Race Recap: NYC Half Marathon 2013

This past Sunday, March 17th I celebrated St. Patrick's Day by running the NYC Half Marathon.  I was pretty excited about this race, mostly because it's a fantastic course through my beloved city.  Also, aside from the lottery requirement and fairly steep race fee, I knew it'd be a great race because NYRR (almost) always has their stuff together.  The volunteers are AMAZING and the races are always well organized with plenty of water/Gatorade and port-o-pottys!

The 7:30am start time meant Dad and I were up and at 'em by 4:30!  We bundled up in our throwaways and met Steph and Lauren (who both ran for Team in Training--way to go, girls!) at the subway.  It was low-mid 30s, but windy and felt like in the 20s!!! We had to be in our corrals, which were supposed to (but never did) collapse by 7:00am.  We dropped our bags and outermost layer and spent the next hour freezing our butts off waiting in the corral! 

Steph, Dad & I freezing pre-race!

I wore a long sleeve, RRS shorts, ProCompression socks and as always, a Sparkly Soul headband.  Although I've never been colder waiting for a race than I was on Sunday, I knew I'd warm up within a mile or two and be so thankful I wasn't overdressed.  Just before 8:00am our corral crossed the start line and we were off!

Mile 1 (10:14)-I couldn't feel anything from my waist down and was so excited to be moving that I didn't even notice this mile go by!

Mile 2 (10:30)-We began to thaw out a bit and I started taking in the beautiful sights of the  Central Park loop.  Cat Hill came and went and we tried to stay conservative with our pace being that we were so early into the race.

Mile 3 (10:02)-I was started to defrost so I used this mile (and sweet downhill) to take inventory.  I'd been experiencing some calf/shin pain two weeks prior to the race (shin splints,maybe?), so I had skipped my last long training run and rested more than usual.  Luckily, my legs felt fantastic.  I wasn't in any pain and I was totally ready for the beastly Harlem Hill.

Mile 4 (10:48)-Right after the 5K point, we started the uphill.  I tend to do pretty well on hills, but this one is always a struggle.  I just put my head down and put one foot in front of the other until we reached the crest.  There were a lot of people cheering along this mile, which was awesome! Just before the 5-mile mark, I took half a pack of Gu Chomps.
Mile 5 (12:06)-I usually don't mind the rolling hills along the West side, but Sunday they seemed to go on forever.  I also started feeling like I had overhydrated, which meant I had to stop at the Port-o-Potty.  Hence the extra 1:30-2:00 added to this mile. 

Mile 6 (10:10)-At this point, I still hadn't turned my music on and just past the mile marker I heard someone yell "You're halfway there! Keep going!".  I wanted to scream.  We were NOT halfway...and by the way 7.1 miles is still a LONG way to go!  But I was so happy my leg was cooperating as we headed South and out to the most exciting part of the course!  My stomach started feeling iffy, but I just ignored it. 

Mile 7 (10:12)-Turning out of the park and onto 7th Avenue was awesome!  We were able to spread out a little and the energy along the course was amazing.  Somewhere in the 50s I saw (and heard) Beth, Abby, Liz and Allison cheering!  It was a perfect little boost and definitely put a smile on my face!  As we headed into the heart of Times Square, I knew we'd be seeing our family cheerleaders.  They grabbed a great spot at 42nd and 7th and we were able to stop for some high fives! 



Dad and I on 42nd Street

Mile 8 (10:11)-We hit the West Side Highway and as the crowds and excitement died down a bit, I started noticing that stomach pain again.  I am lucky to normally have a super solid stomach, especially during exercise.  This was not the case on Sunday.  The stomach upset was all I could focus on.

Mile 9 (10:00)-At this point, the course turned Southeast and the Freedom Tower came into view.  It was so incredible to see and I got a little emotional.  I was reminded how lucky I am to be alive, living in this amazing city and physically capable of running through it!  This was a temporary distraction from my stomach issues.  Mile 9 is usually when I take the rest of my Gu chomps, but I was scared that would lead to another bathroom trip and there weren't any port-o-pottys in sight!  Instead, I held the pack in my hand for a few miles, debating whether or not to take it and hoping the pain would dissipate.  I couldn't keep pace with Dad who was feeling great, so he started creeping ahead of me. 

Miles 10 (9:54), 11 (10:01) and 12 (9:33)-I felt fantastic during these miles, except the nagging stomach issue.  I eventually gave up on the Gu chomps and tossed them, knowing I only had a few miles left and they wouldn't help me anyway.  My legs were feeling so good and I was keeping Dad in my sights.  I knew this race wasn't going to be a PR, but I still wanted to finish strong.

