Race Recap: Sayville Running Company Run to the Brewery

Shockingly, I actually ran a race last weekend. Considering the lack of training that I've been doing - and by "lack of training" I mean "none" - the shocking part is predominantly the fact that I made it the full ten miles without collapsing. It's also shocking that I didn't collapse after the beers that I consumed post-race, but we'll get to that later.

Blue Point Brewery is probably one of the best sponsors of local races on Long Island than any other brewery on the Island. It has developed a pretty loyal following among triathletes and runners that I know, simply because they are at the center of every great post-race party. Now, on to the recap!

Pre-Race

You had the option of picking up your packet - or the packets of others, they aren't too strict on security here - on either Thursday or Friday or directly before the race on Saturday. If you picked it up at the Sayville Running Company prior to race day, you were given an extra raffle ticket as well as the enjoyment of wandering around their giant tent sale, spending money on things that you probably don't need but buy anyway "because they're on sale, duh."

We picked our packets up early so that we wouldn't have to worry about it Saturday morning and went straight to the parking lots designated for the race. Since there isn't enough parking at the brewery itself, they have various parking lots within a half mile walk of the starting line, so it's not like you're really hiking to the start. We slyly parked at the Patchogue Y (no line in the bathroom!) and walked down the street to drop our bags off in the tent and head to the starting line, which is pretty much right outside the brewery.

Piece of cake.

The Race

The race itself is ten miles long and takes place on the flat, flat, flat streets of Patchogue, Blue Point and Sayville. It winds through the neighborhoods, meanders along the Great South Bay for a few and then takes you parallel to the train tracks for the stretch back to the finish, roughly a half mile from the Brewery. As far as races go, this one is pretty boring. It's essentially doing a training run through your neighborhood, only you don't know any of the houses and aren't quite sure where you are going. There is literally nothing interesting to see, unless you are a real estate agent and like to see the local property listings in different areas.

However, the course is flat and it's long enough that not everyone and their grandmother can do it, which is nice. It's capped at 1500 entrants - mostly because of the free beer - and it sells out pretty quickly. Ten miles is a decent distance - or at least a distance that gives some people pause. I mean, another 5k and you've got yourself a half marathon, so it limits the applicant pool a good deal.

Neither SJ or I had actually trained for this race, and I literally hadn't run ten miles since the Philly Marathon - not at once, I mean hadn't run ten miles IN TOTAL since then, so this could have gone horribly wrong for the two of us. But, seeing as how we are both so awesome, we started at a decent pace and kept it up for just about the whole run. There were a few times during the course where we slowed down and grabbed water or Gatorade or took a potty break, but we weren't going out there to crush it so neither one of us really cared. . I mean, really, we were only doing it for the free beer, so the whole running thing was just a bonus to make us thirsty to drink more beer.

Post Race Party

Seeing as how the whole point of this run is to get back to the Blue Point Brewery, the post-race party is one giant party. They stick a big tent out back of the actually brewery and set up their portable keg system (which is awesome and I wish I had one) and everyone goes to town. There was a live band, so much food you didn't even know where to start and everyone was hanging out and having a great time. If it wasn't for all the spandex, you would never know that thousands had literally just run ten miles in the (slight) rain and mid-twenties temps. It reminded me a lot of Aspen, a place where the beer flows like wine.

There were plenty of bathrooms, which is always a concern for any after-party that involves unlimited beers, and at some point there were raffles that were drawn. The crappy part was that you had to be present when they drew your number, which, considering the number of people inside the tent, the live band playing and the general overall noise-level, I'm amazed that anyone even heard them draw the tickets. I, for one, didn't even know a raffle was being held - but that could be for multiple reasons, and they all begin with Hoptical.

The beer is open till noon, and after that they brewery is actually open so you can move inside to order food and have some more beers. There isn't a limit on the amount of beers that you can take each time you go up to the beer truck, and the line is pretty long if you are a middle of the pack finisher, so it's best to stock up. Or just stay until the lines thin out and then take as much as you want so that you have multiple back-up beers for when they kick you out!

Wrap-Up

There is absolutely no reason to do this run. It was absolutely horrible. Don't sign up for it next year, regardless of what you hear from friends or relatives. They clearly don't know what they are talking about.*

Just finished ten miles - now it's time to start they party. At 9:30am. 

This is what happens after ten miles - and an equal number of beers!

*This is totally not true. I just don't want to advertise the fact that this race is amazing because it already sells out in less than a week so I need to add to the number of people looking to sign up. But in all honesty, this is one great run, and I highly recommend it! While the run itself is nothing to write home about, it's flat and a great training course. If you are looking to do a spring half-marathon or marathon, then this is a great gauge at your fitness level. And the after-party is really a great time and one of the best reasons to do the run. Even if you don't drink or are the DD, there is so much great food and so many fun people to hang out with that it's easy to have a good time. And the great thing about a run like this is that everyone is there to have a good time - and runners are some of the best people to hang out with. By far. And even if you're not a runner and just an athletic supporter, you can come volunteer and drink and hang out afterwards for generously donating your time - but even that gets filled quickly so act fast next fall!

Race Recap: The Philadelphia Marathon

It's finally here - the much anticipated recap of the Philadelphia Marathon. Seeing as how this is coming roughly ten days after I actually ran the race, things may or not be taken out of perception. Things get fuzzy after a couple of days, but sorry I have a life and spent all of last week not doing anything other than be lazy. Which I guess translates into me actually having more than enough time to write a recap but chose to do other things like nap, eat and drink adult beverages in my spare time. Oh well - I do what I want! Anyway, here goes nothin'.

Race Weekend

Since we have amazing friends that live in Philly (what up Swizzos!) and they allowed us to sleep in their swank pad, SJ and I hit the road right in time for rush hour traffic on Friday afternoon. Things were going smoothly until we got stuck for literally twenty minutes going roughly 100 feet somewhere in Manhattan. (However, before you judge us for taking a route through the city, we checked the traffic and it really was the least awful of a truly awful situation.) Once out of the city, however, it was decently smooth sailing on down the Jersey Turnpike and into PA.

On arrival to Casa de Swiz, we were greeted by none other than Walter himself, aka: Wayne Swizzo, who was well-equipped with a box o' wine for he and SJ to nurse through the evening. Seeing as how I was down there to run a marathon on Sunday, I opted to go for a few IPAs of the Long Trail variety since I was, ya know, "taking it easy". Mrs. Swiz was out at a wine tasting for the evening, so the three of us kicked back and put our comfy clothes on and had a blast just chatting away. It was a great night and perfect to just relax and hang out.

Saturday morning, SJ and I woke up and got ourselves suited and booted to head into Philly to the expo and to see some sights. Mrs. Swiz came home that morning so we were able to see her for a few minutes before popping down the street to catch the next train into Center City.

