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?

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?

The Color Kinda-Run

March 22, 2013 by writeitdownjess

Here’s a confession: running is not always fun for me. In fact, a lot (okay, FINE, most) of the time I consider it work. Sure, I love that it makes me feel strong and healthy and accomplished. But it also makes me feel sweaty and wheezy and tired.

So why do I do it? Aside from the whole good-for-you thing, which is admittedly pretty important, I love that so many of my friends run, too. It’s the reason I got into it in the first place, proving that, yes, I’d jump if everyone else did. Sorry, Mom.

And what’s so great about having so many runner friends, you ask? It means that we make plans to run awesome races together. It means traveling to other cities and states to run said awesome races together. But best of all, it means that they travel to MY city to run said awesome races with ME. I hate to fly, so this is understandably my favorite scenario, one that happened last July when Chicks Meri and Cam flew to the City by the Bay to run the happiest race on the planet.

Yes, that’s right. A happy race! And not just any happy race, The Color Run! Doesn’t it just sound so fun? Because it was. So. Fun.

This is the gist: the 5K race douses runners with a splash of colored corn starch at every kilometer, so that by the time you cross the finish line you look like a super-colorful Rorschach. The race is untimed, so there’s no talk of personal records or “hey, I beat you by 0.05 seconds, suck it.” The point of The Color Run is simply to enjoy, get colored up, then party it up after you cross the finish line. This was our mission and we accepted.

Hey, if you tell me to take it easy and enjoy myself, I’m not going to argue with you. Plus, I was 18 weeks pregnant with my little Bug at the time, so I was more than okay being the tortoise for this one.

Meri flew in first and we palled around the city while we waited for Cam to join us.

Welcome to San Francisco in July. Beautiful, isn’t it?

Once Cam was with us, it was basically about preparing for the 5K – outfit planning and packet pick-ups, which included t-shirts, a headband, and a packet of color to use after the race – and eating. Oh yes, there was eating.

Cuteness with a crepe sundae.

Stuffing my pregnant face like a lady.

Getting pumped! Please note our t-shirts. Clear eyes, full hearts, free Tim!

With our bellies full – really, really full – and our race day duds ready to go, we hit the hay. We needed to save our energy for all the happiness and color to come!

July 14^th dawned bright and foggy and we woke early to get the party started. Fun fact: Cam is kick-ass at hair braiding, which means she is the Official Hair Braider™ at any and all races she attends with the Chicks.

Mmhmm, that’s right.

Meri is dreaming about freeing Tim Riggins here.

We made our way to Candlestick Park (go 49ers with your crappy old stadium!) and joined the bazillion other people who were braving the very chilly weather to run/walk/dance their asses to color nirvana.

Literally, there were a bazillion people there.

We were pretty far back from the start line and with the race starting in waves, we had to wait for a while to get going. But they were pumping awesome music through the speakers and the people-watching was pretty excellent, so we busied ourselves with jumping up and down to stave off the cold, pointing out some great costumes, and dodging the rule-breakers who were throwing their packets of color up in the air (hello, that’s for after the race!).

Oh, and we took some pictures, too.

We had the raddest socks there.

We love each other!

Showing off our impressive guns. And cuteness.

And then it was our turn! We began our trek around the stadium, starting off slow and steady with a brisk walk.

Well, there was some pretend-running.

And then? Then it was time for the color. Let me paint this picture (get it? Paint? Because of the color): you’re skipping along with your friends and fellow runners and then all of a sudden right ahead is a cloud of bright color. Truly the coolest thing. And when you see color, what do you do?

Why, you RUN, my friends. You run to the color and roll around in it (seriously) and stand in front of the color-dousers and make them douse you extra-good. And you cover your mouth because hello, it’s a cloud of color, but it gets into your mouth anyway. You don’t care! This is so fun! Wee, color!

You high five people as they run by!

You stop for water, because all that frolicking and high-fiving and color-getting works up a thirst.

Note to future Color Runners: don’t park your car next to a color station.

We got through all of the color stations at a nice clip considering we were walking, and then there it was. The finish line and the beginning of the par-tay! As you can see, people were in no rush to PR.

We were done!

Cel-e-brate good times, come on!

Blue Sunglasses wanted to be a part of our cute crew. Sorry, dude, only room for three.

Livin’ la vida color.

We were also insanely thirsty. There were stations set up after the finish line with juice and coconut water and snacks, all of which had pretty extensive lines. But no water water. We just wanted water water! Hopefully they’ve remedied the water water situation since last July.

There was a Color Festival just past the finish line, which we moseyed over to.

