About Corrals...

Corrals are mostly used in larger races to help keep runners of different paces separated and runners in general spread out along the course.  Smaller races up to a few thousand depend on runners to self-seed themselves, meaning they can start as close or as far from the starting line as they feel comfortable.  (This however can lead to some irritation since people sometimes will start further up when they intend on walking the whole race or more often just slower than those around them.  This unfortunately is pretty much unavoidable and I've run into this at almost every single race I've ever run.)

Some corrals are actual physical barriers like police tape or banners that can be easily pulled away, simple flags with expected pace printed on them or even just colored balloons that correspond with wave colors that are easy to see.

For larger races like this Sunday's Cherry Blossom 10 Miler, they will actually use a wave start system.  It is meant to stagger runners to give everybody plenty of space to run and keep similarly paced runners together.  This means that you will be placed in a corral based upon a finishing time from a previous race given to race organizers (usually a PR) when you register.  For example, the last time I ran the Cherry Blossom I was placed in the very last wave because at that point I wasn't very fast, and my expected finishing time was over 2 hours.  This time the finishing time I gave them was faster and I was bumped up a whole 3,000 places and that pushed me into a whole new wave!

One other thing to note is that in races like the Cherry Blossom with a strict cutoff time that timer does not start until the very last person crosses the starting line.  So this means with a race that starts at 7:30 the final runner might not cross that line until almost 8am!  (When I was in the final wave of the Cherry Blossom in 2014, I crossed the starting line a full 24 minutes after the gun went off.)  Some people not knowing otherwise will actually jump ahead in corrals, meaning that they will move ahead in order to try and "beat" the cutoff time.  This doesn't actually accomplish anything except cause more people to have to run around you.

If you do jump corrals, most race organizers recommend you actually go back in corrals (so to the later finishing times) if you're running with somebody who's further back from you.  So rather than having your friend meet you in the 3rd corral, you should go back to the 5th and meet them.

So what if you feel like you've been placed in the wrong corral?

The answer is simple!  If you feel like you're too slow for the corral, just move to the back.  If you think you're faster than the pace you've been assigned, move to the front!

And now that you know about corrals, go out and have a great race!

Thrifty Thursday!

It's spring break here in the mid-Atlantic, so you may know what that means--not too many finds this week!  (The nearby counties have it next week, but the kids get out today for it.)

I'm a total sucker for anything with dolphins or whales on it.  (Always have!) So when I found this wristlet for $3 (originally $16) in a couple of my favorite colors, I had to grab it!  It's made out of canvas and in great shape.

This is a Mizuno Breath Thermo half zip top.  (Originally $80, paid $8!)  The material for this line of clothing is amazing--it basically wicks away moisture and the breath thermo fibers have a heating effect.  So while it wicks away all that sweat, it's warming you up!  How cool is that?  I thought this color would be perfect for the Cherry Blossom 10 miler, assuming it's a cool morning (which is pretty likely.)

Like I said, not many finds this week.  Not every week can be such a plethora of great finds, and spring break can actually work against you since with the time off and nice weather, that means everybody's coming out of hibernation.  I'm still very happy with what I did find though!  Fingers crossed for better luck next week.

Quick Cherry Blossom Training Update!

Woo!  I've made it through the majority of the intermediate training plan for the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler!  Now here comes the fun part:  Tapering.  The whole philosophy of the taper is to cut back on your running so on race day you're ready to run and full of extra energy.  The intermediate training plan had me running at least a 5k 3 times a week, 4+ miles for a speed workout, and one long run a week.  This week I only have to run 4 days, and next week it's 3 days.  As you can imagine, the taper is both a blessing and a curse.  I've definitely seen it help my running on race day and of course some extra time during the day, but in the meantime I end up with a lot of pent up energy which means I get pretty restless.

Fortunately, one of my tricks to get through the taper is to just keep myself busy with projects!  Thankfully though there are plenty of Cherry Blossom related activities to keep busy in the last few days leading up to the race.  On Thursday Meb Keflezighi will be doing the first of four meet n greets in the area.  (Joan Benoit-Samuelson will also be making an appearance at the Cherry Blossom Expo on Saturday.)  Then I'll be volunteering at the expo on Friday and resting up and drinking lots of water on Saturday.