Race Expo/Packet Pick-Up

Packet pick-up couldn't have been easier even if I was literally the only one running the race that weekend. Alright, that's probably a slight exaggeration since if I was, in fact, the only one running the race I would at least have requested that they mail me my race number and t-shirt instead of making me go get it at a race expo. However, it was amazingly simple.

The expo opened at eleven and we arrived at the expo around noonish, so I don't know if we were early or late, but we certainly missed a large chunk of the crowd. While not nearly as big as the NYC Marathon expo, the Philly Marathon also has roughly a quarter of the number of participants, so I wasn't expecting to be knocked off my bar stool with amazingness. The expo itself had your typical race-y type things: places to buy last minute items (that I sure hope people didn't run in the next day, although, in hindsight I did buy some arm warmers that day that I wore the next day, so do as I say, not as I do?), Philadelphia Marathon race gear at hugely overpriced prices, a Gore-Tex booth that was full of all kinds of cool waterproof goodies, info about other races in the area or not anywhere remotely close but would be fun to visit (ie: Bermuda), and then there always seems to be one random booth that seems to have mixed up their expo dates but decided to stick with it because maybe someone just might want to hear about Gutter-Guards and/or lawn sprinkler systems while at a marathon race expo!

Awkward public photo in front of the race sign.

 After picking up my race number in an effortless manner, SJ and I strolled the expo for a bit, looking at odds and ends. We ended up running into two people that were on our original Ragnar Cape Cod team last year and who we see at various events across Long Island. We exchanged bib numbers and decided to meet at baggage check the next morning before we all went to our respective corrals. They also ran New York this year, so we were all running on tired legs (there's were decidedly more tired however, seeing as how two weeks before New York they also ran a 50k or something crazy like that. Weirdos.)

Seeing everything there was to see made us starving so we hopped upstairs to the Reading Terminal where we had an absolute mind-f*ck of food choices to pick from. Seeing as how we were both so hungry and totally overloaded on smells, we both opted for some kind of sandwich, which we then proceeded to eat outside standing up. I got Thanksgiving on a sandwich, complete with turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce and SJ got a Reuben. Yep, going for the big carbo load the day before. Any Philadelphian will tell me that we didn't do Reading Terminal any justice, and they would be absolutely right. But I was hangry and SJ just wanted to get me fed before I went all Hulk on her, so I guess we'll just have to go back. Also, you try finding your way through this:

That's me when I'm not fed in a timely manner. We try to avoid this situation at all costs. And by "we", I mean SJ.

Lunch consumed, we headed on our way for a little tour of Philadelphia. We took in the sights in the historic district:

And then meandered our way through the Old City and back to the train. Unbeknownst to me, since I never really looked at a map of the race course all that much, we ended up walking somewhat of the same route that I would be running on the next day. Fancy that!

The Swizzos made reservations for us at an Italian restaurant in Manayunk for that night so that I could carbo load before the big day. The food was amazing, even if half of us didn't get the correct order, and I'm sure the Guinness that I never got was delicious. But we had great company and a lot of great laughs, so it was well worth a missed pint. After that is was off to bed for SJ and I so that I could get my beauty rest for the big day. But not before laying out my race person:

Race Day

Philadelphia and New York are like a tale of two races. I was up bright and early on Sunday morning so that I could get dropped off as close to the race starting point as I could. Walt had amazingly told SJ and I that he would get up to drive us in since there would be some road closures and he knew the back ways to get us close to the starting point, which was the Philadelphia Art Museum (think: Rocky):

They dropped me as close as they could to the museum, which ended up being not even a ten minute walk, around 6:20am, which meant I only had about thirty minutes to kill before needing to be in my corral. I wandered my way over to bag drop, which, once again couldn't have been any easier, and took off the clothes that I had worn down and made some last minute wardrobe decisions based on the early (7:00am) start time. I knew the weather was supposed to creep up into the 50s later that day, but since it was still relatively chilly out at 6:30, I opted for the arm warmers and kept my long sleeve shirt on, knowing that as I warmed up in the first mile I could ditch it somewhere. (Side note - remind me that I need to start saving my crappy long sleeve shirts, rather than giving them away. I'm running low after these last few races.) I met up with Steve and Katrina and we all said good luck before heading towards our respective corrals.

The one downside to race morning was the severe lack of porta-potties at the race start. I was waiting in one line for roughly ten minutes, having moved about ten feet forward, before deciding to try elsewhere. I overheard someone saying that a friend towards the front of the line had been waiting for close to 45 minutes. Seeing as how it was getting close to race time, I had a decision to make: wait in line and possibly go off in a later corral or just run until the first porta-potty stop. Lucky for me, I waited in line and ended up making it with about five minutes to spare before my corral went off. However, I'm sure there were quite a few people forced into some really problematic decisions. 

There also wasn't anything offered to racers that morning. I didn't see water stations or any type of Gatorade or PowerBars, etc. anywhere in the athlete's area. While I know that we weren't required to wait around for roughly four hours like we had to for New York City, but considering they suggested to get to the race start between 5 and 5:30, you would think there would be something for people to eat or drink if they wanted it. Not everyone remembers to bring water and/or munchies with them.

The Race

The race starts and ends in the exact same spot, which is great. The first wave went off right at 7, and then each wave went off about two to three minutes after, so there wasn't a lot of waiting around. I have absolutely no idea if they lumped both half-marathoners and marathoners together in the same corals, but I am assuming they did because there were quite a lot of people that split at the halfway point. Even so, the corrals weren't super packed and the volunteers weren't exactly Nurse Hatchets about letting people in and out of the corrals. I managed to weave my way up through to the relative front of my corral, and by "weave" I mean walk in a straight line because it wasn't exactly full to the brim with people. No one was elbowing their way up to the starting line and being all crazy. It was all very relaxed considering we were just about to run either 13.1 or 26.2 miles.

The first few miles took us through Center City to the Historic District and Old City, before running us along the Delaware River and then back through Center City again. It was a similar route to the one SJ and I had navigated the day before. We passed Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell and I raced a freighter full of, well, freight, making it's way down the Delaware. (It won, by the way. But I think it had an unfair advantage of having both a tugboat AND the current to help it.) I had to stop and use the porta potties around mile 3 - I guess I had enough liquids before the race began after all - but other than that it was an uneventful first five miles.

Mile 1: 8:22
Mile 2: 8:06
Mile 3: 8:00 (oops)
Mile 4: 8:21
Mile 5: 8:26

I really had no goals in mind as to what pace I wanted to run, but I figured keeping it somewhere in the 8:30 range would put me in about 3:45. Clearly I went out a little fast, but seeing as how I really had no "plan", I was really just running with it (pun intended).

