A blog about running, and thrift shopping! The first Thursday of every month I post my latest thrifting finds. I also post race reviews for the DC and Baltimore area.
Last year was my first year running the GW Parkway Classic 10 Miler and it quickly became one of my favorites. The race is so close to my parents, it's through part of town where I spent a lot of time growing up and it has a great finisher's festival. I immediately signed up when registration opened and I was SO excited for this one especially since I felt like I needed redemption from my somewhat bad (but still a PR) Cherry Blossom 10 Miler at the beginning of the month. I felt like I had more of a PR in me than what I did at Cherry Blossom, but I was cautiously optimistic.
The weather was going to be mostly cooperative--58 at the start and cloudy the whole race. Thankfully this time around getting to the race was a lot less eventful. (Last year someone had gotten into my parents car the night before.) When we got to the race, first my Dad and I hit the portajohns before trying to track down my volee teammates for the group picture. I ran into only one of them and since a photographer was close by he offered to take our picture. Then afterwards my Dad and I got our beer bracelets to show our IDs had been checked and we could drink.
Shortly afterwards my Dad and I lined up and split up. We agreed to meet up in the same place as last year and I moved up in the corrals near my estimated pace and he moved back. Once I crossed the start line I was feeling really good and my IT band wasn't very cranky at all. Then about half a mile in I caught a glimpse of a Oiselle singlet and I worked hard to catch up with them. As I got closer I realized it was a couple of ladies in the Volee that I knew so I caught up to them and chatted for about a mile before dropping back. I knew I could PR but I needed to be more conservative if I was going to keep it up.
The rest of the race was fairly uneventful. As always, the course was scenic despite it being cloudy and as we started to get closer to Old Town Alexandria, I started slowing down a little bit because I was ready to be done. That's when another teammate caught up with me and we talked for a little bit then she pulled away since she seemed to be pacing a friend. I kept up with her for a little while and listened in on her conversation about her upcoming move and other random things which enough to distract me from how much I wanted to be done. As we made the couple of final turns, I caught up with my friends from earlier (who then got distracted by a dog, of course, because she totally stops to pet all the dogs during races.) A few moments later they passed me again and I worked hard to keep up with them but I was mostly gassed at that point but really fought for a fast finish.
When I stopped my Garmin I couldn't believe it. I finished the race in 1:45:48. I had not only PR'd, I had absolutely killed my previous PR from Cherry Blossom (an easier, flatter course) from just three weeks prior on a more difficult course by four and a half minutes. (4:31 to be exact.) I was so excited to see my Mom at the Finisher's area, so I rushed through the finisher's area and got my medal, water, breakfast burrito, and pretzels.
I don't usually splurge on race merch after a race, but I thought I had earned a zip up hoodie with the race logo. And a donut. When I met back up with my Mom wearing my new purchase, I was so excited to tell her about my PR. After going through the beer line we saw that my Dad had also finished and had somehow already gotten his beer too. Once we found him, we talked about our races and what we would do next. I told my Mom I really wanted to go to Sugar Shack and get donuts and coffee, and naturally my Dad also thought it was a great idea. So I got 2 donuts (one with sprinkles, the other with coconut and chocolate) and a big cup of coffee. (And a couple donuts to bring home to my husband.)
Overall, I would totally recommend this race. It's a good size because it's not very crowded once you get through that first mile. Pacers has the organization of this race down. You can get your bracelet for free post-race beer at the start, and they have shuttles at the start and finish so parking isn't a huge issue (from what I've heard anyways. I've never used it since my Mom chauffeured my Dad and I both years.) It's super scenic even on a cloudy day, and the finisher's festival is great too!
A little late, I know. But with all of the excitement of the 2020 race, I felt this was the perfect time to reminisce on this year's race. (Since it's all 4 days in one post, it's a long one but with a LOT of pictures!)
Day One: Friday
I arrived late Friday afternoon, and rode the T straight to my hotel by Fenway Park to drop off my bags and figure out dinner. As usual, there was a game that night so getting food around the park was going to be iffy so I decided to head over to Trader Joe's to grab a sandwich and some snacks for the rest of the weekend.
