2021 Bay Bridge Run Race Recap

 This is my fifth time running this race, but the first time since the race has been taken on by completely new organizers.  (Here are my previous recaps:  2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) This race didn't happen in 2019 due to construction on the bridge and there were various issues with the organizers as well.  (Like how they were trying to sell the race after recently buying it, and there didn't seem to be any deals.) 

To be honest, I have a love hate relationship with this race.  I love the race itself because it's so straight forward.  What I don't love is all the logistics involved with it.  The packet pickup is always going to happen fairly smoothly since it's so straight forward, but the additional logistics of arriving early enough to get the bus in time to make your gun time is also a little stressful.  Then the race is kind of notorious for the bus drivers getting lost on the way back.  Since the race was taken on by new organizers with help from one of the original organizers I had high hopes that this race would be flawless.

Yeah, not so much.

I signed up for it the day registration opened in July, choosing it over the MCM10k (another favorite.)  I was genuinely surprised when they announced the race would be the same day since MCM is such a big draw for runners from all over the area.  This time around rather than being assigned a wave, you got to choose which one in 15 minute increments from 7am to 8:30am.  I signed up for the 7am wave to get it over with, and for once I would finally run with my wave!  (I have always been assigned a later wave and would get there super early and jump in on an earlier wave usually in the first half hour.) I also signed up with a local running group and we quickly had enough people sign up that we got a $15 refund (so essentially free parking) and tent in the finisher's area.

Race weekend arrived so quickly and for the first time in a long time, I had my husband come with me.  (Generally I have him stay home since it's so quick it's not worth both of us making the trip.) This time there was only one packet pickup day (on Saturday) and the crowd definitely reflected that.  

We got there around 11am (it opened at 10) and the line just to get in was obscenely long.  I was glad I  brought my husband with me this time because I was in line for an hour and a half!  (We saw one guy screaming at a volunteer over how long the wait was when he was almost to the front, which was a little frustrating to see since the volunteer had nothing to do with the line.) Then once we got to the front of the line, there were four pairs of volunteers for the 7am - 8am waves, and another 4 pairs for the 8am - 8:30am waves.  (Which also explains why one of the lines was longer than the other, but nobody said anything until we could see the line markers.) So I got my bib and parking pass there, and as usual walked to the other end of the stadium for my shirt (not all the way around like in previous years.)  Before that was the expo, which was simultaneously dense and sparse in terms of vendors.  The usuals were there: Race merchandise, Charm City Run brought in a few running brands like Altra, then there were some random vendors, then the t-shirt pickup and t-shirt exchange. Thanks to the general supply shortages, they were offering the race shirt in three different colors--grey, black or white. I had debated exchanging my shirt for a smaller size which I had asked for a month+ before when I found out the shirts ran big.  For some reason they left my original size on the bib but decided that I liked the color I originally received (white) better than what was left to exchange (black.)

After that, I realized we spent more time in line than it would take me to run the race.  No matter, it was done, and my husband and I went out to lunch at Red, Hot and Blue and I started hydrating.

Water, not a margarita.

That night for the first time in awhile, I laid out everything I would need for the next morning.  It was exciting to fill up my water bottles for my hydration vest, choosing what flavor of Picky bar to bring with me, what Goodrs I would wear, and of course the outfit!  It would be the warmest bridge run ever because it started out in the lower 50s, when usually it would be right around the first freeze of the season.  And since it was Halloween (and the race didn't allow costumes) I at least wanted to look festive!

I ended up choosing the Smooth Caffeinator Picky Bar (for a little kick of caffeine at the start) and the Radioactive Spectral Spectacles (this year's Halloween style from Goodr that glow in the dark!) I also packed a windbreaker and extra jacket into the main compartment of my hydration vest for after the race.

I ended up choosing a long sleeve flyout top, a lux tank top and lightweight tights from Oiselle.  Just enough to keep me warm and protected from the wind on the bridge!   (I don't think I've ever worn shorts or had my arms exposed for this one.) 

Getting to the race went pretty smoothly.  The drive was pretty easy and then the volunteers were in the parking lot directing everyone to open spaces.  Then there was a short walk to the buses where we passed through a security checkpoint to make sure everyone had a bib and nothing they weren't supposed to (the race has always specifically banned backpacks, selfie sticks and large flags.)  I got a seat on a bus right away and within a few minutes we were off to the start.

