race report — Page 2

Narragansett Summer Running Festival 10K Recap

July 16, 2019 by Michelle 11 Comments

Last Saturday I ran my second race of the summer – the Narragansett Summer Running Festival 10K!

Narragansett Summer Running Festival

The Narragansett Summer Running Festival is a two-day event held on the Stonehill College campus. The 5K and 10K were held on Saturday and the half marathon on Sunday. Runners also had the option of running the “Beat the Heat” challenge – combining either the 5 or 10K with the half.

Knowing that the access road into the campus could get a little congested, J and I had planned to meet my brother by 6:45. I love that this race was just a 25 min drive from my house and we breezed in and parked with no issue. We took a short walk down the hill to pick up our bibs & t-shirts and then went back to the cars to hang in the shade & stretch.

No medal but a cute shirt design

About a half-hour before the 5K start, we made our way down to the start area. Despite having about 15 porta-potties there were just two really long lines. With the clock ticking, one of the race staff finally got the lines reorganized into multiple lines and things moved a lot better.

The Race

The 5K was set to go off at 8, with the 10K starting at 8:30. Final announcements were made, a recording of the national anthem played, and the 5K started right on time. The sun was already intense and we did what we could to hide in the shade of the buildings for as long as possible. The 10Kers were called to line up by 8:20, took a group photo (I kid you not), and we were off promptly at 8:30.

The course was a winding loop through the campus – a mix of paved road, gravel, grass, and even a couple of wooden bridges. Without any form of self-seeding, the start was a bit jumbled. To get out in the open, I knew I had definitely started out way too fast, and would probably pay for it later. J’s hamstring was giving him trouble so he dropped back to take a walk break while my brother and I continued on. As we circled back to the start area, we reached the course’s only hill which led to the finish line and the start of the 2nd 5K loop. We powered past runners on the hill and could hear the music coming from the race’s after-party.

I will admit it was tough to see many of the 5kers already done, enjoying the after-party, and knowing we had another loop to run. By now it was getting really hot, and the second loop became a game of “run for the shade”. At about the 4.5-mile point, we were once again out on an open field and I was ready to be done. We both took a short walk break before making another push. We fell into conversation with a woman named Katie who we had been leapfrogging along the course. My brother was feeling pretty good and when I took another short walk break I encouraged him to keep going. I had hoped to catch up with him but didn’t see him again until the finish line.

Katie was still with me as we approached the hill and one of the race staff told us we only had 600 yards to go. I made one more strong push up the hill and passed a couple of runners as I made the final turn towards the finishing chute. I was happy to finish 3 minutes faster than last month’s 10K. We waited for J to finish and then it was time to hit the beer tent!

All smiles post-race!

Each runner got two beer tickets and there was a choice of 5 beers. I opted for the watermelon shandy which was so refreshing! There was live music and a small collection of vendors, including a massage therapist offering free rubdowns. With plenty of shaded areas to sit and hang out, no one seemed in a rush to leave. Katie and a friend of hers who had also run found us and the five of us hung out for a while enjoying the beers and trading running stories.

Final Thoughts

Race organizers did a great job with pre-race communications. Parking and bib pick up was super easy. And, despite the winding course, it was well marked and there were enough volunteers at all the key points to avoid confusion. The volunteers were also super friendly and encouraging.

While I wasn’t a fan of running over the gravel, the course is fairly flat, with just the one hill at the end of each loop and the Stonehill campus is really pretty which made for a nice backdrop.

My only criticisms are that it would have been helpful to have one volunteer stationed at the porta-potties earlier to avoid the long lines, and I would have preferred some form of self-seeding at the start. Post-race it would have been great to have more food options other than granola bars.

Overall, this race had a fun atmosphere and was really well organized, and I definitely look forward to running it again!

I’m linking up with Kim and Zenaida for Tuesday Topics.

Filed Under: family running, Narragansett Running Festival, race report

Recapping the BAA 10K over coffee

July 5, 2019 by Michelle 22 Comments

I hope everyone (in the States) had a great 4th! I was so happy to get to this extended long weekend to just kick back and unwind a little. So as I laze away on my deck, it seems like the perfect time to join Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date!

