Showing posts with label RnRPROV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RnRPROV. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Rock 'n Roll Providence 2012

On August 19, 2012 I ran the Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon in Providence. My husband and I headed down to Providence early on Saturday so that we would have time to do as many of the things as I had planned for us. We learned last year that it is better to stay in a hotel close to the festivities so that you can park the car for the weekend. We arrived early, but were able to check into our room at the Providence Biltmore located just a block from the main attractions of the weekend. I love that this host hotel let us check in early, but wish they had a better plan for runners to have late check-out after the race. 



After dropping our bags, we walked to the mall for a quick bite to eat at the food court before we headed to the Health & Fitness Expo. I love how easy it is to get from Providence Place Mall to the Convention Center via the skywalk and avoid the wet weather. We spent about an hour checking in, picking up our race shirts and swag bags, and then wandering around to the vendors. 



As usual, the swag for this race was pretty nice. We received a race shirt and swag bag (to be used at gear check) filled with lots of goodies. By the time we left the expo, I felt like a trick-or-treater. By the way, thank you Sweaty Bands for being there!



Right before we left I was able to meet up with some friends from FitFluential. It was great to see Janine, Sam, and Dani



We had some fun at the Rock 'n Roll Experience Booth!



For dinner we walked to Providence's art and entertainment district for dinner at Sakis. This cute little grilled pizzeria bar is located across from Johnson & Wales University and was the perfect place for a cozy pre-race dinner of calzones. 



The weather cooperated for WaterFire so after dinner we moseyed to WaterPark Place Basin and grabbed a seat for the lighting ceremony. 



It was a beautiful evening for sitting by the water, listening to the music, and enjoying the bonfires.



Race Day: We started with a quick ritual breakfast of PB&J toast and then walked to the race. After leaving our bags at the gear check we made one last stop at the port-a-potties where lines were long and slow as they usually are at races. It seemed like there were fewer port-a-potties than last year though. We made it to our corral just prior to our wave start.



Start - Mile 3: With a plan to go slow and walk every two, we eased into these first miles climbing gradually through the charming historic streets of Providence. The bands were on display before we reached mile 1 setting the tone for a lively run. We were feeling so good we completely missed our mile 2 walk. 



Miles 4 - 7: Once we made it up the steepest hill of the race, the course flattened out nicely and we were greeted with tree lined streets and vocal spectators. We passed the relay exchange around mile 5.1 which looked to be a smooth transition area. Mile 7 ended with a very steep downhill straight to the water.



Miles 8 - 9: This part of the course was visually bordered by the Seekonk River, Blackstone Park, and Providence's East Side neighborhoods. The live entertainment continued as we easily made our way back toward downtown. At one point we ran underneath an incredibly large inflated Brooks rocker. 



Miles 10 - 13.1: The longest mile 10 ever had us enter the city for a pair of double-backs that truly tested the mental endurance. Perfectly positioned cheerleader teams revved up the energy level and spirited our tiring legs. The uphill finish was the final test of our physical endurance.



At the finish line we were handed our finisher's medals, photographed, and loaded down with lots of refueling goodies.



After reclaiming our bags from gear check, we found a spot on the lawn to stretch, rehydrate with some low fat chocolate milk, and relax while they handed out awards to the speedy people.




Under beautiful blue skies we loosened up our leg muscles with a stroll over to the stage to enjoy some of the post race concert by American pop-duo Karmin before walking back to the hotel.



Last year my husband and I trained for and ran the entire Inaugural Rock 'n Roll Providence Half Marathon together, from start to finish. This year his training was inconsistent because of his work schedule, so I was his pacer. His longest run before the race was only 8 miles! Despite his low mileage leading up to race day, my husband totally rocked his half marathon




Who inspires you?


Monday, August 20, 2012

TrainingTruths: Tapering Workouts

Last week was the taper week leading up to half marathon #5. Tapering is not a term that I am all that familiar with because I only started running distances longer than 10Ks a year ago. In fact, marathon #5 is a re-run of my first ever half marathon!


