St. Paddy's 5 Miler

 

March 12 - Yesterday I ran my first five mile race at the St. Paddy's 5 Miler in Portsmouth, NH. I was lucky enough to have hubs running with me, but even better was that my home-from-college-on-spring-break stepdaughter came to cheer us on. I signed up for this race to use it as another run to maintain my current endurance and stay prepared for my upcoming half marathon.

To get into the spirit of the race, we sported the only green shirts we could find. Clearly hubs and I are not very festive when it comes to clothes. Needless to say, we did not win the best spirit awards for the day.

We arrived with plenty of time to pick up our bibs, grab our race t-shirts and use the restrooms. Even though it was a bright sunny morning, the temps were still pretty chilly and the wind was downright cold. We opted to wait in the car before heading over to the start where we were surrounded by people dressed in all kinds of crazy green costumes, bagpipe players, and cheering spectators.

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The race started with the typical cluster-chaos of mixed up running paces. Since I run these things for fun I don't try to get to the front, but it does get somewhat frustrating when you are a half mile in and you are dodging people who are walking. I stayed with hubs for about a half mile, but then moved off on my own.

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About two miles in I came up behind a group of women who were running a nice comfortable pace and decided to stalk trail them. They became my unofficial pacers for the day. For the next three miles I ran behind this group as they chatted about people they knew, trips they were taking, and long runs they had on schedule. The next thing I knew we were approaching the finish. At the corner I saw my stepdaughter waving which gave me a big burst of energy and I ended up passing my unofficial pacers.

Official finish time - 44:34 

After crossing the finish line, I was handed a cute green beaded necklace and a beer ticket. I quickly made my way to the post race fuel tent, grabbed two waters and then made my way over to my stepdaughter to watch for hubs.

There he is!

After grabbing some of the amazing post race refueling food (hot vegetable soup, subs, and chips) from the tent, we walked over to the beer garden at Paddy's American Grille to grab our post run beers and official Paddy's Five Miler race glasses.

We had a blast at this event. What made it even better was knowing that all proceeds from the race go to New Heights, a non-profit organization that promotes healthy lifestyles and activities through after school and summer programs for Seacoast youths age 11-18.  

Black Cat 10 Miler

 

March 5 - Sunday morning I left my house at 5:30 to meet Daisy for a ride to The Black Cat 10 - 20 Miler in Salem, MA. This race offered runners the option of running 10 miles, 20 miles or participating in a 20 mile relay. The course, touted as mostly fast & flat, started at Salem Willows, wound through downtown Salem into Marblehead and turned-around at Devereux Beach. The race was created in 2010 to attract runners training for the Boston Marathon and others ready to lace up their sneakers from the winter. For me, it was a great distance for maintaining my endurance for my next half marathon.

Salem is a town most widely known for the witch trials of 1692. You may have read about them in The Crucible by Arthur Miller when you were in high school. It is also the birthplace of Nathaniel Hawthorne, another famous New England novelist you may have read who wrote The Scarlet Letter and The House of Seven Gables. 

Salem is also rich in its maritime heritage, offers a splendid array of historic architecture, and is popular for its quirky Halloween themed attractions. Popular points of interest include the Friendship of Salem (a replica sailing vessel), Derby Wharf and Light Station, Custom House, House of Seven Gables, New England Pirate Museum, and Salem Witch Trial Museum.

The race route connected the town of Salem to Marblehead. What many people may not know about Marblehead, a small historic coastal town, is that it is the hometown to one of our very favorite runners, Shalane Flanagan. You may recognize her as the 2012 Olympic Trials Marathon winner. She will be representing the United States at the 2012 Olympics in London. It was pretty cool to run past the "Welcome to Marblehead, Hometown to Shalane Flanagan" sign. I wish I'd taken a picture...

The 10 mile race was challenging. The course was much hillier than I anticipated, but because Salem State is nearby many sororities and fraternities set up water and Gatorade stations as part of their community service projects. There were times when the runners and traffic were crowded together on the road, but in other places the local police and volunteers were present to give direction. At the finish line runners were handed finishers medals and directed to water, Gatorade, post race snacks, as well as stretching and massages in the school gym. This was a fun race and I would do it again.  

10 Miler - 1:29:13.8

This new and locally organized event was a success. The 10 Miler had 664 finishers, the 20 Miler had 327 finishers, and the Relay had 18 teams finish. And although we didn't attend, there was a post race party at FINZ Seafood & Waterfront Restaurant where for $10 runners were treated to a variety of post race food, cash bar, free samples of Barefoot Wines, raffles and entertainment.

This race also supported a worthy cause called the Allie Castner Scholarship Fund. Allie was hit by a car and killed in 2009 when she was only 15 years old. The scholarship in her memory provides other young high school students the opportunity to benefit. Take a moment to read her story and the many ways you can contribute to the fund.