Mile 13 (10:41)-This mile included that very short but killer hill coming out of the Battery Tunnel.  Luckily, Beth warned me about this little hill, so I was mentally prepared but it still wasn't fun! I was ready to be done and hit the bathroom.  Sorry if that's TMI, but I discuss this stuff all day everyday so I'm used to it!  The last 400 meters of the race was jam packed with people cheering and I fed off that energy to power through to the finish. 

Official finish time: 2:14:58 (10:18 pace)

I couldn't have expected a better time, given the bathroom break and the annoying stomach issue.  Not to mention I wasn't the greatest at getting in speedwork this training cycle.  But I ran an absolutely awesome race with my Dad through my city and I loved it.  

More than anything, I have to say I'm SO unbelievably proud of my cousin Steph, for finishing her first half-marathon (in a fantastic time btw) and raising over $2,000 for Team in Training/LLS.  She ran and finished the race with a huge smile on her face!  I can't wait to see what she does next! :)

Congratulations to all the finishers, many of who had amazing PRs at this race (and in DC)! And a HUGE thank you to all my cheerleaders, who braved the cold and wind!  Spectating is not easy by any means and you're all amazing! 

Up next...NYC Marathon?  ;)

Walt Disney World Half Marathon Race Recap

Walt Disney World is the Most Magical Place on Earth!  However, the WDW Half Marathon was (for me) less than magical.  For this reason, I've been struggling to write this recap. It has taken me over a week to sit down and write this post because I didn't want to be whiny and negative.  Ultimately I decided to take some advice from the amazing Mrs. Miller and just being honest with my race experience.  Let me just say I did have a great time, especially running with my dad...but the race just didn't go as I had anticipated.  Be prepared for a lengthy and photo-filled post!

When I arrived in Orlando at 9pm Thursday night, I could already feel the humidity in the air and knew we would be in for a hot, sticky race weekend.  First thing Friday morning, my Goofy Dad and I headed to the Race Expo to pick up our bibs.  

After getting our bibs (and some fun new running gear at the expo), we spent a few hours at Disney's Hollywood Studios before retiring to the resort and getting ready for our 2am wake-up call.  I laid out my race day outfit before going to sleep- Moving Comfort Fiona Bra, Raw Threads Evil Queen shirt, RRS compression shorts, Asics and Sparkly Soul charcoal headband.

A very annoying 2am wake-up call startled me out of bed Saturday morning and it was time to get pumped!  Goofy and I went through our pre-race morning routines and were ready to get on the bus at 3:30am.  

It's 3am, we're ready to run 13.1 miles, and we're smiling!

I have nothing but good things to say about the race day transportation.  The buses arrived on time and the since we left early, we hit no traffic getting to the drop-off point.  We got off the bus and found ourselves in a sea of runners headed toward the corrals.  There was a ridiculous amount of congestion and we basically crawled for the ~1 mile walk to our corral.   

Our trouble came with our corral assignments.  The 23,000 runners were organized into eight corrals (A-H).  I was in Corral C, but Dad was assigned to G.  Admittedly, he should have submitted a recent race time to have his Corral switched, but since we planned to run this race just for fun we didn't bother.  I thought maybe he could sneak into my corral, but that plan fell through as soon as we saw they were checking bibs at the corral entrances.  So we headed back to Corral G.  We chatted with runners around us and learned that there were SO many first time half-marathoners!  It's not surprising that people would pick Disney as a beginner race, as it has a long cut-off time (3:30 for the half, 7:00 for the full).

Our plan for the race was to just run and have fun.  I didn't care about pace or finish time and was hoping to stop for a few pictures along the way.  The heat and humidity combined with the fact that Dad still had to run 26.2 miles on Sunday meant we were definitely taking it slow.

Disney doesn't mess around when it comes to entertainment, so right from the start they had DJ music, celebrities and fireworks.  Not to mention Donald Duck!  Just shortly after 6am, Corral G was off and running!

Source

Or so we thought we'd be running.  We didn't even get to the first mile marker before people were walking.  And walking three or four people abreast.  Note--this is the whiny, frustrated part of my recap.  It was a serious struggle to settle into any kind of pace due to the insane number of people around us.  And not just for the first few miles.  We were bobbing and weaving through mile 8 or 9!!! Now I understand that for many people (especially in our corral) this was their first race (maybe ever) and they were excited and only concerned with what THEY were doing.  I have absolutely nothing against walkers or run-walkers.  I also know that I'm not the fastest runner ever and I certainly wasn't winning the race.  But I would have liked to be able to run at a comfortable pace and not worry about people stopping dead in their tracks right in front of me.  Or about someone dodging sideways in front of me at the water stops.  I believe there are a few solutions to these issues and I fully intend on sending my feedback to RunDisney for future races.  First, I think there should be an entire corral devoted to walkers.  I also think Disney should provide some basic running etiquette information.  RunDisney provided training plans, sent out e-mail/twitter updates on proper hydration and nutrition in hot temperatures and even played videos with running tips on the buses to the start line.  I'm hoping in the future one of the topics covered will be proper race etiquette.  I'm talking basics here...Look behind/around you before slowing down or stopping, don't form a human roadblock for people trying to pass, etc.  Unfortunately, because of these two "small" issues, I did not have the magical race experience I was hoping for.  But enough with the complaining!  Let's get the recap going and see some pictures from my 13.1 miles through Disney World!

