Sunday, March 19, 2017

2017 Rock and Roll DC Half Marathon Race Recap!

This race had been on my radar for awhile and I signed up for it after the 2016 race since it tends to be the best deal.  I don't usually sign up for races that far in advance, but for $58 I just could NOT pass it up!

Finally after a year of waiting, it was finally race weekend!!!  I went to the first day of the expo, and got there as soon as I could since I had to work that afternoon.  So beforehand I printed off a map and marked out the booths I wanted to visit.  I had to stop by the Blue Ridge Marathon (registration is still open and you can use the code BRMFRIENDS for 15% off registration!), Marine Corps Marathon, Balega, Ragnar, Lularoe, and talk to the pacers for the half marathon.  (The person manning the pacer booth suggested sticking with the 2:30 group then speeding up to the 2:15 group after the big hill halfway through the course.  I grabbed a few wristbands with pace times on it and called it a day.)


First stop was the Balega booth to say hi to their rep, Dan!


And get another pair of their blister resist socks since the weather was looking like it would be cold, and the socks are kinda thick and made of wool.  (So yes, they are SUPER warm!)


Despite running through I still got some awesome freebies from a lot of the booths!


Got a couple of lip balms (from the MCM and Blue Ridge Marathon booths), a recovery jacket from last year's MCM (apparently they arrive in time for the race since they were caught up in customs), smarty pants vitamins, sports beans (they seem to be at all the expos these days!), and from Ragnar I got a coozie, temporary tattoos, a silicone bracelet and hairband.

I also got an awesome reusable bag from the Marine Corps Marathon booth!



And of course I got my bib and a drawstring bag for the race!  The timing chip for this one was interesting since it was a disposable shoe tag.  Usually the timing chip is attached to the back of the bib.  This one might have been a shoe tag since there are a TON of people in this race and it makes sure that the timing mats read everybody's chip.  (I saw there were at least 23 corrals!)


After the expo I sped off to work and started to get nervous.  I was excited for the race, but not so confident in my training and the weather was shaping up to be really cold.  (Hence why I picked up the wool socks!  I had trained in a pair that Balega gave me for being an ambassador so I was confident they wouldn't cause any issues on race morning.)

Before I knew it (literally, because I worked all day Friday as well) it was race morning.  And it was cold.  I ended up wearing fleece leggings, a long sleeved shirt, wool hoodie, a light jacket, wool neck gaiter, gloves a hat and a bondi band underneath.  I also brought along a space blanket from a previous race for added warmth while waiting for the race to start.  Fortunately getting to the race was the least of my worries since organizers bumped back the start time to allow half marathoners to be able to take the metro to the race.

Once I got to the starting area (I got off at the Navy Archives stop since I was coming from Maryland) I found two bunches of portajohns without any lines!!  So I did my usual pre-race ritual of visiting the bathroom twice and eating a picky bar 30 minutes before gun time.  (On race mornings I like smooth caffeinator since it has some caffeine for another kick.  In addition to a tab of cherry limeade nuun that I tossed in a water bottle the night before and drank on the drive to the metro, I was feeling very awake by the time the race started!)


It was pretty cold at the start, and I was really glad I had so many layers on.  Once gun time began to creep closer I took off my space blanket, folded it up and stuffed it under the strap of my spibelt.  (I've been to some races where they've run out of space blankets post-race so I figured better safe than sorry!)


Eeek!  The start line!  No turning back now!!

The race overall was pretty well run.  Just the right amount of water stops, although with it being so cold I got quite a few cups with a thin layer of ice on top.  The course itself was scenic and fairly easy until the hill at the halfway point where you hit the biggest hill of the entire course on Rock Creek Parkway.  (Or any other DC race or training run I've ever done!)  Afterward the hills were fairly rolling, but the big hill really took it out of me even though I walked the whole thing.  (Maybe it's a new hill to conquer since I finally ran up the hill to the Iwo Jima Memorial last year at the MCM 10k?)


Either way I was happy with my finishing time of 2:33:01 (2:30:34 according to my Garmin, since passing other runners along the course added 0.23 to the distance.)  Considering the hills and the weather, I'm still impressed that I was able to finish in about my usual time.

Once I finished I got my medal, new space blanket and post race snacks which were fairly typical--chocolate milk, water, gatorade, bananas, granola bars and popcorn chips.  I drank my chocolate milk and made my way to the metro to head home.  By the time I got my space blanket the wind had begun to pick up and being sweaty made me feel even colder.  I was so ready for a hot shower and long nap with my cats.



Did you run this race?  What did you think of it?  What's your favorite Rock and Roll location?

Sunday, March 5, 2017

2017 Love the Run You're With 5k Race Recap

I make it a point not to sign up for races in February.  The weather is always iffy and I'm a wimp when it comes to the cold.  However this February has not started out like others weather-wise.  By the time this race came around we already had 2 70 degree days and were on track for a few more.  So when I saw Shake Shack Track and Field was giving away 8 entries to the Love the Run You're With 5k the following Sunday (at that point the forecast called for another gorgeous day in the 60s), I only had to think about it for 10 minutes.