So excited to be back racing!

This time around, there were still ample portajohns but definitely a significantly smaller amount than in previous years.  (But still enough that there was little to no line.) I did all my usual pre-race rituals, then lined up at 6:50 for my wave to start.  Then 7am came and went.  And time kept passing with no explanation why.  Then at 7:10 we finally started walking to the start line.  Once again, continuing the streak of never starting with my assigned wave we finally started at 7:15am.  Not too big of a deal, but some of my pre-race rituals are time sensitive (like eating my Picky Bar exactly 30 minutes before the start time,  my inhaler 15-20 minutes before.) Then we all started running to a commercial on the radio.  Felt like another mistake on their part, but a minor frustration compared to having to wait 15 minutes  without any explanation why.

The nice thing about this race is the course cannot change so I knew exactly what to expect and when.  I wore my mask in the starting area, and until the crowd started to break up right when the incline begins during the second mile.  At that point I took my mask off and started to take in all the sights because the sun had started to rise over the bridge by that point and it was stunning as we all got closer to the top of the bridge.  

This reminded me why I keep coming back to this race.  How often do you get to see the sunrise over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and get to truly take it all in and enjoy it?  

After that I didn't take many pictures because I just went into this race wanting to truly enjoy my first big race back since Covid.  (I ran a 5k back in June, but it was only a few hundred people and really only attracted locals.) I also went in with the expectation of finishing.  I didn't stick to my training plan as closely as I should have since life got in the way.  And I was also reminded by how badly behaved some people can be during a race.  Remember how I mentioned that selfie sticks were banned?  For the first time I had to deal with someone who snuck one into the race, and it was a real killjoy to be stuck behind him for a few minutes at the start of the downhill while he tried to get the perfect picture.  Then there was a person stopping right in front of me during my walk breaks along the side just to get a picture.  And it was the same person every single time.  

After the downhill was done and I was on the side road by the country club, I was just ready to be done.  I always hate that part since everyone is squeezed down to one lane in the road until you make that next to last turn when it widens out to at least two lanes again.  Then there's another little downhill as you run over Route 50.  When I crossed the finish line, it wasn't my best time or my worst but I was happy to be done.  

Going through the finisher's chute I was reminded again of how disorganized the race has been in the past.  (One year they gave out moldy bagels!)  When we saw tables full of gatorade cups.  I finally looked into the cups and saw that one of them had animal crackers and grabbed a cup.  Apparently others had chocolate dipped animal crackers and some had trail mix too.  The volunteers also had placed full bags of the various snacks in front I guess to show what was in the cups, but people were grabbing entire bags as they walked past instead of a cup.  Another minor frustration.  I got my banana, a cup of animal crackers, some chips, water and medal.  

After talking with some running group friends, I walked around the finisher's festival and was relatively unimpressed.  The beer vendor was Budweiser (surprising considering how the organizer gets Dogfish Head for the Baltimore Running Festival which was just a few weeks prior) and Charm City Run was there again along with a race merchandise tent and some other food vendors.  Surprisingly the kettle corn vendor that I visited every year prior wasn't there this time, so I just headed over to the line for the bus. 

The straggler bus was creeping fairly close to the final walker.

Thankfully the bus driver was only lost for a few minutes, and unlike previous years I wasn't stressed to get home.  (Usually I'm refreshing twitter on my phone like crazy trying to see how the New York Marathon is going.)  Then I managed to be the driver's first stop so it was even more convenient.

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Overall, this is a race Marylanders (or really anyone within a reasonable distance) should do at least once.  I fully acknowledge that the logistics with this race are difficult for many reasons.  But there were things that definitely needed improvement, especially if they go from the 10,000 participants they had this year to the "normal" average of range of 16,000 - 20,000 runners.  Two days of packet pickup would be a start so then almost 10,000 people aren't trying to get their packet in a 6 hour timeframe in a single day.  If there's a glaring mistake like starting late, just tell us!  We're understanding.  Just give us a heads up so any last minute preparations we take as runners can be altered as needed.  It felt like the organizers made a lot of rookie mistakes like having so few volunteers (which I fully acknowledge are extra hard to come by these days) but they're a big enough organizer that it shouldn't take a lot to find a group that is eager and willing to help! Get some of the students from the Naval Academy to come help.  (I can tell you from first hand experience they're amazing!)  Reach out to the organization that benefits from the race!  (Oh wait, there wasn't one!  Yet another gripe with this race's new organizers.)