Recapping the BAA 10K over Coffee

Over coffee, I would tell you that I cannot believe that it’s been almost two weeks since I ran the BAA 10K! I know, I know, how many times can I mention how fast time is flying by? But it really is!

Over coffee, I would tell you that my goals were simple – beat last year’s time, conquer the long hill through Boston University’s campus, and have fun! Check, check, and check! Given how cool, rainy, and mild the temps had been, the heat on race day was super tough – especially with so little shade on the course. So my brother and decided to walk each water stop (thankfully there was one every mile!) and just try to keep a nice steady pace. We did see a couple of people go down around mile 4 – the heat was no joke!

Over coffee, I would tell you to run this race if you get the chance! It is super well-organized, and even with 10,000 runners, it never felt too crowded. The volunteers, especially at the water stops, were awesome and super encouraging! And the course itself is a great little out and back tour of Boston’s Back Bay, Kenmore Square, and part of the BU campus. The Boston Athletic Association always puts on a great race and this one did not disappoint.

Great to see Jose from @Andsoitburns working one of the water stops!

Over coffee, I would tell you that I had so much fun running this race with my brother! When we did this race last year, I was seriously hobbled and had urged him to run ahead and not let me hold him back – so it was especially enjoyable to run together this year. This was my third time running this race and I’ve already got it penciled in for next year!

Do you have races you love to run again and again? What would you tell me over coffee?

Filed Under: BAA, race report, Ultimate coffee date

2019 Boston’s Run to Remember Race Report

June 2, 2019 by Michelle 17 Comments

Over Memorial Day weekend I ran Boston’s Run to Remember half marathon. Eight years ago, this race was my first half marathon, and as I have often said, it holds a special place in my heart. After being away from the half marathon distance for almost 2 years, it seemed appropriate that this would be my return race!

Boston’s Run to Remember Race Recap

I had planned to meet Kim & her mom at 6:30 before the race’s 7 a.m. start, so my husband J and I were up and out the door by 6. We breezed into Boston easily and then hit the crazy snarl of traffic as we approached the Seaport district. We were just two blocks from the start so we said a quick goodbye and I jumped out of the car and fell in with a long line of other runners heading to the start.

I found Kim & her mom at the Seaport World Trade Center, which is where the expo was held, had time for a couple of pictures, and to pin our tribute bibs.

The race offered a choice 7 different tribute bibs that could be worn on the back of our shirts during the run, and at brunch the day before, the three of us had decided to run in honor of Trooper First Class Walter Greene of the Connecticut State Police, who was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and served as a state trooper 28 years. Trooper Greene passed away from cancer as a result of his response and service in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Truly an honor to run with his tribute bib.

The starting line was self-seeded so with final hugs, we headed our separate ways to the different pace markers. Coach Marc wanted me to treat this as a supported training run – the goals were simple: run steady, enjoy the race, and celebrate the finish line! After some final words from Boston’s police commissioner, a nice rendition of the national anthem and helicopter flyover by the MA State Police, we were off.

Miles 1 – 3

The race takes you down Seaport Blvd and over the bridge to Boston’s Waterfront, then winding around Faneuil Hall & Government Center before heading out over the Longfellow bridge to Cambridge. Thanks to the wave start, the first few miles were not as congested as I remembered from past races. Despite being especially nervous while waiting for the start, I felt really relaxed once we started moving. J was waiting for me just as we came off the bridge which was great and I knew I’d see him again at the turnaround near Harvard.

Miles 4 – 6

For essentially the next 6 and a half miles the course is an out and back along the Charles River on Memorial Drive with some spectacular views of Boston. I could already feel the temps rising and took full advantage of each water stop. I had a fun group of women running around me and ended up striking up a conversation with one named Anne. Turned out it was her first half and she was running in remembrance of her brother-in-law who was killed in the line of duty protecting a woman and her child in a domestic abuse situation. By the time we hit the turn around point at the edge of the Harvard campus, we were in lockstep and would be running buddies for the remainder of the race. I spotted J again which was a great lift – I was really feeling the heat and could tell I was slowing down a bit.

Miles 7 – 9

Anne & I chatted off and on as we followed Mem Drive back past the MIT campus heading towards the Longfellow Bridge. I was feeling a little dehydrated and had to take some short walk breaks. It was all good – just keep moving. (Later I would learn temps had reached 80!).

