Quantico Turkey Trot 10k Race Review

My first race was the Drumstick Dash in Roanoke, VA four years ago.  Since my husband encouraged all of us to run that race together, running a Thanksgiving race has become a family tradition.  This year however since I started working for a local racing events company for race day support, I ended up being on the operations side of the race rather than running it.  That also meant that a Thanksgiving day race would be out of the question, so I suggested to my Dad that he and I go down to Quantico Marine Base and try out their Turkey Trot since it was the weekend before the holiday.

The day before the race my Dad picked up our packets--the usual bib and race shirt along with a few snacks and samples that we've kind of come to expect with any of the Marine Corps' races.  (This time it was more Curate bars and some Tom's of Maine toothpaste!)

Definitely an interesting race shirt! 

(Unlike the MCM10k and marathon, this was just a long sleeved tech shirt.)

For once, I-95 traffic was a dream.  It took my Dad and I only 30 minutes to do a 40 minute drive (also because we took the HOT lanes so the speed limit was slightly increased.)  

Parking was a short walk from the starting area (maybe about 5-10 minutes) and we got there just as the lines for the portajohns were starting to grow.  By the time we got out, they had started the opening ceremony for the kids one mile race.  (It started half an hour before the 10k.)  We then walked over and looked at the various vendors.  They also had a petting zoo with a pony, llama, goat, sheep, duck, a couple chickens and turkeys!  (Seriously!!  How often do you see a live turkey at a turkey trot??)

After that we started watching the kids finish, and I randomly met one of my Oiselle Volee teammates!  (I haven't gotten out with that running group very much, but every time I've worn my Oiselle singlets I run into somebody and have an instant friend.  So cool!!)  

Excited for the start!

The race course was definitely challenging, but doable.  Very hilly similar to this year's MCM10k, but like I said:  Doable.  The first couple of miles were on the road but then miles 2-3 were on trail.  It was fairly narrow at that point so I avoided walking as much as I could.  But I literally felt like I was flying, especially once I started going down the hills.  It reminded me how much I really love trail running.  The rest of the race was through the streets of Quantico Marine Base, which was really interesting to get to see.  (I grew up near Fort Belvoir and since my Father-In-Law is now retired Air Force, I've seen a fair share of military bases as a civilian.)  ...Okay, and because I'm a total nerd and watch the show Quantico.  

This race was kind of a 180 in terms of crowds and course compared to the Richmond Half Marathon I had run the previous weekend.  There were 2 water stops, but not many crowds of people cheering along the course.  (There were some Marines who volunteered as course marshalls cheering on runners.)  Despite that, it was still a fun race.

 The starting line was the same as the Marine Corps Marathon--I love seeing it!  At this point I can only assume that this is the default arch that they use at all of their races.

The timing for the race was just perfect since the wind had not picked up yet and it was chilly but the sun helped keep us runners warm before the race.  (Later that day the high winds triggered a wind advisory for the area.)  It was great getting to see the vivid colors of the trees before the winds destroyed them.

At the end of the race, all the runners received bottled water, gatorade, cheese, a Wegmans fruit twist, a box of snacks (the same from the MCM10k with a curate bar, cup of fruit, breadsticks and cheese dip, and fig bar), and a cup of apple cider.  (No medal for this one.)  After getting some more free lip balm from the Brooks Running booth (I always grab a tube whenever I see them!) my Dad and I headed home.  

Richmond Half Marathon Race Recap!

The weekend of the Richmond Half Marathon is totally a blur.

My husband and I left Friday around 2pm, got to Richmond around 5:00.  (It should have taken us a little more than 2 hours.)  I think a lot of the backup was due to it being Veteran's Day weekend along with the usual Friday afternoon traffic.  (And because it's I-95.  I hate 95 almost as much as I hate I-81.)

While we were stuck in traffic I started texting with my Dad as he headed to the expo with my Mom so he could get my race bib and shirt.  It made sitting in traffic even worse knowing that I was missing one of my favorite parts for a race, especially since I knew it was a big one and there were vendors I really wanted to visit.  (Like Ragnar and of course Bondi Band.)

Anyways, once we arrived to the Crowne Plaza hotel my Dad brought us my packet and hotel room keys.