The race was too crazy for me to remember to catch any of my split times on my watch, but I at least have the official splits from RunDisney.  The first 5K (39:11, 12:37 pace) led us away from Epcot and past the Disney Speedway.  The lines for photos were long and we were still trying to settle into a steady pace so we didn't stop, but we passed Jack Sparrow and a pirate ship and Chip & Dale with some cars at the speedway.  Mile 4 and 5 led us into the Magic Kingdom and it was so cool to run through the entrance!

Before I knew it we were turning a corner onto Main Street USA and headed toward Cinderella's Castle.  The street was jam packed with people cheering which was awesome motivation.  

The course took a right at the end of Main Street into Tomorrowland, through part of Fantasyland and then back through Cinderella's Castle, one of the highlights of the race.  I had been really looking forward to this amazing snapshot of me running through the castle, flashing my best princess smile.  This did not happen.  If you can believe it, by the time we got to the castle entrance, it was a bit of a bottleneck and everyone was walking.  WALKING. THROUGH THE CASTLE.  I was super disappointed, but I knew there would be a photographer, so I smiled.  Dad decided to show his true emotions...

Moving on, it was over to Liberty Square and Frontierland.  We screwed up here with poor communication during a bathroom stop.  I thought Dad had taken off without me, so I left hoping to catch up.  We had no way to communicate with each other, but I realized very quickly that I would get an alert when both he & I crossed the mat at the 10K point.  So I crossed, got my alert and did not get his.  Oops.  He hadn't left without me and was still waiting back at the bathroom.  He waited for awhile until he realized I DID leave without him.  Thankfully I saw him at the 10K marker.  I would've been really upset if I screwed it up and had to finish the race separately.  So after that debacle, our 10K split was 1:25:17 (13:43 pace).

Miles 7-11 were just along World Drive back toward Epcot.  There was fantastic entertainment along the course with bands, characters, DJs and more!  Since the sun was now out and we were running on open roads, it was getting HOT.  Dad and I decided not to stop and wait for character photos and just finish the race.  I was ready for post-race pictures with the characters and Dad didn't need to be spending any excess time on his feet.  Despite the fact that we were taking 45-60 minutes longer than we normally would to run a half marathon, the race never felt long.  I felt like it flew by, especially after we left Magic Kingdom and things spread out (a little).  

I called our cheerleader at Mile 11 to give her a heads up we were coming into Epcot.  We ran through the bus stop area, into a "Cast Member only" entrance and right by Spaceship Earth.  It was a quick little run around Epcot (excluding World Showcase) and back out to the finish line.  As expected, there were a lot of people cheering at the finish.  It was awesome!  With about 200 yards to go, we saw (and heard) my aunt!  I really appreciate her coming out because spectating is not an easy task! Thanks, Auntie M! :)

Think I'll still be doing this in 30 years too?

Dad and I crossed the finish line with an official time of 2:56:20 (13:27 pace).  Although that time didn't even include any photo stops, I'm not disappointed with it.  I clearly had some frustrations, but I still felt fantastic and ran a great race.  With my dad.  In Disney World.  All amazing things.

Donald bling!

We grabbed our post-race snacks and took pictures with Scrooge McDuck before heading back to the resort.  Then it was off to Epcot for the day, where we got many more character photos!

On Sunday morning my aunt and I cheered on Dad as he completed the WDW Marathon (his 8th marathon) and his third Goofy Challenge!  This time he snuck into Corral C and said it was so much less congested than the previous day.  We had a blast cheering and "high-fouring" runners with our giant Mickey hands.  Dad ran an amazing race and got his own high-four from the Mick himself at the finish!  Congrats, Dad! 

While it wasn't the magical race as I was hoping for, I'm so glad I ran the WDW Half.  And I will definitely be back for more RunDisney events!  Perhaps I'll be joining Dad for the marathon in 2014?  And getting Goofy in a few years?!  Stay tuned! :)

"If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It"

Back in July, I wrote a post admitting my family's obsession with Disney and announcing my entry into the WDW Half Marathon.  I've been to Disney many times in my life, both as a child and an adult.  If you've never been, GO.  Yes, it can be expensive.  Yes, it may seem silly for an adult to want to be surrounded by cartoon characters and princesses.  But whether you're a Disney fanatic or not, you can relate to and will be inspired by Disney's main message.  It's all about following your dreams.  Walt Disney famously said "If you can dream it, you can do it."  And I don't think that only applies in the world of pixie dust and magic carpets.  I'm all about dreaming big and seeing what you're capable of.  There's nothing more rewarding than setting seemingly impossible goals for yourself only to crush them. 