Miles 10 – 12

Just after the 9-mile marker is one of my favorite sections of the course, as the road is lined with police cruisers from all over the state, lights flashing, and rows of first responders on both sides of street cheering and high-fiving runners. I’m telling you right now if that doesn’t get you going, nothing will! As we started over the Longfellow Bridge, I told Anne we had just a 5K to go. We weaved through the Back Bay and then around through the Downtown Crossing shopping area. By this point, I was so ready to be done – my legs felt heavy and I fully accepted that consistent walk breaks were just part of the equation now. Just before the final water stop was a huge Tribute Wall of names and photos of all the fallen first responders. “This is why you’re running” one of the volunteers called out. Yep, just the push we needed to finish.

The Finish

The course curled back around onto Atlantic Ave and both Anne and I picked up the pace as we were nearing the final bridge back to the Seaport. The crowd support here was so helpful! We crossed the line together and immediately gave each other a big hug. Anne’s husband, a police officer himself who had also run, saw us finish and came over to take a few pictures before we got our medals and then said our goodbyes. I hit the finisher area for some post-race snacks before finding J to head home. Half marathon#14 done!

This race has so many pros:

Well organized – From the pre-race communications all the way through to the plentiful post-race food available, this race was very well organized. Packet pick-up was nice and easy.
Attention to detail – From the badge-shaped bibs, to the tribute bibs, to the medal design with the choice of “challenge coin” in the center (I selected the MA State Police), and the Tribute Wall and incredible support from first responders along the course, I loved all of the elements designed to pay tribute to those who served.
Legacy swag – In celebration of the race’s 15th anniversary, race organizers chose to acknowledge “legacy runners” with special swag. As this was my 5th running (I’d run both the half and the 5-mile option twice before), I received a great running hat!
Great volunteers – All of the water stop volunteers and course marshalls were super enthusiastic and encouraging!

If you get the opportunity to come to Boston for Memorial Day Weekend, I highly recommend this race. I’m already looking forward to the early-bird registration for 2020 😉

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down link-up.

Filed Under: Boston's Run to Remember, race report, Weekly Run Down

Ocean Road 10K Race Recap

October 9, 2018 by Michelle 22 Comments

Last Sunday my husband J and I took on the Ocean Road 10K, and today I’m finally getting around to sharing some of the highlights.

Ocean Road 10K Race Recap

I have had my eye on the Ocean Road 10K since last year, but the race has a limited field and by the time I was sure I could make it work in my schedule the race had sold out. Determined to not repeat the same mistake, once I caught the first notification on Facebook I jumped at signing up.

This is a Rhode Island-based race, so there were no local packet pick-up options, leaving me to have to make the trek down to Narragansett the day before. (There was an option to pick up your bib on race morning, but most of the race communications tried to dissuade you from going that route). While I didn’t love the extra driving time down and back, the packet pick-up itself was a breeze. I especially appreciated that they let you pick up bibs for others as long as you had a copy of a photo ID, so I could pick up J’s bib while he was off picking up our oldest son from his cross country meet.

Since this was a point-to-point race, all runners were assigned to a shuttle based on when you registered – and since J slid in on registration literally moments before it sold out, we were assigned to the first wave of shuttles at 6:30 a.m. Factoring in the hour plus drive, we were up and moving by 4:30 to make sure we were out the door by 5 – oy! Though in hindsight, I will say that given how fast the parking lot was filling up when we arrived at 6:15, I’m glad we didn’t plan to arrive later.

The school buses were all lined up and ready to head out, and we were both a little surprised that given all of the repeated reminders in the pre-race communications about taking your assigned shuttle, we didn’t see any race staff on hand to make sure people were getting on the right shuttles. Being on the first shuttles had its advantages of first dibs on the Porta Potties and getting in line to rent a locker (The locker situation turned out to be a hot mess, but more on that later).

The race didn’t start until 8 so we enjoyed the sunrise, watched the handful of surfers on the water, and tried to stretch and stay warm. As the start time neared and they made the first call for the “fast runners” we realized there were no posted markers to help runners self-seed. No Bueno. We shuffled in where we could as the race went off in “waves” – and soon we were off.

