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?

Spotlight on Steph: Running for a Cure with TNT

Meet Steph.  

She is my cousin, my best friend and a recent addition to the Team in Training NYC Chapter.  On March 17, 2013 she will run the NYC Half Marathon and complete her first half marathon.  Steph will be training and fundraising for the next three months so that she can raise money to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, an incredible organization that works to fight blood cancers.  I couldn't be more excited for or proud of Steph for having the courage to take on this incredible challenge.  Both the training and fundraising will certainly be tough but ridiculously rewarding!  Please join me in supporting her (both emotionally & financially) and stay tuned to continue following Steph's story here on PB&P!

For now, let's get to know Steph a little bit better:

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Stephanie Meyering, I’m a 26 year-old publicist and I live in Astoria, New York with my boyfriend, Kevin and our energetic puppy, Kirra. I love to cook, entertain, and spend time with Kim and my other amazing friends!

What’s your current level of exercise? 

I was a competitive cheerleader for about 18 years and was able to stay in shape for a few years after college. But at the moment my level of exercise is probably not as up to what it should be! I sit at a desk for probably 8-10 hours a day and I’ve been running on and off for about 6 months but have definitely not committed myself to a training program – until now!

What inspired you to sign up for a Half Marathon through Team in Training?

Believe it or not, I’ve had a few inspirations for signing up for Team in Training:

• First and foremost, in October a colleague of mine, Ellen Kushman lost her battle with blood cancer. A group of my colleagues and others that loved Ellen decided that joining Team in Training to raise money to find a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma. 
• Secondly, as you know, my cousin and uncle are huge runners! Reading this blog alone, you come away inspired. Their love of running is contagious and I hope to catch the bug! 
•  Last June, my boyfriend participated in the Ride to Montauk with Team In Training. He fund raised about $3,000 for the cause and rode a 100-mile bike ride! Seeing Kevin meet new people and grow through the process was also a huge inspiration to sign up. 

Raising $1,600 is a big challenge!  That's a lot of money. Are you worried you won’t be able to meet your goal?

Well, yes! But Team In Training provides you with support to discuss fundraising ideas and help you plan any fundraising activities you’d like. In addition, my team has already begun planning our fundraisers and we’re ready and rearing to go! As a team we want to beat our goal of $15,400 and give LLS as much support as possible.

So, how are you feeling as you head into this crazy fitness & fundraising journey?

I’m nervous and excited about this! My first official training run is tomorrow and it kind of feels like the first day of school! This past week there was a kick-off meeting and we met our coaches and now I’m ready to go! I’m sure there will be good days and bad days but I am just going to think about who I’m running for and that by running I  will be helping others!

Besides crossing the finish line on 3/17/13, what are you hoping to get out of this experience?

Through training for this half marathon and fundraising for LLS, I hope to become a better person! This will be a challenge for me physically and mentally and I can’t wait to take it on!

Last but definitely not least...What can we help support you and TNT?

If you’re interested in supporting the cause, you can check out my Team in Training Page here: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/halfnyc13/stephaniemeyering  

Because I am a part of  Team Ellen we also have a team page, you can check it out here: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/halfnyc13/teamellen 

In addition to collecting donations on the site, Steph will also be documenting her training and fundraising here on PB&P.  Please donate what you can, help us spread the word and check back to see how she's doing!

Don't Forget, It's Thankful Thursday!

Happy Thursday! I missed the big Thankful Thursday last week because I was busy running 15.5 miles and enjoying an awesome meal with my family...but let's pick it right back up this week!  This week, I'm thankful...

...for my new car.  And it's heated seats.  :)

...that my nephew baby is coming in less than 2 months! We threw him a fabulous party last weekend to celebrate and I think he had a blast!  

...for my rockstar Dad.  Anyone sick of me saying that yet?  Don't care.  He's awesome and supports me and inspires me everyday.  Also, I'm thankful for this awesome picture of us running together (before he left me in the dust, yet again...).  

...that I got myself some new sparkle! Since I pretty much wear a Sparkly Soul headband on every run, I scooped up a blue and charcoal headband to add to the collection!  

...that my very best friend in the whole wide world is taking on the challenge of the NYC Half Marathon and running with Team in Training to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  This will be her first half and I couldn't be more excited to cheer for her and watch her rock it out.  Please check out her fundraising page and donate to this awesome cause! And keep your fingers crossed that Dad & I will be accepted into the lottery and can run with her! 

Okay...now your turn.  What has you feeling thankful this week?!

Fueling 101: The Before

As a runner, I find myself talking, thinking and reading about running a lot.  Runners as a bunch are pretty crazy.  We get up before the sun to "squeeze in" a quick 5 miles (or more) before work.  We're way too comfortable using porta-pottys and forget what it's like to have all 10 toenails.  We run in 100 degrees, 90 percent humidity, through blizzards and downpours...and we love it.  

