BA5k – Mother’s Day Run with family

May 12, 2013 by Meridith

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFcHk-fAEGw&feature=youtu.be]

Have you ever ran in formation? Because after today’s 8th annual BA5k, I can now say that I have… well, at least for a hot second! I mean, I was next to them so that sort of counts. A little. Pooks, Jay and I were very impressed with the police academy runners.

The BA5k is a local-to-us race to honor the memory of Brian Anderson, a young man who passed at age 21 from an undiagnosed heart arrhythmia on Mother’s Day in 2005. The 5k walk/run started the following year and this year was the 8th annual memorial run.

Last year, Pooks ran a quarter mile race and was looking to “up his distance” (I’m not kidding – that’s the phrasing he used). He was seven at the time and I was thrilled that he was so interested so we chose to participate in this race. It’s always held at the local park that we consider “ours” – it’s where we’ve played since he was born!

2012 Mother’s Day 5k

This year, we were able to talk Jay into joining us. Maybe talking him into joining us is a bit too liberal of a phrase… I signed us up as a family team and told him that we were going to run it together. You might recall he ran his first 5k in March so he felt fairly confident that he’d be good to go for this race.

Yes, my eight year old will be taller than me. Probably sooner rather than later.

We’d signed up as a family team but somehow there was a glitch with their system because they only had me listed under participants. After getting bibs and shirts sorted out, we were once again on the way to the start! The race began at 9am; thankfully that time wasn’t hard and fast this morning because the boys both needed to stop at the porta-potties before we lined up.

At the start line, they didn’t really have clear markers or anyone with a megaphone directing runners or walkers. The runners logically should’ve started first but that’s not really how it went down. There was a lot of bobbing and weaving for the first minute.

But once we got past that, it was smooth sailing and we fell into a nice, comfortable pace. I asked Pooks if he had a plan for this 5k, since he was setting the pace. He told me that he wanted to take it easy the first mile, speed up the second mile, and sprint at the end.

Is that what happened?

I’ll give you one guess…

NOPE!

Right out of the gate, he was hyped up and going too fast. Which I mentioned, but what eight year old wants to hear that? Or thirty-something year old, for that matter? So I tapped into this enthusiasm, knowing eventually he’d simmer down.

Dude and Pooks – holding strong at almost a mile.

Looking at pictures from last year, I found one of Pooks at nearly the exact same spot.

BA5k 2012

If I were to guess, I’d say there were about 1,000 runners and walkers present. The course wound through the park so you were able to see other runners and the walkers throughout the race.

Just past the mile mark, Pooks asked for a short walking break so we slowed to a fast walk and continued with intervals through the rest of the course. He was happy to see the water station at the halfway point and more than happy when we made our way to the finish line.

Of course he was an absolute stinker at the end. “Mom, wait for me so we can cross the line together!” Pulls up next to me, asks if I’m ready to sprint, and as I’m answering him he TAKES OFF.

Last year we finished in 49:59. This year? 39:56. The kiddo bested himself by 10:03!

“Mom, I beat you!” Uh huh. You sure did, kid.

Have you ran with your family before? Did they pull the old “let’s cross the finish line together” and then leave you in the dust?

If Broad Street were easy… it would be called your mom!

May 6, 2013 by Meridith

In the Cinco de Mayos of years gone by there’s been sombreros, brightly colored flags, margaritas and Mexican beer.

This year? Running! (Followed by margaritas/beer for some. I just wanted food, which probably comes as no surprise.)

Vic as we headed to the subway station.

The Blue Cross Broad Street Run takes place in Philadelphia, PA and is a 10 mile race that has been held on the first Sunday of May since 1980. Unlike many other races, it’s a point to point race and most of the run is downhill (but don’t be fooled like I was, there are a couple of uphill points!).

The sports complexes in Philly are all near the end point of the race (the Navy Yard) and were open for parking. We, along with many other of the 40,000 runners, made our way there bright and early, Sunday morning.

Just a couple of our friends that ran the race! Thanks to Brandi for this group shot of us outside of the Septa station.

Runners were able to ride the SEPTA, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, Broad Street line free of charge the morning of the race. There was someone at the turnstile checking bibs, which was the “ticket” onto the train. She’s got a ticket to ride. Okay, I’ll stop singing now.

It was a bit chilly early on so most of us were wearing throw away gear that would then be donated once we warmed up and discarded them to the side. The guy checking our bibs jokingly said, “I feel like I’m on Runners Gone Wild and you’re all flashing me!”

That’s us: wild and crazy runners! Sidenote: the shirt that I decided to chuck was my swim team shirt. From when I was eleven. Yes, it was time to let that one go.

On our way to the start.

The train dropped runners off directly by the corrals, which was quite convenient. Most of our group headed off to a different corrals so my partner in running, Moe, and I said our goodbyes, good lucks, and good races.

Getting there early, we decided to suss out the porta-potty lines and found it to be long. And winding. We decided to skip it and find ones on the course.

Moe and I situated ourselves in the last corral, which was the BEST corral. Because pink is the best color (besides purple and turquoise).

Broad Street is a notoriously fast course, with the course record being 45 minutes. My goal was to finish around two hours, which I thought was an achievable and likely goal. This was, by far, the largest race I’d ever participated in and I’m not a huge fan of crowds so I was a bit nervous. The nerves proved to be unnecessary as the corral I was in was comfortable and roomy.

With a field of 40,000 runners, the wait time to get to the start was expansive. In that time I stepped on a discarded GU Chomp (ew!), tripped over people’s throw away clothes, and tried to peer over a sea of people to catch a glimpse of the starting line.

I prayed for a good, safe race for myself and my fellow runners. The Philadelphia police presence was reassuring and visible throughout the entire race.

With the events at the Boston Marathon still being so fresh in everyone’s minds, Philadelphia saluted Boston by providing every runner with a heart sticker that said “From Philly to Boston with Love” which all of the runners wore.

The race organizers also encouraged the runners to wear red socks as a loving shout out to our friends to the north, as well. Red socks for the Red Sox. We ordered ours from ProCompression.

Thanks to Chick Vic for this shot!

Crossing the start line, we all chimed in to “Sweet Caroline”. I was a little teary as we started off (and I wasn’t the only one). Races are always a bit of an emotional roller coaster for me but this one, especially so, as it was my first after the Boston Marathon bombings. Never once did I consider not running but I suppose there will now always be a “what if” that niggles at the back of my mind; that was never there before a couple of weeks ago.

The clock read 49 minutes when we finally crossed the start line. This time I actually remembered to press start on my Garmin and we were off!

Via broadstreetrun.com

When we first looked at this map we thought that instead of water stations, maybe they’d have Dunkin’ Donuts stations. Alas, those were cheering zones.