We crossed over the Schuylkill River at mile 6ish and headed towards Drexel University. We must have run along their frat row because it was amazing - tons of drunk college kids were lining the streets along the hills in this part of the race, offering beers to runners going by. I considered stopping, but figured that starting to drink this early in the race probably wouldn't be such a great idea. If I ever go back to do the half marathon I am definitely taking them up on the offer though.

This part of the course was where the majority of the hills are. There are two pretty decent upswings of about 100 feet, so not particularly grueling, but not fun either. Doing most of my training on the north shore of Long Island has prepared me for worse though, so having pushed through those bad boys I knew it was pretty smooth sailing for the remainder of the run.

After passing Drexel we reached the entrance to the Zoo and then did a little run around in Fairmount Park. My Philadelphian tour guide, Walt, told me that it is the largest public park in America, which is pretty neat. We actually ran through a few different sections of the park, at different times along the course, so I can't say I'm surprised by this factoid. However, I will file it away for a future Jeopardy! answer. This part of the course was actually pretty boring because there weren't a whole lot of people along the route to cheer us on. Since we were in the middle of a park, few people took the time to hike out to points along the course, so there were really just clusters of people at the easiest accessible place. This happened in quite a few different areas throughout the course - small chunks of distance where there weren't any people cheering - but it was never for too long and it wasn't anything that would make or break the event.

Mile 6: 8:32
Mile 7: 8:19
Mile 8: 8:31
Mile 9: 8:15
Mile 10: 8:36

We ran along the water for quite a few miles before crossing back over the Schuylkill and reaching the split for the half marathon and marathon. The course is a figure eight, so the finish is literally the starting line and it gives people the option of cutting it short if they decide they can't/don't want to finish the full marathon distance (however, it doesn't work the other way around; half marathoners can't just decide that today would be the day they go for broke). I'm not gonna lie - my legs were tired and my knees were already giving me some problems by mile eight, so it was pretty tempting to just veer right and finish the half and be done with it. But SJ and my Philadelphians were waiting for me near mile 17, so I knew I had to keep going to see them. So thanks guys, you inadvertently made me do a full marathon.

Mile 11: 8:20
Mile 12: 8:41
Mile 13: 8:36
Mile 14: 8:35
Mile 15: 8:33

As you can see from above, I had quite the problem holding onto a steady pace. This is probably due to a couple different factors. I wasn't dead set on finishing in any time frame a la New York City. Now before you say, "But what about your race goals?", that's not to say that I didn't have them, it's just that I wasn't going to be disappointed if I didn't hit my A goal like I was for New York. Yes, I had goals and yes, of course I was trying to achieve those goals, but I had no plan, no strategy, going into the Philly Marathon, which made keeping a steady pace difficult. I also had to keep telling myself not to go out too hard, too fast, too soon, because I wasn't quite sure how my body was going to react. I knew I wasn't fully recovered from New York, and once my calves started to cramp up and my knees started to hurt I knew that it was going to be a hard pill to swallow.

After the split, it was a pretty straight forward out-and-back along Kelly Drive and the Schuylkill. We passed Boathouse Row between miles 13 and 14, and kept going out towards Manayunk. I saw SJ and the Philadelphian Crew around mile 17 and gave them a big wave before crossing the East Falls Bridge, and then saw them again coming back across about a mile later. Main Street in Manayunk was packed with people cheering and right before getting into the heart of it some gracious people had set up a beer stop for runners. I opted not to go for it on my first go around, but passing through after the turnaround I figured a beer was just what I needed so, down the hatch!

Mile 16: 8:36
Mile 17: 8:30
Mile 18: 9:18 (stopped to walk through a water stop and down a gel)
Mile 19: 8:50
Mile 20: 8:35

I caught up to SJ and the Crew again at mile 22, where this happened. For those of you that can't see the video, here it is captured in pictures:



Where's my beer?

 







Yes, I did achieve my C goal of drinking at least one full beer on the course. I believe I did it in a pretty decent time, too, all things considering. I still have the cup as well - it's a souvenir. So after that, it was pretty much all downhill to the finish. I mean, really, after that I didn't have much else to prove. However, it just so happened that the 3:45 pace group passed me while I was mid chug - you can just make out the balloons up ahead of me in the last picture - so I latched onto their group for the final four miles. I actually had no idea what corral they had started in so they could very well have been faster or slower, but checking Alastair I was on pace to come in just shy of 3:45 so this made it easy.

Mile 21: 8:42
Mile 22: 8:42 (with a stop to say hi to everyone, and drink a beer)
Mile 23: 8:33
Mile 24: 8:28
Mile 25: 8:24

Once we hit Boathouse Row, I knew there was a little under a mile to go so I kicked it up a notch and pushed on. At this point I really just wanted to finish and be done - my calves felt like two bricks had wedged themselves under my skin and my right knee was I'm pretty sure just hanging on by a few strands of ligaments. The quicker I got finished, the quicker I could stop running. I rounded the back of the Art Museum and could see the finish line up ahead and went for it.

Mile 26: 7:57
Mile 27: 7:11

Total time: 3:43:02 (unofficially)

I know that this time will be off the official time because I stopped twice to use the facilities and then once to see SJ and everyone, so I'm thinking it might be somewhere right around 3:45-3:46. However, this is the actual time I spent running so whatever. The fact that the race directors still don't have official race results posted online is a bit ridiculous, so I'm just going to use my time instead of theirs.

Post-Race

Like any race, they funnel you along in the finishing chute for a couple hundred yards: pick up your medal here, get your foil wrap there, now move ahead to baggage claim, now here's some food. At this point it was actually getting pretty hot out - mid-60s - so I was glad to be off the course and getting some liquids in me. If the race had started any later in the day it would have been brutally hot out by the second half of the course, so the early start was a key advantage.

Since everyone was hanging out elsewhere, I opted to cruise pass anything that was happening and make my way to the nearest train station to get out to see everyone. The trains only run once an hour out to the semi-burbs so I didn't want to miss my shot at getting on it and having to wait around or figure out another mode of transportation. I walked/shuffled my way to the train and slowly hopped aboard for the fifteen minute ride out.

I don't think I missed anything at the official race end, however. I've noticed that at these bigger events, especially ones that take place in larger cities (Philly, NY, DC, etc.) there isn't a whole lot of action going on post-race. I don't know if it's just the sheer volume of people participating or the fact that each city offers so much else to do that people tend to not hang around afterward, but the lack of any kind of celebration afterwards is kinda crappy. There was nothing on the race website about an post-race gathering or party, so I figured I wasn't missing anything by making plans elsewhere.

