For those of you unaware, Seaside Heights (as well as pretty much all the beach towns along the Jersey Shore) was hit pretty hard when Hurricane Sandy came through town last year. This was nothing like the devastation that ensued when Snooki and her Jersey Shore gang came through town during the summers of 2009, 2011 and 2012 (I had to Google that, FYI) - as if Jersey didn't already have enough problems with their "armpit of America" stereotype, they needed to go and bring in a group of idiots to enhance the problem. However, if they can recover from Snooki, they sure as shit can recover from Sandy.
Which one was worse for the Jersey Shore?!
Anyway, back to the race report.
SJ and I decided to sign up for the races because we would be in town and thought it would be fun to support the rebuilding efforts. Then the huge fire ripped through the boardwalk, and we weren't quite sure if they race would go on, but when we got the news that it was a go, we sealed the deal and signed up. Any town that can go through the trifecta of MTV stupidity, hurricanes and fires deserves our support!
Pre-Race
I have done a lot of races in the past four or five years - triathlons, 5ks, 10ks, Summer Series races, etc. - and I don't think I have ever been to a race where you weren't even given the option of picking up your packet until race day. Usually there is at least one place made available to get your number and t-shirt before the day of the race, but not with the Seaside Half Marathon and 5k. We actually got sent an email that said there would be "absolutely no Saturday pick-up of race numbers and shirts". Everything would be taken care of Sunday morning.
This could have gone one of two ways: perfectly okay or "major shitshow".
Surprisingly enough, it went pretty smoothly. I don't know if this is how it is every year, or possibly just this year because of the state of the town (Boro?) of Seaside Heights, but it was far from being a "major shitshow". We got there about 8:20, parked the car on a side street and walked to the Beachcomber to pick up our stuff. Jen needed to register for the 5k, which she was able to do right then and there, and SJ and I got our numbers and shirts (long-sleeved tech shirts - not super ugly) and we headed back to the car to get ourselves ready. The whole process took less than fifteen minutes.
I'm always surprised when I run road races and realize that I don't have to spend a ridiculous amount of time setting up my transition area and getting my wet suit on and making sure everything is laid out just so. Running is just so much easier - get your shoes, grab your racing belt, make sure you have your gels and you're good to go.
The bathroom line was the only iffy part of the whole pre-race - and if I had given myself just an extra five minutes, it wouldn't have even been an issue.
The Race
I was late for the start of the race (bathroom) so I wasn't able to be towards the front of the pack, which was not a very good thing for this race. It started on the boardwalk, just south of where the fire ended (the race itself was not effected by the fire this past summer, and the boardwalk had been rebuilt since last year's hurricane) and, as it was only roughly 12' wide, there wasn't a lot of room for all of the runners. This made for a super packed start. I spent the first mile weaving in a out of runners and trying to carve out some space to run.
The boardwalk ended after roughly 1.5 miles and we made a sharp right onto a side street before making a left out onto the main road. After another 1.5ish miles, we reached the entrance to Island Beach State Park and kept on going until the turnaround at mile 6.
Mile 1: 8:10 (weaving my way along the boardwalk)
Mile 2: 7:27 (found some open road)
Mile 3: 7:30
Mile 4: 7:43
Mile 5: 7:42
Mile 6: 7:38
We ran into a parking lot, around the perimeter and out another exit to hit the road for the run back. As far as interesting race courses go, this was about as boring as it gets. It was a straight out and back. At mile 10 we left the park and made a left, where it was another out and back before heading back onto the boardwalk for the final miles.
Mile 7: 7:26
Mile 8: 7:32
Mile 9: 7:45
Mile 10: 7:27
Mile 11: 7:09
Mile 12: 6:56
Mile 13: 7:01
Mile 14: 6:46 (push to the finish)
Even though we ran along the boardwalk, there wasn't ever really a view of the water and once we went into the park it was pretty much just looking at dunes on either side. However, we did have a pretty strong tailwind on the way out, which wasn't a whole lot of fun to head back into on the way back to the finish.
