So I was reading something online today and it mentioned a "Running Resume." This got me thinking about how I can't really recall off the top of my head all of the races that I've done. Maybe it would be really helpful to create a race resume!
So that is how I have just spent the last 40+ minutes of my life. And to be perfectly honest, I've spent much worse 40+ minutes doing much more horrible things.
I know I've probably missed a few, but here we go so far:
RACES
Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run – April 2008 1:28:53
Marine Corps Marathon – October 2008 4:23:00
Jingle All the Way 10k – December 2008 00:54:45
SunTrust National Half Marathon – March 2009 1:56:11
Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run – April 2009 1:29:32
Nation’s Triathlon – September 2009 3:37:00
Nike Women’s Marathon – October 2009 4:42:26
SunTrust National Marathon – March 2010 3:59:36
Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run – April 2010 1:44:15
Back On My Feet 20in24 Ultramarathon – July 2010 42.28 miles
Marine Corps Marathon – October 2010 4:15:40
SunTrust National Marathon – March 2011 4:40:58
Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run – April 2011 1:41:10
Pacers 5k Friday Series – April 2011 00:22:20 (best time)
Baltimore 10 Mile Race – June 2011 1:29:08
Back On My Feet 20in24 Ultramarathon – July 2011 50.73 miles
9-11Memorial 5k – September 2011 00:23:30
Philadelphia Rock n Roll Half Marathon – September 2011 1:46:32
Hershey Half Marathon – October 2011 1:46:19
Chester County 5k Turkey Trot – November 2011 00:21:44
Hot Chocolate 15k – December 2011 1:12:58
Jingle All the Way 8k – December 2011 00:52:21
UPCOMING RACES
SunTrust National Marathon – March 2012
Pacers 5k Friday Series – April 2012
GW Parkway Classic 10 Mile Run – April 2012
Flying Pig Marathon – May 2012
Back On My Feet 20in24 Ultramarathon – July 2012
Marine Corps Marathon – October 2012
Jingle All the Way 8k – December 2012
I think that everyone who runs should keep something like this because it really shows progress and by the end, you really feel accomplished. Even if you didn't accomplish anything except wasting 40+ minutes of your day :)
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
Why I'll NEVER Run Another RAM Race
This past weekend was the Hot Chocolate 15k. It was a distance I hadn't done before, so I figured it would be fun. In retrospect, the poorly designed and unhelpful website should have been an indicator of how this race would go. At the packet pickup, I felt like maybe I should just skip the race. I ended up going anyway and all I can say is, at least now I have a race horror story to share with the world (and everyone needs one of those).
Let's start with the packet pickup. They would not allow race day pickup, which to me is a little goofy considering that it was a 5k/15k race. It wasn't like it was a marathon or something. But boyfriend agreed to drive me out, which was a good thing because the pickup AND the race were not metro accessible.
Okay, let's back up. This race was advertised as a Hot Chocolate Race in Washington, DC. I swear when I signed up, there was no race course up on their website. And so imagine my surprise when I looked up packet pickup and discovered that the location was the National Harbor...in Maryland. This makes absolutely no sense to me, because DC is a great city and there are some fantastic places to run here. There's no need to hold a race so far away that it's not accesible by metro.
Back to packet pickup. It was SO congested and crowded that it took us over an hour just to get into a parking garage. There were no signs anywhere, no indicators of where to go, what to do. The website remained spectacularly unhelpful and the organizers posted an "aerial view" of the National Harbor on their facebook page in a sad attempt to direct the rows and rows of cars trying to merge into one lane. It failed. It was utter chaos. They also forgot to mention that there were tons of non-race related events happening at the National Harbor on Friday, which just added to the chaos. Once we got in to pick up our packets, I was really sad to see the pathetic jacket they handed out. That was it. Jacket, bib, safety pins. It was the worst race packet I've ever had! I stopped by a woman who was handing out corral stickers for bibs. She didn't check my claim that I could run 8 minute miles. And she also told me that even if I didn't get a sticker, I could get into the corral on race morning. I took a B sticker and then we hightailed it out of there.
On race morning, my friend, her brother, and I walked out to catch a shuttle from Crystal City. It was before 6am. We were going to be on time, gosh darn it! We walked a few blocks from my apartment and found...rows of old school buses. I haven't been on a school bus for years and let me tell you, they have not improved. For a $65 race fee, I really expected something a lot nicer.