We then spent some time relaxing and hydrating until dinner at Belle & James.  (It was pretty good--I had the duck confit crepes and a Moscow Mule.)  After dinner I made final cuts to the various outfit options and laid out what I would wear and bring with me the next morning.

I ended up wearing a Oiselle Runwear Pullover, Oiselle Flyte Long Sleeve Shirt, a Buff folded up so I could wear it like a hat, my usual Brooks Adrenaline GTS 15's (discontinued, but the 16's are on sale!), Athleta Be Free Tights and my Spibelt.   I also stashed my usual Honey Stinger chews in Limeade (with caffeine!) and a Picky Bar (for my pre-race breakfast) in one of the pockets of my tights for easy access.

That night I slept rather fitfully, which is fairly normal in a hotel.  (I hate them.  The Crowne Plaza was lovely, but just getting used to new noises, sheets, etc. makes it so hard for me to sleep!)

The next morning I got ready quickly and took a picture of the finisher's area while waiting for the elevator in the hotel.  Seeing it for some reason gave me a little boost of confidence that the race would be fine despite a lack of confidence in my training.

After a short walk from the hotel (and losing yet another silicone earpiece to my Yurbuds) we were at the starting area just in time to arrive for the National Anthem and for the first wave to start.  My Dad and I were in one of the waves in the middle and managed to get in just in time.

Trash bags:  Totally underrated pre-race couture.  I ended up tossing it as we were walking to the actual starting line.  By that point it had served its purpose--it kept me nice and warm during the walk and short wait for the race to start.  (The race was supposed to be around freezing at start time and I was completely paranoid about being cold throughout the whole race because I get cold so easily.)

I usually like to use the bathroom at least twice before starting a race.  I went before we left the hotel (30 minutes before gun time) and then once we came upon the portajohns on the walk over the lines were crazy.  I chalked it up to pre-race jitters, brushed it off and decided to wait.  Until that first mile, when I saw a huge line of them without a line I went for it.  I know it sounds weird, but it was actually kind of awesome to see how runners were running along the line until they came upon one that was just opening up and jumping into the stall.  It was awesome to see something like that going so smoothly, and without any line to speak of!  So I took advantage of the situation and followed everyone else's lead--I ran down the line and when somebody came out, I hopped in.  No wait!

The rest of the race is kind of a blur to be quite honest.  A lot of it was through neighborhoods and downtown Richmond (which reminded me a LOT of the Hampden neighborhood in Baltimore), and through Bryant Park.  It was still beautiful and a lot of fun running through the neighborhoods.  The crowds were VERY similar to those at the Baltimore Running Festival, although a lot fewer people were offering booze.  (I only really remember one person offering shots of Jim Beam along the course.  There was somebody else offering up Coca Cola, but I didn't take them up on that either.)  The course in general was fantastic--some hills but nothing terrible, and the last mile of it is pretty flat and then becomes a lovely downhill slope that you can just fly down.

The view from the hotel of part of the hill headed towards the finish!

At the end I looked down at my watch and thought I didn't PR so I started thinking back to what could've done it (was it my bathroom stop?  Maybe from trying to avoid a collision with a girl who just stopped in front of me?)  Either way I went through the lines and got my medal, fleece blanket, and finisher's hat then crossed the bridge and took a selfie with my new bling.

I was totally impressed with the post race snacks which included bagels, granola bars, bananas, and best of all:  PIZZA!!!  I was so thankful for all of it since I was SO hungry by that point.

After meeting up with my Mom, husband and waiting on my Dad to finish, we all headed back to the hotel for showers and to pack up everything for the 12:00 checkout time.  (My parents were staying an extra day, but my husband and I really wanted to get back home.)  We took our bags to my parents room and headed to Perly's deli for lunch.  It.  Was.  Awesome.  (And not just because I was still ravenous despite the pizza and bagel.)  The restaurant was right along the race route so we had fun watching the marathoners run past and the training coaches running back and forth encouraging them the whole way.  (The coaches wore some pretty awesome costumes! And flamingo headbands!)  I had a huge turkey sandwich with beef bacon on challah bread and a size of house made everything potato chips.  (Think the spices used on everything bagels but on chips.)

After lunch I was totally ready for a nap so we walked back to the hotel, grabbed our bags and headed home.

The blanket, hat and medal given to finishers!

