Around the Bay Race Report: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

This was my seventh Around the Bay 30K.  Here are some of my thoughts on yesterday's race:

The Good:

• Awesome weather.  Running in a tank and running skirt in March:  priceless!
• Free parking and change area at a local news station, thanks to some running friends
• Tons of family/friends doing the race, too
• Friends and spectators along the route.  Nothing gives you a boost better than that!
• No black toe nails.
• Hearing about people's PB's after the race
• Dinner and drinks after with the same amazing friends and family
• My own 12-minute PB -- still grinning ear to ear

The Bad:

• Running alone for 30K.  It was my choice.  I was running slower than some friends and faster than others so I decided to go it alone
• Fighting the gerbil in my head when it was getting tough
• Hmm....thinking too hard if there was other bad stuff, so I guess there isn't any more

The Ugly:

• One woman running behind me 10 feet from the finish line yelling:  "Get out of the way.  Get out of the way.  Get the f^#k out of the way."   Completely uncalled for.  This isn't a BQ race, for Pete's sake.

Clearly, the good outweighed all the bad and the ugly and I'm proudly walking gingerly, like many of my friends.  I'm looking forward to scaling back on my run distances now that my total training focus will be Lake Placid. 

Here's a photo of some of the gang that ran yesterday.  So proud of them!

NYC Race Report

I love NYC!  I think I've said that before, but it's so much fun when you go with a bunch of gal pals and shop till you drop and then throw in a half marathon just for fun.   I don't know how New Yorkers do it, but this past weekend saddled them with a double whammy:  St. Patrick's Day Parade on Saturday and then the Half Marathon on Sunday.  Lots of road closures and lots of congestion.  Lots of fun for us, though.  Lots of drunken fools at 9:30 a.m. the day of the parade and it hadn't even started yet!  Everyone's Irish for a day on the 17th.

So...race report.  Sunday morning started off a touch cooler than predicted.  According to the weather report before leaving home Friday, it was supposed to be 17-19C and sunny.  Actual race day weather, at 7:30 in the morning, was more like 5-7C and cloudy.    Not bad, but I'm glad I brought a fleece throw-away.  I took it off at 7:30, but since we still hadn't moved for 15 minutes, I put it back on. 

Last year it only took us about 10 minutes before we got to the start line.  This year, the elites passed us before we hit the start pad!  That meant they were done 10K before we even started.  Just an FYI that the guy who won the race finished in 59:49 -- holy Speedy Gonzales!

The course was slightly different this year.  They reversed the direction in Central Park and we only did one full loop instead of one and a bit.  They cut out the loop up along the Hudson River to add the extra distance, but we went further down along the River and passed the partly built Freedom Tower where the Twin Towers used to be.  Very cool!

We finished in Tribeca in Fulton Market.  It's pretty crowded at the finish line, but that's what happens when you have 18,000 runners.

This race is so well supported and there's tons of entertainment along the way.  The ladies have decided that this is going to become an annual event -- providing we get into the lottery again.  We're keeping our fingers crossed.  If we don't get in, we'll just go down and shop anyway.  Speaking of shopping, here's one of my purchases that I just love:

No, I didn't wear them after the race.  I don't think my feet would fit in them.

 
This weekend is the Around the Bay Race.  This is my target running race this spring.  I hope to PB here which would mean sub 3:07, but I'm secretly hoping to be sub 3:00.   Yikes!  I've put it out there so now the pressure's on to follow through.

Hope everyone who is doing the Bay has a fabulous race!

"Strength does not come from physical capacity; it comes from an indomitable will."  Gandhi

New York City Half Marathon, Here I Come!

I'm leaving for New York City tomorrow morning with two of my girlfriends.  We're heading back to do the Half Marathon.  I LOVE NYC!


Last year the weather was cool, clear and absolutely perfect for running.  So far, the weather reports are calling for 19C and sunny for race day.  Shorts and tank top is definitely called for.  I know I shouldn't like global warming, but if this is one of the benefits, then I'm ashamed to say that I'll take it. 

This is going to be a fun run for me again this year.  I'm not looking to book it for a PR because I'm saving that for next week's race at the Around the Bay. 

I love this race and I am definitely looking to beat my best time here.  

NYC will necessarily involve shopping, too.  One of the ladies coming with me should be a professional shopper.   She can spend money like nobody's business.   It didn't surprise me when she sent me an email with the subject line, "Our Biggest Sale of the Season..."  Lord and Taylor, watch out!  The ladies from Ontario are doing some damage. 

LRM, are you sure you can't come?  I'll be sure to take pictures of pretty shoes and text them to you ;-)

Ironman training continues and I'm looking forward to reducing my run distances after the Bay race.  I've been doing a lot more distance than necessary at this point in my training so I'll be cutting back after next week.  I can't say the same about the swimming and biking, though.  Those continue to increase, especially the cycling.   If this weather keeps up, I may be riding outside sooner than I thought.  All is still going well there and I'm feeling stronger and stronger every week.

Next post:  NYC recap and update on the Bay.  Enjoy the gorgeous weekend.