The traffic was horrendous. We stood at a standstill until our driver dangerously cut off several cars and smashed her way through the highway. I hear we got lucky, because apparently a lot of the bus drivers got really lost and people had to sit on those buses for hours.
Which may not have been so bad after all. When we arrived, we dropped off some bags at the gear check and after huddling in a tent for a while, we went down to get lined up. Runners were supposed to be lined up by 7:45am, with the race starting at 8. I headed to my B corral and took my friends with me. Where they were promptly stopped by a volunteer who wouldn't let them in the corral because their bibs didn't have a sticker. Look, I understand that people don't like to have to pass slow runners. But no matter how far in the front you are (unless you're on of the VERY FIRST people), you're always going to be passing someone. Anyway, my friends can run about the same pace as me. But the volunteer SCREAMED at my friend, "are you going to run 6 minute miles?!? These people are going to run 6 minute miles. You're going to get TRAMPLED!" What can anyone say to that? I was left alone in my lame little B corral, feeling shaken by how mean a volunteer could be.
And then, we waited. And waited. 8am passed. 8:15. 8:30. We didn't start the race until AFTER 9am. By that point, we were all freezing and HUNGRY. Runners don't eat a huge breakfast buffet before running 9 miles. I couldn't believe how hungry I was by the time we started and after the first mile, I realized that I was a little light headed. Which was really not good because the first 5 miles of the race were in a single lane on the HIGHWAY. With the other lane open to traffic. It was a loop, which means that runners were going in both directions. There was no way an ambulance could have made it through if there had been an emergency. We were all inhaling exhaust fumes and trying not to run into each other. Also, I think it goes without saying that it was incredibly UGLY. Why on earth would someone advertise a race in DC and then have us run on a highway in the middle of Maryland? RAM Racing, that's who.
After the first five miles, the course continued to narrow. It was like jogging on a path made for 2 people, not 20,000. Except that there were 20,000 people on the path. It was unbelievable.
The race was definitely not a 15k. People kept saying that their garmin was registering it as 9.1 miles instead of 9.3 and I completely believe that. The finish line was only moments away from the 9 mile marker and as someone who runs marathons, I know that .2 miles can be a ways away, let alone .3. That was a disappointment, but not as disappointing as the "chocolate festival" that followed.
First, we had to walk up a gravelly hill to get to the chocolate. That was not pretty. Then we walked through a tent where we were handed a plate that consisted of: half a browned banana, a pretzel rod, one marshmallow, 3 apple slices, and 2 tiny pieces of a rice krispie treat. These had been sitting out for hours. Then we walked to the "chocolate fondue"...which was melted chocolate congealing in large troughs. Volunteers scooped some out onto our plates and then we were booted out of the tent. The hot chocolate was fine, but nothing special. Everyone was alloted ONE cup only. I hopped right back on a school bus, which was the smart thing to do because apparently the lines later were so long that people had to wait over an hour just to get on a bus.
The response from organizers has been unsatisfying to say the least. They have been deleting negative comments from the Facebook page (rule #1 of social media: do NOT delete any comments unless they are vulgar or have bad words). The letter that they sent out to participants blamed the police, a traffic accident, and the parking company. They took zero responsibility and obviously are not planning on refunding anyone's money (did I mention that the poor people who drove had to pay $10 for a parking pass that no one checked on race day? what a scam).
RAM Racing has proven to be incompetent, unresponsive, and rude. I definitely will not trust them to plan any other race and I encourage all of you to avoid their races as well. There are so many great races out there in the DC area. You do not need to waste your time on any event hosted by RAM.
Here's the Jingle All the Way 8k this weekend, a tried and true, well-done, organized event that I am looking forward to!
Let's start with the packet pickup. They would not allow race day pickup, which to me is a little goofy considering that it was a 5k/15k race. It wasn't like it was a marathon or something. But boyfriend agreed to drive me out, which was a good thing because the pickup AND the race were not metro accessible.