And not soon after we were off, we were stopping at the first row of porta-potties that we saw. There was a short line, only about five people deep and while we had to wait a couple of minutes, it was worth tacking on the time at the start. Every other stop we saw for porta-potties had a line of at least twenty people (every time we saw that, Moe and I would pat ourselves on the backs).

The crowd support along Broad Street was, in a word, incredible. There were no “quiet” areas; no places that lacked the cheering and enthusiasm of people. It was so motivating. A few people that stood out were the children at Temple University Children’s Medical Center, who were wrapped in blankets and had their nurses outside with them, cheering for the runners. All the emotions! I swear, I cried more on this race than any other.

There were also many children along the route, and can I just say that they were very excellent high fivers. Enthusiastic and hands outstretched, I zigzagged from side to side to make sure I could get as many as possible (while being aware of the runners around me).

Caught this pic of Moe in front of City Hall, mile 5 of the race. This was the YAY CITY HALL moment.

So, let me tell you a little bit about Philadelphia City Hall. It’s right smack in the middle of Broad Street! It marked the halfway point and as you circle around, you then wind up on the other side of Broad Street. This area was thick with people cheering. Can I say it again? Incredible!

I ate my GU as I walked through the water station. I decided that if I was going to be walking at any point during the race, I was going to walk with purpose. Chest out (no problem there), shoulders back, head high, smiling. And fast. I ran much of the time but during those walking breaks, I did so with speed and confidence. It felt great!

Along with the children (and their equally amazing adults), cheer squads, churches, bands – there were people with signs! I love me some race signage. I mean, really. These are incredible! There were also official high five stations, worst parade ever signs, and dudes in sombreros giving motivation (with beers in hand). Oh, and a giant IHOP pancake. I love a race where everyone is out to have a good time, especially the spectators.

By mile 8, I was wishing for another GU. Or a banana. Or fresh legs. Something. But at that point, I knew there was only two miles left. As opposed to the usual 5 I’m used to with half marathons. That thought perked me up and spurred me on.

The Navy Yard sign was just ahead and I knew that from there, I had a quarter mile left. I was very grateful that my trainer’s wife, Sarah, let me know that the sign didn’t indicate the end of the race! I did pick up the pace a bit when I saw the sign and from there, steadily increased through the finish line.

Finishing the race with high fives from military made my heart swell and my eyes tear a bit. Again! I received my medal from a volunteer and then Moe and I were able to track down food. After getting food and water (which was blissfully cold!), we found Vic and my husband, who were waiting at our predetermined meeting point.

Vic finished about a half hour earlier and we came in just over two hours, which I was very happy with!

The cost of the Broad Street Run is low and the positive perks make it one of high demand. The most difficult part was exiting the parking lot after the race, which took both patience and perseverance (next year, we’re bringing a picnic along!). 2013 was the first time they did a lottery process for people to take part.

I was thrilled that I was able to run this year, it’s been on my bucket list since I first heard about it. I’m already crossing my fingers that I get to take part in next year’s race.

What’s the largest race you’ve every participated in? What’s number one on your race bucket list?

Edited to add: Here’s a link to Vic’s recap too!

13.1 miles through the Flower City

May 1, 2013 by vfreile

The sun was shining, the skies were clear. It was a sign. We couldn’t have asked for a better morning to run 13.1 miles through the City of Rochester.

I arrived downtown about an hour before the 7:30 a.m. start. I parked in my usual daily spot, headed into my office and dropped my gear at my desk before meeting up with several colleagues also running the half.

Heading to the start

After months of training for many Rochester-area runners, Sunday was the fourth annual Flower City Half Marathon. It marked my third time running the course, and was by far my favorite trek.

There’s really nothing like running a race in your hometown. You run alongside literally dozens of friends and pass cheering neighbors as you round nearly every bend. Thank you, Rochester.

Just before the start: me, Traci, Jessica and Megan

All four of us ran our own race. And we were each happy with how our respective runs went. Jessica and Megan ran together and Traci and I agreed to run separately (but not far apart!) before we headed to the starting line.

Runners started to gather on the Broad Street bridge shortly after 7 a.m., about 30 minutes before the race was scheduled to begin. In the moments leading up to the start, I still had not located my race partners — Jen and Mark. It looked like I was going to run solo.

I lined up with Traci, who planned to take it easy, and we waited to begin. We paused for a moment of silence – to reflect on the Boston Marathon bombings. The start line also paid tribute to the tragic day, with 4-15-13, the date of the marathon, listed on the time clock featured at the start. A Boston flag was proudly displayed, opposite the American flag.

Boston strong at the start. Photo by Kate Melton

Many in the crowd also joined in singing the National Anthem. It was tough to hear mid-crowd as a speaker near me wasn’t working quite right. So to hear everyone sing was moving. And then, we were off!

About a quarter-mile into the race, I heard someone shout my name. I turned and saw Jen and Mark waving at me. I weaved through the crowd to join my race partners. (Thanks, eagle eye Mark!)

My original plan was to aim for a sub-2-hour half, but because my legs were still not healed from two hilly races in a row several weeks earlier, I decided to just enjoy the course.

Around mile 1, we passed Susan B. Anthony’s house on Madison Street. As always, Anthony and several other historical actors were cheering as runners zipped by. It always makes me smile!

We rounded the corner and headed past a city fire house and toward Frontier Field and Eastman Kodak.

Running toward Kodak tower near Frontier Field

We had sped up to a 9-minute-mile pace. Fine by me, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold it through the mid-course hills.

Turning onto Main Street downtown. Photo by Kate Melton

We veered off Main, down East Avenue where we saw several cheering colleagues and friends. We headed through the Park Avenue neighborhood and felt strong through mile six, when we reached the South Wedge.

This is always the spot where I slow down. I’d love to give a spectacular reason, but in reality, I know it’s because I’m not the strongest on hills. And the mid-section of the Flower City course has PLENTY of hills, starting with an incline on South Goodman Street followed by another hill into Highland Park.

Jen zipped ahead and we waved her on. She was running strong and Mark was fine with slowing down to accommodate my aching legs. (Jen stayed on pace and came in under two hours at 1:59:31.)

Mark and I powered through Highland Park and Mt. Hope Cemetery, about three straight miles of hills with a cobblestone road (a hill, of course) thrown in. Despite how much I struggle here, I love running through the park and cemetery as both are so unique and beautiful. Besides, where else will you run past such historical icons as Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass and Nathaniel Rochester?

Runners in Mt. Hope Cemetery. File photo from 2012 race by Annette Lein

After we left the cemetery, we ran past Strong Memorial Hospital and along the river trail past the University of Rochester. We passed a few people here and settled in for our last two miles. Mark grabbed a beer from a generous spectator.