This also means lots more blog posts will be coming soon on the good luck box my Dad ordered for me, meeting Meb, the expo and of course the race itself!  I'm starting to get SO excited for this year's race.  Can you tell?  Or maybe it's the extra energy from this taper...

Thrifty Thursday!

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!  The great weather is starting to bring people and some great athletic wear out of hibernation--yay!  Lots of great Athleta finds today!

Athleta Dobby Be Free Knickers (Originally $64, paid $11.)  I love Athleta's Be Free Knickers.  They have pockets on the outside of each leg that hold quite a bit, and this fabric is more lightweight than in their regular Be Free Knickers.  (Meaning these will be great for summer races!)

Athleta Kickbooty Pants (Originally $79, paid $6!)  These have a cult following and I totally understand why--so comfy and flattering!

And a second pair of Kickbooty pants!  (I paid $9 for these though.)  These were altered though so they're straight legged rather than flared.  Still a great fit and very comfy.  

Not totally sure what style these pants are since I couldn't find any information about them.  Either way, I paid $10 and they were most likely at least $79.  These will make for a nice layering piece since they have brushed fleece inside!

I have been drooling over my friend Anna's Hot Chocolate 15k/5k hoodie so when I saw this I jumped on it!  (It was $6 so why not?) And now I have to do a Hot Chocolate race!  Unfortunately this year it's out of the question since it's the day before the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler and in Philadelphia.  For signing up you get a great race jacket and a mug filled with all kinds of goodies at the finish!  If you're interested, registration is still open!  

Anybody else have any good thrifting finds recently?  What's your policy on buying race swag?  (Mine is if I like the item, I buy it and add the race to my bucket list!)

UA KELLY St. Patrick's Day Shamrock 5k 2016 Race Recap

This is my second year running this race.  (Here's my review of last year's race.)  I signed up again knowing full well I was likely to have a PR since my finishing time was 37:28.  I was fighting a nasty cold at the time so I knew I could beat the time.

Packet pickup was a breeze at Charm City Run's new location in Columbia.  It was a gorgeous day so they had the front doors open to get your bib and safety pins, and go back outside to get your shirt.  I was DEFINITELY impressed with it this year!  (Last year's was nice...but this one is even better!)

Front

Back

My bib!

As usual, in the days leading up to the race I watched the weather super closely.  All week the forecasts called for rain, at different times and amounts.  That being said, my outfit changed several times--short sleeves, long sleeves, shirt under a zippered shirt for layers, shorts, long windbreaker pants, etc.  You get the idea.  By the time race day arrived I had quite a pile going of the possibilities.  I ended up settling on a short sleeved shirt, knee length shorts and a long sleeved shirt.  Then naturally by the time we got to the starting area, that changed again.  I packed my rain jacket and baseball cap from the Nike half marathon in a bag that my husband held onto for me.  I was so glad I did this, because shortly after we parked in the garage it had started raining.  So I put on my hat and rain jacket and naturally it had stopped by the time we got to the starting area.  

Balloons at the starting area

The starting area as usual was super crowded, and with people weaving through the crowd got a little irritating when you don't have any elbow room.  (Then there was the person next to me who kept trying to stretch his quads and kept kicking me in the process.  And the girl in front of me who kept messing with her ponytail and every time she did I got a face full of hair.  Gross!)  But to be honest, this is all the kind of thing to be expected in large crowds like this.  After getting kicked a couple times I followed somebody to a less dense area so I could be slightly more comfortable until gun time.  

Not much space to take a good pre-race selfie.  (Sorry for the bad quality, it was raining so I took it through a plastic baggie that I used to protect my phone.)

In addition to this being my first race of the year, it was also my first race with my new Garmin Forerunner 230 with heart rate monitor. One of the interesting things about using a heart rate monitor for the race was I had a visual representation of last minute nerves right before the gun went off.  Normally at rest my heart rate on a scale of 1-5 hovers around 1.  Moments before the gun went off it jumped to 2.2 which showed that not only was I a little extra nervous, but my heart was putting the same effort as it would on an easy jog.  