This is where the color packets came into play. Thousands of us gathered round a DJ set up at the front of the crowd, dancing and celebrating and taking pictures of our manginess. And then the DJ told us to open up our packets and we all counted down. 5-4-3-2-1…

The hills were alive with a color ‘splosion (ah ah ah ahhhhh). In the interest of protecting my phone, I didn’t take pictures as it was happening, but this was the aftermath.

Meri got it on her teeth…

Cam got a mustache…

I got it everywhere!

After some more dancing and celebrating, we decided we were both parched and starving (surprised? Didn’t think so), so we packed it up and packed it in and took ourselves over the Golden Gate Bridge to a magical place called In N Out. Sure, it was 10:30 in the morning. Sure, we were completely covered in colored corn starch. But Meri had never had the pleasure of stuffing an In N Out burger into her mouth, so off we went! We definitely got some looks from the other early-risers at In N Out, and I got my hair petted by some high dude who must have thought I was one big acid trip, but we enjoyed ourselves nonetheless.

Meri especially.

All in all, this was a pretty stellar race experience. And now that The Color Run is a total phenomenon, with similar races like Color Me Rad and Run or Dye, there’s really no excuse not to do it again. Who knows, maybe it’ll be my first post-Bug race. There’s really no better – or more colorful – way to ease myself back into running.

What’s the most fun race experience you’ve had? We want to hear about it in the comments!

Haddonfield Adrenaline 5k 2013

March 18, 2013 by vfreile

I did it again. I lost a friend I was pacing mid-race. But this time, my running partner blessed my zippy feet. Before Saturday’s 5K race through Haddonfield, NJ., Meridith had asked me to pace her. BUT, only on the condition that IF we lost each other, I would race to the finish.

Agreed.

Our happy group for the Haddonfield Running Company’s Adrenaline 5K included two first time 5K-runners, not-so-silent Bob and Jay, Mer’s husband. Friends, Brandi and Megan, and their respective trailblazing husbands, Sean and Matt, rounded out our colorful group.

We arrived at Haddonfield HS about an hour before the 9 a.m. race. We had access to the school to use the bathrooms and keep warm. We sure did, as temps dropped into the mid-30s Saturday morning.

Brandi showed us her dual watches, however, neither one worked properly during the race. Bummer!

Soon enough, we lined up outside the school on Kings Highway and before we knew it we were off. No, really, we had no idea the race began until people around us shuffled forward.

Within the first quarter-mile, we saw two firefighters donning full turnout gear – one man hauled a fire hose and the second carried an American flag. We thanked them for their service and waved as we passed by.

We passed some other interesting characters, including a dog in a green tutu, and another canine – a senior golden retriever named Birdie — running the race.

Sean, in the red shirt and orange cap, paced his wife Brandi in the first mile as Brandi aimed to break her personal 5K record. She waved him on mid-race.

I started the race alongside Meridith and tried to stay just in front her, to force her to chase me through the streets. But it wasn’t Meri’s day. I turned back more than once to see her smiling face nodding. But shortly before the first mile marker, she grimaced and waved me on.

I rounded a bend, onto Washington Avenue, and picked up my pace. But oh, there were obstacles. Mini-Cooper-sized potholes. You really had to watch your step as you ran, for fear you might turn an ankle in one of those potholes.

As the runner pushing a stroller in this photo said, “We come to Haddonfield for the schools, not the quality of the streets.”

I headed down a hill, taking full advantage of gravity, rounded a few bends, passed by a water stop and ran up a small hill near the high-speed rail line. I was passing people left and right (thank you, running partner Ray for pushing me to run hills each Tuesday night!).

Ultimately, I sprinted that last mile. I ran to the finish knowing full well it was not my best or my worst time. I received a medal and stalked the finish line to snap photos of Meridith. She rolled in a few minutes later – grinning.

Like me, it was not her best run nor was it her worst. She joined me at the finish and we waited for her husband to appear. And the flurries started to fly.

Soon enough, we spotted his blue jacket in the distance. He was approaching – fast. We yelled – not that he could hear us. But he sprinted, realizing he could surpass his time goal and flew past several runners.

He finished just under 39 minutes and was soon surrounded by his fan club (seen above and to the right.) Well done, group!

Megan, Meri, Brandi and Vic at the finish. Most 5K races don’t reward finishers with medals, but the Adrenaline 5K has a pretty kick-ass medal…which doubles as a bottle opener. And we put those medals to good use at the Haddonfield Running Company’s Sweet 16 Party back at the store, 121 E. Kings Highway.