All in all, I am such a completionist and hopeful that the race will be different for the better in subsequent years I will probably be back.

Have you run this race?  What did you think?  Would you run it again? 

2018 Across the Bay 10k Race Recap

This was my fifth year running the Across the Bay 10k.  (Here are my previous recaps for 2017, 2016, 2015, and 2014.)  It's essentially a race across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge from Annapolis onto Kent Island.  The bridge can be really scary for Washingtonians headed to the Maryland and Delaware beaches because it's really high above the water.  Running it is a totally different experience and I really enjoy it!

Like previous years, the expo was held at the Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis, MD.  Most years you walk in what I would consider the main entrance side, get your bib then walk around to the further side to get your shirt and race merch.  This year you started at the backside of the stadium, get your bib where vendors used to be, and shirts were just before the vendors towards the usual entrance to the stadium.  Not a big deal since either way you end up walking the perimeter of the stadium.  Bib and shirt pickup went really quickly as usual with barely any lines (I usually go after the lunchtime rush so 12:30/1:00 on the first day of the expo.)  The official race merch was a little underwhelming with nothing that I was really eager to buy.  It was more of the same things we've seen in previous years like mugs, keychains, and shirts with race participant names on it.  Charm City Run (a race sponsor and the company who runs the bag check) had a HUGE booth and brought in a lot of different vendors like Balega along with bringing in plenty of their own merchandise from their Annapolis location including race themed shirts.  There were also the usual vendors--a generic running gear store and Geico insurance, but nothing new or notable.  I ended up leaving just with my race shirt, parking pass and bib.  Once I got home, people started pointing out the typo on the race shirt.

The shirt generally was pretty blah this year.  Short sleeved.  Nothing on the back.  This was it.

The typo is in the lower left corner.  Ann is supposed to have an E on the end.

The night before the race I laid out my clothes, all my gear and filled up my hydration pack.  Like previous years, I wore leggings, a tank top and a light(ish) long sleeve top.  It was supposed to be a beautiful day in the upper 40s at the start, but it is always windy at the top of the bridge.  (Pro tip:  Even if you wear shorts year round, with the wind I highly recommend keeping any exposed skin covered.)

On race morning, I left plenty early from my house and drove the half hour to Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, MD.  I arrived at 6:15 and got a parking space without any issue and walked over to the shuttles.  This part took the usual additional 20ish minutes to get to the starting area.  I used the portajohn (there's rarely ever a line and if there is, it's not long) and headed around the Northrop Grumman building to the starting area.

After a selfie in front of the beautiful sunrise...

And a picture of the bridge...

It was time to head over to the start!

The course was the same as in previous years (let's face it:  The course is over a bridge.  It's hard to deviate.)  I was determined to PR this year, but hoping to finish in under an hour.  My first mile was awesome--10:09 but I didn't want to go out too fast so I pulled it back and ran the second mile in 11:02 (it was also the worst of the 3% incline.)  With the next two miles downhill, I hit them in 9:31 and 9:21 (negative splits!) but by the time the bridge had started to flatten out and we had the gentle uphill to get to the finish I was feeling tired and ready to be done.  I had come to terms with the race being a 10k PR but not under an hour.  The next two miles were 10:13 and 10:06 (negative splits again!) and my pace for the final 0.2 was 8:38!

Final time?  1:02:44!  A PR and within sight of my sub hour 10k!

Now.  If you've read my previous race recaps, you know I'm honest in my reviews.  I don't get easily upset with a race or its organizers.  This time?  I was upset.

After crossing the finish we were handed a medal.  I said to the volunteer that it was the wrong medal.  They assured me that it was correct.  Why was it wrong?  Because it was supposed to be the end piece that we've been promised for 5 years.  We voted earlier in the year for an end piece medal.  This is a screenshot from their Facebook page of the winning design.

What was different about the medal I received?  There was a notch for another medal.

I was ready to be done with the connecting medals.  There are other races on the same day/weekend that I'd like to try.  It would be nice to be able to go up do a day trip NYC to spectate the marathon.  After devoting a total of 5 years to this race and being told this would be the last year for connecting medals and being shown that it would be the last year on social media, I was (and still am) irritated.