“Hey,” he shrugged. “Does it really matter with about a mile to go?”

Not at all. BRILLIANT!

Moments later, we’d reached the Ford Street bridge. One mile to go!

We hauled up a hill (ugh) and spotted a cheering colleague (Thanks Mikey!) and headed across the bridge. We turned onto Plymouth where we were rewarded with a spectacular view of the skyline.

Running down Plymouth Avenue

Mark and I cheered for other runners as we ran this final stretch. We were particularly excited for a woman who had run with Mark as he trained for his first marathon. She finished strong, just ahead of us.

Mark and me at the finish. Photo by my colleague Shawn Dowd.

Shawn took many photos at the race, as did freelance photographer Kate Melton. (Click the bold to see their galleries.)

Kate also snapped this great shot of Mark and I after we finished.

Thanks for the run, Mark! We finished in 2:06. Decent considering how much we slowed down on the hills. We couldn’t have asked for a better day.

A great run on a beautiful course in #ROC! Congrats runners and thank you volunteers! @fleetfeetroc @scootadoot twitter.com/vfreile/status…

— Victoria Freile (@vfreile) April 28, 2013

Have you run a race course past historic monuments? What are your spring fitness plans? Tell me us in the comments below.

My Third Installment of SoCal Ragnar – Return of the Ninjas

April 29, 2013 by camoozle

The streets are flooded with outlandishly decorated 15 passenger white vans. That gorgeous inflatable orange arch rises up over the horizon. Reflective vests and LED head lamps as far as the eye can see. Is that a teletubbie running through the streets of Huntington Beach? It can only mean one thing…Ragnar!

I love the smell of Ragnar in the morning!

On April 19-20, I participated in the Southern California course of the Ragnar Relay Series. 195 miles from Huntington Beach to San Diego with a team of 12 friends, or in my case, 12 ninjas. This was my sixth Ragnar, my third SoCal race and my second race as captain.

Our team consisted of runners from all over the country. Crista and Josh traveled from Idaho, Matthew and Greg scooted on down from Washington and Marcy, Shelby and Bill came all the way from North Carolina to run in the beautiful Southern California sunshine. Shelby injured her foot last minute and had to be replaced by her dad, Bill. Instead, she got to ride along as the designated photographer for Van 1.

Van 2 was filled with my coworkers, Mary, Nina, Mike, Evalia, Katy and myself. Mary was actually at a conference in Colorado when the race started and met up with us just in time to run her heart out.

Team #510 N.W.A – Ninjas with Attitude

Race weekend started Thursday after work. After months of planning, it was finally time to pick up the vans and get to the coast. Mike, aka Hung Lo, went with me to pick up the two 15 passenger vans that would become our home for the weekend. Waiting for the vans took an extra long time due to the high volume of rentals. We always use AVR – Airport Van Rental Solutions. It was packed with teams picking up their vehicles. Once we had our vans, I hit up the local Costco for provisions. Trail mix, bagels, lots of bananas and protein bars, along with some licorice and laffy taffy to keep us going through the long night runs. And water. Cases and cases of water. I split the food into two boxes, loaded the vans and I was off to the beach. Mike and the rest of Van 2 would join us at the first major exchange, Exchange 6, where Van 1 would hand off to Van 2. I would be traveling with Van 1 for the first 6 legs, not as a runner, but just to get the team started. Because I’m a control freak like that.

I met the runners from Van 1 in the lobby of the Best Western. I’ve raced with Greg before in Vegas, but the rest of the runners were new friends. I found Crista and Josh through a former Ragnar teammate and I had found Marcy and Matthew on the Ragnar site. They were looking for a team, I was looking for runners and voila! A match made in Ragnar heaven. We piled into the van and headed out for a pre-race dinner, then back to the hotel for some rest. We had a start time of 6:30 AM which meant we had to pick up packets and listen to a safety briefing an hour previous.

Josh “Jogger-not” , Runner #4, and Crouching Coma’toes’ Crista, Runner #1, freezing at the start line.

We got our goodies: shirts, flags, Cliff Bars, GU and Shot Blocks, and then Crista was off down the Huntington Beach boardwalk! Just like that the madness had begun. We headed to the first exchange where we would pick up Crista and drop off Runner #2, Greg. We saw some teams that were familiar, like Can’t Hardly Run Straight and My Third Leg is the Hardest. And some new teams, like Run4Boston, who sported awesome bumper stickers and shirts in honor of the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings.

This was the first race I had participated in since the tragedy in Boston and being a part of this running community definitely sparked a few tears during the race. There was this feeling of unity, and we marked our vans with Boston love. The Ninjas were even on CNN.

Oddly enough, during the race, the boys responsible for the bombings were being apprehended. During Ragnar, you tend to disconnect from the world, living in this little bubble of survival, preoccupied with pace and eating and sleeping and portable toilets and ipods and coffee and ice packs. Instead, we found ourselves checking the news and chatting at exchanges about the developments.

Boston Love <3

Once the race starts, there’s little down time. You’re in survival mode. Drop off runner, support runner, pick up runner, repeat. Runner #3 Matt Attack, blew through his first leg and Runner #4, Josh the Jogger-Not, swiftly followed. So far, we’d had seasoned runners on the course, but Bill and Marcy had never ran a Ragnar before. They were a little nervous to make their debut, but once Runner #5, Bill Kills Hills, took to the course, he was a natural. And quite literally, killed a huge hill right off the bat. Runner #6, Marcy’s Dead People, brought us into Yorba Linda with gusto. Van 1 took care of 26.7 miles and put our team ahead of our projected pace by a whole half hour.

There’s absolutely no time for goofing around 😉

It was time for me to depart from Van 1 and for them to rest. I hopped in with the group I was going to be spending the rest of the race with. It was time for me to run!

Runner #7, Killa’ Katy, took on an 8 miler right away. She took care of business while Runner #8, Evalia aka The Eliminator, readied herself for her first leg of her first Ragnar. We were starting to get into the heat of the day with temperatures reaching into the 90’s. Evalia dominated a 300 foot elevation gain in her first leg and we stopped to support her at the top of the hill. And to make a few friends in the process.

The oldest Ragnarian at 89 years! Now, that’s a badass, ladies and gentlemen.