Once my husband and I got home and I took a nap to help clear my head, I sat down and looked at my list of PRs.  Before this race my half marathon PR was at the Frederick Running Festival with a time of 2:26:17.  My official time for this one?  2:25:41!!!  I had PR'd my half marathon time by a full 36 seconds!!!  Seriously some of the best news I have had for awhile now.

Overall I would highly recommend this race and would run it again in a heartbeat.  The course was great, the on-course support was perfect (lots of water stops with portajohns, one stop that offered gels and another that had junk food), and the crowds cheering were awesome.  (There's a reason why it's called America's Friendliest Marathon!)  I really had no gripes about this race other than the traffic coming in the day before, but that just comes with the territory since it was a perfect storm of a 3 day weekend and a major race.  That being said, leave yourself plenty of time to get there for the expo.

Across the Bay 10k 2016 Race Recap!!

Full Disclosure:  I am (was?) a race ambassador for this race.  This was my first year as such, but have participated both in 2014 and 2015.

Also, this is the second version of this entry.  This year's race wasn't so great and I was pretty frustrated because of it.  I'm still going to touch on some of the negatives of this race, but if you want to see other people's experiences (I apparently got lucky) it's out there on social media.  After the events of the last couple of days, I don't want to contribute to the negativity in the world right now. There's enough of it right now and I'm trying really hard to not give into it.  Now, onto the race recap!

I had been looking forward to this race since the organizers asked me to be an ambassador after being an ambassador for the St. Michael's Running Festival.  In previous years, the race has been fantastic and I loved it.

On Friday morning just as the expo was opening, organizers announced via Facebook that the race had been sold to Ironman.  Not this one.

This one.

(Sorry, couldn't resist!)

Organizers also announced that Ironman would be taking over the race immediately.

Bib and shirt pickup was somewhat easy, although this is where the trouble started for some as shirt sizes were beginning to run out Friday afternoon.  (By the time I got there, they had run out of Men's XL shirts.)

The expo vendors once again were pretty underwhelming.  In some respects some of the vendors felt a little predatory.  Like there was a drawing for a $500 Trader Joe's Gift card, but if you read the fine print on the card you filled out it authorized a company in Williamsburg, VA to put you on their list to call, text AND email you and your spouse about timeshares.  Once I read that I tucked the card in my bag and walked away.

This year's shirt was VERY similar to last year's, except it was white and had pink writing on the women's shirts and the men's shirts had green writing.

Fast forward to race morning:  My husband and I were out the door at 5:30am to get to Anne Arundel Community College ASAP.  We parked at about 6:15am, and got on a bus and were on our way to the starting area by 6:30am.  As usual there were ample portajohns as you get off the bus and since it was still early in the day, they were practically sparkling.

We then worked our way around the building to the holding area before the starting line and met up with some of the ladies in one of my running groups.  We took a few pictures together and I had to get some selfies in front of the bridge and the beautiful sunrise!

Love that view--Simply stunning!

Soon after I nudged my husband for us to head over to the starting area and we left in the second wave at 7:15.

After some winding around, we were officially on the bridge and headed up that dreaded 3% incline.  (Which in perspective really isn't that bad, but it is the least fun part of the course although the most scenic.)

Once you hit these overhead trusses, the worst has almost passed!

After those first 2 miles, pretty much the rest of the course is a gentle downhill slope and my splits prove it.

Can you guess where the apex of the hill was just by looking at my pace?

After crossing the finish line I was handed a medal, bottles of water and a bag of snacks.  This year organizers offered a kid's sized bag of pretzels, raspberry flavored apple sauce and a sugar free flavor packet to add to your water.  (Mine was green tea but I saw a few people got half and half.)  I've only been disappointed with post-race snacks twice, and both times it has been from this race.  (Last year they handed out moldy bagels, granola bars and some people got bananas.)  Thankfully Whole Foods was there handing out chia seed bars by Health Warrior.  (They had my favorite flavor--chocolate peanut butter!)  After meeting up with my husband and checking out the vendor tents we headed to the buses home.

The bus ride back to Anne Arundel Community College took about an hour and a half when it should've taken about 20 minutes.  Traffic getting to the bridge was pretty bad from the shuttle buses and those trying to get to Baltimore for the Ravens vs Steelers football game.  (Ravens won!)

While on the bridge I had to take some pictures of the opposite side.  The blue things on the bridge have water and they had pipes going in between each one and openings where you could refill your water or get a drink like at a water fountain.