Okay, let's back up. This race was advertised as a Hot Chocolate Race in Washington, DC. I swear when I signed up, there was no race course up on their website. And so imagine my surprise when I looked up packet pickup and discovered that the location was the National Harbor...in Maryland. This makes absolutely no sense to me, because DC is a great city and there are some fantastic places to run here. There's no need to hold a race so far away that it's not accesible by metro.
Back to packet pickup. It was SO congested and crowded that it took us over an hour just to get into a parking garage. There were no signs anywhere, no indicators of where to go, what to do. The website remained spectacularly unhelpful and the organizers posted an "aerial view" of the National Harbor on their facebook page in a sad attempt to direct the rows and rows of cars trying to merge into one lane. It failed. It was utter chaos. They also forgot to mention that there were tons of non-race related events happening at the National Harbor on Friday, which just added to the chaos. Once we got in to pick up our packets, I was really sad to see the pathetic jacket they handed out. That was it. Jacket, bib, safety pins. It was the worst race packet I've ever had! I stopped by a woman who was handing out corral stickers for bibs. She didn't check my claim that I could run 8 minute miles. And she also told me that even if I didn't get a sticker, I could get into the corral on race morning. I took a B sticker and then we hightailed it out of there.
On race morning, my friend, her brother, and I walked out to catch a shuttle from Crystal City. It was before 6am. We were going to be on time, gosh darn it! We walked a few blocks from my apartment and found...rows of old school buses. I haven't been on a school bus for years and let me tell you, they have not improved. For a $65 race fee, I really expected something a lot nicer.
The traffic was horrendous. We stood at a standstill until our driver dangerously cut off several cars and smashed her way through the highway. I hear we got lucky, because apparently a lot of the bus drivers got really lost and people had to sit on those buses for hours.
Which may not have been so bad after all. When we arrived, we dropped off some bags at the gear check and after huddling in a tent for a while, we went down to get lined up. Runners were supposed to be lined up by 7:45am, with the race starting at 8. I headed to my B corral and took my friends with me. Where they were promptly stopped by a volunteer who wouldn't let them in the corral because their bibs didn't have a sticker. Look, I understand that people don't like to have to pass slow runners. But no matter how far in the front you are (unless you're on of the VERY FIRST people), you're always going to be passing someone. Anyway, my friends can run about the same pace as me. But the volunteer SCREAMED at my friend, "are you going to run 6 minute miles?!? These people are going to run 6 minute miles. You're going to get TRAMPLED!" What can anyone say to that? I was left alone in my lame little B corral, feeling shaken by how mean a volunteer could be.
And then, we waited. And waited. 8am passed. 8:15. 8:30. We didn't start the race until AFTER 9am. By that point, we were all freezing and HUNGRY. Runners don't eat a huge breakfast buffet before running 9 miles. I couldn't believe how hungry I was by the time we started and after the first mile, I realized that I was a little light headed. Which was really not good because the first 5 miles of the race were in a single lane on the HIGHWAY. With the other lane open to traffic. It was a loop, which means that runners were going in both directions. There was no way an ambulance could have made it through if there had been an emergency. We were all inhaling exhaust fumes and trying not to run into each other. Also, I think it goes without saying that it was incredibly UGLY. Why on earth would someone advertise a race in DC and then have us run on a highway in the middle of Maryland? RAM Racing, that's who.
After the first five miles, the course continued to narrow. It was like jogging on a path made for 2 people, not 20,000. Except that there were 20,000 people on the path. It was unbelievable.
The race was definitely not a 15k. People kept saying that their garmin was registering it as 9.1 miles instead of 9.3 and I completely believe that. The finish line was only moments away from the 9 mile marker and as someone who runs marathons, I know that .2 miles can be a ways away, let alone .3. That was a disappointment, but not as disappointing as the "chocolate festival" that followed.
First, we had to walk up a gravelly hill to get to the chocolate. That was not pretty. Then we walked through a tent where we were handed a plate that consisted of: half a browned banana, a pretzel rod, one marshmallow, 3 apple slices, and 2 tiny pieces of a rice krispie treat. These had been sitting out for hours. Then we walked to the "chocolate fondue"...which was melted chocolate congealing in large troughs. Volunteers scooped some out onto our plates and then we were booted out of the tent. The hot chocolate was fine, but nothing special. Everyone was alloted ONE cup only. I hopped right back on a school bus, which was the smart thing to do because apparently the lines later were so long that people had to wait over an hour just to get on a bus.
