Showing posts with label #runradar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #runradar. Show all posts

Friday, June 28, 2013

Fitness Friday: BAA 10K 2013 Weekend

Last weekend we made our way to Boston for the BAA 10K, the second race in the BAA Medley Series. This time I had a running partner: my step daughter.


Our mini race-cation started on Saturday with our first destination on Boylston Street. The last time we were there was for the BAA 5K on marathon weekend. It seemed fitting to pay our respects on the same weekend of the BAA's first race since the tragic events of April 15.


We spent the rest of the afternoon milling around Faneuil Hall, Waterfront Park, and Boston Common before heading to dinner. We chose Maggiano's Little Italy because they offered 15% off to race participants and we scooped up some cookies from the Chip Yard for dessert.


After dinner we strolled back to the hotel. With some time to spare before the start of the hockey game, we took advantage of the spacious room to do some family-time yoga and get our game plan for race day ready.


In the morning we walked the short two blocks to the starting area to meet up with some runner friends prior to the start. The BAA encouraged runners to wear blue and yellow as a tribute to April 15 so I chose my blue Nike running skirt and yellow tank, but I was loving all the Boston tees.

First we ran into Nicole and then Michelle! I also saw Alaina in the corral and on the course!

With the race capped and sold out to 6500 runners, getting into the pace corrals was no easy task. We got in Wave 3 with the 9-959 runners and it took about 10+ minutes to cross the start line.


Here's a glimpse of us at the start turning onto Beacon Street caught by mr C.



We spent the next 6.2 miles cruising through Boston's Back Bay, enjoying the cheers and cow-bells from the spectators, and sweating our butts off. IT WAS HOT! As much as I love bright sunny days, running in the heat after being sick was tough. I just wanted to get to the finish line as easily as my Wave Creations would carry me. 


The out & back course followed Commonwealth Ave. on the south side of the Charles River and led us to the turn around at Boston University. My step daughter and I stayed together until the last port-a-potty at mile 6. It sounds crazy to pitstop so close to the end, but I knew it would be a maze at the finisher's corral and I had no idea how long it would take to get to the port-a-potties there. The next time I saw her, she was showing off her bling!


We hung out on the Common afterwards long enough to cool down a bit and see the 2013 Boston Marathon Champion, Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia, gift his championship medal to the city of Boston to honor the victims and families of the marathon bombings.  


As much as we would've liked to enjoy the festivities on the common all day, we were mere visitors and had to get cleaned up and checkout of the hotel. It was a great weekend, a great race, and a great first 10K finish for my step daughter at 1:02:03 - and I came in right behind her at 1:02:44. 


See you in October for the BAA Half Marathon!

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On a side note, Shlomo from the Brain Tumor Foundation in New York City asked me to share this for readers who are interested in running the ING New York City Marathon on November 3 but were not chosen in the lottery: "The Brain Tumor Foundation has a limited number of slots left on Team BTF in this year’s ING New York City Marathon, and we can offer guaranteed entry into this year’s race for those who will run with Team BTF." You can find more information on the website or go directly to the Team BTF application.  

There's still time to enter to win a Bestowed box delivered right to your door! Click here!



Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Spirit of the Marathon II

Happy Hump Day!

Tonight I am joining a small of group of running friends at the Cinemagic Theater in Hooksett, NH to watch the US screening of Spirit of the Marathon II presented by NCM Fathom Events and Competitor Group. The movie follows seven inspiring runners as they prepare for the 2012 Rome Marathon and includes motivational interviews with running legends such as Paula Radcliffe, Frank Shorter, and Katherine Switizer.

I took one look at the trailer that accompanied my invitation from Fathom Events and knew that I had to see this movie.



So after immediately adding Rome to my bucket list of places that I want to run, I looked up the 2008 award-winning original documentary Spirit of the Marathon and found it on HULU and Netflix. Saturday evening you could've found mr. C and I cheering for the runners of the 2005 Chicago Marathon as they trained and competed. This movie is about more than running marathons. It's about passion, motivation, inspiration, and celebration. It's a must see for all runners and anyone who loves a runner.