Despite the unlimited pass I had for the T, I decided since it was still daylight and a nice evening I would walk over and take the T back. I was so excited to be in Boston and a stone's throw from Fenway Park and could hear one of my favorite teams play from the comfort of my room.
However, that excitement was fleeting. I ate my sandwich and a few peanut butter pretzels and started contemplating what to wear. I usually bring a few options, and since it was a big Oiselle Volee meetup weekend, I decided to wear my newest Volee singlet that arrived just before I left.
Around 10:00 when the game let out, someone set up across the street from my room playing his keyboard and singing as loud as he possibly could. He knew only two songs (drift away and one other one I couldn't recognize) and he didn't even know all the words to either song. He would throw in a soulful yell every once in awhile when he'd forget the words. After about an hour I called the front desk to see if there was anything they could do because I needed to get some sleep and there was no drowning out the noise. They said they couldn't do anything because he was on public property. This is when I started freaking out because I had no idea how long this would go on and I needed to be up early the next day for my race. Fortunately, soon afterwards the rain started and the bar crowd dispersed and keyboard guy left. Sweet silence. (Well, for the most part anyways.) I got ready for bed and turned on my white noise machine and went to sleep.
Day Two: BAA 5k and Exploring Boston
The next morning feeling mostly rested, I got up and threw on my outfit and headed out the door. I forgot one thing though: To switch out my Garmin from my regular vivoactive 3 for my forerunner 230. (I like the heart rate strap with my 230 better since it's more accurate than the optical heart rate monitor on my vivoactive, and I've got the 230 set to where I like it.) By the time I realized, there wasn't enough time to switch it back. I was going to have to run the race with my vivoactive 3 at 15% power.
It was a gray, damp morning and I was not looking forward to a potentially rainy race and the events from the night before still had me in kind of a bad mood. I got my t-shirt pretty quickly and rolled up and shoved it in the pocket of shorts and headed to the portajohns. While in line I saw a couple friends in the Volee and I was happy to see a familiar face. (I also always feel a little weird being in Boston by myself until I see someone I know. After that, I'm good.) I lined up as always, and found a couple of what Volee members call Bro-Birds. (Family/significant others to women in the Volee who are supportive of the team.)
Had to get a picture as proof!
I chatted with them for a little bit as we moved up in the corrals then we got separated in the huge crowd. Fortunately during the race it mostly stayed dry or drizzled so it really wasn't bad. The race itself was going okay for me until about halfway my watch buzzed and I looked down. All it said was "Low Battery" and it stayed on that screen. I'm such a stickler for getting constant feedback and this made me feel so defeated. I took a couple extra walk breaks, made an effort to run past the Volee cheer squad and when I crossed the finish I had no idea how I did. I was really upset because I thought this would be the race where I finally break 30. As I crossed I instinctively hit the button on my Garmin, and it beeped. And it showed me my stats. I was ONE second slower than the previous year. I have no idea how I did it but I was still mad that I didn't get close to breaking 30, let alone PR.
Usually right after you get to the grassy area, there are photographers all over the place wanting to take your picture. I definitely snapped at an overeager photographer who wanted to take my picture with my new medal, meanwhile I was on the verge of crying. All I wanted was to get my food, go to the coffee house to see some familiar faces, and get on with my day. After getting my food I went around to see the different vendors and ran into some of my Volee teammates. I was starting to get cold so I pulled out my race shirt on the walk over to the coffee house (the shirt was dry and actually a little warm since it was in the plastic.)
When I got to the coffee house, it quickly filled up with Volee. I got to catch up with Sasha Gollish (one of Oiselle's Haute Volee who I only see in Boston) and met up with someone who offered to get me Balega's Boston exclusive socks. (They always sell out in my size before I get to the expo.) While enjoying my coffee we also enjoyed the view of Boston Common and very casually saw Jordan Hasay go running by on a shakeout run. (And a couple tanks which was weird.) Once the Volee started to leave, I decided to head back to the hotel for a quick shower before the Nuun meetup at the expo.