The goal for this race was simply to use 5:1 intervals and to try to hold a solid pace. And for the first 4 miles, we did just that. Shortly after the 4-mile marker, my hammy announced it was done…hmm yeah, well we’ve still got 2.2 miles to go. J suggested we switch to shorter run intervals and while it helped a little I could really feel my pace slowing. Thankfully, it was only a couple of miles of discomfort before we were heading down the home stretch and crossing the finish line.

We got our medals, water and did a quick peruse of the food before hitting the Kind Bar tent, and then headed to the beach where most of our fellow runners were gathering. It was such a gorgeous day that if we hadn’t had family plans for the day we could have easily hung out and enjoyed the beachfront.

Running just gets better with views like this!

Race pluses…

This race offers a stunning course – it starts at Point Judith Lighthouse and follows the RI coast up to the Narragansett Town Beach. Along the way, you’re treated to great coastal views and some beautiful beachfront property. (Having the picture-perfect weather we had, certainly didn’t hurt!)
While the course rolls a little, it’s fairly flat – the inclines that exist are gradual.
Free race photos!
The T-shirt is fun, and I think they hit a home run with the medal!

… and minuses

How do you ask runners to self-seed and not provide some kind of pace markers at the start?
The mobile lockers were advertised at $5 so to get to the front of the line and discover that the $5 locker was the size of a thimble and the woman managing the lockers was trying to get everyone to “upgrade” felt like a big bait and switch. On top of it, many runners (like us) only had exact change so you can imagine how well this worked out. We were able to jam my sweatshirt and the small bag we had into the locker but J ended up having to carry his sweatshirt the whole race.
Just a couple of extra volunteers positioned in the parking lot post-race would have gone a long way to making things run smoother when it was time to leave.

Final thoughts

I really enjoyed the vibe of this race and only wish my hamstring had allowed me to run the race I wanted. While the distance was doable, I had to significantly slow my pace to finish, so clearly, I still have some work to do on my rehab.

I would run this race again in a heartbeat and will be looking to return next year!

I’m linking up with Erika, Marcia, and Patty for Tuesdays on the Run.

Filed Under: Ocean Road 10K, race report

RnR Chicago 10K Recap

July 26, 2018 by Michelle 6 Comments

Disclaimer: As a member of the Rock’n’Blog team, I received free race entries to both the 5K and 10K races. As always, all opinions are my own.

Time for part 2 of my Chicago weekend highlights!

When I left off Tuesday’s post, the 5K was done and we were enjoying a fantastic blogger brunch. Since I was remixing with the 10K the next morning, I decided to head back to the hotel to put my feet up and give the cranky hip a break. After a nap, I took a walk with Kim to Millenium Park to check out the infamous Bean.

We circled back to the hotel, picked up Deborah and headed out for another great meal, this time at Quartino. With an early race start time looming (hello 6:30 a.m.!), we called it an early evening.

Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago 10K

Kim, Deborah, and I were up and out of the hotel by 5:30 in search of a little pre-race fuel. The plan was to once again meet up with everyone around the gear check, but with a lot more runners than the 5K it was harder to find everyone. I get the added bonus of running into Skirt Sports sisters Ericka and Danyell. We found Kim G. and her mom, spotted Marcia briefly, and made our way to the very crowded corrals.

Soon we were off, and just a few minutes in we got hit with the first big blast of rain. While the start was a little congested it didn’t last long as we quickly split off from the half marathoners and headed south down the Lakefront Path. We followed the Path for almost 4 miles before rejoining the half marathoners. My cranky hip reared its ugly head somewhere around the 5K mark, and my walk intervals became a little longer. I swear it felt like it took me forever to reach the 4-mile marker.

We ran under McCormick Place, which was really the only part of the course I could have done without. It was dark and the ground was uneven and I saw a woman trip in front of me – thankfully she didn’t go down. Once out of the tunnel, there was just the long 1.2 mile stretch to the finish. At this point the skies opened up again – really Mother N was that necessary?! I was so happy to cross that finish line!

I got my medal, water, and chocolate milk and headed for the exit. While it looked like there was a lot of post-race food at the finish, I was too wet to want to stop to partake. I found the Remix medal tent and then made the short walk back to the hotel.

Cleaned up (and dry!), there was time for one more fun Blogger Brunch before checking out of the hotel and heading to the airport. It was nice to have Erica and her friend Melissa join us.