My first run was 4.9 miles at 1:00 pm through Corona. I ran this exact leg last year and though it was hotter last year, I made it a point to have plenty of water with me this time. I asked to be supported at 2.5 miles and Mike and Evalia were just in time as I dumped the rest of my water over my head. It was freaking hot but the good people of Corona stood on their sidewalks and handed us waters and oranges. One team passed out wet towels which I promptly shoved in my bra. I finished my third bottle of water just as I came upon the One Mile to Go sign, the most beautiful thing I’d seen all day. Mike was waiting at the chute and I pushed up the small incline to the exchange. I gladly slapped that bracelet onto his wrist. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Pink for getting me through those 4.9 extremely hot miles.

Mike, Runner #10, finished up his leg right on time and then #11, Ninja Nina, started her climb through Temescal Canyon, 5.4 miles uphill in the heat of the afternoon! She handed off to Katy because Mary still hadn’t arrived from Colorado. Katy ran another 8.5 miler like a boss but by the time she arrived at Exchange 12 in Lake Elsinore, she was hurting. At the end of our 36.3 miles, we were a half hour behind schedule and down one runner.

After handing off to Van 1, we were finally able to get a real meal. We feasted at Chili’s and used their bathroom to take a Wet Ones bath and change our clothes. We set out for the next major exchange so we could maybe get a little rest before our early early morning runs. Van 1 had 42.6 miles to run and we wouldn’t see them again until around 1:00 AM at Exchange 18 at the Welk Resort in Escondido.

The Welk Resort was one of the best exchanges. They had a market, fire pits, a large screen projecting tweets about the race and a camera so you could see the runners coming in. It was very crowded but everyone donned their head lamps, reflective and DayGlo gear, making the scene look like a huge party. The music blared and the teams cheered and we waited for Marcy. Katy couldn’t run again so Nina took her leg, another uphill battle. But by then Mary had finally found us! And she was ready to run. Evalia kicked out her miles and then I was up.

Night runs are always my favorite. I have limited depth perception on account of my sexy astigmatism so not knowing what is coming, how far I have to go, whether there’s an incline, it all works in my favor. The less information for me to psych myself out on, the better. My night run was amazing. Cool weather, just under 4 miles and all downhill. It was glorious.

Our charging station. We needed serious cord control.

I handed off to Mike and while the others rested, Mary readied herself for back to back legs. Since Nina had taken Katy’s run, Mary was going to do the next two. Mary took off out of the chute…in the wrong direction, earning her the ninja name Wong Way Mary. She finished up our 22.2 miles in Carlsbad around 5:30 AM. Luckily, she had a hottie Ultra runner to keep her company on that long 7 miles.

We drove to the next major exchange to try to rest up for our last legs. Van 1 had 36.2 miles to run and hopefully that meant we could get some sleep. Katy was still hoping to run her last leg after resting but in the morning, she decided not to push herself and risk further injury. Matt Attack came through, finishing up his 8.6 miles and then taking on Katy’s 7 miles. His mileage totaled 29.4 miles! Obviously, we crowned him King of Ragnar.

Our Hero!!

With Van 1 done and on their way to check in to the hotel, we started in on the home stretch. Evalia finished her first Ragnar and triumphantly handed off to me for the last time. The second day is always the hardest for me and this race was no exception. I had 6.2 miles around Mission Bay with a nice mile long, 300 foot climb which I walked shamelessly. I stopped to use the bathroom and refilled my water at the park twice. Then I finally glimpsed that mile marker and my fellow chick Vic’s motto rang true in my head. “Anyone can run one mile.” It was just the inspiration I needed to get me through that last, longest mile of my life. When I finally got to the exchange, I discarded that bracelet and whooped with joy. I was done, another Ragnar in the books, and now it was time to party!

My eyes aren’t closed, just happy!

We still had runners to support, but the last legs seem to fly by. Mike and Nina both finished in a flurry and then Mary took on Leg 36 to bring us home to the finish line. We drove down to the Embarcadero Park and made sure we had our ninja attire and stars for tagging. We found the rest of our team, who looked quite refreshed, and we waited for Mary.

We waited.

And waited.

And waited…

My phone buzzed in my pocket. Guess who? Wong Way Mary strikes again!

“I’m lost!” she said. “Someone must have switched the signs or something because I took a wrong turn.”

I put her on the phone with Katy who guided her back to the course. Finally, we saw her coming down the stretch. We fell in step behind her and crossed the finish line together. We finished almost exactly 36 hours from our start time.

We took pictures and laughed and chatted but there was only one thing on our minds…showers! Well, beer and then showers. A few of us hung out at the Ragnar after party at the Hard Rock Hotel and we had big plans to party it up in the Gas Lamp!

Which lasted about an hour.

One glass of wine, and we were all ready to crash. I party’d hard…in my sleep.

It was a whirlwind weekend. It’s amazing to me how it always seems such a daunting task at first, the build-up damn near gives me anxiety. I always think, “I can’t do this, this is way out of my league.” But then suddenly, I’m doing it. And I just go. And I run. And I finish.

And then I can’t wait to start planning the next one.

Northwest Passage, anyone?

SWAG!!!

Hail and color everywhere!

April 22, 2013 by vfreile

You never know what sort of weather to expect in upstate New York.

Friday was a spring day, with a high of 74 as the sun was shining. But by Saturday morning, we felt the chill as temps dropped to the upper 30s and hail pelted us between falling flakes.

We knew what we were getting into living in Rochester, so we headed to the Color Vibe 5K race bright and early, prepared not to let the wintry weather chill our day.

Our group, like many, donned the official race shirt for the mid-morning run. It was white and well, when else were we going to wear it? We lined up about 30 minutes before race time, huddling for warmth. Many in the corral grew bored, ripped open their color packets and started a color war.

I was technicolor before we even started moving. What fun!

Carnage of some impatient runners

Soon enough, the race was underway. Our group of seven split in half and I ran along with Charlotte, Lindsay and Deb. Less than a half-mile into the run, hail started pelting us as we ran. The whole crowd groaned.

But alas, a color station was ahead. Once we were coated in green, everything seemed more springlike!

Volunteers throw green corn starch powder on passing runners

Our race was on the local community college campus. Parking lots were aplenty, so we spent much of the run winding through lots and campus roads as we chatted. We were also pleased to see so many people out, despite the weather. We saw many kids running, some racers in costume (Batman and Superman passed us by) and several color infused strollers.

Lindsay, Deb and Charlotte

Since no mile markers were posted and most of my group skipped wearing watches for the untimed 3.1-mile race, Deb kept track of our mileage. She also shared that info with other runners who were itching to know how much further to the finish.

As we ran, high winds carried the color powder high into the air. It was quite the sight.

Then the snow returned, followed by the hail. (Ouch)

Snow. sigh.

After we were doused in yellow and blue, we rounded the last turn to the finish.

Because many people stopped at the finish to toss their remaining color powder packets, we had to stop and walk about 50 or so yards into the finish line. That was a bit disappointing, as my favorite part of any race is a feeling of accomplishment as you finish.