During the race itself, I kept a close eye out for potholes.  Thankfully there seemed to be fewer than last year, but the few I saw were pretty bad.  I also remembered when doing last minute research on what to do during races in the rain to avoid stepping on anything metal (grates, manhole covers, etc.) and any road markings.  For the most part, this was easy to do although there was one point where I stepped on one without thinking about it.  I heard the squeak of my sneakers and managed to keep my balance and keep going.  

Going into the race, I was determined that this would be my sub-30 minute 5k.  And I got REALLY close!  My chip time ended up being 30:55 with a pace of 9:58.  I'm definitely happy with the time but there's still a little twinge of disappointment since if I had skipped one walk break I would've hit my goal.  

Post-race I met up with my husband and we went over to get in line for Miss Shirley's Cafe.  (Definitely nice post-race, but not worth the 45 minute wait since people were trying to wait out the rain.)  Since we had time to kill, I ran back over to the post-race celebration to get my banana.  After about ten minutes of trying to get to the table with post-race snacks I ended up getting stuck by the pile of bananas.  Knowing how frustrated I was with this part of it, I started grabbing bananas and offering them to people around me who were very thankful for it.  (If I couldn't go anywhere, I might as well spread the wealth, right?)  Soon afterwards I grabbed a granola bar and bag of pretzels and headed back towards the restaurant to meet up with my husband again.  

The finish line before the race!

Overall, I would probably do this race again.  Yes, it was crowded but what do you expect for a race that sells out every year?  (This year there were 4,560 finishers!)  It's also early on in the year when everybody is trying to get that first race in before a lot of the longer distance races.  (Seriously, running a shorter distance race before a longer one is fantastic for pre-race jitters!  And with this one starting at 1:15pm you can even sleep in a little bit.  What's not to like about that?!)  The course is also awesome--the first mile is a mostly gentle downhill slope then the rest is basically flat.  (Be sure to look up at least for a moment during the downhill because it is SO cool to see the sea of green ahead of you.)  The course is also fun since it goes through the Inner Harbor and past the National Aquarium.  

Did you run this race?  What do you think about it?  I'd also love to hear about other St. Patrick's Day races!

Thrifty Thursday!

This week despite it being in the 80s for the second day in a row here in Maryland, I had some great cooler weather finds!  

Athleta Striped Hatha Hoodie Sweater (Originally $98, paid $7!)  This is a cotton and cashmere blend that has a front pocket like a lot of hoodies, so it definitely helps conceal my stomach and is still lightweight.

I don't usually go for the discount mass market brands that show up in places like Kohl's, but it fits great and is in great condition!  Apt 9 asymmetrical zippered French terry jacket.  (Originally $50, paid $7.)

When I came across this sweatshirt, I definitely couldn't resist!  I went to Longwood during my first time around in college and was there when they made the name change from College to University.  (They're also going to be hosting this year's Vice Presidential debate!)  Originally $50, paid $3.50!

I'm a sucker for Athleta's Fast Track shirts and tanks.  They're always flattering and the bottom hem has bits of rubber that helps hold the shirt down during your toughest workouts!  (Originally $54, paid $10.)

Racing in the Rain

The majority of races happen rain or shine.  Occasionally they'll be cancelled or even shortened due to extreme weather conditions--thunderstorms, snow, and heat.  The Celtic Solstice that I ran last December is notorious for still going on during a major snowstorm in 2009.  Last year during the LA Marathon the temperatures hit 88 degrees and 36 people were taken to the hospital.  Last year's Marine Corp Marathon still went on despite the rain and it was unpleasant for runners (myself included), and messed up the metal detectors at the marathon security checkpoints.

So in perspective rain shouldn't be a big deal if you know how to prepare for it.  My first race of the year is on Sunday (a St Patrick's Day 5k in Baltimore) and the forecast keeps hinting that it might be rainy.  Like a lot of people, I don't like being out in the rain.  But when there's a race involved, I'll suck it up and go.  There are some things you can do to make the situation more tolerable.

- Invest in a running rain jacket.  I have an older version of this one from Brooks that I found at TJ Maxx.  (Definitely a great place to start looking!)  They keep the rain out and are still breathable so it stays comfortable throughout the run.