Overall this was a fun race, despite Mother N’s hissy fit. The course was nice and flat, and running along the water was a bonus. I do wish the course would have taken us through a little of Chicago the way the Half course did I would definitely run this race again!

Have you run an RnR race?

Filed Under: #RocknBlog, blogger meet-ups, race report, RnR Chicago

Meeting Runner Friends and RnR Chicago 5K

July 24, 2018 by Michelle 19 Comments

Ah, my Chicago Weekend – I’m honestly not sure that I’m going to be able to do justice to the fun that was had this weekend. While yes there were races, for me this weekend was so much more about the amazing connections I’ve made through running than it was about the running itself.

I couldn’t possibly encapsulate everything in one post so this will be a two-part recap. Let’s get started…

Friday – Let the fun begin!

I arrived in Chicago around noon and took the L from O’Hare into the city. After getting a little turned around, leaving the train station I soon found the W Hotel. No sooner had I checked in then I heard someone call my name, and turned around to find Deborah’s smiling face. We quickly dropped our bags in our rooms and headed off to meet Kim at the expo. Deborah and I easily fell into conversation – it was much more like catching up with an old friend than meeting someone for the first time.

The RnR Expo was held at McCormick Place. Packet pick-up was quick and easy, including changing my registration from the half marathon to the 10K. I was disappointed to see how small the race shirts were running and the fact that we were told exchanges couldn’t be done at the expo. The other snafu was neither Deborah or I were given the bracelets needed for the Remix Challenge (we remedied that later). Kim quickly found us and set off to check out the expo. I first met Kim at RnR Vegas in 2016 – it was so great to see her again! Added bonus, we got to meet Kim’s mom – she is awesome. I love that she runs so many races with Kim!

Among the vendors we checked out, we stopped at the KT Tape booth – and I have to say this may have been my saving grace. Leading into the weekend I had been really worried about both my hip and my knee – huge props to the KT rep who taped my knee! I could feel a difference just walking around the expo.

Overall the expo seemed a little on the small side, but I did pick up this cute Brooks shirt.

This pic doesn’t due the deep blue color justice

We headed back to the hotel to wait for the “other” Kim to arrive. Kim and I were sharing a room for the weekend – despite not having met before I was pretty sure we would hit it off…and spoiler alert we did 🙂 That night we had a great dinner at Barrio.

Saturday – More Runner Friends & the 5K

With the 5K scheduled to start at 7:30, our group planned to meet up at 7. Deborah, Kim, and I walked the .8 mile to the start and caught up with Marcia, Sara, Emily, Kim and her mom. It was overcast and drizzly, but we were all smiles, reminding each other it was better than the blistering heat July in Chicago could bring.

Knowing that I had the 10K to run Sunday, I seriously toyed with power-walking the 5K. Despite all the walking on Friday (5.5 according to my Garmin), my taped knee was feeling pretty good, but what my hip would allow was anybody’s guess. Once the race started, in typical 5K fashion, it took a bit to find any open space to run. I settled into 5:1 run/walk intervals and figured I’d give the run a go until my hip said otherwise. While I was far from quick, it was a nice steady run and, best of all, the hip stayed quiet! Win!

Next up was a blogger brunch at Beatrix! There we were joined by Holly, Wendy, Linda, and Suz waiting for us! Sara and her husband soon followed. I absolutely loved the energy at the table – so many fun stories, so many laughs! I know I may sound like a broken record but you would have never guessed that many of us were meeting for the first time!

I’ll leave it here – the rest of the weekend highlights and 10K recap later this week….

Check out part 1 of my RnR Chicago weekend and epic blogger meet-up! #RNRChi #EpicBloggerMeetUp #RocknBlog #Runnerfriends Share on X

Have you ever participated in a blogger meet-up?

I’m linking up with Patty, Erika, and Marcia for Tuesday’s on the Run.

Filed Under: #RocknBlog, blogger meet-ups, race report, RnR Chicago, Runner Friends, Tuesdays on the Run

Wicked Half Race Report

September 22, 2017 by Michelle 34 Comments

Last Saturday, I ran in the Wicked Half Marathon. If you’ve been around here for the past couple of weeks then you know that my plan was to run this race as a “long run with benefits” (aka the LRB). With only one longish run of 9 miles just the week before and a seriously unreliable ankle, let’s be honest, I really had no business jumping into a half marathon! But, I can be stubborn and I was looking forward to the Skirt Sports Ambassador meet-up. So I figured treating this as a long run with the benefits of course support and a medal was the way to go!