But that said, we pummeled each other with color powder at the finish!

Here, the girls douse me in color!

From left: Sara, Charlotte, Deb, me, Lindsay, Amanda and Thea

Amanda, one brilliant runner in our group, offered up an idea to protect her iPhone from the color powder. She put her phone inside a plastic ziploc bag. Genius! Unlike my phone, which was a technicolor horror and lost 2 months off it’s life, hers was well protected through the madness.

We also loved that Color Vibe partners with a local charity for the event. In Rochester, it raised awareness for the YMCA of Greater Rochester.

Entry into the Color Vibe included a white T-shirt, one color packet, sunglasses and of course our races bibs. We were also given Boston bracelets, a thoughtful gesture by race organizers as we ran several days after Monday’s Boston Marathon bombings.

Have you ever taken part in an non-traditional race? Do you like untimed events? Please share your experiences in the comments.

Race rewind – runDisney’s Castaway Cay 5k

April 14, 2013 by Meridith

Free… for the mere price of a cruise!

Last summer my family and I took a week cruise on the Disney Magic. I’d heard about the Castaway Cay 5k for months prior and on Tuesday, June 26th 2012, I got to experience it firsthand.

Disney owns its very own Bahamian island, Castaway Cay and it’s absolutely beautiful. However, that day, Tropical Storm Debby was brewing and decided to take aim. I, along with the other runners (I’d guess there were about 35 of us), got hit about ten minutes into our run.

The group of us met in one of the bars at 8:30ish and got our bib numbers. You could tell that everyone was sizing each other up until we all realized that we were just doing this for kicks. (Or at least I was… I don’t really know what the other people were doing it for. The plastic medal? The glory?)

The sun was still shining at this point but if you look off in the distance, you can see the clouds rolling in.

My plan for this 5k was to take it nice and easy and take pictures along the route. That lasted for those first ten minutes. We took a tram out to the start of the 5k; Everyone was in good spirits and chatty the entire ride.

Soon after I took this picture, the skies above looked ominous. Dark clouds came barreling toward us and started pelting us with hail. That was about the time I decided to stash my phone in my SPIbelt and press on. The route isn’t all that exciting anyway; past the watch tower, out and back near the airstrip, the watch tower loop AGAIN, and then the finish.

I fried the backlight in my nano. Boo! Wound up finishing in about 35 minutes (that’s with stops along the way). Made friends with the kid running near me, we played cat and mouse the entire run. And at the end I joined a woman that was ahead of me and we finished up together. She was training for that year’s Tower of Terror 10 miler.

I have to admit, I felt pretty bad ass running in HAIL. I mean, yes, I ruined my nano and I was soaked to the bone… but hey, now I can say that I’ve experienced that, right? Who’s drinking from the half full glass? That would be me!

You might not be able to tell from the picture but I was soaked, head to toe!

A few nights later I came back to my stateroom to find a “magical moment” certificate (with my name spelled incorrectly – Womp! My parents had to go the different route with it and I’m “paying” for it ever since).

Have you ever ran in the Bahamas or any other island? In hail or a Tropical Storm? Have you broken an electronic device during a run? (I’m still bummed about that, nearly a year later.)

DO AC: 2013 April Fool’s half marathon

April 9, 2013 by Meridith

DOAC

Last year I ran the inaugural Atlantic City April Fool’s half marathon to ring in my 35^th year. This year’s race wasn’t on my birthday (since April 1^st was on a Monday) but when my friends started floating the idea of running, I jumped on board. After all, I almost view this race as “mine” since it’s an homage to my birthday and one that I’ll return to year after year.

Packet pick-up was quick and easy and laid-back. In fact, this entire race is very laid-back with the added bonus of being extremely well-organized, two things that you don’t often see paired together when it comes to racing. There is no expo; the packet pick-up took place in the host resort, which was Revel this year.

Dorothy and Jody warming up by the fire pit at Revel.

Revel is AC’s brand new resort and casino and is absolutely gorgeous, albeit a bit confusing to navigate. Thankfully they have staff everywhere to point you in the right direction so you don’t wander aimlessly for too long.

However, AC is still AC and most people there are in “party” mode, not “sleeping and running a race” mode. Which means the clientele of the resort included a drunk dude wandering the halls at 4am, knocking on doors and shouting for “Blair” on Friday night (hope you found her eventually, man) and the party people who decided to stay in and celebrate someone’s 30^th birthday with shots and singing at the top at their lungs rather than paying $12 for drinks… until 3:30 in the morning.

Next year? I’m sleeping at home and driving the hour. Hold me to this, please. Early wake up is better than no waking up because I never actually slept.

Going into a half marathon on a small amount of sleep isn’t the best way to do things but alas, that’s how it played out. My suggestion to an AC hotel hosting runners for an event would be to put them all in the same area.

We fueled with wheat bagel flats and almond butter/peanut butter, dressed, and joined the other runners (and partiers who apparently never went to sleep the night before) in the front vestibule.

Approximately 2,000 runners participated in the half marathon, with the 7k/11k races being held on Saturday morning. This was a change from the 2012 races, as all races were all held on the same day. Not going to lie, we were a bit bummed about the change but the race directors were very good at compensating the runners who were affected by the change. Jody ran the 7k on Saturday morning, while Moe, Dorothy and myself were ready to take on 13.1 miles.

We headed outside into the chilly morning air around 7:45, with the race beginning at 8am. At the start we were able to find our friends Rob, Brandi, and Sean – all of whom were running as well!

Starting promptly, we were off, down the boards. After a quarter mile, I realized that in the pre-race excitement I’d forgotten to start my Garmin so I’d be flying solo on that level – I was upset for about a hot second but realized that I’d just have to let it go. Sidenote: I got a Garmin and Road ID tan on my arms during this race. Time to break out the sunscreen!

It began to warm as we made our way down the boards and the smell of the ocean air was invigorating. Moe and I fell into a nice comfortable pace, hanging out side by side and occasionally knocking into each other while dancing to our own iPods.

Who has two thumbs and a flying ponytail? Moe!

Around mile 4 my feet started giving me issues with my toes curling a bit, which didn’t feel so fantastic so I walked a couple of seconds. That didn’t help so I started running again. This is also about the time that we saw the winner of the race headed back to the finish. Always impressive!

And then, there are people like this. These dudes ran like this for the entire race and ran the race in two hours. More power to you, horse and horse rider! (Horse dude kept his head on the entire time. Crazy!)

See that little turn there – right before mile 5? That’s when we took the streets. And that’s when I knew I’d be hurting a bit. WHERE IS MY BOARDWALK? Couldn’t we have made it longer? However, I knew Lucy was ahead and I was very much looking forward to seeing the elephant.

