Friday, November 25, 2011

Thanksgiving Day Race

Cincinnati, Ohio

November 24 - Cincinnati, OH - For the third time in my life, I started my turkey day with a 10K run through the streets of downtown Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.  In Cincinnati this 10K run/walk is on the list of Thanksgiving traditions along with turkey, football, and the Macy's Day parade.  Started in 1908, this race is the largest known in the midwest and the sixth largest in America behind century old races like the Boston Marathon.  This year over 15,000 people registered to burn a few calories before heading off to their big turkey feasts.

Thousands of cars made their way to the 50,000 free parking spots of Paul Brown Stadium hoping to make the 9 AM start.  I had to jump out of the car and dash to the stadium in search of the restrooms with only 15 minutes to spare.  Bad idea. The line was worse than on a game day! Instead I had to plan a stop at the port-a-potty oasis at mile 3.  I squirmed my way through the massive crowd back toward the starting line to look for my driver (husband) and mom: my cheering section.  Luckily I married the crazy guy who will park in garages that look closed and stand atop large orange traffic barrels waving like wild.


Dodging some walkers in the crowd!
The race started and ended on Second Street.  It probably took me 8+ minutes to even cross the starting line.  There were so many people!! Once the horde surrounding me began to move, I was off. I had set a goal to finish in under one hour.

With so many runners (and walkers) it was hard to take in the sights of the city during the run.  I spotted my cheering husband around mile two before heading over the Ohio River via the Taylor Southgate Bridge into Newport, KY.  Runners were spreading out at this point, so I did get some pretty views of the riverfront.

I did it! 10K - 59:08

The remaining four miles took me past Newport on the Levee before my two minute visit at the "Oasis" then over the Licking River Bridge into Covington. Lots of supporters and great music lined 4th street in Covington providing the perfect motivation for facing the last "rolling hill" on the run.  The final mile took me over the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge back into Cincinnati and toward my destination.  Passing by my cheering section, I made my way to the finish line in 59:08!

It was a wonderful trip home to Cincinnati, and the added bonus of being able to run the 102nd Thanksgiving Day Race with thousands of others made it even better.  I am looking forward to doing it again!

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Inaugural Newport Pell Bridge Run


Photo by Bird's Eye View
November 13 - Today was a beautiful day to run across the Newport Pell Bridge in Newport, Rhode Island. The Veteran's Day Weekend event benefitted several local charities and gave participants the chance to experience spectacular views.  This was the first time in over 25 years that runners were able to run across the bridge since its opening in 1969.

Beginning at 5 AM shuttles transported over 2500 registered runners from downtown Newport to the other side of the Narragansett Bay into Jamestown.  Using bibs as boarding passes, we were loaded into the rented school buses.

The starting line and waiting area was prepped with coffee, water, bananas, port-a-potties and MUSIC.  Standing around in the pre-dawn darkness, people were talking, laughing, and bopping to the lively tunes being DJ'd.  It was hard to remember that we had all probably crawled out of bed before 4 AM.



Daylight reached its peak as the first runners made their way through the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority toll station.  Runners occupied the two lanes of eastbound traffic, while motorists making their way between Jamestown and Newport had to share the remaining two westbound lanes.

Along the way, everyone took advantage of the opportunity to capture the breath-taking views of the sunrise, the Narragansett Bay, and the bridge itself.  It was so amazingly beautiful that I quickly forgot about the chilly breeze and the impressive incline as we made our way to the midway point of the bridge.  Crossing the bridge took just over two miles out of our four mile run.

Coming into downtown Newport after crossing the bridge, runners were met with cheers and clapping from spectators lining the streets leading to the finish line.  The finish line area gave runners a chance to mingle with friends and family while munching on the yummy blueberry bagels from Panera.

On a picture perfect November day, I not only crossed the finish line of another race, but also got to cross over an iconic landmark.  The Newport Pell Bridge is the longest suspension bridge in New England.  Every time we go to Newport, I will probably get chillbumps thinking about where I was at 6:30 this morning!