WORKOUTS:

#TrainingTruth: A humid 5 miles is not so bad if there is a view half way through.


#TrainingTruth: A sweaty four mile run is good for practicing the perfect gear combination for race day.


#TrainingTruth: Pre-race activities must be executed properly to ensure a successful race day: attend the expo, hang out with FitFluential peeps, and enjoy a pre-race meal.


#TrainingTruth: All of the training pays off on race day!


#TrainingTruths is not just about me. We all like to see what everyone else is doing and use that information to assess ourselves. It's not judgement. It's a way to share and learn and make changes when necessary.

To participate all you have to do is share your #TrainingTruths:
  1. Tag a Twitter post with the hashtag #TrainingTruths
  2. Comment on the Running Escapades Facebook page 
  3. Leave a link to your own blog post in the comments
I look forward to reading your #TrainingTruths!





Friday, August 17, 2012

Fitness Friday: Rock 'n Roll Weekend

Happy Friday! 

I'm super excited because tomorrow I'll be heading to Providence, Rhode Island for a mini-weekend. On Sunday I will be running half marathon #5.



I'm going to be squeezing in as much fun as I can this weekend:
  • First stop after lunch is the Health & Fitness Expo held at the Rhode Island Convention Center. Here I will pick up our registration packets, swag bags, and race shirts before strolling the exhibits and visiting some of my favorite vendors. I'm really looking forward to stopping by Sweaty Bands.
  • While we're at the expo, I'm looking forward to seeing some FitFluential friends at the FitFluential Meet-up! The plans are still in the works, but I'm hoping to see Janine, Samantha, Dani, and maybe Charlotte, and Robin.
  • If there's time, I would like to attend one of the Fitness Clinics where runners can get some awesome tips from running legends and experts like Olympian Marc Davis, World Record Marathoner Khalid Khannouchi, and Boston Winner Geoff Smith.
  • My husband and I will be meeting up with my friend Daisy (who is also running the half marathon) and her husband for pre-race dinner. Federal Hill is known for it's variety of Italian restaurants, and that is exactly what we are looking for!
  • It's WaterFire Weekend in Providence, so after dinner we are planning to walk over to WaterPlace Park Basin to see over 80 sparkling water bonfires and listen to the music. 
  • Sunday morning it's time to Rock 'n Roll! We'll be up early and heading to the State House for the 7:00 AM start.
  • After the race we'll hang out at the Finish Line Festival, enjoy a free live performance by Karmin, and celebrate our new bling! 
Source

As I told you in this post, the weather didn't play nice last year. I really hope that it cooperates this time for a fantastic mini-weekend in Providence and a great half marathon.

You can catch some of the fun via Twitter (#RnRProv), Instagram, and Facebook.

What are your running plans this weekend?
If you're going to be at RnRPROV, be sure to let me know!

Don't forget to check out other Fitness Friday posts over at Fitness, Health, and Happiness.



Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Back to the Beginning

A year ago I ran my first half marathon at the Inaugural Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon in Providence, Rhode Island.


Since then I have run three more.


This weekend, my husband and I will be returning to Providence to run the Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon again. We are looking to bring home some new bling!


It rained the entire 13.1 miles last year and while we really don't want to do that again, RnR PROV is offering a Rainy Day Refund. If it rains more than an inch between 7-12, we can get a refund or a free entry into another RnR race event.



Last year we had dinner at the WaterPlace Restaurant, a really nice place right there in the Capitol Center of Down City within walking distance of most of the race hotels.


This year we will be looking for a place that serves up what we consider to be a better food group for our pre-race dinner!


What is your go-to pre-race meal?

And for those of you who asked, here is the crab dip recipe I mentioned in this post.


Don't forget to check out other great recipes at the WIAW link up at Peas & Crayons.




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