After talking with my teammates I started to feel better about my race. Even though I was basically running "naked" I still did about as well as I had the previous year without anything telling me how it was going! I also needed to keep in mind that I had been training for endurance, not necessarily speed so to be able to keep it so consistent between years is still a big deal.
Once I got back to the hotel I showered, refilled my insulated water bottle, and threw it into my purse and headed to the expo for the Nuun meetup. It looked like the sun was starting to come out, and as usual there was a long security line so I ended up being a couple minutes late but I found the Nuun booth super quick. (They had a really big one with all the water coolers wrapped around the booth, and with the rebrand it looked great. Naturally, I forgot to take a picture of it.)
They were so welcoming and gave us so much swag! I got a Boston AND a Team Nuun water bottle, a tube of Nuun Rest and a couple temporary tattoos. I was also excited to get to stock up on Nuun Rest, and I got an extra tube and a second Boston themed water bottle for buying 4 tubes. (So yes, I walked away with 6 more tubes and 2 water bottles.)
Next I had to check out the Balega booth. They still had the Boston socks in the larger sizes so I was super thankful my Volee friend grabbed a pair for me. I was super excited to see the new colors in the silver socks since they're my favorites.
Pancakes are also my favorite! This year Kodiak Cakes gave out small boxes of their pancake mix at the 5k, and I got another box at the expo! I find the batter a little runny so I usually add an egg and less milk than what the box says.
This year Brooks totally outdid themselves! They had a really cool vending machine where you could get a surprise in a box that could range from a keychain to a new pair of shoes so I had to take a chance. I was in that line for well over an hour because you had to enter in some information. I walked away with a brand new insulated coffee cup sleeve that says "Keep Showing Up."
At that point I felt my stomach grumble--it was WAY past lunchtime! The sun was finally out, so I headed over to Sweetgreen on Boylston and grabbed a big salad and sat in the bleachers by the finish line and decided to post an update to Instagram.
It was great being in the middle of it all. I had run into friends throughout the expo and the city itself, and I was getting to eat lunch from one of my favorite places! It was fun getting to people watch while absolutely inhaling my salad. (I really didn't realize how hungry I was until I started eating.)
By this point it was actually getting kind of warm and I was getting tired. It was the middle of the afternoon at this point and I didn't have any caffeine since that morning. So I tracked down a Starbucks and headed in that direction for a cold brew.
And stopped to take a picture of one of the pots of daffodils.
Apparently I had the same idea as a lot of others, so I had a long wait for my coffee. Once my coffee was in my hand I booked it to a podcast panel with Lindsey Hein, Carrie Tollefson, Tina Muir and Ali Feller. I was super excited to see Oiselle Haute Volee, Andi Cozzarelli checking people in, so naturally I went straight for her and since it was quiet we talked for a couple minutes.
It was awesome getting to hear their stories and getting to put faces with names. Listening to a podcast feels so disconnected like when you listen to morning radio shows you don't expect the person you're hearing to look like the way that they do.
After listening to the talk, I went to Eataly to grab an easy dinner of all my favorites for a quiet dinner back in the hotel. And imagine my surprise when I came out to see this.
In the time I was gone, they had put up all the fencing for Monday's race! (The road wasn't closed just yet. I think people were just avoiding it.)
I also FINALLY saw the Citgo sign from my room. I didn't notice it the night before because when I arrived the shades were pulled part way down and it was still light out.
I got all my favorites! A chicken salad, caponata (seriously, it's the best), and an orzo salad.
I also had a moment to admire my race shirt and my newest medal. (The medal is pretty much the same every year, but I don't mind. I love the unicorn!)
I also started pulling out all the swag from my bag to prepare for Sunday. The only things I actually paid for were the socks (in the upper right.) I suppose technically I also paid for one of the Boston bottles and 4 of the tubes of Nuun Rest, but everything else was given out at a booth.