Wrap-Up

I think it's time I switch to small-town races, where the after-parties tend to be more fun and the feeling of celebration is pretty much everywhere you go, rather than big-city races where you just really get swallowed up in the numerous other things that are going on around the city. I mean, obviously the NYC Marathon was amazing and seeing Walt and Sween made the Philadelphia Marathon great, but when I finish something big I want nothing more than to kick back and hang out with friends and fellow participants. And if we are being completely honest - which we are - then I gotta admit that the big races just don't do it for me; there's just too many people to logistically have a great post-race event.

However, I did have a fabulous time in Philly,  where I proceeded to continue the in-marathon consumption of adult beverages post-race. I even cheered for the Eagles, so maybe that beer did go to my head! 

I would probably not run in Philly again, or at least not the marathon. I've been there and done that and think there are other options out there before running it for a second time. I would like to look for a smaller race in a smaller town where I am the center of attwntion. Gosh, is that so hard to ask for?! No, but really, I have found over the past couple years that with bigger races - half IM distance, half marathon, etc - that a smaller venue, city, race makes it much more participant friendly.  So here's to going small in 2014!

Race Recap: The ING New York City Marathon

There is a lot going through my mind about the marathon this past Sunday, so rather then get into the mental aspect of running a marathon and the physical and mental toll it takes on ones body, I am just going to do a straight race recap of the event and will post again about all the other randomness surrounding the day. Needless to say, there are a lot of things - both good and bad - that I can take away from the race and that will only serve to help me in future races of all kinds and distances, including that shiny beacon of badass-ness, the M-Dot.

Packet Pick-Up/Race Expo

Seeing as how roughly 60,000 people were registered to run this year's marathon - the biggest field in history - there was no race day pick-up. Shocker, I know. The Javits Center was the site of this year's packet pick-up and expo, as I'm sure it has been every year since it became as big as it is now. There just really isn't a hotel banquet hall or place elsewhere in the city that can accommodate the sheer volume of people in one place like the Javits Center can. This is a place that holds the New York Boat Show every year - I mean, really, if you can hold a show about nothing but extremely large boats in your venue, I think you can handle the NYC Marathon Expo.

The Expo opened on Thursday at 10:00am and runners could pick up anytime over the next three days. As far as execution, the New York Road Runners organization pretty much has this whole thing down pat by now. Getting to the Javits Center is about as pain-free as you can make something in New York City: it's easily accessible by taxi, subway or on foot; it's relatively easy to get to even if you aren't staying in Manhattan-proper; everyone knows where it is, so it's pretty hard to get lost getting there; and it's a big enough venue that it never feels like a mob-scene.

 
Tammy and I took the train in Friday after work, so we were able to get to the Expo sometime around 5ish. It's a fairly short distance from Penn Station to the West Side, and since no subways go that far over, we opted to walk, which took about 15 minutes. Once we got there, it took us no more than ten minutes to get inside the Expo itself. Security had been heightened (another shock) so every bag was inspected before we went in, and everyone over 18 had to have a valid ID/passport to get inside, but the whole thing was relatively painless. I think, at this stage in the game, everyone knows what to expect when it comes to big races and security expectations, so there were no real problems that I could see in regards to that aspect. Were some people probably turned away becasue they had no valid ID? Probably. But really, if you aren't smart enough to bring a valid form of ID with you when you go to pick up a race packet then you've really got to be kidding. And, for those people who aren't running and who still needed ID to get in, really, who doesn't carry around some kind of ID with them? Isn't it just logical to expect that everyone over the age of 18 will have some form of ID on them, especially if they are visiting another country?

Once we officially entered the Expo, they really couldn't have made it any easier to pick up your packet. Each stall was clearly marked with the corresponding numbers (30,000 - 34,999; 35,000 - 39,999; etc.) and you simply walked up to the counter and showed them your registration form. Since your ID was checked prior to getting in, everything was pretty straightforward. From that point, the volunteers directed you further down the aisle to pick up your shirt and, if you had registered for last year's race, the booth where you could pick up your stuff from last year. One of the girls that I was with had been registered so she got her shirt and finishers medal - even though no one actually raced. I guess they figured they had the medals pre-ordered so they might as well give them out to everyone. What else would you do with 50,000 out-dated medals?

Typical "race number" photo.

After all the race-requirements were taken care of, requisite picture taking done and high-fives all around, you were funneled into the actual race Expo. Asics was the official clothing sponsor for this year's race, so they had by-far the biggest spot. As soon as you walked in you were smacked in the face with all kinds of marathon gear: jackets, running shirts, shorts, socks, arm sleeves, hats, etc. We avoided this section like the plague, lest we pick-up any pre-race jinxes by trying on Marathon gear before we had officially finished so I can't really give you any more info on this section. Just know it was large and people were eating up all the gear like they were flies on a pile of cow crap.

From that point on it was really just a free-for-all. There really wasn't a sense to how everything was laid out. The bigger companies shelled out the most cash and had bigger booths. Brooks had actually set up what looked like an entire department store - complete with mannequins that actually moved - and Oakley had something equally as big, although not nearly as cool.

Those "people" had movable legs and arms and also rotated around so it looked like they were actually running. Slightly creepy, but cool nonetheless. I would love to know if this marketing scheme actually made them money.

The usuals were all there: PowerBar, Nuun, SPI Belt, CEP, Gatorade, Poland Spring, Fuel Belt, various New York City-based running stores (Super Runners Shop, JackRabbit, etc.), various race directors trying to sucker people into running their marathons, ultras, etc. before they had even completed this one (although, in hindsight, this is probably a great idea: get them to sign up when they're all hopped up on endorphins and before they know just how hard it is to actually run a marathon! Brilliant!). We spent probably another hour walking around, seeing what there was and taking it all in before we high-tailed it out of there to catch a train home.

Saturday

After a delicious pancake, eggs and bacon breakfast, SJ and I spent a leisurely Saturday getting ourselves ready for Sunday. SJ had race routes and subway maps and spreadsheets spread out across the living room table - planning her and my parents' course of spectator-attack along the route. They wanted to see me in four different places - one of which I requested be the Bronx as that's where I heard it was most desolate, as well as where most runners tend to hit the infamous "wall". After some discussion with Mamadukes and M&M, they had they course outlined and their plans drawn and I knew where to see them along the route.

SJ and I took a 3:00pm train into Woodside to stay over at Shanpet's place the night before. We were both catching the bus from Bryant Park at 5:30am on Sunday, so rather then dealing with the train that early, Shan and the Big Buy had generously offered to cook us a carbo-centric meal and gave us a place to stay. This also made it easy for SJ to get up the next day and get to BK to start her whirlwind day.