Then I had to rearrange my running schedule since I'm in training for the Rock n Roll DC Half Marathon on March 11th.  Packet pickup gave me a great excuse to go for a run in Alexandria over the Wilson Bridge to National Harbor.  Then I realized Saturday morning that I could actually work in packet pickup to my long run and sat down and figured out it was about 3.5 miles from my usual parking lot over to Pacers Alexandria and back to my car.

It was a great run!  First I went to Pacers to pick up my shirt and bib and ran back to my car to put my shirt and bib in there.  (It was pretty secure in my hydration pack, but I figured better safe than sorry!)  I then went over the Wilson Bridge into National Harbor.  On the way back I noticed a Great Blue Heron flying over my path and once I got closer to the tree where it landed, I saw about a half dozen of these big birds building nests in the trees!


The shirt was DEFINITELY cute!!


After stretching I made a quick stop off at my parents to say hi and headed home.  Once I got home I was determined to have everything laid out and ready to go along with setting my alarm, getting my bottle of nuun prepped and a picky bar in my bag for breakfast.  I checked the weather and the forecasters called for a chance of rain, naturally right at gun time.  Since I knew I would be driving I took a variety of layers.

Thankfully I had gotten everything I needed together and the drive to the race was pretty uneventful.  I left home about two hours before gun time and arrived much earlier than I expected.  (Yay for the combination of the threat of rain and a lazy Sunday morning!)  I sat in my car for a little while before walking over to the starting area.  (No line at the portajohns--yay!)

Soon after I met up with a friend from Oiselle Volee, and thankfully the race was in a small enough area it was easy to keep meeting up with her (and run into other Oiselle ladies throughout the race!)

Once gun time came around, I got an idea of just how big the races was and despite being a field of about a thousand runners it still felt very small.  It started raining just a little bit at the beginning of the race, but once I hit the top of that first hill (really, the only hill since it was an out and back) it had pretty much stopped.

The course itself was VERY hilly, but I was glad to do it because it helped me figure out where my weakness is in my running.  (This is why I like to do a kind of "throwaway" race to get out the jitters for the first race of the season.)


Due to the hills (and lack of hill training on my part) as well as running mostly on a treadmill over the winter I had an okay time but not my best.  I finished in 35:13 with a pace of 11:06.  (My PR for the 5k is currently 30:55 on a course that is downhill for the first half then flat.)

After the race there was a table of the fleece blanket premium from previous years races for $5 each.  I loved the little monkey mascot used in previous years (and wanted an inexpensive blanket for my upcoming Ragnars) so I went ahead and bought a red one.  So cute!!!


One of the nice things about Pacers races is that a lot of them have a tab for a free drink at Shake Shack.  I had never taken advantage of it before, but since I met up with my Volee teammate again and she invited me to come along with her Mom and husband, I decided to go for it.  Surprisingly, the free drink included their amazing milkshake so I had to get peanut butter and an order of their crinkle cut fries.


Naturally, it totally hit the spot.  By the time we finished the rain had started again and was more steady.  So we said our goodbyes and headed back to our cars.  (However I made a quick stop at World Market on the way back to pick up some Torani syrup for my morning coffee and some prosecco for Valentine's Day.)

Overall, the race was a good one for my first of the year.  It helped get some of the first race of the year jitters (should that be hyphenated?) out of the way and showed me I seriously need some hill training.  Would I do it again?  Possibly.  The whole being a wimp to the cold would probably hold me back again.  Despite the light rain at the beginning of the race and it being a little cold, it was still a good training race.

Thursday, March 2, 2017

Thrifty Thursday for March!!

I know I say this almost every month, but it's March already?!  Seriously??  
Race season is almost here and I can't wait for it to get in full swing!!

Love a lightweight layer with pockets and thumbholes!  
North Face Impulse 1/4 zip Running Top:  Originally $70, paid $8.

Lole's clothing holds up beautifully and is always super comfy so I was really excited when I found this dress which is essentially a tunic length hoodie!  
Lole Easy Hooded Dress:  Originally $70, paid $4.

With all the travelling I'll be doing in the next few months, this heavy duty bag with tons of pockets will be perfect!  
LL Bean Sea-Washed Canvas Guide Bag:  Originally $50, paid $8.

 Never a bad idea to get a good windbreaker vest in a bright color with reflectivity!  
Saucony Ethereal Vest:  Originally $80, paid $10

When I came across these in a bin I jumped on them!  I love an opportunity to expand my NES game collection, which is fairly easy since it's still pretty small.
Gyromite, Metal Gear, Adventures in the Magic Kingdom and Tetris:  Paid $8 for all of them!  
(NES games apparently used to retail for $40-50 each back in the early 90s.  I missed the NES craze for the most part the first time around, but definitely remember games for the Sega Genesis being about $50 each!)

Hate the name of this one.  (Seriously, like a lot of runners I cringe when people call it "jogging.")  But it's a thicker weight pullover with thumbholes and a pocket at the left hip!  
Lucy Jog for Joy Half Zip: Originally $89, paid $7.

Layers in the winter for me are an absolute MUST.  So when I came across this fuzzy, fleecy vest I had to grab it!
Mountain Hardwear Pyxis Vest:  Originally $85, paid $13

Anybody have any good thrifting finds recently?  Anybody started training for spring races?  I have the Rock n Roll DC Half Marathon a week from Saturday and I can't wait!