There was quite the variety of beer – ranging from Guinness to microbrews to Coors Light. The store put on a pretty stellar post- race food from a local catering company, Apron.

And of course, there were sales. Oh yes. And we shopped. (Really, we needed a few things.) We visited with friends for a pretty great day. Thanks Haddonfield Running Company. We’ll be back.

My Monsoon Marathon

March 14, 2013 by vfreile

If there’s one thing I knew about Los Angeles, it’s that Southern California is typically sunny and dry. After a brutal 10 weeks of winter marathon training in upstate New York, which included a 20-miler in 6 inches of snow and sub-zero wind chills, I was ready to run amongst palm trees and blue skies.

Wrong.

Forecasters predicted rain for the Los Angeles Marathon. 100% chance of rain.

“I know it says its going to rain tomorrow, but it never does,” said my dear friend and hostess Kelly. “It just doesn’t happen here. And if it does, it’ll be nothing.”

Famous last words.

You know this if you ran LA in 2011. It was the year of the monsoon marathon.

I ran the Stadium-to-Sea course with my good friend Emily that spring. We had trained together and would run together. And we were both aiming to break 4:30. A lofty goal since we’d each only run one marathon at a far slower pace.

On our way to LA, we picked up a celebrity fan, Richard Simmons.

Richard sat by Emily and me as we waited to board our flight. He was rather excited to learn we were running in LA and promised to cheer for us at the tail end of the course. Here, he dragged me onto his lap for a photo.

The night before our race, we stayed at a Wyndham hotel downtown. We knew we’d be a short drive to Dodger Stadium, where the race would begin. Emily’s boyfriend planned to ferry us there, but we ultimately hopped a complimentary race shuttle shortly after 5:30 am.

We arrived with plenty of time to use the bathrooms, eat and stretch. We waited with the 4:30 pace leader until it was our turn to begin, chatting about race strategy. (It was simple – keep pace with the group.) Soon enough, we ditched our throwaway clothes and we were off.

That first mile was rough. We ran through the stadium’s lackluster parking lot, dodging and weaving around other runners as we struggled to keep up with our pace group. The pace leader had warned us that the first few miles would be the hardest. She was right! It was difficult to navigate the crowd, especially since less than a mile in, many people in the middle of the pack were already walking.

And then it started to rain.

It began as a drizzle, but steadily gained momentum. By the time we reached mile 5, we were drenched. But honestly, we didn’t mind because it was far better than running in the snow!

We ran up an incredibly steep hill near the Walt Disney Music Hall downtown, and were rewarded with a concert from musicians at the top before we rounded the bend. We ran past Echo Lake, where I recall spotting big, fat raindrops splash into the water.

Soon enough, we turned into Sunset Boulevard (the less-than-exciting stretch.) A few miles later we turned onto Hollywood Boulevard where – about mile 10 – we passed the Columbia Records Tower, Hollywood & Vine, Pantages Theater and Mann’s Chinese Theater.

We were soaked. We splashed through puddles as we rounded a turn off Hollywood toward Sunset. We were headed toward our designated West Hollywood meetup spot with Kelly. Her home was a block off the marathon route, so we planned to meet her at the corner.

We approached familiar landmarks – Bristol Farms gourmet grocery and the Coffee Bean, my lifeblood when in town. Then I saw my Kelly, huddled under an umbrella at the corner. She spotted me, lit up, waved and passed me some GU gels. Seeing her at the halfway point really energized me. I knew she’d waited in the chilly rain for quite some time, so it meant a lot that we were able to find each other.

Through mile 15, we ran down Sunset, past the Laugh Factory, Chateau Marmont and the hotel I’d stayed the previous year when bestie Meridith and I traveled west for Kelly’s baby shower.

I knew this area. Familiar landmarks kept me going. That and the rain!

We turned off Sunset and ran down a hill, splashing through more puddles as we moved.

“Is it raining?” Emily yelled. “This is all you got? Bring it LA!”

Most runners around us ignored our antics as we chanted that a rainy run was far better than running in snow or ice.

It was also around the point in our waterlogged race that we realized we could go to the bathroom while still running, and no one would be the wiser. (We didn’t, for the record, but were jazzed to know we could!)

We also didn’t bother to slow down or walk at water stops. We were already wet, so what did it matter if we sloshed water all over our faces and clothes.

Running in the rain, drenched.

Multiple times we found and lost our pace leader. As we approached Beverly Hills, we located her again and stuck with the group for several more miles.

At mile 17, we turned onto Rodeo Drive. We window-shopped as we passed those designer stores. And here, there was also a huge crowd of spectators, braving the elements to encourage friends, family and strangers. And believe me when I say they were nearly as wet as the runners! We were so appreciative.