“The elephant???” You might ask. Oh yes, the elephant.

What, this isn’t normally what you see when you race? (Check out other random things seen on runs at OliveToRun’s How Bizarre Photos!)

Eventually we hit the 7 mile mark which meant it was time to turn around and hit the reverse button! I swung around the flag (not literally) and off we went, back where we came from. The street seemed to expand and getting back to the boards took way longer than I anticipated. Finally Moe pulled to the side where she could look ahead and see the cones turn – we were nearly back on the boardwalk. Huzzah!

Since I didn’t have my Garmin, I lost mile 9. For all of mile 9, I thought I was in mile 10… Until I saw the flag marker that said 10 and nearly cried because I so desperately wanted it to say 11. Alas, it did not.

This is why we can’t have nice things.

And right around then was when I felt the blister forming and I was just ready to be done. 3.1 miles to go – a 5k! Then I looked up and saw this…

And remembered how blessed I was to be in that moment.

The water stations were phenomenal and it definitely makes up for the lack of crowd support because they are like a cheer station unto themselves. The volunteers are incredible with this race, always with a smile and making you laughing by fighting over whose water or Gatorade you’d take.

There are also a couple of bands and DJs along the route as well, so when I saw those I’d take my yurbuds out to jam with them for a couple of seconds.

The last two miles I was speed walking more than running and a one point Moe turned around to see where I was. I waved her on and told her, “keep moving THAT way” and off she went. I could see her pink hat bopping along ahead and that gave me the motivation I needed to stay strong and keep moving toward the finish line.

I passed where the finish line was the previous year and was sad that it wasn’t actually there again this year because that would mean I’d be done. At that point, there was a little over a mile left. The boardwalk started having more people milling around, which is difficult because at that point instead of bobbing and weaving around other runners, you’re moving around people who don’t have a clue that a race is going on. I just kept moving forward, alternating between a run/walk and pushing as much as possible.

And just like that, I saw the finish line in the distance. I heard cheers of people as I drew closer and I pushed myself to sprint those last few minutes, thanks to some very sweet ladies from Black Girls Run giving me some special cheers.

I asked someone if I could borrow her sign so Dorothy and I could get a picture with it. Don’t believe it though – we’re definitely more like 3/4th crazy.

I crossed the finish line with a smile on my face, having attained a personal record! I’m not a fast runner and I may never BE a fast runner, but I bested myself on Sunday… and that felt damn good (even if my feet didn’t and don’t)!

I’m already looking to sign up for next year’s April Fool’s half.

Is there a race that you return to time and time again? What is it that keeps you coming back?

Rural run through Amish country

April 8, 2013 by vfreile

I went home to rural Lancaster County over the weekend, where I ran one of the most beautiful race courses I’ve yet to see.

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. I am familiar with the Anabaptist community, as I grew up in the area and regularly visit my parents, who still live in Lancaster.

The annual Garden Spot Village Marathon was filled with such runners. Some of the men ran in their plain clothes and women ran in dresses. I also spotted some incredibly speedy Amish kids. It was a pretty impressive sight.

This race was different from any I’d run before. First off, it was on a Saturday morning, this is in part because Sunday is a day of rest for Amish and Old Order Mennonites.

Since I worked a full day before making the five-hour drive south, my mother graciously offered to collect my race packet from the expo in New Holland, Pa. (Thanks, Mom!) Race officials offered packet pickup Saturday morning, for about 90 minutes before the race. I loved knowing this was an option, as did the more than 700 runners who weren’t able to attend the Friday evening expo.

I gathered my race gear Friday evening, including my trusty roller, The Stick. I knew my quads would be sore since I raced a hilly 15K last weekend. I had looked at Garden Spot’s elevation chart — hills were definitely par for the course.

Ready to roll!

Race morning went smoothly. We left the house around 6:30 a.m., arriving at the race site shortly after 7. Parking was a breeze. We were directed to a spot in the grass and waited in our car until 30 minutes before the race was slated to begin, 8 a.m.

In less than 20 minutes, I used a toilet twice, located my friend Wendy and lined up at the start. This is one highly organized, user-friendly race.

Wendy and me at the starting line.

Meet Wendy, a childhood friend who was itching to run her first half-marathon. Together, we selected a race in our hometown as a bit of a homecoming since she moved to South Carolina after high school and I’m in upstate New York. Her older brother Eric and her nephew Nate joined us.

Soon enough, we were off. We lost the guys within 30 seconds. Side note – Nate, 12, won his age group with a time of 1:51. So impressive!

Wendy and I settled in for a much slower pace, we ran out of the village, along East Earl Road, then Stauffer Road. We hit a few small hills as we rounded the corners. And we repeatedly dodged road apples (horse manure) left behind on rural roads.

Beautiful course. Note the woman on the right running in a dress.

We chatted with each other and strangers as we jogged along. We were happy with our pace, even as we took on the hills.

We passed several Amish buggies on the course. We also had a rather large cheering squad of Amish and Mennonite kids, many who sat on their porches and waved to runners. Some sat on blankets and wagons in their yards. All appeared to be excited to see the parade of runners.

Around mile 4, we headed up a rather significant hill that passed by the horse auction. Amish and Mennonite men and women were lined up for the weekly event, barbeque cooking on the old pits. Some horses hitched to buggies and carts appeared to be circling a fenced course, as if they were racing. It was a scene from yesteryear.

Eventually we turned off Hill Road to Steep Hill Road. (I kid about the name, but it would have been appropriate.) We headed downhill past more buggies and fans. And then we hit THE HILL. We knew it existed, but seeing it in person still shocked us.

Heading down the Mentzer Road hill in mile 6.

We slowed WAY down to avoid tumbling. We ran well past mile 7 to the turnaround point and straight into the wind, and ultimately, back up this evil hill.

It may not look incredibly steep, but trust me, it was. 100+ feet straight up just past mile 8, followed by another 100-foot incline back on Steep Hill Road. A cow in a nearby field urged us on: “Mooooo-ve!” I heard.

We huffed. We puffed. But we made it.

We reversed the route, back past the horse auction and downhill (hooray) until the last 5K. We turned off on Overly Grove Road, past a park and more farms and hoofed it into the finish.

Wendy was beginning to fade a bit during that last mile, but considering the hills we had conquered, her movement was impressive. She had not walked once. She pushed forward through the wind and hills. She didn’t quit and we passed several runners that last mile as we moved forward.

Then we turned into the village campus.

“Where’s the finish line? I don’t see it,” Wendy said.

“Ahead,” I promised. “Less than 2 minutes to go. It’s just you and me out for a run. Ignore everyone else.”