When we got there, the Big Guy was busy making signs to hold up along the course. They were the usual classy affairs, as only you would expect from Shanpet and the Big Guy - "Do these pants my ass look fast?", "Your feet hurt because you're kicking so much ass!", etc. We ate dinner around six and really just hung out and watched TV for most of the evening. Shanpet had suckered talked Breandan in to airbrushing her name onto her race shirt, so after spending roughly four hours doing that, he and SJ headed out to refuel - and by "refuel" I mean buy more wine. Just cause Shanpet and I were running a marathon didn't mean they had to stay dry. Shanpet and I laid out our race people - it's become a habit of mine now so that I know that I have everything that I need for race morning. Then, after about four or five virgin hot toddy's, we settled in for the night.

Race Day Morning

The alarm clock went off at an un-amazing 4:15am - luckily we had at least gained an hour over the course of the night, or it could have been a lot worse. It still sucked and as I dragged my butt into the shower to wake up, all I could think about was how this wasn't exactly a typical race day morning. Besides not having to worry about the usual triathlon accoutrements, I was also about to RUN THE NEW YORK F*CKING MARATHON! Holy Shit! Only then was it actually sinking in

We got ready and kissed our respective spouse's goodbye and set off for the subway. It just so happened to be that time in the morning when all the drunks are coming home, so our subway was surprisingly crowded, and also happened to smell suspiciously of beer and whiskey. Yum! But as the train crept towards Manhattan, we took on more and more runners with every stop and eventually we were pretty much the only ones on board. It took us about twenty minutes to get to Bryant Park and boarding the buses couldn't' have been any easier. We literally got off the subway, walked up the stairs and went straight onto a bus. The whole thing couldn't have taken more than five minutes.This very well could have been totally different had we been later getting there - I'm sure more and more people arrived after us and I don't know if runner's were given different times or what, all I know is my morning went pretty smoothly. They counted out every runner so every bus was full to capacity and once it was loaded, we set off.

Because we were on one of the first buses, we had a short trip down to Fort Wadsworth. Anyone on the later buses was stuck in a big line of traffic coming across the bridge, so in hindsight I'm glad we had such an early wake-up. Even though we had to wait around for three hours or so, we got through security and into the runner's area with relative ease. Shanpet and I were able to scope out our respective athlete "villages" and grab food and coffee while it wasn't yet completely packed, and then we grabbed a spot up against a fence to protect ourselves from the wind as much as possible.

As for the toilet situation, well, you tell me:

I really think that every single porta-potty along the East Coast was called into action for the day's events. There were toilets everywhere - in every village and in the open area and all over the place. The only time it became an issue was as it got close to each wave being called - everyone seemed to make a mad dash towards the loos for one final go.

Channel 4(?) was broadcasting from the main athlete area, so a bunch of runners had made signs and were crowding around the background to try and get on TV. Shanpet and I met up with another runner that we knew, Liz, so we all hung out and relaxed until we had to leave.

After our initial wander around, I didn't do too much walking so I don't know how crowded each village was or how the food/coffee/Gatorade situations were. I can't complain about my situation, but I was in early enough to get what I needed/wanted so I really didn't have an issues. It seemed like there was a lot of everything so I can't imagine that they ran out of anything - with 60,000 people registered, I'm sure they planned for the masses. It's not like this was their first rodeo.

Once Wave 1 was called, I started to get up and get moving. I still had at least an hour till I was set to start, but they work like Disney - just keep the people moving and keep them entertained and they won't realize they just stood in line for 45 minutes. The one thing I did notice was that the wave entrance near me - which happened to be Green - closed down roughly ten minutes earlier than it was supposed to (the sign said Wave 1 would close at 8:55 - he closed it at 8:45). Obviously, this created quite the commotion - lots of people screaming and yelling and pointing at the sign and the other entrances that were still letting people in and the guy just standing there not letting them in. I don't really know what the deal was and why he closed early, but some of the runners tried to get in through a different wave entrance and I think they were successful. To be fair, the guy did close it early and if all these people had told family and friends times based on leaving at 9:40, being pushed to the second wave would screw up a lot of things.

The one thing this did do was light a fire under my ass and get me moving towards my Orange Village so that I wouldn't end up being one of those people. But fear not, fair friends, for I got in successfully. As it turns out, I was the first corral in the second wave, which meant I was right at the start line when the cannon shot off and we were sent on our merry way. Couldn't have planned it better if I tried!

The Race

I know, I know, it's like a damn marathon just reading about this marathon recap - but it's here, it's here! The race is finally here!

I hit the line about :06 after the cannons went off to signal our wave start - and I was officially running a marathon. Because I was so close to the start line, I didn't have to worry about being crowded running over the Verazzano, which was both good and bad: I was able to have a clear running lane the whole time, but I also had to constantly check my speed so I didn't go out to fast. It was windy while we were waiting at Fort Wadsworth, and out on the bridge you could really feel it - although this would be the only time that I felt it along the course.

I flew over the bridge and hit the streets of Brooklyn to begin my epic journey 24 more miles to Central Park. Here's what miles 1-5 look like:

Mile 1: 8:15
Mile 2: 7:25 (oops, but also downhill of bridge)
Mile 3: 7:49
Mile 4: 7:53
Mile 5: 7:50

After the fast second mile, I finally hit my groove. I did a pretty good job of staying consistent throughout the first part of the race. I never went faster than that second mile, and while it was downhill for the majority of it, I do know that it probably took a little bit more out of me than had I slowed down and not let the downhill take me so much. But can't change it now.

Once I hit the streets of Brooklyn it was a mob scene along the course. There wasn't a single moment along the entire rest of the course (with exception of the QB Bridge, which spectators aren't aloud on) that wasn't crowded with people cheering on the runners. I knew once I got into BK that my first group of friends were stationed between miles five and six - so that became my focal point: just get to mile five where you'll see Ei & Co. on the right side. I crossed over to the opposite side so that I wouldn't miss them and was able to give a high five to everyone as I went by.

After getting that little boost from seeing people that I knew, my next focal point was seeing SJ, M&M and Mamadukes at mile 8ish. I knew I only had three miles to go until I would see them, so kept an even pace and ran on. Here's the next five miles:

Mile 6: 7:44
Mile 7: 8:06
Mile 8: 7:53
Mile 9: 8:01
Mile 10: 7:50

I was all over the place these few miles. I would speed up, then notice that I was speeding up so I would slow down, then notice I slowed down too much. At one point during Mile 6, the 3:45 pace group leader had come up along side me, which kind of screwed me up because I knew that there was no way I was going as slow as a 3:45 time - I was consistently in the 7:55 pace range, which was well below a 3:45 pace. He ended up dropping back significantly after that, but it still screwed with my mind a little bit, which probably led to the 7:44 pace.