Eeek!  The sag bus!!!  They also picked up volunteers, the various equipment they had on the bridge, and the water reservoirs.

I also got a picture of the starting area at Northrup Grumman.  It was weird seeing it completely empty after it was packed full of people just a short while ago.

Once we arrived back to the parking lots at the Community College, getting out and back home was really easy.  I couldn't wait to see how my new medal would look connected to the first two!!  (The middle of the latest one spins!!)

Overall, I wasn't impressed with this year's race compared to previous years.  However with Ironman taking over, I'm optimistic that it will get better.  Getting to and from Anne Arundel Community College was really easy, I enjoyed the course (as always), and the medal was pretty cool.  The new organizers can definitely improve on a lot, but for me it would be nice to see more in the way of snacks because a small bag of pretzels and apple sauce was not enough after a race.

Have you run this race?  What are your thoughts on it?

MCM10k 2016!!

I knew this year's Marine Corps Marathon and 10k would be interesting thanks to Metro's Safetrack program trying to repair the tracks on the Metro line.  When they made the announcement that Metro wouldn't open early the day of the races, I had already signed up for the 10k but I was feeling confident that the race director, Rick Nealis, would still make sure race day would be amazing.  (Pace the Nation, a podcast by Pacers Running, had a fantastic interview with him!  Definitely worth a listen.)

First, one of my favorite parts:  The Expo!!!

One of the first announcements they made in regards to this year's race was that the Gaylord National Harbor would be the race's headquarters.  I was totally fine with it since my parents live close to National Harbor and I run the race with my Dad and we always go to the expo together.  We ended up driving over and paying $10 to park in a lot, but race organizers offered shuttles from a few metro stations.

This always meets you when entering the expo, although I must admit this year it definitely fits the space better.  (Last year it looked tiny in the huge DC Convention Center!)

First thing you get is your bib from a couple of marines at a booth immediately inside the entrance to the expo.  Afterwards you go around the corner to get your race premium (usually a mockneck fleece sweatshirt) and you're funneled to the Brooks Race Store.  (Pro Tip:  Brooks has started posting a LOT of the race merchandise online before the expo.  Avoid the lines -which WILL get crazy- and buy everything ahead of time.)  

(Not too crazy about the color of this year's shirt.)

Next best part:  The vendors!!!

Zensah is definitely one of my favorites for compression wear.  I've been wear testing for them and all the products they've sent me are fantastic.  I can honestly say they have some great stuff coming out soon!

An an expo somebody is almost always selling socks in a buy 3 get one free deal.  Balega is always my go-to sock brand.  I got a new pair of Enduro socks and my Dad got a couple pairs for himself and my Mom.

Bondi Band is another vendor I always check out.  I love digging through the piles and finding new Bondi Bands.  These are the ones that I ended up choosing...

I thought my trainers at Boot Camp would totally get a kick out of the middle one.  (Especially since one of them is always trying to increase how many calories I burn.  I've been known to yell out she's trying to kill me as I'm running back and forth at the end of a workout to burn more calories before she ends the workout on the computer.)  

After Bondi Band, we walked around taste testing some products from Clif bar (their nut butter filled bars were quite tasty) and grabbed samples from all over the place.  We got samples from Larabar (yum!), Wegmans, a reusable shopping bag from RunDisney, a first aid bag and band aids, sports beans, Aveeno Tone Corrector, half and half drink mix and a buff from Medstar Sports!

Sorry, I ate some of it before I took a picture!  (I assure you though, the Larabars, fruit bar and fruit twist from Wegmans were all delicious.)

On the way out we had to hit the selfie wall!  The expo left me feeling super excited for the race.  The only downfall with the change of venue was that everything felt a little more cramped than usual so there were a lot of times where it was difficult to maneuver around people.

I've run past the Gaylord National Harbor a lot, but this was the first time I had ever actually been inside.  I must say, it was absolutely gorgeous!  Lots of marble and the atrium was amazing.

Now:  Race Morning!!!

My Dad and I took the Metro to the Pentagon station and followed the crowd to the starting area.  We stopped along the way to use one of the portajohns which were already trashed (banana peels and empty water bottles all over the inside.)  We then used the portajohns in the starting area too because we could!