The response from organizers has been unsatisfying to say the least. They have been deleting negative comments from the Facebook page (rule #1 of social media: do NOT delete any comments unless they are vulgar or have bad words). The letter that they sent out to participants blamed the police, a traffic accident, and the parking company. They took zero responsibility and obviously are not planning on refunding anyone's money (did I mention that the poor people who drove had to pay $10 for a parking pass that no one checked on race day? what a scam).
RAM Racing has proven to be incompetent, unresponsive, and rude. I definitely will not trust them to plan any other race and I encourage all of you to avoid their races as well. There are so many great races out there in the DC area. You do not need to waste your time on any event hosted by RAM.
Here's the Jingle All the Way 8k this weekend, a tried and true, well-done, organized event that I am looking forward to!
Monday, November 14, 2011
My First Run
"This is stupid" was the phrase that was running through my head. "I signed up for tennis, not running. Why am I running?" I glanced over at my mom, who seemed to be enjoying this...this...exercise. "My boobs hurt," I announced to her loudly. "We'll probably have to get you a sports bra," was her quick and even reply. Ah-ha. At least something good will come out of this torture. New bras!
I feel fortunate that I remember my very first real "run." I think it helps me to connect with new runners. I also think it helps me not to take running for granted. It's not something that everyone will enjoy immediately and it's not something that is easy to start on your own.
During my freshman year of high school, I proclaimed that next year, I would join the tennis team instead of enduring the torture and boredom of marching band. As a bassoon player (it's the long instrument that looks like a bedpost), I was not able to march with my original instrument. The school decided it would be a good idea to get me to play the BASS DRUM, which was so different and scary that I hated every minute of marching band (also the uniforms were just icky). Luckily, if I joined the tennis team, I would be exempt from ever touching a drum again.
However, after I announced my decision to my parents, my mom came up with a novel idea: better go for a run. If I was going to join the tennis team, I'd have to bring something to the table. Might as well face it - I will never be a star tennis player. I am barely a decent tennis player. But if I could show that I was fit, eager, and ready for anything, then I might have a chance to join the team and make it through try-outs.
So on one sunny day, my mom made me go for a run with her. Looking back, it was probably a little less than a mile. I run on that path all the time now when I go home to see my parents. But at the time, it seemed like we must have been running for HOURS. I had no idea why my chest hurt. I had no idea why my feet hurt. Why would anyone subject themselves to this? But my mom stood fast - if I was going to be an athlete, that meant learning how to run.
Because of this, I was able to join the tennis team. And I was able to pass all my teammates whenever we did running exercises. I was fit. I was ready. I was eager to learn anything and everything. And so they let me join the team.
When I went to college and didn't have to play a sport to get out of marching band, I found that all I really wanted to do was run. And now, well, all I want to do is run. I have found something that I profoundly love and enjoy. Now, over 10 years later, my mom credits me with getting her into races and running. I guess her love for me overshadows that humiliating first run, during which she encouraged me and helped me to get past the first hurdles. Maybe she really has forgotten that she is the reason why I am who I am today (for so many reasons).
Maybe it's time I reminded her and maybe it's even time that I say thank you!
I feel fortunate that I remember my very first real "run." I think it helps me to connect with new runners. I also think it helps me not to take running for granted. It's not something that everyone will enjoy immediately and it's not something that is easy to start on your own.
During my freshman year of high school, I proclaimed that next year, I would join the tennis team instead of enduring the torture and boredom of marching band. As a bassoon player (it's the long instrument that looks like a bedpost), I was not able to march with my original instrument. The school decided it would be a good idea to get me to play the BASS DRUM, which was so different and scary that I hated every minute of marching band (also the uniforms were just icky). Luckily, if I joined the tennis team, I would be exempt from ever touching a drum again.
However, after I announced my decision to my parents, my mom came up with a novel idea: better go for a run. If I was going to join the tennis team, I'd have to bring something to the table. Might as well face it - I will never be a star tennis player. I am barely a decent tennis player. But if I could show that I was fit, eager, and ready for anything, then I might have a chance to join the team and make it through try-outs.