In addition to talking running, I love talking nutrition.  However, I often find that nutrition and fueling can fall by the wayside for runners who dedicate so much time and energy to training with speed work, cross-training and long runs.  Some runners may not realize how important nutrition is.  Others might just find it completely overwhelming.  How much should you be eating? And when?  Not to mention how confusing fueling during workouts can be with the number of sports nutrition products out there! Bars, beans, sports drinks, gels, Gu, oh my!

Don't freak out just yet! Whether your goal is to just finish, set a new PR or avoid hitting "the wall", I'm here to tell you that it is possible to figure out what and how much fuel you need!  Optional nutrition before, during and after your runs is so essential for successful training, racing and recovery.

It's very important to keep in mind is how individualized nutrition and fueling is.  Runners love to share their experiences and advice, but remember that what works for your best friend/neighbor/trainer/mom may not work for you.  We all have different needs, preferences and GI tracts.  Which is also why it's important to practice your nutrition plan many times and adjust as needed!  

So let's start out with some basic sports nutrition for before exercise:

• Strive to drink half your body weight in ounces daily for adequate hydration.  Every person is different, so forget the 8-glasses a day plan! A 150-lb runner should be consuming 75 ounces, or about 9 cups of water.  Check your urine throughout the day to assess your hydration status.  [Hint: dark yellow=bad!] 
• Hydrate before runs with 12-16 ounces of water or sports drink
• Consume a carbohydrate rich meal (ideally 3-4 hours prior to exercise) that is also low in fat & fiber.  Examples include cereals, english muffins, bagels, bananas, and energy bars.  [If you're already getting up at 4 a.m. for a race, it may be unrealistic to wake up at midnight for breakfast.  If that's the case, you may consider adding more carbohydrates as a late night snack the night before and consuming a smaller "breakfast" 45-60 minutes prior to exercise.  If you struggle with eating solid food before exercise, starting out with sports drinks might be the way to go.]
• For long runs or on race day, don't forget to add some protein! Eggs, 1-2 Tbsp of peanut butter, cottage cheese or yogurt are all great choices.

What questions or problems do you run into when it comes to eating prior to exercise, long runs or races???  For information and recommendations during and after exercise, stay tuned!!!

References

SCAN Dietetic Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (http://www.scandpg.org/)

Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook, 4th edition, 2008

Thankful Thursday: A PR & Pumpkin Butter!

Happy Thursday, readers! It's that time of week, where we discuss all the fun and happy things in the world! Ready? Okay! (Cheerleader voice) This week I'm thankful...

...that I finished the Staten Island Half Marathon on Sunday! 

Finish line PROOF!

...for my new PR!!!  How this happened I don't know, because I'm still struggling with this quad pain and didn't really train for the two weeks prior to the race.  Must be some kind of magic!

...for the short work week!  Thanks, Christopher Columbus.  

...for my little nephew baby.  He might still be hanging out in his mamas belly, but he already has the best wardrobe ever.  His closet is going to be full of outfits like this one I just bought him:

...for pumpkin butter.  I'm currently using pumpkin butter on any and everything.  But mostly on english muffins at breakfast:

...that I met up with my DI loves this week.  [So great to see you ladies! I'm so unbelievably happy for all of the amazing things happening in your lives! :)]

...for Raul Ibanez! SO COOL! What a crazy game last night!  This is why I love October baseball.  And now on to Game 4 of the ALDS tonight.  Let's Go Yankees!

As always, I have tons to be thankful for in my life.  Nothing like counting your blessings (no matter how small) to put things into perspective! Now tell me...what are you thankful for, friends?

Race Recap: NYRR Staten Island Half Marathon

Staten Island, Sunday October 7th, 2012 at 8:30am.  50 degrees, overcast and breezy.  This was the scene at the NYRR Staten Island Half-Marathon this weekend. 

 This race was scheduled to be my second half marathon and my training was pretty solid up until 2-3 weeks ago.  I've since been battling some quad/hip pain (Don't worry, I have an MD appointment scheduled), so I wasn't sure how or if I was going to be able to run this Sunday. I ultimately decided to give it a shot.  After all, I had paid for this race and more importantly, Dad was coming down to run too! 

On Saturday, after Dad and I went out for a pre-race dinner, I got my gear together for race day: C9 by Champion running shorts, Nike Dri-fit top, Asics, RRS Dryroad socks, Sparkly Soul headband, SpiBelt, Blueberry Pomegranate Gu Chomps and Jet Blackberry Gu.

We arrived to the Island of Staten around 7:30am and quickly found parking.  Race Central was right next to Richmond County Bank Ballpark (home of the SI Yankees) with amazing views of lower Manhattan and an incredible September 11th Memorial.