Tonight I will be watching the much anticipated sequel and cheering on a new set of runners as they embark on their journey to the finish line of the Rome Marathon. To find a select theater near you, visit the Fathom Events website. A portion of the proceeds from the event will be donated to the One Fund Boston to assist the families affected by the bombings at the Boston Marathon.


Many thanks to NCM Fathom Events, Competitor Group, AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark Holdings Inc., and Regal Entertainment Group for the complimentary tickets to the event.


Thursday, June 6, 2013

National Running Day Recap

Here's how I celebrated on National Running Day!

I made a running declaration.


I wore one of my favorite running shirts to work.


I donated an old pair of running shoes.


I went on a fun run with a bunch of running friends.


Hope you were able to celebrate in some way!


Wednesday, June 5, 2013

National Running Day is Swagtastic!

It's that time of year again. On National Running Day people start talking about all the reasons they run. I wrote about my reasons here and I still feel the same.

It doesn't take much to convince me to run and I'm always on the lookout for a good race. Last week I was asked to help promote a virtual race series put on by Swagtastic Virtual Races to support the organization Medals4Mettle, which collects earned race medals from runners and triathletes and donates them to children and adults facing serious illness or injuries.



The Swagtastic Race Series features a virtual 5K, 10K, and half marathon and 100% of the registration proceeds go to cover the costs of presenting medals to the victims of the Boston bombings through the Medals4Mettle organization.


What makes the race series unique is the swag - the first 300 registrants receive a swag box filled with samples from over 25 companies and all participants that self-report their race finish times are entered into a drawing for over 60 prizes. You can check out what they have lined up by going to the Facebook page or following on Twitter

What better way to celebrate National Running Day than to sign up for a Swagtastic Virtual Race? Registration closes on June 28th and they are hoping to reach 100%. If you are interested in supporting this fundraiser, you can register here.

Do you like virtual races? 
How will you be celebrating National Running Day?



Disclosure: I was comped a race entry for promoting the Swagtastic event.


Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Flying Pig Half Marathon

I'm a Flying Pig!


I finally ran the Flying Pig Half Marathon and I dragged my husband along with me! We arrived in Cincinnati on Friday evening and met up with family and friends for dinner. The weather was gorgeous  and the Flying Pig weekend festivities had already begun. 


After breakfast at a great downtown restaurant called First Watch, we spent Saturday morning at the Expo. They had an interesting zig-zag layout that steered you through all of the booths to get to the race shirt pick-up. At first we didn't mind this layout, but when we wanted to make our way back to something, it was difficult to move against the sea of people and took way too much time. After running with his water bottle for the last two years, I finally met Simple Hydration designer Brian and hung out at his booth for a bit.


The race had an early start of 6:30, but fortunately we were only a couple of blocks from the start line at the Millennium Hotel. We didn't have our normal pre-race breakfast, so we substituted bagels from the hotel cafe. I could only eat half because I was so excited to get going. The weather was predicted to be 50+ so I was comfortable selecting a Nike racerback and running skirt. I also chose my Flying Pig Sassy Bands and Mizuno Wave Creation 14s. After mixing up some Nuun (I forgot to pack the Cytomax) and packing some post-race clothes in my gear bag, we were on our way.

We walked the few blocks to the starting line and located the not-so-easy to find gear bag busses. By then the sun was beginning to rise over the city. We took a few minutes to stretch before entering our corral.


For nine weeks I had been preparing my husband to run his 3rd half marathon. We planned to take it easy in the beginning, manage the two+ mile uphill into Eden Park, and then cruise to the finish.


Running with my husband was easy. The first six miles over the river into Newport, across Covington, and back through Cincy's west side was manageable for us. The hard part for me was dealing with three port-a-potty stops. I guess he forgot to reduce his fluid intake!


We knew the tough part of the course would begin at about mile 7 as we started the 280 foot climb into Eden Park. When I saw the Elsinore Castle, I knew it was time to dig deep.


The good part about the climb was that it leveled off a little in places, like Mirror Lake. This was one of the picturesque views along the course.


The pain of the next part of the climb was lessened just a little by the appearance of Elvis near the Krohn Conservatory. We saw crazy, fun stuff like this all along the course.