So on one sunny day, my mom made me go for a run with her. Looking back, it was probably a little less than a mile. I run on that path all the time now when I go home to see my parents. But at the time, it seemed like we must have been running for HOURS. I had no idea why my chest hurt. I had no idea why my feet hurt. Why would anyone subject themselves to this? But my mom stood fast - if I was going to be an athlete, that meant learning how to run.
Because of this, I was able to join the tennis team. And I was able to pass all my teammates whenever we did running exercises. I was fit. I was ready. I was eager to learn anything and everything. And so they let me join the team.
When I went to college and didn't have to play a sport to get out of marching band, I found that all I really wanted to do was run. And now, well, all I want to do is run. I have found something that I profoundly love and enjoy. Now, over 10 years later, my mom credits me with getting her into races and running. I guess her love for me overshadows that humiliating first run, during which she encouraged me and helped me to get past the first hurdles. Maybe she really has forgotten that she is the reason why I am who I am today (for so many reasons).
Maybe it's time I reminded her and maybe it's even time that I say thank you!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Going backpacking
A few weeks ago, I made a solid investment. I purchased a running backpack. It was definitely not a spur of the moment purchase; I'd been thinking about it for a while. As summer started to wind down, I became increasingly concerned about how and when I would fit in my running. Then one day it occurred to me: run home from work.
The run from my office in downtown DC to Pentagon City, VA is absolutely beautiful. I go right down the National Mall, loop around by the Jefferson Memorial, and go on a bridge right to VA. Then I take the Mt. Vernon trail around by the airport, through Crystal City directly to my apartment building. It's a little less than 5 miles and is an ideal run for weekdays. For the past few weeks, I've been running home at least once or twice a week. I get my workout in early, so I'm not running around at 8pm in the dark AND I burn off all of the stress/steam of the workday.
For the record, I highly recommend the brand that I bought - Osprey Talon. I purchased it from a great company called Moosejaw. It was about $80 and it was completely worth it. The backpack is lightweight, comfortable, and easy to run with. There's lots of useful compartments and it even has a separate space for a water bladder. It is pretty much my new favorite running toy for now!
The run from my office in downtown DC to Pentagon City, VA is absolutely beautiful. I go right down the National Mall, loop around by the Jefferson Memorial, and go on a bridge right to VA. Then I take the Mt. Vernon trail around by the airport, through Crystal City directly to my apartment building. It's a little less than 5 miles and is an ideal run for weekdays. For the past few weeks, I've been running home at least once or twice a week. I get my workout in early, so I'm not running around at 8pm in the dark AND I burn off all of the stress/steam of the workday.
For the record, I highly recommend the brand that I bought - Osprey Talon. I purchased it from a great company called Moosejaw. It was about $80 and it was completely worth it. The backpack is lightweight, comfortable, and easy to run with. There's lots of useful compartments and it even has a separate space for a water bladder. It is pretty much my new favorite running toy for now!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Social Runner! (pick me!!!!)
A week ago, I got a really interesting email. As you all know from diligently reading ALL of my blog posts (cough, cough), my very first race was the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler in 2008. I had so much fun and loved it so much that I signed up for the Marine Corps Marathon that fall. I've been hooked ever since! I have been doing the Cherry Blossom run every year since then (thankfully I have made it through the lottery each time and even got the chance to run it with my mom TWICE). Let me tell you - it is a great race. It's a popular race and so it's pretty big. The course is beautiful and the energy is great!
But that was just the back story...back to that interesting email. It was an email from race organizers giving some updates on the upcoming 2012 race. And it included a very special new section:
"The Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run is looking for two runners from anywhere in the United States to be our first “Credit Union Cherry Blossom Social Runners.” These individuals will be telling the world all about their experiences with the race on Facebook and Twitter."
What a great opportunity! I'm so happy to see that they are offering something like this. I would absolutely love to help spread the word about the race and I'm looking forward to seeing who they pick! No matter what, it's going to be another beautiful race in 2012!
But that was just the back story...back to that interesting email. It was an email from race organizers giving some updates on the upcoming 2012 race. And it included a very special new section:
"The Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run is looking for two runners from anywhere in the United States to be our first “Credit Union Cherry Blossom Social Runners.” These individuals will be telling the world all about their experiences with the race on Facebook and Twitter."