So many portajohns and barely any line!!!  ...And no toilet paper in any of them.  I went into three different ones before giving up.  (Note to self:  Bring extra toilet paper!)

Across from the portajohns was the HUGE starting area.  Lots of trash cans all over the place, and tons of space to warm up.  I also had to get a picture of all the UPS trucks that are used for bag check.  There was barely any line to speak of!

Soon after we made our way across the North Pentagon Parking Lot, we heard the announcer say the first of the hand cyclists were about to make their way through the area.  After they passed through, we were able to get into our corral.  

And of course I had to take an obligatory pre-race selfie.

Soon after a few announcements, the National Anthem and a prayer, we were off!!

Love that archway!!

After listening to that episode of Pace the Nation, I had some idea of what to expect with the course.  Rick Nealis talked a little bit about the new 10k course and the words "What goes up must come down" rang true.  The first few miles were all uphill, at mile 5 there was another major incline and then that last mile was mostly flat but hilly again through Rosslyn.  Along Spout Run, the course was absolutely gorgeous and making it even better it was pretty much all downhill (except for that hill at mile 5.)

While we went through Rosslyn again, I looked down at my Garmin and got super excited.  I was on track to beating last year's time of 1:11:26!!

Close to the end at the last flat portion, this sign popped up and I started to get excited.  Every year I swear I'll run up the hill and end up walking.

This year, I actually ran it--The whole thing!!!  I suppose that hill leading to the halfway point totally made it look reasonable.  

After finishing and getting my medal I wandered around a little bit while I waited for my Dad to finish.  I got a glimpse of all the boxes of medals left for the marathoners!

It was SO weird seeing marathon finishers this year.  Usually the 10k starts at the same time as the marathon so we don't see those finishers.  This year though, the 10k started about an hour into marathon.  (Thanks to Metro, they opened the starting line for the marathon at 7:55 and allowed people to start until 8:55.  They also offered shuttles for marathoners as well.)  By the time I finished the 10k at around 10:30, the elite marathoners had started finishing!  

I was so happy when I saw my finisher's time.  Despite the HUGE hill for the majority of the race, I still had a PR for the race itself of 1:10:05!  I'm still curious to find out how I would've done compared to the original course of past years, but considering how my last finishing time on the flatter course was 1:11:26, it's probably a safe bet I would've done really well on it.

It was a gorgeous morning even though it was a little warmer than normal.  

Obligatory squinty selfie with my medal in front of the Iwo Jima Memorial!

As we walked through getting our snacks, I was impressed to see that the race organizers were mindful of the environmental impacts of the race. This year they offered to compost the banana peels and had recycling bins for water and gatorade bottles!

Then it was onto my favorite part:  The WATERMELON!!!  

Every year the Watermelon Board brings out the Watermelon queens to hand out containers of cut up watermelon.  They're on the other side of the bridge every year and it always tastes awesome after the race.

My Dad and I also stopped by the finisher's race store.  This year for Father's Day I got my Dad a MCM10k finisher's shirt and we were both curious about what they looked like this year.  

I was not disappointed and got one!

This year among all the vendors, there was a Facebook trailer!  Needless to say my Dad and I were intrigued so we got in line, filled out a survey while waiting and then headed into the trailer to try out a VR experience.

It was pretty cool.  My one complaint was I couldn't quite get the headset focused, but it was really neat to get to experience.  (And we got thumbs up magnets for giving them feedback.)

We then walked through the vendors and got more freebies.  This year we got a drawstring bag from Leidos, a water bottle from Booz Allen, more sports beans, and a cowbell from the National Park Service!  (The fig bar and curate bar are from the snack box.  This year we also got kettle corn popcorn chips, a little cup of cheese dip and breadsticks and a cup of peaches.)

While my Dad and I waited for the Metro I took the time to sync up my Garmin to my phone because we were both curious about the elevations.  Once it popped up, I started laughing because it proved that the course was just as bad as it felt while we were running it.

(Obligatory back of the shirt picture with the medal!)

As usual I really enjoyed the race and highly recommend it.  I found it to be really scenic and I enjoyed the new course despite it being more difficult than in previous years.  (Usually the course is pretty flat except for the hill at the very end.)  It sells out almost every year (this year actually it was earlier than usual!)  The race director puts so much work into the race to make the entire experience flawless and it shows.