About 90 seconds later, we rounded the last bend to the finish line. I spotted my mom as she yelled our names. We sprinted it in, finishing around 2:12. Excellent job Wendy!

We reunited with our families within minutes, grabbed some delicious homemade post-race food.

There is a second Amish Country race in Lancaster County – the Bird-in-Hand half marathon in September. I have a feeling I will be back.

What’s the most beautiful race course you have run? Have you ever run among the Amish?

Hilly bliss – Spring Forward Distance Run

April 2, 2013 by vfreile

Those hills were going to be the death of me. I knew it from the start.

Early Saturday morning, I arrived at Mendon Ponds Park bright and early, ready to tackle the challenging Spring Forward Distance Run, a hilly and challenging 15K race, hosted by Fleet Feet Rochester and Yellow Jacket Racing.

Along with two friends, Ray and Traci, I parked by Stewart Lodge, near the start and finish lines, more than an hour before our 8:30 a.m. race start. We didn’t want to worry about any parking hassles, so we opted to leave plenty of time. We waited in the still-warm car for much of our pre-race time, and chatted about racing strategies.

Soon enough, we lined up on Douglas Road. Traci opted to run with another mutual friend Jessica and I wished them well. My speedy friend Ray was all set to pace me to a 9-minute-mile race. I was nervous since the last time I ran the course I finished at a 9:30 pace.

But he had faith. As a result, I did too. Besides, I knew what went up would also come down. And I was counting on those downhills to gain some time.

And we’re off! I’m somewhere in there. Photo courtesy Fleet Feet Rochester.

The first mile was fast. I think we took it out in around an 8:40 pace. I had hoped to keep it around 9, but we were excited and swept up in the crowd. And part of it was downhill.

Ray repeatedly reminded me to breathe deeply on the downhills, something which helped me incredibly. At no point was I gasping for air, thanks to his coaching, I was able to control my breath and run steadily.

We passed running partner Gary’s wife around mile 2.5. She smiled and waved and cheered us along.

Then we rounded a corner near this rather hilly stretch of Rush Mendon Road. It gets me every time. STEEP. Stunning, but STEEP. Ray encouraged me to pump my arms. I did and eventually, we made it to the top.

We passed the 5K mark. I remember looking at my watch to see a 26 minutes and umpteen seconds. I just beat my best 5K race time as part of a 15K race. This was either going to be amazing, or a train wreck.

Soon enough, we turned onto West Bloomfield Road. We passed a woman playing a guitar, which made me smile. Ray chattered on much of the way, sharing stories as I grunted several one-syllable responses. I recall lying about not having Easter plans because “no” was the shortest answer.

Ray continued to remind me to breathe (again, something I wanted to hear) and pointed out some large houses and animals in nearby fields and yards. He repeatedly told me we were on pace for a sub-9-minute-mile race and looking good.

The 10K mark was upon us. I looked at my watch again. I was on 10K PR pace. Nice. And I wasn’t dying. even better!

After hoofing it up a hill between miles 6 and 7, I ate my trusty vanilla bean GU for a bit of sustenance and energy. Ray handed me a water bottle as we rounded a corner onto Canfield Road.

“Look at that nice downhill,” he said. “Focus on your breathing.”

And not the massive hill ahead of it, I thought.

“Run toward small milestones, like that white sign ahead, and that tree over there,” he suggested. I nodded. Good advice.

Ultimately, I lost a bit of time on that last hill but pushed as hard as my legs would allow. I sped up running downhill and soon enough we were back on Douglas Road and rounded the bend toward the finish line.

1:24.10 was my official time, 9:03 pace. I had beaten my own course record by more than 4 minutes. I felt fantastic. And more importantly, those hills didn’t beat me.

Fabulous day for a 15k! PRed by 4 minutes thanks to pacer Ray! Great job @tbauer & all who ran @fleetfeetroc @yjr_98 twitter.com/vfreile/status…

— Victoria Freile (@vfreile) March 30, 2013

Taking on Tink: 3 chicks on the 2013 runDisney Tinker Bell half marathon

April 1, 2013 by scootadoot

You get three for the price of one with this race report, since chicks Cam, Vic, and Meri all participated in the runDisney Tinkerbell Half Marathon on Jan. 20, the 2nd annual women’s-focused race at the Disneyland Resort.

Backstory and race prep – Meri (not weather!)

Victoria and I planned a trip to visit our long-time bestie in LA and since she’d run the Goofy challenge the previous weekend at Disney World, she figured Tink was a good way to obtain her Coast to Coast medal. Cam lives in CA and when I told her about our plans, she quickly signed up, right before the race sold out in July.

So, what are three ladies to do when they have months before their race? Train? Well, yes, there is that. But almost as important as training, during a runDisney race, you’ve got to have a great costume! Now, let me just say that if I were in charge of costumes… well, I’d have never been in that situation because I’d never take that on. Thankfully for Vic and I, we had Cam! She’s way more crafty that either of us and came up with not only the idea for our costumes but carefully crafted them.

Now, let me just say, I had my doubts when I saw all the pieces of this costume. I thought that there was NO WAY I’d be keeping the hat on the entire 13.1 miles. But, oh, I did.

If you’re not familiar with the Disney classics, we were Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather – the three fairies from Sleeping Beauty. I was informed that I was Flora and that she’s bossy. Apparently I have a reputation…

Rock. On.

We practiced our poses and took pictures together since Victoria (Fauna) was going to run fast. And Cam and I? We were not going to run fast. Cam was just recovering from a chest cold so our plan was to just take it easy and get done.

The Disney races start early, early, early in the morning. (yes, three earlies are necessary.) Thankfully our hotel was directly across the street from the start (Best Western Stovell Inn – it was perfect and clean and exactly what we needed). We woke up at 3:30 and began with the pre-race rituals. Most people who take part in races can tell you that they have a set routine that works for them when getting prepped for a race. And mostly, they overlap with other runners.

We had laid out our outfits the night before, pinned the bibs on the morning of, and proceeded to get ourselves fueled. We’re fans of wheat bagel flats or flatbread and Justin’s nut butter because they come in handy packets that you can purchase wherever and bring along. Portable works well when you’re traveling across the country for a race.

Making last minute adjustments to our costumes (safety pins on the capes rather than the velco), pinning on our bibs, and adjusting hats, wings and double-knotting our laces, we were nearly ready to go!

We bid adieu to Vic as she headed out the door a few minutes before we did. Cam and I wrapped up in the hotel and made our way across the street, found a nice, comfy spot in corral C and waited for the race to begin.

Ready to go!

Fauna flies – Vic’s take

Everyone thought I was Tinkerbell.