Once all the groups merged together around the mile 8 mark, I knew that the next group would be coming up. Mamadukes was smart and wore a big "Happy Birthday" balloon so that I would be able to spot them in the group (and, it also happened to be her birthday - sorry I hijacked the moment!). When I rounded the corner onto Lafayette Ave., I knew they would be up on the left so I weaved over to give them a big wave on the way past. I was still feeling pretty good at this point - I had a gel about mile 8 and washed it down with some water and kept on truckin'.

Mile 11: 8:06
Mile 12: 8:05
Mile 13: 7:55
Mile 14: 8:02
Mile 15: 8:28 (QB Bridge)

I weaved my way through BK, taking in the crowds and the noise. I had noticed two other girls about my age running at the same speed as me, so I kind of tailed them for awhile. They were running a pretty steady pace, but as the streets started to narrow down and I started catching up to some people from wave 1, I couldn't always keep them in my sights. By the time we turned onto the Queensborough Bridge, it got to be a bit too difficult to always keep them in view so I bagged it. I saw the gang again right before making the left turn onto the bridge, which gave me a super big boost right when I needed it most.

I've run over the bridge numerous times when SJ lived in Astoria so I knew exactly what to expect. It's a pretty steady incline for about 3/4 of a mile, and then it's a steep downhill towards the turn. It is eerily quiet after coming from such a loud atmosphere in Brooklyn and Queens - just the sounds of people breathing and their feet hitting the pavement.

Mile 16: 9:35 (not accurate)
Mile 17: 7:56
Mile 18: 7:48
Mile 19: 8:08
Mile 20: 8:06

I lost satellite reception under the bridge, so mile 16 isn't entirely accurate. I also notice that I was running slightly ahead of the mile markers before hitting the bridge and then coming off the bridge I was almost spot on - so somewhere under the bridge I probably lost reception and Alastair compensated by doing some math and coming up with the number. But at no point did I ever feel like I was running a 9:35 pace.

Hitting the "wall of sound" on First Avenue after coming off the silence of the bridge was something probably truly unique to the NYC Marathon. There really isn't a way to describe it. Slogging uphill in eerie silence and then rounding the corner on a downhill to hundreds of thousands of people screaming and shouting encouragement at you is a completely thrilling experience. Knowing you're more than halfway done and have finally hit the streets of Manhattan is absolutely mind blowing. Even though you know, subconsciously, that the hardest parts are still ahead, you also know that every single person along that course is cheering you on and will help you get there.

There was a big pack of people waiting at 86th and 1st - so that was my next check point. Just get to 86th and then you'll see everyone. And it was awesome. Kristi, Liz, Laura, Kristi's parents, Mo and her sister, Jade and Steve - they were all out in full force (sorry if I missed someone!). They had posters and were cheering as loud as they could. There is a horribly unflattering picture that I refuse to post here, but that I have a feeling will be seen again - possibly as a giant cardboard cutout or something. But it was such a boost of energy to see everyone and that propelled me on towards the toughest part of the day.

Mamadukes wasn't able to get up to see me in the 100s, but I knew that I would see SJ and M&M again in the Bronx - where I would need them most. I had been munching a PowerBar all the way up 1st Avenue for some energy, and I grabbed another gel at mile 18 to save for later on, then it was off to the Boogey Down Bronx.

Mile 21: 8:09
Mile 22: 7:54
Mile 23: 7:36 (<-- hey yo!)
Mile 24: 8:13 (probably because of the ridiculous pace the previous mile)
Mile 25: 7:48

I saw the gang at Mile 20 right before crossing the Madison Avenue Bridge and heading back into Manhattan. I gave them my arm warmers and gloves since I didn't need them anymore and kicked on. Once I got to that point, I knew that I had it. I started to break the race down into smaller increments - two 5ks, rather than six more miles. At this point, I still hadn't hit the proverbial "wall", and although I wasn't necessarily feeling "good", I also didn't feel like I was going to die. My pace along First Avenue was pretty steady and I didn't feel like I had gone too fast and I still had a lot left in the tank. I had a gel in the Bronx - the last form of energy I would take in before the end - and it sat well for the rest of the race, thankfully.

Fifth Avenue was hard - it's an uphill that you can see, rather than being a false flat - and while it's not a significant incline, the mere fact that you know it's going uphill is a bit demoralizing. However, the people along Fifth Ave. also know that now is the time that you need the encouragement and they were awesome - especially as you got down towards the top of the park. The streets were packed with people and they were all pushing you towards the finish. Mile 23 was way too fast, and I paid for it in mile 24 - but it was hard to keep myself in check knowing I was so close to the finish. My form was pretty much shot to shit at this point and mentally I just kept telling myself that the faster I went, the faster I would get finished and be able to drink. No, really - this is what I was thinking.

I missed Mamadukes again at the turn into Central Park right around mile 24, which was really crappy since the mental pick-me-up would have been awesome. But all the spectators along the way made up for it. The park was pretty crowded with runners, which made it somewhat difficult to find a lane and stay in it. I felt like I had to to a lot of unnecessary weaving, but I also knew that I would be cutting it close to my A goal time so I couldn't really stop to smell the roses. At this point, my legs were starting to cramp up and my feet were not exactly happy with me and when I got to Cat Hill I thought I just might die. Seriously - I would have rather run up Cat Hill than down it at that point. Coming off the hill both my quads started to cramp, but I knew from experience that I couldn't stop because they would just seize up - running through it was the only way to avoid it.

That's not a smile, friends, that's a grimace.

SJ and M&M just barely made it down to Central Park South at the Plaza to see me at the turn - at this point I knew that I had Boston in the bag, and I thought that I had sub-3:30, too, which I think made me relax my pace a little and ended up being the one mistake all race. It was also even more crowded with runners at this point, and now I was definitely moving all around to avoid slower runners, and people hugging family members, etc.

Unfortunately, Alastair ran out of storage space (really!) with 1.2 miles to go, so I won't ever know what that final mile split was, but I know that it took me 10:18 to run that final bit, which probably equals out to somewhere in the 8:05/mile pace. Not exactly the strong finish that I wanted but pretty much spot on to the pace that I ran all race.

Mile 26: 8:05(?)
Mile .2: 2:00(ish)

Final time: 3:30:48 - Boston Qualifying

Post-Race

Directly after you cross the finish line, they funnel you down the chute where volunteers put your medal on. Unless you need medical attention, the volunteers are all pushing you to keep walking and keep moving just so you don't cramp up or collapse. There is a place to get your picture taken, which I did:

After picture time, it's off to get your feed back - it's got the usual stuff: water bottle, Gatorade recovery drink, apple, pretzels. You also got one of those foil blankets to keep warm, which I was in desperate need of since my body temperature had dropped about five degrees in the five minutes since I'd finished. They kept funneling you up the park, with early exit people staying to the left and anyone with bags to collect to the right. I had picked "baggage" way back in July and even though I ended up not bringing anything to check, I still wasn't able to get out early (I tried to change it at the Expo on Friday, but it was a no-go), which meant I missed out on a super awesome fleece poncho thing. I was stuck with my flimsy foil wrap to keep me warm for the trek across town to the bar.