What a great opportunity! I'm so happy to see that they are offering something like this. I would absolutely love to help spread the word about the race and I'm looking forward to seeing who they pick! No matter what, it's going to be another beautiful race in 2012!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Go Runners Go!
The Marine Corps Marathon was yesterday. I could hear the announcers from my bedroom in Arlington. I could see the road closures from the windows. And part of the race course was on the road by my apartment building. I was feeling pretty sad. I got up at 7 and went for an hour run. Then I pulled myself together, ate some donuts, and dragged Boyfriend out with me to cheer on the runners.
IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!
I love to cheer people on in races. I love to race more, but if I can't race, I want to cheer. I would never avoid a race because I wasn't doing it. I can't imagine going for a long run instead of cheering on the runners. It was a BLAST!! I had a cowbell and someone gave me a big horn and I was not quiet for one minute. Constant cowbelling and yelling are my style. I was meeting them all right after they hit mile 23. I got there around the 2:15 hour mark and there were already a bunch of crazy runners speeding through. They didn't really acknowledge my cheers, but I don't always either. I know how important it is to have people cheering you on, so I just kept yelling. But after we hit the 3 hour mark, that was when people were giving me the thumbs up, high-fiving me, and screaming "THANK YOU!!!" as they shuffled by. There were several people who were walking as they approached me but when they got close to me they started running again. I absolutely believe in the power of a cheer squad and I can only hope that I helped some of them through the last 3 miles.
Some tips for people who are going to cheer at a marathon:
1) cheer for everyone! ring your cowbell or wave your sign for everyone who walks by. it doesn't matter if you know them or not!
2) if you see someone who's wearing their name on their shirt, call it out! if they don't have their name on, but they have writing on, yell that out. it will lift their spirits! (for runners: put your name on your shirt or your body somewhere!)
3) if you bring your kids (and I suggest you do!), don't let them get so close to the race course. There were two little girls cheering next to me for a while and they kept blowing their horns into the race course. Like abruptly raising a huge plastic horn into runners' paths. Their caretaker did not seem too concerned, which really started to irritate me.
4) have fun! Runners need positive energy as they power through their race. Laugh, cheer, and dance! It will lift runners' spirits.
I pretty much gave up on specific cheers and stuck with "great job runners!" "you look strong, keep it up!" and "you can do it! finish strong, stay strong runners!" Maybe the people next to me got sick of it, but everyone needs to hear you. The runner passing you 5 minutes ago doesn't care if you're still telling the people behind them that they have a good pace too. I really believe that there were a lot of people out there yesterday who needed to hear, "you CAN do this!" I know that I've needed that little pep talk in a race before.
I made myself a promise yesterday. As long as I live in the DC area, I WILL do the Marine Corps Marathon. I can't stand to miss it ever again! What an incredible race! Congrats to all the finishers!!
IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!
I love to cheer people on in races. I love to race more, but if I can't race, I want to cheer. I would never avoid a race because I wasn't doing it. I can't imagine going for a long run instead of cheering on the runners. It was a BLAST!! I had a cowbell and someone gave me a big horn and I was not quiet for one minute. Constant cowbelling and yelling are my style. I was meeting them all right after they hit mile 23. I got there around the 2:15 hour mark and there were already a bunch of crazy runners speeding through. They didn't really acknowledge my cheers, but I don't always either. I know how important it is to have people cheering you on, so I just kept yelling. But after we hit the 3 hour mark, that was when people were giving me the thumbs up, high-fiving me, and screaming "THANK YOU!!!" as they shuffled by. There were several people who were walking as they approached me but when they got close to me they started running again. I absolutely believe in the power of a cheer squad and I can only hope that I helped some of them through the last 3 miles.
Some tips for people who are going to cheer at a marathon:
1) cheer for everyone! ring your cowbell or wave your sign for everyone who walks by. it doesn't matter if you know them or not!
2) if you see someone who's wearing their name on their shirt, call it out! if they don't have their name on, but they have writing on, yell that out. it will lift their spirits! (for runners: put your name on your shirt or your body somewhere!)
3) if you bring your kids (and I suggest you do!), don't let them get so close to the race course. There were two little girls cheering next to me for a while and they kept blowing their horns into the race course. Like abruptly raising a huge plastic horn into runners' paths. Their caretaker did not seem too concerned, which really started to irritate me.