I had some pretty good goals for the race - in reality I was only doing this so that I was forced into doing my long run this past weekend. I knew that going to Homecoming could have put a crunch into my long run, so by signing up for the half I knew that I would go through with it. I also wanted to test out my speed work and my finishing kick. I know that 13 miles is far different from 26, and that my final three miles in the marathon won't be nearly as strong as the final three miles of my half this past weekend, but I pushed myself for the entire race at a pace that I know is faster than my normal half marathon pace for the simple reason that I wanted to be tired at the end. I didn't want to use this as a long slow run - I know I can go long and slow, I've been doing it the past 16 weeks. But I wanted to know that I could go out hard and finish harder, even if I was tired.
Total time: 1:38:55.6
9th Female Overall, 1st Age Group
(Obviously, the last three miles were NOT in target range, however, my goal was to finish strong, and I can pretty much safely say that I did that. I will most definitely not be running a pace this fast in New York, but I'm happy that I could do it for the Seaside Half.)
Stolen race pictures below:
The Race - 5K
SJ and Jen ran the 5k, which started a half hour after the half marathon went off. It was a straight out and back along the boardwalk, with a turnaround right at the end and a finish at the same place as the half marathon finish. Again, as far as interesting runs, this probably wasn't the most thrilling but it was a great day for running and you can't beat a run along the boardwalk.
And the best part about it?! SJ came in SECOND OVERALL for females! Yep. That's right. She totally rocked it. She PRed in the 5k at 23:23, taking almost a minute off of her best previous 5k time. There must have been something else in those Coors Lights from Homecoming the day before.
Jen also ran a great race and was super pumped at her sub-11:00 pace. She was rockin it out along the run and had a great time. Considering she had to do a literal "test run" the previous week to make sure she could handle a hungover three miles, I'm thinking that she deserves some major props.
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| Belly shot (sorry, couldn't resist!) |
Post-Race
The host restaurant had bagels and bananas for all the racers to munch on after they ran, and a few other racers bought beers at the bar that was open. (I was smart and packed my own beers so I grabbed one from the car post-race and had myself a grand old time.) That was pretty much it for the post-race party. There were Gatorades and waters for runners at the finish line, but everything else happened at the Beachcomber - a spot made infamous by none other than our good friend Snookie when she was decked by some inebriated idiot at the bar.
The most interesting part of the post-race was really taking a look at the havoc that the fire wreaked on the boardwalk. It was amazing that the Beachcomber was actually spared, because the entire boardwalk and stores surrounding it weren't even there anymore - they had already been torn down so that they could be rebuilt. Apparently the Beachcomber had installed fire sprinklers when they did a complete overhaul of the building two years ago, and that pretty much saved their butts. I guess all that post-"Jersey Shore" money came in handy!
SJ, Jen and I hung out for a little so that we could pick-up SJ's prize and then we headed out to the car to pack up and get going. Jen had to get back for Jack's birthday (happy birthday, Jack!) and we had to get back for the Ravens' game at 4:30 (they lost). There wasn't much to do after the race, anyway, so I didn't feel like we were missing anything. I'm sure we could have stayed and had a few drinks at the Beachcomber, but the two hour drive home kinda put a damper on any day drinking in Seaside Heights.
Wrap-Up
Seeing as how this was my last double digit run before New York City, I'm glad that it was a strong one. Even though I ran faster than GMP - and ended with some blistering fast times for even my half marathon standards - I didn't feel any more taxed or exhausted after my usual long runs, which I hope means that my fitness is up to snuff for what I want to race on November 3rd.
As for the race itself, it was a good local half put on by some pretty enthusiastic people. There wasn't much to look at along the course, but it was flat and easy so I can't really complain. If you want a race where you have the chance to PR, this is a good one to do. The only issue you might have to deal with is the wind - October on the Jersey Shore can be iffy. There wasn't much of an after-party, but considering what Seaside Heights has been through in the past year, I wasn't expecting a blow-out (at least not in regards to post-race parties - hair styles are another story). All-in-all, I wouldn't go out of my way to do this race again, but if you're in the area and have the training, I would definitely recommend it. And for $40, you can't really beat it.
Other Notable Racers
Ashley Walsh - 1:38:34.2
Kevin Walsh - 1:38:35.5
Coach Kelly - 1:54:31.4
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| 99% sure this was the face she made during every single Monday Run in college. |
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| Coach even had the foresight to match her watch to her shirt. Not surprised. |
(I don't know any other people that ran but if you do then let me know and I'll add them.)
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