We never did spot Richard Simmons in the rain, but knew he was there, handing out water and cheering runners along.

We left Beverly Hills and within a few miles approached the VA Hospital grounds, arriving around mile 21. Within the next mile, we trampled a muddy, narrow path and I lost Emily on a hill. A short time later, I lost the pace group too. I cursed those hospital grounds.

I had 4 miles to go – about 40 more minutes. I could do that. Miles 22-24 were a slow low-grade uphill. I repeatedly cursed that hill, but didn’t stop to walk even as the downpour continued. I knew gravity would carry me home once I hit the other side.

Soon enough, I was headed downhill and picked up the pace. I needed to regain any time I lost trudging up that hill.

Around mile 25, I spotted the 4:30 pace group, looked at my watch and realized they were ahead of pace. I grinned ear-to-ear as I passed by.

I heard some lovely volunteers cheer my name and tell me how great I looked. I loved them all. I was almost done.

The finish line was just ahead. I sped up and my quads screamed, so I dialed it back a smidge. I managed to maintain a 9:20 pace for that last mile.

Soon enough I spotted the Pacific Ocean! I rounded a turn onto ocean avenue in Santa Monica, where a wall on wind knocked me backward. Oh, right. With rain comes wind. Fantastic.

I pushed through the whipping winds and rain and crossed the finish with a huge smile on my face. I saw Emily immediately as she’d crossed seconds before me. She promptly burst into tears after crossing the line, turned around to locate me and voila!

We hugged, laughed and cried – and shivered. We surpassed our goal and were thrilled. I ran 4:27:21, a personal record by 18 minutes.

As easily as we found each other at the finish, we also lost one another in the post-race crowd. Everyone was soaked and searching for disoriented runners. I finally exited the claustrophobic chute and walked toward a predetermined meeting spot. I tripped into Emily’s boyfriend, who handed me my drenched bag of clothes from the hotel. I told him I lost Emily when I stopped for a bottle of Gatorade. He assured me it was all right.

The mass of people at the finish.

A short time later, I found Kelly and together we walked to her car. She tried to shelter me with her umbrella, since I was shivering and my teeth were chattering. I assured her I was fine. I was soaked to the bone and there was no saving me at that point. Save yourself Kelly!

Once at the car, Kelly helped me change into dry clothes and wrapped me in a towel. She tucked me into the front seat and blasted the heat the whole way home.

It was later that the reality truly set in. I ran my best marathon in a monsoon. And this time remains my fastest marathon, even though I’ve completed two marathons since my soggy journey.

How do you cope when the weather is undesirable?

Part 1 of the Goofy Challenge – the half marathon

March 8, 2013 by vfreile

We were ready to run.

After a fabulous carb-loading dinner (gnocchi for me!) at Downtown Disney Friday evening, we slept for several hours before our 2 a.m. alarm sounded.

Now let me say, my running pals are Type A early birds who would much rather arrive at the race site early rather than rush to our corrals just before start time. I agree wholeheartedly.

I should introduce you to my race partners for the Goofy Challenge, Jen and Aaron. Jen is one of my closest friends and was my first “real” friend in college. I met Aaron a few years back here in Rochester and we run together regularly.

(left to right, Jen, me, Aaron at our pasta dinner!)

So to sum up the next few less-than-exciting hours, we prepped, headed out the door for a shuttle pickup and were on the first bus out of the Saratoga Springs resort, arriving at EPCOT shortly after 3 am. We sat on a bench for a while, then checked our bags, made our way to Corral A, where we waited some more.

Finally, the fireworks went off and we started running. Within a mile, my glasses fogged up from the humidity. Awwwesome.

We zipped into the first toilets we saw – no lines! Huzzah!! But otherwise, we ran and ran and ran some more. Around mile 3, came up to the toll gates for Magic Kingdom and started chanting; “Caution runners, road narrows, speed bumps ahead.”

We got a few other runners in on the action – Hey, we had to entertain ourselves SOMEHOW.

We ran through the parking lots, past cheering crowds at the kingdom’s transportation center, toward the contemporary resort. And there it was, our first glimpse of Cinderella’s Castle on the predawn horizon.

It always takes my breath away, just for a second. We’ll be there soon!

We passed by Space Mountain – and a rather dark stretch just outside the park – and then we passed through some back gates and entered Magic Kingdom! After a loop behind the scenes at the park, we entered Main Street USA. This is always my favorite stretch of any Disney race: it’s a bit like stepping onto a stage.