4.2 miles ~ 42:00

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Witch Way to the 5K


October 29 - A friend invited me to run a 5K with her as part of a fundraiser for her son's middle school.  With the event occurring so close to Halloween, runners were invited to wear their costumes for a pre-race parade and costume contest.


Temperatures for the 11 AM start time barely made it to the mid-30s and a winter storm warning was in effect for the afternoon, but that did not stop hundreds of people from coming out and participating.  Kids, parents, and even pets dressed up and joined in on the fun activities leading up to the start.  
The out and back course circled the school campus before leading out onto the neighborhood roads.  One challenging hill to overcome leading into mile 2 interrupted an otherwise quick and easy 5K course.  28:27



Thursday, October 20, 2011

My Dogs Are Barking 5K

Booney's first official race. 31:13
October 16 - took Booney on a fun run in Bedford to benefit the Animal Rescue League of NH.  The 5k road race took place on Joppa Hill starting at an educational farm.

Hundreds of people, many with their canines, showed up to enjoy the clear brisk autumn weather.  As if on cue, dogs of all shapes and sizes commenced the race with a chorus of barks and howls.

Although Booney did not receive his own bib, he was an excellent running companion setting  a manageable pace as the course wound through the beautiful roads of Bedford.  Despite not coming in first place, we all enjoyed a wonderful run.

                                                      
                   

Friday, August 12, 2011

Rock 'n Roll Providence

On Sunday August 7, 2011, I completed my first half marathon.  Chris and I drove down to Providence, RI on Saturday to attend the Health & Fitness Expo where we checked in, picked up our goodie swag bags, had our pictures taken, and loaded up on lots of free stuff.  We got to see two cast members from The Biggest Loser who were also running and the start/finish area of the race. It was a beautiful Saturday in Providence, so we had dinner on the river walk at Water Place Restaurant.  Unfortunately the weather forecast for the Sunday morning race would not be as nice.

We were up at 5:00 AM and out the door by 5:30 headed to breakfast. A quick stop at DD and we were off to find a parking spot in the Providence Place Parking Garage.  Luckily we planned our times right and avoided most of the runner traffic. After making our way through the mall and out the doors, we wandered out into the cluster of runners getting ready in the pouring rain.

After checking our swag bag, we found some shelter to stretch and wait before heading over to our start corral for the 7 AM start.  I choose this race because it was only two hours away from home, a beautiful city, and featured live music along the course with a free concert at the finish by Sugar Ray.  In my head I had pictured bright blue sunny skies, warm summer weather, and light breezes coming off the river.  Looking around as we waited for start time, I felt bummed by the amount of rain and a little stressed about whether or not I could finish.  I knew I would be pushing my shin pain to the limit.

The 7 AM start actually became more like 7:30, after the delay in closing the course and the wave start, but once we started running, it was great.  The downpours were refreshing and helped keep our bodies comfortably cool throughout the 13.1 miles.  Despite the wet weather, live bands continued to play nearly every mile creating a party-like atmosphere among the runners. Family, friends, locals, and cheer squads lining the streets and sidewalks never stopped yelling words of encouragement from start to finish.  Most of the course was flat and easy running with only minor puddle jumping and dodging.  There were a couple of hills, but we pushed our way up and then down them.  The scenic water views of Seekonk River were amazing and the historical neighborhoods were filled with beautiful, massive, colonial homes.  It was especially fun running along India Point Park and right by our hotel.  With the help of well-placed port-a-potties, water stations, and GU stands, we were able to push our way to the finish line without running out of gas in 2:24:54.

Half Marathon - 2:24:54
Crossing the line with Chris beside me was one of the most fun things I have ever done. Chris and I stuck together for the entire run.  We trained together so it would have been weird to not complete the event side by side.  It was comforting to know that he was right there with me the whole way, to the finish.

Between the pouring rain and my painful shin and calf, we opted not to stay for the concert.  We had our medals, snapped a photo and grabbed a handful of post-race snacks and a bag of ice.  That was good enough for me, this time.

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