I get it. I was a fairy all decked out in green for the Tinkerbell half. But no. I was Fauna and I was going to fly.

I wandered into corral A about 30 minutes before the 5 a.m. race start, chatted with a few fellow runners about race plans and runDisney. Soon enough, we were off.

Within 100 meters my hat was off my head. Near the end of mile 1, I saw a man with a stroller and a toddler in tow and asked him if he’d like a fairy hat. He enthusiastically accepted. We rounded some Anaheim streets and turned into Disney’s California Adventure Park and past a rockin’ high school marching band.

Much of what happened in the parks was a blur – I do know I stopped for dozens of pictures! (here are a few)

Running through Cars Land

World of Color by Paradise Pier – WOW!

We soon ran out of California Adventure, around mile 3, and into Disneyland, where I promptly stopped for a (blurry) pic with Mary Poppins and Burt, snapped another of Tink and one of me on Main Street USA, which is my favorite moment in any Disney race – running down magical Main Street with hundreds of other runners.

I passed by the castle and headed into Tomorrowland where I saw the Star Wars crew and surrounded by an extremely long line. Sorry Vadar, next time. May the Force be with you.

Instead I stopped to say hi to Snow White. She wished me as well as I ran into the dark. Side note: my sneakers look filthy.

I zipped past It’s a Small World, still decked out in Christmas lights and rounded onto the Land’s back lot for the next mile or so. We passed parade floats and broken parts of rides, an animal barn and more. Was able to gain a bit of time here.

We veered back into the park, through Fantasyland and up to Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. Ah, how I love running through the castle!

After pausing for and tweeting a photo (thanks Siri!), I turned into Frontierland and passed New Orleans Square, where Captain Jack Sparrow was all alone outside the Pirates of the Caribbean, one of my favorite Disney rides.

Capt. Jack told me to beware because the photographer had a hankering for fairies. So I bolted.

The course took me out of the Land and through Downtown Disney, then past the Disneyland Hotel (and mile 6) and into the streets of Anaheim, where I high-fived a moonwalking Michael Jackson impersonator.

The next few miles were a bit dull, so I concentrated on my breathing and speeding up. As I passed each mile marker, I saw the minutes tick by and I reeled more and more racers in. I dropped my pace below 10-minute miles, then below 9:30, 9:15, 9.

When I rounded a corner at mile 12, directing me back into California Adventure, I really opened up. With my pixie wings, I flew. With half a mile to go, I was down to 8:30 pace and I spotted a familiar face, Laura, from my starting corral. I said hello as I caught her and encouraged her to keep moving. She looked great and was about to CRUSH her goal time of 2:10. I assured her she was well ahead of pace (I knew since we started together) and headed off around the last bend.

I could see the finish! I sprinted through a less-than-exciting parking lot to a rather-thrilling finish! I was all smiles as I crossed the finish line. 2:07:23 Top 10^th percent, not too shabby.

Flora and Merryweather’s journey – Cam’s jam

When my east coast gals sent word they would be traveling to the happiest place on earth for a run, I jumped on board. As a lifelong Southern California resident and a Disneyland annual pass holder, running 13.1 miles through Disneyland with some of my favorite people dressed as a fairy sounded like a dream come true.

I had booked a handful of races for the end of the year, including a Ragnar Relay race in November to help keep my training on track. But with the holidays and then a supermassive head and chest cold, I found myself severely under-trained by the time January rolled around. I was really stressing about this run. Like nauseated kind of stressing. But Meri assured me there would be lots of stops and we were running for fun and so I arrived in Anaheim Saturday night to pick up my race paraphernalia and pre-race dine with my chicks.

As already indicated above, we were snazzily dressed and at our respective corrals in the wee, cool hours of the morning. Like Meri and Vic, I had planned on ditching the removable parts of our costumes, but once we started running, we were inundated with compliments. I have to say, our costumes were kickass. And we definitely got noticed! I really didn’t want to ruin the effect. So we ran in our hats and wings and capes. For 13.1 miles.

The first six miles were great. It didn’t even feel like a race. We skipped through Disney, danced to great music, stopped to chat up our favorite characters and the air smelled like candy.

The best part were the spectators. My favorite was the “Course Liar” who shouted things like “Mickey’s giving massages at the finish” and “You’re almost there” at mile 3. We high-fived dozens and dozens of the lovely ladies from the Red Hat Society and waved to little girls watching from their living room windows.

And then there were people like this who made me want to stop and hug them.

After we turned onto the streets, things started to get a little difficult. Without the magical music and candy air, I was really starting to feel my lack of training. We got news that Vic was already back at the hotel ice bathing and Meri was quite the trooper, jogging along beside me while I tried to ignore the shooting pain up my knees. Walking was worse, so I plugged along, moving my feet at an unbearably slow pace that could hardly be considered running.

Meri helped me find other things to occupy my mind.

Like taking pictures of Meri flying on street corners.

Or contemplating shopping opportunities.

Around mile 10, my knees really started to become a problem and I started to doubt my ability to finish the race. I envisioned myself getting picked up by one of those guys on the golf carts. I was starting to go to that dark place when Meri made a fabulous suggestion.

Biofreeze.

The best thing on the planet.

Look how happy I am!

I had to stop twice to freeze up my knees. I also had to stop twice in the last 3 miles to use the trusty portable toilets. I was good and GU‘d up and my digestive system was starting to rebel. I was dying for that finish line, silently cursing myself for slacking off on training, my stupid cold and my aching knees. Right as we rounded back into the park, we saw this gentleman running up ahead.

“There will be days when I don’t know if I can do a half marathon. There will be a lifetime knowing I have.” The ‘a’ was crossed out and numbers were added – this was number 20 for him.

When I read the back of his shirt, I lost it. I know this feeling, it was the same thing I thought when I started running three years ago. It was the same thing I had thought that very morning, that there was no way in hell I could do this race. I started bawling like a baby because here I was, even after so many races, still doubting myself. And then again, here I was, after 13 miles, still running and minutes from the finish. Meri grabbed my hand and we crossed the line together.

I had to remove my pointy hat so I could get medaled.

Post ice bath. Oh, the sweet, sweet glow of victory!

As Vic so graciously dumped buckets of ice into my bath, I vowed never to slack on my training again. Despite all my bodily malfunctions, I became a huge fan of the Disney race series. So much so, I’m heading to Florida with the chicks for the Wine and Dine half at Disney World so I can pick up one of those hot little Coast to Coast medals. We’ve already got costumes in mind!

Have you ever completed a runDisney race? Will we see you at Wine and Dine? How do you recover after a race – ice bath, the Stick, or something else?

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Category Archives: Race Recap