After making our way out of the park and through some rolling hills, we started the cruise to the finish line. The downhill view of the city and descent helped increase our pace.


The last .20 of the course was a straight away lined with cheering spectators all the way to the finish. After crossing the finish line in 2:17:03 (PR for hubs!), we made our way through the finisher's corral where we received our medal and more food than I have ever seen at a race. It was awesome! Just minutes after exiting the corral, a light rain began. I was grateful that I packed some extra clothes in my gear check bag. Thanks to the Flying Pig tracker app, my mom was right there waiting for us. We walked around for a bit, got a quick massage, and then decided to head to the hotel to get dry.


I loved this race. It was challenging, but tons of fun. There were more bands/music on the course than the Rock-n-Roll events I have done. The cheer zones and fluid stations were filled with rowdy, happy people. The entire weekend was packed full of events going on downtown including the Expo, 5K, 10K, full marathon, relays, kids races, a family festival, and fireworks. Participants received awesome swag before and after the race: tech tee, poster, cooler, and finisher's certificate.


We had been warned about THE hill leading into Eden Park and more importantly the downhill that followed. Day three post-race my quads are finally starting to recover.


This race is only 15 years old, but attracts over 33, 000 runners to it's weekend events that sell-out. There were more than 100 people who participated in the full marathon for the 15th year in a row - The Streakers! I hope to run this half marathon again too!




Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Inaugural Newport 10 Miler


Newport, Rhode Island is one of my favorite places. The Inaugural Newport 10 Miler showcased the beauty and history that attracts so many and benefitted the historic Fort Adams Trust.


The race not only raised money for Fort Adams, but was held at Fort Adams, nestled on the Narragansett Bay. We picked up our race bibs and t-shirts on Saturday afternoon right on the parade lawn where the race would finish on Sunday and had the chance to meet Matt, the race organizer, from Gray Matter Marketing.


After our usual pre-race breakfast, we headed to the fort to be sure to get a good parking spot. The main lot outside the gates was being used for the race start and then public parking since Fort Adams would actually still be open for tours. The secondary lot was about a mile from the start line, but it was a pleasant walk with great views of downtown Newport across the harbor. Before the start, we met up with some of my favorite FitFluential running friends. 

Jill, Nancy, Samantha, Michelle, and me

We took advantage of the bag drop (which we somehow missed before heading to Newport and had to use a shopping bag from the NEX, yikes!) and the port-a-potties before heading to the start area. While chatting with Nancy and Jill we learned that the race would not start until 8:15. It wasn't a big deal to me, but for serious runners, it could mess with the whole fuel timing thing. 


At the boom of the cannon, we were off. Here's an awesome video showing what it looked like from above!



This race was a preview to the half  marathon my husband and I will be running together this weekend, so we ran at his pace. Right from the beginning we knew we were going to have fun when we saw flag guy (aka Bryan) - who we would end up running near for most of the race.


We also had some fun with the girls before losing each other in the crowd. This cool picture was my husband's idea. (Miles 1 & 2: 937, 926)


Besides all the fun we were having, we had these beautiful views of the Atlantic as we ran along Ocean Avenue.


Our photo taken by flag guy Bryan was the only dip in our pace - there was a photo bomb and camera malfunction involved too. (Miles 3-5: 1118, 926, 915)


Sadly, my husband forgot his Simple Hydration water bottle and had to use each of the four aid stations, but other than a couple of photo stops he sailed through the miles.


When he realized we were at MILE 6, he couldn't believe it because he was feeling so good. Did I mention that he wears Mizunos too? Enigmas for all you #brilliantrun junkies out there.


We love Rough Point and had to stop for a quick picture. You never know what you're going to see in the yards of these mansions! (Mile 6: 944)


The final four miles were just as good even though we had a couple of good hills to climb before cruising through the final two and back into Fort Adams. (Miles 7-10: 948, 945, 901, 837)


At the finish line we found some post-run yoga to stretch out and eventually found the food tent with bagels (always a favorite) and candy (even better than bagels!). The food tent was small and crowded but there was plenty for everyone.


This was a great race. My husband did amazing and I'm so proud of him. It was a great day for running.