After explaining this to a fellow runner who didn't understand, we were funneled through the snacks.  There were a mounds of food with more options than I've seen in awhile.  There were tables with pretzels, bananas, fruit snacks (the big vendor sized bags), fruit cups, pineapple juice (that's a new one!) and of course plenty of water.  After walking through I walked past the vendors, but I was anxious to get home and watch the NYC marathon.  I ran into a friend and chatted with him a little bit before heading to the buses to get back to the parking lot.

Then came snafu (and gripe) number 2 of the morning.

For the first time, I managed to get on a bus where the driver got lost.  I had heard stories about it, but it finally happened to me.  It took us at least an hour and a half to get back to the parking lot, when it should've taken half that even when accounting for traffic and the race course being in the way.  After five years of this race you would think organizers would print directions for the bus drivers.  Nope!  Our bus driver took us on a tour of downtown Stevensville (cute little town that I'm sure would be fun to explore under different circumstances) before finally just following the other buses to get to Route 50 and back across the bridge.  Once were finally on the bridge, we saw the final runners and the sag bus.

The whole time on the bus I ate my post-race snacks and kept refreshing my twitter feed following what was happening in NYC.  Fortunately by the time I got back to my car, it was clear I would still have plenty of time to catch the first finishers across the finish line so at least I had that going in my favor.  I got home just in time to see Mary Keitany cross the finish line then Vivian Cheruiyot, followed by Shalane Flanagan (who won the women's division in 2017.)

As of this posting, Ironman (the organizers of the race) have not said anything about the medal snafu.  Lots of comments have been left on their Facebook page and Ironman has stayed completely silent.  Despite getting lost on the bus and being upset about the medals, it seems as if I still had a better experience than others.  (The race ran out of everything--medals, water, and snacks.)

Overall, I'm on the fence as far as if I can recommend this race after this year.  We were told this would be the last year for connecting medals and they put another notch in the medal for next year's medal.  The course isn't going to change much (if at all), but it is perfect for a personal record in the distance because so much of the race is downhill.  It's definitely worth running/walking at least once for the experience because when the weather cooperates the scenery is amazing.  For some people, the mistakes I've mentioned may be a dealbreaker.  Personally I'm undecided.  When I was getting my first degree in Communications, my crisis communications professor told us the first rule is to tell the truth early and tell it often.  If the organizers choose to make a statement about the 2018 race, I will be more than happy to add it to this recap.  But until then, I will wait until I make any decisions about my participation in the 2019 race.

Edit to add on 1/12:  There's a rumor if you've completed the 5 races and email the race organizers, they'll send you a new end piece medal.  I've asked a few friends who have already gotten in contact with them before me and they have yet to receive their new medal.

2017 Across the Bay 10k Race Review

So  okay.  I admit it.  Lately I stink at keeping up to date on my race reviews.  But now is time to play catch up.

First up on my race recap catch up:  The Across the Bay 10k.  ICYMI, here are my race recaps for 2014, 2015 and 2016.

This was my 4th year running the race, so I knew exactly what to expect for the most part.  The only difference was it was the first full year it was with new race organizers, Ironman.  (The triathlon people, not the superhero.)  For the most part the transition was seamless and the race was very similar to previous years.  There were some differences though which were to be expected.

Let's start with finding out your bib number.  Before, you could enter your first and last name onto a webpage and your bib number and wave would pop up.  This year you had to search a long PDF you to find it.  Everything was alphabetical by last name, but still kind of a pain to go through.

Packet Pickup was a breeze as usual.  All I had to do was go to my bib number range, tell them my bib number and they made sure it was me and handed me my bib and parking pass.  (Oddly rather than in an envelope together, they were stapled together.)  Then the usual walk around the stadium to get your shirt.

The expo was about the same as always.  A few booths selling running gear, KT Tape was there (side note: There's a class action lawsuit against the company right now) along with the usual random vendors.  One thing that got my attention this year was the merchandise being sold in the official race merchandise booth.  And not for a good reason.  A lot of it was a little off putting because they were obvious (at least attempted) knockoffs of designs by Sarah Marie Design Studio, and merchandise that people were obviously buying just because their name was on it.  (They had shirts with all the names or male race participants and another with the names of all the female race participants.)  Other than that nothing really of note and I only ended up buying a couple rolls of KT Tape.  (Ironically, it was the very last day you could buy something from the company and be included on the class action lawsuit.)