The bat in the medal actually spins!

My goals for this run were simple – stick to my 4:1 run/walk intervals, ignore pace and run by feel, and finish upright and smiling. “Finishing is winning” would be my mantra.

With my hotel just a short 20-minute ride to the start, I was able to sleep until a little after 5 before needing to get up and head out. The minute I stepped out of the hotel the humidity smacked me in the face and I knew this was going to be a tough morning – humidity is my kryptonite for sure, it just sucks the life out of me. So I knew the struggle bus would be coming for me…it was just a question of how long I could outrun it 🙂

Parking was easy-peasy – I was literally steps from the start line so I had lots of time to tape up, finish fueling, and chat with a couple of other runners.

Pre-run and ready

Soon it was time to line up, listen to the national anthem and we were off. I’ve never done run/walk intervals in a race and was initially concerned about how it would work. But early on it was clear I had nothing to worry about and I fell in with a fair number of runners all doing some form of intervals. I ran the first few miles with a woman from Tennessee who was also following a 4:1 plan. We chatted easily and it helped take my mind off the soul-sucking humidity.

Somewhere in the 7th mile I started to slow and said goodbye to Ms. Tennessee. My ankle started to complain and I wondered if it was going to cooperate with still a half a race to go. I dubbed Mile 9 the “dark mile” – I was hurting, my walk breaks were getting longer, and the negative chatter in my head was getting louder. Once past the mile 9 marker, I was able to shake off the funk – yes my legs were less than happy, yes I was more than ready to be done, but I kept focused on the fact that I would soon hit 10 miles and I haven’t seen double-digits in a while. Finishing is winning!

I’m not going to lie, the final few miles were a trudge – the struggle bus not only caught up with me but was threatening to run me over! Somewhere in the 12th mile, I met up with a woman named Jen. She said she’d been pacing off of me – running when I ran and walking when I walked. We chugged along towards the finish, and as we made the last turn towards the finish I spotted my “Skirt Sisters” – as each ambassador had finished they stuck around to cheer on the rest of the group. Such an awesome sight! Jen and I crossed the line and congratulated each other, I collected my medal and then joined the rest of the ambassadors. As our last Sister approached the finish, some of us went out to run her in. The Wicked Race organizers actually posted a video of our group finish on their Facebook page along with this group photo:

Finishing is winning!

Filed Under: race report, Skirt Sports, Wicked Half Marathon

My RnR Vegas Recap – #StripAtNight

November 20, 2016 by Michelle 24 Comments

Last weekend I was on the road once again for a race weekend – this time it was Vegas! Ah and what a weekend! Meeting Meb, Snoop Dogg in concert, some great food (and cocktails), blogger meet-ups, not one but two races, and running the Vegas strip at night – much fun was had for sure…so without further ado…settle in for my recap.

(Disclosure: As a member of the Rock’n’Blog team, I received a free race entry for the Remix Challenge. As always, all opinions are mine!)

Both my husband and brother were joining me for this trip. We arrived in Vegas by mid morning, got an early check-in at the hotel and grabbed lunch before heading to the expo. Packet pick-up was a breeze and we were quickly wandering the aisles of over 80 expo vendors. There were a lot of good deals, but we didn’t go too crazy. I couldn’t wait to pick up the awesome #Werunsocial t-shirt I had pre-ordered!

Yes it glows in the dark!

The highlight of the expo was meeting Meb at the Rock’n’Roll booth! We hadn’t heard the announcement that he was going to be there – I spotted him purely by chance. Meeting Meb was awesome! He was so gracious – we chatted about his book (you can check out my review here) and I did my best to not go totally fan-girl on him. A hug, photo and an autographed bib – yeah my race experience was complete and I hadn’t even toed the line yet!

The rest of the day was spent doing way too much walking taking in the sights of the strip. We capped the day with an amazing dinner at Yardbird Restaurant (definitely worth a visit!).