The Newport 10 Miler has already announced the date for next year, April 27, 2014. Will you be there?


Tuesday, April 23, 2013

BostonStrongGoffstown

Monday night, my wish to get together a group of runners and DO something to show Boston support from New Hampshire came true. Family, colleagues, students, and running friends (both old and new) showed up to demonstrate that we all stand as one. We are all runners. We are all in this together.



We started the evening with introductions while runners got ready to go and my step daughter and her friend helped hand out blue and yellow ribbons. After a moment of silence, my husband sent us on our way playing the Bostonian favorite Sweet Caroline.



While we were just one of over 100 #BostonStrong<city> events taking place all over the world, the two mile trail run allowed us to feel connected in a very powerful way. One of the best parts of the run was passing a young mother and her daughter who came out to cheer us on and ring their Boston Marathon cowbell. It was such a great moment and emphasized the role of spectators.



To everyone who came out for the #BostonStrongGofftown event, THANK YOU! My goal was for all of us to come together to show our love and support for all those affected by the Boston Marathon bombings, and we did.




Wednesday, April 17, 2013

BAA Distance Medley: 5K Weekend

Edited: I wrote this post on Sunday following my trip to Boston. On Monday afternoon I watched the news of the Boston Marathon finish line bombing in horror with my husband. It it very hard to process our emotions knowing that we were right there having the best time just the day before. It breaks our hearts to see the celebration of the Boston Marathon turn into pain and tragedy.




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After logging our long run on Saturday morning, we headed to Boston. It was Marathon weekend and the kickoff to the 2nd annual BAA Distance Medley Series. The 5K race is the first in the series and happens to be held the day before the marathon. 


The first thing we did was check into the hotel. I love that my husband can accumulate points for stays through all his work travel. The hotel was nice and the best part was the view!


Oh, hey Wave Creations! How'd you get there? More on that coming soon...

We made our way via the T to the Boston Marathon Expo being held at the Hynes Convention Center to pick up my bib and tee, and of course browse around. Although I thought the expo was smaller than last year, there was still a ton of inspiration to be found. We spotted Katherine Switzer, the first female to ever run the Boston Marathon wearing a number and Team Hoyt, the father and son duo who have been competing in marathons and triathlons since 1977.


This year's expo location put visitors right at the finish line of the marathon. A few years ago we spectated the start of the marathon in Hopkinton, so I have seen the beginning and this weekend I was able to see the end. I love that the BAA closes off this part of the street so running enthusiasts can get such an up close and personal view of things.


We milled around for a bit, had dinner at the Cactus Club, and then made our way back to the hotel to get organized for our early morning trek back to Boylston Street. And, I had to figure out what I would be wearing when I passed under the marathon photo bridge.


We arrived about one hour prior to the race start and found some warmth in a large white bib distribution tent. The weather report predicted sunny and 45 degrees, but I could see that wasn't going to happen. Fortunately I brought along my MPG capris and found a friendly restaurant that let me use their large restroom to change. Thanks Boloco! A last minute long sleeve tee purchase finished off my new outfit for the day.


After properly layering my outfit, we made our way to the corral where hubs said he would hang with me until the start. We missed meeting up with a group of runner-blogger-FitFluential friends on Saturday and I didn't think I would ever find anyone in the crowd, but then there was Michelle! She was hanging out with her cheering section too.


This 5K was a crowded race. More than 5000 runners participated and in the short 3.1 miles, it was hard to find an "opening" to settle into a regular pace. This is not the kind of race that I attempt to PR. There's just no room to move when you're in the middle of the pack. A glimpse of the finish looks a lot like the crowd at the start.


After crossing THE finish line, I made my way through the finish coral, received a 5K medal, a bag of snacks, and an energetic congratulations. I'm happy with my finish time of 28:34, but even happier to get negative splits (939, 905, 841)! I'll be back in June for the BAA 10K.


Congrats to all the finishers of the 5K!

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Edited: The events at the Boston Marathon finish line are heartbreaking, but the running community will not let it diminish what the runners accomplished that day and the world will never forget the acts of heroism that followed. 


“If you are losing faith in human nature, go out and watch a marathon” Kathrine Switzer



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