Race day was uneventful for the most part.  I arrived extra early, breezed through security, hopped onto a bus and arrived in plenty of time for my wave.  Unfortunately there wasn't much of a sunrise to speak of since it was overcast.

I was still hurting from my marathon and didn't have high expectations.  For the most part training for my marathon focused on being able to finish the distance and between that and my second round of IT Band Syndrome, my speed took a dramatic hit.  (But if you take into account my 10k time for my marathon was 1:17:08 and my finish time for this race was 1:11:07, that's decent but still not great.)

Once I finished I walked through the finisher's area, got my medal and my post-race snacks and met up with some ladies in my MRTT chapter.  After catching up with them and finishing a bottle of water, I grabbed my usual bag of kettle corn from Calvert Kettle Corn and headed to the shuttles back to the parking lot.  Surprisingly, it was the easiest trip back.  It still took awhile, but getting to the correct shuttle was super easy since they marked out the lanes really well and had a few volunteers just in case.

While I was on the shuttle, I started watching Twitter for any updates about the New York City Marathon which by that time had just gotten started.  By the time I got home and showered, Shalane had won!  So in honor of that, I definitely had to make some of her Double Chocolate Teff Cookies from her cookbook with Elyse Kopecky.

They were basically perfect after the race.

A couple days later I checked out the race photo website excited to see how my pictures turned out.  (As opposed to previous years, you had to pay extra for pictures.)  Granted it was a cloudy day so pictures would have been iffy.  But.  They messed up the coloration so badly in some of the pictures my neon orange jacket came out pastel.  HOW DO YOU DO THAT?!

Seriously.  How do you do that?  At one point I was a semi-pro photographer and have had a photo of mine printed in books, one of which I have on a shelf in my home.  Needless to say, I didn't buy any of my pictures.

A post shared by The Thrifty Runner (@thethriftyrunner) on Nov 6, 2017 at 1:06pm PST

Overall, I'll probably do this race one more time to finish off the five connecting medals.  (I'm such a completionist that it would really bother me to not have #5.)  Not totally sure if I'll do it again since it's one of those races where the whole point is running over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.  You can't really change the race route because the whole point is going over the bridge and from there, you don't really have too many options.  I enjoy having the yearly tradition of doing the race, but there are others that are that same weekend that I'm interested in trying out.  (Like entering the NYC Marathon lottery would be awesome!)  It's still worth doing the race at least once, if you do it right.  Pay attention to the emails that get sent out because the information is super important.  Get your packet ahead of time, and if you can't make it find a friend who's going that can get it for you.  On race day arrive at least an hour before your wave because you have to account for time to ride the shuttle to the start.  Enjoy the views but if you must take pictures, go off to the side and be quick so you don't get in the way of other runners.

If you decide to join me in 2018's race, use the promo code AMBHOLL18 for $10 off regular or VIP registration!

Have you done this race before?  What did you think?  Leave a comment below!!

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?

Across the Bay 10k 2015 Race Recap

I was SO excited all year for this race.  In February I dragged my husband to the to get postcards with entry codes so we could register early.  I also signed up to volunteer at the starting line setup the second that registration opened up.  

I went to the expo last Friday and it was pretty similar to last year, only with more vendors.  This year some of the vendors included the Tube wearable waistband (with a race-specific design), Charm City Run, and Fleet Feet.  This year they had you get your bib, then you had to walk through all the vendors to go upstairs to get your shirt, at which point you got to walk back down and go through the official race store.  (This year you could buy finisher gear at the expo and avoid the long lines on race day!)  

The next morning I got to help setup the starting area, and it was so exciting to get a first look at everything!!  

The night before the race, my parents came up from Northern Virginia to stay the night because my Dad had registered for the race as well.  For some reason despite all preparation and reason, my race anxiety kicked in full force.  I had a hard time sleeping, and having a cat yelling at the door at 1am didn't help either.  She's normally a chatty cat, but it was odd for her meowing to be so insistent.  After my husband got up to see what was wrong, I got up to see why she was still complaining, and found that she was fine (naturally.)  After that I was dreading when the alarm went off at 5am.