We took advantage of sleeping in Saturday morning before grabbing brunch and heading up the strip to scout out the 5K location. The race didn’t start until 6 p.m. and the three of us found it a little hard to manage the day and not do too much. The crowds heading up to the race were crazy – we had to let 3 monorails go before we could squeeze our way on one. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people lining up for a 5K! People did not self-seed well and there were way too many walkers up front. My brother and I did what we could to run when we could find open space, but in many places the course narrowed and we were just stuck behind a wall of walkers. We certainly weren’t out there to worry about time so we just went with it – first half of the Remix Challenge done! Off for another great meal – this time at Guy Fieri’s Vegas Kitchen & Bar.

Sunday morning started with a great brunch at Margaritaville’s roof deck. A perfect spot to watch the closing of the strip and pre-race set up. We hung out and watched football, again trying to lay low and not do too much. I just have to say late day races for me are hard! Finally it was time to head to the race. The guys were doing the 10K so we said our goodbyes at the monorail station and I headed off to hit the Snoop Dogg headliner concert and the We Run Social meet-up.

There were so many of us for the meet-up we barely all fit in the photo! It was great to meet so many bloggers including Sharon, Kim and Carlee. Snoop Dog played all of his big hits and really had the crowd going.

I was in the Yellow start so I had a fair amount of waiting to do until they called us to the start. The corrals were a hot mess and as I chatted with others waiting to shuffle to the start I reminded myself the goal for this race was simply to have fun – there was no time goal. Running the Vegas Strip was pretty amazing and the energy was great! The only lull was the loop of miles 7 – 9 where we were running through “old Vegas” and some random neighborhoods. You could definitely feel the runner energy drop at this point and I could definitely feel the whirlwind days catching up with me. Luckily we were soon back at the top of the strip and heading towards the finish line.

Final thoughts…

This was one fun race weekend! There is nothing quite like running down the middle of the Vegas Strip at night – definitely one that every runner should experience.

If you do run Vegas, know that this is not the race for a PR. You’ve got to go into it just looking to have fun and enjoy the experience.

If you can tack on an extra day, I would recommend post-race so you can fully celebrate Vegas-style 🙂

The Vegas pre-sale of just $99 for 2017 is on until midnight tonight…just sayin’ 😉

I’m linking up once again with Holly & Tricia for the Weekly Wrap!

Filed Under: #MebforMortals, #RocknBlog, #StripAtNight, blogger meet-ups, race report, Weekly Wrap

RnR Brooklyn Race Recap

October 12, 2016 by Michelle 19 Comments

On Saturday I completed my eleventh half marathon, running the Rock ‘n’ Roll Brooklyn Half Marathon. I took the train into NYC on Friday morning. Packet pick-up was held at the Penn Pavilion which is directly across the street from Penn Station, so grabbing my bib and race shirt was super easy. The space for the expo itself was small and awkwardly configured so after a very quick peak I headed out. It was great to be back in NYC after such a long time and I enjoyed a leisurely walk before grabbing lunch and heading to my hotel to wait for J and the kids, who were driving down after school. Dinner was some very yummy pizza and I did my best to get to bed at a reasonable hour.

Sleep was erratic at best, and before I knew it my alarm was going off. I had very little appetite but did my best to force down some food {cue the foreboding music}. J and I walked the little over a mile to the start. The security lines were long, but moving. The same could not be said about the porta potty lines. Finally made my way to the corrals and slipped in where I could. We shuffled along and soon we were off.

The first 5 K felt great! I spotted J on the first out and back and was right on pace. That good feeling was short-lived, cause by mile 5 I started to feel off – a headache was brewing.

As it morphed into a full-blown killer headache, I continued to fuel, and tried to press on, focusing on the bands, high-fiving kids, whatever I could do to distract myself…but I was slowing down. When the 2:30 pacer passed me, I was deflated. Now a new mental battle began, and I’ll tell you the internal dialog was not pretty. I could not believe that my race was being derailed by a f$^&# headache!

The universe sent me just what I needed around mile 8 in the form of Roz and Carla. Roz, a Half Marathon Maniac in the middle of a half marathon double-header, had been encouraging Carla, who was taking on her very first half. Soon we were a threesome – chatting, sharing fueling tips, and most of all supporting and encouraging each other. It was the pick me up I desperately needed.