There was a ridiculous line for the porta-pottys right before the start, so we didn't have much any time to warm up.  NYRR had their usual color-coded corrals and we lined up to wait for the start.  While listening to race announcements and the National Anthem, we snapped a few pre-race photos.

One of the best parts of the race came right as the starting gun went off...A FDNY Marine Unit in the harbor put on an awesome show for us:

The course was an out-and-back with a few hills and one long hill around mile 8-9.  Most of the course was along the waterfront, with awesome views like the one below of the Verrazano Bridge.  

I started this race with no expectations of pace or time, especially because I didn't want to worsen my injury.  Since I mentally break the half-marathon distance into two 5-milers and a 5k, I told myself I would get to the 5-mile marker and assess how I felt.  Although the out-and-back course wouldn't have made it easy for me to stop and turn around if my leg acted up, that was my plan.

The race started out fabulously.  Miles 1-4 absolutely flew by.  I was loving the cool weather, I wasn't paying any attention to my splits and my body felt happy to be running.  My quad pain was noticeable but I didn't feel hindered by it.  As I came across Mile Marker 5, I took some Gu Chomps and decided I would push through.  A few minutes later, I started seeing the race leaders speeding by me.  I was expecting the turnaround to be around the 10K marker, but it ended up being further along around 7.5 miles.  Mile 6 through the turnaround flew by as I was so distracted by all the runners on their way back to the finish.  It was super motivating and I picked up my pace, realizing I had some potential to PR.

Mile 8-8.5ish was the one serious hill of the course, but I had gone down it during the first half so I was mentally prepared to go back up it.  My only complaint with this race comes in here.  There was a water station placed right BEFORE the peak of this hill.  Maybe it's just me, but I like to power through all the way to the top of the hill! 

At Mile 9, I could definitely feel the impact of my sub-par training over the last 2 weeks.  My feet were tired and my lower back started hurting.  The next two miles were mentally challenging, but I was motivated by the fact that I was still on target to PR.  

Mile 12 was a slight uphill back toward St. George terminal and the finish line.  This was tough because I hadn't realized it was a downhill during the first half and I wasn't ready for it.  I was so close to the finish but this mile seemed to go on forever.  There were tons of spectators at this point and they were great! Cowbells, funny signs, high-fives, motivational cheers...I love it all.  And then finally there was a right turn back down to the waterfront and a quick sprint to the finish line.  

Smiling at the finish! 

Apparently in previous years, the course had one of those finishes where you can see the finish line but have to do a wrap-around or little loop to finish off the 13.1.  No one likes that.  So this year the course was modified in response to runner feedback and I have to say, this finish was awesome!  I flew down that last hill and finished super strong.  My official time was 2:10:46.  That's a 4 minute 6 second PR! With an injured leg. Boom.  

And Dad? 2:01:21, which would have been sub-2 hours if he didn't have to make a pit stop! As usual, I'm in awe of this guy...

I guess getting older=getting faster?! Maybe one of these days I'll be able to keep up with him (and maybe beat him??).

It almost doesn't need to be said that NYRR put together fantastic races.  They're always very well organized with plenty of water, post-race refreshments, volunteers, etc. and Staten Island was no different.    

All in all, a great day, a great race and a shiny new PR.  Next up...a visit to the MD to figure out what's going on with my leg.  Hopefully followed by the Disney World Half Marathon in January! :)

Summer Wrap-Up

Since it's officially September and we'll soon be welcoming in fall, I thought I'd do a post recapping all of the amazing things I did this summer.  

I used to hate when you got back to school and teachers made you talk about all the fun and amazing things you did over the summer, because of course it meant that fun was over for the next 10 months.  Well now that I'm a "grown-up", I love looking back on the awesome things I've done.  It makes me feel grateful and inspires me to carry the awesomeness into the next season!  In this case, my favorite season: FALL!

So, here's what I did over my summer vacation....

I went to my best friends bachelorette party!

 And then her wedding...

<3

 I graduated from my Dietetic Internship program! Woohoo!!!

I went to a bunch of Yankee games.

I carried a tire around.  

And ran/crawled through some mud with these guys:

I spent some time at the beach and Astoria Park pool. 

I got dragged into some intense crafting projects with these lovely ladies:

I enjoyed some delicious food.

I found out I'm going to be an aunt!!!

Hi, Nephew baby! Can't wait to meet you!

I had color thrown on me with my friends.

And I got all sorts of sweaty, as much as I could!

As I'm sure you can tell, I had an absolute blast this summer.  I'm sad it's coming to an end but I have a lot to look forward to this fall.  My plans already include running the Staten Island Half with dad, reuniting with friends upstate and spending lots of money spoiling my little nephew fetus.

Stay tuned for fabulous fall updates.

In the meantime, tell me what about your summer! Go!