Tomorrow I'm heading to the Most Magical Place on Earth to follow my dream of Running Disney!  While I've been a lifelong Disney fan, this will be my first Disney race and I absolutely can't wait.  Less than a year ago, I took on the challenge of my first half-marathon and on Saturday I'll be finishing my third.  I'm so ready to take on those 13.1 magical miles.

On Sunday, I'll continue experiencing the magic by cheering on my crazy Dad as he completes the 39.3 miles of the Goofy Challenge, another dream of mine.  He has put in the hard work and definitely has the courage to pursue his dreams in running and continues to be an inspiration to me.  Don't forget to follow us on race day via runner tracking or through my twitter feed.  And of course, stay tuned for my race recap! :)

 Life is short, set big goals for yourself and then work as hard as you can to achieve them.  And don't forget to have fun along the way!

Tell me your big dreams! Have you #RunDisney? Dreaming of a future magical race?

Hello 2013, Goodbye 2012!

Here we are, on the last day of 2012! It's time to reflect on year behind us and get ready for the awesomeness ahead!  I'm a big fan of resolutions and goals.  As long as they're done properly.  Instead of making generic resolutions like "be healthy", "lose weight" or "exercise more", it's important to set yourself up for success!  Creating realistic and measurable goals will hold you more accountable and give you something concrete to strive for in the coming year.  

Before creating my big goals for 2013, I of course had to review my 2012 goals.  Halfway through the year, I checked in on these goals and realized I didn't set the bar high enough.  I had achieved almost every goal and decided to set a few more to finish out 2012.  I was pretty successful again...

1. Complete my second half-marathon. Check! 

2. PR in the 10K distance. Fail. The only 10K race I completed in the second half of the year was recently at the Hot Chocolate 10K and it was rough.  No PR for me!  Maybe I'll kick off 2013 with a new 10K PR at the Joe Kleinerman?

3. Run the 25K Turkey Trot with Dad. BOOM! Big ole check! This one was definitely a struggle but I did it.  Never again though.

4. "Learn" to swim. Fail. This one is just getting indefinitely postponed.  

5. Pass the R.D. Exam and get a job! CHECK and CHECK!  In July I began working as a Clinical Dietitian and in September, I officially passed the exam to become a Registered Dietitian.  

All in all, 2012 was a kick-ass year, in running and in life!  I continue to meet amazing new people who inspire me to be better and do more!  So for 2013, I'm ready to step outside of my comfort zone and push my limits to see what I'm capable of!  My girl Eleanor Roosevelt once said "do one thing everyday that scares you." Although I'm not sure I'm going to do something everyday that scares me, I love the idea of challenging yourself to do things that make you uncomfortable.  To put it simply, I'm ready to #DreamBig2013!

My Goals for 2013:

PR in the half-marathon distance (More specifically sub 2:05?).  I'm running the WDW Half in less than 2 weeks, but will be stopping for all sorts of character photos, so the PR will not come there.  Perhaps NYC Half???

Strength train 2x/week consistently.  Although I dread paying for an overpriced gym, I gave in and joined NYSC so I have no excuse for this one.  Strength training is important for running and for overall health and I want to be a stronger woman!  

Do one unassisted pull-up.  This is sort of random and ideally, it will be more than one.  As mentioned above, I really want to become stronger all around.  It seems silly but I've never ever done a pull-up all on my own and I really want to this year.  

Complete 9+1 NYRR races for guaranteed entry into the 2014 NYC Marathon.  Ahhh! This one definitely scares me.  I'm fine with running 9 races, but thinking that one day I'll run (or try to run) New York is intimidating.  

Do at least 3 races outside of NY State. I have a head start on this goal since I'm already registered for the Cherry Blossom 10-mile race with Beth, Abby and Jen.  As of now I'm also considering Peach Tree for 4th of July and Strip at Night in Vegas!?  I'm definitely still open to suggestions if anyone wants to take a trip!

Give back. Okay, so this one isn't really specific or measurable...but I don't think it needs to be.  I may not have a ton of disposable income, but every year I make sure to give whatever I can to charitable causes.  This year I want to also donate more of time.  I know there are so many people who aren't as fortunate as I am and I want to continue finding ways to give back.

Say yes more.  Whenever an opportunity presents itself, I need to ask myself "why not?" and if I don't have a valid reason to not do something, I need to do it!

Most of all, this year I want to continue working toward being the most healthy, happy and best version of myself!  Cheers!