As we entered Prospect Park and the final hills, I was really hurting – I told Roz and Carla not to wait for me and that I would do what could to keep up with them. They pushed ahead and I just tried to keep them in my sights. I spotted J and he came out to run with me until I had just about a half mile left. I willed myself to the finish and was finally done.

I quickly found Carla and Roz and there were lots of hugs all around. (I truly love how running bonds people!)

Race swag included a black hoodie for completing both Philly & Brooklyn!

It was just not my day – this race was not a reflection of my training. So, back to the drawing board I go…

Some final thoughts on the race itself:

Overall this was a well organized race, as I’ve come to expect from Rock ‘n’ Roll
Bands along the course seemed a little sparse
Nice course, especially ending in Prospect Park
Post-race food was plentiful
Expo was definitely lacking in both layout and vendors
Fun medal & race shirt

(Disclosure: As a member of the Rock’n’Blog team, I received a free race entry. As always, all opinions are mine!)

Filed Under: #RocknBlog, race report, RnR Brooklyn

2016 RnR Philly Race Recap

September 22, 2016 by Michelle 43 Comments

(Disclosure: As a member of the Rock’n’Blog team, I received a free race entry and VIP upgrade. As always, all opinions are mine!)

On Sunday, I ran the Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon – my 10th half marathon!

I’ve been trying to figure out what to say about this race. As you all know, this was my first half marathon after a two year hiatus. This was not a goal race – just a re-introduction to the distance. But, you know I like to keep it real here, so I’ll be honest, this was not the triumphant return I had secretly hoped for. No…I did not have a goal time, but I had wanted (and expected) to run this much faster than I did.

So settle in while I share the good, bad…and downright u-g-l-y of Sunday’s race.

Janelle & I pre-race

The Good….
Blogger meet-ups! Once I arrived at the race, I made a beeline for the VIP tent to meet up with Janelle from Run with No Regrets. It was so nice to finally meet – she’s as nice as she seems from her blog! We got to chat for a bit and soon Kathryn from Dancing to Running joined us. We made our way to the top of the “Rocky steps” to meet up for a “We Run Social” photo, where I finally got to meet Dani from Weight Off My Shoulders. I feel like I’ve known Dani for years – we couldn’t believe we just were finally meeting! It was fun to hangout with everybody and it helped me keep my mind off my nerves.

VIP Upgrade! While I didn’t take full advantage of the full VIP food spread, it was definitely nice to have food and drinks to readily available. And, porta potties with no lines? Enough said!

Race atmosphere! I love the RnR vibe and this race did not disappoint! I enjoyed the bands and cheer squads along the route, and even had one band’s guitarist come down off the stage to briefly rock out with me 🙂

The Bad…

While the VIP area was a nice perk, it would have been nice to have a way for non-running family to join at a reduced rate. My husband J couldn’t enter without us purchasing a full price package at the expo – the main reason I skipped returning to the VIP area post-race.

My fueling – I woke up with no appetite and as a result my pre-race fueling was sparse. I forced myself to choke down a banana, but could only manage a bite or two of my GU waffle. The wait in the corrals was long and by the time I was approaching the start my stomach started to growl…not good.

The Ugly…

The humidity was soul-sucking and proved to be my complete undoing. Despite having run in the soupy muck for most of the summer, I could not find my rhythm. I felt ok through the first 5 miles but could feel a headache forming by mile 6. By mile 7, I had stopped at a med tent for Tylenol, and by mile 9 I had a front row seat on the struggle bus. Despite my best efforts to stay hydrated and down Clif blocs (with extra salt), the humidity took its toll. I reminded myself that this was more of a training run than a race for me, but it was hard to not feel defeated. Time to shift my focus – I high-fived every kid along the course, encouraged other runners and started run/walk intervals.

Around mile 9, I was so grateful to come across fellow Rock’n’Blogger Nellie from Brooklyn Active Mama. We had run into each other just before the start and it was great to see her. She was so positive and we kept each other company for a couple of miles. My other saving grace was my amazing husband, who had rented one of those city bikes and was biking all over the course! At last the finish was in sight and I was done.

So #10 is done and training for Rock ‘n’ Roll Brooklyn continues!

Filed Under: #RocknBlog, race report, RnRPhilly