. A few running pals saw I was sans watch and offered to tell me the pace as we ran.

“No need,” I responded. “I’m going without a watch.”

“What?!” Running pal Ray answered. “No. That’s nuts. That would drive me crazy.”

Normally it would drive me mad as well. But not this week!

We reached Highland Park early since much of our group was running the 5k AND the 10k. Since I registered for the race Tuesday, I was fine running a mere 6.2 miles through Rochester and adjacent suburb Brighton. While the others ran, several of us explored lilac hill.

Soon enough, the rest of the crew was back and we lined up to race. Much of our group ran as part of Team Red, White and Blue, a group running to raise support and awareness for our veterans.

Meet Mike, team organizer, who ran Sunday with an American flag.

I took off with Traci and Ray. And boy was the crowd thick! We weaved and bobbed for the first mile. Lots of people were running the popular 10k! Soon enough, we turned our first corner and hit our stride. Ray found his rhythm and pulled away. About a mile later, Traci moved ahead as well.

I cheered them along and settled in for my second half of the course, I ran through neighborhoods, up and down hills and smiled at cheering residents and fans. I thanked officers and volunteers as I ran along he course.

Soon enough, I rounded my last turn, pushed myself up a hill and set my sights on the finish line.

I spotted the clock as I crossed in the Low 59s. Instinctively, I looked at my wrist for my own time. Ha! No watch!

Overall, the experiment was a success. Yes, I started out too fast by keeping up with Ray. But would I have done the same if I’d worn my watch? Probably. Would knowing my pace change my race plan? Doubtful.

But I led the event and I actually liked not knowing how I fared. It was sort of like playing the lottery.

Last night, I finally looked up my race time – 58.16 – which over a minute slower than my 10K PR. I was completely fine with my showing and loved running naked.

I will admit, I don’t plan to run without my Garmin for a big race, but running naked was a nice change of pace.

From left: Katie, Traci, Ray, Vic and Aaron post-race.

Have you run without a watch or Garmin recently? Are you a slave to your pacesetter? What’s the silliest things you’ve done mid-run? Tell us in the comments!

It’s About to Get Ridiculous Up in Here

May 14, 2013 by camoozle

Belly Flop Drop. Tarzan Swing. 40 Bounces to Freedom. No, these are the latest dance crazes. They’re obstacles, just 3 of the many from the Ridiculous Obstacle Course 5K I participated in the race this past Saturday. I’ve ran in mud. I’ve climbed hills. I’ve ran tires. But I’ve never ran a muck like this before.

When I signed up for the race, all I knew was there were trampolines. I don’t know about you, but I love trampolines. And anything that incorporates day-glo wear with trampolines is my kind of activity. My friend Amy signed up with me and enthusiastically sported our vibrant tie-dye in an effort to stand out.

Unfortunately, we were ill-prepared. There were teams of minions, brides, prom dresses, zombies; pretty much any and every costume you could think of. I was shocked to see so many runners looking so, well, ridiculous. Had I known, I’m sure my propensity for ridiculousness would have reigned supreme. Next time, ROC, next time…

The race was located at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in San Diego. We were signed up for the 11 am start time and were herded into the starting gate. Yep, the very gates used for the horse races. We had to wait a bit, they were letting runners go in small groups to lessen the wait time at the obstacles. Even though I had thoroughly sunblocked, I was already feeling the heat on my shoulders. It was dusty and hot and I was looking forward to those water obstacles.

The Wrecking Ball, the Inflatable Water Slide and the Moon Bounce.

The first obstacle we hit was Tunnel Vision, which is exactly what it sounds like, a tunnel. Out of the tunnel, we came to 40 Bounces to Freedom, a series of trampolines that escalated in height. You had to jump down and across the tramp to a high platform, getting higher and higher until you came to the end. The only way to get down was to slide down a pole, which I had never done before. And kind of freaked me out. But it was either down or back through the traffic and there was no going back now.

We ran on. Amy, my ridiculously fast friend, sprinted off ahead but I hung back with the group. We hopped some hurdles and scaled a gigantic mountain of dirt and then it was time to slide. For the obstacle named Cool Runnings, we had to grab an inner tube and run it up a hill, then proceed to slide down a water slide.

After the refreshing little dip, we had to run some more. We climbed more walls. I attempted to cross some monkey bars and cross a muddy pool on a rope swing. I failed at both. I was ready for more water by the time I got to the Aqua Drag. Basically, it’s a four-way slip and slide. You run as fast as you can and then dive onto this inflatable water slide, hoping to make it to the end. I neglected to build up enough speed and I hesitated, which resulted in a less than spectacular display. I got stuck on the slide about halfway down and had to inchworm my way to the end. Thankfully, I destroyed any documented evidence of this fiasco.

It seemed like we ran a lot in the beginning, but about halfway, the obstacles started piling up. And we started having to wait. After the longest tire run of my life, we ran up a ramp over the race track and into the Moon Bounce. It’s a bouncer for adults. The world’s largest, in fact. After bouncing across, we had to stand in line for the Wrecking Ball. The obstacle consisted of barrels strung across a pool of water. You had to cross the barrel bridge and avoid the two huge rubber balls that were flying around your head. I made it about halfway before I bailed. The last obstacle was the World’s Largest Inflatable Water Slide. I climbed to the top, where they scanned my timing chip before sending me down the slide. Best way to cross a finish line ever.

Not only was the race itself totally epic, but the after-party was amazing. Lots of vendors, with all kinds of food and drinks. Many products available for sample. And a soapy hose down for those who needed it.

The Salmon Ladder. These two were trying to win a free race entry.

Alpha Warrior: The Salmon Ladder.

We met up with Amy at the Alpha Warrior exhibit and then it was time to get our free beer and do a little dancing. Amy had placed 3rd in the women’s division for our time slot and had to pick up her awesome medal. We people watched some more, ate a delicious artichoke on a stick, and were able to see all the best costume winners. My vote goes to the couple who dressed up as Indiana Jones and the Boulder.

Registration for the Orange County race opens on May 15th and I’m seriously considering running this again. It was a blast, like being on a giant playground. And I want another shot at that ridiculous costume contest!

Would you participate in a race like the Ridiculous Obstacle Challenge? What would your costume be?

Scootadoot

fitness, food, friends, fun

Category Archives: Race Recap