In hindsight, I should have checked clothes to wear afterwards because it was probably the easiest thing to do. I passed by all the trucks on my way out of the park and every bag was lined up in number order and ready to go. I don't know if it's just because I finished before a majority of the people in my waves or the two behind me, but baggage pick-up was relatively pain-free.

Annoyingly, I exited the park at 81st and Central Park West but there was no way for me to get across to the east side. I needed to go to 85th and 1st to meet up with everyone and would have rather walked through the park than take the subway, but alas, I wasn't able to. I stumbled made my way to the subway stop outside the Museum of Natural History and struggled down the steps. One great thing is that runners can ride the subway for free after the race, so I just showed the cop my number and he let me in the gate. I had to then go down another set of stairs - which is just cruel - and hopped on the subway to make my way down and around the park.

I never went down as far as the family reunion section, so I can't comment on how it was down there. We had purposely picked a place on the east side because that's where most of our friends would be watching and it was also far enough away from the finish line that it wouldn't be a mob scene with runners and family and friends. It was annoying to get to for me at a time when walking wasn't exactly easy, but once at the bar it ended up being perfect.

Seeing as how I never made it further south than 81st, I don't know if there was anything by way of an "after-party". In a city like New York, there is really so much to do and so many other places to meet and hang out that I'm not surprised they just kind of send you on your way. It's a lot easier to meet away from the center of everything than try to have people come to you. Plus, as you can imagine, the security was heightened around the park and the finish line, making it pretty much impossible to meet up anywhere but the designated reunion areas. However, we made ourselves an awesome after-party of our own, which was so much better.

It took me a little over an hour to finally meet up with SJ and M&M on the east side. I changed into some warmer clothes and we made our way to the bar to meet up with everyone. It was pretty awesome to hear everyone cheer when we walked in and everyone in the bar - whether I knew them or not - was offering up congratulations. Shanpet came in about an hour after me - she was lucky enough to get a super awesome poncho AND smart enough to take a cab rather than the subway - and we all cheered and congratulated again. We stayed at Ryan's Daughter until about 6 when their open bar special ended before heading up the block to Molly Pitcher's to watch the end of the Ravens' game (which my dad had left Ryan's Daughter to go watch - rather than celebrate my marathon-ness!). Eventually we stumbled our way into a cab to head to Sunnyside to get our stuff and then off to Woodside to catch the train home.

Wrap-Up

I don't know if it was because it was my first marathon, or because I have been training for so long, or because I had some pretty big goals, but I don't know how people that have run New York can not like it or want to do it again. The energy and atmosphere along every mile of the route is something that I can't imagine is matched anywhere else except Boston. There were times along the route that I couldn't believe I had run a mile because it had felt like nothing.

I missed my A goal by :49, which is disappointing but also encouraging. In reality, :49 over the course of a marathon is really just :02/mile - not an unrealistic time to shave off. It's great to know that it's an attainable goal - while one that I won't be shooting for anytime soon. However, knowing that I qualified for Boston and that I will be able to sign up next September is an awesome feeling. It's truly an honor to run in Boston and to qualify to get in - rather than get in through a charity spot - is a pretty great experience.

All-in-all, my New York City Marathon debut - and my marathon debut in general - was a success. While I didn't necessarily enjoy every single step, I also didn't feel like I couldn't do it. There are things that I would do differently the next time around training-wise now that I know exactly what I need to prepare for, but that's what comes with experience. But don't worry, SJ, I won't be training for another one for at least another year!

Thank you to everyone who came out and supported me during the marathon, as well as to everyone who helped in my fundraising efforts. It was truly a privilege to both run the NYC Marathon as well as to know that I was doing it for such a great cause. Your support throughout the training process and along the course is appreciated more than you would know! The NYC Marathon wouldn't be as great as it is without the help and support of every single person that comes out to cheer on the runners. Thanks for encouraging us every step of the way!

Race Report: The Seaside Half Marathon and 5k

This was the 36th iteration of the Seaside Half Marathon and 5k, and I actually signed up for it simply because I was going to be down in Jersey for Homecoming and it was an easy way to force myself into doing my long run for the weekend. As far as small-town races go, this was excellently put on despite a ton of challenges standing in the way of the organizers, the Ocean Running Club.

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.

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

99% sure this was the face she made during every single Monday Run in college.

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.)

Race Report: Ragnar Washington D.C.

This post could also be titled, "Ragnar Washington D.C. - The Government Might Shutdown, but We Don't". Or, "Ragnar Washington D.C. - We Run Faster Than It Takes the Federal Government to Pass a Budget". Or, "Ragnar Washington D.C. - If Congress Ran Ragnar, They'd Never Get It Done".

Thankfully, Congress doesn't run Ragnar and the Federal government has nothing to do with our relay - we might never have even started had that been the case. However, they still managed to butt their annoying Capitol Hill issues into our race by causing course re-routings and cancellations, as well as providing us runners with some seriously good government-related van postings (I wish I had a dollar for every "Honk if you hate Congress" sign I saw along the way). 

Pre-Race

We arrived in Cumberland sometime around 12:30am on Friday morning, meaning we essentially took a nap before meeting up with the DC van in the lobby at 5:30. We wanted both vans to be at the start to see Gina kick start our trek to DC, as well as to help decorate the vans and have a few laughs before splitting up for our various legs.

We went through the safety briefing and gear check without a hitch and got all of our race paraphernalia that we would need for the duration of the relay.

Our start time was 7:00, so a little before, we all wandered down to the starting line so that we could cheer Gina and the other racers on as they started their first legs.

The Course

At just under 200 miles longs, the Ragnar DC course takes you from your starting point in Cumberland, MD through the back hills and mountains and state parks of western Maryland, through the outskirts of Frederick and then down into Virginia and over the Woodrow Wilson Bridge to the finish at the National Harbor. Because of the government shutdown, one of the legs on the course was altered and another three were cancelled completely, thus shortening the course to just over 180 miles in total length.

Looking back over the course, there really weren't any easy legs. Even if it happened to be a low mileage leg, there were significant climbs with hundreds of feet in elevation gains and losses. Here is the overview of the entire course:

You can tell from the elevation chart that we start at a pretty significant height and slowly make our way down through the duration of the course. However, what it doesn't show in this version are all the little bumps and rollers that are scattered throughout. Even though there was a net elevation change of -1,175 feet, we still climbed roughly 15,500 feet in total over the course - those are some serious hills.

If you want a complete breakdown of each leg then click here. There is way too much going on for me to go through each one, so if you feel like procrastinating at work and looking at each individual leg, feel free! And you're welcome.