4) have fun! Runners need positive energy as they power through their race. Laugh, cheer, and dance! It will lift runners' spirits.
I pretty much gave up on specific cheers and stuck with "great job runners!" "you look strong, keep it up!" and "you can do it! finish strong, stay strong runners!" Maybe the people next to me got sick of it, but everyone needs to hear you. The runner passing you 5 minutes ago doesn't care if you're still telling the people behind them that they have a good pace too. I really believe that there were a lot of people out there yesterday who needed to hear, "you CAN do this!" I know that I've needed that little pep talk in a race before.
I made myself a promise yesterday. As long as I live in the DC area, I WILL do the Marine Corps Marathon. I can't stand to miss it ever again! What an incredible race! Congrats to all the finishers!!
Monday, October 24, 2011
It's not too late to do another marathon....RIGHT?!!?!?
First off, let's kick things off with a shout out to Rich, who made my YEAR by commenting on my blog. Let's all go visit his new blog at http://mydaddyisarunner.blogspot.com/. He had the misfortune of having me photobomb a few of his race photos in the Hershey Half Marathon and was kind enough to search me out and comment on my blog post!
In other news...I'm debating signing up for another marathon before 2012 hits. I'm feeling the bug pretty badly and I'm not sure if I'll be able to resist. I figure that I can get in a few 20 milers in November and do a December marathon? The only problem is that I'm late in registering, so there's not a ton of races left, ESPECIALLY in my vicinity. Doing this would probably mean going down to Florida or something and as nice as that sounds, it's probably not gonna happen. Sooo....Rehoboth or some trail run in Baltimore? Thoughts? Suggestions? The Rehoboth one happens to be the day before my Jingle All the Way 8k...but 8k is only 5 miles (not even 5 miles, just under). I think it would be totally feasible but would it be a really jerk move to do that since I signed up for the Jingle race with friends and family? Would anyone go to the beach in December to support me? I guess I may find out...I'll keep you all updated on my decision.
This weekend I'm going to go cheer on the Marine Corp Marathon runners. I'm so excited to stand on the street and yell at people for a few hours!! I was going out for a morning run yesterday and a random guy in my apartment building asked how far I was going. In general I hate that question, because I often don't know yet. I just go for as long as I feel like. So I kind of stammered and he ultimately got around to saying, "You should do the Marine Corps Marathon! I think it's next weekend." Oh, dear, poor fellow really set me up for that one. Ready for my spike? "Oh yeah. I've done that one. Twice." BAM. Right in the face!! He looked shocked (although I'm not sure why, I think I look like I run pretty steadily) and all he could muster was, "well look at you!"
Yeah that's right. Look at me! I'm a runner!
In other news...I'm debating signing up for another marathon before 2012 hits. I'm feeling the bug pretty badly and I'm not sure if I'll be able to resist. I figure that I can get in a few 20 milers in November and do a December marathon? The only problem is that I'm late in registering, so there's not a ton of races left, ESPECIALLY in my vicinity. Doing this would probably mean going down to Florida or something and as nice as that sounds, it's probably not gonna happen. Sooo....Rehoboth or some trail run in Baltimore? Thoughts? Suggestions? The Rehoboth one happens to be the day before my Jingle All the Way 8k...but 8k is only 5 miles (not even 5 miles, just under). I think it would be totally feasible but would it be a really jerk move to do that since I signed up for the Jingle race with friends and family? Would anyone go to the beach in December to support me? I guess I may find out...I'll keep you all updated on my decision.
This weekend I'm going to go cheer on the Marine Corp Marathon runners. I'm so excited to stand on the street and yell at people for a few hours!! I was going out for a morning run yesterday and a random guy in my apartment building asked how far I was going. In general I hate that question, because I often don't know yet. I just go for as long as I feel like. So I kind of stammered and he ultimately got around to saying, "You should do the Marine Corps Marathon! I think it's next weekend." Oh, dear, poor fellow really set me up for that one. Ready for my spike? "Oh yeah. I've done that one. Twice." BAM. Right in the face!! He looked shocked (although I'm not sure why, I think I look like I run pretty steadily) and all he could muster was, "well look at you!"
Yeah that's right. Look at me! I'm a runner!
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