Crowds of cheering loved ones and many Disney cast members lined the street. We, of course, stopped for several photos on Main Street and in front of the castle, which was covered with stunning wintry lights.

Jen and me running along Main Street USA! (jazz hands!)

We hung a right and headed into Tomorrowland – and straight to a lovely restroom with flushing toilets. One member of our crew needed a rather lengthy pit stop here. (We didn’t time it, but it was well over 10 minutes.)

Soon enough, we were again on our way. We ran toward Fantasyland, stopping by the teacups, a favorite ride of mine and Jen’s dating back 15+ years.

We passed a few more characters before it was time to run through Cinderella’s Castle! Such a magical feeling to cross through to the other side!

Cinderella’s Castle still in its winter splendor.

We ran down the ramp and veered into Frontierland. We waved to Princess Tiana, saluted Woody and Jessie, cursed Splash Mountain (for being closed for repairs) and were spooked by the idling train on the tracks as we left the park just past mile 6.

The sun peeked over the horizon as we passed parade float storage, which now also housed all of Splash Mountain’s unused log boats.

Queue the Disney-induced mist and fog over the Magnolia golf course – breathtaking! (More on that in the full marathon post.) We ran past several more resorts and headed back to the highway.

Starting mile 7, we launched our run-walk-run plan to conserve energy, our legs and our sanity for Sunday’s marathon. We walked 1/4 mile and ran 3/4 mile for each remaining mile through the end of the race.

The miles clicked off and soon enough, we entered EPCOT. The last mile loops through future world, past Spaceship Earth to the finish line in the parking lot. Just before mile 13, we passed a gospel choir jiving and singing Hallelujah!

Jen and I joined hands in the last stretch as Aaron whipped out his camera. Together we crossed the finish, hands in air.

Medal number one!

Haddonfield Adrenaline 5k 2012 race recap

March 6, 2013 by Meridith

March 2013 brings many things including “springing ahead”, leprechauns, and egg hunts. However, the one that I’m looking forward to most is the kick-off to race season, and more specifically the 2013 Haddonfield Adrenaline 5k. If you’re from the NJ/PA area, you’ve probably heard of or participated in this race. It’s a favorite in the area; it’s USATF certified, has chipped timing and substantial cash prizes (not that I’m anywhere close to getting a cash prize, but I’ll admit that the awesome medal does have a certain draw!). This year’s race marks the 16th year of the race’s existence and the 8th that it’s been sponsored by the Haddonfield Running Company.

I’ll be there, as will Chick Vic, and in his running debut, my husband, along with more than 1,050 other runners. This was one of my first of twelve races last year (ever, really) so I figured I’d share a bit about the 2012 event to get pumped up for THIS year’s race.

What? You don’t see me? That’s because I was nowhere near those people. They were going for cash. I was going for not puking and the medal!

March 17, 2012 was a perfect day for a race. Low 60s, nice relaxed atmosphere. My friend (and coach) Brandi, her husband Sean (with their daughter in the running stroller) and I started out near the back of the pack and steadily gained speed for the first mile. According to my Garmin, we did that in ten minutes.

Which was super fast for me and comfortable for them. So after that mile, I waved them ahead and fell into a far more comfortable pace. The best part of this race was the nice downhill in the second mile, it breathed life into my legs (even though that was my slowest mile at 11:11). Of course, as the saying goes… what goes down must come up. Or wait, is the saying the other way around? In any event, just before we hit the third mile, there was a HILL.

Now, I don’t know about you all but I’m not what one would call… a fan of hills. In fact, at that point in my running career, I usually walked them. I started walking this one but I could see the clock at the top of the hill so I said, “Aw, f- it!” and ran up the hill.

The last part of the race was on the main street in the town, which is very Gilmore Girl’s Stars Hollow-esque. I’m always a fan of the last half a mile of a race because there’s just something very motivating about the fact that I can see the finish line. The knowledge that there are people cheering me on near the end and also that I’m nearly DONE is a strong draw. And since I always want to finish strong, I throw myself into it. It’s just a good feeling!

There I am, in the home stretch, smiling and waving in my Running Skirt!

My final time was 33:01, which was and IS my 5k race personal record (PR). I actually don’t run that many 5ks and the ones I’ve done since haven’t been the most ideal conditions. I’m hoping that the March 16 race will offer me a chance to set a new PR. The fastest woman last year finished in a bit over 17 minutes, which is impressive since I basically took twice as long. The male winner finished in 14:51. That’s pretty speedy!

While I don’t have any delusions of finishing in that amount of time, I do have a plan on being able to PR.