The Relay

We split our team up into two vans of six runners. After Gina passed off to Liz, those of us in van 2 piled back in to head back to the hotel for a quick nap, shower and to get our stuff ready to go for the day. We met up with van 1 again at exchange four and cheered Denise on during her tough climb, as well as some other runners from various other teams. That's the best part about Ragnar - it doesn't matter who you are, you'll get cheers from everyone. You could be the slowest person on the course or you could be the fastest, but either way, you'll get supported by everyone. Because they all know exactly what you are going through and what it takes.

Van 2 got the hand off from Roger around 2:00pm and we were off on our own journey for the day - a tough 40 miles total for the van, with some significant uphill climbs. Van 1 went off in search of food and a nap to get ready to take over sometime around 7:30 while we ran on - and on and on and on and up and up and up.

After we handed off we took a drive to my Uncle John's house where we were able to lay down for a few hours nap before meeting up again at 11:45pm to start running through the night. We ended up passing directly behind my uncle's house - where van 1 had gone to so that they could get some rest - no more than 200 yards away. Running through the night is a pretty interesting experience. For some reason, I always seem to have my best runs during the night legs of the course and I look forward to them every time we run.

Shannon handed off to Gina around 5:00am and we headed to one of our teammate's houses for a quick nap (again) and a shower before heading out to meet up for our third and final legs. This was the first time I have done a Ragnar where I have had the luxury of actually sleeping in a bed and having a shower during the relay. Usually we are fending for ourselves in sleeping bags or trying to curl up in the back of the van to get some shut eye at one of the exchange points, but it just so happened that this course took us close to where we knew people, so we jumped at the chance to get a few decent hours of sleep. And it definitely made a difference - even if it was only for a few hours, a bed was so worth it.

Three of the final six legs were cancelled due to the government shutdown (apparently we were supposed to be running on federal property that was technically closed during the furlough - even though roughly everyone and their mother was continuing to use the trails) so we had to double up on runners for the final legs. I opted to run all three of the final legs, including running over the Woodrow Wilson Bridge with mamadukes to bring us home to the finish.

We crossed the line sometime around 1:00pm on Saturday afternoon - roughly thirty hours after starting. Our overall time was amazing and everyone did an awesome job. It was one of the toughest courses out there and we conquered it one step at a time.

Post-Race Party

If there is one thing that Ragnar does well, it's post-race parties. Considering that 50% of all team names have something to do with beer or alcohol in general, it's no surprise that you get your fair share of drinkers at the post-race party. Combine that with the fact that you just ran a significant distance on little sleep and you've got yourself a collection of some seriously tired, hungry and thirsty people. Thankfully, the race directors know that a Ragnar without beer and food at the finish would be one that not many people signed up for.

After we crossed the finish, we had our team picture taken and got our medals and then headed over to the beer tent. Another great thing is that there are always people that don't want/don't use their free beer coupon and are more than happy to give them away to those of us looking to consume more than our fair share. Thankfully, we found a few of these good souls so we ended up with quite the assortment of booze at our table. The race directors were also awesome in providing a good variety of beers to choose from - but one fail is that there were no gluten-free options, which meant Shanpet had to go boozeless. Had we known we would have come prepared with a bottle of vino - or maybe a tequila shot?

We hung out at the National Harbor for an hour or so before wrapping up. Since we had so many locals on our team, there were only a few of us staying over in Alexandria, so we all said our good-byes and farewells in the parking lot while we sorted out the vans. There is always the inevitable, "Who's shirt/hat/shoe/sock/belt/light/charger/etc. is this?", that occurs when you spend too much time in a car so we had to figure out where everything belonged and then we hit the road to the hotel for an epic night of debauchery - and karaoke.

Wrap-Up

I debated back and forth about how much I was going to breakdown each leg and I came to the conclusion that I don't want to spend that much time going into detail about everything that happened during the relay. As you can see from the shortness of the above recap, for a race that took thirty hours, I didn't give you too much insight. However, I think that Ragnar is one of those things that you have to experience for yourself before it will actually make sense. I could use all kinds of flowery words and nimble phrases to paint you a pretty good picture, but it still wouldn't be the same.

Until you have actually sat in a van for hours at a time, cheered on your fellow runners (even if they weren't part of your team), asked strangers in vans for water because you seriously didn't know if you would make it to the next water stop or exchange point without collapsing, peed in so many porta-potties you actually lost count, and just generally displayed behavior over the course of a weekend that many would consider insane - you just won't understand.

There's something about running in the middle of the night that is both terrifying and exhilarating. There's something about getting out and cheering for random strangers as they run through your "tunnel" of glow-lights at 3:30am in the backwoods of some far-flung city or town or state. There's something to say about people that willingly choose to lead a life of little sleep, few showers and lots of miles over the course of thirty-some-odd hours. There's something about "the wet seat" in the front of the van that only people who have experienced Ragnar would understand. When you go to ridiculous lengths to make sure your van is decorated in a way that only kindergartners - and other Ragnarians - would think was cool. When you get so delirious from too much running, too little sleep and way too much junk food that you think what you're doing is actually normal and you can't understand why other people don't "get it". When you are already talking about what your next Ragnar is going to be, and you haven't even finished the one you're doing.

Until all of those things make sense, there's not really any point of me going into massive amounts of detail about this weekend. Because it won't really make sense to you. Those of you who have experienced Ragnar will just know, and those of you who haven't won't. You'll read the words and you'll get the picture, but you won't feel it. And, in the end, Ragnar is all about feeling it, whatever it is for you.

It could be the thrill of doing something you never thought you could do. It could be making it to the top of a climb that you never in your right mind thought you would reach. It could be the feeling you get when you cross the finish line with your teammates and know that you've just accomplished something bigger than yourself. It could be doing something you never though you would - or could - do. It is the feeling of relief that you're last leg is done, but the sorrow in knowing that it's over.

There are many people who run Ragnar and decide that they will never do it again. And then there are those people who run a Ragnar and are already planning their next one before the dust has even settled - or the van has even been cleaned. I fall into the latter category. I have the bug.

It's not because I'm a glutton for pain - there are far harder things I could be doing than Ragnar if that were the case - and it's not because I like running all that much. I think it's more about the sense of adventure, the fact that there are 11 other people relying on you to do your share and pull your weight and run to the best of your abilities. It's not about the competition - it's about the camaraderie. It's about being part of a team and having fun and cheering people on, even if you don't know them. It's about meeting new people and making new friends.

And if you can get past the long hours in the van and the lack of sleep and the distance and the pain - if you can get through it all and then go back home, go for a run or go to the gym or just go out somewhere and see someone else wearing the Ragnar symbol and give them a shout, then you'll finally understand.