- Body glide up your feet and focus between your toes and any places you're prone to hot spots.  They will get wet at some point, and the body glide will help keep blisters from forming.  (It can be found at any running store.)

- Wear moisture wicking clothing and a baseball cap.  Yeah, you're going to get wet, but it'll help keep you slightly more comfortable during the run especially if it happens to slow down or stop during or after the race.  The baseball cap will help keep rain out of your eyes.

-Stay dry as long as possible pre-race.  Find an overhang and hang out there until absolutely necessary.  Or if you have family or friends spectating bring an extra umbrella so you can have one and pass it off to them before the race starts!

-Most importantly:  Embrace the suck.  Everybody's in the same boat.  Not many people want to run in adverse weather conditions.  Remain patient with everybody and show extra appreciation for volunteers on the course.  (You think it stinks running in the rain?  Think about how much less fun it is to be standing in it for much longer than it's probably going to take you to run the entire course.)

Post race is also important.  I think one of the best feelings is a hot shower after being out in the cold being rained on and then throwing on sweats so I can stay warm easier.  As far as your running shoes go, be sure to stuff them with newspaper afterwards and put them in a warm place like on top of a dryer while it's running.  The newspaper will help absorb the excess moisture in your shoes so it doesn't grow all kinds of funky bacteria that will shorten the lifespan of your shoes.

Thrifty Thursday!

This week was a great week for Lululemon finds!

Lululemon yoga Wunder Under crop pants in aquamarine at the hips, white and black in the middle. (Normally $88, paid $6!)

Lululemon knee length Astro waisted pants!  (Originally $88, paid $6!)

They also have a nice little zippered pocket on the back, and a drawstring in the hemline of each leg.

I also found these pants in a darker colors as well!
(However they were $7, not complaining though since it's still a great deal!)

Here in central Maryland, one of the local running store chains is Charm City Run.  

I found several shirts, but settled on this one.

It's from the store's 10th anniversary in 2012 and has an outline of the Baltimore skyline below the store logo.  The shirt itself is by Under Armour.  (Originally $24.99, paid $7.)  

First Outdoor Run of the Season!

My name is Holly...and I'm addicted to my treadmill.  But hear me out!!  I have good reasons.

Like reality tv shows like Top Chef and Teen Mom, which I can't watch on my tv since we don't have cable.  (They make the run go by so much faster!)

And being able to have water within arm's reach and not have to carry it!

And...it's been a rough winter.  Up until yesterday we still had some lingering snow piles in front of our house from the snow plows pushing the snow from the blizzard to the end of our cul-de-sac.

And it's RIGHT THERE!  In my basement.  Some days it's really nice not having to think about where I should go for a run.

Up until Sunday when we had a really nice day that was sunny, in the 60s and no pressing chores or plans.  Then my husband showed me a route from when he used to live with his parents in the area and essentially shoved me out the door.

It was a super hilly 8 mile run.

Over the first and last mile there was an elevation change of 250ft.  That comes to an incline of almost 5% (4.73% if you wanna get technical.)  And yes, I was hurting on Monday and cursing having to walk up and down multiple flights of stairs at my volunteer jobs.  (But admittedly so worth it for my animal friends!)

And why am I probably going to do it again?  Am I a glutton for punishment?  Maybe just a little.  BUT!  Hell -er- Hill training helps come race day.  One of the perks of DC races besides the lovely and historical scenery is they are FLAT!  With my next big distance race being the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler, hill training will help build muscle to power up some of those hills which pale in comparison.  (The lowest point is 10 feet above sea level, the highest is a little over 30 feet.)  My time was horrible, but once taking into account how much I've been running on the treadmill and the hills, I don't feel quite so bad about it.  (My average pace for my outdoor run was almost a full minute slower than my last long treadmill run.)  Yes, looking at the numbers made me feel frustrated.  But then looking at that incline?  I don't feel quite so bad.

So this morning after boot camp, I'll be out pounding the pavement again.  All the while remembering that hill training is a necessary evil for race day success!

More info on hill training  (Also check out this link on bungee speed training.  I do this in boot camp fairly often and it is easily one of my favorite exercises!)

33 Days till the Cherry Blossom!!