What is that plan? Well, quite simply, I’m going to chase Vic through the streets of Haddonfield. She’s faster than me but she’s graciously offered to stay ahead of me so that I can use her as a carrot to my rabbit. I tend to “store my energy” in a 5k, since I’m used to longer races. And really? I don’t need to do that with 3.1 miles. So with her help, I’m hoping to go full out and use up all the gas in my tank (without going out too fast either – something that I fear). While ten minute miles were a bit fast for me last year, I believe I can conquer them now.

So I’ll put my fast playlist on while Vic leads me on a footrace through town. Maybe I’ll pretend she has chocolate! MAYBE I’LL GIVE HER CHOCOLATE TO HOLD AS SHE RUNS! I would say ice cream but that doesn’t make much sense.

Picked up the race packets for Saturday! And new kicks, which I’ll share soon. ;)

Last year, my oldest son Pooks participated in the kid’s race. He’s sitting the 2013 race out since Jay and I are both running. However, he’s joined the Track and Field team in our town so he’ll be having plenty of time to run.

1/4-mile race for the kids – such determination! By the way, he got nervous when he saw some of the fast runners puking in the chute at the end of the 5k… he thought he was going to puke too. Thankfully, there was no puking at the kid’s race. At least, not that we saw.

A proud finisher!

As of yesterday afternoon there were less than 250 spots available so if you’re considering the Adrenaline 5k, now’s the time to sign up. And hey, if you see us there, come say hi!

We’ll be in reporting back in few weeks with our recap of the 2013 Haddonfield Adrenaline 5k, our Philadelphia Chocolate Tours trip and, of course, City Sports for our giveaway winners! And, who knows, maybe I can talk Jay into sharing his first race experience!

Do you go into races with a strategy? Does it involve chocolate, chasing, or promises of money?

Brawn over Braaaaaaaaiiiiiiiinsssss

February 28, 2013 by camoozle

It’s the beginning of a new year, which means it’s time to plan my runcations for 2013! It’s such a trying task, figuring out which new races I want to try and which of my old favorites I’m going to repeat, and keeping them all within my race budget. There’s so many choices! I’m packing my schedule with lots of new blood, but there’s one race I absolutely must do again. Apparently being chased up a zombie infested hill, sliding into a pool filled with body parts and then shimmying under an electric fence is my cup of tea.

Last October, I participated in the Run for Your Lives Zombie 5k and obstacle course in Temecula, CA. I couldn’t pass up the chance to participate in a real life zombie survival drill. How else could I test my apocalyptic survival tactics? I mean, sure, I’ve obliterated hundreds of zombies in simulation via Left 4 Dead, but how could I know for sure if what I’ve learned from The Walking Dead and World War Z could be put to use in a real zombie apocalypse scenario? Plus, they promised beer at the finish. Um, sold!

I signed up to run with the 10 am wave with my neighbors and fellow zombie enthusiasts, Sharon and Justin. My sister, her husband and cousin also registered to race later that afternoon. We got there nice and early, decked out in our warrior gear, and we were greeted instantly by a welcoming committee.

Meet my new friend.

Gurl, your calves are lookin’ good!

After we checked in and got our goodies, we set about putting on our flags. Each runner wears a belt with 3 red flags attached to it. At the end of the race, if you still have a flag, you live. If you don’t, you die and are consumed by ravenous flesh eaters. Easy enough? I was determined to survive. Mainly, because I’m addicted to medals and I was deathly afraid I wouldn’t get a medal if I didn’t live through the race. We were herded past the decontamination zone aka Vail Lake and into dark, smoke-filled corrals labeled “Appetizers”, “Main Course”, and “Dessert”. We chose Dessert, obviously.

The course started with an uneven, uphill dirt path that was far more brutal than I expected. At the very top of the hill, we encountered our first zombies. I expected lumbering and lunging but I did not expect speed demons! Yep, these zombies were chasers. I found this highly irritating and completely contradictory to my knowledge of zombie lore. I had my first flag snagged by a zombie that was far more athletic than I was.

My sister and brother-in-law. They’re standing in front of the initial climb aka the hill from hell pre-race.

Eventually, we discovered that if we traveled in packs and pushed our flags to the back, we were less likely to get singled out. It was almost as if the zombies went after runners who still had all their flags, or the runners who were trying really hard to evade the zombies. At one point, due to some fancy footwork and nimble maneuvering on my part, a zombie who was chasing me fell. I thought he’d just fall back into his post and wait for the next onslaught of runners. No such luck. He chased me down for a good five minutes before eventually snagging my second flag. I was shocked and dismayed. Zombies don’t have vendettas!