That morning I was glad I had put a bottle of water with caffeinated nuun (this time in wild berry) in the fridge before going to bed.  I was definitely thirsty, and the caffeine helped wake me up for the race and I ate my usual pre-race luna bar in the car.  It took us about half an hour to get to our exit, and another 15-20 minutes to actually get to the stadium and parked.  I was in a hurry for us to get there, so I insisted we wait on using the bathroom until we get to the starting area since I knew there were a lot of portajohns.

Have I mentioned how nice it was that they overloaded the starting area with portajohns?  After having to be so strategic with a pre-race bathroom stop for the MCM10k, it was lovely to not have a line to use the bathroom before such a big race!!  

Just on the other side of the Northrup Grumman building there was a beautiful sight:  The sun rising over the bridge that we would soon be running over!

And of course did the obligatory pre-race selfie.

We then made our way to the starting area which was awesome.  (But then again, I'm a little biased since I helped put it together.)  

After the national anthem (which they announced they would be doing before most of the waves so almost everyone would be able to hear it) we were off!  The first mile was a breeze.  I looked down when my Garmin beeped signifying I had finished the first mile, and I was semi-shocked because it said 10:17!  I mostly brushed it off because I usually start races way too fast.  Which was proven by the second mile, which took 12:21.  This is also where the incline was the worst--the dreaded 3% incline.  I tried powering through it, but I knew I needed to pace myself so I ended up starting my walking intervals.  I didn't totally mind since it gave me a chance to enjoy the view and get some pictures!

I knew I would have a chance to catch up once the downhill part of the race started.  And for once, I was right!  My splits just kept getting better, despite having to dodge people taking selfies almost constantly along the bridge, especially when a cruise ship passed underneath.  (I was definitely glad the organizers banned selfie sticks!!!)

I kept an eye on my Garmin mostly to make sure it didn't mess up like it did during the MCM10k, but once I kept seeing the splits I thought "Wow, if I keep this up I am going to annihilate my PR!"  I couldn't believe it when I crossed the finish line and stopped my Garmin.  My finishing time was 1:06:30.  I had not only beat my previous year's time by over THREE minutes, I had beaten my overall 10k PR by two minutes.  I couldn't get to the medals fast enough.  I had worked my butt off for it, and it had finally paid off!  

I love this year's medal!  Right side out, the strap shows the Across the Bay logo and that it's the 2015 medal...

And the backside of the strap shows a Maryland flag pattern!

Added bonus:  This year's medal connects to last year's medal, and will connect to next year's medal as well!  (The plan is for the first 5 years to connect together.)

After getting my bag of snacks and bottle of water, I waited with my Mom for my Dad and my husband to finish (we all PR'd!)  We then visited the vendors in the finisher's area.  I got the obligatory bag of kettle corn from Calvert County Kettle Corn (just the perfect balance of sweet and salty) and picked up some freebies from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and entered a fundraising raffle they had for some fun prizes from the foundation, origin and a selection of local coffee.

Once we had seen all the vendors, we hopped onto the shuttle bus to go back to the stadium.  Just like last year, I was amazed watching the amount of people making their way across the bridge.  

Then we saw the sweeper vans and knew the race was almost over!

Cue the "Jaws" theme music!

Overall, I thought the race was very well run like last year.  I think they made some minor improvements like the availability of finisher gear at the expo, and I loved the shirt in comparison to last year.  

The front of the shirt

The back of this year's shirt

Even better--the pictures that were taken along the course are going to be available for FREE!!!  This is something that I love in a race since the photos can get expensive very fast.  (Usually to download a single picture it starts at $19.)  These photos should be available on Friday, and I can't wait to see them.  And yesterday I had a pleasant surprise waiting for me during my lunch break--video footage of me finishing the race!!  How cool is that to be able to see yourself finish a race?  My husband and I had a good laugh at his since you can see somebody trying to take a selfie as they're finishing.  

Overall, would I do this race again?  Absolutely.  And I would recommend it for anybody who wants to try the distance or wants a nearly guaranteed PR.  It's also a must run for anybody who grew up going to Delaware and Maryland beaches.  There is nothing like running over the bridge that strikes fear into the hearts of many a driver.  But PLEASE!!!  Be considerate to your fellow runners and don't just STOP in the middle of the course to take pictures.  And yes, that was probably me glaring at you from behind in your selfie.

Update on 12/12/15:  Interested in doing the 2016 Across the Bay 10k?  Use the coupon code AMBFRENCHH16 for $5 off registration!!