I ended my night with starting to watch Big Little Lies on HBO. It was so good, and I had to force myself to stop watching and go to bed.
Day Three: More Team Meetups and Meeting Shalane
I had basically decided by this point I was mostly done with running for the weekend. It was looking like Marathon Monday would be rainy again, but not to the same extent a 2018. If the rain held off or passed through I would go for a run. (I did this in 2017 and I loved seeing all of the last minute preparations for it.) But I also wasn't keeping my hopes up. Besides, I had a LOT to do that day as well.
Naturally I had to wear my cushiony balegas with my Boston Kinvaras! (I still got a bunch of compliments on the shoes.) The first stop of the day was the Goodr X Oiselle shakeout run. Goodr had a pop up shop on Newbury street and I was SO excited to see it. They had some clothes by Rabbit for sale in Boston colors (blue and yellow) and of course the other side was all Goodr sunglasses and their claw machine!
...Mmmm donut wall...
And of course an amazing selfie station with a swing!
This is the claw machine with a few random items thrown in from different companies like Saucony and Oiselle. When I bought 2 pairs of sunglasses (in Queen of Pain, ESQ and Bosley's Basset Hound Dreams) I mentioned that I'm an ambassador so the person ringing me up handed me a token. I watched a few people play then I took a chance and went for the puffy vest (IN MY SIZE!) and the claw got around it but didn't actually pick it up. Minutes later, they put a rubber band around it to make it easier to get and the next person got it. Oh well. It was still fun and now I know if they bring it back next year, I just need to be a little more patient.
After the Goodr meetup, I headed out to Cambridge for a book signing with Shalane Flanagan at Porter Square Books. It was hands down the most organized book signing I've ever visited. (Although I haven't gone to many.) Essentially a few days before you were told a certain time to show up, and then when you arrived you got a ticket based on your assigned arrival time and they handed you your book. The line went really fast, and the person in front of me brought his Boston bib for her to sign in addition to the book, which was a great idea. She signed my book and while she signed I asked my usual question of elites (what races are on your bucket list) and she kind of gave a non-answer and said she has a few left as a runner. (Notice: She didn't say as an ELITE runner.) Later she announced that she was fighting another injury and is potentially retiring from professional racing.
After grabbing lunch at a Panera and a few little things from Target I headed back into Boston and went to the Expo again for my second pass and to hear my friend, Jill (travel.run.repeat), talk at a panel about being a 6 star finisher. Before heading out to the talk, I ran into a couple teammates and walked with them around the expo. Then of course I had to stand in line for the vending machine at the Brooks booth again. This time they had someone with an iPad letting you bypass the line and get a box right away if you entered your info on the iPad. I did that and waited a little while longer before heading over to Jill's talk.
Afterwards I finished my second pass through the expo since it would be my last chance.
On my way out I turned down one hallway as I was leaving and found this really cool statue by a 26.2 brew room!
Also had to get another look at the finisher's area. It was definitely busy so I decided to come back later that evening when the marathoners would/should be sleeping.
My second pass wasn't as exciting as my first. More jerky (it's the best I've ever had, but bring scissors.) And in my second try at the Brooks booth I got lip balm and a keychain.
Dinner that night was a little more exciting than the previous night because it was with my Volee teammates at a leader's house! That night she gathered all the temporary tattoos she could find in the house and she and a teammate put on as many as they could fit on their arms. (I got a picture early on in the process.)
Since so many attendees were running Boston, the dinner party ended early so I rode the T back with Lesko (one of the original investors in Oiselle and now in charge of corporate development.) Since the final season of Game of Thrones was about to start, I stopped by the finish line just like in 2018 for just a few minutes. It wasn't as electric as the previous year, but it was still fun and a good time to get pictures of everything.
This is the backside of the finish line.
I was super excited to see what would happen the next day. We already knew the weather would be better than in 2018, but who would win this year? I hopped back on the T and it was eerily quiet by Fenway. The city was getting ready for one of the biggest days of the year.