In addition to mudpits, zombies fields, and dusty hills, there were two buildings that we had to climb through. The first wasn’t so bad, it was smokey and dark and riddled with electrical wires. If you stuck to the sides, you could make it through unscathed. The second building was a maze. A zombie infested maze. Zombies hanging from the ceiling, reaching through walls, and stumbling around corners. It was terrifying.

Yolo…Unless you’re a zombie.

I didn’t lose any flags in the house, yet by the time I got out and over the four foot walls, I was exhausted. The next part of the race was a field of moguls laced with hordes of zombies. One zombie was offering hugs and you know what, I took one damnit, and I gave that sweet little zombie my last flag. At that point, I just wanted to be dead and done and run the rest of the race in peace. I learned a lot about my survival instincts that day. And it wasn’t impressive. In fact, I’ve revised my zombie apocalypse plan from “hunt and peck” to “hide and wait”.

Interestingly, when you’re out of flags, the zombies ignore you, but I was still worried about getting that medal at the end. So I found a nice zombie priest who was ‘saving’ runners and he granted me a pity flag. Which I promptly rolled up and put in my bra. Because that’s how far I will go to get a medal. Shame… I have none.

Turns out, it didn’t matter, though. After bruising my shins and thighs climbing splintered walls, sliding into a pool filled with floating chunks of flesh and crawling on my belly under an electrical fence that did indeed deliver shocks, I crossed the finish line. While there were two corrals, one for survivors and one for the dead, everyone got the same medals. And because I definitely wasn’t racing for a time, it made no difference if I lived or died. I finished and that was awesome enough for me.

That’s the decontamination bath behind me.

So awesome, if fact, I did the whole race again with my sister, Sarah, her husband, Shawn, and our friend Amy.

The second time, I started without flags. I was mainly along for the ride. Or as bait. I ran ahead to distract the zombies so the living could get past. It worked like a charm. And the best part was searching the course for beer coupons that had been torn from bibs. A word to the wise… tear those coupons off before you belly crawl through the mud!

After finishing the second race, we rinsed off in the lake and changed into dry clothes. By this time, the beer garden was hopping and a band was performing on the stage. We collected our swag, a pretty nifty tech tee, stickers and a thumb drive in the shape of, you guessed it, an actual severed thumb. Best race swag ever!

Yes, that’s a severed thumb drive.

Something we didn’t know ahead of time but I thought was pretty cool is that you could camp at the race site afterward. A ton of people were dragging in their tents and ice chests to party after the race.

Beer is better than brains.

This year the race in SoCal is at Glen Helen and I’m planning on camping at the site after the race. Runners also have the option to be zombies. In previous years, you had to run the race the year prior in order to be a zombie but now you can register as a zombie and run the race on the same day. That’s a pretty sweet deal. You can also register to just be a spectator or volunteer. All in all, this was one of the funnest, most terrifying and challenging races I’ve done. It was anxiety-provoking and fear-inducing, just like a good zombie apocalypse should be.

Are you ready for the walkers? Would you survive the outbreak? There’s only one way to find out.

Use coupon code RFYL13 for $5 off any 2013 Run For Your Lives Zombie Run registration. And remember, tear those beer coupons off before crawling.

2012 Atlantic City April Fool’s 1/2 Marathon (and 7k!)

February 26, 2013 by Meridith

Being born on April Fool’s day has a few disadvantages. There’s always the same tired jokes. And there was that time in high school when my friends decided to each bring me Mylar balloons so that by the end of the day, I had about 20 balloons with which I was knocking people down in the hallways.

But then I met my husband in college; one of the first conversations we ever had was about birthdays. And that’s because we share the same one! Being born on April Fool’s day was looking up.

Another cool fact about being born on April Fool’s day is that there are actually RACES that revolve around the fact that it’s April Fool’s day. Let’s all get crazy and run on April Fool’s day!

Last year, I ran the inaugural Atlantic City Marathon series half marathon on my 35th birthday with fellow Scoot a Doot chick, Cam. I was obviously the seasoned half marathon runner with preciously ONE half marathon under my belt. Chick Bec was signed up to do the 7k and there was an 11k on the same day as well. This recap was written after the race on my personal blog but I’ve freshened it up to share on Scoot a Doot.

We arrived in Atlantic City the afternoon prior to the race. My house is less than a hour away from AC but we decided to relieve some stress and get a room at one of the hotels associated with the race. There was no expo for this race but the packet pick-up was quick and easy.

Cam and Bec showing off their numbers!