February Follow Up

 
March 3 - Already another month of running has elapsed and it is time to assess the progress of my running goals.

1. Keep running: I ran 80.82 miles this month! My 2012 total = 173.26. That's 72.91 more miles than this time last year.

2. Run a race every month: I ran TWO races. I'm really liking the half marathon distance and looking forward to my next one in May at the Cox Rhode Races in Providence, RI.

8 miles on February 11

Half at the Hamptons - February 19

3. Improve the blog: Running Escapades on Facebook now has 25 likes! 

4. Add another New England state to the places I have run: Nothing new this month. Still searching for something in VT, ME, or CT! Let me know if you have any recommendations, especially for the summer.

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5.  Keep meeting new running friends: I was lucky enough to hang out with some other running bloggers, FitFluential Ambassadors, and a fellow Rhode Scholar after running the half marathon. (photo shared by Samantha)

6. Another impromptu workout challenge: I completed the FAB AB FEBRUARY challenge from Pinterest! Sit ups, push ups, and planks all month long. I highly recommend these workouts for anyone who is like me and not typically a fan of working out. 

What did your February look like?

The Fuel Experiment

February 29 - GU Energy Gels have always been my choice for fueling during training runs. Tri-Berry is my favorite flavor.

I ran the Half at the Hamptons a couple of weeks ago and found out that using energy gel for fuel during a race can be a rather sticky experience. In all my runner gracefulness I ended up with more GU on my hands than in my mouth.

As I prepare to run the Cox Rhode Races Half Marathon in May, I am looking for the perfect fuel to use during the race. I want something I can take on the run and won't be messy.

After raiding the shelves at my local Sports Authority, here is what I came home with...

Choice #1:

PowerBar Energy Blasts are gel filled chews with a liquid center. Uses C2MAX formula - "a 2:1 glucose to fructose blend found to deliver...more energy to muscles..." 190 calories per serving (pouch). Nutrition Facts: 60mg Sodium, 45g Carbs, 36g Sugars, 3g Protein, 0 Potassium. Price $2.29

Choice #2:

Sport Beans are energizing jelly beans. Quick energy replenished from carbohydrates, electrolytes and vitamins B & C. 100 calories in a serving (package). Nutrition Facts: 80mg Sodium, 25g Carbs, 17g Sugars, 0 Protein, 40mg Potassium. Price $1.49

Choice #3:

GU Chomps are energy chews. Sustained energy through amino acids, Vitamins A & C, and electrolytes. 90 calories per serving (4 pieces). Nutrition Facts: 50mg Sodium, 23g Carbs, 11g Sugars, 0 Protein, 40mg Potassium. Price $2.20 (2 servings in package)

Choice #4:

CLIF Shot Blocks are semi-solid energy chews. Each chew replaces carbohydrates and electrolytes during activity. 100 calories per serving (3 pieces). Nutrition Facts: 70mg Sodium, 24g Carbs, 12g Sugars, 0 Protein, 20mg Potassium. Price $2.49 (2 servings in package) 

So my plan is to try a different fuel source on each of my next long training runs. My goal is to find one that is easy to use, provides an energy boost, and tastes good!

Do you use fuel during your workouts? 

Which do you recommend?

Saskatchewan Screamer: Dislike

 
February 26 - Yesterday was my scheduled long run for the week. My running partner/personal trainer is unavailable (she's living it up at the Princess Half Marathon in Disney - more on that later), so I recruited hubs and the loyal hound to run with me.

Who could resist that?

We loaded up the car and headed toward Manchester to take advantage of the paved paths and nearby park. Hubs and the dog were going to run about 3 miles with me and then walk around while I finished up another 4 mile loop. We stopped for gas on the way and that is when I noticed how windy it was. I knew we had a wind advisory, but then hubs introduced me to the Saskatchewan Screamer...a fast moving low pressure system sweeping southeast out of Canada bringing winds with speeds over 45 mph. After checking TWC App on my phone, we decided to reschedule the run for Sunday when the winds would lessen.

That's his pouting pose!

So this morning we headed to church...

Outfit: H & M sweater, GAP pants, Express necklace.

...and then we realized we had double booked our run to coincide with basketball. Oops. So instead of the awesome downtown run I had mapped out for us, I hit the basement and climbed on the treadmill for 7 miles. 

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Watching Home Alone while running on the treadmill is not my ideal workout, but it is better than not working out at all. Although, I can honestly say that the look on "Kevin's" face is exactly how I was feeling earlier today. Despite my frustrations, I had a good run and continue to maintain my momentum for my next half marathon at the Cox Rhode Races in Providence, Rhode Island in May.