Day Four: Marathon Monday
That morning I woke up around 4am, so I checked the weather and saw the rain was definitely coming. A few minutes later I fell back asleep and woke up a few hours later and we were right in the middle of it. By the time I was ready to leave the hotel at 9:30 the rain had tapered off and the sun was starting to come out.
I had been watching the start of the marathon, and at that point Sara Hall was in the lead but with this distance anything could happen. I took my luggage to the front desk to hold onto while I spectated and hopped onto the T to head to cowbell corner. While I was in the station, I saw a couple people wearing volunteer jackets so I walked up and said "Hi. I was wondering. How did you get to volunteer? I've been trying to for years now and they won't let me!" So we started chatting about what they get to do on race day (watch the time clock and make a phone call if something goes wrong) and they mention that they actually needed a few more people. As tempting as it was, it was going to be an all day job, and I had to be at the airport by 6 for my 8:00 flight. One of the people gave me his email address and said he would get me in touch with the volunteer coordinator who helped him get his volunteer job. (Seriously, Boston magic right there.) Then somehow we walked onto the one car that my friends were already on!
After a few minutes we were at our stop so I said bye to my new volunteer friends and we got ready to cowbell like crazy for the runners. It had probably been about an hour between turning off the tv and arriving at cowbell corner and I had no idea what had happened. We squeezed in at the fence and pretty soon after the trucks leading the women down the course came by. Sara Hall was nowhere near the front pack. In fact, the women weren't in a pack at all. It was one woman by herself and everyone else was trailing behind.
Worknesh Degefa finished first in 2:23:31 and up until the end had a huge lead on the second place winner.
Edna Kiplagat was almost 45 seconds behind and finished with a time of 2:24:13
This is just before Jordan Hasay overtook Assefa and solidified herself in third place.
(Assefa came in fourth.)
Just about to overtake Assefa. (Look at that muscle tone!)
That's Eshetu and Des Linden trailing behind. Des ended up placing fifth.
So awesome to get to see her run a third year in a row!
This makes me feel justified in checking my watch all the time on runs.
Sara Hall who finished 15th. She looked like she was really hurting by this point.
Deep in the pain cave.
Shortly afterwards, the men came through.
No Americans in the lead pack, but one of the women kept up with them! Cherono is all the way to the left in all blue and he ended up winning.
Scott Fauble, who was the first American man to finish placed 7th among the men and PR'd with a time of 2:09:09 (his previous PR was 2:12:28 in NYC.)
Jared Ward gaining on Kipruto. Ward finished 8th and Kipruto was 10th.
After the elites went through and the other fast runners started coming through, that's when Boston really gets awesome. The race is so amazing and terrible at the same time. So many women were emotional and so happy to see us on the course cheering for them! It's worth it every single time. The conditions this year were definitely better than in 2018, but when there was cloud cover it was comfortable temperature-wise, but when the sun was out it got hot FAST. (There were even a couple times where it rained for a few minutes so I was thankful I packed a rain jacket and a poncho just to be safe.) There were quite a few people who weren't doing well and since we were right across from the medical tent we saw a few get attention right away.
Around 2:00 I went over to the Dunkin Donuts for a breakfast sandwich for a quick lunch and it was perfect. I used the bathroom, grabbed my sandwich and was back at the line cheering towards the back of the crowd and talked with other Oiselle spectators.
As the runners started to thin out around 4:00, the rain started to really pick up. That was when I decided it was time to head back to the hotel and wait there for a little while before heading to the airport. Thankfully the lead up to the flight was a lot less exciting in previous years. (In 2017, it was hard getting back into Boston from Wellesley and my flight was delayed once. Then last year because of the weather my 8:00 flight didn't leave until after midnight.)
On my way to the airport I could only think about one thing: I can't wait to come back next year.
As of this writing, I already have my hotel booked and am waiting for flights to open up for race week. I have lots of friends running in 2020 as their first Boston and if I don't get a volunteer spot I can't wait to meet up with them along the course to cheer them on!