We raced over to the Tropicana (where we were staying) from Bally’s (host hotel) to check in and get ready for our carb loading dinner… only to find out at the front desk that the “only room they had with two beds was a smoking room.” That wasn’t going to fly and after sorting that out, we wound up in a large two bedroom suite, which was greatly appreciated.

Shuffling the rooms took a lot longer than anticipated but once we got situated, we went to Carmine’s for our carb loading!

(This is when we were able to breathe again at a normal rate.) (I think the bread basket in front of us helped immensely.)

We had a delicious dinner and then made our way back up to the suite where Bec took a bath in this amazingly huge tub and Cam and I decorated our One More Mile race shirts for the next day. Already we could tell that we wouldn’t be sleeping much because our neighbors were pretty rowdy. We had WOO GIRLS on one side and the Bruce Springsteen fan club on the other. I wish I were joking but alas… we were serenaded at 4:40 in the morning with a very repetitive rendition of Born in the USA. At that point there was really nothing to do but laugh.

Despite the non-sleeping, we were up at 5:20 to get ready for the race. Cam did a kick-ass Katniss braid in my hair and they both sang Happy Birthday to me, with bits of Born in the USA thrown in for good measure. It was very lovely.

We drove to Bally’s (since we wouldn’t have time to check out after the race) and wandered around a bit before the race. Met an interesting, still-drunk-from-the-previous-night guy who dubbed us “running nerds” – which was pretty awesome.

Saw a great sunrise over the water and just tried to calm nerves.

Look at these nerds!

I told Cam that I would stick with her and go at her pace throughout the entire race, take pictures, and just have a good time with it. The race coordinators said they’d gotten a lot of calls about not being able to get to the site by 8am so they were pushing back the start to 8:15. Honestly, it might have annoyed some but it really didn’t phase us one bit. More time to dance and be silly.

There were close to 2,000 people running the 7k, 11k, and half marathon with about half of those doing 13.1 miles. There were no corrals or placements to start, just the start line and the open boardwalk ahead of us.

The race was on the boardwalk for about 3.5 miles, then turned onto the streets of nearby cities. It was an out and back and honestly, running on the boards was much more forgiving than running on the asphalt. Being that we don’t get to run on the boards regularly, it wasn’t something we went into the race knowing but something we looked forward to once we got back on the boardwalk.

Throughout the race I would run ahead of Cam and then turn back to take pictures of her coming up, like a rock star! She had her very own paparazzi.

When we discussed the night before what Cam was hoping to achieve from this half, her goal was simple – TO FINISH. She didn’t have a specific time goal in mind and she just wanted to run and run HAPPY. And I could fully support this mindset!

So of course, we stopped for pictures along the way.

The first five miles were happy and feeling good. The asphalt was sort of a bummer on the legs but not on the spirit. There were bands and radio stations throughout the entire course and lots of great scenery to look at.

There were eight hydration stations along the route – four in total that we hit there and back. The turn around was a bit past mile 7 and around that time I called my husband just to check in and see how his birthday was treating HIM. Yeah, I was THAT GIRL on the cell phone while running. I think I get a pass because it was my birthday. Right? Maybe?

SO VERY GORGEOUS, right?

Around mile 10, Cam started telling me that she was ready to be finished. And I told her that was fine, she’d be done in about… forty minutes or so. She really loved me then.

And then? Around mile 12 we found DEATH.

And that made Cam EXTREMELY happy.

At about 12.75, I bid Cam adieu and sprinted the rest of the way so that I could get a picture of her crossing the finish line and earning her first 13.1 medal!

Bec took this one of me coming through the end.

AND HERE COMES CAM!!!

My girls were both VERY HAPPY! (Cam swore she needed to get in the Atlantic Ocean. Bec and I, both east coasters, opted out.)

Bec texted me when she finished her 7k and then I kept her posted throughout the rest of the half and let her know when we’d be coming through. She got to rest and people watch while we finished up.

Our MEDALS!

All in all, a great race. It felt really good the entire time and it was so much fun. If I do another race in AC, I’ll probably opt to stay at my house and just drive there super early in the morning because I didn’t sleep a wink the night before. But really, since I wasn’t pushing myself or going for a specific time, that didn’t hinder us a whole lot.

It was the perfect way to spend my 35th birthday!

Updated to add: I’ll be running this race again on April 7th, 2013! There are still spots available so if you’re interested, make sure you check out AC Marathon series and sign up because the price goes up in a couple of days. And, of course, I’m going to have to eat my words because I will be spending the night down in AC again. The host hotel this year is Revel, which was just built in 2012. Looking forward to continuing my April Fool’s half marathon streak and sharing my experiences with you.

Scootadoot

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